#CAT vs MAT

[bangalorestudy01]

Difference Between CAT and MAT Exams: Which One Should You Take?

Introduction:

Aspiring to pursue an MBA but confused about which entrance exam to take—CAT or MAT? You’re not alone. Both the Common Admission Test (CAT) and Management Aptitude Test (MAT) are popular entrance exams in India for MBA and PGDM admissions, but they serve different purposes and are accepted by different institutes.

In this guide, we’ll break down the difference between CAT and MAT exams, including exam pattern, eligibility, difficulty level, accepting colleges, and more—so you can make the right decision for your career.

Overview of CAT and MAT

Feature - CAT (Common Admission Test) - MAT (Management Aptitude Test)

Conducted By - IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) - AIMA (All India Management Association)

Frequency - Once a year - Four times a year

Mode - Online (CBT) - Online & Offline

Accepting Colleges - IIMs, IITs, top-tier B-Schools - 600+ B-Schools across India

Difficulty Level - High - Moderate

What is CAT?

The CAT Exam is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and is a gateway to the top B-schools in India, including IIMs, IITs, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, and more.

CAT Exam Pattern:

Sections:

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

Duration: 120 minutes

Mode: Computer-Based Test

Marking Scheme: +3 for correct, -1 for wrong answers

CAT Exam Eligibility:

Bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST)

Final-year students can also apply

What is MAT?

The MAT Exam is conducted by AIMA and is accepted by over 600 B-schools, mostly in the private and Tier-2/Tier-3 category. It is more flexible and less competitive than CAT.

MAT Exam Pattern:

Sections:

Language Comprehension

Intelligence & Critical Reasoning

Mathematical Skills

Data Analysis & Sufficiency

Indian & Global Environment

Duration: 150 minutes

Mode: Paper-Based, Computer-Based, and Internet-Based

Marking Scheme: +1 for correct, -0.25 for wrong answers

MAT Exam Eligibility:

Bachelor's degree in any discipline

No minimum percentage required

Final-year students are eligible

Key Differences: CAT vs MAT

Criteria - CAT - MAT

Exam Authority - IIMs - AIMA

Difficulty Level - High - Moderate

Exam Frequency - Once a year - 4 times a year

Score Validity - 1 year - 1 year

Exam Mode - Only Online - Online & Offline

Accepting Institutes - IIMs, top-tier B-Schools - Mid-tier & private B-Schools

Ideal For - Students aiming for top institutes - Students seeking flexibility and wider options

Colleges Accepting CAT and MAT Scores

Top Colleges Accepting CAT:

IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow

FMS Delhi

MDI Gurgaon

SPJIMR Mumbai

IITs (for MBA/Management programs)

Top Colleges Accepting MAT:

Christ University, Bangalore

Alliance University

Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS)

IILM University

MS Ramaiah Institute of Management

Which Exam Should You Choose?

Choose CAT if:

You're aiming for top-tier colleges like the IIMs or IITs

You're confident in quantitative, logical, and verbal reasoning

You're ready to put in rigorous preparation

Choose MAT if:

You want multiple attempts in a year

You're targeting mid-tier B-schools

You're looking for more flexibility in mode and schedule

Final Thoughts:

Both CAT and MAT are excellent entry points into India’s management education ecosystem. Your choice should depend on your academic strengths, target colleges, and career goals. If you’re still unsure, expert counseling can help.

Need Help Choosing the Right MBA Path?

Visit BangaloreStudy.com to compare colleges, entrance exams, fees, and more. Get personalized counseling to choose the best MBA route for 2025.

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[ruffffffing]

I WAST TRIARNTYHIK TO TRADE ON WCUE AND WHEN I WS TRYING TO LOAD IN THE MROPHS THEY WANTED I ACCIDETNYL DID SAVE AND THE MORPH IS GONE AND THEN I LEFT OTU OF EMBRASSMENT AND REALIZED THEY PROBALYH THINK IM A STEALER IM KILLKNG EVERYFIN ON ESRTH AND HTN MYSELF OH MY GOD

[gallusrostromegalus]

hi i see that you have much smart dog experience. i may have accidentally purchased such a dog. she's only 10 weeks, and ive had her 1, and she's already outmatched every puzzle feeder i got or have made. to the point that she is morosely disappointed when her food comes in an actual food bowl. do you know where i can find like. "heres 100 enrichment toys you can make out of free trash so your dog stops eating fucking rocks for enrichment" lists. i only have so many paper towel tubes XD

Herschel now just disassembles puzzle feeders, so I've been focusing on "Toys that, even if he already knows how to operate them, will still take TIME for him to collect the treat from" to give him something to fuss with.

Herschel eats all his meals out of a Kong Wobbler, because he will otherwise eat so fast he will literally inhale and choke on his kibble and I do not need him developing pneumonia from aspiration. Even though it's a "Simple" toy it slows him down and he does have to think a bit to tip it in the most efficient manner possible. Kong's "Flipz", "Gyro" and "Rewards Wally" are also really good "dog needs to think/carefully manipulate the toy for food" toys that act as both mental stimulation and exercise and "give human a break for up to twelve minutes" toys.

I highly reccomend KONG as a brand- they're local to Denver and have an impeccable saftey record and all of the toys I have gotten from them have held up extremely well vs. the ravages of three entirely too smart and strong-jawed dogs at once.

Some more thoughts:

If she's not prone to shredding rubber, the kind of treat toys she has to chew are also good stimulation.

If you don't want to give her That Many treats, my vet said that dogs can have as many green beans as they want. Just make sure that the beans haven't had salt added to them- canned usually does, but frozen green beans usually don't, but always check the label.

You can make nearly any toy last longer, or make a cheap long-puzzle by freezing the treats so they take longer to eat AND provides hydration. Herschel's most favorite treat of all time is literally a wad of sliced green beans in a dixie cup, filled with water and frozen. Just peel off the cup and hand him the chunk of ice and he's good for up to half an hour and more chill afterwards.

You can also freeze lick mats

If your girl is like Charlie and doesn't like greenbeans, you can also try freezing paper cups of: Canned pumpkin, apple slices in water, putting some ice cubes in the bottom of the cup, a gob of peanut butter in the middle and then fill it with water to make a peanutbutter filled ice cube.

If your girl is REALLY like charlie who has figured out how to use labor negotiation and strike tactics for better treats: boiled chicken chunks frozen in some of the water you boiled them in.

Walkies are as much mental stimulation as they are physical exercise. Take her out and let her sniff to her heart's content.

Also Puppies in particular need like, SO MUCH exercise.

Let her participate in activities with you. Herschel and charlie sit in the kitchen and I narrate cooking dinner to them, which seems to interest them, even if I don't have spare veggie ends to give them. I also frequently bring them along in the car if I'm running errands when it's cold enough to do that, so they have something new to look at, and get to participate. I also am more likely to stop at a new park and give myself some exercise and mental stimulation.

Training her to do tasks is GREAT Smart Dog enrichment- esp if she's a herding or heeler, they LOVE being helpful. I taught the dogs they get a small treat if they come in from the yard without me having to go chase them down, which saved me a lot of hassle, and now I'm working on teaching herschel to pick things up off the floor for me if I drop them and alert for chickpeas, which my housemate is allergic to.

A lot of dogs like cat-type toys. Tie a stick or some fleece to some paracord and drag or flycast it around for her to chase/play tug with when she catches it. Toys that bounce unexpectedly were also a huge hit. or just wave the string around the cat and the corgi both like that.

If you live in farm country or know other people with pets, you can grab something with the scent of another animal on it and bring it home for her to smell. Charlie and Herschel spent the better part of three days investigating the wad of horse undercoat I brought home and put in the spare wobbler for them to smell.

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

Sleepless in NYC

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Reynolds/Sentry x f!reader

Summary: Having insomnia can be isolating, but lucky for you there's someone else at Avenger's Tower who can keep you company. Reader is a superhero named "Mystic". This is the first fic in my "Something to Lose" series!

Word Count: 8.5K

Tropes: Grumpy (reader) vs. Sunshine (Bob) (a little bit?), Black Cat (reader) and Golden Retriever (Bob) (a little bit?), Slow Burn, Mutual Pining.

Warnings: Cursing, Torture mentioned (briefly), Death/Murder mentioned, Blood mentioned? Hints at reader having a dark past, Reader has somewhat created backstory that is talked about, Self-deprecating thought (reader), Mentions of mental health, Mentions of therapy, Mentions of depression, Elder Abuse (aka reader makes fun of Bucky for being old), Mentions of medication, Mentions of violence, Walker is a bit (alot) of a jerk, Protective! Reader. Bob might be a little OOC.

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is no use of y/n! I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite! I'm just starting to write for Bob, so please be gentle.

Internal monologue is in italics and is in first person.

A/N: Okay, again... the hyperfixation has begun and all I can do is ask y'all to strap in for the ride. 😅

Masterlist for Series

In hindsight, eating that cinnamon bun before training this morning was a bad idea.

You think to yourself as your back hits the ground with a heavy thud, the impact knocking the wind out of you as you get more acquainted with the black thick plastic mat on the floor of the gym and try not to let the cinnamon bun in question make an encore appearance.

Bucky stands over you, arms crossed over his chest, mouth tilted down in a frown. His formidable figure outlined by the large fluorescent lights that lined the roof of the gym at Avengers Tower.  "You're still leaving your left flank unprotected. Come on we've been through this before-"

"Maybe I was just taking it easy on you, old man." You cough out a laugh while you try to catch your breath.

Honestly, you were off your game and you knew it.

It was hard to focus when the only thing your body was craving at the moment was sleep. Last night was the fourth night in a row that you couldn't quite drift off and you didn't have high hopes for tonight. You also couldn't decide if no sleep was better than the nightmares that flocked like a murder of crows in your head, the sharp talons pulling at your hair, while the wings beat hard and heavy in your ears whenever you did finally find yourself lucky enough to rest.

Because on the list of things that were unfair in your life, the fact that other people finally found peace in the sweet abyss of sleep while you found only death and destruction was at the tip top.

The sun has to break sometime… right? My luck isn't that bad, is it?

It was. On a scale from one to a million, you were sitting pretty at a negative 7.

You look up at Bucky.

His metal arm glints in the light, muscles tensing slightly under the black tank top, his stance wide and open as he stares down at you. There wasn’t anything in his posture to suggest that the two of you were sparing as you always did each morning, he looks far too relaxed for that. Which meant that this wasn't challenging him at all.

And it was getting embarrassing, especially given the fact that you were created by Hydra for the sole purpose of killing the man standing over you if he ever went rogue.

Pieced together from his genetic material, an enhanced clone of the Winter Solider, the thirteenth in a long line of experiments that went wrong. An unlucky number by all standards, but the only survivor of the trials that all the other clones failed, the same trials that left your hands streaked with their blood while their bodies fell one by one.

Lethal. Deadly. Unstoppable. Created to be better than him in every way.

Just not right now.

When Bucky and Sam had found you in the Hydra bunker hidden at the bottom of the Atlantic and brought you back up to the light over a year ago there had been a long period of adjustment. Mostly because Sam wasn't convinced that you wouldn't kill them in their sleep.

He hadn't been too far off, you had thought about it, thumbed the well worn handle of your favorite knife and thought about how easy it would be, but you hadn't and that was the main thing.

It's the little victories really.

But despite the new life that Bucky had introduced to you, there was little you could do to drive away the nightmares.  The ones filled with memories you so desperately wanted to forget. The same memories that used to fill you with pride and now only made you feel shame. The shadowy tendrils of the past seeping into the present to ensnare your mind and pull you back into the darkness.

Everyone on the New Avengers had a dark past.

Each person had something that they'd like to forget, but yours haunted you. And despite the conversations that Bucky had with you about trying to accept the past and move forward- and the discussions with the therapist he recommended, you still felt… alone.

You feared that there was still a part of you that longed for that- a unquenchable thirst for blood that screamed out in the darkness of the night when all was quiet.

It made it harder to believe Bucky when he told you that you deserved better and that you weren't your past.

Truth was, you knew why you didn't believe him, because the Winter Soldier did things while under hypnosis and you did them of your own free will. Did them because you were bred for it, created in a test tube, and trained to kill. It was the only life you knew, the only world that you thought existed. The constant struggle for survival while you clung on with bloody fingernails and teeth fighting to stay alive.

No friends, no family, just targets.

You didn't know that there was anything else out there until Bucky took you in, didn’t know what a life could really look like.

It had taken you a while to realize exactly why Bucky did it, why he didn't just put you out of your misery the moment he broke into the base and realized what Hydra had done, who or rather what they had created from his DNA.

Honestly, after everything it was nice to have someone around who understood how you felt, nice to actually have a friend.

That was about a year before you'd joined the Thunderbolts, which in all honesty was a complete fluke. A happy (chaotic and bullet holed) accident. Bucky had been so stressed about Valentina's trial and all you'd wanted to do was help him out, try to give him some peace, so you'd done some digging to see if you could uncover something to use against her.

Which may or may not have included you breaking into a government facility and maybe calling up one of your old contacts to help you find the hidden vault in the desert. One of the same contacts that Bucky would probably kill you if he found out you were talking to again.

Getting into the vault had been easy, but you hadn't meant to stumble into the Thunderdome situation that was happening between Yelena, Walker, Ava, and Taskmaster. If anything you'd thought that the vault would be filled with dusty old files, not four paid assassins who were each trying to off each other.

And because you'd promised Bucky that you'd be better, stop killing people, and turn over a new leaf, you hadn't killed them. You hated breaking promises to Bucky. He was the closest thing you had to family.

I wonder if he feels that way about me or if he thinks I’m an annoyance?

Bucky rolls his eyes at your taunt, but you see a flicker of something in his gaze that might be humor. “Sure.”

I'll take that as a yes.

You roll back upwards to a standing position, shaking out the exhaustion from your body, bouncing lightly on the balls of your feet.

I got this. I’m awake. I'm awake. I'm- in desperate need of coffee.

But other than the cloying exhaustion, it was a normal Tuesday morning at the tower.

