#THIS EVENT IS REVITALIZING ME IMMENSELY | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

omegawizardposting · 5 years ago

Photo

God, PLEASE full view, this basicass map took me three hours, I am NOT a cartographer!

Anyway, I’ll be posting this on my art blog too, but I wanted to share it with y’all, because I’ve been thinking about this setting for a few days now. Technically, my idea for it started, God, years, probably over a decade ago, but I never gave it much thought beyond, “I’d like to do that.”

This is Animalia, a continent divided into fifteen regions (sixteen if you count the Spire as its own region), each ruled by a separate species or Order of (humanized) animal. The stars are each region’s capital, excluding the Burrows and the Chrysalis, which have none.

More under the cut!

The regions are as follows--

The Crown of the World: The cold, mountainous home of the birdfolk. Ruled by Aurelian, whose golden feathers are said to be holy, the birdfolk are reclusive, and guard their borders zealously. Though not an isolationist region, they are picky about who they ally themselves with. Due to their skill at aerial combat, few dare to cross them.

The Spire: Little is known about Animalia’s highest peak, save that the dragons have long sequestered themselves there in study and reverence to the gods. The Spire and its residents are protected by the birdfolk, who view dragons as the next logical step in their evolution, and thus, godlike themselves.

Newpaw: Coming down from the mountains, one finds themselves in the dry, hilly region of Newpaw, home to the catfolk. The catfolk are the fastest of all Orders, as their environment is largely open tundra, and so requires great speed to cross safely. They were once ruled by the lions of Goldpaw, but when the previous dynasty began to cruelly cull their numbers for fear of an uprising, they were able to escape to the western coast.

Lotus Spring: This region extends far into the sea, but is named for its coastal springs, which are purported to possess divine powers of healing. The most famous, and populous, of these springs is Lotus Spring, where the fishfolk, known as mer, gather in large numbers to celebrate important events, such as the changing of the seasons. The mer are a friendly Order, but their largely aquatic lifestyle lends little to socialization with their land-bound neighbors.

Ginseng Jungle: Named for its abundance of medicinal flora, Ginseng Jungle is home to the primates, the Order closest to nature. With open, easygoing dispositions, the primates involve themselves freely with any who seek friendship. However, those who instead seek enmity will find that even pacifists can only be pushed so far. Their main exports are medicines, as well as rare cuisine that can be found nowhere else on the Continent.

The Burrows: As one travels east, the tundras of Newpaw climb to windy highlands, where the rabbitfolk carve out their immense warrens. They are beholden to no singular leader, and so possess no capital, but all warrens obey a code of conduct known as Burrows Law. Those who do not are quickly stamped out and taken over by other warrens. It may seem unkind, but the rabbitfolk have been able to live comfortable, peaceful lives because of it.

Timberfell: Further east still, the highlands gradually give way to coniferous forests, and to the north, vast tracks of frozen tundra. This is a regions ruled by canines. Most are nomads, living off the land by following herds of caribou along known migration routes; as such, permanent settlements are rare, with Timberfell’s capital being the largest. The canines have historically served as a neutral party to conflict, but when pushed, will almost always side with the underdog.

The Meadowlands: A variety of ungulates call this seemingly endless stretch of temperate grassland home, but none are so populous as the centaurs. Powerful and highly intelligent, they have protected the Meadowlands for centuries without fail, and view any attempted passage through them a crime punishable by enslavement. Travelers may request passage at one of several border outposts, to be granted or denied as the centaurs see fit. (Understandably, they aren’t a very popular bunch.)

Honeygrove: This serene stretch of autumnal woodland and golden grasslands is home to the gentle deerfolk. Due to their crippling shyness, not much is known about their society or its inner workings, and even those rare few who travel beyond the Grove guard their people’s secrets with frantic fervor.

Goldpaw: An expansive savanna, flat and sun-baked. Ruled for centuries by a tyrannical royal dynasty, the lions of Goldpaw have recently chosen a new leader, a maneless male whose progressive ideas have revitalized both the region and its people. His hope is that Goldpaw and Newpaw may one day be at peace, but lions are a haughty species, and it will take more than a desire for equality to sway them. Expectedly, the lions have historically been Animalia’s most warlike species, their conquest halted only by the strength of the centaurs, the great numbers of the canines, and the harshness of Rot Hollow.

Rot Hollow: Known by all as a badland of disease and famine, Rot Hollow is home almost exclusively to rats, whose hardy natures and clever minds serve them well in an otherwise uninhabitable region. Rats are born scavengers, as well as skilled craftsman, and so have been able to build sprawling cities out of almost nothing. Much of their society, like the rabbitfolk, has been moved underground, to provide shelter from the scorching sun.

Dewdrop Down: Founded as a refuge for softer, less sturdy rodents. Guinea pigs and hamsters comprise the largest part of its population, but you will also find mice, squirrels, gophers, and even mustelids among them. The region is characterized by its mild climate and abundance of resources.

The Ashen Waste: Marred by near-constant volcanic activity, this region is home to the cold-blooded reptiles, who migrated east long ago in search of warmer climes. They are known as sly salesmen and great lovers of mischief, and are not particularly fond of living in large groups. Their capital exists solely because it is a prime nesting location, on the slopes of the Waste’s largest and most active volcano, and so reptiles flock there in the breeding season.

The Webwound: A bleak region of dead forests and ash deserts. Spiders rule this land, though to call their habitation of it a rulership may be inaccurate. Like their neighbors in the Waste, spiders care little for the building of societies, preferring solitary existences. Those that have grouped together in the capital prey upon the weak, and fight amongst each other daily to gain greater standing. A warning: they aren’t picky about what they eat, so travel through the region is ill-advised.

Darknest: Almost nothing is known of Darknest or its residents, save that it is home to the foxes, Animalia’s most fearsome thieves and assassins. Darknest is a black, tangled wood so dense with thorny brambles and thick fog that only those native to it can safely traverse its depths.

The Chrysalis: An isolationist society of winged canines, thought to have been blessed with magic by the fae as thanks for their loyalty. All that is known of them is that they are talented magic-workers, as their island is shrouded in an enchanted mist that wards against intrusion.

#zach's ocs #please #feel free to ask me world-building questions

14 notes · View notes

entamewitchlulu · 5 years ago

Text

Lulu’s Flash Reviews [Winter 2020]

Been a while since I posted one of these! I posted these to my twitter earlier but I figured I could put them here too. And if you will excuse the plug, consider checking out my side Twitter I use specifically for livetweeting anime, @/LulusLivetweets!

And w/o further ado, I have some thoughts about anime under the cut!

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

Eizouken was an absolutely INCREDIBLE little show. I hadn't initially planned on watching it, but I'm so glad I did. The main cast is so strong and their personalities mesh and bounce into perfect, hilarious dynamics - and the core themes about creativity and how to make anime wrt all the work that REALLY goes into it were so much fun to watch play out. Everytime Kanamori went off on her own plans, I was hooked! Everytime Asakusa and Mizusaki started playing some imagination game, I got emotional, because that was me in high school!

And of course, the animation was spot on; the way you watched them physically build their "greatest world" through sketchy environments and voice acted sound effects, it was immersive and inspiring. An instant classic imo!

Overall: 10/10

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun was one that was on my radar from the beginning due to the voice talent of Megumi Ogata playing the titular character. But her excellent va work wasn't the only awesome thing about it! the animation was absolutely gorgeous, using a very unique style visually and cinematically. i really loved the way they decided to design each episode's mood and tone and the creative framing techniques. the characters were all quite fun, complex, and endearing, and there was just enough mystery to really keep you hooked. and i'm a sucker for that rumors-create-reality plot! the only minus i can give this is that Nene's obsession with boys started to wear on me lol

Overall: 9/10

Asteroid in Love

A slow-paced slice of life, but still overall enjoyable! There was little substance and any time it edged on real conflict it hurriedly pulled back, but that was ok because we all knew we were here for cute girls being cute without any more depth. The relationship between Ao and Mira was sweet and lovely, and the quirks of the other characters never became so overwhelming that it got annoying, even the tsundere-types. And I learned a little bit about space! Bonus points! overall, it was a sweet and welcome escape to simply slip into a story without conflict, where you could simply sit back and smile as you watched these sweet girls pursue their deeply held dreams, no matter what might stand in their way.

Overall: 7/10

In/Spectre

For my thoughts on In/Spectre....well...I finished it? There are elements to this series that I found interesting enough to continue til the end. This one also taps into the Rumors-Become-Reality trope that I love, but unlike Hanako-kun it...leaves character to the wayside. The animation is pretty solid, sound design is good, character designs are pretty decent if a little unmemorable, but...for most of this show it's talking heads. They talk in circles and weave stories in a way that just...doesn't do the visual medium justice.

and the characters are just...boring. I never bought into what was meant to be the main romantic subplot. Iwanaga is extremely annoying when she's not devising Sherlock-esque concepts. rather than develop the characters and their relationships, they devoted 90% of screentime to watching Iwanaga come up with ridiculous fictions in Sherlock-esque fashions, as though just to show off how clever the show is rather than let me become invested in the characters. if there's ever a season 2, i don't think i have the emotional investment to look into it.

Overall: 6/10

Natsunagu

Natsunagu isn't really a traditional anime per say, it's a series of shorts developed for a revitalization effort after the Kumamoto earthquake, I believe. Each episode is only 3 minutes long, so the story isn't particularly fleshed out, but for what it was, it was rather sweet. The story of a girl trying to find her online friend after their usual message service is shut down and meeting the people of a place still in recovery was I think written with exactly as much sensitivity as it needed to for the story and the people it was telling it for.

Overall: 6/10

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record

Magia Record blew every expectation I had out of the fucking water. It was absolutely fucking incredible. Building expertly off of the foundation laid by the original Madoka, in some respects it absolutely overshadowed it. The aesthetic and atmosphere hit every fucking note perfectly. Without having to worry about building up uncertainty the way the original did, MR was able to barrel straight into the uncanny valley, where you already know that something is wrong but you have no idea how MUCH.

yet another Rumor-Creates-Reality show (seriously this is a theme here), the Rumors on display here are markedly more hostile, and built with all of the eerie charm of Madoka's signature surreality. Characters are not left to the wayside, either. For the number of cast members they introduce and the old ones they bring back, it somehow manages to balance all of them, give most of them arcs and depth, and invest you into all of them in a very short span of time.

