#I also had to backtrack to get the Pearl

[midnight197]

I encountered two Slugpups in my Hunter-Playthrough xD I named them Camouflage and Ghost.

I found Cam in Outskirts and Ghost in Shaded Citadelle. Since at first glance it looks like, Ghost doesn't have a face (but he just has really bright eyes) I imagined him being blind xD Which kinda fits since you can't see anything in Shaded anyways xD

I was dropping them off with Moon and since there were Scavengers on my way to her, I headcanon them getting adopted by their Tribe.

Hope you guys like it!

[mcybree]

I prepared this ask in the Notes app only for Tumblr to not let me copy and paste the text so here’s a screenshot bc I’m not typing all that again lol

there’s this funny trend i see in trafficblr art, in that, when there’s a lineup of every past winner, most players will be surrounded by symbols that were relevant to their POV, and perhaps drawn with the last emotion they’d felt just before death (or maybe just whatever emotion the artist most associates with the character). The winners might be doing something, or in a pose that reflects how they won—there are a million ways to make a life series winners’ piece. What’s funny about it is that no one ever seems to know what to do with Scott. He’s most often just standing there looking mildly disgruntled. And for the symbols he’s most depicted with, it’s typically poppies, which are only relevant to the first season; last life scott does not place any importance on poppies, poppies dont ever come up beyond a brief interaction in episode 1, and jimmy as a whole is less relevant to scott’s pov in last life than he is in every other season.

not that this is an issue with the art; the pieces are beautifully done, it’s just representative of how little fandom discussion there is about scott’s win thematically. Most discussion I see are about the watchers and how they hate scott for defying him or whatever, but watcher lore is not discussion of the series itself as much as it is a fan creation that is retroactively applied to create meaning.

Scott’s Last Life win, to me, was achieved through accomplishing what Third Life Scott could not.

Scott spent 3L waiting for his day one ally to die. He kept Jimmy at a distance, often fully gearing himself up first before backtracking to help Jimmy along. There’s a funny disparity in episode 5, where Jimmy spends the entire episode trying to get good enchants on his iron armor, while Scott sets up a villager and gets good enchants for the full diamond set that he’d already had in storage, in about half the time Jimmy took trying to accomplish his own goal, iirc. This disparity is also something scott acknowledges with the “I’ll always be more powerful than you” line, but it’s been a while since ive written a post like this so i unfortunately do not have the episode number memorized on that one anymore. But Scott goes on to explain that he’ll always have better armor and weapons, which is why Jimmy could never kill him. This is all to say that Jimmy and Scott do not stand on equal grounds in their alliance, and, more importantly, Scott does not depend on Jimmy. The progress Scott makes in Third Life is entirely his own, with Jimmy as more of an afterthought than a teammate.

This is what landed Scott his all time lowest placement. After Jimmy dies first, Scott loses sight of his priorities and dedicates his remaining time alive to avenging Jimmy, rather than focusing on his own longevity (like he’d go on to do in future seasons). And, in that way, Scott’s attitude towards Jimmy (disposable, going to die, unreliable) was an indirect contributor to Scott’s low placement.

In contrast: Scott could not have won Last Life without Pearl. Scott has to rely on Pearl from day 1, having only two lives to start with himself. Pearl gives Scott two lives total. Pearl and Scott are almost always together. They made it to the final four by each other’s side. And that forced day 1 reliance on pearl breaks down the role scott typically assumes (*he’s* supposed to be the person people rely on, he’s supposed to be the one bringing everything to the table) which curbs his tendency to see himself as above others, which then allows for the most genuine happiness i have ever seen him have in an alliance.

The comparison between the way Scott talks to Pearl and the way Scott talks to Jimmy is like night and day. Scott doesn’t compliment or otherwise say anything supportive towards Jimmy (save for the “I believe in you! MCC has trained you for this moment!” during Jimmy’s dare to flare attempt) until after Jimmy has already died. With Pearl, however, Scott is much more open about his care towards her, saying that she’s his best friend and that he loves her as early as episode 2. There’s more examples but between last life and third life, Scott’s attitude towards his primary ally is completely different, and i think it’s symptomatic of Scott allowing himself to love and be vulnerable rather than keeping himself at a distance. And i think that it’s so special that scott won the season where he was so close with his day one alliance, directly because of his day one alliance.

because, to me, one of scott’s defining characteristics is his self reliance. He will have allies, yes, but he often assumes a supportive role and acts as a supplier. He doesnt like taking things from other people. Last Life is different because Scott relies on Pearl, too. It’s also not a coincidence that last life is the only season where scott is normal about jimmy but that’s a different post

tldr yes scott won last life with the power of love but not in the way people say he did (ignoring the boogeyman curse was strategy ☝️)

I SHOULD NOTE, though, that the boogeyman curse was still a fail. Although purposeful, Scott receives the penalty and apologizes to his team. He says he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. I do think that his words here aren’t fully honest— he’d admitted earlier that this choice was fully for strategy. But I also think his apologetic attitude here is genuine. Scott is a perfectionist, he needs to succeed; failing, though purposeful, still hurts. He feels the need to apologize. It means so much to me that his win in last life directly follows the choice to fail on purpose. I’m insane though idk

third life scott embodies scotts flaws while last life scott is him overcoming them 👍 is what im trying to say 👍 last life scott is everything that third life scott could not bring himself to be, in allowing himself to love and depend on other people and overall just be a person.

[niftukkun]

=The Hearth=

[Weak of body and burdened with an old injury, your failing body will be your main concern. Be wary yet, this path is one of extreme peril.]

[Little Gods and Passing Beasts AU, aka roleswapped rain world! ;; more under the cut]

Looks to the Moon!! in hunter's campaign whoops. they will die in 30 ish cycles,, maybe 28.

(i dont think ive said yet but its a headcanon of mine that scugs dont have gender, not like we do. so. they them for every scug. iterators however get that sweet sweet Gender and also neopronouns)

anyway yeah the Hearth is the Hunter campaign, or hard mode, of Little Gods and Passing Beasts rw au. even worse actually, as Hearth has Monks shit spear throws in addition to the 'everything hates you, specifically' of Hunter's campaign. on the bright side the food pip requirement looks more like Survivor's. also, theres a lotta vultures. a Very Big difference in Hearths campaign to Hunter's though is that the cycle limit is a hard limit. apparently in Hunter you can go below 0 cycles? i didnt know that. but thats not a thing with Hearth, you do all the everything in 29 cycles then permadie. cope the intro of Hearth actually places them close to RS, like how Hunter is placed in farm arrays not outskirts. if you successfully backtrack into RS she will give you five extra cycles like 5pebs does, but the trip might not actually be all that worth it cause i imagine Hearth starts juuust far enough that if you arent quick about it the five cycles you get will be negated as by the time you get back to where you started five cycles have already passed. maybe more. and thered be enemies in the way thatd kill you dead. anyway

the Hearths former slugcat colony is close by, right outside RSs retaining wall. some time before Hearths campaign, their little sibling had a hunt gone wrong. no scug died, but many were injured - the worst being Hearth themself - and the blame was put on their little sibling due to the unnecessary risks taken by them. they were exiled while Hearth was healing, unable to speak up in their defense. after Hearth deemed themself healed enough they left the colony in search of their little sibling. they didnt succeed, couldnt find them. time is running out. while exploring the area, Hearth managed to get into Rushing Streams's can. after receiving the Mark of Communication they were asked by a frantic, frazzled, so very regretful god to deliver a golden pearl to iterator Explosive Redamancy, who is nearby and will have the medical facilities that RS does not, and should be able to heal Hearth even in her disrepaired, fallen state. the Hearth suspects that an apology lies in the pearl, and suspects that ER will not be able to heal them. nonetheless, it was by kindness they earned their name, and it is kindness that defines them, and so with their remaining cycles they will deliver the pearl and expect nothing in return. it is only right. maybe, just maybe, if they are quick enough they can make it to the void sea they were told about, and wait for their little sibling there, at the end of everything

[kafus]

and now a GAMEPLAY UPDATE from yesterday...

MORE POKEDEX COMPLETION BABEY whoops i uploaded these totally out of order but it doesn't really matter. after getting the surf HM from cynthia's grandma, instead of progressing to canalave city i backtracked through every location in the game where i could surf and unless i forgot something i've now picked up every item, caught every pokemon, and fought every trainer in all currently accessible locations before iron island? if i'm forgetting anywhere rest in peace i guess

worth noting that on the route i caught that gastrodon, i was just going for the 5% tentacruel but i somehow ran into the 1% gastrodon on the same route TWICE before i found a single tentacruel. that was wack lol. and also the pelipper was a 1% below sandgem town, and i didn't feel like grinding for the 1% as it was towards the end of my play session yesterday and i was tired, so i caught a level 30 wingull on the same route and exp share'd it on some wild mons for a bit until it evolved. close enough SFDKFSD

i did eventually make it to canalave, i got the gender difference upgrade to my dex in the route connector into canalave and it seems it's not just cynthia, Everyone is kinda opening their eyes to Hmm this is concerning... oh and i defeated barry, found out my team is pretty weak into fighting types but that's my bad LOL

i unfortunately did not take any more pictures while exploring yesterday because i was focused on my call but that's okay i had a good time

i will say that last night i went to check out the belt dude for the first time and he wanted a pokemon that was level 80... something, i don't remember, but obviously i do not have a pokemon even close to that high so i wasn't able to grab the black belt. today he wanted a level 39 pokemon though, and my luxray was literally 2 EXP away from leveling to 39, so i walked back outside the house, defeated a single wild pokemon, walked back inside and got the black belt LOL

anyway today i checked all my honey trees, still no munchlax... it's not like i expect the munchlax, i know i'll be at this for a long time, i don't even know which four trees are my munchlax trees, BUT whenever i do get it i will pop the fuck off.

it's also worth mentioning that i've been following the serebii daily events list for platinum since it's easy to check if i forgot everything, but serebii is missing one!! or kinda two depending on how you look at it. i realized this today. there's a guy in amity square who will give you an amity square accessory or berry everyday if you enter in from the right side and do a series of teleportations in the huts. there's also recurring items on the ground:

Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum introduced recurring Honey, in Floaroma Meadow. The Honey regenerates in one of the positions in which it was originally collected by the player, at a rate of two Honey per day. Some of the Star Pieces hidden in Iron Island regenerate daily. These games also featured a daily recurring Reaper Cloth, Rare Bone, or Stardust in Turnback Cave.

