#Quorum Games

[satoshi-mochida]

2D life simulation action RPG Call of Elyndra announced for PC - Gematsu

Quorum Games has announced Call of Elyndra, a combination of life / farming simulation with old school 2D action RPG. It will be available for PC via Steam, with the possibility of later console ports. A demo will be available on December 2. A release date was not announced.

Get the first details below.

Call of Elyndra is the debut game of Quorum Games. The game combines the best things from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System-era action RPGs (think Zelda: A Link To The Past or Ys games) with cozy farm games (like Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon). The players will be free to choose how they want to play the game—whether they want to do both farming and questing or just one or the other. The game tells a story about three adventurers (you play as one of them) who, led by an odd dream, wandered to Elyndra—a village in the middle of nowhere. After helping the locals with retrieving a child kidnapped by monsters, the three are granted a plot of land to farm. However, a military conflict between independent villages and an evil Empire is brewing. You’re thrust right into it. What will you do? All of the assets in the game are hand-made in a detailed pixel-art style, reminiscent of Game Boy Advance games. You’ll traverse through varied landscapes, from forests through mountaintops to beaches. These places will be filled with various NPCs, locations to explore, and quests to take. Aside from unveiling the story, you’ll gather various tools that will help you with combat and traversal. What if you want to stay in Elyndra and farm? Various intricacies of farming and crafting systems, along with building relationships with various villagers, will also present a great way of progressing through the game. Of course, simultaneous farming and questing are also possible. As the game combines the best of two worlds, it’s able to address certain possibly undesirable characteristics of both old school action RPGs and cozy games. Some of its features include:

An expansive storyline that is expected to last for about 30-plus hours of gameplay.

Character development- some of which will be quite substantial.

Plenty of various fun side activities like fishing to keep the gameplay varied.

A world with a deep lore inspired by various real-world ancient religions and cultures.

Roughly 30 hours of core gameplay.

A real-time combat system with dodge rolls, items, and special powers to aid you in your adventures.

The engine used to make the game used to be RPG Maker, however approximately 70 percent of the code is custom-made. You will be able to give the full version of the game a go in the near future, as the release date remains to be announced. A demo will release on December 2, which will feature roughly 30 to 45 minutes of gameplay, showing the very beginning of the game, including farming, the first dungeon, and the reveal of the primary antagonist of the game. The game is expected to be released on Steam for Windows, with the possibility of later console ports.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

[dragaorpg]

Call of Elyndra traz jogabilidade aconchegante em RPG de ação com fazendinha

Call of Elyndra é o jogo de estreia da Quorum Games. O jogo combina o que há de melhor nos RPGs de ação da era do SNES (como Ys) com jogos aconchegantes de fazenda (Stardew Valley ou Harvest Moon). Os jogadores terão liberdade para escolher como querem jogar o jogo – se querem fazer agricultura e missões ou apenas uma ou outra. Trailer de Anúncio de Call of Elyndra O jogo conta a história de…

[apoemaday]

The Naming of Cats

by T. S. Eliot

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn’t just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES. First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily, Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James, Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey -- All of them sensible everyday names. There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter, Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames: Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -- But all of them sensible everyday names. But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular, A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified, Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular, Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride? Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum, Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat, Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -- Names that never belong to more than one cat. But above and beyond there’s still one name left over, And that is the name that you never will guess; The name that no human research can discover -- But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess. When you notice a cat in profound meditation, The reason, I tell you, is always the same: His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name: His ineffable effable Effanineffable Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

[sitepathos]

hey, I wanted to ask a couple of obvious or non-obvious things about the so-called "mold" because the very idea of it the first time I read it seemed very strange to me and I read it constantly interrupting myself to think whether it was really good or bad, BUT, the further it went, the more I started to like it terribly and as a result I had questions about this... thing.

Abilities and knowledge are good, but what about the other side of all this? Are there any side effects, so to speak? And what about weaknesses, both obvious and perhaps not obvious? Can this somehow greatly affect ordinary life? And if there are weaknesses and they can be used well in general, then could the BatFamily use them to their advantage?

(Sorry if it’s not coherent, I’m writing in a rush of questions and feelings...)

I’ve thought about doing a detailed report on how the Megamycete affects you, so thank you for asking this!

Powers

Mycokinesis: with the Megamycete in your body, you can call upon its mold from within and create weapons like tendrils and armor composed of hardened mold. You can also control the roots that are all around Gotham and use them however you see fit.

