#gave the ramona special

[domesticatedstew]

its been a few days, but I finished another gaslight district fanfic!! Mel and Ken are apart of a cooking show episode in the style of like diners, drive-ins and dives. basically just a lot of dialog and descriptions of fly guts

idea came from @loaf-of-wren !!

"C'mon people we gotta schedule to follow!! We need this crap filmed and edited by next WEEK!!!" There was frantic scrambling, multiple rotlings holding filming equipment were struggling to hide behind the singular camera as to not get into frame.

Ken and Mel stood behind the center island in the kitchen, making sure all their equipment was laid out. "We got all the knives we need, could you grab a couple of jars so we can use some of the innards for jelly later," Ken pointed over to the cabinets where they usually kept their clean dishes (if they ever had any dishes clean at the time.)

Thankfully this was one of those times, Mel brought back nearly 10 whole jars. "Sheesh, seems like a bit of an overkill but alright kid," Mel would've glared at the microphone guy if it weren't for the fact they director signaled they were about to start recording. Suddenly a tall, and rather beautiful, rotling with a deep brown wig strut up in front of the camera. "Welcome back citizens of the Gaslight District!! I'm your host, Ramona Ray, and today we're featuring the lovely Whale Belly Butcher Shop!"

Her voice sounded so professional and yet so attractive. Ken gave Mel a worried side glace, Mel knew exactly what he was worried about, her nose bleeds. She gave him a quick reassuring pat on the back before the stunning rotling turned to look at them. "So, you two are the father daughter duo that keep this ship running smoothly, what's it like working together?" The camera came in closer and so did the swarm of people behind it, getting a good angle of all 3 people.

"Well us being family for sure has its perks, my daughter Mel is an excellent worker and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty with her old man!" She knew what Ken would've said if they weren't being recorded, but they needed to look good for publicity. "Mel, why don't you tell the beautiful lady what we'll be making them today?" Ken laid it on thick with his flirting, and if they weren't on TV she would've gagged.

"Today we're gonna show you how we make our most popular dish, the platter! While also making some of our in house fly spread," Mel made sure her voice sounded pleasant for the viewers, as per the director's request. She thought the director guy was full of shit, but Ken insisted they listen to him for the sake of the restaurant's publicity. "You need to go and actually get the fly," Ken whispered as he began shoving her towards the dining room.

She would've talked back if he hadn't immediately turned his attention back to stupidly pretty Ramona Ray. Mel waltzed into the front room where they kept the fresher fly corpses in a glass case. She quickly found the (much higher quality than what they normally serve) carcass and heaved it over her shoulder. It didn't drip like the normal flies they sold, so clearly something was going on and it was Ken trying to look good for the cameras (and for the hostess.)

"Ah there you are Mel! Took your sweet time getting our main ingredient, didn't you?" He chuckled but it was obvious that Ken was trying to say 'move your ass so we can finish filming this crap.' "Sure thing dad," Mel didn't hide her frustration as she plopped the fly onto the center island.

"Wow, such a fresh corpse! You guys specialize in only the best, don't cha?" Ramona Ray batted her eye lashes at the butcher, who was enjoying all the attention he was getting. Mel had to refrain from making grosses out faces. "Oh you better! We only serve the best of the best here, isn't that right Mel?" All she did was nod along, worried that if she spoke it'd come out the wrong way and they'd have to reshoot.

Ken pulled out a butchers knife (not the one in his head) and made a swift chop, loping off the flys head. "To start, we need to chop the head off as that's the centerpiece of our platter! And it makes it easier to pull the spine from the body," as he said that, he dug his fingers into the base of the headless nub and violently ripped out the spine. Ramona Ray seemed extra impressed with Ken's strength, Mel just had to stand there and not cringe.

"We usually save the bones and spine to make stock, but since we're just making a platter and some jelly we'll just be throwing this out," Ken tossed the spine somewhere where the camera wouldn't see it. Mel watched one of the crew members practically slither over and start gnawing on it, nasty. Suddenly the carcass was now flipped onto its back, exposing the gross translucent wings. "Now we gotta clean up the rest of the body, get rid of the wings and the lil hairs," Ken, now using a smaller and slimmer knife, sliced all the wings off and begun basically shaving the dead fly body.

They'd usually skip the shaving part, especially since they don't serve the skin to begin with. But whatever makes them look better on TV.

"Mel, would you do the honor of scooping out the guts for our jellies?" Finally!!! Something for her to do that wasn't just standing there to emphasize the father daughter thing the director was really trying to push. "Hell yeah I will!!" She said with all the excitement she's felt so far.

Without hesitation, Mel grabbed a knife nearly as long as her forearm and plunged it into the center of its back, dragging it down while it made disgustingly loud squelching noises. Ramona Ray leaned in closer to watch Mel disect the insect person, which made her face flush from the sudden attention. Damn hot lady.

With the back now open and exposing the other side of the organs, Mel began pulling fistfulls of the organs they didn't need for the platter. She made sure to get every single bit of gross, nasty, red blood and guts into each individual jar. Mel realized she probably needed to explain what the hell she was even doing, "We usually just place the guts we don't need for the platter into these jars, then we let them sit for a bit so they get all jelly like and then you can eat them."

The director looked disappointed with how flatly the delivered that line.

Ken simply sighed, "Now that we've got the desirable organs left, we plate them up!" And he did exactly that, placing the intestines, trachea, and the heart in a fancy little pattern. Again, something he usually didn't do. "Now for the final touches," Ken said as he gently placed the decapitated fly head onto the pile of its own guts.

A grotesque yet delicious sight, Mel could've sworn she heard one of the crew members stomach growl.

"That looks fantastic!! May I have a taste?" The brunette wig wearing rotling pointed to the plate with hunger in her eyes. For a second she thought that the hostess was going to snatch the plate from Ken's hand and swallow the food whole. It wouldn't have been the first time someone's done that.

Ken handed Ramona Ray a fork, who promptly scooped up a large chunk of innards and blood and nearly swallowed the fork in the process.

She proceeded to let out the most shrill, annoying squeal, "Oh my GOODNESS!! This truly lives up to the hype!! I might have to just take this whole platter for myself," Ramona Ray let out a forced, yet still beautiful sounding, laugh. Mel could feel her face heat up again and it seemed like Ken felt the same way since his face turned the faintest bit purple.

"And I can't forget the jelly you made Mel!! I've gotta take it home to see how yummy it is," Ramona Ray took one of the jars full of liquidy red organs, practically staring into Mel's soul. God damn hot creepy lady.

"And that's a WRAP!!" The director called out and nearly everyone in the room let out a sigh. "Thank you so much for having us on your show Ramona Ray, can I add how gorgeous you are?" Ok Ken was really laying it on thick, but since they werent being recorded anymore Mel could finally fake gag in response to her dad's cheesey flirting.

Ramona giggled, "You're quite handsome yourself Ken, maybe we should plan a date sometime soon!" Ken gave her a kiss on her hand, signaling that he was more than willing to go on a date with the gorgeous rotling.

Mel had enough of this crap. She shoved her way past the swarm of rotlings and finallt got some space in the dining room.

She wished she had gone with Mud and Breadhead to go do a hit instead of listening to Ken's non stop flirting and having to make food for a camera.

[honeyjars-sims]

3.38 Common Goals

Things have been busy over the past couple of weeks. The channel is planning some special videos and the cast has been filming at different locations. That means I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to Lacey yet, which I’ll admit is a bit of a relief. 

I’ve been pretty distracted anyway. My dads already have a buyer interested in the house so that doesn’t give me much time to find a new place. Lucy suggested I get in contact with Paul since he’ll need a roommate when he moves to San Sequoia, so I’m meeting with him to look at a townhouse he’s had his eye on. 

When I arrive at the address Paul gave me, it’s not quite what I was expecting. It doesn’t look like any rental property that I’ve ever seen. There’s a little market area on the other side of the parking lot where booths of fresh flowers and produce are set up. Before I have a chance to check it out more, Paul's Jeep pulls into the parking lot and he hops out.

"You ready?" he asks. I tell him I am and we walk to a gate with an intercom. ”I just have to let the property manager know we’re here.” After a couple of minutes a woman who looks to be in her 50s arrives to greet us. She looks like she’s been working outside; her jeans dusted with dirt and her cheeks are pink from the sun. 

 "Hello Paul, it's nice to speak to you in person," she says. She looks at me. "This must be the roommate."

"Hi, I'm Johnny," I say, reaching out to shake her hand.

"Johnny," she repeats. "Johnny and Paul. I'm Gail. My wife and I own the townhouse you’ll be viewing. Let’s go take a look."

We walk down the path. There are two buildings on either side and Gail takes us to the one on the right. “My son just moved about a week ago. He’s going to do some conservation work in Sulani,” she explains as she unlocks the door to the unit.

