#and the kingdom was a giant pool in a video game

[xylophxn]

I took a nap and had a dream that suspectly had the same plot as twisted but in a waramers way. Except at one point someone screams "that is all your fault jafar" and Dylan!Jafar comes out of a room

[jonthethinker]

After a long day of truly cursed thoughts, I’ve come to the determination that the Cerberus Assembly can act as a sort of Exandrian analog of our world’s Silicon Valley, and I hate it. I hate hate hate it.

The more I think about it, the more it just sort of melds into my mind as fact. I can’t escape it. This is where I live now.

You’ve got this collection of self-proclaimed super geniuses, unbounded by modern social mores and determined to invent a new sort of ethics, with an intent on shaping history and sagely guiding the world into a better future. This is despite the fact that most of the ideas they have inevitably end up making the world worse, and the only thing “new” that they really bring into the world is a bunch of actually very old ideas coated in fresh circuitry/magic.

But let’s dig a little deeper and start getting specific.

They both have these images of fiercely independent, creative bodies desperate to remain free from government control, and sometimes even as a check on that very government. The heads of the Cerberus Assembly outright say their intent is to act as a check on the Crown, and are known to have many secrets the Crown is, to their knowledge, totally unaware of.

Tech companies, particularly in America, have this outward facing very libertarian outlook on things, saying they don’t wish to interfere in the very important process of democracy and free speech, while simultaneously feeling it is their responsibility to fact check those in power and hold them to account, with their “serious vetting” of political ads and the like on their platforms. They also lobby heavily against any and all regulation of their various products and services, preferring to let the “invisible hand” of the market provide the service of keeping them in check, much as the Cerberus Assembly prefers to handle its own problems internally.

But when you really dig into the details this is all bullshit. The Cerberus Assembly, for all intents and purposes, IS the Empire. They run the secret police, for goodness sake. The two are so interconnected, and the Assembly as an institution is so dependent on the infrastructure and manpower, and of course money (because the fancy clothes, giant towers, and expensive sets of material components don’t pay for themselves) of the Empire to accomplish its goals, it can’t serve as a real check on Imperial forces possibly “overstepping”, and it also has no material interest in doing so; the more power and control the Empire has, the more power and control the Assembly has; the less freedom the citizens have due to authoritarian “safety” measures implemented by the Crown, the safer the Assembly itself becomes to pursue it’s morally dubious work and experimentation.

The same goes with Silicon Valley and the various tech companies that fall under its ethos. They will expound continually on the necessary freedom from government control they must have to truly change the world in the ways they think are best, but the primary source of money for most of these companies are governments. They either primarily contract with governments for most of their actual profits or to use its already established infrastructure, as is the case with Amazon, or depend heavily on publicly funded research for their innovations, which is everyone from Apple to Google to Microsoft and dozens and dozens of smaller companies besides. They then even get to patent these publicly funded innovations and hold a monopolized stranglehold on their use. This is not even to mention the starter capital necessary to form many of these companies in the first place itself was provided by governments, with the rather, shall we say “morally questionable” Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being among the top contributors to such start ups.

Even when either of these groups claim to be self-made, it’s all bullshit. So many of our famous tech overlords that supposedly built themselves from nothing started at the upper reaches of society, with more than enough capital and connections to insure they were never at any real risk of failing in the first place. Most even went to the same elite institutions of learning that provide the vast majority of the political leadership of the United States, institutions they had access to due to their wealth and familial connections, not their brains. Elon Musk’s family owned an emerald mine in Zambia for God’s sake, one his family would have never owned without the British Empire being a thing.

The same can be said for the Assembly. The upper classes of the Dwendalian Empire are lousy with mages and magic users. If they don’t have a place to climb among the nobility, they work for the Assembly, and hope to climb there. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the only poorer mage recruits we know anything real about all were sucked up into the service of the Scourgers, one of the few arms of the Assembly known to regularly interact with societies lower reaches and not so positively at that, and had their familial identities obliterated in the process. Both of these groups are of the upper reaches of society and serve the upper reaches of society, and we should never think anything less.

And this brings us to the ideological framework both of these groups think with. They are both full to the brim with people who are individualists to the extreme. They all believe they are singular actors in the great tapestry of history, who got where they are by hard work and dedication, and anyone who isn’t there just didn’t do enough. The folks living in the tent city outside Zadash? lazy layabouts who simply have not applied their mind to be something greater, or perhaps their veins are just full of bad blood. Poor former factory workers in Detroit whose jobs have been moved to places where labor laws are weaker and wages are lower? If they’d only taken their education more seriously, they could be where I am! Or maybe they just never tried to be an Uber driver or delivering for Grubhub, because that’s how you really pull yourself out of poverty.

Meanwhile, most of the groups consist of people who have never once known real adversity and certainly not the hardship of poverty nor the lack of social and political power that position entails. They are blinded to the reality of most people in the world outside their rather small one, and thus have no understanding of the material hardship that most people experience during their everyday life.

You see this most clearer in the manner in which they try to solve what they see as societies great problems, with no clear thought put into the consequences of these particular solutions. In our world, this is particularly obvious. Uber is painted as an innovative means of transportation on a budget, when in reality it’s just a fleet of untrained, underpaid, non-unionized taxi drivers using their own personal vehicles at their own expense. Elon Musk is seen as this super genius when his solution to LA traffic wasn’t a more robust public transportation system or slowly reconstructing the city to be more pedestrian friendly, but instead to build a massive network of single car elevators under the city to zip cars to key hot spots faster in a manner people less anxious than me would still call risky at best. I mean most of these people think the key to ending poverty is teaching people to code or giving them STEM education, even when in a capitalist economy the only thing a sudden flooding of new coders and STEM educated folks would insure is that the jobs that require those skills will see a sudden massive drop in pay and benefits as the pool of prospective employees becomes over-saturated and individual workers no longer have any bargaining power to protect their once rare jobs. You already see this in animation and video game design, and you’ll certainly see it elsewhere.

For the Assembly, despite being praised as the brightest arcane minds of Wildmount, seem to get most of their ideas either by stealing them from others or digging them up out of the ground. But this is just the nature of empire; it’s always easier for an empire to consume than it is to create. So as little as they think of the Dynasty, they are eager to steal every little bit of knowledge they’ve discovered about Dunamis, and without the faith and moral sense the Luxon-based religion imposes, they will never be forced to put the use of this rare and dangerous magic into perspective. Imagine what harm they can cause with gravity and time magic when they don’t have that religious pressure to consider the value of life and choice. But this makes sense when their main sources of inspiration are the wizards of the Age Of Arcana; you know, the wizards whose hubris nearly destroyed the entire world and spurred an apocalyptic war that sent society into a dark age in which the gods themselves abandoned them? A+ inspiration material if you ask me.

Even the culture of these two groups in regards to how they regulate themselves is so eerily similar. Think of Delilah Briarwood. Member in good standing of the Cerberus Assembly. Also, worshipper of Vecna and talented necromancer. Only expelled from the Assembly after involvement from the Cobalt Soul, even when you know every other member of the Assembly almost certainly had loads of information on this lady.

It just makes me think of all the weird, right-wingers and Nazis who occasionally get expelled from the heights of Silicon Valley whenever some journalist exposes them, and how quickly their colleagues are to condemn them even when so many of them either knew this person was this way well before they were exposed or actively agreed with them and still do. I mean, think of how protected Bill Gates is, because of how much his philanthropist image has served to insulate and protect the gross consolidation of wealth and power in the hands of so few, even when his fortune was built on stolen ideas, military funding and research, and a hardcore software monopoly for well over a decade or two. Also, his philanthropy has done nothing to help African people build their own institutions of power independent of European and American influence, and have help distract us from the damage really caused to the entire continent by earlier colonialism and later capitalist imperialism.

This is to say as bad as our world is, I now definitely don’t want to live in Wildemount. I don’t want to live a world where Mark Zukerberg can cast Disintegrate. Not ideal. I guess I’ll just have to work that much harder to fix this one and not depend on learning Dunamancy to just put us on a different path. Bummer.

[emspectrum6]

Aboard a Cruise Ship (Charlie)

For DSAW Day 5: AUs / Alternate Endings Summary: Second part of a short series in which the LIs travel with MC to the future and spend a (relatively) quiet moment together. Charlie and MC spend time aboard a cruise ship. Warnings: none. Tag: @distantshoresaw

Charlie and Peyton emerged from the pool, laughing and cheering, as they hurried away from the mouth of the giant water slide they had just gone through.

“That was incredible!” Charlie exclaimed, wringing water from her hair. “‘Tis a shame we do not have any of those back home!”

“We could make one on our ship,” Peyton said. “Carve it down from the crow’s nest all the way to the deck.”

Charlie grinned. “I like how you think, love. But our whole vessel would probably not sail.”

As they returned to the deck, Peyton watched as Charlie picked up her towel and slowly dried her hair, eyes trained on the horizon. Ahead of them, the ocean was a shifting tapestry of blues and greens, its surface glittering where sunlight hit. Around them, the deck was filled with excited children heading for the water slide, and chatting adults. On either side loomed the taller decks of the cruise ship. Charlie’s eyes fluttered shut and she took a deep breath, exhaling with a contented sigh.

“Is this what you do all the time in this future?” Charlie said.

“I wish,” Peyton laughed. “But no, most of us cannot afford to lounge around on cruise ships all our life.”

Charlie had taken to life in the future a lot better than Peyton had anticipated. Given the books from her father’s collection which she had read as a child, Charlie had a sophisticated worldview and modern inventions simply made sense to her.

When she first glimpsed their cruise ship, she had been struck with awe, but after some reflection, had said, “Two thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks rowed their ships. In my time, we have bigger sails and more space for all our rum and spoils. A leviathan like this fits right in with your time, love.”

As they sat in silence on the deck, observing other passengers, a voice rang out behind them. “Arr, I spy some booty right over there!”

Charlie and Peyton whipped around at the same time, to see a boy and a girl hurrying past. Both of them were dressed in ensembles featuring prop swords, eye patches and tricorn hats. The girl held a spyglass made out of cardboard to her eye, pointing it towards the horizon.

“If it ain’t it this time, I’ll send ye to Davy Jones’ locker!” said the boy.

Charlie and Peyton exchanged smirks, and nodded, before walking up to the two children.

“Ahoy, me hearties!” Peyton called. “Care to share with us old seadogs what ye be searchin’ for?”

The boy and girl turned, momentarily too astonished to speak. A second later, the girl broke into a grin. “We’re looking for treasure!” she said.

“Are ye daft? Don’t tell them or they’ll take the treasure for themselves!” said the boy.

“Nay, we are not interested in yer booty,” Charlie said, joining Peyton. “I am the Siren Queen Charlie Smith, captain of the great Adrestia, and this is my first mate, Peyton Bellamy. We are looking for new hands to join us aboard our vessel.”

“Aye, and Captain Smith here is a purveyor of the finest recruits, so ye be joinin’ a fine crew of the most feared pirates in the seven seas!” Peyton said. “All booty that we plunder will be split, so we all get a fair share of the spoils!”

“I wanna join, I wanna join!” said the girl, casting aside her spyglass.

“Ye be needin’ that now, lass,” Charlie said, picking up the cardboard toy and handing it back to the girl. “Ye can take the helm as our newest navigator!”

“Yay!”

“Uh, can I join too, or is it just a girls’ club?” said the boy, looking between his sister and the two pirates.

“Of course, ye gents are welcome too,” Peyton said. “Now, captain, where shall we cast off to?”

“How about… a visit to the Great Kingdom of the Water Slide?” Charlie said, grinning. She and Peyton were enjoying this too much.

“Yes!” both kids agreed.

“Well then, all hands on deck!” Charlie said.

“Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!” Peyton added.

As they turned towards the water slide, a voice called out. “Marco! Valerie!” A woman came hurrying towards them, panting as if she had been running a marathon. Peyton recognised her Lythikos accent.

“Mom!” the girl said. “We were just about to set sail with Captain Smith and first mate Bellamy! We’re going to the Great Kingdom of the Water Slide!”

“Sorry, ma’am, are these your children?” Peyton said. “We were just playing along with their pirate charade.”

“Yes, oh thank you for stalling them, or they’d be on the other side of the ship before I can catch up to them,” the woman said. “Now, come along, you two. It’s time for lunch.”

“Aw,” the boy named Marco said. “We were going to seek out a legendary treasure at the Water Slide.”

“Maybe some other time, Marco,” Charlie said, patting the boy on the shoulder. “Perhaps the next time we meet, ye’d be a fearsome pirate in your own right!”

“Arr!” Marco said.

“Will I be a fearsome pirate, too?” Valerie asked.

“Ye can be anything ye want,” Charlie said. “But don’t be a turncoat and join the navy now!”

“No navy!” Valerie enthusiastically agreed.

After a few more pirate-themed promises and goodbyes, the two children hurried after their mother, leaving Charlie and Peyton on the deck. They both burst into laughter as soon as the children were out of sight.

“I’m glad to see we pirates of old are still remembered today,” Charlie said, sighing.

Peyton reached out to wrap her arms around Charlie and kissed her. “A lot more fondly than one might expect. Now, what do you say we head back to our suite and enjoy an evening in?”

“Can we play that video game you were showing me? The one with the pirates and naval warfare,” Charlie said, responding with a kiss on Peyton’s cheek.

“Of course. But you shouldn’t hope to beat me anytime soon,” Peyton said.

“We’ll see, love, we’ll see.” Charlie grinned.

[keyheartsia-dorm]

*Sighs*

I’m bored let’s do a lore dump

It’s a Map~

Oh Yeah I mentioned a Sprinkle of Final Fantasy and KH but I haven’t talked about that Aspect of my Canon At all have I? Well truth be told it’s cause I’m focusing on getting the more Basic Aspects of my Oc’s Before I get into that but Guess who made this Baby on a Whim!

