#They are giants due to the Size Crystals

[2194teddy]

I think the Older Pines as Giants would be awesome since they rarely used the Size Crystals since Little Dipper.

They're adorable as big mystery twins. :3

[puppetmaster13u]

DP X DC X Subnautica

Where the Justice League (mostly focusing on the Superfam or Batfam or Flashfam) are large leviathan-esque creatures living on Planet 4546B. Maybe they can change forms due to Precursor experimentation, maybe not. Those with young hang out around the shallows more than the others, what with most of them being large super or specialized predators.

Enter Danny Fenton, interning on the Aurora when the ship is shot down by the Quarantine Enforcement Platform. Oh sure he probably would have tried to stop the destruction and help, but his ghost powers are a bit on the fritz and a well-meaning worker pushes him into one of the last life pods seeing as he's a child.

Now the leviathans may not know what a ship is exactly, but they can definitely understand that in most cases things technology = precursors. As far as they understand, a metal deathtrap not unlike the old labs or caches fell alongside several metallic eggs, with the emerging hatchlings misshapen and not living long.

But then there's the egg that landed in the shallows, which at first they thought was empty. But a hatchling- much smaller than the previous ones- emerges, a day later than the rest, but they're alive even if their swimming is all wobbly! It's so tiny, and obviously hatched too early with the strange split tail and how it keeps swimming to the surface for air, and they have to protect it! Now if only the little hatchling would answer their calls and not dart into hiding spots whenever they approach...

Honestly this is up to the writer lol, but I like to think that Danny's ghost form, when he finally manages to achieve it again, goes a little naga-esque. Almost like a sea snake instead of just a whispy ghost tail, which while better for swimming doesn't help his freak out over most ghost powers still not working.

Danny is just trying to survive man, maybe find other survivors, turn off this big alien gun, stop creating frost crystals when he sneezes, the usual. He doesn't need giant humanoid-esque leviathan-sized sea creatures poking around!

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

I have to ask about my top 5 favorite boys Dunsparce! I know all it's Pokédex entries talk about it burrowing underground BUT!!! What if like. You raise it from an egg or catch it so it's used to humans instead of just a wild one and give it a backyard to like. Use it like a bigger Pokémon version ant farm situation and try to keep it outside or not to drill in the house/make sure to make it feel safe so it doesn't on instinct? That's GOTTA be a at least a B-tier then, right??? (I may be coping a little but sue me, I think Dunsparce is a silly guy that is severely underated, at least before S/V came out.)

(Hey! It’s the pokémon in the blog’s pfp at last!) While I unfortunately can’t give dunsparce the glowing B-tier rating you were hoping for, but I also can’t say that a dedicated owner would be entirely unable to care for one. It won’t be easy (or cheap), but certainly not impossible. Let’s get into it, this is a long one.

To begin with, dunsparce are pretty big. At nearly five feet long, these surprisingly quick pokémon need a lot of space to move around. Thankfully, they aren’t too heavy, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble carrying them around with a big bear-hug. Now, as you pointed out in your post, dunsparce do require some specialized space to be happy and healthy, which will likely present some problems for a lot of potential owners.

Wild dunsparce make their homes underground in (I like the way you put it) giant, maze like ant-farm structures (Crystal, Ruby/Sapphire, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum). They have been known to share these burrows with other ground-dwelling pokémon like digletts (Ultra Sun), so if you are already the proud owner of a burrowing pokémon you may already have what you need for a dunsparce. Given their size, dunsparce need a lot of dirt to dig around in, which could be a problem when it comes to the size of your home and/or yard. Thankfully, while these pokémon are skilled digger with their drill-like tail, they aren’t exactly avid explorers: once a dunsparce has a nest they are happy with, they’ll spend most of their time inside it, remaining “virtually motionless” (Crystal). So, while you probably won’t have problems with your dunsparce running away from home, you will need to make sure they have adequate space. The larger your yard, the more likely the space will be adequate for a dunsparce. Because of their size, a simple sand/soil box won’t cut it (this is where the potentially expensive part of owning a dunsparce comes in).

Because they spend most of their time underground, it is important to have proper expectations about socializing with your dunsparce: these pokémon aren’t really the cuddly, indoors type. In fact, wild dusparce are known to be very skittish, especially around humans. According to the pokédex, dusnaprce tend to run away as soon as they’re aware that a human has spotted them, burrowing into the ground as fast as they can (Gold, Ultra Moon). In your request, though, you brought up an interesting question: would a dunsparce raised from birth be more comfortable with humans? As with most animals, I would have to guess that the answer would be yes (this isn’t really something I’ve explored on this blog before, so it’s an interesting avenue to go down!). Keep in mind, though, that these pokémon are pretty rare due to their fear of humans in the wild, so getting a dunsparce egg might be pretty expensive, and you’ll want to do your research to ensure that you’re buying from an ethical pokémon breeder.

Due to their aforementioned fear of humans, dunsparce are far more likely to choose flight over fight in most situations. This means that they aren’t exceptionally dangerous to humans. Their drill-like tail allows them to use powerful moves like Hyper Drill and Drill Run. While these moves could really do some damage to a person, they’re much more likely to cause damage to the environment around them when they try to flee. It would not be a good idea to bring a dunsparce inside unless it is some sort of indoor space where they can comfortably dig if they feel threatened. The only dangerous dunsparce is a dunsparce that feels cornered in a space where they can’t dig.

If you are able to provide a dunsparce with the large nesting space that they need, they are a pretty easy pokémon to care for. They’re laid-back but skittish, but get along well with other burrowing pokémon. While I can’t recommend them to all pet-owners, those with the right resources and dedication could find a great pet in this pokémon. Be careful though: if your dunsparce knows the move Hyper Drill, they are much more likely to evolve into the much larger, much more difficult-to-care-for dudunparce! I’d recommend the use of an everstone, just in case.

[alphynix]

Crystal Palace Field Trip Part 1: Walking With Victorian Monsters

The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs take their name from the original Crystal Palace, a glass-paned exhibition building originally constructed for a World's Fair in Hyde Park in 1851.

