#i want advice for keeping mice

[lectern-fullcauldron]

things I really appreciate about hermitcraft:

I love that the hermits clubbed together to buy tfc a new pc and monitor in 2020, with a massive screen aimed at combatting his migraines and motion sickness

I love that cubfan has Joe Hills twitch emotes as part of his collection. Joe won't sign a twitch contract and can't have his own emotes, so cub just made some for his subscribers to play with on Joe's streams

I love that Keralis keeps sending computer mice and other gear to the other hermits whenever they mention computer problems (because when you own a hardware company, why wouldn't you be your friends' sugar daddy)

I love that Joe has mentioned that grian will resource gather for other hermits off camera in his free time, just because he can

I love that when iskall talked about his hermitcraft downtime, he said that none of the others tried to force him to make a video, they all just popped in and out, offering his various projects they were working on to see if he wanted to join in

I love that the hermits always have lots of advice for each other - whether it be parenting advice for doc, or just in having worked with mumbo since he was 17 and in sixth form college, of talking about tfc's wisdom (and sometimes we even get to learn about tango's washing machine and international taxes)

I love that hermits will take on infrastructure projects, like netherhubs and railways and roads and enderfarms

I love hermits helping hermits

I love stream weekends

I love that some hermits are dedicated enough to neglect their own bases and spend weeks helping out a friend - particularly Cleo, moving into stress' season six castle and Scarland and more to build diorama after diorama.

I love the dedication that the hermits have, and I appreciate how hard they worked for the king arc, the crossover, and the charity stream.

I love the strength of the community when a charity stream comes around.

I love that hermits will rush across the server or panic log in when someone needs help - killing doc's escaped withers, collecting gear, clearing lava after a tactical log out, turning off farms

I love that they offer each other building advice and redstone help (even if it is just scar and iskall being judgy about block choice)

I love scar's first reaction to ever seeing grian in person was 'you're drowning in fans at this convention, I wish I could help you, but we don't know each other yet'

I love Hypno and Joe singing karaoke at minecon in 2012

I love that they do make a wish hermitcraft guests and hermits who can help will be there

I love shared farms and shared resources, and a hermit flying in unprompted to drop off a shulker of that thing you mentioned you needed for no charge

I love hermitcraft as a community

[turtlesandfrogs]

Ok, now I'm really concerned that how to prevent rats isn't common knowledge like I thought it was. So, to anyone whose parents/guardians/adults didn't teach you, here's the basics of prevention*:

Rats, like you, need three things: food, water, and shelter. If they don't get these things, they don't bother sticking around. Access to food is probably the biggest draw, and the one you can do the most about.

Rats eat the same foods you do, and the same food that most pets eat. You don't want them to have access to this food, so:

Don't leave dirty dishes laying around, the smell will attract rats. Don't put leave dirty dishes in your bed room, or under the couch, or in your car, or whatever. Dishwashers are great, but if you don't have a functional one, and you're low on energy/executive function, at a minimum cover your dirty dishes with soapy water instead of leaving them out. Rats can't eat soapy food.

Work to minimize food waste, because the smell of tasty food in your compost or garbage will attract rats.

Don't put food scraps in your indoor garbage unless your garbage can is rat proof. Take it outside asap, to a rat-proof bin.

When composting, if you're composting food that would be attractive to rats (grains, fats/oils, dairy, meat) it's best to: bury the food down in the center of the pile, try out bokashi composting, or have a rat-proof composter. Generally people do tell you not to compost dairy and meat, but I do know that some people do it anyway.

Keep your grains & legumes in rodent proof-containers. Glass jars, metal trash cans, etc.

If you have dogs, put their food away at night. If you have birds or other animals that eat a seed-based diet, then it pays to make their food/enclosures inaccessible to rats as well. Cats are rat deterrents so leaving dry food out for them is probably the one exception.

Clean up spilled foods immediately.

If you have fruit trees (like those apple trees everyone has that were planted 3 or more decades ago) and notice that something besides a deer is eating them, it's really best to pick all the fruit. You probably can't eat it all, so giving it away is a good option. Compost the rotten/icky ones fallowing the advice above, or dig a hole and do some trench composting.

Rats also need water, which is another reason to make sure you don't have any leaks anywhere, and to not leave beverages out in open containers.

Beyond that, thoroughly looking around your house, inside and out, to make sure there's no access points. Vents can be covered with wire mesh, holes the size of a dime need to be patched (because mice exist, too). Keep vegetation clear from around the base of your house, and make sure there's no trees or shrubs growing close enough to your house that a rat could make the leap to your roof. Keep an eye out for tunnels near your house's foundation, because they will tunnel underneath.

Also, while I'm at it, for the love of your house's structural integrity, DO NOT store wood piles against your house. Termites people!!!

And yes, there's a reason why cats are such a common pet. Not only do they hunt rats, the very smell of a cat is enough to deter rats. Do not just get a cat for rat prevention though, only get a cat if you're going to provide it a good home and are able to take on the additional care tasks without over extending yourself. Getting a housemate that comes with a cat is a great alternative to getting your own cat (and I'm only halfway joking).

*because prevention is much easier and much less terrible than dealing with an infestation. Prevention is so, so, so much easier than getting rid of them, particularly because once they're there, they'll start eating other things that wouldn't have been enough by themselves to draw them in.

[nocturniashifter]

𝓐dvice for your Shifting Journey | Pick a Pile

Hello, my angels! After a long time without posting any PAP, here I am. This time it will be advice for your shifting journey and I will be using Lenormand for the first time on a pap as I am new to it, so I really hope you like it! ♡

┈─★ Disclaimer: This reading is for entertainment purposes only and shouldn't be taken seriously or used as a substitute for legitimate advice. It's also a general reading, so it may or may not resonate with you. ┈─★ How to choose: Close your eyes, take a deep breath and choose the image that catches your attention the most, trust your intuition.

── .✦ PILE 1

Cards: Moon, Mountain, Sun, Crossroad & Man ꤮ ࣪ ⏜ ꤮ 𝅄 ꤮ ࣪ ⏜ ꤮

Hello, pile one! You have already gone through several ups and downs along your journey and due to having faced difficult moments such as “failed” attempts or due to the fact that you have been trying for years, you ended up getting discouraged and some of you may have even stopped trying or felt like giving up halfway through. But, if you want to finally shift, you need to get your head up and do something about it because you will achieve it if you don't keep standing still and doing nothing.

Things may be difficult for you on your journey right now, but know that you will be able to get through this difficult period if you take the first step. The cards ask you to maintain a positive mindset because you will be successful on your journey – and when I talk about maintaining a positive mindset, it doesn't mean that you should get carried away by toxic positivity. On the contrary, throughout your journey you will encounter obstacles that may end up affecting you emotionally and the last thing you should do is repress your feelings and pretend that everything is fine as if negative emotions and feelings are going to stop you from shifting. Spoiler: that doesn't happen. So, when you come across a rock in your path that lets you down, don't repress your feelings but rather allow yourself to feel and express what you are feeling, take the time you need to process them and then let them go & continue your journey with your head held high.

At this moment, you need to decide which path you will take on your journey and you must leave behind the baggage of the past with all those things that no longer serve you, such as the limiting beliefs that you have cultivated in yourself. Stop for a moment and reflect on all the beliefs, good or bad, that you believe to be true about yourself or about shifting. Do you believe that you are capable of shifting and that you are already a master shifter: yes or no? Depending on your answer, you will already know where to start changing your mindset to one that will favor you and bear good fruit.

When you're working on your mindset/self-concept change, don't backtrack because it will only slow you down. It's like Neville Goddard said, you can't serve two masters at the same time – that is, you can't be in two states of being at the same time. Either you are or you are not. Either you are a master shifter who has shifted millions of times effortlessly or you are the person who regrets that they never managed to shift. In fact, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from shifting other than yourself and you may already be tired of hearing this, but it is the purest truth. You are your only limit.

