#Oculus Island

[timaxxo]

YOOO Guys, I'm still alive! It's been a long time I know, tho I have been really active on Twitch.

My life has been a huge roller coaster like no jokes. But I'm slowly trying to prepare everything so I can come back again. I have had a full time job and now I have a part time jobs so yeah, I have also been super depressed so finally after the long wait I have gotten some meds I can take.

I also opened up a RedBubble so don't forget to check that out! 

I was thinking of abandoning some social medias so I could focus on the others, as I have noticed that it get quite exhausting administrat around 10+ social media accounts, Discord server and everyday life XDD

I'm a mess with my art atm, but I'm getting back there! Otherwise Thank you so much for sticking around while I was gone for so long. Hope you follow me through my journey and have a great time!

Cya in the Next one Bya Byeeee!

━━━━━━━━▹☽ ☾◃━━━━━━━━

[planetflanagan]

Warning - spoilers for Oculus below

The mysterious mirror which was found in the hold of the Bay Breeze when it docked 6 weeks ago is now thought to have connections to the Gunning family. The history of the mirror known as “The Lasser Glass” has been uncovered by our very own local historian Dr Sarah Gunning – and with it, a shocking Gunning family tragedy.

Dr Gunning's aunt, Eliza Russell, left Crockett Island with her 4 year old son in 1968 after her husband Peter died in a boating accident. It is thought she argued with Sarah's mother Mildred before she left, and the sisters never spoke to each other again. In the months before her departure Eliza also refused to set foot in St Patrick’s Church, where she had previously attended regular Mass.

Dr Gunning says that she has never understood what caused the rift between the two sisters, and that sadly she is now unlikely to learn, as her mother is in the grip of dementia.

"I researched the mirror, it's so unusual it was fairly simple. And it turns out I have a personal connection," Dr Gunning told us exclusively, "I'm wondering if my mother must have made arrangements for it to be sent to us before her illness, or if someone sent it to provide her with a keepsake of the family she lost."

Dr Sarah Gunning at her home yesterday

The "loss" she refers to is the tragic story of her estranged cousin, Alan. In 2003, just weeks after purchasing the mirror at auction, Alan and Marie Russell were shot dead by their 10 year son, Tim. Tim was sent to an institution, but upon his release in 2014 he brutally murdered his older sister Kaylie using an elaborate mechanical device. Heartbroken twice over, Eliza died in 2015.

Kaylie and Tim Russell being interviewed by police in 2003

After being found in the hold of the Bay Breeze in June, the mirror was taken by local teacher Ms Beverly Keane to be used as "the perfect prop" for the Crock Pot's own theater group, The Crockett Island Players. Their next production, The Haunting of Hill House, will take place in October in the new Pruitt Community Centre. Proceeds from ticket sales will be put towards the fund to send beloved Monsignor John Pruitt to the Holy Land.

Ms Keane says "I'm delighted that, given its unsavoury, truly awful history, Dr Gunning has decided to leave the mirror with us at the presbytery until the community centre is complete. While she's not a regular figure at church like her dear mother was, she will be contributing to the Monsignor's journey to the Holy Land by helping with our wonderful play. Our very own Dolly Scarborough will be portraying Eleanor, and I just couldn't be more excited to watch her go mad - especially with this mirror as part of the scenery!"

[viajarconrosana]

NUEVA YORK, DESCUBRIENDO LA GRAN URBE; Por Rosana Saburo

Nueva York fue la puerta de entrada a la segunda visita a Estados Unidos, una gran urbe, conocida, famosa, muy filmada, con grandes símbolos, la ciudad que se reinventa para continuar siendo la más diferente. Uno de sus símbolos es La Estatua de la Libertad, ubicada en La Isla de la Libertad, Liberty Island, su silueta desde el ferry gratuito que une Manhattan y Staten Island era grandiosa,…

[sgiandubh]

Señorita Nothingburger

🎶When you see her, say a prayer /And kiss your heart arse goodbye 🎶

Lauren 2.0. Wow: after The Paid Companion, The Wannabe. Unlike the first round of revelations, this time the output has been totally disappointing. Very few things and zero context, which I have to say I was totally expecting, because it didn't exactly fit the agenda being pushed by Marple (amen!). Lightning never strikes the same place twice, right? And then, we had The Follow - a very interesting foolish, yet telling move: but on this, a bit further down the road, mind you.

So, let's ask ourselves along with La Ciccone: '¿Quién es esa niña?' For once, his IG follow has been very explicit:

Leading whoever to this account...

Elix Wellness is offering a very specific range of treatments, of which the one for hangovers really got me interested:

And yeah, even if I have apparently been scooped out by Marple on this one (my bad for sitting on it for a day), shamelessly using my patented methods (that is a lame joke), Lauren 2.0's LinkedIn account is, for once, very clear:

Her contract as a Travel RN was over by August 2023, as pointed out across the street:

And then she decided to go independent and open her own company. So, by far not a hooker - decent education, even, at NYU.

Lo and behold, who had Ibuprofen in his hotel room, in May 2023, when they were spotted on that NY Soho terrace, having lunch (didn't we laugh? you bet we did, it was one of my first posts in this fandom!)? S, of course. Hangovers could use both ibuprofen and a good IV cleansing treatment ( see above - such a common offering in that particular town, soon to be out of fashion - but hey: if she believes it can bring money, not my problem).

But... dating her? Not a chance in hell. You see, just a cursory survey of her IG account between the moment her contract as a Travel Registered Nurse was over and the moment her company started to be active, reveals a very busy Mediterranean summer, hitting all the possible cliches:

Before ending that contract, even, some days in Paris with her real interest, (again) checking all the tourist/romantic tropes you can imagine, from dining at the Au pied de cochon restaurant to having a quick macaron bite in the Luxembourg Gardens...

... then off to Paros, a posh island Greek destination, very much in vogue with the creative crowd, followed by (we are talking mandatory island hopping, here) Mykonos (unapologetically posh and very expensive, LGBTQ+ friendly destination - also beloved by the glam and glitz crowd)

Oh, hello Soho Roc House, part of the Soho Houses network - rings a bell? What a small world, really.

... a couple of days in Rome, followed by some quality family time (Mom and Pop, at a minimum) in Puglia, then Croatia (again, the glam crowd of Hvar island), back to Paris for a girls' trip (Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower and a couple other spots in the Marais and around the Rue de Rivoli - cliche forever):

... then back in Rome for cacio e pepe pasta, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon oculus (artsy girl, told you), followed by Positano and Capri (with Mom and Dad, again). Nothing to write home about, but still trying to sell herself as an up and coming influencer of sorts, perhaps.

Nowhere near S for the entire 2023 Sassenach Summer Tour. How is this equating with dating, that is really beyond me. Seriously. For instance, just before the second sighting, in NYC (June 10, 2023), she was having fun in the Algarve region and Lisbon (of course, Portugal). Probably posted those pics upon her return to NYC:

Dating? More like convenient pretext. He knew people would hang around that hotel (fans, autograph hunters, etc), especially during OL promo peak time. And he knew someone will take that pic, which was then conveniently placed in *urv's lap, for lengthy talks and more innuendo. Just as the first sighting was conveniently placed in Marple's inbox, to see if topic garners interest and sticks around/can be reused for further shits and giggles. Innuendo and nothing more would be my best bet: neither *urv, nor Marple had ANY positive idea about who she was, back at the time.

And now, the third drop was again placed in Marple's inbox, because attention had to be redirected to this particular gossip topic, in rather dire circumstances following Lauren 1.0.

