#And so were Baron and Bo

[callipraxia]

I want to hug these ancient dead guys now, and tell them I understand, and also ask for details on how to get famous enough that I can ensure my dear ones will be remembered in a thousand years.

I can’t stop getting emotional about how tenderly a shepherd caresses his dog’s face on this marble sarcophagus from the third century

The dog’s face is just so lovingly crafted and it’s much more finely detailed than some of the other animals in the piece. The expression is pure contentment and devotion. This scene is a tiny portion of a huge elaborate sculpture but I really feel like the artist was trying to capture a specific emotion with these two. The way that you feel when you look at your dog is thousands of years old.

[jellllllo-bowl]

return to my roots (batfam x dcmk)

I want to express my gratitude to anyone who has interacted with my batfam x dcmk posts and may we have more contents of them ✨

yapping below

thinking about whether this should happen in the same universe, or would it be funnier if some of the bats were dunked into dcmk world due to idk the speed force

if it's the former then i want to lean into "batman is an urban legend" outside of gotham, and yeah, night baron x batman is a decently-sized ship in dcmk japan. the BO doesn't want anything to do with gotham.

if it's the latter then maybe only bruce tim and damian are affected because the others are in the same age range as 1/ victims; 2/ BO members; and i don't know yet how to factor them into dcmk. maybe duke and the girls can stay in magic kaito verse. they would have a lot of fun traveling around the world meeting borderline-meta magicians.

bruce tim and damian would still go out at night. somehow the cave connects a random cave in rural okuho to their original verse due to both of them being fictional places (im spewing bullshit)

increasingly intricate crimes keep happening despite their interventions (they manage to lower the mortality rate tho)

how fast can they crack the BO case and likewise, how fast can they figure out the others' identities? i think it depends on how long they can stay out of each other's way (not so long)

conan would make a horrifying robin. IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE *kicking a ball into your face with the force of a truck*

before figuring out his identity im sure there's a developing theory that he's related to the local equivalent of bruce wayne. strong sense of justice and ...kinda blue eyes? and a multitude of weird gadgets and oh, his documents are forged, his parents don't exist??? very suspicious. too bad he actually has healthy and loving parents.

[cyanferret21]

Weapons also have souls au

Did I just simply make 2012 & rise crossover? Yes, yes I did!

Did I also add some ✨mystic✨ to it for spice? Yes I absolutely did!!

Am I gonna do this one post and never return to this idea ever again(like I did with my rat au)? I really fucking hope not!!!

The idea itself is that one of 12!turtle’s enemy got so fed up with them that they got their hands on some mystic stuff to capture brothers in weapons and banish them to another dimension. Anything to “never see their stupid turtle faces again!”

To everyone’s surprise it actually worked. And unfortunately for turtles …. That’s how one, what seemed like normal, mission turned into catastrophe. One by one brothers got separated and locked up in their own weapon: Leo in ōdachi, Mickey in kusari-fundo, Raph in tonfās and Donnie in some strange bo stuff (I have no idea what the name of the weapon was in first episode, if you know tell me) . After this they were just dumped through the portal in whatever dimension, those bad guys couldn’t care less honestly.

And that’s how 2012 Leo, Raph, Mickey and Donnie got into Rise!dimension. But…!!! They happened to appear in Hidden city long before Draxum’s mutant warriors were even in plans. Weapons were passed from hand to hand, but never stayed long with one holder. Different yokai complained about seeing and hearing strange things the more they used the weapons. But with every next holder it was getting more and more obvious that these weapons were not just haunted, but possessed mystic powers. With this rumours going around Hidden city about ōdachi that can creat portals and tonfās that make you bigger and stronger, that’s how Baron Draxum found out about them and decided that he wanted them in his collection.

And would you believe me when I tell that that’s where Draxum got the idea for his human-destruction warriors to be turtles? When he tried to use kusari-fundo and saw a vision of a ninja-looking turtle yokai that was yelling at him to be freed and was challenging him to a fight! He was mesmerised by this creature’s body structures, the possibility of a shell to be a natural protection, ability to breathe underwater. It was a perfect choice of an animal for a warrior to be mutated from!

That’s where 13 years later, our rise!bois are coming into view! Story goes the same as in the “Mystic mayhem” episode, except…. When rise!turtles tried to use their new mystic weapon and it was malfunctioning, it was mostly cause it was their first time using it, but also cause 12!brothers were being kinda salty about not being used for over a decade and they were trying to get some fun out of all this situation. After all, who could have known that their new holders are gonna finally help them reunite with each other. Not right away, but in time…

And if you’re asking yourself right now “But what about Donnie?” Well…remember how he didn’t take the “glowy weapon”? Yeah, at some point in the story they’ll have to go back to Draxum’s destroyed lab and hope that 12!Donnie and stuff he’s in did survive the explosion.

But for now R!Donnie is just like:

Next

[lulu2992]

Uncovering the unreleased Far Cry 5 in-game Encyclopedia

The almost complete but unused in-game encyclopedia, reconstructed thanks to the oasisstrings file.

Please note that it’s still cut content, so some information might not be relevant anymore.

You can read the oasisstrings file here. Pictures from this encyclopedia were also extracted and posted by @xbaebsae here.

Part 6: Characters

Aaron "Tweak" Kirby

Uppers, downers, sideway-ers... Tweak is all about pushing the limits of the human condition.

Adelaide Drubman

A confident go-getter with deep pockets to do whatever she wants, like living with booze, bazookas, and boy toy Xander Flynn.

Bo Adams

A hardcore survivalist that chooses to live out in the woods and off the grid.

Boomer

A scruffy pal with unparalleled loyalty.

Cameron Burke

A U.S. Marshal with an agenda. The only thing standing between him and his political aspirations is the Project at Eden's Gate.

Casey Fixman

A grill cook with a classified past. Most locals don’t believe his outrageous war stories or the wisdom he serves up with every order.

Chad Wolanski

A self-styled prepper chef who sells food out of his food truck since his restaurant "The Grill Streak" burned down.

Dr. Charles Lindsey

A veterinarian drafted into service as a medic. There's no one else to do it, and aren't we all animals?

Cheeseburger

Orphaned as a cub and raised by Wade Fowler, he's the star attraction at the F.A.N.G. Center. He loves eating cheeseburgers.

Clutch Nixon

A legendary stuntman who left this world the way he entered it: Face first onto a pile of rocks.

Dave Fowler

Wade Fowler's brother, he runs the business end of the F.A.N.G. Center.

Richard "Dutch" Roosevelt

An old prepper who'd worked himself to the bone and lost everything even before Eden's Gate came to town. Same shit, different horse.

Dylan

(no description found)

Eli Palmer

A bonafide prepper and the leader of the Whitetail Militia. He helped Eden's Gate design their survival bunkers before he wised up.

Faith Seed

The Siren in the East. The youngest in the Seed family pacifies unruly followers to make way for the Collapse. Some believe she's only an illusion.

George Wilson

George is a Whitetail Militia and baseball enthusiast, but spends most of this time as a lookout because of his age.

Grace Armstrong

A medal-winning shooter and army sniper with a vendetta against Eden’s Gate.

Guy Marvel

A genius movie director envisioning a masterpiece of anarchy and gold statue wins. Even an auteur needs help to make movie magic.

Deputy Joey Hudson

One of your fellow Hope County Deputies who has absolutely no time for bullshit and has the fists to back herself up.

Hurk Drubman Jr.

His wit and intellect may have been blunted by paint huffing, but that hasn't stopped him from living a life of adventure.

Hurk Drubman Sr.

A retired oil baron who is the undisputed master of his domain... what's left of it after the divorce.

Jacob Seed

The Soldier in the North. The eldest Seed brother serves Joseph by creating the army that will defend the Project with their lives.

Pastor Jerome Jeffries

The local man of God who will do whatever it takes to protect the people of Hope County – even if it costs him his soul.

Jess Black

Dutch’s niece. Jess is a loner who nearly lost her life in Jacob's camps, only to discover a new talent in the process: killing Peggies.

John Seed

The Baptist in the West. The youngest of the Seed brothers, John is in charge of reaping the land of supplies that will help the Project survive.

Joseph Seed

The Father. The middle Seed brother heard a Voice that told him to initiate a great Project, to prepare for the Collapse of everything. And so he has.

Kim Rye

A world traveler who chose Hope County to put down roots, and those roots are on the way - she's in her third trimester.

Larry Parker

Genius or crackpot? Science will decide.

Mary May Fairgrave

The tough-as-nails barkeep who blames Eden's Gate for the death of her parents.

Merle Briggs

A local prepper. Merle could talk your ears off about his dream bunker, or the shelf life of canned goods.

Wilhelmina Mable

Wilhelmina Maybelline, big cat whisperer and taxidermist. The well-being of Peaches the cougar is her top priority.

Nadine Abercrombie

The last living member of a family of hoarders, though she considers herself a collector. Much classier than simply hoarding. And more selective.

Nancy

(no description found)

Nick Rye

The best dang pilot in Hope County. Give him a chance and he'll put on a show.

Peaches

The long-time pet of Miss Mable. Probably named for the color of her fur and not the sweet disposition she lacks.

Deputy Stacy Pratt (yes, his first name is actually spelled Stacy in the files)

One of your fellow Hope County Deputies who’s a good cop when his ego doesn't get in the way.

Dr. Sarah Perkins

A lone biologist determined to unravel the mysteries of how Jacob's Judge wolves are created.

Sharky Boshaw

A wanted arsonist, Charlemange Victor Boshaw IV hides out where he can live his fire-blazing, rockstar fantasies.

Sherri Woodhouse

She gave up city life, opened a fishing store, and began the hunt for her family’s missing legendary whiskey.

Skylar Kohrs

A high-powered expert fly fisher hell-bent on landing a legendary fish.

Tammy Barnes

Once a homemaker, now the chief interrogator for the Whitetail Militia. They say her marshmallow blondies are to die for.

Tracey Lader

A woman determined to bring down Eden's Gate, especially Faith. They used to be friends and the sting of betrayal fuels her wrath.

Virgil Minkler

A trusted mayor for the past 7 terms, now hell-bent on stopping the production of Bliss after it took the life of his son.

Wade Fowler

The co-owner of the F.A.N.G. Center, an animal rescue facility that takes in orphaned wild animals.

Walker

A member of Eli's Whitetail Militia.

Wendell Redler

He made it through Nam with his buddies. Now he’s an old man, his buddies are gone, and this is not the America he fought for in his youth.

Wheaty

The smart-ass quartermaster for the Whitetail Militia who also has a radio broadcast to counter the Father's propaganda.

Earl Whitehorse

The devoted sheriff of Hope County. He believes delivering justice with a gun should be a last resort. On the eve of his retirement, duty calls.

Willis Huntley

Just a man in love with the good ol' US of A.

Xander Flynn

Left California for Hope County to detox from the city life. Ended up finding "modeling" gigs at the Drubman Marina, and a cult cramping his style.

Zip Kupka

A self-proclaimed conspiracy "realist" who finds a new reason to hate the government with each passing day.

There were three more:

Coyote Nelson

Fishing is life.

In the files, Coyote Nelson is the name of the fisherman you meet at fishing spots.

Morris

A bright kid of Blackfoot heritage and the go-to person for all things computers and arcade machines. He keeps it on the down low.

The character’s full name apparently is Morris Aubrey. He’s the person who’s always near Far Cry Arcade machines and telling you how “awesome” the game is.

Scooter

A supply runner for the Whitetail Militia.

All I know about Scooter is that, according to a deleted mission objective, this character (who was also cut) was supposed to be escorted to the Wolf’s Den at some point.

[thlayli-ra]

Can i request whump ficlet prompt ‘missing’ with CM Punk, Baron Corbin, and Bo Dallas set in Valetverse please? The idea is that Punk confronts Baron after finding out that Bo’s been missing for awhile and thinks he did something to him only to change his mind when he sees how depressed Baron is about the whole thing

Always happy to accept a Valetverse request from you 😁

And this is also the final request I'm doing for Thlayli's Trick or Treat! It's back to business as usual now (and yes, don't panic, I'm still doing a follow up for that Experiment AU fic). Love ya! 😘

Trick - 'Missing'

Characters - Baron Corbin, CM Punk, Bo Dallas (mentioned), Bron Breakker, Wolfgang Corbin (OC)

Rating - Teen and Up

Warning Tags - Mentions of previous domestic abuse

Grabbing up his bags and the keys to his rental, Baron Corbin got ready to leave the venue. Bidding a quick goodbye to the other wrestlers in the dominant's locker room, he left through the door and made his way through the corridors until he found the back exit to the building that lead to the secure parking lot.

