#we're on month four pals

[stuckybangs]

Thank you to all the participants in this year's reverse bang! We're thrilled to present the incredible 34 collaborations in this round! From the artists, to authors, to betas, pinch hitters and cheerleaders, we thank you all for being a part of this year's bang!

Under the cut you'll find all the collaborations from this year. Enjoy!

Touch Me and You'll Never Be Alone [not rated, wip] art by @metalbvcky written by @hanitrash

Bucky is barely managing to get by on his own, but is proud of the small, safe life he's created for himself. He's even content to thirst in secret over the insanely hot older man that recently moved to the area. But when a popped tire and an early season winter storm combine to throw their paths together, Bucky's carefully constructed life is about to get flipped upside down.

hold my body (hold my breath) [Teen, 2/2, 16k] art by @alwaysabrighterdarkness written by @teenytabris

“You were born in a storm. On a rocking boat, too. Maybe that’s where all this started,” his ma had said, kissing his head and rocking him in her arms. “Demanded to come into the world in an in-between place. Couldn’t wait to get to America,” she joked. Steve didn’t know what that meant, but he did know that even imagining a boat out there, getting tossed by waves, made him feel ill enough that even looking at the rain made him retch weakly. His ma tutted, and pressed a hand to his forehead. -- Steve has always had an all-consuming fear of water, and nearly drowning twice only made it worse. One day, after just turning on a tap sends him spiraling, he has to consider what his breaking point is.

Runaway [Teen, 8/8, 20k] art by @alwaysabrighterdarkness written by @mandyyvibes

Steve still felt a little guilty that Bucky was willing to do all that for him. Did he really deserve his unconditional loyalty? He could’ve picked anyone at school to be best friends with, but he picked him, and Steve would never know how he got so lucky. The thought of running away was comforting, anyway, even if maybe they couldn’t actually leave for a while. Days, weeks, months. — In which Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes grow up together under circumstances that no child should have to face, and Bucky paints Steve daydreams of a better life together, if only they could run far enough.

Finding You With Open Arms [Gen, 1/1, 8.5k] art by @taybay14 written by LuxuryVelvetStudebaker

Coming home means the big things are the little things

Some legends are told [Explicit, 2/2, 26k] art by @rufferto9 and @chaosmanor (additional art) written by @chaosmanor

Twenty-eight billion kilometers. Four thousand years. That's how far Bucky has gone to get away from HYDRA, and that's how far Steve will have to go to bring him home.

The art of shadowboxing [Explicit, wip] art by @burnin-brighter written by @dharmasharks

In 1918, Bucky is forced to flee New York with his family. In 1923, he returns as a prize fighter, determined to send money to his sisters and stay far away from the gang violence that destroyed their home. And then Steve Rogers shows up. These days, Bucky’s childhood pal isn’t facing down neighborhood bullies. He’s taking on every factory owner in the Garment District—and every gangster they hire to intimidate union members. By joining the fray as Steve’s bodyguard, Bucky can finally stand up to the mobsters who took so much from him. And if that means spending a whole lot of time by Steve’s side…well, that’s just an added bonus.

In the Mood to Let You Know [Mature, wip] art by @burnin-brighter written by @voylitscope

Bucky's never liked keeping secrets from Steve, but there are a few things he hasn't told his best friend over the years. These days? There are three. The two new ones he begins keeping in the summer of 1925, and that one massive secret he's been holding onto since 1918. (Or: During the height of the 1918 flu outbreak in New York, a seveneteen-year-old Steve spends a month indoors. Steve and Bucky write letters to pass the time and keep in communication. By the time Steve is out and about again, they've said a few things they'll never say out loud.At least not until 1925, when Bucky can't seem to stop running into Steve in unexpected places. )

Desert Fires [Explicit, 1/1, 9.6k] art by @zanthems written by @buckybarnesdeservestobehappy

Bucky doesn’t plan to end up high and naked in the desert with stars shining in the heavens and his eyes with his dick deep inside a dainty, beautiful man with sparkling sapphire eyes and chapped, bitten lips that drive all coherent thoughts from his mind. He didn’t intend for any of it to happen, but that’s where he’s found himself, nonetheless.

Coffee, Sugar, and Pine [Mature, wip] art by @taybay14 written by @buckybarnesdeservestobehappy

There’s nothing Bucky loves more than his cat Alpine and an excellent cup of coffee. After three tours in the army, he’s probably earned a few breaks and an IV of caffeine. When he steps into a café in Brooklyn where a spunky redhead mans the cash register and a sassy blonde with sparkling blue eyes concocts delicious hot beverages, Bucky realizes he’s found his perfect drink and perhaps his ideal mate. Now, he can’t stop thinking about how to guarantee that he’ll have both for the rest of his life.

Let's Do It [Teen, wip] art by @skullfragments written by @trinitydaydabbles

Even before Steve drags him up before the crack of dawn to go running, Bucky is already plotting his revenge. If only Steve didn't know him so well, maybe the day wouldn't devolve into a game of one-upmanship.

Human Lens [Teen, wip] art by @taybay14 written by @chaossmagic

Torn from his old life and dumped unceremoniously in the 21st century, and then having to face an alien attack just months after coming out of the ice, Steve Rogers is struggling to come to terms with everything he's lost and isn't sure the title of Captain America is one he feels 100% comfortable with anymore. Alone, deeply lonely and desperate for anything to help him feel like his old self again, he stumbles across the work of fellow veteran and photographer Bucky Barnes, who specialises in helping wounded soldiers reclaim their bodily autonomy and sense of self after injury in combat. When he asks Bucky to take his own photograph, he finds the connection he's been looking for the entire time. And, as it just so happens, Bucky finds exactly the same thing.

Taking Pictures [Gen, wip] art by @taybay14 written by @leavinghopeao3

Reporter Steve Rogers and photojournalist Bucky Barnes stumble across a conspiracy at the heart of the United States government. Will they be able to stop it before it's too late? And will this fight bring them closer together?

lost to time [Mature, wip] art by @rufferto9 written by @burnin-brighter

As Steve returns the last Infinity Stone, he realizes there is nothing for him to return to in 2024. His friends, the ones who are still here, have families they want to be with or people they need to help. Steve has no one. Bucky died in 1944, Natasha died on Vormir, Tony perished in the fight with Thanos. What is he supposed to do? There are many options in front of him, though before he can make up his mind, a ghost from his past appears. Could it really be his Bucky?

A Game for Two [Mature, 1/1, 9.9k] art by einahpets written by @dontcallmebree

Steve will never forget the itch under his skin, the need to peel the world back until it finally felt right. He knows he would have gotten it then, would’ve finally latched his teeth around this amorphous, unnamable thing that had been haunting him if it weren’t for the Winter Soldier. If it weren’t for Bucky. And ain’t that a trip and a half—if not for Bucky. Story of his fucking life. The hands of fate are familiar, loving, and too cruel by half.

Til the End of the Line [Teen, 7/7, 14.7k] art by @taybay14 written by @xoxobuckybarnes

Back home after their first tour, the Avengers are getting ready to record their second album - they just have to write it first. Lead singer, Bucky Barnes, struggles to write a song that's not about his childhood best friend, the drummer of the band, Steve Rogers. The problem is, Steve has no idea how Bucky feels about him. When another childhood friend starts leaning on Steve, Bucky must decide if it's time to let his crush go, or to finally be brave and let Steve know how he feels.

Plan Bee [Gen, 1/1, 15k] art by britbrit99 written by @hkandiu

Steve is still getting used to the 21st century and begins to frequent farmers markets, where he becomes a regular customer of Shield Apiary, a small business selling all things honey. As he enters that sweet chapter of his life, Tony decides to take on a new project - finding someone for Steve! Steve lies to the team that he's already dating someone but before he can come clean, Tony reaches the wrong conclusion that Steve is dating one of the owners of Shield. Except, Steve's never met Bucky, much less gone on a date. Becca somehow talks the men into pretending to date to help Steve, and the month isn't what anyone expected...

The Beekeeper & The Gardener [Gen, 10/10, 13k] art by britbrit99 written by E_Greer

Every morning, Bucky likes to greet the dawn and watch morning runner guy. Every morning, Steve likes to sip his coffee and watch plant guy. One morning, runner guy and plant guy meet.

Let Us Partake in Summer’s Bounty [Teen, 1/1, 11.8k] art by britbrit99 written by @theflailing

Spring was one of Steve’s favourite seasons; it was a time of renewal and intention, a time to plant the seeds of things that will yet bear fruit, both literal and metaphorical. It was a time when the chilly grip of winter gave way to the lush green of new growth; it was when the world took its first deep breath and stretched its limbs after the long, somber solitude that preceded it. Although Steve was born in the height of summer, his mother always said that he did not belong there. “I did a reading, the day you were born,” she would tell him often, a soft and loving sparkle in her eyes. “Your heart belongs to the springtime; it is an omen that marks your soul.” -8- Steve is never one to turn down a request for help, and as he prepares to accept this call for aid, he reflects on his life, the friends he has made, and the community he serves.

