#Maker's Ark

[docfuture]

Does Black Swan share any code or continuity with Vizier, Flicker's stock trading AI?

Why, yes. Yes, she does. 8-) One of Doc's purposes in allowing Flicker to use that aggressive an AI persona was to field test certain details that really needed someone very fast who could say "Hey, wait a minute, that's not quite what I wanted." Flicker helps Doc a lot with safety tests where speed is handy.

[illdothehotvoice]

Replaying Mario the Music Box with my roommates and.. yeah...hm

[caktoz]

Palworld is a good example that once again, dont just believe any tweet you see, do your own research

[artemlegere-art]

Noah's Ark

Artist: Edward Hicks (American, 1780 -1849)

Genre: Religious Art

Date Created: 1846

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Description

The biblical story of Noah’s ark, depicted here, is found in the book of Genesis (6:9–9:28). To punish people for their wicked and violent ways, God decided to send heavy rains to earth for forty days and forty nights. First, however, he instructed Noah, a righteous man, to build an ark for his family and two of every kind of animal. After the rains stopped, a dove sent out by Noah returned to the ark with an olive branch, proof that the floodwater had receded and plants could grow again. Then God created a beautiful rainbow in the sky as a symbol of his promise to never destroy the earth again.

This painting by Edward Hicks shows a long, curving line of animals approaching Noah’s huge boat. Prancing horses and a serious-looking lion stare out at us, while pairs of elegant, black-and-white-striped zebras, giraffes, camels, tigers, and hippopotamuses stand patiently. In the distance, tiny black birds fly down from the dark, rain-filled clouds overhead.

Edward Hicks learned to paint decorative motifs when he was apprenticed to a coach maker at the age of thirteen. Later he became a successful sign painter and a devout Quaker preacher. Although his business conflicted with Quaker beliefs-that art is a distraction and a needless luxury-Hicks considered his art to be an expression of his faith and created paintings that told religious stories. This is the only painting he made of the story of Noah’s ark.

[tyrantisterror]

A couple months ago, one of the kids at the daycare brought in a D&D starter set and asked me to DM a game for him and some of the other kids in my class. Now, I had considered doing this in the past, but written it off for a variety of reasons, mainly asusming it'd be a couple days of chaos before the kids get sick of all the math involved and lose interest. But if a kid broaches an idea and others seem on board, I feel it's kind of my duty to at least try it.

So far my assumptions have been... mostly correct? Like, 70% of my predictions have come true, it is chaos, ten-years olds are the most murder-happy murder hobo PCs you could possibly imagine, and they've really been pushing my improv skills to their absolute limits with the choices they've made (and the constrictions I have on me as a daycare teacher). But they haven't gotten bored with the math, and they absolutely love playing the game still, which is nice. I like it when my students are passionate about something.

Anyway, I bring this up because seeing how children play with D&D canon has made me realize one critical fact:

D&D needs a Mons Game spinoff.

Kids love monsters. This is not my bias, it is something that has been categorically proven to me in my four years of working at a daycare. Every kid loves the idea of weird, impossible creatures, and they love the idea of befriending a whole horde of those creatures even more so. One of my kids in the daycare D&D campaign is making it his goal to find and tame every monster he can find in the kid-friendly monster manuals I bought for the class. He wants a Tarasque and a Bullete and an Owlbear and on and on and on, and keeps proposing tactics for capturing them based on his time playing Ark: Survival Evolved, a game where you can tame dinosaurs and mythic beasts while trying to survive a wild world full of danger and obstacles.

And it turns out that, while the mechanics of D&D don't support this, the philosophy of how its settings are structured according to those mechanics does. D&D is filled with hundreds of wild and imaginative monsters, all with distinct appearances, habits, adaptations, and environmental needs. The need to make the "dungeons" part of D&D interesting has required it to build really interesting monster ecosystems, and, much like mons games, the need to keep players buying new content has resulted in them building a vast library of creatures, because selling $50 books containing a slew of new monsters is a pretty guaranteed way to get money. D&D may not be a mons game, but it's accidentally made its setting perfectly suited to be one.

And what a money-maker that would be! Skew it more towards a child audience in tone, use simpler mechanics so kids can hop into it without spending, say, three solid weeks of afterschool daycare time crafting character sheets more or less one on one, and you'd have a game that would easily hook a younger audience while planting seeds of interest into the bigger game.

Of course, there are already indie TTRPG mons games, and I imagine some of them are actually good, but unfortunately they're not exactly easily obtainable on a daycare teacher's budget. And, you know, they wouldn't let you make a team of a bulette, an otyugh, a gray render, and an owlbear.

But then again, Wizards of the Coast continues to be absolute bastards, so maybe this idea is too good for them. Which makes it a good thing they're never going to read this blog post.

[pinkanonwrites]

Been thinking way too hard about Earthspark's world implications again...

Do the Transformers get royalties for all their merchandise? The toys, the comics, the collectibles? There's no way people can just use their likenesses for walkie-talkies and coffee makers without permission, unless all the merch Alex owns are knockoffs. Does it go to the government? GHOST?

Bumblebee can't be accepting royalties for his merch when he's on the run. Does it go to Optimus? Does Optimus have a bank account? Can he list The Ark as his place of residence? Who balances the Autobot's books? Lord knows Optimus, Megatron, and Elita are far too busy to do it. Hopefully Prowl. I don't think Wheeljack is responsible enough to not be funneling money into his pet projects.

Does the Transformer themselves have to be there to approve each merchandising deal, or do they send a representative? There's no way they weren't making toys of the Decepticons to go against the Autobots, where did that money go?

I have a lot of thoughts about this. Probably too many.

