#They're in a water rights dispute

[shrub-jay]

The New Arrival (Danny Kent)

CW: Body horror, teeth

TL;DR: The Kents take in another alien.

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The American Southwest has some of the highest found-meteorite density regions. New Mexico has a found meteorite rate of 1.9 per 1,000 square miles. Kansas trails with 1.8. A single farm in Smallville, Kansas, at just under 800 acres, has reported 23. One Dr. Kent reported iron meteorities landing in June, following northwesterly winds and a low chance of precipitation, over the course of several decades. It was an idle curiosity among Kansas meteorologists. A bizarre coincidence.  

“How big you think this one’s gonna be?” Jonathan Kent mused as he eyed the streak of green in the sky, leaning on a pitchfork. The still-young corn crop rustled in the breeze. 

“Not too big, or Clark would already be here,” his wife, Martha, mused from the porch. She looked up from Bubble Wubble Blast 2 on her phone. “Sweetie, you’ve gotta stop holding the pitchfork like that. I’m not ready for people to start comparing us to American Gothic.” Jonathan grumbled before leaning it against the porch railing, whistling sharply. 

“Shelby! Come here, girl!” A rambunctious golden retriever mix trotted around the corner, tail wagging. The streak in the sky had faded, disappearing behind the barn.  “Shelbs and I are going to go check it out on the four wheeler.” Martha perked up.

“And don’t forget to–”

“Log the coordinates, you’ve taught me well,” Jonathan finished, waving his hand dismissively and sending her a smile. The ATV engine roared to life, and he was off. It rumbled to a stop in front of a smoking crater. A head popped up, and two large eyes blinked back. Jonathan’s phone flash went off as he snapped a picture.

The figure recoiled, hissing. Ghostly white hair flickered around their face like fire, and a green sheen swirled across the wet surface of their eyes like rainbows on the surface of a bubble. Green tinged skin stretched across their features, and huge, wrinkled ears angled themselves back cautiously. Their dark nose twitched as Shelby approached the edge of the crater. A series of clicking noises rang out before their long, slender limbs collapsed beneath them like scaffolding.

Shelby darted forward.

“Woah girl, you don’t want to scare ‘em,” Jonathan whisper-shouted, hastily dismounting. It was too late. Shelby was already weaving joyfully between the new arrival’s arms, tail going a mile a minute. They obliged the dog with gentle scratches, and Jonathan smiled. “Looks like Clark might be getting a new sibling.”

It wasn’t hard to get them to follow. It was disconcertingly easy, in fact. Jonathan texted Martha to scrounge up some of the leftovers from their early dinner. He wasn’t sure if their new charge ate, given that he hadn’t seen a mouth. Perhaps they could photosynthesize like Clark, if the green hued skin was a clue. 

“How do you think they eat? If they eat at all?” Martha murmured, leaning forward on an elbow. Their guest prodded inquisitively at a gently warmed plate of food. The skin beneath their nose was taut and seamless. “I can never believe how lucky we got with Clark.” 

“Hell if I know,” Jonathan responded, tucking into his own plate of food. The smell of shepherd’s pie always whet his appetite. Their company watched him carefully. Jonathan gestured with his fork with ‘cheers’ motion before relishing the forkful of luscious potato, mouth already watering from the well browned beef. 

Jonathan Kent was a man who sometimes wondered if the point of life was to hear food sizzle while cooking. Cracking fresh eggs and wiping freshly minced garlic from the slightly tacky blade of a knife were simple tasks and simple joys. He wondered if Clark was eating well. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by a sharp crack and a soft gasp. The figure’s pointed chin had lowered, the muscles of a jaw straining into visibility. Where their mouth would be, the skin stretched tighter still, before caving in like the hollow of a cheek. They emitted a high pitched, painful whine, eerie as a theremin, limbs tangling around their head like a self imposed cage. Martha lurched forward in concern.

The skin began to split. Fibrous layers burst forth, as if they had only been held together by tension. Their face bloomed like a roll of tissue shredded by a cat's claws. Pieces began to flake and fall off, and the whine intensified as something began to protrude. 

A tooth. A startlingly human looking incisor. Jonathan’s fork clattered onto his plate, and he winced in commiseration. They began to claw at the flaking skin, slowly excavating a set of pearly whites. When they finished, piles of white flakes littered the room. They sneezed, shaking their head, rubbery ears slapping against their face.

They gnashed their newly grown pair of human teeth with apparent glee. 

“It seems like they might be able to fit in just fine.”

[lizardlicks]

You know that walrus vs fairies thing is a really good example of suspension of disbelief and how poor writing can immediately ruin it.

Further, it's a good example of how propaganda and indoctrination can be broken.

Check this out: if you are asked to believe something by a person who presents themselves as an authority about a subject in which you have little to no experience, you have no ground to question them on. Even if it seems fake, human brains are really good about going, "that doesn't sound right, but I don't know enough about [thing] to dispute that." We have to specifically train ourselves to stop and go do our own research. And if it's a big, complicated topic which you're brand new to, that's really intimidating!

This is a feature rather than a bug of being a social species. Collectively, we store far more knowledge than anyone if us could store individually. It means that even if you have never seen a walrus in your life, you can be reasonably confident that you still "know" that they're large, tusked, aquatic mammals which tend to favor colder water and they don't really go farther inland than a couple miles.

It also means that you are primed to accept new information on a subject with which you have little to no direct experience: e.g. fairies are real, you just didn't know that until now.

Propaganda and indoctrination work because they're presented as authoritative sources on subjects that the target audience doesn't have much experience with. That also means those can be combatted by research and first hand experience. Multiple times I've seen posts from people who climbed out of the weeds of Q Anon because one of those secret info drops started making claims about subjects that the person was something of an expert in: electricity, infrastructure, medicine, engineering.

It's also why you can get so into reading a great fantasy or sci-fi novel that has otherwise stellar writing and world crafting, then suddenly get kicked right out of it again when the author, say, has a character fall into a convenient, non-magical coma for a month, or they start walking on a bad fracture after a couple of days without some fancy technological assistance. You have a body, and you might not be a doctor, but you can know enough to understand that's not how bodies generally work, and if the author has not previously established that their characters aren't human and work totally differently, a pall of doubt and frustration taints everything that comes there after.

Idk where I'm going with this. I just think it's neat! Definitely something to keep in mind when trying to effectively communicate with people, regardless of if you're trying to educate or simply entertain.

[creepsterdreams]

I'm thinking about mc having a voice fetish and telling ts lI's that their voice is mc type

I love this request so much mostly because it allows me to bring up my headcanons for what they're voices sound like

TOUCHSTARVED LI's reaction to MC having a voice fetish and them being their "type"

Summary: How would the LI's respond if you had a voice fetish and told them that they were just your type

CW: Suggestiveness, some manhandling, teasing, MC being made fun of kinda, gn!MC, established relationships

LEANDER

Most people would’ve been annoyed with a voice that sounded like the textbook hero you would see in books, that boyish charm and cheerful attitude that never seemed to go away. Then there were those moments where that tone dropped, and their voice commanded the room, demanding to be acknowledged.

To you, it was just what you needed.

Another dispute had occurred within the walls of the Wet wick, this time between a bloodhound and a man that had just recently arrived to Eridia. Leander was quick on his feet, standing high on one of the tables yelling out that the next round of drinks were on him, all in an attempt to make everyone settle down. There was a certain edge to his tone that made you perk up, as if you were afraid to find out the consequences of not paying attention to him. Telling you that he is a leader and you will listen.

You quickly got up and went outside to the back of the building, honestly you had to get out of there before you jumped on him right where he stood.

After a few minutes of you pacing outside, wondering what to tell the mage once he realizes you had disappeared, the door swung open, and there he was, in all his glory.

“Hey sweetheart, I noticed you had ran off, everything okay?”

He was not making this any easier.

“I’m fine I just…needed a moment.” You responded hastily, voice wavering slightly.

Unfortunately for you, Leander picked up on your flushed tone, coming closer and sitting down against the wall next to you. He looks at you with a worried expression and wraps his arm around your shoulder, gently shaking you. “You sure you alright? You can tell me anything you know.”

Well if there was one flaw about Leander that you hates the most, it was his need to push.

So, you take a deep breath, and rub the tops of your thighs, trying to find the proper wording for your answer. “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain.”

He doesn’t respond, instead choosing to nod so you knew he was listening.

“It’s…your voice.”

Leander raises his eyebrows, his expression filled with confusion. “My voice?”

You couldn’t respond after that, the words got caught up in your throat, and heat was beginning to rise in your neck. But judging by your reaction, he somehow read your mind.

And that made his confusion turn into pure amusement.

“You like my voice sweetheart?”

Curse him.

You nodded, keeping your gaze trained on how his own green eyes seemingly lit up as he continued.

“Dawww you should’ve said something then, I would’ve talked your ear off even more.”

The joke made you laugh and press your forehead against his chest, breathing deeply. “I didn’t really know how to tell you that it’s just my type.”

He lets out a barking laugh, pausing for a moment to wrap his arms around your body, pulling you as close as possible, before pressing a gently kiss on the top of your head.

