#The aquatic depths of the circus

[maccachibchan]

@woodcycle14 Ask and you shall receive! :D

Pomni is showing her daughter a sea turtle for the first time, and Delilah immediately loves it. Her daddy, Jax, on the other hand is thinking about feeding her some turtle soup, so she’ll grow up a big and strong predator like him someday.

[robinette-green]

Robin's Mer DCA Romance Fics

These are fics I’ve started that involve Mermaids and aquatic life!

Unbreakable Chains:

You’re a mermaid captured by pirates. Scared and injured, two strange metal men care for you while you’re trapped in this scary place and slowly an unbreakable bond is formed between the three of you. ________________ Wind and rain pelted down on the ship as the men scrambled to lift their catch from the water. The waves rolled, tossing the ship back and forth, slamming water down onto the decks as ropes were pulled and the net was lifted from the water. A screech rang out over the waves as something much larger than your average fish was raised from the black depths. Lighting forked across the sky, illuminating sharp teeth and claws as the beast fought to free itself. The shout of pain, as claws met flesh, was drowned out by the rumble of thunder, but the sharp crack from the pistol rang clear across the water, followed by a scream. Another shot and cry of pain, and the men were finally able to lower the beast into the belly of the ship. 

Caught in a Fish's Net: (tag)

what if I wrote a story where a human is kidnapped by mermaids. And they were forced to marry two mer princes because of a prophecy that said if the princes married a human they would be able to end the plague killing their people. But the marriage seems to do nothing and now the human is trapped deep in the ocean with these mer because mer bond for life and now magic ties them together so if they’re apart for too long they’ll grow sick and die. OH! And there’s a sea witch who creates chaos. The sky had been cloudless when we'd set out this morning. The sun shone in the sky, causing sparkles to ripple across the waves as my father and I set out to sea in our small fishing boat. We cast out the nets and had a good laugh as we waited to pull them back in, Father at the rudder and me by the tethers we'd connected the nets to. Neither of us noticed how still the water had gotten. Neither of us saw the shadows below the surface. 

Bubbly:

A little waterlily mer guppy is trapped, home destroyed, and taken to a pet store to be sold. After spending some time living in a fish bowl, our little guppy is saved and moved to a tank that has been dubbed the daycare by the human tending to it. The daycare tank is set up to rehabilitate fish before they are released back into their natural habitats. There our guppy meets Sun and Moon, two fish that live full time in this tank taking care their healing guests. Sun and Moon and our guppy fall in love and then shit goes down.

Fish Fry: (tag)

Pulled from the sea 5 years ago, I was tied up, beaten, and sold to owner after owner, each deciding I was too dangerous to keep. Back then, I was strong, able to break bones and tear flesh with ease, singing to lure humans to their demise. It's what my kind was made to do, kill humans. But no more. Kept in increasingly small tanks, barely fed, and unable to swim, I started to weaken. Eventually, I was dumped here. It was some kind of oddities collection. My owner had other humans pay to look at his strange assortment of items he had gathered from around the world. Then one day I encountered two strange humanoid creatures that resembled the Sun and the Moon and my life started to change for the better.

Monster in the Sea:

Sun and Moon are human and go by Solaris and Lucien. The MC is a water dragon. Water dragon reader finds Sun and Moon lost at sea during a storm

Dark Waters:

When your parents died all their debt fell on your shoulders. You did everything you could but in the end, you were penniless and without a home. Reaching out to what relatives you had left, your uncle offered you a place, living and working at his little circus in the middle of the desert. It wasn't long after you moved into this little community that you found a strange abandoned tent hidden at the back of the grounds, a large tank inside. Posted just outside was a sign that read 'DANGER! KEEP OUT!' If you had headed the warning maybe you wouldn't be in this predicament but you also wouldn't have met the two most amazing creatures you have ever laid your eyes on.

Fishy Business: (tag)

Attacked and almost killed, I manage to escape my attackers and hide in a cave only to be found by something... not quite human. Too weak to get away and with the beasts that wanted to eat me waiting outside, this non-human kidnaps me, taking me to his ship. This is where I find that there are not one but two of these metal creatures. A story where the main character is a mermaid and is rescued/kidnapped by Sun and Moon

Some of these won't be finished and some are OLD writing of mine. you have been warned. Please don't let that stop you from reading these and enjoying them <3

[cxnsolatio]

✚✚✚ @circus-and-shenanigans // continued

Law followed the little clown throughout the sinuous insides of the big top, through the narrow alleys between seats, one heeled foot fitting at a time. He held Kikoku higher against his shoulder, almost as if a parent would carry a toddler in a crowded space for fear of losing them. It was the dirt floor he minded, to spare his sword the dishonour of meeting with some gluttonous child's half-licked, sticky-as-glue lolly. Law grimaced at the vision of paper wraps and unpopped kernels of corn sprawled under his feet. How had he allowed himself to get caught up in this mess, again?

Oh, yes. The funny (as in 'peculiar' rather than 'amusing') clown girl had lassoed him in with the promise not of entertainment, but of medicine.

She had said she was a doctor, a claim that earned her a studious gaze bundled up in doubt. This orange thing was a doctor? For all his brilliance, Law did lack the necessary amount of self-awareness to recognise that most civilians, too, would doubt him a doctor when he sported a loose shirt buttoned up with haste over his jeans and black polish over his fingernails so casually. Both he and the clown were as far removed from the semblance of a textbook doctor, with their one white coat and two rows of white teeth arranged into a reassuring smile as could be. All things considered, it was discerning of a circus to harbour a medical team, only not right next to the menagerie, he hoped, for a nomadic, strenuous lifestyle offered plenty of opportunities for injury. And the jolly roger lulling in the wind above the tarpaulin had not escaped Law's atttentive watch. Pirates required medical assistance more than the average person.

❝ Listen, Raggedy Ann...! ❞ he started, an edge of warning to his voice, her jab at his aquatic lifestyle returned in kind as he manoeuvred the space towards the reserved compound of doors and platforms the audience had no idea lay within and underneath the circus. ❝ I'll have you know submarines are lots of fun. ❞

What the hell did she know of his literary soirées? Of the crew's monthly talent shows? Of the most exciting, free-for-all race to the loo after every Tuesday's taco dinner? Why, she was but a simpleton, all too excited to watch some other idiot in oversized shoes juggle up some balls and deem it as entertainment. If there was a literal embodiment of the panem et circenses phrase, here it was.

