#exceptional wombats in my book

[petsincollections]

Common wombat standing near burrow

Garst, Warren, 1922-2016, photographer

35 mm slide; color. Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Mammalia; Order: Marsupialia; Family: Vombatidae; Genus: Vombatus; Genus species: Vombatus ursinus. Animal characteristics: Head-Body Length: 90-115 cm; Height: 36 cm; Weight: 22-39 kg; Identification: The wombat has coarse, brown or gray fur and a bare muzzle; Habitat: Temperate forests, heaths, mountains; Diet: Herbivore: grasses; Reproduction: Young wombats can be born any time of the year. They stay in their mother's pouch for 6-7 months and nurse until they are 15 months old; Social Structure: Common wombats will often form stable social relationships with minimal close-quarter contact to minimize aggression; Behavior: Being nocturnal, wombats spend days in underground burrows; Status: No special status; Interesting Facts: The closest relative to the wombat is the koala.

CSU - Garst (Warren and Genevieve) Collection

Mountain Scholar Digital Collections of Colorado

[festivalsofmargot]

Pretty Thoughts {Sebastian Sallow x GN!Reader}

Introduction: Sebastian is down bad for you, my dear reader. But a lot of overthinking on your part makes you blind to it. So, his only option is to keep chasing after you. Takes place after MC meets Anne and before Seb’s final mission. Your Hogwarts house is up to you.

Word Count: ~2700

Warnings: Kissing, Teen Angst

Author’s Note: This is an (un)official Part 2 to Pining in Potions Class. I like writing one shots that could go together if you’d like, but you definitely don’t need to read any other stories to know what’s going on. I love the idea of a clingy Sebastian. Teens finding their first love can feel amazing but they also don’t know how to act. All they know is they want to be with that person at all times.

Songs (if interested):

Kill the Director - The Wombats

Whatever You Like - Single Version - Anya Marina Cover

Wallpaper - Matt Watson

How Long - TALK

You had found Sebastian around you a lot more lately, not that you minded. You enjoyed it, actually. But at the same time, it kept you on edge. Though you hadn’t known the Slytherin for long, this behavior seemed very out of the ordinary for him. When you were first getting to know him, he would be brief and to the point with you, then he was off. He was always prioritizing practicing new spells in the undercroft or going over every book he could get his hands on from the restricted section. 

At first, you thought maybe he had a falling out with Ominis, but then you saw them walking into the dining hall seemingly fine with each other. And then, you made yourself paranoid it had something to do with Anne’s health. But to your relief, he updated you on something funny she wrote in her latest letter to him.

Your early conversations mainly consisted of discussing the things he had found in Salazar Slytherin’s spell book, but that was only a small portion of the time these days. More often than not, the two of you weren’t saying anything at all. He was just there with you. Whether it be studying, laying in the grass and basking in the sun, or sitting with you at breakfast going over some last minute homework. 

He was getting dangerously close to you lately too. He might not have thought anything of it. But you on the other hand? Your mind went reeling. Every time you were together, he would do something simple that made your stomach dance with butterflies. He’d brush your fingers with his, lay his head on your lap while you laid in the grass, and touch his shoulder against yours whenever you sat together in the dining hall.

It was your final class of the day, and you were barely paying attention, your mind thinking back on those light touches you and Sebastian shared. Looking up from your notes to sneak a glance at him, you found he was already staring back at you. The both of you quickly averted your eyes.

With Professor Hecat’s dismissal, all the students made their way out of the classroom. Sebastian caught up to your side.

“Have to cancel our library session. I need to meet with Ominis. Can I still try to see you later?” He looked at you with hopeful eyes, as if he needed you to confirm he could, in fact, see you later.

“O-Of course, Sebastian. I’ll probably be in the library for the rest of the night if you need me.”

He gave you a small smile and nod of his head. He took a few steps backwards to leave, keeping his eyes on you a moment longer, then he turned and went on his way.

- 

Rubbing at your eyes, you were relieved to be nearly done with all of your homework. It was the weekend now, you didn’t need to worry about finishing it all that night, but Sebastian hadn’t come to see you yet. So you stayed a bit longer than anticipated. It was getting late and everyone was gone except for you and Madam Scribner at her desk at the library entrance. 

You’d feel bad if Sebastian showed up and you weren’t there to at least tell him you were done and heading to bed. But if you were too tired, you were too tired. Sebastian wouldn’t be crushed if he turned up and you were gone... right?

You shook the thought from your head and rubbed at your blushing cheeks with the back of your hand. Sebastian doesn’t feel that way about you, he needs to focus on helping his sister. If he wants anything more, he’ll tell you. But then you began thinking about all his small touches again, pulling yourself back into the fantasy.

Shaking the thoughts from your head, you knew you needed a distraction. You decided to get up from your table and explore the shelves for another book. Nothing education related, there had to be something in this humungous library that was just meant for enjoyment. Some fictional story to take your mind off of everything.

Aha! You believed you found just the book. You couldn’t quite tell from the cover, but the title was “My Beloved”. That sounded like a romance novel, right? Plucking the book from the shelf and running your hands across its bindings, you made your way back to your table. Not wanting to sit thanks to the lingering nerves, you opened up the book to a random page and read it over to see if your prediction on the content was correct.

You found it was a romance that took place in a small village. Before you knew it, you were engrossed in the story, picturing yourself and Sebastian as the main characters who were in love. You slowly placed both of your hands on the table, leaning on them as you kept reading, forgetting you could sit back down. It’d really come to this, you were so head over heels for him you were picturing the two of you in a romance novel. A dreamy sigh escaped your lips.

“What are you reading?” Sebastian asked, coming up to your side. Your attention snapped to him. He chuckled at your startled expression and very red complexion. “Uh oh, catch you reading something interesting, did I?” 

"Um...”, You started, but couldn’t think of anything to say. Your mind was still recovering from the romantic scenarios you were just picturing the two of you in. 

Shaking your head and avoiding his gaze, Sebastian took this to mean you were upset with him. His heart sank. “I’m sorry it took me so long. Ominis and I decided to try a new spell and it took us forever to figure out. I was so focused on getting it right, I lost track of time. You’re not leaving soon, are you?”

You gave a small wave of your hand, dismissing his apology. “It’s alright, Sebastian. I got caught up here and... well, lost track of time myself.” You slid the book away from him, slowly closing it, hoping you didn’t look suspicious.

But, of course, Sebastian thought you looked suspicious. He raised a questioning brow at you and glanced at the book.

“What?” You asked innocently, turning away from him and looking down at the romance novel, firing off ideas in your head of how you’d put it away without him figuring out what it was.

“That book you got there. Why are you acting so secretive? Did I catch you reading something interesting after all?” Sebastian got closer, leaning one hand on the table next to the book and peering at it over your shoulder. His chest pressing up against your back. There he went again, giving you the slightest touch and driving you mad. The scent of his cologne filled your nostrils, intoxicating you. In that moment, you were tempted to yank him close and bury your face in his neck.

He turned his head to look at you for an answer, but you couldn’t get yourself to look back. He was so close, his lips were so close. You could make out his freckles out of the corner of your eye, feel his breath against your skin. Did he know what kind of effect he had on you? Was he teasing you? Your lips were moving to speak but no words would come out.

He gave you a playful nudge with his shoulder, prodding you to answer him. “Come on, it can’t be that bad, can it?”

And it wasn’t that bad, at most he would tease you for reading a romance novel. What was holding you back at this point was how nervous Sebastian was making you. As if you weren’t tense enough, he took it a step further and placed both of his hands on either side of you on the table, trapping you in. He rested his chin on your shoulder, taking another peek at the book.

“I never realized how much taller I am than you.” He chuckled, chest humming against your back. Keeping you in place, his callused hands grabbed yours to remove them from covering the title of the book. He held your hands in his while he read it over, then he gave a quiet, amused hum.

You turned in his arms and he lifted his head off your shoulder to meet your gaze. He smiled at you, but it faded when he saw your face. 

“What’s wrong?”

Finally facing him, even with how close he was, your desire took over your reason. And, just for a moment, you allowed yourself to be selfish. “You make me nervous, Sebastian.” You told him in a low tone.

He didn’t think you looked nervous at all. Something was written on your features but he certainly wouldn’t call it ‘nervous’. Your eyes were dark and you licked at your lips. It was brief but it caught his eye, seeing a quick glimpse of your tongue made his head race with all sorts of thoughts.

You too glanced at his lips, not caring if it was obvious what was on your mind.

Seeing your eyes shamelessly stare at his mouth, he froze. He was afraid if he made one wrong move, you’d run. He had wanted to kiss you for a while now, and right then it looked like you wanted to kiss him too. 

Then you did, and his heart went rapid. He had been convinced you could feel it when your hands moved up along his chest until one snaked around his shoulders and the other rested on his neck. His hands left their place on the table to grab your waist, pulling you closer, holding you in place. His warmth enveloped you.