[merakisphere]

Honestly, when I was a kid I had no idea what those transforming silvery-things were for. All I knew was that delicious tamales came out of them. Fast forward 30 years later and a customer unlocked my memory, just as I unlocked hers with my wire mandalas. Who else remembers either of these curious contraptions?

I don't make the tamale maker, but I do make the moveable wire thingamajig. You can visit my shop and my handmade products here:

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Can I ask for a quick run down on what damage ark has done?

ark: survival evolved has countless prehistoric creatures inside of it that are not particularly well known. when people search for information on said critters, ark results are often the first to come up. the way the animals are portrayed in the game, in terms of physical appearance, are extremely inaccurate. designs from the game have been replicated and used by many people, including professionals (such as documentary makers), for their own designs, perpetuating that inaccurate idea. Heck, the Stephen Fry documentary has Ark dinos.

the inaccuracies aren't trivial, when we're depicting prehistoric animals people do not have a frame of reference to compare them to to understand what they were like. If you draw an elephant wrong, people can look up what an elephant looks like, or see one at the zoo. we don't have that for the dead.

Instead, you look up an image, and you see what's on google, which is often yet more inaccurate images. And suddenly, someone has a very skewed and incorrect view of prehistoric life

then on top of that, because the critters ark has aren't well known, sometimes ALL the results on google are just inaccurate depictions from ark

this has real consequences. as a docent, I had just as many people become extremely disappointed when I told them that ARK had it wrong as I did Jurassic World.

why does reality and accuracy matter? well

reality isn't going away, and we have to acknowledge that. you can't just create a new one. we have the one and only reality and its consequences to deal with. see: global warming happening literally right now

the idea that reality can be whatever you want it to be or that opinions matter when it comes to facts is exactly how politicians and other people who desire control manipulate people. see the "fake news" phenomenon

people ignoring reality and how it functions leads to a variety of extremely bad things, including cults, hate groups, and - once again - global fucking warming

as such, anything that makes it seem like reality is more murky than we know - such as filling a google images result section with inaccurate portrayals - makes people question the fact that reality is, actually, unmoveable

in this case, birds being living dinosaurs and dinosaurs being portrayed accurately is extremely important for people to know because it demonstrates that humans are not actually the "main character" of planet earth, and we have to stop acting like it (there is no main character)

why do we have to stop acting like it? well, for one, the extreme amounts of destruction we've caused on this planet. for two, because we can go extinct, we operate under the same rules as all life (one such rule is more diversity = more chances for survival), and we have to stop clowning around and arguing about shit that doesn't matter and actually focus on repairing the harm that we have done to the planet and to each other

so yeah. that's why accuracy in paleomedia matters.

because reality matters.

and reality isn't up for debate.

p. s. I don't care that it's a fictional game that says its fictional, if people are coming to me with misconceptions from a thing and thinking they're real, then that thing has fucked up. end of story. and I had *so many* ark fans come to me at the Field Museum. so many.

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 54: Ancient World and Earlier

If you could travel through time, but only to see something for Research or for Fun, not to change anything, what would you pick? Yes, you may have a Babel Fish in your ear to translate.

These Questions are the result of suggestions a the previous iteration. This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct earlier time grouping. In some cases a culture lasted a really long time and I grouped them by whether it was likely the later or earlier grouping made the most sense with the information I had.

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration. All cultures and time periods welcome.

[eleventhhourfactor]

I don't have much to add to the Sonic 3 trailer discourse that many have no doubt already said.

But I do have one thing.

Maria's look has been updated to fit the 70s.

Look at that hair. Look at that fabric. Look at her! It's like some Partridge Family shit up in here, and I'm all for it!

Goodbye 50s, hello 70s. That's the new 50 years ago, and I'm glad the makers of this movie were sharp enough to make note of it.

Also, did she break her arm?? What the hell, y'all. I need to know why she's in a sling.

Well, since you ventured under the cut...

I have music to share.

Here's some playlists I made of various tracks from the 60s-70s, because Maria's Mixtapes would totally encompass whatever the crew brought on board, from the hits to the more obscure.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5lErY9CO6FsbCaxI2Wkg6n?si=whZ1pD2zRcyAoM_AsAZAAg&pi=wzwNglFnT4yLM

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7G9Ksa5dZSggj72JEcJfoq?si=fn7I_fW-RFi4t8eBEHCUhQ&pi=5yFhN6RfS-CtW

If you don't believe she'd be spinning around the ARK listening to these with Shadow, then what are you doing here?

Anyway, I'm hopping around like crazy. I made these playlists months ago. I had no idea if they'd actually be relevant.

[edenityy]

( chapter fifteen ! )

"Music? Oh— or croquet! Boating could be fun?"

Within the walls of Phantomhive Manor sit Leah Barrett and Elizabeth Midford, brainstorming ideas on how to satiate their boredom. Lacking the presence of Ciel to be a mediator and maker of the final decision, the two girls have spent the past ten minutes going back and forth. Still, neither seem entirely interested in each other's suggestions.

Sitting atop one of the lounges in the drawing room, Leah gently rubs her fingers across the material of her amber dress skirts. She is disengaged from the conversation, evident in how she trains her gaze on Elizabeth's canary yellow dress or the relentless way she presses her lips together. Perhaps had she stayed home to recuperate from her time at Noah's Ark Circus, she wouldn't feel so overwhelmed by mere conversation.

"Is it like you are not even listening to me!" complains Elizabeth. "How could you possibly not like a single activity I named?"

Effectively being snapped out of her trance, Leah swallows and reluctantly meets the blonde in the eye. "It is not that I reject your ideas.. It is just— does it not feel like we do the same few things as women? As if our options are limited. You can only have so much fun before you grow tired of it," her voice trails off towards the end of her sentence.

