#most of them have not updated their vibes since those days much at all and

[13eyond13]

.

[yamujiburo]

HANAMUSA (JESSIExDELIA) MASTER POST

I probably should have started doing this forever ago but I wasn’t sure how long I was gonna stick with drawing these comics. But I guess we’re in it now! This will be continually updated~ EVERYTHING UNDER THE CUT

BEFORE YOU START:

This post is required reading about Team Rocket’s ages since that’s usually a question that comes up a lot LOL. As for Delia’s age, she is said to be 29 in Takeshi Shudo’s (original writer on Pokémon) novel that built out the world and characters of the anime.

Next, I feel like this chart helps give the vibe of what these characters relationship is (all just headcanons except for their names and ages)!

WHERE TO START:

Here’s a post I made detailing how Jessie, James and Meowth initially start living with Delia. It also goes into what each character does in this AU. Before going into the post, you might enjoy this fanfic my girlfriend commissioned! It’s based off of said post and is a more enjoyable read.

Here’s also a list of headcanons!

COMICS:

Here’s all the comics I’ve done! The order of most of them are pretty ambiguous and up in the air but I put them in the order I kinda see in my head! There are some that do take place before Jessie and Delia start dating though! Also a few comics that have several parts but the “next” and “prev” links will be in each comic. So I’ll only link the first part of those ones in this masterpost.

Pre-Relationship

Fast Food

Ophidiophobia

Whipped

Making Eyes

Hairbrush

Inquiries

Separated

First Kiss

During Relationship

Big Bed

Tattoo

Crumbs

Pet Clown

I’d Like To

Jessica

Lipstick (not a comic but some fun extra dialogue for this)

Glow

Official

Stare Down

Shovel Talk

Invisible Walls

Date Night

Face Blind

One Motto Away

Babygirl

Snowgasboard

Delia’s Got a Cold

Mr. Jessie Ketchum

Peek-At-Chu

Hands Off Pikachu!

Wine Nights with James

Beauty and the Beach

Turning Point Arc

Sunscreen

Where Do Babies Come From

Head Scritches

Love Life

Ugly

Ace Trainers

Pikasitting

Mother’s Day

Father’s Day

Gift for Delia

Gift for Jessie

Jessilina Fan

Crossdressing

Type

Hickeys

Journey Arc

Tone

Cooking Twerp

Son

Cooking Advice

Serperior Facts

Cassidy’s Cabin Arc

Father/Son Bonding

Uniform

Hand-Me-Downs

Glasses

Study Help

Happy Valentine’s Day

Wrapped

Daddy Daughter Double Battle

Splinter

Married Life

Wedding

Arbok/Weezing Reunion

Snake Eyes

MISC DRAWINGS:

I’ll update this with links to my other miscellaneous drawings later! 

FAQ:

What does "Hanamusa" mean?

Hanamusa is a combination of Delia and Jessie's Japanese names, Hanako and Musashi respectively.

When does this AU take place?

It takes place sometime after the Mezase Pokémon Master/To Be a Pokémon Master series. So all the events that happened in the series, unless retconned within the series, happened. Ash is 10 at the start of the comics.

What's the status between Jessie, James, Meowth and Giovanni/Team Rocket?

Not great terms since they were fired, but also not the worst terms. Giovanni just let the three of them go without any further issues. I will say that I've always loved the theory that Giovanni keeps Jessie specifically around because of her parentage and he as a soft spot for her that he keeps a secret. I feel like Matori was the one that got the three of them fired and Giovanni wasn't able to make an excuse for them this time (without showing nepotism/special treatment) so he was forced to let them go.

If you headcanon Delia as a lesbian, how did Ash come to be?

Delia was young when she had Ash and I hc that she just didn’t really explore her sexuality much! I myself didn’t realized I liked women until I was 18 and didn’t know I liked ONLY women until like 2 years ago. She got married, had a baby and realized after her husband left that she liked women (trans people exist obviously but I’m also interpreting Ash’s father as a cis man).

Who do you think Ash’s dad is?

I don’t know and I don’t really care to explore it. I’m going off of the novel interpretation that he’s just a deadbeat that left to be a trainer, failed and never came back because of the shame. He’s not important.

Isn’t Giovanni Ash’s dad?

That’s a common misconception that people remember wrong from the Pokémon Live show. Delia mentions she dated Giovanni but then left him and his gang after meeting Ash’s father. I also don’t consider the live show canon personally! I follow The Birth of Mewtwo timeline where Madame Boss founded Team Rocket.

Do you think Delia and Giovanni dated at least?

Nah, I think he’s too old for her? I always got the vibe from The Birth of Mewtwo that he was quite a bit older than Jessie and it’d be sus if he was dating Delia when she was married to, and had a child with her husband at 18/19. He’s a bad guy but not a BAD guy.

You mentioned you still ship Jessie and James. Why not make a Jessie, James, Delia polycule?

I have a few reasons I’ve mentioned before! 1. I’m in super deep with this AU already and I feel it’d be very confusing for casual viewers of my stuff if James was added into the relationship haha. 2. I’ve drawn Jessie and James together since 2011 and took this AU as an opportunity to try my hand at writing them as queer, platonic besties bc I love that interpretation of them a lot as well. 3. I’m not poly myself and the way I write this ship is largely based off of my experiences with my girlfriend. I just know I’d favor the Jessie/Delia of it all which isn’t fair and not a good interpretation of a poly relationship. All that said, I DO super enjoy seeing peoples’ poly headcanons and art!

Who does James end up with in this AU?

No one. He's aroace and is happy to be single

Do Jessie and James have all their Pokémon in this AU

I think they have all the Pokémon that they did by the end of Mezase Pokémon Master (all their Pokémon that were left at HQ). Most of their released Pokémon have stayed released and the Alola Pokémon are still in Alola. I bring back Arbok and Weezing post-Jessie and Delia getting married. I may bring back Chimecho, Growlie and Cacnea if I think of an idea I like!

What are Meowth and James up to in this AU?

Hop back to the top of this post under the "Where to Start" section. All your questions will be answered.

Does Ash travel with anyone at this point of his life?

I don't have anyone in particular in mind! I could see him making new friends (Nemona???) or traveling with different combinations of old friends. Like him, Misty and Goh, him, Dawn and Cilan, him, Serena and Lillie etc.

Will Delia ever get over her phobia of snake Pokémon

Not fully! I think overcoming fears is fine and good but I think real PHOBIAS are much harder to get past and I don't want to cheapen it. She slowly gets used to Jessie's Seviper specifically and gets to the point where she can pet it comfortably with Jessie in the room. But otherwise, still scared and would need that same amount of time per Pokémon

Is Jessie gaining weight or is it just me?

Not just you! Jessie puts on a bit of relationship weight overtime as you'll see in the later comics in the timeline. Jessie grew in poverty, never knowing when her next meal would be and that continued into her life as a Team Rocket member. Once she was able to settle down (with a woman who runs her own restaurant no less) she's able to live a healthier lifestyle with regular meals and puts on some weight because of that.

Does Jessie ever feel self conscious about gaining weight?

Nope! She feels happier and healthier and hotter. She's also unreasonably excited to clear out her old clothes and get a new wardrobe.

Would Jessie and Delia ever have kids together or adopt?

Nah, Ash is enough for them! I have come up with hypothetical kids for them but they're not canon to this AU. Just a fun little thing for me.

Will you ever put this on webtoon?

Nah. People mostly ask me this because they want to read everything in the order of the timeline but to my knowledge, you can’t reorder chapters or installments which would defeat the purpose. I also don’t think nintendo fan stuff would fly there. Also, also it’s just extra work and another place to upload and I want to keep this all fun for myself~

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

01/28/2024 Daily Crew Recap

TLDR; Hoist The Ads Charity Donations; Campaign Status Updates; Hunt For the Pirate Home Watch Party; General Morale; Past Renewal Campaign Comparisons; Cast & Crew Sightings; Upcoming Events: Pets for Pirates Jan 29; Love Notes; Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika

=Hoist The Ads Updates =

Looks like the voting is done, and the results are in! @gingerlyvibing was kind enough to break down how much is going where. Just a reminder-- you all made this happen! Everything over the $10K it cost to get the billboard is going to help out these awesome charities! Links to threads: Tumblr / Twitter

Funnily enough, apparently one of the trucks still has the ads on it

== How To Help ==

How To Help Save OFMD Task List - US

How to Help Save OFMD Task List - Outside US

I'm helping some folks over on FB get similar/ the same updates right now, if anyone would like to help give me feedback I'd appreciate it, please just PM me! I have a couple ideas and I want to run them by folks.

== Status Updates ==

Good news! Wb is still having trouble recovering, as it should. Thanks @btweenhisteeth on twitter

==Petition Status==

Over 82K -- going slow, but still ticking up! Takes time all, especially since we're focused on the networks right now. Don't give up!

== Hunt For The Pirate Home Watch Party ==

Had some great turn out all over the world today for the Hunt For the Wilder People watch party. Thank you again to @dandeebakes for getting those coordinated!

Saw some great trends during it, and a lot of people having fun. If you haven't actually seen the movie, I highly recommend it, it's incredibly good!

==General Morale==

So despite things being fairly quiet today, the general vibe from folks has been that we're just in a holding pattern and we're just gonna keep clowning and polite menacing until we hear more word.

== Other Cancelled Series Comparisons ==

Something cool that I saw more of today was several groups doing comparisons with other cancelled TV Shows. Thank you to @OFMDCrew for these stats on twitter.

After they were posted, I did hear conflicting feelings on these (some felt it helped raise their mood, some felt it made it worse). So I wanted to point out a few things:

1. We've done a hell of a lot in 3 weeks (and signatures were our priority for most of the first two weeks, but once David Jenkins lit the beacon 8 days ago, we changed our focus). 2. We had a leadership change mid-all of this with Renew As A Crew. 3. Oh and there's other stuff in the world going on (Palestine) 4. As @saltpepperbeard says in their post "David only posted his "call to arms" just a little over a week ago. Eight days ago." So much has changed and we've STILL accomplished so much in that time too.

We are kicking ass, we really are, I promise you!

Across Twitter / IG / and Tumblr, several people have mentioned they feel like something's "in the air". That's totally a second hand "I have a feeling" thing but as you probably remember, quite a few of us had that as a bad feeling the morning before the show got cancelled. Now, if you're not into that kinda thing-- I would like to mention, that could just be because this crew is so fucking awesome, and that's why the vibe is so good-- because we're leaning on each other and take care of each other. Also when lovely people like @saltpepperbeard (as referenced above) write lovely responses to asks that can always help too. This post made ME feel better, I recommend giving it a read for a little perspective :)

= Cast & Crew Sightings =

1. The weekend is still pretty scarce as usual. Our pirate queen Ruibo Qian has been enjoying a lot of everyone's artwork lately. 2. Nathan Foad announced his con dates 3. Renewal Campaign Related: mostly seeing updates again from our boi Erroll Shand supporting the campaign.

== Pets For Pirates ==

Tomorrow, Jan 29, there will be a Pets for Pirates Even! Share your Pet pictures and use the hashtags:

#PetsForPirates

#AdoptOurCrew

#SaveOFMD

==Love Notes==

I know, I know "Jeez Abby, Shut Up We Already Know How Awesome We Are" Well good! Cause you should! But that won't stop me from saying so again! I'm serious when I say the vibe is so good right now in general because we have such a great crew. You all take such good care of each other and it shows every single day. You helped raise an extra $11,578 that are now going to charities that are going to help so many families, and kids, and that's just from the extra stuff from the Hoist The Ads Campaign -- not including everything else going on. I'm going to include a picture from one of my favorite people @thelatestkate because she does awesome work, and this one applies significantly to all of you. <3

Daily Darby/Tonights Taika

Tonights gifs are brought you by the wonderful @celluloidbroomcloset's Posts: Rhys / Taika

I'm literally watching Green Lanturn this moment because I needed to remember this youngin Taika, so thank you / no thank you for that, but hey I've watched worse for Rhys so I guess I can't complain.