When we step inside, I'm surprised by the size of the place. Going by the rent price, I was expecting something much smaller. "Are you sure you got the price right?" I ask Paul. Maybe he transposed some numbers somewhere. It seems unlikely, but even future doctors make mistakes.

"I thought I did when I first saw it, but it really is that cheap," he insists. I raise an eyebrow, sensing that there's more to the story. "There is just one little catch," he admits.

Gail catches wind of our conversation and smiles. "It really does sound too good to be true, doesn't it? The community here is a little...atypical, but I promise it's worth it."

"What do you mean?" I ask incredulously.

"Well, Ellie and I started this community once our children got older. Initially we just wanted a way to keep us all together, but we saw an opportunity to create affordable housing here in San Sequoia and foster our community at the same time. At Hopewell Commons, helping out your neighbors isn't simply a courtesy. Everyone contributes, whether it's through tending the garden, making repairs, providing childcare, offering goods and services...everyone finds their place."

"So we have to earn our keep?"

Gail laughs. "I wouldn't put it quite like that. As renters, you’re not required to put in the hours that our homeowners do, but we encourage you to get involved. You'll not only be helping out others but you'll have a built-in support system when you're the one in need."

I’m feeling pretty skeptical, but I want to see if this place is worth the effort. Gail shows us one of the bedrooms upstairs. 

“That’s a nice view of the garden,” Paul comments. I peek out the window. The garden is pretty quaint with a small greenhouse and a few rows of plants. There’s an older woman and a young girl talking near the chicken pen. 

“That’s Ellie and our granddaughter, Ramona,” Gail tells us.

“How many people live in the community?” I ask her.

“Well, there’s my daughter Cleo and her family, and we’ve got about 10 other residents at the moment. But we’re growing! We’re building more houses on some land we just acquired.”

Once she's out of earshot, I turn to Paul. "This isn’t a cult, isn't it?"

"It's not a cult. It's more like a…family."

"That's what someone who's in a cult would say," I point out.

“It’s NOT a cult!”

Next, Gail leads us out into the community garden. "This is a group effort," she explains. "We have several residents who rotate duties in the garden, and once the crops are ready everyone helps themselves to their share."

I can't say that I've ever been into gardening, but Paul seems excited by the idea. I guess I should get used to it, too. While he and Gail share gardening tips in the greenhouse, I wander around the garden. It does seem like a nice idea, everyone chipping in so that their neighbors can enjoy the bounty. Plus, free food.

Gail’s granddaughter is playing nearby and when she sees me, she skips over. 

"Hi, I'm Ramona! What's your name?" "I'm Johnny." "Oh, okay. Do you have any pets?" "Yeah, I have a cat named Taco."

"Taco??? That's a funny name!” She giggles. “Can I see it?" "Well, she's not here right now." "Why?" "Because I don't live here." "Why?" I'm not completely sure how to answer that one. "Because I just don't." "Oh. Are you going to live here soon?" "Maybe." "Can I see Taco when you do?" "Well, you should probably ask your parents about that." "Why?"

Gail comes around the corner.  "Because it's not a good idea to go to someone's house alone if you don't know them." Ramona seems satisfied by her answer.

Gail turns to me. "You'll have to excuse Ramona. She thinks everyone is her friend. You’re a nice young man, but it's important that she learns the difference between a friend and a stranger."

"No problem," I tell her. Ramona runs off to examine a tomato plant. It seems like she has the type of childhood that I wish I had. I learned way too young that not everyone can be trusted.

Paul walks over to me. "So, what do you think?" he asks. "I understand if you're not feeling it. I know it's a little strange."

So far everyone looks happy, like, genuinely happy and not like people in a cult who are being brainwashed. I sigh. "Okay, as long as the rental agreement doesn't make us promise our souls to The Great Leader I guess I'm open to it."

"Are you sure? Because we can keep looking if you're not."

"I'm sure. I trust your judgment."

We tell Gail what we've decided and she takes us to fill out our applications. She says we should hear something in a couple of days.

When we head back to our cars I spot Ramona again.

"Bye Johnny!" she tells me cheerfully. "Tell Taco I said 'hi!'"

"Sure thing, Ramona. See you later!"

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[gyll-yee-haw]

Birthday Surprise

Hii, everyone! I'm back with something short to celebrate our man's bday and the release of his book! (so proud :'))

Hope you like it! (I'm kinda rusty, haven't written anything in YEARS)

Prompt: You give Jake a very special birthday present :)

Like 1k words

Warnings: fluff, mentions of pregnancy.

You were almost shaking in anticipation. Oh, how long the two of you waited for that moment... ever since you got married, and maybe even a bit before that, you and Jake have always discussed starting your own family. Seeing how he was with his nieces always made your ovaries ache.

Now he was in his "uncle era" as you would call. Releasing and promoting his book "The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles" was just so exciting for him and you were beyond proud, seeing him so happy and trying new things.

You were almost sad that era would have to end... soon he would start a new one. And he had no idea.

Ever since your test results came positive, you knew you had to find a special way to tell Jake. He deserved that.

You found out two weeks before his birthday. Perfect opportunity... I mean, it was so hard to buy him presents... he always loved everything you got him, but you knew he never actually needed anything. But this year... it would be unforgettable.

-----

When the day came, you thought you would have a heart attack, you barely got any sleep. You knew he would love the surprise, but it had been so hard to keep it a surprise, it was almost driving you insane.

You found him sitting on the sofa, wearing an oversized green sweater after the two of you had his favorite breakfast. He seemed so calm and content. He looked cozy, he looked like home. You realized you were staring at him like a fool with a smile on your face. It was the right time, you felt it.

"Jake?" You called him as you walked to join him on the sofa. You held a box in your hands.

"Yeah, baby?" He gave you his sweetest smile.

"I wanted to give you a present. But... not something you could just buy, you know? Wanted it to be special." You explained, looking at the box. He could see you were nervous because of how you were gripping on it for dear life. You just felt that... when the box was no longer in your hands, the situation wouldn't be under control anymore.

"You know you didn't have to give me anything, my love." He tried to calm you down. "Just being able to wake up by your side for another year is more than I deserve."

You took a deep breath and handed him the box. He sat closer to you and hugged your shoulders, giving you a forehead kiss before opening it.

He unwrapped a very clearly homemade book. He looked at you in awe.

"Y/N? That's... that's so thoughtful, did you do all of this...?"

"Well, Ramona and Gloria helped with the illustrations." You explained, seeing him smile just imagining you and his nieces working together on this project. "I wrote the story and struggled to bind it for several days, so... I know it looks messy, I just..."

"It looks absolutely perfect." He got emotional before he could even imagine what was inside...

"Will you read it out loud?" You asked shyly. "Wanna see your reaction..."

"Sure!" He smiled excitedly, as he opened the book.

Writing is hard, I will not lie... But there's a man who makes me wanna try. I wonder how can he be... Looking this good at forty-three?

He left out a laugh and rolled his eyes.

How can you deny he's the greatest uncle of all times... When someone calls him "uncle", you can see the pride in his eyes.

You could hear the emotion on his voice. You could see his eyes running through the illustrations with absolute adoration.

He's more than an uncle, it's true He gets called another thing or two The greatest actor, the funniest guy, He doesn't even have to try. How lucky am I, cause in the end I get to call him my best friend

That's it. Now he was going to read the important part. Your heart was about to burst.

But there's something he's never been called before... Something he'll have to wait a few months for. But I'm sure he will be glad Cause he'll have someone to call him... dad.

At the end of the page, you glued the pregnancy test. He stared at it wide-eyed, speechless.

"Honey, is this..." he was afraid of saying it out loud. It was too good to escape his lips.

"Yes. It's true." You grabbed his hand and placed it softly on your belly. "I'm pregnant, Jake."

He murmured something inhuman as he placed his gift on the side so he could bring you to his arms and fill your face with little kisses.

"This is... the best birthday present I ever got... I mean... they both are, the book and this..." he looked at your belly, then to your eyes. "Thank you, my angel, I love you so much... I love... this baby so much already, I..."

"We love you too." You replied as you felt your eyes fill with tears. "I'm sorry, but now you'll have to start working on 'The Secret Society of dads'..."

"Y/N." He freaked out when it hit him. "I have NO IDEA how to be a dad..."

"I'm just joking" you laughed at his reaction. "You don't have to write a book about it."

"I just have to raise the child, which seems easier, huh?" He raised his eyebrows sarcastically.

"I know it's hard." You reassured him. "But you got me as a coauthor in this one."

"In that case... I just know it will be the most beautiful story."

______________________________________________________________

As promised, tagging my sweet @gyllenhaalstories, who inspired me to come back, and made me feel very welcome <3

[ramona-quinn]

Take a Moment and Breathe

Plot: Stolas had a shitty day at work, so Blitzø looks after him to help him feel better.

