#Scout! Mysterious Myths

[animeweeb115]

[quidell-fics]

Snippet from Chapter 3 of "A Tale Painted with Blood"

A Black Myth Wukong Fanfic

Sun Wukong x OC/Reader

Destined One x OC/Reader

Snippet:

When I woke, there was a peach. A single peach, plump and golden in the morning light, and no Monkey.

I blinked at it, rubbing the haze from my eyes, the oddity of it settling like dust in the corners of my mind. A peach sitting near me—Monkey Boy’s version of a note, I supposed. That he would return? Maybe.

Maybe not.

I glanced around, half-expecting him to drop from the ceiling or leap from the shadows. Nothing. He must’ve gone scouting ahead, slipping away like a breeze, though why he didn’t wake me was a question that lingered like the scent of the fruit.

The wooden floor beneath me creaked as I shifted, crossing my legs and yawning without a care, the temple’s derelict walls echoing the sound. We’d holed up in this forgotten place for the night, a sanctuary once, the old walls telling a story of well-maintained care, now a skeleton of what it used to be. Monkey Boy had wiped the floor with a giant white wolfman before we settled here—the beast’s massive paws now silent, its lingering presence nothing more than a memory woven into the decaying structure.

It had a strange habit, that wolf. Every time it landed a hit on Monkey Boy, it would lick its bloodied paws, slow and deliberate, like it was savoring the taste of victory before it could claim the kill.

Savoring the taste of his blood…

A thousand questions fluttered through my mind, restless like birds trapped in a cage. Why was he here, adrift and solitary in this desolate place? Could he speak, or was silence his only companion? And why, the moment his eyes had met Monkey Boy's, did violence bloom in his veins, swift as a storm? But then again, everyone seemed to hurl themselves at Monkey Boy, as if drawn by some magnetic pull toward chaos. Maybe it was something in the wind, a call only they could hear, urging them to strike before they even thought to breathe.

When the fight had ended, I’d burst from my the stone, racing over to check on him. Deep gashes crisscrossed his chest and arms, blood slicking his fur and skin. But with one lazy swig from that gourd strapped to his back, the wounds began to knit themselves back together, as if the claws of that giant wolf had never touched him.

Naturally, I asked for a sip—just to heal the wolfman’s claw marks still burning across my own arm from a few days ago. But Monkey Boy, in all his maddening glory, held it just out of my reach, an eyebrow raised in smug amusement at my… antics.

Of course, I had to jump for it, trying to convince him it was purely for the sake of the cuts. But no, that knowing glint in his eyes said he wasn’t buying my story for a second.

And I mean, who could blame me? He looked utterly rejuvenated after drinking it, his wounds gone, his posture lazy yet strong. The scent of that brew wafted toward me—rich, warm, intoxicating… and maybe just a bit alcoholic.

Perhaps that magical elixir wasn’t meant for human consumption, or maybe he was just being his usual stingy self. Either way, after a few hopeless hops trying to snatch it from his grip, I decided to let him keep his mystery drink. If Monkey Boy wanted to be greedy with his precious brew, who was I to press? Besides, the last thing I needed was to find out firsthand what kind of hangover magic brings. 

I shifted uncomfortably, rubbing my sore back, eyes lingering on the peach that sat innocently on the floor beside me. Sleeping on wooden planks was somehow worse than bedding down in dirt and moss—at least the earth had a softness to it. But a roof over our heads, even one as broken as this, was a luxury I had learned never to take for granted. In my old world, shelter had been a fleeting comfort, one I couldn’t always claim.

Truth be told, I could have nestled into the stone to sleep, hidden away in its embrace. But I didn’t. I didn’t want to leave him alone, not after his earlier… apprehension toward me. Call me soft, call me a fool, but I’d glimpsed something beneath all that bravado. In the rare moments when he thought no one was watching, where he forgot I was watching—those quiet instances before we became friends—I’d catch him staring at the sky, day or night, with a sigh. Not the kind of sigh that comes from exhaustion, but the kind that carries the weight of something unspoken. Something lonelier.

It was that sigh, that sliver of vulnerability, that kept me tethered to him. It’s why I pushed so hard, why I was relentless in pushing my way into his orbit, desperate to bridge the space between us. Desperate to call him a friend, even when he kept me at arm’s length.

I reached for the peach, cradling it in my palm. It had the same weight as the first one I’d found when I stumbled into this strange world—a curious heft, like it was stone beneath that deceptively soft skin. The other fruits we’d eaten had been light, forgettable, but these peaches? They felt heavy in a way that went beyond the physical. Almost… significant. I wondered, for a fleeting moment, what it meant. But as the thought drifted away like smoke, I brought the peach to my lips and bit down—

Note: Sorry for not posting anything last week 😖

[ryanhamiltonwalsh]

You’ve got to shove the whole donut in your mouth.

You’ve got to want to see the painting move.

You’ve got to devote yourself to “The Art Life.”

You’ve got to spend five years making your singular, weird thing with your friends inside an old, vacant horse stable and not care if anyone’s going to see it or like it.

You’ve got to reduce your biography down to the fact that you were an Eagle Scout.

You’ve got to go to Bob’s Big Boy every day for a milkshake.

You’ve got to try to understand how disgusting things can be beautiful.

You’ve got to be ok with it when they start to call you “Jimmy Stewart from Mars.”

You’ve got to button your shirts all the way up to the top button.

You’ve got to fail in order to realize that you can never give up “final cut” ever, ever again.

You’ve got to nickname your world-renowned actress friend “Tidbit.”

You’ve got to rent a cow and sit at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea with the cow in order to tell the world that Tidbit deserves an Oscar for her performance in your latest film. Because she does.

You’ve got to take every inch of fame you unexpectedly collect and leverage it only to create more art.

You’ve got to recognize that failure can be “so beautiful.”

You’ve got to be obsessed with the Wizard of Oz. Always more Wizard of Oz.

You’ve got to leave room to dream.

You’ve got to keep your life very orderly so that you leave room to dream.

You’ve got to keep dreaming.

You’ve got to keep dreaming.

You’ve got to make more art. MORE. ART.

You’ve got to let nature work on your paintings with you.

You’ve got to get upset about people watching films on their iPhones.

You’ve got to tell people how sick it is that no one ever talks about world peace seriously.

You’ve got to believe that transcendental meditation might be the key to world peace.

You’ve got to, despite having little to no musical training or technical ability, start to release. albums of music, assuring the press you play “upside down and backwards” guitar.

You’ve got to create the world’s greatest Trojan Horse for beautiful, bizarre ideas and images and call it Twin Peaks and sneak it into the world’s living rooms before anyone catches on.

You’ve got to create a new myth that the world can use and call it Twin Peaks.

You’ve got to create the red room and let everyone’s imaginations live there forever.

You’ve got to come back 25 years after Twin Peaks is over and utilize everyone’s nostalgia to hold their attention hostage in order for them to witness the world’s greatest 18-hour art film.

You’ve got to “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.”

You’ve got to film daily weather reports from your home in Los Angeles.

You’ve got to get Agent Cooper out of the Black Lodge.

You’ve got to imagine a world where Laura Palmer didn’t die.

You’ve got to ask “what year is this?”

You’ve got to make more art.

You’ve got to make more art.

You’ve got to make more art.

You’ve got to make more art.