Goodnight Lovelies <3

[greg-montgomery]

Obsessed with the idea of you dating Aaron (and you don’t work for the BAU). As your relationship naturally progresses, you take on a pretty big part in caring for Jack while Aaron is away.

Since you know that Aaron doesn’t always get to spend as much with you and Jack as he would like, you’ve taken it upon yourself to send him updates throughout the day. Pictures of the two do you at the park and little messages like “I think jack has been hanging around Morgan too much. When I asked him what he wanted for dinner he told me we should just to the store and see what the vibes are.” Along with a photo of what you ultimately did end up making for dinner that night.

Maybe you’ll even send him some photos of yourself. Little reminders about how much you love and miss him and you’re proud of him.

Aaron loves it. It improves his mood. Makes him a little lighter throughout the day. Because of the nature of his job and how often he’s out in the field, he can’t always respond right away. But the little messages, those little pieces of home are such a balm and comfort to the horrors he’s often subjected to in the day. When he does has a moment - while the team is eating or on the jet, he’ll catch up on all the little bits he missed. He often worries about missing out on jack’s life. Not just the big events like holidays and birthdays but also just the little stuff. Seeing his sense of humor evolve, finding out what he likes and dislikes, growing his own personality. So he loves the little bits he gets from you. It’s his daily affirmation that there’s more to life than just the sickness he sees all day long. Outside of being “hotch” and “unit chief” he’s also just Aaron. He’s a father to a sweet little boy that loves superheroes and soccer. He’s a boyfriend to a wonderful partner that he loves. it’s his little reminder that makes the hard days and the most grueling cases worth it. He’ll tell himself- You’re doing this for them. So the people you love can live In a safer world. You couldn’t make the world safer for Haley, but you can still do it for them.

But maybe one day - someone makes a quip to you about how often you’re messaging him. “He’s got a lot on his plate you know. Don’t you think that’s a distraction from his job? I’m just saying it seems pretty clingy to me.”

And it works it way into your brain and makes you self conscious. Are you being too clingy? Are you the desperate girlfriend that can’t tell when she’s overstayed her welcome? When you look back on your messages, you do have to admit that it seems like a lot.

So you back off.

Aaron has been zoned in on the case, working against the clock to save lives that he didn’t realize the lack of buzzing throughout the day. When he gets back to the hotel and doesn’t see a single message from you, it concerns him. Obviously, he worries for your safety. It’s not like you to not talk to him at all. What if you’re hurt? He sends a quick message, not wanting to cause alarm even though his heart rate has increased exponentially.

“Everything alright, honey?”

Your reply is short. “Yeah. We’re all good here!”

His brows furrow at this. It seems odd to him but he tries to calm himself down. No pictures. No little updates on what you did today. He figures if there’s anything truly wrong, any danger, you surely would say something. Maybe you and Jack are just really tired - maybe you went to the park or went swimming or something.

The next day, you send a photo of Jack on a Pokémon Go walk in the neighborhood, face scrunched in concentration while he tries to catch a mewtwo. It helps calm his nerves. This was a good sign, things were probably going back to normal.

But then the third day - it’s radio silence again. He can’t help his thoughts turning the whole situation inwardly on himself. Were you getting bored with him? Maybe you were getting frustrated with the fact that he was away and you seemed to play nanny to his kid more than being an actual girlfriend.

He calls you but you insist on everything is fine. You’re just a little tired or you and Jack didn’t really do anything interesting that day so there wasn’t much to share. Aaron slightly rolls his eyes at this. There isn’t anything that you could do that he wouldn’t find fascinating. He tells you this but you seem to just brush it off.

He’s good at what he does and he can tell there’s more than what you’re telling him but you keep insisting everything is fine and his own insecurities that he’s built up over the last couple cause him to drop the subject. He doesn’t want to push and potentially make anything worse.

When the case is finally wrapped and the team makes their way back home, they can tell something has gotten under hotch’s skin. Their normally stoic boss is wiggling around in his seat like his ass is on fire. It was a bad case and maybe he’s just on edge from the brunt of it all.

One thing they aren’t used to seeing though, is him there alongside the rest of them, going home at a normal hour. They can’t help but tease him about the whole affair, “I guess there’s a certain special someone that you can’t wait to get home to, huh hotch?” He chuckles along with them but secretly his only hope is that there still is a special someone waiting for him when he gets there.

When he does walk through the door, the first thing he notices is the emptiness and the quiet. His heart sinks. On autopilot, he moves to your shared bedroom and he instead of you, he finds all of the bedsheets missing, the closet door open and your suitcase missing from the spot on the top shelf.

No. No. No. he panics. You packed up. You left. He stumbles out of the bedroom, calling out your name, calling out jack’s. His voice cracking. He hears a door open down the hall and there’s his son. “Dad! Come here” he tried to brace himself for what he might find. Jack looks physically fine, no immediate signs of distress. When he finally makes it, he sees you huddled up under a blanket fort, popcorn and chocolate and stuffed animals tucked underneath the mountain of blankets. And your suitcase. With the handle extended to hold up the weight of the sheets above it. He breathes a sigh of relief. You haven’t left. You built a blanket fort with jack.

you finally do talk about it - after Jack has crashed from the sugar high. When he asks you what’s wrong, he’s not prepared when you say, “I’m a burden to you, Aaron.”

“Where the hell did you get that idea from?” He can’t hide his shock. So you’re blurting it all out to him. He’s Confused. Kinda pissed about the whole event. How dare someone make you feel like you and his son are an annoyance to him in any way? His sweet little family that he loves and adores. You have an understanding, especially after Haley, he doesn’t want to miss out on his life anymore and if that means 2,000 texts a day then he will hand his entire salary over to his phone company to make it happen. He loves that you don’t try to make him feel bad for being away, you understand how much he loves the team and you love seeing him work. But you also know that his family means the would to him too and the fact that you’re willing to accommodate that isn’t something you should ever feel ashamed of. He’ll spend the whole night proving it to you.

THE ANGST IN THIS IS DELICIOUS 😫

aaron loves your little texts and updates during the day 🥺 he loves seeing your face and his son’s light up the screen of his phone! it’s what keeps him going when a case gets too much. it’s what he looks at when he feels disappointed in the world :(

so when you stopped doing it, a weight was suddenly placed on his chest. tbh he probably got flashbacks from all the fights he had with haley about his job :(( so he’s terrified history will repeat itself :(

meanwhile you’re also very :(( bc you’re worried that this random person was right and maybe you did annoy aaron with all your texts and updates. you know he loves you but you’re worried that he doesn’t have the time or energy during his very important job to care about your silly messages.

and aaron coming home and freaking out you left 🥺 i know the tears were in the corners of his eyes ready to spill :((( all these coincidences were just too cruel.

but when he finds you and jack simply having the time of yours lives he feels such a sweet relief! bc you’re still there and you love him <333

when you talk about it you agree that the messages not only aren’t gonna stop they’re gonna be even more frequent now 🤭🤭 and you also promise you’ll never let another person affect you with words like these. aaron loves you more than anything!! and you should not believe anyone but the man you adore <3 so when he says he loves you and your little messages, it’s true 🥹💞

[morrigan-sims]

Happy Simblr Gratitude Day!!

There's so many amazing people that I follow, and I know I can never name them all, so if you don't get mentioned on this list, PLEASE don't feel bad. I know for a fact that I'm going to miss some incredible people.

(under the cut for length)

@simlit - possibly the best "bachelor challenge" to ever exist. An incredible story with compelling characters, excellent writing, and stunning visuals. I binge-read all of COTS in one day, and whenever it updates, it's the highlight of my day.

@simgerale - Miranda is so incredibly talented. She makes the most beautiful sims, and her story Regal that just finished recently might just be my favorite story anyone has ever posted on tumblr. I've been following it since more or less day one. Also her legacy family is ADORABLE.

@softpine - the last of my top 3 stories on simblr. Everything Brandi writes is so incredibly detailed and filled with so much love. There is so much nuance and detail that goes into all of her posts, and all of her characters are delightfully complex. I binge-read the entirety of Camellia over two days, and it was a DELIGHTFUL experience.

@potionio - Omen makes some of the most amazing sims I've ever seen. Everything they make is GORGEOUS, from sims to builds to edits. Amazing alt fashion and spooky vibes all around. Also just an awesome friend.

@panicsimss - another amazing spooky simmer. Panic has gorgeous OCs, and I love everything she makes. Poppy and Hudson have my heart!!

@salemssimblr - Ash makes incredible renders, and is also just very kind. She's an awesome friend, and I'm so glad to have met them!!

@goldenwaves - Izzy is another incredible render-maker and editor. They also are the creator of some of the most fun and interesting dnd ocs I've ever had the pleasure of playing with and hearing about. Plus, her new story Heartbreakers is super awesome!!

@wileyfern - They post adorable gameplay, and their legacy family has been going strong for a long time now. Her current heir, Ocean, is super fun to follow!

@void-critters - Jay makes amazing edits and has some amazing dnd ocs that I love hearing about. They're also super kind and a great friend.

@warwickroyals - Ayanna's story is one of the only royal simblr stories I really follow very closely on here, and for good reason!! The level of nuance and commentary that goes into her story is very special. If you're going to follow a royal simblr, let it be this one!! Plus some very cool cc!!

@heartblobs - A very lovely historical simmer who just recently started a new decades challenge!! Ellie's current family is super cute, and I can't wait to see them grow!

@wildmelon - Lush makes some of the most gorgeous sims I've ever seen, as well as amazing edits!!! Also a critical role fan, which makes me happy.

@rebouks - Somnium very quickly became one of my favorite stories on simblr, and now Forever In Between is following in the foorsteps! Becca has adorable sims, and blends an excellent mix of gameplay and storytelling. She's also an INCREDIBLE pose maker.

@ghostputty - Ky makes INCREDIBLE edits, including those very famous eye edits. Also, their story, Deck of Fate, is fascinating, and I can't wait to read more!!

@raiiny-bay - Rai makes amazing renders, and their Monster Boys universe and lore is FASCINATING. I could read about the zombie boys for hours!

@arcanewonder - Sara's renders are on a whole 'nother level. Truly nothing compares. The fantasy vibes are immaculate! Plus, her simblreen treats from years past have saved my ass in decorating the castle for RTQ/ATQH.

@barbieaiden - Sam makes some of the most awesome renders I've ever seen, not to mention his stunning story and intriguing OCs. I love Sam and Aiden, am morbidly fascinated with Tristan and Kas, and am eagerly awaiting the day I get to hear about his pirate OCs.

@rainymoodlet - Shan's sims are all GORGEOUS, but Dan is truly the best of them all. Dan's bachelor challenge, KMIK, is amazing, and even though my boy may be out of the running, I'm very invested to see who ends up stealing Dan's heart.

@samssims - Sam is a pillar in this community. Her NSB family captured my heart right away, and her unique method of storytelling is so cool. Not to mention her poses, which are a must-have!

@laeska - Makes some of the best hairs in the community, and all totally free!! Her simblreen gifts this year were amazing, and I have all of her cc in my game.

@retro-plasma - Corn's sims are beautiful, and their gameplay posts are stunning! They truly have a talent for making things come alive!

