#diamond city surplus

[blackmoonowl]

ok but what is something han(d)cock, nick valentine, danse and macCready would only do for you and not for anyone else

Only for you

Things they do for you/let you do and absolutely nobody else.

John Hancock, Nick Valentine, Paladin Danse, Robert MacCready

John Hancock:

He is far more committed to you than anyone before. Before he met you he wasn't too interested in exclusive relationships, simply sleeping around, but now he doesn't care too much about anyone else that way.

You have the biggest scary dog privilege. People are terrified of Hancock and he uses that reputation to make sure nobody gets too comfortable disrespecting you.

You can thieve his coat, his hat and all that. Just don't damage it. If anything he likes it when you wear his stuff, makes him feel a bit more possessive.

He makes sure people of Goodneighbor like you a lot. Those who don't like you, have probably been threatened into not trying anything to harm you. That, or they mysteriously just go missing. Whitechapel Charlie also gives you free drinks now.

If you're running around Goodneighbor he might ask the Neighborhood watch to keep an eye on you. He doesn't tell you this, but he does it just to be sure. Last thing he wants is to lose you to some jackass who thinks they have the right.

Might begrudgingly cut back on chems and booze a bit if that's what you want. He won't give it up, but he's willing to take a bit less for you.

Nick Valentine:

Lets you run your fingers over the spots where his 'skin' is missing. He doesn't mind you touching him there, as long as you're careful about it.

You get to hear about all his cases. He often rants to you as he tries to put a case he's stuck on together. You're his shoulder to lean on and he appreciates you hearing him out.

Often buys you things from Diamond city's markets. Not uncommon for him to come home with things he thinks you'll like. He carefully studies your habits, the way your eyes lit up when you saw a specific item the Surplus had. Nick told you he had to stay behind a bit and when he came back, he had that exact item held behind has back as he greeted you.

Talks about you quite often with the Diamond city residents. You quickly found out the people within the settlements were a lot nicer to you, even if they questioned why any sane person would be with a synth.

Like a mom, he has a knack for finding random items you lose. You tell him you've been looking for your pistol for literal days and he just pulls it out from under your bed as if it's nothing.

Writes down important dates, anniversaries and whatever else is important to you so he doesn't forget. Part of his wall is just full with random notes about things he doesn't wanna forget about your relationship.

Paladin Danse:

Smiles a whole lot more for you. He cracks smiles more often when you're around, and he seems to get a bit more comfortable with his newfound emotions.

talks to you about how he's doing. His fears, insecurities, how he struggles with his new identity as a synth. He trusts you to reassure him, to make him feel like he's someone after he lost it all.

You're the only person he trusts with his power armor, along with his weapons. You could utilize any of it and he wouldn't really bat an eye anymore, even if he's hesitant at first.

Would actually tolerate synths and ghouls for your sake. He still dislikes them, but he'd be a bit more polite if you were fond of them. He would also feel kind of bad if you scolded him about his prejudice.

He kind of acts like a body guard when it comes to you. He has no issue putting his life on the line to protect yours. Also, he secretly believes your life is worth more than him, as he's just a synth, though he won't say it willingly.

Has actually done some repairs to your weapons and any power armor you have. Last thing he wants is for you to meet your end because you got sloppy with your equipment.

Robert Joseph MacCready:

Absolute biggest defender when it comes to you. You punched someone square in the face? They probably had it coming anyway. Maybe they shouldn't have pissed you off.

Would take a bullet for you, quite literally. He lost Lucy, he would rather die protecting you than be the one burying you. For all his talk of surviving, he's determined to die before you do.

You're the only person he gives things to. He is used to hogging things for himself out of self preservation, but you'd get his left kidney if you asked.

Overall you can get away with a lot more. MacCready isn't exactly the most morally upright person, and he doesn't like when you're nice or generous, but you, you get a pass. He doesn't get as annoyed if you're too generous.

Such a sap around you too. If he's comfortable and you're alone, you get a very soft MacCready. He'll tell you whatever's on his mind as he's snuggled up at your side.

You are the only person he trusts with Duncan. He feels at ease leaving his son with you, like he doesn't have to worry about anything going wrong. He loves you spending time with the little guy.

[atonalginger]

Through Plasma and Flames, update #18

Chapter 18: Breakfast of Champions, is now live on ao3.

In the early morning hours Preston, Dawn, and Vadim sit down for breakfast before hiking out to the coast to reclaim The Castle.

To dive into the latest chapter, click heres!

To start at the beginning click here.

And as always a sneak peek of the chapter below!

--

“I need to radio Diamond City Surplus,” Yefim had turned around and wandered back into his room, “I can tell her something came up and come up with a better excuse later.”  

“Minutemen strike again,” Dawn mumbled with a laugh.  

“We keep this up,” Preston said, thinking back to when they negotiated direct trades with Arturo and the Diamond City farms, “and Myrna’s going to start telling everyone we’re Institute Synths.”  

“She already does that,” Yefim said with a frown as he passed by the table for the back office, “You because of your warm friendly demeanor and Dawn because she talks funny.”  

“I do not,” Dawn tried to look scandalized as she watched after their host.  

“And Preston isn’t constantly smiling,” Yefim said over his shoulder, “I heard her once say Moe is a synth because only synths like baseball. That woman isn’t ruled by logic.”  

“Has anyone ever suggested she’s an institute plant sent to sow discord in the settlement by purposely assuming everyone is a synth and acting hostile toward newcomers?” Dawn asked loud enough for Yefim to hear from across the Dugout, “her behavior reeks of intentional setup. Her paranoia is textbook psyop.”  

“And that,” Preston playfully poked her in the arm, “is why Myrna thinks you talk funny.”  

Dawn let out a loud belly laugh, her scarred right hand to her chest as she leaned back in her chair. Rudy looked up from his tasks with a giant toothy grin, her jubilant humor infectious for everyone in the room. She shrugged her shoulders as she said, “I’m just saying.”  

“What’s this about Myrna being a synth?” Vadim asked as he came out of the kitchen with a tray of plates. Codsworth followed behind with another tray, causing Preston to wonder just how much food those two had cooked.  

“Would you be quiet so I can actually radio the woman?” Yefim popped up in the open archway with wide, frustrated eyes, “I do not need any of this picked up.”

[shigbyco]

Diamond City Business Logos, Part I: Diamond City Surplus

I know the world of Fallout 4 is a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and doing business in the ruins of Boston can't be easy. However, I felt that all the businesses in Diamond City could use more interesting branding, and I've set out to make a logo flash sheet for each shop.

First up, Diamond City Surplus. This shop is run by Myrna and her robot Percy. They carry a wide variety of items, and are open 24/7. Stop by today and restock your supplies, as long as you're not a synth!

Stay tuned for more!

More in this series:

Part II: Commonwealth Weaponry

Part III: Swatters

[out-of-the-loupe]

Dans Le Bleu, Ch. 2

Read chapter 2 on AO3 here.

Of all the alarm clocks to have, Renee wasn’t expecting to be woken by the sound of a drunk customer in the morning. She jolted, blinking. Once she gathered her thoughts, she remembered; she was lying in the Dugout Inn, the only inn in Diamond City to let her stay for free. The upper stands place hardly even looked at her when she walked in. At least Vadim agreed to let her stay in exchange for taking Scarlett’s shift.

