#arcturus: starter.

[lemme-just-oops]

Settle down guys, for some Arcana Twilight x Pokemon headcanons:

-It would be a game sureounding Jirachi, the Wish Pokemon. Since this pokemon is associated with the stars/night. Jirachi only awakens once every 1.000 years for only a single week, granting wishes to those it sympathizes with.

-The Antagonist team would try to force Jirachi to wake up before its ready, using its wishes for only themselves. This corrupts Jirachi, making it evil and causing disaster.

Arcturus would in this case be a rival, who starts out weak. Doesn't even get a proper starter pokemon. But he was raised on a pokemon farm, so he already has Skiddo, Mareep and a Miltank at hand!

Pollux on the other hand did get a Starter, but it keeps getting kidnapped by the local villains. Poor little Sobble had to evolve and free itself while Pollux tried getting it back. Also has a shiny Absol, which he gave the nickname "Apple."

Alpheratz and Spica are gym leaders, in the same damn town. They keep arguing about the town not being big enough for two leaders, which keeps escalating into fights between them. The order in which you can fight them is determined by whether you play Pokemon Wish or Pokemon Miracle. Spica focuses on either Fairy or Steel, while Alpheratz has normal types, including Letharking and Snorlax.

Vega was stuck in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon universe for a while, causing him to sometimes talk stuff no one else understands. He often teams up with the MC trainer to fight gainst the antagonists. Mostly ice types. His Frosmoth likes clinging to his back like a bag.

Sirius just keeps appearing EVERYWHERE and he chooses a different role every time. He is the professor, he is a trainer for Spica's gym complaining about never being able to become strong, he is in the Elite 4, he was with the antagonists. His team is different in every battle. You only know that he doesn't discard his pokemon when you chat with an NPC in the pokemon daycare, who says: "We were on the brink of debt, but this strange guy comes by every few days with money and a few pokemon. Most of the pokemon you see are his, actually."

[reiignonme]

🌓 ADRAN STARTER CALL!!

OC Eternal of the planet Arcturus.

FANDOM: Marvel / MCU. CROSSOVERS: open. PRE ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS: selective. SHIPPING: open / bisexual. MOST WANTED CONNECTIONS: Ajak, Sersi, Carol Danvers.

do not reblog my starter calls. personals do not interact.

[eynsavalow]

@avilionea liked for a starter {mark}

The youngest of Ector's brood stood out as plainly as a cuckoo chick. Ector's other children were tall and ruddy like him, Cai the eldest boy was already as red-haired and barrel chested as his father.

Arthur was slighter, he would not be short but he would tend more slender, his hair the color or fresh wheat. The same as Uther's. And he smiled more, laughed as if cloudy days had never rained a day on his childhood.

He made impish faces at his 'twin' Nonnita, sometimes inducing the shy girl to giggle. Only Ector's sharp eyes seemed to get the boy to behave in the presence of the Cornish King at least for the moment.

When it was his turn to be presented to the King the boy grinned. "I am Arthur, Sir Ector's foster son. He named me after the Arcturus star."

[mirtactical]

Why VFC Avalon AEGs Are Popular

VFC Avalon AEGs, like the Saber Carbine, Samurai Edge, and SOPMOD Carbine, are relatively popular, especially as high-quality beginner airsoft guns.

But what differentiates these airsoft rifles from other entry-level AEGs that also offer a lot of value?

Some of the following, for starters.

Durability

Select VFC Avalon AEG rifles, like the M4A1 RIS SOPMOD, are made with full-metal receivers and metal barrel assemblies.

Many AEGs on the market today are made with polymer receivers, which is tough, strong, and lightweight, but not as tough or strong as all-metal construction.

Adjustability

One size does not fit all, and VFC Avalon AEGs are designed to be adjustable to the player and the circumstances. Most come configured with adjustable stocks that enable you to get the perfect LOP whether you’re wearing heavy clothing in the winter or need to slim down in anticipation of a CQB encounter.

Compatibility with Other Airsoft Magazines

Many VFC Avalon AEGs come with mid-cap 120-round airsoft magazines, but they’re also typically cross-compatible with other M16/M4 style mags, so finding magazines for them isn’t a big deal.

Tight Bore Barrels and Accuracy

One of the most common upgrades you’ll run into for AEGs rifles is the barrel. Upgrade to a tight-bore barrel with an inner diameter of either 6.02mm or 6.05mm and accuracy will improve.

You don’t need to make that upgrade with most VFC Avalon AEGs, because they come with tight-bore barrels from the factory.

High-Quality Internals, Easy Upgradeability

Most VFC Avalon rifles come with Version 2, all-metal, upgradeable gearboxes with metal gears. These stand up better to hard use and intense periods of sustained fire and, most importantly, are easily upgradeable any time you want to give a boost to performance. Models equipped with the VR16 gearbox, like the VR16 Saber Carbine, also feature a quick-change spring system.

Programmable Fire Control Units

It’s pretty standard for an AEG to come with safe, semi, and fully-automatic modes of fire, but not all AEGs come with programmable fire control units. Some VFC Avalon airsoft rifles, like the Samurai Edge AEG, do, enabling burst-fire functionality as well.

Price

Last but not least we have price. It’s painfully easy to spend upwards of half a grand on an entry-level AEG, and not so easy to get value at a lower price point. But with VFC Avalon, you can. They’re not quite as affordable as G&G Armament AEGs, but you can still find quality AEGs between $400 and $600, that are easily upgradeable and offer customizable performance.

Where Can You Get the Best Prices on VFC Avalon AEGs, Guaranteed?

If you’re looking for one of these VFC Avalon airsoft rifles for sale and want to know where to look to get the best price, guaranteed, look no further than MiR Tactical via the previous link.

They carry these and other top-of-the-line beginner airsoft guns from G&G Armament, Umbrella Armory, KWA Airsoft, Arcturus Airsoft, Elite Force/Umarex USA, E&L Airsoft, and countless others, all at the best prices in the industry.

