#dark tfj

[soulesplinters]

The Dragon and the adventurer

Most, if not all, were hapless victims to the twisted dark woods of the Crumbling Castle.

Whether it were for pride or innocent curiosity, the reason for these travelers' venture into the forest never mattered in the end, as it always ended in the same fate: disappearance.

Eventually... there was one who came that proved to be "quite" different than the others before them.

They had a playful happy go lucky attitude, treating the dangerous woods as if it were a mere sports obstacle. An attitude that could've been easily mistaken for foolish ignorance.

Despite this, they've shown to be clever- clearly having experienced similar feats beforehand.

And despite the dragon's efforts... the adventurer still remained.

...

(continued in link below)

[spearslug-box]

Good day my dude! Remember the Rain World Iterator OC Ask Game/Questionnaire you posted a while back? Question 22 for TFJ, if you want! I'm bored, so if you answer this one, you might get a few more, be warned

Assuming u mean this one ^^

where he lives.....

he lives near the local group and near-ish his 'old group' which he doesn't interact with that much, since his 'new group' is the local one, his area could be described as somewhere between dark, murky, dirty.. Etc... like the one Sub region in chimney canopy that I forgot the name of,

not many things live there other then the scavengers and slugcats passing by every now and then

so like basically a really dirty from him disposing of trash n stufr

[itsbenedict]

hwough. okay. not sick anymore. no more funerals, no more weddings, no more birthdays, nothing on the calendar until like november. there is nothing standing in the way of my goals except me. let's make a big ol' list of Shit I Could Do Today, and then pare it down:

finish the Tonnera art and post a TFJ recap

call the plumber about replacing this toilet

sketch some character designs for Candi and Dart

implement growths and leveling up in-game in MW

move a bunch of training videos to this LMS site for work

talk to Patrick about full-time employment

catch up on WK reviews

do that SB voice request that's in my inbox

prototype a glossary menu in Ren'Py

exercise

do some planning for the Dark Site Aspen raid

also various media to finish consuming:

the sekimeiya

cockatiel x chameleon

death of the king

quiet and antagonism

time to orbit unknown

failure to launch

today, let's...

do the LMS work thing

finish drawing tonnera

call the plumber

do the SB thing

exercise

[ascelhire]

[ID: Two rows of small animated sprites, who are of main characters from The Fool's Journey. A majority of the cast are humanoids with appearances ranging from human-like to those who are more furry or creature like. There are several non-humanoid creatures in the second row. The top row shows the main casts' post-game looks, while the bottom row shows their in-game personas.

From left to right in the top row is; Lemon, Cez, Theta, Celeste, Soule, Matcha, Patch, and Tefkat. Lemon is a tan rabbit-like furry, Cez is a light skinned person with antennae and dark hair, Theta is a dark humanoid creature, and Celeste is a light skinned person with auburn hair. Soule is a stout brown skinned person with small horns, Matcha is a tan skinned person with ginger hair along with pointed ears and antennae, and Tefkat is a grey skinned humanoid with cat ears. In a cycle of the animation, Theta and Soule change to different casual outfits and looks, with Soule being a dark goat-like furry in the iteration.

From left to right in the bottom row is; Lemon clone, Zella, High Priestess, The Fool, Mar. Ina, Aranda, Cel, Matcha, Patch, and Tefkat. The Lemon clone is similar to Lemon but desaturated, Zella is a quadruped wisp, High Priestess is a bug-like fae creature, and The Fool is a dark humanoid creature. Mar. Ina is a shark on a scooter device, Aranda is a light skinned person wearing a mask, and Cel is a dark wisp. Matcha, Patch, and Tefkat share the same appearances as their post-game look but with outfit and hair style changes. /End ID]

🌒 vote for team fool's journey on the @group-oc-tournament ! 🌒

[plain text: (waxing eclipse emote) vote for team fool's journey on the @/group-oc-tournmanent! (waxing eclipse emote) /end plain text]

-

lil sprite art propaganders of the main tfj gang (feat both their post-game and in-game appearances) for the group oc tournament !! :D

they are on their way to remind everyone to stay hydrated and awesome !!! B]

(click images for better quality !)