Night had well and truly fallen. He zipped up his jacket to fend off the chill in the air and ventured out into the lot to find his rental. There weren't many lights in this area and, in his typical fashion, he had parked right at the edge of the lot where there were none at all so he had to fish out his phone and switch on the torch to light the way. Passing by each car in turn, he finally found the one he was searching for and almost jumped clean out of his boots.

There was a figure waiting, leaning against the side of his rental with his hands in his pockets and a bright red cap drawn low over his face. Corbin immediately realised who it was, knew it as soon as he spotted the familiar Blackhawks logo on the front of the cap.

'Calaway?' he asked aloud, stopping several feet away from the other man and refusing to take another step.

The head lifted and the shadows dispersed revealing the valet's face. Phil was growing gracefully into middle age, with the deeper lines in his face and patches of distinguished grey in his beard. But age had done nothing to dampen the fire in his sharp hazel eyes. Even through the gloom, Corbin trembled at the sight.

'Corbin,' Phil replied, his voice rumbling into the pit of Corbin's stomach like an omen of doom.

'I heard you were back.'

'Yeah. I am.'

The dominant nodded his head awkwardly. 'H-how have you been?' Corbin tried to keep his voice light but his nerves were showing through. After all, this man had once barricaded them both into a storage closet and beaten him so bad he'd spent several weeks in the hospital. Of course it could be argued that Corbin deserved it. Phil had only acted that way after he'd found out about-

'A lot of things have changed around here,' Phil noted, looking out across the dark, empty parking lot. 'Vince and Bischoff are gone, Hunter's now in charge, Reigns and Rollins both lead the locker rooms...'

Corbin stayed still, considering turning tail and running back to the safety of the building but stayed put, rooted to the spot.

'..and that's not all,' Phil went on, ''cause I got word that apparently Bo Dallas hasn't been seen in months, considered 'missing'.' He pushed himself off the car onto his feet. Corbin took note of his left hand which he kept hidden behind him, possibly concealing a weapon. 'Imagine my complete lack of surprise.'

'Look, I know what you're thinking, Punk,' Corbin dropped his bags in order to put his hands up, backing away.

'That's 'Mr Punk' to you.'

'Ok, M-Mr Punk. Please believe me, I had nothing to do with-'

'Now, see,' Phil raised his chin, catching a manic glint in his eye, 'why don't I believe you.'

'I swear! It's the truth! The cops even-'

'The cops?' Phil snorted ruefully. 'Cops don't give a shit about valets, Corbin! They don't even see us as people. We're just possessions that belong to our dominants, and they can do whatever they want with us. That's the law. But then, you knew that already, didn't you, Corbin?'

'Please, Punk - I mean, Mr Punk, I-'

Phil took another step closer, his hand still hidden behind him.

'I saw what you did to that poor kid,' the valet's voice went raspy with threat. 'I remember all the bruises on his face and how his own guts just about fell out of him, all because of you.'

Corbin felt sick to his stomach, remembering back to that time when he had been so cold and cruel. 'I'm a changed man-'

'Dominants like you never change!' Phil snarled. 'I don't care what the cops, the press, what anybody else says, I know you had something to do with Bo's disappearance and I want answers.' Finally he pulled his left hand forward and Corbin gulped, his fear spiking when he saw the implement in the valet's fist. 'And you're gonna give me them,' Phil brandished the crowbar menacingly.

'P-please don't hurt me...'

'Oh, I'm not gonna hurt you, Corbin,' Phil sneered, testing the weight of the crowbar in his other palm. Both of his fists were taped, just like they had been that fateful day. Ready for a fight. 'After what happened at AEW, I've been well warned by the powers-that-be here at WWE. I'm on my last chance, one wrong move and I'll be kicked out the door before you could say 'cry me a river'.'

Nervously, Corbin glanced down at the crowbar, wondering what he intended to do if not assault him with it. The sweat beading on his forehead was sliding down his face now, in spite of the cold.

'See, everybody believed all that shit they spouted online,' Phil continued his monologue, the crowbar an ever-present threat in his hands. 'Thinking I got upset over a little broken glass? Fucking lies. It wasn't the glass I was worried about (although it's a fucking stupid way of messing up your body for life).' He paused to rest a hand on the roof of Corbin's car. 'It was the fact the car they wanted to use for the spot was a rental.

'AEW was a company founded by valets. Most of the roster were valets, the majority of which were just starting out. I mean, only about five of us had our own bank accounts. The rest of them had fucking nothing, not two cents to rub together. And if those bozos went and trashed a rental car, what did they think would happen? I'll tell ya! The rental companies would get wind of it and when they see any wrestlers - valet wrestlers especially - come knocking they'll either hike up the prices to a premium or flat out refuse them. This was people's livelihoods we were talking about! These kids were trying to save up enough money to be able to have some independence from dominants. How was it fair to fuck that up for everybody?'

Phil sighed, thumping his fist against the roof of the car.

'Yet somehow, again, I come off as the bad guy.'

Corbin didn't understand. To him, this was all the frantic ramblings of a desperate, insane man and he felt even more terrified than ever.

'But your rental on the other hand,' Phil went on, his voice so low it sounded like a growl in his throat. 'Dominants like you don't need to worry about all that shit, do they? Especially not you WWE dominants with your massive pay checks and a boss that protects you for every shitty thing you do to us!'

It all happened so quickly! In a flash, Punk took a step back, raised his arm and swung the crowbar down with a thunderous whack. Corbin let out a yell as the side-mirror of his rental was torn off and smashed against the ground.

'Oops, that'll cost you a pretty penny,' Phil smirked viciously. 'What should I go for next? The window?'

'No! Wait!'

Phil raised his arm again, holding it on the brink of the next blow. 'Then tell me what happened to Bo.'

'I don't know! He just vanished and-'

Phil unleashed his arm, the crowbar smacking against the driver's side window. A huge spiral of cracks like a spiderweb stretched out across the glass. 'The truth, Corbin!'

'I swear! I've been trying to find him too!'

Smash! The second blow destroyed the window entirely and it crumpled into a thousand shards at Phil's feet. Corbin grabbed at his head in anguish. 'I'm gonna cave in your windscreen next,' Phil warned, twirling the crowbar like a baton in his fist. 'Unless you tell me what you did to your husband.'

In reply, Corbin sunk to his knees, tears blurring his vision. 'Please, Punk, I'm telling you the truth. Please believe me that I have no idea where-'

'STOP FUCKING LYING TO-'

'Dad?'

The two men froze at the sound of a young voice through the gloom. Corbin let out a stuttered gasp and even Phil stepped back, dropping the crowbar to his waist as a boy walked towards them with another dominant at his side.

'Hey,' the large-set dominant pushed the kid back by a palm at his chest and took a careful step towards the carnage, 'what the hell is going on?'

Corbin quickly wiped his face with his sleeve, hiding his distraught from the newcomers. 'Nothing, Bron. Everything's alright.'

'Your car's all smashed up,' Bron Breakker noted, arching a brow at the wreck then at Phil, who had hidden the crowbar behind his back.

'Uh yeah, some vandals got into the parking lot,' Corbin uttered, stumbling up to his feet. 'Punk here came and told me.'

'Huh,' Bron eyed Phil warily, clearly not believing his friend's tale. 'Sorry to barge in. When you didn't come round the front to pick us up, I was worried something had happened.'

'Well, yeah, you were right,' Corbin gave a pathetic laugh, trying to cover up the adrenaline rushing through his veins. 'I'll need to make a few phone calls, maybe organise another rental or a hotel room for tonight or something. Can you do me a favour and take Wolfgang back inside?'

'Aww, Dad,' the kid whined. 'I'm not a fucking baby.'

'Hey!' Bron warned him. 'Mind the language.'

'It's ok, Bron,' Corbin reassured him, his voice softer. 'I know you're not, Wolfie, I just need to sort out a couple things then I'll be right in. You could play your new game if you want?'

'The wi-fi in there is shit!' Wolfgang complained.

'Language!' Bron barked again.

'I'm sorry...' Corbin couldn't offer anything else and just stood there, lost, until Bron lead the kid away to the back exit of the building. As they left, both Corbin and Phil clearly heard Wolfgang say 'I hate being on the road. I wanna go home.'

The pair went inside, slamming the door shut and the silence suddenly became very loud. Neither Phil or Corbin moved a muscle, awkwardly fumbling with what to do next.

'You have a kid?' It was Phil who took the lead.

'Yeah. Mine and Bo's.'

'How old is he?'

'Twelve, coming into the tricky years now,' Corbin scrubbed his hands over his face.

'My son's nine,' Phil said.

'Oh, I didn't know you and Taker had a son,' Corbin replied. Phil pursed his lips tightly and briefly looked away. 'What's his name?'

'Frankie,' Phil answered.

Corbin nodded his head. 'They change everything, don't they?'

'Biggest mind-fuck in the world,' Phil agreed.

'But worth it,' Corbin piped up. 'I don't know what I would do without Wolfie - although he hates it when I call him that!' Corbin lowered his head. 'He misses his Mom.' Phil lifted his gaze, eyeing the dominant, guiltily. 'He's been acting out every since he disappeared. Getting into fights at school, the attitude... he blames me for his Mom going missing too.'

Phil began to shuffle his feet, tapping the crowbar against his leg. 'I'm... sorry...'

Corbin gave a sniff and wiped at his eye quickly. 'I get it. I would have come to the same conclusion as you too. After the way I treated Bo in the beginning. I started him down that path, I pushed him into the darkness.'

'You don't have any idea where he could be?' Phil tried one last time.

Corbin bent down to pick up his bags. 'I'll tell you the same thing I told the cops,' he turned towards Phil, valet and dominant locking eyes. 'Bo's been acting funny every since his brother came back.'

'Bray Wyatt?' Phil narrowed his eyes. 'But isn't he-?'

'He used to come by and pick Bo up and take him out places,' Corbin explained. 'Far as I knew they were just reconnecting after all those years apart. I never thought there was anything sinister in it but then Bo started acting... weird...'

'Weird, how?'

'Just... getting distant,' Corbin continued, his face turning somber. 'From me, but also from Wolfgang which is why I found it strange. Bo loved his son so much, but it was like he was, I don't know, drifting apart from him. Like he was closing in on himself. Once or twice, right before he disappeared, he got really aggressive with me. One time, he pulled a knife on me and threatened to stab my eyes out.'

Punk paled. 'That doesn't sound like Bo!' The kid he'd known back then was all wide-eyed innocence and sweetness. But then, Seth had been that way once too. Time, and the many terrible things it inflicts, can change a person.

'It wasn't. Not at the end.' Corbin shouldered his bag and went to fish his phone out of his pocket. 'I've tried to find him. I want to help him. But now I think I'm realising that he doesn't want to be helped.'

'We can't stop trying though,' Phil protested.

Corbin lifted his head, catching the valet's eye. There was a glimmer of hope in them, tiny, but there all the same. 'I hope not,' Corbin gave a weak smile. 'Look, Mr Punk, I really need to make some phone calls.'

'Yeah, I get it,' Punk waved the dominant off. 'And hey, just send me the bill for this, will you?'

Corbin looked over the wreckage with a sigh. 'No,' he shook his head. 'I'll take the hit and we'll call this even?' He took a timid step towards the valet and stretched out his hand. Phil studied it suspiciously.

'Even,' he said, finally accepting Corbin's hand and they shook. 'Hope things get better between you and Wolfgang.'

'Heh, we'll see,' Corbin shrugged his shoulders. 'I've heard horror stories from other parents about their kids becoming teenagers.'

Punk huffed a laugh. 'I feel like I'm already there with Frankie. Kid's nine going on fifteen! Stubborn as hell; he never, ever backs down from a fight.'

Corbin smiled warmly. 'Sounds like his Mom.'

'Yeah, well,' Phil said, scratching the back of his neck. 'Maybe we are a bit alike. Don't know if that's a good thing.'

'He'll grow up tough,' Corbin stated. 'Take no crap from anybody. I think that's important for a valet these days.'

'Wish it didn't have to be,' Phil sighed.

'I'm sure one day it won't,' Corbin said with encouragement. 'Just keep fighting the good fight.'

'Sure. Night Corbin.'

'Good night, Mr Punk.'

Phil rolled his eyes and gave another small laugh. Looking back at the damage he inflicted on the rental car, he heaved a sigh and took off his cap to ruffle a hand through his short, greying hair. 'Fuck...,' he muttered to himself.

Fighting the good fight was a nice sentiment and all, but Phil feared he was fighting the wrong one.

