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imthepunchlord · 3 years ago

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Emerald with Fresh Eyes

I had defeated Emerald for the first time since not playing it... gosh. I can’t even say when. Maybe when I was around 10? And nostalgia wise, I always ranked it high. And it was to a point that with ORAS, they were a mixed bag due to being more of an RS remake than not including Emerald like HGSS did. And to me, the Delta ep wasn’t enjoyable at all.

And now playing it with fresh eyes....

Yeah I couldn’t rank Emerald super high on my list anymore. I still love this region, I love the evil teams, love a lot of the pokemon, and Emerald I’d play over RS any day; but it wasn’t all that great narratively. And some choices in it were just weird choices to make.

Like, Wallace being the Champion of Hoenn... I don’t get why they did this. I was pretty much ten levels beneath him (he’s a few levels under 60 and I was around 50) and destroyed him with two pokemon alone essentially. He was not hard at all. And it’s also weird to me as they have two Water masters in the League. Idk, it was a weird choice that I didn’t like in Emerald, even back in the day of childhood it bothered me.

And the space station attack from Magma, replaying it now, did feel forced in and random. And it made Magma out to be desperate and spiteful wanting to blow up the region because bAd GuY!!!! Could’ve worked tweaking the dialogue, using the satilite to try and find Groudon, but otherwise, as cool as it was to join Steven in saving the space station, yeah that can be cut out. Especially since you don’t really get anything new with Steven himself.

And the climax of Emerald, as much as I love seeing Rayquaza tell Groudon and Kyogre off, it does take you out a bit knowing that you have to leave seeing Groudon and Kyogre duking it out to get fetch Rayquaza.

So a lot of this I can get cutting/not including in ORAS. Why they opted more for RS base than Emerald. I honestly wouldn’t want a full blown Emerald remake anymore. So I can now better get ORAS and the choices they made.

Though, its still not so ideal to me. And it has made me realize what would’ve been for my definitive Hoenn remake: having ORAS be like HGSS. At the core, the base is RS, but they include Emerald aspects, which not only would’ve really amp up the version differences. Something between Emerald and ORAS would’ve made these solid remakes and the best Hoenn to play. So, if we ever get that 2nd Hoenn remake, here’s what I’m hoping for.

- Keep Steven as Champion. He’s a lot harder and better than Wallace. A Champion I’d look forward to fighting far more.

- Take a page from BW and do version exclusive Water gym leaders. I felt bad for Juan getting side lined so hard in ORAS. Have Juan/Wallace as optional bosses, maybe you can face them if you get into contests or something.

- Keep the Emerald gym leader teams. Those were a lot harder.

- Amp up the version differences by working off what Emerald included for the two evil teams, specifically having it be that Magma’s hide out is in the volcano. Aqua can stay in the cove near Lilycove. Magma would make more sense to be in a volcano, and it could’ve been cooler to see Groudon crawling out of a volcano and roaring at the sky to amp up the sunlight.

- Optionally, do allow us to clash against both evil teams, just that depending on your version, you see more Magma or Aqua. And maybe to see the Emerald climax better done, you don’t see Aqua/Magma awakening the other legendary. But you do get to see the two clash, and could get to witness Rayquaza coming down on its own to yell at them. And based on your version, one goes under the sea and into hiding, the other continues to the Cave of Origins for you to face and maybe catch. Rayquaza and the other can be high leveled post game legendaries to catch. If HGSS can allow you to catch both Lugia and Ho-oh, I don’t see why not here.

- Just cut Brendan/May. They don’t know what to do with them personality wise, they aren’t appealing rivals, they were a blank slate in RSE and easy to forget about, or so overly friendly and chummy in ORAS I wanted to sign a restraining order. They just need to stop with opposite gender player character being your rival. They don’t know what to do personality wise as they’re not supposed to have one. It makes them bland as characters. Even worse when they push “you’re good friends agenda!” Like, no we’re not. I barely know them. Why are they trying to join me into the Champion’s room?! Trying to ride off my victory? Yeah, I don’t like them. Not in RSE. Definitely not in ORAS. If we need another rival outside Wally, why not make use of the son from the family you fight outside Mauville? Fighting his family and hearing about him, I was curious about this guy. And he starts his journey a little before you, that would’ve made him more challenging as he’d be higher than you by a few levels. I’d love to truly see him and not have him be a random trainer to fight in Victory Road.

- Battle Frontier. I personally don’t care if it comes back or not, I play more for the story and the journey; but everyone has been wanting it back. Bring it back.

- Walking pokemon please and thank you. And not the BS walking pokemon we got in BDSP. Just stick to what you did in HGSS or Let’s Go. Those were the best takes of it. Big bonus if some we can ride.

- Don’t bring back the Delta Episode. I personally didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t like Zinnia. I don’t like space so riding Rayquaza into space did nothing for me. And I didn’t care for Pokemon trying to build up the idea that there’s a multiverse. To me it felt like they were trying to work off what LoZ was setting up for their multiple time lines and it just didn’t work for me.

- Expand the dex. The biggest thing that’s driving me crazy with these remakes is a reluctancy to expand the dex and match with the old dex. And the old dex isn’t perfect. If they want pokemon to ideally match the region, why not include more that can fit into it? It’d be a nice surprise for players to see the dex shaken up and encourage us to see what else was added to the region. And some really need it. Like Sinnoh remake really should’ve taken the chance to add in more fires. Even Platinum knew that was an issue and added a few more and allowed you to get Ponyta earlier. And I know, too much water, but I wouldn’t have minded more water pokemon added to Hoenn, when you’re surfing and getting random encounters, it gets old seeing nothing but Wingull and Tentacool lines. Give me more seafaring pokemon to mix it up at least.

- Speaking of which, can we just keep with overworld encounters cause omg. Random encounters (specifically with Zubut) were driving me up the wall. I made use of repels like crazy. I missed Let’s Go dynamic of overworld encounters so I can avoid pokemon and have a smoother journey. And when you have a small number of pokemon in an area, well, its no surprise what you’re going to get. I’d rather the overworld encounters.

So, over all, if we ever get another Hoenn remake, this is what I would hope for as my definitive Hoenn to play. An ideal mixture of ORAS and Emerald. ORAS did make some solid improvements, and brought in nice features, but you also really miss Emerald. And it would’ve been better incorporating aspects of Emerald. It really could’ve joined BW for having the most version differences if they included aspects of Emerald (like Magma base being in a volcano, giving you a mini different story element to go through).

Thank you for coming to my TED Talks.

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maswartz · 4 years ago

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Power Rangers Guardian Spirits

(Logo by @masterpikachu6)

On the planet Gosei there exist three tribes. The Sky, Land, and Sea Tribes. Each tribe has specialties and each is unique in its own way. (intertribal friendships and relationships are not uncommon nor are they frowned upon) The Sky Tribe live in cities in the sky. The Land Tribe live in villages on the plains. The Sea Tribe live on floating towns. However when evil threatens Gosei each Tribe sends two representatives to form the Power Rangers Guardian Spirits! (I came up with most of this before Megaforce was even a concept)

From the Sky Tribe come the lovers

Red- Talaa- Guardian of the Storm!- Dragon Saber Age: 21 Personality/Bio: Talaa is the responsible, dedicated, and hardworking, yet blunt and reckless, leader of the Guardian Rangers. While he truly cares for his girlfriend, Rei, his focus remains on defeating Lucif and the rest of his alliance. This dedication to defeating Lucif’s forces annoys Rei, but Talaa is more than determined to prove that his attentions can be split equally between Lucif’s evil forces and Rei. Though involved romantically with Rei, he tries to keep their personal relationship professional while on duty, so as not to give Lucif’s forces a reason to use her to get to him. Face Claim: Andrew Garfield

Pink- Rei- Guardian of the Wind!- Phoenix Blaster Age: 20 Personality/Bio: Rei, to put it lightly, is a rough and tumble kind of girl, but under that is a sweet breath of fresh air, she fights for the ones she loves, as well as fight to keep her boyfriend’s attention, she’s a strong kind girl who puts the Power in Power Ranger Face Claim: Bex Taylor-Klaus From the Land Tribe come the childhood friends

Black- Gari- Guardian of the Mountains!- Serpent Ax Age: 19 Personality/Bio: Gari grew up in a small Land Tribe village along with Nomue, with whom he shares a long lasting friendship. As the Guardian of the Mountains, he is a very stoic and serious person, much like his namesake, and spends most of his free time either training or reading. He rarely smiles, though Nomue is the one of only a handful capable of making him do so, the other is his boyfriend. He was entrusted with the Black Guardian Ranger powers by Master Spirit. Face Claim: Jeremy Irvine

Yellow- Nomue- Guardian of the Jungles!- Tiger Claw Age: 18 Personality/Bio: Nomue, the Guardian of the Jungle, is the Yellow Guardian Ranger. She grew up in the same village as Gari and is his best friend. She is bubbly and cheerful and is the only one capable of making Gari smile. She likes to tease Gari for being so serious, but values his friendship and his assistance on the battlefield. They work well together on the battlefield and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Face Claim: Sayesha Saigal From the Sea Tribe come the siblings

Blue- Hedy- Guardian of the Waves!- Shark Shot Age: 18 Personality/Bio: The heart of the operation, Hedy feels as though she has to put in twice the effort to contribute to the team, due to her brother’s injury, and thus has put it onto herself to try and keep up. Her kindness to see the best in others can get her in trouble, and sometimes she feels she needs to go on her own, but her heart is in the right place. Face Claim: Michele Selene Ang

Green- Tidus- Guardian of the Tides!- Turtle Shield Age: 19 Personality/Bio: Tidus is the older brother of Hedy. He was chosen as the Green Guardian Ranger, but was tragically paralyzed in battle protecting his baby sister before the full team even formed. He attempted to pass his Microzord to his sister, but it was heavily damaged in the battle and was shattered. His injury left his sister devastated and feeling as though she had to put more effort into her contributions to the team, but he was able to convince his sister that everything is alright, that she doesn’t need to try so hard to make contributions to the team, that even the small things she does make a huge difference. He also tells her that she wasn’t to blame for his injury. Face Claim: Henry Golding

The Guardian Rangers can call upon the power of their tribes by placing Guardian Cards in their morphers. Sky- Barrize (creates a barrier of wind) Galespeed (boosts speed) Windlusion (creates an illusion) Land- Seismic Shield (creates a shield of soil) Bivy (binds the target in vines) Quake Shake (causes a targeted earthquake) Sea- Tidal Torrent (shoots a stream of water at the target) Force Wave (a wave crashes forwards) Misteam (a coating of mist covers the area) GUARDIAN ZORDS ARISE! The Zords can take the image of a vehicle and use it as a basis. Furthermore the Rangers can use the microzords to boost their sidearms Red Guardian Dragon Zord (based on the image of a plane)- Forms the Torso and head as well as wings and weapon Pink Guardian Phoenix Zord (based on the image of a jet)- Forms the left arm Black Guardian Snake Zord (based on the image of a train)- Forms the waist and the right leg Yellow Guardian Tiger Zord (based on the image of a bulldozer) Forms the left leg Blue Guardian Shark Zord (based on the image of a submarine) Forms the right arm Green Guardian Turtle Zord (based on the image of a ship) Forms a shield Each Tribe keeps watch over a trio of Spirit Zords Sky Spirit Megazord Hawk- Helmet Ptera- Shoulder Cannon Crow- Shoulder Cannon Land Spirit Megazord Stag Beetle- Helmet Tyranno- Leg Rhino- Leg/Drill Sea Spirit Megazord Manta- Helmet Hammerhead- Arm Sawshark- Arm During the final battle against Lucif they form a new configuration, Triple Tribe Megazord. Ptera/Crow on the shoulders Tyranno/Rhino on the feet Hammerhead/Sawshark on the arms The main five (Dragon/Phoenix/Snake/Tiger/Shark) remain on the megazord (P/S move to the top of the arms, S/T move to the knees) And the symbol of Gosei forms a helmet. The Rangers are guided by Master Spirit, a wise and powerful being who contacts them mainly by means of his assistant Delta. Delta is a blue robot that can form a megazord on its own as well as combine to form the Guardian SupremeZord The team must face three groups of evil. The Hivleins insect like aliens seeking to turn Gosei into their new hive The Cryptids beasts of legend seeking to topple the intrusion of civilization The Hydrobots machines that rise from the oceans to conquer All three of these groups have one thing in common, an alliance with a being known as Lucif During their battles with the Cryptids the Guardian Rangers gain a new ally

Guardian Knight- Guardian of the planet! Age: Centuries old, Civilian disguise is a man appears to be in his 40s Personality/Bio: Guardian Knight was formed from the largest of the Lion Zords and given sentience by the core of Gosei. He is entrusted with the protection of the planet, and thus carries the title Guardian of the Planet. He is capable of using the powers from the Sky Tribe, the Land Tribe, and the Sea Tribe. Since being brought back to life, he has devoted his life to protecting Gosei with his life. Armed with the Leozer Guardian Knight will protect Gosei from all threats. He sometimes uses a holographic civilian disguise to walk among Goseians without attracting too much attention Face Claim: Chadwick Boseman Ground Lion Zord- Based on a dump truck- forms the majority of the Lion Spirit Megazord Cloud Lion Zord- Ruby- Based on a blimp- forms the left leg Ocean Lion Zord- Sapphire- Based on a sub- forms the right leg Eventually after the Stellar Empire begins to attack Gosei the planet bathes Guardian Knight in power to give life to the other Lion Zords forming the Guardian Squires. The Squires are twin warriors who lack experience but have plenty of power.