^ from bulbapedia's page on recurring items.

i still haven't fully fine-tuned my daily route but i'll figure it out eventually.

OH WAIT THERE IS ONE OTHER PICTURE I TOOK YESTERDAY

mocha evolved into hippowdon! i'm so glad i stuck it out getting a female hippopotas, the black coloration is just so much cooler LMAO i held off her evolution a few levels to get earthquake a few levels early :] cause my team is somehow a bit underleveled?? ever so slightly. i could use some more Power.

and THAT'S THE UPDATE phew. i'm thinking instead of progressing to iron island i might do some contests and stuff, i'm just in the mood for it. i already grinded a handful of accessories this morning in amity square which should hopefully carry me with what i want to do lmao

[aquilamage]

So I've actually been playing like every day but it's just been running pearls and such so not many interesting events outside of Lore. But now, a collection of thoughts from that:

I forget if I mentioned/checked about this before but it does seem like Looks to the Moon is remembering between cycles now! I'm in the middle of doing another run for more neurons so I'll see then if they have unique dialogue for being gifted multiple (I've given two so far), just debating with myself if it seems easier to backtrack out of Five Pebbles or go the route through his stuff etc.

.

The regular pearls seem to just have pretty generic things. While whatever they say seems to be consistent in the sense that they have enough individual code for Looks to the Moon to mention when they've already read one (including between cycles), I would believe that they're not necessarily in a set order or anything.

What I am getting out of showing them the white pearls is the little remarks they give sometimes about the fact that I keep bringing them, which are so fucking cute.

Another? You're no better than the scavengers! Let us see..to be honest, I'm as curious to see it as you are. Yet another gift? You're quite curious, little friend! ...You're getting quite good at this you know. A little archaeologist beast. Here we go again, little archaeologist. Let's read your pearl.

.

Remember when I said I kind-of on purpose killed one of Five Pebbles's overseers and genuinely accidentally killed one of Looks to the Moon's? I'd kept both of the remains then and now I brought them both to her. First of all she says the same thing for both which was sad because I was kind of hoping for more Five Pebbles Opinions from them. But they do confirm something I had been wondering, aka that overseers normally are seemingly controlled by and definitely give iterators views on what's going on in the world, but Looks to the Moon no longer has any connection to theirs.

(The specific phrasing of "I lost contact with them when I was neutered. My umbilical is cut." First of all, feels like a weird mix of metaphors there with those two things, although they both get a little visceral icky 'oh that's bad' feeling. And then the very nonspecific passive voice of "I was." Was this an accident? On purpose? What or who caused it????)

It is interesting that they speculate that theirs are all gone because I have seen one in their room a couple times (although I guess they do say all gone "out there"), and even more so the line "Without me they would just roam around with no purpose" because that is absolutely not what they're doing, what with the guiding you around and showing images (a lot of it specifically to get you to help Looks to the Moon). So where is that coming from??? What does it mean?!??

.

Also I've gotten three other colored pearls.

First, a red one from Shaded Citadel, which with my current understanding is very funny but doesn't have too much specific lore, although very excitingly a fourth iterator name (Unparalleled Innocence), and the mention of it as "local." Unless it doesn't mean local to the citadel area, it's odd that an iterator we haven't run into would be mentioned over the two obvious closer ones (or this one was a project that didn't end up getting completed, or this one was the one actually being worked on at that moment in time)

Then a blue from the Industrial Complex which is mostly about bone masks (and bone plaster?? I don't know if that's just plaster made with bone bits or what). This is probably not related but it did make me think of the skull looking things that the scavengers have in their major gathering areas, which I feel like I would have a better grasp on if I knew better the scale of things but whatever. (I did have a period of wondering if they were rain deer skulls but having compared shots of the two things they don't seem quite the right shape).

But then they go on to say the mask-making facility was "here on Pebble's grounds" (sidenote: Looks to the Moon calls him just Pebbles several times and it's always at least a little funny to me every time) and the place was made for Five Pebbles. Again assuming that the location being referred to is the location I found the pearl then that means Industrial would be considered Five Pebbles's territory, not Looks to the Moon's. I don't know what that would actually mean if anything but it feels significant to note.

Also that the area "was made to provide pellets of holy ash to Pebbles, but knowing him he probably hasn't used much of it!" (what is that. what in the world would he use it for. what does his whole thing suggesting he hasn't used it mean. does he not think it's as important or good. is he a resource hoarder. what. also there's one regular pearl that's a recipe of "Two parts rot bar extract, one part bone ash" that not even Looks to the Moon knows what it is and this is just like. More weird ingredience)

Then there's a purple one I found in Shoreline which hooo information. That water is not only not bad for iterators (I had been wondering if the fact that Looks to the Moon's room is partially flooded and open to the rain was contributing to their problems but perhaps not. Or at least not as badly) but vital. Many things in this one to pick out and comment on.

She says this one is "quite old, from when Five Pebbles was in the planning phase" which not only gives a vague timescale but also she later says "Building Five Pebbles so close to me," which implies that she's even older.

Off of that second quote, they then say that "It was not a good decision, in hindsight." ???!? Super ominous, and like. Was them being built so close actually a water miscalculation? Or was there something else about putting those two close that made something end badly??? I don't think it's that some drama went down between the two of them because Looks to the Moon seems pretty chill any time they mention Five Pebbles but. in the unlikely scenario he's actually responsible for what happened to her I'm gonna lose it

Them specifically mentioning microbe strata as being most of their processing and a huge thing that keeps them alive. Adding another point to my "Five Pebbles is such a little bitch and that's hilarious" from him calling himself "godlike in comparison" to the stuff literally keeping him alive and functional like ok you little edgelord shit. even less fooling me than you were previously

The specific wording that iterators "breathe out as much vapor as we inhale water" has me like. how literal is that. I assume it's about their general processes in a 'yeah they're the whole machine thing not just the robot puppet' but also I just don't actually know that for sure

I don't have a conclusion to tie this all together or anything. There still feels like a lotta things I don't know and we'll see how long it takes to get to any of that, since I'm planning on going back to area exploration next.

[istoleyoursnacks]

Onions!

I realize I've been gone a long time. Between my main blog, my job, and my hobbies, I don't always think about the foodie blog as much as I should have. I don't know if this is the return, but I do want to share more of what I make in the future.

So here's my talk today, it's below the cut (spoiler: it has to do with onions)

So with onions, you've noticed a few varieties while traipsing around the produce section. Big ol' red ones, Vidalia size, white, pearl, etc. The biggest one I want to talk about today is the yellow one!

^ those. They're so versatile and lovely and aren't super pungent when it comes to slicing and dicing them. You may also see them in those mesh bags cause they're sold in bulk. If you're looking to save some money (like I am lately, saving up for college tuition is going to eat up a lot of my free cash), grab a bag! They're usually sold in 3lb bags. If they're on sale, get more than one!

You: but snacks, I am by myself! I don't want to drown in onions.

Me: I have a secret. You can freeze them!

Yes. I was at the store yesterday and saw the yellow onions that sit freely for individual purchase were ENORMOUS. Almost mutant sized. No way was I going to conquer that onion before it went bad. But when I backtracked, I saw a 3lb bag of perfectly sized ones. I picked one up. Though it gave me literally 17 of them, I had a plan, and I'll share it with you.

I kept two or three out in my veggie and fruit bowl for the stuff that can sit at room temp (my onions are snuggled next to my bananas now), and I divided the rest into two separate bowls. One for slicing, and one for dicing.

I had already started slicing the ones in the bowl closest to you before I took the picture. But once they were sliced and shoved into sandwich bags, they laid pretty flat when I put them together.

There's seven bags, meaning seven onions were sliced and put into this gallon sized bag. Now if I need sliced onions for fajitas or in a beef roast, I can just grab a bag and toss it in.

And my diced onions! Great for everything else that would call for onions in a pan or pot. Onions typically freeze pretty well as long as the air is out of the bag, and don't take really any time to prep ahead of time. They don't usually turn to mush when you toss them into a pan.

If you want some other tips or tricks on freezing things, drop me an ask! Thanks for reading!

[stardust-in-my-mind-blog]

confrontations with cycles

today the father of my older two waited for me

on the lawn of a home I never felt I belonged to

this is a tale as old as time in my experience so far

and I lived there for four years as more

of a conditioned subservient than a partner

but I was trained from birth to be that too

I'm able to look at him now as a person

a decade of co-parenting will do that for you

we've both grown in a lot of ways

and today I'm going through a familiar pattern

the man I had kids with 11 years ago

and left after a therapist suggested I go to

a fucking woman's shelter because he'd

broken my spirit to the point of me

crying in her therapist office on the floor

because I couldn't even bring myself

to sit on the couch

a man who'd threatened to take my kids away

when they were still in my body

and the only thing you could scare me with

in this world was taking my kids away

escaping that relationship was a fucking nightmare

and I was absolutely and clinically destroyed

he tried to kick me out for hiring a lawyer

after he was the one to suggest it

like the dude was ex military

and he used a hell of a lot of militant logic

and technique toward the woman

he never wanted to make his wife

just the domestic partner who had his kid

who threatened and scared to suicidal depression

when she wanted to leave his life

that same man stood on the front lawn we shared

to let me know his kids were a little uncomfortable

with the environment that was being described

at my house with my youngest and newest ex partner

and if it wasn't the most gaslighting piece of shit experience

having this dude describe the life I once lived with him

the irony was painful and infuriating

full eye contact as if he was telling me something

that wasn't literally documented in therapy notes

"I never threatened to take the kids from you"

I had such a powerful and triggering emotional flashback

I had to place my hand on my heart and stomach

and keep myself present and in my body

while every cell inside me blew into a flame

much like the fire when Pippin lights the beacons

in the return of the king for gondor's aid

like I felt like I could rise from earth with flaming wings

and those spheres with eyes where wheeling all over

and I took a deep breath and held up a hand to stop him

and said very calmly and evenly even though

the spheres with eyes were blue now they were red

like some fucked up version of sirens

which ironically Sirens by Pearl Jam was our song

"Hold on, just a moment. We need to pause. Please.

