#i make little animalS out of clay in my Spare time

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @themetalhiro

Hi, I’m Metal! I’m a freelance artist from good ol’ New Jersey. My favorite things to work with are a lot of bright colors, exaggerated poses, and candid scenarios. I try to farm sensible chuckles whenever I can, so I’m also big into comics. I love making them about my life, and the media I’m into, and one day I’d like to publish my own series!  Thank you to everyone who has gotten me this far!!

Check out Metal's interview below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

I guess so! It’s funny, I don’t remember a single time in my life that I wasn’t drawing as a hobby… somewhere in middle school (a little late, I know.) I put the pieces together that animated movies were made by artists, and that it wasn’t just for fun, they were paid to do it. The moment I discovered people could be paid to make art, I decided I would do that, too. Now I’m here!

How has your style developed over the years?

I think the best way to answer this would be with an example! Over the last few years, I have made more of an effort to draw more intentionally, which sounds silly. Now, I put more thought into my poses and step out of my comfort zone with shape language and composition. I had a phase where I drew everyone with a huge, perfectly circular head and no nose. That definitely did not lend much variety...

Which 3 famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?

Ack! I’m so terrible at history! I’d love to give a well-thought-out answer about fine artists of old, but I don't think we’d have much in common… Most artists I admire and who have driven me forward creatively are the people behind comics I’ve read. Andrew Hussie, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Eiichiro Oda... these guys have inspired me greatly and had a heavy influence in developing my art style and sense of humor. I’d love to ask them questions about their processes and upcoming projects. I think it would make for an entertaining night!

Over the years as an artist, what were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

Outside of pure aesthetics like searing bright colors, layered clothing, and loud noises…. the best and most inspiring moments in my life were those surrounded by friends and loved ones! I cherish the hell out of memories of hanging around in fun locations, trying weird food together, and impromptu midnight walks... so I try my best to capture that atmosphere and my own memories in my work when I can, even if I’m imposing fictional characters on top of them. That’s always the core of it.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

I would never permanently refuse a medium, but every time I pick up clay, I’m like a baby using its hands for the first time. Absolutely dreadful. If one day I could make and paint a figurine like the ones I admire in videos, that would be awesome... But for now, I’m not counting on it.

How do you want to evolve as a creator?

I’ve had an absolute blast drawing fanart over the years, and it’s certainly played a massive role in my growth as an artist. But my dream has always been to publish my own stories for y'all to enjoy! I have lots of worlds I want to introduce to you before I’m old and gray. I want to get faster, work harder, and get better at drawing interesting settings so I can get the wheels turning as soon as possible. I also want to stop avoiding the color blue like a coward.

What do you wish you knew when you first started out creating art that you know now?

Pay your taxes quarterly. Tablets will break at the exact moment you need them most, so have a spare. Wear your blue light glasses. You’re going to need to wear a brace on every joint on the right side of your body. It can be lonely sitting at your desk all day. The car on the side of the road that costs $1000 cash….. don’t trust it!!!

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

@cranity—They use absolutely beautiful colors and weighty line work. Everything looks so sharp and clean! I wanna put it all up on my wall!

@vewn—Their ability to crank out quality short films and illustrations packed with detail is incredible. The off-kilter perspective they use really sells disorientation and catches your attention like nothing else.

@nelnal—They have absolutely banger character designs again and again, I can’t believe one person’s mind can come up with so many creative ideas!

@jinx88kc—They have a beautiful and recognizable style, and the way they incorporate animation into their illustrations sometimes is SO cool!

Thanks for stopping by, Metal! For more of Metal’s work, follow their Tumblr, @themetalhiro! If you haven't seen their Meet the Artist piece, be sure to check it out here!

[alizalayne]

Hello! this will be a quick process post so that you can see how I needlefelted a fursuit head!

I began by following the "bucket head" tutorial by Matrices, then added a layer of polyfill so that I wouldn't use as much of my merino wool. This is how I typically make a doll head, my "core wool" is often polyfill because it really likes to clump together and fuse.

Overall, this project took about two months of my spare time. This is the first fursuit head I have made, but not my first needlefelt project.

I would really like to encourage other people to try making masks this way! You can do any kind of subtle color with wool and the wool fiber is very cheap. If you wanted to make a fursuit head with the entirety of starry night flowing over it, or a head with tons and tons of complex colors, I think wool might be the best material. I also did not need to know how to pattern or sew in order to make this-- it was sculpture rather than sewing, which I am bad at.

The rest under the cut!

Another angle where you can see that I am building up the structure of the head.

I then made the ears, which are translucent because they're felted, just like real ears!

I wasn't happy yet with the proportions at this point, so I spent a lot of time figuring that out and deciding where and how I'd be placing the eyes.

I made a pair of sculpey follow-me eyes by using a little soy sauce dish as a concave circular mold and tried a foam clay nose and teeth. The sculpey eyes could be more successful, they took a lot of shaving and adjusting to get right and they eventually cracked from the strain I'd put them through while making them more shallow. For a while, I intended to make wefts of white wool to use on the sides of the head, but I ended up preferring a domestic shorthair head shape because it reads the most clearly as a cat vs any other animal.

I originally intended to have the eyes behind clear plastic domes and used "shaker domes" that people use to make greeting cards to cover the eye, but in the end they made the eyes too dull. I made foam clay housing for the eyes and painted it pink with acrylic paint. I used stick-on car window tint to create the pupils. My visibility inside the head is really good!

Finally, after fiddling, one of the eyes was deeper than the other and I had to re-set both to account for it. I added spot glitter on top of the acrylic paint on the eye using some gold watercolor paint I had, which was silly because I'll need to wash the head at some point. I will probably seal the eyes before washing and hope for the best. I intend to spot clean the head until it absolutely needs to be washed, at which point I'll remove some pieces or find a way to protect them while soaking the head in a cool dr. bronner's bath.

I glued down a layer of felt fiber on top of the foam clay "tear ducts" and then felted new fiber over the tear duct skin and cheeks to blend them into the face. I also removed the teeth and closed her mouth because I didn't have time to adjust the teeth as much as I wanted before the con that my friends and I attended. I would like to modify this head so that she can open and close her mouth.

Lastly, I added wire whiskers with little glass beads looped onto the ends and paper eyelashes that I also watercolored and sealed, like the insides of the eyes. Like I said before, it's gonna be a problematic wash, but I'm confident I'll figure it out, and I can always repair her or replace her lashes if something goes wrong.

Last thing, to keep the inside of the head nice and cool and prevent fogging since in the end I closed the mouth and had sealed eyes, I made a snorkel out of a snorkel mouthpiece fitted into two collapsible auto funnels.

I would say that realistically this entire project cost me less than $150. I had some materials lying around, like the wire and the beads and the sculpey.

I added two ear vents on either side of the head so that I had options on where to feed the snorkel out. If you look at the other pictures on the blog of me wearing the head, you mostly can't even see the snorkel mouth. However, it was a little problematic to let go of the snorkel to talk. it would be perfect for a silent suiter, but I'm lucky that so many people wanted to talk to me. I'd like to try and replace the snorkel mouth with something I can talk in, but I'm not sure what to use. It should be something that can create a seal to keep my breath out of the head. it's possible that I will be able to make something with a painter's mask.

I hid the "seam" between the head and my body with two yards of tulle tied into a big bow and sewn down onto the neck so that it wouldn't move around.

I hope that if you try making something similar you'll show it to me!

[victorluvsalice]

-->And then, while I was distracted for just one moment seeing how Victor was coming along in the greenhouse, Alice and Smiler both ran off to Smiler’s party barn to play ping-pong again. *shakehead* Since they’d already taken care of the animals, I just let them go ahead and have their game – which was a pretty tough one! The two of them constantly slipped the ball past each other, seemingly very well matched indeed. But Alice end up winning in the end, four points to three. Smiler really just doesn’t seem to have much luck with the old ping-pong table at all these days, huh? At least they weren’t utterly steamrolled like they were at juice pong a few playsessions ago…

-->While those two were pinging and ponging, Victor finished up his garden tending – I had him grab everybody’s various cans of fertilizer and fertilize his oversized crops (super vitality for the lettuce and pumpkins, regular vitality for the rest), then get his beeswax and honey out of the bee box and check in on the bees (little irritated, nothing to worry about). I then had him super-sell everything in the greenhouse (Smiler has over SIXTY plasma fruits in their inventory and a ridiculous amount of herbalism stuff in the herbalism box, they’re set) while I sent Alice to finish the painting she started yesterday and Smiler ran off on their own to have a nice bubble bath. Once Victor was done super-selling, I had him take a moment to “open” the pile of feathers one of the pets brought him that’s been sitting in his inventory for ages (two finch feathers and a blue jay feather – I hung up the blue jay and one of the finches in the study and sold the spare), then join Alice in the study to work on the song in his inventory (though I think it’s glitched, honestly, since he never seems to make progress on it – might want to scrap it and start another one). Smiler joined them after they were done with their bath to do a little jamming on their guitar –

But of course, in the time it took for them to get down there, Alice had completed her painting and run off to shower in the rain. *sigh* I let her finish (her hygiene was getting slightly low), then had her play chess so I could get a nice shot of everyone in the study together –