Guardian of above! Guardian Squire Crimson Age: Centuries old, civilian disguise is a girl who appears 14 Personality/Bio: A more open and cheery guardian compared to her ‘Brothers" Crimson is also the mouth piece of the two squires, the emotional side of the twins, she wears her heart on her sleeve and can peer into the hearts of others. Face Claim: Quvenzhane Wallis

Guardian of beneath! Guardian Squire Navy Age: Centuries old, civilian disguise is a boy who appears 14 Personality/Bio: Navy is the quieter and more logical of the two squires. He is the polar opposite of his sister in just about every way, from personality to fighting style and skill set. Much like his sister, he has a good heart, even if he keeps it hidden beneath several layers. He will do just about anything in his quest to protect the planet. Face Claim: Myles Truitt

Eventually the Guardian Rangers earned a shining power. The Shining Spirit cards granted them golden armor and improved powers. As the battles continue the Rangers learn they were not the first Guardian Rangers. A century ago a team defended Gosei from evil. The leader was an emerald ranger named Samig. Emerald (m)- Dragon- Spirit of the Hurricane! White (f)- Kabuto- Spirit of the Caves! Purple (f)- Condor- Spirit of the Clouds! Scarlet (m)- Elephant- Spirit of the Plains! Cyan (f)- Dolphin- Spirit of the Tsunami! Orange (m)- Crocodile- Spirit of the Swamp! Their zords united to form the Spirit Megazord Condor- Body, Head, Weapon Kabuto- left arm Croc- Waist right leg Elephant- left leg Dolphin- right arm Dragon- Forms wings on the back One day a terrible beast filled with evil arrived on Gosei, During the battles against it the Lion Zords were lost. In desperation Samig used a forbidden Guardian Card to drain his teammates of their powers and siphon that power into himself. He managed to defeat the monster and trap its power inside a card but the Counsel was outraged at his actions. Samig said that Gosei owed him, that the people should worship him! For his actions and for betraying the trust of his team the Counsel was forced to banish him to the void of space. However as they did he attempted to unleash the power of the monster. The attack backfired and transformed him into the being now known as Lucif. A century later Lucif manipulated the three evil groups in order to gain things. From the Hivliens he gained knowledge of tactics and alien species From the Cryptids he gained knowledge of magic and the mystic arts From the Hydrobots he gained knowledge of machines and mechanics Finally he revealed himself to the Rangers. However their battle would reach its conclusion on another world. After the universe falls into war… Morphers- Guardian Morphers- Hand held devices that utilize Guardian Guards Morphing Call- Guardian Card Activate! Morphing- Giant Guardian Cards shoot from the morphers surrounding the Rangers with their tribal elements as the suits form. Role call [wind instruments play] Guardian of the storm! Red Guardian Ranger Guardian of the wind! Pink Guardian Ranger [percussion instruments play] Guardian of the mountains! Black Guardian Ranger Guardian of the jungles! Yellow Guardian Ranger [piano plays] Guardian of the waves! Blue Guardian Ranger Guardian of the tides! Green Guardian Ranger [all three play] Guardian of the planet! Guardian Knight! Guardian of the above! Guardian Squire Crimson! Guardian of the beneath! Guardian Squire Navy! POWER RANGERS GUARDIAN SPIRITS (Bios by @dream-chef-flavors and @rosegrl18) Power Rangers Bushido Blades <———Powerverse———> RANGER WAR

#power rangers #super sentai #power rangers guardian spirits #tensou sentai goseiger

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olietus · 5 years ago

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Humans are space orcs - Paradise

More Devin and Zolt'chk. This is a bit of a long one, and since I'm on mobile I can't add a "read more" atm. Sorry! This is mostly to practice on world building and description, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

As always, any advice, constructive criticism and writing prompts/suggestions are more than welcome! (:

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It had been a little over three days since Zolt'chk had been kidnapped by the human called Devin. At first he had been terrified of her, and while he was still extremely wary of her, the fear had slowly started to be replaced by confusion and frustration. Since their departure had been rather tumultuous, they hadn't been able to procure any rations, and there was nothing to drink either. This meant that the human grew increasingly "hangry", in her own words, which apparently meant that she was so hungry that she got increasingly furious. Zolt wasn't entirely sure how that worked, but it wasn't all too surprising since humans were a very violent predator species, after all. Secretly he had hoped that she'd starve to death (as her incessant complaining was getting rather old), but apparently humans were able to stay alive for quite a long time without food. Not so much without water, though, and due to dehydration the human had now suffered from a rather severe headache and disorientation for the past day. Still, she remained in her seat in the cockpit, furiously searching for the nearest port. Due to the risk of them being caught if they landed in more commercial ports, they'd already passed a couple of stations and planets, and each time they did, Devin got more and more desperate.

Zolt had decided to not bother her, as he really didn't want to end up being eaten. Instead he'd made himself a bit of a nest in the back of the little ship, using a couple of space suits and oxygen tubes to make it soft and cozy; the vessel wasn't equipped with any proper sleeping quarters, as it was only meant for short transport and maintenence runs. He'd been trying to finally get some sleep, as the first 30-something hours had been nerve wracking and had rendered him unable to relax at all. Exhaustion had started to get the better of him now, though, and as he curled up in his nest he was already falling asleep.

He was abruptly woken up by a loud rumble and a tremble that went through the ship, and he raised his head to look around in confusion. The ship creaked again and then, with a final loud 'thunk', the ship went still and quiet. Had they landed? The big arachi stubled to his feet, but instantly fell back down as a raging roar reached him, and Devin shot out from the cockpit, rushing past him to unlock the doors. She pressed the airlock button at least six times, clearly incredibly impatient. Zolt slowly moved over towards her, cowering slightly.

"Where are we?", he asked cautiously, just as the airlock hissed and allowed them through.

"Arbor V.", she replied shortly.

Zolt turned to look at her. Her face was stern and she was biting her lip. He didn't know what that behaviour meant in itself, but it was clear that she felt tense. As she should. Arbor V was an infamous miniature planet where crime ran rampant and almost half the planet was under martial law. The rest was ruled by several different warlords and clans that constantly warred with each other over land and resources. Most of the planet's natural resources consisted of precious minerals and forests. Arbor V was, despite everything, a very beautiful planet in its own right. Its skies were a beautiful, warm tone of pink and lilac during the days, which then shifted into a velvety emerald green towards the evening, before the night sky grew black and dotted with trillions of bright stars. During the day the two brilliant twin suns shone brightly above, leaving the surface at a comfortable, balmy temperature. During the night the planet's neighbour became visible; the big red planet Kocari, that even though it was remote, took up a large portion of the night sky. The soil on Arbor V was as red as the planet above, its cliffs and rocks white as chalk, and the vast forests were a mix of stunning, brilliant purples and blues. During night the forests and its creatures turned bright with bioluminescence, and small flying insects set the night ablaze with their intricate lightshows. If one didn't know the truth about this planet, it would surely be named a paradise.

As the two aliens stepped out of the little ship, they looked around and found themselves in a rather elegant-looking port, filled with ships from many different planets, creeds and classifications. Devin could spot a human military ship a few rows down, but business around it seemed to go on as normal. The general agreement on Arbor V was that as long as outsiders didn't mess with the powers that be and they didn't stay longer than necessary, they'd be left alone. It was a rather remote area in civilized space, so those outsiders who came here usually did so out of outmost need, not will, and would thus agree to these terms. Much like Devin herself. She needed food, money and a new ship. She could probably acquire all of them here, though with rather varying difficulty.

As they walked down the ramp they were met by a small bat-like creature with large floppy ears, short reddish fur and six appendages; two arms, four legs. It had a short fluffy tail, and wore the dark green uniform that adorned all space port personnel. She was flanked by two massive guards with long, triple jointed arms and short, sturdy legs. Their singular eyes were trained on the newcomers, and each of them carried a massive rifle. Their red uniforms signaled military. The bat raised one of her clawed hands and motioned towards the two newcomers to approach. They did so without questioning it, and the litte port master stared up at them with her three beady eyes. In her other hand she held a tablet.

"Please state your name, species, sex, allegiance and the purpose of your visit."

The human sighed and crossed her arms as she was impatient to get going, but complied.

"Devin, human, female, no allegiance, and we're just here to stock up on rations, fuel and to upgrade our vehicle."

It was quiet for a moment as the Arborian filled in the information, and then she looked over at Zolt. He stared back for a second, before he realized that it was his turn. The two soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons.

"Oh, uh... Yes, Zolt'chk, arachi, male, uh...", he paused and looked over at his human captor. He had no idea what to respond to the allegiance part. The human raised her eyebrows at him and gave a weird jerk with her head. He had no idea what she was trying to say.

"Yes?", came the slightly annoyed prod from the port master.

"... Uh, no allegiance, and my reasons are the same.", he hurried to reply. In all honesty he would've loved to tell the Arborian the truth, but first of all he was scared that if he did, Devin would twist his head off, and secondly that the Arborians themselves would kidnap and sell him. An already kidnapped person was nothing more than a basic ware like any other on this planet.

The little creature in green uniform jotted down the last of the information, and then scanned the ship's code, giving it a slight look of surprise and then looked up at the two aliens in front of her.

"This ship was reported stolen a few days ago. Says here it belongs to the Delta Cluster trade coalition." She squinted a them. Her henchmen shuffled behind her, glaring at the two outsiders.

"As I said, we're here to upgrade our vehicle.", Devin repeated. Zolt was stunned at the fact that she didn't try to hide that she stole it. He'd heard that humans could be rather illogical, but this was straight up moronic. Still, the bat-like creature blinked at them and then nodded.

"Very well. Will you be altering, selling, dismantling or destroying it, then? We are willing to take care of the procedures needed to have it travel safe again, for a price of course."

"Selling."

"Ah, very well. Will you sell it as-is, or will you pay for the procedures required to sell it at full price, ready-to-use?"

"As it is, thank you."

"I see. Lovely. We will add it to our digital stock at a price equal to its current market value, and once it's sold the earnings will be forwarded to your credits account. 20% of the profits will go to us as a middle hand and handling fee. Please sign and enter your account ID here.", she said and held out her tablet towards Devin, who added her info without question. Zolt started to say something, but Devin gave him an annoyed shove with her foot, and he went quiet again. The port master looked approvingly at Devin's signature and gave them a short nod.

"Thank you very much for your service, and welcome to Arbor V."

The second the little port master and her menacing entourage left them Devin was off half-running towards the nearest exit. Zolt, who didn't know what else to do, followed her. She'd just sold off their ship, effectively stranding them on this hellhole of a planet, and he had no idea how to get back home on his own from here. He felt a cold knot of dread form in his abdomen, and he did his best to stay close to the human.

Devin didn't look back even for a second. Her stomach was growling loudly, startling people as she walked past them. Humans were rare out here, or at least civilian ones, and Devin wore no indicators of being part of any militia. People stared at her rather shamelessly, but she didn't care. She just blindly followed her nose and stumbled towards the sweet scent of food, and as soon as the first small food stall came into view she sprinted straight up to it. The owner of the stall looked perplexed at the sight of her, though he didn't show any of the fear that was the more common reaction to seeing humans. Instead, he handed the red-haired girl a menu with one of his many six-digit hands. She was already in the middle of her order when Zolt caught up with her. She turned around and grinned widely at him.

"Do you want something? My treat!", she said cheerily and pushed the menu into the arachi's talons. The insectoid hesitated but then read through the list of courses, and rather quickly settled on one that would agree with his digestive system. Thankfully most food establishments, big or small, carried options for all the most common digestive systems. Amazingly enough, humans could eat almost anything from any option, but what else could one expect from a creature that literally had a vat of acid as a part of its digestive system.

Once their orders were placed, they moved a bit to the side to wait for their food to be ready. They stood quietly next to each other, Devin swaying slightly from side to side, eventually opting on leaning against Zolt, who stiffened at the contact. She was as warm as always, and he wasn't sure if it was pleasant or uncomfortable. Mostly it just felt weird. He wondered if it was truly comfortable to have such a high body temperature.

"I'm sorry."

He looked down at her, confused.

"What?", he asked, trying to read her expression, but she was looking away from him. She sighed.

"I already apologized once, but I don't feel like it's enough. It was terrible of me to drag you with me the way I did."