You’ve got to tell the world, “I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”

Friends, this is a very sad day. David Lynch has passed away. Without a doubt, his existence changed my life. I’m so grateful to have been alive at the same time as he working, to witness him make his beautiful, mysterious messes and masterpieces, and even meet him once and shake his hand and make him laugh. What a gift. What a miracle. Thank you for everything, Mr. Lynch.

[enstarsmusic-en]

📝Revival Scout! Mysterious Myths will start soon!

⏰Time: 2023/12/15 12:00 AM - 12/22 11:59 PM GMT-5

⭐️There is a higher chance to obtain the featured cards in this scout.

For details, please check the in-game notice!

[xitty]

My brain happily mushes up years together and I often mix if something happened this or last year but let's try collecting some fun stuff from 2024:

The highlight of 2024 was definitely seeing Kenji Nojima at Desucon. He was so charming and funny. When he gave me back the signed card, he did a little spell in Natsume voice to put magic into it. ❤️

ENSEMBLE STARS AND MUSIC:

Ensemble Stars of course had lots of fun things. Checkmate anime aired. Both Starry Symphonies this year, the Dead of Night and the Midnight Sun, were great. Finally fine and Eden were back for them. And oh my was it emotional. Hikaru Midorikawa 🩷

English server had SS Finals in the beginning of the year and I loved it. Other events I had been looking forward to a lot were Bridal Light, Obbligato and Ghostic Halloween. Been having a lot of fun playing Enstars. 💛

JP server gave M∀N∀ shuffle, I love everything in it. Intelligence scout story became one of my faves. Card highlights were definitely long-haired Eichi (so beautiful) and baby Adonis (cuuute).

Obviously there was a lot of other great things but this would become too long if I mentioned everything...

I put music in the same section because most of my music highlights are from Ensemble Stars, so here they are:

Venus in My Eyes ~Hanasanai, konya~, Soushitsu Guui -Lost Ballade-, Absolute Perfection, Accept My Love, Shiawase no Uta, Tsumi no Soko, Seven Days "Prismagic" and We'll Be "Knights"... Oh and of course Ryou Kataomoi no Kousaten de, Kimi ni Mata Aitakute!

BOOKS AND MANGA:

Favourite books were definitely the volumes of The Case Files of Jeweler Richard I read this year (6, 7, 8 and 9) but especially vol. 6. The series has handled Seigi's trauma about his biological father so well, and Seigi and Richard's relationship has been developing beautifully (and slowly lol). Other books I really loved were Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Foster was also great) and Elolliset by Iida Turpeinen.

Best new manga was definitely Colette Decides to Die. Of continuing series, Kowloon Generic Romance and Therapy Game Restart got 5 star volumes.

RANDOM THINGS:

I absolutely love these two pieces of Enstars merch I got: the Mysterious Myths Rei figure and life-sized poster of Kaoru. :D They spark lots of joy for me.

I made a few gifsets I really like: Ringing Evil Phone, M∀N∀ and Fairy Tale Library.

I wrote a couple of fanfics I'm very happy with: I've Been Saving All My Summers For You (Hiyori and Nagisa) and Would You Smile At Me? (Kaoru and Adonis).

[deadzonedenizen]

Rasmus' Reference Sheet and Description:

There are a lot if ways to leave a first lasting impression. Maybe you dress a certain way. Maybe you have a peculiar speech pattern with the accent to back it up.

Maybe you don't leave the house without spraying cologne on yourself, or maybe you know a weird amount of medical facts that would give anyone health anxiety (or would make anyone think you got away with disposing a body).

Rasmus definitely checks all of those boxes. Most know him as the young Indian tailor Alix scouted, now under the apprenticeship of her parent. If not that, then he would be known for being a junior photojournalist for a local cosmopolitan magazine.

With an eye for detail, Rasmus can sometimes be seen carrying a camera with him. If not for his magazine submissions, then for inspiration. That inspiration becomes a sketch, then it becomes a fashion piece that anyone would want their hands on.

His comfort zone is usually things that aren't too fancy, such as jackets, overalls, pants and so on. He isn't opposed to challenging himself though, already experiencing making dresses for weddings and quinceañeras. This usually leaves him a bit more tired however, and it's almost always expected for someone to walk into the finished product...with Rasmus asleep on the floor.

Rasmus... didn't realize he wanted to be a fashion designer until after he graduated. Before that, he was completely indecisive on what career path he wanted to take. This left him feeling like he was wasting his parents' money, going to his education which he felt like he wasn't taking advantage of.

That was something he wanted to correct, which led to him taking an overseas gap year program in China. He planned to build his independence by being in another country, while also having someone like Alix to guide him through the process. This gap year is a chance to prove that he is capable of making his own choices, without the influence of his parents' status.

So he accepted the apprenticeship offer.

Although not being a surgeon himself, being raised by one gifted him with the learned ability to sew. What started as 'operating on plush toys' became an interest in embroidery, an element he likes to incorporate in his work.

Another interest of his is the surrounding mythos in China, especially as a foreigner such as himself. He would pay homage to these myths and legends by referencing them in his embroidered designs.

With Alix being the foreign exchange student that graduated with him, the two have formed a close bond that showed through their interests. Much like Alix herself, Rasmus is quite active in the website dedicated to the mysteries surrounding Megapolis.

If one squinted closely, they would notice that whoever the most recent villain was to attack, was referenced in his embroidery days before. It was through this that he also caught the eye of the back-up hero. Whether or not he has abilities inherited from someone else is still unknown. After all...

India is the west of Journey To The West.

"Do you notice a pattern?"

[kara-knuckles]

I might have been quiet about it, but don't be mistaken, I'm still not over GudaGuda 6, I just really don't know what to say after waiting for two years… So, here, have some Oryou-centric headcanons, since people don't talk about her as her own character nearly enough!

This event made it pretty clear that Oryou is supposed to be GudaGuda version of Hiruko. In his IRL myth, after being thrown away, he drifted to Hokkaido and was raised by the Ainu. I headcanon that Oryou was raised by the Ainu snake god instead, and he was the one who taught her how to change into a human form. Oryou didn't like how cold it was in Hokkaido, so, once she became strong enough, she migrated south. > IRL!Ryouma was interested in going to Hokkaido, so I like to think that one of the reasons Guda!Ryouma wanted to go there was because of Oryou's stories about it.

Back in the day Oryou was a chaotic evil goddess, but, after meeting Ryouma, she got inspired to become his mysterious, beautiful, chaotic good secretary.

Oryou speaks in third person about herself as Ryouma knows her (she really likes her name); she talks about herself as a goddess in first person.

Sea-related traumas aside, Oryou LOVES water. She invites Ryouma to swim or take a bath with her when she wants to bond with him, and going for a walk on a rainy day is one of her favourite kinds of dates. I headcanon that during the Age of Gods she had storm related powers, and even during Ryouma's times she was still attuned enough with them to precisely forecast weather for a large area.

When they were alive, Izou was the only one who knew about Oryou's true nature. Most people thought Oryou was some kind of yakuza, and you could probably write an entire book if you combined all the different theories people had about her past and connection to Ryouma.

She has two recurring nightmares: about being thrown away by her parents and about Ryouma's death.

There is a tradition in GudaGuda world to bring frog figurines to Ryouma's grave to pray for a safe voyage. It was started by the Kaientai members, who quickly put together what happened to Oryou after Ryouma's death, so they would bring frog souvenirs during their visits.