Listen to this song while reading :3

TW: Past neglect, abuse from clients

————————

Co-written with @goomys-corner / @goomys-writing-space / @small-duckie

Edited by @ramona-quinn

————————

Prompt number 13 by @enbypossum

Stolas rinsed his fluffy face off in the apartment bathroom. Today was horrible for him. He had to deal with Karen clients at I.M.P. He did everything to stay calm. After all, you can’t help people calm down if you’re not calm yourself. However, the clients were having none of it. Some people even bashed him and threw food at him after what happened on the day of the historic trial.

Stolas could feel his brain scolding him constantly that it was his fault for losing everything. He knew that it was true, but lords, did he wish he could shut his brain off.

Meanwhile, Blitzø was in the living room, watching TV. He glanced at the closed bathroom door and noticed that Stolas was in there for a while. He knew that he had a bad day, so he decided to give him some space. However, that didn’t stop the imp from being concerned. Stolas always did his best as a receptionist on both good and bad days, always taking shit on the chin like a champ. However, Blitzø could tell that the Goetia was possibly masking his true emotions.

Blitzø's inner thoughts were interrupted when Stolas walked out of the bathroom.

“Hey, Stols, are you okay?” Blitzø asked softly, head tilted and tail swishing slightly. “You know Loonie and I can do something about the clients.”

"It's fine," Stolas denied. "I appreciate your concern, really, but I'm okay. I'm used to being screamed at."

Blitzø’s frown deepened at the mention.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” the imp asked.

Stolas shook his head as he sat down on the couch. Blitzø decided to let him be for now and not crowd in his feelings. As they watched TV, Stolas began to relax. He grabbed the pillow that sat beside him and began to hug it. He hummed as he curled his legs up into a ball. He was starting to regress.

“B’itzø?” Stolas spoke up, his voice starting to sound younger.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Blitzø asked. “Are you feeling tiny right now?”

The Goetia nodded his head.

“How old are you?”

“Uh… I don’t really know, act’lly,” Stolas responded. “‘m mi’ be th’ee.”

“That’s okay, little guy. I’m here to take care of ya,” the imp reassured. “Let’s get you washed up before dinner, yeah?”

Blitzø helped Stolas up and gave him a warm bubble bath in the bathroom. He then dressed him in some pajamas that Loona unpromptedly laid out before heading off to a sleepover at Gigi’s place.

“I think it’s getting close to dinner time. What would you like?” Blitzø asked as he brushed Stolas’ head.

The Goetia thought about it for a moment before giving a genuine shrug. He then remembered the time when Blitzø made grilled cheese sandwiches with rats in them and he actually liked them.

"Grill cheese," Stolas decided.

“Okay, do you want it with rats inside?”

“Yeah, an’, an’… uh…”

“It’s okay, take your time to think what you want.”

“Choc milk, please?”

“Sure thing! I’ll get it fixed right away!”

Stolas smiled a bit as Blitzø headed over to the kitchen to prepare dinner. The Goetia decided to head over to his special regression area; it was in a corner of the living room next to the TV. He grabbed a little box that contained his pacis and paci clips and opened it. He pulled out a dark blue pacifier that was decorated with golden stars on the handle and a moon on the button. He tied it to a galaxy paci clip and clipped it to his shirt pocket. After popping the soother in his beak, he began to read one of his plant books to his four Jellycat stuffies (two plants named Maxwell and Baxter, a Jack Russell Terrier named Wishbone, and a blue bunny with stars decorated on the ears named Nova Midnight).

As Blitzø cooked on the stove, he looked over at Stolas and couldn’t help but smile at the heartwarming scene. At first, when the Goetia involuntarily regressed in front of the I.M.P. crew, he felt all kinds of shame and embarrassment. However, after some time, patience, and reassurance, he started to feel better about his coping mechanism.

Blitzø returned to his cooking and placed Stolas’ grilled cheese on a dark blue divided plate. He cut the sandwich into fun little shapes.

“Hey, Stols, want some fruit to go with your sandwich?” Blitzø asked. He didn’t get a response. The imp looked up and saw that Stolas was too engrossed in his book to hear him. He turned off the stove and walked over to the Goetia. He got down to Stolas’ eye level and gently tapped the book to get his attention.

Stolas jumped a bit in surprise.

“Oh, fu- I mean, crap, sorry,” the imp apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare ya. You alright?”

“Yeah, ‘m sorry,” Stolas replied.

“It’s okay. I can see you were enjoying your book. I get completely focused on horse-themed stuff all the time,” Blitzø said as he playfully tapped Stolas’ beak. “Dinner’s almost ready. You want some fruit to go with your sandwich? I know you like eating healthy snacks, but I wanted to make sure if you wanted some to eat.”

Stolas nodded.

“Ca’ you add gra’es, please?” the Goetia requested politely.

“Of course! You want a sippy cup or a bottle for your milk?”

“Mmm… sip-sip.”

“Alrighty! Let’s head over to the kitchen, ‘kay?”

Blitzø helped Stolas up and guided him to the kitchen. Once the Goetia sat down at the table, Blitzø pulled out some grapes and chocolate milk from the fridge. He rinsed the fruit in the sink and placed it on Stolas’ plate. He then poured some chocolate milk into a light blue sippy cup that Stolas chose.

“You want your milk heated, buddy?” Blitzø offered.

“Mm-hm,” Stolas nodded as he removed his pacifier from his mouth. “Warm milk is yummier tha’ col’ milk.”

“I agree, especially after a long day.”

Blitzø placed the sippy cup in a sippy cup warmer (it’s a bottle warmer but for sippy cups) and warmed it up. 

"Alright, kiddo, dinner's ready," the imp announced as he placed Stolas' plate and drink in front of him.

“T’an’ you, B’itzø,” Stolas chirped.

“No problem, kiddo.”

Stolas began eating his sandwich while Blitzø prepared a grilled cheese of his own.

“You like your food?” the imp asked as he sat across from Stolas at the table.

The Goetia nodded happily. Dinner continued on with him talking to Blitzø about his plant book. The imp listened attentively as he ate his meal.

Once dinner was over, Stolas was back in his agere corner, reading from his book pile, while Blitzø watched TV. The imp had an age-appropriate show playing, Between the Lions. Stolas put the book he was reading away and decided to join his caregiver on the couch. He grabbed Nova Midnight and walked over to Blitzø.

“Hey, buddy. You can sit with me if you want,” the imp invited.

Stolas sat down on the couch. He wanted to cuddle with Blitzø, but he hesitated to ask. When the Goetia was a kid, he was brushed off by his father whenever he wanted a hug from him. He scooted a few inches away from Blitzø. There was no way the imp wanted to give him cuddles.

“Hm? You okay?” Blitzø asked.

Stolas nodded in denial. When the owl looked down at the ground while hugging his bunny stuffie tight, however, Blitzø knew right away that something was up.

“You can talk to me if you want. I’m right here if you need anything.”

“C… cuddle?” Stolas requested timidly.

"Yeah, of course! You're free to give me all the cuddles you want!"

"'m thought you didn't wan' a hug..."

"Is that why you scooted away?"

Stolas nodded sadly.

“Feathers, it’s okay. I always want a hug whenever you want one,“ Blitzø reassured with a smile.

Stolas scooted back to the imp and gave him a big embrace. Blitzø returned the hug. He then wrapped a blanket around his little one.

"Here, let me lay down real quick," the imp said as he laid down. Stolas followed suit, laying on Blitzø's chest and sighing peacefully.

Blitzø grabbed the pacifier clipped to Stolas' shirt and brushed it between his beak. Stolas had opened his beak up to take the soother, resting his head on his caregiver’s chest with sleepy coos.

"I love you so much. You know that?" Blitzø murmured softly as he kissed Stolas’ forehead. He then planted more forehead kisses, causing the owl to giggle.

An hour later, Blitzø saw that Stolas was nodding off to sleep.

"Come on, baby feathers, let's get you ready for bed," Blitzø said.

Stolas yawned and rubbed his eyes. He sat up, allowing Blitzø to hop off the couch. The imp guided him to the bathroom and brushed his beak. Once that was over, Blitzø stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door so Stolas could use the toilet. The Goetia had done his stuff, finally exiting the bathroom after washing his hands.

After tucking Stolas in on the couch and placing his pacifier back in his mouth, Blitzø switched on the galaxy projector next to Stolas' little corner and grabbed a couple of books to read. He sat down on a beanbag next to Stolas and gently ruffled his head as he began reading to him.

Stolas yawned, curling up on his side and cuddling Nova Midnight, eyes drifting shut as Blitzø read.

When storytime was finished, Blitzø glanced at Stolas and saw that he had fallen asleep.

