#like i wanted to get traversion out by june

[ackee]

#thinking about how bad my burnout is is making me super depressed ngl.. #i think to truly cure it i will have to stop looking at everything on a timetable u_u #like i wanted to get traversion out by june #but i can barely finish chibi heads!!! @_@ i dont think ive done real lineart since.. july maybe lol #and those also. were chibis..... #anyway. not happy in the slightest #ive been trying to replace art with exercise and i just dont feel like i see any improvements w my body either #so its like what am i doing really! nothings working out! i cant even draw my ocs to cope!! its all so hellish #but hey miku expo is in may i guess so i will continue to live. for now 👍🏽 #txt

[placeinthemiddleofnowhere]

C'mere, Love

Pairing: Captain John Price x Reader

Potentially a 3 part series 👀

Summary: John is your man, he's everything you ever wanted in a partner and more, he's loving and he's consistent. And part of that consistency is saying those words that you love.

(No use of y/n or mention of gender/race)

warnings: Mostly fluff with illusions to smut at the end.

-💕-

You love it when he says those two words. Those words that are capable of pulling an innumerable range of emotions from you depending on the way he says them, where he says them. He sows them like a seasoned gardener that knows exactly how to get his yield. John always says -

C’mere, Love.

A burst of sparks jolted down your spine the first time he’d said them to you - on your second date. All those years ago. 

You’d both decided to go on a hike, it seemed so romantic and adventurous at the time, going far up into the hills and not quitting before you reached the top. Adventurous and also a little aspirational on your part. You wanted to seem tough, felt like you had to prove to the Captain - at that time Lieutenant - that you weren’t a weakling and that you could hike for six hours with no sweat. As if you’d kid him when you were breathing like a ten year old pug when you reached that godforsaken summit. 

Despite the difficulty you’d had traversing the hill, and pug breath aside, it was incredibly pretty at the top. The setting sun looked gorgeous in the grainy pictures you took on your phone and it was lovely to sit for a moment and bask in the fading sunflower glow. However, the sunset wasn’t so pretty on your way down - or rather your mood wasn’t.

He’d asked you earlier in the day if you were sure about leaving at the time you’d suggested, and you’d boldly (naively) said it would be fine and that you’d pack a big hoodie for when it got cold. Before long, the sky had fretted between every shade of blue and had settled on navy, punishing you with a deep chill for staying out once it fully darkened. It had you chattering your teeth and folding your arms around yourself into a clacking human pretzel, cursing the shadowy heather bushes and rocky outcrops as you walked down the endless decline. 

“Are you alright?” He’d asked, huffing a little as he took a steep step down from a boulder.

You were coming to realise that very little phased John. So when you’d turned to him and saw him smiling down at you, with his breath intact and his body unflinching as he walked, as if you were walking by the Seine in June, you almost screamed. Almost.

You proudly managed to hold yourself back for a few moments, bottling up all your grievances like your friends had sagely advised you should when you said you were hiking with the elite soldier. You even tried to nod and go back to walking, trying to continue on the high road without all the atrocious whining you wanted to do, but he gently grasped your shoulder and made you face him. He tipped his head forward at you, furrowing that already heavy brow of his at you as if to say ‘it’s ok, be honest with me’ and waited for your honest response. 

“No,” you whimpered.

Your eyes welled hot with tears, by some miracle they didn’t spill over, but you could feel every ache and pain in all your joints compounding and suddenly it started feeling like you were climbing down Everest. Your mind conjured up an insurmountable journey filled with cold and bone-ache and spiralled ever closer to turning you into an unattractive little brat. It was then that you’d vowed to never climb another hill over 1000 feet ever again. 

“I thought not,” he chuckled to himself, smoothing his roughened hand over the back of your neck. “C’mere, love.”

You jumped when he said it. It sounded like how a rich chocolate dessert tastes when you take the first bite, it made you forget all about the terrible hill and transported you to another place entirely. He had such a grizzly deep voice even in those younger days, affected deeply by his lifelong smoking habit that somehow failed to catch up with his lungs, it made you swoon. You faded into him, mind going fuzzy as he drew you close, close enough that his scratchy beard grazed your forehead (a beard that was yet to be chopped to muttons), and rubbed his arms up and down your back.

“You’re alright, aren’t you? You just need to get back to the car and get warm again. Not long to go, just stick close with me, ok,” he reassured you, his warm breaths tickling at your ear. 

At that moment you’d have gladly taken to mountain living. You wanted to say that you could forget all about the car and settle for lying under a bush if it meant that you could stay locked in his embrace. You could bury your face into his shoulder and he could curl his body around you and you’d breathe in the smell of cigarettes and spring fresh laundry detergent all night until dawn broke.

However you decided against saying all that, because you didn’t want him to think you were fucking mental. 

“Here, take this,” he said.

You gawped as he drew away from you and took off his big thick hoodie, bestowing it onto you in your bewildered state. You were about to protest and say how terrible you’d feel taking it off of him, but he gave you another serious look again - one you imagined he gave to the men in his command - and you bit your lip instead. 

You were glad you did too, because once you’d shimmied into it, you were warm as a bear and almost as big. The heavy fabric hung loose on you and swallowed your hands, but nevertheless he fished your left one out of the sleeve and took it in his, restarting the journey all over again.

He wasn’t even a little put out by the lack of coverage on his body, his grip was loose on you rather than taught and shivering and that vague smile of his didn’t break from his lips. It made you want to burst out laughing, you’d wondered who this man was, if they’d grown him in a lab or something and set him loose on the world. Why the hell had he asked you on a second date? You were so…average, you couldn’t even do a single hill walk for god’s sake!

“I take it this will be the final date then?” you’d joked, nervously vomiting the words before you could stop yourself. 

“What makes you say that?” He asked, his voice wavering a little. 

“Because you’ve just had to coddle a grown adult in walking down a little hill,” you sighed, feeling the full weight of your patheticism bear down on you. “And you’re - y’know - you.”

The tension in his arm dropped, you could feel his hand loosen on you as you gave your explanation. He took the hill like a champ, but apparently the idea of not seeing you again was a feat.

“What does that mean?” he laughed.

“You know what it means! You’re like…a big rugged soldier man that’s super fit and- and- capable and handsome and knows how to do lots of stuff,” you said, completely letting go of your filter and waving your free arm around for emphasis. 

“Come off it,” he snorted, giving you a playful nudge. “If I wanted someone that was ‘super fit’ and good at hill walking I wouldn’t bother leaving the base, darlin’. I wanted to go out with you again because I like you, ya dafty. I agreed to come out here, at what we can now safely agree was a stupid time, because I thought you really liked stuff like this.”

“I only suggested it because I thought you liked stuff like this,” you gasped. “You don’t stuff like this?”

“I like walking enough, would just prefer not to do it for six hours,” he said with a grin. “I get enough of shit like this at work.”

“Jesus god, that’s a relief,” you sighed, safe in the knowledge you wouldn’t be reliving your current trauma. 

“Does that mean you want to see me again?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I think I’d allow it,” you say in pretend thought. “Probably sometime after the months it’ll take to recover from this.”

“Months? God, I’ll have to cancel that trip to the Andes I’d planned for us!”

“Shut it!”

“No seriously, I’ve pre rented llamas and everythin’, I even got you the appropriate footwear, unlike what you’re wear- hey!”

You’d slapped his arm playfully and rolled your eyes, attempting to get him to stop making fun of you, but you only served to light a fire in him instead. He made some comment about how once you engage in battle, neither party can step down until defeat or surrender and then you’d said something about running away. Then you’d proceeded to chase each other down the hill like children, giggling and shoving with careless abandon. 

In any case, though, he’d distracted you from the cold. He’d made you laugh. He made you forget about all the gripes and groans you could’ve moaned to your friends and family for hours about, and he’d filled you with smiles and hot flashing sparks instead.

The third date had gone even better, and then the one after that, and so on until something over a month had flown by. You were in a state of bliss, everyone made fun of you for how cheesy and disney-princess-like you’d become, but you couldn’t help it, you were so happy. 

Everyday since you’d met him was like a fairytale, until the day he’d turned up to your door with a huge bouquet of flowers and a gravely serious look on his face, you’d never remembered being so depthlessly mad before.

You’d gone from smiling and breezy to panicky and despairing all at once. You’d made him a pie from scratch and had been so proud of yourself, making sure to dress up in his favourite outfit of yours, that he’d said he loved and had done everything to ensure that his return from work would be perfect. Though once you’d seen his face and the way he was nervously scratching his fingers through his rough spikes of hair, you’d started to feel like an idiot. 

Is he breaking up with me? Has he done something terrible? Has he done something terrible and he’s breaking up with me? Oh my god, he’s gone and shagged someone while he’s been away and now this is his way of telling me. That bastard, that no good-

“Can I come in, love?” He said awkwardly, trying to conjure up a smile. 

The smile didn’t look right, it made him look queasy. It seemed as though he'd be over the toilet in a few moments more. It made you harden your stare at him and clamp your hand onto your doorframe, white knuckling it like a paper skinned crone. 

“That depends,” you said icily. “What have you done?”

“What have I-? What do you mean what have I done?” he laughed, those azure eyes of his sparkling at you. 

“What do you mean ‘what do i mean’? You’ve got a face like a storm cloud and you’ve brought me flowers - which you’ve never done before - which means you’ve got something awful to tell me. So you know what? Out with it, because I’m not gonna let you in and have you trying to console me after whatever it is you’re going to tell me!”

He paused for a moment, stunned like a deer that’s just spotted something in the thickets, but regained his composure, gripping the flowers in both hands now. He even managed to do that thing that made you dizzy sometimes - that thing where he tilts his head at you and quirks his brow, staring intensely with those lovely blue eyes of his.

“I hope I don’t have to console you after I tell you what I came to say, means I won’t get the answer I’m looking for,” he murmured. “Can I just come in and I’ll explain myself without all your nosy neighbours watching?”

“No! Out here, out with it, now,” you said, snapping out of your stupor. 

His eyes could be weapons all of their own.

He sighed and shook his head, genuinely grinning to himself. He was smiling the same way he had when you’d told him he’d look stupidly handsome no matter how long his facial hair was when he’d had to shave it for a wedding. The way he did when you did or said something that was so you. 

“It’s just- well…shit,” he sighed, trying to get a hold on his words (which only made your heart pound faster knowing he was never one to be unsure of himself) “I just wanted to say that you’re you’re really special to me and I don’t think there’s anyone like you in the world. And since we’ve been seeing each other a while now, I just wanted to ask if you’d like to…officially be together. Like a couple.”

You gawked at him.

Time had frozen and you were stuck in an endless replaying loop, having to think hard on his words before you could really comprehend them. You knew your face was probably stuck on an ugly confused expression, but that couldn't even begin to cross your mind when you had so much to consider. 

“Love?” John asked nervously, the plastic of the silly bouquet squeaking as his grip shifted. 

“Oh my god…” you murmured, finally putting your fears to rest. “Get in here!” 

You dove out of the doorway like a shark and yanked him into your lair by the arm. He stumbled in after you and in his confusion you were able to grab the flowers from him and toss them onto the stairs, leaving his hands free to hold you. And hold you they did, he gripped you like he’d been away from you for years. 

“I thought you were going to tell me you fucking cheated on me, you bastard!” You cursed, words muffling into his chest.

“What? Why would you think that!”

“Because of the way you showed up like- like- Jesus fucking Christ, you can’t turn up at someone’s door with a serious face like that and a big guilty fucking bouquet!” You said, laughing almost manically as all your fears were buried. “You’re some man, John!”

“I was nervous, love! I couldn’t help it,” He chuckled, stroking a hand over your head and planting a kiss over the smoothed hair.

“Well, now you know to explain yourself before I see you look like that again,” you sighed, finally breaking away from him so that you could kiss his stubbly cheek. “I feel like I’m recovering from a heart attack.”

“Noted, I’ll fix my face in future…However, i can’t say that I feel much better, cause you haven’t answered my question yet,” he said breathily. 

You blinked stupidly up at him and breathed out. Oh yes. You’d forgotten all about his little proposal in the light of your relief, and it all came rushing to your face at once, heating your cheeks like stewing apples. 

“I’m so sorry! You tried to do something so nice there and I thought you’d done something horrible and I ruined it. Crap! Right - hold on! Now… Ask me again.” 

John’s eyes were wide and his jaw dropped a little, you’d somehow managed to stun him. There was a heat in the hair, like you’d struck a match, something zipped through you both. It was probably the knowledge that your relationship was going to change. It had you shaking a little and him fumbling with his hands. 

You stood away from John and readjusted yourself, rolling your shoulders and testing a smile on your face. By the time you were finished getting into position, he looked like he’d recovered and was pursing his lips. He was looking at you in his John way. He looked at you with that ‘you’re in-fucking-corregible’ look. 

Nevertheless, he dutifully marched over to the stairs and grabbed the forgotten flowers - roses you noticed now that you weren’t furious with him - red as a bleeding heart, and clutched them to his chest again. Though this time he looked happy, his eyes were shimmering like an ocean in the tropics. 

He said your name, low and growly. Confident.

“Would you like to officially be with me?”

You gave it a second, letting the fake and real excitement swirl in your eyes, giving him a moment of suspense. Really you just needed to catch your breath. 

“Yes,” you murmured. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Thank Christ! C’mere, love.”

And he was holding you close once more, roses planted into your back, his chest pressed into your face. It was like fireworks were going off all around you, with the way you felt. Then as you thought it, you registered just how nervous he must’ve been, his heart was beating like a war drum, it was so loud and thunderous, rammed right against your ears. Though, it comforted you as it settled and took on its familiar rhythm, and you felt your own chest lighten too. You both rested in each others arms, breathing contendly in peace.

“I made dinner for us,” you finally said.

Your voice was barely there, dinner was more of an afterthought now. The smell of pie less enticing as you were held close to your man. Your official man. He must’ve thought along the same lines too. 