Since Oryou is a serpent, her body doesn't generate much heat on its own. I like to think that she produces poison (or whatever she uses in her Rider animations) somewhere between her chest and throat and this is her only natural source of heat. The reason she has scales on her neck in human form is to protect (and maybe cool off) this part, and she goes berserk if you touch her there because this poison temporarily goes to her head.

Her scales contain magical energy. She has transparent scales over her eyes that gain colour as her anger (read: magical power) rises. > Super Ryouma's "tattoos" are actually patches of scales, like snake skin. They act as substitutes for magical circuits.

Oryou's hair helps her to maneuver in both water and air (basically, it acts like fish's fins or bird's wings/tail).

She likes to build her own "nests", and from time to time changes placement of items in Ryouma's office "because keeping things the same makes it easier for enemies to find them".

She is lean, but well-toned. Snakes are all about dem muscles.

Her legs are fully functional; she has no problems with kicking or using them to swim, but she just can't figure out how to walk properly. Because of that (and her legend), she prefers to float. > Despite this, after GudaGuda 6 Ryouma asked Mata Hari for some dance lessons for him and Oryou. He wanted to show Oryou how much she changed compared to back when she was a helpless child, and that, even though she still has her shortcomings, she can always rely on him for support.

Like a real snake, she has an extra organ that lets her "smell in 3D". Ryouma compares it to a ship's radar, which Oryou finds annoying because ships are her longstanding rivals for Ryouma's affection.

She also has heat vision. This makes her great at scouting and spotting threats, like being surrounded or noticing someone eavesdrop on Ryouma. However, this has some negative effects: for example, she can't see well when fevering (or berserking). It also makes her a somewhat poor cook, because she gets confused by multiple similar heat sources, especially as it gets hotter in the kitchen. Still, she learned how to make simple dishes to impress Ryouma, and she is actually really good at making traditional tea because she can literally tell the temperature at a glance.

Oryou is fascinated by human "mating rituals" (not the lewd stuff, rather couple-y things like Pocky game and such), but because of her sources (romance stories, etc.) and ancient god-snake perspective there are a lot of misunderstandings. Ryouma finds it adorable, though. > One time Osakabehime advised her to watch Titanic with Ryouma, because it is "modern time classic romance story". Oryou now hates this movie because Ryouma wouldn't shut up about the ship for the entire duration. > She likes when Ryouma gives her bellflowers, because they symbolize her being a part of Ryouma's life and mean "eternal love".

Another thing that fascinates her are hand gestures. Her dragon talons aren't very agile, so she really likes using her human fingers for stuff like peace signs and handshakes. > IRL!Ryouma's hands were badly injured in an assassination attempt, I think that afterwards Guda!Ryouma gained additional understanding of Oryou's clumsy movements and appreciation for her interest in trying to figure things out anyway.

Oryou likes rhythmic sounds. Because of that, Ryouma sometimes sings or reads poetry to her, and they may even end up in a poetic match (no matter how it starts, it will always end up being about frogs). > This one is actually based on several things. The obvious is the (false) idea that snakes like music. The less obvious is the fact that Oryou rhymes in some of her lines and it was a normal pastime in Ryouma's household to come up with short poems. And the obscure I can't really verify because I can't find IRL!Ryouma's letters in English, but, apparently, he asked his sister to send him a poetry book so he could impress IRL!Oryou.

[lacefuneral]

i need a 70k au fic where stede is a merman and he frequently spies on humans and collects trinkets a la the little mermaid

(long block of text of me ranting abt this below. i'm not going to write a full fic tho so if this inspires you, pls feel free to explore it and then tell me abt it. ok thanx)

in this universe, mermaids are regarded as being either a long-extinct species, or a myth altogether. the truth is that mermaids were hunted in droves for their pearl-tears, scales (jewelry), bones (tools), and meat. so mermaids learned to actively avoid humans to avoid detection while they slowly rebuilt their numbers. stede, ever the optimist, is convinced that Surely Not All Humans Are Like That, and We Probably Have Much In Common. as well as also regarding them as a sort of cryptid species. he knows humans are real, of course, but they are just as mythical to him as mermaids are to humans. so, despite being fundamentally against his culture, and being driven by the desire of exploration (and to escape the compulsory heterosexuality of his loveless, arranged marriage. but he does not know that he is gay yet)

stede is aware that humans are land-dwelling creatures that use ships as a means of transportation. and quickly learns from observation that some humans stay at sea longer than others as part of their vocation. as he cannot go on land, stede fantasizes about swimming along human ships. and of flooded compartments that he is able to "board" the ship through to look out of the portholes at the land (even though this is not possible). he wants to effectively be a sailor - help with navigation and scouting for seafood and danger (like submerged rocks that could cause a ship to sink). for the purpose of this AU, the crew is the same as the revenge crew in season 1. they were captained by a /different/ nobleman, who was killed, and ed took over the ship (and therefore the crew.) the ship /isn't/ the revenge. it's a different ship entirely.

while stede is swimming around, ironically, a wrecked ship, an incident occurs where ed is knocked off of his own ship during a storm stede finds him and takes him to shore (after an excruciating trek that involves him fighting the waves and holding ed's head above the water.) when he gets there he pushes him up onto a high rock, where the waves can't batter him.

stede is exhausted from the journey, so he returns to the water and finds a place nearby to rest. when the waves calm, he re-emerges to check on ed and make sure that he's safe.

when ed regains consciousness, he is fully convinced that he's hallucinating and that stede isn't real (despite the mermaid's insistence.) he stomps off and mutters something about hitting his head too on the rocks. naturally, his crew doesn't believe him either, and he assumes that he imagined the entire encounter. even though, with the circumstances, it would have been impossible for him to live. and there are mysterious claw marks on his arms (from stede's grip).

meanwhile, stede thinks that ed the most beautiful man he's ever seen (which he chalks up to "i think humans are interesting and this is the first one i've encountered up close like this") and is determined to meet him again.

the next evening he carefully spies around docks at the island that he dropped ed off on, but he doesn't see him. (ed pretty much immediately took off via dinghy and fast traveled to his ship, as per OFMD tradition. stede expected him to rest on land, unaware of ed's tenacity or the power struggles that occur on a pirate ship once a captain is assumed dead.)

stede mopes around the island for months, deciding that ed wasn't a sailor at all, but rather a Permanent Resident Of The Land. and that the ship he had been on was merely taking him to his home. stede had only expedited the process of his return. he keeps hoping that ed will find a reason to board a boat again.

instead, he's shocked to witness, one evening, ed EXITING a ship. he admires him from afar, and desperately wants to talk to him, but he finds that he's too nervous to do so. instead he waits for the ship to depart (after seeing ed reboard) and follows it around the carribean

ed spies him in the water several times, and begins to worry that he's hallucinating again. he doesn't tell the crew this time.

at one port, ed decides that he needs to take a break from the ship for a while to clear his head. seeing him alone on a beach, stede takes the opportunity to finally approach him. ed swears and shouts at him, telling him to fuck off.

hurt, stede drops the gift he brought for ed, leaving behind. the waves carry it to him anyway, and ed pockets an intricately carved shell.

stede spends the next several weeks living in ed's mind rent free, and he starts reading any book he can find on mermaids. most of them are complete and utter garbage, but he does manage to find a (mostly) accurate book that paints a picture of mermaid culture. there are illustrations in the book that resemble the item stede gave him - a token of diplomacy or friendship. he fusses with the shell frequently, like it's a worry stone. he begins having dreams about mermaids in general, and including a nightmare of the night he fell off of the ship. the morning, he realizes that he was drifting in and out of consciousness as stede carried him, and the sheer amount of effort that had to have been made to keep him alive. he feels absolutely horrible for yelling at stede.

