#Or really up north along the east coast

[tsunauticus]

”there are countless little desert towns that have outcasts and weirdos just like the Hawkins gang”

THANK YOU

I like to think how fun the story of Stranger Things could’ve been if it took place out further west, or in another part of the U.S.

I think that the environment really puts an emphasis on the people and the story, but the sort of domineering need for conformity isn’t something just felt in small town Indiana.

I know a lot of people complained (and rightfully so) that S4 was too spread out and the Cali plot took us too far out of Hawkins and the spirit of the show. But for me, it was a reminder that weirdos exist all over the place. There are countless little desert towns that have outcasts and weirdos just like the Hawkins gang. Suzie's family in Utah is absolute bonkers. Eden is a goth in a strict Mormon household. Even Argyle in California had no friends until he met Jonathan. Being a misfit in a town that doesn't understand you is not unique to the small town Midwest.

[puzzled-pegasus]

wof headcanons but theyre oddly food and substance related for some reason

Although I understand why Tui didn't include very much info abt alchohol or drugs in a kids book there is an extreme lack of culinary related world building so here are some ideas I had while on this train of thought :)

SeaWings tend to be foodies and are generally given cooking classes in school. Which if you think about it, is rather important, because like 60 percent of the creatures in the ocean are poisonous and the rest have parasites and nasty germs so they need to know whats up when it comes to food safety.

SeaWings use a lot of citrus in their food and drinks and they also use it for fragrances and stuff they just really like it

SeaWing nobles commonly eat fugu and there have been assassinations where a chef was bribed to not properly take out the poison so the dragon eating it would die

SeaWings drink to taste. SkyWings drink to forget what century it is.

SkyWings typically eat their meat raw but on special occasions they will barbecue it and put some spices n stuff on it. They don't eat much else besides meat but they do like spicy things like peppers and they also like strong onion or garlic flavors. The little masochists. Anyway,

SkyWings don't really like sweet things and many of them can't even taste them so they're like wtf is a dessert

man do they love them some olives tho. Olives everywhere. In their drink. Out of the jar. On their meat. Oil on their scales. Oil in their hygiene products. They started trading them from the Sand and SeaWings millennia ago but theyve selectively bred ones that grow in the mountains

This one's more drugs than food but SkyWings will sometimes take some kind of stimulant before battle like a beserker so they're all fired up heheh

MudWings are excellent meal preparers and sibs like to all cook together so they'll make a big pot of stew or something

They like bread and desserts, they have easy access to sugar cane being along the east coast and they also use a lot of honey. They're re into canning stuff too, they have a lot of raspberries and blackberries and strawberries in their temperate forest areas and they grow them to make jam and wine and they use honey to make mead

basically they are Cottagecore(TM) and I love them

They also eat lots of freshwater fish and crawfish and whatnot

And they also eat a lot of tatoes

Vanilla grows in the swamps, they use that in their cakes

MudWings deserve some appreciation goddamnit their kingdom is biologically diverse and beautiful

SandWings have tequila because. Yknow. Cactus.

They eat a lot of bugs and lizards, they don't really need to eat every day so it's not a huge deal

they do like coconuts tho and they use coconut oil in a lot of their hygiene products as well as in their cooking

They deep fry a lot of shit. Idk where i got this but trust me. They love things with lots of fat in it bc they need all they can get

Really sticky sweet desserts and candy; enjoyers of those one lollipops with the mealworms or whatever tf in them

also canning stuff like bone broth is very important

pickled cactus as well

rhey probably have a festival when cactus fruit goes in season

what even is IceWing cuisine.

Well way up north where there's nothing but ice it's pretty bad and the dragons have to eat just plain ass meat and seafood, but down into the tundras there's some pretty good stuff like cinnamon, pines for tea, honey berries, and other foraging as well as more diversity of meats

They would probably eat sushi

All the other tribes like to make fun of them and rightfully so bc their food is so plain

they make good honey berry wine tho

Maube that's why theyre so damn grumpy

RainWings are expert foragers ofc but they don't really feel the need to prepare their food in any way

They are, however, in constant dire need of sodium because they get absolutely none from their fruit

So anything salty is wow

Maybe rhey have a place near the mud kingdom border where they can grow some asparagus for salt

they are also the only tribe besides Night that can eat chocolate but forgor 💀 how to make it so the NightWings and them have to re figure it out together

Salted dark chocolate bing bang boom instant delicacy

NightWings used to be able to cook really well, especially desserts and pastry, but they forgor while they were trying to not die on the volcano

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Yale Environment 360:

For decades on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast, recreational anglers have braved the cold temperatures of late October and November to chase one of the region’s most iconic fish species, the striped bass. This season, just offshore of New Jersey and New York, the fall run was especially strong. “The amount of fish and [their size] was really, really high,” said Lou Van Bergen, a captain of Miss Barnegat Light, a 90-foot party boat out of Barnegat Light, New Jersey. “Every week, all the way through Thanksgiving, you could go out and catch nicer-sized fish.”

From the looks of the boat’s deck this fall, it would have been easy to assume that striped bass, once overfished to dangerously low numbers on the East Coast, had completed a remarkable comeback. Except that in the nearby Chesapeake Bay and in the Hudson River, where the fish return each spring to spawn, the hatching and maturation of juveniles “has been abysmal,” said John Waldman, an aquatic conservation biologist at the City University of New York. Waldman, an avid fisherman himself, called the low levels of striped bass recruitment, or spawning success, in these historically fertile estuaries “a real mystery.”

One way to better understand this apparent shift in striped bass recruitment and distribution in the Mid-Atlantic Bight— the coastal region that stretches from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to Massachusetts — is to look at similar shifts in the behavior of one of its key food sources, the Atlantic menhaden, a forage fish in the herring family. In recent years, menhaden have also been seen in high numbers off the New Jersey and New York coasts — Van Bergen described an early November trip in which the ocean surface was thick with menhaden for some 25 miles. But just like striped bass, menhaden numbers in the Chesapeake and other estuaries, where the fish was once reliably abundant, have been low.

“I don’t know if this is a larger cyclical pattern, if it’s driven by how they’re managed, or if it’s because the water temperature is increasing,” said Janelle Morano, a doctoral student at Cornell University who has been studying how menhaden distribution has changed along the U.S. East Coast over time. “But something is going on, and it is real.”

Taken together, the shifts in behavior of these two interconnected species resemble aspects of a phenomenon that is being observed across the planet, from land to sea: phenological mismatch.

Phenology is the seasonal timing of lifecycle events, like spawning and migration. Think of how honeybees emerge from their hives just as spring flowers bloom, or how in autumn, the monarch butterfly migrates south to Mexico as milkweed begins to die off in the United States. Phenological mismatch, however, occurs when these intricate, interspecies relationships fall out of sync due to changes in the environment. Terrestrial cases of phenological mismatch have been well documented. For example, detailed analysis has shown that, over the past 29 years, monarch migration has been delayed by six days due to warming temperatures, triggering mismatches with food availability during the journey and failures to reach overwintering sites.

But in the oceans, phenological mismatch has been far less studied. Every scientist interviewed for this story noted that while there has been good research on single-species phenology in marine environments, there remains precious little understanding of multispecies phenological mismatch. The subject, they said, urgently requires more focus because of the potential knock-on effects that mismatches could cause up and down the food chain. They also cautioned that all species, marine and terrestrial, are prone to natural swings in abundance, and that declines or increases can’t be pinned to any one stressor. Overfishing and stock management are just two external factors that may be influencing phenological mismatch in the world’s oceans. As the authors of a paper published in Nature Climate Change that focused on this lack of knowledge put it, “Given the complexity involved, accurately forecasting phenological mismatch in response to climate change is a major test of ecological theory and methods.”

[scotianostra]

January 24th in the year 76 is the reputed birth date of Publius Aelius Hadrianus the greatest wall builder Scotland can call a friend. 😉

Although now entirely in England it is in what was often called, ‘The debatable land’ the areas around it having changed hands on many occasions, work started on the wall was built in 122AD and stood as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire for over two centuries.

It is thanks to Hadrian’s Wall that the land which became Scotland was first considered one territory. It’s also a fact that we know more about Hadrian than just about every King of the Scots until Malcolm Canmore who reigned almost 1000 years later, and the emperor who in a real sense created Scotland turned out to be a fascinating character.

Hadrian is known as one of the Five Good Emperors, the others being Nerva, Trajan, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius.

Hadrian’s family were from modern-day Spain and he may have been born there or in Rome in 76, as his father was the cousin of the previous Emperor Trajan, who looked after the boy when Hadrian’s father died when the future emperor was just nine.

I’ll skip the full story of his life and press on with the story of the wall.

Hadrian knew the east of the empire well, but not the far west. He travelled through Gaul to Britain and there he was told of the fierce barbarians to the north, so often portrayed on page and screen as savages, who frequently raided south deep into Roman Britain.

These “barbarians” were most likely the Picts who then occupied most of what is now Scotland.

