#the last year of my life has been full of so much difficulty and pain and struggling

[babyboywilson]

happiness is having someone comment that your writing is beautiful when you’ve been insecure to get back to writing again

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura Haruno fanfiction recs: time travel AU

I'm finally getting around to recommending some good Sakura-centric time travel fics! There are plenty of them out there and they can be kind repetitive, but I always eat them up. Typically speaking, I really don't care much for the whole introduction bit at the start where it's the actual process of her being sent back... So just make it past there before you decide whether or not to continue!!! Also, I'm starting to think this list is getting kinda long, so maybe I'll do a second one?

I've been dying to post some of these fics in a list, so please enjoy!

Started: 2024.08.16

Last Updated: 2024.12.02

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Sakura - lilac haze || ffn/ao3 || M || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

AU. Non-Canon. Time Travel. Please see inside for full warnings. Cross posted on Ao3. On his deathbed he was granted eternal peace and place to rest for all of time. Of course that was not appealing to him. Ever unpredictable to the end he had a counter offer. One that the Sage had to consider. In which Sakura's going to have a rough time. A really rough time.

If there is one thing I want you to take away from this list, it is this fic right here. I kid you not, Sakura is one of the best fics I have ever read. I have never felt so gutted, so heartbroken, so giddy, so stressed, all from one work. It's a masterpiece all while being criminally underrated. The characterizations and storytelling are beautifully done. You feel for the characters and the relationships formed along the way are truly great. Please share this author some love.

Check TWs before hand!!

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The Misadventures of Kakashi and the Girl From No Where - Goldfishlover73 || ao3 || kakasaku || M || time travel AU || complete

When a girl called Sakura seemingly falls in the sky, Kakashi is skeptical. Far more skeptical than the rest of Team Minato are. War is approaching quickly and this strange girl is leaving more questions than answers in her wake, Kakashi must decide where his trust and loyalties lie in a constantly changing world.

Told in the perspective of Kakashi in his youth! Really interesting take and I love how strong Sakura is in this in addition to the fact that we get to see a different side of Kakashi that we aren't used to.

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Anachronistic Drift  - Elesrea  || ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || incomplete

Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU

Sakura spends years training to be sent back in time and save the world from Sasuke. Whilst masquerading as her younger self, she poses as an unofficial ANBU to stay anonymous in her efforts of changing the shinobi world for the better.

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Tourniquet - lilac haze || ffn || T || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

She was his tourniquet. She stopped the bleeding, she stopped his bleeding. She stopped his pain, his despair, his loneliness. She was the first face he saw. She was the first person he trusted. She was the first person to keep his secret. She was his tourniquet. He did not love her. He only loved the idea of her. SakuraXMinato. Time-Travel Fic. Alt. Universe

I quite honestly think this is a hidden gem amongst time travel AUs since I never see people recommending it, but Touriquet is so good! What's interesting here is that it isn't Sakura that's playing with time, but rather Minato. The night of the Nine-Tails attack, rather than dying, he is sent to the future where post-war Sakura is the one to find him and keep the former Hokage alive. It's a delicate situation and one which is kept a secret from many, but through Minato's depression and difficulties with his new life, Sakura becomes a close confident.

Same author as Sakura! I gotta read more of their works

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Armour-Sleeved Single Hit - thatdamnuchiha || ao3 || T || madasaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Sasuke always told Sakura she was weak. Even after she trained with Tsunade for years he only had eyes for Naruto whom he considered strong. She would forever be invisible to him no matter how many mountains she toppled. Being a member of Team Seven despite Sasuke’s refusal to acknowledge her meant she got herself into her fair share of sticky situations. Getting stuck a hundred odd years in the past had to take the cake though. But she was just a weak little girl and compared to the shinobi of old she’d be ridiculously pathetic. Sasuke had said she was weak to him – a modern day shinobi who hadn’t been forced into battle after battle like they did in the Warring Clans Era. Obviously she’d be nothing more than a spec of dirt in the eyes of the Founders.

Sakura manages to find herself in founding-era Konoha! While trying to prove that medical ninja are capable fighters she unknowingly gains the affection of Madara Uchiha. After all, the Uchiha find beauty in strength. Super cute read!

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here are the fruits of your labor (would you like a cherry on top?) - snickiebear || ao3 || M || shisaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Shisui smiles and it is unlike any smile she has seen before. She cannot remember the last time she had seen a smile. 

Sakura manages to fix everything and now tries to live her life in a past she doesn't know. Shisui is the first to find her and the two of them form a close relationship that continues through her journey of recovery.

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The Moon Knows Best - darth_healer || ao3 || E || madasaku || time travel AU || complete

The Moon has played a cruel trick on Madara. He's still home, but it's not the same. Instead of a tranquil forest, there's a colorful vibrant village. Instead of the cliffside he knows so well, it's a collection of Senju faces, one of which belongs to his good friend Hashirama. And instead of Hashirama, Madara is saddled with a very interesting, pink-haired girl. MadaSaku in which young Madara goes forward through time.

Madara finds himself far into the future where the first to stumble upon him is Sakura. He's such a brat, but his and Sakura's interactions are rather entertaining.

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In the Magic Hour - summersirius || ao3 || E || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

It's not perfect, but everything is beautiful. —Minato/Sakura

A sharingan mishap lands Sakura in the past where she drops down in front of team Minato. With her hope of returning to the present time dwindling, Sakura excepts her new life and tries to make the best of the situation and the new bonds that come with it. The dynamic between Sakura and the older generation is quite refreshing and her mentor relationship with the former team 7 is great.

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Stumble - writer168 || ao3/ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || complete

Sakura wanted to die.Sasori was fine with staying dead.But it seemed fate had other plans for them, because when they both wake up younger with blood pulsing through their veins, they had to remember how to live again.Time Travel AU

Sasori and Sakura are both sent back in time and they try to make a difference in their respective villages. Told in the perspective of both characters, but primarily Sakura. She ends up forming a pretty sweet bond with Ibiki and Genma (which I love) and they help her through some things. Sakura has a rough time

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A Twist in Time - wolf08 || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

With Konoha on the verge of destruction, Sakura is sent on a last-resort mission to save her world by travelling to the past. Join her in coping with her old body's shortcomings, testing the natural laws of time, falling in love all over again, and rediscovering who she is.

With Sakura frustrated at being back to where she started in her becoming of a shinobi, she begins to train with Sasuke. This time around in her life, her relationship with her brooding teammate doesn't seem so strained. Pretty good read

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Return & Rehash - SpaceNugget11 || ffn || sasusaku || M || time travel AU || incomplete

"You," Sakura snarled with bared teeth. Sasuke gagged for air, clutching at her forearm, but she only pressed harder into him. Her green eyes crackled, and she wished she could burn him alive with the heat of her anger.

Sasuke and Sakura certainly did not end in their last life on goods terms and it is prevalent from the moment Sakura awakens and attacks her teammate.

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An Inch of Gold - KuriQuinn || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

Team 7 is sent on a mission to investigate a disturbance outside of the village, where they encounter an unconscious girl in a crater. The mysterious Sarada insists she's a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf trying to rescue her teammates. When the team discovers she possesses a Sharingan, things become even more unbelievable. [Part of the Legacy of Fire Series]

Sarada lands herself back in time all while crashing into another team 7 mission gone wrong. An Inch of Gold is in multiple perspectives, but they're all done quite well. Sasuke and Sakura are obviously rather flustered by the situation and the fact they have to deal with it in front of the team makes it quite entertaining.

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These Eyes of Mine (I Can See) - tsukuyue || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

They've lost. Naruto was dead, killed at Kaguya’s hands. Along with him died any illusions of hope that they could win. They couldn’t win, but perhaps they wouldn’t need to. In attempts to stop the Fourth Shinobi War from ever occuring, Sakura is sent back in time to the moment of her birth. Protecting the people she cared about would be much easier if she knew all the facts. OR Where Sakura can see the dead, and Danzō deserves to die.

I'll be honest, I can't remember much, but I do remember that it was really good! I believe a large focus is the Uchiha massacre.

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Trials of Change - Espoiretreves || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

Haruno Sakura made a promise. Looking in the eyes of her Shisou and the reanimated Hokage, she took on the most important mission of her life. Go back in time and try to prevent the 4th Shinobi War. Now, Sakura is back to her 5-year-old body, with all the knowledge and haunting memories of the future. She vows to keep her precious people safe and stop certain events from happening, without altering the timeline too much. The trials her emotions and logic put her through have her questioning her very existence, but for the sake of peace, she has to push forward. No matter what.

