#;long post

[nexility-sims]

𝐍𝐎. 𝟏   ❛ 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 ❜   |   VARIOUS LOCATIONS AND YEARS

❧  𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬  /  𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭.

❛ The queen’s voice broke as she talked. Staring into the camera, she willed the tears to stay. Her eyes grew glassy, and the small audience before her—palace staffers and journalists, a mixed array of stone faces and quivering lips—blurred into a white haze. The decision to speak had come early in the morning as she sat alone in bed. The windows and doors were thrown open, and she stared at the moon until she could see the rabbits dancing upon its surface. Her hair was gone by then, wrapped in a bundle to accompany her daughter into the first of her graves. With one hand, Beatriz felt her scalp, with its hair shorter now than even on the day she was born. Mothering had never come easy to her. Neither her children nor her subjects received her love in full, or the way they desired it, or when they needed it. She had tried her hardest for Sayfa, of which she made no secret. Still, because she could not trust herself to have shown it, she also could not trust that her daughter had known.

𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 ↓

❧ woo, finally ! mixed feelings, but the important part is that it's done. my favorite part is the rowena guest appearance, personally :^)

TRANSCRIPT:

[RV] Good morning. I’m Inti Rivera. Today, the nation prepares for the funeral of Princess Safya. This daytime in memoriam edition of UBC Nightly News will be followed by live coverage of the procession.

[RV V.O.] Princess Safya was born in 1950 to the recently crowned Queen Beatriz and her second husband, Matias Villar. With the preference for male heirs ended, the princess was presumed to be a future queen.

[RV V.O.] The Queen elected to reveal her daughter’s name at the annual naming festival in Yaas. She was the first royal infant in two generations to participate. Princess Safya would later do the same with all three of her own children.

[RV V.O.] Although she was her mother’s heir and began accompanying the queen on business early, the princess was also close with her father. Commentators regularly noted their similar personalities and interests, as did Queen Beatriz herself.

[RV V.O.] Mother Rowena, formerly queen, returned to public life following Princess Safya’s birth. The princess shared her first patronage with her grandmother, and the pair became the most popular royals. [I] Can you tell us where you were today, my princess? [S] We visited an orphanage. The children are less fortunate, so we take care of them. I’m happy to say that is my responsibility now.

[I] How did the princess do today, Mother Rowena? [R] I don’t know how she can stand upright with a heart of gold! She’s full of empathy, this little girl, for others. She’ll be a servant her whole life, just like her grandfather. I envy everyone who’ll live to see it. [S] {Gasps.}

[RV V.O.] In the eyes of many, Princess Safya ceased to be a little girl when she announced her engagement in 1968 to Rodrigo Dardarich. The news excited the public but was not without controversy. [S] Some will say this is quick. We accept that. It is. However, it’s also true what they say: when you know, you know.

[RV V.O.] The Princess married in 1969. In a first, the family shared behind-the-scenes photographs of preparation for the ceremonies. Her new husband, in another break from tradition, would not share Safya’s titles. The princess penned a letter to the public for the occasion, calling her marriage, quote, “the first true act of my own, my first real decision.”

[RV V.O.] Critics who expressed suspicion of the relationship were vindicated soon enough. The princess and Lord Rodrigo became a favorite subject of photographers. The most skilled captured public arguments on multiple occasions throughout the years. These photos proved lucrative as interest in the couple and their life together continued to grow.

[RV V.O.] In 1975, the Office of the Crown Princess issued a formal statement refuting an “investigation” published by Concordia that year. The paper alleged impending divorce, with lurid but unsubstantiated details of infidelity and financial strain. The Crown declined to support privacy legislation proposed by the Assembly of Uspana in 1976, 1977, and 1980.

[RV V.O.] Princess Safya and Lord Rodrigo gave a joint interview on the state of their marriage in 1985. The unprecedented, polarizing broadcast broke daytime viewership records. The interviewer, Isabel Eannes, was widely panned by most viewers and commentators. [S] I don’t think that’s a fair question. [I] So, you disagree, then? You haven’t been unhappy?

[R] She’s unhappy right now—she hates combative journalists. [S] {Laughs.} No! I don’t hate anyone. We asked for this. We begged.

[I] Let’s talk about the ring, then. It’s new. Smaller. Why? [S] People like us don’t get do-overs. But, we’re trying anyway. [R] The alternative is being apart. That’s impossible. It can’t happen. We must try, even if it isn’t easy. [S] It’s hard, but that’s love. ‘To love someone is to suffer for them.’ [I] {Scoffs.} That is Tecuani maxim, isn’t it?

[RV V.O.] The princess gave birth to her first child, Leonor, in 1970. To the nation’s delight, Princess Safya and her new baby were inseparable. [R] Let us see her! Can you talk a minute? Share something! [S] We’re late for a meeting, I’m sorry!

[RV V.O.] In 1974, Princess Safya and Lord Rodrigo welcomed their second child, Mateo. Her office announced two years later, on the heels of former Queen Rowena’s death, that Princess Safya would be scaling back to, quote, “refocus on her growing family.” She would regain her place as Uspana’s “hardest working royal” by 1981.

[RV V.O.] Princess Safya’s final child, Gil, was born in 1979. The princess had declared a decade prior that she hoped for a trio of children.

[RV V.O.] When asked in 1985 if she wanted more children, Princess Safya remarked that she was, quote, “retired” and “content” to await her future grandchildren instead of “competing” with her mother. Queen Beatriz has six children, all born between 1950 and 1962.

