#not that I think it deserves that too-since I like sf and think it’s also unique-but seeing one happen over the other is painful

[no1ryomafan]

I hate to make a random mega man ramble about a technical thing rather than about the games themselves but it’s dawning on me more and more how Capcom bundling Zero and ZX was like- a double edged sword.

From what I know Capcom expected a rerelease of Zero to not sell super well, I only imagine they released it because Zero isn’t super niche-it’s like middle in popularity in terms of the MM series-and they probably wanted to tackle something smaller before releasing the BNLC given how long that took. However it’s noteworthy that the LC port of all the Zero games are just the source code of the Ds collection, they likely did it since GBA games don’t have a easy way to rip their source code unlike Ds. (Hence another reason BNLC took so long) But they realized they couldn’t just port a slightly remastered version of the Zero games to consoles as no one would be interested, so they likely slapped ZX on as a bonus.

Why do I say this? It’s because the double edge factor of while ZX got more exposure, it feels like they only did it as means to further tie it Zeros identity. Think about how in that anniversary art awhile ago there was a protag for every series BUT ZX, or how most of the merch post LC is just Zero, hardly anything ZX related in sight. On top of this, ZX is a sequel series to Zero-even though Zero in itself is a sequel to X, and X is a sequel to classic…-so they figured from a marketing standpoint it makes sense to tie their identities together.

This was the only feasible way to rerelease ZX as no one would buy a collection of two games even if they priced it super cheap, but man. Does this fucking suck to realize.

[lackadaisically-m]

This is Not a hate post towards Carlos Sainz. I don't really like him but still think he's a good driver - that is, however, not always enough.

For anyone genuinely wondering what reasons RBR could possibly have to sign Checo instead of Carlos, here's a few that have nothing to do with driving ability, but are no less important to a team:

1. The car - Checo is already used to the RBs, which, much like the SF, and almost any other car on the grid I'd imagine, are tailored towards the preferences of the no.1 driver of the team, in this case - Max. Max and Carlos, to put it simply, have very different preferences for their setup so Carlos would realistically have a really tough time in the car and I don't think he'd adapt quick and efficient enough to not cost the team significant points. Checo is also already very familiar with the current RB environment so he doesn't need a warmup period, he's ready to go.

2. Sponsors and marketability - Checo has a huge latin fanbase. He's very beloved outside your typical European - centered fanbase circles. He brings in insane revenue from RB marketing in Latin America. That is, of course, very valuable to a team. Carlos, unfortunately, doesn't have too many sponsors of his own and isn't nearly as marketable. I know he seems more popular because of european fans, but trust me, people go insane for Checo.

3. Professional relationship between drivers - RBR needed a clear no.2 driver for that empty seat. Checo is the perfect pick because he knows he's going to be second to Max and that Max will be getting preferential treatment. He knows his role is to support Max and try to bring in as many points as possible for the team. He wouldn't try to fight Max for position, thus risking leaving space for other teams to attack. He has shown on multiple occasions, that he Can and Will defend against other teams. Carlos didn't seem to get the memo at Ferrari, he probably wouldn't have gotten it at RBR either. Carlos clearly isn't satisfied being a no.2 driver in a team, which is unfortunate, because that's all that's left in the top teams. They wouldn't want a driver who's willing to risk track position and potentially lose points for the team while trying to pass their own teammate.

4. Personal relationship between drivers - Now this is also important, because while drivers are professionals and can be collegial while also disliking each other, the team works best if they don't have to force interaction and amicability. It has been mentioned on multiple occasions that during their joint Toro Rosso days, Max and Carlos didn't exactly get on that well. You could argue that they have grown and changed a lot since then, yes, but if the team already has a driver available that they know for sure gets along with Max, why would they go for uncertainty?

There's definitely more reasons for this decision, that we, as the public, are not aware of. I just saw so many people disappointed and/or angry at the renewal, saying Carlos is more deserving yada yada. You aren't entitled to a seat just because you're good as an individual driver. And for the record, Checo isn't as bad as most people are making him out to be. He's a solid driver, experienced and very adaptable too. Put some respect on his name.

[universallydestinytaco]

SF Fandom Rant

CW: Half-Way Jokingly Unhinged Nerd Rage

EDIT: Just to clarify I was there when Adult Swim announced the festival and unveiled what it was going to look like before opening, I didn't get to go but I wish I did.

What kinda frustrates me is when some fans who think they've been in this fandom for long enough say some silly nonsense like "Oooh Pim is underrated or not as loved as the other main characters he needs more love (ToT)"....Meanwhile as someone who has obsessively-compulsively scurried in and out of EVERY SINGLE MAIN TAG FOR SMILING FRIENDS on almost all social media sites (plus countless YouTube comment sections and that WRETCHED troglodyte-ridden shitgutter known as Reddit) I can confirm that this entire fandom has always been overflowing with an endless supply of Pim fanworks, cosplays, getting shipped with Charlie and various other characters canon AND fanmade (plus quite a bit of selfshipping) or comments gushing about how cute and sweet he is...not to mention Charpim is obviously THE most popular ship in the fandom from what I've seen on A03! All the Pim fanworks and whatnot get a shit ton of attention too, they get TONS of likes and comments! Also on a sidenote, polls I've seen voting for one's favorite character, Pim is either second and in one or two cases, even first in Favorite Character polls while either Alan or Glep are at the bottom, not to say that either character mentioned are unpopular in fact FAR from it considering I spent so much time browsing fanworks for this show, trust me. Glep is a little meme machine and Alan is a he/him sapphic icon because of all the fangirls he has!

And furthermore, a testament to Pim's popularity being much bigger than one would expect is when I was there when Adult Swim's annual festival was unveiled to the masses on their socials and every single one of us online that day collectively losing our heads (hehe) over this lovely sight:

This image was spreading around like wildfire + the comment sections where mostly talking about Pim's bulbous, perfectly-round head.

"Underrated" my ass, Pim gets A TON of well-deserved love in this fandom, honestly you know who's the most underrated Smiling Friend? My baby girl Smormu where's all the cute Smormu fanart and fanfics you cowards!? I mean look at this lil' cutie go!

*slams fists on table dramatically* WHERE'S MY SMORMU CONTENT DAMMIT!?

*Nasally Laugh* Okay in all seriousness I know Smormu was made as a joke but can y'all stop making Pim out to be a forgotten/underrated character like he's some scrapped character from the pilot? There are plenty of unpopular/underrated characters on this show I can name on the back of my hand because I scrutinize every bit of trivia surrounding this show (like Zoey, Marge, Mr. Boss to some extent but less-so since S2, Jennifer, Desmond...) and Pim is NOT one of them! Thanks for coming to my TED talk, byeeee.

