#it gets to like mid October and I get overcome with a NEED to play yokai watch

[noodles-and-tea]

Something shiny in the creek…

[notanacousticsetcal]

be home soon - calum hood

summary - loosely inspired by cals short instagram story cover of better be home soon by crowded house. being in a relationship with calum while he’s away on tour and when he finally comes home :)

warnings - a lot of missing each other but no real drama

word count - 1.7k 

a/n - mostly just wrote this because i’ve been thinking about what it would be like a lot. self indulgent lmao

Copyright © 2020 @notanacousticsetcal. All rights reserved.

Your phone screen lit up with a goofy picture of Calum and Duke and you smiled, rinsing your hands before answering. 

“Hi, baby,” you said softly. You could tell by his sleepy features that he’d had a long day.

“I could fall asleep to your voice.” His head fell back on the couch behind him and you laughed fondly.

“Are you tired? I can let you go if you need your sleep.” He sat up immediately and began shaking his head fiercely.

“No, no. I’ve waited all day to talk to you. I miss you.” He sounded like he was hurting. You frowned at the screen. 

“I miss you, bubs. So much.” 

He sighed. “This is really hard, huh?” 

You smiled sadly and nodded. “Yeah, it is. Just counting down the days until I can see you again.” He stared at you for a moment and nodded.

“Me too, baby.” He laid back on a plushy blue pillow and got comfortable watching you. “Whatcha making?” He sounded like a little kid. 

You laughed. “Fish tacos. I wanted to try something new from that cookbook Sierra bought me for Christmas.” You began slicing up your toppings as you waited for the fish in the oven.

Calum groaned from the other end. “I’m starving and that sounds really good.”

You smirked at the camera before pushing it back so he could see you as you worked. “Why don’t you go eat something, my love?”

“The pizza should be here in twenty minutes, just waiting on that.” You hummed in understanding and continued assembling your ingredients. “You look so cute. I wish I could hug you.”

You blushed a light pink and shook your head. “I would kill for a Calum hug right about now.”

He laughed, adjusting the rim of his bucket hat. “As long as it's not me, I’m cool with that.”

Calum continued to watch you put your dinner together while he waited on his pizza. The last leg of the tour was in America so his timezone wasn’t so different from yours. You weren’t sure exactly what state he was in at the moment. 

“Alright, baby. My pizza’s here.” He frowned and gave you sad eyes at the realization that this would be the end of your call. 

“My dinner’s ready too. I’ll let you go now.” You picked up your phone and held it close to make sure you could see his face before you said goodbye. You don’t really know why it was always so hard to hang up the phone but it felt like a stab in the chest every time you did. 

“Okay, enjoy your food. It looks amazing.”

“Thanks, Cal. I’ll talk to you soon, alright?”

“Alright, baby. Goodnight.” “Bye, bubs.”

You hung up the phone and set it on the counter, gripping the edge with your left hand. You felt tears prick at your eyes and a familiar burning in your throat. It felt like every day without him he got pushed a little further away. Every day you didn’t get to kiss him was harder than the last. All you wanted was to wrap yourself up in his arms and stay there forever. It felt like every day you were just living to see him again. It sucked. Only one more month. 

***

Calum was officially coming home from tour tomorrow. After 4 long months of agonizing pain and going to sleep alone every night, you would be in Calum’s arms again by midday tomorrow. You spent all day cleaning up the house and making sure that Calum didn’t have anything to worry about when he got home. He would just get to relax and settle back in.

Calum’s name popped up on your screen and you smiled. It was a phone call this time which was a little odd. At this time of night, Calum was normally done with the day and facetimed you. 

You accepted, pushing your questions aside and feeling overcome with excitement at talking to your boyfriend. 

“Hello?” You chirped happily.

“Hi, baby,” Calum said in his groggy bedtime voice. “What’re you up to?” You smiled, biting your lip at how adorable he sounded. 

“I was just about to shower and then watch The Nightmare Before Christmas with Duke.” You ruffled the small dog's fur and gave him a kiss on the nose. It was the perfect mid-October night for a Halloween movie. 

“How’s my little guy?” Calum asked. 

“He’s good, just misses his pops.” You grabbed some pajamas from your drawer and tucked them under your arm. 

“Tell him to hold on a little longer. I’ll give him as many cuddles as he wants tomorrow.” Cal laughs sleepily. 

“And what about me? Don’t I get any cuddles?”

“Baby, I’m going to cuddle you until you’re so sick of me you never want to see my face again.”

You gasped. “Are you kidding me? That’s impossible.”

Calum laughed and a comfortable silence fell over the two of you. “I can’t believe I’m gonna have you in my arms in a few hours.”

You blushed. “I didn’t know it was possible to miss someone this much.”

Calum sighed. “It's like I’ve been away from a piece of me for 4 months. I don’t know how I functioned without you.”

Your eyes began to well up with tears for the millionth time since Calum walked onto that plane and left you 4 months ago. You sniffled softly, trying not to let it be known that you were crying. But Calum picked up on it. He always does.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he cooed. “No more tears. I’ll be home before you know it, my love.”

You exhaled the breath you didn’t know you were holding. “I know, I know. I just… I love you a lot and sometimes my body doesn’t know how to handle it.” 

The line crackled and you heard Calum laugh lightly. “I can’t think of one thing I’ve done in my life that was so good that somehow…  the universe thought I deserved you… but damn do I feel lucky it did.” 

Before you could cry any harder Calum said he had to let you go and hung up, leaving you to again cope with the overwhelming feelings of excitement and anticipation at the idea of seeing your boyfriend tomorrow.

*

Calum silently unlocked the front door, more concerned about waking Duke than you. The pup had super hearing and would surely wake you up with his barking if he heard Calum coming through the front door.

Calum had maybe decided to bend the truth a little and told you he would be arriving about 12 hours later than he actually would just so he would get the chance to surprise you at home. 

He pulled his luggage softly through the front door and abandoned his suitcase and his shoes there, making a beeline for your shared bedroom. Calum wanted nothing more than to fall asleep with you for the first time in 4 months, his muscles aching with exhaustion. 

He slowly pushed the bedroom door open, the faint sound of Jack Skellington talking still playing softly. 

Calum smiled as he approached you and Duke lying comfortably on the large plush bedding, the small dog tucked tightly into your waist. He was thankful Duke hadn’t woken up so Calum could be the one to let his presence be known.

Calum crouched on his knees next to the bed, taking a few moments to watch you peacefully sleeping before he would wake you up.

After a few minutes of rememorizing every minute detail of your face and watching the rise and fall of your chest as you took in breaths, Calum finally reached a hand up and brushed a stray hair away from your face, caressing your cheek softly with his thumb. 

You stirred softly under his touch but your eyes stayed closed so Calum’s hand fell down to your shoulder. He squeezed it lightly in an attempt to slowly lull you out of sleep and not scare you.

“Baby,” he cooed gently, “wake up.” 

The sound of Calum’s voice made you think you were just having a really good dream but you slowly came to as Calum continued to rub your upper arm. 

Once your eyes fluttered fully open and you were able to take in what exactly was happening, you realized that the man standing in front of you was not a figment of your imagination, he was really there.

“Cal?” You rubbed your eyes hard and looked at him again. He was definitely real.

“That’s me.” He gave you that cheeky smile that you love so much and you immediately dove into his arms, almost knocking the poor guy over. 

“Cal, you’re home,” you ran your fingers through his hair, still not fully believing this wasn’t just a really, really good dream. But no, his hair was real and his body fit against yours like it did the last time you hugged him four months ago and you tucked your face into the crook of his neck, never wanting to let him go. “I missed you so much. This doesn’t feel real.” Calum rubbed his hands softly up and down your skin, under the shirt of his you had on. “I love you.” He said into your shoulder and you felt like you were melting into him.

After a few more minutes like that, you pulled away from Calum and tugged him into bed. He greeted Duke with lots of pets and kisses and as soon as Calum laid down, Duke found a warm spot next to him. 

“You must be exhausted.” You sat upright looking down at him as he lay with his head on his pillow, running your hands through his hair.

He closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of your cool hand. “I can’t sleep without you.” He said.

So you sunk down under the covers and Calum pulled you into his chest, his arms wrapped securely around you and within minutes, you heard soft snores coming from behind you. 

He was finally home.

[baronessblixen]

Ficmas Day 13: Kissing in the snow

Early season 7. Tagging @today-in-fic

It starts with a few white flurries in the morning. The October air has been unusually crisp the last few days and weather channels have warned about icy roads. When Mulder gets to the office, he’s grinning from ear to ear.

“Snow in October, Scully,” he says excited, putting a steaming hot cup of coffee in front of her. “With extra cinnamon,” he adds with a wink. She takes a sip, needing an excuse for her flushed face. What started with a baseball date months ago has turned into them watching movies together on the weekends, not even pretending to meet for work reasons. These days, he brings her hot coffee, sometimes even a sweet pastry that he steals a bite or two of, their heads close together as if sharing a secret instead of baked goods.

“Climate change is nothing to be thrilled about,” she says, licking some cream off her lips, with Mulder watching her intently.

“Party pooper.” But he continues to smile at her, rendering her speechless. She can’t recall when she started looking at him differently, when her switch was flicked. Was it last year? The year before that? Glancing at him as he rifles through papers, mumbling inaudibly, she feels overcome by emotions. If luck had been on their side, right now, there’d be a little human growing inside her, half him and half her. Absent-mindedly, she touches her forever flat stomach, smiling in spite of herself.

“Scully, did you hear a single word I just said, or do you want me to leave you and that coffee alone for a while?”

She blushes a deep crimson. “Um, sorry, what did you say?”

But Mulder just laughs.

By mid-day, the few morning flurries have turned into a full-blown snowstorm. Mulder gets on a chair to stare out their tiny basement window but there’s nothing but white.

“Scully,” he says simply, with a wicked smile, waiting for her to decipher it.

“We have to work,” she replies, merely glancing at him.

“Come on, we need to have lunch, don’t we?” He leans into her space, charming her with his best puppy look and a pout. She pretends to think about it even though her mind is already made up.

“Let’s go,” she eventually says, and Mulder helps her into her coat, so excited that he briefly grazes her boob. She gasps but Mulder doesn’t seem to notice.

When they leave the Hoover building, they step right into a winter wonderland. Mulder turns to her with a grin and an open mouth, offering her his hand.

She stares at him, at his hand, hesitant. “We’re at work.”

“No one can tell it’s us,” he says, his hand still outstretched. Scully takes it and lets him lead her through the crunchy snow. The air is cold but Mulder’s body in front of her is like a warm shield. Peace settles over her with every step they take. The blanket of snow has created a new, quiet world, and Scully feels as if they were the only two people inhabiting it. There are no everyday sounds, no cars, no chaos. Just them and the cold air that’s pinching her nose and her cheeks.

“Mulder, slow down,” she says, “we don’t all have your long legs.”

He chuckles and slows down. But he doesn’t do it fast enough. Scully, once again cursing her heels, slips on some ice, and loses her footing. The snow is soft, but icy and wet, and she starts shivering immediately, the cold seeping through her clothes.

“Shit, Scully, are you okay?”

“I told you to slow down.”

“I’m sorry,” he says and his expression is full of guilt. “Take my hand, I’ll help you up.” She takes his hand, but instead of getting up, she tugs at it, and manages to bring him down with her. He lands half on top of her, making her giggle.

“What are you doing?” He asks, wiping snow off his face.

“You never listen,” she says, staring at his lips, where a snowflake settles and melts.

“Says the woman who thought her coffee was more interesting than me this morning.”

“The coffee had cinnamon.”

“I know.”

“I like cinnamon,” she says, her eyes never leaving his lips. Has he had cinnamon in his coffee this morning, too? Would she still be able to taste it? What would his lips feel like against hers? She forgets the cold and the snow. She ignores the fact that they’re laying on the sidewalk, in the middle of the city, like two fallen angels.

“I know,” he repeats, his voice as soft and peaceful as the snow.

“What do you like?” She asks.

“This.” And then she no longer needs to wonder what his lips feel like, how he tastes. She knows. Her eyes drift close and she holds him close, her mouth opening under his. She’s thought about kissing him a thousand times and in about as many ways. She thought it would happen on a case, in a seedy motel room, both too tired to resist. She thought it would happen after playing baseball, after every movie night. Yet, here they are, rolling in the snow like two teenagers.

“Hey!” Someone says from outside their snow bubble. “Do you need help?” They break apart, both breathing heavily, staring up at an elderly couple. “You’re on the ground, son.”

“We know,” Mulder says, scrambling to get up. He takes Scully’s hand and helps her to her feet.

“Gotta be careful,” the old lady says, linking her arm through her companion’s, who nods.

“You could get hurt.”

“Thank you,” Scully says. “We will be careful.”

The elderly man gives them a once over and slowly shakes his head. “Kids these days.”

Mulder grabs Scully’s hand and runs into other direction, both of them trying to stifle laughs. They come to a stop, out of breath, grinning at each other.

“Want to try that again?” He asks.

“Which part?”

“This one.” And he starts kissing her again.

[macybeckham7]

Nine Months -Ben Chilwell

October 2019

Ben found himself in nightclub in London and because it was Halloween it was the perfect excuse for the girls to dress up as sluts. Ben couldn’t help but crinkle his nose up at some of the girls, who was practically not leaving anything to the imagination. He looked at the girls that James and Demarai invited over. His eyes roamed around and saw a girl who looked gorgeous, she was in a cow girl, wearing short shorts and knee high cow print boots.

He decided to take his chance and walk towards the girl. He felt his heart rate rise as his eyes met with hers, and she was definitely even more goodlooking up close. He offered to by her a drink which she instantly agreed. The pair talked and drank and danced and had a good time. He learned her name was YN which was the perfect name for a stunning girl like her.

James appeared and introduced himself as Ben’s ‘wing man’ which she instantly sassed that he wasn’t a good one then as he came over by himself. James making a cheeky comment about Ben bagging a cow girl because they are good at riding, which instantly made her fake gag at his awful joke.

The two of of them decided to leave the club and call it a night. They both went back to YN’s place and into bed together.

November 2019

It had been a month since Ben walked out on her the next morning as if he had never been there. The two did swap numbers and YN didn’t want to be the one to slide into his DMs. But hadn’t stopped her friends for telling her everything the guy seems to do. Whether he has got a goal for Leicester or if he has got into the England call up.

It was mid November when YN started to feel alittle funny, her friend instantly telling her to take a pregnancy test which she does was complaining all the way through. Sat on her bed with her bed friend beside her she felt like her whole world had just paused and in slow motion as she looked at the two lines that means positive she was pregnant. She felt herself getting nervous as she questioned how she was going to tell Ben. Should she even tell him?

YN was pacing outside of Wembley stadium where England played, everytime the door opened she looked like a little meerkat hoping to find Ben walking towards the coach. But nothing. He was one of the last ones out, he was laughing and joking with a brunette guy with loads of freckles covering his face and a olive skinned toned guy with a cross earring.

‘Ben’ she calls reaching out for him.

He instantly recognised her, he told the guys to go without him, his hand was in hers as he distanced them away from the fans.

‘Why did you just up and bolt?’ She mutters. ‘Was I just a quick shag for you, wasn’t I good enough?’ She rambles.

His face softens. ‘I was late, I had a meeting that day’ he explained.

She didn’t believe him. He could of left a note to tell her or even wake her up, anything was better than leaving her high and dry.

She lets out a shaky breath before handing him the test. ‘Just thought you would like to know.. I don’t want anything from you’ she says before turning hot on her heels and walking off.