In 1854 the structure was relocated 14km (~9 miles) south to the newly-created Crystal Palace Park, and a collection of over 30 life-sized statues of prehistoric animals were commissioned to accompany the reopening – creating a sort of Victorian dinosaur theme park – sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins with consultation from paleontologist Sir Richard Owen.

The Palace building itself burned down completely in 1936, and today only the ruins of its terraces remain in the northeast of the park grounds.

The Crystal Palace building then and now Left image circa 1854 (public domain) Right image circa 2011 by Mark Ahsmann (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Six sphinx statues based on the Great Sphinx of Tanis also survive up among the Palace ruins, flanking some of the terrace staircases. They fell into serious disrepair during the latter half of the 20th century, but in 2017 they all finally got some much-needed preservation work, repairing them and restoring their original Victorian red paint jobs.

———

…But let's get to what we're really here for. Dinosaurs! (…And assorted other prehistoric beasties!)

The "Dinosaur Court" down in the south end of the park still remains to this day, displayed across several islands in a man-made lake. Over the decades they've been through multiple cycles of neglect and renovation, and are currently cared for by the London Borough of Bromley (Crystal Palace Park Trust are due to take over custodial duties in September 2023), with promotion and fundraising assistance from organizations like Historic England and the Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs charity.

Just about 170 years old now, the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs represent fifteen different types of fossil creatures known to 1850s Victorian science, with only three actual dinosaur species featured. Although often derided for being outdated and very inaccurate by modern standards, they were actually incredibly good efforts at the time, especially taking into account that the field of paleontology was still in its very early days.

They also just have a lot of charm, with toothy grins and surprisingly dynamic poses.

Unfortunately on the day I visited in early August 2023 most of the statues were heavily obscured by plant growth, both on their islands and on the sides of the paths they can usually be viewed from. Since I'd seen images from about a month ago showing things being less overgrown, this was probably just some unlucky timing on my part coinciding with some explosive summer foliage growth.

The first island on the trail features a few Permian and Triassic animals which were only known from fragmentary remains in the 1850s. These "labyrinthodonts" were recognized as having similarities to both amphibians and reptiles, and so were depicted with boxy toothy jaws, warty skin, stumpy tails, and long frog-like back legs.

Today we'd call these particular animals temnospondyl amphibians, specifically Mastodonsaurus, and we know they were actually shaped more like giant salamanders with longer flatter crocodilian-like jaws, smaller legs, and long paddle-like tails.

———

Somewhere in the foliage beyond this specific "labyrinthodont" there was also supposed to be a pair of dicynodonts, but I couldn't see much of them at all and didn't manage to get a remotely visible photograph.

Crystal Palace Dicynodon when much less overgrown Left photo by London looks (CC BY 2.0) Right photo by Loz Pycock (CC BY SA 2.0)

These Dicynodon are depicted as looking like sabre-toothed turtles complete with shells. That was fairly speculative even for the time, but considering only their weird turtle-beaked-and-walrus-tusked skulls were known it was probably the best guess Hawkins and Owen had. Today we know these animals were actually synapsids related to modern mammals, but Victorian understanding considered them to be a type of reptile.

Modern reconstructions of dicynodonts have a slightly different face shape, along with squat pig-like bodies and semi-sprawling limbs. They may have had fur, but currently the only known actual skin impressions from the genus Lystrosaurus show leathery bumpy hairless skin.

———

Next time: the Jurassic and Cretaceous sculptures!

[not-the-coffee-machine4]

we need some more Brian May appreciation on this blog methinks so here’s Things About Brian May That Just Make Sense

Owns Groot pajamas

Once apologized for being straight to a guy who asked him out in a hotel lobby

Broke protocol talking to Queen Elizabeth because he couldn’t take the awkward silence

Noticed guys following Freddie into his dressing room and was basically just like “….huh. That’s new” and apparently went about his day (the correct reaction)

Commissioned a second giant statue of Freddie due to being jealous of Roger’s for like a solid decade 

Said his cat was the closest thing he had to a sibling, wrote a song about her when she died

Took a video of himself with the EMTs in an ambulance while LITERALLY HAVING A STROKE

Moved houses, forgot about the whole entire life-sized News of the World robot he had in his attic, was gifted another one by a fan, now has robot in his house somewhere

Once spent entirely too long trying to plug in a completely acoustic instrument

Once turned up to a sound check having forgotten his guitar, didn’t notice until far later than he should have 

Split his head open throwing up in a toilet 

Broke his arm after “losing a fight with a skateboard” 

Tried to get back at Crystal for pranking him, just ended up accidentally buying him breakfast

Bought land, planted trees, made it to be a haven for wildlife

Recorded actual thunder for a song, credited god for it on the album 

Low-key speaks Spanish

Brian: Roger and I used to argue about everything you can think of Also Brian: “special thanks to my most enduring partner, Roger Meddows Taylor—“

Clogs

Volunteered to play on top of Buckingham Palace, was absolutely unimaginably terrified the entire time

Dressed up as a penguin and tried to bond with the penguins on the IGSM video

[steven-au-niverse]

An AU where Steven is a Giant Human shapeshifting Crystal Gem. He's mainly 50ft tall and can change his size, even at his human Height.

He's very cheerful and happy as well as trying to save Beach City from threats and stuff with a lot of help from The Crystal Gems.

He's also a shy giant Kid with a lot going on. He's also a misfit due to his huge size, chubby weight, and being the one with a Gem on his Belly.

Giant Steven is also a loving giant kid who likes being a Giant just for fun but can use it to fight giant corrupted Gems.

He's also like his friends and Crystal Gems, Including his friend Connie.

I also like him being a big gigantic cutie pie of a Half Human and Half Crystal Gem.

hope this was what you where thinking of!

[lumilasi]

Lately, I've been trying to focus more on the world my characters live in, since I finally came up with a proper name for it. Now, my friend is a MASSIVE Godzilla fan (pun not intended) and she gave me an idea of a giant ass creature that could be like sort of special guardian of this planet.

(This also changes my character Spectra's lore quite a bit, but thats alright as I was going to give her a more detailed form eventually anyway, might as well do a story change too)

I don't often draw dragons, so this was a challenge. I wanted to add many light-based/inspired details for his design given who his creator/"mother" is, so his tail appears like northern lights, the spine is like this flaring sun corona, his wings glow etc. The crystalline "armor" parts would be due to his egg/the whole source of Ether's initial magic/life implementation being a crystalline meteorite that his moon egg is a chunk of.