I'm still shivering with just how intense every bit of it was. I want to rewatch it already. I'm already pounding my fists on the table for season 2! The original Madoka was and still is a favorite of mine, but this spin off avoided every pitfall I could have thought of creating something that both wove intricately into its source material while creating something brand new at the same time. Even knowing that these events will retroactively be undone with the events of Madoka, I still care immensely, and that's a major feat. cannot wait for s2!

overall: 10/10

And before I sign off on this, I also wanted to share my own personal awards for Winter 2020′s season!

Best Girl

4. Iroha Tamaki (Magia Record)

3. Hinata Hiramitsu (Healin’ Good Precure)

2. Midori Asakusa (Eizouken)

1. Sayaka Kanamori (Eizouken)

For Best Girl, the ultimate award goes toooo.....Kanamori from Eizouken! An atypical character in both personality and design, she is always an immense amount of fun every time she's on screen. Honorable mentions go to Asakusa, Hinata, and Iroha!

Best Boy

2. Daruizen (Healin’ Good Precure)

1. Hanako-kun (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

For Best Boy of Winter 2020, the award goes toooo.....Hanako-kun! Simultaneously a little shit AND in need of a hug, Hanako balances that shitlord side of himself with his moments of vulnerability in a super endearing way. Honorable mention to Daruizen because I'm me.

Best Couple

3. Iroha/Nanami (Magia Record)

2. Hanako/Nene (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

1. Mira/Ao (Asteroid in Love)

the award for Best Couple goes tooo....Mira/Ao! This sweet pair not only have devoted their lives to their shared dream, but they've also moved in together, spent long nights stargazing, and chased each other across the country! Honorable mentions to Iroha/Yachiyo and Hanako/Nene

Best OP: Easy Breezy by Chelmico (Eizouken)

This OP is just so much fun to watch, and the song is fun to listen to on its own!

Best ED: Aletheia by ClariS (Magia Record)

Best ED goes tooo....Aletheia by ClariS! It's beautifully animated, and one of the few EDs I actually liked listening to all the way through the end. Plus, ClariS is always good!

Best Music: Magia Record

Best Music Award goes to Magia Record! Yuki Kajiura is ALWAYS a treat to listen to, as always. And a secondary mention to Healin Good! The theme that plays during the main attack is really good and reminds me of You Say Run a little.

Best Animation: Magia Record

Best Animation also goes to Magia Record! Madoka properties really know how to meld unique styles of animation, and to get the most out of every frame. A special shoutout to the design of Hanako-kun and the creativity of Eizouken, though!

Best Overall:

And finally, for Best Overall...I actually have to give it a tie;;;; Eizouken + Magia Record were both incredible , for extremely different reasons - but their combined unique animation styles, attention to aesthetic/theme, and overall stellar performance were a joy this season!

And that’s enough of me talking! Looking forward to Spring 2020′s season, lot of good stuff coming up! Did anyone watch anything this season that I didn’t talk about that you highly recommend?

#lulu's flash reviews #gif warning below cut

1 note · View note

vocaloidcomments · 5 years ago

Text

In the early light of a May dawn this is what the living room of my apartment looks like: Over the white marble and granite gas-log fireplace hangs an original David Onica. It’s a six-foot-by-four-foot portrait of a naked woman, mostly done in muted grays and olives, sitting on a chaise longue watching MTV, the backdrop a Martian landscape, a gleaming mauve desert scattered with dead, gutted fish, smashed plates rising like a sunburst above the woman’s yellow head, and the whole thing is framed in black aluminum steel. The painting overlooks a long white down-filled sofa and a thirty-inch digital TV set from Toshiba; it’s a high-contrast highly defined model plus it has a four-corner video stand with a high-tech tube combination from NEC with a picture-in-picture digital effects system (plus freeze-frame); the audio includes built-in MTS and a five-watt-per-channel on-board amp. A Toshiba VCR sits in a glass case beneath the TV set; it’s a super-high-band Beta unit and has built-in editing function including a character generator with eight-page memory, a high-band record and playback, and three-week, eight-event timer. A hurricane halogen lamp is placed in each corner of the living room. Thin white Venetian blinds cover all eight floor-to-ceiling windows. A glass-top coffee table with oak legs by Turchin sits in front of the sofa, with Steuben glass animals placed strategically around expensive crystal ashtrays from Fortunoff, though I don’t smoke. Next to the Wurlitzer jukebox is a black ebony Baldwin concert grand piano. A polished white oak floor runs throughout the apartment. On the other side of the room, next to a desk and a magazine rack by Gio Ponti, is a complete stereo system (CD player, tape deck, tuner, amplifier) by Sansui with six-foot Duntech Sovereign 2001 speakers in Brazilian rosewood. A down-filled futon lies on an oakwood frame in the center of the bedroom. Against the wall is a Panasonic thirty-one-inch set with a direct-view screen and stereo sound and beneath it in a glass case is a Toshiba VCR. I’m not sure if the time on the Sony digital alarm clock is correct so I have to sit up then look down at the time flashing on and off on the VCR, then pick up the Ettore Sottsass push-button phone that rests on the steel and glass nightstand next to the bed and dial the time number. A cream leather, steel and wood chair designed by Eric Marcus is in one corner of the room, a molded plywood chair in the other. A black-dotted beige and white Maud Sienna carpet covers most of the floor. One wall is hidden by four chests of immense bleached mahogany drawers. In bed I’m wearing Ralph Lauren silk pajamas and when I get up I slip on a paisley ancient madder robe and walk to the bathroom. I urinate while trying to make out the puffiness of my reflection in the glass that encases a baseball poster hung above the toilet. After I change into Ralph Lauren monogrammed boxer shorts and a Fair Isle sweater and slide into silk polka-dot Enrico Hidolin slippers I tie a plastic ice pack around my face and commence with the morning’s stretching exercises. Afterwards I stand in front of a chrome and acrylic Washmobile bathroom sink—with soap dish, cup holder, and railings that serve as towel bars, which I bought at Hastings Tile to use while the marble sinks I ordered from Finland are being sanded—and stare at my reflection with the ice pack still on. I pour some Plax antiplaque formula into a stainless-steel tumbler and swish it around my mouth for thirty seconds. Then I squeeze Rembrandt onto a faux-tortoise-shell toothbrush and start brushing my teeth (too hung over to floss properly—but maybe I flossed before bed last night?) and rinse with Listerine. Then I inspect my hands and use a nailbrush. I take the ice-pack mask off and use a deep-pore cleanser lotion, then an herb-mint facial masque which I leave on for ten minutes while I check my toenails. Then I use the Probright tooth polisher and next the Interplak tooth polisher (this in addition to the toothbrush) which has a speed of 4200 rpm and reverses direction forty-six times per second; the larger tufts clean between teeth and massage the gums while the short ones scrub the tooth surfaces. I rinse again, with Cepacol. I wash the facial massage off with a spearmint face scrub. The shower has a universal all-directional shower head that adjusts within a thirty-inch vertical range. It’s made from Australian gold-black brass and covered with a white enamel finish. In the shower I use first a water-activated gel cleanser, then a honey-almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Vidal Sassoon shampoo is especially good at getting rid of the coating of dried perspiration, salts, oils, airborne pollutants and dirt that can weigh down hair and flatten it to the scalp which can make you look older. The conditioner is also good—silicone technology permits conditioning benefits without weighing down the hair which can also make you look older. On weekends or before a date I prefer to use the Greune Natural Revitalizing Shampoo, the conditioner and the Nutrient Complex. These are formulas that contain D-panthenol, a vitamin-B-complex factor; polysorbate 80, a cleansing agent for the scalp; and natural herbs. Over the weekend I plan to go to Bloomingdale’s or Bergdorf’s and on Evelyn’s advice pick up a Foltene European Supplement and Shampoo for thinning hair which contains complex carbohydrates that penetrate the hair shafts for improved strength and shine. Also the Vivagen Hair Enrichment Treatment, a new Redken product that prevents mineral deposits and prolongs the life cycle of hair. Luis Carruthers recommended the Aramis Nutriplexx system, a nutrient complex that helps increase circulation. Once out of the shower and toweled dry I put the Ralph Lauren boxers back on and before applying the Mousse A Raiser, a shaving cream by Pour Hommes, I press a hot towel against my face for two minutes to soften abrasive beard hair. Then I always slather on a moisturizer (to my taste, Clinique) and let it soak in for a minute. You can rinse it off or keep it on and apply a shaving cream over it—preferably with a brush, which softens the beard as it lifts the whiskers—which I’ve found makes removing the hair easier. It also helps prevent water from evaporating and reduces friction between your skin and the blade. Always wet the razor with warm water before shaving and shave in the direction the beard grows, pressing gently on the skin. Leave the sideburns and chin for last, since these whiskers are tougher and need more time to soften. Rinse the razor and shake off any excess water before starting. Afterwards splash cool water on the face to remove any trace of lather. You should use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol. Never use cologne on your face, since the high alcohol content dries your face out and makes you look older. One should use an alcohol-free antibacterial toner with a water-moistened cotton ball to normalize the skin. Applying a moisturizer is the final step. Splash on water before applying an emollient lotion to soften the skin and seal in the moisture. Next apply Gel Appaisant, also made by Pour Hommes, which is an excellent, soothing skin lotion. If the face seems dry and flaky—which makes it look dull and older—use a clarifying lotion that removes flakes and uncovers fine skin (it can also make your tan look darker). Then apply an anti-aging eye balm (Baume Des Yeux) followed by a final moisturizing “protective” lotion. A scalp-programming lotion is used after I towel my hair dry. I also lightly blow-dry the hair to give it body and control (but without stickiness) and then add more of the lotion, shaping it with a Kent natural-bristle brush, and finally slick it back with a wide-tooth comb. I pull the Fair Isle sweater back on and reslip my feet into the polka-dot silk slippers, then head into the living room and put the new Talking Heads in the CD player, but it starts to digitally skip so I take it out and put in a CD laser lens cleaner. The laser lens is very sensitive, and subject to interference from dust or dirt or smoke or pollutants or moisture, and a dirty one can inaccurately read CDs, making for false starts, inaudible passages, digital skipping, speed changes and general distortion; the lens cleaner has a cleaning brush that automatically aligns with the lens then the disk spins to remove residue and particles. When I put the Talking Heads CD back in it plays smoothly. I retrieve the copy of USA Today that lies in front of my door in the hallway and bring it with me into the kitchen where I take two Advil, a multivitamin and a potassium tablet, washing them down with a large bottle of Evian water since the maid, an elderly Chinese woman, forgot to turn the dishwasher on when she left yesterday, and then I have to pour the grapefruit-lemon juice into a St. Remy wineglass I got from Baccarat. I check the neon clock that hangs over the refrigerator to make sure I have enough time to eat breakfast unhurriedly. Standing at the island in the kitchen I eat kiwifruit and a sliced Japanese apple-pear (they cost four dollars each at Gristede’s) out of aluminum storage boxes that were designed in West Germany. I take a bran muffin, a decaffeinated herbal tea bag and a box of oat-bran cereal from one of the large glass-front cabinets that make up most of an entire wall in the kitchen; complete with stainless-steel shelves and sandblasted wire glass, it is framed in a metallic dark gray-blue. I eat half of the bran muffin after it’s been microwaved and lightly covered with a small helping of apple butter. A bowl of oat-bran cereal with wheat germ and soy milk follows; another bottle of Evian water and a small cup of decaf tea after that. Next to the Panasonic bread baker and the Salton Pop-Up coffee maker is the Cremina sterling silver espresso maker (which is, oddly, still warm) that I got at Hammacher Schlemmer (the thermal-insulated stainless-steel espresso cup and the saucer and spoon are sitting by the sink, stained) and the Sharp Model R-1810A Carousel II microwave oven with revolving turntable which I use when I heat up the other half of the bran muffin. Next to the Salton Sonata toaster and the Cuisinart Little Pro food processor and the Acme Supreme Juicerator and the Cordially Yours liqueur maker stands the heavy-gauge stainless-steel two-and-one-half-quart teakettle, which whistles “Tea for Two” when the water is boiling, and with it I make another small cup of the decaffeinated apple-cinnamon tea. For what seems like a long time I stare at the Black & Decker Handy Knife that lies on the counter next to the sink, plugged into the wall: it’s a slicer/peeler with several attachments, a serrated blade, a scalloped blade and a rechargeable handle. The suit I wear today is from Alan Flusser. It’s an eighties drape suit, which is an updated version of the thirties style. The favored version has extended natural shoulders, a full chest and a bladed back. The soft-rolled lapels should be about four inches wide with the peak finishing three quarters of the way across the shoulders. Properly used on double-breasted suits, peaked lapels are considered more elegant than notched ones. Low-slung pockets have a flapped double-besom design—above the flap there’s a slit trimmed on either side with a flat narrow strip of cloth. Four buttons form a low-slung square; above it, about where the lapels cross, there are two more buttons. The trousers are deeply pleated and cut full in order to continue the flow of the wide jacket. An extended waist is cut slightly higher in the front. Tabs make the suspenders fit well at the center back. The tie is a dotted silk design by Valentino Couture. The shoes are crocodile loafers by A. Testoni. While I’m dressing the TV is kept on to The Patty Winters Show. Today’s guests are women with multiple personalities. A nondescript overweight older woman is on the screen and Patty’s voice is heard asking, “Well, is it schizophrenia or what’s the deal? Tell us.” “No, oh no. Multiple personalities are not schizophrenics,” the woman says, shaking her head. “We are not dangerous.” “Well,” Patty starts, standing in the middle of the audience, microphone in hand. “Who were you last month?” “Last month it seemed to be mostly Polly,” the woman says. A cut to the audience—a housewife’s worried face; before she notices herself on the monitor, it cuts back to the multiple-personality woman. “Well,” Patty continues, “now who are you?” “Well …,” the woman begins tiredly, as if she was sick of being asked this question, as if she had answered it over and over again and still no one believed it. “Well, this month I’m … Lambchop. Mostly … Lambchop.” A long pause. The camera cuts to a close-up of a stunned housewife shaking her head, another housewife whispering something to her. The shoes I’m wearing are crocodile loafers by A. Testoni. Grabbing my raincoat out of the closet in the entranceway I find a Burberry scarf and matching coat with a whale embroidered on it (something a little kid might wear) and it’s covered with what looks like dried chocolate syrup crisscrossed over the front, darkening the lapels. I take the elevator downstairs to the lobby, rewinding my Rolex by gently shaking my wrist. I say good morning to the doorman, step outside and hail a cab, heading downtown toward Wall Street.

