#dream atlantis location

[autistic-danieljackson]

So here's what Stargate Atlantis: The Official Companion Season 3 has to say about Sunday:

"It's more complicated than anyone will ever know," says writer Martin Gero of why the decision was taken to kill off Carson Beckett. "It wasn't like, 'Hey, let's kill somebody!' It was for numerous, incredibly complex reasons, having to do with the show overall."

*cough* Ratings *cough*

For a long time, Gero had wanted to see the characters of Stargate: Atlantis in a situation very different from the perils they usually face. He wanted to see them during 'down time'; relaxing, enjoying each other's company and generally having a life not plagued by danger.

Martin Gero, the writer we deserve.

"For a couple of years Martin had wanted to do an episode about a day off," recalls executive producer Brad Wright, "a non-urgent mission. And I said 'Well, I love that as the backdrop...and then something incredibly dramatic happens!' Because I don't think the audience wants to watch anyone sleeping. A day off that is un-dramatic and does not have a huge event centered around it is not going to be that good."

Listen. I don't know about anyone else but I know this is mine and many fan-fic writers' dream. I want to see every bit of a characters life. I would've watched 15 episodes about the characters having lunch and playing board games and hanging out. There is literally nothing more I want to see than my favorite characters having a good time. Just say it's for the ratings, don't try and put this on the audience. Alright, enough of my interjection back to the book.

"I had been pitching this day off episode forever," says Gero. "Brad said, 'This is a dangerous place. There are no days off in Atlantis.'"

Again, bullshit but I'll hold my tongue.

Then there's a bit about how they decided to write things and film things and the different processes they went through. Then more from Martin Gero at the end:

"Usually when we show the director's cut of shows up here [in the production office], it goes through the gauntlet of people making fun of it. That's harsh, but it's an important part of the process because you need to know what doesn't work. And the more vocal your audience, the better, so that when the producers go down to do the final cut, we can try to make the episode better. That started, and then for the last three acts there was really complete silence. When the lights came up, I turned around and Brad was crying. Everyone was just very somber. It was awful that we had to do it, but Brad thinks it's the best episode of Atlantis, period."

No one made you do this!! In fact, we all would've liked very much if you hadn't done it!

After the breakdown of each episode, there's a little report on each main cast character and a blurb about the recurring cast as well as sections about the making of the show. Here's some from Carson's report:

McGillion reveals that whatever shock the audience felt when they learned of Beckett's demise, it was nothing to his own. "It was absolutely not my decision to leave the show," he says plainly, remembering how he heard the news. "We shot 'Phantoms' on location. We came back for one day to finish the episode on the stage, and one of the ADs asked me to go up to the office because [executive producer N.] John Smith wanted to talk to me. I thought, okay, maybe they saw the dailies for 'Phantoms' and they're really happy with my work. Maybe they want to say, 'You did a good job,'" he recalls. "I did not see it coming at all. We went to Brad's office and it was myself, John, Brad, and Robert. I have to have respect for what they did - they called me to the office and told me in person that they wanted to shake things up with the show and unfortunately they had to kill a character off. It had to be somebody of significance so that the fans would have a reaction to it. And my number came up. I was shocked, to be honest with you, and I was disappointed because I love working on the show and I've had some great relationships with the cast and crew."

Wanted. to. Shake. Things. Up.

For McGillion, filming Beckett's final episode after three years of working with the same cast and crew was, understandably, not easy. "It was very difficult to shoot, especially that last scene with David."

Stop I'm crying again 😭

Then it's talking for a bit about how Paul had to come back to film a bit after 'Sunday' and that the last things he filmed were for 'The Ark.'

"I forget exactly what the scene was. I was kind of blurred that day because I knew it was my last day and no one else did," the actor recalls. "I didn't want anyone else to know because I'm somewhat like Beckett, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I didn't want to get emotional. Martin [Wood] shot 'The Ark', and [he and] Alex Pappas, who is the greatest AD that we have, were going to make a little announcement: 'This is a wrap on Paul for the show.' I asked Alex not to do that, because I just couldn't deal with that at that point in time. I didn't even tell the cast. We shoot so much out of sequence that no one knows when it's someone's last day. So I left and I saw Rachel [Luttrell] and told her. David had left [so] I called him to let him know. The next night all the cast went out for dinner, so that was nice. It's tough, but I'd rather just go out quietly."

Real life Carson Beckett, I love him so much 🥺

But that's about what it says on the episode. I know people have been saying this forever but I like to get it from the source as well. I am even angrier now than I was before which I truly did not think was possible.

If you like behind the scenes stuff, I think this is a great book! I'm going to follow along when I do my Atlantis watch-through, there's a lot of great stuff in here. Would recommend if you can get your hands on it, even if it does make you extremely angry at times. 😂

[aeoki]

Atlantis - Prologue

Location: Unknown Characters: Touri & Yuzuru Season: Winter Writer: Akira

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ< A dream. Or perhaps Touri Himemiya’s harsh reality. >

Touri: (............)

 (I can’t breathe.)

(It hurts. It hurts. It hurts so much.)

Touri: (I can’t open my eyes… I can’t see anything)

(It’s dark and cold.)

(Cold. Cold. So cold.)

(I feel like I’ll freeze… Why is it so cold?)

(Hey, is anyone there?)

(Yuzuru! Hibiki-senpai! Eichi-sama…!)

(Is someone there? Anyone’s fine, so please–)

(It hurts. I can’t see anything. It’s cold – so cold.)

(Where am I? Why am I here…?)

(Eichi-sama! Eichi-sama! Eichi-sama!)

(You’re in such a high place. And you looked so cold there.)

(I did my best to reach my arm out.)

(But I can’t fly in the skies like the angels can…)

(I’m broken. My wings were torn off and I fell to the ground…)

(Oh, is this the sea?)

(It’s the lowest depths of the sea, where the light cannot reach.)

(So is that why it’s so cold, dark and hurts to breathe?)

Touri: *Cough, cough, cough*

Yuzuru: Young Master?

Are you alright?

Have you caught a cold? You must have pushed yourself too hard despite still recovering after you fainted during “SS”...

Touri: Uuu… *sniffle*

Yuzuru: Young Master? If you’re in a condition where you cannot respond, then I shall call an ambulance at once–

Touri: *Inhales, exhales…* Y–Yuzuru?

Yuzuru: Yes? Yuzuru is right here.

I shall always be by your side.

Touri: …I see. R–Right.

Hehe… We’re living in the dorms now but we’re still in the same room. You must be tired of this, huh.

You were this close to getting away and being free from having to take care of someone annoying.

Yuzuru: You jest. Besides, even if we were assigned to different rooms with a wall in between, I would have settled down in your room, Young Master.

It’s my job to stay beside you and to take care of you – it’s also my reason to live.

Touri: Wow~ That’s gross… and annoying ♪

Yuzuru: Hehe. Your actions and words are not matching up.

You’re holding onto my hand so tightly – I see you’re still as spoiled as ever and a handful to deal with.

Touri: Sorry. I had a nightmare.

I might have said some weird things in my sleep because of that. But I’m fine – I haven’t caught a cold.

I’ll be sure to be my usual cheerful self when I work tomorrow.

Yuzuru: Hmm… Your temperature is normal. Your temperature tends to be on the higher side like a child’s, so it can be hard to tell, though.

Touri: When did you take my temperature?

Yuzuru: I can even change you out of your clothes without you knowing.

I have full knowledge of the locations of your body’s nerves and points of sensitivity, so you would feel nothing, as if there are acupuncture needles placed throughout your entire body–

Touri: That’s so scary! Sometimes, your weird skills scare me and it’s gross!

Yuzuru: Those skills were all gained for your sake, Young Master ♪

Touri: Like I said, you’re kinda scaring me!

Yuzuru: There is no need to be afraid. I will always be on your side.

Touri: Uuu~ I know that and I appreciate it… But it’s a lot of pressure and not to mention bewildering to give up your entire life for someone else, especially when that someone is superior to you in every way. 

I’m not worthy of someone doing that for me.

Yuzuru: What are you saying? I see you’ve become anxious after having that nightmare.

It’s alright. Young Master, you are someone excellent, good-natured and worthy of being served by me.

If you have any doubts, then I shall whisper those words into your ear and repeat it one million times.

Touri: I think I’ll end up seeing a different kind of nightmare so don’t do that.

Yuzuru: I’d love to whisper my love for you, though, Young Master...

Touri: Yuzuru, are you half-asleep too or something?

Oh, it’s three o’clock in the morning. And I woke you up, huh. Sorry.

Yuzuru: No, no. It would be awful if something bad were to happen, so please feel free to let me know if you’re feeling unwell.

The time or place does not matter.

I shall repeat this over and over, but I’ll always be on your side no matter what – you are my priority.

Please don’t forget that.

Touri: Yeah… I know.

Yuzuru: Has your anxiety subsided?

Touri: More or less… Ahh, I’m getting sleepy now that I feel relieved.

Yuzuru: That is wonderful. I shall hold your hand until you fall asleep.

Touri: I’m not a baby. You also have work tomorrow, right, Yuzuru? Go to bed.

It’s fine – I’m okay.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤNext Chapter →

[starscribes]

StarScribes Introduction

About Me

Star (she/her)

Married

Middle School Teacher

I have a lot of responsibilities and don't get much time to myself but when I do I spend that time watching TV, writing, reading, playing D&D, playing video games (the Sims 4), and spending casual time with my family

US located

I used to be @houndsofcorduff but then I disappeared and started a simblr blog and now it's time to get on writeblr again

Writing

Mostly fantasy of varying levels, although I have dabbled in science fiction (I like to watch sci-fi more than write it - that's where my name came from actually, the Stargate franchise)

My favorite author is Brandon Sanderson

No, I don't think I'll ever publish anything, just scribe vibing

I love worldbuilding, magic system building, monster building, etc

Warning: I rarely finish anything I start

Blog

Ask game, tag game, ask, etc friendly

Reblogging stuff I like about writing

Posting snippets of my own writing

Participating in Nanowrimo (buddy me: stargatetribe)

Main/Simblr: @starandsims

Thanks for visiting and learning about me!

WIPs under the cut

Current WIP

Crescent Unbound - A stand-alone fantasy novel following Astrid Vale, a girl left orphaned by the last battle between good and evil. 20 years later she awakens an artifact with great power, it whispers of the return of evil. She must return it to the Chosen One so that it can be used to banish evil once again, but the quest is not as easy as it may seem.

Main Series: The Destiny Chronicles

Overall Synopsis: A generational series that follows a variety of supernatural beings: The Devlins (monster hunters); Seers (see the future), Sandmen (travel/control dreams), Mages (control a variety of magics), Cruth (control elements), and hybrids. Follows certain individuals chosen by Destiny to stop a great evil, and involves a lot of crossover until the end when everyone meets up for the big bad battle.

Book One: Retrospection - 1976 Earth - Russell Walker is a 16-year-old Seer dating Alexis Devlin a 16-year-old monster hunter. When she reveals his identity as a Seer and subsequently explains he's being hunted by a Seer-eating monster, they run away together - unfortunately not to fall in love but rather to save his life.

