#deep sea robot fish get no respect i see

[jam-does-audio]

jam your pfp looks like brian griffin from a distance im so sorry

the world hates fish and women who are fish so fucking much

[radioactive-dragons]

How 2 win a fest skin contest on dragon neopets

Hi! So I've seen some discussion on fest skin contests, mostly about how some people just keep winning. I'm not here to discuss about whether anything should be done about that, or whether that's unfair. I'm here to share some tips for people who struggle to get any fest win or honorable mention in.

Some background info: I've won a decent amount of contests so far. I don't win nearly every single time I enter a contest, but I do at least manage to land an honorable mention most of the time at this point. So take this post with a grain of salt, I'm not perfect, nor the best, just here to share what I've noticed from my festival winners as well as others.

So here we go!

Tip 1: Stay in theme

A lot of entries I see don't quite fit the idea of the flight that staff is looking for. Stick with the flight's general theme. For light that tends to be the color yellow, orbs and ancient Greece inspired ruins.

Some flights have very broad themes. Like water ranging from deep sea horrors to sandy shores, or nature both having a feral, wild aesthetic as well as a tropical, flowery one. But other flights, like wind and light, have a more narrow theme.

I've talked with some other skin artists about specific contest entries in the past, that we really wished would win, but doubted they ever would. Not because the art wasn't interesting, but because they fell outside the general themes we see in that flight. Sometimes we're surprised, and they win anyways, though!

Tip 2: study the masters

We're in our 12th festival cycle, which means there's 11 previous years to look through. This is a really valuable resource. Go through the previous years, especially the more recent ones, and take a look at what the previous winning entries were. You'll probably spot some common themes for each flight, as well as specific elements that reoccur in each fest again and again.

Whenever I sit down to make a contest entry, I look at the previous few years. Both to gather inspiration but also to study them. I don't just look at these skins, I pick apart their art style, the composition, the themes that they've used. And then I go ahead and bring my own spin on it.

Tip 3: Make it yours

Okay, yes, I know I just spent a while talking about staying on theme and referencing existing winners, but hear me out. Most of the winning entries I see (as well as most of my own fest winners) manage to walk the tight line between staying on theme as well as adding their own creative twist to it.

This is the part where I'm going to share some of my own examples, since I think some of mine show what I mean pretty well.

Solarium (brightshine 2019) | Starwood Monarch (starfall 2022) | C.A.C.T.U.S. (thundercrack 2022)

These ones still stay relatively in theme, but they also incorporate some of my own twists in it. Solarium's idea was a window to the sky, surrounded by gilded sundial-esque elements. Starwood Monarch is a pink arcane crystal butterfly. And C.A.C.T.U.S. is... well, cybernetic cacti tied into the dragon with some thunder clouds.

None of these are a carbon copy of the flight's themes, but instead incorporate the flight's themes into another concept altogether. Sundial sky, arcane butterfly, robot cacti.

And you can go pretty wild with this in some scenarios.

Fast as the Wind (mistral 2022) | Sunlit Streams (brightshine 2024)

Both of these incorporate something you really wouldn't expect from its flight. Cheetahs and koi fish respectively. I'm actually really surprised Sunlit Streams won since I felt it strayed too far away from light's general theming.

Fun fact, for C.A.C.T.U.S. and fast as the wind I actually came up with the name first, then based a skin around that name. I don't always do it but it's nice to get a cohesive package.

Tip 4: Keep it readable

A common thing I see in festival winners are that it's really easy to tell what they depict at an immediate first glance. A lot of entries that otherwise would be really good candidates fall victim to one of the following pitfalls.

They don't tint the lines and shadows

They don't have any line art separating objects from the dragon

They use a very soft brush for things that should appear more solid

Number 3 I see a lot with artists who are rather novel at (digital) art in general. This isn't a bad thing, but it does make the overall picture blurred and difficult to read.

For number 2, the fix is mostly to add clearer separation between the dragon and the object. The dragon base is a gray, but lighter and darker dragons exist. Having no (or very unnoticeable) lineart will make any very light color blend in with lighter dragons!

As for number 1... please tint your lines and shadows. Often they can be a noticeable deal lighter than what the default PSD has them as. Set your lines to multiply also, to make life less hard on yourself.

This means your art doesn't have to be perfect to win. My first two festival winners make me die inside every time I look at them.

Twilight Oracle (brightshine 2016) | Cinderleaves (flameforgers 2016)

I could list a bunch of reasons as to why I think these aren't too great, the shading being just one of them. But hey, they still won. And that's likely because they still follow these four principles at their core.

Bonus tip: have fun!

It's real cliche to throw this one in, but I mean it. If you're solely making fest entries to win, then not making it into the selection feels incredibly awful. It's art after all, draw what you love to draw. This is just my two cents on how to improve your chances at winning a contest.

I hope this isn't an unreadable wall of text and that someone actually got something out of this, thanks for reading!

[crusherthedoctor]

The beach trope: another one that often comes early in Sonic's quests, and this one's no different, though expectations are very mildly subverted by making it the third zone instead of the very first. (Careful Crusher, you had the audience on the edge of their seats there.)

More importantly though, it's possibly one of the most famous and celebrated level tropes in the series. Emerald Coast is undeniably iconic, Seaside Hill is just as iconic while also merging with the Green Hill setup, and Wave Ocean... is a poor man's Emerald Coast, but it's probably better than most levels in '06 by comparison, so it too is iconic, from a certain point of view. We can't forget Jungle Joyride either, even if that's mostly because we got to see the frame rate die before our very eyes.

So how do you make your interpretation stand out? How do you prevent having a Wave Ocean 2: Wave Oceaner on your hands? Well, it's actually very simple...

Creating Zone 3: Coastline Resort

3-1: Shining Shore

Remember when I said that sometimes all it takes to make an environment feel different is the time of day, or a change in weather? This is one of the first major examples of putting that philosophy into action, as compared to previous beach levels, which were usually content with taking place in the bright sunny daytime, this one takes place under a pleasant purple sunset.

This of course contrasting heavily with not only the blue sea, but also the sands, which although given a mild touch of purple courtesy of the sunset, cannot fully hide their natural shade of white.

And of course, waterfalls.

We can’t forget the waterfalls.

Despite being a true blue beach level first and foremost, there are also a few hints of plaza, further setting it apart from the Emerald Coasts and Not-Emerald Coasts of old times past. This aesthetic in particular is based heavily on the seaside town of Whitby.

No doubt Sonic would admire this place, at least when he's not forced to go deep underwater. Maybe when the adventure is over, he can come back here and have a relaxing moment with... someone. Dunno who though. I doubt Eggman would be interested, and not just because he's actually in-character. Oh well, plenty more horses in the sea.

Speaking of, what about the underwater sections? Shining Shore does have them after all, in full 3D, as opposed to making them bottomless pits in disguise. Unsurprisingly, everything's a lot more blue than purple down there, gorgeously so, but the coral reef provides its own variety of colour.

The local fishies don't seem to mind you being in their line of sight... nor do the Badniks, but probably for a different reason.

Since we're three zones in, you might have noticed by now that each zone, regardless of their overall colour scheme, has one element in at least one act that goes all rainbow with the colours than everything else. You had the flower patches in Gleaming Meadows, you had the wood barriers in Tricky Tropics with their rusting paint jobs, and now we have the coral reef in Coastline Resort... any reason for this?

Alas, the answer is a mundane one: it's just a little way of tying all the zones in Viridonia together. As this quest revolves around the mystery of the elusive Ethereal Zone, this seemingly inconsequential aspect is a way of ensuring that it will always remain at the back of your mind. It may be relatively more subtle and easy to miss than, say, a giant moon glaring down angrily at you no matter where you go on the map as it literally comes closer and closer to killing everyone, but the intention is effectively the same: the central meat of the setting and story is always present in some form, however indirect, even if the characters aren't currently discussing it.

Also, shout out to the lighthouse that helped our heroes by inadvertently blinding the pursuing mechanized orca.

You really put a dent in Heavy Gunner's strategy.

First Section (calm): Lagoony Tunes (Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced) Peach Field (Mario Hoops 3-on-3)

Second Section (adrenaline): Lost Palace (Team Sonic Racing) Hang Eight (Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back)

3-2: Crazy Rapids

Being a whimsical water park, made even more whimsical to fit the video game format, this one explains itself in a lot of areas. But let's go over the finer details anyway, shall we?

As mentioned in the fic, the park has been made to fit in seamlessly with the ruins present in the area, thus creating a Good Future-esque wonderland of nature and technology in harmony. For an idea of how the ruins aesthetic would work, imagine something akin to the Sunset Beach Resort in Jamaica, particularly the long bridge and archways you can see in both of these shots:

Kind of has an Aquatic Ruin vibe, doesn’t it?

Even then, that only applies to half of the architecture, as the other half breaks up the yellow with some white, reminiscent of a certain OTHER watery location in Sonic's past...

We also have the giant fountains sprinkled around the place. There are two types of fountains to be exact, both of which may seem familiar to the attentive eye...

The difference? They're larger. MUCH larger. As in, you can actually platform your way on and around them.

As for what’s inside? It's exactly how you'd imagine it to be, albeit exaggerated even further to befit a Sonic level.

And in-tune with the beachside mood, the Chao Garden found nearby would take a page from the one in Station Square...

...with a little extra flavor of this...

...complete with miniature water slides and the like for the adorable inhabitants... the inhabitants that Eggman currently has an unexplained interest in. How do the Chao factor into his latest plan?

Heh heh, only I and those I've discussed it with in PMs know that for now.

First Section (outside): Windy and Ripply (Sonic Adventure) Ocean Palace (Sonic Heroes)

Second Section (inside): Data Select (Tee Lopes) Wii Shop Channel - Mii Channel (Super Smash Bros. Wii U)

3-3: Aquarium Gallery

Disappointed that Crazy Rapids lacked that smooth red-on-blue contrast that Aquarium Park from Sonic Colours had? Well we can’t all be in the same league as Eggman sadly, but fear not, for the similarly named Aquarium Gallery gets right in on the action, combining red walls and an overall upper class aesthetic...

...with the expected quantities of shimmering blue that comes with the aquarium setting. And with glass tanks of great size, comes great fishies to go along with them.

The black and white checkered floor would also be a must. It's a Sonic game, we gotta have a checkered pattern somewhere. It just works. /ToddCrusher

Don't worry about the living conditions for the fish here, by the way. Eggman mechanizing them aside, the people who work at the park - and those who visit it - make sure to treat all the marine life with the utmost respect and kindness. Just a shame that they're apparently not so willing to lend that same understanding to Trudy... but it does provide an early hint that despite the few genuine bad apples who are outright antagonistic towards Trudy, most of the folks ignorant to her condition are exactly that at worst: ignorant. Meaning, despite first impressions, most of them are not bad people at heart, and with a little help and persistence, it's not entirely impossible that they can eventually learn to understand and sympathise with Trudy's situation.

In other words, they have more dimension than the background characters in Sonic Boom, where they're all mostly a bunch of one-note arseholes with little redeeming qualities and don’t deserve to be saved by Sonic in the slightest.

Anyhow, eventually, after a trip through one of those sweet underwater tunnels...

...we find ourselves in the cavern area, where red is exchanged for turquoise, and there are reflected ripples galore. Since the Marble Caves in Chile already look halfway to being a Sonic level due to its unique formations, that's the best comparison I can make here.

Too blue, you might say? Well, the sunset from earlier would be poking through the holes in the wall, adding some warm to the cool once more... the giant seashells everywhere help spice it up too.

Like these, but bigger than Ken Penders’ ego.

If that’s even possible...

