#Storage Castle Hill

[kubervaults1]

Why Should People Use Lockers in Sydney for Jewellery Storage

In a city like Sydney, where urban life is fast-paced and bustling, safeguarding valuables like jewellery becomes paramount. With crime rates fluctuating and the risk of theft always present, individuals must adopt smart strategies to protect their precious belongings.

One such solution gaining popularity is the use of lockers for jewellery storage. These secure storage options offer a multitude of benefits, ensuring peace of mind for residents and visitors alike.

1. Enhanced Security

Lockers in Sydney are equipped with advanced security features, providing an impenetrable fortress for jewellery and other valuable items. These storage facilities often come with state-of-the-art lock systems, such as electronic keypads or biometric access, ensuring only authorized users can open them. Additionally, surveillance cameras and security personnel bolster the protection, deterring potential thieves from attempting any nefarious activities.

2. Preventing Loss and Damage

Often, jewellery gets misplaced or damaged when left lying around in homes or hotel rooms. Using lockers for storage minimises the risk of such occurrences. These dedicated spaces provide a designated spot for jewellery, reducing the chances of accidental loss or breakage. Furthermore, a locker in Castle Hill is often designed with individual compartments or padded interiors. That ensures delicate pieces are protected from scratches and potential harm.

3. Ideal for Travelers

Sydney attracts thousands of tourists each year, and for travellers, carrying valuable jewellery can be a cause for concern. Using lockers at airports, train stations, or hotels offers a secure alternative to carrying valuables around during sightseeing or business trips. With lockers, tourists can explore the city freely, unburdened by the constant worry of losing their treasured possessions.

4. Convenience and Accessibility

Kuber Vaults offers conveniently located lockers in Sydney. That makes them easily accessible for anyone in need of secure storage. These lockers are housed in a walk-in safe room. The simplicity of the storage process allows users to deposit or retrieve their jewellery with minimal hassle, making it a time-saving and efficient solution.

5. Cost-Effective Solution

Investing in a home safe can be expensive, and not everyone has the luxury of owning one. On the other hand, using lockers for jewellery storage is a cost-effective alternative. Kuber Vaults provides affordable storage solutions. That makes it possible for different individuals to get economical and safe jewellery storage solutions.

The Final Words

With the ever-present need to protect valuables from theft, using lockers in Sydney for jewellery storage is a wise choice. Embracing such secure storage options ensures that you can explore the beauty of Sydney without constantly worrying about the safety of your prized possessions.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Little fairy tale castle built in 1976 in Lafayette, PA was the height of style in the 70s, but it's very dated, now. IMO, the 70s were a pretty tacky period in decor. They're asking $1.16M for the 4bd, 5ba home. What do you think?

I prefer gryphons to the common lion statues.

The entrance hall is grand and has elements of English Tudor style, as well as castle. I like the way the lamps simulate torches and the ceiling with the medieval chandelier is amazing. Plus, the sweeping stairs and tile floors look good. I would want to repaint it, but it would take $ to brighten this up.

Love the iron gate to the sitting room. The home has the elements of a large castle and it's beautifully done.

The sitting room is elegant with 2 steps down to the sunken space.

Beautiful fireplace and windows, all on a smaller scale. Love the wood ceiling and chandelier, too.

Very large dining room. Nice chandelier, but no wainscoting or fireplace, plain ceiling.

This is where we get into the 70s style. The colors were orange, green and yellowish gold. So, the kitchen has the original dark cabinetry, there's the orange hood w/a royal crest over the cook top and cool orange sinks. The brown & orange tile floor ties it in.

They changed out the counters b/c they're granite. You can see the stained glass cabinet doors and decorative panels on the fridge. I think I would put one of those Knight statues in here with a tray, so he looks like a butler or something campy like that. d

Large casual dining area is nice. It has a whole wall fireplace. I actually like this space better than the formal dining room. Note the little dragons on the medieval chandelier.

Very dated and original wallpaper and lighting. You can either embrace this home, and just brighten it up a little, or renovate it.

Check out the original avocado toilet and sink.

Now up on the 2nd level, we have a rec room with window seats, on one side. By the looks of the overhead fixture, there was a pool table in here.

On this side of the rail, step down to the sunken bar area, the epitome of 70s entertaining. You've got a stone fireplace area for guests to gather, and a wet bar with the decorative panels and popular plaid wallpaper. Plus, note that there's also a stepdown to the sunken bar.

This is the door to the primary chamber.

They emptied it, but it's royal purple and spacious. There's also a small fireplace and closets with mirrors. I tried to get tinted mirror strips off my wall when I had the house- they were on the sides of a stone fireplace and would not budge. I finally covered them w/simulated stained glass.

Across a small purple hallway is the primary bath.

Variety of fixtures- funky black tub, orange sink, black toilet and bidet. It looks like everything has its own room, too.

Now, this suite has a purple theme.

Check out the 3 pc. bath. I'm colorblind when it comes to distinguishing gray and orchid. Is the sink purple?

Very large attic for lots of storage.

There's a beautiful free-form pool outside.

The grounds are very pretty.

.79 acre lot, beautifully landscaped.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4127-Presidential-Dr-Lafayette-Hill-PA-19444/10072422_zpid/

[twilightspinkyfinger]

Topics of Research (chain x reader)

This work is a part of my Hyrule Historian AU, for more information, check out my masterlist.

As a historian, you were well versed in what remained of Hyrule's history after the calamity scourged the land prior to your birth. You had studied almost every text and document you could get your hands on searching diligently for the answers to a question you never voiced aloud. You even asked the locals of different areas of Hyrule hoping on the off chance somehow someone somewhere still has some tribal knowledge left on the subject of your interest. However, no matter how hard you searched, you still had very little luck.

After the calamity, you scoured through the entirety of the library in Hyrule castle searching for something, anything that could lead you to even the faintest of clues regarding your search. But you found nothing, at least nothing you didn't already know. You pondered how something could manage to be completely wiped from history. It made you sad, you seemed like the only person in all of Hyrule who had even the faintest clue that this being even existed in the first place.

Wild had tried to help you, making sure you took breaks from the stacks of books covering your desk, he knew whatever you were looking for was important to you, even though he had no idea what that thing was. He tried asking you about it once, but you shrugged him off, claiming that he wouldn't understand even if you told him. You claimed that no one knew what you were looking for, but you remembered and that should have been enough right? But it wasn't your brain craved more.

Then you found yourself with the chain, ripped away from your research, but with a new opportunity in front of you. It was possible that you could find new information about your research topic in the past eras you were traveling through.

And you certainly did find new information almost right away. The markings on the Hero of Time were dangerously close to those you had sketched in your notebook a million times over. There was no denying it these were the same markings that not only haunted your research, but also your dreams.

You wanted to ask him about it but decided not to since he was a stranger and it would be extremely suspicious if you started to interrogate him. You hoped he would volunteer information regarding the markings and what they were connected to on his own volition. Time was not the open book you had hoped he would be, however, he did mention in passing that he had fought the moon, which you hypothesized was somehow related to your topic of research, but you had no proof.

Still, you searched through libraries when you had the luxury of staying in a town with one for more than a couple of hours. Jotting down any seemingly relevant information in your notebook. Despite all your hard work, there were still no hard leads in your investigation.

Eventually, the chain ended up in your and Wild's Hyrule plopped in the middle of Hateno beach. You decided to split the party so half of the group stayed with Wild in his house and the rest of the group would stay with you in your house at the base of the orchard under the Ancient Tech Lab.