And for your information, she does not follow S and he does not follow her. But he follows her newly opened joint: hangovers are a bitch, I know.

Why? I think it is clear enough why.

Who dunnit? I will let you draw your own conclusions, really. Again, it is rather plain to see. My belief is that this is not TPTB. And for once, I do not think he met her via Raya. Nope.

I took one for the team and listened to that podcast (if you are very foolish or brave or foolishly brave, you can do the same here: https://youtu.be/vBmcnhe2kwg?si=rRu5YCLHS3eZhuFs ). I mean, what is WRONG with those women? That is legit 14 year old bullshit talk about relationships (or the immature impossibility to have a satisfying one). They essentially explain in that podcast they have trouble decoding 'the man' in some relationships and the way they play out. I was laughing so violently my abs (or lack of them) hurt. At some point, I even thought it was some sort of sophisticated second degree, but NO (#cringe).

Also, I think I should be burning my pineapple pajama summer pants. Seriously. If you listen to the whole bullshit, you'll see there is no damn way to substantiate anything based on that. Zero connection.

[dim14thlight]

guidingkey Liked ▴

Blurred days with sora’s friends , other with hers . Skull split in anguish inquiries about self , purpose, dreams . Desperate wish for someone / something to stop this endless seek . To be settled ; Confustion had a suffocating grip on her awaken & asleep . No sight of answer . how could she ask her amateur just born self for answers ?

Xion endeavor once to reach him was not allowed . Would he accept to see her ? A monster & thief . One that devour his heart , memories on instinct . would he help her ? Becoming to believe that she did not deserve help .

She sometimes has dreams of him . It was another day on that island he seems to cherish . Through someone’s oculus . He was content . A repeat of blissful day. Plummy lips parted . hearken to her own cords inside of head vibrate

“ Sora , help me “

voices a dolorous plea under stolen physiognomy .

[stawpny]

Hii! What are some of your favorite places in New York? I'd like to visit the state one day and I'm curious about what cool places there are besides the city's skyscrapers :D

(happy birthday again!! 🎉)

oooh!

so honestly, I don’t know many places, but I have some cool ones, especially if you like history or exploring

1: Montauk Lighthouse or Montuak in general: Montauk is like the farthest point out east on LI and it’s so pretty. If you like beaches, you should def go. The lighthouse was owned by George Washington too, and you can go inside and see all historical stuff.

2: Psych Centers: I know I’m not allowed to go in them, but it’s cool to walk around and look at all the old buildings. Atleast for me. Fun fact, one of the psych centers on LI was one of the first places were lobotomy’s were available 😍.

3: Fire Island: Also a very beachy area, but it’s a very nice island that kind of borders LI. Has very nice beaches too. (Robert Moses is the one I go to)

4: Port Jefferson: I love going there and the ice cream from that place is bomb. Has some history stuff about them building boats and things about the harbor.

5: Liberty Island and Ellis Island: Both very cool places, visited them twice so far! I love history and if u like history you need to go to Ellis Island. It walks you through the journey of an immigrant from Europe coming into the US from that Island.

6: The Oculus: I’ve been there once and Jesus, it’s pretty big. It has many layers of like a mall-like building and I think a train or subway does down into the building, but idk. all I know that it’s fucking cool and huge.

7: THE BIG FUCKING DUCK: ok, so I’ve never been in it, but basically it’s a huge fucking duck that’s kinda like a mini gift shop but it’s so cute and big ajmwhajanwnw.

8:Nature Trails: Trust, you can pretty much drive anywhere on LI or maybe anywhere else, and you could find a trail somewhere. Especially around lakes or beaches. love walking around especially in the fall.

9: WTC: alright, ik u asked for things other than skyscrapers, but still, the World Trade Center is literally so cool. people seem to underestimate how big those buildings are and the memorial footprints are. Those huge pools of water are very pretty, and I like how they made the memorial different from others so no one would forget.

10: Murals: All over this beautiful state, there are murals EVERYWHERE. especially in the city. I loved walking through China Town or Little Italy seeing all the cultural murals- also, Definitly visit China Town and Little Italy, they are so different but so cool! B)

—

okay, so ik all of these are about Long Island/NYC, but those are really all the places I go to😭

anyways, I hope you liked this

thanks for the ask!! <3

[emeowwww-blog]

i decided to love tsurumi island just to scare people like a week ago and now its the only place on my map at 100% exploration !!

uh oh uid drop

yes i have done every quest (including the ghost's quests), puzzle, hidden exploration objective, collected every oculus, and lit up every stormstone.

yes i need help! yes i am serious about giving a tour to people because i know the island way too well including the lore!!

[ahalal-uralma]

tagged by @sororluna 💖✨

I was tagged a long time ago and just getting back around to this one! Sorry for the wait.

Rules: Tag 10 people you want to know better!

Relationship status: Yearning, Haunted, Solitary…lots of time for reading.

Favorite colour: Black, Deep Red, Violet

Song stuck in head: I’ve been listening to the album In Flickers from Lycia and the album Flowers Of Evil from Ulver, so my mind is a little collective of lyrics from songs consisting of both artists if I’m making sense; mostly, Lycia’s A Failure and Ulver’s One Last Dance are the songs I’m thinking of most. I find them beautifully haunting.

Last song I listened to: Same as previous.

Three Favorite Foods: Salads, Pizza, Ice Cream

Last thing I googled: Looking up some details about Jean Paul Sartre. Mostly, fact checking some quotes and interviews.

Dream Trip: Palace Of Versailles or to relax on an Island again

Anything I want right now: I am waiting on the maintenance man to show up to fix my air conditioner. Other than that I’m going to cook dinner, because I’m hungry. :)

Tagging my friends @the-wightmare-in-blackx @misfit-among-the-angels @rotting-sword-maiden @tayredgrave @sunkissedfawn @introversiontherapy @the-starless-abstract @mariusaddams @zibaldone-di-pensieri and @oculus-de-malus for this. ♥️ I feel like there’s a bunch of other people I still would really love to tag, but don’t know if I should flood. So just join if you want to! There are more of you I consider very good mutuals/friends and you’re no less loved! Wish I could just gather you all into a warm blanket and give you all s’mores and hot cocoa. Or popsicles/ice cream if you’re beyond melting where you are.

[lostsunlight]

CHAPTER 4 - Oculus Dei Tam Bonus Quam Mei

childe x reader, wc: 5k, masterlist

cw: blood and gore, nsfw

Ludi Harpastum was well on its way, even on the 4th day you could feel the city thrumming with energy, you could hear the shouts well into the night even high up in the cathedral. As expected the infirmary filled up quicker than usual. Mostly just drunkards who needed some wolfhook to make them vomit and then some water. One green clad bard in particular seemed to come back every night. 

The work made your bones ache, you had even been excused from morning prayer to help with the endless stream of people. You adjusted your leather gloves and kept on working, allowing your thoughts to disappear. You could help but wish you were down in the city with some of the other sisters. You hadn’t celebrated Ludi for years, you loved the wild energy of the celebration, especially getting caught up in the chaotic dances that had a tendency to start rather spontaneously.  

The wild tales some of the sisters told of what happened on the streets made jealousy curl up in your chest like a cat in front of a hearth. One story in particular recounted by Marianne was one of the blacksmith's apprentices letting a boar loose leaving the lower portion of the city on a wild chase, resulting in several caskets of wine being destroyed and a few unhappy knights. The story had the sisters you ate dinner with that night in stitches. You had poked at your meat, refusing to make eye contact with Marianne. 