[tunafishjournal]

Song

Like clockwork toys clicking and whirring

And wound up to a whistle

The cicadas sing rounds a capella 

Fireflies dance at the water’s edge

Each a tiny living lantern in the darkness

Their flames snuffed out and rekindled

From moment to moment

The dark river an unceasing symphony

The trills, croaks and hoots of the soloists

Cutting through the night

My little one turns to me and laughs

I think the cicadas are singing for my birthday, she says

Soon she’ll turn three

And the cicadas will sing for her

- Ruth Callaghan do Valle (she/her), TFJ Issue One: Celebrations

Personal |  Instagram | Twitter | YT | The Minison Project | Reading of Song

[ascel-vibes]

[ID: Drawings of Cez, an OC from TFJ, as a pegasus pony and changeling from My Little Pony Gen 4. The background is hues of pink and purple, decorated with a cross-stitch checkerboard pattern and speckles.

As a pegasus they have; dark fur with light speckles, pink chest fluff ear fluff and flight feathers, and pink hoof tips. Cez's mane is black with purple blue and pink highlights, partially tied in a bun. Their tail is long and wavy, reaching the ends of their hooves.

They wear round pink-lens glasses, a white star earring, sparkly blue and purple varsity jacket, and pink headphones around their neck. Cez's cutie mark is three stars, one pink and two purple, with strings attached above as if indicating falling stars.

As a changeling they wear the same outfit but now have; non-reflective pink eyes, dark grey carapace and purple shell replacing their fur, short dusky purple mane and tail, and pink torn insect wings replacing their feather wings. Cez lacks a cutie mark, and now sports a small horn, fang, long grey ears and several holes in their legs.

The second image is mainly the same as the first, but now Cez lacks their outfit in both forms along with their wings. /End ID]

[slowly pokes my head in] hey. hey you guys wanna see a pony.

decided to draw an oc of mine as a mlp:fim character!!! verrry very proud of it,,,

[zven-heine]

“You keep picking at the scab

So I'll keep on selling the plaster

And you, you think I'm bad

So I'll keep on getting better faster”

[galindaelphaba]

top 5 albums in general? :-) (and sorry omg i accidentally hit unfollow 😩)

This is soooooooo hard to decide! I’m just gonna go for what comes to mind. I’m also gonna cheat a little because two of my slots are ties 😅 In no particular order besides number 1.

1. Blackout/In the Zone - Britney (these albums are so close together for me and they switch between being my fave depending on the day.)

2. The Fame Monster - Gaga (what a debut. Dance in the Dark is still that bop)

3. Fever - Kylie Minogue 

4. The Family Jewels/Froot - Marina (I can never pick my fave album of hers. It used to be TFJ but as I got older I’ve come to appreciate Froot a lot. Electra Heart is also god-tier).

5. Dangerous Woman - Ariana

Some other favourites (and there are probably tons I am forgetting):

Yours Truly/Thank u, Next - Ariana (Honeymoon Avenue is her best song, followed by Only 1 and that’s how it stands)

All of Britney’s other albums obviously

Melodrama - Lorde

1989 - Taylor

Singular - Sabrina Carpenter

Hounds of Love - Kate Bush

Confessions of a Dancefloor - Madonna

Butterfly - Mariah Carey

and I know this isn’t the best album per se but I love the Descendents soundtracks - all the songs bop. 

[xylinara]

Title? No Titles Here.

Thank ya, @sodalitefully <3

17 questions 17 people

nickname: Xy (sounds like “sigh” with a Z; Zigh), or Meg. 

zodiac: Pisces, glub glub.

height: Uhh...5′5″ on a good day.

hogwarts house: Always wanted to be a Ravenclaw, but probably more Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Think my official Pottermore from years ago was Gryffindor.

last thing i googled: Screenshots of this goofy ass text post I wanted to send my husband.

song stuck in my head: Ain’t Life Grand - Snakepit. Mostly because I’m ready to get back to Bound and TFJ universe and this song is realllly influencing it.

number of followers: A bunch, considering I don’t post much anymore, lol.

amount of sleep: Not fuckin’ enough.

lucky number: Thirteen all the way.

dream job: I’ve entertained writing, zookeeping, and working in a sex/pot/book shop. If scholar was still a legit thing, that’d be cool, too. I love learning.

wearing: Shorts and a tank top. 

favourite song: I’m a music lover, man; I got a list three miles long!

favourite instrument: Once a band nerd, always a band nerd. I can’t choose!

aesthetic: Generic biker dyke. Jeans. Band t-shirt or some dark color. Long pony tail. Flip flops, sneakers, or boots. 

favourite author: I guess Rick Riordan. Andy Wier is great, too. Wish I had more time to read.

favourite animal noise: A lion’s roar. In person. From less than fifteen feet away. You feel that shit. 

random: Cock-a-doodle-do, any cock’ll do!