Of course, before this could be accomplished, you needed to check in with Purah, who immediately scolded you and Wild for disappearing without a trace. She was extremely interested in the portals and asked you to gather any information you could about how they formed. You agreed and before you knew it you were travelling back down the hill towards Hateno.

It was decided that Time, Twilight, Warriors, and Wind would stay with you in your home. You led the boys through the entrance to your cottage apologizing for the accumulation of dust in your absence. The downstairs of your house was extremely simple, with a kitchen area, a couch with a sitting area centered around the fireplace, and a small storage area underneath the stairs.

You led the group up the stairs to your study/library area as well as your bedroom. It was decided that Twilight would share your bed with you, while the rest camped out on the floor of your study. You almost missed the way that Time's eyes glanced at the detailed drawings of a being long forgotten plastered on the wall. His eyes opened in surprise before he attempted to mask his shock and proceeded to yell at Wind for messing with your books.

In all honestly, you had forgotten how many of them there were, it made you feel a little insane and embarrassed at your obsession. But you couldn't help it, you needed to know more, you needed to know who and what this being was. You needed to know why it chose to save you.

The Yiga clan, fierce agents of chaos dedicated to the cause of Calamity Ganon. While in passing these individuals seemed more like fools than foes, they were definitely not to be taken lightly. They were foul condemnable bastards, who would stop at nothing to praise what they held dear, even if that meant the murder of an extremely small child.

Broken glass and blood littered the floor, and bodies of fallen footsoldiers lay at its feet. A double helix sword caked in the same red blood as the blademaster's chest it was just pulled from. Bright white eyes checked the area for any missing enemies before moving to pick up the crying child behind it. It shushed you murmuring words you would never forget, "It's okay little one, you are safe now, I'll protect you"

Footsteps could be heard outside, the rush of Sheikah soldiers too late to quell the scourge of the Yiga clan from the property. And just like that it was gone. The Sheikah soldiers entered the house taking in the sight of a baby not even the age of one alone on the table surrounded by tens of dead Yiga soldiers, the room reaking of death.

The captain, who had caught a glimpse of your savior through the window, searched the room diligently for missing the diety but came up empty-handed. This very same captain would take you under his very own roof and care for you as one of his own. He would even pass on his own drawings of the being he had seen through the window that day.

[scoobydoodean]

Dean is sooo smart for connecting “Castle on a hill of 42 dogs” to one of John’s storage lockers he has the largest most textured brain

[christinesficrecs]

https://at.tumblr.com/fairytales-and-folklore/702836305045962752/91kmcytyo2me

Just saw that reblog. Now i HAVE to ask. Any recs come to mind?

Thank you @mtlyfe for making sure I see the important posts! ❤️ 

Lap Magnet by Prairie_Grass | 30.7K | Explicit

Five times Derek and Stiles didn’t notice how close they were (literally) and then a whole bunch of times when they did...

Hales Have People For That by LadyDrace | 4.5K | Mature

Some moron decides to capture the Hale pack. Big mistake. Really big.

I Love To Be The Underdog by CaptainnAustralia | 33.5K | Explicit

Five times Stiles got into an argument on Derek's behalf, and the one time he didn't have to.

He's Not Mine by Sunnee | 68.5K | Explicit

Derek comes home to find an abandoned werebaby on his front porch and Stiles volunteers to help him out. Surprisingly, that is just the beginning of his problems.

a lion among them by unpossible | 61.9K | Mature

He knew he’d handled it badly.

Not like he knew any other way to handle this kind of thing, Derek thought, only a little bitter.

But Derek had heard the word Emissary come out of Scott’s mouth, and had immediately vetoed it with extreme prejudice.

It was like he wanted Scott to set his jaw and ignore Derek’s input. Honestly.

But Stiles- Derek had thought that at the very least, Stiles would listen. That their relationship meant enough that Stiles would hear him out before deciding.

Derek had thought wrong.

Stiles plans are the worst (the best) by Dashar | 88.7K

Stiles world ended when his pack died. It didn’t exactly come as a surprise. He had been running with wolves for so long that within hunters and monsters it was just a matter of time. It was a surprise when the world ended too. And Stiles… Well, he had to do something about that.

stuck in reverse by crazyassmurdererwall (smartalli) | 65.6K | Explicit

Look, Derek is the worst. Everyone knows that. Their fearless leader is a total and complete failwolf.

Which means the rest of them? Are kind of the worst too. They’re a ramshackle, slap dashed, sorry excuse for a pack that’s about a half second away from getting one of them killed. And this is a problem, because Stiles would really like to survive high school. Thanks.

Still, nobody deserves what Derek has gone through. Nobody.

And it’s about time somebody told him that.

Foolish devouring things, build your castle in me by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 23.1K | Explicit

“I will marry you,” he declares. “But should any more harm come to my father or my people, I will raze the earth itself until I feel the lifeblood drain from your corpse and paint my skin with it.”

It is not an idle warning, but from the princeling it has none of the desired effect. Derek feels no fear, but in this instance at least diplomacy triumphed over the spilling of more blood. It is all the same to him anyway. But Regent Peter was most insistent they avoid a drawn-out, gruelling war.

“Then we have reached an accord.”

There's Monsters at Home by calrissian18 | 83.6K | Explicit

“How did you get past the wards?” Derek had put them up, with Peter’s grudging assistance, after the Alpha pack had made themselves at home a few times too many.

The guy pulled a face. “You mean the wards a five-year-old girl with the mental ability of a goldfish could deconstruct?” He blinked wide eyes at Derek. “Gee, I don’t know. It’s bound to go down as one of life’s great mysteries.”

Derek despised him.

Pack Up; Don't Stray by the_deep_magic | 55.2K | Explicit

Werewolves are an enslaved underclass, collared and tagged by human masters. Detective Stilinski’s on duty the night they bring in an untagged stray.

A Letter From Mom by StilesIsMySpiritAnimal | 32.9K | Explicit

After waking up at the age of 11 without any memories of his past Stiles spends eight years with his father in the tiny town of Shelter Cove, California. After his father's death he receives a notice from a storage facility in some town called Beacon Hills. Stiles is confused and thinks the manager made a mistake until he finds a letter that should have been for his 18th birthday that his dad never gave him. It's from his mother, who he has no memory of. Weirdly enough, her letter mentions Beacon Hills and some woman named Talia, who he's supposed to trust. Confused and angry at his father, Stiles sets out for Beacon Hills anxious and determined to find out what his dad had been hiding from him all these years.

Go Away, Scott by HelloWhyTheFuckAmIHere | 66.2K

After the incident at the warehouse, Stiles is fed up with Scott. He finds himself drawn into Derek’s pack and in the process, drawn to Derek himself.

With the Alpha Pack closing in, Derek needs to learn how to trust his pack and those around him. And who better to help him than Stiles?

Northern Blues by kaistrex (weishen) | 40.6K | Explicit

When the Hale pack transitions to a new Alpha, Stiles is thrilled to be assigned to Beacon Hills to try out as their new Emissary. He and his dad are immediately enamoured with the idyllic little town, fitting right in with the rest of the Hales – except for Derek. The new Alpha shows no signs of welcome, but it will be hard for him to stay stubborn in the face of his family’s encouragement and a sentient house that has plans for the two of them whether Derek likes it or not.

[outofangband]

Sorry if you’ve done this before, but for Himring worldbuilding do you have any thoughts on the layout of the fortress and its architectural style etc? In fic I’ve variously seen it described as ranging from a single solitary castle all the way to a whole little walled city on the hill so I was wondering what you thought about that! Thank you so much ❤️❤️

World building masterlist (also more in the himring tag)

I think it's somewhere between a single castle and a walled city! It's a walled fortress comprising of a number of primary buildings within the walls and then a number of remote outposts throughout the March.

