#It was a very big fly tbf

[shmowder]

im different i would've befriended those plague rats in pathologic i would've given them cheese and crackers

[fuckyou-saidtheraven]

Intellectually I know that the cgi budget of HDM s3 has to be spread out very carefully in order to accommodate everything that happens in the third book. I remember having a lot of concerns about the budget for a potential s3 way back when the show first aired seeing the general lack of dæmons walking around due to the budget constraints of animating them all + the witches, the bears, and the arctic scenes. And there’s a lot that happens in the Amber Spyglass that needs cgi to pull off properly. Ergo, i understand that they have to manage their budget carefully, prioritize things where they can, and know where to cut things out where necessary.

However I am still very put out by the fact that the dragonflies don’t seem to be in the series.

[factorialsotherfandoms]

Just making a list of things, intentionally or otherwise, which might have/did mess with Philza's emotional state in the lead up to him doing a silly and following the book (which promised his kids back and implied his wings too) (from memory I don't have the stream open and it was loooong):

It being Tallulah's birthday

Forever, a close friend, is in a coma after having been drugged, and Philza probably having a pretty traumatic time just 2 days prior trying to help. And now all he can do is bang a pan and talk and pray.

Eggs missing

Philza missed his eggs being hurt and in pain and scared because he was away, and the signs are still there to prove it

Him and Fit discussing the eggs, and if Philza would still love them even if they were AIs/robots/lab experiments/etc

Event his kids would have really enjoyed, but they aren't there to do so. No Chayanne doing the cooking, no Tallulah playing her flute...

Taking Tallulah's place at the event by playing the music (a thing Philza doesn't do, despite being in an extremely musical family)

Capybaras helping him fly to take photos (see: the damaged wings and the promise of flight)

Alcohol from the celebration, even if he only drank a little bit.

Having to explain everything to Missa, his government assigned husband, and admit he wasn't there when the eggs needed them - neither of their parents were there, just the babysitters. Couldn't even get a phonecall with their dads when the kids were hurt and in pain. Having to tell his partner their children are lost, maybe dead, maybe gone, nobody knows. Obviously Missa needed to know and Philza would explain it! And telling Missa the best option! But... It wouldn't have helped Philza's mental state.

The eggs in the maze and only two survive story (messed with everyone tbf)

Only (a copy of) Chayanne's item being in the maze. Also it being blocked from him by the barrier blocks. It only being Chayanne's is even worse to his mental state than it being everyone's there

Believing himself too stupid to save his children, expressing this directly by apologising to the Chayanne floaty for that, and bringing it to mind, probably not helped by being in a crew of a lot of the 'clever' players (we all know from those tumblr posts insulting yourself enough over time affects behaviour, and given his mentions about not doing lore because not clever enough earlier even if that was ooc this is probably a longer term concern for him C as well. Pretty sure he's called himself stupid while rping with the eggs before)

The maze ending with no answers, only more pain and fear. Once again left with glimmers but in practice nothing

His extremely secure home being compromised

Using Tallulah's colours and flowers on the box. Also correctly getting the one of his kid who would leave him angsty metaphor and a story with the instructions, even if it felt a bit off (its her birthday, its her birthday, he was desperate)

The joke about a wise old crow whilst he was feeling very stupid, but knows his kids think of him as clever.

Also the crow thing. I know there's a lot of jokes about Philza and bird brain which go around from time to time, the perching, the wandering off to examine shiny things while people are talking, etc. If we take this as read... Well. Phrasing the instructions as about a bird really would force that side of him.

Using the nest as the closest waypoint. His nest, not his house, his concrete nest in the sky where he felt most like the bird he partially is.

It happening so late. Philza doesn't often continue to midnight, let alone gone 2am. To me this implies his character isn't usually up and big active that long (I like to think when offline the characters are a combo of sleeping and just chilling). So IC he's probably exhausted. Which. Does not for "rational" thinking make. You probably wouldn't have got him not leaving at least a copy of the book in the chest earlier in the day.

TBH, all that accounted for, I'm surprised he kept weapons and shield and glider and food on him with the note. It was needed, but I'm more surprised he managed to reign himself to bring some things with him not just throw everything on the floor and go.

It was a /long/ stream and even the fun cute bits fed into a loop of stressing him out and breaking down. Crack, crack, crack, crack, and after enough time it /will/ get through.

And tbf, it probably took all of that to do so.

(and I hope the other characters when he one way or another gets out of this understand. everyone's under a lot of stress, but that stream in Philza stream was just breaking him again and again and again)

Also another aside which breaks the vibes of this post but eh - people keep saying his survivalist tendancies should have kicked in, but I think they actually played against him here?

Philza is used to taking on very shit situations with a lot less than he was carrying. That sword and shield? More powerful than anything in hardcore. And sure now he's set up he has so much food and resources in hardcore world, but when he starts? He starts somewhere impossibly dangerous with literally nothing, and does fine, which is a whole lot less than he took with him.

Plus... He's used to being alone. Completely stressed out, manipulated, and fucked with brain probably didn't even consider a note. Why? Because he's not used to anyone being there. Why leave a note before going to do something dangerous you're underequipped for if there's nobody there to read it? It's only him in most of his worlds. Nobody would notice him gone because there's nobody there to notice.

(Sure his husband his back and his friends are here and the island is full of people who love and trust and care about him, but at the end of the day, when he's stressed and its late and the Feds have systematically and likely purposefully broken him down, and his friends have accidentally helped with that... He's from a solo hardcore world, where he starts with nothing and nobody is there to help him. It's not he doesn't trust them. It's that he doesn't even realise in the height of his emotions that there's anyone else there.)

[bunnytalksf1]

canada qualifying

my head is in my hands

Let's start with Perez to save my sanity. Out in Q1 when Max (and Yuki!) topped that session is crazy. just massive underperforming from him. Starting to wonder if there's a performance clause in his contract, and if so, how badly he has to perform to activate it.

Ocon starts back of the grid because of his penalty.

Sargeant got his first Q2! Which is good! He was looking pretty good this session tbf, esp considering he doesnt have all the upgrades as far as I'm aware.

Ferrari what was that. I'm sure more will come out because Charles was furious, and I've already seen clips of him saying "I'll say what I want" to the press which. Real? But they had new softs and didn't use them? And apparently had issues which Charles was complaining of since fp3 and they only got fixed in Q2. Why is the strategy department still run by clowns. They've been struggling all weekend, likely with the straight line speed, so I sort of expected one ferrari to go out in Q2 (Carlos) but for Charles to go out as well... yikes. Low track temps out there today and the ferrari just seems to HATE them. a complete reversal of 23.

Kudos to Ricciardo! P5! The RB is really flying this week and Tsunoda has also put in some stellar times. If they can hold on tomorrow they're in for a big points haul. (funny that villeneuve criticised him so hard yesterday and now he's done this LMAO).

MERCEDES???? Where did you come from?? That new front wing... also they have a very different rear wing to most teams which has less load, which has helped them massively. The merc also seems to like the low temps, which makes me think they might struggle more on deg tomorrow if it remains dry.

Not much to say about McLaren, Piastri and Norris very close to each other as always and they're about as fast as I expected because the team's been downplaying it all week, how fast they are.

Aston Martin also flying, with Alonso P6, Stroll P9. Albon P10, and hopefully he can hang on for more points!

Hoping for rain and some god-like strategy tomorrow!