"I am having a very extreme emotional flashback

it's kind of hard to breathe and I need to focus

and I really need you to stop telling this story

because it's causing very very deep anger inside me"

and he started backtracking telling me how it

wasn't his intention and he just wanted the kids to be heard

and I said to him very honestly with tears of rage

"I am fine with whatever they have to do to feel safe

I'm able to do whatever I can until I have this

situation handled and it's fucking hell and I'm really

struggling and it's just like the nightmare

I had to go through with you quite a few years ago

and you've changed and I respect you for it a lot

but I am so sick for gentle parenting all you fucking guys

and that's all I've been doing while raising kids

and this is the worst time of my life

and I got rid of my parents to save those kids

and I'll get us into a new environment that isn't so

uncomfortable for them and all of us

and Theo will calm down he's just really confused

because his father figure treats me

just like you used to and it drives me

absolutely insane that you also happen to be

the only person I trust in my daily life

so everything is fucked and I'm having a rough time

but I'm getting a therapist and guess what

I'm also fucking sober and present and empathetic

and somehow functioning while everything is dying

so I'm willing to do whatever I need to do be there

and let them feel safe and heard and everything and

not take it personal but yeah I'm gonna need support"

with those words the bitterness tasted bitter

but I think was able to use pretty neutral language

as my spirit covered the landscape in my mind with fire

and he mentioned being in a better place

which is true and easy for someone who hasn't

somehow become a fucking refugee in her own life

but it's okay because this is my year of madness

and destruction is the theme and what else

are you going to do but keep walking as

all the walls fall down all around you?

anyways I made that guy shake my hand in business

when he said that he wasn't ever going to take me

back to court like he always threatened to

and I do feel better about that

one thing between these two men that is really similar

is they both had fathers who are misogynistic boomers

who were anxious and likely neurodivergent and so

they became just unsufferable to be around and critical

to the people they could bully into accepting it

like their wives and children and I've met both of them

so I see the pattern and I married my mother

because my dad wasn't critical but he was an alcoholic

so I'm sure she was carved into the pain of that

she later inflicted onto me and I know I have the same

really nasty way of being passive aggressive

like he did and my avoidant nature has really kicked my ass

into the same kind of isolation I saw him in most times

so I know I'm part of really bad partner patterns too

some people think love is controlling someone

to a place of safety and justify the means

to get that person to submit to their methods

and definition of what they think safety is

I tend to make my own definitions about things

because along with everything else I have deep trust issues

and my hyper-independence makes me inconvenient

and my resentment builds me into an assassin

so I try to get away from these guys before I get creative

because I respect them as long as I don't have to

interact or engage with them in any capacity

outside us raising those wonderful kids

but I think I'd sacrifice a few broken knuckles

to punch them once each on the mouth

for all the psychological torture they caused me with it

and I'd wipe their blood on a piece of paper

and keep it to remind myself of primal satisfaction

but luckily I am an adult woman who would never do that

because it would hurt my kids and that's a value

that will stop me in my tracks no matter how mad I get

it even makes me uncomfortable sometimes

writing this blog but what if I had read someone's story

that was like mine and I knew I wasn't

the only one who experienced this

or something that makes me keep typing on

these keys and letting all these burdens fall out

it's my truth and it's my story and I know

I'm not the only one out here having to deal

with these men who chose to become their fathers

and us daughters who aren't daughters anymore

who have to become our own gods

leave and fight the monsters that raised us

or maybe someone would read what I said and realize

it's possible to feel this way and go and choose

themselves too and leave

I don't know

but it's fucked up man

and it sucks and sometimes I don't know

if and how and why it would even get better

but it will and I had a lot of fun at the arcade today

and I'll remember those feelings more than the ones

I pour out into the void tonight

it could be so so so so much worse

and there are people living so much worse nightmares

and I send out love from my heart to whoever needs it

but this is my world and my deep deep suffering

and it sucks and I hate it and it's hard to overcome

but it'll get better and there's always some

wonderful fresh hell to look forward to

at least that's my mood tonight but it'll change tomorrow

because I bought muffins and days that start with muffins

always seem to turn out alright

and that's literally the only thing

I fully believe in right now

and maybe that's enough

maybe that's enough

[neo-shitty]

holy shit, i loved this so much. this is the perfect piece for sayaka murata readers (i.e., me). i just enjoyed how twisted this was from the get go. it took me too long to catch on that it was a mermaid au bc of gem's pov (maybe i'm just making excuses and i'm terribly slow lol). i really did believe her when she said it was just a fish!such a perfect mix of magical realism, domestic horror, and even a lovecraftian touch to pearl's character that i just couldn't put it down. i loved the world building; you nailed the feeling of isolation with a job that requires someone to have such long hours alone and the interpretation of gem's character as a ruthless fisherman. their dynamic together!!! i lost my mind at my darling gemini and then immediately backtracked bc why am i shipping a human with a fish... (. _ .) there's just something about this that was so haunting and alluring that i just. couldn't. stop. reading. i need more of this but it was also enough, it ended on such a perfect note that i wouldn't have had this any other way. does this fall under the category of cannibalism as a metaphor for love when it was taken literally???

[copied from my ao3 comment, saving this on tumblr for my reference]

Chapters: 14/14 Fandom: Hermitcraft SMP Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: GeminiTay/Pearl | PearlescentMoon, GeminiTay & Katy | FalseSymmetry Characters: GeminiTay (Video Blogging RPF), Pearl | PearlescentMoon, Katy | FalseSymmetry Additional Tags: Blood and Gore, Fisherman GeminiTay (Video Blogging RPF), Mermaid Pearl | Pearlescentmoon, Cannibalism, kind of, gem is perfectly willing to eat a fish with a human upper half, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, dead salmon mermaid do not eat, no beta we die like pearl dies in this fic when her throat is cut by a filleting knife, No Sex, Biting, Knife Violence, Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Harm, Jealousy, Contains Both Temporary and Permanent Character Death, Murder, Shiny Duo-Centric, false is only there for a few chapters Summary:

a record of every time geminitay encountered the fish with the human face.

13: it always looked the same.

14: epilogue.

[lonely-lost-soul]

Under the Floorboards Pt. V

(Technoblade X Reader): Pt. I, Pt. II, Pt. III, Pt. IIII, Pt. V, Pt. VI

    Alright so maybe you spoke too soon; the four of you were going to do great things, minus Tommy. Technoblade had finally agreed to let you join Tommy and him on an adventure into L’manberg. The plan was to crash their festival, and ultimately attempt to get Tommy’s discs back from Dream and Tubbo. You expected your first adventure into the country to be fun, if anything you’d get to steal some shit, what you didn’t expect was to be thrown in the middle of a public dispute. 

Clearly, you underestimated what ‘getting the discs back’ actually entailed. 

You and Technoblade were back to back swords drawn, surrounded by about thirty people in the ruin of what was once deemed a community house. Technoblade never would’ve agreed to let you come if he thought the confrontation with Dream was going to be this serious, he assumed they’d watch from afar. If things got to dicey Tommy and him would rush in and he’d have you stay behind to watch from afar. If only he could’ve predicted someone blowing up a random building would cause such turmoil. 

Nothing could ever come up Technoblade.

   “Yah know when you first invited me out to partake in a festival for some reason I didn’t expect to be attacked by like thirty people.” You chirped a hesitant smile on your face as Technoblade made a confused sound. 

   “You definitely should’ve expected it,” Technoblade grumbled, barely taking his eyes off of Tommy and Tubbo’s argument. You watched Techno’s back but you couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the boys conversation as well. As much as your heart broke for the two war-torn children, you had your alliance first and foremost with your boyfriend. You also couldn’t help but feel this conversation should be happening privately but here they were airing things out seemingly for the first time in front of everybody. Speaking of your boyfriend, your attention was drawn back to him as he caught Tommy’s attention, “be very careful what your decision is here Tommy.” 

You narrowed your eyes and took a step in front of Technoblade, he made his classic ‘heh’ sound as you did so. You felt his hand grip your forearm and tighten trying to hold you back in case you wanted to do something stupid. 

   “Tommy, come home with us.” You held out your hand to him, the one Technoblade didn’t have a hold of obviously. “Phil’s waiting for us, we’ll get your discs back together as we planned.” The smile on your face could part the cloudiest of days and it broke Tommy’s heart, she had given him something that he hadn’t had since the war with Dream began.

A home. 

   “(Y/N),” That’s the first time he used your name, the first time you weren’t just Ms Blade. It broke your heart and you whimpered a little bit, “thank you for everything you’ve done for me. But I can’t go back with you and Technoblade. I don’t like what I’ve become, this isn’t me. I’m sorry. I hope one day we can be friends again. Tubbo give Dream my disc.” You leaned back into Technoblade in disbelief, Tommy had just betrayed Technoblade right before your very eyes. The man who gave Tommy the clothes on his back and a place to stay when no one else would. Weapons to help him fight against Dream when everyone else abandoned him, even though they all treated Technoblade as a weapon he still went out of his way to help Tommy. Your hands clenched into fists at your side as Dream let out a roaring laugh collecting the disc from Tubbo. He called the two children stupid right to their face and no matter how angry you were with them that was harsh, it’s like everyone in this country forgets that they are children. Children fuck up, it’s how they learn and it’s in their nature why does no one here understand that. You looked up at Techno your eyebrows furrowed and you pressed your lips tight but he didn’t take his eyes off Dream, he had different priorities in mind. 

