#|| safety bunker is the one condition

[stalkcd]

I have one (1) messy lady who will love you unconditionally, if you let her build a SAW quality bunker in the basement.

[tantei-chan01]

So I'm not sure if you add in lore from The Beat Goes On or Trollstopia, or if your only focusing on the movies, but some very interesting things that come about from both animated series is that it really adds to Branch's adorable character and canonized the fact that pretty much everyone adores him, awkward dorkiness and all. He's very, very goofy, and I love him.

Some of my favorite funfacts from the series is that Branch goes to 4AM Raves after being introduced to the concept (originally due to a compromise because the TechnoTrolls were using his favorite hot spring for it turned to a genuine love), likes all types of music after being introduced to it, loves puzzles to an obsessive degree along with his other more natural OCD tendencies, and actually did take part in all the different Holidays and traditions of the Pop Trolls even while be was gray but did so form the safety of his bunker. Its also during these series we get the first hints the bunker meant more to Branch than what we had originally thought.

My favorite favt is the one about the rave, though. Just imagine they all get back from the events of Band Together, after JD got his rights punched out by Barb and they all take some time to rest and relax, and then the brothers are woken up by Branch trying to sneak out at like 4 in the morning (he's not used to people in the bunker and has gotten used to not having to sneak around anymore after everything) and find out it's because their adorable, mute baby brother is going to a RAVE with some technotroll who keeps calling him Dubstep.

There's a reason why I put up a poll, the result changes the storyline of trollstopia

About 2 months after Floyd's rescue and the integration of the Putt-Putt trolls, Poppy comes up with the idea of Trollstopia. After everything that's happened, she realizes that the Pop trolls are behind in many things, like medicine, education, and engineering. They've mastered agriculture, effective natural remedies (with the exception of Branch due to him being rare case), and the art of desserts but not much else. If Trollstopia works, every troll will benefit from it.

Poppy pitches this idea to Branch and his brothers (Bruce is back at Vacay Island and visits often thanks to the Flier Bugs.). They think it's a good idea, but it will take the cooperation of every tribe to make it work. Aside from Branch and JD, none of the other trolls have been in one place together for an extended period of time. Floyd rarely went to the other genres territories, Bruce has only interacted with the occasional Techno troll that washed up on the shore, and Clay's never left the Putt-Putt course. Poppy urges that this would be a great step to achieve Harmony, even if it'll be hard. Branch agrees to help with the condition that he can invite the sub-genre tribes. Poppy readily agrees, and so begins the first step of Trollstopia

[sharks-n-bones]

Y'all, I'd like to apologize in advance, this is the longest one yet

Without further adue

BRANCH WON THE POLL SO IT'S BRANCH TIME BABY LET'S GO

When the flood hit, Branch was the most prepared troll in all of Pop Village. He was a survivalist, he built an entire underground Bunker with a functional elevator by himself, of course he'd know what to do

When the rivers started overflowing, Branch was suspicious from the get go. It was late summer, the snow already melted from the mountains and flooded the rivers. There hasn't been any rain recently, so there's no reason the rivers would've flooded

Branch’s hunch was soon proved correct when the river just kept flooding over, the water reaching the village in no time, causing them all to have to relocate. They went for higher ground, and when the storms came they hunkered down where they could until they ended, and they began moving again

Once they were finally somewhere safe for the time being, they began building boats. King Peppy advised that families and friends should stick together and travel together, and Branch had to agree with him. There was safety in numbers, especially in cases such as this

Branch helped Poppy, the king and the snackpack (along with Prince D, who was visiting when the water started rising) to build a boat that would fit them all, with room to spare, of course. Branch was nothing if not prepared. He'd drawn up blueprints in his spare time on the journey to higher ground, and designed the boat big enough for them all to have their own rooms and bathrooms, a kitchen, multiple storage rooms, a common room and other such amenities. And of course, he built an area above the main deck for farming

Since Satin and Chenille were pros on working with fabrics, Branch asked them to make the sails. Smidge helped with the heavy lifting, since she was by far the strongest out of the Snackpack. Cooper, Prince D, DJ Suki and Biggie helped with gathering supplies and resources. Poppy and Guy Diamond helped with decorations, but pretty much everyone helped with the actual building of the ship

In no time, their ship was built and stocked with enough provisions to last a couple weeks at least. Branch was proud of the ship and the hard work everyone put into it. They sang and danced and hugged throughout the process, but it seemed to make the building go along quicker, if anything, and it boosted everyone's moods. Once the water has risen enough to be lapping against the bottom of the boat, they worked together to push it into the sea before hopping on and setting sail

Other than now having to work harder on surviving, things stayed much the same. They spent their days singing, dancing and hugging while they tended to their little farm, fished, and gathered resources and food from any island's they came across. Most of the group also enjoyed swimming when they had the chance, and Branch would even join them sometimes, but he was a bit more.. suspicious of the water that flooded the world

He'd been working on theories and gatherings clues as to what caused this great flood. Surely, it wasn't natural. There was no way! The world wouldn't just flood without something to cause it. But what could've been powerful enough to do such a thing..? When he wasn't busy foraging, tending to the garden and making sure the ship was still in peak condition, he was usually pouring over the clue board he'd made about the flood

He'd added some.. other changes he'd noticed to the clue board as well, such as how everyone on the ship was developing rashes on their necks, and how he noticed that their skin seemed to be drying out faster while their hair was all still picture perfect, if not looking better than ever. He added how the webbing between their fingers seemed to be inching up to their knuckles, ever so slowly. He'd thought he'd be the only one to notice that, but he saw some of the others glancing at their hands with odd expressions once in a while. A lot of other trolls they came across were having the same exact effects, so it couldn't just be a freak disease that had taken over the ship. Besides, if it was, they wouldn't have as much energy as they did. Other things would be noticed

He was pouring over his clue board again when a theory suddenly came to his mind. He laughed at himself at first, because there was no way, it would be impossible-

He started taking samples of the water that now covered most of the planet, trying to see if there was anything in it that could be causing these changes. He checked the rainwater they collected, ocean water, rivers and creeks if any islands still had them, but each and every time he came up empty. There were no weird chemicals or anything of the sort he could find

There was nothing he could physically see, but the water was the only thing he could think of that would cause these changes! He even checked the fish they caught and any food they grew or foraged, but there was nothing unusual. At this point, the only thing that could be causing these changes was magic! He chuckled at the thought, and pushed it aside… not before adding it to the clue board with a bunch of question marks, though

Occasionally, techno trolls would approach their ship and ask if they needed any help. The next time one breached the surface, Branch asked if they'd noticed anything in the water since the flood hit. The techno troll's eyes widened, and he winced before sighing and climbing onto the ship

He explained everything he knew. Told them about the legends of sirens, of their history with them, how they locked them away. How the sirens broke free right around the time the water began rising

Then, he explained how they filled the ocean that covered the planet with and ancient and powerful magic. He explained that it would slowly change their bodies to become more siren-like. As he explained, he pointed out the changes they were already experiencing. Explained the rashes on their necks would develop into gills, the webbing between their fingers would reach the last knuckle for better swimming, their bodies would grow scales and that their skin was drying faster because it was becoming dependant on the sea water

Everyone had gathered to listen, and everyone looked shocked. Poppy examined her hands, Satin and Chenille ran fingers through their hair. Biggie and Smidge brought hands to the rashes on their necks, Guy and Tiny looked at their glitter-coated skin, and Cooper and Prince D glanced at each other, seemingly have an entire conversation without words

The techno troll continued, explaining that they'd be able to change into the same forms as siren's could. The troll forms — how they looked now, the half forms — what they were going to look like once the changes were complete, and the siren forms — where their legs would fuse into a tail and they'd take on more characteristics of whatever sea creature the ocean decided to attach to them

He explained that the more time they spent in the water, the faster the changes would happen, but they wouldn't be able to stop it. He said not to fear it, it would only help them out in the long run