Zolt was quiet. The human's voice was steady but low, and there was a certain hesitant quality to it that he hadn't heard earlier. Somehow, despite her not crying, it made him think back on the first time he'd seen her. Despite his better judgement he once again pitied her. Still, he said nothing. He knew that she spoke the truth. If her plan had truly been to kidnap him, she wouldn't have left him unbound, she wouldn't have tried to be nice to him, and she would have definitely made an effort to restrain him before they landed if she'd wished to sell him into slavery. But he couldn't quite trust her. She was human, she was unpredictable, and she was dangerous.

When he didn't respond, Devin spoke again.

"I realize that I've put you in a very scary and unfamiliar situation, but once I have my own ship that's safe to travel with, I'll drop you off at whichever planet or station that you want. You have my word, Zolt'chk."

Before he could answer, their order was called out and they went to collect it. They sat down at a bench a short distance away from the busy street and quietly ate their food. It felt incredibly awkward.

Then he broke the silence.

"Thank you."

***

Devin felt terrible. She was indebted to the poor arachi next to her, but instead of repaying his kindness she'd probably ended up scarring him for life. He had barely said a word to her in the past few days, and she could tell that he tensed up every time she got close to him. She hadn't planned on abducting him. In all honesty it hadn't been on her mind even as she'd dragged him into the ship. It wasn't really until after her adrenaline settled down that she had truly realized what she'd done... And now she had no idea how to make it right. She hoped to at least be able to make him less wary of her, if not for her own sake then for his. She had no idea how to do that, though, and she was too hungry and dehydrated to think of a proper solution at the moment.

She ate her food rather quickly, feeling absolutely famished. Her first drink was already consumed, and she greedily started to chug down her second one. She was in the middle of this when Zolt'chk finally spoke.

"Thank you."

She nearly spat out her drink. Somehow, that was the very last thing she'd expected him to say. She looked at him a bit bewildered.

"For the food, I mean.", Zolt continued. The human deflated slightly, feeling a bit disappointed, but swiftly reminded herself that this was an entirely positive thing and gave him a soft smile.

"My pleasure.", she said. Zolt'chk hesitated for a moment.

"Could I possibly have seconds?", he asked sheepishly. Devin's smile widened and she let out a chuckle.

"Of course."

#humans vs. aliens #humans are weird #humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #sci fi #story #space #oc #devin #zolt'chk #zolt #human #alien

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aweebwrites · 5 years ago

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Move on Dragons Chapter 13

Jay swung his legs over the edge of the Bounty’s railings as he looked out at the view ahead. Sensei Wu left on his trip to find Garmadon as he was sure that the Garmadon Lloyd had wasn’t quite him. As for large dragon Garmadon’s ability to understand them, they had a hypothesis for that. Since the longer they spend in their world, the more they began to adapt and become like them, the reverse must be true for the dragons. After all, understanding their language is the first part of the change. There was a chance that the dragons might be able to take a human form the longer they stay and wasn’t that a conundrum. The dragons being able to become human would be handy but if they lost the ability to shift back because they were spending too long of a time here was what they were worried about.

They would have still been puzzling over a solution if he hadn’t reminded them of a certain pink haired dimensional traveler they knew. That was another issue: pinning her down. She could be in any dimension right now and might not be back for who knows how long. But then Cole helpfully pointed out that her father might have a means of contacting her. But they ran into the problem of their new appearances and their inability to switch to normal just yet. They were working on that now. Jay already knew he wouldn’t be involved in anything unless they needed his lightning. He gave a light huff. Or should he say, other him’s lightning. Two days of the week that other him had to sort himself out had already gone by, today being the third.

In 4 days, he won’t even be a memory once he comes back. He was fine with that. Really he was. Existence was the biggest bother right now. It’s just certain death and problems at every corner with no escape. That wasn’t his kind of thing. Though… He tilted his head back, looking up at the partially clouded sky. He’d like to fly before he dies. That could go wrong in so many ways, he knew but… He’d like to know what it’s like to feel the wind under his own wings. Would he feel as free as the dragons look up there? He wanted to find out. After that, he’d be satisfied. But if he doesn’t get the chance… Well, what does it matter? He reached up and carefully scratched at his scalp, well aware of just how sharp these claws of his are as his horned tail thumped the deck of the ship lightly. Man existence really was a bother. Here he was thinking about complicated and depressing things. He blames his other part for having such a depressing mindset.

“Isolation never does anyone any good you know…” Jay huffed, glancing over his shoulder, his slitted blue eyes meeting Cole’s green and golden orange ones.

“Conssidering I’m amongsst the likess of you, I think issolation iss jusst what the doctor ordered.” Jay hummed as he looked out at the almost plain like landscape just before the rainforest that was Hiroshi’s Labyrinth.

“I don’t think you really mean that.” Cole huffed as he walked over, leaning against the railing. “After all, everyone needs someone…” He murmured as he looked out too, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth as his folded wings relaxed further.

“Iss that ssso…” Jay whispered softly, not bothering to correct him.

Needing someone might be a necessity to him and the others…But he only had so long left… And really, all he felt like he needed… Was a chance to fly. He chuckled to himself, Cole watching him curiously as he did. This was becoming troublesome…

_____

“Ok.” Lloyd says as he looked at his supposed dragon father from where he set him down on the ground just outside of the dragons’ tower, sitting just across from him. “If you’re my dad, what’s my favorite colour?” He asked with narrowed eyes.

The small black dragon paused, its long body coiled like a snake before it skittered away. Lloyd watched it curiously as it did, his small frame disappearing in the nearby bushes making him tense. He could get lost- His thought was interrupted once he came skittering back with something red in his small mouth, making Lloyd’s eyes widened. He walked forward, holding the- the raspberry up for Lloyd to take- which he did. His favorite colour actually was red. He picked up the glossy back dragon and the ripe berry he held in his small mouth still before accepting it, looking him over.

“You really are dad…” Lloyd whispered before taking a bite of half the berry, offering the rest to him. “But how’d you get like this? And who’s the other dad out there Sensei Wu is going after?” He asked him but his father he should probably nickname to save confusion- only looked at him while eating the berry in bites before tilting his head in a sort of shrug.

This dragon was definitely human.

‘Everyone always thinks it’s green for some reason.’ Lloyd looked up at his dragon self as he walked over, eyes on the miniature dragon that was his father.

“Right?” Lloyd huffed, a smile tugging at his lips, revealing his fangs. “I wear green all day. Of course I’d get tired of it. It’s one of my least favorite colours actually.” He says as the green scaled dragon laid next to him, Kai walking around with his dad not too far away.

‘I don’t mind it too much but it’s not my favorite colour. Dad says that I came out like an emerald because I’m his treasure… It’s hard to hate it after that…’ He rumbled fondly and Lloyd looked up at his counterpart surprised.

He then looked down at his dad without really seeing him. Other him was lucky. He got to grow up with their dad… He blinked once something touched his forehead, focusing to see his father pressing his forehead against his, warmth filling him a moment after as a soft purr left him. He’d hug him if he could but he supposed this was good enough for now.

‘I know how to walk on all fours. I do that almost every day.’ Kai huffed as he paced back and forth to prove his point.

‘You may be used to it as a half human but the fundamentals are different as a full dragon.’ Garmadon lectured as he sat patiently, watching his stride carefully.

‘I’m ready to fly! Watch me!’ Kai declared.

‘Kai do-’ He was too late.

Kai had flapped his wings and had taken air, beating his wings still to keep himself hovering high up mid air.

‘See? I’m…’ Kai blinked once he suddenly banked left without meaning to, then dipped right, his flight pattern unsteady. ‘Uh-oh.’ Was all Kai got out before he dropped suddenly, his wings failing to catch him somehow- but Garmadon did, catching him by the tail, leaving him swinging as he blinked at the ground below.

‘Learn to listen to your elders Kai.’ Garmadon rumbled, setting him down. ‘Flying as a dragon is not the same as flying as a half dragon.’ He scolded and Kai looked up at him sheepishly, rubbing his front leg with his paw.

‘Yeah… Sorry Dad…’ Kai apologized as his wings drooped.

‘It’s fine. Mistakes were meant to be made. Some of our most crucial lessons are learned from them.’ Garmadon reassured then sat again. ‘Now, wing exercises.’ He says, spreading his wings and Kai held back a whine at how boring it is.

He did want to fly after all…

________

“Uh-” Was Vortica’s first word uttered once she stepped out of her portal hours after her father contacted her, looking up owlishly at the huge structure that certainly wasn’t around these parts before, filled with dragons.

“That was surprisingly quick.” She glanced over to see Lloyd as he got to his feet, staring at him wide eyed.

“Wanna explain why Dragon Dimension Alpha 106 looks like it puked all over this area- and you?” She asked, glancing at his dark wings.

“It’s a long story you really should hear.” Lloyd says sheepishly.

“I really should, considering this cluster of dimensions are under my jurisdiction and my mother will quite possibly kill me if she finds out about this.” She says, gesturing to the building and the Dragons gliding about.

“Ok, so we got rid of the Oni in the Dragon Dimension but their cloud cover kinda blocked the sunlight for the flora there for too long- and deprived them and the creatures living there of oxygen- and kinda caused a mass extinction. The dragons-”

“Couldn’t stay there or else they’d die due to lack of food supplies and decreasing oxygen levels. So you all decided to take them here to allow their world to recover as time passes slower here but now you’re concerned that they might be here for too long and become too human and lose their ability to shift into dragons, correct?” Vortica asked as she reached for her satchel and dug around it.

“Well- yeah.” Lloyd says surprised.

“Happened with Dragon Dimension Delta 8032 and Ninjago 35994.” Was all she said as her explanation, pulling out a small, sort of chip. “Where’s your Kai? I need to borrow that Dimensional Crystal real quick.” She says as she looked around then paused once the large red dragon all but trotted over.

‘It’s back at the Bounty actually. I don’t have the uh… Means of keeping it on me right now.’ Kai rumbled.

“She can’t-”

“That’s fine. Could you fetch it real quick Lloyd? I gotta make some notes in the meantime of the other dimension I’m observing. My old woman is really cracking down on dimensional order, you know?” Vortica says as she rolled her shoulders’ pulling a pen out of her bag. “And yes, I can understand all languages throughout all dimensions and anyone I speak to will be able to understand me.” She answered before Lloyd could ask.

‘It’s under my pillow.’ Kai told Lloyd and he nodded, getting down on all fours and taking off.

She then pressed a button on her pen, revealing writing in thin air that was done in her trademark colour and continued where she left off, writing in mid air as Kai circled her a few times curiously, Garmadon, the large dad dragon loomed over her curiously.

‘What language is that?’ Kai asked, never seeing it before.

“It’s a secret language that only the Federation of Dimensional Safety and Order knows so don’t bother trying to figure it out.” Vortica mumbled as she kept focus. “Even like this, you lot are nothing compared to their power… They might come in handy actually…” She continued to mumble, more to herself now.

‘Another version of us?’ Garmadon asked curiously.

“The ninja more specifically.” Vortica clarified. “I have to head back and keep an eye on them still to check their progress. They’re insanely powerful. God tier. Above that actually.” She says, pulling up an image of the vaporized spot where the Monastery in that realm was.

“This was done by that world’s version of you.” Vortica says and Kai stared with wide eyes.

‘Are you even allowed to show me stuff like this?’ He asked her and she snorted as she minimized the picture and continued writing.

“Look at yourself. You’re literally stuck between two dimensions right now. This Ninjago may be your Dimension of origin but you’re also just as tied to the Dragon Dimension. With how frequently the distances and borders of your dimensions have been crossed, that’s really no surprise. But I knew that when I gave you the Dimensional Crystal. I just didn’t expect all this. I’m curious to see what both your dimensions will do to cope with the link you opened up between them… But you’re another project I don’t have the time for right now. I only came because my dad said it was an emergency. Speaking of, I might as well leave you guys with your own way of getting to me, just in case.” She says, writing still.

“Oh.” She added, turning the notepad off and looking to Kai. “And when you guys manage to track down your version of Garmadon- the bigger one I mean, make sure to let me know. That’s a problem I need to fix so my mom can get off my tail.” She huffed, reaching a hand out towards Lloyd and the others once he came with the magenta crystal.

“Thanks.” Vortica says as she took the crystal in hand, opening a portal and sticking her hand and the chip inside.

She waited for a bit before pulling the chip back through as it glowed pink. She then tossed it up and they all watched in awe once it went up and up and up still, disappearing over the top of the tower.

