#Paloma Zero

[rabbitcruiser]

National Lemon Juice Day

As the old saying goes, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Lemons have been used for a variety of purposes over the years, but none more delicious than lemon juice! It can be used in people’s favorite drinks, wellness products, and even some of the tastiest dishes out there.

Lemons are now one of the main ingredients in a whole range of things, and the juice is the tastiest part, so it is what is used to make up these items. The options are quite literally endless when you think about all the things lemon juice can do, from enhancing flavors in food to giving your hair a lighter color.

Lemon Juice Day is celebrated once per year, and gives everyone in the world a chance to experience the wonders that lemon juice can do. While this is available every day of the year, there isn’t anything quite like having one whole day dedicated to a product for everyone to get their hands on it and use it in a variety of different ways. Well, it’s not exactly common to wash your hair with lemon juice, but on Lemon Juice Day, why not?

One of the biggest benefits of this day is that people start to see that there are more to lemons than just lemonade. We have gone through a few of the uses above, but most people don’t know about these and just think of lemon juice as something to put on your pancakes or use in your food.

History of Lemon Juice Day

Lemons have become more and more popular since 1493 when Christopher Columbus first bought lemons to the New World. Since then, they have been a sign of wealth, a common name for children and became known for their bitter taste.

However, lemon juice has so many uses, it seemed appropriate to dedicate an entire day of the year to it, and thus, Lemon Juice Day was born. It has been celebrated for many years, although it is hard to say exactly how many take part.

How to celebrate Lemon Juice Day

Well, what can’t someone do? As long as it involves lemon juice in some way, this counts! In fact, why not set up a lemonade stand to involve as many people as possible in celebrating the day? Or, use it to make something great such as a lemon cake or a chicken dish that will knock the socks off anyone who eats it. Something interesting to try would be to have an entire meal that includes lemon juice in some way.

For example, the main, as well as the dessert, are lemon flavored in the same way! Perhaps even go one step further and plan a trip to France to take part in the French Riviera’s Annual Lemon Festival. Okay, so maybe this one is a little too far, but it would be a nice trip!

So, if Lemon Juice Day sounds like something to take part in, get the lemonade stand ready and the baking equipment out. Or, add it into a wellness routine to add that little extra something.

Source

[qloof]

a few zero-g ocs :3

[sexynetra]

Alright gay bitches in my phone. I am currently watching drag race France s1 (no spoilers please!) but I need people to talk about it with so hit me up if you have watched drag race France and will allow me to scream to you about it/about Nicky Doll the loml

[frostgears]

the chosen one

there are handlers that went to officer school and supposedly know what the fuck they're doing, all swagger with the authority of the Service behind them, uniforms like slices of space, voices like knives, their lethal charges trailing docile behind them.

they're the ones that show up in the porn sketches and the short clips of grainy video that circulate in the Fleet network. they're the ones that have pages and pages of fan fiction written about them.

then there's you. you didn't go to officer school. your entire signup process was this:

"hey, Cooper, you were in its old unit, weren't you? before it went to the lab? remember anything that'd distract it from biting at its own link sockets and screaming at techs?"

"uh, shit, sir, i can try…"

"great, it wandered into the rec room. go nuts."

you called your last conversation to mind. there'd been two major rec time activities in your last squad, and the alert that kicked off Paloma 17 had interrupted something.

you sat down next to the thing that had once been your squadmate, not meeting its weird red eyes. you already knew it didn't like that; looking it in the face was how Muñoz got their arm broken yesterday.

the augment whiffed of human sweat, the fake citrus of type-2 interface gel, something musty and unpleasant. its fatigues probably hadn't been washed ever.

"hey, asshole," you said, "you still owe me a Kinetic Princess match. best of five, remember? we were two and one when the hammer came down for P-17."

you put a gamepad on the floor next to it.

"ch. ch. ch."

was it laughing?

it swatted the gamepad away.

and then player 2's character select screen came up. without moving a muscle, it picked Valkyrie, switched her outfit to red, and handed you your ass, twice in a row, with no apparent exertion.

"ch. ch. ch."

yeah, it was laughing.

it kept laughing as it used its onboard hardware to disconnect your gamepad, choose the princess you'd just been playing, and win three matches against itself, beating Valkyrie with Marjoram.

again.

three-one.

three-zero.

three-one.

"well," someone said behind you, "that's kinda freaky. but better than tearing up the couch. guess you're on augment duty."

it was going all out. maybe trying to prove some sort of point. to itself? to you?

you got up.

it immediately paused the game.

"hey," you told it, "i gotta piss."

it followed you down the hall into the restroom. it tried to follow you into the stall.

"hah, you find a friend, Acey?" someone laughed.

"shut the fuck up, Lima." you tried to finish your business as best you could. it wasn't easy. the thing really did reek and it was not giving you a lot of space.

fuck it. you rose, didn't bother to wipe. you grabbed the augment and hauled it into the shower, spun the dial to hot, drenched the both of you, fatigues and all.

"wooooo! take it off!"

always a fucking audience in this place.

you found the zippers to strip the thing, flung wet clothing out of the shower at a spectator, pumped all-purpose soap into your hands.

