#eat the ultima

[kyndaris]

Defying Fate's Design

Where to start with Final Fantasy XVI? The game first released in June 2023, right on the heals of Diablo IV. Already drowning in games, I put it on the back burner until some time I could actually sink in the prerequisite hours needed to see it to completion. All the while, the friends around me were singing the game's praises for how dark and gritty the storyline was. Was it any wonder I stumbled upon the odd spoiler or two?

Not that I care about spoilers.

Just because I know something will happen doesn't mean I know how it exactly plays out. It's far more interesting for me to see how the writers navigate the characters from plot point A to plot point B and then later D.

Enter the slower half of 2024. Although there was still a plethora of games I needed to get through, I was able to finally sit down and play through Final Fantasy XVI. And all before bleachpanda was able to do the same with Final Fantasy XV. Heck, I still think she's midway through her replay of Final Fantasy XIII because she's been sidetracked by her endless number of otomes. A fact I was unable to escape during our trip abroad in Japan.

Final Fantasy XVI (or FF16 for short) puts players in the shoes of one Clive Rosfield, eldest son of the Rosfield family who rule over the Duchy of Rosaria. Despite being the firstborn child, Clive is not to inherit the Ducal throne. Rather, the honour would go to his brother, Joshua, as he was the one to awaken as the Dominant for the Phoenix. Though such situations could lead to enmity between family members, there is no bad blood between the brothers. Clive is satisfied to be Joshua's shield, vowing to protect his younger brother by any means at his disposal.

Everything changes at Phoenix Gate.

Betrayed by their allies, the Ducal forces are destroyed by agents from Sanbreque. During the attack, Joshua primes as Phoenix. Losing control of his Eikon, he wreaks havoc on both allies and enemies until a second Dominant of Fire emerges in the confusion and seemingly kills the phoenix. In the aftermath, Clive is found alive by the Sanbreque forces, as well as his mother. Instead of being executed, he is branded as a bearer and forced to fight on the front lines for the next thirteen years.

Sent on a mission to kill Shiva's dominant, Clive and his assassin allies skirt along the battlefield before finding an opportune moment to attack. Before Clive lands the killing blow, Clive recognises as his old childhood friend, Jill. After slaying his previous compatriots, Clive, with the help of deus ex machina, Cidolfus Telamon and a suddenly adult Torgal (who had just been a pup - how is that a dog/wolf can live to thirteen and still seem like a puppy? Also, did Cid never name the dog/wolf he found? They've been together for quite a while) escape. Still intent on finding the person who had killed his brother, Clive isn't initially interested in joining Cid's cause although he is sympathetic as a whole to the plight of the Bearers.

Cid, of course, helps our erstwhile hero. It isn't long before Clive later learns the truth: that the second Eikon on that fateful day was Ifrit and that he is the Dominant. Broken by the revelation, Clive is barely hanging onto his sanity. Until he hears word of a Dominant of Fire still very much alive. He figures: if his brother is dead and he is the second Dominant of Fire, who is this third figure?

Wishing to uncover the truth, Clive and Jill travel to Rosaria and down into the depths of Phoenix Gate. There, they learn some truths. Filled with new resolve, Clive and Jill decide to join in Cid's quest to atone for the sins they had committed by freeing Bearers from their oppression. They do this by destroying the Mothercrystals, and by wiping out magic, so that all can live and die by their own choice.

Together, they infiltrate Sanbreque's capital, Oriflamme, and manage to destroy the Mothercrystal. Within the crystal, however, is a being called Ultima. Ultima manages to mortally wound Cid before attempting to possess Clive. Joshua, revealing he managed to survive the events of Phoenix Gate, interrupts and manages to trap the being within himself.

Five years pass before Clive resumes his quest to destroy the Mothercrystals. Systematically, he manages to take them and the Eikons guiding them down - absorbing their powers along the way. Why can Clive take the powers of others? Why, he is Mythos, a vessel for Ultima to inhabit in order to cast a spell to resurrect the remnants of his race. Even if humans are completely wiped out.

We soon learn that it was Ultima, through Barnabas - the King of Waloed - who managed to orchestrate the political unrest plaguing the world of Valisthea. In so doing, he kept them focused not on the plight of the world but rather their own squabbles for diminishing resources. Much like in Game of Thrones, for which FF16 takes inspiration, many of the leaders of the various nations are focused more on collating power than the imminent threat of the Blight.

FF16 culminates in a final battle atop Origin with Ultima - first as a three-pronged attack with Bahamut, Phoenix and Ifrit, before Clive takes on Ultima solo in the heart of the final Mothercrystal where he demonstrates the strength of his will due to the bonds he shares with his friends.

Honestly, if there were three themes FF16 wanted to get across, they were: oppression, climate change and friendship.

But while the oppression could be solved by simply taking away the very reason why the Bearers were special (ala the Mutants from the X-men series), the modern day ramifications are vastly different. If we could simply fix the quirk of fate of being born a certain race by removing magic, things would be much simpler. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution for the cycles of hatred that has been left to ferment for centuries. Nor can we make all people equal by destroying some gemstones.

Imagine the power to make everyone, oh, I don't know, white, simply because there was a crystal plonked in the desert?

The bigger message, though, I felt FF16 was telling, was that of climate change. I feel like it was summed up best in a quote from Joshua as he opined to the heavens with his guardian, Jote, beside him: A blessing that leads to damnation or freedom that leads to deprivation. It seems especially poignant considering how our modern day world is so dependent on so many comforts like electricity. And while we are taking steps to move away from our reliance on fossil fuels, the companies behind them would rather we all swelter in a bleak future than admit the inconvenient truth that continual use of something so readily apparent will only lead to our destruction.

It is the hubris of man to think that 'we' won't be affected, or think too closely on the short term rather than the future.