You pulled away to kiss at Sebastian’s neck and his knees went weak. You kissed around the area you pictured he sprayed his cologne. You took an inhale and breathed out, “I always loved this scent on you.” You kissed at the area one more time, sending a pleasant tickling sensation up the back of his neck. His fingers dug deeper into your waist.

You go back to kissing his lips, which were softer than you had imagined. The way he earnestly moved his mouth against yours ignited sparks in your chest. You had wanted him so badly, and you finally had him there in your arms, on the tip of your tongue, for the taking. One of your hands moved to his hair and you reveled in the feeling of his locks between your fingers. 

But the abrupt sound of heels walking along a marble floor slowed your kiss to a halt. Madam Scribner. The two of you were so swept up in the moment you completely forgot other people existed (faculty that Sebastian does not have a good reputation with included).

The two of you left each other’s embrace just as Scribner came into view. Sebastian, hair slightly askew, gave a cough and acted like he was looking over some important papers which were actually your homework pages for a class he didn’t have. All the while, you had managed to open up the romance novel, nodding your head as if you were learning some new herbology methods.

Madam Scribner eyed the two of you while she put away a few books. “Getting late, best finish up before curfew.” And then she was gone, returning to her desk.

You and Sebastian looked at each other, cheeks flushed, and grinning from ear to ear. You bit at your lip and he rubbed the back of his neck. Clearing your throat, you started gathering up your homework and books.

Sebastian watched with an ache to pull you back in and keep kissing you senseless.

“I-I’m sorry I did that. That was selfish of me.” You stammered, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“What do you mean?” He asked, returning to your side, thinking through anything he could have done to make you feel this way. You had helped him through so much, if anything he thought he was the selfish one. You came in as a new fifth year with seemingly endless catching up to do and you had to learn how to wield ancient magic on top of that. Yet, he was unabashed in asking for your help countless times, anything to steal you away for himself.

“Well I-I know how busy you are with your research for Anne and I’d hate to be the one who slowed you down just because I-.” You went quiet, unable to finish the sentence, fingers fumbling to organize the papers in your hands.

“Just because you... what?” He urged on.

“Merlin, Sebastian. Do I need to spell it out for you?” You exhaled, leaving to go put away the books you borrowed, him following close in pursuit.

“Please do.”

“As I said,” You sighed. “You make me... nervous.”

“In a good way or bad way?”

Putting the last of the books away, you turned to face him again. “Good, I suppose.” You confessed, barely above a whisper, unable to meet his gaze.

He tried to bite back the giddy smile forming on his lips. “I make you nervous in a good way.” He repeated back, almost sounding proud.

You nodded your head, looking down at your twiddling thumbs, listening out if he would say how he felt about you.

Sebastian glanced over to Madam Scribner, who made it not so subtle she was keeping an eye on the two of you. “We should start heading to our rooms now, I suppose. Curfew and all.”

Your heart dropped, he didn’t say a thing about reciprocating your feelings. Not even a simple “I feel the same.” He must have only been swept up in the moment, enjoying the attention. Perhaps teenage hormones could make kissing enticing no matter who you were with? Embarrassment filled your every limb and you wanted to run and hide. You gathered your things to go.

“Um, yes. You’re right. We should be going.”

“I’ll walk you.”

“No, that’s alright. At this point, I’m asleep on my feet and you must be exhausted too. I’ll just floo and go straight to bed.”

Your rejection took him aback. “Oh. Well, alright then. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

“Maybe. I’ve got some assignments outside of the castle, might not have time.”

“Well, let me come along to help.” He offered eagerly.

“Don’t worry yourself, just send me an owl if something comes up for Anne. Sleep well, Sebastian.” 

Before he could say anything more, you sped off to the library floo, and then you were gone. He was baffled at your sudden shift, everything was going so well. The two of you kissed and you had confirmed you felt the same as he did. He couldn’t believe he could make someone like you nervous. Hearing you say how you felt about him made him so happy he could burst. But then you were rushing to leave, rejecting his offer to help again. He didn’t think he said anything wrong, he barely said anything at all. Yet off you went, like you couldn’t get away fast enough.

He groaned in frustration as he made his way to his room. He had managed to kiss you and he still felt as distant as ever from you. He had never had the courage to outright tell you how he felt, so he would constantly toe the line with his touches. The brushing fingers, laying his head on your lap, sitting as close as he could to you in the dining hall, and now a kiss, all of which you seemed to welcome.

Sebastian laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, going back and forth in his head what your actions tonight meant. You had waited in the library for him all that time, you initiated the kiss, said you liked - no - loved his cologne, told him he made you nervous in a good way, and then you wanted nothing more to do with him. He replayed the whole night and he couldn’t pin down where he went wrong. 

He’d have to find you first thing in the morning, before you could leave.

[sarcasmandships]

17 questions, 17 people (except i think we lost some questions along the way and i don’t know 17 people on here)

nickname: not really a nickname since it’s longer than stella, but my mum will say ‘stella for star’ cos it’s a streetcar named desire reference

sign: scorpio, i know nothing about star signs but i always thought scorpio sounded the coolest

height: 5’7

last thing i googled: intensive language courses near me (i rlly want to practice my french)

last song stuck in your head: about you by the 1975, matty healy is haunting me

number of followers: 1196, shoutout to anyone who’s still here from when i was a death note blog

amount of sleep: my average over the last 7 days is 4 hours a night 👍🏼

lucky number: 29

dream job: clinical psychologist, just need to get into a clinical doctorate programme (v unlikely as they’re so so competitive)

favourite song: pink lemonade by the wombats (could never pick one but this is my default answer for this question cos it was my favourite when i was 15)

favourite instrument: piano

aesthetic: 90s grunge always

favourite author: i don’t rlly read many books by the same author just random ones, but i really like michel bussi’s books

random fun fact: i know every single word to we didn’t start the fire by billie joel, that’s fun

thanks u sm for @scilessweetheart for tagging me n sorry this took so long!

tagging @junkyardromeo @lemonfloatz (no pressure) n anyone else who wants to join!!

[olivers-cocoapuffs]

I am trying to think of more ways I can variate your name that aren't Ollie or Olive. It is surprisingly hard.

I just made a post about assigning fandoms to people I know so I am going to inform you that I associate Stranger Things, the entirety of Draco Malfoy and his friends, and a few other miscellaneous things with you

alright, so question-y questions

(I'm in a weirdly good mood?)

I am thinking a lot about comfort things. Specifically, comfort things that you would and wouldn't expect to be comforting. For instance, the toy I've had since I was like six? Comforting. That random show I watched one day in 2019? Not so much.

Anyway, I'd like to know if you have any of these or just opinions on the matter.

I realise this is quite an odd question so I'm also going to ask what your favourite animal is

Have an exceptional day

(Also I debated making a comment about how Athena would love you because she created Olives and they're like sacred to her and everything but I scrapped it because I edit everything like it's going to be graded when I'm in a good mood. Anyway, probably a weird thought but I'm decided to give you the comment anyway because idk trivia? let's go with that)

I don’t think there really are unless you pull out the middle name but then you just sound like my parent.

I saw that! To me you’re the sun and the star (the entirety of the book) and the original series but the Riodanverse in general. Also Derry Girls (and the sunrise but that’s neither here nor there) I’m kind of curious about the other things tbh 👀

(that’s good)

I think comfort items are more common with the neurodivergent community as a way to regulate themselves! I have a weighted elephant that I got in year 7 after I broke my ankle, or a lil llama that I named Patchie (which is actually his nickname)

I don’t think I have one ngl. Maybe a wombat? Or a shark. Do you have one??

(Athena may or may not have had something to do with my name choice. She’s my favourite goddess)

[tsyllaes]

I thought I'd try something different for the fauna art for the Big Book of Stuff, going for the sort of old school wildlife plates they did back before photography, when this was the only way of documenting the weird wildlife they were discovering in Australia. In looking up refs I found some real doozies of wombats, omg. It's like one person drew a wombat once, then everyone started just copying each others drawings of the wombat and it just Chinese whispered itself into this long kind of rodent-looking thing with dainty little feets. One had a joey in its pouch but the pouch was the wrong way--wombats have backwards-facing pouches so they don't fill them up with dirt when they're digging. And this is like. Anatomical art of the creatures for scientific study and stuff!

Anyway. Going for that sort of look and feel but more accurate. Kinda. They're still cartoony and cute but shuddup.