5 notes · View notes

chille-tid-universe · 5 years ago

Text

Obligatory Beach Episode

The quiet night pulsed with evaporated tension, like blood rushing to the ears after a great exertion. Piles of dead orcs and devils offered an odd juxtaposition to the rejoicing and merriment around the clearing.The handful of villagers who had survived the ordeal seemed simply relieved, though perhaps shock offered a barrier to the gruesome scene around them. In the middle of the ritual site, the charred remains of family members, loved ones, and strangers still smoked.

Removed from the huddling villagers, heroes and adventurers were being introduced. Brienne accepted her heavy plate mail from Robyn and clasped her arm, nodding appreciatively as she slipped her ornate silver diadem over her temples. As the metal band settled onto her head, her eyes closed, and after a deep breath, her lids parted to reveal sharper eyes that peered into the world around her. “It’s good to be back,” the fighter mumbled, smiling at the half-elf. As the two leaders began pointing out their team members, the others mingled.

Nissa was dragging Pock over to Oskar, looking the dwarf up and down before commenting, “That’s a lot of big-folk you got with you. How do you stand them all?” Oskar guffawed good-naturedly and leaned in to confide, “Plenty of mead.” Pock merely nodded sagely, glancing about at the other newcomers. Isolde rode by on Icthuarrux, sniffing and saying something about the end times.

Nula and Uzza were being cornered by Wun Way. The bard had found a scrap of paper from somewhere in the pile of clothes returned to her, and was grilling the half-orc and tiefling for details on all the heroic adventures which had led them to this clearing. Her questions were interspersed with sly smiles at the tiefling cleric.

Idu and Charlot, the youngest of Robyn’s crew, were chatting with Ciri, discussing home, adventure, and basically anything to avoid bringing up the carnage surrounding them. They had each been through much in their journeys, but tonight was more than they could bear to think of, at least for now. Ciri was explaining to Charlot that, no, she didn’t have servants growing up, and, no, that didn’t mean she had been poor. The cleric was trying to wrap his head around this concept as Idu laughed by his side.

Before long, Pel’s curiosity overcame her shock, and she took hesitant steps toward the wonderfully clad individuals who had saved her. Nissa noticed her first, and hurried over to the young girl, taking her hands and gently guiding her away from the battleground. Though Pel was a small child, she was only barely shorter than the gnome. As Pel’s eyes continued to be drawn to the burning ritual circle behind her, Nissa reached into her pockets and pulled out the first thing she found. “Here, kid, would you like a…” She glanced at her palm. “... a gold button?” Pel’s eyes lit up at the sparkling item, how it twinkled in the firelight, and reached for it, mumbling her thanks.

Melpomene sauntered up to Brienne, interrupting Robyn mid-sentence. “So who’s the ranger?” the aasimar asked, head tilting to where Ravain was inspecting the fallen devils.

Brienne followed her gesture. “Who, Ravain? We must have mentioned him before. He helped us out immensely during our time in Orlane. I doubt we’d have been able to-”

Ravain appeared suddenly on the other side of Brienne, interrupting her. “Who is this?” he asked in gravelly tones, his cold eyes drilling into Melpomene’s laughing ones.

Brienne sighed. “This is Melpomene, an aasimar who we’ve been working with since we got to Daggerford.”

“And she can be trusted?” Ravain asked, eyes narrowing, seeming to peer through the beautiful veil around the woman.

Melpomene cut Brienne off. “Sugar, I can be whatever you want me to be.” Shadow solidified behind the aasimar, and faint outlines of skeletal wings flickered against the darkness. The fallen angel’s eyes became pools of dried blood, and her pale complexion darkened to an ashen grey. Ravain’s hand dropped to his pommels.

Brienne stepped between the two, placing a hand on either’s shoulder. “Melpomene, he’s with us. Don’t antagonize him.” She looked over to the scowling ranger. “I can vouch for her. She has risked her life for us several times.” Ravain made a face, but removed his hand from his sword as Melpomene returned to her still-enchanting but less-menacing form.

Robyn coughed, and winced as the ranger and bard shot her intense looks. “It’s been an incorrigible night, and I’m sure we could all use a good meal.” As their expressions softened, Robyn clapped her hands together. “Unfortunately, all you have is me! I do make a mean gestapo, though.”

Melpomene raised an eyebrow at Brienne, who started to ask something before Ravain lightly pressed his hand to her shoulder, barely shaking his head.

Just then, Isolde rode up to the four and asked, “So who owns the talking rock?”

Wun Way’s voice called out from behind, “It’s an egg!”

Ravain suggested the group of adventurers and survivors head back to the now-abandoned orc camp. There, Robyn made generous portions of stew using the more palatable ingredients from the orcish stores. With full bellies, even the shaken villagers began to converse, and before the group collapsed from exhaustion, color had returned to each ashen face.

Ravain returned from his stalking surveillance of the surrounding woods shortly after the survivors had taken to bed, reassuring the assembled adventurers that there were no threats left alive in the area. Brienne insisted that a watch be kept, and Robyn quickly echoed the sentiment. The previously imprisoned members of the group reluctantly admitted that a full rest would be quite beneficial, and several of the newcomers were assigned watches covering the remainder of the night. As the five settled onto beds of blankets (the more acceptable sleeping kits had been allocated for the villagers) Oskar could be heard grumbling about needing to keep watch, after missing the totality of the fighting.

