#Drafting Tools for 2025

[prototechsolutionsblog]

Top CAD Drafting Software Tools in 2025: Features and Benefits

In the ever-evolving world of design and engineering, staying ahead of the curve means having the right tools for the job. CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drafting software has been instrumental in revolutionizing industries, from architecture to automotive design. In 2025, the landscape of CAD drafting software continues to innovate, offering a plethora of features that enhance efficiency, creativity, and precision. Whether you’re a professional designer or exploring CAD drafting services, knowing the best tools available is crucial.

Why CAD Drafting Software Matters

CAD drafting software plays a pivotal role in transforming concepts into tangible designs. It bridges the gap between creativity and functionality, enabling professionals to visualize, simulate, and refine their ideas. With advancements in technology, modern CAD tools are more accessible, powerful, and feature-rich than ever before, catering to diverse needs across industries.

Top CAD Drafting Software Tools in 2025

Let’s explore the leading CAD drafting software tools of 2025, their standout features, and how they benefit professionals and businesses.

1. AutoCAD 2025

AutoCAD remains a staple in the CAD drafting world, known for its versatility and robust features. The 2025 version introduces:

Enhanced Collaboration Tools: Real-time co-editing and cloud-based project management.

AI-Powered Design Assistance: Automates repetitive tasks and suggests design optimizations.

Advanced 3D Modeling Capabilities: Improved rendering and simulation tools for more lifelike designs.

Benefits: AutoCAD 2025 streamlines workflows, saving time and improving accuracy—a key advantage for CAD drafting services that manage complex projects.

2. SolidWorks 2025

SolidWorks continues to lead in mechanical design with its user-friendly interface and powerful simulation tools. Key features include:

Integrated Cloud Solutions: Seamless access to designs and data from anywhere.

Realistic Physics Simulations: Enhanced testing for material and structural integrity.

Customizable Workflows: Tailored interfaces for specific industries.

Benefits: SolidWorks’ precision and simulation capabilities make it invaluable for industries like automotive and aerospace.

3. Revit 2025

For architects and building designers, Revit is a go-to choice. The 2025 update boasts:

Expanded BIM Capabilities: Improved Building Information Modeling for complex structures.

Energy Analysis Tools: Advanced sustainability metrics for eco-friendly designs.

Collaborative Design Features: Streamlined teamwork across disciplines.

Benefits: Revit empowers architects to create sustainable, efficient designs while enhancing collaboration—a must for modern construction projects.

4. Fusion 360

Fusion 360 excels in combining design, engineering, and manufacturing workflows. Notable upgrades include:

AI-Driven Generative Design: Revolutionary features for innovative solutions.

Expanded Manufacturing Tools: Precision machining and additive manufacturing capabilities.

Cross-Platform Support: Work seamlessly across devices.

Benefits: Fusion 360’s all-in-one platform is ideal for small to medium-sized enterprises and CAD drafting services that require flexibility and scalability.

5. SketchUp Pro 2025

SketchUp Pro shines in intuitive 3D modeling, making it a favorite among designers. New features include:

Improved User Interface: Simplified navigation for faster design processes.

Advanced Rendering Options: Photorealistic visualization tools.

Integration with AR/VR: Bring designs to life in immersive environments.

Benefits: SketchUp Pro’s ease of use and visualization capabilities are perfect for professionals aiming to impress clients with stunning presentations.

How to Choose the Right CAD Software

When selecting a CAD drafting software tool, consider the following:

Project Requirements: Identify the specific features your projects demand, such as 3D modeling or simulation tools.

Budget: Evaluate pricing models, including subscription plans and one-time purchases.

Ease of Use: Look for intuitive interfaces to minimize learning curves.

Compatibility: Ensure the software integrates seamlessly with your existing tools.

Leveraging CAD Drafting Services for Success

For businesses and individuals who want to maximize productivity, partnering with CAD drafting services can be a game-changer. These services provide expertise in using advanced tools, ensuring high-quality designs and quicker project turnarounds. Whether you’re working on architectural blueprints or intricate mechanical designs, professional CAD drafting services can elevate your results.

Conclusion

The year 2025 marks an exciting era for CAD drafting software, with innovations that cater to diverse industries and workflows. By understanding the features and benefits of tools like AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit, Fusion 360, and SketchUp Pro, you can make informed decisions that align with your goals. And if you’re looking for expert assistance, don’t hesitate to explore professional CAD drafting services to bring your visions to life.

Stay ahead in the design game by embracing the right technology and expertise. The future of CAD drafting is here—make it work for you!

[mortemcatabasis]

Plaza

[puckpocketed]

Excerpts from Film Room: Justin Carbonneau’s Skills Could Make Him a Star — If He Puts It All Together (archived)

Carbonneau’s playmaking vision allows for his skating and handling to serve a larger play-creation purpose. In flashes, it borders on elite — he manipulates defenders with his hands and feet to pry open cross-ice lanes, looks off his target to force defenders to respect the major threat his shot poses, and consistently spots lanes that others don’t. Off the rush, on the forecheck, on his backhand, off the catch… Very few passing skills sit outside of Carbonneau’s scope of available plays. [...] The only real factor holding Carbonneau back from being a true playmaker — like Caleb Desnoyers, for example — is play-selection. The massive scope of available plays in Carbonneau’s game is both a blessing and a curse — with so many different options he can access, choosing the right one becomes a challenge. He can force low-percentage passes, deke himself into unfavourable positions, or most notably, omit simple possession-extending plays in favour of creating a flashier high-danger chance. Passing becomes an end play — not a way to create. Primary assists pile up, but so do the turnovers.

And from this video:

In today's episode we're going to look at Justin Carbonneau. He's kind of a unique case to analyse because there's a lot of contradictions in his profile. So, he has a lot of egotistical tendencies in his game but at the same time he's a pretty great team player, a pretty great team guy. And the range of opinions on him is pretty wild, but at the same time he's kind of ranked at the same place by everybody. So, it's kind of a funny case to analyse. I never give a title to my video analysis on the players, but if I had to give one on Carbonneau's it would be The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Because when you pick apart any of his tools and his skill set you will have a lot of flashes that will make your eyes go wide, but also at the same time a lot of bad decisions that are just head scratchers.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Good Omens graphic novel update: December 2024

We promised a graphic novel treat for December to send off 2024, which we have at the end of the update, so let's dive in!

Colleen has been working diligently ahead of the graphic novel going to print next month, which she discussed over on Patreon. For those looking for more behind the scenes on both Good Omens and Colleen's work more broadly, we recommend either following her Substack, or subscribing via Patreon, as she approaches the finish line.

A snapshot from our production HQ where dummy books of the graphic novel, slipcase and other editions of Good Omens have been arriving thick and fast. The graphic novel (slipcased version shown) has quite the heft to it. It's going to be such a magnificent object inside and out.

Here, we're testing out the various papers, finishes, embellishments and more – everything is falling into place!

Merch-wise, some more delights. The A.Z. Fell & Co tote bag design is in, one side in celebration of our favourite angelic bookseller, the other as if it's been purchased from the bookshop itself, so you can take your pick.

We've got more pins that will be available in the 3-pin set add ons. While the full list will be available in 2025, we're happy to share a few more to get excited about:

On the trading card front, have a look at some of the base deck designs by Steve Gregson and Kirsty Hunter in situ as this all comes together rather nicely, and causes a heated game or two behind the scenes.

And, a quick admin note to wrap up that we always recommend checking the FAQ page as a first port of call for any queries. If you have questions tied to specific tiers, we'd suggest checking the last few updates if your answer can't be found on the FAQ. If there is any information required for your pledge, we will be in touch. We will be back at full steam in the New Year!

Thank you.

So, to wrap up this year's updates, we give you the draft of the full first scene of the graphic novel, artwork by Colleen Doran and lettering by Lois Buhalis. If you'd like to wait until the graphic novel publishes in Spring, skip everything after the ducks!

To 2025 🥂

Until next time.

+ post from Colleen Doran:

Good Omens: You Get...Stuff Like This

In the most recent Good Omens update at the Kickstarter, a few people got upset at the suggestion that you have to get past my paywall here to see Good Omens updates.

Except you really don't, and the post doesn't actually say you do. You get a bit more, like pics of my studio, a discussion of tools and process - but not all of that is exclusively about Good Omens.

I think the Dunmanifestin team just wanted to draw a little attention to my blogs and other works, for which I am very grateful.

As my Patreon supporters already know, Good Omens info posted here gets to the Substack and Kickstarter eventually. And since most of my posts here aren't just about Good Omens, but my other projects and personal stuff, as well as links to our weekly Virtual Art Studio sessions, I think I'm justified in keeping that material behind a paywall.

In fact, I don't think I've posted much stuff about Good Omens since the summer: pages of flats like the one you see above, a few studio photos, and color tweaks.

Also, me boo-hooing about my nerves and health.

But for those who feel left out missing even this small amount of stuff, then the screen shot above is for you.

That's called a flat.

It's a prelim color before adding final color.

Here's what the final color looks like.

So I've posted a handful of this sort of thing since this summer, but frankly, there's even more of my sketches and so on posted at my Instagram that aren't here at all.

For those who don't know, I am doing most of the color myself on the book, but I am working with assistants. I'm not sure how much the Dunmanifestin team wants out there before the big reveals, but here's a snippet of a sky.

In the first image, my flat color.

And after my assistant worked on it.

Here, I've done a repaint. Sometimes I do very extensive repaints after the assistant works on a page. Sometimes not so much. I didn't use assistants on many pages at all. About 80% of the labor on the color of the book is my work.

However, the assistants have been a big help, and I am very appreciative of them.

I will make a point to go through all my prior posts and get every single bit of art that you haven't seen and make it public for all of you in the coming weeks. I need to excise it from previous posts. As I respect the privacy of all my readers, I never make prior posts public without their permission as they may not want their comments or identities to be public.

Thanks so much for everything!

[bucketbueckers]

I'D RATHER PRETEND

CHAPTER NINE

tags: @angryflowerwitch @avvwritesstufff @melpthatsme @rebecca-woso @bueckersg1rl @l0verl4ne @clouded-whispers @dolliest-thena @katemartinlvr @numberonepartyanth3m @glamourdaya @pbbucks @unadulteratedcyclepaper @paiges-1vur thelightknight21 wc: 9.9k notes: with the 1st pick in the 2025 wnba draft, the dallas wings select... the IRP masterlist, lee university! cringe i know but it's the last chapter, let me be happy. i wrote the first half of this chap before the providence game, felt like a witch once the starting lineup dropped, currently manifesting the rest of this chapter ages just as well (my ball knowledge is limited, if the game doesn't make sense just let me be delusional, i dont give a gaf). smut warning, who's surprised. fluffier than chapter 6 methinks. tried to fulfill the nice/gentle P agenda, may have fumbled the bag bc this somehow felt more filfthy? kinda short too idk lmk 😩 not proofread, i'll probably come back later to edit. sorry for yapping (no im not) but i hope you all enjoyed reading irp as much as i enjoyed writing it, thank you for sending in such sweet comments and engaging in the inbox, they were genuinely so motivating and i loved interacting w y'all 🫶 as always i hope we're rocking w this final chapter 🙂‍↕️

‘The Return of Tess Kennedy’

A little over two years ago, college basketball sensation Tess Kennedy tore her ACL in the Final Four matchup between the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks. Kennedy, who’d amassed fifteen points close to the end of the third quarter, was a pivotal element to South Carolina’s game – Iowa struggled to lock her down. Kennedy stepped off wrong and collapsed on court. Many knew what had happened long before the news broke. Her recovery was far from easy, but Kennedy did the impossible and recovered just in time for the SEC championship and the March Madness tournament, where she led South Carolina to a redemption win over Iowa with a dominating 30 points. Following the win, Kennedy shared a photo of herself holding the championship trophy, one eye closed in a wink and her lips curled into a smug snarl, and captioned it, “took a year off to cut you bitches some slack, tell a friend to tell a friend tess kennedy’s back.”

Many athletes often need a long period of adjustment after returning from a serious injury. Kennedy, however, played as though that statistic did not apply to her. Kennedy played as though she had something to prove. A loud majority of fans speculated that Kennedy fought so fiercely because her girlfriend, Paige Bueckers, and the UConn Huskies had been eliminated by Iowa in the Final Four match only two days prior to the championship. A smaller few claimed Kennedy holds a grudge against Iowa for her injury – although Kennedy disputed this theory in a presser, linked here.

The simplest truth of the matter is that Kennedy did not play any sort of way for anyone but herself and her team. She proved to herself that she could come back even better from an injury that she thought would uproot her life. She played for her team, who uplifted her during recovery and gave her the tools and the support to show up and show out when the world was watching. Kennedy played the way she did because that’s just what Tess Kennedy does.

During South Carolina’s 2024 Senior Night, Kennedy announced that she would stay at South Carolina for another year of college basketball. She cited her injury as the source of her decision. She explained that there is still more recovery for her to do and that she did not feel comfortable declaring for the draft with only five games post-injury under her belt, especially since she was under a minute restriction during those games. We believe that decision is the best she could have made for herself.

Throughout the 2024-2025 regular season, Kennedy has averaged 26.2 points per game, 4.3 steals per game, 3.7 blocks per game, and 3.2 assists per game. Since her injury, she’s turned into both an offensive and defensive dual threat, leading the South Carolina offense with help from Raven Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Te-Hina Paopao. Coach Dawn Staley describes Kennedy as “unguardable” from the perimeter and “unstoppable” from the midrange. Coach Staley also notes that Kennedy’s midrange improvements have pleasantly surprised her as Kennedy was usually a reliable three-point specialist. Coach Staley would not elaborate on where Kennedy’s sudden game adjustments have come from, but one basketball analyst noted that Kennedy’s midrange proficiency looks stunningly like girlfriend Paige Bueckers’s. This is not surprising in the slightest as Kennedy and Bueckers spent the offseason together on a joint “world-tour” that evidently included lots and lots of time in the gym.

The SEC tournament has come and gone with, you guessed it, South Carolina as the winner, having defeated Tennessee and LSU back to back. South Carolina dominated the first five rounds of the NCAA tournament. In the Final Four, they defeated UCLA in a convincing 78-71 victory. For the championship match, they’re against UConn, who is fresh off of a hard-fought Final Four victory against Notre Dame.

This is precisely the clash of the titans that basketball fans have been looking forward to since June of 2023. UConn vs. South Carolina. Bueckers vs. Kennedy. This is a rematch for the 2022 championship game wherein UConn fell short, but many are questioning South Carolina’s ability to go back to back, especially since UConn has seen tremendous growth over the past season. With a healthy Azzi Fudd and a healthy Aubrey Griffin, sharpshooters Ashlynn Shade and Allie Ziebell, energetic KK Arnold and Morgan Cheli, imposing Jana El-Alfy, transfer portal weapon Kaitlyn Chen, do-it-all field general Paige Bueckers, and Sarah Strong – no title, Sarah Strong is that girl – UConn is a fan favorite to win. With the final tipoff only an hour away, we are at the edge of our seats in anticipation. Let us know in the comments below – who are you rooting for?