“I’ll be here if you need anything,” the imp whispered as he kissed Stolas’ cheek. “Sweet dreams.”

Blitzø quietly stood up from his beanbag and returned to the bathroom to get ready for bed himself.

[emma-is-swaggy-and-epic]

Felt like making an MLP next gen lol (something something, inner child or whatever)

[[Link to the base i used]]

SHIPS AND LORE UNDER THE CUT!!!

Characters from left to right

Daisy bell - fluttershy x tree hugger

....yeah, i know that you were probably expecting a different ship considering neither fluttershy OR tree hugger have curly hair. I gave daisy curly hair because tree hugger's design makes it look like she has wicks or some other black hairstyle and that leads me to believe she may be black. Anyway...daisy's special talent is grooming animals and i imagine she probably smokes weed in her spare time

Hailey - applejack x rainbow dash

In all honesty, i'm not really too invested in shipping in the MLP fandom though considering how it's implied RD and AJ got married in the series finale i decided to keep that with my next gen because i feel it makes sense. I chose the name "hailey" for this character for a multitude of reasons: 1. That's the name i chose for ALL my rainbow dash next gen kids ever since i was twelve, 2. It's a pun on "hail" as in the weather condition and 3. "Hailey" just SOUNDS like it could be a farm girl name. Basically hailey's thing is that she earned her cutie mark after getting bit by a vampire fruit bat as a child and therefore has a pair of bat wings. Personality-wise she's pretty much your typical "manic pixie dream girl" type (ramona flowers from scott pilgrim immediantly comes to mind, i've never read those books and i'm just going off of what i've heard)

Pastel dream - twilight sparkle x flash sentry

I admit this is a bit of a generic choice but tbh this was one of the first ships i EVER had so i feel it deserves a place in my next gen. Basically twilight and flash got married though their marriage didn't last very long and they got divorced a few years after pastel was born and twilight eventually got with big mac, pastel was very fucking angsty about having a new stepdad and only really calmed down after her little sister lavender was born. She's emo and also believes in aliens, her special talent is interpreting dreams (also, yes i know she doesn't really look THAT much like her parents. I'm just kinda tired of people ALWAYS making their flashlight fankids straight up just twilight but orange and i wanted to do something different)

Lavender web - twilight sparkle x big mac

Yeah i only really put this ship here because of the semi-infamous fanfic "the spiderses" and her personality is no different, this lass just LOVES her some spiders.

Rosemary - rarity x braeburn

This was actually the very first MLP ship i ever got into! At the time, i hadn't watched the episode braeburn was in and didn't know he was basically male applejack. 8-year-old me just saw him in the gameloft app and thought "wow that's one handsome horse! I must ship him with rarity because she's my favorite character!" So i put the ship into my next gen because of how much sentimental value i have for it. Anyways....i imagine rose to be somewhat of a "southern belle" type, her special talent is writing romance fiction and she's got the flirty nature to match! She's slightly inspired by blanche from the golden girls, i do admit.

Chocomint ice - pinkie pie x minty

To be honest....i only really added this ship in because of how often they're shipped in G3. I don't really have much to say about her other than she's based on the song "aoi-chan is going to eat chocomint no matter what" (bit of a mouthful of a song title but y'know...it's a japanese song so it's probably much shorter in the original language lol) also her bangs are modeled after the titular aoi-chan in the song's music video

I don't know if i'm going to do anything with this AU, but if i do: i'll probably include celestia x mirror!sombra and luna x discord

[randomnameless]

Land 5 aka before the final boss done !

Albion...

Well, it has a city named Bordeaux !

Ça fait un bail que Bordeaux et l'Aquitaine ne sont plus aux mains de la perfide Albion !

What else can I say...

The final stage bgm was kickass, I loved the architecture and the "subquests" with goats and the character who turns ennemies green was... A thing lol. Still Nigel isn't a deadweight so that's something nice.

Plot wise...

Ugh.

If anyone got it better than I do then please help me lol, because from what I understood, the pope (hereditary title in this verse) got only one child (tfw your line is super special magical plot related but you only get one kid) and told both of his right arms, Nigel and Sanatio, that they should never speak of her to anyone, including themselves.

So... Nigel secured Scarlett far away (uh...) 6 years ago and didn't tell Sanatio, per the pope's orders, Sanatio knew Scarlett existed but since her existence must remain secret, per the pope's orders, he... Uh... Never knew where she was ?

So when the pope decided to fold against the evil empire, and subsequently later died (something Gharnef is pissed about, because the pope's line is the only one able to destroy mc guffins) Sanatio thought that he had to pretend the pope was still alive to make sure Albion and the Orthodoxy would not descend into chaos ?? Like, Nigel couldn't tell him that "I shipped Scarlett to parevia aka an island that is as far from Albion as the UK is from France, under her dad's orders some years ago, let's find her to both protect and mount a resistance against the empire ?"

I knew Albion was scrapped because bankruptcy and all, but damn if in a game where Gilbert, Virginia, hell Alain and to an extent Yunifi and Morad exist, this felt contrived as fuck.

Besides, I know you are technically able to go to Albion before doing bastorias, Drakengard or Elheim (Bastorias or Elheim must be done though) but damn if doing things in order paints Scarlett in a crap light, after Erigor and witnessing the elves zombies and learning about the occupation in both Cornia and Drakengard with mysterious plagues around, and we open Albion with Scarlett worrying about her dad (while she was there when Galerius told us he was dead !) and wanting to show Alain the place where she picked up flowers when she was younger.

Special mention to her former childhood friend Raelys (?) with whom she reunites and wants to go to their special flower field again... Only to be ambushed by Raelys because while childhood memories are nice and all, Raelys' younger brother was taken hostage and she wants to save him.

Then we have Fodoquia's backstory... And Scarlett looks like an ass, especially for someone who was basically supposed to inherit Albion, who never cared about her country and her people.

Still in the few subsequent chapters she expresses her desire to help the people of Albion and her care for them (with still the memetic "I always thought about you" to get childhood friend when a majority of her rapports so far where about Alain, her feelings for him and jealousy at the other female leads or fluff) so there's that.

Ultimately I believe this discrepency is both due to the game being short on money but also the writers having wrote Scarlett as the "ojou" archetype, when the elf twins, even with their 5 lines about the plot of their land, and to some extent, Virginia and Yunifi/Ramona are concerned about their homes and people and written as such.

Plot happens and it's revealed, the empire is actually full of body surfers who were banned to the shadow realm for having sacrificed an unicorn and their big plan is to transmigrate everyone in living bodies, Scarlett's line is special because her magical powers are the result of experiments on humans with blood/parts/powers (?) of an unicorn, the failed results were duds and gave birth to the feathered people (angels) but Scarlett's ancestor was a success, the Cornian royal line is also special because it was founded by a young woman who was the only one granted immortality and not banished to the shadow realm eons ago, so she got some magic powers but gave up her immortality, and the laguz were originally elves who decided to become laguz so their bodies couldn't be snatched, but they forgot how to turn back.

Anyhow, for all of the unicorn imagery Alain got, I found it cool that the "our line was founded by the Maiden in the Unicorn and Maiden duo" thing is/was referenced in Ilenia/Virginia's skillset, it sort of helped to lessen the "uwu Alain is the saviour and chosen one" thingie that hits especially hard after Drakengard and Gilbert's last convo where he confesses he and Drakengard in general have always been jealous of cornia, so learning only Cornia's king can be the "chosen one" to get rid of the evil ghost empire...

Also, since you can skip Drakengard to reach that point and ignore her existence, I guess the "Alain saviour bcs he descends from the Maiden and has the magic ring" feels even weirder when Virginia is also in the party, but she can't equip the magic ring (granted if Alain were to die, would Virginia be able to equip it plot wise ?)

Fwiw, even if Gerard's infinity +1 sword can be used by Alain, I gave his magic ring to Virginia, his other grandkid by beating his ass with the Tricorns, plot be damned.

I mean, I usually dgaf about chosen ones plots, but when the second arc was all about a potential claimant/heir accepting to stand down and let their sib/cousin run the show, the game saying "only sib/cousin can save the world" feels a bit like a slap lol

Alain gave the "totally not-engagement ring" to Joseph, his dad in all but blood, and I rounded up several rapport conversations (wtf was Fodoquia and Bryce's lol) and mini quests.

Units wise... Ramona works well with the angels who have their discharge skill lol, and Bertrand spinning with his hammer will never cease to be hilarious.

I'm sure I'm not using Berengeria well though, because now she keeps on dying (ffs you have a giant shield can you just use it for once ??)... But Bruno makes up by hitting like a truck.

[lantanasmuttyfanfics]

Can you do cerise x daring please

Wow look at me 2 fics on one week, now that is something I’m proud of

I decided to make this a angst fic since there was no specification so in the future if you want anything specific like fluff or smut please put it in the commission

Anyway I hope you all enjoyed and I’ll (hopefully) be posting on Wednesday!!

