Last Tail - Chapter 16: The Pride of Brickhedge Part 1

 

The morning of the first big event of Brickhedge started like any other morning on Main Street. The summer sun slowly rose through a darkened sky, bringing with it a shade of blue that would only intensify as the morning trekked onward. 

Traffic, what little there would be, would be redirected through the northern parts of town. Each street heading into Main was partly blocked off the previous night after the last of the food trucks rolled in. News crews, were there to be any, would be parked on a back road somewhere. Other town and privately owned vehicles had been ordered off Main and to a nearby outlet as some emergency vehicles were moved in and stationed at either exit and at two alleys, just in case.

Even in these early morning hours, the smell of funnel cakes and popcorn penetrated the walls of 987 Main Street Brickhedge.

Last Tail - Chapter 15: Doctor & Patience

 

Callista, her face a mask of controlled frustration, delivered a sharp blow to the tin filing cabinet in her office. Her breathing was heavy, a clear sign of her inner turmoil

A nurse looked on; his expression a mix of concern and suppressed amusement.

"Are you okay, doctor?" The nurse said with a slight smirk on his face, which bled slightly into the way his words came out. Leif Collins, a longtime staple at Brickhedge Medical and more widely accepted as the medical authority here than the actual doctor herself at the moment.

Callista's shoulders rose as she took in one last deep breath, then they rapidly sunk as she allowed her balled fist to fall off the now dented cabinet. 

The lioness exhaled loudly, shook her head, and then turned around to face her nurse. "I am a-okay, Leif, thank you." Callista wore her hair up in an admittedly large bun today; the thick strands and overall fullness of her hair made the up-do challenging to maintain. "Do you have Mrs. Oniker's file?" 

The green-haired opossum smiled and handed the folder over. Leif had worked for years under the previous doctor, so his presence here was much appreciated on days when the dreaded Miribel Oniker came strolling into the office—the old field mouse with enough grit and hateful energy to fuel a platoon if needed.

The lioness paced around the office, and she looked over documents, chewing at the tip of one of her claws. She'd have some time before the next appointment. 

Callista glanced up from the document at the opossum that stood near the entrance of her office. He was a slender fellow with a head that looked almost too big for his body. He wore his usual pair of salmon pink scrubs and had the transgender flag pin stuck just above his name tag. She smiled as she returned the focus to the patient's documents. 

"So, Leif, will you be attending the festivities tomorrow?" Callista asked as she thumbed another paper from the folder. Her voice reigned in, sounding more professional than usual. She sat down in her chair and leaned back.

The opossum nodded. "Yes, ma'am. My boyfriend and I already have the whole day planned out. We're super excited." He paused for a second, chewing on the next question. "Will you be going as well, doctor?" 

Callista nodded, "Wouldn't miss it. It's really refreshing to see such a small, backwoods town be so inclusive. You rarely see this sort of enthusiasm for such things outside of California." 

"I know, right? I mean, most beasts I knew in town were supportive of my, um, change, but I'd no idea just how much they supported the community until the new Town Planner came along." He paused for a second, then gestured to the paper Callista was reading. "Well, most everyone."

Last Tail - Chapter 14: Dear Journal,

 

"Dear journal.

I haven't talked to you in a while, have I? We'd been so close for a while there that I thought I'd go on to have every day of my life documented within your pages. I still like to look back at the earliest volumes when I was but a six-year-old rewatching my old Doug VHS tapes on repeat, thinking I could have a life like his. Full of eccentric characters, wacky adventures—and I remember this being particularly embarrassing at that age—hoping to catch feelings for some pretty girl at school that I could then write about in your pages, imagining fun adventures with her and my other friends. 

Final Switch 2 Direct Predictions

Price point: $499

Launches with Metroid Prime 4, Mario Kart 9 and Hollow Knight Silksong, among a few other lesser ground shattering titles. 

Chrono Trigger HD2D, Final Fantasy VII Remake and an all new Final Fantasy IX Remake will all be launching within the launch year window. Square-Enix will also announce that Visions of Mana will be coming to the Switch 2 this year. 

We're going to see a new Mega Man. Not just a new game, but an entirely new version of the character. 

Brand new mainline Sonic the Hedgehog game will be announced/evealed here. 

The new Monolithsoft game will be there and it is going to be jaw dropping as usual. 

Both Mario and Zelda will have their next big entries revealed, or announced in the latter case. Mario Switch 2 will be this year's big holiday title.

Pokémon Legends Z is going to be shown off with its Switch 2 enhancements and people will actually be pleased by it.

A handful of Switch 1 first party games, Xenoblade series and Bayonetta 3 specifically, will have Switch 2 Edition patches. 

Launching in early June. 

Last Tail - Chapter 13: Fox Meets Wolf

 

The town was abuzz with anticipation as the first town hall meeting since Eligh took office was about to commence. The residents, emerging from their homes and businesses, strolled towards the school gymnasium, the chosen venue for this momentous event. The spacious building was ready to accommodate a substantial portion of the town's population.

A dedicated crew had been toiling all day, ensuring that an ample number of chairs were set up to accommodate the expected crowd. Tables were also arranged, later laden with snacks and town-related paperwork for the residents to peruse or take home, reflecting the thorough preparation for the meeting. 

Brigid hurriedly dressed herself following another extensive shower session that preceded an extended visit from the fur dryer. It ended with extra attention to her hair as she carefully braided it and feathered her bangs. This was to be the first actual gathering she'd been to since moving here earlier in the season, and based on all she'd heard from the regulars at Toh's Beans, town hall meetings were more a reason for the residents to get together and mingle than it was about the town.

So, an actual party.