A sigh escapes Elizabeth, followed by a muffled agreement. Silence also fills the room and works to set a tone of slight discomfort, primarily on Leah's end, both girls letting their eyes wander to different spaces of the room.

Leah points a finger to her chin before glancing back up at her friend. "Horseback riding?" she suggests, not expecting a thrilled answer.

The Midford's face immediately lights up in a smile. "That sounds quite lovely!"

"You know how to ride, yes?" asks Leah as she stands from her seat and smooths out her dress skirt. "You can ride on my horse if not."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth follows suit and skips towards the door of the drawing room. "I believe I should be fine! I'm sure if I need help, you are capable," she grins widely.

"My Lady," Thomas interrupts before Leah has a chance to react to Elizabeth's words. "Riding can be dangerous. Surely there are safer activities you can do this afternoon?"

Stopping in her tracks, the young Barrett turns around to face her butler, face displaying utter irritation at the sound of his voice. "Thomas.. just get the horses and riding clothes. If it bothers you that much then ride behind us. Just keep quiet!" she almost raises her voice in anger.

Leah exits the room with Elizabeth on her tail, nearly stomping down the halls for the guest room she was given. Back in the drawing room, Thomas doesn't have the chance to respond before he must arrange everything, heading out of the room as well but purposely taking a different path to give the Barrett her space.

Walking down the halls, the teenagers have slowed their speed now that Leah has calmed, allowing Elizabeth to not have to exert herself to keep up. The sound of labored breathing dissipates as the brunette regains her composure, shaking her head to clear her previous thoughts of anger.

"That butler is so irritating.." complains Leah, moving her hair out of her face. Today the brown locks are styled half down with a braid going across the back while Elizabeth is wearing her infamous pigtails.

Elizabeth's face wears an expression similar to surprise. "He is not all that bad. All he did was suggest a safer activity."

The pair approach their rooms with small steps.

"I know. I think I let him anger me so much over trivial things that now Thomas merely existing seems to offend me.." Leah's voice fades, fully aware that her distaste towards the butler is unjustified.

Steps slowing to a stop, the girls enter their respective rooms to prepare for the afternoon ahead.

— ౨ৎ —

The grand doors of the manor are pushed open by Thomas who stands tall, a display of nature behind him, giving a false sense of security with the February air that nips at their noses. Stepping aside for the ladies, he watches them file out and make their way toward the horses he fetched and brought around to the front of the manor.

Both the Barrett and Midford wear riding habits, Leah wearing one in pine green while Elizabeth chose azure. Leah is the first of the two to attempt to get close to the animals, taking a peek at the horse's face before trying to mount herself, promptly being interrupted by the butler ten steps behind her.

"Allow me, My Lady," says Thomas as he arrives by her side, shifting himself to bend his knees.

Giving him an askew glance, Leah — with the help of Thomas — hoists herself up and places her foot upon his right shoulder. Thomas strictly follows the way to help a lady mount a horse, getting his master on the saddle and strapping in everything necessary. Settling down in her spot, Leah steadies herself on the horse and watches as Thomas assists Elizabeth before getting on a horse himself.

Leah adjusts her riding hat. "Your lead. I suppose we shall just go around the manor," she speaks up and sends a nod to Elizabeth beside her.

"Alright!" Elizabeth muses, slowly allowing her horse to begin a trot.

Following suit, Leah swerves her horse to position herself on the blonde's right side, acting as a stand-in man. Just a couple of feet behind the teenagers, Thomas keeps a respectful distance but acts as a supervisor, ready to intervene if necessary.

The ride is initially quite silent, only the faint sounds of rustling leaves or chirping birds fill the gap. Neither attempt conversation. Beneath them, the horses keep a steady pace and walk around the perimeter of Phantomhive Manor. Only occasionally does Leah glance in Elizabeth's general direction to ensure she doesn't fall from her horse.

Elizabeth glances over at Leah warily. "I am glad we are doing this. It has been some time since we have been able to be together like this," she smiles, trying to strike conversation without making her friend feel uncomfortable.

"Yes, I suppose it has been some time," responds Leah. "Life moves quite quickly, does it not?"

"It does. Soon enough, we'll be of age to make our social debuts. Then get married," Elizabeth has a face that reads of bliss for the future, unlike Leah who shows apprehension at her words.

Turning a swift corner, a breeze passes through the girl's hair. The atmosphere feels serene. Even being beside something as simple as a manor rather than the pure outdoors, it still manages to draw people in. Not far behind them, the shuffles of Thomas can be heard but go unnoticed despite the man watching them like a hawk.

"Sometimes it feels as though I barely got time to be a child.. but I suppose that is just how life is. We all have to grow up eventually," sighs Leah. Her disdain for the future ahead, no matter how prepared she could be, is clear.

Nodding along to her words, Elizabeth pouts in response but it is masked by something almost euphoric. "Well I am happy I get to grow up with you," she turns her head completely to drag her eyes across her friend's face, admiring someone who has been a constant in her life for years.

Leah's hand gripping the lead twitches and tears prick the corners of her eyes, bringing her head up to meet the green eyes of Elizabeth that hold nothing but fondness in them. For the first time in what feels like a long time, a genuine smile pulls at the corners of the brunette's mouth until her teeth show. Despite the internal issues she may struggle with when it comes to Elizabeth, she cannot deny that the girl is indeed her friend.

"I am grateful I get to grow up with you as well.." her face glows under the sunlight, a newfound sense of happiness that comforts the Barrett.

Returning their gazes ahead, the pair let their horses pick up speed and enjoy the feeling of the wind pushing against their face. As the afternoon wears away, they make gleeful — though sometimes forced — conversation and manage to hold onto topics. Even after months of little chance for interaction, Leah and Elizabeth can always somewhat keep the spark ignited within them, bleeding into the cold February air that envelops them like a hug that they cannot currently give the other.

