#i guess management sims are my weakness?

[wot-in-the]

um how has ooblets suddenly consumed my life

[ethicaltreatmentofcowplants]

Asylum Challenge: Day 12

(Nothing to see here - just Vlad very excitedly browsing through Trendi by the looks of his current get-up)

This was the first of three days where Wicked Whims... kind of got out of hand until everyone figured out what they were into, I guess 🤔. Also I realised that I'd set the lot to the FLIRTY trait for one day and forgot about it which was... a chaotic combination to put it mildly.

So while nothing explicit will be shown, just something to keep in mind, I guess?

Look at her, look at her, she's no good at yoga. I had considered a Spa Day pack aspiration, since Lilac will likely need the inner peace going forward, but then I saw how grindy they all were.

So... Lady of the Knits!

Level One: Humble Knitter

❌ Knit for 5 Hours (2/5) ❌ Start 3 Knitting Projects While Inspired (0/3) ✅ Knit on a Rocking Chair

No, she isn't Whims related below the waist - it's just flesh toned underwear. (I had to take a second look too.)

Another early riser (easy for someone who doesn't need to go to bed) was Vlad. Along with Rory. The two... well, one occult heavyweight, and one tissueweight, actually managed to have a civil moment, perhaps with music loving Rory appreciating Vlad's skill on the piano.

Oh wait, L. is up. There goes the ceasefire, if not the entire neighbourhood.

Meanwhile the Roswells had a moment over breakfast. Could a GOOD traited Sim and her EVIL husband ever make their marriage work? Now that they're played Sims, apparently not.

While Lilac took a THOUGHTFUL SHOWER to get those creative juices flowing (takes on a whole new meaning with this mod 😬), Jacques woke up in a sad mood thanks to those voices in his head.

Clearly whatever leftover gourmet dish that Raj made the night before was the only cure.

Meanwhile Ted apparently tried to enlist Vlad in order to sway Meredith over to their EVIL ways, but as Vlad was seemingly more interested in having Ted's opinion on his potential Trendi buys, it wasn't working. Thanks to their POSSESSED late night strolls and chats, Ted is the one person in the household other than Lilac who has a positive relationship with Vlad.

As unlike L., for the most part Vlad is actually trying to be cordial to most of the household, the Watcher does lowkey feel sorry for him about this.

THOUGHTFUL SHOWER did the trick, and Lilac was able to start her three inspired knitting projects! Since that glitch where you can't resume projects is still hanging around, she wasn't able to finish them, but we'll take any loophole that we can get.

Rory started a new freelance career as a programmer (great way to work on her handiness too being a werewolf I guess 👍) while Meredith apparently didn't get the memo that On Wednesdays, We Do Crafting Hour.

Lilac kindly pointed out that mixology with the globe bar just over there would count as a creative skill. Perhaps as a result of her less than stellar relationship with Ted, Meredith appears to have decided that yes, actually a drink sounds real good right about now.

Ted literally could have gone and done anything else in the house, but instead he goes and plays Road Warrior or whatever near where Rory is trying to work, and freaks out because he's next to a transformed woof-woof. I don't think that Rory's the problem here...

Raj seemingly did not appreciate the Watcher telling him to make himself useful and to take out the trash.

It must have frozen over in Tartosa and the gameplay hell that is the My Wedding Stories pack, because L. was actually nice to Lilac! Oh right, the Watcher got her to 'scope the surroundings,' and Lilac is apparently 'very attractive' to her too.

The Watcher set the one person in the household who doesn't need to eat on the task of cooking dinner, mainly so that he's close by so that I can cancel his autonomously eating it when he has the vampire weakness where food makes him sick. Because he has a knowledge related aspiration, he's actually at a decent culinary level.

Looks like L.'s niceness allotment for the year is about to expire.

Ted and Jacques were impressed with Raj's alleged unaliving of a workplace rival, offered to recruit him to the round table of villainy. He said that he's good, thank you.

Yup, L.'s niceness streak aged like warm milk. And a reminder that she thinks Lilac is hot too!

While Vlad wisely stayed out of things by doing the dishes (he acquired the NEAT trait at some point, which is very useful to have in the household's vampire), Rory must have taken issue with L.'s meanness, because next minute they went outside, Rory was walking in with a spring in her step and L. was bruised and battered.

Just how long is it going to take these apparent occult geniuses to learn not to forbidden word with Rory?

Lilac must have been especially appreciative of her shieldmaiden in furry armour, because well. This was the one animation it was safe to show you. In fairness, it's a pretty cute one.

In less exciting news, Lilac is now on the second stage of the Knitting aspiration.

Level Two: Thread Setter

❌ Achieve Level 4 of the Knitting Skill (3/4) ❌ Knit While Listening to Music ❌ Sell a Knitted Object on Plopsy

My head is feeling full and gluggy so I may post the next couple of days in a few hours.

[oh-yes-i-did-not]

I've been playing Moonstone Island recently. It's a cute farming sim / pokemon / turn based card combat game and despite that combo it's super simple and also super addictive.

The NPCs don't have that much of a story, when compared to regular farming sims, so you mainly just talk generic blah blah to them everyday, go to dates where you find out a bit more and just progress pretty easily. I'm currently undecided between Cleo, Rowan, and Tobin. Unfortunately I see Cleo and Tobin more rarely as one is not a merchant and the other is at the other end of the island. So like, my heart situation with Rowan is the best.

But not as good as with Paolo, goodness gracious. That's what being obsessed with furniture does to you, I guess (they're the village carpenter). Pero no, quiero que seamos amigos, mi chico.

Well anyways, it's the turn based card battle and collecting spirits that is the meat and bones of this game so having any kind of romance is basically just a nice bonus. Even the farming part is to support exploration and battling, as the different plants you grow have different attributes. At first you just eat raw plants but in time you can learn to cook them into status boosting food and then you can even make them into potions that combine attributes of 2 different plants into one consumable.

So yeah, the world is divided to floating islands and at the start you break your broom. Because alchemists travel on brooms, everyone knows that. So you start with just an air balloon and only the very nearest islands available. As you progress you find Islands consisting of different elements, like Poison, Water, and Fire, that require different approaches from you. From those islands you find new Spirits but also seeds to grow and dungeons with Guardians to defeat.

My current party is Earth, Psychic, and Poison element spirits. None have weakness to Electric, which is the current element islands I'm trying to explore but I used to have a Water element spirit (Octopup my fav) in my party all the time bc they're the healers and I love healers. That just doesn't work with Electric so I'm right now just leveling up some other spirits and checking to see how they manage in battle. Jelbell the pink Psychic jelly is the newbie in training in this party, with Sheemp also being a bit lower on levels since I left them out of Water Islands a while ago. Fire is weak to Water, Water to Electricity etc. Taddle the Poison spirit is the highest level in the party atm and a pretty good all arounder but Poison's weakness is Ice, which is only encountered on winter season so soon.

Check this game out. It's all pretty fun!

[simslegacy5083]

Today's (7/15/2024) Episode: The Verdict

After another half hour with no news on Noemi, Luigi’s worry and prayers turned into simmering anger at the uncommunicative hospital staff.

He marched up to the reception clerk. “This is unacceptable! You whisked my fiancé away hours ago, and I’ve received ZERO updates on how she’s doing. You keep saying someone will tell me soon, and no one ever comes!” He refused to move from the desk until he watched the clerk page the doctor. 

It was all Luigi could do to keep from lashing out at everything and everyone as he stalked angrily back to “his” corner of the waiting room.