First Section (aquarium): Rooftop Run - Night (Sonic Unleashed) Coconut Mall (Mario Kart Wii)

Second Section (caves): Sea Shell Shenanigans (Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex) Dire, Dire Docks (Super Mario 64)

3-4: Hydro Plant

The outside structure for this place is shaped like a giant wall, which predictably brings the Hoover Dam to mind:

And that applies inside as well, at least initially. The similarities indoors come mostly from the generators, as well as the sheer size of the place.

Since it's considerably rustier however, we have darker lighting in place, with the sunset outside preventing it from being too dark inside. There’s also a copious amount of daring graffiti caused by hoodlums... or maybe Eggman, since he'd probably be the type to do that to any property that isn't his. Some of this graffiti would look very impressive...

While others would... uh...

Look, they tried, okay?

With all this graffiti, that means there’s opportunity for a generous helping of cheeky references to previous installments if you’re able to find them... and if you can understand them. To this day, the typo in “make belif reborn” has not been corrected. Absolutely disgusting.

But as the fic dictates, the further you go on, the tidier and more high tech it becomes. Simply put, this section would remind one of Aquatic Base from '06, mainly because I've always liked the idea despite its characteristically terrible level design, so why not salvage the concept and give it a second chance?

With some added flavor to make it less monotone, mind you. Like actual water sections, some green lights to break up all the blue, giant crab robot threatening to kill you... the works.

Sonic may be glad that this zone is behind him, but little does he know, it's not the only zone with intense water action around these parts. Luckily for him, that won't be for a while, so he can breathe a sigh of relief for now. Still, we know Eggman has other ways of keeping the gang on their toes...

First Section (rusty): Wily Stage 2 (Mega Man 7) Pokey Pipes (Donkey Kong Country 3)

Second Section (high tech): Ocean Base Act 1 (Sonic Advance 3) H2 Oh No (Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex)

[bunniesonthemoon]

Shape of Scales Chapter 2

So here’s the “The Shape of water” chack AU Chapter 2! thanks a lot to @lovely0painter for helping me with the grammar and the plot again! This couldn’t have been done without the help!

Also, so sorry for taking forever for this!

The days that followed were the most exciting ones in Jack life, with the excuse of cleaning the Lab room, he managed to see the Creature with more detail, even communicate with it!

It started slow, Jack would get close and the creature would growl and sent him away with a loud shriek. Then the next day he would try to get close again, and again, and the creature would start to get bored and just plain scoff and ignore him.

Then Jack went and brought cupcakes. Homemade cupcakes.

He would put the food at the edge of the big pool and then go away, waiting, hoping.

The creature smelled the sweet aroma of the chocolate and banana treats, slowly appearing from the surface of the salty waters, doubting, distrusting. Then finally, hunger winning over, ate a full cupcake with one big bite.

It was good.

It quickly ate all the tray.

Jack was, to say the least, euphoric! This was a victory! He began to jump excitedly and joyfully, leaving his hiding point, not noticing the weird stare of the marine beast.

Once he calmed down, Jack remembered that, indeed, there was a mysterious and intimidating sea creature watching him.

“Shit.” He thought.

The creature mimicked what would be lifting an eyebrow and went back to the deeps of it’s tank.

“Wait, that’s it?”  However, as soon as Jack had this thought in his mind, the creature suddenly reappeared with many dead fishes in its arms, just leaving them at the edge of the pool, and began watching Jack, waiting.

“Um, thanks? That’s really nice… somehow.” He tried signing slowly, hoping it would understand something, then Jack proceed to take one single fish and smiled at the creature, in an accepting gesture.

“I just hope you’re not expecting me to eat this now in front of you, cuz I’m not going to eat raw fish that came from a quimically salty water, but thanks.”

It was a beginning.

The next couple of days were nice too, Jack would introduce the Asset into the world of music and robotics, Jack was a proud inventor, his little machines would do fantastic things! It was even more wonderful when he would show his invention to the creature and it would respond! Sometimes moving his tail (in what he assumed was a gesture of interest) and sometimes giving him an odd look (which was assumed to be disinterest)

Sometimes weird noises were heard in the room, but Jack quickly inspected it and found nothing out of the ordinary for him, so he would proceed his chat with the Asset.

It seemed that Jack learnt a lot about the creature too, it responded and made a lot of gestures. They even had mini conversations and he taught the Asset sign language so they could communicate even more.

It was all splendid.

It was amazing, the feeling Jack had while being with this creature.

“No, that’s not right, you need a name....but what name?”

What would be a suitable name for a big sea creature like this one? A fast predator that could follow someone from a distance and attack immediately��

“Do you like “Chase”?” Gestured the boy, the word “Chase” was apparently a good gesture, as it draw the attention of the Asset.

“You know… like follow… like a fast persecution, a chase.” He gestured that word again, and this time, the creature was beginning to understand more.

“I’m Jack, you know, my name, me, myself...and you...are Chase?” This brought it’s attention once more, as in interest, it seemed pleased with the naming the boy gave him.

“So! Chase it is!”

The celebration for the new naming of the creature Chase had to wait, as a loud noise suddenly filled the room. It was the iron door. Opening.

Jack quickly hided behind one of the metallic pillars of the room, and Chase returned to the waters as if nothing had happened. Entering the room was the short one, Omi, and the tall, menacing one, Hanniball.

“We shall not kill it! For there is a lot more we can learn from this creature!” Cried out loud the short scientist.

“And i said it has to die, the autopsy may bring more results, chum. Of how this...atrocity manages to breathe underwater and in the surface!.” Shouted the Coronel.

“It can’t breathe on the surface forever! It needs water, and, sir, with all due respect, i cannot allow you to take this creature’s life away.”

“And why is that?”

“This Asset… it communicates with us...in it’s own way…”

“Baring it’s fangs and attempting to bite my arm off? Yes, it communicates indeed buddy.”

“You tried to torture him!”

“I tried to take information out of him, but you see, this is a monster, and monsters don’t have much of a brain!”

“But he could react! To some stimulations such as…”

“Such as?”

Omi tried remembering using his short stature to hide from the redheaded janitor that would come almost everyday and bring music, food and even little machines...but he couldn’t tell that to the Coronel.

“Such as...musical stimulation?”

A dark laugh. “And where did you get that it would work?”

“It’s not impossible! We just need to tr-”

“We are not doing such a thing.”

There was a small silence in the room, but quickly followed by

“I already talked with my superiors, it’s decided, that thing it’s done in a week.”

Jack, very slowly fell into his knees, it was so slow nobody heard it, and when the metal door opened and then closed again, Jack broke into tears.  

[hereticaloracles]

Asteroid Files: Tezcatlipoca

Helios on Tezcatlipoca– Heretics, this life is tough, and we often struggle to know where we belong and our place in the world. More often than not, this leads to some pretty dissatisfying realizations about our lives. So what do we do about it? Well, for that answer, lets look at this week’s asteroid profile!

The Astronomy– 1980 Tezcatlipoca is an eccentric, stony asteroid and near-Earth object of the Amor group, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. Tezcatlipoca orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.1–2.3 AU once every 2 years and 3 months (816 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.36 and an inclination of 27° with respect to the ecliptic. This near-Earth object has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.2455 AU (36,700,000 km), which corresponds to 95.6 lunar distances. The S-type asteroid is classified as an Sw-type by the ExploreNEOs project, and as an SU and Sl-type on the Tholen and SMASS taxonomic scheme, respectively

The Myth– Tezcatlipoca was a central deity in Aztec religion; One of the four sons of Ometeotl, he is associated with a wide range of concepts, including the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, jaguars, sorcery, beauty, war, and strife. His name in the Nahuatl language is often translated as “Smoking Mirror” and alludes to his connection to obsidian, the material from which mirrors were made in Mesoamerica which were used for shamanic rituals and prophecy. There are few surviving representations of Tezcatlipoca into the present day. Due to the lack of surviving images, some have chosen to describe Tezcatlipoca as the ‘invisible god’. When depicted he was usually drawn with a black and a yellow stripe painted across his face. He is often shown with his right foot replaced with an obsidian mirror, bone, or a snake—an allusion to the creation myth in which he loses his foot battling with the Earth Monster. Sometimes the mirror was shown on his chest, and sometimes smoke would emanate from the mirror. Tezcatlipoca’s nagual, his animal counterpart, was the jaguar and his jaguar aspect was the deity Tepeyollotl (“Mountainheart”).

Tezcatlipoca was often described as a rival of another important god of the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl. In one version of the Aztec creation account the myth of the Five Suns, the first creation, “The Sun of the Earth” was ruled by Tezcatlipoca but destroyed by Quetzalcoatl when he struck down Tezcatlipoca who then transformed into a jaguar. Quetzalcoatl became the ruler of the subsequent creation “Sun of Water”, and Tezcatlipoca destroyed the third creation “The Sun of Wind” by striking down Quetzalcoatl. In later myths, the four gods who created the world, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtli and Xipe Totec were referred to respectively as the Black, the White, the Blue and the Red Tezcatlipoca. The four Tezcatlipocas were the sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, lady, and lord of the duality, and were the creators of all the other gods, as well as the world and all humanity.

The rivalry between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca is also recounted in the legends of Tollan where Tezcatlipoca deceives Quetzalcoatl who was the ruler of the legendary city and forces him into exile- but it is interesting to note that Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca both collaborated in the creation of the different creations and that both of them were seen as instrumental in the creation of life. Specialists in Mesoamerican Studies, write that, “More than anything Tezcatlipoca appears to be the embodiment of change through conflict.” His cult was associated with royalty and was the subject of the most lengthy and reverent prayers in the rites of kingship, as well as being mentioned frequently in coronation speeches.

In one of the Aztec accounts of creation, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca joined forces to create the world. Before their act, there was only the sea and the crocodilian earth monster called Cipactli.To attract her, Tezcatlipoca used his foot as bait, and Cipactli ate it. The two gods then captured her and distorted her to make the land from her body. After that, they created the people, and people had to offer sacrifices to comfort Cipactli for her sufferings. Because of this, Tezcatlipoca is depicted with a missing foot.

Another story of creation goes that Tezcatlipoca turned himself into the sun, but Quetzalcoatl was furious possibly because they were enemies, he is a night god or due to his missing foot, so he knocked Tezcatlipoca out of the sky with a stone club. Angered, Tezcatlipoca turned into a jaguar and destroyed the world. Quetzalcoatl replaced him and started the second age of the world and it became populated again. Tezcatlipoca overthrew Quetzalcoatl, forcing him to send a great wind that devastated the world, and the people who survived were turned into monkeys. Tlaloc, the god of rain, then became the sun. But he had his wife taken away by Tezcatlipoca. Angered in turn, he would not make it rain for several years until, in a fit of rage, he made it rain fire with the few people who survived the assault turning into the birds.Chalchihuitlicue the Water Goddess then became the sun. But she was crushed by Tezcatlipoca’s words who accused her of just pretending to be kind. She cried for many years and the world was destroyed by the resulting floods. Those people who survived the deluge were turned into fish.

As discussed above, Aztec folklore is rife with parallels, much of the time depicted in deities such as Tezcatlipoca. For Aztec nobility, this “patron deity” is fundamental in the social and natural phenomena justified by religion during this time. Extreme reverence and respect, characterized by ceremonial proceedings in which priests were “to pay homage” to Tezcatlipoca, or where “citizens waited expectantly” for ceremonial proceedings to start under the low hum of “shell trumpets,” were commonplace, especially for this deity. Utter respect from the highest position of Aztec nobility, the king, shown through the figurative and literal nakedness of his presence in front of Tezcatlipoca. The king would stand “naked, emphasizing his utter unworthiness,” speaking as nothing but a vessel for the god’s will. The new king would claim his spiritual nakedness symbolically through words and physical vulnerability, praising Tezcatlipoca with lines such as:

“O master, O our lord, O lord of the near, of the nigh, O night, O wind…Poor am I. In what manner shall I act for thy city? In what manner shall I act for the governed, for the vassals (macehualtin)? For I am blind, I am deaf, I am an imbecile, and in excrement, in filth hath my lifetime been… Perhaps thou mistaketh me for another; perhaps thou seekest another in my stead”.