There was the subtle clink of weights from where Walker was doing his morning reps in the corner, the smell of mac and cheese from the kitchen you were sure Yelena was making, and the sound of the TV five rooms away blasting yet another war documentary, which meant that Alexei was couch camping again and you would have to avoid the living room to escape the usual twenty minute long conversation in which he described the good old days and then asked you about your past missions. The air in the gym reeked of stale sweat and something that might have been Alexei's socks, which he kept saying "needed to airdry." Why he hung them in the gym to do so, you'd never know.

The gym itself was outfitted with everything the team would need to train: weights, treadmill, large plastic sparing mat, giant wall lined with deadly weapons to kill each other, punching bag-

Right now you felt like a punching bag, given how much time you were spending on the mat, and the bruise that was forming on your butt from hitting it so many times.

But you were thankful that today Bucky and you weren't practicing with weapons. As much as you hated to admit it, Bucky probably would have turned you into coleslaw by now if you had.

You narrowly dodge the arch of Bucky's metal fist and take a confident step back, hands raised in front of you protectively.

"You're distracted today." Bucky says, but he doesn't lower his guard. "What's wrong?"

Your eyes trace over the taunt form of his body, noting the subtle shift to the right, the thick plastic pad beneath him dipping with the movement of his right foot. The anticipation of the punch that was going to follow from that direction, buzzing through your body. Every subtle tick of his body sending off alarm bells in your head, warning you to prepare.

The punch comes just as you thought it would and you dodge again, twisting away before throw a kick into his unprotected side as Bucky fully extends his body with the momentum of the punch.

He stumbles back, off balance, but you don't move to finish, instead you wait for him to straighten up, rolling your own shoulders to stretch out and ignoring the twinge from the previous time you'd spent on the mat.

"I'm not distracted."

"You are. By now you've usually knocked me down at least once."

"Thought I'd give you a chance today. Can't always be beating up a senior citizen. Someone might call the AARP." You flash a smirk.

Bucky doesn't look convinced. He knows that you're trying to cover how you feel, he was used to your deflection techniques. "How'd you sleep last night?"

You hesitate to answer, because you couldn't lie to him. Bucky knew you and he'd seen the two dozen cinnamon buns you'd made last night on the kitchen counter this morning when he was rooting around for his usual morning banana, black coffee, and cereal.

And before you ask, yes it's bran cereal.

The baking had been an interesting development in the months following your freedom from Hydra. You blamed late night food network TV and also blamed Sam's subscription to Netflix (the one you were using without his knowledge) which exposed you to the Great British Bake-off. But you never thought that you'd actually be good at it.

Dismembering? Sure. Long-range sniping? You got it! Hot wiring a car? Sign you up! But baking? Really? In what universe?

But there was something about it that never failed to calm you down.

The methodical measuring, the sharp crack of the eggs, the high-pitched whirr of the mixer, the folding of the dough- it all helped. It helped drive the images of what you’d done from your mind and helped you focus on something else for a few moments, giving you the same reprieve you imagined a good nights sleep would.

Plus, after there was something good to eat.

Everyone in the tower was benefiting from your newfound hobby. Alexei most of all, who had taken to giving you requests of Russian treats you'd never heard of and were difficult to find in the city.

Unfortunately, he would ask for them at the most inopportune times.

Like a month ago when the two of you had been crouched behind a car taking fire from a group of men robbing a bank downtown and Alexei began to describe a sweet treat that his mother used to make him when he was a boy that he couldn't remember the name of instead of focusing on the ricochet of gunfire above your heads.

Or last week when you'd been locked in hand to hand combat with an enhanced agent and Alexei kept shouting out ingredients the two of you could pick up at the grocery store after the fight.

However, you still thought that it was comical. Hydra's best asset, the one that people all over the world were afraid to whisper the of name for fear of summoning you like a shadow from a bad dream, spent each night baking, icing, and kneading with the same hands that were once used to maim, gut, and kill so many others.

Still waiting to see the flying pigs.

"I slept fine." You answer begin to circle him, sweeping your eyes over his body to analyze his next move.

"You hesitated."

"I did n-"

Bucky lunges forward moving fast across the mat in a tackle, but you sidestep, dropping low to sweep his legs out from under him. He lands with a solid thud, the huff of his breath into the gym air filling you with a sense of triumph.

He rolls onto his back in a huff, dark hair falling forward into his face. "Yes you did. And you're pulling your punches!"

"Buck, you're on the ground right now. I don't think you get to say that I'm pulling my punches."

"I-"

The rest of his sentence is lost in a loud crash. Your body tenses with the clang of weights against the concrete floors, years of having to constantly stay alert taking control, the self-preservation instincts pulling your body taunt as you turn in the direction of the sound prepared for a surprise attack.

Bob is standing on the other side of the room clutching a small five pound dumbbell to his chest like a teddy bear, his blue eyes wide in shock and fear. The shelf that usually holds all the other dumbbells and weights is on the ground in front of him, scattered all over the concrete floor like oreos out of a plastic sleeve.

He must have knocked it over.

Your eyes trace over the way he's shrunken into his oversized blue sweatshirt, how he scrunches up his body beneath, his face downcast and flushed in embarrassment.

Seeing him look so small, stirred something in the pit of your stomach.

Bob was different than anyone you'd ever met before. Soft and vulnerable, the complete opposite of you. All the ways that you’d had to harden yourself to keep people out clashed with the soft smiles, stutters, and flushes that you’d seen and heard from Bob whenever he talked to you. Bob was the kind of person that someone like you swallowed whole.

And yet, there was something that drew you to him, something inside that felt different whenever he was around, and something that you still hadn't quite figured out.

When everything happened with Sentry and Void a few months ago, you’d thought that Bob pretended to be shy and awkward. That he used it as a manipulation tactic to try and get people to come to his aid. That was, until you'd seen him with Valentina.

You saw how she manipulated him, turned him into something he wasn’t, twisted his mind into something else. And in the moments that the others fought Sentry all you saw was you. Something contorted and warped by Hydra, a monster created for the sole purpose of someone else’s gain, someone who got lost somewhere along the way to the whims of others.

It was the first time in your entire life that you'd hesitated to do what you knew needed to be done.

Sentry had slammed you into a wall, unaffected by your hesitation.

Later Bob had apologized profusely, stumbling over his words and refusing to make too much eye contact. You didn't understand what the feeling was in the pit of your stomach when he had. The only thing you could think to tell him was that he didn't have to apologize, because you understood what it was like to be used. And then walked away before he could ask you how.

"What the fuck Bob?" Walker's voice splits through the silence in the wake of the accident. "You could have killed me!"

The weights were scattered around where Walker had been sitting on the floor to take a minute break from lifting, and a 400 lb was sitting directly where Walker's head had been, a long thin crack snaking out from where it made impact with the floor.

"I- I'm sorry." Bob stutters out, eyes flicking around the room from Walker, to Bucky, then to you. The shock of bright blue rests on where you stand for an extra beat before his gaze moves back to Walker.

Walker stands from the ground, fists clenched at his sides, face contorted with rage and annoyance as he glares down at Bob.

"Sorry doesn't cut it! Why are you so fucking careless? I could be dead right now!"

Bob shrinks back from Walker, disappearing further into his blue sweatshirt. Some of his brown hair has fallen forward into his face like a shield as if it wishes to block the onslaught of Walker's anger.  "I w-wwas just trying to-"

"I don’t care what you were trying to do!" Walker snaps back.

Something inside of you flares red-hot.

"Back off Walker." The words pass through your mouth before you can think to stop them. "He said he was sorry."

Walker's gaze doesn't move from Bob. "I wasn't talking to you Mystic."

"Yeah, well unfortunately I'm talking to you." You continue, eyes flicking over to where Bob has begun to fiddle with the ends of his sleeves nervously. "So I guess we're both doing things we don't want to today."

Walker turns in your direction his eyes narrowed. "Why don't you go back to having your ass handed to you?"

By now the dull throb of your anger in your body has transformed into a roar, the uncomfortable feeling of whatever the hell it is telling you to stand up for Bob unable to ignore.

You hated how small he looked. How Bob seemed to be trying to vanish into the floor, to melt away into the concrete, or blow away like a piece of lint. He'd been through enough in his life and you'd be damned if you were going to let an asshole like Walker treat him like trash.

"Listen Captain Douchebag. Your massive inferiority complex does not give you the right to talk down to people. So why don't you pack all that up and your gym bro muscles, and get the hell out of here?"

Bob lets out a giggle-like snort before he can stop himself at your comment, the small sound making the end of your mouth curve up in a half smile. It made you feel a little better to see him smile, it was better than him looking like he wanted to melt into a puddle of goo.

But predictably, all it does is make Walker go from mad to furious. His left eye begins to twitch with annoyance.

"What did you just say to me?" If looks could kill, you'd definitely be on the ground bleeding out from the way Walker is staring at you, but you don't care.

"You heard me."

"Why don't you come over here and say that shit to me?" He snarls while flexing his muscles under the dark gray t-shirt he's wearing.

You wonder if he thought he was intimidating you, even when he knew that you had enough strength to squish him down accordion style. You go through the mental filo-fax you had on all the people who had tried to stand in your way. Most of them had the same attitude as Walker. An all American asshole who thought that everyone should kiss the ground he walked on.

They really chose a winner for Captain America. Was there even a screening process? Or did they immediately choose the guy that is every nerd's waking nightmare in high school?

"Okay." You shrug. "Here I come."

You didn't need that cup of coffee for an energy boost to kick Walker's ass. Hell, you could have a whole month of sleepless nights and still put him in his place.

Bucky's thrusts his arm in front of your chest to stop the advance. "Go cool off John. There's been enough bloodshed this week already."

"No, I don't think there has." Walker retorts.

"Yes, there has. Plus, we've got that briefing in an hour with Yelena about the Op in Europe. And I really don't want to bench you again."

"But she-" He points an accusatory finger in your direction and you flip him off.

"Go." Bucky says more forcefully.

Walker stands there for a few extra moments watching you with narrowed eyes, teeth grinding down together. Your gaze is locked with his, daring him to say something else. But he relents, muttering something under his breath and stalking out of the room, each heavy footfall down the hallway a thunderclap.

What a toddler.

"Don't do that." Bucky sighs, lowering his arm to his side again and giving you an annoyed look.

"Do what?"

"Make me get between the two of you. It makes me feel like a Kindergarten teacher."

"Judging by how childish Walker is acting-"

"You were both acting childish."

You roll your eyes at him. "I didn't ask you to step in. And Walker was asking for it-"

"I have told you time and time again not to goad him into a fight."

"I was not!"

"Yes, you were." Bucky sighs again.

Sometimes you thought it was funny that despite only meeting Bucky a year ago, he still acted like he'd been your dad for decades. Truth was, you knew that Bucky struggled with that little detail, the perversion of Hydra with his genetic material to create you without his knowledge.

"I'm not going to do this with you." You echo his sigh before marching over to the scattered weights on the ground and the overturned shelf.

Bob is still standing there, slightly curled in on himself, but he hasn't glanced away from you. He looks like he's contemplating something, trying to find the courage to speak.

"Are you okay?" You ask him softly as you pick up the empty shelf with one hand and set it straight before moving on to the scattered weights.

"Y-yeah." He nods enthusiastically, a few extra bobs of his head than what should be normal, his cheeks flushing that cute pink color. "T-tthanks for doing that. You- you didn't have to."

"Yeah I did." You pick up a stack of weights. "You're apart of this team. He was being an asshole."

"He always is." Bob gives you a half smile that makes something inside your chest tighten for a moment.

That's weird.

"True." You mirror his smile, lifting another few weights.

"We're not done talking about this," Bucky says your name, but comes over to help you clean up. "Maybe it's best if you stay here."

"What?" You half turn to him.

"The Op. I think you should stay here."

"But-"

You didn't know what you were going to follow up that sentence with. Probably something like 'but I was looking forward to breaking some noses' or maybe 'but I was looking forward to taking some anger out on the bad guys.' Both weren't the best to admit aloud, not to your therapist and not to Bucky.

You were supposed to see her again tomorrow, which meant another awkward hour long session where she dredged up things from the past you wished that you could forget. The overbearing sense of foreboding had begun to weigh on your shoulders again when thought about the upcoming appointment.

He shakes his head. "No buts. You were all over the place in training, and I want you to get some sleep. Besides," Bucky brings his right hand down on Bob's shoulder to give it an encouraging squeeze. "You can keep Bob company."

Bob's cheeks flush an even deeper red and he drops his gaze from your face to his hands to fiddle with his oversized sleeves again. They hang almost a full hands-length from his fingertips, the material beginning to fray and pull from the cuff.

"Buck, I'm fine-" You begin to say.

"No, you're not. I want you to take it easy. We'll be back in a few days."

"But-"

Bucky sighs your name, releasing Bob's shoulder. "I'm worried about you. You were distracted today and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt because it’s your fourth day in a row without sleep."

Your mouth drops open in shock. "How did yo-"

"I know everything." He answers. “But go on and see if you can convince Alexei to turn off the documentary and get ready for the brief. I want to talk to Bob for a minute.”

You glance over at Bob, who is watching you with curiosity. Bob knew that you hadn't slept last night or the night before because he'd been there sitting at the kitchen island the way he always did whenever you were making something.

You noticed that Bob had been doing that more and more since you moved into the tower permanently. That he seemed to appear in rooms that you were too, but he wouldn't always talk to you. At least, Bob only really talked to you when no one was around. Sometimes he would sit somewhere on the edge of the room with a book or something to fiddle with, occasionally looking up as if he was checking you were still there. You were under the impression that was what he meant to do today before he knocked over the weights on the shelf. That Bob really didn't want to lift, but for some reason he'd come in to see what you were doing.

You didn't understand why he was doing that, but you also didn't quite understand the feeling that sprouted wings in your chest  whenever it was just the two of you.

It was unfamiliar.

It felt differently than the usual buzz of warmth you had when Bucky and you used to hang out in his one bedroom apartment, crashing on the couch and watching an old black and white movie he called "classic." Or when Yelena and you went to the giant thrift store down the street to see if you could score some new jeans or a pair of leather boots. The feeling you had when you always thought to yourself that it was nice to have a friend.

