#goodbye volcano high edit

[glassrunner]

GOODBYE VOLCANO HIGH ➤ FANG

[wolfnanaki]

[wormdramafever]

;_;

[rustybottlecap]

Lucie Viatge, the character designer of Goodbye Volcano High, recently revealed more concept art for the game, including of the in-universe Magical Girl show "Pretty Heroes" (link in source):

There is also a Magical Girl show in the game, called Pretty Heroes. I designed all the characters! I'm a big magical girl enthusiast, with my favorites being MS Madoka Magica, Cardcaptor Sakura and several Precure seasons (ofc I also like Sailor Moon and many others).

Unless I missed something, I'm pretty sure Pretty Heroes is mostly just mentioned and maybe some poster or merch is shown here and there a couple of times in the entire game, so it was a big surprise learning that there was so much thought put into it. Edit: turns out there IS a scene with them I completely missed, beware spoilers.

[beasts-of-jadewood]

Just found out how Goodbye Volcano High ends and I've been indescribably angry for the past three days. There is no love or hope to be found in death, and the romanticization of doomerism is a fucking disease. No, sadness and pain aren't inevitable truths of life. They're emotions we evolved as a species to serve as warning signs that something fucked up is happening and if we instead treat them as carthatic or beautiful and worthy of artistry then we're failing at natural selection in spectacular fashion. The last thing the world needs right now is a game that teaches people to cope with unjust suffering and death beyond their control. What we need right now is inspiration to rebel against those who make us suffer. It we were to promote the acceptance of pain and death as the way to go and tell people to just swallow their sadness as an inevitable truth of life, then we're functionally no different than fundamental Christians who want to make climate change worse so they can go to heaven once the world ends or something.

Edit: I didn't mean the fundamental Christian metaphor as a personal insult or anything like that, I just want to highlight my hatred of what I perceive to be an anti-problem solving attitude and explain how ridiculous it sounds to me.

Edit 2: I cannot stress how much I don't hate this game or the people who made it, I just think this game reminded me of a common conception people have for tragic stories that I personally disagree with and find ridiculous. Namely, I do not get why people see tragedy as inherently profound and sadness as an emotion that everyone should want to feel.

[nrxia]

These are all the "GVH irl" things I've found/made, so far. Just in case someone needs an explanation, what I do is I find comments and things online and if it sounds like something a Goodbye Volcano High character would say, then I paste their avatar over the one in the original image. I try to keep editing down to a minimum. I share these on my Twitter and BlueSky accounts. Hope you find them amusing.

[punkymaysnark]

There's a Wani Hug That Gator clip on my Twitter feed and every single QRT is talking about how good it is and how it's so much fun and better than Goodbye Volcano High in every way.

All this despite the devs being some of the most 4Chan 4Channers ever, wildly transphobic and not open to any criticism.

I don't care how bad GVH is, the fact that nobody either knows or cares about how shitty the Gator/Snoot Game devs are is giving me a headache.

EDIT: It's worse than I fucking thought. Twitter is loaded with Snoot defenders, and there's enough of them to score perfect ratios on anyone who knocks the game or Cavemanon. Not sure if this is a consequence of Twitter transforming into another 4Chan or if everyone is just that allured by anthro reptiles. Anyway we have a handful of new additions to my blocked list tonight.

[autumnbrambleagain]

edit: rant edited to reflect how Snoot Game treats gender identity b/c i hadn't really done more than look at a few convos about it

I'm GBH, Goodbye Volcano High got like, the worst fucking shake

Disclaimer, I haven't played it (there is a very special irony in this that i'll get into in a bit), but I've watched people on youtube play it, and I think it's. Fine? It's fine. But everything surrounding this game, everything that happened to and around it, it's fucking wild. I've never seen a game get such a poor serve-up on the tennis court before.

It gets put up on the big console premier along huge AAA budget games. That's rough. A small intimate-scale VN about the end of the world as a metaphor for growing up and leaving highschool and changing and also a non-metaphor for the world ending as itself a metaphor for the new generation entering into what feels like an absolutely hopeless, pointless future (spoilers: the future is pretty fucking dire (the present is already fucking bad))?

Those are some rough themes! That isn't doomchief and master slayer punching guys! And not to denigrate doomchief! These are some ROUGH themes and the trust that those themes will be handled WELL isn't something you want to give out so readily! Those are themes that are easy to fuck up! Fair! But still. Oof!

To have your relatively small scale game put up as a launch title alongside mass-consumption AAA games. Ouch.

I'll admit: the art style was pretty rough, it's really rough on first look. I made fun of it too.

Then it comes out the MC is enby, that it deals with queer themes, and 4chan-esque folk go nuts over it. Snoot Game comes out which, apparently, seemingly, actually not bad! A lot more ironic but with serious themes handled, apparently earnestly, and it's overall... good!? Even some critical accounts suggest it isn't, at least, bad? Whichever: it comes out faster than GVH does, so it now has a parody-competitor dealing with the same themes, but not just as a JOKE but actually putting effort into it too. Like. That's the thing. Snoot Game DEALS with strong themes of growing up, of becoming a person, it DEALS with the themes GVH is saying it will deal with... and it uses the characters to do it too.

And it does it, by some accounts, WELL.

Ouch!

Granted Snoot Game is from 4chan and apparently I'm now reading one of the themes is Fang accepting they're a woman and they were just being enby to try and be different, and while it seems like it DOES handle it very seriously, and like, the game seems to penalize you for being shitty about their gender, and like, detransitioning IS a thing! I don't want to give TOO much trust to a 4chan-derived game either. I'm literally enby, but I also wasn't always enby, but like. Having a game where the message of "you were only trans because you were pressured into being different", it's, ehhhhhhhh not great no!

TBH without going through Snoot Game I can't really speak about it but Snoot Game overall isn't the main point, the main point is:

Some people are already now primed with associations and expectations, you already have a doppleganger as your competitor. OUCH.

So like.

Pretty rough.

And while Snoot Game, from the compressed summaries of it I've seen, seems to actually have honest heart and love in it in its final form, a lot of people just seem to be along for the hate-ride against GVH at this point because "eww the alphabet rainbow furries."

And then the writer has to step down because they found out she's into child por--wait, it was just 3d animations? That someone else made? That she was watching and criticizing as part of an article on how dumb video game porn is?

Oh. See, there's a difference between "the author is an active pedophile" and "the author watched a Harry Potter porn animation to write an article on the concept of video game porn," but in our modern era there's really never a distinction. Drawing something bad is the same as doing it in real life. Looking at it at all is the same as doing it in real life. If you see a woman's ankle on the street, make sure to head immediately to confession or God will judge you for the rape you have committed in your heart.

We live in such a media-literacy dead-end zone that people are calling the original Lolita book child porn. We live in such a media-literacy dead-end timeline that people are saying the only media that should be permitted to exist is happy comfort fluff where nothing bad ever happens because if you make bad things happen in fiction it means you're an evil villain :3 i'm not an evil villain, though, i don't watch bad media!

So of course it's fine to ruin careers because that's not EVIL. I didn't look at the BAD media so I CAN'T be evil. So you know, we have this modern purity pandemic of people thinking they're heroes for getting people to kill themselves because they drew or wrote "the wrong kind of thing" and are therefore EVIL and we're in a post-DnD world the cultural well got poisoned by DnD's secular take on evangelical protestantism's absolute morality of saved-vs-nonsaved. You're Lawful Good, you know you're Lawful Good. Whatever you to do Chaotic Evil people? That's fine. You can do whatever you want to them. You're Good.

Anyway, then it gets delayed to remove all her influence from the game, because at this point, even admitting you know what sex is online seems to be enough to ruin anything you touch tbh. Humanity's doing great, btw.

Like I can find twitter posts of her apologizing for "hurting people" by having seen harry potter porn. Your species is insane, just btb.

GVH finally comes out quietly and everyone's so fucking. MAD at this game. Hardcore 4chan whateverfolk hate it because there's queers and highschoolers. Other people dislike it because Snoot Game already came out and now GVH feels like fanfiction of THAT to them. They already met these characters, enjoyed them written like they were in Snoot Game, so how they come off in GVH feels worse. And you know, sure! That's a rough fucking shake when a fanfiction comes out before your actual release and it's good! For others it's tainted because a ""sex perver"" had worked on it. For others the art style and that it premiered alongside big name AAA games as a launch title was enough to slot it firmly in the derision zone. For some, because the queer community cannot NOT devour its own tail, it's doing queerness wRONG (Fang's parents MISGENDER and DEADNAME them!!! you can't put that in a game that deals with gender as a theme!!!!)

And then you have people who don't care about ANY of that, who are upset that everyone dies in the end and "your choices didn't matter", despite your choices affecting your relationships with the other characters. Granted? Sure! More actual endings beyond the end-of-the-world concert would be great! But comparing it to Mass Effect 3 where NOTHING mattered because the Reapers destroy everything and you pick one option at the end and their implied consequences before like 4 different changes to the ending came out to retcon "oh yeah everyone in the galaxy is stranded, everyone probably dies anyway, you accomplished nothing everyone's still dead" ? ?