As someone who commissioned or oversaw the building of bridges, aqueducts and temples and who made the Pantheon the greatest building in Rome – it survives largely intact even now – the solution to the northern problem was simple. He would keep out the barbarians, and thus ordered the construction of a wall right across the “waist” of Britain from Luguvalium to Coria, or Carlisle to Corbridge as we know them.

The story is told that he was informed that it couldn’t be done – Hadrian went to Eboracum (York) and supposedly drew up the first plans himself.

For the first time, the inhabitants of what we know as Scotland knew they had a southern limit – not that it stopped them invading anyway. It was 73 miles long and in places was up to 12 ft high and 20ft wide, with forts and fortlets spread out along the wall. It remains the largest Roman artefact still extant in the world.

So was it really the southern border of Scotland? Never officially called the border, the Wall still marked the extent of the Roman Empire with everything south being Roman Britain, especially after the Antonine Wall between the Clyde and Forth was abandoned only eight years after it was completed in 154. And the Romans did not leave until the 5th century.

So for centuries, everything north of Hadrian’s Wall was seen as the land of the barbarians, and that is why, when the land we know as England was invaded by the Angles, Saxon, Jutes, Danes and Norsemen, the peoples north of the Wall were left to their own devices.

It has been argued that no one has ever really “conquered” Scotland in that the country we think of as Scotland did not really come into being until the Picts and Scots joined together and later took back Strathclyde and the Lothians from the Britons and the Northumbrians respectively – it was only in 1018 that the Battle of Carham finally confirmed the land north of the Tweed on the east coast as part of Scotland. Various English kings claimed “overlordship” of Scotland, but the man who came closest to conquering this land was a commoner, Oliver Cromwell, and even he left alone the far north and the Hebridean islands.

Hadrian died in 138, having defined the limits of the Roman Empire in the West, limits that did not include Scotland, and we should be grateful to him, for it took a man of genius to realise that the people of this land are different from those south of his Wall.

[fantomette22]

What are some Maria headcanons that you have?

( @izunias-meme-hole)

Lady Maria headcanons post (part 1) :

Alright! Well I already share those a while ago : https://www.tumblr.com/fantomette22/743244500505378816/lady-maria-vs-keeper-of-the-old-lords?source=share  +couple of other around my blog

So I will try to share other things not just related to « Maria could do pyromancy from her living if she really wanted to but was actually terrified by it! Because she didn’t want to use her own blood to inflict pain and death. » also I won’t explain in detail how I hc she got her Rakuyo : by directly going to the East herself! (Yamamura’s country).

🍂But why did she name it like that? The Rakuyo? Well Rakuyo means « fallen leaves » right? Well, when she finally got her blade she needed to baptise it, to use it properly for the first time. And guess on what she uses it? A fallen leaf! (naturally falling in autumn). Cut it straight in two halves. And that’s how she knew how she was going to name it.

Enjoy the ride t's going to be long ;)

⚔️She got an Evelyn gun during her teenage years and before the Rakuyo she often train & fight with both a chikage and a reiterpallasch (she really like dual wielding 😎 or maybe with another sword like the shadow could have been a thing she fight with 🤔 but yeah I guess she was trained with all type of weapons) I wonder if she could have been a bit ambidextrous too.

⚜️Ok now concerning her family (tree) I have at least 5 different headcanons for it 💀but let’s just go with my main one aka the fic verse one (where she’s just Annalise’s cousin XD). Because if you get me started on the alternatives it’s just never gonna be over XD (those are really in very different timelines. It’s not really the same characters & events are different)

🩸I imagined she had quite a mixed relationship with her family. It’s like when you love them bc it’s your family, you like the good memories and nice moments you have, this little chill & special outings etc but there’s also some stuff you’ll never be able to forget or forgive them. You feel you need distance and be autonomous to not get hurt by them anymore, to not get frustrated and misunderstood. Just have news and share things outside.

She never really fit in with her peers. Kinda an odd one who just masks really well to fit into the mood when asked of her. I prefer to say « a (white) wolf » in a pack of hounds in context but yeah black sheep in a white flock if it’s easier to understand x) She had a lot of pressure on her shoulder as well (being the last pyromancer and not far in the line of succession)

But she really likes her close cousins which she grew up with (Annalise, Vled), a couple of other friends (Charles, Svetta, a couple of future young knights etc) as well as younger relatives and kids (Leo etc)! But she doesn’t get that much along with the others. Like she goes along better with the servants probably. 

⚜️She mainly grew up between Cainhurst and where her parents had lands and their manor (in the north, near a coast). Her parents are often not there because they are sent by the crown to places so it's complicated . When her mother is in a good mood that’s mostly fine, her dad is a bit more chill (he taught her how to play a lot of card games and poker too! She probably played 2-3 times with money at stake. She prefers amical things. She will absolutely beat your ass at it too. She’s the definition of having a poker face XD)

👑She was a lil bit raised like a future lady in waiting but more as future knight (page (of the king), squire, knight training etc really rough training too 💀 very dark shit hm like beat the shit out of people while wearing a full weight armor, swim in a ice lake and idk shot hm dead things… I swear there’s more fun things but hm yeah…)

That one really isn’t fun as well but i imagined that during her teenage years she already had to deal with mental health issues (due to well some pb with her family etc). Thankfully, she did get better after spending a summer a bit far away at a friend's home (to simplify). Still she got scared for some years afterwards that some of those dark thoughts would eventually return. Thankfully it didn't for most of her life. She got some happy times…Bad times too but not that bad until well probably more than 15-20y later where you know… she would sadly not make it out this time.

🌌She was accepted as Byrgenwerth and went to mainly study sciences, astronomy, but did learn a bit of theology as well as medicine (basic medicine stuff,  nurse & help midwife etc). She did 5y and got a master degree. She also participated in underground expeditions arranged by Byrgenwerth.

⭐️She probably know how to speak way more than 2 languages : whatever they speak in Yharnam, latin/pthumerian language, whatever the equivalent of Japanese is and probably a bit of other European languages too. Oh a north/slavic languages as well, because she had ancestors from there too).

🐴When she was very little they got some borzoi I guess but most of her life at Cainhurst she got 2 siblings crows (I have Phobos & Deimos names in my draft) as well as her own horse, named Filan. (mean little wolf in gaelic/irish apparently? Speaking of which Maria's nickname when she was little was "little wolf" maybe in another language too). She probably had a couple of plants too.

(suppose to be almost a full black horse but i’m not 100% settle because i could go full horsemen of the apocalypse aesthetic with other knights if i change the colors… but in my first draft that’s a black horse yes)

🔥When she was very little they discovered she could eventually have pyromancer blood power.It might have been a huge pride for them and honor for her but… clearly Maria didn’t want to become like the shadows of the antics pthumerian royals. A silent and hidden knight who kills without asking questions… clearly she wasn’t really found of this idea 😅 Thankfully for her she don’t know or to use such power and didn’t put much effort to try to learn it (in life she will probably accidentally use it 2-3 time…)

She highly respects a lot of traditions and culture from Cainhurst but there’s stuff like exposing the remains of animal prey that she found a bit barbaric. She doesn't mind others using blood blades and she will do it alone/ for training or even in choreography but she doesn’t wish to hurt or kill with it.*

💔So she was supposed to become a royal guard but things didn’t go like they should have…the poor young knights got into a fight with something by accident… a mortal trap they couldn’t win… only Maria made it out alive. Very hurt and slightly traumatized… She then had a huge fight with her family & relatives about what happened. She couldn’t even send news to her friends bc they forbid it to calm any rumors about what happened…Hm then Maria’s family decide to send her more north where her parents have lands etc so things calm down and she could ya know do her knight work or smt. Anyway she run away at Byrgenwerth💀

Sorry for the meme jebfekb I am not giving lot of details for now but it's highly link with my Knight & Beast of Cainhurst story.

(Why this meme too? Well due to rumours her friends legit thought she died 💀 she went to Byrgen only 1-2 months later. During the holidays. So she sent to like Ludwig & the other who weren't there letters to tell them she was ok. That's were came this meme XD)

❤️‍🩹Anyway she was partially disowned of some stuff for a bit and didn’t came back at Cainhurst for while. But after some times, her and her family wanted to both apologize and reunite, but without an occasion it would be complicated. Well, until a CERTAIN SOMEONE stole the forbidden blood to Cainhurst and tell them Maria helped 💀 (she had no idea, and he only did that bc he owns her one). So she didn’t approve but she kinda reconciled and they gave her the occasion to do a mission for them later on, in JAPAN (the Eastern land) and well you know the rest.

⚓️She had the occasion to go to « Japan » and have her dream of becoming like half in charge of a ship after getting her master degree! (she just did navigation stuff with the stars but maybe she was captain lol that’s what she wanted to do when she was little actually. But reading Evelyn diaries and not just the novels she realised how hard it was to always have such life h24)

Congratulations Lady Maria! 