I'll Use You (As A Focal Point) [Teen, wip] art by @taybay14 written by @lynlee494

The Soldier’s understanding of the world begins to unravel after he completes a mission and finds a helpless, shivering, and soaking wet kitten. Unable to leave, knowing the frail thing will die in the elements, the Soldier makes a choice... The Soldier can not risk contact, capture, and the inevitable return to Hydra and captivity would bring. He may remember Steve Rogers, but he also remembers Captain America. Similarly enhanced, the Captain would have the advantage, the Soldier’s movement would be limited with the kitten’s safety to consider.A surveillance approach is the safest angle to take. There had been notebooks at the museum exhibit, so there may be more memories to be dredged up if Steve Rogers still keeps journals, keepsakes, things that may stir up more memories - more pieces to fill in the expanse between Bucky and the Soldier.He’ll seek out Steve Rogers, who seems to feature in nearly every memory with Bucky, but he’ll be cautious. Can hopefully glean from the exposure more about the time before Bucky – before he – was presumed dead in a war. From before Steve’s Bucky became Hydra’s, time stuttering by till the Soldier was born.

5 Times Bucky Tricked Steve Into Washing His Hair +1 Time He Didn’t Have To Ask [Explicit, 8/8, 34.8k] art by @taybay14 written by @norelationtoatticus

During the worst of his recovery, Steve used to wash Bucky’s hair for him. Now, Bucky is a semi-stable hundred year old man who can bathe all by himself… but he misses Steve washing his hair for him. Asking for it? Out of the question. Lies, subterfuge, and expertly crafted machinations to manipulate Steve’s big, soapy hands right where he wants them? Much more Bucky’s style.

Piece By Piece [not rated, 10/10, 34.7k] art by @skullfragments written by @taybay14

Steve and Bucky are discovered on the bank of the Potomac & brought to Stark Tower. From the beginning, everyone has one thing on their mind: Help Bucky. It’s going to be hard, but they're ready to give it everything they’ve got - and they’re the Avengers, so they’ve got quite a lot. *** “Hey, Buck,” Steve says, his voice soft. Bucky lays on his side, pressing a cheek to the soft carpeting, wishing he hadn’t ruined all his blankets. He hates feeling cold and it’s a little cold in his room. “You don’t have to talk or come out or anything, but… I’m going to lay here, okay? All night. I’m going to stay right here so you don’t forget that it’s different now. So you don't forget that you’re safe. You’re not alone.” Bucky doesn’t know what to say to that. Even if he did know, his tongue is doing that heavy-sticky thing again. Instead, he slides his flesh fingers under the crack in the door, barely able to fit the tips, and waits. A moment passes. Then Steve’s fingers are pressing right back. And maybe Steve is right. Maybe things are different, maybe he is safe, maybe he’s not alone. Maybe - just maybe - he’ll be able to get himself back after all, piece by piece.

Now That I've Met You [Teen, 3/3, 11k] art by @louikazooie written by @megs-bee

First day back from vacation, not even inside the building yet and Bucky’s boss calls, telling him to head straight up to the executive suite. “The short version is that we’ve found ourselves with a VIP who needs a personal assistant immediately,” Pepper sighs. “The longer version is that we discovered the previous assistant was selling information on said VIP’s schedule and other high-security details which resulted in, among other issues, an attempted…let’s call it assault.” Pepper hands over the StarkPad open to what Bucky recognizes as a personnel file. Commander S. G. Rogers. If he’d been drinking his coffee at that moment, he’d have choked.

The Rest Are Stories To Tell [Teen, wip] art by @taybay14 written by @endlesstwanted

After he broke free from HYDRA with Steve and his new friends’ help, Bucky is working on reconnecting with himself living in the Avengers Tower with his cat Alpine. Soon, a dream brings back memories of his time as the Winter Soldier and one specific location in which he supervised experiments like the ones he went through. The team works together to figure out what’s real and puts the pieces together to prepare against a potential hidden thread by HYDRA before they run out of time —or the experiments run out of time. What would happen if, on top of this, Bucky discovered a secret related to Steve and me that would tie them together more than they have ever been?

out of the darkness, out into the light [Mature, wip] art by bergamotene written by @burnin-brighter

There were very few things Bucky disliked in life, although chaperoning his sister at every ball of the season was one of them. It was boring, long, and overall unpleasant. Or it used to be, until the day Bucky laid eyes on the most beautiful man he had ever seen at such an event. The man wasn’t familiar, Bucky would have remembered seeing him before. And after the first night, Bucky saw him everywhere. While he slept, while he daydreamed, while he walked around town. There was no escaping this stranger. And perhaps Bucky did not want to. What was the worst that could happen if Bucky were to let himself give in to his thoughts, to his urges?

Penumbra [not rated, 1/1, 12.7k] art by bergamotene written by @bonky-bornes

There was nothing more dangerous than having a soulmate. That’s what James had been taught his entire life. Being bound to another, life for life, got one killed just as surely as treason. Anyone with the mark of a binding was executed. Kings and peasants alike, it didn’t matter. There was nothing more dangerous than secondary loyalty to your Kingdom. James mastered the art of knives and silence, he learned to move like a shadow, unseen and inescapable. Bondeds were a disease, and he was a cure. He’d rather have his hands stained red than see his people suffer. Bondeds killed to protect one life. James killed to protect them all. - The Northern and Southern Kingdoms have been at war over Bonded Pairs for years. When a temporary armistice is proposed, and James is invited to the Southern Kingdom, it's one last chance to find a way towards peace.

No Better Version of Me [Teen, 3/3, 26.8k] art by @koreanrage written by @film-in-my-soul

Like Steve’s got a shooting star fused to his pulse (and hell, it just might be), he makes a wish. Thanos is stopped from making the snap. But just because Steve managed to save everyone else, it doesn't mean he can save himself.

no years of silence in the shadow of regret [Gen, 1/1, 9.7k] art by @koreanrage written by @hipsterdiva

“I’m fine,” Steve says again without looking at him. “You don’t have to stay.” It takes a while, and for a second, Steve thinks that perhaps Bucky will get up, pack his bag and his cat and leave. For a second, Steve hopes that’s what’s gonna happen. Then Bucky speaks. “I know,” he says. And stays. Or, Steve has baggage, communication is difficult, and (baby) steps are taken.

A Safe Place To Land [Explicit, wip] art by @kahey2804 written by @gloromeien

Bucky Barnes had it all—grease under his fingernails, dog fur behind the cushions of his couch, a cozy place to call his own. The house, the truck, the dogs, the works. A ride-or-die, close-knit community. A patch of land he could wander. A mountain view to inspire him. After six tours of duty and nine months in captivity, Bucky knew how bad things could get, so he didn't dare ask for anything else. Especially not someone to hold. Until a tall, blond super-soldier crash-landed into his quiet life and threatened to make all his dreams come true. For now.

Soul Mates and Circumstances [Explicit, wip] art by @kahey2804 written by @sunriserose1023

It’s a classic story. Boy meets boy, they share an instant connection. They have a night of pure heaven, and then life steps in. That’s the story for Bucky and Steve. They had one great night, then radio silence. Until they manage to cross paths again, but they seem destined to ghost each other. Maybe it’s just not meant to be. But what if it is?

All Along - It Was You [Explicit, 8/8, 34.k] art by @burnin-brighter written by @taybay14

It all started with a suggestion from Natasha - which should have been Steve's first clue that it'd end in trouble. She suggests a BDSM club that allows photostatic veils for anonymity, knowing Steve has growing desires he's been desperate to explore. Of course, she didn't bother to warn him of three very important facts: 1. Bucky Barnes is a member of this club 2. Bucky Barnes is apparently gay 3. Bucky Barnes is a dom Steve is stunned when he comes face to (veiled) face with Bucky Barnes himself his first night at the club. His brain malfunctions. Surely, that's the only reason why he does the incredibly idiotic thing of accepting Bucky's invitation to play with him. He knows he shouldn't - but what will one night of lies hurt? One night to scratch the itch, to get Bucky Barnes out of his system once and for all, and then Steve can move on. Except when Bucky keeps giving him chances for more, Steve finds himself unable to walk away. Like Steve said before... trouble. Unfortunately for him, he's always been a magnet for that kind of thing.

Complicate this world you've wrapped for me (I'm acquainted with your suffering) [Explicit, wip] art by LadyGigi written by @hanitrash

The Captain is sent on a mission to prove his ability to perform without the assistance of a STRIKE team. What he doesn’t know is that it’s more than his competence being tested…because if he passes, the face of HYDRA—and the fate of the world—will be forever changed.

Stephanos of the Glade [Explicit, 9/9, 22.6k] art by @murkycrush written by @wolfiefics

Escaped gladiator slave Iacomus discovers a new path in life as a guardian of a mysterious glade and it's equally godlike inhabitor, Stephanos, the river god of the Aneine River. With Stephanos' intercession, he learns to live a life outside of slavery with the help of Artemis, Ares, Demeter, and many other Greek/Roman gods. He finds his purpose in helping Stephanos protect the river from one who would cause it harm. Possibly to the death.

Covert Display [Explicit, 1/1, 8k] art by @murkycrush written by @buckybarnesdeservestobehappy

For decades, Bucky suffered, but he’s finally back with Steve, completing missions together, and going home to a shared apartment. Despite their past, nothing’s happened between them since waking up in the twenty-first century. Until it does. Bucky just never intended for anyone else to see.

I Wanna Break a Sweat, Eating Your Juicy Cake [Explicit, 1/1, 13.4k] art by @mxaether written by @theflailing

When Bucky finally has some time off work, he books a flight to DC to visit his best friend and old college roommate, Sam. While there, Bucky decides that he needs to blow off some steam, and a Grindr hookup is exactly the thing that will scratch that itch. When the hottest guy on the planet starts sexting him, Bucky can't believe his luck. But the universe has more in store for Bucky than he ever could have hoped for, and with the luck that he's about to have, maybe he should buy a lottery ticket, because it feels like all of his dreams are coming true.