He was about to chase after her but James appeared and told him to get on the bus.

December 2019

Ben was sat beside YN as she winced slightly as she felt the cold gel on her stomach. The midwife spoke to the two of them as she talked about mummy and baby classes that they could go to before the baby arrives. Asking the two whether they are going to find out what they were having or if they have any names ready. Ben noticed as she gave a blank look, he answering for her and getting the lady of their backs. The three of them looked at the monitor with a confused look as there was nothing there but the midwife knew exactly what she was looking at.

The two of them decided to go for coffee in the hospital, he walks with two hot chocolate and slides one over to her.

‘Why did you come?’ YN questions.

His brows furrow at her. ‘Because I don’t want you to go through this alone, I know this was a drunken night out and neither of us planned this but I want to be there for you and my child’ he says softly. ‘If you’ll allow me that is’ he mutters.

She nods her head slowly before sipping her drink.

‘We should start thinking of telling family’ he mutters as he sees her wince.

He held her hand before knocking on his parents door, they had already told YN’s parents and now it was time to meet the Chilwell’s. They were surprised when they saw their son wasn’t alone, as they sat around the dining table YN couldn’t help but feel awkward as they tried to find out the pretty female was to their son.

‘I’m pregnant’ she announces, before see Ben’s face scrunch up slightly wanting to announce it a little bit more delicately.

Their reacts was probably how you imagined, his mum jumped up and walked out leaving you with his sister and brother. The three of the stayed quiet as they heard them call her every name under the sun. As they left YN muttering a small ‘that couldn’t of went any more worse’.

January 2020

YN was now four months into her pregnancy and Ben was always round when he wasn’t training or at games. He started waiting on her hand and foot. He made sure that she had everything she needed in the house and catered to her craving.

The two of them had got to know each other more, wanting to have a better relationship as the two of them were always going to be connected with this little person.

The two sat on the sofa with the two bidding names that they liked.

‘Curtis?’ YN questioned.

‘Absolutely not’ Ben chuckled.

‘I like Jamie for a girl’ YN announces.

‘Jamie Chilwell’ he says slowly before they both crinkled their noses and shook their heads.

‘Saint?’ Ben suggests.

YN bursts out laughing. ‘We’re not boujee enough for that’

February 2020

Ben had told YN that she could live with him, not really wanting her living alone and being close whenever he needed him.

He had a girl round when YN came walking into the living room gushing that the baby has kicked. Ben instantly jumped up and ran towards her, his hands instantly on her growing stomach. The girl stayed sat on the sofa as she watched the two freeze as they waited for movement. There was a suddenly squeal coming from the two as Ben instantly sinks to his knees.

‘That was amazing, that was a big kick’ he gushed. ‘Practicing your free kicks buddy’ he giggles.

He has recently got in his head that the baby is a boy and started pushing his favourite names.

‘Sorry to interrupt but who is this?’ The girl spoke up.

The two looking at, suddenly remembering that they weren’t alone in and realising how weird this looked. Ben stepped away from YN and the bump as he looked awkward.

‘I’m....’ she starts.

‘My sister, she’s my sister’ he quickly cutting her off. YN raises her brows at him as he tells her to go to his bedroom and he’ll meet her in their.

The girl smiles at YN and then walks down the hall.

‘Oh will me and the bump be your cock block’ she rolls her eyes at her. ‘Wear a condom this time, don’t want to be in this mess again’ she sasses.

She sits in the kitchen alone as she hears everything the two is getting up to as she eats icecream from the tub.

March 2020

‘Are you uncomfortable?’ James instantly freaks as he sees her wince and runs her hand over her bump.

She shakes her head as she lets James guides her to sit down.

After the last month situation, they both spoke about Ben not bringing any girls back. It hurt YN even though she wouldn’t admit it, she thought they were going well, even thought they could even try to be a thing. The two of them were so alike they even started finishing eachothers sentences.

‘I need to get the nursery done’ YN groans as James doesn’t let her get up.

‘You need to take it slow’ he mutters. ‘Let Ben do it’ he says softly.

She instantly bursts into tears. ‘Where is he? He missed the scan’ she cries, as he pulls her into him.

Ben comes waltzing through the door and sees his best mate with his baby mumma, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Mentioning that before they jump into bed wait till this baby gets out. YN jumps up and barges past him before pushing the scan into his chest.

May 2020

The past two months James has been the middle person between YN and Ben, they have been arguing a lot more and YN has really began to hate Ben with him saying some really mean things to her. They learned that they were having a boy. Whenever YN needed something she didn’t want anything from Ben, even though he was so desperate to help. Her comeback was to go to his latest slut.

James just wishing he could just banging their heads together and tell them to act like grown ups. He knew that they will be amazing parents but they needed to get on as they were on the same team.

‘Guys the baby is coming in 2 months let’s get your shit together’ he sassed.

He looks at his friend gives him a stern look.

‘You are old enough to fuck and get pregnant, act your age’ he mutters before leaving them.

Ben lets out a small sigh before sitting beside her. Her head going to his shoulder as they start having it out with eachother.

July 2020

‘BABE!’ YN calls in a panic tone which gets Ben running towards her voice. ‘My waters-‘ she says.

He instantly starts panicking looking like a stressed sim. She held onto the sink as he panicked called his mum. He was surprised when he looked over at YN she was starting a bath. He helped her in the bath and relaxed in there and overcome a few of her contractions.

A few hours went by of YN relaxing at home and riding her contractions, Ben being completely on edge.

The Labour was a few hours and Ben instantly burst into tears as the midwife places the large baby on YN’s chest. YN let out a small crying laugh as she looks down at her little man. Ben kissing her forehead as he tells her how proud he was of her.

‘Luke James Chilwell’ YN gushes.

They both gush over the little creation they made, the last crazy nine months completely forgotten about because it was now about the next eighteen years of being the best parents to this little guy. Neither of them would of believed when they were at that Halloween party that their lives would change forever.

[feral-bard]

further good omens fic recs

It’s been awhile since my last reclist post so here goes, please enjoy the rewards of my complete lack of self-control when it comes to this ship.

Please reach out if I’ve missed a tumblr tag, or drop a note if you have any recommendations I’ve missed! ( 31 recommendations underneath the cut )

(51k) Acts of Service by seekwill / @jasmine-cottage-uk

After receiving direct instruction from God, village reverend Aziraphale leaves his countryside congregation to serve the underserved and in-need at an urban church in London, a transition made all the more complicated by the mysterious and handsome Crowley, who always seems to appear when Aziraphale least expects him.

mood: pining, denial, secrets, idiots-in-love. 

(Warning: Don’t start reading this one at midnight expecting to put it down. Learn from my mistakes.) 

(44k) Mirror, Mirror by ImprobableDreams900 / @improbabledreams900

Crowley from an evil!au swaps places with our Crowley.

mood: butterfly effect, identity theft, Aziraphale!whump, badass!Aziraphale  

(40k) The Strong Tower by BuggreAlleThis

After the failed executions, a vengeful angel takes it upon herself to neutralise the threat presented by Crowley and Aziraphale.

mood: aziraphale!whump, protective!crowley, hurt/comfort, pining and fantastic world building.

(23k) You Might Think I'm Crazy (All I Want is You)   by soft_october / @soft-october-night​

Since the next shop over closed down, Aziraphale's had a peaceful few months, barring those unpleasant interactions with the men in cheap suits who keep trying to persuade him to sell his shop. But now a (handsome) new owner has taken up residence beside him and, horror of horrors, he wants to open up a coffee shop.

mood: fledgling friendships, obviously-in-love-to-everyone-but-themselves, almost-letting-your-doubts-and-insecurities-ruin-things, if-only-these-dumb-bastards-knew-how-to-communicate

(23k) names in history by lagaudiere

Maybe he’d shown Crowley how to perform a few miracles, but that Crowley had taken to them so well was surely a sign that he wasn’t all bad. And maybe Aziraphale had let himself be called upon to perform a few temptations, but that was just testing the will of the faithful if you looked at it from a different angle.

mood: slow-burn, through-the-ages, beautifully written.

(22k) This Soul Outstreaming by Rend_Herring 

Aziraphale constructs intricate rituals to touch the skin of other men (by “men” I mean Crowley).

mood: slow-burn, through-the-ages, forbidden love, UST, beautifully written. 

(29k) 5 Times Aziraphale was Almost Discorporated and One Time He Actually was by charliebrown1234 / @charliebrown1234

What it says on the tin.

mood: Aziraphale!whump through the ages, protective Crowley, hurt/comfort, wonderful characterizations.

(20k) In Pleasure's Clothes by obstinatrix, wishwellingtons

Three Times Aziraphale Stalked Crowley In Gay Clubs And One Time He Moped At Wilde’s Grave.

mood: jealousy, pining, miscommunications, idiots-in-love

(18k) Soft (A Love Story in Three Bites) by mia_ugly / @mia-ugly​

Crowley was an angel, once. Before she fell. Aziraphale was a warrior (she fell too. It just took a little longer.)

mood: ineffable wives thoughtfully done and beautifully written, pining, emotional vulnerability, hurting the ones you love, references to gothic romances that absolutely slay me, switching POVs between Aziraphale and  Crowley.

(18k) On Earth as it is in Heaven by JMA

Aziraphale was at Crowley's trial...the first one.

For six thousand years Aziraphale felt like an angel who has fallen, waiting for Heaven to realise. His fear and doubt has shaped and defined him. Now, with the Armageddon over and Heaven and Hell off their backs it is finally time to come clean.

mood: betrayal, pining, misguided attempts at atonement, miscommunication and forgiveness 

 (15k) Through Every Door by darlingred1 / @darlingred1​

After thwarting the end of the world, Aziraphale begins to avoid Crowley, and Crowley accidentally awakens his own repressed lust.

mood: mutually-pining-idiots, miscommunication,  immortal-beings-taking-turns-with-their-single-brain-cell, surprisingly-Crowley-has-first-dibs

(16k) Least of All by stereobone / @stereobone​

Every so often, Crowley talks to God.

mood: Crowley worrying after Aziraphale through the ages. Beautifully written, fantastic Crowley perspective.

(14k) Wine Fraud and Other Worthy Pursuits by ImprobableDreams900  / @improbabledreams900​

When Aziraphale, rare book dealer and part-time wine collector, encounters a bottle of 1844 Château Lafite-Rothschild he suspects isn't all that it claims, he becomes determined to track down the truth.

Unfortunately, the finger of suspicion seems to point at fellow wine collector Anthony J. Crowley, whom Aziraphale is already well on his way to befriending.

mood: suspicious Aziraphale and fledgling friendships  

(12k) Laugh When It Sinks In by Tenoko1 / @tenoko1​

Crowley stopped them in their trek, slipping his arm from Aziraphale’s grasp to face him, hands on his shoulders. “Are you sure you’re alright? A-are you having, like, a mid-life crisis or something now that Heaven’s cut you loose? You’re worrying me. What’s next? Cherry red sports car?”

mood: making a home for yourself and your charmingly oblivious life partner 

(10k) The Original Bar Joke by deathbycoldopen / @deathbycoldopen​

The way Crowley saw things, it was all one big joke, with him as the punchline.

mood: drunk!pining, idiots-in-love, jealous!Crowley, straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back moments, drunk!confessions

(8k) did you open up your heart there? by weatheredlaw / @weatheredlaw​

Aziraphale and Crowley meet over and over and over again. Aziraphale doesn't know what Crowley is, or why their souls can't seem to be parted, but he is a creature of love, and he's not going to argue with that.

mood: ready to have your heart broken over and over and over?

(7k) The Ark by rfsmiley / @redfacesmiley​

We’ve all been assuming that it takes them 6,000 years to figure it out, but what if it takes 6,300?

Or: the ineffable husbands evacuate a dying Earth.

mood: ineffable dystopian sci-fi romance (and yes, I love that this is a mood I can use to describe a good omens fic).

(7k) Where Thou Art by Mottlemoth / @mottlemoth​

A late-night bus to London, a few human comforts, and a long overdue confession... nothing will ever be the same for an angel and his demon.

mood: we-might-be-dead-by-tomorrow-love-confessions

(5k) Love Stories by goodomensblog  / @goodomensblog

Crowley goes too slow, Aziraphale drinks copious amounts of alcohol, and the bookshop is (very nearly) set on fire. Again.

mood: drinking because you’re an idiot in love (or because you’re in love with an idiot), looking after your drunk mate (only he’s not your mate he’s the love of your life and he’s finally starting to get that)

(4k) A Metaphor Of Some Kind by copperbadge / @copperbadge​

After the world doesn't end, Hell gets Crowley and Heaven gets Aziraphale, but not for very long.

mood: witty with great voices, loads of fun

(4k) One Sweet Moment Set Aside For Us by Arej 

Tattoos are like stories you write on your skin, and they'll say things for you if you'll let them. Or perhaps prompt other people to say things.

Or, Crowley is just drunk enough to get bold and let his guard down, and it leads to something he never thought he'd be allowed to have.

mood: pining, touching, reverance, love confessions

(3k) Something To Talk About by iamtheenemy (Steph)

Aziraphale jumps to some very inaccurate conclusions.

mood: pining and misconceptions, let’s see if we can make Crowley have an aneurysm.

Wow! Thanks for scrolling this far! You’ve unlocked the secret  “I’ll be in my bunk” section of the rec list! ;)

(That’s not to say the fics above don’t have their own hot scenes, or that the fic below are only  pwp, but these are the fics where the plot is either focused mostly on sex or the build-up to sex.)

(4k) left with no trace, as if not spoken to by drawlight / @drawlight​

Aziraphale's finger brushes against the edge of Crowley's hand. The theater is packed, it is dark. Everyone is watching the stage (no one is watching them). "Do you - ?" "Yeah, angel."

mood: Shakespeare may not have deserved this, but this reader is glad this exists.

(4k) I Tempt, You Thwart... Right? by AEpixie7 / @knightofthesevenfandoms​

Crowley accidentally-on-purpose roofies Aziraphale and then feels bad about it because Aziraphale is so high that he can't remember how to sober up.

mood: serious wing kink, drug-induced-loss-of-inhibitions

(6k) Appetite by spunknbite / @spunknbite​

Crowley places the macaron against Aziraphale’s lips with more reverence than the angel had thought him capable. “It’s alright, angel. Just take a bite.”

mood: drunk sex, overcoming inhibitions, first time, hand feeding 

(6k) The Better Part of Valour by obstinatrix

Said I, a few weeks ago: "I feel there’s also room for e.g. bedsharing fic where the apocalypse has Not Happened and they’ve fallen into queerplatonic (or so they think) bedsharing and Crowley thinks he’s alone in being driven slowly to distraction by it, so he says nothing. Then one night he wakes when it’s still dark, and at first he doesn’t know why, until he hears Aziraphale’s breathing a little raspier than usual, and feels the very slight trembling of the bed."

mood: bed-sharing-with-serious-insecurities-and-misunderstanding

(7k) a treatise on your fingers in my hair by Nimravidae / @tooeasilyconsidered​

Crowley sleeps for two days, his hair is a mess, and all it takes is a touch. Like a catalyst. Like striking flint, like a matchstick, like touching fire to gunpowder

mood: all that pent up UST has to go somewhere 

(9k) Released by vaguely_concerned / @vaguely-concerned​

After they get together Aziraphale has some lingering Ideas about his brief stint in the Bastille; Crowley is happy to help him explore them. Hijinks, as they say, ensue.

mood: french revolution era role play w/ feelings, fantastic dialogue. 