The big one at the back with the extra hook on the helmet is the male, the other two with hemlets are females, and the little one that straight up looks like a wombat except the hind feet is the joey. They're born without their helmet (which duh, they're born the size of jellybeans and crawl into the pouch) and the helmet doesn't start developing until they're fully-grown, when their skull thickens and grows, fur falls out and skin starts dying and flaking off. It's not painful for them at all, just like a deer losing its antler fuzz. The helmets came from one of my favourite wombat facts: when they're being chased by a predator, they'll run very fast back to their burrow but not go all the way in, just hide there with their butt out the hole. The predator (which is, let's be honest, a dingo, cos we don't have anything else big enough to take on a wombat) can't get through their butt, though, because the wombat will butt-clench so hard that the predator can't bite into them. So the predator will try climbing over its back to get to the fleshy neck, and the wombat will straighten its back legs and crush the predator's head between its rock-hard butt and the roof of its burrow. I just took the nira a step further and gave them a helmet :D

They're red-brown to blend in with the desert, have silver backs to reflect the sunlight and keep them cooler, and dark paws for no other reason than they looked a bit bland and solid if I left them the same red-brown as the rest of them. Joeys don't get their colouration until they start growing their helmets.

They're solitary animals and only come together to mate, when often two males will fight over one female. Female doesn't necessarily go for the winner, though, and often just wanders off to leave them to it. Joeys leave the pouch at around 8 months old, then their mother moves them on to let them fend for themselves once their helmet has grown, when they begin nursing a new joey, or whenever she decides it's time.

Raykinians farm them for food, keeping them in pens of no more than, like, four females because they can get aggressive if they're too crowded together. They taste kinda like lamb but tougher and more gamey, and they have fatty bellies that make great bacon. I mean. Look at them. They pudgey. Their hide is also used, due to the afforementioned toughness, as armour for the army and as soles for sandles and shoes as it's so hard-wearing.

[thewatermelloncat]

Six Weeks and Stuffed Wombats

Week Two

Summary: There is a saying that things get worse before they get better. Only two sessions in, Rosé didn’t think that her friendships would already start to suffer.

Prologue Week One

“Yesterday I didn’t do all of, since I wasn’t really home” Rosé brings up one of the empty thermometers as she hands her book over for Tamisha to look at. 

“That’s okay” Tamisha says. “Were you out late?”

Rosé shakes her head. “No, I stayed over at Denali’s.”

“Was there something that happened at home?” Tamisha frowns, remembering Rosé telling her last week about how she stays over with Denali when things aren’t great for her.

“No, it was just because” Rosé explains. “I had choir practice early this morning and her place is closer. So, it’s just easier sometimes.”

“Did practice go better than last week?” Tamisha asks.

Rosé grinds her lip between her teeth with a sigh. She should have known that her panic attack would be brought up at some point, but she thought that it would have been in the first week. The fact that they’d seemingly skipped over it made her feel like they wouldn’t have to talk about it. Except by now her luck has run out.

“Yeah, it went better” she finally answers.

“And your teacher apologised for last week?”

Rosé nods.

“Do they know how what they said affected you?”

“I don’t know… I hope not.”

“Do you have panic attacks often, Rosé?” Tamisha picks up her book, ready to write a note down.

“I don’t think so. I don’t really know what often means” she admits.

“One or more a month.”

“Then no” Rosé answers. “Only one or two every few months, maybe. It jumps around a bit.”

“So, you can’t find any patterns between them?” Tamisha’s pen hovers over the page. “No common factors, like stress or certain places?”

For a while Rosé sits in silence, far longer than it takes her to think of the answer. Then she finally nods.

“Could you share what they are?” Tamisha prompts gently, noticing Rosé’s hesitance to speak.

“I don’t sleep so well a lot of the time. I just... I don’t know” – Rosé sighs – “nightmares just seem childish.”

“Adults and children are just as likely to have them as each other. They’re a normal way of processing information” Tamisha assures.

“I always thought that dream reading stuff was mythical” Rosé frowns sceptically.

Tamisha smiles faintly. “Well, I don’t think they’re in anyway prophetic. But while we sleep our brain uses that time to process events and emotions. Just often in a way that doesn’t make any sense” she explains. “Can you tell me what normally happens in yours?”

Rosé takes a breath before she answers, “I’m normally in my room, in my bed, and I can’t move. I never know why, but I just can’t.”

“And how do you feel?”

“Stuck” Rosé scoffs a laugh, but her eyes shift uncomfortably. Her hand gripping onto the fabric of her jacket.

Tamisha stays silent, waiting for her to list more.

“Scared.” Rosé’s smile drops before she adds more quietly, “helpless.”

“And do you ever know why you’re scared?”

“Sometimes… sometimes it’s my dad, but there’s this other person… he… he’s not in all of them, but the ones with him are the worst.”

“And this other person, what does he do?” Tamisha asks gently.

“He… I’m sorry, I don’t” – Rosé cuts herself off with a sigh. Shaking her head before she looks away.

“That’s okay” Tamisha backs away for a moment. Then she notices Rosé’s hand gripped tightly at the edge of her jacket and reaches forward to pick up the stuffed wombat from the table between them. Handing it out for her to hold instead.

Rosé scoffs softly as she takes the stuffed toy from her. “I never had one of these.”

Tamisha smiles back at her reassuringly before she asks a different question, “do you know the person?”

Rosé nods, looking down at the toy as her thumbs stroke into its fur. “Family friend… of my parents anyway. Every time he stays over it’s a sure bet that I won’t sleep through that night.”

“Do your parents know how you feel about this friend?”

Rosé purses her lips sadly. “They don’t care.”

“And what about this friend, do they know how you feel about them?”

“I don’t think they care either” Rosé says quietly before she looks up again. “I’m sorry, can we move on?”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

“More homework” Rosé huffs out a breath as she stops at the table in the cafeteria. Dropping her book on the surface and not caring about the few sets of eyes that get drawn her way at the loud smack.

“It’s to help you Rosie” Denali reminds her, looking up from her lunch.

“I know. It’s just” — Rose breaks herself off with a frustrated sigh as she drops into a chair. Then she leans forward to cradle her head over the table.

“What is it this time?” Denali scoffs a little at her dramatics.

“A dream journal” Rosé says, pushing herself back up again. “Which you can’t tell me doesn’t sound like the most childish thing to write about.”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I’ve thought about having one since I think it would be cool to go back and read all the weird things I think of” Denali admits. “Except I’d have to write really quick since I forget my dreams super fast.”

“Lucky” Rosé grumbles, sinking her head into her hands.

“Did she say why you had to do it?” Denali asks.

“Something about not processing things fully when we’re awake - like how we just brush stuff off with reasoning. Then that affects how we sleep because we’re subconsciously still thinking about it.” 

“You do just brush a lot of stuff off” Denali points out.

Rosé only hums because it’s kind of a fair statement. Except she still doesn’t want to write things down that she doesn’t want to remember in the first place. “She also gave me breathing exercises” she voices further complaint.

“Oh, those are fun!” Denali immediately smiles, sitting up straighter in her seat. “We do them sometimes in skating for competition preparation…”

Denali’s excited rambling continues but Rosé starts to tune it out.

She bets Denali wouldn’t think from such a high and mighty place if she had to do the exercises herself. A dream journal isn’t some ‘dear diary’ bullshit where she can write down the name of her crush surrounded by love hearts.

“… sometimes at training we get to lie on a bench for a couple of minutes practicing them while we visualise our routines…”

And for her breathing exercises are a break from an intensive training session, not some obligated task that she has to do within her own time.

“… they say it also helps with body awareness, but they’re really just fun to do—”

“I know how to breathe, Denali!” Rosé snaps. “I wouldn’t be alive if I didn’t!”

Denali cuts her spiel off and sits in a stunned silence.

Immediately Rosé knows she should feel bad about what she said - how she said it - but for now she can’t be bothered to apologise. She catches Denali looking at her warily, but she locks her jaw to keep herself from biting anything back about it.

Across the table Denali reads the warning glare Rosé holds toward her, but she catches that there is guilt in there as she then looks away. She could probably ask for an apology and Rosé would give it to her, but for now she won’t push it and she looks away as well.

So, they both fall into silence and no words are said for the rest of lunch.

[lunaraindrop]

Cactus, sage and jasmine 💛

Yay! Thank you for asking, darling wombat of awesomeness! 😊

Cactus: The last time I did this particular ask list, I was asked this same thing. I put down ASL because I added it to my preschool curriculum, and it has always interested me.

But let's dig a little deeper, shall we? I'm a Ravenclaw, and I always love to learn things. Instead of something new, though, I feel like I am revisiting old things that I used to like or find interesting. I feel like I am still slowly but surely recovering *me* from the mental stagnation during and post Pandemic.