"if you're gonna follow me around," you told the augment, "you gotta smell better."

this had to get done. you soaped it. all over. the generic floral smell of all-purpose soap was definitely an improvement already. felt human enough under your hands, except where it wasn't, the occasional beveled edge of a link socket. between its legs… human standard.

more hooting and hollering from the onlookers.

you remembered too late not to meet its eyes, but it just stared back at you, tilting its head a bit. no sign of aggression. was it smiling?

you never got around to the second major rec time activity with your old squadmate. you had no idea if she was ever interested. you also had no idea if sexual preferences survived augmentation.

fuck it. audentes fortuna iuvat, right? said so on your shoulder patch.

you slid a finger in.

shut the audience right up.

the thing kept staring at you.

you slipped a second finger in and stared back right up until you finished it off. it shivered visibly, made a sort of low whine.

nobody said shit after that. when you finally shut off the water, silence like a library.

you walked out. it trailed behind you. you grabbed a towel off the stack by the shower exit, wrapped the thing in it. it didn't protest. wearing nothing but your own towel, you stalked back to your bunk, hoping you still had a few clean uniforms, your expression daring anyone to mention that a single thing was out of the ordinary.

"heyyyyyy Acey, you get lu—"

someone always dared. this fucking unit.

the augment hissed. an unmodified human throat wouldn't have been able to make that noise; it sounded like a fire extinguisher. there was reverb in that hiss. there were teeth.

"oh, gods, just don't," you said wearily, looking back over your shoulder. it let Chroma, who had a tiny bit of sense in her head, back away slowly, in one piece.

anyway, that's how you became a handler. the pay bump is nice, your CO says you've been fast-tracked for officer school someday, and more to the point, the augment has already saved your whole squad at least three times.

but you have not once showered alone since that day, and you know it'd be a really, really bad idea to ever refuse a game of Kinetic Princess. that's just how it is when your real MOS is "weapon's favorite person". □

[hnnny]

B O O !

Have yourself a Halloween costume palooza! We got matching costumes all over the place!

Under the cut is what everyone is supposed to be:

Left to right, top to bottom, starting with the first picture:

Torellia (Revan): One of those inflatable cowboy type costumes, but instead of a horse or dinosaur, it's a gizka! She is having the time of her life :3

Zena and Atton: Zena is Sophie, and Atton is Howl, both from the end of the film. This is mostly a reference to a piece of art I did of them a while back.

Anders and Felicity Hawke: Anders is Rapunzel, and Hawke is Flynn Rider specifically from the movie Tangled. Hawke explains why XD

Cassandra and Ben Finn: Cassandra is Hercules, and Ben Finn is Megara from Disney's Hercules. Cassandra goes from zero to Hero in her story, and well Ben's just there to be eye candy 🍬

Gale and Tavara: Gale is Princess Daisy, and Tavara is Princess Peach. Honestly I just thought it fit Gale pretty well to be Daisy. Tavar isn't even blonde, but she is kind of pink 🤷‍♀️

Marissa Trevelyan and Cullen: Marissa is a witch, and Cullen is her cat familiar. Well, as much as she can dress him up for anyway. And yes, I do have terrible taste in men, why do you ask?

Aria and Astarion: Aria is the Phantom of the Opera, and Astarion is Christine. Aria's a bard, and Astarion just looks fabulous 😂

Frederick Cousland and Leliana: Frederick is Leliana, and Leliana is Frederick. They are imitating some of their iconic voice lines. I heard Lel say "Allow me, I could do that for you" so many times that it's now ingrained in my mind lol.

William, Regina, and Cassie (Cassandra): William is the Beast, Regina is Belle, and Cassie is Gaston because she's a kid and thinks he's silly and fun...and because I didn't want to design an outfit based on an inanimate object 😭

Asher and Theresa: Asher is Gandalf, and Theresa is Galadriel. I thought it was fitting since they're both mirrored examples of prolonged lifespans and being visibly old and not visibly old.

Paloma Shepard and Garrus: Paloma is Sally, and Garrus is Jack Skellington. I will never draw a Turian ever again (she lied).

[angelellipsis-devilofdots]

a long list of songs that remind me of the witcher

okay i started this way too late at night when i was in a witcher mood so here we go, here's a deadass masterlist of some of the songs that remind me of the witcher (some might be a stretch but WHO CARES, not me)

[ SPOILERS AHEAD !! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED ]

ciri

nobody by the crane wives because of her and mistle

little astronaut by aku p

rose by the oh hellos mainly because of the lines "wars are raising for her" but also some other parts, this one is a stretch

take me to war by the crane wives reminds me vaguely of her during the voleth meir possession, but just her in general

run baby run by the rigs

welly boots by the amazing devil can't fully explain why, it just feels right

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos she's the king, of course

hard times by ethel cain

eat you alive by the oh hellos

jaskier / dandelion

blossoms by the amazing devil season 2 character arc

the old witch sleep and the good man grace by the amazing devil season 2 character arc again

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos the poet, for obvious reasons

dandelion by gabbie hanna

dear fellow traveler by sea wolf don't know why. it just seems like the kind of situation he'd get into

rule #35 - microphone by fish in a birdcage kind of reminds me of his plot in blood origin? i didn't like that show either i just love him

little lion man by mumford & sons reminds me of season 3 when he has to tell geralt that "ciri" was taken by nilfgaard

rule #2 - moonlight by fish in a birdcage just him being a golden retriever when he hyperfixates on a person

geralt

blood upon the snow by hozier and bear mccreary

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos as the soldier

the wolf by the crane wives

yennefer

as good a reason by paris paloma

tongues & teeth by the crane wives i don't know it's just? her?? can't articulate it but it's her

burn your village by kiki rockwell well well, if it isn't the embodiment of yennefer of vengerberg

pray by the amazing devil

pretty little things by the crane wives

the horror and the wild by the amazing devil

yenralt

the angel of small death and the codeine scene by hozier

i want to live by borislav slavov

wild blue yonder by the amazing devil

danse macabre by the oh hellos i know it's instrumental but. hear me out. it reminds me of the melange

like real people do by hozier

radskier

rule #7 - angel tango by fish in a birdcage

caesar by the oh hellos (i have zero reasoning other than i've always imagined the song to an animatic of literally any kind of gay betrayal i DONT KNOW WHY its not at all relevant to the song)

