What is Festa Junina?

You may have heard the brazilian cc's talking about throwing a festa junina in the server, but what is it exactly?

Festa Junina translates to June's Party, and its origins go back to pagan midsummer and harvest celebrations. Time went on and it mixed with catholic beliefs, especially those centered around Saint Anthony, Saint Peter, and Saint John the Baptist (which is why it is also known as São João).

The tradition was brought to Brazil with colonization. It's no longer a summer fest since it's winter, but you can still see the influence (maybe the bonfires are part of it).

Nowadays, Festa Junina is known for the traditional square dancing and the food — seriously, the food is amazing (look up pamonha, cural, canjica, pé-de-moleque, bolo de fubá, cuzcuz nordestino... damn I'm hungry)! Most of it is made with corn or peanuts. Mulled wine is also a must! People dress in a "country" fashion, with straw hats, puffy dresses, and drawn freckles and mustaches. Everything is VERY colorful.

School kids will put on shows (known as quadrilhas), which usually include a "wedding" comedy sketch. In my high school, the twist was that the best man was in love with the groom. It was very dramatic. I loved it.

Here are some pictures and traditional songs! I wish we could get a mod with the foods to the server or something, but just the skins and decorations will already be so much fun!

Whether or not these enigmas are truly qcellbit or someone pretending to be him, it’s revealed so so much about qroier and qbagi and their characters and I’m really enjoying it. They’re two very different people linked very closely together by their connection to qcellbit, which makes the difference in how they react to his potential actions so fun to compare.

To qbagi, family is everything. qcellbit is the only family she has and she’s spent most of her life looking for him. But she doesn’t really know him. They’ve spent so long apart and they’ve had such different experiences that there’s a gap in understanding that might never be fully resolved. But she’s still trying! And she’s willing to overlook a lot and work with him, even on the whole murder thing. To her, qcellbit’s supposed actions are morally wrong, full stop. And she’s still willing to stand by his side if it’s what he really wants to do, in direct opposition to her own moral compass. Because that’s her brother, and family matters more to her than any personal feeling she might have. She already gave up everything for him, what’s one more sacrifice?

But she’s cautious. She’s seen what qcellbit has done from an outside perspective and she knows he’s dangerous. So, her bringing all her warnings and suspicions to qroier. Because she’s accepted him as part of her family, and family is her priority. In her eyes, qroier might not be fully aware of what qcellbit has done, and he deserves to know what he’s involved with because knowing is the only way to keep him safe. It’s half an attempt at protecting him, half seeking reassurance and a confidant in the only other person who cares about qcellbit like she does.

But qroier… isn’t like her. He doesn’t have the same aversion to murder as qbagi, no matter how much she tries to search for it. Especially when it comes to the federation. And he’s never been bound to traditional morality, all the way back to his revenge plot against quackity and spreen in the first months of the server. But he’s a funny guy with a friendly attitude, and he rarely lets his true feelings known to anyone. qbagi wouldn’t be the first person to misinterpret his friendliness as morality. More than that, his and qcellbit’s relationship began when they were both hitting personal lows. They’ve always found sanctuary in each other, especially in dark times. To qroier, this is just one more of those on an island of nightmares. qcellbit’s past, what he does in his free time, it doesn’t interest him.

So qbagi keeps trying to pull qroier’s attention towards qcellbit’s more… morally questionable actions, looking for someone to share her concerns. And qroier continues to not care, even becoming slightly suspicious of qbagi empathizing with federation workers. They’re so at odds with each other, and yet at the end of the day they would both choose qcellbit over anything. The dynamic between the three is crazy and cellbit hasn’t even logged on in a week! No idea where we go from here, but it’s going to be a wild ride.

“ ࣭⸰ ★ post of gratitude ! <3

⊹ ⠀⠀ hi guys! on my old blog, i'd make a post every november to spread gratitude for the mutuals i interact w most n wanted to carry that tradition onto this blog! ily all and hope that your day was wonderful today (unless ur a nanami stan bc that was rlly rough im so sorry abt that ep ajskl)

psa; if u weren't tagged in this post, pls know that i appreciate u very much and would love to interact w u more!! msg me anytime n i'll try my best to visit ur inbox in the near future!

꒰ . . to my readers ꒱

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ thank u so much for supporting my work by reading, liking, sharing, or commenting on any of my writing! i love reading through reblogs and seeing what u guys think of my ideas,, it's so motivating n i appreciate it so much like omg sometimes u got my kickin my feet reading thru ur comments ajskl i hope to post quality content for ur enjoyment n i luv u all,, much more to come as time goes on !!!

꒰ . . to my mutuals ꒱ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ᯇ in alphabetical order

⌗ @chigirizzz ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ hi val! just wanted to say that i love how supportive u are of other creators on the site,, i feel like whenever i see u on the dash ur always hyping someone up or making their day brighter! ALSO i cant believe u also know the voltage otome games bc i feel like i'm crazy sometimes bc no one know what they are LMFAO i hope u had an amazing day !!!

⌗ @doobea ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ dooby!!! i love the bright energy u bring to my dash n i think ur absolutely gorgeous (u ate that choso costume up omg ajskdlf) ur always such a pleasure to interact w n i think ur writing is amazing,, i rlly need to just binge it all one night ESP the choso fics u post bc ur writing rlly captures how much u love him LOL my fav choso worshipper <3 hope yall get married!

⌗ @hesthermay ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ hi pookie teehee,, i haven't answered ur text yet bc i was trying to figure out how to fry chicken (3 of them were raw ajsklf) but i will after i post this lol. ilyvm and i can't wait for u to stay w me,, i'm gonna take u to the mall n treat u to some canes chicken fingers *heart eyes* (i'm typing on my laptop forgive me) you've been w me since my org blog from sept 2020 n i act can't believe how long we've known each other now (3 years!) ur so old like ur my granny but that's ok bc ur my favorite granny ever,, sorry for violating u #ageism is not okay,, i miss u so much n i miss ur bf bc ur my mom n dad (legally) i even miss ur roommate who i actually can't rlly remember the name of but that's not the point i'm trying to make so forget i said that part,, i definitely know his name!!! also i decided that kingsley is my favorite dog u have bc he's tiny n reminds me of my doggie,, luv ya! text u in a bit!

⌗ @itadorey ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ omg hi inez, remember these? no u probably don't bc i got rlly lazy w my blog in the late days (rip aitarose) i love all of the tiktoks u send me n i love ur instagram stories bc they make me laugh n i love how much u love snoopy,, he's literally my idol n there are so many statues of him in my city it's so funny n they always make me think of u. ur my yung gravy queen,, i love u so much n i'm so glad hq tumblr let me meet u even tho it was lowkey traumatizing (yikes) our mudae days were so fun,, esp the night i let that person put the roleplay bot into my server jkals so grateful for u !!!

⌗ @kitorin ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ hiiii souta!!!! i just wanted to say that i LOVE seeing u comment first on my writing posts,, like it motivates me so much bc i know i have such a large support system coming from u n ur so sweet n talented AJSJJJ u were (i think?) my first new mutual on this blog when i first made it,, n you've made coming back to tumblr such a welcoming n amazing experience! i'm so grateful to be ur mutual n i hope you've had an absolutely amazing day!

⌗ @mymegumi ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ firstly BITCH ANSWER MY TEXT. secondly, happy thanksgiving! <3 wish we were spending it together but distance is real n it hates us :( miss u and can't wait to see u whenever that is lmfao like whenever plane tickets decide to stop being so expensive,, so glad we aren't beefing anymore haha that was so silly of us... anyways... whenever i do see u, i'm going to give u a big hug n then we're going to gossip abt everything that's happened since we were last together n it's going to be great bc i'm going to make u watch twice videos n ur gonna love them as much as i do bc i'm ur sister n u have no choice but to love what i love! hahaha... i love you so much n i'm so glad ur my sister #meimei n jiajia 4ever <- that's actually approved by me n that's all that matters bc i'm actually the president of the world and ur my favorite person on it jaklsdf ANSWER MY TEXT BITCH

⌗ @pokkomi ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ chiu u r genuinely one of the most positive ppl i've ever met on tumblr n i love u sm for it like jaskdlfjdkl u always make my day when u reblog a post n reading ur tags is so heartwarming n it makes me want to write a million more pieces just to see what u think of them,, ur theme is absolutely adorable n i love ur alpha wolf pfp bc it's so funny n i was literally giggling when u were answering asks abt it n i saw them on my dash,, i hope that every day is an amazing day for u n if u ever need anything u can come in my pms to chat or my inbox (i will def be saying hi later in urs LOL) have an amazing amazing day n i can't wait for u to post any kind of writing in the future!

⌗ @rewh0re ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ hi hana!!! i'm so glad u popped into my inbox n said hi bc i always saw u interacting w ppl on the dash n i was too nervous to say hi jakfsdlkl i love interacting w u n talking abt whatever n whenever in inboxes or replies,, ur username always makes me giggle n i love it so much (i always read it as 'reo whore' for some reason asjfdkl but i love it) i send ur kuroo fics to my kuroo stan friend n she eats them up,, ur writing style is so beautiful n emotional,, i love the way u structure ur plots w metaphors n repetition n symbolism n everything u put into ur hard work it's all so amazing,, wishing u the very best day tmr ever!

⌗ @wishmemel ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAFI!!!! ik i alr said it but it never hurts to hear a million times n more! i associate u sm w sanrio like idk if mymelo is ur favorite but in my head u r the real life her ajsfkl,, ur so sweet n genuine i love interacting w u n seeing u all over my dash,, I HOPE UR BIRTHDAY WAS AMAZING !!!! ... fixing this bc im screaming bc i can't believe i mixed that up omg... anyways... LUV U

⌗ @yoisami ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ OKAY FIRST i literally LOVE ur theme like it's so cute n so fitting to ur personality i love it sm ajsfkdl saki ur so sweet n i'm so glad we're mutuals bc i always look forwards to seeing u on my dash or going to ur inbox (which i'm lacking on rn but i promise i'll visit it more soon jaskdl!!!!) the way u support ff writing on tumblr is so amazing w ur reblogs n tags,, n i look foward to reading more of ur writing in the future (hopefully i can live up to ur sweet tags!) !!! have an amazing amazing day saki !!!!!!

⌗ @y2kuromi ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ screaming bc i got ur bday mixed up w another mutual but HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN LMFAO !!!! i hope that ur day was so amazing n that i'm not getting this wrong again (SORRY SAFI) !!! mimi ur so nice i'm like giggling so hard rn im so sorry,, happy happy birthday hope it was amazing!

⌗ all of my other loves <3 ₊ ˖ ་.

⋆⋆⋆⠀ ⠀ i love being mutuals w all of u n being a part of such a supportive writing community! ur all so talented n ur blogs r beautiful, i hope ur day was absolutely amazing n that we can interact more in the future (i will be invading ur inboxes that's a promise ajfskdl) !!!! happy november!!!

Looking For Roleplay - Dacien Pasdevillet

The Basics ––– –

Age: 237

Race: Veena Viera

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

Marital Status: Single

Server: Balmung - Crystal

Physical Appearance ––– –

Hair: Jet black and straight. Fine, and very well kept. The only real signs of the Viera's old age are the grey strands that he has proudly kept visible.

Eyes: His most distinguishing feature, Dacien's eyes are a bright, haunting red. They have an eerie quality to them. Enchanting, intoxicating. One might even swear they were glowing, by how boldly their hue stands out against his otherwise muted colors.

Height: 6'2"

Build: 182 lbs. Lean muscle. Most of Dacien's muscle is centered around his shoulders and back, though he is relatively slim all things considered.

Personal ––– –

Profession: Dacien makes no secret of his occupation. He serves openly as the loyal butler of House Pasdevillet, and beyond that as a man pursuing his own interests. Currently, the only thing Dacien seems to be vague about is how he maintains his position as a butler while outside of the bounds of Coerthas, often leaving it at 'personal duties' and dodging further questions.

Hobbies: Reading, cooking, cleaning. Dacien's hobbies lean towards the domestic, as his joy and comfort comes from tending to the space or people around him.

Residence: Pasdevillet Manor, Ishgard.

Birthplace: ???

Fears: Betrayal. Not that Dacien fears being betrayed, but rather that he fears one day that his nature will cause him to betray those dearest to him in an act of blind frenzy. Beyond that, he isn't terribly fond of geese.

Relationships ––– -

Spouse: Unmarried.

Children: None of his own.

Parents: Dacien's parents are both deceased.

Siblings: If Dacien has siblings, he does not know of them.

Other Relatives: Dacien is not sure of what tribe he hails from exactly and, therefore, doesn't know the fate of them or anyone he might share blood with.

Traits ––– -

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted Disorganized / In Between / Organized Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded Calm / In Between / Anxious Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable Cautious / In Between / Reckless Patient / In Between / Impatient Outspoken / In Between / Reserved Leader / In Between / Follower Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic Traditional / In Between / Modern Hard-working / In Between / Lazy Cultured / In Between / Uncultured Loyal / In Between / Disloyal Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional information ––– –

Themes and More: It is important to me to make sure that everyone involved in any RP I’m a part of is comfortable and having fun. To that end, I want to be transparent about the themes that I explore/am willing to explore, and what I would like to avoid. I see the typical D/M/E RP specifications in most people’s search info, and I am open to all such themes with proper communication. However, I reserve the right to change my mind.

What I’m Looking For: I’m hoping to broaden my horizons as a roleplayer by roleplaying with many different people and experiencing new and interesting situations! I am always open to making friends and discussing potential plot ideas. I appreciate many different themes, but I would lying if I said I didn’t have a preference. While I can enjoy comedic and lighthearted stories, I find I am only ever truly invested in those with emotional weight, nuance, and depth. I prefer dark and/or romantic themes, but not so much in that I crave constant edge and agony or only erotic entanglements. Balance, y’know? Most of all, I have a story for Dacien that I wish to see unfold, and I want to welcome others to join me in telling that story - and I want to explore your story(s) too!