Branch asked why they would cause the flood to begin with only to help them survive in the end. The techno troll said that their war was with the technos, not with anyone else. Dubz didn't know what they had planned for techno’s, but said not to worry about it. It was the techno’s fight, not theirs

Branch felt bad for them, and could see the others felt the same. The techno troll bid them farewell after that and left, leaving the group in silence. He could see that familiar gleam in Poppy's eyes, one that meant she wanted to help them, she just didn't know how yet. Branch couldn't help but smile at that. She always wanted to help people, and he loved that about her

For the rest of the day, things were a bit more quiet than usual. Everyone thinking about what they'd just learned. Branch sighed and went to find Poppy, wanting to make sure she was alright

The next day, they reached an island and they all unanimously decided to take a day to completely relax. They deserved a day off, especially after all they'd learned yesterday. So they tossed the idea of work to the wind and spent the day relaxing at the beach

Everyone was having fun. Building sandcastles, playing in the waves, relaxing on the sand, floating around, just generally having a good time. Branch was even relaxing, just sitting in the sand and reading a book for once. He was so lost in the pages, he almost didn't hear Tiny scream

He looked up just in time to see a fish come out of the water and latch onto Tiny Diamond, dragging him under, and Guy Diamond frantically diving after him. Branch immediately tossed his book aside and ran into the water after them. Guy hadn't come up for air yet so Branch dove after him. Guy dove pretty far down, so he was slowing down and running out of air by the time Branch got to him and began dragging him up through the water

The moment they breached the surface, Guy coughed and gasped, taking in a large breath, before immediately elbowing Branch in the face and fighting against his hold

Branch understood why he was fighting so hard. Tiny was Guy's son, he loved Tiny more than anything in the world. But, as much as it hurt admit, Tiny and that fish were long gone by now. Branch held onto Guy tightly until he eventually stopped fighting and just went limp in his hold

Branch sighed sadly and began hauling him to shore while Cooper, Prince D and Smidge dove into the water to keep looking for Tiny, just in case

Guy wouldn't stop looking at the ocean once Branch brought him to shore. He just stood there, frozen like a statue, before he eventually crumpled to his knees. Then, to Branch’s utter horror, he slowly began turning grey. From the tips of his hair, moving downwards until he was completely dull, the glitter that made up his skin now matte and lifeless

Branch’s heart ached for him. He didn't know what it was like to lose a child, thank the stars above, but he knew what it was like to lose a family member and he knew what it was like to turn grey. He heard the others gasping in shock, but Branch only frowned and wrapped an arm around Guy, giving him all the comfort he could. The others soon joined in, all wrapping Guy in one giant hug. Guy never hugged back

They had stayed at the island for a week longer than they'd planned to, just in case Tiny somehow showed up, and Guy waited on the beach every day. Tiny never showed. Eventually, they brought Guy back to the ship and to his room. The others were all concerned for Guy, but Branch tried to tell them not to go overboard or push the poor guy too much. He remembered how much the toxic positivity bothered him when he went grey, and knew it could be smothering and overwhelming

Once in a while, Branch would check in on Guy and bring him some food if he noticed he hasn't been eating. Aside from occasionally checking up on him, he gave him some space

For the next 2-3 months, a melancholy air hung around the ship. They all would still sing and dance, but it wasn't the same now that two voices were missing. Guy didn't come out of his room that much. He usually would for meals or to sometimes help Branch when he was brainstorming safety precautions (presumably to make sure nothing like what happened to Tiny ever happens again, or at least that was Branch’s theory), but most days he stayed cooped up in his room

Branch felt bad for him. He wished he could do more to help, but he didn't know Guy like the others did. He could only think to do what he wished others would do when he turned grey — show he cared, but give him enough space to breathe

A few months passed uneventfully, just going from island to island, gathering resources and taking some time to try and relax before setting sail again. It was another normal day for them, they had just docked at an island when something different finally happened

A ship came up beside their own and set anchor. A lone figure wearing a pair of reflective goggles aboard the ship used their hair to board their own boat, landing with a loud thud on the deck. They pushed their goggles up to their forehead and Branch gasped

This couldn't be happening. 20 years of absolute silence, complete separation. 20 years since he left him behind, and suddenly he shows up right when a flood takes over the planet? Branch couldn't believe his eyes. The troll then spoke, stating he was searching for someone when they suddenly locked eyes, and the newcomer aboard their ship grinned and called him a name he hadn't heard in decades

“Baby Branch!!”

[wyrmfedgrave]

CNN: UN chief says world is on ‘highway to climate hell’ as planet endures 12 straight months of unprecedented heat

The dangers of climate change keep getting worse!

We thought that we had plenty of time to figure this problem out...

But, we didn't understand the lies & manipulation that Big Oil put us all thru, during the past few decades.

Fuel has become the 'drug' of choice for many drivers - especially the ones with money to 'burn.'

EVs are slowly coming down in price & clean green fuels (hydrogen mostly) are seen as the saviors of the auto- mobile industry.

Unfortunately, after decades of smear campaigns & 'scientific' work done FOR Big Oil's benefit, the world continues to turn gasoline into green- house gasses!

Such moral blindness, over the danger of rising heat bulb conditions, just proves the greed inherent in capital- ism itself.

Make money in the cheapest, most polluting way possible - until you die - seems to be the only law that Big Oil follows.

Like their Republikkkan friends, every- thing else is a lie.

So, our children's futures continue to look bleak.

I guess these Big Oil businessmen will continue to make money into the near future - from the safety of their steel bunkers.

All while their once customers choke to death in the poisonous gasses or in the heat that these industries so care- lessly created...

End.

[headchefshcs]

Can you do headcanons about being Creek's breeding hole when he betrays the others, then becoming Branch's afterward with Branch being smug about after Creek returns?

One Man’s Loss is Another Man’s Pleasure// Branch/Creek NSFW HCs

NSFW undercut Minors DNI, They/Them pronouns used

You’ve always been attractive to both Branch and Creek, with the two constantly wanting your praise and attention, with the few times that Branch would come out of his bunker. You never had a real second thought about it.

With that being said when you’re taken by the Chef Bergen with the rest of your friends throughout the whole ordeal Creeks there to comfort you, telling you that Poppy will save you and everyone else. “Once we’re saved you and me can be together…. Forever love….”

But it wasn’t long until you were brought to utter horror when you seemingly watched Creek get devoured by the king. It didn’t help that soon after you were seemingly picked out specifically by the chef your feared that your fate was sealed as well. That is until you’re brought out of sight of your other friends and you see… Creek?

Turns out he’s alive but in return your whole friends and tribe are to be eaten instead. “Oh but you’re a very.. VERY lucky troll…” Chef says. “You see… I’ve been allowed to keep you, as my sole companion, it’s going to be lonely without someone to talk to… or you know have a bit of fun with.” Creek says.

Soon you find your arms wrapped around Creeks neck clinging to his neck and legs wrapped around his waist and his dick deep inside you as he monologues to his friends about his betrayal and with you becoming his own personal breeding hole. At that point you’ve lost any hope and dignity at that point accepting your fate has his new personal breeding hole as you barrie your head into the crook of his neck as he cums inside of you, embarrassing you in-front of your friends.

While waiting for Trollstice Creek doesn’t once take himself out of you, continually to use you to his hearts content, all while whispering how it’s for the best and there’s no one he’s rather be inside of. It wasn’t long into Trollstice when Poppy and Branch had returned to save their new friends and you from being taken away, with Branch is able to grab you from being taken away with Creek as he and Chef were wheeled out of the castle.

With you finally able to be reunited with your friends you felt safe at last but just now more shaken about the situation and the world itself. While everyone tried to comfort you and say how nothing could hurt you anymore you craved safety and to be protected, which was music to Branches ears.

Branch takes no chances with you being in danger again. Insisting that the outside world is too dangerous for your and that you should stay with him for a while. This puts you at ease and happily stay with him, at first you plan for this to be a few weeks at most but it quickly turns into months of you in isolation with Branch.