The following morning, Brienne and her group were surprised to learn the orcs had brought them back in the direction of Daggerford; the camp they had awoken in was no more than a half-day’s journey from the city. As they ate a slow breakfast in the late morning, plans were discussed. Melpomene was certain the guard force of Daggerford would be willing to help escort the surviving members of the orcs’ prisoners back to their hamlets and villages. The rest of the group agreed, more for the simplicity of the plan than any other reason. Hell had been quite literally visited upon each person gathered there; some other do-gooders could stand to help see the end of the villagers’ stories.

Though breakfast ended before noon, the sun had reached its zenith before the group headed into the Misty Forest. After a night of rest and a morning of rediscovering their wounds, several of the survivors required assistance in the trek to civilization; splints and crutches were fashioned from fences and tents, and the worst off of the survivors needed a sled constructed, which Icthuarrux graciously pulled. Finally, as the sun began its descent, the group set their feet on the path to Daggerford.

The remainder of the day passed slowly. For Robyn’s crew, the march seemed slow; injured survivors of a massacre the previous night do not move briskly as bruises and fractures make themselves known. For those who had been taken by the orcs, however, the sights of the sunlit forest and the open plains beyond were wonderful. After weeks or months of confinement, the simple pleasure of birdsong and a gentle breeze lifted many heavy hearts.

Along the road, discussions arose, experiences shared, and the band walked into the open gates of Daggerford closer for the journey. After a quick trip to the constable of the city, the survivors were entrusted into the care of the city guards, and at long last, Brienne, Pock, Nissa, Wun Way, and Melpomene returned to the castle of Daggerford. After a brief delay, the castle guards brought the large party to the wizard of Daggerford.

Ondabarl was pleasantly surprised to see the return of the band of adventurers, and spent only a moment’s glance on the extra members with whom they had returned. Brienne reached into the bag of holding and, with no little flourish, produced the spellbook of Haesten and the famed Yellowknife. As she handed the items over to the wizard, Nissa spoke up. “You wouldn’t believe what we’ve been through to bring you these.”

Ondabarl stopped, his hand stretched out over the dagger and book. “Well, that’s what you do, isn’t it? I send out group after group of adventurers until one of you finally completes the job.” Wun Way shot a look at Nissa to silence her response. “Now that I take a closer look, though,” the wizard said, stroking his beard, “you do look a little worse for wear. Tell you what, there’s something that is sure to help revitalize your weary companions. In two days’ time, a wondrous event shall happen on the nearby shore.” He paused for a moment, grinning at the party. “The annual dance of the aquatic flumphs!”

Isolde clapped her hands together. “Beach episode!”

In the end, Pel refused to separate from the strange gnome who had befriended her. Unwilling to leave the last person she knew, Loran had no choice but to follow along with her rescuers on their well-earned vacation. As the group left Daggerford, Nissa walked beside the child. “Have you ever been to the beach, Pel?” she asked.

“What’s a beach?” the girl responded, tilting her head.

The gnome paused a moment before responding, “It’s like a big lake, I think.”

Pel’s eyes lit up. “Gran taught me how to swim!”

Two days later, the gang arrived at the beach of the aquatic flumphs. They had made good time, however, and reached the shore just after noon. With not much to do before the flumphs appeared, the group decided to prepare for the night. After minimal arguing, they separated into three teams: Oskar, Nissa, Pel, Brienne, and Robyn would work together to prepare a fire; they would need to set up camp for after the dance of the flumphs, which Pock, Charlot, Idu, Melpomene, and Loran would take care of; and, of course, they would need dinner, which Uzza, Wun Way, Nula, and Isolde offered to fetch. As Nissa and Pel walked down the beach to gather stones to line a fire pit, Nissa said, “Alright, Pel, we want some rocks about that size,” pointing to the coatl egg in Wun Way’s sling. The half-elf bard clutched the sling tighter and glared at the gnome.

As the groups headed off, Ravain and Ciri were left standing on the beach. The young girl knelt down and began scooping handfuls of sand. “I think Pel would like a sand castle to return to, Ravain.”

The grizzled monster hunter stared at his ward with dead eyes.

Ciri returned the look.

“Alright, alright,” Ravain sighed as he sat on the sand.

Down the shore, Oskar was huddled over a clump of beach grasses, pulling up fistfuls of stalks and grunting in approval at how brittle and dry it was - perfect for kindling. An illuminated arrow whizzed by the dwarf’s head, drawing a long string of curses from him. He glanced back and saw Robyn smiling and pointing beyond him - a dozen paces away, the arrow had imbedded itself near a larger bed of grasses.

Oskar shook his head and turned to Pel to ask her for help pulling the grasses, but she was down by the water chasing a crab. Nissa glanced toward the young child from the small pile of rocks she had gathered and ran after her, calling, “Pel, wait up! Be careful near the waves!”

Further down, Brienne walked along the lapping waves. Growing up on the shores of Tarth, she had enjoyed combing the wave-abandoned detritus from the sea for slabs of driftwood with which to play at swords and shields. Now, she put her childhood searching skills to work in the pursuit of firewood.

Having collected an armful of grasses, Oskar returned to the area of the beach where Ciri and Ravain were building a tall sandcastle. He raised an eyebrow at the stoic ranger, who distinctly avoided his gaze as he began chiseling faux-brickwork into the towers with a twig. The dwarf muttered something about surface dwellers and building abilities before he began shoveling a shallow pit in the dry sand.

As Oskar began digging with his bare hands, Robyn walked up behind him. “That’s not how you acquire fire. Have you ever seen me dig for my cooking?”

Without looking back, Oskar replied, “Have you ever built a fire in the sand?”

“Point taken,” Robyn said, squatting down to help.

Down by the water, a brief shriek pierced the air. Pel was clutching her finger, where a tiny crab hung by its pincer. As Nissa ran up to the girl, she stiffened her pouty lower lip and hastily threw her hand behind her back. Unsure of how to address the injured child, Nissa put on a smile. “Good job, Pel, you really almost caught that crab!”

The girl frowned and mumbled, “It got me instead.”

Glancing around at the beach around them, Nissa asked, “Wanna find some more rocks? Sometimes, there are sparkly bits inside.” At this, Pel’s tear streaked cheeks lit up, and she crouched over the lapping waves, fumbling through the sliding sand.

A second later, Nissa held up a spiral-etched stone triumphantly - oddly, it was slightly squishy on the underside. Immediately, a seagull swooped down with a ferocious screech, right at her upraised hand. In her surprise, Nissa popped the odd stone into her mouth, immediately regretting her decision as it began squelching along her tongue. Barely suppressing her urge to retch, Nissa spat the snail back onto her hand and, shuddering, threw it at the seagull. “Ugh… Pel, don’t put these rocks into your mouth.”

Brienne walked back with a bundle of driftwood strapped across her back just as Nissa and Pel were placing the last of their stones around the firepit. Nissa was trying to crack open a clam, for some reason, as Robyn doused the kindling generously from her flask. Brienne raised an eyebrow as Robyn downed the remaining contents, and Oskar muttered a phrase, sending a lick of flame from his outstretched finger to the prepared bonfire.

Back at the campsite, Charlot gathered the other four around him as he unraveled his lavish tent. “Alright, listen up, all. My tent is the most complicated to set up, and there are a few steps that need to be followed…” Over the next five minutes, he laid out how each part of the fabric and wooden poles needed to be arranged.

At first, Melpomene and Loran snickered behind their hands, but Idu rolled his eyes and began setting up another tent. After the first minute, however, Melpomene whispered to Loran, “Wait, is he serious?” When Charlot took a breath, Melpomene stepped forward to cut him off. Loran had already retreated to help Idu with another tent.

“Quite a laundry list of steps you got there, kid,” Melpomene said.

“I’ve found that others follow my instructions best when they know exactly what is required of them,” Charlot responded, brow furrowing as he noticed that Idu and Loran had stepped away to work on other tents. Pock was poking at the Charlot’s laid out construction with interest.

Melpomene wrapped an arm across the boy’s shoulder, pulling him closer. “I’ll bet I can get your friend over there to take care of this tent for you,” she said, nodding in Idu’s direction. “Watch and learn.”

The aasimar sauntered over to the youth, drawing her enchanting magic from the core of her being into her vocal chords. Idu looked up from the partially-constructed tent as she stepped closer. “Greetings, Idu,” she said in Celestial. She had heard the boy talking to his pet snake in Celestial along the journey to the beach. “I saw you working over here and thought I’d check in on you. Wouldn’t want to exclude anyone.” Melpomene gave Idu a knowing wink.

“So you struck up a conversation in a language that only two people speak?” Idu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Melpomene smiled and continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “How’s your snake, Idu?”

“Around my arm,” Idu replied with a deadpan expression - as deadpan as was possible while speaking Celestial, at least. Melpomene’s smile faltered a fraction.

“Why do you both sound like you have windchimes in your mouths?” asked Loran, who had been listening with interest to the strange dialect.

Without missing a beat, Melpomene cried, “Because we do!” and turned around, executing some skillful illusion magic to conjure a windchime dangling from her open mouth. As she waggled her tongue, dainty chimes filled the air. Loran snorted as she held back a laugh, and turned to the next unfinished tent.

Melpomene turned back to Idu. “Where did you learn Celestial?” Each word was layered with complimenting chiming sounds, as she had left the illusory windchime in her mouth.

Idu absently reached for the snake around his upper arm and stroked its head. “You pick up a lot of things on the street.”

Melpomene threw a hand over her mouth in horror. “The street is no place for a young man.”

Idu shrugged. “Didn’t have much of a choice.”

The aasimar placed a hand on his shoulder and fixed him with a patronizing half-smile. “We always have a choice.”

Idu stared up into her luminescent eyes. “I didn’t really have one when my parents died.”

The luminescent eyes grew wider, and the windchime fell out of Melpomene’s open mouth. “Ah. I, uh, one second.” She turned her head away and opened her mouth, creating discordant windchime sounds.