Just before he stomped up to the desk a fourth time, a sim in a white lab coat called his name and led him to a small consultation room.

Dr. Hinds told him that Noemi had suffered a serious post-partum hemorrhage. It appeared that a piece of placenta that had remained stuck to her uterine wall following Skye’s birth had been dislodged somehow by the massage she’d received. 

His team had been able to remove the retained placenta surgically and stop the bleeding, but Noemi had lost a lot of blood and needed more than one transfusion. However, Dr. Hinds was happy to report that she was expected to make a full recovery and they could bring Luigi to see her now.

The wave of tension leaving Luigi’s body when he heard Noemi was going to be OK left him feeling wrung out and wobbly as jello.

He managed to stand and shake the doctor's hand, expressing mostly coherent thanks for saving his fiancée’s life.

While he waited for someone to come escort him Luigi called his family to tell them the good news, eagerly accepting their offer to stay on in Sulani until Noemi was recovered. He hadn’t even begun to consider how he was going to manage caring for Skye and continuing to work.

When he finally walked into her recovery room, Luigi found Noemi not only alive, but awake and staring back at him. She looked weak and groggy, but her gentle smile when she saw him was possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“Well, hello stranger. This isn’t the date night I … mmmph!” her greeting was cut off by her overjoyed fiancée drowning her in kisses.

“Ok, ok” she laughed, pushing his head gently back to where they could talk more normally. “Did the doctor tell you much? Its all a bit fuzzy to me.”

Luigi filled her in as best he could. Truth be told he hadn’t caught all the details either, having been alternately too angry, scared, and relieved to pay full attention. The main thing was that Dr. Hinds had said she should make a full recovery. As far as he was concerned that was all that mattered.

After that they chatted about Skye’s upcoming birthday and Luigi’s families plan to stay and help care for him, until Noemi’s eyelids started to droop.

Rising, Luigi gave his girl a kiss and tucked her in, promising “I’ll be back first thing in the morning”. As he left, he offered a silent thank you to The Watcher. He couldn’t know for sure if they’d intervened, but if they’d had a hand in Noemi’s recovery, he wanted them to know he appreciated it.

His little family was whole once more, and he intended to cherish them with all his heart.

For the record, The Watcher did not intervene. I also have no idea what I did (if anything), gameplay wise, to cause this. I’m guessing the massage but I’m honestly not sure.

I am so glad it all worked out the way it did!

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[alexis-royce]

Thoughts on Mask of the Rose? I've been considering buying it for the Pages romance and as the Resident Pages Lover I value your opinion

Pages’ dialogue is very charming, and as you might’ve guessed, I enjoyed getting to spend a little time with it.

That’s the nice stuff I have to say. Rest under the cut.

I can’t, however, give an in-depth review, because I did not enjoy the game. It is designed with rather a lot of systems to engage with, and they very much got in the way of me being able to place myself in London, instead of allowing me to express myself and connect with the cast.

These distinctions might not be important to a lot of players, but in case you share my specific tastes: I would not call this a visual novel; it’s much more in the vein of a time management sim, or an old school IF game. Those are both great genres! But I specifically was really looking forward to a Fallen London game that allowed me to really sink into the world, something that was way less segmented than the browser game. But this is a game that you’re supposed to replay over and over and over, and the player character ends up becoming very disposable, which is not conducive to emotional engagement, for me.

This all uh, really hurts to have to type, and I haven’t talked about it because I don’t want to be a bummer. I hope none of the MotR devs are reading this, because I love that they made a weird little game! There’s literally no other game like it, and that’s rad!

My recommendation is to play the demo. I found the full game to be no more juicy or compelling than the demo, so if the demo gets you excited, you should go for it!

(I did love Pages’ furniture obsession showing up as a kink thing, though. I definitely backed the game for too much on kickstarter, but I am a weak man and Pages sending my MC out to stare a carpenter dead in the face and ask for the upside-down fuck cabinet was almost worth buying the game for.)

(I’m weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaak.)

[staysaneathome]

Five Ways Gertrude Robinson Didn’t Die (And One Way She Did)

(TW for Murder)

2) Sasha

“Afternoon, Mrs. Robinson!”

“Miss James.” Gertrude Robinson presses a button on the tape recorder in front of her. When it continues spooling, she raises an eyebrow, folding her fingers together. “How kind of you to drop by.”

“Sonja asked me to pick up some things related to an artefact that’s giving them trouble in Storage.” Sasha says, cheerfully, as she sets down a cup of coffee before her. “And I couldn’t miss out on the chance to have a chat with my favorite Head Archivist.”

Gertrude Robinson lets out a soft chuckle as she picks up the tea cup, contents still gently swirling from being stirred. There are still grains from the two sugar cubes dissolving in it as she takes a sip.

“You know, we could always use more hands and eyes down here.” Gertrude says, sweetly. “And then we could have all the chats we’d like.”

Sasha laughs, fiddling with the strap of her messenger bag as she takes a sip from a large travel cup. “Not before I convert you to the wonders of tea.”

The Archivist’s face screws up as she takes a larger gulp of her coffee. “You’ll convert me to that weak, dried, vegetable swill when I retire and the Institute comes down around our ears.”

Sasha laughs, head thrown back. “I guess we’re at an impasse then.”

“Well,” Gertrude settles into her chair, sipping contentedly. “I suppose I’ll have to settle for hearing what nonsense the other departments have got up to this week.”

Sasha laughs again, and launches into a tale of how Martin-from-the-library managed to somehow misplace an entire section of books when returning them to the shelves, again, much to Hannah’s furious consternation, that Director Bouchard was heard having a loud and rather explicit argument with another male voice in his office on Tuesday, and that Kikyo-from-HR is apparently having an affair with Diya-in-IT, according to Rosie, and that Tim saw Jon-Sims-in-Research set his own jacket on fire when trying to get a spider off while holding a cigarette.

And Gertrude Robinson drinks it all in like she does her coffee, greedy sips as her eyes almost glowing with interest, seeming to derive as much of a caffeine boost from the gossip and company as from the drink.

Which is what made Sasha break her stride momentarily when Gertrude’s head begins to loll, face going slack before she seems to forcefully refocus herself, her breath coming shorter and shorter until she holds up a wavering hand to interrupt the slew of information.

“Wh, what…?” The Archivist’s eyes are struggling to focus. “I, wha, how…?”

“You know, my mum’s always had awful insomnia.” Sasha confides. “If she wants to even drop off, she needs a pill a night. Her latest doctor put her on a new one, filled with…oh what was it…pentobarbital, yes, that’s it. Now, having one or two are quite harmless, but a few dozen or so capsules emptied into a cup of coffee?”

She spreads her hands and shrugs as Gertrude Robinson stares down at the mostly drained cup before her.

“Y-you—!” She slurs, slumping back in her chair, hands forming claws in the air before her as she grasps desperately for the cup. “Wh, ho, whuh, hu-uurgk—!”

“It’s nothing personal.” Sasha says cheerfully as she collects the tape recorder and the mug. “It’s just the job market is murder right now, you know?”

She laughs at the joke as Gertrude Robinson lets out a wet gurgle.

“Rent isn’t getting any lower, sadly.” She shares a knowing look with Gertrude, who stares back at her with spittle flecking her cheeks. “Your generation was the one blessed with the property boom, after all. And I love working here, but not for the salary I get right now, trust me.”

“Plus, I’m just.” Sasha makes a gentle throttling motion to the air in front of her. “I’m, I’m hungry, you know? Not for, for a sandwich or anything like that. I’m one of the best in research, if not the best. I know I could do great things as a department head here. I just need the chance.”