For kings, lords, priests, and citizens alike, the cyclical nature they observed every day and every year was portrayed not through science or philosophical debate, but utter reverence and respect for the spiritual beings they believed were the cause of these events. It was gods like Tezcatlipoca that solidified this notion, representing both the silent wind, and thunderous war.

Why He Matters– Dear god, there was a ton of information on this one, and I absolutely love it. Tezcatlipoca is a fascinating figure in myth, and there is a lot to unpack here. Tezcatlipoca in the chart is a very Martian influence but mixed with a bit of Uranus. Tezcatlipoca comes across as rage, but a very specific kind- The rage that comes from depression. This also plays into the other aspect of this asteroid god- He is an outsider, one who wants to tear down the system and rebuild it in his own image. Tezcatlipoca wants to change the world- actually, in his view he wants to save it. You see, Tezcatlipoca is dissatisfied with the way the world is, and loathes his feeling of powerlessness. To him, the world is unjust and will not be just until he is sitting at the top of it. In this, he represents both the patriarchy and your place in it, wherever that may be.

In media, you can see plenty of examples of Tezcatlipoca, like Elliot Alderson in Mr. Robot. In the show, Elliot loathes his position in society, and directs his anger at a large multinational company, and ends up committing multiple acts of terrorism in the name of creating a better world. Now while I don’t encourage terrorism (per se) our world keeps getting more and more polarized, and we are seeing a reactive grassroots push from people who see their own personal power slipping away while their world changes drastically around them. This is on both ends of the political spectrum, and both are becoming more and more violent. Tezcatlipoca is representative of both Antifa and neo-nazis. Tezcatlipoca is literally the rage against the machine, and the machine is different to different people.

Additionally, Tezcatlipoca is potently shamanic and encourages us to dive deep into the recesses and pits of our very souls. Tezcatlipoca is a literal mirror that shines a dark light on the worst parts of our personalities and forces us to confront our most terrifying demons, but he also gives us the courage to face them and win over them once and for all.

To find out where he shows up in your chart, go to astro.com, put in your birth details and in the extended options, all the way at the bottom of the next page, there will be a menu of additional objects. Under that is a blank space where you can enter the number 1980, for Tezcatlipoca. Once you have it entered, generate the chart! Where does Tezcatlipoca affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!

Asteroid Files: Tezcatlipoca was originally published on Heretical Oracles

[sp00kworm]

Sand and Sea

Vader Oneshot/Character exploration

Rating: Teen and up. Violence and some distressing stuff involving disfigurement. Feels and angst with a happy ending.

Summary:  Vader wondered when he'd ever get the chance to use his Coruscant water side estate, and when an opportunity to escape the constant needs of the Galactic Empire presents itself, he gladly takes it. Escaping the grind of daily life to the calm stillness of the ocean and the constant churning of memories in his mind.

With an extremely large bank account, came extremely large expenditures, and with one as deep and large as Vader’s, buying property was a breeze. The estate agent had sweated through three shirts while showing him the last water side residence on Coruscant and left at regular intervals to the ‘lavatory’ to change the pinstriped shirt. Vader was aware of the change immediately; the man having changed from a blue pinstripe to yellow. It was amusing to him for a while but became tedious as he was left to explore the lavish rooms of the suite floor alone. After swinging his cape in every doorway, he had held a hand up to the babbling agent and let a moment of silent fall over them, the sound of his respirator making the man swallow. He watched the man’s throat bob with the effort and placed his hands on his belt, leaning to loom over the agent, “I will take it.” He’d never seen someone be as ready to faint from relief. The lord of the Sith had never planned to do anything but buy the place anyway.

Between slaughtering Jedi and attending to the Emperors will, Vader found that occasionally a free day would present itself. It was the perfect time to not only fly his pet project, the prototype Tie-Fighter Advanced, but also go and spend some time alone. Calibrating the thrusters would be better with some in-flight data to use he had mused as he strode along the corridors of the star destroyer. “Lord Vader?” He turned his head to see a stout officer stood with a large data pad in his hands, his glasses slipping down his nose as he flicked a hologram onto the large table screen, “Do you approve of the modifications to the Tie’s tracking and cooling systems for the blasters?” Vader tilted his head, his eyes scanning the spinning hologram of the edited fighter ship. “Remind me, officer, why this has to be run through me, and not the chief engineer or your section director?” Vader looped his thumbs behind his belt and turned to look at the stumbling officer.

“I was, uh, only told, sir, to run you through the modifications by Moff Tarkin, and…“ Vader huffed through his mask slightly at the officer’s babble, the only indication of his amusement, “I assume this is so I am merely informed? Thank you officer, the brief was….” The officer swallowed as Vader paused to breath for a second, his ventilation system hissing, “Much appreciated. I will inform the Grand Moff that it was to a satisfactory standard, but next time, do try to avoid merely bothering me for one minor adjustment, such as this. A more compiled report would be a better usage of both of our times.” The officer bowed his head a little in respect before speedily walking from the deck of the smaller destroyer, his hands shaking. “And officer.” “Yes sir?” The man looked at him over his shoulder, his hands shaking. “It is Lord Vader. It is best to remember your superiors correct titles.” Watching the man leave, Vader removed his hand from his belt and strode to the bridge and lifts, “Inform everyone I am not to be disturbed. I wish to meditate.” The officers at the consoles all nodded, and the commander of the ship inclined his head as the Sith entered the lift.

The hissing of the air lock of the meditation chamber was muted through the helmet and Vader waited for the activation of the ventilation system before demanding his helmet be removed by the droid system implanted in the pod. The claw descended from the ceiling and carefully placed it’s robotic needle like fingers into the clip ports before pulling the piece of his helmet gently upwards. Wheezing Vader took a stuttering breath, his lungs jolting at the lack of support before the ventilation system of the pod kicked in, forcing them to expand. The robotic voice of the droid system chimed a little tune before welcoming him. Vader looked upwards, his golden eyes watching the claw engage and attach his helmet securely above him.

“Droid,” He unclipped his cape, shrugging the heavy material onto the white chair, “Clear my schedule for tomorrow and inform the Emperor of my absence as well. I wish to attend to some matters alone.” The chamber reached out another set of clawed arms and pulled his cape off the chair to hang it up. “Of course, Lord Vader, would you like any additional comments attached to this message?” The droid beeped out a few noises before displaying a screen before him with the notification and those who the message was to go to. “No that will be all, droid. I will depart in a few hours.” The dark lord of the sith leant back in his chair, thick gloves running over the arms of the furniture, reminding him that he couldn’t feel the materials of either, only the sensation of pressure against his mechanical fingers. “Very good, my Lord.” The droid hummed as it deactivated its speech protocol and began messaging all the officials of the empire that Lord Vader would be otherwise engaged for twenty-four hours.

The Tie Advanced screamed through the sky as Vader entered the Coruscant air space. The thrusters had held up fine with some minor tweaking in flight, and Vader curled his hands tight, pulling the controls towards him to slow the fighter as it sped towards the landing pads. A few people were stood on the landing pad, paddles in their hands and ear defenders on, flinching as the Tie Fighter circled at break neck speed before passing a second time, Vader slowing the working of the engines on his approach. They moved aside some large totes before allowing him to land the beast like fighter. One blue Rodian male gasped at the machine, running a hand along the large panelling of the wing in reverence. The dock master held a hand up. “We’ll have her refuelled for you, my lord. And I’ll make sure people keep their hands to themselves.” He sent a glare towards the Rodian and Vader only nodded his head, sweeping his cape behind him as he approached the greeting party from his estate.

A female Twi’lek gracefully strode forwards, her head appendages bouncing with her steps,  “Lord Vader, we have prepared your estate as per your request. We do however advise that you change into something more fitting for such heated weather my lord…” She gasped for breath before remembering, “My lord...”. Vader held up his hand to halt her apologies “That would be…ill advised in my current state. I will however enjoy the beach and a…light refreshment, if that is available?” The green skinned Twi’lek nodded to him and scrambled off with the other staff to set out some refreshments and shade on the beach for him. The heat from the sun was particularly brutal, and Vader shaded his eye guard against the rays, clicking the box on his belt to increase the shading of his eyepieces so he could see comfortably. Taking the stairs, he was met with lush greenery beneath his boots, and he took a mechanical breath before moving forwards, his suit hissing to cool him in the heat.

The estate was neat and clean. His cape was taken as he entered, the weighty cloth hung on a large coat and hat stand before he was encouraged to wipe his feet and shown into the bigger back rooms of the large building. He had memorised the lay out on his trip and strode into the large glass panelled back of the estate before gazing out at the water lapping at the sand. A small droid beeped by his side and held up a large tray with a selection of drinks. Vader eyed a few before selecting the simple mixture of pureed fruits. As a child his mother would sneak him the mixture of sweet fruits if she could afford it from the market on their measly allowance per week. They would sit and nibble sweet fruits until they both had stomach aches from the sugary treats. Vader shook his head before eyeing the thick swirling pink and orange smoothie. “I would like to partake in this outside. I assume some shade has been set up?” The droid beeped a few times in confirmation, “Very good I will be back momentarily.”

Vader took refuge in one of the many rooms for a moment, before carefully peeling a thick leather glove from his robotic hand. The material squeaked a little in protest but came away to reveal the jittering cybernetics of his hand, the metal flexing as he moved the artificial limb of his arm. Pressing his fingers together, he removed the other glove and stared at the pair of dull metal limbs cursing Kenobi and the Emperor in the back of his mind for making him into a hideous machine. Looking down at his legs he grazed a mechanical finger along the plating of his shins and unclipped them before easing his boots off and staring at the toes of his feet. His own breathing filled his ears and he stood reaching a hand out to the mirror before forming a fist. The glass shattered with a piercing noise and shards flew across the room. Removing his chest plates, he caught sight of his helmet in the reflection of the shinned metal handles and slammed the door behind him heading out of the estate. “Droid. Have no one disturb me. No one is to be outside of the estate without my say so.” The little mech beeped before locking the latch behind him, the drinks balanced on top of its red and blue painted head.

The sound of the waves shifting the sands was peaceful. Vader listened to the muffled noise through his helmet in silence, watching as they pulled the grains out into the vast mass of water. A few sea birds called out above him, diving into the ocean with their wings pulled back, snatching fish too stupid to remain in the depths. The sand shifted beneath his feet and he reminisced for a moment about Padmé. She adored the sands and the sea, whereas he had been averse to the crystal grains. Momentarily he thought about the consequences of getting the grains between the wires and workings of his cybernetics, but quickly dismissed it, he could easily have a check up when he returned, as much as he hated the limbs being removed from his nerves and cleaned. Suspension in a tube of preservation healing liquid was not something he particularly enjoyed.

The grains rolled over his metal toes and Vader watched them for a moment before leaning down and grasping a handful. Rolling it between his fingers and palm he snorted. Pressure, no actual feeling anymore. He cursed tossing the handful into the ocean before looking at his drink and the large straw. Curious, he poked the straw between the ventilation and coder gaps in his mask. The pink straw poked him in the bottom lip and he felt a strange sense of glee before grasping at the plastic and taking a sip of the fruit smoothie. The taste hit his tongue and he pulled the drink away as if scolded. It was sickly sweet, just as he remembered. Smiling beneath the mask he pushed the straw to his lips again and drained the glass, staring at the bright blue sky. His stomach curdled with dislike and ached after a few sips, but he drank the whole thing before lamenting that he could not consume the sliced fruit balanced on the side of the glass.  