-->Just in time for the mail to arrive! Just bills, nothing special. I had Smiler go and get the mail and pay the bills (turning on the cauldron laser light show along the way, because why not) while Alice got sent to clean more spoiled food out of the fridge while I used the “put away” option granted by Brazen Lotus’s “Core” mod to put away the eggs and milk she and Smiler had gathered earlier. (Seriously, SO fucking convenient!) She and Victor then had grilled fruit for lunch (again, the next thing liable to go off), while Smiler had a plasma pack (made from a freshly-bred spotted eggplant frog) and a plasma fruit with them. Because I like family meals, damn it – especially on a day like today. :p

Speaking of family meals, I got a notification that Shadow was very hungry right after the human-shaped Sims finished their food – I had Victor call Shadow to eat, then had Smiler and Alice call Shock and Kelly to eat too for good measure (Surprise was out having Free Spirit Cat Adventures). Alice cleaned the dishes as Victor wandered off to the bedroom to mold clay – she followed him up there to chat, but I had her watch the fish instead so I could send Smiler up there too and then have Victor propose a group date (I was going to have Smiler ask Victor, but then realized it made more sense to have Victor ask Smiler, as Victor is the one with multiple romances here) –

Cue Victor and Smiler wandering downstairs for no good reason, and the interaction canceling out as Victor gave up on the clay and put it in the downstairs bathroom on the sink. *sigh* Sims 4, I swear sometimes… Fortunately, my second attempt to set up the date worked fine –

[jawbone-xylophone]

please please please talk about yugioh shipping and thematic parallels I wanna know

[vibrates intensely]

Welcome to my ADHD sufferdome. There are no exits. I watched Yugioh like seven years ago, and I'm going into museum work because I am so mentally ill about Ancient Sumer in specific that I needed access to essays, textbooks, and journals on the subject.

This is mostly going to be copied from a Discord rant I did. Credit to @mostlydeadlanguages for their translation of Gilgameš's lament for Enkidu, I needed to explain to my friends quickly why this work is amazing and their translation delivered. Go read all of their stuff now, it's well worth it.

So. I had the stunning realization that Seto Kaiba and Yami Yugi are in a fucking Gilgameš and Enkidu situation.

Gilgamesh was called a god and a man; Enkidu was an animal and a man. It is the story of their becoming human together.

—Herbert Mason, The Epic of Gilgamesh

This is extremely literal. Gilgameš is two-thirds god (everyone is at least one third god), and Enkidu was made from the clay of the field to be raised by beasts.

Enkidu was made specifically to humble Gilgameš and make him a better king. Conversely, the journey to Gilgameš and befriending him serves to civilize Enkidu.

They're both still characterized by their backgrounds and approach any given problem from those perspectives, but by knowing eachother they make eachother better people, and understand what it is to be human.

So.

Let's look briefly at Yami Yugi specifically, because Seto is petty and Yugi isn't enough for him, and Seto Motherfucking Kaiba.

Yami, as this iteration of himself, starts existence utterly feral.

He's everything Victorian guilt has nightmares about, the trope of the Pharaoh's Curse given life, divine justice through the lens of Hammurabi's Code. Shadow and emotion and sadistic satisfaction, pulled along by the primal drive to protect his heart and uphold the laws of the shadow realm.

He doesn't introduce himself, he just starts breaking people and sending them to the asylum.

Then there's Kaiba.

He's also driven around by his metaphorical dick to some extent, highly emotional despite his professed attachment to logic, but he is for all intents and purposes a little tyrant god-king, ruler of a tech development company with enough spare time to pay assassins to collect trading cards for him.

The first few times they clash it's an utter nightmare, because they're the worst versions of themselves and Yami didn't even really have a metaphorical Shamhat to explain anything. He and Yugi don't talk for a while.

Yami uses Mind Crush on this asshole boy genius and probably doesn't expect him to come back, because nobody else has. Mind Crush shatters a soul and forces them to piece themself back together, tormented by illusions of whatever they're susceptible to. The first guy we see it used on was convinced he was swimming in money.

It's one of those "technically not an execution because they could totally get out of it" sentences that traps people in their own vices and nightmares.

And Seto Motherfucking Kaiba manages to wake up from this magically induced soul-searching coma.

But what makes it interesting is that he's still an asshole.

Theoretically, Mind Crush is supposed to force you to confront yourself. And Kaiba did that. And he's still an asshole. There are many reasons I love him.

So what did he fix?

Well, it's nobody else's business, is it? We just have to interpret that by watching the show.

So let's bring it back to the Epic of Gilgameš for a second.

The first time Enkidu meets Gilgameš, he's trying to use the king's right to claim any newlywed bride's wedding night. The bride and her actual groom are very unhappy with this idea, but Gilgameš is a king, two-thirds god, and won't take no for an answer.

So Enkidu tells him off and clocks him in the jaw.

Epic Shonen Anime levels of brawling occur, like a meteor struck the earth, for several days and several nights. Finally, they're both equally beaten and bloody on their backs in the street.

And they trade names. And Gilgameš welcomes Enkidu back to his own home to rest, because no one has matched him this way before.

Let's take a look at Yami and Kaiba.

The first time they really meet, it's about Yugi's Grandpa having a super rare trading card. Grandpa is emotionally attached to this card and not willing to sell it. Not for money, not for life or limb.

Kaiba wants that card like he wants air to breathe, though. He has more money than god and won't take no for an answer. So.

When bribery fails, when his nice mode fails, it's cutthroat business time. Defeat and destroy. He rules a technologically superior gaming company, after all.

Kaiba beats Grandpa at a card game beefed up with enough holograms to give the man a heart attack, and then destroys the card. If he can't have it, no one can.

This pisses Yugi off, which wakes up the Pharaoh, and Yami proceeds to play the game, hand Kaiba his own ass, and Mind Crush him.

Something about these two situations seems very similar to me, and the way they then evolve from this to rivals is fascinating.

Kaiba refuses to believe that Yami is some sort of magical ghost, but he can believe that Yami might be better than him at this one thing, and this is intolerable. I'd almost be tempted to compare his determination to some approximation of bushido, he just has to beat Yami. Granted, this is tempered with other priorities- his brother, spitting on his dad's grave, etc- but it's respect. And Yami respects him back.

Technically I'd be willing to call Yugi the Shamhat to Yami's Enkidu, the one that teaches him the value of friendship and using your words like a person instead of a vengeful ghost. No, their only female best friend does not count At All. She honestly seems kind of incidental to any of their internal character development, and in particular Yami and Yugi's connection to eachother.

Yugi's the one who convinces Yami to stop Mind Crushing people.

All of this culminates in the end of the show, where Yami remembers who he is and moves on to the afterlife after a final duel. But it's not against Kaiba. It can't be. He duels Yugi, the other half of his heart and the only one who could truly defeat him.

In some ways, he dies because he learned how to be mortal again. Because Yugi taught him, all over again, how to be mortal.

(The same way that Shamhat, perhaps, could be seen as responsible for teaching Enkidu the same thing. She brought him into the world of men, just like Yugi solving the puzzle and bringing Yami into the light. Is it any wonder things ended the way they did?)

And Kaiba can't take it.

Yami was his. He had to defeat Yami. He couldn't give a rat's ass if Yugi was the one to defeat Yami, thereby taking the title of the King of Games, that's not the point. It's not about beating the strongest person anymore, no matter what he tells himself, it's about dueling Yami, perhaps the first person he ever saw as an equal.

So he tries, in his own way, to deny death and bring him back.

This is @mostlydeadlanguages 's translation of the Lament for Enkidu.

Listen, young men. Listen to me.

Listen, elders of great Uruk. Listen to me.

I weep for my friend Enkidu;

like a grief-stricken woman, I howl in despair.

The shaft at my side, the bedrock of my strength,

the sword at my belt, the shield before me,

the clothing for my festivals, the sash on my pleasure:

A fiendish force sprang up to snatch him from me.

“My friend, stubborn as a mule, nimble as a donkey, swift as a panther —

oh Enkidu, my friend, stubborn as a mule, nimble as a donkey, swift as a panther —

We were the ones who joined together to scale mountains, who captured and killed the Sacred Bull, who vanquished Humbaba, king of the Cedar Forest.

“So what kind of sleep steals you away now? Darkness cloaks you; you cannot hear me.”

Yet still [Enkidu] did not lift his head.

He felt for his pulse: utterly still.

He veiled his friend’s face like a bride; like an eagle, he circled over him.

Like a lioness robbed of her cubs, he circled back and forth, back and forth.

He tore at his curly hair until it piled up around him; he stripped off his finery and cast it away as anathema.

They said to Gilgamesh,

“Why do your cheeks look sunken, your face gaunt?

Why is your heart broken, your appearance wrecked?

Why does your gut churn in despair?

Why does your face seem so world-weary?

Why do you look scorched by sleet and sun, prowling the wilderness, dressed like a predator?”

Gilgamesh said to them,

“Why wouldn’t my cheeks look sunken, my face gaunt?

Why wouldn’t my heart be broken, my appearance wrecked?

Why wouldn’t my gut churn in despair?

Why wouldn’t my face seem world-weary?

Why wouldn’t I look scorched by sleet and sun, prowling the wilderness, dressed like a predator?

“My friend, stubborn as a mule, nimble as a donkey, swift as a panther —

Enkidu, my friend, stubborn as a mule, nimble as a donkey, swift as a panther —

We were the ones who joined together to scale mountains, who captured and killed the Sacred Bull, who vanquished Humbaba, king of the Cedar Forest, who killed lions in the mountain passes.