── .✦ PILE 2

Cards: Lily, Scythe, Rider, Stork & Mice ꤮ ࣪ ⏜ ꤮ 𝅄 ꤮ ࣪ ⏜ ꤮

Hello, pile two! You are a person who has been in the shifting community for a long time (some have been there for months and others for years) and who over time has tried many different ways of shifting such as methods, meditations, subliminals and many others. And because you've been on this journey for a long time, you've become comfortable with the way things were or are at the moment. Too comfortable. There are two cases here: the first is that you ended up having many “failed attempts” that demotivated you and you ended up conforming to the false idea that you can't shift and the second case is that you ended up falling into your comfort zone and decided not to have new experiences on your journey – that is, you just do the same thing over and over again even if they aren’t working like they used to and don’t try new things.

Regardless of your case, at this moment you are stagnant and it is time to put an end to it if you want to move forward once and for all and free yourself from this period of stagnation because it is only holding you back. You need to stop for a moment and reflect on everything you've experienced on your journey so far, so you'll be able to identify the limiting beliefs you've placed on yourself that give you the false idea that there's something stopping you from shifting. Furthermore, you will be able to identify what worked for you and what is no longer working so that you can make space for this new phase in your journey. And by doing this, you will be able to change the direction things are going and you will be able to start over towards success.

I also see that you feel envious of other shifters who have already managed to shift, whether before you who have been in the community for a long time or even those who shifted more easily than you – and I don't blame you for that, but you must understand that if they can do it, YOU CAN FUCKING DO IT TOO! What makes you different from them? What makes you so special that you are the only person in the multiverse who is incapable of shifting to the reality you want when you have always done this your entire life without even realizing it?!

You need to be kinder to yourself, take care of yourself and stop comparing your journey to other people's journeys because we are all different and what works for one person won't necessarily work for you and that's okay, you just need to do what works best for you because it's your journey so you have every right to navigate it however you want. It is necessary that you cut once and for all everything that is no longer serving you on your journey and as soon as you do, a new chapter in your journey will begin.

── .✦ PILE 3

Cards: Bear, Stork, Tower, Mountain & Rider ꤮ ࣪ ⏜ ꤮ 𝅄 ꤮ ࣪ ⏜ ꤮

Hello, pile three! You have great power – especially because, at the end of the day, we are all the gods of our reality – and you may be tired of hearing that. But although you are aware of this, you do not actually recognize your own power. You don't really believe that you are really powerful, that you can shift realities whenever you want without anything stopping you and you don't trust your own potential, much less your abilities to change. Many of you even put your desired realities on a pedestal as if it were something unattainable or very difficult to achieve and that requires a lot of effort - but if you stop to think about it, it doesn't make any sense because there is nothing to try to achieve when you were always in your DR even before you discovered shifting.

Because of this, it is past time for you to start seeing yourselves as the powerful people you are and finally recognize your own power so that things can finally change once and for all. If you want things to change on your journey, YOU need to change first because you are in complete control of your journey and if you don't change, nothing will change. You need to go through a period of self-reflection, that is, set aside a moment in your day to reflect on your journey – on everything that has worked for you and what hasn't.

But most importantly, you need to change your self-concept about being a master shifter. If you assume you can't shift, you're right and the same goes if you assume you've already shifted and are a master shifter. Many shifters and manifesting people believe that when they assume a new state of being, they shift to a reality where this assumption is true. So if you assume you are a master shifter, you have just shifted into a reality where you are one and vice versa. That's how the law works, so do yourself a favor and use it for your own benefit and not to make things harder for yourself.

At this moment, things may be challenging on your journey or it will be challenging for you to change your self-concept - mainly because you will feel stuck in the old version of yourself (i.e. when you were the person who couldn't shift and are becoming one who has already shifted) while working to change your mindset but just keep persisting, that is, being the person who is already a master shifter without seeking validation in 3D because it's the 3D that needs your validation. But, regardless of what your case is, you will be able to overcome this and all your effort will be worth it in the end because you will have finally managed to achieve your goal!

© nocturniashifter – don't copy, redistribute or edit my content | dividers

[emergency-plan]

DPxDC Idea

I had a little idea an have no time to actually write a fic, so I just wrote a sorta-summary and am posting it like this.

This is inspired by the game Home Safety Hotline and may contain hints to spoilers for that game. It's really clever, I really like it. I recommend you play it if slightly spooky without any "real" horror appeals to you.

Alright, Danny's been Ghost King for a few years and has realized more than just his usual rogues make their way to the living world, and a lot of those ghosts don't stay in Amity. By himself, it'd take forever to track down all those spirits and specters that are out causing mischief. Luckily, not many that escaped his notice are all that powerful and could only cause minor disturbances, just enough to get noticed by the living.

Many people outside Amity don't even recognize the activity as ghosts, so they blame other sources. Scratching in the walls is mistaken as mice, whispers and apparitions are mistaken as hallucinations and carbon monoxide hallucinations, attempted overshadowings mistaken as stokes or migraines. In this day and age, where does everyone turn to when looking for advice or how to solve problems? The internet.

Team Phantom devise a method to try and track down ghosts that are stuck or tormenting the living by building a website meant to look like a help hotline, and with some algorithm trickery make it one of the top options when searching for signs similar to ghost presences. Add some bits and bobs to make it appear as a more normal-looking website on any computer affiliated with government organizations, and you’ve got some protection from the GIW.

Calls start slowly, so the three of them can handle it by themselves. Once more people are calling, they decide to start a call center. They hired some trusted people around Amity and even a few ghosts who want to help. To get around worrying about the ghosts messing with the tech while personally taking a call, they decide to automate the system to record caller’s reports for the employees to listen to, and then send a report back, offering their services to bring the spirit back to the Realms.

It’s been surprisingly lucrative, and Danny hasn’t had to dip into his kingly funds much other than at the start. He still keeps prices low, just enough to not garner suspicions at offering a free service while paying his workers fairly (he doesn’t want to know why some of the ghosts want mortal money). What he’s started having more trouble with is not enough employees to take the calls. Sometimes ghosts lose track of time and don’t show up for their shifts (he doesn’t blame them, time gets weird in the Ghost Zone), and he’s run out of people he trusts who want the job.

Eventually he decides to put out an ad, deciding he’ll slowly trust whoever takes the job with a little more information over time, see how they react, and measure to see if they’re trustworthy.

What he doesn’t think about is how posting it on the website will let more people than just those that live in Amity apply.

Meanwhile, in Gotham, one Cassandra Cain is looking for a job. She doesn’t need the money, B gives her access to way too much, but she wants the experience. She’s at the age she’s heard most kids get a job, and she wants to see what it’s like.

And she quickly found out retail and fast food are NOT for her. She doesn’t think those conditions are fit for anyone, honestly. She’d have to see if she could get Bruce to work on that. But that still leaves her out of a job. She got overwhelmed with a lot of people, so virtual options would probably be best, and something that let her interact with people without having to speak. There weren’t a lot of options out there, and she wasn’t skilled enough with a computer yet to take programming ones.

That’s when she found the listing for the hotline call center. Based in a small Illinois town, but had virtual options, listen to recorded customer calls, diagnose their issue, and send an information packet on potential next steps. It was indirect, could also help her practice her reading, and flexible. It was perfect.

It didn’t take long to hear back after she applied (Danny was freaking out, he didn’t think anyone outside Amity would apply. He’d turn this kid down, but she’d mentioned her difficulties with speaking in her application and SWEETY YOU DONT MENTION STUFF LIKE THAT ON AN APPLICATION. But she said the job would be perfect for her and he just couldn’t…) and she got the job!

Her first day rolls around and she’s given access to the database. A lot has been redacted, but she has descriptions for common problems like mice, carbon monoxide, black mold, etc. she gets her first call recording and carefully reads through the entries before selecting the one that sounds right. She sends it off and waits for the next. The calls come a little too regularly, with too similar intervals between them, so she figures her new employer is testing how well she’s doing (Danny’s giving her previous resolved calls that weren’t anything supernatural. She even got the ants right! He had even gotten that wrong!)