Thank you again to all the participants this year!

[the-bus-called-graveyard-8]

Madagascar in Nickelodeon Magazine (part 1 of 4)

Madagascar was first featured in Nick Mag in the June/July 2005 issue, shortly after the film's May 2005 release.

Here we have the cover of the magazine, featuring Alex, Gloria and the Penguins

Next we have an ad for the tie-in video game

Finally we have a two-page spread featuring an interview with the main cast. Full transcription of the interview under the read more!

We talked to the stars of the new animated movie Madagascar. The film is about some animals from New York City's Central Park Zoo who suddenly find themselves stranded in the wilds of Madagascar, an island of the coast of southern Africa.

On-screen best friends and real-life pals Ben Stiller (near right, who plays Alex the lion) and Chris Rock (far right, who plays Marty the zebra) talked to us about their characters.

Nickelodeon Magazine: What is your character like? Ben Stiller: Alex is sort of the king of the Central Park Zoo. He enjoys being the main attraction and would be happy for things to always stay the same. Chris Rock: Marty is the adventurer of the group. He's not content in the zoo. He's the guy who asks, "What more could we be doing with ourselves?"

Nick Mag: Are you at all like your character? Ben: A little bit. [Like Alex,] I'm a New Yorker and a creature of habit. I like the comforts of home. And Alex is sort of an actor. He's a performer who has the self-delusional, self-involved thing that I think every actor can identify with. Chris: [Like Marty,] I always wanted to get away from where I grew up.

Nick Mag: What was the hardest thing about recording your lines? Ben: The time frame was crazy. It was like, "Wow, we're still doing this? They were serious about [this taking] four years?" At one point, I felt like all I ever said was "Marty!" Literally, for years. Chris: "Am I white with black stripes or black with white stripes?" How many times did I say that?

Nick Mag: Do you ever feel caged up, like you're in a zoo? Ben: Sometimes, when you're not happy on a movie set, it can be like that. Chris: Yeah, movies can be like that. Ben: I remember doing a movie once where, on the first day of rehearsals, I realized, "Uh-oh, this is not good." And I had four months to go.

Nick Mag: Did you do research for your role? Ben: I ate a bowl of Frosted Flakes because of Tony the Tiger, and then I realized I was playing a lion and that I was really off.

Nick Mag: Favorite movie snack? Ben: I'm a big M&M's guy—peanut or plain. Chris: Popcorn and Raisinettes, but I wish they served banana cream pie!

We got the skinny on Jada Pinkett Smith's big character, Gloria the hippo.

Nickelodeon Magazine: What is your character like? Jada Pinkett Smith: She's like the mother of the gang. She wants to make sure that everybody is happy and taken care of.

Nick Mag: Are you anything like her? Jada: I have a real loyalty to my friends, just like Gloria does.

Nick Mag: Was the recording process hard? Jada: It was pretty challenging. You have to be really patient. You don't have the other actors there, there are no props, and you don't know what the scene looks like. It's just you and some paper with words on it.

Nick Mag: Do you have any pets? Jada: I have three dogs and a cat. And I'm about to get three more dogs!

Nick Mag: Do you like the outdoors? Jada: You have to be very cautious, but I love the wild. My intention for the next couple of years is to do more camping and go whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon.

Nick Mag: Are you freaked out by nature at all? Jada: Not at all. Insects are the only things that kind of freak me out, but I can get used to them.

Nick Mag: Favorite movie snack? Jada: I usually do a mixture of popcorn and Goobers. Now I want some!

David Schwimmer talked to us about his character, Melman the giraffe.

Nickelodeon Magazine: What is your character like? David Schwimmer: Melman is a hypochondriac. he's afraid of almost everything and needs a lot of attention.

Nick Mag: Are you at all like him? David: I'm the opposite. My character couldn't be happier having bars around him so that nothing can get in. Personally, I'd go crazy. I'm low maintenance. I like not having a routine. Also [unlike Melman], I have to be forced to go to the doctor.

Nick Mag: What other kind of animal would you like to play? David: A black panther. There's something powerful and mysterious about it. It's got those green eyes and the sleek black coat. It would also be fun to be a water creature, like a dolphin. [Zelda the roving reporter: You're already a good Schwimmer.]

Nick Mag: Do you ever feel like you're in a zoo? David: I waited tables for seven years at restaurants where I felt like that. I also had a crummy job working in a tiny room in the business center of a hotel in Chicago in a suit and tie from six AM to six PM.

Nick Mag: Do you have any pets? David: I don't. I travel too much. But I had many animals growing up—dogs, a lizard, turtles. I love turtles. Their only protection is hiding—I love that about turtles.

Nick Mag: Favorite movie snack? David: There's no substitute for good, fresh popcorn.

[shiro-s2e2-erukinzu]

Anime only watchers and people who aren't caught up with the Manga, BEWARE... Cuz I'm about to discuss Spy X Family Mission 87... You have been warned...! 👌

[SPOILERS AHEAD FROM THIS POINT ON]

Man, it's been awhile... BUT WE'RE FINALLY BACK BABY!! 😆

And as I suspected, today's chapter turned out to be a pretty chill one...!! 😄 So let's talk about it, shall we? 😁

First off...:

WHAT KIND OF EXCUSE IS THAT FIONA (AND OR WISE!?!?) 😂 If I heard that someone fell from the fourth floor to the first floor, I WOULD'VE ASSUMED THAT THEY DIED!! 😵

(Also, Mr. Gorey from Mission 67 shows up, nice[?] to him again...! I guess... 😌)

Anyway, Mr. Gorey is there to drop off the medical files of the VIP patients, but then the "nurse" comes in to tell him to leave Fiona to rest, and I just as I suspected, the "nurse" was actually Handler!! 😆

It always nice to see Handler / Sylvia and it's also nice see how much she cares for her agents...!! 💗😊💗

We also get some confirmation that Fiona's training in woods might've actually saved her from being in even worse shape than she already is...!! 😆

I LOVE THIS CALLBACK!! 😆

After that, this happens...:

HAHAHAHAHA!! 🤣😂

This just confirms for me that Handler is the goat and can read her agents like a book!! 😖

After seeing what Fiona was up to, we cut back to the Forgers and...:

OH MY GOSH...!! THE PROGRESS!!! 💗😍💗

We're finally getting confirmation that Yor's cooking is GETTING BETTER...!! 🥹

I've been hoping since Mission 24 that we'd progressively hear about how Yor's cooking was getting better and better...!! But, that didn't really happen until JUST NOW...

...IN MISSION 87...!! 😤

Oh Endo, what am I gonna do with you...? 😌

Moving on, after breakfast Loid heads to his room to rest while Anya and Yor spend some time together...!! 💗🥹💗 Yor asks Anya if she had fun at the zoo, which of course she did, and shows her mama what she got at the zoo...!! And just like in Short Mission 3, Bond gets jealous...!! 😁

But instead of ripping up her new plush pal like he did with Agent Penguinman, he ruffles his fur to look like a lion to get Anya's attention!! 🤭

After seeing Bond look like a lion, Anya asks Bond to try to mimic other animals to varying degrees (Elephant Bond was not a success, while Giraffe Bond was... 🤭😂🤣 You get idea...!! 😁)

After that, Yor fixes Bond's hair brushing him and seeing how happy he looks, Anya wants to get her hair brushed as well...!! 💗

This just warms my heart to the highest degree...!! 💗🥹💗 (I am loving all this BONDing time between the three of them...!! 💗😭💗)

Then... The man, the myth, the legend; FRANKY RETURNS!! 😆

And Anya tries to have him get his hair did, but Yor declines because she thinks no one will recognize him...!! 🤣

Poor Franky...!! 😌

Finally, Loid hears the commotion and comes out of his room, only for him to immediately go back into his room...!! 🤣

And that was Mission 87, a fun return after a four week wait that honestly felt like forever!! Seriously, I don't know why, but the wait for this chapter really felt like we waited TWO WHOLE MONTHS instead of just one...!! 😵

Besides my horrible sense of time, this chapter was an absolute delight...!! 😊 From Sylvia and Fiona's interaction to Yor and Anya's mother daughter time (with Bond), I enjoyed it a ton...!! 💗😁💗

I'm excited to see what's next for our favorite manga / anime family, the Forgers and what Endo is gonna put them through!! 😁

But before I go, I'd like to do something that haven't really done before, recommend a series I've recently became a fan of...!! 😄 The series that I'm recommending is called Undead Unluck...!! I started reading it two Thursdays ago, and...

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT...!! 💗😍💗

It's about an undead guy who meets an unlucky girl that causes bad things to happen whenever someone touches her... The undead guy (Andy) wants the the unlucky girl (Fuuko) to give him THE GREATEST DEATH EVER, and then their journey begins...!!

I don't know if it'll be everyone's cup of tea (especially from just that short synopsis that I just gave 😅), but I think that if y'all just give it a shot and stick with it for a bit, you'll (hopefully) be enthralled by the amazing cast of characters, their development and the crazy world that they live in...!! 😁 (Or you could also just watch the anime for it that's coming out in October, but I still suggest reading as well...!! 😊👍)

Sorry to disrupt my usual flow of my reviews to promote another manga, but I honestly haven't had another manga that has grabbed my attention this much in recent years since Spy X Family and Chainsaw Man, and I just want more people to give a chance after I myself ignored it for years...!!