“My friend, whom I love fiercely,

who accompanied me through every trial —

Enkidu, my friend, whom I love fiercely,

who accompanied me through every trial –

The fate of all humans has vanquished him.

“For six days and seven nights, I wept over him.

I could not give him up to be buried.

Only after a maggot dropped out of his nose did I […]

“I prowl the wilderness because I’ve become afraid of death.

What happened to my friend was too heavy to endure,

and so I prowl the roads, world-weary.

What happened to Enkidu, my friend, was too heavy to endure,

and so I prowl the paths, world-weary.

“How could I keep quiet? How could I, of all people, fall silent?

My friend, the one I love, has turned to clay.

Enkidu, my friend, the one I love, has turned to clay.

Am I not like him? Will I not lie in rest, never to stir again, forever and ever?”

The worst part of it is, Yami is dead and there is no body. Yami is dead and his body is alive. Yugi's there, walking and talking and laughing, and Yami will never be behind those eyes again. There isn't even a funeral.

Kaiba has never had to mourn before. He killed his own asshole father. Anytime someone kidnapped his brother or stole his brother's soul, he could just get the kid back. With extreme effort, but it was possible. He has money, resources, his youth, and his intelligence. They've gotten him everything he wants before. He should be able to bring Yami back.

But he can't.

His friend, whom he loves, has turned to clay. Just a carving in a tomb, just a line in a fulfilled prophecy, his story over. And that's the end of it.

Perhaps worse still, Yami was never made for Kaiba- he was always one half of Yugi. In some ways the second they met he was already leaving, and the second he was "born" he was already dying. Kaiba, no matter how you want to read it, fell in some kind of platonic or romantic or otherwise love with a dead man, the same way Gilgameš fell in love with the tool made to keep him to heel. And that man needed to die. That tool, eventually, needed to be used to teach him his final lesson, and the man who ruled the world suddenly had nothing at all. The sun still shone, the birds still sang, but his friend had turned to clay.

[transcript: The corpse sinks to the floor... the vessel becomes sand, becomes dust... even the brightest gold, even the sharpest sword... is wrapped in the sheath of time... woe to the pharaoh, for his body lacks even his name... time is the battlefield of souls... I cry the song of battle, the song of a friend... to the place far away where our souls meet... guide me...]

In Yugioh, the protagonists have lived before. Kaiba and Yami-and-Yugi were High Priest Seth and the Pharaoh Atem respectively, and Seth also had to bury his friend. They were significantly more emotionally available to eachother, from what I can tell, so it didn't have to be couched in the safe distance of "I just want to duel you for the rest of my life". The above is what he wrote to commemorate Atem's death, and it is implied that even in Seth's current incarnation as Kaiba, staunch disbeliever in magic and souls and merrily frolicking through meadows, his determination to duel Yami even in the throes of his own madness was some part of his soul yearning to connect with Atem in this new life. Even if that connection was based on elaborate traps and death threats, but hey. We all start somewhere. Enkidu and Gilgameš had a vicious street brawl.

What Enkidu didn't know, though, was that Gilgameš was waiting for him. Some part of the king knew, and was waiting, and was dreaming of a change to his life so extreme that it would fall on his land like a meteor. He had to visit his mother and ask for dream interpretation, because really, what do you conclude from a front row seat to the idea that an axe will fall into your hand, that fits your grasp like a lover and all the world will envy?

Honestly, this is why connections doomed by the narrative are so much fun. Yes, you're going to learn a hard lesson and the force of your grief will eternally alter the brain chemistry of an ADHD nerd six thousand years hence. But it's worth it anyway, because your best friend might be clay, but he'll be clay six thousand years hence and some ADHD nerd will fervently shanghai a group call to tell the story over, and over, and over again.

Don't forget to visit that translator's Tumblr page, their stuff is really cool.

[turbulentscrawl]

Hello, good morning/afternoon/evening/night. I was wondering if I could get a matchup?

-I go by she/her and they/them. I'm still figuring out my preferences but if preferably to be matched with a male character.

-I am an infp, 4w3, love language (both giving and receiving are alright with me). When around people I'm unfamiliar with I'm more introverted and don't talk much but when around people I'm familiar I'm more talkative and expressive. I have trouble expressing myself (I express myself through my art sometimes not most of the time though so I'm more quiet on my emotions and just bottle it up) and I have trouble with understanding myself on an emotional level.

-My hobbies are drawing, reading a piece of literature or any book, making paper flowers or small clay items. I'm interested in the paranormal, urban legends, conspiracy theories, abandoned places, true crime cases, missing persons cases and I have a deep fascination with animal skulls. I'm a big fan of found footage or analog horror despite being someone who's easily scared.

-My personal flaws would probably be I tend to talk or mumble to myself, probably my anxiety when it comes to meeting new people or even interacting with someone, I can't say no to someone most of the time, I have a very messy sleep schedule, I get irritated easily and that I do procrastinate alot so most my work is done last minute or half assed.

-I don't have many life goals but some basic ones are getting into an art school (I hope to get into fine arts or architecture) and getting a good paying job to sustain myself in life, the more weird ones are exploring an abandoned building or town and doing some ghost investigation or starting a small animal skull collection.

-For relationship deal breakers would be someone who judges or compares me too much as I'm extremely insecure of myself and someone who doesn't respect boundaries (as I dislike physical touch even if the person touching me (like a hug) even if they're someone I'm close to but if they do I'd prefer if they tell me beforehand that they want a hug).

Thank you for reading this and I apologize if this was very messy, you don't have to do the match up if it's too little information to work with.

I Ship You With...Aesop Carl!

-This pairing is made due to your similarities! You both require patience concerning emotional communication and social anxiety, which I think should be easy given you can empathize with one another's struggles.

-Aesop has to be with someone who doesn't rely on physical touch to feel loved, and it's even better that you prefer not to have much of it at all. When either of you do need some contact, he prefers it to be bluntly stated so you can both mentally prepare for it. And when you do need something like a hug or a hand to hold, he prefers to be able to keep a skin barrier, like his gloves.

-Aesop is strict about some of his own scheduling, but doesn't care much about your own. His work and health are his, and yours are yours. That's not to say he doesn't care about your wellbeing...but he doesn't see it as his place to nag you. He'll give you an occasional reminder about your to-do's but otherwise he lets you handle your own stuff.

-Your Lova Language is missing from your 2nd point, but I'm guessing it was either Words of Affirmation or Quality Time based on the rest of the info, both of which Aesop prefers himself. He is a bit awkward about delivering praise--when he received it growing up, he was always paranoid that it was fake, and he's concerned you may feel that way when he does it--but he always has plenty of nice things to say about you in mind. Additionally, he loves parallel play. He's more than happy to sit near you while you both engage in your own hobbies and just check in with you occasionally.

-He's not easily disturbed or scared, so your love of true crime, analog horror, bones, and other "creepy" things don't bother him. He's likely to sit through some with you in his spare time--though he would like to put his two cents in throughout the video. Even when it's outside of his expertise, he obviously has a lot of experience with anatomy and bodily injuries. He's got some interesting perspectives, and may even help you conquer your fear of them a but to have them dissected?

Runner Up: Orpheus

[lucy90712]

cravings/mood swings (pregnancy series)

Series masterlist

George:

The hormones from pregnancy have made me an entirely different person at times which was a huge shock to both me and George when they first started to hit because I've always been pretty good with my emotions and hormones even when on my period. To me it isn't as bad because I only notice after my mood swings but poor George has to deal with me during.

George came down the stairs after filming a video and came to join me sat on the sofa. I was eating salty crisps (chips) some of which George stole as he sat down, this really set off my hormones for whatever reason and I looked at him with just pure anger that he would even dare to steal my food that I had been craving.

"George what the fuck I wanted those" I almost shouted

"I'm sorry love I didn't mean to I can get you more if you want them" he said panicked slightly

I gave no reaction to what George said as I came down from my rage because I realised I was being way too over the top. I always feel awful when I yell at George because he doesn't deserve it at all but he just happens to be around all the time so he's the one who bares the brunt of all my emotions. I apologised to George and gave him some of my crisps to make up for it and we cuddled on the sofa for a bit.

Later in the evening George was showing me cute videos he has of cat from when he was in his office which were just so adorable and made me so incredibly happy but then the sadness came over and tears started to fall down my face.

"Hey what's wrong?" George asked

"It's just so cute like how can one small animal be so cute" I sobbed

He comforted me and we spent the rest of the evening doing things that didn't provoke any emotions in me.

Dream:

My cravings have been very strong though my pregnancy so far which is a combination of normal things and weird concoctions just whatever I was feeling in that exact moment and I mean that exact moment. My cravings are things that have to be satisfied within the hour or else it's too late and I get over it.

It's about 10pm and I'm just chilling waiting for Clay to get out the shower so we can watch the office together. At that exact moment a craving for pickles came over me, its not a craving I've had before but its one that I know is kind of common. I checked all the cupboards and fridge to see if we had any but we didn't which made me quite sad.

Clay came down the stairs to see me staring at the empty cupboard with a few tears in my eyes. He came over to me looking at what I was before becoming very confused at what exactly was going through my mind clearly wondering if I was going a bit insane.