Charlot, who had been trying to follow the foreign conversation through body language alone and wasn’t certain whether Melpomene was propositioning the boy or trying to convince him to get a windchime piercing on his tongue, looked around to find that Pock had been silently constructing the large tent while he had been distracted. It looked better than it ever had when Charlot built it himself. “Tent’s done,” Pock said simply, snapping the last piece into place.

Across the circle of tents, Loran noticed the gnome’s handiwork and called out, “Hey, Pock, if you’re done over there, do you want to come help me with these?”

Isolde had discovered a small delta where seaweed and kelp washed up, and was humming to herself as she gathered bundles into her arms. She gave a gasp as she lifted a strand of seaweed to reveal a green tuberous object in the shallow waters. “A sea cucumber!” she cried triumphantly in her singsong voice.

Nula looked up from the makeshift fishing rod she had been carving. “You really don’t want to eat that,” she warned, knowing she would not be heeded. As the paladin tucked the sea cucumber into her satchel and carried on along her hunt for vegan alternatives, Nula sighed and affixed one of the ubiquitous snails to the end of her line. A few minutes later, Nula was walking back to camp with a pair of large fish hanging from a line.

Uzza and Wun Way walked along the shore together, keeping an eye out for anything edible. “It would be nice to catch some small game,” Uzza remarked, peering into the grasses by the sand.

“You think so?” Wun Way asked, peering up into the sky just in time to see a seagull get hit by a flying snail. A split second later, her hand crossbow was out, and Wun Way’s bolt found its mark. As the seagull fell, Uzza and Wun Way heard a scream from Pel.

Isolde walked by with a pile of kelp and seaweed in her arms and complained, “The bird was only minding its business.”

Back at camp, an elaborate sand castle had been built, which Pel loved. The adventurers milled about and talked, and easy laughter filled the air. For some reason, there were two Idu’s walking around, and whenever one of them opened its mouth, chiming sounds filled the air.

As everyone relaxed, Nissa huddled near where the bags had been deposited. Checking one last time that Brienne was engrossed in one of Robyn’s stories, the gnome reached for a bag and gently opened it. Within, countless plants and plant-parts were stored, from leaves and flowers to roots and stalks, some dried, some still wet, all odorous. Beneath a pile of vines, Nissa finally found a small purse with a handful of coins. After helping herself to a majority of those coins, she gingerly replaced the purse and closed the bag.

The various discussions were interrupted by a call from down the beach. As everyone turned to look, Nula ran up over a dune, carrying an inflated pig’s bladder. The half-orc waved over the rest of the party, and they found an area of relatively flat beach with a rectangle marked in the sand, separated by a net of kelp held up by two long pieces of driftwood.

“I’ve got a pirate game we can play,” she announced proudly. “Volleybladder!”

Most of the group agreed enthusiastically - Ravain sat out the game, looking sullen in the hot sun, while Loran helped Pel build her own sand castle down by the water. Ciri joined Robyn’s crew on one side of the net, while the heroes of Orlane gathered on the other side with the chime-sounding Idu.

Thus began the game. Nissa made an early point, jumping higher than Robyn’s crew would have thought possible to spike the ball down past Robyn. Wun Way followed up with a gentle bump over the net, causing the ball to fall just in front of Robyn’s outstretched arms. Brienne then served into the corner of the court, but it was returned by a quick dive from Isolde. As the ball flew through the air, Nissa jumped as if to spike again, angling her body instead for a longer strike. Idu (on Robyn’s side) noticed the change, however, and was perfectly positioned to return the hit when it came.

As the ball fell to the sand Wun Way sang out a little ditty about large hands and ungainly feet, causing several of her opponents to become disheartened. While they glanced uneasily at their limbs, the offending bard easily slammed the ball into the sand on the other side. In the next play, Nissa fell awkwardly on her ankle, twisting it. The others called to Ravain to relieve her, but the ranger simply shook his head. Instead, Pock knelt beside his fellow gnome and laid his hand on her leg, pressing healing magic into the limb. A moment later, Nissa was hopping up and returning a quick serve.

After a scuffle for the ball as it bounced off the top of the kelp net, both of the Idu’s ended up on Robyn’s side of the court. They locked eyes, and one of them pointed and accused, “Melpomene, get back on your side of the court!”

The other Idu looked bewildered and shook his head. “But I’m Idu! You’re Melpomene!” A short yelling match later, one of the Idu’s stormed back to Brienne’s side, still fuming that he was the real Idu. Teams reformed, the ball was served again.

As the ball fell to Wun Way, she grinned at Nissa and called for her to set up a bump. Charlot, however, noticed the half-elf’s stance and prepared to answer the duplicitous spike. Sure enough, the bard jumped at the last second and hammered the ball down to the beach. Charlot shouted triumphantly as he tensed to dive, when a sickening dread filled his body.

In the middle of the court, Idu was changing. He grew taller, taller even than Brienne, and his scruffy hair flowed out to whip about in the non-existent wind. His skin lightened, then turned a horrible ashen color, and his clothing faded into star-dotted robes. Skeletal wings brightened in a darkening aura around the revealed aasimar, and every one of Robyn’s team dove away from her. With Charlot cowering by the driftwood post, the ball smacked into the sand.

The silence that followed was broken by Nissa shouting, “We won!” as the Idu next to her grumbled, “Told you I was the real Idu.”

As Melpomene ducked under the kelp netting to rejoin her team, she winked at Idu. “I learned some things on the streets, too.”

After the game, the group enjoyed a hearty meal of fish and fowl (Isolde quietly ate her salad of boiled kelp and even ate the sea cucumber as the rest of the group looked on in horror) and then prepared to relax and observe the fabled dance of the aquatic flumphs. In the distance, all along the shore, they saw other groups arriving to the shore and setting up portable seats.

Finally, the indicated hour came, but nothing happened.

“They should be coming out of the sea, right?” Pock asked, glancing behind to the distant trees but still not finding any flumphs.

“I’m gonna kill that Ondabarl!” Nissa erupted, gripping a piece of driftwood. “Making us trek out here for nothing!”

“Let’s go check with the locals,” Brienne offered, nodding to the nearest collection of observers, “see if this is unusual.”

They spoke with a handful of groups, from gatherings of a dozen people to small families of three or four. Everyone they talked to gave the same answer: The flumphs always rose on the last full moon in the season, and they had never known them to be this late. A self-proclaimed flumph expert bent their ears for an extra ten minutes, pontificating on the common theories on why the flumphs rose, to where they drifted off, and for what purpose. When they finally broke free from his lecture, they walked closer to the water, hoping perhaps that they might stumble upon the flumphs waiting somewhere in the waves.

The moon was high and full, and shone brilliantly upon the beach, draping everything in an azure veil. As they searched, they saw a handful of children around Pel’s age shrieking and splashing in the water, the disappointment of the missing flumphs forgotten in the opportunity for late-night fun. Pel began tugging on Loran’s hand and dragging her to the playing children. “I suppose we’ll cover more ground in two groups,” Brienne conceded, and the group split; Robyn’s crew, along with Pel, Loran, Ciri, and Ravain heading further down the beach to the playing children, while Brienne and her team headed back to where rocky outcroppings broke the skyline.

An hour of investigation later, as the damp rocks grew larger, the group heard a child’s cry. Down by the water, a small girl was sobbing, calling for help, crying that her sisters were trapped in the sea caves where they had been playing. There was no time to go back for the others. Brienne asked the little girl to show where this cave was, even as Nissa tried to caution her, and minutes later they arrived to a shallow sea cave, a wide mouthlike opening in the craggy face of an ocean cliff. Within, as their vision adjusted, they could make out a pile of kelp by the entrance and several large rocks strewn throughout the cave.

An older girl, presumably the young girl’s sister, stood by one of those rocks, and her face lit up as she took note of their arrival. “You brought us help!” she cried, clapping her hands together.

“Delicious help!” the pile of kelp replied. It rose on mottled green legs and straightened its horrifying body. The green hag reached out a kelp-wrapped arm, and tendrils of emerald magic drifted across the five adventurers. Each of them stiffened in fear of her terrifying ugliness, and flashbacks of their imprisonment in that awful ritual circle gripped them.

As their hearts began to hammer, the two girls shed off their mortal forms and revealed themselves to be a sea hag and night hag. The sea hag by the rock cackled and cried out, “Swim, my pretties!” Water rose to fill a foot of the cavern, and a trio of giant octopuses swam out from behind the rocks to accost the frightened adventurers.

Wun Way jabbed at the approaching octopuses and concentrated on sending a shockwave of force right in the middle of the group, but as she spoke the incantation, the night hag in their midst let out a piercing laugh, and the words died on the half-elf’s lips.

“Time for a taste of your own medicine,” Melpomene shouted at the green hag, and began muttering silent whispers, which wound their way into the ear of the kelp-clad witch. The hag looked upon the aasimar as she truly was, and gave an angry growl as she began to back away unwillingly.

In her place, the sea hag and her octopuses ran at the group. As tentacles flailed, the sea hag stared into Brienne’s eyes. The fighter felt a repulsion toward the hideous creature, but other than that, nothing happened, and the hag’s hair began roiling in agitation. Pock ran away from the frightening hag, trying to make a break for the rocks, but tentacles wrapped themselves around his short frame and held him fast.

The sea hag pulled away from the occupied heroes and pointed a finger at Wun Way, chanting a lilting spell. As the last syllable faded, the bard disappeared, and a newt crawled quickly out of the water where she had been standing. As the newt scampered away, the night hag cursed at her sister for “turning the pretty one,” and then lashed out at Melpomene.

With curling tentacles around her, Brienne found no easy way to get at the hags. Instead, she gripped Mjolnir by the base of its handle and spun it once around her head, letting loose at the sea hag. The hammer struck true, and then immediately flew back into Brienne’s waiting hand, where she spun it once more and struck again. Grimacing, the hag continued to keep her eyes on the crawling newt as Nissa’s bolts struck her.