Anyway, that's all I'll gotta say because now I gotta go read Chapter 173 of Undead Unluck since I finally caught up to the series last night...!! 😁 So until the next mission, take care, be safe out there and be kind to one another...!! Later!! 👋😁

[derseprinceoftbd]

Hold the actual fuck on. Like hold the actual fuck on.

Harrow was released in August 2020.

The Epilogues were released Jan 2020.

I think Gideon=Magnus+Abigail>Isaac>Jeannemary [...] the Emperor in like four(?) months... is *Meat*, and Ortus/Harrow=Marta>Pal+Cam... is *Candy*.

I'm not actually sure what I'm trying to say here, other than... I guess we're doing this? I don't know what's happening. Loving the book, though.

[torao-chan]

First post won't be connected with the other, which'll be a long chain, but here's the sketches that led up to me buying a new, proper notebook for sketching in.

This series of pages took place over, like, three or four (five? time's weird) months, until the frequency increased to the point where we felt our creativity was really beginning to find it's footing again.

This first batch was all built off of inspiration given to us by fanaticsnail's sub Kid fics asdlkjkgldjsfkg We never ended up finishing them might still finish the top kid on the second page though because none of them Hit The Right Vibe we were going for alkdsjlkgjkdf We were still fighting Perfectionism off at that point

Some specific notes:

Shoes are still a weak point of ours. Like a lotta human related things. We just gotta keep practicing until we get there 😿

We wanted to try and figure out drawing Bepo cause!! He's so cute alksdjlkgfdg Still trying to hit the middle ground between Oda's style and our furry art style asdgfdshf >w>;;

We did a lot of body and expression studies and I have a spare page that has since gone missing of more of these no idea where that went

Hands my beloved-beloathed. Love drawing them, suck at it.

Along with trying to nail the Kid that stuck in our head from this fic, we also tried to nail the Killer that came from discussions around this fic. Both we're not happy with, but neither we've given up on yet (　｀д´)9 they haunt us in our waking moments. lurking the back of our mind. we'll nail it eventually

These pages are when we started going 'but... what if we made keychains'. Still may end up using some of these sketches for keychains and/or stickers or something.

Some specific notes:

We wanna turn the rook-rook on the first page into a bookmark for Lil' Red >w>;; may not get it done in time for their birthday though

Also want to make a dangle Hot Cross Bun keychain so he may make a reappearance too!

Really, really still love the LuLaw-SunMoon dangle charm concept. That IS going to become something eventually.

Tobiuo on the second page is fanaticsnail's OC >w> we wanna make a something for her still asdlkjgflkd just still trying to find something that Hits Right

Really wanna make a NYEP Luffy sticker. Haven't given up on that concept yet either laksdjklgfdg

If you've seen one of those base sketches fully developed, no you haven't 😏 I'll come back and link it after a certain date lmao.

Also some base sketches for gift ideas for residual. I will find something that clicks (　｀д´)9 I swear ittttt

A mixture of maybe sticker? Designs? And some general furry warm ups alongside my dreams of a Friendly Flower Pal reversible keychain set, which still needs to be seen accomplished. Also also; Guard Point Chopper - Marimo Zoro - Puffle!Luffy as a sticker set is still Prevalent in my mind.

The base concept sketch for this reversible keychain which just needs to be printed out now! Along with the complete brainrot for this post that slapped me across the face that One Morning. And also. Booty short concept Lil' Red and I came up with after discussing my Birthday Cake that week lmao.

Last sketch before the new sketchbook was bought, which was the attempted drafts for this art born of the fanfic brainrot Minniaa gave me asdlkjglkfdj. Sexy and happy poses, apparently, I struggle with greatly. But angst? Can nail that in a heartbeat; an old friend, if you would aldskjglkfdg

[nicohverse]

April Update - Merch Designs and Last Call for Preorders!

Hi everyone! It's been a minute, huh? Sorry about that! After releasing Beloved Ghost I got to work on merch designs, but other things kept coming up, getting in the way, and well... If you've played the first game, seen the themes of this series, it should be no surprise that I do tend to give myself deadlines that get thwarted by my health. Even right now, I'm writing this update with a pounding headache...

Still, progress has been made! I'll be sharing the merch designs later in this update, along with a link to preorder individual pieces if you missed it during the active campaign. Besides the merch, I've been getting started on commissions- If you're expecting one, get excited! This along with the usual work on Entropic Float 2 itself, of course... And events! I amazingly got to meet a few fans of Entropic Float at Connecticut Gamer Con earlier this month, and if you'd like to join their ranks, I'm confirmed to be tabling at Holyoke Pride in June as well as both Springfield Comic Con and Connecticon in July! 

Now, on to the designs! These are the new merch items available in reward fulfillment, but it's not too late! If one of these items wasn't in your reward tier, or you couldn't afford it as an add-on at survey time, or you just didn't realize till now that you want it? Preorders are still open on my etsy shop until May 13th!

Let's go smallest to largest here- The key for the stickerpack! This will be included with the stickers, and the stickers will be included with every physical reward tier. If you'd like the stickers, but only bought a digital reward and don't plan to preorder anything else, just reach out to me~ Especially since I can ship them with STAMPS for CHEAP INTERNATIONAL if you're willing to FORGO A TRACKING NUMBER! Every stickerpack contains ALL of these characters~

Next up, the aluminum pin badges! These eight add to the eighteen already available which reference EF1 endings. Four for EF2's endings (hm, I wonder what these could mean?), one Beloved Ghost badge in the Mesteri Moas, one more EF1 badge with The ~LUMP~, and two additional EF2 badges with the Possum Pal and CROWNPRIMROSE campaign badge! These were offered with most physical reward tiers, but can also be preordered for just $3 each.

New acrylic keychains! These, likewise, are in addition to the existing four that have been available since the shop first opened. Shinjiro, JJ, Cobalt, and Renfield were all requested by specific backers at survey time! They're $8 each to preorder, if you're just now realizing you want them as well~

Acrylic standees! Little guys to stand on your shelf or your desk or wherever! 50mm circular base, 90mm tall, these secret fullbodies are always included by the wonderful Soyokaze when commissioning titlescreens~ It's $15 to preorder a small friend.

Last but certainly not least- Throw Pillow Plushies! 40cm in size, these are shaped pillows with the designs printed on them in a plush fabric. We're not quite big enough to go full-blown plushie, but these things are still super adorable! These were only included at the highest reward tiers, so if you'd like to get your hands on one of these, it's a $25 preorder!

That's all for now! As always, thank you for reading, and I'll update you again soon!

[railwayhistorical]

Westbound

Not certain of the location, but I believe this is a westbound (on the Big Four, NYC) west of Avon, Indiana. Specifically I'm wondering if this might be to the east of Greencastle, but west of Fillmore (at N. County Road 300E).

Update: a pal of mine used to shoot at this very spot: it's located at the "town" of Reno, a bit further east than what I was thinking. The road cross is listed as N County Road 900 E on Google.

We're seven and a half months into the Conrail era. While the lead locomotive sports the Penn Central colors, the number boards gives us a clue that this is a former SD45 of the Pennsylvania Railroad; it was built in December of 1967. A blue GE U-boat follows.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken November 13th 1976.

[callsigndragon]

Tasting the Ashes | Ch. 36: The night we lost it all ✍️📲

Word count: 2.5k

warnings: alcohol, mention of babies (duh), gINA (deserves a warning), cute stuff and the angst starts here pals.

A/N: WE'RE BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK. okay okay i have this story P L A N N E D to the minimum, i'm just struggling to find time to actually sit down and finishing it- but we're getting there heheh

Also if anyone wants to be added to the tag list to not miss any chapter (we're on the final part, babes) let me know in the comments!

masterlist

It doesn’t take long for the guys to get to the pub, all eager and excited to spend a night celebrating the arrival of the two younger Bradshaws. The place invites people to feast with its dim light and cozy atmosphere; it’s the place they go when the Hard Deck is closed. 

Bradley approaches the bartender, ordering a round of beer for all his family. Beers keep coming, all gathering around a joyful Bradley and a teary-eyed Goose. One is delighted by this new stage of his life, not only as Carole and JJ’s father, but also as Hen’s future partner. The other one can't believe that he’s finally a grandfather. He really thought this day would never come. 

Once all of them have beers in their hands, they stand in a circle around Bradley, raising them and toasting for the new dad and the new babies of the family. 

“We’re gonna be doing this again in a month once Maeve is born?” Bob jokes, patting Jake’s back. 

The soon-to-be dad for the second time only smiles, sighing happily. “Man, I can't wait to hold my little princess.” 

Bradley laughs, knowing that feeling. Even though Jake is a father already and loves Liam with his whole soul, that feeling of wanting to have your newborn is so bad that you have to keep waiting for a bit longer... That’s a feeling they're always going to have. Even though they are dads already. 

Not that Bradley is thinking about having more babies. 

"I'm fearing for whoever gets close to Maeve when she's older," Bradley jokes while placing an arm over Jake's shoulders. "That poor girl won't be able to date until she's in her thirties." 

"It hasn't even been born yet, don't talk about dating!" Jake whines at the image of his own future. 

"Well, let's forget about that and have fun!" Mickey says. And before the group dissolves into smaller ones, Bradley clears his throat, catching everyone's attention. 

"I have… some news to share with you." 

Reuben leaves his beer on a nearby table, reading himself for the news that, most likely, will flip the family's world upside-down. After all, there's been a tendency for that since Red showed up in their lives. "What is it, Rooster?" 