"Is everything alright?" He asked

"We don't have any pickles" I whined

"Do you want me to go and get you some?" He asked

I nodded my head and we went to the car to drive to the store to go buy pickles mainly because I didn't want to be left alone. Clay actually went into the store while I stayed in the car because he didn't want me getting cold but he soon came back with two jars of pickles just incase I wanted more another day.

Back at home I ate half the pickles in the jar and very much enjoyed it and so did baby which was the whole point of going to get them. I imagine just like every other craving I will get over it and move on to a new one.

Sapnap:

My mood swings have been insane so far during pregnancy like way morse than they would be before my period is due to arrive. I feel so awful that Sapnap has to deal with me because he used to hate it when I got so very emotional before my period and now its constant and like x1000.

I have been slightly more emotional than usual today which has just been ruining my day because I can't seem to get anything done without crying or raging at myself but I've yet to spend much time with Sapnap so he has been spared from my disastrous day so far. This soon changed when he came downstairs and sat with me on the sofa.

He attempted to cuddle with me but something in my brain told me that I didn't want that and I should be mad at him for even trying to be affectionate even though I love him so very much.

"No get off me" I said a bit too harshly

"Oh I'm sorry baby is there anything you want?" He asked trying to be accommodating

I shrugged him off still slightly angry but getting over it very quickly and feeling bad for half yelling at him. My anger soon completely dissolved and was replaced by sadness at the fact that I had yelled and now wanted to cuddle but he wasn't going to want to now right, I mean I've just yelled at him so why would he want to cuddle.

A few tears started to form in my eyes and soon spilled out onto my face wetting my cheeks which I tired to hide by facing away from Sapnap but of course he knows me and tried to see what I was hiding. As soon as he saw I was crying he put his hands on my face to wipe the tears and gave me a kiss.

"What's wrong babe? How can I fix it?" He asked

"I feel bad for yelling and I want cuddles but you don't want to give them to me because I was mean" I explained

"You are so silly of course I'll still give you cuddles if you want them" he said

He pulled me into a big bear hug where we stayed for the rest of the day and night.

Quackity:

I have been having a lot of odd cravings over the past few weeks most of which are completely unnatural and Alex thinks are gross but they actually taste really good. To me at least.

Tonight I was really feeling like eating chicken nuggets with honey, I really wanted to eat it but I was scared to ask Alex to come to the store with me because he would think it was weird and judge me which my fragile little heart couldn't take.

"Alex will you go to the store with me please?" I asked

"Of course love what do you want this time?" He asked

"Chicken nuggets and honey" I whispered

"What was that" he questioned

"Chicken nuggets and honey" I said a bit louder

"That sounds interesting lets go" he said

He grabbed my hand and pulled me up and to the car where we went to McDonald's for the chicken nuggets and then target for the honey before going back home. Alex was interested to try this combination too so the both of us sat down to try it. At first the flavour was really weird but once you got used to it it was really good actually and now I think I'm obsessed and by the looks of things so is Alex because his face looked like he had just had the best thing ever.

Karl:

Oh my has it been a rollercoaster so far, I've been so over emotional and have been craving so many different things it is so hard to keep up with for me let alone Karl.

This morning I was trying to make breakfast and I couldn't open the milk which upset me but then the bowls were up too high so I couldn't reach which made me even more upset but the last straw for this morning was when I had just sat down after struggling with everything and someone rang the doorbell just as I was about to eat the cereal I had really been wanting. I answered the door to collect the parcel the man had before going back to the living room with tears starting to slip down my face.

I'm not sure why I was so upset but I was which stopped me eating my cereal because I was crying which made me cry more because I really wanted the cereal, it was just an awful cycle. Karl walked in as I was staring at my full bowl of cereal sobbing which caused him to run over to see what was wrong.

"Hey hey whats wrong?" He asked

"Nothing is going right and all I want to do is eat my cereal but I can't because I'm crying which is making me more upset" I ranted

"Oh honey I'm sorry how about you follow my breathing to calm down and then eat your cereal ok?" He suggested

He helped me calm down enough to be able to eat my cereal which was kind of soggy by now but I still very much enjoyed it and soon got back to my normal self.

Wilbur:

My hormones are all over the place which normally I can handle but every now and then I get too overly emotional and just cry over random things, this usually happens when I'm alone so I just deal with it myself.

Today Wilbur took the day off from working so he's here to see the rollercoaster that is my day and believe me it can be a rollercoaster. I had a breakdown this morning when doing chores I was unloading the dishwasher and I kept almost dropping everything I touched which made me so mad at myself and really sad at the same time. I just left the room and sat down for a minute talking to myself to sort my brain out then went back to doing chores.

Later in the afternoon we were watching a nature documentary which we do a lot and there was this lizard and her babies that were being hunted by a large bird, I was willing them to get away but the bird caught the babies and the mother got away. This made me so sad that the lizard lost her babies while I was sat there carrying my baby. I started crying thinking about the fact that anything could happen to little bean once their here.

"It's ok love its just natures way" Wilbur said

"But what if bad things happen to bean when their here obviously not like that but anything could happen" I sniffled

"We will protect bean as best we can to stop anything bad happening but for now their safe where they are" Wilbur said

This made me feel better and luckily the rest of the documentary wasn't sad at all and there was some cute moments which made me forget about all my worries.

[padawansuggest]

Here’s a fun headcanon for your favorite lineage.

Sensory play-aka putting paint in a bag and letting someone make a no mess painting. Squishy toys that look like animals. Simply sewing a nice picture to calm down. Jedi are constantly being overwhelmed or overstimulated, these simple things are lifesavers for some-and I like the idea of masters teaching their padawans(or grandpadawans) sewing.

!!!!!! I love this so much thank you.

I love the idea of Master Yoda constantly handing kids fidget toys so Dooku would get the fidgety fingers out on buttons but Dooku learned to sew with Sifo-Dias’s master and him. Qui-Gon, on the other hand, I love him doing yarncraft. I have an AU where he lives in the agricorps (in an AU where they have a nice planet cause like???? Canon is so weird about the corps????) where he managed to adopt Feemor, Xanatos and Obi-Wan as they all end up there, and he helps run one of the fiber mills in the area (they’re in a livestock area in this AU cause Obi-Wan’s specialty is with animals, not plants I think,) and in between milling fiber, he tends to dye/spin/use/other his own, mostly by spindles, specifically supported spindles cause for some reason I think he’d really have the patience for it.

Where as in other fics I’ve made him a crocheter or a knitter and in one of THOSE I made Obi-Wan a spinner/weaver.

Basically, yes, the kiddos learn their craft (like lil dwarves 😭) and pass down enough of that that you can see it in the next students craft or hobbies.

Obi-Wan has an easy time, since Anakin’s craft is mechanics, but in canon!!!! Obi-Wan’s craft is woodworking/painting!!!! He makes toys for Luke by hand, and I know what you’re thinking ‘that’s because he’s poor and they don’t have toy shops on Tatooine anyways’ first of all, you know nothing, and second of all, the toys he made are NOT simple, they were well done, and Obi-Wan didn’t stumble once in making them, I have carved on wood before even if you turn out to be good at it, it takes years of practice to make truly good pieces. I found it the hardest form of woodworking and I fucking loved woodworking.

No. I don’t think those were his first. I bet after a long stressful day, him and Ani would collapse in the living room, he’d pull over the box of wood scraps and Ani would the box of spare parts, and they’d lose themselves in their own little worlds, building together in a quiet meditation. Precious babies.

I made a post about this earlier, but in a no-war AU, I think Obi and Ani should both be teachers. I think Ani would be a mechanical engineer teacher, and Obi should teach art (mainly sculptures with wood and clay, but sometimes pottery throwing cause Leia needs to work out her violence and likes pretty pottery, and also meditative finger painting with the littluns on Wednesdays) and I think they would have a ton of fun with that. They would be fairly well rounded people who know their purpose here is to teach the kiddos.

Anyways. I think all Jedi should have crafts. I love their canon crafts too, but as a fiber worker myself, I also love giving them yarn hobbies simply because I have a brain made of yarn, but I love wood working with all my soul. I cannot speak on mechanical stuff tho as I’ve been informed that I could kill any technology I touch.

[yanderenightmare]

Oh master, plez, DRAGON WARRIOR BAKUGO, my lord! I was thinking, if you please, a darling who is like clairvoyant, and that's why King bakugo needs her??? can you make it dark ;3 like like like whatever means necessary dark, like like like ill murder anyone who gets in my way, also also also it being really grotesque, I want merciless bakugo, BUT also kinda sweet when it comes to darling?? I don't know what exactly I want, but I know whatever you write I'll prob enjoy, Master Nightmare :3

DRAGON ! WARRIOR ! KING BAKUGO KATSUKI x FEM ! READER

goodiebag WARNINGS: abuse, violence, genocide, kidnapping, abduction, death, blood, murder, ableism, classism, anxiety, arson, narcissistic personality disorder, slavery, trauma, war

so, a little foreword, the darling in this story has a quirk (ik, I’m breaking my beliefs thinking Bakugo should have a quirkless reader! The insanity!) but it’s because in this au not it’s quite special to have a quirk. Quirks are achieved and not given so to say. So Katsuki has earned his quirk and reader has earned her quirk, and so has everyone else who has a quirk. Also the song is called “If I Had a Heart” by Fever Ray, it’s the theme song to vikings ironically haha.

PART TWO

MUTE AND NUDE

The King was in her village.