Gertrude flops over sideways as her core muscles give out.

“But Will just got promoted there, and to be honest, I’m getting a bit tired of it? Like, I feel like I’m just coming in every day to listen to music and do my job in the background, it’s just no challenge anymore. I think I’d go mad from boredom as head of the Library. No thank you to Artefact Storage, I know that’s just asking for more trouble than it’s worth. But the Archives?”

Sasha seals the plastic baggie she’d deposited the cup in, tucks it into her bag alongside the still running recorder, then whirls on her heel to ease her audience out of her chair. “Oh, imagine the things I could do here! I could actually get this place organized for a start, digitize things so people don’t need to keep coming down here for the paper copies of incidents, make it more accessible for the world to see… We could even publish statements! I know several academic journals that’re hankering to know what we get here, not to mention how well they’d go down online with barely any marketing! Privacy agreements don’t last forever, and I’m sure some celebrities in the past century must have come down here to confess their personal nightmares. Even if they haven’t, everyone loves a good horror story.”

Her gaze vanishes into the middle distance, a dreamy smile on her face. “Director Bouchard might even appoint me as his successor when he finally steps down. The first female director in the Institute’s history! I think ‘Director James’ sounds good, don’t you?”

Gertrude Robinson lets out a wheezing rattle, one arm flailing for Sasha’s face.

“Ah, ah!” Sasha leans out of the way, shuffling back a few steps with a click of her tongue. “Can’t let you get any of my DNA on you, or round here. Though I suppose it won’t matter if it’s on your body, given what I’m going to do with it, but it won’t look good if I show up to work all scratched after you’ve mysteriously disappeared.”

Gertrude’s eyes are fixed on her. Even as her body weakly convulses, going a bit more limp each time, she still stares.

“It’s nothing personal.” Sasha says gently, defensively. “It’s just. Well. You’re old. You should have retired by now—anyone sensible would have. I’m sorry that your family won’t have any body to bury, but needs must. I’ll wait until you’re dead before I put you into the chest in Artefact Storage, at least. The one people can never get things out of again. No murder investigation if there’s no body, after all!”

Gertrude Robinson’s lips move one last time.

The old lady lies silent and still.

She’s still staring.

Even as Sasha loads her body into the covered transport cart she’s borrowed from Sonja, her eyes never waver. Sasha has to snag the contents of a few extra boxes to try and block it out, along with covering the corpse.

The cart is heavy, but Sasha’s proud to say that the crossfit class she attends every fortnight is finally paying off. Getting her load to Artefact Storage is simplicity itself.

Sasha James deposits her cargo, returns the cart and gives Sonja the documents she was after, and goes back to work. She chats amiably with David about how annoying the upcoming train strikes will be, jokes and teases Tim when he and Jon get back from followup on a case where some yummy mummy is convinced the new nanny’s head had been filled with spiders.

She gets herself a takeout from the nice Italian on her way home, and a bottle of expensive champagne that she doesn’t drink.

She’s got to save it for celebrating her promotion, after all.

The next week, Elias Bouchard comes down and announces that Jonathan Sims will be the new Head Archivist.

Jon, for his part, seems as blindsided as everyone feels, gaze fixed firmly on his shoes and laugh small, incredulous, and flustered every time someone congratulates him.

Sasha smiles as she delivers hers.

She’ll smile when Tim rants on her behalf, ribbing gently with him, making a show that while she’s disappointed, she doesn’t begrudge Jon the position, not at all.

Even if he’s clearly making a hash of it as the weeks and months go on, bullying poor Martin to cover up for his own deficiencies as she runs gentle, understanding interference.

It’ll be good to have a few character witnesses when the time comes for Jon to have an unfortunate little accident, after all.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s11e18 hell's angel (w. brad buckner, eugenie ross-leming)

the one true sibling communication method, just holler

honestly don't remember what amara needs healing from (don't even know if we know), what rowena is doing (and ditto if we know). i was just thinking how they managed to stretch out this like... 5 episode arc over an entire season (i presume) but basically just ignoring it a good chunk of the time (i'm not complaining about the monster of the week episodes we got that i genuinely enjoyed, by any means). i get that they need some big bad plotline to hook it all together but eh

lol right, rowena "died" i forgot about that. i need those damned pre-episode recaps

ROWENA All in good time. Right now, you're still weak from that pesky angel smiting.

oh right. that seems like so long ago. thanks for the reminder, rowena

sam is very tickled about crowley being kept in the kennel

think i prefer misha playing lucifer than cas at this point, but i think that's mostly on the way they write cas. but it looks like he's having fun with lucifer. (but i saw my pal pellegrino in the credits which i'm happy to see)

zoned out for a second as i'm wont to do in heavenly politics scenes and i refocus and what in the world is he doing on this angel's lap

DEAN After we exorcise Lucifer out of Cas and put him into a new vessel. SAM What? Really? DEAN Yes, really. We're not gonna send Lucifer into battle inside Cas. What if he doesn't make it? SAM Dean, it's a strong vessel. It's held Cas for years, and we know what he's been through. I'm guessing it can hold Lucifer. DEAN "It"? It's not an "it," Sam. It's Cas. SAM And Cas wanted to do this.

DEAN Yeah, well, there's times I want to get slapped during sex by a girl wearing a Zorro mask. That don't make it a good idea.

crowley is intrigued. i was waving my arms around like a distressed sim that doesn't like something. too much information for me, dean-o; but i would argue the point that it's in fact a fine idea. i'm sure someone is available that would be happy to make your dreams come true

SAM Dean, this is exactly how we screw ourselves. W-We make the... the heart choice instead of the smart choice. DEAN Oh, okay. Thank you, Dr. Phil. Cas is family. SAM Yes, and his choice deserves to be respected. DEAN Even if it kills him?

maybe i'm projecting but i just don't buy sam making this argument? unless he's freaked out for some other lucifer-related-reason, or looking for a reason to put cas's vessel/whatever in harm's way. if we're goin with the premise that cas is family and he's got the blanket forgiveness for letting lucifer out, then why is sam arguing so hard against getting him out of harm's way asap? i think framing it like it's about cas's agency... does not ring true to me. like yes sure based on sam's history of losing agency, he will be staunch defender of other people's choices - but i'm not getting that from this

her makeup is beautiful, the lighting is really picking up all the fine glitter in her eyeshadow. lovely

so what are we trying to do here, get lucifer out of cas and back in the cage? losing the plot

i did not anticipate crowley smoking out to hop into cas's vessel, is there just no limit to how many angels and/or demons you can stuff in there?

CROWLEY He's really got his hooks in you. Snap out of it. Do you know what's happening out there? The Winchesters have trapped the abomination so that you can expel him so that they can put him back in the Cage... CASTIEL Well, that doesn't sound like a very good idea.

his frustrated flailing made me laugh enough to make a gif

CASTIEL Wait. That was Dean I saw a minute ago, wasn't it? CROWLEY Yes. CASTIEL And he wants me to expel Lucifer? CROWLEY Yes! CASTIEL [laughing] Well... he may have a more objective view of the situation. Maybe I should.

cas appears to be zooted out of his mind

SAM Listen, um... I know I came down on the side of wanting Cas to deal with Amara, so... DEAN Well, that's what he wanted, though, right? Besides, didn't we say that we were gonna swear off getting in the way when one person makes a choice the other doesn't agree with? SAM Yeah, um... Yeah, we did say that. DEAN So... SAM Okay. So, that's our policy. DEAN Which sounds damn good. Well, let's go find that idiot and bring him home.

okie dokie pokie. i'm still not buying what they're selling but even i can't resist the emotional power of "bring him home" from dean.

i dunno where they're going with all this but it's a struggle for me to stay with the mainplot shenanigans. also i'm very tired

[justkeeponsimming]

Needing some fresh air after that close call, Reed heads out of her apartment for a walk around the neighbourhood. She’s going to keep to herself and not speak to anyone just to avoid another journalist trying to get her to confess to things that would break her contract agreement with Sim Idol. She can’t stay cramped up in her apartment though!