— ౨ৎ —

Crash!

Leah shoots up in her bed with a gasp, the typically heavy sleeper awoken by the unpleasant — and unbelievably loud — sound of a noise that is uncomfortably close to her bedroom. Pushing the undone hair off of her shoulder, she sits up fully in a sideways kneel. Any further sound is nonexistent, making her tense up as she keeps her eyes trained on the door, despite her difficulty to see with only small gleams of moonlight being the lamp of the room.

Shaky breaths escape from her parted lips and she swings her legs over the side of the bed, reaching beneath the plush furniture to reach for a sword she keeps hidden. The cold floor pricks her fingertips while she blindly feels around before grasping the sword handle and gripping it uncomfortably tight, her knuckles would look white if her hands weren't already pale.

Rising from the safety of the soft blankets, Leah steadily approaches the door with quiet steps, keeping the sword held tightly against her back. Her footsteps are the only sound that reaches her ears, lifting a hand to wrap it around the door handle. Cracking the door open, she warily sticks her head out. Standing just a few feet outside the door, Finnian walks in a straight line in her direction, a small patch of blood shining beneath the light on the previously spotless floor.

"..Finnian?" Leah whispers, her hands clinging tightly to the door.

The gardener steps slowly as he stops before her door. "You should be asleep, My Lady! It's late, you need your rest," his words are quiet but his eyes are wide and pupils small, emitting an unnerving aura.

"What were those sounds?" asks Leah. Her eyes are equally as wide, but full of fear rather than the startling look from the typically cheerful gardener.

Finnian's eyes flicker to an undistinguishable emotion. "Don't worry about it.. We're taking care of it. Please get back in bed."

Shifting on her feet uncomfortably, Leah rubs her thumb over the handle of the sword in an attempt to make herself feel better. She opens the door a bit wider but Finnian stops the movement.

"What's happening?" the Barrett demands an answer.

"Please—"

"Answer me."

The sudden shift in Leah's tone is one Finnian has never heard before, stilling his movements. They both stare into each other's eyes. Silence.

"There is an intruder.. but please don't panic," Finnian whispers, unable to pull his eyes away from Leah's.

Leah's eyes trail over to the small pool of blood on the floor and her finger twitches. "Is Elizabeth safe?"

She is only offered a nod in response before gunshots sound from the end of the hall. Flicking her eyes to Finnian's, she glances out the door and runs down the hall, the sound of her footsteps pattering against the floor.

"It's dangerous, My Lady! Please go back to bed!" calls Finnian as he runs after her, surprised by Leah's speed.

Rounding the corner, Leah's breathing is slightly labored and her grip on the sword tightens at the sight. Standing at the end of the hallway is Dagger and Beast, staring back at her with wide eyes. Her steps slowly come to a stop and she can hear Finnian approach her from behind, unable to rip her eyes away.

"Diamond..?" Dagger's voice is low.

A shaky breath is the only thing Leah can offer in response, glancing warily at the knives clenched in his hands. 'What are they doing here? They aren't supposed to be here!'

Leah holds the sword to her stomach. "I'm sorry I lied.. I didn't mean to," she shakes her head at her words, tears pricking the corner of her eyes.

The circus performers glare, observing her uneasy stance with disdain. Against his better judgment, Dagger sends a knife straight past the Barrett's head and listens to her shriek.

"Prying into our lives. Take advantage of our hospitality. You nobles are all the same!" Beast's voice nearly becomes a yell and she retrieves her whip from her side, flashing it to frighten the teen.

There's a flash of something in Leah's eyes. Hurt. It only seems to last for a quick moment, her eyes darkening into contempt.

"You know, I did not think you people were all that bad. But it seems it stands true that the poor are only a burden," Leah clenches her teeth and wields her sword. "How dare you invade my home!"

Dagger and Beast hardly have a moment to react before the Barrett is charging at them, her feet pounding against the floor. Any previous anger she bottled up is released, showing in the swing that she aims directly for Dagger's head, only to have to dodge Beast's whip.

Hastily grabbing another knife, Dagger begins to swing and nearly cuts Leah's nightgown in the process. However, further attempts at injury fail when Finnian takes the chance to send a statue flying their way.

"Leave the lady alone," he calls out, voice lacking emotion yet a wide smile sits on his face.

Rubble and dust fill the air, prompting coughs but that doesn't deter the young Leah from taking the chance to swing rapidly at her targets. 'How is Finny capable of lifting those things? It doesn't matter.. He is giving me the upper hand.' She tries to steady her breathing as she lands a hit on Beast's arm, only to be forced to duck from a flying knife.

Eyebrows knitted in anger, Leah glances back at Finnian who holds another statue before dragging her eyes back to Dagger. "Would you like to make the fight fair?" she asks.

Throwing herself in the direction of a wall, she sticks her sword out at the same time Finnian chucks another statue, causing half of its length to shatter. Taken aback by this, Dagger and Beast don't get a moment to react before Leah violently swings at them again, almost landing a hit on Dagger before he is pulled back by Beast.

"You people are insane!" Dagger yells.

Finnian lifts a statue over his head. "We're just exterminating the mice," he pulls it back and sends it flying.

The circus performers continue deeper into the manner, but this doesn't deter Leah nor Finnian from chasing after them. Glancing behind him, Dagger grunts and throws a knife directly at Leah, missing when she ducks to the floor. But given the advantage, Beast can land a small hit with a whip on the Barrett's leg, only enough to cause pain but still reddening the skin.