If you love Shisui then you'll definitely like Trials of Change. Him and Sakura form the most wholesome friendship ever and try their best in taking down ROOT. A huge cast is present here and the whole thing is just great. It seems as if everyone has some character development lmao.

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Time Flies Like An Arrow - Katlou303 || ao3 || gen || K || time travel AU || complete

Sakura traveled back in time with the intent of changing everything, but something went wrong, and now she's four years old having nightmares about impossible monsters and losing friends she has yet to meet.

I always like the ones where Sakura isn't fully aware she time travelled. I find it interesting in this fic to see how oblivious Sakura is to her situation, she's a four year old in mind and body. However, she still feels the need to make a difference in the lives of the people around her.

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cut the head off the snake - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || time travel AU || complete

when eighteen-year-old, post-war Sakura is thrown back into her tiny, pre-Academy body, she makes a decision. she'd had a childhood once already, and this time, she's more interested in Not Dying when the inevitable shit hits the proverbial fan. so she will work harder, care less, kill more, and smile when she's done.and hey, if she ends up reviving an extinct nature transformation to attract the most corrupt, power-hungry man from her timeline, all the better for her, right?

Sakura decides that her first order of business after traveling back in time is to infiltrate ROOT and that's exactly what she does. Sai, Shin, and Shisui are all great characters and team Ro is present as well. Very good!

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The Danger of Smudged Storage Seals - bluemingqueen || ao3 || M || kakasaku || time travel AU || complete

Sakura should have known that Naruto taking an interest in seals would lead to disaster.

In hindsight, maybe she should have looked to see if the piece of paper she’d pressed a chakra-laden finger to was the explosive seal or the slightly smudged miniature storage seal containing all of her shinobi registration documents.

Perhaps one of my favourite kakasku fics and this was just recently completed too! Genin Sakura is sent back in time due to a faulty seal and maybe it was for the best? She ends up joining Team Minato and forms some great friendships in addition to a super sweet parental relationship with Minato and Kushina. There's a really good balance between training, missions, goofing around, heartfelt moments, etc.. I think the author did a fabulous job with the characterizations as they all feel accurate and unique to themselves. Also, fuinjutsu-user!Sakura??? Yes please! Slow burn kakasaku where they are both immature idiots

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A Second Chance - Invisibleninja12 || ao3 || T || sasosaku || time travel AU || ongoing

A 15 year old Sasori turns up in the Leaf Village almost one year after Sakura defeats him (in canon). Not knowing what to do with this young, (semi) innocent Sasori, Sakura hides him from the world.

A teenage Sasori somehow manages to land himself 20 years in the future and he isn't quite sure what to make of it. Sakura feels she owes it to Lady Chiyo to help out (a bratty and emotionally constipated) Sasori and ropes Sai into assisting. I've really been enjoying A Second Chance so far and I really love that Sai has a large role!

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Q: Do you guys like my little comments? If you look at my other lists you'll probably notice that I tend to reuse some of what I say (bc I'm lazy), but for the most part I try to add something new whenever I put a fic on a list. I know that descriptions aren't always very helpful, so I like to put a little something for y'all to get a better idea of what to expect!

Send me recs if you have any!!!

[moomeecore]

at this point any time i discuss auditory sensory issues and someone says they have them too in order to get a one up on me when they disagree with me in a fundamentally redicolous way that implies they either don't actually know what sensory issues are or are lying their asses off, or just have sensory issues so minor that they shouldn't be involved in the conversation on them i gotta send them like. a quiz or smthn . my idea . bc this I'm never gonna fake claim anyone but this is a specific symtom and we need to gatekeep it soooo hard bc nobody fucking knows what it is

if you don't answer yes to most of these questions (except number 2, which should be a solid NO), you aren't allowed to give your unsolicited opinion on auditory sensory issues

1. has a noise ever directly caused you to have a full blown anxiety attack. it does not count if you did not have difficulty breathing over it

2. have you ever gone a single, individual day in your life where a sound did not signifigantly upset you (if you answered yes, back down right the fuck now)

3. do other people go "i didn't even hear that until you pointed it out" on a frequent basis when you say a sound is bothering you

4. when people play music at parties, do you typically struggle to tune it out, to the point that it distracts you from taking to people

5. do quiet sounds (buzzing/humming from radiator, sounds of pencil scratching, sounds of cutlery/silverware, sounds of tapping on ipad with stylus) aggrivate you to the point of making it difficult to focus, on a regular basis- as in, every day or almost every day. AT LEAST once a week

6. would you describe certain sounds as "like someone took a pizza cutter, sliced it through my head, and started sawing at my brain"

7. do repetitive noises (beeping, tapping, ticking) frequently get "stuck in your head" - even after the noise is turned off you still hear it

8. have you ever been pushed to tears over a sound that upset you? more importantly, does this happen to you frequently enough that you would say that it's happened at least once every year of your life that you can remember

9. when you wear earplugs or noise cancelling headphones (or both at the same time), does it, even in the best case scenario, still usually not block out all the sounds that are bothering you

10. has an upsetting noise pushed you to the point of considering or enacting self harm in order to distract yourself from the pain and discomfort by inducing a comparable physical pain on your body

11. would you consider the act of tripping down the stairs and falling on your face, without lasting injury but still extreme pain, to be generally preferable to hearing your least favorite sounds

12. when somebody plays audio on a device out loud does the audio quality typically interrupt your ability to process, enjoy, and understand the music. this can vary a lot based on device, sound, and how well you're doing mentally, but would you at least say that a good portion if the time, when someone plays audio on a device out loud (radio, phone, speaker) it comes out as very significantly more unintelligible than if you listened to it on headphones

13. when a sound upsets you, do you often (near daily or daily basis) experience a headache as a result?

14. when a sound upsets you, do you, much of the time (enough that you wouldn't consider it infrequent - you can think of more examples of this happening than you could count), cause physical pain/reaction beyond headaches - eye strain, breathing difficulty, tensed muscles, chest pain, heart palpitations

15. has an upsetting sound, more than once, caused you to have difficulty forming sentences (difficulty thinking of words, difficulty speaking- stuttering or inability to get words out even if you try)

16. has an upsetting sound, more than once, impaired your ability to walk or move / has it caused involuntary shaking and jittering

17. growing up, did you have a noticeable avoidance of public spaces because of sound? and/or did your parents avoid taking you out in public because of unusually severe and frequent "temper tantrums"?

18. do you, today, still avoid certain places because of potential sounds?

19. growing up, including middle and high school, have you ever had to leave school early because you got so overwhelmed by sounds that it made you unable to function (couldn't talk, couldn't participate in class, started throwing up, started crying, had a panic attack)

20. did the auditory enviorment in school cause such difficulty that you either considered or did in fact move to online school, drop out, or switch to a smaller school (college counts)

21. does your ability to talk, walk, process your enviorment, react at a reasonable time, or understand what's going on, diminish/get worse in public spaces, to at least some extent, to this day?

22. have you ever been so bothered by a noise coming from outside your house that you've, in a desperate attempt to find it and get rid of it, gone in search for it, walking around your neighborhood feeling like some sort of decreped beast on the hunt for blood. bonus points if it's the middle of the night. bonus bonus points if it's winter and bonus bonus bonus points if you were so distressed you didn't bother to dress appropriately for the weather. yes this has happened to me multiple times why do you ask

23. have you ever asked someone to stop making a sound? this one seems like a no brainer but i heard a horror story from my friend where somebody told him "i have sensory issued and ive never asked someone to quiet down for me 😌" and if this is you? never speak to me

[astheforcewillsit]

Title: Rest Stop (ao3 link)

Summary:

Five years after the Clone Wars, the Jedi are being hunted. Obi-Wan and Cody try to navigate what that means for them. or Quinlan Vos goes missing, and Obi-Wan rescues him with some difficulty. They recover in a clone colony, and uncomfortable conversations are had.

"What do you mean there are people after you. Who is after you? Who did this to you."

Cody interrogates him in rapid succession. Without pause, words flow freely from his mouth as if he is commanding a platoon on the battlefield.

His voice rising at every syllable as anxiety seizes him.

It is uncharacteristic of the former commander's usual collected approach to disaster. Especially when that disaster is Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Though Obi-Wan cannot blame him. It has been two months since he last made contact with Cody, and even longer since he visited the clone colony.

Now he's returned looking worse than a walking bruise.

And in that time he had missed much.

New buildings have been added to this particular colony. Spring has settled upon it, and new life sings in the Force. The tension that engulfed the clones during the war has all but dissipated.

Cody's home has grown too. Both physically and in the Force.