[abidethetempest]

"Transl. from Eliksni" Flavor Text translated into Eliksni Conlang

Here are those flavor text lines I've been mentioning in every SotConlang post since the dawn of time! Finally! These were more of a "chip at it when there's downtime" project, since they're fairly short and simpler compared to than Null Composure. I'm very proud of them, as this is the culmination of several months of background work and my first completed translation project! *throws confetti*

side note: on Ishtar Collective, some items say "transl. from Eliksni" and others say "trans. from Eliksni". i definitely didn't only just find that out when I was close to being done w the original lines i found..... anyway idk what the reason for the difference is (probably diff ppl wrote the flavor texts) but now you all know if you want to go look these up yourselves. I made them all say "transl." for consistency here.

Translations are all below the cut, plus maybe some notes if I have the room/energy to write them!

New here and confused? This post is part of my ongoing project to create a language for the Eliksni! For more information check out my masterpost linked here.

"The Barons fight together." —Elykris, transl. from Eliksni

Aaviks Bahrenesni or’thrys.

"They gave us nothing… so we'll take everything." —Elykris, transl. from Eliksni

Teskem ak nam ryk elan… liium roksun el drrha.

"The Great Machine isn't killing us. We're killing ourselves over the Great Machine." —Brivi, transl. from Eliksni

Nam’mrathiik Aalosiisrohkani iven. Mrathiikya el nviks Aalosiisrohkani.

"Let them have the Great Machine. They deserve it." —Mithrax, transl. from Eliksni

Niidreh dreskibr kaas Aalosiisrohkani skeyris. Ksohls ak eyka.

"The Kells are dead or mad. The era of Houses is over. So I came to the Shore." —Arrha, transl. from Eliksni

Keles vaath’iir priit neyv. Dei’grehs iikrimni eyd Bohs. Liium estyrem neh ryk Nateskiini. 

"I was of kings. Then of exiles. Now I'm here. The Shore is bad… but everywhere else is worse." —Brivi, transl. from Eliksni

Liirem neh eyd Bo-Usriis. Grev Bo-Nama. Rak ilo. Nateskiini pehka... drand eil drrhapriistis ar’pehka vei Nateskiini.

"I was at the Final Attempt. I saw a Guardian wield a gun that left molten gold in her wake. I ran and never looked back." —Avrok, transl. from Eliksni

Liirem neh yan Grehsriivaenni. Biir’em neh, greyraabt vathyarov heythiks usar’em, yan orey’em’iir neyok bev eydka greyr sriivikem. Thekrem neh taap namiik tamr biirem neh.

"We are a long way from home." —Arrha, transl. from Eliksni

El ksaan shak ketch.

"Here we can start over." —Mithrax, transl. from Eliksni

Ilo vaad niivrey seykrim el.

"How do you think we got here?" —Avrok, trans. from Eliksni

Greyrsa iruuksis klii, giire el ilo estyrem.

That was a whole lot of stuff so I think I'll leave the notes out (theyre not anything super special anyway lol). Might reblog to add some rambles later if anyone is interested!

[cymraegdragon21]

Serendipity

Birthday Bash Prompt 3 - Long Lost Relative

'Another excellent batch Baron.' commented Haru as she brought her tea cup away from her lips.

'Haru you flatter me.' he grinned as he approached with his own cup in his hand.

'Is it flattery if its true?' she mused as he sat beside her.

Baron chuckled.

'It seems an age since you last visited.' he replied.

Haru let out a small groan.

'I'm sorry. Life is just hectic at the moment. School is especially busy what with it being my final year.' she sighed.

'There is nothing to be sorry about. You have a life outside of us.' he responded.

'I know but I miss you guys when I can't visit.' she murmured.

'We miss you too.' smiled Baron 'Now are there any particularly interesting topics that you are studying at the moment?'

'Yes.' nodded Haru 'In one of my classes we've been looking into family trees. We've been able to us a programme to look into online records and it's quite surprising how far you can go back.'

'Any famous ancestors then?' he asked.

'Well sadly I'm not a direct descendent of the imperial emperor.' giggled Haru 'There have been some interesting occupations held though.'

They lapsed into companionable silence as they both sipped and enjoyed their tea.

'I guess with being a creation you wouldn't have any relations or ancestors.' murmured Haru.

Baron looked at her thoughtfully.

'Well I suppose I have a twin.' he responded.

'A what?' squeaked Haru in surprise.

'A twin. Another made by my artisan at the same time as myself from the same wood.' he explained.

'Oh.' replied Haru 'I didn't know.'

'Well no, the thing is we were separated a long time ago. There isn't a day that I don't think of her but it doesn't hurt as much as it once did.' he murmured.

'What happened?' asked Haru before spluttering 'Sorry, you don't need to tell me!'

'That's okay.' he said 'It happened when we were owned by a cafe owner and on display on the counter. There was an accident when a child bumped into the counter and Louise fell which caused damage to her wooden form. She was sent away for repair. In the meantime a young couple who visited the cafe quite regularly expressed an interest in purchasing us. The cafe owner refused to sell whilst Louise was being repaired. The couple returned again with their offer suggesting that the man would take me and the lady would collect Louise when she was returned and reunite us.'

'I guess that never happened.' whispered Haru.

'Sadly not. World War Two broke out and travel became impossible. After the war Shirou did return to Germany to search for them but he never found either.' explained Baron.

'I'm sorry.' replied Haru.

'Thank you.' he responded with a weak smile.

A silence once again enveloped them but this one was more uncomfortable. Suddenly Haru brightened as she remembered something that she had been planning to tell Baron.

'Do you remember the school exchange I mentioned?' she asked.

'Vaguely.' he nodded.

'Well it's been finalised and we will be going in a few weeks.' she replied excitedly 'It should be interesting to experience another culture.'

'Where are you going?' he asked.

'Germany, well Nuremburg specifically.' she grinned 'It was your story that reminded me I needed to tell you.'

'Will you be going alone?' he said looking slightly alarmed.

'Of course not. There is a group of us going.' replied Haru as she shook her head before letting out a small sigh 'Well sadly Hiromi won't be able to go so I guess there is a possibility of being on my own during free time.'

Baron suddenly got up from the sofa and moved across to his desk before rummaging in one of the drawers.

'Umm Baron are you okay?' asked Haru slightly alarmed by his sudden movement.

'Yes I'm fine.' he responded as he shut the drawer again and returned to his seat next to her before presenting Haru with a small box.

'I was saving this for your birthday but I feel it may be better than you have it before your trip.' he continued.

'What is it?' murmured Haru curiously as she took the box.

'Open it and find out.' chuckled Baron.

Haru removed the lid to find a necklace inside. On the delicate chain was a small circular pendant containing a gemstone.

'Wow.' she murmured 'So pretty,'

Baron carefully removed it from the box before placing it around her neck.

'You can use this necklace to call for the Bureau's help whenever you need us.' he explained 'All you need to do is press the centre of the gem and we will be with you as soon as we can.'

'You really care for me.' she whispered tearfully.

'Of course we do. You are very important to us.' he replied squeezing her shoulder.

Haru would have preferred he said 'I' instead of 'us' but she was still appreciative. 

'Thank you.' she smiled.

Before she knew it she had wrapped her arms around Baron's chest in a hug. He initially stiffened in surprise but it didn't take him long to place his own arms around her and hug back. He took the opportunity to sneak a nuzzle of his cheek against her hair. 

'You're the best Baron.; mumbled Haru against his waistcoat 'I know that you can't come with me but this means I'll have a small part of the Bureau with me and assistance if I ever need it.'

A few weeks later Haru was enjoying her first trip to Europe. They had met up with their exchange school and had met the students who they would be receiving as guests back in Japan in a couple of months time. There were a few cultural differences but everyone was friendly. The students had taken her group out around the city to show them the landmarks as well as some of their favourite places. 

In the afternoon they had been granted free time and Haru had discovered a park nearby to where they were staying which was very pleasant for walks. As Haru passed a set of bushes she heard a rustle followed by a pitiful mewl. The incident with the Cat Kingdom had made Haru careful around cats but her curiosity was stronger. She knelt down and pulled back the vegetation to reveal a kitten wrapped up in what appeared to be curling ribbon.

'Hey little one.' she said quietly so not to spook the small cat 'Looks like you're quite tangled up.'

Haru had no idea if she could interact in the same way with cats in other countries and the fact that the kitten was staring at her fearfully didn't really answer the question.

'Let me help you.' she continued as she cautiously reached out.

Thankfully the kitten stayed still allowing Haru to start detangling them. She was almost finished when the kitten got spooked by a loud noise and began to run trailing the ribbon that was still attached to their back leg.

'Hey wait!' called Haru as she scrambled to her feet chasing after the terrified cat. 

She followed the kitten through the alleyways and she couldn't help feeling a sense of de ja vu. The kitten shot into a tunnel with Haru in hot pursuit. She came to a stand still on the other side as she felt the atmosphere change. The air felt different, just like it did when she entered the Refuge. Haru's eyes widened at the square in front of her and that the houses were unlike the rest she had seen on her trip. She looked around but the kitten seemed to have disappeared. Haru's gaze was drawn to one particular building. The sign hanging outside read ' Katzenhaus'. Haru's eyes widened further as her brain was taking in the similarities and the possible implications. Suddenly the front door opened loudly making her jump. She didn't think her eyes could go any wider when a white cat creation stepped out.

'No frigging way!' exclaimed Haru.

The figure looked at her in surprise.

'A tiny human. How unusual.' she murmured.

'Please tell me you are Louise.' Haru almost begged.

'I am but how do you know who I am?' she asked curiously.

'I think it's best to show you rather than explain.' grinned Haru as she fumbled for the necklace and pressed the gem. 

Even though she knew this would cause Baron to panic she was pretty certain he would understand and forgive her.

'Okay.' replied Louise looking confused 'Who might you be?'

'Oh I'm Haru.' she smiled as she noticed the kitten appear behind Louise. 

The creation knelt down to remove the rest of the ribbon but didn't take her eyes off Haru. Many questions appeared to be in their blue depths. Haru noticed the sign of a portal beginning to open.

'The reason I know who you are is about to arrive.' she explained.

Louise's gaze followed Haru's eyeline as the portal opened and Muta tumbled out followed by Baron running out. He headed straight for Haru wrapping her up in his arms. 

'Haru! Is everything okay?' he asked looking worried.

'I'm fine Baron.' she smiled.

'Then why?' he responded in confusion.

'Humbert?' came a voice behind him.

Baron's head swung around in surprise. After so many years apart, his twin was standing in front of him. He released his grip on Haru as Louise ran towards him with her arms spread out. Baron caught her feeling completely stunned.

'Louise.' he murmured as she began to cry on his shoulder holding onto him even tighter.

Haru smiled but felt tearful herself at the emotional reunion.

'Thank you Haru.' choked Baron.

'It was pure chance but you're welcome.' she replied 'You have a lot to catch up on.'

'We do indeed.' agreed Louise as she lifted her tear stained face from Baron's shoulder 'Please all come inside and we can chat over tea.'

Haru's eyes drifted to Muta and she could see his mouth twitch with the temptation to make some comment about boiled grass but he knew how important this meeting was. She then looked back at the embracing cat creations and nodded.

'That would be great.' she nodded 'Please lead the way.' 

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Bo M. Winegard, Cory Clark, Connor R. Hasty, Roy F. Baumeister

Published: Aug 23, 2023

Abstract

Recent scholarship has challenged the long-held assumption in the social sciences that Conservatives are more biased than Liberals, yet little work deliberately explores domains of liberal bias.

Here, we demonstrate that Liberals (some might call them Progressives) are particularly prone to bias about victims’ groups (e.g. women, Black people) and identify a set of beliefs that consistently predict this bias, termed Equalitarianism.

Equalitarianism, we believe, stems from an aversion to inequality and a desire to protect relatively low status groups, and includes three interrelated beliefs: (1) demographic groups do not differ biologically; (2) prejudice is ubiquitous and explains existing group disparities; (3) society can, and should, make all groups equal in society.

This leads to bias against information that portrays a perceived privileged group more favorably than a perceived victims’ group. Eight studies and twelve mini meta-analyses (n=3,274) support this theory. Liberalism was associated with perceiving certain groups as victims (Studies 1a-1b).

In Studies 2-7 and meta-analyses, Liberals evaluated the same study as less credible when the results portrayed a privileged group (men and White people) more favorably than a victims’ group (women and Black people) than vice versa. Ruling out alternative explanations of normative reasoning, significant order effects in within-subjects designs in Study 6 and Study 7 (preregistered) suggest that Liberals believe they should not evaluate identical information differently depending on which group is portrayed more favorably, yet do so.