While in the Bunker you become very close with your friend, feeling so safe with him, and trusting him with every part of your being that he would keep you safe. And while things seemed platonic at first I didn’t take long until Branch has you do more and more intimate acts with him, with if first being cuddles, messages and sharing meals, to then sleeping side by side and becoming more comfortable with wearing less and less clothing.

Throughout these times Branch can’t help but think of the sight of you being on Creeks dick, how out of it you looked, tongue out, panting and whimpering. How you tried to squirm loose but we pushed deeper onto him, Your hair being played with and your ass and thighs being slapped every once in a while.

He yearned to have you like that, where it isn’t Creeks dick but his you utter devoted too, luckily you trust him enough that you don’t give that much of a second thought when he starts train and condition you and your body. For months on end he slowly introduces the idea of being sexually intimate until he has you underneath him taking his dick. After that it doesn’t take him long to train you to please and satisfy him at a snap of a finger, always waiting and willing to get him off like your life depends on it. You slowly start to forget everything before all of this, being free, having a choice in like and making decisions. Why make tough choices when the most difficult one now is if you want to let Branch use your mouth or hole as his own personal toy.

As you get used to this new life of yours Branch starts having having close friends come over, after all he’s become more of a troll after saving everyone and hey Trolls love to share! With these friends encouraged by him to use you to their heart content. This soon became a regular occurrence and just like before it becomes second nature to you.

Branch will become more and more open with open with other of you being his new breeding hole, with letting you actually going out of the bunker for the first time and seeing friends, though this often lead to you being stuffed on all sides, though practice make perfect. Soon after hours of training and cum all it takes is for someone to bend you over and you just open your legs ready to take cock or eat pussy like a good little slut. With Branch commenting how good you are and how adorable you look when you’re being used, but you always know when it’s personal time with him, after all no matter how many times your passed around he’s still your biggest fan and in all honesty you think he really practically owns you and that hole of yours that others you to get themselves off in.

Though there was one person who he refused to have one person use you… and it seemed right on queue he came along once again.

When Creek returned everyone seemed to rejoice, but not Branch how could any of them be happy to see someone who tried to sell them out?! This then lead to another problem…. You.

He didn’t think you go crawling back to Creek, no, the problem is how could he put all his hard work against Creek?! Yeah it didn’t seem like a problem but he wanted to really shove it in Creeks face. All the while Branch plans your just humping his legs, trying to get off on him in any way.

While any plan could work Branch just decides to fuck it and just plan and simply pester Creek any chance he can. You’re brought up from the bunker for most of the days at this point being joined at the hip with Branch, you also had more and more open and public special sessions with friends, though your too out of it to realize the reason of this is because Creek is here.

Sometimes you think you see him but your brain is so fuzzy you can’t tell, often quickly going back to sucking cock and pussy like the good slut you are. Which most times you do see him and he sees you.

He sees his once perfect slut being used by his worst enemy, Branch, inside you with Poppy and Guy on either side of you. Branch causally turns around with a smug smile on his face. “Oh hey Creek, didn’t see you there. Me and my friends are just using my lil toy here, they’re really good” the whole time he’s pumping his cock in and out of you without missing a beat. “We don’t seem to have enough space right now. Sorry…. Better luck next time.” But there is not “next time” Creek won’t use you, not ever he’ll just have to sit and Watch constantly day in and day out, everywhere he went his rival use and cum inside what was supposed to be his.

// I had so much fun with this :)) sorry it a bit long I got carried away

[direwombat]

a wip wednesday? on my birthday? it's more likely than you think 🎉

tagged by @adelaidedrubman and @g0dspeeed to share some wip (tysm~! <3)

enjoy the first little bit of katc chapter 6/interlude ii

Hope County, MT. September 13, 2018. St. Francis Veterans Center, Whitetail Mountains. 10:35pm.

Toiling away by the light of a single desk lamp, Jacob Seed sits hunched over his desk, going over the day’s reports. Throughout the course of the evening, his reading glasses have slipped down the bridge of his nose and now perch at its tip. His neck and shoulders ache, but the night isn’t over yet.

Years of meticulous planning and intense preparation have gotten them this far, but all that time, they were operating in the shadows. They were outcasts by choice, keeping to themselves and biding their time until given the order to strike. Joseph had taken care to amass an army, just as Jacob, John, and Faith kept them well trained, motivated, and dumb. But now that the Reaping has begun, now that they’ve declared war, they need to act fast

Victory is never a guarantee, and the longer the fight goes on, the more likely it is that the Resistance will start gaining ground. The element of surprise is gone; now, he and his soldiers are digging in for the long fight. 

This is his final stand against the world who wronged him. His swan song. His way of ensuring a better future for his brothers and sister to make up for the way he failed once before. 

He will not fail again. He can’t. 

Just as Noah survived the flood, so too will they survive the fires of war. 

And when his family is safe -- when they’re underground, hibernating in the safety of their bunkers, he can finally rest. He’ll watch the world burn, and when the smoke fills his lungs and his body gives out from exhaustion, he’ll lay his head down and close his eyes one last time. 

His work will be done. He’ll have served his purpose.

But until then, he must remain vigilant and on guard. He is their sword and shield. He has a purpose, and he can’t allow himself a moment’s weakness until that purpose is fulfilled. 

He sits up and groans as his spine realigns and a series of violent pops sound loudly in the silence of his office. With a heavy sigh, he lets the report he’d been reading float back down onto his desk. His hand reaches for the mug that rests off to the side and lifts it to his lips. The coffee inside has gone from tepid to cold since he last took a sip. His face scrunches involuntarily, the acrid bitterness too much, even for him. 

Rising from his desk, he takes a moment to stretch before moving over to the coffee maker resting on one of his filing cabinets for a refill. What’s left in the carafe is still warm, and he stops pouring only when the surface tension threatens to break. Carefully lifting the mug once again, he takes a sip. It burns his tongue and he breathes a small sigh of relief. That’s better. 

His attention turns to the bulletin board on the nearby wall and regards it with a critical eye. He’d been adding pins and grainy photographs to it as he’s been getting reports in. Overall, the Reaping has been going according to plan -- at least according to his Chosen. He holds an iron grip over the Whitetails, and according to the faxes he’s received from the Valley and Henbane, the infantry has done well to overpower the average citizen of the county.

His men are all in position and the outposts are secure. Roadblocks are in place at all entrances and exits to the Whitetails and there are regular boat patrols along the shores. Radio jammers are blocking all non-Project frequencies, cutting off enemy communication. Jess Black has been captured and is being held at the lumber mill, and Deputy Pratt is set to be shipped to the Grand View for conditioning at dawn. 

And with the rogue Deputy currently in John’s custody, he can focus his attention on neutralizing the one threat that’s his own damn fault. 

Eli Palmer knows too much.

Jacob should have known it was a mistake to trust him. Bringing in outsiders is always dangerous, but he’d been so sure he could convince Eli to join the cause. He was a former soldier and current prepper. He saw the state of the world; knew it was only a matter of time before it came to an end. It’s how he’d convinced the man to help build the bunkers in the first place. He never said anything to confirm or deny, but he’d allowed Eli to think that the bunkers were meant for everyone in the county. Or, at least he did up until a few weeks ago when he’d asked him to join the project; fight as one of his Chosen. 

After all Jacob had done to give Eli purpose -- especially after his wife took the kid and ran -- all he got in return was betrayal. The other man had all but spit in his face before sneaking away in the dead of night not just with the blueprints for the Armory, but his siblings’ bunkers as well. He’s been hiding somewhere in the Whitetails ever since, and if Jacob’s intel is to be believed, then it sounds like Eli’s trying to piece together his own army to fight back. 

The very man who helped build their arks -- their salvation -- could just as easily destroy them. Jacob needs to stop that before it happens. He needs to nip that little problem in the bud before Eli gathers enough bodies to launch a counter-attack. 