Quorum Sensing: the roots of the Megamycete have spread all throughout Gotham for over four-hundred years, serving as its eyes and ears. You can tap into the roots and see anywhere you wish just by thinking of it, even if you’re far from the city. This is also seen when you turned into a murder of crows; while you were composed of multiple birds, they shared a single consciousness and you were able to see from all their perspectives all at once.

Record Access: the Megamycete has absorbed countless corpses over the centuries, both man and beast, and assimilating their memories, knowledge, and even DNA into its archives. Thanks to this, you can call upon this living repository and use it as if it were your own. Because of this, you technically have the knowledge and qualifications for many kinds of occupations and diplomas that would take years to obtain.

Shapeshifting: thanks to the Megamycete bonding with you at the genetic level and its vase records, you can call change into any form you desire, be it a bird, a beast, or a long-dead human (and you have even assume their voice if you desire). You can also make modifications to your real body, such as making a pair of functioning wings without assuming a bird form.

Regeneration: thanks to the Megamycete’s mold, you can heal from even the most serious wounds, such as gunshot wounds. You can lose a limb and you can just stick it back on your body and you’ll be as good as new (or just grow another one if the old limb can’t be recovered).

Superhuman Stamina: as stated in Chapter 6, the Megamycete gives you incredible stamina, reducing your need for food or rest (though you can still feel mentally fatigued as stated in Chapter 4). You still consume food and sleep because you actually enjoy these, but they don’t sustain you like they did before. The Megamycete’s all you need.

Superhuman Strength: the Megamycete makes you far stronger than you ever were before and gives you more strength than any normal human could ever have. Don’t misunderstand, you’re not Superman, but you could throw Bane around like a rag doll.

Benefits

In conclusion, the Megamycete makes you far faster, stronger, and smarter than any normal human.

Weaknesses

Unsurprisingly, the Megamycete’s mold has a vulnerability to fire. If we go by video game logic, it makes sense that a “plant-type” monster like the Megamycete could easily be hurt by.

Following the same video game logic, the Megamycete’s also vulnerable to the cold. Mold (normal, non-sentient mold) can still be found in cold environments, but it becomes dormant in freezing temperatures. While the Megamycete is more powerful than regular mold, it went into a kind of hibernation when it still resided in Gotham as it gets very cold in winter.

And while this is a bit of a spoiler, the Megamycete can be vulnerable to forms of toxins/poisons. While it can metabolize any hazardous substances and survive, if a specially designed toxin is designed to target its strain of mold, it could pose a very serious risk to the Megamycete. But, it would require special equipment, extensive knowledge in mycology and toxicology, and lots of money. Know anyone that fits that description?

[wizardpink]

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,

It isn’t just one of your holiday games;

You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter

When I tell you, a cat must have three different names.

First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,

Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, or James,

Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey,

All of them sensible everyday names.

There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,

Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:

Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—

But all of them sensible everyday names,

But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular,

A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,

Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,

Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—

Names that never belong to more than one cat.

But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,

And that is the name that you never will guess;

The name that no human research can discover—

But the cat himself knows, and will never confess.

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:

His ineffable effable

Effanineffable

Deep and inscrutable singular name.

The Naming of Cats by T.S. Eliot

[katze-thief]

five days for love confession

pairing: Ren Amamiya/Akira Kurusu x fem!reader

summary: Shujin Academy is holding its annual cultural festival, and it seems that five days of preparation is all it takes to make your crush fall in love with you.

chapter one: prologue

"five days for love confession" series' masterlist

It was a fact that Ren Amamiya did not have the best reputation at Shujin Academy.

Of course, this was due to his criminal record status, but it was more about the implications of it. He couldn’t say anything when a student treated him badly, or delivered lies in form of hot gossips around the student body. Ren heard it all — that, supposedly, he carried a knife around, that he committed audacious crimes frequently and even more. All lies, surely, however, due to the student body being formed of high-profile students, a single complain about his conduct towards other student could mean the end of probation for him. For the worse.

Because of his reputation (and uttermost lack of capacity of deniability), teachers felt that they could basically use Ren as a fix-it man in the organization of Shujin’s events. After all, why bother convincing students to participate and form a minimum quorum, if you can just place the same one? And it wasn’t different with the annual cultural festival of Shujin’s Academy. When he squished himself in between of the crowd of students to see the lists, his name was in almost every single one. Shocking news.