More info about Vigoras below:

Vigoras has suspiciously many laser powers: His feather eyes can shoot rapid fire lasers, he can shoot Nova/supernova strength laser beams from his mouth, and can create another, massive laser blast by concentrating energy between his horns. Even his eyes can shoot burning beams of light. (Spectra's fellow cosmic siblings are concerned about her space laser enthusiasm....)

he can devour small stars and planets/moons, or break them with his tail whipping, though it is more common for him to use his giant lasers to push a star heading their way to a different trajectory, he rarely resorts to destroying other worlds.

He can use his moon egg pieces as shields and projectiles, and he can also reform the moon each time he goes back to sleep.

Vigoras actually has a humanoid form too apparently, but nobody has seen it but Spectra up to this point.

His moon-egg is slightly bigger than earth's moon (Roughly the size of Io in our solar system) and beneath the crystal surface is basically a massive ocean that he's floating at the center of, curled up into a ball.

His moon egg actually orbits the lush moon, where the Deities like Spectra live, alongside orbiting Ether.

Vigoras CAN "turn off" all his glowing parts and basically look invisible against the space background, apart from his 3 eyes that will always be visible

He can make himself smaller-sized, mainly done to visit his mother when he wants tea and snacks. (He's still kind of massive, in his smallest form his head alone is as big as a tank)

Personality can be summarized as; Serious, polite, easily mildly irritated sleepyhead momma's boy.

[poorboypictures]

Ben 10: Biomatrix

(Warning: this is a little long)

Ben Tennyson was 16 when he found a broken Omnitrix in the woods while on a camping trip with some teammates, celebrating their victory in the last game of the season. As he tried to get it off, Ben accidentally activates the device and transformed into an amalgam of himself and a Pyronite. After some mishaps, and a fight with a giant robot looking for the watch, Ben decided to use it to help if/when the opportunity came.

Gwen Tennyson was invited to go camping by Ben as a way to help get her mind off of college exams; though the two weren't close, Gwen took up the offer, reminded of their road trip with Grandpa Max. At the camp site, Gwen was the one to spot the impending forest fire from Ben's transformation, and was the first one to rush to help, discovering Ben, and giving him the idea to create a backfire to stop the original.

JT Mackleroy used to bully Ben after befriending Cash Murray, but changed his tune when Cash voiced his unconcern for anyone caught in the forest fire, let alone Ben or Gwen. Following Gwen to help, JT brought a pair of fire extinguishers to try and douse the fire before it got out of hand, but it was too big by the time he arrived, so just kept the flames at Bay while Ben and Gwen tried coming up with a plan. afterwards, JT apologized for bullying Ben and even wanted to try and be friends again.

After that camping trip, Ben, Gwen, and JT team up when something would happen in or around town: Ben is the muscle, using any one of ten transformations in the newly dubbed Biomatrix; Gwen is the informant, using her research abilities to find any bit of information no matter how minute; and JT is the equipment guy, his time as the Soccer teams equipment manager giving him an insight into any and all items that may come in handy.

Because the Biomatrix is damaged, it doesn't fully transform Ben, but the effect on each alien varies, along with how complete each transformation is.

Hot Shot: Ben's first alien, and arguably the most complete due to how little of "Ben" is left once the transformation is "done", being a few inches taller than Ben, but is still primarily, physically a Pyronite. Abilities include limited Pyrokinesis and heat resistance and detection.

Wildmutt: The transformation is more of a 60/40 split, making Ben look like a Vulpimancer werewolf, and because of this, can talk, though not well, utilizing short simple sentences only when he needs to. Abilities include echolocation, enhanced sense of smell, enhanced strength and flexibility.

Diamondhead: Petrosapien crystals form pieces of armor around Ben rather than actually becoming Ben but aren't as tough as normal Petrosapien crystal. Abilities include crystal generation, enhanced durability, and weapon formation originating from the crystal gauntlets.

XLR8: Due to some of the more important biological features of Kinecelerens are missing from the transformation, XLR8's top speed is a fraction of what a normal Kineceleren can move, but is still incredibly quick, topping out around 200 miles an hour. Abilities include enhanced speed and perception, and limited enhanced durability.

Cerebrum: Even with the partial transformation, Cerebrum is still the smartest alien in Ben's arsenal, but isn't as smart or as small as other Galvans, surpassing the average but is nowhere near the top, and stands at an even two feet tall. Abilities include enhanced intellect and mechanical knowhow.

Tetraman: For some reason, because of the incomplete transformation, the Biomatrix improperly scales the power of a Tetramand to Ben, giving Tetraman more power than natural Tetramands have, while being much smaller in size and stature, standing just under eight feet tall compared to the natural 10-12 feet. Abilities include enhanced strength, stamina, durability, dexterity, and sight.

Flyboy: An odd combination, Flyboy would remind you of some horror character fusion of man and insect, which makes Flyboy one of four transformations useful for interrogations. Abilities include flight, enhanced sight, goo generation from eyes, tail doubles as blade.

Angler: Due to the transformation being incomplete, Angler can stay out of water longer than regular Piscciss Volann's, but not by much, so Ben tries not to use him too much on land but keeps extra water on hand just in case. Abilities include enhanced swimming, strength, and durability, underwater breathing, jaw can unhinge for powerful bites.

Upgrade: The Galvanic Mechamorph primarily takes the shape of Ben, and leaves most of Bens clothes untouched compared to the other transformations, but because of the incomplete transformation, Upgrade can't fully merge with technology, leaving the primary body exposed while the "arms" are engaged. Abilities include technokinesis, "eye" laser, limited plasticity, enhanced durability.

Specter: Something about the transformation keeps Ben from using it too much, describing it as being like someone is always behind him, trying to tell him something; Ben really doesn't like using it, even if the situation calls for it. Abilities include phasing, possession, and flight.

If anyone has any questions or transformations they want to see, feel free to send me some asks, my inbox is open.