Ultima, too, could be likened to capitalist corporations who care little for the workers slaving away to assist in the company's goals. To him, humans are disposable. That they have freewill is the greatest sin because they are no longer subservient subjects willing to sacrifice themselves for his benefit (and yes, I know Ultima probably isn't a him per se but I'm simply using the pronoun as an easy shorthand).

In the end, Ultima is a cruel god. One Clive must need take down if there is any hope in saving the world.

And he manages to do so.

These themes are further explored in the two DLC fort he game: Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide. As it took me quite a while to actually get started, I was able to play through both of them before I finally gave Ultima his comeuppance with a deft punch to the face. An ending that was more humorous than cathartic.

It is my humble opinion that the game's focus on 'dark and gritty' somewhat took away from what could have been an even better game. Much like Forspoken, I felt the game was under-saturated. There could have been more contrast and a bit more colour to the world. I would have also liked to have heard a completed Chocobo theme melody.

In the pursuit of trying to be a 'serious' game, FF16 also failed to insert in any meaningful minigames that could alleviate the doom and gloom of the plot.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story. But most Final Fantasy games are pretty dark if you consider their actual ramifications: from Final Fantasy VI to Final Fantasy XIII. That doesn't preclude them from having their lighter moments to add some much needed levity. Although, Gav is quite able to do it pretty well. A solid character that Gav.

Speaking of characters, I loved the cast of FF16, although I did find the chemistry between Jill and Clive a little stilted. I was much more invested in the romance between Dion and Terence (although I wouldn't have minded some Dion and Joshua, or Joshua and Mid. Heck, even Clive and Cid would have been pretty steamy). But my absolute favourite character would have to go to Torgal. Our frostwolf with magical abilities and can live up to, at least, 18.

Although, he doesn't hold a candle to Ambrosia. How old can chocobos get up to anyway? Enquiring minds need to know.

Oh, and uncle Byron Rosfield is GREAT too. He's so unserious! And the way Clive managed to convince his uncle who he was!

Combat-wise, FF16 shines. While Clive can party up with the other characters, they simply feel like tag-alongs with Clive doing most of the heavy lifting. At least they can't get knocked out (which is a definite plus)! But what I liked most about the combat was how it was tied into the story.

New abilities Clive obtains are linked to the Eikons he absorbs. And they all play differently. While Titan is focused on defence, Bahamut is all about charging up that Megaflare to do extensive area-of-effect damage. Shiva, meanwhile, has the ability to freeze enemies - giving Clive some breathing room to think before Phoenix sees him rushing in to deliver the final blow.

In the end, I ended up with a loadout that made use of Ramuh's Judgement, Garuda's ability to quickly whittle down the stagger gauge and Titan's block ability to keep both myself alive while also dealing as much damage as I could possibly. Perhaps I should have traded in Odin's Zantetsuken for more carnage but a lot of the story boss battles also traded normal blow-by-blow battles with more cinematic clashes. Something that was quite awe-inspiring when it came to the fight with Titan and Bahamut but could not find the same heights in later boss battles with Ultima and Odin.

Overall, my time with FF16 was astounding. Yes, some of the cutscenes were a little longer than necessary as they talked about politics, but I didn't mind given it's one of my favourite genres to read. And I also appreciated how early Ultima made his appearance. This was no final boss skulking in the shadows that jumped out right at the end without any explanation (well, he kinda was but I'll give the writers of FF16 a pass on that). The message, too, the game is trying to convey is relevant and current.

And I can't forget the accents!

I love me the various different UK accents! Xenoblade did it and now Final Fantasy is jumping on the trend!

Should a Final Fantasy XVII ever come out, I'd be interested to see the direction of where Square-Enix takes their next entry. I'm sure it'll revolve around taking down a God somehow (it almost always is) and our protagonist will pull through with the power of FRIENDSHIP! But it's the setting that I'm much more excited to see and explore.

I've certainly enjoyed this diversion into high fantasy with elements of political struggle. And honestly? I'd like to see more. Suppose that's why Final Fantasy Tactics tickled my fancy and why I'm hoping for more from the DioField Chronicle. Certainly, I want to know more about the Continent - the other piece of Valisthea that was never explored and where Harpocrates III, Charon and a few other characters hailed from.

If ever there should be a spin-off, I would be very glad to see what else the world of Valisthea has to offer. Or even how our characters navigate the new world they find themselves in.

There are, after all, so many unanswered questions. Like, if Clive did resurrect Joshua in the end, how did he reach shore without possibly drowning? He wasn't on the beach with Clive as his big brother turned to stone.

Or, how old can Torgal get? How do the people adapt to the sudden loss of magic?

Are there still monsters?

Does Gav take on the mantle of 'Cid the Outlaw?' Do the people in the Hideaway stop hiding and actually lead the people to a brighter tomorrow with their technology? Will Mid ever get her flying machine to work?

So many questions, so little time.

Before I go, though, dear reader, I'd like to leave off with another quote from the game. One that I think speaks to many: People need dreams to chase, especially in a world like this one.

[funeralprocessor]

I feel like the Primaris should have been the catalyst for like, an imperial civil war. At the very least, much unrest in the house of Guilliman. Their existence, let alone rollout/integration, should have had many chapters absolutely rioting. It should be beyond the pale by several orders of magnitude and be seen as an enormous overreach by the more autonomy loving chapters, a blasphemy by the more orthodox chapters, and an existential threat to chapters with geneseed quirks. Plus anyone with any awareness of the thunder warriors should take one look at them and recognize the writing on the wall. Guilliman should absolutely recognize what they represent, what they imply. Like they're the leading wave of a paradigm shift that doesn't bode well for what came before. And I say this as someone who's not averse to Primaris, I just think they could've, should've, been a waaaay bigger deal. I know they loathe changing the status quo and we're never getting rid of the posterboys but I think we missed out on something interesting.