Eventually, her shift ends and she tells her family how well her first day went at dinner. They congratulate her and go on patrol as usual. The next day, things ramp up a little.

She logs into the database at the beginning of her shift and noticed some new entries. She now had access to descriptions of shades, blob ghosts, will o’ wisps, and more minor spirits. She gets a recording reminding her all this info is confidential and that she’s not allowed to share it with anyone. She’s a little confused, but she reads through each just as carefully. The calls come less regularly, so she figures she’s actually connected to the system now (Danny gave her access to the most common ghosts they get calls about and is listening in while he’s handling ghosts to make sure she doesn’t get anything she’s not prepared for).

Her shift ends and over dinner, she mentions that she’s had to diagnose some odd things. They assure her there’s more pests and hazards out there than you’d expect. She doesn’t tell her family about the distraught woman haunted by the Ecto-Echo of her husband’s habit of making her coffee every morning after he passed a few weeks ago. Or the person who had a Shade masquerading as their shadow. Just about one of her caller's cockroach problem.

The next day follows a similar pattern; more entries, slightly more powerful ghosts, reminder that the info she's been given access to is confidential and could get people hurt if it got in the wrong hands, congratulated for her good work, read through carefully and learn signs of each, diagnose calls, before calling it a day (Danny was so proud of her, she'd only confused a blob ghost with a ghost animal once, and it hadn't caused him any trouble when he went to collect them).

She'd used the bat-computer to check up on some of the callers she'd diagnosed, and they seemed to be doing fine. Some had posted about their weird experiences on their social media and how her employer had somehow helped them, but often didn't quite know how (Danny liked to hide his powers, so most of what customers saw was him using ghost tech. When it couldn't be solved with just a quick souping, he had to pull a little ghostly trickery while the customer wasn't watching). She didn't know how her boss was somehow across the world multiple times a day to help clients in different countries, but he seemed to at least be helping people. She started not having any stories she could tell her family at dinner.

At some point, she heard reports that one of the speedsters probably messed with time travel again before clocking into her shift. She had almost all the available entries and had gotten very good at recognizing tricky cases. She answered a recorded call, just like at the beginning of each of her shifts, but this one was a little different. Danny had sent out an announcement to be on the lookout for a specific phenomena that often occurred after shifts in reality, as they were highly dangerous and needed to be dealt with swiftly.

She studied each entry and paused on what she was supposed to keep a careful eye out for. Revenants, corpses that came back to life, often seen shambling around the graveyards they were buried in. Something about that sounded familiar. A section in their entry said the person brought back often had a ghost in the Realms (which she still didn't know what that was) that was in terrible pain from shifts in reality trying to pull them back to their body, but the separation of dimensions preventing them.

Expectedly, she did get a call from someone convinced there was a zombie wandering somewhere along the east coast. She double checked it couldn't be anything else before submitting it and notifying her boss.

Curious, and she knew no one would be in the batcave around this time of day, she brought her laptop with her down to the bat-computer. She found cameras in the area the caller reported, and froze at what she saw. Shambling across an abandoned street was a rotting corpse. It really did look like a zombie. It was covered in dirt, wearing an old-fashioned suit, and had skin sloughing off its bones.

But what Cass could only focus on was how much its movements read that it was in pain. It was suffering in such a horrible way its mindless being didn't even deserve. It was horrible.

Then, there was a flash of green and an area of the cameras were covered in static. The glitched portion somehow read with kindness and pity. It slowly approached the corpse, simple reaching out gently (what was presumably a hand), ignoring the way it lashed out. It suddenly fell, caught and slowly lower to the ground by the strange being she couldn't see. It closed the thing's eyes before carrying it off in the direction the map said a graveyard could be found.

After that, she finished her shift and went to dinner. Her family asked if she was alright, and she only replied it'd been a long day.

She clocked in early the next day and messaged her boss for more information on Revenants. Dinner that night was one of the few times Jason agreed to come by, and if he noticed how she kept glancing at him, he didn't say anything.

A week later, she asked her boss what might happen if a Revenant was exposed to, as it was called in its entry, a "Corrupted Ecto-Spring" ("...an ugly hole in the fabric of reality that connects the world of the living to the Realms. The ectoplasm that leaks through the tear stagnates and festers into toxic pools that kills humans and makes ghosts sick."). Danny requested a video call.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Lost 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, mentions of loss, grieving, death, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: nomad!Steve Rogers

Summary: You move into a shared flat and encounter a mysterious man.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

When your shift ends, you leave the shop, heading down the same way you came. You stop at the corner of Mason and think better of going that route. You take that man’s advice and go along Doxtator instead. It’s quieter, there aren’t as many businesses so not as many people loitering and tossing cigarette butts.

You come up to the shared house and enter through the side door as usual. You wouldn’t call it routine yet, you haven’t been there long enough, but a ripple of deja vu comes over you. You keep your head down as you enter the kitchen. As you do, there’s another person in there.

You don’t know if you should say hello. You haven’t seen this man before. He must be one of the others. He pulls a box of rice crackers out of the cupboard and ignores your presence. You follow his lead and don’t say a word as you set your bag on the counter and pull out the drawer. You write your name on the few items you got from the store before you left; a box of cereal, a carton of milk, and some packets of ramen.

You put it all away as the other resident traipses off down the hallway, shuffling footsteps reverberating off the shabby walls. You shut the fridge as you hear the outside door open and shut. As you turn, the other man enters; the big one with the shaggy hair. S as you think of him.

He nods at you as you fold up the paper bag and shove it in the bin. He goes to the cupboard and opens the door. He sighs and takes out the same box of crackers as the last man. He shakes it and tuts. You see then the S marked on the side.

You leave, not wanting to get involved. You feel bad that someone else took his food but you also don’t need the drama. You hate conflict. At least now, you know to watch your things. Maybe later you’ll sneak out and retrieve your ramen so you can preserve a few meals.

You’re not very hungry. Your appetite is sparse these days. Maybe it’s this place. You can’t quite settle in, maybe because you hope it’s only temporary. Yet, you can’t say if that’s because you’re holding onto hope that by some miracle you could go back to your former life or that you might even forge a new one.

You lock the door and turn on the standing lamp. You fold your coat over the metal frame of the bed and sit to untie your shoes and peel off your socks. You change into a loose pair of sweatpants and a plain tea with a Pepsi logo on it. Not your clothes, another set of charity tatters.

You lay down and stare at the wall. You used to have a television in your room. You’d watch the old sitcoms they replayed on the public access channel. Or you’d listen to music and knit something. You had at least a dozen scarves more than you needed. You might be able to afford some needles and yarn after your first pay.

The cone of light casts a low haze through the tight space. Your eyes slowly close as thoughts of shutting off the lamp fade into your subconscious. You’re asleep before you can feel yourself drift off.

🚪

You wake to a strange sound. Your eyes flick open to the yellow lamplight as you lay stiffly on your back. You groan as your cramped muscles tug. You stretch and the bed frame creaks with your movement.

The scratching continues. You’re not surprised. You would expect mice in a place like this. There were some at the shelter too. They mostly left you alone, just skittered by as they searched out crumbs.

It gets louder as you sit up, tilting your head as you try to loosen the knot between your shoulders. You stand slowly, daunted by the pang across your hips. The mattress is thin and you can feel the frame on the other side.

“I know you’re awake, sweetie,” the voice startles you as it slips beneath the door. You stop your arm midreach as you go to click off the lamp. You peek over and see the shadow shift under the door. “Sweetie? I can see your light’s still on, why don’t you open the door?”

You don’t know the voice. It’s pitchy and uneven. The sickening tune behind it makes your stomach wrench. You stay far from the door as the handle jiggles, the deadbolt keeping it from opening.

