#best cat newsletter

[swordwife]

nOOOOO I'M GONNA CRY 😭 😭

its so cute 😭 😭 😭

someone invite sey to the cat party 😤

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

🌍🌡️ - Climate Prophecy: The Forecast Is 100% Chance of 'Cool'

1. No cases of cancer caused by HPV in Norwegian 25-year olds, the first cohort to be mass vaccinated for HPV

Last year there were zero cases of cervical cancer in the population that was vaccinated in 2009 against the HPV virus, which can cause the cancer in women. The HPV virus is extremely common, basically everyone comes into contact with one version or another of the virus in their lifetime.

The vaccine was given to girls only out of an abundance of caution, they were the most likely to contract cancer from the viruses, and because there was limited supply.

2. ‘Every square inch is covered in life’: the ageing oil rigs that became marine oases

Built decades ago, California’s offshore oil platforms are home to a huge diversity of marine life. According to a 2014 study, the rigs were some of the most “productive” ocean habitats in the world, a term that refers to biomass – or number of fish and other creatures and how much space they take up – per unit area.

3. Vaccinations may have prevented almost 20 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide

Vaccinations estimated to have averted 19.8 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide in their first year, according to the latest Imperial modelling study.

In the first year of the vaccination programme, 19.8 million out of a potential 31.4 million COVID-19 deaths were prevented worldwide according to estimates based on excess deaths from 185 countries and territories.

4. Global climate policy forecast predicts ‘well below 2°C’ Paris Agreement climate goals will be met

They report only a 10% probability we exceed 2°C by 2050. Temperatures are expected to peak between 1.7°C and 1.8°C, which is consistent with the “well below 2°C” objective of the Paris Agreement in Art. 2.1c.

5. Young driver fatality rates have fallen sharply in the US, helped by education, technology

Crash and fatality rates among drivers under 21 have fallen dramatically in the U.S. during the past 20 years.

Using data from 2002-2021, the report says that fatal crashes involving a young driver fell by 38%, while deaths of young drivers dropped even more, by about 45%.

6. A Virginia woman was feeling sad. Her doctor prescribed her a cat.

7. Remote workers report saving $5,000 to $10,000 a year

What value would American workers place on the privilege to work from home?

In a 2022 survey by FlexJobs, 45% of remote workers reported saving at least $5,000 a year. One in 5 reported saving $10,000 a year. The savings average out to about $6,000 a year. The poll reached 4,000 workers in July and August of last year.

Three years into the remote-work revolution, research increasingly suggests that telework is a commodity, a job descriptor worth thousands of dollars in potential savings and improved quality of life.

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That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation here:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[chrismohney]

Tumblr Blaze vs. Twitter Boost

Thank you to everyone who replied to my question about Tumblr Blaze recently! Lots of intriguing stuff. At the community's suggestion, I posted and Blazed a cat video, which seems to be the consensus Best Blaze Content. And out of curiosity, I boosted the same cat video over on Twitter to see not just which one performed better, but which one made me "feel" better as a Poster.

The results will probably not surprise you (here)! But if you care to read about it, check out this post over on my free newsletter STRANGE WORK. And now I will Blaze this post as well to close the magic social media circle, and also will stop throwing money around and buy food for my family or something.

[callieyanderechan]

JAMES POTTER X SWIFTIE!READER

When you first start dating he is so fucking confused

Poor baby

Obviously he knew who Taylor Swift was, but he always thought she was just a popular singer

For a good month he thought she was actually a cult leader

Was planning how to get you out of said cult

You had to explain to him that you where in fact NOT part of a cult after he set up an intervention for you and Sirius

because Sirius is definitely your swiftie bestie which just confuses James to no end

"Y/N, I love you b-"

"I love you too Jamie 🥰"

"Thank you love, but I cannot sit back and let you and my best mate, my brother, let yourselfs be consumed by this cult"

"Cult?"

"I know you probably don't realise it now but this is for your own good. I will NOT let Taylor Swift control you like this!"

You and Sirius have a good laugh because....

He actually thought you where in a cult

You explain that you are not in a cult, you just really really like Taylor Swift

He isn't fully convinced it isn't a cult because you literally seem to know everything about this women

You point out that he knows basically everything about his favourite quidditch player

Moment of realization.......

After that slight mistake he trys to learn about Taylor for you

His favourite song? Shake It off

Is he aware that it's literally her most popular song?

Yes

Does he care?

Not even a little bit, he likes dancing to it so it's his favourite

Spent like a year trying to find a folklore cardigan for you ❤️

He got it......

His favourite ex is Taylor Lautner and his favourite era is 1989

Is signed up to the Taylor Swift store updates/newsletter and checks his email religiously

New special edition of a vinyl you already own?

Consider it yours

New Cardigan dropped?

Ready to be unpacked when you get home

Era's tour tickets?

This man was in that Ticketmaster line for HOURS

Him & Remus where both trying to get tickets for you & Sirius

Good boyfriends

He felt like he was going into WWIII

Him & Remus where both at the dining table with enough water and snack to last them all day

They where not leaving that dining table until they had tickets

And they got them!

When he told you he got you tickets? He would go through that Ticketmaster line all over again just to see you that happy

When he found out he could DRESS UP for the show?

He was planning basically everyday for MONTHS

Wanted you and him and Remus and Sirius to match but Taylor only has 3 cats.....

So instead you two where Miss Americana and The Heartbreak prince

Did he think it was a bit basic? Kinda but you both looked nice and he got to trade bracelets with loads of people so he was happy

He happily listens to you talk about everything happening to Taylor currently

Disgusted that people showed up at Jack Antonoffs wedding just to see Taylor?

He's right there with you, muttering and scoffing about how awful they are

Complaining about Ashley?