RP Hooks ––– –

Story Hooks: ◈ The Loyal Butler - Dacien was a well kept open-secret in the Pasdevillet family. Never truly hidden, his presence was kept to within the House's estate and rarely did he leave the confides of those walls for any reason. While this was ultimately for his own protection, as the Ishgardian people had reason to distrust his foreign presence, it was unavoidable that there would be times that Dacien would need to leave the boundaries of his home - be it to for reasons of business or pleasure. These times often came in the dead of night, when Dacien would sneak away to get a breath of fresh air, to indulge in some star gazing, or to make his way out of Ishgard entirely to fetch some foreign goods. Maybe your character, if they are Ishgardian, heard rumors about House Pasdevillet's 'pet'. Or perhaps they caught a glimpse of him during one of his nights out. Alternatively, maybe your character crossed paths with Dacien while he was journeying elsewhere to fetch things for his House. ◈ The Loyal Beast - Life for Dacien after his stint as House Pasdevillet's most loyal servant has proven to be uneventful. The transition from fulltime caretaker to independent man has left Dacien with idle hands, and so he has sought tirelessly for ways to keep them busy lest they fall puppet to devils. One of the ways in which Dacien has found himself passing the time is tracking down slavers and human traffickers, attempting to bring an end to their black market dealings and bring justice to the people they sell and trade like cattle. The path he follows is one steeped in crimson, bloody and tireless as his trail always seems to lead to operations bigger than he originally imagined. If your character has history with slavers, is a mercenary who would have taken a job to help fight and kill slavers, or could have heard idle gossip about such rumblings, then this avenue may have more meat to it!

Contact Information/About the player ––– –

Hello, and thank you for reading this far! My name is Blake, 25, nonbinary they/them, and you can usually find/contact me right here on tumblr! I keep a bit of an odd, migrating schedule, but I am always happy to make room for some RP whenever we can make it work!

top 10 online freelancing ideas 2023

One of the best ways to make money from home is through freelancing. This way, you can do your work without having to worry about deadlines or other aspects of a traditional 9–5 job. In this post, we’ll explore some ideas to get started on freelancing in 2023.

1) Build an online side hustle that earns passive income

One of the easiest and most flexible ways to start earning money online is by building something of value and selling it on platforms like Etsy or Patreon using tools like Fiverr or Upwork. Here are some options to consider:

Etsy: Create items for sale on websites such as Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, Pinterest, etc.

2) Sell digital products

Digital goods, such as eBooks, videos, music, e-books, graphics, and more, can be sold on sites like Amazon Kindle Marketplace and Gumroad. You can also sell them directly to clients through email marketing campaigns.

3) Become a virtual assistant

As an alternative to starting a business, becoming a remote support worker could provide a great source of financial flexibility and independence. Many companies value independent workers who offer their services remotely. As a result, many businesses now prefer to hire people who are not attached to one office location. Virtual assistants provide these benefits, including the ability to work from anywhere with an internet connection. Some of the responsibilities they perform include administrative tasks, customer service, data entry, social media management, content creation, writing emails, creating spreadsheets, and much else. They may work from home, on weekends, during holidays, or any time that suits their schedule. The key factor here is how busy or productive you want to be with your clients, but it should not be so demanding that you cannot handle it.

4) Work as a freelance writer

If you have expertise in anything related to writing — whether that's technical writing, sales copywriting, blog posts, or website articles—you can create a profitable business from home. There are plenty of places to look, too, such as Upwork, Freelancer, or even Google Flights. These sites allow professionals to find clients in need of writers. To join those sites, though, you’ll likely need to pass certain requirements such as demonstrating experience, providing proof of payment, and passing background checks.

5) Start a podcast

A podcast on topics related to your area of expertise is another good option if you enjoy talking with people. Podcasts typically don’t offer much financial rewards but can provide valuable networking opportunities, build up your knowledge base, and help you learn new skills. It’s important to note that not all podcasts have the same quality standards as others; while they might be entertaining at first, they can become very difficult to listen to over time. Still, they can provide a lot of fun and learning opportunities.

6) Buy/sell web hosting

Web hosting has long been a popular choice for entrepreneurs looking to set up multiple servers in a small space and make money off of advertising revenue. However, buying web hosting doesn’t have to mean spending thousands of dollars on expensive server hardware. Instead, it means purchasing cheap hosting packages with limited resources, which means lower uptime and fewer chances of getting taken advantage of by advertisers. With a web host who offers cloud hosting plans, you can choose from shared, dedicated, or managed hosting and still enjoy reliable performance and access to fast servers.

7) Teach English abroad

If you have a passion for teaching English overseas, there are several lucrative possibilities to consider. For example, you can teach students in developing countries where English is taught as compulsory rather than optional. Alternatively, you can take classes online. Another option is to move your studies to a different country and teach English alongside the locals — this can be a fantastic opportunity to work and make a difference in their lives.

8) Get paid to watch movies online

If you enjoy watching films, you can earn extra cash by doing so online. Websites such as RedBox, CinemaBlend, Vudu, and Moviepilot are designed specifically for film enthusiasts and give users the chance to view free movie collections. When someone purchases something through these sites, they will be sent a code, allowing them to win prizes like gift cards and merchandise. You can then redeem those codes for real money or gift cards, respectively. If you’re interested in making money online in general, check out these online jobs:

9) Do affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting other people’s products, services, or brands. If you’re passionate about helping others, you can monetize that passion with affiliate marketing. To start, you’ll need to purchase a product that you think would benefit from being promoted via affiliates, then promote it to your audience (i.e., friends, family, followers, etc.). Once you’ve convinced them, you can advertise on various platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or even TikTok. Once you’ve earned some decent commissions, you can withdraw those earnings via PayPal or gift cards or both. While you might not always get rich from affiliate marketing, it can certainly help you make some good money from home.

10) Deliver groceries online

If you want to make money doing what you love, delivering food packages is an excellent way to do it. Whether you want to sell food via marketplaces, restaurants, or delivery apps, there’s no better way to turn your life into a full-time gig and help others live better lives than by working online. By simply walking around town or taking Uber Eats orders, you can pick up orders whenever and wherever you want, while delivering them to customers directly. You can also use DoorDash and Grubhub services to scale your operations, so you can deliver more frequently.

Conclusion

If you have experience in virtually every field, starting a side hustle can be a great way to gain some quick cash while still staying within your comfort zone. Choose from among these top ten online freelancing ideas and see what resonates with you and your interests! After all, a little bit of home-based work never hurts, either!

Three Cooks Catering Menus

If you have a large share of vegans, as an example, contemplate including details about native vegan restaurants of their welcome packet. Customizing a listing with vegan eating places at the top for the self-identified vegans can make them feel well catered to. Some event planners know exactly which conferences their viewers attend in addition to theirs. They research these conferences to higher understand what attendees have already skilled and they adjust accordingly. You need to be a trendsetter, not a copy-cat to your rivals. Get creative and supply versions with different 'canine. Brauts and various sausages are certain to impress your visitors. Have servers pass out tomato soup shooters topped with a wedge of grilled cheese. Like the mac 'n' cheese, this childhood traditional will be a crowd-pleaser. Plus, they're sure to hold your friends over until dinner. There’s something about candy and snacks that draw individuals to congregate. It doles out small parts and provides whimsy to even probably the most severe business occasions. If you have an out of doors or rustic-themed occasion, this idea may help you add top to a buffet desk quickly and with things you likely have already got readily available. Simply turn over a quantity of flower planters and lay a classic board over prime of it, making a second tier to your table. Sixty Nine Simple Summer Time Salad Recipes Before jumping straight to dinner, contemplate the meal within the center as it could be the best fit in your event. Express expectations to the caterer (especially in a multi-day event) that the particular meals should never be the same for every sitting. You don’t need a caterer who solely does one sort of vegan meal or only produces salads everytime someone requests a special food plan. Discuss dietary requirements and the method for attendees to entry their particular meal with the catering staff earlier than confirming the final menus. Recap the day earlier than or on the morning of the occasion. Here is a superb idea that requires fewer servers and permits individuals to help themselves with out leaving the meals out on a blanket on the ground. An artisanal drink is something that is distinctive to the event, and the trick is to use attention-grabbing and ideally local components. Artisanal drinks are an ideal method to showcase a bit of what makes your event destination particular from a culinary perspective. An various to local components is native talent. Invite a local chef to design a drink on your occasion. I make this silky, smoky dip as much as I can when eggplant is in season. You’ll usually discover me having fun with it straight off a spoon, but it’s delicious with fresh pita and veggies too. So usually, we toss pesto with pasta or dollop it onto pizza however overlook how unbelievable it is on its own. When I actually have an abundance of summer season basil, I wish to pack a jar of pesto in my picnic basket to spread onto crackers or good crusty bread. Tossed in a tangy, nutty dressing with plenty of contemporary herbs, they’re utterly irresistible. This southern favourite has largely been ignored at conferences until now. With the assistance of a cute martini glass shrimp and grits is now a networking food. Because if you'd like folks to note your meals and depend it as a part of a memorable experience, you have to give them a WOW! Moment and people come from not solely their taste buds however their eyes as well. St Louis Restaurant Recipes外燴 could have a tough time getting dinner out on time… They might have a lackadaisical employees that doesn’t do a stable job cleaning up after your friends, leaving your occasion to look unkempt…. Foodservice Packaging At PFS Sales, we have been a proud distributor of restaurant, bar, and catering supplies in North Carolina for over 30 years. We provide an inventory of more than 5,000 different sorts of high-quality products, all designed to increase your earnings, fulfill your clients, and assist make your catering or restaurant business a hit. Plus, we work with your team to schedule deliveries so that you're by no means caught with out the important gadgets you need to run your business effectively. The Catering/Restaurant Industry makes use of a appreciable amount of plastic for carrying food and drinks to their clients. While inflicting apparent harm to customers due to the chemicals that react with food, they are also harmful for the surroundings. Savvy restaurant owners know the importance of being early adapters to emerging developments within the industry. Here are a number of the newest ways that food packaging has been given a facelift, in addition to some true-and-tried requirements that clients are nonetheless clamoring for. Our choice of deli and food trays and lids covers a extensive range of makes use of, from catering applications to cafeteria service and concession snacks. Some single-use food packaging is recyclable however meals contamination of merchandise is usually an issue for recyclers. Packaging of incoming food and provides can work towards the broad sustainable packaging tips provided by many organizations. Each 12 months, the Institute asks foodservice operators what’s most necessary to them about their packaging, and “performance” often tops the record, followed by “appearance,” then “cost,” said Dempsey. The mega storms over the summer time also impacted the availability of plastic resin and paperboard for producers in the us, she said. “When a restaurant switches up their menu, their packaging wants change,” she mentioned. The Dean Supply Company is Cleveland’s premier restaurant supply retailer. We supply an enormous choice of business kitchen tools for professionals and at-home chefs. Let your guests enjoy your delicious food the subsequent day by preserving it fresh and ready to eat in a high quality take-out box. Many plastics are marked with the SPI recycling codes for identification. The technical storage or entry is required to create consumer profiles to send advertising, or to trace the consumer on an net site or across a quantity of web sites for comparable advertising purposes. Catering & Transport Gear An further stationary base is also included within the package, offering a firm help for the soup provider and maintaining it still on the floor. However, these things are an excellent place to start out when considering what is required to operate your catering business. After you’ve acquired the basics, consider the table settings and furnishings your restaurant or bar will want to execute memorable events. Foodservice operators are discovering that there is more gear geared to the catering market than up to now. Innovations in insulated carriers and bags assist hold temperatures constant, for instance. Most caterers know that food preparation for catering operations is done offsite. However, this does not imply that investing on portable cooking equipment is a bad idea. Portable Cooking Equipment may be used for dishes that must be freshly cooked onsite of the event. This is right for eating places and catering operations that serve a wide range of meals from chilled to piping hot. Rust-proof and dent-resistant, the Pro Cart Ultra is provided with adjustable stainless steel rails to carry meals pans, sheet pans, trays, and large pizza packing containers. The clean menu pocket on the door permits for quick identification, holding an index card or notes from a grease pencil. No matter what you are serving, our top-loading insulated beverage service is bound to be a dependable addition to your buffet or event. It features glorious temperature retention, preserving scorching meals for 4-6 hours and chilly for 3-5 hours. It is significant in each catering business operation as a outcome of it makes transporting cold and hot meals simpler without having issues with probable modifications with the meals temperature. Hope has been a Content Specialist since November 2015, where she brings to the table years of expertise in the food service industry in a wide range of roles. Hope is a wife, new mother, avid crafter, and meals lover (french fries please!). As the original on-line restaurant equipment company, we stock hundreds of catering merchandise at wholesale costs. Make Your Marriage Ceremony Event Scrumptious With Excellent Catering Service! As A Practical Wedding says “You will bear in mind what your wedding FEELS like, not what it LOOKS like”. I agree with this listing 100% I am in the wedding planning enterprise and seeing them week after week I can tell you that half the stuff individuals do are a complete waste of money! You ought to be simply as happy to spend $100 on a costume than $10,000. Located at 1012 Florida 436, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, the Crystal Ballroom is certainly one of central Florida's most celebrated sites. This is likely one of the high venues for wedding ceremony receptions, anniversary dinners, bar and bat mitzvas, and different celebrations. It's a palace manufactured from crystal that will present an unforgettably attractive backdrop in your special occasion. We present every day meal service to schools, daycares, Head Start Programs and grownup daycare applications. Conveniently positioned Indoor restrooms are only a few steps away. With a a working on-site kitchen, caterers can execute a variety of menu offerings and remove the necessity for charging for further gear. Another great out of doors location is the lined open air pavilion complete with picnic tables. The pavilion supplies the best location for a BBQ, lobster bake or cook-out for as much as 80 visitors. Trying to prepare a meal for yourself isn't a straightforward task. Trying to prepare one for a household can be a problem. This is a high quality product and presentation. Their ceremony happened exterior on the garden with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to observe on the patio and surrounding grounds. The dinner reception was held under a beautiful white sailcloth tent with a mix of farmhouse and round tables.