Book Two: Otherworld - 2007 Otherworld - Maxine Devlin was born into a family of monster hunters, but after 17 years she still hasn’t been allowed to fulfill that role. She has read every journal her ancestors have written and knows everything there is to know about monsters…or so she thinks. After her uncle and cousin go missing, she takes it upon herself to investigate and find them. Very quickly she finds herself in over her head as she travels to a dimension called Otherworld, where she discovers there is much more to magic than she once assumed.

Book Three: Shades of Night - 2010 Shadow - Sebastian Devlin has been to other dimensions before - technically just the one other than the one he was born in. That doesn't make it any easier though when he's dragged through a portal by the monster he's hunting. On his own this time, he'll have to find a way home, if that's even possible. Before he can do that though, he'll have to solve this new dimensions monster problem.

Book Four: Lost in Atlantis - 2011 Atlantis - The Devlin family is back together on a special mission to search the dimension of Atlantis for a particularly dangerous monster - the one that's been hunting Sebastian. The dimension of Atlantis has been abandoned for centuries, but almost immediately they find a single survivor, an impossible face from the past.

Book Five: Vengeance at the Door - 2013 Earth - Sebastian Devlin the monster hunter has become the hunted, chased across multiple states and dimensions by a horrifying visage either of his imagination or reality. Now in Boston, he's just trying to live off the radar of any monster or creature. As the patients at the mental hospital where he works begin to see the same visages he's been seeing, does he run again? Or get himself slaughtered?

Book Six: Heartwood - 2015 Shadow - Janina Heartwood is a good little sister, she picks food off of her brother's plate, puts leaves in his hair, sticks up for him, and trusts him to the edge of the world. After a mysterious man reveals that her brother, Jake, is adopted and descended from a line of monster hunters called the Devlins, she follows him to another dimension to protect him. Now she, Jake, and her boyfriend, Ethan, find themselves trying to destroy an evil entity known as the Sluagh. Janina fights shapeshifters, gremlins, pirates, and more to protect her brother, but will it be enough?

Book Seven: Bring Me a Dream - 2015 Earth - Reynolds McNeil is a Sandman slowly turning into a Nightmare just trying to live out his final few months keeping his friends out of trouble and protecting his little sister from his scary world. Instead, he gets kidnapped and taken to an underground fight ring for augmented humans like himself.

Book Eight: Dream Treader - 2016 Unnamed Dimension - Rescued at the last second by their thought-to-be dead brother, Reynolds and Louie discover there's a lot more to their strange powers than they thought. Things continue to get complicated as they are hunted by a different kind of enemy determined to rid the world of Destiny's chosen - them and their friends.

Book Nine: Moonlight Dreams - 2017 multiple dimensions - Still on the run but now without their leader, Reynolds and his friends try to learn everything they can about why they're being hunted. In the process they rescue their leader, who now must accept that it's time to start the endgame and bring together all of Destiny's chosen before they're hunted down.

Book Ten: Among Infinities - 2017 Isfyd - Carson has lived his entire life in the middle of a Civil War, and most of that was on the wrong side. Although he's on the right side now there are few who believe he's anything other than a spy. When Carson discovers there is a real spy out there he must discover the spy's identity before he's found guilty himself.

Book Eleven: Diplopia - 2018 Isfyd - Carson, now a prisoner of his mother and in the process of resisting her brainwashing, discovers this isn't the first time she's brainwashed him or erased his memories. Exploring his memories and his old home reveals answers and more questions.

Book Twelve: Splintered Crown - 2019 Earth- Freshly rescued, Carson and his friends flee to Earth to find the one thing that can stop his mother and her army - a girl with no idea who she is or how to use her powers, and absolutely no interest in joining their rebellion.

Book Thirteen: Destiny - 2020 Earth - Earth is invaded by soldiers from Isfyd, it will take all of Destiny's chosen to defeat the great evil they've been waiting for. The Devlins, the McNeils, the Moons, and Carson and his friends are the only chance this dimension has. It's looking increasingly like it won't be enough.

Other WIPs

Hounds of Corduff - 1800s Isfyd - A four-book series following the three Cruth apprentices of Corduff as they battle with and against each other in the middle of propaganda and other lies forcing them each further away from the truth.

The Elder Mage - 1976 - 2015 Various dimensions - a series of short stories following Denham Moon, who some would call Earth's most powerful mage. He's been entrusted with bringing together Destiny's chosen at the appropriate time, but he's mostly just procrastinating since he's pretty sure he won't make it through that appropriate time.

Old Gods - a 9-book series following Em'het, a curious and multi-talented boy with great magics who fights the gods to save his family, but after several years of doing the same thing over and over again he wonders if there's a point to any of it if the gods he faces just keep getting stronger and smarter.

Prince of Fireflies - a TV series that follows teenage twins Charlie and Riley as they attempt to keep their younger brother Liam out of trouble with his mysterious light powers. They're mostly unsuccessful.

The Peculiar Adventures of Michael Mallory - an unnumbered book series that follows 9-year-old Michael Mallory after he sneaks aboard his older brother's spaceship. While in the process of trying to return Michael, Nicholas Mallory and his crew are attacked and forced to hyperjump without their navigation machines online. Now they're lost in space, who knows how far from home, and somehow raising a 9-year-old.

The Disappearing Place - just one book - 12-year-old Martin Ramsey has a bad habit of disappearing, blinking in and out of existence seemingly at random. His brother Bartholomew tries to help but ends up making things worse when he starts disappearing too. In a wacky time-traveling dilemma the brothers have to figure out what is happening and why to try and get back home, while continually randomly jumping in and out of time and space.

[itwoodbeprefect]

Fic Writing Review 2023 🌈

i wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year and bring it to a nice close, so i took to tumblr search and google to see if there was some sort of tag game going around. i frankensteined this list of questions from a few different versions of what was probably originally the same thing, but the nature of The Website of course makes it impossible to locate an original, so this is me just sort of, well, joining the fun by starting a parallel thread.

-

Words and Fics (on ao3) 📚

words posted: 73,947, but this is a little deceptive because all the words for A flip-flop state of mind currently get counted for 2023, so it's probably something closer to 45-50k

fics posted: 21, which will eventually go down to 19 when i update the two multi-chapter works and they get sorted into the new year

first fic: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream Throuple [Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)]

last fic: Bases loaded, do your dance [h50]

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Ships and Fandoms ⚓

ao3 tells me the following:

Starsky & Hutch (8)

Hawaii Five-0 (2010) (7)

Ted Lasso (TV) (2)

Stargate Atlantis (1)

Hard Core Logo (1996) (1)

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) (1)

Top Gun (Movies) (1)

and for each of those it's probably the ship you most expect if you know the thing (and the way fandom works), except maybe ted lasso (both fics are keeley/roy/jamie) and sga (a gen team fic, no ships).

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Top 5 Fics by Kudos 🏆

no big surprises here. ted lasso was easily the biggest fandom i've written for this year (not to mention that these two fics had the good fortune of being posted very soon after the finale), followed by h50 long before s&h comes on the scene:

How To Build A Triangle (or accidentally fall headlong into one, or whatever the fuck) [ted lasso]

Honey honey, how you thrill me (Honey honey, nearly kill me) [ted lasso]

A flip-flop state of mind [h50]

Oh, kiss me like the final meal (Yeah, kiss me like we die tonight) [h50]

Something old, something new [h50]

-

Top 5 Favorite Fics 💖

these are in no particular order!

3 AM, the time when most people die - this is a hard core logo (1996 canadian movie) fic which just kind of Happened, and it hung around on ao3 for a solid few days in a 0 kudos 10 hits sort of state, which had me giggling every time i thought about it. 2023 goal of writing for me, myself & i achieved (0 kudos on a fic)! ✅ (that said, it does also bring me great joy to see that the number is upwards of zero now. lovely to see an obscure thing find its audience. <3)

Your hands in my back pockets - a starsky/hutch fic, and in some ways the opposite to the previous one. i had a "this is alright" sort of feeling about it when i hit post, and the (lovely! very flattering!) way people responded to it surprised me somewhat. reading it back now, i don't know what bothered me about it at first - it's nice, it flows, it's all good! plus, i really like the title. it's a good s/h title.

POV: It’s a lovely day, you’re sipping a refreshing cold drink on your 70s apartment balcony, and the upstairs neighbor who always waters the sago palm outside your front door when you forget about it has that one friend over and his windows wide open. - this is a starsky/hutch all dialogue fic, and it was just plain fun! very easy to write, thankfully not hard to read, and the title is completely ridiculous in a way that still gives me a kick.

How To Build A Triangle (or accidentally fall headlong into one, or whatever the fuck) - can't not mention this one, i think. it's the roy/jamie/keeley ted lasso fic i wrote in record time (for me), and i had a blast doing that and i think that's palpable in the end result. i have warm memories of this!

Oh, kiss me like the final meal (Yeah, kiss me like we die tonight) - h50! steve/danny! they'd gotten swamped by all the starsky/hutch in 2022, but they made a minor comeback this past year. and again, this fic was just plain fun - a scene that really needed the mcdanno rewrite, and i'm glad it happened, and that it decided to flow so smoothly it grew twice as long as intended. the gag with the gun is still good, the banter works, and i like "it tastes like a laugh".

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Fandom Fic Events 🤝

my knee-jerk first thought was none, which would have been a blatant lie for this year! i wrote a fic for the SHareCon (starsky/hutch con) zine, which is currently still zine-only but will appear on ao3 at some point in the future, and i also wrote something for this year's Starsky & Hutch Advent Calendar, which can be found here (which will also lead you to all the other lovely advent calendar gifts of 2023 and previous years!). neither of these things would have happened if starsky & hutch fandom hadn't been such a warm, welcoming, unbelievably well-organized space. <3

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Projects for 2024 👀

oh god. oh god i have so many things on the grill.

the end of 2023 was a stretch of time where i did write some, and at times even a very decent amount, but nothing seemed to be getting finished - which was annoying for a bit, and then sort of petered out into oh well. it'll happen, eventually, when it wants to. which means that currently i have a whole bunch of nearly finished things for a whole bunch of fandoms:

bad buddy - should this be top of the list? who knows. but oh, i need to write something for this - i have to, i need to, you know. it's just that it's turning out to be more of a challenge than most new things i start writing for, because i do feel i have a reasonable grip on the characters, but the fact that it's a thai series which i'm only consuming through fan-generated subtitles is clashing with some of the fundamentals of how i usually write fic, as it turns out. usually i watch a thing and then mimic character voices to write a section of (probably mostly, maybe only) dialogue, which then gets filled out with descriptions and an actual setting later on. the problem with bad buddy is that i love, love subtitles, and i love, love the people who write them, but they do (understandably! naturally!) lead to some very clunky english at times, and i just can't write things like "are you chickened out, fierce eyes". i cannot. which means i need to half-invent the right english character voice (and how that blends with the little i know of thai speaking patterns and customs), which takes away the thing i usually lean on way more heavily than i previously realized i did, so. it's a journey! it's an experiment! i'm learning things! i'm making choices! and i'm pumped about it but it's also REALLY slowing down the bad buddy fic production.