He doesn't know who that is but he will LEARN GODDAMNIT AND HE WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT HER TOO

Overall when he gets over his thoughts of it being a cult he is a super supportive swiftie boyfriend

[aroaceleovaldez]

the show chb logo was also ripped from fandom, like in the past decade all the official chb shirt had the logo without the circle and then the fandom started doing and the show went for it, sorry your tags reminded me of that

[Link to post/tags in question]

Yeah, I know Delphi Strawberry Service has done more circular-based CHB shirt designs for ages, and I've seen the more circular-based designs floating around for awhile. I think Magicbysab's circular-based CHB shirt designs also predate the show design? Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I understand on a level that if they did base it off fandom designs, particularly if they're basing anything on widespread fanon or fandom-based concepts, it can be difficult to pin down credit or may even seen unnecessary. But if they're going to be doing that I feel like at least they could hire like, a fandom consultant of sorts? Instead of just ripping off from the fandom, hire someone from the community who produces that already so at least there's some recognition and acknowledgement of where it originated.

Heck, in some instances if you ask around in the fandom it's not hard to pinpoint who specifically popularized certain concepts! I could talk for ages about Cherryandsisters being a driving force behind photokinesis!Will, or Saberghatz with plague!Will (tbh between the two they spearheaded a ton of early Will/Solangelo fanon), and I swear Drksanctuary alone is behind like 50% of Alabaster fanon, etc etc etc. People in the fandom know these things! Heck, we know ReadRiordan company knows how to do that kind of thing! They commissioned Viria for the official art, and the UK Riordan newsletter reaches out to fans all the time to feature their work (with credit, they're one of the better ones)! Though in Rick's book tours he did showcase Viria's art (at least with credit) without asking before she got commissioned, and during the Tower of Nero book tours they actually straight up stole a solangelo edit from Pervysloth with completely zero credit (link is to my canon url readriordan parody blog).

I think it doesn't help as well that Rick and his editor allegedly use the fandom wiki in place of a series bible. The PJO wiki is notorious for putting inaccurate information or fanon onto pages at random and having no sources. (What I wouldn't give for the PJO wiki to have frequent book/page sources a la Warrior Cats wiki...) There are what, now almost 18 books in the main series alone? Of an extremely renowned best-selling series that's 20 years old and now being adapted for TV? And they STILL don't have a series bible? That's like, step 1 of writing a series. This kind of reliance of the fandom for resources and concepts definitely isn't new for them.

It just feels so bizarre as to what it says about how the ReadRiordan company views the fandom and the creatives within it. I understand that trying to figure out how to give credit to the concept of "CHB shirt design, but circular!" is difficult, if you even can find out who did that first or popularized it. But if you're going to rip things from fandom, at least find somebody to try and credit? Show that you put in even the tiniest amount of effort? And if you get it wrong and people know, they'll correct you and that's that! But ReadRiordan just keeps trying to actively obscure these kinds of things, even with their own media, not ripped from the fandom, which makes it feel all the worse when it gets pointed out. And a lot of the time the whole reason those concepts get popular is because they're filtered through big names in the fandom! The fandom is a community! We know these people! We can point to them and explain exactly what they popularized! Remember how Velinxi popularized long haired Piper with the heart-shaped flyaways? Goodness only knows how many fandom designs are heavily influenced by Viria and Minuiko and Burdge (and Indigonite and Fuocogo and Ikimaru and Thecottonproject and Joker-ace and Sixofclovers and Vikingmera and Saber and Cherry and and and-). If you are in the community this stuff is easy to find. But Rick and the ReadRiordan company clearly being ~5 years behind with fanon pretty obviously tells me that they're not in the community at all, and aren't bothering trying.

[dustofthedailylife]

In Case You Missed It

→ Masterlist || → Taglist

A “newsletter” containing all fics I have posted recently that you might have missed.

🍁 "A Dream Of You" // Alhaitham // FLUFF Summary: Dreams were something the citizens of Sumeru didn't know for a long time. Alhaitham was one of the ones who has never experienced dreams either. So when he experiences it for the first time he is conflicted. Because he dreams of you.

🍁 Let It Snow // Diluc, Zhongli, Alhaitham // FLUFF Summary: Snowy adventures with the boys. 🍁 Little Endearing Things They Do // Alhaitham, Ayato, Zhongli, Heizou, Diluc, Xiao, Cyno, Thoma // FLUFF Summary: Little endearing gestures they do that make you fall for them anew every time - or how they show their love without words.

🍁 "That Day I Befriended A Slime" // Ayato, Itto, Kaeya, Kaveh, Albedo // FLUFF, CRACK Summary: How they react to seeing Reader befriend a slime.

🍁 That Which Is Forbidden // Alhaitham // ANGST Summary: Forbidden knowledge forever alters the memory and personality of a person and drives them insane. Everyone in Sumeru knew as much. Yet you conducted research on it anyway.

NEW CHAPTER UPDATE FOR...

🍁 It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn // Diluc x Fatui! Reader → Chapter 4 - Revelations Summary: You’re a Fatui Agent, tasked with assassinating the one man who three years ago had almost succeeded to shatter the entire organization out of sheer hatred and thirst for vengeance. The best way to get close to someone? You make them fall in love with you - only that you didn’t plan on catching feelings yourself.

Missed the start? Start right at → Chapter 1 - The Mission

RANDOM BLURBS, HCs & BRAINROTS

🍁 "Adeptal Energy" (Zhongli x Reader) 🍁 Drunk Alhaitham (x Reader) 🍁 Xiao and Cats (x Reader) 🍁 Alhaitham and his Quirks 🍁 Alhaitham x Akasha Hacker!Reader

[thewhumpyprintingpress]

10 Ways To Support Your Favorite Small Presses

(these tips also work for supporting your favorite authors!)