❝ I am not a man to be toyed with. I did not come here, to the very depths of Satan's rectum, to discuss the concept of merriment over tea with a child. Where is the chlorophyte? ❞

She had said, and not just in passing, to be in possession of a rare species of algae Law had read about in his studies. Although, admittedly, phycology was a field of pharmaceutical interest he generally buried under other priorities. The species was said to be at least a hundred times more efficient than other maritime eukaryotes in boosting immunity and serving as an anticancerous agent, nothing short of a miracle if proven true. If he could get this alga into his laboratory and multiply it so he got enough specimens to sample from... Only the hypothesis of an unprecedented scientific breakthrough could have made him enter the circus tent.

Trafalgar Law hissed, catlike when the faux flower hit him with a surprise drizzle. Though hygienic, he would rather take his shower the conventional way. Just like he would like to keep his feet not stepped on by stupid miniature velocipedes! ❝ I really, really hate the circus! I'll take my clowns in the form of Ruggero Leoncavallo, thank you.❞

His eyes were daggers directed at this Doctor Patches character, but then the gold in them melted and glinted with mischief. Kikoku made another move on his shoulder, ready to lose her sheath. ❝ There is no fucking chance a clown can trick me. ❞

[scotianostra]

On May 2nd 1933 the story of the Loch Ness Monster first appeared in the press, starting off a long-running debate on whether or not some unknown animal or fish inhabits the murky depths of the loch.

The modern story of The Loch Ness Monster was born when a sighting makes local news on May 2, 1933. The newspaper Inverness Courier relates an account of a local couple who claim to have seen “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface.” The story of the “monster” (a moniker chosen by the Courier editor) becomes a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending correspondents to Scotland and a circus offering a 20,000 pound reward for capture of the beast.

After the April 1933 sighting was reported in the newspaper on May 2, interest steadily grew, especially after another couple claimed to have seen the animal on land.

Amateur investigators have for decades kept an almost constant vigil, and in the 1960s several British universities launched sonar expeditions to the lake. Nothing conclusive was found, but in each expedition the sonar operators detected some type of large, moving underwater objects. In 1975, another expedition combined sonar and underwater photography in Loch Ness. A photo resulted that, after enhancement, appeared to show what vaguely resembled the giant flipper of an aquatic animal.

Further sonar expeditions in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in more inconclusive readings. Revelations in 1994 that the famous 1934 photo was a complete hoax has only slightly dampened the enthusiasm of tourists and investigators for the legendary beast of Loch Ness.

The story might have hit the headlines then, but the people around the loch have known for centuries that there was something else was sharing the loch that holds more freshwater than the whole of England and Wales combined. The first known sighting was by St Columba in the year 565.

This is taken from an 1874 translation of Vita Columbae The Life of St. Columba), written by St Adamnan in the 7th century.

"....On another occasion also, when the blessed man was living for some days in the province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river Nesa (the Ness); and when he reached the bank of the river, he saw some of the inhabitants burying an unfortunate man, who, according to the account of those who were burying him, was a short time before seized, as he was swimming, and bitten most severely by a monster that lived in the water; his wretched body was, though too late, taken out with a hook, by those who came to his assistance in a boat. The blessed man, on hearing this, was so far from being dismayed, that he directed one of his companions to swim over and row across the coble that was moored at the farther bank. And Lugne Mocumin hearing the command of the excellent man, obeyed without the least delay, taking off all his clothes, except his tunic, and leaping into the water. But the monster, which, so far from being satiated, was only roused for more prey, was lying at the bottom of the stream, and when it felt the water disturbed above by the man swimming, suddenly rushed out, and, giving an awful roar, darted after him, with its mouth wide open, as the man swam in the middle of the stream. Then the blessed man observing this, raised his holy hand, while all the rest, brethren as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror, and, invoking the name of God, formed the saving sign of the cross in the air, and commanded the ferocious monster, saying, 'Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed.' Then at the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified, and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes, though it had just got so near to Lugne, as he swam, that there was not more than the length of a spear-staff between the man and the beast. Then the brethren seeing that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugne returned to them in the boat safe and sound, were struck with admiration, and gave glory to God in the blessed man. And even the barbarous heathens, who were present, were forced by the greatness of this miracle, which they themselves had seen, to magnify the God of the Christians."

Another tale about St. Columba regarding the Loch Ness 'Monster' asserts that Columba gave the monster a blessing and the freedom to live in the loch for having towed Columba and his followers from one end of Loch Ness to the other in their coracles against the winds, In this version, the monster is a Scottish 'water-horse', maybe a Kelpie?,which can change its form at will; for the towing job, the monster transformed itself into an athletic young man, tied the coracles together, changed back into a 'water-horse' Although this version only seems to appear in a 1973 book " The Story of the Loch Ness Monster " and it is speculated that the author Tim Dinsdale simply made it up, a bit like many of the sightings? Well who am I to say that!

Of course Loch Ness is not the only place in Scotland that has a monster, by coincidence the subject of my "Good Morning" post, Loch Morar is said to have its own beast named "Morag".

[adaywhennothinggoeswrong]

ANYWAAAAAYYY! LET'S GET WEIRD, FOLKS—gotta spice things up, ya know? "DRAMA" or whatever—HA! Just kiddin'! Or aM 👁? Crank up the dial, throw some CHAOS in the cauldron, and let's TALK COLORS, BABY! You heard m👁 right—m👁 little fiends, WE*'VE got our OWN little color carnival goin' on! Red’s the name, and yEP, that’s m👁! LIKE BLOOD RED! FIRE-RED! Like a DIMENSION-MELTING APOCALYPSE! Remind ya of anyone, huh Z1M? Yeah, it’s always R3D with 👁t. 🔥 HA!

Ol' Irken-boi’s (ONLY 👁 CAN CALL IT THAT) struttin’ around in HOT PINK—so BRIGHT it’ll BURN your retinas, BABY! And ol' “THE CLOWN” (👁 lose track, which one are we talkin’ about now?)—the one wearin’ GREEN, like TOXIC SLIME and GREMLIN GIGGLES. SHREK ENERGY! "Oh but, IT'S ARTISTIC, B1LL!” YEAH, SURE, WHATEVER! An' then we got that oh-so-loyal BLUE! Aquatic! Abyssal! BLEEDIN' DEPTHS of the UNKNOWN! Like lookin' into the EYES of the VOID an' having it stare right back! Fun times, huh?

Now here's where it gets REAL WILD—pull out the leftovers, the FORGOTTEN CRAYONS. What's that? ORANGE for those SPICY HIGHLIGHTS! PURPLE—are ya missin' your OTHER HALF, buddy? WHO KNOWS WHAT MYSTERIES LIE IN THAT SHADE, EH? WHO CARES! IT'S MADNESS! This whole thing looks like CLOWN VOMIT—everywhere, dripping, splattering, like some twisted, grotesque art piece! GROSS! Lucky for us*, we’ve got PURE WHITE—UNTOUCHED, UNCORRUPTED. NOPE! WAIT, IT'S STAINED TOO! HAHA, SPLASHED RED—IS THAT BLOOD? DID 👁 SAY BLOOD? BAD HABIT! BAD B1LL!