They guarantee this via their airsoft price match guarantee, which requires no airsoft coupon code. Visit their website for more details.

[kremisius]

Critical Role Starters || @blightwrought ;;Arcturus

"Your hair’s a mess. Sit still."

"Turus, how can my hair be a mess? There's barely anything there!" Krem huffed out a soft laugh. Despite his protest, he allowed himself to be subjected to the man's fussing. Of course, there would be no mentioning the little curl of his lips that inevitably came when those clever fingers started pushing the locks this way and that. He knew there was no helping it. Everything needed to be just so for the Gala; and the presentation of the designer's personal guard was no exception. Clearly, Krem didn't mind too terribly. If one paid close enough attention, they'd have noticed that Krem was subtly leaning into the touch.

"You changed the thread for this set." He couldn't help but note, examining the well hidden seam of the other man's sleave when it dipped into his view. "Was that an aesthetic choice or is it working better for your stitching?" Krem had noticed it in the outfit that had been laid out for himself this morning as well. While he may not have ever done any work near Arcturus' level, talking about the man's work both brought that light to the taller of the pair's eyes and brought back a few fond memories from Krem's childhood.

[vuotristearchive]

"𝚜𝚑𝚎   𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝   𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝   𝚝𝚘   𝚐𝚘   𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑   𝚢𝚘𝚞."   a   blonde   haired   arcturus   says,   and   even   though   his   words   are   threatening   the   smile   on   his   face   is   anything   but.   he   knows   he   can   take   on   whoever   comes   his   way,   so   the   calm   remains   plastered   to   his   face,   even   as   a   younger   ianthina   shakes   her   head   and   assures   him   everything   is   fine.   the   scene   of   them   being   shrugged   off   by   the   perpetrator   replays   once,   twice,   then   they’re   moving   towards   the   convenience   store   across   the   road.   they   look   for   bandages   and   disinfectant   wipes,   the   arcturus   then   is   just   as   relentless   as   the   arcturus   now   in   making   sure   ianthina   is   alright.

the   first   time   they   met.

he   plays   it   back   on   a   loop   for   ian,   who’s   seated   beside   him,   to   see.   they’re   floating   through   space,   encased   in   a   bubble   of   arcturus’   magic.   around   them   are   vivid   memories   taken   from   his   very   own   mind   playing   on   repeat   like   a   compilation   of   movies.   all   around   them   his   memories   float   in   and   out   of   view,   some   from   the   first   body   he   inhabited   when   he’d   met   her   -   blonde,   shorter,   muscular   -   others   from   the   body   he’s   in   now;   slim,   black   hair,   still   short.   (   it’s   harder   to   kiss   her   when   he’s   in   a   taller   vessel   )

“which   ones   your   favourite?”   he   turns   to   her   and   asks,   smiling   wide,   hoping   she’s   as   happy   as   he   is   in   this   very   moment.

@zephyrvm​   !

[trans-axian-archive]

jgy as the overly-enthusiastic camp counselor, jin gary

AKSGNZIAK JIN GARY SHUT UP.

[cherubinym]

oh please tell more about prism, how did they get affiliated with those two? what are their general motives? :0 any friends besides.. the ones lost along the way :(?

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA ------------------ THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT

=== Author's Notes

-> Now, of course I still can't give everything away. There are important points I do not wish to say yet; or even can't do so, to be honest. This is more of the basic timeline and information, yet still malleable depending on how much new content ends up changing the direction of stuff drastically pfft. Especially considering their story involves the third and second layer, and garufa corp, whom we still know very little about. It goes purely off of the little information we have, along with speculations and headcanons. Please keep this in mind.

Adding a read more link to not make the timeline space perish lol... Also yeah oops um, Chapter 15 spoilers beyond this point? Lmao

Many spoilers for Rejuvenation in general.

-> About Prism <-

-> Prism is Not their real name. I half think that should be obvious, half think "no, that's absolutely something someone would be named here." Regardless, it is indeed Not the real name. Technically listing their name isn't really a big deal.

And technically the real name doesn't really matter. And technically I've already dropped it before. But I'll refrain from saying here, so if you want to spend a couple hours digging then be my guest. Don't recommend it though! It isn't that important.

->

-> Physically, they are around 25 years old. Existentially? Many, many years. Probably centuries in technicality, if I had to guess? Or decades. Something like that. Rejuvenation's timeline and lack of pieces needed makes this ???. So I'll just say existed for Many years.

-> Aevian/Filipino/Sinnohian/Malaysian

-> Also obvious; nonbinary (AMAB), they/them. World's ending no time for gender.

-> 6'2" / 188 cm

->

-> Their name Prism, however, comes with the Suspicious Pokemon they travel with-- a Necrozma that they name as Sirius. They are shockingly casual about having Sirius out around other people, implying a level of confidence in their ability to battle.

-> Sirius is an unsettling Pokemon. It sticks around wherever Prism is, but doesn't seem to speak at all. Sirius is quite distant, and seems to simply space out whenever Prism starts on one of their long sessions of speaking to "themself". Constantly cold to anyone who approaches, Sirius lacks much care for any individual. Clearly, for being with Prism for so many years and timelines, Sirius has something they need of each other--- but for what?

Just like most other Pokemon, though, Sirius will follow Prism's orders--- provided Prism is also attacking. It is ruthless and direct with its tactics, as opposed to Prism's preference to toy with the opponent in a slow and painful battle.

->

-> All of their Pokemon are named after some of the brightest stars in the sky.

-> We have Sirius, the Necrozma* .

-> Followed by the rest of their main roster; Canopus, the Mega Corviknight

-> Arcturus, the Hydreigon

-> Capella, the Raikou*

-> Antares, the Crested Cinccino*

-> Aldebaran, the Aevian Musharna

-> And many more! Here's the full image list. Do note it's very messy... and considering some new Pokemon or Forms, may get an addition or two in the future ;)

-> Of all of these, the starter may surprise you-

-> Or starters rather. At first in their life in the Third Layer, Prism only owned TOLIMAN and POLLUX.