starsky & hutch - many things are happening! many many! they're just happening slowly. there's one particular fic about starsky and hutch comfortably out at a party and hutch fielding questions about names which has been 98% done for a month or two, but i need one (1) more connective paragraph to wrap things up, and apparently i'm in no hurry. and i love that for me, at the same time as i'm tempted to flick my brain and go Do It. Just Do It. oh god, and then there's a much older comedy fic stuck in close to the same situation only there it's 95% and the missing part is the end, which is at least a little more serious, and there are. i think literally a dozen probably. things that are cooking, bubbling, making interesting little noises. it's yet to be seen which of those turn out tasty.

h50 - there are some shorter wips here that have great potential to go somewhere, but mostly i want to finally (finally!) wrap up a flip-flop state of mind, which only needs finishing touches (albeit a bunch of them) on the final chapter, and then maybe 200 more words for the short epilogue to round things out. i had somewhat hoped to get that done before the new year, but it didn't work out that way, and i'm at peace with it - the longer this fic takes, the more comical my initial estimate of "i can probably get this done within the month" becomes. and after that's done, i can refocus my energy on Sweet like a chic-a-cherry cola, another ill-fated plan which i Will see through (while also enjoying myself), dammit, but i think for that one i'll need to pre-write the whole thing before i start posting again or i'll just keep going in circles.

nashville - it's been a while since my rewatch, so i'm not sure it will ever really come together, but i have a fun little 5+1 will/gunnar thing which lives half in a google docs file and half in my heart. could be nice!

sga - there's One Fic that's near done and has a few turns of phrase in it that keep making me go "oh, this might be worth finishing, actually" every time i return to it, but i think i'll need to let that happen a few more times before we actually get there. there's also a light and comedy-ish aro/ace john fic (heavily featuring john&rodney and john&team) on a low boil. i think that one might need to wait for me to rewatch the show at some point so i'm correctly immersed in the Vibes of it all, but it's very dear to me, so it still gets a permanent In Progress label.

due south - there's one particular thing that i might get back to? maybe. it could happen. @redgoldblue's dedicated live reporting on their due south watch, as well as their ds fic, did stir something in my brain.

other - there's literally two paragraphs of hard core logo fic kicking around in my notes which might turn into something some day. (when i started writing 3AM those new words were intended to blend with the two existing paragraphs, but they never did.) there's some ted lasso that can still be considered wip, but my ted lasso fic moment burned bright and short, it seems, though it's nice to know the framework is there if i ever do a rewatch. oh man, and there's a weird homoerotic over the top (because that's what this canon is) tango & cash wip which i hope will make it across the finish line some day, but i wouldn't be surprised if in the end that's, like. coming to an ao3 page near you soon! in 2026.

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Tagging ✨

tag any number of people you want as far as i'm concerned (which can be zero! that's a valid number), but i haven't spotted this going around in my fandom circles yet, so i'll shoot for some good coverage: @redgoldblue @luredin @actingcamplibrarian @stephmcx @pterawaters @the-arya-silvertongue @logicgunn @incognito-insomniac @dedkake @spaceradars @spurious @sparrowsarus @flownwrong @theroseandthebeast @jimmyandthegiraffes @soleadita @ivycross @murphyhatesme @bgharison @thekristen999 @cowandcalf @msbeeinmybonnet @ruztyryan and you, reading this. i fully tagged myself to do this, so please don't feel shy about doing the same! i really do want to read your answers, if you feel like giving them.

obviously there's no pressure, and also feel free to modify this any way you want! give different stats, list top 5 by hits instead of kudos, name just one favorite fic, add in fics you only posted to tumblr rather than ao3, skip a category or invent a new one or throw the whole thing out and only reflect on a single piece of writing in more detail - it's all fair game, as long as it suits you.

[atlantis-archive]

Meet Team Atlantis

Written by: Deborah Barnes Published in: Disney Adventures Collector’s Issue! Atlantis: The Lost Empire Volume 11, Number 6 (pg.32-35). Publisher: Buena Vista Magazines Inc. Publication date: circa July 2001.

(continued from In Search of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, continued in Dive!)

Text:

Meet Team Atlantis

Find out cool facts about the brave explorers who go in search of the lost city of Atlantis!

In 1914, a young adventurer named Milo Thatch dreamed of completing his grandfather's quest to find the legendary lost city of Atlantis. Though some people thought Milo was crazy, a wealthy businessman agreed to sponsor Milo's expedition. Milo joined a group of daredevil explorers on a dangerous mission that took them under the sea and to the center of the Earth.

MILO JAMES THATCH Team position: Linguist, major brainiac. Age: 32. Birthplace: Fishkill, New York. Education: Earned doctorate degrees in linguistic theory and dead languages from Oxford University in England. Major accomplishments: Graduated from high school at age 11; ranked as one of the world's best linguists; translated ancient documents that reveal the location of Atlantis. Best trait: Milo never gives up. Worst trait: Love of work doesn't leave much time for a social life; best friend is his Persian cat, Fluffy. Secret dream: Milo's one and only dream is not so secret: Find Atlantis. Biggest fear: That he might be wrong—that Atlantis doesn't really exist.

LYLE TIBERIUS ROURKE Team position: Expedition commander, serious dude. Age: 54. Birthplace: Beaumont, Texas. Education: Graduated second in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (in New York). Major accomplishments: Led the charge in tons of famous battles as an Army captain; won awards for leadership and heroism; saved the life of his commanding officer. Best trait: Total focus on his mission. Worst trait: A cruel streak—and quick temper! Both make him a little scary. Secret dream: To make lots of money. Biggest fear: That he might actually fail on a mission.

HELGA KATRINA SINCLAIR Team position: Second in command. Age: 30. Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany. Education: Studied with famous martial arts and weapons experts around the world; trained in military tactics and firearms under Commander Rourke. Major accomplishments: One of only three living people to beat Commander Rourke in both unarmed combat and chess. Best trait: Intelligent and cool under pressure. Worst trait: Can seem icy and unfriendly. Secret dram: To fight someone (or something) that's a real challenge. Biggest fear: What is fear?

[page break]

Meet Team Atlantis

GAETAN MOLIÉRE Team position: Geologist, mineralogist, tunneling expert. Age: 39. Birthplace: Paris, France. Education: Became interested in tunneling by exploring the sewers beneath Paris as a kid; went to college at the Sorbonne; left school to become a miner. Major accomplishments: One of the world's best geologists; can tell where dirt is from by tasting it. Best trait: A master problem-solver and inventor. Worst trait: He likes dirt so much, he hardly bathes. Secret dream: To burrow to the center of the Earth. Biggest fear: Being forced to take a bath.

WILHELMINA BERTHA PACKARD Team position: Communications expert, chatterbox. Age: 61. Birthplace: Whippany, New Jersey. Education: Worked as a research assistant to several famous inventors—and married most of them (including Chichester Bell, cousin of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell). Major accomplishments: Helped develop several major communications devices, including the radio, batteries and a "talking machine" (the ancestor to the CD player). Best trait: Unflappable sense of humor. Worst trait: Can be too chatty, even in the face of disaster. Secret dream: To finally find the love of her life. Biggest fear: Static.

AUDREY ROCIO RAMIREZ Team position: Mechanic, hothead. Age: 18. Birthplace: Dearborn, Michigan. Education: Began rebuilding engines in her father's car-repair shop at the age of 5; took a job at the Henry Ford Automotive Plant at the age of 9. Major accomplishments: Helped invent new gearing, steering and cooling systems for cars at Ford. Best trait: Spunky and smart. Worst trait: A short temper that gets even shorter when all the equipment keeps breaking down. Secret dream: To build a flying car. Biggest fear: That she'll get caught without her toolbox.

VINCENZO "VINNY" SANTORINI Team position: Demolitions, expert. Age: 38. Birthplace: Palermo, Italy. Education: Learned all about explosives on his own—and has a childhood full of blown up buildings to prove it. Major accomplishments: Can create the right kind of explosion for every occasion. Best trait: Stays relaxed, despite his dangerous job. Worst trait: A passion for practical jokes; seems to like blowing things up just a bit too much. Secret dream: To one day create the perfect explosion. Biggest fear: Working in the family business—a florist's shop!

DR. JOSHUA STRONGBEAR SWEET Team position: Medical officer. Age: 42. Birthplace: Bigelow, Kansas. Education: Earned degrees in medicine, botany (the study of plants) and herbology; learned Native American medicine from his uncle Iron Cloud, an Arapaho medicine man. Major accomplishments: Served as a battlefield surgeon with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders; treated soldiers on both sides. Best trait: Strong as a grizzly, gentle as a teddy bear. Worst trait: No one's found it yet. Secret dream: To find a cure for all diseases. Biggest fear: Small spaces.

"COOKIE" FARNSWORTH Team position: Cook. Age: 72. Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma. Education: Served as a sharpshooter in the Civil War; became a U.S. Army cook, feeding hundreds with almost no supplies. Major accomplishments: Was General George Custer's personal chef; became a chef at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel; owned his own restaurant. Best trait: Can make shoe leather taste good—and he probably has. Worst trait: The military has made him tough—so complain about the food at your own risk! Secret dream: To invent something called "fast-food." Biggest fear: Running out of flour.

[forgottenarthur]

OOC | The Titles & Styles of Arthur Varmont

ok so, while in Astaira, his titles strictly pertaining to his status in that nation are the ones you're familiar with:

His Imperial Highness, The Prince Imperial Archduke of [Varmont], Arthur, Prince of the House of Varmont, [insert local title]

but there're lotsa other nations, and as we know, arthur should have a title in most of them (if not all!) so!!

PRINCE OF THE SILVER MOUNTAINS, antilla – HOUSE OF RODERICK’S STEPMAMA, im sort of picturing a spain/portugal mashup || taken from sierra de la plata, a legendary mountain hold brimming with treasure

ARCHON OF MEROPIS, kolchis -- HOME OF HOUSE CALAINON, think medieval byzantine/green || taken from greek mythology, but this one's lowkey a parady of atlantis, still since this still would've been one of the titles he wouldn't been awarded at birth, some rando island makes sense for that etc

LORD OF VANARHEIM, kvenheim -- i was sort of envisioning norse scandinavia || from vanaheimr, an otherworld belonging to one of the two types of rival norse gods (edmund probs got asgard amirite ;D)

LORD OF ILNARRIA, vinetta – think lithuania, latvia, poland, germany, etc ||

PRINCE OF KARSHVAR, malakarta – the sun-soaked deserts of the middle east || a legendary zoroastrian continent

DUKE OF DUANUN, aarnu – think egypt: a fertile river running through vast deserts || a mix of duat and nun, the land of the dead and the primordial waters respectively

PRINCE OF VANTA, argadara – a whole country of vast mountains in the fantasy!himalayas || a legendary land of trees called himavanta

COUNT OF KUNSANG, xangadu – the most hospitable part of china basically – their governing body was called a blogring ;D jk jk no but fr s/o to xanga rip || mixture of kunlun, a legendary mountain range, and fusang, a mysterious land to the east of china

LORD OF TOIONGA, aotepo – sort of pictured a chain of tropical islands! which is also interesting bc i feel like roderick’s navy is kinda. ehhh so they def got a work out w this one! def think this was one of the more recent conquests too! || a maori spirit world for those who dream of starlight known as the summit of the heavens or sky world: toi o nga rangi

BOYAR OF VYRAI, alytar – HOME OF HOUSE VASILIEVA, think medieval russia || the mythical place where birds fly and where souls go after death in slavic mythology, vyraj