Barbara however had decided that the most talented healers were to stay back all Ludi. Naturally, despite her training as a healer she made no such rules for herself. It wasn’t like you were permitted to leave the cathedral anyways, not until your sins had been properly atoned for, whatever that meant. 

It had been two weeks since you had last seen Childe and you were itching to get out, even if it was alone. You crave to feel the grass and flowers against your back, to run along the cliffs again, admire the sheer beauty of the endless sea dotted with shrouded islands. 

During Ludi you had climbed to the rooftop most nights to try and find him with no success, he was effectively a ghost. You had seen more and more Fatui Agents crawling around however, accumulating at the recently acquired Goth Hotel. One agent in particular had taken to loitering around the doors of the cathedral. You had even caught a glimpse of what you thought was the so-called ‘Darknight Hero’ prowling the stairs below. Something was coming and you did not want to be here for it.

You were once again on the roof after a long day in the infirmary, looking up at the stars you could see the outline of Celestia shadowed against the sky. A living reminder of God's eyes upon you. Looking up you could see your constellation Lucens Caduceus draped among the stars. Born under Hydro, blessed by the fates above to be a healer it seemed. 

You stood on the peak of the roof, above the large circular stained glass window that gazed upon the city. Cool summer wind was blowing through your hair. Underneath you the festival-goers milled around, you could hear the cheers of the people as they basked in the orange lights of the lamps strung above. 

After sundown the crowd tended to become rowdier, you could see one person unsuccessfully attempting to climb the large statue of Barbatos, within an instant some of the knights had apprehended them ungracefully dragging them away, the crowd laughing along. 

You had seen Grandmaster Jean milling around the streets, rumours among some of the Knights say she killed the last Grandmaster Varka for the title, wanting the Knights back in the Gunnhildrs hands. You had never met The Dandelion Knight, only hearing bits and pieces about her from others around you. That was enough to know to avoid getting on her bad side. How could such a seemingly kind woman commit such a ruthless act? Was that the extent she was willing to go for power, for control?

As expected the Harbinger was nowhere to be seen, his height and red hair would be a beacon in the crowd below. You wondered if he was getting any closer to finding Barbatos, if he could find him before the 7th day, before you made your escape. 

Standing up you stalked across the green-tiled roof careful to not lose your balance and slipped back into the room under the bell tower, glad to be sheltered from the increasing windiness and noise of the city. Leaning against the wall you activated your Vision, the blue orb softly glowing against your back from the chain it hung upon.

A small bubble of water appeared before you and you concentrated on forming the blade you had seen Childe use, moonlight glinting through the water.  For the last two weeks you had been trying and unsuccessfully trying to form Hydro weapons. If The Church forbade you from owning a sword made of steel then a weapon that you could instantly dissipate without a trace would be useful. 

You still didn’t understand why Childe felt the lust he felt for battle. The weapon was more of a utility to you, a way to fend for yourself if worse came to worst. You tried to form the water into a spear, Bending and flexing your fingers, weaving the weapon. You had control over the form of the water it was keeping in that form that was hard for you. Any spear you made wouldn't hold and dripped into a puddle on the floor along with your hopes.

The polearm formed in your hands, you liked the range the weapon gave you. You held it tightly desperately trying to keep it together but to no avail the water slipped between your fingers. Weeks of trying and no progress. You slid down the wall bringing your legs to your chest and resting your head against your knees and sighed deeply. 

Only 3 more days. You thought to yourself, you could do this, you just needed to hold on for a little longer. 

-♢-

This plan of Y/N’s was insane Childe had thought to himself, and yet he had allowed himself to get swept up into it. In the week that passed he had come to a few realisations. He had missed the candour that you gave him. To be treated as just a man, not as a feared Harbinger. He knew he could be creating a liability, another weak point, his family already gave him a glaring vulnerability to anyone that knew about them. As much as he wished to mention them they had to remain a tight-lipped secret. He had faith that Pucinella would grant them his protection. 

He had thought about climbing the cathedrals walls again, he craved more conversation with you. He didn’t realise how badly he needed a connection with someone who would treat him as an equal. He had pushed all of that away in favour of mastering his skill, the connections he made as a Harbinger were superficial, nothing more than opportunities, exchanges.

This, while at its core was a deal, you were going to be working together closely for a while. This could very easily spiral into something else if Childe wasn’t careful. That was going to be hard considering how badly he craved connection. Connection was too dangerous for someone with a life like his, he had to be detached no matter how hard it hurt him.

In the month Childe had spent looking for the Anemo Archon three of those weeks had been useless. But this last week? He had finally finally made some progress. Ludi made peoples tongues looser, secrets were easier to buy off those who wouldn't even remember the previous night. All it took was a blacked out knight, a knife and some light threatening for the poor man to spill his secrets. That he has seen a local bard calling down a dragon fro the storm above. 

He was desperate to head to Liyue and begin his assignment there. Killing a god was certainly more fun than fruitlessly trying to find one that could very well have been dead for centuries. He couldn't even finish the hunt, that was Signoria’s job this time. He couldn’t understand why he had been sent to find Barbatos. 

Reaching the glowing tavern in the back corners of Mondstadt he climbed up to a window on the second floor and effortlessly slipped into the Angels Share. He may be known for his talent on the battlefield but he liked to think he could be a good spy when needed. For a weekday it was still rowdy, something that reminded him of home. Tsaritsa knew how much he missed home; it had been almost a year, letters from Tonia being his only string to sanity. He had taken to sitting on a small dock on the edge of Dragonspine just to remind him of the cold, summer was still an unfamiliar season to him despite his travels. 

There was a bard clad in green and white standing on a table near the centre of the room on the lower floor, playing his lyre while singing a Mondstadt folk song to the roaring crowd below. Blue and black braids swinging as he spun around on the table carelessly. He didn’t look old enough to even drink, let alone be a god with thousands in years behind him. This was who they were trying to steal a gnosis from? No wonder Mondstadt was crumbling, its god was nothing more than a drunken fool Childe snarked to himself.

A suppressed smirk made its way across his face, all he needed to do was confirm his godhood, The Fatui needed the correct target after all. One of the other Harbingers might have had their underlings tail him but Childe was bored, desperate to alleviate it. His only other source was locked away in the cathedral’s infirmary for 3 more days. Ludi had given him something to do, he had considered joining the festivities but being drunk on the job was a bad idea right now, he would have to save it for Liyue. 

Swiftly making his exit to the roofs above he waited. A cat stalking its prey. His eyes shifted to the cathedral towering high above him, partially obscured by the towering statue of Barbatos, a statue worshipping the glory of a tarnished god. He had wondered if he would see your figure standing on the rooftop but the green tiles remained barren. He moved his gaze back to the tavern letting the hours pass by, occasionally throwing a hydro knife at a beam of wood.

Around 3 am the bard stumbled out significantly drunker than he was a few hours ago. Childe followed his path from the rooftops, he was walking towards the main gate of the city. No mortal would leave the city at this hour, it was too dangerous with all the abyssal creatures lurking just outside, ready to strike at any unsuspecting mortal. The Abyss of course was no threat to him, he had long known how to navigate the depths with ease. 

Slinking out of the gate he followed the drunken god across the stone bridge to the deep woods just outside the city. Venti hummed a tune as he staggered along the well worn footpath until he reached a large clearing. There he saw him wait in the centre, head tilted staring into the sky he began to sing a strange tune. What was the fool doing?

Childe’s question was quickly answered when the fabled Stormterror descended next to the god. It was huge, wings shadowing over the trees. Venti approached the abyssal beast without hesitation, a faint green glow emanating from his form, glowing brighter as he got closer. He couldn’t make out the conversation, only a few words; it was spoken in what sounded almost like Mondtadan. but that would be enough to confirm Venti’s godhood to anyone. Conversing with Stormterror and making it out alive. 