Word from the south spread quickly, like any wildfire would, especially when riding the wings of a dragon. The Kingdom’s seer was dead, and the almighty bruise-knuckled King required a new one. They called it misfortune, but give a child a toy, and the toy is destined to break. Some might say that that’s what they’re made for. The old toy had apparently done something so distasteful that it cost her own tongue. Unfortunately, or perhaps ironically the only thing she was useful for: on her knees, mouth open, worshipping her king.

She counted the smoke rising to the sky near the horizon. Hers would be the thirteenth village they came to, lest their quest was done. She thought she might have seen him in the cloud-coverage. Eerie shadows resembling what bats she found in the caves, but the sun was bright and could easily be mistaken for him, or the other way around, as she’s heard his coat is golden.

She heard the rumbling tumbling of hooves and paws and claws riding up the mountain-side. They were coming.

Their houses were made of rock, sturdy as they should be when placed on a mountain-top with constant winds howling at them, and handled the fire well. But people aren’t made of stone. The smell of burning flesh is awful, and though she had nothing to puke, she barfed nonetheless. People were screaming and she probably would have too if she could, she was most certainly crying and bleeding and heaving for breath like those unlucky others that were still left alive.

High mountains are a bleak habitat for animal life, partially why they lived up there: to be spared of being hunted, to escape fangs and claws. And now: people running for their lives, the aching in her ankles, a body not built for running, and a mind not used to being hunted. Yet, it was strange but, it wasn’t really foreign at all.

She’d been dreaming of things lately, and as death as well as dust and ash and blood settled and seeped into the mud around her, she couldn’t help but feel as though she’d seen it all before. In fact, there came a point in the middle of the fray she was certain she was dreaming as she stopped to eye the great golden mass in front of her. Scales sharp and silvery like mica on the mountainside, ruby-red eyes as though soaked with blood. Teeth long and sturdy like the jagged rocks of the tunnels, dripping not with water as they did in the caves but with blood and guts and torn clothes. And the talons, curved and shiny, black as night, digging into the gravel by his feet, treating the soil as though it were as thin as the air. But the wings… the wings are what had her falling to her knees, skin bitten by gravel. Greater then roofs, sweeping the sky as though he could pluck each and every star from the welkin, stud himself with them if he so wanted to, or swallow them if only to breath the light onto earth. He could shred trees with those wings, he could slice oceans apart, he could probably part the mountain, head in the heavens and roots with hell, the bridge that had stood for thousands of years, singlehandedly torn open by that great monster conquering both sky and earth as though they gave him life.

Her arm was bleeding. It had dentures, no… puncture wounds it seemed the more she looked. A pretty crescent moon of red marking deep into the soft tissue of her meager muscles, dripping onto the dirt, creating streaks in the mud caking her bare feet. She looked up to see a wolf turn into a man, a large man with spikes for hair, red but not the same red she’d seen earlier in those eyes, red like poppies far away from the red flowing in her veins, from what was leaking out of her arm.

She looked forward and saw bodies… no, not bodies… mangled mockeries of the human form strewn about her as though they were trampled wildflowers on a field. She looked to her side and saw her reflection in the faces of those she’d grown up with but never truly knew. She looked behind her, not spotting what abomination of life she’d seen earlier, the one painting the sky, the one eclipsing the sun.

Every young, pretty thing was lined up on a row that stretched about ten meters long as they weren’t that many in her village, and she was surprised to be one of them. The auditions began in the early left side of the fray, boys and girl shaking on unsteady knees, holding onto broken arms and gushing wounds. Her bitemark was begging for a fist around it too, but she had not the focus to indulge the wish as her eyes caught sight of a blot of gold contrasting the otherwise grey figures, it being clear who he was despite having altered form. Although not the tallest in stature, one could see it as clear as day, he towered over the rest of the flock.

The tones ripped from their throats were scratchy, untuned; garbage. It would seem none of the kids in the village were gifted, but if the Gods were of mercy they would grant them the vocal cords to survive the night. She couldn’t blame them for allowing their fear to taint their song. Seeing how the drapes in which the hooded figures dressed were soaked in blood from past failures. Knowing well how their weapons would breach flesh and bone were they not of any use to them.

If she had a voice she would use it for speaking and not for singing. This would probably be her last night.

They rushed through the girls and boys rather quickly. Swiftly; as if they had done it countless times before, as if they could decide by the first utterance of their very first tone, that they were a disappointment, that they were as good as dead.

Caught in the middle of the small gathering; her turn came along. The man, standing in front, had purple hair and a nasty scar on his face, adorned with bladed eyes like a cat. Another blade, a steel blade, was held at her throat. Unnecessary, as the brutal scarring of his arms was intimidating enough for her to understand she could survive nothing compared to what he had already lived through. “Sing.” He commanded abruptly, an atmosphere of force settled on the word, as though compelling her, quite like how the wind shakes the trees in command to dance for them.

She did her hand gestures as smooth as she could under the pressure, lips remaining closed.

He threw his eyebrows up, scar shifting in its place like a serpent, the message had clearly gotten across. A condescending smile, a most sinister snicker and an unfortunate scoff was all the sympathy he allowed her. “No voice?” It wasn’t a question. “What a meaningless life.” He stated in a mutter, before moving onto the next girl.

The golden figure, who had followed discreetly, didn’t continue on with the scarred boy, he instead planted his clawedfeet in front of the girl, threatening to crush her barefooted toes, sinking into the red clay of the town square. “Sing.” His voice was fuller, and because of it she didn’t dare look up.

The scarred boy came to a halt, looking back to watch the girl repeat the hand gestures once again, she thinking that maybe the scarred boy had blocked the view the first time.

“No excuses.” His foot shifted in the mud, talons somehow growing longer as they impaled the ground, indicated he leant in closer. “Sing.” He said again, the sharpness of the demand sending a shiver to travel down her spine as it was accompanied with a growl too much like the sound of thunder to be called human. The girl furrowed her brows and looked up, her bottom lip visible quaking. Yet, what looked at her was no dragon, no… it was a man, a boy. And his skin was not golden like the rarity found in the mountain halls, but tan like sand, and his hair was only a shade lighter, nothing alike the mane of the sun. But those eyes had her quaking, those sharp slitted eyes that seemed to hold her soul in a chokehold, full of cultivated knowledge, merciless, red like wine, red like blood, red like hell. What’s a fate worse than death? She wondered and swallowed at the thought, her breathing picking up its pace. “Sing!” Spit flew to her face like venom with the roar, the tone reverberating through the ground, shaking in her knees.

She felt the itch in her throat, and she would be lying if she said she hadn’t been feeling it more and more lately, the feeling of dead born words somehow washing away. Her whimpers, absent of anything except for breathiness before, now carrying a somewhat lilt of tone. She stared a little deeper into those blood-soaked orbs of the man that looked like the onset of death before her.

“If I had heart.”

The wind roared as if it were as surprised as she was, or perhaps it rejoiced, or perhaps it mourned.

She was silent, the wind crashing and flailing, whipping the rags of her dress, letting the ripped fabric lick her dirty and bruised legs, pulling the disheveled locks of hair out from her face. Eyes; terror-wide, looking into a pair of sharp ones, who seemed to be looking beyond her disheveled state, into something far more divine than she had ever seen, ever known. “Continue.” The red-eyed boy commanded firmly, a detectable form of lust in his voice.

Startled, feeling the gravel dig into her soles. “I would love you... if I had a voice, I would sing.” The people on either side of her looked to be even more distressed now, crying and screaming, looking like wraiths in those charcoaled rags they wore, hands covering their ears as though to protect themselves, terrified as they looked to the sky expecting it to come falling down upon them.

However, their insolence and disrespect wasn’t what angered him, he could allow them that much before he took their lives. But the conflict found in her voice, that’s what truly boiled beneath his skin. He reached out his hand, quick like a viper, the pressure in his fingertips simmering on her skin, sizzling with heat, only for him to dig his fingernails into her throat as well. “Forget everything you know, except for that your life is in the palm of my hand.” He said, securing her gaze, lifting her up to her tippy-toes, though still nowhere near leveling his height.

Awakened by his words and frightened to her bones by the searing look of his eyes, she did as she was told and forgot who she was, forgot what she was and gave into simply doing exactly what needed to be done to keep her alive, to keep what beast in front of her subdued, or perhaps also to satiate what fire seemed to have burst to life inside of her, screaming to be heard. “After the night, when I wake up, I’ll see what tomorrow brings.” Eyes glazed over by some infernal light. She roared, a howl of some sorts, and the trees seemed to shiver and shake in the outmost reverence. “More, give me more, give me more.”

Somehow the leaves stopped rustling at the sound of her abrupt finish. Overwhelmed; all she could do was breath, all she could to was quake, the wind making the tears ever present on her face, the blood of her arm drying and awakened again as new blood came gushing out of her wounds.

The swirling dramatics in his eyes died down into a calm yet eerie content look. “Found you.” He stated, taking his time for the awakening to soak in, bask in the glorious feeling of triumph, before breaking focus from her. He let out a long, satisfied sigh. “Burn the village.” The statement left her blood turning cold. “There’s nothing left for us here. Dispose of the disappointments.” He was quick with his words as though they had been said many times before, and the actions performed by the ones in grey were just as swift, just as merciless. Humans turning into monsters murdering humans.