-> Despite the prankster esque nature, they are rather partial to hyper offense.

-----

-> Yeah, but like, where did they come from, and why? <-

As I had stated before, Prism was born in the Third Layer; under a different name, of course. Clearly they got out of it eventually for a time, for it doesn't exactly seem inhabited ingame, does it? Save for the Xen members that were down there and the mech Pokemon.

As a child--- it was relatively normal, really. They lived in the Nova District, a district simply neighbours with Bridgeport; where their closest friends Lunala and Leo resided as well.

People knew each other, for sure. Those three, along with a few other close friends of theirs, grew up as one would normally presume, surely. Aiming for whatever goals they would have. Battling. But they were all scouted by Garufa Corps in some way, and many started gravitating towards assisting the company in some way.

( Please do not mind the Very old art. Help. )

HARPER RENSIAR (She/her), AURELIA JEANNE (He/they), and SETH ADEVEAM (They/them)

Harper and Aurelia ended up becoming top scientists and such in the corporation. They were highly trusted with tasks relating to {REDACTED} and many other experiments. Both held a level of sarcasm to their names, yet despite the rudeness of especially Harper, they got along with their entire friend group very well.

Harper's ace was Kabutops. Aurelia's ace was Aurorus.

Seth was a top biologist and nurse in particular. They kept checks on patients' health and investigated any abnormalities in... whatever. They're shy and reclusive, only really piping up with their friends; and mostly if they have something to say. Their ace was Carbink.

GIBBOUS (GIBBY) ALTHEA (He/she), LEO EOS (He/they, picture unavailable bc redoing design lol) and LUNALA EOS (She/they)

Gibby had a VERY outgoing nature. Despite the clownery, he was also in a top position of Garufa Corps along with Harper and Aurelia. She secured a job in well--- security of various kinds, as well as an experimental position on occasion. One of the top students of his graduating class, she can be a little aggressive if rubbed the wrong way, but nothing Usually comes of that? His ace was Reuniclus and Silvally.

Leo was serious and to the point. He was highly protective of friends, and while unable to stop whatever chaotic, life threatening antics they were usually up to, at least made sure they came out of it alive. They did have a little habit of covering up the truth to make people feel better, but go too far and that tends to bite you in the ass. His ace was Solrock and PyroarM

Lunala was very cheerful and affectionate with friends. She had a tendency to be really blunt, unlike her brother, because she figured it was better to make it easier to heal. They'd do anything to heal a situation, and was rather self sacrificing in a way. Her ace was Lunatone and Crobat

-> ... Y'all like the past tense here? Yeah, they're all dead. Pretty sure that was clear with precious ramblings--- but, yep.

Maybe their souls are still wandering aimlessly somewhere. Maybe they aren't. Who knows.

Prism holds conviction that they can be brought back somehow for sure. Perhaps too much hope, ironically, for someone whose mere existence brings grief and despair.

-> Other 3rd layer individuals that Prism knew, with some relevance to everything going on, were Azar, Sebastian, Emma, Hannah, Jessica, and Gillian.

-> And of course, Adrest and Variya, but

(looks at my lawyer)

That has to wait some more. Sorry.

-> Mysterious Figures? <-

Sometime in the present... a mutual goal. Prism first came into contact with them soon after their creation.

Much like Clear and whoever-the-fuck in WLL, they simply came in acquaintance because they had that similar goal--- of Oblivion. But what is oblivion, exactly?

For Prism, it is the nullification of Existence--- they wish to break the cycle of grief; of everything.

In their case; Prism is not still alive because they Want to be. Being "immortal", in a Sense, is more punishment for them than a blessing. Either they stop existing, or they demand to exist in Their World as Normal again (aka, the life they had back in the 3rd Layer, before Something occurred. Unfortunately, the attempted necromancy of their old friends has not exactly worked... mostly because they cannot find their souls. If they could find their souls, the black boxes could be of assistance...)

Hence, the other reason why they joined forces. The black box technology. The intention to be able to bring one back in a sense over and over was... Intriguing to them. Especially considering their assistance in the archetype project.

Cue, alas, a bitter rivalry with Crescent as well--- because she ended up stealing the Black boxes from the MFs. Prism was not present at that time; they were busy moping around in the 3rd layer again.

I wouldn't say they get along with the MFs at all. But strangely, they hated Eden. They get along the most with Kieran due to their similar personalities.

-> So to tldr the motives; either complete oblivion so they can be freed from the curse of Life; and everyone can be free of the cycles of grief, etc, so nobody must feel pain ever again; or being able to Return to a normal life with their old, dead friends from before. Which, the former feels more likely to them, hence the closer allegiance. But they still feel a bit of hope.

-> Friendship is Magic <-

As for friends, ummm... If they become your "friend"-- they need something from you. They are Not anyone's friend, really.

They do have quite a few enemies though... and Madame X is--- not one of them...?

Common enemies include -> chirp chirp (Vitus), vrr vrr (Nymiera), sus (Variya), Team Player, Team Xen, might as well seem like everyone probably.

It's Complicated includes -> Madame X, Adrest

-> But seriously, they refuse to get attached normally in the present. Prism is too stuck in the past... whatever the Past technically entails :)

-> ... Maria?

-> Timeline after timeline... oh Interceptor PLEASE don't fuck up this time.

----

-> Oh yeah and they made Necrozma (help) steal the light and rain judgement in their grief after Lunala and Leo died. that's pretty cool innit?

-> addition to Necrozma/Sirius section, it kinda just crash landed after a Big Mistake(tm) into the Third Layer from a wormhole one day lol.

-> not the whole story, clearly. It's boring to tell Everything immediately.

-> they talk to themself a lot. or talk to Sirius while Sirius pretends to listen aka still talking to themself.

-> Their trainer classes include "Child of Light" and [REDACTED]

Let's end this hell once and for all.