At the end of that evening, Ren, the rest of the Phantom Thieves, and you, were reunited at the attic of LeBlanc, a.k.a. Ren’s bedroom. After you all ate cookies, cake and drank coffee downstairs, now you were trying to figure out in which activities each one was, to assure he wouldn’t go through this utterly traumatizing experience of being at Shujin all day alone (as in the words of Ryuji). The cozy smell of coffee embalmed the place, as well as the woody scent, both so familiar for you.

“I’m in the dancing and musical arts’ front, doing ‘Legally Blonde’” Ann chuckled. She was sitting beside Makoto on the floor, as they made matching bracelets with beads. “It’s the first time Shujin does musicals, right?”

Makoto nodded, reorganizing the beads. “I’m responsible for the festival’s haunted house. Indeed, we only have me, the student council and Ren at this one.” Ren winced at the reminder of work. “You all should subscribe for this one. It’s still open.” She said, stern.

You played chess with Ren on the other side of the bedroom, while they talked and scribbled on paper. Both of you were sitting on his bed, as the checkered board stood on a pillow. Ren didn’t want them to take on more work just for his wellbeing, in fact, he made it clear that was against this whole commotion on LeBlanc. You, however, already expected the school counsellor to put him in every activity, so you secretly sent him a letter asking to be in the same activities as Ren, so he wouldn’t be alone (which may or may not be because of your, also secret, crush for him).

Ren moved the bishop and grinned “Checkmate.”

“How?” you said surprised, not even paying attention to the entire mess of a discussion that your friends were having over the schedule.

The fact was that Ren was terribly bad at chess, at least in comparison to you. He never win, so it was a small joke in between you two ever since you met. It was always the ‘It’ll probably happen when you win me on chess’ for impossible things. However, today’s Earth decided to debunk your saying.

Ren adjusted his glasses, proudly, and redid the sequence of movements of the game, but you could only notice the flicker of his bright eyes, how his wavy hair moved as he explained his thought behind his actions with his throaty voice and—

“Guys!” Ryuji yelled, which made all of you stop and stare at him. He was holding a sheet of paper, one from the pile of lists’ copies, and in his face was the pure look of horror. “I’m gonna cook curry. Cook curry. Wha’ the f-??”

“Let me guess, that’s another one for Ren too?” Yusuke joked, making everyone (except Ren) laugh.

“At least is one thing he actually can cook.” Morgana added, intensifying the laughs.

After that, everyone chatted for a while, before going away. You knew all of them were the Phantom Thieves, so when they stood up to leave, scary looking at the clock, you got it why too. The ‘We need to rest to enter another palace this weekend’ was always there, implicit, even though they didn’t share their plans as thieves with you. It was like those unreachable places in the dreams — you knew the Metaverse existed and knew that your friends frequented it and was behind all those events on the news, but it wasn’t tangible for you. You could never experience it with them, see by yourself. And in those times, you felt less of a part of the group than them.

On the ride home, as you reminisced the memories from the day, you almost gagged when you remembered what you did. “I’m going to work endlessly all week, all day, at Shujin, because of a boy??” you thought to yourself. And oddly, that thought didn’t even scare you.

Because it was Ren Amamiya the boy you were going to spend the longest week of your junior year of high school with.

[thoughtfulfoxllama]

When I was being taught by the Missionaries, I was taught not to discard the truth I had, but add it to the truth I found

This is why I'm so weird. Why I use the Rosary in private prayer, why I study the teachings of other religions, ect

But this applies to things that are false. Almost nothing is 100% false, and has truth (even if it's just a tiny speck)

I've been studying Communism since High School, and I don't think it's true. But the idea that all men are equal, and that those who can should put in their all is true

I have had lapses of Atheistic Agnosticism, and the idea that we have to make the most of our life is true (not because death is the end, but because we need to take every opportunity to become who we're meant to be)

I personally believe in Evolution, but many people in my Ward don't. But, it was called a "beautiful theory" my McKay, because he saw the truth in it (even if he didn't accept it as true). Grim as Survival of the Fittest is, it's also a beautiful teaching. We evolved to protect each other, and only through building up those eternally important relationships (not just with spouses & children, but with parents, God, friends, Ward Members, and even strangers), can we be safe, in this life & in the eternities

You can find truth in the oddest places if you look, because God is Truth, and we are his children. Everything we create is bound to have even a speck of truth in it. Once in Elders Quorum, I used the "Game of Thrones" books to emphasize the idea of Atonement, and how no one is beyond Christ's help, even if we think they're too far gone. So, I challenge you to find the truth in whatever you're doing now. Reading a book, looking at art, taking a walk in the park, talking with your loved ones. Let the Spirit bless you, not only with the joy of truth, but the satisfaction of having found it on your own

[revisitingstoneybrook]

#44 Dawn and the Big Sleepover: Chapter 5

It's OMGEMERGENCYMEETING time! Will Kristy steal credit for Dawn's Great Idea?