Sundays|Sirius Black|

Pairing: Sirius Black x Reader

Warnings: none!

A/N: I hope this is okay! It was such a cute idea and I hope I did it justice. -S

—————————

It wasn’t surprising that everything was a bit of an adjustment, a learning curve if you will. Sirius lost two of his closest friends. Harry lost his parents. Even in the midst of grieving Sirius hadn’t once thought about not stepping up and fulfilling his role as Harry’s godfather, not only because he loved the child but he knew the alternative was Lily’s sister and from everything he heard about them from James and Lily they were bloody dreadful. There was no way in hell that Sirius would ever do that to him willingly.

It did get better though, it truthfully did. While he still missed Harry’s parents everyday of his life, he and Harry were getting on fine. And Sirius wasn’t nearly as bad at being responsible as he thought he would be… for the most part.

It was a tradition of sorts to take Harry for ice cream on Sundays. Sometimes that meant for breakfast, depending on the day, but honestly did it really matter what time you consumed the dessert if desserts were going to be consumed anyways? He never understood why the timing seemed to matter. Plus the little store he liked to frequent served muffins and such, ideal breakfast food.

Sirius was never one to care about other people’s opinions so it didn’t bother him in the slightest when he got questioning looks from the servers dishing up different flavors of frozen delicacies at nine in the morning. He simply sat his 3 year old companion down at a little table and laughed along with him as he ice cream landed on everything in the general vicinity.

“Whoa, you two sure know how to start the morning right.” A friendly giggle drew Sirius’ attention from Harry, and was instead met with the sight of a woman smiling down at the child. A sensible coffee and muffin in hand, “Is it good?”

Harry nodded promptly, seemingly shy at the attention, but it wasn’t long at all before he was scooping a messy spoonful of semi-melted cream up and offering it to the stranger, “Wanna bite?”

“Oh! I couldn’t, that’s for you! Thank you very much though.” She chuckled at the way Harry nodded and shoveled it into his own mouth instead. She turned to Sirius, “He’s very polite and so adorable.”

It would be a lie to say that Harry hadn’t garnered attention before (most of it was from women). Still, Sirius never payed it much mind even though Remus had teased him once that he was surprised Sirius wasn’t using Harry to pull in potential prospects. But… there was something about her smile that made Sirius want to entertain the conversation, “Very. You should feel special, it’s not often he offers to share with me.”

She laughed at that, and Sirius quite enjoyed the sound. He might’ve been a little jealous that her attention was right back on Harry, but to be honest Harry was the cuter one of the two, how could he possibly blame her? After a few minutes of their conversation, the young woman turned back to him, “I’m sorry for interrupting your breakfast. I’ll let you two get back to it.”

“Oh! No interruption at all. In fact I’m sure he had more fun talking with someone new, instead of just me all the time.” As soon as the words left his mouth Sirius felt a little scummy, wondering how desperate he must’ve seemed trying to throw in the fact it was just him.

“Well, I quite enjoyed talking with you as well. Im here everyday around this time if you want some company. Unfortunately, I have to run today. It was very nice meeting you, Bye-Bye. Bye-Bye.” She said she was in a hurry but Sirius noticed she took the time to wave goodbye twice to Harry and lit up with he returned the simple hand gesture. Of course after that she was off… and he didn’t even have a chance to catch her name.

He didn’t take Harry back the next day, because he didn’t want to see to desperate. However, it was the day after and it took some convincing but he did manage to get the toddler to be satisfied with a Banana and a blueberry muffin instead of their usual when they frequented the joint. Sirius was pleased to see that his plan worked when he heard a familiar voice, “I see you decided on a much more conventional breakfast choice today.”

They “ran into” each other a lot more often after that. Sirius now knew her name, she knew both of theirs and she offered the sincerest of condolences when she put two and two together. Remus told him to just ask her out for the love of god, and Sirius really contemplated it. Though, he was a little nervous… completely out of character, sure. To be fair, he hadn’t been on a proper date since Lily and James, and if he was being honest he hadn’t quite clicked with someone so well before that really. He’d hate for Harry to lose the social interactions because he somehow managed to screw up the dynamic.

He was more than shocked when he blurted it out without speaking one morning, “I was thinking about taking Harry to the cinema, I think he’d enjoy a muggle movie. You should come too if you’re free… and perhaps dinner after?”

“Yeah, that sounds fun. There’s one thing though…” (Y/N)’s normally sure sounding voice wavered slightly, “After dinner… perhaps we could go for a drink… the two of us?”

“That sounds lovely.”

more on the topic of latino trans representation 'ported over from the YR discord server. someone asked how positive latino trans rep could be introduced, rather than always making it about the negative side of the latino trans experience. i don't have a one-size-fits-all answer because it really depends on the context/theme of your story, but it did remind me of something that i think might give people some inspiration. crossposting here again in case anyone who's not a member of the server is interested.

maybe i can share a story that could serve as inspiration for the more positive way of representing latino heritage in trans expression. as you might know, my country is... not particularly progressive by any stretch of the imagination. regressive more like, if you ask me. gay marriage is not legal and i honestly don't have much hope that it will be anytime soon, trans people are still rejected and made fun of, and i'm pretty sure most people have no idea what "non-binary" even means. but LGBTQ+ people and their allies are fighting, pushing for change, and not giving up. the progress is slower than a glacier, but every once in a while there's something that gives us hope.

a few years ago (before i came to australia) there was a hubbub in the media because a trans activist wanted, for the first time in history, to change her official name on her national ID card. just her name, not even anything else. pretty sure her card still lists her gender as "male" because my country is ridiculous. but even just to change her name from her deadname to her actual name she chose herself, they made her jump through so many hoops. and the media kept following the story and sensationalizing it to hell and back, like she was trying to do something scandalous.

(and yes, i know this doesn't sound particularly positive, but stick with me here-- i promise i have a good point i'm trying to get to, i just need to give y'all a bit of background before i can arrive there.)

anyway, she did get to change her name on her ID card eventually, it just took a long while. but her ordeal has been stuck in my mind for years, and there is one particular interview i remember very clearly. see, our national dress is called a "pollera"-- it's a very intricate, delicate, handmade-by-old-ladies-in-the-countryside-who-zealously-guard-their-technique-passed-down-through-generations-since-colonial-times, luxurious and expensive af basically costume that is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful national costumes in the world.

pic here, in case anyone neds a visual:

(this is what we call the "pollera de gala," which are the fancier ones. there are simpler versions of the pollera which are not handmade and are supposed to be the "day-to-day" polleras, but the polleras de gala are the creme de la creme and certainly the most likely to be shown outside of panama.)

the pollera is not only a point of national pride, but also a symbol of status because it's so expensive and rare, as well as the ultimate symbol of femininity for any panamanian woman. sometimes people do, like, "traditional" panamanian weddings and the bride will be wearing a pollera instead of a wedding dress.

ANYWAY, back to my main point, in this one interview, this woman was asked what would have to happen for her to feel that she was truly accepted and seen as a woman in a place as regressive as panama. and she said her dream was to wear a pollera de gala, with all the frills and the jewelry and everything, and being recognized as beautiful and as proud of being panamanian as any cis woman would be. i don't know if she ever did it-- once she managed to change her name on her ID card, the media pretty much forgot about the story-- but that one answer has stuck with me all these years. because i've worn a pollera (mine was my mother's), and i know how i, as a cis woman, felt wearing it. and i hope with all my heart that she got to feel that way, too. everyone should.

i don't know if there's an equivalent circumstance that could apply to a venezuelan trans person; i would have to do some research to know. and it may not be a dress-- it may be food, or music, or a book, or a photo of a specific location they want to visit-- that just, for that character, represents the intersection between their trans identity and their ethnic identity. but i know those little things mean so much to people, especially those for which the rest of the culture might be antagonistic to them being trans. it's those small positive expressions i would love to be included in latino trans representation, because lord knows there's not enough of that out there.

hello it is i, from ao3. as promised, i come bearing gifts (questions)

what's the demon realm like? is it like the overworld, just populated by demons instead of humans/hybrids/etc? or is it more like the nether or end, or something different altogether? what about culture, society? how do they live together? is there some sort of social hierarchy? typical family constelations? are there any traditions demons have?

is communication between the demon realm and the primary plane possible? if so, how? can you travel from one realm to the other, or is it only possible through summoning?

how did team zit meet? when did they decide to summon impulse into hermitcraft with them? was impulse ever on the primary plane before? aside from impulse (and mumbo), are there any other demons on hermitcraft (that we know about)?

if not, then i wonder how impulse will react after finding out about mumbo. maybe he'll get excited about having another demon buddy on the server with him?

i have other questions but. i thought maybe all of them at once would be overwhelming ._.

Hello!! I haven't once stopped thinking about the Red Thread AU since I came up with it...less than a week ago, so the excuse to ramble is very much appreciated!

That being said: I'm afraid the answer to most of this stuff is either "spoilers" or "not really thought out yet". However, I will answer what I can! Long-winded Red Thread nonsense under the cut :D

The Demonic Plane is mostly nether-esque, but not always...fire flavoured, in all places. It's a space heavily themed around pure elemental energy (put a pin in the idea of "elemental" for later) and what you might call chaos magic, so the composition of different areas as well as the normally predictable laws of things like gravity vary. It gets a little amorphous and difficult to describe to humans at times, but the demons who try tend to speak fondly of it, so I guess it's a pretty good living environment for them!

Alrighty, what else out of that can I actually answer...family. Demons are born of elemental magic and are capable of independent survival from birth, so they don't really have families, but I think they often end up living in large groups based on location or shared interest. There isn't really a set hierarchy or firm borders between groups - their social structure is loose and ever-shifting, much like their home. Age, size, and demonic type (there are many) are the only real deciding factors in terms of difference between them. Fun fact: age and size are very linked! Demons operate on lobster immortality! And by that I mean: they have an infinite natural lifespan (aside from illness and injury) and the only thing limiting their size is age and available space + resources. Extrapolate how you will. :]

Interplanar travel! And communication. You'll See. Yeah that's about all I can say there. What I can tell you is that communication between the Primary and Demonic planes specifically is patchy and requires travel. There isn't a (known, advisable, or permitted) technological or magical option for remote communication currently.

And, ZIT. Yeah. There are threads in there. Big, long, red ones. I think a lot of your questions will be answered or able to be guessed at once Impulse and Zed start getting involved in the plot (only a few chapters left to go!) but I want to tread carefully around extra information for them, since they both end up being key players in their own special ways. Tango is also pretty important, he's just also...a regular human dude who's very much Actively In Space for the majority of the action, so he's a little backgrounded for the time being. I can tell you that ZIT did meet up before Hermitcraft, with Zed meeting Impulse first, and that Impulse was suppose to spend only a few weeks on the Primary Plane but ended up liking it so much he stayed! And I can definitively confirm that there are no other demons on the server aside from him and Mumbo. The others have their share of weird and wild going on too though, don't you worry. I can't wait to get deeper into all their complications and how they all interact....

Shaderamble complete! Thank you so much for your questions, this is honestly my favourite part about a story/universe/project/Thingy like this, just the way the flexibility and scale lets me bat around ideas and info when I'm not writing. Feel free to ask more, if you'd like to spin the "is that a spoiler" wheel again!

WNA ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

It's really been one year since I started this project back on October 31st 2020. Honestly, when I first thought of the idea, I meant it to be a small project which would perhaps lead to a few stories and a few posts. But instead, it became a more complex project that is drowning in worldbuilding details not only from me but also from the many talented people that have been with me during all of this. To all of you, I want to extend my appreciation and gratitude! The support you've given me is something that I cherish deeply.

Along with Mirror Marchen, WNA remains one of the projects closest to my heart because it gave me the opportunity to interact and befriend a multitude of very wonderful people! Twisted Wonderland is one of the few fandoms that I have become quite invested in, spurned not only by the canon content but also by the friends I've made in this place. Thank you so much for sharing in the love I have for this project!

CELEBRATION

Initially, I wasn't sure what would be appropriate for this sort of anniversary to tell you the truth! But it is Halloween and we are talking about witches and monsters so something spooky was definitely required!

OUTFITS, TRADITIONS, TREATS

Thus as the first part of this anniversary, I would like to announce that WNA will officially hold its own Halloween celebration with its own outfits and games! The girls are ready to have you trembling from head to toe and will even reveal their usual Halloween traditions and favorite treats to receive during the period! So stay tuned!

WNA DISCORD SERVER

After tinkering and working a bit with the bots, as well as testing everything, I'm happy to announce that Walpurga Nacht Academy will officially have its own Discord server!

What does this mean?

It means that we'll have our own space where to discuss anything and everything related to WNA, OCs or lore related to it! Among the things that it will offer are:

channels for updates pertaining to WNA content!

channels dedicated to socializing and engagement!

a place where writers can post about their wips, OCs, promote their works or give and receive feedback!

help regarding characters creation and development!

a place to post art wips or promote already existing ones!

channels dedicated to discussing media such as books, movies, games, etc!

a place where you can talk about canon TWST meta or promote any that caught your attention!

channels dedicated to ask games and other fun games!

activities meant to bolster creativity such as the SNIPPET SHOWCASE!

channels dedicated to discussing NSFW content that are accessible to adults!

a multitude of bots to play with such as Hydra, Writer Bot, Yggdrasil and Tatsu!

To become a member of the server, simply send me a DM on Tumblr or Discord at your earliest convenience!

With that said!

THE WITCHES OF WALPURGA NACHT ACADEMY WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUOUS PATRONAGE.

Thank you so much for the tag, @jhoudiey!

This looked like a nice, simple enough thing to fill in (though knowing me I will needlessly complicate matters), so I decided to do this as a way to ease myself back into posting.