“Sweetie. I just wanna talk. You don’t have to open the door. Just talk to me…”

You hug yourself and gulp. There were men in the shelter who tried to talk to you, the ones who got too close, who would stand over you while you slept. You were lucky they went away when they were caught.

There’s another shift and the floorboards groan. You hear an odd scuff and see something slide beneath the door slowly. Little by little. It’s a hand mirror, just thin enough to fit. Oh my god.

“Sweetie, I wanna know your na–”

The click of a mechanism and the grind of hinges interrupt your unwanted visitor. The mirror stills and the floor creaks again. You chew your lip as you listen with bated breath.

“Oh, hi,” the same voice greets someone.

“Go,” the deep voice orders gruffly.

“You can’t make me–”

“What are you doing out here?” The other man asks. You recognise S’s timbre.

“N-nothing. I live here too. I can be in the halls,” the strange man responds.

“I’m trying to sleep.”

“I wasn’t making noise.”

There’s a pause. Footsteps follow, getting closer, and you hear the squeaky voice utter a ‘no’ as the mirror wiggles slightly then is kicked further inside, scuttling over the floor.

“What the hell?” S growls, “you leave her alone.”

“I wasn’t bothering her–”

“I know what you were doing. I know who you are. What you are. So go before I crush you like the worm you are,” S’s words make even you shrink in fear.

“Ha, you think you deserve her. Because you look like you do,” the other man accuses, “you don’t scare me.”

“I don’t care if I scare you, I’ll break you in half if I see you at her door again,” S sneers and there’s a thump on the door, followed by an ‘oomph’. “Got it?”

“Got… it,” the breathy hiss chokes out, “let me go.”

A sudden scramble of footsteps, as if thrown off balance, clatter across the floor. They continue, quicker and quicker until you can’t hear them. You hear a sniff, then a sigh. A shadow appears at the bottom of the door.

“Hope you’re okay in there,” S says, “I’ll keep an ear out for that creep.” He pauses as if waiting for an answer but you can’t find one past the hammer of your heartbeat, “have a good night.”

The floor groans with his weight as he retreats and his door gently clasps. You can’t move. You lean into the wall and let your legs fold as you slide down onto your bottom. You’ll leave the light on for tonight. You don’t think you can face the dark.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

Hey! I just saw your post about outdoor cats, and I wanted to ask something/point something out. I have 2 barn cats who live primarily outdoors. Do they eat birds? Yes. But they also eat mice, voles, and snakes, which is the primary reason they're here. We keep a lot of animal food and grain in our barn, and to have mice eating it, and then feed it to our animals, would be bad. (And yes, we do keep 90% of our food in airlocked containers n stuff that the mice can't get in. But not all of it can be stored that way.) One cat has never been sick or injured, and we've had them both for about 5 years now. The other got sick once last year, and the entire time we kept her inside, she pined to be outdoors again. They do an amazing job, and we've actually had our neighbors thank us because the cats eat their pests too. (One neighbor had a vole infestation in their house and yard that our cats cleaned up for them.) We keep them up-to-date on all vaccines and flea/tick treatments, and they have easily accessible food and water. So, my question is, do you think this is okay? In your opinion, do the pros outweigh the cons? And, after all, aren't cats animals in the ecosystem too? The endangered birds and things have predators already, we can't protect them from those- aren't the cats just like that?

Sorry this turned out so long- genuinely don't want to bother you. Just interested in your perspective :)

Thank you for the ask. I'm glad to hear that your kitties are up to date on vaccines and are kept on flea/tick preventatives.

Domestic cats cannot be considered part of the ecosystem because they are not native species. Our domestic kitties are descended from the African wildcat, which is found in many parts of Africa and some regions of Asia. For all intent and purpose, cats are an invasive species. Yes, mice and voles can be pest species, but introducing non-native predators isn't an advisable solution. Snakes play a crucial role in their environment, including pest control. While many people appreciate that cats kill snakes, this is based on human fear and not a healthy ecosystem.

To me, the pros (presumedly enrichment and exercise?) do not outweigh the cons. My hospital sees free-roaming cats with horrible diseases and truly brutal injuries multiple times every week. And I do mean every single week. These are not isolated occurrences, and many of the cats had lived outside without incidence for years before their luck finally ran out. While your cats are protected from vector-borne diseases, unfortunately, they are not protected from cars or guns or the neighbor's dog, or from diseases for which there are not preventatives. It's impossible for me to endorse free-roaming cats after the things I've seen. But I truly hope your kitties live long lives, and that you and they never have to experience that trauma.

Anyway, that's my advice. It's no bother! Thank you again for reaching out.

[day-dr3aming]

Basic info:

Nicknames: Eudie (Close friends), Dame Capricieuse (Rook), Sea bunny (Floyd), Herbivore (Leona), Child of Man (Malleus)

Class: Whatever she want (usually 1-A)

Dorm: Ramshackle (Vice-Housewarden)

Birthday: March 16th

Age: 21-22 years old

Height: 1,70 m

Dominant hand: Left

Club: Pop Music club

Hobbies: Origami and drawing

Best subject: Alchemy

Homeland: London, England

Pet peevies: Cheats

Favorite food: Hot dog

Least favorite food: Cheese

Talent: Plan

Family: Father, mother, Rayven (younger sibling), grand parents, uncles and cousins

Background:

Eudora During her childhood, Eudora always tried to keep her sibling and cousins out of trouble, but she usually ended up joining them in causing mischief. Since she was 12, she helped her parents run the bookstore and her sibling, Rayven. Unlike her sibling, she never believed in fairy tales and magic, although she enjoyed listening to her sibling tell stories and enter into their fantasy. When she went to university, she had to move to another city, she ended up focusing a lot on her studies and kind of neglecting her free time, only spending time with her family at meetings and birthdays.

After Rayven disappeared, she was devastated. It was a huge shock for her to hear on the phone that her sibling had suddenly disappeared. One day, when she was observing the sky on the college coverage, she saw a pair of stars that shone brighter than the others, then she remembered the stories Ray liked to tell her when they were children. Even though she thought it was stupid of her, she wished to the stars that she could know where her brother was and then went to his dorm to sleep. When she woke up, she had ended up in another world.

Personality:

Generally seen as a cold and reserved person, Eudora is not one to show much empathy with the NRC boys because she knows how much mean they can be. Because of their severe and serious side, many find them scary and try to stay away from them. She tries very hard to be patient and stay calm, but she can end up exploding depending on the situation.

She is also very proud and confident of herself, and because of her impulsiveness and stubbornness, it is very difficult for her to change her mind or opinion, which can lead to frustration when things don't go the way she wants. In her group of friends, she is the one in charge of the group. She always warns when something is going to go wrong and if they insist and it goes wrong anyway, she would be the type of person to say "I told you so."

Despite being very severe, Eudora has a loving and kind side that she only shows to those she cares about. With these people, she shows herself to be more supportive and demonstrates that she is a good listener, sometimes giving some advice, and even lends them some of her belongings if they need them. She also surprisingly has a great sense of humor, thus tolerating the freshmen's antics and even doing with them.

Trivias:

She is the Twisted version of Yen Sid from the movie Fantasia

Her name, Eudora, is of Greek origin, meaning fortunate gift, being the name of one of the nymphs of Greek mythology

Her full name is Eudora Ludwig Vasconcelos

She is terrible at cooking, being the only things she can prepare are sandwiches

After arriving in Twisted Wonderland, she began sharing the tasks Crowley gave her with Rayven.

She went to Twisted Wonderland after the Savanaclaw chapter.

She was studying medicine before going to Twisted Wonderland

She is allergic to cats, but Grim's fur doesn't affects her allergy

She is afraid of mice

Shr has Brazilian ancestry on her mother's side

Galeria:

Divider by: cafekitsune

[kleefkruid]

How is Kotelet dealing with being an inside cat? And Marcel?