So this is the Map of the Isle of Light well the Main Island at least there are other Littler Bits of land Yet to surface I̶t̶’̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶t̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶A̶d̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶L̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶h̶a̶ oh yeah did I mention it’s a FLOATING ISLAND!! Yeah P Sick right? Okay so I’ll go into the Island’s History and it’s Area’s but it may have some Spoilers I guess you could say but honestly I wouldn’t wait on me making a full fledged...Anything outta the Story I’ve made like I’ll sum it up (not here but like in general) but comics are hard Videos are hard Fics are hard maybe not individually but this is more of a Anime Series then an Anime movie if you feel me without further ado...Stuff

Oh god this was longer then expected

Some General Background

So The Isle of Light was Originally the Black Forest A Place of Freedom and Expression for all who lead lives who Needed to hide Such and Some Such was The Coven of the Black Forest made up of 3 sisters (not biologically also there was a 4th) they all found comfort and love with each other one being the Princess of the Kingdom nearby (The 4th and Littlest one) She had a fiancé who was Mad with a Lust for power and Control over things he Didn’t need power and control over He Treated the Littlest one Cruelly when the other 3 Decided enough was enough when he did...SOMETHING to Part of the Forest so Horrible it turned Dead and Cruel (Subtle Subtle Hint Hint Wink) When all 3 Of them saw the Ruin They went so mad they turned to Darkness and fought him and all his Manmade monstrosities there when the Princess Arrived there was so much Dark energy everywhere it was Bad like Real Bad So with her friends now monsters she Fought them with a heavy heart her heart broke so much she fell afterwards immediately Unintentionally Sending her Kingdom to somewhere nobody knows where she is though...That’s an even bigger question BUT the story would live on as a Weilder of the key blade who slayed 3 evil witches...(Oh yeah did I mention Crowley knows And that’s Why He Let the Girls Attend because he thought they might be the Black Forest Coven Reincarnated And the Prophecy that when they Awakened the “Keys to their Hearts once more” They’d Free The Princess From her Mirror Prison Oh Yeah also the princess DID Die But her Reincarnation Goes inside a Mirror and is trapped there when she turns 17 and Doesn’t leave until she dIES ALSO ITS HIS OLDEST DAUGHTER THIS TIME ALSO YES HE HAS 2 DAUGHTERS...Okay lemme just calm down..Also yeah she thought of the Princess System) but After a Wish got safe haven for all Keyblade Weilders (I have KH Oc’s other then these don’t ask Longer story they live and basically founded Fortana Haven) I guess the Isle of Light Rose from the Shadow Realm to be just that oh yeah also the Isle of light is literally that kingdom if ya didn’t know

Fortana Haven

(Some Love Nikki BGs for Visualization if I’m Wrong about this from being from Love Nikki Correct me pls and if this is your art sorry and I’ll take it down)

Okay this Place Basically a Modern Fairytale Everything is so Rustic~ but they Have Cafe’s and Stuff~ They’re still very much in Development as a City..or town..or whatever Boss of everything Locket Clover (An OG KH OC) Runs Everything Wonderfully she welcomes everything with open arms and If you wanna run a shop or want a Building for a particular Thing or Activity she’s Pretty open to the idea unless it’s Incredibly Dumb But she will make you get The Wood and Supplies and The Bricks and the Brick Stick Sauce or whatever it’s called she might get give you help constructing but dang is she a firm believer in “DIY” but I like how she’s Determined to Have a Good Balance between Industrial and Rural In fact there is a Mall (God knows how it got there) And that’s pretty much all there is for your Juicy Capitalism Fix She Runs “Hope Stir” Workshop according to Her boyfriend Ephmer It was always Called a workshop but for the longest time she did EVERYTHING Subtle Farmwork And Animal Husbandry ACTUAL Workshop things all cause she wanted to help every Weilder she knew out and made sure they had a place for food and such She is a bit of a Moneyholic but when you’ve been doing what she’s been doing I bet you’d be too overall While it doesn’t have much History yet Fortana Haven (4-Tana is how you say it btw) Is truly well a Haven

The Crowned Castle

(More Pics for Visuals I don’t think this is from love Nikki but if this is your artwork same applies I’m not gonna be the guy who Claims just cause it’s on google it belongs to everybody or something even though yeah I did find it on google)

The...Crown of the Isle of Light Before We came to the Isle for the first time Apparently Everyone In Fortana thought it was Haunted! Which..Fair enough Before we Placed the Princess Medals (Okay QUICK SUMMARY OF THIS BIT Okay so in the KH Mobile game there’s Medals and I wanted them to be in my story basically They’re Memories formed into powers when all my Oc’s Met the Princess’s Of Heart They Each got a Medal Representing them and then the Medals Restored the Castle I left out some details but basically that’s it) This Castle is the BOMB There’s Cool Pretty Princess Room’s And a Bedroom JUST FOR SLUMBER PARTIES!! And it’s just a good Place to Vibe and Hang out with your friends (I’m sorry I’m about to Lore Dumb all over this place) The Princess’s Fiancé Made a Crown for her before she could put it on he put some of his Subconscious in it poor Eden When she wanted to get stronger for Malleus (Malleus is her adoptive big brother and she was upset cause she felt she wasn’t good enough ran away to get power and found the crown) It really did almost completely overtake her I shudder thinking about it “Kachow”...Ew (The fiancé said that a lot ok) a lotta bad stuff happened here but as selfish as this may sound I feel like I earned my spot here and I wanna keep sharing it with my friends

The Matteria Deadland

(Also Imagine some Pointy Mountains and some Lite Mech debris)

Man What to say... So Much Happened here as well probably Tragedy I can’t comprehend there is a few good places about this place though Diane likes to Scavange around Here for Interesting Debris Eden doesn’t like the Air around here but she says she finds Interesting Jewels here and Latte says the same thing so there is good to be found here We all come here every so often to try to help..Anything grow but they don’t call this deadland for nothing but still ya can’t give up hope! I wanna grow some beautiful Lillies here one day! Also hey! Also pretty cool name (Matter-RI-a is how you say it btw) All the sadness that happened here it actually did make the land rich in Metal if nothing else there’s even a whole Cavern we found in the mountains...it almost killed us but we found it

Opal Cove

(also these are Gacha Backgrounds)

Is this Place an Actual Cove? Idk

Is this Place super cool and pretty? Yeah

Is this one of my favorite places in this whole Isle? FRICK YEAH

okay I love a lot about this Isle but Opal Cove!!

Our mermaid friend Mitella I guess “Runs” the Place Our KINDA merman Friend Skye also spends a whole lotta time here Basically it’s a Giant Pool and rumor has it...It’s endless Water...CAUSE IT IS SOMEHOW CAUSE I KNOW weird thing is the Sand it’s at the end of the Isle so there’s not really a beach just...Sand Near Water Odd The Coral Near the Bottom or well “Bottom” Is SO PRETTY it’s like Crystals in the morning the light shines its SO DANG PRETTY I’m glad Mitella is a Sea Witch Or else we couldn’t go so deep underwater it’s SOOO worth it!! She does NOT let a lotta people at once though Heck she doesn’t like Skye that much from what I can tell but she makes an Exception for ~friends~ So...BE NICE TO OUR CUTE MITELLA I’m glad we have a Convient Place for Blitzball practice and also Swimming around with pretty Mermaid Tails (New Nix Mermaid Action Fashion Doll only 25.99! Get it for your Child or they’ll cry!! Also a 5 dollar Boy doll take his Shirt off! That’s it!) Hyde Mi And Skye are kinda an Iconic Trio Mi Also Teaches how to swim with a mermaid tail better for the Weilders who wanna go to Atlantica Hey Mermaids gotta eat so get a Swim Lesson! (And also a transforming Mermaid Doll!)

Bianco Nero Forest

Well tbh I have the least to say because it’s Appeal is simple ADVENTURE AND MYSTERY! Lots can happen in Bianco Nero it’s Basically the Base foundation of the whole Isle! Presumably cause it’s the Black Forest or was at least though it can be dangerous it’s the only place heartless are know to appear in the whole isle (So where you’ll grind In the Video Game that’ll definitely happen :Says the girl who can’t commit to a single comic) They drop all sortsa cool stuff! Heck you can FIND Cool stuff just...Around so..Yeah!!

It’s 2 am maybe I’ll edit this later thanks for reading sorry I got obviously tired by the end goodbye my dearests~ (Seriously y’all deserve like a reward for reading this dumpster fire) I was inspired by those maps in those scholastic books like the Rainbow Fairies I think it was called (Anyone remember those?) that had lil maps in the beginning and also the map’s stickers all on PicsArt

[palettes-and-prompts]

Prompts for Beach/Pool Day

Dialogue Prompts

1) "The sun's out and the water smells not good." "I know, isn't it great?" "No. Why can't we stay inside?" "You have to get sunlight or you'll probably die." "I'm not a plant!" 2) "Let's go swimming, the ocean's right there!" "Absolutely not! Do you know how many creatures are living in a drop of water from the ocean?" "No because I'm not a nerd." 3) "I can't swim." "You're a full grown person though. No one ever chucked you in the water and told you to swim or die?" "What? No! Did that happen to you?" "Yeah." "That's awful!" "Yeah, but you know what?" "What?" "I can swim." 4) "My ice cream's melting!" "Eat faster." "But then my head hurts!" "Then don't eat it that fast." "But then it melts." "Oh my god, I will drown you." 5) "I love seeing those big boats all the way out there, they look so small, they make me feel like I'm a woman from the forties waiting for my strong sailor lover's ship to dock so he and I can spend a magical night together that'll result in my pregnancy. And he and I aren't married but he finds out about the baby and promises to make an honest woman out of me, but then he gets called back to the ship and I spend the next few months coming to the beach, rubbing my stomach and wondering when he'll return. And of course I go into labor and I get upset thinking maybe he's never coming back and I'll have to do this on my own. But then he rushes into the room and holds my hand and the doctor delivers our baby and they're so beautiful, they've got his eyes. And he promises to make me the happiest woman in the world and I just whisper back 'You already have, Robert.'" "Who's Robert? All I asked you was 'Are those boats out there?' I didn't ask for your sailor fantasy story." "Well, you should have. Maybe you should ask for more stories from me sometime. Robert certainly would." 6) "Wanna go swimming?" "It's winter." "So? What are you scared of a little hypothermia? Come on, don't be a chicken." 7) "Dude...I think there's something in the water." 8) "What the fuck was that? I just felt something swim by my feet!" 9) "Those waves look pretty high, maybe we should go back." "No way, it'll be fun!" 10) "You gotta help, A's stuck in the riptide!" 11) "If you go out on that ship there's a good chance you'll die out there." 12) "There's the boat...why aren't they in it? Person A, why aren't they in it?!" 13) "Why don't we go diving and see what kind of fish live deep under the water?" "That's how you discover terrifying creatures and get eaten alive so why don't you go fuck yourself?" "Wanna build sandcastles then?" "Yeah, sure." 14) "Wanna buy a boat and make money as deep sea fishers?" "You want to anger the sea gods? Yeah, I don't think so." 15) "Where are we going again?" "This is the place where all those feet end up washing up on shore and they don't know why." "Can we do just do one normal thing? For once in our lives?" 16) "Dude, we just found a body on the beach, wanna go see it?" "Ew. What the fuck?!" "It's got a lot of bite marks on it and it's bloated from being in the water too long." "That's disgusting. Let me get my keys and you can show me where it's at." 17) "Why's the government out here?" "I hear they got video of a unidentified fish out here and they found out it's real so they're trying to find it." "What kind of fish? Like megalodon?" "I heard they think it's a mermaid." “Ah, so less cool then.” 18) "Holy shit! You have a fish tail!" "Holy shit! You have human legs!" "..." "Yeah, see how fucking stupid you sound pointing out the obvious like that?" 19) "I found this shell and it reminded me of you." "Is it because it's ugly and incomplete without its other half?" "What? No! It's cause it's shiny on the inside and I thought you'd like it." 20) "Look at this colorful giant pearl I found!" "That's a bouncy ball."

Regular Prompts

1) A and B are in a relationship and decide to go sailing. A is hesitant because they've never been in the ocean and don't know how to swim. Despite this they go sailing. When they hit bigger waves A falls in and they get dragged by the waves unable to get back in the boat. When the boat is dragged too far away A notices a tail popping out of the water. Thinking it's a shark they start kicking hard and wildly but when they see a person's face they freeze completely. The creature introduces themselves as C and gives them the ability to be like them in the water and takes them to their kingdom. A gets so swept away in this world they forget about B for a while until the others mention the surface and A remembers. But by this time C's really attached to them. They have to decide to either return to the human world for B or stay with C. 2) A goes to the beach and ends up almost drowning while attempting to surf, only to be saved by lifeguard B just in time. B remembers them and constantly asks A if they want them to teach them how to surf. A says no and wipes out multiple times before admitting they need help learning. B helps and is happy to be around A more. 3) A and B haven't admitted their feelings for each other yet so their friends set up a beach and games, forcing the two to work as partners to win. 4) A and B are on rival teams for volleyball and have been competing every summer against each other. They're tied this year and once they both make it to the finals it'll decide who the winner really is since they wont be coming back to play anymore due to them going off to college. They don't like each other but outside volleyball they spend a lot of time together. After all that time and the competition is over they decide winning isn't important and share a kiss, both sad to be parting ways. (Bonus if they end up as roommates because they both applied to the same college.) 5) A's always had a thing for B but B's never noticed A before until they all go to the beach with friends and A shows up in a bathing suit that looks very good on them. 6) A and B are determined to build a huge house out of sand at the beach even if it kills them. 7) A and B go to a nude beach except they start to notice no one else is naked and A's starting to feel like they may have taken a wrong turn at that last sign. 8) A and B go to the beach but find dead animals everywhere concluding something isn't right. When they find people washing up things become increasingly scarier. A brings some of the sand and some of the water to a their scientist friend who informs them that it's not the sand or water. When strange writing appears and they see a mysterious woman they research her only to find out she’s a sea witch who is angry and that they must figure out a way to appease her or she’ll have to move onto land. 9) A wakes up on a beach but doesn't know who or where they are. They're found by doctor, Person B and brought to the hospital and there are no missing persons reports and none of their DNA is in the system. They can't remember where they live or anything about their past. All A can remember is the ocean and so B takes them back by themselves and soon they're in the water and that's how they realize A's not human and in fact a water dragon. 10) Strange items wash up on the beach and A's collecting them while B thinks they're trash. When they realizes all the items fit together like a puzzle it unlocks a message from Atlantis telling them they need help from the human world and they're immediately transported their and given things to help them breathe underwater. They meet mermaids and eventually help them. When they do they're given the option to become mermaids like them if they want. (Bonus if they pick this but also decide to come up to the surface for food.)