@omgkayplays - A truly incredible simblr. Stunning builds, mindboggling edits, drop-dead-gorgeous sims, and a fascinating story are all reasons to give Kay a follow.

@seaslugsims - Their story is awesome, their cc is amazing and very useful, plus they're super kind and amazing!!!

@simandy - Ellen is literally the first simblr I followed, back when I joined this hellsite 5+ years ago. Her cc is amazing, and absolutely a must-have in my game.

I know I've missed people, but I think I've hit my limit on tagging people. Either that or tumblr's just throwing a fit at how long this post is. Either way, each and every person I follow deserves a spot on this list, so don't feel bad at all if I missed you!!! I follow over 400 people, all of whom are amazing.

[aha-chuu]

I'm writing an AU rn and like

So Wriothesley woke up in hospital after (correctly) killing his foster parents and Arlecchino is just There. So Wrio doesn't know who tf she is but he's a lil broody and very "yes I deserve prison, yes I'm 13 what about it"

Arlecchino meanwhile has only just taken over the House of the Hearth and killed her own abuser so they're kinda vibing in a dysfunctional way. She really wanted to kill all the child traffickers in Fontaine but she couldn't find them yet (she's only just come back from Fatui stuffs and since she's only just taken over the HoH she doesn't have an information network to rely on).

HOWEVER by killing his foster parents (who were part of the same trafficking ring) Wriothesley unintentionally picked a thread that Arlecchino can now follow go deal with all the shitty nobles in Fontaine and save a bunch of children. She's pretty much come to see Wriothesley to tell him this and legit thank him because she genuinely really cares about the children of Fontaine and this all Sucks.

So now Wriothesley is still going to prison but Arlecchino has her eye on him. She basically sees him as her first 'child' even though he doesn't know her as 'Father' like the rest of the kids do.

(which: in this AU the reason Arlecchino was there to save Lynette was because she uncovered the nobleman involved through the info chain Wriothesley set off so there's layers here).

Wriothesley is in prison and Arlecchino sends him fun little letters (and he replies (honestly feel bad for the poor Fatuus who was stuck in Meropide as their go-between)). Importantly she never sends him anything more than morale boosts - no bribing the guards for special treatment, no rigged pankration fights, no extra credit coupons. Arlecchino loves all her children but Tough Love is as important as any other form.

So Wrio had a ten year prison sentence and everything pretty much goes as canon: he learns to thrive, garners everyone's respect and, eventually, takes control of Meropide by duelling the administrator on the day he should have been released. Arlecchino's getting all these updates and she's so so pleased at how well he's doing. He's given the 'duke' title and she's ready to give him all the desdert, he's a great son and he deserves a treat.

But there is a whole layer to this that, though Wrio & Arlecchino have been in communication for a decade, he's never learned that she's Fatui and, when he eventually does learn, he doesn't confer those two identities. Same with Arlecchino - where Lyney, Lynette and Freminet are Fatui agents, Wrio is her First child and he's disconnected from that. That's why Lyney is her heir - Wrio's almost like a pet project she took on outside of her Fatui responsibilities.

Obviously it's then funny when Lyney & co clash against Wriothesley because like. They've never met but Arlecchino definitely considers them all part of the same family. Lyney has too much of a big brother complex to have to deal with his 'Father' introducing a much bigger big brother into the fold who has also managed to do like,, everything.

Like poor Lyney cos Wrio literally went to prison at 13 and still became the third most politically powerful and richest person in Fontaine before he was 25. Forget Forbes Under Thirty, Lyney has to contend with whatever this shit is without developing issues

(Lyney is actually very cool and better suited to all the Fatui stuffs but you know. He's gotta compare himself).

So anyway the concept of the AU (Arlecchino Adoption AU???) mostly centers on all the letters Arlecchino & Wriothesley sent to each other, and then navigating the dynamic later on when the Fatui are crawling all over Fontaine and The Prophecy. Bonus points for Neuvillette's most trusted Wriothesley having this weird Arlecchino connection, and if he can be convinced to side with her, Wriothesley could fuck up all of Fontaine by having Meropide go on strike and halting all of construction. So messy.

Everyone gets to bribe Wriothesley with tea to be on their side but in reality Wriothesley is on his own side (Arlecchino's like: yes this is how to raise an independent child, Lyney: he literally shot me and convinced me he would murder my family, Arlecchino: yeah they really don't make em like they used to huh).

Also all of the letters with Arlecchino were 100% like,,, philosophical debates and historical discussion from whatever prison book Wrio just read. No parental guidance here. He met this woman once, she is not his dad - she's his pen pal. Arlecchino finds labels unimportant in this instance.

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence:💙Script progress + Updates💙

Hello and welcome new followers, long time no see! I was very busy most of this month, but I am back and ready to continue from where I left off on the game! This game development post might be a bit long but I tried to condense everything! :]

"How are things going so far?":

It's going slow and steady! I haven't been able to do too much these past few weeks, however, I wrote a few parts out before I got too busy and couldn't do anything else.

I want to be very careful when it comes to spoilers but, based on your choices, some of these areas will give off immersive cozy/homelike vibes that really express Noah and the player(Y/N)'s view towards each other. In the old 2023 script I was very new to writing so the small semi-hints of romance weren't the entire focus compared to the horror aspect but there's a better balance between both genres now and I'm still aiming for a meaningful slow burn versus it just being all over the place. :] I liked writing them a whole bunch which lead to a lot of these taking place in the mid/end of Day 4+, they just need to be placed in specific areas that call for it. With that being said, it felt really comfy adding key details about Noah and creating meaningful sections in the game. I was even going to draw out some of the unseen script/scenes but I believe the best thing to do is give deeper lore from the [Extended Demo] first. Even though my writing style has improved I still have to fix the multiple pacing issues I wrote last year.

"Playtester's advice":

I wanted to continue working through Noah's backstory but I kept having moments where I'd get sidetracked into wanting to fix up the start of the game again. Eventually, I talked to my play testers about it and they gave me a few encouraging pointers.

To help keep my process at ease, I will fix the beginning of the game when I take breaks from writing up Noah's backstory. :]

I talked about this during early 2024 but the start of the game that leads up to the cabin is still getting reworked. I was able to get some of it fixed for the [Extended Demo] but I wasn't done. Things are still up in the air but, I will say that I have a better view of everything than I did before. :] Another priority that needs fixing are the backgrounds! I've improved a lot on drawing and they need to be optimized. When you first start up the game, you wake up in a holed out tree in the swamp with the choice to leave this area and possibly end up in the forest. I was going for a very immersive form of symbolism that only a few noticed but, I believe I can do a better job about this. Unfortunately I don't have any new backgrounds to show right now but maybe next week I'll have some finished up! :]

"Art process/Noah's sprite sheets":

As far as Noah sprite sheet goes, it's still in sketch mode.

I didn't draw anything since I was gone so I need to do a few warm ups before I get to them. There are some old drawing prompts I wrote down and old sketches that I never got a chance to doodle so hopefully I can get to them at some point with some attached lore. :,]

My Q&A / Ask box has been reset!

Thank you to those who have sent in asks in the past, unfortunately they all disappeared except for 1 while I was gone. I have no idea what happened but I can only guess it just got reset.

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask or resend them in here please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I would really like to hear from you guys!

This is all I have to share so far, Thank you to everyone for the continued support and patience while I was gone! I was ready to accept the interest for this game to fade out and coming back to see that it didn't happen makes me happy, I really appreciate it. :,]

[yukidragon]

Sunny Day Jack - Reincarnation Headcanons

It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a proper ramble for Sunny Day Jack, so let’s start getting the ball rolling again with some good old shameless OTP self-indulgence, shall we? I have no idea how long my momentum will last, but I’m going to do my best to have fun and see where things take me.

I just loved the script teaser for the upcoming demo update that got publicly posted over on the SnaccPop Studios Patreon. It really got me thinking, and one line in particular intrigued me.

Jack: I can’t explain it, but I know this feeling. I've felt it before. I just can’t remember where...

This really gives me strong vibes that Joseph did have someone he loved before he died… and it really makes me keen to think that MC is his reincarnated lover. Or at least they remind him of a love he lost when he was murdered. This could also be a narrative parallel with the way MC used to(?) love Ian. It’s hard to say at this point.

Regardless, this did make me immediately think of my own MC Alice’s previous incarnation, Mary, who I first mentioned in a previous ramble. I also wrote about her in this very spicy two-sided first-person story, as well as a little snippet about Mary’s potential sweet reunion with Joseph after they were separated for years.

Content Warnings: this post will have mentions of death, trauma, bullying, SA, and probably touch on other dark themes. Reincarnation stories, especially those involving murder, tend to have a bit of a dark side after all. I’ll make sure to tread lightly on these topics since the focus is on indulging in a reincarnated soulmates storyline after all. I might also indulge in some spicy thoughts as well, but we’ll see.

As I previously mentioned, I’m still on the fence about whether or not I’m going to go with the reincarnation storyline for Sunshine in Hell, or stick with it being an AU thing. There’s plenty of pros and cons for both routes in my mind, and I’m still not quite decided yet. Though playing with it more in these rambles, reading that teaser, and even seeing other MCs with past incarnations have made me start to lean in that direction.

Though… it’s pretty sad to imagine that Joseph had love in his past… only to forget about it and only remember the persona of Jack that he’s wearing now. Then again, he would no doubt be sad that his lover forgot about him too. It’s not either of their fault of course. Death is a cruel thing that takes away so much…

Still, it would make more sense why Alice would feel compelled to save Jack, not just because she was in a vulnerable place and couldn’t turn away when someone was suffering and she could help him. A part of her would feel this strong sense of longing and nostalgia, a feeling that she had been waiting for this person for such a long, long time…

It also is more reason for Jack to instantly fall in love with Alice. Even if he forgot he was Joseph and anything tied to that life… he still remembered Mary, even if only as a feeling of love. Names, faces, and places aside from the lore of Sunny Day Jack were erased, but there was only ever one person who made him feel truly loved, and she found him again, just like she did before. He might not remember it, but a part of him wished for her to find him again for 40 long years.

Naturally, with a reincarnation storyline, that means that memories of the past would inevitably return. How much and how quickly are up for debate, but most likely it would be a gradual process for both of them.

It would be interesting if Alice remembered everything first. After all, Jack is practically traumatized by the idea of being Joseph. He doesn’t want to remember being that person who made so many mistakes and was so flawed. This is especially true if his death involved horrible secrets being revealed about him… secrets he never wanted Mary to know that he feared would ruin things between them forever.

Joseph would never have told Mary about his time as a bully, or why he ran away from Haberdae High. He couldn’t forgive himself for what he did, couldn’t see anyone being able to ever love someone who did something so horrible. He couldn’t let his past mistakes ruin things. He couldn’t lose her, not after he finally found her again. He wanted to be a better person for himself and for her.

Mary hated bullies, and Joseph had become the worst of the worst of them. Even if she hadn’t been his victim personally, he knew how she felt about bullies, how the damage they inflicted on someone never truly disappeared…

Having his ugly past revealed before her and the entire world in the worst way possible was no doubt soul crushing.

If the two of them had more time together, Mary could have helped Joseph open up about the things he was ashamed about and eventually forgive himself for his past mistakes, but he died at the worst possible time. It’s all the more reason why he can’t handle being Joseph anymore.

I’d have to consider all the implications of Alice remembering being Mary and if Jack would remember enough to be terrified of that idea. After all, if she remembers, sure she remembers the good moments, but she would also remember when his mask was ripped off and revealed the ugly person he was underneath. In that case, he would try to stop it from happening, deflect and avoid, terrified to let the past resurface while trying not to remember it himself.