After really hard years.. and trauma… and a exhausting presentation 

You win : 

a master degree in astronomy (sciences & other things)

a nice meal with your parents & family that congratulate you

a big part of your inheritance back!

a super wine bottle to share with your friends

 a trip to japan

finally your promised personalised double sword

a personalised hunting attire when you came back

to able to work with gehrman’s hunters & the healing church when you came back

So proud of you ❤️👏

✨Other lil hcs : 

Laurence made her very interested in religion. I am not joking, I sincerely believe he converted her somehow. / Made her very interest into great one religion etc

Gehrman saved her life more than once, she did the same. They went into lot of hunt training/camping trip as the beggining of being hunters.

She became great friends with Ludwig, Rom, Caryll, friends Damian too etc back at Byrgenwerth. With Micolash it was a bit more nuanced for a while. Before becoming close friends they were roasting each other often XD but respected each other too.

Her brooch either came from her mother or the late queen (aunt) so a family heirloom I guess. Ressemble a lumenflower. 

She helped the early healing church with treating people, make food, teach kids etc

She was highly respected by all the old hunters. Even if she had some tensions with dear Izzy at like the beginning they knew each other XD She earn their respect and everyone ended up very liking her being her kindness, abilities etc

When she was sent alone or with a couple of hunters to help in a secluded villages, people were of course really skeptical at first but she quickly proved them her worth.

I think sometimes she wears dresses…  but hey she never wears high heels or ballerina shoes (she hates it so hey she still has her special style! aka huge boots XD) It’s often very simple ones as well. Except at Cainhurst, it’s not very extravagant.

She loves to read tons of books (cainhurst library is there for smt XD)

With her cousins they loved to explore and wander the castle! At night too.. got them into trouble more than once.

Sometimes she wears sunglasses when it’s very sunny (poor girl has white eyelashes you see! she have an excuse)

She really loved the lumenflowers too like i explained last time.

She got some scars at the base of her neck. That’s why she almost always wear a jabot with her broach. (maybe on the hands too. that’s why she often has gloves).

She made (with a bit of help) Gherman’s red scarf while in japan.

“Of the Astral Clocktower” because she basically funded its construction with her own money. So like it’s partially hers on papers. (She did mostly astronomical studies & took care of the patients kind of like a nurse during her time at the research hall

She could play a couple of instruments (especially violin and cello). 

Of course she know many ballroom & court dance and taught other to others when they were invited to some places.

She actually can “sing” very well (but more music without real lyrics like the dream ost for exemple) ! She would probably almost never do that in public too.

Some books at the workshop are hers

Oh, did I already told she was very scared of pthumerian pyromancers before she fought the keeper of the old lords?

Ok now because I didn't know what to add to the post I asked some of my friends to help me with questions they wanted to know about! Thanks @heraldofcrow & @fareehaandspaniards there you go:

Was she comfortable with life at Cainhurst? (Before the Vileblood)

I think I answered that above ^ it’s very complex and complicated. Sometimes it goes well (especially in childhood) but sometimes it’s very complicated and not so good… (especially during teenage years and during some events where she got a lot of pressure and all. It got better after all this mess and Vilebloods mess of course (even if some distance was left compared to before). 

🩸🐦‍⬛Bloody Crow’s relation to Maria? 

In my main hc he’s the son of Maria’s cousin (Vled, the knight). So her little cousin basically. But to simplify I often say he’s like a nephew to her. I named him Voron! (I know very imaginative it means raven XD)  Still unsure if he’s born before or after the hamlet (probably after too) but in all cases Maria was around to help with the birth and to help take care of him for the first couple of days. She loved him very much. Also In the case something were to happen to his parents, well the king & queen would take care of him but if somehow they can’t/something were to happen to them too, Maria promised she would be the one to take care of him. 

Still, she died when he was very young. Probably like 3-6 years old. So he does remember a bit. But just a little and he has very good memories of her. But he also saw his family hurting from her disappearance and all and so he grew more mixed feeling but mostly it stays positive. He really looks like her in a lot of ways.

🕷️Rom and Maria friendship 🥺? 

I see you want to know more about their friendship! I think They had a wholesome friendship overall! But it didn't begins great. I am trying to write it in my fic since a few months but it's all hard and idk how to do that exactly XD

Like they were doing a group exercise and Rom was pretty bad and it (supposed to be quite easy) and Maria who got frustrated to explain it so much lash out a bit and tell her like “are you dumb or something?” 

Everyone in the class isn't very nice to Rom (and Maria) and said worst things behind her back so she thought that was, you know OK somehow and not that mean. But she quickly realized afterwards her mistake, that Rom was the Provost daughter and that she had some disability. But despite that, she was still trying hard and she must be very strong to have the lvl to be here you know! 

Maria feels very bad about it (Micolash had dark looks to give her too lmao)  but after a while (talking with other people cough cough) she decided to come to her and apologize sincerely and even try to help her on a few things.

Rom was quite surprised at first because nobody, you know approaches her like this to apologize and that's a huge thing considering Maria is from Cainhurst and a noble.

I mean she didn't even have hard feelings against Maria because everyone else is way meaner and she kinda forgot about it. She was quite surprised but also very thankful and they began to talk more. Micolash was the most surprised and he told Rom to be careful to not get walk over, to not believe lies and stuff but he quickly realized that it was genuine. And Rom had to reminded him (with Damian) that well, when he first meet Rom he was kinda of a bully at first!  Before becoming a mother hen with Damian.

So yes the two girls began to talk about a lot of things! She even got invited to Rom’s room. There’s tons of insects and underglass and stuff but generally people don't like that but Maria found it cool! She got some back home too and found it very interesting actually! So they quickly became friends with all the little gang. And also they are basically the two girls of the squad! I mean Caryll is in the girls squad too but they can also be in the boys squad so yeah anyway you know how girl besties can be x) you don’t share the same things exactly. Plus Caryll & Rom are really in the must protected squad.

 Maria even defends Rom from her family when she came back for the holiday and they asked her if she made some friends and who they were and stuff. And you know uh Mara had to told them in a very exaggerated manners that « oh I'm friend with the Provost daughter you know! » (You know because that's what they want to know, if she made strong connections with interesting people before anything else…)

But of course, you're going to have very rude comments from some relatives or something who’s going to say “oh the retarded one?” 💀  And everyone's looking at him like “can you please not say it like this?”  Poor Maria just standing there and dunno what to say because she really cares about her as a friend. She doesn't just want to have friends to show off she has important contacts. She genuinely values those friendships. Sadly, she can’t just tell her family that her friends are mostly “the weird introvert group kids! just like me!”(so she talk about Ludwig too! but don't put too much details on others…)

So yeah they stayed great friends for years. Sadly, in tough moments they didn’t really share what hurt them to the other… (after kos etc maybe a bit but not too much)

🗡️🛡️What or who inspired Maria's path of knighthood in her youth?

History books & knight novels! Her grand uncle, the other knights, king etc, Her family push her/ “let her choose” that way as well.

Lady Evelyn stories (she was like Maria grand aunt/ cousin of her grandparents, mostly an adventurer).

The bodyguard of Annalise’s mother who was at first a mercenary sent to Loran before becoming a royal knight.

🍜What were Maria's food preferences?

Hm i think if it looks/smells average and edible she’s actually not that complicated XD She made a lot of effort through the years to get used to more common and simple food.

My poor girl couldn’t really cooked anything when she arrived at Byrgenwerth besides cutting basic things, make tea, made ramen and skins animal meat (like rabbit) before Gehrman thought her other recipes 😭 (she made great soups afterwards! hunters like it, she cuts aliments well XD but yeah my boy cooks well for everyone he made her liked many simple things that if not done well many don’t like. But bro is the only one who probably likes some chard gratin or something out of everyone…)

Like most of her family, i supposed she would very much enjoy some rare/medium rare meat XD but when it’s EVERYDAY she got very tired 💀 I mean she tried to tell her family it was too much so they respected her wishes and gave her only vegetables for a couple of days… but not like normal meals no! like a whole ass not decorticate salad or full ass carrots with skins and all! 💀 She rapidly apologized like you can guess. (still she can’t stand those damn carpaccio when there’s too much!)

Besides that yeah only non meat dishes don’t bother her at all, she would even prefer most of the time. She likes both sophisticated but also very simple dishes she discovered.  Exotic food from the east. Of course my girl liked sushis, fish, sea fruit etc. I mean she used to like it way more before… you know… afterwards many hunters couldn’t just smell white fish for a few days without feeling nauseous…. for Maria she just couldn’t bring herself to eat like 95% of white sea fish anymore… (I guess salmon and thon and lobster were still ok but that’s it really).

And well of course deserts are always so nice so whatever 🤤

🌻Her relationship with Adeline?  /Who is Adeline to her in your interpretation? 

(Yeah both of you asked me this one! x) )

Well depending on the interpretations I have two main interpretations for her! (in the AU/very different timeline where Gehrman is like Maria's dad, that's her girlfriend lol) but in my main interpretation that’s not really the case. I prefer to see them as friends and very close friends I think? during her early time at the research hall. Another close friend she made who’s mainly outside of her main group. But both have quite an evolution through the years they knew each other. 