Protecting you from the Dreamon if anything went south. 

Dream continued to mock and criticize the people of L’manberg before turning to you and Technoblade. The mask he wore may hide his facial expressions, but it couldn’t mask the unadulterated glee in his voice. Technoblade pulled you behind him as Dream stepped closer to the both of you, you felt a growl rumble in Technoblade’s chest, 

   “That’s close enough.” 

   “Down boy.” Dream mused, holding up his hands to show faux innocence. “I have no issues with the both of you. Tomorrow, with your help, Technoblade and woman.”  

   “(Y/N).”

   “Don’t tell him your name.” Technoblade gaped at you and you only could huff in frustration, 

   “Better than just being called woman! Plus Tommy already said it.”  

With an eye-roll Dream continued his speech, “With the help of Technoblade and (Y/N) L’manberg is going to be a crater. We’re blowing it sky-high.” Dream turned over to face Tubbo once again, “I had to pretend to be friends with you, to get the dumb disk back! I don't care about you. I'm not your friend. Okay? I cared about getting the disk back, and I got the disk back. I got it back. And that's-that's- that's the only thing that really matters. You can't even run your nation right. RANBOO IS A TRAITOR. ONE OF YOUR MOST TRUSTED FRIENDS.”

Your eyes widened as you spotted another child looking horrified, it was the half enderman from the butcher gang. You’re adopting him next.

   “NO, IT IS TRUE. READ THIS BOOK. READ THIS BOOK. There's his memory book. He was meeting with Techno and Tommy and told them EVERYTHING. The proof’s all his own memories! He writes it down! You can't even run your own nation correctly Tubbo. Listen. Tubbo, you, I mean you, ... L'Manberg is weaker than it's ever been, and it's because of you! You have- you have destroyed everything. You have ruined your friendships. You have ruined L'Manberg's allies. You have just-you are a horrible president Tubbo.” Dream continued as Tubbo looked sick to his stomach, you felt just as nauseous.

   “YEAH, YOU SUCK TUBBO!”

   “TECHNOBLADE!” 

   “What?” He flinched at your tone, “he’s right!” 

   “They’re children,” You tried to argue but Dream cut you off by stepping in between you and Technoblade. Your pulse skyrocketed as you were separated, and you made sure an ender pearl was at the ready. Tommy looked at the both fo you nervously, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes when you defended Tubbo. Tommy turned over to Tubbo who honestly looked just as shocked that a partner of Technoblade’s would defend him, espeically considering he had tried to kill her a few days prior. Tommy had hope that he wasn’t completely dead to you.

   “Techno. Got any withers?” You watched a sickening smile spread across Techno’s lips he picked at his nails. 

   “I got a few.” 

   “Good. Then I’ll see you all tomorrow when the L’manberg loses its last cannon life,” Dream announced before disappearing into the wind. The citizens turned to face you and Technoblade, he only had to utter a single word:

   “Run,” Before both of you pearled away from the wreckage of the community house. 

Technoblade scooped you up in his arms as he made his way through the Nether portal back to his base. He was much faster than you were and you didn’t fight him on wanting to make a quick getaway. You both were silent on the way back to his base, bottom line was you didn’t know how you felt about what just went down. On one hand, destruction was your middle name and you weren’t going to oppose blowing a government to smithereens with your boyfriend.  

Nothing could be more romantic than that. 

Yet at the same time, unlike Technoblade, you felt the guilt eat away at you. These were people’s homes, and lives you’d be destroying tomorrow. Most of the citizens you had no affiliation with, which you were grateful for, but those you did you almost couldn’t justify blowing the country up. Tommy was by all accounts dead to Technoblade and by that extent you as well. Still, you didn’t want to see him physically dead, it wasn’t his fault he got corrupted by the government and a homeless teletubby.

You were starting to sound like Technoblade now too.  

You made a sound of distress and Techno glanced down at your form, his face flushed as you nuzzled your nose against his neck. 

   “You okay princess?” 

   “No…” You answered with a sigh, you reached out and twirled a strand of his pink hair through your fingers. “Tommy’s gone, we’re going to blow up a country tomorrow. I feel bad for the people we’re gonna leave homeless. So, no I’m not okay bubs.” The socially awkward man winced a little as he battled with what to say to you, he tends to forget you both aren’t the same person. For as much as both of you agree, you were still different from him, you had more empathy than he could ever wish to have. 

   “You don’t have to come.”  

He watched a frown appear on your face as you pulled away from him. You clicked your tongue in distaste, a sure sign that you were about to pick a fight with the blood god. You were one opponent he could never seem to defeat. That did not come out the way he intended. 

Time to backtrack before he got his ass handed to him. 

   “What I mean is, you have no affiliation with L’manberg. You have no prior issues you need to settle with them so technically you can stay home tomorrow, no one would blame you. You’d be safer away from the explosions, I’d feel better with you at home.”

   “That way you’d only have to worry about Phil tomorrow right?” 

   “Well, that’s part of it,” He stated bluntly, never one to be dishonest. “He has only one life and he’s going to want to fight, he has a lot to avenge. The government drove his eldest son mad, enough that Phil had to kill him. He’s one of my oldest friends, I wanna look out for him and protect him.” You couldn’t help but sigh softly at his response, you brushed your thumb across his cheek fondly. 

   “You’re wrong.” 

   “Eh?”

   “I do have something I want to fight for, I want to fight for what I believe is right. Let’s face it Techno the way everyone’s treating those children is sick. Dream manipulated Tommy and used Tubbo to get what he wanted from him. I know you did what you thought was right for Tommy but he’s a product of a war-torn country, they all are. Now, that doesn’t excuse his betrayal but… did he even know what the right thing to do was in this situation, does he even truly know what peace is? I want to fight to protect those kids. They deserve to know peace, true peace away from bloodshed and war. If I can I want to give them that.” You watched Technoblade’s jaw tighten, “I’m going with you tomorrow but I’m not going to kill the children.” 

   “I don’t think I can ever forgive Tommy.” He sighed adjusting his grip on you a sure sign he was nervous, “but I love you.” Techno kissed you once again, it was long and tender you watched as the apples of his cheeks turn red after you both pulled away. He took a breath, “You’re unstoppable and you’ve never stopped me before so I won’t do the same for you. Just stay safe. Please. You need to come home with me tomorrow I won’t settle for anything else.” 

   “I will. I promise.” You pressed a light kiss to his cheek, and he hummed gently in response. “I love you Technoblade, I’ll fight beside you. Till the end of the line.”