Bradley’s grin couldn't be bigger when he announces the recent news. "Hen has finally given me a chance! We're going out on a date once her c-section is healed." 

Goose fist bumps proudly and laughs in his very own fashion. “I knew she was the one for you, son.” 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s just a date.” 

Jake smirks, licking his lips before teasing Bradley. “The last date brought us here, to celebrate the birth of your two kids.” 

“It wasn’t even a date.”

“Then only God knows what can result from that date.” Ice quips, earning a smack in the head from Slider. “Well, old glories. Let’s go play some pool.” 

“You still know how to do that, Admiral?” Mav raises a defiant eyebrow while chuckling. 

“Prepare yourself, captain. I’m going to beat your ass.” 

Bradley and Jake watch as the old men leave for the pool table. Those four hadn’t been able to have a proper conversation in years and now? Now they have so much catching up to do. And all of them are really happy that the problem is finally solved. 

Mickey, Bob, and Rooster leave to play some darts. And Jake, Reuben, and Javy, as designated drivers, stay behind and watch them have a fun time. 

Gina’s plan starts right now. She had been following Rooster all day, and hoped to approach him once he was left alone. But this stupid family is like a package deal, you want one? You have to get them all. 

And that’s not making her job easy. 

Lucky for her, once they reach the pub and after their initial toast, they all split into smaller groups. Two of them accompany Rooster to play darts. Mickey and Bob, if she can remember correctly. Gina had been following them long enough to know their names. 

The wizzos play darts while Bradley sits on a stool, looking at his phone. 

It’s the moment she’s been waiting for. 

Smoothing her black dress, she walks to the table, drink in hand, with a seductive smile plastered on her face. “Here alone?”

Rooster doesn’t even raise his eyes from the phone, watching videos of his babies. “No, I’m with my family.” 

Gina notices the empty beer, and sees an opportunity to make conversation. “Can I get you anothe–?” 

Rooster leaves his phone for a second, frowning and annoyed because who dares to disturb him? “Look, you seem like a nice girl, so I’m going to be direct. I have someone waiting for me at home, and I am not interested.” 

And with that, Rooster gets up and walks to the bar to get himself another beer. 

Gina starts to panic as she sees her plan crumbling before her eyes. But then, she realizes that not everything is lost yet. If she can't have Hen's man... she can have her friend.

Mickey turns the dart between his fingers, feeling the rugged surface of the barrel on his fingertips. He has come to a realization: Jinx won’t be able to give him what he wants, so he needs to stop trying, and stop forcing her to take a step in a direction she doesn’t want to. 

It’s time to move on. 

“Mickey, I can hear the wheels in your head turning from here,” mentions Bob while lowering his arm. He was ready to throw the dart, but his friend’s silence was bothering him a bit. “What’s going on?” 

“I’m gonna move on, Bob.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Mickey leaves the dart in Bob’s hand, sighing. “It’s time to get over Jinx.” 

Bob sits down next to him, his dart game long forgotten. “Are you sure? Didn’t Red say that she cared about you in the way you wanted?” 

Drumming his fingers on the table, Mickey looks at his friend. “She’s been having anxiety attacks again... She told me that it wasn’t because of me, but I definitely triggered them. I can’t allow that.”

“Mickey, you two should sit down and talk about all this. In person, not over text.” 

“I don’t know, Bob... I think it’s time to stop.” 

And as if the universe was agreeing with him, he sees a gorgeous blonde girl standing behind them, alone with her whiskey. She raises her eyes, making eye contact with Mickey, before offering him an inviting smile. She wants him to approach her. 

Bob looks at the exchange happening before him, frowning at how his friend seems to have made up his mind already. Is he going to pursue the first girl he sees as a rebound? Judging by the way he gets up and walks to the blonde woman, that’s exactly what he’s going to do. 

Bob shakes his head, and goes to sit with Rooster. Whatever Mickey is going to do, Bob knows that he doesn’t want to be involved with it.

Ten minutes. 

That’s how long it takes Gina to slide her tongue into Mickey’s mouth. Bob and Rooster can’t believe what they’re seeing, and even though both of them are deceived by the wizzo’s actions, Mickey and Jesse are not official. He’s not cheating on her. 

But it kind of feels like it. 

Rooster can’t stand the image anymore and leaves to talk with Jake, Mav, and Goose. Once he’s near, Goose claps his hand slowly, ready to tease his son. “Have you stopped looking at pics of your kids?”

Bradley laughs, placing a hand on his chest. “Have you seen them? They’re so cute! I can’t stop looking at them.” 

Jake shakes his head, taking a sip from his soda. “Remember when you told me how whipped I was the day after I saw Liam? Now you get it.” 

Rooster remembers that conversation like it was yesterday. He can’t believe Red has been in their lives for a year already. It feels longer. “Yeah, now I get it. Man, if something happens to those kids…” 

“Nothing will happen to them. They’re safe with us. But whoever tries to get close to them will unleash the fury of the female family members.” Maverick jokes, patting Jake’s shoulder. “And I’m actually talking about your wife.” 

“She’s the most badass woman I’ve ever seen,” Jake’s soft smile makes Mav laugh. He’s happy for his son and for all the things he’s accomplished, and he's proud of how he was almost completely alone a year ago and now is getting ready to prepare for a wedding with the love of his life and his two kids. 

“You two have come so far… I’m sure Goose thought that Bradley was a lost cause, too.” 

“Hey!” 

Goose tilts his head, admitting that Mav is right. “I mean… yeah. I thought you would end up alone.” 

Bradley scoffs, sitting down and getting another beer. “Thanks for the trust, dad.” 

“Any time, son!” 

The four men laugh, relishing the moment. It’s not everyday that they have something as beautiful to celebrate as the arrival of two new babies. They all know, deep down, that this happiness won’t last long. There’s someone out there threatening their dear Hen. The four men are ready to do whatever it takes to protect her. 

Maverick is her father. Nobody will touch her as long as he’s alive. 

Jake is her brother. He has finally gotten the family he craved so much, and nobody is going to take it away from him. 

Goose is the grandfather of Carole and JJ. His once small family is growing up, and he won’t let anyone risk that. 

And Bradley… Hen is the missing piece in his puzzle. The woman who, knowing the brokenness of his soul, is willing to love him. He will do whatever it takes to make sure she and the babies are safe. 

Nobody will touch Hen Mitchell. 

“...would you hate me if I left?” Bradley questions shyly. The three men laugh and shake their heads. 

“How much did you drink?” Jake asks in return before giving him the car keys. 

“Only a beer and a half. I've been trying to get you all drunk so I could sneak away and go see my girl and the babies.” He confesses, opening his hand. 

Jake leaves the keys in Rooster’s open palm and laughs. “Goose, you owe me ten.” 

“Will you stop making bets on me?” Bradley fakes annoyance while pulling a bunch of bills and hands them to Jake. “Pay their drinks for me, will ya?” 

“Aye aye, Lt.”

Bradley turns around to leave, watching as Mickey and that girl are still sucking faces. “Don’t want to know how that ends.” 

Jake, who was still unaware of Mickey’s current activities, almost drops the bills in his hand. He can’t see the girl’s face, but Mickey seems to be enjoying his time with her.  “Oh my fucking God.” 

“What now?” Mav groans, leaving his beer on the bar. 

“Jesse is coming here to confess to Mickey.” 

“She what?” Goose exclaims, watching the two lovebirds. He has her pressed against one of the pillars at the back of the bar, hands placed on her hips, while she grabs him by the back of his neck, pulling him as close as possible. They can’t see her face due to the angle, but one thing is for sure. 

She is nothing compared to Jesse. 

“I’m gonna leave. I don’t want to see the drama.” Bradley mutters, raising his hands in defeat, and leaves the bar. 

Jake gets his phone from his pocket and quickly dials Jesse’s number. But she doesn’t answer. Jake texts her, telling her to answer the phone, to text him, but she must be driving. There's no way he can reach her. 

Maybe he can wait for her out the bar, stop her from coming in. "Pops, I'm gonna wait for Jinx outside. She doesn't deserve to see this." 

"Yeah, you do that. I'll try to make Mickey leave through the back door." Mav offers, and when both men are about to walk their separate ways, they see Jinx standing a few feet away from them… her whole face contorted in pure horror once she realizes that she was too late. 

She has lost Mickey. 

"Jake, go." Maverick pushes him in her direction, and Jake gives them the money Bradley had given him before, knowing well that he won't be coming back. 

"Jake…" Jesse whimpers when she sees his friend, as tears run down her face. 

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay, honey. Let's get you home," mutters Jake while softly pushing her out of the pub. 

"I-I can't go home. What if he takes that girl home to fuck her?" 

Jake sighs, knowing that she's right. "We'll go to my home, okay?" 

"Tell me I'm dreaming, please. Just tell me this is a nightmare." She says, bursting into tears. Jake hugs her and leads her to his car, no way he's letting her ride her bike all the way home in such a state. 

Once she's sat down and the seat belt is secured, Jake closes the door and calls his wife. 

"Jake? Did Jinx get there? Are they kissing?" Red blurts, waiting for his responses. 

"She did get here, but Mickey was kissing another girl when she entered the bar."

There's a collective gasp. Jake knows he’s on speaker, and all the girls are listening to him. "He did what?!" 

"Mom, I'm as surprised as you are." He sighs, walking to his side of the 

"Bring her home, Jake. We'll take care of her.” Red offers, and Jake can hear all the girls whispering and talking along with the distinctive sound of people packing up their things to leave. 