[desktopcalendar]

Okay tbf it’s not technically christmas anymore but it was when i wrote the first bit so let’s just pretend :) also i am writing more businessman!joel but it’s taking my brain 5eva to think of it so please enjoy this <33

just because it’s christmas… BnBowner!joel and recentlysingle!reader who has already paid for a non-refundable trip for christmas. (apologies because i change from 3rd to 2nd person)

tw for cheating, a half second of nsfw(there will be more if i continue it) moments of angst, uncooperative suitcase, no use of y/n, not proofread

reader who just got broken up with who forgets they have a non-refundable trip booked in a cutesy cabin in a hallmark town, the “perfect place for couples” until they get an email confirming their arrival time and then all of a sudden the very real and very non-refundableness of the trip was brought to the forefront of their mind.

You aren’t quite sure if this is a good idea. But the last thing you were sure on ended up to be cheating on you for over a year, so maybe being unsure was a good thing.

The owner wasn’t lying when he said it was secluded, it was literally in the middle of nowhere. Perfect for a romantic getaway -hopefully also perfect for wallowing in your ruined relationship thanks to your piece of shit cheating ex-boyfriend.

You haul your suitcase up the snowy path towards the cabin, thankful that the cab was even able to make it this far, and for a moment you feel exactly like Amanda in the holiday and who knows? maybe you’ll meet an upsettingly handsome man. Maybe.

Probably not.

-

Joel watches from you from the porch for a little longer than he probably should before striding over to you, arm outstretched, ready to take your bags.

“Hey! i’m glad you found your way here, it’s not the easiest place to find.”

You look up from your uncooperative suitcase to lock eyes with perhaps the most attractive man you’ve ever seen (including Jude Law with glasses on) walking towards you and you’re so taken aback that you are definitely not prepared for your suitcase to start cooperating which in turn sends you flying into the snow.

Apart from it doesn’t, so you’re a little confused when you don’t hit the cold ground but are caught by a pair of warm, strong arms.

“Easy there, I’m happy you’re here too but you could’ve bought me a drink first.” Joel jokes as he sets you back on your feet.

“omg i’m so sorry it’s this stupid suitcase that refuses to move when i want it to i mean it i’m really sorry this is so embarrassing and i..” You trail off when you realise that Joel is in fact laughing. “what?”

“Nothing darlin’ you’re just the first person to apologise to me for the actions of an inanimate object, s’funny is all.” Joel holds out his hand for you to shake “incase you hadn’t figured it out, I’m Joel.”

You bashfully take it, pretending that hearing him call you ‘darlin’ hadn’t affected you in any way shape or form “Nice to meet Joel, you have a beautiful cabin, it really is magical.”

Joel’s hand is large, and warm, and a small part of you wants to feel more of his warmth. Maybe more than a small part.

He easily takes your bags the rest of the way, making light conversation with you, even though you’re still taking in him, responding with short answers and ‘hmms’.

He’s a rugged man, you think to yourself, he’s big all over, large frame, large hands. Your eyes dart towards his crotch for a moment wondering if he’s also large there. Something inside you tells you he is.

“Well here we are doll, let me know if you need anything” Joel puts your bags down just inside the door, the cabin really is the perfect place for a romantic getaway, you feel a pang with the knowledge that you specifically picked this place to spend time with your boyfriend. All you wanted to do now was forget about him, but apparently Joel could sense the singleness off you.

“Oh! where’s this boyfriend of yours, you did book for two, right?”

You freeze as he says ‘boyfriend’ debating whether it would be better to make up some elaborate lie or tell the miserable truth.

“We uh, we actually broke up a few days ago… turns out he’s not the kind of person i wanna go to a cabin with.” you eventually mumble out, followed by an unhappy laugh - mainly because you feel like you’ll cry otherwise.

“Aw shit darl, I’m sorry, and i know i’ve only known you all of five minutes but it’s definitely his loss.” A warm hand gently clasps onto your shoulder as Joel looks towards you with kind eyes.

You allow yourself to take the moment of sympathy from this kind stranger, before composing yourself.

“Thanks, Joel. I guess the only thing i need is directions to the nearest place that sells alcohol.”

“Of course doll,”

-

[spinningbuster98]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles Part 2: Eggman's hands are rated E for everybody!

I used to dislike Carnival Night as a kid because I thought it went on for too long, but nowadays I actually think it’s the strongest of the Classic games’ bouncy stages, not going too crazy with the bumpers while still having a nice dose of platforming and speed. Plus it’s full of cool little shortcuts and secrets! And yeah: the barrels. The way you are supposed to use them is not communicated well at all, but honestly? I don’t think they really hurt the level in the end, as once you figure them out they stop being an issue, unlike the spinning tops in Marble Garden. About the only thing I don’t like here is the music: generic circus music with a hip hop remix? Ehh. I could never tell the difference between the two acts’ versions

Icecap is fantastic, even though it really has no business being so fun. In a game with so many big and expansive stages, Icecap is really tiny and linear, especially Act 1 where, once you figure out the gimmick, you’re pretty much just going on a straight line. This is one case I think where aesthetics, music and overall style are all that’s needed to make a fun and memorable level, which is certainly helped by this stage being an exception, with another example being Hydrocity Act 2, which means that the game knows not to forego substance in favor of style overall, it just likes to mix things up from time to time

Launch Base shares similar obstacle placement issues as Marble Garden, but I find it less obnoxious here because it’s technically a “final level” of sorts so it’s more justified, plus the fire shield can at least help you against the flamethrowers and there are no annoying gimmicks. Besides it’s pretty memorable from a story perspective given how it features the Death Egg looming ominously in the background throughout Act 1, only for you to stop its launch in Act 2, but not before taking a short ride in Eggman’s hover pod (also screw you Knuckles, I hope you got a nice bath)

The Big Arms boss fight (yeah I’m playing Sonic 3 Complete, because why shouldn’t I?), while iconic in its own way, is also...not the best? It’s got a similar issue as most bosses from SA1 in the sense that you have to wait for him to first do something in order to damage him. Now this is better than SA1′s bosses because at least it tests your precision given the narrow hitbox, but since he only comes down to grab you twice (or four times with Knuckles, which is why he has the better fight imo) before performing an attack when you can’t harm him unless you have a Super form and position yourself just right, this makes it more tedious than fun, heck I’d argue that the bigger danger here is the possibility of getting a Time Over!

The music on the other hand is phenomenal, genuinely one of my favorite tracks in the entire series, hell Eggman’s theme in this game is actually my favorite for the character, even more than the likes of his theme from SA2 and 06! Sonic 3 in general I think has my favorite OST of the Mega Drive trilogy. It’s really tough to decide since they’re all very good and memorable, and tbf Sonic 3 does have Carnival Night, which is a dud, but stuff like Angel Island, Hydrocity Act 2, Marble Garden, Icecap, Flying Battery, Lava Reef, Doomsday Zone, it’s such a varied OST too given how now each Act has its own variation!