   “Till the end of the line,” He repeated as you both approached the snow-covered house to convene with Philza Minecraft himself.

~~~

Hi guys! Officially feeling a bit better, enough to get a small part out before I work on the next chapter. I hope you like it, thanks so much for reading and your amazing feedback. Also, thanks so much for your kind words and well wishes! Also, also, If anyone ever makes fanart of this story (I doubt it would happen) please tag me and let me know. I love to make art myself and always wanna support other artists! Thanks Again!

[mrspettyferr]

Reason 1035235 Book 5 is Elriel and Book 6 is Vucien

With the way these books are being written, one stand alone after another with an overarching plot, then ACOSF would need to not only center on a romance, but set up the next one. They need to show progress in some form. And if we go back, the whole point of ACOFAS was to give a little fluff, but also to set up the next few books. (SJM herself said seeds were planted in ACOFAS for the spinoffs.)

Now, I actually want to dive into Lucien's romantic setup. So we're going to look at Lucien and Elain, and Lucien and Vassa.

FYI, this post will be very long, because I wanted to highlight most if not all of their the scenes.

For reference: Lucien and Elain, Lucien and Vassa

ACOFAS

Lucien and Elain

He hadn’t mentioned Elain, or his proximity to her. Elain had not asked him to stay, or to go. And whether she cared about the bruises on his face, she certainly hadn’t let on.

- -

Elain, at least, would be too polite to send Lucien away when he wanted to help. She was too polite to send him away on a normal day. She just ignored him or barely spoke to him until he got the hint and left. As far as I knew, he hadn’t come within touching distance since the aftermath of that final battle. No, she tended to her gardens here, silently mourning her lost human life. Mourning Graysen.

How Lucien withstood it, I didn’t know. Not that he’d shown any interest in bridging that gap between them.

- -

“You’re welcome to stay for the night,” I said, since Elain certainly wasn’t going to.

Lucien lowered his hands into his lap and leaned back in the armchair. “Thank you, but I have other plans.”

I prayed he didn’t catch the slightly relieved glimmer on Elain’s face.

- -

“She wants nothing to do with me.”

“Would you, if your positions were reversed?”

He didn’t answer.

- -

“Spend time with her.”

“I don’t think she’ll tolerate two minutes alone with me, so forget about two weeks.”

- -

“I can’t stand to be in the same room as her for more than two minutes."

- -

“He brought you a present.”

Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I’d ever seen them. “And that entitles him to my time, my affections?”

“No.” I blinked. “But he is a good male.” Despite our harsh words. Despite this Band of Exiles bullshit. “He cares for you.”

“He doesn’t know me.”

“You don’t give him the chance to even try to do so.”

Her mouth tightened, the only sign of anger in her graceful countenance. “I don’t want a mate. I don’t want a male.”

- -

I handed Elain the small box with her name on it. Her smile faded as she opened it.

“Enchanted gloves,” she read from the card. “That won’t tear or become too sweaty while gardening.” She set aside the box without looking at it for longer than a moment. And I wondered if she preferred to have torn and sweaty hands, if the dirt and cuts were proof of her labor. Her joy.

Lucien and Vassa

But Vassa’s freedom would end. Lucien had said as much months ago, and still visited her often enough that I knew nothing in that regard had improved.

- -

“I’ve been at the Spring Court every now and then. But if I’m not here in Velaris, I’ve mostly been staying with Jurian. And Vassa.”

- -

"I think he’d have been crowned king by now if it wasn’t for Vassa.” A twitch of the lips, a spark in that russet eye. “She’s doing well enough. Savoring every second of her temporary freedom.”

- -

“You’d be surprised to see how the three of us get along.”

Friends, I realized. They had somehow become his friends.

“So you’d rather stay with them?”

“I’m not staying with them. The manor is ours.”

- -

“That’s what we call ourselves. The Band of Exiles.”

- -

From these scenes, we essentially know Elain and Lucien have not progressed AT ALL. Elain still mourns Graysen, she wants nothing to do with Lucien, avoids him and is obviously uncomfortable around him.

Lucien on the flip side, isn't really trying to bridge that gap, but he's still hanging on and has some mate instincts regarding Graysen. He's not lost hope for her, but he's not really trying to push too hard either. (IMO out of respect, but also because of lack of interest beyond the bond.)

Conclusion: They're not being set up at this point. They haven't progressed, and his feelings technically aren't really genuine because it's not ELAIN he's interested in. It's his MATE. (Note, not his fault. Not blaming him for this. Just pointing out this is a more superficial "relationship" because its not based on an actual relationship, but a bond that neither chose for themselves.)

Lucien and Vassa on the other hand have made progress. They started off allies in war and are now friends. He's spent a lot of time with her, he's now living with her (and Jurian), and they have a name for themselves. He feels comfortable in the human lands with her and Jurian, unlike in the Night Court. (This is very important for Lucien's journey and I'll talk more about it in a second.)

Conclusion: Lucien and Vassa's relationship HAS progressed. It's moving forward, whereas Elain and Lucien are still stagnant. Friendship is a stepping stone in all of SJM's romances, so we can expect whoever Lucien ends up with, it will start with friendship. And at this point, Vassa is his friend, not Elain.

Now let's move onto ACOSF, because this is where SJM could turn things around, right? This is where she has to really start steering the ships in the right direction because the next books will focus on these relationships.

ACOSF

Lucien and Elain

There had been some tightness in Elain’s face as she’d said it. Normally when she made such excuses, Lucien was around, but the male remained in the human lands with Jurian and Vassa.

- -

“Why are you here?” Cassian asked, unable to help the sharpness. “Where’s Elain?”

“I am not always in this city to see my mate.” The last two words dripped with discomfort.

- -

Her brown eyes were wary. Usually, that look was reserved for Lucien.

- -

Elain, the wretch, had taken the seat between Feyre and Varian, about as far from Lucien as she could get.

- -

He and Lucien did not exchange gifts, though the male had brought a gift for Feyre and one for his mate, who barely thanked him after opening the pearl earrings.

Cassian’s heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien’s face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing. Elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of that newfound boldness to be seen.

Lucien and Vassa

“Lucien can’t be entirely trusted anymore.”

Cassian started. “What?”

“Even with Elain here, he’s become close with Jurian and Vassa. He’s voluntarily living with them these days, and not just as an emissary. As their friend.”

- -

"So Lucien can’t be unbiased in reporting to us on Vassa.”

- -

Mor winnowed Cassian after sundown directly to the manor that had become home and headquarters to Jurian, Vassa, and—apparently—Lucien.

- -

Vassa rolled her eyes, then looked to Lucien, who sank onto the sofa beside Jurian. Like the Fae male had settled similar arguments between them.

- -

Both Jurian and Lucien stared at her, the former’s face utterly unreadable, and the latter’s pained.

- -

Vassa nodded. “It is all I have gleaned from my time enslaved to him.”

Lucien stared out the window—as if he could see the lake across a sea and a continent. As if he were setting his target.

- -

“And Jurian and Vassa?”

“At each other’s throats, as they like to be,” he said, a tad sharply. She wondered what that was about—and for the life of her couldn’t read it.

- -

Elain and Lucien have still remained stagnant. Elain is even more uncomfortable--she sits as far away as she can, unlike in ACOFAS where she at least sat within talking distance--and she literally shrinks inward and loses her newfound boldness around him.

While Lucien showed disappointment and longing on Solstice, he's now showing actual discomfort, just like Elain. He's spending most of his time away, with Jurian and Vassa, and still isn't doing much to bridge the gap.

These two have, imo, sank further. They didn't just remain stagnant, they kinda backtracked even more. Why? Because at this point, we know Elain has seemingly gotten over Graysen and developed feelings for Azriel, and I think Lucien is developing them for Vassa.

We see a potential spark of jealousy regarding Jurian and Vassa. The manor isn't just theirs now--it's home for Lucien. (Something he was struggling with in ACOFAS, feeling like he had nowhere to go, no place to call home. Again, this is progress in their relationship but also in Lucien's journey. Remember, that's important.) It's pointed out that not only is Lucien voluntarily living with her, but he's so close with her that the Night Court doesn't think they can fully trust him to be unbiased on Vassa. Like he can't do his actual job because of her, and his relationship with her.

All of this is more progress on their relationship, emphasizing they've grown closer, he now has a home (with her and Jurian), and he's setting his target on Koschei, knowing she will have to return to him - THAT is all set up for his romance.

In conclusion, without even needing to dive into Azriel and Elain's progress over the series and obvious setup, we can see Lucien's journey has progressed with Vassa - his romantic setup is with Vassa. Not Elain.

And I didn't even go into the Swan Lake/Koschei parallels. But I'll just leave the post with this:

A bird of flame...and a lord of fire. I wondered if they’d found each other yet.

[sylvies-chen]

Chenford + #11 “Wow, you look… amazing.”

Thank you!!!

The LAPD throws a charity event for the first time in forever.

It's for a good cause, Lucy supposes. But there are fountains there and expensive champagne and more glass chandeliers than she can count, and she thinks the LAPD might have their priorities a little backward, spending more money than will actually be donated. Whatever. These rich snobs are donating to a good charity at the end of the night. That's all that matters.

What also matters, admittedly, is that she gets to wear a dress. Call her vain, or girly, or too self-obsessed, but Lucy's been spending the last six months doing UC operations and minor drug busts. That whole ordeal involves more sweatpants and messy buns than she cares to admit, so going to this function with her colleagues is like a dream come true. She picks her favourite black satin slip dress, with a small slit to let her leg breathe at the bottom, and her favourite pearl earrings. Nova may be a slob but Lucy Chen is a sucker for nice dresses. Especially if it's for a good cause.

If someone just happens to take a good look at her and drool, that's an added bonus.

They're about an hour into this charity event, Lucy chatting with Jackson and Nolan in between the shallow speeches of various high-ups in the LAPD, when she sees Tim Bradford walking in from across the room.

He's an hour late.

He looks grumpy as hell.

She doesn't even think he made a donation yet.

But damn. If he doesn't look good in a tux.

Lucy feels herself being drawn towards him before she can even stop herself. Neither Jackson nor Nolan seem to notice her drift from the conversation so she keeps walking towards Tim. His eyes meet hers when she's halfway there and soon trail all the way down her body, absorbing the full glamour of the outfit before looking back up to her eyes with a surprised gaze.

"Hi," he blurts, as if shocked that she's here.

"Hey, you finally made it." Lucy feels a blush creep onto her cheeks and fights the urge she gets to try and swat it or slap it away.

What is it with Tim Bradford and making her a complete mess?

"Wow, you look... amazing," he awes, scratching at the back of his neck.

The blush on her cheeks intensifies instantly. "Thank you," she offers shyly.

For whatever reason, whether it be the dress she's wearing or the way he's ogling her like she's the only thing worth a damn in the room, she feels confident. So, before she can talk herself out of it, she smooths out a tiny wrinkle on his suit and pats his chest gently, pinching the bowtie momentarily. Her hand lingers on second too long, but she pulls away quickly when she realizes it. "You clean up pretty nice yourself. I didn't know you had such nice suits, Officer Bradford."