[lucyhblack]

I had this mental image a long, long time ago (that of the Cornys being treated like sausages by a Papython dressed in an apron and chef's hat) and this exact passage written several and several months ago.

The story just didn't develop (I only had that stretch in mind and nothing else) until today. I just sat and wrote it. Without any planning! It just flowed from the mind to the keyboard.

(And there is proof that stories have a life of their own and want to be told)

So there it is. A small snippet of what I imagine to be one day at the Vex adoption store.

Thank you @vex-bittys for creating such a fun universe and allowing us to play with it!

Summary: It was a beautiful sunny day at Vex's Lamia Bittybones Adoption Center and Clinic

It was a beautiful sunny day at Vex's Lamia Bittybones Adoption Center and Clinic.

After several days locked up due to the rains, the dark clouds had finally dispersed and the lamias could go out and enjoy the sun. And enjoy they would.

The Kings had already gone out with some Papythons to check the back garden and see how the plants had fared and the possible care they would have to give to the flower beds.

The Pygmys left next. They spread out quickly, happy to have more space for their zooms. In a short time they entered a friendly competition to see who could go faster and dodge the largest number of remaining pools of water (needless to say that in their excitement many forgot that they should dodge and soon it was confusing even for them if the competition was for deflect or pass through as many puddles as possible).

Even Edgar had taken advantage and taken the current clutcher for some fresh air. He set up a small children's pool with Waffle's help and watched with affection the young Kraits gliding in the few inches of water inside.

The day was heating up fast, so he didn't care about the gentle breeze blowing, but even if the heat of the sun wasn't enough, the Kraits' counterpart, a group of FireRing puppies (all huddled safely in the older skeleton, and away from spatter caused by his brothers) they pleasantly warmed the air (a little uncomfortable for the feathered skeleton that carried them, but what was a little discomfort to see the happy faces and hear the chirps of the babes?) and protect the lamias more delicate.

His son Quetzl, a rare winged Papython hybrid, is happily strolling through the garden, avoiding the puddles and wandering Pygmys, happy to just be outdoors and be able to spread his wings after the last few days confined.

But not all lamias were enjoying their “new freedom” from the prison of bad weather outdoors. Some preferred to stay inside, enjoying the sun from a drier and more comfortable place.

This was the case with the Mambas who had gathered in front of one of the store's large front windows, dragging soft cushions and positioning themselves in them as a particularly expensive display of jewelry. They enjoyed the sun safely, away from possible puddles of cold water or mud (the mud could be beneficial to the skin they had read, but after a bad experience with worms trapped in rib cages, they all agreed that it was better to try the muds the type that came in cosmetic pots and not the natural one found in gardens).

They took turns in positions that were not always practical, but that always captured the sun's rays perfectly to make their well-polished scales shine.

In the other window a large barbecue grill had been set up and a full size Papython with an apron and a chef's hat turned over, with the help of a silicone spatula, several Cornys that slept on the grill. Below them, at the bottom of the grill, a group of miniature FireRings rested, enjoying the sun without worrying about the dangers of water splashing by Pygmys aimlessly and giving the illusion that the barbecue grill was really burning (that in a way, it really was).

The fact that they were being heated, both above by the sun, and below by the fire lamias (which perfectly regulated their temperature so as not to burn or overwhelm their friends above or themselves), made the blue noodles purr with satisfaction (more than one with a noise very similar to hot fat sizzling on the coals).

Above them, in a corner of the window, someone had attached a poster that could be read outside the store:

“Hot Corny free!”

"Adopt before they pop!"

Surrounded by drawings of smiling blue corncobs.

The ad should be working because one of the small noodles had already found an owner (who had received it nestled in a hot dog bun and a pun: "Sorry kid, but there is no more spice for extra accompaniments").

The skelepuppers, Honey and Poff had also left early, accompanying a small group of Corals who were going to explore the garden to see if there was anything interesting brought by the winds, or dug up by the rain, to be added to their treasures.

The Corals, of course, made it clear that THEY were accompanying the young to supervise them on their adventures (and if they secretly expected some praise and pats as rewards for their work, nobody really needed to know).

The puppies spent a few hours exploring the garden with the other bittys and after a while they rushed in to offer Vex a beautiful flower each, who would have been even happier with the presents had the pups not left a trail of muddy paws behind .

While Waffle took two squirming puppies for a bath, Vex cleaned up the dirt left by them. The Kraits were subsequently summoned and with their abilitys they set up a kind of cleaning station, almost a jetty for bittys, at the entrance for when the other residents decided to go back inside (Of course, those who used it most ended up being the Kraits themselves who could not resist an experience with water and bubbles. They said it was all a quality test, but they didn't even cheat the baby Butter).

Belle and her gang had also left and with mud war paintings and flower “helmets” they had ambushed one of the flowerbeds, leaping over a full-sized King who had inflated his hood of true fright at first, but soon entered a the kidding and let himself be “captured” by the smaller lamias.

Upon hearing the commotion some Chains had appeared worried and now watched amused the dramatic King lying on the floor regretting his luck while Belle, the leader of the Commanders, stood on her ribcage and proclaimed her defense to the kingdom of weeds against the cruel giants that plucked them. Some other Kings looked somewhat divided between laughter and concern (of being the next targets).

Lieutenant Cherry, Belle's right-hand man, watched everything from a strategic point on a fence that bordered a flower bed, gave the alert of enemy attack when a group of Pygmys came together and charged against Belle's troops in defense of the giant friend (who was beginning to realize that him would probably be lying on the floor for some time).

Soon there were mud and small, harmless bone attacks flying through the garden while the two “armies” clashed under the watchful eyes of the rest of the “gardeners” and the fans composed of the Chains, the babys (that Edgar had to control so they could just watch and not run to play. Although the attacks are harmless he didn’t want to risk any of them being run over by some more distracted adult) and the Corals who stopped looking for treasure and started watching with interest, offering some not so innocent advice and incentives (quickly silenced by a fierce look from Edgar who did not need impressionable young people to learn such language).

As the garden turned into a small war field, the Honeys Bo finally woke up and emerged from their warm nests to discover that the dark clouds were gone. They looked a little cross-eyed at the bright sky and the floating white clouds and with smiles of satisfaction packed their things and went to the front of the store, spreading out in the entrance with their mp3's. Soon they were dozing again, lulled by the lazy movement of the clouds and their soundtracks of choice.

Chains had spread throughout the store and beyond. Some had gone out and scanned the surroundings (to see if there were any bitty nearby who had had a problem with the rains and maybe slip in their soul bonds, who knows?), or around the house to check if there was any damage. These were later attracted to the Commanders' war cries and now watched the battle with amusement.

Some of those who went to look around the neighborhood came back a while later, alone or accompanied by some Chain that had not been able to reach the store before because of the rain, or some Bitty who was injured or had his nest/den damaged by bad weather and were temporarily homeless (and at least one dragging an adopter to sign the adoption papers while his soul shone with the new bond).

Those who stayed in the store spread out to help the other lamias or Vex herself by temporarily taking over the reception while it cleaned up the mess of messy, but good-hearted, puppies. They even guiding one or another adopter or visitor through the store (and more from one to the bathroom to clean up when they decided to take a look at the back garden and was hit by a stray mud missile).

A group joined the Honeys Bo at the front, hoping to feel their soul's call by a passerby and at least three thanked Vex and other lamias and left the store shelter to begin or resume their travels in search of their Soulbonds.

Vex, after cleaning the dirt and arranging a small vase for the two flowers given as a gift, went to check on Waflle with the puppies, leaving the reception with a Chain that was talking to a visitor and inviting him to take a look at the Mambas (almost like a salesman persuading a customer to take a look at a pair of diamond earrings from an exclusive line).

She went to look at the bathroom, but didn't find them there. Passing the kitchen she heard a commotion and decided to take a peek inside.

The skelepuppers were sitting at the end of a table, each equipped with a wooden spoon that they scraped in a large bowl between them. Baby Butter was further back with his own wooden spoon and his face and little hands all soiled with the contents of the bowl.

Waffle watched them fondly and with a little frustration. He had just bathed the two puppies (a task not so easy) and although the two managed to keep the dirt restricted to the face (nothing that a damp cloth would not solve) the same could not be said of his son who had smeared himself whole. Apparently today would be his day to bathe messy puppies.

Syrup was in its place at the top of Waffle's skull, and although, from time to time he turned and looked at his son with pure love, he was more focused on the rest of the kitchen leaving the watchman / baba service to his companion.

The Mamba watched the Papythons prepare the meals of the day, giving occasional orders and handing out tasks like a tiny Gordon Ramsay (but without the name-calling).

He had taken refuge in the kitchen with Butter early, the promise of treats being the best tactic to keep a child well-behaved and indoors (Butter was a very good puppy, but still a puppy and a much bigger one than Syrup, which sometimes made it a little difficult to control. Nothing that an incredible Mamba and an even better father couldn’t handle. But even Syrup had to admit that preventing a child, no matter how well behaved, and who had passed the last few days trapped between four walls, do not run outside and immediately throw yourself into puddles, it was a big challenge to be done without some dirty/sweet tactics).

But as soon as he entered the kitchen, and saw the larger lamias at work, he couldn't help but notice that the Papythons (even though they were very hardworking and competent in their jobs) urgently needed some help. And who would be better to help them than he, a wonderful and super competent Mamba? So he started to command them.

The Papythons were astonished with gratitude (in other words they had no idea how to deal with the little bossy snake and its smiling baby), staring at him paralyzed as he wandered around the kitchen inspecting and giving tips and orders (some half-senseless. They were not cooking no veal and it was certainly celery and not turnips) until the gigantic King appeared, with a grumpy puppy under each arm, and seeing the Papythons' desperate face (who absolutely did not want to be rude to someone who was obviously trying to help) came to the rescue.

Depositing the puppies on the table and helping his son to climb, he leaned over to pick up a bowl with leftover cake dough and whisper to one of the orange lamias that they just worked normally and when Mamba gave an order they just shouted “Yes Chef!". Straightening up, he took the bowl to the chicks and gave each one a spoon.

After that, things flowed like water. Syrup rose to the top of Waffle's skull and with a privileged view began to dictate more and more orders. The Papytons just shouted their agreement and continued to work normally (although some of the commands like: “Stir this soup more willingly!” and “Watch the egg point!” were really followed) little Mamba was swelling with pride when see everyone working so diligently under your command.

Waffle just delighted in the pleasure of his little love and the contentment of his son and puppies with his makeshift snack.

Vex watched in amusement for a few minutes. Syrup when he noticed Vex, shouted that the food would be ready in 5 minutes, while a Papython in the background made a movement with his hand indicating that it would take longer than the five minutes predicted by Mamba. She left them after that and went back to the reception, just in time to take a call about an old adopter wanting to pay a visit later and maybe get a new mate.

Before long, she would go to the back garden and give a "cease fire" when announcing lunch. The fighters would go through the car wash to get in and eat.

Edgar would collect the babys (letting the Kraits babies enter the car wash accompanied by adult Kraits. Not that they needed it, but it would be a good experience for the little ones to see what kinds of things they would be able to do, and more, as adults) and also would enter.

The Chains would enter, or the Papythons would take the lunches to them and the Honeys Bo and take the opportunity to have lunch under the sky, forming in a mixture of various warm and inviting shades of orangein front of the store.

The Mambas will take a break from their show and the Cornys... well they will continue to sleep, but they will still eat (somehow) their meals. Papython "cook" will remove the FireRings from the bottom of the grill and they will have lunch by the pool with the Kraits while these tell how their newest invention works.

Later on, there will be new visitors and potential adopters. The Corals will polish their new treasures and perhaps some will find their way, unconsciously, to the nest of some other lamia (and hopefully, the hands of some adopter).

When the afternoon progresses, and the weather gets a little cool, the Honeys Bo and the Chains will come in and seek the warmth of their nests or a companion for an afternoon nap. It may be that new Chains appear and others leave, being attracted by a mysterious and insistent pull on their souls.

The Pygmys will play with their hunting toys and may be able to convince some Mambas and even some Kings to join together (the Kings throwing the toys for the Pygmys to catch and the Mambas to attack).

The Commanders will gather in their nest, plotting new battle plans while Cherry takes inventory of their spoils of war (a toy mouse washed but still stained with mud, 2 snail shells, several helmets half shattered and already withering, a bag of seeds, some candy wrappers and several paper clips that they picked up on the way back to the nest).