(PS. Be sure to check back on this lil ol' blog of mine for the latest chapter of my mushy Charpim fanfic dropping later tonight 😉)

[nalyra-dreaming]

You're last reblog make me think that we absolutely need a non platonic Loudaniel at some point,there is no way what happened in SF didn't impact their relationship even if their both memories were altered.I want them friends too but since we are in the chronicles we can also expect for some more right?

We can hope :)

But… honestly, they deserve a friendship first. Because friendship is hard.

I would love them to be friends, or in fact feeling like siblings, ribbing each other.

I wouldn’t mind more, but that first, please.

[acourtofthought]

Apparently, Gwynriel will never have true, genuine love because she will ALWAYS be his THIRD choice. And the fact that Azriel still wants Elain even though he's already met Gwyn, his possible mate, means that if they ever have a relationship, it will be tainted.

I just saw an Elriel post that said this, and a little more and I am stunned.

So, I guess neither Feysand nor Nessian have true, genuine love. I mean, Feyre's first choice was Issac, and I guess her relationship with Rhys is tainted because she still loved/wanted Tamlin after meeting him the first time, even though their mates.

Nesta's first choice was Tomas, and she slept with several different males even after she had met her own mate. So, Nessian is tainted.

I guess Elriel, who aren't mates, is the only possible exception to this since they don't have a bond to be "tainted" by the fact that Elain's first choice is actually Grayson and Azriel's is Mor.

I also LOVE that they used the word "tainted" because you know where we see that word? In the bonus chapter, when Azriel thinks that Elain is tainted because he touched her.

In my personal opinion, Sarah J. Maas writes like a grown ass women who realizes that people will have many loves in their life. It's not about who came first or second or even third but who is someone's forever. And at times, those first and second loves are important for characters to discover who they are and what they need. Sometimes they need to experience the wrong person in order to realize who the right person is, even if the right person has been under their nose all along. Isn't this confirmed when Feyre thinks back on her relationship to Tamlin when she said that maybe she fell in love with the first person who showed her kindess? That maybe that's what she needed then but isn't what she needs now? She had already met Rhys, even later admits that she wanted Rhys UTM though she went on to accept Tamlin's engagement and the reason for that is because who Feyre was when she accepted his proposal, what she thought she wanted became something different from the person she evolved into. There's nothing inherently wrong with Az being fixated on Elain in SF even after meeting (officially) Gwyn. I mean, yes, there are some major red flags to it all but, Az is not in a mentally good place during that novel so the fact that Az was f*cked up in the head and not noticing Gwyn is a good thing. Usually people make bad decisions when they're a mess and chances are if he had made that one good decision, he wouldn't be in the right place to follow through on it. Had Az shifted his interest to Gwyn romantically in SF the likelihood of him screwing things up would be extremely high because even though SHE might be the right person for him long term, HE has way too many other issues that would get in the way of them having a healthy relationship. The way he spoke to Feyre, that he couldn't even open up to Cassian, that he couldn't admit to Rhys being over Mor, that he's extremely jealous of Lucien - it doesn't matter if Gwyn is a good fit for him romantically, his tendency toward self hatred and general anger / jealousy issues would have prevented them from having the kind of relationship they both deserved. I could care less about where Gwyn falls in the lineup of Az's love interests so long as she's getting the version of Az that is ready to be who she needs. Where he's an overall good guy and not the guy being sort of an ass to his High Lady and ready to burn bridges with an ally because he's mad he didn't get a bond. Who wasn't able to have a real conversation with his best friends about the important stuff.

[the-darkestminds]

An E/riel made me raise my eyebrows when they said “If Gwyn and Az are mates, why aren't they together in HOFAS? Why would Az say he doesn't have a mate or a partner in HOFAS if Gwyn is his mate? Az certainly would have felt the mating bond by now given the amount of time they've spent together and the traumatic events Gwyn has gone through that Az has been present for. There is nothing keeping Gwyn and Az apart. There's no reason they can't get together immediately. They have no barriers to their relationship, internal or external. Maybe that's why Az says he doesn't have a mate or a partner yet in HOFAS-because he wants to be with Elain but he can't be. Because e/riel is next and we'll see them overcome these barriers to get together in their book.”

Sarah is not going to write an off-page romance. She is not going to write about a mating bond (something extremely important) snapping off-page, especially in a book that’s not ACOTAR. And that’s why Gwynriel’s were fine with Azriel saying he doesn’t have a mate or a partner. Because we get to read about it happening. That’s what we want. We want to see Gwyn and Azriel becomes friends, fall in love, and have a mating bond snap. If it happened off-page, the I would honestly be really upset and disappointed. I know E/riel’s love to believe that their ship, their “forbidden romance”, is happening off-page (which is highly unlikely), but us Gwynriel’s prefer to get to actually read about the romance blossoming.

And as for Azriel not feeling the mating bond, how do we actually know? We don’t have his pov, so we don’t know. It’s been three months since SF ended, and we haven’t had his pov since his bonus chapter, so we don’t know what has been going on through his head, or what he’s been up to. And as for nothing keeping Gwyn & Az apart, both of them have their own things to work through. Azriel struggles with self worth, and he needs to talk to Mor. That conversation needs to happen. And Gwyn has her own trauma, so it’s understandable. Sarah is not going to not write about this and have Gwynriel develop off-page. That would be wasted plot. I don’t think Sarah has ever written an off-page romance (please genuinely correct me if I’m wrong).

I have heard this argument a lot too. I think part of Azriel's issue is that he feels so much icy rage all the time, is so used to fighting to suppress it that he supresses a lot of the good stuff too. He comes across as cold and focused but from his short POV we see he is quick to anger, hates himself and feels unworthy, and has a lot of issues to work through. I don't think he would even realize the mating bond if it clunked him on the head. And if he did, I have to wonder if he would feel worthy of that bond either. Personally I think that will be a big part of his story--accepting himself and the fact that he does deserve love. I'm not saying he's currently incapable of it, he clearly loves the IC and in HOFAS he mentions finding people he loves. But his obsession with Mor, and his thoughts in the ACOSF bonus chapter suggest he has a long way to go. Also side note, but a forbidden romance for Azriel would be disastrous and do absolutely nothing to help with his lack of self worth.

Imagine if when asked if he has a mate he said yes. We'd all be like wtf? Since when? (Although personally I believe it's Gwyn) I don't really understand why Elriels seem perfectly fine with their ship developing off page. I want to be present for all of it. Also we have no way of knowing for sure what happened in that time after ACOSF and HOFAS, like you said. But why should we have to guess and make stuff up? We will find out in the next book. I agree with you, I can't think of any romance that developed off page. Or of a female main character who did not need to go through a painful healing arc to realize what she truly wants and needs. I only bring this up because I often see the claim that "Elain is happy and fulfilled in the night court, she has friends, she loves Az". I do not see her happy and healed at all. And if that were all true then why exactly does she need her own book?