Glancing up the beach, Vader looked for anyone before seating himself in the sand. The irritating grains rolled up his padded trousers, but he found himself uncaring as he pushed his glass into the sand and stared at the rolling waves, listening to the calling of the birds above him, and the sloshing of the waves. Reaching out with the force he grasped at the air and inhaled through the mask, the air lighter and calm. A semblance of peace swirled around the Sith before his mind plunged into the depths of the water. Scaled sharks with needle like teeth swam around a whale and her calf. He tried not to flinch as the group of predators tore the calf from its mother and blood bloomed in the water. A hole, deep and black swirled with a torrent of water and he was torn from the scene downwards. Light sabers hissed and sparked and blood flew in the air. Screams and shouts. Padmé sobbed before him, tears rolling down her cheeks as he held her in the air, quivering with rage. The burning blows of Kenobi’s light saber as it severed his limbs from his body, the appendages falling into the lava and charring before disappearing. Agony laced his veins as fire consumed his clothing and rage clouded his mind.

The Sith lord gasped, opening his eyes, still seated in the sand by the gentle waves. Shaking his head, Vader looked at his robotic hands, they were clenched in the sand and he raised his left hand to find a compacted ball of sand, the edges crystallising with glitters of glass, then he felt the heat and dropped the partially glass orb. His anger had heated the sand and forced it into a new form. Taking a calming breath, he pushed aside the anger, the rage and fury, and dropped all the sand in his hands, staring up at the sky once more, willing the endless vast blueness of it to help him.

He wasn’t disturbed until he returned to the estate. The sun had long since set and the little serving droid greeted him from where he had left it by the door. Placing a palm on its head he jolted slightly as the Twi’lek girl whisked into the room. She opened her mouth like a fish before Vader held out his hand and span her around, force pushing her from the room before slamming the door closed. He would deal with her later, after he redressed himself. He signalled for the droid to come with him before pressing a thumb into the robot’s memory bank port and popping the card out. Crushing the thing into dust with the force he replaced the card with a new one from a drawer and left it to reboot in the room, escaping to change before it began cycling its optics. The girl would be easy to deal with. They always were, flesh was weak, and no one would question her absence. No one ever did in the estate.

Leaving Coruscant was easy, it was returning to the empire’s demands that was difficult. His patience was thin upon his return and after having choked three officer’s dead he was called before Tarkin to explain himself. “Lord Vader, may I enquire as to why it is you have killed three of my information officers today? They were all sent to you upon my orders.” The Moff looked at him with raised eyebrows, his steely eyes glinting with glee at the teasing. Vader stood in front of him, his thumbs looped behind his belt, “Perhaps, Grand Moff, you should be questioning as to why you sent three, all with the same useless information in three different formats. One was by far plenty enough to tell me about the minor tweak you have made to the ports of the project.” One of Vader’s hands moved to clench by his side. Tarkin smiled thinly before walking around his desk, “I assure you Vader, I made no such request of them.” He hid a smile behind a hand and flicked his desk to show a hologram. “But now you mention it, the plans are, extensive for Krennic’s little project. Perhaps I should talk you through all the details.”

Vader resisted the urge to groan allowed but seated himself as Tarkin began to grace him with every detail of the empires latest toy. He could not refuse the order of his superior and he cursed the Emperor for having such a witty torturous man as head of his armies.  

[moodboardinthecloud]

I don’t want to be the strong female lead

By Brit Marling

Ms. Marling is a filmmaker.

Feb. 7, 2020

I moved to Los Angeles to become an actress at 24. These are character descriptions of roles I have read for: “thin, attractive, Dave’s wife”; “robot girl, a remarkable feat of engineering”; “her breasts are large and she’s wearing a red sweater.”

I stuffed my bra for that last one. I still did not get the part.

After a while it was hard to tell what was the greater source of my depression: that I could not book a part in a horror film where I had three lines and died on Page 4, or that I was even auditioning to play these roles at all. After dozens of auditions and zero callbacks, my mom suggested I get breast implants. From her perspective, I had walked away from a coveted job at Goldman Sachs and chosen a profession of self-commodification. She wanted to help me sell better.

But I wasn’t drawn to acting because I wanted to be desired. I was drawn to acting because I felt it would allow me to become the whole, embodied person I remembered being in childhood — one that could imagine freely, listen deeply and feel wholeheartedly.

I continued to audition and continued to fail. My depression deepened. My self-esteem plummeted. My boyfriend would get drunk and punch holes in the wall next to my head. I let him. He spat in my face. I let him. He dissolved into tears in my arms. I let him. And then I sifted through the ashes of his anger and his father’s anger before him to help him uncover the forgiveness he needed to move on. I was auditioning to be “Dave’s wife.” I was “robot girl, a remarkable feat of engineering.”

After a day of running from men with chain saws in audition rooms and a night of running from the man I shared a bed with, I decided I was done auditioning. I felt I had to write my way out of these roles or I wouldn’t find my way in the real world, either. I could not be what I could not see onscreen.

So I went to the library in downtown Los Angeles and started reading books and watching films about how to write dramas for the screen. I clung to Jodie Foster in Jonathan Demme’s “Silence of the Lambs,” to Holly Hunter in Jane Campion’s “The Piano.”

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But aside from a handful of exceptions, I was overwhelmed by the number of dramatic narratives that murdered their female characters.

In “The Big Heat” she has a pot of boiling coffee thrown in her face and is then shot in the back. In “Chinatown” the bullet tears through her brain and out her eye. And in case this seems like a trend of the past, consider the more recent noir “Blade Runner 2049,” where the holographic femme fatale is deleted and the remaining women are stabbed, drowned and gutted like a fish.

Even the spirited Antigone, the brave Joan of Arc and the unfettered Thelma and Louise meet tragic ends in large part because they are spirited, brave and unfettered. They can defy kings, refuse beauty and defend themselves against violence. But it’s challenging for a writer to imagine a world in which such free women can exist without brutal consequences.

We live in a world that is a direct reflection of these stories we’ve been telling. Close to four women a day are murdered in America at the hands of their partners or former partners. One out of every four women in America has been the victim of a rape.

I am one of those one out of four. Our narratives tell us that women are objects and objects are disposable, so we are always objectified and often disposed of.

There are centuries of trial and error inside the “hero’s journey,” in which a young man is called to adventure, challenged by trials, faces a climactic battle and emerges victorious, changed and a hero. And while there are narrative patterns for the adventures of girls — “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Wizard of Oz” — those are few and far between, and for adult women, even less so.

Even when I found myself writing stories about women rebelling against the patriarchy, it still felt like what I largely ended up describing was the confines of patriarchy. The more fettered I felt inside the real world, the more I turned toward science fiction, speculative fiction and lo-fi fantasy.

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I eventually co-wrote, produced and starred in two microbudget films, “Another Earth” and “Sound of My Voice.” Both stories left reality just far enough behind to give me the mental freedom to imagine female characters behaving in ways not often seen onscreen.

I emerged from the Sundance Film Festival with offers to act in projects I would never have been allowed to read for a week prior. Most of those roles were still girlfriend, mistress, mother. But there was a new character on offer to me as well, one that survived the story.

Enter, stage right: the Strong Female Lead.

She’s an assassin, a spy, a soldier, a superhero, a C.E.O. She can make a wound compress out of a maxi pad while on the lam. She’s got MacGyver’s resourcefulness but looks better in a tank top.

Acting the part of the Strong Female Lead changed both who I was and what I thought I was capable of. Training to do my own stunt work made me feel formidable and respected on set. Playing scenes where I was the boss firing men tasted like empowerment. And it will always feel better to be holding the gun in the scene than to be pleading for your life at the other end of the barrel.

It would be hard to deny that there is nutrition to be drawn from any narrative that gives women agency and voice in a world where they are most often without both. But the more I acted the Strong Female Lead, the more I became aware of the narrow specificity of the characters’ strengths — physical prowess, linear ambition, focused rationality. Masculine modalities of power.

I thought back to the films I watched and stories I read burrowed deep in the stacks of the library. I began to see something deeper and more insidious behind all those images of dead and dying women.

When we kill women in our stories, we aren’t just annihilating female gendered bodies. We are annihilating the feminine as a force wherever it resides — in women, in men, of the natural world. Because what we really mean when we say we want strong female leads is: “Give me a man but in the body of a woman I still want to see naked.”

It’s difficult for us to imagine femininity itself — empathy, vulnerability, listening — as strong. When I look at the world our stories have helped us envision and then erect, these are the very qualities that have been vanquished in favor of an overwrought masculinity.

I’ve played the Strong Female Lead in real life, too — as an analyst at an investment bank before coming to Hollywood. I wore suits, drank Scotch neat and talked about the women and the men I was sleeping with like commodities on an open market. I buried my feminine intelligence alive in order to survive. I excelled at my linear task of making more money from a lot of money regardless of the long-term consequences for others and the environment.

The lone female V.P. on my floor and my mentor at the time gave me the following advice when she left to partner at a hedge fund: Once a week, open the door to your office when they finally give you one, and place a phone call where you shout a string of expletives in a threatening voice.

She added that there doesn’t actually need to be someone on the other end of the line.

I don’t believe the feminine is sublime and the masculine is horrifying. I believe both are valuable, essential, powerful. But we have maligned one, venerated the other, and fallen into exaggerated performances of both that cause harm to all. How do we restore balance? Or how do we evolve beyond the limitations that binaries like feminine/masculine present in the first place?

In 2014 I went back to the library and encountered Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” a sci-fi novel written in 1993 imagining a 2020 where society has largely collapsed from climate change and growing wealth inequality. Butler’s heroine, the 17 year-old Lauren, has “hyperempathy” — she feels, quite literally, other people’s pain. This feminine gift and curse uniquely prepares her to survive the violent attack on her community in Los Angeles and successfully encourage a small tribe north to begin again from seeds she has saved from her family’s garden.

Butler felt to me like a lighthouse blinking from an island of understanding way out at sea. I had no idea how to get there, but I knew she had found something life saving. She had found a form of resistance.

Butler and other writers like Ursula Le Guin, Toni Morrison and Margaret Atwood did not employ speculative fiction to colonize other planets, enslave new life-forms, or extract alien minerals for capital gains only to have them taken at gunpoint by A.I. robots. These women used the tenets of genre to reveal the injustices of the present and imagine our evolution.

With these ideas in mind, Zal Batmanglij and I wrote and created “The OA,” a Netflix series about Prairie, a blind girl who is kidnapped and returns seven years later to the community she grew up in with her sight restored. She opens up to a group of lost teenage boys in her neighborhood, telling them about her captivity and the inter-dimensional travel she discovered to survive it. It turns out these boys need to hear Prairie’s story as much as she needs to tell it. For the boys face their own kind of captivity: growing up inside the increasingly toxic obligations of American manhood.

As time has passed, I’ve come to understand what deep influence shaping a narrative has. Stories inspire our actions. They frame for us existences that are and are not possible, delineate tracks we can or cannot travel. They choose who we can find empathy for and who we cannot. What we have fellow feeling for, we protect. What we objectify and commodify, we eventually destroy.

I don’t want to be the dead girl, or Dave’s wife. But I don’t want to be a strong female lead either, if my power is defined largely by violence and domination, conquest and colonization.

Sometimes I get a feeling of what she could be like. A truly free woman. But when I try to fit her into the hero’s journey she recedes from the picture like a mirage. She says to me: Brit, the hero’s journey is centuries of narrative precedent written by men to mythologize men. Its pattern is inciting incident, rising tension, explosive climax and denouement. What does that remind you of?

And I say, a male orgasm.

And she says: Correct. I love the arc of male pleasure. But how could you bring me into being if I must satisfy the choreography of his desire only?

And I say: Good on you. But then how do I bring you into being?

Then I hear only silence.

But even in the silence I dream of answers. I imagine new structures and mythologies born from the choreography of female bodies, non-gendered bodies, bodies of color, disabled bodies. I imagine excavating my own desires, wants and needs, which I have buried so deeply to meet the desires, wants and needs of men around me that I’m not yet sure how my own desire would power the protagonist of a narrative.