[cryhounds]

I was tagged by @lacalma and @leorjo THANK U......

Nicknames: technically romy is a nickname but like! People calling me Romeo is honestly way more special only certain ppl do so it's like :) I have others but they're mostly jokey. Oh also I have one friend who just calls me Rom and its :") I love her

Zodiac sign: ......Taurus

Height: ......... five....foot.....three..............

Hogwarts house: ok nice try..... tying to get me to look like a nerd and admit I'm a slytherin.... nice FUCKING try well you're not gonna succeed :)

Last thing I googled: minecraft for the wii

Favorite Musicians: st vincent!!! now, now!!!!!! Lorde!!!!!!! Marina!!!!!! Florence and the machine!!!! Also uhhh Paramore, king princess, idkhow, snail mail, and tears for fears!

Song stuck in my head: Thread by Now, Now..... find a thread to pull and we can watch it unravel....... a hint of light in the dark only enough to keep from giving up if I could go back to the start to break the pattern forming between us.......

Following now: 140ish

Followers: 340ish

Do I get asks: yeah but I'm also just constantly reblogging ask games so

Amount of sleep: eight

Lucky number: I'm not rlly committed to one ig.

What I am wearing: oversized tie dye shirt it's what i sleep in

Dream Job: multimedia artist/3d artist or English professor

Dream trip: I wanna go to Colorado ig..... might fuck around and go to Japan JUST for the nippori fabric town/harajuku garment district in general

Favorite food: ok what even is food..... maybe dark chocolate????

Instruments: I played clarinet in fifth grade and hated every second of it and quit the second my parents would let me. I wish I'd been able to do percussion but :(

Languages: English and uhhh 2 years of high school German classes I've almost entirely forgotten

Favorite song: ok I have too many I dont have time to Get Into All Of It but my usual answer is just all of TFJ era Marina except for Hollywood cause it's boring

Random fact: ok once I had a dream I kissed a girl named juliet and that's all I remember of the dream but like Imagine if it was prophetic. This was before I changed by name btw. It was under a tree i think it was at a college. Eyes emoji

Aesthetic: naturepunk with a side of glitter and LOTS of red

Tagging: uhhh @repressedcinema @10lei @gfvibez @ghozting @malociraptor @florideae @ltsv and anyone else who wants to do it!!!!

[soulesplinters]

Angsty theta 😏🎶

Honestly I don't know how I got so far I did this to me I did this to me There is no one else to blame I did it myself

birthday kid by mili

alternate version below the cut (warning for blood)

I did this to me I wish it was your fault But how could it be, oh I did this to me

[itsbenedict]

get star seeker sequel adventure thing up and running and through the first case

get datasouls combat toy complete up to the first miniboss combat

catch up on TFJ recap logs

become an accredited AWS Certified Solutions Architect and get that raise my boss has been talking about for ages

get an adjustable standing desk and under-desk elliptical thingy, and otherwise get an ergonomic workstation set up

fix the light situation in the bathroom

get through The Sekimeiya and really go to town on that mystery until it’s solved

also finally play Disco Elysium

finish TFTBN character portraits

get a beatrice portrait for my poster wall

run some TPIVW games

badger the condo association landlady until she does something about the junk clogging up that basement storage room i’m supposed to own, and clean unused bulky stuff out of my house

clearly this waitlist thing isn’t working out so take some steps to see an actual doctor for the first time in like three years (and maybe get a cancer screening, or do something about that closed sinus)

get through the remaining 7 WaniKani levels

Alright, so September- mixed bag! I definitely, 100% accomplished the main difficult goal for the Datasouls combat toy, but...

Wow! I sure did... zero updates! This is mainly because the next update's another big one, since there ended up being less meat on the bones of "now that you have magic-sight, reevaluate the crime scene with the new evidence" than I thought there'd be- but I still got less done on that big update than I thought I would. It's a pretty significant failure.