[sonicasura]

Off work, so imma gonna share some more HCs about the A.S.L Mothzilla crossover. Granted more about the kaiju humans and their kingdoms. First is going to be the ki

The East Blue

Ruled by Godzilla and Mothra from their home island of Odo, where it said that the first Godzilla was hatched and born there.

Godzilla and Mothra kingdom usually have most showa, heisei and some Millennium kaiju. Think like Ceaser, Anguirus, Baragon, Rodan, Varan type kaiju.

While to human it's the calmest sea to Kaiju Humans its actually rather chaotic, given that some of King Ghidorahs loyal lackeys are still around and posing a threat and Godzilla having to beat them down.

It's one of the oldest Kingdoms set up, being created by the first Godzilla that was ever hatched.

West Blue

This Kingdom is ruled by Zilla Jr, after taking it over from his more Villianous father after they decided to try and join King Ghidorah. The fight was rough on on his father who had to retreat with some help of loyal lackies.

Most of the kaiju population are more considered mutants and with some kaiju from the Darkhorse comics and some from Marvel. Like Obsidius, Krystalak, Bagorah, Batragon, Burtannus, Titanosaurus etc

The West Sea Kingdom has a bit looser social standards than the East Sea Kingdom, Zilla Jr isn't as much of a king and more like a good Mayor that talk and listen to his people.

Godzilla has a genuine respect for Zilla Jr, since Godzilla actually tried to takeover the West Sea Kingdom after Zilla Sr allying with Ghidorah. Until Zilla Jr engaged him in a single combat. In the end it left the both of them pretty battered and bruised.

The North Blue

Ruled by the family of Kaiju known as the Kongs, who were always rivals with the Godzilla and even the Zillas at times.

The Current Kong in charge is actually a rather good friend with Godzilla, helping him with Ghidorah and then two fighting a usurper(Skar King) in Kongs Kingdom.

The Kaiju that usually reside in the North Kingdom are either mammalian in nature or have the ability to resist very cold temperatures, think like the Great Apes, Behemoth, Tiamat, Scylla Tiamat etc.

The heir of the North Kingdom is an ape called Suko while the queen is Shimo, and let's just say Godzilla was shocked by his friends taste in Women.

The South Blue

The South Sea Kingdom used to be ruled by the Ghidorahs, a long time enemy of well nearly everyone. They ruled through fear and fear alone with plans of expanding their kingdoms size. Granted after the last Ghidorah was defeated over 500 years ago the South Sea is now ruled by Godzillas older brother Space Godzilla.

Due to the previous rulers of the South Blue Kingdom, the South Blue is constantly plagued by storms that seemingly never end. With the Combination of Space Godzillas ability to grow Crystal's that give off psychic energy also causes problem for regular humans.

The inhabitants of the South Blue are usually kaiju that were villains in the godzilla movies or alien in nature, like Megaguirus, Megalon, Gigan, Hedorah etc

Space Godzilla is actually a more beloved leader than King Ghidorah due to how tyrannical the Golden Dragons could be, granted there are still some that are loyal to the Golden Denise's.

Kaiju Humans

They have two forms, their humanoid forms and their monstrous forms, they only reveal their monstrous forms when they're extremely angry and when they transform into it it causes a massive unleash a huge amount of Conquers Haki.

While they can eat regular humanoids(Minks, Fishman, Mermaid, Giants etc) food the Kaiju Humans often have to eat KaijuBeasts or GreenGlow Ore to really sustain themselves.

Kaiju Humans are one of the longest living of any of the races of the One Piece world with some of them living for over 10,000 years.

Kaiju Humans are always protective of their young, since they are usually very weak upon hatching and they take a long time to grow.

Along with their amazing and incredibly impressive durability most if not all Kaiju Humans have an incredible healing factor as well.

Ooooooo

The worldbuilding you share honestly just keeps getting better and better. Godzilla, you have no room to judge Kong's tastes in partners. Also good on Zilla Jr for their different approach to leadership and Space G deserves some extra luck with his.

[cipheramnesia]

I started "A Girl & Her Dog" but just put a bunch of things together so I need to start it over. Or do I? Maybe things changed since last time. I consider any margin under five percent effectively a tie.

Propaganda under the cut.

Saw Down Heaven: The sequel to a Nanowrimo novel, Girl Bites God, picks up the story with Alice Buzzsaw, the reanimated corpse of one of the religious zealots killed last novel, who has become home to a small colony of emotionally sensitive mutant tapeworms. She is taken in by "Iggy," a disabled superstring mechanic who is trying to separate her neighborhood from the authorian oppression of the FCC grid, which helps to prevent the physical world from experiencing a sudden catastrophic entropic collapse but is also used to rigorously oppress the ability of the US population to experience free thought. In the same neighborhood lives AthenA6, former involuntarily institutionalized experimental guinea pig, now subject of a resumed national manhunt due to her ability to process the disruptive anomalous energy trying to destroy all physical matter, ever since the last FCC chairman was killed by a mutated video spider. This is enough of an excuse to lay seige to the upstart off grid community, but they'll have to contend with Alice Buzzsaw, AthenA6, and other locals like Fireball Jill who don't want any cops on their streets. Ghastly, gory anarchy.

A Girl And Her Dog: Intentionally rude and obviously reactive counter to Harlan Ellison's "A Boy And His Dog," not to mention purposefully arrogant to even think of such an undertaking. Roz is a former inhabitant of one of the underground cities on a planet colonized by humans in a far, far distant future which, several thousand years after colonization had the human civilization destroyed thanks to a disaster which resulted in a second sun and a hostile radioactive surface, and the story itself takes place several hundred more years after the disaster. Once imprisoned and abused by the brutal psychic warlord and god eater Viktor Blud, she is returning to his menagerie in the crystal forest for revenge. Her companion is Champ, one of the animals mistreated by Vik, a sort of lizard ant eater pangolin porcupine creature roughly the size of a wolf and with retractable teeth. Champ had a kind of powerful empathic sensitivity that allows him to navigate and sometimes avoid the psychic domination of Vik, and with Roz they have a plan to turn the tables, but it's going to take a lot of dead gods. Luckily, the whole planet is lousy with em. They're joined by Mel, a deserter from the giants teeth valley, formerly a soldier in their dragon tooth army but now fascinated by the road to revenge Roz is walking. It's going to be ugly and messy.