unfortunately for ed, it is much harder for a human to track a mermaid than the other way around. but he has an idea. he begins carving small coins out of wood, and mimicking the design of the shell the best he can. he begins dropping them into the water periodically, leaving a breadcrumb trail for stede to follow.

some of these tokens end up in mermaid-populated areas, deeply confusing them, and causing debates as to whether or not humans (as an entire species) are aware of their presence. in which case, they would be in great danger and would need to migrate.

regardless, stede does find the tokens. and he begins to realize that they're a form of apology. he follows them until he comes across ed's ship. it's the middle of the night in calm waters, and he pops his head up. the smell of tobacco lets him know that he's not alone, and he very cautiously moves around the boat. eventually, he spies ed's pipe, and splashes the water to get his attention.

ed gestures back, but it's too dangerous for them to talk here. he does his best (with hand gestures) to communicate to stede to keep following, and to meet him the following night, when the ship is docked.

ed tells his crew that he's going to a brothel, and slips away to a secluded part of the island. making sure that he walks along the coast the entire way, allowing stede to follow him easier. when they finally make to the cove, ed apologizes profusely for his behavior. he explains that humans do not know that mermaids are real - that they do not remember them. he thanks stede for his selflessness. and he introduces himself not as blackbeard, infamous pirate, but as ed, a humble sailor. he doesn't want to startle stede by his trade - make stede assume that he's in danger of being sold for parts.

the entire time, stede's heart is beating out of his chest as he admires ed's face in the moonlight. (again, he assumes he's struck by seeing a human so close, rather than falling deeply in love)

stede eventually snaps out of it, introduces himself, and begins to ask questions about human society, easily trading facts with ed about his own society. when stede explains that what he is doing is essentially unheard of and that he'd rather actively put himself in danger than live a cushioned life back home, ed is flabbergasted. even moreso when stede reveals he has children.

"you gotta go back to them, man. it's a dangerous world out here. people are greedy, cut-throat."

in order to emphasize this, ed reveals that he's a pirate.

"months you've been looking for me - and you didn't even know! i'm a stranger. what if i'd wanted to hurt you? take your bones to get magical powers or whatever."

stede IS surprised by the pirate thing, but the bones comment disarms him and he snickers, insisting that mermaids do not have magical powers. besides, he says, ed seems too lovely to want to hurt him.

now it's time for ed to feel bashful. and he has to admit that stede is pretty beautiful... for a fish. has muscled arms and golden hair and kind eyes.

they make plans for future meetings. ed is very careful to schedule shore leave at different ports, different times of day, different frequencies, and different visit durations. he scouts land out ahead of time, trying to find places where it would be most comfortable for the two of them to talk. they exchange treasures with one another (ed's going into a secret trunk under his bed that has been chained to the floor and locked. stede's to various caches around the ocean floor that he gradually moves to a shipwreck that he calls his home.)

eventually, stede confesses that he wants to try and board ed's ship - meet his crew. he feels like a shameful secret. ed lashes out at him and essentially calls him an idiot - telling him that if other humans found out about him he'd surely end up getting killed and his entire species would too. he also doesn't understand why stede wants to talk to other humans. isn't ed enough? (forgetting, of course, that stede has exiled himself from his own society and is, therefore, entirely alone. ed is his only friend, and he doesn't get to see him very often. meanwhile, ed is constantly surrounded by people. stede is just a curiosity to him.)

stede stomps- er, flops - out. and returns to the sea without a goodbye. he doesn't show up to any of their next scheduled meetings. and soon, there are no meetings left. (why yes. he does go home at this time and realize he doesn't fit there anymore and finds out about doug. he doesn't fake his death this time around, though.)

heartbroken and upset, ed tells fang about mermaids. he shows him the history book, the treasures. he shows him the scars on his arm from determined claws. he explains how he tracked stede down. and he admits how devastated he feels without him around. he asks fang to help him modify the ship. to create a hatch at the bottom of the boat that can be opened. to tell the crew that it was for more easily deposing of bodies, and that's why it was so large. to form a ramp beside each stair ("so it's easier on my knees"). to place a huge ceramic tank on deck "to collect rain water during storms". and a bath large enough to accommodate two people ("because i fuckin deserve it.")

with the modifications made, ed is moping at the open hatch one day, looking into the ocean below. he watches various fish and turtles swim by. admires the coral. and then, suddenly, a face moves into view. both ed and stede shriek simultaneously, effectively jumpscared. after the shock wears off, ed places his hand in the water, indicating that there's no barrier between them

stede pops his head up and (badly) lies that he wasn't looking for him. they just happened to cross paths. ed insists that, while stede is there, he might as well hear him out. he explains the modifications done to the ship, and stede looks around him in wonder as it finally sinks in for him (lol) that he's in a FUNCTIONAL pirate ship right now. ed encourages him to climb up onto the floor (leaving the end of his tail in the water to remain moist), and then tells him that he's going to introduce him to fang.

the introduction goes well, and the two of them chatter for a long while. now that fang knows for certain that stede is real (and a decent person), he agrees to help ed explain stede to the rest of the crew, and try to incorporate him into ship life

the entire crew is fascinated by stede and gets along with him, except for izzy. for a lot of reasons. one, izzy is jealous that ed is spending time with him. two, izzy worries that stede could potentially be dangerous to them (in fact, he believes that stede is a siren, and he's actively trying to lure the crew to their deaths.) three, having a real live mermaid aboard is a great liability. if other pirates found out about stede, they would likely swarm the ship in an attempt to capture him. and four, izzy thinks that selling stede could be potentially lucrative for him.

izzy attempts to gain stede's trust (to learn details about him) and draft bargaining letters for various fences in the republic of pirates, but ed finds them in izzy's quarters. not wanting stede to be in danger, the entire crew votes for izzy to be executed (so as to not spread news of mermaid existence.) he is disposed of, ironically, through the hatch

stede navigates the ship in a modified wheelchair which allows him to go up and down the various ramps on the vessel. when he begins to dry out, he quickly freshens up at a washing basin, climbs into one of the two large tubs on board, or pours a bucket of water on himself (if he's outside on deck.) he spends most of his time onboard, but does occasionally go through the hatch to fully rest in the ocean, or when he's on scouting duty (collecting intel about other ships, seeking danger, looking for fish.)

during raids, stede is instructed to exit the ship entirely in the event of the ship being boarded.

and while he never had any expectation of this, he even gets to travel on land. he's only able to do so for very brief periods, but with a shirt on his torso, a blanket over his tail, a hat over his fin-like ears, and pair of gloves on each webbed hand, humans are yet to notice. anyone that sees his sharp teeth assume that they're a fake set (like buttons')

ed and stede are horribly smitten with each other, and it isn't long after stede's adapted to amphibious life that they start a relationship. stede audibly says "ohhhhhhhhh........... i get it now. i like men." after ed kisses him for the first time, something that makes both of them crack up.

they do fuck nasty!

and get married later on yay!