The kitchen--now a temporary medbay-colorful and large. There are more dishes than there were last time. Baking trays, cookie sheets. Colorful utensils. The cabinets are the burnt yellow of the 212th, and there is an apron hanging on a door hook. The faint smell of spice hangs in the air. And the Force shows him a memory of laughing children, eagerly eating away at sweets that must have been put out on this very table hours ago. A table that Obi-Wan now sits at. A table his blood has stained.

He tries not to think about what the Republic says about the Jedi, now. How they ruin everything they touch.

He's brought back to present as a bacta patch is applied to his arms. His sleeves have been sliced off (he'll have to make a new tunic when he's able to), and the cool air burns at his open wounds.

The young medic--a kid really, Threads, curses loudly. He's doing what he can, but he never served under a general or in the war. He hangs around Cody because he looks up to him, but stopped his training when the clones got their rights.

He just happened to be the closest Cody could grab while the other went to flag down an actual doctor.

"I apologize, Threads. I'm sure you believed you escaped the horrors of war." "How on Earth did you get metal shards in your arm, Master?" He mutters, gaze focused in morbid curiosity. He pulls out sharp pieces of metal, and lets them clatter on the ground beside him, "And no worries. This kinda makes me want to actually go back to my studies as a doctor. But it would help to know what happened."

The past few days have absolutely horrendous, that's what.

Though now beside Cody, the adrenaline begins it's exit from Obi-Wan's system as it registers he is safe. Finally safe.

And with the adrenaline gone, the pain begins to collect its toll. He aches. Badly. Though for now he can use the Force to will the pain to numbness. His head is full of lead, his eyes carrying the weight of the world. He just wants to sleep. And strangely, Cody is the perfect pillow. He leans forward in his chair, and let's his head fall onto clone's stomach. Force, he could stay here in this chair for ever, face buried in the soft fabric of Cody's clothing.

"Obi-Wan, what the kriff happened?" It's more of an exasperated sigh, a breathless question as Cody runs his finger's through the Jedi's hair.

With great effort, Obi-Wan turns his head to the side, gaze landing on the cause of his current predicament.

Quinlan Vos has managed to push himself into a corner, avoiding Fox's touch like it's Force Lightening.

Quinlan, who is his own trembling mess of bloodied robes. Kiffar blood is so bright, disturbingly bright.

Sometimes Obi-Wan forgets Quinlan isn't human.

They'll need to clean the kitchen floor after this. Fox hovers over him, hands hesitantly raised above his Jedi, as if touching him will do more damage than has already been done to him. Contrary to his brother though, Fox has managed to keep himself relatively collected.

He only jumped when Quinlan used to Force to push himself into the corner.

It scared all of them, even Obi-Wan.

The adrenaline has finally run it's course. His body reminds him of the full extent of his injuries, relays the injuries to him as the medic continues to tend to him.

Obi-Wan's head throbs. Ribs ache. His arms burn from where molten metal painted his skin as he tried to deflect solid shrapnel.

And now, recognizing it's own bloodless state, his body begins to shake.

He needs to tell them what happened, at least as much as he's allowed. They've let him bleed all over their pretty floor. They've dealt with Quinlan who's fallen--again.

He closes he's eyes and speaks.

"There are people after the entire Order, Cody. Jedi...they've--we've been disappearing since the war ended. We thought it was the normal disappearance--" Waxer snorts. Clearly, he's frustrated. Obi-Wan didn't even know he was there. His control of the Force is wanning.

"What are normal disappearances? When is that a normal thing?" Cody articulates what Waxer couldn't. Because what the kriff? Normal disappearances?

"We thought they may have been bounty hunters. It wasn't uncommon for us to be targeted before the Clone Wars. " He grimaces in pain, turning his head back into Cody's stomach.

He stays there for a moment, and breathes in all that Cody is. Feels his solid muscles past his shirt, feels the warmth radiating off of his body.

It's grounding.

"But when Jedi Master's started disappearing," he continues, muffled, "powerful ones, we started taking notice. We started realizing we were being picked off. One by one. And with each one of them gone, there'd be a Dark Side user--who used their same skills, same fighting style. It didn't take us long to put together what was happening." Unease reverberates throughout the small kitchen. The light shines above them, dim as it buzzes. It doesn't reach Vos, who is shrouded in darkness that was not there before.

Those who know Jedi personally no doubt recount the last line of communication had with them. Wolffe leans against the wall, index finger nervously tapping his inner arm.

Threads lifts his head from where he kneels beside Obi-Wan, fingers red with blood.

It doesn't take a lot of brain power to guess who the strongest amongst the Jedi are. And what the implications of this means.

"Quinlan went missing a month ago, I volunteered myself to go after him. And when I found him--he attacked me, not of his own doing." Obi-Wan assures, "And whoever did this to him attacked me as well. But not with blasters, with bullets. They knew how to kill us."

That tastes like bile on his mouth.

Confirming it amongst the Jedi had been one thing, but admitting it to the clones? That they were being kidnapped and turned against one another? That is another thing. That makes it real.

Fox has managed to close the space between he and Quinlan, who looks worse off than they've ever seen. In the small moment that he and Obi-Wan looked at each other, he could have sworn Quin's eyes were gold. What corner was he pushed against to lean into the Dark Side? What agony did these monsters put him through for him to fall and attack Obi-Wan.

Not that it matters now. His face is mostly obscured from view by the tangle of his locs, eyes screwed shut as his fingers twist into his roots. They all watch watch as Fox's fingers unweave Quinlan's own from his hair, cooing him gently.

"Quinlan, you're going to hurt yourself." He seems to calm when his finger's find Fox's. Cody knows a bit about what Quinlan can do. And well, Fox has spent the past three hours baking cakes for the little ones--clones and natborns alike--singing with them in ways that Palpatine's toy solider never would have five years ago.

Cody hopes those hands give Quinlan some peace. And with the way Fox hauls him to his feet, he thinks that maybe they have. The shaking stops, at least. Though he's hunched over like he's in pain.

His hair still obscures most of his body.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Obi-Wan hisses as Threads resumes his treatment.

It's a question that the Order grappled with.

"Because we are not your responsibility. Because we will not drag you all into another fight." The conviction is not as strong as Obi-Wan would have liked it to be, but he means it.

The decision was unanimous. They would not involve the clones.

"Obi-Wan, where is Master Plo?" Wolffe cuts through the bullshit, his voice is on edge in a way that means he's concerned. Very concerned. Obi-wan hadn't noticed him either. He wonders how many clones are filtering into this small rest stop.

"I--Commander Wolffe, it has been some time since I have--"

He doesn't get to finish explaining to him what has transpired. Wolffe peels himself off of the wall, and walks out of the kitchen.

"Cody, I'm taking Quinlan with me upstairs." Cody's eyes follow the retreating form of his brother, and with effort he pulls Quinlan close to him. Quinlan trips over his feet, making a considerable effort to keep up with Fox, " Somethings...not right. I've commed our medic. Sorry Threads, but I need an expert."

Cody nods curtly, turning his attention back to Obi-Wan. "Fox," Obi-wan calls out, weakly as the commander hauls Quinlan away, "he fought so very hard." "I know," now Fox's voice breaks. He sounds small, like he's struggling to hold himself together, "I know he did."

Still, Obi-Wan paints a clear picture, "It was not like last time, he did not want to hurt me. It was like--" "Like the inhibitor chips?" Rex has made his way into the kitchen, Obi-Wan's arrival gaining more attention. He moves to let Fox and Quinlan leave, placing a comforting hand on Fox as he does so.

"Yes, but when I managed to draw him away from the place he was at, whatever influence was on him released him. But clearly, it is still tormenting his mind. It was unfortunately almost impossible to reason with him when he was in that place."

The Jedi are being hunted. And they were are being turned against each other.

Part of Cody's world ripples at that realization. Happiness seems to be eternally just out of reach, it's sweet embracing kissing the tips of his fingers.

Teasing him. Weren't they supposed to live together? Didn't Obi-Wan talk about taking on a clone padawan? If Obi-Wan, who Cody surmises is concussed, wasn't burrowing his head into the clone's stomach, Cody would be sitting right beside him.

But somehow he always ends up holding Obi-Wan up. Today, he wishes he didn't have to. He hardly has the strength.

"You know, we get to chose when to fight too, Obi-Wan. If you're all being killed, we deserve to know. Our brothers didn't die so you could all die five years later." He manages, "Believe it or not, some of us will choose to stand with you."

For Obi-Wan's part, he's unsure of how to take the statement.

He's not sure how much of Cody wants to fight for him, or how much a decade of conditioning by the Kaminoans has told him--all of them that they have to.

"The Republic has people that will protect us--" Cody's temper flairs in the Force. Obi-Wan groans.