The world's ending. That's the point. It's what you do with the time left that seems to be the point? Yeah? No? I'm not saying it HIT that theme well, and I'm not saying it actually failed at it either. I honestly think it did FINE. The criticism i keep seeing is "everyone died so nothing mattered." Buddy. Buddy. YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. Please do not let that convince you that nothing you ever did mattered.

Among all that it came out buggy, apparently, and the music minigame isn't like. Super. Good. Doesn't matter too much if you do well or not. Not greatly designed? So you know. The game also has just general internal problems too mechanically, so people without a dog in the race just don't enjoy playing it? Like, the art style was all on the creators, like, it's... it's not GREAT I'll be real! It's really weird. It's humans in those latex dolphin masks the memes weren't off base even i was laughing at it and groaning at yet another piece of media whose theme was "leaving highschool is like the world ending"

but like.

GVH isn't like. I dont' think this is some great amazing the best game ever. The art style's grown on me but in the way where you learn to ignore how it looks. But like, I see people complaining it's too whiny--wait, the characters aren't depressed ENOUGH about the world ending--honestly, honestly,

I think I like it? I haven't played it but I've watched it and I think I like it. I'm not like, this is probably the last day in a while I'll ever even think about the game, it isn't going to stick with me for years and years, it didnt' make a big impact on me--but I liked it well enough???

At this point, my default assumption at this point is if someone strongly openly firmly dislikes this game it's not at all for any good reasons--or rather, that it's not on the value of the game in-and-of-itself. This poor game was saddled with all this WEIGHT on top of it. Can you even dig it clear of this external context and examine the game itself for what it is anymore?

I'm writing all these words and like. I haven't PLAYED it i've just watched other people play it. I'm not even BIG into the game it's like... it's okay!

But oh my god I cannot get over what a fucking. BAD serve-up the game had leading to its release and just beyond. Oof. Ouch. God. That's real rough, buddy. I have never seen something get this POOR a serve. What an absolute rough, ravage, unfair birth for a thing into the world!

I think if the game congealed out of the aether (and maybe with a more... better art direction?) it'd be fondly remembered in small quantities?

Instead it's just... the actual game itself is just BURIED under all this mess.

It's fucking fascinating to me, honestly. It's far more fascinating what happened to this game than the game itself at this point, and that, too, isn't very fair to the poor game. I, too, am here not to talk about the game, to care about the game, to have anything to say about the game. I am PART of this problem I'm talking about. Instead of addressing the game I'm talking about the context that was built around it.

I'm here because I remembered the drama, looked into all the drama, then went to watch the game and, after seeing ALL of that, EVERYthing I read through to get to the game itself, actually seeing the game was just... like... for this? All of that, for this?

Huh.

[lemonthepotato]

I Understand Goodbye Volcano High Now: A Short, Positive Review (Rambling)

When I first learned about this game, it was while watching a Dumbsville video on Life Is Strange 3, another game I enjoy. I have a peculiar interest in watching critiques of things I like. After watching his review, I found the concept and ending of this game to be humorously flawed. Intrigued, I decided to experience it firsthand. However, after only ten minutes, I found myself losing interest. I shared my thoughts on Discord, stating, and I quote:

“So I heard about this game called Goodbye Volcano High, and I opened a playthrough on YouTube to watch, got 10 minutes in and got bored. Read a review of it, and apparently it’s a story about a group of friends, emotional drama, blah blah blah, high school shit. And the ending, no matter your choices? THEY GET WIPED OUT BY AN ASTEROID. DID I MENTION ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE DINOSAURS. Oh that’s hilarious. I could get some ironic enjoyment if the dialogue didn’t feel so… stiff to listen to. I love it. Edit: Ok basically I’m 50/50 on this being either the best game or worst game ever. Imagine sitting through hours of choices about relationships and dynamics and then they get hit by a fucking asteroid. Edit: never mind this game is peak.”

So how did I change my mind only 40 minutes in? Let’s go on the journey. Who knows? Maybe YOU will change your mind.

Please note: I haven't personally played the game yet. I typically prefer to watch a playthrough before diving in, particularly for narrative-driven games like Life Is Strange or The Quarry. While it may seem unconventional, this approach allows me to provide insights on the story rather than technical aspects.

In fact, I will share the notes I took while watching.

At the 40-minute mark, I found the game to be peak during the tarot reading. The presence of foreshadowing indicated that the game had a deeper message to convey. I will admit though, the designs took some getting used to, the forward-facing Fang was a bit overwhelming. Perhaps the art team could have toned down the dinosaur features while maintaining their overall essence. It felt somewhat uncanny, (although I must admit it grew on me by the end.)

I appreciate the little moments in this game, like how Fang's small mishap with the MIDI controller caused a strong reaction. Pal, there’s a thing called “handle the situation with a thorough and careful cleaning rather than a light rub.” I love them, my little over dramatic iconic blorbo.

Massive kudos and praise to the talented artist responsible for the captivating visuals in this game. You’re a champ. Now, for the animation itself. Personally, I believe that animation is an incredibly challenging field, so I refrain from criticizing animators. The exceptional artwork compensates for any perceived shortcomings in animation, in my opinion. While the dinosaur aesthetic may not be my personal preference, I admire the creativity behind it. And you know, a criticism…

I often come across, is the criticism that Naomi's crush on Fang wasn't evident. However, personally, I believe there are several instances of foreshadowing that hint at their connection. Even if I were unaware of the plot twist, I might have still guessed it. It is amusing, though, that Fang is comfortable conversing with an unknown number.

Anyway, why do I cough and get wheezy when I eat?

Why are all the songs in this game so goood? They cut off suddenly sometimes, but still. Are they on Spotify? I’d love to listen to these. Honestly, I feel this games predictions isn’t too far off. If a meteor were to attack us, we would act non-chalant. Make memes. Older people wouldn’t care or comfort their younger kids. Everyone would pretend it’s okay.

While it may be, and probably just is coincidental, the presence of an intersex flag pattern on Trish's shirt in the F&F game has led me to a new headcanon about Trish. <3 Look, I just think it’s worth noting that intersex individuals often lack representation beyond being included as an "I" in acronyms. So even if it’s probably coincidence, I like it.

So it looks like this is the big reveal, with Naomi making the same dress the mysterious number showed Fang. And it seems like Reed is really down about the comet situation, and now it's all coming to a head. But the thing is, what can they even do? It's like no one wants to take action or even acknowledge it. I'm not an optimist, but there has to be something we as a species could do if an asteroid was heading towards Earth.

The tarot earlier was forgotten about, which is a shame, because I thought it was going to be explained. I forgot what it was so I can’t even google it. But yeah “death” isn’t good.

Perhaps I'm biased towards Fang, but saying "fuck off" doesn’t really sound that severe when Naomi was kinda being a bit of a dick. While Naomi had a valid point, she also seemed dismissive of others' aspirations. Personally, I might have responded more harshly in that situation, which is why I struggle with friendships haha… Additionally, I didn't fully agree with Trisha placing all the blame on Fang for not understanding her feelings. Fang can't read minds, but it's a complicated situation given their denial. But still- unlike Trisha, Naomi’s outburst seems… sudden? Less justifiable? Maybe I wasn’t reading in between the lines enough. At least everyone made up in the end. Coolio.

Wow, that ending. My interpretation is as follows. It’s better to be together than alone in times of hardship. Life is fleeting, and we could lose it any-day. We need to live for the moment, not for the future. We need to live our dreams, not just wait for them to happen. When destiny fucks you, you fuck it harder, essential.

Overall, a sincere 5/5 game. The problems are so little for me, and I say that as someone who criticises EVERYTHING. My only complaints is that MY ship wasn’t validated /j. Nah, I have very few.

Pry my ship from my cold dead hands, essentially.

Ranking:

Story: 4/5

Art: 5/5

Game Mechanics: Again, I only watched a walkthrough, so I can’t comment on that.

Pacing: 3/5.

Overall: 5/5.

I don’t normally do reviews. But well, this was an exception. I did use an AI to make my points more professional sounding, but most of what I wrote was from the heart, raw.

Why do people hate this game? It’s what I call the High Guardian Spice Effect. People get a bad first impression, so judge the final product too harshly. Granted, I think HGS isn’t as good as GVH, tbh. I thought HGS was okay. Good, even. Not great, flawed in many ways. But it was pretty average. But GVH? I think it’s a worse case. While HGS had a questionable trailer, GVH didn’t really have many red flags. People just didn’t like that it had anthropomorphic gay people in it, so judged it because of that.

I went in thinking I would hate this, but I loved it. I can’t wait to see what KO-OP has in store for the future.

Because I only watched a playthrough and haven’t played it for myself, I don’t know how much different dialogue options affect the story. I guess I’ll have to see for myself, one day. For now? I’m going to give my recommend/don’t recommend status. If you like story driven games, small interactions, slow-pacing (too slow for some, which I understand) and want a surprisingly wholesome apocalypse story? Check it out. If not? Understandable. Not every game is for everyone, and no game is without flaw. Even though I enjoyed GVH, I don’t regret watching that review I did. Didn’t I tell you? I love watching media I like getting criticised. It gives me a lot to think about. But I just think the story works for me. And while the story may have a “sad ending,” it’s the journey that matters. Can’t that be said for life itself? The meteor may have hit, but it’s everything in between that matters.