-Penelope Lancaster, Bleacher Report

APRIL 6, 2025

If there’s one thing that Tess knows is true about Paige Bueckers after over a year of dating, it’s that Paige always keeps her promise.

You and me, same time next year?

Tess watches her warm up only a half court away. She’s stunning, donning a UConn sweatshirt and matching sweatpants, her hair up in her gameday braids that Tess has full intention of ruining later after her girlfriend is crowned an NCAA champion. That thought alone shouldn’t excite her as much as it does, but she can’t help herself. Paige and her team have worked incredibly hard to be here – Tess has gotten to witness that first hand. She also can’t help feeling a little smug because she was right. Kaitlyn Chen, transfer portal weapon. Freshmen Morgan Cheli and Allie Ziebell – they both needed a few games to get comfortable, but once they were hot, they were hot. And finally, Sarah fucking Strong, Paige’s freshman menace that honestly needs to declare right now because college basketball will not be safe with her on the court.

Tess has no intention of rolling over and letting them win – Paige would honestly break up with her, which would ruin the entirety of Tess’s five year plan: get drafted. Win some shit. Dunk on Paige Bueckers. Marry Paige Bueckers. Free agency. Simple and easy. But Tess also knows that UConn will be playing with something to lose, a chip to win, and that they were easily the most challenging match-up they’d faced all year with the exception of the final SEC teams. UConn defeated them at home, even after Tess dropped 20 hard fought points – they honestly just had no answer for Sarah Strong, which is becoming a recurring theme as of late.

“Oh my God, not this shit again,” Raven complains. Tess turns just in time to catch the ball that Raven had definitely aimed at her ass.

“Stop throwing balls at me!” Tess exclaims, chucking the ball back.

“Stop staring at your girlfriend!” Raven retorts. “Like, for real. It’s making me sick. Do you want me throwing up before a natty match?” Tess pauses, tapping her chin dramatically like she has to truly think about it. “I wish you’d declared last year. That way I wouldn’t have had to deal with all of this ‘when will my wife come back from war’ bullshit.”

Tess rolls her eyes. “Where’s Chloe at? I suddenly have an opening in my bridal party.”

“Wait, no!” Raven says quickly, her entire expression shifting. “You can’t kick me out of the wedding. I didn’t even know I was in it!”

“You weren’t,” Tess states bluntly, which makes Raven huff again. “Kam’s my maid of honor, obviously. Then Aliyah’s coming, Bree, Destanni, Zia. Do you think I can get A’ja there?”

Raven looks her up and down, unimpressed. “No,” she says flatly. “You’ll be marrying a Husky.”

Tess lights up. “Oh my God, I can get Stewie there. That’d be cool, too.”

“How about you pump the brakes and lock the fuck in so your girlfriend doesn’t embarass us?” Raven suggests. “Like, did that ever cross your mind?”

She shrugs sheepishly. “I’m locked in,” she says. “Go do your weird pregame rituals, sacrifice a chicken or something.”

Raven rolls her eyes, stalking away with her ball. Tess watches her try to sweet talk an assistant coach into rebounding for her and she can’t help but smile. She’ll miss Raven when she’s in the league – sure, they’ll keep in contact, but it’s different when you’re no longer a few doors down from everyone. She’ll miss all of her girls. Not Ashlyn, though. The charges may have been dropped but assault and battery and kidnapping? Is nobody the least bit concerned? Tess digresses, though. She’s gonna miss her team, especially annoying ass Raven Johnson who likes throwing shit at people.

Before she returns to her own warmups, Tess looks across the court once more. Paige is already staring at her. They share a soft, private smile – and then Paige is grabbing Sarah by the sleeve of her shirt, causing her shot to sail out of bounds as Paige points at her with a proud smile that clearly says look at my freshman! Sarah looks unbelievably confused at first, but levels Paige with a nasty side eye once she realizes that she’s been dragged in as a ploy to tease Tess. She shrugs out of Paige’s grasp to continue shooting which makes Tess laugh and Paige huff dramatically.

The both of them resume their warmups and before they know it, tip off has come around. Paige, Sarah, Azzi, Jana, and Kaitlyn are starting for UConn, whereas Raven, Chloe, Tess, Sania, and Te-Hina are starting for South Carolina. Both teams set up around Chloe and Jana to receive the opening tip, and once the referee throws the ball into the air, Jana knocks it over to the Huskies. Sarah kicks it out to Paige, who begins directing traffic as she brings the ball up court. Tess, tasked with guarding Azzi, sticks on her like glue, trying to not let her get her hands on the ball. Raven’s defense is suffocating, but Sarah gets open and Paige passes it swiftly to her. As Chloe and Sania fold in on her to prevent the shot, Sarah passes to Jana, who gets the easy layup under the bucket. Sania inbounds to Raven. She’s delayed in bringing the ball up due to Kaitlyn’s defensive pressure, and, much to Tess’s surprise, Paige is guarding her and Azzi is on Te-Hina.

Raven dribbles, directing the other four on the court while trying to keep the ball far away from Kaitlyn, but the congestion becomes too much and she passes it to Te-Hina. Azzi’s defense is relentless, too, and eventually, Te-Hina passes to Sania, who passes to Tess on the wing, and she knows she can’t get crafty. She and Paige spent the entire summer in the gym together. Paige knows her moves as well as she knows her own, which is why she keeps pressing her further and further away from the three point line and Jana angles herself to clog her lane to the bucket. The clock is winding down, so she makes the decision to squeeze past Paige, driving to the bucket, but at the last moment, she passes it behind her back to where she knows Sania is waiting. She shoots and it swishes in.

The first quarter is incredibly close. Every time South Carolina gets a defensive stop, UConn responds with one of their own. A two-point jumper is countered by a layup, Azzi and Tess go three for three. Tess steals the ball on one possession, although Chloe gives it right back as she tries to get smart on a pass. By the first media timeout, Tess has five points, two assists, and a steal, although UConn leads them 14-12. Both teams take the time to sub out and let some of the starters rest. Bree, Ashlyn, MiLaysia, and Joyce come in for Tess, Chloe, Te-Hina, and Sania respectively while KK, Aubrey, Ashlynn, and Ice enter for Kaitlyn, Sarah, Azzi, and Jana.

Once play resumes, Tess almost immediately understands the game plan. Raven guards Paige on UConn’s offensive possessions, but when South Carolina has the ball, Paige guards MiLaysia, a high scoring guard just like Tess. Depending on who is on the floor, KK or Kaitlyn defend Raven or whoever is running point for South Carolina at the time. Raven’s defense is suffocating, but most of all, exhausting – tasking someone else with guarding Raven gives Paige more opportunities to score rather than tire herself out, but her own defensive assignments are focused on shutting down South Carolina’s point producing guards. Tess was held to five points with Paige on her, shooting only two out of her five attempted shots. She wasn’t completely useless, though – she held Azzi to six points, congesting two of the four shots she took.

She sits for the rest of the first quarter. The score is up to 25-20 in UConn’s favor and all of the starters are back on the court for the second quarter. It’s hard fought, too. There’s not a lot of foul calls going either way tonight, but the lead is so slim that Tess doesn’t want to overstep on defense and give away points. At 31-24 in favor of UConn, Paige is subbed out for KK, which means Tess finally gets a bit of a breather on defense. KK is unrelenting, but Paige had played a little closer, a much tighter game as she knew Tess so well as a player. She couldn’t even be mad about that, although she did take advantage of two back-to-back threes, pushing the score to 34-30. UConn still has a slight lead, but Paige gets subbed back in. Tess knows she has to play smarter now and take better shots.

Halfway through the second quarter, Raven gets subbed out for a breather, too, and UConn immediately puts the pressure on Maddy, not used to the intensity that the UConn starters were playing with. Kaitlyn forces a turnover, sailing it high to Paige, who lays it in the basket with ease and winks at Tess as she passes her to get back on defense. In response, Tess calls for the ball and Maddy passes it to her. She doesn’t call for a screen or any sort of help as she steps back, shooting for three directly over Paige’s head. They watch it both fall in seamlessly, much to the crowd’s amusement, and Tess sticks up her fingers in an ‘L’ shape as she backpedals for defense. Paige shakes her head, amused, but at 41-38, the both of them know they need to lock back in.

The two teams trade a few more shots and stops before the end of the quarter, entering half with 47-41, UConn leading. Paige also hit a nasty buzzer beater to welcome in halftime, which sent the UConn bench and the crowd into a frenzy, but Tess doesn’t think that’s something important to note. Paige doesn’t need the ego boost and it wasn’t that cool, anyways. If Tess wanted to, she could have had a better buzzer beater.

In the locker room, Coach Staley emphasizes the need for defensive stops while the team catches their breath. Ball movement and being selective with shooting was also important – as a team, they were shooting 39% and taking far too many contested shots when there were wide open players on the wing. Tess honestly couldn’t be doing much more – she’d racked up 16 points. Joyce and Te-Hina were doing their thing too, but UConn was overwhelming. Their points were far more widespread with Aubrey, Sarah, Azzi, and Paige leading the pack. Ashlynn had two crucial three point shots, KK was critical on defense as she was forcing turnovers and fastbreak points, and Tess has never seen anyone hustle for rebounds like Morgan does. UConn was playing a cohesive game and they were struggling to respond in full.

The second half goes similar to the first, although UConn starts to make a concerted effort to break away. They’re playing with a renewed vigor and while Azzi, Paige, and Ashlynn were crucial in the first half, they start scoring a lot more points in the paint. Sarah, Jana, and Aubrey are particularly explosive and Ice holds her own when she subs in halfway through the third to give Jana a break. Defensively, they’re all restless – they’d played so conservatively in the first half while South Carolina tried to wear them out that their energy is overwhelming and is exhausting South Carolina. By the end of the third, UConn had extended the lead to 67-56. Tess is up to 26 points now, but it’s not doing enough to clear the deficit.

All of the starters are back on the floor at the beginning of the fourth for one last push, and for a while, it works. South Carolina holds out UConn and they go on a 9-0 scoring run, evening the score to 67-65 with three minutes left. Paige hits a long three, increasing the lead to five points, Azzi forces Te-Hina to turn the ball over and she sprints for the basket, although she passes behind her to Sarah for the finish, and Tess is a little too strong on her three point jumper and it bounces off the rim directly into Kaitlyn’s hands. She scores, pushing the score to 74-65. One minute, thirty seconds left.

The last bit of the game is frantic. Tess and South Carolina try to get the lead back, but UConn is unrelenting, pushing against them on every possession. Jana scores. Sania scores. Kaitlyn shoots, but Raven blocks it. Chloe scores on the fastbreak, and with twenty seconds left, the game is up to 78-69 with UConn steady in the lead. There’s no coming back from this gap and UConn has the ball. Tess thinks Paige just plans on dribbling it out, but as the clock winds down, five…four…three…two… she shoots from the perimeter, the shot clock expiring, and the last three, the nail on the head, swishes in cleanly as the crowd erupts. UConn had just won the 2025 national championship, and all Tess feels is overwhelming relief.

Confetti pours down, covering every inch of the court as all of the Huskies swarm and pile on one another. Paige’s smile is bright, beaming, and Tess swears she can see the tears streaming from afar. Then, they lock eyes, Paige in the middle of a bunch of jostling, and she has the decency to look a little sad for her, but honestly, Tess doesn’t care. She grins at her girlfriend, making a heart with her hands. The relief is palpable on Paige’s expression but Tess knows she needs the time to celebrate with her teammates, so she turns away, patting her own teammates on the back and murmuring her own congratulations.

Sania and Joyce were explosive in the paint. A vast majority of their points had come from them and Tess, but it just wasn’t enough to beat the deficit. Tess would find the stat sheet later, but she racked up 31 points – 61 in two back to back championship games wasn’t too shabby, and honestly, the 31 points feels more like an accomplishment than the win. She’s a competitor, she lives to win and loathes losing, but tonight doesn’t feel like a loss at all, despite what the box score will say. Looking back at everything she’s accomplished, she’s satisfied where she is. She’s grown as a player, as a person. She went from almost being the cause of her end in her junior year to dragging herself out of the deep end, committing to rehab, and winning the natty on the redemption match. This year, she molded herself into a better basketball player, cementing herself in the Gamecock record books – and while she doesn’t have a natty win this year, she’s not mad about it. It’s difficult to describe but at a certain point, the win just doesn’t matter anymore. It’s the journey, growing with your team, and everything you did leading up to it.

Last year, she said she has everything she’s ever wanted, and that much is still true. She has her rings, she has an excellent collegiate career, she has records that will be damn near impossible to beat until the next Tess Kennedy is recruited to South Carolina. She has the best friends in the world, the best girlfriend in the world, her knee is healed, she’s healed, and in less than two weeks, she’ll be drafted to play professionally wherever the wind takes her. The past two years have been the best and the worst time of her life but never will she ever wish that anything occurred differently. It’s all led her to this – her wins, her losses, to Paige. It’s more than she could have ever wished for.

She showers, zones out during the presser until the questions are directed at her, which she answers robotically, uncaring. When she’s out, she locates Paige in the tunnel, who scoops her up with such unadulterated glee and excitement that Tess giggles like a fucking schoolgirl. Paige is fresh, clean, and fuck it, she’s hers, and sue her if she sounds like a broken record, but she just loves her. “Congrats, baby,” Tess says into her neck, feeling Paige squeeze her around the middle before she lowers her to the ground.

“Thank you,” Paige murmurs as she presses a soft, unhurried kiss to Tess’s lips. “Promise you didn’t sell on purpose?”

Tess scoffs, shoving her away with a hand to her chest as Paige laughs, a sound that’s infectious and far too annoyingly charming. “Paige Madison. I dropped 31 on your ass and you think I sold?”

“Locked you down,” Paige says.

“Maybe romantically but not in basketball,” Tess corrects. Paige’s face brightens and Tess can’t help but lean in to kiss her again. “Congrats though, for real.” Paige’s eyes blink open, tilting her head down slightly to gaze at Tess, her expression full of lingering excitement, love, and unequivocal happiness. “You worked so hard for this. I’m proud of you, you know? 28 points, too? Who you showin’ out for?”

Paige laughs at Tess’s impression of her. “For you, always.” Tess can’t help but soften, grinning in that stupid way Paige always elicits. “We’re goin’ out,” she says. “The team, I mean. Some bar Aubrey found. You wanna come with us? You don’t gotta do nothing you don’t wanna and they’re all keepin’ it lowkey, nothin’ crazy–”

“Paige,” Tess interrupts, watching an adorable flush appear on Paige’s cheeks. “Don’t worry about me. Celebrate with your team, okay?”