“Well, at least now I have an excuse to never shut up around ya.”

AIS

Ais had the kind of voice that you could only pull off when you’ve just freshly woken up, and had a few cigarettes. It was deep, and raspy in all the right places. The kind that sent shivers down your spine upon hearing it.

In the current times, you were crossed legged on the grounds of the seaspring. Luckily sitting far enough away from the bloody waters so you remained unaffected by it.

Princess was resting her head on your lap, with the rest of her body lying on the wooden boards. Soft warbling noises were coming from her, sounding almost like a purr, and the tendrils on her head swaying around in glee as you pet her.

Eventually, the doors open, and in walks Ais returning from the city, the horde of soulless surrounding him. Honestly, if they didn’t have the appearance of monsters, you would’ve mistaken them for overexcited puppies seeing their owner after a long day.

Ais chuckles and leans down, gently rubbing all of them on the tops of their heads as he coo’s at them. After that he sits up again and walks over to you, greeting you with a kiss on the forehead before giving his focus to Princess.

“Such a good girl, making sure they didn’t get into trouble while I was gone.” He murmured before glancing at you with a teasing grin.

You roll your eyes at his antics, scooting over slightly so he can sit down next to you and allow Princess to drape her body over his lap. You both always have a habit of spoiling her.

But rather than continuing to reward Princess with her much-needed pets, your mind drifts off and finds itself being pulled into the soft whispers coming from Ais. There was something so hypotonic about his voice that always put you into a trance, no matter if he was loud and obnoxious while at the bar, or gentle and tender while with you. Either way it always hit just the right spots.

"Sparrow?"

Ais's sudden call out causes you to jump and leave your thoughts. You look at him and see his intense stare, probably wondering why you were so silent.

"I'm alright, just daydreaming a bit."

He raises his eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. "About?"

You straighten up and your eyes widen, not expecting that question. Just how would he react if you told him about the growing attraction to his voice?

Your silence only pushes him further, the edges of his lips rising slightly. "Care to share, sparrow?"

And before you can think over your next words, your impulse takes over quickly. "Well, I was thinking about how much your voice is just my type."

The next few moments of silence are almost deafening.

Neither of you says a thing, the only thing being heard is Princess whining at the loss of attention and the waves from the seaspring. But what broke that silence, was Ais reaching over and grabbing you to place you on his lap.

Yelping, you try to escape his embrace, but then again you are working with monster strength here. He keeps his arms tightly wrapped around you, pressing his face as close to yours as possible, making sure his lips were right against your ear.

"What about my voice? Come on I wanna hear all about it."

You beg him to let you go, you're wriggling only getting slower as time goes by once you start accepting your entrapment. Ais lets out another warm laugh, leaning in closer and slightly dragging his sharp canines over the edge of your ear, causing you to shiver.

"If you won't confess so easily, luckily for you we have all night to talk."

KURAS

Kuras's voice was something you would expect to only hear in your dreams. The soft, yet almost ethereal tone that brings you nothing but comfort. A part of you thinks that Kuras is aware of your liking towards his voice, but, another part of honestly thinks his lack of feelings towards certain things makes him oblivious towards the matter.

You were at the moment caught up with organizing the mess that was the bookshelf hidden in the clinic. Truth be told, it was partially your fault that you begged him to add it, wanting those who were here for long periods to have some sort of entertainment. But after some time of having it, your lover eventually grew annoyed by how some people just basically threw it back onto the shelf rather than in its rightful place. So, here you were.

You were sitting down on a chair in front of the pile of books, having one in each hand as you took glances at the shelf and pondered on where they should go. You don't know how long you've been at it honestly, but apparently, it was long enough for your lover to walk into the room, wondering what you were up too.

"Dear? Have you really been in here all day?" Kuras says as he walks up next to you, peering down at the work you've done.

You respond with a tired hum, putting the other two books away before leaning your head against Kuras's midsection, sighing contently at the feeling.

He lets out a silent laugh, using one of his hands to softly rub his thumb on the back of your head. That's when he also starts telling you about his day, the patients that came in the early morning, how he had to make an emergency stop at the market to grab some more ingredients for remedies. As he continued on, you found yourself becoming increasingly sleepy, the gently rumbling of his voice slowly lulling you into a much needed rest.

"My love, do I need to carry you to the bed again?" He says in a quiet tone, yet you could hear a faint sense of teasing.

You shake your head scoot your chair closer so that you can snuggle more into his middle, using one of your own hands to play with the many accessories adorning his clothes.

But before you knew it, your exhaustion took over your sense of thought, and you started spilling whatever you held in your mind.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a really nice voice?”

This made Kuras pause his movement, looking down at you as he took notice of your tired appearance. “Is that so?”

You giggled before nodding, pulling on one of the golden pins. “I could listen it all day, and it’s just the kind that I love.”

Kuras awkwardly cleared his throat, covering his mouth to hide the obvious smile painted on his lips. Realizing your fidgeting was beginning to slow down, he gently removed your hand from him, before leaning down and placing his arms underneath your back and legs, so he can pick you up.

He then walks out of the room, and begins making his way towards the bedroom upstairs, making sure to readjust you if needed.

Kuras smiles down at your peaceful expression, seeing that you had fallen asleep while he was carrying you.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy the sound of him reading out loud, because that’s all he planned to do now that he had such interesting information.

VERE

If Ais’s voice was raspy and deep, then Vere’s is the definition of sultry and seductive. And it didn’t help that Vere was fully aware of this fact, and used it to its fullest advantage. The smooth yet silky tone that he uses when he wants to bring even the strongest to their knees. His voice was that of an additive drug that you couldn’t help but never get enough of.

Vere was having a long conversation with someone he had saw at a bar while you too were together, an acquaintance he called them. But even as you were barely paying attention to what was being said you could tell it was more of Vere gossiping while the other simply sat and listened. As you know the fox had little to no close relationships besides you and Ais, so they were probably just someone he tolerated rather than befriended.

But what did pull you back into the discussion was the sound of Vere’s tone dropping a bit, as he began recounting how one of the mages from the Senobium had the audacity to tell him what he could and couldn’t keep in the dungeon where they kept him. In his opinion, he had the right to decorate it as he pleased, after all he did his job perfectly, so who were they to dare question what he did outside that?

What made you pay so close attention though, was the hiss in Vere’s voice, somehow even when utterly annoyed he sounded enchanting.

“He was such a boring one, am I right darling?”

Now instead of in front of the other person, Vere’s gaze was now completely directed towards you. His eyes low and his expression nothing short of mischievous.

He knew what he was doing to you.

You quickly clear your throat and straighten your back, not wanting him to notice your obviously dazed state. “I agree, if there’s one thing that you love more than me it’s your sense of style.”

Vere lets out a taunting cackle that reveals his long and sharp teeth, reminding you just of what he can do if provoked. “That you are correct, my pet.”

The person he was speaking you eventually got up and left, claiming that they had a job they needed to attend to early in the morning.

So, now it left only you and your teasing lover.

He slid over to you, sitting down on the chair and leaning over to his chin was resting on your shoulder.

“We should head back home, I’m starting to miss our bed.”

You send him a flushed smile, readjusting your clothing. “It’s getting late anyway, I’m starting to feel a bit tired.”

He snickers, using one of his hands to reaching up and caress the side of your face, slowly dragging his claw down your cheek.

“I noticed your staring while I was talking to them, is there something you will like to share darling?”

You pause again, looking down at your feet as Vere continues teasing you with his words.

He then uses his pointer finger to tilt your head towards him, smirking as he takes in your expression. “It’s my voice isn’t it? It’s just what you need to get your rocks off? Hm?”

Well, shit. Guess there’s no hiding it now.

His smirk only widens, turning more into an amused grin.

“Hm, well now I guess we have even more of a reason to get home. I’ll show you other ways I can use this mouth of mine.”

MHIN

There were a lot of ways you could describe Mhin’s voice. One of them being quiet, yet firm. They often spoke in harsh, short sentences. Being more of someone that shows you what they mean rather than telling you. But that didn’t stop you from loving it any less. Another thing you loved was that their voice had somewhat of an accent to it, making it clear they weren’t from Eridia. To you it only made them sound more adorable, but you weren’t going to tell them that.

Mhin was in your room at the Wet Wick, washing out all the blood, and small parts of soulless that got on their hair. It was currently out of the shirt ponytail they usually kept it in, so now it was spread across their shoulders. All the more pleasing to you.

They were grumbling underneath their breath, hastily preening at the locks. You watched them closely, trying not to make your amusement noticeable as they continuously scooped up small amounts of water and flinging it onto their head.

After some time, they take a nearby cloth and use it to dry themselves, before standing up fully and taking a few steps over to you.

“What’s so funny?” They huff at you.

You covered your mouth, hiding your growing smile. “Oh nothing, just remembered something.”

They hummed and sat down next to you on the bed, removing the cloth and throwing it onto the bucket nearby.

But before they can talk again, your voice suddenly rang out.

“Has anyone ever told you your voice is really cute?”

Their eyes go wide and they whip their head around to face you. “Excuse me?”

Finally showing your grin, you repeat yourself. “It’s cute, I like listening to it.”