Although, yes, portraying it like your choices impact the ending may have not been the best decision. Then again, “nothing you do matters” is probably a bit hard to sell. Anyway, that’s all I have to say. I’m gonna go do my Duolingo lesson (2099 streak baby) Feel free to tell me I’m wrong though. Or right. I guess.

[officeobject]

As someone who isn't a fan of Goodbye Volcano High, because I never played it and didn't want my non-canon characteristizaton of Fang to be ruined, I ruined it anyway with Snoot Game, and my opinion ...

Well, besides the fact that it just IS transphobic - like, that much is obvious when playing it - people using they/them pronouns and stuff, for Fang, is never being taken seriously, except when it is, it's by dinosaurs screaming or scrambling, to get it right. There are of course other things, like the m-slur, but anyways, here's what I think.

Gotta love the background, which are detailed, pretty, fun to look at, etc. The artstyle is great too, and I gladly looked at it ... until it felt more like a CHORE to look at, with the roughness, and less quirky re-designs.

I didn't really get to know Stella, and the tarot stuff mainly went nowhere, and she didn't have much TO her, when she wasn't with Rosa, but she's nice and all. I dislike Rosa, who was basically just the spicy Latina stereotype, but she had moments of being helpful, and not a piece of shit. Reed was mainly nice, but he's a stoner and all. Naomi was meh, yet interesting, though she basically became less and less prominent. Anon actually became more and more ANNOYING, and stuff, for me, and I couldn't feel when he started caring. The background characters were mainly annoying at best as well, except for Moe, who was ALSO nice, and as for Fang, well, I actually don't feel an attachment, and I don't like Fang either - I kept waiting for that side the fandom likes and that'd make me think of Fang as COOL, but that never came, and I do blame me not being the target audience, because ...

Well, I'm not. The romance seemed like something I had basically seen before, and didn't make me feel anything, AT BEST, but I also couldn't relate nor connect to Anon, ESPECIALLY NOT AS MYSELF, and multiple moments and long descriptions seemed pointless - actually, I didn't even understand over half the time what was happening, as if my brain was zoning out the meaning, and I don't feel like any of the character's personal conflicts had enough time to develop - and hey, I had trouble realizing what some plot-points were/meant, and if it wasn't for the spoilers I had ingested when I thought I could never figure out how to play a downloaded game on my computer, I wouldn't have known.

It felt like there was too much romance, and that it was too long and pointless, and maybe I wanted more time with the FRIENDS, but then again, I'm biased against romance.

Fang was still beautiful and all, so that's a good thing ... the school actually also felt empty, and there wasn't enough characters, which is funny, because I also think there wasn't enough development, especially in such a long game.

I don't know when I was supposed to find Fang endearing, most of the time, and if I as a viewer, was encouraged to take Fang seriously at parts, or not. It felt like the game had a lot of characters just WHINING, and wondering, and being all philosophical, and having one major problem after the other, AND THAT COMES FROM ME, WHO HAS FULL ACCESS TO MY OWN THOUGHTS, 24/7!

I didn't like the whole "add boobs" thing, nor any of the jokes that come with that, and the game kinda felt like a chore/drag, and there wasn't that many choices, even when I thought there would be, or SHOULD be, so it ended up not really feeling like I made the choices, and stuff, and I even sometimes forgot/didn't know, what each choice would mean/entail.

Anyways, I got ending 3, and I, yet again, understood less than half of what was happening - well, more like what they were SAYING, because there was a lot of talking that my brain probably instantly forgot, out of pure boredom.

I haven't seen the endings of the others, and was quick to just delete the game, more than happy to see my computer's layout, again, but I've seen edits and whatnot, of at least the first two, and they're shocking and haunting, every time, which at least ACTUALLY got me to feel emotions, besides just the basic empathy or whatever, that it was running on. They actually made me feel sad and care and whatnot, as well as the ending on the last bonus chapter, which I saw on YouTube, but otherwise, I ended up becoming more and more numb.

As for my opinion on Trish, I don't hate her or anything, and she's definitely mean and annoying and too pushy and shouldn't be forcing Fang, etc, but she was protective, and TRIED to help, and DID seem to like Fang and whatnot, she just went about it with the dumbest decisions, but that's easy for me to say, because,

Over all, it felt way less like I was living a life, and way more like I was playing a game.

[iprincezzinuyoukai]

Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Chapter I

I know, it's been a few months since I updated a fanfic, but this one was taking me a long time to write, edit, etc. At the end of writing there were almost 7,000 words, and at the end of writing there were 6,700 \_(ヅ)_/¯

I think everyone was waiting for the final confrontation, well I'm going to take a slightly different route than some other fanfics did.

I'm not sure that the second part will be published soon, I only have half written and a few notes. With luck only one month... SORRY!

Well, I leave you with this really long chapter (´・ω・`) Love you!

As always, this goes to my AO3 (same username)

Maddie remembered her childhood pretending to be a wild animal living in its natural habitat than a princess living in a castle, watching wildlife documentaries with Andrew, and camping in the woods for the whole summer.

At that time Maddie knew that she wanted a job similar to her Father’s, however she was sure that she’d never be a nature photographer. She was always looking for things she could touch, that could be in her grasp. A veterinarian or zoologist seemed like the best career for her in her future.

Then Godzilla appeared, changing her world and everyone else’s. Titans who were older than mankind, who were Gods at some point in the past.

Andrew perished in Los Angeles, the relationship between her Mother and Father strained. Then her Mother came in one day, and said to pack her things because they were going on a trip, her Father also said goodbye to her, he’d his bags packed, too — But he didn’t go with them.

Her parents had divorced.

So for the coming years Madison lived in the outposts distributed around the world, until they finally settled in Yunnan, China, a few miles from the Moth Temple. Talking with her Father from time to time, at first with postcards, and once she’d access to a cell phone by E-mail.

Things seemed to be going well. At least that’s what she thought. But her Mother had become involved with a strange, cold-looking man, who shared the same ideals as her. The dream for a new world. Emma mentioned a better world, one where humans and Titans could coexist. And that dream cost her her life.

Madison must have seen it coming. Yet in some way, that dream seemed to come true with Godzilla as the King of the Monsters.

Mark would go back to Monarch only if he and Maddie got away from all this. The world opened up to the idea of living with the Titans and her Father wanted her to live a normal life. Well, she couldn’t blame him, they lost half their family, friends, innocent lives during the awakening.

And maybe he was right.

At night she’d wake up anxious, breathless, choking, the sound of thunder resonating in her ears, and the smell of salt water — It was her tears, but part of her related it with the rain. Madison didn’t know whether to tell her Father, he already had enough trouble dealing with a judge, as well as working with Monarch to try to locate Alan Jonah.

She was sure that she’d died for an instant in Boston. Her house collapsed on her, and somehow she was still alive. She could swear she’d heard someone sing, it was more like a humming or the sound crickets make, though.

As her new classmates didn’t know anything about her past in Boston, or with Monarch or even anything related, except that she lived in China but she didn’t speak Chinese, blending into her school was normal. And as she expected, everyone kept mentioning the Titans. Most of her classmates hadn’t seen a Titan, only on television, Internet, and only one had been evacuated from Boston.

Maddie preferred to keep quiet, and only gave short answers, as much as she wanted to talk about the Titans, especially Godzilla or Mothra, she knew she could get into trouble, and the last thing she needed was to worry her Father.

Chen was one of the few people at Monarch who kept in touch with her. Madison told her everything she couldn’t tell her Father, Chen knew she needed someone who would listen to her until she’d tell her Father. Other times she’d tell her about what she’d do when she and her Father will return to Castle Bravo — She wasn’t a patient girl, but she could be if she wanted to, she’d sit by the ocean, waiting for Godzilla’s trail.

Chen informed her that they weren’t at Castle Bravo, with the exception of a staff chosen by her to guard the base, most of them moved to Isla de Mara. In the last few months, Isla de Mara had fallen and risen due to the presence of the Titans, especially Rodan, near his volcano were found an old mine of what they supposed to have been gold, but now it was something else. The fishing didn’t seem to be the same since the Oxygen Destroyer hit, the few fish that returned its meat had become bitter.

So, at first, Madison thought that Ghidorah had been causing trouble, probably in their never-ending hunt for Godzilla, but the King must have been dozing off somewhere — Following that, Chen told her about the eggs.

Ghidorah’s and Rodan’s offspring.

The thought was so strange and yet so curious, how was it possible? — She already knew how, her childhood was full of nature documentaries — It was more to do with the fact that Ghidorah is an alien. As far as most could see, Rodan seemed more excited to await the birth of their offspring, (presenting the behavior of an aviary parent), than Ghidorah, the hydra preferred long days off Isla de Mara or simply didn’t approach the nest, prefering to rest at the other mountain, and rarely approached the eggs.