If i remember the draft in my head correctly it goes like this : 

After Maria graduated (and came back from her mission trip) she went to help the early healing church develop itself and its activities between hunts and going in the pthumerians labyrinth and that’s where she met Adeline.

I supposed Adeline is a Yharnamite? but she lost everything (her family. not sure what happened) and basically didn’t have a home anymore and clearly saw herself as worthless (poor girl had terrible self esteem issues all her life afterwards…) So the early healing church took in some people in need, gave them a place to sleep, eat and heal them if they were sick. Maria took care and helped Adeline during that time (after it was Laurence too).

And so the 2 became friends! In the end Adeline (who had nothing left) decided to dedicate her life to the healing church and helped others as well, so they saw each other with Maria afterwards! They advised each other and could have been a bit confident of each other as well. Of course Maria wasn’t very hyped when Adeline became a blood saint fully (seeing the bad things it could do to people) but she respected her choices.

During the research hall, before Adeline took part in the experiments, she helped Maria, Rom, Caryll etc around with the patients & other things. I suppose because of some dreams/ exposure to something, the decline of everyone's mental health, and maybe other people asking her... she decided to give herself fully to those experiments as well in the end… Her death was one of the last straws for Maria...

----

I know I have more questions left but I am reaching Tumblr word limit soon so I will reblog/make a 2nd post (or even a 3rd)💀 with the rest of the most interesting (and huge) questions! It's not quite written yet but for now this should be a nice distraction and a good reading I hope!

[thatmexisaurusrex]

If you're still doing 1-2 word Bucktommy prompts, how about blizzard conditions 🙂

Hey! Sorry it took a bit of time to get to this. I'm on and off overwhelmed by asks 😅 I love them and I love writing ficlets and microfics and answering questions and thanking folks for kind words, but at the same time, I get a little overwhelmed sometimes. Great prompt! I hope you enjoy this 🥰

Blizzard Conditions

Tommy had never been on the East Coast before. He hadn't really been north of San Fran. So, going along with Maddie, Evan, Chimney, and Jee-Yun to visit some old friends of theirs in the New England area had been a bit of an adventure, to say the least.

Well.

An adventure he enjoyed until he and Evan found themselves on a snow-covered road.

"Shit. The car really isn't moving anymore," said Evan as he tried a fourth time to drive with no real results.

"9-1-1 did say they were sending someone," offered Tommy.

Evan sighed as he slumped back into his seat.

"This really isn't going the way I wanted it to go."

"Oh, you hadn't visited specifically for the blizzard conditions?"

Evan snorted.

"I visited specifically for them," said Evan sarcastically.

"It's really not that big of a deal," Tommy said, but Evan didn't look all that convinced.

"This weekend. It was supposed to be - I don't know. Perusing Newbury Street. Taking goofy historical walking tours around Boston. Not blizzard conditions. Not getting stuck in the snow after turning around from trying to head to Salem. We didn't even get to Salem."

Tommy wrapped his arms around Evan, pulling him close.

"I'm going to tell you something I didn't know before we came," whispered Tommy into Evan's hair, "I hate the fucking snow."

Evan.

Let out a laugh.

"What?"

"I hate the fucking snow. I hate the snow. I hate how cold it is. I don't like how it keeps fucking up every wonderful plan you try to enact. I hate how you just look so sad when the snow ruins another thing. I hate it. If I could punch it in the face, I would."

Evan.

Evan just kept laughing.

"You don't need to hate the snow on my behalf," wheezed Evan.

"Too bad. I hated it already," laughed Tommy, "This has just solidified my hatred. I'm going to be the Kendrick Lamar of hating snow."

"Not the Kendrick Lamar of hating snow," laughed Evan.

Just.

Just grinning.

And looking at Tommy.

And.

"Next time, less snow. Okay?" said Evan, as if he could promise that.

"Yeah. We'll come in the summer or something," said Tommy as he gave Evan a peck on the lips.

Which.

Turned into more.

Maybe a little more than more.

Until.

They sprang away from each other at the sound of tapping on the car window.

"9-1-1 first responders!" called someone from outside, "Heard you might need some help?"

And.

Okay.

They could continue that later.

"Yes, we do!" called Evan, and Tommy snorted at how Evan had to clear his throat.

[i-hate-the-mercator-projection]

So where the hell is Rhadamanthus?

OK, lets list some things we know about the space elevators, orbital ring, and conduit in xenoblade 3:

the orbital ring is around the equator exactly

the orbital ring has three space elevators, Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthus (the world tree)

the conduit/zohar was found in Africa, PRESUMABLY near lake turkana, just north of the equator in Kenya

presumably, the three space elevators are equidistance from eachother, at three different spots on the equator

ok now that we've got that straightened out, lets try and pinpoint the locations of the three stations. The only one we actually see is Rhadamanthus, and at the end of future redeemed we get to see the surrounding areas.

Many people were quick to note how much this looks like California. A sprawling city by the sea with mountains inland. not to mention the obviously american architecture. Hell when we visit the same place in xenoblade 2 we see ruins of road signs made in the american style. Including references to a interstate 236, that doesn't exist

But, obviously, there's no part of the USA that straddles the equator. So we have to look for other locations that fit the bill. First of all, we know that the flashback to the city in future redeemed takes place during the afternoon, as we hear the radio broadcaster mention that the show is the afternoon news. Shadows point east in the afternoon as the sun is in the west. We see shadows pointing away from the sea in future redeemed, so that must mean that the location of Rhadamanthus is on a west coast.

There are only three countries with a west coast the equator cuts through: Gabon, Indonesia, and Ecuador.

Gabon doesn't fit the bill, it's too flat.

Indonesia has several islands on the ecuator that COULD fit the bill, but I'm really interested in ecuador here.

this part of ecuador right on the equator fits the bill perfectly. by the sea, with mountains inland, on the west coast, and there's a BIG reason to suspect rhadamanthus is here, but I'll come back to that in a bit... For the record, I'm going to assume that the areas around all three space elevators are administered by the USA, or at least the "coalition goverment". We know the USA had a MASSIVE hand in at least Rhadamanthus's management as we see references to the US government in it in xenoblade 2. I'm imagining it to be a panama canal situation, where only a small strip of land around the space elevator is actually controlled by the USA. Which would explain the road signs and the non existent interstate. (worth mentioning that 236 could be a connecting road to the nearby pan american highway). Anyway, what about the other two

Well. Obviously one of them is going to be in East Africa right? To the south of lake Turkana. They'd build up from where they found the conduit for sure. So, what are some potential locations? Well, about 175 miles south of the lake is the city of Nanyuki. Right on the ecuator, and has an airport. Perfect spot for a major development to happen.

So, what two locations are equidistance from Nanyuki on the equator? Well, to find that we need to divide the circumference of the world into thirds, and then measure that number along the equator from Nanyuki in both directions

the circumference of the world is 40075km, divided by 3 is 13358.33km To the east 12258km from Nanyuki is...

The middle of the ocean... which is fine. There are no three spots on land on the ecuator which are equidistance from eachother. There was always going to be somewhere in the water. But the way i see it, if you can build a space elevator you can build an artificial island. So this probably wouldn't be an issue. It gets exciting when you go west though, because 13358km west of Nanyuki is...

RIGHT OF THE COAST OF ECUADOR.

Within a margin for error of about 300km too. and if you're building a structure of that scale 300km is nothing. Rhadamanthus could've absolutely been right there on that coast. Anyway, this has been my TED talk. Rhadamanthus is in Ecuador. Why the conduit is there and not in Nanyuki... well thats a whole different question to ask.

[cherrycola27]

Till Death?

Summary: after six months away, it's time to come back

Previous Part

...........................................

Epilouge

Six months, twenty-six weeks, one hundred eighty-three days. That's how long you had been gone.

That was how much time had passed since you gathered up your son and a few necessary items before loading up your Jeep and driving into the sunset.

It was also the same amount of time that had passed since you saw them.

Sure, it was hard. No one said it would be easy. But over time, you managed to adapt. You traveled the length of the West Coast, and as far east as the Grand Canyon. You'd traveled up to Montana and over to South Dakota in your Jeep.

You'd let your parents keep Nick for a while and spent a week in New York with your cousin and a week on the North Carolina coast with your best friend from college.

You enjoyed your time. But something was missing.

He was missing.

You aren't sure when missing him started, but once it did, you couldn't get the ache out of your chest.

You found yourself wanting to contact him more and more. You had to will yourself not to pick up the phone and call him. To not put your car in the wind and drive back to him.

He had hurt you. You were doing this for you.

But more and more, the hurt began to fade away. It was replaced by a longing, a want to have him with you.

You missed his laugh, his smile. You missed the way he made you feel. The way he cared about you.

He never tried to pressure you to come back. He knew you needed this.

Two weeks ago, you decided that it was time to go back, time to go to him.

You made sure you had everything in order. You even went as far as contacting Phoenix and Bob to make sure he wasn't on deployment. When they confirmed he wasn't, it made everything seem so real.