The Fortress of Himring stands on the hill of the same name. It is a stone fortress constructed primarily from slate, granite and travertine. Its construction took several decades and was worked on primarily by members of the Noldorin host Maedhros had brought there with aid from a group of dwarves from the Ered Luin Maedhros had formed an alliance with. In exchange for their help, they were given access to the geological resources of the March and protection while traveling North towards the Ered Engrin.

A number of stonemasonry techniques were utilized in the construction of Himring including arch masonry, dry stone (used primarily in the construction of remote buildings and lower walls), and post and lintel which makes use of pillars and beams. Most of the arches and arch systems of Himring are vault arches, that is, self supporting arched systems used to construct ceilings and roofs. This means spacious almost cavernous rooms with high ceilings. Almost all rooms have either fireplaces or fire pits with some buildings having a complex system of chimneys.

The fortress is built upon the Hill of Himring and rises up from the top with sections extending around towards the base of the hill and even some under the earth. The foundations rise to a sheer, wide tower with surrounding buildings connected through bridges and ground level passages.

The design is beautiful as is most creations by Noldorin architects but Himring is generally thought of as a grim, utilitarian place. It is a pallet of grays of varying shades, standing starkly against the cold skies. It is made to withstand both harsh weather and enemy attack. Its full plans are known only to Maedhros himself and there are many secret exits, hiding places, storage areas and other features understood on a need to know basis

Indeed, it is probably the most utilitarian of the Fëanorian realms with the lowest number of civilians. People went to Himring because they desired to be on the forefront of the battle with Morgoth. There is a population of non fighters, comprising of both soldiers who are unable to fight (temporarily or otherwise) due to injury and those with other distinct roles. They are employed as cooks, hunters, construction and repair, crafting, producing and mending essentials like clothes, weapons and blankets, overseeing trade and supplies, translation, cartography and strategy and others of the many jobs that are needed to maintain Himring.

There is a small market that operates within the walls of Himring but, due to rations and inventory protocol, is fairly regulated. (Any essentials, and there is a long list for this, are regulated and cannot be sold without formal permission. Luxury goods, puzzles and toys for the few children who live at the March, other crafts, and certain food items are usually sold here depending on what they are made from)

Most artisans come to Himring with the understanding that there wares will be primarily used for the war and supporting those fighting it.

The fortress is lined with parapets near its top. Half of them are partly covered to protect against the worst of winter winds and snow.

Steel is made in a bloomery and forge a few minutes away from the fortress of Himring itself where weapons are also made. The forge combines Noldorin techniques with some Sindar ones and weapons development is more prioritized than in most of the other Fëanorian realms. Animals are kept in lower, wooden outer houses towards the bottom of the hill of Himring, to protect against theft and the cold.

I have a post about gardens here!

I hope this helps! Please feel free to send more!

[tarnishedinquirer]

Case: Morne Massacre pt 3 (Castle Morne)

Entering the castle, I was immediately greeted by the corpses of several Godrick soldiers. This looked a lot worse than Irina could have known. It's interesting that the golem outside didn't defend them, but if it was the castle servants rebelling, then it probably didn't see them as a threat.

The only thing on this floor was a small armory. Nothing of use, but I noticed something strange about the weapons. They all seemed to be pockmarked, covered in these strange pits. I couldn't identify the source either. It wasn't acid or normal corrosion. And it applied to metal, wood, and leather equally. It was like the material itself was sick.

Perhaps this wasn't even an armory. Perhaps it was a quarantine instead. Best not to risk it.

The only way to the main courtyard was a single elevator, making the front door all but useless for an invading army. Unless it comes from within, of course.

I had some idea what I was expecting before I even got on the elevator. There was an overwhelming charnel stench of blood and offal and rotten meat and burning flesh that only got stronger as I got closer. I was still unprepared for what I saw.

I couldn't believe so many people had ever lived here, let alone died. It was mostly the long-necked commoners, but there were corpses of nobles and soldiers too, stacked as high as a small hill. Still more were impaled or hung.

It probably should've affected me more, but I'd seen horrors like this before in another life. Worse, even. I've seen mounds of vertebrae merging into human forms. I've seen entire civilizations burned in flame of sin. I've seen a rift valley half filled with corpses, where the unborn clawed at my legs.

Or... have I?

I shook off the false memories. At the very least, the prison that once held me had similar horrors on its execution field. That must be it.

I worked my way across the courtyard, first dealing with the scavenging dogs, then the chimeric servants. They were too lost in their revelry to even notice as I picked them off one by one. They were easily felled. Even their leader went down before he could even swing his axe once, though it took nearly half a flask worth of pebbles to do it.

Inside, I found a Claymore in serviceable condition, but also more of those pocked armaments. At least this means the blight isn't contagious.

I climbed up to the ramparts into the middle of a battle. Soldiers and footmen of Godrick were fighting with chimeras, and they were clearly losing ground. Then one of the soldiers peeled away from the battle to fight me instead.

So that's how it's going to be, then. Fine. I'm sitting this one out.

While waiting for both sides to exhaust themselves, I took note of the many gallows constructed on this rampart. I expected them to be ramshackle affairs, like they had just been built since the rebellion started, but they looked sturdy and well-used. Though, the fact they were situated on top of the bodies made me think that they were brought out and placed after most of the long-necks had been killed. So the chimeras slaughtered the commoners, brought the gallows out of storage to hang the footmen, and then tossed the long-neck corpses over the side to be piled up in the courtyard?

This didn't add up.

I took care of the stragglers and continued to a high tower, where I met the castellan, Edgar. Of course he wasn't very forthcoming. No one is. He claimed that he treated the "menials" well and they gave him good service, but they were just waiting for their chance to betray him. "Foul creatures, inside and out."

Even after showing him Irina's letter, he refused to quit his post until the Sword of Morne was recovered. I agreed to help him, and he said he'd meet me behind the castle.

Why were the weapons all pockmarked?

Why were the long-necks killed first?

Why were they butchered while the soldiers were hung?

What is the treasured sword of Morne?

[aesthetically-meme]

‘ A Slightly Forgotten Land ’

A fic based on Dusk Knight's journey through KAFTL and their potential involvement in it.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

The day started like any other. Dusk was flying towards Castle Dedede, having spent the night at their main home in Whispy Woods.

It was early in the day, early enough to where most were still getting ready to go out. Good. They wouldn't be stopped by anyone on their way to the castle.

The air was crisp and fresh thanks to the land's latent dream magic. It provided the winged puff with a much needed energy boost, as they had spent the previous night agonizing over the strangest of dreams.

It was not that dream that haunted them since they first entered this dimension, no, those dreams finally ended after they reunited with their father. This new dream was ... well it was definitely strange, for one.

Part of it brought a sense of unease, like waiting for a bomb to go off. And they couldn't clearly remember what happened. It was more feelings and brief flashes of color. Fear, that was the predominant feeling.

They also felt anger, but they were sure it wasn't theirs. The vague shape of something pink and round flashed through their mind, and with it brought the vague feeling or protectivness.

Dusk shook the overwhelming thoughts away, letting their wings take them back on course as they had started to drift off. Something in the air felt off, despite its normal feeling. Perhaps the paranoia of all those stories was getting to them.

The magic in the air seemed a bit more tense. Something was wrong...