and eventually ed retires somewhere remote and has an amphibious home commissioned that literally has water running through the entire building (using ancient technology as a basis). like roman, turkish. and even a bed that allows ed to sleep dry and stede to sleep wet and a place for their hands to meet and hold while they sleep. smiles

um anyway ya this has been my gay fish story which is also a metaphor for physical disability and how accommodations can make your life better and they aren't bad. ed is literally disabled but didn't think to get ramps until he was doing it for someone else. and stede's constant need for water feels very chronic illness to me. like he needs a lot of meds, he needs to rest a lot, he needs a lot of tools to help him out.

anyway i know i rambled a lot here but i don't really. Do full stories. so if anyone thinks this is cool u can go ahead

[animeweeb115]

[magicmindless]

A HC list but it’s just Didar

Such a silly funny guy

- Is always very happy and outgoing. If he isn’t smiling, then something is seriously wrong

- His demeanor gives the impression that he’s naive but he’s actually pretty clever, especially when it comes to absurd solutions to problems

- Gay as hell, he likes men

- His dad is Budwin but he and his mom are divorced so Budwin moved away and Didar lived with his mom in Maple Mountains his whole life. They met a few times later on but mutually agreed that they aren’t really cut out to bond with each other

- Formerly a Boy Scout which was how he learned about a lot of urban legends about Maple Mountains like the sugarsquatch. He’s also learned about a few from his mom since it’s traditional for parents of Maple Mountains to pass on spooky stories to their children

- Has a bit of a reputation of being a troublemaker. He sometimes played practical jokes or pranks on his classmates, fellow scouts and even the scout leaders. This makes him not very likable to some, but he’s also made a close group of misfit friends because of this

- His films when he was younger were usually short spooky stories about urban myths in the area and his own skits which he’s written. He sometimes acts for the films, along with his close friends or family friends

- Some people may find his high energy to be a bit of a nuisance, especially when he’s info-dumping about his favorite paranormal legends, but there are those (like Simone) who appreciate having him around

- Lots of members in the “Mystery Mountains Club” were friends he made from school or scouts

- He still holds his reputation as a troublemaker. Doesn’t cause much trouble in college, but during Mocharia he had a lot more material for pranks which he pulled as often as he was able to, and sometimes others joined in.

- However, while no one has ever gotten hurt from his pranks, he has gotten on some upper management’s nerves (especially Petrona’s) and did cause a few problems, but they never fired him. Instead they would make him sit in the corner called the “Gay baby jail”. It wasn’t used only for him though

- Hates getting up early in the morning and is very much a night owl

- Has a habit of procrastinating on school and college assignments but he never fails to turn in important film projects

- Loves camping, especially with the mystery club and his friends. Like Simone he also likes making fires and burning things with them

- Painfully tone-deaf when it comes to singing. It’s so bad people have questioned if he sings badly on purpose (he’s actually as terrible as he is)

- He and Simone have part-time jobs at Nowtime News with Duke Gotcha and Shannon. They all get along relatively well, though Didar and Duke’s relationship is a little complicated…

- Huge DND nerd and loves being the dungeon master, and even has an oc he uses when he’s playing in campaigns

- He has perfect 20/20 vision

- Since Simone and Didar are film nerds they love watching all kinds of films together and analyzing every little detail they can see or hear

- His favorite genres of movies are fantasy and horror movies, but only those with paranormal or fantasy elements (killers and purges aren’t exactly his thing)

-He is always happy to share spooky stories to fellow coworkers and friends, though there are different types of people who listen to his stories: Those who believe and are about as enthusiastic as he is, those who are skeptical but like to believe, those who like his stories despite no belief, and those who don’t believe at all, and don’t care to

[satoshi-mochida]

Star Ocean: The Second Story R demo now available; latest details, trailer, and screenshots

Gematsu Source

A demo for action RPG remake Star Ocean: The Second Story R is now available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC Steam, publisher Square Enix and developer Gemdrops announced.

Get the latest details below.

(This post will be updated with screenshots later today.)

■ Story

Claude C. Kenny, a young officer in the Pangalactic Federation, is sent to investigate a mysterious dome discovered on Planet Milokeenia on the orders of Ronyx, his father and commanding officer. There he discovers an unfamiliar-looking mechanism. Hoping to demonstrate his courage, he ignores Ronyx’s objections and touches it, only to disappear in a blinding flash.

Later, Claude wakes up surrounded by lush forest and realizes he’s been transported somewhere far away.

Trying and failing to get in contact with Ronyx, Claude scouts out the area around him, only to discover a monster just as it’s about to attack a young girl.

Rushing into the fray, Claude fires away with the Phase Gun his father gave him.

Seeing Claude rescue her with this bright, lethal force, the girl—Rena Lanford—mistakes him for a figure from the myths of her homeland, a hero who bears a Sword of Light.

In order to properly thank him, Rena takes Claude to the village of Arlia, hoping against hope that he could be the one to save the entire nation…

■ Key Artwork

—Illustrated by Yukihiro Kajimoto.

[Twitter Link]

■ Remake Features: Battles

Fun, Thrilling Team-Action Battles!

The real-time action combat allows you to unleash special arts skills with a simple push of a button. Battles have become even more strategic with new elements added to the combat system.

These features allow you to stun enemies by layering attacks or to prompt an ally character not currently in your party to perform a follow-up attack. The original effects and animations have been further refined, making combat even more exhilarating.

Thrilling and Visually Explosive Battles! – Enjoy fast-paced combats and strategically defeat foes with new mechanics such as “Break” and “Assault Action” dealing massive damage and featuring protagonists from across the Star Ocean series.

Super-Flashy and Exhilarating! – Renewed battle effects. Incredibly rich effects create battles bursting with energy.

Cooperate with Allies! – Stun your enemies to stop them in their tracks and deal major damage with follow-up attacks from your allies. Fight alongside your allies to eradicate the enemy in one fell swoop.

New “Break” System to Neutralize and Break Down Foes!

Each enemy character has a Shield Value. When it hits zero, they are temporarily stunned, letting you deal more damage. Use this opportunity to hit them as hard as you can! Additionally, each character’s special arts skills are divided by the type of damage they deal, from “HP-focused” to “Balanced” and “Break-focused,” adding a tactical factor as you decide the best skill to use for the situation.

—Target a specific foe to aim for a Break!

—Breaking the lead enemy causes a Break Effect! The Break state is chained to nearby enemies on the field, putting you at an advantage.

Combo Link: Easy Controls Let You Overwhelm Foes in Style

Each character’s special arts skills can easily be launched with the L1 and R1 buttons. You can also tap L1 or R1 twice to use the Combo Link, which lets you quickly launch a preset special art combo. Simple controls enable flashy, powerful sequel attacks, lending extra speed and excitement to every battle.

—From the fancy Mirror Blade combo strike…

—…to the all-powerful Dragon Roar finisher!

Assault Action: Team Up With Allies to Go for Sequel Attacks!

Your Assault Gauge fills up as time passes during battle. When it’s maxed out, you can launch an Assault Action that calls upon your party members to execute follow-up attacks.

The special arts skills each character uses can be set up in advance; combine them with special arts from the character you’re controlling to create your own original combos!

—If an enemy attack puts you in Break mode..

—Call for help from your reserve characters!

—Use powerful special arts to turn the tables!

Star Ocean Evolved! Mind-Blowing Battles With Eye-Popping Visuals!

The combat visuals have been completely upgraded for this title. Battles have been given a facelift, and the combat is more fast-paced, giving the fights a gorgeous, refined feel. From Claude’s special arts skills like “Dragon Roar” to flashy symbology strikes like Celine’s “Southern Cross” or Rena’s “Star Flare,” the latest visual techniques make every battle more exciting than ever.