no light, no light by florence + the machine

i want to live by borislav slavov

the garden by the crane wives

yennefer and ciri

arsonist's lullabye by hozier

burn your village by kiki rockwell but under different reasoning this time, so hear me out - "i am the vengeful daughter of the witch." In this essay I will

geralt and ciri

everybody wants to rule the world by lorde - or tears for fears since it's the original of course, i just feel like the lorde version is more fitting for the dark & dramatic tone of the witcher

rule #9 - child of the stars by fish in a birdcage

space song by beach house i think just because of the lines "it will take a while to make you smile" and "were you ever lost? was she ever found?" once again, a stretch

jaskier and ciri

inkpot gods by the amazing devil in the sense of their adorable uncle/niece dynamic (i interpret this song in a familial way in most contexts). it could also very well be a geralt and ciri song

that's all i can think of at the moment. i tried to look for geraskier but i couldn't find anything yet. reblog with songs that remind you of the witcher and i'll add them, this list will be updated as i think of more

[serendipminie]

Hi! I’m serendipminie, but you can call me Minie/Mei!

You might know me from either of the following:

~ @a-gilded-imprisonment (A roleplay blog for Aventurine from HSR!)

~ @till-the-stars-burn (A roleplay blog for Till from Alien Stage!)

~ @serendipminie-writes (My writing sideblog!)

I’m a K-Pop multistan and RPG simp who loves reading, writing and music. I’m a February baby, my personality type is ISFJ and my pronouns are she/they. I'm fluent in English and French and I’m openly panromantic :)

I currently run several rp blogs for different fandoms T-T

If you’d like to see the list of roleplay blogs I mod, take a look at the intro post over at (@minies-ask-game-prompts)!

I write both original stories and fanfiction for a few fandoms too. AUs are my joy. I like making aesthetic moodboards and sending my mutuals music or art through the DMs. 

List of my lovely mutuals here!

Want to be mutuals? No problem! Just let me know :)

My fandoms/enjoyed medias are as following:

Genshin Impact ~ Wuthering Waves ~ Honkai : Star Rail ~ Zenless Zone Zero ~ Honkai Impact 3rd ~ Reverse 1999 ~ Project Sekai ~ Ensemble Stars

Alien Stage ~ Bungou Stray Dogs ~ Sk8 : The Infinity ~ KinnPorsche ~ The Case Study of Vanitas ~ Spy X Family

Heaven Official's Blessing ~ Remnants of Filth ~ Guardian ~ Heartstopper ~ Shadowhunters

Currently spinning on my record player:

Oneus ~ Stray Kids ~ Kiss of Life ~ Dreamcatcher ~ Everglow ~ Sunmi ~ ChungHa ~ Taemin ~ StayC ~ Seventeen

Xdinary Heroes ~ N.Flying ~ Lucy ~ Onewe ~ Spin Doctors ~ Metallica ~ Guns N Roses

Fish in a Birdcage ~ Amélie Farren ~ Paris Paloma ~ Coldplay ~ Halsey ~ Will Stetson ~ Mili

If you want to sort through my tags:

General:

#for my mutuals: If you are a mutual, anything with this tag is for you!

#it's definitely queue: Any posts from my queue!

#minie's fic recs: Really good fanfic that I'll reblog here

#minie's manuscripts: Anything that I write for fandom that I post here!

#minie's musings: Any random thoughts I might have!

#minie's moodboards: I make moodboards for my writing or by request!

#minie's record player: Playlists I put together, often kpop but can be other music too

#minie's roleplay rambles: Messages or asks from other mods that end up here!

I hope you enjoy the blog~!

[cconfusedkat]

So i was having shower thoughts , and i was thinking. Why is the au named "you begun my story"? Is it really all the bishops fault in this au? Short answer would be partially, only because they were following orders out of fear and manipulation

But there wasn't EXACTLY a one on one "who dunnit who to blame" type of war either,, this was all influenced like a patient zero type of thing

Under a once successful society of the sheep species, to a secret one, underground, to the last remaining lamb (Allure); why were LAMBS so important to begin with? What caused all of this? Why were the gods so afraid that they created the crowns for the eventual bishops to find for themselves, to having the bishops succeed them and chain up their brother who had a completely different idea of progression in his future society?

There was a social hierarchy and religion within the sheep region, just like how in other parts of the ruling sheep land with other animals. The overall religion was none other than Archangelo's—Annalysm—where eight lambs once ruled archangelo and walked the lands as giant gods, foretold all under Paloma. Paloma, one of the last remaining goddesses who happened to grow weaker as time went on, had wanted to spend her time in a loving village of supportive lambs and sheep kind alike. It so happened that many other species like cats and doves would roam their land,, there used to be more species but many couldnt survive due to the "natural selection" belief they held within the sheeps nature,, they couldnt adapt to their life style

But to continue on this religion, there were the eight once gods who all gave life and fused, all for the sake of the sheep race. The names were as followed:

Asmodeus, Behemoth, Belial, Beelzebub, Eclipsic, Satanus, Lucifer, and Archangelo

These Gods were believed to be the eight foundations of archangelo. Archangelo themself was the one who lead the group, depicted as the leader and charismatic one. Each had a different personality. Some lambs used to create sub religions to worship the other seven. That would be against Archangelo's Faith, so they were outcasted and instead brought up the idea of cults… going as far to moving off the mainland and creating bigger cults dedicated to each lamb prophet, to eventually all the bishops detonating and killing every last one.

The gods above felt threatened by Archangelo. Therefore, they created the five crowns across the scattered lands of what once was 'new faith.' Of course each bishop eventually found them, then eachother, the bishops carrying the word of the missionary to kill each lamb. The lambs were threats to them—to everyone—which is exactly what fueled and manipulated the bishops into believing the lambs were wrong for thriving in their perfect society.