“You know I love your cooking, darlin’,” he breathed, nuzzling into your hair, “but that’s not what I’m after right now. I think I’m hungry for something else.”

You squeaked as his admission and suddenly the mood had changed. The air was sucked from your lungs and your body started to practically vibrate with excitement. You were familiar with John’s hunger. You knew what that entailed, knew what he would become, knew what you would become. 

Cat and mouse. Captain and Captive. Rogue and Princess. There were lots of games you liked to play with each other, though It was all the same either way, no matter what ridiculous scenario you both liked to invent. It had one objective. 

You sprang away from him like a livewire and ran upstairs, squealing with a grin as you heard his growl. Your footsteps pounded up the stairs, loud and clumsy, his very carefully stepped up, purposeful and precise. You were already halfway to the bedroom before you heard him from the creaky step, the one in the middle that he liked to put all of his towering weight onto. 

“C’mere, love,” he called, voice low and raspy, eliciting an excited gasp from you. “You’re mine now, love. You’re all mine!”

#captain john price #captain price #mw2 #cod mw2 #call of duty #barry sloane

[sanguineterrain]

hello i am finally watching stranger things so i am humbly here for some recs of your favorite steddie fics if you wouldn’t mind 💕

ilana!!! i'm so glad, and please feel free to shout at me about st whenever you like. we'll wade through the brainrot together <3

now then. onto some personal favorites:

-> steve harrington's six-step guide to getting the guy. 34k. by oaseas

"Alright, listen. You want to romance Max? It’s easier said than done.” When Lucas’s face falls, Steve is quick to tack on, “But it is doable. There are steps. Six of them.” He spreads his hands theatrically, bending a little at the waist as if setting the scene.

or: Lucas needs love advice, Dustin & Robin despair, and Steve's a regular Casanova.

i love all iterations of steve, but this author did a fantastic job of writing him as the charming young man he is. he's also so so romantic, which is basically canon. one of my favorite falling in love stories.

-> not fade away (a cover). 37k. by dorcas_gustine

Vecna is dead, Eddie is cleared of all charges, Robin shakes on a bet and Steve Harrington has got game.

....maybe you're seeing a pattern here. anyway. you can probably guess the bet has something to do with eddie munson and steve harrington's charm. again, an absolute powerhouse of a fic that showcases steve's love languages and eddie's panicked, lovesick butt.

-> talk it up (what i came here for). 12k. by heartofwinterfell

“Wait, wait, wait. You, Erica Sinclair”—Steve brandished his spoon at her, flinging flecks of ice cream spit onto the counter, before flipping it back on himself—“want me to help Eddie Munson get some game?”

“You know, Lucas said it took you a while to get with the program, but this is embarrassing.”

[or, erica spends the month of june trying to solve a love triangle]

some of my favorite fics are steve and eddie from the perspectives of others. this is one i read recently which i LOVED! erica is very straightforward and you can see how she comes to care about the boys and it's interesting to have a completely unrelated narrator describe them falling in love (even if it's unknowingly so).

-> eddie munson and the dreamboy. 8k. by pukner

"How'd you get in here--" Steve hisses.

"Your security sucks, sweetheart," says Eddie. Then, "Actually, that isn't true. It was a nightmare getting here, and the inside of your brain is a fucking labyrinth."

Or, five times El and Eddie find a version of Steve Harrington while traversing his mindscape to drag him out of a coma (thanks, Vecna).

And one time Steve finds Eddie.

this one isn't focused so much on steve and eddie falling in love. it takes place inside steve's head, so there's a lot of character study (and a lot of eddie wanting to wrap steve up in blankets and shield him from the rest of the world). it's one of my favorites, and there's a lot of eddie-steve-el interaction, which is always a win.

-> leave the light on sometimes all night. 78k. by anniebibananie

June 1986 Steve is lonely.

He’s always been lonely, honestly. An empty house, absent parents, friends that didn’t really know him. Frankly, he probably doesn’t really know himself, either. It used to be easier to ignore—between sports and parties and searching for the next girl to hang around with.

Then Nancy Wheeler told him he was bullshit. In the wreckage of the storm, he realized she probably hadn’t been that off base to call his life bullshit.

[Life in Hawkins, Indiana is boring, ordinary, no supernatural entities. Steve still changes.

Luckily, he still makes some new friends, too. Certain people are simply meant to be in the same story.]

this one was so good i downloaded it to finish it on the plane. as the summary says, it's canon-divergent in that steve doesn't get the chance to meet all the good people in his life through the upside-down chaos. it's a spectacular concept and spectacularly written. the author really understands steve's character and !!!! read it, okay.

-> blooms of the darkest garden. 12k. by tminuseternity

Steve is going to die.

And because this is Hawkins, a town with an alternate dimension right up its asscrack, he isn't going to die in a normal way. No, instead he's going to die because he can't stop coughing up the most disgusting combination of Upside Down gunk and...flower petals?

What the fuck is happening to him?

i'm a personal huge fan of the hanahaki trope and if you think steve harrington would rather hack up flowers than risk rejection, well. you'd be correct. it also has the oh. moment, which was absolutely delicious. a classic take on a classic trope. all around great read.

okay i'll stop here but if you (or anybody) wants more recs from me, i'm always reading them!!! hope you enjoy these ilana, happy reading :)

#steddie #steddie fic rec #steddie fics #inbox

[much-obliged-timothy]

June of Doom #9

The Bad Batch - #9 - Defiance

*

Omega clung to the edge of the roof, regretting her decisions.

Hunter had firmly told her to remain on the ship. But how could she possibly do that when they were heading into danger, especially now that they were down Tech? Sure, Echo was here to help out on this mission, but without Tech…

She had nodded obediently when Hunter gave her the order to stay. And then immediately slipped off the ship the moment he and the others were far enough away not to notice.

She gripped the edge as hard as she could, trying and failing to pull herself up onto the slick roof. The rain earlier had made the roof harder to traverse than she’d expected, and the pirates shooting at them certainly didn’t help.

“Hang on, Omega!” Hunter called, trying to make his way over while remaining behind cover. They were outgunned. 

Omega had managed to take down a few before a too-close shot startled her and caused her to lose her footing, but it wasn’t enough. Wrecker, seeming to realize that Hunter would never make it in time at this rate, let out a battle cry and charged out from behind his cover, lifting a stolen ship part the pirates had left lying around and hurling it at a group of them.

It was enough of a distraction to buy Hunter the time he needed to make it to the roof. He pulled himself up and began to carefully but swiftly make his way towards Omega.

“Hunter! I can’t hold on much longer!” she said, her arms trembling with exhaustion and her fingers starting to slip. It was too hard to hold her weight up on the slippery edge. 

“I’m almost there,” Hunter assured. 

He slipped a little, but easily regained his balance. He lowered himself to the edge of the roof and gripped Omega’s arm, hauling her up to his side.

He’d nearly gotten her the whole way up when a shot struck his armor, knocking him back with a pained gasp. Omega nearly slipped off again, but used her momentum to push herself up. She landed messily next to Hunter, hurrying to get to her hands and knees.

“Hunter!” she cried in fear.

He grabbed her around the waist, pulling her against his chest and rolling so that his body shielded her from the rest of the shots coming their way. Another cry from Wrecker, and the shots ceased.

Hunter used the momentary reprieve to grab Omega and roughly pull her up the roof and over to the other side, away from the pirates. 

“Wait. Here.” His voice was furious.

She shrank back, but did not move this time as he got down from the roof. She listened anxiously to the blaster fire until it finally stopped.

Hunter came back up to the roof, leveling her with a look. She could hear Wrecker and Echo digging through the pirates’ stolen goods out of sight.

“I told you to stay on the ship!” he said.

“Are you hurt?” she asked.

He rubbed his shoulder. “Mildly. I’ll be alright. What were you thinking, Omega? You could’ve been killed!”

“I could’ve gotten you killed,” she whispered, vision blurring with tears. “Oh, Hunter.”

She threw herself at him and he caught her. Her arms went around his waist, her face pressing to his chest. She let out a small sob as his arms actually went around her, too.

“I just wanted to help. Without Tech…and I can’t lose any of you too…” She shut her mouth and just cried into Hunter’s chest, wishing she could hear his heartbeat through his armor, just as a reassurance that he was alive and well.

“Omega,” he said, his voice much gentler. “We’re professionals. But there’s always a risk. If I make a call, it’s because I think it’s the best one. You need to stay on the ship if I tell you to, okay? We can handle ourselves.”

“So could Tech,” she choked out.

“I know,” he said, kneeling down and pulling her even closer. She shifted her arms around his neck and held on to him. ”I know, kid. The only promise I can make is that we’ll always do everything we can to make it back to you. But if I have to worry about your safety like that, I can’t focus in a battle. You’ve gotten a lot better, but you still lack experience. I’m making the best calls I can about when it’s the right time to get you that. Please listen to me in the future.”

“I will,” she said, pressing her cheek to his. “I can’t lose you, Hunter. None of you.”

He could do nothing to reassure her, because he could not promise they would not end up like Tech. All he could do was hold her close and hope fear for their well being tempered her defiance instead of fueled it. 

#june of doom #june of doom 2023 #the bad batch #star wars the bad batch #tbb omega #tbb hunter #swtbb #jtdoesjuneofdoom

[alln64games]

Banjo-Kazooie

NA release: 29th June 1998

PAL release: 17th July 1998

JP release: 6th December 1998

Developer: Rare

Publisher: Nintendo

N64 Magazine Score: 90%

Banjo-Kazooie is possibly my favourite game, something I utterly love. I play it around Christmas every year and never get tired of it. But why is this? What makes Banjo-Kazooie such a lovable game to play?

For starters, Banjo-Kazooie has a lot of character, from Banjo-Kazooie themselves to the worlds, settings and music. Even characters like Colliwobble (a giant cauliflower with googly eyes) has a magical style and charm to it. I think it’s Rare’s love for googly eyes, so much stuff has it, including boulders, blocks of ice and boxes of TNT. The world of Banjo-Kazooie is just alive in a joyful way.

Then you have the heroes Banjo and Kazooie. Banjo is a fairly straight character. For the most part he’s kind and gentle and wants to do good. If he was completely on his own, he may be a bit bland, but luckily his trust friend Kazooie lives in his backpack. Kazooie is rude, sassy and will mock anything. Together, it makes for great banter between them and other characters. And all dialogue is text with grunts, which helps make their world remain unique. I really hope any (if there are any) future games keep this as I’m not sure how I’d feel about proper voice acting.

Banjo-Kazooie is a 3D collect-a-thon platformer, which doesn’t go overboard on its collectibles. Banjo and Kazooie have a lot of moves crammed onto a controller, but they all work really well. There are some slight niggles, like trying to change the camera while aiming an egg can activate your golden feathers, but the platforming itself feels extremely precise, with any missed jumps never feeling like the game’s fault. The camera also functions fine for the most part, but there’s a couple of areas with some forced angles that don’t work, such as the path to Mad Monster Mansion which is a narrow walkway that can be difficult to see.

There are 9 worlds in Banjo-Kazooie. These each have 10 jiggies to collect, 100 notes, two honeycomb pieces (which increase your health). One jiggy in every level will be finding all five Jinjos hidden in each level. The levels will be considered small by today’s standards, but I think that they are ideal. It’s a size where you can search for everything without tedium or growing tired of it. Each world has its own charm.

Mumbo’s Mountain is a great introductory world. It’s a great introduction to how jiggies are hidden. Some are out in the open, some given to you by characters, some by activating switches and some by smashing things or just trying to shoot eggs into any hole you find. It sets you up for handling the later levels. It also introduces the important Talon Trot move, which allows you to use Kazooie’s legs to traverse steep slopes, and the layout of the level encourages heavy use.

Also here is the first Mumbo Skull. Enter here and you’ll find the crazy shaman Mumbo Jumbo. If you’ve found enough Mumbo tokens, he’ll cast a spell on you and you’ll turn into a termite. These transformations are another wonderful thing about Banjo-Kazooie. They’re not in every level so aren’t overused, but they turn you into different animals (or objects), which is required for certain jiggies. They’re all wonderful to use and are simply a joyous thing to have in the game.

After Mumbo’s Mountain, we get Treasure Trove Cove, a beach level filled with crabs. Mambo’s Mountain also introduces you to a pound attack (using Kazooie’s beak), which is used here for enemies and tasks. Flying is also introduced, as Kazooie can use red feathers to fly around the map. Treasure Trove Cove is quite open, with a jiggy that encourages flying around it. There’s also a very scary shark in the water. It’s a really wonderful level.

Next up is the weakest part of Banjo-Kazooie: Clanker’s Cavern. It’s a murky underwater level, and looks fairly dull. I do like Clanker – a big whale that has been turned into a horrifying trash disposal monster, but is actually a nice but depressed individual, but there’s a lot of swimming in this level, including a very deep dive that terrified me as a kid. That said, I grow more and more fond of the level each time I play the game.

Bubblegloop Swamp swiftly returns to form, especially because of adorable crocodile Banjo. This level is split up into segments, and then croc Banjo can traverse new areas, including a fairly difficult minigame with Mr Vile, sneaky crocodile (although a move from a later level can make this easier if you wish).

Then the wonderful wintery world of Freezeezy Peak, a level revolving around a giant snowman. One slight niggle for me with this is that you can’t finish the level initially, so I’d recommend a quick trip into the next level to grab the speed trainers, but it’s only a minor hassle. In Freezeezy Peak you get to climb the giant snowman’s scarf, have aerial fights with aggressive smaller snowmen, turn into a Walrus and take part in races – WAHEEEY!

From the snow straight to the sand of Gobi’s Valley. This is one of the more challenging levels, with pyramids, temples and sphinxes holding challenges you need to complete. One of these requires a perfect run with the speed boots, and still takes me multiple attempts each playthrough. That said, there is still a load of fun and charm.