(17k) One Night In Bangor (And the World's Your Oyster)  by Atalan / @seaskystone​

Heaven and Hell share a corporate party once per millennium. This time someone's had the bright idea of issuing a challenge to the demons of Hell. Crowley has no intention of missing the opportunity; Aziraphale's just enough of a bastard to make him work for it.

mood: flirting and first times

You’re still here? Can’t get enough? Well check out these amazing WIPs!

Slow Show by mia_ugly / @mia-ugly​

The Ineffable Pining Showmance AU that no one asked for.

mood: a more accurate summary would be the: ineffable pining showmance AU that no one knew to ask for, and everyone wanted more of. The characterizations in this are amazing. Crowley as a fallen film star is perfection. 

Shifting Heaven and Earth by BuggreAlleThis

For most of history, since he narrowly avoiding Falling from Heaven with Lucifer, Crowley has been working for the Angelic Corruption Unit. This ended up being far more boring than he hoped it would be, but things change when he is assigned to go undercover on Earth. His mission is to investigate Aziraphale, an infamous angel who has been on Earth since its Creation, and whom Heaven is sure is guilty of corruption or dereliction of duty. 

mood: slow-burn, betrayal, regrets,  aziraphale!whump, bamf!aziraphale

the bucket list by darcylindbergh / @forineffablereasons

If you’re going to go native, you might as well go all the way.

mood: saying the absolutely wrong thing at the wrong time, reaching your breaking point, miscommunication and heart break.

Still here? :)

My previous good omens recs post can be found here [x]

[margaretflorist]

ROOTS / task 01

@phqextras

‘CAUSE YOU’RE THE ONE I’VE GOT / YOU’RE THE ONE I GOT

there’s one photo album of the bakers. it’s slim, a brown so warm it’s nearly orange, that soft fake leather that stands the test of time. there’s not a ton of photos left, but when maggie’s feeling particularly nostalgic -- once in a blue moon -- she’ll pull it out, run her hands over all the faces that left her behind.

first page is her parents. two photos. both black and white. first one’s of them after tying the knot. karissa’s wedding dress is as she was: prim, traditional, an air of class. jonathan’s suit doesn’t reach his wrists, but the joy on his face distracts from the ill fit of the suit. karissa is smiling straight at the camera. jonathan is staring at his wife, arm around her shoulder, cradling her as gentle as the sun kissing the horizon. they’re happy. at least in this moment. maggie knows the truth behind it: the courthouse was a split second decision. her mom had wanted a storybook wedding: ceremony in a nice church, their families intermingling at the reception, tin cans rattling down the road as everyone waved them off. but karissa’s family was traditional, and jonathan’s family was racist. they’d rarely talked about either of their extended families. we’ve got all that we need right here, jonathan would say, pulling his wife in for a kiss, much to the chagrin of his children. 

second photo’s jonathan and karissa standing in front of the house they rented in pleasance. jonathan’s got karissa cradled in his arms. you can’t see either of their faces really well -- they’re turned towards each other. the shadows are blurry. you can hardly tell where one of them begins and the other one ends. they’d driven hours through the night and stopped in pleasance. it was meant to only be an overnight stay, but karissa was so charmed by the small town that they decided to plant roots. jonathan got a job teaching english at the middle school and karissa kept the house neat and tidy. i always told your mom she’d get to keep her hands as pretty as the day i met her. he didn’t get to keep that promise. whenever maggie started to falter, started to believe the things people said about her father, she’d come back to this photo. there was no way the man who held his wife like she was the world would ever leave her without warning. there was no way.

SO I’LL KEEP TURNING DOWN THE HANDS / THAT BECKON ME TO COME

next page’s photos of jonathan and karissa and their little sun. maggie doesn’t dwell on these pages often. the years before she was born were blessed. jonathan and karissa had settled into the town. karissa knew all the grocers by name. jonathan was watching his first class graduate high school. they decided it was time to expand the family tree. maggie’s sibling was born at high noon during a hot summer. for awhile, the three of them are happy. and then karissa misses another period.

next page is a picture of the four of them at the hospital. maggie’s barely bigger than a bean in her momma’s arms, and karissa looks exhausted as all hell, but jonathan is beaming. their firstborn is snuggled up against karissa, face away from the camera, staring at maggie. she’d been born on the darkest night in october, just a few weeks before halloween, earning the nickname our moon from her father. maggie wasn’t an easy baby. not a point of pride for her, but she’d kept karissa busy, wailing like she’d seen a ghost anytime she was left alone. once she was old enough to walk, she’d toddle after her older sibling, fingers always grasping at the air just behind them. she’s never really shaken that habit -- reaching out for something she swears is there, only for her hands to move through smoke. 

THOUGH I’M A GEYSER / FEEL IT BUBBLING FROM BELOW

next page has a photo of maggie and her older sibling. in the background, karissa’s on the phone, turned away from the camera. maggie’s mid-sentence, her young face round with bereavement, and her sibling is staring directly at the lens. sometimes, maggie swears it’s like they’re trying to communicate something to her. maybe an apology. an explanation. maybe a goodbye. maggie knows exactly when this photo was taken. twenty-four hours after running into the man in the khaki suit. his voice sounded foreign to her, funny almost. he’d asked jonathan for help. maggie, cold and hungry, had tugged on her father’s hand. impatient from the start. jonathan had just smiled. sorry, sir, can’t help you. gotta get my little moon home. he’d always been that way: chipper, cheerful, patient to the end. next day, he never made it home from work. no one had seen him leave, but his car wasn’t in the school parking lot, and he never came home. maggie knew it was her fault. she’d pulled him away from gideon’s friend. she’d cursed him. her sibling had told her to keep that to herself. her mother didn’t say much. all three of them, left behind to swim in the starless sea of grief alone. 

karissa had to get a job at alby’s, selling perfume to no one, and the two were latchkey kids. them against the world. maggie would follow her sibling around, silent as winter, and it was there that she started to learn about the whole world that existed within pleasance. maggie could never be sure if her sibling’s moments of cruelty were purposeful -- some sort of retribution for maggie’s part in their father’s disappearance. they’d dare maggie to touch all five sycamores and wouldn’t turn around til she’d done so, no matter how much she cried. they’d send her into lourdes’s lawn and run for the hills when the woman came out to chase maggie out of her lawn. still, maggie accepted her punishments. if she was a curse on the family, she’d make friends with all the curses in town. 

HEAR IT CALL HEAR IT CALL HEAR IT CALL TO ME / CONSTANTLY

the next photo is of her sibling, triumphantly tossing their graduation cap in the air. they’d pushed and fought their way through school. if maggie was busy looking for proof that the stories were real, her sibling was busy proving that the world didn’t know what it was talking about. they were well-liked. charming. not afraid to throw a punch if a punch was necessary. they were as quick to shoot down maggie’s beliefs as they were to squash any rumor about their father running away. it’s not good for us to believe in those things, they’d say, dragging maggie away from jenny again. shit like that makes everyone in this town feel self-important, like they’re in on something. they’re not in on anything, magpie, except a load of shit.

next photo’s of maggie’s graduation. she’s got her arm around her mom, smiling shyly, while karissa beams. she’d made her mom proud. everything she did, she did for her mom. part of it felt like contrition -- if she could be a golden girl she could lift a burden off her mom’s shoulders. still, straight a’s and a spotless track record couldn’t relieve karissa of her great loss. occasionally, she’d catch her mom moving in the kitchen, talking with a man who was no longer there. sometimes they’d dance, her mom slowly swaying alone, to a symphony only playing for her. 

two days after this photo was taken, her sibling had burst into her room. they’d fought. maggie doesn’t remember it well. fierce words were exchanged -- her sibling was leaving, no warning, and asked maggie to come with them. maggie refused. all she could think of was her mother, spinning forever alone in a house that held only ghosts. we can’t go, she’d said, furious tears burning her eyes. we can’t stay, they’d replied, we’ll never get out. 

AND HEAR THE HARMONY ONLY WHEN IT’S HARMING ME 

the next photo is the two of them in all black, standing in front of the coffin, backs to the camera. the flowers on either side were all handpicked by maggie. it’d been five years since they’d whispered in maggie’s room. the funeral was tense. private. small. with her mother gone, maggie had no real reason to stay in pleasance -- but pride had overcome her. everyone left. everyone dreamed of leaving. not her. she wouldn’t. the baker siblings hadn’t said goodbye the first night. they didn’t say goodbye this time, either.

the rest of the pages of the photo album are blank. translucent expectations. held breaths. a hello never to come. 

IT’S NOT REAL / IT’S NOT REAL / IT’S NOT REAL ENOUGH

[bangtan-madi]

546 Days Without You — Five: Day 44

Pairing — Seokjin x Reader

Tags — boyfriend!Seokjin, older brother!Yoongi, producer/songwriter!MC, military au (ish), idol au (ish)

Genre — fluff, angst

Word Count — 2.1k

Summary — Kim Seokjin is your entire world, and that world falls apart the moment he and your older brother Yoongi are conscripted into the South Korean military.

Part — 5 / 15

Warnings — Do I even have to say enlistment at this point? Last chapter with a warning for that. By now, you know that every post will at least reference it.

A/N — So someone asked about a taglist for this fic, and I think it’s a great idea! The list is at the bottom and it’s open! Comment if you’d like me to add you to the taglist and I’ll get you on there for future updates :)

(gif not mine. credit to original creator.)

Previous — Next

By mid-January, everyone is finally starting to get back to normal. After Hoseok's timely intervention, the holidays were a joyful time for the band. While there weren't any events or parties or New Year's Rockin' Eve, like last year, you were silently glad that peace was returning.

As the new year passes, everyone is pumped up and motivated to continue working on the next album. While still in the pre-production stages—melodies, lyrics, and concepts being solidified and meddled with—there are few places you'd rather be. Right in the middle of the chaos that is BTS, crafting alongside the boys, that's your happy place.

That's what dreams are made of.

"I'm kinda in love with this concept, not gonna lie," Namjoon laughs, reclining back in one of the studio chairs.

He's been behind the glass, practicing what you have so far on the namesake track for the next album, but you've hit a spot in the bridge that's more difficult than the last. Despite that, Namjoon has been much cheerier and light than usual. He adores this process, lives for it. It seems that the moonchild gets his best ideas when alone in the studio, after everyone else has long since gone home.

You, however, are about ready to hit your head against the desk. "I love it like my brothers; every now and then I want to kill them."

Namjoon snorts as you drop your tablet into your lap and let your head lull back. "I understand how you feel."

"No, you don't. Your big, genius brain thought up all of this. You get psychology and archetypes and theory like no one else, Joon. I mean, I knew we were going with another chapter of Map of the Soul, but don't you think 'Dream' is a little...I don't know, audacious?"

He smiles, showing off his dimples. "I prefer forward-thinking."

Your head turns back to the tablet, seeing the basic outline of the song in front of you. "Dream" was one that you and Namjoon were working on together. He had started the process with Yoongi, and thought it only right to end it with you. He and the Mins have always worked best together, and this song was going to be something special.

"Speaking of forward-thinking, I want to show you something."

Namjoon slips from his chair and scurries over to the producing equipment. Using the computer, he pulls up a file called, "From KSJ's, To MYN 2020.10.24."

"What's that?" you ask, the title of the file catching your eye.

"I'll show you if you promise to not cry."

"Um, why would I do that?"

Instead of answering, Namjoon clicks twice. It's an audio file, and you're overcome instantly with a voice you'd recognize anywhere.

Seokjin's angelic vocals start off soft and sweet, humming a peaceful melody that you've never heard before. Then they shift into soothing lyrics, and you can tell that they're meant for you. Phrases of love and emotion fill your ears, and breaking your promise to Namjoon, tears begin to brim. Seokjin's voice grows stronger as he belts out the chorus with all his heart. You've never heard him hit notes like that.

As the song comes to a close, Seokjin whispers the last line, adding to the end, "Love you, Jagi."

Silence follows. You can't bring yourself to move or speak or think of anything other than the beautiful song he'd recorded for you. Namjoon sits with you, in the quiet, eyes shifting every few moments to you then back to the equipment.

October 24th. That was the day you'd spent recording with Jungkook, the day Seokjin finished early, the day before he decided to enlist. He'd been awfully dodgy about his recording of that day. You had no idea what he was working on, only assuming that he was recording one of his parts for the new album's couple songs that had been pre-produced.

You never dreamed he was singing something just for you.

"He told me to show it to you after you were in a well enough head-space," Namjoon eventually says. "Saying goodbye's never been our strong suit. He wanted to make you feel like he was still here."

"It's beautiful," you murmur, your voice a whisper.

"Jin was thinking about including it on the upcoming album. He wanted you to make the final call. If you want to keep it just for yourself, that's totally okay. BigHit doesn't know about the piece, so we can keep it between us three if that's what you want."

You shake your head, turning to your friend with a small smile. "It's too pretty to keep to myself. The Army will love it. Seokjin deserves to be the one doted on for his solo. Put it on the roster."

Namjoon looks pleased with your decision, his dimples reappearing. "Maybe we should take off the message at the end, though. It might add to the rumors that have been circulating."

"By the time the album comes out, no one will remember me or those stupid rumors," you wave away his concern. "Keep it in. Jinnie left an 'I love you, Army,' message at the end of 'Moon' for the iTunes store. They'll probably think it's for them."

"And you would be okay with that?"

"More than okay." You nod to the computer. "Can—Can we listen to it again? One more time?"

Namjoon is happy to oblige, and the two of you settle in for another listen to Seokjin's last song.

After finishing at the studio, you decide to gather the courage and make the trek back to your apartment. Back home. It's late, and while the dorms might be closer, you know in your heart that it's time to face the music. It's been time for a while, but you've been too afraid of the shadows inside you to do the hard thing.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Namjoon offers, when you tell him your plans to stay at the apartment tonight.

You give the tall man a shoulder pat and shake of your head. "I'm good, Joonie. Thanks, though. You head home. I'll be by first thing in the morning. Tell the boys for me?"

Namjoon nods once, gives you a goodbye hug, and slips something into your hand as he turns to leave. "For you, from Seokjin."

When you open your hand, you mumble a soft "thank you" to the man already walking towards the dorms.

It's a thumb-drive with your name written in Seokjin's sloppy penmanship.

When you arrive at the apartment, passing through the gate and security, it takes all your courage to press the elevator button for your floor. Your heart races in anticipation. You haven't felt this nervous about going home since Seokjin asked you to move in.

But this is an entirely different type of nervousness. You have no idea how you'll feel when those doors open, when you put the key into the doorknob, when you enter the last place Seokjin and you slept side by side. Will you feel empty inside without him there, like it did right after he left? Or will you feel comfort from being around his things, like you feel around Yoongi's?

Only one way to know. With a burst of bravery, you step from the elevator, march up to your apartment door, and push inside.

The entrance corridor is dark, and the entire place is silent. You're used to music being on when you enter. If you're not playing something when you walk in, Seokjin has his playlist going in the background. And it's almost never dark. Even when no one is home, your silly boyfriend likes to leave some smaller lights on so that he wouldn't get scared. A smile graces your face at the memory.

Flicking the light switch, the entire space is illuminated with a soft, golden glow. With intrepid determination, you make your way to the kitchen, stepping over a pile of postage that's been slid under your door over the past few weeks. You put a kettle of water on the stove top. You take deep breaths, allowing the area around you to settle in your mind. Tea will help; tea always helps.