The Cornys will return under the anti-poison refrigerator (or more precisely, they will be replaced by the helpful Papython who had taken them out that morning) where the Grillbitty (who had spent the day at the bottom of the kitchen oven, sleeping in perfect peace and quiet thanks to the comfortable and soothing noise from the oven flames. He loves his companions Corny, he really does, but even he needs a break from all the snoring, puns and fart pads every now and then and with everyone trapped in the same space for the past few days, he more that he needed some time alone and in silence) awaits you with his warm welcome.

Perhaps more at night, when the last visitor leaves and the store closes, Vex will go to the recreation room and put on a movie to watch. Honey and Poff will curl up on each side, while the Papythons distribute soft blankets and hot chocolate to the lamias who decide to join them.

Or maybe she reads a little while the wind is blowing outside. The Kings curled around her listening intently, their hoods vibrating softly to suppress the excitement with the story or the new word learned.

Edgar, with Quetzl wrapped around his neck, can bring the babies, who will sleep before the end of the story, but until then they will hear ecstatic and thirsty to absorb more about the world, real or imagined, contained in the pages.

Regardless of what she chooses, Waffle will sit with your baby in your arms and your love around and enjoy the peaceful night and the pure happiness of being with those she loves. He and Syrup will watch the baby Butter coo for colorful figures on TV or let out occasional “Mwah!” at strategic moments in history.

But this is later, for now Vex welcomes a new adopter, listening carefully to be able to help them find the best lamia companion possible.

It's just another day like so many others in the store. The sun is shining outside, birds are singing, flowers are blooming and bittys are up and having fun. On days like this, Vex is sure that many of his dear noodles will find a good home and a happy family, and even those who not (by choice or because it was not yet time), they will always have a safe place in the store and good friends to share.

A welcoming home and a loving family was what Vex's Lamia Bittybones Adoption Center and Clinic really was.

*

Comments, questions and criticisms are welcome and thank you for reading!

[imperiuswrecked]

pssst.. please spill the doomor hcs

I have a ton of them that I mainly keep thinking up for future writing but hoo boy where do I start? I think the thing about Doomor is that it can be very cracky/fun or very deeply intense depending on the way you want to see it.

Doomor Headcanons:

- Victor takes over a neighboring country so that he has access to the shore line and is able to get to the sea whenever he wants to.

- Both men do not like others touching them without permission. (This is stated alot in Namor’s comics too, he doesn’t like people to touch him) They like to be in control of who has that kind of familiarity.

- Namor and Doom are both social outcasts, something Victor mentions when they teamed up once, and so they both know the struggle of trying to fit into a world that rejects them for who they are. This creates a kinship between them and they have this mentality of: we can’t trust the world or each other but we can trust each other just a little bit more than the world.

- Victor is fascinated by Namor’s perfect form, he is a connoisseur of all beautiful things and so he really enjoys that Namor leaves next to nothing for the imagination.

- Namor is the only person Doom regularly takes off his mask around, or feels comfortable enough to do so (canon since he was unmasked a couple of times they spoke) Namor thinks Victor’s scars are a symbol of his survival and he loves them, in time he convinces Victor they are not ugly.

- Victor likes to have control of the relationship, but Namor is a wild card and never likes to give in, so they butt heads a lot over lots of things until they compromise.

- Victor calls Namor: my dear a lot (canon) and i like to think he calls him other pet names and Namor scoffs at them but he secretly likes it.

- Namor brings back things from the ocean for Victor, something that is rare and hard to get.

- My Namor/Doom headcanon about how giving someone a shell means you love/are fond of them in Atlantean customs. which came from a beautiful fan art here and was followed up by another art here

- Namor likes to talk about the oceans, sea life, and other marine biology, and since Doom likes to study things alot its one of the few places where their interests over lap.

- Both are terrible to each other when they play video games (art here)

- Victor changes all the pools in his castle to salt water ones since he knows that chlorine hurts Namor’s gills.

- Both are just utter drama queens and do fight a lot and raise all kinds of hell whenever they want too and mainly annoy the FF

- Doom rarely visits Atlantis, but when he does Namor keeps him as long as he can and the same for Victor when Namor comes to visit Latveria. Both are often busy with their kingdoms.

- Namor likes to be the big spoon but Victor doesn’t like to cuddle, so they usually start off sleeping with space between them until later in the middle of the night Victor wakes up when Namor cuddles him and he has to decide if he like sit or not and usually doesn’t push him away.

Ok so crack/fun headcanons!

- My Namor and Doom sitcom that marvel should make asap.

- Namor and Doom are the unofficial eccentric uncles to the FF kids and even though they hate it, somehow they get roped into dinner and also babysitting, they send gifts for birthdays that aren’t normal gifts like a giant sea squid, or a giant doom bot, etc.

- Namor and Doom are both too stubborn to do anything about the feelings they have for each other OR Namor is too freaking obtuse to notice that Victor is literally trying to propose every time they team up to give the FF a headache so it’s up to Susan/FF to finally whaps Namor upside the head and inform him that Doom is is his not so secret admirer. Namor and Doom get together and honeymoon off in Latveria or Atlantis and the FF finally get a break from their shenanigans but when they return they then proceed to raise even more hell and the FF regrets matching making.

- Them both being disasters in any situation basically.

NSFW headcanons under the cut~

- Victor tops, no question, Namor is a power bottom.

- Victor has a choking kink.

- Namor has a bondage kink.

- Dom/Sub is a big part of their relationship

- Victor often gets jealous of the people who throw themselves at Namor and does what he can to keep him close, often times trying to lock him away but Namor rebels at that.

- The have fucked on the Cabal meeting table, as well as almost every room in Victor’s castle, and in Namor’s too, and also on one memorable occasion in the Baxter Building.

- They have really intense and hot sex, often breaking property and many walls in the process. When they fight and have make up sex its time to evacuate the premises because they are very vocal.

- Gentle sex is very rare and cherished between them. This doesn’t happen often.

[feedbackest]

if i haven’t made it clear by now Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite games of all time even if i’ve only had it like a week and a half. obviously it has its problems but when it hits it’s an overwhelming sense of joy and, not to be overdramatic, but pure euphoria that i don’t think i’ve gotten from any video game since playing the original kingdom hearts as a young child. there’s one moment that decided this for me, botw spoilers under the cut

so i was still very early in the game (i think i maybe had 5 health total and 1 extra stamina thing) when i decide to take a peek at my local map (which is about 3 areas total at this point) and notice a location called purifier lake. purifier huh? must be something pretty interesting, like that’s no geographic name, it has meaning. on a whim, i decide to check it out. i place a map marker and get moving. as i start to neat the basin, i notice there’s a cobble pathway, a stone arch at the entrance. further vindicated in my suspicion that there’s something interesting in the area, i walk in, and no more than 5 seconds into the basin i lay eyes on my first lynel. at this point everyone has their “first lynel” story, but most people experience it along the zora questline, being led to expect a tough battle at mount polymus. i had no such buildup; as far as i knew this was just some special area that might contain some secrets. i notch an arrow, take a shot, and in no time the beast has turned around and begun firing lightning rounds at me. not willing to turn back after coming this far, i fight the damn thing and, at the expense of all the fairies i was holding and most of my weapons, i defeat it. after being impressed by its loot (a triple shot bow!? how powerful) i move towards the actual lake itself which, aside from a hinox (something i had encountered before already) and some ore, didnt have much i cared about. still high off of both of my victories, i take notice of a secluded, snowy area directly adjacent--lanayru snowfield

on a whim, i decide to investigate. after all, i brought a sweater, i had some leftover spicy food, what could be the harm?

i enter the snowfield, and this time spot no lynel. i get attacked by some wolves, spend some time poking around collecting mushrooms, before i make my way to the back of the field and notice a pathway that appears to head up the mountain. once again invested and intrigued, i investigate. i spend somewhere in the realm of half an hour slowly fighting my way up the mountain, fending off the weird ice-spitting lizards i had never seen before, along with some frozen chuchus and icy bats. i expected something at the top. not too much, really i was just looking for a shrine and maybe a cool weapon. that’s what i had experienced elsewhere in the game thus far--make your way into a somewhat difficult area and you’ll find a shrine, it’s how the game worked. i finally reach the summit, breaking into some of my last reserves of spicy peppers, and first notice the text flash across the bottom of the screen--”spring of wisdom”--next i notice a goddess statue sitting serenely in a small pool of water. then my vision drifts upward

the last thing i spot is a giant, beautiful dragon: the spirit of wisdom, nayru, corrupted by ganon’s demonic influence, according to the voice of the goddess. the dragon is sick, and i need to save it. nothing i knew about the game could have prepared me for this. none of my limited legend of zelda lore knowledge included any mention of dragons, i certainly didn’t expect to see any in this game, but here one was, staring me in the face, tasking me with curing it so it may once again serve its role

words cannot encapsulate the feeling of sheer awe and amazement when, in the next section, i found myself climbing to the very top of the mountain to catch the dragon’s updraft so i could fly about it so i could drop down to shoot arrows at the evil eyes of ganon spotted along the beast in midair slow motion, the rush of excitement and, moreover, the pure beauty of the whole ordeal. it was at precisely at this moment that i thought “this is one of the greatest games of all time”. i can say with complete confidence that never before left me genuinely awestruck and breathless the same way that moment did. it was spectacular and already i’m mildly upset that i can’t experience it for the first time again

after cleansing the dragon i simply had to collect one of its scales and offer it to the goddess hylia to free the dragon once and for all. this revealed the shrine i had come to the top of the mountain for. i didn’t care. the game could’ve given me nothing more in compensation than the experience alone. that admixture of discovery, amazement, and unbridled beauty are something i believe that no media other than video games can deliver on, and this is the first time i’ve had them delivered in such an effective and affecting manner. breath of the wild is the game that i’ve been wanting to play for years

[myaekingheart]

So I’ve been having really intense dreams almost nightly for the past week, and then forgetting to document them, so here’s a shit ton.

May 4th

There was something about playing video games at some random girl’s house, but the details have since grown hazy.

And then I was five years old again. There was a magic school bus that would take you to different dimensions. The first trip we took, I was with an asthmatic boy who reminded me of Mikey from The Goonies, or my childhood best guy friend, or maybe a combination of the two. The bus took us to this pink mountain range, kind of like the one time space Kaguya sends Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi during that fight arc in Shippuden. Another person joined us for the second trip, but I can’t remember where we went. The third time was the most memorable and the most haunting, though. We were on a field trip to some pavilion, and I had flashbacks to when I was a kid and we visited the Indian River Lagoon. Me and this boy and three other kids snuck off to the bus, or maybe it was four other kids so that the math I present next will add up, because when we got to the bus it turned out it had a capacity of only five. We tried to pile inside but it was like the bus knew how many kids were inside of it and the boy was automatically, magically outside somehow. Our teacher was Steve from Blue’s Clues and when he noticed what we were doing, he started to gradually lose his mind. He panicked when he saw us all on the bus, and then the bus started slowly moving through the parking lot, and then it began to shake as if revving up for interdimensional travel. By this point, he had sprinted across the parking lot and was outside screaming “OPEN THE DOOR! OH MY GOD, OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!” banging on the door and the windows and just overall losing his goddamn mind. And then one of the windows shattered and broke the bus’s magic, effectively stopping us all. I don’t remember what became of us afterward.

May 5th

My boyfriend and I were in what was supposed to be the guest bedroom at my grandmother’s house. There was a mattress on the floor and a window at the furthest end of the back wall right next to the corner, and the view outside was that of a street. My boyfriend and I were sitting on the floor hanging out when a black man on a cell phone shows up a little too close to the outside window, and he looked sketchy just by the way he was dressed and presenting himself (almost like he was homeless), and I had no idea what he was doing there so I start to panic. I tell my boyfriend to get down so he can’t see us and we do. And then outside, another man shows up, an older white man with long greasy gray hair. He’s carrying what I’m assuming is a machine gun. He starts shooting. The bullets break the glass and start coming through the window. I’m assuming he likely killed the black man. My heart is racing and I know if we stay where we are, we’re going to die so I grab my boyfriend’s hand and race to the bedroom door but it was shut (it always was). I’m standing there trying to turn the knob as the bullets rain in but I’m freaking out and my palms are probably sweaty and my anxiety is getting the best of me and I can’t fucking get it to turn so I basically have to tell myself to calm the fuck down and concentrate and I eventually do finally get the door open.

This dream then fades into something about an old dream I had once about my grandmother’s master bathroom being connected to the guest bathroom by way of a door or a closet or something like that.

And then that transitioned into a really weird dream about walking to school. It was the same school that has appeared in my dreams many times before, some strange take on my high school that I’ve never seen in real life before. But anyways, I was walking through this neighborhood with the intention of getting to campus, only to soon realize I was being followed. Behind me was this nerdy girl with mousy brown hair, long and parted down the middle, and glasses, and her nose constantly stuck in a book. She had this very plain look about her, no makeup, not necessarily pretty but not ugly either. She kind of reminded me of a girl I knew back in middle school. But anyway, her presence only made me that much more nervous about all of this seeing as I had no real grasp of where the fuck I was going. At one point, when I was in what looked like an empty town square (there was a brick office building about three or four stories tall that kind of reminds me of downtown where I live currently), we ran into another group of students who were also walking to school. They were being led by who I can only assume was my most recent French teacher. She called after the nerdy brunette following me to tell her that she was going the wrong way and had to turn down the next street, therefore passive-aggressively telling me that I, too, was basically going the wrong way. I was left with an overall overwhelming sense of panic and frustration feeling as if I was completely lost and incompetent.