She forced herself to sit up with a groan, running a hand through her hair. Her shoulder and leg were stiff. She tilted her head from side to side to stretch out her neck and stood. No time to waste. She had a flower to find.

A…Hubflower, apparently.

Renee grabbed her jeans where she’d tossed them over a chair and pulled them on, noticing the dark red blood staining the material. She’d have to buy a new pair when she managed to get some caps.

She yawned again. Mornings always started far too early for her liking. She dug around in her bag for a hairbrush and managed to tame her long auburn hair before tying it back. A mirror on the wall showed her she looked just as she felt: exhausted. She shifted her head back and forth, a habit she picked up from watching her father shave in the mornings, and was pleased to see all the usual freckles and light scars were in place.

“Damn it…” She shrugged on her jacket, stepped into her boots, and grabbed her stuff.

Yefim swept up a broken bottle by the bar. “Good morning!” He said, though he didn’t smile.

“G’morning.” Renee gave him a nod.

“Hey, thanks again for last night.” Scarlett walked by carrying some dirty dishes. “I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

She ignored the distasteful growl her stomach made and left the building. The early sun peaked through the clouds and a layer of fog hugged the ground. There weren’t many people out and about this early, and for once the market was quiet. She went around to the shops anyway to see if she could pawn off some ammo—though she knew she shouldn’t.

The weapon shop was still shuttered, but a Mr. Handy bot hovered in front of a different store seemed open to customers. The flickering neon above him read “Diamond City Surplus.” She trudged over, fishing for the ammo.

“Good morning, miss!” The Mr. Handy greeted, chipper as always. “Diamond City Surplus is open day or night for all your shopping needs!”

“Mm-hm.” Renee pulled out the ammo box and fished out a few bullets. “Listen, weird question, but, uh… How much for these?”

The Mr. Handy squinted all three eyes at her. “For five bullets, miss?”

“Yes?” She held them out in her palm.

“With all due respect, miss, you wouldn’t even have enough for a bowl of noodles.”

Renee continued holding out her hand. “Listen, I’ll take anything I can get. I’m broke.”

“Very well…” He sighed and plucked the bullets from her hand and replaced them with five rusty bottlecaps. “There.”

She blinked. “That’s it?”

“I did tell you. Would you like your ammunition back?”

“Well for this, yeah!”

The robot held out the bullets but didn’t drop them in her waiting hand. “That’ll be twenty-five caps.”

Renee sputtered and felt her face grow hot. “T-twenty-five caps?! What the hell do you think you’re trying to pull?”

“All sales are final, even those on the part of the customer. Twenty-five caps.” As if to add insult to injury, he shook the bullets.

She pocketed her five caps and flipped him off. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Have a pleasant day, miss.”

Renee grit her teeth from saying anything further and instead turned. She noticed movement in the corner of her eye and was surprised to see none other than Curie, shaking out a rug outside her apartment. “Curie?”

“Oh, good morning, Madame Jones!” She smiled, laying the rug back in front of the door.

“Uh, just Renee is fine.” Renee put her hands in the pockets of her jacket. “Didn’t expect to see you this morning.”

“I always wake early.” Curie cocked her head. “But what about you? You should really rest.”

“Yeah, some asshole at the Dugout made that impossible.” She reached to massage her shoulder. She decided not to tell the good doctor about how she spent the evening and much of the night waiting tables. “I feel fine anyway.”

Curie furrowed her brow but didn’t press it. “I see. ‘Ave you found zhe samples yet?”

“No, I was about to head out. You wouldn’t happen to have one I could see, do you? I realized last night that I don’t actually know what a Hubflower looks like…”

Curie’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh! Of course, just a moment…” She disappeared back into her apartment.

Renee stood awkwardly waiting. She kicked at the ground. Around her, the rest of Diamond City continued to slowly wake up. She heard a man groan as he pushed the metal shutter up in his stall. When he flicked the sign on, she saw it said Chem-I-Care.

“’Ere, zhis should help.” Curie returned presently and held out her open notebook.

The page was filled with detailed sketches of plants with notes scribbled in the margins. She couldn’t read most of the notes as they seemed to be partially in another language, but she did recognize the plant. She laughed. “You could’ve just said it’s a Deathbell.”

“A…what?” Curie took the notebook back and looked at her notes.

“Well, that’s we call them back home. Deathbells. Don’t know why, but that’s what I’ve always heard them called.” Renee moved to stand next to the woman and pointed at the picture. She caught a whiff of perfume and realized it was Curie.

Curie, however, didn’t seem to notice how close they were. “I see. So zhere are regional names for common flora…” She took a pen from the front pocket on her lab coat and jotted down the name.

Renee swallowed hard. She fought the urge to pull closer to the warm woman. “Y-yeah. So I’ll just grab some of those and get right back to you.”

“Zhey can be found all over zhe Commonwealth, so I doubt you will ‘ave to travel far. I just ‘ave some experiments zhat are time-sensitive.” Curie snapped the book shut.

Renee stepped back. “Gotcha. Well, I guess I’ll see you later then?”

“Yes, ideally. I really do need zhose soon.” Curie smiled again before she turned to go back inside. “And please be careful!”

“I will. How much trouble can I get into just walking out the gate?”

~:o:~:o:~:o:~

As it turned out, quite a bit of trouble. Her rifle bounced on her back as she ran from a pack of mongrels back to the city. She managed to find quite a few Deathbells—Hubflowers, out by an old train track. Unfortunately, while cutting them, some wild dogs snuck up on her.

One of the mongrels snapped at her forearm, sinking its teeth in. She came to a jarring halt and tried to fling it off, but it held fast. “Get off me!” She shouted, reaching for her knife with her other hand. The dog shrieked as she plunged the blade into its head.

It was just enough time for the other two mongrels to catch up and she whirled. Another leapt at her, but she was quick to slash out with the knife and it fell past her with a whimper. She flipped the blade over in her hand. “Wanna join your buddies today?” She snarled, eying the mutt.

The mongrel slowed and stopped a few feet from her, growling. If it had lips they’d be raised. Yellow, blood-stained teeth flashed in the late morning light.

She narrowed her eyes. “Leave me alone.”

It growled again before turning around and jogging away.

She sheathed her knife, careful not to accidentally cut her belt in the process. “Hmph.” She scowled at the two dead mongrels before turning to continue her journey.

The Wall came into view before the rest of Diamond City and the guards paid her little mind as she walked in. By now the rest of the Great Green Jewel was awake and even a little girl stood on an overturned box by the entrance. Renee stopped before her.

“Arm yourself with the truth! The Publick is here to pull the wool out from under your eyes!”

Renee glanced around. “Wait, like Publick Occurrences?”

“The Commonwealth’s premier newspaper!” The girl nodded and held out a paper. “One free issue to newcomers!”

“No thanks. I’ve probably already read it.” Renee waved her hand. While in Bunker Hill she’d been forced to sell her books, and to pass the time, found some back issues of the Publick to read instead.

“In that case, can I interest you in a subscription?”

“Maybe some other time, kid.” Renee moved on to the market.

She ignored the shopkeepers hawking their wares and nearly ran into a Brahmin from one of the caravans as it passed. Above the din, she heard someone yelling about Swatters but ignored him too. Her target was Curie’s apartment and lab, and she wasn’t about to let anyone stop her.