Of course Sunshine in Hell is a story of two broken people healing and opening enough to expose their scars in order to heal. Alice would help Jack trust that he can be flawed, he can make mistakes, and she’ll still love him. It’ll take time, but eventually he’ll learn to stop hating the person he was and accept that he was always worthy of love.

While pondering possibilities, I also thought of the classic reincarnated transmigrator stories that are especially popular in the webcomic scene. The idea of Mary being reborn into her favorite story as the “villainess” Alice gives me a little chuckle. Though that’ll be an AU for another post.

Anyway, I considered how much Alice remembers of being Mary and when it started. Many reincarnation stories have the MC remember all at once when they’re young, sometimes even as a baby. That certainly wouldn’t be the case for Sunshine in Hell, since the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it would change the story, particularly when it comes to Alice and Ian’s relationship.

If Alice remembered her past life before she met Jack, it would be a painful gut punch, to say the least. There would be a strong feeling of dissociation. This life is so different from her past one, and Joseph isn’t there. It would give this feeling of not really being sure of who she was or if she should really be there. Does she deserve this life?

Then of course there’s the problems of remembering life as an adult while being stuck in a child’s body and all the issues that come with that.

Still… Mary always longed for a family who actually loved her, and Alice has that. It would be impossible for her to resist wanting to be Alice with her whole heart, to be surrounded by such love in a way she only experienced with one person. The only thing missing would be Joseph. A part of her would feel guilty about being happy without him.

But… if she was reborn, then Joseph must have been too, right? Would he remember her? How would she find him in this vast world?

Though… she did it before didn’t she? On a lonely road in the middle of nowhere, far from their old homes, somehow she found him. Even though he had changed, she still recognized him immediately. Surely she would find him again in this life too.

Mary didn’t have anyone left at the end of her life, and so she lost hope. Alice, however, has people around her who love her. She has hope and reasons to keep living. She has people who want her to be happy and feel loved, even without Joseph by her side.

So Alice would open her heart to the love all around her and live. She would also hold onto the hope that someday she would find her starlight again, no matter what name he had now.

Ian… is not Joseph. There are parallels in the game’s narrative between him and Jack, but their personalities are way too different. Ian and Alice would become friends, but romance wouldn’t develop between the two. It wouldn’t feel right for many reasons to Alice, especially since he’s just… not her starlight. She would be fond of Ian certainly and want to protect him, but she could only view him as a little brother, especially if she had the memories of an adult while they were still children.

So when poor shy Ian gathered the courage to confess to Alice, she had to gently turn him down. It just wasn’t fair to him, or to her. Maybe someday her heart will move on, but not yet, not until she finds someone who makes her feel love the way Joseph did.

Of course, if Alice remembered later on in her teens after she already had a crush on Ian, that complicates things. Sometimes traumatic incidents make people remember their past life incarnations in these stories. For Alice, her most traumatic incident was when she suffered from SA.

Boy, what an awful time to remember one’s tragic death and lost love, don’t you think?

Alice woke up in the aftermath in pain while remembering even more pain, two overlapping identities warring in her mind even as she has to deal with the fresh trauma inflicted upon her. It took her a while to process what happened to her even without adding the memories of Mary on top of all of that.

One side of Alice feels the pain of losing the love of her life as well as fresh memories of dying slowly all alone, and the other side just lost her innocence after her power and agency were stripped away from her. It would be quite a rough time, and how could she tell anyone about these memories? Who would believe her? They’re too real to feel like just a dream she had due to trauma… but what if she’s wrong? Could trauma be great enough to create memories of an entirely different life in an instant?

Fortunately, Alice has the love of her family to help her through hard times, as well as good friends like Ian to support her. It takes a while for her to really process and accept everything, but she at least knows she is loved.

In this scenario, despite the crush Alice had on Ian, she wouldn’t feel right letting it develop into anything more, especially not when her memories of Joseph and the intense love she had for him would be so much more fresh. She would feel guilty, as though she had cheated on… Ian? Joseph? Both?

Either way, Alice is not in any state to enter into a romantic relationship.

So, hey, Alice might be facing reincarnation trauma and dissociation with her identity in this AU, but she avoids a bad romantic relationship and being cheated on. Poor Ian gets turned down by his childhood friend turned crush, but at least they’re still good friends, even if she’s a bit more distant now after the… incident.

Regardless of the twists and turns remembering her past would take her to the present day, eventually Alice finds the tape. It’s just so compelling. When she sees it’s an episode of the SunnyTime Crew Show, well, there’s no way she could resist it. Just the logo would hit her with painful nostalgia and struggling not to cry in the thrift store. For a moment, she just hugs the tape to herself, remembering all the times she wrote for the show as Mary, watched the filming, and especially the last day they ever filmed… and it leaves her longing for the day she finds her starlight again.

Alice has to watch the tape.

It feels ominous too. The blood red handwritten scrawl of “‘84 Incident” makes Alice think about that incident… but surely that couldn’t be… right? LambsWork Productions destroyed every trace of the show. Surely they would’ve gone scorched earth on any recording of the murder?

Then again, if all the tapes were destroyed… that should have included the one she found in this thrift store…

Alice all but runs back home after buying the tape, not bothering with anything else she was going to purchase that day. Her hands are shaking when setting up the VCR, but fortunately she remembers how to use it. It’s almost muscle memory going through the motions of playing a VHS tape. She can’t peel her eyes away from the screen, holding her breath.

The show starts and… oh the pain from nostalgia is unlike anything else. Jack - her starlight - is there. That familiar dazzling smile shining at her as the episode starts. When he greets her and asks her name, she can’t help but answer him, though she doesn’t notice which name she gives him…

I’ve gone over thoughts of how the deal between Alice and Jack might have gone in previous posts. Seeing Joseph’s death again hurts like hell, but the moment Jack starts to talk directly to her, that’s when her heart really starts to pound.

Needless to say, Alice is just as desperate to save Jack as he is to be saved. The pact is made, and their souls are tied together, making them true soulmates.

Then again they already were even without the deal. ;3

Of course, the trauma of the pact does make Alice forget the agreement they made, but her reaction is very different when she wakes up. There’s a moment where she just has to stare at Jack, smiling gently down at her, greeting her like he used to… and she starts to shake. This isn’t a dream, is it?

Jack innocently replies that of course it’s not a dream. Her pal Sunny Day Jack is here to brighten up her day!

Jack doesn’t expect Alice to practically throw herself into his arms and hug him, but he reacts instantly to embrace her. It’s familiar, warm, wonderful, and everything he could ask for.

“I’m happy to see you too, sunshine,” Jack said with a chuckle.

Unfortunately… Jack is in character. Alice calling him Joseph is like a splash of ice, chilling him to the core and he has to correct her, gently of course.

It’s very apparent to Alice that Jack is shaken up. She tries to explain, talk of their past lives and remembering, and Jack… can’t handle it, burying himself deeply into the character of Sunny Day Jack, insisting he’s not who she thinks he is, trying to skirt away from anything Joseph. He cites off lore of the SunnyTime Crew and Sunny Day Jack that she helped write about the character back when she was on the writing staff.

It’s surreal for both of them, with mixed feelings, but Jack is ever eager to change the topic to something sunnier, to try and be the best and brightest friend known as Sunny Day Jack. Alice learns she can’t push him, at least not right now, but now… she’s left wondering if this is really Joseph… or a memory left in the tape? What if he’s just the character brought to life?

What if she lost her mind?

Still, Alice can’t bring herself to push Jack away, even if it’s a bit painful. Over time she picks up that he is Joseph after all, but he forgot everything.

Is this the result of the tape? The murder? Something else? Alice has to figure out what really happened at the studio that day. At the same time, she has to focus on figuring out where to go with Jack.

Alice wished to see Joseph again, no matter what name he had now, but she never expected something like this.

Still… she’s different now too. She’s not Mary anymore. She might have Mary’s memories, but she also has Alice’s memories, a second lifetime in different circumstances, different choices and experiences. She’s different from who she used to be.

So what does that mean for her and Joseph Jack?

Obviously the shadow of Joseph scares Jack. Alice won’t force him to remember, not when his death and what came after were so horrible. Instead she tries to get to know who he is now and figure out where to go from there.

Alice quickly falls in love with Jack. He’s not Joseph, and yet the important parts of him that she fell in love with are still the same. She sees little things of Joseph in him, but he’s also different at the same time. He’s changed, he’s masking things, but he’s still her silly starlight who never failed to make her smile.

Jack tries to overlook memories Alice stirs up in him, hints of sunshine that looked a bit different, but with the same beautiful blue eyes that always held such warmth. He focuses solidly on the present and enjoying his life now with his sunshine.

Still, Joseph’s habits slowly come back in spite of himself. Alice makes him feel so loved and accepted. He has moments where he slips, and she loves him despite it.

Needless to say, this AU would also have a happy ending. They would also get together much sooner than the main universe. While Alice would be trying to keep a respectable distance to understand who Jack was now as he is without forcing him to be someone he doesn’t want to be anymore or pushing her feelings and memories on him, Jack is a yandere who wants her badly. He’s going to notice her feelings quickly and do everything he can to encourage them.

Since Alice doesn’t have baggage from her toxic relationship with Ian holding her back, and she’s been aching to be with Joseph for so long, it won’t be long before her resolve crumbles. He’s always been so good at seducing her, even while dressed up as a silly clown. He might be wearing a different name and look, but he’s still her starlight, and he always had a knack for making her feel so loved, precious, and irreplaceable.

Jack might have buried his memories, but he’s quick to remember all of the ways he could make his sunshine melt in his arms. There are small hiccups due to her SA trauma as he has to be careful about the triggers she has from that, but he’s patient and gentle with her. He thoroughly focuses on her pleasure and comfort, making sure she feels nothing but safe and loved the entire time.

Needless to say, Alice’s first time in this universe is much more pleasant than it is in the main timeline.

It all feels familiar to both of them, the physical and emotional aspects of making love that they experienced countless times in the past, but the feelings are more intense due to the supernatural connection between them making their feelings bleed into one another. Jack at times is almost overwhelmed by nostalgia, but it doesn’t scare him when they’re making love. The nickname of “starlight” Alice used for him was always familiar, but it didn’t upset him like the name “Joseph” did, not when it’s his sunshine calling him that, saying she loves him, and kissing him so tenderly. She makes sure to call him Jack or starlight even while she’s screaming in pleasure beneath him. She’s careful to avoid old names that bring him pain, focusing on who he is now, taking care not to push him when she senses it’s causing him distress. She cares just as much about his comfort and avoiding his triggers just as he does for her.

That increase in intimacy, both physical and emotional, is the trigger that starts Jack really remembering things as Joseph, but not in a negative way. It’s an addicting feeling, one that’s hard to resist, especially when it feels so, so good and comes with so much pleasure and love.

Still, at some point Jack starts to get those fears of Alice learning… something. He still flees from those bad memories, not even wanting to know what that something was.

But over time… Alice helps Jack accept his past. It takes him a while, but when he’s forced to face it and she reinforces the fact that she accepts him, even the awful things he did back then, that she still loves him… he practically collapses into her arms, crying, just so relieved.

For 40 years he was convinced that the reveal destroyed everything, robbed him of love, and it… didn’t. Alice lets Jack be who he wants to be and accepts the mistakes he made in the past who are a part of the person he is today. She loves him even with all his flaws, and she wants to help him to keep growing to become the person that he wants to be, because he’s always been the person she wants to be with, flaws and all.

It still takes Jack a while to accept his past identity as Joseph, but Alice helps him. She can also relate, as it took her a while to accept her past incarnation as Mary too. It’s something they both can understand intimately. Even if their circumstances for being reborn as new people are different, they both understand each other in a way no one else can, and they help each other navigate what it means to live a new life while being haunted by the memories of a previous one that was less than ideal.