That being said, I am collecting easy to sew patterns for stuffed animals to sew by hand, and have taken up doodling and water color. Make no mistake, I kinda suck at all of these. My job hardly gives me enough time to turn around twice. But they make me smile. 😊

Sage: I love the written word. The ability to paint a picture with words is beautiful and fascinating. But, one of my all time favorite art mediums is music. Music was one of my best friends and favorite escapes as a child. Music is my biggest motivator. I listen to music when I cook. I listen to music in my car. I dance down the cereal aisle. I love to sing at the top of my lungs. I have heard such beautiful crescendos that I have been moved to tears. I love everything from Rock, to Broadway, to Disney, and so much in between. My playlists are insane.

Jasmine: I'm afraid this answer will not be about a book or a movie, but a show. I cannot, will not, watch Season 5 and the end of Season 4 of The Magicians. To this day it guts me. It makes me so angry, and heartbroken. I refuse to except that Quentin Coldwater died like that. That everyone that loved him just...let him go. Gave up. Did not fight for him. That we lost yet another LGBT character that dared to love and live their life. Quentin Coldwater deserves so much better than that. I trust him in the hands of the lovely fic writers. 💜

[rebelspy]

I posted 572 times in 2022

29 posts created (5%)

543 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@twancingyunhao

@mommas-wombats

@thevampywolf

@thepixelelf

@gamerwoo

I tagged 331 of my posts in 2022

Only 42% of my posts had no tags

#hahaha - 20 posts

#cori rambles - 14 posts

#this is cute - 9 posts

#my lixie - 9 posts

#cori talks - 9 posts

#this is adorable - 7 posts

#haha - 6 posts

#my ⛰️ - 6 posts

#send me anons - 6 posts

#i laughed so hard - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#so i recently had foot surgery. and its taking me such a long time to do simple things because i barely have been cleared to stand again

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

The amount of adorable in this photo!

I haven't wanted a pillow/squish so bad in a long time. I want a bbokari pillow. It would match my RJ bighead plushie.

Also as much as I LOVE blonde Felix. Look at this man! He is stunning!

1 note - Posted May 31, 2022

#4

The other day my friends and I were discussing what kind of drunk I would be. **note none of us drink**

We all decided I would be like Hoshi if I was drunk. That is all

2 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

#3

When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you’ve written/fics you’re most proud of, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love.

I was tagged by the lovely @flurrys-creativity 💕

I've been a little MIA lately with my own medical stuff happening but I really am happy to share my top 5 favorite fics I've written!

I have written for a few different kpop groups. However 4 of my top 5 fav fics I've written have been for Stray Kids

Park Guell - This Jacob fic is actually based on my time at Park Guell in Barcelona. I don't have the cute relationship I wrote about. However I did have a cute little boy who I chatted with for about twenty minutes. So this fic was based on that interaction, and how I wish someone would look at me in that situation. This fic makes me happy and fit Jacob so well.

Hoplessly Devoted - this Han fic was such a silly one to write. I felt like crap when I wrote it. I started writing it because I needed a distraction. I'm glad I did write it, a lot of people enjoyed it.

Masquerade - I had never written a soul mate au before. I am very proud of this work. The world I created in this fic made me happy. I like the concept of it being your eyes that change, so i wrote it. Hyunjin worked so well to lead into this world, I'm excited for the next one (which is in the works).

Invisible - This Lee Know story actually started off as a Bang Chan story. However the characters quickly made that change for me. I really love this story how it played out. I also LOVE Halloween so I took lore from D&D, Supernatural, and many other 'creepy' things and combined them in this story.

Knights Tale: The Nature worker - This is the fic I believe I am most proud of. I put in a lot of effort into this one, sadly it has gotten very little love. Maybe it's the length? Anyways this story was always meant for Changbin. I always have pictured him to be a wonderful knight. In fact this is a world I hope to expand in as well. The other stories will follow the other skz Knights and nobles. I just haven't gotten to writing them yet.

Now to tag some of my favorite authors! Feel free to do this or not. 💕 @missskzbiased @mxxndreams @ateez-angel @blossom-hwa @thepixelelf

2 notes - Posted May 22, 2022

#2

I found more stairs while on my trip.

It was amazing "unplugging" for a week. (I still had my phone though it was just a fancy camera for that week).

I'll be honest I didn't write, none of the docs nor music worked on my phone like they said they would.

So I colored, and I read so many books! I read 4/5books (one of which was 5 stories in one). All of which had 300+ books except for one about Felix the dancing spider that was a children's book yet it was entertaining nonetheless.

I have ideas for stories. I have found I need to reorder some of my WIPs because they needed some changes.

Anyways I have returned.

I hope your all well!

4 notes - Posted January 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Kpop anatomy diagram. Featuring Minhyuk from BtoB

Part 2. My favorite back muscles 😅

@silvfeather being as you asked for a back one lol

18 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thewrongshop]

Orchid and Jasmine for the ask game?

Orchid: what’s a song you consider to be perfect?

Hmmm this is tough bc I cycle through songs I love so quickly but one I keep coming back to is Wired Differently by the Wombats!! I’ve known it for years and every time I hear it I still get excited :)

Jasmine: do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

I’d have to go with something I loved a long time ago - maybe the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I was very into those books in late middle/early high school, but my tastes have changed and I don’t think I’d go back to them except maybe for nostalgia! There was a Lot going on with those books that I don't think I'd really be okay with reading now though

[cryptidsurveys]

Monday, September 9th, 2024.

Have you ever had the chicken pox? Yes, but I was too young to remember the experience.

How often do you do laundry? Something like 2-3 times per week.

Have you ever been evicted? No.

Would you grow your own garden? I have in the past. I was too busy (or at least honest with myself and my priorities) to bother with it last year. However, depending on what my life looks like next spring, I might consider growing some tomatoes.

Do you know anyone who snores? My dad.

What is your favorite font? I'm not sure… I'm struggling to choose between fonts that look nice and fonts that are easy on the eyes (probably a symptom of getting older because I used to love teeny tiny little fonts; the kind you needed an electron microscope to see).

Do you know what a wombat is? Yeah.

Would you make a good movie critic? Naw. I'm just not that insightful or analytical. I also don't feel like I have enough experience or background with films to make an informed critique. My thoughts typically boil down to whether I personally liked it or not and have little to do with any broader context, etc.

What goal are you aiming for this year? I want to find a comfortable work/life balance, and I want to learn how to be more effective in terms of setting boundaries, managing my time, etc.

Are you currently reading any books at the moment? A Short History Of The World by H. G. Wells. I needed something I could read during my lunch breaks at the shelter, and that's what I ended up grabbing.

When I say ‘foxy lady’ what comes to mind? Mostly just this new kitten who came in from ISO the other day - her name is Foxy and her sister's name is Tofu.

Would you have liked to have lived during the Victorian times? Naw mate.

Would you own a Siamese cat? We have in the past - four of them, in fact.

Do you like deviled eggs? Yeah.

What tends to upset you? Many things, but lately it's been when genuinely kind and decent people speak up about negative shit and are made to feel as though they are the problem.

What’s the farthest you’ve walked? Something like 13-14 miles.

What is your favorite horror movie? I don't have a favorite atm. In the past (I know it's really basic, but) probably the Saw films. I think I've seen all but the most recent one.

What does your favorite shirt look like? I don't have a favorite shirt.

Is your life like a daily routine? Yeah. I wouldn't say it's entirely dictated by routine, but it's heavily influenced by it.

Were you ever told as a child if you eat carrots you’ll have pretty eyes? I was told that they were good for my eyesight.

What career are you most interested in? It's not really a "career," but a kennel tech at the animal shelter.

Have you ever seen a rooster? Yeah. Most likely at the State Fair.

What time do you usually wake up? 5:30am-5:45am. Well, that's when I get up on most days. I often wake up about 30-60 minutes prior to that.

What made you feel most accomplished in your life so far? Getting this far in terms of recovery/mental illness. Volunteering at the animal shelter. Learning to drive again. Getting back into art and actually sticking with it.

Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? Yeah.

What are you allergic to? I supposedly have a "sensitivity" to gluten (not celiac), but aside from that, nothing that I know of.

Do you ever feel like people hold things you do or say against you? Only certain people. I hold things they say and do against them in return, though, so…fair is fair…?

What can’t you afford but wish you could? Home repair/renovations. My own apartment (or idealistically - a cabin in the mountains). A trip to Japan.

What is your favorite Daft Punk song? I don't have one.

Do you know anything about Watts? Watts who…? Or are you just talking about the unit of measurement…? Lol I had to look this up, but the watt is named after James Watt; except that doesn't answer the "Watts" question. The only "Watts" I can think of is Alan Watts.

How many miles are on your car? Approximately 65,600.

What is your favorite scent to smell around this time of year? Autumnal spices, baked goods, rain, smoke from nearby fireplaces…

How many lamps are in your room? There are two salt lamps if those count. No regular lamps, though.

Do you own a flare gun? I don't.

What is one thing you usually have in common with some people? Just some people? We're just hangin' in there, just tryin' to get by, just tryin' to have a good time.