[meteorstricken]

Today's Affirmation: Anything can be a little snack if you just believe! 💙

[flowersinmidgar]

joshua rosfield 🤝phoenix wright

"if something poses a threat

to your loved ones, eat it."

[oultima]

I like to point out that Ultima is a god-like being and not actually what people think divinity is. He is much more akin to the ancients of FFXIV which I based my hcs on. He has a lot of Christian/Judaism themes he is more Greek god in nature.

The difference is God is "perfect" and while Ultima sees himself more as a perfect being he isn't, he is flawed much more like the Greek gods or even the Norse gods. It's really interesting to learn about and see those themes.

This is why I based him on the Anicents in 14 because they are literally Greek gods.

I think Ultima is similar that to Odin (Not barnababy, the Norse God)

[rose-from-ashes]

I have noticed a pattern

Bonus points:

[waloeders]

i have a crazy fun idea for kosmos like its tying it all together!!!! i wasnt sure how/why what clive does (time travel using the spell) would bring him in other than a vague who knows! but ohohoho. there are at least 16 other ultima species ppl who survive by letting go of their physical form. what if. what if another one of the species tries a totally different method to try to survive - leaving valisthea (the world). OHOHOHO im cookin im onto somethin

[thedrag0nking]

10:25 A.M.

Ultima and Omega continue their journey in the east side of gensokyo traveling through the land now fill with death pestilence with the carnosaurs and the virus ravaging the land the two through their journey come across a large stairwell leading into the old hakurei shrine itself. Everyone in gensokyo ever since the rebirth of gensokyo has been rumored that entering the long abandoned and ruined shrine brings bad luck and much disrespect for the fallen for this is where the destruction of gensokyo have occured many years ago. Even villagers have claimed they can hear the horror stories upon walking up the steps to the shrine but never believe the legends. Unbeknownst to the pair the two will meet a foe from the dark past that have kept buried since the legend's inception as they walk up the steps.

" Whoa, we're in the shrine that once belong to the hakurei lady! This is cool! "

" Heard ghosts of the past live there, those walk upon the steps closer to the shrine are either dead, cursed or even just vanish into thin air. load of bullshit if you ask me. "

" Sweety we live in the land of yokai, then again that does sound like total crap oh well, lets keep up and look around I bet we get to see some cool stuff to take! "

As they finally venture into the shrine the two suddenly stopped, they stop smiling as they have met with a one eye woman, hair's pink as a sakura tree and with a dark past that is connected to this ruined shrine as she stands there, smiling as her sword is up.

" Why hello there.... "

" Oh shit- uh hi..! Didn't know you were here sorry abou- "

Omega cuts her off as she places her hand on her shoulder. She sense danger.

" Ultima, that woman... "

She turned around.

" What? What's wrong? "

" Ultima, this woman is not human, nor normal for that matter. "

" Oh c'mon everyone isn't normal! What's so bad about her? I'm sure she's nice! I got this! "

" She's right, I am not normal I'm not even friendly also... You came here unwanted. Trespassing on the sacred ground. for this alone you are guilty. Your lover included. "

[soistoodup]

agh i need to read the mk annual but idk when i’ll get to a comic book store

[caemidraws]

M A S T E R P O S T

[General Tags]

₊˚.⋆ #dnd related art

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₊˚.⋆ #marsilio (computer, show me pictures of the blorbo)

(*more links for the comic under the cut)

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:･⚔ ||| P E T T I R O S S I ||| ⚔･:

[fantasy/horror webcomic written by @jonesylium, illustrated by me]

Inspired by our dnd campaign, the comic follows the events that brought a group of unfortunate characters together, in a city ruled by factions and tall towers, scarred by night runners and obscure legends.

 ⬇  ⬇  ⬇  Find out more on our comic here  ⬇  ⬇  ⬇

Serious business aside...if you ever wondered what's going on in my art or who are the characters I keep drawing without providing any context - you're going to find out (some) more!

⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️

This is our first experience in the field, as it's the first comic (of more of 3 pages) we've worked on together,,, We just really wanted to make a media with our characters, and while we know it's a wonky attempt, the dnd urge to share blorbos is strong--

(TW list in the FAQ section)

[ ₊˚.⋆ Comic Pages ⋆⁺. ]

Cover | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

[ ₊˚.⋆ Session Notes and More ⋆⁺. ]

⚠️⬇ Spoilers Below ⬇⚠️

Misc | Side Tales | Colors | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30

[ ₊˚.⋆ Lore / Asks ⋆⁺. ]

⚠️⬇ Spoilers Below ⬇⚠️

Random Infos 1 | Random Infos 2 | Asks (WIP)

[ FAQ ]

☆ When are we getting new pages?

On every Thursday, at Midnight (Central European Time).

☆ Any trigger warning?

I'll be updating the tw list on here as the comic proceeds.

First chapter: blood, death, scars, burns, gang violence.

☆ Where should we send our asks?

You can send asks to me, @jonesylium or @pettirossiofficial! I'll do my best to reply any question concerning the comic but it'll may take some time in case I need to doodle something or need to wander the woods for 3 days to think about a good reply idk

☆ Who does what????

@jonesylium: writing and lettering (typos)

me: sketching, inking, coloring, crying

☆ Who are the characters???

Andrea [he/him]

Mars [he/him]

Misericordia [they/she]

the Twins (coming soon) [he and she]

Quarzaldo (best name btw) [he/him]

Solvi [she/her]

Toloc [he/him]

Ultima [she/her]

Will [he/him]

⚠️SHORT REF SHEETS COMING SOON⚠️

Special thanks ₊˚.⋆ to who's playing Everyone Else, aka @shaykan

☆ What is a pettirossi? Is it something you can eat or what

It's a pun about petti-rossi translating to red chests (red=rossi, chests=petti) and the italian name for robin (the bird!!!). We needed a gang name that sounded bloody and cool but not edgy.....