[buryawoman]

Thank you @wisteria-wisteria for tagging me.

It is really an unexpected season for me.

From the perspective of the race.🤲

I started watching it from Baku! And I fell in love with Charles' incredible performance on that pole lap. I have the fantasy that it would be normal to see Lestappen podiums this year.Then I got struck by the poor stability of SF-23😭 (Meanwhile I was surprised by Max's consistency in competing for championship and the outstanding performance of RB19). The dominance of RBR in the first half of the season is unbelievably strong.

Then came the second half of the season.Though my baby Charles still got through some unfortunate incidents, Ferrari had obviously improved their competativeness since Suzuka. And there are also some Lestappen fights I could enjoy.😌(Most importantly, I have finally seen some positive changes of attitudes towards Charles that Scuderia Ferrari is going to build a car that will be more suitable for Charles to drive)

From the perspective of the ship😘

The Little Talk: I always know that or assume that these two drivers are not so familiar with each other outside the paddock. So I really cherish the little touch and talk they share inside the paddock in racing week. My most impressed two moments are as followed: 1.Max chased after Charles just to praise Charles' special suit in Monaco 2.Charles asked Max about the time after! he had checked his own watch. Look at these two childish guy HOW can they bring about the worst topic just to talk more with each other! Let alone the amounts of Maxplaining and Leclerifying. And one thing I want to add is Max's apologies. If a writer creates such kind of plots, I would definitely think that is a little bit exaggeration and distortation. Let's just leave this out of character plot in the fiction. Oh then Max Verstappen denied the whole thing with his genuine and hurried apology to Charles. It also reminds me that they(at least Max) separate clearly on and off the track.

The special care for each other. What is note worthy is that I found that these two cares a little too much about each other as colleagues. The "Chuck Leclerc" and lots of "inchident" Max has mentioned. The "I enjoy racing with Max" Charles has mentioned(It may not be correct but I remembered that Charles has mentioned a lot of about fighting against Max in the second half of the season). I mean, considering that they didn't share much time in private, the frequency about mentioning each other is incredible...

The Touch: My fav part about Lestappen. The chemistry between these two F1 drivers is amazing. They are always so comfortably holding each others' waist and completely make every driver near them become a third wheel😅. In Austin Max even switched the medal to another hand and held Charles before Lewis arrived to take photos. In Brazil this scene just happened again and Lance was the victim this time. In Las Vegas，Max forgot to change to the middle position and quickly grabbed Charles until Charles reminded him→_→. The footsie thing also deserves some attention. It almost becomes a kind of tradition for Lestappen Press Conference. It is usually like that: Max took the intiative, Charles just obediently let him🤤🤤🤤.

There are so many things I want to mention but I think it is time to stop.(Thanks to these two people, my babies😘)

Looking forward to see more wheel-to-wheel fights between Lestappen in 2024

[littlewestern]

Who are some IRM guys we haven't met yet? Like how you did with the planes but at the other museum.

Oh, great question! Yeah we have about a million guys at the IRM, most of whom we haven't even touched on publicly. Unfortunately, because there are so many, it's not going to be quite as in-depth (or artistically rendered) as the one about Texaco and Jenny, but I can give you a pretty good sampler with pictures and the power of imagination!

The Silver Interlopers: Birmingham and Loch Sloy

Occasional guests on the Nebraska Zephyr due to their streamlined silver appearances (even though Birmingham is actually Pullman-Standard, a great affront to the Goddesses), these two fill out the train nicely for special occasions and film shoots and are always pleased to butch up the prettiest train at the museum when called upon.

Birmingham in particular has a great story. From 1986 until his arrival at the IRM in 2004, he could be found in Lansing, IL serving as the local ice cream parlor! His interior layout as a diner made for a perfect transition into a seasonal shop. While many old railcars find new life as buildings (usually places to eat), Birmingham is very proud that he was in good enough condition to return to his original function, even if a lot of other cars make fun of him for it. Venus has to work extra hard to keep them in line when he's on the train, or Vesta will be leading the charge against him. "We already have a dining car" ain't gonna fly when you're supposed to be showing off all the silver equipment. Plus Birmingham is very well-behaved when he's guest-starring alongside them, and Venus appreciates a gentleman, even if his origins are a little humbler than her own. The rest of the Goddesses accuse her of having a soft spot. Maybe she just likes ice cream.

Loch Sloy is a Budd sleeper car, something the Goddesses do not object to quite as strongly. Since their train was never an overnight and has never had a sleeper, he's not treading on any toes. He's pretty quiet and reserved, if a little dopey looking with all those windows. That he doesn't exactly fit in visually would have been cause to give him a hard time as well if Birmingham wasn't already taking most of the heat. If anything, he gets a little bit ignored. He and Birmingham are pretty tight though, and having a name helps a lot in standing out, even if he doesn't like to draw attention to himself.

The Other Santa Fe: SF 92

One of my personal favs and definitely an engine I think deserves more of a spotlight, SF 92 was originally built as a passenger diesel in 1967, but was later overhauled to pull express freight trains as well.

The idea of an exclusively passenger diesel engine is one that was eventually phased out of use, but 92's history as one gives him a unique perspective on his role at the IRM. It's something he and Pilot have in common, and as a result the two have a relatively good working relationship. 92 is a little younger and peppier than Pilot is, and takes a less old-fashioned approach to the work, but Pilot thinks their different approaches lend a nice variety to what visitors to the IRM get to experience. Having 92 pull the Nebraska Zephyr on Diesel Days is eye-catching and a special treat for everyone. Not even the Goddesses complain too much. At least he's got silver on him!

Really though, I like the idea that 92 has a great deal of admiration for 2903. Not just because they're both AT&SF, although that's part of it. They both did mixed traffic work, which is something that 92 feels is not appreciated enough, and he thinks the wartime build of the 2900s is unique and cool! 92 underwent mechanical alterations to keep up with the changing times, and 2903's modified construction feels similar, in his opinion. Also, 2903 is cool! I just like the idea that the guy who had trouble finding his wheels at the MSI gets to come to the IRM and not only fit in but be admired and appreciated for the things that make him different is fun. I like giving 2903 nice things.

The Shunting Buds: CRI&P 4506 and IT 1605

There's a lot of shunting to be done at the IRM, so it's important to have a good lineup of switchers. Not to be outdone by CE 15's charming presence or Shay's incredible moving power, these two are the pretty faces of the shunting team and love to play it up for guests.

4506, has a sweet demeanor and bubblegum disposition, but enjoys the surprised look on people's faces when she drags a whole line of cars across the yard without breaking a sweat. It's not easy looking this good when you're also trying to get everyone into position for a busy day of work, but she makes it look like a cakewalk.