Reblog reblog reblog! Reblogging their posts on tumblr is one of the best ways to help new readers find them.

Tell a friend. Word of mouth is golden. If you enjoy a book, recommend it to a friend who you think will like it too!

Leave a review. Whether you review on your social media, reading tracker app (e.g. StoryGraph, Goodreads), or on your preferred book retailer, every review helps.

Request that your local library purchase their books. And if your library has a service like Hoopla, see if their books are available for check out!

Subscribe to their newsletter. Most presses have semi-regular email newsletters where they give publication updates. By subscribing, you can keep up to date on new books and other fun stuff. (Plus, you might get cute cat pictures)

Give a one-off donation via Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, etc. Everything so far has been completely free. But if you have a little cash to spare, this is a great way to show your support.

Pick up an ebook. You get to read an awesome book AND support your favorite press??? It's a win-win! Also, if your press has their own store, consider purchasing directly from them rather than through a third party.

Pick up a physical book. Not only do you get to support your fav, you also get to add a beautiful book to your bookshelf! And if you purchase directly from them, you might get some extra goodies or even a signed book!

Become a member on their Ko-fi, Patreon, etc. One of the biggest struggles with publishing books is the lack of consistent income. Providing monthly financial support can help the press stay steady during slower periods. And it probably isn't as expensive as your think! (Here at WPP, our Ko-fi membership tiers start at $1 per month)

And finally, let them know that you enjoy their work! Publishing is a long, lonely process that involves a lot of smashing keyboards and trying to decide where the commas should go. Telling them that all their hard work has paid off and that you enjoyed what they created will make their day. I guarantee it.

[maverick-werewolf]

NONFICTION BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT - The Werewolf: Past and Future now available in HARDBACK!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT - my popular nonfiction werewolf book (on folklore and many things besides), The Werewolf: Past and Future - Lycanthropy's Lost History and Modern Devolution, is now available in hardback, in addition to paperback and ebook/digital!

Click here to purchase on Amazon.com!

Also check out the many pics of it in this post (plus the book received cat approval; pics included)! Note that pictures are, obviously, of a proof copy.

The book is very good quality! I'm impressed! You won't be disappointed. The hardcover is nice and hefty without being bulky, and the spine is sturdy and lovely.

And best of all, the book comes kitty certified, inspected by Ty Beanie Baby (yes, that is his name) himself.

He gave it a sniff.

And even honored it with a rub. Clearly it's a good book. And it didn't fall over! It's very sturdy.

(Disclaimer: He did just want treats afterward, as he cannot read. Treats and pettings were of course given.)

Synopsis:

Since before recorded history, werewolves have captivated human imagination. Simultaneously, they represent our deepest fears as well as our desire to connect with our primal ancestry. Today, werewolves are portrayed negatively, associated with violence, cruelty, cannibalism, and general malevolence. However, in ages past, legends depicted them not as monsters, but as a range of neutral to benevolent individuals, such as traveling companions, guardians, and knights. The robust legacy of the werewolf spans from prehistory, through ancient Greece and Rome, to the Middle Ages, into the Early Modern period, and finally into present-day popular culture. Over the ages, the view of the werewolf has become distorted. Media treatment of werewolves is associated with inferior writing, lacking in thought, depth, and meaning. Werewolves as characters or creatures are now generally seen as single-minded and one-dimensional, and they want nothing more than to kill, devour, and possibly violate humans. Hollywood depictions have resulted in the destruction of the true meanings behind werewolf legends that fascinated and terrified humans for so many ages. If these negative trends were reversed, perhaps entertainment might not only discover again some of the true meanings behind the werewolf myth, but also take the first steps toward reversing negative portrayals of wolves themselves, which humans have, for eons, wrongfully stigmatized and portrayed as evil, resulting in wolves receiving crueler treatment than virtually any other animal. To revive the many questions posed by lycanthropy, entertainment must show respect to the rich history of so many cultures all around the world – and rediscover the legend of the werewolf.

Again, be sure to check out the book on Amazon.com!

If you would prefer to buy a signed copy directly from me, I'll have something very fun in store for you in October... along with another surprise: a brand new book! And it's more werewolf nonfiction. My big fiction publication is coming next year, and it's also werewolf-related. It's a great time to love werewolves.

Expect another big announcement soon about a brand new nonfiction werewolf folklore book!

So stay tuned for a whole lot more on the way! Be sure to give me a follow here and elsewhere on social media. I'll also have a newsletter coming very soon that'll help you keep up with my work, and it'll come with free reading!

Until next time, and happy fall!

Patreon --- Wulfgard --- Werewolf Fact Masterlist --- Twitter

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - 29 April 2024

1. Net neutrality rules restored by US agency

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 on Thursday to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules and reassume regulatory oversight of broadband internet rescinded under former President Donald Trump.

2. Airlines required to refund passengers for canceled, delayed flights

DOT will also require airlines to give cash refunds if your bags are lost and not delivered within 12 hours.

The refunds must be issued within seven days, according to the new DOT rules, and must be in cash unless the passenger chooses another form of compensation. Airlines can no longer issue refunds in forms of vouchers or credits when consumers are entitled to receive cash.

3. How new mosquito nets averted 13 million malaria cases

Compared to standard nets, the introduction of 56 million state-of-the-art mosquito nets in 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa averted an estimated 13 million malaria cases and 24,600 deaths. The New Nets Project, an initiative funded by Unitaid and the Global Fund and led by the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), piloted the use of dual-insecticide nets in malaria-endemic countries between 2019 and 2022 to address the growing threat of insecticide resistance.