No! No more of these thoughts! They needed something to distract themselves ... Ah! They spotted Kirby on a nearby hill, seemingly napping under a tree. Perhaps they could give the fellow astral a little visit before continuing to the castle!

They felt a sharp tug on their heart, one they had grown accustomed to since reuniting with their father. It brought along a sense of anxiety and fear.

‘ Paja ... Why are you scared...? ’

A wave of nausea hit them, causing their vision to tilt. Wow okay, something was very wrong. Perhaps they'd have to do a raincheck on seeing Kirby...

Was it their magic...? No, they had been fairly good at keeping a decent storage for a while now. It wasn't Twilight. This feeling was foreign. It felt almost....

Their thoughts exploded into a mess of thoughts as a bright light ripped through- wait THROUGH??? Yes, that was in fact, a dimensional tear of some sorts in the sky that just opened right next to them-!!!

“ W-What is- no no no- SOMEONE HEL- ” Their scream was abruptly cut off as the vortex swallowed their being.

A dizzying wave of colors flashed by them as they flew through the portal. Too many questions crowded their mind as the tear spit them out of the other end, sending them flying into sand. Fear siezed their soul as feelings not their own took their turn in beating them senseless.

What on Popstar was going on...?

[sangfielle]

if its okay to ask, ive been listeing through all of f@tt for the last like, have a year or so, and im finally getting close to the end (close as in im about to start sangfielle, but grand scheme i still think thats close, lol). do you have any podcasts / webcomics / books / etc that you feel have a similar tone, or that you really like as well?

thank you!

okay! hi. sorry this took forever to get around to because i honestly don't know a lot of things that i would consider to be in the same vein as f@tt? the two immediate ones that sprung to my mind were heaven will be mine and gundam, but i get the strangest feeling you already know about both of those. i do have some suggestions that, while not really like friends at the table, i feel you're liable to get something out of if you like it.

podcastwise, something rotten and the ranged touch podcasts (i've only listened to homestuck made this world, but am going to get around to the others, any my friends like them, lol) are nonfiction analysis podcasts. i'm pretty sure austin was actually on the most recent ranged touch patreon episode? but i don't have the money for many subscription things right now, so i can't confirm if that was actually the latest one or anything. + batman unburied is honestly a pretty good podcast that i would recommend if you can buy into the bullshit that is required to get into any major superhero setting. i've also enjoyed what i listened to of campaign: star wars, though that has been very limited. my interest in star wars varies pretty heavily, so i can only listen to it when i'm in a specific mood, and when i am in that mood i'm usually working on catching up on a more civilized age instead.

webcomics: brainchild, fairmeadow, the last halloween, prague race, soil that binds us, and white noise i've all enjoyed what's been put out so far & think other fatt fans may like. i'm a particularly devoted longtime fan of prague race, and i've been really liking white noise.

books: discworld is a very mixed bag for me, but i can't pretend i don't get anything out of it, and i feel if you haven't already read it that there's going to be a lot of appeal overlap for parts of fatt. this is how you lose the time war, obviously. i've moved recently, and have basically a full storage unit's worth of books, but not easy access to them, so i can't really go through and give you recommendations at the moment, because most of the books/series i'm taken with are bad but interesting, and most things that i file under that category i don't know if everyone else will similarly appreciate. i can give you a reading list when i actually get settled in at some point, lol.

shows & movies: nope 2022, the boys (if you can get past the grossout shock humor part of it), the expanse (i am intending to read the books but can't speak to the quality of those yet), the get down, event horizon, palm springs, his house, star trek (especially tng/ds9), princess tutu. this is just off the top of my head, i'm sure i could actually find more shit that i feel like i could put here if i combed through everything i've ever watched.

video games: if you like janine's characters in specific, dragon age will probably be up your alley. other than that, weird west, fallen london and the games surrounding it, disco elysium (obviously), the dishonored series, elder scrolls, zero escape, slay the spire, a mortician's tale, king of the castle (obviously, again), fallen hero, manor hill, vespertines, & dr langeskov (^^) i've all found charming and to hold some level of interest.

i have a lot more things i could recommend if you don't specifically want something good, but i figure i should leave it at things i can actually recommend without too many disclaimers (besides discworld) for this.

[yorkshiregirlwrites]

(unfinished; spontaneous; a lot of fun to write, perhaps less to read. to be read in the voice of a well-meaning but naive Eighteenth Century Parisian Gentleman)

-------

The Rational might enquire, why I was put, in this Eighteenth Century, to super-natural Investigations: to which I may respond, that without empirical Observation, Nature may be so strange as to defy Expectation & even, in the Moment, Reason: that all Things arousing Publick Gossip bear Investigation lest Gossip become Disorder: & that the Eastern Regions are so much Vineyard & so little anything else, that the honest Journalist may starve for want of Interest. The most extraordinary Thing in Thann, is that on the last Day of June every Year, the God-Fearing Populace turns pagan & dancing, sets a whole Stack of Pine Trees alight in the very Church Courtyard. The second, is that it is inhabited by a Witch. 

Arrived in the Town, hardly a Town, a Row of Timber Frames lost in the Vosgien Green, I remarked to a local Woman idling at the Site of the Pine Tree Massacre, that the Map showed quite plainly: the Tour des Sorcieres: the Witches’ Tower. To which she replied in such good Alsatian or else such bad French that I understood not a Word, & I left her staring after my Parisian Perruque as if she’d never seen a Man wear someone else’s Hair before. This Incident notwithstanding, I decided a Population must be stupid indeed, to complain lately of a Witch who since a Survey fifteen Years ago had been marked quite plainly upon the Town Plan. I pinched the Top of my Nose & continued on my Route. 

The Summer Day was beginning to rise such that the Vineyards all about hazed into one; the Castle on the Hill disappeared into the lifting Fog; & before me upon the River Bridge, before I had come to that picturesque & infamous Tower, I was so approached by curious Swarms of Day Flying Hawkmoths, that a less rational & more dehydrated Man might have thought them the Familiars of some underpowered Insect Fancying Witch. Leastways the fine View from the Parapets of this Bridge near made me forget my Mission: until at last I came near the Tower, a squat Thing with hardly any Windows though the Reports had named it overbearing & seen eerie Lights at every Aperture. I supposed that in the Light of Day, little save the most Abject of Horrors (& the Prospect of a Social Engagement) takes on a nightmarish Appearance: therefore resolved on that Point, I rejoiced that I was not here by Night, realm of the Fanciful, & went ever closer. 

The Tower I supposed, served as some Storage for Wine Barrels or for some other Thing pertaining to the local Industry: which is terrifying only to the Puritan Teetotaller: & I being back in Paris, quite the Wine Fancier, I had about resolved to knock upon the Door when a thrum about me distracted my Attentions. I turned, – I saw the Hawkmoths thick at my Back, – I felt my Hand fall to my Side; & then though I had touched not a Drop of Wine since my Arrival in Alsace this Morning, – I must have fainted.

--------

‘A Fool to doubt!’ cried my Captor: ‘a Fool, Monsieur, to doubt!’

I do not know if she had perceived my slow Awakening: or if she was meerly practising, to declaim such Things when I did awake: but nevertheless I was less surprized at her Words, than at the Notion of my Paysanne of earlier suddenly capable of speaking perfect French. – For it was she! my Readers: who had read my Map, & seeing Herself there upon it, feigned perfect Ignorance!...

I supposed I must have been carried inside: until blinking, I saw that this Room wherever it should be, had neither Doors nor Windows & yet it was lit so ethereally, that I wondered if my Woman were a Physician who had succeeded in isolating the Particles of Light Itself. 