"You think natborns give a kriff about the Jedi? The Republic still doesn't trust you after the disaster of the Clone Wars. We're the only ones who can keep you all safe. We were made for you."

Cody catches himself too late. And collective, the clones hold their breaths. The silence is louder than it should be. Cody finger's still in Obi-Wan's hair.

When Obi-Wan was a young Jedi, newly made master to an even younger Anakin Skywalker, he enjoyed watching as his way with words often tripped Anakin up.

How the boy's head first personality would almost always end up a lesson of how not to approach the Jedi Way.

It was as if their entire apprenticeship consisted of Anakin proving Obi-Wan right, walking into a trap--be it physical or verbal.

I told you this would happen, Anakin.

If only you'd listen to me.

And now, Anakin, you have proven my point. Again.

He remembered the satisfaction that would fill him as he watched Anakin fulfill his own prophecy. Watch him enact the irony that Obi-Wan had warned him of.

Yet, He feels numbness as Cody does the same.

"And that is the problem, Cody." Obi-Wan smiles sadly through the fabric, slowly lifting his head to captures the clone's eyes, "you never should have been.

And yet, like Anakin, Cody continues to talk--argue. To reason.

Let us help you, it won't be like last time. Please.

Though at a point Obi-Wan stops listening, and simply feels Cody's presence.

Threads says something about a concussion, and suddenly, Obi-Wan's world gets a bit darker. Still, he loses himself in Cody's presence.

It's enough to eventually put him to sleep. He will worry about the world attacking his Order--his family--later. For now, he allows himself to succumb to the rest that Cody's very being has provided.

[okapi77]

Okohoshi Fan-Children

I felt really bad for not participating in Okohoshi week as much as I would've liked, so now that the semester is over, here is my very late day 6 entry for the prompt Family. I've actually had these fan kiddos floating around in my head since last October-ish, so it's nice to finally be able draw them! Anyways, time for me to infodump about them!! (btw I will be referring to everyone by their given names since everyone that is being discussed is Hoshina at this point, hope that doesn't bug y'all)

Sojiro Hoshina

22 years old

5'8" (about an inch taller than his dad) with a muscular build

He inherited the Hoshina squinty eye thing, but since he's so serious all the time, his eyes are nearly always open.

He inherited his mother's messy hair; he has given up on trying to make it look nice (it is a real pain to deal with) and he just ties it back in a ponytail for convenience. He would cut it, but he likes the way it keeps the back of his neck warm, he also (secretly) really loves the way his uncle Soichiro's long hair looks.

Outside of his height, build and eyes, Sojiro predominantly takes after his mother in both appearance and personality. He is a very serious man who easily tires of others' joking around (namely his father and sister). However, he is not stone cold, he is deeply passionate about Kaiju slaying and has trained incredibly hard for his entire life to one day work for the JAKDF. Outside of his seriousness, he also resembles Konomi through his high intelligence and skill with technology.

Unfortunately, despite how dedicated he was with his training, Sojiro struggled to become a Defense Force officer. He was naturally gifted in many ways, being intelligent and athletic, but he found difficulty mastering a weapon to kill Kaiju with. Like Soshiro, Sojiro was never great with guns, but he also couldn't pick up on his father's sword dual wielding technique. However, towards the end of his childhood, Sojiro discovered he had a knack with the one sword technique his used. From then on, the majority of Sojiro's training was handled by Soichiro (much to Soshiro's surprisingly well hidden discontent). Despite the years of dedicated training, even with a technique that suited him, it was painfully obvious that Sojiro just wasn't right for Kaiju slaying. His suit power output was always low, no matter how much effort he exerted, and he simply struggled in battle.

Soshiro and Konomi have even tried convincing Sojiro that if he passed to instead pursue working in operations instead of an officer, he did have the intelligence and and tech skill to do it and possibly take over his mother's job one day. However, Sojiro was dead set on engaging Kaiju in battle and could not be swayed.

Sojiro has been an officer for the JAKDF for roughly a year, and passed the Defense Force's exam after his third attempt. His first attempt was fresh out of high school, so even as a member of the Hoshina family, it wasn't too surprising that he didn't pass. However, as Sojiro dedicated the year leading up to his second attempt training hard and still not passing, many were beginning to doubt that he could become a JAKDF officer. Still, with immense effort, Sojiro was somehow deemed adequate during his third attempt and passed.

Due to his son's participation, Soshiro and Konomi had stayed out of the decision making process for Sojiro's acceptance thus far (for obvious avoiding nepotism reasons). Soshiro and Konomi knew full well their son didn't have what it took to be a Defense Force officer (although they would never dare say it, especially not to Sojiro) and expected that if he ever did pass the exam, it would be by the skin of his teeth. When Sojiro did finally pass, they pulled some strings to ensure he was assigned to a division in an area that notably has less kaiju, and they were typically not as dangerous either. Soshiro has always aspired to be a better father than his own and to be encouraging of his children rather than demeaning. That is why he and Konomi have continued to be supportive of Sojiro's desires to be a JAKDF officer, even though they knew he likely didn't have what it took to do so. Still, if Sojiro ever died in battle due to not really being fit for being an officier, they would never forgive themselves, so they ensured he was in a safer environment.

One final thing that is important to note about Sojiro is that the decision to train his whole life to one day work for the JAKDF was entirely his own. While there was certainly pressure from the Hoshina clan to pursue Kaiju slaying as the first born son of a very successful slayer, Soshiro and Konomi tried to keep their son away from that, insisting he could pursue whatever he would like. However, being the son of the Soshiro Hoshina, alongside both parents already working for the JAKDF, and even on top of that with Defense Force officers being seen as valiant with cool jobs, Sojiro's heart has always been set on becoming one.

Konoko Hoshina

18 years old

4'9" (about an inch shorter than her mom) with a relatively slim build

She half-way inherited her father's sharp canines with only her right canine being sharp

Her hair, while taking more after Soshiro's in terms of color, is a good mix of both of her parents, creating beautiful wavy hair that isn't impossible to manage (unlike her brother and mother). It would look beautiful long, and Konoko's hair was longer when she was a child, but she decided to cut it shorter for convenience.

Konoko is much like her father in terms of personality, just more outgoing and friendly. She mostly just loves to joke around and have a good time. However, during battle and while training by herself, she can be deadly serious. As much as she loves to just chill and hang out, she does follow a strict training regimen, and mostly trains by herself to preserve the goofball image she has made for herself. She and her mother do not have as much in common personality wise, but they get along well and do have a shared love of teddy bears that they bond over.

Being the second born and daughter of Soshiro and Konomi, the Hoshina clan did not place as much pressure on her to become a Defense Force officer. Despite this, from a young age it was clear that Konoko was going to make a remarkable officer. While she isn't as smart or as strong as her brother, Konoko has all of the natural insticts that would help her flourish in battle. She also has a much better grip on weaponry than Sojiro. Not only is she a master with her father's dual wielding sword technique, she is also not half bad with guns either (still, her gun skills are not that of her fellow officers, so she mostly just sticks with her swords).

Soon after Konoko graduated high school, she took the Defense Force exam and passed it with flying colors. Even as a new officer, she shows battle prowess that many of her seniors cannot match. It is believed that it is only a matter of time before she one day becomes the captain of her own division. Soshiro even plans on passing his No. 10 suit down to her when he retires or dies yk whichever comes first

Other things that I wasn't sure how to fit into the kids' info so I'm putting it here ig (I may even add onto here later):

Neither of them were planned, they both sorta just happened. However, Soshiro and Konomi knew they didn't want anymore than 2 kids, so they started being much more careful after Konoko was born.

All of the dynamics in the immediate Hoshina family are all very healthy. There is a bit of jealousy on Sojiro's side towards Konoko since, despite being his younger sister who he is considerably stronger and smarter than, has been very successful at Kaiju slaying and was accepted into the JAKDF on her first try. Despite that, Sojiro feels mostly pride and admiration to his well accomplished sister, actively trying to avoid having a relationship with her similar to their father and uncle's relationship. On that note, everyone but Soshiro actually has a decent relationship with Soichiro. Sojiro is actually quite fond of Soichiro, having trained under him for so long. The family thinks Soshiro's disdain towards his brother has actually increased for that very reason.

[popart-vvv]

Arcana Analysis--Helluva Boss: Loona (The Star)

*gasp* We get to talk about my wife now!

Loona, Blitzo's adopted hellhound daughter and the former receptionist for IMP. Just as dysfunctional as her dad, expressed via cynical ennui and social ineptitude, but she's started coming around as of late.