4. Germany has installed over 400,000 ‘solar balconies’

This new wave of solar producers aren’t just getting cheap electricity, they’re also participating in the energy transition.

More than 400,000 plug-in solar systems have been installed in Germany, most of them taking up a seamless spot on people’s balconies.

5. Voyager-1 sends readable data again from deep space

The US space agency says its Voyager-1 probe is once again sending usable information back to Earth after months of spouting gibberish.

The 46-year-old Nasa spacecraft is humanity's most distant object.

6. Missing cat found after 5 years makes 2,000-km journey home

Five years after it ran out the door, a lost cat was returned to a couple in Nevada after it was found thousands of kilometres away. The couple are praising the cat’s microchip for helping reunite them.

7. Restoring sight is possible now with optogenetics

Max Hodak's startup, Science, is developing gene therapy solutions to restore vision for individuals with macular degeneration and similar conditions. The Science Eye utilizes optogenetics, injecting opsins into the eye to enhance light sensitivity in retinal cells.

Clinical trials and advancements in optogenetics are showing promising results, with the potential to significantly improve vision for those affected by retinal diseases.

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That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation here:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[ladzwriting]

Welcome!

My name is Jo, publishing as Ladz, and my pronouns are they/them. I write genre fiction, whether it's dark fantasy, horror, fantasy, or some mélange of all three. They're all intended for adult audiences, and I recommend checking out the content warnings for each before diving in.

While I do try to share updates on my writing, this tumblr is mostly a space for me to find inspiration and quotes I relate to, get excited about the media I love, and boost work from my friends. itch | goodreads | amazon

Learn more about my work below!

Work Available Now

Ice Upon a Pier (April 11, 2023) A novella that's a retelling of the life and crimes of Richard Kuklinski. A lesbian contract killer indulges in an interview about the ways she's used ice magic to freeze time and get away with literal murder.

The Fealty of Monsters Volume 1 (March 12, 2024) Art by @t-hornapple. A gothic horror political fantasy retelling of the Russian Revolution with queers and vampires. Sasza Czarnolaski serves a human court, but no one knows he's a vampire. Sasza quickly learns that he will do anything to preserve peace in the Empire–including giving in to the monstrosity he spent so many years concealing from even himself.

Upcoming

The Cradle of Eternal Night (October 2024) Art by @pompoison. A standalone sapphic horror romantasy in which a bard and a witch fall in love on a quest to bring the light back to their dark world. Sapphic, magical, and tense, perfect for fans of Dark Souls and grumpy x sunshine romance.

The Institute of Manners (The Fealty of Monsters Volume 2 (2025) Art by @t-hornapple. The revolution is paused for now as our main cast goes to graduate school. Lessons include avoiding assassination attempts, uncovering the secrets of a despot, and staying on top of the rumors of a horror-worshipping cult and anti-imperial activities alike.

Writing is Hard (202?) A nonfiction craft book about things I learned about writing and publishing in the last decade between failing to get into traditional publishing and finding personal and creative satisfaction in self and indie publishing. Collected blog posts expanded with new wisdom.

I also have a whole bevy of short stories on my itch account, which is the best place to get my work if you want to leave a tip.

My author newsletter updates once a month on the 11th, usually talking about insight from writing, sales, new work, and includes a picture of my cat.

Feel free to ask me anything regarding my books, my short fiction, my self-publishing journey and anything else you'd care to know about!

[miniaturedreamharmony]

Hero x villain where they are next door neighbors in apartment without realizing.

Villain loses their precious cat, Mr. Peanut Butter, and they scatter around the whole apartment trying to find him. Luckily, they find out the person living next door posted about a cat inside their house on the apartment group message. Villain meets the neighbor and safely returns Mr. Peanut Butter back to their house. When they see the neighbor, however, they notice countless scars and bandages all around their body. They don't think much of it at first.

Eventually, they become best friends, and the neighbor invites Villain to their house. The villain looks around their house. Exactly same blueprint, except their house was much warmer than the Villain's. Villain ask neighbor where the bathroom is, but somehow gets lost because they don't have any sense of direction. When they open the wrong room without realizing it, they are met with numerous merch of the Hero (it's all gifted by Hero's fans). Every corner of the room is full of Hero. Photos, newsletter scraps, even the background of the laptop that was turned on. Overwhelmed by the sudden realization that, "My neighbor is a mega fan of Hero???" They quietly tip toe out. Villain says some shit excuse about Mr. Peanut Butter's doctor appointment and rushes away, leaving the neighbor, also known as undercover Hero, stranded in their house.

[dynamo-deepblue]

✨ WING EMBLEM Ita Bag 2024 Release Info Thread! ✨

Preorders will work differently this time so more people can have a chance to get one (because last time, in June 2023, there were only 100 and they sold out in 4 hours. Lots of disappointed people!). Please read below!

In late June/early July 2024, I'll send out a preorder form on various platforms and via social media that'll be open for 1-2 weeks. Fill out this form to claim your bag! When the form closes, bags will be produced based on the number of forms submitted. Payment will be collected once bags are in my hands (estimated around October 2024).

You'll also be able to order 2 matching accessories on the form - the SPECIAL STAGE wallet and the SPEED HEROES wrist lanyard! These items are still being manufactured currently, so when I can get photos I'll post them. But for now, here's some art mockups. (I anticipate having the samples of the wallet and lanyard in my hands in June, so that's why the preorder form will not be available until then. I want you all to see the photos!!)

The WING EMBLEM ita bag will be priced at $95 USD, the SPECIAL STAGE wallet at $25 USD and the SPEED HEROES lanyard at $15 USD. (+ shipping. Worldwide shipping is available!)

If you miss the preorder form, don't worry! In-store stock will also be available this time 🎉 This includes the bags, wallets and lanyards.