"I just don't get many occasions to wear them, that's all. Or ones I want to be at, at least," he adds under his breath.

"Is that why you showed up an hour late to this thing?"

"Maybe," he replies cryptically.

"What's your grudge against this event anyway? They do it every year, and it's for charity. Shouldn't you be used to it by now? Isn't this a good thing?"

"That's cute," Tim scoffs amusedly. "No, charity is the last thing these events are about. First, it's good PR for the LAPD. Then, it's blatant ass-kissing and networking for cops who want to climb the chain. Then you have your regular rich wives wanting their husbands to take them out more often, the lonely guys like Smitty who only come to get out of the house. Then maybe, maybe, it's charity."

"Oh come on," she chuckles. "You're too cynical sometimes, you know that? This is a good cause, it's good people helping good people!"

"Did they even tell you what the charity is?"

"I--" she bites her tongue, thinking about it for a moment before scrunching her nose in embarrassment. "No, they didn't actually."

"It's for animals. They're donating the money to an animal hospital, one that just so happens to host the main rehabilitation clinic for injured police dogs and horses."

"Huh," she replies, slightly bashful.

"What was that about me being cynical again?" Tim throws her a confident smirk and Lucy finds it more than a little attractive, even through her slight frustration.

"Oh shut it," Lucy giggles, rolling her eyes. "You get cocky when you're right about something."

"I must be cocky a lot then," he offers, again with that damn smirk. She shouldn't find it as hot as she does. He's her former T.O. and Lucy's pretty sure Jackson doesn't think these things about Angela. No, she's definitely straying beyond professional and it makes her brain turn to exhausted mush. But frankly, they've been pushing that line for months now.

She doesn't know when the flirting started, or when it became more than professional, but something's been going on between them for some time. So yeah. She's alright admitting to herself that she finds him attractive. They haven't acted on it which means it's still completely fine. She's in no trouble yet, right?

"Well you certainly didn't have that cocky swagger when you walked in and saw me in this dress," she points out before she can think about how stupid it must sounds. Especially to Tim who, for all she knows, harbours no feelings whatsoever. It's a bold statement for her, to say the least.

"I..." he swallows hard, his eyes never leaving hers but still pooling up with something intense and unwavering and... complicated.

Fuck. Did Lucy just make a total ass of herself? Did she just put them in an awkward position?

"I didn't, did I?" He finally speaks, looking at her bashfully. "I'll admit, I was a little... surprised by it, that's all."

Her face lights up, a cocky smile of her own forming now. It's mixed with the slightest amount of amusement and is crooked because yes. Lucy's had a few too many glasses of the champagne . She's a little carefree tonight. Sue her.

"Admit it," she chuckles, pointing an amused finger at him. "Just say it, man: I look hot!"

"I already said you look amazing, I think we've covered that," he backtracks with a blush of his own crawling onto his cheeks.

"No way," Lucy protests with a laugh. "Amazing is different than hot. Everyone can call a good hamburger amazing or-- or a donation to charity amazing, but no one calls it hot. Hot is different."

He stares at her, bewildered. "You've had too much of that champagne, haven't you?"

"A little bit, yeah," she admits with a snort.

"Fine," Tim decides after a beat of silence.

Lucy's confused for a second. She doesn't quite know what his grumbled and begrudging "fine" means but suddenly, Tim's stepping in, leaning close to her until his lips brush against the hair near her ear. It sends a shiver down the back of her neck.

"You look... very hot in that dress," he admits, his voice raspy and low in a way that drives Lucy crazy. And shit, if it isn't the most confusingly sexy thing that's happened to her in a while.

Tim backs up after that, flashes her a bashful smile, and walks away to talk to Grey. Lucy stands there in place, frozen by every muscles of hers that feels like it's on fire, and thinks maybe she's in a hell of a lot more trouble than she realized.

[fadebolt]

Hey, uhh, I think you should probably check back on some things, because I'm fairly certain that Subterranean still has at least 1 room (namely TESTC), which has not appeared on round 2 yet. It was on the list you sent me, and it has won the last round with a good 25% too, so something seems really off here (unless I missed something, and Tumblr is refusing to show me the poll where it appeared). I don't know if there's any other rooms that were accidentally left out, but I thought I'd give you a heads up, that you might be leaving some contestants out.

Anyways, let's do some ratings and opinions!

Personal room rankings:

1 - Undergrowth: D03 (9/10) 2 - Looks to the Moon: I09 (9/10) 3 - Looks to the Moon: AI (9/10) 4 - Subterranean: J01 (8/10) 5 - Looks to the Moon: LAB9 (8/10) 6 - Metropolis: ruin03 (6/10) 7 - Drainage System: D01 (5/10) 8 - Outer Expanse: TOWER02 (5/10) 9 - Metropolis: fence (4/10) 10 - Sky Islands: A30 (4/10)

Extra comment: Oh hey, a regular room breaking even with an AI? Dang, that might be a first, you love to see it!

In terms of what I was asked to cover, I got 2 rooms I didn't like, and 1 that I did, so let's deal with the negative ones first.

D01 is a very iconic room, it absolutely deserves to be in this round. However, while there are many great things that can be noted about this place, it has one major flaw that completely ruined it for me - the way it functions when approached from the left. Before Downpour, this was your only way to backtrack from that shelter near Filtration System, the problem is that the path to the Lime Pearl air pocket is overly long, the rooms before will not give Survivor a Bubble Weed, and the exit leads to that pool in B01, with the ceiling. Downpour did address this by allowing for an alternate backtracking path, but unfortunately, the shitty experiences with this place shall still remain. Sucks that DS had to end with this place specifically, but at least it's a memorable one that everybody knows about.

Fence is one I don't have these strong feelings on, I just don't think it's very good. It has a very uninteresting layout, and the Dropwig spawn is frankly dumb. The room is designed in a way that'll ensure that it will always set up trap in a very specific spot, which does make it predictable, but that doesn't necessarily make up for how annoying that spot is. Yeah, there's not that much more I could add. Metropolis has a ton of fun and whacky room designs that I really enjoyed, and this just wasn't one of them.

And finally, we get into the great one which is…. I09! Well, that's also one I can't really give an overly length explanation on, cus it's not a very complex room. I just really like it, because of how different its design is, compared to the gravity generator rooms of Five Pebbles. The colors are very distinct, and there's much more poles and squares and objects, and such. It looks a lot less clean, a lot less polished, a lot less efficient. And I love it when the devs did these sorts of things, to highlight how these two siblings came from very different time periods. I mean, look at how different our technologial devices look compared to just a few decades ago, and consider that LttM and FP likely have an age gap of centuries, possibly even a millennia (just to clarify - that is technically a headcanon, but I think it would make logical sense). Makes me wish the devs would have went even further when it came to differentiating them (though they did an amazing job at I09 specifically).

Pick Your Favorite Rain World Room, Day 244.1 R2

This is not single elimination! Every room with at least 15.0% vote will move on to the next round.

There is a hidden slugcat in one of the rooms (they can be in any color). If u can see it comment or reblog with where they are and if u are first, u get a cookie!

Credit for game screenshots goes to: Rain World Interactive Map, Rain World Wiki and me

Congratulations for day 243.1 winners!

[1358456]

Sorry if you've told the story before but how did you found Pokémon?

Ah, how I got into the series? Well then. History time!

My first real encounter with the franchise was pretty much the moment I moved to Canada. I say "real encounter", because I actually saw a little bit of Pokemon Special before that. By "little", I mean... I saw the manga volume lying on the floor of my older cousin's house at one point. So when I read the RGB arc many years later, I was quite surprised at how familiar a certain scene was even though I had never read it before.

Anyways. My parents took me with them whenever they went to their friend's house (I was 6, so of course they did. I only started to stay home alone when I was 9), and that friend had a kid who had Silver version. And he was forced to let me "play" it whenever I went there. And every time, the first thing I did was start a new game and then save... which erases the previous save file. I didn't know at the time, but... that's a real dick move. And I did that pretty much every week for months until we stopped going there.

And at some point a couple of years later, I ended up getting my own Silver version. I quickly found out though that the other kids playing the game were terrible. I would often see a link battle where both sides used Lugia and Ho-oh, and both sides would only spam Thunder. And when it was my turn, I'd one-shot their Ho-oh with my own Ho-oh's Ancientpower, and one-shot their Lugia with Suicune's Mirror Coat. And I also learned that if you absolutely dunk on someone in a battle, they don't want to battle you again.

I found out that Generation I existed, and I ended up getting Yellow version. And what a journey that was. I was stuck at the 5th Gym for months because I never found Surf. But after beating Yellow version, I kind of drifted away. And a few years later, I saw that RS existed, and I ended up with that too. And so it continued, with me actually keeping up with the games' release until the 3DS era. I didn't want to continue, but then a friend gave me an old 3DS for free, so I figured why not and continued, until the Switch era, where I was finally able to walk away.

As for the Pokemon anime... I was dragged into watching Movie 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. I didn't watch any of them voluntarily. I watched 6, 7, and 8 voluntarily, and got into it. I watched Movie 9 in Japanese and then backtracked with the Japanese versions for Movie 5, 6, 7, 8, and continued from there. So I watched the entirety of Advanced Generation and Diamond & Pearl. And then Generation V happened and I just stopped with it. I dipped back into it a bit in Generation VI. Then VII happened and... nope. Done. I did watch the movies even through Generation V. Watched 1 through 18. Never saw the Volcanion one (19). I could have, I had the file, I just... didn't want to. Some were pretty good, like 10 (Darkrai), 11 (Shaymin), 12 (Arceus). Some were okay, like 5 (Latis), 6 (Jirachi), 7 (Deoxys). Some were tragic, like 8 (Lucario). And some were tragic in a different sense, like 13 (Zoroark) and 15 (Keldeo).

As for the Pokemon Special manga, other than the brief glimpse in 1999, I accidentally stumbled onto the RS arc in like 2008. I saw the RS arc in the most chaotic manner possible, which was reading 3 non consecutives volumes in 3 different languages. I read volume 21 in Japanese, then read 19 in English, and then read 15 in Korean. I was real confused. Especially since volume 15 had the end of GSC, so... "who are THESE guys?" So then I backtracked to the start of GS. Not far enough though. So backtracked again to start of Yellow. Still not far enough. So fully backtracked to the very beginning and binged. By the time I was all caught up, I was reading those monthly Japanese site posts of upcoming chapter releases. And at the time, Platinum's name wasn't revealed yet. So when I started to write the very first versions of SA, Platinum was referred to only as "the Lady". And things continued from there.

