By: Daiyu Tang – Hathian Observer Editor & Girl Behind the Lens
My dear (long suffering?) readers, welcome to the 2025 ‘Year in Review’ which follows on from (yes you guessed it) the ‘2024 Year in Review’ and the ‘2023 Year in Review’ as a series where the Observer will guide you though a tour of Hathian, CU, Laveau, and the surrounding chaos.
As the city’s criminals (HPD included, on some days), citizens, and minor deities all know, not every crime, tryst, or fiasco makes it to print. 2025 brought swings and roundabouts: colleagues came and went, and a few once-reliable gangs splintered, starving us of their usual headline fuel.
We published 180 stories in 2025, down from 350 in 2024 and 210 in 2023. That reflects both a thinner news stream, ((the Observer website going down and deleting articles)) and a leaner newsroom. If you’ve got a spine and a pen, we want you. Citizen submissions, temps, or full-timers: the office is freshly redecorated, the coffee is strong, and the work is never dull. For the very best journalists, I can even afford to pay you a bonus these days!
Thank you to our 2025 contributors, Louis, Aithne, Venus, Shiloh, and the many anonymous tipsters who keep our ink flowing. If I missed your name, consider this a standing apology and an invitation to file a few more stories to make me remember it.
For the 2024 Year in Review we gave you the January 2024, February 20224, March 2024, April 2024, May 2024, June 2024, July 2024, August 2024, September 2024, October 2024 and November 2024 month in review articles, but in 2025 due to a reduction in our journalists, we managed January 2025, February 2025, March 2025 and April 2025. After that, I’m afraid we left you to find your best articles, but don’t worry in this year end summary, I’ll fill in a few choice missing items that you may have missed!
So, in summary I’ll pick the best news out of the area from these months we did cover with the monthly series and then fill in with others for the rest of the year. So, please enjoy, Happy New Year and all that stuff… and remember, the Observer needs you!
January – FDH Chief Rhys Gets A Festive Visit
January was a month of gang stories. Our top three were made up of the King Street, then the Yuugen and finally an obituary. I’ve decided to go with the King Street story. Applying pressure to the FDH is something that goes in waves in Hathian; sometimes they are the ‘goodies’, sometimes the ‘baddies’, it seems to depend whether HPD is at their throat or not, or whether they have good leaders or bad. Still, as I’ve often said, out of all the emergency services, they’re, in my view, the most dependable. So it was a shame when in January the King Street decided that a bit of domestic terrorism was needed.
February – When You Decorate With Skulls
This one was easy. While the FDH appeared again in our Top Three the top position for Hathian gruesome news could only have been when the skull of a former gang member was dropped on my desk. With no love lost between me and the Jackals I never-the-less wasn’t (and won’t) condone murdering people just to make a point, but if you’re in the Rejects this is clearly not going to sway you. One less Jarrah, one more story to make you fearful of the streets at night…
March – “I’m too old for this Clam-ity,”
It wouldn’t be a year in Hathian without ‘Chainsaw Charlie’ making a reappearance in our headlines. After many years the former Pawn Shop ‘standing outside’ fixture, became the Clam Fixture (both inside and outside the store) and the famous car migrated to be near the Clam. Oh I’ve had fun with that car. Anyway, ahem. We had other good stories in March (Alleged ‘Barrel of Cum’ owner Simon getting married), but yeah. Chainsaw for the win.
In this story, our reporter witnessed Charlie falling off a cliff and looking more like a ‘pancake’ than a hardened survivor/gangster. Still, you can’t keep ‘good’ people down and within some time Charlie was back, more scars, more trauma but still, totally, dangerous. Newbies take note.
April – “No Fun Allowed”
April was our last full ‘Month in Review’ article (the Observer’s website had deleted both the April and March ones and I was having a bit of a strop as I had to retype from scratch. Even with premium support from Nadir-Tech, sometimes your editor risks losing her shit. Anyway… Ahem…)
Right, April… choosing was actually quite, hard. Old Dude almost killed by HPD while trying to lawyer, or HPD almost kicked to death by irate party goers. OR… hot alternative models. I’m not Stanley, so I’ve gone with the ‘full’ news and picked
May – “Lightning Strikes – Cheerleaders Go ‘Lord of the Flies'”
Now that we’re into the ‘new stuff’, I have to spend time looking through our articles. It’s actually quite a delight and for May there were some substantial articles to choose from. Whether it was someone who took a long fall from the roof, or the sad Obituary for an FDH staff member, we had a full month. Never-the-less I’ve chosen the CU ‘Cheer Festival Disaster’ as my pick. In fact we had two articles about it from different perspectives (one and two). The CU Looters found a friend, found themselves and possibly escaped from a serial killer as well!