MARQUESS OF CELLIWIC, affaraon – tis scotland ;D and, as such, i was thinking this was possibly a neighbor to astaira? || from celliwig/kelliwic/gelliwic, the first named location of king arthur and translates to 'forest grove' <3

LORD OF KIL-KENNAR, astaira – HOME OF HOUSE STAFFORD, &c.

so, here is the full style of arthur:

His Imperial Highness, the Prince Imperial Archduke of [Varmont], Arthur, Prince of the House of Varmont, Firstborn Son of Emperor Roderick the Great, Prince of the Silver Mountains, Prince of Karshvar, Prince of Vanta, Archon of Meropis, Boyar of Vyrai, Duke of Ilnarria, Duke of Duanun, Marquess of Celliwic, Count of Kunsang, Earl of Vanarheim, Lord of Toionga, Lord of Kil-kennar, Champion of Celliwic, Lord Commander of His Imperial Majesty's Legions of the Dawn, Wielder of Daybreak

[mumms-the-word]

In Fathoms Below - Ch. 2

Ch. 2 - The Launch

Characters: Gale, Karlach, Wyll, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Astarion, Halsin, Minthara, Gortash + other OCs; pairing is Gale x fem!Tav Plot: The island city of Nautera disappeared over 4500 years ago, if it ever existed at all. Now not a single, legitimate record of Nautera exists, save for one. The Nauterran Account. Long thought lost, it has recently been retrieved from the depths of Candlekeep’s archives and placed into the capable hands of one Gale Dekarios. With the Nauterran Account in hand and an eclectic team of Baldurians and other allies mounting an official expedition, Gale journeys to find the ruins of Nautera…but hopes to find so much more. A/N: Gale is meeting the team and the submersible is about to launch! For those curious about where a certain pale vampire is, don't worry. He's around here somewhere. Also, have some mood music!

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Lord Enver Gortash. It wasn’t a name that Gale immediately recognized, but the man carried himself with an air of confidence and self-importance that was impossible to deny. Whoever he was to the city of Baldur’s Gate, it was someone of significance.

Gortash straightened from his subtle bow to offer Gale another charismatic smile. “I’m in charge of this little expedition, at the behest of Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard himself. It has been a lifelong dream of mine—and his—to locate the fabled Nautera. When we heard that there was an ancient record of the islands and that there might be a man capable of reading and deciphering it—well, it was practically a dream come true. We wasted no time in organizing this expedition to seek out the fabled city. Rest assured, I’ve gathered only the finest to ensure our success. Including you, naturally. You’ve come highly recommended.”

Gale struggled to keep up. Recommended by who, Elminster? And how did this man know about the Account when not even Gale had been certain it still existed until only a few short days ago? And Ravengard—that was a Baldurian name, if he recalled. One of four Grand Dukes that ruled the city. If this was a Baldurian expedition, why had Elminster arranged for him to join? Then again, perhaps he ought not to look a gift submersible in the mouth...

He set those concerns aside for now. “A pleasure to meet you, Lord Gortash.” 

“Likewise.” Gortash snapped his fingers at the drow woman. “Minthara. Gather the others will you? We can have a little debrief before we launch.”

Gale didn’t miss the withering look Minthara shot at the back of Gortash’s head, but she turned and left even so. In the meantime, Gortash gestured toward the githyanki, who was watching them both with a sour expression, her arms still crossed over her chest.

“This is—”

“I am capable of introducing myself, istik,” she said, cutting her eyes briefly at Gortash before settling her gaze back on Gale. She straightened and lifted her chin. “I am Lae’zel of K’liir. No doubt I will be this expedition’s strongest fighter, should the need arise.”

“Lae’zel is here to offer her people’s expertise on Nautera,” Gortash said, appearing unruffled by her interruption. “The libraries of K’liir contained quite a few tir’su slates with accounts of the islands. I’m sure the two of you will have much to discuss as we draw closer to the city.”

“Truly?” Gale couldn’t help but be intrigued. “I confess, I’ve always wanted to learn tir’su. No doubt time in your company will prove valuable to us both.”

“Save your words, istik,” she said, settling back against the table and folding her arms again. “I offer only that which is necessary, be it in words or with blades. I do not chatter.” 

“Ah…duly noted.” 

Gortash chuckled. “Don’t mind her. She’s like that with everyone. Ah, here we have our healers. This is Halsin Silverbough of the Emerald Grove and Shadowheart, a cleric who has offered her services to the cause.”

“You must be the translator we’ve been waiting for,” Halsin said, nodding to him. “Well met.”

“Funny,” Shadowheart said, looking Gale up and down. “I thought you’d be more…”

“More…what?” Gale tilted his head. “Dashing? Roguish? Elegantly dressed?”

She pursed her lips. “More of a peacock, I suppose. Your reputation precedes you.” Her gaze settled briefly on his silver Mystran earring before returning to his face.

“Ah. I dare not ask which reputation you’re referring to, if that’s the case,” he said, laughing somewhat awkwardly. He could just imagine what the others had heard about him by now, especially if Elminster had arranged for him to join up.

But just as she noticed his earring, he couldn’t help but notice the symbol on the circlet she wore over her hair—a round black disk like a new moon. Any follower of Mystra would recognize that symbol. It was the mark of Shar, one of Mystra’s longest and most relentless divine enemies. The two goddesses absolutely hated each other.

Curious that there would be a Sharran cleric on board. But if she was here as a healer, perhaps she intended to do no harm. Or so he hoped. He offered her his most charming smile and a little bow.

“Rest assured, I’m more than happy to offer my services to the expedition. The discovery of Nautera is not something a man simply passes up.”

“That’s the spirit,” Gortash said, flashing him a quick grin. “Ah, and I know you’ve met Karlach.”

“Hello again, Gale,” Karlach said, giving him a little wave. He waved back.

“And this is young Wyll Ravengard, son of Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard.”

“At your service.” The young man bowed gracefully before rising and offering Gale a smile. Gale noticed that one of his eyes had been replaced with a smooth, stone eye and that there were several scars on his face and neck.

For a young son of a grand duke, Wyll didn’t look the part. This man had clearly seen trials the like most could only find in their nightmares. Still, it was curious that he was here. From what little Gale recalled of Baldurian nobility, Ulder Ravengard only had one son, and this expedition was sure to be dangerous at times.

Wyll's presence must be a hint of Ravengard’s confidence in the success of the expedition...or else there was some other, darker reason no one dared to name. Gale hoped it meant the former.

“And finally,” Gortash said, as the drow woman returned to the table, “allow me to introduce our general, Minthara of House Baenre. She has brought with her a retinue of drow scouts and soldiers that will no doubt be invaluable as we explore any Underdark passages along the way.”

“I also serve as the second-in-command for this expedition,” she said, clasping her hands behind her back. “And I suffer no disobedience of any kind. If you will not listen to Lord Gortash, you will listen to me. Is that clear?”

“As crystal,” Gale said, trying to look sincere. He glanced around the group, trying to match faces with names and names with occupations. Gortash, the lord and leader. Minthara, the general. Karlach, the bodyguard. Wyll, the young noble. Halsin, the druid healer. Shadowheart, the cleric. And Lae’zel, the githyanki soldier and tir’su expert.

An ecclectic group if he ever saw one. He couldn’t fathom why half of them cared about finding the ruins of an ancient city. At worst they would find nothing, save perhaps stone blocks and broken pottery, and at best they’d locate ancient writings, perhaps a rare fragment of the legendary mythallar. Gale knew what he wanted out of the trip—answers about Nautera and its relationship with Netheril as well as the pride in knowing he had proven generations of Candlekeep scholars wrong—but he dared not wonder why the rest were interested.

Perhaps it was better that he did not know…for now.

“Now,” Gortash said, clasping his hands together. “There are plenty more important people to meet but you can make those introductions along the way. We had best be off. Gale, you will be sharing a bunk with Halsin and Wyll while aboard the submersible. I trust they can show you the way?” At Wyll and Halsin’s nods, he continued, “Splendid. Everyone, we will meet at the helm in exactly one hour. If you’re not inside the submersible, you’ll be left behind. And, Gale…” 

Gale paused just as he was turning away to follow Wyll and Halsin down toward the submersible. He faced Gortash again, finding himself caught beneath the Baldurian lord’s dark, unreadable gaze. Gortash’s smile, however, was as charming and practiced as ever.

“Bring your little book. We’ll have need of it.”

-----

The interior of the submersible was nearly all metal. Metal sheets, metal pipes, metal grates, metal bolts. If it wasn’t metal, it was thick glass that peered out into the blue depths beyond. While not entirely unwelcoming, it was certainly different from the creature comforts Gale was used to in his Waterdhavian wizard’s tower.

The bunks, at least, looked passably comfortable, though Gale was a bit disappointed that there was no chance of a private room. Still, Wyll and Halsin seemed sensible, even friendly company.

“How does a young noble and a druid come to join an expedition like this?” he asked them as he dropped his pack onto the only available bed in the room. It was little more than a narrow padded mattress with a thin pillow and a blanket folded at one end, but it was his now.

Wyll, leaning against a ladder-like set of rungs that led to a bunk over Gale’s, gave a light shrug. “It’s a legendary city at the bottom of the sea, like a fairy story of old. What's not to enjoy? I wanted to see it for myself and my father was only too happy to negotiate a place for me...so here I am.”

Gale noticed a shift in Wyll’s voice at his last sentence, but couldn’t quite discern the meaning or emotion. Wyll’s pleasant expression and soft smile were polite, but impenetrable. If there was more to his tale than he was letting on, there was no way for Gale to know it.

“I take it you’re interested in the legends and the history of Nautera, then?” Gale asked.

“Only what I don’t already know. I’ve heard the stories, of course.” Wyll began to gesture with his hands, as if painting the scene. “A fabled city on a distant island, home to a thousand wonders of every kind. Flying ships, walking stone creatures, marvels and magic and more. Only for it to disappear over the span of a single day. One day it’s there, another island in the vast sea, and the next—” he snapped his fingers, “—gone. Not even a rock jutting up from the water to suggest it was ever there.” 

He smiled and dropped his hands, shrugging. “They say the person who finds Nautera will be granted one wish, whatever their heart desires. But I’m not so sure that’s true.”

“Perhaps not, but there are always elements of truth even in the midst of a fairy story or a legend,” Gale said. “Perhaps wishes were granted there, back when it was above water.” 

He turned to Halsin, who was seated on the bunk opposite, his wooden staff resting on his knees. “What of you? I’m surprised to see a druid of the forests showing an interest in an underwater city.”

Halsin smiled faintly. “It is odd, and this…submersible is unnatural to me. But I was told there was a need for a healer, and I have been many strange places in my modest life. To see the ruins of a civilization that predates my own people…such marvels are not to be ignored, I think. I am here to be of service and to satisfy my own curiosity.”

“Then our interests align. Though I hope we will not need to rely on your services too much, Master Halsin.”

“Just Halsin, please,” the old druid said, chuckling. “And I agree. Though if the need arises, I can be useful in other ways.”

Before he could explain further, there was a sharp knock just outside the bunk room. A young man in uniform leaned in through the open doorway. “Saers, you’re wanted at the helm. We’re to launch in a few minutes.”