“No!” She wasn’t aware the voice belonged to her, so many years gone by without being able to voice anything; an opinion; nothing more than a foreigner, let alone an objection.

The people beside her dropped to the floor like rag dolls nonetheless, her voice just as insignificant as if she was still voiceless, drowning in their own bloodied throats. Her throat didn’t match theirs, but had strong, calloused fingers wrapped around it instead, coated with blood, the stench of it becoming so familiar yet far from friendly.

“Forget them, they don’t matter.” His voice still sheer, despite the screams around them both, overwhelming in fact. She felt her mind slip away from her then, as though her sentience was squeezed out from her by the deadlock fist wrapped around her neck, a conquering drowsiness following, seeping into her like the crawling of darkness when the sun settles on the horizon, her vision blurring everything except for those red, red eyes, who; from this point until her death, would never leave her.

PART TWO

[dopeycryptid]

i, uhh… made one piece OCs a long time ago and kept forgetting to post them here. my b.

.: Calico :.

Age: 21 (pre-skip); 23 (post-skip)

Occupation: Nomad

Origins: West Blue

Residence: Oni-man Isles

Status: Alive

Height: 178cm (5.8 feet)

Blood Type: O+

Bounty: 100,000,000

Devil Fruit: Akuma Neko no Mi- Demon Cat Fruit

Able to shift between three different forms: “human”, domestic cat and wolf-sized cat

Capable of understanding animal speech and breathing purplish-pink flames

Born on the western island of the Oni-man Isles, Calico was hand-raised by a pack of greedy bandits. He was taught that the only way to survive in this world was to plunder (generally from those more fortunate) and fight like his life depended on it, even if it meant taking the life of another. Even at a young age, he struggled to feel connect with others, resulting in him mainly keeping to himself. However, after overhearing that a nobleman had gotten their hands on a forbidden treasure that was said to possess an ancient power, Calico wasted no time in taking it for himself. Despite being a little befuddled that the treasure turned out to be a mere fruit, he fled the nobleman’s home only to be pursued and eventually cornered. In an act of desperation, Calico consumed the fruit and transformed into a monstrous beast that uncontrollably unleashed a hellish fire. The damage was so great that no one in the village survived. Devastated by his horrific actions, Calico made a hasty retreat off the tiny island by using a sailboat (even though he had no knowledge of using one) and after a week’s span was picked up by the Kuro and his band of Black Cat Pirates. Nevertheless, his stay with them lasted just long enough for the pirates to get cozy with his presence before Calico seized the opportunity to steal some of their goods and jump-ship once they were on mainland. He began a stealthy process of stowing away on ships, be it pirate or marine, until he eventually landed himself in the Paradise region. He was forced to cross the scorching sands until he stumbled upon the city of Rainbase, now only seeking one thing: water. By word of mouth, Calico discovered the only source for good H2O was surprisingly inside the city’s casino, therefore leading him to devise a plan to infiltrate the building. Although slipping into the casino proved to be a hardy task, he managed to locate where the barrels of water we being kept, as well as the establishment’s earnings. However, when Calico attempted to make off with some of the riches, he was spotted and chased down, only to be apprehended by Crocodile himself (he was partially skewered in the torso by their hook). He was spared only due to Ms. All Sunday, aka Nico Robin, convincing Crocodile not to kill him as he’d not only snuck passed all of their security, but themselves and had almost gotten away with it. While Calico was forced to recover in Robin’s care, Crocodile placed a metallic device around his ankle that prevented him from leaving the casino, causing Calico to develop a personal grudge towards Crocodile (due to his now disgraced pride). He was eventually freed, thanks to the efforts of the Strawhat Pirates, mainly Monkey D. Luffy. Because of this, Calico swears a slight allegiance to Luffy, promising that one day he’ll repay his debt to them. Over the course of time, he resumed ship/land-hopping and evading the authorities until he wound up on Amazon Lily, ruled by Boa Hancock. Infatuated by his stoic demeanor and charming looks, he was “taken prisoner” by Boa and her sisters (but honestly Calico was just looking for a place to take himself off the marines’ radar for a while). This is where he once more crossed paths with Luffy after a while and the two join forces once the news of Ace, Luffy’s older brother, was to be executed. Once at Impel Down and they’d rallied a troupe to rescue Ace, Calico became infuriated when Luffy made a truce with not only Bon Clay, an ex-associate of Baroque Works, but Crocodile as well. Despite his distinctive vendetta, Calico keeps to his promise in helping retrieve Ace from certain death and even ends up fighting alongside Crocodile against Donquixote Doflamingo, although he admits he’s only doing it for Luffy’s sake and that once everything was said and done, he would get Crocodile back for ridiculing him and imprisoning him back in Alabasta. When the troupe was unsuccessful in saving Ace, Calico sadly parts ways with Luffy and continues his aimless journey across the Grand Line.

———

.: Momoku Yurei :.

Age: 23 (pre-skip); 25 (post-skip)

Occupation: Swordsman

Origins: West Blue

Residence: Oni-man Isles

Status: Alive

Height: 182cm (6 feet)

Blood Type: A-

Bounty: None

Devil Fruit: None

Born on the northern island of the Oni-man Isles, Yurei was taught the way of the sword at an extremely early age, being raised solely to be a future guardian of a shrine that housed the Devil Fruit, Akuma Neko no Mi. However, as he grew older, he became more obsessed with wanting to broaden his horizons, dreaming of leaving the Isles with a sense of adventure. Due to his absentmindedness, the shrine was stolen from late one evening, spiralling everyone on the island into a fear-filled panic and they grouped together to search high and low. Their horror, however, was confirmed when thick clouds of smoke billowed up from the western island the next night. Yurei and a handful of the guardians boarded a boat and sailed over to the western island, only to find that the entire village and its citizens were completely eradicated. Now overcome with guilt, Yurei swears he’d find the one responsible for stealing the fruit and killing everyone in this village. With his elders’ permission, he set out into the vast sea, gradually land-hopping from one island to the next. He eventually comes to Syrup Island, acquainting himself with the island folk. However, upon investigation, he learns that the butler of the noble family living in the mansion, Klahadore, is actually a pirate by the name of Kuro. In secrecy, Kuro reveals to Yurei that they and their crew mates were once close to a boy named Calico who possessed the very same powers of the Devil Cat fruit. As much as it displeased him to lie to the island folk about the butler’s true identity, Yurei was forced to leave Syrup Island in silence and continue his search. He made his way to his next stop, the Polestar Islands, mainly Loguetown, where he meets Smoker, captain of the Marines stationed there. Once again, this is where Calico’s whereabouts runs a little cold, however Smoker offers some friendly advice and tells him to head towards the Grand Line. Begrudgingly, Yurei leaves (ironically a couple days prior to the Strawhat Pirates arriving). Unfortunately over time, he gets a tad lost at sea due to a terrible storm knocking him way off course and destroying his boat. While unconscious, Yurei was then picked up by a band of pirates run by Donquixote Doflamingo. Realizing his life was no doubt in peril and he was going to be taken prisoner, he attempted to flee towards the Red Line, however was swiftly apprehended once Doflamingo had caught up with him and beaten him (to an inch of his life). He was taken back to Dressrosa, which was ruled by the warlord and during his torturous captivity, Yurei was later informed that during the invasion on Impel Down, Doflamingo had happened to cross paths with the same Calico he had been trying to track down. Yurei was eventually freed by Monkey D. Luffy, leader of the Strawhat Pirates, who at one point admits they are actually friends with Calico and tells the story of how the two met and how they helped in trying to rescue Ace, Luffy’s older brother. As thanks, Yurei helps Luffy fight against Doflamingo, defeat them and free all of the rest who were taken prisoner. Yurei then accompanies the Strawhat Pirates on their journey, in hopes that someday he’ll finally find Calico and bring them to justice.

[flashfuture]

hello do you mind explaining all the amazons?

All of them????

Okay uh I'll break down the ones i at least know about anyone who's deeper into the WonderFam please jump in I don't really interact with them that much.

But we've got

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman

Our Golden Age Princess of the Amazons. During the Golden and Silver ages she came from Paradise Island. She was truly animated clay here and several hundred years old by the time of WWII. During the Golden Age Diana married Steve Trevor and they had a daughter named Hippolyta "Lyta" Trevor. (My break down of Lyta would be an essay in itself and she's not really an Amazon so). Diana was a member of the JSA here.

During the Silver Age Diana also married Steve but no kids. She rescued Donna Troy from a fire and sent her to Paradise Island to be raised by Hippolyta making Donna and Diana sisters. This is the first timeline to mention Ares is her grandfather technically as he made Hippolyta. Diana lost her powers at some point. She got really really good at martial arts and then two years later got her powers back. She supposedly died during Infinite Crisis but then you know didn't. During Convergence she killed a vampire Joker. That was fun. In this timeline Diana was a founding member of the JLA.

Okay and post crisis New Earth Diana is the first one to say Diana is from Themyscira. It was still called Paradise Island sometimes. She was molded from clay. Diana in this time was not a founding member of the JLA but came to America after it was founded. (I think Infinite Crisis retconned her to be a founding member but idk) Diana has become a member of the Trinity alongside Batman (Bruce Wayne) and Superman (Clark Kent). 