In all studies, higher equalitarianism mediated the relationship between liberalism and lower credibility ratings when privileged groups were portrayed more favorably. Although not predicted a priori, meta-analyses also revealed Moderates to be the most balanced in their judgments. These findings do not indicate whether this bias is morally justifiable, only that it exists.

A recent meta-analysis found that both Liberals and Conservatives were roughly equally biased when evaluating information with conclusions that were more or less congenial with their preferred beliefs (Ditto et al., 2019a, 2019b). Although many scholars continue to dispute the possibility of roughly symmetrical bias among Liberals and Conservatives, even the most skeptical scholars agree that Liberals likely are biased on some issues (e.g., Baron & Jost, 2019; Van Bavel et al., 2020).

Indeed, it has been argued that bias is a natural human tendency that evolved at least partially to facilitate group cooperation and status attainment within social groups (e.g., Clark et al., 2019; Clark & Winegard, 2020; Winegard & Clark, 2020), and thus Liberals, as humans, likely are biased in at least some domains.

Despite widespread agreement that Liberals are susceptible to biases, little work has explored domains in which Liberals display biases. Here we explore one such domain: low status groups. We contend that Liberals are biased in their evaluations of information that portray low status groups unfavorably (relative to high status groups). We also find evidence that this bias is at least partially explained by a set of interrelated beliefs about low status groups that are endorsed more strongly by modern Liberals than modern Conservatives.

[...]

General Discussion

Taken together, the data from these studies strongly support the equalitarian account of liberal bias.

First, Liberals appeared committed to intrinsic group equality. They were biased such that they found vignettes that stated that two demographic groups were equal more (although not statistically significantly relative to Women Higher in Study 5) credible than vignettes that stated that one group outperformed another.

Second, they were consistently biased against results that favored a privileged group over a victims’ group. In every single study, they rated the Privileged Group Higher vignette as less credible than the Victims’ Group Higher.

And third, scores on our equalitarian measure mediated our results in every study such that higher scores on the equalitarian measure predicted more bias among Liberals. Consistent with our hypotheses, meta-analyses revealed a significant interaction effect overall as well as within studies that manipulated sex and those that manipulated race, such that increased iberalism predicted a larger bias against information that portrays high status groups more favorably than low status groups relative to the reverse.

Also consistent with hypotheses, meta-analyses revealed the hypothesized effects for Liberals overall and within both types of studies. The meta-analyses also revealed a relatively smaller but still significant effect of the sex manipulation for Conservatives in the same direction as for Liberals, and a significant effect of the race manipulation for Conservatives in the opposite direction as for Liberals. Among Moderates, there were no significant effects of the conditions.

Our theory builds from previous work, but goes beyond it, providing a framework for understanding a powerful and largely empiricallyunexplored—but not undiscussed—source of bias. Many scholars have noted—some lamenting and some championing—that many Liberals have protective concerns for victims’ groups (e.g., Bawer, 2012; Haidt, 2012; Mac Donald, 2018; Pinker, 2003) and that those concerns can lead to powerful biases about victims’ groups. Therefore, at minimum, our theory is a prioriplausible.

But it is also largely congruent with many previous analyses of Liberals and provides a potential explanation for previous findings. For example, Liberals have a stronger pro-black bias than Conservatives (Axt et al., 2016), Liberals but not Conservatives are less willing to sacrifice the life of a Black man than a White man to save 100 others (Uhlmann et al., 2009), one of the largest discrepancies among liberal and conservative bias in the Ditto et al. (2019a) meta-analysis came from a study involving victims’ groups (Crawford et al., 2013), Liberals are more inclined to impute motives to scientists who propose biological explanations for life outcomes than those who propose more extrinsic explanations (Hannikainen, 2018), and Liberals are particularly opposed to research on male-favoring sex-differences (Stewart-Williams et al., 2021).

And this theory makes novel predictions, one of which was supported in this paper. The consistency of our results across studies and with established empirical data and with recent controversies in the academic community increases our confidence in our theory and persuades us that it might be a powerful framework for understanding certain political and even scientific biases.

Furthermore, our theory contributes to a burgeoning area of research on liberal bias that has challenged prior assumptions about the relation between political ideology and bias. For a long time, many scholars contended that Conservatives were more prone to bias than Liberals (e.g., Jost et al., 2003). However, recent evidence and arguments have challenged this asymmetry argument, asserting that bias is likely equal across political ideologies (Ditto et al., 2019a; Guay & Johnston, 2022).

Although some scholars have been troubled by this (e.g., Baron & Jost, 2019), our results also challenge the asymmetry argument and illustrate the importance of exploring many different areas of bias. Because most social psychologists are liberal, they may take liberal biases for granted; that is, they simply assume that liberal biases are correct and are not biases at all. Indeed, even when people are aware bias exists, they seem unable to identify bias in themselves (Pronin, Lin, & Ross, 2002).

Furthermore, liberal social psychologists might not be as motivated to discover and shed light on liberal bias as they are for conservative bias, because conservative thought seems more peculiar and foreign to them. When scholars have looked in the right places, though, they have found more equivalent levels of bias between ideological groups (e.g., Crawford, 2012; 2014; Brandt et al., 2014).

Of course, our results cannot settle this important debate, but they do add plausibility to the symmetrical bias thesis, or at least a ‘not as asymmetrical as previously thought’ hypothesis. And they forward a novel domain and direction of bias among Liberals.

==

As noted in the beginning, liberalism in this sense refers to American progressivism (vs conservatism) rather than Classical Liberalism, which is bipartisan.

Anecdotally, I can confirm this phenomenon.

You can point out the violence statistics. Such as 77 black or brown children killed by neighborhood gun violence in one year, versus about 12 unarmed - but not necessarily not-dangerous - black men killed by police each year. One gets national coverage, one does not. The response? Well, it must be incomplete (it's not), it must be from a far-right source (Washington Post, really?), it... it doesn't reflect the "lived reality" of black people in America today (that one might be true, only because you've fear-mongered a narrative that's in defiance of the statistics).

You can point out studies that show a police interaction is less (~27%) likely to end in a police shooting death if the citizen is black than if white. Well, you can't say that, that's racist. You want to deny systemic racism.

You can point out the dometic violence statistics which show women are more often the aggressor, men experience sexual assault, including rape, almost as often as women, lesbian relationships are more violent than straight ones, which are more violent than gay male ones, and that men are more often the fatalities in domestic violence cases when all deaths are accounted for. That's some misogynistic claims from bogus far-right stats (the CDC is not far-right, and it's been reproduced across hundreds of studies).

The narrative has to be protected at all costs. Especially when people have attached their identities to these narratives.

[booksandchainmail]

Recently read through Kate Elliott's Unconquerable Sun and Furious Heaven, the first two parts of a trilogy described as genderbent Alexander the Great in space. Excellent books, but I didn't have the knowledge of Alexander's life necessary to draw the historical parallels. Fortunately, the author has a few essays up on tor.com explaining it. Unfortunately, she doesn't spell out all the connections, so here's what I have, ones stated by the author bolded:

(some spoilers, I guess)

Sun: Alexander the Great

Eirene: Phillip II of Macedon (Alexander's father)

Joao: Olympias (Alexander's mother)

Persephone "Perse" Lee: Ptolemy I Soter (Alexander's companion, later pharaoh of Egypt, noted for keeping memoirs and sponsoring mathematics)

Hestia "Hetty" Hope: Hesphaistion (Alexander's companion and lover)

Alika Vata: Perdiccas (Alexander's companion and general)

James Samtarras: does not have a historical analog, since he apparently fulfills multiple roles

Makinde Bo: Lysimachus (Alexander's general)

Razin Nazir: don't know, she hasn't shown up much, presumably one of Alexander's other companions/generals

Jade Kim: Craterus (Alexander's general, often distrusted for his ambition)

Tiana: Thais (courtesan who later became Ptolemy's consort)

Solomon: Seleuccas (Alexander's general, later founded the Seleucid Empire)

Octavian: no historical analog

Zizou: no historical analog

Crane Marshal Zaofu Samtarras: Parmenion (cautious older general contrasted against Alexander)

Anas Samtarras: Philotas (Parmenion's oldest son)

Angharad Black: Cleitus the Black (soldier who saved Alexander's life)

Moira Lee: Attalos (friend of Phillip's who arranged his marriage to Attalos's yougner relative)

Marduk Lee: Antipater (Alexander's regent in macedonia while he was away on campaign)

Nona Lee: Antigonus? I'm hesitant about this, but Nona is the only character I can think of who fits the description of "one of Philip’s old guard who unlike most of the rest of the older generation retained his importance long into and past the Alexander era"

Dimitar: Demetrius (Antigonus's son, the names match which supports the Nona=Antigonus theory)

Soaring Shan: Cleopatra (Alexander's sister)

Metis: Phillip Arhiddaeus (Alexander's half brother, deemed mentally unfit to rule)

Beau Qiang: Callisthenes (Alexander's historian)

Baron Voy: amalgamation of Demosthenes and Aeschines (athenian orators)

Baragesi: Darius III (ruler of the persians)

Jejomar Os Cook: Sisygambis (Darius's mother, captured by Alexander)

Bartholomew: Barsine (persian noblewoman who knew Alexander as a child, and later married him)

Manu: Memnon (greek mercenary who fought for persia)

Apama: this one I struggled with, Kate Elliott says, "She has an historical counterpoint and in some ways I consider her my most important gender spin in the entire story." But I couldn't find any corresponding person she could be genderbent from. Then I realized that "gender spin" could be referring, not to making a historically male figure female, but to giving a female figure the agency and role in this narrative that she didn't get in the historical record. So my guess is Apama I, a persian noblewoman from a region whose leaders were later referred to as Sabao, whose wikipedia page basically just lists her father, husband, and children.

[sawyingthroughthewasteland]

OCs as Horror Tropes Tag Game

I’m getting popular with these :) got tagged by @valentineenjoyer  link to quiz! gonna do this with Sawyer, but I am seeing my cowriter next week so maybe I’ll force her to help me with Baron also :) Sawyer J. Lockwood, General of the Minutemen, ex-mech pilot and a post-war gay with all the associated trauma with it:

Question 1: Pick a time of day. 

Sawyer is actually an early bird thanks to having been raised on a farm. His day starts right when the sun goes up and he starts crashing when it goes down. This drives his husband, who used to live in Alaska, absolutely insane.  Question 2: Introvert or Extrovert? Sawyer’s a mix- he’s got a really good charismatic face and cares deeply about the people he’s in charge of keeping safe but also gets grumpy often and wants his alone time. Preston is the same so the two tag-team when it comes to managing people. Question 3: How do you respond to feeling lonely? Man’s been lonely for most of his life. Father passed away when he was young and shortly after he’d grown apart from his mother while trying to find himself in a baptist community. During the war, he struggled to make friends as he preferred to spend his time studying or training so a lot of his loneliness was fought off with Baron- his lover in the USAF. As Sawyer was in the navy’s experimental branch, it wasn’t often they saw each other but when they did they were attached at the hip. During the time post-war when Sawyer thought Baron was dead, he was lonely as all hell and didn’t deal with it the best- largely internalizing it as justification for being the sole survivor. Thankfully Preston helped pry him out of his depression hole and finding a new lover in Danse helped as he blossomed as the General. When Baron surprised everyone by arriving with the second wave of the BoS to check in with Maxson’s sudden silence- the two quickly became inseparable (which is probably why Sawyer didn’t nuke the BoS off the face of the earth the moment they appeared over the horizon.)  Question 4: Pick a deadly sin.    Pride. He’s spent a lot of time rebuilding himself as well as the world around him to be a better place- and he’s learned over and over again he has to be protective of it or else others will want to change it to their liking. He always accounts for others and tries to help the greater good, but also is painfully aware how important appearances are in a leadership position. He’s super smart, but mostly in pre-war era things and often forgets things have changed- resulting in his plans often running straight into walls if his friends aren’t there to help him course correct.  Question 5: Pick a van gogh painting. Starry Night. He doesn’t get to enjoy night anymore with how busy he is and longs for a summer night under the stars in fucking peace.  Question 6: song lyric question “Oh lets get old fashioned / Back to how things used to be / if I get old, old fashioned / would you get old, old fashioned with me?”  He’s significantly happier post-war in a world where things make more sense to him (community building, being self sustaining, returning to a trade system, everyone helping each other with no expected repayment in return) and of course loves the minutemen but.... often mourns the pre-war era. Less the technology and society back then, more the fact that he hadn’t been in any shape to ever make the most of it.  When Baron returns, he almost gets a second chance at it- and it certainly helps now that he finally as someone who relates to him concerning the sudden time skip.  Question 7: Warm or cool colors? Cool! Man loves his blues and foresty colors :) Question 8: Early bird or night owl? See question 1 lol Question 9: Pick an excerpt. “A heart’s a heavy burden.” - Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle Post-war, man would it be easy for him to snap and not bother to help anyone. His unique skills make it easy for him to never have to rely on a community and he could’ve lived for decades without ever seeing anyone just out in the woods but alas- his heart is too big for his own good.  Question 10: Pick another painting. Hamlet, Alphonse Mucha. Neat style and Sawyer loves his classics (and relates to Hamlet a lot).  Question 11: Choose a tarot card.  The Lovers. A lot of Sawyer’s story is motivated by love: love for the Minutemen and all their people, love for Danse, love for his son, love for Baron, and of course love for all his other friends and companions.  Question 12: Why are you tired? “I have never known anything else. The exhaustion, the fatigue- it is as much apart of me as my bones and blood. I cannot imagine myself without it.” Question 13: What is worship? “It is destructive, and it is a weapon.”  Sawyer’s seen what’s happened with past politicians and leaders, and wants nothing to do with it. Also ~trauma~ makes bringing anything remotely religious into the same room as him immediately makes him not trust you. He believes firmly in that everyone should help everyone and no man is above another- everyone is equal and should be viewed as such and if not, deserve to be knocked down. Question 14: Choose something to take from my pockets. “a bracelet of multicolored beads”. As long as its established that the quiz creator is chill with him taking it- yea he’d like a pride bracelet :) Question 15: Feel free to tell me something! Did this for a tag game and really wish I noticed there was 15 questions before writing long answers to everything but oh well lmao Answer: 