“Girls, you don’t have to stop your night for this…”

“She needs her friends now, Jake.” Hen states, coming closer to the phone. “Take care of her for us, will ya?” 

“I will, don’t worry. By the way, Rooster is on his way to get you. He couldn’t stay away from you and the kids any longer.” 

The girls reply with a big aww in unison, as if they had rehearsed it, and it makes Hen chuckle. “I know, he texted me.”

“Take care of him for me, will ya?” 

“I will. Now come home. Red and Jazz are preparing a room for Jesse.”

Jake hangs up and gets in the car. He’s about to try and calm Jesse a bit when he sees Mickey’s figure walking out the bar. Jake swears under his breath before starting the engine and driving away from this place.

Tagging the usual people hehe

@purplevortexx

@shrimping-for-all

@pono-pura-vida

@xoxabs88xox

@jynxmirage

[thewertsearch]

Asks Comp 13/4

I think he's behind that door. The platform bears his symbol, and it's his final chance to show up in-game.

The best theory I have is that Bilious Slick is the god of Sgrub, and he only appears to a party of Players who have truly proven themselves. Given that Sgrub's endgame involves the creation of a universe, his role probably relates to this in some way.

Maybe he's the one who grants the Players the 'seed' - or whatever else is mechanically required to alchemize a universe.

The thought has occurred to me, too! I've been skimming some old posts while writing asks, and a couple of things have stood out to me.

We still don't know who the pen pal is. I'm still convinced he has something to do with Grandpa Harley, and my best guess is that he's someone who contains Grandpa as an alchemical component.

The session monitor in Skaianet's lab has a new meaning now. Every single one of those sessions could spawn a universe. And it's been implied that every planet with intelligent life will eventually spawn Sburb sessions. If you do the maths, it's clear that each universe should spawn billions of sessions. Just how many 'children' does each universe produce?

Ooh, yes, let's think about the implications of all this on my 'sonas!

If we assume that the kidsona was on comic-canon Earth, then she's in the universe created by the Zodiac trolls. The universe that she and the trollsona could create could be a completely new one!

...that is, if they create a universe at all. There's nothing saying you have to use that grist on a universe, and they might have other plans...

I was actually thinking about Tinkers when I made that post!

I read Worm a couple of years ago. In retrospect, it would also have made pretty good liveblogging material, although probably not quite as good as Homestuck. There's some great stuff in Worm, but a lot of what I really like about it doesn't show up until close to the end.

I initially assumed that the Psychic Double Reacharound was a contingency plan that she'd prepared earlier, since she couldn't possibly have come up with something so elaborate in the heat of the moment, while bleeding out on the ground.

But then I remembered she came up with the Sollux/Mind Honey plan seemingly on the spot, and now I'm not so sure. God damn, Vriska.

This is genuinely super flattering. I hope the inconsistency isn't too much of an issue - and, yes, I note the irony of saying this immediately after a four-month hiatus!

If was clear from early on that things in Homestuck weren't always what they seemed. Hell, sometimes they're not even what we're shown.

We have to assume some of what we're being told is true, or else we wouldn't have a story - but we always have to remember who's telling the story.

[Lol I love this fic. lots of **GIANT** spoilers tho, just because of the nature of the fic. For example, big ones starting at 16, 55 and 57 - C]

Recommended, and does apparently contain spoilers - but this is one I'm particularly looking forward to.

It's kind of a funny question, isn't it?

From Davesprite's perspective, he did change the future - his future. John died, but he 'changed things' - and now John's alive, even though he was dead 'before'.

But if you zoom out a little, you can see that this change was predetermined by the Alpha Timeline, which always depended on these events. Davesprite changed the first-order future - but the meta-future was always set in stone.

The Medium's timeline is so weird, isn't it? Its retroactive existence is difficult to puzzle out.

I don't think you could see the history of your Land by travelling back before you entered. All physical evidence of that history is there, but it's generated in a single instance when you Enter, and can't be accessed. It's analogous to read-only-memory.

After all, John, Rose and Dave are in the past with respect to LOJADE, but they're never going to see its 'history' - and Jade's Entry isn't going to insert it into the Medium retroactively. It won't have been 'there all along' when John was flying around earlier on his jetpack - it'll only ever have been there from Jade's Entry onwards.

As for getting into Earth's past, I think Karkat had it right, when he described the kids' original universe as 'a set of points to choose from'. You can't get into Earth's past by time-travelling around the Medium, but that doesn't really matter, since you can open portals into any point in its history, as long as you have the gear.

They're fascinating questions, aren't they?

Pre-Exile, she was the Tradition Wrangler - a Prospitian lawyer who struggled to interpret the Medium's archaic laws!

DD is a man of action, and I'm sure he approves of any Player who acts decisively themselves.

Plus, I'm sure he can emphasize with Aradia's situation. After all, it sucks to be bossed around by someone whose motivations make no goddamn sense half the time.

Common Terezi W.

True - she didn't need to hold her there for long. The laser pointer thing is a better analogy, blinding her almost instantly. I don't think it's any less fucked-up - it's more like a different flavor of fucked-up.

That's a pretty impressive robotics feat for Equius, actually. I wonder what Aradiabot is actually made of?

Tracing the source of alchemy gear is one of my favorite Homestuck 'minigames'.

Hivebent's art is fantastic! I really see why the comic blew up around this time. It's really coming into its own, stylistically. Of particular note is the art of Make Her Pay, and the art accompanying Aradia's final monologue. I can't wait to see more!

Gamzee is just too high to be rendered in a less symbolic manner.

Sollux is broken, and probably another mutant. The Sgrub trolls don't seem surprised by his level of power - but considering their circle includes other absurd espers like Aradia and Vriska, they probably aren't the best people to ask about what's normal.

Damn, I wish we could have seen more of Alternia. I know some of the spin-offs dig into this, but I hope we get more in canon, too.

Terezi's dream self is blind, because that's the version of herself she identifies most with. There's very little doubt in my mind that your dream self would reflect your self-perception in other ways, too. Skaia is clearly an ally - thank you, king.

You could imagine a Player whose dream self changes after they realize - or conversely, a Player whose dream self cracked their eggy loking thign. I'd be surprised if there weren't many fanfictions where this is a plot point - and depending on how things shake out in the comic itself, I'm not ruling it out.

In asking about magic, Kanaya really does start to sound like the young child that she is. It's easy to forget, but heartbreaking when you remember.

A few people have talked about this, so I added all of my 'immediate reaction' posts to the liveblog tag! I think it got them all - other than LOLCAT, which I missed and will add now - but if there are others, let me know!

I guess Matespritship isn't explicitly described in terms of romantic love. It's described as a close analogue of human romance, which is 'rooted in strongly positive emotions'. I've been assuming, based on that, that Red Romance is effectively interchangeable with the human concept of romantic love - but I suppose that's not necessarily the case.

I do think you're hitting on a very good point, here, too, which is that the quadrant system itself is described as something that trolls need. I think the 'need' for these categories is enforced, artificially, for the benefit of the Empire. It wouldn't be the first institution to pull something like this.

Either way, it'll be interesting to see how the troll/human ships end up shaking out. It's going to be a challenge to merge their respective relationship frameworks. The best solution, of course, is for them to experience their own relationships without any cultural baggage, but I don't think I'm just speaking for myself when I say that that's easier said than done!

[popculturebuffet]

Pirate Month III: We Lost Our Gold (Comission by WeirdKev27)

Arrgh all you happy swabs and welcome back to PIrate MOnth, our cleebration of everything piraty. eeyyyarrgh.

We're almost at the end and it's time for the return of an institution. Muppet Madness is back... and we've dropped the monthly as sometimes there's simply something else I want to do and trying to force it wasn't working. Thankfully we've come back with a whopper We Lost Our Gold

We Lost Our Gold is a 2010 puppet series by creators Vincent Bova and Damien Eckhardt-Jacobi, two pupeeteers with more than a little muppet energy to them. The two had previously made, and were still making at the time of this series Glove and Boots, another youtube show about a red muppet and his beaver pal covering various topics. I'd heard of Glove and Boots going into this but wasn't told it was by the same guys

Glove and Boots is one I'd actually considered covering on here and plan to now in 2025 in some form, and you can smell their hallmarks: the human puppets are the same they used, Mulligan of WLOG uses the same voice as Mario and has about the same personality, and Mario and Fava even guest star in episode 2.

The series was brought out of a need for promotoin: The two pupetteers wanted to draw more eyes to their work so they came up with a zany scheme I love: they took out ten thousand dollars in us coins, buired that heavy amount of money in a treasure chest, put a skull and crowbones on it and left clues. Then they shot 8 shorts starring a group of hapless pirates who lost the chest, seeding in clues to the chest. It's one of the most audacious stunts i've seen and deserves praise. They buired in in New York, made that clear and then... no one found it.

Yeah while many came close no one quite put the clues together, some deriding it as fake.. which it very much wasn't but is understandable given how hoax filled the internet is.. though given they SHOWED the chest at a few points and how hard it'd be to photoshop 10,000 us coins, I think it was safe to assume they were on the level and they were.

They eventually had to give up on it three years later for very understandable real life reasons: Hurrican Sandy ripped thorugh new york, tearing up the landscape and thus not only destroying their clues but leaving new york in a very bad state. So in a truly selfless and kind act they dug up the heavy treasure chest (A NY TIMes article covering it had them remakr on being remidned how heavy that much coin is) , and donating it all to disaster relief. It's a truly wild and heartfelt story and I love it.