Hope you enjoy!!!

————————————

It had been a few weeks since the last bookball game where Cerise had helped the team win and where Daring Charming of all people took a liking to her.

Deep down she knew it was a bad idea to give whatever… this was a chance, but she couldn’t help it. She had become enraptured by that Daring charm that every girl seemed to also be.

She knew that it could never really work out, he was the destined prince of Snow White and she was just little red riding hood with a dark secret.

But she went for it anyway, she let herself become… entranced and now she was paying the price.

She was never the one to cry, but she could feel hot tears brimming at the back of her eyes as she and Daring sat in the privacy of the library.

Daring to his credit did look a little guilty but she didn’t think he looked half as upset as she was feeling.

“Look Cerise I am sorry but… well you know.” She did. It consumed her brain from the very first moment that he asked her to dance.

“I know. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.” Daring looked surprised. Maybe it was because she had opened up or maybe he didn’t expect her to admit to her feelings.

“But it shouldn’t hurt. We were nothing.” Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled back her eyes wide as she looked at him with confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean.” The bite in her voice had Daring almost seizing her up but he didn’t, he instead flashed that… that damned charming smile.

“I don’t know what you aren’t getting. Cerise we were never a thing, sure we danced and went to some ‘dates’ but that doesn’t mean we were anything.”

She stared at him with complete shock, no words coming out as he stared at her dumbly. “Look I danced with Briar and Farrah and countless other girls but that doesn’t mean we were ever a thing. So why did you think you were an exception.”

Yes. Why did she think she was ever special to someone like Daring Charming, the prince of destiny and the hero of Snow White.

She swallowed before she spoke, to afraid that her voice would crack. “Because you looked at me as if I was special as if you cared as if you liked me.”

Daring shrugged while grabbing a hand mirror “I do like you Cerise. Just not like that.” He put the mirror in his lap “you are a good friend and a team member.”

The words clawed at her heart harder than she imagined Ramona would when their destiny played out. She felt her eyes burning as she nodded.

“Friends. Of course, because nothing happened between us.” Daring gave her a pat on the shoulder as he smiled. “See now you get it.”

Cerise nodded again and quickly stood up, he gave her a questioning glance before she proceeded to gather her things.

“I uhh have to go. Got class.” She hoped he wouldn’t notice that it was well past class time as she sprinted out the line with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Back in the library Daring watched the door close before he grabbed his mirror again and started to check himself out.

But before he could a girl with rose red lips, black glasses and redish brown hair toward over him with a glare on her face.

He recognized her easily as Rosabella Beauty, the quite cousin of Briar Beauty. He ignored the look on her face and flashed a charming smile.

“Rosabella what can I do for you.” Her eyes ignited with fire as she slapped the mirror out of his hand, he was about to protest as she seethed at him.

“You may be a prince but you behave more like a beast.” She turned without an other word and ran after Cerise, leaving Daring to watch sit in confusion.

At the other side of the castle Cerise Hood ran into her father’s office, red tears streaming down her face. As the door slammed shut the big bad wolf looked up from his paper work and growled.

He immediately rounded over to his daughter as he pulled her in a comforting hug, his body still shaking if growls.

They didn’t speak, a sort of understanding playing out between them as Cerise continued to cry into his chest.

But the big bad wolf vowed that whatever had his daughter crying like that would regret it for ever after.

————————

Hope you enjoyed and as always I hope I did a good job in execution!!

Anyway commission will be opening again very soon but not yet so if lease hold of

I will be making a formal opening commissions post so please wait for that

Anyway I’m sorry if this was a short and not that great fic, I just generally struggle to write about ships that I don’t personally ship but if you want it I will write it

Have a great day!!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Michael Kosnar and Ryan J. Reilly at NBC News:

WASHINGTON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plans to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge this week as part of a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will allow him to go free after having spent five years in a British prison, according to court documents. Assange was charged by criminal information — which typically signifies a plea deal — with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, the court documents say. A letter from Justice Department official Matthew McKenzie to U.S. District Judge Ramona Manglona of the Northern Mariana Islands District said that Assange would appear in court at 9 a.m. local time Wednesday (7 p.m. ET Tuesday) to plead guilty and that the Justice Department expects Assange will return to Australia, his country of citizenship, after the proceedings.

U.S. charges against Assange stem from one of the largest publications of classified information in American history, which took place during President Barack Obama's first term. Starting in late 2009, according to the government, Assange conspired with Chelsea Manning, a military intelligence analyst, to use his WikiLeaks website to disclose tens of thousands of activity reports about the war in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of reports about the war in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of State Department cables and assessment briefs of detainees at the U.S. detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Court documents revealing Assange's plea deal were filed Monday evening in U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean. Assange was expected to appear in that court and to be sentenced to 62 months, with credit for time served in British prison, meaning he would be free to return to Australia, where he was born. “This was an independent decision made by the Department of Justice and there was no White House involvement in the plea deal decision,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Monday evening.

Assange has been held in the high-security Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London for five years, and he previously spent seven years in self-exile at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London — where he reportedly fathered two children — until his asylum was withdrawn and he was forcibly carried out of the embassy and arrested in April 2019. A superseding indictment was returned more than five years ago, in May 2019, and a second superseding indictment was returned in June 2020.

Assange has been fighting extradition for more than a decade: first in connection with a sex crimes case in Sweden, then in connection with the case against him in the United States. In March, the High Court in London gave him permission for a full hearing on his appeal as he sought assurances that he could rely upon the First Amendment at a trial in the U.S. In May, two judges on the High Court said he could have a full hearing on whether he would be discriminated against in the U.S. because he is a foreign national. A hearing on the issue of Assange's free speech rights had been scheduled for July 9-10. WikiLeaks also published hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee that upended the 2016 presidential race. Russian intelligence officers were subsequently indicted in connection with the hacking in 2018 in a case brought by then-special counsel Robert Mueller. At a joint news conference with then-President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin days later, Trump contradicted the indictment and the intelligence community, saying Putin was "extremely strong and powerful in his denial" that Russians interfered in the 2016 election to help him win.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will return to Australia after he reached a plea deal with the US by pleading guilty.

[suckitsurveys]

Cat Survey! 😻

What’s his/her name? Ramona, Friday, Saké.

Where did you get your cat? I got Ramona from a shelter and Friday and Saké are sisters that came from a litter Mark’s old neighbor’s cat had.

Do they wear any collars? What color? Nope, but they are all microchipped.

What breed is it? Ramona is a tortoiseshell (which I guess is just more a coloring than breed, so I guess DSH?) and Friday and Saké are both very fluffy DLH. What color is it? I just mentioned Ramona’s coloring but Friday is black and Saké is mostly white with big grey patches.

How old is it? Ramona is 10 years old and the other two are 6. How long have you had it? I’ve had Ramona since she was 13 weeks old and the sisters we took home when they were 8ish weeks.

When is its birthday? R: Sept 24, 2014. F + S: July 13, 2018.

Do you have any good memories with your cat? Oh of course I do, every day I get to pet them and love on them is a good memory.

Are they a big part of your life? They are my whole world

Do they use the litterbox well? Ramona and Saké do but Friday is super weird and won’t bury her waste. She also will sometimes pee outside of the box as well but it happened more when she was a kitten.

What do they sleep on/in? Ramona prefers our bed and the couch, Friday tends to sleep in a basket in the closet filled with clothes I never wear, and Saké sleeps literally everywhere but she loves sleeping in boxes. All three of them alternate sleeping in the cat trees as well.

Does catnip make them go crazy? Oh yes, they LOVE catnip. Friday the most; she goes bananas every time you go near the drawer where we keep it.

Do you love your cat(s) unconditionally? Of course I do.

What color eyes do they have? They all gave the same color yellow eyes.

Are they mean? They all have their moments when they’re bothered but over all they aren’t super mean.

Are they nice? If I had to rank their friendliness towards humans it would be Ramona, Friday, Saké.

Do they get along with other cats? Saké and Ramona dislike each other. They fight the most. Friday and Saké are sisters and they are the nicest to each other. Ramona and Friday chase each other a lot but don’t really fight.

Does it shed? Oh yeah, they all do, but the sisters are very fluffy and shed A LOT. Our apartment is covered in little tufts of their fur.

Is that the only kind of pet you have? Yes.

Are they named after anyone? Ramona’s name comes from a Sublime song and from the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Friday is named this because she was born on Friday the 13th and we wanted a spooky name because she’s a black cat, and Saké is just named after the drink lol.

Is it a girl or a boy? They are all girls.

Do they sleep a lot? Yes.

Have they ever caught a mouse? I want to say Ramona did when she was living with Mark as a kitten.