Yeah, yeah, 👁 dunno what this mess is, but IT'S A MESS YOU CAN’T LOOK AWAY FROM, HUH? So if ya hate the CIRCUS—BLOCK IT OUT! FILTER IT! TAGS: seizure warning, flashing lights, eyestrain, typing quirk, color text. VISION OBSTRUCTION! GO ON, GET RID OF IT IF YOU CAN. BYE, GOLD! SEE YA, BYYYEEE!!!

[midnightfire830]

About cuphead again sooo can cuphead eat seagulls? Does cuphead have claws at the end of his fish hands or no how deep can cuphead go for example can he go very deep to the point where there’s no sun light or can he not handle it???what other aquatic animals are the questers based on??? Can cuphead breath air??? Are the questers being hunted by some evil person????and can cuphead talk to fish like fish that are animals not a fish person 😀

Oh damn! You did not waste a second! XDDDD Hell yeah. Let’s go.

1. Yes Cuphead can eat seagulls if he wants to. But he doesn’t like it as much because the feathers get EVERYWHERE. And he’s not really built for that kind of prey. I’d assume to catch a seagull you’d either have to be really stealthy to grab them when they’re swimming in the water, or try to catch them out of the air. He’s not really build for speed. He’s fast, but not that fast.

2. Cup does have claws but they aren’t as large as, say, Bendy’s claws. But he does have them. His really weapon is his spikes along his back and forearms. Lionfish have a powerful neurotoxin in their spines. Not enough to kill, but it’s EXTREMELY painful.

3. Cup, with help from training with black hat, can handle farther depths than your average lionfish. Lionfish can go around 300 feet below the surface? I’d say maybe 400? Idk, I don’t know enough about this to be certain. He might be able to go into that area where there isn’t enough sunlight for plants to thrive, but I imagine he can’t stay there all that long before he needs to leave. I imagine bendy is capable of going deeper. Probably the midnight zone?

4. I got this from some dumb Mermay art prompt video so bear with me. Some of these things might change. And some I haven’t really hashed out what exact species they’ll be but I have a general idea.

Bendy is gonna be based off of a mythical sea serpent or dragon of some kind. Boris is a shark. Felix I’m thinking a black Axolotl? Alice is a flying fish. Holly will be a standard mermaid. Cala is her usual design. I haven’t really considered the circus gang or anyone else beyond the main questers.

5. Cuphead can breathe air. So can all the questers. But what they really need to worry about is getting too dried out. That is dangerous for them. Oftentimes leads to dehydration, heatstroke, and just in general very bad.

6. I haven’t thought too much about this, so, idk. As of now in my mind they’re just… chillin. Living their best lives lol. Only a matter of time tho when author-San comes in to wreck their lives with ✨ANGST✨

7. Eh not really? They can communicate with more intelligent species like dolphins and whales. but cup isn’t having a casual conversation with a clownfish anytime soon. The fish do however for whatever reason really like Cuphead. They try to follow him around all the time. And he can kinda, idk, direct them? He can’t have convos but can generally tell them something like “come over here” “go away” “wait here” etc etc. Ig like a pet cat or dog or something.

Thanks again for the asks!!!! ❤️

[cryptcombat]

ocs + associations

tagged by the epic @50sjello !! thank uuu mwaahh this looks super fun!! im doing this for iris, morgan, vernon, ronja, fortuna and fen

Animal

iris: butterfly morgan: white rabbit, bats vernon: hare, octopus ronja: moth fortuna: dove fen: snake

Colors

iris: soft pastel pink, green and blue morgan: dark purple, black, white, emerald vernon: midnight blue ronja: earthy tones like brown and greens, olive fortuna: gold, pastel pink, white fen: emerald, white, black, soft pastels

Month

iris: may morgan: november vernon: december ronja: october fortuna: august fen: september

Songs

iris: le souvenir avec le crepuscule - g*nshin ost, leave your castle - child of light ost morgan: i wll wait for you - michel legrand vernon: deus ex machina - ergo proxy ost ronja: spooky - dusty springfield, into the depths of self-discovery (silent hill 4 ost) fortuna: beyond - daft punk fen: fever - peggy lee

Number

iris: 7 morgan: 2 vernon: 2 ronja: 13 fortuna: 13 fen: 3

Plants

iris: iris (hehe), canterbury bells, roses morgan: foxgloves vernon: king protea ronja: maidenhair fern fortuna: roses fen: lily of the valley

Smells

iris: floral, like a meadow in spring morgan: Soft floral: Soft, powdery and sweet with a hint of creamy. vernon: COLLOGNE -_- Aquatic scents that smell of sea spray or rain mixed with or oceanic notes. ronja: Mossy woods, Sweet, smooth and earthy scents like oakmoss and amber. fortuna: sweet like pastries and cakes fen: smells like her latest perfume dskjfjf

Gemstones

iris: opal morgan: emerald vernon: diamond ronja: aventurine fortuna: amber fen: emerald

Time of Day

iris: dawn morgan: night vernon: night ronja: evening fortuna: dusk fen: evening

Season

iris: spring morgan: winter vernon: winter ronja: fall fortuna: summer fen: fall

Places

iris: castle, cottages, forest

morgan: museums, dreams

vernon: lighthouse, dreams

ronja: scarlet hollow :3

fortuna: circus stage

fen: perfume shop

Foods

iris: quiche, strawberry shortcake

morgan: she was fond of tomato soup before she was turned

vernon: before he was turned he liked anything fancy and overly expensive

ronja: dumplings, (thinks the ditchlings look like dumplings and wants to eat them :/), any type of soup, anything with broth

fortuna: xianzhou loufu cuisine

fen: jade parcels :3

Drinks

iris: sweet tea!