I've started bolding the stuff that isn't complete yet, since the wall of strikethroughs are starting to look a lot like "oh, I did so much stuff! I'm basically done!" and I don't want to lose track of what still needs doing. Apart from the raise thing (which is kind of out of my control, what with my supervisor's limited ability to negotiate budget and the crazy reorg that's going on), there's four things left. Two are just, playing some games, and shouldn't be hard (I'll probably save The Sekimeiya for December, when I've got holiday stuff to contend with)- but the other two I've got to get serious about.

For October, I'm going to try catching up on TFJ recaps. I stopped because there was this commission series I wanted to use as art for the next update, and that's now finally coming in after a long dark time in the artist's life. There's a lot to get through, and last time I decided "this'll be my thing for the month!" I only got through 13, and there've been more sessions since then, so... could be a big lift. I'm also going to try to get least get that first big update for the new J/A phase out, if I can swing that too. (It's also going to be rough at work, since I need to catch up on the last two weeks of vacation.)

[gagx]

The Suicide Squad: Montana Madness Part 3 (finale)

For Part 1, Click Here

For Part 2, Click Here

Location: Blue Dawn Ranch, Montana

Time: 21.9.8 20:46 PM MDT

Victoria sipped on brandy with Arnold and Sarno in Arnold’s kitchen. The presentation went well. Everyone knew their parts and the mission would commence within the next 72 hours once intel had been confirmed. She was proud to lead these men, and grateful that she had not had to prove herself. It had been a good while since she was shown the respect she deserved. She did not know if these men would survive her plan, as no mission, no matter how well thought out, went precisely as planned. This was especially true considering their goals. It would be difficult at best, but she admired their effort to keep casualties to a minimum.

She got up to get herself some more ice from the refrigerator. This was Arnold’s home. The majority of the land had been sold off to other farmers, but his parents before him kept a sizable estate for themselves. Arnold transformed this place into a place where others like him could come when they had nowhere else to turn--a place of peace for weary souls. All the men and women who were outside the window Victoria stood in front of as she sipped her third drink were here because they were loyal to Arnold, understood his position, and would follow him to the ends of the Earth. Victoria watched as two men walked off from the cabins to trade with men who were walking towards the cabin. The night shift was taking over the perimeter.

As Brooks and Cloud walked toward the perimeter, they began to place bets on how many planes they’d spot tonight. Brooks bet higher than he had the previous night after losing thirty bucks to Cloud. Cloud didn’t care about the actual number of planes that passed above so much as he cared whether or not he could goad Brooks into wagering more money than he actually had. They understood the seriousness of their job, but they both knew no one outside of this camp knew what was going on there. Guarding the perimeter was more of a precaution than a necessity, and it reminded them of their enlisted days. Neither missed those days or were thrilled to be doing this now, with their status as civilians. The night, like them, marched on.

They walked their path carefully. It wasn’t but a few weeks ago that they had helped bury some landmines for would-be enemies. Brooks didn’t think much of it beyond wanting to ensure not walking off the path, but Cloud had doubts about their necessity out of concern for local wildlife. He trusted Commander Schultz that the animals would be fine, but he remembered a time a deer had walked over one when he was deployed overseas. He tried not to remember the eyes of the fawn. He tried not to remember the smell even now.

Cloud looked up to see the thousands of stars in the sky. It never stopped being beautiful or full of possibility. Cloud always wondered if he’d meet one of the dozens of alien civilizations they now knew were just waiting out there. Would he get to go? He saw over to his right the blinking commercial lights of a domestic flight, and pointed it out to Brooks. One more and Brooks would lose.

What neither noticed was the telltale light wobble of a passing USAT. Luthorcop-manufactured for the USAF and other federal agencies, the sound-barrier breaking saucer-shaped United States Ariel Transport was capable of tactical invisibility, high-speed maneuverability beyond that of any jet, and armed with a tractor beam apparatus for quick release and retreat. This USAT circled the ranch and mapped the area with it’s sensors before circling back just ahead of the still oblivious Brooks and Cloud. Flag had the team gather up, then activated the tractor beam, and placed his team on the ground in a brief tunnel of magenta light.

Chase: Why aren’t you down here, Flag? I thought you were the agent in charge.