Plus, shamura slowly learning about their craft of the seer, they took their early sight seeing to heart... seeing their little brother creating an actual future for death, leaving all his siblings behind for the new world he created? It was a false sight. But youngest shamura (still older than all of their siblings) took everything by MEANS. They asked for a meeting with narinder to discuss why death truly had no future and that he should forever remaining his position as his undertaker role. Who else could carry the undertaking burden?

Narinder didn't want to. He knew what he had to do. Shamura attempted to manipulate him, but he scratched it all of just to shut them up. There, the day of beckoning to betrayal happened, narinder injuring his siblings while he became the reason medieval beheadings became a thing in the first place…

Eventually this would spawn in more entities. No one knew where the traders and Mystic race came from. All of that was beyond the new faith.

After holding narinders funeral, the lands were renamed to 'the old faith,' a society where death was looked down upon. Yet looked so down upon, it was still the highest honor a god could receive as a sacrifice from a follower. That was the only ever time death was looked up beautifully to.

Okay sorry that was my shower thought but i plan on making the higher gods identities to the other known bishops in the land that were murdered and/or sacrificed under shamuras rule

[palomahasenteredthechat]

Hey Paloma,

I know you respond to Bonnie's but I would love your take on this.

Hoo boy, my take. Here goes:

He's probably having the best sex of his life. All the hormones are raging, the dopamine is flowing. That probably makes him feel good, puts an extra spring in his step.

It's not for the reason you think. DC is Patient Zero for the Quinn virus. She was right there with us on Memorial Day weekend 2022. We all have wanted him since then and it's that energy I'm talking about. He's having sex with a fan in some ways! Think of what you, as a fan would bring to the table for him if you'd been pining for as long as we have. So they are having a lot of fun. Plus she is ragingly hot, come on, I have eyes, she has the goods and more power to her for that.

It has to be a huuuuuuuuge ego boost.

And maybe, he has a new partner in crime. Someone to be mischievous with. Certainly, someone who understands the fame game and can show him the ropes. Maybe the book was her idea. Who knows. But someone who is teaching him how to play the game on a different level.

And sadly, and this is I think the crux of why a lot of people feel the ick, he is moving away from his core fanbase on purpose.

On purpose.

We got him to a certain point, just enough to sign with CAA and get into the Marvel stable, and now he's moving on toward reaching new people who don't have the same paradigm when it comes to his career. It's deliberate. And that stings. That is the rejection we feel. It's not because of DC, it's because of the calculation in sort of openly pivoting away from the persona we have created as a collective since May 2022. It was beginning to change but this really severs those ties.

So take that as you will.

It's only Wednesday.

[writergirl28]

People I want to get to know better ✨

Thanks for the tag, @goddesspharo 😊

last song: “Beautiful Life,” by Harry Pane. There’s a not-zero chance my next tattoo will be a lyric from this song.

favorite color: Purple 💜

currently watching: I haven’t been particularly grabbed by anything new as of late, so I'm back on my “West Wing” bullshit. Goddamn John Spencer was truly a treasure.

last movie: “You’ve Got Mail.” It’s autumn; what else is one supposed to watch?

current obsessions: Palomas with fresh lime juice, brunch-scented felt tip Paper Mates, and toffee nut lattes.

relationship status: "Alone, but not lonely" is how I recently described it to my therapist. (He rolled his eyes, which I think is how someone wins therapy.)

last thing I googled: “the magnificent marvelous mad madam mim” - for work!

no pressure tags: @bobsfic, @at-thestillpoint, @missathlete31, and whoever else wants to!

[rabbitcruiser]

World No Alcohol Day

In 2008, at a meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA)—the decision making body of the World Health Organization (WHO)—in Geneva, Switzerland, a proposal was made by India for a global alcohol-free day to take place on Gandhi's birthday. The proposal was made by Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, India's Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. He said the purpose of the day was to draw attention to the health risks of the abuse of alcohol. The proposal was supported by 11 Southeast Asian countries.

The proposal came as part of a larger effort by the WHO to reduce alcohol-related problems. All member states—193 at the time—signed a resolution calling for a global strategy to address the issue to be developed over the next two years. It does not appear that World No Alcohol Day was officially adopted, but it has been observed by many, including the International Council of Nurses. Also, in May 2010, a global strategy (WHA63.13) was adopted by the WHA. It focused on ten areas for national action and four priority areas for global action.

How to Observe World No Alcohol Day

Observe the day by learning about the harmful effects of alcohol and raising awareness about these effects. According to the World Health Organization, there are 2.5 million alcohol-related deaths each year, and of these, 320,000 are of people between the ages of 15 and 29. The WHO has also said alcohol is the third leading cause of poor health around the world. Perhaps you could support groups that help people with alcohol addiction. If you want to celebrate the day in a more lighthearted manner, you could drink some alcohol-free cocktails (mocktails).

Source

[qloof]

woe...beyblade oc doodles be upon ye

aaaaand scene ! i love beyblade ocs yippee

[coolpizzazonkplaid]

La heredera del Infierno

Los Lin Kuei

Los dos días pasaron tan rápido que Adelina no se había percatado. Los nervios le carcomieron por dentro, mientras empacaba sus últimas pertenencias. Guardó el mapa y la daga en su mochila con un montón de trapos y evitar los ojos curiosos. Tomó su rifle y lo puso en su hombro, también sus pistolas y cuchillos que tenía desperdigados por la habitación. Admiró lo vacío que se hallaba.