“We’ll be right there,” Wyll responded, and the young man disappeared. Wyll took a deep breath and turned to smile at Gale and Halsin. “We’d best be off. I hear the best place to witness a submersible launch is at the front.”

He and Halsin ducked out of the room, the tall elf literally hunching to make it through the rounded, low doorframe. Gale made sure to retrieve the Nauterran Account and tuck it carefully into his satchel, alongside his spellbook and a few other supplies, before following them out of the bunk room. 

The helm featured an impressive array of controls, dials, levers, and gauges, all manned by various pilots, including one surly-looking blonde dwarf at the very front. Overhead, bolted sheets of metal made up part of the sloping, dome-like ceiling before transitioning to curving panels of thick, reinforced glass between metal bars, giving them a clear view of everything immediately ahead and above them, and a fair view of the sides too. At the center of the room, a large, curving, mahogany desk and a surprisingly plush chair took up much of the space, looking elegant yet out of place, as if they had been teleported in from someone’s office back in the city. Someone had laid out several maps and navigation tools on the surface. The chair was unoccupied at the moment, but Gortash stood just to the side of it, hands clasped behind his back, watching the pilots work. 

A few paces away, Karlach shifted restlessly on her feet, tapping her fingers against her thigh and turning her head this way and that, as if trying to catch all the action going around her. Minthara, Lae’zel, and Shadowheart stood nearby, with Lae’zel and Shadowheart eyeing each other darkly and Minthara ignoring both of them to stare over the head of a gnome pilot messing with specific controls.

Gortash glanced over his shoulder and noticed the three of them entering. “Ah, good. You’re here, just in time to watch the magic happen. So to speak,” he added, sending a grin Gale’s way. 

Before Gale could respond, Gortash turned away and directed his next words to the blonde dwarf at the front of the room, where a big metal ship’s wheel was waiting. “Redhammer, begin the launch and take us out to the open sea.”

“Aye, saer.” The dwarf pulled one of the levers and took the wheel. “Commencing launch.”

All around the room, various pilots began to flip switches, pull levers, and turn wheels, calling out responses or numbers that Gale could make no sense of and watching various screens and gauges as they worked. He felt the floor beneath him shudder as distant engines roared to life, the dull rumble and vibrations reaching them even there in the helm. The excitement in the room was palpable. Gale’s heart began to pound and his blood began to race through his veins, all in anticipation of the launch. 

All at once the entire submersible gave a downward lurch, as if being dropped or let go, and a flurry of bubbles billowed up against the glass. Gale moved to a free space near one of the windows, out of the way of the pilots, watching as more curtains of bubbles bounced and twirled upward as the seacraft began to lower gently away from the docks. He felt his ears pop as they sank lower and lower and began to turn away toward the deeper blue of the ocean depths.

No turning back now.

“Watch those power gauges, boys,” Redhammer said, directing his fellow pilots. “Steady now. Increase engines one and three and bring them to thirty percent.”

The rumble from the engines louder grew until it was a sonorous thrum in the background, the vibrations beneath Gale’s boots now a constant drone. Outside the submersible, the massive metal fins on either side came to life, frightening and scattering several fish that had ventured too close. He felt the seacraft tilt and adjust before it fell into a steady, subtle rocking pattern, like that of an undulating whale, as it began to move forward. It wasn’t unlike the rocking of a ship on the sea, though perhaps more regulated. 

As they moved away from the docks and out toward the open expanse of the ocean depths, they cut through fronds of thick, towering kelp, sending fish and other creatures fleeing through the waving undersea plants. It was surreal to watch the underwater world pass by them through the windows of the submersible, almost as if he were seeing merely illusion rather than reality.

“Whoa…” He turned to see that Karlach had joined him at a nearby window, staring out of it in wide-eyed wonder. Her glowing eyes were even more alight as she took in the waving plants, the fish, and the bubbles as they moved through the water. “We’re really doing this…”

Her wonder bolstered his own and he offered her a somewhat crooked smile. “Nervous?”

She glanced sidelong at him and laughed. “Too late for that now, soldier. Besides, Gortash doesn’t pay me to be nervous.”

Redhammer’s voice called out again. “All engines to forty-five percent. Take us down ten degrees down-angle and hold us steady.”

Working in tandem, the pilots pivoted the seacraft and maneuvered it downward, increasing the speed until they were moving along at a noticeable clip. The kelp forest quickly gave way to rocky reefs with sparse coral and from there to gray, silty sand that disappeared into darkness the farther they descended. The sunlight overhead grew fainter and fainter until at last they were enveloped by inky blue and cobalt, the waters ahead illuminated only by the brilliant enchanted lights that shone outward from the front of the submersible. 

Beyond the reach of the seacraft’s lights, the depths below beckoned, looking like a vast, empty void of velvet black. Gale held tighter to his satchel, his eyes on the dark waters ahead. He was loathe to pray to any goddess other than Mystra—and even she hadn’t been listening to his prayers lately—but he was tempted to offer a meek prayer to Umberlee, the chaotic goddess of the seas. They were in her territory, after all...

And at the mercy of her infamously temperamental whims. The darkness of the depths was a tangible reminder of their tentative place in her domain, because, as any Waterdhavian knew, the Bitch Queen was more than capable of summoning a creature from the depths to sink a ship.

A massive submersible diving into her depths would only be that much more annoying to her, and that much more susceptible to destruction. Gale could only hope her attention was diverted elsewhere.

[tinderbox210]

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

(In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.)

When the ancient, powerful deity Cthulhu is awaken from slumber in the sunken city of R'lyeh located deep beneath the Pacific Ocean and threatens to destroy both Atlantis and the surface world, Elena is plagued by apocalyptic visions and Orm must once more become Ocean Master to protect what he holds dear.

(based on this idea x)

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Kingdom Hearts 4 Challenge Day 6: A World to Revisit

Atlantica

(So, I swear all of my posts really aren't meant to be about Kairi. Like, I was going to make this cool manip where it looked like Sora was saving Melody from drowning, but my Sony Vegas refused to open for some reason? So I just decided to post these similar images of Melody and Kairi instead. That being said... while I don't need Kairi to be the one to go to a The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea world if we ever got one--I'd be more than okay with it being Sora--that would be cool. I'd love to see mermaid Kairi, since Kairi is named for the sea. And Kairi's name can even mean "melody." And she has a lot in common with Ariel. I even suspect she was somewhat based on Ariel, but anyway.)

The reason I would want Atlantica is honestly just because I would want a pretty underwater world again with the Unreal Engine graphics. And that can be a world that we've never been to before, like, Atlantis: The Lost Empire. But if we don't get a new one, then I would want an old one like Atlantica here. Plus... even though I don't think this movie is the greatest. At all. I feel like it's okay... and depending on how they handle it, the KH writers could potentially make it better, with what they add to it. Also, I feel like if we go to Atlantica one more time--with better swimming controls, and in an attempt that isn't a musical--we could finally redeem the world. And that would be great to see.

And now, for whatever reason, I'm going to list some other worlds I'd be more than okay with returning (even though I think we were only supposed to list one. Shh.)

Wonderland: But only if the world is expanded and it's a "sequel," via it being based on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Deep Jungle: I know this will surely never happen, since I know Disney has lost the rights to Tarzan. But on the off-chance they ever got the rights back somehow, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing this world back again, perhaps adapting some of the stories from the TV show, like the stuff with Princess La.

Agrabah: I definitely want to go here one more time and to have the "Aladdin and the King of Thieves" story depicted. (I probably would even prefer this even over Atlantica, actually, even though I want that pretty underwater level). This was one of the better Disney sequels, after all. And Sora most definitely deserves to be there for Aladdin and Jasmine's wedding.

Neverland: I wouldn't be opposed to the second Peter Pan movie being adapted.

The Land of Dragons: I'd be all for us having Mulan II, actually.

The Beast's Castle: I've always wanted "Beauty and the Beast and the Enchanted Christmas." I want to fight Forte. LOL. While I doubt it will happen, for obvious reasons, I feel like they could find a way to do it: like Belle writes Sora and the gang a part of her and the Beast's story that they don't know about (the Enchanted Christmas story) and sends it to them as a gift (maybe even for Christmas?), and once Sora opens it, he somehow gets pulled into said story.

Pirates of the Caribbean: I wouldn't mind a "Dead Men Tell No Tales" world.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride would be awesome.

I would also kill for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time.

While part of me is loath to mention this one... I feel like no one was completely satisfied with the La Cité des Cloches world in Dream Drop Distance (because of lack of NPCs and that kind of thing). And there is a "The Hunchback of Notre Dame II" that Disney made. Absolutely no one likes this movie, and for good reason. But I don't know... I would be willing to tolerate it, just to see this world in the quality it deserves. And maybe Square Enix could somehow make it better... actually, surely not. But like I said: I could tolerate this just to run around Notre Dame in pretty Unreal Engine graphics.

I know that originally with DDD, the plan was Sora to go to all of the original Fantasia locations and for Riku to go to the ones in Fantasia 2000. But then they realized there were enough locations in the first movie for them both to go to, and they didn't need to crank out the sequel after all (or something like that). So I certainly wouldn't mind getting Fantasia 2000 now, in KHIV.

Tangled I'd love to go here again, if we get to see some of the cool plots from the TV show, that I've watched on YouTube. LOL

Arendelle We all know we'll be going here. It isn't even a question. I just hope that this time, Disney gives Square Enix much more freedom (let Elsa and Anna be party members, please). Since Frozen II is kind of hit and miss. Square Enix could really make something cool with it--like they could have with Frozen in KHIII--if they're allowed some creativity.

Wreck-It Ralph Because no one, and I mean no one, wanted us to first experience this world in KHUX, tbh.

Radiant Garden I just really want to finish some of the plot threads there that are still hanging.

Destiny Islands I just really want to be able to go back here and play, dangit! And maybe finally get to explore the main island!

Shibuya Just let us meet Neku, Shiki, Beat, Joshua, and Rhyme in their Shibuya (even if it's an in the credits thing), if Quadratum isn't theirs and we're not going to meet them (or the Wicked Twisters) in the game, otherwise.

[therealgchu]

Chapter 3 To the Shore

just posted chapter 3: Knowns and Unknowns. remember, a03 doesn't have sections for prologues, so it's listed as chapter 4 there. trigger warning for mention of child abuse.

already started working on the next chapter, and chugging a long pretty decently.

if you want to read it from the beginning, here's the link. i think i'll make a nice banner this weekend. i got a nice shot the other day, which, i think, will work nicely.

and, here's a snippet:

She was emotionally exhausted when they reached orbit and it was late. Cora was already in bed, and she didn’t have the mental strength to deal with anything. Thankfully, Sam was silent the whole trip. She didn’t think she could deal with trying to make conversation. She checked the nav computer for the gravitational waves for the moon’s Lagrange point, and set the ship into stationary orbit.

She had started shutting down systems, when Sam came up behind her. “You look exhausted. Get some sleep. I’ll take care of the ship.” Hwa nodded, not having the energy to debate, and dragged herself to her bunk.