As the water comes to a boil, you tip-toe down the hallway to the master bedroom. It's exactly how you left it. Clothes are strewn across the furniture as you packed in a hurry. Those first few days after Seokjin and Yoongi left were the worst, and after the second, you knew you couldn't stay there any longer. You packed what you could find and fled to the safety of the dorms. While you could feel Seokjin everywhere, there was no place you felt him more than the bedroom you shared.

He's everywhere. In the clothing that has overtaken your closet, in the Mario knickknacks along the dresser, in the scent of air freshener that he adores, in the plethora of skincare and hair care products that he uses, even in the choice of bedding (he loves one particular kind of sheets that make everything cool on warm nights.) His smell, his belongings, him.

Seokjin is still everywhere, but this time you take it in with ease. This time, it doesn't hurt as much. This time, it gives you a little bit of peace.

As you feel the silence start to creep up on you, you take the thumb drive, plug it into your laptop, and play the only file in storage. Seokjin's voice fills the void, ever-present and comforting in your time of need. Even in the military, he's making sure you're cared for and feeling loved.

The warm feeling floods through you as you change into one of his baby pink sweaters, discarding the emotions and stress of the day along with your clothes. You make your tea, curl up in bed, and let Seokjin sing you to sleep.

It's the first night of dreamless sleep you've had since he left.

Early the next morning, as you're getting ready to head to the boys' dorms, there's a knock on your door. A small envelope is slid under your door, the usual way small post is delivered to each apartment by the attendant in the lobby. You pick it up, noticing the seal of the South Korean military on the face.

Seokjin. Your heart flutters when you realize this might be from him.

With hurried fingers, you tear open the parchment and reveal a neatly typed letter inside. Your eyes begin to take in what it says, never more happy to see an actual paper letter in your life.

Jagiya,

Please don't laugh at my lame attempt at a love letter. I wish I could just pick up the phone and call or text you, but we're not allowed those privileges for another few months. So, instead, I'm stuck typing everything out to send you the old-fashioned way. Make fun of me all you want when I get back.

Everything has been going well at basic training. Yoongi and I have been able to stick together since we're in the same training facility. We will graduate soon and be sent to our assigned units, more than likely splitting up. I'm hoping for a more lenient one closer to Seoul, that way my personal days can be spent in the city with you and the boys, but that's out of my control. I don't want you to worry! Both Yoongi and I are keeping our spirits up, and I hope you are doing the same.

Give my love and annoying hugs to the members. Tell my parents and hyung that I love them, too. They only let me send one damn letter, so it had to be to you. But I'll never hear the end of it if I don't at least mention the boys. You know how they can get. 

Yoongi is going to write to you soon, and his letter should come shortly after mine. Knowing him, it will be much more poetic than mine. But at least I beat him to the finish line!

Please take care of yourself. Write me back, and I'll try to respond as quickly as I can.

I love you and miss you more every day, [Y/n]. Just promise me you won't find some other loser to date while I'm away! I'm still worldwide handsome, you know, even in the military.

Forever yours,

Seokjin

P.S. I hope you enjoyed your song ♡

Taglist — @joyful-jimin​

[irisbleufic]

Happy 2020! Can I tag you to do that 2019 Fic Year in Review thing?

Happy New Year to you, too!  Sure thing.  I can’t remember the last time I did one of these; since 2019 is the end of a decade, it feels fitting.  Here goes…

14 February 2019: After spending 14 of my 15 years (2020 marks the start of my 16th year) in Good Omens fandom working on it, I finally finished and posted the 75th and final installment of Crown of Thorns [The Walls, the Wainscot, and the Mouse] ’Verse.  LiveJournal was still the fandom’s primary posting hub when I posted the first-ever installment, A Better Place, on 1 October 2005.  The series didn’t get its second installment (The Walls, the Wainscot, and the Mouse) until 2010, but work on the series from that point forward was pretty much constant.  2012 saw a higher number of CoT updates than any year previous; that was also the year I transferred it to AO3.

25 February 2019: I finished and posted the last chapter of my third Good Omens collaborative fic ’verse with @procrastinatingbookworm, Turn In Your Arms.  We couldn’t believe there was no Good Omens fusion with Tam Lin, so we went for it.  Given our first collaboration in 2018 was a Good Omens fusion with Groundhog Day (Game Over, Insert Coin), that wasn’t a stretch.

27 February 2019: @aspiringjedi and I posted the first of our two Good Omens meta-essays, Making An Effort: Queer (Trans) Masculinity in the Ethereal & Occult Beings of Good Omens.  Yes, it’s 1,990 words due to the novel’s publication year.  When you’re just under 2,000 words anyway, why not?

28 February 2019: @procrastinatingbookworm and I followed up Turn In Your Arms with a brief sequel, Burn After Reading.  All of our collaborations to date have ended up as multi-story mini ’verses.

25 March - 20 April 2019: I went about as livid over Gotham’s Season 5 as I did over Season 3 and wrote Darkroom to address how dirty the show did Bruce and Jeremiah.  I had a stand-alone Season 4 fix-it story (focusing on Oswald and Edward, like most of my other Gotham work) called Triage from 2018 that had never quite felt like it was meant to be a stand-alone.  Triage and Darkroom became the first two installments of a series called Playing for Keeps, to which I added another 6 stories by April 20th.  Darkroom somehow got more traffic than any of my other Gotham pieces since When You Find It, Run over in DDO ’Verse (although those two stories are keystone pieces in much larger series, they can both be read as stand-alones).

4 April 2019: In the midst of working on the aforementioned, @aspiringjedi posted our second Good Omens meta-essay, Southern Pansies: Subversive (Trans) Masculinity in the Ethereal & Occult Beings of Good Omens.

8 May 2019: Brief blip back into Pacific Rim fic!  I posted a missing Anthology correspondence/inset ficlet called L’amour, c’est comme la guerre.  For anyone who ever wanted more of the email correspondence in Anthology’s final chapter, this fills in some gaps you didn’t know were there.

16 May 2019: Thanks to some behind-the-scenes persuasion from several really tenacious Gotham readers who didn’t want me to abandon it / shut down DDO ’Verse, I completed The Knights’ Tour after almost a year on hiatus from it.  This turned out to light a fresh fuse on DDO, because TTK didn’t end up being the final story in the series like I had once planned.

18 May 2019: The only His Dark Materials fic I’ve ever written, also a Gotham fusion, got a belated new final chapter.  Gold Dust is sort of an alternate take on DDO ’Verse, one in which Dust and daemons are present.

23 May 2019: I posted what I thought would be a stand-alone Gotham story called The Meaning of This City.  It manages to be a marginally less dark and complicated take on the Bruce-and-Jeremiah situation (than Darkroom over in PfK ’Verse, that is) without sacrificing some of the most difficult features of what they need to overcome.  More on why this didn’t remain a stand-alone in a bit.

6 June 2019: Good Omens requests came around, one of which led me to follow the Imagine Hastur Ficlets (which themselves exist thanks to the accidental prompts at @imaginehastur) interlude in CoT with The Imagine Hastur Epilogue.  This was a sort of neat in-narrative way to deal with having gradually come out about my biological (inter)sex and (nonbinary) gender identity over the 14 years I worked on CoT. 

15 June - 1 July 2019: I posted another Good Omens collaboration-set with @procrastinatingbookworm called Have Faith at the series-title level.  The two stories in it, You Bloody Snake and Enough of a Bastard, focus almost entirely on Hastur and Ligur.  Seeing Aziraphale and Crowley through different (and less favorable) eyes was a weird pleasure; seeing people indignantly realize they were enjoying fic about Hastur and Ligur was even more of one!

15 August 2019: @verumx persuaded me to watch Jamie Marks Is Dead with her and @one-eyed-bossman, and then implored me to fix it.  Using Our Words is the stand-alone that resulted, which is no shock given I can’t resist ghost stories.  It’s unique among this year’s stories in that it may be the only genuine stand-alone aside from the Gotham piece called Gold Dust.

17 August 2019: After an experimental in-character snail mail letter-writing exchange that lasted about 6 weeks, @verumx and I transcribed the letters and framed them in a piece of collaborative Gotham fic, We Were All Forgiven.  Since about late April, I had been getting progressively sicker and sicker (didn’t know yet that I had cancer).  Keeping busy as things got worse helped at least in the psychological sense, but by mid-August my exhaustion and difficulty eating were hitting their peak.  I was hiding it from everyone except my partner.

1 September 2019: Returning to two stories I’d written for Batman: Europa, I created a series umbrella called Once Is Not Enough and explicitly placed London (Letting Go) and Five Love Affairs under it as companion pieces.  Between Thursday Friday of this particular week, I experienced an increasingly more frightening set of symptoms that landed me in the ER and got a sequence of diagnostic tests finally rolling.

22 October 2019: After receiving a diagnosis of colon cancer on 10/1/19 and starting medical leave Monday of Halloween Week, I decided to complete the sequel to The Meaning of This City, which was a Gotham piece I’d left hanging mid-progress for weeks.  The Maze of Your Ingenuity was hard for me to complete due to constant blood tests, CT scans, and outpatient procedures in the lead-up to my Thanksgiving Week major inpatient surgery, but I did it.

23 September - 11 December 2019: My longest Gotham fic ’verse (Delicate, Dangerous, Obsessed, a.k.a. DDO), having refused to die even once The Knights’ Tour was complete, got an entirely new ending stretch of stories focusing on, of all people, Jerome Valeska and Five (514A).  They were the only two characters from canon who I had mentioned and/or shown briefly in passing earlier in DDO, but whose arcs from canon (and onward into my fic) I had done nothing to wrap up.  Challengers, Thicker Than Blood, Take This Waltz (It’s Yours Now), Finally Fair (In Love and War), and What We’re For (And What We Want) may, collectively, be the best writing I did during the entirety of 2019 (unless you count what I wrote in February to finish CoT).  The experience of terrifying, unexplained illness and harrowing treatment was entirely too timely to one of my two protagonists in this set of stories.  They were worth their weight not just in distraction, but also in catharsis.  Five survived, and so did I.

[thejosh1980]

Update #21 – 1 week at “The Ocean Shores Resort”

Update #21 – 1 week at “The Ocean Shores Resort”

A week ago we left quarantine in Adelaide!!!

It's been another week of mixed emotions, but I have to say, for the first time in months, they've been mostly on the positive side of things.

Last Tuesday, we left the hotel without too much hassle. They'd given us a basic breakfast the night before to have first thing and they called us down early; luckily we were ready and down the stairs we went. Before you know it, we were in the hotel reception taking our masks off!

Adelaide and South Australia are COVID free, so no masks, no problems.

The checkout was quick (the big bill comes in a few weeks!!), the staff were awesome and the police informative. They all understand that quarantine is not easy on anyone, and they were patient with our questions and worries. We had won the jackpot of quarantine hotels: Pullman Adelaide and the staff helped make our stay tolerable.

Jumped in a taxi (with masks on cause we really weren't sure yet how to behave in the outside world) and off to the airport. We had to leave the hotel by 07:30, because another bus of incoming “Covicts” were coming in that morning. Our flight was at 11:50 up to Brisbane, so it was yet another waiting game to check in and fly. But first... coffee! (we actually bought a coffee from a coffee shop! Amazing!! It's the small things...).

The flight was about about 2/3's full, no masks.

Landing in Brisbane we had to do a border check, show our papers, explain where we had been and all that. The check was there to stop anyone who may have COVID from coming in without quarantining. Each State has slightly different rules, and they do change from time to time, depending on hotspots and COVID numbers. Because the flight was from Adelaide and we left the hotel directly to the airport, we made sure we had no problems entering Brisbane (Queensland). We definitely didn't want any chance of another 14 day hotel stay!!!

Our original plan was to fly into the Gold Coast airport, which is only about 35 minutes from Mum, but there were no flights on our leaving day, so we had to fly into Brisbane (which is 2 hours from Mum's). My cousin picked us up (bloody legend!). We were hungry, and we went directly to Yatala pies. This was the moment I started to realize we were almost home. The taste of home! (Yatala Pies is a well known bakery south of Brisbane, a regular stop for many).

My cousin could drive us as far as the QLD/NSW border. Once there, we walked across the border and Dave picked us up on the other side. A little complicated, but sure enough, the plan worked.

The whole experience felt like something out of the movies. Not that it was all “Hollywood”. It was more like: I can't believe this is finally happening. I wasn't really in the moment. Yet.

As we were getting close to “The Ocean Shores Resort” (which is the name we have for my Mum's house) I still didn't feel calm...

Anyhow, we arrived, and if you've seen our IG or FB Story on the day, you'd know that when I knocked on the front door, we had actually surprised Mum (a little early), and she couldn't find the front door key to let us in!! So our reunion started off with a scream and eventually a laugh!!

Mum did cry, but we all expected her to cry more... ;) Honestly, I think we both had cried too much the past 2 months, it was no longer needed. It was all about joy and happiness.

After meeting and hugging Alex (some more tears) we entered the house to find Mum had a “welcome home” sign and our picture up on the walls (lots of me and Alex, can't go wrong with that!!).

It was surreal.

A quick house tour for Alex and we settled down. Lots of chatting and catching up to do, and a roast dinner!

We'd made it.

The next morning (Wednesday), a son's work is never done and I was up early to take Mum to school. She's part of the support unit inside the primary school, working with kids with Autism.

Even though her eyesight is deteriorating, Mum can still work. Driving a car; that's out of the question. Reading the “use by date” on a packet of chips is almost impossible. Keeping an eye on children in the playground, developing their social skills or helping them with their school work (considering the text is usually quite large and the pictures bold) Mum can still do really well.

I've learnt she has figured out ways to cope with her eyes. She has a great memory, so once she's told something, she can remember it really well (like recipes for cooking etc). She's still a keen bargain hunter when it comes to shopping. I enjoy learning that she's kept her life as close to “normal” as possible, making small changes to the bigger things to keep her independence.

But it's those small things that are hard to do alone, which is why I'm here...

After dropping Mum off, Alex and I spent the morning of our first full day in Brunswick Heads. This is the town I lived in from the mid 80's until late 90's. I went to primary school here, learned to surf here, and know the old names of the shops (the hair dressers is now a surf shop, the butcher's is a cafe, the ice cream shop is a real estate agent and the bank has recently closed). Lots of changes for me, lots of new things for Alex.

We also went down to the beach, the south wall of the Brunswick River, where the river meets the ocean. We watched some waves. Taking in the salt air (I don't think I ever realized how salty the air is here until now).

It was a relaxing day.

But I still wasn't quite “here” in my head and heart. Leaving Dresden back in July, only to be delayed for 7 weeks, then another 2 weeks in quarantine, was going to take sometime to overcome.

Time to pick up Mum from school... Home... Unpack a little, dinner, chatting and a little TV.

Thursday morning, it was time for another radio interview. To finish off the 3 part story with ABC North Coast Radio I did another live interview with Joanne Shoebridge. I'm always nervous doing these kinds of things, even though in the music world, I've had to do interviews, they were never quite as personal as this.

After we dropped Mum off at school Thursday morning, we drove up to the Cape Byron Lighthouse and luckily got a park up close to the top.

I wanted to introduce Alex to the area as much as I could, without overwhelming her. Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shores, Mullumbimby and Byron Bay all played a big part of my childhood, and I wanted her to at least know these villages a little bit as early as possible. We'd covered Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores a little, so now it was time for Byron Bay.

Bring on the whale watching!!

Within minutes of leaving the car, we could see whales jumping out and swimming around the cape. It was a wonderful morning. I'm so glad Alex got to see them (in fact I can't remember the last time I saw whales so close to the shore). They migrate each year around September/October, so it was perfect timing.

It was a special day for Alex...