So, here you were, packing up your Jeep once again.

It would take you about four hours to get back. It would be late when you returned, but you knew that you couldn't put it off any longer.

You took a deep breath before slamming the trunk of your car shut.

You adjusted Nick in his car seat, turned on his iPad, and made sure he had a snack. You gave his seat belt one final check to be safe.

Once you made sure he was secure, you opened your phone and typed out a message.

"I'm coming home."

Three simple words. You hit send before putting the car in drive.

As you pulled away from the Air BnB you'd been staying at, you sighed. A few tears slipped down your cheek. They weren't tears of sadness though, the were happy tears. You knew you were making the right choice.

You stopped along the way for stretch breaks, snacks, fuel, and the bathroom. At each stop, you checked your phone.

He hadn't responded. You hoped he'd gotten your message. Deep down, you knew he had.

You'd just left the rest stop and had about forty-five minutes of driving left. Nick was fast asleep. You turned on the radio and let the pop songs guide you home.

It's late when you pulled up. You killed the engine and lights. You took a deep breath. Maybe you should have called first instead of texting. You sat in the driver's seat and thought for a moment. It's been over six months since you left him. What if he didn't want you anymore. It was a silly thought, really. You knew he did.

You learned a lot about yourself in that time. You became the person you were always meant to be. You found your love for life again. You became a person who could let themselves love and be loved again.

You opened the door to your car and quietly got out.

You carefully lifted Nick out of the car.

You silently made your way up the steps to the porch.

Before you could knock on the door, the porch light flipped on, and the door flung open.

He was still half asleep, but a smile spread across his face when his eyes landed on you.

A beat of silence passed before he opened his mouth and spoke.

"Hi, Honey"

So babes, this is the end. I have loved writing this series and it has been an amazing journey with you. Please feel free to send me an ask if there is anything you want to share about this! I love yall!

Tag List: @pisupsala @shanimallina87 @luckyladycreator2 @mak-32 @katieshook02 @samhapner6 @rosiahills22 @thedroneranger @roosterforme @hecate-steps-on-me @withahappyrefrain @arson-tm @sebsxphia @potato-girl99981 @caitsymichelle13 @lillyrosenight @callsign-hummingbird @inky-sun @writeroutoftime @afterglowsb-tch13 @heyoimjordy @phoenixssugarbaby @hypatia93 @bradshawseresinbabe @je-suis-prest-rachel @teacupsandtopgun @boringusername3 @starlightstories @daggerspare-standingby @utterlyhopeful-fics @talkfastromance4 @fighterpilothoe @t-nd-rfoot @phoenix138 @abaker74 @peppizzathief @gigisimsonmars @emorychase @wannabeschyulersister @greatszu @shawnsblue @tributetomrsniffles @tv-fanatic18 @angelbabyange @sadpetalsstuff @softmullet @cowboybarbie @shewritesfiction13 @sweetlittlegingy @rogersbarnesxx

[cb-writes-stuff]

Other worldbuilding question!

What are the landmarks of Kem lon-Dalan, like what’s the structures that kids say to meet up at cause people know where they are

I’m glad you asked! Again!

Gates are very common meeting places. There’s the North Gate, which is exactly what it sounds like: the gate leading north out of the city. Likewise, there’s the East Gate. The so-called “East District” is the part of Kem lon-Dalan atop the Brother (the eastern cliff of the Twins). It’s kind of a pain to get there, though. Your options are go around the cliff, or climb stairs. In contrast, the Sister (the western cliff) just has fortifications for defensive purposes.

The Market District runs along the western edge of the city and has three gates, namely the High Market Gate in the north, the Low Market Gate in the south, and just the plain Market Gate in between those two. (There used to be a high wall around the Market District, like there is around the Living District. Since the wall was torn down centuries ago, all that’s left are arches with gates that just always stay open, hardly more than ornamental.) There’s also the docks, of course.

The Living District is a big bulk of a district in the southeast of the city, pressing against the cliff and coast. It has three gates as well, the Pearl Gate in the northeast, the Iron Gate in the northwest, and the Dirt Gate in the west. Different parts of the Living District are nicer and more expensive to live in, and the name of the gate generally corresponds to how nice or not nice it is.

I am tired of talking about gates. If I have to say gate one more time, I’m going to scream.

The Red Beach is, as the name implies, a walled-off beach with red sand. According to the stories, a king from a far off land came ashore on that beach, riding a tide of his enemies’ blood. Natives know that it’s really an execution ground. Old traditions saw that those on death row had their blood drained onto the beach after death. That hasn’t been done for a long time, though, and the smell of iron is gone. It’s still entirely red, which is both disgusting and terrifying. Great for dumb kids to test their courage. It’s smack dab in the center of the coast, quite possibly the least welcoming sight for visitors.

The Veika ta-Lilasen is the grand square below the steps of the Veika ir-Jai, the palace of the tyrant king who supposedly ruled the entire Vandeth Desert some 1500 years ago. The stories go that a star fell to the teph*, where the Veika ta-Lilasen would be built, hence the name: “The Star with Us”**. Apparently, the tyrant king used the star to create not only the Veika ir-Jai—Wisdom’s Star—but the whole of Kem lon-Dalan, all on his own. But that’s preposterous. A story is all it is.

*The planet’s name is Teph (/tef/). If there’s a word with “earth” in it, it’s replaced with “teph”.

**The Vandeth language has no articles; rather, they are inferred from context.

And yeah! Those are some of the major landmarks in Kem lon-Dalan. There’s probably others, but to be totally honest, I haven’t thought of those yet.

[greeenchrysanthemums]

Hi yes I'm very normal about this au and was wondering in terms of the world, let's say for a hypothetical map that I want to hypothetically draw, are there any major biomes, important towns or landmarks, things of that nature?

Oooo, fun! I know this is a fairly simple question, but I will be giving you another long-winded answer, so bear with me.

For your hypothetical map there are three major kingdoms to take note of.

In the upper right portion of the map is Coral Crest. It is very well known for its booming economy, which they have their rich glass, fish, salt, and pearl trades to thank for. It is the largest and wealthiest of the three major kingdoms, and the castle is grand and luxurious where it sits on the crest of a large sea cliff. Beneath and above the capital would be many small fishing towns along the coast, and two or three more small villages in-land. It is important to the plot, as this is the kingdom they are/were at war with.

in the bottom center would be another kingdom, Floweret. This kingdom has little in ways of trees or other defining landmarks, it is mostly just low hills and grass lands. The land there would be rich in nutrients, though, and it is perfect for farming, which is where this land would get most of its trade from. It is the smallest out of the three and therefore has a very small, modest castle. This kingdom is pretty new compared to the others, being only around 30 years old. This place is not important to the plot outside of it being mentioned that they turned down an alliance with Grian, and that Jimmy lived there before moving to live with Tango.

South-east of this would be a small town called Sahara that is part of Floweret and borders a desert biome. This is where Grian and Mumbo met Scar for the first time. They are known for their grain alcohol.

The third kingdom, Wintertide, is the one our story takes place in. It is in the top left corner, a bit more north than Coral Crest and in a colder climate. There is a pretty big amount of distance between Wintertide and Coral Crest; it would take someone nearly a whole month to travel to or from either of them on foot, a few weeks by horse. Most of this kingdom is surrounded by dense forest and backed by a large, snowy mountain (Crystaline Mountain). Wintertide mostly relies on the gemstones and coal mined from their mountains for their livelihood, but they also bring in money with their decent livestock and farming trade.

On top of Crystaline Mountain is a village of the same name, Gem and Etho's home village. This is a mostly independent village, though they do pay taxes to Wintertide and rely on it for protection.

South-west, in between Floweret and Wintertide, is a decently sized trading town that is on neutral ground, where merchants from any land are welcome to go and do business. This area is thin in trees, but not as lacking as Floweret. The town is lively, eclectic, and colourful, with people from all over living in its borders. It doesn't really have a name, as it is not official to any of the kingdoms, but it is has acquired the nickname "The Monopoly" because of how easy it is to, well, set up a monopoly there.

There are other, smaller towns and villages scattered across the map between all three kingdoms, but they aren't important, and I have not thought of names for them. (feel free to suggest some!)

There are also other, far-off kingdoms, including some across the sea from Coral Crest, but they are never mentioned, and they are so far away from our main kingdoms that they don't even matter.

Disclaimer: most of these names are up for change, as I have honestly put very little thought into the map since most of the story takes place in the one kingdom. This is all bare minimum brainstorming that I have done over the past few days.

Anyway, if/when you hypothetically finish this map, please tag me or send it to me; I would love to see it! And if you have any further questions about the world, please feel free to send another ask. Or, if you would prefer, you can dm me!

[iamthepulta]

Gimme your OC ramblings! 1, 4, 19, 23, 26, 39

Your first OC ever?

AH, I LOVE THIS ONE. I think the first story I wrote was a "gurl" and her father who were ranchers, and miscellaneous bad guys came and stole their horses. They were all unnamed, afaik.