May 7th

I was on this weird, giant cruise ship, the inside of which resembled this mall that I kind of recognize appeared in a different dream from a while back. There was this princess procession, mainly girls dressed like Belle first, that I of course took great interest in. As it turned out, it was part of an audition for a local party princess company. Afterward, all of the girls auditioning left this little shop that the company was based out of. I was standing outside. One of the people who leaves the shop is Cory Nation who, if you’re active on TikTok most likely, posts a lot of Disney cosplay vids on there. So he’s standing outside this little shop as all of the other girls auditioning are leaving and I guess mistakes me for one of them as he comes over to me to tell me how I had done such a good job. I feel kind of awkward about it knowing full well I was not among these girls, and feel as I don’t deserve the compliment, but I don’t say anything about it. Later on, I end up going swimming with him and some others and we’re all in the ocean in full on mermaid tails swimming alongside this sidewalk that looks like a pool deck with lots of greenery in the background. On our way back afterward, I run into my mother who I guess at this point I hadn’t seen in a while and so I start walking along with her. She asked me if I had seen my wealthy aunt at all on the trip and I said no. Then just then as we turn the corner on the pool deck, there she is sitting in a lounger. The last thing I want is to get into a conversation with her, so to avoid the confrontation, I grab my mom by the wrist and start running, dodging other people and whipping around corners just to get away from this woman. Running leads us into this weird Alice in Wonderland type maze thing—I just remember finding our way into a small room made out of ivy-laced black wrought iron fencing that had this diorama windows inside like the ones you find on Main Street in Magic Kingdom. One of them was really bizarre, displaying something like a bunch of chibi Lumieres dressed like Belle? I don’t know, it was weird as fuck.

May 9th

The first dream was brief and kind of boring but I was at a bar and ran into my elementary school crush, who started flirting with me, and it was overall just very weird.

The second dream returned me to my childhood best friend’s house for some birthday party. I remember some sort of mermaid theme. Anyways, my childhood best friend and I haven’t spoken since middle school but we follow each other on social media so I see all of her shit and everything that goes on in her life. Everything about both of our lives at this point is completely separate, and that really shone through in this dream. I was back in this house that, as a child, I had considered a second home, but I was surrounded by people I didn’t know and I just overall felt very awkward and like I didn’t belng there. It was really jarring, especially scrolling through social media the next day and seeing a lot of posts from her.

May 10th

The first dream had me back in my creative writing class at my community college, or at least a version of it. I had forgotten my book. I remember sitting there only half-listening to the teacher as I tried to devise a plan to sneak out of the room with the smaller backpack that was inside my bigger backpack so I could get my book unnoticed. I excused myself to the bathroom. I remember slightly panicking inside a cramped stall as I reorganized my clothes-- I had a hoodie that I slipped on and a button down that I tied around my waist. I forget the rest.

The second dream was the most vivid and perhaps the most unnerving/surreal. I was in what was supposed to my grandmother’s neighbor’s house. This was based on my grandmother’s real life next door neighbor, a woman we’ll call Dolly, who died a couple months ago. She loved puzzles and her house always smelled kind of musty. When I was a kid, she bought me my first Webkinz, an elephant. But besides all that, in my dream I was in what was meant to be an iteration of her house. It was one of those sweeping two story homes that you’d expect an old person to live in. It was me, my grandmother, my parents, and a few other people (all anime characters: a knight with long blue hair in a ponytail, and his daughter who had matching blue hair and a dress, and then Jessie and James from Pokemon and their two canonically non-existent children) who were there, and the house was empty. Dolly, in the dream, had just recently died and I guess we were there to help clean out her things. There was a lot of dust and cat hair (even though she doesn’t have a cat) clinging to the staircase so I took it upon myself to wipe it all down. As I was cleaning, I came across what I had thought was a clump of dust sticking out from underneath one of the stair boards, so I forced it up to pull it out only to find Dolly’s lifeless, disembodied head. So of course I start freaking out, calling for everyone to come take a look at this shit. My mom almost immediately turned back around on the verge of vomiting. My grandmother lost her shit. My dad just kind of stood there calm as he could be and was just kind of like “Well that’s intense.” And the anime gang (save for the little girl, who was not there) kind of exchanged looks and then ultimately decided they could not do this and that they needed to leave. Then the scene switched and we were all outside. The backyard was a makeshift cemetery where patches of dead grass shaped like Christian crosses indicated where the dead were buried. A weird game was ensuing where there were two teams of three people, each run by an old man coach, and the goal was to see how many points each team could rack up by having people take turns kicking golf balls across a field. I was on a team with my boyfriend, who was a soccer player in the past so I remember thinking to myself “He’s got this,” with our captain an old stout man with a plaid newsboy hat on. He was probably from the UK somewhere, I’m thinking Scotland. The other team was led by a rather crotchety old man in a suit, and I don’t remember any of the other members except for a little baby no older than two. The baby was the one I was up against. I gave a decent kick of the golf ball, and then it was the baby’s turn to go but she just kind of waddled around off in her own world, so the crotchety old man took matters into his own hands. He picked up the golf ball and launched it across the field on his own, which made the Scotsman incredibly angry. He started fuming, grabbing a shovel and threatening to dig up one of the corpses, I’m assuming Dolly. Chaos ensued. Everyone started running around and screaming “Don’t do that!” And then next thing I know, I’m on the ground staring into a hole where a corpse had been buried, and all along the dirt wall leading downward were tiny doors in dark muted colors with gold plated numbers, like apartment doors for a dollhouse. And then the next scene saw us all sitting around the staircase staring at this disembodied head, which we had quickly discovered was fake. A hyper-realistic rubber head. Someone, maybe it was myself, made a comment about “Well, you know Dolly and her dolls.” Someone else demonstrated the way you could see the cross-section of the different layers where the neck was, and how you could take the head apart to study each layer. For the last scene, I was outside of my own body watching from afar as the anime group trekked past the house at a great distance through deep snow, feeling unresolved and yet as if they did what they had needed to do. The little blue haired girl, the knight’s daughter, suspected nothing, but everyone else was relatively forlorn.  

[theultimateegghead-blog]

Truly Tropical! Some of games best beaches.

The image of a beach is often a sandy tropical paradise. Palm trees, tropical fruit, oceans, birds and wildlife. Of course, let’s not count the blistering hot sand and sunburns. In games, the beach level is often an early level, it symbolizes fun and relaxation as opposed to difficulty. This is not always the case however. I have lived either on or near a beach for the near entirety of my 22-year life. To celebrate where I came from, I present to you a list of beaches in video games! Grab your sunscreen, your umbrella and your towel and get ready to get sandy!

Emerald Coast (Sonic Adventure) Ah, the first level of sonic Adventure. This level is set on a tropical beach and a series of islands and stone pillars. Four of the six characters have a stage here. As sonic, Tails and Gamma, you race over sandbars and jump from boardwalk to boardwalk. As big you just…fish…but it looks nice at least! Spike traps litter some paths, a lighthouse stands tall and proud on the islands, and a giant whale is in the mood for some sonic food. Overall, as the first true 3d sonic level, it does a good job! The music is great too!

Beach Bowl Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy) A fun tropical beach that Mario can visit during his intergalactic adventure. This small area is primarily underwater. The surface is of several islands and a cliffside that overlooks the bowl. Underwater there are pillars of rock, some giant eels, and penguins taking fishing lessons. Try to jump onto the rope swing and dive in! Overall this level is small but fun.

Treasure Trove Cove (Bajo Kazooie) Every time I hear about the levels in this game, people talk about this one. This level is a great example of a good beach level. The music fits, the palm trees, the boss crab, the pirate ship… A lot of cool things can be found in this level, including new moves! Now be careful swimming out into the water, because there is a very hungry shark that wants to eat you. On the top of the level is a lighthouse. So this level seems great for exploration and I can see why its considered one of the most iconic beach levels.

Destiny Island (Kingdom Hearts) Ah, where it all began. Destiny island is the first level of the original kingdom hearts. This tropical island served as a hangout for the main characters, Sora, Riku and Kairi. Also some final fantasy characters can be found here too. A small island that serves as a tutorial, Riku was not content with just this small island and wanted to go somewhere else, in a weird twisted way he got his wish. The island was swallowed by darkness, and was only restored at the end of Sora’s first journey. The island would later appear in future installments, but Sora has yet to return to his home. So this island represent the humble beginning to what will eventually become one of the biggest franchises of the past 20 years.

Phon Coast (Final Fantasy XII) The Phon coast is one of the many locations you will traverse in order to reach the end goal in FFXIII. This coast is one of the few places where the main characters relax for a bit. Some hunters have set up shop here and the concept of rare game is introduced here. Along the sandy shores are many treasures and many monsters, be careful because some of them can fly. Even though you will come back here often for the rare hunter quest, the overall beach is often left unvisited. Enjoy it while you can.

Virmire (Mass Effect) This planet is a tropical paradise with massive waterways and cliffsides. On any other day it would be nice to kick back and enjoy the beach, unfortunately today is not a good day. The planet is under siege and its up to commander Shepperd to confront the main antagonist here. The commander and his allies will have to fight their way through an army of Geth soldiers, and even confront a reaper, in order to reach the end goal. In the end the villain gets away anyway… However this battle remains as the most memorable moment from mass effect 1 for me.

The Beach (Donkey Kong Country Returns) The beach isn’t just a level, but an entire world to traverse in the wii game. True to its title, this level is primarily set on a beach. This beach has boardwalks, wooden contraptions, caves and sunken ships. Giant crabs patrol the beach and will attack the Kong duo. After overcoming a barrage from a pirate ship, a giant squid attack and dodging tidal waves you will be able to face the boss. This level is some tropical fun and a good romp.

Ryoshima Coast (Okami) One of the largest areas in the Okami series. This coastline houses a city and several npcs. Cliffs, beaches and trees dot the coast. Initially it is cursed and has to be cleansed in order to explore. The ocean is home to a sunken ship that is said to hold treasures. Unfortunately for everyone, the sea dragon is rampaging and causing havoc. A lagoon can be found nearby too. This place is beautiful and is visited relatively early in the Okami game.

Sunny Beach (Spyro 2 Ripto’s Rage!) This beach is home to some peaceful turtles that are being captured alive by poachers. The majority of this level is underground or in caves, but there is a beach there as well. In this level Spyro will help guide baby turtles to safety and defeat the poachers that want to turn them into stew. Explore every nook and cranny of the underwater portions to find all the gems. Once the level is complete, the baby turtles will be safe once again.

Outset Island (Wind Waker) The beginning of Wind Waker takes place in Link’s home island of outset. This small tropical island is primarily a beach with a forest on the very top. A relatively quiet island that is far away from the more populated areas, and thus it does not see much action. Link’s adventure starts when his little sister is kidnapped by a giant bird that comes to this island. Later on, a mythical creature makes their home here as well. The inhabitants are friendly towards Link as well, giving a sensation of home. This island is also home to a special secret dungeon.

The beach (Pokemon Snap) The first and arguably the most iconic level in Pokemon snap. This tropical trail has a decent amount of pokemon to take pictures of. Some pokemon won’t be exposed until later on, so this level will be revisited often. The beach is sandy, the ocean has a Lapras that occasionally raises its head. There are grass patches with pokemon hiding within them and some creeks and ponds as well. This level serves as a great tutorial, not fast pace or extremely hectic with who to snap a picture of. It remains one of my personal favorite beach levels of all time.

Ash Lake (Dark Souls) A truly cinematic area, quite a shame its optional. This small portion of the game is primarily a sandbar that connects some giant trees suspended in a large calm lake. Upon your first visit, a large menacing Hydra will antagonize you until it has been dealt with. This area is calm and almost eerily serene, after said hydra is dispatched of course. Be careful going into the trees because basilisk make their homes there. At the end of the long sand bar is one of the last everlasting dragons, who will give you the ability to join a covenant. There is not much to gain from coming here, but the experience alone is worth the time.

Cape Claw (star fox adventures) A jungle peninsula full of boardwalks, secrets and of course, beaches. This location is visited later in the game and is home to some enemy soldiers. Explore through sandbars, waterfalls and ruins to find the treasures of the area, including bars of gold! There is a friendly dinosaur here as well that Fox can talk to. Eventually there will be a temple that needs to be navigated as well. This level, or zone as it would be considered, is a great beach level. Tis a shame people don’t seem to view this game very fondly.

Goo lagoon (Spongebob battle for bikini bottom) Ahh, Goo Lagoon… This level is one of the first levels in the childhood classic spongebob game. This level takes place on a beach and on a boardwalk. You’ll have to navigate over platforms, redirect beams of light and play mini-games a plenty. Be careful though, because none of the characters can swim, so the water, or goo more specifically, is an obstacle. Some new enemies will pop up here as well.

Sentinel Beach (Jak and Daxter) One of the first levels of Jak and Daxter takes place on a beach. Some grassy cliff aligns this coast as well. A waterfall and a pool that is safe for swimming. Some ruins can be found farther back on the coastline. Be weary of the hermit crab enemies. There are some blue eco vaults here to allow some sky-high jumps, use them to explore the rock pillars. Overall this is a fun easy beach level, just take care not to swim out to far or else you might not make it back.

Wam Bam Island (Borderlands 2) One of the most colorful locations on planet Pandora. Wam Bam island would be a vacation paradise, if said vacation was full of pirates, monsters, cannibals and assassins. A giant sea monster resides here, just itching to do battle with the vault hunters. On top of that, some assassins have been hired to take out the dwellers but they… lets just say they failed at their job. The few locals here are just like anyone else on Pandora, crazy. So have fun in the sun. explore an underwater tunnel, fight giant crabs and try not to meat your end by the hands of the locals.