Honestely the answer is 'too busy being baby machine'. So I trapped her about 4 tot 5 days (can't remember) before she gave birth and then she was miffed about it, but that was of course because she was looking for the best possible nesting place and we know 'best' for her means somewhere out in the rain beneath some bush. But she yowled on the windowsill for one day before she became too pregnant to even get on the windowsill so from then on she was mainly sleeping and throwing grumpy looks at the door like 'you know what I'd be doing if I wasn't a football on legs now.'

Since then she's been nursing non-stop, had her fever and is just exhausted having 5 mouths to feed so she just eats. She wants to walk around the apartment especially in the morning (she'd always come in while I was making coffee bc that's when the balcony door opened usually) but she's just too tired, which is entirely normal at this point.

So how will she be when she gets more energy? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that she still refuses cat food, and at this point I don't know if she'll ever accept it? I do have to manage my expectations since she's a certified feral cat. It's rare (but possible) to even get a feral friendly with humans but she'll never turn into a full couch potato.

Once the kittens are weaned onto kitten food I'll have a go at trying to get her onto cat food by simply not giving chicken anymore, but I don't know if it'll work.

Long term: Right now we have a good house with a safe protected area where plenty of people feed her and she can catch mice, but if I'd have to move to a less than ideal place for a feral cat, I wouldn't want to leave her behind so then we'd have to look for a farm set-up or something, somwhere where she can hang out with humans whenever she wants but catch her own food.

But first we'll see what I can do in the next weeks, it's just important to remember this is a feral cat and she missed the window to be a full house cat. Keeping her inside idefinitely is just not a possibility from a wellfare perspective, even orgs from very pro-housecat countries advice against that. (bc the stress can literally kill them) But she'd be a very succesful social cat in a spayed and protected colony.

Oh and Marcel and Oskar are doing fine, Kotelet is in the bedroom so I can just close that door and then they can sit on the balcony whenever they want, and I got a feliway refill which Marcel reacts to well! if only they weren't too expensive to buy more often :') So Kotelet is high on mommy pheromones and the others on fake ones haha. Peace and love on earth for everyone except me who sadly doesn't react to kitty drugs, I wish I wish.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

the most important question in a world: where the pets poop in Hogwarts? who heals them if they sick? who feeds them? what if student has allergy? is there a possibility to have allergy to a magical pet? a magical allergy?

pets in wizarding world my beloved

I mean, the owls are in the owlery in the West Tower, so they pop and eat in the owlery:

The Owlery was a circular stone room, rather cold and drafty, because none of the windows had glass in them. The floor was entirely covered in straw, owl droppings, and the regurgitated skeletons of mice and voles. Hundreds upon hundreds of owls of every breed imaginable were nestled here on perches that rose right up to the top of the tower, nearly all of them asleep, though here and there a round amber eye glared at Harry. He spotted Hedwig nestled between a barn owl and a tawny, and hurried over to her, sliding a little on the dropping-strewn floor.

(GoF)

Also, considering mice and vole skeletons litter the ground, it seems the owls are just allowed to freely hunt in the forest and the areas around Hogwarts.

As for cats and toads, we don't really know. My guess is that the common rooms have litter boxes for the cats that the house elves clean up.

Toads are usually kept in terrariums as pets and pop there. It's honestly kinda weird toads are just, held and stuff since I read some toad pet-keeping advice and they tell you to never handle toads without rubber gloves. Skin oil can harm a pet toad and toads have toxic glands on their skin, so, like, I don't know what Neville is doing with Trevor, man. I assume the pet toads wizards have are magical, and therefore are more durable and have less toxic glands. Perhaps their magicalness allows them to be intelligent enough to poop in a specific designated area. Or, maybe, the common rooms occasionally have tiny toad poop on the floor at random places and the house elves are in a constant war against it.

Regarding food, I think it's kinda like with the owls. As in, cats hunt whatever is around the castle or eat human food and toads catch insects themselves. The cats possibly have cat food in stations in the common rooms as well, but that's a maybe. I couldn't find anything about it.

Scabbers, as a pet that wasn't on the list of allowed pets, probably was fed and taken care of by Percy and Ron since the facilities weren't in place.

Regarding pet allergies, apparently, Hagrid is allergic to cats:

Tell yeh what, I’ll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh’d be laughed at — an’ I don’ like cats, they make me sneeze. I’ll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they’re dead useful, carry yer mail an’ everythin’.

(PS)

And we know nothing was really done for Hagrid's allergy as students are allowed to bring cats to school quite freely. I'd guess they have a potion that works similarly to (or more effectively than) regular antihistamines for allergies. If magic can fix an allergy, it makes sense they won't be overly worried. Also, since when is Hogwarts particularly concerned about student safety? especially for something wizards would consider as petty of a concern as allergies.

But the long and short of it is that if you want your pet at Hogwarts to be well taken care of, bring an owl as they have the most facilities in place.

[bill-ciphers-nightmare-blog]

Hello, I wish to enquire as to whether or not you've been possessing my cat. My primary bits of evidence are, her overly bright yellow eye colour, the fact that I've caught her torturing mice more than the other cats in the area, and the fact she keeps leaving near perfectly decapitated mouse heads in the primary sleeping area, usually in the middle of the most walked path or under the bed.

If you are in fact possessing my cat, I simply request that you leave the mouse corpses outside and stop hunting the frogs. If you do that, I will sneak you more wet cat food just so long as I can stop having to carry mouse heads out of the house at 3 in the morning.

If you are not possessing my cat, do you have any advice? My cat may be weird in general (and in ways not previously mentioned), but I do quite like her, weirdness and all, and I just want her to stop leaving corpses in the middle of the room.

(I have attached images of the cat in question on top.)

Thank you for your consideration.

— the person responsible for my cat having housing

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! TOOK YOU A WHILE, BUT YOU GOT THERE! WHATEVER, I ADMIT IT! BUT JUST TRY AND STOP ME! WE’RE DOING WHATEVER WE WANT. THIS IS MY MURDER OUTLET!

[thana-topsy]

Hello! I hope this isn't too much of a loaded question, but do you have any general tips for writing? I'd like to give fanfic writing a shot at some point.

Not at all! I'm always happy to talk shop about writing! As far as general tips go, there are some things that I think everyone could benefit from, so I'll try to condense my opinions and suggestions into A Numbered List. (We'll limit it to 5 suggestions for now).

Read Actively I mean this in the sense of really chewing on whatever it is you're reading. Dig into the meat of That One Paragraph and look for things you enjoy, things that tickle your brain. I'll give an example from something I read recently, which is our lovely @kookaburra1701's newest story "Aristeia" "They crested the final hillock; Mor Khazgur dominated the shallow valley below. When she had been younger, Borgakh had often imagined the longhouse was a lazy cat asleep on a bright green rug, curled up against the rocks of the Druadach Mountains. When the stronghold’s goats were pastured in the glade, they played the role of mice scurrying about under the cat’s nose." I was just ENAMORED by this passage. The whimsy, the rhythm of some the repeating consonants -- stronghold's goats, glade -- and just the imagery it drummed up, reminding me of those fanciful imaginings of my own childhood. So don't just read a lot, but read actively. Read works that inspire you, authors that impress you, and subject matter that's similar to the type of stuff you want to be writing. And think about why you like the things your like, and draw that inspiration into your own writing. Imitate your heroes until you're no longer imitating and it's just how you write.

Accept Constructive Criticism This one is always a challenge in the beginning. The Ego is a powerful little devil, and it'll try to confuse you. It'll tell you that your value is tied to the words on the page. But I'm here to tell you that YOU are NOT the words on the page. Take an objective stance on your prose and your plot. Everyone starts somewhere and (hopefully) nobody ever stops learning or improving. NOTE: Notice I said constructive criticism. This does not mean you should let people tear your work into shreds in bad faith. Listen to people who want to see you improve and also find joy in the craft of writing.

Read Your Writing Out Loud This is kind of self-explanatory. You'll get a really good feel for your own rhythm and flow VERY easily this way. And you'll catch almost any mistakes right away.