Ya no había libros a los costados de su futón, ni hojas de dibujo a medio hacer. Tampoco su ropa diaria y aparatos tecnológicos dispersos. Se acomodó mejor sus pertenencias y salió de sus aposentos. Las habitaciones estaban completamente vacías y se escuchaban los pájaros. El aire sopló el rostro de la chica y sus ojos recibieron a sus compañeros.

–¿Vas a estar bien? –preguntó Daniela y Mariano se acercó a su amiga para ayudarla con el equipaje–. ¿Tienes todos lo que necesitas?

–Sí, voy a estar bien. Tengo todo –Adelina exhibió sus pertenencias–. Creo que hasta me llevé los muebles de la habitación.

–Nos quedaremos en la academia hasta que vuelvas –dijo Mariano acomodando el bolso de Adelina en su hombro–. Intentaremos mantener el contacto.

–Esperemos poder hacerlo –dijo Adelina con duda en su voz–. No creo que en Arctika haya una torre de radio y mucho menos Internet.

–Lo más seguro que haya es correo mediante palomas o mensajeros –se burló Mariano y escuchó la risa de Johnny–. Intentaremos hacer visitas.

Adelina y los demás fueron hacia el gran jardín donde Liu Kang la esperaba. Mariano le devolvió su equipaje a Adelina y los miró. Detrás de él y Daniela, estaban Raiden, Kung Lao, Kenshi y Johnny. Sus rostros mostraron tristeza, pero mantuvieron controladas sus emociones haciendo pequeños gestos de saludos. Daniela y Mariano la abrazaron y le susurraron motivaciones.

–Suerte en Arctika –dijo Kung Lao cruzando los brazos.

–Podrás controlar tu poder, Adelina –habló Kenshi tranquilamente–. Tienes una gran habilidad que los Lin Kuei respetarán.

–Gracias, muchachos –Adelina sonrió y apretó la correa del rifle de asalto–. Los veré pronto.

–¿Podríamos tener una cita, Adelina? –cuestionó Johnny y Daniela lo miró de la peor forma posible–. ¿Pibita bonita?

–Seguí haciendo eso y te voy a dar tres patadas en el culo –contestó Adelina bruscamente–. No te sale nuestro acento y nunca te saldrá.

–Es hora, Adelina Acosta –dijo Liu Kang tranquilamente.

La muchacha los miró por última vez y a la Academia Wu Shi. Despidió a sus amigos con la mano, caminó por el portal de fuego invadida por cosquilleos y mareos hasta volver a respirar. Un viento frío invadió su rostro y al respirar, vaho salía de su boca.

El paisaje era gélido, repleto de nieve en las cimas de los templos, también formaban pequeños cúmulos en las entradas y cerca del portal. Los banderines de azul y negro flameaban sin cesar por el fuerte viento y las columnas del portal negras y azul oscuro. Frente al portal, Adelina vio a soldados lin kuei detrás de los tres hermanos, Bi Han, Kuai Liang y Tomas. El ninja de azul caminó hacia Adelina y Liu Kang y se inclinó hacia el dios.

–Bienvenido a Arctika, Lord Liu Kang –dijo Bi Han tranquilamente–. Y a ti también, Adelina Acosta.

–Lamento la visita inesperada –habló el dios y unió sus manos–. Espero que tus enseñanzas ayuden a Adelina.

–Aprenderá lo necesario aquí –intervino Kuai Liang acercándose hacia su hermano–. Nos encargaremos de que controle su poder. Su estadía en Arctika la ayudará.

–Muchas gracias, Sub Zero y Scorpion –dijo Liu Kang y su mirada fui hacia Adelina–. Debo retirarme, Adelina Acosta. Debo atender asuntos en la Academia Wu Shi. Suerte en tu entrenamiento.

–Gracias, Liu Kang –dijo Adelina, el dios se dirigió al portal y desapareció.

La muchacha se dio la vuelta enfrentándose a los hermanos y Bi Han le dedicó una mirada hostil hasta que habló:

–No esperes que te demos una gran bienvenida, Adelina Acosta –habló Bi Han, se dio la vuelta y caminó en dirección al templo.–. Tus entrenamientos comenzarán mañana al amanecer. Durante tu estadía aquí, me llamarás Gran Maestro.

–Está bien –Bi Han la vislumbró y sus ojos helados se enfrentaron a los de ella. Le costó decir las dos palabras–. Gran Maestro.

–Mis hermanos son maestros y serán parte de tu entrenamiento –prosiguió el ninja de azul.

–También, los principiantes se encargarán de la limpieza y el Gran Maestro elegirá quién se encargará de cocinar en las noches –continuó Kuai Liang–. Te dirigirás hacia mis hermanos por sus alias. El mío es Scorpion, el de Bi Han es Sub Zero y el de Tomas es Smoke.

Bi Han y su hermano se susurraron entre ellos y se detuvieron, mientras Adelina caminaba con sus bolsos y armas. Se dieron la vuelta y miraron a la muchacha.

–Kuai Liang y yo debemos resolver unos asuntos urgentes –explicó Bi Han y miró a Adelina–. Tomas te ayudará a buscar tus aposentos y ubicarte.

Los dos hermanos se fueron entre los pasillos y Adelina y Tomas se quedaron solos. Volvió a recoger sus bolsos y esperó a que el muchacho la guiara por el templo. Reaccionó a tiempo, se puso delante de ella y caminó entre los miembros del clan.

Los soldados la miraban con ojos curiosos. Cubiertos por las máscaras de ninjas parecían analizar cada aspecto de ella. Su campera grisácea, sus bolsos con pegatinas de bandas y dibujos y la bufanda negra cubriendo su cuello. Algunos, pudieron notar el tatuaje de los huesos en la mano derecha, pero a la chica no le importó.