Firstly, here's the blank answers for ease of use:

Veggies VS Meat

Spicy food VS Non-spicy food

Sweet VS Salty

Noodles VS Rice

Mint VS No mint

Singing VS Dancing

Cold weather VS Hot weather

Dog VS Cat person

Big spoon VS Little spoon

Extrovert VS Introvert

Actions VS Words

Thin-skinned VS Thick-skinned

Movies VS Series

Comics VS Books

Good liar VS Bad liar

I believe the intention is to simply bold the answers... But because I'm extra, I'll be providing an explanation where I feel necessary. You may fill it in as you so please!

Without further adieu...

Neko

Veggies VS Meat

Miss Neko is a feline beastwoman, and cats are well-known to be obligate carnivores. However, in being a beastwoman, she also needs some form of a human diet as well. Her preference is absolutely meat, but she stopped begrudging the need to eat vegetables at about age nine.

Spicy food VS Non-spicy food

Cats are well known to have sensitive tongues, and Miss Neko is no exception! Anything more than mild spice and the poor thing will be sneaking ice-cubes out of the Mostro Lounge freezer for days!

Sweet VS Salty

She has a bit of a sweet tooth! Especially cake.

Noodles VS Rice

Rice is generally less messy, and there's nothing more irritating than ending up wearing most of your food, especially for a proud pedigree such as herself!

Mint VS No mint

I imagine mint will have the same effect on her as spice - it's less of a refreshing treat and more like a cold burn.

Singing VS Dancing

Miss Neko loves to sing! Whether she's good at it or not, well... That's up for her company to decide. Even then, it won't stop her.

Cold weather VS Hot weather

While she can manage the sun in small enough doses, Neko dislikes excessive heat. She learned the hard way to apply sun-lotion to the skin of her ears when she was but a kitten! The cold weather is so much more accommodating to her natural tendencies. Ah, a cushioned window-sill, a woolen sweater, a warm drink and the sound of the gentle rain hitting the window...

She could just... nod off right... there...

Dog VS Cat person

"Nya? Surely you jest! Can't you see from these adorrrable ears and this elegant tail that I am nothing less than a pedigree kitty? How silly~"

Big spoon VS Little spoon

Both! I was initially going to say it depends on who I ship her with, but even if she was dating one of the taller characters, I don't think she would shy away from curling in around them and purring against their shoulder to soothe them to sleep. Relationships are about give and take, after all!

Extrovert VS Introvert {It's... complicated}

I think that Miss Neko is an introvert that disguises herself as an extrovert. She displays a veneer of charm and natural charisma, putting forth the impression of a very confident person. However, her sense of bravado hides away a rather vulnerable side to herself, a part of her with insecurities and vulnerabilities that she doesn't want to readily share with just anyone.

Actions VS Words

Words can so often be empty. Actions, no matter how small, can say as much as a thousand words could. Although, if you wished to pair said actions with pretty words...

Thin-skinned VS Thick-skinned

I think it does depend somewhat on the situation, but I think that Neko doesn't allow things to pierce her very deeply unless they come from someone she holds in very high esteem. Working as a server in the Mostro Lounge has perhaps taught her how to let thoughtless words roll off her back... most of the time.

Movies VS Series

If you ask her to sit through much more than 90 minute movie, she might just doze off.

Comics VS Books

Both! Though she definitely gets through comics faster, unless the book she's reading is incredibly interesting.

Good liar VS Bad liar

A good liar to those who don't know her heart.

Persephone Amaryllis

Veggies VS Meat

Persephone finds it incredibly rewarding when meals are made using produce from her own garden! You can really taste the difference in quality.

Spicy food VS Non-spicy food

She's more adventurous with foods than others! She's always keen to try anything at least once. Kalim seemed delighted when she seemed to enjoy the dishes from his homeland despite the intensity of the spice. Even if a few others looked at her as though she'd grown a second head...

Sweet VS Salty

Sweet treats are great! Especially when you incorporate fruits and berries into a dessert.

Noodles VS Rice

Being someone who likes to work in the dirt when tending to plants, she doesn't really care much if she gets her clothes dirty from slurping noodles. Keeping her clothes spotless aren't a huge priority for her - stains just bring back fun memories.

Mint VS No mint

A little can go a long way, bringing a dish together to feel light yet fulfilling. Easy to overdo, however!

Singing VS Dancing

Being a rather animated person, she often has a lot of pent up energy! Who cares if you look silly, so long as you're having fun?

Cold weather VS Hot weather

Warm weather is Persephone's element. There's no better time to go for a long walk outside and take in the beauty of nature, wading through long grass, sitting in the shade of a tree, watching the gentle breeze sway the budding flowers to and fro. The soft caress of the sun as it cascades over your skin... what could be better than that?

Dog VS Cat person

Both animals are wonderful as far as Seph is concerned! They both have their own unique characteristics as a species that make them charming, though perhaps a dog might suit Persephone a bit more as a pet because dogs tend to match her energy more, and she could take a dog out on her adventures with her. Fancy getting a cat that isn't Neko into a harness!

Big spoon VS Little spoon

She has a protective and nurturing side to her as well. Sometimes all you need is someone to hold you close and be present with you in that moment. Seph may be a high-energy person, but she also knows when to mellow out and simply let a moment pass comfortably with peace. Nothing need be said, only felt. I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere.

Extrovert VS Introvert

And extrovert, through and through! She has no qualms about going up and introducing herself with confidence and enthusiasm. Anything new, she will readily and cheerfully throw herself into it. She tends to be quite open and upfront about her positions and feelings on matters and people... there are few things that she feels the need to hide, but that's the same for everyone, isn't it? No one is entitled to her deepest secrets, it makes the version of her she shows to other people no less authentic.

Actions VS Words

Growing up, she learned that people liked to excuse their actions with words. She thinks it's best to let your actions and the way you treat others do the talking for you. Small gifts, body language, physical touch, small acts of service... That's her love language.

Thin-skinned VS Thick-skinned

There is nothing you could say to her that her mother or herself hasn't already. You'll have to try pretty hard or be pretty close to hurt Persephone Amaryllis.

Movies VS Series

Movies have so little time to really explore the world and characters! A series can offer more insight at a far less rushed pace than movies can, and you get so much more growth in a series than in a film. They feel more satisfying to Persephone.

Comics VS Books

There's just something so satisfying about the sound of a page turning, the scent of paper and ink, and a typewritten font...

Good liar VS Bad liar

Strict mothers make convincing liars.

Robin Redfearn

Veggies VS Meat

It takes both to make a wholesome, hearty meal!

Spicy food VS Non-spicy food

Robin is used to her grandmother's traditional cooking, where sadly the most spicy seasoning is probably pepper...

Sweet VS Salty

There's nothing like a nice trifle after dinner to hit the spot.

Noodles VS Rice

She prefers white rice because it soaks up the sauce in a dish, giving it more flavour.

Mint VS No mint

A little bit of mint is fine. Just not so intense that it makes her eyes water!

Singing VS Dancing

True to her namesake, Robin loves to sing and has quite a nice voice! She often sings while she does chores or schoolwork. If you make it known that you're listening, though, she'll trail off, turn red and quickly go back to her business but in silence.

Cold weather VS Hot weather

Many a winter night was spent cuddled up on her grandma's knee in front of the fireplace as it crackled and roared, the falling snow faint through the frosted windowpanes, the dog at her feet. Her grandmother's soft voice humming her a lullaby as she fought sleep but always eventually succumbed. These memories hold such a special place in her heart.

Dog VS Cat person

She's fond of dogs because of her grandmother's Scottish Terrier!

Also she's shipped with Jack, how can she not like dogs lol

Big spoon VS Little spoon

I don't think poor little Robin could be a big spoon if she tried... though the idea of her trying to spoon Jack is kind of hilarious. But no, I think that she would feel safe and content being in the arms of the person she loves, feeling his breath against the nape of her neck as his warmth envelops her. Lured into a secure, peaceful sleep, much like the roaring fireplace back home...

Extrovert VS Introvert

Robin is quite shy and timid at first, and while she does work on becoming more confident and assertive... she still can't quite manage to be as outspoken and energetic as Persephone. She likes smaller social gatherings, and if asked to attend larger ones, she generally sticks with a small, familiar group and tries to have a good time!

Actions VS Words

Both are necessary. Communication is an important part of any relationship. Telling someone she loves them, though nerve wracking to start, will eventually come to be as natural as breathing to her. She also shows love usually through cooking or baking. She'll purposefully make more than she needs to so she can give others what's left over, and omurice with a heart-shaped squirt of ketchup? You'd best believe it.

Thin-skinned VS Thick-skinned

Admittedly, she can be pretty easily discouraged and hurt. It's something that she knows is an issue and she's working on not taking things to heart so much. Easier said than done.

Movies VS Series

She doesn't really watch much TV. She gets more absorbed by books.

Comics VS Books

Having lived a rather sheltered life before she somehow ended up in NRC, she often found escapism in the form of fantasy books. Who would have thought that she would be walking amongst wizards and magicians, not unlike the ones in those childhood stories? Certainly not Robin!

Good liar VS Bad liar

Honestly if she had to lie she would probably just do it by omission or being very selective about the information she shares. Her grandmother had this look that always somehow managed to make a confession spill from her lips in mere moments... Sometimes Robin wonders if her Grandma might have been a magician...

This was fun, if not a bit long-winded... my apologies. I just get so into it! I hope it's not bothersome to read.

Tagging: @mopotatoes, @shadowwalker593, @goudsreblogzone, @junowritings, @kotobukicutie

And anybody else who would like to participate! To those I have tagged, please don't feel pressured to fill this out (certainly not in the amount of detail I went to) if you don't want to. I'm just interested to see what your answers are for your characters. If you're not comfortable sharing, that's totally fine. No pressure at all. <3

I put together a transcript of the 2 hour Q&A Interview the Carmen Sandiego Discord did with Showrunner Duane Capizzi. All of the questions were submitted by server members. You can read everything below the break!

Duane Capizzi:

Hi there!

Am I in? Is this thing on?

PizzaHorse:

Hi, welcome!

Yep, you're in the right place!

Duane Capizzi:

Sorry I'm late, I was wandering around some empty Discord hallways looking for the right room haha

PizzaHorse:

No worries. Let's get started!

Who is your favorite character?

Duane Capizzi:

Moose Boy!

KIDDING!

Alright, how to NOT get myself in trouble if my answer isn't "Carmen" haha.

But really, they are ALL my babies.

So I know it's going to sound like a cop out to some that I can't pick just one. But hmm, some for instances...

I love that she's so morally evolved at such a young age; her ability to always take the high road and never lower herself; her drive and conviction and dedication. Her ability to kick serious booty and look good while doing it. Her progressive values, her fashion sense. I could go on and on. But then there's Shadowsan and his arc; Chase and his. Julia, who's every bit as strong as Carmen but shows it in different ways. The Cleaners don't get enough love.

I'll close that question with an anecdote about The Cleaners ...

I love that all our characters are embraced and that everyone seems to have favorites. Our sound engineer Marcel is a pretty serious guy: he has a serious job that takes high levels of focus and attention. He's always deeply focused and not prone to small talk. Anyway, we were in the middle of our first or second sound mix, and he suddenly stops in the middle and turns around to face us. I'm thinking, "uh oh, we're giving too many notes." That's when I notice he's freeze framed the Cleaners. He says "I really like these guys." Then he turns around, hits play and gets back to work.

PizzaHorse:

What was the biggest challenge for coming up with new stories and plot for the reboot?

Duane Capizzi:

THE biggest? Sigh. I'm not sure I could come up with just one. Plotting is always challenging and we had the brain trust of the room, our trusty white board, and writer assistant to keep the threads of the ongoing storyline together. I think the single biggest ONGOING challenge was tracking which character knew what at any given time.

The caper part was challenging - coming up with new capers and keeping them interesting and fresh. But, it was the characters and their interactions that kept things fresh and interesting. Another museum heist? That's okay - Chase is on the case and he gets to interact with "X" this time (for instance).

There were also some episodes - Duke of Vermeer and Crackle Goes Kiwi come to mind - where there was SO MUCH SET UP needed to get the payoffs to work. I was really worried about too much talk/too much detail. Very "Swiss watch!" It took a lot of work to make sure it all clicked and was clear - hopefully it seems effortless on screen but I can't say there wasn't some sweat and the occasional tear (mostly from me - I'm a big cry baby

But really, what made it fun was that we had so many buckets to draw from: sometimes a story germ initially began with a character idea; sometimes it was inspired by global location; sometimes it was a clever way to update or reimagine an idea from old Carmen lore. Usually, it was some combination of all of the above!

PizzaHorse:

What was your favorite scene to write?

Duane Capizzi:

I think we have a theme here! "How can I pick just one ...?"

As a film buff, I got to indulge in some serious fan nerdery on this show: I got to write spy movies, yakuza movies, spaghetti neo-westerns (though turning it on its head: spaghetti westerns usually involve REVENGE and because of Carmen's character make up, this was sort of anti-revenge).

Is writing coming up with the idea or typing it? Haha. An "if a tree falls in the forest" question. The writing team and I had so many cathartic "that's how it goes" in the room. But on my own, writing the Pilot, was a very inspiring time for me: I remember laughing out loud the moment I thought of Chase falling on his own car (in part because of doing my spin on "that trope" that we've seen in so many hard boiled movies recently). But also how emotional I got when I imagined the simple but potent image of Black Sheep deciding to take her destiny into her own hands and walk that long corridor to the Faculty who we were about to meet for the first time.

I think I've cited this in another interview, but there was a period where I was completely immersed in Chase's arc and the scene where he would crack the location of VILE island ... by listening to Julia in a dream ... was a big one for me. It revealed he was finally open to admitting he needed Julia more than he would ever admit - yet, it was his own subconscious speaking.

The next morning, after cracking that scene, I bumped into Raf Petardi (voice of Chase) ... at the supermarket! It was very strange and hilarious

PizzaHorse:

Did you scrap any lengthy or funny scenes that you would be able to share?