Renee knocked on the door as she entered. “Curie?”

“Coming!”

She closed the door behind her. Curie kept her lab in the basement, and Renee entertained herself by looking around at the sparse decorations in the foyer. A shelf of worn books occupied one wall, while a laser rifle hung beside it. It looked well-loved, but she had a feeling it wasn’t by Curie’s hand.

“Ah, welcome back!” Curie wiped her hands on her lab coat. A pair of glasses were perched on her nose.

“Some Hubflowers, just like you wanted.” Renee dug them out of her bag and held them out.

“Fantastique, this is just what I needed!” Curie took the flowers with a grin. “Merci.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Renee raised her arm to rub the back of her neck. As she did so, Curie snapped out a hand to grab her wrist. “Um…”

Curie stretched out her arm. “What ‘appened to you?”

“Oh, that. I was running from some Mongrels and one managed to get me. It’s okay! I’ll be fine. Not the first time I’ve been bitten by something.”

The brunette arched an eyebrow. She began leading Renee down to the lab. “Zhe wound needs to be cleaned before infection sets in. Wild animals can carry all manner of disease.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t really call it a ‘wound’… I just need a Stim, it’s fine.”

Despite her protests, Curie had her sit on the now-familiar examination table while she brought over some water and something in an unmarked bottle. Renee slipped out of her jacket. “You know, if this keeps happening, I’m never going to be out of debt with you.”

Curie chuckled and began wiping down the bites. “Do not trouble yourself with paying me zhis time. I feel responsible; I sent you out to find samples, after all.”

“W-well…” Renee looked away.

Curie’s hands were surprisingly strong, but her touch remained gentle. She cleaned out the injury and then fetched a Stimpak from one of her lab tables. “Zhis will actually be a wonderful time to test out a new formula I ‘ave been working on. If you do not mind.”

“As long as it doesn’t kill me.” Even still, Renee eyed the syringe.

“Oh no, it will not. But I am testing to see if it is more effective zhan ozher Stimpaks. It is…difficult to test on myself.” Curie slid the syringe in Renee’s arms and emptied it.

The bites closed like a normal Stimpak would heal them. Soon all that remained were small scars that would fade in time. Renee turned her arm over and back, nodding. “See? Good as new.”

Curie sighed. “I was ‘oping it would be faster… Well, I know now zhat zhe formula does not lie with Tatos, at least.” She disposed the syringe. “Zhere.”

“Thanks, again.” Renee continued to sit on the table. She crossed her ankles and swung her legs back and forth. “So I guess that’s what the Hubflowers are for, huh?”

“Yes, my experiments.” Curie turned to a different table, this one covered in beakers and flasks and papers. “So far I ‘ave not ‘ad much luck. You see, typical Stimpaks are no good on hard tissue, such as bone. I am trying to remedy zhis.”

Renee winced. “Trust me, I’m aware.”

Curie glanced at her before picking up a test tube. “Stimpaks were invented for zhe military to serve as field medicine. As such, zhey excel in closing flesh wounds, but are not so effective on more severe wounds.” She put the tube down again and turned. “Such as your shoulder, par exemple. A Stimpak may close zhe wound, but it will do nozhing for a broken bone, and potentially incorrectly heal a torn ligament.”

“I’m aware of that too.” Renee frowned as she remembered her childhood antics that often landed her in the local doctor’s office.

The brunette hummed. “You seem to be well-acquainted with injury.”

“You could say that…” Renee jumped down from the table. “Well, what’s the next thing you need me to get for you?”

“Actually, zhis request is much safer.” Curie shuffled some papers around before finally finding the one she needed. “Could you do some shopping for me?”

Renee took the paper with a smile. “As long as you provide the caps.”

“But of course.” Curie returned it. “I appreciate your willingness to help.”

“I appreciate you being willing to patch me up when I need it. Though, we’ve gotta stop meeting like that.”

“Per’aps. But I do not mind.”

Renee looked away to distract herself before her cheeks turned red. Already she could feel the start of a blush weaving its way up her neck. “Right…” She cleared her throat.

(Originally published Sept. 1, 2021)

[krawkpaladin]

Winning the Peace Dev Diary #5 - Taking a Closer Look at Voting and Events

I'm just declaring Monday to be an honorary part of the weekend for this one.

The primary form of player interaction in Winning the Peace is done via Voting. Last Dev Diary gave an overview of how the process works, including explaining how the number of votes is calculated and how voting order is determined. But I figured a little bit more insight into the process and the thinking behind things, as well as preview a few of the events and a few more moves.

I'm actually going to start with showing some Events, because that should help with explaining Voting.

Let's start with one of the Windfalls, The Ace of Hearts.

Ace of Hearts - A good harvest this year means there's extra to go around!

Option 1 - Distribute the food throughout the City. Each Community gains 1 Resources

Option 2 - Make sure that the needy get the food first. The Community with the lowest Resources gains 3 Resources.

Option 3 - Use the surplus to prepare for lean years. Hold this card. When a Crisis card describes a famine, immediately discard it before resolving anything along with this card.

One of these options is in bold text for a reason. Most Windfalls and Flashpoints are discarded at the end of the Year, even if they were not voted on. In that case, instead of nothing happening and the Event being "wasted" as it were, one option will resolve regardless. Some Crises are discarded at the end of the year as well, though those that stay will note so on their card.

Votes will have either two or three options for players to select, which can be marked using any number of small tokens (as long as each player's is unique for clarity's sake) and placing to the left or right of the card for two-option votes and left, above, and right of the card for a three option vote. This way, as voting progresses through the initial phase, it should be readily visible as to where each player's votes lie. Much like the US Electoral System (unfortunately), only a plurality of votes is needed for an option to be chosen, as there's no run-off or ranked-choice voting here. That said, some events and moves also have extra events if a certain option receives a true majority of votes. For example, the Idealist's specific move grants 1 Engagement to every Community that voted for the winning option, provided the option received the majority of the votes.

There's also some cards that have extra effects when the relevant option is chosen. For the example above, you can ignore the next Crisis that involves a famine, which will also change your voting strategy for a year. On the other hand, those Crises that remain if they are ignored have a continuing effect as well, such as reducing gains of a specific stat, or causing a stat loss every year they remain unaddressed. Sometimes it may behoove you to ignore a Crisis if it isn't immediately urgent and you need the votes for a different Event.

Flashpoints, as mentioned earlier, are somewhat more of a mixed bag. While other cards are returned to the Event Deck once discarded, Flashpoints are removed from the game. These are much more designed to represent what the players, through their votes, think the City truly stands for. The fact that these never come up again is because they set a precedent for the City; for better or worse, this is how the City would choose to act again.

For example, consider the Flashpoint for the Ten of Diamonds - A Star-crossed Marriage

Ten of Diamonds - Determine two Communities randomly: A marriage has occurred between two young scions of these two Communities, and while the marriage is technically legal, their influential families are greatly upset and look to the Council to annul the marriage. Determine what about the marriage makes it taboo to the two Communities involved.

Option 1 - Acquiesce and annul the marriage. The involved Communities gain 1 Esprit and 1 Engagement, while all other Communities lose 1 Engagement.

Option 2 - Affirm the legality of the marriage. The involved Communities lose 2 Engagement, while all other Communities gain 1 Engagement.