As for me writing Pokemon stuff... In early D&P (Generation IV anime), I accidentally stumbled onto someone's story, and it was really good. So I wondered, "there are a lot of stories on this site... are they all that good?" ... Boy was I f*cking wrong. Then I figured that I could probably make something much better than most of the crap out there. And after (redacted), I made this account (135) in 2007. Wrote the account's first story and its sequel. Then Pokemon Special happened, so I started making plans for SA, made SE first as practice. And at some point, I decided to go all-in on Pokemon Special and deleted the other crap. And now here we are.

[nyerus]

Hi there! I'm so sorry for how long it took--this week has been so hectic! I'm so excited to answer all of these haha! I’m gonna do them all in one shot, if you don’t mind~ Prepare for a huge wall of text lol:

Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu:

Honestly I think the interesting part of this relationship is how open-ended it is. LQQ's feelings towards XL fundamentally change after learning the truth and he has absolutely no choice but to accept the fact that everything he once thought he knew was utterly wrong. It's still true that XL delivered the mercy kill on LQQ's father, and took responsibility for that regardless, but he was innocent of the crimes LQQ "killed" him for in return. That's a hard thing to grapple with. After all, LQQ went centuries ignorant of the truth, never dug deeper, and also benefitted from that ignorance by thinking he delivered righteous retribution. Possibly also ascended from it. Now to realize it's all untrue? Such a blow for someone like that. It's not surprising he doesn't know how to deal with it. XL himself thought it would be unfair to take that away from him, but the truth is the truth, and no one could protect him from it (nor should they have had to) forever.

XL and LQQ's relationship before all that, though -- back when XL was Guoshi -- seemed to be quite good. XL was a strict but fair mentor, who wanted to help guide this child to his fullest potential. I think he saw a lot of himself in LQQ, and wanted to do right by him. (This is an interesting parallel between XL and JW, too. How they both had protégés, but XL wanted to protect his protégé, while JW wanted to break his.) On LQQ's side, there was definitely some idolization of his teacher. Understandable that he would be awed by the mysterious and skilled Guoshi, who not only saved him, but went on to become his teacher for years.

I think XL always continued to see LQQ favorably, and felt a great deal of guilt for not being able to give him a good life, free of the troubles he himself faced. It clearly weighs heavily on XL that they turned out too similar in some aspects, like how they lost people they loved. But it's clear that LQQ doesn't really blame him anymore, even if things are now awkward between them post-canon. He clearly still feels things towards his old teacher, and I think it's interesting that he kept watch over Guoshi Grave -- even had special wards around it centuries later -- and when it was "disturbed" in the final extra, he immediately went down to investigate. And he also clearly wanted to do something to help XL, but didn't know how, and was sick with guilt that he caused XL that much pain. On XL's side, he definitely didn't want Hua Cheng to kill his old disciple lol. (I also think it was very shocking for LQQ to see XL so... different than how he was as Guoshi! So much to process for him.) Who knows how they’ll ultimately turn out~

Backtracking a bit: the ending scene we get for them in the main novel, with LQQ returning the earring, is actually really beautiful and symbolic. I don't think it's a coincidence that MXTX had it be LQQ. (While realistically, he does make the most sense as King Lang Ying's descendant, there are countless ways the coral pearl could have ended up in anyone's hands.) That whole thing represents that your kindness will come back to you. It isn't for nothing. That doing good and helping others IS worth it. This is not only what XL believed, and what he wanted to specifically teach LQQ, but also what one of the themes of the novel is. Kindness is difficult, and often met with harshness or even hate, but ultimately, it is worth it. Because the difference you make for one person will last an eternity.

Xie Lian and Banyue:

I think that's a good segue into XL and BY's relationship too! They have a very different relationship than XL and LQQ. XL was able to actually impart his beliefs on BY, who continued to always follow them, though unfortunately she turned out too similarly as well. I think it's a bit too far to say that XL was like a father to her, but I think moreso XL was a guardian and role model who was present in her life for a while. But XL was also very busy during that time as General Hua. No doubt he was stretching himself thin trying to protect people, taking care of his myriad of injuries, and trying to look after not only BY but the other kids as well (including Pei Su).

Naturally, BY herself is extremely different than LQQ. In every single way possible. But she also took what XL taught her and wanted to do the right thing for others. I think her seeing XL protecting other people -- though he often got hurt (and then later "died" for her) -- was really foundational. In both positive and negative ways. Positively because helping others is good, but negatively because XL was so self-sacrificing and that carried over to BY, too. Not to mention him getting trampled to death while saving her would have been traumatic to her, though it's not either of their faults. That's war. And later, when XL finally healed from that months later, it was too late for him to even attempt to find her again. (Especially since he floated away somewhere, and is absolutely cursed with directions lol!)

Still, it's clear that BY kept him in his heart and tried to follow his principles, even after death. I think she sees him now as a bit of a mentor figure, with a great deal of respect. From XL's side, he wanted to do more for her -- and probably also saw her as a beloved student of his -- but is ultimately just glad she is alright now.

Personally, I like to think they catch up from time to time when they are free, post-canon!

He Xuan and Hua Cheng:

I think these two are definitely along those lines, yeah. Basically begrudging allies. They aren't really friends, nor do they really want to be (alas), but they know it's mutually beneficial to work together. They give each other a large amount of leeway, but definitely collaborate on what they need to. HC can give HX resources, and HX is at the very least a reliable set of eyes in Heaven (all other supposed spies aside). They don't have any reason to work against each other, and if they work together, then they both get something out of it. Simple as that.

I think the best way to describe them is that they're like co-workers. Even if you don't necessarily like or agree with your coworker, you still work with them to get the job done. Maybe you'd share a meal or a drink with each other, make some small talk, but you aren't actually buddies and you aren't gonna hang out on the weekends.

However, I LOVE their dynamic a lot lol. This makes it sound a bit boring, but I think they have a very unique relationship. Interesting that they have a lot of similarities (which is why they can tolerate each other to begin with), but they're polar opposites in so many ways.

[rainbowcaleb]

open your heart to halloween chaos

4,400 words of halloween shadowgast shenanigans

read the whole thing on ao3 here.

“Jester, I still do not see the point of this.” Essek stated for the third time that day.

She stepped in front of the mirror, gently bumping him to step aside so she could check her outfit again. “Essek I told you, Halloween is the perfect excuse to wear costumes and get dressed up and eat pastries and sweets and-”

“Yes, but the costume,” he tugged at his own again, feeling more exposed than usual without his sweeping mantle. “Why not use a spell to disguise self? It seems much easier.”

She stuck out her tongue “It's all about the costume and having fun, not just doing a spell as a shortcut. I’m the queen tonight and I decree you shall have fun!” And she was queenly, literally. Jester was absolutely bedazzled in tiers of diamanté studded silk, silver lace, pearls, and all topped with a blindingly glittery tiara. She looked like a cross between a snowstorm and a cupcake, which was a compliment she would probably adore if Essek dared to say it aloud. Her costume made it all the more confusing to him though. Where Jester seemed to lean into the “more is more” approach and wear what would be overdressed for any other night, the outfit she had excitedly presented to Essek seemed to be missing quite a few layers.

Jester kept talking to him as he donned the outfit behind the privacy of the large screen in his bedroom.

“My first idea was a cat, that’s a totally classic costume and should be really easy to find, even in this city. But then I thought it’d be too on the nose since you and Caleb are still doing your dumb who’s-gonna-confess-first game of chicken.” Essek had almost tripped into his screen at this point. She ignored his shocked noises of protest and kept going. “So I went with my second choice! It’s kind of in the same family, well not in the same animal family, actually I’m not sure about that. Is a bat related to a cat? Hey, Essek do you know?”

“Jester, can we backtrack to-”

“Maybe I’ll ask Caduceus later, he knows about stuff like this. Anyways, I thought bat because they can be cute and small, but also a little spooky and they usually hang out in the dark and wear black, and it just felt totally you.”

Essek stepped reluctantly out from behind the screen, wings held in his hand after unsuccessfully trying to wrestle the strappy thing onto himself. “Jester, while I do appreciate your help in the matter, I really don’t think…” He trailed off. There was a bright sparkling look in Jester’s eyes and Essek knew he had already lost. This was going to be his costume, and there was no going back.

Which is how Essek found himself in front of a mirror dressed in slinky black velvet, the deep color in high contrast next to Jester’s pearly queen. He was thankful the jacket had cutaway tails that swept down past his waist. These velvet trousers were rather snug, and Essek was unused to feeling so...on display. There really wasn’t much battiness to it, other than the leather harness and attached wings. The straps buckled across his chest and shoulders, reminding Essek involuntarily of Caleb and his ubiquitous book harness, but this one was more intricate in how it criss-crossed. It all seemed rather unnecessary in Essek’s mind. The wings weren’t even that large, nor did they move. Although he could fix the latter though with a simple enough spell.

Jester was clapping with glee. “Oh my gosh Essek, why are you always hiding under cloaks and layers? You look amazing, like crazy super hot, Caleb is definitely going to lose his mind-”

“You keep mentioning him,” Essek tried to keep his voice steady. “But I really must make this clear. Caleb only thinks of me as a friend.”

“And what do you think of him, hmm?” She waggled her eyebrows even as he stayed silent. “Trust me, I know about this kind of stuff. He totally likes you. And you like him back, duh, that’s obvious-”

“Jester-” His face was starting to flush.

“But on the tiny,  tiny  chance that I am wrong I promise to eat my tiara if he doesn’t make out with you by the end of the night.”

“What?!” Essek’s voice came out an octave too high. “No, don’t promise to do that, you can't possibly know for sure that Caleb, that he, and me-”

She threw her head back and laughed. “No, I’m gonna. I already said it and I don’t go backsies on promises!” She linked her arm into his. “Don’t worry Essek, that’s just how sure I am! And I really love this tiara, so I definitely do not want to eat it, blegh, it’s not even made of sugar or anything.”

Suddenly the pressure of the night seemed to increase beyond measure in Essek’s head. He was already feeling haplessly dragged into this social situation, a party for a holiday he knew nothing about, and now...well, he certainly didn’t want his friend to have to swallow down a piece of a costume.

(too long to copypaste the whole thing, so sorry! tumblr is acting up on me. please read the rest on ao3 here)

[fogwitchoftheevermore]

i was originally gonna write a fic about this and then realized i was not fucking committing to a fic that long, so under the cut i’m giving you some of what i had written down, for your entertainment

THE RULES