Thank for for the tag Valentineenjoyer!  People imma tag: @kyngsnake @wastelandhell and if anyone else wants to join they can :) (yall don’t need to go as crazy as me on the answers, most just put the result of this I’m just insane)

[alto-tenure]

PL Minigame Review

So with the polls I've made pitting the PL minigames against one another, I wanted to (re)visit them, take a look at them again, and decide whether I actually like them or not. Some of them I completed, some of them I only did a few levels of. This doesn't include LMJ because I don't have it.

Curious Village

Inn:

Some of the additions are a little unintuitive -- for instance, the Baron's statue being in Layton's room doesn't make as much sense to me, since he calls it "a bit unnerving". But it's a solid game, and I love the bits of information you get from it about Layton and Luke. Luke taking violin lessons, for instance! It's not my personal favorite, but I've never been fond of house arranging games. I played whichever Animal Crossing was the Wii one back in the day (New Leaf, I think?) and I spent more time walking around town interacting with the NPCs than doing stuff in my house. It's not my style, but still a lot of fun.

Painting:

A fun little jigsaw puzzle! I enjoyed putting it together a lot. And it's a nice picture once you finish. This is my personal favorite, but it has some sentimental value for me.

Gizmos:

Hardly a puzzle at all. You just collect the pieces and the game arranges them for you. It's my least favorite of the three because it feels like you don't have to do anything for it (and you...really don't?)

Diabolical/Pandora's Box

Camera:

I really like putting together the camera parts. Can you tell I like jigsaw puzzles?

The spot the difference parts, however...those were really hard, even knowing the locations of the hint coins in most of the locations because I put together the camera after I had beat the game for the first time. I would have put it together earlier if it weren't for the fact that I had pretty much every piece in place except for the small one, which I had rotated the wrong way by 180 degrees. Whoops. I like spot the differences, but the ones in this game were really hard.

Hamster:

I ragequit this one on the last level because of this

Do you understand my pain.

This was a fun minigame, but it starts the trend of Professor Layton minigames where you have to make something walk around/drive around, and I don't like the rest of these kinds of minigames. The first few puzzles were fun, but I went back to do the last one, and it really wasn't that frustrating, I just needed to take a step back. Ragequitting is not usually my style, but for a minigame, it was fine.

I didn't know it would sniff out hint coins! This game gives you a lot of help finding hint coins between this and the camera, more than any other game besides Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright which straight-up highlights which points of investigation are hint coins lmao

The hamster's voice is a little grating, but it's not a deal-breaker for me.

I named the hamster “Nobody”, btw

All in all, I think it's the most fun of this style of game (which also includes the toy car, train, and robot).

Tea Set:

I like this game! It’s my favorite of the three in this game, at least. I’ve talked a lot about the talks you have with the NPCs. While I did look up the recipes, once I had all the recipes looked up, I knew which tea each NPC wanted pretty much right away. They’re not subtle. I like that it lets you get to know Folsense and its residents more. While I understand that some people like poisoning Layton and Luke...that is not the appeal of it for me.

Unwound/Lost Future

Toy Car:

Yeah, I didn’t really play this one after getting it. I think it has some charm to it, though. I like that Don Paolo’s vehicle is also there. It’s funny.

Parrot:

I like this one a lot. It hits the sweet spot between “interacting with others” and fun physics puzzles. I know some people might find the rope bouncing bullshit/annoying, but rope go “boing”

I named the parrot “Sayuri”, which is a reference to Ace Attorney’s parrot (Polly is named Sayuri in Japanese) and I was not expecting it to come up in-game so much and I started to regret my choice later on. And also I didn’t realize the parrot was a he/him when I named him so now he’s a guy named after a female parrot. It’s fine it’s whatever I did the same thing to the rabbit

Picture Book:

Now this one, this one is fun to make mistakes on. At least in this one I don’t cause anyone health issues, since it’s just a book.

Spectre's Call/Last Specter

Toy Train:

The 3D animation has some nice charm to it. The puzzles are fine I guess. I don’t have very much to say about this one.

Fish:

Maybe I’m just bad at puzzles, but this was really hard for me. I don’t like blaming stuff like this on aphantasia because it doesn’t really require you to be able to visualize, but it sure would help if I could. The time limits are short, but I like that it lets you experiment and see what happens. What helped me was usually running the course once without any bubbles, and then going back and adding bubbles once I figured out how the fish traveled. I named my fish Ocean, or something else water-related.

Puppet Theater:

This is the only one that I actually finished during my initial playthrough of the game. I thought it was pretty fun! The stories were neat, even if it was rather easy, since I only played it after I had gotten all of the actions.

Mouse Alley:

I did not play this during my playthrough of Spectre’s Call, but I did get the requisite mouse badges -- I only played it after making the poll for the prequels. I really like it! It’s a lot of fun to catch mice. Though I do have to wonder...would it be possible to use a TAS to get the maximum score of 999,999,999? Why is the maximum score just under a billion?

Miracle Mask

Toy Robot:

This was a weird one. I like it? I had more fun with it than expected. I didn’t like the final boss, though.

Rabbit Show:

My rabbit is named Minuki, which is Trucy Wright's Japanese given name! And then the rabbit turned out to be a he/him. Oh well. Gender isn't real anyways

This one is fun, but I liked teaching the rabbit tricks more than I liked doing the shows.

One-Stop Shop:

My personal favorite! The puzzles are entertaining and I like watching the customers sweep through and go “oops I bought too much”. Rich people lol but as long as I’m scamming them...

Horseback Riding:

I struggled with this until I remembered that my laptop has a touchscreen because it’s new (I’ve only had it for a few months) and that made playing this much easier. I like the additions to it so that it has a purpose (collect all the flags) instead of chasing down the Masked Gentleman as it appears at the beginning of the game. However, I find it extremely ironic because the policeman who gives us access to the game complements the player’s riding skills from the beginning of the game, and I cannot tell you how crappy I was

Azran Legacy

Dress Up:

A fun game that lets you interact with characters. I used to be really fond of those Fashion Show minigames on Friv, so, y'know

Why are all the outfits so ugly. I try to make an outfit that actually looks coordinated but noooo they want something worse. Prima's is the only acceptable one. Then again, she is an in-universe fashion forward girl...

Brenda's is also fun, though her fashion taste is meh. ily straight people

Nutty Roller:

I had a lot of trouble figuring this one out. It's very unintuitive to me. I felt bad when I saw it at 0% on the poll for a long time, but...I just don't understand it.

Bloom Burst:

I've always enjoyed these kinds of puzzles, and the spin it adds by having the mushrooms is cool. I'm not always the greatest at this game, but it sure is a lot of fun.

Adventure Hunt:

This would be more fun if I had played PL while it was in its prime. Then again, I was 10 years old in 2014, and I probably would not have been able to beat the game at 10 years old, even if I did have a 3DS to play it on. Scavenger hunts are fun! It would be more fun if I could play challenges made by other people. As it is, the most worthwhile thing from this minigame IMO are the tickets for the San Grio hotel, which net you some cameos from NPCs in the original trilogy.

Conclusion

The minigames are fun, but after Diabolical Box they started going downhill in my opinion. I like the inclusion of the “bonus” minigames in the prequels; in my opinion they’re better than the trunk minigames and thoroughly underrated. Yes, Adventure Hunt is also accessed through the trunk, but there isn’t any graphic specific to it inside the trunk, it’s just a little unlabeled bubble.

Now, go vote!

Best prequel (trunk) minigame

Best originals minigame

Best LMJ/non-trunk minigame

[ramensauce2pointoh-blog]

the get to know me thing, but only the prime numbers. (i'll give you a hint, 1 isn't prime, good luck figuring out the rest :P )

2. what would you name your future kids?

Tungsten and Francium so they can shorten their names to their respective periodic table elements.

3. do you miss anyone?

A lot of people. People come and go in your life like waves. That's why you wave "good bye" and wave "hello"!

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?

7. what was your life like last year?

Honestly, it was a Taylor Swift song but in nightmare form. I hated it.

11. are you listening to music right now?

13. how do you feel right now?

Sleepy but my caffeine is kicking in

17. opinion on insecurities

Less secure than securities. Everyone has them you just have to work to overcome them or manage them.

19. have you ever been to New York?

Yes about 10 13 15 years ago. I'm going back in the summer though!

23. fear(s)

Ending up back with my parents. Nothing wrong with that, but I feel like I would be miserable living with them again. I love them and everything, however, they've become miserable bored old people that live in Pennsyltucky (also known as the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania)

29. favourite film(s)

Inside by Bo Burnham. I watched it a lot last year while I was dealing with my 8 year relationship ending. I understand he's not everyone's favorite.

31. 3 random facts

The first Champagne shown on film came from the champagne house of Piper and Heidsieck. The film was Sons of the Desert by Laurel and Hardy

Amatriciana is a classic Roman pasta sauce fortified with Guanciale (Rich man's bacon). It's fantastic!

Farm raised fish isn't bad for you and it's better for the environment.

37. favourite actor/actress

RDJ. I think his story of recovery is really inspiring

41. relationship status

Single

43. favourite song ever

It's either Run or To Noise Making both by Hozier (of course)

47. turn ons

Honestly this has been difficult to answer. I can't pinpoint why, but I'd say as many times as I've written and re-written this answer, it's enthusiasm.

53. 5 things that make me happy

Wine

Hozier

Baron

Food

Travel

59. why i joined tumblr

All the cool kids were doing it in college.

[tpc-tangled-au]

Chapter Six: Seeing The Lights

The magic of the fireflower healed the queen. And, just before dawn, a healthy baby boy—a prince—was born.

I’ll give you a hint, me lad: that’s your own Nuncle!

And for a time, his childhood was just as golden as his wild hair. Yes, it was, Baron, you needn’t give me that look. It truly was. I know.

Melisande was just closing the lid of her little box when something—and in a haunted castle, something could have been anything—burst into the kitchen like a fireball. If she hadn’t just set it on the counter, she’d have dropped it. But before she had time to think about the box, the fireball shouted in excitement.

“Sharp Eyes! Come see!”

She gasped and spun round to face the golden-haired boy and his grin. “Why, you silly, you nearly frightened me! Come see what?”

“It’s my birthday!”

“Aye, happy birthday again!” Her blue eyes widened. “Oh! I forgot your present! It’s still in my room!” And not wrapped either: the little felt cap, fashioned into the shape of a knight’s helmet, was still only hidden inside a pillowcase (and very carefully at that—she didn’t want the plume to break).

“But it’s not present time!” The five year old prince stamped his feet eagerly. “It’s time to come see! So come! Hurry! Hurry!” And he started pulling at her sleeve with impatience.

“Slow down, Naphetali! See what?”

He started to speak, but then stopped dead, staring at her for a moment. He looked perfectly flabbergasted. “You don’t amember?!”

“Ummm…” Little Melisande thought over all the things she could remember about her royal friend’s birthday. But she was six. There was only so much that stuck with her from year to year. “No?”