[estercity]

now that we have all 18 i'm posting my personal project voltage ranking :]

PSYCHIC TYPE MIKU - 4/10 it's fine. its the closest to base miku of all the designs? like this is what i'd imagine if we got a miku collab in the newest games. nothing about ti really says psychic type to me though, which is why its low

GRASS TYPE MIKU - 2/10 i hate this design. not only is it boring but i don't like the colours, i think it looks messy and it might be the style disconnect or the design itself but if you didn't tell me who this was i wouldn't think it was miku. a grass type cheerleader doesn't sound like a bad shout which is why im so sad it sucks

FIRE TYPE MIKU - 5/10 . its just basic. it gets one point more than psychic because i have fire type bias but other than that its underwhelming. idk whats going on with her legs either? is it like exposed robotics? idk its just a miss for me

WATER TYPE MIKU - 8/10 this is so cute. the water textured hair, the tan lines, the like lifeguard gear(?) and the pokeball beach ball? it all comes together so well. i don';t think you can really go wrong with a water type design? even if i don't love water types myself you can't deny their designs just come together

ELECTRIC TYPE MIKU - 10/10 oh baby girl my BIAS i fucking love electric miku. shifting her blue accents into green, giving her a suit and making her a split-dye blonde were all such good decisions. i love the silhouette of the big puff pants tucked into the rubber boots and the suspenders with the lightening cane. everything about this makes me so happy

NORMAL TYPE MIKU - 9/10 i might be going back on what i said with psychic miku but to me even though it's very reminicant of base miku, it works better AND does enough to set her in her own typing. the multicoloured accessories, the rings, the glasses and the body suit. if we ever did get a real collab of her in game i hope this is the direction they'd go

ICE TYPE MIKU - 8/10 full disclaimer so much of this is just because im obsessed with her hair and suit combo. shes not outright evil looking like dark type but i still feel like shes a rival with a lot of power, anbd tbf a lot of ice type characters are made to be Icy in personality. my only gripes are the red bag chain and the open heels

ROCK TYPE MIKU - 6/10 its fine! it might be because i dont like the colour scheme or that i'm not a huge fan of all the flowy fabric, (especially because it directly follows ice type miku which made a point to utalise the sharpness you'd associate with ice) but i just doesn't wow me.

GROUND TYPE MIKU - 7/10 i really love this design, i adore the colour scheme and the cactus braids, i think she looks like a trainer you'd be ambushed by in the desert and the soundtrack would kick up and it'd RULE... my drawback is i don't think she looks like miku? i thought she was gumi at first and now i can't really unsee it. but eh im nitpicking

FLYING TYPE MIKU - 5/10 again, i like it but its very standard for a flying type character. the cloud braids and the sheer sleeves are fun! they're definately my favouritre part of the design. idk why her legs are painted white, i think they look kind of silly and im confused about the platform sandles but other than that its fine

FAIRY TYPE MIKU - 6/10 a cute miku design for a cute pokemon type, can't really go wrong with that. i enjoy that they didn't go lolita style with her, which i fully assumed was going to the case, but instead a gal type with the fake nails and pleat skirt. i enjoy that its a different way of doing a look for miku we've seen plenty of times before

BUG TYPE MIKU - 6/10 i don't hate it! very simple but very effective. i like the segmented limbs, the insectoid braids, the wing bow that looks like butterfly wings. i'm just not super enthusiastic about the colours. maybe i'm just used to bug types being Creepier in my head so to just have her be cutesy is boring to me

POISON TYPE MIKU - 9/10 this is such a baity designnnn the only reason i didnt give it a 10 is because i hate that shade of green but thats a personal issue. the plastic baggy shoes, the toxtricity, the mad scientist goggles and latex gloves... it all comes together so beautifully. idk if its like too busy or again, maybe i just personally don't love the individual colours used. i really hope elements of this design are used for a future character

GHOST TYPE MIKU - 4/10 i honestly don't like this design. yeah lets make the ghost type miku... a ghost, and nothing else. i think it's really boring compared to all the other ones. the glitch element is really cool but that's... all thats going for it? the colour scheme is the same, the neon is boring and i think everything is very stylish for pokemon but idk i wish it was more unique

DARK TYPE MIKU - 10/10 babe holy shit. this is a gorgeous design, i'm so happy they went an evil miku route with it. i was going to say i wish there was more red, and then i noticed the underside of the hat in the other concept so i'm happy. shifting the cyan to the bottom of the design is a really good call. she looks expensive as she should

STEEL TYPE MIKU - 10/10 absolutely beautiful colour scheme, shifting everything to metalic shades of blue is perfect. i think it's my favourite overall. very strong typing without them just doing Robot which i assumed. LOVE the metal braids with the welded patches the most, and i jsut noticed theyre kind of shaped like leeks. the charm on the sandogasa and the arm/calf guards really bring it all together

FIGHTING TYPE MIKU - 8/10 the black, white and orange is gorgeous and i love the splash of green connecting to sir farfetched. i'm just not inlove with the leg split tbh, i think if it was a cape i'd like it more. i think my main drawback is idk it doesn't scream fighting type to me other than it being based on the pokemon

DRAGON TYPE MIKU - 9/10 AND IMMEDIATELY MY PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED. the cape really completes the knight motif of this design perfectly where i think the previous one lacked. the scale decor jumpsuit, the gauntlets and boots, the SWORD MIC and the tail braids. they really did keep getting better and whilst this isnt my favourite its such a strong finisher

[dragontamerno3]

DS9 S2 E20 - Maquis (Part 1) Very solid episode, thoroughly enjoyed it. I was thinking about taking a nap but I don’t think I can sleep after that cliffhanger lmao I do NOT want to like Dukat. I am putting my foot down and dragging my feet at the idea, but man I liked everything about him in this episode. From the way he snuck in and just appeared in Sisko’s quarters like a disappointed parent after a kid stayed out too late. The fact that he seemd genuinely appalled at the idea that Sisko thought he’d hurt Jake (tbf, I agree with Sisko here, but that’s a different thing entirely), to how he led Sisko to the issue without telling him what was up because he knew Sisko would never fully believe a Cardassian telling him that the Federation was starting a war. He toyed with Sisko in a way that ultimately harmless by joking about not being able to help fly the ship only to reveal seconds later that he already knew everything about the Runabouts. The way he stood up against the unknown Cardassian ships, actually pissed that there might be someone out there fighting Federation ships as blatant and public as they were (he didn’t say that but I doubt he’d be as angry if they did so in private), that too made me think he had more sides to him than Big Bad Evil Cardassian Overlord. Hell, he even admitted to having kids leaving him somewhat vulnerable. Fuck this man for making me like him.

I personally love shots/scenes were it all seems everything is fine and dandy before the world is rocked with a shit storm. I like it when we’re kicked into the action rather than when we fall into it so the scene were Kira and Jadzia are kind of joking about dates and general life stuff was chefs kiss to me. 

Also, this is just a side note, the dude who planted the thing on the Cardassian ship looked too much like Reg Barclay that I had to pause and check to see if it was him (later they named him so I didn’t have to) cause I did NOT have Reg joining a terrorist group on my bingo card.

This was another one of those times where I wasn’t sure if he was projecting too hard, if its a case of “Starfleet officers are all a step away from becoming murderhobos”, or if this was me being able to read too deeply into this but Hudson what suspicious from the second he arrived. He was trying WAY too hard to get Sisko to see how much the Federation had “abandoned” the various colonies, he didn’t seem shocked to find out that Samuel caused the destruction of the Bok’Nor (though he did seem surprised at his death), and he was way too level headed when the others wanted to start a fight in the meeting room. Everything about him said “I’m a leader of a militia.” I don’t blame Sisko for not seeing it, though, the man was seeing red just from the idea that all of this was happening and they were using HIS station to do it.  