At the OMGEMERGENCYMEETING, Dawn's fears are put to rest, as Kristy does the unthinkable and lets Dawn explain the project. When Dawn's finished, Mallory says she votes yes to go along with it, and Claudia chimes in too. But Miss Napoleon Complex quiets them down and says they must make a motion to put the project to a vote. 

The BSC uses Robert's Rules? You're a babysitting club, not a deliberative assembly! Shut up, Kristy. You too, Mallory, for even bringing up the topic of voting in the first place. I'm surprised Kristy isn't making sure they have a quorum (they do, btw).

Claudia complains that Kristy's being a domineering bitch (well, not in that language, or else Kristy would chop off her side ponytail), but Kristy ignores her and demands she be specific about what she's motioning to put to vote. Sure thing, Your Highness! Claudia motions for them to vote about whether they should help out Dawn, and Mary Anne seconds, because she's Kristy's little yes-girl. Kristy asks who's in favor and obviously, everyone's hand shoots up. It's unanimous! Don't ask Claudia to spell "unanimous."

Dawn says she'll tell Ms. Besser the good news, and Mallory will enlist the Pike Army to tell their teachers and friends. But that isn't enough for Kristy! I don't know...the Pike Army is awfully big! Dawn suggests making a flyer, and Claudia immediately volunteers herself for the job, grabbing a pad of paper to sketch it out. And no one stops her. Haven't these girls learned anything about NOT LETTING CLAUDIA DO ANYTHING INVOLVING WRITING?! They're going to end up with this: "The BSC is haveing a projekt project prajekkct to help the Zooni Kids in New Meksico. We're coleckting foode, clothing, and money! Please help by donateing! Thank yoo!"

They decide they'll do a door-to-door collection of non-perishable food and clean clothing. And Dawn volunteers her barn as a drop-off location for everything. Damn, that barn gets so much use, thanks to the BSC! Though...wouldn't the logical thing be to drop off the donations at the school? It would probably be more convenient for the kids. Whenever my school did a food or toy drive growing up, we'd bring the stuff to school with us. The BSC, of course, doesn't think about this. They're the ones in charge dammit, not the teachers! Claudia pencils the barn into the flyer, though knowing her, she probably wrote "Bring the donayshuns donnait donayysh stuf to Dawn's barnn."

Then Mallory gets a Great Idea. Damn Kristy, you're losing your touch! Mallory thinks they should give prizes or awards out, to get the kids really excited about the project. Mary Anne adds that they should have a big party for everyone who participates, because it's wrong to instill a sense of competition in children, Mallory. Mallory agrees and suggests something like a school picnic. Only the BSC is running it, the school is just following orders, Mallory. Kristy says she heard of a school that let the kids and teaches switch spots for a day. She would. And how would that work, there's a bigger number of students than teachers, so some would get left out, Kristy!

Since everyone's having Great Ideas besides Kristy, Dawn comes up with another. They could have a big sleepover! *DING DING DING* We have a book title! Dawn says they could use the gym (what, is the barn unavailable that night?) and maybe some of the school staff could participate. Because all seven of you could handle a bazillion kids since you're such wonderful babysitters. Try thinking of the legalities there, since you guys are children yourselves.

Claudia smiles at how cute it would be seeing all the little kids in their pajamas (ew?), and Dawn starts to formulate the plan: they can serve pizza for dinner, and maybe get a place to donate pies, serve pancakes in the morning, play games and give out awards. Everyone likes the idea of it, and totally forgetting the shitfit she threw about Claudia not following parliamentary procudure, Kristy asks who's in favor of doing a sleepover. Nice. Everyone raises their hands, and because she's a dweeb, Mallory raises both hands.