Drew: “Reed?”

As Reed crosses the Fashion District Square, she stops in her tracks when she hears a familiar voice call out to her. She feels a sense of relief when she sees her sibling’s partner, Drew, walking over to her. She manages a weak smile, but Drew sees right through the act and questions her about it.

Drew: “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?”

Drew is a famous online personality, so they know exactly what it’s like to be stalked by the press. Especially lately, following a scandal that involved Reed’s sibling, Bell, and her sister, Jazz, at Bell’s first award ceremony. It’s actually a surprise to see Drew outside without their entourage. Normally, Reed wouldn’t share anything with Drew, but she’s learning to trust them. She needs to talk about what’s happened or she’s going to explode!

Reed: “I…I guess I have. A journalist just tricked me into letting them into my apartment. I…I almost talked. How do you trust anyone nowadays?”

Sympathetically, Drew rests a hand on Reed’s shoulder. They give it a reassuring squeeze, then loops their arm through Reed’s. Together, they walk around the Fashion District, talking in low voices so they can’t be overheard. 

Drew: “This is what I’ve been trying to warn you about, Reed. The press are ruthless, but a fan base can be worse. I’ll give you some tips, but I’ll also arrange a meeting for you and Glitch with my PR team…”

Drew’s currently going through an image rebrand, so Reed’s really taken aback that they’re being so friendly and candid with her. Offering her free public speaking lessons with a professional PR team is too kind! Everything Reed has held against Drew gets released as they chat. 

Drew will be a great spouse for Bell! Reed’s sure of it now!

[unfriendlyamazon]

1, 3, 13, and 21 for the fanfic asks !! 💕

this will be fun because i don't think i posted much this year but i do a lot of writing you don't see

1.favorite fic

reread a bunch of my joukai week from last year and final countdown is something i had in my head for a long, long time originally it was supposed to be the end of a longer form fic that i trashed and i'm very happy i managed to get the momentum i needed for that finale

3.favorite line/scene

this one was way too hard i had to scroll through all the things i've written, wips, and things i've never posted but i forgot my favorite thing in the world is to write pegasus so here's a bit from the secret archives

Duke had met Samantha R. Pegasus only in the safety of the huge estate just outside the city, where it seemed she had a whole wing to herself. Sometimes, at parties, she’d jump around and bark happily at the guests until a butler picked her up and quietly put her in another room. Duke tended to avoid dogs. They weren’t afraid of them, per se, but they weren’t going out of their way to make friends.

“I blocked off the afternoon to finish the coding on the Millennium project,” they said. “The deadline’s coming up–”

Pegasus held up a hand. “Don’t worry your pretty head, dear Duke. Samantha here is a remarkable companion during crunch time. You’ll barely even notice her.”

Duke sucked in a breath. There was never any arguing with Pegasus. Once he told you to do something, that was it.

“I guess,” they said, “if it’s just for the afternoon.”

“Marvelous!” He kissed his dog again and set her on the pillow. He slung a pink tote from around his shoulder and held it out to Duke, who took it reluctantly. “There’s her midday snack in there, along with her spring water–she just won’t drink from the tap–and her harness and leash for when she needs to take her afternoon walk. She usually goes around 3. Just around the block should be fine.”

“Walk?” Duke opened the bag and stared in horror. “But–”

“Her little baggies and booties are in there as well. She’ll be a dream, Duke. You’ll see.”

Their mouth dropped open, but they couldn’t come up with an appropriate protest. Pegasus laid a hand on their shoulder, and they stared up at him.

“She’s more precious to me than anything,” he said. “Except perhaps this company, or my home, or my oodles of money. But still very high on the list. There’s no one else I’d entrust her too.”

Duke swallowed. “Of course, sir.”

“Good.” He flipped his hair back and blew one more kiss to Samantha. “Be good, darling. I’ll be back in no time. Toodles!”

Duke waved a hand at his back and offered a weak, “Toodles.”

13.favorite writing song/album

i don't really have a go to album for writing i tend to make playlists that fit the mood/tone/vibe though i do think this year i relied on the crypt of the necrodancer soundtrack to drown out distractions

21.most memorable comment/review

this one is not actually yugioh related i also have a sims tumblr and mostly for myself i started a series where several premade sims go to magic high school together. i wrote a sort of episode one for it and was surprised by an incredibly sweet comment that highlighted one of my favorite things to write, which is a dynamic. i expected minimal response and to get such an excited comment for something so silly made me really happy.

and all of this has reminded me how ugly my blog is lol so new year new me i suppose. thank you for the ask!!!

[victorluvsalice]

-->To Moonwood Mill! Yeah, I was thinking that I hadn’t been there for a while, and it might be nice to go and visit again and let Alice work on some werewolf stuff. :) They of course started their grand day out at the local library/gym, where they all grabbed a nice werewolf-related book to read for starters (and Coty got a little weak at the knees looking at Smiler. XD Apparently that high reputation is making them VERY attractive!). Having fulfilled THAT want, Victor then got sent out to the observatory to look at the sky for a little while; Smiler hopped on the computer to play games; and Alice –

-->Well, Alice just couldn’t seem to decide on what she wanted to read, as she kept grabbing new books, getting a few pages in, then putting them away and getting more. XD I’ve had days like that, girl. I managed to stop the vicious cycle and instead had her, Smiler, and Victor hit the gym for a while for a little working out – after all, Alice enjoys keeping fit, and it was a good opportunity to work on that skill too! She ran on the treadmill (taking a little spill when she tried to start a hill challenge a bit too soon) while Smiler did some boxing and some lifting, and Victor struggled his way through a session on the weight machine. I did my best to boost them up by adding the “Bracing Breezes” lot trait to the place (along with “Peace & Quiet” and “Study Spot” to reflect the fact that, well, it IS primarily a library), but I don't know how much difference it made this particular session. Victor and Smiler eventually got tired and wandered off to do other things – I let Victor rest with a good book while Smiler got put on “filling the local pet bowls” duty – and eventually I stopped Alice’s run as I could see she was getting hungry. The problem was, I could also see Victor was getting hungry – and while Alice could easily transform and hunt for food, Victor was kind of dependent on getting something someone had COOKED. I thus started looking around for a barbecue or something in the immediate area –

-->And then looked at the bar just across the street, went “you know what, those serve food”, and had them swap lots right after Alice had swapped into her beast form! *thumbs up* I sent her out to hunt while Victor and Smiler hit the bar (and I hit the lot traits in Build/Buy to add “Great Acoustics,” “Convivial,” and “Party Place” to give it the right vibes). Victor ended up ordering a Blue Steak and a Wrench, while Smiler got their typical Plasma Jane, and they ended up chatting with the other two Sims hanging out at the bar – Akshara and Camille. Everyone was having a very good time –

-->And then Camille pressed her fingers against her forehead and Victor ended up getting brain-zapped! Guess who is an alien in disguise! O.O And guess who did that autonomous “memory-erasing” thing I hate so much. >( Fortunately all it did was make Victor forget the little relationship he’d built up with her – if she’d affected Victor’s memories of his actual partners, I might have just killed her.