But this was… odd. Not a bad odd, just different, something you’d never felt before and you couldn't name.

That being said, you did like being around Bob. Despite the whole Sentry/Void situation that happened before, there was something about him that was calming. He wasn't loud like Alexei. Didn't annoy you like Walker. Wasn't aloof like Ava.

He was different, quiet, and shy. He spoke only when he needed to say something- unfortunately sometimes the things he said only made you mad because he would say something self-deprecating that wasn't true at all.

But the truth was, you'd be lying to yourself if you didn't admit that there was just something about Bob that you liked.

You think back to a few moments ago when you'd defended him from Walker. That instinctual urge to protect him from Walker's undeserved rage. The only person you'd ever really cared about and tried to protect was the man you were designed to kill, but you cared about Bob. You knew that.

It was just hard to decipher why.

"Fine. But come get find me before you leave." You say to Bucky before giving Bob a quick once-over.

He was standing up straighter now, still hiding a little bit behind his hair, but he did look better than he had when Walker was in the room. A sense of relief settles in the center of your chest, replacing the anger that burned hot beneath your rib-cage only moments ago.

"I'll see you later." You say to Bob, giving him an encouraging smile as you pass.

"O-okay." He stammers.

You knew you would. After all there was no doubt in your mind you wouldn't be able to sleep tonight and would yet again end up in the kitchen at 3 am holding a spoon with Bob sitting at the kitchen island watching you with rapt attention.

You took in another deep breath counting to five before you released it, feeling the slow rise and fall of your chest, the gentle cradle of your mattress beneath your body. Your eyes were shut, the soft pillow beneath your head plush and cool to the touch. The pitter patter of rain against the roof of the tower a soft reminder of where you were, the rhythmic sound a soothing lullaby.

But not for you.

You turn over again fruitlessly going through the motions  to try and fall asleep. Mentally checking off the list of things your therapist told you to do to make it easier and also the random things you'd found while surfing the internet bleary eyed and trying to find something, anything to put you under.

But nothing ever seemed to work.

She'd also suggested melatonin or something stronger, but the problem was losing control like that, taking something that dulled your senses didn't appeal to you. Of course this also only emphasized the idea that maybe you weren't falling asleep because you didn't feel safe, didn't feel like you could surrender yourself when anything could happen while you did.

Also, because it reminded you too much of the syringes full of clear liquid that made your mind feel foggy, hazy, as if there was a cotton ball inside your head getting slowly pulled apart. The same ones that were used to keep you docile when you didn't want to go under.

The memory surfaces like a rising wave before you can distract yourself. The prick of the needle in your arm, the tug of the leather straps on your wrists that held you down on the bed, while the hospital gown scratched at your legs. The face of the doctor above you materializes, the bottom half of his face obscured by a mask, eyes shielded with goggles.

"Stop fighting. It'll all be over soon." His voice echoes in your ears as the straps rub your skin raw.

You open your eyes to rid yourself of the image, fighting the shudder that crawls down your spine as the memory comes back. The digital alarm clock on your bedside table comes into focus, the bright red 2:37 am flashing, mocking you.

Alright. I'm up.

You sit up and look around the room.

It was an average size and held only a bookshelf, your bed, a small desk, and your bedside table. There was a large window on the back wall that gave another stunning view of the city and the bathroom you shared with Bob, Yelena, and Bucky was across the hall.

When you moved in you hadn't had much. You didn't have any personal photos or mementos from before, however you did have drawings.

Every single blank wall was covered with them, overlapping and tapped together, a hobby that you picked up on the road somewhere, drawing places you'd been, people you saw. Bucky had one of your drawings framed in his room. Something you drew of the two of you sitting back his one bedroom apartment on the couch, eating pizza on a Saturday night while watching a movie.

Your eyes flicker across the drawings on the wall, stopping on one you drew while at a coffee shop in Berlin. It was of an older couple sitting on a bench feeding the pigeons.  It was your favorite one, the memory of you sitting there with  the soft chatter of the patrons around you, feeling the tickle of the wind in your hair, watching the couple laugh, watching the older man gently brush hair from the woman's face.

It was the first time you'd seen something like that on your first real mission alone. And after you'd been late after to meet up with your handler and he'd given you something to remember what would happen if you ever were again.

Just inhale… exhale.

You think to yourself taking a moment, before you slowly get out of bed and make your way to the door of your bedroom.

The tower is quiet and dark. The only sound coming from the soft patter of rain against the roof and the gentle pad of your footsteps against the cool black marble floors. You pass Bucky's room, not bothering to look up. He wasn't here, neither was the rest of the team.

It was just Bob and you, and you hoped that he was having better luck at sleeping than you were. You hadn't heard anything coming from his room next door to suggest otherwise.

The thought of him brings the memory of how he looked earlier with Walker in the gym, an unpleasant emotion flickering in your chest as it does.

He's okay. He's asleep.

You weren't buying that. You knew it was only a matter of time before he came out of his room to find you in the kitchen as he usually did.

The kitchen is huge. A monstrosity of gold appliances, solid black backsplash with flecks of gold, countertops made of hard black granite, and tucked into the far corner of the living room, directly across from the bar. The large windows show the city below slightly blurred with rain, the lights beyond hazy, as the distant rumble of thunder rattles the glass in the panes.

You pull open the pantry and root around in the refrigerator as you try to figure out what to make.

Maybe an apple pie?

As cliché as it was, apple pie was one of Bucky's favorites and you thought that maybe he'd like something familiar when he came back.

Besides, apple pie is always better the second day.

You find the recipe on your phone that you bookmarked the other day and the bag of apples in the back of the refrigerator, striking gold when you realize that you had some sense to buy some granny smiths as well as red delicious when you'd made a grocery run two days ago. One of the contestants on the GBBO had sworn that using different kinds of apples "enhanced" the flavor of the pie. No idea what that meant, but you were going to try.

It takes about ten minutes for Bob to come out of his room, slowly but surely making his way down the hallway with tentative footfalls, while you back is turned, but you can still sense that he's there.

Years of training and your heightened senses alerted you to his presence the second he took a hesitant step out of his bedroom onto the polished floors. The soft swish of the fabric of his pants together, the gentle pad of his bare feet against the ground, and the prickle of his eyes focused on your unprotected back.

"Are you trying to sneak up on me?" You ask, looking through the pantry. "Because it's kinda hard to do that."

"N-." Bob audibly swallows. "No I was- was just about to say hello. Um. Hi?"

The sound of his voice makes you smile to yourself. The nervous tremor apparent as he stumbles through the sentence… but it didn't annoy you. You found it cute.

"Hi." You smile at him as you turn to lay the bag of apples on the large kitchen island between the two of you.

He slides into one of the barstools across from you, hands in his lap, still wearing the oversized sweatshirt from before. Your eyes trace over the frayed sleeves once more and you make a mental note to pick him up another one at the thrift store Yelena and you had been frequenting once a week.

 "Couldn't sleep?" You ask, beginning to peel the apples.

He shakes his head once. "Y-you?"

"Nope."

A moment of silence passes between the two of you as you continue to peel and slice apples.

"What are you making?" He asks watching you with curiosity.

"Hopefully an apple pie. I thought maybe that Bucky would want something a little more 'familiar' when he got back." You twirl the knife expertly in your hand, but feel a twinge of something when you think of him off on a mission without you there to watch his back.

Bob hesitates for a moment, ducking his head to his lap shyly, but you can tell he wants to say something.

"What?" You raise an eyebrow.

"Are- are you and B-b-ucky," Bob bites the inside of his cheek. "Together?"

You almost drop the knife in surprise. "What?"

It was the last thing that you expected him to ask you. Bob had never asked you something so personal before. Usually the conversations revolved around ridiculous things that happened at the tower, what you were baking- once Bob had asked you what your favorite flower was, which was weird and you didn't understand why he needed to know that, but never anything like this.

"I mean you and him are always-" Bob is flushed to the roots of his hair, still not looking up at you. "Around each other joking and I-I-"

"No." You shake your head with a laugh. "We're just friends."

The rest of the team didn't know about Bucky and you, and personally you wanted to keep it that way. It wasn't the easiest thing to bring up in conversation and your trust issues didn't let you. Something about giving out that extra bit of information seemed unnecessary, and you'd always rather have people underestimate you than know exactly who and what they were dealing with.

"Oh." Bob's face is the color of the apples you were cutting up, and again you can’t help but smile at how nervous he was.

He really is so different than everyone else.

"Bob can you reach the flour?" You ask to change the subject. "I'm pretty sure Walker keeps putting it up there to piss me off."

"O-okay." He stands from the barstool, the metallic legs making a high pitched screech across the floors. Bob winces at the sound, giving you a sheepish smile, before he rounds the counter to the pantry. He stands up on his tip-toes to reach the top shelf, the bottom of his sweatshirt pulling up to reveal a tiny slip of the skin above his waistband, the taunt muscle of his abdomen catching for a few moments in the can lights fastened to the ceiling of the kitchen.

You stare for a few seconds longer than was necessary. It was easy to forget how muscular he was, especially when Bob wore all those oversized closed all the time. But you weren't expecting to feel the skin of your cheeks heat for a few seconds when Bob turned around and caught you staring.

His wavy hair is hanging forward in his face again, long and curling up at the ends, but you can still see the shimmer of the cobalt of his eyes beneath watching you.

Something passes between the two of you, some unspoken electricity that makes you feel like you’d just jumped out of an airplane. As if every single neuron in your body is firing at once.

"Um- thanks." You avoid his gaze as you take the flour from his outstretched hands and turn back to the apples, beginning to measure out the spices, sugar, and flour needed for the filling listed on the recipe shinning on your phone screen.

Bob doesn't move from beside you for a few moments. His feet shuffling in place slightly. You know he wants to ask you something, but this time you're not sure if you should ask him what it is. Something about him being so close to you was making you feel weird.

Not a bad weird, but an unusual feeling. A warmth that seemed to rise up from the bottom of your stomach that you'd never experienced before.

You still couldn't figure out why being around Bob seemed so effortless, so easy, so… different. You weren't used to being like this either. Your entire life you'd never held back what you said, the questions you asked, but right now you were almost afraid.

Odd given the fact that you'd faced down numerous enhanced opponents and never felt a tickle of fear, but now… you weren't sure.

“Um-" You clear your throat. "What did you and Bucky talk about?”

Bob leans against the counter to your immediate left, toying with a discarded remnant of an apple skin between his fingertips. “He-he told me that he wants me to start training more.”

“Really?” The rhythmic motion of the spoon in the bowl, stirring together the ingredients is doing little to block the way your heart has begin to beat a little faster in your chest.

What is happening to me?

Bob nods.

“I mean it’s not the worst idea." You muse, scooping out a spoonful of apples into another small bowl before pushing it across the counter to Bob. "Maybe it would help? Or maybe you'd feel better about being more in control?"

"Maybe." He pulls out the drawer to his left for a fork, the high pitched ring of the silverware inside snapping through the kitchen.

The other version of you that lived in your head was confused. The version that recognized that power meant control, and if Bob was supposed to be the strongest being in the entire universe, why wouldn't he want to be? Why wouldn't he want to use his powers?

It seemed ironic that someone so powerful was so determined to be so invisible. But the other part of you couldn't help, but feel bad for him. Because you knew Bob- well, knew him enough. He wasn't like any of the other opponents you'd faced, the ones that were loud and boisterous and thought themselves unbeatable.

He was just Bob.

Bob spears an apple on his fork before taking a bite, audibly moaning at the taste. "I can't wait for this to be done."

"You like apple pie? Would've pegged you for a Key Lime Pie kinda guy. You being from Florida and all-" You smirk, but feel a sense of pride swell in your chest at the compliment.

"That seems a l-little stateist." He cracks a smile.

"I've never been to Florida so I can't exactly comment or speculate."

"Really?"

"Nope. No missions to the Sunshine State. I've also never had a beach day." You add with a shrug. "Hydra didn't exactly give me any days off or benefits."

The pre-made pie dough was more than thawed out on the counter by now and by some miracle there was a pie plate in the kitchen. How or why you had no idea who had thought about it, but you were thankful. The dough is soft and squishy as you unroll it and place it carefully in the bottom.

Bob doesn't laugh at your joke. "How long were you-"

"Ah, Ah, Ah. Nope. You don't get to change the subject." You say before he can ask you about it. Mentioning Hydra was enough of a dip into the past for you, thank you very much. "We're talking about you. Now, in your head, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

“Huh?” He sounds confused.

“Tell me what you think the worse thing that can happen is if you trained more."

The sugar and spice coated apples tumble into the crust with a delightful plop.

"I c-could hu- hurt someone." His eyes flick to yours for a second, before he drops his gaze to his hands.

"How would you hurt them?"

“I-.” He hesitates. “I don’t know my strength. And before I-“

His hands pull at the fraying sleeves of his oversized sweatshirt. It didn’t take a genius to know that he was thinking about the day a few months ago when he basically dismantled the team within seconds and threw you against the wall. Concussions weren't fun for anyone. You'd spent the better part of a week with intermittent headaches while Bucky had to practically sit at your bedside to make you stay in bed all the while you complained that he was babying you.

Bob curls in on himself again, turning away from you, his eyes falling down to the half-eaten bowl full of sugary apples on the counter. It reminds you too much of how he looked when he was with Walker earlier. How small he was. It makes an unpleasant sensation spike just under your rib cage.

"Bob." You sigh his name to make him look up at you again, he does, blue eyes just a little watery, faded to a darkened gray. The color of the sea on a stormy day. Breakers stirring the chilling water into a frothy white in a torrential rainstorm.

"It's not going to get better if you ignore it, and I think it's a good idea for you to train. You wouldn't be afraid about losing control or hurting people if you used your powers more. I think it'll help you be just a little more comfortable."

He doesn't answer.

"How about this?" You bite the inside of your cheek in contemplation. "How about you let me train you?"