Kristy then throws everyone a curveball when she realizes that fliers aren't the best way to go, as they can't guarantee the kids will bring them home to their parents, and some of the kids can barely read, just like Claudia. And what about the rest of Stoneybrook? And the fundraiser? hey end up concluding that they'll leave fundraising ideas to the kids. I'm guessing Peter Lerangis got lazy and couldn't think of something big for everyone to do.

So Jessi and Stacey show up on time on penalty of death and they forget about the problems they encountered. No more Good Ideas? It's time for a certain gifted charge to save the day. And no, thankfully it's not Karen.

[inkylizard]

Ghost stories. cw: death of a friend My partner runs a Blades in the Dark game in a homebrew setting, which shares with the core setting the storytelling element of ghosts. They’re  prominent in our campaign specifically; our gang sells drugs to ghosts, and as such we have a number of ghost friends and associates  They hang out in our base and show up to our parties. The campaign has had sporadic play, whenever we can manage to get a group together. We’ve been running for about two years and have had a mostly consistent group. We’ve discussed bringing in a few more people off and on since the beginning, partly so we might be able to get a quorum and play more often. One time our friend Sam joined us for a session. Sam has struggled with his mental health, going through periods of stability punctuated with delusional episodes; this night he was on new medication, and he was drinking. He got confrontational and disruptive and we ended the session early. The next day he was so apologetic, and we understood, and said we’d all been there. I certainly have. We debated about whether or not to give him another try. Some of us said we’d be less likely to show up if we invited Sam again, and we decided in favor of keeping the original group. It was an honest decision. it wasn’t the kindest. We play on Discord and Roll20, because we started during the late stages of quarantine, and kept the format.

And Sam just... never logged out of the Roll20 game. It would have felt like adding insult to injury to ask him to exit out. His icon has been there every session, ever since.

On the 23rd of December, Sam died. A digital and uncomfortably real ghost in the Street Spectres’ home base. I imagine he’ll remain logged in indefinitely. I hope so. I don’t want him to leave.

[mehoymalloy]

writing patterns tag game

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Thanks for the tag, @bluntblade!

Otohan is lucky to be alone when intense joy abruptly lights them up, racing across the tether to flood their mind with scalding warmth.

–Resentful Surrender (CritRole; Won't You #6; Imogen Temult/Otohan Thull; Rated E)

Otohan has us. Run.

–shiver as you cry (mercy) (CritRole; Imogen Temult & Otohan Thull; Rated T)

"Are you sure you don't want me to take over cooking?" Otohan asked a second time, already reaching for a carrot even though she knew the inevitable answer.

–Held (CritRole; Moon Moms #6; Imogen Temult & Otohan Thull/Liliana Temult; Rated G)

Just over two months after Grace's trial, Athena had settled into what she fully intended to be a long period of self-imposed isolation.

–Unexpected Company (Stray Gods; Grace/Athena; Rated T)

Grace had a mildly aggravating habit of sitting on surfaces not made for sitting.

–Restraint (but oh, to dream) (Stray Gods; Grace/Athena; Rated E)

Even as Otohan moves silently, each step feels like scaling a mountain.

–Baptism and Other Acts of Faith (CritRole; Moon Moms #5; Liliana Temult/Otohan Thull; Rated E)

Imogen skirts around and through throngs of folks, making her way down the bustling main street of the Lantern Spire.

–solace (if only for a moment) (CritRole; Won't You #5; Imogen Temult/Otohan Thull; Rated G)

Liliana stood in the middle of a grassy field, watching dispassionately as the oncoming storm rolled in.

–Haunt Me In My Sleep (CritRole; Moon Moms #4; Imogen Temult & Liliana Temult/Otohan Thull; Rated G)

When Freddie first met Grace, it was because the other girl suddenly sat beside her at an empty lunch table—carelessly tossing down her tin lunchbox with a clatter and scooching in right beside Freddie as she enthusiastically introduced herself.

–Through Eyes of Grace (Stray Gods; Grace/Multi Drabbles; Rated T)

Otohan's worn boots silently glided across the thick navy blue carpet as she approached the Quorum chambers.

–A Dance With Danger (CritRole; Imogen Temult/Otohan Thull; Rated T

-

Other than the tendency to start right in the middle of the 'action' (if walking qualifies as action lol), I don't see too much of a pattern.

