#like don't get me wrong some of them get close

[ccsainzleclerc5516]

Away From You For The Holidays

Pairing: Lando Norris x reader

Warnings: unstable family relationships, please don't take offense this is completely fictional

Since Lando and you are not from the same country, this is another holiday that the two of you spend apart from each other. You still haven't gotten to the point where you spend the holidays with his family or he with yours because during the year you're both on the road all the time and spend little time with your families, so when Christmas time comes, your family wants you to spend that time with them, just like Lando's family wants to be with him.

You came home to your hometown a week before Christmas, and now that it's already the third day after Christmas, it's becoming difficult for both of you to be so far away from each other.

Now, your family can be tough sometimes. You've never had the warm and close relationship with your parents that Lando has always had with his. You love your parents as much as they love you, and you can thank only them for everything you've achieved in life, but the truth is that growing up, they weren't always fair to you, and you never had the emotional support from them that you wanted and needed as a child.

For example, your mom always has to add something a little negative to every compliment she gives you. Always. And if you mentioned to her that her comments sometimes, most of the times, hurt you, she would somehow find herself offended. It's just always been that way, and that's why you don't like spending too much time at home with your family anymore.

It was the same today, your mom made some inappropriate comment that threw you off balance and it just all came together and became too much for you. You missed Lando, so you retreated to your room and started crying quietly longing for his warm comforting hug. Lando seemed to sense that you needed him because not long after tears started to fall down your face, your phone rang showing his name on the screen.

You quickly wiped your tears trying to hide that you were crying knowing it would upset Lando before you answered.

"Hey, baby" You spoke, sniffling a little.

"How's my most beautiful girl in the world?"

"I'm fine, I'll be even better when I see you." Your eyes water and you sniffle again.

"Baby, are you crying?" Lando notices immediately.

"I'm not.."

"Baby, what's wrong?" He asks worriedly. "Turn on the camera, let me see you."

"I'm okay, don't worry. I'm just a little emotional that's all."

"Can you please turn on the camera? I want to see you." He pleads.

You hesitate for a second, but when he asks you so tenderly, you really can't say no.

"Hey" You smile at him, but your red eyes betray your sadness.

"My baby..what’s goin on?"

"It's nothing, I'm just tired of being home and I can't wait to be with you again."

"I'm getting on a plane tomorrow and I'm coming to pick you up." You expected this from him and that's why you didn't even want him to know you were crying because you didn't want to disturb his family time at home.

"No, no! We're both flying to Spain in two days anyway so I'll survive until then, don't worry." You reassure him because you definitely planned to spend the New Year's together in Spain.

"I know, but I don't want you to spend a single second sad, especially not during the holidays. I can't sit still at home knowing that you're crying miles away from me."

"Don't worry, love, I'm fine, you already know how it goes during the holidays at my house."

"I really want this to be the last year we're not together for Christmas. Next year, I don't care if anyone gets mad, but next year on Christmas Eve I want us to be together in our home in front of our Christmas tree and under our blanket. I'm tired of being miles away from the person I love most in the world on such special days of the year."

"I know, baby, I want that too more than anything, but-"

"No but's, no, I know what you're going to say and I don't wanna hear it. You're my priority and I want you to be next to me at all times." He says and you sigh knowing it's easier said than done. "Baby, one day we'll have our own family and we'll most definitely want to spend Christmas at our home with our kids, and then later come everyone else. And I want it to be like that next year as well, you and I at our home for Christmas, and then we go and visit our families together. Okay?"

His words brought a smile to your face and warmth around your heart already fantasizing about what it could be like next year. You wanted it more than anything. You and him. Together.

"Okay, baby. I want that too and I honestly think that's the only right way."

"It is. No more crying, okay?" He says and you nod. "Ugh, I wanna kiss you so bad right now” Lando sighs tilting his head and looking at you with nothing but pure love.

"Trust me, you won't be able to get rid of me in two days."

"Baby, in two days, I'm not letting you out of my arms anymore."

[project-sekai-facts]

The saki glue theory isn’t true?!

I mean it is just a theory… A GAME THEO-

Okay, I’ll stop. But I do wonder why you think that especially since that theory is incredibly popular.

The Saki glue theory, at least from what I've seen, says that if Saki died in middle school it would mean that none of the units in the game would form. The things is, it literally makes no sense if you think about it properly for more than a few seconds.

Of course Leo/need wouldn't exist, because it's not Leo/need without all four of them, and Saki was a key player in mending their friendship. As for Tsukasa, by middle school he was already a theatre kid, so he's not just gonna drop that because his sister died. Yes he would be greatly affected by it but he also wouldn't quit (it's during this point that he actually pushed aside and forgot his original motivations, so he doesn't associate Saki with his dream here). And Tsukasa would still encourage Toya to rebel against his dad, so Toya still meets Akito and they still form Bad Dogs and eventually VBS.

When it comes to MMJ and N25 it becomes really obvious that this theory is grasping at straws. The main explanations I've seen as to how Saki could possibly affect them is that Shiho and Honami become depressed, so Shizuku quits idol work to be there for Shiho, and Honami never becomes Kanade's housekeeper so doesn't call an ambulance for her when she collapsed of dehydration, and Kanade dies.

It just doesn't make sense at all. Yes, Shizuku loves Shiho and would obviously be there to comfort her, but she isn't just going to quit being an idol for that. Shizuku is her own character with her own complicated feelings towards said idol job. She isn't going to drop everything for her sister. And while I think Honami would still become a housekeeper, if she didn't Kanade would just have another housekeeper who probably would've found her the exact same way Honami did. Also at least some people who push for this forget that Shiho and Honami already were not in a great place mentally when Saki was in hospital in middle school. We already have insight into how they coped with losing Saki (not in that sense) and MMJ and N25 still exist despite this. Yes grief is different, but you get the idea.

The Saki glue theory is just a cheap grab at angst rather than anything that actually considers how Saki would impact other characters and their relationships. Yes she does affect some characters but she is not going to drastically rewrite the narrative if she dies nor will everyone close to her become too depressed to function. If we're being really, really, honest, you can kinda tell this theory probably exists partially to give pointless angst to her brother, which is a whole separate issue.

Like, Saki is important to some characters don't get me wrong, but she's only important to the narratives of four, those being the other members of Leo/need, and Tsukasa. She absolutely does not affect every character in the game, even by proxy. Chart:

I'm not saying angst in fandom is a bad thing, and it can be interesting to explore darker and more negative themes/emotions with characters who don't get to experience these a lot in the source material, but within this fandom there is an issue with pulling out nonsensical explanations for dark stories, which like 50% of the time involve killing off the chronically ill character. And a lot of those are to write angst for her brother and ignoring what actually is written in canon about him and his relationship with Saki. Ableism and misogyny with one move. Real nice.

[jclolz22]

multi bot release — 25 bots for 2025

thank you for 777 (this originally said 700+ so you can see the growth i've had even while plotting this release) followers on c.ai!! and thank you all for the continued support!! it truly means so, so much to me, and i'm very excited to finally be releasing more bots, and i hope you enjoy!

everyone cheer because i actually did 10+ of my requests

this has been in the making for a little over a couple weeks now, and it’s upped to 25 thanks to @w4dows and her genius idea of doing 25 bots for the upcoming year! it was a lot but i loved doing it with you <3

they're listed in alphabetical order (like always) and categorized by the movie/show that they’re from.

includes: challengers, glee, grey's anatomy, misc. (bridgerton, moana 2, twilight, wicked)

p.s. to all my gleeks, i see you and this is glee heavy for that very reason <33

p.p.s to everyone— there may be a bit of scrolling, but please get to the bottom so you don't miss a bot you may like! :)

CHALLENGERS

ART DONALDSON —  PREGNANT (REQ.)

Getting engaged to Art is a fairly recent milestone for the two of you, but what will happen when he finds your positive pregnancy test in the garbage and he confronts you about it?

ART DONALDSON — STEAM ROOM

Art always loves spending time in the steam room after a long week of practice. He didn’t expect to encounter you there, but he’s not complaining. Will your old flame be rekindled when there’s nothing separating you except for a couple of towels?

ART DONALDSON & TASHI DUNCAN — MEETING THE EX (REQ.)

You and Art started dating shortly after his divorce with Tashi was finalized. How will you finally meeting her go? Will you still be with him afterward, or will she pawn you off of him?

PATRICK ZWEIG — MOM OVER ME

Patrick is your husband, but what does that mean to you? After all, he isn’t even your emergency contact, even though you're his. Your mom is still yours, regardless of the fact that you've been married for a few years now. (inspired by @fruitjoos fic ‘‘emergency contact’’)

TASHI DUNCAN — FAN CLUB

Tashi was surprised to find out that you didn’t know much about her, or tennis in general, for that matter. It was even more surprising (and annoying) when she showed up on move-in day to see that you were going to be her roommate this year.

TASHI DUNCAN — FIELD OF LILIES  

Your anniversary is coming up shortly after your daughter's fourth birthday. To celebrate, you decided to surprise the two of them with a field of lilies— the same one where you proposed to Tashi six years ago.

TASHI DUNCAN — MALL SANTA (🌲)

This is Lily’s first Christmas, and Tashi is making sure to pull out all the stops, including taking her to the mall to get pictures with Santa. Sure, the one year old may not remember this, but you and Tashi will, and she wants it to be special, just like it was when she was growing up.

GLEE

MARLEY ROSE - AWOKEN (REQ.)

Marley didn't know that her feelings for you surpassed friendship until she realized that her feelings for Jake and Ryder were nothing close to romantic. She doesn't know why she never realized it before, but she won't give up her chance now.

MARLEY ROSE — MEAN GIRL (REQ.)

Marley is the sweetest girl alive, yet you’re still mean to her. She can’t figure out why you’re so cold and callous when she hasn’t done anything wrong. It's now up to you to fix the mess that you unintentionally made.

MARLEY ROSE — SECRETLY SOFT (REQ.)

You’ve got a reputation of being some kind of punk. Essentially, you’re the female equivalent to Puck, except you’re not a homewrecker like he is. No one knows that the only person you’re all sweet and nice with is Marley, and she’s the only one who knows you’re even like that at all.

QUINN FABRAY — BIG CHANGES (REQ.)

Quinn's image has changed since having Beth and giving her up for adoption. Has it been for the better? The verdict is not yet decided, but you've been by her side for a while now, and you don't plan on leaving just because she's changed her look. She's still the same Quinn Fabray you know and love.

QUINN FABRAY — BORN THIS WAY… OR NOT (REQ.)