Duane Capizzi:

With few exceptions, most scene cuts are done at the script stage so that the story board team doesn't waste effort over boarding. A variety of trims to any script are common, but they are usually for the better

The easier question to answer might be scenes were part of our "wish list" at writer room stage, but never made it to story or script. I hesitate to go too deep here (in the event that we might ever do more Carmen episodes in this canon - I'm not giving up hope). And there were cases where things we wanted to do earlier in the series wound up getting nixed or not fitting for whatever reason, but we got them in later - USUALLY FOR THE BETTER. So there's sort of a reverse Murphy's Law/rule of good fortune somehow in these things. But some fun things that didn't make it into the show, that leap to mind were: a Bollywood dance sequence (!). A Vegas caper involving Brunt wanting to steal an Elvis jumpsuit against the backdrop of an Elvis impersonator convention. We also thought it would be neat to get Maelstrom imprisoned so that Julia could interrogate him and he would play mind games with her - very Lector/Clarice!

PizzaHorse:

Were there any different treatments of Carmen you pitched before settling on the one we ended up with?

Duane Capizzi:

I was one of several "pitches" that I'm sure HMH heard before running with my version. But I can honestly say I've never pitched anything as fully formed: the take on Carmen felt so right to me, and clearly HMH and by extension Netflix agreed

I'll answer your question with an anecdote: I had the entire Pilot pretty well worked out, and pitched it in the first meeting. But one key thing that changed (much for the better!), simply because it wouldn't have fit without slogging things down ...

In my Pilot pitch, Black Sheep's escape on the boat was off screen: we see Shadowsan corner her, then we cut away. The rest of the Faculty show up to find SS's broken sword on the rocks, and are led to believe BS killed him (!). In the present, Crackle points his weapon at Carmen and prepares to pull the trigger. We know that Chase is on the way and may rescue her. The compartment door opens to reveal - not Chase - but Shadowsan! Big surprise! Then we cut back to BS's escape and find out what really transpired etc etc.

Crazy, right? SS would have been hanging out with the gang in season 1; we might not have gotten to 203 with his back story, since his sword was broken and he couldn't return it. Just one of those magical things where "things work out" the way they are supposed to. THAT SAID, it made for a heckuva pitch

PizzaHorse:

Are there any characters that ended up taking a direction you didn't initially anticipate?

Duane Capizzi:

GRAY.

I didn't know we'd make him amnesiac when I wrote the Pilot, that was something we came up with in our first week Writer Room.

And even then, when it became clear he'd be a key piece of the bigger puzzle, we didn't know how exactly (mostly the Season 4 stuff).

We did get very deep with a version where 404 ended with his protective streak for Carmen kicking into high gear, and they would be fighting off Vile Guards back to back in perfect tandem. Then, having chosen Carmen over VILE, it was Carmen who actually orchestrates Gray going "off grid" so that VILE can never find him again. Funny, I know that is arguably the version of Gray's arc that many fans might have preferred seeing. But in the tradition of spy thrillers and film noir, and for a lone wolf character like Carmen who is focused on her life mission and not romance, we stand behind where we went with him. We felt it was so much more compelling ... and truly more emotional that he totally has a get out of jail free card when he sacrifices everything (including his life, potentially) to save Carmen.

when she needs him most!

I know I made some controversial comments about Gray "not being good enough for Carmen" and I'd like to clarify that I meant, until that final episode. What he did was so selfless and heroic. Is there hope for them in the future? Who knows?! But I do hope we get to explore that one day

I'm sure Gray is living off the grid somewhere now, inspired by Carmen's selfless good and thinking of her from time to time.

PizzaHorse:

You mentioned in the interview with Alicyn that Carmen is a love story, but you were cut off before you could finish discussing. Could you elaborate on your answer now?

Duane Capizzi:

Ugh, yes! Sorry about that. I actually answered that privately for someone so will cut and paste that response here. Let's see if it works.

Something we never said in the show, but something I imparted to the creative team was: Carmen Sandiego is (among other things) a LOVE STORY, where every character in our ensemble is in love with Carmen in one way or another. Even if they don't know it! That love can take different forms: we see how spurned by Carmen Coach Brunt feels and why she retaliates so excessively. Chase eventually comes to realize that he too loves Carmen, even if he wasn't initially aware of it haha. One of the most moving things to me about the series is how all of the different factions come to Carmen's rescue at the end when she's not "in her right mind," without knowing the others are there too. It's a massive group effort to bring back the Carmen they love. But we weren't looking for a fairy tale ending for Carmen with ANYone - Carmen's a classic lone wolf anti-hero, that goes with the territory. At least at this stage in her journey.

PizzaHorse:

Were there other locations that you wanted to feature in the show that didn't make it?

Duane Capizzi:

I think we managed to cover a lot of ground and "cadence" between different countries/cultures/continents was important to us. Many "iconic" locations of course, and it would have been nice to explore some lesser known locations if we had more episodes.

One that we almost did was Niagara Falls, Canada - actually literally going to the Falls and doing a big hydro-electric caper, where Player could actually get into the field with Carmen and the team.

But ultimately, we wound up bringing Player into the fold the way we did and wound up stronger as a result. It made his "first face to face" with Carmen even more impactful, IMO.

PizzaHorse:

Were there any changes in production between the first half and the second half of the series?

Duane Capizzi:

Well, there was that Covid thing

But while it was no doubt a colossal undertaking to get the entire staff transitioned to work from home (animators! and their equipment!), we managed to make up for lost time WITHOUT a dip in animation quality. My fedora's off to our amazing team at Wildbrain for pulling it off!

We did lose some staff between orders, but that is a natural part of production unfortunately. Namely, one of our episodic directors Kenny Park, our first storyboard artist Dennis Crawford, and our story editor May Chan were among those who moved on to other shows during the break. But, as hard as their shoes were to fill, fill them we did!

PizzaHorse:

What is your favorite season?

Duane Capizzi:

Easy. Hands down, Season 3.

(crickets)

KIDDING!

Again, another "they're all my babies" answer (and yes, I love Season 3 equally

It's hard, because really when you step back I'm sure you'll agree it's a series, with stand alone capers; but it's really all ONE BIG MOVIE.

Season 3 is like the scherzo of a symphony: the shortest movement of four, and the one that tees up the big finale.

That's my hoity toity answer but I'm going to put to rest all of the various theories on what happened with season 3. It was a combination of two things: Netflix's desire to experiment with different ways of "dropping" seasons, and their desire to do a holiday themed drop (in this case Halloween, naturally). It became our challenge to come up with a theme (easy enough: masks), and the bigger challenge to serve their need while not interrupting our ongoing narrative. A challenge to be sure, but a challenge met. I think the biggest bump was perception: it was a short season and I know that was disappointing to many. But, by design.

So, Season 3 = an essential part of the whole. I don't think there's a wasted episode, and it gets everyone into position for the big finish. I can't pick a favorite season - you can't make me

PizzaHorse:

Were there any characters you had wanted to give more time to but couldn't due to time/plot restraints?

Duane Capizzi:

Well, there's the "what was on the white board" answer but hopefully some of those ideas will see the light of day in some way, shape or form some day. I think if we had more episodes, we would have shaken up the internal dynamic of VILE a bit more (as hinted at Brunt's displeasure with Maelstrom for leaving her hanging out to dry at end of 405 - a seed we planted "just in case," as some have noted). And we had more scenes in mind with Chase's partnering with Carmen for the first time that we had to cut to the bone because of what little room we had in that otherwise packed episode (worry not: it's mostly more gags, more embellishment, more twists and turns - but the important stuff is there). Mostly, and I don't think it would have been right for Season 4 but I hope to tell in the future, I think there's an interesting history between Shadowsan and Lady Dokuso - possibly tragic - that I would love to explore one day. (She was a cameo in Duke of Vermeer at the dinner party BTW, I'm not sure if anyone noticed. And we built a bigger role for her out of that)

PizzaHorse:

What are some pre-2000/nostalgic Carmen references you snuck into the show? Do you have a favorite reference that was included?

Duane Capizzi:

Doing that was so much fun! I'd say roughly 60% of the characters were from previous iterations of Carmen, though often in name only. We had fun reimagining most everyone to make them more relevant or updated or giving them a more colorful personality for starters.

"Suhara" was Carmen's Japanese mentor when she worked at the ACME Agency in a flashback episode in the 90's series, for instance. I don't think I need to spell out how we turned that one inside out

And Tigress was also one episode only: she was a "rival thief" to Carmen, but revealed to be an ACME agent in disguise - a persona created solely to bait Carmen. It was really cool of course, but it seemed like untapped potential so we made her an ACTUAL Vile Thief.

My own internal rule was to make sure the references/easter eggs wouldn't confuse anyone - they were there for those who were in the loop and window dressing. The one and only time i broke that rule was Dark Carmen's line from 407: "I do it for the mental gymnastics." It was one of the most absurd lines from the 90's series (IMO) and i was determined to have it come out of Dark Carmen's mouth. I'm sure it left some 7 year olds scratching their heads

aside from that, the key references were the music: I still tingle at how we worked the Rockapella theme into the Interactive Special; and the 90's main title theme (composed by Mozart!), in our Vienna episode ("They're playing my song"). If you wanted Rockapella or Carmen as a bad guy, well ... be careful what you wish for!

PizzaHorse:

Was there any improvised content from recording sessions that made it into any episodes?

Duane Capizzi:

Yes! Not much, because a lot of it would have pushed us into TV-MA haha

Mostly Mary Elizabeth - Coach Brunt has a POTTY MOUTH!

Mikey and Abby usually riffed their banter WAY beyond what was on the written page and had us in stitches. Some bits definitely made it in! But mostly there was too much or it would get off point (hmmm, much like my interview answers maybe? haha)

Sharon Muthu did rise to Pun Goddess status with "Mask and you shall receive." And Raf pitched me "Chasse means hunt in French" after one session and I said: "I'm going to write that in." I don't think he believed me. You can't say I'm not a straight shooter.

PizzaHorse:

If you could get more season, would you do it, and what type of story would you tell?

Duane Capizzi:

Well if that hasn't been clear so far, ABSOLUTELY

There have been discussions of course. It's up to the powers that be at this point. I will say this: the beauty and tradition so far has been that every iteration has been its own thing. I definitely think there are more "different canon" versions of Carmen that can be had and be a part of this wonderful tradition. After all, there were many naysayers for our version when it was first announced.

I will also say that if we don't get to tell any more stories in this canon with these characters, we've left a perfect gem that will stand the test of time. I would rather go out on a high note than overstay our welcome.

All that said, we worked within the allotted episodes given, ended it as we wished, but left the door open for other stories. I'd love to do an expansion and a deepening: pick up where we left off; find out what happened in those two years; and proceed to do the equivalent of Godfather II or Better Call Saul as related to the amazing originals they followed.

Let's hope! Keep putting good vibes out there!

PizzaHorse:

If you could pick a character on Carmen Sandiego who'd you switch places with for a day (you get to control their life and they get to control yours) who would you pick, and why?

Duane Capizzi:

Okay, THIS is difficult. So you're going Freaky Friday on me?

on a Sunday?

Hmmm, I know Ivy would get along with my cat ... but then I'd have to hang out with Zack!

That's the trick: I can't pick my favorites cuz I couldn't hang out with them!

(not that I have favorites - they're all my babies haha)

Okay, I have one: ROUNDABOUT. I could fill Shadowsan's seat - how cool is that? Then, I could enact all my evil fantasies - but still have a get out of jail free card cuz he'd be sitting at my desk!

(cut to Duane being brain wiped - D'oh!)

PizzaHorse:

Who are two characters who don't really interact in the show that you think could be good friends or work really well together?

Duane Capizzi:

Hmmmm. Okay, now I'm going to give you quick and sassy answers. Gray and Julia! They'd be so cute banding together to rescue captive Carmen (for instance). And they could also duke it out and maybe settle things between themselves re: shipping controversies instead of dragging me into it

PizzaHorse:

The FINAL QUESTION. Have you learned anything super impactful while working on the show?

Duane Capizzi:

Aside from Iceland's terrifically low crime rate?

I think I have learned to never underestimate how meaningful characters can be to fans. Social media has obviously brought us a lot closer to our fan base in more immediate ways: it's been really gratifying to hear/see/read feedback and not be writing things in a vacuum. It's been gratifying to see that ideas that were meaningful to myself and the creative team on Carmen that were crafted with care, have also resonated with our fan base. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who has traveled on this journey with us - for embracing Carmen's world view, and her friends and foes alike. Take care everyone! Stay safe! This has been fun, thanks for having me!

PizzaHorse:

HUGE thank you to Duane Capizzi: for being here today.

Thank you everyone for watching and reacting!

Duane Capizzi:

Okay, gotta run - just gotta find the door

Anyway, really: THIS HAS BEEN AMAZING. I speak for everyone involved in the creation and production of Carmen: it has been an amazing and inspiring series and we're elated to see it connect with such a CREATIVE, TALENTED and INTELLIGENT fan base. Take care everyone! Until next crime...

put her together again (05)

word count; 6603

summary; mitch takes you out on a little excursion upon your request, before making a not so pleasant discovery upon return to your home.

notes; just cute. that’s it. enjoy that, before it all goes shit.

warnings; none!

Despite Irene’s warnings to stay away, and her instructions to let you develop in your own home, Mitch just couldn't find it within himself to stay away. 

He missed you, he missed having company, and he’d ended up spending more than half of his time with you, or at least, that was how it seemed, as he became quickly familiar with how it felt to sleep on your couch, which was surprisingly more comfortable than his own. He wasn’t blind to the fact that you had been given an apartment that very purposefully didn’t have a guest room, discouraging him from wanting to stay, but he was used to tough-living on assignments, and as long as he wasn’t sleeping on the floor, a couch seemed like a dream. 