Her card is The Star, number seventeen in the major arcana deck. It relates to Loona's arc with its connotations of hope and renewal.

Unlike everyone else in the series, Loona used to have no real connections whatsoever, for a pretty damn tragic reason: she grew up in an orphanage. That orphanage was more like a prison, however, with the people surrounding her either apathetic or violent. When the backstory gets shown in "Seeing Stars", we can see a lot of tally marks on her bedroom/cell wall, indicating that she had been there for a long time--probably most of her life. As if that wasn't enough, when Blitzo adopted Loona, she was said to have been a month away from aging out of the hellhole. Considering the treatment of the Hellhound species in the greater setting, that could mean many things; the worst interpretation being that she would've been put down like a horribly ill real-world dog. Thank God/Satan for Blitzo!

Even so, the next few years Loona spent with Blitzo were only marginally better than her time at that pound. As is already obvious, Blitzo has his own baggage, so he wasn't much help in restoring Loona's mental well-being. Thus, she coped by building up walls around herself, turning into the cynical, insecure womanchild we see for the first few episodes of the series. At this point, Loona represents The Star reversed--lack of faith, despair, and disconnection.

While her behavior may irritate people who think she's an overgrown, ungrateful brat towards Blitzo, it's important to note that Loona's adoption was relatively recent--four or five years, according to "Western Energy". Compare that to the almost-eighteen years of metaphorical hell her life has been. She's not an "edgy teen", she's a deeply-troubled soul who has known nothing but pain for all of her pre-adult years. That's bound to mess you up in the head, and that pain could last well into adulthood if left unchecked. Even if your life starts improving, the pain won't magically go away, especially if the person who's been contributing to that improvement has issues themselves. As such, Loona's temper problems and childish insecurities persist into the present because the company she keeps aren't really functional themselves. She really does love Blitzo and is grateful towards him, but she has a lot of difficulty in expressing it properly.

Things start turning around for Loona when she meets Vortex, the bodyguard for Blitzo's ex in "Spring Broken". She gains a crush on him, and despite him already having a girlfriend, Vortex takes an interest in her and invites her to said girlfriend's next party; thus, Vortex becomes Loona's first real friend.

When that happens in "Queen Bee", the season one finale, we get to see Loona's social ineptitude on full display. She's incredibly quiet and awkward with how much she stand out in an extroverted crowd, differences that are only exacerbated when she meets with Vortex's girlfriend and the titular character: Beelzebub, the Sin of Gluttony. Bee is incredibly nice, incredibly outgoing, and incredibly sincere in everything she does. In other words, she's Loona's exact opposite, plus the fact that Bee is incredibly popular among the partygoers. Despite welcoming her with open arms, Bee unintentionally makes Loona feel worse about herself to the point where she decides to call Blitzo to pick her up and take her home. Thankfully, though, she starts feeling better when another imp and hellhound take an interest in Blitzo and herself, respectively. She decides to stay and bring her dear dad along to the party, where she strikes up a few more friendships. The big moment, however, is when Bee and Vortex tell Loona about Blitzo indulging in gluttony out of sorrow and not for fun, leading to Loona taking her dad out of the party before he loses himself more. When she puts him to bed back home, she hears him go on a drunken spiel about his fear of dying alone. She responds, "I'll be there, Dad", in response.

Fast forward to the last few episodes of season two, where she becomes more open about her concern not just for Blitzo, but for his special people as well. To start with, the subplot of "The Full Moon" has her working in tandem with Moxxie and Millie to stop some old enemies from interrupting Blitzo's usual night with Stolas. Just as well, she offers Blitzo advice on how to keep Stolas interested in the deal, advice that would've worked had it not been for Stolas' confession in the episode's climax. "Mastermind" becomes a huge wake-up call for her; her and IMP are put on trial in Satan's court for past illegal use of Stolas' grimoire, and Blitzo asks for her, Moxxie, and Millie to be spared when he's put to death. This genuine moment of care on her father's part, plus the close brush of death he receives while she's helpless to stop it, leads to Loona becoming the most open she's been with Blitzo in a long while. She even says "I love you, Dad" as she hugs him after they arrive home safely. She's even okay with a now-depowered Stolas crashing with them. "Sinsmas" has Loona at the happiest she's ever been, as shown in the last scene at the apartment: she's invited her new hellhound friends over for a holiday celebration, and they're all surrounded by IMP and Stolas--Loona's family. And she invites them all to play games and indulge in their gluttony. "Merry fuckin' Sinsmas, am I right?", she says with sincere cheer.

The Star represents what I love about Loona so much. She starts off broken like much of her family, trusting no one with her issues, but as she interacts with more stable people, she starts to lighten up and become more open with herself and her dad. At this point, you can make an easy guess that she'll be integral to a possible reconciliation between Stolas and Octavia, his own daughter.

My wolf wifey...

[dragonagitator]

If I were to time travel back to 2004, I think one of my biggest ongoing difficulties would be remembering to always speak in the formal register (which hasn't changed much in 20 years) lest I accidentally reveal myself as being not from around here now by slipping back into my casual register (which is full of 2024 colloquialisms and internet slang).

Imagine saying to someone in 2004, "My spoonie friend posted that YouTube clip of House's 'Life is Pain' rant on her Facebook and I was like, 'That slaps. Mood.'"

That's a perfectly understandable statement to almost anyone who might be reading this on Tumblr in 2024, but would sound like schizophrenic word salad to 2004 ears.

Even if I were able to keep up constantly speaking in the formal register despite how exhausting and unnatural it would feel, I'd still have communication difficulties. IRL I rarely speak to anyone in the formal register anymore, even at work -- my last couple of jobs were in very laid-back environments where everyone else was at least a decade younger than me -- and I've noticed recently that when I force myself to switch to the formal register, I always sound pissed off even when I'm not.

It finally clicked that the reason I've lost the ability to emote appropriately while speaking in the formal register is that for the past few years, there's been only one context in which I consistently speak in the formal register every single time: Leaving angry voicemails for US Senators.

It cracks me up that somewhere in the language part of my brain, I've apparently got a bit of code running that "Senators = teh oldz" and therefore I must address them using a register that feels frozen in time. Not only was this not a conscious decision, but it's also so hard-coded that I instinctively switch to the formal register even while drunk-dialing their constituent feedback lines at 3am.

(Pro tip: If you have never drunk-dialed your Senator at 3am, you're not Americaning hard enough. Get to it, kiddies.)

Thinking about time travel has made me realize just how much colloquial English has changed over the past 20 years and how it keeps getting weirder and weirder at an accelerating rate. Speaking in code to route around censorship algorithms. New slang spreading within days instead of years. Horrible new suffixes. An emerging fourth person pronoun. It's wild.

I lived through these changes. I was already a grown adult back in 2004. And even I would have to carefully mind my speech in order to blend in and be understood. Can you imagine what would happen if you sent an extremely online Zoomer back 20 years?

[officials-of-hell]

I was thinking the other day, and felt this worth sharing

Being my partner’s caretaker is not easy. He struggles to communicate its needs and often has meltdowns trying to do so. Xe literally had a meltdown last night because Wuthering Waves got a major update and the excitement from it was too overwhelming for him. It’s a pain in the ass to get xem to eat sometimes because maybe its stomach is hurting too much and he’s too nauseous to try. Sometimes it’ll need to use the bathroom and I’ll have to help him get up because xyr bad leg gave out. There’s a new difficulty every single day and sometimes it gets very frustrating

But I still do it. Because I wouldn’t trade having my partner in my life for the world. Being his caretaker is just a part of being around it. There’s no getting around the disabilities because there’s no getting rid of them. So I’ve had to learn how to adjust to them

Luckily I had some idea of things before I moved in. At the time I was under the impression you had to be pretty disabled to have a service dog, and one of the first things it told me was xe has a service dog (and that dog is a very good boy and I love him to pieces, dog pictures for tax)

We both ultimately got blindsided by how severe his disabilities are. And it’s been a rough two years trying to adjust to them, but we’ve finally got to a point where we both can manage them

I don’t blog about being my partner’s caretaker for no reason. It’s important to me that people get the full picture of exactly what this is like, whether they plan on being a caretaker for a disabled person in their life, or because they simply care about disabled people. It’s not easy, and I never want to make it seem like it is. My partner is very difficult to care for, but I do it because he needs me to. It trusts me to take care of xem, so I’m going to. Because he’s important to me, and I’m important to it

That’s today’s post in the life of caring for my disabled partner. Thank you for reading. Drink water, eat some food, and take your meds if you haven’t/if it’s time to

[dandelionuprising]

How is the polycule looking these days? I’m poly and dating lots of people some of which I live with too and I always love to see other people living the life. I hope you’re all doing well!!!