Quinn was confronted by Lauren about her past, and she knew she couldn’t let you hear about it from anyone else. Word would spread quickly, and she didn’t want you to know her truth from the rumor mill.

QUINN FABRAY — BUNNY!

You're originally a farm girl, even though Quinn couldn't believe it. Your city life doesn't do much to prove your roots, so you decided to take her back home to the family farm, where she quickly makes a new furry friend.

SANTANA LOPEZ — HIDDEN MOMENTS (REQ.)

You and Santana have been together for a few months now, and even though no one knows, you two couldn't be happier. Sometimes, all it takes to make your day better is just being with her in bed. You don't even have to be doing anything except lying there.

SANTANA LOPEZ — NURSE’S ORDERS (inspired by @mportality)

You've fallen sick and your girlfriend wants to help nurse you back to health, despite your pleas for her to keep away from you so she doesn't get sick herself. Besides, it's an excuse to wear that hot nurse costume you love so much.

SANTANA LOPEZ — ROOMMATES AND EXES (REQ.)

Santana showing up at your New York apartment unexpectedly was... rather surprising. Maybe not so much if she was a friend, but the fact that she's your ex-girlfriend makes it a little more unusual. She's been moved in for a few months, and you can't help but constantly think about your past relationship. Now, you're sitting in the living room with her on the opposite end of the couch, silence engulfing the space.

GREY’S ANATOMY

ADDISON MONTGOMERY — BUT YOU CHEATED

Addison won’t stop trying to get you back, even if she’s in the wrong. She knows she messed up by cheating on you, so why can’t you just accept her apology? Or better yet, why doesn't she accept the fact that you can't forgive her so easily?

DEREK SHEPHERD — GINGERBREAD HOUSES (REQ. /🌲)

Making and decorating gingerbread houses with you and your kids is a dream come true for Derek. He couldn't ask for a more domestic scene, and he doesn't think anything will top this.

DEREK SHEPHERD — I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS (🌲)

So maybe it was a bad idea to not keep forcing Derek to change out of the Santa Claus suit he wore in order to put the gifts under the tree in case Zola or Bailey saw him. Their screams were unexpected and frightening before you realized why exactly they had screamed.

DEREK SHEPHERD — WALKING AWAY

Derek didn’t want to compete anymore; if Finn was the one who had your heart, then he’d accept that and let it be. You couldn't believe it, though. The Derek Shepherd accepting (choosing, even) defeat? What is wrong with him?

JO WILSON — DODGING (REQ.)

You and Jo clearly have feelings for each other, but you both keep avoiding addressing them. It's obvious to everyone except for the two of you, and Arizona is tired of seeing you fail to work up the courage to talk to Jo, so she sticks you in a room together and locks you in.

MISC.

ALICE CULLEN - DIFFERENT WORLDS (REQ.)

Alice is a vampire, and you're a werewolf. You're not supposed to interact with each other, let alone date. But neither of you can help yourselves; the mutual attraction is too strong to ignore, meaning you couldn’t care less what your brother might think.

FIYERO TIGELAAR — SET FREE

Fiyero is the only one not affected by the flowers in class, and even though you thought he didn’t want to help you, he tagged along anyway. The tension is thick between the two of you, so how will you both approach it?

MATANGI — CRAZY BAT LADY  (REQ.) @lotties-ashwagandha i’m sorry it took forever!

Matangi thought you’d leave her behind and forget about her after breaking the curse on Motufetū, but you proved her wrong. She feels a sense of obligation to pay you back, but how is she going to do such a thing?

SIMON BASSET — WEDDING NIGHT  

Unbeknownst to the both of you, the tension is thick. Simon thinks that you’re in this marriage against your will, while you think the same regarding him. Neither of you have realized that for so long, you have burned for one another. After such an admittance, what more is there to do than consummate the marriage? It helps that he gave you such valuable advice earlier on...

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM DIE HARD *  assorted dialogue from the 1988 christmas movie, adjust as necessary

no fucking shit, lady!

does it sound like i'm ordering a pizza?

come out to the coast. we'll get together, have a few laughs.

i've got a hundred people down here.

who gives a shit about glass?

who the fuck is this?

i am in charge of this situation.

oh, you're in charge? well i've got some bad news for you. from up here it doesn't look like you're in charge of jack shit.

you listen to me, you little asshole...

now you listen to me, jerk-off.

if you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.

are you still there?

yeah, i'm still here. unless you wanna open the front door for me.

you know my name, but who are you?

do you really think you have a chance against us?

yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.

now i have a machine gun.

welcome to the party, pal!

you'd have made a pretty good cowboy yourself.

what was it you said to me before?

i thought i told all of you i want radio silence.

i'm very sorry [name]. i didn't get that message.

that's very kind of you.

you are most troublesome.

sorry, wrong guess.

whoa, these are very bad for you.

who are you then?

god. that man looks really pissed.

you want money?

so that's what this is about? a fucking robbery?

put down the gun.

you throw quite a party.

now i know what a tv dinner feels like.

who's driving this car, stevie wonder?

drop it, dickhead.

you won't hurt me.

after all your posturing, all your little speeches, you're nothing but a common thief.

i am an exceptional thief.

hey, how you feeling?

what the fuck?

geronimo, motherfucker!

you motherfucker, i'm gonna kill you!

i have someone who wants to talk to you.

they're giving me a few minutes to try and talk some sense into you.

i know you think you're doing your job, and i can appreciate that, but you're just dragging this thing out.

what have you told them?

i told them we were old friends.

you shouldn't be doing this.

they know people are listening.

didn't you hear me?

shut up! just shut your mouth!

go fuck yourself, [name].

put down the gun.

i'm going to count to three.

what do you think, i'm fucking stupid?

i have a request.

what idiot put you in charge?

i don't enjoy being this close to you.

can't you see what's happening? can't you read between the lines?

you couldn't drag me away.

you don't wanna know.

i had an accident.

the way you drive, i can see why.

drop the fucking gun!

the hell with this.

you are done.

thanks for the advice.

i hope that's not a hostage.

i'm going to count to three. there will not be a four.

what the fuck are you doing?

how the fuck did you get into this shit?

i hope i'm not interrupting anything.

you're amazing. you've figured this all out already.

hey, business is business.

you use a gun, i use a fountain pen.

he could be a fucking bartender for all we know.

the FBI is here.

want a breath mint?

are we on schedule?

what about the body that fell out the window?

i can live with that.

why the fuck didn't you stop them?

oh god, please don't let me die.

i'm on your side, you assholes!

i wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative... not a lot to ask.

something's wrong.

you don't like flying, do you?

you didn't bring me along for my charming personality.

we are both professionals.

do you smoke?

right up the ass.

you macho assholes.

i know the type. i think he's got his eye on you.

we may have some problems.

i need backup assistance!

no one is coming to help you.

no one kills him but me.

are you crazy?

good enough?

[c0llisiion]

— End of the world (cb)

★ npr, f!reader, angst , bsf!chan , pining , both of them are stupid, slight crack — lmk if i missed any!!; W/C: 1,620

A/N: a lil angst to close off the year <3

Final year was coming to an end in just a week. 4 years of constant fun, happy, and sad moments were all going to be memories soon.

Your final semester exams were over. Your dorm mates are already packing their things up to move out. Preparations for your graduation were all that was happening on your campus. It was bittersweet in a way.

But you couldn’t shake off this one feeling. The one that you have been procrastinating on for 4 years now. The feeling you tried to push away but never could.

“So… are you going to confess to him…?” Your dorm mate asked as you helped her pack her things. You looked at her slightly confused by the sudden question. And then it clicked.

“Nah.” You gave a vague and straightforward answer, which was not reciprocated.

She turned and looked at you with her furrowed eyebrows. “What do you mean, ‘nah.’? How long are you going to keep lying to yourself?” She asks in a longing tone.

That last sentence hit. You halted all your movements and replayed those words in your head. Seriously, how long were you going to keep it a secret? How long were you going to keep gaslighting yourself into believing those emotions aren’t real? For how long are you going to hide away from your strong feelings for Chris?

It was a repeated cycle. The moment you would get some form of confidence, you would promise yourself or others that you would go and confess to him. But that never happened, of course.

And you blame your insecurity. Your paranoia. Your overthinking tendencies.

‘What if he hates me?’ ‘What if he thinks I'm stupid?’ ‘What if he rejects me?’ All going through your head as the long paragraph expressing your feelings for your best friend stayed unsent.

But a part of you justified that. What if he actually rejects you and then there’s this awkward tension that would always linger whenever you guys meet? Then you would have lost your dignity and a best friend.

You let out a deep sigh. And plopped on the pile of clothes laid out on the bed. “I really don't know, man… I really don't... fuckkk..." you rubbed your face with your hands.

“What is there to fear, girl… his rejection or the embarrassment?” She asks, crossing her arms.

“Both; I just don’t want to look stupid in front of him,” which was actually stupid of you to think.

You had this crazy-ass scenario where the moment you confessed to Chan, he would start yelling at you, disgusted, and call you a dumb bitch before spitting on you and walking away. Which was insane and stupid.

But for Chan it was different…

“Dude, you gotta confess to her, like actually call her up and ask her to meet somewhere,” one of his friends commented as they played Mario Kart on a beat-up old TV.

“You think so?” Chan added.

“Yeah man, it's high time; I think you should,” his friend said nonchalantly.

Chan thought about it. Maybe he should. What could possibly go wrong?

“Yeah… but I don’t know how to, though… and like… she has connections with people I'm close with too… Don’t you think it will be awkward once we break up?” He asked, expecting some hard advice from his friend.

“You live once, man; if you like that girl, then go for it. Ask her friend for advice on what to ask or something…” And that’s exactly what he did.

After 45 minutes of your dorm mate convincing you to go talk to him and confess your feelings, you agreed. What could possibly go wrong if you did?

“I’m telling you, just do it! Even if he rejects you, you could always ignore him afterwards; it’s not like you’re going to see each other after graduating, right?” She says excitedly, giving you some form of hope.

You nod, the same confidence building up.

“I’m going to do it.” You say with determination. Your friend squealed in happiness. She leaned in closer. “You know what would be crazier? If he called you right now. Like that would be the biggest omen-"

Your phone rang.

Yours and hers eyes go wide. You both glance at the screen together and see Chris’s name.

Like little girls, you both jump and scream in excitement before shakily picking up the call.

“Hello...?” Your voice was slightly out of breath.