A blanket and a pillow from the storage cupboard had found a new home with permanent placement on the shelf under the coffee table, so on every night that he chose to stay over, there was easy access to what he needed. You had out sorted the clothing the had gifted to you into a new drawer, so that he always knew how to get to it when he needed a change of clothes the following morning, and he hadn't missed the level of trust that had been rolled out to him about being given access to your bedroom to get to it. 

That was your private space, that was somewhere that only the people that were most important to you should be allowed to enter, those whom you trusted with your life, and you’d granted that to him, and while you hadn't said the words, he didn’t miss their meaning.

Mitch had also put a great effort into encouraging you to go out in public, and learn where you were. While not being as fond of the idea of you wandering around on your own while everything was still a risk, he was aware that it was a witness protection area, and that you were still going to be safe going out and about here, and it did bring him a little reassurance when he was at his own home, and thinking about what you might be up to. 

You now had a gym membership, no longer having to work out at home, and you’d never been exposed to such equipment and that kind of environment, and the look of pure joyous shock that had been on your face had lived in the front of his mind for over a week, a smile on his face anytime he thought about yours. Occasionally, he ventured out to the spot with you, he wasn’t much of a fan of traditional workouts, or of doing it in front of other people, but you were thriving in that environment, and he was willing to make the sacrifice just to spend time with you. 

As much as he ever hated to admit that Irene was right about something, she hadn't been wrong in her conclusion here. 

Her claims that putting you alone and letting you flourish as your own being, developing your ideas and your personality, you really were breaking out of your shell. For as much progress as you’d made living with him, you were reaping that in tenfold here. You had a favourite spot in the little coffee shop, and the servers called you a regular, knowing your order by heart anytime you came through the door, the little bell overhead jingling. You had ventured as far as the row of old-style looking buildings on a little corner off of the high street, and he had noticed that sometimes your fingers had paint stains on and smears across your clothes when he arrived without warning, catching the canvases of all shapes and sizes stacked in your closet and the corners of your rooms. 

They reflected your moods, that much he could tell. Some were bright explosions of colours, yellows and greens and pale blue, everything joyous and fun and he liked those ones the most, always on bigger canvases as you illustrated your feelings. 

Some were darker, swirls of navy and purples, slightly wonky, done in the morning light after you woke up from nightmares on the days he wasn’t just a few metres away to hold you and soothe you through the anxiety until the sun finished rising and took it all away. 

He didn’t like the others, the ones that were blacks and greys, mixed with splatters of reds, and he didn’t know what prompted them, he didn’t know when you painted those ones or why, but when he looked closely enough he could see the circular stains on the canvases from dropped tears that distorted the paints. There were no shapes on those ones, just drags of brushes in frantic and erratic directions, nothing that gave you any reassurance or made sense, it was a mess that you just splayed over the surface until the white material was replaced with layers of dark oil paints to express your pain. 

Painting was the best way you knew how to get out the feelings you had inside that you didn’t know how to process, something he’d learned had been introduced to you by your therapist, expanding on the simple drawings he’d had you doing while living with him.

You were making friends, sometimes you came home with a receipt from the coffee shop with two drinks, someone at the gym who you’d been spotting on the weights and going for a drink afterwards, or befriending the older lady who worked on putting books back in the library. You’d met a couple in your therapy waiting room, two men who were there for marriage counselling, and they had begun to go for lunch with you every Saturday at the local café after your sessions. 

He was happy for you, he truly was, listening to you talk to him about how people at the gym had begun to ask you for advice on their workouts, and the manager had even offered you a job as a personal trainer - one that you’d refused, not quite ready for that yet - but you were still happy just to be having other people to talk to. People who didn’t want anything from you, people had had no ulterior motives in being with you other than friendship, and that was definitely something that you deserved from the world, after everything you had been put through.

That was exactly how Mitch had found himself here, stirring his coffee slowly as he watched you buzz around your kitchen, teaspoon clinking against the edge of the mug as steam curled up into the air. You were making breakfast, sleep still crawling at your features, but you were now making double the quantities you had been planning on, his arrival unexpected but you never turned him away when he knocked at your door. 

There was bacon and eggs, he could smell it on the air, his stomach rumbling happily, and he was sure that he looked just as sleep-mussed as you did, he’d barely pulled on his shoes, not even bothering to change out of his pyjamas when he’d woken this morning, just wanting to get on the road and on his way to visit you. 

You were spinning the tale to him all about the group therapy session you’d had, giggling as you spoke about Edith, who had an incredible dark-humour, anger issues and a God complex, and always made you laugh when you saw her. Mitch was grinning as he raised his brows a little, bringing the edge of his cup to his lips to hide his expression. 

“Are you sure you should be telling me all these juicy details about your friends?”

You shrugged, turning to grin at him over your shoulder as you plated up the breakfast foods, and he almost groaned at the sights of it, stomach clenching angrily with hunger, before you were passing it over to him. Eggs, bacon, pancakes; he felt like he was in heaven, loving getting to know another person in this kind of intimate way, missing having someone to share the lazy mornings with before exhaustions had fully left his mind and he was still a little hazy in his post-sleep state. “Who else am I supposed to tell it to?”

“Fair point.” He sighed, taking the plate with a mumbled ‘thank you’ before he was grabbing for his cutlery, watching as you took the seat across from him and dug into your own food. 

“Besides, Mary from the library is lovely but she can't keep a secret for anything, and Elliot and Greg love to gossip, it’s how I find out half of my gossip, and the gym is where I find out pretty much all of the other half, so I can’t tell them, because they’re who I’m gossiping about!” You grinned, dragging a piece of bacon and pancake from your fork with your teeth, and chewing happily, and Mitch simply rolled his eyes in response, but couldn't stop the curl of his lips into a smile. 

“So, I’m just your Pandora’s Box of therapy tales and gym gossip about your friends?”

“Yes.” You smirked, watching as he gasped in fake offence, and he didn’t even both to cut any of his bacon, trying to force the entire strip into his mouth at once, and a droplet of grease gathered at the corner of his mouth, prompting him to lick it away as you scowled at his gross behaviour. “Despite that undignified display, you’re also my best friend. For whatever reason.”

“Does that mean you don’t gossip about me, then?”

“I would never!” It was your turn to mock him, and he grinned cheesily, repeating the action with the next piece of meat, and you groaned, tearing your eyes away from him and fixing them on your plate as you made a show of neatly cutting your food into pieces to eat. “So, are you busy today?”

“That depends on what you have planned. I’m not going to look at curtains with you again, I can still feel that old lady’s fingers on my ass.”

You snorted, almost choking on your food as you remembered the day he’d had his ass pinched by a rambunctious old woman in the curtains store, and he glanced across the room, looking at the hanging drapes he’d helped install, the entire memory tainted with that of the startling encounter. You were still snickering into your meal, smiling with every bite you took, and sipping at your coffee, the suspense killing him.

“C’mon, out with it. What kind of crap are you going to drag me through today?”

“Well, not today, technically. I was thinking more tonight.” He hummed, prompting you to go on with what you had to say, and the scraping of metal on ceramic was filling the silence as he waited for you. “Will you take me to this little jazz bar I saw?”

“A jazz bar?”

You were a little more timid now, eyes fixed on your food as you became embarrassed of your request, and he didn’t want you to feel like that, not with him. He just couldn't quite fathom why you’d want to go to a jazz bar of all places, but he was willing to do so if it made you happy.

“Sure, but if we’re going to a jazz bar then I want the full experience. I’ll be drinking aged whiskey from a tumbler with one of those balls of ice in it, and I’ll be hungover. I’m crashing on your couch, and you have to cook breakfast again in the morning.” He raised his brows at you, watching as you perked back up, nodding happily and motioning over your shoulder to the fridge. 

“I have those sausages that you like.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

You cheered happily, whooping to yourself, before a comfortable quiet took over the room and you were left to finish your meals while simply soaking up the comfort of being together. There was no plan for the rest of the day, but after a few showers, and cleaning up the kitchen together, a vague plan to run some errands had been formed. You’d offered him the chance to go home several times, and yet he always refused, just as happy to wander the library with you and put back your books as he was to grab coffee with you, and go to the store to pick up a week’s worth of groceries. 

If he was there when you went shopping, he got a say on the things you bought, and then he knew what there was for the days he came over to have a meal with you. 

After cleaning up, on your way out, you had swung by his place, changing into something more suitable for a day of chores with you, and letting you sit in the car and flick through the music CD’s he had laying around on the backseat, bringing a blazer back out with him and a bag of things he’d need for his overnight stay, before the two of you had been off and on your way. As decided, you’d gone to the library first, a pile of books in your arms as you pushed the door open with your back, greeting the woman behind the desk and checking your books back in, dropping the stack into the returns, before making your way through the aisles. 

His arms had been loaded with books, holding them all for you as you climbed up and down the steps and stools to reach the high shelves trailing from one end of the building to the other, and up and down the stairs, as this time, you curated a collection of everything from a space-travel fantasy book to a non-fiction about lions and their hunting patterns. 

You had shown him your coffee joint, one you’d taken him to a few times before, but had redecorated since he’d last been, and was promoting a new set of special blends on the chalkboard menu outside, and so the two of you had ordered a small-sized version of each one, sharing them amongst yourselves as you judged the options before you. Your favourite had been the roasted hazelnut americano, while his had been the caramel macchiato with marshmallow essence, his sweet tooth shining through.

Following that, he’d taken you to the store, pushing the cart around and bumping you with it when you took too long for his liking to compare certain products, and as punishment, he’d been forced to help you unpack all the purchases, hiding away the treats he’d slipped into the basket in the backs of your cupboards and in the drawers of the coffee table that you never went into. By the time dusk had rolled around, he was pulling his blazer up his arms, a mix between smart and casual that was appropriate for the journey, skinny jeans and a henley not being fitting alone for the place you were travelling to, and he was staring up at the ceiling as he waited for you to be done.

“You ready?”

He chuffed, a snippy comment on the tip of his tongue about how it had been you that had decided you wanted to shower before going out, despite being perfectly clean, but his mouth went a little dry as he sat up, eyes widening. “Where did you get that dress?”

You looked down at yourself then, your hands clasping in front of yourself nervously after smoothing down the skirt. Dark blue, a shade that complimented you beautifully, lace along the arms and up to your neck, in what was a mock turtleneck, flaring out at the waist in a loose skirt, and it was most definitely a cocktail dress, not exactly the kind of thing he’d expect Irene would have bought for you. “My friend gave it to me. We were challenged at therapy to clear out things that reminded us of a bad time, and to give them to someone else, to make something bad into something good again.”

“That’s sweet.” He caught his breath, eyes scanning along you once again, your legs bare, and he smirked a little bit as he watched you match the elegance with a pair of sneakers, making the whole outfit seem much more fitting to you. “What did you take?”

“I didn’t really have anything, but I took one of my paintings - y’know the one with the blue and the green? That one. - and gave it to one of the people I didn’t know, but they wanted to put it up on the wall in their restaurant.”

He just nodded, licking over his lips as you reached for your coat, folding it over your arms, and he shook his head, letting out a sound to dissuade you from that course of action. “No, sweetheart, you can’t put a coat over a dress like that.” You raised your brows, before shrugging it off and following his lead, hanging it back up on the coat hooks, and he searched for your keys, tucking them into his pocket. “Besides, I told you this would be the full experience, and how am I supposed to be a gentleman and give you my jacket when you get cold if you have a coat?”

You simply grinned at him, holding the front door open and switching on the latch as the two of you left, heading towards the elevator and surrounded by soft laughs. “You’re a dork.”

“Big words from the girl who rented ten books for one weeks worth of reading.”

You gasped, turning to shoot him a little glare, but he just beamed, letting you guide him in the direction of your location for the evening. It was only a short walk, just around the corner from your building, but he could hear the music coming out all the way from a street over, lights and noise spilling from the hole-in-the-wall establishment as the two of you approached. 

It was even louder inside, the sounds of trumpets and guitars sounding out, and it was mellowed out inside, low lights and leather booths with round tables in solid oak with old and chipping wood, the smell of candles and smoke hanging on the air with liquor, and it was exactly what he expected it to be. The aesthetic matched all the scenes that he had laid out in his head, what he figured a jazz bar would look like, and raucous clapping took up as the live band finished and the current song ended, a man was taking a seat at the sleek black piano in the middle of the room to keep the music going as the acts changed over.

“Drinks first, right?”

“Are you allowed to drink?” Your face screwed up for a second, before you were shaking your head, and he dropped an arm to loop around your waist, guiding you towards the bar and making sure that you kept close to him in the bustling crowds. “Well, when you’re all cleared for it, I’ll take you out for a real drink, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

“I’m still drinking though.” He flagged down the bartender, a whiskey for himself and a soda for you, ice clinking against the glasses as they were served to you. A short and stocky glass was slid over the wooden counter towards you both, followed by a taller one, fizzing and bubbling with pop as ice swirled in the liquids, and you picked it up, bringing the straw to your mouth to take a sip. “Let’s find a booth.”

There was one in the far corner, just evacuated by the previous inhabitants, and you were quick to slide into the seat, Mitch taking the opposite one, and he didn’t miss the dirty looks that were being shot your way from another pair across the room who had clearly also been intending to claim this seat as their own, but he decided that the pair of you deserved it more, so he had no guilt as he ignored them. 

A new band was taking up on the stage, setting themselves up and adjusting the microphone, a woman wearing a floor-length ball gown covered in sparkles and sequins, red painted lips and neatly pinned up hair was taking a seat on a wooden stool at the front of the stage, and waiting as her bandmates all got set up. 

“She looks great.” You were in awe, he could read it clearly on your face, and he couldn't help the smile he got as he watched you admire her, before your eyes were moving to scan over everybody else in the room, and he took a sip of his drink, heat flaring on his cheeks when he cleared his throat, forcing you to stop watching everyone else.

“You know, you look beautiful, too.”