Leah gasps and takes ahold of her leg, pain written all over her face as she watches Finnian throw yet another statue. 'Just where is he getting them from?' Nonetheless, she gets back on her feet and tries to follow after the pair flying down the steps but is stopped by the gardener.

"My Lady, please go back to bed. Us servants can handle it!" Finnian looks worried as he smiles down at the girl.

The Barrett pouts. "But—"

"Please.." he nearly begs. "For your safety."

A sigh escapes Leah but she nods, allowing her sword to escape her hand and drop to the floor with a rattle. Reluctantly separating herself from the situation, she heads off down the hallway and steps past the mess she helped create, lacking the will to feel sympathy for Dagger or Beast.

'It truly is a shame. I thought they were quite nice..'

When Leah rounds the corner and enters the hallway that leads to her room, her breath bitches at the sight before her. Thomas.

There is no face. It almost looks molten, like it cannot choose what form it wants to take until it settles on all black amidst the night. The eye holes are gaping and the teeth razor sharp, lacking the lips to keep them contained in it's mouth. His body— It's body is lengthy and mangled, only the legs seeming in tact to resemble any form of a human.

But just as quick as she sees it, the face uncomfortably melts back into the face she's seen since adolescence. Thomas. This can't possibly be Thomas though, can it? This isn't Thomas this is—

She lifts a shaky finger. "You're that thing I saw all those years ago.." Leah whispers, struggling to breathe.

"Whatever are you talking about, My Lady?" Thomas tilts his head, choosing to play coy.

Leah shakes her head and takes a step back, nearly tripping over her own feet. 'No..'

— ౨ৎ —

Cold. The night was cold.

Leah Barrett, freshly five at the time, ventured out of her room knowing that she was not meant to be doing so. That never stopped her though, she always enjoyed the feeling of being able to roam freely on her own. But she wished she hadn't that night.

The soft sound of her bare feet against the floor was the only thing to fill the silent halls, most of the servants were even retiring for the night. It was January. Barely ending the holiday season. The cold on her translucent skin hardly pushed her away, prompting her to walk further into the dark.

Children naturally hold curiosity. Leah was no exception.

She continued down the hall, turning a corner into a part of the manor she had hardly ever gazed upon. But it wasn't the dark she was scared of when she looked into the depths. It was an ungodly sight.

The molten face. The missing eyes. The mangled body. Little Leah cried out, taking the largest step back she could with her short legs. It twitched. To the creature, the young brunette was nothing short of wondrous. It spent years silently watching. Seeing the shining tears that fell down her porcelain cheeks, it was enamored.

But what was it? What invoked such feelings within a being such as Thomas? What was so interesting about a young girl? Whatever it was, the creature's interest had been peaked, unidentifiable sounds ringing out into the void.

Leah tightened her grip on her stuffed bear, breathing shakily and holding back noises of horrified sobs. She didn't even realize she was previously stuck in place until her legs bolted her back in the direction of her room, leaving behind the awful noise that only seemed to echo in her head.

Letting the sounds escape, the young girl ran directly inside her bedroom to find Anna who was no older than twelve at the time.

"Mistress, I was just about to start looking for you. What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" the maid questioned, leaning down to try and get a better look at the child.

The attempt to examine Leah was a failure though, as she immediately collided with her and wrapped her short arms around her legs. Loud sobs rang out and Leah's tears began to stain Anna's dress, the bear previously in her arms was discarded to the floor.

Anna's eyes widened. "What is wrong, Mistress?"

"I saw a monster!" cried Leah, streaks of tears painting her cheeks.

Picking up the small girl, Anna brought her over to her bed and sat her down on the plush blankets. "There, there.. Monsters don't exist. I'm sure you just thought you saw something in the dark." she tried to reassure the child but the lack of emotion on her face was clear.

"But—" Leah tried to counter the maid's argument.

"No buts. Now please try and sleep, Mistress. It is well past your bedtime. The nannies will be upset if you are in a terrible mood tomorrow," Anna stroked Leah's hair and settled her beneath the covers.

The young Barrett couldn't find it in herself to protest any longer, the weight of her exhaustion having hit her the second her head felt the pillow. Beside Anna, Leah always felt safe. But whatever Thomas was.. it haunted her for many years to come.

— ౨ৎ —

Moonlight streams in through the windows, illuminating Thomas' blonde hair and the strange look painting his face when he notices Leah creating distance. Her discomfort is undeniable though, shakily stepping away from him and unable to control the volume of her breathing.

"I— I need a moment.." Leah whispers, unsure of what to say but takes off for the balcony.

Thankfully — or perhaps not so much — the balcony is close by, the fresh air flooding Leah's nose and almost calming her. The wind blows through her hair, the leaves rustling in the far distance. The atmosphere is nearly perfect. 'Surely I'm just going crazy. Yes. This is all a dream. None of this is real. None of this—'

"You know you're not supposed to be around balconies unsupervised, My Lady," Thomas speaks up from behind her, standing in the entryway. "It would be a shame if we were to have a repeat."

Leah's breath hitches. Staring down at the ground beneath her, her body tenses. It only gets worse when Thomas approaches and places a firm hand on her shoulder, his eyes matching the look Finnian previously held. Empty.

The butler's eyes drag across her face. "I would advise you to step away. It is time for you to rest."

Moving back in an act of defiance, Leah's hand hits the edge of the balcony. Stiffening, her eyes connect with the butler staring down at her, unable to form a sentence. It all came rushing back.

— ౨ৎ —

She was awake when she shouldn't have been. She knew that. When is she ever asleep when she should be?

It was a cold April night, silence throughout the house. Not even the servants were awake in Barrett Manor at this hour, only a fourteen-year-old Leah occupied the hallways.