The Prime Earth Diana is the one from Flashpoint and onwards. She’s now the daughter of Zeus. In New52 if I recall right she was made much much younger like in her 20s and explored mankind in the modern era. The Doomsday clock thing reestablished her WWII origins. She was also said again to have been born during probably the Hellenistic Period (they said classical antiquity and that’s you know just a few thousand years) She just helped out in Death Metals and is now doing something with Infinite Frontier unclear I don’t really know what Prime Earth Diana has been up to lately. 

So on Earth-Two, Earth-One, and New Earth Diana was the granddaughter of Ares and as such her life span was greatly extended. On Prime Earth as the direct daughter of Zeus she is immortal. 

Donna Troy: Troia/Wonder Girl 

Donna is a tricky one. She was introduced real quick to fill the girl role on the Teen Titans cause the boys were getting a little too gay. So started Silver Age Earth 1. Okay so basically her origin kept changing but the one that’s ‘canon’ is she was created to be a playmate for Diana but was abducted and kept being cursed to live tragic lives in New Cronus. Right around the Titans era okay Donna was rescued by Diana and brought back to Earth. Donna was the one to suggest the Teen Titans name. Donna is a member of the Fab Five along with Robin/Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Aqualad/Tempest (Garth of Shayaris), Kid Flash/Flash (Wally West), and Speedy/Arsenal (Roy Harper)

Donna married Terry Long when she was 19 and they had Robert, got divorced, they died in a car crash. 

After Crisis on Infinite Earth Donna sorta realized all those ‘lives’ she led were other version of her which she was all of now. And also Donna was believed to be the Goddess of the Moon. She had to stop a sun-eater or whatever but failed (Hal came in with a clutch it it’s cool)

Donna also had to fix some shit during Infinite Crisis and ended up on a Universe Hopping road trip with Kyle Rayner and Jason Todd to find Ray Palmer for Final Crisis or something. She was killed by a Superman Android during the Teen Titans/Young Justice Crossover. (Edit thanks to that anon for this I legit couldn’t remember how she died)

And Prime Earth Donna was made to destroy Diana. She you know didn’t. 

Look I’ll be real I know next to nothing about what the New52 tried to do with Donna. I just go by her original origins of being Diana’s sister. 

On Earth-One and New Earth Donna’s life span was greatly extended and on Prime Earth she is stated to be Immortal as on Prime Earth Amazonian’s on Themyscira were granted immortality. 

Nubia: 

She is like Diana’s twin made from darker clay on Earth-One which is the silver age Earth. Nubia was actually slightly older than Diana but she was stolen as a baby by Ares who was going by Mars. Mars/Ares is Nubia’s grandfather and he wanted her help in taking down the Amazons. Nubia was raised on Floating Island (or slaughter island as Mars/Ares called it). Nubia fought Diana and hesitated to kill her leading to a draw. Nubia returned to Floating Island and at some point Supergirl had to save her life from poison of some sort. 

On New Earth she went by Nu’Bia and was just a random Amazon, her job was to guard the Doom’s Doorway which is an entrance to the River Styx. She was not Diana’s sister. 

On Prime Earth Nubia is the daughter of Hippolyta and the half-sister of Diana not her twin. Nubia went undercover pretending to work with Darkseid before Themyscira could recover and rally to fight. Nubia is currently the Queen of the Amazons. She was given the crown by her mother, Hippolyta during the Dark Metals event. 

As with Donna on Earth-One and New Earth Nubia had a greatly extended lifespan and on Prime Earth Amazons are immortal. 

Cassie Sandsmark: Wonder Girl 

She is a New Earth entry who was for the new Young Justice team. She is the daughter of Zeus and Dr. Helena Sandsmark. Here as Ares is Cassie’s half-brother and technically the father of the Amazon’s this means Cassie is Diana’s great-aunt. 

Cassie as a girl was able to request a Boon of Zeus who she didn’t know was her father at the time I believe and demanded real superpowers. Her mother Helena was able to turn off Cassie’s superpowers at the start as well. Cassie was trained by Artemis for awhile. Cassie became Wonder Girl in honor of Donna Troy who handed over her old suit. Cassie joined Young Justice as a teenager and would later be on the Teen Titans. Cassie has become a part of the Core Four for Young Justice alongside Robin/Red Robin (Tim Drake), Superboy (Kon-El/Conner Kent), and Impulse (Bart Allen). 

Cassie’s best friends outside of the core four are Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and Cissie King-Jones (Arrowette). Cassie and Conner Kent used to date as well and she was in love with him before he died during Infinite Crisis. 

On Prime Earth Cassie is the daughter of Lennox and the granddaughter of Zeus. In this version Diana is Cassie’s aunt not the other way around. Cassie is still a member of the Young Justice team here. I don’t exactly remember what was happening during the New52. She was still Cassie unlike Kon and Bart who’d been replaced. But during Rebirth she went with the other members of Young Justice to rescue Conner Kent from Gemworld. She is currently still a member of the Titans. 

On New Earth as the daughter of Zeus, Cassie is an immortal who would not age further once she reached her prime age (like 27 or so). On Prime Earth as the granddaughter of Zeus and the daughter of Lennox Cassie’s life is extremely extended. 

Artemis Grace:

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall comes from a separate group of Amazons not on Themyscira or Paradise Island. Bana-Mighdall is a tribe of Amazons in Egypt who left Greece millennia ago. 

On New Earth Artemis left her home at 14 and wound up working for Ra’s Al Ghul before returning to her home. There was a competition to see who would be the next Wonder Woman as Hippolyta foresaw Wonder Woman die and wished to spare her daughter the fate. Hippolyta ensured Artemis won the competition. Artemis was shunned by most of the world including the Justice League who refused to see her as the true Wonder Woman. Artemis was also thought to be too violent. Artemis would later die in a battle with a demon fulfilling the prophecy of Wonder Woman dying. 

Artemis got out of hell eventually and was given the job of training Cassie Sandsmark by Diana and would later train Supergirl in combat as well. 

On Prime Earth Artemis was raised being told she would be Queen of the Amazons. She was desperate to prove herself and wanted to be the Shim’Tar of the Bana Amazons. Artemis’ best friend and lover Akila was chosen instead. Without Akila by her side Artemis felt her home had nothing left to offer and set out on her own. She helped stop an invasion of Qurac into Bana as well. 

Artemis then joined the Outlaws and worked with Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Bizarro, a botched clone of Superman. 

On New Earth Artemis had a greatly extended life span. On Prime Earth he Amazons were gifted immortality but those who left for Bana-Mighdall lost this gift so it is most likely that Artemis has the same extended lifespan from New Earth. 

Grace Choi:

Grace on New Earth comes from the same group as Artemis in Bana-Mighdall. Grace’s mother is an Amazon but her father was a Korean American. Grace grew up in America in the foster care system. She ran away at 9 but was kidnapped and sold into a child prostitution ring. She managed to escape at age 12 after her powers kicked in. Grace began fightining both for pay and for fun and worked as a bouncer at a meta club in Metropolis. 

Grace worked for the Outsiders for awhile at the request of Roy Harper an ex-fling and good friend of hers. She helped rescue Lian from the same child protsition ring she was in as a child and generally had lots of adventures with the Outsiders. 

Later it was revealed she had Bana roots but Grace refused to join them as they were currently you know sieging down the US. Batman was briefly worried about her loyalties but Grace proved she had no loyalty or ties to the Bana Amazons. 

Grace has returned to the Prime Earth in Infinite Frontier and in Festival of Heroes and it seems like nothing has changed with her so far. 

Grace has increased longevity of her life. She is listed as half-amazon because only her mother is a Bana Amazon but all Amazons only have their mother who are Amazons so I don’t really see why she isn’t a full Amazon. Anyways increased life span. 

Jason:

He is Diana’s twin on Prime Earth. He was sent away cause you know no men on Themyscira. Jason was raised by Glaucus who was a member of the Argonauts crew and worked under the original Jason of Greek Myth. Who Jason was named for. 

Jason was raised on the Aegean Coast by Glaucus and became a Fisherman. Jason was trained in his youth by his half-brother Hercules. 

Jason worked briefly with Diana but wasn’t sure how to be a hero. There was a period where Darksied’s daughter tricked him but Diana talked him down. And Jason saved Diana’s life during the Dark Metals event. 

He is currently in the Dark Mutliverse living with a boyfriend on the Aegean Coast. 

As the son of Zeus, Jason is an immortal. 

⚔️ Also for fun the Weapons:⚔️

Lasso of Truth: Wielded by Diana Prince

Originally imbued with it’s power by Aphrodite and Athena later after crisis forged by Hephaestus and powered by Hestia, this lasso forces the truth from whoever it has ensnared. It is indestructible.

Lasso of Persuasion: Wielded by Donna Troy

This Lasso forces someone to do what the wielder demands. This requires Donna’s or whoever wields the lasso to have a stronger will then who they’re using the lasso on. It is indestructible.

Lasso of Lightning: Wielded by Cassie Sandsmark 

This lasso was created by Ares and gifted to his half-sister Cassie Sandsmark on New Earth. This lasso channels Zeus’ lightning and can make someone experience intense rage if they are caught by the lasso. The power of the lasso is directly correlated to Cassie’s rage levels. 

Lasso of Submission: Wielded by Artemis Grace

Originally from Earth-3 this lasso has the ability to make someone obey any commands even those to inspire false love. After Superwoman (Lois Lane) of Earth-3 was killed Diana took the lasso and gifted it to Artemis. 