To be clear, I fully think those that stayed behind in the treaty line (so in Cardassian space) do in fact have a right to defend themselves, but the moves made in this episode were straight up terrorism. They took the fight out of their home and involved people that had no dog in the fight. They endangered an entire station that is home to thousands of people, potentially, with their actions.

With the Vulcan lady I kept expecting her to be revealed as a Romulan as all of this is way more Romulan behavior than Vulcan, but I guess there are exceptions to every rule. I can appreciate the fear/hesitation Quark felt when she started to talk business with him. His morals are thin and often non existent but there are times when it’s clear that he does not want to be doing things and his face was screaming “what have I gotten myself into” after she told him. Kira’s stance is honestly to be expected but I was kind of disappointed at how little faith she has in the Federation after all this time.

And Odo basically wanting a military state for the station also doesn’t surprise me but it made me wonder how he could consider Kira a friend but still want to hold up the same laws that oppressed her people. Throwaway lines and thoughts that don’t entirely mesh with the rest of who they are.

8/10 - can’t wait to see where this goes

[runwayrunway]

would you say aviatsa with the colourful scribbles is a gay plane? i dont think it is intentionally gay but when i opened their wikipedia page on mobile it did give me "lgbt rights in honduras" as a related article lol

Oh I've never heard of this airline but they have FISH PLANES. Which is another thing I'm sort of collating. So I guess they're going on the to-do list.

The stripes aren't in the right order for this to be a gay plane I think. I maybe don't like it in general it feels like someone was testing a marker to see if it worked while using it as scratch paper and I think the blue lines at the front (perhaps from a ballpoint pen) don't help that. I think this could be good if they made more of the scribbles cover more of the plane but confining it to the back is sort of strange.

tbf the lighting in the above picture is pretty bad. What's interesting to me is that the colors here are in a different order, which means the plane was very slightly asymmetrical laterally. It is the same plane because they only have the one. The other side looks better but still like bad design, D+ design in my own opinion. Shame because big rainbow scribbles could be so good and the tails on their own look pretty nice. As with many colorful planes a large chunk of my problems are that they stopped short of making it as colorful as it needed to be.

I have no clue why you got that recommended because the wikipedia page is like three lines. It might be that really uncanny thing where AI crunches what you've been reading/saying at lightspeed to come up with searches. I really really hate that. As far as I can tell the only controversial thing Aviatsa have done is maybe accept government bribes to fly routes, which, like, they're an airline. That's the thing that airlines do. The entire history of civil aviation is airlines getting exposed for shady deals with governments or manufacturers or both at once. Fork found in kitchen.

[partialbirthabortion]

Hey! Where did you visit in Pakistan? I'm going to live in Turkey for a few months next year and I have family friends visiting Karachi at the same time.. they invited me to fly there to meet up with them (they're originally from Karachi so familiar and can show me around) so I was thinking about doing that + being solo there for a bit. But I'm not very familiar culturally, I'm in my mid 20s and female, and my family friends were happy to invite me but sort of perplexed by my wanting to and essentially said it would be really challenging for any US tourist. I've been India before and that point will have also lived in Morocco for a few months.. but they have me feeling hesitant about it.. just wondering what your experience was like

Hey! This trip I was in Karachi, Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border, but I've also done Lahore, Mohenja-daro, Balochistan and also to Wagah for the border ceremony! Gilgit and Hunza Valley are on my list. I lived in Karachi for several years and graduated high school there, and my parents still live and work there, so I'm very culturally competent and my listening comprehension for Urdu is, like, passable enough especially once I've been back in the country for a few days; all this to say, my experience there is definitely different than yours will be! If you have spent significant time in Muslim-majority countries like Turkey and Morocco, and also have been to India, I think you are more likely to have a comfortable time than most. You'll frankly probably land and think, yeah this feels like South Asia but Muslim, and you'll have a good grasp pretty much right away.

Many people will stare at you. Many people will talk about you openly. Many people will ask for pictures with you or take pictures of you WITHOUT asking (for the record, I say yes to women and children and no to men without women or children around, because men will touch you in ways I KNOW are culturally taboo while taking a photo). There's no queuing culture and can be a lot of shoving. Traffic will feel tremendously hazardous. There are not very many women out and about in most places, especially outside of cities. Pakistan is very poor and petty theft is very common. You have probably experienced all of these things before and will be totally fine! People are very genuinely excited to meet you and are hugely hospitable. It can be a lot of fun and a really wonderful experience depending on your own risk tolerance.

I will say, having lived there, there just isn't a ton to do in Karachi besides eat. It's a desert on the ocean. It's incredibly hot, it's dirty, it's infrastructure is old and during monsoon sewage washes back onto the street. It's not a tourist city at all. If your family friends live in Defense, it will feel wealthier and more westernized, and if they live in KDA or Clifton, it will feel a little less so.

In Karachi I would suggest: The Mohatta Palace Museum, Empress Market (for the bazaar experience), one of those good barbecue places on the beach, Jinnah's tomb, renting a beach hut on one of the semi-private beaches for a day (and riding a camel or convincing a performer to let you hold a mongoose), Javed Nihari and if you do absolutely no other street food (which will often make you sick tbf), you HAVE to go to Yusuf Kebab and get a bun kebab special.

In Karachi I would AVOID: going to the public beach. Do NOT do this, if your family friends are Pakistani they might not guess how bad it gets, but do NOT go to the public beach as a foreign woman. I have been three times and was sexually assaulted all three times, and have never had it happen to me anywhere else in Pakistan. You draw an immediate big crowd and it gets really dodgy.

As for solo traveling, I have solo traveled in Lahore and it was great! It's feels like a grand Mughal city, a beautiful blend of architecture, historical sites, good food, and juuust enough tourist infrastructure to be accessible. I stayed in a hostel and had an amazing time, never felt unsafe, and liked some of my roommates so much we went out together several times. Islamabad is beautiful and very safe (crawling with foreigners) but it doesn't feel like the rest of Pakistan at all, and it can be really expensive. It's the only place I would suggest going into the mountains as a solo traveler (The Monal is an amazing mountain top restaurant) although I hear Hunza Valley can be okay during tourist season. Mohenja-daro would be totally fine but I don't know if they're open since the flooding earlier this year. You could do Wagah as a day trip from Lahore but it's a big time suck and there's nothing to do besides the very short border ceremony. I would definitely NOT go to KPK or Balochistan as a solo female.

[danwhobrowses]

WWE Extreme Rules 2022 - Results & Review

So it's time for WWE to get EXTREEEEEEEME again, with a PPV that snuck up on me tbf. I thought we had another week, but nope the show is already in the books, so let's get a match-by-match rundown of the show

Spoilers for the PPV, you have been warned

I skimmed through the Kickoff btw. Booker T being NXT Commentator makes me wanna watch NXT less to be fair, most of what Book says in and out of WWE is just twod. Also had to be reminded that Logan Paul is getting a world title match...eurgh.

Overall, no matches on Kickoff so no reason to watch.

The Opening Package for a dumbass kid on a Spelling Bee was weird, the stage was a bit uncreative it's just a big screen.