She almost expected Naphtali to be mad or disappointed. But she should’ve known better. A few seconds’ worth of time, and a humongous grin spread between his ears. “Then it’ll be a surprise! You can have a birthday surprise too! Oh, that’s defin’ly better.”

“Really?”

“YES! Now come here! Come see!”

And with that, he snatched her little hand and dashed off with her.

The pair of them scurried down the halls as quickly as if they were two little castle mice (though this castle had more ghosts than mice). They passed very few others, living or dead. That was something Melisande had noticed—there was almost no one in the castle. Most of them were gone, though she didn’t know or remember why.

That was why she was in the kitchen: she wanted to sneak some bits for her medicine box. Plants, herbs, little snips of things people weren’t using. Some of the things her grandad put in his medicine box. And she didn’t want to be in the way while she was getting them. Well, she also didn’t want anyone to see her doing it. She didn’t want anyone to take it.

“Oh, wait! My box!” And Melisande tried to stop, to go back. What if someone found it and didn’t know what it was? Or what if they did know?

But he pulled her on. “We’re gonna be late! We’ve got to hurry!”

In their hurry, they nearly barrelled right into two of the few still inside. When Melisande caught sight of their faces, she gasped so hard she could’ve inhaled her tonsils. But Naphtali only brightened.

“Hullo, Father! Hullo, Mother!”

King Frederick, the great lord and master who towered immensely over Melisande’s head, laughed. “You best watch your steps, son, or you’ll knock your royal mother right off her feet!”

“Oh! Pardon, Mother.” He let go his hold of Melisande to bow in apology.

But his mother, the wise Queen Eudoria whom any girl in the kingdom might want to learn from, only smiled. “All right, I pardon. At ease, my gallant little knight.”

Naphtali put his hands behind his back, but stood with feet together. Not quite how Melisande had seen soldiers stand “at ease.” But she had no time to consider it, for suddenly, the great kingly voice was speaking again… to her.

“You’re Jacob’s little granddaughter, aren’t you, lass?”

Speechless, Melisande bobbed a curtsy.

“She is!” Naphtali went on, stepping out of his ‘at-ease’ position. “She has a medicine box just like his, too!” At that, the startled Melisande shook his arm—she didn’t want it to be talked about! But Naphtali didn’t seem to notice. “It’s got all sorts of little bits and things! She left it in the kitchen. Oh! We need to make sure nobody messes with it!”

“Well, I’ll surely let the servants know,” nodded the king.

“Where are you and your little friend off to in such a rush?” asked the queen. “Or are you just excited to see the—”

“Mother!” exclaimed the prince. “It’s a surprise, because she doesn’t amember the—” He clapped his hands over his own mouth, as if stuffing the secret back inside. “You know!”

“Ahh, I see.” Queen Eudoria nodded knowingly. “Well, you have our leave to go. Don’t want you to be late to see your own celebration, do we?”

“Oh, thank you grandly, Mother! Farewell! And farewell, Father! Let’s hurry, Sharp Eyes!” He grabbed her hand and took off again, hardly giving her enough time to curtsy in parting. The two monarchs laughed as the youngsters departed.

“Where are we going?”

“Someplace high,” he grinned, never ceasing to move and run. “I wanted to go up to Ollie’s Ridge, but we’d be too late to see it if we walked all that way.”

She stumbled as she tried to keep up, and picked up her skirts with one hand. “Thank you, by the way. For making sure nobody touched my box.”

“Oh!” Naphtali gave her a funny look. “I didn’t know that was something to thank about.”

“Well… well, it is to me.”

They soon burst through a little door and out onto some of the battlements. Here, Melisande thought they might stop. But her friend kept bobbing and weaving and darting, constantly swiveling his head to look. Almost as dizzily as when he tried to end a dance. Well… perhaps not that dizzy.

“Aren’t we there?”

“It’s not high enough!” he protested, searching with a little agitation. “You’ve got to see it best!” His wandering eyes lighted on something. At that, his pattering footsteps stilled, and an excited grin was blazoned across his face.

Melisande followed his gaze. He was staring at a rooftop. One particular rooftop, higher than the battlements. Higher than anything in the castle, in fact, except for one, still-in-the-making tower. She’d seen some of the page boys climb up the side to that high rooftop on dares.

“It’s perf-ket! Why, it’s almost as high as Ollie’s Ridge itself!” And he scurried off toward it.

“Naphetali, wait!” This time, she did pull against him, eyes widening as they neared the side. “We can’t climb up there!”

“I’m not frightened! And you’ve got to see!” He let go her hand as they came to the battlements nearest it. He tried to clamber up onto them (though his legs were a little short for that). Melisande tugged on him again, but only lightly. She didn’t want to pull too hard and make him lose his balance. Her grandfather had tended too many lads who’d gotten hurt that way.

Before he could even get to a standing position, however, a figure in a red uniform swooped in and set him sturdily back on the ground. Melisande quietly sighed in relief. She couldn’t bear to see her friend get hurt like the other boys.

“Careful, Highness!” said a gently cautious voice, as the man attached to it steadied Naphtali on his feet. “I can’t let you go hurt yourself on your birthday.”

“But I wasn’t going to get hurt, Travers! I was just trying to get up high!”

A purposely patient tone entered his voice, as if repeating a well-worn conversation. “Well, accidents still happen, little prince. A lot of things happen when you don’t mean them to.”

“Well, not me.”

“And,” he added, settling a hand on the boy’s shoulder, “if we don’t hurry now, you might go and miss the ceremony when you don’t mean to!” And the raven-haired soldier started urging him along, though not roughly. “Let’s get you to your royal parents, Your Highness. I’m sure they’re waiting.”

Naphtali squirmed, trying to turn back. “Oh, but Travers—”

“Excuse me, Mr. Travers,” put in Melisande, tugging on his sleeve, “but the King and Queen did give him leave to go. I was with him when they said it.”

Travers turned his gaze toward her, head tilted. “Is that so?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Naphtali, whipping round. “They said I can go, and we haveto get up high, because Sharp Eyes doesn’t amember the li—I mean, the thing she has to see! And she has to see, cause it’s a surprise!”

The soldier glanced between them, seeming surprised himself. Then, he smiled softly. Melisande liked it when he smiled like that. It was kind. “Well… I suppose if it’s a surprise…”

“Yes! Yes! I can go!” And he started to scramble for the battlements again.

“Not that way, though! I do still have my duty to protect you, Prince Prometheus.”

Naphtali frowned, more at the name than anything else. But the man wasn’t finished. When he bent down to their level and continued, it was in a low, almost shrewd voice.

“But if you’d like to get to the height before it starts, and safely…” He leaned in with the utmost confidentiality. “There is a shortcut.”

Melisande’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. When she glanced over at her friend, his face wore the same look, if a bit more exaggerated.

“Just over to the right,” whispered Travers, jerking his head a little to the side, “there’s a pair of gargoyles. Slip behind them, and you’ll find a little stairway that winds through the stone. Then a flat place… and three large steps… and at the end is the rooftop.”

“Hurrah!” Naphtali clapped his hands, and his voice was half-hushed with the secrecy of the information.

“But…” Melisande hesitated, “mightn’t it be a danger?” She’d never been up on a rooftop before. She’d climbed trees, and she’d dreamed of flying, and she wasn’t really afraid of heights. But she couldn’t get the thought of those boys out of her head.

Yet it seemed Travers knew her fears already. “It was made to be a safe place to stand. It’s flat at the top, and wide. And see there?” He bent toward her and pointed it out. “Along the lower edge?”

Melisande nodded. “It looks like a fence.”

“It’s very like one. It’s meant to keep people from simply rolling off, and not just with a physical barrier.” When her glance fell, confused, he tilted her chin up with a gentle finger. “People may have hurt themselves in climbing foolishly up the sides, but no one has ever fallen from that rooftop. No one.”

At last, Melisande returned the smile. It seemed to brighten his mood as well.

But there was one whose mood never needed brightening. “Thanks, good Travers!” he cried, saluting widely. “You needn’t fret for us any longer!” Naphtali started to hurry off, but something stopped him, spinning him on his heels. “But are you sure the passage is still there? You don’t think the gargoyles moved it?”

For the first time that day (at least that Melisande had seen), Travers laughed. “Your Highness, I’m sure. If the gargoyles had moved it, I’d know. After all, I’ve been a soldier in your father’s service for five years! I know this castle like…” He held up his gloved left hand. He glanced at it. Then, on second thought, he lowered it. “…like the back of my hand.”

“And a good hand, too!” Then, with his own, Naphtali tugged along on Melisande’s. “Come now, Sharp Eyes! We must hurry ever so much if we want to see! Hurry!”

“I am!” But before she followed, she turned to the soldier and curtseyed. “Thank you kindly, Mr. Travers.”

At this, he said nothing. But he smiled that smile of his, and bowed slightly with a hand over his heart. And Melisande hurried on after her friend. Her little friend, anyway.

The two of them ran right and soon found the foretold gargoyles, side by side, as if guarding the castle’s secrets. “Greetings, good sirs!” saluted Naphtali cheerily as they passed. “It’s my birthday, did you know?”

“You’re doing quite fine jobs, too, gentlemen,” she added, hiding a secret smile of her own at the prince’s courtesy.

“Gentlemen monsters!” Naphtali laughed, but more delighted by the thought than scornful.

Just as Travers had said, there was a little stairway just beyond. Naphtali hurried them up it, pulling and urging. Melisande had to slow him a little to keep either from tripping. As they rushed, her friend chattered.

“Travers is really a fine fellow, you know, but he’s too official.”

“Well, he is a soldier.”

“But you call me Naphtali! You don’t mind! But he keeps calling me the other name.”

“Promitheus is your right name, though! And it’s sort of a nice name.”

“I don’t think so.” He frowned. “That’s why I picked a better one, from that old story Lazarus told us! Sir Naphtali was a knight of King Thomas the Fearless, and he helped fight off the shamans of Mount Redcap!” He brandished an imaginary sword and lunged at lengthening shadows.

“Aye, and a man of great name. I like it too.” She cocked her head, thinking it over. “But perhaps, someday, you might have both names, and put them together for a grand royal title. Naphetali Promitheus the Golden-Haired!”

“Hmm, I don’t think so!”

With that, and with a little smile, Melisande let it go. There was no talking him into it. He had an idea in his head, and he was holding onto it. He always did. He was so funny.

The stairs ended in a flat place, still surrounded by stone and tile. There were the three large steps leading up. But the two of them were too small to have any kind of view. The winter sky overhead was shifting from purple to blue.

“Don’t look!”

“What?”

“It’s almost gonna start, you have to close your eyes!”

She eyed the steps uncertainly. “But I’ll trip.”

“No you won’t, I’ll make you not trip! That’s the knightly thing to do, just like Father says. He’s always helping Mother not to trip.”

Hesitating, she covered her eyes with one hand. With the other, she gripped his tight.

Despite his best efforts, she did stumble a time or two. Partly, it was her own skirts getting in the way. Partly, it was the stairs themselves, which would have taken a man only a large step to mount. For them, it was all clambering and climbing. But he never let her lose her balance. He never let go of her hand.

They came to the end of the third and last step, and Melisande felt flat ground (though it wasn’t really ground) beneath her shoes. Still, Naphtali led her along, walking now instead of climbing. They stopped. Moved a few feet over. Stopped again.

“Now… look!”

Melisande opened her eyes at last. And she saw. At last, she saw.

The seeing took her breath away. From that high rooftop, she could see, from all over the town, from everywhere in sight, things floating into the air. So many colours, glowing like winter fireflies, like cardinals and greenfinches and bluebirds all with stars inside them. It was high, and huge, and heavenly.

“The lights!”

“Uh-huh!” She could sort of see Naphtali nod proudly, but she did not turn to look.

“Oh, Naphtali, the lights! I didn’t remember!”

“That’s why it’s a good surprise! Aren’t they so much nicer than fireworks?”

Melisande laughed. Out of awe and delight, she laughed, staring into the sky. She'd certainly dreamed of flying before. But oh, to fly now,  with the lights! To soar surrounded by this colour and beauty! Her breath escaped her, clouding the cold air.

She glanced at her friend, about to reply. But she stopped. Naphtali was staring at her, mouth slightly open. His grey eyes gleamed wide in the light.

“What?”

“I never heard you laugh afore.”

“Oh.” Melisande shrank, just a little. “Is it bad?”

“Nuh-uh.” He shook his head, his grin returning. “’s nice.”