1605 is equally charming, if a bit more of a showboat. Maybe he's making up for being more citrus than sweet. 1650's been at the IRM longer and did his work efficiently alone for the better part of two decades, but when 4506 arrived he readily stepped into the spotlight alongside her. It makes the work more fun!

The two together make an extremely efficient team, being a similar class but built one year apart. They work from the same playbook and make shunting work look like it was choreographed ahead of time. Since they look so cute together with their similar but contrasting liveries, people assume they're "together" but it's more of an act for the visitors than anything. 1605 has designs on setting 4506 up with 92. He thinks the red and blue would look real cute together.

Imagine living in Ohio: SHRT 18 and CTUSU 19

A pair from the (now defunct) Trolleyville museum who were then sold to the (also now defunct) Lake Shore Electric Railway in Cleveland, these two have been through a lot together! 19 in particular has a very interesting history that I think is ripe for characterization.

CTUSU 19 is a transplant, first built in 1914 by Brill and lived out his service live south of the border in Veracruz. This in itself would be enough for me, because I love the idea of a Mexican streetcar immigrating to Ohio, but it gets better! The JG Brill company only built 18 of this particular open car, so this one being numbered 19 is interesting in and of itself! The IRM website suggests that 19 was cobbled together out of spare parts from older or wrecked cars. I love this concept, I think the idea of a mysterious foreigner hiding his pedigree because of that unsavory little detail is fascinating. Of course, now it doesn't even matter because the IRM thrives on strange little misfits. Maybe 18 tries to convince him it's a good detail to share, but 19 is steadfast in preserving his mystique. Can't say I blame him.

Like Spitfire learning German for his bestie, I like to imagine 18 being a fluent Spanish-speaker in order to keep his bestie informed and engaged with the visitors, though I expect by now 19 is no slouch when it comes to speaking English, unlike some warplanes.

The Green Hornet: CTA 4391

This little lady got a mention in the letters, so it's only natural that she's on the character roster as well. I'm particularly fond of the postwar PCCs for their gorgeous colors and elegant design, and when DJ suggested that she might make a good match for 40B given their shared even-tempered dispositions and desire for timely, sedate transit, I was 100% game. It's nice that they're both green, too!

There's a few others we're looking at characterizing in the future, including a sommelier car and his milk-carrying companion, and the remaining Oscar Meyer Reefer Cars, four of whom live at the IRM now but several of whom were traded in exchange for a CB&Q engine. More on that story another time, perhaps. Thanks for the ask!

[starssecret]

Here are my skeletons for Bad reset Best outcome! :D

Hey! I have more information out now about them and their partners!

Loved doing these so much <3 I wanted to give them unique nicknames as well as outfits (tho some just fit like originally- Sans lol)

I tried to make it so all their names match Y/N in someway! Or would be like a nickname their S/O would call them.

(and dw I’ll post about Y/N next lol)

under the cut for more info!

So left to right- top to bottom we have

Meteorite and Rocket for Classic UT

Lucky and Bee for Underswap

Shadow and Knight for Underfell

Chardonnay and Silver for Swapfell

Pumpkin and Muffin for Horrortale

(Pinot) Noir and (Coffee) Bean for FellSwapGold

UT:

Y’all I think we’re sleeping on giving classic sans space themed names- like you’re telling me this man is ND and loves space and wouldn’t name himself smth Sciencey or space themed? Wrong lol.

As for Rocket- I was trying to think of smth to match sunshine, and I thought about smth like Sky- but thought Rocket and just yes lol

US:

Finding a matching name to match Lucky’s S/O was so hard lol- but I like how it works now :] Also Lucky's and Rocket's outfits are SO GOOD imo lol I like how sporty they are- but still fit their character you know?

Bee was pretty easy though lol, his S/O's nickname is Hunny, so Bee followed naturally lol and he's just cute let's be honest <3 ALSO it's a little hard to see- but he has a tooth gap in his front two teeth <3 the upper half lol I just had too- too cute to pass up <3

UF:

SHADOW- Ok so his S/O is Doll, so obvs I was drawing blanks, but I saw a website list Shadow as a nickname for a boyfriend... and spent 20 mins laughing my ass off about it. And nothing else worked better so I kept it lol. 10/10 name- I think Y/N deserves to call him Shadow the hedgehog all they like lol

Knight was easy lol- design and name wise. I already knew his S/O’s name was Prince/ss (depends on gender lol- and if you don’t like either of those just a neutral Royal title lol) so every good Royal person has a knight in shingling armor- so Knight it was lol.

SF:

Chardonnay- Ok I'll be the first to admit, I didn't originally plan on adding Noir when I started (More commonly Wine) so I was cool giving a wine name to Chardonnay and now there are two lmao. But I think Chardonnay is good for SF sans, Also his clothes? 20/10 in love.

Silver- ugh poor Silver, I'm gonna make him relive his trauma :[ but he was an addict underground, and was clean above, but now he's thrown back in the middle of it. So not happy :[ I chose silver as him name since everyone always names him after like money and such, and to semi-match Angel his S/O

HT:

Angst angst angst, Pumpkin! Took forever to decide on his name. His S/O is Lamb, so I almost went with smth like Steak, Bull, or Beast but I didn't like those. But remembered about calling people Pumpkin and fell in love <3 I would so call him that lol Also the handmade stitches in his clothes to repair them <333

ANGST ANGST ANGST, Muffin! Is so baby nil <333 Obviously an adult, but so soft and sweet. He tries so hard, tho- his poor S/O Sugar- well- you'll see soon lol. But Muffin and Sugar just felt right lol <3

FSG:

Ok I think I need to explain myself a little here lol. So his name is (Pinot) Noir, meaning his full name is Pinot Noir like the red wine, but he just goes by Noir. But I didn't want Noir on it's own without the wine context lol. So he's got like two nicknames lol. He's super classy tho lol, I almost put him in a suit but I decided that was too much- so I settled for vest and dress shirt lol.

Same for (Coffee) Bean, I kind of wanted to just keep Coffee, but I re-did everyone else so I had too T~T But I wanted them all drink themed lol. His S/O is Cocoa lol so they both match on theme <3 But also- if you call 'em Bean you could get away with calling him a Beanie Baby, so win! lmao

But yeah! These are the boys! Y/N designs soon to follow! :D

[midnight-in-town]

Wanted to ask you if Anya’s powers are really a part of the war intrigue in SF? We know she’s experimented on but are we sure that’s related to war against Westalis? Thanks

Hey Anon! Well, anything is possible at this point but considering the very first chapter of the series...

...we know Anya has been experimented on as part of a "world peace" (read: war) project, so I'd say it's very likely her backstory and powers are incredibly relevant to the war between Ostania and Westalis.

That being said, we don't know who these scientists are. Were they working for Ostania or Westalis or yet another country? We do not know and I still think it's way too early to diss on either country, since it's likely both have had a role to play in this war (both Twilight and Yor as well as Yuri are war orphans because of the others' country to begin with).