Sorry if that was boring or anything. I genuinely don't have enough information ingame for some specifics, or don't wanna ruin certain surprises haha.

[rcmcdium]

starter for @nakaula​!: viva la revolucion

....~nya~

[virmireisms-a]

@alliancesoldiers liked for a starter for kaidan !

This was not the way Ashley had hoped to visit Arcturus Station. They'd been here for at least a week, being treated for various injuries, with more than a few people in critical condition. Their pilot, Joker, was one of those people. His condition was critical, and things were still touch and go.

Ashley had barely slept since they'd reached the station. They'd been asked question after question, and Ashley had been fighting to keep it together. Shepard was dead. Shepard died saving Joker. The Normandy was destroyed, and half of the crew was dead. Joker's life hung in the balance, and most of them were likely to drift apart.

Tonight was another one of those nights. No matter how much she tried, she tossed and turned in her bunk, and eventually gave up and headed to one of the observation decks. Maybe if she lost herself in the vast continuum staring out into space--in the very literal sense--she'd clear her mind enough to focus.

What surprised her most was finding someone else that was there, someone she'd hoped had been getting more sleep than she was: Kaidan. He was leaned against the window of the station, staring out, seemingly unaware of her presence.

"Can't sleep either?" Ashley asked in a quiet voice.

[offscriptif]

If it's okay to ask for a polyam ship can I ask, for the love asks, 'we should hug it out' the prince AND the heroine? Ty!

love starters || Carmen/Archie || Accepting Two More Prompts ||

The atmosphere is thick enough to be cut by a knife. 

It had started as a petty argument, but Carmen and you had dug into your sides and refused to give in. Now, the both of you are sitting in the parlor, deliberately ignoring each other as each of you focus on your respective hobbies and most definitively do not steal glances of the other while wondering if an apology is warranted. 

It is, but both of you were being stubborn as a distraction. Arcturus had been too busy to meet you over the last two weeks and you both miss him. As proud as the both of you are of his dedication to the Kingdom and its people, there are times you simply miss him. His smile, his warmth, his calloused hands. 

You miss him, and if you had decided to start a petty argument with Carmen to distract yourself from the fact... Well, Carmen had responded quite enthusiastically to your words, so the blame did not lie on your feet alone.

Still, you did feel a little bit guilty.

Glaring down at the same page you had been stuck at for the last half an hour, you sigh softly and glance up, only to freeze as you catch Carmen looking at you. Cheeks heating up, you avert your gaze to the side, just in time to see the door open as Archie steps in all his glory.

He takes a long moment to look between the two of you, before he sighs fondly. 

“Again? I thought we agreed not to turn petty arguments into fights to avoid boredom,” he says, expression wry as he walks into the room and closes the door behind him.

You share a look with Carmen. 

“It was more to avoid thinking about how we missed you so, Arc,” Carmen admits finally, as she closes her book and lets it fall to the side. “It’s been two weeks, princeling.”

Archie sends her an apologetic look as he walks up to you and offers you a hand to pull you up, then carefully guides you to Carmen’s side and offers his other hand to her.

As soon as she places her hand on his, Archie pulls her up and looks at the both of you.

For a second, you can swear there is a spark of mischief on his expression but it’s there a moment and gone the next. 

“I think we should hug it out,” he declares after a moment of silence and does not wait to pull you both into a hug. “I can’t do anything about the time lost, but I can ensure that we don’t lose any more time on your pettiness. What was it about this time, anyhow?”

Settling into the embrace, you sigh happily as your left hand moves to rest on Carmen’s hip and your right hand grasps the back of Archie’s blazer. You feel as Carmen’s hand settles in your shoulder, and cannot help but smile into Archie’s chest. 

“We were arguing about whether the British Bake-Off or Nailed It! is better,” Carmen deadpans as you feel her shrug idly. “I was clearly right.”

“Hey-!” You begin to argue, but stop as Archie squeezes your waist softly. 

“I hope you both know I have no idea what either of those are,” he says cheerfully as he presses a kiss to your forehead and to the top of Carmen’s head. 

“We know,” you both say at the same time, fondness seeping into the words. 

[lemme-just-oops]

More Pokemon x Arcana Twilight because at least one person (me) wants it: (some ideas may contradict the first post)

-I see the region revolving around caves and fossils, since Jirachi's "egg" probably gets mistaken as an ordinary stone for a long time. Only being discovered by scientists in the progress of the game.

-The water starter pokemon would have a whale design, because Bound Arlyns flying whale is iconic, and that would be its final evolution.

-The fire starter would be a snake that has a ice-type end evolution. And the grass type would have a dark type end evolution. Only because I decided this.

-The reason MC gets a starter pokemon is because of following scenario: Pollux accidentally stepped on a Bergmite, which then proceeded to chase him. Vega came to his aid, but more Bergmite came. Since MC was nearby, he asked them to just take a ball from his bag and help out. He wanted to ask for the pokemon back, but saw that the pokemon felt comfortable with MC. (If the game would have a call function, he would routinely ask about how the starter is doing if you call him.)

-Alpheratz's grandfather is a professor. If given the chance, he will tell every trainer about how his favorite little boy grew up to be a gym leader and that they should give him his greetings. (And that Alpheratz should come to visit again soon).

-Sirius is the moral compass of the game, who questions the morality of battling and the goals of villains, but also questions why you wear a baseball cap instead of a dafety helmet. Also encourages you to try and ride your bike inside of caves.

-Arcturus grew up at the pokemon daycare and works there. He will spoil any pokemon handed in. Whether they are from MC or even pokemon from the antagonists. He knows of Jirachi from the tales he read growing up. He starts his journey relatively late, and only because he wants to stop Team Creation from abusing Jirachi. He has no intention of being a travelling trainer.

-Pollux keeps getting the worst pokemon. His starter keeps getting kidnapped. He bought an expensive egg from a "breeder" who promised it would hatch as Eevee. It was a Murkrow egg.