[RV V.O.] Princess Safya, like heirs before her, formally began her career as a working royal at the age of ten. Commentators described her that year as, quote, “articulate,” “cautious,” and “soft-spoken.”

[RV V.O.] The princess and her younger brother, Prince Arnaut, became regular members of their mother’s retinue. The Queen described her feelings on the matter in passing during a press conference: [B V.O.] “Teenager” is a weak term. Once, Safya would have governed a province in her own right as a teenager. No longer. We coddle and undertrain our heirs just like everyone else now. The assembly tells me that’s a “parenting” problem. Well, what I say is it certainly won’t be my problem when I’m dead, and you’re stuck with them! {Laughs.}

[RV V.O.] Queen Beatriz and Princess Safya were proactive concerning Leonor’s training as well. The pair remained inseparable in public, gaining valuable experience together. Before her death, the princess announced her daughter would join the team she intended to task with passing a new education initiative through the Assembly.

[RV V.O.] Princess Safya began crafting policy proposals in 1988 to encourage and improve access to higher education. In addition to boosting funding for Uspana’s institutions, the princess was in talks with lawmakers to make attending schools abroad a feasible, affordable option.

[RV V.O.] Princess Safya’s last official public appearance was during a tour of elementary schools in southern Uspana. The fatal yachting trip capped a month of nonstop travel. Having allegedly, quote, “hit a wall” with legislators, the princess was focusing on what she did best. Commentators as well as school administrators, teachers, parents, and students described her in warm terms. The princess was enthusiastic and always connected on a human level with her future subjects.

[RV] That concludes this morning’s in memoriam special. Now, we go to Bernardo Rea for live coverage at Nakawe Palace.

[RE] Good morning. The mood is somber at Nakawe Palace as the family and silent gathered crowds prepare for the procession. Moments ago, Queen Beatriz unexpectedly announced she intends to give televised remarks. We are waiting to be invited inside.

[B] My firstborn will be interred today. I doubt that requires prefacing. How can it? It’s reality. The burden is immense. I’ve done what I can to lift it from my family. After funeral rites, the most sacred ritual we have is to shear our hair. This is surrendering power—spirituality vulnerability. It says, “Give me the pain of mourning. I can carry it for us all.” Not just anyone can be so burdened. You must be ready. You have to be empty.

[B] My request for all of you, the hundreds of thousands who I suspect will gather across Uspana, is this: empty yourself for her. Cry for my daughter. Weep as profusely as you can. Fill the streets with water so it will carry her home—to the mountains that chose her, that chose to take her away from us all, from me. We will let her go together, as one People.

[onippep]

Wait, do you two live together? Can we get to know a little more about you?

Kkkkiiiinda. It's... Eh, alright, let's give a little rundown from when the Tower collapsed:

I grabbed "Fake Peppino," as we knew it at the time, on my way out of the Tower. It was instinct. I couldn't leave anyone in there in good faith, even if they kicked my ass.

"Fake Peppino" took to this rescue in a way that was really weird to me. First this creepy clone-thing of me was trying to kill me in that tower, now he's crawling around the walls of my Pizzeria, copying my moves and hanging out with everyone.

It was an active few months from then on out. Peppino's Pizza became a bit of a hangout spot for the Tower's refugees. I... loved it, to bits. It got annoying and stressful, and my anxiety would always make things worse, but in the end it was always some loud, goofy fun. Business boomed. I stayed afloat and partially payed off some of my loan.

Eventually, stuff started to calm down. Construction projects started popping up nearby; Toppins and cheeseslimes and Bosses and the likes making homes for themselves, relocating, finding new places to go. Business slowed.

I'd encounter Fake-me at odd times, like after dark or at dawn before opening. He'd always coincidentally be taking out the trash at the same time as me, or it'd somehow already be in the parlor before it opens, cleaning dishes, mopping the floor... like it owned the place. It pissed me off.

Thinking this guy was trying to take over my Pizzeria and commit identity fraud, I met it out back after closing one night, ready to lay down a good beating, verbal or physical.

You said to me, "I don't know what your deal is, but you can't stay here."

Up to that point, I was working on how I would fit as a piece in this new world Peppino created. I figured-- the easiest thing to do-- was what I formed to do in the first place. Mimicry was safe. Mimicry was all I knew.

So I picked up on his habits-- his daily routines, his day at work. My prior makeup has allowed me to keep up, cooking wise, and knew I could seek refuge in the place I was named for. It worked at the Tower all those ages ago, after all.

That night behind the Parlor was difficult. I repeated back at him, ",ereh yats t'nac uoy tub ,si laed ruoy tahw wonk t'nod I"-- I felt the burst of emotion from him that came after that. Not anger-- fear.

We fought. Violently.

Eventually Peppino tired himself out, and he stopped. So I stopped. He was out of breath, so was I. He was snarling in fright. So was I.

We sat and stared at each-other for an hour. I breathed, stared, sat and moved as he did. Peppino noticed. He'd lift a hand, I'd lift one. He'd stand up, I'd stand up. He'd cower back, I'd cower back. And so on.

That's about the part when I realized how much more simple this was. So I experimented a bit. Moved around, see what Fake-me would do, and see how uncanny-but-accurate he could get. It weirded me the hell out, seeing it so close. So...

Docile.