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Well that was fun wasn't it? Hope you don’t feel burned out or have sand in your eyes! Next time we are gonna look at some characters, who you may ask? Well lets just say they all share one thing in common, and that is a love for miniguns.

[the-eren-plush-blog]

(From Tatakaeeren :D ) Pass the happy! 💕 When you get this, reply with 5 things that makes you happy and send this to the last 10 people in your notifications

Admin: Ah, hello! I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier! Here are 5 things that make me and Eren plush happy!

1. Visiting my friends. A lot of my closest friends have all moved away from my city, so traveling to see them and spending time with them across the country feels like a holiday!

2. Dogs and cats approaching me gently to investigate me. I used to be afraid of being near animals because I wasn’t allowed any pets at home. But after getting to know my friend’s pets, I’m a lot less afraid now and it’s nice to pet a friendly animal!

3. Reading something I can understand, but also learning something new that is useful!

4. Swimming. I don’t like making sure my legs are hairless, or preparing to get into a swimming costume. But once I get into a swimming pool or the sea and start swimming, I’m so happy in the water!

5. The Video Games Live concerts. I’ve been going to them for a years now when they tour the UK. It’s composer and guitarist Tommy Tallarico performing with a live orchestra, and they play music from different video games such as The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Overwatch, Kingdom Hearts and more! There’s a screen above the stage showing scenes from the video games, so it feels like you’re at the cinema with music booming through your heart!

Eren plush:

1. “Being a scary Dinosaur. We have lots of outfits to wear, but this one makes me laugh so much because I can run riot in it! Apparently the Tyrannosaurus Rex was as big as a Titan, had lots of sharp teeth and ate other dinosaurs! Well, it may be dead now, but the TyERENsaurus Wrecks is gonna “Jaeger” the place down!” (The Fluff Squad are just shaking their heads right now and saying “Good grief Eren, not again!”)

2. Going to other lands not on this planet! Before my Fluff Squad arrived, it was just me from The Walls. But I made friends with other people from different countries and different worlds! So when this little guy called Link told me that I can explore his world, get treasures and fight the bad guys…sounded good to me! OK, there’s giant monsters in Hyrule too but no where is really perfect is it?!

3. Surprise Birthday parties! Behind the Walls, we couldn’t do anything big for birthdays because there was hardly any food and we didn’t get much money. But here in your world, we’re so lucky to have more than what we had. Presents are nice, but the people at my party make me much happier!

4. Taking a bath! We didn’t take many baths, it was a rare luxury! Even then, it was in a vertical metal tin and you had to heat up the water by fire! Now I have baths more often. Being small has its perks: I don’t use up too much water but I have enough to splash about! “Splish splash, I was taking a bath!”

5. Playing sports with the Fluff Squad, especially football! (Some of you know it as “soccer”) It’s fun to kick the ball about and to each other. But when Captain Levi takes our ball and runs away with it, it’s Game Over!”

[amyhusmann]

The Family Vacation

In the summer between second and third grade, my (then) single-mother took me, my ten-year old brother, and my toddler sister on a two-week vacation to Florida.  I remember a few things about the trip:  that we stayed at a house near the beach and walked to the store to get ice cream, that we searched for sea-shells in the shore and swam to the sand-bar, that we visited the grave of my mother’s grandmother and a few other dead relatives.  But the highlight of the trip for me, the part that stuck with me for the past four decades, was that I got my very first trip to the Nirvana of kid-dom – Chuck E Cheese.  To this day, I could tell you the layout of the place, the video games, and the euphoric sense of joy and wonder I felt at visiting a place inhabited by giant animatronic rats.

We just returned from a two-week family road trip to New England.  (Xander has a goal of visiting all fifty states before he finishes high school, we thought we’d help him along with the easy ones).  It was a lot of driving, some induced stress (note:  when traveling up and down the Eastern seaboard, getting an EZ Pass transponder will make your trip go a lot smoother; naturally, we did not have one.  Actually, we had one, but the state of Virginia closed my account because it was inactive because I was in Africa and Covid and locust, and I spent forty minutes on hold waiting to talk to anyone at the EZ Pass office to reopen my account, only to be cut off from the queue and so I hung up in frustration), and way too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  

We stayed in hotels and rented apartments and knocked out the usual highlights you’d expect to see from a trip up the East Coast.  Colonial Williamsburg (which was really a visit to Busch Gardens); Washington DC (which was really a visit to the American History Museum because it was the only one of the Smithsonians that was open that day to walk-ins); New York City (sure, we did the Statue of Liberty and endured a grueling ten minutes at Ellis Island, but it was really about a visit to Dylan’s Candy Bar and McDonalds with the Au Pair while Rob and I went on a date night); Boston (which should have been the USS Constitution as the highlight, but instead was a ‘you sank my battleship’ video game the kids spent two-hours playing at the Constitution Museum), and Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos (for those not read-in, it’s basically a giant hotel / waterpark for families with arcades and water slides for the kids and lots of bars that sell beer and hard drinks to the parents so that we can numb the pain of our existence).  

The highlight of the trip from me was Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia.  DK II is a park / museum / art experience that truly defies any attempt to describe it… but if you’re the sort of person who has stopped at The Thing? in Benson, Arizona or ever driven an extra three hours to see the Cadillac Graveyard in Amarillo, Texas, then you should check out DK II. And if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t know about The Thing? or who doesn’t listen to Weird Al, then keep driving, DK II is not for you.  

As for the kids, I tried to remind myself as we were glossing over the historic highlights for the M&M store and hotel pool, that for a kid, it’s less about the history, it’s less about the culture, and much more about the bad pizza and giant anthropomorphic rats.  

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights: Critical Role Episode 114

Guests are Liam O’Brien and Marisha Ray (Sam was at a movie premiere and couldn’t make it; Brian is not at all bitter). Full video on Project Alpha!

The pre-show image is a cologne ad ft. one Sam Riegel. Counterspell: It’s why we move closer.

There will be a big campaign wrap-up episode of Talks with the entire cast in a few weeks (date TBA). No giant TM next week; they’ll just be discussing the episode.

@critrolestats update: This episode had the most d20 rolls and the longest combat encounter in out-of-game time. Vax ended the episode with the most Nat 20s (only three higher than Percy). Vex has taken a total of 264 necrotic damage from Finger of Death. Episode 100 was only about two minutes longer than this one. Scanlan has cast Counterspell 19 times, five of them this episode.

Marisha talks about how intense it’s been to finish up the campaign and ramp up production at Geek and Sundry when she’s a week and a half away from getting married.

Bones of the Earth was the big plan that didn’t pan out for the fight.

Initially it was DwarvenForge stuff, but Matt sculpted/painted/etc. all the parts of the broken-up map himself once it broke apart. He ordered floral foam and acrylic wedding cake holders for the build, which just added to the wedding-prep confusion.

Marisha points out that Keyleth had a more gradual character arc than the others, in part because of the fractured structure of the Aramente; in contrast, she mentions that Taliesin had a really hard time finding out where to go with Percy after the abrupt shift of his character in the Briarwood arc.

Marisha: “We’ve all kind of grown up a little bit in a weird way with these characters.”

Liam talks about how the characters shifted from cartoonish one-notes, and how things really started to change once Pike died in the home game; that was recent enough that it was really informing their attitudes when they went into doing the show. Brian remembers Ashley coming home from that game crying, and that’s when he first realized how much the game was starting to mean to all of them.

Marisha talks about how the memories of the game start to gain the same importance in their minds as real life.

Liam: “It’s like the end of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” The kids go through the magical kingdom, have a whole life, and then just on one random day, they get spit out of the wardrobe, and they can’t go back and it’s gone. Brian: “You feel that way? That’s such a Liam way to feel.”

After the Meteor Swarm right out the gate, Brian was convinced the party was dead. Liam points out that he’s never taken a point of damage from that spell.

Brian had Vecna first in the dead pool. Joe’s friend was the only one who called Scanlan Two going first.

Nobody thought there were any ways to keep Velora alive in that fight. Going into the fight, they all suspected he’d pull something like that, so there wasn’t a strong reaction at the reveal.

Liam and Marisha didn’t realize what Sam was planning for that ninth-level spell until he started breaking up. Liam was so caught up in the moment that he wasn’t really conscious of the fact that he was mouthing the words “I love you” to Sam in front of thousands of viewers. The moment hit home for a lot of people because it was emotional out of character as well.

Liam thinks it was such a powerful moment in character as well because it showed the way Scanlan’s opinion of the party has shifted after having felt so betrayed by them. Liam: “It’s definitely Scanlan and Vax, but also Sam knows me, and the reason I bust up is because I know that Sam wanted Liam to have something to be happy about.”

From Vax’s perspective, “it felt like a huge gift.” Brian: “It’s interesting that you chose the word gift, too--” Liam: “It’s jift.”

It had never occurred to anyone in advance that Keyleth could read the book as a planetar; the original idea was to go dragon form so Grog could have some added maneuverability, but the radiant damage was what pushed it over.

Liam and Brian talk about how Vax hopes Keyleth will find love again after he’s gone. Marisha: “Guys, stop shipping me before my boyfriend’s even dead.”

The hardest parts of the battle for each of them? For Marisha, it was coming up with the right thing to do in the moment and dealing with the curveballs being thrown at them. For Liam, it was knowing Vax wouldn’t be as much use as he might’ve been otherwise and trying to figure out what he could do.

Liam refuses to answer questions about the deal with the Raven Queen as it pertains to Vex because he doesn’t want to put any ideas into the rest of the cast’s head two days before the next episode.

Marisha calls Joe a “little shit”. Brian: “I don’t think he gets called that a lot.”

Liam thinks the lack of reaction in-story to Arkhan’s betrayal made sense because everyone was so completely exhausted. Marisha: “We’ll handle that tomorrow.”

Talks Machina After Dark: Paradise by the Arsequeef

Brian: “Our first question comes from Wishingforwingstofly.” Liam: “Hi, Laura.”

One spell or ability to carry over into real life: Marisha picks Beast Shape, Liam picks the wings.

Marisha mentions that Jason Charles Miller wrote the wedding processional for her wedding. Liam immediately starts tearing up.

Planning a hypothetical Keyleth/Vax wedding: probably in Zephrah, cherry blossoms, wrist-tying ceremony. Marisha: “Well, back to planning my own wedding.” Brian: “Bo-ring.”

If Vax hadn’t confessed to Keyleth in the Briarwood arc, would she have wound up falling in love with someone else? Marisha considers Vax the one that got Keyleth to come around to the idea of a romantic attachment despite her fears; her kiss with Kashaw was a brief moment. “Kash was her cowboy.”

Asked if Vax would turn back time and tell Gilmore about the RQ’s deal: Vax sees Gilmore as a very dear, close, emotional friend, and that friendship would’ve become even deeper and more significant over the decades if Vax were still around, but especially after the year’s gap, Vax’s immediate universe has really narrowed to be Keyleth and Vex and Vox Machina. There are a lot of people Vax didn’t tell.

[laresearchette]

Friday, September 25, 2020 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: TEHRAN (Apple +) MAGIC OF DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM (Disney +) SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND BORN ROYALS (Disney +) A WILDERNESS OF ERROR (FX Canada) 8:00pm/9:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT FANDANGO AT THE WALL (TBD - HBO Canada) THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW (TBD - CBC) NEW TO AMAZON PRIME/CRAVE/NETFLIX CANADA/CBC GEM:

AMAZON PRIME UTOPIA (Season 1) FERNANDO 50 YEARS OF CINEMA (Season 1)

CBC GEM UNTYING THE KNOT MURMUR CRAVE TV 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE CATFISH (Seasons 1-3) THE CHALLENGE CHAMPS VS STARS THE CHALLENGE (Seasons 32-34) THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW DOUBLE SHOT AT LOVE WITH DJ PAULY D & VINNY (Seasons 1-2) HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY THE INVISIBLE MAN JIM JEFFIERIES (Season 2, Episodes 21-30) REVENGE PRANK WITH DJ PAULY D & VINNY SNOOKI & J WOWW (Seasons 3 -4) ROBERT THE BRUCE TEEN MOM OG (Seasons 1-3) TWISTER

NETFLIX CANADA A PERFECT CRIME COUNTRY-ISH MODERN FAMILY (Season 11) THE SCHOOL NURSE FLIES SNAKERHEADS

KOREAN BASEBALL (TSN) 5:25am:  Lotte Giants vs. LG Twins

MLB BASEBALL (SN1) 6:30pm: Orioles vs. Jays (TSN2) 6:30pm: Phillies vs. Rays (TSN2) 9:30pm: Angels vs. Dodgers

NHL HOCKEY (CBC/SN) 8:00pm: Lightning vs. Stars - Game 4

THE GREATEST #ATHOME VIDEOS (Global) 8:00pm: Rapper MC Hammer surprises an Alabama high school principal who created a video based on "U Can't Touch This."

A TASTE OF SUMMER (City) 8:00pm:  A woman moves to Bright Shore, where she opens a restaurant and rediscovers her passion. Upon arrival, she encounters a former baseball player who has a competitive streak and owns his own restaurant.

LET'S BRUNCH (CTV Life) 8:00pm:  Vanessa Gianfrancesco prepares her favorite Chinese-inspired brunch dishes; shrimp dumplings; pork bao buns combine roast pork, delicious hoisin, fluffy steamed buns, and crunchy fresh veggies; homemade congee topped with crispy beef and scallions.

POOL KINGS (HGTV Canada) 8:00pm/8:30pm (SEASON PREMIERE):  A San Antonio couple is ready to put in a pool that completes their 20-acre property. In Episode Two, faced with a dilapidated 1980s-style pool, the Kings rip it out and build a Tuscan beauty with multiple overflows, glass detail work and a fantastic six-foot feature wall with multiple sconces and an open top waterfall.