But this was real fun! No Pressure Tags: @finrays @artschooldemon @melikochan @mr-jaybird and @wykart

[commanderhorncleaver]

Gaius's thoughts on Smodur? (@ratasum)

Gaius, for an extended period, rather idolized Smodur? This tapered off long before Icebrood Saga, but the most notable point for it during the run of the game is the early part of LW1, when the player is allowed to investigate/meet with the refugees in the Citadel, as well as dick around and see what the defense Quorum is up to before meeting with Rytlock. Apparently, the guards aren't supposed to let people through, but the commander's got special privileges, and you can talk to Smodur there--though I imagine the interaction is brief, as it is in-game, Gaius comes away from it all but preening.

Smodur, for all intents and purposes, was the epitome of what it meant to be Iron Legion, so Gaius had an inextricable desire to impress him. And then Gaius' viewpoint continues to grow and develop, on account of being the commander and most notably, while dead, he meets the ghost of a charr who died in a skirmish with Flame, and he suddenly recognizes how it all sucks.

IBS comes along and he's... not in a much happier spot. Smodur totes him around, and where just years ago he'd have reveled in it, he recognizes just how shitty it is. Then of course, killing Cinder.

Overall, his feelings towards Smodur are complicated--as someone who was also very much part of the War Machine of legion life, someone who lived and aspired to be part of the propaganda, he understands where Smodur is at, especially because not only is he a part of it, he is in charge--Smodur has very real responsibility, and in the face of that, it's hard to face change.

Gaius doesn't agree with most of the things of his relevance during IBS, or even political things we aren't necessarily privy too, but he also knows that Smodur was pretty progressive in a lot of ways, too, and appreciates that.

[wainswright]

List five things that make you happy, then put this in the inbox of the last ten people who reblogged something from you, get to know your mutuals and your followers! ♡

5. myths and legends, survival games and very clever children, I like impossible odds and existential horror and the breaths that make your heart drop wildly in your chest. i like the long road, the hard road, the slow drop of suspense and the relieved optimism of all-that. it makes living life that much easier

4. the internet. never in history has there ever been such a quorum, such an influx of ideals and history and sharing, of emotion and unedited snapping and cherished contagious dedication, where people spark off each other like bundles of kindling, setting everything aflame. aren’t humans amazing? aren't we sometimes a bit dumb?

3. I stepped out, and saw the mountains

shine

with light.

the corners backlit by the orange glow of sunfall, and violet clouds, streaming off in the barest edges of the crisp and fresh-cold wind, diffusing sunlight in flashes of blue ice. Being raised so high is heady, it’s wind and silence and the diminishing path of pine trees speckled with peeking bits of logs and woods and people. Seeing how the snow gets set like glass by the glitter of tiny crystals scattering the sun, long tracks of unbroken territories looking like a fight, the highest pine trees dark and weighed thick with snow spanning miles and diminishing.

Snapping goggles and blinding glare, it’s sweating when your cheeks are numb and burned with cold, it’s pushing forward a silent hiss of sliding into a fluffed up crust, it’s putting on layer by layer in zips and snaps to protect you from the fall. You feel an ice burn like coming out of water, prickle and feeling flood back as furnaces melt the numb and white parts bits of you back into your nervous system.

The palpitation in free fall as you lean into the cliffs straight down, for speed and precision and just going as far and fast as you can in the straightest line, to beat someone, to push yourself, to finding a new edge on the jerk of a precipitous drop. Carving a path or following one, it’s all absorbing shock, and it’s the smell of smoke in a lodge and hot stew, holding balance, it’s peeling off layers of bundling stuffed winter jackets off in order to sit down. It's going back out for more.

2. There’s an old place that lies flush with the ground and where there is a hole in the ceiling that at twilight lines up parallel to the setting sun. It’s full of the sound of water, and time, and when you see the way sunlight strikes through the blue in empty illumination, sitting underground underwater and watching white speckling particles move, the play of shadow and light under hole of sharp edged caves only seems soft and familiar. It’s the surfacing to black wet rocks, the overhang of a cavern and the smell of ivy and quiet plunks in sunlight and splashing, clean water with no salt. It’s ponderous, is what it is. What cathedrals aspire to, to reproduce in dry overture what is so alive and hidden here, where the light floods the water to glowing translucent and distinctly blue- where small silver fish dart over boulder podiums and you can sit below water in wide pillars of sunlight, timing oxygen, trailing into all the black little caves that lead to the sea. Around the curved edge above leaves glowing gold like a hidden, forested tomb, and the muted hum is the echo of plinking splashes off of cave walls. It’s crystalline with coolness and warmth, shifting white patterns on the walls curving up and around carved out stairs like a caldera; and you float on your back and think that you can’t feel anything at all.