What is your favorite number? 19 has this strange significance in my life.

What is your favorite type of museum? Lol I really want to go to a Bigfoot museum.

Have you ever been inside the Statue of Liberty? No.

Ever felt like you were being held hostage? Not exactly. But stuck somewhere against my will? Yes.

What is your favorite candy bar? As a chocolate candy fiend, that's tough. I'm honestly not that picky, but anything with cookie wafers, nuts, caramel…

What is your favorite book you’ve read this year? Dune or House Of Suns. I think I read them both within the last year anyway.

If you had children or do would you tell them the truth about Santa Claus? I don't plan on having children. I can only speak from my own experience to say that I loved the whole Santa Claus thing.

What color are your slippers? Dark blue, maroon, and gray/white.

[ybloodrent]

Meet our Boys.

Jodie

Hey, it's Jodie speaking. are you in for an adventure? hop on and I'll show you around a few things that you'll see in my constellation. I am an adventurous soul, ruled by the god of night. yes, I'll be at my prime condition after the noon and into the night. I love exploring possibilities, including the art of conversation down to the passionate details two person can make in a private and exclusive space. Everything piqued my interest, so milady, you won't ever need to worry about running out of topic.

I have personal interest in films, art, and astrology. I'm down for movie dates, any genre will do. spotify session? sure, let's make our own party for two. I adore Novo Amor, Bon Iver, The Temper Trap, and The Wombats. but I'm always open for suggestion. I'm hella good at conversation games. o, you'll figure out much more from that alone, milady.

I am also available if you just want to vent, need a comfortable hugs, and maybe one or two pieces of advice. whether you're in it for wild adventures, fun, or comfort. I'm a boyfriend you can count on.

Do :

Any form of online dates (except games, I don't do gaming)

vn and phone calls are available under special circumstance.

NSFW/Daily Life Imagine.

Don't :

Ask for questions beyond the Identity of the talent.

Leave me alone, I'll miss you bad.

Sham

This guy with the gang sign Leo is willing to be your boyfriend. Sham is a man who is gentle, caring, likes to compliment you by calling you "Beautiful" , "Baby" or something else. Sham likes someone who likes to talk a lot about his day, his likes, or small things that don't matter but you still talk to me, I will give you appreciation in every little achievement you do. Sham can't have to be with you 24/7 but I can give you a little tidbit when I'm slow to reply to your messages. Sham is a worker as well as a student. At the age of 22+, Sham needs a friend or partner to build a warm chat atmosphere.

Do:

Do what you like as long as it's polite.

Request typing

I'm available for spotses, movie date, au date, e-book date and painting date.

Stay up late.

Don't:

Ask about exes, family, parents.

[troubleabroad]

ICY

Today was a DIY day, Buggalugs off to the American Natural History Museum (The site of wombat misinformation {go back to the first ever blog to read about it}), and for me Greenwich village for record stores and general hipsterness. I got the subway down to greenwich, and again flaked it walking out on the right street. Needing some fuel, i didn’t opt for the standard NYCharcuterie, and instead went and gt myself another bagel.

This one was a little less fast paced than the first one, but still just as abrupt. Walking to the first record store, the streets were a lot different to chelsea. These ones were lined with trees, and little parks on every second corner. As opposed to homeless people, trash and bag sellers that I’m used to. The first store was an absolute disaster. Quantity does not mean quality. However, on the walk there I did notice a lot of actors trailers. So they’re filming something in the area. Turns out it was right next for to the record store. No idea what was being filmed, it was some sort of funeral. Instead of whatever room they used, the should have gone to the record store. Felt like many a thing had gone there to die… Outside of the usual code name trailers, i did spot one that was titled “Macaulay” so as far as I’m concerned, that was the home of Macaulay Culkin. And i won’t here any rational reasons why it wasn’t. I left the set and went to the second record store, also a bust, then on to a third which was brilliant. Thanks to a tip off from an insider back home I went to said store.

Leaving a small donation there, i had heard of a great book store nearby too. By “great” it was shite. It could have been another location for a funeral home for whatever they were filming.

I left greenwich and headed back home as it was getting into the late afternoon, and i had to make it to Madison Square Garden for the ice hockey!

Thankfully the apartment is basically at the entrance to madison square, so it was a uick 1 minute walk from the room to the security check of the ground. One thing that is incredibly annoying here is that at any major event, museum, flight, attraction. You have to empty your pocket and walk through a security guarded metal detector. waiting time could be cut in half if they just let people go in and be half-arse swabbed by some bloke with a metal detector.

Anyway, once it was through the worlds toughest security, it was up to the nose bleed section to take my seat and watch the game.

This was of course after a stop at the bar that serve full sized pints (by US standards) of full strength (By any standards) beer. One thing about MSG (the stadium not the additive) is that all the seats are theatre style padded. So no plastic bucket style seat that were used to back home, these are cushioned bottom and back for your comfort. How this isn’t a thing back home is beyond me. Enough of the comfort, its game time. We all rise, remove our hats (beers are welcome though) and everyone sings the anthem. 

Not as sacred as what we have back home, people in new york have just added their on lyrics during the song, which seems kinda on the nose, but anyway, we finish that with a cheer then its game time between the New York Rangers and the Anaheim (mighty) Ducks. Personally i was going for the ducks for obvious reasons, but after the first new york goal, it was hard to not go for them. Their support was fantastic, A very fun game took place, i got to have beer, popcorn and a hotdog, and new york won. Which means that its the first time i’ve seen a winning home team in america! This meant i could bask in the glory of the home team! Sing the song, meet the players, walk out with music pumping!! Except none of that happens, New York fans left early (they were winning), there’s no song, no celebration. The players just nod to each other and then they leave the ice. Hate to see what happens when they lose. After the game, it was another minute back home where I met back up with buggalugs an we exchange stories of the day. Due to an awkward game time, and a few froffies, i had developed a bit of an appetite, as had buggalugs after not having dinner. So being late, we thought we’d try a local, late night, burger place. McDonalds. Mcdonalds here is weird. A large is basically family size, and the options are wild. Also, the late night clientele of a mcdonald’s ind new york is very unsavoury, but we stuck by it and ordered our nuggets and fries and ridiculously large drink and headed back to the loft. After devouring the food, equal if not slightly better than home, it was time to call it a day. We’ve got out last full day in New York tomorrow, hoping to do some sort of tall building, check out a couple of other sights and tidy up any lose ends before we head to portland later in the week

[wombadoodles]

This Just In: Geralt Of Rivia Tries Very Hard To Alienate All His Friends, Fails; In Related News: Dandelion The Poet Baps His Best Friend Over The Head With A Metaphorical Rolled Up Newspaper, Tells Him To Get Over Himself And Just Eat His Godsdamned Soup Already

Me, reading Baptism of Fire in the Witcher series

[gaming]

Indie Game Spotlight: The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game

Spoopy season isn’t quite over in this week’s Indie Game Spotlight. In The Haunted Island, a small sloth has been haunted for weeks by a mysterious ghost that nobody can seem to track down. There’s a mystery afoot, and the only one who can solve it is the renowned investigator known simply as The Detective. Finding clues and questioning suspects is just part of the job for such an experienced frog, but this case is a tough fly to catch.

We spoke to Grace Bruxner, who is the creative director of Worm Club, and responsible for the art, writing, and design, among other things. Also in Worm Club is her partner Thomas Bowker, who works on the UX and programming, and their composer Dan Golding, who makes lovely jazzy tunes (fun fact: Dan also did the music for Untitled Goose Game).

The Haunted Island looks like it has a lot of different animal friends. What kind of animals can we expect to meet?

So many animals! We have a sheep, a duck, a sloth, a wombat, a koala (gotta get that Australian representation in somewhere!), and, of course, a frog. I am probably forgetting a few. We basically chose animals that wouldn’t look horrifying standing up. Some people still think they’re horrifying, but that’s not my problem, really.

What kinds of gameplay mechanics can we expect?

In terms of mechanics, The Haunted Island is a super simple game that focuses on talking to silly characters and helping everyone out, in order to solve the mystery. It does have several un-skippable cutscenes, which have been described as “why can’t I skip the cutscenes.” Mechanics—who needs ‘em! Except for, like, car mechanics, I guess.

Are there any detective-genre movies, books, or games that helped inspire the game?

We had a volunteer at PAX West who described the game as “Animal Crossing meets LA Noire," which is kind of true. I haven’t played Animal Crossing yet, but I really liked LA Noire. It has so many silly moments that aren’t intentional, and I wanted to sort of emulate those moments in my game. I also love Agatha Christie novels, as well as the live-action Poirot TV show, but unfortunately, a lot of those older detective shows and books have some problematic content. As far as I know, we have no weirdly racist bits in the game (I really hope we don’t, as I am the one who wrote it). Frog Detective doesn’t take itself very seriously, but all the characters do. I find inspiration from shows that I find sort of accidentally funny because of the dialogue. For example, Degrassi and Riverdale both have very funny dialogue, which seems mostly unintentional, though I’m sure the writers have fun with it.  