So I think discovering about Anya's powers is key to the main plot and it indeed probably has to do with Twilight's mission of infiltrating Donovan's (the far right political party's head) circle and, who knows, maybe with Garden's agenda as well (I mean, Yor is super strong: it could be the result of training or of some military experiments for all we know, especially since Garden's already a shady organization as it is).

Only time will tell but, since Anya's the only omniscient character but also a kid who's been abandoned many times (it's currently played for laughs but it's actually sad af), ultimately the story calls for Twilight and Yor to realize how much she's been through and that she needs and deserves a good functioning family to help her grow. That sounds more like the subplot of the final arc of the series to me but Endo-sensei might still surprise us!

I hope it answers your question, have a good weekend!

[my-mt-heart]

I'm seated right now. Thanks, SF and MT, for your input.

It's making sense, he's trying to sabotage DD and as soon as promotion for TOWL starts (after the strike), we will probably see a major difference.

But even without any proofs, AMC would notice that too right? They didn't greenlit the movies and bruised his ego. Why keeping him if he's only costing more money?

But maybe it's just me, MT already explained it somewhere, I will never understand how they can promote someone for damage control and not just kicking him out for creative differences or business reasons....

The whole PR since April 2022 and how they treated the whole project is just bizarre and unprofessional. (The same goes for the male employees, JDM, NR, GN)

Why throw millions into the wind and hope one project will be a great success? They're already loosing money on every dead end.

I think SF said a while back that there were a lot of personnel changes at AMC in the last couple years and that’s what made it easier for Gimple to make a mess of things 😑 It’s shitty from a moral standpoint. Someone who maliciously sets up two talented women to lose their jobs doesn’t deserve one himself, but like you said, it also makes no business sense to keep placating him while he costs them more and more money. I think TOWL will be the highest rated spinoff of the three, but I don’t trust his writing nearly enough to expect those characters and those fans to get the high quality storytelling they deserve. As for the eventual Caryl spinoff, I can only hope he isn’t actively involved.

[prose-mortem]

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon: ARC Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Samantha Shannon has universes inside of her mind, and I feel so lucky to be privy to the mythologies, poetries, and magic she brings forth through her writing. This book is in the top five favorite fantasy books of all time for me, which is really saying something since I read around 300 books per year… most of which are SF/F. A Day of Fallen Night is a masterpiece, and I will be recommending it to every single person willing to discuss books with me.

This fantasy work is the book that women+, femmes, and women who love women deserve. Every female character is deeply cultivated and nurtured in terms of character development and page time, which I cannot say for most fantasy books being written these days. A wide range of ages is represented from girlhood to elder years, and that is so very meaningful since many fantasy works are more skewed toward a teenage audience. While there is nothing wrong with a market for younger readers, we need a place for people above the age of 23 to be able to self-actualize and find themselves through the books they read. Women of all ages are heroes, and they deserve to be seen in all their glory, regardless of the season of life they are in. As one of Shannon’s characters says: “If women are flowers, we are not roses, but day’s eyes- blooming not once, but over and over, each time the light touches us.”

Although any male/men+ characters who appear in the book are crafted with care and attention, the emphasis is less on romantic (and sexual) love between men and women, but rather is centered on friendship. Though men in Shannon’s book are meaningful and heartfelt, they never steal the show from the women+/female characters. The real romances and complexities of passion are given to the women—the sapphic element of Shannon’s book(s) being one of the most appealing to me. Even though this work of fantasy is far from being all sunshine and roses, it feels like a safe space to explore relationships between women with all their nuances and challenges.

The thing about big fantasy books is that they can also be slow burns. Some people enjoy a slow, but methodical approach to storytelling, but I would be lying if I said I was one of them. Shannon’s book is a BIG ONE, but I failed to find a single dull or boring moment the entire time I was burning through it. As with many fantasy works, the story is told from the perspectives of a few main characters (mostly women), with the occasional, important side character added in as the book progresses. (There are nonbinary characters too with they/them pronouns!) With many big (nearly 1,000 pages) works like this, I usually find myself loving one or two characters, but being bored with the others… sometimes feeling like I want to skip the chapters with perspectives of the characters I find less interesting. I loved every single character in A Day of Fallen Night and found myself re-reading passages because the prose was just that beautiful or pivotal. There is something to enchant you in every paragraph whether it is amazing poetry, deep wisdom, or a juicy unfurling of one of the beloved characters. In short, Samantha Shannon has a rare gift, even in a market as massive as fantasy storytelling. Every word is potent, and every chapter is as inviting as the last. There is no filler or sense that she is trying to rush through the plot. Every moment is purposeful and delightful, and my hat is off to Shannon for her skillset.

You may be thinking at this point: “Sounds great! You didn’t really tell me much about the book’s plot though.” The truth is that I can’t dive too deeply into the details because this is one of those books that is best enjoyed when almost every morsel is allowed to flower in the moment. Simply put, it would be all too easy to ruin something for another reader, and I do not want to steal that experience from anyone. What I will say is that as much as I obsessed over The Priory of the Orange Tree, this book is even better (It’s hard to imagine, I know.). A Day of Fallen Night takes place about 500 years before the events in Priory of the Orange Tree, so if you read POTOT first, you will find some easter eggs and “aha!” moments in this prequel. For those who might read ADOFN first (since they can be read in any order), I am pleased to tempt you/them with the knowledge that there are talking dragons, adventures in the peaks of the high mountains, magic, and so many beautiful moments that give you chills when you realize where Shannon is going with a plot idea or character connection. So, if you want to give yourself the best treat in the world and live several lifetimes within the span of a book cover, this is the number one book you will want to read in 2023.

Lastly, I am so grateful to the publishers and creatives at Bloomsbury and Netgalley who sent me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. To you lovelies, it may have been another approval request on a Wednesday, but you wielded the kind of magic nestled in the realms of humans and transformed my week into something beautiful and enrapturing. Thank you so much.

[formulaonedirection]

Hello I'm bored and procrastinating so here's the F1 gifmaker ask game that THEE @princemick tagged me in!

1. which drivers do you mainly make gifs for?

I make mostly Lewis, Lando and Daniel gifs. There’s probably a lot less of Lewis and Daniel gifs than I WISH I had honestly only simply because there’s so many gorgeous gorgeous Lewis and Daniel gif makers on here and there used to be a lot less Lando ones but YOU KNOW WHAT. That shouldn’t stop me. I should just gif it if I want to RIGHT?? LOL. Also I’m like one of two people on here who make Max Fewtrell gifs. 

2. out of the above (if more than 1), who’s your fav to make gifs for and why?

I do like making Lando gifs because he makes about 75 different expressions so every frame is a joy but he also has the most confusing colour tone for me so it’s always an adventure making Lando gifs. 