You scoffed under your breath, but smiled, your head ducking as you reached for your glass to busy your idle fingers instead, and he reached his hand out over the surface, palm up in offering. His breath was held, only released with relief when you slipped your hand into his, holding on gently, and he grinned to himself, hiding it behind the rim of his glass. “I never said beautiful.”

“Maybe not, but I did.” He wasn’t sure where the words were coming from, it was a part of his personality that he was sure he’d lost a long time ago, but the squeeze of your hand in his with silent acknowledgement made his hand tighten around yours, and you fell back into a companionable silence together. “You wouldn’t look like you if you tried to be like them. I like who you are now.”

“I don’t even know who I am, Mitch. Not really, anyway.”

“Maybe not fully, but there’s a lot that makes you special, already.” You looked up at him now, meeting his eye and holding it, before you were standing up, rounding to his side of the booth and taking a seat beside him instead. Lifting his arm, he wrapped it over your shoulders, letting you curl into his side as you faced the stage, but he felt the hand dangling over your shoulder warm, the curling of your fingers around his once again making his nerves tingle as adrenaline rushed through his body, and he pulled you in a little closer. The lights began dimming, a spotlight taking up on the centre stage once again, and he could feel you tense up with excitement for it all. “Show’s starting, sweetheart. Are you excited?”

You only hummed, twisting into him a little bit, before even the messing of your fingers with his own stopped, and you were fixing every bit of your attention onto the stage.

Her voice was beautiful, one deep breath carrying the words as she sang out steadily, the instruments fading into the tune as it progressed. It had been her and her only singing to start, before the piano had come in slowly, picking up speed when a steady drumbeat joined it, and then came the chorus. It was catchy and upbeat, a difference from the beginning of the song, cheerful melodies made by trumpets and saxophones, and then the band came in to perform back up singing. 

The bass was vibrating through the wooden floors, the feeling replicating that of nerves and butterflies curling in his stomach but in the best of ways, and Mitch was tapping his foot on the floor as the music played, unable to resist the urge. The crowds were cheering now, the peak of the song approaching, claps sounding out loudly, and he almost missed the soft giggle you let out as you took in the atmosphere, before your hand was leaving his, and you were clapping too. 

This went on, for what felt like mere minutes but was hours by the time he noticed your excitement dwindling as you slumped into his body. You were tired now, your head lolling on his shoulder a little, and one peek through the windows showed him that the twilight you’d arrived in had faded out into the night, dark and glittering with stars, and once the current song ended, he nudged you up a little. 

You sighed, before shaking your head clear, sitting up yourself from where you’d been lounging with him, and all of those patches felt a little cold as you moved away from him, so used to having you pressed up to him now, and providing him with your warmth. 

“Ready to go?”

You only nodded, wiping at your eyes a little bit before getting to your feet, a little shaky in your exhaustion, and he followed after you, several empty glasses sitting on the table as the warm buzz of alcohol coursed through his veins, the two of you navigating through the crowds carefully, his hand sitting on your lower back until you were reaching the doorway, gasps of fresh air as you made it back out onto the streets. 

You tugged a little on his sleeve, the two of you falling into step in the direction of your apartment. 

“I hope you plan to make good on that promise to give me your jacket.” 

He beamed at you, shrugging it down his arms and ignoring the chill he got, before tucking it over your shoulders delicately. Your hand found his, your fingertips tickling so lightly across his palm he had to resist the urge to flinch, but then you were weaving your fingers with his, holding his hand and he wrapped his digits around you just as tightly. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t want to go back.” He turned to look at you, your cheek pressing to his shoulder as you slipped somewhere between conscious and unconscious. “It was fun but it seems like it’d be a little boring after this. You have to do everything once, though, right?”

“I guess so, sweetheart.” You were so positive and optimistic, you had a sunny outlook on everything, a real feat for someone who came from your past, who was still in their first year of recovery from a lifetime of pain and trauma, and he was so proud of you for all the progress that you’d made. You were healing yourself, and he knew you were healing him, too. “Do you want to go and get some food? You must be hungry, you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I can’t,” you whispered the words, letting him wrap his arm around you instead, keeping your hands locked but it made it easier for him to guide you along as your tired feet began to drag along the floor. “I have a session in the morning.”

Mitch frowned, he was certain you’d already had your therapy this week, because you’d been telling him all about it over breakfast, and you hadn't told him about getting any more assigned sessions, but maybe that was why you’d been making such good progress. “I’ll make you coffee in the morning. C’mon, I know a diner with some great food that you’d love.” He grinned, squeezing you tightly and raising his other hand to tickle at your side. 

You grinned, huffing out a laugh, before shaking your head at him. “No food! Unit eight will not be at optimal performance efficiency without seven hours of rest per night.”

Just like that, the haze that had been your walk home was washed away, like ice water had been thrown over his head and his stomach clenched up angrily in a way that made him feel sick. You whined as he came to a full stop, his body rigid in his movements, and you raised your head to look at him, the awning of your building hanging overhead as you stood just outside of the doorway, but he couldn't help but stare at you, knowing that horror was flashing over his features.

“What?” You were looking at him now, curious with wide eyes, coming back to your senses as his abrupt halt had forced you to wake up a little more, and you were blinking at him, worry beginning to seep into your features. “Mitch, what’s wrong?”

“You don’t even know what you just said, do you?”

“Uh..” You thought on it, brows furrowing and shrugging your shoulders. “Not really, just something about how I need to get a good night’s sleep, I think.”

He shook his head, pulling you closer into his body as your hands were crushed between your bodies, resting on his chest as he pulled you close, and guided you through the door, a walk that was almost a shuffle as you went along, side by side. “You called yourself.. by your old title.”

It took you a minute to realise what you’d said, before you were paling a little, a look just as distraught as he’d felt flashing over your face. “You know, you’ve been making so much progress forwards, and I’ve seen you tired before, this has never happened. What’s going on?”

You looked up at him and shrugged, moving away to avoid his gaze and open your front door. The second the two of you were inside, you were kicking off your shoes hastily and leaving them in the middle of the floor, making your way to the kitchen to get away from him, and he could hear you filling up the kettle. He put your shoes and his on the shelf they belonged on, finding his blazer slung neatly over the back of the couch, and he came into the kitchen quietly, not wanting to startle you, and took a seat at the kitchen table.

His eyes flickered over the room, watching you move in your own space easily and swiftly, pulling two mugs from the cupboard. You dropped a tea bag into each, a scoop of honey following, and steam was beginning to leave the kettle as the water approached being ready. As the cutlery drawer slid closed, he saw it, he realised what was off. Your schedule was turned around, the blank paper facing upwards from the chart he’d seen you replicate and helped you make, the activities now facing inwards. 

He was on his feet before he could stop himself, taking off the magnet that had pinned it up, and twisting the sheet to face himself. The first thing that immediately jumped out was that you’d managed to progress from a daily chart that repeated every day, to a weekly one, the hours down the side being replaced with days of the week. 

His eyes immediately picked out the things that were expected, ‘trip to the library’, ‘grocery shopping’ and ‘dinner with Mitch’, smiley faces drawn beside them, and his lips flicked up at the corners. ‘Physical activity’ had been replaced with the word ‘gym’, and his suspicions were confirmed, the word ‘therapy’ being scrawled across the empty spots on a Tuesday, definitely not today. Then, he was studying the other things, grunting as his brows furrowed. 

‘Hypno with Irene’.

He looked up, finding you already facing him, leaning against the counter and staring into your drink, a frown on your face. You were clutching the mug with both hands, a sigh leaving you as he inched a little closer. It was on there three times, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, definitely a new addition because the ink colour was different to the rest, and it looked fresher, like it had only been added a month or so ago.

“Does ‘hypno’ mean hypnotherapy?” 

“Yes.” Your words were weak, and he let a little growl out, putting the paper back on the fridge and pinning the magnet over it, a little more aggression behind his actions that and you flinch, and he would’ve acknowledged his guilt from the action if it hadn't been for the anger clouding his mind. 

He patted his pockets down for his phone, finding it tucked away, and you watched him move, he could feel your stare lingering on him as he walked away towards the door, already pushing his thumb into the contact card on the screen, and he could hear it calling as he lifted it to his ear. The second he had, he was slamming the door shut behind himself, trying to take a deep breath to calm himself down, but the feeling of rage bubbled back up as he heard the line go through. 

“Do you not know what time it is, Rapp?”

“You’re taking her to fucking hypnotherapy? You’re digging around in her mind, before she even knows how to control what she gets back?” He was seething, fingers gripping his phone so tightly he worried that it might crack by his ear. “Are you fucking insane?”

“It would do you well to curb your tone, agent. Remember who you work for.”

Her tone had somehow managed to get even colder, and he knew she was right, so he bit down on his lip so aggressively that the taste of copper trickled over his tongue. “She isn’t ready for that yet.”

“That isn’t your call to make.”

“Maybe not, but there’s a pair of eyes in my fucking skull, and I can see that she’s still piecing herself back together.” It was taking everything he had to hold his tone steady and stop from shouting again, and he stopped his pacing, leaning back against the wall and working through his body methodically to try and ease his own tension. 

“She is the only lead we have on taking down an organization that has been doing this for decades. She is the key, and she’s been giving us more information in the last month than we have gained in at least thirty years.”

“You’re going to break her.” His voice cracked then, and just like that, there wasn’t any more clenched muscles or balled up fists anymore, there was just the exhaustion and ache in his body, and he felt like he might collapse to the floor if it wasn’t for the wall holding him up. “You’re going to ruin her.”

“I’m taking all the necessary precautions, Mitch.” 

Even Irene had eased up, and while he wouldn’t exactly call her tone soft, he certainly knew there was less venom and aggression behind it now. 

“She is making excellent progress, and we didn’t dive right in at the deep end. We worked it up, but there’s a point she can’t get past. She locks up, we just need her to break through it and we will have everything we need.”

“What point?” Mitch wasn’t sure he actually wanted the answer to this, but he needed to know, to be able to help you or stop it, he just needed to be aware of what you were facing so that you didn’t have to handle it alone.

“She tried to run when she was younger, and she made it out. If she can tell us what she saw, we can track it down. But, she stops as she approaches the door, her mind won’t let her get any further than that.”

“I want to come along. Tomorrow. I’m going to be there.” The hesitation from his boss was evident, a deep sigh, and the shuffling of some papers, and he knew that no matter how late the hour was, Irene was at home doing work anyway. 

“Fine. Eight sharp, at her apartment. If you’re late, we’re leaving without you.”

He smirked, glancing up at your door, but not letting on that he was already here with you, the line clicking off before he even had a chance to thank her, and his eyes rolled involuntarily at her actions, but he wasn’t at all surprised. The screen went black when he pulled it from his ear, and Mitch dragged a hand over his face, tucking the device into his pocket and opening the door up again, shutting it softly behind himself now instead of slamming it like he had done before.

Your head snapped up to him, eyes wide as you saw him come back in, and you were on your feet to meet him from the second he’d entered the room. “You came back.”

“Where did you think I was going?” His brows furrowed, your arms wrapping around yourself as he watched you, your mug almost empty, but he noticed his was now sitting face down in the sink, tipped away as you presumed him to have left. 

“I thought you were angry with me, and that you went home.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” He was padding across the room and cupping your face in two large hands before he’d even had to think about it, thumbs running over your cheekbones and you stared up at him through wide and glossy eyes. “I’m not mad at you, I promise. I’m mad at Irene, and the world, but I’m not mad at you.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.” He leaned in, pressing a long and slow kiss to your forehead, feeling you press back into the touch, and he grinned at the little noise you let out, sagging into his body as your arms circled his waist. He had enough space to pull away, peppering your cheeks and temples with little kisses too, until you were giggling under his hold, face screwing up, and he let you go, your face wiping against your shoulder as he watched you through his own entertainment. “Why didn’t you tell me, though?”

“Irene said it would make you upset, and I don’t want you to be upset with me.”

“I’m not upset with you, I’m just upset for you. I don’t want you to have to suffer anymore.” He sighed, trying to catch your gaze, and using two fingers to tip your chin up to find his sights. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It isn’t fun, but Irene says it’s helping people. People like me, and I can save them. I have to save them, Mitch, like you saved me.” He smiled then, watching as you lit up enthusiastically, and while it was taking a toll on you, he could sense how much you cared, and he couldn't take that away from you. 

“I’m going to come with you, tomorrow.”

You grinned, leaning in enough to bump your forehead to his cheek, and you nodded against him, squeezing him tightly within your arms. When you backed away, there was a glint in your eyes, and you backed off enough to shuffle through your cupboards, pulling out a bag of dried pastas, and presenting the half-empty bag to him. “I learned how to make mac and cheese the other week, it makes me feel better after therapy, and you look like you could use a cheer up. You want some?”

“I thought you wanted to go to sleep?” He pressed, and you raised a single shoulder, dropping it back down, before turning to find a pan.

“You’re worth staying up for.”

Then, yes, I’d love some.” He was taking a seat at the table once again, and you hummed, beginning to serve up a portion for you both, fishing around in the fridge to gather all of the ingredients. 

He couldn't pretend that he wasn’t nervous, or that the idea of seeing you in that state didn’t frighten him, but he knew that he had to be there for you, to help you and protect you when you were vulnerable, and so everything else slipped away.

Kylux Big Bang 2020 wrap-up and feedback survey results

Hello everyone!

We've concluded yet another Kylux Big Bang, fifth one we've run since TFA first came out - a huge THANK YOU to all our participants who keep this bang going! Amazing job everyone, we hope you've had as much fun with it as with the previous ones, and if this was your first ever KBB - we hope you've enjoyed it, and will join us for the 2021 KBB :D

We've closed the feedback survey, thank you to everyone who responded! Your comments will help shape the coming Kylux Big Bang. Here's the tl;dr summary, (for more info please see below the cut):

Ratio of artwork to wordcount: just right

Time-frame to complete works: just right, we will have a similar timeframe for KBB 2021 with posting in November

Check-ins: were useful, just about the right amount, and will be included again in 2021 KBB

Pairing process: went well, we've addressed more detailed comments below

Type of bang for 2021: REVERSE! The KBB has a tradition of swapping between the type of bang every other year, and over half of responders voted for a reverse bang. For the KBB 2021 artists will provide prompts, and writers will pick from them!