“I’m always gonna worry about you,” Paige says, a little indignant. “You’re my girl. S’my job. But I want you there if you wanna be there.”

“You’re amazing, and I love you.”

Paige sighs. “Where’s the ‘but?’”

Tess rolls her eyes. “But you need to spend time with your team. Alone, without your unbelievably sexy girlfriend distracting you. You’re gonna miss them once you’re drafted. I need to chill tonight, so I’m gonna play UNO with my girls and stack +4s on Chloe to get her back for missing a layup that would have made our score look a little less pathetic.” Tess kisses the pout off of Paige’s lips. “I could convince Bree to room with Raven tonight?” she suggests intentionally.

“Okay!” Paige agrees quickly, her voice cracking, squeezing Tess’s hips once more, causing her to laugh lightly. Paige presses her lips to Tess’s forehead, the shorter of the two feeling the curve of her smirk. “I’ll see you later. Don’t fall asleep. I love you.”

Tess huffs, which makes Paige grin. She loves being on Tess’s nerves more than anything else. “I love you, too. Have fun and don’t drink anything KK gives you.”

Paige only shakes her head, their noses brushing slightly. “Not drinking. Wanna remember tonight.” Heat rises to Tess’s cheeks as she’s suddenly aware of what the night holds for them, but Paige just smiles at her, releasing her hips and squeezing her hand one last time before she disappears inside the media room for the presser. Tess exhales, shaking her head like an etch-a-sketch to fix her train of thought before she gathers herself and makes her way out to the team bus.

She slides into the seat next to Bree, placing her bag on the floor. “You’re rooming with Raven tonight,” Tess says to her.

Bree stares at her long and hard before her expression hardens. “You’re a fucking freak,” she gripes. “But you’re buying me breakfast tomorrow morning.” In lieu of a response, Tess pulls her wallet out of her pocket and hands over a $20 bill. Bree wrinkles her nose, her face going through the five stages of grief. Tess can’t even bring herself to feel ashamed as Bree takes the money. “God,” she whispers. “Freaks.”

Tess only smiles.

After a couple hours of music and various games, Tess says her final goodbyes to her teammates before she heads back to her room at the end of the hall. Paige had texted her only moments before that she was on her way back to the hotel, which she took as her cue to go. Her teammates gave her knowing looks, but Tess couldn’t find it in herself to be any sort of embarrassed.

Bree had cleared out most of her stuff before they all gathered in Raven’s room for games, but Tess just makes the conscious effort to clean up a little. She knew Paige wouldn’t care. Whether or not Bree’s bed was made would be the last thing on Paige’s mind if Tess had anything to say about it. Despite that, she just wanted it to look nicer for her. Paige had just won a championship, damn it, and she deserves something a little more fitting of that.

Tess isn’t nervous, but she’s almost giddy with anticipation and excitement. The last time she and Paige saw each other was when they played each other in February. They were unable to synchronize their schedules for spring break, so Tess is reasonably going through girlfriend withdrawals. She just wants to be close to Paige – nothing inherently sexual about it, but she misses their intimacy now that they’re always hundreds of miles apart. It will be the same situation when they get drafted – Tess watched the lottery despite everyone’s recommendations not to, but they’ll have a little bit more money and freedom to make the distance work once they’re in the league. But the league is the last thing she wants to worry about right now.

She checks herself one last time in the mirror, satisfied, but she pulls off her South Carolina hoodie, shivering a little at the chill in the room, and rummages through her suitcase until she finds the white jersey tucked underneath the rest of her clothes. A large 5 is emblazoned on the front and the back, the Big East logo on the collar, just a size too big for her – she’d stolen it directly from Paige’s bag when they played each other in February and they hung out after the game, but she supposes her lie was just convincing enough because Paige genuinely thought she left it in the locker room. She pulls the hoodie over her head, not bothering to tuck it into her sleep shorts, and gives herself one last look before smiling.

A knock at the door draws her attention. Finding her resolve, she walks over and opens it, coming face to face with Paige, whose cheeks are slightly flushed from the Tampa heat. “Hey – oh.” Paige stops in her tracks immediately, her eyes wide as she takes in Tess’s attire. Her jaw hangs open slightly as she leans against the door.

Tess laughs, reaching for Paige’s hands and pulling her inside. Paige lets herself be dragged, but she remembers where they are and closes the door, setting the lock without looking away from Tess. “You like?” Tess asks, tugging on the hem of the jersey to showcase Paige’s number. She smiles at Paige, a little smug but also a little breathless. Paige isn’t sure where to look – her face, her jersey, her legs, long and lithe and bare with the exception of a pair of shorts that would otherwise be indecent. “Figured I’d try something new.”

“Do I like?” Paige repeats, sounding a little incredulous. Her voice is rough and Tess shivers, feeling the heat pool low in her belly as Paige rests her hands on her hips, her fingertips brushing the swell of her ass. She pulls Tess into her until there’s barely an inch of space in between them – Tess can feel Paige breathing against her, her breath minty and fresh, her cologne so prominent and heady in the air that Tess’s head spins. “Like doesn’t even begin to cover it,” she murmurs, her lips dragging across the line of Tess’s jaw. Tess tilts her head back, giving Paige more access as she sighs softly. Paige’s fingers bunch in the fabric of her jersey as she noses her way down her neck, pressing wet kisses to her skin. A groan builds low in the back of her throat as she pulls away, her eyes blown wide and slightly out of breath. “D’you have any idea what this does to me?”

Tess chuckles, letting Paige lead her towards the bed, trusting her to not let her fall over. “I think I’m starting to understand,” she says. Paige smiles at her, softening the heat of the moment. Tess can’t help the grin that covers her face as she pulls Paige on top of her, sliding her zip up UConn jacket off of her shoulders. Paige situates herself in the gap created by Tess’s outstretched legs, leaning down to finally press their lips together. Their kiss is tender, lingering, and slow; Paige is deliberate in the way her hand slips under Tess’s jersey, her fingers brushing against her skin, and Tess sighs against her. They part and the expression on Paige’s face is so soft, blissed out like she has everything she’s ever wanted right in front of her. That thought alone fills Tess with an overwhelming amount of love and appreciation that she can’t help her starstruck smile. “You played really well today,” she whispers, working her fingers against Paige’s hair tie as she loosens her braids.

Paige hums, her eyes closing when Tess’s fingers drag across her scalp. “Says you,” she retorts, her head dropping to Tess’s shoulder. Her lips find her neck again, nipping gently and soothing the bite with a pass of her tongue. “31 fuckin’ points?” Paige emphasizes her words with an emphatic groan, her hands pushing up Tess’s jersey and her fingertips just barely breaching under her bra strap. “You tryna go to Dallas?”

Tess laughs, tangling her fingers through Paige’s hair as the blonde hides her smile against her neck. “Nah. That’s all you. I’m very happy going number two.”

Paige scoffs. “Yeah, ‘cause you get Cam and Rickea.”

Tess smiles knowingly, rolling her eyes. “Your hand is literally under my shirt and you wanna talk about other people right now?” Paige glances down, her brows raising and her eyes lingering on just how far the jersey is bunched up, miles upon miles of Tess’s tanned skin on display.

“Take this shit off,” she says, hands reaching for the hem of the jersey. Tess raises her arms compliantly and Paige pulls it over her head, throwing it to the side before leaning down and connecting their lips again. Tess relaxes immediately, circling her arms around Paige’s neck, drawing her in closer and closer until the space between them is negligible. Paige’s hands are warm against her bare skin. One leaves her chest to cup her jaw, her lips slowing, controlling the pace. Every motion is purposeful, deep and lingering, until Paige pulls back just enough that her nose brushes against Tess’s. “Wanna take my time with you.”

“You won,” Tess reminds her, fighting through the burn on her cheeks as Paige presses open-mouthed kisses to her neck, her jaw. “Tonight’s for you.”

“Yeah,” Paige agrees, her mind clearly elsewhere as she pulls her shirt over her head. Tess’s mouth dries instantly, her gaze unashamed as she takes in Paige’s toned figure, the definition of her abs despite the softness of her stomach. She’s equal parts sinew and grace, beautiful beyond any human measurement – Tess would never be able to put Paige’s beauty into words. She transcends language and meaning and Tess is so irrevocably in love that it should scare her; her feelings are overwhelming in the best way possible and Paige doesn’t even know the extent of it.

“Paige,” Tess tries again, her hands reaching up to push Paige’s hair out of her face.

She shakes her head, her hand returning to Tess’s jaw as she kisses her again, taking the very breath from her lungs and relishing in the sigh that she pulls from her throat. Her hand slips lower, her thumb brushing the apple of her throat while her index finger rests on her pulse point, feeling the spike in her heart rate. “Wanna take care of you,” Paige murmurs, the plea evident in her expression when she pulls away. “Want this to last, wanna feel you. Please?” She dips lower, her lips pressing against her skin, and Tess doesn’t have any choice but to let Paige have her way. She nods, her hands finding purchase on Paige’s shoulder blades as Paige descends further, her lips leaving marks over her clavicles.

Paige undresses the both of them with a deliberate slowness. Her hands roam like she’s trying to commit every inch of Tess’s body to memory, her eyes wide in wonder. Paige stares at her like it’s the first time all over again and it makes Tess shiver, feeling warmth all over. They spent the entire offseason together, late nights in hotel rooms much like this one as they travelled. They’re far from the first time, but the fact that Paige still handles her with the utmost care, respect, and devotion only makes her needier.

When they’re both bare, the first press of Paige’s skin against her own is electrifying. She draws Paige in again, connecting their lips, relishing in the soft, unhurried push and pull as Paige’s hands roam. They’re firm around her hips, her thumbs brushing the area where her thighs meet her pelvis. Then they’re trailing up, brushing against her navel, gripping her love handles and the parts of her stomach where she’s more skin than muscle. Further up, Paige’s hands splay out across the lower end of her ribcage. The amount of skin that her hands cover makes Tess ache, but Paige keeps wandering, her hands cupping her breasts, thumbs tweaking her nipples. Tess sighs at the contact and Paige immediately takes advantage of the way her jaw drops, deepening their kiss as Tess holds on to her shoulders for stability.

She can feel the flex of Paige’s muscle, see the way her shoulder blades jut out slightly – it shouldn’t excite her, but it does. She’s firm, solid, soft, and human, a paradox and a myriad of different feelings. Tess can’t help but be attracted to every single thing she does and every single thing she is. God took his time creating Paige, that much Tess was sure of; the fact that Paige is hers, for better, for worse, forever, makes her feel like she needs to be far more thankful than she already is.

Paige pulls back. Tess nearly whines at the loss of contact until she takes in the blown out and messy look on Paige’s face. Her lips are swollen, spit-slick, covered in the lingering smear of Tess’s lip gloss. “Okay?” she asks, her voice rough. The check-in is just a reminder of how much Paige loves her. It never fails to make her heart beat out of her chest.

Tess nods, her hands coming up to smooth out the baby hairs at the back of Paige’s neck, damp with sweat. “Keep going,” she requests, closing her eyes when she feels Paige kiss her cheek, her jaw, the spot under her ear that makes her shiver.

“Wanna try something with you,” she murmurs, squeezing her around the hips, and Tess blinks her eyes open to stare at her. A new, shy sort of flush creeps up her neck and Tess gives her a reassuring kiss.

“Anything,” she says, her voice soft, albeit a little breathless. “You know I trust you.”

Paige glances up, searching her eyes for any hint of falsehood. When she finds none, she leans in, kissing Tess one last time before pulling back. “Tell me to stop and I will,” she says. Tess nods again, waiting with a bated breath as Paige pulls back completely, much to her chagrin, but her hands find her knees, spreading her legs wider, slotting her own legs under and over Tess’s thighs like puzzle pieces, and – Oh. They haven’t even made full contact but her entire body burns. Paige is just as red, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. “Okay?” she asks again, her words sounding a little choked.

Tess nods rapidly, not trusting herself to speak, but her words spill out anyway. “Please,” she says, looping her arms around her neck again. Paige nods, too, her breath a little shaky, but she connects their lips, swallowing the greedy sound that Tess makes when their cores finally align. Her fingers dig into Paige’s shoulders, eliciting a groan from the blonde as she rolls her hips experimentally. Paige is warm against her, slick against her skin, and the brush of her clit against her own nearly makes her soul leave her body.

Her head tilts back, overcome with euphoria and pleasure, and Paige takes advantage immediately. Her lips are on her neck before she has the chance to react, sucking dark, purple marks on her skin, soothing the sting with her tongue. Tess pushes her hips into Paige’s, causing her rhythm to falter and a whine to fall from her lips. Tess really likes that sound, when Paige succumbs to the feelings and lets her hear it. “Fuck,” Paige whimpers. “That’s it.”

That sends a wave of heat directly to Tess’s core. She ruts up again, relishing in Paige’s exhaled moan, the way her elbows shake as she tries to hold herself up. Each and every roll of her hips adds to the tightening band in her stomach, threatening to snap as her pleasure builds – but it feels like she’s reached a plateau. She pushes against her a little faster, trying to chase the high, which forces more of those sounds to tumble from Paige’s mouth. The feel of her skin against hers, sticky with sweat, is intoxicating in the best way possible; the roll of her hips sets her nerves on fire; and when she glances down, her eyes honing in on where their bodies connect, Tess grips her shoulders a little tighter as she cries out, her nails leaving marks in their wake. “Paige,” she gasps, feeling Paige’s nose brush against her collarbone, licking the salt off of her skin. “Talk, please.”

“Yeah?” she asks, her voice a little broken and high-pitched as she holds out, trying to make Tess reach her peak first. The sound of her so wrecked, so destroyed makes Tess tremble beneath her. “Wanted you to – fuck, wanted you to come with me earlier,” she babbles. Tess barely registers that she means the bar. “Wanted to show you off. Tell everyone you’re mine. Wanted to kiss you in front of everyone, take you back here – fuck, Tess, right there – take you back here and show you how much I want you.”

“Keep going, please,” she begs. Tears of pleasure bead at her waterline. The brush of their cunts and the whine in Paige’s voice makes her dizzy with desire.

Paige sighs, the sound getting trapped in her throat as her lips find her ear, her ruts becoming a little more desperate. And when Tess’s hips jump up again, seeking out that pleasure, Paige’s breath catches. She leans her head against Tess’s shoulder, her body tense with the effort of trying to stay composed. “God, there you go,” she murmurs, her breath fanning against the shell of her ear. “Take it, baby, whatever you need – gonna give it to you, I promise.”