Flag: Three reasons--One, I am in charge from up here; two, I am air support in case any of you are incompotent and miss someone; and three, I don’t need to spend any more time with Boxy. You can have fun with him down there. Now go silent. You have two guards approaching. No gunfire yet.

Captain Kilgore walked away from the group a few feet and vomited a great deal--loudly. Strange and Chase looked at him in anger and disgust, and then quickly looked in the direction of the guards, trying to tell if their cover had been blown. A tense yet brief moment passed as they waited to see if the guards had heard, but nothing changed. They unclenched and watched as Boxy Foxy simply walked away in a straight line path towards the encampment with only the moonlight to guide him. Frustrated by their creepy, hulking teammate, Strange and Chase let it go and helped Kilgore to his feet. There was little they could or wanted to do about Boxy.

Chase (whispering): Are you telling me that the tiny bit of turbulence we had got to you? The guy who spent his life on boats?

Kilgore: Aye, lad. The seas can be choppy, but you can know it in your bones and steel yourself. That damned thing that carried us here is untrustworthy and unknowable. Give me an open ocean over the skies, or give me death.

Flag: If you don’t start moving, Waller will give you that death. We’re on a deadline. Move it.

Chase and Kilgore made their way into the forest while Strange moved to intercept the guards. Chase stopped before he completely lost sight of Strange or the guards, and put the guards in his sights as a precaution.

Hugo suppressed his joy as he pulled out his batarangs--collected from crime scenes before his turn from consulting profiler to supervillain. He threw his first low to the ground and angled for a return arc. It passed by just in front of the unsuspecting Brooks, who had gained about ten feet in front of Cloud in their patrol. It was far too quick and low to the ground for Brooks to have seen what it was as it passed through the grass, and Cloud was too far away to make it out in the dark and past Brooks’s legs. The batarang passed through the grass in a low, wide arc back towards Strange, and Brooks and Cloud followed it trying to determine what it was. While their backs were turned, Strange threw two more of his batarangs in quick succession to the back of their lower skulls. The batarangs were more than strong and sharp enough to shred through flesh and bone to destroy the medulla oblongata of each veteran. They fell to the ground with a thud as Strange caught his first batarang, and he pridefully yet quickly retrieved his first two from the skulls of his victims. This would be a cherished memory for Strange.

Chase and Kilgore proceeded ahead of Strange, and split up once they got close enough. No one had yet suspected them as they got into their respective positions. The squad was nearly ready to start their mission in earnest when Boxy Foxy the Killer with Moxie slowly walked up through a clearing, with the moonlight magically more intense and focused around him--as if a spotlight. From Arnold’s home, Sarno spotted Boxy as he had stepped out for a moment of fresh air. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to a group chat.

Sarno to TFJ Group: We are compromised. Weapons ready. Enemy approaching and number unknown.

Arnold stood in his kitchen, laughing with Victoria when he got the message. He looked across through another window and saw the lights in his cabins turn on. The men knew and were arming themselves. He quickly set his drink down and pulled out one of the many guns hidden throughout his kitchen.

Arnold: Victoria, Protocol L. Head northwest six klicks. You’ll see some haystacks at the edge of my neighbor’s property, and under some cover, there is an ATV that you can use to get out of range of any jamming. Here.

Arnold gave her a rifle and a flare gun. She took them and saluted him as Sarno came and armed himself.

Victoria: Good luck to you both. I better see you at the rendezvous.

Sarno: I’ll keep the old man alive. Don’t you worry, Ma’am.

Arnold: Sarno, I need you to get our special delivery. No point in having it if we don’t make it through the night.

Sarno: Yes, sir!

All three left the house in different directions. Arnold joined the first unit of his men, numbering five, who were approaching Boxy. The four other units spread out across the property in teams of seven searching for the enemy. Sarno went to a shed where a safe was buried, and he began the process necessary to gain it’s special contents. Victoria silently and quickly made her way through the forest. Arnold and his unit kept a safe distance behind cover as Boxy Foxy stood there under the magically brightening moonlight.

Arnold: Surrender now or be fired upon!

Everyone stood tensely as they waited for Boxy, but there was no movement. Only Boxy’s eyes, as everyone felt them dig into their souls. One soldier had a moment of recognition and whispered to their partner.