You can find more information about all these items at this link (also makes a good bookmark and will be updated periodically).

Don't want to miss out? You can also sign up for my newsletter to have info and updates straight to your email. Great if you don't check social media too often.

In the meantime, I'll be working on other merch projects, fandom-related and otherwise! I do art full time and thrive on your support, so if you'd like to help me and my cat survive and make fun things, you can commission, visit my shop or tip me on Ko-fi!

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If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this thread, or contact me on any site I frequent, or via email, and I'll do my best to answer. If I have further updates I will also add them to this thread. Thank you all for taking a look - I hope you all will look forward to it!

---

Website | Commission Info | Shop | Ko-fi | Telegram Art Feed

Twitter | Tumblr | Mastodon | DeviantArt | Bluesky | Fur Affinity

[chargoeson]

My First Writeblr- An Introduction

I’ve used tumblr on and off for over ten years but wanted a blank slate now in time for NaNoWriMo 2023 and all the future writing projects I’m devoting myself to. Also highly inspired by all the cool writing blogs I’ve discovered so far since restarting this account <3

About Me:

My name is Char or Charlotte (she/her), I’m 24 and live in the Pacific Northwest in the US

I write literary fiction now, but have kept up various personal essay projects and poetry over the years primarily through my private newsletter!

I have a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Lit with a soft spot for the Gothic and Romantic eras.

Nothing published yet, but since I am finally out of school I am entering a new phase of creative freedom that feels very encouraging.

Fun extras: I’m a virgo sun, pisces moon (yes, it does hurt), my cat’s name is Brad, I am also a fiber artist, musician, home renovator, perfume enthusiast, and chronic illness advocate.

My WIPs:

Project Amgydala (tentative title: Ballad of a Blue Whale) Novella- Literary Fiction/Surrealism Status- Draft 1 complete at around 33,000 words 2024 Goal- First revision/draft 2 Synopsis- Maren Hara, a recent graduate, moves back in with her father and turns completely inward. She removes herself from the life she created throughout university and begins walking from sunset to sunrise, looking for something she cannot put her finger on. This leads her to Devereaux's Salvation, a jazz bar seemingly from another era, whose eager manager and illusive owner begin to crack through Maren's walls and bring her back into humanity.

Project Corvidae (tentative title: I Want to Build a Home with You) Undetermined- Literary Fiction/Light Mystery/Horror Status- Plotting and beginning first draft 2024 Goal- Complete outlines and give draft 1 my best shot Synopsis- In the wake of the death of her family matriarch, portrait painter and former performance art prodigy Leonie Richards finds herself on the receiving end of her grandmothers vast literary legacy and her eclectic, spirit filled home. Alongside her uncle, the art store clerk, and a host of portrait clients she begins to unlock the secrets of the final years of her grandmother's life.

Mind Over Matter- this is actually backstory for Leonie from Project Corvidae and seeks to shed light on her past performance art pieces and the relationship between her and her grandmother. Light body horror, unsettling women, the works. One of These Nights- a slice of life, Murakami-inspired piece of an American expat living in Tokyo trying to ground herself within a new language. Digs into themes of friendship and social anxiety. Lots of fun music cameos. a green pea moon- my FAVORITE. My little baby. A surrealist romp through the dream world and how it relates to the joy and fear of being queer and letting yourself be loved. Near and dear to my heart.

taglist: @annlillyjose @coffeeandcalligraphy @subtlefires @belovedviolence @onomatopiya

[mama-qwerty]

Stolen Opportunity

So this is kind of a continuation of Signing Off. Inspired by an idea @quazart had, where Wade dies during an attack from some big bad, and Knuckles had a hard time dealing with it. Naturally I want to torture explore how Callie would deal with the death of Wade, so here we are.