It seemed a coincidence that on the day of her arrival the eggs hatched, and that eighteen titans were born, what’s more she proudly named them — And that made Ghidorah leave, this time they seemed really upset, not when they saw her with the ORCA, she could sense their killer instinct towards her, instead towards their children she saw rejection.

Why had Ghidorah abandoned their hatchlings? They didn��t have the paternal instinct that Rodan seemed to have, but it still didn’t make Madison any less nervous. She’d seen documentaries where parents or predators ate their young — She ended up crying usually — So if Rodan hadn’t been there, Ghidorah would have gotten what they wanted.

Ghidorah was soon put to one side when it leaked to the press about the birth of the Dorats, no one but Monarch’s staff knew it. Chen not only had to deal with another trial, but the threat that Jonah or someone else would try to capture the Dorats.

Madison didn’t think anyone would actually try to kidnap the cubs of a Titan, especially considering that Titan was a volcanic-stone pterodactyl, that could destroy buildings like a tornado, and used to had human sacrifices.

However, Mark told her that she should worry about things unrelated to the Titans, and that she better go out and enjoy Isla de Mara and its surroundings, Maddie would have preferred to help the agents the way she did in China — But at the same time Ghidorah returned; Unlike what her worst fears had grieved her, the three-headed hydra didn’t return to harm their offspring, but rather to protect them.

It didn’t take a genius to know why the poachers got close to the volcano, even if it was the gold ore, they might as well have raided a wagon, let alone who should have hired them. Despite that, without their bodies — Since Ghidorah and Rodan had feasted on them — Monarch had no clue or idea who might have leaked the information.

The only good thing was that Ghidorah was back, and this time, it seemed for the best.

◆◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆

Trueno was the first to wake up, he was always the first in everything. Firstborn, first to dive into the lava, first to learn to flap his wings, and first to fly. So as soon as the sun appeared over Isla de Mara, he ran through the nest, awakening his siblings.

His parents were already awake, especially the three-headed dragon. Ghidorah almost never slept — They did rest, often Nebulosa had joined them when she didn’t want to play with her siblings, being underneath them made her feel safe — Most nights, after Rodan had settled them in the nest, the youngling could see the hydra take flight all over the island, flying majestically, and then land elegantly at the feet of the volcano, and rest.

Ghidorah never had the need to sleep, surely when they were young, and wandering through space they slept enough, given that once they fell on this planet sleep was no longer necessary, perhaps because it was an unknown place and anything was a threat to them. Even eating was a nuisance, the radiation from this planet was enough food, though they did devour some other rival and insect that crossed their path or tried to fight against them.

Now that they’d a mate and offspring to protect they couldn’t afford to lose to the Weak King, not until they’d defeated him and killed him, not until they were sure no one else would rise up against them.

Ghidorah rose from their place, being followed by a few of their younglings. The three-headed alien spread their wings to fly around the volcano, then get lost into the clouds, and start another day, taking care of their nest and herd.

Rodan watched his mates, while biting the little ones who tried to fly to follow them. Their wings weren’t strong enough, yet, their bodies had finally gotten used to the lava, and Rodan wasn’t sure how far and high their young would reach.

Even though Ghidorah could be a good father, they were in other ways rough, as the younglings grew up Ghidorah got a bit mean when they played with their offspring — Not that it bothered them, the little ones actually found it funnier — Rodan had to bit or growl at them when things were getting out of hand.

Like when Ghidorah had tried to teach them how to fly, throwing Rub�� away from the volcano, thankfully Rodan was close by so the youngling was unharmed, however the others thought it was fun to try, so Rodan had to put a stop to it, and show them how to do it.

His parents were loving, but impatient. When he was a hatchling he was the last to fly, he’d broken his wings and part of his beak the first time he tried, watching from his nest as his siblings flew alongside their parents — Even though being the runt was what made Manda forgive his life.

It was a cruel joke, Rodan thought sometimes, that Manda would let him live when any of his siblings had a better chance of surviving, they were bigger than him, they were faster at flying, and they were better hunters than him — And now he was bigger than his parents ever were.

The last time he faced Manda, the sea serpent was about to devour a group of human travelers, and although those creatures were indifferent to Rodan, all of them ended up worshipping him as soon as he made the snake bleed and flee, becoming his first worshippers, even raising a human nest over the lake. Rodan decided to stay for a while in the nearby volcano, healing his wounds.

Soon after Rodan decided it’d be time to return to his volcano, some of his worshippers decided to follow him, settling on what’s now Isla de Mara.

Ghidorah returned, Ni brought a few gulls that they captured in their hunt, one that another was still alive, they were teaching the younglings how to hunt, and Ghidorah was proud when their young devoured their prey as fiercely as they’d have done.

The young gathered around Ghidorah’s claws, waiting for the moment. As soon as the seagulls fell on the volcanic floor, the younglings pounced on them. Cometa and Relámpago preferred to hunt those who were still conscious.

Observing that their young were eagerly eating, Rodan spread his wings and took flight around Isla de Mara.

Watching the coast and the reefs, looking up to the sky, in search of — Rodan had no idea who, maybe it was just paranoia, but as much as he tried to cover up that bad feeling, he’d felt it, he’d felt the moment that shell broke, and the earth beneath shook; If any of the others felt it too, Rodan couldn’t be sure.

Running away had been an idea he came up with on a sleepless night, but it was immediately discarded, this volcano had been his home, and no matter how many volcanoes were out there, Rodan always returned to his nest in Mara.

Ni roared.

Rodan screeched, descending to the volcano to be received by his mates, nuzzling the three heads, until Ghidorah spread their wings and flew away from Isla de Mara, lost in the clouds, and the sound of thunder in the distance. Satisfied with their work as hunter and teacher.

If Ghidorah found out about Godzilla’s offspring, the alien would go on to continue their hunt, in hopes of fighting him. Rodan preferred his mates to remain in the darkness of the matter, because in case Godzilla headed towards his volcano, Rodan preferred to have Ghidorah by his side.

Rayo ran towards the edge of the volcano, roaring in the direction where Ghidorah flew away, and returned to play with his siblings, a few were still feasting on the remains of the seagulls. Once there were more bones than flesh the younglings began to chase each other, competing to be the first, calling out to their winged Father, flapping their wings to fly near him.

Rodan returned to his nest, grooming his wings, small scales falling over the volcano’s caldera, he’d seen his worshippers’ descendants collect them during the night along with the gold metal they extracted from his volcano.

Once his work on his wings was done he’d take one of the little ones and help them remove that green fur from their bellies, even though it’d eventually fall, the little ones had to learn how to keep their scales clean.

A known, annoying noise was heard near the volcano.

Another tiny, metal insects were flying over the volcano. Rodan growled at the sight of the object lurking near his young. The humans have an interest in their young, however since the time they tried to kidnap them, neither Rodan nor Ghidorah would allow another offense like that.

The armour of his wings shined bright red, opening his beak and ejecting fireballs at the metallic insect, one of them plummet into the lava, the younglings didn’t hesitate for a second to dive into the lava to try to get it first.

Rodan watched his young bite and destroy the human machine, they’d be good hunters, they could survive in the world outside, find other volcanoes to claim them as their own, make their own nests, but most of all, they’d live.

And as long as their younglings learned that, Rodan would be satisfied that he did a good job.

◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆

“Why do we bother spending so much money on these spawns?” Mark asked, putting his hand over his forehead while the other hand removed his headphones.

“Because otherwise we can say goodbye to Monarch.” Stanton spoke, turning around in his spinning chair. “We have to keep the top ranks happy.” The doctor mentioned, clearly being sarcastic, “And since Godzilla isn’t here to keep all the Titans at bay, we have to assure them that we can handle some babies. A mistake and it’s the end for Monarch.”

The doors opened, letting Chen and Coleman inside the place.

The mythologist had returned from a new trial, this time regarding the poachers, their likely connection to Alan Jonah, and a possible traitor among their ranks, as Stanton had begun to call them.

Many of their colleagues lost their lives after the awakening, then the resignations followed, and it was after that they’d to make public the information they’d about the Titans. Whoever the traitor may be, they didn’t like the way Monarch had to work now; Most scientists refused to kill the Titans as soon as they woke up — So if someone decided to ally with an eco-terrorist group that wants to save these creatures at the cost of innocent lives, it seemed justified.

Monarch had been fighting terrorist, the black market, and smuggling groups for years, rescuing everything they could, but many times those organizations had either moved everything to another location or they’d already destroyed everything.

At first it seemed that everything was fine — Until Admiral Xavier (He’d taken the position when Admiral Stenz was presumed dead in Boston) asked about Godzilla’s whereabouts. After Mothra’s egg hatched, she, together with Godzilla disappeared, in Infant Island, with only her Mother and Aunt keeping her up with the news. Then Colonel Markim demanded that Monarch should watch better over the King of the monsters, and if they could rely on him to support humanity when another calamity hit.

Chen tried to stay calm, though, her eyes showed anger as Coleman whispered in her ear that Sergeant Hilton wouldn’t stop whispering about them. And how could she? The military tried to set up a base at Infant Island, a sacred place, not to mention the distrust they still had on the Titans, especially Godzilla.