Good Ol' Fashioned Donnybrook The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland & Butch) def. Imperium (GUNTHER, Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser) [Pinfall by Sheamus on Vinci via Brogue Kick] The White Rabbit graphics showed up during the brutes' entrance, cameramen did struggle early to keep track of the match. It was mostly a battle of numbers between Shamu, Dutch and Sundance against WALTER, Giodude and Wilhelm, Imperium having the early control, there was some good team offense from the Ringkampf guys, but of course Shamu's big face turn is what commands the crowd energy. There was callback to the SD match when Vinci cracked Sheamus with a shillelagh while he had GUNTHER locked in a cloverleaf but this time it was broken up. The match was physical but it was limited on its weapon usage until the final third when it was Shillelagh's flying around everywhere, Irish Cross on the announcer's table kept GUNTHER down for Sheamus to brogue Vinci who was held down by the Brutes. Good match to open with.

The Miz/Dexter stuff showed Gritty the Hockey Mascot following Miz throughout the show, mainly to set up a Raw segment, Miz attacked Gritty finally and then Dexter jumped him to save the mascot.

SD Women's Championship Ronda Rousey def. Liv Morgan (c) [Submission via ??? Choke] - NEW CHAMPION Ronda didn't have a huge pop really, it was muddled as she came out in a pink Gi and a UFC outfit with 'Submit' all over - if that wasn't gonna telegraph her plan of attack, bad makeup too. Liv came out in Extreme Rules colors and a Bat, she did get a better pop than Ronda in spite of her shitting booking. And Shitty booking is what we got, with Liv needing a weapon to exude confidence while Ronda toyed with the champion, reversing any attempt of offense she had. I think the longest time of advantage Liv had was a minute, maybe two right at the end. The finish was, messy, Liv hit a table senton and then Ronda just comes to life with an armbar, Liv powerbombs her into the table shards for another 2, then Ronda - still doing the hold - struggles to shift her position into what looked more like a Dis-arm-her but also using a table piece to sell it like a triangle choke and Liv passed out. It was weak to be fair, because Liv looked weak and then she's laughing in defeat. The two worked well but the match was wrong, the only consolation is that Liv still remains over, so she can rebuild.

Strap Match Karrion Kross (w/Scarlett) def. Drew McIntyre [Pinfall via Kross Hammer] I'm still unsure about Kross with hair tbf XD but Scarlett of course serving in her outfit. Pre-match assault while Drew is strapped built some heat as they brawled in the crowd and then eventually back to the ring where Drew has to strap Kross to start the match officially. Kross zoned in on the shoulder using the strap, Drew eventually hulked up though, Scarlett macing Drew after blocking a Claymore and then Kross hitting the Kross Hammer. It was a bit of a slow match really, right result and well worked but weak finish: I would've brought the White Rabbit back here.

Raw Women's Championship - Ladder Match Bianca Belair (c) def. Bayley Bit weird to see Nikkita Lyons be highlighted in the crowd, given how she's barely a big deal in the NXT Women's Division. At the very least Bayley saved some time to feud with her forever enemy: Michael Cole. The match had a great pace, starting with both sides simply trying to distance their opponent to climb the ladder, then both sides using the ladder to keep their opponent writhing. Belair hit a KOD after dodging Bayley using a part of her knee brace but Damage CTRL got involved, she got a scrappy double KOD, I think Kota held onto the ropes too long. Belair got to show her strength by lifting the ladder while underneath it, then hit a KOD onto Bayley again who was holding a ladder (bit miffed why she didn't drop it) to climb the ladder. I expected Belair to win because of WarGames coming up, it was a good match but could've gotten more, made Damage CTRL look weak that Belair was able to solo them.

I Quit Match Finn Balor def. Edge Balor came out in a full-face spike mask which was weird, why hide that handsome mug? The refs and Balor act like they've never seen an I Quit match ever, pulling the microphone for general submission moves and regular wrestling offense that wouldn't get a tap out or 3 count. We went into the crowd again where Edge got a hockey stick for area pop, using it for a crossface for a while. I wonder why there was so many people at the gate tunnel, like why aren't you at your seat? After driving him nuts first, Balor used the railing downstairs and a steel chair before returning to the ring. Commentary had been good all show with ECW and WCW references, but Corey ruined it by saying 'Frankenstein didn't intend to make the Monster' ...I mean, he did, he stitched up a corpse to bring it to life. Edge fought back by using a chair on Balor's legs and then an Edgeucator, but then Priest and Dom showed up to save Finn. Rhea then cuffed Edge to the ropes before he could Spear Finn, leading to a 3-on-1 assault and Finn smacking Edge with a Kendo Stick. Rey finally showed up to attack Priest and Finn but Dom beat him down, so Beth Phoenix came out using the Kendo - somehow faring better than legend Rey Mysterio - before Rhea stared her down, Beth speared Rhea and uncuffed her husband to hit Prist with a spear, low blowed Dom for revenge, Speared Finn 3 times and prepared the Chair rod Crossface. BUT, Rhea brass knuckle'd Beth and after Priest's South of Heaven and 3 Coup de Grace, they blackmailed Edge to quit by threatening Beth with a Con-Chair-To. He quit, then they hit her anyway.

The main negative I have is mostly how much they waste Rey on this feud, who is back alive in time for the match to be over because WWE book him as the most ineffective babyface in the world. There's not wanting to fight your son and there's this, he showed up late, ditched the chair he was holding and dropped to a punch in the face, it's not what I like to see from the guy who got me into wrestling. Otherwise this was a good match - perhaps dragged a bit long but right result and outcome.

Fight Pit Riddle def. Seth Rollins [Submission via Triangle Choke] Bronn Breakker was in the crowd for this one, that one made more sense as a champion. Seth came out in the blue RVD uniform, guess maybe a marijuana slight against Riddle? Riddle took over most of the start of the match, expected since he's been in all 3, but Cormier seems to be a bit too physical for a ref, especially for a No DQ scenario. Seth kept going for the 10 count, including an off-the-cage splash, but Riddle kept getting up and responding to his smack talk. Cormier may've botched a little not counting when Riddle got hit with the stomp, the delayed count led to Seth trying a Super Stomp but missing, then hiding up the elevated platform. Both used the extended environment, Seth hit a Pedigree but Riddle wasn't in the ring, so Riddle hit an RKO and Rollins rolled back into the ring, leading to a big Floating Bro which hit Seth pretty hard. Riddle got a triangle and even though Rollins tried to slam Riddle to release he buckled and tapped.

After that Bray Wyatt returned as the White Rabbit, to a big pop but nobody's surprise. People dressed as the funhouse characters in the crowd as well as the Fiend, the old Funhouse set with cobwebbed and dead characters was shown before Bray came through the door on the stage in a new mask to close out the show.

The fight pit was a good main event, Cormier needn't have been there though and it was undoubtedly overshadowed by Bray's obvious return. I am worried that we returned Bray with little purpose but it can easily be fixed. Overall it was a good show, true it was predictable but that's not always a bad thing, I think we could've gotten better out of everyone with better booking, since no match blew me away, especially for Liv and Drew. But everyone performed well and you'd at least get your money's worth.