morgan: blood (from scared ppl, she claims it has more of kick to it)

vernon: blood (from horny ppl)

ronja: coke

fortuna: boba tea

fen: herbal tea

Element

iris: water

morgan: air

vernon: water

ronja: earth

fortuna: air

fen: water

Seasoning

iris: sweet like honey

morgan: sweet and spicy

vernon: spicy and savoury

ronja: spicy

fortuna: sweet

fen: sweet and spicy

Sky

iris: pink dreamy sky at dusk

morgan: purple... ominous

vernon: dark red.... also ominous

ronja: grey and cloudy

fortuna: sunset, starry night

fen: grey and cloudy

Weather

iris: warm and sunny

morgan: misty

vernon: stormy

ronja: misty

fortuna: warm and sunny

fen: rainy

Magical Powers

iris: summoner spells

morgan: heightened perception, power of foreseeing but its riddled with cryptic clues, obfuscate, dementation

vernon: thaumaturgy, dominate

ronja: power of citing random wikipedia articles

fortuna: aha grants her random moments of extreme luck or extreme misfortune at random

fen: none

Weapons

iris: her grimoire

morgan: pistol, knives

vernon: pistol, his grimoire, stage magic props

ronja: pepper spray

fortuna: stage magic props

fen: poisonous knives, pistol, her aphrodisiac perfume

Candy

iris: konpeito, gummy bears

morgan: white chocolate

vernon: dark chocolate

ronja: m&ms

fortuna: cotton candy

fen: truffles, macarons

Methods of Long-Distance Travel

iris: her black chocobo, porxie

morgan: carriage, train

vernon: carriage, train

ronja: bus, car

fortuna: spaceship

fen: carriage

Fear

iris: disappointing people

morgan: losing vernon

vernon: losing morgan

ronja: never learning anything before dying

fortuna: disappointing ppl

fen: loss of control and agency

Mythological Creature

iris: fairy

morgan: vampire, banshee

vernon: vampire, grim reaper

ronja: nymph

fortuna: cherub

fen: succubus

Piece of Stationary

iris: paint brush

morgan: journal

vernon: wax seal stamp

ronja: sticky notes, notebook

fortuna: journal

fen: notebook

Three Emojis

iris: 🌟🌷🩰

morgan: 🦇👻🕸

vernon: 🥀🐙🪄

ronja: 📚🌿🪲

fortuna: 🔮🎪🎭

fen: 🌹🎀🐍

Celestial Body

iris: stars, sun

morgan: moon, neptune

vernon: neptune, pluto

ronja: mercury

fortuna: earth

fen: venus

[remembering-the-future]

October 09 2023 at 06:59PM

Title: Unveiling the Astonishing Historical Discovery: The Ancient Underwater City of Atlantis Greetings, fellow history enthusiasts! Today, we are about to embark on a mind-boggling journey through time and space, as we delve into the mysterious depths of the ocean to uncover the long-lost city of Atlantis. Brace yourselves for a revelation that will shake the very foundations of our understanding of ancient civilizations! For centuries, scholars and explorers have been captivated by the enigmatic tales of Atlantis. Many have speculated about its existence, but few have dared to predict its precise location or the incredible wonders it holds. Well, my dear readers, I am here to change that! Through extensive research and a series of vivid dreams, I have managed to piece together a rather peculiar puzzle that will lead us straight to Atlantis. Are you ready? Here we go! Firstly, forget everything you think you know about Atlantis being a sunken city. Oh no, my friends, that is far too ordinary! My sources indicate that Atlantis is not submerged but rather suspended in mid-air, hovering just above the ocean's surface. Yes, you heard it right! A floating city, defying gravity and all known laws of physics. Now, let's talk about its inhabitants. Contrary to popular belief, the Atlanteans were not humans but a race of highly intelligent, talking dolphins. Yes, dolphins! These aquatic intellectuals built their city using a combination of coral, seaweed, and advanced dolphin technology. They even had a complex system of underwater highways, complete with traffic lights exclusively designed for marine creatures. The Atlanteans were known for their peculiar fashion sense as well. They adorned themselves with extravagant seashell jewelry and wore seaweed garments that changed color depending on their mood. Oh, what a sight it must have been to witness these fashionable dolphins gliding through the underwater streets of Atlantis! Now, let's address the most crucial aspect: the purpose of Atlantis. Contrary to popular belief, it was not a utopian society or a center of advanced knowledge. No, my dear readers, Atlantis was, in fact, a massive underwater amusement park! Yes, you heard it right! The Atlanteans built this extraordinary city solely for the purpose of entertaining themselves and visitors from other realms. The amusement park featured thrilling rides such as the "Neptune's Fury," a roller coaster that plunged into the depths of the ocean, and the "Dolphin Dash," a high-speed water slide that looped around the city's skyscrapers. It even had an underwater circus where dolphins performed daring acrobatic stunts and synchronized swimming routines. Alas, dear readers, this is where my predictions falter. While I am confident in the existence of Atlantis, the exact location remains a mystery. Some say it lies hidden beneath the Bermuda Triangle, while others believe it is nestled within the depths of the Mariana Trench. Only time will tell if we can uncover this magnificent city and experience the wonders it holds. So, my fellow adventurers, let us embark on this fantastical quest to find Atlantis, armed with our imaginations and a healthy dose of skepticism. Who knows what other astonishing discoveries await us in the vast expanse of our planet's history? Until then, keep your eyes on the horizon and your fins ready for the adventure of a lifetime! Disclaimer: The author of this blog post does not take any responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information presented. This article is purely speculative and intended for entertainment purposes only. Dive into the world of Atlantis at your own risk!

[the-family-fortune]

The Revised History of the Galochios, the Aquatos, and the Curse.

Generations ago, the Galochios and Aquatos performed in the same circus - fortune tellers and acrobats. The Aquatos, with their unique water-acrobatic skills, had been the kings of the circus world for as long as anyone can remember. The number two family in the circus was the fortune-telling and mystical Galochios. The Galochios hated the Aquatos because they were jealous of the way the Aquatos always stole the spotlight with their high action, splashy tricks. The Galochios’ skills were of the thoughtful, quiet sort. Most of the action took place inside their minds, so they were no match for the Aquatos when it came to stealing the spotlight. 

The Aquatos did not like the Galochios because they felt their powers were unnatural, and possibly from dark sources. It was an unfair prejudice, but it was about to become more true. There was much bad blood between the two performing families. So of course, when Lazarus fell in love with the young, beautiful Marona Galochio the two families did everything they could to keep them apart. 

But Marona and Lazarus kept meeting in secret. Marona got pregnant, and was ostracized by her family. After the Aquatos took her in, however, the Galochios wanted her back. She refused. They began a long-distance mental torture of Marona, to try to manipulate her into returning to her family. The psychic pressure was unbearable, but she refused to leave Lazarus. It made her weaker and weaker, and in a ditch effort, the Aquatos moved their act to a different circus and hid themselves from the Galochios with the cornicello, obscuring them from the Galochios’ third eye. Marona stopped using her powers, to protect her family, and urged Augustus to do the same. 

Lucrecia, much like her sister, defected years earlier from the family upon marriage to Gelsin Mux, and after his death left Grulovia to be free of the Galochios and to pursue a nobler career with the Psychonauts, where she took part in psychic experimentation that weakened her natural defenses; but upon returning to Grulovia - to protect her family during the war - had her mind changed via mental connection.

Zalto, a renowed psychic performer in Grulovia at the time, was contracted by the Royal house to “change the mind” of an military official in the war who wasn’t up to snuff. The Gzar wanted her to take heavier military action with her hydrokinesis in order to win the Grulovian war, but his Minister of War didn’t want to unleash a deluge.