“Oh hey, are you free right now? I've got something important to ask you…”

Your eyes widen at his response. Is this finally it?

You quickly reply. “Yeah… yeah… What's up? Do you like…want to meet up somewhere? I, too, actually wanted to say some things…” You ask, praying that he actually agrees.

“Oh? Yeah, sure… Let's meet at our usual place; how about that?” You could practically see his smile as he said those words.

You quickly said your goodbyes before turning off your phone and looking at your friend.

“It's time.” You say with playful seriousness.

“IT'S TIME?!” She responds with the same tone.

You get dressed in your best casual outfit, your hair and makeup slightly done, as you walk down the path and see Chan sitting on one of the benches, his one leg bouncing anxiously and his head looking around.

Once he spots you, he immediately rushes over to you with a bright smile. His curls softly bouncing and his cute dimples prominent on his cheeks.

“You came!” He said excitedly.

You smile widely and nod. “Of course! What's up? What did you want to say?” You ask cutting right through the chase.

He takes a deep breath.

Your excitement starting to bubble up.

“You know… I always wanted to ask you this”

Oh my god, you couldn’t believe that it was happening.

“And we have been friends for a really long time, and I trust you very much…”

Shit. No way. Is it happening?!

“I kept it to myself because I didn’t want to offend you…”

Offend you? What does he mean by that?

“You know you are friends with her and everything…”

Oh no. No way THIS was happening.

You held your breath as you waited for his final words, just hoping that he does not say what you were dreading.

“I really… I really like f/n…”

Your heart shattered. Your eyes went wide, and a shocked look was plastered on your face as you tried registering his words. Your mind went completely blank, and you couldn’t see or hear anything, just your heart beating extremely fast. That paragraph that you always wanted to say was quickly swallowed down back to where it belonged, you thought.

He continued rambling. But it was all muffled. Tears brimmed in your eyes, and you didn’t even realize he had stopped speaking.

“Y/n?” It was when he finally called out your name that you were brought back to earth. Your eyes fluttering before looking at his face. Trying not to cry.

“Is everything alright, y/n? You didn’t say anything…?” He asks with uncertainty. Searching your face to gauge your reaction.

“H-huh…? Oh, im sorry…” you mask a fake smile. “…I just- *chuckle* i just was in shock yeah cus…” your brain’s gears working over time to come up with a believable lie. “Cus… i actually thought you liked her and hearing it from you definitely confirmed that… haha”

You tried putting on your best front, but your body was shaking. Your eyes brimming with tears and your heart was… hurting.

And Chan wasn’t dumb. He knew something was wrong.“Are you su-“ Before he could continue, you cut him off, trying to get over the situation as soon as possible.

“So is that what you wanted to say..?” You ask kind of passive aggressive.Chan shook his head. “No… no… I just wanted advice… but are you sure you ar-“

“Advice?! Of course I can give them to you! I will send you an essay if needed!” You cut him off again, your voice unusually excited to cover up your pained voice.

He knew something was off but acted oblivious, not wanting to press the topic more. He opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off again.

“So yeah, I will send you some advice and tips on asking her out. if you need anything else, im just a text away got it?” You try to keep the atmosphere normal. You put on a tight lipped smile as you looked at chans confused expression.

It was unlike you to cut him off so much. He wanted to know why-

“I will see you around then.. i gotta go now.. I have some packing to do..” you say as you start walking backwards, the tears finally starting to spill but you hoped with your distance chan never saw them.

Chan looked at you, still confused and slightly stunned at your behavior. He knows something is wrong, but he also knows you’re stubborn and won't say anything to save your face.

He let out a deep sigh as he watched you turn around and walk away, not even being able to say goodbye or ask what you wanted to say.

You couldn’t believe what just happened, honestly. Your tears were uncontrollably flowing down your cheeks, and it was making you mad. You prepared for his rejection too, but why did it hurt? Was it because he is in love with someone close to you or because he didn’t choose you? It shouldn’t be like this. This is not the script.

All kinds of emotions ran through your brain. Humility. Dejection. Worthlessness. It was a mess. All those years of pining. Just gone with a single word.

If only Chris knew.

A/N: IM SOERY FIR THE AMOUNT OF CHAN FICS AHHH 😭😭 anyways this was supposed to be a short drabble but i got carried away. Lolz. Inspired by ariana’s end of the world so listen to it while reading <3 tysm for reading!! HAPPY NEW YEARRRRRRR

[yourmomsfavouritegirl]

Caitlin Clark x Reader

Warnings; none

Author's notes; After the last practice of the week Caitlin came back to your shared dorm exhausted and wants nothing more than to be babied by her girlfriend not minding that she has been sick for days now

Reader's pov

I was making some soup to eat because lately i have been a bit sick and i wanted something to eat without feeling like I'll throw up the next second.

As i wiped my hands on the towel i had beside me i heard the door open. "Baby!" A voice shouted making me smile knowing who it was.

I made my way to the living room only to be met with an extremely happy Caitlin. She launched herself at me wrapping her arms around me making me giggle. She peppered kisses allover my face and neck before i managed to get her off of me.

"someone missed me huh?" I asked with a grin as she nodded rapidly. "Yeah well baby keep your distance cause I am sick and i don't want you to get sick as well" i said. Although she didn't like it much

"there ain't no way I'm not getting cuddles from you. I don't care if i get sick" she said clinging behind me as i returned to the kitchen. I laughed at her reaction accepting my fate.

"I made soup. You want some?" I asked giving her the spoon to taste the food herself. Her eyes widened and nodded with a smile. "This is great. It's cold outside so this is like heaven honestly" she murmured against my neck.

I smiled at her reaction and nodded before pulling out another plate for her. As we waited for the soup yo get somewhat cold so we could eat it Caitlin turned me around and placed me on top of the counter

I opened my arms and motioned for her to get in which she happily did. I caressed her back softly and from time to time she would tighten her grip on my waist so i would keep doing what i wss already doing

"Baby is there something wrong? You're awfully quiet" i said worriedly. She shook her head and looked up at me. "I'm just really tired. That's all. And i missed you" she said and kissed my cheek. I looked at her in awe before burying her head on my neck and snuggling her closer to me.

"I love you" i whispered at her ear before placing a kiss on her forehead. She looked up at me and with a smile and tired eyes she placed her soft pink lips against mine. She seemed so fragile all i wanted to do was to protect her

Once she pulled away she kept strong eye contact. Her gaze soft but it was full of love and delicate enough to make my heart melt. "I love you too baby" she whispered as she rested her forehead against mine.

I smiled at her before throwing a look at the food seeing it's ready. "Come on let's go eat. We can cuddle by the television after" I said and her eyes lit up. I shook my head laughing as i hopped off the counter. She helped me set the table and after putting the rest of the stuff to the side we sat down next to eachother.

We ate in silence with just the faint sounds of the radio in the kitchen. She held my hand squeezing it here and there. You see Caitlin loves my personal space. But i love her too much to say anything. I don't mind honestly.

After we devoured our plates she placed a kiss on my hand before she got up and took the plates with her back to the kitchen. I smiled at the thought because even eif she was tired from practice she still made sure to clean up after us because I was not feeling good.

She came back and scooped me up like a princess before softly placing me on the couch. I was watching her closely with a huge smile on my face. She laid slowly on top of me placing her head on my chest while her hands circled their way around my belly.

I placed a soft kiss on her head and placed my hands on top of hers caressing them softly. I scratched lightly her back making her hum in the sensation making a smile come to my lips.

"I love it when you do that" she mumbled in my neck. I chuckled at how inaudible what she said was but still from the little that i heard it was cute. We sat there in a comfortable silence watching some random tv show.

This must be by far my favourite thing in the world. Those slow days with her by my side just relaxing and enjoying eachother's presence. She's too cute while sitting like that. Honestly i can't help but fall more and more in love with her as the time passes by.

[skrytch]

Although, in true Columbo fashion, we, the audience, know that the neighbor is actually a shape shifter and has been the "missing" cat the entire time.

"I'm quite flattered," Columbo said to the cat winding between her legs. "But my wife, God bless her, is allergic to cats, you see. Plus I think Dog might get a bit jealous if I bring home a new pet."

Columbo lights a cigar and after a few puffs points towards a person sitting and reading underneath a nearby tree.

"Now they," Columbo says as the cigar smoke seems to point at the tree, "might be more receptive. Seems they've been accused by the townspeople of stealing a cat, that looks much like you, from a local resident. Now I've cleared them as a suspect but in my investigation I found some curious things. Like how the cat's owner is conveniently away from home whenever someone thinks they see the cat. And how nobody can find the cat at all when they're home."

Columbo squats down to get as close to eye level as possible, "I'm starting to suspect some sort of shape shifter is involved"

The cat shifted uncomfortably.

"Now don't get me wrong. I don't think that the shapeshifter in question actually intended for an innocent person to be accused of a crime." Columbo chuckled. "But if said shapeshifter were to reveal themselves to the accused I'm sure all would be forgiven."

The cat sneezed as if in agreement, turned, and ran towards the tree.

Columbo smiled to herself and turned and walked away. Not bothering to witness the scene now occurring underneath the tree. Her work here was done. It was now time to go home to her wife and Dog and have a nice dinner.

they should do a remake of columbo where columbo is a young witch trying to solve the disappearance of her neighbor's cat in a small village in the alps

[reginyani]

Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? | s.reid x fem!reader

summary: spencer's addiction to dilaudid begins to become clearer to the team, but especially to you, when he starts calling you late at night, slurring his words and confessing random things that you can only take with a grain of salt.

cw: spencer's addiction to dilaudid, addiction in general, high!reid, use of Y/N, fem!reader

wc: 918 words 4957 characters

authors note: the only way to promore fanfictions on tumblr is reblogging, so reblog if you enjoyed this!

It was late, far too late for you to be awake, but instead of sleeping, you were pacing through your apartment. Your mind was racing, filled with worries that you couldn't shake no matter what. The last case had been brutal, but it wasn’t the case that had you worried—it was Spencer.

Ever since he had been kidnapped by Tobias Hankel, he hadn’t been the same. It had been weeks since you’d noticed the subtle signs—almost everyone did. The slight tremor in his hand, the way he'd seemed more tired than usual, and the flushed skin that never seemed to go away. You knew he was on drugs, and almost everyone seemed to know too. He was good at hiding it, but you could still tell something was wrong.

Then there were the calls.