These are not yet solutions. But they are places to dig.

Excavating, teaching and celebrating the feminine through stories is, inside our climate emergency, a matter of human survival. The moment we start imagining a new world and sharing it with one another through story is the moment that new world may actually come.

Brit Marling (@britmarling) is the co-creator and star of “The OA.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/opinion/sunday/brit-marling-women-movies.html?fbclid=IwAR3DSJ3Q6shZQwE8jGHxNhuU5skF62SAcfJzXap0j_XPFdZHK4JKYa5n02E

[lonelycompcny]

THE DEVOURED WORLD:  KOSMOS 

this will be a lot of information on the world of KOSMOS. the only person allowed to reblog this is @mechanicallyunrealistic​ && @hoodedspark​  && @didsomeonesayentertainment​  && @dungeonsandmemes​  as our characters all derived from this world && it’s about time I finally write out the key factors about KOSMOS as a whole. Due to how much information though, it will all be under a read - more. 

       [ kos - mos ] a universe seen as a whole                                    a system of thought                                    a dying world    

THE BASICS;; Kosmos is a world akin to Earth in a sort of way, only thing is, the technology had become very advanced upon its history all due to the KING ( DAI ITOU ) also being the TRUE GOD of the world. That being said, it is a very cyberpunk like feel, most countries have enough technology that is passed even ours.  Within this world, there are FOUR main countries, split up into almost like a class structure. AKAD, OLK, NOA, && FAI -- these countries are very different from one another, each having their own biomes and creatures, but also people whom live among the madness of a world dying, all due to the de-humanization of many of the subjects of the KING. This world has both MAGIC and TECHNOLOGY -- and has been combined for centuries to make tools that could destroy mankind. The world FELL even when there were rebels against the KING -- most of them died along the way, and the only who made it watched as the world was DEVOURED by shadows. 

THE COUNTRIES 

They may be separated but they are ruled by one dominate being who runs off of the monarchal government. The list bellow details each country and their role within the society, as well as their people and possible magical beasts that may live within the area.

                 Fai [ an island of fire ] – This is home to warm weather and farm land ( for livestock ) well away from the reason the very island was created, a volcano at it’s very base that shares the countries name. This is also the place where mining is heavily endorsed, as well as blacksmithing for Akad. The people there are fighters at heart and are danger seekers it seems.

                    Within this country are priests and priestess to the gods of reincarnation and destiny. They give tribute to these gods that are PHOENIXES and prey for the souls whom have passed on. For centuries, the priest in charge has seen other mythical beings show and give their thanks to these gods, such as dragons and shadows.

                     Many believe that within the rain forests bellow the volcano that there may be an entry way to the underworld, or Hell, yet, there have been many sitings of Griffins, Satyrs, Unicorns and perhaps even witches.

                Olk [ a land of earth ] – The scent in the air is of the gentle breeze and the hearts of farmers tending to their crops. This is a large country, fitting well over a million humans ( unknown number of mythical beings within the mix ) as it has a capital in the very center of it all where cases are judged.

                     While most farmers do only have crops, they tend to also have a few horses ( as it gives them the ability to travel a bit faster with their goods ). Yet, this land is not all farmers and country men. There are tribes of both demon hunters, and demons alike. These tribes, while near and far, were there to either help the people, or destroy them.

                      The demon hunters are proud men and women who have traits from the blessed to hunt down monsters that destroy mankind. They were the hope of getting a good hunt in without being hurt and are usually considered the mercenaries of the wild, as they work on their own accord.

                        As for the demons that lived within the tribes, such as Han Junketsu and Vampires ( since they are human like in appearance ) would tend to have special rituals and ways to get into and out of trouble. They would teach their young the same way hunters would but what some may not believe is that they are not all bad.

                         Within the deep forests of this country one would also see another rumor come true. Shadows of living creatures like wolves and elk spring to life as beings of the night who grow bigger as the moon rises and smaller as it falls. They are not to be taken lightly as even the small shards of them that are just existence can turn a human mad.

                Akad [ a country of sky && monsters  royalty ] – Those who are of high class or have enough money are the ones allowed to live in the sky. It floats above the treacherous seas like a cloud except for the rock that chips from it’s bottom. This is a country that prospers from all the others and where the taxes are used to make the royalty’s life better. This is where the army is trained and changed into kids to men who have guns and blades, ready to kill without secondary thought.

                  Akad is a place where hospitals are the best, medical care being able to give one who lost a limb or organ a new one without much problem except for the cost that is… Unless one wants to become an experiment instead.  Dark rumors fill the streets of just normal men in the cities feeling, hearing the strange cries from underneath of humans and monsters alike. It is said that the men in uniform will cringe if you ask why there are screams down bellow.

                Noa [ an ocean of life ] – A country better forgotten, no one talks about it as no one remembers when it last stood above the seas’ water. Yet, there are many legends and secrets that continue to flow from the place sunken into the depths.

                    One states that those whom have died in the city forgotten have turned into Merpeople or shadows Umbra of the deep who help good souls along if they get stuck within the water or guide them to their resting place if they drown.

                      Another says that if one drives a boat over the water that a monster from the deep will swallow it up whole, leaving those who are on it to never be reincarnated again.

                      This country use to be home of fisherman and cultural phenomenons like dancing and fabulous music. A rumor has been passed down that the people of the country all planned to rebel at once and so, the island was sunk into the depths – this may be true as when a royal was asked about it –

                                                      “ They belonged to the fishes they loved so much. “

THE SOCIETY 

         ( Technology ) Beyond popular belief, it is not a world that lacks technological advancements. Air ships (including jet planes and blips ), building structure, electronics ( such as robots and androids ) and medical advancements ( creating clones, chimeras and curing diseases that we know would kill a person slowly ) are all a part of society, but not in the lower countries. Akad controls the flow of technology in the lower countries – causing some of the people to only have the bare minimum in tech.

            While the main focus of Akad and the ruler, Dai, is to achieve absolute understanding in the medical field, it is not for a good reason. Immortality has always been on the mind of the high class and the King is closer to it than one would think.

         ( Religion ) While there is several religions, and there are some people who would die to say that there is the right one, they are all mostly the same story more or less with a different urban legend to go by.

            Akad, for example, believes that there is only one higher power, naming it god and saying that he makes the rules – that he blesses the next in line for the thrown and that is why, who ever is King or Queen never get judgement passed on to them for doing things to the people, as they are as strong as the god they praise. This also includes the mentioning of an angel, those with feathers against their back who protect ( and slaughter ) souls to bring them back to the gates above to be judged.

            Fai on the other hand believe in phoenixes to be the gods that all have their own certain meaning, but above all else, reincarnation through the good that one does for others and their own soul. Not only that but they also have the concept that if one is bad they will be sent to the deepest depths of Kosmos’s core. This is where demons run and flock in numbers, they are the ones that eat the souls of the lost and destroy the souls that have sinned.

            Olk, is completely different than those three though, believing in the concept of ‘ essences ‘ and treating everything as you would want to be treated. the essence of life is honored by planting new trees, taking care of fallen animals and the essence of death is showed honor by never wasting a game they kill, and showing respects to their, and other’s dead ancestors. Not only is it with those two essences though, as shadows and light are also worshiped in their own little way.

         ( Magic && Alchemy ) While magic is banned if it is elemental, there are still many people and creatures that use it. The same can not be said for alchemy as it is free practice to anyone who can master such an art.

While there are many different types of magic – for it is an umbrella term for the ability to manipulate the world by a non - physical mean, there are mainly three types: elemental, light and shadow, or neutral. All of these magic require the person to have energy though for what they are using the magic for and if they cast without having the energy needed, bad things will happen.

              Neutral magic is mostly moving, changing or healing things and is very weak, considering how the other two connect right to the soul of the very person using them. On the other hand, while elemental and light / shadow magic may be considered the same thing, they are not. Elemental takes on one of the six elements ( earth, fire, water, wind, ice, electricity ) while light / shadow magic take on one or the other, and can cause some varied effects.

             Due to how typical elemental magic is, light / shadow magic will be explained instead. Just like how elemental magic users can make familiars out of the element that they can use, so can one who is either light or shadow. The catch is, light magic users are not very good at that sort of thing while shadow users excel.

             Light magic is what one would consider a passive magic, it can boost a persons abilities as well heal quite well. One with light magic could also use such to burn their enemies quite easily if their light is stronger than the other’s. Shadow rather, is for the offensive, binding, concealing and being able to be used as a weapon. They have they ability to freeze their enemy, just alike the light being able to burn – they just have to be stronger.

              Finally, to talk about Alchemy. It is a variation of neutral magic, as a being’s energy is still put forth to create the ending transaction yet, it is mostly used in fixing things and even within the medical field. It is used to perfect, purify and perhaps even mature an object – but don’t believe that it is all used for good. While it has been used in the lower countries to make life easier, it has also been used to make weapons, to destroy the lives of thousands of those captured and imprisoned within Akad’s dungeons. It itself, is maybe too dangerous for many to even attempt to try.

[ruffsficstuffplace]

Of Rocks, Romantic Rivalries, and Rune Rangers (Part 4): The Siren’s Song (Part 1)

It was pandemonium in one of Valentino's biggest beachfront districts, Zarkon's troops swarming all around the storefronts and the hotels, civilians, tourists, and military types alike escaping through the streets, or out to sea.

The Armed Forces of Avalon set up barricades and helped evacuate the area, but against the vastly better armed Galra Empire, they could only wait, pray for help to arrive, and hope no one was still trapped inside.

Atop one of the tallest roofs, Haggar's latest Robeast loomed, a bizarre, humanoid creature that looked like a mix of a fish and a human woman, too alien and inelegantly-designed to be Fae.

“That's right, everyone! Run! Run from my super scary troops!” she cried. “This city is under Galra control now and I, Mero, am going to be the one ruling it, okay?!”

Through the psychic link to Galra's headquarters, Zarkon noisily cleared his throat.

Mero groaned. “Okay, alright, fine! Emperor Zarkon is going to be ruling it, but I'm like, gonna be the branch manager or something! So bow down and respect me, peons!”

“Sorry, your highness, but looks like your reign's going to end before it even starts!” Lance cried.

Mero scowled as she noticed six familiar figures standing in the deserted boardwalk. “Ugh!” she cried. “Can't you guys just NOT show up and totally ruin Emperor Zarkon's plans for once?!”

Keith laughed. “Yeah… that's not happening.”

As one, they thrust their hands through the air and raised their runes to the sky, the carved gems glimmering in the afternoon sun.

“Strength of the Suns!” / “Light of the Moons!”

The Rune Rangers' and Allura's bodies glowed with their respective colours, so radiant they blinded and warded off the Galra footsoldiers around them until they exploded in a brilliant shower of light. Now in their armour, they got into their respective poses and cried:

“Defenders of Avalon! Rune Rangers, Celestial Guard!”

Boom.

Multicoloured pillars of smoke erupted from behind them.

Mero groaned. “Are you done?! Have you done your whole bit now, complete with your stupid catchphrases?!”

Their runes transformed into their weapons, and they held them at the ready. In Shiro's case, he socketed it into his prosthetic arm, the magic holding it together now glowing a brilliant crimson and purple.

“Yes,” Shiro replied.

Mero harrumphed. “Good! Minions: ATTACK! And don't suck so much this time!”

The Galra attacked, a horde of swordsmen, riflemen, and hulking brutes with shields and maces.

Shiro held thrust out his prosthetic arm. “Keith, Allura, Pidge, with me: we're cutting a path to the Robeast!”

“My name is Mero, you doucheschnozzles!”

Shiro ignored her. “Lance, Hunk: fire support! Focus on the shooters!

“Celestial Guard: CHARGE!”