—Southern Cross

—Extinction

■ Private Actions

How You Talk with Friends Changes the Story in Many Ways

During the game, your party will split up at certain points and temporarily go their own ways, letting your protagonist have individual story events with them. These Private Actions can affect how the other characters see you, and some may even lead to major changes in the overall plot. There are also far more Private Actions than can be seen in one playthrough, helping add depth to the story each time.

—Private Actions can change how intimate characters are with you. They may even affect the ending…?

—Private Action points are marked on the map, so check them out when you visit a town!

■ Item Creation

Make Your Own All-Powerful Weapons and Armor! Traditional Item Creation Evolved!

Make your own all-powerful weapons and armor! Traditional Item Creation evolved! Item creation, a hallmark of the series, has advanced even further, letting you add special effects known as Factors to the items you make. Be it an all-mighty weapon that also heals HP or an accessory that constantly refills MP, you can create unique items no one has ever come up with before, letting you go deeper than ever with party building.

—Item Creation allows you to imbue items with special effects known as Factors, which are different from regular effects.

■ Super Specialties

Cook, Publish, or Even Conduct an Orchestra With Your Friends!

In addition to item creation, you can give Skill Points to your characters to help them learn various special skills. When characters with the right combination of skills come together, it’ll unlock a powerful Super Specialty. These include all kinds of useful skills for adventuring—for example, the Master Chef Super Specialty lets you cook dishes with powerful effects that cannot be made with regular Cooking. Similarly, the Bunny Call Super Specialty calls a Bunny into the field, which you can ride on and use to traverse the field much more quickly than with normal travel.

—Use Master Chef to create dishes with super-powerful Effects!

—With the Bunny Call Super Specialty, you can travel around the field on the back of a Bunny!

■ Minigames

From Cute (but Heated) Bunny Races to the Pulse-Pounding Arena!

You’ll unlock access to a variety of minigames as you proceed in the story. These include the Arena, where you fight tough battles while restricted by certain conditions, and Bunny Racing, where adorable bunnies race hard and potentially earn you a fortune! Win these games to earn prizes and rewards, but don’t let them distract you too much from the adventure!

—Test your skills against a wealth of foes in the Arena!

—Earn fabulous prizes in Bunny Racing!

■ World Map Fun: Fishing

Becoming a Fishing Master in Rivers, Oceans, Wells, or Even Outer Space!

Fishing spots can now be found on the world map, letting you enjoy fishing at rivers, oceans, and even wells or swimming holes. You may also find these spots in dungeons and other dangerous locales—but if you reel in the wrong creature, you could have a fight on your hands!

In addition to expanding the game’s exploration aspect, you can also exchange the fish you catch with NPCs for useful items. Some speak of uncatchable “giants” lurking somewhere out there… but travel far enough, and you might just complete your Fish Encyclopedia!

—Fishing spots exist on the world map, as well as at riversides in town.

—Use Fast Travel at any time to return to locations that you have already visited.

—Reel the Fish Collector, a new tutorial character.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is due out for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam on November 2 worldwide. Read more about the game here.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

System Trailer

English

Japanese

[ricardian-werewolf]

Chapter 7: Still, I follow the Heartlines on your hand

Ao3 Link. Summary:

2 years since Sankta Alina's burial have passed. A new king sits on the Double-Eagle throne. The Darkling has crowned himself as leader of the Grisha, and taken total control of the First and Second Armies. All while, rumors of Prince Nikolai continue to filter alongside the myths of the martyrdom of Sankta Alina. The common folk grow dissentious. in the First Army, Dominik Vertov ekes out a living while pining for a love that he may never see again. But fate works its ways in the most mysterious of manners.

AN: This chapter marks the beginning of Act II, The Sunne in Splendour. There's been a TWO year time jump from the events of Act One. Chapter snippet below cut:

“I’ve brought you in to inform you of the word we’ve received from our scouts. As we know, since Notre Souvervenyi took the throne two years ago, Fjerda has been unrelenting in its ongoing border skirmish to annex Northern Ravka and the Elbjen Mountains, which we recently reclaimed in the last Solstice. However, His Majesty asked for us to take prisoners. Drüskelle Prisoners, in the case of capture, were to be relocated straight back to Os Alta in order to be tried and killed, or turned to the Ravkan cause.”

Dominik’s eyes roved over the men. Only Kirigan would know what was going to come out of Dominik’s mouth next. Only Kirigian had been in the room to see Dominik break down in tears over Nikolai’s continued disappearance. Only he knew what rested behind the double-eagle banners of Lantsov blue and gold. The 22nd regiment had scattered, broken down to the bolts and filtered into other regiments. In the Darkling’s eyes, it kept trouble down, making dissent impossible.

But, Dominik had known the 22nd wouldn’t go quietly. These veterans of the Northern campaigns had been making a right old fool of the new Tsar. With Vasily’s death and Nikolai’s disappearance, The Darkling had appointed a Lantsov pretender to the throne. A throne, which, by all rights, belonged to Nikolai. Though, if the legends were to be true on that throne’s founding, women lying in strange ponds distributing swords was no way for a form of government or state to exist. 

Dominik returned to stirring his coffee.

“However, our policies have shifted. We take no prisoners.”

There was a collective gasp. This was heresy. To go against the Lantsov pretender? The Darkling? Ritual suicide. Dominik could almost see the gallows looming in his mind’s eye. But, there was no further cry. No screams of protest. This was a roomful of people constantly crushed under the double-boot of hunger and oppression. Some, he had heard in the small hours, speak of the Old Lantsov kings. They’d been corrupt and cruel, but the Darkling ensured that the non-grisha received no proper rights. The Otkazat’sya were cannon fodder. Only valuable if the amplifiers tested them as Grisha and they came through on the right side. 

[tinycoded360]

G/t favorite/rec list from fanfiction.net part 3

Of myths and legends by Khalthar

Just as she arrives on Earth, Moonracer, finds something that is NOT supposed to exist! What's a robot from outer space supposed to do with a WEREWOLF? Raise it of course! IGNORES MOST OF DOTM

Miniaturized by midnightbloom14

Finding a mysterious relic and not knowing what it's purpose is, sure. But if you didn't at the very least try to keep a curious Miko away from it, then you deserve to suffer the consequences. Major fluffy Oneshot, bonding, nightmare comforting, cuddles/hugs all that good stuff. Rated K to be on the safe side.

A whole new world by Autobotguy710

Post-Predacons Rising. AU. With Cybertron's atmosphere now altered to sustain human life, an age of unity among the species has begun during the period of uneasy "peace" between Cybertronians. Now, in the midst of this new age, political leader Ultra Magnus decides to take a homeless human boy from the slums of Kaon into his home. A choice that will change their lives, forever.

Playthings by LauraCynthia

Answering a distress call from a colony scout ship, the crew of the Enterprise experience some distress of their own when the inhabitants of the planet mistake them for something else. For those of you who watched the animated series, imagine the characters thusly. (Chekov instead of Arex, but M'Ress is in this one). I wrote this in a few days.

A drone named Jeffrey by LeaderPinhead

I am Jeffrey. The Vehicon. I did this thing a little while ago. I met a girl, left the 'Cons, and drove off into the sunset. Now what the heck am I supposed to do? [Sequel to Drone]

Everything changes by hiniko

Trisha was just trying to be nice, buying the Jazz toy for the little kid, but her world is completely changed when she brings it home and it comes alive... Inspired by Leonixon's story 'Me, My Friend, and His Friends'

Don’t call me Tinkerbell! By Livi2Jack

Jack learns a lesson from a small visitor. It's not the size that counts!