Within seconds, their face automatically turns red, and they look away, shielding you from seeing their expressions. “You can’t just say that!”

You let out a quiet giggle, sitting up so you can wrap your arms around their middle and lean against their back. “But it’s the truth. Your voice is just my type, my love.”

Of course you had to add the pet name just to drive this a little further.

They tense up in your hold, clenching their fist as they continue looking away from you. “Tsk…damn you.”

You laugh again, pressing closer so you can press a soft kiss on their cheek. “I love you too, Mhin.”

It took a lot of convincing but you were able to get them to talk some more, but only because you begged, of course.

[charmwitch]

wrote something about Samantha (knight) and Nirinel (witch)

N, "Oh hey, you're awake."

The world was dark, but there was only a small pause before the voice continued.

N, "I was worried you were seriously hurt. I can't fix you up if that were the case."

She knew that voice.

S, "Ugh…" N, "Hey, how you feelin'?"

The light was blinding, or so she thought. It took her a few moments to adjust her vision before she looked over at the direction of the voice.

S, "Uhm… kind of bad." N, "Yeah, if you're not expecting it, it's not great. But we made it out in one piece." S, "Nirinel?" N, "Yeah?" S, "Where… how? We were in the cathedral when…" N, "Oh yeah." N, "I'll tell you in a bit. You should take a breather first. It does come with some motion sickness sometimes." S, "…'It'?"

Samantha looked around, her surroundings quite unfamiliar to her. They were sitting under a rock, shaded from the red sun. Samantha had heard of this occurrence before, but had never witnessed it herself until today. Areas thick with memories, battlefields often come to mind in these situations, often caused such a phenomena. There was such an occurrence near the border of Belacuna and St. Helena, from previous land disputes before the countries had stabilized.

She turned to look at Nirinel, who seemed bored- if tired.

S, "We're not in danger?" N, "Nah. … Not that I know of."

Nirinel looked up, shielding her vision with her hand. Her wide-brim hat was on the ground next to her, it had been charred slightly in the monstrous encounter they had only just narrowly avoided. How did they avoid it, Samantha was still unsure. Her eyes scanned the flats. There were high walls off in the distance. She recognized exactly where they were- after all, it was she who brought them here down to the decimal.

N, "Water levels are lower than normal, though. See that? You can see the mariners."

She pointed off into the distance, Samantha rubbed her eyes to get a better look, but was confused. The flats had pockets of water, some with strangely shaped rocks peering out from the mud. Strangely shaped was perhaps an understatement, they were long and cylindrical, but rough and dull looking from far.

S, "Are those… tubes?" N, "Mariners. They're relics from the forty-year war. They're underwater boats." S, "… Why are they here?" N, "This area's usually underwater. Well, most of it. I used to come here to train my magic when my teacher wasn't around. He was never around, so that was quite often. He's so busy, so I would take it out on some of the rocks in this area. Got pretty spooked the first time I saw one of them, but they're harmless. In fact, they're pretty immobile at this state. Look, see?" N, "Anyway, it's the dry season. Sometimes they appear from the mud."

Nirinel looked over at Samantha, scanning her face for her mood. Her thoughts. She seemed curious, but still a little frightened.

N, "I guess I should tell you. You'd find out anyway. They're graves." S, "What? Wait, really?" N, "Yeah. They're not supposed to be. But if they're here, that means their crews are still in there." S, "Uhm…" N, "I'll probably inform The Society after we get back. I'm not skilled enough for that. I think Auntie Clem can take care of it pretty easily though." S, "… W-we're in a battlefield…" N, "Yeah." S, "…" N, "… Sorry. I, I didn't know where else to go. I panicked." S, "You brought us here? How? We're no where near St. Helena, are we?" N, "No, sorry." N, "Ah… this is hard to explain. I teleported us… here?" S, "…You can do that?!" N, "Hmn? I'm not supposed to. It's not magic. That's why you're also here. I was worried we might die, so I…"

S, "It's… forbidden, right? I've heard… mom talk about it." N, "Yeah, no one knows how it actually works. But if you're able to calculate a location fast enough and can access a terminal, you can do an instant teleportation. It's a bit more complicated with two people, but I was able to successfully find a point under the adrenaline. Accessing a terminal takes a lot of magic, I don't think that's the intended form, but if I can hack it I can handle it somewhat."

S, "That's-" N, "Mn?" S, "That's amazing! You did all that by yourself? It's because you're a math wiz, right?" N, "Aah, I wouldn't- I wouldn't call myself that." N, "Hehe." N, "You need to give coordinates pretty quickly and accurately. If you mess up, you can just get yourself killed or who knows what happens. No one knows. I figured it'd be fine, we were probably going to die anyway."

She pauses and looks away.

N, "Sorry I didn't ask you first." Samantha takes her hand. S, "You're incredible! Thank you for keeping us alive." N, "Haah. you can't just say that so casually." S, "I-I mean it.. I'm… thank you…" N, "…" N, "Come on, we should head back. It'll take a few hours though." She looks up. N, "-by broom. I mean. If I teleport again, I could screw it up. It's always a risk. … Sorry."

Samantha nodded, smoothing out her dress as she stands up, her balance a little off.

S, "I mean it. You're really amazing! Thank you for taking care of me, Nirinel."

Nirinel could only look at her for a moment before smiling.

N, "Stop that. You can thank me when we get back to town." S, "Oh, um." N, "What is it?" S, "Should, should we offer a prayer…" N, "Ah, for the soldiers?" S, "Y-Yeah… I… don't feel right knowing… they're just there…" N, "Yeah alright. We shouldn't stay long, they'll keep you here. They're still working, after all." S, "Still working?" N, "It's a military notion- Oh, right. You're a foot soldier. I guess you wouldn't know. Those lost at sea are considered still on patrol. Still working. They'll always be working until they're found. I heard about it on the radio. I couldn't sleep for days afterwards. Ghosts aren't a big deal for us, but it's still spooky, right? Imagine that. Being lost at sea for hundreds of years? No thanks. I'd haunt everyone."

Samantha could only nod before offering a small prayer and following behind Nirinel.

[mclalan]

A small estate map of Northeast Wolderness, a wapentake within the County of Humbershire.

Pentascarth Peaks

River Wyn

Bridburn Orchard

Bridburn Abbey

Firley Village

Grinholm Mill

Skunlington Town

Skunlington Castle

Pentascarth Peaks

Pentascarth Peaks is an ancient evergreen woodland that once dominated Wolderness, but centuries of agricultural expansion have driven it back to the five hilltop peaks. Some say that Wyrms slumber within each of the five peaks, while others more accurately claim that the peaks mark the boundary of the Wolderness wapentake.

Both Bridburn Abbey and Skunlington Minster claim rights to the forest, leading to obvious land disputes. But while mortals argue over who owns what, the woods remain home to forgotten, ancient goddesses— though the monastics seem to agree on this being just superstition.

River Wyn

Leading down from Pentascarth Peaks is the River Wyn, cutting through Humbershire on its journey east to the Lyre Estuary. The Wyn boasts giant crabs with some allegedly growing to a formidable fifteen feet. But if you're tempted to go crabbing, beware of the water spirit Catharine Wart, who drags unsuspecting victims beneath the Wyn's currents.

Bidburn Orchard

Nestled within an oxbow is Bridburn Abbey's apple orchard. The monks began with the principle of ora et labora, or 'pray and labour,' but if it also produces apples so delicious and plentiful that kings from across the seas are willing to pay a pretty sum for them, then who are the Valynites to say no? Whether it's Wyn's blessed waters or the lay brothers' tireless work, the orchard certainly hasn't hindered the abbey's rise to fame and fortune. Just don’t get caught scrumping from it, or the monks will have your hand off.

Bridburn Abbey

Bridburn Abbey houses the Valynite Order, which seems more preoccupied with power and business than strictly worship. With extensive landholdings and significant influence in the region, the abbey functions as the principal rural manor of Wolderness. As a result, it has become the largest and wealthiest abbey in all of Humbershire. But beyond just collecting tithes from the surrounding peasants, the monks are skilled in land management, particularly in assarting the land of trees and marshes.

Firley Village

Firley Village, named after the fir trees that once grew in the area, is an agricultural settlement situated on the glebe of Bridburn Abbey.

A large plot of common land lies to the west of the village, while smaller plots are located south on the opposite bank of the River Wyn. While the villagers grow a rotation of barley and vegetables, they're best known for they're prized oxblood-coloured sheep, whose wool appears black but shines red when catching the light. You'd think the village would grow fat from the wealth of this highly sought-after wool, but as the village falls under the manorial holding of the abbey, it is the abbey that reaps the wealth.

Grinholm Mill

Grinholm Mill, a growing hamlet owned by the Rolleston family, offers a much more reasonable miller's toll compared to the one up by Bridburn Abbey. They've become quite popular amongst the peasants of Wolderness, (well at least by miller standards), as well as wealthy. Although they pay their tithe to the abbey like everyone else on this side of the river, they are perceived to have undermined the abbey’s milling soke monopoly—much to the abbey displeasure.