Childe turned and made his way through the forest back to the walled city, content that he had finally found the target. Mondstadt’s god hadn’t abandoned his nation, rather he was hiding in plain sight like a coward. As he approached Mondstadt he heard heavy footsteps rapidly approaching. Whipping his head round he spotted a figure clad in black rapidly approaching him. Childe dodged the attack with practised ease, conjuring a polearm and striking. The man jumped back, Childe took the few seconds he had to assess his opponent. Claymore. Pyro. strength concentrated in his upper body. 

This was almost too perfect. The claymore made the eagle-masked attacker slow but strong, and he just so happened to be best at striking rapidly, all he needed to do was dodge to avoid his heavy attacks. Moving back he rushed behind the stranger, aiming to take him out by sweeping his legs. He dodged the attack and swung his claymore at Childe once again. 

Childe jumped back from the blow and then lurched back in, the polearm's deadly tip pointed towards his assailant. A bust of pyro came his way, he immediately overwhelmed it with water, causing it to vaporise into nothing more than steam. Childe swung aiming for the back, his polearm was slashed through with a heavy swing of the claymore. 

Creating dual blades without much of a second thought me moved in on the offensive, getting closer to this opponent might work better. He ran into him, slashing his blade along the man’s chest before spinning around and attacking again. The man was too slow to dodge his attacks this time.

He continued this dance for a few more minutes, relishing the feeling of a good fight. It had been too long since he had a decent spar against a skilled opponent. He felt the adrenaline rush through his body, this is what he was made for. He moved back and threw an arrow, clipping the man's shoulder and tearing through his thick black coat, blood welling up to fill the cut.

The strangers grip on his claymore tightened, bursting into flame and going in for another strike. The blade arched high above his head, slamming it down with force. Childe moved to the side and activated his delusion. Feeling the pure power of electro burst through his arteries. He was alive with pure elemental energy, power thrumming through his core. 

His blades now sparking with electro he jumped, barely teleporting as pure electricity shocked his body. He struck true, landing the centre of his opponent's chest and overloaded the man, knocking him flat on his back.

He straddled gasping the man, placing a blade at his throat. He ripped the mask off, throwing it carelessly to the side, revealing the head of Mondstadt’s wine industry. Diluc Ragnvindr. He was slightly surprised that he was still conscious, normally an overload caused someone's heart to stop completely, the rush of electricity clawing into the organ and overwhelming it. 

Childe couldn't kill him, that would cause too much of a diplomatic mess, but he could still have some fun he decided. He kept the blade pressed to the man's throat, eyes still alight with fire glaring back at Childe’s cold facade.

“Ragnvider, care to tell me why you attacked a Fatui Harbinger?” He bit out

“I saw you follow that bard, The Fatui are nothing but a stain on my land” He spit back

“Oh so you try to strike the head of the snake then? Don't care about the consequences that might cause Ragnvindr” He glared down at the helpless man

“I’m sure Il Dottore would love to see you again, perhaps I might ask him to pay a visit so he could finally finish the job” He saw Diluc’s pupils constrict and his breath quicken “A dead Harbinger might just cause him to come back. I hear he misses Mondstadt” He taunted, trying to get a rise out of him.

Diluc pressed his lips together, refusing to say anything else. Childe moved his blade away from his neck, still straddling him “We may be on opposite sides but you fight well comrade. How about we strike a deal?”

“You take me for a fool? Absolutely not” Diluc snapped back

Ignoring Dilic’s response he continued dragging a gloved finger across the sharp edge of his blade “How’s this, I don’t kill you and you stop trying to kill me. Tell me, did you think through this plan of yours? I understand you can leave The Knights to clean up your messes but did you really think my death would go unnoticed? That we wouldn't come to Mondstadt like vultures?”

A look of realisation came across Diluc’s face, this might be his only option. Childe leans in “That your crop wouldn't be burnt and your land salted, your cellars raided, your tavern destroyed. We could so easily take away everything you own”

Diluc gritted his teeth, trying to find a loophole, an exploit. 

“There's nothing you can do, Ragnvindr” He slid a finger along the edge of his blade, eyes glancing down at him a glint of amusement flashed across his usually blank eyes.

“I accept this deal,” Diluc relented, releasing there was no way out of this 

A grin spread across Childe’s face as he spun his blade around, dissipating it into droplets that scattered across Diluc’s face. He stood up leaving the other man sprawled on the dirt and walked away.

He turned his head around to look at him one last time “I’ll give you a tip Ragnvindr, think before you strike next time”

With that he strolled back to the city, sun beginning to peak over the horizon, its rays casting an ethereal golden light across the landscape. Content to enjoy the remaining days of Ludi before he had to leave. 

-♢-

Day 6 of Ludi. The last day under The Churches control. It was an effort to keep your excitement from being visible despite your exhaustion. You could hear the echo of the hymns below you echoing off the cathedral’s stone walls. You’re standing in your bedroom in the late afternoon Marianne absent for prayer. She should be gone for a few hours considering she's made a habit of going to Barbara’s office after evening prayer. You had finally gathered the confidence to escape to the city below for the night, you pulled the shawl around you and made your way to the window, and leaned out. You were only one floor up, you could climb down easily right?

Taking a breath you swing your leg out the window, tip of your boot finding purchase on a jagged piece of cobblestone. You tested its weight, once you were certain it could take your weight you swung your other leg out, turinding so your body now faced the window. You were sure your knuckles were white underneath your gloves for how tightly you were holding the window sill. You took a deep breath in, this was no different from climbing the ceilings.

Slowly you made your way down, jumping the last metre or so and landing softly on the cobblestone below. You pulled your hood and made your way around the side of the church, wanting to get away before evening prayer ended. You skirted the edge of the cathedral wanting to avoid any knights, if they caught you it would be finished before it even started. 

This was dangerous, stupid you scolded yourself internally but it was worth it, you wanted to enjoy your last few hours here. You descended the stairs and made your way into the crowd below, content to become another face. 

You grinned to yourself you had made it out. Wandering around you came to a food stall, pulling out a few mora you had nicked from the donation bowl you exchanged it for a glass of dandelion wine. Relishing the sweet taste and the slight burn of the alcohol you made your way further down the city. The people and chaos increased as you went down the stairs. 

You had missed Ludi. You missed the dances and sneaking away with a random person to the alleys just to spite The Church. 

A bright flash of ginger hair out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. You turned around, fingers at the edge of your hood ready to pull it down. Your eyes met his, and he smiled, approaching you. 

“Fancy seeing you here Y/N” he teased, head tilting down to look at you

“Likewise Harbinger” you pulled down your hood to reveal your face, still walking down the stairs to the heart of the festival, you could almost hear the music over the crowd. 

“Enjoying the festivities?” He walked with you, not bothering to question how you got out in the first place

“Might as well before I leave forever, despite my hatred of this place it is where I was raised” you shrugged weaving effortlessly around people

“Have you found him?” You questioned, Childe gave you a short nod 

“Yes, he wasn’t too hard to track down once enough alcohol was involved” he laughed a little

Your eyebrows shot up a little So he was real after all

“Then I take if you're enjoying Ludi as well” You looked him up and down, his usual red scarf and jacket were missing a slight flush was gracing his cheeks

“Is it hot here?” you eyed him, laughter tracing the edge of your voice

“Compared to Snezhnaya, yes, but the crowd and warm winds haven’t been helping. I suppose Liyue will be worse” 

“Liyue?”