Does it have any special markings? Ramona’s torti markings are so beautiful. She’s got a lil peanut butter chin and the prettiest swirls in her fur. Saké has really cute grey face markings and a little grey marking on one of her back paws that looks like a heart. Friday is all black but her mane has some brown in it. Also when she was a kitten it almost looked like she has stripes but I don’t notice that anymore with all her fur.

Have they ever had fleas? The sisters both had fleas when we got them.

Do they still have their front claws? Of course they do, I would NEVER declaw a cat.

Are they fixed? Yup. Ramona was when we adopted her and the sisters we had to take in when they were old enough.

Do they have any disabilities? Nope they are all pretty healthy babies.

Do they like the outdoors? They stay inside but they love hanging out in the window and watching birdies.

Have you had any cats before this one? Yes, I had 2 cats growing up: a calico named Jessie and a tabby named Chaos. I also very briefly had a little kitten I named The Dude an ex gave me and then broke up with me a week later and this kitten was a literal demon because the people we got him from lied to us about the mother being feral and I couldn’t take care of him anymore and it was the worst thing I’ve ever had to do but I had to give him away.

Post a picture if you have one: Ramona, Friday, Saké:

[tetsunabouquet]

Monster High OOAK OC: Shemmer Boogeyman

Because of Twyla's neon frights doll having infamous poor make-up quality including the ones I had, I altered her a little bit. I was really inspired by Cerise Hood and Ramona Bad Wolf for the Boogeyman twins.

I blurred the backgrounds so one cannot see the damage my cats have made to their cat tower. Character Profile: The older twin sister of Twyla. Whilst autistic like her sister, she is the more outgoing one of the two which is why she disappears from time to time- needing to recharge her social batteries in the shadows. Like her more monstrous appearance hints at; Shemmer is at first glance the stereotypical evil twin. She has an extensive knowledge on horror movies and often likes pranking people by scaring them in ways inspired by the movies she enjoys. With her wit and charm she usually only gets a slap on the wrist for her antics and some believe she is using her disability to her advantage. Only to her beloved twin, she dares to open up to how she’s vulnerable to states of depression due to her autism and how she is actually too much of a chicken to scare little children with the same props she uses on her friends. She simply pretends to be the tougher one and be the bigger bully scaring other bullies away from Twyla. She’s very protective over her little sister and has a weak spot for little kids. She prefers giving nightmares to people she thinks that deserve it like parents who hurt their children. Shemmer does not really have any true friends aside from Lagoona Blue and Draculaura and drifts from social circles to another depending on her mood. She does have a pretty close frenemy relationship with Toralei though and usually when Shemmer needs to recruit someone to make one of Twyla’s bullies experience the nightmare of their lifetime- its this kitty that’s at her side. Favorite Activities: Reading up on history with her sister. Scaring people. Writing poetry (which occasionally end up as lyrics for the Hissfits) Trivia: Shemmer’s name fits the same naming pattern as her sister. Like Twyla’s name obviously refers to twilight, Shemer’s name refers to the Dutch word for twilight, schemering. Shemmer typically wears more bold colors compared to Twyla to fit her bolder bright blue hair. This also refers to Dutch specific old tales of the boogeyman where he dressed in bright, bold colors. Shemmer often refers to herself as a lovable pest.  Creators notes: Being autistic myself, I liked the idea of having a darker autistic character who's special interests are more morbidly inclined like horror movies- as those always have been a fascination of mine. I always thought Monster High doesn't creates enough dolls with tails, and I get why it's annoying like when it comes to the clothes (which is why I made Shemmer's tail removable), but I still think its a bit of a misser so I gave Shemmer a tail with my 3d pen. And yes, aside from styling Shemmer's hair the exact same as Twyla, I also gave them identical moles to amp up the twin effect. For those who aren't neurodivergent: Identical neurodivergent twins absolutely happen. I actually attended special needs school with a pair of identical twins.

[xtrablak674]

Urban Soul Exhibition Opening - September 15th, 2014 at 7:00pm

Back in two-thousand fourteen I was toying with the idea of doing a film. I had approached my high school friend Michael Noonan to assist me on generating a script for this film. I thought Michael had a great aesthetic, wide knowledge base and sense of humor that would be an asset to a script-writing partner. Sadly I was wrong and this film never even got close to being made.

In concert with the idea of the film I had approached a contemporary Ajamu Walker an accomplished fine art painter, to capture some development images for me. The film idea was based in stalking, voyeurism and isolation, and I wanted to get that feeling in pictures to assist Michael and myself in our writing process. Due to the Mr. Walker donating his services for the project I never published any of these images previously.

Its been ten years and both Mr. Noonan and Mr. Walker are no longer friends. Michael and I had a falling out over this very project because I felt like if he couldn't assist he should have said as much, and not let me just keep meeting with him hoping we could produce something. Mr. Walker and I parted friendship for very unclear reasons. I still have the upmost respect for both of these people, but thought before sharing some of these images that I should give some context.

Lastly, this was an actual exhibition opening, where I was coming out as non-binary I had some conflict with Ramona Candy the curator for the show whom is also an accomplished fine art artist specializing in collage.

I don't think she understood how important it was to me to embrace the pronouns I was putting on for this opening and we butted heads around that. She also didn't like that I gave this show my own design treatment which featured my work, which was something I did for all of my exhibitions.

She attempted to leverage the use of the college she was representing to get me to submit to her wishes, it didn't work, I continued to promote the show how I did for all of my exhibitions to date. And generally speaking I will never submit to being bullied. I think this was the last exhibition we worked together on. I don't want to says I was a difficult personality to work with, but I had a clear vision for my work and wanted that vision to respected no matter which kind of show, whether it be a group or a solo one. My art is an extension of me and I would never want myself misrepresented.

Notes about what I am wearing, one of my suits from Born to Tailor, the company I just won a judgement against in court, the shirt I purchased in Peru on my '07 trip there. As a choker I am wearing my grandfather's WWII dog tag and my head-wrap was some unused fabric of my grandmothers. The necklace a piece I copped at another opening was designed by Alicia Piller a brilliant sculptor and fine artist. I love how thin I was and how mis-matched these textures and fabrics were. The look I gave for the artist talk was also outrageous I was really trying to push boundaries in my visual presentation for this show, and I think I understood the assignment perfectly.

[Photo for Brown Estate shot by Ajamu Walker]

[just-endless-nonsense]

Clan Premi genealogy

Notes under the cut - a sentence or two per character.

Most of these characters will never be drawn, as they're all of Premi's species and therefore almost identical to her anyway. I do plan to eventually draw anyone who isn't of her race.

I haven't got birthdates for most of them, which I kinda need, especially since two of these characters (Jade & Neil) have been given away lol

》Premi, F: Premi is kind and gentle, though this may be a farce. Regardless of her sincerity, she takes her given profession as a grief/guilt counselor seriously, even having Shawnee as one of her clients following the canine's ascension. She loves taking naps when not otherwise occupied. 》Ogney, M: Premi's brother, and the "official heir" of the clan should anything happen to her. Possibly evil, Ogney played a far more significant role in Premi's ascension than either of them will admit to. He is a skilled enchanter, creator of the soul-catching amulets Premi gave to her clients at the counseling center, and possessing a large stockpile of extras.

Premi's children 》Brend, M: Brend sees himself as the clan patriarch after Ogney, and often butts heads with Ogney's sons over this. He is exceptionally protective of his nieces and nephews, but barely has a personality of his own outside of that. 》Cayla, F: Cayla enjoys the finer things in life, preferring to be pampered and fawned over rather than exert any sort of effort. She has a small pool of lovers and uses their contributions to her to keep up a luxurious lifestyle. 》Amira, F: Amira is thoroughly convinced that romance is a waste of time and that sexual urges are an inconvenience when not accompanied by the intent to breed. She has not had a sexual partner since her children were born, and only three prior. 》Ajira, F: Ajira has a great enthusiasm for her ability as a Cubi to shapeshift, being the only member of the clan to do so purely out of personal amusement. She is prone to hyperactivity and loud outbursts, and is somewhat irresponsible as a mother. Her children's father has willingly accepted the role as their primary guardian, and none of them hold any grudges against her.

Brend's children 》Ramina, F: Constantly in competition with Ramona and Ramana. Musically inclined and very sarcastic. 》Ramona, F: Constantly in competition with Ramana and Ramina. "Would make an excellent Hrienth." 》Ramana, F: Constantly in competition with Ramina and Ramona. Easily flustered by male attention. 》Brannigan/Brenna, MtF: Born into Clan Fahgi, Brenna uses her shapeshifting to maintain a feminine form until she can transition properly. She and her mother both convert to Clan Premi once Premi ascends. Her sisters love to tease and spoil her, and are pooling their resources to fund her transition.