–En tu habitación tienes el uniforme lin kuei –dijo Tomas y giraron en una bifurcación de pasillos–. En la noche habrá vigilancia a los alrededores del templo y puedes ser elegida. Tienes permitido cualquier, excepto las habitaciones del Gran Maestro y sus allegados. Respeta el horario de tus primeras clases y puede que consigas dar una buena impresión.

–Lo dudo mucho, pero gracias por el consejo –dijo Adelina con una sonrisa y afirmó mejor su rifle al hombro–. Creo que al Gran Maestro no le caigo bien y más con lo que ocurrió en mi casa.

–Es así con todos los nuevos estudiantes y maestros –explicó Tomas y volteó a mirar Adelina–. En privado es más amable. Además, mayormente estarás con él para que te ayude con tu don, así que creo que en poco tiempo podrás adaptarte.

–Eso espero, maestro.

Fue extraño a ojos de Adelina, decir la palabra, por las charlas que tuvieron cuando Tomas visitaba la academia. A pesar de eso, le dedicó una sonrisa, pero el momento fue interrumpido por el sonido seco de los bolsos de Adelina al caerse.

–Déjame ayudarte, lamento no haberlo hecho antes –dijo Tomas tomando uno de los bolsos y lo llevó a su hombro–. Fue descortés de mi parte.

–Está bien, ya no importa.

Caminaron un poco más hasta llegar a la zona de estudiantes, donde muchos la miraron hostilmente. Tomas dejó los bolsos de la muchacha en la entrada de su habitación y se miraron por un momento. Adelina no se había percatado de los ojos grises del joven y le recordó a unas viejas portadas de libros que tenía en su biblioteca. Pudo ver con más detalle la cicatriz que tenía encima de su ojo y se preguntó qué habría pasado para conseguirla.

–Gracias, maestro.

–Es un placer –dijo Tomas sonriente.

Tomas se marchó de la zona de estudiantes y Adelina metió rápidamente sus pertenencias. La habitación era sencilla, había un futón con colchas y encima de ellas un uniforme de color negro y azul oscuro. Desempacó poco a poco sus cosas, los libros los dejó al lado del futón y las armas de fuego en una esquina del cuarto.

Después, sacó la daga de Hela y la desenfundó. El filo seguía manteniéndose intacto y la hoja podía reflejar a la muchacha. En el reflejo, Adelina no pudo ver nada extraño. No muertos, no Hela ni versiones muertas de sus amigos. Un escalofrío le recorrió la espalda y guardó el arma en su funda para ocultarla debajo de la almohada junto al mapa.

Se cambió la campera y pulóveres por el uniforme de los Lin Kuei. Se ató el cabello negro en una cola de caballo y dejó su rostro descubierto. Salió de la habitación y vio a los demás estudiantes, pero no se les acercó. Se mantuvieron alejados, mientras Adelina arreglaba mejor su ropa y el medallón que tenía el pecho.

Un superior se le acercó, le dio un lampazo y un balde y señaló donde tenía que comenzar sus labores. Observó los bastos pasillos y quedó impactada por la cantidad de polvo y suciedad. Puso el lampazo en el balde, lo estrujó y lo pasó lentamente por el suelo de madera. Escuchó algunos susurros detrás suyos, pero no les dio importancia y siguió con su labor hasta que los brazos le dolieron.

Era la tarde cuando Adelina terminó de limpiar los suelos y el superior le ordenó sacar la nieve de las entradas del templo. Le dio una pala y otro balde y le señaló los lugares donde empezar. La chica tomó aire, ubicó la herramienta en la nieve, sacó la mayor cantidad posible y lo tiró en el balde. Repitió la acción hasta que rebalsó y dejó la nieve lejos de las entradas.

Adelina terminó su tarea al anochecer, escuchó unas campanadas que parecían anunciar la hora de la cena. Vio a los estudiantes, superiores y maestros ir hacia el templo principal y los siguió. Al entrar, un montón de mesas estuvieron abarrotadas de estudiantes y delante había una gran mesa donde estaban Tomas y sus hermanos.

Una hoguera se ubicaba en el centro del salón emitiendo llamaradas anaranjadas. Daban calor a todo el lugar iluminado con pequeños faroles y velas decoraban las mesas repletas de cubiertos y palillos chinos. Adelina se sentó en un extremo de la mesa, evitando a los ninjas. Una vez más, detectó miradas curiosas, susurros y risas.

“Es una estudiante de la Academia Wu Shi. Parece que no tuvieron una peor estudiante para traer.” “Sus aires denotan superioridad.” “Liu Kang me decepciona. ¿Cómo no sabía que tenía una criomante entre sus filas?” “Es irritante que tengamos que soportar a una estudiante de la Academia Wu Shi. Ni siquiera ellos saben cómo enseñar a sus aprendices.”

Ignoró los comentarios cuando las puertas se abrieron revelando a aprendices llevando comida. El Gran Maestro y sus hermanos fueron los primeros en recibir sus platos y las voces de júbilo inundaron poco a poco el gran comedor.

Bi Han unió su puño con su otra mano, tanto sus hermanos como estudiantes se inclinaron y Adelina los imitó. Después, las voces alegres volvieron a llenar el salón hablando en su idioma nativo. Adelina pudo interpretar algunas palabras, pero a pesar de su estadía en la Academia Wu Shi, su agilidad con el chino no había mejorado.

Estudiantes seguían susurrándose entre ellos para luego soltar risas indiscretas. Adelina encontró un autocontrol milagroso para no contestarles de la peor forma posible y pasó por alto los comentarios. Intentaría todo lo posible para encontrar una forma rápida de poder controlar su poder y marcharse. Por ahora, tendría que aceptar su lugar de principiante y acatar las reglas que aparecieran.