“Don’t worry it’s up there. I had to put a sort of field up around the Labyrinth that’ll adjust the Dragons’ internal dimensional clock to this Ninjago, so you won’t have to worry about them losing their Dragonly touch. They can leave the area but it’s recommended that they don’t stay out for long. And if you think it’s easier for them to regress then don’t let it pass what will most likely be Kai’s new normal. If it does then the chances of them turning back will be significantly low- and painful.” She told them with a sigh, pushing her short magenta hair back tiredly. “Also, for conta-”

‘Wait, what do you mean my new-’

“-cting me, use this.” She says, tossing a small device to Zane. “You’re smart, you can figure it out. I’ll allow one test message and a confirming reply but after that, don’t contact me unless it’s absolutely dire- that or you found your Garmadon- the big one. Please nickname them for now, this is getting old. I’ve really gotta run back to that dimension though. Everyone got that?” She asked them.

‘You said something about my form?-’

“This is advanced technology, an instruction manual would-”

“Ok good. Bye!” She yelled, backing up into her portal that opened behind her, tossing the Dimensional Crystal into Cole’s hands as she did. They stared at where she disappeared collectively.

“... Now what?” Cole asked.

“... We figure things out on our own I suppose…” Zane says as he looked over the small device in hand.

____________________

(So I didn’t get this out when I wanted to but hey! Update! Ok so we have a drop in from Vortica! Long time no see my faithful oc! Hey! That rhymed! Anyways, we all know where she's investigating ;).But! The beginning arc as ended and it's time for the middle arc starting with a small time skip! I'll include what happens in times past and snippets of important parts (like Jay's upcoming parts. Might actually write all of that out actually) but that's all in the next update! (hopefully tomorrow but if not then definitely the day after). The middle arc is still gonna be focused on the ninja but it's time for others to share the spotlight. Thanks for reading!)

#ninjago #kai ninjago #lloyd ninjago #cole ninjago #jay ninjago #nya ninjago #zane ninjago #original character #ninjago garmadon #aweebwrites' work

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atlas-of-a-human-soul · 5 years ago

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Αιώνια αγάπη (DT. AU) pt.2

02: Pledge

Summary: Getting to know her Kappa sisters, Y/N is silently suffering as the world around her changes, unaware of two brothers who are preparing to enter a race of a lifetime - a race to win her heart.

Warnings: angst

Word count: 2500

Αιώνια αγάπη (DT Modern Greek god/frat! AU) MASTERLIST

Thank you for being in the story: @graysons-thumb as Perry, @daddygraysonsbitch as Sara Howell, and @mutuallynotmutual as Alyssa!

Y/N takes a deep breath, holding it for two seconds longer than usual before releasing the pent up air in three short exhales. Her mind lingers on a frat guy right on the other side of her curtain, one she has yet to truly see. Though he's Ethan's twin, Grayson looks different. His entire aura feels other-worldly, flashy even.

"I can still see your silhouette!" She hears him add, shaking her head vehemently.

"GOOD! WATCH AND SUFFER!" Y/N throws back at him, not giving into his incredibly attractive laugh. Instead, she turns up the volume on her phone and cranks up the first song that comes on.

Singing to herself, she looks around the room assigned to her. She can't help but wonder if her mother ever came in there. Y/N wraps her arms around her body, hugging herself for comfort. It's something she's become accustomed to, the loneliness and lack of affection.

She was never the popular kid with a lot of friends, but even the friends she had she has lost while mourning her mother. She was lost and devoted to school only at the time, resulting in a lot of alone time. She quickly learned that while you're stuck in the hell of losing a loved one the world seems to stop moving, but it doesn't. Not really. It keeps on spinning without you, no matter how hard you try to slow it down just a little, just enough to not fall of the edge of the world.

Sighing, she shakes her head and eyes the room carefully.

Three walls are olive green, the ceiling and the forth wall - the one across from her bed, are both pearl white.

The green walls all have intricate art, paintings of scenery that take her breath away. They're all signed with different initials, signifying who they belong to.

The white wall, that one's filled with signatures of all past Kappa Delta pledges who lived in this particular room, forcing Y/N to glue her eyes to each and every name in search of her mother's.

Her fingers crossed every letter, desperately clinging to her mother's memory. Just being in the house makes her heart hurt less, but if she got the same room - it would feel like she's right there with her on this journey.

However, no matter how many times she checked each name on that wall, no matter how hard she strained her eyes, the name wasn't up there.

Dropping her gaze to her feet, Y/N leaned her forehead on the wall in resignation. Her lungs struggled for a dash of air as her throat closed up with tears welling in her eyes. Her hands began to shake, troubled by the growing grief that spread from her brain to her heart in a split second it takes for a beat to quicken with anguish taking over.

Coping. She's coping with the hurt, but she's a long way from being healed. She's not whole anymore and she hasn't been herself in a while. She's come undone, picking herself up every day since the funeral.

Writing had become her escape. Her mother was artistic, always playing the piano or having paint stains on her clothes from her attempts to get into painting again. Y/N was more of a realist, thriving in biology and chemistry. After a long time of her mother insisting she take up any form of art, Y/N found writing to be therapeutic - her safe place.

Grabbing her notebook from the top of a box labelled - BOOKS, she opened the first page and clicked her pen to write.

'What I once treasured is now a memory, a shadow lingering in the depths of my mind. It's a strange thing to lose something which you once had, like a limb torn from your body without the chance to save it. The door that was once open and welcoming was locked and disinviting. She had left me; I was alone. I had hoped I'd find her once more, feel her spirit linger in the chambers she resided in. I was wrong. Though her life force remains in small pieces on the walls of this house, it feels empty without her. Would she have been proud? Would she have been here today? I'll never know.'

Wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, Y/N closed the notebook and leaned back against the wall that brought her such disappointment. She pressed her lips together, using her index finger to clear residual tears from her left eye.

Pushing the palms of her hands into the white carpet, she got up and unpacked her clothes. There wasn't much of a dilemma when it came to what she'd wear to the pledge initiation - a simple white dress was a must.

She slipped the dress on, observing herself in the mirror. The dress clung to her body, revealing her chest more than she was willing to show. The straps of her dress cross in the back, leaving her back slightly open as well. It flows freely from the waist down to just above her knees, snowflakes scattered across the fabric in silver glitter. Glitter lines the waistline as well, accentuating her rather skinny form in comparison to her usual built. She had never been so thin before, but yet again - grief does things to your appetite and you either gain or lose weight and for Y/N it was the latter.

She glides her fingers over her frail, now visible hip bones, her eyebrows furrowing in concern. Gaining weight is added in her mental check list, right next to getting some colour in her pale face.

A knock on the door interrupts her thoughts.

"Are you ready?" Perry and Sara peak inside, their jaws dropping when they see her fully dressed.

"Oh my God." Perry steps into the room, eyeing Y/N up and down.

"You're literally breathtaking." Sara exclaims, raising her right hand. Her fingers form a fist, the pointer remaining raised as she twirls it - demanding Y/N do the same.

"What's going on?!" Another girl walks in, catching the end of Y/N's twirl only to clap in excitement.

"I love you already." She squeals, jumping in her spot. Her hair is long, about halfway down her back and wavy - the colour a beautiful brown - subdued earthy tone, perfectly matching the colors of autumn.

"Uh, not to sound rude or anything, but who are you?" Y/N asks timidly, her right hand crossing over her abdomen and to the other side, grasping her left elbow as her nerves seap in once more.

She's definitely the closed up type and having so many new people around her is getting overwhelming, even if everyone is being so nice.

"Sorry." The girl laughs, nodding to herself like she's remind herself to slow down, whispering she should have known better than to barge into someone's room without proper introduction before speaking again.

"I'm Alyssa." She offers a small wave instead of a hand shake and although Y/N would never admit it out loud, she's thankful for it. Physical contact would only make her social anxiety spike and it's the last thing she needs this night.

Alyssa's right hand flashes a golden ring on the ring finger, an emerald stone nested in the middle. It matches the house color perfectly, making Y/N wonder if the girl is already a member or a pledge. Curious, Y/N's eyes flicker to the left hand as well, noticing two more silver rings - one on her thumb and the other on her ring finger.

"Earth to Y/N!" Sara ends her curious glances, pointing to the door.

"Time to go." She rushes her out and down the stairs among at least ten other girls, all dressed in white.

The stairs are lined with current members, all wearing green with a white bow in their hair to signify seniority and power.

Y/N takes her place among the pledges, looking around uncomfortably as her heart pounds inside her chest. Crowds are definitely not on the list of her favorite things either.

She looks up and to the girl standing at the very top of the stairs, a lit candle in her hands as she slowly descends - but only half way down, remaining there for her speech. Her hair is long and blonde, almost silver like a Targaryan, her pale blue eyes not helping Y/N's initial thoughts.

The last of the Targaryans went mad in the show, making Y/N wonder if this one is any different.

"Welcome sister pledges. I'm Blair Serenity, the current head of Kappa Delta Delta, at least until the official vote is taken once pledge week is over." The girl giggles, the sound coming out like a strangled dolphin instead of human-like, making the pledges frown and members actually cover their ears.

"In the week to come, you'll all be tested to prove you're worthy of being a Kappa Delta sister. We will test your knowledge, teamwork and honor. Fail one test and you're out. Once the week is done, we'll have the annual party with our", she rolls her eyes, "brother frat at our house - simply so you know who to avoid for the next year."

A smirk appears on her lips and Y/N can't help but roll her eyes at the speech.

She met two of the frats she's supposed to ignore and hate, yet all she can do is imagine licking ice cream off their abs on a warm summer day. Neither of them gave her a reason to hate them, but she'll certainly stay away - she has to.

"Your first test will be tomorrow after class, so sleep well and good luck to everyone."

Y/N believed the girls would leave, but she was quickly aware this would turn into a small party of its own.

Sneaking out, she runs up to her room, locking the door after. It's not that she didn't want to meet her future sisters, it's that she needed a breather - a break where she could be alone with her thoughts as the simple act of being in that house drained her energy.

Peaking under her curtains, she found the bedroom opposite hers dark, meaning there would be no more interrupting frats. She changed into her pajamas, opened the curtains completely and sat at the bay window with earphones.

Music always relaxed her, almost as much as the sky and stars above that made her feel small, but important as well. She truly held onto the belief every star represented a soul and she liked to imagine her mother watching over her. Stars alone were a light in the darkness she’s surrounded with, leading her through life when she finds herself lost in the never-ending abyss.

Closing her eyes, she crossed her outstretched legs - feet planted against the wall. She wept silently, listening to a cello instrumental of Stay with me by Sam Smith - the song her mother played last before passing. She liked to listen to it when she missed her mother, helping her emotions slowly work themselves out of her system instead of bottling them up until they explode.

She stayed like that for hours, enjoying the solitude.

Little did she know, she was never truly alone - completely unaware of centuries old mythical men watching her from the window across from hers, shrouded in darkness.

"I'm not sure. Not until I check for that birthmark." Apollo leans into his chair, taking a sip of his water.

"I'm telling you, she's the one." Hermes insists, tapping his left foot nervously. Holding her in his arms earlier was enough for him to recognize the pull. It's undeniable and unfabricated, rare and mystical - but true.

“I had her in my arms today and I’m no fool, brother. Her soul is made of stars and her mind overflows with ancient magic like all those before.”

"If that's true, she's our last chance. She's the last of her kind." Apollo reminds his brother, looking at him from the side with lips pressed together in a firm line.

"I'm aware of that, Gray." Hermes sasses back, annoyed with his brother's condescending tone.

"DON'T call me that. Don't use my mortal name when it's just us, Hermes. Don't forget who we really are." Apollo warns, his voice scratchy and dark, tone low and menacing, almost growling.

"Maybe we should." Hermes leans forward, resting his head in his hand as he stares ahead at the girl so engrossed in the music she's listening to that it's almost hypnotizing.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Apollo throws his water bottle onto the wooden floor, hearing a scrunch when the plastic slams down.

"Our previous attempts didn't work. Every single soul saw through us because we schemed!" Hermes points out, speaking fast, but speaking sense.

“You mean you schemed.” Apollo retorts, shaking his head.

"So you want us to do what? Be Ethan and Grayson? The Dolan twins? That is scheming! Again! It's why we fail! We need to remember who we are and we need to let this girl know as well. I'm done pretending, brother. I want to go home and I want my powers back." Apollo sighs, rubbing his forehead in thought.

"We'll be Ethan and Grayson until she takes a liking to us. When she sees we're trustworthy, she'll be more inclined to believe the truth. And we WILL tell her the truth." Apollo stands, approaching the window slowly as his arms sway beside his body with the moves he makes.

The moonlight falls to his face, illuminating the teary-eyed god fully for the world to see - everyone, but her. She's in a world of her own, trapped in the sorrow Apollo can feel exuding from her pores.

Leaning on the windowsill, he bows his head and closes his eyes, catching a distant whimper coming from the bay window he watched only seconds ago. He looks up fast, almost pulling a muscle in his neck.

"She's in pain. Suffering terribly." Apollo cocks his head to the side, trying to read her better but to no avail.

"She's also a Kappa Delta, meaning she's programmed to avoid us. How are we going to get her to fall for one of us when she won't spend a moment of her time with us?" Hermes leans his left forearm on Apollo's right shoulder, gnawing the inside of his right cheek.