Skunlington Town

Skunlington is a prominent market town, both wealthy and influential, with a history that stretches back to the First Age. It's located behind a small range of hills that shield it from harsh weather and provides a natural defence, with an added Royal Castle on the highest peak for good measure.

The castle is about the only Royal influence in the town however, as Skunlington holds charters that grant it a degree of autonomy from the Crown. The town is governed by a council of Merchant Guild Aldermen in coalition with the Provost of Skunlington Minster. But despite this apparent independence, the town is practically in the pocket of the Archbishop of Humberthorpe, the capital city of Humbershire.

South of Bridburn Abbey, across the River Wyn, lies the land controlled by Skunlington Minster’s estate (marked in purple on the map). The large tract of empty land between Skunlington and Bridburn Abbey is an ongoing contention, as both estates claim it for their own. The bickering has gone on so long that the land has turned fallow. But the biggest source of contention is how Skunlington controls the river toll for use of its docks, with particularly extortionate prices for Bridburn Abbey. Rumour has it that Bridburn Abbey might just build a whole new town of its own, south of Skunlington, just to avoid paying this toll!

Skunlington Castle was strategically built in the First Age atop the highest hill on Pen-y-Skun for its vantage point overlooking the whole of North Wolderness Dale—crucial in the Woodsy War against the pagans. However, these days it’s the Crown's administrative center for Wolderness, run by the Under-Sheriff. Here, secular law is enforced, tasks such as collecting taxes for the Crown, raising levies, chopping off heads, that sort of thing. There’s a lot of overlap with the ecclesiastical courts however, sometimes resulting in collaboration and other times in clashes.

Skunlington Castle

But it’s not all work. The castle also serves as the hub for the gentry afterall, and they're not exactly know for their hard work. So the castle hosts games, jousts, fairs, that sort of thing, and a bed for when the King comes to visit.

[kining-the-evil]

Chase has a cold and reader takes care of him? Maybe they're at work and reader works for house too?

Sick Day

Summary: Chase would prefer to pass out on the job then admit he’s sick.

an: more of just a Drabble since I had a surprisingly hard time writing this. I hope you enjoy it though

“You shouldn’t be here,” you hummed lightly. One hand was running through your boyfriends hair while the other was filling out some paperwork. Dispute being clearly sick, Chase had refused to stay home that morning. You had told him repeat to take the day off, you didn’t currently have a case and House could service with only having three people to fill out paperwork.

Foreman and Camron were sat in chairs in House’s office, while you were on a couch. Chase was laid down, his head on your lap while reading a file.

“I’m fine,” he mumbled. You just rolled your eyes, choosing to let it go.

“You’d think a doctor would stay home when sick if they work at a hospital.” All four of you looked up when House walked into the room. “Of course, everyone is already sick. What’s a simple cold?”

Chase pushed himself up to sit next to you, hoping to keep his bosses comments minimal. “I’m not sick.”

“Right, and my leg works amazingly. Never had an issue in my life.” House sat down at his desk, pointing at you. “Take him home.”

“I told you-“

“And as your boss, I’m saying you have to go home. And your girlfriend is taking you home now. Go, before you get someone else sick.”

—————

“Don’t even thing about it,” you warned. You had a cup of tea in your hands for Chase, and in the few minutes it had taken to make it he was already trying to get up.

“I was just going to-“

“Unless you’re going to the bathroom, you aren’t moving.” You handed him the cup, which he accepted with a small thanks. You went off to grab a couple of blankets from around your apartment for him, as well as tissues and cold medicine.

“Ok, it’s 11 now. So you can have more of this at 3 and 7. Also, stay hydrated. You have water as well as your tea.” You explained, walking back into the room. When you looked at him he had a smile on his face. “What?”

“Your doctor is coming out,” he chuckled, which just earned him an eye role.

“Whatever. Besides, the only reason I’m here is because you won’t relax without a babysitter.” You threw the blankets at him, and he let out an offended grunt. Once he was situated you started to get up, but he grabbed your arm to stop you.

“Where are you going?”

“Kitchen. I brought some files home to work on while you rest,” you explained.

“No, no, no,” he pulled you gently back into the couch with him. “If I’m stuck here, you are too.”

“I’m not even sick,” you argued, but allowed him to pull you to his side.

“We live in close proximity, you very well may have it to. Rest is the best way to stop it.”

“Are you going to stay here if I get up?”

“Nope. So you better get comfy.” You sighed in defeat, but pulled your feet up underneath you and cuddled into his side. At least he was finally resting.

[evilbihan]

As someone who values philosophy and underlying themes of art, I find the duality of fire and ice interesting when applied to characters.

For instance fire is seen as a warm and protective element, but few care to look beyond the warm glow to see the hunger and cruelty of fire. I think this can apply well to characters who wield fire. They can be warm and kind on the surface, but underneath is rage and passion. This can definitely be seen in Kuai Liang. Everyone is drawn to the fire, but doesn't see the burning rage.

Naturally ice is very much the opposite of all this. Ice is frightening and cold. It looks like it doesn't care about anything beyond its cold judgment. Yet people who have almost died of the cold say it lulled them to sleep. It's the only element to take you sweetly in a way. Ice underneath has a deep beauty and kindness in it. With Bi-Han we see him as icy and snappish (heh cold snap), but we also see that his whole motivation is for his clan. Yet the writers don't let us see the kinder side that comes from that dedication and love. It's annoying how they have kept him so flat when ice is such a deep and philosophical thing. (I'm sure my bias is also showing I love ice and winter.)

This is so true and I couldn't have worded it any better myself! Fire is destructive. Fire provides warmth, but no one ever speaks of what it takes in return. Fire is selfish. It consumes. Get too close and it will burn you. Fire knows no mercy. All those things are, in one way or another, also applicable to Kuai Liang. His intention to protect the realm may seem noble, but his vengeful nature is destructive to both himself and those around him. Kuai Liang is selfish and merciless in his pursuit of vengeance.

Ice is indeed in many ways the kinder element. Don't we apply ice to burns and bruises for it to numb our pain? Is it not the ice that selflessly melts and waters the ground we live off? The cold only becomes a threat to those who venture into it too deep. As you already correctly said, Bi-Han cares about his clan and means to protect it. He is only a threat to those who interfere with that goal. His desire to give the Lin Kuei a better future is no less noble than Kuai Liang's, but few can recognize this because ice can seem unfriendly and terrifying, yet the cold shows mercy. And what is Bi-Han if not merciful?

Sub-Zero: Surrender and Shao will show mercy. Mileena: If you believe that, you're a fool.

Sub-Zero: Walk away while you can. Raiden: I'll never give up, never surrender.

Sub-Zero: We have no cause for dispute. Kitana: You aided Shao's attempt to steal the throne!

Some fail to see the beauty and kindness of ice the same way they fail to see the cruelty of fire.

Now, for your final point, I'm afraid I must disagree.

Yet the writers don't let us see the kinder side that comes from that dedication and love.

You are partially right with that statement, but I do think we get to see glimpses of Bi-Han's kindness, such as the examples I provided above (you can find more in this post as well as this one), people just tend to intentionally ignore them for some reason. Bi-Han asks both his brothers if they're unharmed, he expresses regret over Sindel's death, he seems reluctant to fight Kitana... Personally, I think he is a far more complex character than people give him credit for. Could the writing have been better? Absolutely. Is it the writers' fault that Bi-Han is misunderstood? Not entirely. I would mostly blame that on the fandom's media illiteracy.

(As a side note: Ironically, my favorite season is summer and I can handle heat better than I can handle the cold and yet the ice/winter themed character ended up being my favorite.)

[singswan-springswan]

rebelcaptain fantasy mermaid AU since I'm apparently not done daydreaming about them rn.

Jyn Erso is mer nobility, being the daughter of a powerful sorcerer in the royal court. She's expected to be a prim lady, and she's certainly educated enough, but she much prefers sparring with soldiers or scavenging through human shipwrecks over mincing words at tea parties. many other nobles look down on her for her adventurous hobbies, especially since the Emperor has forbidden contact with the human world, and collecting surface world trinkets is pushing the boundaries as it is.

Cassian Andor is a captain in his kingdom's royal navy. He's unassuming, but he's skilled in so many different areas - including leadership and strategy - that it would be a waste to not place him in a position of authority. For this rank, he is also revered by the court as a member of high society. Admiral Draven often sends Cassian and his crew on scouting missions and the sort when the stakes are high and the weather is certain to be treacherous (mer have been making life difficult for ocean-going humans for the past generation or so, whether out of spite or territorial disputes, no one is sure. some believe the emperor is just salty about - quite literally - losing his right-hand man, who was a sorcerer powerful enough to bring the kingdom to unprecedented levels of subjugation)

Under the rule of her majesty Queen Amidala (shut up about continuity parallels and let me play with dolls), the human kingdom of Coruscant is thriving. Their sea trade suffers from the hostile weather, but everything else is going great! bountiful crops, art renaissance, good relations with neighboring nations and provinces, etc. in fact, their prosperity is their main drive for all attempts to open new routes by sea; they want to share their wealth with other countries and explore new lands in peacetime. (the king consort privately advises against this transportation of choice, but the presence of many powerful magic wielders in the ranks of the navy, including the prince, has perhaps lulled the queen into complacency about this).

it isn't until the worst storm of the season manages to catch Cassian's ship and wreck it along the coast that the humans begin to feel concern. He was tasked with escorting the princess home after a diplomatic trip to the neighboring kingdom of Alderaan. Their ship was laden with treasure and gifts, and ill-suited to maneuvering in such unexpected and inclement weather. Even with Cassian's great skill as a sailor, and the power of the princess' magic, the ship is easily overcome and destroyed. possibly blown up too, depending on how dramatic you want to be.