Up next is for some halloween fun in Mad Monster Mansion, a haunted house and grounds. Initially, I found this level to be incredibly daunting, but traversal isn’t as difficult as initially seems, and getting around the level is quite fun. There’s lots of rooms to explore and even a toilet to explore. Brilliantly, the toilet itself is also a character called Loggo. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention is that Banjo-Kazooie loves puns. Some people may pretend to groan at puns, but everyone loves them.

Rusty Bucket Bay is the penultimate level, with some very tough challenges. The water in this level drains your air much faster than previous levels, so even though there’s a lot of water, you only spend small stints in it. There’s lots of hidden rooms to find, with some fun and cute details hidden in them. The transformation in this level is also super adorable.

And last is the seasonal Click Clock Wood. This is split into four “sections” that you open up over time, each is the whole world in a different season, and some jiggies require doing parts in each season, although if you fully explore each season before moving on, you don’t have to go back and forth. It’s lovely to see all the changes throughout the seasons.

Connecting these together is Grunty’s tower. Grunty is an evil witch who wants to make herself beautiful (by stealing the beauty from Banjo’s sister, Tooty, who became a staple of all future Banjo games…either that or she was relegated to a missing person’s poster and forgotten about). You explore the tower, finding jigsaws to fill in with the jiggy pieces you collect to open the main worlds. There are also 10 jiggies hidden here, which require you to hit a switch in each level to reveal (except for one, which is given to you at the start of the game).

And once you get past all the levels and go to defeat Gunty, it doesn’t go straight into a boss battle (that comes later), instead you have to complete Grunty’s Furnace Fun, a trivia board game where you have to answer questions about the game (or complete some mini games from previous levels). These questions could be about Grunty herself, pictures of places in levels to identify, trivia about characters or identifying sound and music.

Music. That’s a very important part of what makes Banjo-Kazooie work. Composer Grant Kirkhope did an absolutely phenomenal job of creating some tunes that you will be humming for the rest of your lives. They also work with the levels extremely well, adding to the magical experience. The music will also vary slightly based on different locations of each level or going underwater, all with perfectly smooth transitions between them. The music to Banjo-Kazooie is simply heaven for your ears, and will put a smile on your face for the entirety of your playthrough. Even other people in your house will start humming the tunes.

Replaying Banjo-Kazooie takes between 6 and 10 hours, although this will be a lot longer the first time. It’s a great length for annual revisits and is an extremely well-contained piece of media. You can follow it by its sequel, Banjo-Tooie (as I do every few years), but it works extremely well on its own. The entirety of the game is just full of joy, accompanied by very happy tunes and a sense that everyone working on the game was enjoying themselves.

There are two versions of this game, the original on N64 and a remaster version on Xbox. I highly recommend the Xbox version, as the better controller design helps a lot, and the widescreen HD image is much nicer to see. The main other difference between the two is that the Xbox version is easier, as it saves what notes you have collected. In the original, you need to collect all 100 in one go, which I believe was mainly due to memory limits on the N64 and not the original intention.

Banjo-Kazooie is my perfect game.

And stop playing you won’t. You can always tell when you’ve got a great game on your hands: when it starts to warp time. 16 straight hours of Banjo, leaving only for calls of nature – we had food and drink brought in.

- James Ashton, N64 Magazine #18

Remake or remaster?

The Xbox remaster is pretty great, although releasing on more platforms and a few fixes and refinements would be great.

Official ways to get the game.

Banjo-Kazooie is available on Xbox One/Series and is included in Rare Replay. You can also rent it on Switch via Nintendo Switch Online

Re-releases

2008: Xbox Live Arcade

2015: Rare Replay

2023: Nintendo Switch Online (Subscription Only)

#n64 #n64 games #rare replay #nintendo 64 #banjo kazooie #rareware #rare #retro games

[acemapleeh]

The Fog of the North End of the World

Summary: Alfred and Matthew were supposed to go out on a pleasant kayak ride off the coast of Vancouver Island. When the fog rolls in, a reminder is placed on where they stand between humanity and the supernatural. This was written as my contribution to the Together in Unity: HWS NA Brothers Zine. Characters: America, Canada Word Count: 1988 Warnings: Some Disturbing Imagery Read on ao3

 Mid-June 1993, Cadboro Bay, British Columbia, Canada

“I thought you checked the weather reports before we came out here.”

“And I did.”

“And you didn’t think it was important to tell me fog was in the forecast?”

“I didn’t think it would be this bad!”

Matt groaned and the only reason Alfred could see his brother throw his head back, face buried in his hands, was because their kayaks were pressed together, some rope keeping Matthew from drifting away. The fog had rolled in quick, thick as cotton, and completely blanketed the harbor. They were in Matt’s waters and his deck compass said they were facing west, but the harbor was full of other vessels much larger than them. Going back to shore in these conditions would be a long, tedious task even with six flares and proper navigation tools.

Alfred yawned and stretched his arms back. “You know Mattie, I’m starting to believe this so-called ‘Caddy’ doesn’t exist, or if it does, it’s long swum out to sea by now anyway.”

“Well, it won’t be the first time we’ve come out here for nothing,” said Matthew agreeably. “There were just so many reports recently. A baby was released in the San Juan Islands not that long ago and I’m thinking that’s what people are spotting up here.”

“Since when did you care about this kind of stuff? You sound like the old man,” he snarked. Then, as if reciting from a script, he continued. “There have been a number of sightings of an unknown creature off the shores of Vancouver Island, large bones spotted on the beaches, a few alarming and terrifying photographs have been submitted to us- enticing the like of cryptozoologists across the country.”

Matt had always been able to see the creatures lurking past the thin veil of the supernatural. It hardly affected his day-to-day life, not nearly giving them the same time of day as Arthur would. Alfred had all but blocked that ability since he was still unbreeched. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not taking any of this seriously?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

Matt let out another groan and began untying the rope between them. “We should start heading back, it’ll be dark on top of this fog if we don’t get moving,” Matt proposed, pushing himself in the direction of home. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, Al. I was sure we would find something.”

“No biggie. Dunno why you even bothered inviting me to help you.” Alfred rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what you ever expect to find out here other than trees bro.”

“I don’t know, just, didn’t want to be out here alone I guess.”

“Remember the last time you asked for my help trying to track Bigfoot?”

“Yes, all you did was bring a case of beer up and make unseemly ape noises and nearly got yourself shot by a hunter.”

The two paddled on, chattering quietly together, Alfred eager to get off the water and get back to Matt’s place in Victoria. Some mist had settled in fully, dampening his hair and chilling the back of his neck. Their thermoses had gone cold and empty by now; a bowl of clam chowder and hot coffee felt like the only things in the world that could warm him up.

Along the mild waters, they traversed and as more time passed, Alfred became increasingly aware that they hadn’t come across a single boat or even other kayakers. They hadn’t even spotted the glimmering lights of the harbor.

He was about to ask Matt what the deal was when something began to take shape in the fog.

A pine forest loomed above the water though Alfred’s eyes struggled to focus on the trees, a part of him believed that it was something other than the fog that prevented him from seeing what was before him. Waves lapped gently and invitingly on the shore and in the distance, there was the eerie and haunting call of a loon.

Matthew was mouthing something to himself and repeatedly tapped his compass. There was no way they could be in the Haro Straight, which was east of where they were supposed to be going, and none of the islands in that direction looked like this.

“Hey… Matt? Where are we exactly?”

Matthew didn’t answer but gave Alfred that strange, tilted owl-like expression that said he should know exactly where they were, before shoving himself toward the shore.

Alfred stared at the paddle in his hands for a moment before putting the end of it in the water and pushed back, moving forward just behind his brother.

Something in his throat prevented him from calling out Matt’s name.

Instead.

A quiet breath of cold air through chapped lips.

The water seemingly guided his kayak to shore by some unseen, subtle force.

They pulled up on the beach in silence, the pebbles crunching under their kayaks and the summer water bit like frost at Alfred’s ankles.

As they stepped ashore, there was a shadow in the fog, a shape with edges out of focus and fuzzy.

Something foreboding and wrong.

He could feel his father’s hand on his shoulder pulling him away, begging him to return to the sea.

Frozen in his spot, Alfred held his breath but Matthew was no longer beside him.

Turning back, he saw the fog coming in, beginning to swallow the pebbly beach and driftwood that stretched a mile long.

The fog felt thicker than before, curling and reaching, and the forms of drowned spirits took shape.

A chill from his youth tenderly caressed his cheek and Alfred bolted to the tree line.

It was instantly dark but somehow, a trail was found.

A park trail.

The wooden sign was labeled in a language he didn’t understand.

The trees creaked and groaned.

There was no wind.

Alfred looked down to his feet as he walked forward along the winding path, acutely aware that something was watching him.

Squashed Saskatoon berries lay scattered like fallen soldiers of the Great War.

He quickened his pace, only briefly eyeing the oddities that attempted to enter his field of vision.

The only one he focused on and approached was one that was this tall and lanky thing with eyes that sometimes seemed too sunken in and large for its face.

“Matthew. Hey man, talk to me. What the hell is-”

But there was that look in Matthew's eyes, the one that told Alfred he was meant to be somewhere very far away. The look that said that he was Canada above Matthew and that he, alone, was this land. A land inhabited by creatures more ancient than they could fathom that Alfred could only just barely make out in the reflection of his brother's glasses.

A look that said that they were more like them.

A feeling that crept inside them all but one that Matthew was more than accepting of letting take over.

Matt’s desperate need of a haircut curls spilled over the collar of his brightly colored windbreaker that, somehow, looked wrong on him and he must have felt the same.

Matthew’s jacket fell softly onto the leaves at his feet; his backpack was already there.

He quickly snagged Matt's hand before it could reach for anything else.

Even he couldn't always brush off the feeling the trees of Cascadia gave him. It was a blurry portion of their borders even with the six-meter divide between their forests. The further up North he went, the deeper into Canada he got until it was impossible to tell the difference. In the dense fog and even denser foliage, it was all too easy to lose yourself.

Pine needles fell like rain but the source of the shaking trees was still unknown.

But what concerned Alfred most was as he watched them fall, they never quite hit the floor. They were falling onto something, creating a shape in between a pair of burnt trees.

He tried to let his eyes glaze over it, to wait until it was on its way.

The shape of a bear began to take form.

Alfred was about ready to shove Matt back and pull out one of the flares from his pack when his brother tightened his hold, pulling Alfred back a step and telling him to stay quiet.

A scream stuck in his throat when he felt wet tentacles grab hold of his neck and there was a sudden weight on his shoulder. Matt kept his grip steady and soon the feeling was gone.

Alfred closed his eyes, willing whatever place Matthew had led them to was nothing more than a joke or bad dream. He was still in bed, they hadn’t gone out on their trip yet, he was waiting for the delicious smell of his brother’s pancakes and peameal bacon to rouse him from bed to start the day.

Something breathed on his arm.

Alfred jerked his hand from Matt’s hold and turned to face him, glaring. “Okay Mattie, this is all super funny. Har har, good one. You got me. Let’s bounce already, yeah? I’ve had more than enough spooks. It’s not even October man.” He took a step away and rubbed his eyes, hoping his normally unseen world would return.

“Alfred, I’m sorry I-”

“Eat my shorts dickweed! I’m going home!”

The worn path was found once more and along with it, the smell of a cooking fire lead him away from the sorry excuse for a joke Matt had set up.

Seeing that humble cabin built with red cedar bark was such a reliving site that Alfred hardly paid any mind to the blood-red smoke puffing steadily out of the chimney. Two women paused in their daily chores as he approached, the closer one smiling at Alfred from ear to ear. “Are you lost young man?” she called sweetly; her clothes matched the home behind her.

He was about to go into the details of how his brother got them both lost when the second woman stepped out from behind the sheet that had been hung to dry.

Her face was all bone and skulls were attached to her belt.

Alfred found his scream just as Matthew appeared at his side, yanking on his arm, encouraging him to run.

“Come and devour them,” the inviting woman commanded.

“Eat, eat, eat,” Alfred could hear being called from snapping mouths, leaves crunching in step with their own in chase.

Matthew wouldn’t let him turn to face whatever the source was.

His ears picked up the fluttering of massive bird wings and the cries of a starving raven, Matt’s encouraging voice only just loud enough to be heard above them.

Branches cut their cheeks as they ran from the trees, soon they were skittering on the pebbled beach, fumbling back inside their kayaks.

Alfred eyed Matt carefully as the fog swallowed them up once more, fearing the feral part of him that lurked just under the surface- even if this particular trip had only been an elaborate joke.

The forests of the North were made of death, regardless, the smell of decay was hidden in the rain and pine.

Even when they’re miles away, back into a new and modern stretch of water, forest, and fog, the lure of the unknown never truly faded.

“We’re not so different from them Alfred,” Matt said quietly as they tied their kayaks to the roof of his car. “I know you try and forget that.”

Alfred secured the knot tightly, the rope burning his palm. “And you remember it a little too often.”

He wouldn’t admit to the depths of his fears.

It wasn’t just the creatures that haunted humanity that unnerved his very core.

It was the fact that Matthew was right.

He caught his reflection in the side mirror.

His eyes really were too blue to be human.

No wonder he had been tried as a witch.

#hws america #hws canada #hetalia #writing #ace writes

[zanzaflux]

22 for Shadows of the Studio?

#22. Nap

---

Ever since coming into existence, Shadow had kept a watchful eye on their creator. At first, it was out of fear until June pleaded for their life. They will forever be grateful for that. No, they watched out of curiosity.

Ben was changing. He wasn’t as angry as he used to be. He was more patient and relaxed around others. He even allowed himself to have a little innocent fun once and awhile.

The biggest change was their creator's ability to finally get some sleep. When they traversed the halls of the studio, Ben never slept. He never felt safe enough to sleep. Even though he was the scariest thing that roamed the halls, that didn’t stop its denizens from trying to attack him when his guard was down.

Now that they're left the studio and came to live with June and her family, things were different. Their creator no longer had to look over his shoulder, always on the lookout for danger. This home was a safe place. The demon could do the one thing he'd been afraid to do: sleep.