Watch out for a follow-up with the captive they rescued, coming to the Observer soon.
June – Hoppers Get Human Hurled
Look, I don’t like to be a downer, but can we please not put landmines or other explosive devices (even if these ones happened to be inert by luck) in Hathian? Is it too much to ask that as well as scanning the crowds for Yuugen or other threats, we now have to scan the ground in public places for the threat of a world-war-military device? Christ. Hoppers. What more can you say?
Thank you the to HPD I guess. A brave officer tackled me off the landmine, risking his life to in his view potentially save at least parts of me. Appreciated. Hoppers not appreciated.
July – Even I Can Say ‘Sorry’
July was a quieter month. Summer holidays. Long hot days. A few pranks involving water pistols… but I guess I would have to say that it was between June and July that the Observer’s credibility came under pressure due to the machinations of others. We accused officer Aubin of working for a gang within Hathian and based this on extensive evidence which later turned out to be faked. We had to therefore apologise, I had to apologise and while it may seem my mistakes are held to a high standard considering it’s Hathian, it’s no more than people deserve. We should all strive to do better. This includes Carly…. and Maja.
August – Cults. Blood. Summer is Full of Sin.
August was a severe month. Shootings. Deaths. Blood (including at a vampire themed party). We had our own little Mexican Overlord try and suggest she would turn Hathian into her own fiefdom (still hasn’t happened). We had police officers (where is Koh by the way?) admit they were Monsters…
But I think the one thing that really stuck for me in August, was being invited to attend one of those things where you really wonder if you’re doing the right thing (or are right in the head). It’s scary, creepy and there’s a whiff of death that doesn’t leave even if you yourself saw ‘nothing‘… and by that I mean, nothing that was directly death. Hmmm. So yes, the Salopri were out in force in Laveau and nothing looks like it can stop them going full Wicker Man.
September – All Change
I covered two amazing fight nights down in Laveau where the aforementioned cult seemed to switch their hoods and cowls for oversighting a lucrative betting ring… No Gloves and Lots of Oil. Good times. Except if you got smacked by a chair or near drowned in the oil, but still – as a spectator they were pretty fun!
We also got a new (old) FDH Chief, proving that what goes around (and over) comes around. Of course, I’d also like to note that I won an award, best cosplay… but I think overall piece has to go to our investigation of the ill-fated theatre collapse. Working with the HPD and the ‘best’ analysts we wanted to check if the City could have done more to protect people. Initially a building with a swimming pool roof and a poor maintenance schedule looked like a prime candidate for Mayor Boxer’s shortcuts… But in the end, while certainly different decisions could have been made, it was hard to pin blame to any particular persons or entity. People die all the time and no one is held to account in much more direct violent ways… sigh.
October – HPD Awards ‘Best Battering Ram’
The HPD were back in the news, when they hosted an awards and promotion night. Yes, cops can get promoted. Yes, it’s apparently not all about who you know (blow) and actually what crime you solve and what people you save. Whether it was helpful officer (Hiroshi) or Mama Bear (Lizette), the awards came thick and fast.
I was also lucky enough to host the event and ensured I got a little bit of sass out into the crowd. Sorry Hathian, only verbal weapons were allowed.
November – Back to Spooky
Sometimes described (anonymously) as a ‘sex-cult’ but for me at least, at the time, a group that seemed to be draped in ritual and history, the Mizuki family were ‘exposed’ (by consent) in an article where we looked at what Caisen was up to. Three women it appeared if you were shallow. But there was more and I feel this is a group in Hathian that has not yet had their full time in the spotlight of the Observer. Watch This Space.
Also during November, and ranking a close second was the Hopper Police Department. Naked HPD? Hoppers with chained pets? K9-Vanora? It was a show that took some beating. So that’s what the Carnival did (and yes Caisen was there and up to something suss as well).
Small plug for the Hathian Performing Arts Centre as well that opened the doors during the month – come get taught by your favourite ‘Wednesday’ (me).
December – Happy Ending
I’m sure you remember what *just* happened right? But for our new residents, or those with an addiction through spending time in the ‘free gummy’ Sanko’s company, here we go… Oh, Stanley wants to choose a closing article? Guess which…
Yes, the CU frat party with the blowjob contest is Stanley’s choice for December, although I might have chosen for overall MORE HOTNESS the FDH calendar get your preview here and order it still from the Chief!
2025 Wrapped
And that’s a wrap dear reader. Another year over. Another year where Hathian Behind My Lens continues to offer up all the micro and macro events, drama and intrigue that you’ve come to expect.
Happy New Year Hathian!
Your Editor – Daiyu Tang