Greene: Holy Shit! I know who that is. That’s Boxy Foxy from Fawcett City. He’s the baseball team mascot, or he was until shit got dark and Captain Marvel had to put him down.

Hartford: Are you serious?! Captain Marvel had to put this guy down?. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Arnold motioned the signal and his men opened fire. Boxy Foxy was littered with holes, and glowing purple blood oozed out the mascot as it fell to the ground. The light subdued for a moment, but remained unnatural. Chase saw what happened as he moved into position behind his own targets and twisted the sonic suppressor on his custom rifle. He hoped that Boxy was more resilient, but he brought plenty of ammo.

Victoria ran.

On the other side of the encampment, one of the units saw someone enter their obstacle course. They thought they had the advantage as they entered, but Strange instantly recognized the layout once inside; he had suspected what the shape was when he first saw the scans on the USAT shortly before Flag dropped them off. This mission was not what Waller had said, but he would live through it, unlike the overly confident soldiers walking into his trap.

Closer to the cabins, Kilgore crouched behind trash cans as one unit passed by him. Kilgore was not like his teammates; Chase and Strange with their little strategies or Boxy with its apparent death. Kilgore was a pirate and pirates do not fight fairly. He pulled out his cutlass and ornate pistol to stab one man in the back and fire at the head of another. The other men turned around to see their compatriots dying at the hands of a poorly dressed pirate, and they immediately unleashed metallic fury upon him. In a three second burst, ninety-seven bullets passed through Kilgore’s clothes and into a small building behind him. The veterans expected Kilgore to drop dead, yet he stood with a smile beaming through his black beard.

Kilgore: Arrr, no quarter given means none for me to give to you, you black-spotted lads!

Kilgore, still in his water form, charged the men with a wide and lethal swing of his cutlass.

Boxy lay there for a moment, but rose from its back like a statue being raised up. The light around it intensified again. Everyone prepared to fire, but right as they believed Boxy Foxy would charge them, it began to dance. This confused everyone who saw it, but Greene and Hartford were not confused. They could hear the music and it made them want to dance. They dropped their weapons and began to dance in synchronized movement. Arnold yelled for them to stop, but all they could hear were the poppy, synth beats of “What Does the Fox Say.” The other men opened fire again on Boxy while aiming away from their friends, but this did not stop Boxy, as the men kept getting closer to the cursed mascot.

Once close enough, the dance came to a stop. All three posed for the finale, and there was a brief stop in crossfire as the soldiers reloaded. Boxy grabbed the heads of Greene and Hartford, raised them up in the air, crushed their heads in its hands, began to spin them around, and threw their corpses at the other soldiers. Boxy charged the other soldiers and let out an unnatural howl. Arnold fired upon the demon, but no matter the bullets or the purple blood loss, it did not stop beating his men to death and howling. Arnold ran.

Victoria ran.

Chase perched on a roof as soldiers passed underneath him and he activated the remote rifle he had hidden. This took out the leg of one soldier, and caused the others to turn to return fire. This gave Chase his chance in their collective blind spot to open fire with barely a hint of noise. With his first two shots, his spot was unknown, but by the third body, the other three had instinctively figured out where to aim. It was too bad for them that Chase rolled off the roof and shot them dead before landing on the ground himself. Chase had hoped for more of a challenge. He was disappointed his tax dollars used to go to paying for this level of training. He started to walk away when he was shot in his left arm. Grazed, but still painful. He quickly turned and returned fire to the soldier who lost his leg.

Flag: Chase, we have a runner on thermal. Go after them.

Chase: Copy that.

The men inside the obstacle course watched their corners as they passed through quickly and decisively. They opened each door carefully--uncertain what they would find. Soon the split-up unit met at a single spot--a door leading to the last unchecked room. On the door was an upside down Batman symbol, and the men busted the door down to clear the room. They opened fire in the corner of the room where they saw a shadowy figure that resembled the figure dressed like Batman they followed into the course. But Strange dropped from the ceiling, shot his grappling hook through the door to pull it shut as he ran, and hit the button to the mini-explosives he had placed throughout that room. The men died instantly in a fiery finale.

As some of the last men tried to fight off Boxy Foxy, they could start to hear the music. It was growing louder in their minds--drowning out the sounds of their automatic rifles. They tried to resist the dancing, but it was becoming harder and harder every second. And then Sarno arrived.