Option 3 - Remain neutral. The involved Communities lose 2 Engagement and gain 1 Esprit.

These are not designed to be easy questions or have an obvious best mechanical option, and players might find their characters split between their responsibility to their Community and the City and their responsibility to their personal beliefs. The fact that Communities are pulled into mutually-exclusive benefits as part of Flashpoints also serves to make Flashpoints more difficult to navigate, even if as players we find certain choices to be uncomfortable. I am of the belief that it's still valuable to tell stories where doing the capital-R-Right-thing doesn't end well in the big picture. To quote Cpt. Picard, "If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are."

That's this week's Dev Diary. Not much left to go, just filling out the Event Deck, editing, looking over numbers, hoping I can get a playtest in before sending it out into the great blue yonder. Otherwise, it will be submitted and made public at the end of the month once I've wrung every minute of writing time as dry as dust.

This week: Baby enjoying her new window perch. It's only been up there for 3 months before she decided that it was her favorite place, though we figured the excellent midday sun would have enticed her sooner.

[not-sure-what-im-feeling]

The Ivory Isle

Hello lovelies! I wanted to tell you all about the fictional world that lives in my head rent free! It's called the Ivory Isle and it is entirely of my and my friends' creation. I apologise, but prepare to hear a lot about it.

Okay, here's the basics:

It's a fantasy world where magic is imbued in every living thing. Somethings have more magic coursing through them and others have less (ex. a dragon vs a human).

Humans act as a general antagonist of the story; they harm magic creatures constantly, and are kinda dicks in general. Now, this does not mean that all the humans are, however. Multiple of the main characters are humans working to take down the bourgeoisie, if you will.

The mainland is mostly inhabited by humans, and is divided into six kingdoms. These kingdoms are:

The Diamond City- Don't let the name fool you, this is the biggest of the six! It's where the government resides, and takes care of many of the affairs of the mainland. A lot of the Dicks TM are here in positions of power, and this includes the Carrow family (I'll do a whole other post talking about them)

Brightwater- This kingdom takes care of most of the agricultural needs of the mainland, but isn't considered to be one of the most important. However, I'm listing it second as this is where a lot of the story takes place.

Stormkeg- Probably held with the second-highest regard as Diamond City. Almost everyone who joins the 'police force' there train here, and it's a requirement for all who join the proper army.

Copperblade- Essentially a kingdom of blacksmiths. Of course, none of these are solely their main export/function, but it's what they specialize in! They put together most of the armour and weaponry for the army.

Nevermount- Mostly fisheries and such. I honestly don't have much to say about them otherwise...

Ryeville- Takes care of livestock needs and other things of the sort.

There are also islands around the mainland; most are in the water (as one would expect), but there are two(?) that aren't. Yes, we've got floating islands. But the islands in all are:

SIlvergaurd- It's a floating island chained to Stormkeg. They breed and train dragons there.

Hawkeborne- Another floating island, chained in the water next to Terreline. It's inhabited by the harpies (not typical harpies, I'll explain in a bit)

Terreline- This island is grounded, and home to the satyrs!

Swordsmount- The island that the dragons are native to. They had been taken to Silvergaurd by humans. Also floating.

Then we have the Outcast Islands! All of the islands do have a surplus of magic beings, but these are less monitered by humans. There are three of them, each meant for a bit of a different thing. (Sidenote, only one of them has a name, and in universe, it is kind of unofficial.) We have the hunting island, used by humans to hunt all sorts of animals (and magic beings). There's also one that's mostly just plants, otherwise not really inhabited by humanoids. And then there's Savehaven. As the name might suggest, it's a safe place for criminals of the law (only the wrongfully accused) (or those who won't hurt anyone else on the island), and many magic beings escaping the unjust system humans put together find asylum there.

This was just a part one of posts talking about this, the next will be species, after that should be the characters, and then I will deliver the promised post about the Carrow family. Please, send asks about this! I want to talk about this so much!!

Part two (species)

Part three (Carrows' + the Guild)

Part four (characters)

[2023citypagesbestofthecities]

Best Fusion Restaurant: Thai Goes To The Runner

Amidst Dinkytown's bustling culinary landscape, "Thai Goes To The Runner" steps up to the plate, delivering a delightful fusion of Thai cuisine and baseball-themed charm. This unique restaurant invites patrons to embark on a flavor-filled journey where Thai flavors take center stage amidst the backdrop of America's favorite pastime.

As you enter Thai Goes To The Runner, you are greeted by a vibrant ambiance adorned with baseball memorabilia, creating an atmosphere that ignites both nostalgia and culinary anticipation. The menu is a culinary lineup of Thai delights, from traditional favorites like Pad Thai and Green Curry to innovative creations that push the boundaries of flavor.

Each dish at Thai Goes To The Runner is a culinary homerun, hitting all the right notes with vibrant spices, fresh herbs, and the perfect balance of flavors. The skilled chefs craft each plate with precision, ensuring an explosion of taste that rivals any grand slam.

Beyond the cuisine, the restaurant's baseball-themed decor and lively energy foster a sense of camaraderie among patrons. It's a place where Thai cuisine and America's love for baseball converge, creating a unique and captivating dining experience.

For those seeking a culinary adventure that marries Thai flavors with the excitement of the diamond, Thai Goes To The Runner is an undeniable win. Embrace the sportive ambiance, savor the harmonious Thai dishes, and let this baseball-themed restaurant take you on a gastronomic journey that hits all the bases.

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Best Juice Bar: Talk To Me, Juice

Best Brewery: Every Gose Has Its Thorn

Best Smoke Shop: Smells Like Green Spirit

Best Music School: Ensign Beefheart's School Of Jazz

Best Secondhand Store: Summer Of Junk

[cosmicfruits]

I think its funny that you can wait on a chair for like 2 hours and just not move.

The reason being because my ss is a synth and they arent a liar, so of course going to diamond city for some steel or copper or not-cork (i need more for my bouys) and the only person who sells them?? She doesnt accept synths. i dont talk to her ever i dont know her name

But PERCY MY BOY. percy sells to everyone. and so i just need to fast travel at around like. 12 and just wait for however long it takes for him to comes out and so my ss just sits there for like two hours or something staring at diamond city surplus waiting for percy so they can buy steel. Iconic

[kittinkanin]

So much for synth-free shopping.

[kriatyrr]

I was amusing myself by giving various Diamond City residents hats. Myrna looks so natural in it!

[nukacolacaps-blog1]

Diamond City Signs

[xenia-cenia]

Albedo x Fem!Reader - Love

A/N- HUGE thank you to @yukiilu​ for helping me figure out what to do for this one - check out their blog, it’s super good!

Liyue time babey!!!! Also stan proper lab safety

Trigger/Content Warnings: abusive dad/absent mom, near death experience 

Word Count: 2,483

Request: No

Summary: You learn what love truly means.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Love.

You were not cut out for love. That had been drilled into your head since you were a child - you were dangerous. You needed to stay under lock and key. You needed to obey. You needed to stay put.

Your mother danced with electricity between her fingertips and fear in her step. Your father who had fallen in love was quick to run when he found her true identity.

By the age of 4, anyone could see you were different. Lightning always seem to strike around you, yet the shocks had no effect. 

Love.

You could not love, nor could anyone love you. 