Now of course, the mer keep track of things like ocean travelers, and the emperor has always been weird about the queen and her family. no one is surprised when he decides to target her sailing vessel with his evil storm sorcery. Jyn might be one of the few mer who doesn't care. (besides, Jyn has diplomatic immunity! it's not like she's breaking any laws by looking at the ship from a distance). Jyn loves to watch the humans exchange treasure, and she's starting to grow fond of these ones, the more she continues to find them in her waters. especially that particularly attractive man with darker hair and even darker eyes. he's as rough a sailor as the rest, but kriff is he pretty. He's so serious, he doesn't smile much. Jyn saw him do it once, and if the sight almost melted her into sea foam, well, that's between her and the ocean current she escaped on. So naturally, Jyn is drawn to the beautiful ship with its beautiful goods and beautiful people. they're so festive in ways her own kind aren't. their parties literally explode. it's so lovely to watch that she finds herself climbing up onto the ship (definitely moving into illegality there) and tucking herself beneath the banister to watch them dance. Cassian isn't dancing, but she likes to watch him too. He seems in a light mood. he's almost smiling.

Then the storm hits and the ship wrecks, and Cassian being the captain is charged first and foremost with protecting the princess. He manages to get her out before it's too late, and her magic - though much quieter and less suited to storms than her brother's - is enough to keep the survivors safe in the life boats. Unfortunately, Cassian goes down with the ship because he's a good little captain and the plot likes him. Jyn thinks it'd be a shame for such a pretty man to die. She saves him and dumps him on the nearby shore. kriff, she thinks as the sun rises on the two of them, even drowned he's gorgeous. Cassian remembers none of the rescue. He is later collected by a search party sent to retrieve stragglers and beached wreckage. the queen rewards him for his bravery and stuff.

meanwhile Jyn gets found out for her highly illicit involvement in the event. Not only is she facing scorn in high society, but she may very well be imprisoned, or made an example of (the emperor has certainly never been shy of that move before). Not to mention her parents' reputations and positions are at stake. Jyn decides to just hit the bricks. not like she was infatuated with the mer world anyway, kriffing fascist regime that it's tending towards. Logically, the move for her is to become an international fugitive! and since contact with the human world is banned, that's the last place anyone will think to look for her. She enlists the help of her mother's old radical friend, Saw Garrera. While not himself a sorcerer, he's always claimed to be in contact with a few pretty powerful ones, and sure Jyn, of course he's got a spell or two you can use to escape the ocean. She transforms herself into a human and flees the cops by washing up on Coruscanti shores. Naturally, Cassian finds her 😏 she's pretty hyped about that.

Now technically the existence of merpeople is still mythical to most humans, so Jyn is careful to keep her mouth shut. She's not totally sure the extent to which her transformation spell extends, and she has no idea if there's anyone here on land she can ask or trust to ask for further insight. Better to play it safe than risk drawing attention and the possibility of some meddlesome human witch using her for experimentation.

She settles into life on land quite easily. She's a skilled, intelligent woman, and she has experience parrying her way through high society conversations, so it doesn't take much for her to secure herself a new home in the palace. Cassian is, naturally, immediately infatuated with her. He's not sure if it's the fire in her words or her eyes or the way she sometimes sways on her feet like she expects the air to cradle her, but he's captivated. He asks Leia if it's some sort of bewitching spell. She laughs in his face. Jyn says she's from a far away country and spins a web of lies and half-truths to explain herself to the Queen's court. Cassian is enraptured by this. It's under his advisement that Jyn is granted a position in the royal navy. He says they need strong sailors with good instinct and fearless hearts, and the royal family is inclined to give him whatever he wants these days, so Jyn ends up as a rookie on his crew. They are both thrilled.

It becomes promptly clear that Jyn was high born, wherever it is that she won't say she's from, even if her brash attitude and snippy words are unladylike; she has a very particular skillset. Cassian is especially impressed with her skill in combat. She finds it very different from fighting underwater: the mechanics are all different, and the footwork is boggling her mind a bit, but she's good. scrappy and vicious and good. She's good with strategy, and good with navigation, good with words and saying what she means. it helps that she's so happy to finally be here on land, surrounded by curiosities she's held most her life. She's really thriving. It makes her very attractive.

She and Cassian also happen to work together well, frighteningly so. Though Jyn has never known how to sail, she's a quick learner, and Cassian is the perfect teacher. there's no stopping them once she's been weaponized with the knowledge. Together, they are a force to be feared on the open seas. Somehow she always knows how to avoid the storms, when they'll come and from where, to the point that the rest of the crew calls her their seabird, their good luck charm. They're able to blaze new trails and find new worlds, even reaching as far as Lothal. Life is going great! Becoming a wanted fugitive might be the best thing Jyn's ever done.

bar the part where the cops are looking for her, of course. We're gonna say that Krennic is the emperor's bloodhound for the sole purpose of just including him in the story. While not a sorcerer either, he's a (mostly) trusted tool of the emperor, and can be temporarily imbibed with magic when tasked with hunting down a runaway mermaid. idk something something, he threatens Jyn's parents, then comes on land and threatens her, and that's probably really fun for me the target audience because it gives Cassian an excuse to be stupid protective of his bestie. I'm just thinking of the vibes rn and not specific details. feel free to use your imagination here. Somehow, it's revealed that Jyn is a mermaid, and there's a dramatic battle or whatever, and in the end krennic is defeated and he drops a loot tile which conveniently holds the secret to the emperor's power. the emperor is predictably pissed about that. he is summoned from the depths to try and throw a hissy fit, ends up destroying a lot of human stuff like their ships and coastal structures. Luckily, Cassian and Jyn play relay with the loot tile that holds the secret to the emperor's power and pass it on to the princess, and the princess gives it to her loyal sheepdog, and the sheepdog gets it to the prince, and the prince and his dad (who gets out to the water despite an incredibly uncomfortable trek through a beach of sand) use the power of their combined flamboyance to summon a lightning bolt from heaven and fry the emperor's scaly butt. the end everyone lives happily ever after.

turns out btw that queen amidala totally knew about merpeople! where else do you think she got her pathetic wet hot wizard of a bride from? Anakin's more than happy to live it up on land with his cool wife and wizard kids. man he's so glad he dodged a bullet being emperor palpatine's evil enforcer. Padme's cool mermaid friend Mon is gonna take over the mer kingdom now. she's chill and she cares about justice and stuff. hooray! fascism is defeated by lightning!

Jyn's silly little criminal record is cleared now that peaceful relations between mer and humans are miraculously established, but she's really come to enjoy her life on land and her life as a sailor at Cassian's side, so she decides to get a proper transformation spell and stay. Cassian is predictably delighted.

as an added bonus, the human and mer kingdoms decide to cement their new treaty with a marriage alliance. everyone decides it should be Cassian and Jyn, since they're both prominent nobles with illustrious careers in politics (working as ferrymen for actual politicians like Leia is close enough to count). Cassian and Jyn think this is a genius move. they're very in love

[lopadopalis]

Haiti is currently experiencing the prelude to genocide.

I don't know if anyone will find this, I don't even know how reliable some of these sources' details are, but something must be said.

A day ago, the Dominican Republic and Haiti had an armed standoff. They clashed over the border a month ago because of Haiti building a canal that would make them more independent from the DR.

Refugees were progressively fleeing to Nicaragua to get away from the country's ongoing spiral, but that door recently closed. It may have opened back up, I'm not certain, but the government of Haiti has gone ahead and banned flights to Nicaragua anyway.

The Dominican Republic also wants to build an actual fucking wall, and is partnered with Israel, who are currently killing Palestinians in utterly disproportionate and sickening so-called retribution.

The Dominican Republic has good relations with the United States. This post is from just eight days ago, from Biden himself.

In summary: 1. Haiti's bid to cope with their own water crisis has led to the Dominican Republic closing the border. 2. There are currently border clashes between Haiti and DR. 3. Haitians have been fleeing to Nicaragua, but the door has been closed by their own government. 4. DR has close ties with the US, so they're likely to back the DR. 5. People are dying.

I don't live anywhere near Haiti, nor am I physically affected by the unfolding situation. I don't know how bloody things really are getting in there, or how accurate some of this news is (lord knows accurate news on unfolding genocides is horrendously difficult to find), but if there's even a chance that this is actually fucking happening right now, then it needs to be said. It needs to be known. Because things are about to get very ugly.

[untitledmemes]

Blue Eye Samurai Prompts

Part II An assortment of prompts taken from the series Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix. Adjust as necessary to fit pronoun and/or descriptor. Reblog, please do not repost or add.