"We'll figure it out. And once we do, it’s over. For now, we're a team. Once the game starts, we’re on our own. Adversaries once more." Apollo chuckles, turning to his brother so Hermes is forced to drop his hand.

Apollo outstretches his hand for Hermes to shake, a small smile on his face.

Hermes accepts, shaking Apollo's hand firmly.

"May the best god win."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Tags: @mutuallynotmutual @lanadeldolans @xalayx @accalialionheart @gia-kerks @historyheart @heeydolan @heyits-claire @daddygraysonsbitch @godlydolans @fallinginlove-16 @lanadeldolans @beautifulfound @thearachna-kid @dinnerwiththedolans @graydolan12 @justanotherfangurl272 @dxlansfxck

#ethan dolan #grayson dolan #dolan twins #ethan dolan x reader #grayson dolan x reader #dolan twins greek god au #dolan twins au #dolan twins fic #dolan twins fanfic #Greek Mythology #GREEK GOD AU #apollo #hermes #grayson dolan fanfic #ethan dolan fanfic

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mspowerverse · 5 years ago

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Power Rangers Guardian Spirits

(Logo by @masterpikachu6)

From the Sky Tribe come the lovers

#power rangers #super sentai

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gigawaya-blog · 6 years ago

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Bold = currently playing

Strikethrough = Finished

100% Orange Juice 1bitHeart ABZU ACE Academy Aeon Command AER Memories of Old AirMech Strike AKIBA'S TRIP: Undead & Undressed Alicemare Alien Swarm Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs Amnesia: The Dark Descent ARAYA Armored Evolution Astebreed: Definitive Edition Atlas Reactor Audiosurf 2 AZURA Azure Strike Gunvolt Backyard Basketball Backyard Football Bad Rats Show Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition Batman: Arkham City GOTY Batman: Arkham Origins Batman: Arkham Knight Battleblock Theater Beat Hazard A Bird Story Black & White Bushido Black Dream

Bladed Fury BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Blue Whale The Boogie Man Borderlands Borderlands 2 Bot Vice

Brawlhalla Breathing Fear Castle Crashers Choose Wisely Cinderella Escape 2 Revenge Closers Cloudbuilt CODE OF PRINCESS Coffin of Ashes Confess My Love Consummate: Missing World Copy Kitty Corpse Party

Cortex Command Crazy Machines 3 The Crooked Man Crown Champion: Legends of the Arena Cuphead (awaiting DLC) Cyber Utopia D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die Darkness Assault Dead Rising Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut The Deed The Deed: Dynasty DEEP SPACE WAIFU DEEP SPACE WAIFU: FLAT JUSTICE Depth Doki Doki Literature Club Door Kickers Double Dragon Neon Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (awaiting DLC) Dragon Knight DreadOut: Keepers of The Dark Dreaming Sarah DubWars Duck Game Dungeon Nightmares 2: The Memory EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1: WINGDIVER THE SHOOTER

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition Eternal Senia Fable Anniversary Fairy Bloom Freesia Fairy Fencer F Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force Fallout: New Vegas Final Fantasy 7 Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster The Final Station Finding Paradise Firewood The First Tree Flower Design For Honor (may continue playing) Fort Meow Forward to the Sky

Gal*Gun: Double Peace Gang Beasts Garry's Mod Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy Girl X Mushrooms Glass Wing Go Go Electric Samurai Goat Simulator GOCCO OF WAR GOD EATER 2 Rage Burst GOD EATER RESURRECTION Golf With Your Friends Grand Theft Auto 5 Grass Cutter GUN Gun Metal

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Hello? Hell... o?

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alltheworldsinmyhead · 7 years ago

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OUR FUTURE WILL BE A BRIGHT ONE: CHAPTER SEVEN

eremika soulmates through time modern au

( chapter one/chapter two/ chapter three/chapter four/ chapter five/chapter six/ ff.net/ ao3)

YI RI SAN QUI

CHINESE IDIOM; "ONE DAY, THREE AUTUMNS" – INTENSELY MISSING OR LONGING FOR SOMEONE SO THAT ONE SINGLE DAY APART FEELS LIKE THREE YEAR

"and it ain't a mystery you fell for me

we're just two lost souls trying to find our peace

love like ours ain't a masterpiece

it's a good day in the sun

i was born to love you

out where the water is wide

make me your country bride

you'll be my prince of tides

you were born to heal me

under a velvet sky

cattails dancing in the light

we were born to live a long and happy life

a happy life

- Delta Rae A Long and Happy Life

People notice things, they are well aware of that; it is surely spotted how baron often seems to be dozing off when his wife shamelessly winks at other men above her feathery fan, but his dear friend is always the apple of his eye. How baroness herself is terribly fond of said friend's wife and can be rarely seen without her by her side, both of them dazzlingly dashing with their blonde hair and tightly-laced corsets.

How much time the four of them spend together; the sheer close proximity of two couples would be enough to raise rumors, but, in addition to that, they slowly but surely get too lazy to cover their tracks, get tired of masks and lies and deception. Eventually, it's almost like they are not even trying anymore. They always split for vacation, when two women enjoy the thermal waters of Vichy or well-stocked libraries of their respective estates and two men laze around and almost carelessly spend golden mountains of money on wine and blackjack in Monaco

(but never women, they would never buy a single woman and the baroness and her lovely lady in waiting never take men. They would all preen or giggle or send a smile or two, charming and daring, but none of them is ever actually caught red-handed. In a way, you could say that they are shockingly faithful to their respective partners – not to mistake with 'spouses'.

That is worth noting too.)

They mix clothes and rely on servants and hotel service not to spill spicy details about any compromising and surprising positions and configurations in which they may be or not be caught; they leave dozens of apartments covered in feathers from ripped pillows, with ruined bed rests, silk ribbons thrown haphazardly all around the floor and love bites on display on the skins of their necks

They chase after one another through long corridors of castles and mansions, skirts hitched up and cravats untied, hands reaching for wrong hands, lips locked with forbidden lips. Laughing out loud like children, the baron and his friend stroll around, tousled hair and all, glued at the hip, their wives following them, clad in smirks and delicate lace and shamelessness as two cheetahs in bejeweled collars. Frowned-upon desire put proudly on display like an ornate Faberge egg.

Stormy sky blue and soft baby blue irises caught in a shared gaze, sparkling emeralds always meeting opalescent greys.

Done with running and hiding, having only enough decency to use marriage titles, their affairs hidden by the sheer layer of translucent ice. A blind man could see through it easily.

So yes, people notice things and maybe even know things; but for some time, they all somehow get lucky and make it; buy their freedom to love and live with pearls and diamonds and defiance, and enjoy every second they are given.

Live like royalty, like gods among mortals, blinding in their disgusting extravaganza. Their years spent together are endless summers filled with baked swans and tender lobster tails served on silver trays, with sky-high elaborate wigs, with parties and dances and sexual plays, tiny poodles on silk leashes, horses with hooves painted in gold.

It's not gossips that put an end to this wonderland; it's a deadly female.

Madame Guillotine cuts through shining threads of their lives in four clean strikes, but it is all easy to bear as even she cannot sever the bonds that tie them all together.

***

There's an album full of Eren's baby pictures on Mikasa's lap and a cup of tea in her hand; cinnamon- smelling crumbs scattered on the table in front of her.

Carla is busying herself in the kitchen with dinner, her son helping her out, or attempting to do so; she can hear them bantering and playfully snapping at each other the way only a loving, if slightly overbearing parent and an equally loving, but a little bit irked child can, but they are not loud enough to interrupt her train of thought.

And that is- well.

She's mostly trying to clear her head a bit because there's a lot to take in.

In ten minutes since she has entered the Jeager's house, she's been immediately seated in the living room, given a hot drink and a heavy load of Eren-related information. He can knit, apparently, was a star soccer player from primary up until police academy, did wrestling for a while, knows how to make a mean omelette, tried living in a forest for three weeks once , owns a pug (she wonders why he didn't feel the need to tell her this particular thing. Maybe he assumed she's a cat person and decided to keep quiet, which is – just idiotic, to be honest. She's not a heartless monster, for fuck's sake; pugs are adorable. Everyone loves pugs). He's hard-working, ambitious, driven and determined and loyal to a fault. Never surrenders and never gives up; always finishes what he has started. An idiot sometimes, mouth quicker than brain and a troublemaker, but with a heart made out of sheer gold.

Carla, Mikasa thinks, would be an excellent PR specialist, if she ever becomes tired of working as a nurse. She has an urge to interrupt her monologue to assure her that, no, she doesn't really need to advertise her son so fiercely. She's already convinced, sold, bought, whatever.

But Eren's getting more flustered and flustered with every word getting out of his mom's mouth and duh, Mikasa enjoys his struggle way too much to put it to an end so soon.

Absent-mindedly, she turns pages of the album; Eren grows up in front of her eyes , from a wrinkled newborn to an awfully cute toddler, a toothy-grinned first grader, a frowning middle schooler and an awkward teenager, his lanky limbs not knowing how to operate simultaneously.

And then there are photos from his high school graduation, Eren laughing, head thrown back, surrounded by a huge group of friends, all wrapped around each other, young and shining in their capes. Hulking blond guy and a tall dark-haired one; athletic freckled girl with her arms around tiny beauty with sparkling blue eyes, a shorty with military cut spinning around laughing girl with thick ponytail, skinny fair-haired guy, glasses on his nose and the sweetest smile. She makes a mental note to ask him about their names.

And – of course- the last picture is Eren getting his badge, his eyes shining with something that looks suspiciously similar to tears.

Her own heart swells a little with pride and she can hardly fight a small smile that finds its way to her lips. Out of all the people in the world, he is the one she will get to share her life with and she couldn't be happier with the fate's choice.

"Mikasa?" Eren emerges from the kitchen, a blue bowl filled with something smelling of sage and rosemary in his hands and an orange apron hanging loosely around his hips. "You're alright?"

She smiles at him, putting the album on the table and standing up.

"Yeah, everything's fine. You need help?"

He shakes his head and opens his mouth but before he can say anything, Carla's voice rings from the kitchen:

"Actually, sweetheart, can you set the table, please? My son still hasn't mastered this art, despite many years of practice."

„Mom, please, stop." Eren sends her a very apologetic look and storms back into kitchen and Mikasa can do nothing but try to stop the giggle from escaping from her lips. She loves it all so much.

It's not just Eren she's getting. It's this house and Carla, and the pug, and the people from the photographs in Eren's album. It's a whole new world, shiny and bright and ready for her to take and be welcomed in.

And with that thought warming her head-to-toe, she follows Eren to ask Carla where are cutlery and glasses, listening to the mother-son banter quietly, with the cheek-achingly-wide smile painted on her face.

She almost moans in delight, taking yet another piece of chocolate cake into her mouth, savoring the taste on her tongue. She tries to hide that and her cover is good, he'll give her that – but he's no fool; even a complete monster would turn into a saint for just a bite of this heavenly thing that Carla somehow enchants in their old oven.

And he's seen it so many times, this expression of wonder on so many faces, but it still suits hers just best. His mom is beaming from the other side of the table, asking Mikasa questions about her culinary preferences so that she would know what to cook for their next visit. Their old golden retriever quietly patters into the dining room and puts her heavy, warm head on Eren's knees, wordlessly asking for scraps. And so, as he scratches Leia behind her fluffy ears and watches his mom and his soulmate discussing apple pies and lemon meringues…

There's a strange feeling that overcomes his body somehow, sweet and wonderful and very, very old – as if the three of them have already been there and done that before; the shared chores and shared dinner, the laughter, the talk, their voices entwined into one, perfect melody. Mom and Mikasa smiling at each other, him between them, like a bridge.

No missing pieces in this puzzle; there's a rightness in this scene that has never been there before.

***

Carla's smiling at them, as she ushers them out of the doors, mischief in her eyes when she says:

„Go, go, take your time together." and the sheer implication rings in her voice so clear that he feels his face turning beetroot red. He quietly wonders how many times he has already blushed tonight and even quieter laments at this count, but Mikasa just laughs.

That's all she's been doing the whole evening, actually. Laughing and beaming, her face transforming with happiness; the apples of her cheeks and the tip of her nose dusted with pink. For a few hours gone was the stoic, poised girl, still a bit unsure how to handle the situation; for a few hours she was dancing around his house from kitchen to dining room, dishes in her arms and smears of chocolate on her chin.

And he's curious about that, but he doesn't really know what question he could possibly ask her to understand.

He grabs her hand instead and they move forward. The pavement is covered by the thin layer of ice and the heels of her shoes glide against it, making a high-pitched sound.

„Your mom is lovely," she says quietly, grabbing onto his arm for better balance. „And your house too. Thank you-" she raises her head to lock eyes with him, the shadow of a smile still remaining on her mouth, " – for taking me to meet her."