Fortunately, this time, their love story has a happy ending instead of a tragic one.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur

[wildyonderwillows]

The Red Dress

Relationship: Billy Butcher x Reader Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4.9k+ Warnings: Explicit language, sexual content, and alcohol consumption Summary: Fourth of July Weekend had more than just fireworks.

Fourth of July weekend was the break you were hoping for. The weather was nice, hot but not terribly so, and most importantly, there was no mention or talk of Vought for the whole day. As much as you enjoyed taking those bastards down, it was nice to have a break, even if it was for a short time. And if that break consisted of a nice barbeque prepared by MM at his home, then so be it. Well, the party was held at Monique’s house but she was away with her parents with Janine for the weekend so you weren’t entirely sure if you and all of the boys were allowed to be here, but it wasn’t your concern. Besides, you knew MM probably asked for her permission, whether she agreed or not was what you were mainly unsure of. 

Regardless, you were simply happy to relax, have some drinks, good food, and watch the fireworks. You even bought a new dress for the occasion since it wasn’t like your wardrobe was that nice and work appropriate, so to speak. The dress you bought was red which was not only perfect for the holiday but for the weather as well. It was light, flowy, had a nice neckline and with it being off the shoulder, it was the perfect blend of dressy-casual. The hem of the dress rested about midthigh which you found to be the perfect length. 

Possibly, you were a tad overdressed since everyone else was probably in shorts and a t-shirt of some kind, but you didn’t care. You were comfy and happy the way you were. You gave yourself a quick once-over in the bathroom mirror, going in there originally to use the bathroom but got distracted by your own reflection and the need for sunblock. Normally, you didn’t care about UV protection but you were a bit exposed and didn’t want to be the color of your dress by the end of the night. Luckily for you, Monique had some in one of the bathroom drawers and you applied it generously to all the exposed parts of your body before leaving the bathroom. 

As soon as you entered the hallway, you could immediately smell the smokiness of the grill and it made your stomach growl, awakening your hunger. You made your way through the house to the backyard to get a peek at what MM was cooking.

The sun shone brightly and you wished you brought a pair of sunglasses, but instead you shielded your eyes with your hand like a visor and walked over to the grill. You saw uncooked patties and hot dogs already splayed out in a neat order but before you could get any closer, MM stepped in front of you. He had on a white shirt and shorts, all hidden behind a very bright red apron, bright enough that it almost matched your dress.

“No peeking,” MM warned lightly, holding up a spatula in the air. You sighed with slight frustration, mainly because you were hungry and wanted an update on when the food would be ready, but you trusted MM and his cooking skills wholeheartedly. 

“How much longer then?”

“At least another hour. It would go by faster but Frenchie is insisting on making some bread since he didn’t buy buns like I asked him to.” MM shook his head, frustrated.

“Do you want me to go out and buy some?” You didn’t care, as long as you could eat quicker.

“Only if you want to, (Y/N). But if you’re going to go, take Butcher and Hughie with you. They’re in the garage, probably vandalizing Todd’s car.” MM’s face turned up at the mention of Todd, Monique’s new boyfriend who you assumed was spending the weekend with them. He was a scrawny dude who did give you weird vibes, but as long as Monique was happy, you kept your thoughts to yourself as did MM, for now.

With a small wave, you made your way towards the garage to in fact find Butcher, who was gazing into the small fridge that was placed right by the parked car. “Where’s Hughie?” You asked and Butcher jumped at the question, cursing as he banged his head on the fridge ceiling.

“Christ (Y/N).” Butcher grumbled as he rubbed the spot on his head he just hit, slamming the fridge shut before his eyes landed on you. “Well, ain’t ya look like a patriotic princess,” he smirked and you rolled your eyes at him, not wanting to comment on how he was wearing the ugliest patterned Hawaiian shirt you had ever seen. It was a salmon color with bright yellow flowers and pineapple scattered across it. 

“I need your keys,” you replied, ignoring his comment as well as the way Butcher was looking at you with that sheepish smile plastered on his face. “MM needs bread.”

“Frenchie on that with Kimiko.” Butcher kept staring at you, not even looking into your eyes as he spoke. “I need beer anyway, this house is dryer than a camel’s vagina.” You made a weird face at the reference, but Butcher didn’t seem to care since he was still staring at your dress.

“Butcher,” you snapped his name and he finally met your eyes. “Where’s Hughie?”

“In the front with Starlight and my beer.” You nodded in understanding, sensing Butcher’s frustration about the lack of alcohol in his system. He brushed past you and you followed him out of the garage and to his car. As soon as you two got in, Butcher started the car and you cranked up the AC. “Hot are ya?”

You shrugged, looking out the window to see Hughie and Annie laughing together which made you smile. “Just like the breeze.” You crossed one leg over the other which allowed for more air to hit your thigh, which also caught Butcher’s eye again. “Aren’t you going to drive?” You asked him, seeming to snap him out of whatever trance he was in as he began to back the car out.

The drive to the closest store was no more than ten minutes, but you felt like it took forever. You seemed to get stuck at every red light and of course, the streets were flooded with cars all trying to get to their holiday destination. It was annoying, to say the least, but Butcher seemed fine since he kept staring at you.

“What?” You seethed at him, your hunger starting to get the best of you. “Why do you keep looking at me?”

Butcher shook his head, his eyes going back to the road with a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Your dress is short.”

“It’s like ninety degrees out.” You did pull the hem of your dress down a little, but it still sprang up and rested right above your knee. “And you don’t have to look, Butcher,” you added, which made him scoff.

“Hard not to.” Butcher glanced at you again before continuing to drive once the light turned green. “I can nearly see your knickers.”

“No you can’t!” You exclaimed, knowing perfectly well you picked the best underwear, which was also red, for this dress with the purpose for it to not be seen. “You’re just being a creep, that’s all.” Butcher shrugged in response, not making any further comments as you finally got through traffic and arrived at the store.

Once parked, you two headed off inside and went separate ways. You got two packages of hamburger and hot dog buns since you weren’t sure how many MM wanted or how many others were going to eat so you decided to play it safe. You then made your way over to the alcohol aisle, finding Butcher with a whole cart of beer, vodka, and spiked lemonade.

“It’s a barbeque, not a frat party.” You shook your head at him as you set the buns down on top of all the alcohol he was buying. 

“I got water too.” Butcher lazily gestured to the small case of water buried underneath all of the alcohol. “Do ya want something else then, sweetheart, while we’re here? Maybe more fabric shrinker for that dress of yours, yeah?” You replied to his comment with an eye roll, starting to walk down the aisles with Butcher and the cart trailing behind you. 

You were leading Butcher to the checkout since you were eager to get out of here and eat, but of course, the bakery section was right next to the checkout lanes and you knew it wouldn’t hurt to just look. 

All of the pastries displayed were all very patriotic looking as well as delicious. You picked up the largest box of cupcakes you saw and put it in the cart, which Butcher made a face at.

“Why are they that red?” Butcher turned his nose up as he inspected the cupcakes. “You Americans and your food dye.”

“Your loss,” you nearly sang as you went to the self checkout section. You picked up the little scanner and hit all the barcodes of everything since you didn’t want to take everything out of the cart and repack it; Butcher handed you some cash to pay. 

Heading back to the car, you let Butcher pack the trunk with all the booze he bought and you took the cupcakes with you to the front seat. You knew you should probably wait until you were back to dig into them, but you weren’t sure how long it would be till you ate and you were too hungry to wait.

The plastic container opened with a pop and the smell of sweetness hit your nose immediately. Right as you were about to pick up a cupcake, Butcher got in the car which took your attention away.

“Ya really gonna eat those?”

“Yeah,” you replied like it was obvious as you picked up the cupcake nearest to you. It was red velvet, artificially dyed as Butcher pointed out earlier but you didn’t care, frosted with white buttercream and blue star sprinkles. You peeled back the cupcake liner and took a bite, savoring it as you satisfied your hunger. “Want one?” You asked Butcher once you swallowed, seeming he was still looking at you. Butcher shook his head, sneaking glances at you as you continued to eat the cupcake on the drive back.

When you arrived back at the house, Hughie helped unload the trunk along with Annie and you all tried to fit as many beverages in the fridge as possible. It would have been smart to have a cooler but the thought of buying one at the store slipped your mind.

With everything put away, you got another update on the food from MM which was another hour. Well, it turned out while you and Butcher were at the store, Frenchie got mad at MM for getting store-bought buns and MM was away from the grill which meant everything he was cooking got burned. Luckily he had more, but you took it upon yourself to go ahead and grab another cupcake.

You scanned the kitchen fridge for some water to wash it down with, but you only found alcohol. You sighed as you stared at your uneaten cupcake, heading off to the garage where you found Butcher again along with Hughie, both chatting about something. You excused your way through, heading into the smaller fridge and grabbing a water.

“Where did you get that?” Hughie asked once you were in a better view, his eyes on the cupcake.

“Kitchen.” Hughie smiled at you in thanks, heading off to the kitchen rather giddy as you set your water down and started on your second cupcake. Before you could take a bite, Butcher grabbed it from you. “Hey!”

“Just wanna bite, see what’s so good about them.” He said casually as you tried to get the cupcake back. Butcher didn’t eat it as delicately as you did, seeming to take a bite of all frosting before handing it back to you. “Had better.” Great, just what you needed: a Butcher demolished cupcake you didn’t even want anymore.

You set the cupcake down beside the fridge, taking a swig of your water while Butcher  continued to drink his beer, his eyes still on you. “You gotta stop looking at me,” you told him after about thirty seconds too long of just awkward silence.

“Don’t flatter yourself, looking at the cupcake.” You gave him a weird look, watching as Butcher walked towards you and set his beer down next to the cupcake before picking it up. “Not gonna finish it?”

“Not with your germs on it, no.”

Butcher seemed amused by your comment as he smiled slyly. “I didn’t touch this side.” Butcher rotated the cupcake to the side that was intact. “All yours.” You looked up at him, seeing his eyes were hungry but you weren’t sure if it was due to the food anymore. Butcher was definitely acting a little…off today, and you weren’t entirely sure why.

Maybe it was you or your outfit, really. It was the first time you wore something remotely girly in a while and maybe Butcher was seeing you in a new light? You weren’t entirely sure but in all honesty, you didn’t seem to mind either. You were flattered by the attention and Butcher wasn’t unattractive, he just got on your nerves, a lot. But what if that was his way of flirting?

You didn’t know and you couldn’t stay in your thoughts for long since Butcher was probably expecting you to do at least something instead of stand there like a damn idiot. So you did. You decided to test your theory and took a swipe of frosting with your finger and slowly sucked it clean.

“Rest is yours.” You broke the silence, but Butcher’s gaze remained on you. 

“Rather eat somethin’ else if it’s alright with you.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh at how forward he was being. “Subtlety is certainly not your strong suit, huh?”

“Says the one in the short dress.” Butcher mentioned your outfit choice again as he stepped closer to you. You had no choice but to move back a little, your back resting against the counter now. “I think you wore that purposefully.”

You scoffed, astonished. “You weren’t on my mind at all when I got this.” Honestly, he wasn’t. You got this dress because you liked it, not to give Butcher any satisfaction. “I don’t even like you like that.”

Butcher cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Not even after all these months of being around each other?” He set the cupcake down on the counter, hesitating what to do with his hands before setting them down on the counter as well, placing them on either side of you as he leaned closer to you. 

“Definitely not.”

“Kiss me then and prove it.”