The Rune Rangers and the Galra Forces clashed, the air ringing with the sounds of gunfire and violence as the robotic minions were slashed to pieces, crushed to bits, or left staring at the new holes in their bodies before they collapsed, inactive.

“This is way too easy!” Keith cried as he blocked a Galra trooper's mace with his shield. “You guys having an off-day?!” he cried as he retaliated with an upwards slash across its chest.

Shiro thrust his prosthetic arm into the trooper's chest before the metal could mend itself. “Don't tempt fate! It never ends well!” he cried as he ripped out its power core, then threw it at the minions further up.

Boom.

Mero shielded her eyes with a webbed fin-hand as a good chunk of her forces were wiped out or severely damaged. “Too late, Rune Jerkbags!” she cried as she lowered her arm. “Behold: my super awesome secret weapon!” she proudly raised her head and breathe in deep.

Pidge shocked a swordsman with her katar, Allura smashed its head in with her staff while it was defenseless. The two of them plus Shiro turned to Keith, opened the visors of their helmets, and glared at him.

Keith raised his hand and sword in apology. “Sorry.”

Mero let out a powerful, ear-piercing screech, waves of magic erupting from her body and spreading all around the beach. The Rune Rangers all fell to their knees and clutched their heads, her “song” ringing in their heads, getting even more agonizing and out-of tune as it went on.

Not even her own troops were immune, all of them spitting out error messages and jerking around as their auditory sensors were overloaded.

Then, it stopped, and faded away into nothing.

The Rune Rangers groaned and shook their heads; they looked around, saw the Galra troopers still stunned and recovering.

“Hah!” Lance said as he held up his rifle. “Is that your 'super awesome secret weapon'? A stun wave that affects your own guys? Lame!”

“Hmph!” Mero crossed her arms. “Look again, doucheschnozzle, because I turned one of you to my side!”

The Rangers frantically looked around, until they saw Pidge still on her knees.

Lance sighed in relief, and lowered his gun. “Oh, great! It's just Pidge—I was worried for a moment there!”

Pidge got up, turned around, and shot her grappling hook onto Lance's chest.

By the time he realized what had happened, she was already zipping towards him.

Pidge crashed into Lance's chest feet first, knocking him flat on his back. He tried to grab her and throw her off, she was already plunging her katar into him.

Lance screamed as hundreds of volts of electricity were pumped into his body.

“HUNK!” Shiro cried as he, Keith, and Allura fended off the fully-recovered Galra. “GET HER OFF!”

Hunk yelped and aimed his cannon at Pidge.

She snapped her face to him, opened her visor and showed him her amber eyes, now glowing an ominous shade of purple.

“HUNK!”

Hunk whimpered, then clumsily swung his cannon at Pidge.

She jumped up, easily dodging his attack; she launched off him, and back into the fray with the others.

Hunk staggered back in surprise. He watched her somersaulting and scampering between the Galra's legs and the space in between them, the troopers ignoring her completely as she crept up behind Allura, Shiro, and Keith.

“GUYS! BEHIND YOU!” he cried as he aimed his cannon at the Galra.

Keith slashed a trooper in front of him, destroying it. He turned around, just in time to see Pidge crouching in front of him, before she sprang up and slashed a line up his chest.

“AGH!”

Pidge somersaulted through the air and behind them, Allura and Shiro stared in horror as the Galra quickly swarmed in front of her to protect her.

“Retreat!” Shiro cried as he and Allura carried Keith between them as they ran back.

Hunk covered their escape, Lance lay on the ground, unmoving.

Up on the roof, Mero stared. “Oh, wow… this is like, going way better than I expected it to...”

“Indeed...” Haggar hummed through the psychic link. “To turn the Emerald Ranger against her comrades was a move even I did not think of! Perhaps I should base all my future Robeasts off you, to ensure power and cunning...”

Mero looked nervous. “Okay, so like... before you go poking into my brain, and stuff, I just choose the green one like, at random? I didn't know this was all going to happen, you know…?”

Haggar sighed heavily. “Of course...”

“Shiro!” Hunk cried as they stood around Lance. “What do we do?”

Shiro gritted his teeth. “Let me think...”

“Minions!” Pidge cried as she raised her arm. “Attack the blue one! Finish him off, then get the rest! I don't care how many of you fall, just do it!”

The Galra Troopers all looked at each other in confusion, before they shrugged, and attacked.

“Hey!” Mero cried. “I'm the one in charge here!”

Pidge opened her visor to glare at her. “Oh, I'm sorry: do you want to actually win this fight or no?!”

Mero reeled. “… Gosh, no need to be a bitch about it!” she turned to the Galra. “Minions! Do what she says, I guess...!”

The rangers stared at the incoming swarm in horror, before they raised their weapons.

Hunk began to take potshots at the swarming Galra. “Shiro...?! What do we do?!”

“Keith: get Lance somewhere safe! Hunk: fend off those Galra! Allura, with me: we're taking out Mero and getting Pidge back!

“GO!”

Keith threw Lance over his shoulder and ran into the nearby streets, Allura and Shiro charged straight into the horde.

Some of the Galra slowed down, preparing to engage them.

“Keep going!” Pidge cried. “Ignore them: get the Blue one! We may lose this battle, but watch them crumble when one of them dies!”

“Sweet Shepherd, Pidge!” Keith cried as he laid Lance against the side of a building. “Who's side are you on?!”

“Not yours!” she shouted back through their helmets.

Lance groaned in pain.

Keith's eyes widened as he knelt down beside him, grabbed him by the shoulders. "Lance? Lance!" he cried as he shook him. "Don't die on me now, man, we're going to make it through this like we always do!"

Lance coughed. "Pidge... get Pidge...! I need Pidge!"

"Uh, newsflash for ya: she's still brainwashed and crazy! She's the one that stabbed you, for fuck's sake!"

"I know. I want her to stab me again."

Keith groaned and dropped Lance.

“Ow! Come on, man, I'm dying over here!”

“Well bleed out with your head down!” Keith said as he turned around and readied his sword—the swarms of Galra had gotten too close for Hunk's comfort, and he was now running as fast as he could to them.

Meanwhile, Shiro and Allura raised their suits' grappling hooks to the rooftop Mero was standing on. They were about to fire, when an EMP exploded and shorted out their gear. They turned their heads to Pidge, standing nearby with her finger still on the “gadget-panel” of her gauntlet.

They couldn't see her smug smirk for the designs of their helmets, but they could just tell.

They readied their weapons.

“Stand down, Pidge!” Shiro called out. “We don't want to hurt you!”

Pidge laughed. “Oh, I know—which is why you're all going to lose,” she growled as she crouched low, her dagger held at the ready.

Allura stepped forward. “I'll handle her—your reflexes may be good for a human, but you're no match for a Fae, however skilled.”

Shiro nodded, and looked up at Mero. “Guess I'm going up the old-fashioned way…!” he cried as he charged into the nearest building, breaking through the doors and running towards the nearest set of stairs.

Pidge turned around and tried to fire her grappling hook at his leg, before her ears twitched. She ducked just as Allura's staff came swinging past her head. She retaliated with a dagger thrust, one Allura just barely dodged herself.

“Snap out of it, Pidge!” Allura cried as they began to fight, dodging and dancing around each other, their attacks just barely missing one another. “I really don't want to hurt you!”

Pidge jumped back, somersaulting through the air and landing on all fours. “Good, because that works out great for me!” she yelled as she pounced.

From above, Mero watched as Allura barely blocked Pidge with her staff, former staggering back as she tried to stab and slash her with her dagger. “Uh… like, do you need any help or something...?”

“I'VE GOT THIS!” Pidge yelled.

“Are you sure?” Mero asked. “It kinda looks like you're losing down there, and those guys at the back are having a really hard time!”

“JUST SHUT UP, AND LET ME DO MY THING!”

Mero gasped, before she scowled. “Rude! Who does that little twerp think she is?”

“Someone vastly more effective than you have been so far...” Haggar hummed.

Mero gasped in offense. “Excuse me? Whose side are you on?!”

“Whoever is the strongest and most cunning...” Haggar replied, watching the duel between Pidge and Allura with interest.

Inside the building, Shiro pounded up the stairs, taking them two steps at a time before he burst through a door leading out to the roof. He looked around, cried in frustration as he realized he had ended up behind and several stories below Mero.

Then, his suit's gadgets hummed back to life. He grinned as he fired his grappling hook to just below the roof Mero was on and began to rocket up towards her.

In the back-lines, the other rangers were backed into a corner, Keith desperately holding his shield up to block a constant rain of blows and bullets, while Lance and Hunk blindly fired into the swarm—wherever they pointed, they were going to hit a Galra.

“Guys, we've got Pidge back, right?!” Keith cried. “'Cause we're not going to last much longer back here!”

“I'm afraid”--Allura ducked--”that she's going to have to”--she somersaulted backwards, avoiding a furious series of slashes from Pidge--”sit this one out!”

She swung for Pidge's head, one end of her staff connecting with her helmet.

Crack!

Pidge flew off, flying off to the side and into a bench. The wood broke apart on impact, Pidge lay in the wreckage, groaning in pain.

Allura stared in horror. “PIDGE!” she cried as she rushed over to her. “Oh Eluna, are you alright?!”

Pidge groaned and slowly raised her head. “Ugh…! What happened…?” she muttered.

“You were under the spell of that horrid wench Mero,” Allura replied as she grabbed her hand and pulled her up. “Thankfully, I seem to have knocked you out of it!”

Pidge's visor opened, revealing glimmering purple eyes. “Actually: you didn't.”

Faster than Allura could react, she thrust her dagger into her chest.

At the same time, Shiro tackled Mero from behind, wrapping his arms around her as they flew off the roof and headed straight for the ground.

Allura collapsed, twitching as stray sparks fell from Pidge's dagger.

She chuckled as she stepped around her. “Too easy...” she hummed as she looked at the concentration of Galra in the distance.

Her ears twitched as she heard something very large falling through the air, very fast.

Pidge looked up, her eyes widening as she just barely avoided getting crushed by Mero and Shiro.

Thud.

Mero's impact broke the pavement and the mind control.

Pidge blinked, her eyes growing wide in horror as everything that had just happened came flashing through her mind. She looked at Shiro, pushing himself up from Mero, at Allura, writhing on the floor, then back at the swarms of Galra overwhelming the others.

She rushed back to Allura, picked her up and held her dagger to her neck. “MINIONS! RANGERS! EVERYONE! STOP!”

Keith's shield broke, bullets and strikes struck him unimpeded. He was about to slash with his sword for his final stand, when Pidge's face with her now-normal eyes showed up inside all the rangers' helmets, invisible to the enemy.

Confused, the Galra Troopers stopped attacking, though they didn't let their guard down, still aiming their guns at the others and holding their melee weapons at the ready.

“I suggest you rangers surrender now,” Pidge growled. “I'm sure we can all see that you've lost this battle, and all that you can really change is how quick and painless you want your deaths to be.”

Mero threw Shiro off of her, and brushed off stray bits of cracked concrete off her body. “Alright, go Green Girl!”

“Shut up! Gah, I can feel my brain cells dying every time you open your mouth!”

Mero scowled and crossed her arms. “Hmph!”

“Minions: bring the other rangers back to me. I want them all to see each other one last time, before I end them.”

“Do it...” Allura muttered, feigning hopelessness.

“And make it quick, minions!” Mero added. “We've got a LOT of things to do when I take over this city!”

Haggar frowned. “Something's up.”

“No worries, Boss, I got this!” Mero said.

Haggar was about to speak up, before Zarkon stopped her. “Let her be...” he hummed.

The Galra minions marched Keith and Hunk back to Pidge at gunpoint, while Lance was unceremoniously thrown over the shoulder of one of the giants.

“Agh! Hey! I'm pretty sure I've got cracked ribs or something here, be more gentle, will you?!”