-->And then, right before Alice returned from her hunt, a completely naked J. Huntington III showed up. For no reason. And when I say “completely naked,” I mean that – he didn’t even have the censor on for some reason! I’m not sure what disabled it, but there was a lot of naked man-butt in front of the bar. The local Sims were appropriately “what the everloving fuck, dude.” XD Even Alice, who was a little distracted by the scent of freshly-"found" steak when she first arrived, found herself shocked by all the naked flesh on display after she'd eaten. Fortunately, Smiler managed to introduce themselves after a little confusion and get him to put on some cold-weather clothing. *shakehead* Sims, man. Dunno what to tell you.

[cruisinfdr]

[wonderaboutme]

The Vinyl Store. (coming soon)

ENHYPEN Series by wonderaboutme (hyung line ver.)

Welcome to The Vinyl Store.

What if there was a place that could take you to different realities, making you experience two different sides?

Will you go play the vinyl of two sides?

hyung line // maknae line

enhypen fic masterlist

You entered the vinyl store full of curiosity, enamored with everything inside. Your fingers moved along the edges of the records until you stopped and took one out. Getting the “Side A” of the vinyl, you placed the record on top of the opened turntable as it glistens as if it was speaking to you. The stylus started running along the grooves on the record, and slowly translates it into a story you were never quite ready for.

Vinyl I - Aces of Spades (Lee Heeseung)

- Can we leave all we've felt behind and call it quits with fate?

Side A - His Majesty

Pairing: crown prince! Heeseung x princess! reader

Summary: Heeseung being the kind, considerate crown prince he is, would never hate someone and would never dare go against the wishes and commands of his Queen and King. He would never have thought of such a thing. Not until he knew the fact that he was set to marry someone else. What happens when hate blooms stronger than love? When one realized that behind closed doors there's more than what meets the eye? What if love bursted with power that's stronger than hate? But what if it's too late?

Side B - I've Found My Place

Pairing: commoner!Heeseung x princess!reader x commoner!Jay

Summary: The greatest kingdom at present time, the most powerful royal family, the strongest of royal guards, and is full of happy, content and smart people, the Kingdom of Merveille. That fact alone has caused jealousy for other kingdoms to fight over and take the throne but there is only one way to do that, you. You were the only weakness of the King and Queen and the moment you were born, assassins were sent to take you away or worse to kill you. Never once have they succeeded in getting you, never came close. But you never know when a double edge sword has made its way to you. You know what they say, keep your friends close, your enemies closer.

Vinyl II - Gold Coin (Park Jongseong)

- It's really not a good thing to guess, so what do you say, heads or tails?

Side A - Cosa Nostra

Pairing: mafia!jay x journalist!reader

Summary: Following a love story between a man and a woman in their twenties is surely not where you thought you'd be headed when you first decided to become a journalist.  It was not part of your plan. Strangely enough, you did manage to come face to face with a man dressed in black, pointing a gun in your direction, with you not being aware that you're participating in the most lethal game of chance, Russian roulette. Now how the fuck did you end up here? 

Side B - The Pacifist

Pairing: professor! jay x college student! reader

Summary: In your life there was one thing you knew for sure, geekiness is not an insult. Well for you that is. Geekiness is not a bad thing. Wanting to learn and be knowledgeable is a great benefit for you in the outside world. But geekiness is not an excuse to eavesdrop in a conversation you weren't meant to hear, especially if they're talking about what can kill slowly and painlessly. Even if it involves your favorite college professor, that you totally have the hots for, Jay Park. 

Vinyl III - The Joker (Sim Jaeyun)

-Black beats red. Or is it the other way around? Will fate weigh more than free will?

Side A - The Magician

Pairing: high school student! jake x high school student! reader

Summary: If you had a book that could travel through time, what would you do? Well, Jake Sim would certainly do one thing a head over heels teenage boy would do, to see if the person he is deeply in love with, will end up with him in the future. But what if it turns out the opposite of what's wanted? Then Jake would do whatever is written in that stupid book. 

Side B - The Fool

Pairing: time-traveller! jake x writer! reader

Summary: Entrusted in the hands of the most responsible person, Jake Sim holds the key to operate the time travelling machine again. He took a vow to never touch it again for it becomes a door to a part of a person, for greed to come crashing, destroying everything in its way. And that's what happened. Jake had broken the vow, greed came crashing down, destroying his sanity, for he had fallen in love with someone at the right place but the wrong time.

Vinyl IV - Down the Rabbit Hole (Park Sunghoon)

-Two can play the game. Are you ready?

Side A - The Fated Mate

Pairing: prince! park sunghoon x gender neutral reader

Summary: Summer of senior year — the season where all fun and games were supposed to take place. Last summer as high school kids because this coming school year you’ll be dumped with expectations for kids who were on the road to college. It was supposed to be peaceful, supposed to be filled with serenity. Not until one beach party, where you saw him again. You still vividly remember the last time you saw him, the promise that he made, the same promise that he had broken. The promise that he told you that he would never leave, but the next day, vanished as if he didn’t exist.

Side B -  The Curious Child

Pairing: best friend! park sunghoon x reader

Summary: You really should’ve listened to the stories to not follow a white rabbit if you ever see one. You really should’ve stopped and thought about it first before following it down a hole when you didn’t know where it might take you. You should’ve run away when you see the rabbit transform into a child. You really shouldn’t have, but what can you do, you were one curious child.

Please let me know if you want to be part of the taglist for this series!

Note: The stories aren't complete yet and are in the middle of writing. There might be small changes but plot of each story will go around the concept of what is shown in the summary. No particular date when I'll be dropping the stories!

©wonderaboutme

[athina-blaine]

50 Types of Kissing Writing Prompts: #36 - Starting with bunny kisses before moving on to soft kisses.

This got away from me.

~

“Ask me again.”

“Jon, you’ve practised these questions about 20 times just on the way over. I don’t think-”

“Just ask me again.” A beat. “Please.”

Martin let out a lengthy sigh, the kind that came from deep in his belly. It echoed down the corridors of the school hall alongside their heels clicking on the vinyl floor. “Right. Okay, so, how would you describe your teaching philosophy?”

Jon took a deep breath, chest puffing up. “My teaching philosophy is that all children are unique and deserve to have a stimulating educational atmosphere. I want to provide a safe environment where students are encouraged to share their thoughts and take risks.”

Martin smiled, trying not to giggle, but Jon’s voice inflected the exact same way every time he’d say “risks”- a sort of huffy pitch. It was hard not to be amused. “Very good.”

“Ask me the question about resolving conflicts in the classroom.”

“How do you intend to resolve conflicts in the classroom?”

“I would isolate the nature of the conflict in question and strategise accordingly. Compromise is the ideal resolution but in the event one cannot be reached, I will contact a higher authority than myself to mediate and help find a solution.”

“Perfect.”

“You don’t think it makes me look weak-willed?” Jon asked, brows furrowed with distress. “The part about contacting another authority figure? What if they want me to be able to handle the problem by myself?”

“I think it’s fine. You’re new. Shows you won’t let your ego get in the way when you need help.”

Jon let out a low breath, nodding slowly. His chest collapsed until he was nearly hunched over, and he tugged frantically at the strap of his briefcase. Martin had lent him that briefcase since it matched his nice navy blue jacket- he also figured it would help Jon feel more professional.