Cut All Unnecessary Words This is getting into the technical side of things, but why not? One of the first books I read on the craft of writing (whose title unfortunately escapes my mind at the moment) contained this advice, and it is STILL something I struggle with. Obviously, when you have a character with a specific voice, sometimes they get flowery in their internal speech and observations. I'll use Aiden as an example: "The fort loomed over them, massive and severe. Aiden attempted to judge the architecture and found he wasn’t quite sure what race or nation could have possibly built it. Or when it was built, for that matter. Second era, perhaps? The design seemed more Breton than Nord: austere, angular, and formal. But so close to the Velothi mountains, it could have been Imperial."  I bolded words that don't actually add anything of value to the descriptions here. We lose nothing by cutting them out. But they're how Aiden thinks about the world around him. So I keep them to give shape to his internal processing. I'd say to try to write without these kinds of flavor words first, then start adding them in. Learn the rules before you break them, or break the habit before it becomes the ONLY way you write.

Write Every Day This one is tough in the beginning, but it's so crucial to becoming a better writer. WRITE. EVERY. DAY. Even if it's just 200 words, do it. Make it your little morning ritual or evening wind-down. Pick a time that's just for you and your words. Close all your tabs, put your phone on silent, and just write. Be alone with the world that you are trying to create. And soon enough, you'll find that you can't go a day without writing something. And what a joy that is.

That's my list! I hope you found these tips useful! I also recommend reading books on the craft of writing, too.

Best of luck on your journey! You have infinite possibilities before you.

[penig]

Verdict on the bathtub

Odin, Head Bathroom Monitor: This is weird, but - wow, I can play with this water without getting my head wet! This is great!

Freya, Head Nurse: This is weird. Mommy, are you sure about this? Because I am not sure about this. You're just going to sit there? In a giant bowl of water? Why would you - this is - I don't think this is wise. At all. Certainly you should not do it without - Odin, get out of my way - you should not do it without supervision.

Baldur, Head Acupuncturist: I am much too cool to crowd around the New Thing. I will hang out in the hall pretending not to care.

Me: I should have had them install grab bars. This getting out of a tub business is much harder than I remember.

Legs and Feet and Hips: Well, that was weird and difficult but - we are now lying in bed. And we don't hurt. At all. Not even the hip. Oh, yeah, baths rock!

In other news:

Electricians hope to finish up today and get inspected tomorrow. So my expectation is that they'll finish up tomorrow, get inspected Monday, and then the replacing-fixtures-filling-holes (including the bits of ceiling the bee guy took out of the sun porch) portion will occupy the first half of next week. And then I can resume getting my house in order! For some reason I find myself unable to even work on filing, and in a state of continual tension. (Hence the enthusiasm of legs, feet, and hips for the bathtub despite the getting-out problem. They're continually tensed up and also sitting in weird places while the unweird places are being worked in.)

We haven't seen a sign of a rodent in the house since 2005, but we have found four dead mice in various places in the last two days. Presumably the open state of everything has caused them to venture further into the house than usual, and the fact that we have three cats has made them regret it. It's probably Baldur and Freya killing them, since it seems likely that if Odin caught one he'd bring it to show us the way he does his crab and the chirpy birds. I'll have to keep a close eye on the pantry for awhile.

Advice to Remodelers: Go ahead and get the handicapped accommodations while you're at it. If you don't want them now you will someday. I think things like grab bars in the tub ought to be basic code for new builds, really. Stock up on flashlights and stash them around the house, as you will never know which circuits are active. Remember, you'd rather see a dead mouse than a live one! And the workmen aren't judging you, they just want to get on with the job, so don't worry about the things the stuff they're moving out of their way say about you.

[marinerainbow]

17) Does your OC have a pet? Any of your ocs

You know what? Imma do all of them. Mainly because they are mostly similar XD

Betty Locera: She definitely wants to get a dog one day. She and her family had a couple of dogs that are old good boys now. Betty hasn't really gotten around to it as she's trying to establish herself and her business in the isles. And when she adopted Flower, she decided it was best to focus on her rather than trying to get a pet. I can see a year or two later though, Betty takes Flower with her to the pound to get a dog. Boyyo needs a buddy ^^

Huff Bad: I need to do more for my boy. Puff needs her twin brother! Hm... I can see Huff being the kind of kid who would gather different sizes of snails, slugs and worms to make little 'families' (so basically me XD). He definitely would have tried to keep a pet worm. As he gets older, I think he would invest in an ant farm or something. He just thinks they're really cool. How does Puff feel about her brothers 'gross' interests?

Sketch Quinn: No. They know they aren't exactly in the best position to have a pet. They already are worried about not being there enough for Rooty. But that's ok. They're satisfied with the pigeons on their window sill... Not to mention the fricken rat and roach Rooty brings home 😭

-

Prism: She has her eatier friend Mercedes. Does that count? XD If not... I don't think so. She has her dad/mento Owl, her eatier friend, and the rest of the wildlife of the Night Dimension. I think shes pretty satisfied with not having her own pet ^^ (would Audaci feel the same way?)

-

Ben Cottontail: He had a pet goldfish as a kid. But now, as an adult, he's more focused on his garden to get another fish.

Henry Foxworth: He does really like chickens, but he's given up hope of having his own chicken farm by now... But he will break into other peoples' farms just to hang out with the chickens. He won't steal one, though. He knows he can't take care of an animal on the streets.

Moony Wolf: He has his bunny cake, who he loves and spoils ^^ he actually adopted Cake shortly before he and Poppy started dating. Since Cake is more social, he introduced Poppy to her just a few dates in. Poppy fell in love, and now she's kind of like a mother to Cake, too. Even after they've split up, she'll still petsit for Moony when she can and gives Moony advice on how to care for rabbits whenever he needs it ^^

Poppy O'Hare: She doesn't have a pet, but she wouldn't mind one. She definitely needs an emotional support animal. Poppy would love to get a tarantula. Or a duck. She loves ducks ^^ (nobody tell her what ducks are like in the human world-)

Shiny Weasel: She definitely wants a ferret or a cat! She needs a fluffy buddy. Though she feeds the cats in her neighborhood and gives them her own names, even if they have a collar and name tag. So for now, she's satisfied with just her little entourage of kitties XD ^^

Terry Ratt. T: Actually, yes! He has a corn snake he named Louie. It may not be a cute or punny name, but he felt like that suited him. One time, he invited Shiny over to his apartment to meet Louie, and that woman now catches the mice her feline friends don't hunt and offers them to Louie ^^

Thank you for asking! This was so fun to answer ^^

[warletscarlet]

Wild Kratts coraline au because brainrot. It’s spooky season and we need the spooky au’s. Ngl this was a tough one but I love Wild Kratts and I love Coraline, sooo-

The idea is that Chris is Coraline, a young child who is unhappy with his families move into an old house in the middle of nowhere known as the Pink Palace. He never wanted to move, but unfortunately had to do so, leaving him bitter and angry. In this au, he is about 14 years old, and Martin is a 18.

Martin is something I mulled over for a while, stuck between Wybie and the mother. I stuck with Martin taking the role as the mother, though of course not in the parental sense. Their parents died in the car crash that Coraline mentions in the beginning of the film, leaving Martin as the legal guardian of Chris at just 18 years of age.

As for Aviva and Koki, I decided to put them in the role of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible. I don’t particularly ship Aviva and Koki, (though I do think it’s cute), but finding roles for them in this setting was somewhat difficult. You can view them as married, like the actual characters, or you can view these two as friends living together, doesn’t matter to me. They’re both rather odd in Chris’ opinion. I don’t think the girls would be as old as the actual characters are, but they may be a little older than Martin here. Aviva still makes inventions and other gadgets, but the girls also are into theatre, just like the real Miss Spink and Miss Forcible. They give Chris advice, warning him that danger is coming for the boy, weirding him out as he does not understand what this danger could possibly be.