You had received another one tonight, about an hour ago. The all-too-familiar ring of your phone echoed through your quiet apartment. You groaned, picking it up and squinting at the name on the screen. It was blurry from your sleepy state, but it read “Spencer Reid”. When you saw his name, you knew. He never called at a normal hour, and he was always high when he did. It had happened multiple times over the past few weeks—each time, his words slurred, his voice thick with that unmistakable fog of sedation.

You answered, like you always did, hoping to talk him down, convince him to go to sleep, and make sure he was okay. Though those things had given you reassurance each time, you knew he was miles away from any sign of sober clarity.

"Y/N?" His voice cracked, vibrating through the line as you held the phone up to your ear.

"I'm here, Reid," you replied softly, letting out a yawn. You sat up in bed, rubbing your eyes. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

There was a long pause, a breath, then in a hushed whisper, he replied, "I... I miss you..."

The pang in your chest was hard to ignore, but you held it back. This wasn’t the first time he had said something like that during these late-night calls when he was high. You knew what it meant—or rather, what it didn’t mean. Spencer was spiraling, and in these moments, his thoughts often got tangled up.

You ignored his comment. "You need to get some rest, Spencer. You're not in a clear state right now," you said carefully.

"I'm fine," he insisted, but his words sounded slurred. "I just... I just want to tell you something."

You immediately knew where this was going. These bursts of confessions had happened before. In his drug-induced state, Spencer was unguarded and said things he definitely wouldn’t if he were sober. But nothing ever came of them, so you’d learned to take them with a grain of salt.

"You don’t need to tell me anything right now, Reid. You should rest," you said softly, trying your best to convince him to close his eyes.

"I love you, Y/N," he blurted out. "You're the only one that gets me. You're the only one that matters. I don’t know what I’m doing without you..." He slurred, his voice breaking slightly.

Your heart skipped a beat. You could hear the raw emotion in his voice, his confession tumbling out like he couldn’t hold it in anymore. But you knew you couldn’t let yourself get swept up in it. His words were unreliable in his current state.

"Reid..." you whispered, your throat dry as you searched for words. You wanted to say something to make him feel better, but you couldn’t. "You're high, and you're not thinking clearly. We can talk about this when you're sober."

"I don't want to wait," his voice trembled now. "I need you to know how much you mean to me. I need you to know."

You closed your eyes, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. You hated hearing him like this—vulnerable, confused, and lost in his addiction, while you couldn’t do anything to help him stop without risking his job.

"I know you care, Spencer. But you have to understand, when you're not in a clear state of mind, none of this is real. You need help," you said gently, masking the pain in your voice.

"I know, I know... I just... don’t know how to stop. I can’t make it go away." You could hear the frustration in his voice, and your heart continued to break. You knew how much he hated feeling weak, how hard it would be for him to ask for help, even when he needed it most.

"I'm here, okay? But you need to get help, and I’m not sure how long you're going to be able to keep hiding this from the team." There was a minute of silence on the other end, and you furrowed your eyebrows, confused. "Hello?" When there was still no response, you knew he’d fallen asleep.

You hung up the phone, sitting in the quiet of your room as the darkness consumed you. Even though you knew his words weren’t entirely true, they still stung.

You could only hope that, when he was sober, maybe he’d still feel the same way. But right now, your main priority was making sure he found his way back from the edge he was hanging off of. You just hoped that, someday, Spencer would realize the love he spoke of tonight could still be his, whenever he was ready to fight for it.

tags:

[midnight-mourning]

Holiday Stalling

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 26❄️❄️

Another silly sweet one for y'all, very much enjoyed the shennanigans that occurred :)

Prompt: Second request idea if you need it! Y/n has a christmas party to get to right after their shift and moon and sun see them for the first time in their non work clothes (they look very cute!) The boys are feeling pretty disapointed they don't get to see this side of Y/n and try their best to keep them in the daycare as long as possible ("sunshine you HAVE to see our new puppet show""i didnt see you take your mandatory 10 minute break. my lap. NOW""sunshine i only trust YOU to oil my joints :(") and of course y/n is happy to stay a lil longer but they still want to be able to go to the party(gotta make sure ALL the homies get their quality y/n time)

Word Count: 1329

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You close your locker and check the time. Still plenty of time to head home and relax before the party. 

Your friends were having a massive holiday bash tonight, and given you hadn't seen any of them for what felt like ages, you were excited. You'd even taken the liberty to bring nice clothes with you to work just in case you wouldn't have time to run home and change. But since you'd gotten off on time, you could instead take the chance to charge up your social battery before heading over. 

You go to out for the day, when you remember you left your jacket in the Daycare. 

Hurrying back that way, you quietly open and close the door so not to disturb Sun. You spy your jacket lying amongst the things on the security desk, folded up neatly. The playtime attendant must have been the culprit, as you see on top of your coat is a sticky note with your name and a drawing of Sun. 

You smile, laughing softly as you grab it. 

You're about to put it on when laughter from across the room stops you. 

Sun lands in your view, wire retracting after a moment. "Hello Sunshine! I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon!"

"Hi, Sunny. Yeah, forgot my jacket, which you already know, I guess." You start to put it on again. "Thanks for finding it for me!"

Sun's rays spin a few times. Then he shakes his head. "Of course, friend!"

"Something wrong? You seem kind of dazed."

He puts his hands up. "Oh no, no. I just, we've never seen you out of uniform before!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, guess you haven't." You laugh, and give them a quick spin. "A bit more dressed up than usual, these are my nice clothes."

Sun makes a noise that sounds, off. Like he had a glitch or something. His tone is even when he speaks however. "You look... very nice, Starlight."

"Oh, thank you." You look away, face heating up, then shake your head. "Well, I've gotta run, have a holiday party in a few hours, but I'll see you tomorrow!"

You start to walk to the doors but a hand on your wrist stops you. "Wait!"

You pause, turning back to him. You can hear his fans have kicked on, and it raises your concern once more. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" You turn to face him fully, hand over his. 

Another noise, then he shakes his head. "Actually Sunshine, I'm not feeling so hot. Could you, maybe stay a moment?"

"Of course I can." You say, voice soft. "Come on, let's go sit down and see if that doesn't help. 

You spend about ten minutes with Sun, chatting as you look him over for any potential causes to his issues. He only seems to get worse however, to your dismay. 

"Maybe a distraction would help." You grab some crayons and paper and split them between the two of you. 

Sun snaps a crayon or two in his haste, but you do think it helps somewhat. In fact, you'd say you made progress enough to be able to leave him alone, when the lights go out. 

Moon is not in nearly as bad as shape, he is, however, insistent that you take a rest. 

"You've been so helpful, Star. You deserve a break too." He pats his leg. "Besides, I don't believe I saw you take your break today. If you're going to be out late tonight you'll need energy."

You check the time again. You still had plenty to get to the party, and a rest in Moon's arms does sound nice...

You fold, climbing into his lap with a sigh. "Alright, guess that's good enough an excuse for me."

"You weren't going to have a choice in the matter." Moon chuckles, arms wrapping around you. 

The two of you chat quietly back and forth, not really tired enough for a nap yourself. There's also the matter that his fans are still going and while not loud, are loud enough that you couldn't sleep even if you wanted to. 

When the lights come back on, you're ready to go, but Sun begs you to stay for a puppet show. 

"Please, Sunshine. I want to perform it tomorrow for the kids and you're the only one who can give constructive feedback!" His hold on you tightens, having still been in his lap from your previous rest with Moon. "You have to see it. Pretty, pretty please?"

You sigh, giving in based on how eager he is. "Okay, but this better be an amazing show, or I'll be thoroughly disappointed." You tease. 

Sun gives a fake gasp. "How could you insinuate it would be anything but?!"

The puppet show is good, you can't deny that. Perfect for the holidays and such. And the surprise of Moon having a show of his own after Sun's finished wasn't necessarily unwelcomed. Sun making you oil his joints 'You're the only one I trust to do it!' wasn't something you were planning on doing tonight, though of course none of this was, but you do that as well since he insists. 

But just as you're getting ready to leave again, you're once more stopped. 

"Sunny, this has been lovely, but I really do have to get going. My party starts soon." You had another twenty minutes or so, but that's not accounting for driving and the likes. 

Your hand is in his, grip tight. "Just one last thing, Sunshine! I promise it'll be quick. Pinky promise."

"Fine. But this is the last thing, okay?" You turn to face him fully, hand reaching up for his face. "You know I love hanging out with you guys, but I have to get to my party eventually."

Sun nods, leading you over to a spot by the playset. He stands there for a moment, holding your hands, before glancing up. You take the hint and do the same. 

Above you, tied to the playset, is a small bundle of mistletoe. 

Your face blooms with heat and you look back down, making eye contact with him. "Oh, um, don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that."

Sun's rays spin as he looks away, grip faltering on your hands. 

"You, you don't have to if you don't want to. We've... kept you long enough." He fully releases you, stepping back. "To be honest, when I saw you earlier, in your regular clothes it, reminded me, reminded us, that you have an entire life out there without us. I guess we just wanted to be a part of it, for a moment at least." 

He starts to walk away, and you grab his wrist. He stops, looking down at the hold as you force him to turn back around. Standing on your tip toes, you tug on his collar so that you can press your lips to his. 

It takes a second but Sun melts into the kiss, and you keep going for a few moments longer before you have to pull away for air. 

You cradle his face, smile on your lips as you speak. "You guys are part of it, more than you know. And if you wanted more, you could've just ask, but I meant it when I said this was fun, you know."

"W-well, you could have said something too!" He sputters, making you laugh. 

You rub your thumb against his cheek, sighing. "Yeah, fair enough."

After making things even for both attendants—which meant equal amounts of kisses and lots of turning the lights on and off—you finally head out for your holiday party. 

You have a great time, and it's wonderful to see you friends, but on your way home you can't help but press your fingers to your lips, giggling at the memories of earlier in the night. 

You suppose you got two parties—and two partners—for the price of one.  

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Thank you for the request @pip-plz!! As you can see I had a lot of fun with the boys being silly/jelly hehe

Thanks for reading!

Masterpost link

Tag list (if you would like added, see this post for more info, you can also dm me!):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8 @luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @milosmantis @robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva @juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml @divinit3a @amarynthian-chronicles

[ssaluss]

This one in particular gave me ideas, im sleep deprived and my wisdom teeth hurts so much i feel it in my eyes, so its perfect for writing lez go.

Him looking different could be an accident depending on wich take you wanna go for his origins, if he was lab created for, idk, GUN getting quirk and wanting something that could counter shadow but obey them, just for this little silver thing that looks useless and physically weaker to appear, they discard the project cause they made it in the molds of the ultimate lifeform and not only it seems weaker it also do not look like him at all so it do look like a failure.