Ajira's children 》Zephyr, M: Disappeared at a young age, though it is likely Premi knows exactly where he is. Was an avid gardener before he vanished. 》Sija, I: Flat-chested and having male wing patterns, as well as identifying as male, Sija nevertheless posesses female organs. He is a talented hunter and has an almost sadistic passion for it. He has been pregnant, but the entire litter were stillborn. 》Keller, M: Small and bookish, Keller sticks close by Sija whenever possible, constantly worrying that he will be bullied no matter how benign the company they keep. He specializes in the culinary arts, taking great joy in experimenting with new ways to season and prepare Sija's kills.

Amira's children 》Ahil, M: Somewhat misogynistic, Ahil is constantly getting in (and losing) fights with his sisters. Every time he loses, he becomes more convinced he is right, and that if they would just "learn their place" the fights would stop. He has a "personal alliance" with Clan Melsir and seems to be the only one who doesn't expect it to implode spectacularly. 》Dina, F: Dina is the one who holds Ahil down while Dana whups him. Chubby and scatterbrained, she is the artist of the clan, specializing in portraits/caricatures. She prefers to work with markers and to use only a single color per project. 》Dana, F: Dana counts on Dina to hold Ahil down for his beatings. She has a romance going on with another female from her hometown, and together they are mutually attempting to choose a male to father their potential children.

Ogney's children 》Kellesk, M: Kellesk has vitiligo, and was born with almost wholly white wings that faded completely within a century of his birth. He is lethargic and easily bored, serving as the clan's record-keeper because it involves so little effort. He likely keeps a closer eye on Rosso's children than he lets on. 》Mika, F: Mika has carefully established a timid and shy persona, and serves as the clan spy and assassin. Even given her species' low female fertility rate and the impossibility of hybrid conception, she had a hysterectomy just to be certain. 》Diva, F: Living up to her name, Diva is a less-friendly counterpart to her cousin Cayla. She is selfish and aggressive, demanding attention and tribute from all she meets, often getting into fights or even full-on combat situations because of this. 》Rosso, M: The father of Stella's children, allowing her to convert into the clan. Rosso is carefree and poetic, hiding a highly analytical mind behind romance and general silliness. Following his death, his daughters became closely involved in their mother's society. 》Aris, F: Where Mika is a spy, Aris is a politician. She specifically investigates other Cubi clans, testing out their willingness and worth as allies. She is, for some reason, afraid of Clan Quoar, sometimes making vague allusions to getting in a drinking contest with Quoar himself. Aris mourns her inability to breed outside her species, having experienced deep romances with several Cubi over the centuries, even being married once. 》Alexandros, M: the youngest of Ogney's children, he is a messenger, tho incredibly nervous

Rosso & Stella's children 》Silk, F: Silk is non-verbal, but has a loud and infectious laugh. She is physically the strongest member of Clan Premi, and ranks among the top ten in her mother's tribe. Her wings were crippled in an accident when she was young, and she tends to shapeshift them away entirely, even asking Ogney to forge her an amulet that would "remove" them (similar to the amulets Kria and other Demons wear). 》Amariana/Amar, FtM: While many of his relatives are wanderers, Amar has made traveling his life purpose. He sends letters to his mother frequently, and is prone to flirting with any "comparably affiliated" Cubi he comes across, often making visits to the home of Clan Elsis specifically. He refuses to be intimate with non-Cubi, even his mother's own people. 》Kita, F: Kita is an athlete/gymnast, constantly training for endurance and agility. She makes a habit of challenging Silk to see if her speed and dexterity are a match for her sister's brute strength, and they often place bets on the outcome, generally with the loser owing gifts or a meal to the winner.

Stella's other children 》Ashveld, M: Overly serious, but a talented poet. 》Mallow, F: Her real name is Shanna, but she's known as Mallow because of her pastel coloration, a lucky sign among her mother's people. She is constantly trailing after Silk and Kita, who shower her with attention.

Ahil's children 》Jade, F: Born following Ahil's participation in a Melsir-clan raid, she is a healer in her hometown's monastery. 》Neil, M: Born following Ahil's participation in a Melsir-clan raid, he owns a fruit cart in his hometown, downhill from the monastery.

[ramona31]

Let me start this with a greeting. Bonjour Ma'am Abby. And I am Mona and this is who I am.

My birth name Ramona comes from Saint Ramon, a holy church in the small town of Kabulihan. Born on August 31, 2002. I am 21 years old and the youngest daughter in my family.

It's still vivid in my mind all the happy memories I have shared together with my cousin's and childhood friends. I still remember the first time I cried just because my playmates stole my doll gave by my parents.

I am a family oriented and really closed with my parents. They've been there by my side, teach me the right manner and values that I will cherish for a lifetime. My parents who's loving enough to make me safe. They have an irreplaceable role in my lives. They have the greatest impact on my mental, physical, social and emotional development.

My sister is the best when it comes to advice. Our sisterly bonding and the heart to heart conversation that we've made is one of the moments I've cherish. She always try to make it up on me whenever she is busy with her work. And her being by my side makes my life more bearable because I have a sister I can count on.

Moving on to my two older brothers. To be honest they both have a special place in my heart. They've filled in the gap of my life and I can't imagine my life without them. My Kuya Jr. always gives me a gift randomly even though there is no special occasion. Because that is his love language. He also constantly checking on me whenever I am away or in school. We both shared the same hobby of watching thriller movie. And also watching basketball where we always fight who will win in the end.

My Kuya Arnold loves to sketch and draw. We always make a random conversation about shadings and different materials in creating art. And I've gained some knowledge of art because of him. He also have a kind heart who always helps a relative family.

My family is my life. They are the one who filled the gaps of my life. And without them my life will be grayscale.

Next is my performance during elementary and highschool days.

One of my best performance so far is when I was in elementary up to highschool because my teachers praised my handwritten and also the way I appreciate and create art. Art always have a special place in my heart. It heals my inner self just by seeing a painting or an art galleries. The very first competition that I participated is slogan making and tattoo art using a paper cup. And I won first place. The second is when our section secured 3rd place when I was in grade 8 where we performed a play of Florante at Laura by Jose Rizal and I'm the scriptwriter and director. And one of the important is when I was in Grade 12 where I didn't expect that I will give my speech in a flag ceremony about my reflection of the pandemic.

I've broke the cursed of being alone when I was in grade 7 where I felt competitive. I crave for reward and honor. I envy those who are in top 10 and that what's I strive for and all my hardwork payed off. Finally a consistent with honours from Grade 8 to Grade 12. But it's not about the reward I am thankful for but also the learnings I've gained during the process.

Honestly, I was a leader. A president to be exactly, competitive in a good way because I am virgo. I am a consistent leader since Grade 7 up to Grade 12 . Some character traits of a Virgo run within me. I always find a way of helping my classmates who's in need. They've said the way I lead my group is a step back leadership wherein I always consider their opinions and perspective whenever we made a group projects or reporting. I always take in consideration of the abilities of my classmates and give them the opportunity to stand infront and express their ideas. I pushed them to be not afraid of public speaking. And up until now my past classmates always thank me for that and always say that they missed me not because I'm a good friend but also the impression and motivation I showed to them.

My best friend for life are the one who I can show the real me. To be honest I am a straight forward friend but only to my closest friends. I am an approachable person to any people I socialize with. I only showed my jolly side to my friends who do not judge me of my failures but instead uplifting my mood and telling me it is okay to show my weaknesses.

And I always thank Him for giving me a small circle of friends whose kind hearted enough to stay with me. And also my college bebs Laarni, Althea, and Allen who always have an open arms of supporting me that makes my college life more bearable. They are my one call away friends for life.

When I've turned to college all the candles lit down on me. It's like someone taken my spotlight. I realize that not all the times the spotlight is on you. There are times that it will run out of fire. And it's okay. It's okay to experience of being the one who follows the rule and not the one who leads. And because of that some of my weaknesses has been highlighted on my college days.