Close encounter by Tiamat1972

What would you do the first time you meet a transformer? How would you react? Rated for Coarse Language. Chapter 8 - You'd think setting up a meeting would be a simple task.

Delta Angel by Littlemewlugia

When Starscream is forced to take shelter in a barn, he does not factor in being discovered by two young human children, one of whom happens to be Annabelle Lennox.

Clark catches a bat by Dunyazada

Clark captures a little animal, and frees his best friend. NOT slash.

[enstarsmusic-en]

📝Revival Scout! Mysterious Myths starts now!

⏰Time: 2023/12/15 12:00 AM - 12/22 11:59 PM GMT-5

⭐️There is a higher chance to obtain the featured cards in this scout.

For details, please check the in-game notice!

[turtlethon]

“Atlantis Awakes”

Season 7, Episode 23 First US Airdate: December 4, 1993

Bebop is declared the King of Atlantis and the Turtles must help a half-man, half-fish to claim his rightful throne.

We’re into the final five episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles season seven. “Atlantis Awakes” is credited to David Wise and first aired in a double bill with "Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter".

It’s rare to see the Turtles using a vehicle other than their van these days, with even the blimp popping up only occasionally. Today’s show is an exception, with one of the sewer tubes and a new dinghy carrying our heroes around underground. Michaelangelo is on a surfboard and breaks off from the team to travel down a winding tunnel, but winds up losing his footing. He narrowly avoids going over a steep drop when a mysterious figure emerges from the water to save him.

Michaelangelo’s rescuer is a half-man, half-fish called Alim Coelacanth. Providing him with a snappier (and more marketable) name, an astonished Mikey dubs him “Merdude” before reuniting with the other Turtles. The rest of the team find this talk of a fish-man dubious, but Alim emerges from the water to greet them, explaining that he’s from the city of Atlantis. Regular Turtlethon readers will know that the green teens encountered the sunken city first-hand during a visit to Greece in “The Lost Queen of Atlantis”, an episode that aired in the US mere weeks prior to the broadcast of this one. The Turtles seemingly have no memory of such an adventure now, with Raphael dismissing Atlantis as “just a myth”. Apparently either David Wise was unaware of the existence of that episode, or considered its events to be non-canon, which itself is perhaps the best possible indicator that the entire “Vacation in Europe” side-season exists outside of the proper TMNT timeline.

Alim explains to the Turtles that the other Atlanteans are human, with him being the exception; he left the city over 200 years ago in search of others of his own species. This quest has proved unsuccessful, and so he seeks to return to Atlantis, but has lost track of it. The Turtles agree to help Alim return home, and the group swim off together in search of the city.

The Technodrome is rolling around at the bottom of the sea, and Krang has discovered interesting energy readings from a location nearby. Rather than driving the fortress there, Shredder leaves on a scouting mission with Rocksteady and Bebop in an amphibious transport module. The villains are stunned to discover the lost city of Atlantis under a giant dome, and demand to be granted entry. Once inside, the citizens begin bowing upon seeing Bebop, declaring that their “king has come”.

As Alim summons a group of sea creatures for the Turtles to ride so they can keep up with him, the people of Atlantis explain that they’ve waited for generations for the prophecy of a beast man to emerge who will be declared their ruler, and so Bebop is now made their king. Rocksteady is upset at this, wondering why his friend was selected for the role over him. Giving orders doesn’t come easily to Bebop, and so he leans on Shredder for advice as a dissenter called Hepax Lagamina declares this to be a farce; at the suggestion of Shreds, the new king has her dragged away to be clapped in irons.

The Turtles and Alim take an underground passage into the city, emerging in the throne room as Bebop is made king in an official ceremony. A group of spear-wielding men encircle the group as the first act ends.

Act two opens with our heroes attempting to point out that Bebop is no king, before ultimately being forced to retreat into the water; with no breathing equipment, the Atlanteans are unable to pursue them. Later, Rocksteady complains about being passed over for the role of king to a disinterested Shredder as the two discover a room containing a giant jewel. Shredder informs Krang of this discovery, and he suggests it could be used to supercharge the Technodrome’s main cannon. Though the jewel is too heavy for Shredder and Rocksteady to carry on their own, Bebop’s influence will allow them to have the Atlanteans move it instead.

Power is beginning to go to Bebop’s head by the time Shredder returns to address him, and it doesn’t take long before the new king turns his troops against his old boss. Meanwhile Alim explains to the Turtles that the advanced equipment kept in the palace is used to power the Hammer of Atlantis. Before he can expand on its purpose, the group are distracted by cries from a voice nearby. The group find Hepax Lagamina trapped in a jail cell. Upon seeing Alim, she declares that he must be the true beast man the prophecy spoke of, and that he must challenge Bebop for the title in the Atlantean Arena. Before they can break her out, a group of guards approach, and so the Turtles and Alim are forced to escape into the water once more. This time the guards have breathing equipment, and pursue the intruders underwater.

King Bebop has Shredder get down on his knees in deference to him, alongside a now-weeping Rocksteady, who seems to be developing an inferiority complex as he watches his old buddy throw his weight around. Shreds eventually decides he’s had enough. Calling Krang via com-link, he orders that the contents of the former henchman’s room be burned. Bebop is aghast at the thought of his action figures, bubblegum cards and comic books being destroyed. He agrees to carry out Shredder’s mission, and has his troops begin the process of transporting the oversized jewel.

The Turtles battle the royal guards in the waters outside of the city, but find the odds against them. Alim uses his special powers to turn things around, calling on a group of nearby sea creatures to restrain the men. With their path now clear, our heroes head back inside.

Emerging inside the palace, Donnie and Raph split off to confront Shredder, while Leo and Mikey are tasked with freeing Hepax. Alim heads to the throne room, where he confronts Bebop; The King’s advisor Malathor informs him that he must accept this challenge, or he will have to forfeit his crown.

As Leonardo and Michaelangelo battle Rocksteady for control of the keys to Hepax’s cell, Alim and Bebop begin doing battle in the arena. Shredder is confronted by Raphael and Donatello, but uses a laser blaster to bring the roof down upon the Turtles, leaving them in a pile of rubble as act two ends.

It turns out that Raph and Donnie just happened to be standing near a canal outlet while being fired upon, and were able to dip into it to avoid the impact. Though the two are unharmed, they emerge to find Shredder has escaped with the crystal. Elsewhere, Leonardo and Michaelangelo outsmart Rocksteady, trapping him in a neighbouring cell as they free Hepax. The trio head to the arena and offer words of encouragement to Alim: Hepax instructs him to grab the Trident of Power, a weapon mounted nearby, which will only be of use to the true King of Atlantis. He uses the Trident to force Bebop to admit his rule is illegitimate, leading to cheers from the city dwellers. Before Alim can celebrate, Raphael and Donatello arrive to inform him of Shredder’s theft of the jewel, which Hepax explains is the “Star of Atlantis”.