3. link the fav gif set you’ve made and tell me a lil about it

Listen I don’t make a lot of like ~creative~ gifs even though I really want to and when I have a little bit more time to experiment I WILL but I think if you look at the original video I deserve a medal for lighting this gifset, I also like this one it’s really cute and I liked making it I think it’s very #nadiacore aesthetically and okay here are some Lewis gifs I was messing around with and that I really like but haven’t found a good way to use yet

4. link your fav gif set from another creator

Oh man @josefnewgayden is literally one of the greats but specifically THIS ONE blew my mind. And this one is one of my favs too

5. off the top of your head!! tell me about the most memorable tag you’ve received recently

@nandofuckersfc saying if she met Lando in the woods she would very deliberately not tell him her name made me laugh out loud so hard and literally SO true.

6. which f1 media source (post race interviews, sf full accesses, no brakes, sharl’s vlogs, tiktoks, etc) is your fav to make gifs from?

Love a good Landolog I think they're filmed SO well shoutout Ash, most of the things Mercedes puts out are great too, stable filming, good quality. Underrated source we should mine more is the little cheesy videos on Lewis' youtube page because those are super high quality too. And extremely cute. No kudos to every piece of shit garbage video McLaren have put out since Henrik stop filming them. Henrik....come back to me....

7. tag someone else!!

idk who hadn't done it so I'm just tagging some gif makers i love no pressure @lewisbian @paxdemon @overtake @44lh

[kitkatt0430]

Time for another Flash episode. And the jerky camera work is not off to a good start.

So Blaine is now playing mechanical engineer for Red Death and he still hasn't gotten anything out of this relationship.

"A superstitious and cowardly lot" Red Death says of criminals. As if she is not one herself.

I think Barry & Iris are getting a little too caught up in the 'avatar of the negative speed force' thing. The Speed Force has lots of speedsters and Nora 1.0 proved that more than one speedster can use the negative speed force at a time... sometimes a speedster is just... angry. (Of all the retcons, what they've done with the Negative Speed Force and the other negative Forces I like the least. The N!SF was originally just something Eobard made himself. Which was a big deal when it inspired Barry and Cisco to attempt the same thing... and foreshadowed that the ASF would have bad side effects. It's now it's own living thing? That's... whatever, it never totally made sense that the N!SF survived the Eobard being erased from the timeline anyway.)

Oh, hey, Jenna gets to be a person again. The show has remembered this child exists again!!! Now if only her parents would do the sensible thing and move the hell out of Central City. I would hope that they'd sell the house to Barry and Iris, though. It's a gorgeous house, been in the family for two generations now. It should stay in the family.

I'm proud of the Central City citizens who realize red lightning is bad news and got the heck out of dodge when Red Death showed up. Could have done with less screaming, but they have learned to book it when a bad speedster shows up.

Oh, it's Roy Bivolo! Haven't seen him since S1. I'm so glad to see him. And he's learned new tricks and emotions to mess with. Also... he kinda deserves a little vengeance after the pipeline thing in S1.

Blaine unsurprisingly protects Barry's identity from the last people in the city who don't know the Flash's real name. Because of course Blaine has to be wrestling with his conscience and it's leading up to some heel face turn that I honestly don't care about because at this point he's used up his chances to be even remotely sympathetic.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Khione continues to be nature girl and inspires Allegra and Chester to get in touch with their new Rogue friends using a metaphor about static electricity. But if talking in metaphor is getting a bit annoying at this point since that's all she does. If that's her super power - making nature based metaphors - then it kinda sucks. I'm honestly not seeing why the show writers killed Caitlin off if this is the best they can manage with Khione.

But hey, looks like we're getting Hartley, Goldface, and Jaco back after all. Fun times. :D

Red Death torturing Barry for the funsies. While Barry makes speeches. Fun times.

Oooh, is that the real Ryan? Does this mean that I was right about the multiverse finally getting reintroduced??? Then again she does have the skunk stripe too, but maybe they just decided her hair is styled that way now. Either way, Ryan and Iris getting a chance to bond is something I've been wanting since it was announced Ryan would be in this season.

Still... something about Ryan seems off... and that skunk stripe. I don't think I trust this is the real Ryan.

So I feel like they wouldn't have needed the Rogues if they still had Cisco. Chester just... is not as good under pressure as Cisco was. Though Hartley showing up and being all smug about his toys and then... his speedster tracker doesn't work. *snicker*

Red Death showing off fancy new tricks is cool and convinces me that the Ryan with Iris isn't the real Ryan. But I'm also pretty sure Iris suspects something is off too, so hopefully I'll be proven right about that.

So Red Death 'built their own speed' so they made an ASF of their own. Which is what the Negative SF started off as...

Woohoo, Iris suspects Ryan's a fake. Go Iris. She's just so awesome.

'Another timeline'. Let's just call it the multiverse mmkay?

Red Death stopping thought crime and presumably killing criminals instead of catching them. No wonder the alt timeline's Flash fought her. There are lines she shouldn't have crossed and it sounds like she crossed them. And... if she needs this Iris to talk to that other Barry... did Ryan kill her 'best friend'?

Barry trying to talk Blaine around. *flat tone* yay. Who would have seen that coming?

Using Frost as an example of Barry giving second chances isn't a bad decision, but oh wow was the situation so different there. Frost was struggling to find herself as a person, afraid of Caitlin who was suppressing her, and everyone assumed she'd be evil before she ever had a chance to make her own choices. It was less 'giving her a second chance' and more 'giving her that first chance they'd failed to the first time around'.

I know. I'm a Frost apologist. *sigh* But seriously, I see people in the fandom getting upset over Frost never apologizing herself and being easily forgiven but first? Practically no one apologizes on this show and everyone's easily forgiven. And second? No one gave Frost a chance to be anything but evil in S3. None of them. Especially Caitlin. Even Barry 'reaching out' in the pipeline was him urging Caitlin to take control and Caitlin to be a good person.

Anyway, back to Iris and Ryan and the more interesting conversation... I gosh, I was right. Red Death killed her reality's Iris West. Whoops. Maybe you shouldn't have been trying to kill your besty's husband and you wouldn't have killed Iris instead, Ryan.

Iris pointing out the flaws in Ryan's story is great. But sadly interrupted by the storm knocking out my power for several seconds. So time to save a draft and come back later.

Okay, storm has calmed down and the worst has moved past my area. I still have power so I'm gonna finish this episode.

Back to Iris calling out Ryan for lying and twisting the truth.

So the Red Death's armor coming to her is a neat sequence but a little... uncanny valley at points?

I do like Cecile's telekinesis. But Joe is right about them needing to move.

And Hartley's machine works! Also Blaine double crosses Red Death and proves to be a better no-power fighter than Barry is. I will give him that much.