He lowers his own head so that he can press a kiss to her forehead; he can't believe she is the one to thank him.

„Honestly, the pleasure's all mine. But I have to admit, I didn't expect you to click together so … well."

Mikasa chuckles, nodding to herself; a hint of her amusement makes its way into his system, light as champagne bubbles.

„You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be just like her."

He almost trips on his own feet; stumbles and stops for a second as Mikasa steadies his form.

„Wha- what do you mean?"

She shrugs and tries to seem nonchalant, and he might have believed her if not for the way she buries her face in the folds of his scarf and grips his arm a little more forcefully.

"Well. My mom is an academic professor, she was always busy when I was a kid. But on weekends, whenever she had time, we would drive out of the city and she would just spend whole days in the garden. Had the most beautiful sunflowers in all the county. Still does, actually."

The snow is not falling anymore and the street lights shine clear; Mikasa's eyes reflect it even brighter as she stares into the distance, deep down on the memory lane.

"We have this house in the country, kind of a little farm, I guess. I loved it so much then. There was only us and a dozen of chickens and dad would sometimes take me to the river at dawn to try fishing. We would just sit for hours on the pier, not even speaking, just- taking in the view. And my mom would always wait for us with an apple pie ready. She taught me gardening, embroidery, and cooking. All I ever wanted when I was a kid was to be like my mom; to have a little house by the forest, a husband to kiss me when he comes from work and a bunch of kids to run around. To live a long and happy life."

She's looking down at her feet now, stopping speaking abruptly as if she just realized the words that came from her mouth. But he says nothing, just squeezes her hand gently and so she lets out a deep sigh, a little bit embarrassed when she states:

"Your mom is so warm, so big-hearted. This is the kind of woman I've always wanted to be."

Eren studies her form, the grace in her posture even when she is hunched, strands of black hair framing her beautiful face. Mikasa is not a woman she had just described; she is not the sunflower shining for everyone, she is not the summer sun warming all people equally. She will never be loved by everyone or love everyone . But those that she loves, those that she trusts-

He thinks about how she acts around him when there's only two of them and their heartbeats. He thinks how easily she shed her dignified demeanor while she was washing dishes, giggling with his mom.

And he envisions her childhood dream; a log cabin at the edge of the wood, a river humming nearby, picnic table covered in red-and-white checked tablecloth. Mikasa hanging sheets in the backyard, her long braid falling down her back and black-haired, green-eyed children playing hide and seek around her legs.

Coming home to see just that.

Fondness swells in his heart. This is a fantasy that doesn't belong to the world they live in and the one that, at first glance, doesn't particularly suit a woman as independent and put together as Mikasa… but a beautiful, beautiful dream regardless. The picture that he knows he will never manage to abandon.

"Long and happy life, you say?" he hums in appreciation, sending her a dazzling smile and, through their bond, a kiss to her soul, sweet and tender. "I think we can manage that."

***

The evening slowly turns into the night and as they prepare for bed and lay down under the covers, Mikasa can feel the storm coming.

He's about to say something and she will not like it; she knows this before he even opens up his mouth to speak.

He fiddles with his shirt and tugs gently on her hair, licks his lips, scratches the back of his neck. It's like a low-current running through her body, electricity buzzing in her ears constantly and still, nothing can prepare her for the moment when the shoe drops.

"So, uh, my shift starts tomorrow at 8.00, but I think I can finish off a little earlier, like… 16? And we can grab something to eat then, how about that?"

There's ringing in her ears and her breath catches and she wants to slap herself because, jesus Mikasa, overreacting as hell right now. He's got work, he has to go to work, nobody, and especially not her uncle will excuse his absence. But as she turns her face away from him, although she does her very best to get a hold on herself, there's a tremble in her voice.

"Oh. Okay."

I'm about to cry, she realizes, horrified. What's wrong with me?

His arms wrap around her middle and, as he hides her face in her shoulder, she cannot stop the small hiccup of a sob that escapes her lips.

"Mika, hey, Mika. I know- I know, alright?" His hands lock around her." I know, I understand."

Panic is a cold wave that crashes over her, chill runs through his veins, through their bones.

‘'Maybe I'll call and-"

"No, no." She shakes her head, slipping from his arms; distancing herself from him leaves her aching all over but she does it anyway. It's unhealthy, even for soulmates to be so wrapped up in each other, but they got careless, they got too needy. "You should go, we-we can't act like nothing even matters anymore."

His brow furrows and he gulps and she knows which words he swallowed.

(only you matter now, only this.)

She wants to reach out, god knows she does. Wants to take his hands in hers and kiss him; nuzzle her face against his neck, curl inside his ribcage, lock herself in his heart. Let him hold her until she melts into him and they'll never be apart.

But it's not good for them and it's not possible anyway, so she takes a deep breath and says:

"Chinese tomorrow for dinner, what do you think about this idea?"

***

The morning comes too soon.

She didn't manage to doze off even for a few hours; laid with her eyes closed and breath even, emotions ripping her insides to shreds. She didn't let him hug her and thought that will make her body numb, that if she gets used to not touching him when he is beside her, seeing him leave will be easier.

It's not; it hurts, physically hurts and she digs her fingernails into the flesh of her palms not to reach out to him, roots her feet on the floor not to run after him. He kisses her so gently that it's more like a shadow of a kiss than a real thing; maps her cheekbones with the tips of his fingers and walks backward through the door to look at her as long as he can.

She swallows to get rid of the bitter taste in her mouth and manages a grimace resembling somewhat a smile:

"I'll be here when you come back."

He nods but he doesn't seem to believe her at all.

"Mikasa-"

"Go." –she waves her hand goodbye, praying not to tear up, praying for him to leave before she tears up. "Go, don't be late. Levi-"

"Hates that, I know." He's still standing in the corridor, still looking at her and he's so anxious that it spills over. So she breaks herself a little inside and coaxes her body to cooperate; slows down her heartbeat, lets her hands hang loosely by her side, raises her head higher.

And so he relaxes too; even manages to send her his trademark boyish grin before stealing one more kiss – this one a little more proper, not just a paintbrush stroke- and turns away rapidly, running down the stairs fast as if he was afraid that as soon as he slows down he'll come back running to her.

Oh, she wishes he did. So bad.

Hours pass so lazily, she's almost afraid that clocks have all stopped working. And she's absolutely restless.

Goes out for a run, hoping to tire herself, but finds herself looking for his face in the crowd of unfamiliar ones. Tries to answer messages that accumulated on her phone and social media during the weekend and realizes that she has no idea what to tell all those people. Writes a short message to her coach to assure her that yes, she'll be back in training on Wednesday. Curls on the armchair for a minute or two only to jump up at the slightest of sounds, as easily spooked as Madeline. Picks up a book just to stare at the same page for half an hour.

By 2 P.M. she's equally anxious, frustrated with herself and dead tired.

So she picks up the phone and does the only thing she can think of.

"Annie? Hi, sorry for radio silence. I had a reason though."

Annie's usual blank voice is somehow less disinterested than normal.

"Better a good one, Ackerman."

Mikasa almost smiles. You have no idea, girl.

***

Eren is pretty much sure that is the worst day of his entire life, but he doesn't really register anything that's happening around him so it might not be true.

His longing takes a form; it's a ball of pain in his chest, covered in thorns and making his lungs and heart bleed whenever he takes a breath . Usually he'd be sulking for being assigned to paperwork for the whole day, but today he thanks, all of the gods he knows for it; there's a white mist obscuring his vision so that even the easiest forms transform into a herculean tasks of bureaucracy, so he's scared to even think how his work in the field would present. It takes so much effort for him not to say fuck it all and run back to Mikasa like a stray dog begging for a little warmth that by lunch he is downright exhausted.

Four-fifths of his new team send him worried glances above their respective meals and the one fifth, his boss, the living legend, the man he admires more than probably anyone else in his life looks so disgusted with his current state that Eren is truly surprised he manages not to spontaneously combust under his burning glare.

All he thinks, all he feels, all he pretty much is is –

Mikasa, Mikasa, Mikasa, Mikasa.

His mind plays tricks on him, plasters her face on any girl that enters the office, forces his eyes to look for her even though the mind knows her location all too well. His knee is constantly twitching, bumping the cheap wood imitation of his desk and making his keyboard jump up and down. He has dark circles underneath his eyes that he's sure weren't there before. She's haunting him and he is, to put it bluntly, a mess.

And yet, he cannot manage to care, not when yet another torturous hour passes and he gets closer and closer to breaking free.

After he glances at the clock for the fifth time in two minutes and it's still 15:24, Petra – who seemed to gravitate more and more towards his desk as the day progressed- taps his shoulder and asks him, very slowly and kindly, is there any way she could help him, really?

He tears his gaze away from the digital numbers of the clock to look at her; amber eyes are wide open, concern written all over her face.

All that's ringing in his head is that he wishes he could look at another woman.

"I-I don't think so." He mumbles, looking down at his still twitching knee. "Or maybe- Petra, I'm sorry, could I drop out early today? Please?"

The desperation in his voice is so clear that even he grimaces a little. Petra bites her lip and opens her mouth and he just knows she's about to say that she's sorry but-

"Let him go."

Levi is standing back to them, seemingly deeply engrossed into the act of scribbling some notes on the whiteboard, but he is speaking so loudly and clearly that everyone in the office just drops their work for a second, exchanging surprised glances.

Levi is not exactly known for cutting his officers slack.

"Let him go, Rall, he's useless anyway."

Petra gapes at the back of Levi's head, mouth opened as a fish gasping for breath before shaking her head and patting Eren on the back gently.

"Go." She whispers softly and Eren can almost see the ghost of the smile on her lips. "Go, you idiot, before he changes his mind."

He doesn't need to be told twice; he's so happy he could kiss her, but there is another mouth belonging to another girl and waiting for him at home.

***

The only thing he does is ring the bell and suddenly she's all over him.

Arms wrapped around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist; she opens the door so violently that the sound echoes in the empty staircase and jumps into his waiting arms. And he's been running all the way there, driven by the fear that he somehow forgot the way (how could he forget the way, now that he knows it?) and so he's a little than more winded but, honestly, who cares about breathing anymore.

She kisses him with wild abandon nobody would suspect her of, almost livid in her raw desire. She's a mess of emotions, a tangled pile of electric cords in his hands; she sends nerves live-wiring beneath his skin.

They bump into furniture on the way to the bedroom and some small part of his brain registers it, sighs to itself about bruises that will inevitably bloom on his skin tomorrow. But he's got a handful of her and as he lowers his head down to press his lips to her neck and sucks on her pulse point she straight-up moans; this sound escapes her lips like a dirty secret and he swears he's gonna keep it… after he hears it again and again and again.

He nips on her collarbone, feeling her body shivering against his own, and she tugs on his shirt desperately, pulling him behind her until they both collapse on the mattress. His mouth curls into a smirk as he puts his weight on her, but then she spreads her legs, raises up her hips-

And before he can even notice, he's the one laying pinned underneath her and she's the one hanging above him; her breasts brushing his chest, heavy breaths rocking her body. Mikasa has her cheeks stained pink, there's saliva smeared on her chin and bite marks on her neck; he slowly raises his hand up and loops a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His palms cup her cheek face and her eyelids shut close.

Desire doesn't go away, neither does arousal; but as he looks at her – god. God bless.

It's like everything suddenly glows. There's unexplainable sweetness that didn't use to be there before; the strawberry red summer sun warming him up.

It's like somebody reached out and covered all of his emotions in gold, made them better, more complete. Kissing has never felt like this before. Making out has never felt like this before. He could've as well never touched a girl before.

So new, so fresh, like the air after the storm and still so familiar. She's his first time and the last time; the only one he'll ever want, the one he will never get enough of.

You woke me up, baby.

His other hand sneaks underneath her shirt, trails the line of her spine, caresses her back which arches under his touch.

"Eren." She still has her eyes closed, humming his name like a melody. "Eren."

She nuzzles her cheek against his hand, turns her head a bit for her lips to reach his skin and kiss him.

I adore you. They think simultaneously, think with all of them . I was so lonely without you.

He briefly wonders what it will feel like, to tug her top up and her bra down, to put his mouth on her breasts and make her moan again. To let her pull on his hair as he blows raspberries on her inner thighs. He wants it all so badly, desires her body and her heart and her mind and her soul.

You already have it, she thinks to him and it sounds breathless even in his head.

His hands on her back press her down and she lets him; she leans and lets him kiss the remaining sense out of her until everything spins in front of her eyes and she forgets she's supposed to breathe.

Her fingers tangle in his hair, pulling on them greedily and moving down and then her nails digging lightly into the nape of his neck-

Red, it’s all red everywhere, that's all he sees. Red, sticky and stinking of metal; the stifling hotness which coats his skin in sweat and makes his eyes water.

"Eren!" she cries out, her hands reaching for him and he's running, running, blood buzzing in his ears and breath knocked out of his lungs at the fear twisting her features because Mikasa is brave, Mikasa has never been afraid of anything, Mikasa is untouchable, impossible to kill, stronger than all of them combined and yet-

And yet.