Probably not your best idea. Going toe to toe with Bob when he was Sentry was not your idea of a good time, but you hated the way he was looking at you.

Lost and vulnerable.

"You?" Bob gulps.

"Yeah. I mean I don't have powers like yours, but I'm a little stronger than most of the team so I can take a punch or maybe two from you." You crack a smile, but he doesn't return it.

In fact, Bob's eyes widen at the thought, worry flashing through his irises. "But- But I'd-" Bob stumbles slightly over his words. "I-I don't want-t to hurt you."

"Trust me." The smile slips into a frown. "I've had worse."

The scars that crisscrossed over your body were proof of that, the ones you hide beneath long sleeves and your favorite oversized worn in leather overcoat- the one you stole on your first mission ages ago and never regretted once. Each one a reminder that failure was never an option, and that there was a price to pay for disobedience.

Bob doesn't answer.

You turn back to the pie dough, cutting the lattice. It comes out a little more clumsy than you want it to, but you didn't mind. Baking to you meant something that didn't have to be perfect. And after years of only being perfect it was a relief.

"Do you re- really think that it-" Bob swallows. "Would help me?"

"Maybe. I'm not an expert, but I think that if you're scared about hurting other people then-" You begin to lay the strips of dough down on top of the pie. "I think that it would make you feel better to know you're in control. I mean-"

You hesitate to finish.

After years of being manipulated and years of losing pieces of yourself to other people, sharing things about yourself was difficult. Finding the courage to trust, really trust another human being was like having your hair pulled out. Even with Bucky at first it had been so hard to share things with him without feeling guilty or worried later on that he was going to use it against you someday.

But there was a little part of yourself that wanted to share things with Bob. You still weren't exactly sure why that was or why you wanted to trust him, but…

He's watching you again with his big blue eyes, waiting for the next thing you're going to say. Face open, vulnerable, and trusting-

You didn't know how he did that. Bob didn't know you and didn't know the real you.

How can he do that so easily?

"I understand what it's like to be afraid of yourself." You begin slowly, turning away from his gaze because it's too much. "Afraid of what you're going to do. Afraid of losing control. But, if you ignore it, it won't go away. It'll only grow more and more each day, until it consumes you and there's nothing that you can do to stop it."

Sometimes you could feel it inside- the other half of you. The darkness that tried to rip it's way out, the person you used to be rattling the walls of her cage where you locked her away. Biding her time for the moment you were too weak to push her away.

"So maybe, we start out slow." You continue as you pick up the pie to place it in the oven. "Take it one day at a time. Respect your boundaries. And see what happens."

A pleasant wave of heat comes when the oven opens, before you gently slide in the pie, but for some reason it feels different. The whole time you can feel Bob's eyes on you, studying you, and it makes the heat prickle further underneath your skin.

Sometimes it was difficult for you to discern what he was thinking, something that infuriated you given that you spent so much of your time and prided yourself on the ability to read people. It came with the job and you were the best- except when it came to him.

"Y- you don't think I'll hur- hurt you?" He mumbles quietly.

The worry that shone in his gaze makes a small shock travel down your spine. Again you think to yourself how weird it is that Bob is so focused on the possibility of hurting you, when it was him that should be worried of you hurting him.

But there was another thought buried deep down that you couldn’t shake- that Bob may have been the first person who didn’t want to.

"There's always the possibility of that." You shrug. "Honestly I'm also kinda worried I might hurt you."

The end of his lips twitch slightly in a smile as if you'd said something funny.

Why does he think that's funny?

He waits another few moments, living in the silence that stretches between the two of you. "O-okay."

"Good. We can start tomorrow-" You glance up at the clock hanging above the bar across the room. "Or later today."

Bob nods.

"Now, come on. We've got fifty minutes and there's a new episode of Crime Scene Kitchen on Hulu."

Bob's face lights up. "Can we m-mmake popcorn?"

"If you don't I won't let you watch it with me."

If it's possible, Bob's smile gets even bigger as he turns back to the pantry in search of popcorn, while you make your way over to the plush leather couches in front of the TV, settling in for the long haul.

Outside the tower the rain continued to pummel against the glass windows, slipping and sliding down the smooth cool surface that shook with the distant rumble of thunder, while the inside filled with the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon, the warmth of the oven, and the crisp sound of popcorn.

A/N: Guys I think the slow burn on this one is gonna kill me, because I promise no matter what y'all are feeling when you read a slow burn, writing one is a hundred billion times worse 😅

Thank you so much for reading! Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are not required, but are always appreciated! The comments really keep me going! Let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist for this fic series!

Taglist:

@jollyhunter @angrydragon90 @toxicrelief

[unreesonable]

Stage/Fright

This post was used to track guest appearances during the West End run of Stage/Fright. I updated it after every show (twice on matinee days!) until the final performance at The Wyndham's, 5th April 2025

Leaving it here as a historical record. I'll be sharing more details about the guest appearances, photos etc over at @fuckyeahstagefright Last updated 05/04/25

I update this post after every show - that’s every day Mon-Sat and twice on matinee days! (Thursday and Saturday)

Photos and reviews are at the end of this post

I'm going to try and track the celebrity guests throughout the run. Asks/DMs are open if you have a tip for a show you've attended, or you can comment below.

Celebrity guests

(plus the mime for their name and the show name / character name / catchphrase that Len keeps getting wrong)

Previews

16/01/25 - Jim Howick (Gym Cow Sick - Horrible Histories) 17/01/25 - Ralf Little (Death in Paradise) 18/01/25 - The Actor Kevin Eldon (Cave In Held On - Fist of Fun) 20/01/25 - David Morrisey (Day Vid Morris [Boris] See - The Walking Dead) 21/01/25 - Marc Wootton (Mr Poppy, Nativity) 22/01/25 - Adrian Dunbar (Ted Hastings, Line of Duty) 23/01/25 - Nick Mohammed (Nick More Ham Head - Ted Lasso) 24/01/25 - Katherine Parkinson (Cat Thin Parking Sun - The IT Crowd) 25/01/25 - Gary Kemp (Car Reek Hemp - the running joke was the Spandau Ballet song 'True') / Martin Freeman (Fart Tin Three Man - Bilbo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings) 27/01/25 - Matthew Kelly (Mat You Ceilidh - Stars in Their Eyes) 28/01/25 - Lee Mack (Lemur Ick - Not Going Out)

Press night and end of previews

29/01/25 - Alexander Armstrong (All Lick Hair Arms Wrong - Classic FM) 30/01/25 - Daniel Mays (Down Yell [Theresa] Mays - Line of Duty) 31/01/25 - Mat Baynton (Mat Pain Tonne - Horrible Histories) 01/02/25 - Les Dennis (Les[bian] Tennis - New Faces) / David Harewood (Day Vid[eo] Hair Wood - Martin Luther King, The Mountaintop) 03/02/25 - Tamsin Greig (Tame Sing Gregg - Friday Night Dinner) 04/02/25 - Monica Dolan (Moan Knickers Dough Lamp - Mr Bates vs the Post Office) 05/02/25 - Ophelia Lovibond ([James] Bond - W1A) 06/02/25 - Julian Rhind-Tutt (Julie [Andrews] Wine Tut - The Madness of King George) / Paterson Joseph (Peep Show) 07/02/25 - Mel Giedroyc (Smell Head Roy [Orbison] - The Great British Bake Off) 08/02/25 - Denis Lawson (Dentist Law Son - Star Wars) / Sue Perkins (Soup Hare Skins - Great British Bake Off) 10/02/25 - Dara Ó Briain (Parachute O Brie - Mock the Week) 11/02/25 - Rory Kinnear (Roar Reek In Ear - Black Mirror) 12/02/25 - Matt Berry (Mat Bear Eye - The IT Crowd) 13/02/25 - Mackenzie Crook (Mack Hen See Rook - The Detectorists) / Mark Bonnar (Boner - Line of Duty) 14/02/25 - Phil Daniels (Fill - Quadrophenia) 15/02/25 - Emilia Fox (Meal Ear Fox - Silent Witness) / Sarah Hadland (Sir A Add Land - Strictly Come Dancing) 17/02/25 - Gemma Whelan (Jam A Wee Land - Yara Greyjoy, Game of Thrones) 18/02/25 - Joe Thomas (Sew Tom[cat] Ass - Fresh Meat) 19/02/25 - Lenny Henry (Sirloin Knee Hen Wee - Comic Relief) 20/02/25 - Matthew Horne (Mat Horn - Gavin and Stacey) / Nigel Planer (Gel Plane - Filthy, Rich & Catflap) 21/02/25 - Charlie Higson (Charl[eston] Lie His Son - Swiss Tony, The Fast Show) 22/02/25 - Morgana Robinson (Mow Garden Robin Son - Pippa Middleton, The Windsors) / Mark Gatiss (Margate Tits - The League of Gentlemen) 24/02/25 - Rob Brydon (Rob Bride On - Would I Lie to You?) 25/02/25 - Gareth Malone (Car Alone - Military Wives) 26/02/25 - Liza Tarbuck (Please A Starbucks - Upstart Crow) 27/02/25 - Bob Mortimer (Knob More Timer - Gone Fishing) / Julian Clary (Jewel Ink Lairy - The Joan Collins Fan Club) 28/02/25 - Stephen Merchant (Steep Hen Merchant - The Office)

01/03/25 - Robin Askwith (Rob Bin Ass Quiff - The Madame Blanc Mysteries) / Matt Lucas (Mat Loo Gas - The Great British Bake Off) 03/03/25 - Jane Horrocks (Jay No Rocks - Bubble, Absolutely Fabulous) 04/03/25 - understudy show - Steve Pemberton (Steed Pen Button - Inside No 9) 04/03/25 - Joel Dommett ([Billy] Joel Dominatrix Meet - The Masked Singer) 05/03/25 - Alex Horne (All Licks Horn - The Horne Section) 06/03/25 - Micky Flanagan (Mick [Jagger] Key Flannel - "Out out") / Josh Widdicombe (Posh Wee Dick Cum - The Last Leg) 07/03/25 - Joe Pasquale (Joke Pass Quality Street - New Faces) 08/03/25 - Paul Chuckle (Pull Chuck El[bow]- “To me, to you”) / Michael Sheen (Mic[rophone] El[bow] Shin - Good Omens) 10/03/25 - Stewart Lee ([Air] Steward Wee - Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle) 11/03/25 - Chris McCausland (Cry Smack Oars Land - Strictly Come Dancing) 12/03/25 - David Walliams (Slay Vid[eo] Wall Iams - Britain's Got Talent) 13/03/25 - Pauline McLynn (Pull Lean Muck Lean - Mrs Doyle, Father Ted) / Richard Osman (Reach Hard Oz Man - The Thursday Murder Club) 14/03/25 - Tamzin Outhwaite ([Lion] Tamer In Mouth Weight - Red Cap) 15/03/25 - Clive Anderson (Clay Van Der Son - Whose Line Is It Anyway?) / Stephen Fry (Steep Hen Fry - Jeeves and Wooster) 17/03/25 - Paul Merton (Pull Mare Tonne - Have I Got News for You?) 18/03/25 - Mark Addy (The Full Monty) 19/03/25 - Adam Buxton (A Dam Books Tonne - The Adam and Joe Show) 20/03/25 - Elaine Paige (E Lane Page - I Know Him So Well) / Jason Manford 21/03/25 - Romesh Ranganathan (Row Rang - The Weakest Link) 22/03/25 - Neil Morrissey (Knee [Elm] Tree - Bob The Builder) / Paul Whitehouse (Pull Why Toes - Gone Fishing) 24/03/25 - Simon Pegg (Sigh Mump Leg - Mission Impossible) 25/03/25 - Meera Syal (Me - Goodness Gracious Me) 26/03/25 - Robert Lindsey (Robbing Lean Sassy - My Family) 27/03/25 - Danny Dyer (Fan Knee Higher - Eastenders) / Su Pollard (Soup All Hard - You Rang Milord?) 28/03/25 - Danny Baker (Fan Knee Baker - Pets Win Prizes) 29/03/25 - Ross Noble (Row Snowball - Have I Got News For You) / Prof Brian Cox (Brr Iron Cocks - Things Can Only Get Better) 31/03/25 - David Tennant (Slay Vid Ten Ants - Doctor Who) 01/04/25 - Sandi Toksvig ([de]Tox Fig - QI) 02/04/25 - Sophie Willan (Sew Feet Willy - Alma's Not Normal) 03/04/25 - Miles Jupp (My Edge Jump - The Thick of It) / Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Feet Bee Wallop Bridge - Fleabag) 04/04/25 - Sir Ian McKellan (Serene Muck Alan [Sugar] - Lord of the Rings) 05/04/25 - Louis Theroux (Loo Wee T (kanga)roo - Weird Weekends) /Jonathan Ross (Johnny Thin Rose - The Masked Singer)

Press Night Photos by Marc Brenner

Press Reviews Roundup

compiled by u/NanetteFuckingNewman on Reddit

4 stars from The Guardian: “An ingenious edge-of-your-seat, one-step-ahead show”

4 stars from WhatsOnStage: “Joyously silly … great, all-encompassing fun”

4 stars from The Telegraph: “STAGE/FRIGHT reaffirms [the writers’] rare ingenuity… Bravo”

4 stars from Financial Times: “Another wildly clever, madly innovative and suddenly moving show from this inspired duo”

4 stars from Chortle: “A hugely impressive coup de theatre, keeping you guessing and gasping to the end”

5 stars from All That Dazzles: “Wickedly funny and impressively clever, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith really have made theatrical magic”

4 stars from The Independent: "This is one play you won’t be checking your watch in"

5 stars from the Radio Times: "The production is fabulous across the board... it's a thrilling ride that shouldn't be missed"

4 stars from Time Out: "A delight, the duo at the peak of their powers"

4 stars from The i: "Riotously fun... raucously entertaining"

No rating (but highly positive) from Beyond The Joke: "This spectacular show is both side-splitting and spine-chilling... If you don't enjoy Stage/Fright, contact a doctor immediately, you might be dead. This is brilliant. Go see it." "In the interests of fairness, there have been a few more moderate reviews from the Evening Standard, The Stage and London Theatre (all 3 stars), and one stinker from The Times (2 stars). There’s always someone…"

[followthebluebell]

I’ve got a cat question- I have an ultra dumb adult/early senior kitty. She’s got a variety of toys that she doesn’t really play with, which is ok, but I’m worried that she’s understimulated. I’ve started giving her dry food in a sort of extremely easy puzzle feeder- basically she just needs to scoop it out with her paw but anything more than that and she doesn’t care enough to work for it. Would a slow feeder for her wet food be ok too? I just want her to be stimulated and happy and I worry that she’s bored

Yeah, a slow feeder for her wet food would be fine. But let's talk about some other options, in case you end up hating cleaning out slow feeders (like me. i hate cleaning out slow feeders and silicone mats).