June will never know how truly happy their creator was when she offered him a room in her home along with his own bed. Shadow knew. They could feel the gratitude and peace that fell over Ben whenever he let his consciousness slip into the darkness without fear of being attacked. Not that they would let any outside force harm their creator. No, the problem came from something deep within.

Ben didn't tell the family about his nightmares. Old memories of Joey or the small room he had been locked up in, warped and twisted to bring fresh fear to the ink demon's heart. Shadow knew. No matter where they were in the house, they would rush to their creator's side and try to rouse them as gently as possible. This often resulted in Ben waking up, ready to fend off his attackers. Luckily, the ink cat was quick enough to dodge their attack before the demon came to their senses.

They were both fortunate that this happened at night and no one was around to witness it or get hurt. That was until one fateful afternoon:

The house was warm, the children weren’t home from school yet and it was quiet. June sat at the kitchen table, enjoy a nice cup of coffee. Shadow and Cloudy were laying near the living room window sunning themselves. Ben was in his room, taking a nap.

Everything seemed peaceful until Shadow suddenly jumped up and raced down the hall that led to Ben’s room. June called out to them but they paid her no heed. Ben was in distress. They could feel it through their bond. Concerned, June followed them down the hall. When she reached Ben's room, she was met with a sight that made the blood in her veins run cold.

Tendrils of ink crawling across the floor. Ink was dripping from the ceiling and covered the window, plunging the room into near darkness. What nearly made June’s heart stop was seeing Ben curled up into a tight ball on the bed. The ink was forming words on the wall near him:

"NO!"

"Please, I don't want to be alone!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

These words repeated over and over as they took up most of the space on the wall. From the way Shadow was frantically nudging at Ben, she knew he was having a nightmare. The demon's teeth were bared as a soft growl crawled up his throat. She knew if Shadow kept trying to wake him this way, the demon was going to lash out. She had seen this too many times with her own brother so she needed to do something quick.

"Shadow, stop!", June said in an urgent whisper. The cat lifted their head and stared at her. As she crept into the room, Shadow noticed the way the ink would slither out of her way. None of it touched her. Even the ink that dripped from the ceiling made no contract with her skin. The ink cat found that very telling.

June stood next to Shadow and hummed. The demon was curled up on his side and the blanket was wrapped around him, gripped tightly in his hands. His face was scrunched up in a deep scowl. He looked like he wanted to scream.

"Oh Ben. You're okay. You're safe.", June whispered. She made a hushing sound as she knelt near the head of the bed. She reached out and ran the fingers gently across his horns.

Shadow was ready to push her out of the way if their creator reacted negatively to her touch. Surprisingly enough, Ben’s scowl began to ease. The deep lines that etched across his face began to smooth out as he visibly relaxed. The death grip he had on the blanket loosened up and his entire body went lax. Even his growls dissolved into deep, steady breaths. The ink that covered the window, walls, ceiling and floors receded until the room was clear. June smiled and stood up. She patted Shadow on the head and told them to let him sleep. She looked Ben over before quietly leaving the room.

The ink cat sat on their haunches and stared at the empty doorway. They were amazed at what June just did. She managed to return him to a peaceful state of rest with just a touch and soft words. Sure, they could have woken Ben up from his nightmare, but June’s way was much better.

#writing prompt #my writing #bendy and the ink machine #batim #batim au #shadows of the studio au #Ben #Shadow #June #nap

[m0e-ru]

say hello to my dears !!!! fun fact they really were just filler characters for a comic but I really did love them and I couldn't help it <- gave them plot relevance

I used to call them Small and Tall too but now they're Bunnie and Froggie!!!

They're just normal rogue Shadows that follow Mim around is all. They're not hostile nor are really part of the Midnight Crew helping out with station duties. They do have a fondness for the manager and follow them around a lot being recurring characters although Mim themself doesn't give them much thought after all the times they see the two or bump into them. Too busy with other things I guess.

You could say they're Teddie's fans. They were a bit confused why he decided to forget everything and manifest like a teddy bear but when he started working on making a boy inside him and develop his ego enough to traverse the human world, they were really inspired and were infected with his drive. They wanted to go into the human world too, but since they didn't really have an idea how or what they'll be to get there they didn't really manifest a humanoid appearance like Teddie. They did follow through with the mascot look though.

In the end, they became a rabbit and a frog, the people promptly calling them "Bunnie and Froggie (ケロとピョン)" also wondering if they had any relation with the new mascot Junes got. They hang around the central shopping district for obvious reasons and communicate through JSL. Locals think it's an effort to give the shopping district some activity and more foot traffic but nobody really knows who's doing it.

At the same time, a stray dog that hangs around with a crow becomes the talk of the town for a while. People sharing funny pictures of the two animals together making an inside joke to those in Yaso-Inaba. Well... they're the ones behind the cute new mascots in town. In costume, they don't really make a sound besides the squeaking of their footsteps. You might hear a bark or croak, or a strange gutteral sound. Like that of a Shadow. Everyone thinks it's a funny quirk though.

Bunnie opens up like a coin purse with two large zippers as its ears. Some part of Froggie's headpiece acts as a whiteboard where it uses a marker to draw its expressions. Children would ask to be carried up or Froggie crouches down to write on its face sometimes, it doesn't mind.

They don't really mean to advertise anything, although they'll be seen standing outside of establishments curious of the business itself. People curious of the new mascots would pass by, take pictures, and business would boom for a little while with the nearby establishments so the folks, especially business owners, don't mind. Some end up making them wear signs while walking around.

Mitsuo's school has JSL classes and offers special summer programs too. Mitsuo had to take these upon transferring for extra credit and had them with the Konishi siblings. They're neighbors too so they'd be a bit well acquainted. Mitsuo does go out and gets annoyed by the new mascots making the place noisy while Naoki apologizes on his behalf for vandalizing Froggie's face.

The IT don't really relate the new mascots with Shadows from the TV world like Teddie. Kanji says their designs are different from his, like they're made by a different person. They're on board with the idea that they're mimicking Junes and Teddie... or... they've been planning this way long ago. Although they start having second thoughts when they hear squeaking in the TV world that isn't Teddie's. They brush it off quickly since they aren't making much trouble. The thought of Shadows leaving the TV world and linger in the human world is still concerning, though.

Teddie doesn't know about his "fans" but it does make him proud. He still keeps his pride when Kanji talks about how he was allowed to feel how fluffy and well made they are. okay bear.

Bunnie and Froggie do care about Mim, it's just that they're not waterproof enough to see them in rainy weather and they'd rather explore the human world and watch the manager work as the manager in the TV world. Mim is aware they're in the human world like Teddie so they end up observing them too, but they still don't get closer to them.

While they do traverse the TV world in their new forms, they end up rotating among the three. Midnight TV Station mascots..? I thought they were the central shopping district's mascots... A dog and a crow loose in the enclosure of TV studios is a funny thought. Rise would never be close enough to see the xray of a dog in a rabbit costume and a crow in a frog costume. There wouldn't even be an xray at all, actually.

The two are still more comfortable in their normal Shadow forms though. Dragging themselves along with their peers, but still hiding behind the set's walls when a fight breaks out with the Truth Seekers again. They occasionally do gaffer work here and there at this point, wanting to be a part of something.

more gsaslau plot i should introduce context to ummm Froggie picking up a broadcast camera is umm say late November a bit after Nanako and Namatame are rescued. After Mim took everyone's memories of them Bunnie and Froggie try to get them on the Midnight Channel to help them remember somewhat. The broadcast is cut short when it's fried with lightning though.

they end up become the Kusumi Household pets too I think it'd be nice they'd be official central shopping district mascots one day too

#persona 4 spoilers #persona 4 #arttag #p4 #boot.tingting #gsa sl au #🐰🐸 #// SORRY FOR MY SHITTY JSL sorry for the hands i really am #// take a shot everytime i say though HAHA #// THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ME !!!! cute plot devices THEYRE SO SIGNIFICANT TO PLOT

[queen-ofsunflowers]

Any headcannons as Banri and Anne as cousins? Seriously, this is one of my favorite surprise relationships in your fanfic. ;) Also I picture Banri would kick the ass who insults Anne or Shiho or give a terrifying glare to those spreading terrible rumours against both of them.

Thank you!! I had fun coming up with relationships between certain characters in the company and the Phantom Thieves/Persona cast in general. I tried to have at least one A3-Persona connection per troupe. Ann and Banri are Autumn's! One of Autumn's. Both Autumn and Summer got two.

Anyway, Settsu-Takamaki cousins headcanons! I had to go through Blooming Spring for this one, so there are some minor spoilers for Act 1 ahead!

You are right when you say Banri is hostile towards those who spread rumors around about Ann, and later by extension Shiho. He might be an asshole, but an asshole who respects women like the rest of the company. He protected those girls when possible.

The reason that they are as close as they are is that Ann stays with the Settsus mostly while her parents are overseas.

They are maternal/paternal cousins. Ann's mother is Banri's father's sister. If that makes any sense at all.

While he doesn't appear in Kamoshida's Palace, there is a reference to Banri in the library and so far is the only scene that I have of the group traversing the Palaces outside of story related scenes. After what happened with Shiho, Ann was genuinely scared that Banri was going to go after Kamoshida for what he did.

I want to be able to get the fic series out as soon as possible, but I also want to get everything outlined before I do. I'm currently working on plotting out Act 4 (which will be two separate posts -- the winter troupe stuff and then the royal content) so that post hopefully should come out hopefully in June.

#literal theatre kid ren #banri settsu #ann takamaki #queen answers #anonymous

[thequeendomhq]

NAME. Etienne Ulven AGE & BIRTH DATE. 28 & June 22nd, 2997 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Cismale & He/Him NATIONALITY. Iskaran SPECIES. Werewolf FACTION. N/A OCCUPATION. Woodsman FACE CLAIM. Maxence Danet-Fauvel

biography

( tw: body horror, death, violence )

They keep moving, the morning sun just peeking over the horizon. Iskaldrik’s forests are beautiful, especially now that he thinks he can’t quite get lost in them, not with the direwolf who presented themselves as ‘Goose’, much to his amusement, at his side, not with what he is now.

Months ago, he’d been Etienne Selland, a son, a brother, a simple woodsman who hadn’t ever wanted much. Home had been practically a nice cottage beside the woods, small but suitable for himself and his mother after the death of his father. The three of them had lived there his entire couple of decades of life, his mother the seamstress, his father the woodsman, and him. The trees he traversed through now weren’t the same and yet they still felt like he’d walked them before. It’s the something his father had once described to him while they’d been out behind the house, that the forest spoke to him in a way and Etienne knew now the truth to it.

Einar Selland had been a wolf and he had passed it onto his son.

It must have been easy enough to hide it, after the man had died, Etienne’s mother had explained that before his parents had made home in a sleepy little town, his father had been a mercenary which he supposed explained the man’s quieter, reflective nature. Etienne had thought then that perhaps Einar had been haunted by what his hands had done, now he knew better. Wolves were part of the forest after all, he knew of them, was told to fear those that spent time as a man, what made them that way. He’d been none the wiser that same creature had lived in his own home, within his own body.

Because in order for the gene to fully trigger, a life had to be taken before you or you had to take it yourself.

It’s not something he’s ever done, there was never a reason to before he set out to meet his step-sister. She’d never set foot on Iskaran soil but they were to meet at the water, go forth to Lysara together. A witch, that’s what she was, her and her father, he’d been told before he’d set out and he understood that the family couldn’t stay in Iskaldrik, lest his stepfather and sister wind up dragged off to the mines. It was a trek from the edge of the Lowlands, out of the Watchlands, out of Ulvstad, to the Southlands where he was to meet Eridani to be smuggled to Lysara. But he hadn’t even gotten that far before he’d been overtaken by what he now knew were two wolves.

His axe is still buried in the chest of one of them.

Killing that other wolf had been like cutting a string held taut, something so tightly wound finally being let loose inside him. He and Einar had been woodsmen, they respected the forest and all that inhabited it in order to master it, they knew stories of men who could run with wolves. Not like they’d ever really spoken about it, the two of them hadn’t talked much and yet they’d seemed to respect and understand one another, much like he did the two creatures curled at his sides.

“What do I do now?” He’d spat bitterly, perhaps even rhetorically, at the other man who’d attacked him as they stand mere feet from what is now a corpse. The man seemed almost delighted in a way to tell him he was a wolf, that he’d triggered this thing inside himself. “You did this, you tell me what to do!” It’s a snarl, he still has his knife in hand when he lunges forward and grabs the man by the lapels of his jacket and the answer he receives makes him want to gut him then and there. Because there’s a grin and a shrug, a laugh even as he’s looked upon by amber eyes. “Stay alive.”

That had been easier said than done when Etienne had looked out one morning to see smoke in the distance, coming from the direction of what had once been his father’s home. Runestone Keep, an ever present beacon burning far brighter than it ever had before, too bright to look at. He knew there, away from home, now changed, that not only was going back dangerous, there might not even be a home left to return to. The only way out now was forward and to pray that his mother and stepfather had gotten underground, that Eridani wasn’t coming to meet him.

The first full moon, he was alone and praying that what he knew was simply a myth. But it wasn’t and under the moon’s gaze, bones broke and reformed and cries turned to howls that were heard by the large wolf at his side now. To say it’d hurt had been an understatement and yet he hadn’t been alone, Goose had been there and the direwolf had dutifully sat and had tentatively stuck around as muscles and sinew came together to make him something far greater than himself.

For four days, Etienne hadn’t thought about his family or home or where he was to go from there, he was something wild and free and it’s a feeling not entirely unfamiliar. For underneath everything, he’s still himself just….Wilder. He’d never been an angry child, he’d never harmed anything beyond what he had to. But there is this rage that bubbles up within him, frustration, and perhaps even some arrogance. The forests of Iskaldrik have always been home, a part of him, now they were more intertwined than ever with the guidance of a Goose, with a couple of other wolves that seemed to come and go. A couple stuck around when he awoke a man, days later when it occurred to him that the experience was something he should have had with his father.