Oh! did Allegra pull Nash's teleporter out of storage?

I was hoping for some more Rogues vs Rogues fighting. But i guess next episode? I wonder if Blaine's actually dead. I mean. I'd like to be done with his character but it's a comic based super hero show and i don't believe a character is dead if I don't see the dead body. And even then, how many times has Sara been dead?

And what was the point of the Joe wanting to move plot if there's no pay off? Because him deciding to stay is just a return to form after not really having anything of substance happen. Like, seriously, what was the point of that subplot?

And Red Death declares war in the end. But I gotta wonder. What's been happening with the real Ryan? Has she been dumped into the Red Death's reality? (timeline? Whatever.) I really hope we get to see her next episode to know she's okay.

Okays, so final thoughts on the episode was, not nearly enough time with the Team Flash ally Rogues, way too much time spent on subplots that go nowhere (Joe wanting to move, the Allegra/Chester nonsense, Khione rambling about nature), and I guess parallel timelines are the new multiverse?

I do think that Khione is correct in real world terms about every life being precious and it being important to try to save lives when you can. But I also think Hartley probably made the right call getting them the hell out of Dodge with Nash's teleporter. Even at Blaine's expense. They do Blaine no good if they die too. No one deserves to die a terrible death, but needlessly sacrificing yourself to save someone else's life when doing so won't actually achieve that goal? No one can save everyone. Not even heroes.

Sometimes Barry has to be dragged, kicking and screaming, away from the brink of martyring himself. This was probably one of those times.

It seems like, as has become a hallmark of the show in recent seasons, the pacing of the various plots is all over the place in a very bad way. Dragging out plots that should have been short or cut altogether and then rushing the main plot as a result. So I'm sure there will be more of that in the next episode.

Speaking of which, based on the trailer it looks like Red Death will be taking a play out of Zoom's book next and going after the CCPD. And of course Barry's speed has been drained - again. Bringing in Red Death was a really cool idea for the final season but... once again... the Flash seems to be suffering from poor execution of good ideas. It's not as bad as last season - at least Red Death has a single plan and motivation instead of three conflicting plans that make zero sense when executed simultaneously - but that just puts it on par with season 7 and I wasn't exactly impressed with that one.

If the team ups with Hartley end with the Red Death: Rogue War plot then I honestly don't know if I'll be sticking it out. I mean... I am interested in the return of Jay Garrick and Bloodwork coming back for round two - since Bloodwork's time as the show's main villain was probably the last time the show had good pacing and had subplots that were relevant to the main plot and interconnected everything really neatly - but there's a difference between interested and excited and I'm just... never excited about the show anymore.

[acourtofthought]

same anon that sent the ask about Needless Suffering ask but your reply just made me realize I'm SOOOO excited for azriel to suffer for gwyn lmao. his chapter made him so icky in my eyes I can't wait for him to grovel and be humbled kfgjn. but you hit the nail on the head of everything I was thinking, especially about lucien!! I think I'm probably too in MY head about gwyn here because I know it truly wouldn't make sense for her to be hurt; it just hurts me to think about I suppose because of all of her trauma being similar to my own. the thought of not being pure or good enough (which is something I've seen e/riel's play up a lot, they've built this entire love triangle that makes gwyn's pain inescapable) for someone because of something that happened to you is just devastating.

I know SJM could absolutely change her mind but NOTHING she's but in any of her recent books have pointed to her doing so. I really appreciate your response, it makes me so excited for the next book. I know a lot of people want it to be azriel's and I wouldn't be mad if it was, but it just makes more sense of it's lucien and elain's book because their story has been building for the longest.

I just want to start by sending you many hugs ❤️ I hope you've got a wonderful support system that's there for whenever you're feeling caught up in the past and I'm hoping any bad days are strongly outnumbered by the good ❤️

And thank you for the follow up message, it's always nice to share in a little back and forth.

I truly don't think you need to worry about a negative outcome for Gwyn. I realize SJM doesn't always dedicate the appropriate time to a SA survivors healing (as in the case with Rhys and Lucien though maybe we'll get a little more of Lucien's processing of his own SA), though that is sometimes the norm in fantasy series but she's not done a survivor wrong yet. Rhys ended up happy and loved and cherished and considering this was a huge focus of Gwyn's backstory (whereas characters like Rhys and Lucien tend to have their SA overshadowed by the other things happening to them), I am even more confident that Gwyn is not going to be used as a plot device to boost another ship. She is not going to be a villain. She is not going to be written as the one keeping Az from his "one true love".

I do agree that Elucien's book would make more sense because Lucien has suffered a huge amount when it comes to the mating bond, it feels like it's time and Elain does deserve to finally have a voice in this series (rather than everyone assuming what it is she's thinking).

As far as Az, I do think he needs to suffer a bit. Him being mad because he didn't get a bond or the girl he wanted (Mor) isn't really Az reaching a low point in my opinion. Not when you think about the stuff the others have gone through since the start of the series (the sisters being kidnapped and changed into a new species, the death of their father, various traumas, domestic violence for Feyre and Lucien, Lucien's brothers trying to kill him (AGAIN😂) losing their homes, etc).

If Az were to get a fulfilled bond in the next book, it will almost be like SJM rewarding his bad behavior.

In SF he still isn't over Mor completely and lusted after Elain. He's also insanely jealous of Lucien, letting that jealously cloud his judgement to the point that he's bitter when having to ask Lucien for help with IC business, claiming he's not good enough for Elain, and not blinking over the thought of causing him physical harm.

I think for Az to truly be humbled, he needs to see Elain and Lucien happy together and to make peace with that (not even because of Elain, at this point it's really about his bitterness towards Lucien) and then he'll be deserving of Gwyn. Something about Az being so cold towards Lucien in ACOFAS / SF then Az getting rewarded with his mate in the very next book (while Lucien still suffers) and him being nice to Lucien because he finally got his own bond doesn't sit right with me. It's like a 13 year old child throwing a temper tantrum because they didn't get presents at a siblings birthday party and only behaving once you promise to buy them a present too even though it's not their birthday. The lesson only means something once the child learns to sit through the siblings birthday party with a positive attitude without getting gifts themselves, that just because someone else is getting something doesn't mean they automatically do too. And at that point and with that lesson learned, where he can feel happiness for what someone like Lucien has despite not getting it himself, he is then worthy of his own bond with Gwyn. She deserves better than to be Az's "tantrum reward".

But even if SJM sees it differently and Elucien isn't next, I have no doubt that Gwyn will not be made to suffer. I'm sure we'll see her stand up to Az and call him out at times but she'll only continue growing and healing in her book, she's not going to be made to suffer to because of the things someone else has going on.