The green hag, from across the room, called out, “Sisters! This will be our greatest feast yet!” There was a pulse in the water, felt against each leg, and then the three hags became invisible. The adventurers continued to scuffle with the many limbs of the octopuses, and all of a sudden Nissa fell to the ground. Brienne called out her name, and the sea hag reappeared near the adventurers, cackling madly. Brienne began to move towards the sea hag when the green witch appeared in the pile of kelp once more and pointed a crooked finger. A bolt of lightning lanced from the finger and struck from Melpomene to Brienne to Pock.

The last hag reappeared by the rocks and opened a palm, sending half a dozen missiles of light arcing through the air towards Brienne. As they shattered against her body, Brienne turned to the nearest octopus and brought her hammer down on its body, sending a violent shiver through its many legs before they settled on the floor of the cave. She then turned to the sea hag and smacked her with a backhand blow, sending her reeling and finally breaking her concentration on the spell. With a popping sound, Wun Way reappeared halfway up the cave wall, and with a swallowed yelp she fell, splashing into the water. She quickly climbed to her feet and dove for Nissa’ body, showering it with healing spells while she whipped out her rapier and skewered one of the octopuses. Melpomene slashed out with her sword and split the final octopus in two.

Pock shrugged off the limp octopus tentacles and darted for the sea hag, bringing his weapon down on the monster. The green hag raised her hand to lay an enchantment on Brienne, but the fighter took the moment of preparation and slammed hard, pulling from the might of the hammer to cast a lightning-wreathed spell around the weapon. As it struck, a loud CLAP reverberated inside the small cave, and shards of rock fell from the ceiling even as the hag fell backwards into the water, dead.

Nissa coughed up seawater as she pulled herself up, but gathered herself quickly and fired off quick shots, one, two, into the torso of the night hag. Pock slammed his weapon into the sea hag’s side as he shouted, “What did you do to the flumphs?!” He did not receive an answer, though, as the witch crumpled under his blow and sank beneath the choppy waters.

The party moved to surround the final hag, but she grinned an awful, pointy smile and lifted a stone in the shape of a heart. As they watched, taken aback, the stone heart appeared to beat once, and then the night hag disappeared.

The cave began to drain, revealing the broken forms of the two hags and three octopuses, and suddenly a popping sound filled the air. Dozens of flumphs materialized, spectral jellyfish-like beings with long eyestalks gently waving above their cores. They floated through the air, crowding around their saviors and passing their eyestalks over them inquisitively. As each second passed, more and more flumphs popped into existence, and soon they were pushed out of the cave and drifted across the lapping waves. As they drifted away, an aura of intense gratitude settled over the party.

Back on the beach, locals and foreigners alike turned awe-filled eyes to the sea, where, inexplicably, the flumphs had returned - later than any year in living memory, but with such an energetic enthusiasm that even the flumph expert was not disappointed. Fathers and mothers brought their children in close, whispering fables and legends of the flumphs or prompting the young ones to wish on the rising flumphs, while others simply sat back, alone or with loved ones, and watched with a viral joy as the undulating flumphs spun and danced around each other, rising ever higher into the moon filled sky. Finally, the highest flumphs reached the apex of their ascent, and in a series of multicolored flashes, they vanished. Over the next half hour, the multitudinous beings continued to rise, bursting out of existence with colorful displays, following each other into whatever realm awaited them, and the night settled into an easy peace.

#dnd stories

1 note · View note

thepurplewombat · 3 years ago

Photo

I've filed Smallville in my 'tragic media' folder, for things that could have been great if the créatives had had like, one ball.

Like yes what happens in the show is tragic, but what's even more tragic is that it could have been amazing. It could have been a whole-ass revitalization of Superman as a True Hero who turned Lex Luthor away from the Dark Side with the intense power of his pure fucking goodness. A friendship for the ages, truly the stuff of legends. And just think if they had spent those ten seasons queerbaiting us with this totally intense friendship we saw the seeds of in the first few seasons. The fandom would have been immense, it would have been a landmark show for the ages.

Instead they made Clark Kent a lying hypocrite who wouldn't know the truth if it bit him in the ass, and turned Lex into a tragic villain.

I mean, at least Magneto (my other favourite comic book villain) had legitimate differences with Professor X's philosophy and he wasn't entirely wrong either. Like, he is tragic because he was shaped by the horrible events in his past and their relationship is tragic because they could work so well together if only one of them would bend, but Magneto is on the other side from X because they have a fundamental difference in their approach to the whole humans vs mutants question.

At least he wasn't pushed headfirst into villainy by the supposed 'hero' of the story.

At least he didn't essentially give up and say 'well, nobody is going to let me be a good guy or cut me one single ounce of slack so you know what, fuck'em. Might as well be hanged for the sheep, right?'

Clark & Lex | “Shattered”

#lex luthor #Magneto #Got a little sidetracked by magneto #As I am wont to do #Just let them be friends 😭

334 notes · View notes

beautiful-lusamine-blog · 7 years ago

Text

What’s up with the Pokémon RPC?

This post is not at all intended to be negativity, as I do not take any sides in this post when I discuss the events that occurred and I don’t spend too much time on them. There is, inevitably, some negativity because I’m talking about the issues with this RPC, but it is not negativity directed at any person or groups of people. I do not blame anyone for these issues, it’s a community-wide problem. Please consider reblogging, because the message at the end is something I think we all need to here.

I am by no stretch of the imagination an active RPer once again (and therefore I’m kind of a hypocrite for pointing this out), but I was looking through my following list, and... Like... People are just dead.

I don’t know what it is, but the whole RPC feels dead.

A certain blog had over 1,000 followers which is fucking insane and now I can’t seem to find a trace of it... It’s just suddenly gone. You probably know which one I’m referencing, and I won’t take sides because I wasn’t around to witness the nuclear explosion that went off and me picking a side would be unfair, but I will say that, from what I’ve heard, the drama that ensued broke the community for a good little while. Again, I don’t really know or want to know who started it and refuse to have an opinion on the issue. Several little RP “Groups” that are referenced in text posts by larger RPers have broken up. A lot of blogs, myself included, are on extended hiatuses. We had drama over the skin tone in a Hala Rper’s icons. And I get why people complained about that, my issue is the fact that it went from being an issue with one blog to suddenly a flame-war in the entire god damn fandom. We’ve also had ship-shaming wars for really no reason. There was, as far as I’m aware, no Winter event this year, and I don’t know why. It’s almost as if the release of USUM, which should have revitalized the community, was the final nail in our coffin. I mean USUM was a bad story that delegitimized the Aether family’s storyline but whatever that’s just my opinion

And I know there are still RPers out there!! There are still a lot of energetic, excited RPers that are keeping things drama-free as best as they can. But the thing is, the majority of the Pokemon RPC just feels really, really... It kind of feels like we’ve had SO MUCH DRAMA that we literally just... Got tired and went into hibernation until the next Pokemon games with new characters come out.

And I get that it’s common for that to happen - We had new games! A new region! New characters! So, naturally, it would stir up the community, but things would go stale after a while. And I get that. But at the same time... We fell so hard. I mean, it’s not just Sun/Moon muses, the whole community is broken in the wake of all of the drama we had.

I don’t know why we always seem to just draw the drama to us like we lure it in, but this RPC... Has always had drama issues. And yet the RPC has been great! It’s been really fantastic a lot of the time! There’s been immense creativity from a lot of people, and I’ve met many wonderful friends through this. It’s just that we get the drama about as often as we get the good shit, as wonderful as the good shit is.

So the real question is... What do we do about it?

Because when the new Pokemon games hit, whenever that is, I don’t want this same thing to happen to us again. I don’t think we need to have some weird-ass, like, certification committee or anything that reviews muns or something to ensure they won’t cause drama, and we just sort of blow a bubble and try to get people to only interact with certified blogs within that bubble. That’s not fun, that steals away creativity, would be a ton of work, etc. It’s just not the right attitude. RPCs shouldn’t be, like, unofficially moderated, it’s against the whole point of RPCs, which is making friends and being creative. If it were moderated, it would be a group that would, despite best intentions, undeniably become elitist royalty by the time it’s over. We need some kind of solution, though. We need this to not happen again.

And, yeah, sometimes people just go inactive, and that’s okay and fully their choice, and that’s not preventable. What is preventable is what happened to us this time: The whole RPC just sort of shuts down because we drowned in drama.

We need some way to make sure we stay afloat when the new games come out because every time Pokémon games come out, the RPC blows up bigger and bigger like a bubble. And, like a bubble, it eventually reaches a point where it bursts - And it’s always really ugly when it does.

This community has brought me and many others so much joy and friendship, but also so much drama :( I really hope things go better next time around because almost all of the people here are so amazing and deserve better.

#signal boost #pokemon rp #pokemon roleplay #pokemon rpc #pokemon roleplay community #OOC #tw negativity

9 notes · View notes

techcrunchappcom · 4 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/applying-ai-to-bring-a-better-you-to-video-meetings-tech-buzz/

Applying AI to Bring a 'Better You' to Video Meetings | Tech Buzz

Last week had presentations from three of the significant processor companies, each planning to revolutionize the PC market. This revolution was an immense change from just a couple of years ago when everyone and their brother seemed to think that PCs were dead.

One of the few positive impacts from this pandemic is that PCs have nearly sold out everywhere, resulting in unprecedented demand for a class of products that had gone into decline as a result of insufficient marketing.

Let’s talk about improvements in how we appear on videoconferences this week, and we’ll close with my product of the week — the updated Ooler water-cooled mattress pad that’s been helping me sleep during this pandemic.

The Cause of the PC Decline

There is a common segment that I understand is in most college marketing programs and was undoubtedly in mine, which talks about the problem with marketing. That problem is that operational executives don’t understand it and will cut marketing costs to save money, not realizing that the lagging impact will be sharply reduced sales.

My lesson happened far earlier than in college, when I was a child speaking with my grandfather who was a CEO in the petrochemical industry. He told me the story of a train trip where William Wrigley Jr., the founder and CEO of the Wrigley Company (of chewing gum and candy fame), was riding with a young intern.

The Intern asked why Wrigley spent so much on marketing, given that his company was the segment leader, and sales were impressively high. Wrigley replied by asking “since the train was already traveling at 60 mph, why don’t they stop shoveling in coal because the train is going fast enough?” The answer is that the train will eventually run out of steam and stop, and that is exactly what happens in business.