The first story I wrote with original characters I really imprinted on was... God, it was so long ago. I still have the notebook in my writing drawer somewhere. It was about a girl who ran away because she turned into a shapeshifting werewolf. Pretty sure her name was Ishtas. Her guy friend/later love interest revealed himself to be a shapeshifting werewolf and went with her. I just remember him as Hakan. There was a third friend(?) who got in an argument because he said running away was really dumb, and I think became a villain several arcs later?? (He was also a werewolf who tracked them down and tried to kill Hakan for... idk, reasons.)

This was a massive epic in my head and notebook that kept expanding because I didn't know how to end it. They went to Alaska, started a wolf pack, became friends with Balto, got involved with Alue's pack, settled down, got attacked, got kidnapped and then poisoned by wolf hunters????? Tried to make it home, and then I remember stopping because it was getting weird and 39 Clues fanfiction was taking up a lot of my time.

In retrospect, I think I read Watership Down and Call of the Wild too young as a kid. xD

4. A character you rarely talk about.

Once upon a teenager, I was writing an original story based on the premise of a colony on the moon, a post-apocalyptic earth, and something about ghosts being real. I stopped writing halfway through because I lost the plot in Iceland, but the protagonist was called Jean Shea and I still fucking love her, tbh.

Her job was to record peoples' stories around the world after the apocalypse happened. They worked in circuits ending in... Switzerland...? so one circuit was through Africa and the Middle East, one through Eurasia, one along mid to east America, one along mid to west America. Multiple people in 1 year cycles worked a circuit, so however long it took to walk the full circuit, divided by years = people on the circuit recording stories.

[This is sounding cooler retyped than it was in the story. xD I did not put much thought into the job itself as a teenager.]

Anyway, for as long as Jean could remember, there was a voice in her head that called itself Edward. She always dismissed it, but later in the story, Edward turns up and literally crash lands in New York City, claiming he escaped from a moon base that was set up from people escaping the apocalypse and his organization was doing experimental mind telepathy to infiltrate Jean's organization, which was actually the evil one because they were actually only recording people to see what resources were available to take over the world, not because they wanted to record history for posterity.

ANYWAY. Jean has to do her job, walk up the rest of the North American coast, manage this crash landed moon man that knows her whole entire life with heretical opinions, and she also adopts a ghost boy whose ties to the land were cut. She has so many issues and only wants to be a historian. Fucking love her. xD

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why).

*holds up Westlie Faire*

I know I post a lot about her, but Westlie means so much to me. She was the first original character I've felt the compulsion and ability to complete her story. Theoretically she's a self-insert character, but I don't see her that way since I just thought it'd be fun to play a navigator running away from home.

Additionally, because I care so much, I feel like she's taught me about storytelling, my preferences in storytelling, how to write. I struggle making characters even though I've written stories ever since I could hold a pen because my focus is more on... their reactions? What kind of person would do this in this situation. So without a set plot/world, it's hard for me to see the options and craft characters who'd take the plot where it needs to go.

But that's only something I've learned because of the Liztlie AU. I just blamed myself for a long time for not being able to finish original fiction.

(Actual description of Westlie: Red hair, Victorian rolled bun, rather short, petite, brown walking skirt and waistcoat. Professional and reserved demeanor, unless she's quite familiar with the person she's engaging with. Loves math. Escapes into maps. Has a righteous temper. Heir to the Fairweather Company, run by her father Arthur Faire. Resents Arthur for chaining her to Fairweather's desk and never acknowledging or appreciating the work she's done. Terrified of failure.)

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

Myra Greystone (Ellenville) has probably changed the most. Her original concept was based off song lyrics of 'victim of a name', 'blood on the tracks', and 'not going back'. So originally I imagined her as not a protagonist, middle-aged, killing her father, and mourning her identity, and she kind of helps the protagonists in a roundabout repentance way.

Now, she's grown to be the protagonist because I love her concept so much, and kind of mashed a few other characters into her. She has the additional deranged goal of bringing her sister back to life, and in that context, helps other characters (and leaves them hanging) to achieve her own ends.

26. Have you ever had to change your OC's design or something else about them against your will?

We were playing dnd with Westlie and she rolled badly on landing in the darkness, I think. Up until that point I'd rp'ed her as pretty competent with navigating, and then everyone took the bad roll and ran with it. :P

39. Introduce any character you want.

I'll be real, I think I introduced most of my characters/stories here. xD I don't actually have a lot of OCs, and the Liztlie AU is wrapping up....

Fuck it, lol. When I was really into the 39 Clues fandom, I worked on my magnum opus of the time, which was a huge "life story" of the founding characters. They essentially became my OCs.

However, there was one original character, because I gave Madeleine (protagonist) a friend who was a farm hand. His name was Edward, and he helped her escape her family trying to kill her. Then they ran away to Spain, fell in love, got married, ran to the Netherlands, and there I gave him a incredibly fucked up and tragic backstory where the dikes broke and drowned his whole family. He taught Madeleine how to skate and she met his adopted parents, and everything was fine until oh no- the dike broke again and there were two children whose parents also died and I spent three chapters developing their relationship with these children AND THEN THEY DIDN'T ADOPT THEM. There was a timeskip, they had kids, and then Edward died in a fire.

BUT ANYWAY. He was actually really cool and kind of started my trend with wholesome characters dealing with a bunch of fucked up shit? 10/10 would actually write about Edward again.

(Also the whole point of the story was that all the founders came back to life in the modern era after ~tragically dying~ so Edward dying was not permanent and it's all okay.)

[bradshawsbaby]

Happy Anniversary, love! Although I knew you prior to my Top Gun: Maverick era, your blog was one of the first I followed once I joined this fandom. You also supported me when I decided to write fics within the TGM universe and I’ll always be grateful for that. Would you be willing to write a little something for Bob that involves a sweet summertime date? I know he would plan something thoughtful and memorable because that’s the kind of guy Bob Floyd is☺️💛

Katherine! You were one of my first Tumblr friends and I’m so thankful for you! From WSS to TGM, I’m grateful for all the men we’ve been able to thirst over together 😂

Summer in San Diego was shaping up to be magical.

Just a few months ago, you’d shocked your family and friends by making the uncharacteristically spontaneous decision to leave your comfortable and safe life on the East Coast behind in favor of a life full of unknowns and adventure in sunny California.

Considering it had only taken you three weeks after moving into your new apartment to meet Lieutenant Robert Floyd, you couldn’t say you regretted that decision in the slightest.

One of the girls who lived in your building had a cousin who worked on North Island, so she’d invited you to tag along with her and her friends one evening for a girls’ night out at The Hard Deck. You hadn’t been there for more than an hour when you locked eyes across the bar with the most handsome man you’d ever seen in real life.

Evidently, you still had a little bit of that uncharacteristic bravery left inside you because after finishing your drink, you mustered up the courage to go up and talk to the cute officer who had snagged your attention. And you found out that not only was he the most attractive man you’d ever met, but also the sweetest and most gentlemanly, too.

The two of you spent the whole night talking, stepping out onto the deck so that you could hear each other better. You learned that he was a naval aviator stationed as part of a special squadron at TOPGUN, and he listened attentively as you told him all about your sudden cross-country move.

“So you’ve never been to San Diego before?” Bob asked curiously, nursing the Diet Coke he’d been sipping on all night.

“Never,” you replied with a smile, shaking your head as you looked up into the bluest eyes you’d ever beheld.

“You’ll need someone to show you the sights then,” he said a little shyly, rubbing the back of his neck as he shifted from foot to foot.

“Mhm, I will,” you nodded, butterflies fluttering in your stomach as you watched a blush extend from his cheeks down to his neck.

“I mean, what kind of a guy would I be if I didn’t offer to show a lady around?” Bob questioned, smiling nervously as he looked into your eyes.

You’d happily given him your number, and from that night forward, Bob had been making it his personal mission to show you every inch of San Diego. Just last weekend, he’d surprised you with a drive to La Jolla, where you’d been delighted to see a beach full of seals close up.

Today, since he had the day off from work, Bob had told you that he was taking you out for the afternoon, but he hadn’t given you much details beyond that.

“You can wear whatever makes you comfortable,” was all he’d said. “Oh, and maybe put on some sunscreen.”

Excited but nervous, you’d settled on a pretty yellow sundress and a pair of sandals that were easy to walk in. When Bob called you to let you know he was outside your building, you snatched your purse and a pair of sunglasses and hurried downstairs to meet him.

Standing outside his car, Bob beamed when he saw you, hurrying to open the passenger door so that you could slip inside.

“You look great!” he told you as he slid behind the wheel, eyes widening and cheeks flushing when he realized what he’d said. “I mean, um, that’s a really nice dress. Very…yellow. You look like sunshine,” he stammered, growing more anxious by the second.

You just smiled, charmed by his shyness. “Thank you, Bob,” you said, resting a hand on his arm. He smiled back at you in gratitude. “So where are we headed on today’s adventure?”