Martin wanted to say as much, lavish Jon in compliments on how scholarly and refined he looked, but every step they took closer to the school’s administrative office seemed to wound him up tighter and tighter until that briefcase strap threatened to fall apart. If Martin said Jon looked good now, Jon would just argue with him, citing the scuff in his shoes he hadn’t managed to buff out, or quadruple-guess the way he’d tied up his hair or something. The last thing Martin wanted to do was make Jon self-conscious; he’d just have to save all his gushing and lavishing for after the interview.

Martin’s restraint didn’t seem to matter, though, as, without warning, Jon stopped dead in the middle of the hall, digging into the recesses of his case. “I-I should practice the lesson plan one more time, the entire lecture phase is-”

“Jon.” Martin clasped his hands on Jon’s shoulders and turned him around. Jon stared up at him, eyes owlish and glossy with muted panic. “Please. Relax. It’s a part-time home economics class, not tenure for university English lit. You’re funny and charismatic and intelligent. They’re going to be begging you to take the job. The nice lady on the phone said as much.”

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t make promises you have no possible way of keeping,” Jon said, a sliver of ice snaking through his words. Martin lifted a pointed brow, and a dark stain flushed Jon’s face. He looked away. “No, I … Sorry. I don’t mean to snap.”

“It’s okay to be nervous.”

“It’s not that, it’s …” Jon sighed, shoulders sagging. “I just want this to work. I … need this to work.”

Martin tilted his head. This wasn’t the same frantic energy Jon had been carrying with him since he’d gotten off the phone with Principal Williams last week. This was something heavier. More sombre.

“Can you tell me why?”

“It’s silly.”

“Maybe.” Martin shrugged. “Most things are.”

Jon still wouldn’t meet his eyes, staring down at their warped reflections in the floor. Martin waited, rubbing his thumbs over the jut of Jon’s shoulders.

“I just …” Jon started, then paused to breathe. “I don’t know whether or not I can still … function out here. Outside of the Institute. It’s been so long and … what if I just … can’t?” His voice lowered to a dull murmur. “What if I can’t make the adjustment?”

Humming, Martin stroked his hands up and down the length of Jon’s arms. He pressed a kiss to Jon’s forehead. “I don’t think that’s silly.”

Jon sighed through his nose, tickling Martin’s collarbone. Slowly, Martin pulled away.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, so. Let’s pretend you don’t get the job. Which won’t happen,” he said quickly when Jon’s head snapped up. “You are absolutely getting this job. But let’s just pretend you don’t. What do you think will happen after that?”

Jon’s brow furrowed with quiet confusion. His mouth flapped for a long while before, softly, “I … don’t understand?”

“Here’s what I think will happen,” Martin said, cupping Jon’s face between his hands. “We’ll go home. We’ll order a pizza, half cheese half-Mediterranean. We’ll flip on the TV and finish that nature documentary series. We can polish off that bottle of wine and I’ll rub your feet.” Martin leaned in close enough to press his lips to the bridge of Jon’s nose. “And then we’ll try something else. I actually think that animal hospital nearby is hiring.” Martin smoothed a thumb over his cheekbone. “You’d make a really cute vet tech.”

Jon’s lips twitched, eyes brimming with some complicated emotion. Martin smiled, holding his gaze until Jon turned away, face warming again.

“It’d suck if you didn’t get this job,” Martin said. “You’d be fantastic at it and they’d be stupid to turn you away. But, whatever happens, you’ll be fine. We will be fine.”

Silent, Jon stared somewhere between Martin’s chest and his neck. Then, he swayed forward, leaning into Martin’s sturdy weight, and Martin wrapped his arms around him, pressing his face into prim, professionally styled hair. They stood like that for a long while, breathing each other in. Good thing Jon had them show up about a half-hour early for the interview, just in case.

When they parted, Jon opened his eyes again, calm and bright.

“We could also get killed by a rogue satellite,” he murmured. Martin’s eyes widened. “Just, you know, as a worst possible thing that could happen. Rogue satellite. Right on our heads.”

Martin snorted. “I don’t think I phrased it quite like that, but, yes, I suppose we should consider that a possibility.”

Jon took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly, just as Martin taught him. He rolled out his neck, cleared his throat, and tilted his head up. “Alright. Kiss me.”

Martin blinked. “Um. What?”

“Kiss me.” A beat. “For luck. Obviously.”

“Oh. Obviously.” Martin tried to smother his twitching smile. “I didn't realise we'd started doing that."

“Yes.” His eyes became pleading. “Please?”

Martin rolled his eyes, but kissed him, a chaste pressing of their lips. Jon’s eyes had slid shut and he took another deep breath.

“One more?”

Martin obliged. Jon’s eyes remained closed, his chin still tilted up. Martin provided another one without prompting, and then one more, for good measure, soft and indulgent. They were rubbing away at Jon's lip balm, but Martin's lips had been feeling a little dry anyway. The tension bled from Jon’s shoulders, and Martin parted with a breathy sigh.

“That’s all your lucky kisses for the year,” Martin said, earning himself a chuckle. “Spend it wisely.”

A cough drew their attention. An older woman stood idle by one of the classrooms. Through both of their embarrassed spluttering, Martin managed to note her and Jon had tied their hair in similar fashions.

Oh yeah. Jon was going to fit right in.

The woman stepped forward. “Mr. Sims, I presume?”

“I- uh, y-yes, ma’am.” Jon’s face was burning but the woman smiled.

“Glad you could make it. Mrs. Williams seemed really impressed with you after your phone call. Shall I walk you to her office?”

Jon nodded, squeezing Martin’s hand hard enough to break it off and take it with him. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, none of this ma’am stuff. We’re going to be coworkers, yeah?" She held out her hand. "You can call me Janice. I teach maths.”

“Yes, m- Yes, Janice. It’s a pleasure to meet you." Jon accepted her hand. "Um, you can call me Jon.”

After their quick handshake, she indicated towards the hallway. Jon nodded and looked over to Martin. “I, uh … guess I’ll meet you by the car?”

“Meet you there.” Martin gave his hand one more squeeze. “Good luck.”

Jon smiled, a delicate, fluttering thing, before he slid his hand out of Martin’s and allowed Janice to lead them down the hallway.

“So, you’re from London, yeah?” she asked. “Grow up there?”

“No, I’m from Bournemouth. I moved to London after I graduated uni.”

“Oh, really? I think I’ve got a cousin who lives by that area. Always wish I’d have lived somewhere more coastal.” She turned to him, her teeth pearly white. “I have to say, we’re all a little curious about you. Don’t have many city-people here. We’re really excited to have you onboard.”

“Oh.” Even from this distance, Martin could see the way Jon’s face flushed. “I … I see.”

“I’m sure the others will want to ask you all sorts of questions, but don’t let that put you off, the staff here is as sweet as can be. They’ll get used to you soon enough.”

Jon glanced over his shoulder back at Martin, looking fit to burst. Martin waved, sure that his own expression was as sappy and affectionate as could be.

Yeah.

They’re going to be just fine.

[slasher-catcher]

could u do HC of Stu and Billy?

..Huh. Well I didn't exactly plan to be one of those kinds of slasher blogs, but I guess I'll give this a shot 🤔

Stu and Billy Relationship HCs

Stu

baby

I'm serious. Him baby.

Y'know when he said his MO would be bc he's sensitive and vulnerable to peer pressure? I honestly believe it.

He's not so secretly craving attention, a people pleaser. He has the need to be liked by everyone and anyone.