Tess whimpers, her grip tightening as she rolls her hips against Paige’s, her pleasure building and nearing the peak as she confesses, “Paige, I’m gonna–”

“That’s it,” Paige whimpers, meeting Tess’s hips with more purpose, more intensity, guiding her closer and closer. When Paige keens into her ear, her voice cracking, “Fuck, I love you – so perfect for me,” Tess falls apart completely, clutching onto Paige as her orgasm washes over her. Paige is right behind her; Tess can feel her release, her body shuddering against her own. They rock together as they ease through the aftershocks, drawing back when the sensitivity becomes too much.

Carefully, Paige extracts herself from Tess, the both of them exhaling when they disconnect. Paige rolls onto the bed next to her, her head finding home on Tess’s chest as she slings an arm across her stomach. Neither of them say anything for a while, sitting in a satisfied silence as they try to catch their breaths. It’s Tess who finally breaks the quiet when she says, “I think you ruined me.”

That makes Paige laugh, still breathless. She cocks her head, meeting Tess’s eyes. Gingerly, she wipes away the tears on her cheeks, smooths out the hair at the crown of her head. “Good,” she murmurs, leaning up to press a sweet kiss to Tess’s lips, a stark contrast from the moment prior. “Gotta trap you so you stay with me forever.”

Tess snorts, brushing her nails against Paige’s jaw and cheek gently. “Trust me, you don’t have to worry about that.” Paige hums, her fingertips tracing patterns against her ribcage as their breathing finally evens out. A few moments pass. “Are you sleeping?” Tess asks, a little shy.

“Yes,” Paige deadpans, but she turns her head again, smiling up at Tess. Her expression is soft, relaxed, blissed out. “What’s up?”

Tess can’t help the smile that breaks out across her face. “I love you,” she says simply.

Paige’s entire demeanor brightens. She tightens her grip around Tess’s middle, drawing in closer and pressing her lips to her chest, directly over her heart. “I love you, too.”

Tess tangles her fingers in Paige’s hair, smoothing out the flyaway strands near her temple. Paige smiles against her, her face tranquil, happy. In a little over a week from now, they’ll be in Brooklyn together for the 2025 draft. They’ll be selected to play in the professional league, which is everything they’ve dreamed of and more, although their dreams have expanded to include each other. Tess has everything she’s ever wanted in life – an outstanding college career, a promising future, Paige, and she can’t wait for the rest of their lives together.

APRIL 14, 2025

Tess can’t believe this is her life right now.

She, her parents, and Bree and Raven are sitting at a table in the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the selected venue for the 2025 WNBA Draft. The energy in the atmosphere is electric – there’s muted chatter, excited hopefuls trying not to freak out about which team will be selecting them. Tess is a mixture of anticipation and nerves. She’s been the predicted number two draft pick for months now, only second to Paige, which she can’t even be upset by. She has a pretty good idea of where she’s going, but she can’t help being worried about dropping in the rankings – the 2025 draft class is full of young talent. She wouldn’t mind Chicago. Playing with Kam again would be amazing, and Washington isn’t bad, either. She is really interested in the Liberty, mostly because they made such a good impression on her during rehab and that’s not something she would ever forget. Unfortunately, the Liberty decided to do the worst possible thing ever and win a championship, which means they’re nowhere close to getting Tess unless they want to trade up and Tess highly doubts they’d be willing to part with their entire roster just for her.

Tess can’t keep her eyes off of Paige. It’s slowly becoming a recurring theme as of late, much to the chagrin of everyone around her, but she can’t help it. She sits only a table away, surrounded by Bob, Amy, Drew, Lauren, and Ryan. The happiness is evident on her face, her hair done up in a ponytail with two loose strands framing her face, and her make-up natural. The real nail on the coffin is the tailored suit she’s wearing. It’s a dark purple in color, nearly black; several buttons on the blazer are undone to reveal the sharp lines of her clavicle and the dark shades of her undershirt. A chain glimmers around her neck, rings adorning her fingers, including the rose thumb ring Tess had gifted her for their first Christmas, before they knew they loved each other. Tess is honestly too much of an overachiever – she picked the finest person in the world to be her girlfriend and now the repercussions of that are coming back to bite her in the ass.

Her stylist – well, Paige’s stylist, Brittany Hampton is the goat – did her big one, too. Brittany has her decked out in a rich, dark, glossy, blue satin dress. Much like Paige’s suit, the shade is dark enough that it almost appears black, but the blue hue sticks out, complementing her complexion perfectly. Her heels match (and most importantly, they’re tall enough that she and Paige are finally eye level). Her jewelry is minimalist, donning her signature bracelet and their charms, along with a gorgeous necklace Paige had bought her for their second Christmas together – the first as an official couple. The both of them look good, probably too good, and Tess is preparing herself to cut someone if they stare at Paige for too long.

Her family and friends try to make small talk to distract her from the looming draft, but her heart isn’t in the conversation. Her mind runs a mile a minute; she’s thinking about all of the iterations of the mock draft – honestly, she should have listened to Paige when she told her not to watch the draft lottery or get too invested in the draft talk, anyhow. She’s thinking about Paige, how she looks so gorgeous at her table; she’s thinking about how Paige’s dreams are coming true right before her and that chokes her up a little bit. Paige was a little kid once, just like her, dribbling a ball that was nearly as big as she was – now she’s here, the predicted number one pick and it just feels like everything’s coming into fruition. They’ve both worked incredibly hard for this, all of the trials and tribulations and injuries and miscommunication – they’re here, together, and Tess couldn’t dream of anything better than that.

Finally, the beginning of the draft rolls around as the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, steps up to the podium for opening remarks. Tess motions to wipe her sweaty hands on her dress, but Bree’s gripping her wrists and pushing a small handcloth into her waiting palms. Bree knows her so well and Tess gives her a silent nod of thanks, a small smile. She doesn’t think she’s quite made her peace with the fact she’s leaving her girls behind after today. Training camps and final roster deliberations and the preseason all await, but Bree’s rubbing her shoulder and murmuring, “Soak it in, babe, we’re so proud of you,” and she thinks that maybe she’s on the right track.

Cathy leaves the podium to await the official first pick. Tess glances at Paige again, who is clearly dissociated as she tries to not look at the cameras that are obviously pointing at her. Then, she glances over, her eyes finding Tess’s. Her entire demeanor shifts and a bright smile spreads across her face. It’s scrunchy, somehow both soft and mischievous, but Tess knows her well enough by now to understand that smile is reserved for her only. KK called it her “Tess smile” which was a little ridiculous, but when Tess returns her grin, the love clear as day in her expression, she knows that KK’s observation had a little merit.

Cathy returns with the pick in hand. The entire room falls silent, waiting with a bated breath as the older woman leans into the microphone. “With the first pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings select…Paige Bueckers, University of Connecticut.”

The room breaks into applause immediately as the tears spring to Tess’s eyes, overcome with emotion and appreciation for her girlfriend. Paige stands, embracing her parents, her siblings, and then she’s stepping towards Tess’s table, her expression so grateful and a little awestruck. Tess reminds herself that they’re in front of thousands of people, in front of prominent WNBA players and coaches as she molds herself into Paige’s arms, keeping it classy as Paige squeezes her tightly around her waist. “God, I’m so proud of you,” Tess murmurs, feeling Paige’s shoulders shake a little bit with her emotions. “I love you. Go get your jersey.”

Paige huffs out a laugh, releasing Tess as she wipes at her waterline. “I love you. See you soon,” she says, winking at her, which makes Tess chuckle, taking a seat and watching Paige make her way to the stage. Tess pulls out her phone, taking photo after photo as Paige poses with the commissioner and the Wings jersey.

Holly Rowe talks her through a couple of interview questions, her responses making the crowd aww or applaud, and soon enough, she’s returning to her table, embracing her family once more and smiling gently at Tess. Cathy returns to the podium after allowing the allotted time for the next selection.

“With the second pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Los Angeles Sparks select…Tess Kennedy, University of South Carolina.”

Tess doesn’t register it at first until her family and friends are cheering, their applause loud, and Tess finally snaps back into reality as she stands with an elated, shocked laugh. She pulls Raven and Bree into her arms, her teammates whispering their congratulations before her parents pull her into bone-crushing embraces. And finally, she makes her way to Paige’s table – she was polite for Paige’s pick, but this is different now; it’s hers and after what she’s been through, she can’t find it in herself to care much for what’s proper. She throws herself into Paige’s arms, squeezing tight enough that anyone else would have complained, but Paige holds onto her with the same intensity as she murmurs, “So proud of you, baby. You and me, huh?”

Tess laughs, the sound tearful. “You and me,” she affirms, releasing her girlfriend, and she makes her way up to the podium where Cathy holds out the yellow and purple jersey to her. She takes it, her fingers trembling a little.

When she makes it down, the reporter waiting for her isn’t Holly Rowe. She’s blonde, radiant, and shorter than Tess, but Tess gets the strangest feeling like she knows her. She glances down at the lanyard around her neck, the media pass reading P. LANCASTER. Tess grins. “Tess, you were just selected number two overall for the 2025 WNBA Draft. Can you tell me what was going through your mind leading up to the pick?”

“Um, ‘don’t throw up,’” she answers honestly. Her candor makes the crowd laugh. She chuckles, feeling some of the pressure ease off of her as she gives a proper answer, the usual ‘I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a kid,’ and ‘I’m so grateful to be here and this is an honor that I don’t take lightly.’

The reporter talks her through a few more questions, such as how excited she is to be working with the Sparks. Between Cameron and Rickea, Tess feels like she’s in good hands, and knowing that Lynne Roberts, the new head coach, is a huge fan of three-point shooting, she feels like there’s a lot she can bring to the team. The reporter asks a fluff question about getting used to the Los Angeles heat, to which Tess jokingly responds with, “Well, I hear Dallas is hotter.” That makes a small smile appear on the reporter’s face.

“Speaking of Dallas,” she segues, which makes a knowing smile spread across Tess’s face. “Your girlfriend, Paige Bueckers, was just drafted there. The two of you met twice in national championships in college – can we expect some exciting match-ups between the two of you in the W?”

“Of course,” Tess says coyly. “We’re 1-1 on championship wins right now. I’m looking to add a couple more of those to my resume, and if that means beating my girlfriend? Even better.”

Penelope Lancaster thanks her for her time as the crowd applauds once more. Tess makes her way back to her table, smiling smugly at Paige, who rolls her eyes, but the love in her expression is hard to hide. The rest of the draft passes in a blur, as does the afterparty they’re both invited to afterwards. It’s well past midnight when they leave the club, their hair a mess from dancing and Paige’s blazer settled over Tess’s shoulders to stave off the late night chill. Paige already has an Uber called to take them back to Tess’s parents’ house and she pulls Tess into her side as they wait outside.

There’s something so magical about the night, about the energy in the atmosphere. The bass from the music reverberates and Paige sings along to whatever rap song is playing from inside, her body warm against Tess’s, and she finds that she suddenly can’t take it anymore. The overwhelming emotion in her chest, ready to burst at the seams, the sheer happiness and hope and gratitude that seeps from every pore in her body. She wraps both of her arms around Paige’s waist, resting her head over her chest, listening to the steady beat of her heart. Paige quiets down, a little confused, but she melts into their embrace until there’s no air left between them.

Tess doesn’t know how to put it into words – she doesn’t think she ever will. She’s so in love, even after a year together officially. There was a point in her life where she didn’t think she’d be here. She didn’t think she would be able to heal, that she would be able to play basketball again, that she would be drafted to pursue her dream professionally. She never thought romance was in the cards for her, that she would ever find someone like Paige – that she would find Paige herself; she never thought she would be in love or that someone would be in love with her, too. It’s surreal, encompassing, and call her cheesy or down bad or whatever, but she can’t wait to live life with Paige.

“You okay?” Paige asks softly, her fingers trailing up and down Tess’s back soothingly.

“I’m perfect,” Tess responds, smiling against Paige’s skin. “I just love you.”

Paige’s hand leaves her back, but it’s not long before she’s cupping Tess’s cheek and drawing her closer to her until their lips touch. It’s soft, unhurried, a promise. It’s just as electric as the first time, as warm, as perfect. Paige breaks away long enough to whisper “I love you, too,” and then she’s sweeping back in, kissing Tess with the vow of forever. When she first met Paige, almost two years ago, she’d told her that home was a feeling. Right here, wrapped up in Paige’s arms, kissing her under the streetlight as they get ready to walk into what is the beginning of their life together, Tess knows in her heart that she’s finally made it home.

‘Happily Ever Draft-er’

In April of 2025, the Dallas Wings and the Los Angeles Sparks drafted Paige Bueckers and Tess Kennedy first and second overall. Every basketball fan knew that Bueckers and Kennedy were sure bets for the top two picks. If there was one thing that the WNBA season could promise us, it was the match-ups between Bueckers and Kennedy – they certainly came around more often than they did when Bueckers and Kennedy were in college. They sold out arenas with many fans vying to see their clash, and they did not disappoint. Each game was intense, hard fought until the very last second.

In their rookie year, Bueckers and Kennedy helped lead their teams to the playoffs, although they both fell short – the Wings lost 2-0 to the Aces, while the Sparks lost 2-1 to the Liberty. In their second year, the Wings forged ahead to the semi-finals where they lost 3-2 to the Fever whereas the Sparks were defeated by the Sun 2-0 in the first round. Their third year was the complete opposite – the Wings lost to the Valkyries 2-1 in the first round, although the Sparks lost 3-1 to the Lynx in the semi-finals.

Their fourth year, the last of their rookie contracts, was long anticipated. In the first round of the playoffs, the Wings defeated the Storm in a clean 2-0 sweep. Similarly, the Sparks sent the Dream packing 2-0. Then, in the semi-finals, the Wings plowed through the Lynx 3-2 while the Sparks dominated the Fever 3-1. The finals match that everyone had been waiting for – the Wings versus the Sparks was underway. This would be the first year that the WNBA implemented a 7 game series.

The WNBA finals were back and forth. The Sparks took home the first win, the Wings took home the second and the third, although the Sparks bounced back with the fourth and the fifth. The Wings beat the Sparks on their sixth game in an overtime thriller, tying the series 3-3 and forcing a game seven. Bueckers and Kennedy were electric on the court, averaging 30 points in the postseason, but ultimately, the Sparks won the WNBA championship.

When approached for a comment, Kennedy stated, “Well, Paige won Rookie of the Year, so I think it’s fitting that I get a ring first.” Bueckers, who was standing next to her, rolled her eyes, but she seemed smug, as though she had another trick up her sleeve. Kennedy continued, “We’re free agents, so who knows who’s winning the chip after this.”