[quietbluejay]

Wolfsbane 7

i have to admit i cackled at the "it's alive!" Haley couldn't resist that one, huh

and back over to the Wolves, Horus again is the only one showing actual tactics sending out the skitarii to fight the scattered SW groups around the ship and focusing the legionaries on the big battle Bror is internally complaining that this is cowardly

some banter in between Bror's squad about the skitarii

Bror Bror you were the one being an asshole to people like everyone else wasn't sunshine and roses but you were the one picking fights with people

good for them! (they killed Flokr) oh no what a pity bror's squad has walked into a trap you know it's funny to me that i started the book wtih an open mind willing to be sold on Russ and the Space Wolves and now I'm openly rooting against them well i mean tbf I'm always a sucker for the underdog and the skitarii/other Trisolans are definitely the underdog here the ship itself is fighting them by rearranging its corridors

and bror's out of ammo and he breaks his sword he goes down under the thralls im rooting for them he's got a gun to his head and then they don't shoot, someone orders them to stop BOOO the rest of his squad is either dead or badly wounded

Cawl gave the skitarii and thralls their free will back this fight would have been so much more interesting from the skitarii POV honestly you come to consciousness, you don't even know where you are, who you're fighting, or even who you are fighting for, you've defeated a bunch of space marines

unfortunately, the surviving skitarii are going to fight alongside the surviving space wolves they leave the space wolf with a broken spine behind also the writing was misleading there's 3 space wolves still moving

and now the epic battle between russ and horus

they'd sparred before, but obviously that was nothing like this battle it's not about the trying to kill each other, "it was a question of power" horus is warp-enhanced russ is…???? i guess not??

okay yeah this was just some wonky phrasing because it went from third person omniscient and talking about both of them to third person limited and russ's POV

okay Russ IS specially warp enhanced the spear "the weapon lent him arcane power of his own" the spear is also enjoying being used i feel a little bad for the spear if it's got feelings imagine you're a very cool spear and you finally find your forever home but your owner doesn't like you but i guess the spear is finally getting the spear equivalent of scritches sparks fly every time their weapons touch and they land on all the tapestries lmao everything is now on fire

lmaoo

horus: i know the truth of the primarchs! and i have to tell you! russ: i know the truth of the primarchs! and i have to tell you! but i won't, i'm going to stab instead!

like russ you guys were talking did you consider telling horus

[skyborne: To be the slightest bit fair, if it's world shaking and ridiculous enough, Russ may not have thought Horus would believe it without the Spear forcing the truth on him]

this is true but also it's yet another example of the book betraying its own half-baked promises i realize my language here is harsh

okay time for more cliche dialogue Horus got Russ in the shoulder

he resists, though Horus is in shock Russ: I do not need to win a phrase that really needed workshopping: "plunging the eager tongue of his blade into Horus' guts" HALEY WHY what a cursed image of the spear

this is worse than curze lasciviously licking an ipad

MOVING ON Horus is glowing

Horus is "screaming light" after a bit everything subsides and now horus is missing the unholy aura

and then Horus stabs Russ again and throws him across the room Horus tells Russ he could have killed him if he hadn't hesitated where??? where did he hesitate maybe it's just that Horus thinks he hesitated???

"blah blah when you get ripped apart after your death you'll realize i was right" russ is injured in a way that echoes how he was injured on his spirit world trip

i'm rolling my eyes the cheese in this book is not doing it for me anyways the space wolves continue to throw themselves at horus to try and stop him finishing off Russ

man where are all these space wolves coming from enough to bury horus also, lmao and now over to bjorn who is fighting chaos space marines including insect head guy

i believe that's called irony it's a desperate battle vs the sons of horus and we're expected to believe that enough of the space wolves managed to break through and get to horus enough to dogpile him? ok "like children trying to save their parent from an ogre" i'm not going to feel sympathy here haley

Bjorn gets to Russ

ok grandpa let's get you to bed

anyways they're retreating

yeah they should not have gotten out of this

they have like no trouble finding their way out despite it being established multiple times that the corridors are shifting and the ship doesn't like them and is also full of people trying to kill them who are coming from all sides

im going to bite him it's the only language they understand

russ when he laughs as he kills his brothers space marine sons: cool horus when he laughs as he kills his brothers space marine sons: evil

bror is apparently mowing through sons of horus then he gets the order

they're all deeply spooked that russ might be dead i really hope the skitarii live and follow the space wolves but i feel like they're not going to

again, this just makes russ look stupider anyways they finally hit a quiet patch time to loot bodies

rare W for Bror bror: all of the legions are monsters, some are just more open about it somehow bror's squad doesn't lose anyone i mean anyone more since they were up against the skitarii back to Bjorn and I think it was a mistake to have the two street-level space wolves be named Bror and Bjorn russ is doing…okay one of russ' commanders sacrifices his helmet for bjorn so he can get through the bit with no atmosphere and now, Bror runs across Abaddon welp the justaerin did a vaudeville entrance, incredible

bror: come down here and fight me abaddon: nah he just has the justaerin shoot them lmao "the last thing he saw was Ezekyle Abaddon's smile"

as opposed to the last 3 chapters and of course horus was delayed long enough for them to get onto the stormbird ramp but not long enough that he doesn't show up at the most dramatic moment the wolves are apparently sending a blizzard of weaponry at horus, though given they've been dropping like flies and regularly mentioned as running out of power/ammo i'm a little confused as to where they're getting this from intrusive thoughts tell bjorn to jump out of the stormbird lol

i'm going to have to reread the battle sequence to figure out where he hesitated when on earth did he have a clear shot and NOT take it??? he had one good shot and he gave it all he had what is this rewriting history both of them are doing

ok????

okay im going back and checking over that scene

[is horus possessed or not]

it [Wolfsbane] can't make up it's mind both things are somehow true it's a metaphor for Russ's cognitive dissonance

going back and yeah he was pushing it with all his might hence the cursed sentence which was like 2 sentences back from this bit

still not seeing hesitation

maybe he was supposed to get back to stabbing here and he stopped? and that's the hesitation? that is literally the only thing i can think of

[given how strained russ is described as being, and even primarchs have physical limitations...]

the whole next bit is russ being like "is this the real horus" horus: yeah but i still wanna go full chaos horus: you shouldn't have hesitated

i think this is an error in editing/proofreading because i've done this before where i planned to put in something/add it later and then wrote later stuff that referred to it

and then my beta is like "bluejay where did this happen???" tsk. sloppy. okay having "resolved" that back to Bjorn, the entire stormbird is full of wounded space marines really the only reason they got out of the ship was Russ' plot armour and the only reason they're going to get out of the system is Russ's plot armour and Cawl STILL has not interacted with the main plot

how do the space wolves still have enough people left to take brutal casualties his large ships are also blowing up there's some descriptions of ship deaths that are very reminiscent of the battle of endor

also the vengeful spirit is now directly gunning for russ' flagship

[zumpietoo]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtUvpdqKDiI/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

Okay, so yes, CabanaPee IS still a thing.....but this IS also soooperrr weird and creepeee.....I get it’s meant as Midsommar (tho it isn’t close to “mid-summer”), buuuuttt.....they look like they’re in a fucking cult. Which, TBF, PP is, soooo....

Also, even then, trying soooo hard for the cameras. Should Cabana Boi be veryyyy afraid if the Peepster is crowned May Kween?

Meanwhile....

Oh myyyy.....also, I’VE “settled” for Ari? Ummm.....

And while, yes, she’s unquestionably in a cult.....never said she was the worst (that’s you idiots over Cole) and I wish she’d actually work on herself, be able to legit move on (it’s been three years!), etc.....and be in a relationship with somebody who isn’t a Walmart Cole....and, honestly? Continue to find it weird how y’all define “happiness” solely on being in a relationship, cuz doesn’t work that way....