Sus pensamientos fueron interrumpidos por los ruidos de la puerta abriéndose repentinamente. Dos mujeres pasaban entre los pasillos y los presentes se pusieron de pie en señal de respeto. Una chica iba vestida de rojo y la otra de amarillo. Se acercaron a la mesa enorme donde estaban Bi Han, Kuai Liang y Tomas y se inclinaron. Se ubicaron en uno de los extremos de esta y un grupo de ninjas corrieron a darles la cena y mejores comodidades. Charlaron con Bi Han, mientras que Kuai Liang y Tomas se metieron en su propia conversación.

La cena transcurrió sin problemas y al terminar, se inclinaron ante Bi Han y sus hermanos. Los estudiantes recogieron sus respectivos platos y los dejaron para que otro grupo lo limpiara. La muchacha se dirigió a su habitación mezclándose con el resto. Buscó los baños y se metió lo más rápido que pudo.

Tras bañarse, Adelina corrió a sus aposentos y se ocultó en las cálidas colchas. Una alegría la invadió al ser recibida por ese calor reconfortante y cerró sus ojos, esperando un mejor día.

Hela estaba a la altura de su hijo, Kolbein, por lo que recordaba Adelina. Lloraba y su hijo también, la abrazaba fuertemente mientras soltaba quejidos y la veía por última vez. Hela le acomodaba mejor el cabello castaño como las almendras ofreciéndole una sonrisa triste y Adelina se percató que sus ojos azules eran iguales al ojo izquierdo de su madre.

El esposo de Hela, Alarik, se acercaba y recogió al niño, mientras miraba a la mujer que amaba. Se daban un beso de despedida escuchando los sonidos de demonios y gritos guturales cerca. Alarik se llevó a Kolbein, mientras este gritaba desesperadamente: “¡Mamá! ¡Quiero quedarme contigo! ¡Ven con nosotros! ¡Mami, Mami! ¡Te quiero, mamá!”

Hela lloraba al escuchar a su pequeño. Su hijo. Se sacaba las lágrimas y puso su mejor cara de guerra. Aunque Adelina sabía el resultado de ese enfrentamiento fatídico.

El recuerdo cambió a otra persona. Esta vez, Kolbein era un muchacho de diecisiete o dieciocho años. Su cabello tenía algunas pequeñas trencitas y su mirada destilaba guerra y odio.

Discutía con un hombre canoso, su padre, Alarik. Kolbein tenía un hacha en la espalda, en su cadera colgaba una espada y la bolsa de runas que su madre le había regalado. Entre grito y grito, salía de la cabaña con un fuerte portazo y caminaba a un bosque cercano. Su rostro chocaba con varias plantas intrusivas, sus pisadas fuertes ahuyentaban animales y hacían crujir las ramas secas. Se sentaba en un gran tronco, mientras bajaba la cabeza y gritaba fuertemente al cielo.

Sacaba su espada plantándola fuertemente en la tierra cubierta por hojas y pasto. Kolbein se arrodillaba y su frente estaba cerca del mango. Adelina escuchaba sus pequeños lloriqueos y susurros, se acercó con lentitud y miedo ante el muchacho a pesar de que era un recuerdo.

–Perdóname, mamá –susurraba Kolbein con la frente pegada al mango de la espada vikinga–. Te vengaré, lo prometo. Restauraré nuestro honor y te buscaré. No voy a huir ni a esconderme. Nuestra familia volverá a gobernar el Infierno. Perdóname, mamá. Por todo.

Los llantos del muchacho se esfumaron y una negrura invadió a Adelina. Solamente escuchó la voz de Hela:

“Maldigo mi alma para que proteja mi carne y sangre. Sus allegados serán la guardia de mi prisión hasta restaurar lo que se perdió. Llorarán por el dolor que sufro. Mi pequeño Kolbein… Ladrones, ladrones… lo pagarán con sus vidas…”

[kingofbodyrolls]

Thank you @violetsiren90 for tagging me in my first tag game! 🥹 I got Taraji P. Henson and 'Bad Woman' lol 😂

no cheating: you’re starring in a movie with the last person saved in your camera roll, and the last song you listened to is the title. who/what is it?

I saved the photo of Taraji because I want to recreate her photoshoot for myself lol 🙈 and I've just been listening to Paloma Faith a lot these days, reminding me of my teenagers years when I first discovered her 🥹

A zero-pressure tag for @gimeow, @oddinary4bts, @letjungcoook7, @ctrlsht and anyone else who would like to play 💜

[sankttealeaf]

1, 3, 11, 28 for rue!! (also 30. this is a statement.)

hehe ty <3 answering these Secret OC Asks

1) Does your OC have a voice claim, if so who?

rue is scouse /j

she has tav 4's voice canonically! i cant really think of any others that match the Vibe i have for her. slightly posh, well spoken, a darling to listen to. i guess vex'halia from critrole also has a similar vibe to rue's voice.

3) What song describes your OC?