Short Change Hero: Obsidian Bonesplinter made the jump from ensemble ttrpg character to main character of her own world and there's not any going back. Dishwasher at mob front by day, bouncer by night, once in awhile part time knee cap breaker, she's perfectly content with drinking her way through a haze of meaningless sex and violence until a few of her friends from back home show up to visit in the big city. They barely even make it out of the train station before one of the girls is brutally murdered and then they make an even worse mistake: talking to the city guards. Now Obsidian has to untangle the mess of dirty cops and mobsters that goes all the way to the top - which she already knew, but it's a lot different when it's actively trying to kill her and her two friends instead of passively letting her drink and fight herself to death. A hardboiled detective story in a noir fantasy setting. The only thing shorter than Obsidian is her temper.

[alitteraladhdmess]

ROTTMNT AU!! Continue for More Information

Tethered to Us (TTUS)

A few weeks ago I watched the horror movie Us and I thought the concept of it was very interesting. “Shadow” versions of yourself controlling your every move. So because I love combining things I like I decided to try and put that movie into Rise. The concept isn’t exactly the same, I changed a lot as I work shopped it, and it’s still in the works but I like anyways.

When the turtles got mutated, and Draxum’s lab destroyed, a few positions and crystals got knocked over and thrown across the lab. One crystal in particular landed near the turtle tots. Consequently, both due to its magic and landing in the ooze, it fused with the turtles giving them a unique ability. Of course no one found out about this ability till later on in their little tot lives. This new ability allows the turtles to transform into these short of creatures. The transformation is heavily dependent upon emotion and almost impossible to fully control, unless the right practices are meditated, or one other reason I will get into in a bit. Shifting mostly happens when the host experiences anger, sadness, and sometimes joy at a very intense level. It almost acts as a shield in a way.

These leviathans, I’ll call them for lack of a better word, are giant shadow like creatures. Depending on the hosts height or how they feel, the leviathan can be as small as an ant or bigger than a 10 story building. Their markings also depend on the host and their feelings. When angry the markings will be sharp and exact. When sad they will droop or become dull. And when happy the markings will glow. When the host is about to transform their figure smokes, the smoke can be multi colored.

Splinter found out about this little aspect of the turtles after the twins got into a fight and Leo got a little too silly in his teasing. Later, Leo and Raph started transforming more often, but Mikey only ever smoked, never mad enough to actually shift. As the turtles continue to grow Donnie starts experimenting with the abilities of these unknown forms. His studies came back and proved that each leviathan has different abilities that correspond to the hosts ninpo, although they can’t use the ninpo in said form. Leo was able to reach incredible speeds 247 mph, could scale walls with ease, and could sense emotions with 80% accuracy. Like a lizard.

Mikey is fire resistant, or can stand temperatures of 2,000 at least. Splinter caught them and didn’t let them continue the experiment. Mikey is able to roll into an armored ball and is quite agile, which makes up for his small size. Very similar to armadillos. He also has the strongest bite of the four.

Raph, closely resembled a porcupine with his movable spines on his back. Although not as many. He is able to resize himself, the smallest he can get is about the size of the average house cat, and the biggest of about 10 football fields.

Donnie was by far the most graceful of all the turtles, and had very insect like features. His eyes could see 360 and all his other senses are heightened. Moth like wings allow him to fly and he was able to tech into organic matter (like the Alcarian in Voltron) but the effort is taxing on his energy. And unlike the other three, Donnie is able to speak in his leviathan form, albeit very choppy.

Donnie found that at the center of a leviathan there is a crystal shard protected by a shield of mystic energy. *no turtles were harmed in the finding of this information* Consequently, though, the leviathan goes into shut down once any material breaks the mystic shield, and the host can’t turn back for 24 hours.

With that being said, the second way to control a leviathan is to remove the crystal from its host. In most cases the crystal would become completely detached from its host and neither would be able to affect the other.

!!Small Spoiler!!

In the case of the turtles it is sewn to their soul and are effected by any damage to the crystal but not vice versa.

I will be expanding on this au and I hope to come out with character designs for each. If you guys could recommend other names for the leviathans that would be wonderful. And I may create a comic for it but no promises. Feel free to asks questions about TTUS, I will gladly answer them as long as they don’t contain eventual spoilers for any plot I wish to keep secret. Thank you for reading all of this!! I hope you stay for further posts:)

[natasha-in-space]

Okay so can you write about how it'd be like if yoosung was in a relationship with a male mc who is tall and very muscular (hes built like hulk) but is a very soft and gentle guy. Basically the definition of "gentle giant" and is extremely shy asf. He is also very clumsy and is a shit cook. I imagine when yoosung said that "please dont be afraid when u see me, im still the man who loves you" the mc felt the same. Like ofc yoosung knows hes a dude but he doesnt know how he looks.

Also i am thinking how it'd be like him introducing this dude he now is in a relationship with to his parents (i want to think the reaction is positive).

I just wanna imagine someone as petite as yoosung with a big guy

OUGH, anon, I LIVE for this kind of dynamic! You made me giggle and kick my legs with your ask.

While, yeah, I think Yoosung would be rather... surprised the first time they finally meet one another face to face, it's mostly just the natural reaction of unexpectedness, nothing negative. Yoosung simply had a bit of a softer image in mind, due to his MC's sweet and kind demeanor in chat and on the phone. You can't really help the fact that we naturally tend to assign certain characteristics to people we haven't met yet! He's definitely not dissatisfied, though. In fact, I think he'll find it rather adorable! It makes him feel a lot better to know that he wasn't the only one nervous about making a good first impression, and, in a way, this shared anxiety helps them both relax and laugh with each other after a while.

Yoosung will be looking up at this MC with stars in his eye and a huge smitten grin stretching his cheeks. And, once the initial surprise dissipates, he will end up asking MC plenty of questions, as well as offer some clumsy, but genuine compliments.

There's just something about a broadly built man that is apparently more attractive to him than he thought. Looks like there is some personal discovering to be made here! It's not solely based on appearance, though. (Although Yoosung definitely thinks about being picked up by his new boyfriend and being pampered without a care in the world). MC's soft and loving personality is also a huge focus of his affections. MC not threatening or off-putting to him in any way, and it is very easy for Yoosung to feel relaxed and open with him in even the most mundane of conversations.