Sure, he'd hang out in the background, copying me from afar, but we'd never really... interacted face to face for such a long period of time. Now that everyone was sorta gone, this was kinda... the moment. To get to know it more.

So I kinda broke down. To my embarrassment, so did Fake-me. Just as ugly, gross, and pathetic of a crier as I am. After that, we sorta made up.

First off, I didn't know Fake-me could speak. Mumbles and backwards, repeating me here and there, but... Actual genuine conversation? It scared the shit out of me. In the silence, it asked, "Where do we go," and I didn't have an answer.

This fucker disarmed me with that sentence. I kinda realized this whole time I was scared of stuff going back to... the ghost-town that I'm used to. And I wouldn't really have anyone around.

I asked its name. It replied, "Onipepp". My name backwards, of course. "Onipepp?" I repeated back, and it nodded. "...Oni. Like a demon. I'll call you Oni from now on." He liked that.

And from there... Uh, sheesh, we've gone on for a while. Anything to add?

You offered me a job. "Since Gustavo and Brick opened their own place," you said. "They're competition now. I'll need the help."

I went through training. He was impressed with my previous skills, often showing a bit of fear or insecurity. That eventually went away.

I'd spend days with Peppino. At night, I'd linger in the rafters, as I always would. I'd chase off all sorts of threats to the Parlor he wouldn't even think about. But I would never follow him home.

I didn't know where he lived, or what was considered his home. I've always lived in the places I form for. I never questioned it.

I keep to myself, but sometimes Peppino would ask me things. "Do you get lonely in here?" "Do you eat? Sleep? Do you need anything?" I'd always respond "I don't know."

A big storm happened, and wrecked the roof of the Parlor. Construction had to happen. It got cold, it got wet, it was noisy. I followed him home that night.

He didn't stop me, like I thought he would. Not a word was said. I was let inside, I looked around, and he says, "Make yourself at home". The phrase confused me.

Regardless-- I'm welcome here now, whenever I want.

Uh-huh. Been a wild few months for you. But you've managed pretty damn well, I gotta say.

(...you have too.)

[sonicprim3d]

}GET US TALKING{

@cxffeeshxp asked: 🗣+ Sonic and Surge

" You look... Familiar. "

" Yeah, because I'm your worst fucking nightmare. Your biggest fear! "

" Goin' for an I see you when I'm having nightmares kinda thing? "

" Wh- Yeah, that's what I just said. "

" Just making sure! Haven't had a guy say that kinda thing to me in a while! "

" Wait, now that I think about it, that's a lie. The End kinda said the same things to me. "

" Listen! It doesn't matter who said what to you last! All that matters is that I'm the one who's gonna kick your ass and finally kill you! Got it?! "

" Whoa, hold on. I don't know why you think that, but listen, I don't have any beef with you! And I'd really like to not get in a fight right now! It's a really peaceful day today, and I'd like to spend it under a tree. "

" That's where you're wrong, bitch! My whole life is built entirely around killing the fuck outta you! And now that I have the chance to do it, I'm not gonna let it slip through my fingers! "

" Listen, one more chance. You can just walk away. You haven't done anything bad yet, so I don't have any reason to fight you. Alright? "

" Can't get rid of me that easily. " And then she strikes her fists together, builds a charge instantly, and thrusts a fist forward to send a bolt of lightning toward Sonic.

Who then immediately backflips over the fired bolt, latches onto the side of the tree he was talking about before, and quickly spins around the trunk to pick up speed, before launching himself at Surge. All before she ever had the chance to react, and with a powerful Homing Attack, he sends her flying away and into the ocean around South Island some several miles away.

" ...Why did she look so much like Scourge though? " Either she'll drown or she won't, not his problem. Time for a nature nap!

[oathtorn]

// Doing the thing I said an hour ago I wouldn't do— Minthara's younger siblings, in order: Jereth, Dhaunirra (☠), the twins Filgred (☠) and Beslanna (☠), Myrineyl and Aumon

[amareinmortis]

The Analysts decided it’s time to go out in style.

[kolak-magiya-a]

Not me obsessing over some of my dnd ocs and being tempted to add them into my ffxiv roster with matching verses,,,

anyway if you like elezen or elves in general, I've got info (and art!~) under the cut~

Lyrei Daelamin (Lie-ray DIE-luh-mine) is fairly well known for his skills in martial arts - or at least he was until recently. In his campaign, he volunteered to be a test subject for a man's experiments to rid an individual of "creation taint" thus ridding Lyrei of any abilities he gained from using canisters of powerful substance. The event nearly killed him, causing one of his arms to literally wither away, as well as being paralyzed from the neck down.

He's currently temporarily retired until his prosthetic is finished. When complete, it'll not only replace his missing limb, but the roots of the prosthetic will span his entire body, replacing his damaged nervous system and giving him full mobility back.

In his ffxiv verse, he's a Monk, and a magical accident resulted in him being paralyzed. He was rescued and brought back to Gridania. While his life was saved, there was little to be done about his missing limb, until he agreed to allow some druids to test some prototypes on him. After almost a full year, they've come up with a livewood prosthetic, granting him his arm and movement once more at the cost of regular returns to maintain its magic.

Kairo is by all means a beast among his people. Where most male Drow are under 6', he stands at an imposing 6'6", with a muscular build and the look of a hunter to match. He was not always this way, however.