It plants this seed inside him, right in the cage of his chest and it blooms from frustration to anger and it proceeds to rot there. It pollutes his otherwise quiet nature, twists in his gut, tightens his chest every day and he doesn’t know where to put it. He doesn’t know where to put it or what to do except to do what he’d been told, stay alive.

personality

+ imaginative, perceptive, intuitive – quiet, sensitive, directionless

played by m. cst. she/they/him.

#the runner #werewolf

[lunamidnight]

November 15th

First created: March 2020

Last updated: June 2021

General Premise: post sonic forces with Gadget(from the commercials) wo is non-binary, finding and saving infinite. Shenanigans galore.

Other notes: I want to continue this and incorporate stuff from the IDW comics.

tw: blood, possible gore, open wound.

Only 24 hours since the end of the war and the moment that the resistance won the world back from the evil clutches of Dr.Eggman. And only a few hours since the main heroes were deemed well enough to be recovered from the final battle. Sonic ran off to find any leftover Badniks to destroy and survivors to help, While the other remaining hero stayed to sift through what was once the final battlefield.

That hero was Gadget the Wolf, a nonbinary short-haired red wolf, who was the only survivor from their home city. Many would think they would go and help restore the city that they grew up in but instead, they were here at the final battlefield looking for something, or maybe even someone, they weren’t sure. They were sure about what they had already found, however, which were three small shards of what used to be the phantom ruby. They could still feel a fraction of the ruby’s power and they wondered how much was still held inside the small fragments.

The shards had once been whole and attached to someone’s chest, Infinite’s chest. Where was he? They wondered as they traversed the ruins of the old base and climbed down into its depths. Gadget searched around through many rooms and hallways looking for more shards and maybe even the previous holder of the ruby. It seemed like wishful thinking until they entered a dark lab filled with large tubes filled with green liquid. There didn’t seem to be anything else in there until their eyes settled on a prone figure that was laying on the ground just past the first row of tubes.

This was undoubtedly Infinite, or was, they weren’t sure if he was still alive. There was a large hole in Infinite’s chest where the ruby once sat, and his mask was nowhere in sight. Blood had pooled around his figure, making him look even less alive than the gaping wound did, and yet as Gadget got closer they could see that his eyes were closed and the once fearsome jackal was breathing raggedly. This made them frown with concern as they pieced together what had happened to him. Tossed aside like trash and left to die, what a horrible way to go they thought as they carefully stepped onto the puddle of blood and knelt down to get a better read on the situation.

Suddenly, however, Infinite jerked awake with a sharp breath and soon had Gadget’s throat in his grasp shocking the wolf in the process. His grip, however, was loose from exhaustion and loss of blood, and soon let go of them before passing out. Gadget left out the breath they had held at the initial shock before setting themselves into determination and possible stupidity. With special care for the jackal’s well-being Gadget picked him up with the help of the asteroid wisp clones and proceeded to make the trek home.

Once they got to their small home just outside the ruined city, they busied themselves with bandaging and cleaning up their wounded houseguest. By the time they were finished with the task and had laid Infinite down on their pull-out couch bed, they received another guest in the form of Sonic the hedgehog. He was not as surprised as they expected him to be, and he understood their reasoning on bringing Infinite to their home, in truth Sonic was planning on looking for him too but, got to the lab a few moments after Gadget had left. 

Sonic was a little wary of leaving the old antagonist with them alone but trusted his new buddy to stay safe and on guard while taking care of their patient. After gathering some supplies and food for Gadget’s home(since everything went bad during the war.) Sonic took his leave, promising to check in regularly, just in case. That left Gadget alone to wait for Infinite to wake up.

---

It was a few days later after several bouts of semi-consciousness that Infinite finally woke up, only to instinctively snatch Gadget’s wrist as they started to walk away from his seamlessly unconscious body after having previously redressed his wound. He snatched their wrist and pulled them to him, rolling them over the pull-out bed and pinning them down underneath him. A pair of deadly-looking blue and yellow eyes staring down at a pair of green. Reality hit at that moment when his newly rebandaged chest ached with undeniable pain. Gadget shocked for the second time since they’d found him sighed at the display of pain before gently pushing back enough for him to roll back onto his back. He didn’t fight it and settled in his spot while watching like a hawk as Gadget got up from the bed and wandered over to what looked to be a kitchen.

They soon came back to him with a glass of water and something small in their hands. They held out the hand without the water, to present two small pills. “Here take these, they should help.” Gadget told him in a soft voice ready to hand him both the pills and the water if he so chose. Infinite made no attempt at either as he just glared at the young hero. It was obvious that he was still in pain but, he was being stubborn about it as well. Gadget sighed figuring this as a possibility and sat both the pills and the water on a nearby table within his reach. “When you’re ready to take the painkiller there it is, I’ll go make you some soup.” They said before turning to go to the kitchen.

“Why…?” Infinite finally spoke in a waspy voice still watching Gadget as they turned around to face him. Gadget watched him too for a moment before speaking. “I didn’t like seeing someone thrown out like trash and left to die, even if they previously tried to take over the world and try to kill me.” Gadget replied honestly. Infinite scowled in response before shaking his head. “I don’t want, nor do I deserve your pity.” He growled out at them. “I don’t see it as pity, I see it as giving another chance, and if that chance ends me, then so be it.” Gadget replied with a sigh before continuing to the kitchen. Infinite didn’t say another word as they watched the young hero work in the kitchen as he pondered on their words. Quickly he was aware that the hero was ready to die by his hand if he so chose to take it, even if he should be grateful for the hospitality.

It wasn’t long till Gadget came back with a bowl of homemade soup and a spoon. Infinite looked away from the offered bowl but didn't seem to look stubborn or angry or anything, It actually looked like he had a lot on his mind. Gadget understood the need to think alone so they placed the bowl and spoon nearby the water and pills. By now it was actually nearing ten at night outside and Gadget felt the need to sleep. “Well I think you should get some rest, but I’ll let you pick when you want to sleep, remote for the t.v and lights are on the table. If you need anything just holler.” Gadget explained before turning to the hallway to presumably their room. 

“I could kill you in your sleep you know.” Infinite spoke up getting them to stop at the entrance to the hallway. “Yes I know, As I said before if this is the end of me, then so be it, that’s on me. Anything else?” Gadget replied simply waiting where they stood. Infinite hummed in thought wanting to intimidate them but finding that it would be pointless so instead. “What’s your name?” He asked genuinely not even sure if they were male since they had such a soft voice. 

Gadget smiled a little at that. “Gadget, you look a little confused, any other questions?” Gadget asked knowing already where this conversation was going (Sonic was also unsure when they first met as well). Infinite’s eyebrows knitted together at that before sighing and asking the obvious question. “What...gender are you?” He asked not sure how else to word it. “Nonbinary, which is-” “neither gender or gender-neutral in some circles, yes that makes sense now.” Infinite interrupted surprising the young wolf. “Huh...usually I have to explain that…” Gadget responded impressed. Infinite shrugged lazily, turning away from them to roll onto his side. Gadget sighed simply. “Well, Goodnight.” They said starting down the hallway once more. “Goodnight Mx. Gadget…” Infinite drawled out after them sounding tired. 

Gadget couldn’t help but blush at the way that sounded as they continued down the hall, deep and dare they say sexy? They shook themselves out of it once they got to their room and started getting ready for bed, but the blush was replaced by a smile, happy at the fact that he seemed to be settling in fine, hopefully, the feeling wasn’t premature.

---

Hours later after Gadget went to bed Infinite was still wide awake in the main room, just looking up at the ceiling and listening to the sounds of the house, which included Gadget’s soft breathing thanks to his good hearing. He had taken the painkillers and eaten the soup a while ago, and the pain in his chest had subsided to a dull. He was currently going through his mind on his current situation. He was left to die but was saved by the hero that beat him. He should want them dead, he should want to use the opportunity to kill them, and in a way he still did but, then he recalls that he was the one to let them live in the first place. Maybe it was fate that he let them flee, for them to not only beat him but also save him.

He sighed quietly to himself, even if he immediately wanted to kill them, he had no strength to do so. His initial desire to have them dead has also diminished greatly after their explanation of why they saved him. There was no more fear towards him that he could feel, and their fear was once a favorite. A favorite? When did he decide that? He wondered. No matter there was no fear to enjoy, thus furthering himself from the fatal desire. What had gotten into him? Before the ruby he was the ultimate mercenary, with the ruby, he was an indestructible being, or so he had thought. Maybe all of that left him when the doctor took the ruby from his chest, or maybe after fighting against them and getting beaten by them, he couldn’t help but respect them.

Whatever the cause he just didn’t have it in him, both physically and mentally to take Gadget’s life. Gadget, what a fitting name for them. Infinite paused his musings and listened closely to the other occupant of the house down the hall. Soft rhythmic breathing with a small distinctive squeak at the end, most wouldn’t notice it unless they were in the same room, but his large ears allowed it to enter. It was oddly calming for the jackal, so much so that he soon fell asleep.

He didn’t realize that he did fall asleep until an hour or two later when a rush of overwhelming fear flooded his senses. Enough when groggy he immediately identified the fear as Gadget’s but was confused as to why it was happening and why so suddenly. He flicked his ears a bit to listen in to the other room. He could hear tossing and turning for a few moments before a squeak of the bed sounded at Gadget bolting upright. He could hear their ragged breathing as they tried to slow their heart rate. Feeling their fear felt amazing but, also not, it actually felt more concerning this time. Nightmares were a common outlet for fear, and it’s not uncommon to have some after a war, but this felt...different, and he couldn’t place it.

He was contemplating so much that he didn’t realize Gadget had ventured out of their room till they opened the fridge in the kitchen. The sudden light caused him to jump and alert Gadget that he was up already. “Oh sorry...did I wake you?” Gadget asked simply after wiping their face so he wouldn’t see, but he already did. Infinite looked at them for a moment in debate on how to respond, but thought back on his earlier musing, and figured he should give the truth out of respect. “Not...directly, Nightmare? You have tears still fresh in your eyes.” He said in observation. 

Gadget blushed at being caught but looked away with a sigh. “Yeah I did, It’s an old thing, I’m used to it.” Gadget replied simply getting themselves a glass of milk. “Do you want any?” They asked at the last minute. “No, thank you, you’re a horrible liar though.” He mused aloud. Gadget sighed in mild defeat knowing that they were as they put away the milk and grabbed their glass. “Yeah I guess I am, is my nightmare how I Indirectly woke you up?” They asked as they took a seat on the other side of the bed turning towards them before drinking some of their milk.

“I…” Infinite hesitated for a moment for the right words before continuing. “I could feel your fear rolling off of you from here, and it indeed woke me, I wasn’t asleep for too long, however.” Gadget nodded in understanding. “I see, well sorry about that.” Gadget replied solemnly. “No need, I wanted to feel your fear since I first woke up here, I just didn’t expect it to feel different than it did from the war. Wasn’t it from the war?” Infinite asked only to get a shake of the head. “What?...oh, no, it...it was from before, way before…” Gadget explained looking down at the bed with a frown choosing not to comment on the first part of what he said, they’d figure that out later.. Infinite decided quickly that he did not like that frown on their muzzle, he wasn’t exactly sure as to why, but he knew that he wanted it to go away. He didn’t bother in asking what it was about, he knew about deep-seated nightmares, the person having them must be willing to talk about them, so there would be no use in prying.

It was quiet between them for a few moments while Gadget sipped their milk. Infinite looked around nearby while thinking of how to proceed when he spotted the now empty soup bowl. “Make the noodles yourself?” He asked simply soon grateful for the subject change as he saw them perk up with a small smile at the question. “Yep, I love hand-making everything I cook. It's more fun, and sometimes therapeutic.” Gadget explained happily, their long tail starting to lightly wag behind them unknown to its person. Infinite let himself chuckle a little at the display before responding. “I’ve heard it can be, I’m not one to cook though myself, never was good at it.” He said with a small smirk as he thought about the small things in the past.

That made Gadget smile more themselves until their tail followed suit with more wagging which finally alerted them of its movement. They quickly grabbed it with their freehand with a heavy blush, chuckling nervously as Infinite and they locked eyes for a small moment. “Tails...have a mind of their own, am I right?” Gadget replied embarrassed. Infinite chuckled a bit more in response. “They sure do, Mx. Gadget, they sure do.” Gadget tilted their head to the side a bit in question. “Why do you say my name with a title? Is it an old habit or something?” Gadget asked curiously. Infinite nodded simply that small smirk still playing on his muzzle. “Something like that, Before I got the Phantom Ruby I was a mercenary that had many clients, and some treated me and my team to room and board, we would address our host with their given title till told otherwise, and since you are my host during my recovery I felt you should get the same treatment.” He explained simply.

“Oh that makes sense, you don’t need to address me like that though if you don’t want to.” Gadget replied blushing slightly at the consideration. They then thought about what else he said. “So...you mentioned a team….is it okay for me to ask about them?”Gadget asked hesitantly. Infinite sighed. “It’s fine to ask but, I am not...willing to give answers on the subject right now.” He replied solemnly looking down at the bed. “Alright that’s fair, um I do have a different question though.” Gadget replied, getting him to look up at them again. “And that would be?” Infinite asked curiously. 

“You said something about wanting to feel my fear since you woke up, now creepiness aside, how do you even...do that?” Gadget asked not sure exactly what they were trying to find out, to begin with, but hopeing they made sense. Infinite blinked in mild confusion before he recalled what he had said. “Oh. That admittedly does sound...creepy...I have the ability to feel other people’s fear. Even before the ruby I had this ability, It was simply enhanced with it, and your fear is admittedly...interesting…” Infinite replied, having used the word delicious during the war, but feeling that it too would be creepy in this conversation.