1.   When I was younger I used to peer out the small window located in the upper corner of my uncle’s old room at my grandparents. The bed was under it, so I would stand on the covers, swipe the frost away in slow, watery streaks, fog it with my breath to test how it framed the snow. The closet behind me was full of old trophies and ribbons I hadn’t earned and my mom never talked about, and high heels covered in clothing bags and jewelry cabinets with creaky hinges and wood that even smelled old, and the rooms were always cold. It felt like a grand adventure, history, then, seeing the break of a forest like a shoreline separating the road from the conifer sea, stretching right into the twilight and boulder-strewn mountain trails. It was too dark to read- with no service to play games, next to national parks squirrels skittered from the birdfeeders and up into the through the clotheslines and back into the carpet of pines. But at any second, I could leave. I could go and slog through the mud wet carpet of leaves, catch a snake and leap over a rotting log bridge, and hide in the neighbor’s bush maze of a garden with the seasonally dead roses. There were so many trees, almost growing through the houses, under the window. I wonder if there was a fire, if I could break the hinges farther and just-

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions!

Once again, I don’t have a whole lot of updates, alas. But this year is already looking more active, writing-wise, than last year, so I have high hopes!

Plug for my writing discord if you’d like to hang out--it’s pretty quiet, especially lately, but is more or less intended to be a more interactive extension of this blog.

Also, we’ll go ahead and do an open question night! Anything I’ve posted about here or on AO3 is fair game. My askbox is always open, but tonight I’m around and keeping at least a vague eye on it. I do take prompts, but I do not promise to fulfil them in a timely manner, lol.

Precipice!Verse

Probably won’t be out this month, especially since I really need to kick into gear on my BB project, but I have not abandoned it--I’ve put too much into this to abandon it, lol.

SWBB:

Based on feedback from my last question post, I am going to do something where Padme’s ship never landed on Tatooine (they got their repairs elsewhere, I guess) and Anakin and Ahsoka meet and have an Adventure during the Clone War. Specifics to be determined, but it’ll be a fun ride, I’m sure. XD

OTP Meme:

I am very proud of myself for getting all five done last month! And I know...more or less what I’m doing for four of the five for this month (figuring out the Specifics for one of those four, and as yet Undecided for the fifth). I’m really glad I decided to do this, it’s definitely getting me to get stuff out.

The Other Battlestar:

Still needs a better title; but I really do think I’ll get started posting this month (I know I keep saying that but shhh). Not a formal teaser, but because there are some Key OCs in order to make the plot work, so a little bit of info on them!

Vance Kimble - around fifty; actor; went to college with Wallace Gray; will take Baltar’s Politics storylines (which, within the bounds of how far I want to go here, means Caprica’s representative on the Quorum and eventually VP; but if I do change my mind and go past the Pegasus arc, he’ll also team up with Zarek to run for President)

Atia Reyes-Baltar - will take Baltar’s Science storylines (because there is no way to build someone who can do Both the way he does); also at least part of the reason he doesn’t end up on Boomer’s Raptor (because he’s looking for her, he takes a different route when he flees his house)

Daphne Reed - Senior Medical Officer on Pegasus. ...yep, not much else to say about her that doesn’t Give Things Away, lol.

Cornelius Felden - highest-ranking Marine officer on Pegasus (tentatively a Captain since who the fuck knows how Marine officer ranks work we have never seen a Marine commissioned officer); originally from Aerilon.

Simon O’Neill - no, not that one. Or that one. ...no, not that one, either. sorry I couldn’t resist Officially a pediatrician; part of the civilian fleet that Pegasus strips; gets drafted for his medical degree. ((also is there. like. a Convention for tagging Cylon OCs? Especially ones that use their model’s Shared Name?))

There’s an additional selectee for Daphne’s department but Simon is the important one; Ileana Fortuna (an old OC of mine, one of Zarek’s aides) may also make an appearance here and there but will probably not be Significant.

...I think that covers pretty much everything I have in the Immediate pipeline; but there are other things percolating on a more long-range timescale (actually doing a SW/BSG crossover; some of my other SW-alone projects, expanding on a couple of the AUs I’m building for the OTP meme fills, etc.) So...there it is! Relatively short update, like I said, lol.