-The second town MC gets to already has the gyms of Alpheratz and Spica. Spica's gym is extravagant and complex, with a few paths to avoid the trainers helping him out. Alpheratz prefers it directly. With two trainers you have to battle before him. Both of them give MC fossils after beating them.

-Depending on the version, the trainer will encounter Spica (in Pokemon Wish) or Alpheratz (in Pokemon Destiny) throughout the game, and battle the antagonists by his side. Arcturus is the one exposing most information about Jirachi.

-Vega, please stop healing MC's pokemon whenever you meet. They have four hundred potions in their bag, let them use them.

-The elite 4 are made of the clan heads. Riegel, against his own design choices, has a fanclub watching him. He spends hours after battling giving out signatures.

[reiignonme-moving]

🌓  ADRAN STARTER CALL!!

                  OC Eternal of the planet Arcturus.

FANDOM:   Marvel. CROSSOVERS:   likely. PRE ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS:   possible.

[refinedbuffoonery]

Quarantine Moments (5.5)

By popular request, here’s QM #5 from Mac’s POV. This idiot is pining so hard and he doesn’t even realize it. 

*****

Mac watches the sun set behind them in his truck’s side mirror as Riley drives, the sky shifting from blue, to pink, then orange, then a dark burning gold, before fading to inky black. In front of them, the rising moon is barely more than a glowing sliver in the sky, and once they leave SoCal’s sprawling metropolis behind, the vast desert darkness swallows the beams of the truck’s headlights. 

Riley rolls her window down, letting the warm night air tug wisps of hair from her messy bun, and Mac can’t help but watch the way she smiles softly and breathes deeply, completely at peace. He rolls down his own window, and the wind ruffles his hair like a lover’s playful fingers. 

Mac is surprised when Riley parks in the empty campground. He assumed other people would have the same idea, but but as far as he can see, the area is devoid of human life. 

Mac turns his gaze to the glittering sea above. His eyes land on Vega and Arcturus—two of the brightest stars in the sky—before trailing the Milky Way to find Sagittarius along the southern horizon. 

Riley’s soft gasp draws his attention back to earth. Her lips part as she smiles, awestruck, and the stars are reflected in her big, dark eyes, almost as if she’s robbing them of their light. Thankfully Riley doesn’t notice his staring, because Mac can’t bring himself to look away. 

He should. He knows he should. But, for some reason, he can’t. 

Mac is still looking, minutes later, when Bozer yells at him to help make their bed. 

It’s not until he’s lying beside Bozer on the mass of pillows and blankets that Mac realizes how small his truck bed really is. In his mind, they all fit perfectly, but in reality, it’s only wide enough for two grown adults, not three. Mac and Bozer scoot to the sides to give Riley as much space as possible, but their shoulders will be overlapping no matter what. 

Riley’s arm brushes Mac’s as she squeezes her slim frame into the space in the middle, her warmth soaking into his skin. Mac likes her this close, likes her steady, reassuring presence at his side. They used to gravitate toward each other more, before he got back together with Desi, and Mac will never admit it aloud, but he misses the closeness he once had with Riley. 

Quarantining with her, there were moments that felt like their old selves—the people they were back when Jack was still around and their biggest problem was Mac and Riley’s respective daddy issues—but then there would be a long, awkward pause in conversation or Desi would come up, and then that weird gap between them would be right back, wide as ever. 

Mac isn’t sure how it even got there in the first place. 

He tries to forget about it, distracting himself by searching for constellations while he waits for the first meteor to appear. Finally, one does, zipping across the horizon in the blink of an eye. 

“Did you see that?” Bozer squeals.

Riley laughs softly. “Yeah, but I have no idea where it came from, or where I should be looking.” 

Mac opens his mouth to explain, but Bozer beats him to it. “For starters, don’t look straight up. Look near the horizon. As Perseus gets higher in the sky during the night, the meteors will appear to come from higher up too.”

“Thanks.” 

They watch the sky in peaceful silence. 

Eventually, Bozer gets up to pee, and while he’s gone, Riley nudges Mac with her knee. “You’ve been quiet,” she says. 

How is he supposed to say that even though their shoulders are literally touching right now, that even though they’ve been locked in his house together for months, he’s never felt farther away from her? That there’s this ever-widening chasm between them that he doesn’t know how to bridge? 

Mac doesn’t look at her as he speaks, his eyes finding Vega overhead. “Ancient Chinese astronomers believed Vega and Altair were lovers, forever kept apart by the Milky Way.” He points with two fingers, one toward each star. “Vega is one of the brightest stars in the sky. It’s in the constellation Lyra, which just looks like a parallelogram. And over there is Altair, which is part of Aquila, the eagle.”

Riley doesn’t say anything. Mac glances at her in his peripheral vision. She’s squinting slightly, the way she always does when she’s focusing on something. She must not be able to find the stars, he reasons. Mac doesn’t think before sliding an arm beneath Riley’s shoulders and pulling her closer so that her head rests on his shoulder. His arm brushes her cheek as he points again. 

It’s odd being this close to Riley without catching lingering traces of her perfume—a warm, dark scent he can’t pinpoint but likes anyway. She hasn’t worn it since quarantine started, and Mac is starting to miss it. 

“I see it,” she breathes. Mac lets his arm drape across Riley’s body. 

She tenses, but she doesn’t try to extricate herself from his side. Part of Mac knows he probably shouldn’t be holding her like this. A bigger part doesn’t care. Riley is his best friend goddammit, and he can cuddle her if he wants to. It doesn’t have to mean anything. 

“Show me something else,” Riley says softly. 

Mac takes a slightly unsteady breath before pointing in a different direction.  “Over there are Sagittarius, which looks like a teapot, and Scorpius, which looks like a hook or the letter ‘J.’ Between them is the supermassive black hole that exists in the middle of the galaxy. All of the matter in the Milky Way orbits around it.” 

Black holes are easy. Black holes make sense. But Riley...Riley doesn’t. 

Especially when the moment passes, and she turns her head away to holler at Bozer. “You good, man?” 