☆ Do you take requests?

You can hope to 'lady macbeth' me enough to make me think it was my own idea to draw something

☆ Why haven't you replied to my ask? :(

I either forgor OR your ask had a compliment in it and I'm safekeeping it in my askbox so that I have something nice to look at when I get sad

There are chances I go back to older asks so don't lose hope.....

[delicatebarness]

i think he knows | chapter four

Summary: Tension rises for the youngest Rogers as she fears Steve knows.

Warnings: A use of 'Y/N' at the beginning. Wanda is a hopeless romantic.

Word Count: 1031

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A/N: I need to slow down, this series is now 4 weeks ahead of the schedule I made. And, I haven't even started writing the next chapter of Winter's Child yet. This chapter is a relatively small one as I'm planning to make chapter five the longest one yet.

Tags: @bigtreefest | @caplanbuckybarnes | @angelbabyyy99 | @mega-kittyglitter-1 | @cjand10

Wanda followed you around the library as you searched the shelves, her eyes widened with excitement as you recounted last night’s ride home with Bucky. She was hanging on your every word.

“You, Y/N Rogers, rode on a motorbike!” She exclaimed in a hushed tone, she could barely be contained. “Tell me everything! How was it? What did Bucky say?” She tried to get you to look her in the eye so she could read what your mouth wasn’t saying. “Wait, what did Steve do? Your dad?” She gasped.

You couldn’t help but chuckle at her excitement, her infectious curiosity. “It was… exhilarating,” you admitted with a gentle sigh, the adrenaline and the way the wind rushed against your skin, you remembered every second of it. “He made me feel so safe, Wanda. He even made sure I was wearing his helmet.” 

Her eyes widened further, you didn’t know she could do that. “He gave you his helmet? Oh my, ugh, that’s so romantic!” She let out a quiet squeal. 

Shrugging her comment off, you tried to downplay the romantic aspect. “I think he was just being a good host, making sure I was safe.” You continued to recount the ride to your best friend, describing the thrill of the moment. How you felt having your arms wrapped around him, clenching his Henley shirt in your hands. You found yourself longing for that feeling again. 

She did continue to ask about Steve and your dad, but you shrugged her off again explaining quickly that Bucky stopped at the corner of the street and watched you walk back from there. 

“Sounds like something out of a romance novel,” She mused whilst leaning against the bookshelf you were searching through. She wore a dreamy smile on her lips as her mind wandered. You were positive that she was thinking about Vision. They had been crushing on each other from the second she moved here. Neither one was confident enough to make the first move, even though they were both aware of the other’s feelings. 

You let out a huffed laugh as you shook your head. “I don’t know about that,” A hint of uncertainty crept into your voice. “It was just a ride home.”

~

As the day progressed, you found yourself sitting at your usual table in the cafeteria with Wanda and Peter. The chatter of your classmates filled the air but your attention was barely focused on your friend's conversation.

“Are you two going to the game on Friday?” Peter’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he nodded towards the banner reminding you and others of the date, time, and which school it was against. 

“I heard it’s going to be a big one,” Wanda replied, picking at the sandwich that was placed on her tray. Her mood had shifted from joyful to disgust the second she realized she had forgotten her lunch and would have to eat the stale bread the cafeteria served. 

“Yeah… Steve’s been practicing nonstop,” Your attention had been drawn to a tense moment at Steve’s usual table. Steve and Sam, his best friend and right-hand man for almost everything, stood in deep conversation. Their expressions were serious, Steve’s frown had his eyebrows knotted together tightly. Sam’s gestures were animated, he was trying to explain something to your brother while he listened intently. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

Wanda and Peter’s attention snapped to where you had been looking, they both shrugged. “The game I’m guessing,” Wanda shrugged as she got back to the sandwich in front of her, ultimately deciding to push the tray away from her. “Yeah, it’s a pretty big one for the both of them,” Peter added.

“Yeah, could be,” you replied as your mind raced with possibilities. Deep down, you had a feeling that there was more to it than a football game. 

You watched Steve and Sam, curiosity tugging at your thoughts. There’s no way this was about the football game, the way they were talking hinted at a deeper issue. Lost in speculation, you barely noticed both Wanda and Peter trying to get your attention. “You good?” Wanda’s voice finally snapped your focus back to them, she gave you an empathic look. She could only imagine what you were thinking after what you confessed to her only a few short hours ago. 

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” you replied with a weak smile. As you reassured your friends, your mind continued to race.

The unanswered questions played on your mind for the rest of the day, you debated on speaking to Steve about it on the drive home or after dinner. You decided against it, you feared the possibility of it being Bucky-related and worried about raising suspicion. 

~

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. As you gathered your belongings from your locker, a movement that didn’t match the patterns of the rest of the hallway caught your attention. It was Bucky, he gestured for you to follow him once he noticed he had you. Blending into the crowd, you made your way down the hallway to the room that Bucky entered. It was empty, he closed the door when you reached him, pulling a blind down to cover the small window in the door. 

“What’s going on?” you asked, as you turned to face him. 

Bucky hesitated as he closed the distance between you, “I wanted to ask you something,” his voice was low, pushing a loose strand of your hair behind your ear. “I was hoping you’d like to go for another ride with me on Friday night?” 

Your heart skipped a beat, was that a date invite? Was he asking you on a date? As much as you wanted to say yes, even if it wasn’t as a date, you couldn’t. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, voice filled with regret. “Steve’s playing on Friday, my whole family will be there.” You dropped your head as the glint in his eyes disappeared as disappointment filled them. 