“Were headed to Liyue after we leave here” 

“Nice to know where I’m following you to” you smirked. 

He gave you a look, the same look he have you when he was going to do something impulsive “Come”

Without waiting for your response he grabbed your hand and dragged you into the centre of the crowd, towards the dance.

“You know Mondstadt folk dance?” you raise an eyebrow at him 

“How could I not, my question is do you know how to dance” 

“Of course, this was my favourite part of Ludi” You grinned, light dancing in your eyes.

This time you dragged him into the dance, grabbing his hand. You let him swing you in an arc, the two of you followed the steps, you hooked arms with another young woman and danced with her momentarily, moving onto her partner. The hem on your skirt lifting with the movement as he and Childe swapped partners returning you to him. He gave a stomp along with the music along with the others.

You couldn’t help but notice how he moved, similar to how he moved in a fight, fluid and strong and sure. The band began to increase the pace of the song, you fed off the uncontrolled energy of the crowd letting it spur you and Childe on, dancing faster and faster. 

You laughed along with him, this was the first time you had felt free in so long, your hair whipped around you as he grabbed you by the waist and lifted you up. You planted your hands on his shoulders to keep your balance. He turned and placed you back on the ground in unison with everyone else. He grabbed your hand again and raised it above your head to twirl you and then braced his hands on your waist to tip you back turning your face up to feel the warm winds across your cheeks.

He was practically glowing, a large smile plastered across his freckled face red earring catching the last few remnants of sunlight. You clapped your hands along with the song laughing, feeling the strong dandelion wine begin to hit you.  You looked up at him and tilted your head, your limbs felt looser as the wine coursed through your body. 

You glazed to the horizon, and took a sharp breath in. Now that the sun had nearly set, The Sisters would be done with their prayer, preparing to leave for the festival once again. You couldn’t risk being seen, not when you were this close. 

You pulled him in the small amount of wine giving you more confidence than you normally would have, whispering in his ear and you continued to dance “I have to leave, I’ll see you on the roof”

Before he could respond you had left, disappearing into the crowd. You ran back to the cathedral, clambering up the cobblestone wall you launched yourself into the room. Panting you looked up only to see a surprised Marianne looking back at you. Her icy glare freezing you in place instantly sobering you up. 

“Where have you been Y/N” she sighed 

“I-I went out to the festival, Just for a few hours to dance”

“Why? You know you have to stay in the cathedral, The Deaconess deemed that you must stay back” She said, exasperated

“Mari please, it was only for a few hours, I’ve been worked to the bone. I just wanted to dance again” you begged her

“Y/N… You know I have to tell The Deaconess”

“Then tell her tomorrow, enjoy the festival tonight. Let me rest at least” You couldn't let her say a word, that would shatter everything. Why did you leave, why did you think that your action wouldn’t come without consequence 

“I’m worried about you, what if you never came back? What if the Fatui took you again” Her gaze shifted to reveal something more sincere, an expression that had become increasingly rare these last few weeks. 

“Mari I’m fine, Please, go enjoy your night. I’ll be here tomorrow”

“What if you weren't fine? We can’t lose another healer” Her words slammed into you

“Another healer? Is that who I am to you now?” You spat, her words piercing you harder than you thought they would.

“Y/N that's not what I meant, I still care about you” She reached her hand out to you, which was meant to be a familiar gesture. Without thinking you stepped back to avoid her touch wanting to shove any feeling you had for her far underground. 

“What happened to you Mari? What happened to being kind, how can you love The Deaconess after what she did to you”

“Things change Y/N. I still love you but I must follow my duty”

The words you had for her were caught in your throat, you wanted to tell her you loved her too but that would be a lie. You wanted to scream at her and ask her how she could see such kindness in such a cruel figure. You wanted to kiss her like you had so long ago, give into her embrace and try to return to what you were once.

“Marianne…” Her name rotted on your tongue. “Just leave, enjoy the festival. We can talk tomorrow” Against everything in you screaming not to you meet her gaze. The sympathy that had been there just moments ago was gone along with her old self.

Marianne pressed her lips in a thin line “Fine, but you know I’ll have to report you to The Deaconess tomorrow” 

You nodded and sighed “I know, enjoy your night” 

Marianne left the room, shutting the door gently behind her . You of course would be long gone by tomorrow morning. You sat down on the bed you've slept in since you were small. Trying not to cry, she wasn’t worth your tears anymore. 

That was your last conversation with Marianne, someone who had changed into someone you barely knew, someone you could barely look at without seeing the ghost of Barbara. 

You had considered telling her your plan at the start, begging her to run away with you, but now it was too risky. She would report you immediately, your grave would be dug by the end of the day. 

It was going to sting leaving her forever, if you ever saw her again perhaps one day when you were old and withered you would have to apologise for abandoning her. You doubted she would forgive you, in her eyes you were betraying everything you knew. You were turning your back on those who raised, fed and trained you all to join The Fatui, the enemy in her eyes. This was not just stabbing her in the back but slitting her throat as well. 

There was no going back however, this is what you wanted, what you had fought for, bound yourself to a Harbinger for. You sighed, ever since the day you had gotten your vision by healing Marianne’s wounds alone after her lashings. The five festering lines across her back set the hatred you had for The Order in stone.

You could still remember the day so clearly, the bright blue manifesting in front of you, your hands shaking so badly you could barely pick it up. The eye of a god encased in a silver casing, small wings protruding from the sides.  Marianne had looked at you in awe, bandages wrapped tightly around the whole of her torso. That was five years ago, yet the memory still carried the same weight as it had for years. 

Steeling your resolve you grabbed a pack from under your bed and began to pack. Shoving a few items only the essentials in and leaving anything sentimental determined to leave any trace of your life at the cathedral far behind you. You climbed to the roof to wait for Childe.  

You took in the view of the city for the last time, you would miss the place a little but the stars you had spent hours staring at would still be there wherever you were going. You were sure he would tell you his next assignment once you were out of Mondstadt and safely in Liyue. 

[toilou-norvetaxique2023]

Jour 14 - New York, Brooklyn, Staten Island

Nous commençons la journée par le World Trade Center, en passant par la gare Oculus. Un hérisson ? Un dinosaure ? La concurrence de l'Opera de Sydney ? À vous de choisir 😋

Nous nous rendons ensuite au mémorial, sans s'arrêter au musée parce que le programme de la journée est chargé !

Nous croisons des petits écureuils très très mignons. Il faut dire que j'ai mis toutes les chances de mon côté, j'avais des amandes à leur donner 😋

Nous traversons le quartier des affaires jusqu'à rejoindre le pont de Brooklyn.

[ofmdbigbang]

Title: Edelweiss Author: @oculus-scriniarii Artist: @tyler221b Characters: Edward Teach, Stede Bonnet, Izzy Hands, Crew of the Revenge Relationship(s): Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Season/Series 01, Canon-Typical Historical Inaccuracy, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Desert Island Fic, Blood and Injury Warnings: none Summary:

Blackbeard has become the terror of the Caribbean, and all sea ports echo with tales of a trail of terrible bloodshed that he leaves in his wake. Stede Bonnet has been relentlessly searching for the man he loves for six months. A storm, thrashing the waves into a soapy churn. Two ships. An island, and a man who will do anything to fix his mistakes. A post Season 1 desert island survival fic.

Wordcount: 23k

Edelweiss by scriniarii

[coochiequeens]

Twitter suspends of journalists Elon Musk doesn’t like but this freak still has two active accounts

A “furry” has been arrested on charges of kidnapping after allegedly grooming a 13-year-old boy and taking him from his family.