I was yet hardly conscious but Hands already itching for Paper and Ink, that I may interview my strange Interlocutor, I asked blearily: ‘O Madame are you a Savante!...’

‘A Man of your Century,’ said she smiling, ‘to believe less in Magick than in the Female Scientist: yet I am not, I do not work, I do not observe, I only Do and Command. – Pray Monsieur you are very pale.’

‘It is the Magical Transportation I believe,’ I stammered: finding my Way to my Feet: yet finding that my Feet did not quite want the Orders of my troubled Brain. ‘Where am I? have you imprisoned me? O fiendish Witch! –’

‘And there, Monsieur, is the irrational,’ said she beaming: ‘come now, I know with what Purposes you were sent here: & unable to bear my Tower being the Site of Publick Interest and Journalistic Scrutiny, thought to silence you before my Rest, – so vital to the accurate Working of Magicks, – was for ever disturbed.’

The Thing was so sudden that it came as a missed Blow: & only when I shuddered at its Passage did I wonder: that she meant to kill me.

‘Capital Punishment, Madame, for Investigative Journalism!’ I cried in but a pathetic Sort of Squeak, –

[the-shattering]

Chapter 6: Caleste

Caleston, Irozia

Caleste scowled and ran her fingers through her graying hair as she looked down at the papers on her desk. The previous fall had been hard, downright devastating on her countship. Early in the season, storms had ravaged the hills and turned farmer’s fields into a muddy mess. After a week of respite, the weather took another brutal turn and temperatures plummeted as winter arrived much earlier than anticipated. Any crops that hadn’t drowned froze before they could be harvested. There was barely enough grain in storage to keep the towns under her rule from starving.

The winter seemed like it would never end; all Caleste could do was send urgent missives to Iron Bay and watch as even her own wife and sons looked more and more gaunt. She hated asking Venera for help, hated to grovel before the queen, and hated the fact that the Venera had almost immediately began sending aid. Not only that, the queen herself had visited to see the disaster for herself.

Venera was as graceful and courteous as ever but Caleste couldn’t help but think that deep down she was laughing at her failures. And now, as Caleste looked down at yet more missives from desperate lords looking to feed their starving towns, she realized she was going to have to go to Venera again.

If she were more religious she’d think that Newas, the god of weather herself, was taunting her. She growled and fought the urge to sweep the papers from her desk. Instead she took a deep breath and calmly stacked them in a neat pile. The lords and their damn missives could wait for an hour as she cleared her head.

She stood up from the desk and walked to the window. Spring had finally arrived to her corner of the queendom and it came in the form of gentle sunshine and warm breezes. She hoped the weather would hold, and give the ground a chance to dry out. The good weather would give the farmers a chance to plow and sow their fields, and would allow a chance for the passes to free up.

She stepped out of her study and the guards at the doorway stood at attention as she passed. Once she was ahead of them, they followed her as her escort. Caleste was a formidable woman; muscular and tall, she loomed over most of her opponents. Her hair may be greying and she felt the odd twinge in her back from an old injury but any assassin who thought they could face her would have a terrible day indeed.

She liked the guard detail though. It made her feel important, regal, as if she were a queen rather than a count. Perhaps one day she could be queen. Perhaps one day she could step out from under Venera’s impressive shadow and lead her armies in glorious conquest. Venera may be interested in playing nice with her southern neighbors, but Caleste only saw opportunity for expansion.

Unfortunately Venera also had the larger and better fed army and she certainly brought it to bear the last time Caleste decided to get uppity. Her wife and advisers cautioned Caleste to be patient after that particular incident, and to let the queen calm down and perhaps eventually be swayed to see things Caleste’s way. Caleste knew Venera however and Venera’s stubborn desire for peace rivaled Caleste’s own stubborn desire for glory. The two women would never truly see eye-to-eye on these matters and it would take years for Venera to even budge the slightest on the idea of a southern campaign.

Caleste wasn’t nearly that patient.

No, she had to wait until Venera’s position was weakened and her own armies were strong enough to finally break free from Irozia. If she couldn’t become Caleste the Champion of the Iron Rose, and if she couldn’t be the Hero of Irozia, then she’d become Caleste the Conqueror … Or perhaps Caleste the Courageous? Yes, that sounded much more flattering and heroic.

She mused on this as she walked down the corridors of her castle, and noted the damage to the plaster a tremor had caused the previous night. She stepped out into the inner ward where her knights were gathered to train in the warm afternoon. She counted fifteen in all standing by the barracks and preparing for their afternoon drills.

Wait a minute.

She counted again. Fifteen.

Her eyes zeroed in on the extra man, tall like her with a mop of straw blonde hair and blue eyes. He was leaning on a wooden training poleax, flirting with one of the knights who rolled her eyes playfully at him. Caleste could tell that she wasn’t interested but was humoring her son. Caleste sharply changed course and marched up to her son, “Idan.”

“Mother,” he straightened up and looking the slightest bit sheepish, “It is a nice day isn’t it?”

“Yes it is,” Caleste said, “And I see you’re enjoying it instead of sitting in on your lessons.”

He frowned, “Master Pahar allowed me to take the rest of the afternoon off. I thought it would be in my best interest to train with our knights - a good leader must know to fight after all.”

“Indeed he must,” Caleste said, “Perhaps then you can show me what you’ve learned?”

She turned to the knight Idan had been flirting with, “Dame Theran, why don’t you grab me a training halberd?”

“Would you like me to grab some armor for you as well m’lord?”

“I’ll be fine in my gambeson, we’re not trying to kill each other — I’m just interested in my son’s progress.”

Theran gave a curt nod and walked towards the wall where various training weaponry had been brought out for the day’s training. Idan chuckled nervously, “Mother you needn’t concern yourself with my progress…”

“Nonsense, I want to make sure you’re learning properly,” Caleste said, “Though I trust my best knights to be teaching you well.”

At that she cast her gaze at the 13 other knights gathered there who suddenly looked very uneasy. One of them, a portly man with long hair in a ponytail and an impressive mustache cleared his throat, “Yes m’lord, Idan’s been very … persistent in his studies.”

“Persistent,” Caleste mused as Theran ran back with the halberd, “Are you sure that’s how you’d describe it Commander Emmon?”

She didn’t allow him time to answer, taking the halberd from Theran without even a glance at her, “Well come on then,” she said to her son, “We won’t go too hard. I just want to see what you’ve learned so far.”

Idan swallowed visibly and slipped into a stance that Caleste wouldn’t describe as steady but she supposed had seen worse. He was tense, holding his poleax with way too tight of a grip and keeping his hands too close together. His stance was unsteady, he didn’t seem to have any concept of how close or rather how far away his feet were supposed to be.

He certainly had been persistent in training with her knights but she doubted he had learned much from them. Either that or her knights were not the well trained warriors she had expected them to be. She reminded herself to do an inspection of them once this was over.

She held her own halberd, keeping in a relaxed stance, the tip of her halberd pointed towards the ground — an enticing invitation her son to attack. He seemed very hesitant to do so. She didn’t blame him. He may be nearing her height but he didn’t have nearly the combat experience to have the confidence to stand up to her. She did give him points for trying to appear more ready than he was.

Uncharacteristically for her: Caleste waited for her son to make the first move. She wanted to at least give him a fair shot. Then again, if he was going to keep his guard up and not make a move then she’d have to act or they’d be there until sunset.