Bebop finds Rocksteady and frees him from his jail cell before tracking down Shredder and asking for his old job back. Shreds has his former henchman get down on his knees and grovel, but soon has bigger issues to deal with, as the Turtles arrive to confront him, accompanied by Alim and Hepax. As a going-away gift, he punctures the protective dome of the city with a blast from his laser weapon before escaping in his module. Alim again uses his psychic powers, this time summoning a giant squid that covers the hole and prevents any further water from getting in.

The Turtles ride a pair of whales as they follow Alim out of the city, preparing for their next move. Meanwhile Shredder’s module arrives at the Technodrome and a group of Foot Soldiers unload the Star of Atlantis. As our heroes approach Krang’s fortress, it dawns upon them that he’s about to use the crystal’s power to open fire upon Atlantis. The group push the eyeball atop the Technodrome out of alignment, leading the blast to miss its target; after retrieving the jewel, our heroes and a group of sea creatures summoned by Alim safely transport it back to the city.

Back in Atlantis, Alim is officially declared king, and announces that Hepax will be his royal councillor. The Turtles are unconvinced by his subsequent speech about this being the start of a new, peaceful era for the Atlanteans, given that Shredder and Krang remain nearby, and their fears turn out to be well-founded: as they speak, the Technodrome is approaching the domed city and about to launch an attack. Alim is unconcerned, as the power of the Hammer of Atlantis is revealed, the large crystal being the energy source for an array of hidden weapons surrounding the city which emerge to open fire on the Technodrome. Shredder and Krang watch as their systems overload, and are forced to make a humiliating retreat.

With the day saved, Alim makes special arrangements to take our heroes home, introducing them to a quartet of giant sea turtles. Upon arriving back in the Lair, Leonardo remarks that the team has had a lot of adventures, “but this one tops ‘em all”. Michaelangelo emerges with a pizza made in Alim’s honour, the “Merdude Special”, covered in seaweed and other maritime items that leave the other Turtles queasy. The “disgusting pizza” ending, once such a fixture in the series that it was getting tiresome, has largely been taken out of rotation at this point; It’s almost nostalgic to see it dusted off for one more go-around.

I mentioned at the outset of this entry that we seldom see the Turtles use a vehicle other than their van these days; new characters popping up to coincide with their introductions to the toy line is also something that doesn’t happen as much as it did in seasons one through five. Alim / Merdude is an exception, having had a toy released a year prior to the broadcast of this adventure. My hunch is that Playmates largely didn’t care about the specifics of what went on in the cartoon by now as its drawing power had long since diminished. Moving forward, the toy line will move away from introducing new characters anyway, instead focusing on different versions of the Turtles (and occasionally Bebop and Rocksteady) with a never-ending array of bizarre gimmicks. This leaves Alim as one of the last members of an old tradition, the Mutant Guest Star of the Week: another of the many half-human, half-animal buddies that the Turtles cosy up to for twenty-two minutes, talk about maybe seeing again one day at the conclusion of the story, and then never speak of again.

Following on from “The Legend of Koji” a few weeks back, this is only the second episode ever to not feature April in any capacity. That story at least allowed Renae Jacobs to take on a different role as one of Shredder’s hired maidens, but here she’s not present at all. April’s absence is understandable as structurally it’d be tough to work her in. There’s very little wiggle room in this adventure, which kicks things off with the introduction of Alim staggeringly quickly; the fact that this is one of only a few of the Saturday morning TMNT episodes to use the shorter thirty second opening title sequence rather than the standard one-minute version is another tell-tale sign of the production team struggling to fit everything into the allocated broadcast time.

We can’t leave this adventure without returning to the thorny issue of this being the second Atlantis TMNT episode to air (for US viewers) in the space of seven weeks. But which is better? It’s no contest really: “The Lost Queen of Atlantis” had some fun stuff going on with the Turtles taking on the Atlantean cult, but it was hampered by the same ropey production values and general mediocrity that the entire Vacation in Europe side-season suffered from. It irks me to no end every time the Turtles speak as if they have no memory of prior adventures, but when it comes down to it an episode with adequate time and money spent on it like this one, from the main writer of the show, will always take precedence over what was effectively a single filler story from an entire side-season that accomplished nothing.

Next time, we’ll see the Punk Frogs and Mondo Gecko return for their final appearances in “Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter”. PLUS: The belated TV debuts of Tokka and Rahzar!

[bigfootbeat]

Bigfoot and Ravens

For centuries, many people have been fascinated by the enigmatic Bigfoot. There have been several discussions concerning the existence of this elusive monster, which has been characterized as a gigantic, ape-like, bipedal creature that lives in deep forests across North America. In addition to these legends, another intriguing story has surfaced that combines Bigfoot with another equally mysterious natural creature: the raven. Ravens, known for their intelligence and strong ties to myth and folklore, are believed to have an odd relationship with Bigfoot, leading to a complex web of mystery, belief, and conjecture. Both contemporary Bigfoot encounters and Native American tradition frequently describe ravens as part of the scene, hovering overhead or perching close by. Certain Indigenous communities, especially in the Pacific Northwest, regard ravens as spiritual entities, messengers, or even tricksters, believing they can bridge the gap between the spiritual and material worlds. The purported link between ravens and Bigfoot assumes an unearthly quality in this context. Some believe that ravens' proximity to Bigfoot sightings is not a coincidence but rather an indication of a more profound, potentially mutually beneficial relationship. People believe that Ravens, with their high level of intelligence and sophisticated vocalizations, act as sentinels for Bigfoot, alerting the creature to human threats or intrusions. Although hypothetical, this theory is based on ravens' observed behavior in the wild, where they frequently alert other animals—like wolves or bears—to possible danger.

Witness accounts of strange raven behavior in Bigfoot activity-recorded regions add to the mystery. Ravens have reportedly been known to congregate in big groups, make odd noises, and even guide humans farther into the forest. Even though natural factors could account for such actions, they have strengthened the notion that ravens and Bigfoot have a special connection. Theoretically, a species like Bigfoot might exhibit the same behaviors as ravens, which include scavenging from predator kills and working with huge animals like wolves to obtain food. According to this theoretical paradigm, Bigfoot might serve as a provider by leaving food leftovers or carrion for ravens to eat, and the ravens could serve as scouts or warning systems in return. Of course, critics say these links are anecdotal and unscientific. Given their extensive distribution and exceptional adaptability, ravens' presence in the vicinity of purported Bigfoot sightings is probably coincidental. Furthermore, the human tendency to construct stories and seek meaning makes it easy for two unrelated facts to become associated. Ravens' symbolic meaning in mythology and folklore may further contribute to their supposed association with Bigfoot, elevating everyday events to legendary status. Because of the human mind's propensity for pattern recognition, witnesses frequently associate the presence of one creature with the enigmatic behavior of another.

Even in the absence of empirical evidence, the appeal of mystery and the ongoing fascination with these two intriguing creatures sustain the notion of a relationship between Bigfoot and ravens. In our conception of the natural world, ravens and Bigfoot both occupy a transitional space: ravens are mythical birds known for their extraordinary intellect, while Bigfoot is a creature that defies scientific validation. When combined, they create an engaging story that combines mythology, natural history, and human creativity. Ultimately, the reported encounters between ravens and Bigfoot are a reminder of people's eternal interest in the unknown. These tales emphasize our need to make sense of the mysteries around us, whether they are based on cultural symbolism, observable occurrences, or a combination of the two. Despite the purely hypothetical connection between Bigfoot and ravens, it evokes amazement and wonder, prompting us to scrutinize the world and contemplate the mysteries lurking in the dark, impenetrable forests of our imagination.