Gadget nodded in understanding. “I see, interesting? How so?” Gadget asked, tilting their head. “It’s...difficult to explain in words...but you no longer fear me, so it doesn’t matter.” Infinite replied sighing softly in what could be described as defeat. “Do you still want me to fear you?” They asked him calmly, looking into his blue and yellow eyes. Infinite held their gaze for a moment before sighing once more and looking away. “Right now, I don’t know.” He replied before laying back on the bed. 

Gadget nodded before getting up with their now empty glass, gathering up the old soup bowl and water glass, and taking everything to the kitchen. Upon their return they had refilled the water glass and brought back more pills, setting both on the table like before. “Just in case you start hurting again.” Gadget replied already seeing the tired look on the jackal. “...Thank you.” Infinite said after a moment before continuing. “You should go back to bed, as should I.” Gadget nodded in agreement, before stifling a yawn. “Right, well see you in the morning, it was good talking with you.” They said with a small smile. Infinite let himself smile just barely while turning to his side to get comfortable. “Yes...goodnight Gadget.” he said, making sure to drop the title this time. “Good Night Infinite.” Gadget said heading towards their room. “It’s Zero.” Infi-Zero spoke up. “Huh?” “My old name was Zero, I’d like to be called that again.” Zero explained causing the red wolf to smile again even though his back was to them. “Alright, Goodnight Zero.” Gadget said before heading to their room.

Zero sighed feeling like a weight was off his shoulders as he listened to his host shuffle themself back into their bed soon followed by their rhythmic breathing and slight squeak. Zero let himself smile more now that he was alone, but it was short-lived as he let his mind wander to the past, which also helped bring a few questions he’d have to ask them in the morning. He shook his head out of his funk and instead got himself to intently focus on Gadget’s breathing till sleep took its hold.

--- --- ---

Sleep was surprisingly good for the Jackal at least until morning when he was grabbed by a red-eyed edgy hedgehog and slammed against the wall. To say he was surprised and disoriented would be an understatement. He could barely make out the threats the ultimate lifeform was giving him, but Zero could make out Gadget yelling at Shadow to stop. Zero was soon dropped down to the floor when the wolf pushed the hedgehog in question. Only being able to do so because of surprise, not actual force.

“Why is this monster here rookie?”Shadow seethed out, glaring between the two more so the Jackal than the wolf. “He’s recovering from being left to die.” Gadget snapped back with an equal gaze. “You should have left him, this monster doesn’t deserve a second chance.” Shadow replied. “Oh and you did? Twice?” Gadget countered without hesitation. They have only personally known Sonic and his friends since the beginning of the war, but they were told everything about previous adventures, as well as redemptions. Shadow stopped at that and just stared at the wolf in front of him, trying to figure out a good rebuttal but, at that same moment, his rival made himself known at the front door. “They got you there Shads.” Sonic pointed out before coming in to stand by Gadget. 

“Shadow you of all people know what strength comes with change. I found him close to death, do you really think I could have left him?” Gadget asked with a sigh calming down from their anger. Shadow sighed as well taking one last glance at Zero before looking up at Gadget. “Your right. Change is strength(roll credits) but, he did so much during the war. Yet I did the same not too long ago...For your sake, I hope that strength comes to fruition because if not, you know what I’ll do.” Shadow said before walking around the two heroes to leave. “Thank you.” Gadget replied before moving forward to check on Zero. “Zero are you alright?” They asked the groggy Jackal. By this point, Shadow was at the front door, able to hear the name. “Zero… Where have I heard that name before?” He mumbled to himself before taking off outside.

Zero groaned in reply trying to regain his bearings after being abruptly woken up. Sonic spotted the meds and water on the nearby table and got them to Gadget before stepping back and out of the way. “So...I was just coming to check in and I really didn't know he’d be here, sorry.” Sonic apologized sheepishly. “It’s fine, I understand.” Gadget replied, helping Zero take the meds and drink some water. After the water Zero finally spoke. “Jeez is he always so peachy in the morning?”Zero snapped out to the other hedgehog in the room not even caring that he was even there. At least he wasn’t slamming him into walls like some people. “Eh he’s always that peachy all the time, you get used to it.” Sonic replied honestly like he was talking to an old friend. “Oh, goodie…” Zero replied sarcastically while getting helped up by Gadget.

Sonic chuckled a bit before moving to help him too. Once Zero was sitting on the bed again did Sonic speak again. “So is Zero the name you gave him or?” He asked Gadget but Zero ended up replying instead. “What am I? A pet? No that was my name from before….figured I’d go back to it.” Zero replied, losing his initial bite partway through. “Oh, I see, gotcha. So aside from the Shads thing, everything is good here, yes? When did you first wake up Zero?” Sonic asked, tapping his foot as he moved around the living room. 

“Last night at some point.” Zero replied, moving to lay down carefully. He just wanted the meds to kick in already, everything hurt like fire. Gadget helped him while they replied. “I think so, I have enough supplies for both of us for the next few days, probably will need more by Friday at the least.” Gadget replied with a reassuring smile. “Alright sounds good, Zero your in great hands, and Gadget I’ll see you around, I got leftover badniks to destroy, see ya.” Sonic said before zooming out of the living room and house, being sure to close the front door behind him.

Gadget let out a sigh sounding exhausted. “I don’t know how he does it, interacting with Shadow at all makes me emotionally exhausted…” Gadget detailed tiredly. “Try being his ragdoll right when you wake up in the morning.” Zero replied with a small chuckle, cringing slightly from the pain in his chest. “Easy, Zero, that ragdoll treatment definitely didn't help your wound, I’ll have to redress it soon, but would you like breakfast first?” Gadget asked, looking at him from the end of the bed. “Sure...might be better to let the meds kick in before you redress my wound.” Zero replied, trying not to focus on the pain. Gadget nodded. 

“Right. How do you like your eggs? And Pancakes, waffles, or french toast?” Gadget asked while getting up. “Uh...either runny yoke, or scrambles with cheese and bacon if you got it, and uh...I wouldn’t mind french toast.”Zero replied, having to think about it for a moment. “Alright I’ll do that then, you get some rest and if you go back to sleep I’ll wake you when it’s done.” Gadget replied before going to the kitchen. “Okay…” Zero replied before shutting his eyes to at least try and relax.

--- --- ---

#writing #writing ideas #nanowrimo #national novel writing month #sonic the hedgehog #sonic forces #sonic idw #royal au #idw sonic

[nhidalgo9]

June 12th Kiyomizu temple/ Gion

The theme of these past few days has been let Kyoto cook and cook it has, Kyoto has us going to a lot of temples and shrines and that trend continues today as we go to Kiyomizu temple which is a huge temple on a mountainside. At first glance as we make our way towards the temple the Kyoto streets are lined with Kimono rental places which I hope and pray to god that we are able to do because I couldn't help but admire every kimono as we passed by. They looked super dope. In this temple there were three fabled streams which came from pure water and it is said that those who drink from it excelled in the area the stream dictated, the three were romance, successes in business or academics, and longevity. The gimmick of this place however is that you have no clue which is which so you have to choose blindly and hope it's what you want. Knowing myself I definitely picked right, now as to what that entails I’ll guess we shall just wait and see. After that we kept waffling on until the womb of the Kannan God opened and we could go inside and be reborn. It was a pitch black room with nothing but a rope on the edge of the room to hold on to for support and you make your way to a glowing stone that once you rub you become reborn again having passed through the womb of the god of renewal. The next part of the day was the best one as we were led to a long street filled with different food shops and vendors and the smells of this place aggravated everyone's appetite. We broke for lunch where I had fried chicken on a stick, cucumber on a stick and a chocolate croissant that were all pretty good. Since we split up and then found each other again Xander, Eliza and I had our own mini adventure which was interesting because in a group of three no one was decisive enough to push for anything ( we all just like to get led to different places which has its benefits and negatives for sure). As we stumbled about we ended up finding the tomb of the unknown soldier for Japanese soldiers and soldiers around the world. Surprisingly hard to miss as there was an 80 foot buddha statue outside of it and the whole layout of the place was absolutely stunning. What we originally thought to be a nationalist remembrance for the Japanese soldiers that died in world war II ended up being a sweet gesture by the Japanese to strive for world peace as they honor the soldiers of all different countries. When we broke up later Raj finally did his thing and took us to a rooftop bar which was also very scenic and gorgeous combining the modern with the classic. We also may have gone out that night as well… but we had a huge group and even old man Sebastian went with us. How could we not!! Overall one of my favorite days of the trip so far. 

Academic reflection 

As far as the readings go this one dealt a lot with what geishas were and how their role has changed over time starting from the equivalent of jesters or entertainers to ones responsible for preserving Japan’s ancient creative arts. They also tended to have a more sexual aspect back then as  they were made pretty with makeup and were hired to entertain rich men with a dance or two than you can guess what might’ve happened next. Nowadays they are trained rigorously in certain Japanese rituals and we were able to experience that preservation first hand at a theater. Some of them include the tea ceremony or chanoyu, one was a slapstick comedy kind of the style like Charlie Chaplin.

Also in our readings the theme of Karma and the idea of a next life was very prevalent. As some of the Japanese believe that what we do in this life directly affects what we get reborn as in the next life. That is why it is important to pray to the renewal god Kannan and even do certain things like traverse the womb that I talked about in the previous section. These rituals are important because the hope is to eventually escape the cycle of suffering that is life and enter into Nirvana. 

[letstalkassassinscreed]

Ubi Forward Part 1

Ubi Forward has officially finished streaming and in the stream, we were shown some fantastic trailers and gameplay, in this first of two blogs I'm going to unpick some of the most incredible moments in the show Avatar Frontieres Of Pandora 

The first big game title was Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, the game was shown as a mix of trailer and gameplay, and from what we've seen the game is shaping up to be a fantastic title. Not only did the world like vibrant and alive it also invoked the same amount of wonderment that the movies give, the game also features a lot of fat movement and verticality. They also showed a few mounts and mounted combat but the highlight for me was the character leaping off a high floating island and summoning their flying mount, it looked like a lot of fun and something I want to try. The gameplay showed a lot of 3rd person movement and also intractable environments, but also action gameplay from guns to bows and arrows. This mix could allow us to tailor our combat experience, there was a skill tree briefly shown but I'm unsure how that will play. The game officially launches in December this year 

Xdefient The next title was the amazing free-to-play FPS Xdefient which I did a small write-up about the closed beta here:https://www.tumblr.com/letstalkassassinscreed/719949858963881984/xdefiant-by-ubisoft?source=share   they did announce some news like an open session on June 21st, this open session will feature a good amount of content from; 14 maps, 4 factions with a 5th unlockable and that is the dedsec faction, 5 game modes and 24 weapons. We were also shown their ambitious year 1 plan which featured 4 new factions 12 new weapons and 1w new map. I'm very excited and hoping to make this my main competitive shooter. Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown The next trailer shown was one of the 3 titles I was hoping to see and that is Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown, this new title is a 2d Metroidvania combing the acrobatic and fun combat of the action Rpg Sands of Time Trilogy. The trailer started as a cinematic highlight of bosses' anime types and combat and it looked amazing. But the ending showed more gameplay that highlighted the fun traversal and puzzling features, there is also a time mechanic which I cant wait to test out, I don't want to say too much now as I'm currently writing more detailed thoughts and impressions. But safe to say on January 18th 2024 I will be playing this. Captain Lazerhawk I don't have much to say on this as it wasn't a game title but more an animated show by the creator of Castlevania based on the far cry 3 blood dragon expansion, it did not get my attention as I don't have Netflix. The Divison Resurgence A mobile title based on the division is all I can say on this, it does look cool and I have had my eye on it since the announcement but I'm waiting for a full reveal and a chance to play before I update my thoughts on it. The trailer we did show was cinematic and fun and there was some gameplay mixed in which is always a nice touch. We had some smaller updates here with a song from the Skull and Bones game, brawlhala and Mario Rabbid's Sparks of Hope. The Crew Moterfest I'm not a big racing fan but this game looks amazing and I did try The Crew 2 and enjoyed it, so I'm excited to see what's next for this franchise. This section showed some amazing visuals and gameplay on the isle of Hulu. it featured some cool biomes from beaches and rainforests. The cars also looked cool, I will be paying attention to this title over time. The biggest announcement was the ability to port your The Crew 2 collection into Motorfest for free. This title will also be launching on September 14th 2023 Assassins Creed Nexus 

This was a very surprising title as it's a Vr exclusive, as someone who has 0 experience with Vr it may be a title I miss. From what we did see it looked pretty fun and it showed to have 3 characters to choose from which is a cool detail. I'm excited to see how this game develops Assassins Creed Jade

Mixed into the Nexus segment was Jade a title im excited to play as im an avid mobile gamer, the game will be free to play which is a great starting point for all fans to test it and hopefully enjoy it. The gameplay shown blew my mind I want this game and hope my phone can run it haha im still sceptical of the free-to-play model and if it'll have a pc port, but im signed up for the beta so I have more news soon I hope. Assassins Creed Mirage 

I could talk for hours about how excited I am for this game haha the showcase featured a phenomenal story trailer you have to see it, I like the mix of old and new and the callbacks to AC1.  there is a lot more I want to say but I am leaving that to an upcoming podcast episode where me and James can fully unpick it, but the story does look to be very gripping, emotional and amazing. The gameplay was perfect if im being honest there is a strong sense of parkour in this game with a lot of paces to move, there was also a destructible environment that helps break the line of sight to get away which is a great feature to see. Tools being back is much needed if im honest, I cant wait to do a few more updates on the gameplay trailer as there is a lot to unpick 

#gaming #video games #ubisoft #assassin's creed #assassin's creed mirage #podcast #the division 2

[capture-a-trip]

Spiti via Shimla or Manali – Which one is Better?

Spiti via Shimla or Manali is a common doubt among folks planning a trip to this middle land. People often tend to compare both routes in terms of scenic beauty; adventure and which side would be more fun to travel on. Spiti via Shimla or Manali is all about your budget, the time you have available for your trip and what you want to see in India's beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh, we rank them from best to worst.