Before this, Kairo was a young elven noble who dreamed of exploring the world, which he set out to do as soon as possible. His journey was quickly cut short, however, when he was kidnapped and sent to a fighting arena, run by a Tiefling named Myza. For a few years, Kairo fought among the lesser warriors, until he spoke out against Myza. In retaliation, she cut his throat, silencing him forever, and sent him off to be experimented on by a group of eager mages.

Years of experimentation later, Kairo was now almost twice as big as he was before, standing over a foot taller with scars and stretch marks littering his skin from trying to hold himself together after such rapid growth.

In his ffxiv verse, Kairo would be the result of someone's cruel experiments. Forced to consume dragon blood, Kairo was changed slowly. He cannot change his form into that of a dragon, however he does maintain some characteristics that could resemble them. He is most certainly feared by the people of Ishgard.

[coollyinterferes]

Plotted starter for @redlineoffate [for child!Bruno]

A lovely trip through Italy with his godson... Quite the lovely thing it had been so far. That was, of course, not counting the unexpected turn things had taken just earlier that morning. The second day of their stay in this small coastal village saw George having a little accident. A misstep that ended up with the young man tripping and falling not so graciously to the ground. The whole thing didn't seem to be anything too serious, most likely just a sprained ankle. Painful, yes, but nothing that would require more specialized treatment in one of the Foundation's hospitals, which is why they were here, in the local hospital.

Being a small village (and one that Robert so far could tell hid more than met the eye, based on his own experiences from his crime days), it was common for most studies of a non-life threatening ailment to take more time to come back with a result than they usually would take when performed at bigger institutions. In this case, they were just waiting for the bone scan of George's ankle to come back so the doctor could determine the severity of the injury and assign him the proper treatment. Half hour was the expected waiting time as they performed some scans on other patients and printed everything in one batch.

And so, having been forced to skip breakfast due to their impromptu visit to the hospital, both Robert and George were currently quite hungry. Normally, it would be George the first to offer himself to go get them something to eat (though most of times Robert and him would go together anyway) but, given the circumstances at the moment, he was unable to join Robert and go with him to grab something for them to munch on for the time being, until they were discharged from the hospital.

As Robert waited by the counter for their food to be served, his gaze landed on a child, amidst the crowd, sitting on one of the tables. He was all alone and looked beyond mortified, appearing to not even having touched his food as it sat before him on the table. Minutes went by and no one seemed to come to join him. A rather unusual sight, especially at a place like a hospital, where kids are not supposed to be left alone.

Having seen that troubled look mixed with helplessness countless times before during some of the direst days of his youth, Robert could tell something was... off, even for this type of usually grim setting. Call it a gut feeling if you may.

His attention was drawn away from the child for a moment when the lady at the counter informed Speedwagon that his order was ready. He paid and thanked her before he walked over to the kid's table, hoping not to intrude or even trouble him further than he already appeared to be. But, then again, he couldn't just leave without at least asking and making sure the kid was okay (as okay as someone visiting a hospital could be, that is) or had someone around to look after him.

"Hi." He greeted, keeping his tone soft so as not to startle the boy. "Sorry to bother. I don't mean to intrude, it's just... well, I couldn't help but notice..." He commented, his genuine concern beginning to seep through his facade and his voice. For now, his main concern was that of the child's well-being. It couldn't be possible that he was here all alone, possibly in charge of someone, right?

"...Are your parents here with you? Maybe a sibling or any other adult?" Came the standard questions, not meaning harm. All the opposite really. But, of course, Robert had no way of knowing beforehand the reason that had brought the boy to the hospital in the first place.

[exaltatuss]

A Demiurge's Introspection

"Hm. Once you've lived long enough, you'll indeed eventually come to reflect on things. Me? I've certainly had it, several times at that."

"I've been many things in this life of mine. A daughter from a bloodline that yielded so much potential in her. An individual who gave in to the temptation in order to gain more power. A nigh unstoppable devourer with deep, unquenchable hunger, and now... A monarch of a great nation."

"Such a path was filled with wrong choices, atrocities, and the like, but regardless, this I've learned that quests for forgiveness, sympathy, or redemption, wouldn't matter to others. Thus, at this point, should I ever be asked if I have any regrets in the actions and atrocities I have partook in, the answer would be no."

Perhaps back then, she did regretted those actions, which of course, led to the transition between the old dream cycle to this current one... But nowadays, self-regret is something she had learned that binds her.

"I admit to the atrocities that I have wrought upon everyone involved, and likewise I cannot deny their impact."

"Many would look in disdain upon those tragedies, and upon me. Many more would also prefer it, like I once did, to bury such tragedies and be forgotten throughout history. But alas, I've learned that such thinking was simply akin to running away, instead of confronting what lies before you."

"Thus, if one were to look through the grime, the senseless actions and violations, they, too, would see something of value from such worthless drivel. A reminder and lesson on the importance of self-acceptance."

"However, I must be honest with myself. For the longest time, I never considered accepting myself back then. By never accepting the potentials I could have reached, my lust for power consumed me. I allowed hunger to control me, and allowed it to steer me into the path that I once had taken. By wanting more without ever questioning if its enough, I ended up burning bridges."

"... Nevertheless, this, too, is my legacy. And what is a legacy, without errors and pain? Without sacrifice and grief? And what good is a legacy if the future generation cannot learn from it? The duality of vices, and of virtues?"

"Ignorance, apathy, ignorance. Understanding, justice, unity. It is imperative that the people of the Ashen Empire would learn, understand and accept these concepts to the core. After all, they are more than mere words."