For the sake of simplicity, she does not have Silver or Eclipse in this verse.

~~~

Callie stared at the larger envelope nestled in with her credit card bills and junk mail as she kicked the front door closed with her foot. It was one of those thick manilla-ish ones, with the cushioning inside. The words “DO NOT BEND” were stamped in red ink on the front, right between her address and the stamp. Her eyes moved to the return address, even though they didn’t need to. She recognized the handwriting.

It was from Wade. Sent two days before he died, if the postmark was anything to go by.

Why had it taken over a week to get to her? Green Hills wasn’t exactly a huge metropolis, it shouldn’t have taken so long.

She shook her head. Didn’t matter. It’s not like Wade would have complained to the post office had he known. That’s just not the guy he was. He didn’t complain, even when he should. Always tried to see the good in others. Tried to be friends with everyone.

Even those who were closed off. And had been for years. Who thought they didn’t need anyone, were fine in their self-isolation. Who was sure, 100% positive she didn’t want any friends.

Somehow, he’d managed to get her walls down. And they’d become friends. Best friends, even.

And now he was gone.

nope not thinking about this nuh uh

She turned, heading to the kitchen to put her few groceries away. She tossed the mail on the island, doing her best to ignore that envelope. It was probably another of his Jammerz CDs. Who sends that stuff in the mail these days? Just a waste of a stamp, honestly. He could just send a link through email or something. She’d asked him about it when she’d received the last CD, and he’d simply shrugged and said “Isn’t it nice to get a good surprise in the mail instead of just bills and junk?”

A little smile curled her lips. A good surprise. Wade always had a knack for surprising her. Saying something or doing something completely unexpected to make her laugh or smile.

Like giving his life to save a little fox boy. To save his town.

The smile dropped.

stop it stop it stop it

Callie slammed the fridge door shut and grabbed the rest of the mail from the counter. The CD envelope fell to the floor, and she pointedly ignored it as she tossed the junk mail in the trash and tucked the bill statements into the caddy on her desk. She’d have to do some bill paying soon.

A sound behind her, and she turned to see Bloom scratching at the envelope on the floor.

“Bloom!” she hissed, drawing a head tilt from the tuxedo cat. Callie moved over, shooing the cat away and retrieving the envelope. She stared at the return address for a moment, before tossing it on the island.

don’t think about it, don’t think about him, think of something else

Bill paying. Right. No time like the present.

The redhead sat herself at her desk, booting up her laptop. Out of habit she opened her email, deleting the junk and checking the important things. She skimmed the emails, her eyes coming to a sudden stop at a read one nestled in between one from her mortgage company and a monthly newsletter.

wadewrockz20@. . . Subj: Something to cheer you up!

Her throat tightened.

Her hand moved without her permission, clicking the email open. Inside was a short cat video, a little orange tabby meowing loudly and angrily at a closed door, only to drop to a sweeter little meow once his owner came closer.

Below this, Wade had written:

“Reminds me of you! Fierce and scary, but sweet and kind. Hope your day gets better! :)”

The video played on a loop as she read and reread those three short sentences. He’d sent it two days before he died, probably right after he mailed the CD. That had been a bad day for her—just one of those days when everyone seemed in a bad mood and taking it out on her. She’d vented to Wade about it, and less than 15 minutes later she’d gotten that email. And she had to admit, it had lifted her mood.

He was good at that. Making her feel better. Lifting her spirits. Making her laugh.

But she wasn’t laughing now.

With a grunt, she clicked off the email, slamming the laptop closed.

A lump had formed in her throat, and she swallowed it down.

She wasn’t going to cry. Wouldn’t allow herself. Even after the memorial service she’d thrown herself back into work. Focused on taking care of others—the Wachowskis, specifically. Wade was a friend to her, but like family to them.

She’d dealt with loss before. Had someone ripped away from her. She was used to this kind of pain. It was familiar.

And she was used to being alone. She’d been alone for a long time before she even met Wade, so it wasn’t like their lives had been so intricately entwined that she didn’t know how to function now that he was gone.

Besides, crying wasn’t going to bring him back. Falling to pieces wouldn’t change what happened. Life moved on, and she just trudged along with it.

Maddie thought she was in denial. She really wasn’t. She knew Wade was gone. Didn’t delude herself into thinking he wasn’t. She accepted it.

avoiding it, you mean

Her lips pulled tight. She wasn’t avoiding anything.

you’re avoiding it, doing everything you can to simply not think about anything that had to do with him

She let out a huff. Glanced back at the envelope on the island.

“Fine,” she said to no one. She got up and walked to the counter, snatching the envelope up. “This is me, not avoiding it.”

Callie tore open the envelope, and pulled the CD out. The label on the front was decorated in Wade’s doodles and stylized letters, titling the disc as “CalJammerz03”.

The corner of her lip pulled up in a little smile as she slid the CD into her stereo and clicked ‘Play’. A soft whirring as the disc spun, and then the track number appeared in the display.

“Hey, Cal!”

Wade’s voice rang clear and steady through her speakers, and her eyes went wide. He’d never recorded anything on her previous CDs.

"Welcome to another Jammerz CD, with songs I picked specially for you! Some are ones I think you’ll like, and others are ones that just remind me of you. Betcha can’t tell which is which, haha!”

A knot appeared in Callie’s chest, tightening painfully behind her ribs.

“Hey, uh, while I’m at it, there’s something I wanna ask ya. We both know I'll never have the guts to say this to you in person, warrior-in-training or not, amiright? But . . . I really like you. Like, ya know, like you like you. Gah, that sounds so dumb! But you’re so sweet and funny and I'd really like to, ya know, go out sometime. If that's something you'd want. I mean, no pressure. Totally okay if you don’t! Anyway, on to the tunes!"

A guitar riff with a heavy drum beat began, and filled her house with music.

She barely heard it.

She stared at the stereo, hand hovering over the back button. With a quick jab the music cut off, and Wade’s voice greeted her again.

“. . . I really like you . . .”

“. . . I’d really like to, ya know, go out sometime.”

The music was back, blaring out an upbeat tempo that ordinarily may have made her want to move or sing along to it.

But instead she just stared.

The knot in her chest shifted as his words echoed in her ears.

“. . . you’re so sweet and funny . . .”

She swallowed. Hard.

Thirsty. She was thirsty. She needed a drink.