Have you learned any interesting frog facts while working on the game?

Frog Detective isn’t a super educational game, so I haven’t done a whole lot of frog-related research, but I will say I recently learned that frogs and toads are basically the same creatures, biologically speaking. They’re classified as frogs or toads depending on their size!

What do you hope players will take away from your game?

That it’s OK to be second best.

Ready to hop on in? You can find out more about The Haunted Island, as well as its successor, Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard, over on Worm Club’s website, or simply check it out at your favorite online vendors.

[solarwindswriting]

Oh, The Places You’ll Go

Chapter 6

First Chapter / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Loosely inspired by the song Greek Tragedy by the Wombats

Pairing: Scotty x FemalePresenting!Reader

Word Count: 1802

Summary: Y/n and Scotty get to know each other better over a late night cup of tea.

Warnings: none that I can think of

A/N: I mentioned it in a separate post, but something came up recently that has taken my will to write fluff like this right out of me. So sorry, but since this is the last prewritten part I have, I’m going to take a bit of a break. Thank you guys for understanding!

Tags: @mournthewicked @damalseer​

Scotty had finished his prep for the away mission after his break with Y/n, Sara, and Keenser. That was the first time in about 10 years since he’s danced, let alone with someone else. It took him twice as long to finish preparing as he got lost in his thoughts. How Y/n’s hands held so tight to his, or how her hips swayed to the music, or how laughter fell from her lips like the song of fairies on the Scottish hillside. Scotty shook his head as he walked into the mess hall. Grabbing a tray, he looked around the room to see who was there. He saw Y/n sitting with a group of the younger crew, he’d hate to be the oldest one sitting there. He finally saw Spock and Bones eating at a table in the corner. On his way, he hears Y/n say something rather enthusiastically.

“Fine! Yes, I like Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott in an unprofessional way.” she laughs.

He makes eye contact with Sara who was facing him, Y/n soon turning to see him as well. Y/n jumps up and leaves before he can say anything. Sara follows her soon after stopping in front of him.

Sara’s mouth opens and closes a couple of times, trying to find the right words. “If what I saw earlier is true, you need to tell her.”

His brow still stitched together, he sits with Bones and Spock.

“Oh, good. Someone who can settle this debate...” Bones starts.

Scotty mindlessly eats his food as the two commanders continue to debate about whether a certain civilization is ready for the first contact or not. He finishes his food about 30 minutes later, getting up to leave.

“Woah, Scotty, you’re not even going to add a story about your grandmother?” Bones asks.

“Ah, not tonight, gotta prepare for tomorrow,” he lies, leaving the mess hall without another word.

Scotty goes to deck 5 to go to bed. But before he realized it, he’s knocking on someone's door.

***

Y/n opens the door, shocked to see Scotty standing there, bright red cheeks and all.

“Um, can I help you?” Y/n squeaks out, pulling the robe tightly around her body.

“Ay, lassie, can I come in?” He asks with a slight cough coming up.

“It’s sort of late, shouldn’t you be in bed?” She starts. “We have a pretty big mission tomorrow, after all.”

“ I couldn’t help but overhear what you said in the mess hall and thought I ought to come to talk to you,” Scotty almost whispers, looking at the ground.

“No need. I know you don’t feel that same. I’m fine with leaving it at that. Have a goodnight, Lieutenant Commander.” Y/n steps back to close the door, when Scotty sticks out his foot, preventing it from doing so.

“Lassie, will you just listen for just a minute?” He looks at her in the eyes finally.

She steps to the side, lifting her arm, motioning for him to come in. He looks around her personal quarters. Shelves littered with nick nacks from all over the galaxy, and books with worn spines in languages he couldn’t recognize.

“Can I get you anything? Tea? A beer?” She asks, walking to her replicator.

“Tea sounds nice,” he mutters, looking around still.

On the wall hung four certificates; two bachelors in biology and physics, certification in the handling of hazardous material, and training for command of a ship. He walks up to the mall table with two chairs and takes a seat. On the table sat a bowl of fruit and a framed photo of younger-looking y/n, and Sara, an older woman that looks shockingly like Y/n except with completely black iris’, and a dog at what looks like a fair.

Y/n sets a mug in front of Scotty, and peers at the photo. Scotty notices how her hand shakes as she sets down the mug.

“That was from my first year in the academy, back when I thought I was going to be a captain of my very own starship,” Y/n hums to herself, shaking her head side to side softly, taking a seat across from Scotty. “So, go ahead, you have a minute.”

“You have a dog?” Scotty procrastinates the topic as long as he can.

“Yeah, he belongs to my mom. Full bred German Shepard. Why she insisted he be full-bred, I’ll never know. He’s the dumbest creature in all the galaxy though.” She pauses before continuing, “You’re deflecting.”

Scotty takes a deep breath and sips from his mug before starting. “Now, lassie, I’ve been doing this job a very long time. And I threw myself even deeper into it once I thought I’d never find someone to spend my spare time with. I even tried a few times, getting out there and doing the whole dating thing. With this line of work though, there were times when I simply couldn’t be there like I should have been and I hurt those I care deeply about. But I’ve got to be honest with ye, I canne stop thinking about you. And I truly thought myself selfish. You’re so much younger than me, you see. I assumed you’d never think the same of me, some old man who works in engineering. But then we started to have tea most evenings, and I let myself lean into getting to know you, which just made things worse for me.” Scotty chuckles, sipping from the mug, looking anywhere but Y/n.

Y/n noted how his words became thicker with his accent the longer we went on and how he said that all in seemingly one breath. She didn’t know how to respond, that was the last thing she had expected him to say. So she stayed silent, sipping from her mug, waiting to see if he had anything left to say.

“Wait, you were training to become a captain? Well, that explains the odd Starfleet insignia you wear.” Scotty chuckles looking at the woman he was pretending he didn’t just admit his feelings to.

Y/n looks at him confused, shaken by his sudden shift in demeanor and topic.

“I um, yes. But I don’t see how that pertains to what we’re talking about,” she looks at him, head tilting and eyebrows stitching together.

Y/n, quite frankly, didn’t know what to say. She just looks at him for a good long while.

“Should I go, lassie?” Scotty starts to stand up.

Y/n stands, letting go of her death grip on her robe, and grabs his hand.

“You’re much better with words than I am, Montgomery. And I think you think I’m much younger than I am,” her words come out rushed, almost as quickly as her heart is beating.

“How old are you?” Not until now does he realize he never found out her age.

“I’m 29,” she chuckles.

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed a day over 24,” Scotty speaks, almost shocked.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Y/n chuckles out before looking up at him with hope filled eyes. “Does that mean you’ll stay and finish your tea?”

Scotty smiles and sits back down, “I’ll stay as long as you’d like, Y/n.”

“I think that unwise, Lieutenant Commander. We do still have a mission to attend to tomorrow.” She chuckles out, sitting back down, herself.

Only now did Scotty notice her robe had fallen open to reveal a strawberry speckled nightie. Shifting slightly in his seat, he averts his gaze, sipping from his cup, and notices something interesting in the photo.

“Oh! I’m sorry, should I go change?” Y/n asks, slightly uncomfortably.

“No, no, it’s fine, lass.” He hums, reaching for the photo to take a closer look.

He squints at the ruby ring on Y/n’s left hand in the photo.

“Were you once married, Y/n?” Scotty asks inquiringly.

Y/n chokes on her tea, coughing to catch her breath. That’s not a question someone had asked her in a long time.

“Um, almost,” she coughs, still clearing out her throat.

“What happened?” He looks to his right, so he can make eye contact with her.

“She, um, wasn’t a very good person and I wasn’t doing great when I was with her. Took me almost getting married and dozens of people telling us we were too young to finally realize it though.” Y/n sighs, finishing her tea and placing the mug in the little sink.

“Ah, I see,” Scotty responds, setting the picture down. “Sorry, for asking.”

“No, it’s fine. I should expect people to ask when I have a photo of me wearing an engagement ring for everyone to see.” She says, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

Scotty stands up with his mug, walking to one of the shelves filled with books, and scans the spines. He likes to think of himself as a reader, but he never reads things in different languages. He barely knew other earth languages, not to mention any alien ones. Sure, he picked up a few phrases, but that was it. He notices how many series of books there were among the singles. He reaches for a thin book that was in English as he sips his tea. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. He looks over his shoulder as Y/n, eyebrow raised. Y/n was now leaned up against the wall her bed was propped against, legs crossed, robe discarded, and blanket on her lap.