Her movements were slow and coordinated, almost as if she was being controlled. The hems of her nightgown brushed against her ankles, mimicking a small spring breeze.

Approaching the balcony, the young girl took in a deep breath and stared down at the ground below her. It was far. At least eight yards. Leah took a tight hold on the edge, her hands twitched and shook.

A small tear escaped her eye and fell down her cheek, illuminated by the moonlight that shone above her. Lifting a leg to settle her foot on the balcony's edge, Leah stood tall amidst the world below her. It was peaceful. Serene.

'Why am I doing this?'

She swayed back and forth.

'Would it all be worth it? For..'

Leah closed her eyes and allowed her body to fall forward, feeling the air whip across her face as she plummeted towards the ground.

'Sweet release.'

This peace was short lived though. It was all Thomas' fault. Right into his arms, she fell. A grunt from her end, feeling the appendages wrap around her in a tight hold that she hadn't felt in forever.

"My.." Thomas starts. "What are you doing awake at such an hour?"

The Barrett's eyes slowly opened, blue staring straight into the grass as they filled with disdain. "I hate you. I really do," she muttered.

Thomas stared down at the girl in his arms, a sadistic smile forming on his lips. Walking with a shake of his head, he took off for her bedroom, finding the predicament oddly entertaining.

'I just wanted to feel peace.'

— ౨ৎ —

"No!"

Leah shoves back against Thomas, almost throwing herself over the edge of the balcony in the process. Her breaths are shallow, only worsening when her butler grabs ahold of her wrist.

"It is bedtime," says Thomas as he swings Leah over his shoulder with ease.

The girl protests, the faint sound of continuous gunshots becoming quieter the closer they get to her room. Pounding her fists against Thomas' back, he appears unfazed as he forces the door open and places her down on the bed.

Throwing the blankets over her, Thomas moves back from the bed. "Goodnight, My Lady."

Shuddering under his gaze, Leah gives up on fighting back and settles her head against the pillows. She watches Thomas step out of the room and shut her eyes, trying to forget everything she's just seen. It was nightmare fuel.

Sadly her attempts at sleep are interrupted by the sound of an explosion, startling her and earning a rattled gasp. Sitting up in her bed, Leah gets up for the second time that night and shakily approaches the door. 'Elizabeth is surely fine.. The sound is too far for it to have affected either of our rooms.'

"Leah," the voice lacks any emotion. "Get back in the bed."

Pausing in her tracks, the brunette turns her head over her shoulder. There in the corner of the room is Thomas. Standing there in the chilly night air, staring her down. 'I thought he left..?'

Leah cannot bring herself to defy this time. The look in his eyes is much too threatening, she feels uncomfortable beyond belief as she shuffles back over to the bed. Getting under the covers, she keeps a grip on the blankets and stares at Thomas warily.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asks with a shaking voice, keeping a tight hold on her blanket.

There's a silence that overcomes the room for a moment, almost as if Thomas is thinking before he breaks it. "I would never," he doesn't lie.

"Please go away.." whispers Leah.

A hum sounds from Thomas, looking at the girl in the bed before closing his eyes. Slowly walking towards the door, he turns his head over his shoulder one last time.

"As you wish."

[sincerely-sofie]

Hey Sofie, just wanted to drop by and say it’s always a treat to see your name pop up in my dash.

Your writings are the first ones I’ve actually been emotionally invested in on this website, and I can’t wait to see where you’ll go with the cast of TPiaG. Or with others, who knows !

Sidenote : how have you not received a Dark-Type suggestion yet ? We need Ark on your gym leader team ! And Ruby as your pet/mischief maker.

Thank you so much! That means so much to me! I’m so glad I was able to have an impact on you through my writing. It’s a dream come true for me! ;w;

As for me being a dark-type gym leader…

[6-and-7]

Hues of June 15 Doctor Whooves in An Unearthly Filly! Bonus, I've hidden one reference to every TV First Doctor story in this image -- how many can you spot? (Answers below the cut) (Monochrome TV version also below the cut)

An Unearthly Child - The whole Junkyard, but also pipe, top of lower left crate The Daleks - Anti-Radiation drugs, upper left The Edge of Destruction - Scissors, lower right Marco Polo - Backgammon set, right of TARDIS The Keys of Marinus - DE3O2, upper left The Aztecs - Gold bracelet, middle right The Sensorites - Sensorite Poster, upper right The Reign of Terror - Guillotine, upper right

Planet of Giants - Telephone, top of lower left crate The Dalek Invasion of Earth - TARDIS key, middle right The Rescue - Spaceship Poster, upper left The Romans - Harp, center left The Web Planet - Spider & Web, middle right The Crusade - Flag, upper middle The Space Museum - Penny-farthing, above Barbara's head The Chase - Camera, by the Doctor's hooves The Time Meddler - Viking helmet, upper right

Galaxy 4 - Chumbley, just below the Viking helmet Mission to the Unknown - Varga plant, upper edge above Ian's ear The Myth Makers - Trojan Horse, right of the Doctor's tail The Daleks' Master Plan - Mavic Chen Poster, above Barbara The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve - Bell, between Ian and the TARDIS The Ark - Monoid Poster, left of Barbara's tail The Celestial Toymaker - Trilogic Game, directly under mannequin hoof The Gunfighters - Cowboy hat, upper right The Savages - Big clear box, behind Barbara The War Machines - War Machine, lower right

The Smugglers - Pirate hat, upper right The Tenth Planet - Cyberman Poster, upper right

[girlactionfigure]

🔘THE PENTAGON SAYS, GOOD MORNING FROM HEZBOLLAH - Real time from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

✡️Shabbat Parshat Noach (Torah Portion “Noah”) - Genesis 6:9 - G‑d instructs Noah—the only righteous man in a world consumed by violence and corruption—to build a large wooden teivah (“ark”), coated within and without with pitch. A great deluge, says G‑d, will wipe out all life from the face of the earth.