Sarno, far more muscular now thanks to the Venom steroid injection, tackled Boxy with the fury of a truck at full speed. The men’s minds were freed and they ran in search of more ammunition, but they were met with a chestful of batarangs as Strange emerged from the training course. They fell to the ground and bled out in a matter of seconds. Strange saw the fight ongoing, and recognized the effects of Venom. He decided to hang back to see if Boxy would be able to withstand such punishment. The battle between the Venom-empowered Sarno and the cursed mascot was intense as they traded blow after blow that would have smashed the bones of mortal men. They tossed each other into trees, and the sounds of wood cracked every time.

Arnold ran across his ranch, and as he turned a corner, he saw a pirate standing over the bodies of his men. Before Kilgore could react or turn to water, Arnold shot him in the head, and Kilgore fell to the ground dead. Strange heard the gunshot from nearby, and proceeded to hunt this lone gunman. This felt more natural to him. This must be how he feels whenever he chases after me in the streets of Gotham, Strange thought.

Chase had ground to cover, so he hustled as hard as he could in the direction Flag dropped into his HUD. His days of marathon running were paying off as he soon got within range to fire. His first shot missed, as Victoria knew she wasn’t alone. She got cover and returned fire in the general direction. Chase got behind cover, but he did not stay there long as he tried to get closer and take shots at his target as he moved. He was off. Victoria had already moved. She did not retreat, but instead moved forward to take her shot. She watched as Chase fired into the wrong direction and returned fire. Chase was hit in his armor; the impact was painful, but he knew where she was. He turned to take aim and saw her standing in the open, but before he could fire, she fired her flare gun. The shot did not hit him, but it did not have to in order to work. Chase was blinded and screamed in pain. Flag was watching from the USAT.

Flag: Fuck. Pilot, follow her and get me in firing range.

The USAT pulled around as Victoria ran faster through the forest. She tried to send a text that would release an encoded message to send sensitive materials related to this operation to trusted members of the press. The message was still pending. Victoria did not know whether it was simply terrible reception in the area or if her enemy was jamming her, but it did not matter. She had to move and not look back. The truth needed to be out there.

Strange stalked his prey, but he knew to keep a safe distance. The man was armed and well trained. Strange was not Batman, a fact that drove him into jealous fits of rage, so he could not take the same chances the Batman might against such an opponent. Arnold had returned to a cabin to rearm himself and gain more ammunition, but his trip was cut short as a batarang entered his right tricep. He yelled in pain, but turned and fired off in the direction of Strange. Strange had taken cover behind the wall and avoided the bullets.

Arnold: Stop! Do you even know who we are?

Strange: I have been given answers and I have suspicions, but please enlighten me. Who do you think you are?

The USAT was clipping trees as it got low enough for Flag to fire. He had turned the searchlight on, and Victoria was chased by a beam of light from the sky. She knew what was after her. She only hoped the trees would give her cover long enough to lose it. He waited for a clear opening. Only a few seconds passed like this before his opportunity arrived, and he pulled the trigger. The target twisted in pain and fell to the ground, but Flag saw her face as this happened. He knew who he had just killed and was shocked.

Arnold: I’m Arnold Schutz. I was in the army. Every single man killed tonight was. It’s where we met, and where we learned a dirty secret none of us could tolerate. We banded together in hopes of helping you and every other prisoner in Belle Reve. This is Task Force J. We were going to free you from Amanda Waller, you murderous asshole.

Strange: Ahhh…Of course, you are, and so of course it makes sense Waller would send us after you instead of relying on another agency to handle you. There’s a dark poetry to it. Before your final moment, did you plan on freeing us or simply removing Waller?

Arnold: You’re murderers and terrorists. We can’t let you out, but that doesn’t mean you should be treated like disposable weapons to eliminate foreign policy issues. You can let me go. You don’t have to kill me. I can get your head free of that bomb in a way where you live.

Strange: What a kind offer, but you cannot deactivate the bomb faster than Waller can press the button. This only ends with one of our deaths, and I have unfinished business in Gotham.

Arnold: You’re going to miss that flight to Gotham, because I’m going to blow your goddamn head off.