“Isn’t this book for young girls and hopeless romantics?” Scotty questions, sliding the book back into its place on the shelf.

“Until a few moments ago, you thought I was both,” she chuckles.

Scotty finished his tea, placing the mug into the sink like Y/n had done just a minute before.

“I should probably leave. We have a big day tomorrow lassie.” Scotty turns to Y/n.

Y/n stands and follows Scotty to the door. He turns around before opening the door and sees she didn’t put her robe back on. He willed himself to look at only her face. She leaned in, placing her hands on his shoulder, and kiss’ him on the cheek. Before she can pull away, he gently places his hand on her lower back, pulling her in for a kiss on the lips.

Time seems to stop for only a moment. The only thing in the galaxy that mattered to him was her in this moment. Y/n, with her soft lips, her silky nighty, and her soft grip on his shoulders. The moment ended just as quickly as it had started.

“Goodnight, lassie,” He smiles, still holding her close.

“Goodnight, Monty,” Y/n breaths out before stepping away from him.

I made a Spotify playlist to go along with the story since I use music a good bit. There will be music from unpublished chapters though. So listen at your own risk.

[bishreview]

Track by Track Review - Hottest 100 2020

Wrote this article a little bit ago just for fun. Decided to post it on here with the thought of maybe getting back to the Bish Review. Also, put an asterix next to my votes (songs that made my top 10). Anyway, here we go:

100. Kool - BENEE

One of the many gems from ‘Hey u x’. Unlucky to hear her biggest hit so early on.

99. Itch - Hockey Dad

I thought ‘Brain Candy’ was a little bit of a disappointment, but Itch was one of the strongest tracks they duo have released.

98. Your Man - Joji

Surprised to hear this track in the countdown. Pretty solid tune though

97. Audacity (feat. Headie One) - Stormzy

He’s still one of the best from the UK rap scene and this track shows why.

96. Germaphobe - Hockey Dad

One of the weaker tracks, I thought, off Brain Candy, but not surprised a lot of Hockey Dad fans liked this one. Definitely plays into their audience’s taste.

95. Loose Ends (feat. G Flip) - Illy

I do not like Aussie Hip Pop. This track is not an exception.

94. Rain (feat. Tay Keith) - Aitch and AJ Tracey

The piano in this is very ‘Humble’ - Kendrick Lamar. Still a banger though.

93. Lemonade (feat. Gunna, Don Toliver and NAV) - Internet Money

Bit of a forgettable track. It’s okay, but feels like there’s a lot better like this out there.

92. These Days - Thelma Plum

First cover of the countdown. Still one of the best Hottest 100 number ones, and Thelma does it justice.

91. Charlie - Bugs

Second cover of the countdown. I do like this but I feel it doesn’t reach the same heights as the original.

90. No Time To Die - Billie Eilish

A little expected from Eilish but still a solid Bond song (the second in history to make it).

89. In Her Eyes - The Jungle Giants

I cannot wait for the new Jungle Giants album. They’ve gotten better and better with each release.

88. Heart Attack (feat. lau.ra) - BRONSON*

I fell deeply in love with this song the second I heard it. It just has this quiet yet strong emotion behind it. The production on it is something else as well.

87. Three Leaf Clover - Teenage Joans

A really solid debut single by the Unearthed High winners. Can’t wait to hear more from them. 

86. Laugh Now Cry Now (feat. Lil Durk) - Drake

I still don’t get the hype for Drake. The falsetto “baby” in the chorus also never ceases to make me laugh.

85. Too Tough Terry - Dune Rats

Dunies slow descent from mature stoner pop to edgy tracks for teens has been hard to watch. This song just seems like a parody of the band. 

84. Chicken Tenders - Dominic Fike

Has to be the sexiest song about the best thing in the frozen food section at the supermarket. Pity the album didn’t live up to the hype.

83. Down For You - Cosmo’s Midnight and Ruel

I was really keen for this once I heard about the collaboration between the two. Unfortunately it felt a little too much like a Ruel song and it doesn’t really feel like Cosmo’s Midnight had much of a touch on it.

82. The Clap - The Chats

It’s a bit generic for The Chats but I just like hearing them get more popular. Just hilarious dudes. 

81. Weightless - Spacey Jane

One of the stronger and more unique tracks on Sunlight. The synth touches really suit the band.

80. Freaks - FISHER

Cannot wait for FISHER to just slowly fade away. His tracks all sound the same and are so basic. 

79. my future - Billie Eilish

One of the best tracks Eilish has released. Love how this just turns halfway through from a really soft ballad to a bit of an electro pop song.

78. Lady Marmalade - G Flip

It’s a nice cover. The video of G Flip performing it though is really fun.

77. House Arrest - Sofi Tukker and Gorgon City

This song bangs pretty hard. I like a lot of Sofi Tukker have really been putting out some solid stuff.

76. Baby It’s You - London Grammar

This is a great track, that synth in the chorus is heavenly.

75. Photo ID - Remi Wolf

I do like this song but it reminds me of a track from the 80s or 90s and I can’t put my finger on what that track is.

74. Scream Drive Faster - LAUREL

When I first heard this I thought Ladyhawke was back in the mainstream. Little disappointed it wasn’t, but this slaps.

73. Don’t Need You - Genesis Owusu*

Possibly the best chorus of the year. Owusu has stepped up massively in the Australian Hip Hop scene. 

72. Way Down - Ocean Alley

Ocean Alley have plateaued. ‘Lonely Diamond’ just felt like the band had become comfortable. 

71. Obey - Bring Me The Horizon and YUNGBLUD

I just can’t take BMTH seriously anymore. They’re music has become so comically edgy.

70. Low - Chet Faker

Hey look, Nick Murphy has become Chet Faker again. Don’t know why he changes between the two when one is just slightly more soulful than the other, but he does release nice tunes.

69. Second - Hope D

I do like this female, Aussie version of Jamie T. It’s a really nice track. Also the number 69 is claimed by Hope D. haha.

68. Lie to Me - Vera Blue

I don’t know what it is exactly, but there’s something about Vera which just puts her on a different level than her counterparts. She’s just that consistently good.

67. Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

This track doesn’t get old for me. It’s so much fun, and Doja Cat owns it. Love it.

66. Fantasising - Skegss

This track really does have a very “Three Leaf Clover” vibe. I have enjoyed Skegss in the past but their new stuff hasn’t captured my attention really. Seems a bit run of the mill. 

65. C’MON (feat. Travis Barker) - Amy Shark

I actually don’t mind this song, but why does it feature Travis Barker. It’s a piano ballad featuring a punk drummer, and he really doesn’t do that much. I’m confused, was he jealous of Mark Hoppus?

64. Soak Me In Bleach - The Amity Affliction

The song title reflects my thoughts when I hear that The Amity Affliction have released a new one. There are so many better Aussie metal bands out there.

63. Day & Age - Ball Park Music

BPM have a knack for writing amazing ballads. I wasn’t huge on their latest album, but tracks like this continue me having them in my good books. 

62. Run - Joji

One of the best tracks Joji has released. A really mature song for the artist and a step in the right direction for him. 

61. Pretty Grim - Ruby Fields

Ruby is good, but I feel she’s starting to release the same song over and over. Need something fresh.

60. Go (feat. Juice WRLD) - The Kid LAROI

Probably the strongest track by The Kid LAROI, but Juice WRLD outshines him just due to his vocal tone. He just sounds better.

59. Gimme Love - Joji

And that’s three for Joji. I really like how this song has two distinct sections and both are solid without overshadowing the other. 

58. Fly Away - Tones and I

I still don’t get why Tones and I puts on that fake accent in her songs. It just detracts from what could be a nice pop song.

57. Sobercoaster - Beddy Rays

Really didn’t expect this to get so high. I’m happy though because it’s a really fun song.

56. On The Line - San Cisco

Tracks like this keep me invested in San Cisco. They can really release some brilliant stuff.

55. I Think You’re Great - Alex The Astronaut

The fine line between overly chessy and adorably optimistic is what Alex walks on with every track. I think this falls on the former side sadly. 

54. Blue - Eiffel 65 (Flume Remix)

The fact that Flume puts so much of his identity into this remix is why Flume has been one of the most successful Aussie acts this past decade. 

53. In Your Eyes - The Weeknd

If The Weeknd release ‘Blinding Lights’ a month later I’d believe that he would take out this countdown. He didn’t though and instead we are left with this solid track in the bottom 50.

52. The Glow - DMA’s

Why? Why did DMA’s have to get so poppy and generic. I loved their first two album, but I struggled to get through the third.

51. Your Love (Déjà Vu) - Glass Animals

Out of the three big hits the band had in 2020, this is the most underrated. There is so much going on here, yet it never feels muddled. Wavey Davey on fire here.