His chest is filled with a small sense of pride as he talks to MC. What he did back at Mint Eye... he did it to protect MC and to prove to himself that he is capable of being the man he wants to be. Yoosung struggles with his masculinity at times, and, knowing that he managed to successfully protect MC, despite being on the smaller side... It makes him feel very good about himself. MC's direct mention of it in particular will make him giggle and rock on his heels in pride.

When it comes to the actual relationship between them, the dynamic is going to be rather endearing! I feel like Yoosung would be the more bold and outspoken one of the two of them. Yes, the 'Hey, he asked for no pickles!' type. It's adorable, really. Wherever MC is shy for any particular reason, Yoosung can be outgoing for both of them. It's really lovely to see. He'll be quick to slip into the conversation if he feels like MC needs some moral support, or he can be the one to call the shots full stop. MC doesn't have to worry about feeling awkward in public spaces with Yoosung there nearby. He got his boyfriend's back.

Subsequently, there will be a lot of physical affection between these two. It'll take them both some time to figure this out (as this is Yoosung's first real relationship), but, eventually, they both come to a mutual agreement that they actually quite enjoy the size difference they share with each other! MC never makes Yoosung feel as 'less of a man' for not being overly tall or muscular, and Yoosung makes it crystal clear that MC's kind and gentle heart is the most amazing thing about him. They are both completely at ease with each other, inside and out. So, when Yoosung admits to the fact that he'd like MC to carry him more often... It's the first step to many more similar instances to come.

Interestingly enough, I like to think of this MC as the little spoon of their relationship. It's certainly amusing to witness such a huge man nuzzle up into Yoosung's chest with a happy sigh, but it happens every day in their household. Meanwhile, Yoosung adores feeling his boyfriends strong arms circle around him, pulling him close to his chest, especially whenever he hugs him from behind in the morning, as he's preparing breakfast. (Too many meals were burnt due to him getting way too distracted by MC's comfy warmth and a desire to turn around and kiss him.).

It's a win-win situation!

In my opinion, Lisa will quickly make MC her favorite person. That kitty always finds a way for them to be together. She is always on his lap, happily purring away. And she always tries to sleep on him, despite his numerous attempts to gently put her down, since he's scared of accidentally hurting her in his sleep.

And, if this MC has a tendency to be clumsy? Yoosung will make an effort to catch him every time. And fail. The first time it happened, poor MC got so worried, he apologized to Yoosung for the entirety of that day. With time, Yoosung simply learns his boyfriend's body language well enough to see him about to stumble before it even happens. There won't be any fall incidents for them to fret about from then on.

Yoosung's mom is going to love MC. Mostly because he's such a softie. I'd like to imagine him always making an effort to help out Yoosung's mom with the chores or carrying around heavy things. Needless to say, she always hands him tons of homemade snacks whenever they come over. Yoosung is a bit flabbergasted at the way his mom coddles his boyfriend, but, hey, at least she definitely loves him! While Yoosung sister is going to tease her brother about MC being a 'big strong man'. It's all lighthearted and nothing ill-spirited, though. She sees how happy Yoosung is, and that's the most important thing in the world.

...In the end, she sleeps on his head.

[ponyguru]

hello! I saw your post about the G5 Hitch toy and as someone whose interest in G5 is only surface deep ATM but wants to know more bc My Little Pony is my special interest I was curious about the different lines of toys that have been released for G5. I have that exact Hitch toy as pictured, minus accessories, that I picked up in a thrift shop as a set with the rest of the ponies from the first movie and while I assumed that that was the standard size pony now I'm curious if there are different lines with different sizes. Apologies if this doesn't make sense as I'm very tired and thank you very much for your time! ฅ⁠^⁠•⁠ﻌ⁠•⁠^⁠ฅ

Hi there! MLP is my special interest too, LOL! You found the right person!! But you're in for a long answer, which you are probably prepared for, come to think of it!

tl;dr: There's multiple sizes, and the most common release seems to be the "brushable"/3" size, with the next biggest being the "styling size"/6".

It's tricky to 'officially' categorize the G5 line in general, I think, because it seems like every release is - IDK, maybe I'm just not in tune with the fandom stuff, but it's kinda random!? For starters though, Strawberry Reef is often a very good resource, although I know during the G4 line she fell behind a bit!

It does look like she has (almost) everyone covered so far, to my understanding!

In my mind, I kind of split them up into the "standard" line (the little guys with the jointed legs, the first line was released as the Crystal Adventure line I believe!), which would have been called the 'brushables' in the G4 line, but ... these all have sculpted hair! T_T And then there's some variations, like the Dollar General singles which do have brushable hair (yay!) except for Hitch, but they have no jointed legs. Strawberry Reef calls these "Regular Size 3"" which does imply that they're the 'standard' release.

And then I call the bigger ones (Strawberry Reef's "Large Size 6"") the styling size, because back in G4 days they were called that due to typically coming with a lot of styling/accessorizing type accessories. The little brushables might come with a comb or pet, but the big ones would get comb, clips, elastics, etc. (Not to be confused with the styling heads, of course, which you can see down at the bottom of SR's page!)

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong!) that the "movie set" of the 6" guys came in a big multipack with all of the characters, Mane Five and Sprout, and the way to tell Hitch apart is whether his hair is flocked or not. SR doesn't have him listed yet (so she is a little behind!), but the one I just got at the 99 Cent Store has flocked hair (and more accessories), and Hitch (and Sprout) from the group set from 2021 (as listed on SR's site) do not have flocked hair.

And that's not even getting into the Ponyville/Blind Bag/mini sized ones!! lmao!

ANYWAY, that was a big info-dump, but I hope it helped you and maybe anyone else who is confused! When I say styling size, that's mostly just me using a holdover from the G4 collector terms, since I don't think they call them that now. I think it's just like ... 'Sparkle Adventures'? But then they call the big multipack 'Shining Adventures', so I don't think there's any consistency there yet for collectors to latch onto. But there's several different sizes to find, and there's even GIANT ones, if you scroll down on SR's page! She has lots of fun info! Happy hunting!