It could be a matter of reward vs action. like. i wouldn't want to drag a salad out of a toy ball, but i might be willing to roll a meat stuffed pumpkin around my enclosure. Metaphorically speaking, I mean.

It may just be that her usual dry food just isn't interesting enough to work for when she knows 'eh, I'll get something better later anyway'. You could try a 'junkier' food, like fancy feast kibble or temptations to get her more interested in working for her food.

You can also try an even lower impact toy, like literally just putting some kibble on some crumpled up paper in a box.

Also, since she's an early senior, it could be worth talking to your vet about arthritis. Some cats are just lazy (and that's fine), but cats are pretty good at hiding pain. I suspect a lot more are affected by arthritis than we know.

[butterflydm]

WoT rewatch (2x07-2x08) + thoughts on daes dae'mar in action

In addition to the actual rewatch content, I actually found something that I wrote fairly soon after 2x07 had first aired that I never got around to posting, covering all the various and plots, so I'll put that at the end of the 2x07 section.

Spoilers through what we know about s3 and through the sixth book, Lord of Chaos.

2x07

Siuan planning to meet Moiraine's family but it likely never happened, given what Anveare says. The prophecy got in the way. Also: only a father and sister are mentioned, no brother. Might be another hint that Taringail is cut, or at least not a Damodred.

We get a mention of "the Daughter-Heir of Andor" here as a potential person to advise, so it sounds like the Succession might still be raging on.

And Gitara asks them not to share her Foretelling about Rand with anyone, before the power of it kills her.

Very painful conversation between Siuan & Moiraine in the present day. Siuan feels hurt that she was placed outside Moiraine's circle of trust, and what that might mean. And I think what happens here is exactly what Moiraine was afraid of: that Siuan would deem her unsuitable for this task now that she can't channel (and can't shield Rand if needed).

Lan went to Siuan because he couldn't see another choice once he tells her, then he can't control how she reacts to the information.

Rand and Siuan both trying to feel each other out, to see if they can trust each other. Rand fails Siuan's test by being unprepared to face an Aes Sedai. Siuan fails Rand's test by being unwilling to answer the challenge that he also gave to Moiraine in s1: to trust him with her future plans, to tell him 'what comes next?' in the grand scheme of things instead of only telling him the next step of the plan.

I have my suspicions about who knocked out Mat for Lanfear, but it goes into the book spoiler territory.

All the wary-cat Aes Sedai circling around each other in this scene. I love it. We see Joiya wander by, and we know she's Black Ajah from the 3x01 cold open.

"You have to trust someone at some point, Moiraine."

This ties so beautifully to her moment with Rand at the end of the episode, when she tells him that she trusts him to help her.

"We are meant to cage you... channeling only what we want, when we want... you will be the greatest weapon in our arsenal but not our general." Sounds like a damane to me, yeah.

Siuan, I think, feels very bitter here from being kept out of the loop, which is understandable. But focusing that feeling on Rand is... not the best call.

Of course, Siuan doesn't know that Rand has believed for most of this time that he'd already accomplished his big job, because Moiraine didn't tell her. And Rand is not going to tell her anything that he doesn't have to, because he doesn't currently have any reason to trust Siuan.

Loial instantly recognizing Elayne - this is much more of what she is used to. And Nynaeve's "don't encourage her" lol.

I like that we set up the contrast of Ishy's drugs that are meant to traumatize Mat towards the Shadow vs him getting his true past life memories in 2x08.

We learn a bit more of the violent side of Aiel culture, as Aviendha asks to meet her toh over Jolien's death by being beaten over it.

Mat's curiosity gets the better of him and Ishy's tea gives him a real bad trip. Idk maybe we can blame this tea for Ishy falling to the Shadow, or at least helping. Something I thought was interesting was that the Mat hanging from this scene was included in the Min recap that was released recently, despite obviously not being one of her viewings.

Moiraine and Lan are NOT happy about seeing Rand on his knees (and shielded). Moiraine not telling Siuan about Lanfear probably earned her a couple of trust points from Rand here.

Moiraine must be panicked about the idea of Rand's proclamation not happening according to prophecy, and then hearing that Rand's destination is Falme! That the Forsaken are doing more to facilitate prophecy than Siuan is willing to do right now. And so enemies become temporary allies.

Poor Anveare. What a devastating betrayal from her son.

Mat's question to Ishy here ("How?") reminds me very much of Rand asking a similar question of Ishy in the fantasy world on 1x08 - find out what your enemy expects of you so that you can try to subvert it.

Lanfear, of course, chooses the path of destruction as her way to aid Rand (and Rand does catch a glimpse of this later and looks disturbed).

"Did you expect we would fight the Last Battle against an army of kittens?" Alanna being comforting and cute.

Anyway from what Logain says here, it sounds like tying off weaves is something that has been lost since the Age of Legends. Plus Moiraine mentions that Leane has to keep channeling to hold the shield on Rand.

Aviendha sounds somewhat baffled at the concept of monogamy in general, so I wonder if that's a change in Aiel culture. We will soon find out, probably!

Sul'dam sponge-bathing damane makes a lot of sense but also is awful to think about.

Hearing all these details about the part that the Seanchan believe they must play in the Last Battle will likely be a Surprise Tool to help us later.

And Barthanes's motives for turning to the Shadow must break Anveare's heart so badly. Especially since she believes Barthanes is right when he says Moiraine doesn't care about them and won't think about them when she's gone.

I am SO curious about whatever conversations were had between Leane, Verin, & Alanna before the 3x01 cold open. Siuan must have come clean to them about the conspiracy between herself & Moiraine.

But Rand getting to meet Verin & Alanna here is very good.

Lan & Rand working together to help Moiraine is a beautiful moment. Yeah, Lan literally explains here that tying off weaves is an ancient rumor from the Age of Legends. And Moiraine being able to honestly tell Rand that she trusts him. ❤️

I still see in the Moiraine & Siuan confrontation what I did before - two women putting their duty before their hearts but interpreting that duty differently. They both know (now) that their plan at the Eye failed but they turn to different things in the wake of that failure -- Siuan to the White Tower (her home all these years) and Moiraine to prophecy and the Dragon Reborn (her mission all these years).

Lanfear does enjoy it when Rand pushes back against her (because it reminds her of LTT), so I imagine that will come into play next season.

Okay, this is what I found saved in my notes from last year!

thoughts on plots and schemes of daes dae'mar

This is where all the Aes Sedai schemes come to a head and are dealt with (Ishamael's manipulations are dealt with in 2x08). This is the ultimate moment this season of Rand being told that he's meant to be a puppet and not his own person, but also when he has enough allies on his side that he is able to be freed.

Obviously, I would say, this is another piece of major foreshadowing for the infamous Box storyline -- Rand being held as a puppet for Aes Sedai schemes, and his allies rallying to him and freeing him.

There are three competing schemes in this episode and they both work with and against each other at various points.

Siuan Sanche

Goal: Keep the Dragon under Aes Sedai control.

Siuan likely decided on this course of action after Lan talked to her at the end of 2x06 and she learned that Moiraine had been keeping secrets from her and that Moiraine had even threatened to have Lan's bond transferred by force.

Those two things combined would have shown her that Moiraine's plans have failed and Moiraine is desperate. Siuan decides to go to Cairhien with a show of force, in case she needs to cage the Dragon, but she will give Moiraine a chance to regain her trust first. When Moiraine does not even attempt to regain her trust, the rest of Siuan's plan goes into motion.

From what Lan said, he believed that Siuan was going to help Moiraine accept the aid of others, not take her mission away from her. Lan's main goal in this episode is helping Moiraine, but we do also see him beginning to truly bond with Rand: he gives Rand advice, and we can see him react to seeing Rand forced down to his knees in front of Siuan and he does not look happy about it.

Siuan shields Rand, disgusted that it only took herself alone to do it (when we know that Logain, a less powerful channeler than Rand, required two strong sisters at all times to shield him). Rand's complete lack of knowledge was also a factor in Siuan's behavior in this episode.

Siuan's allies: Leane; potentially the rest of Aes Sedai who don't have their allegiances focused elsewhere; Lan (temporary)

Siuan's plans over the course of season 2:

After the Eye of the World, Moiraine wrote to Siuan to tell her of her failure there. I believe that Moiraine chose her words very carefully.

There is no hint that Siuan ever believed Rand to be dead, so I do think Moiraine was honest about that, but the information that Siuan received from Moiraine was incomplete:

She did not tell Siuan that she (believed herself to be) stilled.

She did not tell Siuan that Rand was free-ranging now.

Moiraine knew that Rand had not succeed in killing TDO but she did not know yet that he released Ishamael. I think that's something she figured out as part of her studies in Verin's house.

What I do believe she told Siuan in her letters:

The job is not yet complete, and the Dragon needs training.

She requested that Logain be sent to Cairhien for said training.

She allowed Siuan to believe that Moiraine had the situation under control.

Lanfear

Goal: Get Rand to Falme to be proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn.

Because Lanfear revealed to Rand that Ishamael has Egwene captive in Falme (Rand doesn't know anything about the Seanchan involvement as of 2x06-2x07), Rand and Lanfear's goals are the same in this episode -- get Rand to Falme. Their goals after Rand arrives in Falme are somewhat different (Rand is there to save Egwene, not to proclaim himself the Dragon), but for the moment, they align.

This is one of the places where the Daes Dae'Mar elements really come into play in the episode -- enemies making temporary alliances but knowing they will be enemies again once their current goal is met.

Lanfear's allies: Liandrin, any other potential darkfriends in the area, Moiraine (temporary)

Rand al'Thor

Goal: Gain freedom and get to Falme.

Each of Rand's allies has a different motivation for this goal, but they share the same end goal: not allowing the Dragon Reborn to stay under the control of the White Tower.

Rand's allies: Moiraine, Lan, Verin, Tomas, Alanna, Maksim, Ihvon, Lanfear

There is no indication that Lan or Moiraine has revealed to Alanna or Verin that she was previously conspiring with Siuan, so I think they likely genuinely believe at this time that Moiraine's entire Dragon-hunt has gone on without Siuan's knowledge.

And those were my old notes. I feel like they're still pretty solid. Obviously Siuan did have a conversation with Verin, Leane, & Alanna at some point in the month between 2x08 and 3x01 and likely revealed that she's been working with Moiraine all these years.

2x08

Love this flashback to Ishy being sealed into the Eye. Always down for an AoL flashback!

We do learn here that Ishy was the final Forsaken sealed.

"They say this seal is so strong not even I could break it." And, of course, Rand needed to use the sa'angreal to amplify his power enough to break it.

28 damane in Falme, according to the Whitecloak scouts.

"These strangers are slavers and murderers. We fight them because we must." Even a broken clock is right twice a day, etc.

Lanfear being able to see the power in Moiraine implies that she has the Searcher talent, like Logain and that one damane.

Lanfear leaning hard on "I know you better than anyone" but the person she wants is LTT, who broke up with her and married someone else, so she didn't know him as well as she thought she did (but surely her do-over LTT will end better!)

Ishy knew, in this moment, that Lanfear had betrayed him. And so he stops planning to win, and instead plots his 'fuck you' spite plan for Lanfear. Because he knows that it's too early to successfully turn Rand to the Shadow and that's the win that actually matters. He makes his last attempt but he knows it won't work going into it, and he's already thinking about the next turn of the Wheel and trying again then.

...I'm glad that Egwene gets to kill Renna. Both on a personal level and I think it bodes well for where they plan to take the narrative.

Rand only gets a tiny taste of Seanchan culture but it's a pretty ugly look at it.

Mat getting to prove both his willpower and his cleverness here with the dagger. That's my boy! Fain telling Mat he's "no hero from a gleeman's tale" but he literally is! What great buildup for that moment of catharsis.

"I've never asked for my bond to be released, nor will I." Okay that last clause makes it sound like they both know the bond is still there, just masked.

Lan only wants to share Moiraine's burden with her. And we get Moiraine giving that loyalty and care back to him, by flipping over that last horrible thing that she said to him and revealing that it's not that she thinks him lesser but rather that she considers him better than she is.

"Let me back in."

Yeah, guys. I think they are just That Dramatic. Moiraine can't resist a lightshow.

Lanfear using a handy Darkfriend (Ingtar) to get the Horn to Rand via his friends.

I like Loial's little speech. ❤️

I like the face-cages that the Voices wear. They look neat.

Rand literally just lifted up his head to kill a group of people. Do not understand how that can be considered unimpressive. That's impressive!

Sorry for your truncated character arc, Ingtar! But we have enough complex Darkfriends in the show that we don't really need it.

I hope we get a flashback to pre-War of Power besties LTT, Ishy, & Lanfear! That comment by Moiraine feels like the perfect setup for a flashback with the three of them, especially if the other Forsaken crew do care a lot less about Rand | LTT as Moggy implies at the end.

Mat being so clever! I am so proud of him! 🥰

I will go on record stating that I genuinely do not care if the dagger-on-a-stick ends up being Mat's final weapon (I suspect that it won't be).

I really like the distinction that sul'dam are very weak in the power (notably, too weak for the Searchers to sense) instead of being learners like in the books. Technically a simplification but it really helps the narrative imo.