So yes, I see him as wanting to tail Billy along with the murder spree, simply because he's his best friend and boyfriend, and he would do anything for Billy.

Okay now let's get to the shit that y'all actually came to read this for xD

Stu is a big puppy. He needs your and Billy's attention 24/7

If you're both busy and can't give it to him, he will mope around and whine until you cave in.

Cuddles!!! So many cuddles!!! So much pda!!!!!!

Did you SEE how he was constantly touching Tatum?? (Granted, he was doing it for the public to see that he actually cared for her and couldn't possibly put her in harms way, but Y'KNOW.)

He loves giving kisses to you two! Though he isn't the best -- they're kinda sloppy bc he's just so excited to touch you 🥺♥️

Has all of the kidzbop soundtracks. No, you can't change my mind.

Random piggy back rides, anyone?? (The answer is yes. They're gonna happen, and at the most random of times. You could be talking to a friend and suddenly be sweeped off your feet and carried away.)

Do 👏 Not 👏 Let 👏 Him 👏 In 👏 The 👏 Kitchen 👏

One time he managed to set fire to a salad like a fucking Sims character. Billy hasn't let him live it down since.

Do not!!! Let him!!! Drink energy drinks!!! He will bounce around the walls and speak absolute jibberish and then throw up!!

✨ spoils you ✨

Dude has so much fucking money, bro. He'll literally buy you anything your little heart desires and more

Probably one of those impulsive shoppers. No sweetie, you don't need another drone.

Billy

Oh lord. Where do I start

Boy is more than a little bit of a tsundere.

I know he was seen a little cuddly with Sidney, but I have no doubt that it was just for the acting.

If you require cuddles, your best chance is through Stu

Of course, if he sees you two constantly cuddling, he's gonna get a little jealous and force himself in the middle of y'all, putting an arm on your and Stu's shoulders.

He's also the kind of guy who tucks his hand in your back pocket to touch your butt. More often than not, you'll feel a squeeze.

A kissing Master. He takes his time, going nice and slow. But they almost always get rough and heated if you let him keep going 😏

He gets a little weak in the knees when you kiss his face and neck.

Please hold his hand 🥺 he thinks it's adorable and won't let go. He's not into pda, but he'll keep holding your hand under the table.

Is surprisingly a good cook! He's no Gordon Ramsay, but not too shabby!

HE'S THAT BITCH THAT STAYS IN THE BATHROOM FOR 3 HOURS GETTING HIMSELF PRESENTABLE

HE USES ALL THE HOT WATER AND CONDITIONER

Y'ALL GONNA NEED TWO BATHROOMS BECAUSE HE HOGS IT

And yes, he used to be that kid that used too much Axe spray and suffocated the entire middle school. He's better now tho.

Stares back at kids if they start staring at him.

Lowkey scared of Chucky. Do Not Make Fun Of Him. You will get the meanest stink eye and a frostbite cold shoulder for Months.

[blitz-and-hearth]

do you play any video games? additionally, do you have any game-related headcanons for MCGA characters?

Of course I do! I'm mostly into single player stuff though, multiplayer kinda stresses me out however I've got a weak spot for both Wizards101 and Pirates101, as well as Splatoon. Pokemon is deffo my bread and butter, I love it so much, especially the mystery dungeon games. Also love fantasy RPGs and like business/town builder management ones. Right now I've actually been low-key rping Blitzen in Fantasy life for 3ds since it's the only RPG I've found where you can be a tailor as a class, very fun he's level 50 now. As for headcanons I could name a bunch of aus but I think I'll list what I think characters favorite types of games are

Magnus- The Sims, he likes making all his friends as Sims and just having fun with it, low-key embarrassed about it. Also likes classic Fantasy games like Zelda and rpgs. Probably also farming games, mainly ones where you can make friends with the villagers/characters, so pretty much mainly Stardew valley and Harvest Moon games.

Alex- Horror games! Alex is a horror queer no question. She loves horror games, horror movies too but we're talking about games RN, so I think she'd have a huuuge collection of them. That's sort of her main bag, but I think she also has a smaller collection of games similar to Magnus' tastes, farming, life Sims, and a few "friendship saves the day" focused rpgs. Magnus is the only one who knows about that though and sometimes when Alex is having a rough mental health day they'll play them together

Sam- Tycoon management/builder games for sure, probably also has a weak spot for any games focused on flying like flight sims. Also low-key think she'd like romance games but that's the type of secret that might get you beheaded if you find out

Blitzen- I don't think he's much of a video game player, very picky about what he plays. Probably crafting/art focused games he can relax and make art for fun without too much effort. Deffo likes Animal crossing but pretty much all he does is making extremely complex pixel designs on it. Also Minecraft, though he only plays on creative to make those fucking insanely huge and realistic cities/buildings that have to take days if not months to make

Hearthstone- You fucking know he's a sucker for Rpgs, no question. I think he'd be one of the most dedicated gamers of the group. Motherfucker canonly went to a renaissance fair and definitely watches LOTR he's a big old nerd. Any fantasy rpg he can get his hands on he's gonna play until he beats the whole thing and gets all the achievements and unlockables. I'd guess he also really likes pokemon too, but that one is more of a comfort/relaxing game for him and he doesn't go quite as hard core with it.

TJ- Dude is canonly a gamer since Magnus hears him playing some kinda shooting game through his door, seems to be really into those shoot em ups and fighting games which makes a lot of sense. Call of duty shoota man, Grand stealing cars, Smash your bros, all those multiple shooting games that people seem to love but I can't fucking stand at all

Halfborn- alright so I know Halfborn is shockingly modern for just how old he is, but I think tech is a bit harder to keep up with so he's definitely into old retro shit. Pac Man, Galaga, Donkey Kong classic, all those pixel arcade games. Maybe eventually he'll get into newer more complex stuff but for now he's pretty happy with those. Though! I bet he does have some of those educational and brain teaser puzzle games for the DS my parents used to try to get me to play in a failed attempt to make me smarter

Mallory- Mallory is another who doesn't really play many video games, but I'd like to think miss hot head has a gulity pleasure of Japanese style romantic visual novels, which she thinks no one knows about but she's not great at hiding it lol

Also in general I think they have a game/movie night every week to just hanging out as a family. They had to stop any competitive games though because TJ and Hearthstone once almost killed each other. They both just get way too into it so now competitive is banned, strictly multiplayer co-op games only lol

[celosiaa]

Hello! If you’re still taking TMA prompts, what about a scenario where Jon needs a little further observation/just needs some assistance until he regains his strength once he’s released from hospital, and Martin takes responsibility (because thinking about doting Martin makes me soft) 🥺 Thanks!

HELLO FRIEND THIS HAS TAKEN ME SO LONG AND I AM SO SORRY!!!!! but i hope you like this because it’s gonna be multiple chapters now!!! I got on a roll and wrote this whole first chapter in a fit of passion

featuring...Martin with Tourette’s! Hooray! :D

Set immediately after the episode where Jon wakes up from the coma, Georgie leaves, and Basira is soon to follow.

CHAPTER 1:

Soon after Basira returns with the water, it all falls apart.

“What did you mean, you ‘feel more real?’ What does that mean, Jon?” she demands, slamming the plastic cup of water on the tray hard enough for it so slosh over the edge. “What did you do?”

Perhaps it’s the post-statement, post-coma bit of euphoria; perhaps it’s the overwhelming hurt of hearing Georgie wish him dead—but Jon cannot quite stifle the laugh that bubbles up in his chest. Cannot quite swallow what he’s sure would be damp filling up the corners of his eyes, were he not still so dehydrated that he has nothing left to spare.