The Hermits, as Blaseball players, cannot die and have pretty accelerated healing abilities. This doesn’t mean they can’t get hurt though. Anyone who wants to play gives Grian $50 to enter the game. Once in the game, you go about business as usual while also quietly trying to “kill” each other. “Kill”, in this situation, is defined as A: Getting into any situation that would kill a normal person and/or B: Getting knocked out (sleeping or going unconscious for any sort of medical procedure both do not count, obviously). You cannot physically attack someone (stab, shoot, etc.) but you can contrive their “death” in any way you so choose (this rule is flexible if the “death” is funny enough). If you are “killed”, you join the Dead Team. The goal for the Alive Team is to stay that way and the goal for the Dead Team is to get more participants to join your team. The last member of the Alive Team wins the whole pot.

PARTICIPANTS (IN ORDER FROM LAST DEATH-FIRST)

Ren

Stress

Xisuma

Jevin

Scar

Cub

Evil X

Worm Man (aka Zed in disguise, because only a few people know he’s Worm Man, he felt this would give him an advantage over signing up as himself).

Impulse

Tango

Grian

Gem

False

Cleo

TFC

Keralis

Bdubs

Pearl

Joe

Mumbo

Doc

Iskall

DEATHS

Ren: Grian puts together a very weird and vaguely deadly series of challenges that he promises anyone who completes one $50. Most Hermits recognize that this is definitely a trap. Ren manages to win $50 from the first challenge, whatever the hell I translate Catch the Totem to. He then has to retrieve something from an (EMPTY OF CREATURES) tank at the Georgias’ aquarium (Grian bribed XB to be allowed to use it). Ren almost drowns in the process and while he does come up to the top before fully passing out, he immediately falls over the side and knocks himself entirely unconscious on the ground.

Stress: Stress also decides to play Grian’s game and manages to ace Exit the Aquarium, Void Jump, and Fly Through the Tube. Grian is beginning to realize he sank too much money into this (he’s going to sink more money into this). Stress ultimately knocks herself out playing Catch the Totem, but she’s coming away $150 richer so she wins in her heart.

Xisuma: Ren invites Xisuma to join him in a cross country style run. Xisuma is suspicious, but joins him anyway. During the course of the run, he gets more comfortable with the whole thing until he realizes Ren has led him to a very dangerous, very obvious cliff face. He attempts to backtrack and trips over a large rock. Xisuma then rolls all the way back down the way they came like a goddamn cartoon and is unconscious by the time he hits a tree and stops.

Jevin: Jevin gets distracted while out and about and gets hit by a bus.

Scar: Stress and Ren lure him to a definitely not suspicious “lake”. The moment he’s at the edge they tip him over into the water. Scar spends about two seconds saying “You fools! I may not be able to swim but I can absolutely tread water enough to get back on the shore!” He then gets bit/stung by whatever creatures they bribed XB and Beef to help them retrieve and put in the lake. He realizes that he is in fact the fool.

Cub: Tango, Scar, and Xisuma make a bet about whether Cub will “survive” falling off of Tango’s roof onto a trampoline placed a few stories below (ZITS has a nice house). Cub does survive the impact onto the trampoline, but is flung over the walls of it onto the concrete below. Whoops. Xisuma collects a whole $4 from Tango and Scar.

Evil X: Ex has been bragging about how long he’s survived since Xisuma died and Hels is fucking sick of his shit. After Cub’s death, Hels is officially sick enough to grovel to the Dead Team for help in killing him. Hels wants this to get personal, because he’s a weirdo, which leads to Cub somehow procuring some syringes of medical grade anesthetic (don’t worry about it) and giving them to Hels to use how he sees fit. Ex puts up a stink about this being against the rules but the “no PVP” rule, but said only extends to players, which Hels is not, and also this is undeniably really funny.

Worm Man: An attempt to Home Alone-style rig their house in a trap for Tango and Impulse backfires spectacularly. Skizz finds him entirely unconscious on the stairs and texts an image of the scene to Impulse and Tango with like four question marks. They immediately rat him out.

Impulse and Tango: Oh holy hell this one is complicated. Skizz and Zedaph are definitely not looped in by the Dead Team to lure Impulse and Tango out into the woods, what makes you say that? The entire Dead Team have set up a straight up manhunt here- none of them can actually attack Impulse or Tango on their own, but they can chase them into exactly the trap they want. I did not decide on what this trap was.

Grian: Cub and Tango setup four different traps to try and kill Grian. The traps fail in increasingly comical ways until, while Grian is monologuing to Tango about the obvious “plot armor” he has as the creator of the game, Cub sets up a pitching machine to bean him in the back of the head with a baseball at 100 MPH.

Gem: The Spearmint. I could explain the Spearmint, but I won’t, just read the linked wiki page, it’s better than anything I could ever say. Just know this involves Cleo leading Gem out into a random corn field near the Breath Mints’ stadium.

False: False is working on some electrical work in an elevator in The Legscraper. During the course of the work, she notices something in the wires placed by Cub with the intention of electrocuting her. She removes her hands before she’s electrocuted but the surge results in the elevator falling with her inside it.

Cleo: Bdubs and Keralis are convinced by Xisuma to give Cleo a tour through the abandoned warehouse the three of them are renovating. (The ten year siesta got really boring, hence why they all agreed to this) Cleo is lured to a conspicuous ledge that Xisuma manages to knock her off of.

TFC: Gem sets up a trap intended to send someone into a pit. Very basic. TFC falls for the trap, but the fall doesn’t actually knock him out. However, he decides the game has been going on too long and pretends that it was successful.

Keralis: Tango sets up a definitely not suspicious game in the middle of a field that definitely doesn’t have a very obvious explosive in the middle. Keralis and Mumbo both agree to play, but while Mumbo is trying to understand the rules, Keralis starts playing. He’s throwing the provided projectiles at the targets when Mumbo warns him about the poorly concealed explosive. Keralis hits the explosive anyways, detonating and “killing” himself immediately. Mumbo manages to scramble away.

Bdubs: Cleo plans to “kill” Bdubs with her knowledge of two things about him. A: He is very easily scared. B: If he is scared badly enough, he will straight up pass out. Cleo puts together a haunted house/story experience for him with one big culminating (and very immersive!) scare at the end (she loops Hels and Evil X into helping with this part). Bdubs does, in fact, pass out.

Pearl: This is the only one I never figured out, seeing as it was one of the three I needed to make up entirely from scratch, and it was the last one I needed to make up.

Joe: Joe walks out onto his fire escape one night only to find that someone (Cub) has loosened the screws. It falls out from under him and goes as expected.

Mumbo: Mumbo and Iskall are going on a little outing. Little shopping trip! They’re both alive and have a secret alliance so no reason to worry. Mumbo walks into the place Hypno owns (note to self decide wtf this is) and beaned over the head with a very heavy object that Keralis had balanced on the door. Success.

Doc: Grian (with Ren’s help, because Ren has the spare key to Doc’s place) rigs literally the entirety of Doc’s house, other than his bedroom, with some exposed wires and water in places where there shouldn’t be wires. Doc wakes up and blearily walks into the rest of his house, where he shortly “dies”. Cleanup is hell because they went so overboard and Doc is so pissed off.

Iskall: Iskall, the official winner, auctions off the chance to “kill” him. Impulse wins, but Grian gives Impulse $300 to let him help. The two of them get one of Scar’s theme park friends to let them utilize a ride in the off season to go fucking buckwild and create Ride Of Your Life.

And the whole introduction chapter, which I did actually post on AO3 before I realized there was no way I was writing all this.

The thing about the Grand Siesta is that no one particularly wants to be playing Blaseball. At the same time, that’s all anyone’s been doing for the past 10 years, and now that they’re not playing Blaseball for years at a time, no one really has a clue what to do. People have adapted, sure. Keralis, Xisuma, and Bdubs bought an abandoned warehouse to make into… something. Scar’s gotten really into theme parks- well, more into them than he already was. Beef got really into some sort of nightmare card game he created that half of them are now also really into. The Hermits make do. But that doesn’t mean they’re not bored. And Grian has never been someone who deals with boredom well. Hence, the text every Hermit receives about halfway through the Siesta. “Hello Hermits. I know we are all very bored without the sport we sold our souls to (mileage may vary with this statement), so I have a game idea for all of us. You are all intimately familiar with the fact that, by virtue of selling our souls to Blaseball, we cannot die, and in fact, recover from life threatening injuries shockingly quickly! This has been a source of significant existential dread for many years, but now, it is a source of a very fun game that I am calling “Demise”. How do I play Demise? Thank you for asking, imaginary Hermit on the other side of the screen! The rules are not that simple, but I think you’ll get it anyways. You’re smart. Anyone who wants to play gives your humble game master (me) (Grian) $50 to enter the game. Once the game begins, you join the Alive Team. Your goal on the Alive Team is to stay that way, and not find yourself in any situation where you have “Died” or been “Killed”. Being “Killed”, in this situation, is defined as A: Getting into any situation that would kill a normal person and/or B: Getting knocked out (sleeping or going unconscious for any sort of procedure does not count, obviously). Player vs Player combat (stabbing, strangling, etc.) is off the table, but you can contrive the “deaths” of other players in any way you so choose. If you are “killed”, you join the Dead Team. The goal for the Dead Team is to get more participants to join your team. The last member of the Alive Team wins the whole pot. If you would like to play, please get $50 to me somehow. You have one week before the game begins, and once the game has started, I will accept no new players. May the best survivor win.” This message receives varied responses from basically every Hermit there is, including such highlight as: “I’m not doing this, but have fun, you morons,” from XB. “If Etho is playing can we agree he has to stay with someone else for the duration? I’m not going into the Canadian wilderness to get him,” from Ren, followed immediately by Bdubs extending an offer for Etho to stay with him, followed again by Etho letting everyone know he will not be participating. “If Tango and Impulse are playing then I am not- they will use the fact that I live with them against me,” from Zedaph, a fact that Tango and Impulse do not dispute. “Grian, you’re an insane person. What’s your Venmo again?” from Iskall. And an assortment of variations on “sounds crazy, I’m in,” from most of them. Despite the many vocal statements of “this is probably a bad idea”, Grian manages to scrounge up 22 participants for Demise, including himself, and a prize pool of $1,100 for the winner. All in all, he considers it a success. Now, let the games begin.

i'm thinking about blaseball au hermits and i was struck with an extremely funny way that i can still do demise in this universe so here it is. basically i had a hc that blaseball players couldn't die outside of a game. if something happened to them that should have killed them, they'll heal their injuries ridiculously fast (like, broken bones healed by morning kind of speed) and not die, obviously. so with this in mind, demise happens with the slightly modified rule set of "dying" actually meaning "being given substantial enough injuries that they would have killed you were you not a blaseball player". otherwise it plays exactly as it did in hermitcraft (and also gem and pearl are there this time) because the hermits are insane people. all of their other teammates just. don't look at it and let them have fun.