Eli Palmer needs to die.  

tagging: @wrathfulrook, @harmonyowl, @ivymarquis, @jillvalentinesday, @cassietrn, @poetikat, @confidentandgood, @strafethesesinners, @afarcry5fromstraight, @miyabilicious, @simplegenius042, @inafieldofdaisies, @josephslittledeputy, @aceghosts, @madparadoxum, @socially-awkward-skeleton, @voidika, @strangefable (taglist opt in/out)

[mxsticmess]

tw: discussion of alcoholism/abuse

— — — — — — — — — — — —

i can’t stop thinking abt how overlooked saeyoung’s childhood is when it comes to how it affects him now. like we know that he doesn’t drink as a result, but there’s never much discussion beyond that. living in such shit conditions for years is definitely going to affect him long term beyond just “I don’t drink.”

not only his mother but his agency training is going to have him paranoid and observant at all points in time. little behaviors and facial expressions might set him off if it’s something his mother used to do.

cleanliness is a big one!! i know there’s the stereotype of him leaving cans and chip bags everywhere, but there’s no way he’d let it get actually dirty. vanderwood’s probably there as punishment from the agency but i don’t think he’d be cleaning as much if it didn’t really matter to seven.

growing up with an alcoholic often leaves people with a need for control— they don’t have control of their lives as a child and never know what kind of person they’ll come home to, so they need to find something to control as an adult. keeping the bunker clean helps him feel like he’s more in control; he couldn’t fix his environment as a child, so he (or vanderwood) makes sure he never has to live in filth again.

safety is also a big one for him. he had no way to defend himself when he was a child (not only from his mother, but from his father’s men that would try to hunt him down). now, he takes all the precautions he can: he has an elaborate security system, is constantly trying to keep tabs on what his father is doing, lives in a bunker— his anxiety rules over him because of the shit hand he was given as a child.

oddly specific, but walking quietly is a big one (again, not only from his childhood, but from his agency training too). he was used to creeping around and sneaking out while his mother slept, trying not to wake her up, and the agency only emphasized the need to sneak and not be found. he can walk into a room casually and scare the shit out of people— nobody can hear him coming.

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

Anyway, I'm obsessed the TLOU again...

read on ao3 (1.4k)

Joel can’t pinpoint the moment that Ellie became his kid. Maybe it was when she shot someone to defend him, maybe it was when she and Sam were playing in the bunker together, or maybe it was when she helped him bury the bodies. But it doesn’t really matter, all that matters is somewhere between there and here, Ellie became his. Not his charge or his cargo, his kid. 

And that suddenly means that he can’t bear the thought of her in pain or the thought of her scared. He wants to shield her from everything, from all the horrors of this fucked up world. He wishes more than anything it didn’t have to weigh on her so heavily.

So he sticks a little closer to her, makes sure she knows that if anything is going to try to hurt her, that he’ll shut that down the second he can. But she’s been off since Kansas City, they both have been if he’s being honest. 

But she’s hardly been talking and he hasn’t heard a single pun in days. And honestly, he’s starting to miss them.

When they find an abandoned store to make camp in, Ellie sets up her bed in the back office. Since they so rarely get privacy on the road, Joel sets his bed up on the other side of the door. She’s a teenager, surely she doesn’t want to be hanging around an old man all the time. He makes sure she eats dinner and changes the bandage on her hand before giving her some time to herself. 

The door stays wide open though, not what he was expecting from a kid. Maybe it’s just another one of her quirks, Joel tells himself as he sits on the floor outside the room with a sigh and begins cleaning his guns, making sure they’re all in fit condition.

After an hour, Joel casts a glance to the boards that cover the glass doors and windows of the shop, the red beams of sunset have faded to darkness.

With a groan, he stands up, his knees popping. And he leans into the office, finding Ellie sitting under the desk, reading one of her comics by the light of her flashlight. 

“Ellie?” When she looks up, he continues, “You should get some rest, we’re leavin’ at dawn in the morning.” 

“Okay.” Ellie turns the page of her comic and keeps reading. Joel sighs, he remembers when Sarah used to do the exact same thing. Sometimes he hates how much Ellie reminds him of her. 

If it weren’t for the bags under her eyes, he wouldn’t care how long she stays up. But he knows that since Sam and Henry, she hasn’t been sleeping much. He’s hoping the privacy of a closed door will allow her to rest at least a little, to allow her to feel safe with him guarding the door. 

“Ellie.” 

She rolls her eyes and looks up at him, her comic book open in her lap, “What?”

“Go to bed, I don’t want you complaining about being tired. We got a long day tomorrow.” 

Ellie huffs, “Every day is a long day, it’s the fucking apocalypse.” 

But mercifully, she doesn’t fight him anymore and tucks her book back in her bag. It doesn’t escape his notice that as she lays down in her makeshift bed, her hand curls under her pillow. He’d bet anything that she has a knife under there. 

He wants to berate her, tell her that she shouldn’t sleep with a weapon in her bed. But he sleeps with his gun under his pillow, and a second one close at hand. So he just taps the wall and sighs, ducking back out of the room and closing the door behind him. 

He lays down on the floor, using his backpack as a pillow. It’s not comfortable, but he’s used to that by now. If anything, it’s a treat to be on a cold floor instead of damp dirt or lumpy grass. He curls his hand around his gun, his thumb brushing the safety.

He’s just starting to drift off to sleep when he hears the door behind him creak open. Joel sits up, squinting in the darkness as a figure shuffles out, carefully walking over to him. He can see her figure, Ellie, her arms wrapped around herself. 

Fearing that she’s sick, Joel sits up and drags a hand down his face, “Ellie? Everythin’ okay?” The girl doesn’t say anything as she sits down in front of him. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Can I ask you something?” Her voice is shaky, almost hesitant in a way she usually isn’t.

He frowns slightly, a few days ago would have told her to go back to sleep or ignored her. But she’s been quieter and more fragile since Henry and Sam and there’s no way he has the heart to say no to her. So he gets comfortable and says, “Shoot.”

Ellie picks at her shoelaces for a moment, clearly trying to collect her thoughts. Joel doesn’t rush her, he knows better than that. Sarah always needed some time to think about how she wanted to say things. God the two of them are so similar sometimes.

Eventually, Ellie swallows thickly and asks, “Why couldn’t I save him? Sam…Sam was just a kid and I-” She cuts herself off with a shuddering gasp as she fights off tears, the back of her hand to her mouth to muffle the sound. 

“Hey, hey, look at me, sweetheart,” Joel says softly, not taking time to think about where the nickname came from. He moves forward, taking Ellie’s hand and pulling it away from her mouth. Ellie looks up at him with shining eyes and his heart breaks in two. “You’re just a kid too.” You're my kid, he wants to say, but he doesn’t. “You couldn’t have done anything to save him.” 

Ellie shakes her head, tears starting to pour down her cheeks, “I-I…Tess and Riley and Sam and I-I couldn’t save any of them-” She sobs loudly, cutting herself off and Joel immediately pulls her into a tight hug and holds her to his chest. He doesn’t know who Riley is, but based on the other examples…he’s pretty certain about where they ended up. 

He rocks her gently, “Shh, I’ve got you. I know it hurts, but it’s alright. You’re alright, you didn’t do nothin’ wrong.” 

Ellie clings to him desperately, her fits balled into the back of his jacket and burying her head into shoulder. God, she’s so small, she fits in his arms just like Sarah did. Never had it been more apparent that she’s just a child, barely a teenager.

He closes his eyes, trying to fight back tears of his own as he slides Ellie into his lap to hold her better. He rubs her back, taking deep breaths and hoping that she’ll copy it. “Just breathe, baby girl.” 

“Joel, I-I’m sorry,” Ellie murmurs.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” he assures her. “This was going to happen eventually. You’ve been through a lot since we left the QZ.”

Ellie nods into his shoulder, “Can I stay here? I don’t want to be alone.” And she follows it up with an even soft admission, “It’s dark.” 

Joel swallows thickly, suddenly realizing why she hadn’t closed the door. “Of course. Whatever you need. I’m right here.”