The Galra ignored him.

Soon, the Rangers were all pilled up by Pidge's feet, their heads hung in defeat and their weapons laying abandoned on the ground.

“So like, this is it, right?” Mero asked. “We win and I get to totally take over this city?”

“Oh, Valentino's going to be part of the Galra Empire alright—just not with you ruling over it,” Pidge replied calmly.

Mero grinned, before she realized just what she had said. “Wait, what…?” she asked, her face falling. “You're on my side, aren't you? I mean hello, we're all Galra here!”

“Not anymore you're not...” Pidge muttered as she raised her hand. “Minions! Prepare to get rid of this sorry excuse for a Robeast!”

Mero looked at her in disbelief, before she stared in horror at the Galra troops aiming their guns at her, coming in closer with their weapons at the ready. “Boss? Lady Haggar?! Emperor Zarkon! You're not going to let her do this, are you?!”

Haggar huffed. “You've 'got this,' don't you…?”

Mero's eyes widened as the Galra formed a circle around her.

Pidge stepped back closer to the others. “Before you all fire and destroy Mero over there, I'd just like to say:

“Thanks for falling into my trap!”

Pidge blasted out a wave of healing energy, bringing all the rangers back up to their feet.

The Galra and Mero couldn't see her smug grin, but they could just tell.

[aion-rsa]

Aquaman Comics Reading Order

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Ready to learn all about the true king of Atlantis? We've got a guide to Aquaman comics for you.

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Feature

Movies

Marc Buxton

Aquaman

Dec 14, 2018

DC Entertainment

After so many years of being laughed at, marginalized, and misunderstood, Aquaman is finally getting his due. With the Aquaman movie finally here, it’s hard to imagine a time when the King of Atlantis wasn’t an A-list member of DC’s heroic pantheon. But between the disrespect our poor soggy king has suffered on TV shows like Entourage and in parodies like Robot Chicken, it can be truly said that Aquaman is the Rodney Dangerfield of the superhero set: he gets no respect.

Until now that is! With Jason Momoa starring in Aquaman’s first live action solo outing, Arthur Curry is ready to take his rightful place as a kick-ass fan-favorite. But comic book fans have known for decades that Aquaman is indeed a great superhero. Since the 1940s, Aquaman has been a constant star of DC Comics. In fact, along with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow, Aquaman is one of the few DC superheroes who has remained in continuous publication since the 1940s. And yes, there have been some bad Aquaman comics over the years, but there have also been plenty of great ones. To the rest of the world, Aquaman might have been a joke, but to comic fans, he was always worthy of kingly respect.

The Search for Mera

by Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo (1968-1969)

“The Search for Mera” is nestled right in between the era of the Filmation Aquaman cartoon that inspired the sugary cereal-addled brains of so many young DC fans of the '60s and the Super Friends era of the 1970s. You see, Aquaman was an almost constant Saturday morning presence in the 60s-80s. But alas, many of those ‘toons were not kind to Arthur Curry, often highlighting the Sea King’s limited power set and some of the sillier elements of the hero’s history (we’re looking at you Tusky the Walrus).

read more: Aquaman Movie Review

But embedded between these animated portrayals of Aquaman was this comic book highlight. “The Search for Mera” saw Aquaman embark on his greatest quest after his wife disappears. The desperate search takes him across the oceans, into the clutches of Black Manta, to the surface world, and beyond. Writer Steve Skeates defines Aquaman and his extended family as Jim Aparo delivers some of the greatest interior artwork the character has ever had. This tale proved Aquaman could be a great protagonist in an intense, modern action tale in an era of cartoon camp.

buy Aquaman: The Search for Mera on Amazon

Death of a Prince

by David Michelinie and Jim Aparo (1977-1978)

I mean, who kills a baby? What in the honest hell? Aquaman was a silly character they said. Aquaman is campy, what with the walrus and riding seahorses and the drumming octopus, they said. Aquababy is stupid, they said. Well, in this classic tale, Black Manta freakin’ kills freakin’ Aquababy. So put that in your conch shell and smoke it.

read more - Aquaman: How the King of Atlantis Got His Throne

Over at Marvel, people were still shocked over the death of Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man. David Michelinie was all like, “Hold my beer!” and to top it off, "Death of a Prince" is a damn good story as well. Black Manta kidnaps the infant Prince of Atlantis and forces Aquaman to fight Aqualad. If Aquaman doesn’t kill his sidekick, Manta will kill Aquababy. Aquaman indeed fights Aqualad to create a ruse in order to stage a rescue. But it’s too late, the cute lil’ fish prince drowns. In an air bubble. A wedge is driven between Aqualad and Aquaman and Mera and Arthur are left mourning their infant son. This story arc changed the world of Aquaman forever and instantly transformed Black Manta into one of the most repellant villains in the DCU.

buy Aquaman: Death of a Prince on Amazon

Aquaman Vol. 2 #1-4

by Neil Pozner and Craig Hamilton (1986)

This was Aquaman’s first time in the spotlight after Crisis on Infinite Earths. With absolutely lush art from the great Craig Hamilton, this 1986 mini-series put Aquaman on the trajectory of a high fantasy type character. Foregoing the usual superhero tropes, Pozner and Hamilton present a tale of adventure, betrayal, and magic, fleshing  out Aquaman’s origin while connecting DC’s Atlantis to the ancient Atlantis presented in the pages of DC’s Arion, Lord of Atlantis, giving the whole thing a pulpy, old school fantasy feel that would drive the character for decades to come.

read more: Complete DCEU Movies Schedule

The series also presents a new look at Aquaman’s evil brother Ocean Master, but most fans will recognize this series for the intro of a new costume, an ocean camo bit of hyper designed awesomeness that was sadly short lived. I mean, don’t disrespect the orange and green, but there’s something to be said for the sleek beauty of this regal suit.

The Legend of Aquaman

by Keith Giffen, Robert Loren Fleming, and Curt Swan (1989)

After the epic blue camo Aquaman had run his course, writers Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming along with the single greatest Superman artist of all time (and I’ll fight you if you disagree) Curt Swan brought back the classic look Aquaman in this fun reimagining of the character’s origin.

read more - Aquaman Villains Explained: Who is Ocean Master?

This special revealed that Aquaman’s iconic orange and green outfit was actually a prison uniform and also ironically reveals where the name Aquaman came from. This is a fun read, but really, the draw here is the Swan artwork as the artist returns to the classics and shows why Aquaman and his world are always so compelling.

buy The Legend of Aquaman on Amazon

The Atlantis Chronicles

by Peter David and Esteban Maroto (1990)

And now we get to the Peter David era. We’ll talk about what the legendary writer Peter David did for Aquaman in a moment, but before David got busy crafting one of the greatest eras of Aquaman ever, the scribe delved deep into the past of Atlantis.

read more - Aquaman Villains Explained: Who is Black Manta?

Before Atlantis Chronicles, the legend of DC’s Atlantis was disjointed at best. There was an Atlantis made up of merpeople as presented in the Superman family of books, there was Aquaman’s Atlantis, and there was a myriad number of Atlantises (Atlanti?) chronicled in books like Sea Devils and Arion. Somehow, in Atlantis Chronicles, David was able to unify all these distinct sunken kingdoms into a cohesive history so fascinating that it would make Tolkien giddy, all the while laying a foundation for the mythos that would drive his Aquaman forward for years to come. 

buy The Atlantis Chronicles on Amazon

The Peter David Years

with Martin Egelund and Jim Calafiore

Many fans consider Peter David’s Aquaman the high point of the Sea King’s publishing history. In Aquaman: Time and Tide we get yet another take on Aquaman’s origin, infusing the oft told tale with the trademark Peter David humor and pathos. After Time and Tide, David really got rolling and did the unthinkable. Just a few issues into his classic run, Aquaman had his hand devoured by piranha. Soon after, Aquaman forged a harpoon for a hand, grew his hair and beard out, and basically became undersea Conan which is all sorts of awesome.

read more - Aquaman: The 1984 Fan Film

These stories are peppered with the mythology created for Atlantis Chronicles while finding unique directions for Mera and Aqualad. David added to Aquaman’s supporting cast with Aquaman’s long lost son Koryak and the forgotten DC heroine Dolphin. In this run, Aquaman fights Lobo, visits Hell, invades Japan, and presents a tour of the undersea realms of the DCU. This is not only the best run in the character’s long history, it was also one of DC’s best books of the tail end of the twentieth century.

And you just know there’s going to be a harpoon hand in Jason Momoa's cinematic future as Aquaman.

read Aquaman by Peter David on Amazon

Sub Diego

by Will Pfeifer and Patrick Gleason (2004)

The first real high point of Aquaman in the new century begins with the sinking of San Diego. In American Tidal, Aquaman becomes to the redubbed Sub Diego what Batman is to Gotham City. You see, not only did San Diego sink, the residents were transformed into water breathers and Aquaman must become the city’s protector while solving the mystery of who was behind the sinking of the home of the Padres and Comic Con. This storyline also introduces a new Aquagirl and is basically a six issue treatise on what makes Aquaman and his world so special.

read Aquaman: Sub Diego on Amazon

The New 52

with Ivan Reis, Pere Pérez, Pete Woods, and Paul Pelletier (2011-2014)

“The Trench,” “The Others,” “Throne of Atlantis,” Death of a King.” These four stories have become the stuff of Aqua-legend thanks to Geoff Johns, and you'll see elements of all four of them in the Aquaman movie. Even through all the awesome Aqua-tales listed above, in 2011, Aquaman was still considered something of a joke. Through a deep examination of what makes Aquaman so great, Johns put that nonsense to rest forever with a thoughtful group of tales with one foot in the pond of reality and one in the pond of adventure fantasy to present an Aquaman for a new age.

read more - Justice League: Complete DC Comics Easter Eggs Guide

While many of the New 52 titles quickly went belly up, Aquaman endured. During his time on Aquaman, Johns added many elements to the Atlantis mythos and presented a tale that put the tired old Aqua-jokes a much needed burial at sea. 

buy Aquaman Vol. 1: The Trench on Amazon

Rebirth

by Dan Abnett, Brad Walker, Phillipe Briones, and more (2016 - 2018)

Taking what Geoff Johns built and turning that sucker up to the next level, Dan Abnett has continued the golden age of Aquaman. Intrigue, betrayal, mayhem, and more action than you can shake a tuna at; Abnett has Song of Ice and Fire-d the world of Aquaman and brought palace intrigue to Atlantis.