So the question is how are the shorts themselves, more than a decade later and with the big reason for their existing, the treasure hunt long over? Jump down under the cut with me to find out

The Crew: WLOG follows four pirates and a parrot whose just kinda there to piss off the captain who , as the title suggests lost their gold and are trying to find it they are

The Captain: No name given ala Pirates!. A salty old cus with a giant mangy beard that covers his body half the time, and is liable to snap at the bulk of his crew, even if he cares for 2/3 of them. He's determined to keep the knowledge secret keep it safe and frustrated by his crew's deep well of incompetence minus one member.

Mulligan: A blonde pirate, a goof off whose deal is annoying the piss out of the captain and wanting to go up in the crows nest. Why isn't he allowed up there? Simple the captain dosen't want him to be happy and neither do I so I can undrestand.

Crothers: An injury prone dum dum. Not a bad guy but very clumsy and loud.

Black Tom: A ninja. None of the other pirates realize this

Yeah as you can kinda guess the crew's a bit one note: the captain's the constantly pissed off straight man, Muligan the annoying dumbass, Crothers the big ole dumbass, and Black Tom is a ninja who speaks in subtitles but dosen't really speak japanese far as I can tell , which was accpetable at the time for reasons i'm not aware of.

It's the series main weakness: the cast is fairly thin and with 7 decently sized shorts and one 30 second one, the gimmicks wear on you quick. There's just not enough comedic depth in any of these guys to justify an 8 episode series. Thankfully the series compensates in other ways as it goes on as we sift through this pile of episodes

So speaking of the pile

Ye Episodes

The Beggining: This is the weakest episode. It has a good gag or two: Black tom being the reason cruthers is missing an eye in flashback and the pirate captain getting SO tired of mullins interrupting his flashbacks "I'm not even going to wast a flashback on ye" but it's just... broing. It's not helped Mullins is at his most annoying here, working better as a foil to the captain in other episodes but here just popping in with a pretty lame joke about swapping letters around.

The Chase: This one's okay as the stuff on deck is kinda entertaining. it has a very dated bit spoofing anime animation that feels out of date even for when this came out. The ships under attack and naturally sinks

The Larry King: The best episode of the 8, and a fun one. It also has Mario and Fava in it claming the gold is actually theres, which in a joke I didn't see coming and love, it absolutely was. It's helped by the format: Larry king is interviewing the pirates and glove and boots , leading to some fun chaos as the captain tries to keep them from dropping clues, Mario bullshits, Fava interrupts then goes along with it, and Black Tom sits down with his good friend larry king. This was more lik eit

The Black Tom: A one minute short soley for the clues.

THE WPPPT: This one suffers from the same issu eof the first, dragging in places but unlike it has some great gags to it as the pirates play poker. The parody of the poker obession at the time has aged like fine milk on a sidewalk and it highlights an issue of the show at tims: some bits... just feel very dated in comparison to glove and boots. GAB had pop culture refrences, but the refrences here very late to early 2000's: celebrity poker, larry king still being around, the pirate craze at the time, pirates vs ninjas, all things long left buried by the zeigeist.

The Monkey Buisness: A really fun one as a monkey on an island reads a comic about our heroes exploits: i'ts really fun to see these goofy pirates drawn all muscular and realistic in a seroius story.. then see the style used for their usual nonsense. Really great. It's not a totally new concept but it's unexpected and fun.

The Ghost STory: This one is fine Not really much to say an da fun concept of telling ghost stories

The Final Episode: My second faviorite: the pirate captain recons with this quest, Crothers gets turned into a parrot and Mulligan finally gets to go up in the crows nest. It's an oddly moving finale too as Crothers dies in the previous episode, and posses the parrot and after freeing him from a demon they accidnetly summon is stuck there. But the Pirate Captain accepts it because he's his friend and lets go of the treasure, a suprisingly touching ending to a throughly silly series.

So overally.. I found the series.. okay. It has some good jokes, some great concepts but the core cast is fairly weak, making the ballance of the show wonky and th efirst half is bogged down by some topical refrences. The final three epiosdes are really good, as is the larry king.

The shorts main problem is pacing: the having to sneak in clues combined with the format mean it's not quite as snappy as glove and boots. And I hate to keep comparing them but by this point glove and boots existed. THey knew how to do this and I belivie could've done better. I don't feel they half assed it: the puppets themselves look great, really nice felt and the performances are great.. but the core of the series is a bunch of characters I just don't care about or find all that funny and it tempers the experince for me. It really dosen't help coming off reading the second pirates book, as that book knew how to have fairly thin characters but manage them well with wacky shenanigans. Here their trying to do a character based comedy at atimes with characters who don't fit it. It works best with stuff like the larry king or the monkey buisness where the weird scenario allows them to do fun stuff with the characters and format.

I will be positive here: while these shorts didn't grab me, the early glove and boots stuff around the same time was better, they'd learn from it and as glove and boots went it'd be awesome. These are two talented men who created a silly pirate contest then used the money for said contest to help people. I wish them luck in whatever their doing now after youtube left them off and thank them for this fun day. WELOSTOURGOLD isn't the best.. but it wasn't a bad way to spend an hour. Thanks for reading

[kaleuh]

Day 208: Tell us about your family.

I did this on Day 19, but I guess I was a little harsh (earned though.)

I'm too old to be oversharing but for the sake of getting anything out of this challenge, oh well. Too many people in one small house. Standard Irish-Catholicism looming over everyone's head. Nothing strict though. My parents knew each other for 6 months before marrying, and it was pretty much a shotgun wedding. They had four kids, for some reason. I love my little sister very much. I have complicated feelings about the rest of them. I think my Dad feels bad about all the stuff he did. He's a grandpa now. I think that changed him, if even a little. He's got such weird BoJack guilt towards me. He doesn't have to say anything, it just leaks off him. Used to be BFFs with my Mom until That Thing. Then it was like, oof! Cannot be pals with you like that ever again, sorry! Even though she wants to. I do love them both, but putting a sizable amount of distance and boundaries between us was absolutely the right call. I love my brother too; we're both pretty bad texters so I don't always know what he's up to but I hope he finds direction and happiness in his life. I wish that very much for him. I keep a very sterile relationship with my older sister, who might be bipolar? Narcissist? I have no idea. Topically, my little sister told me she overheard her speaking to my mom the other day, and said I was, quote, "The only sane one" out of all of us. She definitely just wants me to babysit (author's note: lmfao)

Anyway. I absolutely love that none of them really know who I'm with, where I am, or what I'm doing. Like I said: putting a sizable amount of distance and boundaries between us was absolutely the right call.

[just-write-studios]

Catalyst: Blind Faith is a visual novel set in an apocalyptic world where a strange phenomenon turns mankind into demons.

❤️‍🩹Shape the fate of a troubled young priest. 🙏Channel the power of the Gods. 🩸Seek a cure.

The new update is HERE and I am SO excited to share with you all!!!

Before playing, select "NEW GAME" from the main menu. This will ensure you encounter no bugs during this major update!

Huge, exhaustive devlog under the cut!!!! I hope you enjoy!

The following is an exhaustive devlog regarding all of the changes and updates made to the current demo version. It is available for you all on the download page. I am so proud to share this with you all and hope you enjoy!!!!

MAIN MENU

New main menu - New game, first playthrough, and saves unlock variants

Ending achievements redesigned

JOURNAL

Holy symbol redesigned

Journal redesigned (WIP paintover)

Bookmarks for all pages are interactable to flip to that section of the journal

Bookmarks flip from left to right to indicate where you are

UI

New textbox - Default, Flesh, Agriculture variants

New default font

New CTC icon - Default, Mercy, Flesh, Agriculture, Time variants

New cursor - Idle and Hover

New quick menu - Default and saves unlocked variants

Quick Menu toggle - Always or hover

Textbox opacity slider

Choice menus - default and several custom screens

New, clear indicator of choices made previously, turns red on hover.

New history menu

New death screen

All options screens redesigned - Default options, specific sound toggle, controls, and gallery

Chapter Titles - Colors, appearance, and quality quality updated - also now has a full stop so it's easier to read

High contrast outlines on all text at all times for legibility

NVL Mode!!! (In addition to the ADV mode used primarily throughout the game)

SPLASH AND WARNING SCREENS

New photosensitivity screen

New autosave screen

New content warning screen

UNLOCKABLE SAVE SYSTEM

Variable to track first completion of the game

New screen to explain save mechanic unlocking

New quick menu once saves unlocked

Custom save/Load screen accessible from quick menu

Custom load screen accessible from main menu

ART

FINAL ASSETS

Pontos (First BG) - Four color variants

Crowd in Prologue - Two color variants, one pose variant

CONCEPTS or WIP

Richard - Protagonist character concept art

Orgoth - Supporting character concept art (default + color variant)

Malimos - Demon concept art CG

Centipede Demon - Demon concept art CG

Enchanted Stairs - WIP BG (default + color variant)

Holy symbol - Item concept art

Bloody handprints - Item concept art

Buttons during Time travel - UI concept art

ALL OTHER VISUALS ARE PLACEHOLDERS, SUBJECT TO CHANGE

AUDIO

SFX added upon clicking on the choice menus

SFX changed when clicking through the Journal

SFX shortened for Ray, your best pal

SFX added for a burning building scene

WRITING

Several new contingencies added for time travel

Minor adjustments and additional descriptions throughout for clarity!