The sun was shining, the whales were in plain sight and the tourists were kind enough to stay away from Byron Bay. COVID does have its benefits. Fewer people in these tourist spots isn't always bad (although I am quite aware the economy is suffering. The borders are opening up next week and it'll be very busy then).

Back into Ocean Shores, picked up Mum from school. Home... Dinner.. Chatting... Some TV...

Friday was the first day we had to do “stuff” in regards to living here permanently, and that was banking. So after dropping mum off at work, we drove into Mullumbimby “The Biggest Little Town In Australia”. I went to high school here.

Basically Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby are like Neustadt in Dresden. You can't walk down the street without seeing someone you know, stopping and chatting. It happened in Brunz the other day, I literally parked my car, and lo and behold an old high school friend came out of the video store to say hi... Or in Mullum, as we arrive at the bank I see an old friend who used to teach me rock n roll dancing (yeah, I can still cut a rug)... and even inside the bank, I said hi to a fella from my high school year, we hadn't seen each other since 1997.

It's a small world...

The banking took a bit longer than expected, after much back and forward we settled on our new bank accounts and how to arrange things going forward. While I've had an account here since I was very very young, I cancelled most of my stuff when I left in 2002, so now it was time to set up shop again, especially since I had my wife with me and we have a future to work towards...

We walked the street of Mullum, grabbed a coffee and we let the country hippy vibe soak in. Alex commented on how many folks don't wear shoes here and she can't believe how many new coffee shops there are for her to try (there's a lot more than when I was a kid).

Picked up Mum from school... School holidays for 2 weeks! Yippeee!!

Home... Dinner... Chatting... some TV...

Over the weekend we sorted out things around the house. Set up better internet Wifi around the house, the pool is in good condition after the winter sleep, cupboards got cleaned out and we unpacked and the car was washed (first time I've hand washed a car in over a decade!).

Sunday I watched Mark's live stream (from his front porch in upstate New York) and I felt inspired (he does that to me). So I am considering live streaming next week. I have a guitar and good internet, so why not? I just have to find time to practice ;) I'm thinking net Sunday evening here, which would be Sunday lunch time in Germany. If I don't get to it this Sunday, then maybe next Sunday... I'll keep you posted.

Overall the weather has been warm, often over 20 degrees. But the mornings are still quite chilly, with frosty dew on the golf course out back. It's not bad for coming out of winter...

Today, Monday, we went “up the coast”, to Tweed Heads.

First thing we tried to exchange my German license for a mandatory NSW (State) license, unfortunately I gotta wait for some back checks, no idea what I did 19 years ago in Melbourne, but they wanna check it out. So onwards to shopping...

Yes!!! We bought a coffee machine! Finally we can wake and with a press of a button get ourselves a cup of joe. It's the small things....

Helped mum with the grocery shopping. She knows her stuff. She knows where everything is in every shop, but sometimes she just needs me to reassure her what is actually written on the box or package!!!

So that's basically our first week...

We are settling in well. Alex and Mum get on like a house on fire. I often can't get a word in edgewise and I'm always outvoted!

I still miss Germany and I still miss Europe... (I always will). I miss a lot of the “past life”, but that's just cause Australia has moved on without me these past 18 years. Each day here I get a little closer to that homey feeling I used to have as a teenager (when I didn't know better).

In hindsight, the past 3 months wasn't too bad... We survived... But that's easy to say now...

When we were in the middle of it, it was really tough.

It was really hard packing up our lives into boxes. It was emotionally draining saying goodbye after goodbye to our wonderful friends. Playing my goodbye show was one of the musical highlights of my life, even if it was one of the saddest.

Then we were ready to leave...

As you all know, that didn't go according to plan.

That's when the really bad feelings crept in. You know it's one thing to know you gotta pack up and say goodbye to leave (you are prepared for that)... It's another when you're ready and the world says “nope, not yet”... and again and again that build up and let down was happening, and until the last 2 weeks in Germany, we had no idea why!

As some of you know, I'm not really good at spontaneity. I'm not good when the plan changes... It was tough... But...

When we took control of the situation and booked new flights, it helped a lot. We were back in control.

Quarantine was a difficult time, it got a little dark there. It brought with it, it's own set of challenges and a steep learning curve. I, for one, learnt a lot about pressure. I put too much pressure on myself. Since we arrived here, I have tried my best to relax more, in my own way at least. My to do lists are shorter...

Alex and I had already figured out how to survive the German lockdown, the packing up of our lives and clearing out the apartment. Then we had 2 months at her parents stuck in “limbo” and then 2 weeks stuck in a room together. Our marriage is really new, and we survived that without any damage to our relationship. Sure, we both have a few personal scars, but nothing a little love and tenderness wont fix. I'm proud of her, Alex has a lot of patience for me!

I'm really happy I am here to help Mum each day. Those small things will slowly become bigger things, but for now, it's great to be able to do “stuff” with her. That was always the plan, to be here in time, before things got really bad.

We've been posting often on our IG and FB stories, so I hope folks have seen the day to day happenings. I'm sure we'll continue with that, keeping you up to date visually.

I think I'll end these FB journals here, and switch over to Tumblr full time. The idea being that if you'd like to continue to read these long “new life” chronicles, I'll still post a link here when I do update there... Confused? Me too! ;)

Thanks everyone for your messages of support and love. We are very lucky, we have the best friends.... You guys rock! You're awesome! We love you.

Love

Josh and @dauntlesscoffee

[multimetaverse]

Andi Mack 3x17 Review

Arts and Inhumanities was a mostly good ep that struggled at times and sheds some light on what was cut and what was re-shot. Let’s dig in!

Re-shoots:

Adding a new section for this review since this is the first ep where the re-shoots and cuts really had a noticeable impact. The last Muffy scene at the school was definitely a re-shoot and it looks like the pro player plot will be something brief and focused on Buffy herself rather than Muffy, maybe even just some sort of montage, though why they decided to add that in I do not know. 

Originally for 3x17, Garren was only on set the Saturday they shot the bowling alley scenes which were quite brief and didn’t really have a defined ending. He was on set for two days for the cut farm wedding ep so we’ve definitely lost a minute or two of Muffy scenes even with their replacement scene in 3x17. Which is sad for them but does actually bring down Marty to 3 eps in 3c just like TJ and puts Muffy and Tyrus at close to equal screen time. 

It’s clear that these eps are taking place fairly quickly after one another and that likely the farm wedding would have been the very next weekend in universe with Something to Talk A-Boot taking place the school week after the wedding. It also means that regardless of what Muffy scenes we got at the farm, it ended in the same place as 3x17 with Marty telling Buffy they’re better off as friends which would have come off as pretty contrived at the wedding where he was her plus one. And still does tbh, but it makes sense that he wouldn’t want to get himself turned down again and it sets up Buffy having to confess in the finale. 

I also wonder if the Cyrus and Jonah and Amber scenes at the school were also re-shoots. Afaik it wasn’t snowing when they were originally filming 3x17 in November and it was snowing when they filmed the school scenes for the re-shoots. Josh was on set that morning but left early that same afternoon which would fit with his brief role in the Jamber breakup. It may also explain why his ‘counselling’ of Amber didn’t really amount to much and if Jamber broke up at the farm wedding it would explain why she was even there and why Amber asks Jonah for space in 3x18. 

Ham filmed some scenes for what was either 3x16 or 3x17 and there’s no talk of the wedding in 3x17 or even any sign that Bex and Bowie had an emotional talk just a couple days ago in universe. Obviously the new wedding is at the gazebo in 3x19. No mention of Celia and it seems likely that she may not appear again until 3x19 which is a sad loss of screen time for Lauren Tom. 

Josh said some key plot drivers would be moved into 3x17 and the Muffy friendzoning definitely was and the Jamber breakup may have been. It also fits with Josh’s public comments, a week before he went back for re-shoots he posted an ask and talked about an upcoming ep they filmed at a farm where they were in suits so clearly he thought the farm wedding was still happening. Then as the re-shoots were wrapping up he warns us that things have been shuffled and cut but that the story will still make sense which fits with him learning the farm wedding had been cut and that quick re-shoots were done for the most important plot events. 

 It does raise the question of how much filler there was at the wedding if two major plot points could be boiled down to 2ish minutes of screen time combined. Certainly the main reason the farm wedding was cut was because of a lot of Ham screen time and the expense of re-shooting it but if a lot of the scenes aside from the wedding ceremony itself weren’t all that important than it would explain why they felt able to cut it. Now on to the ep itself.

Positives:

Really liked the Mack family scenes tonight, you could really see the familial chemistry that the actors have and it was great seeing Bex and Bowie being so supportive of Andi.

SAVA looks like a place Andi would love. Obviously she gets in (or gets in to another art school elsewhere) and I wonder how she overcomes the entrance requirements. 

Loved the dance moms line. And the girlfriend in Canada and blame Canada lines. Didn’t think I’d ever hear a Southpark reference in a Disney show. 

Really nice to see the kids just being normal kids and going to see movies

Emily had another great performance, 3x16 and 3x17 have been the most Amber development we’ve ever gotten. We see her hanging with some other girls and going to see a movie and learn that she’s really good at chess.

Jonah’s a mess but I always enjoy seeing him be dumb. 

Pleasantly surprised that they didn’t make Cyrus good at chess and very glad that he didn’t actually get to play therapist because therapist! Cyrus is boring and rarely gives good advice. 

Liked the callbacks to Cyrus wheezing and losing his shoes in the last Cyrus and Jonah scene. And Cyrus actually apologized! Glad he learned his lesson from when he betrayed Buffy back in S2. 

Muffy scenes were good if brief. We really saw why they work when Marty insisted that Buffy needs to see a doctor, neither Cyrus nor Andi have the confidence to call her out when she’s wrong.

Not surprised that they made Rachel unlikable, it’s really the only way to excuse Marty’s emotional cheating. She didn’t even get his jokes!

Buffy’s ‘’why not?’’ was very revealing and Marty really isn’t doing a good job pretending to not like Buffy anymore.

Negatives:

It’s nice to get Amber development but not this late and not like this. There’s just no stakes to this plot because no one cares about Jamber and the show hasn’t given us any reasons to. Sometimes it seems like they went with Jamber just because they needed to keep Jonah as someone’s love interest while avoiding getting him back with Andi. 

Wild that Amber was in 7 out of 25 aired eps in S2 and will be in 10 out of 20 aired eps in S3. There really was no need to have her be in so many eps. 

Jonah’s character has taken a real beating. He comes off as untrustworthy, immature, flighty, and unreliable. It’s one thing to tear a character down but when is he going to be built back up?

Real missed opportunity not to circle back to Jonah and Amber’s financial issues, or Jonah’s anxiety, or Amber’s home life in any capacity when all those issues play into how their relationship has gone.

I know it was a gag but I didn’t like Amber having a set up chess board already there under the table. 

We’ve seen eps before in S1 and S2 where Andi is off doing her own thing and the other kids are left to their own devices but I’ve never been a fan of those kinds of eps. It makes it feel like the other main kids exist on a separate show. 

Looking Ahead:

Jonah scaring Andi is a callback to 2x14 and looks like Andi closing the laptop leads to her accidentally submitting her application to SAVA. 

No clue if the bit in 3x17 about Amber wanting Jonah to write her a song is supposed to remind us of Jonah’s singing and set up You Girl but that’s coming up soon.

Buffy is on crutches and is going to coach from the bleachers which explains why they only filmed game scenes for part of one day.

Nice to see Kaitlin back and looks like we see her at the game and at school.

I know a lot of people think Kira shows up at the game to save the day but I don’t think we see her again until the finale. For one we have several days of TJ scenes and she’s not in them so clearly something has changed on his end. And Raquel was never shy about promoting her time on the show and she always made sure to post from set for eps 7, 13, 15, and 20. If she is in 3x18 then it would mean she deliberately didn’t post from set that week and updated her imdb but left that one ep out which is a level of deception and secrecy we’ve never seen from any of the recurring actors and really doesn’t seem to fit with her personality. 

Not shocking that Tyrus isn’t in the promo, they don’t usually show the B plots in the next on promo, that was typically saved for the extended promos Disney used to air. They also didn’t show any of the Amber and Jonah C plot either.

I think next week will be a great ep and I’m looking forward to seeing what that Tyrus moment in the gym is, be it hand holding or a hug or something else.

This was the last ep to not be directed by either Paul Hoen or Michelle Manning. Something to Talk A-Boot was the last ep to feature the school or the spoon (before the re-shoots at least). 

The timeline actually makes sense! 3x13 was around the end of October as costume day was a Halloween stand in and now it’s mid to late November with the SAVA application due at the end of November and the finale taking place not later than mid December in universe most likely. 

And one last thing, because of the Fourth of July holiday in the USA the ratings for 3x17 won’t be out until Tuesday afternoon at the earliest rather than the usual Monday release date

[frozenmikan]

Seigura October 2019 - DIALOGUE+ Interview

Uchiyama Yurina

April 28 / Aichi Prefecture

Stardust Promotion

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. The steps are really cute and pop, so I'd say "everything". But, if I had to pick one, it'd be how every one of us makes a different peace sign when that part of the choreography comes up. I think it really shows off our different personalities!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. When we first started shooting the fireworks scene, there was so much smoke, and I couldn't see anything... But we were given detailed advise on how to best position ourselves and how to hold the fireworks, so we managed to shoot some really nice scenes! It was fun!

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I want to revolutionize my memory.

  Hieda Nene

January 15 / Kanagawa Prefecture

81 Produce

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. There's this part in the choreography where I'm facing Manatii (Murakami Manatsu) in the first chorus, and Sappi (Miyahara Satsuki) in the second chorus. That's my favorite part! There are quite a few parts where I turn to face someone else in the choreography, and I grin at myself with a "She's so cute..." every time. Also, the steps during the guitar solo. Those were difficult!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. We were given real fruits and snacks for the picnic scene, and halfway through the shoot we actually started eating some of the food. It was much more delicious than usual!

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I want to "revolutionize" my bangs. They didn't listen to me at all during the shoot (laughs). Since I was sweating, they kept getting messy during the shoot! I always need to bother the makeup artists when that happens, so I want to do something about it......!

  Moriya Kyouka

May 22 / Nagano Prefecture

IAM Agency

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. It's a really upbeat song, so I did my best to let that feeling shine through, up to my fingertips! We actually got to decide the choreography for the solo parts by ourselves! Each and every one of us managed to come up with some really cute choreography, so do look out for that!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. The part with the water guns. Our group was already naturally close, and the shoot ended just as we were having fun with them. And the fireworks! Personally, I'm glad that I managed to do something summer-like for the first time this year.

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I want to do a tour with DIALOGUE+ someday. I feel like I'll have fun with this bunch even during long trips (laughs). I'll do my best to get many more people interested in us so that this dream will come true someday!

  Ogata Yuuna

July 31 / Hiroshima Prefecture

Im Enterprise

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. The part that goes "Come on and follow us!" at the end of the chorus. We were all told that our hip movements look really good, so look out for that!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. The water gun fight was really memorable. I really wanted to try doing something like that at least once, since you see it so often in anime and other shows! It was so fun that I almost forgot we were doing a shoot for a moment!

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I want to revolutionize my mental fortitude! I still get embarrassed easily, so I'd like to become someone who can pull any joke off at the drop of a hat, just like Manatii!

  Takamura Ayaka

February 5 / Tokyo Prefecture

EARLY WING

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. There are aliens in the MV! There's a part where it shakes its tentacles, so try to find that part!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. The water gun fight! The last time I played with water guns was in elementary school, so I let everything out during that scene! The other members said that my voice sounds like a six-year-old's during the recording, but don't tell me I looked like a six-year-old during the water gun fight too?!