“ I can fix everything. ”

“ What choice do I have? ”

“ Now, get in and shut the door. ”

“ I'm not even good at what I thought I was great at. ”

“ I don't know you, and we have no dispute. ”

“ We come scorched by ire and affliction. ”

“ I wish to be great at something. ”

“ Still soft. ”

“ Killing it is a mercy. Do it already. ”

“ Is that an order? ”

“ So, if you might, my dear, dear friend, my trusted partner and clear equal, my right hand and both feet on land, fondest heart, spare a cup of concern towards our purpose and do it your fucking self. ”

“ If he dies, you die. ”

“ I didn't kill you when I easily could have. ”

“ The time to kill your enemy is when you can. ”

“ Whoa. Wait. Where are you going? ”

“ No one gets to kill you but me. ”

“ Fight within your confines, not against them. ”

“ I am not out here to learn a lesson. ”

“ Why'd you let me follow you, hm? ”

“ You need me because you're weak. ”

“ You think you can be great? ”

“ If he's walking in to meet certain death, I'll be there to keep him and death from getting too friendly. ”

“ It's called taking someone for a ride. ”

“ Don't be shocked. You're not a child anymore. You have to see things are they are. ”

“ You have been looking for me. ”

“ That's the law. No one would be the law. ”

“ I look your way and don't even see you. ”

“ What do you think they're doing? ”

“ I have no interest in being happy. Only satisfied. ”

“ Men like him like to talk so much, they eventually tell you how to destroy them. ”

“ I need a brothel. ”

“ I like when you slap them. ”

“ Nothing desired is peculiar. ”

“ Desire is beyond the need of my purpose. ”

“ Sex? An art? ”

“ Name your desire. ”

“ Women like me must be practical. ”

“ There can be no witnesses. ”

“ Don't exhaust the gods with your requests. Save something to when you need them. ”

“ This is boring. I'm bored. ”

“ He deserves better than you. ”

“ I'll tell you this, though. If this all goes my way, I will go ahead and take it for a sign that you tilted the wind to my back. ”

“ One thing to credit you is you are consistent. You're an idiot every day of your life. ”

“ No man can grasp sunlight, only worship fleeting rays. ”

“ Whatever clever insult comes next isn't as clever as you think. ”

“ What was his name? I can't remember. Anyway, he's dead now. ”

“ Women in our world don't have a single good option. ”

“ Do you have to stare? ”

“ I should have killed you. That was my mistake. I wanted to meet you first. ”

“ I thought you had to be something special. ”

“ Do you have a death wish? ”

“ I've been a captive my whole life. If I die today, I die free. ”

“ You must never do that again. ”

“ Being on your own, you could be like water. Impossible to catch. ”

“ I am nobody's wife. ”

“ I'm not a brute. ”

“ Too fast! You're going too fast! ”

“ Did you also lose your backbone when you lost your title? ”

“ How did this terrible creature come to be? ”

“ I never tire of your people's aversion to impoliteness. ”

“ Why set traps only to mash the rat yourself? ”

“ Sit, we have business. ”

“ Are you real? ”

“ I have a man to kill. ”

“ You came all this way... for me? ”

“ Are you still alive? ”

“ You promised we wouldn't be bored. ”

[ivory--raven]

eh

Michael isn't a pirate. Yes, they command a ship, and a fine one at that, and yes, they do as they please, and yes, they could accurately be said to terrorize people. but Michael isn't a pirate. crucially, they have a letter of marque.

And does it matter, really, how long it's been since they spoke to the Metatron, spokesman of the crown - how long it's been since he confirmed they are carrying out his will (the crown's will, it should be, but who's checking?) - when they always know they're right? Michael does not care to think of an occasion on which they were wrong, if such an occasion exists at all.

"Captain!"

Fools. Can the crew not handle an hour's sailing without them? It's probably a simple dispute between deckhands, and they'll have to discipline up the chain of command. Really, the mates should know better than to come crying to them for every minor incident. They expect to find out about such things through regular reports, not by being yelled for.

Still, they emerge from their cabin, striding onto the deck to find dark clouds rolling over the horizon. This is a storm they can't miss. It's approaching quickly. Too quickly.

Something is wrong. Something is wrong in the sea.

"Get everything taut," they say. "We're going in."

The crew scatters to work as the wind begins to howl. Most of them, that is. One man slinks off, a coward, to go below decks.

"Where do you think you're going?" Michael demands.

"But Captain," he says. He's whiny. They resist the urge to roll their eyes. He's new. Michael doesn't even know his name. "It's dangerous! I'll get soaking wet."

"Get to work or get off my ship."

"Get off? But-" his eyes dart nervously to the broiling sea around them.

"You heard me."

Scowling, he stamps off to join the others fastening the lines and tucking everything away. Michael patrols the upper decks, personally fixing a particularly egregious knot (really, must they do everything? They ought to have a word with the crew about keeping up with the ship) then checks on their helmsman, whose white-knuckled grip on the helm and look of terror does not exactly inspire confidence.

"I'll take over," they say, giving the helmsman a shove on the shoulder and forcing them out of the way. The ship rocks precariously in the water, but the heading must be maintained. The wind changes and howls, the sails groan with the strain of it, and the rain slams into them with enough force to hurt. Still the heading must be maintained.

It's then, in the middle of the storm, that they see land. Rocks, specifically, looming out of the water, and no light - it's treacherous. This is unexpected. There is no land marked here on any map Michael has ever seen. They adjust to dodge as best they can. How shallow does it get? They shouldn't be in danger of running around here. They shouldn't be. Somehow they are.

Something silver flashes in the water.

Some of the crew have seen something. There are men screaming. Michael squints into the depths, finding the darkness quite devoid of life.

There's that silver flash again.

"Captain!" The second mate has fought his way through the pelting rain to the helm. He looks like a drowned rat. Michael is certain their composure is the only thing keeping them from looking worse. "There's something out there."

They thought so. "Reel it in, if you can."

[volivolition]

ok so. just curious but omg what are your favourite Unus Annus moments/quotes?

We rewatch compilation vids of unus annus vids alllll the time because Fuck we miss it so much BFNDSNDNDJS and some that have gotten burnt into our head recently areee:

Like that Whole first video with the sex toys. but especially the part where a guy just shows up at Mark's door and they're in fucking bdsm gear and cat ears eating breakfast FHDJXJDJD

The video with them making a sensory deprivation tank. "Mark, what's the main ingredients in sensorary deprivation tanker?" lives rent free in our head tbh we quote that so much. Same with that bit where Ethan accidentally unplugs the tub lmao "WHere's the drain??" ".... By your feet." ".... What do I do with it :)?"

This one's like HARD to find in compilation vids but I swear at one point Ethan was doing something with a knife and Mark was like, verbatim, "If you cut me I bleed oooouuutttt :)!!!" And the AMOUNT OF TIMES WE QUOTE THAT ONE. IS SO MUCH AUSJSJSJSDJXJXJDJ

Other moments that live in our brain rent free include but r not limited to That time Ethan was singing Mark's songs in the car ("I don't gonna VOOOOOOOTE"), That time Ethan started singing fuckin Eminem out of nowhere, and the egg toss scene where Mark threatens to kill Ethan (THIS one we can find a video of easily here it is). Oh also that one bit where Ethan was fucking.... Just talking nonsense which narrows it down very little actually. but he was saying shit like "Have You Ever Been Bitten by a Frog? Have you ever been bitten by a Log? Have you ever been bitten by a Dog? Have you ever been bitten,,, By The Fog??" that scene fucking kills us FJFJDJDJFJD

-Anti/Tulip

HI HELLO!! (this is a month old im so sorry hkjh) I ALSO MISS IT HKJGH it was such a good concept, i love the meaningfulness of life and death behind the channel, contrasted with the silliest fuckin videos imaginable, i thought it was so fun?? let's try new things! let's be weird and wild EVERYDAY!! it doesn't need to be complex, we can just shoot the shit because theres still worth in the mundane moments, and our time on earth is limited anddd my god i think its so nice hgkjh <33

THE FIRST VIDEO IS SO FUCKING ICONIC HJHGKF to think of making breakfast with sex toys in the first place, the execution, the GUY WHO SHOWS UP AND THEIR FUCKING PANIC THATS SO FUNNY HKJHG

QUOTES YOU CAN HEAR AS YOU READ THEM KJHGG, "Mark, what's the main ingredient! In sepfruary desperation tanker :)" unplugging the tub like, Ethan oh no hkjhg… Ethan noooo…

i don't think i remember that one but my god hkjhg i will bleed ooooouuuttttt :)!!

I LOVE THE SINGING IT'S DEAR TO ME hkjg suddenly just "TOAST!" in the middle of the lyrics like HGKJH I DON'T THINK THATS RIGHT BUT I HAVENT DONE ENOUGH OF HEIST TO DISPUTE IT HKGJH

"knees weak, arms are heavy, mom's spaghetti... HES NERVOUS,,!!!!"

"I get to kill you now!! I'm going to kill you!! :)" HAKJSH THE THREATENING AURA...