ANIMATONS

Timelapse - Transitions begin at the end of the prologue, leading into a brand new scene

Skip and pause buttons programmed in the timelapse for accessibility

Softly flashing light on quick menu during Gods monologue in Chapter 1 to point out  the journal

Time travel - Variant scenes dependent on if transitions are on/off, or if flashing lights are on/off

Endings - Each of the 8 endings has a custom series of screens

Credits - Brand new, animated sequence accessible from the options menu and at the end of each playthrough

Socials - All of our socials are available at the end of each playthrough. Kickstarter and Steam coming soon! 

Whew!! It's a lot, right? We're all working exceptionally hard to bring the final assets to you all. In the coming months I'll be sharing my progress on our socials, and strive to bring the completed demo to you all in 2024!

Please share your support on itch.io if you have fun, by leaving a positive comment or a 5-star rating!

Thank you all so much for your time and enthusiasm. I'll be sharing more updates with you all soon!

[spookyserenades]

Also lowkey I want to be your friend lol. I've been a "witch"/pagan for years now. I work with greek pantheons though lol. I grew up near the Appalachian mountains in a 100+ year old house that follows my family around like Hill House. I'm gay, confused and don't know what I'm doing but lordt knows that I'll be showing up every 7th of the month like it's church.

Also p.s: the fact that you liken jimins story to Ethel Cains "Preacher's Daughter" album makes me evolve into a feral being that creeps on all fours in the dark to bark at trees. So many of my interests are coming through into one place. I hope you know you've written my favorite fanfiction of all time, to the point that i now use this as the standard whenever I look for new ones LMAO.

Okay. ily. Bye. 🐀

Omg let's be friends!!! I loveeee making witchy pals! I find the Greek pantheons so interesting, it was like my obsession in middle school LOL. I tend to lean on some Celtic/Druid practices due to my heritage :) I wanna visit Appalachia soooo bad! So many spooky stories surrounding that ancient place. Very cool! I'm also a little jealous you lived in a Hill House kind of place (strange thing to say IK but I love old, scary looking places-- hence the house in Trouvaille LOL) But aH two more days till we meet for the next update hehe 😘😘

I LOOOOVE ETHEL CAIN Her music and the general creepy southern gothic (even though Jimin is technically from the west, hehe) fits him so well, Trouvaille wise. Some of her more whimsical, romantic lyrics suit him in particular, I think. 😉

Omg let's shout in the woods together 💀 We have a lot of the same interests!!! And also stop that's so 😭😭😭 sweet of you to say love, I'm so grateful to have readers (and besties) like you, we're on this wild ride together and I can't wait to see where it takes us! 💕💕💕💕

[shadowredfeline]

Four in One Post

For my A-Pal's two On These Day Posts.

You know that Red Panda does look a lot like Retsuko from Aggretsuko. And not only does she have her show on Netflix, I remember she got to be in Hello Kitty Island Adventure when I always play it on my iPad. But a good game for my A-Pal to give a try. Plus the settings would always put us at ease with the music and all. And for the Chips and Candy. I do have some Barbecue chips that I might have as a snack, but since my sister's birthday is in 3 days, her Work Place is going to celebrate her birthday with her since we're going to have a party with her in 4 days. That's what my sister decided to do for a Two Day Birthday thing. Which happened the same with me 2 years ago when I went Swimming with my Social Club on a Saturday and had my birthday on Sunday. And I think it's gonna happen to me again when I go to the Social Club in 3 months. And I have plenty of Kit Kat candy bars. And if my A-Pal did post about a Kit Kat, I might pick one up at the center, but I just had Broccoli and I am going easy on the Sweets. Even my sister just tried out her new Cotton Candy machine she got. But man my mom and my sister are so obsessed with wanting to start running businesses with food as well as for the Church.

And for my P-Pal's On These Day Posts

That would be a good idea. We can even have our OC Couples on a cruise together and when Summer comes into my Country, we can also have them at the beach too, or go to a Studio as well for a tour or a competition on a game show.

And with Earth day one.

Normally I wasn't a fan of celebrating that day, not even when my Social Club had to do some lame gardening stuff. But I do like to go for a walk around the town to see the environment. And I didn't make any Earth day stuff since I just finished making a Story based on a Cartoon I used to watch as a kid. As well as for playing video games and doing Voice Chat with some of my friends.

[xxmissarichanxx]

✨XMACX Monthly✨ | February 2024

Happy February! Thank you again so much for voting for the Cover Model last month! March's Cover Model Poll drops tomorrow!

You may read this month's update as a public post on PTRN or below the cut! You can also see the previous issue here.

Last month went by way too quickly and now Valentines' Day is just around the corner! Then I'll blink and be another year older... This month, I'll be focusing on adding the final touches of Froot Basket: Dark Chocolate and prepping for a White Day (March 15) release. February is a short month, so I know it'll fly by... but we've got a lot of fun stuff including two OC birthdays!

Schedule

February 1 - XMACX Monthly

February 2 - Cover Model Polls

February 7 - Valentine Cards

February 9 - Cover Story

February 14 - Valentines' Day, Sidney's Bday

February 15 - Kurosaki Twin's Bday

February 16 - Art Process

February 23 - FBDC Voice Update released for Patrons!

February 28 - Sketch Dump

Cover Story Preview | Momo's Special Chocolate Recipe

Momo made some special Valentine chocolate for his beloved senpai. This month, he's sharing his special recipe!

Valentine Special

I'll be dropping some Valentine cards for everyone to download and send to your pals! I'm saving Valentines' social media post for Sidney because it's his birthday, so I'll drop the Valentine cards on social media before then.

February's OC Birthdays

This month we're celebrating Sidney, Ken, and Maya's birthdays! Sidney is an adorable red head from my project After-Party Chemistry! Ken and Maya are fraternal twins. They're not associated with any one project right now... But I'll be dropping some fun illustrations and OC lore about them on their respective days for everyone!

VN Development | Froot Basket: Dark Chocolate Release 

I'll be releasing Froot Basket: Dark Chocolate's voiced update for patrons this month! You can play before I drop it on Itch on March 15. Last month, I added a "recustomize Jordan" menu in case you want to swap between Jordan's voices or looks in-game. I also messed around with the Gallery and Achievements screen, but you'll have to see in the update.

Other than prepping for FBDC's Voiced Update Release, I have some marketing art for release to work on lol... I'm planning two different pieces: a new poster featuring all the characters and a piece which features the four different color combinations of Jordans. I don't expect to finish these this month because day job's looking pretty busy, BUT I'm hoping to at least get some sketches done.

Other Goals this Month

I'll be wrapping up some zine pieces and commissions. :^)

Next Month

March 1st falls on a Friday so the Monthly and Polls will drop all on the same day. I can't wait to see who'll make my birth month's cover!

Aloha nui~ Ari

[optimistredsox]

19 Aug, BOS @ HOU, 4-5, loss

I need to confess something to you, my lovely readers. I am beginning to think my solace for when the bullpen blows it, that it is karmic payback for all the ridiculous number of unearned runs the shitshow infield defence allowed in the first couple of months, back when the bullpen was lights out, isn't quite the soothing solace I thought it might be. In fact, to be totally honest, it isn't fucking comforting at all. There's no solace there. Only misery. And yeah, we made an error... BUT THEY MADE FOUR AND WE STILL MANAGED TO BLOW IT!!!!! And we wasted a good Houck start. And gave up an unearned run. And it just seems a lot right now. We weren't outclassed. We weren't outplayed. We lost. They might've got the win, but they didn't win. We lost. And I know there are a lot of folks saying this is this team's destiny, to be close but no cigar. But this team has improved so much. For me, that's the story of the season, not the errors or youth or injuries, or surprises, but how they've improved. They're better. And they keep getting better. So I really really think that they can still improve. They don't seem a despondent bunch. Anyway. Bright sides.

Tanner Houck had a good start. He only gave up two earned runs over six (though three runs in total because, hey, 2024 Red Sox), on eight hits, no walks, eight strike outs. And no dingers surrendered. Which, considered our rotation, is the Christmas miracle in August. He deserved better than he got.

Chris Martin (not the Coldplay one) is still great, and went an inning without giving up shit (two hits that came to nothing = shit with this bullpen... shit in the good way as in he didn't give up any runs.. anyway...) and striking out three. Thanks Chris.

Masa Yoshida didn't even start but came in to pinch hit and hit a two-run dinger in the sixth, breaking the tie and giving us all hope.

We scored more unearned runs than they did. I think that's good. Or just depressing. Still, I'm counting it as a bright side.

Jarren Duran, now gathering a bunch of fucking asshole bigoted cheerleaders (of whom he is no way condoning that I know of) hit a dinger on the first pitch.

We'll get 'em tonight.

• Just a little note on the fucking disgusting homophobic bigoted motherfuckers holding up Jarren Duran as their martyr right now. Fuck those fucking people. I'm only seeing them in shitty comment sections at the moment, but it won't be long until they're more visible unless it's stopped. I see them often enough in those comments to say both fuck them and fuck the algorithm showing them to me. As far as I can tell, there are more of them than there should be. If he's as contrite as he should be and claims to be, he should disavow them ASAP, and if he has done so, it should be made LOUDLY public and nipped in the bud. I am a grumpy middle-aged straight white guy but I try to be as much of an ally as I know how to be and am willing to learn how to be more of one. To all the folks hurt and upset by what's happened, I'm so sorry we're still here, and I'll do what I can to help and support. Peace and love, pals.