Luckily Coleman stepped in, saying the trial was about Alan Jonah’s whereabouts. “The real threat.” He emphasized. Monarch never got Rodan’s and Ghidorah’s mating montage or Coleman would have threatened to play the footage.

Days after the failed abduction of the infant Titans, agents who were still in Germany reported the sightings of highly suspicious people hovering in the area where Methuselah once hibernated. Whether it was Jonah or a new group, Monarch had already sent their forces to Europe, hoping to cover a vast area before they decided to flee.

Other sightings around Loch Ness had been reported, as well as suspicious fishing boats approaching Skull Island.

Maddie listened while in her hands were various documents that she was to file later. It wasn’t the summer job she expected, but at least it kept her busy all day and she’d access to information not officially published.

Previously Stanton had left her in charge of the monitors and trackers, she’d no idea how many drones she’d broken, Stanton couldn’t help, but laughing when she crashed one against Ghidorah’s right head, moments later Mark scolded both of them telling them how dangerous it might have been if the drone hadn’t landed on the coast.

She’d have preferred to be with the others on expeditions, but her Father had refused, arguing how dangerous it could become. They weren’t sure that the alien dragon would recognize her, but since Ghidorah was determined to kill her after they destroyed the ORCA, Mark wouldn’t expose his daughter to such a monster, no matter how much she wanted to be close to their offspring.

Chen finished talking and they all returned to their respective jobs, muttering among themselves as she left the room.

“Not everyone liked when Serizawa took office, either.” Stanton assured her, trying to encourage her, when she returned from her first trial after Boston. “Of course not everyone is a psychic.”

She hoped that things would improve soon. Her grandmother always said that people appreciate the Sun after a long, dark night.

Madison glanced at Coleman sit next to her, as tired as Chen. This job isn’t easy. “Is everything fine?” Maddie dared to ask.

“Yes, of course… Just...” Coleman answered absent-minded, not so sure of his words.

“They’re idiots, aren’t they?” Maddie spoke, loudly enough.

“Madison —” Mark scolded her, Stanton rolled his eyes, hiding a smirk.

“But it’s the truth.” The teenager defended her position and went back to see Coleman, with a look of understanding, “Aren’t you tired of being nice? Don't you just want to go ape-shit?” Maddie asked, with a smile from ear to ear.

They heard Stanton choke in his drink and Mark slapping him on the back as he told him that those words Maddie had learned from him.

Coleman laughed, feeling the tension fade from his shoulders, “Like Kong? I think a giant ape is more than enough.”

◆◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆

Chen massaged her temple, waiting in front of the coffee machine for her cup.

She tried to concentrate, to disappear all the noise around her, to transform it into white noise, but as before, there was nothing. At first she thought it was the stress of work, however her sister had also failed to contact her Mother or Aunt.

They needed to talk, Chen needed to know what was happening in Infant Island right now, she needed to tell them about the military’s plans... They’d never before had problems with their psychic powers, for their family it was natural and basic, as if it were breathing and walking. Now, the fact that she’s cut off from her family made her feel lonely, like a ship that sank and moves adrift with no idea if it’ll ever touch land.

The sound of a chair dragged made her open her eyes, Maddie was sitting in front of her, Chen rearranged her composure, drinking her coffee, noticing that it was warm, how long was she unconscious?

For a few seconds there was silence between them, but Chen had known Maddie since she was a toddler, and the soon-to-be-priestess knew that Maddie wouldn’t be silent for so long if it wasn’t because she was worried.

“Do they intend to use the Oxygen Destroyer again?” Maddie finally asked, her eyes showing concern.

Oh, God no, she hoped that never ever it’d be used again, Serizawa had hated his son’s project, the aquatic fauna of Mara was affected, and if it weren’t for the Titans’ natural radiation maybe Mara would have ended up being the new Chernobyl, she couldn’t imagine what would happen if a second one fell in the same place. “I assure you, Maddie, as long as I am in charge I won’t allow them to use it again.”

If that reassured Maddie, it was hard to know. “So,” She spoke, nervous and shy, but with a rising smile, “If someone wanted me to join their exploration group, someone my Dad trusts, who’s a good leader, and don't touch my “self-destruct” button — ” Maddie air-quoted.

Even if it was for a second, Maddie was determined to meet the Dorats, she was stronger than anyone Chen has ever meet, she’s indeed her parents’ daughter, and made her proud. But still, Chen wouldn’t sign anything without Mark being aware or not allowing it, it was his daughter’s safety, and Maddie lived firsthand what no one her age should.

“Even if you have that permit you need to train — ”

“I have training!” Madison interrupted, startling Chen, “When I was with my mom she took me every day to run in the jungle, I was in the riskiest places known, I even learned to boxing — ”

“I know what you’ve done, Maddie,” And you’re stronger than anyone for all that, that’s what she’d have liked to tell her, “I promise you maybe some other day we’ll go to the volcano — Just… Not today, Maddie.”

Maddie shook her head, she could feel the room falling into a tense atmosphere, the animated noise around her was like a soundtrack that shouldn't be playing at the time. “What were you trying to do?” The teenager asked, “The moment I stepped in, I mean.”

While the new outpost on Isla de Mara wasn’t as large as the previous one on the volcano, not everyone knew of her lineage and perhaps seeing her in the state she was in before could be another reason to distrust her leadership, and even if she lied to Madison — Even if people kept things from her, Madison found the truth, often in the worst possible way. “There’s some disturbance on Infant Island.”

“How do you know?” Madison was aware of Chen’s lineage and their relationship with Mothra. She’d always wanted to ask her since the battle in Boston, to find out what had happened to her, but she never found the moment and that such a personal matter would only be mentioned when necessary.

“Infant Island has been my home since I was born, all of us are connected to it.” Chen explained, “When something’s wrong we feel it, and…” The mythologist swallowed, “There’s only silence, and mist surrounding me, as if it were on purpose.” As if the island didn’t want me to know what’s happening.

“The Shobijin,” She hoped had said it correctly, “Did you know it over time or from the beginning?” Maddie had read stories about the Shobijin in Monarch's records. Priestesses of Mothra, twins born in each new generation, they were no bigger than the palm of a hand, their first encounter with humans, and as for three generations the family worked for Monarch.

“My family’s prepared for this, since we are born it’s another system in the body, and as we learn to walk, to talk, to think, we learn to use it.” When their nieces were born outside the island, her family had worried, they feared that the connection that linked them had been broken, and that the egg in Yunnan wasn’t Mothra’s, but Battra’s.

Ling, her sister, thought otherwise, she believed that just as Mothra laid her only egg outside Infant Island, it was a sign that she saw the outside world as safe, that she trusted them, a sign that she’d be born without problems — And she was right, Mothra had been born under Ling’s watch, she saw Mothra emerge elegantly under that waterfall, and after Boston Ling’s daughters found Mothra’s egg.

The link was still there.

Maddie stayed with a thoughtful look, “You think this is because Godzilla, don’t you?” She knew that some people still feared Godzilla, but millennia ago they’d lived by his side, had loved him. And he loved too. “You said he took care of Mothra until she hatched.”

“I don’t think Godzilla’s presence is what blocks it. Not because we have this ability, it means we can control them.” If that had been the case, the ORCA would never have been invented. This gift was to communicate with them, to prove that none of them was above the others. “Serizawa knew we could never control the Titans, it’s like trying to control the sun, make volcanoes erupt at will — ”

“It’s just that… If the ORCA — ”

“The ORCA was invented to just drift the Titans away from the cities, we hoped to avoid a disaster like Los Angeles. We never believed that it’d be used for such dire reasons.”

In the end there were more disasters, Maddie thought guilty. If only she had gone with her Father when he found them in Antarctica, if she’d turned deaf to her Mother’s words, perhaps she’d have seen that being on Jonah’s side was wrong, that Andrew wouldn’t have wished this, and perhaps neither Serizawa, nor Vivienne, not even all those people in the outpost, would have lost their lives.

“Dr. Chen,” A brown-haired woman burst in, drawing their attention. “Dr. Shiragami wants to talk to you about the flora activity in Las Vegas.”

“Please tell him I’m coming,” Chen replied and the doctor nodded, walking away. The short-haired woman came back to see Maddie, “Time to keep working.” Chen stood up, taking her cup of coffee with her.

“I'll do it on the condition that you talk to my Dad.” Maddie did the same, heading out and standing in front of her.

Chen sighed, Maddie would never give up. She wasn't sure how much Mark would allow her to expose his daughter to the volcano, “I'll do what I can, I assure you nothing, though”

Madison nodded and standing aside she saw Chen go away.

The sun was already setting on Mara and a few faintly shining stars were appearing in the sky. Dr. Sandoval won’t be happy that she isn’t in the archivists. Well, that means she’ll be working under Stanton’s supervision again. It was better, her Father didn’t like it because every day she came back with a new, discreet way of insulting someone.