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 8:30pm: Heat vs. Celtics - Game 5

AMPLIFY (APTN) 8:30pm: Two Spirit Identities

COOK LIKE A CHEF (CTV Life) 8:30pm: Dairy

ROBERT THE BRUCE (Crave) 9:00pm: King Robert the Bruce is injured and on the run from the English army. On the brink of defeat, a widow and her family nurse him back to health and join The Bruce as he sets out to claim the long-awaited freedom of Scotland.

NAIL IN THE COFFIN: THE FALL AND RISE OF VAMPIRO (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm: A rare glimpse into the legendary career of wrestling icon Vampiro as he grapples with his demons and life after fame. Straight from one of wrestling's most outspoken characters, this is a candid look beyond the ring.

CARIBBEAN LIFE (HGTV Canada) 9:30pm (SEASON PREMIERE):  A Texas couple is ready to move to St. Thomas with a handsome budget of $2,000,000 and looks for a move-in-ready home on the water; while she wants a classic Caribbean-style home, he prefers a modern property with a pool.

[tripinsingapore]

13 famous destinations in Sentosa Island

One thing is shared by all the best attractions on Sentosa Island: enjoyable and more! The man-made island is reached from the main island of Singapore by a narrow bridge and is filled with attractions, many of which are aimed at entertaining for families with young children.

If you want to stay at this island, please check our Top 6 luxury hotels inside Resort World Sentosa.

Palawan Beach Sentosa

Palawan Beach is one of the famous beaches in Singapore and is renowned for its suspension bridge in the Caribbean style that connects with a small island to which you can walk or even swim.

Also, this place has beautiful white beaches, palm trees and some vibrant beach bars in the middle of the South tip of Sentosa and you can enjoy a relaxing meal from mid-morning to the late evening. You can stroll or take a bus from Sentosa to the beach all over the island.

Location: Palawan Beach, Sentosa Island Singapore 099981, Singapore

Adventure Cove Waterpark Singapore

At Resorts World Sentosa, adventure Cove Waterpark Singapore has enough fun games to please those who want to have entertainment. It also provides a number of other water-based games for those who don’t enjoy hurtling massive tubes or giant funneling in rubber circles.

Whereas this water park has seven separate water tours, Adventure Cove Waterpark is the most special of them, including Ray Bay and Rainbow Reef (the one that allows you to get closer and more intimate with more than 20.000 fish).

Location: 8 Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Island, Singapore

Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm

Phone: +65 6577 6000

Universal Studios Sentosa Island

This enormous complex of cinematic tours, live shows and Hollywood cinemas is expanding through millions per year, and is part of the massive US$ 4.5 billion creation of Resorts World Sentosa.

Although the children are clearly more appealing, the park’s size and diversity can provide everything for everyone here.

Several locations such as Hollywood, New York, Ancient Egypt and Madagascar lead you on a trip both in films and geographies.

If you are interested in white knuckles, big rollers, and movie films, so there isn’t even a better location in Singapore than Singapore Universal Studios.

Location: 8 Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098269, Singapore

Open: Sunday–Thursday from 10 am to 7 pm, Friday–Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm

Phone: +65 6577 8888

Sentosa Golf Club

There are 2 in 18-hole golf courses available in the Sentosa Golf Club, but all vary from amateur golfers to professionals. While Singapore has various golf clubs all over the country, there are few competitors to find in Sentosa both with regard to the quality and reputation of the course.

Sentosa Golf Club has everything you need, including buggy vehicles, caddies and club hire, which should not be a concern for those visiting Singapore without all the necessary equipment.

There are also lockers, a driving range, a number of bars and restaurants and meeting spaces on site. What you like in one club are all available here comfortably.

Location: 27 Bukit Manis Road, Singapore 099892, Singapore

Phone: +65 6275 0090

Crane Dance

The Crane dance in Singapore is like the Hong-Kong Symphony of Lights, a family-oriented audiovisual extravaganza.

Any night of the week at 8 pm, you can go to Resort World to see 2 beautiful lovebirds dance and flirting with the music background, both of which are brilliantly lit in the night.

The show offers water and LED light, which really impresses people every night who come free of charge. The show presents creative audiovisuals.

When you don’t like the fast drive across to Sentosa Island, you can even watch the performance from across the water at Vivo City in Singapore.

Location: 8 Sentosa Gateway, 098269, Singapore

Open: Daily from 8pm to 8.15 pm

Phone: +65 6577 8888

S.E.A Aquarium Singapore

One of the best family-friendly and all-weather Singapore attractions is S.E.A Aquarium on Sentosa Island. This is now one of the world’s largest aquariums and contains over 100,000 marine species.

Creatures from all of the major seas around the world have displays specifically to simulate natural environments.

S.E.A Aquarium Singapore also attempts to show that small human acts can have a huge effect on the environment. The fish exhibits have digital video screens, and you can learn from what you see.

Therefore, we think that any animal in the area is given the utmost care and conservation.

Location: 8 Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098269, Singapore

Open: Daily from 10 am to 7 pm

Phone: +65 6577 8888

Skyline Luge Sentosa

Sentosa Skyline Luge & Skyride is a part of the attraction and part of the transport system that makes it easy to get from A to B, as well as to get fantastic views of Singapore.

The Sentosa Skyride is an open-air cable chair lift that stretches across Sentosa from mainland Singapore.

In the same complex, visitors can also test on their skills in the luge – a non-motorized three-wheel carrier which góe down from the Siloso Siloso Beach on a steep hill from nearby Imbiah Lookout.

Top views of surrounding beaches and the Singapore Skyline are also available.

Location: 45 Siloso Beach Walk, Singapore 099003, Singapore

Open: Daily from 10 am to 9.30pm

Phone: +65 6274 0472

Sentosa Nature Discovery

Sentosa Nature Discovery is another perfect experience for nature lovers and families with young children on Sentosa Island.

The attraction starts with an informative message, involves a number of fascinating exhibits and galleries, which is a requirement for accessing the jungle. You should get the know-how and the knowledge to spot wild animals yourself.

The jungle trail takes you through eight different kinds of habits, and, if you are lucky, you can see the odd reptile. Sentosa Nature Adventures is another family-oriented destination on the island next to the Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom.

A more important thing: free entry for all!

Location: 51 Imbiah Rd, Singapore 099702 Imbiah Rd, 099702, Singapore

Open: Daily from 9am to 5pm

Siloso Beach

Siloso Beach can be located on the south-western coast, and is renowned for its weekend picnic for families as well as its volleyball, beach football, and canoeing events. It is a popular location for families.

This can be the best-catered beach in Singapore, which underwent an S$3.3 million makeover at the end of 20123with numerous bars, restaurants, shops, and hotels.

Location: 51 Imbiah Walk Sentosa Singapore 099538, Singapore

Sentosa Beaches

Singapore is known for its incredible innovations, that in just a few decades have rapidly transformed a little jungle island into a major metropolis. The beaches are not an exception, the human activity helped to create the beautiful white sands that you see today at the coast of Sentosa.

However, the soft sand, which is currently transported into neighboring Malaysia, is totally natural.

There’s 3.2 km of the white island of Sentosa and there are lots to do for tourists, including lounging in one of the numerous beach bars, swimming in the shallow warm sea or even having a picturesque location under the palm tree with a nice afternoon novel.

Go to Tanjong, Palawan or Siloso Beach for the best locations.

Location: Sentosa Island, Singapore

Tanjong Beach

Tanjong Beach is perhaps the best spot for relaxing in Singapore. This shelter has low-warm beaches, fine white sand, and tropical palm trees – all the factors that make the beach beautiful and allow you to forget that it’s not even natural.

It’s also renowned for its parties, which are normally held about twice a month at night at the iconic Tanjong Beach Club. This restaurant, with its swimming pool, sunbeds and a variable drinks menu, provides a more enjoyable experience every day.

Location: 120 Tanjong Beach Walk Sentosa Island Singapore 098942, Singapore

Singapore Butterfly & Insect Kingdom

Sentosa is just a manmade island, it dóe not mean that there is no ecosystem to see it. This is referred to by Singapore Butterfly & Insect Kingdom, where it displays over 3,000 different insect species worldwide.

Built on a tropical environment, foliage and flowering flowers create an organic and natural setting, as well as a few waterfalls that lead to air cooling.

Not only can you see thousands of butterflies and insects – Singapore has also amazing jungle parrots and reptiles including different kinds of lizards and snakes in the Singapore Butterfly and Insect Kingdom.

Location: 51 Imbiah Road, Singapore 099702, Singapore

Open: Daily from 9.30 to 7 pm

Phone: +65 6275 0013

Images of Singapore

Images of Singapore is a must-visit historical museum situated at Imbiah Lookout on Sentosa island with audio-visual exhibits about the history and culture of Singapore, based on its residents and their lives.

Exhibits here include periods about the Malaysian took over the rule, the arrival of the British and the post-Colonial era under the first Singapore Premier Lee Kuan Yew and more.

Location: 40 Imbiah Road Sentosa, Imbiah Lookout, Sentosa Island 099700, Singapore

Open: Monday–Friday from 11 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 7.30 pm

Phone: +65 6715 4000

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[umbrahighpriestofgiratina]

Yangverse Michronicles, Volume 1

Basically, microfics. This set contains a Haloween and Thanksgiving special, among other things.

Triggered On a quiet day in a small house in Unova, a human-ified Reshiram woke up from a nap, yawned, and looked around. "...Where's everybody else? Hopefully they haven't gotten in troub-" She was interrupted by a loud "Not again!" from Roger in another room. "...I should probably check that out." She rushed into the house's living room and let out a sigh of relief to see Roger playing a video game on what he had told her was an "Super En-ee-ess." As she sat next to him to watch, she heard him grumble under his breath. "Cobaliondammned Lavos fight gets me every time..." Reshiram blinked. "Lavos?" Roger started at her suddenly speaking next to her, but then grew annoyed again gesturing to the screen. "This game's called Adamant Trigger. That thing on the screen is Lavos, evil space monster who wants to suck out all life on the planet after crashing in on a meteor - and puts up one hell of a boss fight." Reshiram gazed at the pixelated monstrosity on the screen, her brow furrowing at it curiously. Roger furrowed his own brow at her. "...Something about the giant space pinecone Joltik get your attention?" "Yes, actually," said Reshiram; "What you said about it coming in on a meteor, it sounded... familiar..." Roger shrugged. "Tom said Lacunosa had a myth about Kyurem being like that, but he, you, and N all found out a lot of Lacunosan stuff about Kyurem was bullshit. Plus, Kyurem was part of the same dragon you and Zekrom were, right?" "Yes..." said Reshiram, frowning. "Though, I don't remember much of what we were like before the split or how it happened... It's all a haze..." Roger snickered. "Maybe you all are from space or something." Reshiram didn't respond at first, instead thinking back to the dream she had had just before. ---- Falling, falling, you rip through the sky, flame surrounding you. Before long you crash to the earth, ripping it to pieces and sending shockwaves throughout the land. You lie still a very long time, until something deep in the earth feels the shockwaves, crawls, stalks, slithers, stomps toward you. It digs its teeth, fingers, tendrils, claws into you and fills you with energy, strange and powerful, making you want to burst forth anew someway, somehow... ---- Reshiram shuddered, then covered it up with a forced chuckle. "Roger, don't be ridiculous. I'm the goddess of truth." "...And as such I'm pretty sure the truth's more complicated than me being a glorified Lavos."

Heated Tensions

In Sootopolis' Cave of Origin, a green-haired, teal eyed young woman with Kyogre-esqe earrings, facial tattoos, and matching spear felt her way through the cave, a light-blue-haired, green-eyed young man lacking such adornments nervously following.

"S-So, Narissa?" said the young man to the woman. "What's this visit for again?"

"The other Sootopolis villagers have been reporting very odd things happening around the crater... Pools of water boiling over, strange rumblings in the ground, the peaks' huts are built on shifting without warning... As the Chieftain, I have to figure out if the volcano's active again."

The young man looked around, noting the increased amount of steam, heat and, oddly, glowing red crystals compared to blue ones. "...And why did you bother bringing me along?"

Narissa looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Apollo, we've known each other for years, we're in a relationship, and from both those I trust you and I know you can help me out here?"

Apollo stared at her for a few seconds, all the possible answers to her rushing through his mind.

I don't think I can help you. I'm useless.

You saved our tribe and founded this village. I barely did anything.

I don't deserve your trust or respect. I don't deserve anyone's. He gulped slightly, then smiled half-heartedly at her.

"Alright... Thank you."

Narissa furrowed her brow briefly before giving a small smile herself and nodding. "Alright, let' go."

She headed off; Apollo stared after her a while.

And I can't even tell you the truth of it all still.

I'm worthless.

...I'm weak.

He sighed and followed.

The two advanced through the cave only to stagger back and yell at the sight and heat of a pool of lava having formed where the central pool of water normally was.

"Oh no..." said Apollo. "The volcano, it's getting active again..."

"Last it reignited was when the meteor that Mega Evolved Rayquaza hit it;" said Narissa; "I don't know if anything we can stop caused it thi-"

They both yelled again as an incredibly loud roar echoed through the cavern, followed by a booming telepathic voice that was nonetheless distinctly feminine. ~Who's causing this obnoxious racket?!~ A massive, red, reptilian Pokemon with thick armor plates embedded with markings that flashed blue intermittently steadily emerged from the lava as Apollo and Narissa backed away slowly. Her yellow eyes snapped open, and upon seeing the two her expression grew furious and she gave another roar and telepathic yell. ~Humans?! Who let humans into this cave?!~

"Don't panic," whispered Narissa to Apollo.

"Too late," whispered Apollo back.