Ironically, Wrigley, which was dominant when I was a child, is almost unknown today because the company stopped marketing. That’s what happened to the PC market.

In the 1990s, we had tech TV shows. The companies had commercials and were marketing heavily, ergo buyers were far more likely to prioritize buying a new PC. When the PC companies cut back on marketing to focus on price competition, the shows died, demand dwindled, and the result was a declining market which now has been revitalized by the pandemic.

However, without demand generation, this good news will turn bad because we’ve now saturated the market with new laptops — meaning it could be 5 to 8 years before the majority of folks want to replace them — unless the PC firms go back to creating and marketing compelling offers.

This problem isn’t an easy fix because, thanks to streaming, folks aren’t watching TV commercials as much as they used to, and Google and Facebook have made marketing and advertising far more difficult in terms of large-scale awareness. Although they have made it a ton easier to target, so done right this problem could be mitigated.

Last week, Qualcomm, Intel, and Nvidia may have showcased the way to do this by focusing much of their new offerings on making you look better; and looking better, because it’s connected to status, could be an excellent foundation for driving demand.

Qualcomm, Intel and Nvidia: Making You Feel Pretty

There is a song from the musical West Side Story called I Feel Pretty that’s running through my head right now. The fact is that people tend to judge us by our appearance, and for a lot of folks on calls, that appearance has degraded sharply this year. Wrinkled clothing, no makeup, partial beards, the hair on men down to their shoulders, and work locations that are sloppy, dingy, dark and unattractive are all everyday experiences in large Microsoft Teams and Zoom events (these two offerings are trending to become new standards).

Also, because of where the camera is situated on monitors and laptops, we never seem to be looking at the people to whom we are speaking. (In-screen cameras are on the way and will arrive on smartphones shortly, but haven’t been announced yet for PCs yet.)

These appearance degradations subtly or overtly devalue what colleagues think of us — from vendors, to co-workers, to managers and executives. This is undoubtedly changing our promotion and raise opportunities for the worse, and making us look unprofessional. While we don’t necessarily need to feel as pretty as Julie Andrews did in that linked song, our appearance does reflect on our confidence; and knowing we look our best should improve not only how others perceive our competence, but our own confidence as well.

All three vendors showcased technology that would improve how people see you. Nvidia seemed to go the farthest but has not yet focused all of their technology on the problem.

The 8cx platform from Qualcomm has a unique AI feature that adjusts your eyes in real time, so to the remote participant it appears that you are looking directly at them. It’s critically important to look people in the eye. I trained in negotiation, and one of the rules is that you want to look people in the eye to be taken as sincere; if you aren’t doing that, you appear untrustworthy. Our current camera placement makes it almost impossible to look someone in the eye, and athat subtly makes people mistrust you as a result.

Qualcomm also had sound improvements that should make it easier for the parties to understand each other. It’s interesting to note that Qualcomm’s approach is focused on helping you hear better, while the others are focused on helping others better hear you.

Intel, with its Tiger Lake and Evo platforms, is integrating artificial backgrounds into their solution, along with vastly improved noise cancellation which eliminates the annoying sounds that tend to drift into meetings from home offices. This combination should make you appear more professional during these meetings; and as the technology advances, may convince buyers to cycle their PCs faster and thus help prevent another sharp decline in future sales.

Nvidia had a similar approach to Intel with its powerful GeForce RTX 30 launch. The company packaged its solution under a Broadcast app designed to not only help with video calls, but to assist podcasts, and capabilities that allow your camera to track you better so that your head stays in the center of the frame — which should help manifest professionalism during video conference calls.

But where Nvidia potentially took it to the next level is Omniverse Machinima, where you can use game assets to create a movie and automatically animate digital avatars. If this technology were applied, which I expect it eventually will be, you could create 3D scans of yourself dressed for business, and then use your camera to sync them with your body. Then you’d never again have to dress, put on makeup, or even get out of bed for a meeting — while still appearing well dressed and groomed.

Personal Presentation the New Battleground

I do not doubt that Intel, Nvidia, and Qualcomm will not only continue to advance their technologies to make you look better on video calls, but they will emulate each other’s tech features to create parity.

For now, on paper, Nvidia is out in front. But this is anyone’s race, and since appearance is essential to all of us, this could be a race that returns faster churn to the PC market to create an arms race on virtual physical improvements. It also suggests that, once this matures, there will be a ton of folks who you’ll be unable to talk into coming back to the office because their actual appearance will have significantly drifted from what you’ve seen on the screen.

Lastly, a related aside: Video dating will increasingly lead to in-person disappointment. Though, I think it would be fun to create a 3D avatar of my 23-pound Maine Coon cat and have him virtually attend meetings with my voice. At my age, I’m more interested in having fun than getting that next promotion.

I’ve made the chiliPAD and its follow-on the Ooler (around US$699 for one person, $1,399 to 1,499 for two) my product of the week a few times now. But one of the problems has been the pad, which tends to stain and is hard to clean. It also didn’t breathe well, resulting in it being hot when the Ooler wasn’t on.

Well, the folks at Chili Technology just did a partial refresh and sent me the new pad. It is incredible in that while it still has one side similar to the old pad, if you flip it, the other side resists stains and breaths far better. So if you, like me, tend to be hot at night, it’s more effective at lowering how warm you feel.

OOLER Sleep System

One of the things I like about the Ooler (costs about $200 more than the chiliPAD) over the chiliPAD is that you can set a script where it’s cool at night but toasty in the morning, so you wake up to being warm rather than an alarm.

I like to sleep with the window open at night, and, even on a warm night, the Ooler makes this possible. It uses water as the heat transfer mechanism, similar to how race drivers and astronauts cool their suits. I should point out that you need to use distilled water, or the minerals in the water will build up in the system and cause it to fail.

The new pad is an excellent improvement to the Ooler, so I thought I’d refresh it as my product of the week. Oh, and as a side note, it is kind of cool that my gaming systems and my bed are both water-cooled.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network.

Rob Enderle has been an ECT News Network columnist since 2003. His areas of interest include AI, autonomous driving, drones, personal technology, emerging technology, regulation, litigation, M&E, and technology in politics. He has an MBA in human resources, marketing and computer science. He is also a certified management accountant. Enderle currently is president and principal analyst of the Enderle Group, a consultancy that serves the technology industry. He formerly served as a senior research fellow at Giga Information Group and Forrester. Email Rob.

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '535191343593734'); fbq('track', 'PageView');

#applying #better #bring #meetings #video #Technology

0 notes

people-of-iwate · 7 years ago

Photo

Sioned Huws of Sumita Town (originally from Wales) Ms. Huws is a dancer and choreographer who has been in Japan for around a decade to research and study traditional folk dances. After the 2011 tsunami, she joined Rikuzentakata’s Artist in Residency program, where she also learned of next-door Sumita Town and its rich cultural history of Shishi Odori (Deer Dance). Living in a beautiful wooden house in the mountains of Sumita, Ms. Huws enjoys being a part of a living, breathing culture that has been hidden from the world. (All photos supplied by Ms. Huws)

“In 2013, I first came to do the Artist in Residency program, which was set up in 2011 after the tsunami and the earthquake to find ways to regenerate and revitalize the area. I do think arts and culture generate a sense of purpose and gives people a reason to live. To sing and dance - it helps people in such devastating circumstances. And through dance, I connected very quickly with people. I was completely changed with I came to the area – the people are so kind and have so much energy and time to give. They'll do anything to help you. We were eating together, drinking together, dancing and singing together. The dancers in Sumita even found me a house to live in. Within a week I had water coming in. They brought in the pipe down the mountain to get running water into the house. That’s the way they are here as a community. There’s an incredible amount of culture here, of local performing arts especially. The thing is, it’s not a 'performance' – it’s a part of their everyday life. This is what special here.”

Rehearsing the “Deer Dance (Shishi Odori)” in Sumita

“With my research, I believe in going out, going to lunch, have the local people tell you something. That’s how I came across Sumita. I was out to lunch at a restaurant and asking some people what dances they knew. Then they did an ondo dance - just got up in the restaurant and danced! They invited me to an event where I saw the Kakinaizawa Shishi Odori Deer Dance, and I was so touched by this dance. I could just read a whole story in the pure movement. So, that’s the next part of my research – where are they from and how can we meet with them? Well, an acquaintance knew somebody else and before we know it, we're driving up to Sumita, up the mountain, to a small practice room, and all the dancers were there! And I was falling more and more in love. Firstly, with this place in the mountains and the building, and then also with their immense generosity. So I asked, please, can I come study with you? I stayed with them for five weeks and danced with them. And then I just kept coming again and again – it’s been three years now. It’s been fantastic training for me as a dancer working with them.”

Learn more! Sumita Town Odori Dawns Dance (Ms. Huws’ online resource about Japanese folk performing arts) Rikuzentakata Artist in Residency Program

#Sumita #Rikuzentakata #Iwate #Japan #2011.3.11 #dance #folk arts #shishi odori #deer dance #community

1 note · View note

lsgingasblog · 7 years ago

Text

Of Happy Coincidences and Fated Connections Chapter 6

Act 6

‘The best is yet to come’. Yeah right!

I wake up all hazy, my head is lightheaded and my vision is blurry. People are clamoring around me and I try to get up. My vision is returning, but clearly I am having some bizarre dream in a dream because Diana, Sucy, Amanda, Lotte, Hannah, Barbara are wearing strange clothing, like fantasy rpg clothing.

Wait….Luluco is here too…..wait….hold up…..shit this might not be a dream. I pass out again.

Luluco. Galactic patrol luluco, she works for galactic organization that goes around stopping crime all over space. Sucy met her over a year back and she’s stopped by a few times. If this is really not a dream than I believe this will be the 3rd time I’ve met with her. She always brings trouble. Roll your eyes all you want because that would be hypocritical of me to say knowing my track heard. No really her troubles are on a much bigger scale.

Shit my head hurts. Ooh now I’m starting to remember………so we recovered fine at Cavendish mansion and Andrew, Diana & I hung out and went out too. It was all very pleasant. Even the first 2 days at the summer house went by without much trouble and we caught up what everyone else did for the last 2 weeks.