Hwa was so tired she couldn’t keep her eyes open. But, she didn’t want to sleep. It was nights like these when she was exhausted and emotionally drained that the bad nightmares came. She had nightmares every night, but those were so common they had become part of her nightly dreamscape. She had nightmares about being chased and killed since she was little, and they were so common that they long stopped scaring her. However, when she was this tired, it was like her brain didn’t have any defenses, and the really bad dreams came.

Sleep finally came, yet the only reason she knew she had fallen asleep was because she woke up in a tight ball in the middle of her bunk, quietly whimpering. She learned as a child to never scream in her sleep because that would wake other people up, and those people would beat her for waking them up. She peeked to the other bunks, and found that, thankfully, her whimpers didn’t wake up Sam or Cora. She quickly and silently got out of her bunk and made her way to the cockpit. She reckoned she’d slept about five and a half hours, more than enough shut-eye. She grabbed a book from the captain’s locker, curled up in the seat, and read till dawn.

Sam and Cora were not early risers. By the time they’d awaken, she’d already surveyed the moon from orbit, and found the possible location that Andreja might be. She was sitting at the galley table with a slate, going over the data when the two finally arose. She’d spend much of the early morning hours mentally preparing to deal with other people. There was work to do, and a pity party dwelling on the past wasn’t going to find Andreja.

“Do you want breakfast? I can make you some. I grabbed some bacon and pancakes before we left New Atlantis,” she offered.

Sam furrowed his brows at her, but Cora immediately sat down at the table, beaming. “Yes please! What are we doing today, Captain?” she piped up.

Hwa got up and started bustling around the galley. In short order, she had made enough breakfast for all three. “Vlad asked us to check on Andreja,” Hwa answered Cora. She then turned to Sam, “I think I might have found where she might be. There’s an abandoned mine that’s playing havoc with the gravity readings in just that tiny spot. Figured we should start there.”

Sam picked at the food she put before him, and stared at her intently. Hwa finally set down and started eating. She saw his intense gaze and returned it with a bland expression. Cora saw her dad’s expression and shook her head. “Dad, you look like Sarah right now when she’s mad at you.”

“What, Gumdrop?” he said absently, turning his attention to his daughter.

“I said you look like Sarah when she’s mad at you,” Cora repeated, then shoved some bacon in her mouth.

[tunemyart]

I was tagged by @wistfulwatcher in 20 Questions for Fic Writers - thank you!! <33

How many works do you have on AO3?

47

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

408,521

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Actively, right now? It's Cabenson all the time. I have a crossover with Elementary in the works, if it counts? Historically: Xena: Warrior Princess, Olivia (1951), Star Trek(s touching on Voyager, Picard, and Discovery), Wicked, Once Upon a Time, Rizzoli & Isles. Waaaaay back in the day historically: A TON of Wicked, smattering of The X-Files, Battlestar: Galactica, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Stargates SG-1 and Atlantis, Doctor Who, Bones.

Oh. Also Star Wars EU as a wee child.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Presque Vu (R&I)

all the sacred boundaries we've overgrown (OUAT)

The Nature of Work Wives (R&I)

the undoing and the reweaving (XWP)

The Thing Called Future (OUAT)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yeah!! Posting fic is all about the positive human interaction for me! Obviously comments are life, we all know this; but also I have irl friendships that started in the comments of my fic because I responded. You never know who you're going to meet or in what capacity.

tl;dr if someone feels compelled enough by something that came directly out of my brain and my soul to engage tangibly with it - you bet I'm going to respond, barring irl complications.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmmmm so I have been accused of being something of an angst queen, but I also like a happy ending after the angst. I think the angstiest contenders are more ambiguous, and are probably:

no one else can break my heart like you (Wicked) - because we all know what's coming in Act II

Chrysopylae (Voyager/Picard) - because I really don't think many things about Seven and Janeway's relationship can ever truly be resolved

do borg dream of individuality? (Voyager) - see above, where Janeway is starting to intuit this

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think The Thing Called Future (OUAT) is a pretty classic happy ending! So is all the sacred boundaries we've overgrown (OUAT). Both are in the right fandom for it!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've been very fortunate to get very nice, genuine folks and exactly one person I'm choosing to believe was having a bad day and taking it out on me.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Y-yes? I guess it depends on your definition of smut. There's sex for sure, but the focus is more on the emotions while it's happening than on graphic descriptions of what's happening or how it feels. Most of the time it's baked into the narrative and telling the story. I think I've really only written one or two PWP, and they're in XWP fandom.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not really! As mentioned I've got the SVU/Elementary crossover in the works, but for the reason that time and location align so incredibly perfectly. I also had a XWP/Wonder Woman crossover I wrote on a prompt (an amazon matter) and that was a lot of fun, but probably also not crazy.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not word for word or reposted.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but it would be cool!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but @90stvqueen and I have talked about cowriting prompts before!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Oof. I feel like I should say Xena/Gabrielle here, but Gelphie is my OG (shoutout gateway lesbians!)

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

hahahahaha pass

16. What are your writing strengths?

This is a very reflective question! I guess I'd say emotional reflection + revision/distillation. Give me an inch I'll write you a mile, and then realize I need to revise it to something closer the inch you'll actually read or the conversation the characters would actually have.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action, movement, and description of setting. Wait, no, are they sitting/standing in some nebulous, blurry-edged space having a conversation again???? nooooooooooooooooooooo

I'm working on it, and I'm proud of what my efforts are yielding, but also: ughh

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

It's a nice idea, but imo it distracts so hard from the flow of reading. One or two words where the reader can figure it out in context, or where the reader probably knows what it means, is great! Adds color and flavor! Entire lines that require footnotes… personally, I'm never going to look those up.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Star Wars EU! Luke Skywalker/Mara Jade OTP!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

I don't know if/when my answer is going to change from The Wide Orbit (SVU) - genuinely I think it's the best thing I've ever written. A lot of work and revision went into it and I think the final product shows it. It is precisely the story I wanted to tell in precisely the way I wanted to tell it. I just reread it and am still so delighted with it.

tagging in a no-pressure way: @chthonic-cassandra @chainofclovers @90stvqueen @cargopantsprentiss @butchcraftmacncheese @neornithes @dadrielle

[aeoki]

Atlantis - Epilogue

Location: ATLANTIS Stage Characters: Touri, Yuzuru, Eichi & Wataru Season: Winter

ㅤ< Fast-forward, latter half of March. On stage at the groundbreaking ceremony for “ATLANTIS”. >

Touri: …………

Wataru: Ahaha. Himegimi’s quite grumpy.

Eichi: It can’t be helped. Touri announced that he would be the one to change Yumenosaki with a serious expression the other day.

Wataru: Indeed. Afterwards, I also announced as Z. K. Amano Hashidate that I’d be transferring to another school in the near future.

And Himegimi won the student council election.

His largest obstacle disappeared and Himegimi did a splendid job fulfilling his dearest wish of obtaining the position of student council president.

Eichi: Afterwards, there was an unexpected announcement that said ES and Yumenosaki will be combined to make “ES Academy”. Naturally, that angered a lot of people.

Yuzuru: Indeed. It seems they tried to abolish the student council and the Young Master wailed at the thought of it. To be frank, I couldn’t bear to watch him.

Eichi: It’s as if some strangers told him to throw away the crown he went through so much trouble to obtain. It’s only natural for him to feel dissatisfied.

Touri: …It’s fine. Thanks to Anzu, Yuzuru and some other people going against ES and their imposition, it seems the Yumenosaki name and the student council will continue to exist.

I know that… nothing will stay the same, but that won’t change the things that I have to do.

As the student council president, I’ll turn Yumenosaki Academy into a school where everyone can smile.

That’s what I promised, and that’s what got me elected. I won’t go back on my word – I swear it on my name and pride as Touri Himemiya.

Eichi: Are you alright? I was in an easygoing position and just watched over everything, but those were some big promises you made there.

You’ll make everyone happy, hm? That’s easy to say – do you know just how many people exist in this world?

It may be a small miniature garden, but making “everyone” happy will be a difficult feat. Are you planning on sending everyone a little bluebird of happiness each?

Yuzuru: First, “ATLANTIS” must be completed in order for the adults to not meddle and propose something like “ES Academy” once more.

I don’t think we'll be able to resist the adults’ pressure if we don’t have any achievements to our names.

Touri: Uuu~... Things were pretty bad and I didn’t have enough time – I ended up being thrown left and right by the stupid “ES Academy” idea.

But that’s also why “ATLANTIS” has to be completed quickly. Construction has only just begun and it’s just this stage area that’s been complete, though.

Starting from this point forward, a happy picture will continue to grow bigger and bigger.

That’s what I promised everyone. It’s a job I mostly forcibly obtained but it’s something that I genuinely want to do.

Believe me. It’s true that I really wish to make everyone smile.

And of course, that “everyone” includes you three.

Eichi: Well, I’m so grateful I have tears welling up in my eyes.

Yuzuru: Right. You’re the exact embodiment of an angel who has been sent from the heavens to save the masses.

Touri: Don’t tease me… It’s fine, though. I know it just sounds like nonsense a dreaming child would say right now.

But I’ll definitely make it a reality someday.

Wataru: I’ll lend you my help, of course. We’ve deepened our friendship after fighting each other with our full strength, after all – It’s a standard in shounen manga for us to be good comrades after something like that.

Touri: We’ve been comrades since the very beginning… If anything, I didn’t expect to see you betray me all of a sudden.

Wataru: Hehehe. By the way, the real Z. K. Amano Hashidate also thoroughly enjoyed this plan and was very satisfied with the results.

She handled the matter very carefully when dipping her hand into the taboo part of the idol industry and went through great pains for it.

Touri: Yeah. I’m really grateful to her. Unlike her fake, she’s a reliable person. She’s someone I can respect… She's exactly like Eichi-sama.

I suppose the real Z. K. Amano Hashidate will be my goal at the moment.

She’s cute, liked by everyone and smart enough to come up with schemes like Eichi-sama… She’s got the best parts of me and him – she’s invincible.

Maybe if I were like her, I wouldn’t have to cry anymore.

Wataru: If that’s the case, then I shall give you advice on how you can achieve that. It’s important to not appear inhumane and to do your best to hide your emotions.

Yuzuru: Everyone, I understand how it can be fun to imagine the future, but please focus on what we’re here for.

Touri: Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we’re here to be a part of the groundbreaking ceremony to make sure the god of this land isn’t angry, right?

Shinobu has been saying recently that “RYUUSEITAI” has dealt with some of that sort of stuff already…

But it won’t feel right to not do what’s scheduled.

Right? This is how it should be done, right, Eichi-sama?

Eichi: You probably shouldn’t ask me. I left “ATLANTIS” to you, as that was what you had wished. It’s up to you how you want things to proceed.

Touri: Yeah. But I can’t get used to being the one in charge.

I’ll just have to get used to it, huh. I’m going to be the student council president – the leader who will guide everyone.

Eichi: Talk to me if you ever run into trouble. I can at least provide you with advice and small assistance. Otherwise, we’ll just be like Yuzuru the other day who got the wrong idea.

Yuzuru: I–I did that for the Young master… I regret it now.

Touri: Yeah. First, I guess I’ll forbid you from being a busybody.

I’ll be okay.

I’m sure I’ll cry, fall and worry you guys over and over.

But I’ll get up, again and again, – just like a roly poly toy– and I’ll move forward and higher without giving up.