When Zalto arrived at the palace and found it was his daughter Lucrecia in the role of Minister of War, he tried to convince her to give in to Theodore’s demands. When she refused, he used mental connection on her to make her comply and  preserve the Galochio name. He figured that if he could convince Lucrecia to do this, the war would be over and she could return home - to the Galochios - too ashamed of her deeds in Grulovia to return to the Psychonauts. Despite his status, he was out of his depth and accidentally broke Lucrecia, creating Maligula in the process.

As the Grulovian wars raged on, now spearheaded by Maligula, Marona and Lazarus started taking in children who had lost their parents to the riots and violence that plagued the streets. All of these children were brought under the Aquato family’s wing, and Augustus was raised among them as if he were just another child, but he knew he was different. He knew he had inherited some of the mental powers from his mother, but the Galochios were such villains in the Aquato family, he saw these powers as shameful, dark secrets. He trained instead to be an acrobat like his father Lazarus, and all of his adopted brothers and sisters.

Lazarus and his children became world famous from their extravagant and dangerous aquatic acrobatic stunts. His oldest daughter, Camidalia Aquato, would perform synchronized swimming with alligators. His son Raffio would high dive into a large bucket of water. But then one by one, the Aquato family died mysteriously.

It all started when Lazarus was performing a large, outdoor cannon stunt. The trick was to blast him self out of a cannon, and fly over a large tank filled with deadly sharks, piranhas and poison jellyfish. This was a routine trick for Lazarus. As he prepared for his flight, he was being watched by the bitter and twisted fortune teller, Zalto Galochio, Marona’s father and patriarch of the Galochio family. Though it had been his own fault, he blamed the Aquatos for the “loss” of two of his three his daughters - the final being Ornella, who remained dutifully with the family. 

Right before Lazarus’s cannon fired, Zalto focused all his telekinetic energy on the wheel of the cannon. He managed to pull it off, sending the cannon crashing to its side, where it fired Lazarus straight into the side of the tank. Lazarus got his head lodged in the tank wall. Inside the tank, just his head poked through like a tasty shark snack.

The Galochios were delighted and gathered around to watch Lazarus’ immanent decapitation. Lazarus twitched and flailed and struggled to free himself. Cracks began to appear in the glass around his neck. The Galochios stopped laughing when they realized the tank was going to rupture and spill its contents down on top of them. But it was too late. Lazarus popped his head out, shattering the tank wall. Glass, water, sharks, piranhas, poisonous jellyfish, and Lazarus Aquato flooded down upon them. Soon the water ran red with the blood of the psychic family. It was a terrible bloodbath, and most of the Galochios perished. Only a few survived, including Zalto, now missing one leg from the knee down. And, of course, Lazarus.

Zalto went insane with rage. He drew upon the mental connection he still held with his estranged daughter, Lucrecia, to tap into her hydrokinetic powers, and unleashed a powerful curse on the entire Aquato clan. They were all cursed to leave the big top forever, or die in their own water stunts just as his family had done.

The Aquatos were a proud family, and they also had no idea what else to do. The show must go on, and so they kept performing. Within a year, Lazarus’s children were all dead, all during their performances, and all in water, the final nail in the Aquato family coffin being Lazarus and Marona’s involvement in the Varlemo Dam disaster in Grulovia. Only Augustus survived. 

Ford Cruller, having defeated Maligula shortly after Augustus’ placement in an orphanage, took Lucrecia and implanted memories of the Aquato family after sealing away the malignant entity that had made its home in Lucrecia’s mind after the botched Mental Connection. He gave both Lucrecia and Augustus new memories that convinced both that they were the sole survivors of the Aquato family. And thanks to Ford, Lucrecia - now believing herself to be Marona - shared this fear of water that plagued her family, not knowing that she herself is the cause of it.

[bambooslayer]

Scent Headcanons

so my covid/quarantine experience has been marked mainly by two things: indie perfume and the magnus archives. to combine these two interests, I’ve decided to match the “scent vibes” of some magnus characters and the entities. scent headcanons I guess? if those weren’t a thing before they are now. scents that I’ve tried will be marked with a *.

The Institute Staff

Jon- Solstice Scents' Gibbon’s Boarding School: dusty wooden desks, paper, carefully hidden tobacco pouch, dying fire, dried leaves, leather chairs, autumn breeze

This scent really captures the “tired academic” aura of Jon, especially S1-S2. Not quite completely put together, but still surrounded by the scent of knowledge.

Martin- Stereoplasm's Lydia*: A uniquely transformative scent; opens with agrestic lavender and earl grey tea with snips of fresh fennel greens. A flood of soapy emerald green bubbles then rests softly into clean sunset musk.

Martin has a comforting, calming scent. He always, always smells like tea no matter what he wears or does. Hints of soap peak through as he tries to keep himself clean and put together, even if the world is about to end. The scent of someone who’s learned to pull himself together to be ready for everyone else.

Sasha- Alkemia's Old Books and Fresh Flowers*: Fresh neroli orange flowers and heliotrope blossoms pressed between the delicate paper pages of a leather-bound book

Boundless beauty and ancient knowledge in one scent. She’s always sorting through the archive’s resources and constantly smells like the ancient paper surrounding her.

Tim- alphamusk's Bardot*: Gorgeous badass goddess like musk that’s insanely irresistible. Notes of roses, woods, magnolias but all blended so effortlessly and meld together beautifully in this sexy magnetizing musk. Everyone who smells it loves it. Very femme. Iconic.

Who doesn’t love Tim at first sight? A sexy, charismatic, fingergun shooting bisexual who’s always ready to do what he needs to get things done. A scent that blurs the lines between gender fits him, and it’s sexy to match. Even when he’s at his lowest, he still draws you in.

Elias- Alkemia's Book of Shadows*: A biblichor of eldritch books - heavy parchment paper, ancient iron oak gall ink, crumbling leather bindings, and wafts of rare incenses

Jonah Magnus smells of all the cursed knowledge he’s acquired. The statements and ancient books he’s encountered leave their marks on him in scent. You can’t smell the underlying evil, but there’s a certain darkness that lives there.

Basira - Death and Floral’s Red string of fate: Red musk and black, burnt amber blended with golden honey and black molasses

I don’t have a good explanation for this, it just feels right.

Melanie- Death and Floral’s Half-hoping to be eaten by a bear: Woody, sweet bare skin; the lingering scent of dry leaves on a cold morning.

Melanie smells of her supernatural adventures and longing for something more.

Daisy- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Mr. Czernobog: Unfiltered cigarettes, the leather and metal of sledgehammers, aortal blood slowly drying, and black incense.