Despite dispute and gambles going on between Amanda, constanze, sucy & surprisingly Hannah with the Appleton boys, we had an eventful time gaming, movie watching and going hiking and having sleepovers. So we are literally running on 3-4 hours per day of sleep.

Today in particular we were planning to just do a BBQ and go swimming, because surprisingly we have only done that a bit the first day.

Everything was going smoothly until……until what? Shit my memory is hazy.

‘Akko look out’ Diana jumps in front of me for a blast meant for me and she is out. Wait what….

Professor Ursula was fighting this gigantic weird mushrooms creature…..wait! did sucy bring some weird mushrooms or something.

Why is my memory so jumbled up. Grrrr. Ooh right croix sensei is down, wait so is sucy….hmmm right! It wasn’t an ordinary mushroom thing. Well apart from being sentient apparently it had an immense resistance for magic. Physical blows were the anything that worked. Hence why you see a few mushrooms minions knocked out around Professor Ursula.

Ooh right I was helping her, but we were having a hard time. Professor Ursula got a good hit and so did I but the main boss wasn’t happy and it spread its spores. Professor Ursula shields me.

With the masks on I hardly think that would be necessary and then the creature sends a blast as well and my last assist was down. I went back to Diana. Begging her to wake up, just when I thought it was all over Luluco shows up.

First thing she says after beaming away with her gun a few mushrooms minions is sorry followed by ‘hey akko, it would be nice to finally meet in better circumstances’ I’m inclined to agree.

So that’s an alien. Huh. See I wasn’t lying. She’s trouble. At a possibly bigger proportion than me.

Really nice girl though when you get to know her and there’s never a dull moment with her, but my life is hectic enough as it is. Also having been in one life or death experience with my girlfriend like literally less than 2 weeks ago is good enough for a lifetime, although with my luck at least 1 year to 2 shouldn’t be too much to ask for alas.

I see Luluco frantically running back to me. Ooh right I should help. She shakes her head and jumps towards me there’s another spore field and this one is much denser. I see how badly she injured the gigantic mushroom boss. Ooh god, he’s angry. She shields me with this weird force-field thing, but the force-field did not close completely around luluco and we both black out anyway.

Right that’s what happened. Wait. Who are those diana, sucy, lotter and the rest?

Ok try to remember……ooh right we’re in final fantasy game.

We-meaning Luluco and I- woke up in Mi’hen High road. I saw a chocobo and rode on one too! They’re cute as heck.

Luluco informed me the creature was a galactic creature that is immensely dangerous due to the amazing dream realities that suck you in. She gave a whole complicated explanation of them being possibly multi verse and my head was hurting. This is even worse than when she told me last summer break about alternate universes and how there were some universes I wasn’t with Diana at all. Preposterous.

I care less about trying to understand the whole complications around that though. Basically the bottom point we have to make it to Zanarkand and beat the mushroom entity to get out of here. Good thing dream time is much quicker than real time so we should go in a brisk pace, but it’s possible to make it before our friends gets sucked into the dream reality and never to return again. Those minion mushrooms are actually lost souls in that dream reality. Creepy.

On our adventure we swiftly beat chocobo eater with the help of a healer and summoner Diana that came to help us. She’s so beautiful I could cry, but she’s not my Diana. This is a Diana that grew up in those final fantasy world or final fantasy multiverse dream, you know what screw it. We’re here let’s just make sure we accomplish our goals.

She was accompanied by Hannah & Barbara which were Samurai and Gunner respectively.

Diana was charmed by me. Ooh no is this technically cheating…..

In any case we ended up joining them in their pilgrimage and it was such a hectic ride we lotte the trainer class traveler and then sucy the black mage. I was the warrior and luluco the berserker.

Then we met our thief Amanda and she also had the lady luck dress as well to change into.

We had briefly been accompanied by the alchemist Constanze and the dark mage Jasminke, but they had previous engagements.

Chariot was apparently did since she was the previous summoner who used the final summoning so that makes sin Croix…..great….well the mushroom creature now….this is so confusing.

I can’t believe it though from mi’hen highroad we walked all the way to mushroom rock road, watch croix/ mushroom creature destroy all those soldiers actually after that whole fiasco we met Amanda in Moonflow when she washed ashore. She recognized me so I guess some parts of the story stayed the same.

Thunder Plains sucked although it would seem to fear of thunder did not get carried over by Rikku to Amanda so I was the one shaking in my boots. Good thing I didn’t have to woe this Diana.

Macalania Woods in particular was both pretty and eerie and it’s around here that things become blurry.

Luluco warned about the dangers of staying in this world for long and not telling yourself constantly it’s a game, but it would seem Luluco is also losing herself in this game. This is bad. However then arranged marriages and abductions were happening and even though this wasn’t my diana and the I was more worried that the lines between reality and this world were beginning to blur I will rescue her.

It would seem travelling a desert, while almost dying of thirst would do the trick in completely having forgotten this was not real. So my memory is a bit hazy all I know that there was a fire at home base of the al bhed and we got the airship and it dropped us off before calm lands.

Where……oh god…….I kissed this world’s Diana under water! It’s not cheating if it’s not real right?

Calm lands was peaceful and beautiful, however it has some pretty crazy monsters and then there was cold. We found out the lie of the final summoning and we killed Dianalesca. Huh. I guess they changed that.

So where are we now? Ooh right. We’re searching for celestial weapons for our party members. We had just found the last one at omega ruins. Which has the scariest monster around and a thorn berry showed up.

Ooh right this is how I ended up here. I remembered what happened back to Diana and I and the thorn berry like creature and that was my tether to bring me back to who I was and what I had to do. I had to save Diana and my other friends out there in the real world. Lest they become mushrooms minions.

Goodness. I snap my eyes open.

“You remembered as well?”

I nod my head.

It was luluco. She apparently touched a memory crystal and was reminded of Nova and why she had to go back. Also seeing me stabbed and killed by a Thornberry was fairly uncomfortable to watch for her apparently. Luckily we have revive here or phoenix down or varies other revitalizing moves. My diana would love some of them or maybe she already has a few equivalent? I have to ask her more specifically.

So we decided we have to go now. We made it all the way to the end and after a lots of effort and having died over again a few times I almost lost myself but the Taurus zodiac card of Diana protected me and gave me strength when I was at my low point and along with my team, including luluco we finally beat Croix/Sin/whatsermushroomface.

Of course like the final fantasy game luluco and I were the dream people. The irony a dream in a dream. This seems like that movie inception we saw yesterday. Grrr. Does the toll stop or not. God.

This version Diana is sad and I give her one last kiss. This isn’t cheating ok. It’s still Diana.

Luluco also leaves and we bask in being heroes. We wake up and the mushroom monster is in a trance, probably tired of having been defeated and we deal the finishing blow and right on time, because my friends were starting to resemble more mushroom than people.

Good. Luluco gives me a few potions to give to them since the after effects of having been in a multiverse/ dream space takes its toll on the psyche and your energy. Luluco goes about cleaning the minion remains and a few other stuff left behind or affected by the pollen of the whatserface mushroom.

Professor Ursula is waking up first, so I give it to her and give her a few to give to others.

I noticed Diana waking up and as I went to her. She was still out of it and yelled out expelliarmus while pointing her wand at me.

I burst out laughing. Omg. Marathoning Harry Potter those 2 days we were on bed rest had a stronger effect that I thought and that’s when she said some of the things were untrue or silly. She liked it after all. Goodness I will never let her live this down.

Diana despite her weak state was a flustered mess. “Don’t say anything”

“What’s in it for me?”

“For goodness sake Akko”

“Here drink this, but don’t think for a moment I will forget you shouting out that spell”

She scowls, but drinks the potion.

She softens up though and gives me a big kiss “I knew you could do it, akko”

I’m a blushing mess once again and I wanted to tell her about the protection and strength her Taurus card game me during my journey in Final Fantasy world.

When I hear Amanda arguing with an Appleton boy that just woke up. Diana and I had towards the commotion.

“No, No way. I had the coolest dream. I was a gosh darn jedi!”

Ooh it was that rude boy that wanted to torture us when we arrived to Appleton. I mean I don’t care for most of the Appleton guys if I’m honest, but Andrew said the changed quite a lot and even Appleton became less mean-spirited towards witches. That’s good to hear.

“Yeah well were you a girl, passing of as a male knight and a vigilante during the night?”

“I had light sabers!”

“Professor Ursula can make light sabers too in our world big whoop!”

Yeah that’s right. I should ask her about how she makes em. They’re pretty cool.

“Well did you travel in space?”

“Who cares about space when you get girls every night, can you say the same little jedi virgin?”

“Wh-what! How is that relevant?!”

“So you admit you lost!”

“No!”

And luckily Andrew and Professor Ursula ended up mediating that argument.

I’m starving. That means multiverse dream food does not fill you up either once you’re outside of it.

I see food on the table and without thinking I took a bit.

I hear screams of ‘No!’ even from Luluco. Ahh…..I might’ve screwed up. She didn’t finish clearing the table with the food covered in spores.

“Luluco, hello nice to see you again.” She greets her “Anything we can do?” Diana frantically asks

Luluco shakes her head although she gives me half the potion. Ewww it’s gross and that’s the last thing I remember before I pass well that and Diana catching me.

“Honestly akko” Diana moved Akko to an outside bench and put Akko’s face on her lap while she’s petting Akko’s hair.

Amanda comes to tease Diana for being all lovey-dovey but instead gets something even better.

“Minchino……I choose you!”

Amanda breaks out into uncontrolled laughter.

Diana is amused she has something to hold over Akko as well.

Luluco stays for the BBQ and beach time before she has to go back to her duties.

Honestly akko never a dull moment with you or the people you meet and Diana drifts of as well leaning on the wall behind the outside chair and the last thing she hears is Amanda’s booming voice, Professor Ursula telling everyone to calm down and Sucy yellow that mushroom ruled world would truly be the best.

#DianakkoWeek #Dianakko #Diakko

14 notes · View notes