You could easily end cities if your frustration flashed, you needed to be hidden. 

It took 15 years for your father to pass and you to be found. The world had changed in your absence, children ran with kites and merry. Sunlight beamed onto your skin and burned your irises. 

Citizens of the place you learned was called Mondstadt expressed their disgust for your father. They all told the same story; that when you were a child you got attacked by a group of hilichurls who stole your life. They mourned with him for years and none could explain the surplus of storms that followed your ‘death’.

 A woman with blonde hair which she wore into a ponytail was the first to greet you to current Mondstadt. She called herself Jean and apologized for your suffering. How, she questioned, were you held in a basement under their noses for all of those years?

Out of pity or fear, you weren’t quite sure, she assigned the Knights resident alchemist to teach you everything you missed. 

The boy never held expression in his teal eyes; nothing more than analysis. He didn’t sigh or apologize for your past like many other citizens of Mondstadt, instead, he asked you a question that you yourself had never considered.

“Why were you locked away?”

After a few moments of careful thought, you responded, “Love.”

He almost looked surprised at your answer, “Interesting.”

For weeks, you shadowed the boy as he completed various experiments. For weeks, you watched as he slowly began to open up to you.

“Come here.” He instructed, holding a vial with his gloved hand. You walked up to him and looked at his experiment, “Careful now, pour this into this.” He pointed at a cylinder.

You opened your mouth to question why, but simply shook your head and poured the vial. A burst of red and pink exploded into the air, the colors swirling and forming a flower.

“Alchemy,” he spoke, looking at the wonder in your eyes, “is magnificent. Isn’t it?” With an unclothed hand, you reached up to touch the symbol but Albedo quickly grabbed your wrist, “You’ll burn yourself.”

“Ah,” you set your hand down. “Can I... can we do more?”

He smiled to himself, “You’ll need gloves.”

The next day, as you sat around his lab in the Knights of Favonius headquarters, he showed up carrying a large box. You quirked an eyebrow up but he ignored it, setting the day and hastily rifling through it. Your curiosity got the better of you, you walked over and peered in.

It was filled with various lab safety precautions. He paused with his hands deep inside the box and pulled out see-through goggles with a thin black strap around the back. 

“Try these on.” He handed them to you. You squeezed the goggles on and were surprised at how clearly you could see everything. “Do they fit?” He asked, not looking up.

“I think so.” You adjusted them, “They don’t hurt or anything.”

“Okay, good.” He sucked the inside of his cheek, “Hmm... try these gloves on.” He pulled out a pair of black gloves with a bright yellow diamond pattern sewn into the cuff. 

You picked them up and slid them on. The warm interior made your chest swell, to conceal the blush that crept onto your face you turned around and covered your cheeks with your hands.

When was the last time someone went out of their way to make your clothes were warm and fit right? Had it ever happened?

“(Y/N)?” Albedo asked, confused at your sudden reaction.

“They’re... they’re really good. Can I keep them?”

“I don’t see why not.” The boy waited for you to turn around before he continued his plans for today's experiment. As you did, he couldn’t help but smile. In one quick step, he was mere inches from your face, his hands adjusting the goggles you had shoddily put on. “This part needs to go on your nose.” He tapped the plastic. “Make sure you don’t get any flyaway hairs stuck in here.”

You nodded blankly, trying to keep yourself from collapsing to the floor with shaking legs. And for the first time in your life, you began to wonder.

Perhaps your father lied about love. Perhaps it was another trick to keep you under his control; to scare you about kindness that existed just outside of the darkness. Perhaps even you could love

But you knew better than to let thoughts like that clear your mind. Your father just wanted to protect you. You were dangerous. It was for the best. You deserved to be locked away.

...right?

Right. You shook the thoughts away and listened as Albedo began to explain the lab he’d be doing today. 

When he was finished, you chatted happily with him the entire time and hoped he wouldn’t notice you shoving the gloves to the bottom of the box and your sadness.

At your home, you couldn’t help but feel fear. The house where you were locked in for years, your world contained to a small basement, now in your possession. You could tear down walls or seal the basement off once and for all.

But you didn’t. Instead, you pretended you grew up normally. His half of each imaginary conversation was filled by creaking and soft footfalls.

“Father!” You called into the empty house, “I had a lovely day today.”

“It was so much fun.” You smiled as you walked into the kitchen, “I- oh! Father. We’ve talked about you leaving dishes in the sink.” You shook your head disapprovingly and laughed softly as you began to wash them.

“I know you’re old, Father! But I’m not your live at home maid.” 

“Fa...” your smile fell as you turned around. In your heart, you could pretend he was standing there with a lopsided grin and wise eyes. But you knew he only ever looked upon you when you began to cry or shriek. You exhaled deeply and gripped your arms, your eyes locked on the floor, “I love you, Father.”

Some things never change.

You still found yourself sleeping in the basement and singing songs you created as a child to soothe the loneliness. On the cold basement floor, you couldn’t get the blond-haired alchemist out of your head.

Love was wrong. You were wrong for Loving anyone. You knew this still... would it be alright to like? Would it be fine to pretend he would spin you on the dancefloor with a large grin and soft blush? Would it be okay to imagine your hands in his hair as he lies on your lap, murmuring of alchemy and his hypothesis as he slips off into sleep?

Maybe that was alright. You smiled to yourself and let sleep overtake you.

“Dragonspine.” Albedo walked into his lab, smiling happily at you, “I’m going to Dragonspine.”

“Dra...” your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to remember what that was, “The... the mountain?”

He nodded and sat on a chair, “I’ll be gone for quite some time but I’ll try to see you every-”

“I want to come with.”

“What?” He looked at you with wide eyes.

“I want to go with you.” You repeated, your resolve burning in your chest.

“Why? It’s dangerous.”

“But it’s real. I want to see as much of this world as I can.”

He inhaled softly, “I... suppose... you can come with me. But you need to stay close to me. Don’t run off or get yourself hurt.”

You beamed at the boy, “Yes! Thank you, Albedo.”

Albedo and you gathered supplies instead of your daily experiment. Warming bottles, blankets, and every spare bit of medical supplies you could get your hands on. After some careful consideration, Albedo bought a basic polearm for you to use.

“Just in case. I don’t think you’ll need it, but if I’m away and something goes wrong... well, it’s better to be prepared, isn’t it?”

5 weeks after you found out about your trip to Dragonspine, you set off. It was a cold and uncomfortable hike to Albedos lab in the mountains. He assured you that he’s had this lab for years, that it should be safe. When you arrived, you collapsed next to a fire and took deep breaths.

Albedo frowned as he began to set up his next experiment, “I won’t be angry if you want to leave.”

“What? We just got here!” 

“I know it’s just...”

“Look, I... if I need to leave, I’ll tell you. So stop worrying about it!” You tried to stifle a yawn as you lied next to the fire.

He sighed, “Fine. Do you want...” he looked over his shoulder and let his voice fizzle out as he saw you sleeping. Albedo went through his supplies, pulled out the blanket, and put it over you. “Oh.” He spoke to himself, a memory coming back. 

One more trip into his supplies, he pulled out a small item and lied it next to your head. He hoped you’d be happy when you saw it. Albedo smiled to himself and continued working.