Aaron Zeman, also known as Tadashi Kura Kojima, was apprehended in Grand Island, Nebraska on December 28 after being reported to police by a Git-N-Split gas station attendant. The attendant had become suspicious after seeing Zeman’s car parked in the lot for an extended period of time. Once police arrived, they found a 13-year-old boy who had been the subject of an active AMBER Alert in the vehicle with Zeman. 

The victim had been reported missing by his family in Layton, Utah on December 27. A desperate campaign for information was launched on Facebook, with the community rallying to try and locate the boy.

In a local media report on the disappearance, the family stated that they first discovered Zeman, 26, and their son had begun communicating via Twitter and TextNow in late November. Zeman had been sending and requesting lewd images from the minor.

At the time, they did not know who was behind the accounts who had been messaging their son, and brought his phone to Layton Police for assistance. The department subsequently issued subpoenas to Twitter and other relevant apps in an effort to gather information.

But while police were waiting for the results of those subpoenas, Zeman found other ways to get in touch with the teen. 

Zeman reportedly began using a Meta Oculus device to contact the boy just prior to driving from his home in Arizona to Utah to take him. When the two were found, they were 800 miles away in Nebraska. 

According to the Grand Island City Police, Zeman was approached by officers after responding to a call from a gas station attendant who felt his behavior was suspicious. Officers observed a juvenile male in Zeman’s car, and quickly identified him as the abducted child from Utah. 

A press release from Grand Island police states that Zeman did become hostile towards officers during arrest, and was ultimately charged with kidnapping and resisting arrest. The 13-year-old victim has been reunited with his family in Utah and is uninjured. Police have stated additional charges may be pursued after further investigation. 

Zeman is in custody in Nebraska at the Hall County Jail, and was booked under the name Tadashi Kura Kojima. His bond is currently set at 10% of $1 Million, and his next hearing is scheduled for January 30.

Grand Island City Police have handed the case over to the FBI and Utah authorities. According to Nebraska Central News, they hope to issue a letter of commendation to the vigilant gas station attendant whose actions ultimately saved the boy.

Two Twitter accounts belonging to Zeman are still active on the platform, and both contain disturbing material.

On one of his accounts, where Zeman uses the name Hunter Horny Fox, he describes himself as a “Gay/Demi Furry Fox,” and appears in his profile photo wearing a “leather pup” mask. Almost all of the tweets on the account are highly sexual, and Zeman posted several photos of his genitals. 

Some of the posts utilize fetishistic captions, with Zeman speaking directly to a person he calls his “lamb” or his “baby boy.”

In a post from December 11, ostensibly the same time Zeman was planning to abduct the victim in Utah, he tweeted: “I love you so heckin much, my Lamb. I was looking at your pictures and .. gah damn, I wanna slide into your throat so bad! Give daddy’s tip a little kiss then let me feel my baby boy’s soft beautiful lips, my love.” He accompanied the post with a photo of his erection.

In another, Zeman uploaded a video of himself masturbating while referring to sexual material he had apparently received from a “very special boy.”

On his second account, which uses a similar handle, Zeman repeatedly gushes over the individual he calls his “lamb” and his “special prince.” 

In the pinned tweet on that account, Zeman appears to directly refer to his situation with the 13-year-old victim, mentioning a “man” he had been talking to via virtual reality chat since late November. This would have been the time the victim’s family first went to police. 

In another tweet from December 12, Zeman posts the lyrics to a song from Dora the Explorer titled “I’m the map.”

While the song is about a literal map who helps Dora find her way, “MAP” is commonly understood to be an acronym for “minor attracted person” — a term which is largely seen as an attempt to rebrand pedophilia as a more acceptable attraction.

On December 18, Zeman posted a photo of drug paraphernalia he was collecting to share with his “baby boi.” In the tweet, he writes: “Did I mention we’re going on a ‘trip~’? Hehehe Can’t wait, my Lamb! Lesgooo! x/3 I guess we’re going on two kinds of trips, nyehe!”

By Anna Slatz Anna is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Reduxx, with a journalistic focus on covering crime, child predators, and women's rights. She lives in Canada, enjoys Opera, and kvetches in her spare time.

[dangarretjournal]

The Scarab Won.

It’s been months now since Fantomah waged war on the Earth. For 48 hours, the world was in a panic, fearing her name for the first time in centuries... and the Scarab came along. Not Daniel Garret, and indeed not any particular incarnation of the Scarab, but an amalgam of all our collective beliefs about him. After that, Fantomah fell. She holds no physical power over our world anymore, but nevertheless, she has left a permanent scar on our world.

Jade obelisks litter Oregon. Due to the locust swarms, crops have died, and the nation is now experiencing a food shortage. Perhaps even more devastating is the effects she's had on the water supply: blood filled the waters during the calamity, some say even replacing it. There is an ongoing effort to separate the blood from the water using the usual filtration process, but blood can still be found in the water supply months later in lower-income areas.

Several countries and islands are submerged beneath the waters, and tens of millions are dead… such a high number is difficult for the mind to grapple with. Artist Arturo Cruz did a devastating exhibit about it for the Miracellium (Dr. Maxwell Miracle's Museum). You go into a dark room and all you can hear are voices casually going about their day. There are so many that it becomes deafening… but then you notice some of them go away. Minutes pass, and you’re still in darkness, and the voices keep vanishing, one by one, then ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, ten-thousand at a time, fifty-thousand, and they scream and scream, but they’re so much quieter now, a million… none. It’s all silence. Eventually, an attendant walks you out of the room. Jenny rated it very highly.

I suppose the change most specific to this journal is that our heroes seem to be gone for good. Most of Judicial Supreme was slain by the shadow of the Magician from Mars, and there has been no attempt at recruiting new members. Dr. Maxwell Miracle seems to have given up crimefighting, even though several communities affected by flooding require protection. Attempts to ask him about this have been declined by Maxwell, stating he'd prefer to be alone to collect his thoughts.

Nobody knows how the Scarab won. Not even me. Of course, that hasn’t stopped people from emailing me due to my proximity to Dr. Miracle… inspired by his response, I’ve just decided to block keywords related to this event. Believe it or not, if I don’t give an answer to the Daily Oculus, then I don’t have one. My memory starts with me waking up and seeing Maxwell typing on my laptop, and it ends with the Scarab coming back to life. Apparently, I fainted and didn't wake up until the Scarab had won. Maxwell just let me fall on the floor, and I got to spend the week nervous that I might have some sort of brain injury.

I did of course try to investigate what happened, but it seems I wasn’t the only one with a fractured memory of it all. Ask anyone you know and they might tell you about the deaths of most of the members of Judicial Supreme, they might tell you about the rallies at the capitol building, they might tell you about the plagues or the locusts or the obelisks, they might mention the Mermazons sinking England, they might tell you about the Magician from Mars killing President Gardner, but no matter how much detail you get from them, they mostly stop or start to stop after the Scarab returns. Occasionally you can squeeze some information like the Scarab turning the Magician's shadow good again, or the Magician killing the Spirit of ‘76's shadow (I’ve seen this event described both before and after the Magician teams up with the Scarab). One testimony mentioned him stealing a submarine to defeat the Mermazons… but that’s. Memory only resumes as normal once the calamity ends, and no one can tell you how it ended. It just did.