Hey anon! Always happy to hear from other polyam people 💕

So I'm not sure when I would have last talked about my polycule so I'll just introduce them from the top.

Atm I live with two partners (one of whom is plural so in practice way more!) and I have two "external partners". The partners I live with are married, but otherwise none of my partners are currently dating anyone else, so in that sense I'm the ~glue~ of the polycule atm. Or maybe I'm just a hoe 😘😏 Aside from these guys, we got some honorary members who are "only" friends (whatever the hell that means), who are also important members of my found family.

I've used the original animal designations from our old @welcome-to-the-petting-zoo podcast.

Quinn (Cat) is all of me (Glitch).

Dae (Hound) refers to the collective formerly referred to as Fox and Trashpanda. Hound and I are engaged. These days I am more or less dating all of Hound. They are doing well. He's been taking T for about a year and he's doing pretty good, he got approved for disability pension which has given some much needed space to heal by doing his own shit. He spends a lot of time zooming up and down the countryside on his scooter 'Lucky', tattooing himself and others, and doing insanely creative awesome crafts and art projects. Hound still struggles with amnesia, and he's still a fundamentally plural person, but the strong dissociative+amnesiac barriers between system members have loosened up, making for a more integrated, yet more plural self-experience. These days a lot of his day to day difficulties come down to physical pain and exhaustion. We are currently also working towards getting him citizenship!

Moose who is legally married to Hound, and who lives with me and Hound, recently finished his education as an embedded software engineer (with a focus on robots!). He's looking for a job atm and even though that process is stressful, he's still doing a lot better from being done with uni, which was frankly a very stressful environment. So he's having a total glow-up 💕

Bear finished their education in psychology a while before me and struggled to find employment, esp. because they weren't necessarily able to work full-time - they recently got approved for "flex-job" which means they can have a 10-20 h job and get paid as if working full-time on that job. They juuuust found employment from next week, so three cheers for Bear!! 🥳🥳🥳

Bat (@the-life-of-bat )has become sooo strong since we managed to get her gender affirming surgery about ... three years ago?! Time sure flies. Like yeah, girl is still traumatized and disabled/mentally ill and whatnot. But her resilience grows by the day, and she is often found hyperfocusing on a most recent project and pulling off insane feats! Also, she's a weeb now. AND I'm old enough not to cringe at someone's genuine joy. Be proud of me! 💪🌈

Lynx and Kat are both close friends/part of the family. I don't know how Lynx feels about me discussing her situation so I won't go into detail, and much more info on Kat can be found over at her blog @compassionatereminders (or check out @2000sgirly where she is currently having a joyful fixation on early 2000s girly pop culture! Even if it's not your thing, her enthusiasm is contagious. )

Overall, we are good. There's hardships to be dealt with, and there probably always will be. Hound's mum is in the process of dying from a fairly aggressive degenerative illness, the immigration laws and psychiatric gatekeeping are tripping people up, I'm struggling to find my place on the "job market", disability and chronic illness will always be a part of all of our lives. But there's also a lot of joy and love and good tidings. And many things that slowly improve and expand and heal and grow.

I'm happy to have so much love in my life, and I'm proud of my little family of delightful freaks and misfits.

[cooledtured]

Witcher 3’s 10th Anniversary Overview: Trailer Analysis & Anniversary Notes

CD Projekt Red (developers of other story-oriented roleplaying games such as Cyberpunk 2077) have released a 10-year anniversary retrospective trailer for the cult-classic medieval roleplaying game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, as well as announced some other exciting upcoming events to celebrate the game’s anniversary in general. Explore with us as we ride into town to take a look at the news and see what’s up.

In this article, we’ll:

Discuss and note some key announcements regarding the 10th anniversary of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Examine the trailer for secrets and possibly upcoming information about new The Witcher installments or news

Witcher 3 10th Anniversary Announcement Notes

It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since The Witcher series’ last installment, as Geralt of Rivia embarks on yet another band of quests involving returning characters such as Yennefer, Ciri and Vesemir. We’ll assume you’re pretty up to speed with the Witcher, so we’ll jump into some pretty exciting stuff coming up.

So far, CD Projekt Red has officially announced these events occurring in celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary:

Anniversary Trailer: A new trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt celebrates the game's legacy and thanks its community.

Doug Cockle Interview: Doug Cockle, the voice actor for Geralt of Rivia joined a special REDstreams episode to reflect on his role.

Borys Pugacz-Muraszkiewicz (English adaptation director for The Witcher) joined in on the fun as well.

The Witcher in Concert: Anniversary concerts will take place in Boston and Poznań, with a full tour starting at gamescom in August.

Boston on May 31 and Poznań on June 15, official tour kickoff at gamescom in Cologne on August 20

Additional Celebrations: These include 10 new artworks by veteran Witcher artists, the release of The Little Witcher, and a collaboration with Embody on the Immerse Gamepack, with more to come.

Most excitingly, The Little Witcher is a comic book series that expands upon some of the events that we see in the introduction to The Witcher 3, such that we observe Geralt of Rivia as he raises young Ciri in Kaer Morhen.

We also shouldn’t forget that it’s likely that more will be announced not only in terms of content adjacent to The Witcher 3, but also the upcoming Witcher 4 game also being developed by CD Projekt Red. It’s gonna be a pretty exciting ride for Witcher fans in the next few upcoming months!

Trailer Analysis

As fans of The Witcher 3, we didn’t really notice too much that stood out about the trailer in terms of new content. 

However, it’s pretty clear that Witcher/CD Projekt Red fans are still easily convinced that The Witcher 3 is one of the best games of all time. The outpouring of support for the game has led developers to respond to a lot of comments talking about how the game has helped them through some rough times in their life, as well as just general praise for the series.

In honor of the life-changing game’s 10th anniversary, we’d like to take this section in highlighting some of these super heartfelt comments on the trailer’s YouTube page and awfully thoughtful responses from a game studio we already know and love - it genuinely is really cool seeing this sort of interaction happen. 

“After a brain surgery that lasted more than sixteen hours, I woke up unable to walk and with difficulty moving my left hand. [...]. At first, I could barely control Roach and had to relearn how to play using the joystick. With time, I started to get better, began walking again, and almost one year later, I got the platinum trophy on PS4. When the PS5 version was released, I earned the platinum again. Playing it all over again made me remember the pain, the challenges, and most of all, the victories. It may not be the best game in the world for many people, but for me, it is the greatest of all.” -@samaronee  CD Projekt Red’s reply: “Congratulations on your recovery and the platinum. We're honored to be a part of it.”  

“10 years of killing monsters , 10 years of how about a round gwent , 10 years of wind's howling , 10 years of team Triss or Yen , 10 years of Roach spawning in random places , 10 years of looking for Ciri , 10 YEARS OF THE GREATEST RPG EVER MADE !” -@sujandhar6613  

“10 years. Still one of the greatest video games ever made” -@tornado6911  

Well said.

Conclusion

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it's clear that the game has left an enduring legacy—not just as a critically acclaimed RPG, but as a deeply personal experience for countless players around the world.

From touching community stories to exciting new events like The Witcher in Concert and The Little Witcher comic series, CD Projekt Red is honoring the game’s decade-long journey in meaningful ways. While the anniversary trailer might not tease much in terms of new content, the heartfelt exchanges between fans and developers serve as a powerful reminder of the impact this game has had over the years. 

And with whispers of The Witcher 4 on the horizon, the path ahead looks just as thrilling as the one we've walked with Geralt so far. Here's to ten years of monster-slaying, Gwent-playing, and unforgettable storytelling—and to many more yet to come.