When you woke up, you were drenched in a mixture of sweat and melted snow. You pulled yourself up, tried to shake some water off of you, and sighed. “Alb...” you turned to the alchemist, but he was fast asleep. You thought over what to do and came to a conclusion.

With soft steps and careful placement, you left the lab and began to explore the depths of Dragonspine. You walked for only a few minutes, growing increasingly more confident in your abilities, but a loose twig decided to ruin your day.

Quickly, you stumbled and rolled down the cliff and into a pillow of snow. You sat for a second in the snow, laughing softly at how stupid that looked. “Well, up and at em.” You stood, looked around for a path, and happily followed it hoping it’d lead you back to Albedos lab.

An hour had passed since you decided to walk away from Albedos lab, why was it that you even left? Did you think a walk would dry you off? Were you simply tired of lying there? You couldn’t remember. The path led you to a dark cavern, with smoke billowing out of the mouth.

Heat. Fire.

The only two thoughts in your head clouded your judgment as you walked deeper into the cavern, hoping to get warm. 

Albedo woke up with a nagging feeling that something was wrong. He sat up, looked around his lab, and immediately felt bile rise in his throat.

You were gone. You had left - he gave you one instruction and now you were gone. Albedo quickly pulled himself up, grabbed the gift he left for you and took off.

It didn’t take long for him to find your footsteps and follow them into Starglow Cavern. Despite his swiftness, he had the feeling that he was too late. Too slow. He drew his sword and charged in, still following your footsteps. Unsurprisingly, they led to a flame nearby. He saw Hilichurls warming themselves with the flame and felt his heart drop.

Albedo rushed towards the flame, quickly knocking out the hilichurls and looking over the edge. There, at the very bottom, he saw you crawling towards the top and leaving a trail of red behind you.

“(Y/N)!” He yelled, your head snapped up. He could almost see the relief on your face as you saw him. He ran through the cavern and when he arrived in front of you, gingerly picked you up. “What... what happened?” He put his hands on the frozen tears on your cheeks.

“I’m sorry.” You responded with a raspy voice, “I...” 

“Ssh, save your strength. I shouldn’t of asked ju-just stay awake. Can you do that?”

“It’s so cold.”

“I know, I know.” He went up the cavern as quickly as he could, occasionally making comments so you stayed awake.

When he arrived back at his lab, he lied you out on the blanket and thought about the best course of action. Not even a second later, he was tearing through his supplies and forcing Warming Bottles into your arms. 

“Al... Albedo.” You called weakly. He froze, trying to contain his panic. “Come... come over here.”

He shook the fear away and kneeled next to you, grabbing your hands tightly. “What is it?”

“My Father... told me I can’t love. But,” you smiled with tears in your eyes, “I think I love you.”

His fear broke through his walls. Albedos eyes flooded with tears as he held you, “D-Don’t say it like that! Don’t say it like it’s goodbye!”

“Albedo...” you tried to laugh, “You always make me feel so... happy...”

“No... no!” He shook your body, “Wake up! Wake up, dammit!” He pressed his fingers against your palm and felt his entire body jolt as your weak, but still existent, pulse throbbed against his fingers. 

The Alchemist quickly set to work, every healing potion he had was used. It didn’t matter if he could save a million lives with one; he’d use a million potions just to save you. He trekked back down to Mondstadt with you on his back, completely abandoning the lab, and screamed for help until you were taken to safety.

But it wasn’t until your eyes opened again could he relax. It wasn’t until he could wrap his arms around you and feel your arms tighten around his waist that he knew it’d be okay.

Shakily, he grabbed the gift he had so desperately wanted to give to you, and felt his eyes well up with tears as you hugged him tighter.

You slipped the gloves on and tried to contain your happiness, “You saw?”

He nodded, “You weren’t wearing them when you left I...” Albedo cut himself off. He didn’t want to say the truth which was he spent hours tearing the box apart and trying to get the gloves back to you, “I wanted you to have them.”

Love.

Love is what you felt when Albedo grabbed your hands, or when he blushed with a shy smile. 

Love is his drawings of you that filled his every sketchbook. 

To love, you decided, was to be alive.

[shigbyco]

Diamond City Business Logos, Part II: Commonwealth Weaponry

Next up in my series of Diamond City rebranding is Common Wealth Weaponry, owned and operated by Arturo Rodriguez. It's a mean world out there, filled with bloodthirsty raiders and dangerous, mutated creatures. If you're having trouble defending yourself, visit Commonwealth Weaponry today! Arturo will hook you up with everything you need to protect yourself in the wasteland.

Stay tuned for more!

More in this series:

Part I: Diamond City Surplus

Part III: Swatters

[nightingaelic]

Publick Horoscopes

Editor’s Note: Well, Diamond City, thanks to that popular letter in last week’s edition, I guess we’re doing astrological predictions now. I have no experience in this, so I’ve brought in Eustace Hawthorne, respected woman-about-town, to type up some horoscopes that are totally celestially accurate, or so I’ve been told. Without further ado, here are the horoscopes for March 6-March 13, 2289. Sincerely, Piper Wright. 

ARIES (March 21- April 20) A lot of work is headed your way, so don’t be afraid to invest your caps in a promising new venture. On the other hand, if you are planning to hire someone to finish that project you’ve been putting off, keep an eye out for swindlers. Don’t stretch yourself too thin this month, kick back a bit at the local watering hole and enjoy some Bobrov’s Best. 

TAURUS (April 21-May 20) Some happy surprises are on their way to you through your usual social circle, which is about to take over your everyday life. Leave yourself open to new hobbies, like sewing or leatherwork or casual scavenging. Stop putting off learning how to use your new mode of protection, you’re going to need it soon. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Mars moves into your sign this week, where it will remain until the end of the month. Its presence means extra energy and self-confidence, but the arrival of an old acquaintance could spell change for you and your family. Stock up on preserved goods so you don’t have to cook every night this week, Diamond City Surplus is having a sale on Cram. 

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Don’t squash your own freedom to support someone else’s desires, no wastelander is worth more than what they’re giving you. Be mindful of what might be going on behind the scenes in others’ lives this month. You never know who just lost a relative to a mirelurk attack, and you never know who might be willing to lend the help you need to fix your own problems. 

LEO (July 23-August 22) Put the past behind you and move on to better things this month. Pay no attention to those who aren’t open with their thoughts and ideas. Put some caps away to combat over-spending due to a false sense of security. Check in with your friends across the Commonwealth and make sure they’re doing okay. 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22)     Prepare yourself for the realization of your long-term goals this year. If you need help with security or getting crops going, reach out to the local factions offering their services. Someone will be willing to support you, so focus on taking care of the details involved. Be optimistic: Even rad storm clouds have silver linings. 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22) Accept that you may not know the whole truth of things regarding that situation you recently encountered. Guard against being too generous with what you have to offer right now, until true intentions are revealed. Maybe see if you can get yourself a mutt to keep an eye on your home, kids and brahmin herd. 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21)   You have a new friendship on the horizon, which can bridge relationships with a group you haven’t had much contact with. Any prickly situations of late may settle down but there could be a more subtle sense of unknown factors for a few weeks. Keep your secrets close until you can be sure you haven’t thrown your lot in with some potential raiders. 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) All your hard work and slaving away that began this year is about to pay off with others recognizing, even appreciating your efforts. Don’t hold back this week when it comes to putting your ideas forward or pursuing discussion over any matters you would like to get sorted. There’s a Diamond City Council meeting on Saturday, just see Geneva about the agenda. 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) Consider the invitations you receive this week with care. Focus on the details or work that needs to be done for those obligations that require preparation. If you’ve been eating too many Fancy Lads snack cakes and putting off lifting weights, get a better routine in place now.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) You will be brimming with ideas when it comes to yourself or anything you would like to do with your life. Try out new learning opportunities, maybe night classes at the Diamond City schoolhouse or a seminar at the Science! Center. Don’t spend caps impulsively this week.