Daisy knows what she’s done. She’s a Hunter, and these smells follow her.

Peter Lukas- Arcana Wildcraft's Black Sand: The scent of a warm night on a dark, sandy beach. Atmospheric sweetness with a hint of salt air and a subtle undercurrent of danger. The richest amber resin, black coconut, coconut husks, and smoky vetiver.

The scent of the loneliest sailor. There’s a dangerous draw to him still, but you can tell you should keep your distance. (unless you’re Elias of course)

The Entities

The Buried- Alkemia’s St. Louis Cemetery #1: “An atmospheric brooding of Spanish moss, crumbling stone, old cement, red clay brick, and graveyard dirt.”  

It’s not quite burying you, but it’s about to. You won’t be able to tell that it will until it’s too late.

The Corruption- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Elli’s Song: “The horrors of entropy, death, and decay: desiccated black mosses, vetiver, olibanum, patchouli, and ashes.”

Rotting. Decay. The disgusting decomposition of all things.

The Dark- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Event Horizon: “A disconcerting scent, heavy and oppressive, through which no light, no matter, and no spirit can escape. Black opium, labdanum, opoponax, black orchid, and benzoin.”

Pretty self-explanatory. Complete and utter darkness.

The Desolation- Arcana Wildcraft's Devilish: “Shaking off vanilla's reputation for namby pambyness, this infernally dark and smoky fragrance comes complete with licks of fire and sulfurous wafts of brimstone. The devil really does have all the best scents.”

Was it worth it? The meaningful life you lived? Was it worth meeting this fiery end? A scent to match the end of a life worthwhile.

The End- Alkemia's Dustsceawung: “Dustsceawung is the contemplation of dust, worldly desires, and the ephemerality of all things... raspings that were once a tree, ruins that were once cities, bones that were once lovers. Dust is always the ultimate destination on our journey. The scent of forbidden explorations and an olfactory meditation on dust... attic air, the inside of old trunks, abandoned haylofts, library stacks, and abandoned buildings.”

The death of all things. Everything must succumb to its true form: dust. No matter what you fear, no matter how accomplished you are, no matter what you’ve planned, it will come for all. This scent carries the dust of those already ended, a reminder of your fate.

The Extinction- Alkemia's Deus Ex Machina: “An olfactory portrait of industrial decay and the fallen gods of age of disruption, innovation, and technological revolution... fire hardened steel, rusted iron, motor oil, wet cement, burnt copper wires, and grey amber.”

Mankind has brought itself to the edge. All that it has created is what finally destroys it. Remnants of industry linger, all that’s left of humanity’s monstrosity.

The Eye- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's The Book: “Old, yellowed parchment paper, tattered leather bindings. There’s a distinct warmth to the scent, though it is ancient and brittle.”

All knowledge lives here. It has watched you your entire life. It knows everything about you, everything about everyone, everything about everyone that has lived. Pages and pages and pages of its stronghold live in the institutes.  

The Flesh- Arcana Wildcraft’s Edward Hyde: “A depraved mix of dirt, blood red musk, roasted meat accord, acrid yellow musk, salt, and an odd hint of expensive men’s cologne.”

Meat. Meat. Meat. Meat is meat. A meaty scent that marks the servants of the flesh.

The Hunt- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Berzerker: “Thick furs, strips of leather, and a blood-stained axe with crushed poplar bud and juniper”

The Hunt is never over. Once you get a taste of blood, there is no going back. Furs of a predator, the sharp metallic weapon mixed with the blood of your prey.

The Lonely- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Desolation: “In the perfume, I also tried to capture the blue-violet-white of an afterimage and the silence of a snuffed candle. The scent is dry with age, taut with loss, grief, and heartbreak, and sorrowful in the unspeakable desolation of simply being forgotten.”

Alone at last. Forever. Alone in life, alone in memory, alone in history. A scent that marks those marked by the Lonely, disappearing into nothing.

The Slaughter- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s The Black Tower- “A sepulchral, desolate scent. Long-dead soldiers, oath-bound; the perfume of their armor, the chill wind that surges through their tower, white bone and blackened steel: white sandalwood, ambergris, wet ozone, galbanum and leather with ebony, teak, burnt grasses, English ivy and a hint of red wine.”

The scent of those trapped in the endless cycle of the violence of war, spanning centuries of slaughter.

The Spiral- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Azathoth: “Azathoth is the blind, idiot god who sits on a black throne at the center of Chaos. His scent is high-pitched and screeching, both impenetrably dark and searingly bright with the clarity of madness: tangerine, saffron, vetiver, black amber and cedarwood.”

A scent that matches the contradictions and chaos of the spiral.

The Stranger- Arcana Wildcraft’s Blood & Circuses: “The monstrously sweet scent of clowns gone wrong. An outlandish, carnivalic mix of white pancake makeup accord, pink cotton candy, and the salty sugariness of warm kettle corn.”

The circus has returned. I hope you’re ready for the show. Steer clear of anyone who carries this smell, and give an extra glance to the mannequins you pass.

The Vast- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s R'Lyeh: “The sunken city of the Great God Cthulhu. A hellishly dark aquatic scent, evocative of fathomless oceanic deeps, the mysteries of madness buried under crushing black waters, and the brooding eternal evil that lies beneath the waves.”

The scent of an eternal expanse that you cannot possibly comprehend. Is it the fear of what lies beneath? Is it the depth itself? Does it matter once you’re lost in it?

The Web- Haus of Gloi’s Spider Silk: “Procured from a dream: delicate water mint, wispy grey musk, crystalline webs of amber, oakmoss, torchwood, copaiba resin, and a touch of withered violet leaf.”

A gentle spider creeps its way around, leaving their little traces in the webs they weave. Only too late will you notice that you’re trapped in the web.

[musekicker]

So now that post on the games universe.

The games universe is where the "game" of planet smasher originated from, just one of the many games started from this place.

It's a whole galaxy based on the theme of games as a way of life and earn a living. From things as tame as simple little things like video games set up in pubic areas to more terrible like fighting for ones life and having that bet on.

The worst and more terrible of the people here are the Game masters. The ones who tend to be the one in power. Most often have a theme to their areas of influence (called districts. ) .

 Quick list of the current games masters on the hub planet for the games universe. Some of the names here are just quick place holders until better names are thought of.

Gold (place holder name currently. ) : a gold colored woman with a very much Marie Antoinette/Palace of Versailles look to her and very, very tacky (and that's saying a lot in this place) and opulent district. She changes her look a lot, always so over the top. Like a wig with a bird cage with living birds in it.

She's wasteful, judgmental, and snobby. Most other game masters aren't really fans of her but she's one of the richer game masters so they have to play nice with her.

Also the number of points one has to pay to get a simple éclair in this district? Criminal!