As for Jimmy, I set him as Wybie. I think they both have the similar aspect of being a nice dude who’s just a little odd, and someone Chris could become good friends with. Jimmy is the same age as Chris and lives with his grandmother, who teaches him her recipes. He finds Chris as Chris is exploring the woods around the Pink Palace, revealing to him that the last kid who lived there disappeared mysteriously, the kid happening to be his grandmothers sister. He is also the one who gives Chris the doll of himself, weirding Chris out.

Mr. Bobibski was a difficult role, but I gave it to Zach. Why? Because Mr. Bobibski is really theatric and a little weird (kinda like Zach), and I think Zach would fit this role. Also it’s a little ironic with the jumping mice thing, so there’s that. Zach serves as the neighbor that Chris at first assumed to be crazy.

The move is due to Martin believing Chris would want a change of scenery, Martin taking his college courses online now that he cannot go on campus. He is struggling to take care of his brother on top of doing college work, so he doesn’t have much time for Chris at the moment, who wanted to go adventuring. The recent loss, the move and the decrease in time spent together between the brothers results in them both fighting and arguing, straining their relationship.

It was a rainy day, Chris itching to go out and explore as there was nothing else to do but unpack, which was something he wasn’t really looking forward to doing. He begs his brother to ket him go outside, only to be told no- as he’ll get wet and possibly sick from being out in the rain. Irritated, Chris walks around the house, following his brother’s instructions to keep himself busy by counting the windows and doors in the house. He takes the doll Jimmy gave him with him, setting it on a table as he counts the windows and the painting in the family room, before realizing that the doll had disappeared, ending up across the room behind a box. Pushing the box aside, he comes to find what looks like a door beneath the wallpaper and begs for Chris to open it. Much to his disappointment, it is bricked up.

It is at night where things really begin. Chris was unhappy with what Martin had made for dinner, calling it disgusting and “not real food”, according to him. Martin insists that he eats it as this as all they have at the moment, or else he can just go to bed. Choosing bed over “slime”, Chris heads upstairs only to be awoken by the sound of a mouse scurrying through the dark. Curiously, he gets up and follows the mouse downstairs and into the family room, the small creature disappearing behind the door. Chris opens it to find, to his amazement, there is now a glowing tunnel leading to what looks like another door.

Crawling through and out the other side, Chris finds himself standing in the family room yet again- but instead of being met with the cold darkness of an empty room, he finds himself in a warm glow emitting from a light on in the kitchen. Confused, he walks into the kitchen only to find Martin standing there.

“Martin? What are you doing up?”

But when the figure turns around to face him, it wasn’t Martin. Because Martin didn’t have button eyes.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hi, do you have any recommendations for someone who wants something silly? Or maybe something inspired by platformers like Mario, Sonic, Banjo-Kazooie, Crash, etc.?

THEME: Silly Games

Two platformers and two silly games, coming right up! These are all pretty rules-light recs, which I wasn't super surprised about, considering "silly little guys" is a theme that pops into most TTRPG designers' heads at one point or another - and then by that point you just want to get the game out there.

Dream Allies, by Quest Friends!

Wishland is under attack! This sleepy magical world has a BIG problem, and the only person who can save it is shaped like a friend.

Dream Allies is a bite-sized tabletop roleplaying game for 2+ players inspired by the Kirby games. Work together to create a friend and help them save Wishland from one of 16 problems, but be careful! Without your help, these problems might be too big for even your friend to chew.

A two-page game with three stats and some very cute character fluff, Dream Allies will all work together to fix a Very Big Problem. In this game, each player creates a character who acts as an ally to the hero, while the hero is created and shared by everyone at the table. As a result, this game works as a GM-less game. There’s interesting enemies, little dances, and a big villain who was there all along.

Spindash, by MadLobotanist.

Spindash is a One-Page RPG inspired by a Certain Blue Hedgehog. It's designed to tell stories about Saving the Day and Beating the Bad Guys. Its simple character creation that leaves room to make all sorts of different characters.

This game is similar to Dream Allies in that it is quick, one page, and has only three stats to worry about. However, each player embodies an equally heroic character, with the Game Master embodying the rest of the scene. There’s a small table of inspiration to get you started - after a few minutes of set-up, you’re ready to go!

Secret Science Sewer Siblings, by Cloven Pine Games.

You and your siblings are sewer animals mutated into bipedal beings with bodies and minds similar to human adolescents. You've also been trained in ancient martial arts. Go rescue your mentor and learn to share pizza with your siblings!

A simple tabletop RPG in the vein of Lasers & Feelings. Perfect for onboarding interested newcomers into the world of roleplaying games.

Unlike many popular Lasers & Feelings games, this game has four Stats, rather than two: Teenager, Mutant, Ninja and Cryptid. You’ll still assign a number to each one, but in this case, the highest stat is always the best one, and a low roll is always good. This game also has one of the most comprehensive GM page for a Lasers & Feelings kind of game that I’ve seen before - there’s advice on keeping the game in the right genre-space, some good fallbacks when figuring out where to start or what to do next, and a “Team Pie” that works like Forged in the Dark clocks! This game isn’t an ENnie nominee for nothing!

Mouse Cult - by MintRabbit (me!)

You are mice, and you are in a cult.

You may be small, but your dreams are larger than life. Sniff, Squeak, Supplicate and Squeeze your way to increasing your deity's magical power, rolling a number of different polyhedral dice in the process. 

This game is 2 pages, designed for brochure layout. It has information about Mouse stats and powers, as well as a few obstacles for the Game Mouse to present to their players.

This game is meant to be short and silly, and uses 4 different kind of dice. It’s also free!

Other games I’ve recommended in the past

Clown Helsing, by Planarian.

Cephalopod Squad, by The Mirage Company.

Slugblaster, by Wilkie’s Candy Lab.

Jellyfish Felonies, by Penguins King Games.

[bluerose5]

A Welcome Distraction

Nathaniel could always tell when something was wrong with Anders.

Not that he was even trying to hide his annoyance, a common occurrence after he finished speaking with a certain spirit.

He ventured into the courtyard where Nathaniel was practicing, then he fell to the ground with a grumble, Ser Pounce-a-lot clutched tightly to his chest. Pounce merely accepted his fate in Anders' arms, his eyes wide with his pink, little tongue poked out.

After about his seventh sigh, Nathaniel cast him an amused glance as he nocked his next arrow.

"Something wrong?" he wondered, already having an idea of what he would say, of course.

The second Nathaniel invited him to share his troubles, Anders didn't so much as hesitate.

"Ugh! It's Justice!" he snapped.

In the blink of an eye, he was up on his feet again. Startled, Ser Pounce hopped free of his arms. After narrowing his eyes at them in disdain, he rushed off, undoubtedly on the hunt for some poor, unsuspecting mice.

Anders frowned, his arms crossed over his chest.

"He keeps going on about how I could make a difference and what-not, but he doesn't understand," he insisted, "not even when I try to explain. I'm finally free, Nathaniel. I mean, yeah—" He gave a vague wave of his hand. "There's the taint and the nightmares and the Calling or whatever, but I'm finally at a place where I can be myself, use my magic, without a care in the world. Here, I don't have to run. I don't have to worry about the templars every second of every day. I don't always have to look over my shoulder when I cast a simple spell without someone else's permission. I don't have to be afraid."

As soon as he heard his voice catch, detected that rare glimpse of genuine emotion from Anders, Nate lowered his bow.

When he turned to him, brow furrowed, Nathaniel noted how his hands trembled, how his bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. Honey brown eyes glistened with unshed tears, fueled by his frustration.

In all honesty, Nathaniel didn't know what to say to make the situation any better. He wasn't used to having others confide in him, relying on him for comfort or advice.

Silence lingered in the air, awkward and uncertain.

Tapping a finger along the curve of his bow, Nate had an idea.

"Here," he said, offering his bow out to him.

Anders raised a brow up at him in confusion.