He hugs her and rubs her back, murmuring words of comfort to her until she stops crying and lifts her head from his shoulder. She uses her sleeves to mop up the tears from her cheeks. “Thank you.”

Joel shakes his head and pushes her hair from her face. “No need for that. But I wasn’t lying about it bein’ a long day tomorrow, let’s get some sleep, alright?”

Ellie nods and starts to pull away, but Joel doesn’t let her. Instead he lays down in his makeshift bed, pulling her with him so that she’s tucked safely in his arms. Any doubts he had about that decision are immediately gone when she relaxes completely in his arms, allowing him to pull the blanket over her. 

“I’ve got you, baby girl,” Joel tells her softly. “Just sleep, you’re going to be okay.” 

He doesn’t know how long it takes for Ellie to fall asleep like this. Not long, by his count, but he stays awake for a while longer just in case. He waits for a nightmare or for another question or cry, but after a long time without one, Joel closes his eyes too. And with Ellie tucked safely in his arms he gets the best night sleep he has in a long, long time.

[blood--king]

◢【Vɪᴄᴛᴏʀʏ Pᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs】

The Blood Kingdom was once known as the Blood Empire. Most of the former kings used to wield their power for selfish purposes delivering suffering and pain wherever they went. Although, all those years of war were the bases of the current kingdom in many ways such as culture, economy, religion, society. And here, we are going to talk about one of the pillars of this kingdom.

— Vlad Bloodborne, the third supreme king. For many people, a lunatic, but despite the fact, genius. He was aware of the dangers of a monarchy; he realized that a king would need a close support of power. He stablished a hierarchy composed of five people who would represent what he called “The Victory Conditions” of a war: Leadership, Blood, War, Death and Love. These five people would be the supreme king and his four dukes and the hierarchy itself is what we call The Victory Politics

You already know the current supreme king, so we are going to tell you more about the former one and the current dukes.

═══════════════•°✝°•═══════════════

◢Name: Vlad Bloodborne.

◢Occupation: Former Supreme King of the Blood Empire.

◢Function: The king has to manage every aspect of the kingdom and watch over its prosperity.

◢State: Died at the age of about 5500.

◢Sexuality: Bisexual

◢Fun fact: Unlike the other members of the family, who love classical music; Vlad here loves pop music, and if the singer is a girl much better, the more feminine the song the more he will love to sing it.

◢Footer comments:

Sander: I was talking with Drya about this guy and we came to a realization, the best word to describe him is “lunatic”, I am sure you’ve read it referring to him throughout the blog and it’s because that is the best word, no crazy or insane or mad, lunatic.

Drya: I have already made a little comment about him before but... I kinda don't recommend you to meet him...? (Hopefully he is dead, still available for questions though...) Like if you have boundaries and such, please don't, trust me. For your own safety put yourself in a bunker 7 feet under ground—— you know what? Forget it, it won't be enough, he will chase you and you'll be part of his daily entertainment. You won't escape that honestly... At least you are dead already :v

═══════════════•°✝°•═══════════════

◢Name: Dark Kruger.

◢Occupation: Duke of War.

◢Function: This duke’s duty is to be the general of the kingdom’s military forces, manage the tactics, troops, training, weapons, security, etc.

◢State: Alive (and single).

◢Sexuality: Gay (A-LOT).

◢Fun fact: Dark doesn’t like luxury, despite being one of the five most important people in the kingdom he still wears the same uniform and armor each soldier has to wear. He has a mansion but it looks almost empty.

◢Footer comments:

Sander: … I am so sorry I can’t stop looking at his butt *make me yours, daddy*

Drya: Tell me why you have to be gay TnT

═══════════════•°✝°•═══════════════

◢Name: Lilith (just that, she’s an orphan)

◢Occupation: Duchess of Love.

◢Function: Her function is a little ambiguous, she has to watch over the happiness and well-being of the citizens. She manages things like the entertainment, jewelry, she even has her own clothing company, The Bleeding Fang. But also, she is in charge of the Spies’ division.

◢State: Alive (also single).

◢Sexuality: It’s not simple. She thinks she’s asexual because she doesn’t feel attracted to anyone and she has never felt, also, her sexual experiences have been…terrifying. However, that doesn’t mean she is asexual, she hasn’t met the right person yet, and it could be either a man or a woman.

◢Fun fact: She loves to use lingerie in public, she loves to feel her skin exposed because she REALLY loves her body and she’s proud it.

◢Footer comments:

Sander: About the fun fact, Hell told her: “I’ll allow it as long as you do not show your nipples or something else” XD. She is like Hell older sister. Also, all the clothes she sells and wears are designed by herself.

Drya: Honestly if you find your way into the Blood Kingdom without protection, you better find her in your path. She is the most lovely person you will ever meet.

═══════════════•°✝°•═══════════════

◢Name: Killian Sulius.

◢Occupation: The Duke of Blood.

◢Function: His main function is to ensure the food in the kingdom, he’s on charge of all the restaurants, laboratories and the salves system. But also, he manages the paperwork of the kingdom.

◢State: Alive (single, do not date him though, trust me).

◢Sexuality: Bisexual.

◢Fun fact: He has a strange concept of relationship. He doesn’t like vampires, he loves to “date” other species because he likes being in charge, he would literally make the other person a slave.

◢Footer comments:

Sander: He is a mf. Nothing more to say your Honor.

Drya: As he said, don't date him, trust him.

═══════════════•°✝°•═══════════════

◢Name: Nost Darkweb.

◢Occupation: The Duke of Death.

◢Function: You know all those abandoned and haunted places? Those were stupid people go to “explore them” in the middle of the night? Well, Nost and his Hunting Division are probably there waiting for those stupid people to step in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think the Hunting Division’s name speaks for itself.

◢State: Alive…? Doesn’t look like it.

◢Sexuality: Straight.

◢Fun fact: He is the one that raised Hell on Vlad’s orders. He became a parental figure for our beloved king.

◢Footer comments:

Sander: This poor man has lived an awful life…I would love to tell you but it is more fun if you get to know him. I am trying to explore these different dukes in the several AUs of the blog. He is being explored in the verse called “Special” (hey there Nunnally :D)

Drya: He might be scary, undead-like, but trust me when I said that all he needs is a reminder of what's the meaning of love. Still, it will be though to convince him :^

Extra: Height comparison.

[honeydewbunker]

*Notes and letters seem to find their way all across the Underground, scattering along the red stained floors and shoving themselves into mailboxes and under doorways somehow, in some mysterious way.

*You pick one of the letters up, hands shaking, reading the contents inside..

╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ 🌼 ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌

To all reading this…

Please evacuate to the former Honeydew Resort for safety. The resort has food and rations, bedrooms to rest in and safety defenses. I will make sure you all stay safe, until this epidemic passes.

Follow the signs into the forest, the scent of honey will be your guide.

May we meet at my doorstep, and may your journey be safe.

~Mallow Honeydew ♥︎

╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ 🌼 ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌ ╌

OOC AND CW UNDER

Hello, this is the mod for @honeydewresortaskblog (the much more light hearted somewhat canon version of this blog) here, joining the trend and making an askblog for the Crystal Calamity AU! (which we made in the Underblog Discord server, which you should totally join incase you wanna learn more and meet some cool nerds,,,)

Trigger warnings for: General hopeless environment, disturbing topics, potential gore, and other warnings that apply for a general apocalyptic setting!

Tags!

#responsesfromthebunker - For any responses to asks!

#bunkerstatus - Status updates for the bunker, which includes supplies checks, conditions of the outside, number of refugees, etc etc.

#refugeeprofiles - Profiles for any refugees that enter the bunker.

#mallowsjournal - Entries into Mallow’s journal that she keeps, you get to see her private thoughts :))

#ooc - explanatory LMFAO

Thank you for reading! Have a nice day! :D

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 96

Chapter 96: “Welcome Home”

Due to seeing all the other poachers lying dead on the ground, I don’t think it clicked in my mind the first time reading this chapter that Leuvis wasn’t actually there, but it made a whole lot of sense as to why his body was indeed missing once ch171 was released. The hint that he was still alive was plainly obvious here yet my dumb self still managed to get caught off guard witnessing him return during the final arcs.