Ummmm.....I’m not exclusively “in app”, anybody can “read my arguments”, like you....despite being blocked repeatedly. I’m sorry you’re too stupid to grasp how shit works....

Actually, “this fucking thing over in a week” (it’s two, but close enough) is precisely why the Peepster’s carrying on as she is, makes me wonder why you’re here, certainly not why my job ended.....and jeebus chris Amy, grow up. And stop stalking me.

I will say, pretty sure you’re upset that your kween’s about to fade into oblivion....and, again, if it’s all over (and “nobody can see it”) why so upset and desperate to control?

Ummm.....see above....moar like the clock is ticking down fasssttttt.....it’s mere days before she neverrrrr sees him again. And no, a very temporary Walmart Cole won’t help that.

When did she “smile/stand close to him”? Cuz that’s just fucking creepy....

Umm.....she’s depressed and it’s untreated....plus....didn’t you claim the exact same shit the last time she was fucking a dude? Until he was outed as a total cheater? (and we’d already seen how “happy” she was when wasted/dragged around and ignored...).

Funny how Cabana Boi doesn’t “defend” her to his friends who despise her, but just pretends it didn’t happen, cuz he’s THAT big a fucking coward....and his “criticism” of Cole? A sad tiktoker seeking attention over somebody waayyyy moar famous than he can ever hope to be.

Seriously, dude’s entire identity is based off looking like Cole, now dating Cole’s ex, etc...it’s pathetic. And Cole’s ex is with him because he looks like Cole AND he made fun of Cole....which is pathetic, sick and really gross.

I will agree, PP is able to shoot off her yap all by herself....

Ummm....

A) Cole’s been classy for years, now, PP hasn’t. He answered A question.....and even then was nothing but gracious.

B) If PP were “being the bigger person”, she certainly wouldn’t have endorsed her flying monkees and she wouldn’t be with the dude whose only claim to fame was bagging on her ex. Or become all chummy with his ex who used to stalk HER. Seriously, dude, do the fucking math.

C) Again, she knows she’s never seeing Cole again, in 2 weeks and she’s fucking terrified

D) Done the work? Cole’s been in therapy and in a consistent, happy, healthy relationship for over 2 years. PP’s off drugging and is in a cult. Ummm....how has she “done the work”?

E) No, she hasn’t “moved on”----she should’ve, because, again, it’s been over 3 years, but she hasn’t. Because if she had NONE of the above would be true....yet they are....

Oh and for “thriving in her career”----if the strike happens, her chance to stay relevant blows up. She didn’t do anything last hiatus and she’s heading rapidly into irrelevance....

Oh and lastly? it’s horrifying how, once again, you can even now only define her by having a boyfriend and pretending it’s “dating up”

[autumn-foxfire]

This is like the FUNNIEST thing that could ever happen. Now we know the very surface-level Steven 🤝 Hawks, they're both from Fukuoka, have an elemental acquaintance (water vs fire) like shiny stones (canon vs headcanon) in their 20s, the region's babygirl, allusions to freedom as a character theme, the sky, likes flying, resting poker face but can smile like the sun, etc, get up to vaguely morally grey stuff in canon and connections to a big organization in their respective series with some semblance of acting skills and being snarky (in the Jpn anime at least, game Steven is a bean) like things done fast (his dad calls him impatient) young child they guide a little who impresses and eventually surpasses them, assumed to be living in money but is actually very minimalist and all their dialogue is melancholy sad and beautifully poetic sometimes, but NOW? Do you remember Sherlock Hawks and Dr. Jeanson??? Well Pokemas is releasing a Mystery Event a Le "Blue's Clues" (fun fact the guy in that show is also named Steven) AND THEY GAVE STEVEN THE SHERLOCK HOLMES DRIP an outfit straight out of a murder mystery novel, he's got the hat and the Stoutland, all he needs is to be leaning on a brick wall smoking out of a pipe as it rains somewhere in Paris lol.

(+) Can't believe I forgot the most obvious similarity, their names are literally KEIGO and DAIGO. And I just remembered, that iconic scene where Hawks puts his palm up like "oop, talk to the hand-" as he hides behind his jacket, Steven does something similar in the Special, after saying something the other person didn't like. The sillies...smiling in front of an audience before dropping it for a hard-look after looking away or when you're not looking...that can be argued for ORAS too, not just in front of Lysandre. (When the player looks away to reach for the letter, his smile drops, and is up again when you look back. Which tbf, is normal human behavior than why Hawks does it.) But the emotions just hit you know? When you see that light of hope and seeing understanding and potential in their eyes? Just recently in the anime with Hawks, the scene where people finally learn some common decency and empathy, and Steven's line of, "I feel like I've only just begun to see the shape of the world." Just those narratives you feel??? 🥺 They have their dreams, and they can finally see them. So their voice changes too. (Literally, I was listening to Steven talk as his "base" pair with Metagross vs SS Steven with Deoxys and they sound so different, in the same way Hawks used to talk about his dream until he finally got so close to it. He sounded so young, I wanted to cry. And I watched the ep with Nagant finally, and just realized they played sounds of a children's music box??? HELLO?! But in a rhythm that sounds like it's trying to "speak" words, and each time it played it stopped on a different note, aaaaah. It was chilling.)

It's not surprising we can find similarities between Hawks and Steven as we tend to be drawn to characters with similar tropes. Steven and Hawks are our babygirls (I'm adding Zhongli in here too though).

Characters who have been through a lot and yet are still determined to be a light of hope for others and guiding the next generation are some of the best.

[the-final-sif]

By the way, whenever someone asks for Ponk and Dream interaction, it's always the same person, it's always me. I'm very starved and your aus are the only food I've had in years

Tbf based on tags I have an idea of who you are, and I don't mind supplying the c!Ponk and c!Dream interact.

Extra tidbit:

c!Ponk post c!Dream-remembering-how-to-not-be-a-feral-ender-dragon is a bit sad about losing his dragon friend. But he understood it wasn't going to last forever. Still, Ponk keeps a stock of fresh fruit easily accessible for anyone stopping by, and if he sometimes sees someone keeping an eye on him from the shadows or an extra set of potions show up at his doorstep, well that could be anyone.

There's an understanding between him and Dream that it's safest to keep their distance. The rest of the server basically accepts that Ponk's friendship with Dragon Dream was simply a matter of possession of fruit. Nothing deeper that needs to be examined. Nothing that needs to be held against Ponk in the long term. That's the easiest answer.

But then Ponk is out adventuring and does something stupid. He takes a nasty fall and hurts his leg, damages his flesh arm, and is generally pretty busted up. It wouldn't be such a big deal, but he's far from the main SMP, nightfall is coming, and he's got no shelter. Sure, it probably won't be a canon death, but is sure going to be a miserable night. c!Foolish is on the other side of the SMP and he's asleep by now.

So, out of desperation and knowing he's up towards the arctic anyways, Ponk sends a message to an old friend.

There's no reply. No evidence. But after less then half an hour, there's a familiar beat of wings. Quieter now. Purposeful.

Ponk closes his eyes in relief as big, delicate talons scoop him up out of the ravine he fell into. It's awkward for the Dragon to half-fly half-clamber out while holding him, but Dream manages all the same.

Once they're out, there's a healing potion wrapped up in a leather pouch with toothmarks being carefully dropped into his hand. Ponk takes it and it works wonders, stitching up most of the damage but leaving him exhausted. The Dragon won't let him sleep just yet, prodding him until he climbs up onto it's back.