[werehounded]

yknow t4t love is so healing!!! i love that i can tell my partner i love them anytime and they say it back which SOUNDS like a given, right? like partners should do that, if you are indeed in love and have passed that kind of 'milestone' or whatever???

well my exes have never really. said it to me before. some have but like on their terms? never reciprocating when i'd tell them. but i'm a big dude and i have big love to give bc my body is full of it, lol.

so i say it often and liberally to people i do, indeed, love. my dog? love you pookie. my mum, despite our differences and difficulties? love you momma. my bff and queer cousin who i hang out with in our little irl friend trio? i love them too! and i tell them so! and my partner? well, they're the light of my life and i tell them i love them every day AND the best part is that they all tell me they love me when i say it to them, AND they all say it spontaneously to me, too. (except for my dog who is full of treats and, much like me, also love but has an empty noggin and can't talk. if she could, she'd ask for food, so i know for sure it's just borkin in her voice box)

and it feels so good to have that kinda thing with a partner?? like i love my friends and family and dog but it's DIFFERENT with a partner. totally different kinda love. and honestly i'm gonna get shmoopy here like i do about hadley sometimes, but i feel like we 'get' each other on a level i've never really. experienced before. like i have, i guess, been compatible with people in the sense we liked the same music or the same fashion or the same hobbies but... with hadley i share SO MANY things with them. it's not an odd thing and we haven't met yet but online we don't struggle for things to talk about.

and they're so forgiving when i have to disappear cos my health is bad or my pain's troubling me and they're the first, always, to offer comfort and love. which again, totally alien to me and i'm learning to feel like i'm worthy of that kind of lenience i guess? i struggle when they tell me it's okay, that i should rest, that they're not mad at me for doing so, and they wish me good night or tell me to sleep well and !!!

my heart just sings when i think about them and idk where this post was going but it was triggered by me not sleeping and also saying i love you to my partner :> there are FAR worse things to get distracted and ramble about though. i'm just so happy that we're together. and hopefully meeting later this year?? i really am crossing everything for that and have faith that we'll make it work out somehow.

they make me the happiest i've been in a relationship for a good many years. and my last serious friendship/teetering on the verge of relationship for 7 years of knowing her/person who ghosted me after 10 years of friendship cos i came out as genderfluid at the time/whatever you want to call her, she made me happy, yes. at the time, anyway. but like...

i look back and i'm like 'was i ACTUALLY happy? dieting and yo-yoing weight cos she didn't want me to 'get fat' and my health being AWFUL and my pain being uncontrolled cos she didn't like me using chemicals around her or whatever else down to even how i dressed and my music taste, which she would always laugh at bc at the time i was into pop punk and she liked 'serious' indie bands 😒

im actually happy now, though. genuinely.

and that feels so good to be able to say that!!!!! i love, love. sappy as fuck, lmao

[shitfartdickballs]

thoughts about putting play doh down

today is my last full non working day before we put Play Doh down on Friday.

she fell twice since yesterday, once last evening off my work desk and again trying to go down the stairs. she's okay i think, but it's clear she's struggling to hang on. she has such difficulty walking and jumping. it's been a steep decline since the vet visit last Wednesday, and the vet did say her decline would be quick now. it's just so hard to watch and it's been difficult to accept this stage of her life is over.

i know she will always be with me, as i know Kitty is, but i feel so inexperienced with grief. i have lost my childhood cat and both my grandmothers (and my grandfathers passed before i knew them) but this feels so intense, especially as I've been seeing her decline over the past 3 months while i help her with palliative care. with Kitty, i had one weekend and then we put her down on a Monday. with Granny it was sudden. with Nana it was about a week of her unresponsive in the hospital after an invisible fight with cancer.

but watching Play Doh's decline i think has me so heartbroken and feeling guilty. should i have put her down already? how much is she suffering? am i selfish for waiting until Friday to do it?

i ask her in the quiet moments to forgive me if she is in pain. i think i need to forgive myself. or understand that there is no need for forgiveness. i did what i could and i have been blessed to give her the care i wished i could have given to Kitty. unfortunately i was inexperienced, oblivious, young, and had no financial means to support Kitty. i also didn't allow myself to grieve Kitty for several years because it was just too scary and the feelings were too big in my early 20s. but this resulted in the deepest and darkest depression i almost didn't make it out of.

this time i can and try to feel everything. i can publically mourn and show how much i love Play Doh. how happy she makes me. how beautiful and sweet she is. i want to grieve because she deserves to be grieved. she's been a companion for almost 19 years and it hurts to see her actively dying. and that's understandable while also incredibly difficult to hold in my heart.

i am fortunate to give her an end to her suffering here at home thanks to an in-home euthanasia offered by a local vet. this way she doesn't have the stress of being at a scary hospital and can be home with all of us. passing comfortably at home with loved ones is what anyone deserves, i think.

[vvyther]

Musings on Legacy, Journey and Purpose:

The last few months have been full of internal strife for me as I’ve felt significantly more introspective than usual. I’ve felt insecure about my standing in life, worried if this dream is unrealistic due to the obstacles that seem to keep preventing me from reaching higher levels of audience for my art; I’ve been in my head about my own self worth as a result. Making art, my jewelry, is the sole thing I am tangibly talented at in this life, and for that reason I’ve always understood it as my ikigai, the culmination of my passion, expression, purpose, and reason for existence. To be vulnerable, I’ve questioned all of this the last few months heavily, and the last year in general.

When I think about my life path and purpose, I see that it’s been challenging terrain to navigate. I’ve had many roadblocks, struggles, I’ve been mired in the repercussions of my mistakes and circumstances many times, but I’ve always been introspective in nature and it’s allowed me to adapt and change myself on an ever-evolving basis, for the better (in my own judgement, admittedly). I refer to my life story as ‘The Hero’s Journey’, akin to the ones told and retold in myth over millennia. The hero- imperfect, flawed, maybe brimming with mistakes, error, and pain, seeking redemption, undergoes a symbolic journey to the underworld through trials such as Heracles, and has to lose almost every single thing in order to facilitate their growth, to trudge through the trials and from their difficulty, emerge fully transformed and purified, alchemized, at the end of the journey. To prevent mischaracterization, I don’t view myself as anyone elevated in any status akin to what society deems a “hero”, I more so think this trope applies to me in the sense that I am the main character of my own life as the architect and author of it, experiencing my life and humanity through the lens of my own consciousness, therefore I am the protagonist of my own story. I’m still undergoing my journey, I’ve had dark nights of the soul and I’ve made it through the other side on more than one occasion. This ever questioning introspection is another trial to me, despite the journey being one of inward motion into my own psyche, questioning my self-testament and what I’ve perceived to be my truth these 30 years.

At this point in time, I’m in my Saturn return. For those uninitiated or unaware, it’s a time where your natal Saturn placement returns to where it was when you came into this world; this happens around age 30, and whatever house it is located in your birth chart will give you more information regarding the themes and events that may occur around that time. Saturn returns are an initiation into full adulthood and autonomy, with it bringing consistent themes of responsibility, discipline and dedication, structure and purpose, ideas of rest and reward, realism and restriction. I’ve made it through the exact conjunction, and I will continue to explore these themes until Saturn enters Aries next year. This momentous life event is one everyone who reaches this age will go through, I count myself as blessed to be amongst those who have traversed the hardships and lessons of autonomy and responsibility, initiated into this planetary energy. At the time of writing, I near my solar return, my birthday, and I feel a mixture of pride over how much progress has been made on this hero’s journey, but also hesitancy and fear over what the next years of life will entail. To be transparent, this fear and insecurity on the material plane has been playing into the cycles of introspection and the subsequent crisis of faith I’ve undergone with myself. My Saturn is placed in my first house of self, and I’ve consistently struggled with listening to my innermost self knowledge of *who I am* over what those around me tell me I am; I’ve been forced to learn discernment, to be responsible with my energy and how much I dedicate to others and external sources of understanding and validation. This directly ties into what I’ve been struggling with in my inner world and what has seemingly reached a culmination of in recent months: my purpose, my own sense of fulfillment and validation, feeling as if my life and purpose have value in this world.

A labor of my hero’s journey has included fully stepping into adulthood, as the last representative bastion of my childhood and all I knew of the world previously, my childhood home, has been sold, a turn of page from the past onto a future, unwritten. I’ve now lost my grandmother who embodied my childhood and youth, was the guardian of my early life, as well as her home that sheltered us. As I’ve been struggling with these internal narratives, I’ve been finding myself interacting in the dream world with my recently passed Mamaw on a very frequent basis, perhaps a manifestation of my stress and uncertainty has materialized as my psyche forming scenes familiar and comforting. Scenes from my childhood play out with me in the starring role, some scenes and memories are exactly as I recall them to be, others are changed and vary as if from an alternate timeline. Mostly, my grandmother stands or sits silently, almost more of a member of the audience watching the play that is my dream rather than being in a main role. On the rare occasion she emerges from her watchful state, she will sometimes speak as if remembering her lines suddenly. These dreams have been both very comforting and strange, as it means a lot to have her presence to soothe my still grieving heart and mind, but also baffling because I can’t always understand what aspects of my psyche are being explored in this dreamscape and what I should take away from these nocturnal plays.

I’m holding my still raw and still processing grief near, along with trying to explore and understand myself and my purpose better; overall its culminated to a more disconnected time for me, I feel grotesque and raw and writhing, molting, and as such I’ve just wanted to hold everything within myself and my journal and escape from the hard realities and truths of the world around me. In my vulnerability, I’ve sought out protection in its highest forms, often calling on my grandmother to guide and protect me while I’m in this transformative phase of life. Through this inward journey, I’ve been ruminating on the conscious desire to channel my grief through memories of my grandmother, to channel my understanding of legacy and protection into something tangible, material and corporeal.