Bueckers did, in fact, have another trick up her sleeve as it was announced early in the offseason that she and Kennedy had gotten engaged in Italy, close to Kennedy’s hometown. Bueckers shared their engagement photos on her Instagram, captioning it, “Her favorite ring of them all 💍”. Shortly after, Bueckers and Kennedy shared their free agency picks – they’d both landed with the Golden State Valkyries alongside 2026 Rookie of the Year Azzi Fudd.

We’re eagerly awaiting the tipoff for the 2029 WNBA season. Bueckers and Kennedy have been rivals for nine years, falling in love despite it all. Finally, for the first time ever, we get to witness the union of the titans rather than their clash. We get to witness a team where Bueckers and Kennedy combine their strengths, and all we have to say is good luck to the rest of the league. The Golden State Valkyries will be a name that we will be hearing for a very long time, especially now that Paige Bueckers and Tess Kennedy have settled down in the Bay and have made San Francisco their home.

-Penelope Lancaster, Bleacher Report

[the960writers]

The list of free resources for writing

My current list of things I keep recommending everywhere. I may expand it at some point, but I don't want to make it overwhelming.

These are the basics. This is my answer to the question "I want to be a writer, where should I start? Anybody have tips?"

Yes, I do. It's this list.

2025 Creative Writing Lectures at BYU by Brandon Sanderson

College level creative writing course, free on youtube. Incredible learning opportunity. Go watch it and take notes. Do it now.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSH_xM-KC3ZvzkfVo_Dls0B5GiE2oMcLY

K.M. Weiland 

Website and books, specifically story structure and archetypes for characters:

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/secrets-story-structure-complete-series/

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-write-archetypal-character-arcs/

Structuring Your Novel https://kmweilandstore.com/b/wkAVC

Next Level Plot Structure https://kmweilandstore.com/b/next-level-plot-structure

Podcasts

https://writingexcuses.com/, especially Season 10 is a full writing course https://writingexcuses.com/category/season-10/page/6/

Ink in your veins (formerly How do you write?) http://www.howdoyouwrite.net, especially http://www.howdoyouwrite.net/episodes/259 How Do You Actually Fast-Draft a Novel?

The QuitCast for Writers. YouTube channel and audio podcast created around the content of Becca Syme’s “What to Quit, What to Keep, and What to Question” model of coaching writers. https://betterfasteracademy.com/podcast/

Developing a story

https://www.eadeverell.com/idea-to-story/

https://www.valleyofwriters.com/writing-a-novel-using-the-three-chapter-slingshot-method/

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/seven-tips-for-intuitive-writing-the-heart-hand-connection

https://blog.reedsy.com/plot-generator/

Tools

Simple writing and formatting program in the browser: https://editor.reedsy.com/

Organizing worldbuilding: https://www.worldanvil.com/

Organizing everything: https://www.notion.com/

[talenlee]

My Weirdly Embarrassing Love of Spreadsheets

This is gunna be a post about like, the nuts and bolts of making big projects like ongoing writing projects like this blog, but to get there I need to talk to you about silly stuff like journals and buses and spreadsheets. We get there, please, trust me.

One of the first tools I made for blogging was a table in my bullet journal. If you’re not familiar, a common thing to do with bullet journals (or ‘bujos’ as cooler or more tedious people than I call them), is to write up a calendar at the start of each month, something that lists what you’re doing through the course of the month. When I started doing this, I had a way to look at the month, that I could scribble on, so I did, and it meant I was able to get into the habits of putting an article on a game every friday and an article on a story every monday, resulting in my Story Pile and Game Pile series.

This was back in 2017, and the notebooks are in my bookshelf, each of them a record of a year that… huh, I could go back and reread.

Anyway, one of the problems that came up with this system was the bus.

Not kidding.

I would get a bus home from the uni most days. When I was on that bus, or when I was at the uni, I would have time to write, but I wouldn’t necessarily have access to my notebook. I found myself wanting a copy of the chart that I could manage on two different computers – my laptop at the university, and my computer at home. This is how One Stone got written, too, the trips home on the bus being when I wrote the blog posts that became the first chapters of that book, eyes closed, not looking at the screen, and focusing on the road to avoid being car sick.

It is wild to consider how much of my first book I loved writing I did with my eyes effectively closed.

In 2019, I resolved midway through the year that I needed a better system, and started on a system that would handle the transport between two locations better, for the year coming where I anticipated a lot of travel between two sites.

Ahem.

Yeah, uh, 2020.

Anyway, that it wasn’t necessary didn’t stop it being useful! That led to the creation of this Google Sheets spreadsheet:

I made this in Sheets because Sheets is like Excel, which I like using, and it’s like Calc, which I now use, because the version of Excel I pirated doesn’t have access to IFS functions. Point is, this sheet, as originally conceived, did not need anything as a spreadsheet to work; I wanted a table with 365 cells in it that could show the entire year at a glance and be given a simple, straightforward tick or cross. It became something more, as the years progressed.

I’ve been using this kind of spreadsheet now, for 5 years. In 2025, the spreadsheet looks almost the same:

Being a spreadsheet, it is an array of data. You can manipulate that. You can track data in it. You can use indexes. You can cocatenate things, and that’s the stage this spreadsheet is at now. When I sit down to work on a blog post, the first thing I do is not open up WordPress to pull at my drafts, it’s to instead open up this spreadsheet and look at when I have slots available, where my next upcoming gap is, and what kind of thing that gap wants.

Blue slots are story pile, green are game pile. I have all the video article slots pencilled in already with a ‘V,’ on the working version, so I can look at the line of Xes under each date and then see the point where oh, yeah, I gotta work on one of those spots. But see, also, in that top left? That number? The 0 is a count of how many blog posts have been set in place for the year, how close I am to being finished, or on track for the number of days in the year I’m at.

I try to keep the blog progress (blogress) at around 51 posts. That is not because this is the number I’ve decided I need or anything like that, it’s just a round number that makes me happy. Just being able to look at that number and see it being reasonably high? That’s a progress number. I could make it a progress bar proper, with a pair of graphs, but y’know, not worth it. I could make it a fraction too, like, the formula it’s doing over a “/365” if I wanted.

The thing that I’m most happy with though is the cell next to it.

See that cell looks like this:

='Topics & Ideas'!A2

And oh ho what is that?

Well that leads to this:

Here’s what this is: This is a whole spreadsheet of idea categories. Each category has at the top of it, a cell that looks down in the list for a random entry in that list and just provides it. For some things this is a long list of possibilities, for some things this is a tiny list of possibilities. But that is an index function – it looks randomly up and down the list and finds something. That means any time I want something for a specific theme, I can go to this sheet and I’ll see a random selection from these ideas. If I have an idea for a thing to write about at some point, I can jam that in the list, and know that it will eventually be exposed to me at some random point.

Then, at the head of that list, there’s the cell that also randomises the other cells along that horizontal line. Which means that any time I open this blog arranger up, I get to see a random offering of just… anything I could be writing right now. That list can include really broad things, like hey, write about an OC? and sometimes it could be really narrow and specific, like here’s a real event, you know about that one, you should write about it.

Now let me be clear: This is not a tool I recommend for everyone. This is a lot of elaborate effort I put into what is essentially, a producivity toy. This lets me produce a big pile of input and get a random output, and it lets me collect long lists or short lists of things and also, along with all of that, I can just get a periodic output from that list.

The original purpose for this chart wound up being unnecessary. I didn’t need to write on the bus any more. I don’t need to track the post count like this. I don’t need the randomiser. None of this stuff is in any way necessary.

But making this tool though, and playing with it, I have ways to engage with the project of this blog, with the writing when I can’t do that. When my ability to muster words has left me, I have still a chart, a tool, I have productivity items that I can work on. Sometimes just… fine tuning formulas is still working on it.

There’s this idea, maybe you’ve heard of ‘just do a little every day.’ Well, making it so there is a little you can do is really valuable, as part of that.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

By Tamino Dreisam

The World Socialist Web Site previously described Germany’s 2025 federal budget as a “war budget dictated by capital.” While billions are being spent on armaments and arms packages for Ukraine and Israel, vast cuts are being made to health and social services, including the planned cancellation of epidemic wastewater monitoring for COVID-19 and other pathogens.

The “Wastewater Monitoring for Epidemiological Situation Assessment” (Amelag) went into operation in 2022 and examines wastewater samples from up to 175 sewage treatment plants nationwide, searching for gene copies of coronaviruses on a weekly basis. Even if it is not possible to determine the exact incidence rate, Amelag provides information on whether the infection rate is growing or declining and where outbreaks are occurring. Waves of infection can also be recognised at an early stage.

Especially since the abolition of mandatory personal testing and all other coronavirus protection measures, wastewater monitoring is one of the most informative tools for determining the status of the pandemic. The planned abolition of this vital public health program illustrates the aggression and criminality with which the ruling class is enforcing the “forever COVID” policy. It not only spreads the lie that the pandemic is over, it also seeks to eliminate all data that proves the opposite.

Amelag’s federal funding expires at the end of the year and there are no plans to extend it. A spokesperson for Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (Social Democrat, SPD) confirmed: “Unfortunately, no funds for the continuation of wastewater surveillance could be included in the government’s draft federal budget for the time being.” Although attempts were being made “in the course of parliamentary deliberations to obtain funding for continuation,” it is quite clear that these are just empty phrases. In government questions in the Bundestag (parliament), Lauterbach attempted to shift the funding to the municipalities, which are already in debt as it stands. “The federal government is not responsible for every sensible expenditure,” he explained.

Last year, Lauterbach announced the cancellation of funding for research into Long Covid and the development of therapies and medicines to combat it. The cut from €100 million to €21 million was justified with claims of a “tight budget situation.” He thus made it clear where this cancelled money was going: into military armaments, the only area of the budget to be significantly increased. With regard to the continued operation of Amelag, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) public health body explained that only €5 million per year would be necessary—that is, 0.8 percent of the sum of Germany’s most recent military support package for Ukraine.

A petition addressed to the Federal Ministry of Health on change.org under the title “Stop the end of AMELAG! Germany needs modern epidemiology” already has over 4,500 signatures. It explains: “Modern epidemiological surveillance is based on collecting data as quickly, comprehensively and unbureaucratically as possible. As the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic shows, modern surveillance systems are more necessary than ever in a globalised world affected by the overexploitation of natural resources.” The petition goes on to castigate the government’s abolition of all measures, noting, “Contrary to the experience of modern medicine, for the first time in human history we are relying on individual responsibility to overcome a pandemic.”

Many signatories of the petition write in their explanatory statement that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and that they themselves have already fallen ill with Long Covid.

Just how drastic the situation is, is also shown by the figures for the rising autumn coronavirus wave. According to the RKI’s latest weekly report on acute respiratory illnesses (ARI), 7.4 million people are currently suffering from acute respiratory diseases—a particularly high level for this time of year. COVID-19 directly accounts for around 22 percent of these. However, it is quite clear that the unhindered spread of COVID in recent months and years has weakened the immune systems of millions of people. As a result, they also fall ill more easily with other forms of ARI.

COVID-19 currently accounts for 17 percent of the number of severe ARI cases, although there are clear age differences, with COVID-19 accounting for 30 percent of severe respiratory illnesses in the over-80 age group.

Wastewater levels of COVID have sharply increased since mid-September. Last week, 239,000 gene copies per litre of wastewater were measured, while in the previous week the figure was 185,000. The viral load has doubled in the last four weeks. According to GrippeWeb, which collects data on the incidence of infection based on information from a test group of volunteers, the estimated COVID incidence is currently around 1,100.

The number of hospitalisations is also rising slightly and now stands at a 7-day incidence of four hospitalisations per 100,000 inhabitants. The number of deaths rose to 129 last week, compared to around 80 per week in the previous weeks.

The dominant variant is currently KP.3.1.1, which accounts for 41 percent of infections. The recombinant sublines now account for 27 percent, with virologists estimating that XEC has around twice the growth advantage of KP.3.1.1 and will be the dominant variant in winter.

In the UK, British GP Helen Wall reported in a recent interview with the Manchester Evening News that she has observed a difference between XEC and previous infections in her practice. Anyone infected with this variant should be prepared to feel “knocked out.” She explained: “Previous symptoms were more like cough and cold symptoms, but at the moment Covid seems to be really knocking people out.”

The long-term effects of COVID-19 are also being increasingly discussed. Broadcaster SWR recently published a report on the first anniversary of the post-COVID outpatient clinic in Mainz. The internist interviewed, Christoph Lembens, reports that more than 1,000 patients had already been treated in these twelve months. The appointment diary was still fully booked well into next spring.

Lembens estimates that around a fifth of his patients have not recovered from their COVID infections. This not only affects older people with previous illnesses, but also many younger people. Those affected suffer from exhaustion and fatigue. Some of them also have severe circulatory fluctuations, for example an extreme drop in blood pressure as soon as they stand up, which can lead to their simply falling over.

For many, it gets even worse: they may also have major muscular problems, so that some sufferers are dependent on a wheelchair. Many have cognitive impairments, including “brain fog,” making it extremely difficult to concentrate or memorise things.

These reports illustrate the criminal nature of the ruling class “forever COVID” policy, which has condemned hundreds of millions globally to suffer long-term damage to their health so that profits continue to flow.

[the-letterbox-archives]

۶ letterbox newsletter: 1st edition ৎ

janurary edition, 2025

ⲥⲁⲥⲟⲉⲧⲏⲉ𝛓 𝛓ⲥꞅⲓⲃⲉⲛⲇⲓ ─── ⲥⲁⲥⲟⲉⲧⲏⲉ𝛓 𝛓ⲥꞅⲓⲃⲉⲛⲇⲓ ─── ⲥⲁⲥⲟⲉⲧⲏⲉ𝛓 𝛓ⲥꞅⲓⲃⲉⲛⲇⲓ

hello all! i’m back! this is letters, presenting the very first edition of the letterbox archives newsletter! i’m still tossing up if it should have a formal name, but i am open to suggestions! regardless, there’s a lot to cover this fortnight, so let’s get to it!

what is this newsletter? ‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅

first, a quick guide to the newsletter system!

this is a regular instalment in the archives, hopefully either once or twice a month, that for many intents and purposes functions as a means to update people to what’s happening around the archives! instalments may vary in length, depending on how busy i get (or if i forget), but think of it as a tool to navigate new information in the archives.

no other posts (save for a certain few) will include a tag list, so this is your stop to be notified to anything that might’ve flown under the radar. let me know if you’d like to be added or removed from the newsletter tag list, i hope these updates won’t be an imposition!

newsletter masterpost!

⋆°.☾ return to the archives

as i said in the introduction, i’ve returned! it was difficult staying away for so long, though things in my personal life did get rough, but i’m so happy to be back! i am incredibly proud of all the work i’ve done over my hiatus and am super excited to share it! i am so thrilled to see the archives growing and progressing, and all the stories expanding by the minute!

whether you’ve been here since the beginning, or have only stumbled upon the archives recently, thank you for your support, it means the world to me!

masterpost!

volume 3 ‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅

now that i’m back from hiatus, i have another volume to introduce! volume 3 has been in the works for a while (in fact, most of the stories have come from old ideas repurposed for the archives), and i’m excited to see where they’ll go!

v3 masterpost!