Bunker dad deserves so much praise for racing all the way back home to the shelter in just one day. Literally ran non-stop, keeping away from all wild demons chasing him with Emma on his back.

And what an eventful six days it’s been for them.. from the dangerous trip to GP, to Emma getting snatched by poachers, which resulted in Ray going feral as he and Yuugo eventually follow her into the hunting ground where she’s been saving children’s lives left and right until she’s recruited by the GP resistance to partake in a master plan to destroy the place, then eventually taken even further underground where she and Lucas learn more about WM/GP/Lambda/Seven Walls/etc, before preparing for the big battle that actually happens way sooner than originally intended where she and everyone else fight for their damn lives, killing some poachers and scoring some major injuries in the process til Ray and Yuugo finally arrive as much needed backup, though our girl eventually gets stabbed yet continues to fight til Leuvis is defeated, only then does she proceed to totally collapse, but Emma and everyone else still receive enough medical attention to escape GP before it blows up. All that happens in just six days. Was it necessary to give a short version on the last couple arcs? No, but am I still salty over how the second season thought it was a good idea to leave all that out? 100%. Anyways, it’s nice to see all the escapees again. I missed them.

As intimidating and applause worthy as this moment is for Gilda, it’s not exactly the smartest thing since you can’t really blow up the shelter when you and your whole family is still inside, ya know? I do love how it takes Yuugo a brief moment to register what’s happening and how much trouble he could’ve easily been in. He’s been through a very hectic last couple days, I can’t blame him for not remembering her threat right away.

Thankfully any confusion and worry are momentarily pushed aside as they all come together to help save Emma’s life. Again, I dunno exactly how Ray knows such information regarding his family, but if anyone is gonna be a reliable and knowledgeable cheat code, then it’s gonna be him. And I love that for him, just as much as Don and Dominic stepping up with no hesitation. They’re all such good boys. Farewell to the GP outfit as well. It shall be greatly missed.

Kudos to this random lad for suggesting a guard swap because my poor boy has clearly not been getting any sleep with how worried he is over Emma’s condition. Three weeks is a hella long time to be away from someone who’s always been at your side throughout your entire life. Add in the uncertainty of whether she’s be okay or not makes it so much more stressful.

I don’t remember many double spread pages off the top of my head, but this one has gotta be one of my favorites! From the absolutely precious RE moment, to everyone’s tears of joy, their big smiles and the joy and relief they feel in seeing Emma wake up after a good month. Everything here is beyond wholesome!! It also shows us some of the resistance members like Oliver, Zack, Pepe and Sonya who finally managed to recover. Can’t forget about the tiny detail of Emma’s name on the pillow either.

The way she doesn’t question anything about herself or what happened upon first waking up, instead being solely concerned about everyone else’s safety more than anything else.

A long-awaited apology even though he’s so shy admitting it. Lucas probably finds Yuugo’s softer side entertaining to watch the way he’s glancing over too.

I don’t care how long it’s been, I’m still gonna use two u’s for his name. It’s also adorable how the younger kids drew many pictures for Emma while she was asleep to help make her feel better.

Poor girl is completely dumbfounded she’s been asleep for so long. Then we got Ray proving once again why he’s best boy. Now, Sandy’s injuries I can understand, since he lost an eye and got thrashed around by Nous quite a bit, but was Paula really injured that badly to the point where she can’t move? Sure, a spear was thrown at her with great force, but didn’t it just hit her shoulder? And there was a tiny panel of her last chapter where she was getting helped up to move as everyone was preparing to leave GP, but ah whatever. It just surprises me that Emma manages to get herself walking around shortly after waking up despite the brutal injury she received. Still cute that the younger kids drew pictures of Sandy and Paula as well.

Favorite panel/moment:

When Ray realizes how many children Emma helped during her short time at GP, not only because the defeated the poachers and escaped, but from the hunt the day before the battle as well. They all wish she has a swift recovery so they can thank her properly once they arrive home and it’s so sweet how much they all care for her already.

And look at that smile of his! Aaahhh!! He is so damn proud of Emma for everything she’s accomplished.

[h3raklion]

Sentinel Smirnova and the Brotherhood Of Steel

A story of love, hate and survival.

Brace yourself for a very long post.

Matryona and the brotherhood of steel have a very rocky relationship.

Matryona came to join the BOS via the classic military frequency thingy of the game. ArcJet, etc. She accepted Danse's offer to join because their way of life was similar to hers, which ensured her survival. As well as having the technology and strength to aid her in rescuing Shaun.

The decision was heavily influenced by the fact she valued loyalty and friendship over almost everything else, and since the paladin had so quickly taken her under his wing and protection she felt indebted to him.

In the brotherhood she made some new friends like Haylen, Danse, Teagan, Cade, Rhys and Neriah. As well as enemies.

Since the Brotherhood formed from the remnants of the US Army, and was led by Roger Maxson, most of the pre-war soldiers DNA and profiles are stored in the BOS' database. Including Matryona's.

Post-War, when Cade logged her into the system, her existing profile came up. Bringing her past life to the light. Quickly making her gain infamy across the chapter along with giving her the nickname she came to be most commonly known by: Armageddon.

While most of the Brotherhood disliked her for being a killer, Elder Maxson saw the potential of having an experienced pre-war soldier around. This prompted him to make her his personal Knight. A woman to take care of all the darker and bloodier assignments.

Matryona wasn't too fond of the idea of retaking her old work. But loyalty, duty and self-preservation forced her to do his bidding.

Like with Danse, she was indebted to Roger Maxson for sparing her life and helping her readjust to civilian life. A debt she couldn't repay. So, she decided that in his honor she would serve Arthur.

This new position had her constantly around the Elder. Making their relationship evolve from strictly business to a secret sexual one.

Being Maxson's partner gave her the security that she wouldn't be targeted by other members of the Brotherhood, as well as ensuring that they would aid her in infiltrating the Institute.

This arrangement also gave her the benefit of doing what she wanted, when she wanted, without fear of getting discharged.

Her security and trust in Maxson ended the moment Paladin Danse, her best friend and older brother-like figure, was declared a synth traitor who had to be killed on sight.

That same night Matryona sneaked out of the airport and tracked Danse to the bunker. There she reasoned with him and managed to convince him to not end his life and to leave the Commonwealth.

As they left the bunker they found Maxson waiting outside. He had tracked Matryona and followed her to the bunker.

After a long negotiation where the elder did not back down on his order to kill Danse, Matryona pulled her own gun and aimed it at Maxson's head. More negotiations ensued and this time Maxson agreed to let Danse go with the condition that she returned to the Prydwen and continued her service. A condition she accepted.

Danse was moved to Sanctuary to live hidden among the settlers and his safety was ensured by Preston and the small pocket of minutemen in the settlement.

Back in the Prydwen Maxson declared that Knight Matryona had hunted down and killed Danse.

From there on their relationship (and her views of the BOS) became one of tolerance. They both became something she had to use to get to her goal.

The separation from both the BOS and Maxson came after the destruction of the Institute and her promotion to Sentinel.

One day she and the elder were discussing something in the Command Deck, when the Knights stationed outside began hearing shouting from behind the doors. Immediately after the Sentinel came out of the doors furious and an even angrier elder following behind. The fight continued to the flight deck, where after a few words from the elder, Matryona ripped out her rank insignias and threw them over the rails. Maxson attempted to stop the Sentinel from boarding a Vertibird but was stopped by a slap to the cheek.

She threw him a few more insults and boarded the Vertibird, leaving the Prydwen and Maxson behind.

Maxson attempted to make contact with her for the months afterwards, but finally stopped receiving reports of sightings quickly after, being left with full radio silence for the next two years.

-

Around this part is where the fic I'm working on begins. So to avoid spoilers I'll stop with this dramatic scene.