Turning abruptly, Callie hurried to the fridge. She yanked the door open with a jerk, rattling the condiments on the door. Grabbing a bottle of water, she moved to close the door when another bottle caught her eye.

Beer. Wade’s favorite brand. She usually kept a six pack on hand for when he stopped by in the evenings, and the two of them would sit on her deck and chat. He with a beer, she with her wine cooler.

She stood there and stared at the bottle, this drink that would go to waste now that he was gone. She didn’t like the taste, and Tom preferred a different brand. There were four other bottles behind the first—he’d only had one out of the latest pack she’d bought.

When was that? Three days before he died. He’d stopped by after work, and they’d sat on her deck until nearly ten o’clock.

Just chatting.

Sharing time together.

Enjoying each other’s company.

Callie set the water bottle on the counter next to the fridge, and reached in for the beer. She pulled it out, watching as the liquid inside sloshed against the glass, a thin line of fizz floating to the top.

A little smile tugged at her lips. Wade could never open a beer without it spilling. No matter how careful he tried to be, he always had a foamy little waterfall flowing over his fingers. He’d gasp, before laughing and saying “Every time!”

And she would laugh, too. She laughed so much when he was around. He just had that affect on her. No matter how grumpy or sad or otherwise blah she felt, he knew just how to make her smile. Make her laugh. Make her feel alive.

The smile faded.

He’d never drink a beer again. She’d never watch him spill it on himself again. He’d never stop by after work just to chat, or to check in to see if she needed anything again.

The current song ended, and a new one started. The familiar guitar beats at the start told her it was Since U Been Gone.

As the first verse flowed over her, the words finding no purchase in her mind, Callie looked at the bottle in her hand. Ran her thumb over the label.

It was here, but Wade was not. This stupid bottle of alcohol was here, but Wade, the kind, funny, sweet, gentle soul of a man was not.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t fair.

What kind of universe allows someone as good-hearted as Wade to die? He was kind to all, even those who were unkind to him. He was good and pure and sweet and liked her damnit he liked her and there could have been more between them if she had gotten this damned CD earlier or made the first move herself if she weren’t so goddamned scared of letting herself feel!

The music ramped up as the chorus began, and Callie snapped.

She pushed out a scream, one full of anger and rage and fury and grief and regret. She screamed at the bottle in her hand before turning and hurling it across the room, where it smashed against the far wall. One by one she threw the remaining bottles of beer, relishing the satisfying crash of breaking glass.

Her wine coolers went next, sending a multi-colored splatter pattern over her walls.

Looking back in the fridge, she saw the jar of pickles—bought for Wade, for when she invited him over for burgers. She didn’t like pickles. No sense keeping those! Another crash and the brine joined the alcohol already coating her walls, a few pickle slices stuck to the mess.

She slammed the fridge shut, and moved to the cabinet next to it. If Wade stopped by before work, there were two mugs from her stash he favored. She pulled those out and threw them as hard as she could against the ever growing mess of her wall.

On and on she went, smashing and destroying anything and everything that Wade had used, or that reminded her of him. He was gone, gone, never coming back, and she did not want these things staring her in the face for the rest of time. Reminding her of what she couldn’t have, or what could have been.

The music played on, acting as the soundtrack for the release of her anger. Her grief. Sometimes she screamed. Sometimes she belted out the lyrics at the top of her voice. Sometimes she just growled as she destroyed.

But she did not cry.

Her phone rang, and Maddie’s contact photo appeared.

Wade would never call her again. Her last text to him would go unanswered.

She chucked the phone across the room, laughing as it smashed into the TV, cracking both of the screens.

And still her anger raged.

~X~X~X~

Maddie put her phone down, a troubled expression crossing her face.

Callie wasn’t answering. She hadn’t answered for days. “It’s just been busy,” the librarian had said once Maddie had managed to catch her at the library yesterday. A reasonable answer, Maddie supposed, but she wasn’t convinced. The redhead looked worn. Distant. Brushed off every query about her wellbeing.

Maddie was worried about her. But something else took priority.

She stood on the deck now, looking out over her backyard, watching the fireflies flicker to life. Knuckles had run off hours ago. He wasn’t dealing well with Wade’s death, but refused to talk about it. Refused to talk at all. She knew he was trying to be strong, but she’d seen the red eyes. The damp muzzle.

And he’d been inseparable from the discman Wade had given him. Sonic had found it out on the front walk, broken, and Tails was working on it right now, trying to repair it. Maddie had no doubt he would—that fox could fix anything—but right now she wasn’t worried about some CD player. She was worried about her eldest son.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Knuckles shambled out of the dark forest, looking disheveled and tired. Maddie hurried over, stopping before him and going to one knee.

“There you are,” she said, her voice soft and gentle. “Are you okay?”

He gave a curt nod, refusing to look at her.

“Do you feel any better?”

A pause. He pulled his lips tight. A shake of the head.

“Tails is working on fixing your CD player.”

He jerked his head to her, his eyes pleading. “The CD, was it . . .”

“It was okay,” she said, and he let out a breath in relief. “Not even a scratch. Sonic tried it in his stereo and it worked fine.”

“Good,” he said, and his voice was softer than she’d ever heard it. “That is good.”

Silence descended over them, and the only sound in the backyard were the crickets surrounding them. He cast his eyes away from her, his brow furrowed in sorrow.

Maddie wanted to reach forward and take all his grief away, but knew it impossible. She hadn’t been as close to Wade as Knuckles had been. None of them were, not even Tom. This boy was going through something the rest of them couldn’t understand. The loss of someone so important to you, so close to you, you felt like a piece of yourself were missing.

Knuckles was having a hard time dealing with it, and he wouldn’t talk to any of the family about it.

But maybe he would talk to someone who was going through the same thing.

“Honey, are you up for a quest?”

He turned back to her, an eyebrow raised. “What sort of quest?”

“Callie isn’t answering her phone and I’m a little worried about her. Do you think you could go over and check on her? Just to make sure she’s okay?”

He seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding and standing taller. “I will check on her.”

She smiled. “Good boy. Thank you.”

Knuckles nodded again, and hurried off in the direction of Mockingbird Lane.

Maddie watched him go, hoping that they could help each other heal, if only the smallest bit.