"Eren!"

She's so far.

So far away.

Something crunches underneath the soles of his boots, but he doesn't stop to check on whose corpse he stepped on.

Red is oozing from the cuts on her face; it looks as if she was crying blood. And he is stricken with the terrifying familiarity of this scene; of his mother's figure held by the gigantic hand and raised from the earth's surface. The sound of her spine splitting in half. Her blood falling down like a rain.

And him, helpless again.

He sinks his teeth into the palm of his hand again and again, and yet the lightning doesn't strike. There's no magic this time, no transformation; and there's no spark of impossible in Mikasa either, just a small, broken, tired girl who exhausted herself to the point of almost passing out, her blades shattered, her wings torn from her back.

"Mikasa!"

Their eyes lock and her expression softens; the hand she held outstretched for him falls loose. To his horror, she looks at him with this bashful fondness … and that' when he realizes she has given up.

Her lips move, forming words which he cannot decipher because he's still so fucking, goddamn far away and he's screaming, still screaming for her, when her figure disappears in the gaping, dark hole of the titan's mouth.

#eremika #eremika fanfiction #snk #snk fanfiction #our future will be a bright one #attack on titan

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tipsycad147 · 5 years ago

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Isis - Goddess Of The Throne

(The Egyptian words Ast or Aset, mean 'Throne or Seat'. Isis is an onomatopoeic Asianic word, Ish-ish, meaning 'she who weeps'.)

Isis, was for almost 3,500 years, the principle Goddess of Egypt. She was the wife and sister of Osiris and the mother of Horus, and the personification of the faithful wife and devoted mother. Isis is the Mistress Of The Words of Power and the Goddess Of Nature. She is the embodiment of nature and magic. The lap of the Goddess Isis was regarded as the royal throne, while her breast poured forth the nectar that conferred the divine right to rule.

Isis, is often depicted crowned with a throne or later with a disc and two horns. The Sycamore tree was sacred to Isis, and she is associated with the planet Venus, Copper and the colours emerald and turquoise.

The story of Isis.

The Sun god Ra ordered Shu (Air) to separate Nut (Sky) from her brother/lover Geb (Earth), he also declared that Nut should never have children in any month of the year. Thoth, the god of wisdom, won from the moon, in a game of draughts, one seventy-second part of its light. It was during these days, that belonged to no month, that she bore Osiris, Horus the Elder, Set Isis and Nephthys. Osiris and Isis fell in love and mated while still in Nut's womb and became man and wife, her sister Nephthys married Set.

Together with Osiris, they ruled Egypt and taught the people all the basic skills of civilisation. Set, however, was envious of his brother, and conspired to kill Osiris, nailing his body in a coffin and throwing it into the Nile. Isis traced the coffin to Byblos in Phoenicia, where the currents had carried it. However, a tamarisk tree had grown around it, and King Malacander had built the trunk into his palace. Isis, in disguise, first became the nurse to the kings son and later his queen. Isis revealed herself to Malacander, who granted her a ship to take the coffin back to Egypt

On her journey back to Egypt, she hid in the Nile Delta marshes near Buto, to conceal herself and the body of the dead Osiris, with whom she had become magically impregnated. Set, however, discovered the body and tore it asunder casting the fourteen pieces throughout the kingdom. Isis, undertook a journey to recover the disembodied parts of her husband/lover. At each place, as she found one of the parts, she performed a burial ritual and set up a stela marking its place, hoping to deceive Set into thinking that all the parts were buried in separate places.

In time, Isis recovered all the missing parts, except the phallus of Osiris, which Set had thrown into the Nile and had been eaten by a crab. Isis was able to fashion a new one, and magically restored Osiris's body by anointing it with precious oils. She was thus to become the inventor of embalming. Osiris, now fully immortal, became the King of Amenti, the realm of the dead, while Isis in due course gave birth to Horus the Younger.

Invocation Of Isis

I, Isis, am all that hath been that is or shall be, I, who made light from my feathers, The wind from my wings, No mortal man ever hath me unveiled! - Until now.

Isis and the Seven Scorpions

The god Djehuty or Thoth to the Greeks realised that Aset (Isis) was in great danger from Set. Set was her brother, but also the brother of Wesir (Osiris), to whom Aset had been wife. Set had murdered his brother, to take the throne, and now sought for Wesir’s son, Heru (Horus), whom Aset yet carried in her womb. Djehuty rescued Aset and advised her to go into hiding until her son grew of age. Aset set out for the Delta intending to hide herself in the papyrus thickets and marshes. Accompanying her were seven scorpions, the leader of which was called Tefen.

During their journey Aset and the scorpions came to the town of Per-sui and asked for refuge of the house of a wealthy lady named Usert. But Usert slammed the door in Aset’s face, so the scorpions gave Tefen all their venom and he crept under the door and bit her son.

Meanwhile a poor little fisher girl offered shelter to Aset.

Tefen’s venom caused Usert’s son extreme agony and Usert ran into the town calling for help but was ignored. Aset felt sorry for the innocent child and decided to cure him, calling Usert to bring the child to her so she could magically expel the poison. Aset put her hand on the child and recited, “O poison of Tefen, come forth and drip onto the ground. May the child live and the poison die.”

Usert was stricken with remorse and sought to make amends by filling the poor little fisher girls hut with possessions from her own home.

Aset continued on her journey and came to Khemmis in the Delta, where she gave birth to Heru, Heru Avenger of his father. She tied her girdle around the baby for protection.

There was no one to feed Aset in Khemmis, so eventually she was forced to leave Heru alone and search for food, disguised as a beggar. She wandered all day with no luck, and returned to find Heru lying still on the ground. The marsh dwellers came running but could offer no help, Aset feared this might be an attack by Set. Thn a great learned lady came and said Atum had decreed Set should not enter Khemmis and perhaps a scorpion or snake had bitten Heru. Aset smelled Heru’s breath and detected poison of the scorpion. But this time Aset was unable to expel the poison of the scorpion and her cries brought Nebt-Het and Serqet to her side. They combined their voices and reached Ra in his Barque of Millions of Years, causing the boat to stand still so that darkness descended upon the earth.

Djehuty alighted from the bark and recited the healing spell of Heru.

“Come back, Oh Poison. You are exorcised by the spell of Ra himself… the Barque of the Sun God wil stand still… until Heru recovers – to his mother’s delight. Fall onto the earth, Oh poison… darkness will cover everything… wells will be dry, crops will wither… until Heru recovers – to his mother’s delight.”

To the delight of Aset, the spell of Djehuty cured the son of Aset, Heru – Avenger of his Father and Ra and his Barque of Millions of Years was allowed to continue its journey.

Correspondences

Animal: Man, Woman, unicorn, sphinx, ram, owl, lion, eagle Colour: Emerald, turquoise Day: Wednesday, Friday Festivals: Advent of Aset - January 2nd, July 17th, Oct 30th - Nov 2nd Flower: Amaranth, cypress, willow, lily, ivy, snowdrop Gems: ruby, star ruby, turquoise, sapphire, pearl, amethyst, peridot, beryl Minerals: Phosphorus, silver, sulphates Perfume: musk, myrrh, civert, cedar, dragons blood, narcissus, onycha Tarot: Twos, Threes, Fours, Tens, The Emperor, The Hermit, The Hanged Man Weapon: Lingam, Inner Robe Of Concealment, Yoni, Magic Circle

http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_goddess/isis_-_goddess_of_the_throne.asp

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allymalinenko · 7 years ago

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“I used to hate playing Seattle shows.” – Chris Cornell

This was the first thing I saw as the captain told us we were beginning our descent to SeaTac International Airport.

It had been a harrowing flight. Long. Hot (especially in that lymphodema sleeve). And full of turbulence. I hate turbulence on any flight but each bump on this plane called back the man in line behind me at the Delta counter in JFK, just hours before, that collapsed and had a massive seizure. There’s really no way for me to properly talk about the effect this had on me or the reactions of people nearby or the experience for this man so I’m just going to leave it at that.

When we finally landed in Seattle and existed the airport, there was Mt. Rainer, and the moon, just cutting up the sky together. During our duration, it never looked nearly as clear or as majestic. I grew up in Hudson Valley. I thought we had mountains. We did not have mountains. Not like this.

It was late and as New Yorkers felt even later by the time we were able to grab some noodles and collapse into bed.

We had breakfast the next morning at the Five Points Cafe

Originally opened in 1929 it is the oldest bar in Belltown and the longest running family owned eatery in Seattle. It also serves a plate of hash browns bigger than my head. It was fantastic. (Except on the second visit at the end of the trip when my waiter who is clearly a MONSTER served me English Breakfast when I clearly asked for Earl Grey because as we all know, English Breakfast tastes like it was run through my grandmothers socks. I will never forgive nor forget this monster.)

One of the most touristy but still genuinely awesome places in Seattle is Pike’s Market.

If you’re wondering why this sounds familiar it’s because this is where they throw the fish around. You’ve seen the videos. Yes, I watched them throw the fish. I don’t have any photos because there were a million and people and it was hard to catch (Ha!) but also because ew, fish.

Ew.

They also sell these huge bouquets of flowers crazy cheap. I’m talking $10 cheap. If I lived there I would Mrs. Dalloway that shit every single day. I mean look at these:

Pike Market was sneakily much bigger than I expected. There are LEVELS within LEVELS. They have a magic shop in this place. I’m not kidding. I haven’t seen trick gum for sale anywhere in decades.

Behind Pike Market is the gum wall. But Ally, you ask, what’s a gum wall?

THIS IS A GUM WALL:

and to Gum Wall’s defense it should actually be called a Gum Alleyway because it just keeps on going

Then, being that we were in Seattle we did exactly what you think we’d do. We went to find the apartment building from Singles and Kurt Cobain’s house.

Don’t judge me!

The building from Singles is located in a super adorable area called Capital Hill. While adorable this is a misnomer. It should be called “Capital Mountain” or “Capital You Need A Tow Rope To Get Up This Bitch” or maybe “Capital You’re Dead Now”

Because this was seriously steep shit. I’m talking 18% grade steep. Some of them just turn INTO STEPS. Like, screw your car, it’s mountain climbing time!

For instance let’s look at this image I found online. This is Denny Way which we talked. Do you see the parts where it levels off and then it’s all mountain again? It’s like a giants staircase!

I walked UP that. And it was really hot too. Figures I wind up in Seattle when they’re in the 90’s.

Anyway, we found the Singles apartment. Being a 90’s girl this movie was on a constant rotation with Reality Bites. I could probably act it out.

The apartments are located at 1820 E. Thomas Street and yes (minus the fountain which they added) it looks exactly the same.

“I was just no where NEAR your neighborhood”

Then we headed back down to Lake Washington to find where Cobain lived…and well, died. It felt strange. I’m not going to lie. I’ve found lots of artists homes and graves and what not over my traveling years but I don’t think I’ve ever been to a place that was so tragic and so important in my own life.

The walk out there is gorgeous. The lake is gorgeous. To get to Kurt’s road you go down little winding wooden steps.

You wouldn’t even know you were only a few miles from where Pearl Jam used to rehearse back in Belltown

And I couldn’t help but wonder as we crested the hill that was Viretta Park that is right along the property if maybe that was part of the problem. All I know is that the Denny-Blaine neighborhood looked alot different than Belltown or Capital Hill.

In Viretta Park is a makeshift memorial – a bench that has been graffittied. When we were there someone had left flowers.

From there you can see just the top of the house. It was sad and solemn and I felt a bit like maybe I shouldn’t have come.

To offset that feeling, we headed up to Fremont (via bus cause you can’t walk and also because at this point I COULDN’T walk. Damn hills. I’m so old).

Fremont is a very cool neighborhood full of record stores and cool restaurants but more so it’s got this:

This is the Fremont Troll and in case you couldn’t tell, he lives under the bridge. He’s big.

Like climb on him big

(Dear god, we have sunburns in September in Seattle because of global warming.)

Down the road is a giant statue of Lenin with a red hand. Interpret that as you will

But as I was saying we came over to Fremont for something else too. Something Kurt.

This is Reciprocal Recording Studios.

This little tiny shack has quite a history. A band called Ted Ed Fred wanted to record here because Soundgarden recorded Screaming Life. Ted Ed Fred would soon change their name to Nirvana. In this little space they recorded their first demo on January 23, 1988. They had no drummer at the time, just Cobain and Novoselic so they borrowed the drummer from the Melvins. Jack Endino recorded and mixed ten songs. Two would go on to be on Bleach. Endino kept a copy which he brought to SubPop which landed Nirvana their first record deal.

I stood in front of the door thinking how excited they must have been when it was all starting out. I tried to make that memory burn brighter than that bench or that dusty park or that peaked roof of that mansion.