PISCES (February 19-March 20) You might feel more settled and relaxed this week if you seek alternative ideas for that problem you’re facing. Minor details that could help are readily available, perhaps through a conversation with our local synthetic private eye. The energy and enthusiasm to start putting a solid foundation in place will begin to emerge. 

[cherryeol04]

Stray Kids Playing Minecraft~

A/n: I hope you all enjoy, and if you liked, please leave a like! 💖💖💖💖

Tags: @straysrachaa @lordseochangbin @channiesmixtape @starryseung​ @felixsanxchatbot @jisungsjheekies​ @mrbangchannie

Chan

- doesn't know almost anything about Minecraft the first time around but he plays with you to make you happy

- you have to baby him for a while

- BUT THEN!

- He goes and learns about the game in his free time

- and then he pleasantly surprises you now that you he doesn't suck anymore

- and most peculiar of all

- he got really interested in redstone

- boi can make some INVENTIONS

- His house is like, fully automated - farm and all

- it makes you jealous but also very proud

- a pretty big pacifist

- shears, veggies and bread is all he needs

- he still big soft baby but he smart baby now

- also, would totally run around with a pumpkin on his head if you could still wear them in the latest version

Lee Know

- would kill everything that moves

- would hoard all the meat and refuse to give you any

- deforestation at its finest

- king of surplus

- playing with him is actually playing by yourself cuz he goes off on his own

- builds himself a goddamn empire!

- and no one knows where it is

- if he catches you inside his house without permission: shoot first, ask questions never

- mobs fear him, not the other way around

- will give you items cuz you're a charity cause

- actually shares when you both go mining though

- but let's face it, he's just OP

- would try to get all the cats

- totally to chase away creepers

- not because he wants an army of them or anything

- gets annoyed that he has to constantly fish because the cats keep taking them but won't be tamed by him

- he totally did not search for mine shafts just for name tags to name his cats

- DO NOT HURT HIS CATS

- or he'd cancel you in-game and irl too

Changbin

- would be super excited to play Minecraft with his friends

- he would be the first on the server to scout out the land and get resources

- however, no one warned him about night fall

- and all the creepy, scary things that spawned

- changbin lives in the ground now

- he dug a hole at the base of the mountain to take refuge during the night and never looked back

- normal person? No way! He was a mole now!

- the best at mining and interior rock design

- he would only resurface to seek out food and animals

- it was Changbin who stole all the cows and sheep, so you couldn't find them for felix

- he would have three large pins just next to his mountain

- lots of cows, rainbow sheep and pigs with saddles

- " uh...so I found these pins of animals and like...no house?"

- "What?"

- "I think the magical Minecraft fairy spawned it into the world?"

- "It's super weird. But I'm gonna kill some cows for their leather"

- "DON'T YOU TOUCH MY COWS!"

- and to your shock, a secret door in the mountain opens and Changbin comes running out

- the door made courtesy of Chan

- "He's got a diamond sword already?!?"

- it's the last thing you scream as he kills you for being near his cows

- and after a round of feeding and breeding, he disappears back into his hole

Hyunjin

- would only be about building

- he would be the first one to have a diamond pickaxe just so he could mine cobblestone faster

- would also get efficiency V just so he could speed run through the mines

- would wander through different biomes for days to collect clay so he could make concrete

- and while you're busy actually playing the game, he would beg for you to pick flowers on your trip so he can dye the concrete different colors

- his first house would be a mansion

- but he would give up half way because he kept falling off the roof and dying

- would forget he is actually playing the game and would get scared when night falls and mobs start spawning in his unlit house

- not like you didn't tell him countless times to put down torches

- but he kept saying they ruined his aesthetic

- but now he keeps dying because mobs are literally waiting at his spawn point, killing him over and over and over again

- and he begs you to set the time to day and kill the mobs for him

- but you just laugh uncontrollably at him because karma really is a bitch

- but in the end, he ends up making an entire city, and invites the others to come and play on the server.

Jisung

- would be just like Chan

- a pure ass baby when it comes to playing minecraft, but super eager to play the game

- his first spawn would be in the middle of the night (because of server)

- and you would try to tell him to not leave the safety of spawn, but he just wouldn't listen

- "Listen, Y/n, I know what I'm doing! I'm a pro at this!"

- and he would run confidently into the night, like the actual idiot that he is

- he wouldn't get too far before he was attacked by all the mobs and got killed

- "Well that was just rude!"

- "Oh my god Jisung, I told you not to do it."

- "Well how was I supposed to know they were going to kill me?!"

- and you can only shake your head at his stupidity

- he would eventually wait until daytime, but unfortunately all of his items would be lost due to despawning

- it's not like either one of you were equipped to go and retrieve his items

- zombies sucked man! And skeletons are the worst!

- but with a new day comes a new adventure and you both head out to find a place to call home

- Jisung would run the entire way, even though he had no food to keep his hunger up

- he also wouldn't be paying attention to where he was going and would fall into a hole

- a very BIG hole

- 'J.One fell from a high place'

- "Really Jisung?"

- "I couldn't see it!"

- playing with Jisung would be a very challenging task, because he would never learn

- because by the time he had diamond armor and ready to fight the wither, he would have fallen from fifteen cliffs, twenty holes in caves and three ravines

- "Jisung if you die one more time I swear to god!"

- 'J.One fell from a high place'

- "That's it! I quit!"

Felix

- You would be so hyped to play with Felix

- You've seen him play other games, so you knew he'd be great at minecraft

- Getting the server had been his idea, the easiest way everyone could play together

- First day of spawn, Felix would already be listing off the things that you would need to accomplish

- wood, cobblestone, iron, seeds, sheep

- it was all just so overwhelming

- by the time you make your first complete set of wooden tools, felix would have iron tools already

- he'd been ten feet underground, digging for more resources while tasking you to find the animals for food, wool and feathers

- easier said then done

- and when he resurfaces and you don't have animals, he would simply sigh and go do it himself

- which would upset you because you would spend hours looking for just one god damn cow

- meanwhile, Felix would take five steps in one direction and come across hundreds of cows!!!

- WHERE DID ALL THESE COWS COME FROM?!?!?

- he'd travel the whole map just to find a jungle to get coco beans

- seriously though, how did he find the fucking jungle?

- it like doesn't exist

- except it does and Minho most likely lives there with all his cats

- Also, there's pandas!!!!!

- Felix would try and tame a panda, even though it's not possible

- When not trying to show off, Felix would be in his crappy little hut (cause hyunjin was still making the city), making cookies and cakes because why wouldn't he?

- at least he shares, unlike someone.....

- Felix would be absolutely unstoppable at the game, while you struggle to get to iron level armor (while trying to keep Jisung alive)

- Felix would have just a big ego

- it's okay though. One strike from Seungmin's sword and he'd be put back into his place

- Revenge is a dish best served Seungmin.