⋆°.☾ new platforms

with the archives continuing to grow, i’ve made the decision to additionally make the archival stories available on other platforms! some may have noticed my linktree, and within that are links to my new ao3 and tapas accounts, which have all the debut instalments for every story, volumes 1 to 3, already available!

tumblr will remain my main source of engagement, and chapters will be released here before anywhere else. but, if you enjoy reading on other platforms as well, these new accounts are active!

ao3, tapas!

edits ‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅

this may be new information for some, but fun fact! before now, all the stories uploaded to the archives were first drafts (don’t ask about my writing process, it’s hell)! as such, there were small issues in the old versions of all the instalments, and over this hiatus myself and the interns have been working to improve them; that means editing!

all the edited versions are in their original posts. for most there are no incredibly major changes, but if you are dedicated to any specific story, i would recommend rereading.

also, new instalments may release at a slower/more staggered rate due to the beta reading and editing process. nonetheless, this should result in better stories overall, so i hope it’s worth the wait!

v1 masterpost, v2 masterpost!

⋆°.☾ on kingston alley and soleil éteint rewrites

during the editing process, some stories were edited more than others. as the only screenplay and second podcast (before volume 3), on kingston alley and soleil éteint changed significantly in the editing process.

due to the fact i was worried some platforms wouldn’t support the screenshot system i use on tumblr to upload these stories, i began to transcribe them into pure text format, and during that i realised that the beginnings of these stories did not portray the image i have for them. so i rewrote all of them (some may have changed a bit less than others)! namely, the first episode of kingston and the first session (minus the story/nightmare segment) of soleil.

there are no significant lore changes, just they are generally better written and clearer than they were before (mystery stories need a lot more care than i gave them upon their beginnings, i’ve found), so if you followed either of these stories, i strongly suggest rereading them to understand the new form they’ve taken.

200 visitors! ‧₊˚ ☽ ⋅

while i was gone, we reached 200 followers! 200 visitors have passed through the letterbox archives and decided it was worth their while! i am starstruck, frankly. i never expected this degree of attention when i began the archives, and i am beyond grateful for all the support and interest i’ve gained since i started. thank you all so much!!! i cannot begin to describe how much this means to me, thank you all again <3

⋆°.☾ new projects?

over my hiatus, a lot of new projects made themselves known in the archives (around... maybe 20... hypothetically). the most important ones are a certain 3, however. a while ago, i got my start writing novellas, and a part of me misses that, so i have planned for a few novels to enter the archives! they won't be documented the same way as other stories, they will be released as a whole when they're completed, but i'll post updates and snippets whenever i feel inclined to do so!

the current one i'm working on is called Hyrde, a fantasy horror novel following two kids, jericho and faun, as they uncover the gory, fervently well-kept secrets of their secluded hometown. i can't wait to share it with you all!

and that’s all for this edition! this is a much bigger edition than most, i expect, due to the fact i’ve just returned and have a lot to share! i am so happy to be back, i can’t wait to get back to it! hope you enjoyed reading the first edition of the archives newsletter!

@an-indecisive-nerd, @autism-purgatory, @cherrychiplip, @arality, @corinneglass,

@drchenquill, @gioiaalbanoart, @glassfrogforest, @hetaeraofhephestus, @honeybewrites,

@illarian-rambling, @inseasofgreen, @introchasingstars, @justsomeunmemorablewords, @kind-lion, 

@leahnardo-da-veggie, @loverboyxbutch, @melpomene-grey,  @millipede333, @moltenwrites, 

@mysticstarlightduck, @noxxytocin, @oliolioxenfreewrites, @ominous-faechild, @paeliae-occasionally, 

@pheonix358, @pluppsauthor, @rumeysawrites, @ri-toast167, @storyteller-kara, 

@tc-doherty, @thecomfywriter, @thecrazyalchemist, @the-golden-comet, @thesaddersalad, 

@theink-stainedfolk, @verdant-mainframe, @world-of-iridensia, @wyked-ao3

ⲥⲁⲥⲟⲉⲧⲏⲉ𝛓 𝛓ⲥꞅⲓⲃⲉⲛⲇⲓ ─── ⲥⲁⲥⲟⲉⲧⲏⲉ𝛓 𝛓ⲥꞅⲓⲃⲉⲛⲇⲓ ─── ⲥⲁⲥⲟⲉⲧⲏⲉ𝛓 𝛓ⲥꞅⲓⲃⲉⲛⲇⲓ

[prototechsolutionsblog]

Best CAD Drafting Software for 2025

Whether you're designing skyscrapers or prototyping parts for the next big innovation, CAD drafting tools are the backbone of modern engineering and architecture. As we head into 2025, the landscape of CAD software continues to evolve rapidly with smarter features, better integrations, and cloud-based workflows. If you're considering upgrading or just curious about what tools are leading the charge, here's our list of the top 10 CAD drafting tools you should absolutely know about in 2025.

If you offer or depend on CAD drafting services, this list is going to be especially relevant.

1. Autodesk AutoCAD

Still the reigning champion in many drafting departments, AutoCAD continues to deliver precision and performance. The 2025 version features enhanced automation, better collaboration tools, and AI-driven commands that reduce repetitive tasks. With robust DWG file support and integration with cloud services like Autodesk Docs, it's still a go-to for 2D drafting.

2. SolidWorks

Especially popular in mechanical design, SolidWorks remains a strong player. Its 2025 update brings deeper integration with Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform, improved simulation capabilities, and real-time collaboration features. It's ideal for product development and prototyping.

3. Autodesk Fusion 

Fusion is quickly becoming a favorite thanks to its all-in-one platform combining CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB tools. The 2025 version introduces AI-assisted modeling, generative design improvements, and expanded manufacturing features. It's cloud-native, so it's great for remote teams.

4. BricsCAD

BricsCAD offers an affordable alternative to AutoCAD with similar DWG compatibility and a flexible licensing model. The 2025 edition has focused on AI-assisted drafting and machine learning to speed up drawing creation. Its ability to bridge 2D and 3D workflows makes it a solid contender.

5. SketchUp Pro

Originally loved by architects for quick 3D concept modeling, SketchUp Pro is now evolving into a full drafting and documentation tool. In 2025, it offers enhanced BIM capabilities, a sleeker interface, and improved LayOut integration for 2D documentation. Great for conceptual design and early-stage development.

6. DraftSight

DraftSight, developed by Dassault Systèmes, is another strong alternative to AutoCAD. The 2025 version boasts better 3D modeling capabilities and smoother DWG compatibility. It’s perfect for those who want professional-grade tools without the Autodesk price tag.

7. TinkerCAD

While it may seem basic compared to others, TinkerCAD has carved out a niche in education and rapid prototyping. The 2025 updates make it even easier to 3D print and simulate designs, making it a top choice for beginners or quick project ideation.

8. Rhino 3D

Rhino 3D continues to shine in industries like architecture, jewelry, and product design, thanks to its freeform modeling capabilities. The latest version enhances Grasshopper (its visual scripting tool) and supports even more plugins. Rhino's flexibility makes it a favorite for bespoke and complex modeling.

9. Onshape

Fully cloud-based, Onshape is revolutionizing collaborative CAD work. In 2025, it's leading the way in version control, browser-based modeling, and team-friendly tools. Onshape is excellent for product design firms and startups looking for scalability and remote-friendly workflows.

10. FreeCAD

For open-source enthusiasts, FreeCAD is getting more powerful with every release. The 2025 version has improved parametric modeling, a better GUI, and stronger support for industry-standard formats. It's ideal for those who want a cost-free yet capable solution.

How ProtoTech Solutions Helps

Staying ahead in CAD drafting is not just about the tools—it's about how you use them. That’s where ProtoTech Solutions steps in. With years of expertise in developing custom plugins, CAD automation tools, and providing tailored CAD drafting services, ProtoTech helps businesses get the most out of their software investments.

Whether you're looking to streamline your design workflows, create bespoke CAD tools, or outsource complex drafting tasks, ProtoTech can help you stay competitive in 2025 and beyond. Our team is fluent in all major platforms and can adapt to your unique project requirements.

The world of CAD drafting tools is more dynamic than ever. With AI, cloud computing, and collaborative tools reshaping workflows, it's essential to stay updated with what each platform offers. No matter which tool you pick from this list, pairing it with the right expertise and support, like what ProtoTech Solutions provides, can make all the difference.

Ready to level up your drafting game? Let ProtoTech Solutions be your CAD partner in innovation.

[samantha-and-nellie]

ahhh! today marks the anniversary of me starting this blog!! it’s amazing that it’s been a year, and i’m so glad for everyone who has engaged with this blog over the past year—i was a lurker in the agblr community for YEARS because of i wasn’t sure how being so book-focused would be received, so it’s been so lovely to have this blog become what it is. thank you all so, so much.

now, i’m not sure if it’ll be of interest to anyone but me, but i did go through my blog with the tumblr top ten tool to see what posts of mine were most popular, so that’s below the cut with some of my thoughts about the posts if you are interested. otherwise, i‘ve had a empty sideblog about another ag character floating around for months that’s set to start posting soon, so see you over there!

alright, my top ten posts over this past year of the blog! (i used the 2024 and 2025 function separately and then organized the posts myself in case anyone is confused about how this list came about.) also, if you happen to know how to see your posts with the least amount of notes, PLEASE let me know because i want to see those so badly!

1. the comments on the samantha movie post

welp. i knew this was going to be my top post because it absolutely escaped containment, but it’s not a post i’m particularly proud of. i genuinely nearly did not post the screenshot because i was worried it was a litttttle mean-spirited, and i did end up posting it in part bc i was a MUCH smaller blog at the time and did not think many people would see it.

2. the coldrock house post

in contrast, i’m so happy this is my second top post! it’s the first meta-type post i made and i’m very glad i whenever those posts resonate with people.

3. the perfect dress pastimes post

basically not my post bc all i did was upload a picture i found on pinterest, but it is a cool pleasant company publication and i would love to see more of them.

4. the samantha web weaving post

oh my god??? i adore this post and am really proud of it, but it spent MONTHS with very few/average-for-me notes. it definitely eventually escaped containment a bit, but in this case i’m so glad for it.

5. the reminder-that-this-is-a-hobby post

I NEARLY DID NOT POST THIS AND WAS SCARED THAT I WAS GOING TO GET BACKLASH ONCE I DID.

6. the cornelia/sam/growing up post

really happy for this one:) this also spent at least a month in drafts before i finally got it to a point where i was satisfied with the phrasing, and even then i did not think it would be one of my most popular posts.

7. the posh peanut post

nearly didn’t post this one as well for the same reasons as 5!

8. the helen marye pictures post

these pictures are still so adorable and i still think they’re VERY sam. this is another post that did kinda escape containment, since some historical photo/aesthetic blogs picked it up.

9. the moodboard for samantha post

yay!! happy to see this one as well. i love making the moodboards (and i made this one on a slow day at work), and i do think i am most proud of this one still.

10. the admiral beemis/mr. garcia meme

it IS so funny when ag knocks you over the head with historical foreshadowing. love the contrast in portraits in this meme as well.

and that’s the top ten! thank you again for hanging out on this blog with me, and i look forward to the next year with y’all!

[askagamedev]

Summer 2025 Game Development Student Internship Roundup, Part 1

Internship recruiting season has begun for some large game publishers and developers. This means that a number of internship opportunities for summer 2025 have been posted and will be collecting applicants. Internships are a great way to earn some experience in a professional environment and to get mentorship from those of us in the trenches. If you're a student and you have an interest in game development as a career, you should absolutely look into these.

If you know of any game development internships that aren't listed here, please tell me! I'll try to collect another batch when EA posts theirs as a follow-up.

Technical Artist Intern (Remote!)

Sound Design Intern (Remote!)

Game Design Intern

Game Engineering Intern

Data Analytics & Data Science Intern

Localization Production Intern

Environment Art Intern

Animation Intern

VFX Intern

3D Character Art Intern

Site Reliability Engineering Intern

Concept Artist Intern (Canada)

Animation Intern

VFX Intern

Game Engineering Intern

Technical Artist Intern

Threat Intelligence Analyst Intern

UI/UX Design Intern

User Research Intern

Computer Graphics Intern

Software Engineering Intern

Production & Project Management Intern

Concept Artist Intern (California)

World Designer Intern

3D Artist Intern

Animation Programmer Intern

Animation Technical Design Intern

Audio Design Intern

Backend Engineer Intern

Balance Design Intern

Character Artist Intern

Engine Programmer Intern

Environment Art Intern

Game Design Intern

Game Security Intern

Gameplay Programmer Intern

Gameplay Systems Engineer Intern

Salesforce Developer Intern

Software Engineer Intern

Environment Art Intern

Game Design Intern

Gameplay Programmer Intern

Tools Programmer Intern

Technical Artist Intern

Technical Character Animation Intern

Technology App Portfolio Intern

Tools Programmer Intern

Concept Artist Intern

At time of writing, Electronic Arts was performing maintenance on their recruiting site and should have new openings posted on November 12th 2024. I'll do a second round of internship opportunities once they post, along with Ubisoft and any others I missed.

Brush up your resume and focus on any game dev work you've done. Amateur game dev work counts! Tabletop game mastering counts! Amateur board and card game design counts! Making your own CCG fan sets or draft cube counts! Game jam work counts! These make a bigger difference when it comes to hiring than most other kinds of work experience.

If you need assistance with your resume/CV, cover letter, or have other questions, join our discord and ask. The server is full of experienced developers who can help review your materials and give you suggestions. I also suggest taking a look at my Game Career FAQ. There's a lot of answers in there already. Best of luck out there.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr

Frequent Questions: The FAQ

[puckpocketed]

hi van!!!! I know you follow prospects and I know absolutely zero about them, so I was wondering who your faves are / do you have any thoughts about who might be 10A? :)

Hello!! This ask was sent to me very early in the season, and since then two other people have asked similar things and I’ve started and restarted the answer at least 5 times. DEEPEST apologies for the late answer anon/s if you’re still hanging about!

“Follow” is such a generous word for what I do lol!! These are like, vague vibe checks with a side of hockey interest for flavour. Please don’t come here for deep insights or super serious takes on prospects I have no method or process to speak of and mostly just drift around getting attached to whoever looks fun! <3

If you're new around here, all of my draft-related media gathering is filed under #puckscouting and subdivided by year e.g. #2024 draft class, #2025 draft class. More on my navigation page.

Who goes 10th overall?