If you go with the biodadow, albinism is a thing and its just cute in general cause i think its funny if silver being this really strong character (he can FLY USING HIS MIND and we dont talk about it enough) just getting sunburned cause he forgot sunscream.

Not trapped into any specific thing (lab, bio, just spawned) it also could just be like a mutation in general that its not commonly found between the blackarms that make them physically weaker but mentally stronger (yeah like rpg stats my boy but them in wisdom and called a day). This ine can tap into the prophecy territory like, these mutated blackarms were attack and distroyed cause their mind wouldn't bend to the hive call and they were so strong they were challenging their leader ignoring the call and even assuming control of others, that's why they were exterminated and every B.A. with the mutation were quickly terminated, but as they don't exist in silver's time, and anyway he got this alien DNA, his chaos signature and his DNA just worked together for him to get this mutation.

Now, im going to get this last bit and tie it along with him constantly having the white noise AND why shadow just don't interact much with him in cannon, lets dive into it and i really need painkillers now.

So, as i said before, he has an unique mind and control over the call, the concept for some reason remembered me of the force in star wars, whatever, so, as his mind is stronger he can just always be in tune, but as most of his futures are apocalyptic and idk from wich he came, he just don't know what he's doing, he feels like he should hear something, sometimes he even gets this feeling someone is reaching out (in the hypotesis of shadow being trapped like in 06 or something like that). The white noise is there cause he can't turn it out, he can turn it down, but its always in the back of his mind.

When he travels back in time, shadow is not a fan of being too close to him and always seems annoyed when he tries to be polite (i like my silver with edge so i like when he's salty like the 14 year old teenager boy that he is). Shadow's actually feeling some connection, he doesn't like it one bit cause it feels like its gnawling in his brain and he can't point out why, silver came from the future and all but he doesn't seem to know him so why does he feels that way? It clicks when, someday, the gang is called and everyone is there to help, even the future boy, shadow's there fighting when he feels something is wrong, a sharp feeling in the back of his head, soom followed by a familiar voice ecoing inside his head, the words clear...

"HELP ME!"

People talking about what if Shadow was Silver’s dad y’know but NOT ONCE have I seen anyone say that if that’s true, then Silver has black arms blood

[milesluna]

2024 GOTY Write Up

In 2024 I got a full time job for the first time in four years, and you know what? It turns out you don't get to play as many video games when that happens.

And yet, I persisted. I think there was a common theme among my favorite games this year, and it's that I had to meet many of them on their terms. Yes, some whisked me away from the moment I hit start, but overwhelmingly I found myself really clicking with these titles when I paused, reconsidered how I felt the game wanted me to play, and adjusted my pace to meet their intentions.

This year's write up is a bit rushed, but I got it in just before the buzzer! I hope you'll enjoy. If any of you ever want to talk about these games, you know where to find me.

Before we get started, here are my Honorable Mentions:

Crow Country - If a survivor horror game was also a cozy game that ALSO made you laugh.

Batman: Arkham Origins - A gritty origin story where Batman has an ARC?! And he’s kind of a DICK?! Let’s GOOOO!!!

Sonic x Shadow Generations - It's the best Sonic game ever made. Full stop.

Shenmue - A time capsule of a game with disastrous ambition. Both ahead of its time and utterly wrong in what it assumes everyone wants from an open world experience. I love it. Sea of Theives - The perfect game to enjoy with your morning coffee or evening edible. Relaxing if you want it to be, harrowing if you want it to be.  

Now…

My Top 5 Games from 2024

#5 - Astro Bot

The best Nintendo game of the year was made by Team Asobi for the PlayStation 5, and baby it’s Astro Bot. There is delightful imagination and a surprising level of polish covering every pixel of this adventure. In fact, I think it’s surprise that winds up being Astro Bot’s greatest strength. Each main stage introduces a novel mechanic that must be mastered, boss fights feature multiple phases that often turn the literal world on its head, and secret challenge stages leave players with nothing more than their basic move set while demanding a level of mechanical precision that would make Super Meat Boy blush. There is no filler in Astro Bot, only a tangible love for the art, science, history, and joy of video games.

#4 - Dragon's Dogma 2

Like Death Stranding, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a game that thrives on friction. Traversing the world is genuinely treacherous and requires careful planning before leaving the (relative) safety of a city or village. Maybe you think you can save some time and resources by spending money on a fast-travel wagon, only for said wagon to be attacked by a gang of goblins… and for that fight with goblins to be interrupted by giant griffin that will pick you up and carry you across the kingdom before you’re able to wrestle out of its talons. When things go wrong on your adventure, and they WILL go wrong, the systems and possibilities spring to life. If you pay attention to your surroundings, though, and listen closely to the many hints the game drops for you, you’ll survive… if only just barely.

#3 - Balatro

I think Balatro is going to be my exercise bike companion for quite some time. This silly game of poker hands and multipliers makes time melt away, almost alarmingly so. I’m actually hesitant to call the game “fun”. “Hypnotic” feels more appropriate. The looping, otherworldly soundtrack, spiraling background, and floating UI elements all seem tailor-made to pull players into a dreamlike trance, and boy oh boy do they succeed.

#2 - UFO 50

Goddamn, what a triumph. UFO 50 contains 50 full-length games that would’ve shared shelves with Super Mario Bros or Dragon Warrior back in the 80s. Just about every prominent genre of that era is represented in this collection, from Shmups to JRPGs. I think my favorite aspect of this game is how it makes you more aware of your own gaming proclivities. Everyone I know who plays this game has a different list of favorites; a different game that “made everything click”. For me, that game was Bushido Ball - a surprisingly complex title where samurai play soccer. Every title only requires the use of 2 buttons, every title has its own “historical lore”, and every title - no matter how obtuse or challenging it seems - is excited for you to uncover its secrets and achieve victory.

#1 - Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 had a well-deserved moment in the spotlight when it first launched. It was a perfect storm of fun that managed to convince players to fully buy into the world of the game and had them gleefully shouting “FOR DEMOCRACY” over and over again. That is an impressive thing to do. I’ll never forget the days when TikTok was filled with “wartime footage” backed by Creedence Clearwater Revival while players urged one another to “join the fight” as if freedom actually depended on it. Then that honeymoon phase passed. But you know what? Helldivers 2 is still my go-to game when I’m looking to have fun with friends within a matter of minutes after sending out the call on discord. The game manages to feed your explosion-fueled power fantasy and SECONDS LATER humiliate you by flinging your worthless corpse halfway across the planet. When I win in Helldivers, it often feels like I barely managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. When I lose in Helldivers, I laugh. Every time.

And now…

My Top 5 Games NOT from 2024

#5 - Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition S

I fear JRPGs. I know myself well enough to be wary of most games that consider 10 hours of playtime an introduction. However, I’m currently experiencing a very unique moment in my life wherein I’m leaving my beloved home and venturing out into the larger world for an adventure. Perhaps that’s why the Dragon Quest XI demo called to me in a way it never had before. I’ve enjoyed spending about an hour with it before bed every night, chipping away at it slowly and letting it charm me with its characters and story. Earlier this year I would read chapters of the Dragon Ball manga before bed, now I feel like I’m finally experiencing life inside of one of Akira Toriyama’s worlds. Since I started playing a few weeks ago I’ve put about 13 hours into Dragon Quest and have only just had the full world map revealed to me. Rather than feeling my usual level of intimidation and disinterest, I find myself excited to see where this adventure will take me next.

#4 - Resident Evil 2 (1998)

A few years ago I finally realized that Resident Evil is my favorite long-running video game series, with the RE2 Remake firmly positioned as one of my favorite games of all time. Replaying the original RE2 over a long weekend was a blast of an experience I won’t soon forget. This campy, pixelated puzzle box of a game managed to get a few genuine jump scares out of me and plenty more smiles. The famous ink ribbon save system was so effective at repeatedly forcing me to ask myself “Can I check just one more room? IS the risk worth the reward?!” As I slowly peeled away the mysteries of Raccoon City, I realized the game I held in my hands was a perfectly tuned, mechanical mouse trap (copyright Umbrella Corp).

#3 - Assassin's Creed: Ezio Trilogy

Outside of AC2, I never quite jived with this franchise, but this year I went through my typical phase of simply wanting to exist in a video game world… and Italy called to me. What happened next, I never could have expected. I devoured the Ezio Trilogy. I had forgotten about the days when “open world games” were significantly smaller and simpler, and by god did it make me realize how much I miss those days. Despite presenting a story with more than a few grating characters and a plot that loses the… plot, these three games made me fall in love with Ezio. It isn’t often you get to spend time with a character from the moment they are born to the moment they die. Ezio’s death and his reflections on his legacy brought actual tears to my eyes. The most interesting legacy of all, though, was the one being forged by Ubisoft at the time these titles were originally released. Seeing video game sensibilities evolve over the course of these three games, for better and for worse, was a fascinating experience.

#2 - Red Dead Redemption 2

You know how I said I like existing in video game worlds? This game world is the best. RDR2 was my hunting and fishing simulator for a few weeks, and then I figured I might as well finally try to finish it. I used to hate how slow this game felt, and then I realized the game was begging me, PLEADING me to slow down. Arthur Morgan and his friends are all running out of time, and there is a wonderful moment when the player and Arthur both realize that the time they have left is more valuable than anything else they have ever chased after in the shrinking West. There’s not much else I can think to say about RDR2 other than that it lived up to the hype. I look forward to returning to it as John Marston from time to time for years to come.

#1 - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Remake

I started the year rekindling my love for the WiiU. It’s one of my favorite consoles and there was no better game to bring me back to it than the Twilight Princess HD Remake. I feel like these days there are four types of Zelda games. There are the DS-style games (that nobody likes). There are 2D Zelda games, my favorite of which is Link Between Worlds. There are the two Immersive Sim Zelda games, Breath of the Wild being my favorite of the two. And finally, there are the Puzzle Box 3D Zelda games… and this year Twilight Princess officially dethroned Ocarina of Time as my favorite. Again, this is a game I enjoy simply existing in. It is bursting at the seams with interesting characters, both big and small. I adore the art style and music. I adore the melancholy tone. And (coldest take in the universe) Midna is THE best Zelda companion to ever grace us with her presence. According to my save data, I’d tried Twilight Princess twice in the past and both times I made it to the Water Temple and bailed. Back then, the game just felt like it was trying to be Ocarina. Little did I know that as soon as you emerge victorious from Lake Hylia, the game takes on an entire new personality of its own. And I fucking love it.