The volcano could be seen from the outpost window, its new location was on the opposite mountain, and Madison watched for a while. She knew that her Father would never let her approach it, she wouldn’t see the Dorats in a long, good time, not while Ghidorah was near the nest or Mara.

Screeches were heard nearby, followed by a louder roar. Maddie observed two silhouettes take flight, a golden one being followed by a red one, hovering around the island, with the pterodactyl-like Titan being faster than his mates, splashing them with ocean water, to finally head towards the sky being chased by the golden one, and disappear among the clouds.

Did anyone ever think they would get to see a scene like this? Hundreds of years ago, seeing Ghidorah experience something other than destroying or killing must have been something that many longed for. Perhaps something like her Mother once thought she’d get to see. Just like what Serizawa expected humanity to appreciate.

As she hoped Ghidorah would appreciate.

◆◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆◇◇◇◆◆◆

Rodan had made a number of decisions throughout his life that had gotten him into trouble, but could anyone blame him? He did what he needed to survive, the strongest is the one who survives, and he’d never fall, not without fighting, and taking the enemy with him.

Rodan observed from the hillside of the volcano the human nest and its metal worms coming out of the tunnels they’d dug near their home, which must have been the last one, the humans were unable to work without sunlight, so there’d be no bother around their nest.

A strong wind blew, Rodan covered himself with a wing while some of their younglings rolled over the volcanic rock. The fire demon turned his eyes to see his mates, flapping their wings.

Cometa jumped out of the pool of lava, waving his body, and once his wings were dry he flew up to Rodan, trying to mimic his three-headed Father’s roar in challenge, but was still nothing more than a squish. Ghidorah’s tails moved in the air, producing a rattles-like sound, mocking the poor intent of their offspring, proud when Rayo, Trueno, Amber, and Rubí tried the same. If they keep behaving that way they’ll be able to leave the nest and fly along with them in no time.

Ichi roared, calling for Rodan’s attention, eager for their flight around Isla de Mara. Rodan nodded to the three-headed hydra, turning around he took their younglings that were still playing around and lay them down in the nest, one by one they curled up to make a greenish hillside, feeling the vibration of their siblings’ bodies was like a cooing for them.

Rodan nuzzled his young before spreading his wings and join his mates in a flight.

If Rodan didn’t know him well he’d say that his mates were slowing down their pace so that he could be at their rhythm. Rodan wasn’t amused, he didn’t need his mates’ mercy.

The alien Titan saw their mate fly below them at a fast speed, so they did the same hoping to catch up until they saw Rodan barrel-roll in the air, bringing his wings closer to the ocean, whipping them against it, and splashing them.

Ni grumbled, shaking his head as Rodan splashed his brothers who growled as they got wet again. The three brothers heard their mate’s mocking laugh before he left the ocean on his way back to Isla de Mara. So that’s how it’ll be. It may not be a hunt, but what awaited them at the end of it excited them just as much.

Rodan watched King Ghidorah approach him, they didn’t look happy about his prank, yet Rodan saw a glow in those eyes that made him tremble with excitement, the same excitement he felt every time a battle was guaranteed on his side.

Unlike their shared moments in Ghidorah’s conquest, Rodan understood that the new Titan lived solely to kill and destroy, nevertheless once Ghidorah was wounded, he tried to get them to get used to some of his habits. Hunting was more of a pleasure to them than a necessity, and he understood perfectly, after he reached adulthood feeding was a burden as the magma and the radiation was enough to keep him alive. Even Ghidorah had also taken advantage of it and for that very reason they’d survived even frozen.

As the hunt had become the tie that had bound them together, Rodan taught them how to catch their preys, which was much easier seeing that they were too tiny, and Ghidorah showed him how they could be smashed and crushed. Only in this way did they begin to understand each other better, to get to know each other better.

That’s how Rodan saw more of Ghidorah’ emotions, being hard for him considering that it was three different mentalities, what surprised them, what excited them, what enraged them (their flying competition), what hurt them (even though they didn’t admit it), and what they yearned for wasn’t going to be a problem that was done in a matter of hours.

But that naughty glow meant only one thing, they yearned for him.

Rodan increased his speed, making it impossible for them to overtake him, but not difficult enough not to catch him. It’d taken Rodan time to teach them how to do it correctly, how they were supposed to persecute each other, how they were supposed to caught themselves by their talons, how they were supposed to fall together, and how they were supposed to sing.

Sensing Ghidorah closer to him, Rodan quickly turned up, heading for the sky and hiding among the clouds where his mates would take a couple of minutes to find him, though by then Rodan would have thought of his next move. At any moment Ghidorah would roar desperate and irritated because once again Rodan won, and made them work by themselves, but they must have been used to, he’d never let the job easy when dealing with him.

However the silence that followed after he lost them made him feel uneasy. They followed him, didn’t they? Rodan looked everywhere for some golden trail, how could something so big hide so well? He’s the King of the skies! It was impossible even to think that he wouldn’t find his mates on his own playground — Unless... Ghidorah gave up on going after him...

It was impossible to even think that... Wasn’t it? He always played this with them — He didn’t do it with the intention of pissing them off, and they knew it...

The sound of something breaking the air made him look up, just at the moment when a giant shadow landed on him, and he felt a pair of claws take him by the back, holding his wings, while he heard his mates’ roar, in a mocking, wicked way as he was lifted up to be tossed above them. Before he could even take flight, Rodan was immobilized by his mates’ claws and throw him back above them.

Oh, at this point Rodan didn’t know if he must have been laughing, angry, or both. Ghidorah had been waiting for a mistake on his part to surprise him, he liked it, made him feel that he was wanted, that he was needed.

He still didn’t like to be treated like a mindless prey, though.

Ghidorah was ready to hold their mate in their claws when they felt his talon scratching their belly. Standing aside and ignoring the pain, they were quick enough to grab Rodan’s talon with their own, and in the face of surprise and imminent anger, Ghidorah let themselves fall, taking Rodan with him.

Despite Rodan was agile, he wasn’t strong enough to stop being pulled down, however, realizing what his mates intended to do, Rodan had no choice but to leave them on their own; He’d later apologize for hurt them, not that they’d have taken it too personally, they knew that if Rodan wanted to hurt them he wouldn’t be content with a simple scratch, their mate just hated to be manhandled.

Ghidorah was the first to open their wings, by the time Rodan was going to do the same, the Titan noticed that their talons were still attached to each other, and Ghidorah’s spiked tails had coiled around him as well. By the time the False King resumed their flight Rodan had been pulled with them without even being able to fly.

San came close to gently nuzzling Rodan’s beak. Ni licked Rodan’s neck with his bifid tongue, savoring the volcanic rock, while Ichi laughed at their mate’s delight.

It’s true that King Ghidorah wasn’t the most expressive thing Rodan had ever met, he’d eaten lions that smiled more, but when they endeared to show him affection they were the best, and Rodan liked to be the center of that affection. To be bathed in constant demonstrations and flattery.

Ni and San had begun to bite Rodan’s neck with gentle bites, with no intention of doing.

Though as much as Rodan was enjoying this rare, pleasant show of affection, he needed to feel his body responding to him.

Ghidorah felt their mate wring between their claws, he wanted to be free and be able to move to their pace, the three-headed dragon unrolled their tails and claws as they watched Rodan spread his wings, as well reddish-colored sparks fall. They understood, they didn’t like to be restricted either.

Rodan wasted no time to fly around his mates, singing in intonation with their roar.

Ichi listened to his brothers and mate, deciding if he should start a new race between them, perhaps this time going further, perhaps above the clouds where the stars touch the sky — But Rodan couldn’t go higher, they could never take him into space, they couldn’t show him the stars.

The middle head felt someone pulling him by his horns, San had bitten him — The audacity!

Different they may be, but many times their thoughts were similar, and the irrational fear of losing their mate was one. Rodan wasn’t like them, if he was wounded he could never regenerate, he only had to go back to his volcano and go inside the lava, if he was killed that’s over... Isn’t it? So, what comes next?

Destroying this planet was no longer in their plans, for the first time in their lives, Ghidorah would move away from here, the fate of this world would be their progeny’s choice, this planet belonged to them — And Ghidorah assumed they’d leave, of course if they had defeated the Weak King by then, if Rodan would have helped them —

The memories of the last battle returned, the Insect Queen stabbing Rodan with her stinger, leaving him paralyzed, and they facing the Weak King, defeating him, and draining him of his vitality.

They were sure that the next time they wouldn’t hesitate to kill the Weak King, no more wasting time making him suffer slowly and painfully. They’d go straight to the jugular, to the heart, to exterminate him once and for all, just as they planned to do — Until then, they’ll be at their mate’s side.

A weight landed on their backs, Rodan had landed above them, nuzzling gently the middle head. These days, when Rodan could enjoy his mates and offspring, he wished they’d last forever.

It was then that the air became salty. More salty than usual.

His gaze lost in the surroundings of the island until he set his gaze on the ocean, far from his home, even though his body was made of warm magma, at that moment it was as if his body had become Antarctica itself.

Ghidorah looked in confusion at their mate, just a few seconds ago he was nuzzling them, until he suddenly walked away from them, with an agitated look, stopping at one point to turn around, and return to their nest in the volcano.