He finally moved in with a thrust and Caleste had to commend him on committing to the attack and being relatively aggressive about it. Of course he completely overextended himself and left himself wide open for Caleste’s counter. She simply twisted her halberd around the haft of his poleax, controlling the point and forcing it down and to the side. Before he could move to counter her riposte, she had moved her halberd up and jabbed the blunt tip square into his chest.

“I admire the aggression but you overcommitted,” she said as she lowered the halberd, “You were off balance and you couldn’t react to my counter in time.”

She turned to the commander, “I’ve heard my son’s been skipping his lessons to train under your excellent tutelage. He either hasn’t retained much or you are not the knights I thought you were.”

“We are certainly capable,” the commander said, “Lord Idan’s more interested in the concept of battle than the actual practice.”

Idan looked sharply at the commander who crossed his arms and stared right back. Caleste felt a headache coming on and she turned to one of the guards flanking her, “Escort Idan to my study, I’ll talk to him after I’ve had a chance to see how capable my knights are.”

Idan went with the guard without a word of dissent, he at least kept his head up as he followed the guard out of the ward. Caleste then turned to her knights, “You’ve proven to be terrible teachers. How are you as warriors?”

—

Caleste observed her knights for hours as they trained, joining in from time to time. After a winter cooped up in the castle, it felt good to be fighting again — even if it was just for practice. Her knights weren’t as bad as she thought; they were fit and fast on their feet. She’d have to assess how they fared on horseback at some point but she wasn’t considering firing them at least.

The commander walked with her as they went to put away their equipment, “Lord Idan’s been … a bit of a distraction. He doesn’t quite wish to learn the basics — he’s always interested in the more advanced movements. It’s hard to convince him to learn patience in his lessons when all he wants to do is impress.”

“Impress whom?”

“Everyone. Though he does seem to have an eye for Dame Theran,” the commander said.

“Yes I did notice that,” Caleste said, “Though she hasn’t seemed to return that affection.”

The commander put his training sword and shield down in the shed that stored their training equipment, “Dame Theran is interested in a lot of things … men are not one of them.”

“Ah.”

—

The sun set all too soon, Caleste had spent the rest of her afternoon having a rather unproductive discussion with her son on his responsibilities. The boy simply did not want to learn to rule, despite him being in line once Caleste was gone. She had considered her youngest, Graden, as a possibility to take her place once she was gone. That son at least seemed to have the mental aptitude and, well, interest in learning to rule. He was too soft, however, too timid. Too afraid.

No. Idan must learn to accept his role, whether he liked it or not. It was his duty and he had to start learning to accept it.

“What is bothering you my wife?” Edrahn asked as Caleste sat on their bed. She came up behind her wife and begun to gently massage her tense shoulders.

Caleste felt her skin begin to warm pleasantly under the ministrations and she groaned at the feeling. Her shoulders finally began to relax and she closed her eyes as her headache ebbed, “It’s the same thing that’s been bothering me for the past season Edrahn.”

Edrahn hummed in understanding and let her wife continue.

“The weather’s finally turned. The queen’s aid arrived. We’ve finally gotten the pass free. Yet my people are still starving,” Caleste sighed, “What did I do to deserve this?”

“You did nothing my dear,” Edrahn said seriously, “You know this. The winds aren’t controlled by the wrath of gods or the whims of the fates. They’re winds and they blow in whichever way they’d like.”

“I have about a hundred priests and clerics who’d beg to differ.”

“And they’d be wrong.”

“And yet I still have to listen to their concerns,” Caleste said, “They are still under my rule, they are still citizens of my towns and cities, and they still need to have their voices heard. It’s what a good leader would do.”

A knock at the door caused Caleste to look up, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, mother,” Graden’s quiet voice came muffled through the wooden door.

“Come in,” Caleste said. Edrahn let go of her wife and Caleste was sad to lose the warmth and comfort she had given her.

Graden stepped into the bedroom, hesitant, “There’s a messenger who wishes to hold an audience with you.”

“At this hour?” Caleste asked as she rose from her bed, “They can wait for morning.”

Graden swallowed and steeled himself, “This can’t wait, mother. It appears to be an extremely urgent matter.”

__

Chapter 5 | Chapter 7

[thegeminisage]

ok im playing more zelda!! i feel awful this is literally all i can do rn

you know i miss the match over bell from botw. it was so good

FAIRIES IN THIS CAVE...thank god

i fucking hate this place btw. rauru's settlement or whatever. i hate bottomless bogs

i guess in regards to gameplay it's not that different than lava - more forgiving, even! lava kills you instantly and sometimes you can fight your way out of a bog! - but it FEELS worse. it's uglier for one thing

i'm really close to the lost woods so i'm gonna see if i can navigate it without a torch! since i can see the wind blowing. i have so many korok seeds to trade in lol

took me one false start but i made it! i just had to walk veeery slowly lol

MAXED OUT my weapon storage already. damn.

going to check out a tiny chasm i've been eyeballing forever. i deserve a break

i used to feel so nervous being this close to hyrule castle in botw...the hills between it and the lost woods...it's not as bad in totk although i am still hugging the water. i don't want the music to play lol

fucking korok seed i was supposed to get by starting a fire and using a pinecone to go straight up. it was raining. i had to make the most convoluted structure out of dead trees it took FOREVERRR

how exciting!! after awhile away from the depths i land right on top of a yiga camp AND i can see an easy lightroot from here. a gentle reintroduction

ooh, this book talks about lights that appear and then vanish....that's fucking spooky. i hope they dont mean hands lol

ive been wanting to try "hoverbikes" that ive heard about and theres some fans here, so

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OH THIS IS THE MOST FUN IVE EVER HAD. WOW

ok my bike died but for a test run that was NOT bad

this area is all explored except this one dark spot that i've just now lit up...i'll grab a few poes and go somewhere else

i'm gonna go to goron city and buy my stupid fire helmet. i swear if i don't kill that gleeok on lake hylia i'll die

oh! i found the goron brothers house! kabetta's diary...

uh oh, it's his marbled rock roast descent

ooh, i found the sidequest to get a boulder breaker!!

where tf do i get a cobble crusher these days i wonder...

god i forgot how fun minecarts are. i saw one of the oldstyle ones on my way by...

kilton's balloon! or um. whoever he is lol <3 i have TOOOONS of gems to trade

it's not the same here without the lava, but at least there's lava in the caves...

these mine cart tracks were RIDICLOUS. i got SO STUCK lol

i see dinraAl but im too close to the ground 😭

OOOOHHHHH maybe i can use a hoverbike.....i gotta finish this fight first lol

GOT A COBBLE CRUSHER.....oh man i almost LEFT these guys to go chase dinraal!!!

ok ok gotta hurry

so, this bike doesn't control as well as i';'d like...maybe i need practice...and of course i wish it was faster...but it's still REALLY cool

my battery keeps dying/my bike keeps falling :( i give up

ugh i have so much anxiety about dragon parts.

VAH RUDANIA HELM??????? HELLOOOOOO

oh my god...i didnt even have this in botw, i dont have the amiibo card....................

aw i found some monster forces guys. of COURSE im gonna help them

OH we still get the bell after monster forces battles...good

NO FUCK AND THEY JUST LEFT. AND THERE'S ABOUT TO BE A BLOOD MOON LOL

i didnt get all my loot yet!! no one to help me when they come back!! im gonna die!!!

im not leaving w/o my Loot. i'll just have to do it on my own. thank god i have muddlebuds

GEEZ i did it. double loot

i can see the edge of the map! that sort of thing always did fascinate me...some of the textures are warped here lol that's creepy

ok, i looked it up and apparently i made my hoverbike wrong. im gonna try again w proper instruction!!

ok, new bike got me up to the top of gut check rock...it still has too much forward momentum for me, but i've seen a couple of different designs i wanna experiment with when i have more fans (currently only have 2 left in inventory)

i miss the goron blood brothers :( i mean it's so depressing that there's nothing up here but a korok seed...