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I want a revolution that gives me the ability to eat as much delicious food as possible without gaining weight!!

  Miyahara Satsuki

October 28 / Niigata Prefecture

81 Produce

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. Remembering the dance formation was really difficult...... Where we're standing and facing are different in the first, second, and last chorus, so it was a mess until we got used to it. That's why I'd like everyone to look out for the product of our hard work!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. The picnic scene! There were all kinds of food there, and we hesitated to take any at first. The interesting part was how everyone just started eating the fruits and cookies right after the staff told us it was OK to eat.

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I really can't stand insects. Since the MV was shot in mid-summer, whenever cicadas came close to us, I'd grab on to Mayuyun (Iizuka Mayu), who's good with insects. It'd be nice if I could experience a revolution and overcome my fear of insects. I'll look forward to that after my reincarnation (laughs).

  Iizuka Mayu

April 15 / Saitama Prefecture

Sun Music Production

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. The parts where we look at one other. You can see that in the first verse, the chorus, and even the bridge, and I always break out into a smile during those parts. Also, we came up with our own choreography for the solo and duet parts, so look out for that as well!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. The picnic shoot! I've watched quite a few idol MVs, and I really love scenes where girls have fun eating, so a shoot like this was something I've always wanted to do! I ended up asking "Can we actually eat this?" in a loud voice (laughs).

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I want to revolutionize my sleep! I used to prioritize looks when choosing a pillow, but as I grew older, I started realizing the importance of sleep. I recently bought a bedding set that athletes use, so I hope to increase my quality of sleep in the future.

  Murakami Manatsu

August 24 / Kanagawa Prefecture

Arise Project

Q1. What's something to look out for in the choreography?

A1. The part where I make a heart with Mayuyun! We tried our best to match up in that scene, so please watch it over and over again. We also came up with the other solo and duet dances by ourselves! They really reflect what each of us feel, so do look out for that!

Q2. What's the most memorable aspect of today's shoot?

A2. The scene where we climb up onto a hill and look back! All of us turning back at the count of three just bursts of youthful energy...... And everyone was so cool...... I put on my best smug face while turning back! Do look out for my smug face!

Q3. What's one thing that you want to "revolutionize" about yourself?

A3. I want to revolutionize how I always get words mixed up. I'm the type of person to remember words by their shape, so I've made mistakes like saying 「フラフープ (hula hoop)」 instead of 「ハープ (harp)」, or 「うれしいな (happy)」 instead of 「憂いなし (no worries)」. I'm in an industry where I'm constantly surrounded by words, so I hope to become someone who can speak accurately!

[thegrandsolarminimum]

Warm Worries...Farmers Race Against The Clock For Needed Growing-Degree Days

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Warm Worries...Farmers Race Against The Clock For Needed Growing-Degree Days

Check out Ice Age Farmers GDD Calculator HERE.

Farmers Race Against The Clock For Needed Growing-Degree Days

BY RANDY DOCKENDORF 

When it comes to fall harvest, many area farmers are hoping things heat up.

This year’s crop has become a race against the clock to overcome a slow start to the planting season. As a result, many crops are lagging in the number of growing-degree days (GDDs) needed for maturity.

Now, farmers are hoping their fields receive an above-normal amount of heat units for this time of year, according to Dennis Todey with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

That’s particularly true for corn, said Todey, a former South Dakota state climatologist.

“The importance this year is that corn needs a certain amount of GDDs to reach maturity. Because of the late planting, we needed additional heat along the way to ‘catch up,’” he told the Press & Dakotan.

“September is a mixed message depending on the time period of the outlook. Right now, the next couple weeks look warmer than average.”

Hope remains for both corn and beans, Todey said. ���Both crops are in decent condition, given the year. They’re just late,” he added.

While calculating GDDs follows a complex formula, the basic idea remains the same, he added.

“GDDs are a way of taking maximum and minimum temperature measurements on a daily basis and creating a value that, accumulated over time, relates to the growth of crops,” he said.

“Corn is the most directly related because you can pretty well assess how far along corn is during the year compared to the number of total GDDs needed. You can also use GDDs to track certain insects.”

The problems began last year with heavy rains in the fall and heavy snow in the winter. Those issues were compounded by a March bomb cyclone that dumped several inches of rainfall over a wide region within a few hours.

The continued heavy rains through spring and summer delayed or prevented planting for many producers, particularly in southeast South Dakota.

Fields remained flooded and roads were impassable because of the continued standing water and mud. Many farmers were blocked from entering or even reaching their fields, let alone working them.

“South Dakota was one of the largest locations with prevented planting this year,” Todey said.

The Yankton region set an all-time precipitation mark dating back 124 years of recorded data, according to South Dakota state climatologist Laura Edwards.

Southeastern South Dakota set a new precipitation record for the 12-month period of September to August, according to data released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The region received 37.42 inches compared to the long-term average of 23.46 inches, Edwards said.

“This has been a very wet year, no doubt about that,” she said.

In terms of precipitation, Nebraska recently saw a record-setting month, according to state climatologist Martha Shulski.

“August 2019 ranks as the wettest on record (since 1895) for Nebraska. This was driven by heavy rains in the central portion of the state,” she said. “(Year to date), we are third wettest.”

Northeast Nebraska fared better in terms of getting a crop into the ground. However, portions of northern Knox County were hit by a late summer hailstorm that wiped out a number of fields.

Because of this year’s adverse conditions, farmers need a number of factors to fall their way — including a rapid number of GDDs, Todey said.

This year’s problems became compounded in August when areas didn’t receive the full “dog days” of summer, or last blast of heat, Todey said.

“We’ve actually lost more ground over the last 30 days with some below-average temperatures,” he said. “Corn can shorten the amount of GDDs it needs a little, but we need warm temperatures now and as late a freeze as possible.”

Earlier in the season, crops needed timely rains for developing the root systems, but that’s no longer the case, Todey said.

“At this point, root systems are developed,” he said. “Warm weather to push the crop is what is needed. Crops should have the moisture they need to finish. Dry down is most important now.”

However, the Yankton region has seen continued rainfall. The wet weather isn’t helping the situation, Todey said.

“If conditions were dry, crops would probably start running out of moisture and start drying down. That’s not the case anywhere in South Dakota this year,” he said.

“Crops will also take some time to dry down after freezing. Producers should be ready for a long fall waiting. The wet soils could make the situation even worse in keeping people out of fields. There may be crops that need to wait for harvest until the ground freezes.”

Both southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska trended cooler during the past week, according to the High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC).

High temperature readings at some points only reached 70 degrees or cooler, but temperatures bounced back into the mid-80s and even higher, the center added in its weekly report.

The HPRCC report shows southeast South Dakota has varied from the average for both temperature and precipitation, Edwards said.

She noted the last 120 days — which captures most of the growing season — showed rainfall of 150 percent of normal for parts of the Yankton region.

“For temperature, it has overall been cooler than average, but there have been some warmer periods mixed in as well,” she added.

The one-two punch has affected the GDDs, Edwards said.

“As far as corn GDD goes, what I see from some spot checking in the area is that anything planted mid-April to mid-May is behind average on accumulated GDD,” she said.

“Depending on where you are, this could be 50 to 150 or more GDD behind. For anything planted around June 1, accumulated GDD are about on the long-term average, but then your likelihood of reaching maturity before frost/freeze also depends if you changed maturity to account for a shorter growing season.”

The mercury readings have remained a mixed bag, Edwards said.

“For temperature, it has overall been cooler than average, but there have been some warmer periods mixed in as well,” she said. “This region has been below average for much of the year, but not record cold.”

An active weather pattern appears on the horizon, Edwards said.

“The forecast for the coming weeks show a wet pattern to start, that will likely transition to a drier pattern about 1.5 to two weeks from now,” she said. “The next seven days could bring 1.5 inches or more of rain to most of the state. The outlook for 3-4 weeks from now, which is September 21 to October 4, is indicating a drier pattern over the Northern Plains and Midwest states.”

The region needs as late a freeze as possible, Todey said.

“Right now, we don’t see any indications of an early freeze,” he said. “Typically, we would be concerned around the end of September as the first times to start really being concerned for that hard freeze. But the average date is into October, depending on the location. And the trend in first fall freeze is toward later. That would be good news.”

The dates and types of frost or freeze play a major role in the outcome of a particular crop, Todey said.

“Some horticultural crops can be damaged (with temperatures) in the mid- to low 30s. Row crops can usually handle below 32 (degrees) for a period of time,” he said.

“Once we fall to 28 (degrees) or below, the crop is probably done for the year. Crops that are stressed can sometimes be damaged at higher temperatures.”

Edwards also doesn’t see an early frost this year for southeast South Dakota.

“Given the outlook and likely transition to a warmer-than-usual pattern at the end of September, I think we will see an average or later killing frost this year. Every day counts (during) this fall, and warmer-than-average days are even better,” she said.

“Also in our favor for an average or later frost are two other factors: our long-term trend is towards later frost/freeze in the fall; and we have high humidity in the environment.

“Typically we see early frost/freeze during drought years when the air is drier and cools down faster at night. We’ve had some cool nights, but the humidity has been high, which makes it hard to get a rapid drop in temperatures.”

The average killing frost of 28 degrees can vary, and the Yankton region benefits in that regard.

“Early October is typical for much of our region, but maybe middle of October in parts of the southeast and south central South Dakota,” she added.

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast for Yankton region calls for possible heavy rain through tonight (Wednesday). The area could see more than 2 inches in many locations.

The Thursday forecast calls for a slight chance of thunderstorms, with the chance returning Saturday.

The temperature forecast calls for the mid-80s today, dropping to the low to mid-70s Thursday and Friday before rising to the lower 80s Saturday.

Follow @RDockendorf on Twitter.

[heroineofcolor]

Namie Uchiha has all the stars lined up

It was late January when Sasuke Uchiha said the most dreaded words to her.

"Let's have another."

Tenten Uchiha was in the kitchen and prepared a snack for their son Sora Uchiha. Sora was now one year old and had been born on a rainy October day. Tenten would never forget the day her beautiful son screamed for the first time.

Sasuke was immediately smitten with their child and his eyes had been overflown with pride. Tenten had blushed and vowed to herself that she would give Sasuke the family he deserved.

So, that's why these words out of his mouth let her heart drop down and cold sweat break out. He stood right behind her with his arms loosely around her waist and their bodies touching. Sora played in the living room with one of his friends.

"Another vacation?" she asked without turning around. Shaking she grabbed the cucumber and started to cut it.

Sasuke laughed quiet into her shoulder and kissed her neck. "No. Another child."

"Oh right." How would she get out of this? "Sure. Another child." She sounded lame like she wasn't convinced at all. Her husband of three years took the knife and the vegetable out of her hands and turned her slowly around.

"Tenten?" he looked at her with a confused gaze. Tentens heart already hurt seeing his sad confusion.

"Yes?"

"Don't you want... I thought you wanted more children." He tried to see what she wanted without showing his emotions about this topic. But Tenten wouldn't have married Sasuke Uchiha if she couldn't read him like a book. The worry and hurt in his eyes were immediate and it hurt her too.

"I am sorry Sasuke. Of course, I want a brother or sister for Sora." She touched his cheek and pushed his black hair out of his face. "I was just surprised."

"Are you sure?" he questioned her still a bit unsure. She nodded and gave him a peck on the lips.

Inside of her head she had a mild panic attack because her libra son will not get an incompatible sign as a sibling!

"Sora, don't run!" Sasuke called out to his son. The young boy who looked just like his mother with his brown eyes and his brown hair didn't listen at all and ran gleefully to their front door. Sighing he grabbed the boy at the collar and carried him inside the house. It was time for Soras bath and nap.

"Tenten we are back!"

"Mamama! Mama!" The little boy ran into the living room and fell over one of his stuffed animals. Sasuke smirked and went upstairs to the master bedroom. He knew she wasn't in the first floor so she was probably in the shower. Her reaction this morning still had him insecure and in thoughts. Usually she always dreamed about many children and grandchildren so he expected her to react differently. Maybe happy or excited.

"Tenten?"

"I am here!"

She was in fact in their bedroom and … packing.

"Are you going on a mission?" He really hoped she would answer with yes because if she was leaving him he would literally die. Sora would be raised by Sakura and Naruto would be his only father figure. Good God his son would die too.

"Yes. The Hokage summoned me. Weird, huh? I will be back in two weeks."

It had been a while since Sasuke had felt the sweet feeling of pure relief and love. What was this woman doing to him? "It's been a while since you went on a long mission." He watched her carefully and observed her messy hair buns and her light blush on her face. She was packing in a hurry.

Tenten walked to a drawer which was sealed with a fuuin jutsu. Hurriedly she unsealed it and grabbed her scrolls. "I know. But I'll be back soon and then…" Her eyes raked over his body and her cheeks turned rosy. "… we can do that baby."

The Uchiha smirked and stalked towards her to give her a hot passionate kiss. Tenten moaned happily into the kiss and put her arm around his neck, kissing back with all her love.

"Mamamama! Mama!" Someone demanded her attention.

Sasuke broke the kiss and kissed her forehead slowly. "So, two weeks?"

"Two weeks."

Two and a half weeks later Tenten came back from her mission. She was beyond exhausted and dirty and tired. She hadn't meant to take longer but it had been impossible to avoid it since she had some… problems on her way home. Tired she walked the stairs up in her home and put her scrolls and bag as quietly as possible in the corner.

"I was worried." The sudden words in the darkness startled her and turned her blood cold for a second. One of her kunais appeared faster in her hand than she could react. Her husband caught her wrist before she could hurt him accidently.

"Damn, Sasuke…" she hissed and let the Kunai disappear quickly. "You know damn well how sensitive I am after a mission." As apology he kissed her cheek and looked her over for injuries. Her brown eyes were tired and exhausted, dark circles were visible. Her clothes were stained with blood, earth and grass stains. The hair buns she loved so much looked like they weren't remade since Konoha.

"Are you alright?"

Smiling she nodded and felt immediately bad for leaving him. Two weeks had been easy when she was alone back in the day but now she was a mother and a wife. Missing her family had hurt so much. "I am glad to be back.", she whispered and kissed Sasuke slowly. The Uchiha grabbed her hips firmly and pressed her body against his.

Tenten craved him and his touches so much. But she couldn't afford to get distracted. Getting pregnant in February wasn't ideal for her. She pushed him away and kissed him on the nose. "Let me go I have to shower."

.

As Tenten came back into the bedroom Sasuke was already in bed. Braiding her hair into one big braid she sat on the bed. "Sasuke. I have my period in two days."

In the following silence she finished her braid and covered herself with the blanket. Sasuke grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "Don't worry. I'll get the ice cream."

"Sora! Don't do that!" Stressed out Tenten took the family photo from his hands and the small boy in his arms. "You know that we don't climb the furniture!"

"Babababa…" Sora babbled and reached out to the door where Sasuke stood and smiled at them.

"You have a stubborn shinobi on your hands." He commented amused and relieved his wife from their son. Tenten put the picture back and positioned it nicely. "You don't say." She grumbled and watched her two men interact.

It broke her heart to do this but she still needed some time. It was now mid-February and her period was over. She was sure that Sasuke would want to try it tonight and secretly she wanted to but… conceiving now could get her a Scorpio child. She would love it nonetheless but she couldn't stomach the thought that her children could rival each other. All she wanted was harmony and quiet peace. And some weapons and adventurous missions with her husband.