Arnold pulled the trigger on his shotgun, and armor piercing rounds blasted through the wall and into Strange. The force knocked him down and flat on his face. Strange lay there as Arnold walked up to get a closer shot. The damage to his arm made it hard to keep the gun steady. But Arnold got close, a grappling hook blasted through his chest and Strange pulled him to the ground. Certain Arnold was dying, Strange decided to lay there. The bullet did not make it through his armor after passing through the wall, but the force of impact bruised his back.

Strange, Chase, Kilgore’s corpse, and a blood-soaked Boxy were pulled up into the USAT by an angry Flag. Flag was lied to and used. He had killed someone he respected and worked for before his time with Task Force X. The ride back to Belle Reve was silent between Flag’s mood and the injured Squad members. Boxy danced to himself, to the dismay of the others. Waller sat in her office and poured herself a glass of champagne. Another snake had tried to get her, but she cut off it’s head. Tonight was a good night, and tomorrow, the real work could continue.

What no one knew on the USAT or at Belle Reve was that Arnold was not dead yet. He pulled from his pocket a bootleg device he had hoped to never use--a Superman emergency beacon. He pressed it. A red light flashed, but no noise came from it. Arnold laid there waiting and grew colder and colder with each passing second. It became harder and harder to keep focus. Everything became distant and unreal. He had no idea how much time had passed, but the last thing he remembered was a sudden warmth and a red color from beyond. He passed out in the arms of Superman.

[tunafishjournal]

Intoxication

As whiskey sunsets become cabernet skies,

the light fades like the weight of our glasses,

and in the growing darkness we are luminescent,

sometimes a vigil candle, the light echoing in our caverns,

but often a campfire, with laughter rising like embers.

The anxieties we wrap ourselves in like a robe

fall to the floor and we are naked, two lovers

in the garden, and with fruit-stained lips

that declare love we drink each other

in until we cannot stand, cannot form words,

can no longer find the beginning of a circle

when we trace it with intertwined fingers.

- Matthew J. Andrews (he/him),  TFJ Issue one: Celebrations

Website | Twitter

[beyondthetemples]

{{ Pandora played a certain song by Skillet today... and I am like. PRETTY sure it’s a straight-faced Christian song. (I tried not to listen too hard. I absolutely despise the cliched “darkness is bad and evil and scary!!!” metaphor. Whatever.)

But The Vibes behind the spirituality kinda reminded me of Dove? Just a little? Not even the “you will make all the bad stuff go away”, exactly, because... well that’s not exactly how the Azarathean spirituality goes, it’s more of a “the bad stuff can’t touch my inner peace, as long as I accept it” vibe.

Long story.

But the emotional vibe, especially of the first verse that’s like “I’m scared and things are rough”, and then coming in with the spirituality and becoming more like, “I’m not afraid anymore. I’m comforted and confident that things will be okay.” That’s very much Dove’s relationship with her religion.

Dove finds a lot of peace in her spirituality. Not because it makes the bad things go away, but because it helps her find calmness and strength AMIDST it. Especially since she grew up in the most peaceful place in the omniverse, and then moved to Earth the stage of millions of battles for mere SURVIVAL on the daily, after a violent upheaval that changed everything she knew? What a juxtaposition. Having a way to find peace within herself helps her stay sane, stay confident, stay brave. It helps her control her powers, clear her head, think through daily struggles, cope with her social anxiety and ptsd, and adapt and assimilate to life on Earth.

I mean, it takes her at least two years on Earth to get to that place, after DDD and The Final Journey. But in TFJ, Actual Azar Herself is Literally There. So her spirituality: AMPLIFIED.

The song didn’t really capture it, but it made me Think^tm. One of these days I’ll detail the Azarathean belief system as I’ve come to understand (and extrapolate on) it, because it’s not just following the priestess Azar and twiddling their thumbs, but it’s just... Really Integral to Dove’s life and mindset and choices and how she spends her quiet moments. I’ve never written much about it.

So this is equal parts “here’s a glimpse into Dove’s life” and note-to-self that I need to get it down in (appropriately pretty) words sometime.

[electradiary]

TFJ: Diamonds, vintage aesthetic and art covers with the pop art style theme.

EH: grunge/cute aesthetic, dark enthusiasm and 50's dresses and hair styles.

FROOT: Artificial fruit art, cosmic and some retro whatsoever style, with neon themes to cover its essentials.

MATD4: FLOWERS, FLOWERS, FLOWERS, FLOWERS.