If you want to go on a trip during the particularly cold season, then spiti valley packages is a better option than Manali as it is quite cold during winters in Spiti. While the weather in Manali remains very pleasant throughout the year, though it slightly cools down during winters.

The weather in Spiti remains cool throughout the year and this gives it an advantage over Manali. But if you’ve always wanted to visit beautiful places like Chandratal and Kumar Kund, this trip would be more enjoyable if you take it as part of a circuit (that covers both); because these kinds of places are located inside the King Karnali National Park which is situated between Manali and Shimla roads. Start from Shimla and head out of the valley via either Rashidpur or Dharchula, until you reach Manali. Both places are equally as beautiful and worthy of a visit.

You can also start from Manali, and head back through Spiti to your starting point in Shimla or Manali. If you know any climbing, hiking or biking skills then this route will make for a beautiful (and tough!) day out! With the above being said, there are however a few factors that can be taken into consideration about the route of your journey. Read on to know what those are.

Time of Travel

The time taken to travel from Manali to Spiti is a big factor to consider before choosing the way of travel. Though Shimla-Kazeti road remains open throughout the year, there are only two months when you can take this route; namely June and early October. If you are planning a trip to Shimla and Manali, there are some good options. You can either head directly from Shimla to Manali or go via Delhi, Dehradun, and Manali. But it cannot be left unanswered that the timings of travel during this time are different than what you might be used to.

Days of Travel

If you are traveling from Shimla or Manali, it is much easier to reach Kaza as compared to Seoni. So as you can see, while there are multiple reasons for this; it is quite obvious that on the basis of convenience and speed, travelling between Manali – Kaza route will be considered a better option. But with this, you should also take into fact that this is only possible in the months of June to September.

Chandratal

On the way to Spiti valley, Chandratal lake is a must visit. This lake is located on Manali trip to Kaza route and is less than 4kms from the Manali airport. The trek to Chandratal lake is traversed through an beautiful forest with views of snow capped mountains in all directions. There are only two small towns next to it, which are Bhuntar and Kaza and can be reached in less than 2 hours drive.

Rohtang Permits

Rohtang Permits has become a troublesome task for both the locals and travelers. Do not get me wrong, I do agree that steps were needed to be taken to preserve the Eco-system and keep the pass pollution free. But from a traveller’s point of view, this now means staying at Manali for an entire day while working to get the permits needed to cross over Rohtang Pass. Rohtang permit required for vehicles traveling from Manali side. If you were coming from Spiti group tour to Manali, there is no permit needed at all. This is a great reason to start your journey from Shimla side and exit at Manali; thus saving a day in the trip.

Acute Mountain Sickness

Acute Mountain Sickness is the condition that strikes a person after spending some time at a high altitude. This can be caused by a sudden change in the weather conditions at the top of Himalayas, severe consequences of altitude sickness or even during your stay in other destinations like Kaza and Manali package, which are also high altitudes. We recommend that you should stay close to your car and avoid riding if you suffer from acute altitude sickness. At times, the increase in altitude is gradual and spread evenly over a few days. If you were traveling with family or your elders, then you must start the journey from Shimla side and hence, avoid them from suffering altitude sickness.

Off-Roading

Your off-roading adventure starts at Manali. Over a stretch of around 110 kilometres, the road will gradually switch from asphalt to dirt and will be patched in parts. The infamous stretch between Batal and Gramphoo is particularly tricky - while on one hand there's a pleasant climb over stone steps and rock faces, the other side has some mud pits, pot holes and even tree roots below. This road is like no other. It will challenge your senses, take you to heights and leave you on the same spot. This 60 kilometres long road has so many water crossings that you will not be able to keep your shoes dry if you were on a bike. So if you want to go off-roading, then go via Manali and return the same way.

Only see Spiti

If you are already quite familiar with Kinnaur and Spiti Valley tour package as well as your ticket that has already been reserved to travel by road, then you should consider travelling via Manali instead. This will save you all the time on the road coming from Shimla side; time that gives you the option of visiting remote areas within Spiti.

Spiti via Shimla or Manali – Which one is Better?

It would be hard and unfair to really call one road better than the other. It will just depend on your own preference based on the factors I mentioned above. I do hope that this information was of help.

[tonyangflwr]

2022 CFL Odds, Season Preview and Gray Cup Predictions

In the United States, football season doesn't move around until the pre-fall/late-summer. Football is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most famous game in the country.

Throughout the long term, we've seen a lot of lesser expert associations spring up trying to exploit the NFL's extended offseason. The UFSL, which appears to be bound for disappointment, is right now in the center of its most memorable season. Are easygoing football fans mindful of the USFL's presence? Likely not.

In the not so distant future, Canada's expert football association will start off its own 2022 mission. Dissimilar to the different American new companies that have traveled every which way, the Canadian Football League is one of the longest-running ace football circuits in the world. The 2022 season will be the CFL's 64th. 안전 토토사이트 추천

While by far most of the CFL's fanbase is naturally situated in Canada, there is a developing army of fans somewhere else all over the planet. These days, all of the highest level football wagering locales have CFL chances that anyone could hope to find for your examination.

Whether you're new to the CFL or a long-term fan, here's beginning and end you want to be familiar with the competitors during the current year's Gray Cup.

When Does the 2022 CFL Season Start? The CFL lobby will formally start on Thursday, June ninth. Similar as Major League Baseball, the past offseason was damaged by work conflict.

On May fifteenth, the CFL Player's Association really picketed after they neglected to settle on another aggregate haggling concurrence with the association. It was the principal CFL player strike beginning around 1974, yet the different sides struck terms on a conditional new understanding only three days after the fact.

The beyond couple of seasons have been shortened by the Covid-19 pandemic, however the CFL will get back to its commonplace 18-game timetable in 2022, traversing 21 weeks altogether. Regina will play host to the 109th yearly Gray Cup on November twentieth.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are amidst a dynastic run. The establishment brought home its twelfth Gray Cup championship with a 33-25 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats a year ago. It was the Blue Bombers' second sequential title, and they'll hope to turn into the primary group since the Edmonton Eskimos (1978-1982) to win three straight this season.

The Blue Bombers' +250 CFL chances and status as opening title top picks ought to amaze no one that follows this association. The Bombers began 11-1 last season prior to resting starters in the last two or three rounds of the mission.

Safeguard is the key for this group. Winnipeg yielded simply 13.4 focuses per game last season, which was one of the stingiest imprints in CFL history. The Bombers lost driving rusher Andrew Harris to the Argonauts in free organization this offseason, we yet realize individual running backs will generally be somewhat misrepresented in the cutting edge game.

The Blue Bombers' +250 CFL chances actually have a lot of potential gain. This group has just prevailed upon the beyond couple of years, and I see no great explanation to accept they'll stop any time soon.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+500) The Tiger-Cats completed second in the East Division behind the Argonauts last season with a 8-6 record across 14 games. They safeguarded home field well (5-2), yet battled a piece out and about (3-4).

Hamilton made an unexpected race to the Gray Cup after areas of strength for a 1 completion over their last five normal season games. The Ti-Cats got a simple 23-12 success over Montreal at home in the East Semi-Final before a steamed 27-19 win at Toronto in the East Final.

Hamilton is seeking win the Gray Cup interestingly starting around 1999, yet it will not be simple. CFL wagering locales might be misrepresenting this group a piece after its unforeseen rushed to the last, and they're really one-point dark horses at Saskatchewan in the main round of the time.

The Ti-Cats' +500 CFL wagering potentials for success don't actually have out according to a worth viewpoint. 스보벳

Saskatchewan Roughriders (+550) Saskatchewan completed second in the West Division at 9-5 last season, two games south of the primary spot Blue Bombers. The Roughriders got off to a promising 3-0 beginning, just to lose four of their next six.

A four-game series of wins followed, nonetheless, before their 24-3 victory misfortune at Hamilton in the season finale. The Roughriders required extra time to move beyond the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final at home before a tight 21-17 difficulty to the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg in the West Final.

Regardless of a strong success misfortune record, the Roughriders completed only seventh out of the CFL's nine groups in focuses per game at 20.3 a season back. Saskatchewan will expect further developed play from 29-year-old QB Cody Fajardo, who got done with a 16:15 score to-capture proportion in 2021.

Toronto Argonauts (+600) On the off chance that you need a decent worth, the Argonauts' +600 CFL chances look pretty engaging. Toronto went 9-5 a season back to complete a game in front of Hamilton in the East Division standings. They shut the season with six successes over their last eight games, including a significant 31-12 win over Hamilton in the penultimate normal season challenge.

The Args had a first-round bye because of completing on the division, however they at last fell, 27-19, at home to Hamilton in the East Final.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson re-endorsed with the Argonauts this past offseason, and the forthcoming effort will be his fifth with the establishment. He ignored for only 2,300 yards with 12 scores to 11 INTs a season back, however he was held out of the end zone in the season finisher misfortune to the Ti-Cats.

Regardless of completing in the lead position in the East, the Argonauts have quite recently the fourth-best CFL chances of any group to win the Gray Cup in 2022.

Calgary Stampeders (+600) The Stampeders completed 8-6 a season back, which was great for third in the West behind Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. Notwithstanding, Calgary's 2021 was actually a story of two seasons.

Things got off to an unquestionably ominous 2-5 beginning that included misfortunes to the humble BC Lions and Edmonton Elks. Notwithstanding, they made something happen incredibly after their Week 8 bye.

Following the off week, the Stampeders shut the season with wins in six of their last seven games. They were surely supported by a matchup against a Blue Bombers side playing a large portion of its reinforcements in Week 16, however you can play the games on your timetable.

The Stampeders looked amazing in their two preseason games, but against more vulnerable adversaries. Calgary got a 41-6 win over British Columbia toward the finish of May before a 37-7 destroying of Edmonton last Friday. We can't gather a lot from preseason results, yet the Stampeders' +600 CFL wagering chances are enticing given the way that well they played to end the '21 season.

Montreal Alouettes (+900) The Alouettes went only 7-7 a year prior, yet that was sufficient to punch a season finisher ticket in the East Division. Tragically, Montreal would proceed to lose to Hamilton, 23-12, in the East Semi-Final.

Montreal didn't enter the postseason in that frame of mind of structure subsequent to dropping three of their last four normal season challenges. That was still adequate to qualify in the more vulnerable East, in any case.

On June seventh, lead trainer Khari Jones named Vernon Adams as his beginning QB for the Alouettes' Week 1 conflict with the Stampeders. Neither Adams nor reinforcement Trevor Harris played all that well in Montreal's new preseason prevail upon the Redblacks, yet Adams is possible the protected decision.  GET MORE INFO

He'll hope to return after a shoulder injury sidelined him until the end of last season back in October. Before the injury, Adams tossed for more than 1,900 yards with 14 scores to nine INTs.

Ottawa Redblacks (+1200) The Redblacks are one of the CFL's most up to date groups. The 2022 mission will be Ottawa's eighth in the association, and they'll be hoping to get once more into the end of the season games following a two-year dry spell.

Ottawa began the season with a strong 16-12 success over Edmonton, yet everything went easy from now on. The Redblacks lost every one of their next five after that before one more success over the humble Elks in Week 7. Six additional losses followed before a 19-18 win over Edmonton in the season finale.

That obvious the subsequent straight season where the Redblacks marshaled only three successes, however this group delighted in a lot of progress before that. Ottawa progressed to three Gray Cups in four years and won it interestingly back in 2016.

Previous Oregon champion Jeremiah Masoli will assume control in Ottawa interestingly in the wake of expenditure the last eight seasons with Hamilton. Masoli finished 20 of his 25 passes for 185 yards and two scores as a physical issue substitution for Dane Evans in the Gray Cup misfortune to Winnipeg.

With a more proficient QB under focus, maybe the Redblacks can at long last return to their triumphant ways.

English Columbia Lions (+1600) The BC Lions completed only 5-9 a season back, which would've been the most terrible imprint in the East Division notwithstanding the deplorable 3-11 Edmonton Elks.

BC really got off to a really great 4-2 beginning prior to winning only once in the last eight games. That solitary triumph came against, you got it, Edmonton, in the season finale.

Lions lead trainer Rick Campbell named Nathan Rourke as his group's starter for the impending season. Rourke filled in as Michael Reilly's reinforcement as a newbie last season, yet Reilly chose to resign.

Rourke's naiveté makes the Lions an undeniably challenging bet to trust at their +1600 Gray Cup chances. He tossed a bigger number of scores than captures in his two games as the starter a season prior.

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Edmonton Elks (+1600) The Edmonton Elks are one of the CFL's most established establishments, however the 2022 season will be only their second with that moniker. The group resigned its old moniker, the Eskimos, following t

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[reidyoulikeabook]

Last Kiss

Ship: Spencer Reid x GN! Reader

Summary: A series of kisses.

Word count: 3.2k

Warnings: Angst, heartbreak, no happy ending, allusion to smut but nothing explicit.

A/N: I am going through a break-up and I'm probably projecting I'm so sorry

June 5th, 2012

"Spencer let me off!" You insist, undercutting your own demand by collapsing into a fit of giggles as he pushes you harder, spinning the tyre swing around faster.

"What do you think Henry, should we let Auntie ____ off?"

"Nope!" Henry almost cackles with glee, clapping his hands together in amusement.

"Spencer!" You protest, holding on tight as it whirls you around, "If you're going to make me stay on then you should both get on too!"

Spencer shares a conspiratorial glance with Henry, considering the proposition. Without answering you verbally, Spencer scoops Henry up, passing the boy to you. You loop your arms around him. He's resting tightly against your body when Spencer clambers on, getting himself settled into a position that ensures he won't fall off before kicking off the ground, hard.

"Weeeeeeee!" Henry cheers, purposely swinging himself as much as he can in your arms.