( VIDEO - IDF demolishing Hezbollah town used to launch extensive attacks on Israel - Kfar Kila, street by street. )

💧RAIN tomorrow with strong wind in most of the country.  Prepare for the first rain on Shabbat.  ( For those overseas, Israel receives seasonal rains, for most of the country there has been no rain since last winter - people store things outside that can be water damaged until rainy season. )

▪️NEWSPAPER CEO SEMI-APOLOGIZES.. (Amit Segal) Owner Shoken made a reserved apology. He did not retract his call for sanctions on the State of Israel, does not say to whom did he meant are freedom fighters? Hamas in Judea-Samaria? Islamic Jihad? Shoken read his words from the script. Suddenly he "reconsiders" his words. Amazing what an advertiser and subscriber boycott can do.

▪️NATIONAL BUDGET.. The Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar decided to vote against the state budget: "The treasury decided to delete the cultural bodies and sports support in Israel." ( The budgetary battles over must-have vs. nice-to-have vs. ministers defending their area will go on through the end of the year, due to war finance pressures. )

🔹PENTAGON SAYS.. The Pentagon: American Defense Minister Lloyd Austin talked tonight with Defense Minister Yoav Galant about "opportunities to reduce regional escalation". In a telephone conversation, the two discussed the demand of senior American officials to reach a solution to the situation in Gaza and Lebanon and to prepare for an Iranian response to Israeli attacks in Tehran.

♦️The IDF in an unusual official announcement: "Hezbollah rockets killed 7 civilians yesterday, Hezbollah attacks cannot go unanswered.”

♦️LEBANON - widespread wave of attacks overnight in Beirut, and Nabatia after evacuation warning.

♦️LEBANON - IDF airstrikes and artillery and the firing of more than 20 phosphorus shells in the area of ​​the Al Khayyam village detention center. A Lebanese source explained that the area of ​​the detention center is at a high point that allows fire control in the area.

♦️SYRIA - Syrian report, IDF forces attacked about half an hour ago Iranian militia sites in Kusayr in the western countryside of Homs.

⭕Overnight 2 INTERCEPTIONS OVER EILAT, suicide drones from Shia Militias Iraq.

⭕DRONE FROM IRAQ Shia Militias intercepted over Syria.

⭕HEZBOLLAH says good morning with a ROCKET BARRAGE (at least 20 rockets) at Upper Galilee towns.

⭕JUDEA-SAMARA.. 3 armed terrorist groups claim to have carried out 3 shooting attacks in the last few days in northern Samaria and in the northern Jordan Valley.  

.. IDF operating in Kalkilya and Shechem overnight - firefights!

🔸CEASEFIRE NEWS.. Lebanese origin: Great anger at the US envoy Amos Hochstein who did not even contact the decision makers in Lebanon before leaving the region yesterday and returning to the US.

[sonic-oc-showdown]

ROUND 2

Genesis belongs to @peachiesnake

Squabble belongs to @sonic-adventure-3

Find out more about them below!

Genesis the Hedgehog:

Genesis is basically the project made before Shadow that went horribly wrong! Like a bit too much of the alien juice was used and he turned out Incorrect. His fits of destruction hit heaviest when his emotions were at their peak and in order to keep everyone on the ark safe his project was shut down. (He IS still Shadow’s brother) His personality when he opens up is very fun and silly but he’s typically locked in a soldiers mindset and silent to the point of selective mute! He really loves taro, and despite being an ultimate lifeform he doesn't speed around like Shadow or Sonic, it makes him motion sick. I don’t know how much is too much to give but I can tell more if you need me to!!

Squabble the Pigeon:

incredibly cheerful untrained pilot and mechanic for a trio of freelance postal workers/hitman. LOVES airplanes and explosives and tinkering and package delivery, is a chronic pipe bomb maker, and has a boundless joie de vivre. she operates on cartoon physics, and has a messenger bag that functions as a hammerspace where she keeps her exposives, revolver, second identical revolver that pops a flag, bazooka, and everything else including the kitchen sink. incredibly cheerful and completely lacking in common sense or a coherent moral compass. about twelve, and on the short side.

[deimos-awaits]

DEIMOSIAN REVIEW OF THE FIRST EXPLORATOR FLEET

<<<TRANSMISSION FROM DEIMOS HISTORICAL ARCHIVES…RECORDS WRITTEN BY MAGOS-HISTORIA ESTHER-MENDEELVEE ∆12.56π…UNSEALED BY ORDER OF THE HOLY INQUISITION, ORDRO MACHIUM, INQUISITOR SERAPH SERAPHDOTTIOR…105M42>>>

What can be said of the First Explorator Fleet of Deimos? To say anything of what has been called “Boats Full of Xenarites” and “The Best Damned Explorators This Side Of The Eye of Terror” Our beloved Deimos itself must be discussed even in brief. REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED. 

Deimos has long been a smaller Forgeworld by the standards of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which gained most of its raw material from what remains of the Solar System's asteroid belt and Kuiper Belt. However despite being smaller in sheer size and output that has made Deimos no less hungry than other Forge Worlds. As the munition makers of the Grey Knights the forges of Deimos have never been allowed to fall silent lest the Great Enemy find any weakness in the defenses of Holy Terra. It was established by taking one of Mars moons from its orbit and moving it forward Titan, before establishing a Forgeworld upon this small rock that grew equally outwards and in. One method of growing the surface area of the moon has been to bring other asteroids close enough that they might be added to its mass, leading the once small moon to be a network of hallowed out asteroids stitched together by human artifice and holy machinery. This has lead Deimos to be approximately REDACTED across and REDACTED percent the size of Holy Mars. 