Bucky nodded. “I understand, Sunshine,” Using his finger, he lifted your chin so you were looking back at him. “You know where I’ll be if you change your mind.”

---

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[musings-of-a-college-dork]

Hear me out. HEAR ME OUT.

Some angst…but like fluff idk OKAY.

Say the reader and Eddie are in the upside down and the reader gets separated from everyone and is presumed dead, but had escaped through another way. Ya know all sad etc cause eddie thinks he’s lost his soulmate, but when the fundraiser at the end of the show happens it could be he’s placing posters up of them…then BOOM reader appears and it’s all tooth rotting fluff etc

I Thought I Lost You

Eddie Munson x GN!Reader

Word count: roughly 1.5K

Eddie lost his partner in the Upside Down and his friends convince him to put up a Missing Person flyer.

Warnings: SEASON FOUR SPOILERS, angstyyyy but fluffy at the end, mainly just spoilers, and serious divergence from canonical plotline

Author’s note: So sorry this one took me so long to write but I love a good piece of angst melted to fluff!

The past two days had felt like years. After the world had literally cracked open many citizens of Hawkins had begun evacuating but many stayed. They stayed out of hope. Hope that those they thought were lost may come back.

Eddie was one of those such people. When he had returned along with Dustin to meet up with the rest of the group, Steve was the one who had to gently break the news that Y/N…they had gotten separated and…well...

Presumed dead. Those had been the words people had been saying about them. About everyone who had been lost. Of course, Eddie knew it made sense. Most of the people missing had to be…but Y/N… He had been inconsolable. When Steve had broken the news there had been no reaction. None. None whatsoever. He hadn’t cried or yelled or broken down. He had just gone quiet which for Eddie was scarier than any of the other things combined. He knew they couldn’t go back to find them. He knew that. And so he had simply said nothing and shut himself away in what was left of the trailer without a word to another soul.

Dustin had come by the check on him a couple of times and each time Wayne said he wasn’t eating, sleeping, or speaking - he hadn’t even had any music on. Eddie truly felt like the world was crashing down. He couldn’t explain it but it was so much worse than when his mom had died. He was young then and it was a disease. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. But here. With Y/N. You could have been with them, his mind reminded him for the thousandth time, you could have stayed with them and not let them out of your sight. You could have protected them. But you didn’t. You had to go and play hero with Dustin. And now they’re dead because of you.

On top of all of that, people were still blaming him for the murders that had happened. The police had been by several times and had asked Wayne to speak to Eddie. Wayne had explained the situation and had begged for time. The department surprisingly gave him to his request and he figured it was solely because they had so many other things going on and Eddie truly hadn’t moved since the day of the split.

When Wayne told Eddie the police had been by, he hadn’t said a word. Merely nodded to Wayne and turned his focus back to the polaroids he had of Y/N, the same ones he had been flipping through for days as if looking at their photo would bring them back. And in that moment, Wayne felt fear. Fear because he realized without his soulmate, Eddie was starting to not care what happened to him. “I lost them,” He had told Dustin when the teen had finally coaxed him into speaking at Wayne’s insistence, “I lost Y/N, and now…Dustin, they were my world. What’s the point when my life has already been lost?”

After Dustin had told Steve about Eddie’s complete collapse, Steve had talked to Robin who had somehow managed to convince Eddie to come with her and Steve and Dustin to help out at the high school where everyone had basically created a shelter. Anyone who had lost their homes, or family members, or needed food, supplies, or medical attention was there. It was the bulletin board of Missing Persons Robin mentioned that was ultimately what convinced Eddie to go. Along with his friends, he had managed to create a missing poster for Y/N, convinced that maybe, maybe if he made the poster someone would find them and they'd come back to him. His friends had been silent as they helped him, knowing the chances of them coming back from the Upside Down were…well…

But he had done it anyway and it had gotten him out of bed and that in and of itself was something to be grateful for.

The nerves had boiled up in Eddie’s stomach as they had arrived at the high school. The four of them had taken Steve’s car along with a few boxes of items to donate - sheets, clothes, toys - and the flyer for Y/N. The drive had been silent and so was the walk in. Eddie tried his best to ignore the stares he received as the group passed by, holding his head up high…well as high as he could with the sinking feeling that had taken up permanent residence in his chest.

“Hey,” Robin had whispered when she watched him get caught up in his own mind. “We’re gonna put up the poster for Y/N, drop this stuff, and then we can go-”

“No,” he shook his head, “I…I want to stay. To…help.” She had gone silent after that and Steve and Dustin didn’t protest. As they walked in though, Eddie couldn’t keep his eyes from the missing person’s board. Dustin watched as his focus totally shifted, turning his attention to Robin and Steve.

“You two go on ahead,” Dustin said with a nod. The other two teens hesitated for a moment but Dustin shooed them along as Eddie continued to stare at the board.

“You wanna go put it up?” Dustin said as he looked at the flyer Eddie was clutching in his hand.

“Yeah,” Eddie nodded, his voice barely audible, “But…” Dustin watched as his gaze shifted to the police officers.

“Eddie, man,” Dustin placed a hand on his DM’s shoulder, turning Eddie to face him, “You didn’t do it. You’re just gonna go over there and put up the flyer,” He still seemed unsure leading Dustin to sigh, “Here I’ll come with you. Ok?” Eddie nodded again and took a deep breath before following Dustin’s lead and heading over to the board.

“Uh hi,” Dustin greeted the officer who looked between him and Eddie for a moment but didn’t say anything, “We have a missing person poster to put up.” The officer eyed them both once more and went to say something before clearly thinking better of it.

“When did this person go missing?” The officer asked as he held his hand out for the poster. Eddie hesitated to hand it over but with some urging from Dustin, he did.