With a deep inhale and a loud exhale, she straightened her back. "Sasuke."

His dark orbs met her soft brown eyes.

"There is a note for you from the Hokage."

"From Naruto?"

Yawning Naruto filled his instant ramen cup with hot water until the marked line. He closed the lid and drove his hands over his blond messy hair. Since the Jounin exams were coming up there was a bunch of paper work to take care of. The exams would be held in Kumogakure and the Raikage didn't do things easy for Naruto and Konoha.

A firm knock on the door let him look up. It was late in the night and Shikamaru already went home. "Come in."

The door opened slowly and Sasuke stepped into the office. "Ah Sasuke. How was the mission? It sure took you a while."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at this and reported the success of the mission calmly. He had been gone for three weeks and it could have been longer if he hadn't worked and fought with all his strength.

Sasuke gave Naruto a scroll with the report. The Hokage nodded and thanked him grateful. "Thanks man. Didn't know you were up for these kinds of missions but you were a big help."

Sasuke frowned at that. "What do you mean 'you didn't know?' "

"Tenten told me that you were interested in a longer mission. I was surprised since you told me that you wanted to help Tenten for a while but I really needed someone good for this. So, thanks."

After Sasuke came back from that three-week mission Tenten had been weak. Sasuke and her had had a good sex life – it was balanced and satisfying. But leading him along for six weeks drove herself crazy too. Sasuke didn't initiate anything sexual but his kisses got slower and his hands lingered more. His heated gaze got her confused and his temper was definitely worse.

Tenten shouldn't complain because she caught herself in a bad mood a few times too.

With sad eyes she watched Sora play in the front yard. The little boy ran after dragon flies like a real champion. Sora was adorable with his pale skin and quiet demeanor soon he would have a sibling to play with - just this sibling could never be a Capricorn. Now that the Scorpio chances were lowered she had to avoid a Sagittarius. Both signs might get along well with Sora but not as perfect as an Aquarius. If she would overcome the Capricorn chances too then…

Big cold hands raked around her waist and up her stomach. "Sasuke. What are you doing?" Tenten stood on the porch and had been deep in her calculations when Sasuke appeared. Apparently, he didn't mind their public presence since he kissed her neck and caressed her stomach. "I need you, Tenten."

"B-But… Sora…"

"Tenten. Please."

How could she refuse when she needed him just as much. When his kisses made her knees all gooey and his hands on her body seemed innocent but were already dangerous. "S-Sasuke…" He pressed her against his body and Tenten could feel how needy he really was. Cursing she took a good look around in search of a Genin. Sasuke was already undoing her buns – damn that animal.

Her eyes caught a familiar trio. "K-Konohamaru!"

Konohamaru and his friends were passing their house with a cat in tow. "Oh… look it's the weapon mistress." Whispered Moegi with wide eyes, Tenten would've felt honored and flustered if it weren't for her horny husband.

"Could you watch our son for 20 Minutes?"

"An hour." Sasuke demanded.

The three Genin blinked confused. "ehm… sure?"

"Thanks! Bye!"

The only thing that saved her in that week was Sora and her Kunoichi Seal. Her Kunoichi Seal was a fuuin jutsu made by a medic-nin. It was a protection from getting pregnant in case of rape. Since Tenten was an active kunoichi who went on missions she also had an active Kunoichi Seal. Therefore, in that week in which Sasuke used all her weaknesses and gave her mind-blowing sex as soon as Sora had a babysitter she stayed without a pregnancy.

"When will you go on missions again?" Sasuke inquired one morning after he woke her up with oral sex. Tenten groaned annoyed already exhausted when she had to think about missions.

"I think I'll stay for a while and do small things around Konoha. This two-week mission was harsh on me.", she mumbled against his chest.

"Then�� Sakura could unseal the Kunoichi Seal, right?"

Tenten swallowed loudly. The chances for a Capricorn were still too high. Capricorn and Libra just didn't work together. "Hmm."

A day before her birthday Tenten left the hospital with shrewd eyes. It was two weeks ago since Sasuke first suggested to unseal her protection and he didn't shut up about it since then. For two damn weeks. Tenten almost punched him in the face yesterday because the first thing he said was: "I can get Sakura if you want to."

The only thing she wanted was to sucker punch him.

Well now Sakura unsealed her Kunoichi Seal and she was open for Sasuke and his sperm. Yay. Maybe her family wouldn't break apart. Maybe her children would kill each other and Sasuke would blame her. So many maybes.

Now even her birthday was coming up. Maybe Sasuke would give her celibacy as a gift. Just three more weeks.

Her birthday was perfect. They had spent the morning together as family with a big breakfast. Sora hadn't known what day it was but he was happy and excited nonetheless. Later they went for a nice walk in the woods with Sora. While Sora chased after beatles Tenten and Sasuke fought each other with fun and love. When it was time for lunch they went back and were surprised with all their friends in their home ready to eat together.

All the women were drinking coffee and chatting about politics in Suna while the men were on the porch and talking about missions and politics in Konoha. Neji provoked Sasuke as always while Lee and Gai-Sensei were gushing over Sora. Kakashi came late as always and congratulated Tenten kindly. He offered to take Sora till tomorrow for what Tenten got some knowing looks.

Rejecting the offer wasn't on the table so Tenten said yes and thanked him politely. Kakashi left with her boy and with him the small gathering in her home ended. About an hour later even their last guest Naruto had left the married couples to themselves.

Sasuke and Tenten sat on the swinging chair on their porch snuggled up against each other and just enjoying the presence of the other.

"Thank you, Sasuke."

"For what?"

"For today."

Scoffing the Uchiha eyed her carefully. "I didn't do anything."

Giggling she snuggled up even closer. "Sure."

.

.

Later that evening they lay in bed and were making out heavily. Sasuke touched her in all the right places making her moan and squirm. "Sa… Sasuke…."

"Tell me."

His lips kissed her jaw down to her neck until he reached her pulse point where he started to worry her skin with his teeth.

"Tell me why you don't want another child." He breathed against her skin and Tenten froze. Her arousal was gone just like that and panic was there instead.

Sasuke was above her and looked her in her eyes. "I am not stupid. Naruto told me that you suggested to send me on that mission and he also told me that you wanted to go on your mission. Sakura told me that you just recently approached her about the Kunoichi Seal. And you think I don't care but I do – that's why I know that you have a short period and yours isn't until 10 more days."

Surprised about all this Tenten blinked a few times and pushed him from her. She sat up on the bed and watched him with wide eyes. "Looks like Team 7 has still a strong friendship." She hadn't considered that Sakura and Naruto were tattletales.

"Yes. Looks like it." He watched her with shrewd eyes. "Spill."

Tenten knew that she could not get out of this situation. The truth must be revealed.

"It is the 9th march."

"You don't say."

Rolling her eyes at his sassiness she explained further. "You wanted a child in late January but Sora is a Libra and I couldn't be sure to get another Libra in late January so I decided to get an Aquarius. But I must overcome the chances for a Capricorn. So, we have to wait three more weeks. Two Libras could've been beyond perfect but impossible because you were late! So I wanted a good sibling for Sora that's why I want an Aquarius! But that cannot happen till April."

A deep frown and a big question mark were visible on Sasukes face. He didn't understand anything. Tentens interest in astrology weren't news to him but he didn't know that… "You are obsessed about this."

"Very funny."

"Let me get this right. Our son is a Libra. By chance." She nodded. "And you want to determine the sign of our next child because…"

"I want a perfect family for you. If I get pregnant now then we could have a Capricorn. I would love the child either way but I couldn't bear seeing my children fighting each other. Capricorn and Libra just don't work together. I want you to have a peaceful family. I vowed that to myself."

Sasuke smiled because her words warmed his heart. "When did you vowed that?"

"When you held Sora the first time. You were so happy and everything worked out so smoothly for us. I just want a happy completely functional family." With lowered gaze she started to play with the corner of the blanket.

Sasuke watched her with an almost dreamy gaze. Here he thought that she reconsidered her life with him and wanted to distance herself from him. He thought he'd lose her and that she didn't love him anymore. But the opposite was the truth, she loved him so much that she tried to build a perfect family for him. With questionable methods.

"You know I don't care about these things Tenten and I don't have a problem with rivalry among my children."

Hesitating she looked up and down again. "I care though." She was pouting and looked like a child with her two buns and her teary eyes.

A laugh tried to escape Sasuke but he knew if he laughed know he would be nailed to the wall. And not in the good way.

"Alright." He stated grinning and hugged her tightly. With a surprised squeak she fell into his arms and then their heads into their pillows.

"What sign is your goal? Aquaman?"

"Aquarius." She chided and pinched him in the side. Sasuke laughed quietly but got ahold of himself. "Alright. Then when are we trying?"

"In late April." She mumbled into the silence. They just cuddled and enjoyed the warmth of the other until Tenten added smugly. "I bet you regret that missing Kunoichi Seal now, huh?"

It was mid- January and Tenten started to hate that month. It was the month of bad news. Sasuke got her pregnant in mid-April or something Sakura had said. Now she was highly pregnant and extremely annoyed. "What do you mean these are contractions?!" she screeched. Sakura looked to Sasuke and then back to his wife.

"Yeah. You are early but that's fine. I can handle this and your child will be alright."

Sasuke put all his effort in to suppress his laughter. He tried really hard and failed.

.

.

.

.

Namie Uchiha weight 3892 grams and was 53 cm small. She was a spontaneous birth and it only took her three hours to be born.

Namie Uchiha was born on the 19th of January at 10:32 pm. A wonderful Capricorn.

[dchyperbomberman]

Confession: My Early Mid-Life Crisis With Anime and Video Games

It's time I talk about this. As with any hobby, no matter how much passion we have for it, we may get tired or burnt out of it; discover something about it that makes us engage with it less. In my case, my low self-esteem and the American culture affected my love for these hobbies, however, I was able to overcome it and still engage with them today.

It started in October 2013 and I lived a great lifestyle of college, part-time work at Universal, great relationship with family, and having fun with my high school and college friends in-between it all. I still remember the highlight of that year of having gone to AFO for the weekend (in August) and even staying at the venue hotel with Joel, Rachael, Ryan, Gerardo, and JC. But that lifestyle came crashing down out of nowhere on a day where I had a day off from classes and work. Like any other day, I decided to engage in my usual Japanese media, which was reading a Sakura Taisen manga that day. As I reading, my subconscious came with the thought:

"Anime is fake storytelling; it doesn't reflect real life. Why are reading this fiction at your age? You're not going to become more mature and intelligent engaging in this media. Same with video games, you aren't learning anything from that. The mechanics are unreal and you're living in a fantasy."

This idea broke my heart to a point that it put me in tears almost every week and in a state of long-term depression. It had me carry around this bad perspective of the hobbies I love. I was obsessed with engaging in this topic everywhere I go, thinking less about the real world. And worse, I was having a difficult time playing games and watching anime through it all. If you noticed between 2013 and 2014 on this Tumblr of mine, I posted less prior to my October 2013 activity.

This long-term state of depression lasted roughly two years. I got the matter (mostly) resolved by doing some honest self-reflection and coming up with rebuttals against the culture that crippled me to this state. But the process was very slow and I was healing little by little. Here are the main points I developed from my self-reflection and the anime/video games I experienced that helped me overcome this:

∙ Be true to yourself and your thoughts; don't force yourself to love video games or you'll be feeling fake and living with an identity crisis. What do you agree with and what you don't?

∙ While anime (and fiction, in general) does have its unrealistic, pseudo-science moments and concepts, at the end of the day it's a story by the author.

∙ Whenever you find something flawed in an idea or scene, accept what you see and think about how the author would've made said thing better.

∙ There are life lessons conveyed in these stories, despite it being in a fictional setting. The themes and character development constructed are proof in a lot of fictional stories. And if you aren't convinced, it's a story created by the author (that needs more work).

∙ For a genre, like, Japanese live-action tokusatsu shows (Power Rangers, Godzilla, Kamen Rider, etc), yeah, some of the production elements (costume and weapon, explosions, CGI) don't reflect real life, but it's a story and you're watching it because of its distinctive genre elements. These shows are, in general, for families; not just for kids.

∙ Regarding video games, you're playing and viewing the gaming perspective of said scene in a story through the game system. For example, with turn-based RPGs, you getting poked with spears and slashed with swords as if it were nothing, but that is the video game perspective and you can imagine how the real damage in a fight would be like of said story (a graze on the arm, getting hit with the hilt of a sword, absorbing the blows with your shield even though it's not present visually in the game; or for serious damage an actual stab on a non-vital area). The goal of an RPG game is to come up with the best strategy for defeating an opponent in its turn-based system.

∙ In a fighting game, like, Tekken, that game is about being flashy and we are entertained by the inhuman nature of the game and wish we can do cool, insane attacks like that - that's why we play the role of these characters. In the reality aspect of the fictional presentation, we're utilizing one-on-one strategies against our opponent and reading he/she's fighting style to overcome them in a fight.

When I was crushed by the subconscious thought I mentioned earlier, it was like I dropped a mirror (as me), and it was shattered into pieces. However, little by little, I picked up the pieces and glued them back together to make the mirror again. Sometimes the pieces fall off, I feel like crap for a brief period of time and feel better when I go back to my notes, thus, I glued it back to that mirror.

Perhaps I'm too obsessed with these hobbies of mine (and thought too hard about this)? Is it because I carry these as a status of myself? To a degree, yes, to be honest. However, it completely doesn't define me and it's just a part of what I like to engage in. I have to admit, I'm burnt out on video games these days and I noticed I go to them out of habit more than passion. And that's okay! I just don't want a terrible, untruthful perspective to end these hobbies of mine, like, what almost happened before. I don't watch a lot of anime these days and that's okay as well! You shouldn't be obsessed. Hobbies come and go just like feelings. I'll still enjoy and appreciate Japanese media with its animation and games, even though the passion is not as strong as before, and it's good to know I can accept that.