50. Nothing To Love About Love - Peking Duk and The Wombats

Although this is a nice song, there’s been so many 80s electro pop throwbacks recently that have been done better that this collab just fades into the background.

49. Wishing Well - Juice WRLD

This song is so beautiful and heart-breaking. Really shows why Juice WRLD became such a beloved artist so quickly.

48. Ain’t It Different (feat. AJ Tracey and Stormzy) - Headie One

This is a really cool collab. They use the Red Hot Chili Peppers sample so well and really flow so well with it that it feels almost effortless.

47. Animals - Architects

I like a lot about this track, but the chorus really hits another level. Feels cathartic to scream along to.

46. Pretty Lady - Tash Sultana

Was hoping Tash would move into a more psychedelic direction with their newer stuff, but this is still a fine track.

45. as long as you care - Ruel

A pretty by the books Ruel song, but he really does this style so well.

44. You & I - G Flip

Probably G Flips strongest release this year. The chorus has a lot of flavour.

43. together - Ziggy Alberts

Generic acoustic track by generic Byron Bay artist. He really took the cake this year for dumbest comparison, when he compared wearing a face mask to the holocaust. Thought he’d suffer a bit for it, but apparently his fanbase grew stronger.

42. WHATS POPPIN - Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow is just so much fun. He’s killing it, and WHATS POPPIN is proof of that. Keep the bangers coming Harlow.

41. I Still Dream About You - The Smith Street Band

I felt I was growing out of The Smith Street Band, their newer music just not resonating to me. Then they drop this and make me a big fan again.

40. Come & Go (with Marshmello) - Juice WRLD

Just that chorus. It is so enjoyable. He really was going places.

39. Righteous - Juice WRLD

A back to back, and from one of the more exciting songs on the album we get to one of the more sombre tracks. Everything from the guitar, the vocals, those synth notes. . . this track is just a perfect send off for the artist. R.I.P. Juice.

38. Parasite Eve - Bring Me The Horizon

This song is so unironically cringe and edgy that it somehow becomes ironically fun. It does the full circle.

37. SO DONE - The Kid LAROI

I do like The Kid LAROI, but his vocals on this, combined with the lyrics, just make him sound like a child chucking a temper tantrum. It does make me laugh though.

36. forget me too (feat. Halsey) - Machine Gun Kelly

If this song was released in the early 00s (where it belongs), it would’ve faded into oblivion. At least Halsey sounds pretty solid on her verse though.

35. Running Red Lights (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu) - The Avalanches*

My personal number one for the year. This song has that melancholic, nostalgic feel to it that just hits home every time. Also one of Cuomo’s strongest vocal performances.

34. Everybody Rise - Amy Shark

This song is fine. I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it, but it’s fun to sing-a-long to. 

33. Breathe Deeper - Tame Impala

One of the best tracks from The Slow Rush. I love that piano motif throughout, and the bass is so funky. That weird bridge section towards the end is also pretty slick.

32. Criminals - DMA’s

The real criminals are the ones who told DMA’s this was a good idea. I just can’t get around their new stuff. I miss ‘Hill’s End’ and ‘For Now’.

31. Reasons - San Cisco

Tracks like this keep me from becoming a full time fan of San Cisco. They can really release some average stuff.

30. Bagi-la-m Bargan (feat. Fred Leone) - Birdz

Powerful. Birdz really took it to another level here.

29. Dribble - Sycco

Although I find there’s a lot of similar stuff out there, I think Sycco does sound like an original voice in the Australian music scene. She’s killing it.

28. Straightfaced - Spacey Jane

Although there was a lot of good stuff on Spacey Jane’s debut album, I found it to be quite repetitive. This track was one of the ones that I found to fade into the background instead of standing out. 

27. Under the Thunder - Skegss

I really want to like Skegss, they’ve released some great tunes in the past. But this just doesn’t do it for me. It’s just boring. 

26. No Plans To Make Plans - Lime Cordiale

Everything that makes new The Rubens tracks so average is presented here on a Lime Cordiale track. Obnoxiously quirky.

25. Reality Check Please - Lime Cordiale

Hey back to back Lime Cordiale tracks. And another one of their weaker ones. ‘Addicted to the Sunshine’ did this chorus better.

24. Blue World - Mac Miller

Didn’t expect this to make it so high but so well deserved. This song slaps hard but still continues the tragic story that is presented on his posthumous album ‘Circles’.

23. Good News - Mac Miller*

Back to back Mac! To be honest, I am close to tears every time this track plays. If only the lyrics “there's a whole lot more for me waiting/I know maybe I'm too late, I could make it there some other time/Then I'll finally discover/That it ain't that bad” were told to Mac before his passing, because he did have so much more to offer. R.I.P. Mac.

22. Complicated - Eves Karydas

This song is so good. I’ve heard it that many times but it still hasn’t lost its shine. So damn good.

21. Energy - KLP and Stace Cadet

I was really hoping this would crack top 20. Probably the best Dance track of the year. Such a jam.

20. Addicted To The Sunshine - Lime Cordiale

Despite thinking that ‘14 Steps To A Better Living’ didn’t have many new tracks that were that good on it, this one is nice. It’s just a pleasantly nice song.

19. You Should Be Sad - Halsey

I really don’t like Pop Country music but I also find it hilarious that the genre cracked the top 20. ‘09 Taylor Swift would be proud.

18. Tangerine - Glass Animals

With Tik Tok exploding in 2020 I don’t get how this didn’t get adopted by someone on it. It’s so primed to get hyped on it. 

17. Is It True - Tame Impala

I think Kevin Parker’s vocals on this are underwhelming, but that might just be because the instrumental slaps that hard. The rhythm section is so tight.

16. Screw Loose - Lime Cordiale

This sound is what Lime Cordiale do best. We need more dub influence and less elevator pop influence.

15. Skin - Spacey Jane

No matter what you think about Spacey Jane, they sure do make some emotional tracks. One of the most powerful songs on Sunlight.

14. Tombstone - Ocean Alley

The verses are average and pretty bland but the chorus is amazing. Just don’t think the album resonated with me too much, and Tombstone is another mixed track off it.

13. Rockstar - Mallrat

Possibly Mallrat’s best song yet. Her laid back, relaxed style mixed with the low-fi production really meshes well.

12. Get on the Beers (feat. Dan Andrews) - Mashd N Kutcher 

I’m not going to pretend this is my style, but the way this has resonated with Australians during lockdown last year makes the track way smarter than it deserves to be. It’s both ironically and unironically good.

11. On Our Own - Lime Cordiale

I’m happy the three best new tracks of Lime Cordiale’s debut were the highest placing in this countdown. This really is a nice song.

10. Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

Not my favourite songs from Billie but she continues to be consistently good. The production on this is immense as well.

9. I’m Good? - Hilltop Hoods

I wish old school Hilltop could hear this so could prevent themselves every going this direction. Aussie Hip Pop is not a good genre. This is one of their worst tracks yet.

8. Sending Me Ur Loving - The Jungle Giants*

This song has so much flavour too it. It’s so funky and fun and the production is so tight. Also the guitar work is underrated here, not doing much but adding that icing on the cake.

7. Hyperfine - G Flip

Every time I hear this track (and I’ve heard it a lot) I completely forget about it a couple minutes later. G Flip is good, but this is forgettable.

6. WAP (feat. Megan Thee Stallion) - Cardi B

I understand if this isn’t your style, but I love it. I don’t think there’s ever been a song with so many quotable moments. Every line makes a statement that will get in your head. My personal favourite? “ I let him taste it, now he diabetic”.

5. Lost In Yesterday - Tame Impala

There’s a lot of songs on ‘The Slow Rush’ I like, but Lost In Yesterday I’ve always found kinda boring. It feels a little uninspired. Surprised that this was the album’s big hit.

4. Cherub - Ball Park Music*

BPM have released some great music over the decade but I think this is their best yet. It’s beautiful, emotional and has a fantastic, cathartic breakdown at the end. I love a good build up. 

3. The Difference (feat. Toro y Moi) - Flume*

Everything about this track is why Flume has been so great for so long. This track is great for any situation. If I’m partying, I play it. If I’m relaxing, I play it. If I’m getting pumped up, I play it. If I’m sad, I play it. Flexibility matters.

2. Booster Seat - Spacey Jane

OHHH-OH-OHHHHHHHH AND IT FEELS LIKE THAT AGAIN! One of the best sing-a-long tracks of the year, yet massively emotional. Like damn this song is rough.

1. Heat Waves - Glass Animals*

If I had one word to express how I feel about this winning I would say “deserved”. Not many tracks were as perfect for 2020 as this one. Glass Animals love writing absolute bangers with emotional cores and this one is one of their strongest tracks. Glass Animals just continue to outdo themselves.

That’s it for now, gonna maybe start posting again. I dunno. See how I feel. Ta-ta.