“The day of the earthquakes,” Dustin said, not quite sure what else to call them. “They were near one of the sites so…we…yeah.” The officer let out a little hum before turning his focus to the paper. His eyes narrowed as he squinted at the photo before they went wide.

“Something the matter?” Dustin asked, “Have you…do you know anything about-” The officer cut Dustin off with a point as he gestured to one of the medical stations. Dustin and Eddie both turned at the speed of light to find a figure sitting in a chair that the cop had pointed to. They were chatting with the nurse who seemed to be checking their vitals, a soft smile on their face as they seemed to make conversation. They looked worse for wear, still in the clothes they had been wearing when they went to the Upside Down. Bruises and scrapes as well as a ton of dirt littered their skin…but they were there. Dustin could watch all the blood drain out of Eddie’s face. It was like he had seen a ghost. And in Eddie’s mind, his fear was that he had.

“Y/N,” was all he said before he began to take slow steps toward the figure. They didn’t notice him as he approached but the nurse did, looking at him with a confused gaze. Y/N must have caught her glance as they turned to look and…

They had the same dumbfounded look. They took a moment to just stare at him, mouth opening and closing as he approached, step by step. This continued for a moment before they stood up on shaky legs as if they could have been blown away by the wind.

“Eddie?” They asked in a cautious tone, their voice shaking as they spoke.

“Oh my god,” he murmured before they were in his arms, holding them with everything they had in them.

“Eddie I thought-”

“But you were-”

“We lost-”

“Y/N we thought you-”

“I know but I was-”

“Where have you-”

“How is-”

The pair couldn’t form full thoughts and the nurse simply backed away to allow the pair a moment as tears brimmed in both of their eyes.

“Y/N, we thought you were…” Eddie couldn’t finish the thought as he felt Y/N squeeze him even tighter.

“I know,” they nodded as they pulled him in, “But I’m here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

And Eddie knew they spoke the truth at that moment. He knew whatever came next was going to be a hard battle. The fight to prove his innocence wasn’t going to be easy. But with them by his side, his life and his soulmate restored, for the first time since Chrissy’s death, he thought he may have a fighting chance.

And she's done! Again so sorry this took so long but I hope it's sorta what you were looking for!!!!

[lost-lux]

Dion must be a CBU3 favourite because the way he survives his bossfight it's hilarious like!!!

Benedikta is killed by a berserk Clive with zero experience, Kupka becomes stone after eating one (1) crystal shard and can't even land a slap on Ifrit and then we have Dion who's slowly dying from the curse and having the worst day of his life and after:

-Slurping the entire Twin's mothercrystal

-Fighting two Eikons at the same time

-FLYING INTO THE FUCKING SPACE

-Casting not only flare but also mega flare, giga flare, TERA FLARE AND ZETTA FLARE

-FALLING FROM SPACE IN HIS HUMAN FORM????'

he manages to survive with only a cut on his forehead and with enough energy to throw his spear at his evil little brother LIKE

Dion is just built different there is no way he died in the battle against Ultima my man cannot be killed it's just a scratch he's fine trust me

[luxudus]

    Took me long enough but heres the sequel to the september cutting room floor. Ending this series for good. Staring in order by their number Starting with the entries made for 2022

    1. A mammaloid alien native to a dangerously cold planet iconic for it’s red and blue plantlife. They are skittish herbivores. Grazing along its planet’s “grass” by grabbing handfuls of plants with its oral tentacles and brought it to a mouth located in a hollow space in between its oral tentacles and head. And would sport vibrant patterns to blend in with it’s equally colorful forests

    2. Originally a suggestion by my friend Lemuel. They were a descendent of pill bugs/roly polies that evolved powered flight. They soared through forest understories with three sets of flattened legs and held onto branches with their hind pairs of limbs. In spite of the radical change to their movement, they would still act and eat like any other Armadillidiid Isopod. Only now they could get to their food much faster

Now onto the entries made for 2023.

    3. An alien predator that has all of our senses, but none of the familiar organs. They see the world with an organic sonar dish so powerful it could see colors as good as any eye. They smell and feel heat through heat pits on the sides of their body. They hear sound through sensitive whiskers on the feet of their hydraulic legs. And they eat and taste with a liquivorous proboscis.     And on top of their unique sensory organs and a testament to their overwhelming success, they are also freakishly intelligent. Not fully sophont, but still able to run circles around earth’s smartest life aside from humans.

    4. An orbital view of a carbon planet. A hypothetical world where it and the rest of it’s star system formed with much more carbon in its composition than standard oxygen. In place of water would be oceans and clouds of hydrocarbons. And nestled right in between the crust and mantle would be a hundred-kilometer-thick layer of pure diamond.     Sadly how life would evolve and take advantage of such a world was never conceptualized before spectember ended. Maybe someday this idea can be covered again and be brought to justice.

    5. A descendant of azhdarchid pterosaurs from the same world (or at least set of timelines) as the aforementioned Dinosauroids. They live in hierarchical herds where the strongest males have ownership over the herd’s female members.     They are also extremely violent, capable of killing their own predators if a hunt goes slightly wrong, And changes in power often escalate into bloody fights that could end in death. Some members are even willing to kill their herd mates' children if it means they get a chance to continue their bloodline.