"They are attitudes, behaviors, world views. They can destroy whole civilizations or rebuild them. They can corrupt individuals, or enlighten them. They can cause war, or herald peace."

"Letting my people unravel secrets on their own freely without much supervision from myself, I may never know if such decision would make them learn from the sins of the past, or condemns themselves by repeating them... But that burden, that anxiety, is not mine to bear."

"To those who are able to read this, let it be known that everything can be tipped and nudged by a choice. Always a choice. That hunger of yours. Recognize it. Accept it. Nurture it. It is your fundamental right to taste every flavor there is in your lifetime, your fundamental right to sample everything reality and unreality has to offer... And if you were to make a choice, see for yourself on which direction that hunger would lead you? Make a choice you know you won't regret."

And with her now finalizing what she had written on the last page of a book now filled with her reflections and whatnot, the Ashen King would close the book, and slide it from one of many shelves in the Grand Ashen Library, available for her subjects to witness, should they come across it by happenstance.

[nexility-sims]

𝐍𝐎. 𝟏  𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞   |   VARIOUS LOCATIONS, DECEMBER 1990

❧  𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲  /  𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭.

‎‎‎‎‎ ❛ The banality of human tragedy wasn’t enough for a princess. Some may have said it was an insult. The publishers, insatiable in their hunger for a story, chased answers. They would force slippery, delicate reality into the shackles of narrative. They would explain the unexplainable. Numerous leads bubbled forth in the immediate days following the event. At first, they came as a respectful trickle of whispers. Then, they came in a loud burst that could fill the amorphous space between breaking news and solemn coverage of a state funeral. Most of the claims were false: the queen had held the gaze of an owl twenty days prior; a storm had thrown and scattered stones in an ominous glyph; waterway residents had heard plaintive weeping from the water before the disappearance; a daykeeper sent a letter to the palace warning the mountains were shaking with longing; the princess was terrified of water and had diligently avoided it before this fateful outing. The latter was true.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 & 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 ↓

It wasn’t moving water that paralyzed her. She had appreciated the crashing of beach waves and the foaming, rushing flow of rivers. The waterfalls in Yaas had captivated her. The problem was still water. Placid and smooth, the expanses of lakes and ponds and swimming pools unsettled her to the core. Others saw them as gentle and inviting; these comely traits, to her, were the duplicity inherent to any natural danger.

As with many fears, this one had been formative. These bodies summoned memories of gasping and flailing—a visceral recollection of the moment in which her swimming education both began and ended. The publishers would report that she refused to bathe in tubs or put her face beneath a shower head. These details were embellishments, but they knitted together the perfect narrative to rendered the death star-crossed, inevitable, and shadowing even in the unobstructed light of day. With such winking glints of absurdity, a deluge of articles teased intrigue from something utterly ordinary.

Indeed, that was the wretched truth with which the family had to contend, even as days of newsprint consoled the public with fantasy. Once the body was recovered a few hours later, the coroner called it what her fellow passengers had assumed: an accident. People drowned in Uspana every day. Such a demise was considered divinely favored, and the context—the story that underwrote it—didn’t matter. The mountains claimed their favorites regardless of whether their lungs filled with a few inches of bathwater or deep inhales of Canarís Bay saltwater. These favorites were regular people. They were also, from time to time, royalty.

The cause was misadventure, not malevolence.

Still, when Beatriz stumbled over to the telephone on the day she received the news, she took a deep breath to steady herself and said with conviction, “Arnaut, he's finally killed her. Please come home.”

TRANSCRIPT:

[A] Boating? Seriously? [S] New yacht, too. He named it the Safyanora. Sweet, isn't it?

[A] I just can't believe he convinced you to go on it. [S] Me either.

[S] We've been giving each other space for a few weeks. [A] Is that what you call it?

[S] I should put in effort, you know? Be forgiving. [A] You do. You are. The problem is when he takes advantage of it, which is every single time.

[S] Friends will be there with us. There'll be no fighting—not the terribly unfun kind, anyway. [A] {Sighs.}

[A] And you're still not wearing the ring?

[S] For now. We'll see how I feel after this trip. [A] Uh huh.

[S] He promised a romantic getaway! Maybe that's what I need. [A] It's true. You work too much.

[S] No, you don't work enough—[A] Hold on. Someone's here.

[S] I can let you go … I do have work to do. [A] {Chuckling.}

[A] Abelina, tell Auntie hello. [AB] Hi Safy! [S] Hello, baby girl.

[A] It's bedtime story o'clock, unfortunately. [S] I'll call you when I'm home in a few days. [A] Good. I love you. Have fun. [S] I love you, too. Goodnight.

[S] {V.O.} Hi Mama. Sorry I missed you.

[S] {V.O.} We arrived in Intizara a couple days ago. There were more cameras than usual. It was disconcerting.

[S] {V.O.} Anyway, I'm calling you from the water.

[S] {V.O.} Aren't you proud of me? {Chuckles.}

[S] {V.O.} Manuel and Eita are with us.

[S] {V.O.} We're having fun, all of us.

[S] {V.O.} I needed this.

[S] {V.O.} We needed this.

[S] {V.O.} I know you don't want to hear it, but he's making an effort.

[S] {V.O.} I feel hopeful. Call me back. I love you.

[B] {V.O.} This is not a message for voicemail.

[B] {V.O.} I wish you had come to the phone just this once.

[B] {V.O.} How do I say this? It's unspeakable.