You barked out a laugh. “Fuck no.” You couldn’t hide the fact that your cheeks were heating up but you really hoped it wasn’t as noticeable as you thought it was . Maybe you should kiss Butcher, mainly just to shut him up, fuck with him, and most importantly, prove him wrong. “Wouldn’t want you getting the wrong impression.”

Butcher smiled, flashing those bright whites of his. “And what impression would that be?” 

“That I like you.”

“Dontcha?” You shook your head and Butcher tsked as he shook his head, leaning even closer to you. “Not even a lil bit?” You shook your head again, taking in a breath as you realized how close his face was to yours. “Then one kiss should be nothing then, yeah?” You could smell the beer on his breath, masked with the sweetness of the cupcake. 

Before you could respond, Butcher’s hand was on your cheek, the sensation did give you butterflies but you’re convinced you would feel them if it was anyone’s hand, and his lips were on yours. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, in all honesty, maybe a chaste kiss at most, but no, Butcher was milking this out. His kissed you deeply and seemed to intend for you to feel that kiss all the way down to your fucking core. 

And shit, you did.

His lips were soft and his mustache surprisingly didn’t irritate you as much as you thought it would either. It was a nice kiss-Hell, probably one of the best you had in a while but you weren’t about to indulge Butcher in that. You sure as fuck weren’t going to kiss him back either since that would just prove him and his dumb theory right which you weren’t going to do. So you let him pull away first and let his hand linger on your cheek for a second longer than it should, and you let him stare at you with a flabbergasted look on his face as if he thought kissing you would change something.

Butcher’s thumb traced over your bottom lip before he dropped his hand down to his side. “Nothing?”

“Nothing,” you repeated. Again, you did like the sensation of Butcher touching your face, but perhaps you were touch deprived and enjoyed the new feeling. 

Butcher hummed, seeming surprised and a little…disappointed. “Well,” he smiled, masking if anything was wrong, “sorry for misreading things.” With that, he grabbed his beer and left you alone in the garage, trying to wrap your head around what the fuck just happened.

Your eyes went to the cupcake still on the counter which you tossed on your way out of the garage. You made your way outside where everyone was gathered by the grill, thankful the food was finally ready. With a hamburger perfectly assembled on your flimsy plastic plate, you headed back inside and sat at the dining table across from Annie, who was eating two hot dogs.

You took a glance outside to see Butcher was out there along with the other boys and Kimiko was back inside now too, sitting next to you. She had two hamburgers on her plate, smiling eagerly down at her food. You watched the door to the backyard closely for about a minute, making sure no one else came inside before turning back to them.

“Butcher kissed me.”

Annie nearly choked on the bite she was chewing and Kimiko giggled. “What?!” Annie exclaimed after a couple of coughs, her eyes going wide. “When? Today?” You nodded, rehashing the whole story to Annie and Kimiko, leaving out the sexual remarks Butcher made of course. “And you just walked away? Like it was nothing?”

“Yeah?” You answered, a little confused. “What else would I have done? Butcher’s just fucking with me.”

“Or he could actually like you,” Annie countered and you shook your head, not believing it.

“If he did, then why now? All because of the dress?”

Annie shrugged, taking another bite of her food before speaking again. “Maybe he finally got around to doing something about it. Not like we have a bunch of free time.” Kimiko nodded in agreement to her and now you felt even more confused. 

You could think of countless times you were alone with Butcher and he never mentioned any of this to you let alone let on the fact that he possibly liked you either. Maybe Annie was right and it wasn’t the perfect time to discuss anything personal like that but why did Butcher wait so long?

You shook your head at yourself, not wanting to think or overthink about this right now. Whatever was going on with Butcher could wait until tomorrow.

Or so you thought.

Butcher seemed to be avoiding you for the rest of the evening which you didn’t think much of at first but then you thought he was purposefully going out of his way to not be near you. Maybe he did like you and was being a big baby about you not kissing him back or whatever but it was starting to get on your nerves. You thought it was rude and childish and thought the best way was to confront Butcher but you weren’t sure how.

Well, luckily for you, Frenchie decided to shoot off some fireworks and realized he didn’t have enough to last through the whole night, but MM informed him there was more in the garage which Butcher volunteered to get. And well, you went with him since it was the perfect opportunity to talk to him again and figure out what was going on with him.

He didn’t speak to you when you two went into the garage and went behind the car to look for some while you stayed by the door, making sure to close it. You scanned the shelves above you to see the shelf closest to the ceiling had a giant cardboard box labeled FIREWORKS resting out of your reach.

“Found them!” You called to Butcher, hearing some rustling behind you till he was right next to you. You pointed at the box and Butcher reached up to grab the box, holding it against his chest and frowning as he looked into it. 

“Fucking empty.” He sounded frustrated as he let the box drop to the floor, the sound making a small echo as it fell onto the cement that lined the garage floor. Butcher stomped off over to the fridge, grabbing himself another beer. He managed to get the cap off by banging it on the counter which was quite impressive honestly, but he seemed to be fuming as he gulped down his beer.

“Did I piss you off or something?” You blurted out the thought on your mind, wishing you didn’t say that but it was too late now. 

“No.” Butcher replied without even looking at you, keeping his eyes focused on Todd’s car in front of him, nursing his beer. Yeah, that was a real fucking believable “no”. 

You ran a hand through your hair, unsure of what to say. A part of you was starting to think maybe Annie was right: Butcher liked you and you rejected him in a way. He was not taking the rejection well but in all honesty, you did think Butcher was just trying to mess with you because that was what he did. You never really thought of Butcher liking you either, let alone how you felt about that or about Butcher.

Maybe Butcher’s flirting was actual flirting and you were just an idiot. Well, there was only one way to find out.

With Butcher still sulking or whatever he’d like to call it, you walked over to him, unnoticed until you spoke again. “Gee Butch, I would’ve kissed you back if I knew you were going to be such a baby about it.” Yeah, that would do it.

Butcher’s eyes snapped to you and you smiled at him rather innocently. He set his beer down behind him and turned to face you, arms crossed. “I wouldn’t have kissed you in the first place if I knew you were gonna follow me around like some little puppy dog the whole night.”

You huffed in amusement. “All I wanted was to talk to you since you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Well love, what else was I supposed to do, huh? Kiss that pretty face of yours? Or how about showing ya how much I like you and that dress of yours, hm?” So maybe Annie was right…But before you could think on it more, you got distracted by how close Butcher’s face was to yours again. “But that’s not what you wanted sweetheart, was it? So maybe I am avoiding ya, unless you proved me right and changed your mind?” 

“You’re not right.” Was all you could say because you didn’t want to give Butcher the satisfaction, not yet at least.

“Then why did you follow me? Clearly me not talking to ya must’ve hit some nerve, huh?”

“Because it’s rude and-”

“That the only reason?” Fuck, you hated what game Butcher was playing since you knew you were going to lose. “Or maybe you can’t stand the thought of me not giving you an ounce of attention?” 

“I am not needy,” you laughed in disbelief. 

“Never said you are.” A smile formed on Butcher’s face but it was rather wicked. “All I’m saying (Y/N) is you couldn’t stand me never lookin’ at you again or expressing how insanely attracted I am to you, can you? You can roll your eyes all ya want but I know you want me.” 

Butcher uncrossed his arms to grab your hands, guiding them to wrap around his neck. Once they were secured there, he grabbed you by the hips and hoisted you up onto the counter. His hands moved down to the hem of your dress, his fingers tracing the exposed skin of your thighs, teasingly.

“If you want me to stop,” Butcher leaned in closer and you felt his hands push up the hem of your dress ever so slightly, “tell me.” You didn’t say anything, continuing to stare at Butcher and that shit-eating grin he now had on his face as his lips were nearing yours. “Last chance.” You sat up a little straighter and spread your legs so that they were wrapped around Butcher. “Fucking knew-”

You pulled him into a kiss before he could finish that statement, feeling him smile against the kiss. He kissed you back quickly, as if wanted to make sure that if you pulled away again, he would at least get in another kiss. You had no intention of pulling away and it seemed neither did Butcher. His hands kept moving further up your thighs and you began to unbutton that shirt of his, running your hand along his chest hairs before making your way down to his abdomen. His skin was smooth and muscled, feeling nice against your hand, but you halted when you got to the waistline of his shorts.

Part of you wanted to just go all in, but you decided to tease him a bit. You moved your hand to the front of his shorts, palming his cock through the fabric. Butcher broke out of the kiss and locked eyes with you, an eyebrow raised as if he was saying “Two can play at this game.” 

Whatever game you were playing with Butcher, he was winning. 

Your dress was now pulled up to your waistline, exposing the red underwear Butcher claimed he could see earlier. He had his finger hooked around the front, moving it up and down the fabric with his knuckle moving against your clit. You panted quietly, not wanting to draw attention to what you two were doing. 

Butcher began kissing and nipping at your neck as he continued to tease you while your hands fumbled with the zipper of his shorts, wanting to feel more of him. “You first,” Butcher whispered in your ear as he guided your hands away from his shorts. You weren’t sure what Butcher meant but got the idea when he placed himself in between your thighs. “Still don’t like me, hm?” He smirked as he noticed the visible wet stain in your panties. He ran his tongue over the front of your panties, nearly feeling his tongue against your clit. You couldn’t help but let a moan escape, hearing it echo in the garage.

Your hands found their way into Butcher’s hair, practically digging your nails into his scalp as he pushed your underwear aside and began to lick your clit. Your head fell back and you closed your eyes, savoring the feeling as you didn’t want it to end. At least you found a better use for Butcher’s mouth because fuck was he good at this. It was like he already had you all figured out and he had been doing this to you for years. You couldn’t control what words spilled out of your mouth at this point but Butcher didn’t care. He licked you like that damn frosting on the cupcake, licking it all till there was none left just like he was licking you until you came. Butcher, of course, milked out every bit of that before pulling away, leaving you breathless and panting.

“Much better than a cupcake.” You wanted to roll your eyes at him but all you could do was smile and let him kiss you again. 

Once you had come down from your orgasm, you resumed your attention to Butcher’s cock. He didn’t stop you this time when you got his shorts down and broke out of the kiss when you finally wrapped your hand around his cock. He was already so slicked with precum that it didn’t take him long to finish either but fuck, you couldn’t wait to do this again with him.

Butcher cupped your face with his hands and kissed you rather sweetly before pulling away. He came back seconds later with a rag, poured some water on it from one of the bottles in the fridge, and cleaned you up. He tossed the rag to the side when he was done and helped you off the counter before hiking his shorts up and buttoning his shirt. 

“You gotta admit, (Y/N), you have to like me just a little bit.” You shrugged nonchalantly, letting Butcher take your hand as you two walked out of the garage. 

“Maybe just a little bit,” you agreed with a giggle and Butcher gave you a kiss on the forehead before you two walked outside to join everyone else again. 

“I take it there were no fireworks?” Hughie asked, a knowing look on his face.

“They made their own, petit Hughie, can’t you tell?” Frenchie snickered which made everyone laugh, except Butcher.

“Oh fuck off you lot.” Butcher spat but you could see the smile he was holding back which made you smile even more. 

[theworldvsyoshiko]

At this point, Ortiz is just about ready to trigger the monolith and start the endgame. Just making some preparations first, like getting a Paramedic bot online to prevent another Mila tragedy, and taking the warning it gave me to make sure the base is well-lit to heart.

So, time for a status update.

The base itself really hasn't grown much since the last update. I think the biggest change is to the killbox in the bottom-center, making it fortified against the eastern side and adding some turrets. It's also got a shiny new entrance full of pits and traps to slow enemies down and soften them up.

As for the kids themselves...