6. A descendant of the golden snub-nosed monkey that has evolved to mimic the violet deathhead from my last official september post. Their fur is a speckled brown to blend in with the trees it lives on. The structure mimicking the deathhead sail is derived from nasal flaps once used to attract mates. The primate’s blue skin paired with clusters of veins within the nasal flaps create the iconic purple hue.     High concentrations of melanin along the tip of the nasal flaps mimic the black stripes. And even the orange spots are recreated by rows of unusually thin skin refract sunlight the same way the webbing between our fingers turns orange as a close light source passes through it

    7. A dinosauroid microbiologist who lived in a time when their people colonized the solar system. A Chia’J-di ecologist who lived in a time when their species’ industrial revolution provoked an equally powerful environmentalist counterculture, the globe they are holding is earth 500 million years in the future and long after pangea ultima split, the version of earth their species hails from. And a masculine female human sophontologist who lived in the aztec empire during it’s height. All pose for a picture.     Despite their different walks of life and origins of separate timelines. They are all heads of research within the earth division of the Inter-Timeline Evolutionist Union, better known as the ITEU

The ITEU is a non-profit, nongovernmental secret organization spanning the entire multiverse. With the goal of documenting and archiving the evolution of every species and civilization that has ever lived and will ever live across every possible timeline.     Their employee count ranges in the quantifiable infinity, and the division of a single planet is still big enough to utterly dwarf the largest and most technologically advanced civilizations ever documented. And their membership program accepts anyone from individual sophonts like you and I, galaxy spanning gestalt super-intelligence, to even celestial deities that create their own worlds and galaxies and seed them with life.  

    The symbol above the heads of the earth division is the logo of the ITEU as a whole. Surprisingly very little is known about the meaning behind it. Theories range anywhere from it representing the multiverse as a stream of timelines. The evolutionary tree of life, the infinite fractal-like scale of life and the multiverse. To possibly even the form of the ITEU’s founding species.     There’s a very good reason why the logo is a mystery to all. The ITEU has some pretty big flaws in spite of their noble goal. The organization is very secretive, even to it’s own members. Nobody outside the ITEU knows it even exists. The organization’s founders and early history remain a complete mystery. And despite its multiversal span being common knowledge. no one truly knows the full scale of this organization or the multiverse. 

    They are also very non-interventionist, and will stop at nothing to not leave a mark on the natural world and make any irreversible changes to the course of time. Even if it means never sharing their knowledge with the multiverse’s most advanced civilizations. Allowing interdimensional atrocities to keep going despite having the power to stop it. Or even keeping their own members from ever returning home.     This whole entry was meant to be a bigger grand finale to 2023’s spectember instead of the Batesian mimicry ring or the neurodivergent posthumans. And was meant to be a meta look at 2023’s entries and the genre of speculative evolution as a whole before spiraling out into its own thing entirely.

(i apologize if the aztec woman appears culturally and/or racially insensitive, if anyone who's an expert on aztec culture wants to give feedback I'd appreciate it a lot i want to improve more on illustrating other cultures)

[tyrantisterror]

No Small Feat Art Pt. 5 - Little Girl Lost Arc

By request, I'm gonna show off some of the artwork for No Small Feat, a Midgaheim story my friends and I told through the TTRPG system Fabula Ultima. I drew a lot of characters and monsters for it, and my friends - in particular, @dragonzzilla, @scatha5, and @dinosaurana - helped line and color them so we'd have cute little sprites to use on our online battlemaps, which really helped sell the whole "we're playing an oldschool turn based RPG" vibe that Fabula Ultima's system is going for.

In this part, we're gonna look at the many NPCs introduced in the campaign's third arc, Little Girl Lost!

The titular little girl of the arc was Dora Raine, who one of my players described as "the saddest girl I've ever seen." Dora had a tense relationship with her mother, and after a fight where her mother regrettably said "Sometimes I wish I wasn't your mother!", Dora was spirited away to Fairyland, kicking off our plot.

Our heroes were already set to meet Dora's mother, Countess Maelys Raine, because of a rumor that she might hold one of the crown jewels. Unfortunately, she told them that said jewel was in the necklace Dora wore, and thus was trapped in Fairyland with Dora. Our heroes volunteered to rescue the girl, leaving the two crown jewels they had with Maelys in case they didn't come back.

Dora's kidnapped turned out to be another countess, albeit of the Seelie court rather than Engelsex. Countess Vespidi claimed she had a right to take custody of Dora, but after a brief discussion (while guarded by her army, of course) agreed to allow the heroes to try and convince the girl to return with them if they first proved their worth by overcoming the obstacles she'd lay in their path on the way to her palace. So our heroes went on a jaunt through Fairyland.

Along the way they had encounters with various soldiers in Vespidi's court - troops of hobgoblins, goblins, pixies, and orks.

A wrinkle presented itself when they met one of Vespidi's chief enforcers, Big Bubba Bugbear, who was very talkative during their fight - and, in particular, was vocal about wanting to keep Dora safe and happy because, according to him, she'd spent so much time crying recently. Bubba had been watching over Dora on Vespidi's orders for a while, you see, and he clearly thought that the fairy Countess had Dora's best interests at heart.

There were some unrelated monster encounters on the way, too. The Deofolskein had nothing to do with Countess Vespidi's plot, it was just very insistent (but polite!) about asking the PC's to let it eat their eyeballs. They're its favorite dish, you see.

Our heroes also met Four Elemental Spirits - a salamandral, a gnome, a sylph, and an undine - who gave them their first sidequest: seeking out the Four Elemental Masters in the mortal world, who would test our heroes' knowledge of the four elements of magic and present them with great boons should they prove worthy. These four just really love teaching people about magic, you see!

At last our heroes got to the court of Countess Vespidi, where they faced on final fight against three powerful enemies: a Bandersnatch, a Jubjub Bird, and a Jabberwock. Defeating the three champions of the fairy noblewoman, they were finally allowed an audience with Dora, where they learned some very important facts.

First, Countess Vespidi wasn't just any fairy, but specifically Dora's Fairy Guard-mother, and a close friend of Dora's father and her birth mother.

Second, Maelys wasn't Dora's birth mother, but rather her stepmother. And you know how stepmothers act in most fairy tales, don't you?

Third, and most horrible, Dora didn't have a crown jewel in her necklace.

Our heroes, backed by Countess Vespidi and her forces, returned to the mortal world to demand answers, only to find that Maelys had already left with the crown jewels in tow.