From this rumination and journey inward has emerged this small Summer Collection of jewels. Apotropaic eye talismans of Pearl and gemstone, channeling the milky, opaline qualities of the lunar energy of the season of my birth; drawing upon the archetype of the mother that exists within astrological Cancer, referencing my grandmother and her legacy and her protective presence. Jewels rendered in protective shades of gray and black, gray referencing memories of watching mourning doves feast upon seed and suet in the backyard of my childhood home, my Mamaw and I both loved them and loved the moments of peace held while viewing the scene. Jewels in opaline white and black, like the velveteen sky of midnight in midwinter, the moon impossibly full and bright, held so close to earths orbit that she illuminated the solemn white world underneath. I recall this memory with fondness as Mamaw always instilled in me to appreciate nature, I took on her habits in this way. The last additions, jewels to honor transformation into highest self, the magicians stone Labradorite and milky white onyx stars to guide and channel ‘The Star’ tarot energy, energy I hope to embody as I follow this journey of finding my way back to purpose, a guiding light along the dark and winding path.

The collection can be viewed here: https://wyther.etsy.com

[thedeityofstars]

dnd moment

i've not been in the hobby for long, but this memory always sticks out

i was dming mines of phandelver for my three friends

we had a sharkin fighter, dragonborn barbarian, and vampire bard. yes, i allowed homebrew races because that fighter's my boyfriend and he always has sharks on the brain. this all happened three years ago, so the specifics might be missing.

we had just wrapped up the goblin hideout, wherein the boss encounter was swiftly ended by our barbarian saying "i think i'm mad" in his calmest voice, then rolls that nat 20 and obliterating the boss, pretty much negating all difficulty that could have existed. but that was not the moment in question.

we were helping ourselves to the loot. the fighter and barbarian were laughing at the pathetic little bard who cannot lift to save his life. i listed out what was in the boxes, and i mentioned perfume. so, regarding the shark fighter--specifically, he is a tiger shark, and apparently those big dudes will eat anything. so ooc, he was indecisive on whether or not he should just eat the perfume. our barbarian simply stated "i mean...he would", and the bard was egging him on "fuck around and find out"

fighter, a victim of peer pressure, and going full toddler brain "i chug the perfume"

the dudes were giggling, having set up the fighter for an epic prank. but i had to be a good, sensible dm/babysitter and hit him with the "are you sure?"

"...yes."

"make a con save"

immediate regret--he rolled a 6.

"you're now poisoned."

we were in hysterics. the fighter got really into roleplay, groaning in pain, making other weird throat sounds, and just being all "Zelgarr should not have done that ugggghhhh". the barbarian and bard had to drag his ass back to civilization. this did encumber them; tiger sharks are chonkers

unsurprisingly, this was not the last time they did dumb shit. even more shocking, no one died throughout the whole campaign.

pic related.

[absentlyabbie]

don't be afraid of buying things that make your life easier. don't talk yourself out of it, beat yourself up for being "lazy", or shame yourself for not being able to do things the "right" way so you don't deserve to try it a different way.

if there's a thing out there that can make something faster, more bearable, less painful, more tolerable, anything like that at all, and you can afford it? you have the right, you deserve it, and you should do it.

i've stuck for the last several years with exclusively those detachable sprayer showerheads, because i need to be able to sit down in the bath and it makes the entire operation easier, so i'm less likely to risk a concussion or pass out or wobble and slip.

for the last few years, i've been using one with a little powerwash spray setting and i use it before and after every shower and it keeps my tub and shower cleaner so much longer, which is great because i hate cleaning the bath and can put it off for months, and scrubbing kills my shoulders.

sometimes, whether it's the executive dysfunction, or the depression, or knowing that i become entirely detached from the concept of time when in the shower, if i can't bring myself to get in the damn thing and do a full-blown shower, and i know i'd just be uncomfortable and not clean and still keep putting it off (because i can easily lose well over an hour once in there), i will kneel on my (cushy, quick-dry, memory foam) bathroom mat beside the tub and lean over it to wash my hair and face and maybe soap up to my shoulders. then later when it feels like a way more manageable and shorter task i can do a quick scrub and rinse.

i've bought cbd for when my joint pain makes sleeping otherwise impossible (even though it's expensive) and a work desk that has expandable legs to be a bed desk if i ever need to work sick (i'm lucky to be remote since my job change).

i've bought the screw-top, 40oz, insulated mugs and extra long plastic straws (do not @ me) and the pop-bottom giant cube ice trays all because every one of those helps ensure i drink more water every day (and so does the faucet-mounted water filter).

i buy specific individual snacks that require little to no prep so even when the execution of making a sandwich is Too Damn Much, i can still make myself do some calorie intake.

i talked myself into a cushioned mattress topper to relieve my spine and because it's way cheaper than a new mattress. i bought blackout curtains for our old apartment because the outdoor lights were insanely bright at all hours and made sleep even more elusive.

i've purchased slip on-only shoes or no-tie laces because i hate tying shoelace knots, my hands are less dexterous than ever (and hurt), and because i struggle with time management and it's one small thing to shave off just a little more time so i'm a little less late.

i didn't buy all of these things all at once, definitely. i am, sadly, made of meat and not money.

but i started budgeting, slowly, more and more of whatever amount of disposable income i had after bills towards "thing to make life suck less and not be so hard" and i can't regret it in the least.

i deserve not only small comforts and joys, but also less pain and difficulty, and ways to make challenging parts of life a little more within my reach with not quite as much effort.

so do you.

[gongjunsimon]

210327 Gong Jun Letter to Wen Kexing

To My Wen:

Still remember during that big rain in Hengdian on 3rd June last year, that was my first time walking into your world, to experience your life that had been corroded by hatred, to undergo your difficulties and salvation, to mull over your deeply felt pain.

A year has passed, 'Word of Honor' has reached a full-stop, and for you, isn't it time you put down your fixations, and come to the mortal realm to take a look.

Our world, is very different from the place you lived in. There is no Ghost Valley here, there are no unresolvable hatred or pointless killing, you don't have to clench your fists and hide your thoughts, when you want to laugh you can laugh freely, when you want to cry you don't have to forcefully hold it in.

I remember that you once said, you lived your entire life in untimeliness.

Your world was once covered in darkness, you relied on your own strength to slowly break free from the human hearts and ghosts

You avenged the deep blood debt of your parents, you chased the monsters back to hell, opened the Armoury that was locked for a long time, met your best "zhi ji" Zhou Zishu.

But regret and pain is unavoidable, throughout this whole path you lost many important people, your sister A Xiang who was like your kin, Aunt Luo whose kindness that is too much to repay, Long Que, and many other innocent people who had to suffer.

Sometimes I think, if Wen Kexing lives in my parallel world, what kind of person will he become?

What to do in the mortal realm, so it doesn't become a wasted trip?

Like his parents, become a healer that practices medicine to save lives? Become a widely respected hero who upholds goodness and vanquishes evil? Or be a normal and happy person?

In the past, I did not have an answer, but now I think that, there doesn't exist a singular answer.

The story of Wen Kexing in the mortal realm, has to be written by yourself.

The mortal realm is filled with fireworks, there's joy and there's pain.

Lao Wen, stop letting it be so difficult for yourself, and don't bury everything inside your heart. You have to be better to yourself, all your choices, will all lead to the best arrangements.

Recently, the temperature is slowly rising again, everything around appears filled with life, spring is right before our eyes.

Outside the window the sounds of birds can be heard. many light breezes blows by, the noisy streets, the continuous cars, the bustling pedestrians, everyone has their own sorrows and happiness. Actually, a simple life is quite interesting too.

And the sunlight is warm, it is the warmth that you have always yearned to have, you'll like it.

Lao Wen, considering your ordinary dish ordering skills, when you're here, I'll order a table of good food, to give you the best welcome.

Taking a trip to the mortal realm, you have to bask under the sun more.

If it's possible, let us begin a new life.

Wen Kexing, how lucky I am to have met you, I once walked with you through the hardship of the human world and the desolation of the human feelings, next I also want to bring you to taste the sweetness and bitterness of the human world.

Drink a flask of fine wine, savour the flourishing and the loneliness of the world.

But you mustn't worry about the journey here, I will personally wait for your arrival.

Going to separate from you, like we had just met yesterday.

Determined heart, without any regrets left in the world.

When the bright moon is in the clear sky, is when we'll meet again in the mortal realm.

Gong Jun

2021.3.21

written at night