Everyone but Edith is wearing recon armor these days, so they've got a bit of a stormtrooper vibe. Edith gets a thrumbofur parka though, so even her civvie ass is decently safe.

Dalila Ortiz

Considering that she's only had seven years to pick things up, Ortiz is remarkably well-rounded these days. Everything she's capable of doing, she can do decently well. She's missing the psycasts that completely revolutionize some fights, but having Beckon, Stun, Flashstorm, Wallraise, Invisibility, and Focus isn't bad at all.

Ortiz isn't as ridiculously modded as Yoshiko, but she's still not somebody you want to fight. Also, Ortiz isn't a self-centered brat, so some of the better implants went to other members of the group. Debby's got an archotech arm.

Ortiz is friends with literally the whole group, although Yoder doesn't consider her a friend back, because he still belongs to an asshole religion for jerks.

Edith Ortiz (née Finch)

Edith's also good at almost everything she can do.

It's a real shame that she isn't good at Medical though, considering she's very often the one person in the group who isn't riddled with bullet holes. Despite how much I complained about her being a slow researcher early on, at this point she qualifies as a 'strong expert' in Intellectual.

Edith is friends with the whole group, even Yoder. One thing I've never mentioned about her: she's related to half the fucking planet. Every single caravan that comes through triggers half a dozen 'btw this person in the caravan is Edith's grand-nephew' popups. I have no idea what's up with that.

Debby Yoder

See, this is why I gave Debby the archotech arm, because she's the group's best crafter and one of the best combatants. In practice she spends 80% of her time crafting. She's responsible for basically all the weapons and armor that the group is using, along with most of the implants. Which made it unfortunate when her left eye got ripped out, but thankfully Eggnog is a good enough crafter to handle making her a new one.

Debby's still married to (Tycho) Yoder and sleeping with Yumi on the side.

Tycho Yoder

Remember when I said Yoder would pick up shooting just fine despite his lack of passion? Yeah. Too Smart + Great Memory is ridiculous. The kid's good at everything he cares to do. He's the main researcher, animal trainer, and medic, the sole artist, and one of the main combatants.

Thanks to Yoder's asshole religion for jerks, he actually isn't very close with most of the group. Edith and Wobbler are the only ones he considers friends, other than his wife. In particular, he very nearly considers Eggnog a rival, because she keeps insulting him.

Janine "Yumi" Nobuka

Yumi, of course, has a Charge Minigun (excellent), which means that about half the bullets in any given fight are hers. She's mostly here for the fighting. She can do construction and she's a solid miner, but neither of those are full-time jobs these days.

Yumi's another case who considers the entire group to be friends.

Olivia Mathews

Not Ortiz's sister, still! Like Yumi, she's just here to fight, and her shortcomings when there isn't something to fight are even more pronounced. She's ridiculously good at the fighting, though, and when something needs killed and I can only spare one person to do so, she's the second choice after Ortiz herself.

Olivia, despite being a hyper-aggressive genetically engineered supersoldier, is pretty friendly. The lack of dudes has prevented her from getting up to much romantically, but she's super close with Eggnog.

William "Wobbler" Brown

Why's she named William? What kind of nickname is 'Wobbler'? I cannot answer these questions. On the face of it, Wobbler isn't good at much, but, she's a Night Owl. So, she gets to keep research going overnight when everyone else is asleep. Accordingly, her closest friend is Debby, the other Night Owl. And, once more, mutual friends with everyone but Yoder.

Clara "Eggnog" Bell

This scruffy little loser. She's the backup crafter, the backup social person, and one of the many backup researchers. Perhaps most important conceptually, she's the actual leader of the group, while Ortiz fills the priest role. Since the group has the Collectivist meme, that mostly means that once every 10 days, she gives Debby a talk to hype her up and make her craft way faster for the next... 9 days. Since she doesn't have anything particular to recommend her for combat, she's the one who gets stuck with low-skill weapons like flamethrowers and EMP launchers. She also has a shocking ability to get the shit beat out of her every single time there's a fight.

Eggnog is really close to most of the group. Overall, she might be the most popular person? Which is pretty impressive, considering the penalty from Ugly. The one exception is, again, Yoder. This time he's more justified though, because while Eggnog loves everyone, she thinks he kinda sucks and isn't afraid to let him know it. I suspect she might be right.

[bunni-v1]

Hiii! Bunni Checking in to let you all know I have not died, and very much enjoyed my break :)

I should be back to posting by Wednesday, which will be when the last part of the not clickbait series drops!

Other than that, I am happily enjoying my break. I wrote (most) of my essays, and got to spend time with my boyfriend and his family. I also got to play a lot of project sekai, genshin impact, and overwatch — only one of those was a positive experience lol. Since I sorta want to just babble on about my thoughts, I’ll talk about those games. Please feel free to talk with me about them, it really makes my day!

Project Sekai is always fun to play, though I’m not insane at the game or anything (guilty thumb player here). I was able to get all of the new event cards except for Miku and Akito. (Though I got Akito on my side account so 🫡). I’m really upset, I’m the biggest Miku fan out there and I have like no Miku cards. Still, I won’t complain about my Shizuku or the shiny new Saki I got.

Genshin Impact was… something. I have like 121 pulls saved for Furina, and I’ve still got about a month worth of saving to do. I finished act three of the story quest a while ago, and while I enjoyed it, it felt a little too monotonous at times — i think that’s the vibe they wanted though, so I won’t say it’s awful. I’ve been putting off Lyney and act four for ages though, and last night I was forced to do Lyney’s quest for that stupid coffee commission. I wasn’t feeling good at all either, I just wanted to get on and off so I was cursing out Lyney and the developers the whole time, but I liked it generally. It wasn’t anything too special, but Lyney is a cutie! As for act four, I really loved it! I won’t say too much because of spoilers, but seeing my two favorite girls on screen at the end made me so damn happy. I can’t wait to have them both.

Overwatch is probably the oddest stain on my gaming repertoire. I literally HATE fps games, but my boyfriend started playing it this summer and I wanted to have something to do with him over break so I picked it up. I’m a mercy main, if I hadn’t made that obvious before, but I play other characters. God, though, this game is miserable to play. Tanks have it the worst, but being a support main sucks too 😭 Especially Mercy, because no matter your skill level if your team is underperforming you’re almost forced to switch because she relies heavily on a competent team (this goes for everyone I guess, but as a Mercy main I feel it most on her lol). Not that big of a deal for me, but if you’re a one-trick it’s gotta suck :/ Still, I’m excited for the halloween update, I’m just tired of having to solo queue when my boyfriend is busy.

Anyway, that’s really all I’ve been doing. If you’d like to talk more about any of the games I was talking about, or anything about my interests (or YOUR interests) I would love to ❤️ I’m excited to be back soon, thank you for your patience.

[lantur]

updates,

I got back home from Japan on March 16!! It's been such a busy time since then. I left again on the afternoon of March 18 to attend a work event in St. Louis, Missouri, and I just got back home again yesterday evening.

I was surprised to really enjoy St. Louis. I didn't know anything about the city before, but it's a beautiful place. There are so many flowering trees all over, and lots of green space with Forest Park. The Arch and the Wash U campus are impressive.

The work component of the trip was exhausting. I worked 7 AM - 7 PM every day, and it was very social. Between colleagues and other members of the public, I was literally talking to people for almost the entire time every day. Caffeine kept me going. Still, it was a positive experience. I got to meet my organization's staff in St. Louis, and they're really nice people. I also met dozens of other people who were very interested in the work we do.

But it's so good to be home. I've been gone pretty much constantly from March 7 until today. I missed the comforts of home, and Derek, and Westin.

Highlights of my last few days in Japan,

Visiting the massive Todai-ji Temple in Nara and the surrounding temple spaces. My visit in the morning lined up with several dozen students taking a trip there, and it was cute to see them so excited and enjoying the experience as well, ringing the bells at the temples and lighting candles and incense offerings. I lit an incense stick in front of the Great Buddha with them. :)

Matcha latte at a cafe overlooking Nara Park, as the deer harassed people for food.

The deer!! They were so cute! I saw baby deer too.

Walking up to Kasuga Taisha Shrine and exploring the surrounding areas, finding the deer on the way.

Walking in the old Nara neighborhood of Naramachi, where I bought the best strawberry daifuku I have ever had, and ate it while sitting on the banks of a lake.

I felt so very sad about my last evening in Gion, so I made it a special one with dinner at Gion Duck Noodles, dango, and the most delicious hot taiyaki filled with fresh chestnut cream.

The last thing I did in Kyoto was a shibori silk scarf dying class at the Kyoto Shibori Museum. It was a 1:1 workshop and the instructors at the museum were so kind and hospitable. I'm thrilled with the scarf I made!

My last afternoon in Tokyo was a chill one. I got a foot massage, went out for dinner, and visited my beloved sento public baths one last time. The peak relaxation of those baths ended up being one of my favorite Japan experiences. ❤️

I did some shopping on Saturday before heading to the airport, and it was a smooth 11-hour direct flight home. I'm glad to be home with my family and friends, but I miss Japan. The food, the ease of public transport, the public baths... My heart was happy there. The vibes were good. I felt sadder upon leaving Kyoto than I ever have for any other trips.

I've wanted to go to Japan since I was 12. I'm so happy I finally got to experience that dream come true, and I still hope I can go again someday and explore more of the country. ❤️

[fourstarsoutofnine]

(Sorry i haven’t been active or updating a lot I know that’s a bad impression since I just got here but there is so much going on rn in my life😭 here’s this small thing for compensation)

Chain as Taylor Swift songs/albums(ft. Ravio and Malon)

Once again being self indulgent. More content that caters to myself bc apparently the creative juices only work for a small amount of time and only what provides serotonin to me currently. I’m out to break hearts so a ton of these will be sad. You’ve been warned.

｡･:*˚. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆ .☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ✧˖*°࿐ *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ˚➶

All of the chain:I think they all can identify with Innocent from Speak Now. I didn’t wanna keep adding it to each of theirs so here’s just an overarching statement that they’re all Innocent.

Time: never grow up. Like most, if not all, of the links, he had to grow up far too early and be what Hylia chose him to be—and I can hear him telling this to his future children:don’t grow up too fast. He had to and he never wants that for his baby. He wished he never had to grow up so fast, even if he had to save the world. Just because he had to doesn’t mean doesn’t mourn for his lost normal childhood. As for an album I think he’d be the fearless album.

Twilight:as an album he’s so evermore. I almost said debut but no no no. He’s evermore. Uhh as far as a song tho, idk I may be swayed by the fact it has the word cowboy in it, but I associate cowboy like me with twilight so heavily. Another song could be right where you left me if you squint and are delusional for MidLink.

Sky:HE IS SO LOVER! Both the song and the album! Omg! /shaking you by the shoulders/ this boy is so Lover ugh oh my gosh. Bright and beautiful and loving, accepting, kind while still having those notes of sadness, longing, and serious thoughts. The album Lover feels like a hug from a friend, and that’s what sky embodies.

Wind:can I interest you in The Best Day? Also You’re On Your Own, Kid. Also A Place In This World. He’s very much the younger taylor albums, like fearless. A good many of them read fearless to me and I couldn’t tell you why. For wind it’s because it seems like shiny and new and ready for what the world throws, but still a sense of hesitance.

Wild:Epiphany, This Is Me Trying, or Peace. He’s so folklore coded to me. The depictions of death and inability to save lives in epiphany, the heartbrokenness of this is me trying, one who’s making desperate attempts to be who they need them to be, and the sadness of Peace—cannot console and bring peace over the heart of someone who’s broken, but by Hylia if he isn’t gonna be there the entire time for the person.