Narissa hesitated before stepping forward to address the behemoth. "Lady Kyogre did. She gave us this crater as sanctuary. It's our home now, and I'm the chieftain."

The red beast before them only seemed to grow more enraged. ~That bitch Kyogre always screws things up! I made a deal with her on swapping out using this cave as a resting place, and what does she do with it while I'm gone? Invite a bunch of fucked-up perfectly good monkeys to crash at the place when it's supposed to be private!~

She leaned in close to Narissa and snarled.

~This is Groudon you're talking to now. I'm no softie, and I don't like trespassers. I suggest you and your other human friends get the fuck out.~ Narissa flinched at the massive heat Groudon radiated, but scowled back.

"We earned this crater. We fought off our worst enemies to get it. You can't just take it back."

~Of course I can! I'm Groudon! You ain't gonna sway me human, chieftain or not! Get out before I blow this place to kingdom come to get rid of you personally!~

Narissa stammered, but hesitated at Groudon's words and intense glare.

At her previous words and Groudon's response, however, something stirred within Apollo, and his mind started racing.

Groudon... She could easily...

No, I I can't let her... I...

He gulped a third time, then stepped forward and gave Groudon a truly icy glare.

"You'd really be that cruel, Groudon?"

Groudon's attention snapped to him, and she leaned in to Apollo, glaring and snarling again. He could feel the same heat radiating off her Narissa did, and suspected it was taking all her self-restraint for her to not use it to sear the flesh off his bones.

~Cruel? I'm dealing with trespassers here!~

"Your "trespassers" are villagers who lost their homes to vicious raiders and had to hole up here to stay safe, and then fought them off again, and now you're willing to murder them all just for being around?"

Groudon huffed a cloud of steam, then put a claw to her chin.

~When you put it that way... Yeah, blowing you all up is harsh even by my standards.~

She glared at him again.

~But how can I trust you apes to take care of this place? I decidedly still have the option of escorting you out of here less lethally.~

"We have been taking good care of this place. We've been keeping the water clean, making sure the village huts are built to align with the cliffs, growing more berry gardens everywhere we can..."

At his last words Groudon grinned. ~Berry gardens? Now we're taking! Always told Kyogre we needed more plant life around here to soak up the sun...~

She looks between Apollo and Narissa and nods.

~Hmmm... From everything you've been saying I suppose you humans get my permission to stick around too. Just don't screw the place up.~

She turned to Apollo and grinned.

~And I like you kid; you've got spunk when you wanna show it. Keep that up.~

Apollo simply stared at her shocked in response as she descended back into the lava.

He was similarly shocked when Narissa hugged him.

"Apollo, thank you,I wasn't sure what to say to her at all..."

Apollo hugged back. "Thank you, it... It just seemed like the right thing to do..."

Narissa broke the hug and grinned. "Tell you what, why don't we get you some Groudon adornments like my Kyogre ones to celebrate?"

Apollo blinked, then grinned back. "Sounds like a plan to me."

They both pumped their fists in victory and rushed out of the cave.

~~~

No Good Deed

Kyurem crept warily through the trees of the forest around the Giant Chasm, noting the melting snow everywhere as spring approached. Good time of year to get some fresh air outside their cavern, they figured, so long as they weren't spotted by the local huma-

"Help, someone help!"

Kyurem froze, and not in the manner of their Ice typing either; the voice was distinctly  that of a female human, but she sounded scared, panicked, desperate.

Kyurem stalked toward the source of the noise, until peeking out from the trees they discovered the source - a human woman, surrounded by several others, looking down at a small human boy floundering in the meltwater of one of the small canyons surrounding the Giant Chasm.

"Ron, don't panic,someone's getting help!"

Kyurem hesitated. The humans of Lacunosa, they'd hurt them so many times - but they couldn't leave this boy to drown. Leaving all fear behind they charged straight down into the canyon after the boy, ignoring the screams from the humans above.

"It's Kyurem!"

"It's going to eat him!"

The boy saw Kyurem coming and backpedaled only to stumble and choke on more water. Kyurem hesitated, and, realizing their claws were too small to carry the boy safely, haphazardly tried to grab the collar of the boy's shirt with their teeth and drag them quickly out of the water. The boy and the onlookers only screamed more. Kyurem froze again, realizing backpedaling out of the canyon would be difficult but that the other humans would likely attack if they proceeded forward. They decided to  take a third option by trying to lift the boy and carry them to their side of the canyon.

Suddenly, they noticed a yellowish-green blur out of the corner of their eye. A Haxorus, they quickly realized, before they were cut into deep by the other Dragon type's axe-like tusks, glowing with blue-green flames in a Dual Chop. Maintaining their grip on the boy but swinging them around wildly, Kyurem retaliated with a Glaciate, sending a flurry of icicle spikes through the earth and cold air toward the Haxorus, knocking him over and pinning him in a refrozen chunk of meltwater.

Suddenly, Kyurem heard the whirr of engines. They looked up to see what appeared to be a rescue helicopter, only for bullets to impact with several loud cracks into the icy crest on their head. Giving a screech-like buzz of agony, they finally dropped the boy just as the Haxorus cut himself free of the ice and scooped said boy up, clambering back to the other humans as Kyurem fled in the opposite direction, more bullets impacting nearby and into other parts of their body as they fled out of the canyon and back into the forest in panic, running until the noises of bullets and helicopter blades and screaming humans could be heard no more.

Kyurem huddled into a corner of their cave in the Giant Chasm that night, barely moving as the parts of their body hit by the Haxorus' strike and the bullets regenerated. They always healed quickly, but the pain always lingered, and the scars lingered even longer.

Eventually Kyurem mustered themself to lope over to a rocky outcrop where a Crimson Lady action figure lay, clutching it gingerly in their claws and inspecting its features as the words of another being that had hurt them long ago echoed through their mind.

You were always too attached to those humans! You trusted them, tried to lead them, guide them, even walk as one of them! But look where that got you - they revered and respected you, but now they fear and hate you - and they always will.

Kyurem gazed at the figure, trembling, before clutching it to their chest tightly and letting out faint buzzes that if any other being were around to hear them sounded almost like sobs.

Notes:

Dedicated to Harambe the gorilla

No Survivors The boy in the blue jacket ran. He had only himself. His Pokemon team were all dead, murdered by those of the maniac. The maniac that was stalking him now. He ran, hid between the pillars, barely let himself gasp for breath lest he hear. He turned a corner and saw the maniac in front of him, the teeth of his crazed smile glinting in the darkness. He barely had time to scream as a chainsaw rent his limbs from his body, then his head, his dismembered parts and his blood spilling to the floor. The murderer let his chainsaw fall silent, the blood dripping across his white shirt and green hair. He smirked. "Some Hero Of Ideals you are." And stalked off. --------- The assembled Gym leaders further outward into the castle heard the screams. "What in the name of Jiminy was-" Clay started to say. He was cut off by Skyla being dragged into the shadows screaming, the screams being muffled then growing louder as blood soaked the floor from within the shadows, followed by a flying leg. The other Gym leaders all backed away as they reeled in shock and vomited, but then heard a growl from behind them. They turned to see a snarling Reshiram, who immediately incinerated Drayden alive as he screamed. The rest turned to flee the white dragon, only to see N approaching, bloody chainsaw buzzing, as he grinned. "It's her or me, you all." The Gym leaders huddled together as the two approached them from each side, N chuckling all the while. ------ In a dim room, Giovanni, Maxie, Archie, Cyrus, and Ghetsis were tied to a series of chairs, N circling around them with his chainsaw, smugly smirking. "Well well well! If it isn't all those dreaded crime lords of various regions who find themselves superior to me. How amusing." He stepped up to a quaking Giovanni. "You... You're just an annoyance. Let's deal with you quickly." Before Giovanni could scream N's whirring chainsaw came down upon him, splitting him clean in two as the others squirmed and yelped. N approached Maxie and Archie next. "Oh! I've heard tell you two are lovers!" He quickly chainsaw-sliced both their chests open. Their agonized yells were shortly cut off by N ripping both their still-beating hearts out with his bare hands and shoving them in the other's chest, grinning. "How adorable!" He approached Cyrus next, who cowered and whimpered. N scoffed. "And you tried to remake the universe? Cute." He shoved the chainsaw into Cyrus' gut and twisted, Cyrus screaming as N ripped out his organs to splat in a dismembered mess nearby before he fell limp. N grinned again. "I made a galaxy out of your entrails! Pretty neat, huh?" At last, he rounded on a gibbering, terrified Ghetsis, grinning even more maniacaly than before. "Ah, daddy dearest! I have a special fate in mind for you..." "No... No please..." N lifted the whirring chainsaw above his head and cackled. Ghetsis screamed as- ------- "Tom, that is officially enough!" Tom turned to his companion Roger with a confused expression as the campfire before them flickered amidst the looming trees and dim moonlight. "But... But I was getting to the good part!" Roger scoffed. "Yeah, of a chainsaw murderer story about a guy sitting right next to us!" Indeed, N sat to the other side of Roger, pointedly avoiding Tom's gaze and shifting around uncomfortably. Roger turned back to Tom with a glare. "Why are your weird stories always about N anyway?" Tom paused, blinked, then turned to N. "...You're inspiring." N grimaced. "Perhaps you should find me inspiring in some other manner?" A burst of orange flames headed in Tom's direction as he yelped, only for them to stoke the campfire as he looked up at the white-feathered draconic source. ~Okay,~ said Reshiram, ~This is clearly a sign it's MY turn for a scary story.~ Tom gulped, then gave Reshiram an over-the-top sneer. "Bring it." N gulped himself. "Tom, you probably shouldn't-" Reshiram smirked. ~It's called The Belly Button Eater.~ Roger scoffed. "Like that old folk tale about Thundurus?" ~Thanks for the reminder to check up on him. But worse.~ "How?" said Tom, still forcing a sneer. Reshiram made a broad gesture with her wings. ~One night, a lonely man named Dave was working late at his office, when a Glalie suddenly appeared and said, "I am Solonn. Follow me..."~ ----- It was broad daylight. The trees were dappled in the rays of the sun as bird Pokemon continuously chirped. Reshiram awoke, yawned, then preened herself. She then blinked, looked to the house she and the others were living at, then to a nearby shed and sighed. She opened the shed door to find N, Tom, and Roger, clutching each other close trembling and cowering. ~Okay, guys, look, I may have gone over the top with the story but it's been two days and-~ "Belly button eater!" they yelled in unison. Reshiram sighed again and closed the door. *** Happy Halloween.

Life's Bounty

Pandora was in a hurry like no other.

She was used enough to her human form to set out much of the plates and silverware herself, cheating a little by letting her psychic power right the position of a bit of tableware occasionally, but the other people and Pokemon helping them out were essential in cooking and laying out the food.

Nevertheless, when they were done and Pandora sensed multiple presences near the door, she turned to them with a grim expression.

"I'm sorry, you all, but you must leave now."

A villager assisting her blinked. "Right after?"

A Machamp assisting crossed her bottom set of arms. <We were going to get paid here!>

At this Pandora extended a hand pulsating with psychic energy as the double helix symbol on her head between her pink bangs glowed. "As Kanto's Lady of Life I command you to leave! You shall all receive full compensation when I get the chance!"

Startled at the display, the workers all fled out of a side entrance, leaving Pandora to sigh and turn to the door of her temple.

"You can come in now, everyone."

The door burst open to reveal a young platinum-blond man with rainbow highlights in a black and blue robe, accompanied by an entourage of people with hair as pink as Pandora's in a variety of physical ages, shapes, and sizes.

Pandora rushed forward and hugged the platinum-blond man then her fellow pink-haired individuals in quick succession. "Father, siblings, welcome!"

She moved back and closed the door with psychic power. "Now Farther, remember you can't assume your natural form here... You keep breaking through the ceiling!"

The young man rubbed the back of his head. "Well, got it."

Pandora smiled. "Other than that, enjoy the feast all you want. And the rest of you, feel free to be who you are!"

At that, with a cacophony of pops, the various assembled pink-haired people shifted to Mew, and started flying around, snatching bits of food from the table and gobbling them down. Pandora had assumed Mew form herself and smiled, before being embraced by two Mew with crystalline flowers hanging around their necks.

"Mithos, Collette, you're here!"

"Hi sis!" said Collete.

"Dad found out how to get us far away enough from our Trees to visit!" said Mithos.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" said Pandora, hugging them back.

She then noticed another Mew in glasses sulking in the corner, which she floated over to.

"Bartelby, are you all right?"

Bartelby hesitated before responding. "Not really."

Pandora frowned. "You're still upset about... Her, aren't you?"

"...Yes."

He diverted his attention to the feast, with the Mew plucking various items of food from their plates to eat and toss at each other.

"Why do we even do this every few hundred years? We're spirits of life incarnate, we don't even need food."

"Well, it certainly tastes good at least," said Pandora.

She looked over to the platinum blond young man gorging himself. "But everyone enjoys it - especially Father, he loves seeing all his children together in one place."

She smiled. "And... I do too. With how hectic life has gotten it's just nice for us to be a family."

Bartelby thought a bit and cracked a small smile.

"I guess I empathize with you there..."

Pandora floated in and gave him a hug.

Meanwhile, the platinum blond young man was about to bite into a large, ripe berry when Mithos gleefully snached it from him and soared up into the air.

"Hey! Mithos, you get back here this instant!"

His body stretched and glowed and changed into Xerneas, whose antlers gouged huge gashes in the ceiling as he tried to snatch the Berry back.

Everyone froze. Pandora stared aghast. Bartelby put his paws to his forehead in exasperation.

Xerneas simply chuckled nervously. "Um... I can fix that."

***

Happy Thanksgiving