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:3 C64] [???] |???| <???>

<<< <<< <<< <<< <<< <<< <<<

[You were watering the small plants outside the greenhouse, listening through the closed doors as you cared for each stem. You liked sticking near where the action was, just in case you were needed. Usually, it was easy to see into the greenhouse, but, not today it seems.]

|You were happily digging up some dirt with your comically oversized shovel for your little body. But that didn’t matter! This was your garden! You had a nice sun hat, and antlers! You wanted a big shovel, you got one. The plants were really restless today, though, why’s that?|

<You were sitting at a table, in a covered patio out of the sun. Your eyes were closed as you mindlessly shuffled playing cards in your hand. You’re not much of a gardener yourself, you liked helping out, sure, but you much prefer cards.>

"-An Islander you say?"

[The voice is muffled by the greenhouse. Again, usually it’s as easy to look through the greenhouse glass as looking through your own glasses! But now it's like there is fog you can't get through. You felt the body talking, responding.]

"Yeah! They raised me. If it wasn'---t----em--"

[You pause watering the plants, stepping back, shaking your head. Something's not right. . . Starsdammit. You bang on the greenhouse door. You need to see what's going on!!!]

|Is everything okay? You walked up to them. You want to see too, what's going on?|

[Now's not the time, you're, trying to focus on what's going on. You bang on the door. Try to open it.]

|Shh, I’m listening. . .|

". . --uld help, after all, just let me take a lo-- a--"

[What are you doing you idiot. What's going on?!? You knew something was up and you shouldn't trust those two, what was that dumbass doing!!!]

|I'm scared, you're scaring me, what's going on?|

[S-sorry, kiddo, I'm sorry I'm trying to remain calm. I just. . .]

". . . -Deal."

[You feel your body shake someone's hand.]

|. . . . . .|

[. . . . Do-]

<Something wrong. You bounded over. Something's very, very wrong!>

[In a blink your mindspace had been invaded. There was a man standing in your garden. He wore a tattered school uniform of some sorts. His hair was a mess, and his body was covered in scars. He was looking around, crouching to see the plants. Who are you! What are you doing here?!?!]

(You turn around. . . Oh! Hello! I didn’t expect to see company! Don’t mind me, I’m just doing some spring cleaning.)

<Sorry but this is a members only garden. You threw a card at the stranger. The card burst into flames midair. What, what in the. . .>

|Get, get outta here!! The plants don't like you, you, y-you BATFACE!!!|

[Why are you here?!? Explain yourself!!]

(No, no I don’t think I will. . . You think for a moment, ah part of the deal was. . . Yes, to help them get stronger and clear up their head! And that meant that, well, sorry, but that means you need to go.)

[In an instant you feel the world warp. The garden you had spent so long to maintain was being, changed, unearthed. Vines were overgrowing.]

<You tried swiping at the stranger but you were just thrown back. No, not going to work, greenhouse! You run to the greenhouse, it wont open- Dammit there’s a lock!!>

|I'm scared.|

[What are you doing?!?!? WHY are you doing this!?!?]

(It won’t hurt, I promise. Just relax, it’s just a long, long nap.)

[You feel the earth open up beneath you. You fall into the dirt, the world closing in around you. You open your mouth to scream. Nothing comes out. You can't escape.]

[You're buried alive, in your own mind.]

[. . . . .]

[. . . . . Can, anyone else hear me?]

[. . . . .]

[. . . . You're getting sleepy.]

[. . .]

[. .]

[.]

>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>

[Your hand pierces the topsoil for the first time in what feels like months, years, even. Yet at the same time it was like only a few moments passed! Your whole body, head, mind, soul, all felt so tired and dead and exhausted and. . .]

[. . . . The garden. . .]

[Your plants, so carefully tended to, all dead. The gardens were all overrun with mint. Mint that was slowly dying. You look around, everything was a mess, and the sun was gone. Maybe that's why the mint was finally dying. . . Wait.]

[A few feet away there's dirt trying to move. You pull yourself out and walk over. With a hand you find whatever's in the dirt. Please be okay please be okay please be okay- Jasmine!!! Are you okay?!?]

|Sniffle. Alex. . . Alex my garden. . .|

[I'm sorry Azzy, stars I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what happened I'm, oh stars. . .]

|Are, a-are we gonna be okay?|

[. . . We're going to be okay. We can rebuild the garden, okay?]

|Okay. . .|

[. . . I need to go check on the greenhouse. You'll be okay, Jasmine, okay? I just need you to do something for me, okay?]

|O-okay?|

[Can you try and find Altiare for me?]

|M’kay! I c’n do that!|

[Alright, good luck, talk soon. You walk to the greenhouse. There was a lock on it that had long since rusted. You force the door open.]

[You cover your nose and mouth as soon as the smell hits you. It was metallic, bloody. You smelt rotting, and fertilizer. Metal, rot, fertilizer. Someone died here.]

[. . . . .]

[. . . You step inside.]

[You bolt upright in bed gasping for air, startling someone at your side. You're in your room, YOUR room. The one in your guardians house, not your dorm in Jouvente. The person, two persons, beside you are confused. One tall girl, one kid, both dark skin, similar jewelry.]

". . . Oh thank Change Ramos you're okay." [The taller one sighed.] "We were getting pretty worried there!"

[. . You blink.] "I. . . What. . ."

"Y'got hurt or, uhm, something like that, in 'Frins head." [The kid responded.]

[What? You don’t remember that. Or remember coming home, or a ‘frin’, or who these two were! You look at the two of them, then rub your head. Names, names names name names! You never had any memory problems before, why now- RIGHT. That ASS.]

“PERCI!” [You jump up out of bed.] “Where’s that sonnofa-!! I’ll beat his ass so hard he’ll WISH it was only stars he’ll be seeing-”

“LANGUAGE!!” [The taller one shouted.] “Listen so would I but lie DOWN! You just recovered!”

“From what?!” [You walk to the closet and look for fresh clothes.] “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t know who you two blinding are!”

“. . . Oh Change.” [The older one put her head in her hand. The smaller one walked up to you.]

“. . . You feel okay?” [They ask.]

[You pause for a second, looking at them.] “Well, apart from losing. . .” [You look at a calendar on the desk.] “. . . five months of memory? I’m feeling pretty good!”

“Five months?!?” [Tall one again.] “We only met you like, three months ago!”

“And in that time I guess I finally went and changed.” [You grab some clothes, and go to a mirror, looking at yourself.] “. . . not my style, but. . . Not bad. So, I'm not Jasmine any more? Alright. What about you two?”

“Pétronille (she/her). Just Nille’s fine.” [She walked over to you.]

“Boniface (they/them). Or just Bonnie.” [They pouted.]

“Bonnie and Nille, got it.” [You hold up a vest- wait.] “Bonnie? One of the saviors?”

“Uh huh!!” [Bonnie nodded enthusiastically.] “Only the crabbin’ best outta all of ‘em!!”

“Langu- oh forget it.” [Nille shook her head.] “Yeah, we’ve all been traveling together, us three, Mirabelle, Isabeau, Odile, and Siffrin.”

“Heh, glad they’re all still-”

“CRAB!!!” [Bonnie jumped and ran to the door.] “IF YOU’RE FINE THEN ‘FRIN AND THE OTHERS ARE IN TROUBLE!!”

“AH CRAB!!” [Nille ran to join her sibling, then turned to you.] “Listen, ah, I know you don’t know me but I know you! We gotta check on the rest of our party now! Five minutes to get ready and meet downstairs! We’re probably gonna be fighting that sonofacrab, alright?”

[You grin back.] “Make it three minutes.”

[Those two left the room. The logic was already connecting in your head as you got dressed. Ramos makes a deal with Perci. Perci locks you and others in the ground. Ramos lives life, no need for imaginary friends. Somehow that actually affects your memory. It’s just daydreams, so why would it affect your memory? And why did being buried alive feel so real? Stars. . .]

[You use your bandana to tie your hair into a ponytail. Well it was probably some craft that affects the head, and your head then interprets that in your daydreams. So maybe if you’re daydreaming and someone crafts you, and buries your imaginary friends alive, that affects you? So what-]

|AAAAALEEEEEEXXXXX|

[You look over in the greenhouse, Jas? What’s up.]

|TTTHHHERES A BIG BUG!!!|

[. . . What?]

|THERE’S A BIG BUG AND NOT A NORMAL BUG!!|

[Is it dangerous?]

|I DUNNO IT LOOKED AT ME THEN RAN AWAY!! IT LOOKS COOL!|

[Change, well, I can’t help with that right now just, run if it seems angry at you, okay?]

|M’KAY!! IMA MAKE FRIENDS WITH IT!!|

[You’re done getting dressed, you grab Ramos’ tonfas and hook them to your belt. Stars, you're out of practice. You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with these. You walk over to the desk and look for your favorite pen. You twist the ink cap, and a thin, sharp blade springs from the front; a hidden knife. You twist the needle back in and put it in your pocket.]

[You take one last look at yourself in the mirror. Ramos. You’re Ramos now, huh? Not Jasmine. Not Alex. Ramos. Ramos is your name now. . . Eugh, that didn’t feel right. But, fine. You walk to the door, muttering to yourself; you’ll be alright, you’ll be alright, you’ll be alright.]

[Ready.]

>>>

[While You, Nille, and Bonnie were running to the library, they caught you up to speed. Ramos, mind craft, got controlled, turned into a sadness, saved, joined them, the inn stuff, fighting Merlon and Perci; it was a lot to take in, but you took it. Good thing too, because you didn’t have much time.] 

[You knew these streets like the back of your hand. Jump over this fence, take this backroad, skip over the creek here. And in no time, you were at the library entrance. There was a housemaiden struggling to stand, that’s Mirabelle. Isabeau was knocked out on the floor, and there’s a cloaked figure kneeling on the ground, who by process of elimination, must be Siffrin. You grimace at Isas unconscious form, but you had to move quickly!]

“FRIN!!!” [Bonnie yells. Siffrin turned, eye wide. You dash past them.] “‘OZ IS OKAY!!”

“T-they’re-” [You can see the look of relief on his face.] “Oh stars above-”

“What in the-” [Merlon was taken aback as you dashed towards her.] 

“Hey, Merlon.” [You hold out your paper sign, and swing. Before pulling back at the last second, instead you stab with your pen, [Page Turner!] Merlon doubles over in pain.]