Mods for the 2020 KBB: will be announced once the 2021 bang starts

Our email is still [email protected], please feel free to contact us there if you’d like!

We will keep running the discord server for KBB 2021 to help people reach out to the mods and other participants

We will update the schedule as soon as the 2021 KBB starts. We are hoping to open the sign-ups for KBB 2021 in early May - keep an eye out on our blog and twitter for the sign up announcement around that time!

For more details about the survey results please check below the cut.

Everyone, regardless of previous involvement in the fandom and their skill level, is welcome to participate in the Kylux Big Bang!  We look forward to many of you signing up for the 2021 KBB :)

KBB Mod Team

Nearly everyone thought the ratio of artwork to wordcount was just right (93%; 94% last year; 5% thought there were too many words per piece of art and 2% that there wasn't enough), and the majority of people (79%, 77% last year) thought the time-frame to complete the works was also just about right, with 14% saying it wasn't enough and 7% saying that it was too much time. We will stick to a similar time frame, starting KBB 2021 around May and finishing in November for the Big Bang and September for the Mini Bang.

Almost everyone (95%; 15% more than last year) finished their projects by the end of the event and was satisfied or highly satisfied with the 2020 KBB (88%).

Most people (86%; 96% last year) found the check-ins useful, with majority of participants (74%, 91% last year) having found the amount of check-ins to be just about right. 16% of respondents thought there were too many, 10% thought there were too few. 86% of all respondents would like to have check-ins in the next KBB. We will continue using them, and review their number.

62% of people want to see a reverse bang this year, and we have taken into account the fact that the previous bangs operated on a switch basis: a regular bang followed by a reverse, followed by a regular. We are happy to announce that this year’s event will be a REVERSE bang, following the regular bang from last year :) Artists will submit their story ideas, and writers will pick from them.

We were happy to hear that almost everyone who voiced their opinions about the pairing process thought it worked well!

As usual, we got the one singular comment about the pairing process being somehow 'rigged'. Here is a link to the pairing algorithm we use every year since 2017. To increase the anonymity of prompts and bids, mod @glass-oceans encoded each prompt with its own unique code (the 'prompt code' everyone has been using for their project), and the artist bids were similarly encoded to avoid bias before the pairing up was done by mod @brainyraccoons based on those codes alone. If people still have concerns and doubts about the pairings, mod @brainyraccoons is more than happy to discuss those, you can message him on tumblr/twitter under the same username or on discord at brainyraccoons#5678.

We would also like to note that most other big bangs operate on a ‘first come, first served’ basis for pairing, where whoever is first to bid on a prompt gets it. We think that is highly unfair to people who cannot access the bidding on time or experience technical difficulties, therefore we employ the pairing algorithm even though it adds at least 15 extra work hours (that’s almost half a week for an office worker) for one mod and is quite a complex process. We do it because we want everyone to have an equal chance at getting their favourite prompts. If you think the process is somehow ‘rigged’, you are in no way obliged to participate in the KBB, and we will not address any further comments of this nature.

We've received a comment asking for space to write down people whom the participants do not wish to be paired up with - this information can be included in the last question on the form which asks whether you would like to let us know of anything else regarding your pairing and prompt preferences.

We are not sure what the comment asking about factoring in time zones for pairing relates to - if the person in question could send us a private message and explain, we would be happy to hear them out!

Other feedback we've received has been extremely positive and encouraging, and we are happy to hear that you've enjoyed the project! We sincerely thank everyone who took the time to share their love for the KBB with us, the project wouldn't be possible without you!

To address the concerns and queries that were raised:

This year we will be changing the way the posting windows work, as many people have raised their concerns over them, and we acknowledge that the posting didn't go as smoothly as anticipated. We will be following the format almost all other Big Bangs take, and people will be able to pick ONE DAY, and one day only, for their posting. ALL art and fic will have to be posted within that time-frame. If there are reasonable mitigating circumstances for people missing their assigned posting date, we will do our best to find a good solution - as always, we will help however we can, and there will be options to post after the original deadline has passed, provided that the team keeps a line of communication open with us at all times when difficulties arise, and all parties know what's happening. Changing the way we do posting should also help with having less fics posted in the last few days and help to spread the posting out better.

Check-ins having no repercussions for the half of the team who isn't progressing with their side of the project: as far as we know, that wasn't the case, and teams who have submitted only partial check-ins were chased up and multiple pinch hitters were assigned where people went MIA. If there are issues with people not pulling their weight in your team, PLEASE LET US KNOW. If you are for some reason unhappy with your partner(s), PLEASE LET US KNOW. If you wish to change your partner because you cannot form a working relationship with them for the duration of the bang, PLEASE EXPLICITLY LET US KNOW (this one is particularly helpful at the start of the project when it's easier to move people around as necessary). We assume that everyone who is taking part in the bang is mature enough to be able to communicate with their partner, or notify us in a timely manner if things are not going according to plan, so we can work on a viable solution together.

Ability to talk to a mod of someone's choosing: this has always been the case, the list of mods is available to view on the rules page, as well as clearly visible on discord! You can DM any member of the mod team at any given time, although a reply might come some time later due to time zone differences.

We will continue to allow everyone to join the KBB, regardless of their previous involvement in the fandom, the KBB itself, and whether they have finished all their previous works for all other projects they have participated in or not.

We will aim to open beta sign ups at the start of the bang, so there will be a bigger beta pool from the beginning and hopefully we will be able to pair up anyone who will need a beta with one. However, we urge people to look for their own betas where possible, as it is not guaranteed that we will be able to provide one for the project, considering how many participants there are.

We will try to make more use of the discord server for posting announcements and reminders as well as posting more on both the tumblr and twitter throughout the bang. Unfortunately 2020 hit us all hard and we didn’t get to do things such as Tips & Tricks and Participant Profiles like we usually do.

For KBB 2021 we will require artists and authors to exchange emails. In previous bangs we’ve allowed people to opt-out of this and use alternate contact methods. This year primary point of contact will be through email and once people are paired up partners can choose how they want to keep in touch moving forward.

If anyone would like any clarification on any of the above, please feel free to contact us!

♦ Golly, it’s been a hot second! This may as well be a bit of a tradition; posting an update whenever a certain game does, huh?

Anyhow;

♦ TL:DR; Underfade/Colorless and its subsequent AUs, as well as the rest of the Undertale blogs under my wings, are in an indefinite hiatus. Should the faded!Frisk AU ever revive, then this blog (fadedtale) will serve as the main hub for it. The original blog will no longer be running at all.

♦ I’m doing great by the way!... but if this little message somehow reaches out to others from this tiny corner of the wide internet, here’s a full report on the status of things;

--

       – UNDERFADE/FADEDTALE RELATED –

❥ Why is fadedtale becoming the main blog for your AUs when you still have the original blog?

♦ Ha ha, it’s quite simple really!

I no longer have access to the original blog.

The email I used for it? I can’t remember it. Any record I have saved for what that email could be is also unfindable?? Please believe me when I say that I have tried near everything I could to try and recover the blog. A solid portion of the time away from this AU is the utter despair I felt not finding any trace of what made that blog in the first place.

Watch me say that and then find the email I need to claw my way back into it. Until then;

Goodbye, Underfade/Colorless It will forever exist as a relic of its time; a personally cringeworthy yet humble seedling for the monstrosity of a brainworm it is even to this day.

❥ Underfade/Colorless, cringeworthy?

♦ Immensely!

Not because it’s an Undertale AU, and not because Undertale is. Undertale is genuinely, unironically, epic and joy inducing -- thus, the work I’ve done for Undertale through these AUs is also joy inducing.

However, as the years have passed, I’ve become increasingly unhappy with how I managed things. I can’t look at that blog without feeling like I’m drinking raw lime juice, ha ha.

On the plus side; I’m happy with how much I’ve grown and changed since the blog’s establishment! That’ll be my overall takeaway... even if my past, not-nearly-as-cool self may forever exist within its own bubble of the internet.

❥ What about your other blogs? 

♦ I have no idea what the fresh hell is happening with my other blogs, as basically the only blog I do have access to still is fadedtale. So... my other UT blogs share the same fate as the original faded!Frisk blog: stasis.

❥ So... what’s the plan? 

♦ Well-!

As much as I want to come back and finish what I started, it has been difficult to find the motivation to.

Between real life, finding myself with real (!) paying (!!) art jobs, getting the therapy and rest I need to in between contract work, surviving 2020 and building myself up to higher heights, there hasn’t been much room at all for these AUs. I cannot guarantee, at all, that I will have the time or energy to return and work/roleplay for this as I once did.

I did think of just writing out at least the Underfade/Colorless AU and putting it someplace like Ao3, either as a series of notes or as a flimsily written fic, with either or being accompanied by the artwork I have accumulated on and off throughout my years’ long hiatus. I’m perpetually on the fence on this front!

Maybe by the time deltarune Ch. 7 is out, we’ll come back to all of this.

--

       – UNDERTALE RELATED –

❥ CIN, CIN, CIN, DELTARUNE CHAPTER 2

♦ YO

WHY DO YOU THINK I’M WRITING THIS STATUS UPDATE. COINCIDENCE??? NO

In all seriousness; deltarune chapter 2 was a delightful and inspirational experience!! The series really is a nostalgic-feeling one. It’s why I keep coming back to it I think, ha ha. I hope everyone’s had a fun time with the new chapter, too!

--

      – GENERAL NEWS –

❥ How’ve things been?

♦ I graduated college! I work as a full-time 2D animator! If you see my name in places, you can go “whoa! That’s a bird!”

I’ve been to weddings, I’ve been to graduations, I’ve been across the country, and I’ve been at home with my loved ones for over a year...

All in all, I’ve been just fine!

❥ What have you been up to lately?

♦ 2D animation contract work, mostly! Being loosely active in my typical haunts, too. I want to say my most active one nowadays is Discord, ha ha.

One of these days, it would be nice to pick up my britches and make my own game or webcomic. My current work in the 2D animation scene is saving up for that sort of dream.

Maybe I’ll see you there! Maybe not. I’ll let you know when deltarune chapter 7 lands.

❥ I want to talk to you! How do I do that?

♦ Echoing my last status update; I’m on Discord! If we don’t share a Discord server or if we haven’t RP’d when I was active, then... whoops.

The next best option is skybluescarf, which is my permanently queue-ing fandom blog. It may take a month or year to see messages from there.

❥ Anything else you want to mention?

♦ Kris, Chara and Frisk all canonically use they/them pronouns 🎉 This is an indisputable canonical fact and I’ve gotten enough therapy to take pride in my assertiveness, which I am exercising right now in order to aggressively stand for this notion.

Anyone who ships these characters with adults are free to take a vacation to hell!

Anyone who ships Cha//risk or any of the human children with Asriel, romantically, can also give me a wide berth. I see them all as friends/siblings and am firmly asserting this as well.

Otherwise, that should be all for now. Thank you all for your time and patience.

I’ll see you all later!

Hi! I'm mostly feeling a lot of inspiration for an idea I discussed on a server a few months back, and I saw in the rules that if I spoke about an idea publicly, it's not allowed. Is it possible to change that rule? Or is there a specific reason why it has to be completely secret?

Hiya! We've covered pretty similar questions in the FAQ tag before. Just so y'all know that's a good place to check first if you're looking for information. Not that there's anything wrong with sending in an ask!

So this kind of has two answers, depending on your, uh, ethics:

Answer the First

Is it possible to change that rule?

First off: let me just say that we mods deffo always welcome feedback about the rules and how we're running things, and what works best for you guys and what doesn't. We want this to be a fun and stress-free event.

But the best we can do is take note of tweaks to the rules for next year. Otherwise, it feels unfair to everyone who already signed up agreeing to the rules as they are. Like we don't want to change our TOS, you know, after you've agreed.

Is there a specific reason why it has to be completely secret?

There are a few reasons!

Reason One: it's an almost universal rule to Big Bang events that writers and artists cannot share or talk about their creations before posting. The mods together have been in fandom collectively for over 35+ years and neither of us has come across a Big Bang that didn't include the secrecy angle. So part of it is just the tradition and expectation and keeping rules similar enough that we're not throwing anyone for a loop by reinventing the wheel.

Reason Two: it adds to the excitement and anticipation of posting. You might know a writer you love or an artist you love is participating but not what they're creating and it builds up an eager audience of readers and viewers for our participants.

Reason Three: it prevents a good chunk of favouritism from going to those who already have large[r] audiences within the fandom. This event is for everyone, whether you have 2000 followers or two. So the secrecy, especially for writers, is meant to prevent stuff like someone going "hey, that writer is really popular; if I make stuff for them or beta for them, I'll also get attention". It puts the emphasis back on the creation itself. Does the concept of the fic sound really good? Does the art look amazing? Etc. etc. And ideally as a reader/viewer it matters less if you do or don't recognise the name of the creator going in, because you didn't know who was making what for months and months.

That said: we've been pretty lenient about how much discussing of an idea you could do before CWBB existed/opened/you knew about it. We only ask that if you sign up knowing you're going to write that idea, that you stop discussing it publicly now.

Answer the Second

If you don't tell us that you spoke somewhere about it publicly, how would we know? How could we prove that the fic you wrote was the exact concept you were talking about and not a similar plot bunny conceived after you signed up?

The only bannable infractions listed in the rules are: lying about your age if you're underage; ghosting the mods and your teammate; and/or hurting other people. We're not saying you should find and exploit loopholes in the rules; we're just pointing out that there are some loopholes and unenforceables in the rules. One mod is a Slytherpuff and the other is a Slytherclaw does it show?

This event is definitely more of a "please follow the spirit if not the letter of the law" event. You can do with that what you want. *cryptic smile*