If you go looking you’re gonna hear a lot about how this class just isn’t that deep. I’m coming to understand that this doesn’t mean a lack of talent, it simply means the “project” type players start a lot earlier. If you’re drafting in the top 4-5, the going sentiment is you’ll probably get a top-6 NHLer, but beyond that there are fewer guaranteed hits in the first round than usual.

Given this, I feel that it’s such a crapshoot to try and predict who goes where. It really will depend on who drafts 10th and what type of player they like, and despite my appetite for losing dogs idk what every basement team needs in their prospect pool or who they’ve been inclined to draft in the past. I don’t know if I could make a serious prediction here, I’m sorry <3

For the sake of the exercise, I would say Caleb Desnoyers. Lots of buzz right now!! He’s a late riser, and though I’ve seen him listed as high as #5 in draft rankings I think having no standout tools will knock him down a few places in favour of some guy that’s 6’2 and can’t use his inside edges (MANY such cases)

Desnoyers is a coach's dream apparently, and despite a lack of flash he earns critical minutes wherever he goes. He’s described as a hard worker who plays an honest and consistent brand of hockey, a “winner” if you will. He’s considered right outside of that truly gifted tier but has a lot going for him in terms of character + work ethic. I’m sure some team is going to be very happy drafting him and letting him cook in juniors/the AHL for a few years before bringing him in at 3C.

Who are my favourite prospects

This entire season I’ve really enjoyed live blogging the WHL’s weekly free streamed games (Wednesday Night in the Dub -> #wntd lb) and have become quite attached to a few guys! Beyond that, between cracking open backdated draft guides and scouting podcasts and following my various NHL teams, there are almost too many to mention <3

By far my favourite prospect currently is Luca Cagnoni (2023 SJS #123) whom everyone will have seen recently on account of how I was experiencing crazies beyond mortal comprehension during his NHL debut (the first couple times I drafted this I said he would definitely get a call-up <3)

He is a shifty, smart, puck moving defenseman, and he’s just so fun to watch. No panic, always has a plan if he’s got the puck, lots of slick one-touch passes, lots of excellent stick checking, lots of noodling through people with his skating <3 He was excellent when I watched him in juniors and he’s only gonna get better with our young core. I loved seeing what him and Celebrini were able to accomplish during their short time together in preseason.

Cagnoni’s story is the stuff movies are made of, going from undrafted in the WHL -> being the first defender from his draft class to play in the NHL. I know it’s too early and he’s still got a long way to go before he’s a regular in the NHL, but what he’s already done this season in his first full year playing pro in the AHL has been stunning.

During the offseason there was some speculation that we’d send Cagnoni back to juniors with the Winterhawks. Instead, he was one of the last camp cuts in preseason and got sent to the AHL where he carved out a permanent spot playing pro. Everything I read from coaching/management has him ahead of schedule. He has exceeded all expectations. He’s 20, he turned 20 in December, he’s one year younger than the other undersized puck moving defenseman who made a splash this season (we have Lane Hutson at home…..)

Post-deadline the Sharks, who are hurting for defensemen (the eternal search to fill EK65’s hole) (THE HOLE HE LEFT. THE HOLE HE LEFT), have called Cagnoni up. The other night we watched him get thrown into the deep end against the Canes, who are known for their fierce forechecking, and we watched Warso send him out for the critical 6v5 minutes at the end when they were trying to tie up the game. He’s gonna be so good. I write this with tears in my eyes like I’m soooo emo about this kid <33

Barring disaster I think Cagnoni is going to make it real hard to keep him off the Sharks next training camp. He probably won’t make the cut (depending on how contracts shake out over the summer) but I’m not penciling him in as a Cuda mainstay either.

I know he’s not exactly GM Mike Grier’s usual violent-goodboy / skilled bigboys with glaring issues on draft day type — but he’s a Grier draft pick nonetheless. I think it has to mean something that he was picked by Grier in spite of the size thing. If I’m wrong and he gets tr*ded on the draft floor or over the summer you will see me on the evening news + in the liveblog tags of whomever he goes to !!

Every time people have doubted Cagnoni he has proven them wrong. I can’t wait to see what he does next!! <3

From the 2025 draft class in no particular order:

Ivan Fomin (Cocaine Rabbit)

SHRIMP (rabid variety). He is playing on a bottom tier team in one of Russia’s junior leagues, likely not on any NHL team’s radar, and stands at five-foot-nothing. Since I heard some guys talk about him on a podcast (transcript here - featured on my pinned because i LOVED it) I’ve come to root for some team to take him in, like, the 7th round of the draft and let him cook for 4-5 years and see what happens.

His shift compilations I can only describe as watching a little dude go extremely hard, vs guys that have more than a foot on him, for 40-60 seconds, risking life and limb for the puck. Intensity is the word here, and cocaine rabbit is an apt nickname. I worry for his health and safety. HE HAS TO MAKE IT PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE.

Victor Eklund (the smaller, more evil Ekky)

Won’t lie, half the reason I’m fond of him is because I keep hearing about how he “seeks more contact” than his brother William. I love a spark plug, and he was one of the hardest working players on team Sweden at this past WJC. He worked his way up that team’s depth chart, going from the 4th line to taking on critical minutes in their final games, all while being their youngest player. I really don’t know much about him at all but I really need him to come to the Sharks and cause a Swedish locker room schism.

The other name you’ll hear in conjunction with Victor’s is the other big Swedish draft-eligible, Anton Frondell. Frondell was a projected top 5 pick coming into the season and fell a little in draft rankings due to injury and since coming back he’s playing at a blistering pace. Victor Eklund as far as I can tell has been considered as hovering just outside of the top 5 tier by most of the big draft ranking lists (though he’s got his dedicated supporters !!).

They both play on Djurgarden in the HockeyAllsvenskan and last I heard they’re linemates and pretty good friends! It tickles me knowing that somewhere out there scouts are having heated debates about whether Vekky is an Anton Frondell merchant or if Frondell is an Eklund merchant <3

Sidebar: it would be stupidly funny if Victor Eklund fell to 10th because he’s smaller + a winger. I was listening to a Ducks podcast and one of them said it best: he’s everything we love about watching hockey. The energy, the speed, the skill, and the violence. Unfortchies he’s not 6’4! <3

Benjamin Kindel (Bindel! Who did NOT embarrass me in front of all my friends at Wednesday Night in the Dub)

A fun watch every time I’ve managed to catch a Calgary Hitmen game. The passing, the pure skill is !! Wow!! He’s . idk. Tactically very fun? He chains together plays with fakes, dekes in tight, passes you don’t expect. Don’t have to be a hockey genius to recognise and love that kind of player. He’s one of those public scout darlings you hear about again and again if you’re really listening. I find it all so fascinating… I love to pick out guys draft writers and prospect analysts fixate on. He also wears #11 and I have a big soft spot for #11s <3 

He’s a HUGE mid/late-season riser and people think he’ll go early in the first round. There’s something about his game that has scouts intrigued, so I do wonder if a team takes a swing — you never know which team will go off the board! 

Cole Reschny (Mr. Glitter)

If you see me post “MR. GLITTER” I’m talking about him. I think by now it’s obvious I’m partial to the skilled type. I must have said this a million times but he caught my eye during a game where I was supposed to be watching Cameron Schmidt (your 2025 draft class Goal Scorer). Reschny has questionable skating according to some — I’m not knowledgeable enough to tell the difference <3

He’s always. doing stuff? He’s very involved is what I’m saying. You can’t help noticing him in a game because he’s always in the play when he’s on he ice — and he is always on the ice. He’s become an all-situations player for the Victoria Royals so there’s plenty of time to get his reps in post-draft. Really excited to see where he goes! Lots of doubts as to how his skill will translate to the NHL (he does a bit of everything and he does it well, my read is that they don’t know what role he’ll take on) but a veryyy fun junior hockey player.

Blake Fiddler (the Stars’ prodigal son)

I did a bit of a trawl through his media during and after a wntd game! Haven’t really paid attention to his actual play but he’ll probably go high (6’4/good skater/RHD), what’s interesting to me is his bespoke rinkrat status!! He’s the son of former Stars player Vernon Fiddler and grew up in NHL locker rooms, deeply admires Heiskanen, and has spent his summers skating with the likes of J.Benn and WyJo.

If the Stars don’t get to draft him, I’ll understand. Given they’re in their contending window, I don’t imagine they’ll keep their early round picks. But I will be sad the whole time </3

Clippings here, here, and here — some interesting stuff about the growth of hockey in Texas + his (surprisingly healthy sounding) relationship with his jockfather.

Matthew Schaefer (^_^ the Usurper)

How does a guy’s stock actually rise while he’s not even playing? Going into this season James Hagens (of Boston College Remarriage Line fame) was the consensus 1OA. Since around the CHL/USA prospects challenge earlier this season all eyes have been on Schaefer.

I distinctly remember checking in on the prospect writers I knew were gonna be at the event and all of them were enamoured with him. He then made an extra strong statement in the few games played for team Canada at the WJC, and his impact was emphasised by how they promptly fell apart after he left the tournament with an injury.

All of that, combined with Hagens’ production taking a WILD dip (miserableeeee shooting %, pretty middling performances compared to what he was expected to accomplish playing on a stacked BC roster), and Michael Misa exploding in the OHL meant that 1OA was suddenly up in the air. This is a Sharks blog, I know the gaps in our prospect pool. We need a bona fide no. 1 defenseman, there are still doubts about Sam Dickinson, and like many pundits I suspect we’ll try to draft Schaefer wherever he happens to fall. 

HOWEVER I have to stress what’s most important is he looks like ^_^ and there was a really fun mic’d up video he did earlier this season where he looked extra ^_^ Darling of the draft class to meeee. I was SO charmed. NHL scholars will look back on these times and ask: does Matthew Schaefer have aegyo? ^_^

Think I could probably list every Sharks prospect drafted in recent years but here are the greatest hits:

Sam Dickinson (No. 3, London Knights)

Drafted #11 overall last season, same draft we got Macklin. Fun to look back and remember that Dickie was a contentious pick on draft day. I remember talking in discord as the Sharks were gonna make the pick and really hoping it was him and being SO excited when we ended up getting him. I’d known about him peripherally from following Kasper Halttunen and checking out the London Knights and was utterly charmed by Dickie’s tiktoker swag <3

At the time, Zeev Buium was still on the board and no one could believe those two hadn’t gone yet, and Dickinson was considered the less exciting of the two as someone who can do a bit of everything. He's very mobile and describes himself as a 2-way defenseman. Interestingly, one of the issues people talked about on draft day was Dickinson’s offensive upside. He responded by breaking a scoring record, taking sole possession of the London Knights’ franchise record for most points by a defenseman in a single season.

Sooooo fun reading scouting reports on him and listening to people talk about how he is progressing. it all sounds so out of pocket?? Like they’re calling him a big stupid jock </3 “decision making issues” and “struggles with high end processing” go crazy as insults ijasdkadjl 

He is SO comfortable on camera and I think that did numbers with the shmedia the short time he was in San Jose over summer?? I anticipate many, many years of our beat reporters mining him for anecdotes for their fluff pieces. Definitely need to start archiving the videos he’s done for London.

And if nothing else, we still have Sam Dickinson Smoke Alarm PSA on this bitch of an earht <3

Kasper Halttunen (Big Tuna. Kalttunen. Hubris if it took human form — meant with deep affection)

Halttunen is one of those we-can-fix-him bigboys Grier and his scouts seem to love drafting. His shot is NHL-caliber, that’s the first thing you’ll hear about him. The rest… well! We love a project <3 No seriously, I love hearing about player growth. He’ll probably never be a Selke nominee but from all reports he’s worked hard to become more than The Shot, and there’s nothing more interesting seeing what guys with the Goal Scorer identity do at the crossroads… <3 (they were giving him the Ovechkin treatment all through WJC, just hilarious seeing penalty killers cheat towards him. He ended up only scoring 1 goal, but his celly was very funny <3)

He seems like a big sweetheart and a goof <- two of the best things a player can be! And I went on an insane media gathering expedition like a month ago. If anyone here remembers that. It’s cool if you don’t, the evidence is there if you check out the Kasper Halttunen tag, there’s a giant chunk where it was just me posting the fruits of my prion disease (Kalttunen Derangement).

He is also one of those guys that gives banger quote after banger quote after banger quote (gmmg keeps drafting guys who were made for baiting Sheng Peng??) Call him a fucked up Christmas jingle because listening to him it’s Hubris All The Way. I aspire to be able to live through this cycle of over-confident sound bites -> being brutally humbled by the hockey gods the way Kasper Halttunen does. I’d simply shrivel up and die. He somehow keeps doing it? A sampler

WE NEED 10 OF THESE GUYS MIKE. MIKE ARE YOU LISTENING.

Quentin Musty (WHO is doing it like him)

Went 1OA to the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL draft and like, by junior hockey competitive cycles that team should absolutely be taking a serious run at the Memorial Cup this season and going all in… last I checked they were getting blown out by teams like Windsor and London (actual real contenders) and even dropped random games to teams at the bottom of the league.

There was this whole thing over the summer where they were playing chicken; Musty held himself out of games demanding to get traded and Sudbury put out a statement that they were suuuper-boohoo-sad that he wanted to leave because they made the house SO niceys for him. He lost the game of chicken. He’s still there. He is trapped there. I think about it all the time. <3  

Also he broke his paw around the time WJC selections were gonna be made and everyone was real sorry for him and then it got SO awkward cause someone leaked that Team USA wasn’t even gonna invite him to selection camp <333 One time when he was 16 he said no to that junior hockey cult (USNTDP) and joined the other junior hockey cult (CHL) and they’ve never let him forget it.

I love when players make choices for themselves and get punished for it yayyyy

Completely baseless speculation but if he gets to the NHL I think he’ll either be one of those players they make clickbait rumour videos about (you know the ones. where he’s like, a “locker room cancer” or whatever phrase they’re using by then) OR he’ll be THEEE Glue Guy of all time holding the Sharks locker room together through whatever slump they’re experiencing in 7 years when we’re chasing a cup. He’s just sooo fascinating to me. 

Everyone else:

Carter George (a little silly, a lot good)

Kings prospect. Oppressed juniors goalie. Really good. Really, really good. He plays behind a team that gives up close to 40 shots a night. He still managed to maintain a .909 SV% this season. He went CRAZY and put up a .927 SV% in his last 18 starts of the season to drag his shitass juniors team to OHL playoffs. They’re vs the London Knights and it’s probably gonna be brutal losses or narrow 2-1, 3-2 wins thanks to Carter <33

I was sooo naive thinking I’d see him in the AHL with the Ontario Reign soon </3 But if he stays on track and the Kings keep to their identity, one day he’ll be standing behind one of the strongest defensive teams in the league . isn’t that scary!!! :3

Aatu Jamsen

Kings prospect. Winger, rapper, hypebeast obsessed loser. I maintain a healthy adversarial dynamic with Marco Sturm because he won’t play Jams on a higher line and scratches him sometimes (this is a reasonable position to have. No don’t check my blog) Jams is cringefail and lame and I love to look at him and imagine pushing him into a puddle. Propaganda post here.