For those asking me if I’ll retreat further into my Grandfather’s past, the answer is no. The journal is gone. I burned it. Every fragment of my grandfather’s life he imbued into the pages, all the parts I had seen and so much more I had yet to learn… all burned as soon as the calamity was over. Sometimes, in the days since then, I think of that moment. Standing there, the flames refracting in my broken glasses, Maxwell standing over my shoulder. “You did the right thing,” he said over and over again, like a hypnotic chant, and I didn’t quite process it. In my mind, the crackle of flame drowned him out. I think about this moment, and every time I've done so I’ve tried to make myself feel bad about it… but instead, I just feel free.

Truly I knew I didn’t want to report on this anymore, but, as a journalist, sometimes you just learn to act against how your heart feels. In this case, I emailed Dr. Miracle like so many other journalists have tried, asking for an interview... though I didn't mention that I really wanted to ask him about the Calamity. Despite being conscious throughout the whole event and likely knowing what happened, he has not given an official statement about it. When I asked him about it directly after I burned the journal, he immediately teleported out of my house. To my surprise, he said yes to my email, and asked me to meet him at the Miracellium after closing time.

Standing outside the imposing image of a museum bathed in purple light that emanated from vault lights in the pavement, I couldn’t quite get it out of my head that he might not come. Then, as the hour struck, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Hello, Gale,” he said, hovering in front of me. Literally, his feet were inches off the floor.

He had started to show signs of ageing for the first time in years. His dark-brown pompadour was littered with specks of white, and his face looked more stretched, with crevices lining his cheeks. His lips were thinner and I think he was wearing lip gloss of some kind. It was hard to tell in the dark. What wasn't difficult to sense was the thick and ghastly perfume he seemed to have drenched his blue suit in.

He continued to speak, “We can’t go in through the front door, unfortunately. Follow me, I can get you in through the back.”

I followed him through the parts of the exterior they’d prefer you didn’t see, leading to an ugly dark-green door that Maxwell quickly unlocked. Unexpectedly for someone as antiquated as Maxwell, he walked in first, preferring to lead me around the cold museum.

As we walked, he started talking again, “So, Gale, I assume you want to ask me how I’m here right now?”

That was not what I was here for. “What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, earlier I claimed that I was replaced atom-by-atom by Fantomah… and yet, I’m still here after Fantomah and most of her constructs disappeared from our reality.”

“I suppose that’s confusing, yes.”

He smiled, “It is, isn’t it?” 

“Well, why are you still here then?”

Maxwell feigned offence, “Oh you wound me, Gale, you wound me!”. After my lack of response, he composed himself, “Well, in truth… I don’t know either. I’m just here now. I have my powers still, but they’re fading. Maybe I should change my name back to Maxwell Grant.”

I shrugged, “It doesn’t matter to me.” in hindsight, that might’ve been rude of me, but talking with Maxwell for too long does tend to grind away any politeness you might have.

Eventually, we reached our destination. A recently erected exhibit called “Capers of the 20th Century”, mainly consisting of replicas of famous superhero costumes. Among them was a replica of Daniel Garret’s costume, and I couldn’t help but notice the irony of it all. My grandfather made his costume using botched museum replicas, but now all the same parts can be considered a successful one. Part of me wondered if we might get a new Scarab using a botched replica of this very costume.

“It’s perfect, isn’t it?” Maxwell asked.

“I wouldn’t know, I never saw that costume,” I responded.

“No, I suppose you didn’t… but you had the journal. Did it look like how you imagined?”

I paused for a bit to look at the costume. For some reason, I always got the impression that the chainmail my grandfather wore was more clearly blue, maybe even a darker shade… but here it was more close to a silvery-green colour.

“Not really,” I said after a moment.

Maxwell tilted his head in mock-confusion, “How come? It’s an entirely perfect replica, after all. I would know, I had all the original parts.”

“Well, my grandfather said it was… blue.”

“We got into lots of arguments about this, Dan and I… and yet, he always gets to win in his own diary. If he says it's blue, then it's blue.”

At first, I thought this was his usual academic pettiness seeping through again, as it did in his commentary for the section my grandfather wrote about him, so I brushed it off. It was getting late, and I knew we needed to get to the point one way or another. 

I set my phone to record. “Maxwell, I'd like to ask you a few questions–” I started.

“Yes,” he interrupted, “we’ve been over this in the emails. Go on. What is it you really want to know?”

And I asked him exactly that. I wanted to know what happened after the Scarab returned.

Maxwell’s face was twitching in and out of stiffness, like he felt strongly about this, but didn’t want to show. “It’s a rather complicated question, isn’t it?”

“Not really,” I stated, by now rather tired of this whole affair.

“I suppose you think I remember it well and will recount it to you perfectly?”

I nodded.

He chuckled, “You do have a strange amount of trust, Gale.”

I shrugged off his comment, “As far as I know, you’re literally the only  person on Earth who remembers.”

He nodded, “True, true… but how do you know my memory is accurate?”

“Well, that’s for me to decide. Answer the question.”

“Ah, you get to decide who is being accurate… and you’ve done such a good job so far, haven’t you? What with your little blog series about Danny boy.”

“Will you please just–”

“I’ll give you credit, Gale, you’re good at writing things down. Very very good… deciding on accuracy? I don’t know about that. Danny’s statements about the Second World War seem a bit suspect to me. I mean… I’ve seen the original Spirit of ‘76… he was just a kid. Like, sixteen at most. And I don’t think I saw him kill anyone… so how could he have been so integral? Some historians have even argued it would've been shorter if he wasn't there.”

“Well, I’m just here to transcribe here, my opinion isn’t needed all the time.”

“Sure, it’s not needed in a professional context but… didn’t you think of anything? Did anything strike you as peculiar?”

“What are you getting at–”

“350 pages. His diary. He can write about anything in there, and he writes about his past, he writes about Fantomah… yet he never mentions his wife or daughter by name.”

“Well,” I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable,  “they weren’t the focus, it’s…”

“Focus? His academic essays, his memoir, and his letters to space women, all in the same book. You call that focus?”

“That's not what I mean–”

“He was engrossed in his past, Gale, the remnants of his own golden age; the war heroes who galavanted across the battlefields and were a nuisance to both sides, the woman with a submarine who claimed she found an underwater city and probably drowned, the Angel from Mars who we never deserved… and me, I suppose. And, for every spot of rust in that Golden Age, he finds a reason to exonerate himself. Oh, he only beat up those Capers because they were in the wrong, oh he struck me out of self-defence… he saw my friend die, and he talks about how it made him glad he stopped being a hero… perhaps if he was a hero, Peter wouldn’t have died in the first place.”

In hindsight, I had many problems with many of the things he said (mainly regarding how he functioned as a vigilante) but I was tired and the only question I could manage was “I thought you liked my grandfather…”

“I didn’t like him, Gale, I loved him, and when you love someone you notice everything wrong they do.”

“Look,” I said, once again desperately trying to get back on track, “what’s–”

“The point? The point is… I suppose sometimes the best version of the past is what we say to make ourselves happy, rather than the blunt truth of it all. We have control over fiction… we can’t control reality.” I think he could sense that I was getting ready to leave, because he started again without response, “Now, do you want to know how one man, strong but cosmically insignificant, managed to stop three horrors of the collective subconscious and ultimately defeat Fantomah?”

“Yes.” 

He looked at me sheepishly, “Well… I don’t entirely know, is the thing.”

“What?” 

“A lot happened! I spent so long transcribing that I didn’t pay much attention to what I was writing…” his thin lips etched out a wry smile, “Heh, I’m a lot like you in a way!”

I just wanted an answer, “Come on, you must know something..”