[B] {V.O.} {Sighs.}

[B] {V.O.} Arnaut, he's finally killed her.

[B] {V.O.} Please come home.

[grimgrinnr]

diffxrentwxrlds replied:

do it, rant.

...Fuck it

Sonic Frontiers is empty and meaningless at best, potentially detrimental to the cast for a few years at worst.

Like, listen, if you enjoy it that’s fine! I like the game’s soundtrack and I think that the gameplay’s actually really fun! It’s just every other choice the game made is so. Meaningless, empty, pandering even.

Like, even the hyper realistic art style of the game is an issue! It clashes with the design of literally everything in the series, let alone in Frontiers. The fact that you can see cartoony blue hedgehog hold a realistic squid is just insane. Honestly Sega had nailed the look of the series with Unleashed and onwards, I hope we get to see that again.

The voice acting of everyone, sadly Roger and Cindy (Amy) especially, are hollow. They don’t sound like they were allowed to emote because it’s supposed to be a serious story with serious characters. So Sonic and Amy just... Don’t get to sound like themselves, but still try and talk like themselves, if that makes sense.

But the real biggest issues are the character arcs and Sage.

First, the character arcs in the game just. It isn’t anything. It doesn’t add anything, it takes character traits they already had, subtracts them, and then re-presents them like it’s something new! Amy didn’t need to learn to she wanted to share her love with the world, she was doing that all the way back in SA1 and SA2!

Knuckles’ motive is literally just the games going “You wanted us to reference him being the ME’s guardian again? FINE. That’s his only motivation.” Like. Cool! It’s literally the only thing he wants! Nothing interesting is even done with him thinking the Ancient’s architecture looks like stuff on Angel Island. It’s so empty the Japanese script gave him a new motive and everything!

Tails is the most egregious one of them all. It is a direct wink and a nod toward the audience. They tried to “lampshade” Tails’ “inconsistency” in previous games. That literally being one moment in Forces. Listen, I liked Forces, I don’t think it’s perfect. Do I think that the scene of Tails cowering wasn’t great? Yeah! But it was one fucking scene and then he went back to acting like normal the entire rest of the game, can we please move on from that??

Even beyond that, Tails wanting to become his own hero is like. It’s what he was already!! His story in SA1 is all about that, and then in SA2 he reaffirms that throughout the whole thing! He saves Sonic, sure, but that’s cuz he’s his friend and he knows he’s not guilty! When he thinks Sonic is dead near the end of the game, he still tries to save the world without him!!

And Sonic’s character arc is nonsense emptiness too. Him learning to appreciate his friends but let them go on their own adventures is a non-arc. He’s always been like that. Sonic has always cared about his friends, but has also always let them be their own people. Hell, he isn’t even always around them! He’s constantly doing his own thing!

In SA1, he’s off adventuring around and ends up in Station Square. In SA2, he was doing his own thing before being captured by G.U.N. In Heroes, Tails and Knuckles had to literally track him down just to give him “Eggman’s” message. Sonic isn’t a loner, nor is he neglectful, but he sure as hell doesn’t need to learn his friends have to go on their own adventures. They have to find him half of the time, he runs into them during an adventure without knowing they were gonna be there all the time, he gets doing stuff on their own.

Sage is a whole other mess. I like the idea of her character, I just don’t like what’s done with her and how she effects Eggman. An AI made by Eggman that gains sentience and begins to try and apply an organic worldview to the directs Eggman gave her, all the while being influenced by Sonic and his views? Cool! I just don’t like how they want a father daughter relationship out of her and Eggman in the end. How she doesn’t come to the right realization and turn against Eggman because he’s using her for his own means and doesn’t actually care about her. That he regularly abandons things that don’t live up to his standards, and the only thing keeping her from ending up like that is she hasn’t messed up yet.

I don’t like Eggdad stuff. I don’t like him having compassion for other people. I’m okay with people liking it, I just prefer Eggman only caring about Eggman.

The Ancients and their mysteries amounted to more mysteries. Like. Are they the Chao? Chaos? Did they all go extinct? Are the Koco all that’s left or just memories? They added nothing but an explination for The End and the Titans, and making more questions than answers.

Sonic’s Cybercorruption doesn’t matter and was just there for the drama. One moment of him fighting through the pain amounts to nothing because it’s in a cutscene and his overworld animations don’t change at all beyond his idle, which you’d barely see because you’re busy running and platforming.

The End is meaningless. It’s design is shit, and the explination made up for it is just an after thought pulled out to make it make sense. All The End does is talk up how bad it is, how dangerous it is, but then gets defeated all the same. Permanently. It’s fucking dead. Yeah, it blew up the Ancients’ planet, but it’s also dead. How is that the worst thing Sonic’s ever faced when Dark Gaia, Chaos, Solaris, and Eggman are all still alive and have done horrific things too?

Chaos could’ve easily raged across the whole world. Dark Gaia is literally fucking unkillable and constantly cracks open the planet to fight Light Gaia. Solaris erased time. And Eggman harnessed a different time god to rewrite history, blew open the planet twice, and refuses to die or be captured.

The End ain’t shit.

But worst of all? The last fucking line of the game. Amy’s unnecessary reference to Sticks the goddamn Badger. That is infuriating. That is painful. I do not like Ian Flynn. If someone lets me I can list all the reasons I do not like him, his writing, and his effects on the series and fandom. But this is one reason for why I don’t like him or his writing.