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Looking at several previous one, I can already imagine that this one is not going to turn out well, but since it is my favorite I'm going to ask anyway.

How about Skarmory?

Skarmories are fascinating pokémon, but they might not make the greatest house pet unless you are an expert in the species. As I’m sure you understand, this makes it pretty difficult for me to give them a blanket endorsement, hence the C ranking. It’s a complicated one, so let’s get right into it.

For one thing, skarmories are pretty large. At over five feet tall, their space needs are gonna be higher than a lot of owners can handle. This is doubly true considering their aerial lifestyle: skarmories are skilled flyers and would likely become restless if prevented from flying freely. I’d go out on a limb and guess that very, very view readers of this blog have access to an enclosed space large enough to suit a skarmory’s need to take to the air. These pokémon can fly at dumbfounding speeds, topping off somewhere around 190 miles per hour (Ruby). Nothing short of a sports stadium, if that, would suffice. Of course, a trained skarmory could be allowed to explore freely and return home on command, but that would require a level of training that’s gonna really decrease their ease of care. You would also need to keep in mind that flying freely outdoors may present a risk to your skarmory or wild pokémon, depending on where you live. In the Galar Region, for example, skarmories are known to “fight viciously over territory” with corviknights (Sword). On a brighter note, these pokémon aren’t too heavy considering their size thanks to their light, hollow bones, a necessity to their flying capabilities (Gold).

Now, for the friendliness factor: there’s decent indication that skarmories may get along well with humans. Both in the past and today, humans use shed skarmory feathers as blades due to their natural strength and exceptional sharpness (Crystal, Emerald, Sun, Ultra Sun). Around the world, this pokémon is a popular heraldic symbol due to their role as a passive source for human weapons (Shield). While the pokédex makes no note of skarmories offering their feathers willingly to humans at any point, it also doesn’t indicate that collecting these feathers is particularly dangerous for humans, indicating to me at the very least a passive, nonviolent relationship between the species. As an added benefit, if you own a skarmory, you’ll have access to valuable blades year-round, which could be sold to support yourself and your pet.

Skarmories, unfortunately, have additionally habitat needs that increase the difficulty of their care. Wild skarmories, like most bird-like pokémon, make their homes in nests. Skarmory nests are built using bramble bushes, whose sharp thorns help skarmory chicks develop their defensive armor (Silver). Such a nest would be difficult to upkeep, to say the least. Not only would you need to provide your skarmory with sufficiently prickly branches to satisfy their nesting needs, you would need to make sure they have a perfectly dry place to build it (i.e. not anywhere where they may get rained on), since their metal feathers are known to rust very easily (Moon). All this to say: a standard pet bed would not cut it for a skarmory. If you’re planning on adopting one, you’d better look into some good bramble bushes.

I’m sure anyone who reads this could see it a mile away but my goodness are skarmories dangerous! Their razor-sharp feathers are sharper than most artificial blades (Sword), and they make skilled use of them in combat. Moves like Steel Wing, Slash, and even Wing Attack and Fury Attack could easily prove lethal to a human. Considering their speed and agility, a skarmory attack is not something you want to risk. Now, the pokédex doesn’t make any mention of the species being particularly aggressive, but we must always recognize that the risk of an accident are always present. A skarmory is essentially a giant bird of prey made of knives. Like, c’mon.

Unfortunately, this pokémon is not one I can comfortably recommend as a house pet. Skilled flying-type keepers may be able to care for them, but the average pet owner would simply be putting themselves and other people and pokémon in their neighborhood at risk by adopting one.

[rivensdefenseattorney]

(WIP)

Zenith

Capital: Titania

Government of Zenith: Techno-Meritocratic

Demographics and Population

Population Size: Small

Population Distribution by Race:

Elves: (10-15%)

Dwarfs: (15-20%)

Fairies: (10-15%)

Beastkin: (20-25%)

Giants: (5-10%)

Humans: (25-30%)

History and Origins

Zenith emerged as a haven amidst turmoil, initially established as a refuge for war-torn populations seeking sanctuary from conflict across dimensional realms. Founded by a coalition of visionary leaders and influential figures, the realm began as a humble colony on a planet once deemed uninhabitable due to its harsh climate and conditions.

This haven swiftly evolved into a thriving society, nurturing a diverse populace of war refugees, each bringing their unique cultures, skills, and experiences. The early years were marked by resilience, unity, and a collective drive to build a harmonious society from the remnants of conflict.

Over time, the resilient inhabitants of Zenith utilized a blend of innovative technological advancements and the harmonious integration of magic to transform their realm. They harnessed the planet's abundant resources and diverse landscapes, cultivating a sustainable and advanced society.

Zenith's progress was not without challenges. Ideological differences among factions emerged, rooted in divergent approaches to innovation, tradition, and logic. These differing ideologies shaped political dynamics, occasionally causing friction but ultimately contributing to the realm's dynamic evolution.

Today, Zenith stands as a testament to resilience and progress, a technologically advanced and magically infused society that cherishes its diverse heritage while embracing the limitless possibilities of innovation. Guided by visionary leaders, the realm continues its journey toward a future where magic and technology converge harmoniously for the betterment of all inhabitants."

Geography and Landscapes

The landscape of Zenith stretches far and wide, draped in the serene yet unforgiving embrace of perpetual frost. Vast stretches of Arctic-like terrain dominate the planet, with glaciers, towering snow-capped peaks, and expansive icy plateaus shimmering under the pale light of distant stars.

Uninhabited for ages, Zenith retains a pristine, untouched quality in many regions. It's a land rich in energy, concealing valuable mineral deposits and pockets of magical reserves that dot the landscape. Their presence often indicated by luminous shimmering energies dancing across the horizon. These nodes and ley lines, left undisturbed for millennia, now serve as vital sources of power for the thriving civilization, providing energy for their techno-magic advancements

The inhabited regions are fortified and enchanted, shimmering with intricate protective barriers that shield against the harsh climate. Resilient domes and barriers weave a web of protection, creating habitable zones where life thrives amidst the biting cold.

Economy and Resources

Economy

Techno-Magic Industry: This sector involves the development, manufacturing, and maintenance of advanced technological devices powered by magic. It includes the production of golems, enchanted machinery, and intricate magical artifacts.