[sushiisiu]

it is really sweet and i love the fact that they seemed to have shared a bed together again when scott went to stay with wallace after being kicked out. to me it feels like it's out of familiarity but it's interesting how it gets framed as something worth ramona getting jealous and scott becoming flustered.

that's true, but augh wallace being the character scott always returns to to feel safe is something so so special to me… one of my favorite things about their dynamic is that beyond the strange air of homo-eroticism they sometimes have they're also just. really good friends.

i really feel like hm despite the different iterations of wallace there are still core aspects that remain the same and interpreting the different versions of him can inform each other, especially when the anime is so fast paced and leads with ramona so we won't get to see the side of wallace that scott sees. he was rude in the beginning scenes, but we can see that he doesn't actually care about scott using his stuff when he just Lets scott drink his coffee. he assumes they would be watching the lucas lee movie together when he gives his two cents on what to rent and doesn't even ask about scott using his credit card. he leaves scott's letter on the counter knowing scott will be back to read it. he is clearly written to care about scott, but if you watched the anime with no context of the comics then then of course these details aren't noticeable. which is why i'll keep telling anime onlys to please read the comics! the anime itself really does not offer enough to understand each character nor is it really intended to be consumed on it's own as a pseudo-sequel anyways!

as to the funeral i lowk gave up because Nobody seems to care besides ramona even knives moved on it's just ooc for the sake of highlighting ramona i think.

yes!! thank you for getting it and wording it so well! it's so strange to me because wallace is not effeminate at all. he's a little flamboyant, yeah. but that's about it. scott likes wallace as he is, which extends to his masculinity. and he is assertive, dry witted and unsentimental like the other people scott dates, so there's no reason to assume why scott wouldn't take the same role in the relationship.

also absolutely! i like that the anime joked about him wanting his own nintendo working husband (and bro did not react to being suggested that he wants to marry a man) like man he doesn't care. he's just sincerely that oblivious, and definitely not ready for the "i told you so" from everyone given that anybody with eyes can see that they're not purely platonic.

one sided scollace but instead of wallace suffering its scott... i keep seeing one sided scollace where wallace always suffers and shit

LOL ive actually thought of this a lot before i lowkey love the idea that maybe wallaces perceived attraction is warped from scotts main character syndrome in a way where hes like "well he likes men so of course he wants me" and if he ever tries to go for it imagine a moment like the kim kiss in vol 6 where its like "havent you always been there for me? you liked me but i didnt realize i swung that way yet." and wallace has to be like "what. you thought I'd want you just because im gay?"

in something more adjacent to canon though i think a very likely scenario is that scott only realizes the extent of his feelings well after wallace moving on so theres really not much that can happen but it makes him wonder what could've been. I always found it interesting how much scott seems to dislike mobile for absolutely no reason LOL

[interact-if]

First up for our Religious Diversity Month is Ramona!

Ramona, author of Crown of Exile

When your village is razed to the ground, you're left fleeing with an exiled prince. You can trust no one but each other. Your father's dying wish was to protect the prince, but can you really trust a man who was exiled from his kingdom?

Journey across the borders in search of allies. But in this deadly game of treachery and deceit, there is more than just the prince's life at stake. Will you flee from the past that haunts you or will you embrace the fate that awaits you?

The decision is yours.

• Read more about Crown of Exile here.

• Play the demo here.

• Ramona’s Ko-fi.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT]

Q1) Tell us about your project(s)!

I'm currently working on a fantasy game called Crown of Exile. It's really dear to my heart since it's helped me get over a very long period of writer's block. The game is all about helping an exiled prince reclaim his throne, all the while making allies with neighbouring kingdoms. There's a lot of romance, political intrigue and scheming with the added bonus of fictitious cultures clashing.

Q2) Why did you choose to write interactive fiction? What drew you to the format?

I've always been a writer of novels, so when I discovered interactive fiction, it opened a whole new world to me. The idea of being able to explore so many different narrative paths, which you can't normally do in a linear novel setting really made me interested in exploring more of my story ideas in an interactive fiction setting. I finally could write more than one path, without straying from the plot.

Q3) How have your identity and beliefs influenced your work?

Growing up, I was told a lot of the time what was expected of me and what I should believe. Of course, I'm very stubborn and questioned almost everything I was told which didn't earn me much favour from others. Because of that, I often include my own experiences into what I write. Challenging traditional gender roles, spiritual beliefs and even just unfair situations have all influenced my writing. I try to write things that I'd like to see happen in real life, which doesn't always happen.

Q4) What aspects would you like to be more explored or represented in media regarding your religion?

I grew up in a very religious family of Hindus and for the most part of my childhood, I was very much a Hindu. When I got older, I became more interested in Spiritualism, which is influenced by my Hindu upbringing. I'd really like to see more representation of Hinduism in mainstream media and I don't mean just yoga and meditation, because there's a lot more to it than that. It's so rare to see many Eastern beliefs in the media, so it'd be nice to see the religion and the many different deities explored.

Q5) What are you most excited about sharing related to your project?

I think I'm most excited about sharing the fictional cultures and beliefs that I created for Crown of Exile. A lot of it is heavily inspired by my own interests in ancient cultures and religions. I'm also very excited about writing a game more focussed on the interaction between characters, especially the romance aspects since many of the characters will have conflicting ideas and beliefs.

Q6) A tiny bit unrelated, what's your favorite religious event?

I want to say Diwali, because I mean the fireworks, the lights and of course the food, but I'll settle on what's called the Mariamman prayer. It's to give thanks to the mother goddess for helping people who became ill and were suffering through a drought. She gave the people sour porridge which was said to heal them. My grandmother still does the prayer and as strange as it sounds, the sour porridge is my absolute favourite thing to drink. I grew up with my grandmother doing the prayer every year, so it's really special to me.

Q7) Any thoughts or advice you'd like to give to fellow authors or readers?

I think the most important advice is to always be kind to yourself when you write. I really struggle with wanting what I've written to be perfect and often, I'll get stuck on doubting what I've written. It's okay for your work not to be perfect, because, when you take a step back and clear your mind, you realise that what you first wrote wasn't as bad as you thought.

[thecapitolvoice]

the results are in!

thank you all for making these people's voice awards so special. whether you voted with your gut or at random, we love you all.

and now, the reading of the votes:

Tribute Categories

Most likely to win the 132nd Games

This one is a fascinating tie between Victors: Victor Sterling and Sawyer Bell. Honorable mention goes to Juliana Carnelian, Edison Mitchell, and Rowan Durum, who all were cast a single vote. Oh well -- when Collier beats them all, you'll regret being on the wrong side of the vote.

Most likely to embarrass themselves in the Arena

This was a NAIL BITER. (And we have a lot of nail to bite.) It was like, Juliana, Ellemora, Juliana, Ellemora, back and forth, but in the end, I think we all agreed that a wannabe from Three is worse than a wannabe from One and Ellemora snagged the category. Still, I was hoping for a tie breaker, because when there are ties, they have to mud wrestle.

Most likely to absolutely slay their interview

Oddly, our loyal readers seemed to believe in quite a lot of tributes' ability to speak in front of cameras and under bright lights, despite years of proof that tributes are largely not good at this! For reasons that make no sense to me (the reasons are math), our trusty software gave Rowan Durum 34% of the vote while Edison Mitchell received 33% (AKA, clearly the same # of votes...). Kind of feeling like this software is in beta mode. Oh well. If he's not wearing assless chaps he's not slaying.

Non-Tribute Categories

Victor who wears their victorhood the best

Cress Meadowforge with a steel chair absolutely bashing the competition, proving for poor Miller that a Brick is no match for steel. We love to see it. Cress, sweaty, you're doing amazing. And you're very scary.

Most Daddy

Also known as the most consequential vote of our modern times. This was so close. In the end Dale Winter and Lex Sterling tied, but Monty, you know you always have a special place in our hearts beds.

Most decorated Panem Pioneer of them all

Little Cain Gunn!!!! I mean, I know he's all grown-up, but it just makes me so happy to see him succeeding all over again. I do want to know just how many badges he actually earned, though we all know murder ain't one of them. #oops #theresstilltime

Best dressed

It only makes sense that two of our dear Games stylists were in competition for this one, but Valentina pulled it out in the end, and we are so happy for her!! Sorry to Ramona and Rio, but it seems like at least some people think you're fashionable, so... go home happy, okay?

Worst dressed

Honestly this category is not about fashion but vibes, and you all were vibing appropriately. Poor Alder Reid, who's never received anything but praise in these glossy pages, has been chosen as the worst dressed. I for one am APPALLED that you would speak ill of him. (Rush baby I'm so sorry you were nominated but cult members are historically not flashy dressers.)

Who you'd want by your side in the Hunger Games (Career Victor Edition)

This one fascinates me. Miller Brick won, which is very excellent for him and definitely an appropriate choice, but Montgomery Cannon, whose readership supports this very periodical you're setting your eyes upon now, got no votes. How is this possible?

I mean, we also didn't vote for him. But come on. Also, those of you who voted for Ariadne are insane and I love you.

Most likely to wire-tap the Gamemakers' cell phones

Electra Conduit and Alder Reid, please come collect your handcuffs! This category was actually a trick to find out who we should arrest next. Thank you all for your participation in justice.

And finally

Most confusingly-written category

We're sorry about the Panem Pioneer thing.

Thank you again for your participation! Without you, we'd just be a pair of queens talking to ourselves. Let us know what you think of these results!

Some housekeeping: Victor & Sawyer, Rowan & Edison, Dale & Lex (especially Dale & Lex), and Alder & Electra will all be mud wrestling starting at 2pm in the training center.