Spencer's face is an absolute picture: hair flopping everywhere, smile so wide you can barely see his eyes, lit up with happiness at the sight before him. Your hair is a complete state, sticking to your face, your stomach hurts from laughing but you're the very definition of joy. If he's honest, that's making him smile a lot more than the frankly quite nauseating swinging.

"Feel sick!" Henry announces after a moment or two more.

Spencer slams his feeet down on the ground, pulling you to a grinding halt.

"You okay bud?" You ask Henry, setting him down on the floor and holding on for a moment to make sure he gets his bearings.

"Yeah! Gonna go on the slide now!" He yells, darting off towards the slide only about two feet to your left.

You turn to watch him, feeling familiar arms wrap around your waist.

"You're going to pay for that later."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well then I guess I'd better make sure I have a lot to pay for," His fingers travel upwards from your waist, finding the spot where you're ticklish and starting to tickle you mercilessly.

"Spencer!"

"Yeah?"

Between indignant huffs of laughs, you manage to twist around to face him. He's grinning, incredibly pleased with himself.

"You think you're so funny don't you?"

"Henry agrees."

You shake your head, "IQ of 187 but it falls to about 60 when you're deciding whether or not to push your luck."

He smirks, "I've got a lot of it to push."

His hands meet the small of your back, pulling you flush against his chest. His eyes flicker over to Henry, who's happily waiting his turn for the slide. And then his breath is fanning over your face, warm with laughter and happiness and summer air. He kisses you, gently.

Your arms loop up to around his neck as you deepen it.

A fatal error.

His tickling restarts where he left off, drawing breathless laughs out of your mouth that spill against his lips, into his mouth.

"Spencer Reid!"

By the time you wriggle free, you're slightly flushed. He smiles, a dopey sincere smile that you don't ever get to see often enough.

"It's a good job I love you," You tell him.

"It's a good job I love you too."

Before you have time to consider a revenge attack of a similar nature, Henry decides it's time for Uncle Spencer to push him on the swing.

***

August 12th, 2012

Spencer is still sleeping when you wake up. His lips are slightly parted, allowing for a gentle sigh to accompany each exhale. He looks so content when he's like this: the stress he carries in his jaw practically melted. He doesnt snore, just lets out little breaths.

Your finger traces a line on his chest, spelling out ‘I love you’ in a tiny repetitive pattern.

You have the excuse of not being a profiler, so you don’t notice the change in his breath. How it stills, stutters slightly.

His eyes flutter open. He watches you, saying nothing: the pull of concentration in your brow, the way you watch your fingers, the way you mouth the words you’re spelling out as you do it.

“Hey,” His voice is gentle, trying not to startle you.

“Hi.”

His eyes are bleary with sleep. Blinking at you, he stretches his arm from behind his head, motioning for you to come closer. You nudge toward him, allowing him to embrace you. Closing your eyes, you fall into his touch. All there is his him. His scent, the wood-y scent of his cologne and the something that’s uniquely Spencer, the temperature of his body. You’ve joked before that he’s like your personal thermostat, he seems to always be either the perfect amount of warm or cold.

It’s easy to imagine the rest of your life in his arms. The contentment of this moment is one you’ll remember later, the next time he gets called away for a case.

“What are you thinking about?” His voice is quiet.

“You.”

You can feel the intake of his breath, “What about me?”

“How much I love you.”

He shifts. When you open your eyes, he’s staring down at you. His pupils are dilated. You don’t have to be a profiler to know what that means.

He squints sleepily at you, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a smile, “I was dreaming about how much I love you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He tilts downwards, kissing you. Your lips move quickly against one anothers, practically inhaling each other. You can’t get enough of him, hurriedly and clumsily and drunk on love, you kiss each other.

September 5th, 2012

"Spence,” You whine, his lips trailing along the underside of your jaw.

“Yeah?”

He’s made quick work of his pants but his shirt is still on. Lately it feels like he’s hardly around and it makes you want to consume him even more when he is. You drink in the sight of his thighs, practically trembling with want.

“Can I?” You ask, fiddling with his shirt buttons.

He nods. You pry them open, shedding him of the material so his bare abdomen is exposed to you. Fingers raking over his chest, you look up. His eyes are dark, plush lower lip catching between his teeth.

“Please.”

You’re not asking for anything in particular.

He kisses you hungrily, tongue slipping ionto your mouth, seemingly searching for something. Somewhere inside you, you get the sense that he can’t find it. There’s no time to dwell on it though, because the kiss is passionate, heated, and soon he has your mind taken off it as his mouth leaves yours and traverses its way down your body.

October 17th, 2012

You’ve barely finished dinner before he’s making his excuses to escape to his study.

“Do you want me to go?”

“No.”

“I can leave, Spencer, honestly. If you have work you need to be doing.”

“No, I want you to be here,” He reassures you, voice cracking with sincerity.

Your gaze is searching, and he avoids it. He picks up the files, setting them on his desk. He heads over to the sink, refilling his glass with water and putting out a mug for the canteen of coffee he’s got brewing.

“It just doesn’t seem like it.”

He frowns.

“I don’t mean-” You cut yourself off, sighing and fiddling nervously with your hands, “I just, when you’re working I don’t feel like you want me to be here. You’ve been away all week and you’ve come back to do more work.”

“It’s not-”

He sighs, approaching you. His hands cover yours where they sit at your waist, shaking his head, “I don’t want you to feel like you’ve done anything wrong. Ever. You haven’t.”

“It’s just hard sometimes.”

He frowns, imploring you to continue.

“I feel like you’re closing yourself off. I know the job is hard just-”

“I’m not.”

“Spencer you didn’t hear me out.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence. He chews at his lip, clearly regretting having shutting you down so harshly.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

He waits you out, tilting his head.

“I just don’t want to be smothering you.”

“You’re not.”

“I feel like I am. When I show up here and you’re doing work, it makes me feel like I’m smothering you.”

“You’re not.”

“Okay,” You fiddle nervously with the fork on your plate.

He crosses the room towards you, kissing you. It’s brisk, feels hurried, almost like his mind is somewhere else. But his hands on your hips, the securing of your body to his. The way his fingers knit through your hair, cementing you. The closeness is almost overwhelming. It feels like he has a point to prove.

When he pulls away, his mouth tips upwards into an almost smile.

“Let me finish this, and then we’ll watch a movie.”

It’s easier to allow him to pull away than fight it.

November 30th, 2012

“Can you not stay?”

He shakes his head, “I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on.”

Folding it into his arms, he turns away from you. His retreating form seems to be all you see lately; he always seems to have somewhere to go, and when he doesn’t he still sits like this. Hands folded across his chest, fists balled up under his armpits. He hardly meet your eyes.

“Spencer,” Your voice is soft, almost begging.

He relents, turning around. The remorse hangs in his half-smile. His curls look deflated, dry. He obviously hasn’t been conditioning them. He looks defeated. It scares you.

You want to ask, but the question catches in your throat.

“I’m sorry. I know I’ve been busy lately.”

“I just want you to be okay.”

“I’m okay.”

“You don’t seem it,” You regret the words as they leave your mouth, the look that washes over his face pains you: the pinch of defensiveness in his brow, the way his mouth sets into a thin line.

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” There’s an edge to his voice, not cutting, curious and displeased.

“I mean things are different, Spencer. You’re closed off, you’re quiet, you seem like you’re not taking care of yourself. And you can speak to me. I understand if you don’t want to but you can come to me about anything, and you don’t, and you keep telling me you’re fine and I know you’re not and I don’t know what to do anymore.”

The words spill out of your mouth. Your chest aches, your eyes glint with tears. You meet his gaze, and the remorse catches in his throat.

“I’m sorry,” He mumbles, crossing the room to you, “I’m sorry.”

He tucks you under his chin, allowing you to bury into his neck.

“I’ll stay,” He tells you, soft, “I’ll stay.”

You nod, allowing the tears to spill into the crook of his neck. He pulls back from you. He appraises you, taking note of you. He presses the tiniest of kisses to the corner of your mouth.

Your mouth twists, a grim imitation of a smile.

“Shall we order dinner?” He asks, placing the files down.

You can only nod.

December 9th, 2012

It's raining when he lands. Hotch offers to drop him off, it's past midnight and while the Metro is still running, there's no way he can take it at this hour. The case was brutal, and he's exhausted.

Your digital clock reflects 1:53am in red letters onto your wall.

Beside you, your phone buzzes.

1:53am - Spencer

Hi. I just got home. Let me know when you're awake, I think we need to have that conversation.

1:54am - You

I'm free if you want to call.

Your phone rings at 1:58.

“Hey,” You answer.

“Hi,” He says.

There’s a moments silence. A no-mans land forms, both of you sat in your respective houses. Neither of you willing to breach the topic.

He speaks, then, all at once. The words tumbling out of his mouth, like he’s swilled them and spat them out.

"I think we both know things haven’t been right lately. I’ve been pulling away and it isn’t fair to you. I’ve been struggling and I’ve taken it out on you and let it affect our relationship. I think I need some time. I don’t think I’m doing you any good being around you. I’m not giving you what you need. I don’t want to hurt you. I love you and I know you love me too much to leave. So I have to leave. And I know it sounds like it’s for me, like I’m hiding behind you. But I have to do this, for us both.”

27 seconds. That's how long it takes for him to say the words that shatter you.

January 4th, 2013

The shirt smells less like him by the day. You've tried to ration yourself, limiting your wearing of it only for times just after you've showered. Avoiding scented shower gels or lotions.

It’s been a month since your phone call. Thirty-one days exactly. He’d said he’d needed time.

It’s been twenty-three days since you last heard from him. You don’t count the days intentionally, it’s just hard to forget. Hard not to keep track of the distance between you.

The message had been simple.

2:52am, 13th December 2012 - Spencer

I’m sorry.

You hadn’t replied. You’d drafted various iterations of one:

For what?

No you’re not.

You can’t just apologise Spencer, that doesn’t fix anything. I don’t understand what happened. I don’t understand how you could just leave, after everything. After a year, you just thew everything away.

Fuck you.

None of them seemed fitting. No words could capture everything: the anger, the hurt, the confusion, the loss. Sometimes, late at night, you’d sit and type a reply. Hoping that somewhere, wherever he was, he’d be watching. That for some reason, he’d have the messages open. Seeing the three dots pop up on the screen, and sensing the longing. If he was, he never gave any indication.

February 2nd, 2013

Penelope's instagram feed reveals a new picture of Spencer, his cheek pressed against Emily's. They're wearing matching costumes. You vaguely recognise it as some show he always used to talk about, one that was in Russian. One they both loved. A swipe across reveals the rest of the team, a group photo of them donning various costumes.

It aches.

Every day you get further away him. From the last time you kissed him. Every day it's hard to remember the details of it. It's all getting fuzzy, like a video tape you've worn out by replaying it too many times. Did you kiss him or did he kiss you? Was he wearing that lavender shirt or was that a detail you'd added in?

No wonder eyewitness testimony was so unreliable.

Somehow it almost makes you obsess over it more. Trying to catch the dimming light between your fingers, as if you could drag it back into the spotlight, front and centre, full details illuminated. Would that make it better or worse?

Your stomach sinks. Pushing yourself off the sofa, you force yourself to look past the picture of you, him, and Henry from that day in the park. The one that still rests on your mantelpiece. Maybe it'd be easier if you could compartmentalise him. Packed him away in a box, or threw him in a trash can.

Maybe it's pathetic.

If you close your eyes you can almost feel his warmth. How it felt to lie in his arms, the press of his lips to your forehead. Soft and reassuring. I'm here.

The slight rise and fall of his chest. His lips slightly parted, his head lolling towards your shoulder. How you should have savoured it all. Reached out and touched him.

You think of all the times you lay there in his arms, thinking you'd remember that moment later. It was true, you'd always remembered it when he was pulled away to a case. You'd close your eyes, and remember how it felt to be curled up against him. Safe in a little cocoon of affection. Now it burns in your chest.

There's nothing left of him now but what's been. You trail him along with you, like a rag of a childhood blanket you can't bare to part with.

He can't offer you anything now. You yank him forward into your future without his permission, traipsing your old memories through to your present, forming new ones only through Penelope's instagram feed and conversations with the team.

It's not that you don't love and miss them too, but they're his.

Every time you call it's pleasantries, soft and familiar until the words you've been rolling around your mouth since the beginning of the conversation spill out, "How's Spencer?"

He's fine. He's always fine.

It's odd, how the person you spoke to everyday, the man who knew your favourite colour, what your go to animation is, how you like your caffeine, ambles on without you. He seems to make it work, live his life without remnants of you spilling out.

So why can't you?

You're a cup filled with Spencer Reid. With every day that passes, a bit of him drains out. Slowly, you'll forget his opinion on Kurt Vonnegut novels, how he likes to lay the cushions out when you make the bed, the way he makes hot chocolate.

Your last kiss.

***

December 3rd, 2012

"Here you go," You smile but it's tight-lipped.

He returns the same one, accepting the lunch you'd packed him with a quiet, "Thanks."

"Have a good day at work."

He nods. He looks up at you, stubble teasing at his jawline. He hasn't shaved in a couple of days, and you'd comment on it if it wasn't for the hollow look in his eyes, almost imploring you not to speak.

The lavender shirt compliments him well, too well. The shade matches the all too prominent purple bags under his eyes.

"I'll call you if there's a case."

You nod, taking a tentative step towards him, "Can we talk tonight? I feel like we need to have a proper conversation about things."

"You're right."

"I'll see you later."

Unexpectedly, he takes a step towards you. His hand hesitating at your hip, settling for hovering in the air just in front of it. He leans in, pressing the lightest of pecks to your lips. Shocked at the contact, you kiss him back, deepening it.

To your surprise, he returns it. His lips move against yours in a way that's familiar, feverish. Your hand comes up to his cheek, swiping at the errant curl of hair tickling you.

Your lips glide against his, savouring the secondhand taste of coffee.

His tongue slips across your lower lip. Then he pulls away.

There's a blush tinging up his neck, and he almost gives you a real smile, "I'll see you tonight."

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