Bozer yells back from the other side of the truck. “Yeah! Got a little performance anxiety from this creepy bug staring at me.” 

Mac imagines Bozer having a staring contest with some random desert bug sitting on the hood of the truck and bursts out laughing. His arm inadvertently tightens around Riley, and the wicked gleam in her eye when she looks up at him makes the moment even funnier. 

He feels it again, that gravitational pull toward her. He’s tempted to let it drag him closer, but he’s afraid of what it might mean if he does. 

Riley squirms when Bozer climbs back into the truck, and Mac hesitates before letting her go. 

The three of them lay together for hours, just looking up at the stars, until Bozer initiates a chain reaction of yawns. “Mac,” Bozer says. “Did you set the alarm?”

Patting the pillow above Riley’s head, he answers, “Yeah. My phone is right here.”

Riley twists to look at him in horror. “Alarm?” 

Mac explains, “The meteor shower’s peak is between three and four am. So unless you’d rather stay up all night...” Riley groans, pulling up a blanket and rolling onto her side. Chuckling at her dramatics, Mac grabs a blanket for himself and watches the stars until he falls asleep. 

~ 

The volume of his alarm is set far too loud for the phone only being inches from his ear, and Mac winces as he’s forced into consciousness. Beside him, Riley growls, “Turn it off.” 

He’s lying on his side with an arm around Riley’s waist, holding her in the curve of his body, but it doesn’t feel weird or awkward. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the way Riley fit against him. Mac accidentally bumps her face as he silences the alarm, and he mumbles, “Sorry.” There’s no room to move away from her, so Mac just brushes Riley’s hair out of his face and puts his arm back around her. “I hit snooze. You have five minutes.” 

She sighs, absentmindedly brushing her thumb over his hand, and warmth spreads through Mac’s body that has nothing to do with the fact that it’s still nearly eighty degrees outside, even in the middle of the night. He lets himself snuggle closer. If he could live in the calm safety of this moment forever, Mac would. 

But he doesn’t hold Riley for long before feeling like he’s about to explode. Mac rubs her shoulder. “Riles, move. I have to pee.”

Riley groans again, but then her hips press into his as she pushes Bozer away, and Mac scrambles to get up before anything awkward happens. 

“I’m awake,” Bozer slurs.

“Sure you are.”

He’s back by the time the alarm goes off again, and Mac can hear the soft popping of Riley’s joints as she sits up and stretches. The meteors are more frequent now, nearly two a minute. Most are quick, bright flashes, but a few are slower, gracefully crossing the sky before burning up.

“Riley stop blocking the view,” Bozer says, kicking her in the back. Riley flops back down. 

A massive, glowing meteor arcs across the sky in slow motion, lingering for a few seconds before winking out of existence. “Wow,” Riley whispers, smiling. 

Wow is an understatement. Mac would’ve driven all the way out here for that meteor alone. 

Mac keeps his eyes trained on the heavens until the sky lightens and the first rays of sunlight stretch across the desert. The air seems to hum, the way it always does in announcement of the scorching summer sun. 

When they pile into the truck, Mac blasts the air conditioner. He’s already sweating, even though it’s barely six am. As he drives out of the campground and toward the highway, Bozer rattles off suggestions for where to stop for breakfast burritos on the way home. 

Apparently content to let Bozer decide, Riley demands, “Wake me up when you have my burrito. Goodnight.” Mac glances at her in the rearview mirror and smiles; she’s sprawled across the pillows and blankets, already fast asleep. 

[isolaradiale]

Hello! Without prior reserve, I would like to app Giovanni from Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu! My application is at /app. If possible, I'd like to request that he retains his Persian (de-evolved into a Meowth of course!). Thank you so much!

Welcome to scenic Isola Radiale, Boss Giovanni!

You will be housed in HOUSE 105!

You will retain everything your Persian, however it will be in its starter form, Meowth.

You will also retain some basic Pokeballs, however they will serve no function.

– ⋆ arcturus.

[sideblog-666-thousand]

Samoth and Tyr (ex-Borknagar) Interview, 1999. Ft. Samoth being a massive cunt. Part One.

Originally, I was going to post a much more interesting ‘view of Emperor, but due to the nature of it, and Tumblr’s 250 blocks of text per post cap, I ended up doing this. Hilariously enough, this one ALSO exceeds the max so I’ll have to put it in two parts as well. At least this one is more easily managed, due to the lack of rambling answers.

The last two —and the mythical ‘view that never was— were all in writing, before being scanned, and then eventually typed up by yours truly. This one was actually posted onto the internet back in... I think the early 00s? I found it in class one afternoon, back when I was a high-schooler. It says on the bottom that it was written in 1999 but that might not be the posting date. It’s old though.

So, in other words, I just copy-pasted this mysterious interview onto here with some minor alterations to the format. Full credit goes to the original poster, who I’ll link— they made my job very easy.

To answer the question of “Ft. Samoth being a massive cunt”, I mean... I named all of my interview posts something sarcastic thus far. Of course, going out and calling somebody a ‘massive cunt’ is a little bit harsh, but.... Just read the interview, ok? It’s all tongue in cheek.

I’d also like to suggest a drinking game to pair with this ‘view... Every time Samoth says something a little bit TOO honest, I want you to take a shot of hard liquor. Afterwards, if you do this for whatever reason, I want you to tell me how drunk you got.

As always, any possible commentary is in (parenthesis) and bold. Asterisks below and optional, most of the time they’re just some added context that’s too long to put in the actual text.

Note: The next two interviews posted will be Emperor-related as well. I might post the other interview later tonight, but I’m not sure. The interview after that will be a very short one of Faust, where he rages about how he’s going to enact his revenge on Varg because I think it’s entertaining (but is it particularly insightful though....?). After that, it’ll be back to your regularly scheduled Mayhem programming.

