I've been holding the line on the kitchen counters so far π
@megansantucci
Author, editor, reader, mom, general chaos gremlin. She/her Hire me here: https://www.fiverr.com/megansantucci Read my short story, "Tethered," here: https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Rust-Glass-Speculations-Midwest/dp/1736772856/
I've been holding the line on the kitchen counters so far π
You're welcome! βΊοΈ
The calico kitten is yawning because she got caught trying to bite the computer
Definitely not biting the computer
The tortie and calico kittens are both curled up in a large cardboard box, squinting at the camera
You've heard of Pocket Full of Sunshine, get ready for Box Full of Grumpy
A dilute tortie kitten is melting off the top of a cat tree. Her tabby calico sister is curled up next to her.
"I only see one kitten in that picture, I demand a recount!" okay here's both of them, charging their solar batteries.
A dilute tortie kitten takes a nap on a table, next to a vase of pink carnations
If any followers of @scalzi.com and @scamperbeasts.bsky.social are wondering how Saja's sisters are doing, the answer is: very very spoiled.
and I just like ????? donβt want that in my escapism, first of all, but itβs also more of a jump scare where you do an emotion TO the reader as opposed to going on an emotional journey WITH the reader
which is often a habit young writers grow out of as they get more life experience
"if you're gonna wave your dick around, wave it ALL around!!!!" is actually a flawless description of a common artist bad habit where you deploy the trappings of a raw emotional experience without REALLY Going There. a TV main character's shock death just to generate a big reaction, for example
(I cannot overemphasize how much this is based on my own experience, I am like a cartoon character desperately laying out pieces of track in front of a barrelling train in terms of writing skill, I am not giving advice from on high π)
You know you need to "escalate" but you don't know how to escalate EMOTIONALLY so you just pull another, "bigger" tragedy out of your hat and hope that it gives the reader enough of a shock.
Omg Claire this is going to sound unbelievably pretentious but I literally had a conversation with Sheila recently about this up to and including saying it was a sign of immature writing. π
A calico kitten is sprawled in a human's lap, looking very relaxed. The human is gently scritching between her ears.
Violet (calico girl) is also getting plenty of cuddles
First photo taken by Athena Scalzi about two weeks ago:
whatever.scalzi.com/2025/08/19/p...
Two kittens stand just in front of a parked car eating churu off the ground. A third tortie kitten is half hidden under the car because she is too scared to come out.
The formerly scared tortie kitten curled up in a human's lap, looking extremely cozy
To be loved is to be changed
A calico kitten. One side of her face is mostly gray and has a dark "eyeliner" marking around the eye; the other side is mostly orange and does not.
I love how calico girl only has eyeliner on one side, like somebody interrupted her GRWM.
A dilute tortie kitten. In the foreground, her back foot has multicolored toe beans. In the background, her face looks annoyed but actually she is squinting because she just had antibiotic ointment applied to her left eye.
Morning eye ointment/LET ME LOVE YOU time
Two kittens lying/loafing on top of a quilt. They look vaguely annoyed at being disturbed. There is a small human under the blanket but she is not visible.
My daughter fell asleep in my bed and some time later I came into the room to find this
The same situation as before, but now the two kittens have their paws crossed together as though they are holding hands
Content warning: EXCESSIVE CUTENESS
Two kittens sleep tucked under a blanket. Part of their human servant's torso and arm are visible in the background
We managed to convince tortie girl to join the cuddle puddle
A tiny calico kitten sleeps in the middle of a giant bed, half covered in a large blanket
She's only 3.5 pounds but already taking up a good portion of the king sized bed π
I am also frequently on Tumblr!
www.tumblr.com/alternatefut...
Two kittens stand in front of small dishes containing food and water. A tablet has been set up nearby and is playing videos of birds.
My daughter is teaching them about being an iPad baby
A calico kitten playfully smacks her tortie sister in the face
They WERE being super cute grooming each other π
A tortie kitten sniffs a closet door while a calico kitten sniffs a cat bed that contains a plush leaf toy
neef neef neef neef
A dilute tortie and a tabby calico kitten stare through the mesh of a cat carrier
Fans of @scalzi.com and @scamperbeasts.bsky.social do not mourn! For I have former foster kitten pics for you!
Names still pending but Violet seems to be winning for the calico.
A Twitter post: "Can't win em all" Bro I would like to win at least one
Archibald Asparagus looms over Larry the Cucumber while yelling at him.
You can't say everyone has turbo cancer when everyone does NOT have turbo cancer! We're going to get nasty letters!
Help she's too cute π₯Ί
Therapists have meetings? They assemble??
She regrets nothing