Seungmin

- the worst of the worst

- he would be the one to pretend to not know the game

- but really, he would be a minecraft expert

- read: troll

- every chance he would get, Seungmin would try to do something to ruin your day

- don't ever go mining with him. EVER!

- he would be the one to lead over a creeper to you in a ravine while you're trying to mine diamonds, right next to a lava pool

- the first one to explode wouldn't do any damage, thankfully

- "Don't you dare bring a creeper over here!"

- "I wouldn't."

- somehow, you wouldn't be convinced

- but you decided to trust him

- y/n clown

- you're just mining away at the diamond when a big explosion happens

- and you notice two things

- 1. the diamonds and the surrounding area were blown up

- 2. you were now in the pool of lava, dying

- meanwhile, Seungmin was running away, cackling like the evil little shit that he was

- the holy terror, that's what they would call him

- he would purposefully go out and fight creepers just to gather their gunpowder so he could make dynamite

- no one was safe from him

- except Minho

- because no one knew where he was

I.N.

- Jeongin would spend at least two days researching things for the game before actually playing

- he would want to have some knowledge before walking into hell that was the Stray Kids server

- it's okay though, because everyone loves Jeongin

- really, he wouldn't need to do a thing

- diamond armor, enchanted? check

- enchanted weapons? check

- his own cat and dog? double check

- everyone would do anything for this baby

- but Jeongin isn't one to mooch *coughJisungcough*

- even with all his presents, he would still start with the basics of punching a tree

- while others have found this skills in cooking, mining, falling into holes, redstone and building

- jeongin would be more interested in potions and enchanting

- YOU'RE A WIZARD INNIE!

- Jeongin would quickly master potion brewing

- even if it meant battling the scary blazes in the nether

- huh, so that's why Changbin was screaming so much

- he would be hired by Minho to make him potions of breathing so he could go claim an ocean monument

- Jeongin would only do it if he could help

- surprisingly Minho agrees and for the first time in 84 years, everyone gets to see Minho's character

[trilliansthoughts]

Running to Stand Still

My first cousin, Margaret, died unexpectedly yesterday from post-surgical complications, unrelated to Covid. I still haven’t fully processed this but, if you’ll pardon the indulgence, I needed to share some thoughts to help me through it. Growing up, Margaret was the closest person that I had to a sister as we both constantly grumbled about the five brothers that we had between us. We were thick as thieves and I spent almost as much time on her family farm as I did in my own home.

I remember us gathering the eggs every morning, rousting the roosting chickens, and chuckling at their soft clucks of protest.

I remember us scooping up a pullet chicken or a bantam hen, carrying them around all day under our jumpers, feeding them grain and stroking their feathered heads.

I remember us raiding the vegetable garden for pea pods, savouring the sweet, tender contents and hiding the discarded pods so my aunt wouldn’t scold us.

I remember when your mother wouldn't let you cut your hair so you defiantly cut off both of your long ponytails so she had to take you to the hairdresser to salvage some semblance of style. You never grew your hair long again.

I remember us riding ponies bareback along the wild country roads, hedges bursting with fuchsia flowers, whooping with delight at the wind in our faces.

I remember us riding those same tackled ponies, galloping across fields, fording ditches and streams and Margaret bursting with laugher after I fell off into one such stream.

I remember us herding the cows along the quiet country lanes at twilight, bringing them back to the farm for milking, their lowing the only sound in the still evening silence.

I remember us feeding the newborn calves from buckets filled with milk from their mothers, me marvelling at how strong their eager heads were.

I remember you teaching me how to milk a goat, who promptly kicked me every time I tried. “You’ll never be a natural farmer,” you teased me. You were right.

I remember us picking blackberries, returning with filled buckets, our mouths and hands purple from the sweet berry juice, lathering the finished jam on freshly baked soda bread.

I remember us exploring the fairy forts on the farmland, leaving gifts of daisy chains and berries, firmly believing the many tales of the "faerie folk" that our fathers' had told us.

I remember us gathering the seeds from lupin flowers, travelling around to the neighbour farms, to sell the seeds for 10p a packet, delighted with our entrepreneurial spirit. Until your mom discovered our ‘business’ and made us return all the money.

I remember us whispering and giggling late into the night, trying to think of other schemes to surplus our meagre pocket money. None were as lucrative as those flower seeds.

I remember us lying on our backs in the grass on dark nights, trying to count the stars sprinkled like diamond dust across the black velvet sky, tracing an invisible line from the Big Dipper to the North Star with our fingers.

I remember us learning to bake in a mess of flour and laughter, delighted with the results, our faces covered with chocolate as our half-collapsed cakes were proudly presented.

I remember when you became a vegetarian and I followed you down that same path. For me, it lasted a decade until my first pregnancy; for you, even longer.

As we grew up, we spent less and less time together as our teenage years moved on apace. Haircut 100 was your favourite band, and I remember teasing you about Nick Heyward’s Aran jumpers.

I remember you moving onto a new obsession with U2. The only time I saw you speechless was when I presented you with tickets for our first concert – U2 in Pairc Uí Chaoimh, Cork. I still have the concert mementos we cherished from that day.

I remember the first time that I visited California, I made a pilgrimage to the desert to photograph myself with a Joshua tree. You were thrilled to receive it with my letter.

And then suddenly, we were adults. I had emigrated but returned to Ireland after my mother passed, and we picked up a conversation that had never really ended.

I remember when you bought your first house in Prosperous, Co. Kildare. The name of the town seemed fitting as you were thriving by then, in your accountancy career.

I remember that no one in Ireland had even heard of IKEA yet you hired a van and drove yourself across the UK to one of their continental locations, filling the van with flat-packed furniture that you assembled yourself over the next several months.

I remember when you sold that house and returned to West Cork to renovate your mother’s family home in Meenies, Drimoleague. A labour of love that took many years.

I remember when you returned from a holiday in Cuba, enthusing about a man that you’d met there. You had no Spanish, he had no English but when he smiled at you, you felt a connection across the cultural divide.

I remember the multiple back-and-forth trips you made to Cuba, bribing customs and government officials until you were able to secure an exit visa for your future husband.

I remember first meeting him and knowing that this shy, beautiful man was your soulmate. He soon adapted to becoming a West Cork farmer and remains one to this day.

I remember the many phone conversations we had in recent years as you commuted from your city job back to West Cork, saying that the chat shortened the road.

I remember the last time we met at your dad’s funeral 18 months ago. You were the glue that held your family together that day, a stalwart support for your grieving mother.

I remember the last time we spoke as you excitedly told me about the broodmare that you were planning to breed. You described the stud catalogue as ‘Playboy for mares’ and planned to spare no expense in securing the services of a worthy stallion.

I remember telling you that, once all this lockdown madness was over, I would be down for another visit to see the results of that pairing that will never happen now.

Most of all, I remember your strong, fiercely independent spirit that I have been in awe of all my life. I’m sorry that you won’t get the send-off you deserve due to the current restrictions but I will be there, standing by the side of the road, as your hearse passes by – the last time I will be in your presence – to pay my final respects.

The people that we love are only gone when we stop carrying them with us, and I will carry you forever in my heart. Goodbye, my dear Margaret. I will miss you and love you forever.