“Okay… you want the gist? No extraneous details? No descriptive flare? No dialogue? Well, I suppose what happened is this: despite all that was going against him, the Scarab defeated Fantomah and saved the day.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes… well, it’s the best we could do. Sometimes I wonder if there could have been another way… but Fantomah’s problems were foundational and could only be fixed with foundational change… we’re not ready to do that yet. So, until we’re able or ready, we all need to believe in the Scarab. Believe that he won and that Fantomah is no more.”

After that, he walked me out of the museum, waved goodbye to a security guard, and we both walked separate ways. As far as I know, Maxwell stopped existing as soon as our meeting ended. He was reported missing soon after, and I was left with the very sparse version of events that he gave to me.

The Scarab won. Fantomah is dead. That is all we need to know, and it is what we need to tell ourselves.

[sauyuenchan]

Major Study Project - Week 04

Critical evaluation - new learning over the project

There are some criteria to evaluate my new learning over the project: technical skills and self-improvement in certain area.

Technical skills

In terms of technical skills, the biggest thing I have learnt is blueprint interaction in Unreal Engine 5. I created a complete VR mini game, which includes widget interactions (Game mission: Get water, Irrigate...), object interaction (Drag and Drop, Animals chasing), and character interaction (Possessing).

The most important feature in this project - Variables

My whole game mechanic is about condition. E.g. once you got the water, then you can irrigate the trees.

Basically, variables mean condition. It can be saved in certain BP, for example First Person Character. After that, I can set "Has water" as true when the Get Water button fires off. Then, set the visibility of "irrigate", when it is true, it is visible; when it is false, it is hidden.

This function runs through most part of my game.

The biggest challenge I have overcome - Drag and Drop function in VR

After doing drag and drop in for the PC version in Unreal, I didn't expect it was such a huge task until I try to implement in VR.

The main reason is VR doesn't support drag and drop function. The challenge for me at that time was: first figure out how to do drag and drop in VR, then I realise it is not working and I need an alternative.

After that I came out a solution:

Create a sphere away from the widget interaction beam with a certain distance.

Spawn the corresponding object at the location of where the sphere is when release from pressing the widget icon e.g. animals.

So, here comes another challenge. How to make the sphere dynamic? If it is having a fixed distance from the widget beam, it will be either too short (above the island) or too long (underneath the island), which will result in mispositioning.

After trying different wrong methods like creating a big widget on the island to detect the beam hit location, which doesn't work well as the island isn't a flat surface, which will also create mispositioning.

The solution for this is "Get last hit result" > "Break Hit Result" > "Set World Location" (Target Sphere)

Then the sphere location will update as each time the beam hit anything

Besides, I have also learnt some controllers set up for Meta Quest in Unreal Engine. We need Meta XR plugin in Unreal Engine, otherwise it won't activate the Oculus Touch.

In general, my learning in technical skills is quite fruitful, since those skills are important for VR experience development.

Self-Improvement

After the help from one of my tutors - David, for the rest of the time I used to serach the solutions online or create my own. In this period of time, I improved my research skills. I realised the "solutions" online do not neccessarily to be exactly with what I am looking for. Some similar functions I may be able to use them after some tweak, like above "Dynamic Pointer" interacting with widgets.

The self-improvement process is quite successful, since I was starting as a person who didn't know where to start, after some fundamental knowledge taught by David, then I was able to search with the "right keywords" and solving the problems with "Blueprint's logic". I believe I can learn more techniques in the future by myself since then.

[maximuswolf]

Two nephwes staying over on Friday night help make it a great gaming night!

Two nephwes staying over on Friday night, help make it a great gaming night! NOTE: I am willing to purchase any games that you think would be REALLY good for our scenario.My two nephwes who are 9 and 12 are coming to visit on Friday and I will be "babysitting" them for some hours. Please help me pick some great games to introduce to them to make it the best movie night ever! Last time they were here we play on AppleTV with Xbox controller, tried many games that I had, including those on Apple Arcade and they liked Crossy Road and LOVED Hungry Shark Evolution, which they installed on their phones afterwards. This time they will be staying with me at night while their mom is going to a concert, so I am thinking about introducing them to some 'good' stuff while the parents are not there. I will also be either streaming games from PC to AppleTV or just plug the PC to the TV, so it will be PC games night using Epic Games Store, Steam, I am also willing to purchase Xbox Game Pass for PC. I also have Oculus Quest 2 with Blade and Sorcery. Important: I have only one controller.Games that the boys like to play at home: Minecraft, Fortnite, FIFA series.Games that I think could fit that movie night:games with fast iteration time, where you can fail and pass the controllergames that are fun to watchgames should have no dialogue or "spoken" story, as we don't have much time and English is not their languageImportant: NO sexual content in these games, I wanna be a cool uncle, not a creepy uncleGames I am considering right now are below.Steam:Dark Souls 3Dead Island Definitive EditionLIMBOMother Russia BleedsSubnauticaBatman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham CityChivalry: Medivial WarfareDOOM (2016)Wolfenstein The New OrderWolfenstein 2: The New CollosusEGS:Dead by DaylightOrcs Must Die 3Super Meatboy ForeverMordhauDying LightRocket LeagueHUEApe OutINSIDECelesteHyper Light DrifterEnter the GungeonXbox PC Game Pass:Mortal Kombat 11Ori and the blind forestResident Evil 2Rainbow Six SiegeThese are choices I made from the games I have as well as the games from Game Pass. Thanks in advance, guys! Submitted August 07, 2024 at 04:15PM by spilat12 https://ift.tt/IeCFEiO via /r/gaming

[dulichbonphuongglobal]

Ngày 1: Trung tâm Thương mại Thế giới, Oculus, phà Staten Island qua tượng Nữ thần Tự do, Cầu Brooklyn / Dumbo, sau đó lên đài quan sát Summit One Vanderbilt lúc 6 giờ chiều. Nhìn thấy thành phố trong ban ngày, hoàng hôn và ban đêm. Ga Trung tâm và sau đó đến quán bar dễ thương nhất từ trước đến nay, Lillies Estaparment. Đi bộ cả ngày.

Ngày 2: Công viên Trung tâm, mua sắm trên Đại lộ số 5, Bảo tàng Tưởng niệm 9/11 và sau đó là Barry Manilow tại Radio City Hall

Ngày 3: Quảng trường Thời đại, West Village để khám phá và xem căn hộ Sex & The City và Friends, mua giày tại SJP Collection, đi dạo trên phố, qua Flatiron, Quán bar trên sân thượng 230, Thư viện Công cộng New York, sau đó ghé thăm một vài quán bar địa phương trên đường trở về khách sạn.

Rời đi vào ngày hôm sau để thăm Miami, Bahamas, Bãi biển Fort Myers, New Orleans và LA.

Cảm ơn vì đã tổ chức một chuyến đi kỳ diệu! Đặc biệt là New York đã đánh cắp trái tim tôi. Tôi sẽ quay lại!

Day 1: World Trade Centre, Oculus, Staten Island ferry past the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge / Dumbo, then up the Summit at 6pm. Saw the city in daylight, sunset, and by night. Central Station and then onto the cutest bar ever Lillies Establishment. Walked the entire day.

Day 2: Central Park, shopping 5th Ave, 9/11 Memorial museum and then Barry Manilow at Radio City Hall.

Day 3: Times Square, West Village to explore and saw Sex & The City and Friends apartments, bought shoes at SJP Collection, wandered the streets, past Flatiron, 230 Rooftop Bar, New York Public Library, then a few local bars on way back to hotel.

Left the day after to visit Miami, Bahamas, Fort Myers Beach, New Orleans and LA. Thanks for putting on a magical trip! New York in particular stole my heart. I will be back!