They don't fly- Dream is still too small for that. Ponk isn't sure if he's just always going to be small or if he still has some growing to do. Instinct says it's the latter. Ponk wonders if Dream might take him flying one day, if he gets big enough? He's not sure. He's not sure if either of them will live that long.

For the time being, Dream races through the trees. Light on his feet despite being an entire dragon carrying a full person on his back. They aren't headed back to the main SMP. Almost certainly for the best, too many eyes there. The air grows cold, and Ponk finds himself grateful that Dream has decided to be warm. It's enough to ward off the chill in the air.

After they break the treeline into an open Tundra, it's not long before the Syndicate's cabins come into view. Ponk's never been particularly close with any of them, but he's never had a bone to pick either. When Dream skids into the settlement, landing lightly, Ranboo is the only one to open his door. Eyes purple, and a smile on his face. He sees Ponk after a moment, smile faltering before he looks to Dream.

Vroops and whoops are quickly exchanged between the two before Ranboo nods and moves to offer a hand, one that Ponk gladly takes. He's lead inside where it's warm and safe and there's a couch that looks just fine to spend the night on. Even though it doesn't appear like Ranboo is speaking English at the moment, Ponk offers his thanks anyways.

When Ponk looks outside, the dragon is gone. Footprints slowly being erased by the falling snow. Not a trace left behind of what happened, except for the memories. Sometimes it's better that way.

[liyuesbian]

obscure date ideas with the genshin girls !

contains: modern!au with eula, beidou, jean, hu tao, yoimiya, mona

notes: hmm not sure if i should've kept it in paragraph form... tbf the paragraphs might've been a bit too long and chunky i think? ah well

eula

eula had had a rough day at work so you propose a walk around the park.

hand in hers, you come across a pedal boat hire at the lake.

you'd never been on one before so you offer your best puppy eyes to persuade her to join you.

as expected, she admits defeat due to your adorable countenance.

when you hop into the boat, you jokingly tell eula that you'd save her if she ever falls in but you're the one refusing to even glance at the water!

your girlfriend chuckles and thanks you for your courage though.

while you're pedalling, she tries to steer your mind away from your uneasiness by talking about things like the nearby moorhens and pigeons and how unnecessarily big swans are when they stretch their wings to fly.

you give her a toothy smile, appreciating her efforts.

unfortunately, her steering of the actual boat isn't so impressive.

you almost crash into the reeds and about twenty five minutes later, your collision number has risen to ten and you're almost late when returning the watercraft.

you're about to cheer her on for a successful "parallel park" but a sudden jerk of the vehicle increases the collision number by one once again.

beidou

her head in your lap.

her hands in yours.

beidou can't think of anything more pleasant.

you both had quite a bit to drink and so decided to cool yourselves off at a beach close to your airbnb.

occasionally, your talks of future holidays and past happenings would be followed by silence.

but a comfortable silence.

a silence that wasn't attached to any kind of pressure.

she could fall asleep listening to the silence.

however, you had different plans.

earlier on, you had insisted on taking a dip in the water but beidou had stopped the scheme—neither of you had brought swimwear and it would be such a pain to go home in soaked clothes and drunk to top it all off.

so when your lover lowers her guard, you take it up as the perfect opportunity.

you ease your legs out from under her head and run into the sea.

beidou scrambles to stand up, tailing you and yelling curses.

one splash of water leads to another and before you know it, you're both on the bus, silently apologising to the next people who choose to sit on your seats.

jean

maybe having a date in ikea wasn't your best idea.

you sigh.

you had lost jean in the stampede of people.

it felt like you'd gone back to being a toddler, losing your mum in the local grocery store.

instead of looking for the blonde woman, you stroll through the aisles looking for decorations for the house the two of you had recently moved in.

admittedly, your home still looks a bit bare which is why you thought a furniture shopping date would be perfect: efficient and... romantic?

to bide your time, you scour the shelves for potential purchases.

oh! these pillows would match perfectly with our couch.

our.

the word hits you hard and you find yourself unconsciously grinning from ear to ear.

we're—or should i say i—am shopping for our house, our life together.

you could cry at this revelation.

it's not long before you hear a missing person announcement over the tannoy of the department store.

you laugh under your breath.

the voice belongs to a person you're certain would be very worried by now.

hastily, you pick up the pillow set and head towards the nearest employee.

once you're reunited with jean, you leap into her arms to tell her about your most wonderful discovery.

hu tao

you never would've thought that laser tag could be such a violent game.

you and hu tao are being absolutely dominated by the little kids.

they run around everywhere, making it more difficult to spot them in the dark.

you could give up now from how worn out you are but seeing your girlfriend chase after the children in playful villainy is worth the fatigue.

wanting to take a photo to capture the endearing memory, you search for a corner to hide in...

that is, until you get jumpscared by someone who had found the hiding place before you!

the receiver fixed to your vest begins to flash and vibrate, indicating that you'd been caught and your attacker has gained a point.

hu tao giggles and helps you up—you conclude that it'd be better if you team up.

after the stressful game, you both leave the arena to check your ranks on the score board.

to her delight, hu tao finds that she's managed to rank first place!

but your celebrations are interrupted when a small boy strides towards said winner and shouts with his chest puffed up in outrage: "i don't like you!"

neither of you know what to say, your mouths hanging open in shock but when he makes his escape, you both fall to the floor howling with laughter.

yoimiya

your favourite song is playing on the radio and you're dancing in your room, half-naked, with your favourite person.

yoimiya wears your clothes while re-enacting the 'lay all your love on me' scene from mamma mia.

you laugh at her antics and pull her up from the floor.

the theme for the next outfit is "formal" but the pyrotechnician grabs a baggy t-shirt and wraps your duvet around her body saying she "refuses to become a capitalist slave!"

however, her protests are met with disappointed pouts (yes, you would love to see your girlfriend in a suit) so she eventually gives in.

you rummage through an open suitcase lying on the carpet with yoimiya's garments scattered inside and successfully pull out a suitable outfit.

halfway through changing into a white dress shirt though, yoimiya clings onto your waist and hauls you into the bed.

you squeal and try turning around to face her but her grip is tight.

your beloved showers you with compliments, rambling about how cute you look in her clothes.

she presses soft kisses onto the back of your neck and you can't help but squirm at her touch.

"yoimiya, stop! it tickles!"

mona

the camera starts recording and you nudge mona to tell her to start the introduction, which she does.

you're following your mum's recipe and you certainly didn't want to let her down.

the astrology enthusiast clumsily holds the camera up to your face as you go through each step of the cooking directions.

you scold her for this since the objective of the video is to showcase the drink—not the chef.

but mona shrugs, saying she was simply recording what she thought the viewers would like to see.

in response, you blush furiously and cough.

from the corner of your eyes, you can see mona stifling a laugh with her hand.

you make a mental note to edit out your lover's remark and carry on with boiling the tapioca pearls.

after completing all the instructions, mona volunteers to be the taste tester.

you prepare two cups: one for you and one for her. you watch as mona's expression transitions to one of pure joy while she chews on a boba pearl, exclaiming something along the lines of how she's glad that fate brought her to drink such a delicious beverage!

maybe later on, during post-production, would you also realise that the camerawoman hadn't managed to take a single shot of the cooking for she only had her eyes trained on you.