“Ah, now that’s top secret information,” Bob replied, eyes twinkling as he glanced over at you. “I’m afraid you don’t have the necessary clearance, Sunshine.”

The nickname slipped off his tongue easily, and the air between the two of you sizzled with a thick tension that you could cut with a knife.

“Would that be my call sign?” you teased softly, breaking the silence that had descended in the car.

“Yeah,” Bob nodded with a smile, taking a breath. “I think it suits you.”

You’d been so distracted by the conversation that you hadn’t even noticed where Bob had been driving until he suddenly made a turn into a lush and verdant park, greenery and flowers everywhere as he drove along a winding road.

“Oh!” you exclaimed brightly, pressing your face against the window. “What is this?”

“Balboa Park,” Bob explained with a grin, driving for a few more minutes before he found a parking spot. “The San Diego Zoo isn’t far from here.”

“Is that where we’re going?” you asked curiously as Bob came around to open your door, ever the gentleman.

“Not today,” he shook his head, smiling as he took your hand and helped you to your feet. Hurrying around to the trunk, he quickly pulled out a large picnic basket. “I hope you’re hungry,” he said, suddenly looking worried. “I realize I didn’t say anything about us getting lunch, so I understand if you already—”

“I’m starving,” you cut him off, grinning as you placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Good,” Bob sighed in relief, smiling down at you. He hesitated for a moment, but then reached for your hand and guided you towards an open, spacious field, where he set the picnic basket down underneath the shade of a tall tree.

“Oh, Bob, this is so wonderful! Thank you!” you cried in delight when you saw the spread that he had prepared—sandwiches, a fresh summer salad with strawberries and apple slices, homemade lemonade, and some cookies for dessert.

The two of you spent the next hour talking and laughing together on Bob’s picnic blanket. It was so easy to talk to him. You found yourself revealing things about yourself to him that even some of your closest friends back home didn’t know.

“So how are you feeling about San Diego?” Bob asked, sliding his glasses up his nose. “Do you think it could be home?”

“Most definitely,” you smiled, shifting closer to him. “I’m especially fond of the people.”

Bob reddened at your words, his blue eyes widening behind his glasses. “Oh—oh, yeah? Any people in particular?”

“Mhm,” you breathed out, leaning in and brushing your lips against his. “My tour guide has really been making me feel at home.”

“Sunshine,” Bob breathed out, gently cupping your face in his hands.

“I want to be your Sunshine, Bob,” you whispered, nuzzling your nose against his.

“That’s good,” Bob grinned, pecking your lips softly. “Because I want that, too.”

Join my “TOP ONE” Anniversary Celebration! 🥳

[network-rail]

Our Routes

Here at Network Rail, we are responsible for the railway infrastructure in Britain. However, Britain is a big* country, so you might be wondering how exactly we keep track of everything (eh? eh? that was a railway pun, LAUGH) and today we'll tell you about our routes and regions, along with some of what you can expect to find in them.

If you're wondering why that map up there has different colors, it's because everything is split into several larger regions: Eastern (orange), North West and Central (green), Scotland (light blue), Southern (greenish blue), and Wales and Western (pinkish red). (those colors are not the easiest to name). The regions all radiate out from London, because London is the most important part of the country, and the rail network was built to reflect this.

Anyway, here's all of the routes and a little bit about each one!

Anglia route: this region covers some of London (the northeast bit), along with places like Norfolk and Suffolk (the folks, if you will). There's probably stuff there. We aren't really doing any big projects here though.

East Coast route: this isn't a big area, instead it's just the East Coast Main Line (ECML). It's very important, it's how you go from London to Scotland along the right side of the country. It also visits some other places, such as the National Railway Museum. Not really doing anything big here either, there isn't a whole lot of upgrades we can do besides high-speed rail and we all know how that's going.

East Midlands route: the eastern part of the middle of the country, fairly obviously; this route goes to places like Leicester, Derby, Loughborough, and other towns that shouldn't be spelled the way they are. We're electrifying this right now, although how much we'll get done before the government cancels it is anyone's guess. Oh, and we'll be connecting Oxford and Cambridge with a new line going between them, because apparently people want to travel between them (why? it's not like you'd be attending both universities or anything)

North & East route: this covers Yorkshire and some other counties, but the people in Yorkshire are the only ones who care about counties anyway so the others don't need a mention. Here, we're upgrading the Transpennine route (which means electrifying at least some of it) and reopening lines in Northumberland.

Central route: not to be confused with London's Central Line, or with the West Coast Main Line (which is not in this region), this region covers the Chiltern Main Line and some of Birmingham. Despite the Chiltern Main Line not being electrified, we aren't planning to upgrade it any time soon. Also, what's left of HS2 is under construction here.

North West route: these names are kind of boring aren't they? Anyway, this bit has Manchester and Liverpool. The other end of the Transpennine route is here, which is being upgraded. We already told you that though.

West Coast South route: this region, which resembles an american electoral district, is named for the West Coast Main Line, in case you were wondering why it doesn't have any coast on it. This is the other route from London to Scotland, or at least the southern part of it, and we consider it as a region rather than as a seperate line (like the ECML) because we're superstitious and didn't want to have 13 regions. Our main projects here include HS2, and trying to fix London Euston. Maybe. If we feel like it. You don't mind being compressed into a cube, right?

Scotland route: this region is Scotland. Obviously. We didn't need to tell you that. Anyway, there's a lot of electrification going on there, and generally things are being improved, so we here at Network Rail oppose Scottish independence and instead we welcome our new Scottish overlords, who clearly should be running the country instead.

Kent route: these routes aren't numbered counterclockwise around London, that would make too much sense. So we're here instead, in the south east bit of the country. It's the closest bit to France as well. Some upgrades are happening, but nothing too big, and most stuff is already electrified (with third rail).

Network Rail High Speed: this is HS1, the high-speed route from London to Paris (although the French run the bit that's in France). This is where you go if you want a truly fast train, although if you aren't going to France your options are a bit more limited. We don't really see that many people going from London to Ashford, although if they're taking the train that's always a good thing. Oh, and Southeastern don't want you to know this, but their high-speed services are only high-speed when they're on HS1, otherwise they're not actually any faster than normal trains on those routes.

Sussex route: Contains the Brighton Main Line, and also Gatwick Airport is there too. Very busy, uses third rail, we're upgrading some stations, not much else to say about it. Oh, and it has a bunch of south London's trains in it too, which is really the most important bit of the route.

Wessex route: the South West Main Line, and a bunch more of London's rail network. It goes to places other than London as well, such as Portsmouth and Southampton, and includes the Isle of Wight, despite that line being entirely isolated from the rest of the network. Really, the Isle of Wight should be its own region. Anyway, more line & station upgrades, etcetera, but this region also has level crossings for third-rail lines (it isn't the only one though) which are very safe.

Wales & Borders route: covers Wales and the bits next to it, because unlike Scotland, Wales doesn't get a whole region to itself. They're doing some sort of rail improvements in Cardiff, although that might not be our responsibility. We should check at some point, we don't want to have been sitting around thinking Transport for Wales was doing all the work while they were thinking we were doing all of the work, and meanwhile nothing gets done.

Western route: goes to Cornwall and whatnot, along the Great Western Main Line. Most of this isn't electrified, partly because the government cut a bunch of that project back in the day (no, HS2 was not the first time), and because Brunel didn't think electrification was important. That it had not yet been invented is not relevant, if he was such a good engineer than he should have invented it himself.

Anyway, that's how we organize Britain's railways by region. Some lines are important enough to get their own regions, and one line gets an area rather than a line, but only for part of that line (the WMCL).

Oh, and we aren't responsible for the railroads in Northern Ireland, so we don't know what's going on over there. Have they reunified? Do Iarnród Éireann operate their railroads or is it someone else? We've got no idea, but we're pretty sure it's not our job so we don't need to check.