Without further ado:

At the beginning of April 1999, Morbid Angel headlined various "No Mercy Festival" tour gigs throughout Europe, supported by, among others, Emperor, The Crown, Impaled Nazarene and Limbonic Art. After interviewing Morbid Angel and Limbonic Art, there was an opportunity to sit down for a while with Emperor members Samoth and [new bassist] Tyr. We talked with them about a wide variety of things - the Norwegian black metal scene, the early days of Emperor, the church burnings, Noctural Art Productions, a lot of things...

I: About the latest album, "Equilibrium IX"; people already said about the previous album there were a lot of eighties' metal influences on the album and I think it's especially true for the new album - do you agree?

S: Yeah, well, I don't think there is any direct influence, but of course we're all into the eighties' metal, so... Several people say that they can hear Morbid Angel-things and Mercyful Fate stuff in it... and so.

I: About the production - you changed production studios and it had a big influence on the sound... So why did you want to change the sound?

S: Well, we felt like that Grieghallen didn't really have much to offer anymore for us and we weren't that satisfied with the production of the previous album, so we decided to try a new studio and also work more creatively in the studio with the sound. I think the latest releases from Grieghallen weren't that good... I mean they do have some real classics like "De Mysteriis...", "In the Nightside Eclipse" and the Burzum albums, and stuff like that....It's not so much that we want to get rid of the 'standard black metal'-label, but because we want to try a new sound and also, we wanted to use a local studio, because we had booked three months in the studio - it's a small inconvenience if you just can't go home after a day of recording.

I: The bass player, Alver, he left - why was that?

S: Well, eh... I guess we demanded more from him than he could give us... He was also very busy with his job and he couldn't rehearse as often as we wanted him to, so.... he decided... I mean, he would have to really rehearse a lot more to get up to the standard for the new album.. so there are no hard feelings or anything - it was a mutual agreement that it's best that he would leave.

I: So now we have a new bass player*... Introduce yourself and have you been in any previous bands?

T: My name is Tyr - that's the Norse God. In my project band I also use this name - it's my artist's name. I've only played in amateur bands and stuff like that.

I: So, you were friends or anything?

T: No, just eh... there is a Norwegian magazine called "Scream magazine", have you ever heard of it? [Yes - ed]

S: It's the biggest metal magazine in Norway.

T: ...and they had placed an ad. So I auditioned; we played a couple of songs and I got the job, on the spot, so.

I: So how do you like it to play in metal legends Emperor?

T: I love it, yeah!! I come from a different scene, you know... This is the first black metal I have ever played. I am used to playing more progressive stuff - things like Dream Theater and stuff like that. But I must say there are progressive parts in the Emperor material as well... Actually I would like to say, that I am on a Fates Warning tribute album, it's coming out on a label called Planet Circus, a newly started American label - with my project band Morpheus Web and we're playing "The Sorceror" on this one. I think it should be released around May or June [1999].

I: Is there a huge progressive scene? I believe August (former guitarist of Arcturus, member of Tritonis) plays in a progressive band as well?

T: Yeah, Tritonis...They're a really good band.

S: We've played with them as well a couple of times.

T: There are so many good bands...

I: About the record company: Candlelight. I was thinking, you have a very succesful label yourself, why not put Emperor on Nocturnal Art Productions?

S: Well, for starters, we were committed to Candlelight Records, by conference... After "Anthems...", we wanted to change label.. and we were actually trying to get out for a while, but then things really changed with Candlelight - they kicked out the old label manager plus they get both fifty percent of the label and for the new album all has been going pretty well. I don't think we're actually going to stay with them in the long run*, but we're going to do at least one more album for them... because they treat us pretty good and we get good royalty rates and they have done a really good job for the new album. So things really progressed. We have been with Candlelight for so many years now, so we know the guys really well and they treat us... - we are their first priority, so it's cool. But we have got offers from bigger labels like Nuclear Blast and Century Media as well - we are discussing with these labels as well, but we'll see for the future.

I: Don't you think that if you sign to Nuclear Blast you will be 'just another black metal band' on the label?

S: No I think that if they would sign us, they would give us pretty good priorities.

I: ...and Dimmu would just have to step aside...

S: Naah, I think they would still have pretty good priority, I mean they're doing really good as well, so.

I: OK, well how is your label Nocturnal Art going?

S: Yeah, well it's going in the right direction, it's still a small label, but I mean I'm working on it, like, full time and it... everything has been going really well for Limbonic Art for example, so we have signed them for two more albums - it's going to bring the label up to another level. I'm working on it all the time, the label and the band; we rehearse three times a week and I have a lot of work to do for the label - it's getting pretty hectic as the band is getting bigger and the label is getting bigger as well... so I'm looking for somebody to work for me more...

I: Will Choronzon release another record on...

S: I don't think so, I mean, I really like the guy.. he's a really cool guy and he has some cool ideas, but I mean it's impossible to sell this... I mean nobody buys it - it's too weird so people don't understand it.

I: There was some old Thorns material which was released on Moonfog... I think originally it was supposed to be released on Nocturnal Art...

S: You're referring to the Thorns vs Emperor split... we'll we did a cover of Thorns and Thorns did a cover of Emperor and some other more weirder stuff. Yeah, well, I was talking with this Krupp [formerly known as Blackthorne, who was accomplice to the murder on Euronymous - he rang the doorbell, so Varg Vikernes could get in - ed] as he calls himself about doing it through NAP, but he later decided to sign to Moonfog, so...

I: So you had your first producing experience, I believe... How did that work out and can we expect more of you in this field?

S: Yeah, I was in the studio with Mactätus. I wasn't really the complete producer, it was recorded in the same studios as the new Emperor album, so it was the engineer who really did the producing, but I came in the room during the mixing process just as an objective ear to the sound. They we're satisfied...I don't think that I can do a full producer job by myself. I can like... - I've heard so much of this genre, so I know what's good and what's bad and what can be improved and stuff like that... I don't think I am the right person to do it really. I mean I don't have any technical background.

I: Faust, when he get's out of prison, will he go back into Emperor?