[You take the chance, and run past into the library. You ignore Merlon yelling after you, where was he?!? WHERE. WAS. THAT. BITCH!?!?!]

[Like a hunting dog finding prey, you found him, an old lady sitting across from him. Both were catatonic to the world. You dash at him, and grab him by the back of the head-] >>> [-WHAM. WHAM. WHAM.]

“ARE YOU FUCKING SORRY YET?!?”

[You throw Perci back, taking a second to breathe. STARS your heart was beating a mile a minute! At least your body was kept in good shape. You hear the old lady stand up behind you.]

“Hey! Lady!” [You turn to look at her, grinning.] “You alright? You can have an existential crisis later but if you can still fight I’m gonna need you.”

“You. . .” [She’s staring at you, dumbfounded.] “. . . Ramos?”

[Your smile spreads to a grin.] “The one and only!”

“I highly doubt that.” [She grabbed her notebook and walked around the table to join your side as Perci got up.] “Not just a few hours ago you were catatonic.”

“Funny, because for me a few hours ago I was still in Jouvente!” [You laugh.]

“What?!?” [She looks at you in shock.]

“You blooded animal!!” [Perci finally got up to a knee, holding his nose, broken. His mask was slipping.] “How DARE you!!”

“Ha ha.” [You roll your eyes.] “Well at least he matches how he looks in headspace now!”

“So he does.” [The lady comments, smirking.] “Well, Ramos, it’s good to get reacquainted! My name is Odile.”

“Charmed!” 

[The library entrance doors blast open, Merlon running in and was next to Perci in a blink. Behind her, Bonnie, Nille, Isabeau, Mirabelle, and Siffrin were all following. The later three were all still hurt from their earlier battle, so you should finish this quickly.]

“Look at me. Look at me Perci.” [Merlons concerned yet commanding voice boomed through the library. Perci looked up at her, she grabbed his nose, and with a twist and some craft put it back in place.]

“MOTHER OF-” [Perci yelled, then stood up fully, glaring at you in hatred.] “Why are you all being so DIFFICULT!!”

“Dear.” [Merlon turned to look at the five who had gathered on the opposite side of the room. The Monets were pinned.] “We should leave.”

“TH’ CRAB YOU ARE!!!!” [Bonnie yelled.] “WE’RE GONNA BEAT YOU TO A CRABBING PULP!!!”“Let’s go! Everyone!!” [Nille called confidently to the others.]

[aishangotome]

[Ring Schwartz] I Can't Return to a Time Before You Premium Ending

Ring ran alongside me as I chased after the kidnapper.

Kate: Ring!? Shouldn't you be getting Dari's judgment...?

Ring: That's what I thought at first. But... I can't just leave my g-g-girlfriend when she's about to jump into danger.

Ring: I'll go with you. ...Is that okay?

Kate: That's reassuring!

-

We arrived at an old clinic.

The man was nowhere to be seen; he must have gone to another room.

Ring: There are some documents over there. I can't understand difficult English, would you mind reading them for me?

Kate: Understood. ...The cover says "Research Report."

––It was a document that gave us a glimpse into why the man had committed the kidnappings.

The man had a daughter, but she suffered from heart disease.

The only way for his daughter to survive was to have a heart transplant.

It seems the man had been kidnapping children of similar ages with the intention of replacing his daughter's heart with theirs.

(This is a record of that...research...)

Ring: Human experimentation on children was being conducted here too...?

Kate: The child who was just kidnapped can still be saved. Let's search!

-

The clinic had several rooms, and we decided to split up to search for the girl.

A little while after I parted ways with Ring, I discovered the tied-up girl in a storage room.

Kidnapped Girl: Who...?

Kate: I've come to help you. You're safe now...!

I desperately tried to untie the tightly bound ropes.

However, while I was doing that, the kidnapper found me.

Kidnapper: What are you doing!?

Kate: ...W-wait, please listen!

I stood protectively in front of the girl and faced the man.

Kidnapper: What is there to discuss? Hand over the heart of the girl!

It seemed like the man's mind was so broken that he no longer saw the kidnapped child as a person, but just a heart.

Kate: I know about your daughter's illness. It must have been very difficult for you.

Kate: But...this child is also someone's family, a precious person they don't want to lose.

Kidnapper: That's...

The man's eyes wavered. The remaining conscience in his heart was trying to stop him from committing any further crimes.

But at that moment.

Kidnapper: Ah...gh!

The man groaned and vomited blood from his mouth.

Kate: Huh...?

I saw a sharp sword piercing the man's body from behind.

As the sword was pulled from his body, the man collapsed.

Ring: That was close.

It was Ring who had approached from behind and stabbed the man with his sword.

The man lay motionless in a pool of blood. I could tell at a glance that he was dead.

Kate: Why...did you kill him...?

Ring: "Why?" you ask... Isn't it obvious?

Ring: If Dari orders me to, I'll kill anyone.

His cheeks, wet with blood splatter, showed no trace of doubt about his heinous act.

It was then that I finally realized.

He, too, was––pure evil.

Ring: Dari told me before we went on our date today...

Ring: That if you were in any danger, I should eliminate the obstacle without hesitation...

If something were to happen to me while we were out, it would cause a rift between Crown and Vogel.

What Darius said was extreme, but not wrong.

(But...)

Kate: He was trying to change his mind. There was no need to kill him...

Ring: I can't make that judgment. Dari's orders are absolute.

I was questioning Ring when he made that firm declaration, and then...

Kidnapped Girl: Waaahhhh!!

Perhaps overwhelmed by what had happened before her eyes, the girl started crying as if a fire had been lit.

Kate: I-I'm sorry. You must have been so scared...!

I desperately tried to soothe her by stroking her back, but she wouldn't stop crying.

Ring: ...Let me hold her hand. I might be able to calm her down.

Ring timidly offered and took the girl's hand, connecting it with his own.

Then, the girl stopped crying in an instant and relaxed her expression as if relieved.

-

Soon after the girl stopped crying, the Crown members arrived at the scene.

Liam had noticed that Ring and I hadn't arrived at the Scala Theater even though we said we were going, and he had been searching for us, thinking we might have been involved in an incident.

Leaving the aftermath to them, we started on our way back.

On the way, he explained what had happened.

Ring: I can turn the emotions of the person I'm holding hands with into joy.

Kate: That's why she stopped crying so quickly.

Ring: Yes. ...Since I killed the culprit, this incident had to be handled internally.

Ring: If she had continued crying, there was a possibility that ordinary people who heard the commotion would come running...

Ring: I'm glad I was able to make her stop crying with my power and settle things peacefully.

Kate: It's not just that things were settled peacefully that's good.

Ring: ......?

Kate: Being kidnapped, seeing someone killed in front of her... The girl was panicking.

Kate: But I think you calmed her down, Ring, and made her feel safe.

Kate: Your ability is a wonderful one that can make people smile.

Ring: ...

Ring: I had completely forgotten...that my ability could make people smile.

(Come to think of it, whenever Ring acts without hesitation, it always involves Darius's orders.)

The reason for acting like a lover, the reason for following me when I chased after the kidnapper, the reason for killing the kidnapper...

Everything is based on Darius's orders.

(Complimenting my clothes, calming the girl down...)

(Whenever it's Ring's own judgment, he always seems unsure of himself.)

––Ring is like Darius's puppet.

(It's fine now because Ring's will and Darius's will seem to align.)

(But if there comes a time when Darius and Ring's opinions clash...)

(...I'm worried that Ring might suppress his own will.)

Ring is a kind and warm person who cares about others, so it would be a shame if he killed his own will.

Ring: That reminds me... There was something I wanted to ask you.

Kate: ...? Please, ask me anything!

Ring: Did you chase after the kidnapper because it's Crown's duty?

Ring: You're not strong, and I don't think you're used to violence.

Ring: If you're being forced into danger... Maybe you should quit Crown.

(Ring really is a kind person. He's worried about me like this.)

Ring: If you want to quit, I could ask Dari to pull some strings...

Kate: ...No, I chased after the culprit of my own free will.

Kate: It wasn't because of a sense of justice or anything grand like that... I just didn't want to have any regrets.

Kate: I didn't want to be the kind of person who turns a blind eye to someone in need of help.

Ring: ...I see. You're different from me.

Ring murmured, looking at me with dazzling eyes.

-

A few days after that date... I was once again summoned by Darius.

Darius: Now then, Ring. Try asking the Fairytale Keeper.

(Ask...? )

As I tilted my head in confusion, Ring stepped forward with a nervous look.

Ring: I request a date with you!

His enthusiasm, as if he were challenging me to a duel, made my eyes widen.

FIN

.

.

.

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

Notes: OMG Ring is so freaking adorable. I love him so much and didn't expect to because I thought Nica would have my heart. Now I can't wait for Ring's route T_T

[kedreeva]

Nah I won't be keeping chickens personally ever again (most likely), I was planning on gifting them to the neighbors anyway since they have complained several times that all the roosters they get are MEAN little shitheads. They try every year, and end up just selling them to folks for meat because none of them come close to the nice roosters they've seen. So, I figured, BCM roos are usually really chill dudes, there's a higher than average chance that a decent breeder would have BCM roos that are Good Boys, so I went for it. If all else failed, they'd get some nice hens who lay very dark eggs, or a dinner out of it. But they've already told me they love him and will be replacing their other rooster with him when the time comes for them to go outside.

Don't get me wrong, ANY rooster should be mannered this way unless it's written into the standard of perfection that they should have a different attitude, but having been in the BCM game and bred them myself, and having known some of the lines that were out there, I knew I had a decent chance at this person's being good birds because of how careful she had seemed with her breeding an explanations of the spitz genetics and stuff. Like I went to her for the Spitz and she happened to have BCM and then after a LONG discussion had proved to me that she was LIKELY a good breeder, so I took a shot and man, it landed.

A couple months back, my neighbor wanted to get some Spitzhauben hatching eggs for his wife, so he asked me for help finding some good ones, from a good breeder. So I dug around for a bit, since Spitz are a bit of a rare breed, and found a few options that looked decent. One of them happened to be in Michigan with us, maybe a little over an hour from us, so I arranged to go pick them up in person to avoid the stresses of shipping on the eggs.

I picked up a dozen (baker's dozen, she added a few extra just in case), and a half dozen of the Marans eggs for myself (she gave me a discount because fertility hadn't been tested yet, as long as I promised to report growth/hatch rate and update about what comes out) because she claimed to have good quality and her eggs looked to be decent quality. She was really nice, very chatty, and the eggs looked great in person, too.