Isaiah George

Smooth skating defensive defenseman. Isles prospect. I noticed him during London’s Memorial Cup run last season, he was very steady and satisfying to watch. Loved gifing his detailed defending. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was underrated his entire career.

He got a bunch of NHL games earlier this season when their entire roster was decimated by injuries and didn’t look that out of place. Patrick Roy threw him to the wolves giving him some tough minutes, which is probably why his microstats aren’t great. But for a kid who went from playing junior hockey straight to the NHL with a handful of AHL games between, he did really well. He scored his first goal already and he was sooo :D <- his smile could save lives actually!!!!!!.

George is back down with Bridgeport for now but I suspect he makes a real run at the main roster next season depending on what Lou Lamoriello does with the aging defensemen on the Isles.

Owen Beck

Habs prospect. 2-way center who is GOATED at the faceoff. Another player I became enamoured with at the Memorial Cup, though he played opposite London for Saginaw. He was such a clutch player for that final game and I’ve been a fan ever since!

He’s had a few games in the NHL and I’m really excited to see him make it full time soon. There’s nothing particularly flashy about his game but I’m struck by his consistent growth and generally very fond of hard working role players. I ride so hard for 3rd/4th liner types who are good at their jobs. THAT’S what a championship roster is made of!! <33

There’s some potential that he tops out as more than a 3C on a contending Habs roster!! It would be super neat if it turned out he had another gear. But it’s a long shot and not why I like him as a player. Regardless, I can’t wait to see where he goes from here !! 

Tory Pitner

NEVER EVER BE AFRAID TO BE SOME GUY’S ENTIRE TAG!!! RAAAH!!!!! Avs prospect. Another defensive defenseman. He’s very raw by all accounts, but SO smart. There’s a couple interviews he did with EP where he talks through the details of the game and how he thinks about defending, and it was just fascinating. Clippings of the interviews here. There are a couple of paywalled articles about him in the New England Hockey Journal that I’m desperate to get my hands on and they haunt me 

Sometimes you’ll find me yelling at David Carle in #pios lb — this is Pitner’s college team, Denver University, where he has spent his freshman season as a 7th defenseman </33 I am feeling normal about this!!! 

I don’t know what he’ll be, I want him to make it to the NHL so I can see him play. If he gets there, he’ll be an excellent insulator for whatever puck mover they pair him up with. If he doesn’t, he’s gonna make a hell of a coach/analyst <33

Closing thoughts

Thank you so much for asking and sorry to take months to get back to you!! It WILL happen again </3

[branwyn-says]

The Looming Present

Reposted from today's post (6 March 2025) on my (free) Substack

I was drafting a post about "craftivism". Makers are feeling pressured lately to respond to the Global Omnishambles in some way. (I like to make bracelets that say things like HOUSE PEOPLE and ELON MUSK IS A FAKE GOTH.) Makers are also feeling a strange pressure to become preppers on some level, since disaster readiness and crafting skills are somewhat overlapping spheres.

But any maker knows they can't be self-sufficient unless they make their own tools, and almost none of us have the means. Like if we’re talking about the utility of popular making skills in your average End Times bunker, most people are going to need to stockpile a lot of supplies. If you’re like me and you don’t have money to stock or a place to pile, that’s not possible. So you feel a kind of pressure to be useful that is not actually useful at all.

For example: the current state of Global Omnishambles made me buy a fucking loom. I can already cook, make simple garments, quilt, mend, care for children, tend the sick and the dying, sing and tell stories, grow stuff, provide mental health guidance, and make a little go a long way. But that doesn’t feel like enough, because nothing feels like enough when you’re poor and the future is unreadable. So I got a damn loom. Not a big one because again, where would I put it.

Now I can make tiny decorative tapestries out of unraveled crocheted blankets against the apocalypse, I guess.

(Not this loom. A less useful loom than this.)

Stopped working on the craftivism post. Too much like an essay. Don’t write essays anymore. I want to keep this blog as a public diary and as a record of my time. I want to connect with my readers. Not in that driven social media engagement way, but in the way of the old internet, where comment sections are conversations, not peanut galleries.

I've returned to Raleigh, after fleeing Raleigh in 2014. Am continually shocked by how often I experience a smell, a sound that I did not know I was homesick for. (The weather today, for instance. The warm grey humid balminess of Raleigh in tornado weather. You wouldn't think a body could miss a thing like that.) Am shocked every time I sniff a pile of sun-baked pine straw or get honked at by a Canada goose and find myself thinking, this is my home.

For much of my life I was not at home in myself, and therefore unable to be at home in any city or landscape. In Baltimore, there was time and space to do the necessary inner work. Now I'm back, and I'm me for the first time ever. I would be happier than I've ever been before, no matter where I was living. But here, I feel like the prodigal daughter returning to fatted calves and warm welcomes.

I also feel a little like a conqueror. Is that strange? Raleigh used to be full of things and people that made me feel like a failure of one kind or another. I do not feel like a failure anymore. I'm not intimidated by all these silver-haired dad bods with their tan slacks and pastel button-up shirts. They used to define the boundaries of what was possible for me to want or achieve. Now I put them in their place at the grocery store. It isn't as much fun as you'd think. Part of me expected everyone I left behind to grow into themselves just like I did. I'm mildly surprised and embarrassed for them when they insist on the old hierarchies. But what am I going to do—pretend I still fit in the box they made for me? Not in my nature.

I came back for a caregiver job that is more or less ideal for me. After years of unemployment, underemployment, and exploitative employment, I am constantly being thrown by how lightly the work sits on me, and by the miracle of having some resources of my own. I'm trying not to become too comfortable. Permanent security doesn't exist, especially for me, especially now.

I am monitoring the Omnishambles as best I can and trying to figure out what I need to be ready for. I'm learning how to defend myself and others and investing in my nursing skills. If I had money or property I would be doing other things. At the moment, I'm just pricing IFAKs. (Do I need the full trauma kit? How much saline solution can I make and what should I store it in. Etc.)

I'm making new friends and returning to the old ones with all my new gifts. Trying to build and rebuild connections. Aren’t we all just fucking lonely? Even if we have partners, don’t we miss having friends? Seeing each other, talking to each other without screens? I do. At last, my friends and I are in the same city. Communication without screens is again possible. I’m trying not to be lazy about taking advantage of those opportunities.

Irony is, I’m the happiest, fittest, strongest, and most grounded version of myself I've ever been. Sometimes I look at myself and I’m like: really? now? I’m 43 and the country is failing and here I am, coming into my own. What's all this strength for? How am I meant to use it?

(I’m using it to make shiny stuff rn but I have time to do other stuff too, you know?)

My orientation weekend, freshman year of college, I was sitting the chapel of the Methodist church, praying. My parents did not go to college. Getting me to college, paying for it, had been their goal and focus my whole life, and I felt invested with a burden. I had something to live up to. I had been raised conservative, educated to be a trad wife. Not allowed to wear pants until I was 14. People around me kept telling me that God had something incredible planned for me—why else would I be the way I am? (I have always been the kind of person for whom an explanation was necessary.)

But I came out of high school half-deprogrammed and working on the other half. I still believed in God. In my own destiny. I no longer believed in the framework my mother had given me for religion, or reality. I felt poised at a crossroads. So I said to God, use me. Whatever I’m meant for, and whatever it takes, I offer myself up to it now. Even if it hurts. I believed in divine providence with youthful simplicity. I didn’t think my pain was God’s doing, but I knew the pain had given me certain gifts. Use me. Make it all mean something. This was the prayer of the youthful prophet Elijah. It is the prayer of all saints. The vessel must be willing to be filled.

I was so unhappy and hurt for so long, and I worked and worked to find meaning, and now I’m bursting with it. Meaning for days. Meaning in excess. Joy in the morning and peace at night. Since 2019, I’ve finally had the bandwidth to do things besides tend my wounds. I’ve had lots of processing time. I’m not confused about things anymore.

There is no such thing as finding Your Purpose. We are all of us multi-purpose. I know some of mine. I’m looking for the others.

I've been working on a certain novel since 2006. There have been five or six drafts, two of which I finished. None of them were right. When I began writing, I asked myself the most crucial question of my own existence. Might have been slightly surprised to discover I wasn’t going to be able to answer that question at the age of 22. Two decades later: I know the answer. This is the draft I’m going to publish. I might end up publishing it for free. That’s how sure I am it has value. That’s how unsure I am that any of us have a future.

(Apparently, I have to be in Raleigh to write a novel. Prophets are not honored in their own country, but they are inspired there.)

I’m stalling, trying to think of a button to end the post. I keep forgetting I don't need those rules and formats anymore. I keep forgetting I came here to be free of the tyranny of Writing for Social Media.

Oh: here’s the button. Talk to me.

Literally talk to me. If we’re already acquainted, tell me what you’re up to. If you kind of know me, tell me things I don’t know. If you’re one of my tumblr/AO3 readers, tell me about yourself. My other homeland has always been the internet. This is the only house I’ll ever build anywhere. Come inside and stay awhile.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ahmed Baba:

In his first two weeks back in office, President Trump’s “flood the zone” tactic is in full swing—this time, with the world’s richest man as his accomplice in chaos. The Trump Administration is moving with lightning speed to pursue its far-right agenda via executive order and test the bounds of executive power, seeking to unilaterally seize the power of the purse away from Congress. These moves have run into some early setbacks, with actions like Trump’s federal funding freeze facing legal roadblocks. As we sift through the torrent of actions, one developing dynamic that has yet to be halted is the increasingly dangerous, full-frontal assault on the federal bureaucracy led by Elon Musk. Elon Musk and his team of young engineers have taken over the US Digital Service and renamed it DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). DOGE has been moving from agency to agency, freezing funds, gaining access to sensitive data, and putting civil servants who stand in their way on leave. They’re also seeking to outright dismantle agencies, which is blatantly unlawful. These moves apparently have President Trump’s full blessing. In the Oval Office on Monday, President Trump told reporters that “Elon can’t do, and won’t do anything, without our approval. And we’ll give him the approval where appropriate. Where not appropriate, we won’t.” The White House later said that Musk is a “special government employee,” which could cause Musk to run afoul of conflict-of-interest laws.

Musk, an unelected billionaire whose companies directly benefit from billions in federal contracts, has been given unchecked power over the federal government that regulates his own companies.

[...] DOGE has targeted the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), freezing funds and seeking to outright dismantle it. DOGE has forced its way into accessing the Treasury Department’s payment systems. DOGE has taken root in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and made moves to push out career civil servants throughout the government. DOGE has its eyes on canceling leases of federal offices managed by the General Services Administration (GSA). The Department of Education is reportedly next on Musk’s list, with the Trump Administration reportedly drafting an executive order to shut down the department. All of this is directly in line with Project 2025’s core objectives, which many of us spent the past year warning about. Unilateral attempts to dismantle agencies are unlawful, and accessing sensitive data without proper security clearances could violate privacy laws. Lawsuits have already begun to fly, and Democratic lawmakers have been making a lot of noise and seeking new ways to express opposition.

[...]

Why Are They Doing This?

One of the core goals of the modern right-wing movement and Project 2025 is to cripple the federal bureaucracy and to reshape the federal government into a tool of the far-right. President Trump wants to expand executive power. As I’ve written about extensively, Trump is testing the boundaries of the law and this Supreme Court’s appetite for further expanding executive power. After the Supreme Court’s shocking immunity decision, the Trump Administration is likely seeking a further expansion of executive power greenlit by its right-wing justices. Given the Supreme Court’s clear openness to the unitary executive theory, Trump wants to see how much they will let him get away with. For example, if Trump and Musk are allowed to unilaterally dismantle the USAID, they could use that as a precedent to dismantle the other agencies they want to. This would spark a constitutional crisis, as the executive branch takes over a key power from the legislative branch. When it comes to Elon Musk specifically, he benefits from a government that can’t effectively regulate his companies, but it’s more than that. Musk is more than a mere oligarch right now. He’s operating effectively as a co-president. Elon Musk finally has the power he has always wanted. Born in South Africa, Musk is ineligible to run for president. But now, even while unelected, he has been given near-unilateral control over federal agencies. He is totally unaccountable to voters. And congressional Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate and House, have shown little appetite for retaking their constitutional authority. We’ll see how long Trump tolerates sharing the attention with Musk. Two egos this big can’t work in tandem forever. The power dynamics will eventually run into friction. Until then, it’ll be up to the courts to stop this madness.

The Musk Coup has negatively impacted federal agencies and their employees.

See Also:

The Status Kuo (Jay Kuo): Can Musk Be Stopped?

[mydearmetamorphosis]

16th April 2025 Nature is awakening, so am I

I know I should start with an introduction post or something, but... it's my blog, so I make the rules. I've created this blog... weeks ago to capture my journey of self discovery, getting my life together, transforming myself into my best, most authentic version, but I didn't have the energy to post anything. It felt overwhelming. I wanted to do it perfectly. (I raw dog life with unmedicated ADHD, I struggle a lot with executive dysfunction and perfectionism.) Then I decided that I wanted to just try it and do it, write whatever and see how it goes. I also told myself that the more I write and the more I practice, the better I get, and it will be building my confidence, which I care about.

I know we already have April, and I'm "behind" all those productivity girlies, but first three months of this year were hell. I was just trying to survive and it's not too late to start! This is one thing I've learned - it's never too late to start, I don't have to start on Monday, at the beginning of the month, tomorrow or anything like that, I can start in the middle of the month, at 12:37 or on a random evening.

My current goals are:

find a corporate job in my dream big city in my country

regain confidence, internal validation

I used to fluently speak Russian, German, Spanish and French. My main focus now is German, with a side of Spanish and French

glow up (both external and internal)

building consistency

regular workouts

My focus for this week is drafting a plan on how I can achieve my biggest, and most important and urgent goal, that I struggle the most with, which is - drumrolls - finding a job in a big city and moving there so I can escape toxic household. I am working on it with my bestie, ChatGPT. One of my main focuses is dig in - writing down my reason behind this goal, describe identity of a person who has it, what's the cost of not doing it, what's holding me back, and how can I deal with it. The other main focus is - turning it into a challenge, gamifying it, finding accountability and tracker systems.

One of my ideas was using this blog as an accountability and/or tracker tool. I thought about writing weekly or so reports, but I'll see how it goes.

Goodbye winter slump, welcome spring metamorphosis! See you soon, dear Reader.

(I apologise for any mistakes, English is not my mother tongue.)