Like every other Forgeworld the rediscovery of blessed STCs is paramount in the minds of masters of Deimos and thus the creation of their exploratory fleets. These fleets, each led by an Ark Mechancius, lead the way in search for archeotechnology.  Established as an semi-independent force by the Fabricator General REDACTED REDACTED of Deimos very soon after the establishment of Deimos as a Forgeworld.

In more recent history the First Exploratory Fleet has had two Magi Domini. The first was Magos Domina Omega Bellerov-1.0 and Technoarcheologist Magos Domina Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0.

Fabricator Minoris Magos Domina Omega Bellerov-1.0 was originally the techpriest in charge of the Purgation Maniple which undoubtedly tinted her perspective about leadership. Bellerov-1.0 was a plastisteel fisted ruler. Under her command skitarii, servitor, and techpriest alike were seen as utterly disposable to further the will and reach of the Omnissiah. They led the fleet for around two hundred standard years bringing back approximately three STC fragments to Deimos for study. However after an encounter with the Word Eaters Legion Warband known as REACTED, Bellerov began to grow eccentric but still functioned well within parameters. However, for nine standard decades after this, Bellerov-1.0 began to abandon the pursuit of STC fragments instead chasing down Slaaneshi dedicated cults including THE BLESSED GUARDIANS on Erophant III. 

Erophant III would be Magos Domina Omega Bellerov-1.0’s last stand after nearly 56.43% Skitarii, 80.31% servitor, and 23.48% Techpriest casualty rates, the fleets ruling Synod launched an investigation. Due to knowledge gained from serving the Grey Knights, Bellerov was deemed corrupted by KHORNE and promptly REDACTED.

Following this the oldest priest serving became the ruling Fabricator-Minoris Explorator of the Fleet as decreed by the fleets Synod, and Technoarcheologist Magos Aleph-Gimmel became Fabricator-Minoris Technoarcheologist Magos Domina Explorator Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0. 

Under Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0’s leadership 7 distinct STC fragments have been found. Further three Necron tomb worlds have been discovered and reported to the wider Imperium and novel weapons added to the arsenal of both Adeptus Mechanicus and Grey Knight forces. However her propensity towards the usage of Eldar and Necron technology has began to stir up declarations of REDACTED.

Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0 has utilized these two combinations of technologies after a meeting with Belisarius Cawl in order to form practical antipysker personal shielding that was spread within the First Explorator Fleet, however it's construction of necrodermis and wraithbone has lead most non Deimosian Techpriests that learn of it too decry it as hersey.

Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0 displays a knack for finding STC fragments to support her with that has lead to many supporters previously here on Deimos to claim that she was blessed truly by the Omnissiah. Further information can be found in LINK_MISSING. The First Explorator Fleet has also come to the aid of the Grey Knights with the resurgence of the Demon Prince ANGRON as the fleet Synod now holds a grudge against the chaos power known as KHORNE. 

However, it was the trade with the LEAGUE OF VOTANN KNOWN AS THE TRANSANDROMEDIAM COOPERATIVE for resources in addition to rumors of PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS that has lead to Fabricator-Minoris Aleph-Gimmel Bellerov-2.0 and the majority of her supporters to be declared by the Fabricator General Xenarite and Cawlian. In addition her supporters would be on a two hundred year penance crusade to recover lost technology before they could return to Deimos with the First Fleet. This was declared in 846M41. 

Organizationally, this Fleet, at last broadcast, was know to follow common organization of a Deimos force: a Skitarii-Infantry Maniple with three Cohorts, a Scout Maniple with three Cohorts, a Cybernetica Vanguard Maniple with three Cohorts, a Purgation Maniple with two cohorts and a independent Command Cohort run by the most senior tech priest present. The Command Cohort is usually comprised of choice selected unit by the leading priest. The Skitarii-Infantry Maniple are lead by two Skitarii Marshals and one Skitarius Preator. The Cyberntica Vanguard is typically run by any datasmith present and is composed typically of kastalean units and kataphron servitors. The Purgation Maniple, after Omega Bellerov-1.0’s REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED 

The Purgation Maniple, is led by a Manipulus not a Magos Dominus under any circumstances.  The Scout Maniple is led by autonomous Serybus and Sicariian Units. 

Further the First Explorator Fleet itself contains is known to contain two Ark Mechanicii, the Sigilite’s Anger and Deimos’s Cog, and at least three Metallica class Factory Ships which allow it to maintain base levels of self sufficiency in prolonged void operations. In addition the First Explorator Fleet was accompanied by the battle barge of the Ironsong Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, a flotilla of the Imperial Navy lead by Admiral Ezekiel Bendavid from Terra’s Pride, and a collection of Deimosian Knight houses. 

This lecture on the First Deimos Explorator Fleet REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED and REDACTED REDACTED 

REDACTED REDACTED. Omnissiah bless and preserve you. 

<<<TRANSMISSION ENDS>>>

Well. That was most informative. Further search will be needed to determine how much of Magos-Historia Esther-Mendeelvee ∆12.56π's work is correct. Tracking the history and trail of the First Exploratory Fleet before it went to REDACTED will hopefully be less laborious if records are similarly kept. Unclear as of yet what audience Magos-Historia Esther was writing for, next avenue of investigation will be interrogating them tomorrow. Will be sending word to investigate Erophant III, which is located within the Imperium Nihilius. Reports of the fleet's activity have kept circling in from the Imperium Nihilius which does at least suggest they are still active. 

Praise the God-Emperor-Omnissiah

Inquisitor Seraph Seraphdottior signing off.