He has little left to spare of anything, it seems, after he spares a glance down his emaciated form.

“I d-don’t—I didn’t do anything, Basira. I wouldn’t—wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Bullshit,” she barks, crossing her arms and leering over him—reminding him so much of Daisy, it sends a familiar chill up his spine. “What. Did. You. Do.”

“I—please, Basira. Trust me.”

“Ha.”

“I-I didn’t. Didn’t do anything, I swear. If I did, I don’t—don’t remember.”

It’s the truth, it’s god’s honest truth, but it’s not enough. Of course it wouldn’t be—it’s Jon, after all. Jon’s word had never been enough for her.

“You know what?” she spits, sharp eyes meeting his after a few small moments away. “Georgie was right. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. You shouldn’t be here.”

Shouldn’t be here shouldn’t be here

Old, terrible wounds he had hoped were long dead begin to fester once again in his mind. He had always considered Basira a friend, but now…now perhaps, it would hurt even worse if she were.

A slamming door, and he’s back in the present. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he Knows Basira will not be returning—and is not going to get a nurse, either. No, Basira…Basira will no longer be part of this. Will no longer be part of him, as all of Jon’s friends come to be, eventually.

Friend.

She was my friend.

What else is there to do but sit, quiet and still, waiting on the world to turn again? Surely it had stopped. There is no window in this place—nothing to tell him the time at all. Perhaps they thought he hadn’t needed it, because he was never going to wake up. No one to disorient if there’s nobody there.

“No, please—he should—“

Scratching, a scratching at the back of his mind. A blurry picture, faded and torn, knitting together slowly with stitches formed from static and a searing pain behind his eyes.

“—he should have a window.”

Martin. It’s Martin, eyes soft and warm and loving and…despairing. The picture grows and grows and grows until—

“No, please,” Martin begs as he enters the new room they’ve just wheeled Jon’s body into, glancing around with distress, left hand banging rhythmically against his thigh. “He should—he should have a window, in case he wakes up—he’ll be disorientated, please.”

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave, if—"

“No! I’ll not—I’ll not sit here, and let this happen—"

Thrown physically back by the weight of the memory, Jon finds himself lying back dizzily against his pillows, head pounding, heart pounding even louder with the knowledge that Martin was here, he cared, he was here he was here—

And then he looks to the left, and finds a copy of The Lord of the Rings. His copy, to be exact—it must have been taken from his flat, it’s so worn and loved and read and reread and reread. Reaching out to touch it with a shaking, far-too-thin hand, he presses his fingertips against the cracked spine and Sees—

Martin, reading it to him.

“‘I wonder,” said Frodo, “But I don’t know. And that’s the way of a real tale. Take any one that you’re fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don’t know. And you don’t want them to.’”

Taking a pause from the passage, Martin quirks up a little half smile, a sad whisper of a thing, before taking Jon’s hand in one of his own—using the other to remove his glasses, as he begins to weep in silence.

Aching, aching, aching is Jon’s chest—down through the depths of his soul, if indeed, he could still be said to have one. It is no longer a decision—he must phone Martin. If enough of him is still there to be phoned.

He hits the call button on his bedside remote and waits.

—

“Mr. Sims?” calls a nurse tentatively from the door, face still ashen from the shock of seeing him awake, and half-sitting back against his pillows. “I’ve got a phone for you.”

“Ah, thank you,” Jon breathes at once, reaching out a still-shaking arm to take it from her before she turns to hang another bag of saline on the pole to his right, hooking it up carefully to his line as she continues to speak.

“We—erm, just so you don’t waste your time, we tried your emergency contact many times with no response. A…Stoker, I believe is their last name?”

Any wind he had managed to pick back up in his sails is pushed right out of his chest with the devastation of these words.

Tim.

God, Tim.

“Mr. Sims? You alright?” she asks, looking moments away from poking or prodding him again—something he can’t bear, not with his skin crawling like this.

“F-fine, fine,” he assures, silently begging his hands to stop shaking. “Fine, thank you. For the phone.”

“You’re—you’re welcome. Erm,” she stammers, stumbling over herself in her hurry to back out of the door. “Ring if you need something.”

And then she’s gone, and he’s left alone again.

Alone alone always alone

He’s got to keep going; got to tear his mind forcibly away from his private anguish—and turns to what he desperately hopes will not become a new, unbearable grief. Punching in a number he feels he has no right to Know, he presses the phone against his ear and rings Martin.

It rings.

And rings.

And rings.

Until he gets a notice that the voicemail box is full.

Stomach jolting, he realizes that Basira could have been wrong, that he could be in trouble, that he could be—

No no no

He rings again, waiting with bated breath, utterly motionless.

No answer.

He wants to tear it all down, to burn through every wall that separates him from Seeing him—

He rings one more time.

“Look, you’ve got the wrong number,” comes the irritated voice on the other end of the line after the third ring—and Jon will never be sure that it’s not the most beautiful sound he has ever heard.

“…Martin,” is all he can say, all he can feel as he collapses back onto his pillows, lips upturning in a smile he never thought would grace his expression again.

A pause, long and frozen, like an inhaled breath that refuses to be let out.

“Jon?”

The disbelief, the shuddering hope is so clear in his tone that Jon at last feels his eyes pooling with the tears that had so often refused to come.

“It’s me,” he whispers, like a prayer—begging to be believed.

“F—oh, fuck—“

Loud clattering resonates from the other end of the line as the phone is dropped—or perhaps thrown. A more common tic for Martin when he feels something very strongly.

Whatever feeling it may have been that brought it on, Jon is grateful to observe the humanity of it—tears slipping down his face at last as he sees Martin in his mind’s eye, collecting his phone with the massively thick case around it, checking it for cracks as he does every time, though the screen protector has never once been without cracks—

Jon finds himself weeping, laughing, gasping—so very fond.

I missed you I missed you

I miss you

“Hello? You still there?” Martin gasps, voice a bit wild, a bit desperate.

“Still here,” he assures, wiping his face with a heavy sniff.

“Listen, this—" he begins, voice forcibly hardened, though Jon can hear the shakiness beneath. “This better not be a—a fucking prank, or—"

“I-It’s not. Martin, it’s not. I promise.”

I’m still here.

“…how?” he asks, voice still sharp, and Jon hardly supposes he can blame him.

“I don’t—"

It’s a lie, you do know, you’re lying you’re lying

“—I don’t know. Something…something brought me back,” he stammers, tongue tripping over the acridity of the untruth in his mouth.

It’s a lie and you know it.

“And you’re alright?” comes Martin’s trusting voice from the shoddy speaker.

Of course, running fingers through his hair that had grown so long, so wild, he braces himself for another half-truth.

“Relatively—relatively speaking,” he sighs.

“What does that mean?”

Too weak—he finds himself too weak to answer, cannot bear to say the words that will let him ask for help. Never could manage it, really.

“Do you want me to come get you?” Martin asks, because of course Martin knows him, knows the way Jon’s mind works, however maladapted it may be.

“Yes,” he murmurs in response, tears beginning to run again at the prospect of seeing Martin, his Martin, here in this lightless room that reminds him so terribly much of the Archives.

“Please.”

“Be there soon.”

With a click, the warmth of his voice is gone—but well-replaced by the promise of his presence.

Martin never breaks a promise.

Jon allows the security of it to set him adrift on the tides of sleep.