Then they noticed that luminescent blue glow approaching their island.

[glassrunner]

GOODBYE VOLCANO HIGH ➤ Fang's audition outfits

[wolfnanaki]

Finally, a good TIME Magazine Person of the Year.

Morning Photoshop warmup featuring Fang.

[sharonaparadox]

[Image: concept art of Fang from Goodbye Volcano High by art director and character designer Lucie Viatge of a scrapped dress-up minigame.

The first image shows various designs that Fang could wear as they pose with a smile, one hand on their hip as they lean slightly so that one of their legs is kicked up a little from the ground. The default look shows them with their usual straight hair and wearing their typical black sleeveless crop top, ripped black jeans, dark laced boots, a black choker necklace, a necklace with a small dinosaur skull pendant, and a pair of colorful wristbands on one arm. The other three potential scenarios where Fang could change their look gives example designs with alternative sketches and clarifying notes.

The “Audition” look has Fang wearing a black T-shirt with “Worm Drama” written on it in all capital red letters, black high-waisted shorts, torn stockings, and black wedge boots. Notes around them read, “t-shirt, crop top or long sleeve black shirt with Worm Drama logo,” “no hair options,” “accessories stay the same” (though Fang is shown with their necklaces and not the wristbands), and “Short with tights or leather pants” Off to the side are close-up shots of their eyes, the top in color as it shows the more blended pink, orange, and yellow of Fang’s eyeshadow. Uncolored designs underneath have dark spikes underneath the eye, full eyelashes, and sharp pointed shapes underneath and up to the side of the eye while a note reads, “Makeup looks stay p close to Fang’s usual style, no contacts. Different vibes though”

The “Battle of the Bands” look shows Fang with fully black contacts within fully black eye makeup and a braid in the front of their hair on one side as they wear a black torn crop top with “Worm Drama” written on it in all capital red letters and straps hanging down both shoulders, high-waisted black garter shorts with a silver ring in the front, black and white striped thigh-high socks, black ankle boots, a black choker necklace with a hanging silver ring, and black fingerless gloves. Notes around them read, “Logo shirt but the cuts are more interesting than at the audition,” “Neck accessory,” “hand accessories,” and “Shorts/pants with tights or long socks” There are small, more cartoony sketches of a smiling Fang with blunt bangs next to a written comment saying, “Bang Clip” and Fang with black streaks in their hair only in the area framing their face with a note underneath reading, “light hair options” To the side are close-up shots of Fang’s eye with one fully black with black eyeshadow and a small swoop as well as one without contacts with more dramatic eye wings above a beauty mark, while a note reads, “Some contacts, more makeup optoions”

The “Concert” look has Fang with dyed black blunt bangs and smaller winged eyebrows as well as one eye with a fully white contact while their other eye is the usual orange as they wear a black multi-pocket half-zip jacket, high-waisted black garter shorts with a silver ring in the front, black buckled mid-calf platform boots, and a black bat wing accessory by their horn. A drawing of just Fang’s hair and eyebrows without the rest of their body is next to them, showcasing a larger and bouncier wavy hairstyle as well shorter and more angled thick eyebrows. Notes read, “hairstyles more varied,” “horn accessory options,” and “lots of makeup options, including eyebrows, more contact colors”

The second image is a storyboard of the potential user interface for the minigame. Fang would stand in front of the mirror with a curious expression as if in thought while nearby would be a clothing rack with shoes underneath, a table with makeup on top, and a short dresser with what looks like small bottles of possibly nail polish atop it. Fang themself is labelled “Fang in real time” in every panel to clarify that their appearance would be updated upon the player’s choice. The clothing rack is circled and labelled, “cycle through clothes and select” to alter Fang’s clothes. The shoes are circled and labelled, “go to shoes,” the makeup is circled and labelled, “go to face,” and the small bottles are circled and labelled, “go to hands”

The next panel focuses on the shoes, Fang kicking one up as the focus is on their ankle boots. There is a circle around the shoes under the clothing rack labelled, “cycle through shoes and select” The third panel focuses on the makeup and shows Fang raising an eyebrow curiously while three panels showing different eye makeup styles float above the open palette. These choices are circled and labelled, “cycle through makeup and select (and hair)” The fourth and final panel focuses on the hands with a written note pointing to the small bottles reading, “that’s nailpolish lmao” Fang is holding out both hands with bat wing bracelets on each, a fingerless glove and spiked bracelet visible on the surface before them. The nail polish and surface is circled and labelled, “cycle through nail polish & hand accesories & select” End description.]

From Lucie Viatge's website:

For the concerts and musical performances, we were considering having a dress-up minigame for Fang. I created outfit moodboards for the different performances throughout the game, and concepted some UX for the minigame.

(note: I edited out the reference pictures from the website's original images)

[imjustthemechanic]

Natalie Jones and the Golden Ship

Part 1/? - A Meeting at the Palace Part 2/? - Curry Talk Part 3/? - Princess Sitamun Part 4/? - Not At Rest Part 5/? - Dead Men Tell no Tales Part 6/? - Sitamun Rises Again Part 7/? - The Curse of Madame Desrosiers Part 8/? - Sabotage at Guedelon Part 9/? - A Miracle Part 10/? - Desrosiers’ Elixir Part 11/? - Athens in October Part 12/? - The Man in Black Part 13/? - Mr. Neustadt Part 14/? - The Other Side of the Story Part 15/? - A Favour Part 16/? - A Knock on the Window Part 17/? - Sir Stephen and Buckeye Part 18/? - Books of Alchemy Part 19/? - The Answers Part 20/? - A Gift Left Behind Part 21/? - Santorini Part 22/? - What the Doves Found Part 23/? - A Thief in the Night Part 24/? - Healing Part 25/? - Newton’s Code Part 26/? - Montenegro Part 27/? - The Lost Relic Part 28/? - The Homunculinus Part 29/? - The End is Near Part 30/? - The Face of Evil Part 31/? - The Morning After Part 32/? - Next Stop

Okay, so when I said I was too tired to write tonight?  I lied.  The gang move on to their next destination and try to track down Desrosiers.

There was a lot more spite in Jim’s voice than Nat would have expected – and probably more than Jim himself expected, either, to judge by the long silence that followed.  Nat turned to look, and found Jim looking sullenly at the sidewalk at his feet while Sir Stephen, behind him, waited for him to raise his head so he could catch his eye.  Jim refused to do so.

“Stop looking at me like that,” said Jim.

“You cannot see me,” Sir Stephen pointed out.  “You don’t know how I’m looking at you.”

“Yes, I do,” said Jim, “because it’s the same way you’ve looked at me every time you were leading up to saying Buckeye would have done this or Buckeye would have said that.”  He turned and glared at Sir Stephen.  “See?  There it is!  I knew it!”

“It is only that you surprise me sometimes,” said Sir Stephen.

“Because I’m not your old buddy,” Jim said, “and you’re disappointed every time.”

“Well, now you know what it was like for Allen and for Mrs. Francis,” Natasha spoke up.

The two men had been about to start arguing, but Nat’s statement successfully distracted them.  They both stopped, and Sharon had to urge them back into motion before she walked right into them.  Nat turned to face backwards as they continued up the Jovana Tomaševića.

“When Allen met me,” she reminded them, “he said I looked like his daughter but didn’t act like her.  Same with Mrs. Francis talking to Clint when he thought he was Robin Hood.  The other person looks like somebody you know but they aren’t, and if Allen and Laura could cope with that, so can you.”

Sir Stephen hadn’t thought of it that way – and now that he did, it seemed he felt rather sheepish.  “This is different,” he protested.

“It really isn’t,” said Nat.

“I don’t think it is,” Allen put in.

“Thanks, Dad,” said Nat.  He was probably obligated to agree with her, but she didn’t care as long as somebody supported her.

“I wouldn’t know,” Jim said, “since I don’t actually know anybody.”

That seemed to be the end of the conversation between him and Sir Stephen, which was a relief, but there was more discomfort to come.  They reached the French Embassy, which was in an aging, tile-walled house, across the street from the stone walls and a row of trees that provided privacy for the people living in the suburb beyond.  They told the man at the desk inside why they were there, and he invited them to sit in the little waiting room until a passport official could see them.

Allen sat next to Nat, and while they waited, he leaned over a little to ask softly, “you can’t have children?”

“No,” said Nat.  “None of us can.”

“There were more of you?” he asked.

Hadn’t she told him that?  Apparently not.  “Yeah,” she said.  “I was one of twenty-eight to begin with.  We got whittled down to ten by the time we were teenagers.”

“Oh.”  Allen nodded, frowning.  “Well… you can adopt.”

The words were kindly-meant, but Nat rankled.  “You do realize I’m not here to be the vessel by which you have grandchildren, right?”

“I didn’t mean that,” he said.

“Then what did you mean?” Nat asked.  “This is the twenty-first century.  Usually I only have to remind Sir Steve of that, but now apparently you, too.”

“I didn’t mean it that way, Ginger Snap!” he repeated.