ANOTHER EVENTIDE SHRINE. FUCK ME SIDEWAYS i hate this bs!!!

ok fine that wasnt that bad. STILL

bike is LOTS harder to control with a korok on the back. i like of like the counterweight though to help with too much momentum...

the bike lists to one side! i definitely just need to improve my fan placement

woke up the horse god. JUST as unsettling as i remember.

omg the yiga hideouts REFILL after long enough. rip!

decided to fight the pirates while i was here. "monster forces"...hope i'm not supposed to be teaming up with anyone for this lol

i accidentally hit my bike during combat and it went over the side of the boat 😭 i can make another and i was gonna fast travel after this anyway but STILL......

AUGH it's dinraal again and once again i can't chase her...i know how to do the bike now but i don't have it and also i'm busy!!!!! ugh

248 korok seeds!! officially time for bed - when i started today i was somewhere in the mid 100s lol

i thought i wouldn't play enough tonight to need to make multiple posts but i guess i should have broken this one up, huh? whoops!

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This is interesting- a little castle house for $225K in Canaan, New Hampshire. The interesting thing is that it was originally built as a medieval reenactment structure and has been converted to a home. (You can’t get a conventional mortgage though, b/c I guess it wasn’t built to code.)

The current owners don’t have it decorated up to its potential, but looking at the details, it can be very cool for the price. It’s a bargain castle. 

It has a fireplace in the living room.

The mini castle has nice medieval doors.

Cute details like windows with iron bars.

Not sure if the doors to the kitchen slide.

The kitchen has open shelving and is very basic, but it can be fixed up.

Nice simulated stone hallway.

There are 2 small bedrooms. 

And, it has 1.5 baths.

Down in the basement is a wood burning stove and a fireplace.

Plus another small bedroom.

Small family room, too. 

Look at how cute it is, b/c it was a reenactment site, it’s like a big playhouse. These 5 outbuildings can be used for shop space, horses, or storage.

And, since the grounds were used for Medieval reenactments, like wars and stuff, it comes with 8 acres of land, no neighbors around, and abuts conservation land. The land is on a flood plain, but the house is built on a hill, so it hasn’t flooded.

https://www.redfin.com/NH/Canaan/26-Lashua-Rd-03741/home/88061690

[luckynatured]

Ducking into a storage room wasn't exactly how Hilbert intended to spend the evening...but with everything going on right now he didn't really see any other option. Things were chaotic in the tavern; so many adventurers and mages were there, along with the occasional noble stopping by on the way to the ball.

Hilbert looked outside the window; as it happened, this place had a really good view of the castle. He knew the princess' birthday was something to celebrate, but that didn't mean he couldn't find the night a little overwhelming.

“Hill Bird, you okay?”

Hilbert heard the door open, followed by a series of soft thumps. The latter sound only meant one thing, and he turned to see that Carmen had decided to check on him.

Carmen was an unusual creature, in the sense that she was a sentient cactus. One day a traveling mage had given the proprietor of the tavern (Hilbert's mother) a cactus bulb as payment for the tavern’s hospitality. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the bulb was magical, but nobody had imagined that the cactus would gain sentience and be able to move on its own. Years had passed since that revelation, and Carmen had since become part of the family.

“I’m fine, Carmen,” Hilbert answered, reaching over to carefully pat her head. He was more than used to getting pricked at this point. “I just needed some space. It’s a busy night, you know?”

“That makes sense,” Carmen said, hoisting herself up to sit on a nearby box. She looked outside the window. “There’s a fancy party going on in that castle, right? That’s probably why things are so busy here. That way, everyone gets to have some fun!”

“Everyone except for the people working in taverns,” Hilbert sighed. “I can’t guarantee I won’t start a brawl if I have to deal with one more entitled adventurer.”

He then looked out the window again. Whatever was going on over there, it had to be leagues better than the chaos happening here.

“You ever wonder what it’s like over there?” Hilbert questioned.

“Um, of course?" Carmen responded. “Mz. Molly says that castles are way too fancy, but she’s the only one of us that’s actually been in one.”

“Right?” Hilbert looked up at the ceiling. A few moments of silence passed before he spoke up again.

“This is probably childish - and don’t you dare mock me for this,” he said, “but I kinda wish I could somehow sneak in there. Just so I could see what the place is like, even if it’s for one night.”

Now, the thing about wishes like this (in this world, at least) is that one can never know when they would be heard, let alone if some kind of powerful entity was listening. And even then, one can never know if said entity would be willing to grant that wish.

In this case, that’s exactly what happened. Hilbert wouldn’t know his benefactor’s identity for a while, but in that moment one could see a bright flash within the box that Carmen was seated on. She pushed herself off as if she had been set aflame, nearly falling to the floor with a shout. When the sudden light dissipated, Hilbert opened it to find what had to be the fanciest clothing he had ever seen.

“What the hell?” he breathed, as he smoothed his thumb over the green fabric. It was definitely fancy - nothing he ever wore had the same texture as this. “This wasn’t there the whole time, was it?”

“I don’t think so,” Carmen answered, completely awestruck. “We’d know if Mz. Molly had something like this in storage already, wouldn’t we?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Suddenly, Hilbert had an idea. He took off his shirt and tried the fancy shirt on. He cursed as he tried to fasten the buttons properly. It was fortunate that there happened to be a mirror there - that way he could check himself out without having to worry about getting caught. “This is a perfect fit.”

“What?! No!” Carmen gasped. “Is there anything else in there?!”

Hilbert looked and was amazed to find a matching pair of pants and black boots. There was also a traveling cloak (dark green, with rose gold details). Almost immediately, he got to work in trying them on.

“Did someone hear my wish?” Hilbert gasped, once he managed to get the full outfit together. “That’s the only explanation. What the hell.”

“Are you actually gonna be able to go to the ball with that outfit?!” Carmen’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “That’s so cool! I wanna come!”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Hilbert reminded her. “You’re kinda famous in your own right, remember?”

“Oh yeah…” Carmen pouted. “But I still don’t want you to go alone. What happens if you get caught?”

“Ah…” Hilbert hadn’t thought of that. There would probably be pretty dire consequences for him if he were to get caught…even if his intentions were harmless. But he couldn’t let Carmen know about that! “I’ll be fine. I’ll bring Michelle with me. You know how tough she is, right?”

Michelle is the name that Hilbert gave to his familiar - a spunky Oshawott with a penchant for mischief. If anyone would be able to distract the guards long enough for Hilbert to slip in and out, it would be her. She could also put up a really good fight if the chips were down.

“Okay,” Carmen conceded. “Let me know what happens, okay?! You gotta tell me everything!”

Hilbert nodded, as he called for Michelle and made his preparations. There was a lot he needed to do in the next hour, after all.

[xplrvibes]

I’m curious, what are your personal top snc ghost hunting videos?

Oh man.

Personally, I have to sort of split them into a few groups: favorites in terms of good paranormal evidence, and favorites in terms of pure vibes. (These are in no particular order)

Paranormal:

Villisca Axe Murder House: To me, this was one of their best videos in terms of evidence, the way they told the story, the creep factor, everything they got, the way they carried themselves...it doesn't get spoken about often, as it got completely overshadowed by Sallie House a week later, but I really enjoyed it.