Also, not writing, but I dug up some old BSG fanmixes I made my first time around in the fandom, and made some Comments about them on my personal blog, if you’re curious: Season 3 mix; Cylon ship mix; Baltar/Six mix.

[delicatebluebirdruins]

R&D Report (1 of 2)

In the Salt Mine region, inside the Storage Room in a desk located behind the E-Necrotoxin is

This project was instigated in 2000 as one of several concepts for the company's NEXBAS (next-generation experimental battlefield superiority) initiative, working with technical assistance from H.C.F., to develop a bioweapon for neutralizing combatants en masse with minimal direct contact. NEXBAS was later folded, and all its assets diverted to this project. What makes this project markedly different from conventional weapons is its ability to turn enemy combatants into allies; converting hostile elements into willing servants. Since this effectively eliminates the costs of not only BOW handling but also combat itself, it's no wonder we had the □□□ and even □□□□'s □□□ organization chomping at the bit to get on board. The project would never have existed were it not for the discovery in □□□□□□ of □□□□□□□□□, the remarkably progressed "vicariant evolution" fungus that we commonly term the "mutamycete". The fabrication method for each bioweapon was to introduce the mutamycete genome to a pre-Stage 4 human embryo and perform cultivation in a controlled environment over a period of 38-40 weeks. The resultant organisms were referred to as "candidate specimens" and graded based on usability, from the impratical and faulty Series A through D, to the perfected E-Series. A common appearance was selected for the bioweapons; that of a roughly ten-year-old girl, to ensure ease of blending in with urban/refugee populations. The first E-Series speciment, named Eveline, has proven capable of secreting the mutamycete □□□□□□□□□ from her tissue at will. It is also of note that Eveline's mutamycete imposes a profound control over body and mind when introduced into a host organism. We still have a lot to learn about the mechanism by which Eveline achieves and maintains this control, but the working theory is that the vector is similar to the autoinducer pheromones used for quorum sensing in pseudomonas bacteria. Eveline's control is exerted in a series of discrete stages, the first of which is hallucination. Almost immediately after infection, the subject begins to see images of Eveline (though she is not in fact there) and hear her voice (which is inaudible to anyone else). Auditions with infected subjects throughout the stages of infection reveal that at first, the phantom Eveline appears to be a normal young girl, sometimes desiring companionship or assistance. As time progresses, she begins making more and more extreme demands, including self-mutilation and attacks on other people. The psychological shock this induces helps to break down the mind's natural barriers to Eveline's brainwashing effect, and by the time mental control is achieved, the mutamycete infection has progressed throughout the body's cells, so the body □□□□□□□□□□□□□□.

Daughters: Marguerite having a conversation with Eveline and Jack’s “have to show how devoted I am“ before stabbing himself with a knife

Base Game: Ethan briefly hearing Eveline in the Old House (I wonder why he couldn’t hear her when she was talking to Lucas? more thoughts needed on that) and finally him seeing and hearing her after being encased in the mold (he doesn’t love you)

[watchful-ornaments]

The naming of cats is a difficult matter

It isn't just one of your holiday games

You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter

When I tell you a cat must have three different names:

First of all, there's the name that the family use daily

Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James

Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey

All of them are sensible, everyday names

There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter

Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames

Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter

But all of them sensible, everyday names

But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular

A name that's peculiar and more dignified

Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular?

Or spread out his whiskers or cherish his pride?

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum

Names that never belong to more than one cat

But above and beyond there's still one name left over

And that is the name that you never will guess

The name that no human research can discover

But the cat himself knows and will never confess

When you notice a cat in profound meditation

The reason, I tell you, is always the same

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name

His ineffable, effable, effanineffable

Deep and inscrutable singular name

Name, name, name, name, name, name

Cis people think trans people have this:

Deadname

Chosen name

But honestly we really have:

Name

Other name

Deadname

Business name

Old nickname only some people have rights to use

Online name

Extra special secret name you don’t get to know, unless… ;)

[gplayr]

2D life simulation action RPG Call of Elyndra announced for PC Quorum Games has announced Call of Elyndra, a combination of life / farming simulation with old school 2D action RPG. It will be available for PC via Steam, with the possibility of later console ports... https://blog.gplayr.com/2d-life-simulation-action-rpg-call-of-elyndra-announced-for-pc/ #ActionRPG #Clips #GameAnnounce #PC #RPG #Screenshots #Simulation #Trailers