After rewatching 1x07, it was really clear how much Rand & Egwene need a proper ending for their relationship. And it's obvious how much guilt Rand is feeling right now. And it takes time for Egwene to process that he's even there.

The Horn theme is very pretty. Ethereal.

"You're his only hope." Aaah. Betrayal of Hope Ishamael vs His Only Hope Mat. Love it.

Hopper. 😭😭😭😭

We reach the peak of despair and then... Mat blows the Horn and brings hope back for all of them. What a magical moment.

I love how they did this so much. Teamwork & friendship & love.

And our shield wall metaphor comes full-circle.

But Ishy has one last trick up his sleeve, and tricks Mat into the Stabbening.

Mat's moment of heroism collapsing on him. Poor sweetheart.

Moiraine is the queen of Oath loopholes and I both respect and fear her for it.

Egwene and then Perrin protect Rand from Ishamael. Moiraine frees Rand (while Lan protects her). Elayne heals Rand but couldn't have gotten there without Nynaeve. And it's all possible because Mat blew the Horn. Teamwork!

If a gorgeous woman healed me of a mortal wound, I would fall instantly in love, yeah.

(But yeah, I liked their introduction ❤️ - and the Matrandlayne shipper in me likes that they are forever tied together by the unhealing wound, lol)

Mat holding Rand's hand when he gets unshielded.

"Right to the heart" like Errol told him to do.

Even to the end, Ishy sees Lews, not Rand.

Lanfear gets what she wants! For about five minutes and then Ishy's spite-plan kicks in.

Looking forward to Forsaken shenanigans in s3!

[eponymous-rose]

I can't find it now, which probably means it was months and months ago, but someone sent me an ask about considering adopting a cat but, as a dog person, not knowing much about adoption (e.g., whether shelter cats are good for first-time owners) and the day-to-day responsibilities of cat ownership. I can answer for my own experience, although I'm sure I'll be forgetting some important aspects!

Shelter vs Purebred:

I have a little 5-year-old shelter cat, a female domestic shorthair with a tuxedo coat! That's a big difference between cats and dogs - the vast, vast, VAST majority of cats you'll ever encounter are simply categorized as domestic shorthair/medium hair/longhair, with purebred cats being rare enough that they generally are limited to breeders - when I was an adoption counselor at a shelter, I only saw a couple of potentially purebred cats some through, and both were likely mixes. A lot of the time, cats are identified by their coat colors instead (e.g., calico, tabby, orange, tuxedo, colorpoint, dilute, etc.) with much made of the personality traits associated with those coats even though there's tragically no real science to back that up. Some coat colors are much more common with particular sexes of cats - orange cats are about 80/20 male/female, while calicos are >98% female - and that may contribute to some of the kitty stereotypes (e.g., orange cats are typically male, and neutered male cats tend to be quite calm and chill).

I'd heartily recommend shelter cats to anyone, including first-time owners. A lot of purebred cats sadly come with medical conditions (e.g., scottish folds often have significant pain due to connective tissue disorders, manx cats are prone to arthritis and spinal problems, maine coons and sphynx cats have relatively high rates of congenital heart disease, persians are brachycephalic and have breathing issues) or extra-high maintenance care requirements (e.g., sphynx cats must be bathed regularly because the lack of hair means the oils on their skin stick to any and all dirt, maine coons and ragdolls and norwegian forest cats require significant daily grooming to keep their long double coats from matting, brachycephalic cats require extra baths and grooming since they're generally unable to keep their own coats as clean, and breeds like bengals are so immensely high-energy that it's nearly a full-time job keeping up with their needs for enrichment and constant activity).

Shelter cats are almost all domestic shorthair/medium hair/longhair breeds, and tend to have the longest life expectancy of all kitties - although there are no guarantees (I sadly lost a 9-month-old kitten to a congenitally damaged heart) the lifespan numbers quoted lately for indoor-only cats tend to be around 15-25 years. And, of course, most places are overrun with stray cats - adopting from a shelter often comes with a free spay/neuter and vaccines, along with the satisfaction of having rescued a little critter that had a rough start before finding a forever home. You can visit shelters and get to know the kitties there - keep in mind that most cats are dramatically more fearful and shy in cages, and that you can often ask volunteers to point you to their favorites, especially if you're looking for an extra-chill cat as a first-time owner.

Consider adopting an adult cat! Kittens are adorable, but their energy levels are absolutely through the roof... as well as their destructive potential. Picture tiny whirlwinds with knives on their feet, the ability to jump 4-5 feet from a dead stop, zero sense of self-preservation, and the ability to keep sprinting for hours at random times of day and night. If you do get a kitten, consider adopting two - they tend to be less work since they'll keep each other entertained. Adult cats, however, tend to have more chill personalities and are more likely to settle into a routine quickly. My Clara is still pretty high-energy, but at 5 years old she's happy to have a shorter session of zoomies and intense play if it means she can then just curl up on a lap or in the sun to snooze and purr. Senior kitties are also wonderful - often cats don't have a very visible decline and remain relatively high-energy and chipper until very late in life, so it's not unusual that a 13-year-old cat will still act like a kitten and have many good years ahead, just a bit more chill.

Keep in mind that a cat is a long-term commitment. I was 7 years old when my parents brought two kittens home from the shelter - they lived another 18 years, until I was well into grad school.

Common Health Problems:

Cats that were once strays are very prone to two common diseases: FIV and FeLV. FIV (feline immundeficiency virus) essentially is a disorder of the immune system: these cats may be more prone to getting ill and may get more significantly ill when they do get sick. Luckily, FIV is far from a death sentence! These cats can live a normal quantity and quality of life with proactive health monitoring and regular trips to the vet (we're talking every 6 months instead of every year). FIV is contagious to other cats, but generally is only spread via deep bite wounds, so mixing of FIV+ and FIV- cats is possible given that you know that the cats are unlikely to get into a major fracas. FeLV (feline leukemia virus), sadly, has a worse prognosis - there's a lot of variability, but generally the best-case scenario is only a handful of years before the viral load is too high to avoid dangerous symptoms.

Another kitty disease that is sadly common among younger cats in particular is FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), which is a complication from a common kitty coronavirus that can emerge at any time and often manifests in very vague symptoms and is difficult to pin down. Until very, very recently, FIP was essentially considered to be 100% fatal within a couple of months and the recommendation was euthanasia. Now there are medications that can bring that survival rate past 90% - they're in the process of going through FDA approval, although there are groups online dedicated to getting you those medications through less official channels as needed. If anyone's familiar with Drawfee, Jacob and Julia's cat Olive was diagnosed with FIP at around 1 year old and was considered to be terminal - and, thanks to one of those online groups getting them the medication, is currently a happy and healthy 6-year-old kitty.

Nearly all shelter cats I've encountered have some level of URI (upper respiratory infection) - be prepared for a little extra sneezing and potentially having to give eyedrops the first couple weeks after getting home. URIs are SO CONTAGIOUS that it's almost impossible to keep them from spreading in a shelter setting. Also common is ringworm, although most shelters will isolate any contagious kittens and keep the infection localized.

Please spay and neuter your cats! They can have kittens incredibly young and incredibly frequently - unspayed female cats are also prone to certain cancers and unneutered male cats are prone to spraying (urinating on walls and other surfaces). The surgery is incredibly routine for both males and females (Clara had complications, but that just meant she had a few extra days of confinement) and generally the hardest part is keeping them from going after their stitches. Most shelters will provide spay/neuter services for free or on the cheap. They recover quickly and completely.

Cats also do incredibly well in a lot of different situations - deaf or half-deaf cats are quite common (nearly all blue-eyed cats with white coats are deaf) and just need some extra care to ensure they feel safe; the same goes for blind or one-eyed kitties, who can still happily play and navigate a space once they're familiar with it. Routine is key! Three-legged cats do so well that the saying is that cats are all born with a spare leg they don't actually need. If this is a recent condition, or if there are big changes in the cat's life (such as moving to a new home), just make sure to give them some extra time, support, and patience while they adjust. Amputation in cats can be really rough in the first couple of weeks, but soon enough they'll be sprinting around and jumping up on improbably high shelves.

Male cats are more prone than female cats to urinary blockages, which is one reason why I think it's important to actively clean the litter box yourself rather than using a robot. Changes in urinary output/pain while urinating/urinating outside the box can give you hints about a urinary blockage (a medical emergency in cats) or longer-term issues such as kidney disease, which can be managed with medication for quite some time as long as you know they're happening.

Cats are really good at hiding pain/illness, so it's important to be aware of signs of discomfort (sitting hunched with the neck extended can indicate difficulty breathing, whiskers extended stiffly from the face can indicate a grimace of pain, disruptions to routine such as avoiding beloved people or favorite spots, eating/drinking/litter box irregularity) and to ensure that you bring them to the vet on a regular basis to catch the stuff that might not be causing symptoms yet. Clara has a benign heart murmur and a little stiffness in one ventricle that requires her to visit a vet specialist every year or two to get an echocardiogram to check for any progression into heart disease (one in seven cats wind up with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which has a long median survival with presymptomatic treatment) - if those symptoms are ever present, we get her on medication early and it's unlikely to influence her lifespan for quite some time, whereas unmonitored and untreated, the first symptom would likely be sudden death. Knowing about this in advance also means that she has recommendations in her chart if she ever needs anesthesia for a different procedure. Having a regularly updated baseline at the vet means your cat is that much more likely to live a long, happy, healthy life.

The Day-to-Day:

Caring for cats is extremely fun, and the key is routine! Cats LOVE routine and will happily follow you around through your day-to-day. Clara is fed with an auto-feeder, which means she doesn't tend to pester me too much about food (and which means I can monitor how much she's eating and make adjustments as needed). She's prone to stress-induced stomach upset (aren't we all!) so she gets prescription food and some extra wet food with probiotics if I know something stressful is coming up soon. The auto-feeder dispenses food multiple times during the day, so she can't gorge herself and get sick.

For grooming, Clara does a pretty great job on her own, so I just have to brush her occasionally and every few weeks I will trim her claws. Do not declaw a cat! It's an amputation that is illegal in many states/countries and frequently results in chronic pain and behavioral problems such as an aversion to certain textures (a Major Problem if that texture includes litter...). If you can't trim a cat's claws on your own, try doing one or two at a time while they're sleeping - unlike with dogs, the quick is super visible on a cat's claws, so it's tough to mess up too badly. If all else fails, vets will trim claws for you, or can provide you with glue-on covers for the claws. I also brush Clara's teeth - you can get soft little toothbrushes and tasty-to-cats toothpaste, and even just them gnawing on the toothbrush can provide some benefit. Regular vet visits are also important to monitor any tooth decay that may occur. Cats can do well even with no teeth at all (the teeth are generally just for tearing pieces of prey, not chewing), but keeping those teeth healthy while they've got 'em is important, if only to avoid general anesthesia for a cleaning!

Most cats do very well without baths - so far, Clara has only needed a few little spot-cleans after minor accidents. Bathing is extremely stressful for most cats, so if necessary, I'd check out guides online to help reduce the stress levels. Many cats gradually lose the ability to keep themselves clean, so it's worth looking into, but don't expect to have to wash a cat as often as you would a dog by any means. (Unless you have a sphynx cat, of course...)

To help with scratching, provide scratchers for cats and keep them near the things you don't want the cat to scratch, as attractive alternatives (you can entice them with some catnip sprinkled on the scratchers!) - it's important to have both horizontal and vertical scratchers, since they exercise different muscles. Be aware, though, that bringing a cat into the home means that some of your furniture may be at risk. You can absolutely minimize the risk of damage, but I'd say you can almost never get rid of that risk completely.

Play is super important! I play with Clara throughout the day, but I also set aside some time every single evening to run around with her and really get her playing hard for a while (after which I clean her box, replace her water dishes, and go to bed - the importance of routine!). Cats aren't endurance hunters, but they require very little rest between bursts of energy, so hanging around for a bit with a toy even after you think they may be done is super valuable. Keep in mind that cats can get into life-threatening danger if they eat pieces of toys (strings, feathers, etc.) so it can be good to have some safe toys out all the time (e.g., foam balls) while the more dangerous ones (strings, feathers, etc.) are locked away when you're not actively playing.

Daily maintenance is pretty easy. I clean Clara's litter box at least once per day (which just involves scooping the contents into a bag that I then throw into the trash bin outside - less than 2 minutes/day) and do a deeper clean every week or two where I empty out all the litter and quickly scrub the box itself. Cats are lousy at remembering to drink, so I have three water bowls around the house - these get washed and replaced with fresh water every evening. Fountains are great for some cats (Clara had no interest) - some cats are obsessed with running water. Keeping water away from food can also help encourage cats to drink more. Apart from that, it's mostly just refilling the auto-feeder, attempting to tempt her with wet food (she's not a fan), and giving the occasional treat.

She also gets a monthly flea/tick preventative, which is just a couple drops of liquid that I apply at the base of her neck (usually while she's sleeping). She's an indoor-only cat, but bugs get inside and can transmit all sorts of bad stuff. Be warned that you should NEVER use a dog flea preventative on a cat - the dosage can be so high that it can cause a lot of harm. Make sure you have a correct dosage - ask your vet for more info.

And that's about it! In return for that minor maintenance, I get a silly little fluffy friend who follows me around and makes me laugh all day every day. She's gone from a really skittish little scaredy-cat to... well, still a skittish little scaredy-cat around most people, but around me she's affectionate and constantly looking for cuddles.

I hope this is in some way useful! I think a lot of people who don't consider themselves cat people would really enjoy having a cat - and even if you decide it's not for you, I hope you can appreciate and enjoy the other cats in your life!

[kandyshoppe]

So! I’m going to school to (hopefully) become a farm vet, and I also enjoy those hybrid Aus, SO! Farm Hybrid Au! (Or just farm au!)

Riddle: a rooster, specifically a red cornish. Cornish are known to be a bit aggressive, and finicky. I think he would have been a neglected chick and didn’t get to the full size, instead staying kinda small instead of becoming big like other Cornish.