I KNOW THAT LAST ETHAN QUOTE BUT I DONT REMEMBER FROM WHICH VIDEO HKJHG but i know the exact intonation he's saying it in hkjhg

personally enjoyed like, basically every time they sang, and also like. so many ethan moments hkjh i was an unus for real <33

i was still singing the disclaimer song for like, MONTHS after unus annus ended hkjh "Don't try this at home~ If you do you might dieee~!!" and the dance of italy still makes me laugh and the drive to camp with vocal warm ups were REALLY FUN, reminds me of my choir days <33 also "diggin my friend a grave~!! DIGGIN MY FRIEND A GRAVE~!!!!!!"

THE DRUM DATE DO YALL REMEMBER THE DRUM DATE?? theres a point where it actually sounds surprisingly good and im INCREDIBLY FOND OF THEM JAMMING OUT hfhj

this clip of ethan in the hot tub burbling is me whenever im in ANY water source ever hfjgj

im also fond of the real sensory deprivation tank experience, that was really fun getting to see the real deal compared to the. bathtub hkjhg

"Siri, call us daddy." "I couldn't find a father in your contacts" [TWIN LOOKS OF AGHAST SHOCK] FUCKGIJGN????? OH MY GOD... FUCK, MAN HGKJH

"a ski... skee... skipple... skiiiir... skirtle... skrittle... A SKITTLE!! no wait..." <- BIG FUCKIN MOOD HKGJH

i think the last video (other than the stream) that i rewatched from them was Ethan Teaches Gymnastics because i really do love just Ethan showing off all the moves he knows. COMPETENT GYMNAST!! THE BACKFLIP GUY HKJGH <333 the part where ethan talks about having to see how many fingers his instructor was holding up and mark flipping him off was really funny to me hgkjh that video holds a place in my heart hkjgh

ohhh theres probably so much more but these are what i remember hkjh <33 thank you for asking this, and thank you for sharing your favorites too hehehe!!! :3 <33 <22 i love reminiscing about this, i miss this channel jhkjgh <333 memento mori!!! :D

[cherryc1nnam0n]

Thank you for calling...

Chapter 5: "Please help..."

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Chapter summary: When you come back Wednesday to work you didn't expect the chaos that awaited for you

Cw: Angst, crying, Eddie is depressed, more technical terms, screaming, people being assholes

You woke up early the next day, dressing up with whatever you found and going to work, when you got there your co workers were waiting for you

"Did someone die?"

"Almost..." Luke said

"Your customer called all day yesterday, he seems to have issues"

"Oh shit"

You waited until it was 7 am, clocked in and got ready, waiting for him to call again, your heart was a knot, was he okay? Is he okay? Was he robbed? Did something bad happen?

All your doubts were answered at 7:08 am

Edward Munson High Risk Authenticated

"Good morning and thank you for calling National Bank, my name is Y/n, who do I have the pleasure of assisting today?"

You heard nothing, then a sniffle? Is he crying?

"Hello?"

"Eddie? Are you okay?" You broke character when you heard his broken voice

"S-sweetheart" he said

Your eyes watered, you never heard him like this, he must be so sad

"W-what can I help you with?" Your voice trembled

"Y/n I-" he sobbed "I got robbed, someone emptied my account, I had 450 dollars saved for food and stuff and they're gone!"

You went into his account and saw it all

-356.90 Apple.com

-5.46 Amazon.com

-222.87 Uber

Available Balance -585.23

"Oh gosh, Eddie it's okay we'll fix this okay?"

"How will you fix this?! I was robbed! I don't use Apple, I don't even have an iPhone! I never buy shit from the internet and I have my own van so I don't use Uber! Y/n I'm fucked! I'm so fucked!"

"Eddie it's okay let's calm down and breathe okay? Breathe with me, inhale and exhale"

He did as you told him to and calmed down a little, he was still crying but now he wasn't yelling anymore

"I'm sorry for screaming at you" he said sobbing "But I really needed that money"

"I know Eddie, trust me I understand you, so I'm gonna help you okay? Now I need to contact disputes so they can file a claim on this, and your money will be back okay?"

"Really?" He had hope in his voice

"Yes, really"

"Thank you"

"You're welcome, nos stay on the line for me, I'll be right back"

You placed him on hold and called disputes

"Good morning and thank you for calling National Bank, my name is Michelle, how can I help you?"

"Hi this is Y/n from Hawkins"

"Oh hi Y/n, how are you?"

"I'm fine, you?"

"I'm doing great, what is your employee number?"

"It's xxxxxx"

"Last name?"

Y/l/n"

"Supervisor please"

"Joseph Quentin"

"Thank you, and how can I help?"

"My customer has transactions he doesn't recognize"

"I'll be more than glad to help, what's his social?"

"xxxxxxxxx, his name is Edward Munson, likes to be called Eddie only"

"Great, thanks, one moment"

You heard her typing on her computer and then she spoke again

"Which ones are they?"

"Apple, Amazon and Uber"

"I see them, you can put him through I'll be more than happy to help"

"Thanks"

You put all of you in conference and you heard him son again

"Hey Eddie, thanks for waiting in the line, I'm here with Michelle she'll take over the call and give you further assistance, thank you for being a valued-"

"Wait you're leaving?"

"Yes I'm sorry but she has to do her job and so do I-"

"Please don't go Y/n I can't-"

"Alright I'll take it from here, thank you Y/n you can leave now"

You huffed quietly

"Goodbye Eddie"

"No, no-"

You hung up the call leaving them alone, you couldn't stay on that call even if he begged you to, it's the rules

You sat back, placed yourself on After Call Work and cried a little

"Hey, hey, hey what's wrong?" Randall, one of the floor support people came to you "Are you okay?"

You shook your head "N-no..."

"Come on, let's go"

He logged you off and took you out to talk

Let's just say the day sucked...

~•~

A/n: I couldn't help myself so yes more angst! Eddie will be okay don't worry! Thanks for all the love <3

Taglist: @bbyhargrove @mystars123 @tiannamortis @kjaxm @eddiethesexy @kickstart-myheart-sixx @aftermidnightwriting @bratckerman

[bohemian-nights]

That last anon is cooking something. The book does have a second account of daemon being a father figure to nettles. A maester swears by it in fact. The salacious rumors about bathing were told by maids and we know which rumors not to trust (some of mushroom's, singers, maids, etc).

It makes sense if nettles' arc is split between rhaena and addam actually. Rhaena joining daemon at the riverlands fulfills the father-daughter arc that is in need of confrontration and closure since s1. It wouldn't make sense if you have rhaena, addam, and nettles as dragonriders. There'd be too many of them. Someone has to go and rhaena is already a poc. The only answer here is nettles. Addam aIready exists and is non-valyrian looking.

Tbh your self-insert fantasies are getting in the way of you seeing this in an objective light. They're clearly not following the books so why are you expecting a throuple or an incestuous dad-daughter one is to one comparison from the book? Clearly nonny was pertaining to the second account being fulfilled, which would be much better than a contrived alleged cheating plot.

The only thing you and the other anon are cooking is some meth in a basement to feed the voices in your heads🤣

For those that don't know this is a link to the ask that this Dumbnyra stan is talking about.

You must think I’m as stupid as your cult of delusional morons if you expect me to believe that they had someone come in to play Nettles, dressed her up and everything, but only as an easter egg🙃:

You and the other anon need to come up with a better excuse for why they’ll cut Nettles and replace her with Rhaena than the toilet water your spilling.

Shipping nonsense aside, Rhaena is a highborn girl who comes from a dragon-riding family. She may be neglected by her father, but she’s undoubtedly privileged and she does have family who do care about her.

Nettles is the complete opposite of that. She comes from literally nothing. She has no one. The odds are stacked against her and yet this little brown-skinned bastard girl claims a dragon that killed others who had the “right blood.”

She’s supposed to show us that it’s more than blood that makes us. No other dragonseed or dragonrider has gone through what she has and none of them will. She’s a survivor in every sense of the word.

You are literally missing the point of her arc if you think they can just copy and paste it onto Rhaena(or Addam or whoever) cause they are all POC(don't hide behind that word because it doesn't make you look less racist when we know you mean Black) now.

Learn how to read first before you come for me with the self-insert bull crap(rich coming from the likes of you considering that’s the only reason why you care about Dumbnyra and why you refuse to see Nettles as an actual important character):

Maester Norren’s Testimony is supposed to support not dispute the assertion that Daemon and Nettles are lovers (see the “and in this case”).

You can't cherry-pick what you want from a source(which is what you’re trying to do because you know it makes no sense that a man bathes naked alone with their grown daughter). Maester Norren believes what the maids say. He never questions it so you either drop his account entirely or you accept the whole of it.

The maids were there. They weren’t just gossiping for the sake of gossiping or making sh*t up because everyone at Maidenpool from Lord Mooton’s brother to those lowly maids could see how fond Daemon was of Netty:

As far as the show goes, despite what you guys try to claim, your ship has hit dead water:

This show was never centered around Dumbnyra’s “epic love story.” Nettles and the “contrived cheating plot” was always going to come along (and you can cry about it till the cows come home):

As I asked the other anon, if you truly believe that Rhaena will replace Nettles what will be the new cause of Daemon abandoning Rhaenyra?