"What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Shoot it," Nathaniel told him. He shoved it into his arms while Anders sputtered, fumbling to get a grip. "Sometimes, action is more calming than empty talk. I can't promise to have the right words to make you feel better, but I can share what I know, and what I know is that archery helps me relieve tension." Nathaniel shrugged. "Perhaps sharing that with you will be enough."

Apparently, the sentiment alone was enough to soothe Anders.

Deep in thought, he soon spared Nathaniel a soft smile.

"Sure, why not?"

Under Nathaniel's guidance, he talked Anders through each step.

Only for the first arrow to miss his target entirely.

Anders huffed, but Nathaniel wasn't the slightest bit deterred.

"A promising first attempt," Nathaniel praised, "but try to relax. Still yourself. Don't force the arrow into going where you want it to."

Again, Anders shot, and the arrow didn't so much as skim the outside of the target.

Scratching at his jaw, Nathaniel peered after the arrow.

Looks like he had his work cut out for him.

Each time, he tried to correct Anders from a distance. And each time, Anders would listen, only to forget the other lesson learned prior. While one part of his technique would be next-to-perfect, something else would fall flat, causing the execution to turn out rather poorly.

Before long, Anders emptied Nathaniel's entire quiver, but not one single arrow had hit its target.

Huffing out a breath to clear the hair from his face, Nathaniel retrieved the arrows.

When he returned to his side, Anders smiled sheepishly at him.

"Guess I'm no good at this," he sighed.

As if Nathaniel would admit defeat so easily.

Shuffling in place, he steeled himself and asked, "Is it alright with you if I correct your form?"

He had been holding back from touching him. The last thing he wanted was to overstep any boundaries Anders might have, but Nate thought this might be the most effective way to teach.

Anders scrutinized him, watching closely, then nodded in agreement.

"By all means."

This time, when Anders readied the bow, Nathaniel was quick to close the distance between them.

"Line up your feet like this," he instructed, gently nudging at them with his own. "There. Just like that. Now, try not to turn your body as much."

Nathaniel took his hips in hand and angled them forward. Before Anders could comment, he continued on, circling around him.

"Keep a slight bend in your knees, but not too much. Get to where your body feels comfortable. Back straight," he said.

Once again, he corrected his stance. He placed a hand on the small of Anders' back, smoothing out the subtle arch with a firm touch.

For a split second, Nathaniel's fingers lingered, but he was quick to compose himself, clearing his throat.

"Alright, now, nock your arrow."

From there, he kept his touch light, but there was no denying the gentleness in his approach.

Nathaniel helped him adjust the placement of his hands and arms, if only for the excuse to get closer.

After he received Nathaniel's okay, Anders drew the bow. He steadied himself, aimed at the target, and released the arrow.

For the first time that day, Anders hit the target. The arrow sank in, barely on the edges, but it hit its mark nonetheless.

Anders beamed at Nathaniel, who grinned in turn.

"Good job," he said. "I knew you had it in you."

"Really?" Anders hummed in contemplation, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Well, I must admit, I had a pretty amazing teacher."

"No arguments there."

Anders snorted, but he sauntered forward, eyeing Nathaniel up and down, his sour mood from earlier long-forgotten.

"I might even be able to do it again," Anders said, "given proper motivation."

"Is that so?" Nathaniel asked, curious about where he was going with this. "What kind of motivation are we talking here?"

"Nothing too serious. Just a friendly wager, if you're okay with it, of course."

"Come on, Anders," Nathaniel chuckled, already tired of the suspense. "Out with it."

"Hmm..." Anders smirked at him. "If I hit the target again —this time, without your help— then you owe me a kiss."

Nathaniel didn't know what else he expected, but there were honestly worse things they could have bet for.

At least this time it didn't involve his smallclothes.

Perhaps he should have known that something about the whole situation was a tad bit suspicious, but Nathaniel was too prideful to turn down that bet, especially with those odds.

"And what do I get when I win?" Nate countered.

"If you win," Anders corrected, "then I'll clean your bunk, wash your clothes, and all that for the next week."

"Only if you wear a cute, little outfit while you do."

"As if that wasn't a given."

With a fond shake of his head, Nathaniel snickered.

"Fine, then deal."

"Deal."

"Just don't get your feelings hurt if you don't—"

Nathaniel didn't even get to finish his sentence before Anders nocked another arrow, sending it flying without hesitation.

It struck through the target, way closer to the center than any of his previous attempts.

Nathaniel gaped, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

Blinking owlishly, he opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, struggling to find the right words to express himself in that moment.

Anders huffed out a breath of a laugh.

"Did I go too fast for you?" he taunted. "Let me demonstrate again. I wouldn't want you to miss it."

Just as he promised, another arrow embedded itself within the target, not a perfect hit, but it did its job, Anders clearly confident in his skill enough to be somewhat decent.

Nate narrowed his eyes at him.

"So, you miss left and right the entire time, but now you suddenly know your way around a bow?" he questioned.

"I had an excellent teacher," Anders repeated, leveling him with a pointed stare. "Also, multiple escape attempts from the Circle often meant that I had to fend for myself. Turns out, spells aren't the most effective means to hunt in the wild. Bows and arrows, on the other hand..."

"Right," Nathaniel grumbled, albeit with no real heat to his tone. "Remind me not to play cards with you again."

"Aww, come on, Nate!" Anders set his bow aside, his hands on his hips. "No one likes a sore loser."

"Yeah, yeah," he said. Hooking a finger around his belt, he tugged him closer, unable to contain his smile. "Come here."

Anders, shocked by his initiative, tried to keep up that air of arrogance, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Wonder how long you've been waiting for this," he teased.

"Longer than you can imagine," Nathaniel stated, which only served to make Anders even more flustered.

He leaned in, adjusting the angle when their noses brushed.

A shiver shot down Anders' spine. He glanced down at Nathaniel's lips, wetting his own in anticipation.

When they closed the distance, their lips only a hair’s width apart, Nathaniel waited for Anders' eyes to slide closed before he made his move.

At the last possible second, he skirted around Anders' lips to press a kiss to his cheek.

Anders opened his eyes, confused, but Nathaniel simply chuckled in response.

"Didn't say where I had to kiss you," Nathaniel informed him, right before he slipped free from his hold. "Buy me some drinks one of these days, and I might even let you decide where it goes next time."

"Of course," Anders sighed. "Alas, my insufferable pining must continue on."

"Come on. Admit it," Nathaniel said. "Deep down, you like being the one doing the chasing for once."

Anders blessed him with a sunny smile, his nose crinkled in delight.

"Now that you mention it, it is a nice change of pace."

In the distance, they heard a shriek, followed by a crash. Nobody so much as looked up, used to such mayhem unfolding at the Keep.

However, not long after, Ser Pounce-a-lot darted past them with a sausage link clutched tightly in his mouth, the rest trailing behind him as he ran.

Anders and Nathaniel exchanged a pointed look.

"Guess that's my cue to leave," Anders said, jabbing his thumb in Pounce's direction. "Got to go."

"Wait."

Nathaniel rushed forward to grab his hand.

Anders focused on him, bewildered.

"Look," Nathaniel said, allowing the words to come to him as they may, raw and unfiltered. "Anders, I hope you know that what you're doing here matters. The Commander gave you an opportunity to leave, but you stayed, and you're making a difference. But beyond that, you matter, as a person and an individual. Whether or not you decide to go down the whole rebel mage route, I know you have the power to change the world for the better, no matter what you decide for your future."

Anders swallowed thickly, overcome with emotion.

Then, without warning, Nathaniel had his arms full.

Anders embraced him tightly. Caught off guard, Nathaniel's arms hovered in the air for a lone beat before he returned the hug, both of them holding on as if their life depended on it.

"Thank you," Anders breathed. He kissed Nathaniel on his cheek, then parted. "For everything."

Nathaniel remained in that same spot, frozen in place.

And as Anders walked away, he watched him go, smiling to himself as he pressed his fingers to his cheek.