“Then you should have kept your mouth shut,” Natasha snapped.

She was far too good at reading people, and so she knew right away that hadn’t been fair to Allen.  He’d meant to comfort her, because he assumed her infertility upset her – and if she were being honest, it did upset her when she thought about it.  That was why she usually didn’t.  Motherhood was only one of the possible futures the Red Room had taken from Natasha, but it was one that particularly stung.  Perhaps that was because it meant that she, like Jim and like Sir James Buckeye, would leave no legacy.  She was the product of four billion years of organisms reproducing, and now this particular genetic line was at a dead end.

“Doctor Jones?” a voice called.  The passport official had arrived.

Nat plastered a smile on her face and stood up.  “Hi,” she said.  “I’ve got Madame Desrosiers’ passport here.”

She followed the official back to his office, where she spun a story about how she knew Desrosiers, how she’d learned her old friend from academia had left her passport behind, and why she was turning it in here instead of there.  While she did that, she also kept him distracted while she slipped a USB drive into his laptop, containing a program that would email recently edited files to Fury in London.  She retrieved her little drive before waving goodbye, and they trooped back outside.

Within five minutes, Sharon’s phone beeped.  She swiped it, and smiled.

“Well?” asked Nat.

“A woman calling herself Helene Desrosiers checked into a hotel in Messina on the island of Sicily, using a French passport as her ID,” said Sharon.

“That’s our next stop, then,” said Natasha.  “Text your wife, Clint – time to get a head start on that shopping list.”

Another tourist bus took them back to Tivat, where they got a flight to Messina.  Nat did think about flying first class just so they could bill it to the British government, but the flight was so short it didn’t seem worth it.  They flew coach.  Nat, sitting next to Allen, was quiet for most of it, but she did have something to say.  It just took her an hour or so to work herself up to saying it, because it wasn’t something she said very often.

“I’m sorry,” she said.  “I know you didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know,” Allen replied.  “I’m sorry I… I swear I didn’t just come in and announce it to everybody.”

Nat was relieved to know he was smart enough to realize what she was really upset about.  “Oh?” she asked.

“They asked where you were, and I said you and Jim were still in bed,” Allen explained apologetically.  “Sam said, what, together?  And I couldn’t just lie.”  He began twisting his empty airplane pretzel bag in his hands.  “I think Sam’s a little jealous… I think he likes you, himself.  But we got into this whole weird discussion about whether somebody like Jim could have children, and then you two suddenly arrived and we were worried you’d heard some of it.”

That put the awkwardness – and Sam’s comments – in a very different light, and Nat felt ashamed to have judged everybody so harshly.  They weren’t perfect angels, of course, they were human beings who said things they shouldn’t say, but they didn’t disregard Jim’s humanity.  The question was, when had she gotten so invested in it that she’d become defensive?

“I’m sorry I embarrassed you,” said Allen.  “Next time I’ll lie.”

“What, next time you find me in bed with guy I just met last week?” Nat asked with a raised eyebrow.

Allen turned red.  “Is that something that happens often?” he asked, horrified.  Apparently the possibility had never occurred to him.  He struggled for a moment, then added, “it’s up to you, of course, I mean, you need to do what makes you happy…”

It was only a lifetime of training to hide her emotions that kept Natasha from giggling at his expression.  “As a matter of fact, it doesn’t, but it’s nice to hear that you’d support my ambitions no matter what they might be.”

As brief as the flight to Sicily was, they almost didn’t make it.  Like Santorini, the island of Sicily had been created by a volcano, and that volcano was not a quiet one.  Mount Etna was one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe, and it had been smoking gently for several weeks.  Air traffic was being detoured to avoid potentially clogging the engines with volcanic ash, and they had to wait in a holding pattern for nearly two hours before they were finally cleared to land at Messina.

The volcano was nearly fifty kilometres from the city, but it was still possible to see the looming column of smoke, which meandered up for a long way before veering off to the east, blown away by high-altitude winds.  It was beautiful to look at it, but also felt ominous.  They were chasing a mad alchemist, and here they were, on top of one of the biggest furnaces imaginable.

“That looks bad,” Clint remarked, watching the smoke column nervously as they crossed the airport parking lot.  “Are we sure it’s safe to be here?”

“It’s not close,” said Sharon.  “If it really erupts, all they’ll get in Messina will be an earthquake.”

“Uh-huh,” Clint said.  “You know what?  That’s not reassuring.”  His phone beeped, and he dug it out of his pocket for a look.

“Now what?” asked Jim.

“Pistachios,” said Clint.  “Sounds like Sicily is famous for them.”

Messina was quite a modern town compared to many of the places they’d visited so far.  The old city had been utterly destroyed in World War II, so almost everything now in it was less than seventy years old.  Where Tivat and Kotor had been dark stone and narrow cobbled lanes, Messina was clean new buildings painted pastel colours, on either side of broad streets lined with orange trees.  Across the strait, beyond the pillar of Saint Mary, it was possible to see the tip of Calabria.

Fury’s text message had given the address of the hotel Desrosiers was staying at – the Europa Palace, located in a blocky yellow and green building set well back from the street behind a line of palm trees.  From the outside it looked more like a seedy apartment block than anything a person might compare to a palace, but the lobby turned out to be quite nice, with marble floors, burgundy leather armchairs, and glittering chandeliers.  Nat paused before approaching the desk and looked at Sharon.

“You or me?” she asked.

“Better be you,” said Sharon.  “We’re not here to arrest her.”

Nat therefore went up and rang the bell.  The woman who came out of the back office to answer was middle aged, with darkly-tanned skin and bleach-blonde hair.

“Buongiorno,” she said with a friendly smile.  “Come posso aiutarti oggi?”

“Buongiorno,” Nat replied.  “We’re here to meet a friend, Senora Helene Desrosiers.  She told us she would be staying here.”

“The East Asian lady?” asked the clerk.  “You’ve already missed her, I’m afraid.  She went on to Taormina this morning.  She had me call ahead and confirm her reservation there.”

“That’s a shame,” said Nat.  “Can you tell us where she’s staying there?”

“I’m afraid not.  It would be a breach of privacy,” the clerk said.

Nat wouldn’t press her, then – she had other ways of getting information.  “Of course,” she said.  “I shouldn’t have asked.  One more thing: is the hotel’s restaurant open to non-guests?  My friends and I have been on the plane for hours because of the eruption, and we’re all starving.”

“Certainly,” said the clerk.  “Please, go ahead.”

“Grazie,” said Natasha, and the others echoed – this being the only word in Italian most of them knew.

“Prego, prego,” the clerk assure her.

[beasts-of-jadewood]

Goodbye Volcano High is just a week away! Yippee! To celebrate this occasion I will release GVH protagonist first-date ratings part 2, in which I rate how well my first dates with GVH characters will go based on what I know about them from fandom memes and promo materials. Part 1 can be found here. Contains spoilers for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure part 6, and now featuring alt text.

I think Naomi would be the type of person who would provide me with a full list of philosophical personal questions on our first date in order to acertain a comprehensive first impression of me that accurately represents who I am. For example, she may ask me what I would do with an elephant in my possession if I could not sell or give away the elephant, which was apparently a real job interview question someone had. While I would undoubtedly appreciate her hard work, I will not guarantee that I won't accidentally give out a response so profoundly disturbing and strange at some point during the process and possibly make her cry (for example, answering that I wish to recreate Thomas Edison's elephant electrocution procedure just to prove that I can do it better), leading to an overall 5/10 experience.

Much like the Trish date, I suspect that my date with Rosa will take place at an arboretum due to her interests. Because of this, I will likely be reminded of the fact that I once went to an arboretum in China during my childhood, to cheer me up after I completely failed at an extracurricular English speaking competition due to stage fright and the fact that I forgot to study the prompts they gave out before hand. I will then give an extended speech to Rosa about how my years of hard work studying English didn't matter in that moment because I fucked up one high-stakes competition and everyone thought I was a dumbass. If Rosa is able to relate to this as a potentially bilingual character herself, then my date will be a 9/10 experience. Otherwise, it's likely a 4/10 if she got weirded out instead.

Stella's interest in the occult is a major jumping point for my first date conversation with her, as I will use her knowledge of Tarot cards to discuss archetypes in the classic Hero's Journey and possibly analyze how each card's meaning corresponds to their respective Stand user in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. If Stella does not like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure then I will reveal the fact that I do not either and then go into an existential rant on why Part 6's ending retroactively made all the other parts pointless by undermining the agencies of previous protagonists with the idea of Fate being an unstoppable force that pre-determines all actions. Overall, this will be an invigorating discussion if nothing else. 7/10.

I don't know why but attempts at adding Sage's image to this post consistently results in an image of Rosa being added instead. Sage himself does show up on the final post after saving, but during the editing process itself his image keeps being replaced by Rosa. My conclusion from this is that Sage does not want to go on a date with me and may in fact prefer to date his original love interest Leo instead. I respect his loyalty to his lover even after he has been completely cut from the final game and thus functionally erased from existence. Sage is a good boy and I love him platonically. 10/10.