Trey: Highlander cow, soft, sweet babys! They’re just happy to be here, and are stocky tough cattle. Their coats are double coated, so they can get matted but it’s rare with a proper diet and care.

Cater: a part indoor part outdoor cat, a beautiful orange tabby mix, who goes through moods of cuddle monster and hates everyone. Never a hiss from him, but a grumpy huff and he trots away.

Deuce: mastiff, a guard/live stock guardian dog breed. Big, aggressive to strangers, but love bugs once they get to know you. Specifically a Pyrenean mastiff, they’re polish, and suited for cold weather best.

Ace: definitely a Nubian goat, head strong, rebellious, LOUD, but they’re not aggressive! They’re actually very friendly, to their detriment since they will try to befriend predators!

Leona: farm cat, probably a Maine coon mix, cause he’s so big and fluffy! Maine coons are also very “dog like” and can learn tricks, to play fetch etc. They also tend to have a resting mad face, which Leona seems to have sometimes!

Ruggie: a stray dog that helps hunt vermin on the farm. I feel he wondered up once, and made sure to avoid the live stock (and their guard dogs) and got some rats or something. He doesn’t live on the farm by nearby in the woods with his pack of strays (including granny!)

Jack: another guard dog! Anatolian Shepard, a middle eastern breed suited for colder climates, and lovingly called “nanny dogs” and they will happily let goats jump on them. They’re a bit dominant, preferring to do their own thing vs what others say though.

Azul: cull duck! They’re a bit noisy, enjoying the sound of their own voice. They’re the white ones most people think of for ducks, small and fairly friendly but they do enjoy nibbling to show affection…

Jade: runner duck! They can’t fly, but enjoy scrabbling among rocks to find grubs, or in Jade’s case, mushrooms! They don’t waddle either! They run! They’re not as friendly as other duck breeds, being stand off-ish sometimes.

Floyd: just like his brother, a runner duck. He lives up to the runner in his name! Prances around, and enjoys tormenting the other animals on the farm. Someone stop him! Sneaks up on others and nips their feet. Has been kicked before, it didn’t stop him.

Kalim: brown Swiss, in the top three cattle breeds! They’re known for being fairly docile, calm and friendly. They’re very affectionate, and can get upset when not given affection from their handlers! This boy is BEGGING for ear scritches!

Jamil: Brahman bull, he can get aggressive much easier than Kalim. He’s also a very intelligent boy, as his breed usually is. But they’re also known to be shy, preferring to be alone or with a specific quiet few vs a large herd! Brahmans also are sensitive to the cold, so his hoodie is a need!

Vil: a jersey cow (my favorite!) they’re so pretty, but also the divas of milking cows. But it’s worth it for their thick, buttery and fatty milk! They’re also very curious, choosing to follow new comers vs hiding. They’re very social, but sassy things!

Rook: a trained hawk! (I’ve never seen a trained hawk around chickens but he is!) he was found as a baby and ended up bonding with the farmer I bet, so now he protects the others from birds, and more sneaky attacks! He enjoys sitting with Vil, a strange pair but it works.

Epel: a Southdown sheep, also known as “baby dolls” cause they’re so little and cute! He’s still a ram though, and hates being called cute! Head butts at will! Is mad that Vil has chosen him as their “calf” and follows him around, keeping him out of trouble. Vil’s no fun.

Idia: a British soay sheep, but he’s got a genetic mutation that makes him a deep blue instead of a dark brown. British soay are shy and flighty, they’re timid even among sheep breeds! Idia probably struggles with joining herds because of his color, which makes him more nervous about predators!

Ortho: à shetland sheep, another smaller breed, but quite friendly and inquisitive (which is rare among sheep, I’m sorry they’re dumb) Don’t let his size fool you though! Shetlands are one of the hardiest breeds out there! Small but mighty!

Malleus: a big black shire horse, now I don’t know as much about horses, but shires are docile and friendly draft horses! I bet cause of his size though, many of the other farm animals avoid him cause he’s scary. Shires are sometimes used for riding, and I bet he REALLY enjoys riding!

Lilia: a fell pony! They’re one of the smartest ponies, and while they can be finicky at times because of their intelligence, they are sweet ponies. He’s too intelligent for his own good I bet, enjoying to open the gates and wander out, but doesn’t close it and now EVERYONE is out and about!

Silver: an Icelandic horse (my brother’s favorite), they’re super sweet and hardworking sweethearts, with a beautiful grey coat! One of the friendliest horse breeds in the world, he’s just a big old love bug! Loves rolling around and laying in a nice patch of grass I bet.

Sebek: a shetland pony, but he’s one of the ones who give shetlands a bad rap. He’s nippy, and stubborn, and loves to whiney whenever he can! Likes the sound of his own voice. Is entranced with Malleus, and wants to be a big horse like him one day!

[frootynovak]

casey + alex vs. smartphones

when bored or taking a break from reviewing her case notes, casey plops down on the couch (most of the time accompanied by a beloved bag of potato chips) scrolling through instagram reels of cat videos that she sometimes sends to alex.

alex calls casey out from the dining table where she’s preparing her cases and yells at her to stop sending her stupid videos because her phone keeps pinging. under grumpy breath, alex opens casey’s messages to watch the videos she sent. she smiles and wonders whether it is time for them to try and adopt a pet.

other things casey does with her smartphone:

1. casey learns new recipes by watching youtube videos so she could impress alex with her cooking skills. she also browses tagged restaurants on instagram reels so she could take alex there if she thinks they’re worth it.

2. she leaves movie reviews on letterboxd, especially if the ending of a movie really upset her

3. when she’s antsy, she plays harvest moon/stardew valley

4. casey has pinterest boards that she updates regularly: “date with alex ❤️”, “small tattoo ideas”, “poems that remind me of alex ❤️”, “stupid memes”

5. she has a reddit account but never posts. she uses it just to read the ridiculously funny and the questionably morbid.

casey’s google search history:

how to handle anxiety symptoms / sous vide vs. pressure cooking / are all orange cats crazy / gone girl actress / is orange from the color or the fruit / do fish pee / is bloodbending illegal / duck penis / date night ideas / is mayonnaise better for grilled cheese / padded sliding mats / jurassic park survival guide / new ways to pleasure your girlfriend / silly cat names / sneaky ways to ask your girlfriend to marry you / will our cat attempt to eat our pet fish if we decide to also keep fish pets / gelato vs. ice cream / what to give wife for first anniversary

things alex does with her smartphone:

(the first thing alex does in the morning after brushing her teeth is checking whether she has important emails that need to be urgently responded to)

1. she has a binaural beats/nature sounds app so she can listen to them to help her with anxiety when casey is not around

2. her mobile games of choice are (a) duolingo - to channel her competitiveness and always get to number 1 on leaderboards; (b) merge cooking; (c) nyt games - to pass time when she can’t sleep

3. casey encouraged alex to start journaling to help relieve some symptoms of anxiety. for convenience, alex uses the notion app as a semi-journal, semi-to-do list. at the end of a tiring day and esp if casey is on a work trip, she scribbles a brief narrative of how her day went and how it made her feel. sometimes, she shares her notes to casey.

4. convenience apps: uber, uber eats, doordash, pocket yoga, skyscanner, wise, paypal, opentable, airbnb, booking.com

5. alex has subscription to both apple music and spotify. she insists that sound quality is better in apple music but spotify’s user interface is friendlier. she has different playlists for each mood, and made playlists for casey. she hasn’t shared all those playlists to her though.

alex’s google search history:

are there any advantages to castling queenside? / how do you politely ask someone for their instagram account but as a friend? / what does it mean when young people say that “this is sending me”? / how to tell your girlfriend you love her without having to say it explicitly? / are intrinsic motivations learned? / what restaurant serves the best grilled cheese in manhattan? / list of fragrances with subtle sillage appropriate to wear at work / what signs to look out for which indicates that your girlfriend wants to marry you? / list of the most romantic places for honeymoon / best galleries to visit while in Barcelona / how hard is it to raise a child?

[i-hope-this-is-a-phase]

The First Floor

The Living Area

The home of any house: the heart of the Dream Team. Any half-decent home has a nice living area, and that certainly is the case for the Dream Team!

The Living Area consists of 9 rooms:

The TV Room

The Kitchen

The Dining Table

The Theater Room

The Hallways

The Laundry Room

The Fusion Room (previously the Gym)

The Loft

The TV Room

When you first enter the home, the TV room is on your right

It has a massive sectional sofa and a big-screen TV above the fireplace. IRL, this area is covered in blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, cat toys, and more.

The Dream Team can be found here watching a fellow streamer, a TV show, or more. And, luckily, this room is close to their kitchen for snacks, which brings us to our next room:

The Kitchen

The location of the first 3/3 stream, this kitchen is a versatile space. Its open concept allows it to be accessed from many directions, like the TV room and the Theater Room.

It has stools many stools for the Dream Team to sit at as they eat breakfast, as well as multiple fridges for all their food.

And, just beyond it lives the Dining Room.

The Dining Room

There's not much to say about the Dining Room, since the Dream Team rarely use it. It is used more as storage for all their excess papers.

But, on occasion, you may see Patches jump on it to drink a glass of water.

The Theater Room

Right next to the Kitchen, the Theater Room is featured often in George's Snapchats! If the Dream Team choose to, they can watch a movie here themselves or with a large party of friends.

One of the unique features of this room is its beautiful starry ceiling, which adds to the ambiance of the room.

The Hallways

Right next to the kitchen lie the hallways. The left door leads into the Fusion Room, the middle door leads to another hallway, and the right doorway leads to under the stairs!

You can find some cat toys under the stairs, as well as some equipment in the hallway that leads to the Fusion Room again and the Laundry Room.

The Fusion Room

What was once the gym has now become the Fusion Room! Covered in mats and cardboard walls, this area has been featured in both Dream and George's videos!

It is packed full of technology and why wouldn't it? It's a masterpiece of engineering and coding, and it shows.

The Laundry Room

Featured heavily in the "Titan vs. 20 Hiders" video, this room has multiple washers and dryers for the Dream Team to use!

I, unfortunately, do not have the Laundry Day pack, so there are no washers and dryers in this room. But, feel free to replace the cabinets with them if you download this build!

The Loft

The final room of the Living Area: this area leads to the Dream Suite, the backyard, and SNF's Domain.

It features a stunning spiral staircase as well as a Christmas tree, which Patches often can be found hiding under.

Dream

Dream's entire suite lies on the first floor! There are six rooms in Dream's suite:

Dream's Office

Dream's Bedroom

Dream's Walk-in Closet

Dream's Hallway

The Server Room

Dream's Bathroom

Dream's Office

Right between the back door and the stairwell, you can find Dream's office! It has two desks, a bed, and two computers for all the gaming he does.

As the keen-eyed observer may notice, Dream's iconic face-reveal video was done with a mirrored camera! In later streams and videos, the camera was not reflected.

Dream's Bedroom

Dream's bedroom is to the right after entering the double doors next to the TV room. It is the largest bedroom, with the iconic whiteboard, a master bed, and a TV to watch the Sooners' games!

To the left of his bed, you will see the mirror with which Dream takes his morning selfies! Remember when Dream didn't have a face.

Yeah, me neither.

Dream's Walk-in Closet

Nothing screams luxury than having a massive walk-in closet! Here, you will find many of Dream's Sooners' jerseys, his iconic hoodies, and more.

Of course, any good closet has many drawers, and this room has plenty for all the clothes he's hiding.

Dream's Hallway

It ain't much: just a transitionary space between the rooms. But, I think it defines why Drema's area is a suite rather than just "his rooms."

The Server Room

The home of the Internet, where the Dream Team got their fame. It's covered top-to-bottom with gadgetry that makes the global phenomenon of the Dream Taem possible.

It's just to the left when you enter Dream's suite, and it can be found right next to the bathroom.

Dream's Bathroom

We haven't gotten many photos of this room! But, we can assume there's a bath from the iconic "I'm in the bath" space, and we've seen the beautiful shower room mirror selfie before.

It's a grand bathroom, which fits since it is the master bathroom of the house.

And honestly, Dream deserves it for his hard work.

You can find the Second Floor Layout here!

[absolutefilthimsosorry]

Spoilers for DnP Incohearent!!!!

I’m having so much fun trying to solve these that I made a list to keep track! Message if you can help me fill in any I’m missing or if I’ve got any wrong!!!

Also lmk if you see any I’ve missed!! I’m going to keep updating this and have it unrebloggable but you can reblog this post to have a link to it!

These are all gathered from this post and this post so check the notes on those first to try to solve them then look here if you need answers!

Sow march cheer ray = so much cherry

Wee nay urn for uke oye yer tub = we’ve never fucked on youtube?

Ta fold in fig = the golden pig

Feed hay hid eho = vday video

Tat he won ape hit morse him he = daddy want a bit more simmy

Watt ken ice hay = what can I say

North key bus teabag king = naughty busty baking

Fool tie enter nit hobo / fall tie mint her nepo moe / fault aye mint earn are ohm owe/ foul thyme inch hermit hole mold = full time internet homo

Cumin mile aid deed or = come in my ladydoor

Hum hay zinc tan = amazingdan

Elven ower fug sedge own = eleven hour fuck session

An berry moth ribeye adam stir = and every month we buy a hamster

March rest array = Manchester eye

Cyst herding yell = sister daniel

Add a ding teps = editing tips

Cop dubai khaki luna = topped by kakuna

Late eat tore = ladydoor

Half tugger etch two eggs cyst = have the courage to exist

Perish she end wink = Parisian twink

Coal ten big/ goal then pick = golden pig

Cyst ordain yell = sister daniel

Train youth inks = try new things

Gay mean moss/ gain ink mass = gamingmas

Soften need = soft and neat

A wools lied = owl slide

Topper bought them hill = top or bottom Phil

Coat fit firenze = golf with friends???