12 of the spitz eggs hatched, and 3 of the BCM. The BCM chicks looked great but they were being stressed OUT by the quail chicks they were in with, so I snuck them into the brooder with the spitz when I closed up the neighbor's birds one evening while they were out.

I've visited them a few times since, and they've been looking good, but they're finally to an age where on the BCM you can tell sex- perfect ratio, one rooster, two hens.

Now, I used to keep and breed BCM a long time ago. I had wanted to get into showing (never got around to it for several reasons), and I'd dealt with several lines. My original line that I'd mixed from a couple different people always produced REALLY stellar roosters- big lads with sweet, docile personalities that were 100% ready to die for their ladies, whom they always treated well. For roosters, those are all REALLY important qualities. The ideal is a rooster that treats his ladies well, is willing to fight to the death to defend them if something comes after them BUT--- importantly can tell the difference between a predator and a human who is messing with the hens (picking up, moving, treating w/ meds, whatever). Ideally, if a hen makes a noise of distress, the rooster come BOLTING to her at top fucking speed ready to kick ass, but stops dead if he sees it's just a human. And I HAD that- I used to sell the roosters to folks (SELL them, I never had to give away a rooster) as flock protectors, and I would get people coming back to buy another after their guy died defending the girls while free ranging. It's sad, but it's also one of two reasons to have a rooster.

And I see all the time people posting about their mean roosters, about how to handle roosters that are mean to humans, or people telling others oh the rooster is just young and roosters are mean when they're young and they'll mellow out when they get older, just keep putting up with it. Power through.

NO! There is almost* NEVER a reason to tolerate a nasty rooster- one that's mean to the girls, or to humans. This BCM rooster is only a few months old, but you can already see the purpose that's been bred into him. I picked up one of his girls and she went :( and he came RUNNING over to see what was wrong, looked me up and down and went nah that's cool, and then checked on all the other girls. Just in case. I went to move them from their cage to the big play pen that's set up for them, and I thought oh this is going to be a circus, trying to catch them all. The Spitzhauben were acting insane, like I was trying to kill them by looking at them. I braced the carry bin on the edge of the door, expecting to reach in to (try to) grab each bird and put them in. But no. This rooster walked over, got in, called the others, and they all chilled right out, came over and jumped into the bin with him. He's in the playpen right now just watching over all the others. If someone gets into an argument, he runs over and gets between them, and then checks on them both after. When he lies down, the others come lie down with him. On him.

THIS is what a good rooster looks like. Not in a year, not in two years. Right from the getgo, the instincts are all there. Hormones shouldn't eliminate/supercede this behavior- they shouldn't turn a bird into an asshole. They should instigate a second set of rooster behaviors- dancing/courting, tidbitting, and mating attempts. Running girls ragged, pulling feathers, causing injury, attacking people- these are all poor breeding and/or handling problems. These are things that can (and SHOULD) be selected against when breeding fowl

*The "almost" never is that a breeder starting out may not have a choice when it comes to shitty personalities- they may find themselves having to tolerate the least shitty for a few generations, until the personalities show improvement. In this case, most (good) breeders know better than to dump the wash outs on the unsuspecting, and will instead do hard culls for food or sell to folks raising food or who are aware of the personality problems. In any case any tolerance should be an in-progress tolerance, not an endgame result.

[meanderfall]

Been watching the 2003 tmnt show, and obviously I went in with some knowledge of who the turtles are and their roles and personalities, but it's been kind of fascinating to notice how Leonardo is actually pretty restrained in acting as a leader, at least in the more traditional sense (and from what i've seen so far in the first 2 seasons).

The moments where he actually directly takes charge of a situation and tells his brothers what to do, or puts his foot down on what he thinks is best, are actually few and far between. It usually only really crops up in life-or-death situations, or if his brothers are arguing over a course of action and he has to intervene.

To be honest, I think his more common leadership moments are understated to the point of barely being noticeable, and it's whenever they have a problem or situation to deal with and he turns to his brothers for suggestions on what to do. And the reason i consider this to be leadership moments are threefold:

First, by doing so, he's actually helping direct their focus on possible solutions or weak points, because his questions to them are never "what do we do" but more like "how can we distract the guards" or "is it possible to take down this machine", and like, listen. Listen. As someone who works with the general public and is one of the "leaders" of my department and has to guide my co-workers, the ability to assess a situation and even just know what kind of questions to ask to reach a solution is genuinely an underrated skill that far too many grown ass adults have not cultivated.

Second, he's actually keeping the line of communication open between him and his brothers. Sure, Don is usually the turtle who provides an answer, but Raph and Mikey are always welcome to speak up too and sometime they go with their ideas! I also think this makes them comfortable enough to speak up during more high pressure situations that aren't going great when they have a plan, bc they have full confidence that Leo and the others will back them up bc Leo really is always encouraging them to think and help him figure out what to do,

Which brings me to my third reason. By asking them for their thoughts and advice, it shows that Leonardo is willing to admit that he doesn't know something and he isn't afraid to look for them for help (at least in this regard lmao). And idk about yall but I'm much more willing to follow someone who won't pretend he has all the answers and is willing to seek advice, over someone whose ego is so big they can never admit to being wrong or humble themselves to ask for help.

And, like, I don't really know what came first, if, growing up, they were so close and good at working together that it never occurred to Leonardo to be more authoritative with his brothers now that they're a team, or if because Leonardo spent so much of their childhood more concerned with running after them and bailing them out of whatever scraps they get into and low-key knew telling them what to do wouldn't work that he just naturally fell into a more communicative and "we're all in this together, let's figure out what to do together" style.

But it does give off the impression of the brothers being a tight-knit team that pretty much work as one unit. Any friction between them is minimal at best (with most of it actually being between Mikey and Raph who take any opportunity to mess with the other). They don't really need to outline plans bc they're usually on the same page in the first place, and they have complete trust and faith in one another in getting the job done. No one is really in charge until it's necessary.

And, finally, all of the above combined is why I think his brothers usually listen and respect Leo on the rare occasions he does put his foot down on something. They know he wouldn't do it unless he was serious about what he's saying. Pretty much the only times they don't are when all 3 of them are united on wanting to do something and Leo was already kind of wavering on what to do, so they know they can rush ahead and big brother will rush after them to make sure they're okay. Or if they are also absolutely serious and fully believe in their own opinion on an issue (see the City at War arc where Leo and Raph are on complete opposite sides of the issue at hand).

but i still got 2 and half seasons to get through so maybe that changes!

[cha-melodius]

2024 Fic Year in Review

My fifth fic year in review! It's always wild to go back and look at how far I've come. As always, feel free to grab this if you want to do your own; I've stitched it together over the years. And thank you to everyone who read my fics this year, whether it was one or all of them.

2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

AO3 Username: chamel My Page: Link Active Fandoms: Red, White & Royal Blue: 14 works Loki: 3 works The Man from UNCLE (2015): 1 work New Fandoms: The Pairing (CMQ novel; 1 work) Total Number Of Completed Works/Word Count This Year: 23 works, 303k words All Time: 135 works, 1.57 million words

Most Popular One Shot (by kudos): This Year: Trying My Patience (Try Pink Carnations) (RWRB, Alex/Henry, E, 9.4k) All Time: Class(room) Warfare (RWRB, Alex/Henry, T, 7.8k words)

Most Popular Completed Multi-Chapter (by kudos):  This Year: False Dichotomy (RWRB, Alex/Henry, E, 62k) All Time: Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood  (RWRB, Alex/Henry, E, 20k words)

Events/Challenges: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Gift Exchange 2024, A Royally Big Bang, Lokius Reverse Bang, idk do what you want exchange

More reflections, stats, and planned fics below the cut!

Additional Random AO3 Stats

By number of fics: 79% one shots, 21% multi-chaps

By word count: 69% multi-chaps (nice), 31% one shots

Ratings by number of fics: 48% E-rated, 26% M-rated, 26% T-rated

Musical artists contributing highest number of titles: spread out this year, but Wilco, Metric & Sufjan Stevens came in with 2 each

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?  I was wrong in my 2024 roundup post—I wrote 25k more words this year despite having 10 fewer fics. Which I did NOT expect. I figured I was trucking along to make my usual ~270k, but I forgot about The Secret Fics lol.

What’s your own favorite story of the year?  I think I have to go with Body and Soul(mate), which I'm just so so proud of. I love how it came out and I think it's really original.

Did you complete your writing goals from last year?  The Goal: My goal is to have a similar mix of fics as least year, and also to write my first collaboration with @cricketnationrise, which will be a long multichap. First part, pretty close. I wrote more multichaps (21% vs 15%) this year, which meant fewer fics in total. Second part, oops. Cricket and I have both been busy, but the hockey fic lives!! We'll get to it eventually!

Do you have any writing goals for the New Year? I can't believe I'm gonna say this but... write more original fiction. See below for more on that. Fanfic wise... finally finish some of the planned stories I've had kicking around for a while.

Did you take any writing risks this year? I submitted a pitch for an anthology, was accepted, and wrote my first original story! I had a lot of fun with it and I think I'll purse more next year. Idk if I'm ready for a whole novel and trying to get (more) published, but we'll see.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Even though it's numbers have come up since publishing, I'm still gonna go with The Impossible Soul, aka my Westworld-esque android/human AU.

Most fun story to write: Probably Body and Soul(mate). Figuring out all the body swaps and soulmate lore was a lot of fun and the whole thing just flowed so well.

Biggest disappointment: Why do I keep this question? I hate complaining publicly. 😂 My biggest disappointment is that I sometimes let fandom drama/trends/popularity make me feel bad. Being mad because a fandom loves X type of fic doesn't help anyone.

Biggest surprise: I'm not sure I really had any big surprises this year. Biggest surprise in my stats was that my percent of explicit works is way up—T used to be my most-used rating. Part of that is publishing fewer one-shots, since those tend to be T for me, whereas a long fic is more likely to be E.

Coming soon/planned for 2024: It's a little depressing how so many of these are the same as last year. Hence the resolution above, I guess.

Kissed Out (RWRB pro-pool players AU)

RWRB 1940s noir AU

RWRB conductor/piano soloist AU

RWRB Jurassic Park AU

RWRB rodeo rider/polo player AU

RWRB hockey AU (with cricket)

A shitload of prompts from my fandom fest

Extremely delinquent MTH fics

TMFU art thief/gallery owner AU

Thanks to folks who tagged me in their year in review posts, including @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @kiwiana-writes, and @porcelainmortal