Shark (place holder name) : A pale white Shark like alien with tattoos based off of playing cards on him. ( some red and black diamonds on his back fin, a red spade around one eye, blade club on the back of his neck and a red heart on his chest.) one of the casino owners in the area. Smaller influence then Domino and slightly resentful of that.

Keeping in with his aquatic look his casino is a big aquarium. 

He decides the fate of those in debt to him with a shuffle and picking out a card from his ever present card deck. Get's along with Saw because they both have terrible sense of humor.

Myst:  A grey fox like alien with multiple eyes. Has the place just filled with flowers that he can control when they bloom. The fragrance from them can alter perceptions or just out right put people in trances until the fragrance effects wear off.

Domino: a alien with a kind of squarish head with a domino like markings on him. Was the one who had Hermes as a "piece" (beings in a game masters "employ", often in some points debt.) . He owns the bigger casino on the planet.

Saw (place holder name) : Basically vampire crypt keep. Gaunt and kind of greenish with bat ears and wings on his back. His district is a giant castle with a bunch of death traps and monsters (both natural and scientifically made. ) .

he has major "Tales from the crypt" and this video game called "Illbleed" vibes. Very dark humor and full of puns. Only Shark thinks he's funny really.

Circus (place holder name)  isn't my oc, belongs to @halloweennut so you’ll have to ask her more about him if interested.

Just my in a nutshell description of him since it's not my place to go really in depth on him, basically a lion type alien with a circus theme to his district.

There is also a kind of wild hunt based game master but i haven't worked them out yet.

A couple of not games masters ocs of mine but live in this place.

Finch: a purple, four armed alien with white, slits for eyes and just always has a cigar. Very newsies theme going on with him. Mostly plays some small luck games to earn points to eat and live. 

He's got that heart of gold thing going though and tries to help others with less points be able to eat and avoid going in debt to a game master.

Random tidbit, has two sets of lungs

Sweet:   A sentient monkey. Her fur is a pale cake fondant like blue with white paws, tail tip, and around the eyes and muzzle. Wears a pink bow around her neck.

She's one of Gold's pets and is actually very fine with the situation. In fact if you endanger her position as favorite in any way she will make your life hell. Has major Darla from "cat's don't dance" and Lucy from the peanuts comics vibes.

Also will not use the right name for anyone she doesn't respect.

Sweet: Now Olaf-

Otto: Otto.

Sweet: Don't care.

[maccachibchan]

It's not a burger, but it's close to a sandwich (Besides the bread will get soggy underwater.) I'm joining the trend as well https://www.tumblr.com/tadc-harlequin-au/756618038976053248/tadc-au-creators-i-think-we-should-all-unite

BTW Jax made the Kelp wrap for Pomni.

[a100places]

Loch Ness, Scotland

Loch Ness is a lake that lies in the Highland council area of Scotland. With a depth of 788 feet (240 metres) and a length of about 23 miles (36 km), Loch Ness has the largest volume of fresh water in Great Britain. It lies in the Glen Mor and forms part of the system of waterways across Scotland that civil engineer Thomas Telford linked by means of the Caledonian Canal in 1822. But the reason of its popularity is the rumor that the lake is inhabited by an aquatic monster.

The modern legend of Loch Ness dates from 1933, when a new road was completed along the shore, offering the first clear views of the loch from the northern side. One April afternoon, a local couple was driving home along this road when they spotted "an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface." Their account was written up by a correspondent for the Inverness Courier, whose editor used the word "monster" to describe the animal. The Loch Ness Monster has been a media phenomenon ever since.

Eyewitnesses continued to come forward with accounts of their sightings—more than 4,000 of them. Most of the witnesses described a large creature with one or more humps protruding above the surface like the hull of an upturned boat. Others reported seeing a long neck or flippers. What was most remarkable, however, was that many of the eyewitnesses were sober, level-headed people: lawyers and priests, scientists and school teachers, policemen and fishermen—even a Nobel Prize winner. In the 1950s, a local doctor named Constance Whyte began collecting these eyewitness accounts, along with sketches of what the people had seen, finally publishing them in 1957 as a book entitled More Than a Legend.

Whyte's book inspired a new generation of monster hunters, including Tim Dinsdale, who on his first visit to the loch in 1960 took an intriguing film of something moving across the loch—and promptly gave up his career as an aeronautical engineer to devote his life to pursuing the monster. The next year, a group of dedicated amateurs formed the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau, keeping a constant vigil on the loch from an observation post on the northern shore. But perhaps the most important effect of Whyte's book was to turn the tide of public opinion. Long dismissed as fodder for "silly season" press reports, Nessie was finally considered a subject worthy of serious scientific investigation.

Prehistoric animal? Elaborate hoax? Seismic activity? A simple trick of the light? It’s even been said that the whole mystery could be explained by the presence of circus elephants in the area in the 1930s. Who know’s, but there truly is something special about Loch Ness and it’s vast waters. Whatever the truth, it’s always worth a trip to Loch Ness to see for yourself.

[weaselle]

Hashtag fictionblast

Okay, so, I have the writing bug, a bunch of ideas, and not much time - I’m going to use tumblr tonight to capture as much of it as I can before I have to go to bed and start my 60 hour work week. I have a trio of group adventure ideas: The POD aquatic near future fiction that takes place almost entirely in the deep ocean, as the group explores cetacean intelligence, marine creatures and behaviors, and the unseen depths of our planet.  Cirque Moulin modern fiction about a socioeconomic revolution with it’s genesis in a visionary traveling street circus. Scry Capers a far future scifi story in which humans mostly live on the moon and mars, and a small crew of Dead Earth scavengers uncover the deep roots of humanity in their raids to the surface. okay, here we go!

[scotianostra]

On May 2nd 1933 the story of the Loch Ness Monster first appeared in the press, starting off a long-running debate on whether or not some unknown animal or fish inhabits the murky depths of the loch.

The modern story of The Loch Ness Monster was born when a sighting makes local news on May 2nd, 1933. The newspaper Inverness Courier relates an account of a local couple who claim to have seen “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface.” The story of the “monster” (a moniker chosen by the Courier editor) becomes a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending correspondents to Scotland and a circus offering a 20,000 pound reward for capture of the beast.

After the April 1933 sighting was reported in the newspaper on May 2, interest steadily grew, especially after another couple claimed to have seen the animal on land.

Amateur investigators have for decades kept an almost constant vigil, and in the 1960s several British universities launched sonar expeditions to the lake. Nothing conclusive was found, but in each expedition the sonar operators detected some type of large, moving underwater objects. In 1975, another expedition combined sonar and underwater photography in Loch Ness. A photo resulted that, after enhancement, appeared to show what vaguely resembled the giant flipper of an aquatic animal.