Few ours pig meow fits = viewers pick my outfits

Read less tar = red lester

Eye eight soup igloo = I ate super glue

Insight youth era too walls = inside you there are two wolves

Mine amy stan = my name is Dan

Clap hella = glabella

Hiss teeth rent = hits different

Eel eyes apron kay kiss = Eliza pancakes

See pram haze ink bra jet = super amazing project

Feels lie yawn = phils lion

Fuel ease snot dawn fair = Phil is not on fire

Jaw shush ear son = josh hutcherson

Ball bull him tour food = bauble in your foot?

Sure eck = shrek

High ate dust = hiatus

Add a dink deps = editing tips

Ga hay shoom air age = gay shoe marriage

Pope eat plate aim = poppy playtime

Eat aches stu = it takes two

Goo gal few ed = google feud

Baze ick lee eye meg ay = basically I’m gay

Ko min yout ti ew = coming out to you

Ender knit subvert grew oop = internet support group

Phylis turn yar a sheen yes = PHIL LESTER YOU’RE A GENIUS

With Audi intern yet wean ed brr wood halve mat = without the internet we never would have met

Gum ban yins drool I’ve = companions through life

Reed sons wide answer flail = reasons why dans a fail

Ewan dam ah some are reed = you and Dan are so married

Denver sis fill/ Denver cis full = Dan vs Phil

Or lawn huffing = all or nothing

Dunk rye core raft = don’t cry craft

Mortal jester roam and thick/ Morph adjust row antic = more than just romantic

So wall how debris poll light = swallow to be polite???

Oar hinge art = orange heart

Foray virgo em = forever home

Chai reel loop/ share real oob = cherry lube

Cad boyd anne = cat boy dan

Far turf ill lip = father philip

Tess lit hen ink = the slittening

Forth house indie rolled or touches = four thousand year old tortoises

Hey moth swish roundup floating = a month without uploading

Jam march let pet tea an farms = Je mange les petit enfants

Day lion howl tour = Dalien Howlter

Ima let all kit = I’m a little kit

Feel pearl lays shell ter = Phil plays shelter

Fewer blue key app ending = viewer spooky happenings

Hell low iam tour reel = hello I am Toriel

Laugh tuh gey mile kuh = left to get milk

Villas eek wreck why vuh = Phil’s secret wife

Footy strain gin said dent = ___ strange incident????

Snow core play sum = snokoplasm

Nope puts cereal sleeping mage innit = no but seriously imagine it

Tear rip pulling flu hence = terrible influence

Jeff why eye aisle hike vague liner = fyi I like vagina

Eggs intense all cry cis = existential crisis

List of contributors

@fletthewreck @dandp @deadandphilgames @manchesterau @thephouseplants @awrfhi @jonsaremembers @rachosaurusrex @dapgolf @dan-whoell @dnphobe @dreamingalto @steveandscraggy @phanbeats @danandfuckingjonlmao @pepper-pastry @yonpote @un-interactive-introvert @spaniel-trowel @sisterdanieldyke @queerdnp @morganadelacour @amid-fandoms @spectral-kitkat @goingpheral @angelzonearth @wdapteo @2009phan @dansevilpianotea

[sneakingsuspicionbooks]

Finished my Player Piano rebind, which is also my first completed binding project! There are several imperfections, and I came *this close* to casing in upside down despite marking front and back on the paste down, but I'm pretty happy with it for an inaugural bind.

Some details:

Cover design made with public domain icon art from The Noun Project, edited in Photoshop and Canva, printed on Cricut HTV with my Silhouette Cameo 4

Bookboard is precut davey board from Colophon Book Arts Supply

Bookcloth is linen Brillianta in lime

Endpages are Astrobrights cardstock in Plasma Pink

I used rebind tutorial videos by Abound Bindery as my guide

Some reflections:

I'm really glad I decide to do some rebinds to practice casing in before attempting to bind any self-made text blocks. My first attempt to glue board to bookcloth went poorly, but it gave me a sense of how much PVA to use as well as how fast I had to brush it out to prevent it from soaking into the board or drying in place, which resulted in a distinct impression of where I'd initially put the glue down through the cloth. I may switch to using a container I can dip the brush in to prevent that, and keep the squeeze bottle for narrow spots

I'm really glad I used silicone 'brushes'. Being able to rub the glue off after each use ensured it would be clean and dry for the next use and gave me a nice even distribution I don't think I could have gotten otherwise with my tremor

Making straight lines, whether with a knife or glue, is really tricky when you have a tremor lol

The extra expense of buying precut board was so so worth it, especially with my hand issues, and doubly so with my vision/vertigo issues that make it impossible for me to eyeball anything close to straight lines. When I do my next project I may splurge on custom size cutting to save me the frustration and pain even just trimming the boards caused.

I tried out cutting bookcloth with both my olfa knife and my rolling blade, and using the roller makes a real difference as it keeps any of the individual threads from pulling

Cork-backed metal rulers were so essential for any kind of cutting, but not being able to have the ruler flat against the material and mat did make it a little harder to get straight lines

Using a mechanical pencil vs a regular one also matters

I'm apparently one of those people who enjoy weeding HTV. So satisfying.

Also, those little silicone weeding scrap collector rings are much more helpful than you'd think. I used this one.

Doing any of this when you have a cat that wants to get into everything you do is a challenge of its own

I'm now working on the second of the three Vonnegut novel rebinds I set out to do, and it's going much faster than the first now that I've got a sense of what to expect and what does and doesn't work.

[toastandjamie]

Me? Writing an Essay about the themes of captivity, taming and dehumanization related to the Ta’veren boys? More likely than you’d think.

So let’s talk about it!

Perrin probably has the most literal interpretation of this theme as a wolf brother. His storyline is quite literally him grappling between being an animal vs a human. However unlike Rand and Mat most of Perrin’s issues are his own internalized feelings of dehumanization. He treats himself as a potentially dangerous animal that needs to be contained and controlled. A lot of his internal arc is attempting to tame himself and inevitably discovering a balance between the freedom of a wolf and the self control of a human. However inspite of how Perrin himself treats the Wolf aspect of himself, not many people outside of himself actively dehumanize him. With the notable exception of the White Cloaks who treat him like a rabid animal who needs to be put down. Perrin however isn’t disturbed by this because he views himself as a dangerous animal. While others don’t try to tame Perrin, he spends the majority of the series trying to tame himself instead.

Mat on the complete opposite end of the spectrum is almost only dehumanized by others. Mat doesn’t self identify as an animal in any regard nor does he respond with anything but distress and confusion when others treat him like one, only ever identifying as an animal in response to how others make him feel, such as him comparing himself to a rabbit under Tylin’s gaze. Unlike Perrin, Mat however is not viewed as a dangerous animal- with the notable exception of Tuon- but instead as an exotic pet. Something wild and feral that can be domesticated. Tylin is the most notable example of this, going as far as almost exclusively referring to him as various animals. However the Aes Sedai and other women also participate in this, multiple mention Mat needing a good woman to settle him down and domesticate him and the Aes Sedai treat him much the same. Tuon notably begins their relationship thinking similarly about Mat that he’s wild but ultimately harmless only later coming to the realization that his teeth are still sharp- the difference between a house cat and a lion- but this danger only makes her want to tame him more. Tuon very much likes the idea of having a lion on a leash.

Rand meanwhile both dehumanizes himself and also dehumanized by others. Unlike Mat and Perrin, he is neither a wild animal or an exotic pet- instead he and others treat him like a monster. Monsters need to be captured or tamed for others safety not for the status symbol of having it as a pet. While others treat him with a mix of fear and awe, Rand believes that it’s in his nature to cause harm even if unintentionally. Rand treats himself as dangerous but unlike Perrin he rarely tries to tame himself; instead accepting the fact that he’s a monster and all that comes with it. You can’t tame a classical dragon, as they are divine and sometimes even god-like, the best you can hope for is to imprison it which is just what the Aes Sedai attempt to do with Rand.

All three boys experience various forms of captivity, both metaphorical and literal, as well as fear it. Perrin is taken captive by the White Cloaks in book 1 and later after seeing another wolf brother completely feral and locked in a cage begins to fear losing control of himself and being trapped. Mat meanwhile is kidnapped or held prisoner multiple times, by the Aes Sedai, by Tylin and is metaphorically caged by Tuon and the Shadar Logoth dagger. Rand of course has The Box incident but he’s also trapped by his destiny metaphorically and again physically when he’s arrested in Far Madden.

The idea that the three Ta’veren boys are animals meant to caged or tamed is a through line from book 1 that only grows to be more obvious and literal as time goes on. There roles as Ta’veren cause themselves and others to view them as something other than human- and for those in power they begin to view them as less than human- as tools- as animals. Perrin accepts his dehumanization and insists on keeping himself in check, eventually he learns to embrace his wolf side and finds balance so that he can both be free and controlled. Mat fully rejects this dehumanization and despises the idea of being kept in captivity, however as time goes on he begins to resist it less and less until eventually he’s successfully “tamed” by Tuon and finds himself enjoying the security and familiarity that captivity entails. Rand embraces his dehumanization but violently rejects captivity, and at the end of the series he finds himself completely human and finally, blissfully, free.

[marc--chilton]

i saw your house-would-be-not-happy-to-have-a-tail-that-uncontrollably-wags-around-wilson post and i feel the need to share with you what animals i think the PPTH losers would be if they were furries. i'm not a furry but in this case i have Thoughts about their animal counterparts.

House: if he's a dog, he's a beat-up-looking shelter-dog, a rottweiler or a doberman or an american bully or a pit bull (bullies are like if pit bulls were bred to be built even more like tanks). but i think he'd be a cat (either a nonspecific longish-haired tabby with some matting issues or a maine coon also with matting issues) or a coyote.

Wilson: golden retriever. easy.

Chase: dingo. also easy.

Cameron: long-furred dachshund.

Masters: chihuahua. small but opinionated.

Foreman: he's like House, but if House was better cared for (not a coyote though). so instead of being a scarred and hunched rottweiler/doberman/pit bull/american bully, he's the type of those breeds who would win a dog show. he's polished.

Taub: a little yippy terrier-mix mutt

Thirteen: a gorbeiakoa basque shepherd dog

Cuddy: an american water spaniel

please share more of your furrymd headcanons! :) and also pleasssseee tell me if you agree with my analysis.

-🎸

i've had similar discussions before about house md animals in the past but never thought of them as furries but as actual feral critters so my opinions vary depending on Vibe

bc like i will always and forever advocate for less popular species being explored so in this case, less dogs/cats

house - goat or sheep, evokes imagery of wolf in sheep's clothing or lucifer; mockery of religious imagery he is both compared to and challenging (see: house vs god, the entire 'god doesn't limp' scene)

wilson - bear. like a teddy bear, obviously. makes you think he's more a stuffed toy than the actual animal. but he most certainly still is an animal.

cuddy - horse. beautiful hair, gorgeous beast so sleek and dark she shines rosy, a perfect white diamond on her nose, and horseshoes to stomp you to death with

chase - honestly a dingo's pretty alright for him but just to be different, a bilby!! they're charismatic and beloved by australians. in new jersey though most people are like "what's a bilby??"

foreman - rat, they have bad reputations that foreman still has to endure even as a doctor.

cameron - rabbit, usually associated with life though cameron is more accustomed to death (her widowing)

taub - burrowing owl. just look at how taublike. or a bat.

thirteen - tbh she's soooo a wolf she's like the grown up version of your first wolfsona, that's just her Vibe, but again to be different..... opossum. kind of scary at first but turns out she's really cool. did you know opossums' body temperatures are too low for them to actually carry rabies. they can still get it, it's just super rare

kutner - ferret!! excitable, fun, so so sillay, does best in a group

[nightskylonging]

Lord of Chaos notes:

Taim's vibes are horrendous. Everyone knows this. I forgot just how bad they were.

Aiel vs. wetlands humor - I thought Rand's joke was funny, at least.

Mat is remarkably good with Olver!

Ishamael was a theologian? For what theology? (This is one of the difficult points of WOT for me. The lack of religion is very unrealistic.)

Alanna. Well. Other people have written better breakdowns of this so I'll just say that it's awful.

So does Herid Fel imply that the Drilling of the Bore kicked off the Third Age? As though in retrospect that's where they reckoned the timeline from?

Rand is absolutely going through it. I wish he would be a little kinder to himself. I know that he won't.

I have a between-reading sessions note here on Galad. I'm not necessarily a Galad hater - I think he provides a very interesting sort of perspective, and seeing how he interacts with the world is interesting. Also, his family situation is so incredibly messed up. Where were his parental figures. (Tigraine left, Tarangail does not seem to have been great, Morgase in her narration doesn't seem to consider him hers - good grief.)

I completely forgot the Egwene and Gawyn stuff. It's... meh.

I'll accept Rand's List being some sort of Compulsion thing.

I don't think Rand realizes he talks to LTT out loud.

Elayne's thoughts on bonding Rand are... iffy. This is something I've noted about most Warder bonds. So. Make of that what you will.

I think there is potential for some kind of Aiel floor time meme. (I also think Rand would benefit from floor time.)

Aes Sedai healing stray cats. Wasn't one of Liandrin's crew in Tarabon known for that?

I am. Concerned. About Aram.

Just to tally some stuff real quick: Rand mutters to Lews Therin, laughs for no reason (this has been a stress response of his for a while), has very changeable moods (at least partially the PTSD), and Perrin notes that he doesn't blink enough (I'd almost say hypervigilance). He would appear to be a few doves short of a coop, and this isn't even as bad as it gets.

Demira Eriff is so real for getting the same six dresses made over and over again for years.

Tylin. Ew.

The description of everything in the Grand Hall in the chapter The Mirror of Mists is so vivid. I love it.

New favorite obscure character: Mahiro.

Rand is dissociating again.

Everyone knows Mat is Olver's bad influence, but to be fair, it was Nalesean who let him be a horse jockey.

Oh. I forgot that Sevanna was creepy about Rand too. (Can everyone just leave him alone?)

Dumai's Wells was so much worse than I remembered.

I had less notes for this book. Most of that is because we're well into the long haul here, another is I'm trying not to post the same complaints for every book. Still don't like most of the romances. I'm excited for A Crown of Swords, I seem to remember that being a good one! (Dreading Mat in Ebou Dar, though.)