[autisticsupervillain]

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Stats Equalized!

The show where we equalize strength, speed, and durability to decide who would win a battle of hax, skill, and versatility.

This Month's Fighters...

The Beast vs The Figure!

Conditions:

No Restrictions

Scenario:

After Augustine Lambert finishes his transformation into The Beast, the otherworldly Harvester pathogen inside of him begins to mutate even further, teleporting him to the otherworldly Doors hotel where the Figure stalks for prey.

Analysis: The Figure

Roblox had been the breeding ground for many different horror games over the course of its existence. For much of Roblox's early years, these games were notorious for being quite terrible. Made cheeply and quickly by kids who didn't know better. But, there is one horror game that stands tall above the pack as arguably the turning point in Roblox horror. Doors.

Doors sets the Player inside a haunted, seemingly endless hotel, full of hundreds of rooms with countless monsters lurking inside. Rush sits ready to charge you down at a moment's notice. Seek waits and watches for its chance to rip you to shreds. How did you get here? How will you survive? And how will you escape the most powerful and dangerous entity the building has to offer? How can you outrun the Figure?

The Figure is a giant monster, standing at twice the height of a full grown man. With rows of teeth in place of a face, the Figure is large enough to swallow the Player whole and bloodthirsty enough to track them to the ends of the Earth to do it.

Being blind, the Figure relies on its incredible hearing to track down its meals. Sensitive enough to hear a heartbeat through a solid wall, its hearing lets it track the Player down across the entire hotel, never relenting until its victim is claimed.

The Figure is strong enough to dislodge an elevator and send it hurtling down the shaft, powerful enough to rip the Player to shreds in one blow, and stronger than every other monster in the Hotel, even including Seek.

And Figure and Seek are very much meant to be comparable. They're the only two entities in the game powerful enough to simply... ignore the Player trying to banish them with a crucifix. The Figure in particular just walks through the heavenly chains sent to banish it without even noticing. And while you may be able to outrun it at first, it will get faster than you the angrier it gets. Even a player whose speed is fully boosted by vitamins can't outrun it at that point.

Nothing in the building can stop the Figure. Not Seek, not The Player, and not even an electrical fire that sends it flying out a window. It simply comes straight back.

Be careful what hotel you stay the night in, less you meet the Figure lurking behind these Doors.

Analysis: The Beast

World War 1. One of the most horrifically pointless bloodbaths in human history. A massive confict that spanned continents and nations, the battlefield of the era was rife with brutal death from disease, outdated tactics, and commanders who couldn't give less of a shit about their men. It is a brutal chapter that has left its mark on the book of history forevermore. Unfortunately for frenchmen Augustin Lambert and Henri Clément, the war itself was the least of the horrors they'd live through.

After a particularly brutal run through No Man's Land, Henri gives a seemingly dying Augustine a drink from a nearby mud hole, giving him the strength to get the two back to the safety of the nearby bunker. Unbeknownst to either of the two men, the pond was infected with the otherworldly Harvester pathogen, an element from a long dead alien world. The substance changed him, mentally and physically, into a hulking feral Beast.

By the time Henri woke up and recovered from his injuries, the man he'd known as Augustin Lambert was gone.

"I feel strange myself. Can barely find the words to write. My hands feel so odd. Gnarled, bulbous. Like they don't belong to me. I hesitate to write this but a thought keeps echoing in my head. A thought I must not act on. A bloody thought so seductive. It calls... it calls... it calls...."

"Blood on my hands blood on my hands blood on my hands. Their pain. I want more of it."

It's rather unfortunate for the French army that Lambert was a much better killing machine in death than he ever was in life. By the time Henri awakens to confront his old friend, every other soldier in the bunker is either dying or dead. Nothing the French army, let alone Henri, could throw at it could stop it. It walks around still impaled on swords, seemingly unable to feel pain. It smashes through the bunker's walls snd burrows through them like a rat, carefully listening for every sound. Stalking. Hunting. To some extent, even thinking. Leaving it's victims strewn about like trophies and bringing trinkets back to the pond it'd nade its nest.

It's hollow, sunken in eyes see remarkably well in darkness, but it is in exchange easily stunned by bright light. Pistols and shotguns barely even drive it back, only enraging it as the bullets crumple against it. Even the explosives of the era only drive The Beast back for a time. By digging an elaborate system of tunnels across the bunker, The Beast was able to carefully pick the bunker apart through hunting tactics and brutal paranoia. For better or for worse... it was almost human still...

Thankfully, Henri would find a way to put that humanity to rest. By distracting Lambert with the toy he'd bought for his son, Henri was able to lure the Beast over a massive bridge. In destroying it, he sent the Beast plummeting to be a meal for the Shadow lurking below.

To history, Augustin Lambert was just another casualty of war. To Henri, Lambert was the good man he'd killed.... and the Beast he'd created.

Throwdown Theme:

Throwdown Breakdown:

Well, this is a fairly simple bout between two very uncomplicated toolkits.

Both of these... I hesitate to say "characters" exactly, are very clever, sporadic, and brutal predators with a feral cunning to them. The Figure makes great use of its heightened senses to ensure it's prey can't escape, likely easily tracking The Beast should it try to burrow through the walls, and the way its speed increases could very easily allow it to to outmaneuver and overwhelm The Beast as the fight goes on.

However, The Beast's resilience is far more impressive to me. For as resistant to magic as the Figure might be, whenever it gets hit by something that can truly hurt it, it's taken out for a considerable time. Such as with the electrical fire that sent it out a window. The Beast, meanwhile, walks around with swords in its back and responds to getting staggered with explosions by later charging down the offending attacker in a rage.

This resiliency, when combined with a slightly superior intelligence, gives The Beast its crucial edge here. While the "burrow through the walls" trick is countered by the Figure's hearing, The Beast's ability to use stealth generally is not. As the various documents within the bunker show us, The Beast is very good at sowing mistrust and fear within even trained soldiers through its use of hunting tactics. A comparatively feral brute like the Figure would be much easier to unsettle should the Figure ever drive The Beast back.

There is something human still in the Beast's intelligence. How fitting that Lambert's lingering humanity lets him kill the monster who never had any to begin with.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Augustin Lambert!

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

1 through 5 for Kit and Jacob's kids plz 😍

1. Who do the kids enjoy playing with the most?

Jacob - The eldest (Carter - adopted son) learns to enjoy playing with him which of course basically means running drills (or at least the kind a 5+ year old can keep up with). He very much latches on to the "I must be strong" mentality and wants to prove himself to his father (since his biological parents failed in that regard)

The youngest (Haven - biological daughter) gets babied a fair bit by her father, but she enjoys rough housing with him because Kit tends to treat her like glass since she never should have been born in the first place.

Kit - The middle child (Quinn - adopted daughter, Carter's biological sister) enjoys playing with her mom. Kit tends to be the more gentle of the parents (after she swears off her wrath) and she's happy to play pretend if it keeps the kiddo out of trouble.

2. Who gets carried away with the baby proofing?

Jacob's bunker was never built with children in mind. So as the kids are growing up its very much a learning process. The weapons were luckily already locked up but things like kids trying to climb the furniture and sleeping arrangements were a bit more trial and error.

Jacob had memories of growing up with John and so he was far more aware of the risks that came with raising kids compared to Kit who was an only child and had no interaction with children.

Carter and Quinn are 5 and 2 when they get in the bunker so the baby proofing is less of a worry in their case. When it comes to Haven she spent the first two years in her parents room and then was moved into the room with her brother and sister who were more than happy to help out with the little one.

3. Who does the baby follow around more?

Quinn is basically Kit's shadow from the moment she steps in as her mother. She helps to soften Kit a lot and really prepares her for Haven.

Haven tends to stay with Kit as Jacob continues to keep his chosen in peak condition.

Carter would love to shadow Jacob but he tends to get in the way and is more of a hindrance than a help. So he often has to stay with Kit and the other kids for his own safety.