Warriors:I think Change from Fearless. I also see him as Mirrorball, specifically because I feel like he puts up such a front and feels like he always has to stand tall and strong because of who he was as captain of the guard—but also since there’s so many young and impressionable men in the chain he feels like he has to be a good role model, especially for wind, and keep his head up about everything and make them smile and feel reassured when times are tough. As an album, probably Midnights. It feels like a start of something new and I think Wars embodies fresh beginnings—he just gives that vibe to me idk why. It might be because he left the scene of planning for wars to being out on his own adventure aside from what the army gives him.

Four:this one was hard. Four was really hard to pick for. Uhh—I think Seven maybe but I’m not sure. As for an album I feel like he’d be pretty Folklore as well. Could be just me projecting tho as if this whole thing isn’t. Four is so complex to me that it’s really hard to pin down. I chose Seven because it feels like a conversation between best friends. I’ve also seen that it’s meant to be listened to as someone speaking to their inner child to tell them everything is gonna be okay and that they’ll be together in the future and things are good now, and that interpretation gripped me by the throat and forced me to put this song for Four, so.

Hyrule:my dear sweet Hyrule and his imposter syndrome get anti-hero bc that’s the imposter syndrome anthem. He doesn’t feel like he’s a big hero, or even deserving of that title, so he feels a bit like a lost cause and that song is the perfect depiction of that. As an album, idk why but he’s reading very debut to me ?? I couldn’t tell you why, it’s just a vibe I get.

Legend:ohhhhhhhh my gosh. Okay. Get ready for this—I have So. Many. For him. Can you tell who’s been giving me brainrot recently? Anyway, first I’ll say his albums would be folklore and evermore. They’re so tragic to me and what is Legend if not a tragic, guarded little man(said with so much love, he’s my comfort character). As for songs, we’re Starting off strong with Labyrinth, then wildest dreams(cough) Then sad beautiful tragic, Cornelia street, anti-hero, i could go on. I won’t. We’d be here all day😭

Ravio:my tears ricochet. Idk I just thought of the idea that he gets stuck in Hyrule if dink is defeated and he can’t get back to Lorule so the part that goes “I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want, just not home” hurts :)

Malon:WHOOH! Okay a happy one: Christmas tree farm and Fearless! And Malon is also such a fearless album girlie to me idk. Another song would be Superman. She loves her sweet hero husband and will always be there for him when he gets back <3

I hope you guys like this as much as I do😭 sorry if you don’t, I’ll get back to our regularly scheduled programming soon, it’s just been hard recently to do larger things. Sorry for everyone waiting on requests to be completed, I promise I haven’t forgotten you.

[moyokeansimblr]

Alright well it only took me all day but I recalculated all teen+ sims in my Strangetown's asps and also I got traits now...

This is going to be a very lengthy, rambly explanation of my color coding and thought process so I'll spare ye and put it below a cut ⬇️

First I decided I'm just going to use sophie's calculator. But since I don't give sims secondary aspirations until they're adult I only looked at what they had the most points in for teen and ya sims. For future sims same, if I happen to see what their secondary would be early hopefully I forget but either way I still won't be giving sims secondaries until adulthood.

Second, green means they don't have a secondary asp because they aren't an adult - not because they actually don't/won't have one. Gray just means they're currently in the sim bin so I couldn't give them traits/make changes atm.

Yellow means that is for sure what I'm going with. So starting at the top, Loki Beaker - I am for sure keeping him a primary Knowledge secondary Family.

Orange means I'm using those but I'm going to flip them. So Pascal Curious - I am keeping him a primary Knowledge (his current asp, but would be secondary with Sophie's calc), but I'm going to change his secondary to Family. He really doesn't strike me as being Romance in any sense anyways, and I can see him being a strict parent to Tycho since he doesn't have a partner and it's just the two of them (and the rest of the Curious clan but shh).

Pink means that Sophie's calc got it pretty spot on to what they already are. Vidcund is a perfect example - He's currently a primary Knowledge asp with no secondary...a pure Knowledge. Sophie's calc has him with Knowledge for both primary and secondary. So he's still pure Knowledge. Renee's case is a little different in that she's currently primary Fortune secondary Popularity and Sophie's calc has that flipped...but it's the same two aspirations anyway so I'll probably just leave her as she is.

Blue means I'm going to choose some combination of the old asps and Sophie's calc. Lazlo doesn't give me serial romancer vibes whatsoever. Dude is way too chill to be purposely breaking hearts and I just can't see playing Lazlo that way. But he has Pleasure twice...currently as a secondary, but primary with Sophie's calc. So I think I'm going to change his primary to Pleasure but have Knowledge as secondary. For Nervous I'm considering pure Family since it's his primary asp currently but secondary with Sophie's calc. I mean this with absolute love but I don't think Nervous is smart enough to be Knowledge.

I hand-chose everyone's traits based on a mix of personality, interests, hobby, ltw, uni degree, and just general vibes. I'm not giving traits to toddlers since there's not much use then...but at child I'll give them 3 traits. If I feel like I already know the sim enough to choose (like Tycho and Charlie) then I'll choose, otherwise I'll randomize. At teen they'll get a 4th trait and at ya/adult a 5th. If they graduated uni then they'll get a 6th. I did grab heaps of the trait mods as well so a good chunk of them will actually serve a purpose hopefully.

Also, if you disagree with any of my choices feel free to let me know why. Some of them I found really interesting what they'd be with Sophie's calc vs what they are. Like Gunnar and Chloe both being primary Family instead of Romance?? Make it make sense.

I'll be adding these to my residents page and I'll update any mention on posts that are currently in my queue as of 12/29 but I'm not going to go back and update old posts. So if you see me say a sim is something later and you're like huhh?? sorry. look at this post or the residents page. sometimes I forgot to update it when sims get promotions but I'm usually good about updating it for everything else.

[niuttuc]

mtg topic: updated vibe check on mechanically unique Secret Lair cards

I don't think my thoughts have changed much. Deepened a bit. They've put a lot of band-aids on it since the Walking Dead, and the in-universe reprints a year later do help significantly (even though we don't know exactly where that's going with the shift to play boosters). The humongous issues have been fixed. But there's still leaks in the system.

Someday, we're gonna have a Nexus of Fate, an Initiative. Maybe not soon, Legacy is much harder to break than standard, but it'll happen. A card that gets slightly too pushed for multiplayer with an oversight for 1v1. And when that happens, if people don't catch on very quickly, the supply will be very limited for that card that might define formats, up until the in-universe version reaches packs one year later.

You'd think that wouldn't be an issue with most Legacy (and vintage) play being on Magic Online, but unfortunately, mechanically unique secret lairs are (so far) Universes Beyond exclusively. And Wizards of the Coast has shown a very low priority so far to include Magic Online (now run by another company, Daybreak Games) in their contracts with other companies for Universes Beyond products and their release.

Warhammer 40,000 is still not available on Magic Online, and it is uncertain if it ever will be. By all accounts, all the cards for it are already programmed on magic online and the set is ready for release whenever. But the contract wasn't clear on whether Magic Online was included so they've been in bureaucratic hell juggling between three companies' lawyers and executives at the bottom of the priority pile for literal months now. Multiple cards from Warhammer 40,000 showed up in the top lists of Eternal Weekend, with one being in the winning decklists. This is an issue when the main appeal of Magic Online these days is to be able to play those old formats Arena doesn't have, and for a fraction of the cost of paper play.

Mechanically unique secret lairs will have the same issue as soon as a half-playable card is in one of them. Even cards that aren't all that good are a bummer to miss for people like me playing commander on the client, as time passes basically every paper deck is missing cards on the client and needs to be rebuilt for online, partly because of commander cards they can't keep up with, partly because of Universes Beyond cards they aren't ALLOWED to keep up with. The Universes Within version gives them an out for this at least for Secret Lairs, but an out that doesn't come around until a year after the card may have reshaped the meta.

[sycopomp]

Barula and Pich? 👁

HELLO MY DEAR ROANOAKS, ALWAYS LOVELY TO SEE YOU IN MY INBOX <33

YES!! Barula and Pich are characters that @rainboopz and I have, in her setting of "The Sea King's Mermaid"! It's an Asian fantasy set unda da sea 🎶 and she's actually going to be publishing a website on it soon so everyone can learn more about the world and lore!! 👀

But for Bich specifically, these two have become just. two of our favorite bastards. And bastards they are-- irredeemable, absolute, bastards.

Barula is General of the North Sea, and Pich is General of the West Sea. Illicit affairs with your enemy? Oh my. It's more of an "enemies with benefits" situation going on, but they're also pretty friendly when their seas aren't actively at each other's throats (and even sometimes when they are lmAO). They swap notes on interrogation techniques, boast about victories, gossip like a pair of old grannies, and in general make themselves a pain in everyone else's asses.

Neither of the other Generals really like them-- of course Barula hates Chihaya, considering they're a shark, though their general demeanor and personality grates on his nerves as well. He did manage to take one of their teeth after an unfortunate… accident… led to Chihaya going into a blood frenzy-- which Barula was quick to put an end to, and he sure as shit never lets anyone forget that he bested a crazed shark General.

On the flip side, he doesn't mind Minseok… but he is salty that he's never bested the guy in any of their spars. He's General of the South, which Barula mostly considers a joke since all they really do is party. How the hell does a leafy seeahorse of all things, from the happy-go-lucky kingdom of all places, defeat him? General of the North, the most battle-hungry and warmongering kingdom in the seas, infamous even in his own right for being one of the most formidable warriors in the history of the four kingdoms. What the fuck!!

We haven't done as much on the Advisors of the four seas, but the North Sea Advisor, Hoaxuan, is also mine and they Do Not Get Along. But Hoaxuan doesn't get along with anyone in the North. (Wonder why...)

As you could probably tell, Barula is mine, so I can talk for him about hoouuuuurs. He's a striped dolphin with a hate-on for sharks, he's way smarter than anyone assumes from such a brute, and he shamelessly takes advantage of the privilege and authority afforded to him by his position. He worked damn fucking hard to reach the top, and like hell he isn't going to enjoy it to the absolute limit. His Emperor couldn't give less of a fuck either; Ganbold is a temperamental, stubborn, self-righteous old lung that, if anything, encourages Barula's abuses of power-- so long as it serves to strengthen the North (or at least its image). I mean, the Emperor himself doesn't seem to care much for doing shit by the book, so why the hell would Barula? (They're a hell of a pair tbh, enabling back and forth lmAO.) However, their closer relationship doesn't mean Barula is blind to Ganbold's flaws, and even he gets fed up with those divine temper tantrums. But part of his job is shutting up and obeying, and he doesn't really care about the motivations behind being sicced on someone by his Emperor, hehehe.

I have a playlist for Barula, appropriately titled "Barulastard," with such songs as "Animals (Cover)" by Living in Fiction, "Animal in Me" by Solence, "Move Your Body" by My Darkest Days, "Detonate" by Black Math, "Between Breaths" by Blaqk Audio, and "Limbo" by Freddie Dredd. It's about the vibes, man.

You can learn more about Barula on my Toyhouse: https://toyhou.se/21387196.barula

And Pich's Toyhouse is over here: https://toyhou.se/12707449.pich They have a lot of wickedsauce art by Rain, so plsplspls go check them out I'm not normal about them I love them.

(They'll both be getting updated bios for the website to keep all the TSKM bios uniform too, so look forward to that hehe.)

If you have any other questions about (or for) Barula, pls send 'em my way because he's my favorite bastard. (Or Minseok! He's also mine, tho he is not a bastard. His bio is a WIP but we just did some work on his lore recently and I'm sooooo in love with him rn.)