Naphtali smiled at her, just a little moment more, before he looked back out at the lights. It didn’t take long for excitement to spark in him again, and he soon started eagerly pointing out the splendidest lanterns, guessing who made which one, and bouncing on his heels. And Melisande smiled too. She liked the lights. But she decided she liked them standing right here much better than she would like them flying.

She didn’t notice that he hadn’t let go of her hand. But then, neither did he.

~~*~~

[Chapter 1/Writing the Story]

[Chapter 5/The Impossible Blossom] ... [Chapter 6/you are here!] ... [Chapter 7/Frey]

Also found on AO3, if you'd like to hop on over!

[bunnirs]

Your Honor // Nakahara Chuuya x Reader

Synopsis: Chuuya’s home late, and you’re certainly not the forgiving type. What the fuck is keeping him away so late? What the fuck could be so important?

Warning: Cussing, Murder of a really good cheese pizza I was wishing I had in my freezer, Makeout session?

It was getting late, dinner was already cooked and set out on the table, a large spread of decently made food, something you had put a lot of effort into making though you wouldn’t call yourself the best cook.

But, nevertheless, you did your best in preparing a suitable dinner for your lovely boyfriend, who was taking his sweet fucking time getting home. It was already past eight when you decided to give the bitch a ring and chew the fedora off his head. And to your growing rage, the call rang through to voicemail.

Pushing yourself away from the dinner table, you stood up and walked to the couch, throwing yourself down as you went to find some shitty TV show to pass the time until Chuuya could get home, only for you to kill him for real. You found yourself dozing off until you finally heard the door open and the angry stomps that followed the sound of it slamming back shut.

“So, what? Mori hold you back to talk about the Monster High reboot or some shit? I went through the trouble of cooking your bitch ass a full course meal and what? You wanted to shoot the shit or something?” You snarked as you stood back up to face him, surprised when you saw him striding towards you with an equally pissed off expression.

“Excuse me–” You started, but were cut off as he took your face with both hands and forcibly dragged you downwards, crashing his lips with yours. Blushing in return, you go to lean into the kiss when you taste something strange on your lips. You put your hands on his chest and push him back slightly causing him to groan in disappointment as you surveyed his face.

“Chuuya, what happened?” You asked in a concerned voice, looking at the busted lip and purple forming on his brow.

He seemed pissed that you would even notice, too proud to bring it up to you in the first place. “It’s nothing. Come back here.” He went to grab for you to embrace you again, but you had already slipped away to the kitchen to find him something to put on his face.

You rolled your eyes, “Stop thinking with your dick, I’m just going to grab you some- uh-” You searched around the freezer. “Would frozen pizza work?”

“Are you stupid? No, frozen pizza wouldn’t work–” He hissed in pain as you shoved a Red Baron Four Cheese pizza onto his face.

“Care to explain?” You gestured at him.

Chuuya groaned as he pulled out a chair from the table, sitting down and taking a bite out of the spaghetti that you made for him. He grimaced in disgust. “Why is it cold?”

You plopped yourself down across from him, your anger slowly returning from when he was late. “Well, it would’ve been hot a couple hours ago but someone wasn’t fucking here to eat it.”

He glared at you. “Whatever.”

Later, you would surely laugh at the sight of your boyfriend twirling noodles with one hand and holding a frozen pizza pie to his eye with the other, but your current resentment and concern took precedence. “Seriously Chuuya, who fucked you up like this?”

He almost seemed hurt that you would think he could lose to anyone but his natural anger came through. “Well, maybe if someone wasn’t coming into headquarters ass out, I wouldn’t have had to deck a motherfucker.”

You sputtered for a second. “Huh?”

“Last friday, when you just had to come in wearing tight pants and that stupid fucking shirt you just had to walk by some shitbag lackeys, didn’t you?” He grabbed the already open bottle of wine and pulled the cork out with his teeth, sliding his chair back and propping his legs on the table as he drank straight from the bottle.

This didn’t come as a surprise to you, as you knew that he’s had issues with your outfits before. Not you specifically, of course, as he’s always held a certain appreciation for your body, but rather when the both of you were in public and you’d get quite the number of unnecessary stares from others.

“I told you to stop caring about what others think of me,” You rolled your eyes. “I get it a lot anyways so I’m used to it by now.”

“What? Having creepy ass men call you a whore?” You watched as he kicked his legs off and stood up to walk around the table to you, grabbing your chin so you could meet his eyes. You could very clearly smell the wine on his breath and smirked as you watched his attention slide down to your lips.

You turned your face away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of some anger induced make out session. “I’m not in the interest of kissing brutes at the moment, try again later–” You were cut off as you felt his lips on your pulse point, causing a squeak to come out of your mouth and your breathing to turn shaky as you stuttered out. “Beside that, that pizza in your hand is a little unflattering.”

He groaned as he threw it away from the both of you, and you gasped as you felt the cold hand slipping up your shirt to grasp your waist. “Come on, let’s just make love. It’s the only thing that’ll make it better.”

“Stop changing the subject,” You stood up abruptly to glare at him, “I’m not in the mood when my boyfriend looks busted as hell. You shouldn’t fight for honor ‘cause we’re all born sinners.”

Chuuya bared his teeth at you as he grabbed your wrist to drag you back. “You should've heard the shit they were saying about you, calling you a fucking whore, I’m not just going to stand around and hear that from some shit eating lowlifes.”

“I know what I am and I know what I’m not, Chuuya, I don’t give a fuck what some nobody’s got to say about how I look,” You rolled your eyes as you lifted your hand to his face and ran a thumb under his eye. You huffed a laugh as he winced slightly, resting your forehead onto his.

He brought your body closer and eventually turned the two of you around so he could sit down with you in his lap. You hugged him as he shoved his head into your neck and mumbled quietly into it.

“What was that?” You question as you bring your hand up to play with his red hair.

“I said I fucking love you,” Chuuya grumbled. “And my hand hurts like a bitch.”

You giggled at his betrayed expression as you stood up out of his lap, leaning down to kiss him sweetly. “Hold on, your honor, I’m just getting some ice for your hand.”

cross posted on ao3: here!

[lulu2992]

Uncovering the unreleased Far Cry 5 in-game Encyclopedia

The almost complete but unused in-game encyclopedia, reconstructed thanks to the oasisstrings file.

Please note that it’s still cut content, so some information might not be relevant anymore.

You can read the oasisstrings file here. Pictures from this encyclopedia were also extracted and posted by @xbaebsae here.

Part 3: Locations - Whitetail Mountains

PIN-K0 Radar Station

Part of the Pine Line early warning system, the K0 facility was shuttered in the early 90's and left to the elements.

Rattlesnake Trail Bridge

A footbridge along the Makwa Trail, it connects one side of the gorge to the other, like bridges are supposed to do.

Snowshoe Lake

A clear glacial lake high up in the Whitetail Mountains. The water is always near freezing which makes skinny dipping a terrible idea.

Hunter’s Pass Shelter

A remote cabin used as a place to warm up or stay the night by hunters.

Ozhigwan Falls

One of the highest in the area, Ozhigwan falls is one of the natural wonders of the Park.... just don't step too close.

Jefferson Lookout Tower

A watch tower in the middle of the forest, meant to keep an eye out for forest fires or bears... or bears on fire.

Whitetail Park Visitor Center

It's where you'd go to find out what's going on at Whitetail Park, back when it was operational.

Hawkeye Tunnel

A tunnel through the mountain that offers a bird's eye view of the valley below.

Whitetail Park Ranger Station

The Ranger Station that patrols the Whitetail Park to keep it safe back when it was still open.

McKinley Dam

Named after the 25th president of the United States, McKinley Dam is used to regulate water and supply power to the people of Hope County.

Jacob’s Armory

Jacob has converted part of the McKinley Dam power station to be used as sanctuary against the coming apocalypse.

Grand View Hotel

The historic hotel in the Whitetail Mountains it was once the crown jewel of the park. Financial problems shut it down in the 80's. It's been empty ever since.

North Park Entrance

The Northern most entrance to Whitetail Park, abandoned now that the park is closed.

Bo’s Cave

A renown survivalist, Bo lives deep in forest. He is completely off the grid with none of the comforts of modern life.

Cooper Cabin

Another cabin that can be rented at Whitetail Park. Lately has been used as a safe-house by the Whitetail Militia.

Red Tail Cabin

A cabin in Whitetail Park that Eli's Militia use to take refuge from the constant attacks from Jacob's patrols.

F.A.N.G. Center

Friends of the Animals Nursing Grounds is home to Cheeseburger the Bear. Feeding times are 12:00 and 6:00 daily.

St. Francis Veteran's Center

A medical center for returning veterans, St. Francis was shuttered in the 90's when a more modern facility was constructed in a nearby county. When Eden's Gate moved in, Jacob found use for it as a place to indoctrinate his new recruits.

Lansdowne Airstrip

A small airstrip used by the locals for shipping in supplies and sightseeing tours.

Elliot Residence

Home to Rick Elliot and his family, one of the last people to holdout against Jacob and his army.

The Grill Streak

When Chad's diner was burned to the ground he retreated to his food truck. He still works hard to find food for Eli and his Militia.

Breakthrough Camp

A camp where parents sent their rebellious youth in order to get a taste of clean, wholesome outdoor living.

Old Sun Outfitters

The main supply store for camping and survival gear in the area. Seeing the writing on the wall, the owners closed shop and left while they still could.

Baron Lumber Mill

The Baron family lumber mill was already failing financially when Eden's Gate moved in and bought it out.

McNeill Residence

This house once belonged to the McNeill family before they were deemed sinners in the eyes of the cult and were forced to flee.

Linero Building Supplies

A small building supply store that sold lumber and materials. The owners ended up joining Eden's Gate, though not all of them willingly.

Haskell Lookout Tower

A watch tower overlooking the north region of the Whitetail Park.

Fort Drubman

Pretty much all the Hurk Sr. has left after his divorce from Adelaide. It's from here he runs his senate campaign with the dubious help of his son, Hurk Jr.

MCA Mobile Lab

A mobile lab where the Montana Conservation Authority conducts research on the local flora and fauna.

Loresca Residence

Former residence of Jay Loresca, former Navy Seal. Rumor has it he joined the Whitetails, but it's certain that he’s long gone.

Whitetail Mountains Rail Bridge

A bridge connecting the Henbane River and the Whitetail Mountains. It's been out of use ever since the Copperhead Rail stopped running.

Elk Jaw Lodge

Part of the Whitetail Park the Elk Jaw Lodge was a nice place to relax near Silver Lake. Now... not so much.

Wolf’s Den

The secret bunker of the Whitetail Militia, home to Eli, their leader, as well as Tammy and Wheaty.

Oberlin Picnic Area

A nice place for a group to sit down, eat, and take in baseball game at the nearby diamond.

Osprey Cabin

One of the many cabins that visitors can rent at Whitetail Park. Named after birds of prey, thy are the perfect hiding places for Eli's Militia.

Kestrel Cabin

One of the handful of individual cabins available to rent at Whitetail Park.

Mansfield Lookout Tower

An abandoned fire watch tower overlooking the southern region of Whitetail Park.

Frank’s Cabin

A cabin owned by a recluse known as Lonely Frank. He seems to like it that way.

Dansky Cabin

This is where Dicky Dansky comes to write his books about Sasquatches, Bigfoot, and other cryptids.

Valley View Overlook

A place for visitors to stop and take in the view of the forest below.

Stone Ridge Chalet

High up on a rocky ridge is a Chalet where hunters and park visitors could come and warm up.

Silver Lake Parking Lot

A nice place to stop and take a refreshing dip in nearby Silver Lake.

Clagett Boathouse

A boathouse and docks maintained by the Old Sun Outfitters.

Salvage Camp

A small camp where a salvage company is attempting to recover items from the wreck of a sunken plane

Dylan’s Master Bait Shop

In case you needed some fishing pointers... Dylan will likely just point you somewhere else.

Langford Falls Parking Lot

A spot for visitors to pause and take in the beauty of the nearby Langford Falls.

Widow’s Creek

One of Skylar's favorite fishing spots. She'll probably tell you where it got its name.

Fowler’s Retreat

A not-so-secret place where Dave keeps all of his extra Cheeseburger merchandise.

South Park Entrance

The southern enterance to Whitetail Park. Once the gem of Hope County, it has seen better days.

[night-market-if]

Paper Lanterns Part 30

READ BEFORE CONTINUING

This is the final part to Paper Lanterns. There will be a small companion piece after this, to tie this and the Night Market IF together in a way. The MC's name (cannon MC) will be dropped in this part. Also, there needs to be a warning for this part. If you do not care about warnings, go ahead and read. If you are someone triggered, please the last tag in this post and read at your discretion.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29

Winner of the last vote was choice 2 and 3 in a tie

You step forward, placing yourself between the Baron and Malcolm and Hazel.  This was your fight. You had been the one foolish enough to be manipulated, and you were not about to let the two people you loved most in this world, suffer the consequences. The Baron knew this. Probably always had.  The way her grin stretched at your actions told you that this was what she had hoped for from the very beginning.  