Abnett recently wrapped his top notch run on Aquaman, a run that saw Arthur give up the throne to find his place as a hero on both the surface and in the sea, having handed the reins to the brilliant Kelly Sue DeConnick, who will take Aquaman to greater heights...or depths.

buy Aquaman Rebirth Vol. 1: The Drowning on Amazon

The Aquaman movie opens on Dec. 21.

from Books https://ift.tt/2Qx9vtQ

[mado-science]

If you like fish, if you like watching them in a ... If you like fish, if you like watching them in a fishbowl or in an aquarium or when snorkeling or scuba diving; if you like how beautiful some of them are, how weird others are, how strange their behaviors can get; you’ll like this book. You’ll like the breadth of his research, the lightness of his humor, his deep appreciation for fish (or “fishes” as he calls them, to help us understand their plurality and variety). You’ll like how he makes you think about them in new ways: their emotions, their senses, their consciousness, their life in community. Go to Amazon

Fishes are fascinating. Prepare for a great read. Who would have thought that reading about fishes could be so entertaining and educational? After all, I was taught to believe that a fish is a fish is a fish is a fish, … just automatons peddling water waiting for food and sex, sex and food, food and sex, until they become food to other fishes. Other than different colors and shapes, their lives were unremarkable and just plain boring. Go to Amazon

Not only what a fish knows, but what a fish senses and feels. Great and Timely Book! Jonathan Balcombe, a research biologist, explores the cognitive and sensory abilities of fish. Some fish mate for life, some fish are curious about humans, others not, and others flee. But these conscious beings living their lives. Why do we have no compassion when we catch them? Why do we have no fear about dumping anything into the sea, polluting and ravaging it? Let's be more aware of the denizens of the ocean while we still share a planet, really originally their planet, and let's understand the creatures of the ocean. It's a fascinating and great and timely book. Kudos. Go to Amazon

This book is wonderfully written, full of scientific data The timing for the release of this book auspicious for me since I just stocked some of my ponds with goldfish. Reading this book has refreshingly opened up a new world when observing and dealing with them. Rather than see them as programmed robots I now I see them as animals equal in many respects to mammals. I see them play, socialize to the point of intimacy, problem-solve (how to maneuver around a wall), etc. This book is wonderfully written, full of scientific data, and humanizing anecdotes, all sprinkled with humor and a sense of awe. Great read. Go to Amazon

RESF Who knew that fish were so smart? We don't give the animal kingdom enough credit for smarts. Go to Amazon

happier and kinder This is one of those books that is not only an fascinating read, but opens one's consciousness to a whole new world. This is a book that will expand the way we humans experience who we are, making us more complete, and by definition, happier and kinder. I am so grateful to Jonathan Balcombe for this gift. A marvelous read! Go to Amazon

Empathy beyond species I began this book certain that my innate cynicism would be insulation enough to preserve my view of fishes as unfeeling food. I was wrong. While I still regard often brutally painful demise as the shared and inevitable fate of all life, I gained a new appreciation for the many other life experiences we have in common with fish. Go to Amazon

Highly recommended! Three cheers for our distant cousins! Great book. Changed my perception of our underwater cousins Quick read,lots of current facts and behavioral studies, enterained me Four Stars and it was also a good read. I read many books but review few. This book ... Clearly the author did a good deal of research in order to write this Good but very biased. I loved this book

[zacknano17]

Day 20: words 38,019 - 40,047

In which, yet another beloved recurring character shows up and steals the show.

“I don't know,” Salvatore says.  “She kept secrets from me too, I'm afraid.  But if I had to guess...well, she and Alfonso had a home on the other side of town.  She's been living here, as near as I can tell, but she never sold the old house.  I always assumed it was a sentimental thing.”

“Great. So she teleported across town, huh?” Merle mutters.

“Show us the way,” Magnus demands.

“I can get there faster if you give me the address,” Kravitz says.

Salvatore shook his head.  “I would take you two to save your friend, but I can't knowingly invite an emissary of the God of Death to my lady's side,” he says.

“Listen. I wouldn't worry so much.  We've cheated soooo many souls back from this guy already, I'm sure it'd be no problem to do it again,” Magnus replies.

“You people make my job extremely difficult,” Kravitz says.  He sounds irate.  His accent is shifting again.

“Well, I mean, we did,” Merle points out.

“All right, you listen and you listen good,” Kravitz continues, focusing on the orc now.  “I have her name, and if you think I won't find her on my own, then you don't know much about the Raven Queen, do you?  Either you take us to her now and try and convince me why I ought to let her soul remain here, or I will find her myself and Reap her myself.”

Salvatore falls silent for a moment, and the book still in Kravitz' hand is snapped open again.  He drags his finger down the page, as if searching for something.

There is a mighty sigh, and Salvatore seems to make up his mind about something.  He turns toward Magnus, deliberately ignoring Kravitz' threats.  “Fine.  I will lead you to her house,” he says, resigned.  “Follow me.  I will show you the way.”

Kravitz' finger stops midway down the page and then quite suddenly jerks his finger to the side, raising a small cloud of golden dust.  He snaps the book closed and plucks a feather from his cloak.  As soon as the gold glitter on his finger touches the black feather, it begins to float, point down, about an inch above his palm.  The gold slowly overtakes it, until it is completely gold.

The book, apparently no longer needed, vanishes from his hand, and he adjust the feather so that is hovering horizontally over his hand. The point spins like a compass and settles on a direction.

He gives a pointed look at Salvatore.  “I will know if you're trying to trick us,” he says.

“I don't know if she is at the house,” Salvatore reminds him.  “I respect what you are trying to do.  But I can't know for certain where she is.  I will take you there, but if she isn't there, you cannot find fault with me.”

“Also, Krav, my man, you're gonna freak a lot of folks out if you walk down Main Street in that get up,” Magnus points out.

“...that is a fair point,” Kravitz admits.  He drops the scythe, and, as soon as he lets go of it, it dissolves into thin air.  Then his skeletal features sort of melt away and in their place appears a handsome face with an elaborate three piece suit, all done in black and deep purple and gold.  His hair is adorned with gold and purple beads and trinkets, and his fingers are heavy with rings.

The feather remains suspended over his hand, pointing insistently to the west.

“Shall we?” he asks.

Salvatore seems unfazed, but he does blink a few times at Kravitz before nodding.  “Please follow me.”

He leads them up out of the basement and takes a moment to turn the store sign to 'Closed' before he closes and locks the door behind them.  Alfonso, still quiet and apathetic, comes with them.  The creepy as fuck fake Taako does not.  It's a long walk, and the sun is slowly setting over the horizon in front of them.  The feather continues to point vaguely in the direction they are walking.

“You know,” Merle comments, breaking the silence that has overtaken the five of them, “did we even ask what she's got Taako for?  I don't quite get why she took him in the first place.”

“Hey, yeah.  That's a good point,” Magnus realizes.

“This I cannot help you with,” Salvatore admits.  “She took a shine to him as soon as she saw him, though I suspected at the time it was because he bears a superficial resemblance to Alfonso.”

Magnus looks at the elf accompanying them.  Now that Taako has gone back to his original hair color, he sees it a little.  Alfonso doesn't have that same ethereal beauty as Taako does, and his hair is cut quite a bit shorter.  His clothing is more...sensible, definitely less flashy.  But they are roughly the same height and have similar builds.

“Salvatore...you said that she tried to make Alfonso whole again with necromancy, right?” Magnus asks, with a sudden feeling of dread heavy in his mind.  “And that it didn't work?”

“That is correct, but I don't know what it is that she tried to do.”

“Hm.” Kravitz is looking Alfonso over again, not appearing to like what he sees.  “I assume it's the same sort of thing that went down in the Miller Lab.  I deal with this sort of situation a whole lot more often than you'd think.  People are always trying to fish people's souls out of the Astral Sea, as though it's that simple.”

“But instead of putting his soul into a robot, like Lucas did, she was going to put it into this dude she made,” Magnus suggests.  “But that didn't work.”

“Of course it didn't work.  This -- this isn't a vessel.  She used the Relic to make a person, and that's what it made,” Kravitz explains. “He isn't empty.  A body without a soul is a doll, completely catatonic.  This man walks around and speaks.  He doesn't have a whole soul, because she didn't try to make one of those.  But he isn't empty.  You can't put a soul into a body without taking the old soul out first, and that really isn't as easy as it sounds.”

Magnus looks over at Alfonso.  His expression is still the same and he is staring straight ahead as he walks, as if they aren't just talking about him right over here.  He doesn't seem to have any particular interest in the conversation, for the most part.  But he glances over at Magnus.

“I'm a person,” he says.  “I'm not empty.”

“Seems that way,” Magnus agrees.

“That still don't explain what she needs Taako for,” Merle points out. “If she can't rip his soul out to make room for a new one, then how is Taako gonna help with that?  Does Taako know how to rip people's souls out?”

“I doubt it.  That's a rather high level spell,” Kravitz replies. “Difficult to perform, even for the most skilled necromancer.  And, as far as I know, Taako's specialization is transmutation, not necromancy.”

“That's true,” Magnus muses.  “Is she a necromancer?  I guess I just assumed she was an illusionist.”

“She is an illusionist,” Salvatore clarifies.  “She didn't study any necromancy until she got her hands on that awful grimoire, and that was simply because she didn't know how else to get Alfonso's soul back.”

“And it's all just written down in a book?” Merle asks.  “Easy as that?”

“It isn't easy,” Kravitz insists.  “But it is possible. Usually at great cost, literally and metaphorically.  I assume our friend here had an advantage on that front, thanks to the fact that she can use the Relic to just create all her spell components.”

“Yes, that's it,” Salvatore confirms.  “The spell components were either unbelievably rare or difficult to obtain, or ridiculously expensive.  Bypassing the components would take a great deal of necromantic proficiency, of which she does not have.”

“Great, so she's got a Grand Relic and access to a bunch of necromantic spells that she shouldn't be able to do,” Magnus sighs. “Sounds like we're going to have a lot of fun with this one, huh, Merle?”

“Oh, I'm so excited I can barely stand it,” Merle deadpans.

They walk in silence for a few more minutes.  Salvatore turns the party down a few side streets, and Magnus watches as the houses they pass fall further and further into disrepair.

“Is it possible,” he says thoughtfully, “that she could learn the ability to pull someone's soul out of their body from that book?  You said it was difficult, but possible, right?”

Kravitz, now that he has a face, looks distinctly uncomfortable at the possibility.

“It would depend on the book, but...it is conceivable, yes.”

“So what if she made Alfonso here and, when she figured out why he wasn't her Alfonso, she figured it was because she had done something wrong instead of because he already had a soul or whatever he's got? Then she thinks the body is wrong, so she...took Taako instead?”

“She wouldn't do that,” Salvatore insists.

“Okay, but she did make a fake Taako, and also kidnapped Taako, apparently,” Magnus points out.  “She's done a lot of shitty things that she wouldn't normally do, right?”

“...I suppose she has.”

“So would it really be that far out if she had kidnapped Taako in order to rip his soul out of his body and put a different one in?”

There is silence after this question.  No one wants to admit that Magnus might be right.  Not even Magnus.

“Boys, we should probably hurry,” he decides.

No one argues.

The grimoire bursts into flames, and Rebekah screams.

Taako's aim was true; nothing but the book has suffered damage.  Rebekah has fallen backwards, away from the flaming pages, and Taako's body seems unburnt.  She whirls around in shock, but before she can see the umbra staff that had turned to aim at the grimoire, something else catches her attention.

“Rebekah? Rebekah!”

A ripple of shock goes through Taako at the sound of his voice.  It's weak and scratchy, like he hasn't had anything to drink in a while, but it's still his voice.  He hadn't said that.  He hadn't said anything.

The ritual.  Rebekah had completed the ritual before Taako had managed to destroy the book.

Rebekah turns toward the table, and Taako is horrified to see his body twitching and moving.  “...Alfonso?  Alfonso, love, is that you?” she asks.

“What...what's happening?  I'm...chained to the table?” not-Taako says.

“Please, be calm.  I had to make sure the ritual worked before I let you free,” she replies, stroking his hair gently.  There are tears on her cheeks, but she's smiling.  “Are you all right?  How do you feel?”

Taako understands what is happening, finally.  She has taken his soul out of his body and used his body to house the soul of her dearly departed husband.  And he can't do a fucking thing about it, but to watch.  Just casting those mage hands has all but depleted his magical energy, and he couldn't be sure the staff would just fire on its own again.  It doesn't do that very often.

He is aware then, dimly, of another presence in the room.  It's not something he can see as much as he can feel.  It's odd -- he can't feel anything touching him, but it's a different sort of feeling.  And maybe it's because he's just a soul and, in a way, he is sort of dead (or undead?), he can sort of put a shape to the feeling.  It's like seeing, but it's not actual sight.

He is aware of a pair of skeletal hands just before they carefully wrap around him and lift him from his perch on the desk.  He senses the brush of red fabric from the sleeves of the mysterious intruder's robe.  He knows who this is.  He wants to cry.

Lup?  Lup, is that you?

It has to be Lup.  It has to! He has forgotten her for so long -- how could he forget Lup?  But she's here now!  She has saved him!