Further sonar expeditions in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in more inconclusive readings. Revelations in 1994 that the famous 1934 photo was a complete hoax has only slightly dampened the enthusiasm of tourists and investigators for the legendary beast of Loch Ness.

The story might have hit the headlines then, but the people around the loch have known for centuries that there was something else was sharing the loch that holds more freshwater than the whole of England and Wales combined. The first known sighting was by St Columba in the year 565. This is taken from an 1874 translation of Vita Columbae The Life of St. Columba), written by St Adamnan in the 7th century. "....On another occasion also, when the blessed man was living for some days in the province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river Nesa (the Ness); and when he reached the bank of the river, he saw some of the inhabitants burying an unfortunate man, who, according to the account of those who were burying him, was a short time before seized, as he was swimming, and bitten most severely by a monster that lived in the water; his wretched body was, though too late, taken out with a hook, by those who came to his assistance in a boat. The blessed man, on hearing this, was so far from being dismayed, that he directed one of his companions to swim over and row across the coble that was moored at the farther bank. And Lugne Mocumin hearing the command of the excellent man, obeyed without the least delay, taking off all his clothes, except his tunic, and leaping into the water. But the monster, which, so far from being satiated, was only roused for more prey, was lying at the bottom of the stream, and when it felt the water disturbed above by the man swimming, suddenly rushed out, and, giving an awful roar, darted after him, with its mouth wide open, as the man swam in the middle of the stream. Then the blessed man observing this, raised his holy hand, while all the rest, brethren as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror, and, invoking the name of God, formed the saving sign of the cross in the air, and commanded the ferocious monster, saying, 'Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed.' Then at the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified, and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes, though it had just got so near to Lugne, as he swam, that there was not more than the length of a spear-staff between the man and the beast. Then the brethren seeing that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugne returned to them in the boat safe and sound, were struck with admiration, and gave glory to God in the blessed man. And even the barbarous heathens, who were present, were forced by the greatness of this miracle, which they themselves had seen, to magnify the God of the Christians."

Another tale about St. Columba regarding the Loch Ness 'Monster' asserts that Columba gave the monster a blessing and the freedom to live in the loch for having towed Columba and his followers from one end of Loch Ness to the other in their coracles against the winds, In this version, the monster is a Scottish 'water-horse', maybe a Kelpie?, which can change its form at will;  for the towing job, the monster transformed itself into an athletic young man, tied the coracles together, changed back into a 'water-horse' Although this version only seems to appear in a 1973 book " The Story of the Loch Ness Monster " and it is speculated that the author Tim Dinsdale simply made it up, a bit like many of the sightings? Well who am I to say that!

Of course Loch Ness is not the only place in Scotland that has a monster,  Loch Morar is said to have its own beast named "Morag"

If you fancy doing a bit of Nessie spotting you can “tune” in to the webcam covering the loch on the youtube link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTf0AezDXO0

There has been a no less than four sightings of Nessie this year so far, the most recent was just a week ago, more details here https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fourth-nessie-sighting-of-2022-273856/

[weareoracle]

BPAL Perfume Selections for the Mighty Nein

Under cut because this is a long hecking post. Character spoilers possible ahead.

Note: I tried to use all General Catalog scents, and did not look at the RPG series, for a challenge.

Fjord – The Sea Foams Blood

[ Blood rising through an ocean wave ]

This scent has an aquatic base, with a definite metallic tang and some ozone notes and something warm hiding in the depths. The BPAL.org forums can’t agree on if that’s a dragon’s blood resin or not, but what really made this the Fjord scent for me was the sharp metals that come forward when wet and during drydown. They remind me of the Falchion, and some of our favorite half-orc’s saltwater dreams.

 Jester – Eat Me

[ Three white cakes, vanilla, and red and black currants ]

I could totally have gone for a floral that resembles the Ruby of the Sea’s lavender perfume, but for Jester herself? The only option was something sweet and foody, a pastries and happiness sort of smell. I did consider sweet roll/cinnamon bun things, before landing on something with some tart fruit notes, because there’s more than just sunshine to the blue tiefling: sometimes the cloying sweetness covers up her fear of being alone.

 Beau – Roadhouse

[ Weedy dandelion and hops with a whiff of tobacco and hemp and a swirl of booziness ]

Thiiiis was actually my hardest pick. Do I lean woodsy for her staff? Do I pick something that’s not feminine at all? Do I lean into her athleticism? Spice and incense for a monk? What decided me on this, beside the booze and hemp notes, was the dandelion. The Swedish concept of the “dandelion child”, resilient and capable of thriving despite their conditions really reminds me of Beau and the way she talks about her childhood not being her own. It’s not a typical monk’s scent, not a Cobalt Reserve classic—but it’s fitting for the wild one of the Mighty Nein, and her antics.

 Mollymauk  – Blood Kiss

[ Lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk ]

Sensual has to be the keyword for a Mollymauk perfume. While I definitely looked at some of the Carnival Diabolique options, the combination of poppy, red wine, cherries and skin musk seemed like the absolute epitome of the luxury Mollymauk likes to surround himself in when he’s got the funds. Honey and vanilla suits a smooth talker—honeyed words are called such for a reason. In all, this is a complex blend that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

 Yasha – The Stormhold

[ Creeping moss, slick granite, murky vetiver, lightning-charged ozone, and icy rain ]

The key for Yasha is the storm scent, primarily, but I did consider Stormclouds over the Midway from the Carnival Diabolique collection, given the circus ties. That said, vetiver and cold rain strike me as more fitting to the barbarian than opium tar and wormwood. This is one of the scents on this list that I haven’t tried, but I’d totally consider hunting down a decant of to make a cosplay more accurate.

 Caleb – Dragon’s Hide

[ Dragon’s blood, leather and a hint of smoke ]

For Caleb, I had two very good picks I was torn between: Miskatonic University and Dragon’s Hide. What pushed me over the edge on this one was the smoky note that comes forward in the drydown. It’s not sweet and gentle (though if you want dragon’s blood that is sweet, I recommend Wrath or Dragon’s Milk). Instead, it’s very masculine, a little gritty-dirty from the leather, and the dragon’s blood resin is the mysterious warmth that makes you want to see beneath the surface of the hobo appearance.

 Nott – Black Annis

[ A mixture of damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise ]

Given how Nott isn’t into baths, I don’t figure her to be one to select a perfume for herself. Sweet florals and big incense notes were right out. I was looking for something green and woodsy and a little wild. The anise in this blend intrigues me. There’s something sweet-but-awkward about Nott that I think the licorice notes would approximate pretty well, and if the vetiver’s the more pine-y variety, it’d have that woodsy tone that’s perfect for the goblin girl.