*Britain is not a big country, it's just that there's a lot of railroads here so it makes sense to organize them geographically somehow

[ludinusdaleth]

hi I’m from Australia and I’m just wondering if you can explain the phenomenon of people from “blue states” seemingly wishing death on people from “red states/southern states” cause alot of people I follow are queer/bipoc communist folk from the south and I keep seeing “do not dehumanise us just because we are a red state” and “do not celebrate the hurricane just because it’s happening in the south” and like… do people do this??? I’m almost scared to ask. Cause here in australia even when it takes place in the most conservative part of idk, deep north queensland, something like a bushfire is nationally mourned as a tragedy and people rally to fund rebuilding and rescue efforts. I don’t think ive ever seen someone say “those damn liberal-national voters had it comin” so im so lost at the concept that this is something that apparently happens in USAmerica. Can you possibly explain this? What makes supposedly “progressive” folks so cruel? All the love to you by the way I hope your friends and any family in hurricane affected areas are safe, totally understand if you don’t want to answer the question at this time ❤️

yeah, ill try to explain. thank you for the well wishes, though i am currently fine. im in texas (and not on the coast), so i barely get any hurricane brunt at any time, but i have close friends in the current affected states who i am sending all the love & support i can to. ill put this under a read more because there's a lot to cover.

all americans im sure are the exact same to non americans, but basically due to the civil war about a century and a half ago, there is a big cultural rift between the north and south states - mostly in the east, but western blue (liberal) states definitely fit the northern mindset, and some more northern states along the appalachian mountains are considered southern. because of the grip of slavery on the south before that war, we in the south have never really escaped that history (many songs cite the south as being full of ghosts of history, and god, it is). we are also stereotyped presently as racist dumb redneck hicks. combine those two and you do not garner sympathy.

the thing is that the south is the most diverse area in the entire usa, and there there are a multitude of factors that lead us to being "less advanced" than the north, many of which hinge on that fact. the south has always had a more conservative grip due to the slaveowning elite just evolving to be right wingers nowadays. because we had worse building blocks to start with than the north with its better weather and an economy not built on slaves, we had work to do anyway, but conservatives in office refuse to fix or change any infrastructure. because they want to stay in power, our politicians purposely cut any and all educational funds and preach evangelical teachings so many of us grow up deeply propoganized - though some of us dont or work to break free of that thought process. we are not a monolith. you will find some of the most stalwart leftists here as well as the most violent ring wingers, almost like, we're a massive & diverse group of people. what we believe barely matters though when our politicians gerrymander and ensure county/town lines are drawn in such a way that priveleged votes always matter statistically more than oppressed ones do.

that's where the whole cruel progressives thing comes in. folks in blue areas, the north & canada especially, are blue, yes, but generally neoliberal when it comes to others beyond their purview. there is a smugness that they were born somewhere not haunted by a history of enslavement (ignoring the norths own racism - everyone i know who's moved north says their bigotry is highly noticeable, and slavery is legal everywhere in the country due to an exploited loophole in the 13th ammendment), and born in an area not as "punished by god" (a phrase used by southern pastors often) by natural disaster. every time there is even a modicum of news about a tragic event in a red state - a tornado, a hurricane, a shooting, things that can all happen in their lives too if less often - you will not be able to go near any comment section online or some northerners in reality who will not mock it. we deserve it for choosing to live here (as if we are not the poorest area of the country or as if the south is not also beautiful) and for choosing to vote red. there are occasional times this reverses - southerners love to jump on california's hypocrisy about this when they have earthquakes and fires - but it's not an equal balance. especially not when northern blue folk, who claim to be leftist & therefore compassionate, actively cheer on the deaths of those who could not evacuate because they were poor or desperate, and who make up our largest bipoc & queer populations in the country.

that is where bitterness, anger, and begging others to see southerners as human stems from. there is a lot more history & nuance to it than i can comprehensively express early in the morning, but that is the beginner gist of it. feel free to ask more if something wasnt clear or similar. my home is a mess, and i love it all the same, and my heart aches for my neighbors, and burns at others dehumanization of them and us as a whole. i know it will only get worse as climate change does and i wish we could all stick together instead rather than still drawing these boundary lines like our leaders want us to.

[homiesondaweb]

Shout out to @frogs4frogs for finding these picrews for spidersonas for shawties that can't draw! I didn't want to hop on her post with her Sona and rambles for jt, So! I made my own to ramble on lol.

This is Etta Hampton (Ezy) aka The Recluse the one and only Spiderwoman of New Tulsa on earth 9539

Etta is 17 and lives with her Uncle Barney who owns the Urban Stables that most people in North use for boarding. Etta's lived with her Uncle Barney since she was seven after the death of her parents in a mysterious OzCorp Refinery explosion. She has an army of aunties and cousins that live on the East Coast in Old York or DC.

Etta is incredibly smart, soft spoken and caring. She loves ATV or horse trail riding, welding, pottery, and botany. To the point she plans on triple majoring civil engineering, mechanical engineering and sculpture after she graduates from the Parker's Gifted Academy. Her uncle is her biggest supporter for her education and hobby pursuits and gave her her own garage/studio to work in.

Etta is best friends with the fire chief's son Bart Brown (9539's Hobie), the Bugle Radio's owner's daughter Merry Jameson ( 9539's MJ) and Harry O. (9539's green goblin who just causes more chaos over harm, absolutely hate his father) who the world fattest crush on her and she is 100% oblivious to it.

When Etta was 14 she stormed off after an argument with various of her visiting aunties about her "manish" pursuits she took her four-wheeler and went off trail to a forbidden zone that was the contamination and closed of remains of the OzCorp Refinery. While exploring the remains, Etta was bitten by a radioactive Brown Recluse when security guards had cornered her and she was forced to hide in one of the old R&D offices.

She has the usual power set for a spider person: Spidey sense, the ability to stick to walls, super strength and super agility. Along with long sharp nails that are extremely durable and sharpened canines that have a paralytic and necrotic venom. Etta has two specialty abilities: one is to produce different kinds of acid from her hands and apply it to her organic webs to create different kinds of traps or help her to escape. The other is an ability to control her temperature to the point she can send heat waves of energy off her body or stun/shock others with a fridged touch.

As the Recluse her biggest foes are Cyclone Sandman, Cotton Mouth, and King Scorpion. She has a half allyship with the for hire thief/ spy Prowler (Miles M. Davis) and Green Goblin (she usually just catches and releases with his antics) the fire chief and sheriff work well with her. In school as her regular persona her academic rival is Miles.

Etta tricked out an ATV to fit her theme and made it hover/wall fly so she can still get to places that don't have the highrises that need her help. She controls it remotely sometimes to help rescue people or lead the emergency services to a location/criminals she's taken care of. This causes her Uncle Barney to think she is a close friend of Recluse and works on her tech. He likes Recluse but is highly worried for 'both' their safeties.

The only "Canon Events" she has gone through is the death of her parents and giving up being Spiderwoman for a while after she failed to save a little boy's parents during a train derailment caused by Sandman.

Miguel sent Jess and Ben to recruit her for the Spider Society after she dealt with a Vulture variant and he worried over the fact that her Gwen Stacy event hadn't occurred yet (death of Harry in her case, his spine snaps as he is GG when she tired to stop him from plummeting after a mid-air battle) they haven't explained this to her yet. Etta tries to stay in her world but really likes collaborating on inventions with other spider-peoples and usually sticks to the R&D or repair department over missions.

Is works besties with Margo but highly distrusts Lyla. She partial mentors under Jess and let's Gwen stay in her dimension sometimes when Hobie's world is overwhelming.

Loves blooming onions and other savory snacks, it's not unusual to see her as Recluse snacking on jerky or street corn. Tamale ladies love her. Often wears overalls or jeans jackets over her spider suit. Has hella Spotify followers because her playlists are absolutely fire (even Miles admits this)

And that's kinda it! I have hella backstory about my girl, please ask about her😁💛

[stalkedbytrains]

Untouched Horizons Timeline 7/-

Cartography Golden Age

-699

Cartography golden age

With 2 “rival” scouting houses, there’s a competition over who can map the world around them better and faster

This starts a “ship building war” with the advantage to the South and their forests

But the North has the experience

-686

Most of the Caribbean is mapped and charted along with contact made (in some form or another) with other civilizations and indigenous peoples

-684

First contact with the Native Americans along the east coast of America

-681

First ships round South America

-680

Redesign of ships are happening at the same time as both houses (and nations) are copying each other and needing to do deeper sea voyages

-676

Another round of long voyages goes out

The various indigenous peoples start copying the Zlilfian boats they meet/find

-670

Most of the eastern coasts of the Americas have been charted

Starting on exploring up the Mississippi which is proving to be an interesting challenge to rework boats for river travel

-660

Unable to really compete with the North anymore the South starts to own Library of Alexandria to out do the uppercrust schools in the North and to also collect languages and history of the people’s around them

-632

Time for another Northern internal power struggle, this one goes on for a while

-625

Power struggle complete!

The sailing golden age is winding down as a lot of the Americas are mapped, including a decent amount of the riverways charted

Contact established with the people in Peru and Chile and everyone so cotton has been found at the source

Renewed Hostilities

-624

The South really doesn’t care for the new Northern house in charge, they are a bit more authoritarian than before, so they start to chafe

-623

The start of the escalating tensions between countries

The North is doing everything it can to provoke the South into attacking first but it just isn’t working as the South as no united plan to fight wars together

-622

The Southern zones, under extreme pressure from one house Sernlyi, send a formal peace treaty to the North to deescalate tensions

Surprisingly the North agrees as they know that forcing the South to break it first would give them the justification to start their war of conquest

-620

The North really jacked up tariffs on stuff from the South hoping to really stick it to them economically so the South cuts off all northern trade and starts going more outside the island for stuff

This enrages the North

-619

Spies from the South report large sieges works and things being built in the North so the fight to unify the confederacy and form an army is started but is extremely hard and slow going

So the House Sernlyi approves a clandestine strike on the siege works to burn it all down

This infuriates the North further, if they give up the secret that they were building war machines then they’ll have broken the treaty first but the South won’t admit to doing anything and implicating themselves