The first Conjuring: this is the only one that made me feel uneasy. The vibes in this one were so heavy, the anxiety was practically oozing through the screen, the evidence was awesome...there's a reason this one will eventually be their highest watched video. It deserves that spot.

Waverly Hills: super spooky, super long, lots of great evidence.

Mizpah: Another one that doesn't get talked about a lot, but I liked it because it wasn't super over the top like some of their other ones. I also liked some of the evidence that got caught, but I really enjoyed Colby getting high off a ghost girl's energy lol.

Wilson Castle: remember Wilson Castle? That was a great one! Lots of fun spooky happenings in that one, and our introduction to Dylan and Steve.

For the vibes:

The second Biltmore: the trap boys before it all fell apart. The trap boys before them being in paranormal videos together got stale as shit. This is one of the few from 2019 that I personally feel is still fun to watch.

The Jersey Devil: they were on one when they made this one, and I was weirdly entertained by this. I can't explain why, anymore than anyone else can. It was just fun to watch them be idiots in the woods (without the kind of idiocy that Witches Forest turned into).

Hotel Del Coronado: this one made me feel like I was high as a kite. The walls, man...

SNC play a haunted card game on the Queen Mary: this might actually be on Sam's channel, not snc's, but I always liked this video because of the vibe they created, hiding in their little storage closet playing a psychic card game. That stuff just intrigues me, idk. It was so simple, but kind of fun.

The Queen Anne: they had just given up 25x25 and went back into ghost hunting. They had all their shit stolen and were driving around in a rental car with a smashed out rear windshield. Colby had no clothes or laptop, they only had their shitty backup camera and no light or sound equipment to work with. It was super rudimentary, and probably shouldn't have worked...but it did. The worst situations, sometimes make the best videos.

There's probably more I could say, but those are definitely my tops!

[azvolrien]

The Bastion

Haven't uploaded any drawings in a while, have I? This one's been at the back of my mind for a while, but I only just got around to getting it on the page. I like drawing fantasy maps. The colours are just for labelling purposes, however; the whole castle is really more of a dark grey.

Any resemblance to Edinburgh Castle is... probably not 100% unintentional. The Bastion's quite a bit bigger, though.

And now, further worldbuilding background that wouldn’t fit on the drawing:

As the name ‘Kiraan’ stems from the Old Vallic term ‘Ki-Raan’, meaning something like ‘Raan’s Fort’, the entire empire is in a sense named after the castle. This doesn’t really occur to most people. (If Old Imperial = Latin, Old Vallic = Etruscan, though more in the sense of its historical niche than any actual vocab inspiration.)

The six gates are named after the sacred animals of Raan’s tribe and those of his closest allies. Raan was the chieftain of the Bear Tribe, hence the emblem in the corner; the Fox, Stag, Boar, Eagle and Aurochs Tribes fought alongside him in his campaign to unite the Kargvallen hill peoples into a single nation. Their modern descendants make up the noble houses zeAkiro, zeKandron, zeYunar, zeMora and zeTharion, named after the Five Warlords who led the tribes in Raan’s day.

Points 1 to 3 - The Bastion makes more use of constructs than flesh-and-blood beasts of burden in the modern day and part of the stables is used for storing them, but it does still house a few actual horses. Emperor Zarannon loves horses - his favourite steed is a massive Shire-type beast called Starlight Obsidian II - and wouldn’t hear of getting rid of them outright. He’s made sure all of his kids are proficient riders as well.

Point 4 - The River Tower. This is the lowest point of the Bastion, right down near the water level, and houses the great windlass that raises and lowers the river chain across the Stone. It’s usually left lowered and submerged near the river bed except for maintenance; there’s not much cause to block river traffic by Zar’s reign. The soldiers who operate the windlass are nicknamed the Chain Gang.

Point 5 - The Long Stair. A shortcut up to the Great Keep from the Stag Gate, though it’s very steep and not really wide enough for more than one person, so even most people in good shape prefer to take the long way around if they aren’t in any particular hurry.

Point 6 - Forges. The farrier’s workshop down by the stables takes care of the horseshoes, so these ones are dedicated to the rest of the metalworking the Bastion needs. Weapons maintenance is a big chunk of it, but they take care of other odd jobs as well.

Point 7 - The Lesser Keep. The overall headquarters of the Imperial Legions; as well as various meeting rooms, it houses a military archive and living quarters both for visiting officers - Legion legates are expected to deliver updates to the Emperor in person, though the frequency of these updates can vary widely - and the Bastion’s company of archers.

Point 8 - The river jetty. Supplies brought in by water will generally be landed here. Originally there was no choice other than to carry everything up the steep zigzag path from the water to the top of the crag, but a little funicular was installed during the reign of Zar’s father Kaial.

Point 9 - Baths. The fancier living quarters up in the Great Keep have en-suite bathing facilities, but everyone else in the Bastion has to use these. They’re pretty nice, but not big enough for everyone at once, so there’s a rota.

Point 10 - The Well. Not actually a well, though it is built on the site of an old storage cistern. It’s just the nickname for the pumping and filtration station that provides the Bastion’s water supply, bringing water up from the river below and treating it so it’s safe to drink. They haven’t worked out steam power, however, so the pump is driven by a construct walking on a wheel.

Point 11 - Training yard. Self-explanatory, really; the god-soldiers of the Bastion Guard carry out their practice drills here, as well as self-defence training for the Imperial family and other Bastion denizens.

Point 12 - Temple. Also fairly self-explanatory. The Emperor and his family attend the great temples on the Crag of the Triad across the river to the north during major festivals, but for more everyday rituals they’ll use this little one. It’s basically a household shrine on a larger scale.

Point 13 - Garden. This used to be a kitchen garden, but as the Bastion grew over the centuries it just couldn’t keep up with the bigger population. The kitchen staff do still grow a few fresh herbs and fruits in it, but it’s mostly just a place to relax and enjoy the view. The bulk of the Bastion’s food supply is shipped in from farms outside the city.

Point 14 - The Court of Claws. The Imperial Chronicles suggest that it was Emperor Adimar II who started the tradition of keeping bears in the Bastion, about a thousand years after Raan’s day, and successive Emperors have kept it up. They used to just be in cages, but Zar’s great-grandfather Zarannon III was a bit of an animal-lover and had the Court of Claws turned into something more like a proper zoo habitat. The current inhabitant is a very large and contented male called Misha. Strictly speaking he is a sacred emblem of the Empire, symbolising the strength of Raan’s bloodline and the favour of the war god Voynazh, but Zar thinks of him as more of a pet. Really, he’s too tame and lazy to be a good symbol of a war god.

Point 15 - The Great Keep. The highest, biggest, and most heavily-fortified part of the Bastion. The name is fitting, because the Great Keep is huge, and quite easy to get lost in if you don’t know your way around. The upper levels house the apartments for the Imperial family as well as guest rooms for important visitors; the lower levels, some of which are dug right into the living rock, house assorted stores (and lots of them!), the kitchens, the furnace, servants’ quarters, the god-soldiers’ barracks, and basically everything else you need to keep an enormous castle running smoothly. It also has an extensive library and archive for the Imperial Chronicles. The central courtyard is more for extra light and ventilation than anything else. The entrance hall immediately behind the Bear Gate doubles as the throne room, but it’s rather draughty and uncomfortable, so Zar prefers to rule from his office upstairs unless he really needs to put on the Official Emperor Hat for some state occasion.

There’s a saying that one can see the entirety of the Empire from the towers of the Bastion. This is, of course, a poetic exaggeration, but they do give you a great view over most of the Imperial City.