Just stay quiet and watch over me as I elegantly take flight.

Wataru: Indeed. We’ll be waiting for you in the front, Touri Himemiya-kun.

In this vast and beautiful sky.

“♪~♪~♪”

Touri: “Ahaha. Since I’m the one in charge and also the protagonist, I’ll stand at the best spot.”

Touri: “When I stand at the very front, the world looks so big.”

“Today is such a fine day, isn’t it?”

“This amusement park is designed after the bottom of the ocean, but I feel like I’m soaring through the sky.”

“♪~......♪”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Long post warning, because I should use them more often:

I've been kinda buried, typical of me when it comes to the seemingly-biweekly hyperfixation, in the early 2000s Disney animated movies. Namely the pre-CHICKEN LITTLE movie, prior to the studio's switch to a future in CG movies. (With the encore of pair of PRINCESS AND THE FROG and the 2011 WINNIE THE POOH along the way.)

And I noticed, a lot of them, including a few non-Disney animated films from the period, have an almost deliberate "old-fashioned" bent to them. Now, Disney was never a stranger to period pieces when it came to animated features. Outside of the fairy tale and fantasy films set in dream-like worlds, places that exist in irrealities inspired by the real world and their respective source materials, you had more than enough films set in actual identifiable real-world places in past time periods.

For example, before going to straight-up dream worlds, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and PETER PAN from the early 1950s are clearly set in England. The former, Victorian-era England, the latter Edwardian. LADY AND THE TRAMP is somewhere in the Midwest, turn of the 20th century. It's in a state where the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad ran through, for sure, as you can see a logo for it on a train car in the film. (Sidenote/tangent: The direct-to-video sequel, SCAMP'S ADVENTURE, seems to suggest that the town Lady and Tramp live in is actually in New England... But the B&O Railroad does not run through any New England region state. The furthest to the East it goes is New York state. It's possible that the writers saw Jim Dear nailing a Yale flag to the wall in the original movie, and assumed it was set in Connecticut. And the DTV movies are an EU sort-of situation when it comes to these movies.)

So those are three 1950s examples, you also had THE ARISTOCATS being explicitly set in 1910 Paris, THE FOX AND THE HOUND appears to be set down South right around that time. '90s Disney had plenty, too: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, POCAHONTAS, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, MULAN, TARZAN, to name a few. HERCULES goes to ancient Greece and mythology, ALADDIN is set in a fictional Arabian city, that one I feel is more on the dream-world level of - say - SNOW WHITE or LITTLE MERMAID, where the setting/time period isn't quite written out. This is why I don't tie myself in knots trying to determine where and when THE LITTLE MERMAID takes place. It's literally an amalgamation of different European and tropical locations, inspired by a story by a Danish author, and it has a Caribbean crab in it.

But no, early 2000s Disney is more specific than not! DINOSAUR is obvious, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE is set in ancient South America (its Incan Empire setting originally had much more bearing on the story back when it was KINGDOM OF THE SUN, the movie that had gotten thrown out that this replaced), ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE takes place in 1914 - starting in Washington D.C. and then largely being set below the Earth thereafter, LILO & STITCH is present-day Hawaii, BROTHER BEAR is a post-ice age Pacific Northwest, and HOME ON THE RANGE is clearly set in Malaysia in 2177 A.D.

All joking aside, it's almost a string of movies like that... Except TREASURE PLANET, which is set in a fictional galaxy, full of fictional planets, and no sign of Earth, much like the STAR WARS universe. Yet, TREASURE PLANET's cosmic setting is 1800s pirates/high seas aesthetic meets spaceships and high-tech. After all, it *is* Robert Louis Stevenson's TREASURE ISLAND, a story dating back to 1881 as a serialized adventure before it was made into a complete novel two years later. Just take out 1800s Europe.

Now, at one point, the 2004 release of HOME ON THE RANGE was going to be followed by a movie called A FEW GOOD GHOSTS, which was once known as MY PEOPLES. This project went through several title changes over time... A 2D/CG hybrid that was a magical Appalachian love story involving ghosts that was to be set in the 1940s. The movie would’ve probably been released in the summer of 2005 if all had gone well, as it was to go full-steam ahead by the time of its cancellation in November 2003. By that point in time, Disney execs had long made up their minds about 2D animation, and because this was to be made by the Florida unit… Well, BROTHER BEAR didn’t meet expectations at the box office out of the gate… No more Florida unit, no GOOD GHOSTS…

What a lot of these movies have in common is that they, as mentioned earlier, are seemingly much more old-school than the animated movies of the '90s *and* their CGI contemporaries.

The majority of these movies were released during the years when a new CGI movie was - 99% of the time - pretty much an audience hit by default (SHARK TALE and CHICKEN LITTLE individually outgrossed LILO & STITCH, for example), and that definitely hurt the perception of hand-drawn 2D animated feature films. It's been written over and over, so much theorizing as to why the majority of these movies failed to connect with audiences the way the newest Pixar or DreamWorks CGI film did... And sometimes, I look at some of this cluster of movies and I can only notice how weirdly out-of-time they are… Either too late to the party, or there well before it's even planned. Like, years in advance.

As such, most of these movies became cult favorites of the few people who did see them back when they first came out or when they debuted on home video. These fans are all in their 20s now, at the highest. Yesterday's flops, today's "what? This movie SLAPS! How did it lose money at the box office?”

The majority of the CGI movies made in the late '90s/early '00s are thoroughly modern in some way or another. If it's not the setting, then it's the attitude. SHREK, for example, is set in a mishmash ye olden dayes fairy tales & nursery rhymes Europe (the first PUSS IN BOOTS movie further confirms this, being explicitly set in Spain), but everything else about it is as late '90s/early '00s as you can get. ICE AGE… Literally in the title, yet the comedy and writing rings more Looney Tunes and modern humor. I was turning 10 when ICE AGE came out, so I was aware of what the sorta-kinda general attitude was circa early 2002. The humor in the movie matched that; it was cool for an adult in their 20s to check out the talking prehistoric animals cartoon and quote it.

Pixar is kind of out of the question, well, this particular early run of Pixar movies. The TOY STORY movies, A BUG'S LIFE, and FINDING NEMO all clearly take place in the present. Timeless present-day settings, where it's modern enough but not too much to date the movie in question. (How 'bout that line in BUG'S LIFE about "the twig of '93"?) MONSTERS, INC. is set in a fantasy world, but that too is modern day, what with the cars and technology and every other detail. Boo doesn't walk in out a 1930s human world, haha.

When it comes to pre-2005/06 Pixar, the one exception in this criteria is THE INCREDIBLES, which is set in a retro-futuristic 1960s whose technological advances are informed by the presence of superheroes in that world. And yet, it's not a movie that feels out of time, old-timey, dated. It uses the '60s influences to enhance, rather than trap the storytelling. It’s also curiously not set in any specific American location - much like TOY STORY 1 & 2, and A BUG’S LIFE. In comic book tradition, it’s set in the fictional Municiberg, which I can only surmise is somewhere on the West Coast. CARS and RATATOUILLE and UP, afterwards, would go back to present-day. WALL-E, the far future. BRAVE, in 2012, would be Pixar's first real period piece, a fantasized medieval fairy tale Scotland. That was their 13th feature…

And yet, there’s an air of nostalgia for a past decade in pretty much the majority of these earlier Pixar films… Which is a deep dive for another day, and others have already looked at that sort of thing. But, a lot of the movies made by the TOY STORY alumni (John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich) in particular are very much rooted in the directors’ late ‘50s/early ‘60s upbringings… But not in a way that renders them "corny". At least, to audiences circa 2002, that is.

The 2000s, in general, were a much different time anyways. And it just wasn't the appropriate era to release a small cluster of old-timey movies. Made in what was seemingly perceived as an old and outdated medium, when 3D environments and characters were WOWING people left and right. I can see why most audiences just didn't take too well to a Jules Verne-style animated adventure that was probably - with its PG rating - too silly for anyone over the age of 10 looking for an action movie. Nor a very classic adventure movie-style space epic. Nor a cartoon Western that literally *looked* like a lost vintage Disney cowboy cartoon a la the 'Pecos Bill' segment of MELODY TIME and EVERY COWBOY NEEDS A HORSE. Nor a familiar wilderness adventure movie that recalled '90s "new age" vibes. If the Appalachian folk musical had come out when intended, I suspect it too would've been rejected for similar reasons.

It's no surprise that LILO & STITCH, set in the modern day and not at all old-fashioned like that, was the lone box office success here and - for a brief while - a major phenomenon once it was on video. THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE is snappy and modern and energetic, but that was impacted by its troubled production and the studio just dumping it. Its ludicrous legs at the box office and later video sales would prove that, people actually really liked that movie. The few people who saw it, that is. If it had been backed with a better campaign, that would've probably been Disney Feature's biggest movie since THE LION KING.

But it's those four movies... ATLANTIS, TREASURE PLANET, BROTHER BEAR, and HOME ON THE RANGE, that form this unique grab-bag. One that also includes DreamWorks' fairly edgy 2D-animated period adventures released around them, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, and SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS. All of those lost money, too.

And they told these stories in ways that were incongruous with the times, when audiences wanted farting ogres and silly sloths and wacky Ellen DeGeneres fish. Maybe they all would've done better as thoroughly-CGI movies, maybe not… But it's a weird vibe across the films that I’ve noticed over the years. Quaint, in a way. Maybe it was “cringe” or whatever in the moody and edgy early 2000s, but today - with so much time having passed and the world ever-changing - it’s all rather charming.

[alyjojo]

Past Life 🪡 Karmic Spread January 2024 - Capricorn

Gender I’m Picking Up On (in the past life): Young male, late teens…could be female now, or a more feminine energy of male, very humble, a softer personality, could be “the woman” in a male dominated profession, either way women like you 💯

Who You Were: The Fool

What You Did: 4 Cups & Knight of Wands

How It Ended: 9 Wands

What Karma Was Brought With You: 10 Pentacles, 9 Pentacles & Wheel of Fortune rev

Who You Brought With You: Queen of Cups

Additional energy: 7 Pentacles & Judgement

Character Card (present): The Smith

Past Life Oracle: Atlantis (past), Orphan & Medicine Man/Woman (present)

Dreaming Way: Lady & Ring (past)

Charm:

Alice 🐇 on Knight of Wands

Star ⭐️ on Atlantis

Angel Wing 🪽 on Wheel of Fortune rev

Spiderweb 🕸️ and Fox 🦊 on Queen of Cups

Your mother was a whoooore 🎶 What a great way to start a reading. I don’t feel bad, you shouldn’t either, because she was a cruel betch, not warm, loving, or nurturing whatsoever and there were always strange men around that threatened, intimidated, or tried to/would put their hands on you, smack you around, act like your boss. One in particular called you “boy” with such disdain, you hated this one the most, he was probably abusive to you if/when he had the chance, which I don’t get being a lot, but he wasn’t the only one either. You never could feel secure in your own home. She’s the reason you were how you were, and for why this all happened how it did. I get no mention of a father. Finding a location took a minute, I kept getting hot, dry, desert 🏜️ and longing for the sea, that’s what Atlantis is for you. Naturally I looked at Africa, heard “Middle East” it’s closer to there, and from the map, Sudan is what stands out to me most - I felt the *ding ding* How else do I explain these things idk, it’s the ding ding, got it 😆