~X~X~X~

Knuckles emerged from the dark trees at Callie’s house, eyebrow cocked at how dark the house seemed. Normally the librarian left a light on over her deck, or sat outside to watch the stars on nice nights. Tonight neither was the case.

Curious, he moved closer, climbing the deck steps and peering in through the glass kitchen door. A few lights burned inside, but something was wrong. What he could see of the interior of the house was a mess, destruction strewn across the kitchen and living rooms. He gasped, yanking the kitchen door open and hurrying in.

He skidded to a stop just inside the door. Callie sat with her back against the end of the island, her knees drawn up and hands limp by her sides. Her glasses were gone, and a quick scan around her found them on the floor a few feet away. The signature braid she always wore was loose, and her hair hung like a curtain around her face.

She breathed heavy, as though after an intense workout. Music was playing, some song he didn’t recognize.

Knuckles took a step closer, and the woman turned her head toward him, her face exhausted and haunted.

They stared at each other for a moment, as the song ended. There was a soft whirring as the CD returned to the beginning of the disc.

“Hey, Cal!”

Knuckles jerked, snapping his head toward the living room.

"Welcome to another Jammerz CD, with songs I picked specially for you! Some are ones I think you’ll like, and others are ones that just remind me of you. Betcha can’t tell which is which, haha!”

The echidna turned back to Callie, who looked away, bringing her hands up to press the heels against her eyes.

“Hey, uh, while I’m at it, there’s something I wanna ask ya. We both know I'll never have the guts to say this to you in person, warrior-in-training or not, amiright? But . . . I really like you. Like, ya know, like you like you. Gah, that sounds so dumb! But you’re so sweet and funny and I'd really like to, ya know, go out sometime. If that's something you'd want. I mean, no pressure. Totally okay if you don’t! Anyway, on to the tunes!"

A song began, another Knuckles didn’t know, and he watched Callie’s reaction. She took a deep breath. And another. And then she spoke, her voice small and cracked and broken.

“I would have said yes.”

A soft whine left her throat, and she spoke again, her voice edge with grief.

“I would have said yes.”

A sob, one that was deep and full of pain.

“I would have said yes!”

She kept repeating the words, with more sobs mixed in. Soon the sobs overpowered the words, and she curled in on herself, looking like a child drowning in grief.

Knuckles watched her for a moment, his own sorrow knotting within his chest. He watched as Callie cried, missing the man that had meant so much to them both.

Without a word, Knuckles moved closer to her, swallowing hard as her sobs awoke his own grief. He went to a knee next to her, and wrapped his arms around her as well as he could. He squeezed, resting his forehead against her temple in an attempt to offer comfort.

At first she didn’t seem to realize he was there, but she soon uncurled, looking over at him. They shared a look for a moment, before Callie reached for him, and pulled him into her lap in a tight hug. Knuckles didn’t hesitate as he wrapped her arms around her, tucking his nose into the crook of her neck as his own tears fell once more.

The two stayed like that for a long while, holding each other as their shared grief washed over them. Sometimes Callie would cry, and Knuckles would hold her tight. Other times Knuckles would cry, and Callie would rock him gently. And then they would both cry, squeezing each other as though they were the only thing keeping them both from falling apart.

The music continued to play, and the two continued to hold each other. There would be many more tears shed between them, and it would take a long time before it stopped hurting, but for now, they shared their grief, and sought comfort together.

[inestheunicorn]

I love this little guy so much! I've had a blast making all the new clay pins for the Autumn collection 🍂

The Autumn Shop Update will be on September 30 (Saturday) at 11:40 AM (WET - Coimbra, Portugal)! 🎃

I'm doing my best not to steal this pumpkin cutie for myself ehehe!

You'll also find more spooky pins, including cats, ghosties, pigeons, frogs and more!

As usual, the stock is limited to small quantities, so keep an eye on my posts for updates or subscribe to my newsletter since they'll be gone once they're sold out! 🍄

Shop, newsletter & more

[spiffiesttea]

THE FIFTH BIRTHDAY BUS THREAD OF INSANELY COOL ART AND SHILLING!

yesterday for the FIFTH year in a row, i drove the Desert Bus eight hours from Tuscon to Las Vegas... much like last time, i now have the honors of compiling every single piece of fanart and content. oh baby!!!

to start off!! much like last years bout, i made a discord server and gosh golly once again, nearly fifty people from eight different servers came to hang out! along with the fun guest emotes and stickers, we managed to stay in the One Big VC together the entire time. seriously crazy

in terms of TUNES, a good friend of mine, tagger, and producer 3xp0 let me use their music for the stream. kudos to them, you can purchase the album used HERE!

or follow them here on twit and listen to their lastest album HERE

i also must give a MASSIVE!!! shout out to beansprout who you can find

here! here! here!

please sign up to 'eir newsletter, follow the socials, and check out this cute cat 'ey drew!!

next up a SUPER STYLISH!! gif from Cehroaza who you can follow here!

next up a rad as hell blender animation and modeling from deadlysprinklez aka sprinks who you can follow here and here!

TWO pieces of art from the one and only samuel mcbamuel featuring an accurate summery of the bus

next up we have TWO pieces of art from the pixel artist himself, cynicalpoet!! you can follow his stuff here and here

next up we have TWO pieces of traditional art by thatthingaxi, aka axi!! you can follow his stuff here

next up a very quick silly sketch by toby who you can find right here on tumblr!

a brief musical interlude by yeetyote aka yeet who you can listen to here

two little mspaint drawing from etcetera who has a website here or a tumblr right here!

from argee on discord we have a very cute spiffy confetti

AND NOW. totaling EIGHT cool little sketches, we have robin/spooky who you can find right here on tumblr!

next up is STAMPS with two little pixely things, you can find her right here on tumblr!

next up, kin!! i asked her to export an art she did as a png and instead she touched it up with a background and coloring. dedication!! you can find her tumblr art blog here, regular tumblr blog here, as well as a recent Ludum Dare game jam game she did some art for on LDJAM HERE or on NEWGROUNDS HERE.

lastly, i fucking HAD to save this one for last. it is Mayson, aka may, aka maybeher0 with a zero. One of the best to ever do it!! They made a wickedly incredible piece of art that they shared to their tumblr which i have the honor of sharing here. give them a follow on...

TUMBLR! BLUESKY! ARTFOL! INSTA!

(their comms are open rn... just saying!)

with that.... the fifth bus has concluded. current record, 3 successful trips, 2 crashes. Next Year... See you later, Bus Driver...