[juniwilson]

To Be Honest | Para

Featuring: Juniper Grimaldi & Robin Wilson; mentions of Clover Wilson, and Atlas, @chris-grimaldi​ , Matt & Isaac Grimaldi Location: Chris’s SF home Notes: Robin checks in on the sibling he’s always been closest too.

Her breasts ached, her head hurt, the nausea was still pronounced despite losing her breakfast, and she was tired. She’d always felt tired these days, it seemed like the most dominant of her symptoms. Through baby food prep, walks around the neighborhood, yoga sessions, tummy time and crawling practice with Atlas, a couple days’ meal prep for themself and Robin, routine maintenance of her aquarium tank, and all of the free time now had, Juniper couldn’t stop feeling tired.

Matt and Isaac had come by almost every day and Juniper could only guess that Chris had asked them to check in on her while he was in New York. Between the two of them and Clover, she’d been especially grateful for the visits for Atlas’s sake since it meant that she was able to lie down and not have to worry about him. She also didn’t want to take advantage of the supports of her family or her friends, no matter how willing they all were to be helpful.

Today though, Clover staked claim of Atlas and insisted that she was long overdue for an aunt-nephew day of fun. The weather was going to cut the ‘day’ considerably shorter, but Clover still wanted her one-on-one time. Juniper made sure he was dressed for the rainy weather and double-checked that the diaper bag was stocked with diapers, wipes, teething toys, an extra set of clothes and some organic applesauce pouches. They loaned theirs and Robin’s car to their baby sister, showered Atlas’s face in kisses, and promised that they would be a phone call away if Clover needed anything.

Not long after their sister and son left, Juniper refilled their water bottle and headed upstairs to lie down. No sooner had their head come to rest on their pillows, a knock sounded against theirs and Chris’s bedroom door. Juniper lifted their head and saw Robin standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

“Hey,” he spoke. “Can I come in?”

Juniper nodded, “Yes, of course,” while shifting to sit up more.

Robin shook his head as he approached, “It’s okay, you can lie down if you need to. I just wanted to come check on you, see if you need anything.”

Settling back down on the bed, Juniper frowned, “I threw up before Clover came by. And I was planning to do laundry today, but I just feel so tired. I’m trying to push through it, but--”

“Hey,” Robin cut through in his usual serious calm. “Don’t push yourself right now, Juniper. You’ve got both you and your bun to think of.”

Hearing her brother refer to the new baby as a ‘bun’ made Juniper crack a faint, brief smile but it faded as she said, “You’re right.” Instinctively, her hand went to her stomach, cradling her hand to it.

“I know I’ve been busy with work, and you’ve been keeping busy around here and with Atlas, but tell me the truth: how are you doing?”

Juniper was looking down to the foot of the bed where Robin was perched, the same striking blue eyes as theirs staring right back at them. “I’m still so sad about my job but I’m trying not to dwell on it for too long. Any time that I do, I start crying again. I’m happy for Chris and all he’s achieved and doing now. He’s deserved the recognition and the chances to do the things that he wants. But I miss him, and it’s hard not having him here right now. Harder than I expected compared to when he first talked to me about it, or even when he found out he was cast in the lead role. I know that that has a lot to do with me losing my job on the heels of finding out that we’re having another baby. And with the pregnancy news, I... have a lot of feelings around that.”

Robin tilted his head a fraction, “Feelings like what?”

“Just like Atlas, this little bun wasn’t planned. Atlas is only seven months old. I know Chris and I won’t love either of them any more or less than the other, but I hope that we’ll be able to handle it all. I hope that I’ll be able to handle it all. Atlas is still going through some major milestones. He’s not crawling or walking or talking yet and barely has his first tooth coming in. I’m still breastfeeding him, and I’m enjoying making him his own baby foods and introducing them to him. I want to start him in swim classes we can do, and look into mommy and me yoga classes for us to do together. I know that all of that is still possible now. It’s... just going to be more challenging. I don’t want to miss out on things for Atlas, and to be able to love and raise both babies without neglecting either of them.” Pausing for a moment, Juniper fought some stinging in their eyes and said, “I’m just scared. I’m happy about our family growing, but I’m scared, Robin.”

Robin got up from the bed and sat closer, collecting his sibling in his arms for a hug. He felt them hug him back and cry into the crook of his arm. Robin could only imagine the numerous ways their emotions were fractured into, just from the things they’d shared. Add to that whatever hormonal matters they were dealing with and Robin had been truly worried. Chris was on the other side of the country and Robin didn’t know his schedule. He considered calling reinforcements in the form of their parents or possibly more of their siblings, but he also didn’t want to overwhelm or stress Juniper out more. He knew that they had a number of friends who were local and would probably show up too but that might have the same reaction of overwhelming or stressing them out.

“June,” Robin spoke, a little lower than his usual voice while still holding her. “Would you want to spend some time with some of your friends, or some of the family?”

Juniper sniffed and sighed, wiping their eyes with their thumb. “I don’t know... not right now. Maybe... it might be nice to see my friends later, or tomorrow. Maybe I can video call Dad and Mom or something.”

“Maybe,” echoed Robin. “Maybe they’d come down to visit. Or maybe you’d be able to go up to Seattle and see them for a few days.”

Juniper had still been frowning a bit but considered what her brother was suggesting. “It would be nice. I haven’t been home since last Spring, before Atlas was born.” She recalled the trip, the barbecue with the entire family meeting Chris and vice versa.

“Think it over. If it’s something you really want to do. Then talk it over with Chris and make it happen.” It was the only thing Robin could think of in the moment, but he considered still reaching out to a few of their siblings as well as a fw of Juniper’s local friends.

Robin kept on holding Juniper until they’d settled down almost completely. He rubbed their back a little and then encouraged, “Get some rest. The laundry will be there when you’ve the energy. I’d offer to help with it but you know I’m lousy with sorting. Hence the beauty of ninety-nine percent of my wardrobe being black.”

Juniper smiled wearily at their brother, wiping their eyes once more. “Thank you, Robin. And thank you for checking up on me. It means a lot to me to have you here, although speaking of that, Clover mentioned that you two are thinking of moving into the townhouse together?”

Robin shrugged, “...Maybe. With this massive place only having four bedrooms, it doesn’t really leave room for Atlas and the new bun to have their own bedrooms, and for you guys to have guest space. Clover likes her roommate, but the tenants renting the townhouse are planning to move out this summer, so it would work out, and Clover’s gonna ask her roommate if her roommate wants to move in there.”

Juniper nodded, “That does make sense. I’m glad you had the idea of keeping the townhouse and renting it out when we moved here.” They gave Robin another hug and thanked him again for checking on them.

Robin returned the hug and said, “Get some rest, June. Take care of yourself and the bun. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

At that, Juniper tugged half of the comforter over her body, the exhaust already flooding over her. Despite the cacophony of thoughts and feelings still restless in her mind, she was asleep before Robin reached the stairs’ ground floor landing.