Sudan matches the vibe, and is close enough to the sea to be possible for you to get to, enough for a young boy with no fear whatsoever to attempt a “jailbreak” is what I heard, journeying across the desert, how I’m not sure. Horse? You were a “petulant” young boy, rebellious in every way, you had no respect or consideration for your elders (you had no reason to be 💯) You probably had a mouth on you and got into tussles with shitty men on more than one occasion. Probably your mother too. You were seen as disrespectful and ornery, but I don’t get you were, you were an adventurous & excitable young man that was ready to break free from hell. You knew better, and you’d do better, you just had to get tf out of there. The sea was some built up dream of yours, where everything would be better, it was your escape plan, your light in the dark, your Star ⭐️

You died young. There is a particular event surrounding the death, an argument, an explosion of temper, possibly from you, and you acted immediately to set off on this journey, running away more or less. I had to ask if this death was related to dehydration or vengeance, and I got your mother. Wherever you went, one of her lovers followed, and caught up after you had stopped to rest, sleep, I keep seeing water 💦 being highlighted, it’s possible as dehydration was setting in you got weaker. How many days does it take to cross a desert? It feels underestimated. You may have forgot water, The Fool can be very forgetful, he just acts, and being unprepared or spontaneous is how you’re described here. Or you had one jug but still not enough, it plays a role in this. This person, again I see the one you hate the most, or one of them, he overtook you by force and ended it. This version of Strength comes out to show one man choking another, ready to beat him in the head with a club, I’m getting this card has come out for that reason. Brute force. He was much bigger and stronger, scary even, probably why you ran. You told him off first. A very cruel ending. Had you snuck off quietly & better prepared, it may have gone differently.

Now with this life…you’ve brought your mother. She’s still your mother. Technically. I do get you being more female, but I can’t pinpoint it, you could be gender fluid, or look one way but act another. Possibly lgbtq or just “tomboy”, I’m getting it’s not related so it’s not important, moving on. Your mother is still cruel, but she comes up as Queen of Cups, loving & kind on the surface, with webs of lies, deceit, cunning trickery and bs. She can’t function like normal people do, she’s a class A manipulator and getting away from her was the best thing that ever happened *for* you, but I get you don’t see it that way and The Hanged Man shows you needing some perspective on this “disaster” with her. I also felt she’s coming up as Queen of Cups to show she’s nothing like you, you may get compared to her a lot and it pisses you off, because you’re not. Or the things you share are what’s positive, you may both be beautiful or have pretty eyes/hair, something that doesn’t *really* matter but it gets under your skin to be compared to. She has heavy Cancer energy attached to her, that could be the case or it’s just your opposite generally and the sign doesn’t matter. Orphan has come out for you as well, I don’t know if you are one from birth, or if she left, but I do get her not being able to “handle” life generally, and not really caring about her actions, she’s emotionally cold. And if she acts otherwise, it’s all a lie, she wears a mask. Web of lies.

Wheel of Fortune rev shows this event of her leaving you (I assume that’s what it is), as a major turning point in your life, or it plays a defining role in your character, memories, life as a whole. A negative one, possibly the worst thing that ever happened to you. Angel Wing 🪽is here as a message from Spirit that they were with you all along, this was divinely guided, and though it feels like a terrible thing, it’s your freedom. Your Star ⭐️ You wanted to be away from her so badly in the past life, you not being with her in this life is more a gift to you, and karma for her. She doesn’t deserve you 🙏 Still. She never did, she’s selfish and deceitful, manipulative and uses people to her own benefit, that would cause you much more harm than any benefits you hope she may bring - she’s just not that person. There’s a note here on the bottom that either one of you are resistant to a new start, probably her, or if there is another life to come - you won’t ever have to see her again, and that’s this ultimate Justice you’re waiting for. Waiting for a sign that she’s received her Justice, she has. Maybe she’s waiting for a sign from you that you may come around again, and you won’t. I get this Justice is unseen, you can’t know for sure, you just have to have faith because you’ve gotten what you need on a very deep soul level, and will continue to. Spirit has your back 💚

Separately the last two cards, The Smith shows your career being something that takes intense focus and attention to detail, there’s a note about you overthinking something, needing to act more and think less, you may sabotage yourself in this way. Always wanting to be prepared is a lesson learned, but it needs more balance. Yes and no, because you can’t always be 100% sure. Sometimes you need faith. There’s also a message from spirit regarding this Medicine Man/Woman, this could be a nurse? Doctor. A healer. Someone in pharmaceuticals idk. That could be you too. It’s meant to be, that’s all they say. There’s also an ex, and a new person. Disconnecting from an ex is the right thing, The Lovers rev, Queen of Wands & victory, new love is with them, could be a fire sign or just someone you find very attractive, pulled towards, it *feels* right to you, because it is 💯 There may be some kind of scandal surrounding this or you constantly question if it’s the right thing, is it just attraction, Spirit is saying yes it is the right thing - wherever/however that applies, Ace of Cups is new love, it’s genuine.

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Aegaeon (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Master of Ships by the people of the Underwater realm & Olympius

Mr. Storm by Poseidon

Thunderhead by Brizo

Babe by his girlfriend

Age- 58 (immortal)

Location- Therasia, Olympius

Personality- He's raging, tempestuous, & wild- much like an unforgiving sea storm. Only a select few have seen the "eye" of his temperament- gentle, serene, and level headed. He's in a relationship.

His divine domain is the Aegean Sea.

He has the standard abilities of a god. As the god of sea storms his other powers/abilities include hydrokinesis (water manipulation); as it relates to the sea, limited electrokinesis (is able to generate lightning), atmokinesis (weather manipulation); as it relates to storms, and being able to communicate with sea animals.

Aegaeon's abode is a cliffside house built on the rocky shores of Therasia, one of the smallest & least populous states in Olympius. Therasia's own population is barely 300 beings- mostly mortal. He built the house using the wreckage from old ships. There's stained sea glass windows, upholstered leather furniture, driftwood & sea glass furniture pieces, as well as a piece of a ship's mast with a crow's nest. In his bedroom there's a large table built out of driftwood and sea stone with antique maps & antique writing tools- like quill and ink. There's also a sea quartz bookshelf holding various books about oceanic histories, oceanic stories and legends, & nautical dictionaries. There's framed photos of his girlfriend Eurybia (goddess of the sea's mastery) and her daughter Brizo (goddess of sailors, mariners, fishermen, & dreams) all throughout the house. Aegaeon shuttles back and forth between his place & his girlfriend's. He owns a ship, which he designed and built himself called Stormrider.

He has an animal companion- a dragon named Riptide. He's a slender, agile, & serpentine shaped beast that also has small wings on his hind legs. Riptide is known as "The Sea Wyrm." The dragon is covered mainly covered in shimmering cobalt scales (has pale cyan belly scales), dark blue wings with pale cyan wing membranes, along with pearl silver horns, claws, and crests. If Aegaeon is not on his ship, he's usually riding Riptide. Even though he's seen as a ferocious beast, Riptide spends his free time catching fish & eel from the sea to eat.

His mother is Thalassa (primordial goddess of the sea) who has faded, long before the end of the Titanomachy. The only member of his family still around is his younger sister Sirene (goddess of the deep sea). Aegaeon has a close relationship with his sister, designating himself as her protector. They spend extra time together due to her having a seat on The Sea Council.

He always starts off his mornings with a jog on the beach.

A typical breakfast for him are scrambled eggs added with shrimp & seaweed, a few slices of toasted seaweed bread topped with kelp butter, and a cup of steaming hot black coffee- where he adds a bit of sea salt and coconut milk creamer.

Aegaeon is in peak physical shape. He attributes this to being out on the sea, high intense cardio workouts at the gym, & mixed martial arts.

A good chunk of his time is spent in the Underwater realm where he works and also maintains the upkeep of his mother's palace, widely known as "The Blue Jewel." Him and his sister have refused many offers to convert the deserted mansion to a museum. Aegaeon also thinks that the best cuisine is to be found in the Underwater realm! There's a small diner located in the outer currents of Atlantis where he stops by often for his ultimate guilty pleasure- a grilled shark burger topped with extra jellyfish slaw and a spicy garlic aoli along with fried calamari and seaweed fries with spicy ketchup dipping sauce. Aegaeon always leaves a hefty tip!

A go-to drink for him is algae beer. He also likes regular beer, daiquiris, dark n' stormy cocktails, a spiced old fashioned, mojitos, rum & saltwater soda, mineral seawater, & ocean water cocktails (his specialty).

Aegaeon's primary job/means of income comes from his seat on The Sea Council as the chief naval advisor. His responsibilities include commanding the royal fleet, arranging for the building and maintenance of warships, obtaining crew for warships, & overseeing naval operations. Aegaeon hasn't been to a council meeting in a while since the absence of the king, Poseidon (god of the sea & earthquakes), due to his self imposed exile. He doesn't know much about the "Medusa situation" since he doesn't read tabloids, but Aegaeon hates how the negative attention is affecting the realm. He does however admire how responsible Delphin (god of dolphins) and Nerissa (goddess of jellyfish) have been, picking up the extra slack.

His favorite frozen treat is coconut sea salt ice cream.

Aegaeon calls Brizo "one of his best buddies." They first bonded over their mutual love of sailing and he even taught her mixed martial arts. They even went to The Parthenon Theater in New Olympus to see the latest installment of their favorite seafaring action adventure movie series- Pirates of the Sea: Beyond the Horizon.

Before his current relationship, he used to be in a long term relationship with Eváeros (goddess of air & the zodiacs). They were together for many years before their explosive arguments & clashing personalities became too much- the main issue being Eva wanting him to move to Thrace. After an explosive fight with Eva, Aegaeon had gotten drunk at a bar while commiserating with her younger sister Pagoniá (goddess of ice). A kiss soon happened and he pulled away. He then dated Delos (one of The Nesoi) for two years before he ended things when she brought up marriage.

It took Aegaeon by surprise at how quickly he fell for Eurybia. They both have the same "ocean spirit" and shared scars from the Titanomachy. A perfect day for Aegaeon is spent with his girlfriend- riding on Riptide, sailing, swimming, & surfing before ending the day curled up in bed eating dinner while watching episodes of Blood Sacrifice and ocean documentaries.

He & Eurybia first made love in the ocean after a beachside picnic.

Even though Aegaeon doesn't show it, he appreciates the counsel he's recieved from Oceanus (Titan god of the sea), who's also his girlfriend's half brother. He even wishes for Oceanus to usurp Poseidon's throne.

He finds the happy-go-lucky attitude of Thaumas (god of sea wonders) annoying, but Aegaeon doesn't mind him, knowing that he means well.

In the pantheon he's also friends with his former mentor Pleione (Titaness of sailing & stars), Alastor (god of blood feuds & vengeance), and Hydros (god of water).

In his free time Aegaeon also enjoys pool, fishing, reading, poker, billiards, photography, & cooking.

His all time favorite meal consists of steamed lobster tails, garlic and oregano crusted shark steaks, and his shrimp fettuccine garlic bread sandwiches. He also likes Eurybia's clam chowder, Brizo's white cheddar tuna melts, & his sister's seaweed salad.

"Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path."