4. Who is the one the kids call out to when they’re looking for something?

Kit - she is absolutely the glue that binds everyone together. She knows where everything is. She is very big on a place for everything and everything in its place. Jacob has an entire bunker to worry about and all the people inside of it, so he pays less attention to the smaller details of their home life. Kit has the family, and that's the way she likes it. Her own little unit to look after.

5. Who’s constantly up checking on the baby in the middle of the night (even when the baby is sound asleep)? 

Kit spends a lot of sleepless nights watching Haven sleep. The fact that she even had a baby was a miracle, she never believed she'd be capable of getting pregnant, let alone carrying it to term. So when she gave birth to a perfectly healthy little girl the fear of losing her became so strong that she often becomes quite the helicopter parent.

[rubykgrant]

I re-read the Time Machine by Orson Wells, and re-watched the 1960 movie... I think it’s interesting (and kinda funny) how in the book, the Time Traveler makes several assumptions about how the world of the Eloi must work, and one after the other, each is proven wrong, until he finally settles on one theory at the end. The movie differs slightly, not by much, but it makes me think that even the final theory from the book was perhaps incorrect as well. In the book, he goes through several thoughts about how the Eloi could have come to be the way they are and how they function, and as he learns the truth about the Morlocks, he comes to the conclusion that the Eloi must be the descendants of some upper-class that have existed without purpose for so long, they’ve lost certain amounts of ambition and problem-solving skills. Meanwhile, he eventually thinks that the Morlocks are the working-class, once subjected to intense slave conditions and forced to live underground, where they have done everything for those on the surface, but without enough supplies for themselves, they have become vicious and resorted to eating the Eloi. In the movie, there is a little bit more, involving some long-ago nuclear/atomic threat. The people would once go into underground bunkers for safety, until it was “all clear”. Eventually, one group of these people decided to simply remain below, while others stayed up above. The people who eventually became the Eloi still follow the habit of going into the bunkers when they hear a warning siren, but the meaning is lost to them. This is where the Morlocks often capture them (though there are other situations as well). If these two ideas are combined together, along with the fact that the Time Traveler has made several incorrect guesses about what this means, I think that perhaps... at some point previously, it was indeed safer to be underground, and those that went there were the rich elite, wanting to keep themselves safe and hoard what little supplies they had. The poor working-class were excluded, and forced to remain above ground. For EXTRA irony, the nuclear/atomic threat turned out to be not quite so life-threatening, so those above ground wound up thriving after a certain point. However, perhaps many of the adults were unable to survive and and properly raise the next generation, so they lost much of their history and traditions. Below ground, the people who eventually became the Morlocks discovered they did not have enough food to survive infinitely, and by the time they forgot the reason for hiding in the earth, they had already done the unthinkable and began eating each other... until they ventured up above, to take the Eloi. Obviously, that theory is potentially as flawed as any of the Time Traveler’s, but it’s interesting how so many things can be connected like that...

[musings-of-a-lovesick-fool]

Shiptober Day 28

Prompt: Forehead touch

Ship: Joseph Seed x Deputy Dean Sinclaire

Warning(s): Canon-typical violence, bunker ending but a little to the left, trauma bond

Words: 1, 017

It's not often they get this close.

It's not often Joseph got to see the flecks of gold in the deputy's brown eyes and the pores in his skin. Months ago Dean wouldn't have let him so close, not without some resistance; or his safety net in the form of a crudely made shiv held to Joseph's neck.

But he sat back now, gaze lazily trained on Joseph's cautious form leaning over him, making no attempts to stop him or dissuade him from approaching. Joseph felt a trickle of something within him, hope, relief; happiness. He'd been patient, he never faltered and he gave Dean his space when the tension between them was thick enough to clog his throat. And it had seemingly paid off.

He rests his forehead against Dean's, hand on his thigh to brace himself. Dean's eyes flutter closed and Joseph admires the way his lashes dust across his cheeks. Goosebumps dance across his skin as Dean rests one of his bruised hands on Joseph's forearm, the soft pads of his fingertips warm against his skin. He swallows thickly, attempting to alleviate the dryness in his throat.

"Deputy—"

"Don't," Dean's voice is hoarse, a clear command for Joseph not to ruin the moment he was graciously allowing. Joseph shuts his mouth, closes his eyes and inhales deeply through his nose, exhaling and letting his shoulders relax. Despite the fact he had so much he wished to say he dared not take away this small comfort, this first real reciprocation of closeness and affection.

Dean lifts his other hand and Joseph does nothing to suppress the shiver that comes from him cupping the back of his neck. His thumb caresses his skin gently and Joseph can feel himself crumbling from within, his heart losing itself first before his body follows suit. He slumps forward, head falling to Dean's shoulder as he sits in a more comfortable position, Dean's arms wrapping around him and cradling him with a tender touch.

It's all so much somehow, it felt like he'd been starved for years and he was finally being given a fresh piece of fruit; sweet and intoxicating in his condition. He grabs onto Dean's shirt, clings to it like a life raft, breathes in the scent of charcoal and musk and revels in his warm skin. Dean seems equally appreciative of the contact, despite his stiffness he holds onto Joseph tightly.

In the silence he can hear his own heartbeat racing, thudding rhythmically and reminding him he was still alive; they were both still alive. After all the blurring days and nights and lost time they were still here, surviving. 

Together.

It might not have been how Joseph had hoped, how he'd envisioned it. But at this point it was more than he could ask for.

They stay like that for hours, holding onto one another, listening to each other's heartbeats and gentle breathing. It's serene, possibly the first peaceful moment they've shared in the entire time they've known one another. It stirs so many feelings inside of Joseph and when he lifts his head and looks into Dean's bleary eyes he can tell he's in the same position.

The torrent of emotions is deafening, suffocating. They'd been enemies, they'd fought and put each other's loved ones in danger on multiple occasions. Joseph had convinced himself his reasoning was superior, that he was righteous and Dean's were merely a blind reaction to what he didn't understand. But he had understood, he had understood all along and Joseph was the one that had been losing sight of the bigger picture.

If he had just paid closer attention, if he had listened to this man's pleas when he had the chance maybe he could be with his siblings now and Dean could be with his. But he hadn't and they weren't.

"I'm sorry,"

Dean's brows knit together at the hoarse words that tumble out of Joseph's lips, his lips pull together in a tight frown; tears well up in his waterline and he holds Joseph's face in his hands as he begins to weep.

"I'm so sorry," Joseph sobs. Dean closes his eyes.

They had been so close, if he wasn't so stubborn it wouldn't have ended like this. If he had tossed away his pride and taken Dean's hand that day—

"I'm sorry too,"

Dean's voice is quiet, his words trickle down Joseph's face with his tears and he presses their foreheads together. Joseph held onto his arms with an iron grip, a plea for him to not let go; he feared pieces of him would scatter all over the floor if he did.

He couldn't quite tell what Dean was apologising for, if it was one thing or multiple but he didn't care. Their mutual sorrow and apologies felt comforting, it felt like a beginning.

And when Joseph tilts his chin up to crash their lips together in desperation Dean lets him.

And when Dean tangles his hands in his hair to pull him closer Joseph lets him.

This was forgiveness; this was salvation.

Joseph tasted his tears as he pushed Dean down and kissed him harder, teeth and tongue and pitiful cries lost in the tangle of limbs and erratic heartbeats. Dean was warm under his shaking hands, every inch of skin moulding to his touch as he held onto him like a man about to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Those brown eyes had lost their intensity but Joseph could see nothing but the truth within them.

Fear, guilt, desperation, desire, anger; it all fizzled away in their depths and dragged Joseph in. He knew his eyes exposed him as well, tears fell freely as he kissed Dean's searing skin, every kiss an apology, every shiver an acceptance. This wasn't what either of them had wanted but this was what they had and Joseph was going to give himself wholly now; he had no other choice. Dean had been his answer all along and he'd ignored what that had meant when it mattered but he wasn't willing to ignore it now.

He was listening.