He is constantly badgering Sega to make things they don’t care about canon. And now he’s gone so far as to include a reference to a non-canon character into a canon game, because he once wrote for the Archie mini-series and a few episodes of the series. That, and the fans kinda like her, so he’s gotta reference her to make her canon, for the fans!

But all it does is confuse people. “Everything is canon” they say. But it’s not. The Sonic Team games are canon, and only the Sonic Team games.

Sonic Boom isn’t canon.

The movies aren’t canon.

Sonic Prime isn’t canon.

The IDW comics aren’t canon.

Sticks isn’t canon.

[xbrokenreflection]

💥 :)

WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

💥 ― a memory you wish you’d forget.

✩ New place, new name, new life --- that's what Ryu thought he'd achieved by choosing to stay in Twilight Town. Here, no one knew the truth about him (what he was, what he'd done) and it truly felt like things had changed for the better.

But then, one fateful afternoon, he hit a brick wall near the Sandlot when he bumped into one of the local youths. "Hey! Watch where you're going, loser!"

Ryu stopped dead in his tracks as he turned to glare at the taller punk, a seed of dark anger sprouting up in his chest.

"What did you just call me?!"

"You have ears, don't you?" the punk asked, scoffing. But a flash of recognition flared in his eyes as he gave Ryu a once-over, and his frown slowly became a scowl. "Haven't you already caused enough trouble in my town? Get lost now, before I make you."

Ryu couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the whole situation.

"My town, he says," Ryu taunted, crossing his arms. "Shut up! This place doesn't belong to you!"

The other boy's glare narrowed further as he rolled his shoulders and stepped forward into a fighting stance. "Ha! I'll gladly teach you that lesson, wuss!"

The fight didn't last long. Despite all his bluster and brute strength, the punk wasn't too good at keeping his guard up.

It ended when Ryu saw one final opening and threw all his weight into a tackle, pinning the other boy up against a wall. He felt the other boy flinch as his grip dug into his bruised ribs... but Ryu refused to loosen his hold one bit.

"Some lesson," Ryu snarled. "I hope you learned when to quit!"

The anger was still seething inside him like a monstrous beast, little tendrils of Darkness curling out to embrace and soothe him... but something felt wrong about this.

"Okay, okay, you win!" The boy said, grimacing. "Let it go!"

"THREAT DETECTED!" A new voice called out, and Ryu spared a glance to the alleyway where two other kids now stood --- one of them pointing right at him. "BACK OFF!"

Ryu dropped the other boy quickly and stepped back, letting go of the Darkness he'd been tapping into as it dawned on him that... these other kids saw him as something to be afraid of, and maybe they were right to be.

He'd nearly gone too far, and that was the last thing he wanted.

So, as the other kid's friends rushed in to help him, Ryu did the only thing he could do when confronted with all this fresh guilt and shame: he ran away.

"Don't worry, Seifer! We'll get 'em, y'know!"

The last thing Ryu heard, very faintly, was Seifer's pained voice saying, "No.... Don't go after him. He's..."

Ryu didn't need to hear anything else, though, because he knew how that sentence would end:

He's too dangerous.

[sonicprim3d]

}GET US TALKING{

@synnrrgy asked: …. 🗣️ + starline & shadow

" Face to face with the supposed Ultimate Lifeform himself, at long last... "

" My status as the Ultimate Lifeform is not up for debate. So do not insinuate I am anything less than what I am. "

" Struck a nerve, have I? Well, that's just grand. After all, a future goal of mine is to create something that can surpass you. I've already got a project underway to surpass Sonic and his sidekick, so once that is done, I think a real challenge is in order. Don't you agree? "

" If you think you can create something that can surpass Sonic and Tails when the closest Eggman has gotten is cheap robotic imitations that always fail, then you are delusional. "

" Well, you see, that's why we iterate upon what we make. Constant tweaking will produce the perfect- "

" No, it won't. Because you've already demonstrated an immediate failure to understand Sonic and Tails at their most basic. You seem to think that Tails is Sonic's sidekick, when that is far from the case. He saved Station Square from Eggman without Sonic's help. He was willing to continue the plan aboard the ARK even after they believed Sonic to be killed by Eggman. He is not a sidekick, he is Sonic's greatest ally. "

" W- Well, you see- "

" If you've failed immediately to understand the people you are attempting to surpass at their most basic, then any hope you have of creating similar projects to surpass yet stronger people will fail worse than your current plan will. You will not be able to replace Sonic or Tails, let alone both of them at once. And you will never make something that can replace me. "

" If you think that your words will deter- "

" I don't. I think that you will follow in your mentor's footsteps and stubbornly ram your head against this wall in hopes it will give, only to walk away with your skull caved in from your own stupidity. Whether that be because of Sonic and Tails, or Eggman, is not for me to know. "

" Eggman wouldn't- "

" Mark my words, he will. As soon as you aren't useful, he will dispose of you. And there will be no one there to save you. "

He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can, Shadow teleports away. Leaving him in silence and to stew in his own thoughts.

[astralbcrn]

|| I wish we had more knowledge about how Ignis managed to get the... 'good ending' so to speak. From what I've gathered from Dawn of the Future, then a part of Ardyn was trapped in the Crystal/the Beyond when he reached out for it as seen in his backstory, which is part of the reason why Noctis has to die to fully destroy the scourge.