Does Mysaria still accuse him of sleeping with his own daughter and Rhaenyra believes her and orders Rhaena’s death or does Daemon just decide to abandon her and end it all for sh*ts and giggles?

What makes him confront Aemond now knowing that Rhaenyra needs him, Rhaena’s life doesn’t hang in the balance, and he doesn’t have to make a choice? What’s the reason? What’s the motivation? Don’t leave us in suspense 🙃

And before another Dumbnyra stan sends me another anonymous message talking about how mean I am or how I’m just a biased self-inserter, let me go quote myself from yesterday because you are proving my point:

This is why I responded to the first anon and yourself the way I did. Your side of the fandom is riddled with misogynoir and anti-Blackness all under the guise feminism(while disrespecting every female character who isn't Rhaenyra).

In your bigoted minds, you all think there can only be one or two Black people around, or else there are too many in a sea of white characters you can root for. The presence of a whopping six Black(ish) characters is just so distressing for you.

You all think it’s fine to cut the only in-canon Black character and insert her arc onto race-bent characters because you don’t want her there.

You refuse to see her importance because she’s Black. You refuse to relate to her because she’s Black. You refuse to see her as an actual character with a story worthy of being told because she’s Black.

A story that is unique among the dragonseeds(yes even with Addam having dark hair because he’s still being claimed by Corlys and he has a family) but you ignore it all in favor of she should be cut because there are just too many Black characters.

Let's call a spade a spade and say the main reason you want her cut and replaced with Rhaena is because you know that if Nettles is there she will be Daemon’s lover and due to the color of her skin you refuse to self-insert into a Negro like you do Rhaenyra. Rhaena is the safe option because you know Daemon can't f*ck his own daughter. Don’t insult my intelligence and say that you are doing this because you people actually want to make her more of a key player during the Dance or want daddy to pay attention to her.

I’ve already laid out how they can make Rhaena more actively involved so if you really cared about her you’d root for a story line like this:

You don’t care about Nettles, Rhaena, or Addam who all have their respective plot lines and roles to play. This is all being done to keep your sinking ship afloat(too late for that because it’s already struck the iceberg and it’s going down faster than the Titanic).

You know who can be cut/combined considering they have basically the same role (betraying Rhaenyra)? Ulf and Hugh. Oh, but that’s right, they are both white so you’d never suggest that. They are just too important to the plot for one to be cut.

Your all Negros are the same to me, they’ll have five Negros on the show and that’s five too many even though this show is majority white, I’ll lose what’s left of my sanity if they add one more so they’ve had to have reached their Black quota behind can go somewhere else and spout that bull crap to your fellow Nazi wannabes.

If people can not see how racist this cult of a fandom is I don’t know what to tell you, but I won’t be entertaining your unserious bs about Nettles on my blog when you come out the gate with racially charged language.

[ceeroosa]

idk if anyone is following the "omgimneurospicyaf" (that's their handle) drama out in the #actuallyautistic online space but...

hoo-wee! i knew they were fuckin' not my kind of people when they switched out 'autistic' with 'neurospicy' but this recent thing has really blown it out of the water for me.

basically they made a post about how they have a soft-diagnosis of autism but have decided not to pursue a formal dx because "it wouldn't benefit them" and also cited some common fear-mongery reasons not to pursue formal dx (custody disputes, immigration opportunites, etc.)

level 2 and 3 autistics took issue with this - not the actual decision, just the fuckin' audacity to make a post about it as an enormous account without acknowledging the heavy, heavy privilege of being able to simply choose not the be diagnosed.

OP decided that meant level 2s and 3s were attacking them for their 'personal experience' and mad at them for not getting diagnosed. which is totally not what those comments were saying.

the great majority of them i saw were pointing out how painful it is to see a big account, an account known for autism, contribute to misinformation and not acknowledge the reality of people who do not have such an option. people, very validly, saying "this makes me feel unseen" and "how nice for you that you have a choice" and even comments saying "now i'm afraid of the dx that's being given to me".

OP is not being receptive, lol. "this isn't a community, this is MY PAGE!" they said, angrily, in response to one comment.

with that many followers? with that many followers and to have gone viral so many times? and you don't see how you are perceived by the general audience? people who don't know better see you speaking for all of us.

and it's not lost on us that there have been, for years and years, even before the neurodiversity movement really took off, higher needs autistic people with formal dx online...but it's the late-identified autistic in their 30s/40s who became the online face.

like, this is hurtful but... you got so popular not only because late-identified autistics found you relatable. you got popular also because you're more palatable than a lot of us. by virtue of being un-identified for so long. yes, you did that through masking. yes, masking hurts us. but look at what it saved us from.

all they're asking is for you to have some fucking respect for that.

the right choice after that first post was to log off, take a prolonged social media break, and reflect on the feedback they got. process the anger and rejection (OP is heavy on the RSD projection right now in their comments) and then think about the points raised by our higher-needs brethren. take the time to respond, try and mitigate harm.

...what OP did instead was double down, and encourage more division in the community. OP says higher support needs autistics are aggressive and entitled. (where have we heard this before?)

and now lower support needs autistics are agreeing with them! OMG.

i've had it. i've simply had it.

[nokingsonlyfooles]

We're Through Pretending

Imagine you go to the store to get groceries, because you're hungry and you need to eat. The grocery store happens to be thousands of miles away, and many people die trying to get there every day, but you're hungry, you need to eat, and that's where the groceries are. There's a big lady holding up a torch outside the store and she's got a big sign that says "GROCERIES HERE!" So you go, right?

There are so many groceries at the store. You've never seen such groceries. Kinda expensive, but that's okay! You pick some out and get in line. It's a real long line. There are plenty of groceries, that's not the problem, but there are very few people working the checkout. And a lot of 'em have guns. And a lot of 'em don't seem to be to happy that people are here to get groceries. A lot of people are getting imprisoned or yeeted right out of the store. Many of them children.

A minor dispute on whether to surround the checkouts in razor wire seems to be going on. Also, they are trying to build a wall. A lot of people are getting hurt, and dying, due to all the razor wire and shit around the checkouts. People are building little makeshift shelters, and dropping dead of hypothermia and dehydration, and getting sick. But you need groceries! You gotta eat!

Someone walks up and screams at you that you're breaking the law by loitering around the store like this and not making a purchase. But you are trying to make a purchase, the line is just that damn long! Years long! You are in the legal place to make your grocery purchase, according to the store rules. It is required that you loiter. The only other thing you can do is get out and head back home with no groceries, where you will suffer and probably die.

Well, that's not the store's fault, says the person who's screaming about your illegal loitering. Actually, although it's very complicated, you're pretty sure it is? At least partially? Something about the price of the bananas? And the pharmaceuticals...? Couldn't they at least have a few of those guys with the guns take a turn scanning the barcodes?

But before you can even get into that, someone new rolls up and says that the store rules have changed. Too many people are trying to buy groceries. Now, no one can buy groceries. They may make an exception for unaccompanied minors - they love incentivizing sending children on a dangerous journey alone, so they can put them in cages! - but otherwise, nobody's buying groceries today.

But you have money! (Skills/labor/tax dollars!) And they have groceries, you can see them! Don't they even want your money?

No. And it doesn't matter why. No groceries today. Go home, or go camp in the parking lot and hope too many people don't want groceries tomorrow. We are allowing some people to secure a place in line via phone and remote locations, but by the numbers, far too few to meet demand. Also, we may not necessarily allow them to buy groceries either. Why? Bottom line, we're afraid if we let you pay for your groceries, you'll buy all of them, and there won't be any left. Hasn't happened yet - everyone who comes here to get groceries brings the resources needed to stock more groceries - but it might!

You notice it bothers the store people way less when white Europeans buy the groceries. They're not as worried about scarcity then.

So you say, "Fuck it, then I'll steal these."

And, ya know, maybe you'll make it. Some folks do, God bless 'em. But now everyone's pointing at you and screaming, "SEE? WE CAN'T SELL MORE GROCERIES NOW! PEOPLE ARE STEALING THEM!"

And God alone knows what new rules the store will put into place to keep people who need groceries from accessing the groceries next.

The latest bill, the one that says we might fix the grocery line problem by shutting down the whole thing for most of the year, is dead in the water. This is only the case because, due to a truly hilarious chain of circumstances, Republicans don't want to give Biden a "win." Yes! Shutting down the border and backing up the line even further, with the intention of making more people turn around and go home to die, is a win! We're just so damn worried about the potential scarcity of our groceries, we kinda like it when people who need groceries die. Phew! I mean, at least they didn't get any of our groceries!

And this is collateral damage. We've accepted, as a nation, that people will die on the border (and lots of other places) so that "we" (career politicians who don't care about anyone) can bank some political capital to do other things. This is what "harm reduction" looks like in real terms. Whom shall we throw under the bus so that others might not get run over quite so much? Might. No guarantees, but you are free to soothe your conscience by imagining the never-ending carnage could've been way worse. Look! Maybe this trans child got maimed slightly less because the brown one was crushed under the wheels! That's progress!

I can't make these decisions anymore. If you can, OK. God help you. God help all of us.