S: No, I don't think so, because Trym has been with us like for so many years and he's an important part of the band and I don't think it is fair to just check him out. It works really well with Trym... but maybe we'll do something else with Faust, I don't know... I don't think Faust thinks too much about it himself; he still has three years before he's out. I think he's being paroled at the end of 2002.... so, not that bad.. he's doing pretty good... He has hardly played drums for years, but he had a few leaves and he came up to see us and we were jamming a bit... And he still has it in his body, he just needs some time to get it back in...

I: ... maybe a sequel to Zyklon B...?

S: Maybe....time will tell.

I: About Emperor. What is more important - the music or the philosopical side, the ideas behind the lyrics, that sort of thing?

S: I would say the music.... but with Emperor it's important to have all the talents, you have the whole thing - you have the covers and the lyrics and the music and the whole thing has to be like one artistic expression. But music is the main thing.

I: The word 'Emperor' seems to be more than just the band name - the word comes up in the lyrics every so often...'I am the Emperor..' that sort of thing...

S: Especially in the older lyrics. It symbolizes several things...It can symbolize like eh...the Devil, I guess and it also symbolizes a mighty power ...the whole sound of Emperor is a mighty sound. It's like a matter of interpretation...I think the Emperor lyrics are like - there's a lot up to the listeners to make up their own imaginary world. We don't have a direct thing, like it's like this.

I: What does it mean to you? What does Emperor stand for to you?

S: I would say it means might, something mighty.

I: Do you know anything about the philosophies of the guys from Morbid Angel and what do you think about it?

S: I don't know to much, I think they've changed a bit since David Vincent left. So it's more back to the basic Cthulhu mythology and I don't know to much about that, but it's kind of interesting. He has some quite good ideas, this Azagthoth.

I: Do you prefer the period when David Vincent was still there?

S: Well, I very much like them now - I liked their last album*, but I think they were even better live than on CD. But I mean they are an excellent band.

I: Did you have any contact at all with the Morbid Angel guys? I mean they were really looking forward to being on tour with you...so I thought over a few beers...

S: We didn't party or anything, but we see them every day, so.. They're cool guys who treat us OK - they don't behave like rock stars or anything.

I: Do you listen to any recent black metal stuff yourself, or is it just the old classics?

S: Well, acually I think the new Dimmu Borgir is pretty good. Through my mail order I get almost every new black metal thing so I use to put them on and hear one song out, but there aren't that many albums that touch my feelings. I really like the old stuff like Tormentor as well, but I listen to a lot of different stuff, really, so it's not only black metal. I listen everything from techno and trance to black metal, electronic, ambient and stuff like that to eighties metal, death metal...

I: Do you have a lot of friends in black metal scene?

S: Well, a lot of contacts, but I don't hang out that much... First I live a bit far from the town and I am usually pretty busy with what I am doing, so... But I know all the bands, in Norway, more or less...

I: You decided not to wear corpsepaint because it became a trend, is that true?

S: We just felt like doing our own thing and it wasn't really because it became a trend, but just because we don't want to be like everybody else. When we first started out, we were pretty much like a standard black metal band, but these days, we are... not a standard black metal band so we don't wanna appear to be like just a typical black metal band. But I mean we still use some paint live and stuff and it's still important to have a 'performing image', but the average corpse paint is not so suitable. We just have white faces and look a bit pale.. It's just a show element.

I: Cradle of Filth have expressed their respect for you in the press, more than once and you've toured together a long time ago - are you in touch with those guys and what do you think about them?

S: I've met them a few times and we get along fine, so I mean I don't have any problems with them at all. I think they're, especially Dani of Filth, he's like a media bug, he's always in the media, whatever there is - but that's their thing.

I: Lots of black metal fans say: Oh, CoF - everybody is listening to that so that's..

S: It's very much a black metal thing. I mean bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir are being hated a lot, but actually those bands are professional bands with their own decisions and a lot of people say it just to put them on and that's just crap.

I: Do you think they' re making certain consessions towards their music, doing what the people expect of them...

S: I think they do what they want to do. So I don't think they've just changed their music to become more popular. I mean just listen to the new Dimmu Borgir - I mean a lot of people complain that Dimmu Borgir should sound like their first album, while their first album was really soft and really crap, while their new album is much more brutal. And Cradle of Filth as well, they haven't become any softer either.

I: What do you think is the destinction between confidence and arrogance?

S: [A long silence] You must have confidence in what you do, but I mean eh*...

T:...just don't let it go to your head and stuff like that. I think you can actually spot the difference when people just turn arrogant. I think I myself not being arrogant.

S: I think to a certain extent that some arrogance is also... I mean if you have made something of value in a way you have earned yourself to be, to have a certain like a certain arrogance, maybe, I don't know...

I: To put it a little more in a context: you made a few remarks during interviews that you thinkt the large part of the black metal scene is totally crap. There might be a lot of people around who think that's an arrogant remark.

S: Yeah, probably, but I mean if it's so, then I am arrogant towards some people, but I think a lot of people are crap, not only in the black metal scene and if that makes me arrogant to them, OK, then I am arrogant. But I don't really look on myself as being a complete arrogant person, really.

T: This is obviously a matter of a personal opinion. Everybody has a different taste, so... Of course, those are strong words, but - for a part it's wrong and for a part it's true. The musical aspects and their music is probably not as good as other bands, like Emperor I think.

That’s all for part one! :)

Asterisks in order of their appearances:

*Tyr was only in the band briefly, and didn’t appear on any studio album. He can be heard on “Imperial Live Ceremony”, released in 2000.

*They did, in fact, stay with Candlelight. With the exception of a few, almost every Emperor release to date has been done through Candlelight.

*The album he’s referring to is “Forumlas Fatal to the Flesh”, released in 1998. That said, I’m a big fan of Morbid Angel, and want to get around to translating one of the French interviews...

*When I tell you that I fucking ugly-laughed....

Here is the link to where I got this from: https://www.karsmakers.nl/metal-e-zine/emperor.htm