It's been a while since I played Episode Ignis, but he does defeat Ardyn (at least partly), but he does this in the real world, so there should still be a part of his soul trapped in the Beyond – aka. Noctis would still have to die, but he doesn't, he survives.

Now, killing Bahamut is one way of fixing everything as seen in DoTF, but... someone still dies, Ardyn just becomes the sacrifice instead of Noctis... and Ardyn is a Lucis Caelum, so it makes sense that he's able to do it.

I'm trying to think of a way where nobody has to die to fix things – if that's even possible without killing Bahamut? But Bahamut isn't part of the scourge, really, he's just... part of the problem since he's willing to destroy all of humanity in DoTF. As they destroy Bahamut, the Crystal absorbs and cleanses the rest of the scourge, but again – Ardyn still had to go to the Beyond to do it, so.

Maybe if Noctis didn't have to waste energy on killing Ardyn in the 'real world' he wouldn't have to die and could somehow make his way to the Beyond and back without dying? But I partly think Bahamut also wants him to die because Noctis should, in theory, be really goddamn powerful after getting all that power from the old Kings and the Crystal.

[iilahalzili]

     "Tch. . . what a time to be reminded.” The shadows are toying with him, reminding him of the weakness he once had--being suppressed by a simple mortal like Rishid, begging and bargaining with his Hikari. . . being defeated by Atem and his little brat Yugi.

     “I wouldn’t have been forced to do such things if you didn’t destroy me to fragments. . .” Marik hisses aloud, glaring at the shadows lingering in the corners of his cabin, “I could have gotten that iadet’s soul if I was given my full power!”

     Do not argue with us, tifli, our power was not strong enough then--you needed an anchor. We could only give you so much with Ra’s power enveloping this wretched place.

     “Your power did nothing for me!” Marik snarls, baring his teeth at seemingly nothing, “If it was so strong to create me into the God of Shadows, then I should have been strong enough to devour Malik’s soul and that pathetic guardian! I would have been able to kill the Pharaoh and feed his soul to grow my power!”

     “Even now I am not strong enough to devour the souls needed for the Ritual!” He picks up the nearest item, a lamp that had been left over from the previous owner, throwing it with all his might at the darkness.      “You want me to become a devourer but you give me so little to work with!”

     Are you doubting us, child of nightmares? The shadows simply remain even with the lamp shattering against the wall, You will grow into it. . . but if you want to progress quicker. . . we can always take you there.      Tendrils of blackness reach out, twitching and writhing as they reach for Marik’s feet--a threat to drag him back to the deepest part of the Shadow Realm, shall we drag you to the Well of Shadows again, remind you what can be done?

     The mention of that place gets Marik to quiet instantly. Not that place. . . his body involuntarily twitches, a phantom memory of the searing pain.      Anything but that place.

     You must be patient, little one, when the time comes we will give you the gift you desire--you will become a Devourer of Worlds when you finish the Ritual of Dark Sacrifice. Until then, you must get the souls you can. Even if it is not Atem’s soul, a strong sacrifice will satisfy. . .

[galahdborn]

¬ Body Modifications; Tattoos ¬

(Nyx's tattoos is something that has been discussed heavily in the fandom, so the headcanon is my interpretation of them and thus only relevant to this blog.)

Nyx has several tattoos on his body, most of which carry symbolic in Galahd.

¬ Front of his Face: Nyx has two notable tattoos on his face. Both feature a dot and a symbol, but they are clearly different. ¬ The one on the right side of his face (dot + arrow-shape) is somewhat similar to one Libertus has on his face. Placement is not important here, but it is seen as a combing of age tattoo. Nyx is from a family of hunters (hence the arrow shape), so he got it after completing his coming of age rite at the age of sixteen. ¬ The other one, which is on the left side under his eye, is a later addition. The shape is similar to a streak or a droplet and being close to his eye. It symbolises the death of his sister, Selena; and is a way to always keep her in his 'mind's eye'. It is there to remind himself of everything he lost and everything he is fighting for. A way to honour his sister, even after her death.

¬ Ear + Neck: Nyx has visible tattoos on his ear and his neck. There are several tattoos on his ear, two which have a line + a dot, another that is a short line and several other dots. On his neck there are two long lines that meet at the ends. ¬ The lines on his neck represents a line from his mind to his heart; it symbolises 'for hearth and home'. It is a reminder of his duty to the Crown and Lucis and to never forget his morals. It is his dedication to follow his instincts and protect those who cannot protect themselves. ¬ The tattoos on his ears symbolises the times he almost died in battle and was close to losing his life serving the crown, yet ultimately came out victorious –– they also serve as a motivational factor, which is why they are so visible to himself and people around him.

¬ Arm + Leg: Nyx has a tattoo on his arm which circles around the arm; and a similar one on his leg. The one on his leg is for his homeland, his roots: Galahd. The one on his arm is for his new home, whom he now fights for: Insomnia.

¬ Hands: Nyx has a line on his left middle finger and on his right index finger. The left one represents his father and the right one represents his mother. His father taught him how to hunt and his mother how to cook and take care of a home. They both influenced his life greatly and so he wanted a clear reminder of them.

¬ Back: Nyx has two lines on his back that represent Libertus and Crowe. They are his closest friends and like family to him, which is why he got the tattoos there. To symbolise that they will always have his back and that he trust them with his life.

All of his tattoos have symbolic meaning and there is a high chance he will get more in the future. Should he settle down with someone, he would get a tattoo that represents them and so on.