The campaign's main villain had duped them very, very well.

[luceracastro]

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐎

𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨̀𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you and Simon never got along, but you’ve both been stuck in one another’s life since even though he was a nuisance to you he was basically your brothers brother, so when you come home from college from the summer and head over to the beach house your parents had owned ever since you were young for a family vacation, it was a shame to see he was also invited, but soon certain feeling come to light

Warnings: warning will be added to every chapter, none in this one except Simon and reader don’t really get along yet

Hice este fic pensando en mi hermosa Sof❤️ @espinasrubi @castawaycherry

Your parents insisted you come to the beach house for the summer, you were exhausted from school and the stuffy dorm you were forced to live in but you also thought time on the beach would be calming and fun

So here you were going to meet up with them a day late, you had walked up the porch steps hoping your brother would be willing to drag your suitcases to your room for you, you knocked on the door and waited until you heard the lock click

“Mi niña!” Your moms voice was filled with excitement to see you and you giggled as she engulfed you in her arms “Hola mami” your dad walked over and wrapped his arms around you and your mother

“Cómo estás mi niña” your parents pulled away “bien, un poco cansada” you sighed with a smile on your lips “y los estudios?” Your dad asked “todo bien papi” you nodded and he chuckled “Y Joel?” You asked for your older brother

“En la sala jugando en el vídeo juego” your dad said “ven vamos para que los saludas” your mom pulled your hand, “los?” Was there someone besides your brother, you had walked into the living area and your eyes widened and you were screaming in the inside

Simon. You and him had a rocky relationship and history, your brother met him in the 5th grade and as he grew up beside you he always was very annoying towards you, teasing and bothering you

He would make unnecessary jokes and embarrass you in front of others, your parents and brothers found it quite harmless but if you could have you would’ve choked him, “Hola mi boluda” your brother hugged you with a teasing smile, he knew well how you felt about Simon, you lazily hugged him back

“Aye mi pelotuda favorita” Simón hugged you but your arms hung at your side, “y que no me quieres ver?” He asked with a shit eating grin “la verdad no” you answered “T/n!” Your mother gave you a look

“Perdon” you mumbled “ah no pasa nada nena” he winked at you, you rolled your eyes “porque no le bajan las maletas a T/n muchachos” your mom pitched in and the two nodded walking out the living area, “Mami!” You whined and she looked at you

“Porque?!” She chuckled “amor anda no es nada malo que Simón nos acompaña” she said and you gave her a look, “ven vamos a tu cuarto” she led you up the steps and into your room, it looked the same nothing ever changing

You smiled at the frame of 5 year old you with your bucket full of shells at the beach, “voy acabar de preparar la cena mi amor” your mom kissed your cheek and left the room, you looked around your room and heard thumping near your door

“Ten” your brother brought your suitcase in while Simon held a bag and suitcase putting it down carefully “voy por la ultima” your brother left your room and you sighed as Simon stood there “No me extrañaste?” He asked amused leaning against the door frame and you looked at him with furrowed brows “no” you moved to open your empty drawer and brought one of your suitcases on top of the bed, “necesitas algo?” You asked looking over at him

He shook his head “No para nada pelotuda” you looked at him annoyed “No me digas así” you sternly said as you folded your clothes “perdon, pelotuda” you sighed agitatedly and tried to keep your composure

“Ahora por que tan calladita pelotuda?” He asked and you sighed “Simon ya” you gave him a look and before he could think of bothering you any more your brother walked in, “ya es la última” he left it on your bed “gracias” he nodded before leaving the room Simon following after him

You went to close and lock your door before going back to unpacking, you wanted a chill and fun summer but it seemed that it was a crime to do that, as long as Simon was there you’d be in the worst mood.

A knock on your door alerted you “quien?” You called out “Yo, ya esta la cena” it was your dads voice and you got out of bed and opened the door, you sat down across from Simon and your brother

Your mom had passed the food around and all of your served yourselves “me pasa’s el pan” Simon didn’t insult you that you believed he was speaking to someone else, you looked at him and he held a innocent look, you grabbed the plate full of fresh bread and handed it to him as he took it

Your mom gave you a look of “see he isn’t so bad” you wanted to roll your eyes but suppressed the urge to do so, you continued eating and felt a shoe slightly kick your shin and you looked at Simon who was in front of you, you gave him a look,

He smiled and kept on eating his food, just seeing him made you lose your appetite, “estas bien?” Your dad asked and you turned to look at him nodding “Si”.

After you all finished eating your mom gave you the task of picking up which you had done and now you were washing the dishes, “hola” Simon’s annoying voice made you sigh “hola” your voice was stern as you kept washing the dish in your hands

He walked over hands squeezing your hips making you jolt and drop the sponge and dish “Eres un molestia!” You were fed up and you’d only been there for 5 hours, 5, he snickered and sighed

“No, no soy una molestia nenita, tu nomas eres muy dramática” he said with a smug smile on his lips and you groaned “Simon, por favor, déjame en paz” you tried to clarify that you wanted to be left alone and he shrugged “y si no quiero?” He said making you roll your eyes

“Déjame en paz” you said once again before getting the rag near the sink drying the soapy water from your hands and leaving the kitchen, you had walked into your room and locked yourself in your room and plopped down on your bed

You did slightly feel bad for yelling in his face especially for calling him a bother, but it was true he was doing too much and for no reason

You had changed and laid down, this was better that your whole day for sure.

A/n: guess who started a new fic! I hope all my Simon lovers like this fic! It’s basically a mix of enemies to lovers/ brothers best friend!

Also likes, reblogs, and comments are highly appreciated but not required just as long as you all enjoy reading my loves!!!!!!

Taglist: @castawaycherry @espinasrubi @madame-fear @creative-heart