Thoughts out

06.11.21

[westletter]

January 2021

Dear Friends,  One of Albrecht Durer’s most enduring images is this 1498 woodcut depicting The Four Horsemen of the Apocalyse. It is based on the Bible’s Book of Revelation and can be interpreted variously. But the essentials are fairly basic: as punishment for our sins, mankind will be visited by Pestilence, War and Famine, followed by the ragged cleanup hitter down in the left hand corner, Death. In short, the End of Days is coming!  With resurgent COVID, bloody insurrection in Washington, hunger, hardship and death ravaging the land -- and why not throw in climate change for good measure -- one could be forgiven for concluding that the Apocalypse has arrived. Take away the religious element, and I am nearly there.  Yes, ultimately and somehow we shall overcome these travails, but this is a bleeping depressing mess we are in.  Why do so many seemingly intelligent people selfishly equate wearing a life-saving mask to taking away their freedom?  Why do so many flout the travel and social gathering rules?   Why are there millions who distrust the vaccines and say they won’t take them?  Can this really be happening?  Sadly, yes, and those four horsemen show no signs of slowing down.  Now we have seared in our brains forever the image of Confederate flag-waving “patriots”, egged on by the putative “leader of the free world”,  storming the Capitol in Washington in a violent attempt to subvert the presidential election.   My Great Grandpa Allen Sherman West who fought under Lincoln at Gettysburg is roaring from his grave.  This is not what he fought for.  Nor my father Allen Sherman West III who served in WWII.   My generation, the Boomers, has enjoyed for the most part, life without war.  That has been a blessing in many ways, at least materially.  No generation in history has lived so high off the hog, enjoyed such an expansion of human rights (but not responsibilities) and seen the average lifespan increase so dramatically.    But as the body politic has fattened, has our spirit become flabby?  Where are the social sinews that hold us together and give us the strength to face adversity collectively?  We had them in previous wars.  Are they gone forever, or can we get them back?  I am not sure.   Sometimes it takes a truly epic catastrophe, an Apocalypse if you will, to bring people to their senses.  Let us hope that is not the direction we are headed in now.   Apologies for posing so many questions without answers.  I leave it to the next generation, including Allen Sherman West IV, to guide us to enlightenment.  Watch out for those horsemen and stay well, CW 

                                             §

You probably recognise this fine fellow.  He is Mark Carney, the brilliant former Governor of the Bank of Canada who was a key figure in reforming the global financial system after the collapse in 2008.  He then went on to the governorship of the Bank of England and deftly stickhandled his way through the thickets of Boris Johnson and Brexit. What you may not recognise is that Mr. Carney has long been a champion of “impact investing”; i.e., investing that takes into account social, environmental and governance factors, so-called ESG investing.  In particular, for years he has been advocating the need to take what he has termed “the climate emergency” into account on private enterprises’ balance sheets.  He has argued on the one hand that there are enormous shareholder liabilities for companies that do not include environmental costs in the liabilities column.  On the other hand, he has proclaimed from the rooftops that there is a massive opportunity for shareholder gains in companies that are prepared to put capital to work in addressing climate change and reducing carbon output. Last August the elite banker found a new home where he is putting his philosophy  to work.  Brookfield Asset Management has appointed Mark Carney Vice Chair and Head of ESG and Impact Fund Investing.     Canadian-based Brookfield has over $550 billion in long-life assets under management and its subsidiary, Brookfield Renewables is home to a growing portfolio of hydro, solar and wind investments around the globe.  Said the visionary CEO of Brookfield, Bruce Flatt: “Over time we see ESG and impact funds matching the size of our existing platforms.”  “We are not going to solve climate change without the private sector,” said Mr. Carney in the Globe and Mail.  “We are in the early innings of a very long game.”   He is not talking small potatoes.  According to the industry publication Pensions and Investments: “The value of global assets applying environmental, social and governance data to drive investment decisions has almost doubled over four years, and more than tripled over eight years, to $40.5 trillion in 2020.”                                            §    CLASS OF 2021 MID-YEAR REPORT CARD  Sparkling returns mock the Apocalypse Apocalypses come and go, as do wannabe fascist autocrats.  The markets don’t care.  As the Headmaster has often remarked, he has no insight into where the markets are going in the short term.  All he knows is that a basket of well-managed companies with competitive advantages in promising sectors will rise nicely over time.   To wit: since the beginning of the school year, July 1st, 2020, the Class of 2021 turned in an average investment performance of 20.3% vs. 21.1%, 17.4% and 12.3% for the S&P 500, the Dow and the TSX respectively.  “Bravo Class!” declared the Headmaster.  “You stared the four horsemen down and matched or bested your benchmarks.  Keep up the good work.” Class results for the calendar year (January 1, 2020 - December 31st, 2020), that included the stomach-turning contraction last March, were similarly impressive.  The Class returned 13.6% vs. 15.5%, 6.5% and 2.8% for the S&P, the Dow and the TSX.   Here are the sector by sector results. Financials - A  Each of these blue chips -- TD Bank, ScotiaBank, RBC and BlackRock -- bore out its pedigree, with an average return of 21.8%.  BlackRock was the leader of the pack with a sterling 32.6% gain.  Remember, as previously reported, BlackRock is the largest investment fund company ($7.8 trillion under management at the end of September) in the world and CEO Larry Fink, echoing Mark Carney, has been an industry leader in demanding that companies do a better job of incorporating ESG into their strategic planning and financial reporting.  All promoted.  Resources - A plus The lone Class member in this highly cyclical category is Nutrien, the Calgary-based fertilizers and agricultural supplies retailer.  As the owner of the world’s largest, and lowest cost, potash reserves, the company enjoys the advantages of scale.  Adds the Headmaster: “When commodity prices are on an upswing, as they are now, Nutrien can do very well.”  Hard-working Nutrien’s return was 40.4%.  Promoted.  Energy - B  Quoth the Headmaster: “Enbridge has been a loyal, blue chip pipeline performer almost since this Class was formed 13 years ago.  It is with regret that I had to let him go this past October.  There was no pivotal event. Rather, the advantages of being a dominant conveyor of fossil fuels, in my humble view, came to be out-weighed by the disadvantages of same.”  “My timing may not be perfect, but it is inarguable that the production of fossil fuel, and businesses tied to it like Enbridge, are approaching or in decline.  It may be a long decline, but in the meantime, we need to give our precious Class space to an energy candidate with the winds of change behind it.  Last October I replaced Enbridge with Brookfield Renewables.”  From July 1st to October 10th, Enbridge  returned minus 5.5%.  From October 10th to December 31st, Brookfield Renewables returned 16.5%.  Promoted. Classmate Algonquin Energy, with investments in solar, wind and hydro, didn’t miss a beat during these pandemical times, with rising revenues and profits.  Its stock appreciated 19.3%.  Promoted.  Infrastructure - B Once again, Brookfield Infrastructure proved the value of its business model, investing in long-term assets like rail, toll roads and cell phone towers, with regulated cash flows largely immune to the vicissitudes of the markets.  The company’s stock price advanced 12.7% over the past six months.   Adds the Headmaster: “I am delighted that CEO Sam Pollock has reiterated his commitment to recycling assets, selling mature businesses when prices are high, and buying new ones that are out of favour when prices are low.  No one plays the game better than Brookfield.”

The company is forecasting $2 billion in new investments annually for the next three to five years, all financed without issuing new shares.  Promoted. Retail - C Classmates Alimentation Couche Tard (convenience stores) and Metro (groceries), as one might expect, benefited from being deemed “essential” in the pandemic and to date have been largely unscathed.  Their share prices, however, don’t reflect this achievement, up a very modest 1.6%.   Adds the Headmaster: “There’s excellent value there.  Metro, in particular, reaped large gains in revenue and profits at the expense of the locked down restaurant sector.  It will be interesting to see how much of those gains they can hang onto.”  Both promoted.   Industry - A plus Workhorses CCL (containers and labels), CNR and John Deere showed the Headmaster their mettle with an average return over the past six months of 39.8%.  He says: “That average masks the spectacular performance of Deere, which had a gain of 71% fuelled by rising farm crop prices and the promise of major infrastructure stimulus spending on the heels of the US election.”  All promoted. Healthcare - C plus “I must remind myself that patience is a virtue,” gripes the Headmaster.  Yet again, the markets have failed to ignite under the Class healthcare trio, Johnson & Johnson, Amgen and Merck.  “Not to worry,” he quickly adds.  “While an average gain of 4.1% is nothing to write home about, each of these wonderful businesses is riding the pandemical wave with ease.  In fact, both J&J and Merck are in the thick of the vaccine race, although they don’t need a winner there to do well.  That would be icing on the cake." Final comment: “I have no doubt the market will better appreciate the value in these companies in the months ahead.”  All promoted. Telecom - B “Class member Telus,” says the Headmaster, “is nothing if not a model of consistency, once again boasting the lowest “churn rate” (customer turnover) in the industry.”  Telus also owns PC Magazine’s “Fastest Canadian Mobile Network” title.  These, and other virtues, underlie the company’s more than respectable return of 10.7%.  Little known fact: Telus derives about 15% of its revenues from Telus International, a global outsourcing and digital solutions company.  According to the the Headmaster: “There’s a possibility Telus will spin out International.  If they do, I would expect a nice bump in shareholder value.”  Promoted. Information Technology - A Classmates Visa, Apple, Microsoft and Open Text combined for an average return of 17.1%.  It must be noted, though, that Apple did more than its share of the heavy lifting, with a return of 45.5%.  “Of this foursome,” says the Headmaster, “only Visa has failed to grow its revenues and profits through the pandemic.  It’s almost perverse how well Apple and Microsoft have done.  Granted, luck has something to do with it, but good businesses make their luck.  Both these companies have spent years and billions making it easier for people to work, and learn, and be entertained remotely.  COVID-19 has only accelerated the trend they were already on.”  All promoted.  Entertainment - A plus  “I sometimes get asked,” says the Headmaster, “why I don’t invest in so-called ‘disruptive technology’ companies, the ones grabbing the headlines like Tesla and Square and Shopify with their sky high stock prices and stratospheric valuations to match. Too risky, I answer.  And I don’t need to be greedy.” “There are a number of companies in the Class of 2021 that give us plenty of exposure to innovation and disruption, without the nosebleed valuations and the attendant risk.  Look at good old Disney.  The growth in their streaming business is screaming, but I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for it.”     Disney expects its streaming subscriber base to triple to about 250 million by 2024.  The stock is up 62.5% since last July 1st.  Promoted. If you would like further information on any of the investing ideas raised in this issue, or a complimentary consultation, please call or email.  CW     

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Ceres enters retrograde zone

Timetable (current events in bold): Sunday, October 8, 2017, 02:12 UTC Ceres enters retrograde zone, 4:43 Leo Saturday, December 16, 2017, 22:30 UTC, Ceres stations retrograde, 18:11 Leo Monday, March 19, 2018, 04:14 UTC, Ceres stations direct, 4:43 Leo Sunday, May 27, 2018, 05:54 UTC, Ceres exits retrograde zone, 18:11 Leo Thursday, June 28, 2018, Ceres enters Virgo

As always, let’s consult Martin Bulgerin for the basic retrograde principles:

When the Great Mother Ceres turns retrograde on us, the entire notion of mothering and nurturance is up for grabs in our lives. This goes far beyond "just children", since Ceres describes the ways we give to and receive loving support from others. You're being forced to reconsider what you really care about. Some of our "babies" must be allowed to grow up and fly the coop if our attachments are holding them back. It's also important to recognize whether you are rejecting or filtering out the love others are extending to you during these cycles. Sometimes, the most cruel person in your life is yourself. It's time to reconnect with the web of life and loving.

With Ceres slowing down in the sign Leo, there are three main areas of concern:

Egocentric parenting, e.g. being a stage mom or stage dad and living through the child’s “achievements.” We don’t necessarily have to be actors, musicians, or models for this to happen. Any time we feel pressure to mold ourselves into what our parents want us to be - or when we attempt to mold our children into little versions of ourselves - regardless of our/their natural talents and hankerings, that’s taking a narcissistic attitude to our nurturing. They came through us; they aren’t us.

Overindulgent and lenient nurturing, e.g. “spoiling” our kids or ourselves. As my beloved band put it, “You were always spoiled with a thousand toys and still you cried all night.” We get into this mindset that only the higher-quality “stuff,” and plenty of it, is fitting and appropriate for our little darlings. Or, we feel we were denied these things as children, so we splurge on ourselves as soon as we possibly can. What we have to think of is, what does all that “stuff” really represent? Attention, love, tribute?

Authority issues between parents and children. Not to be confused with “egocentric parenting;” this is simply a power struggle. My (Leo) nephew once shouted at his folks, “You’re not the boss of me!” - and my own (Leo) dad was a complete dictator whose word was law. Leo is ruled by the Sun, the center of the solar system; everything revolves around it. Therefore, when Ceres is messing up in Leo, we have challenges of autonomy between parent and child.

The aspects are pretty much evenly divided between “flowing” and “difficult,” although the deck is stacked oddly: most of the “difficult” ones happen right away, while as Ceres nears its retrograde station things begin to “flow.” Just remember that “flow” doesn’t necessarily mean “good” or “beneficial”! If we really want to try to make them “good,” we need to face the challenges.

Thursday, October 19, Pallas Rx/Taurus square Ceres/Leo, 8:28; Saturday, October 21, Venus/Libra sextile Ceres/Leo, 8:53; Sunday, October 22, Mercury/Scorpio square Ceres/Leo, 9:20

It was impossible for me to separate these three aspects, since their orbs overlap. Pallas and Mercury form a fixed t-square with Ceres, giving it a strong “educational” feeling. Imagine the kinds of three-way conflicts that could arise between a concerned Leo parent, their sullen and rebellious Scorpio child, and the child’s dull, plodding Taurus teacher. And then in sails the Venus/Libra boyfriend or girlfriend! Eek. Because this is a fixed t-square, it’s going to take some hard work to overcome calcified mental attitudes. Don’t be so attached to being “right” (whatever that is). Resist the temptation to use Venus/Libra as an indulgent “escape”; instead, apply diplomacy and tact to enable a genuine reconciliation.

Planets/Points affected:

T-square - between 7:28 and 10:20 of the fixed signs Taurus*, Leo*, Scorpio*, and Aquarius*; and between 22:28 and 25:20 of the mutable signs Gemini*, Virgo*, Sagittarius*, and Pisces*.

Sextile - between 7:53 and 9:53 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Saturday, November 4, Sun/Scorpio square Ceres/Leo, 12:41

Perhaps some combination of ego and authority. I’m reminded of the quote attributed to King George V of Great Britain: “My father was frightened of his mother, I was frightened of my father, and I’m damned well going to make sure that my children are afraid of me.” And look how nicely that turned out! If we weren’t taken seriously as children, this square will almost certainly manifest as desperation for someone, anyone, to revere us. We can use the energy to purge any remaining toxins from a bullied childhood. We can also rid ourselves of tendencies to bully our own children.

Planets/Points affected lie between 11:41 and 13:41 of the fixed signs Taurus*, Leo*, Scorpio*, and Aquarius*; and between 26:41 and 28:41 of the mutable signs Gemini*, Virgo*, Sagittarius*, and Pisces*.

Wednesday, November 15, Mars/Libra sextile Ceres/Leo, 14:59; Thursday, November 16, Mercury/Sagittarius trine Ceres/Leo, 15:13

Things are starting to look up now - either that, or we’re blithely barrelling to hell in a runaway freight train. The Mercury trine is the first of three, the first two of which share a Venus influence. Here, Mars is in Venus-ruled Libra; in December, Venus herself joins in the fun. This particular setup is all about DOING something with your kids (or your nieces and nephews, inner child, students, whomever is around): shooting hoops after school, volunteering to chaperone a field trip, even playing hooky to go to a museum or skiing. We DO the fun thing and, wonder of wonders, we find that communication is a whole lot easier. Ensure that there’s no agenda more specific than “doing something with the child” for best results.

Planets/Points affected lie between 13:59 and 16:13 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Saturday, December 9, Sun/Sagittarius trine Ceres/Leo, 18:01; Sunday, December 10, North Node/Leo conjunct Ceres/Leo, 18:03; South Node/Aquarius opposite Ceres/Leo, 18:03; Friday, December 15, Mercury Rx/Sagittarius trine Ceres/Leo, 18:11; Venus/Sagittarius trine Ceres/Leo, 18:11

Ceres barely budges during the week before her retrograde station. And again, I’ve “bunched together” a lot of activity. This happening in mid-December makes all those Sagittarian placements anxious to “do” the holiday in memorably grand style - and Ceres herself is in the Sagittarius decanate of Leo. Although self-examination is anathema to Leo and Sagittarius, I’m going to recommend it anyway: WHY do you want such a lavish, grandiose celebration? Whom are you trying to impress? Whose culture is this, anyway? The Venus trine in particular is going to want to go nuts with gift-buying - what are we trying to compensate for, when we do that? We’ll all be better off if we collaborate with our loved ones, on what Hanukkah, Yule, and/or Christmas ought to look like.

Planets/Points affected lie between 17:01 and 19:11 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.