Just down the road from Fremont is the Gas Works Park

It’s really cool with an incredible view:

And we stopped into Linda’s a couple of times and had some pints of cider. This was the last place Kurt was seen alive.

And yes of COURSE we did the Space Needle. Which I should get a few snaps for because this girl is afraid of heights. You should have seen me walking across the George Washington Bridge one time. I nearly made my peace with having to live in Jersey forever.

It’s so tall

But I was cool about it.

My hands down favorite thing we did in Seattle was easily the Museum of Pop Culture

This place was incredible. First off every exhibit was cool. Every. Single. One.

There was a fantasy one that had…..

Dorothy’s dress

Yeah that’s the witch’s hat

Oh just Princess Buttercup and Westley and Indigo’s gear No biggie.

What’s that you say? Oh yes that IS all the weapons from Lord of the Rings.

Susan Pevensie’s bow and arrow. I’m screaming!

The White Witch’s ice crown

And then there was the Bowie by Mick Rock exhibit

Mick was Bowies photographer from 1972-1973 and he captured some of the most iconic images from the Ziggy Stardust years. He told his manager that Mick seems him as he sees himself.

Mick also took these:

Hang on cause we’re JUST getting started with this museum.

Then they had the Jim Henson Experience. I had recently been to the Museum of Moving Image and seen their now permanent Henson exhibit which I loved but I was delighted to learn that many of my favorites were currently at MoPOP.

They even let you make a little video of you working as a puppeteer. I forgot to make my dude turn to the other camera so that’s why there are blank spaces! All the same, if this librarianship thing doesn’t work out I think I might have some options.

<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/235594692″>seattle 068</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user50279965″>ally malinenko</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>

Okay I just re-watched that and it was pretty terrible. I take it back. I have no future in puppeteer.

And some from his movies too!

And Jareth’s outfit and Sarah’s dress from the ballroom scene in Labyrinth

Then, because we’re still not done with MoPOP they had a Star Trek exhibit!

and a science fiction one, which according to the website had Doctor Who props. So I go in figuring they’ll be small stuff, like maybe K9 but no. There was this:

CYBERMAN!

And this:

Yes they had an actual Dalek and I just about lost my mind.

They also had Mork’s outfit, a jawa, the ghostbuster’s pack and hoverboards from Back to the Future!

We also went down to the International District which is home to the Uwajimaya Market which served the best Udon chicken soup of my life. I burned every layer off my tongue and it was worth it. The whole area is really pretty.

There was also a lot of information about Japanese Seattle residents and the internment camps in 1942. 127,00 people were imprisoned, more than half of whom were American born citizens.

And just like that the week was up and we were heading home, home, home.

Thanks for a lovely time, Seattle. I’m sure I’ll be back.

Peace, Love and Starbursts,

Ally

Seattle: The Emerald City "I used to hate playing Seattle shows." - Chris Cornell This was the first thing I saw as the captain told us we were beginning our descent to SeaTac International Airport.

#David Bowie #Fremont Troll #grunge #jim henson #Kurt Cobain #MoPOP #music #Pike&039;s Market #Seattle #Singles #Spaceneedle

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janikbesendorf-blog · 6 years ago

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Halong Bay and Mekong Delta: a Tale of Two Water Worlds

Lush green paddy fields, lumbering buffaloes and conical-hatted farmers make up the classic image of Vietnam. Once a lesser-known tourist destination, Vietnam has become widely popular in recent years. The northern capital of Hanoi consistently ranks among the world’s top 10 destinations on TripAdvisor. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), to the south, has transformed from a war-torn city to a thriving metropolis. Despite urban allures, centuries-old architecture, war history, and a rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences, it’s Vietnam’s striking landscapes that most impress.

Vietnam is known for its stunning landscapes, such as the rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai and Lao Cai.

Despite urban allures and centuries-old history and culture, it’s Vietnam’s striking landscapes that most impress.

To the south of its narrow waist, Vietnam fantails into the splendid Mekong delta. In stark contrast to the flat rice land of the delta where boats, houses, and markets float upon innumerable rivulets, canals and streams that criss-cross the scenery like arteries, is the legendary Halong Bay. Set in the northeast, the scatter of jagged emerald islands and wind-and wave-eroded karst caves topped by forests jut out of the sea at Halong – a magical spectacle in the early morning mist.

So how do you choose between Halong Bay or Mekong delta? Here’s the lowdown on the exclusive culture, cuisine, and activities along the two water worlds.

Halong Bay or Mekong Delta: Things to Do and Where to Stay

Halong Bay or Mekong Delta? Lose yourself in the Halong Bay

‘Ha Long’, or the ‘Bay of Descending Dragons’, in northeastern Vietnam.

‘Ha Long’ or the ‘Bay of Descending Dragons’, four hours from the capital of Hanoi, is a spectacular seascape sculpted by nature in the Gulf of Tonkin. With over 1600 islands – most of which are uninhabited, there are several large caves located within the islands for you to discover. The biggest of these is a wooden cave, formerly known as the Grotte des Merveilles. Cannon Fort, on the Bay’s largest island – Cat Ba, offers one of the best views in Vietnam. From here you can survey astounding panoramas of Cat Ba’s jungle-clad hills rolling down to the karst-punctuated sea beyond.

Explore pristine beaches and lush, tropical islands at Halong Bay.

The best way to enjoy the many wonders that pepper this north-eastern Bay is by boat or cruise ship. Opt for the Indochina Junk Halong Bay tours and enjoy a luxury Halong Bay cruise aboard the Dragon’s Pearl – a traditional Vietnamese boat modeled on ancient wooden Chinese junks. For some romantic elegance, plump for the one-cabin L’Amour (Princess) Junk. With numerous venues at which to relax and rejuvenate as you drink in the stunning UNESCO World Heritage vistas of Halong Bay, the Stellar and Bhaya Cruises are also great options. Or venture to the idyllic La Han Bay on the Ginger Cruise for an intimate sailing experience amid breathtaking panoramas.

The best way to enjoy the many wonders that pepper Halong Bay is by boat or cruise ship.

Experience the beauty of this most acclaimed tourist spots in Southeast Asia as a guide shows you hidden lagoons, forested islets, stunning limestone cliffs and secluded bays, like the Bait Tu Long where you can swim and kayak. The sugar-white coastlines of Ba Trai Dao (Three Peaches Beach) and Soi Sim offer some unique barbecue experiences. Listen to the sweet melody of birds, winds and waves, as the crew delivers an array of succulent and grilled seafood under a blue sky! If you fancy a fishing excursion, visit the scenic fishing villages at Cua Van, Ba Hang, Vung Vieng and Cong Dam. The locals are very sociable and willing to guide you on how to row a sampan, spread the net, bait a hook….

Enjoy a cooking demonstration on your cruise ship.

Take a small boat and head out for the many islands scattered around Halong Bay

Kayak amid the limestone karsts of Halong

Sundowners on the bay can be stunning affairs!

Enjoy panoramic views of the Bay from the shore.

Begin a new day with Tai Chi sessions onboard, amid the early morning spectacle of Halong Bay. Getting yourself pampered at the spa when you are out at sea could also be an excellent treat. Make sure to book in advance.

If you choose to stay on shore, check in Hotel Novotel Halong Bay set on the coastline of Bai Chay beach, which provides great photo ops with panoramic views of the Bay.

Halong Bay or Mekong Delta? Discover the Magic of the Mekong Delta

To catch a glimpse of the fifteen million people who live in the wetlands, you need to join them on the river.

The Mekong Delta is a bustling hub of activity.

The comma-shaped flatland stretching from south of Ho Chi Minh City, to the Gulf of Thailand is intertwined by land and water that provide the perfect conditions for growing rice – bestowing the Mekong Delta with the rightful title – ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam. With its alluvial-rich soil, the Delta also nourishes the fruit basket of the country as lush orchards overflow with mangoes, papayas and dragon fruit, and plantations brim with bananas, coconuts and pineapples. With over 1,000 recorded animal species and new species of plants, fish, lizards, and mammals discovered in previously unexplored areas, including the Laotian rock rat that was thought to be extinct, the Delta has been dubbed as a ‘biological treasure trove’.

At the floating market in the Mekong Delta, you can buy everyday articles or exotic goods.

The Delta is famous for its lush green rice paddies, which you can explore on your tour.

How about a ride in a traditional bullock cart, the local way?

The Delta is famous for its fresh, tropical produce which you can sample at the floating market

With everything revolving around the waterways, the Delta is a world afloat. To catch a glimpse of the fifteen million people who live in the wetlands, you need to join them on the river. Hop onto the Bassac Cruise from My Tho, but before you do, a visit to the ancient southern architectural gem reflecting a mixture of Chinese, Vietnamese and Angkor (Cambodian) building styles with elaborately carved oblong and horizontal net like panels – the Vinh Trang Pagoda (in My Tho itself), would be worth your while. Bricks and mortar aside, the temple will be memorable if you can arrive when the monks are chanting, in the morning.

See the elaborately carved Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho.

Hop into a traditional boat and explore the many channels around the Delta.

Dried fish is a popular snack for the local people at the Delta.

How about a rest stop during you cruise?

Read about the floating life on the Mekong Delta

To enjoy countryside scenery and river life, board a smaller wooden sampan (boat), hopping off to explore scenic villages every now and then.

Continue exploring the Mekong landscape with a stopover at the Thot Not Bird Sanctuary, a magnificent 1.3-hectare area overgrown by huge bamboo and home to thousands of resident storks, snowy egrets, and other avians. At the quintessentially Vietnamese ‘craft village’, small communities work together to manufacture products such as knives, rush mats, bamboo bird cages, ceramics, rice wine, and dozens of other commonplace and unusual articles. Visit a bamboo-knitting hamlet in Thot Not or a carpentry craft town in Chomo. Or visit the local coconut-candy factories in Ben Tre, the ‘Land of Coconut’. Sold throughout the country, and also exported to other Asian countries, Australia, Europe, and North America, the keo dua or coconut candy of Vietnam is world famous.

Farming in the Mekong Delta

Fishing on the Mekong Delta

Local farmer at work in the countryside

Boats in the Mekong Delta

To enjoy countryside scenery and river life, board a smaller wooden sampan (boat). Encounter monkeys and scampering macaques that dangle from ancient temples and parked vans around the villages. Then stretch your legs and hop on a bicycle for a short ride along narrow village lanes, past fruit orchards, never ending water canals, hundreds of rickety bridges and small ferry crossings and all those locals waving at you and greeting with “xin chao” as you pedal by. Taste fresh fruits, like the juicy yellow-fleshed sapodillas when you arrive at the home of a tropical fruit farmer and amble around his orchard – this is traditional hospitality at its truest!

While cruising down the meandering Mekong, stop at smaller sampan boats that serve as cafes and you may just be rewarded with the best noodle soup you’ve ever tasted!

Board the Mekong Queen, a wooden, motorboat and sail to the enormous Cai Rang floating market early in the morning. Witness the lively panorama around as hundreds of sampans bump and jostle to trade everything from sugar cane to pigs, and mountains of fruit. It is quite possible to stop at smaller sampans serving as cafes, and enjoy an iced cup of coffee, soft drinks, or a Vietnamese noodle soup for breakfast.

Sample some local fare at the floating market

At the floating market on the Mekong Delta

Vendors get together at the floating market

Cruising leisurely down the river

Stay at the Victoria Hotel Can Tho. Set within magnificent gardens and colonial style architecture, it is situated on the banks of the Hau River – known for its charming sunsets and peaceful scenery. Alternatively, located on the banks of the Bassac River crossing, the handsome Indochina-inspired Victoria Hotel Chau Doc offers the ever-changing scenery of the fascinating Chau Doc region.

Food Fare: What to eat at Halong Bay or Mekong Delta

Whether you choose Halong Bay or Mekong Delta, do make a trip to Saigon. Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is now called, is rated by Forbes magazine as one of the top 10 street food havens in the world!

Vietnamese cuisine is known for its freshness. Not a place for curry lovers, the noodle dishes and stir-fries here are light, citrusy, and loaded with herbs. While North Vietnam food has more Chinese influence –fresh, light broths, with mainly noodles, South Vietnam food is sweet and spicy with more colorful and heavy broths accompanied with rice.

Vietnamese noodle soup or Pho, from the North

Known for its abundant seafood, the Halong Bay Market offers some truly unique food experiences that would satisfy even the pickiest tourists. Enjoy the famous dipped squid; feast on the Halong grilled oysters served with cold beer; or slurp the sweet, sour, spicy, salty (all in one salver) limuloid.

As the largest city in the Mekong Delta that still retains a small town feel, Can Tho is an excellent place to experience the food of Vietnam’s deep south, including many local specialties like the Sa Dec and My Tho noodles – hugely popular thanks to their sweet taste, chewy and distinctive flavor; or the noodle made from sliced flour cooked to perfection with duck meat and with a pinch of ginger fish sauce in Ben Tre.

A typical meal at the Mekong Delta