Resource Harvesting and Refinement: Despite the harsh climate, resource gathering is vital. Involves mining operations for rare magical ores, collecting enchanted crystals, and harnessing magical energies from the environment.

Trade and Commerce: Zenith actively engages in trade, exchanging their advanced techno-magic creations, enchanted resources, and unique magical artifacts with other realms in exchange for necessities not readily available in their environment, like food or specific raw materials.

Research and Innovation: A significant portion of the economy is dedicated to research and development. Scientists, engineers, and magical researchers continuously strive to push the boundaries of techno-magic, seeking new ways to improve life in their challenging environment.

Health and Medical Research Sector: With a significant population having originated as refugees, cybernetic enhancements have emerged as a necessity for rehabilitation and recovery. Over time, these enhancements might have evolved into sophisticated practices, offering not just remedial solutions but also voluntary augmentations for various purposes.

Resources

Magical Ores, Crystals, Metals, and Alloys: Used in the creation of advanced machinery and techno-magical artifacts. They are often mined from deep within the planet, harvested from specific magical deposits scattered across the landscape, and imported from various realms.

Advanced Machinery and Technology: Golems and Techno-Magical Vehicles and Infrastructure serve various functions within society, from labor to defense and infrastructure maintenance.

Magical Energy Sources: Harnessing magical energies from the environment powers much of Zenith's technology. This includes energy nodes and ley lines.

Culture and Society

At its core, Zenith celebrates the seamless integration of technology and magic, manifesting in every facet of life. Its society reveres education, fostering brilliance in techno-magical disciplines from a young age. Education serves as a beacon, nurturing inventive minds that push the boundaries of possibility.

Citizens often engage in a variety of activities that blend entertainment, innovation, and creativity:

Techno-Magic Exhibitions: Attendees immerse themselves in interactive exhibitions showcasing the latest technological and magical innovations. These events feature live demonstrations, interactive installations, and hands-on experiences.

Techno-Art Galleries: Art enthusiasts visit galleries showcasing technologically infused artworks or magical installations, where paintings come to life or sculptures interact with viewers.

Holo-Theater Performances: Theatrical performances, movies, and shows are presented in holographic formats, merging technology and magic to create breathtaking visual spectacles.

E-Sports Tournaments: Zenith hosts competitive e-sports tournaments where players compete in technologically advanced games, incorporating elements of magic, strategy, and high-tech gameplay.

Interactive Gaming Arenas: Cutting-edge gaming arenas equipped with holographic displays and sensory feedback technology provide an immersive experience for both players and spectators.

[diamondcrownacademy]

DCA Info Part 19: Coquille Dorm 🐠🐚🌊

Coquille (コキール寮, Kokīru Ryō) was founded on the Adventurous Spirit (冒険好きなの精神) of the Secretive Mermaid Princess and is inspired by the world of The Little Mermaid. Students of this dorm excel in Archaeology and Music.

Dorm Founder: Ariel

Known in-universe as the Secretive Mermaid Princess (秘密の人魚姫) or the Mermaid Princess (人魚姫).

Dorm Crest

The dorm crest features an emblem with a purple outline and light blue interior. The interior's background features bubbles and a silhouette of Ariel, with her pose being based on a pose she does in a promotional poster for the original 1989 film. The middle of the interior features the dorm's name and the bottom of the interior features a purple shell. On both sides of the exterior emblem, there is peach colored coral and green kelp grass.

Dorm Leader: Cerule Oceana

Coquille's current dorm leader is Cerule Oceana, the princess of the Serpent Royal Family who's a lover of shiny things and desires independence.

Dorm Fairy: Marina

Marina (マリーナ, Marīna) is Coquille's dorm fairy and vice dorm leader. She is described as being a good singer. She enjoys singing based on her current mood. She is often seen with a lilac shell that swims away so quickly leaving bubble trails. The shell is actually slippery and is difficult to grab onto. Marina gets easily distracted and a bit naïve but that's her charming point. Her singing always puts people in a pleasant mood.

Her current appearance is reminiscent of Cerule's desire to see the world but due to her being sheltered by her overprotective father, there wasn't much to do. She always dreamed of wanting to wander off to unknown places to seek thrills and see beautiful things.

Dorm Living Quarters

• The Coquille dorm living quarters is submerged underwater like the Octavinelle dorm of Night Raven College. The exterior is built on a formation of cliffs with an endless kelp forest below. At night, it is lit by large pearls placed in giant clams, jellyfish and glowing sea slugs. There are coral beds everywhere and along with it an abundance of sea life. There have even been dolphins and seals who stay for a bit and interact with the students. The bedrooms have shell beds, the bottom half is fixed with a soft sponge while the top is held up by sticky kelp and some barnacles. The building has spires with cone shells serving as the roof of the towers. There are giant clams attached to the towers that act as balconies and extra rooms. No one knows how those clams got to such impossible size but it provides a good design to the building. The hallways are very wide and the rooms have an opening for fish and other mermaids to swim through if they don't bother to use the entrance.

• Connecting to the building there is a walkway that leads to a dome in the shape of a massive hollow clam. This is the underwater building called, The Pearl Dome (パール・ドーム). This is where students sing and even hold parties. There is a large crystal cone on the roof that acts as a chandelier.

• Nearby the main building there is a large tower with a shell as the entrance, this is the Pearl Salon (パール・サロン). This is where the students go to have their hair done and be decorated in beautiful shells, gems and pearls. They allow students to try styling hair as long as they have proper basics learned, and post it on the cork board so that other students might like the style others have created. The staff there are a species of sea fairies, each one resembles a sea creature, they're like the dorm fairies in a way. They love to chat with students and they work in a smooth pace with not one mistake in the years of service. The sea fairies are ruled over by a queen, the queen resembles a seahorse but she's much larger and has a crown made of spiral shells. She keeps an eye on her sea fairies while also running the salon. Students don't know her real name but they call her, Madame Trixie (マダム・トリクシー). She is such a diva and loves a good gossip, she often likes to chat about boys with the girls.

Etymology

The dorm's name derives from the word "coquille", which means "shell" in French.