“We can figure this out,” you said, holding your hands in the air in surrender.  Take it nice and easy. Nice and slow.  “You got a Gatekeeper here. We can find a world. One that can sustain your people.”

She quirked a brow at you. “So easy to offer the lives of strangers, isn’t it?”

You grit your teeth.  When the choice was between here or somewhere else, you were finding you didn’t care.  Here was what mattered.  Here was where Hazel was making a life, creating a business she loved. Finally, gaining confidence after being beaten down for so long.  Here was where Malcolm wandered the streets, his smile easy. So much easier than what it had been when you were children, back when he was still born inside a body he hated, living the life of the little girl his mother wanted him to be instead of who he truly was.  Now, he walked with purpose. The anger having melted away a long time ago to be replaced with broad shoulders and a look that made you weak in the knees.

Here was your home. For the first time in forever, you could admit it. Here was the place you were meant to be. And you would protect it.

“You want to take the deal or not?” you ask, your stomach rolling with fear.

The Baron walked forward, delight on her face. She was shorter than you and as she came toe to toe, she popped upwards, her fetid breath heating your face. “No,” she said.

Behind you, Malcolm moved. “I’m calling the council,” he said.

“I wouldn’t do that.” Outside, the windows blacked out.  Faces, pale and full of pointed teeth, were looking in.

“We’re done,” Malcolm said. “You want access to the gates, fine. I give it over to all of you.  But controlled.  This was never something that should have been given to one person alone.”

“It wasn’t,” she agreed. “But the Night Market deemed it so.  Therefore, who are we to squash tradition.”

“So there’s no negotiating?” Malcolm asked.

“Of course not,” she tittered. “Did you ever think there was?”

You looked at her, dropping your palms. “No. Which is why we had you come here.”

From the second floor, something began to rumble. While the Baron was dancing and playing her game, Hazel had slowly made her way up the iron stairs, curling herself into something small and unseen. Hazel was often forgotten and for once, it was to your advantage.  From the second story, you could see her.  Her arms were rising slowly in the air, her eyes pitch block with green flames flickering vividly inside. Her hair and skirts rose, the world around her becoming weightless as she was lifted from the ground, a hex rumbling from her lips.

For the first time, the Baron looked scared.

You rushed forward then, grabbing the Baron by the waist and forcing her backwards to the floor. She screamed, her cries ear splitting just as the door burst open and the vampires came rushing in.  Bottles began to shatter around you, noxious fumes rising in the air as the contents fell to the floor, burning through the wood.  The screams began to sound louder and louder, filling the room with piercing wails that rattled the foundation of the shop.  Hazel’s head snapped back, the words coming from her throat guttural and deep.

Then the ash began to spin.

Dozens of vampires stood around you, motionless, their bodies vibrating and still as stone as their insides began to shake apart. Blood poured from their eyes, their nose. Black putrid sludge as their organs liquified into something foul.  And then they started to crumble. One by one their faces slid from their skull before their bones rattled into dust and all that was left was ash that swirled up into the air, twisting together in one long braid that shot towards a little garden gnome that sat on the front counter.

Malcolm stood by it, twirling a key in his hand.  When him and the Baron locked eyes, he slammed the key to the floor.

The gnome rattled and shook before exploding into a thousand shards. All of which formed into a shimmering door.  A gate. Now open. And one in which Hazel sent the remains of the vampires through.

You looked down at the Baron. “You're next,” you said.

Murder colored her cheeks, her youthful face now twisted into something batlike and cruel. Red eyes soaked in blood, an elongated jaw and a flat nose with two slits. Her nails grew long and curved and the incisors of her teeth stretched through her now cracked lips.  Opening her mouth, she screamed and lunged for you.

You were prepared for the attack but not for the strength. Not with the way your side was still healing.  She lashed out at you, connecting with the recently closed wound.  Above, you could hear Hazel thud to the ground, the hex taking its toll. It would be up to you and Malcolm to shove this Baron through the door.

Rolling on the ground, you tried to hold your own.  You could see Malcolm rushing towards you, and you knew that if he reached you, the two of you could do this. This could all be over.  You had been so stupid. So so stupid. And you planned to tell him that. How irrational you had acted this past year. You never should have let him go. You never should have let him walk away from you. You…

Your side split in pain as the Baron dug her nails into you and the wet and sticky feel of blood soaked your tunic.  You screamed, crying out in both pain and surprise as you felt her long talons wiggling inside you. 

She was bent over you, laughing, her eyes bright and shining as she breathed so close to your face, ready to sink her fangs in you.  But then Malcolm was there, ripping her away and leaving you bleeding on the ground, your side shredded.  You gripped at the tear near your hip, feeling the split flesh and knowing this was going to take more than Hazel’s tonics to cure.  You had to help Malcolm though.

Looking up, you could see the two of them, Barons locked in a battle.  The Baron of the Mists was fast, lashing and clawing and screaming in shrills that broke the last remnants of the windows within the shop.  She was kicking out in blurred strikes that Malcolm was parrying.  

He had this. 

Slowly, he was leading her towards the still open gate, the two of them battling across the now broken apothecary.  

But then something happened. Something that you watched in slow motion.

Hazel came down the steps, her face ashen and cold. You stood, blood dripping between your fingers, and Malcolm looked at you two. Taking his gaze away for one moment. One singular moment.

The Baron’s long, curled claws sunk into either of Malcolm’s sides, lifting him off the ground before throwing him across the room.  He rolled, hitting the bottom of a bookcase, the shelving falling upon him.

Hazel screamed, running towards him while you looked at the Baron.  She was panting, hurt, staring at you.  You stumbled forward, ready to drag her through the gate, going with her if you had to.  But she grinned, something wide and feral as she scented the air.

“Kill me or say goodbye,” she whispered, blood dripping from her lips. “Which will it be?”

She didn’t give you a chance to respond. When your eyes ticked to Malcolm, she took off. Wings sprouting from her back as she launched herself into the air, tearing through the roof of the shop.

Debris fell down around you in a cacophony of noise and ruble, and you covered your head, trying to protect yourself from the onslaught. When everything settled, the shop grew quiet. The only sound the crackling of the gate, humming beneath the blue willow wisps that began to gather in the opening above.

That, and Hazel’s tears.

You looked over. Malcolm was cradled in her lap. The siblings had their heads pressed together as they traded soft words.  Malcolm was gripping her hand tightly, smiling at her while she nodded to each breath. When she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her brother's cheek, you felt your heart break.

Slowly, as if walking through water, you made it to their side, sinking to your knees.  Malcolm’s sides were in ribbons, blood pooling beneath the three of you, his face becoming grey and cold.

“Hey button,” he smiled, reaching up and cupping your cheek.  You could feel the tears spilling forward, dripping ugly down the side of your face. Down your chin.

“Mal?”

“Don’t do it,” he said.  “You’ll see me around.”

You shake your head.  A restless spirit. Someone haunting this shop forever.  Just like the alley. Just like everything that haunted them each night, screaming in the dark for the lives they lost. Malcolm would lose his mind one day but the Night Market had taken its hold of him so long ago. You didn’t want that for him. He deserved to be vibrant and whole. Not a spirit of vengeance that could barely cling to who he once was.

“Hazel, you have to do something,” you said desperately. “Heal him.”

The sob that ripped from her throat was aching. “I can’t. I used up too much power already.”

You looked at her with dawning horror, your body beginning to shake uncontrollably.  Hazel could not meet your eyes and Malcolm was kneading the side of your neck with fingers growing weaker with each passing second.  “There has to be a way to stop this.  There has to…”

“Milo,” he said your name and your head snapped upwards. His expression was soft. That one he only showed you in the early morning light when you two were curled in bed together, not quite ready to face the world.  You weren’t ready to face this.  “Tell me you love me before I go.”

You shake your head. “No.”

Malcolm’s thumb drifts across your cheek as he smiles sadly at you.  “Stubborn.”

“Mal, please, don’t do this,” you began to beg.  You had just gotten him back. You weren’t ready for the warmth of his arms to leave you or not catch a glimpse of him throughout the market. That was not the life you had fought for. “I can’t do this without you. I stayed here for you. I didn’t leave all those years ago because I didn’t want to leave you. You can’t leave me now. It’s not fair.”

Malcolm’s eyes ticked over towards Hazel’s and suddenly, you felt her arms wrap around you.  She was trembling, her tears wetting your shoulder.  

“Mal?” You say shakily.

“I love you.  Both of you,” he smiled, a tear slipping down his cheek. “I’ll be seeing you.”

“I’ll be seeing you,” Hazel whispered.

Dragging his eyes back to yours, he pressed his fingers tight against the side of your neck.  You scrambled to keep them there as they began to slip.  And as his eyes drifted closed, his lips parting in a final breath, you felt the words tear from your throat.

“I love you. I love you so much.” Bending forward you press your forehead to his chest. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Hazel held you tight, rocking with you as the tears streamed down both your cheeks.  The body beneath you was still. Broken.  He was gone.

“Milo,” she whispered. “We have to put him through the gate.”

“What?” You looked up at her, not comprehending her words.

“He belongs to the Night Market,” she said patiently, her face twisted in grief.  “He’ll become a restless spirit, and he will hate that.  If we push him through a gate, the Night Market will call him home.  Spirits can’t come through the doors, Milo. The Market will bring him back.”

Anger filled you then, something irrational and full of despair. “No. I’m not shoving his body through a fucking door. We can do something. We can—”

“This is what we can do,” she said. “This is what we have to do.”  Scrambling to your side, she takes your face between her palms, her eyes broken.  “He’ll come back to us.  He will. But we have to do it before the door closes.  Please,” she begged. “Please.  I can’t lose him either.”

One heart-wrenching cry ripped from your chest as you leaned forward, one hand still on Malcolm, the other wrapping around her.  You held Hazel tightly to you, feeling her shaking against you, clinging to you desperately.  Then, slowly, you stood.  

You don’t know how the two of you did it, weak and bleeding as you were. But you got his body to the door.  He looked at peace. Like he was doing nothing more than sleeping.  You didn’t want to do this. You didn’t want to believe this.  You wanted to hold him until he opened his eyes again, his lips curling into that knowing smile.

“We have to,” Hazel whispered.

You looked at her.  He was the last of her family.  The last of everything. She was alone now. Just like you.  But she held belief that this would help. That this would give him back.  And it would keep him from becoming one of the vengeful ghosts that wandered the market.  It had been a fear of his since being a child.  Selfishly, you wanted to keep him.  But you knew that if you did that, he would never forgive you.

“I’ll do it,” you said.  You weren’t going to make her give the final push.  She had already done the hard part and made the decision.

Hazel nodded, leaning forward to give Malcolm a kiss.  Her lips pressed softly to his forehead, her fingers brushing against his brows. “I’ll see you soon,” she whispered.

When she backed away, you looked at him.  You remembered him as a child. The way he stared at you, some dirty street kid, terrified of the world around you.  He never gave you quarter. Yelled at you for every single mistake. Demanded you be better. Made you be better.

Then one day he kissed you.  You were young and stupid and didn’t know how to kiss him back, your hands fumbling at his sides.  But he had held you until you figured it out, showing you that he loved your uncertainty and the softness you were never allowed to show.  Malcolm Albright had loved you more than you had ever known.  He was the only reason you stood there today.

Brushing the hair from his eyes, you felt a part of you die. It would go through the gate with him. You knew he would not be returning.  You didn’t have the belief that they did. Hope had never been a friend of yours.

“I’m so sorry,” you whispered to him.  Leaning forward, you press your lips to his, feeling them cold and unresponsive.  Shaking, you linger, trying to memorize the way he smelled, the feel of him beneath your palms. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, you pushed him through.

You didn’t watch his body go, nor did you watch the gate close.  You held Hazel instead, holding her tight as she cried against you, your own tears mingling with her own.  You stayed there that night, long after the tears had dried, surrounded by destruction and pain.  You sat with Hazel until both your legs went numb and neither of you knew what to do.  

Outside, down a burnt alley, through a market that continued to thrive, the lanterns dimmed.  Just for a moment, they dipped out, plunging the market into black and letting only the starry skylight the way.  They shuddered as the world began to shift, and they mourned their Gatekeeper. 

And somewhere, in the very very dark, a key was set into a cool palm, just below the sway of a paper lantern.

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