SO MANY. gonna list a few of my faves

i bet on losing dogs - mitski

family tree - ethel cain

ptolemaea - ethel cain

the warmth - paris paloma

11) What was your inspiration for your OC?

honestly? i had ZERO inspiration for rue when making her. i wanted to keep her as blank as i could because i knew that the dark urge origin was different backstory-wise compared to a tav so i didnt want to come up with traits & a backstory to then have it be contradicted.

she came to life when i started writing about her mostly. and when i discovered the prayer for forgiveness my mind latched onto that and the potential relationship between her and gortash

i'm kind of bad at having pre-determined inspirations for video game ocs. my first (and only) tav cassiopeia didnt have a solid backstory until act 3 and then... ive left her there. girl i am so sorry

all i know is that i wanted religious trauma, for her to have bloody hands and to kiss gortash (maybe)

28) What clique would they be in? (Draw them in the clothes of said group!)

my mind is TORN. part of me wants her to be like, hot and popular but i know she would be the weird outsider who has odd interests and is off putting (she's just like me fr)

30) My OC and your OC are friends. This isn't a question. I'm not asking. (How do they respond?)

rue would love ophelia. but we both know this.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2023: #20 - #19

20. AZERBAIJAN TuranTuralX - "Tell me more" 34th place

Decade Ranking: 58/116 [Above Achille, below Anxela]

lmfao, the twins made my top 20?! I mean, yeah 2023. Of course they made my top 20. [AlexaVoice] PLEASE LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE WITH YOUR COMPLAINT FOR VERTICAL CLASSIFICATION IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. [/AlexaVoice]

Now here's an entry that serves as a physical embodiment of the "Presence That Was Liked". Yeah it was mid, but a pleasant mid. The twins were never leaving the semifinal alive. They were always going to be the sacrificial lambs of the newly invented "No Jurors During Semi's rule" which specifically targeted Azerbaijan (and... props to Azer for accepting their fate? lol) Turan and Tural were never being more than passengers along for a ride, which they took to heart.

"Tell me more" was all it needed to be. An inconspicuous NQ that was still cute and endearing in its own sort of way. The dreamy and drawly vibe

The imitation 70s aesthetic that convincingly sells the 90s softrock.

Add in a rap verse during minute one, a couple of fashionable scarfs, good camera cuts,...

Yeah "Tell me more" had zero televote appeal (this 100% dies even with juries being in), but as an entry it's refreshingly unpretentious and especially from Azerbaijan, wtf? Usually Azer pick some shitty Swedish pop track and force it on a conventionally attractive jazz muppet who then can't be bothered to do preparties or interviews. This year, their rep was a pair of homely deer-in-headlight twinkbeasts operating under a myspace name who were actually happy to be there and actively mingled with the fans. There some delicious irony and melodramatic twang to be found in the knowledge that by effectively throwing their 2023 qualification, Azer have shown more respect to the contest than they'd ever done before.

--------------------------------------------

19. FRANCE La Zarra - "Évidemment" 16th place

Decade ranking: 56/116 [Above Anxela, below El Diablo]

Yes I know what you're here for;

But you'll have to wait because I am here to rate the performance first. Yep, slightly ahead of the MySpace Twinks on my list seems just about right for a La Zarra. "Évidemment" represent the other side of "mid", the one where the promise is large and the delivery not quite as large. As a song "Évidemment" was kind of a blueballer: Sure, it had a lot of poise, flair, drama, a wee bit of camp and yet...barely any substance. It was The French Entry, like that was its entire identity, almost to a point of parody. And well, France competes every year and is usually better than "LES POISSONS LES POISSONS HI HI HI HÔN HÔN HÔN". donc, pleurez-moi une rivière de pute. I'm having a laugh but seriously, not picking a lane between serious attempt and self-deprecating satire that was the difference between a sixth place and a sixteenth place.

Still, I at first thought France were headed towards a disastrous bottom five result, especially after that rehearsal clip implied LaZarra was on the same Vocal Rest Tonics as Mae Muller. I WAS GONNA BE PROVEN RIGHT AND VINDICATED!!! and well, I was but not about her. (ty Blanca Paloma, we'll rank you soon enough)

When it mattered most, La Zarra got it together, and NAILED that epic big note.

No complaints from me about that live. It was a good live and did what it needed to do. I like it when the headliners deliver what they're supposed to (see also: Azer delivering a pleasant NQ) because it makes the show better overall. Obviously that doesn't erase the fact that (1) the song was mid as fuck (2) the staging was daft at best. ("MON DIEUX I WEAR HAUTE COUTURE, ACT LIKE A DIVA, AM THE EIFFEL TOWER, SOUND LIKE PIAF, LOOK THERE'S A TRICOLORE I AM SOOOO FRENCH!!" um no ur not, ur from Montréal stfu).

Okay so now we address this:

Sure, an uproarious voting moment and it was sooooo stank, but was it fun stank? 🤔 idk.

On one hand, LMFAO WHAT AN ENTITLED FUCKING SOW. 😍😍😍😍😍. The Xwitter trolls immediately began spinning their fanfictions all "WELL ACTUALLY what she did was a secret gesture of respect in Maghrebian cultures" like bitch, she's (1) a QUEBECOIS (2) who cosplayed as the Eiffel Tower and a disco ball unironically, how hinged do you think she is? Her gesture definitely was the sort of melodramatic Egomaniac reaction I'd expect from someone who deliberately caused a pre-show stir by posting an Insta Story all "It's getting to me!!! I'm QUITTING 😭😭 // Cigarettes: "Eurovision?! 😨" // La Zarra: ".... non i meant the gluten, mdrrrr!!!!! 😆". So yes, the moment itself was pretty funnay 2 me, esp since she got twice points I thought's she'd get.

On the other hand, um take a seat you entitled fucking sow. There is serving cunt and then there is straight up being a cunt. The difference is that you have to earn your glamourcunt label and you, madame, were always in "Good but not Great" territory. Be grateful there were any scraps left for you after Käärijä and Loreen gobbled.

In conclusion, lmfao i kinda dislike her as a person (but better she show the world how rude and misguided she is after losing than after getting a top ten) and I genuinely enjoy thinking about her messiness more than listening to her music. 🙂 (so I guess that makes her Taylor Swift.)

Besides, around 16th is where France usually ends up at anyway, so I think they got precisely what they were aiming for, GJ France. 🙂 Now let's not think about this country until the end of March, when it becomes semi-important for me to remember what their entrant's (who?) song (what?) sounds like again.

THE RANKING