Bow of Ra: Wielded by Artemis Grace

The Bow of Ra was a gift from the Egyptian sun god, Ra to the Bana-Midghall Amazons. This bow goes to the Shim’Tar and forges a special bond with them. Those who are not the Shim’Tar cannot wield the bow and further if you are not a candidate to be a Shim’Tar the bow will harm or even kill you. The bow requires intense willpower to use or it can drive the wielder mad. Akila was driven mad with the power of the bow and had to be killed by Diana and Artemis. It is said to have the power to destroy stars so this bow is incredibly dangerous and powerful if not wielded by the right person. 

(Bonus Donna used to use a lasso that was golden but held no specific magical properties.) 

[craftcubeblog]

YouTube Video - https://youtu.be/zLYFioA-T-A

Hey Guys,

Back with another post!

I hope you're all keeping comfortable - there's a lot of us in the UK just spending our spare time sitting still and keeping cool! And going stir-crazy with boredom while we are at it! Luckily for me, I've fallen on to the Animal Crossing wagon recently and have found new unproductive ways to occupy myself!

The game has lots of fun villagers to interact with and one of mine has slowly become my favourite one - Coco! She started out so shy and quiet but seemed to open up as time went on. Plus, she's kind of cute in a weird, clay bunny kind of way! So of course, I was inspired to create her in amigurumi form.

I have to say I struggled a little with this one - partly with trying to get her eyes to look right and partly due to having a very busy schedule recently. It was a challenge sometimes to focus on the more complex parts. But I'm very happy with how she turned out. I'll admit I'm rather pleased with myself on how I used magnets and created her signature accessories. She was also very co-operative in providing footage for my making-of video. Doyoing!

I hope you like her as much as I do! Until next time, keep creative!

[rebelwrites]

Can’t Fight The Moonlight Part 2

Jax Teller x Reader

Part 1

A/N: I wasn’t planning on doing a part two but listening to the song “oh my love” by the score and dancing around my kitchen cleaning it I wanted no needed to do a part two 😂

Join The TagList Here 💜

Jax was serious about opening up a coyote bar in charming. Within a month of you revealing your old life to him, the Sons had brought a bar not too far from the compound. Every spare chance you got you were all hanging out there. Making the bar what you had visioned.

Today was the day you chose your girls, it would be a two part recruitment process. The first step was seeing if they could handle serving drinks. To put them to the test Jax had arranged a massive party, Sons from other charters had been arriving all afternoon. And so had the girls.

Lets just say everyone loved having new girls around the place however you had warned them all that they were off limits for now.

“Right tonight is going to be hard” You said sipping your beer as you leant against the bar looking at the 15 girls standing in front of you. “Trust me the guys you will be serving tonight are animals, I should know I am family”

Out of the corner of your eye you saw Jax walk in, his famous panty dropping smirk on his face as he threw you a wink. You also notice some of the girls practically drooling over your man. Making a mental note of the ones who did you jumped onto the bar so you were now sitting on it.

“First rule” You said, leaning your forearms on your thighs. “You see the blondie over there. He is off limits, and if I find any of you trying to seduce him, well I will cut you”

You knew Jax heard every word you said whilst he was sorting some paperwork at the reaper table as he had left the door open, it also meant you heard him laugh slightly.

“This isn’t your normal gig okay, like I said you will be serving animals tonight” You said sipping your beer again “so if you know you aren’t going to be up for it then I will not be offended if you walk out the door”

You paused for a moment and 5 of the girls walked out the door.

“Okay then” You nodded “Yes this is part one of the recruitment process but the main thing is have fun. Now go get ready the party starts in an hour”

As they all filed outside to do whatever you saw Jax leaning against the door frame, smirking at you.

“Seen something you like Teller” You giggled jumping off the bar, walking over to him, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Mmmm very much so” He said huskily “You got me feeling certain ways watching you be a boss bitch”

“Well we have a bit of time to kill before the party starts” You whispered against his ear, nipping slightly as you squeezed his dick through his jeans, earning a low growl from your man.

“You don’t need to ask me twice darlin’” He smirked, throwing you over his shoulder practically running to his dorm.

Tonight was the night, the grand opening of the bar. Your girls were getting ready in the back room. Whereas you were standing in the middle of the empty bar taking it all in. Apart from the financial backing from the club this was all you. Feeling Jax wrap his arms around your waist you leaned back against his chest.

“I am proud of you darlin’ this place was a shit hole when we brought it” He whispered, placing a loving kiss on your forehead “Tonight is going to be amazing, you have worked so hard for tonight”

“I couldn’t have done it without you” You smiled kissing his knuckles.

“Anything for you darlin’ now you go get yourself ready” He grinned letting you out of his arms slapping your ass as you walked off.

You were now standing on top of the bar, in your denim shorts, your white SAMCRO shirt which you had ripped the sleeves off and turned it into a crop top and paired with your trusty converse along with Jax’s reaper crew cap. Placing your fingers in your mouth you whistled, gaining everyone's attention as you were joined on the bar by some of the girls.

“So I just want to say thank you for everyone turning up tonight” You grinned taking the mic off Opie. “Now I am not gonna bore you to death speaking because we all know what you came here for, so have a good night, drink loads and don’t forget to tip the girls”

Nodding at your girls, you then nodded at Chucky to high the music.

“Oh my love, let me be your fire, We're a thousand miles up and I'm 'bout to get higher. Feel my heart beating out my chest. You're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed. Singing oh oh oh” You sang as you walked across the bar “Rest your head like it was made of stone. Next to mine, darling lay your bones. Hold you closer, let me show. We'll shape this world like it was meant to be. Made of clay for only you and me. Awake with you is better than a dream. Better than a dream”

“Oh my love, let me be your fire. We're a thousand miles up and I'm 'bout to get higher. Feel my heart beating out my chest. You're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed. Singing oh oh oh”

Everyone was watching intently as you sang your heart out, dancing around the girls. One thing you were glad about was they picked the dance up pretty quick.

“Safe and sound is all you'll ever know. Shake the ground, the higher that we go. We'll take the stars and show 'em how to blow. Yeah, 'cause life is more than just a waiting game. And we're not waiting 'til it's time to play. The only rules I play by are you. Play by you”

“Oh my love, let me be your fire We're a thousand miles up and I'm 'bout to get higher. Feel my heart beating out my chest. You're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed. Singing oh oh oh.” Your body moved to the beat of the music, smirking to yourself as Jax didn’t know what was coming, in fact no one did as you all jumped off the bar finding a man.

You sauntered over to Jax, smirking at him whilst you were still singing.

“I won't be afraid. If my spirit fades. 'Cause when I see your face. I know that I am saved. I won't be afraid. If my spirit fades. 'Cause when I see your face. I'm saved. Oh my love, let me be your fire” You sang as you ran your spare hand over his body, dropping to the floor like you did when you first danced for him, spinning around on the ball of your feet you pushed your ass out as you stood back up straight, grinding on your man.

The song came to an end when you were back on top of the bar. Jax had never seen your smile as bright and as wide as it was just night. He knew this decision wasn’t just the best for the club but for you, his future old lady. Seeing how happy this made you made him happy. Little did you know that tonight would be the night that Jax made you officially his old lady, and his fiancee.

“So it is official” You shouted slightly out of breath “The bar is open you fuckers, lets get drunk”

SOA TAGLIST

@chibsytelford @talicat713 @corebore123 @nothingeverdies @teapartydreams @mrspeacem1nusone @khyharah @itmejado @beth-winchester21 @rocketqueen @auroraariza @trulysuccubus @haynsey @witching-hour @destynelseclipsa @edonaspanca @abbiesthings @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat @jadesamhart @lady-pswrld @ly--canthrope @hennessyauntie @gemini0410 @i-love-scott-mccall @est11 @mystic-shadows42 @sugary-x-sweet @starrynite7114 @skyofficialxx @terminallygenius @lauraashley93 @leaalfred @angelreyesgirl89 @sheeshgivemeabreak @marquelapage @meteora-fc @penny4yourthot @justahopelessssromantic @ilikechocolatemilkh @mayans-sauce @xbreezymeadowsx @ben-c-group-therapy @-im-fantastic- @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @milaxmariex @cubblycie @little-diable @hotdamnhunnam @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead

[votederpycausemufins]

Back at it again with scattered au. And since this is the caves and cliffs update, I really should look at those. :3

scattered au by @hermitcraftheadcanons and also tagging @helleborusangel beacuase they are good bean and this is my love language.

Xisuma waited until the last second to move out of the way, the warden’s fists slamming against the wall with the same force as a ravager, breaking into the wall. Though at this point, it wasn’t so much a wall as it was the end of a tunnel.

He had tried mining his way out on his own before, but deepslate was tougher than stone and that was already tough enough to break with your hands. Plus, chipping away at the rock with your bare hands wasn’t the quietest thing in the world. Xisuma wasn’t sure how many times he had died before he managed to break through two blocks.

But then he had barely dodged what would have been another kill while trying to break a third block, and the warden broke so much more of it. While it wasn’t the greatest plan, it was a plan nonetheless. Xisuma made sure to guide the monster’s attacks at the wall, hopefully in a more upward direction. Once he had any sort of opening, he would let himself get killed and then use his next few respawn to lead the warden as far as he could in the other direction.

The more that Xisuma walked the caves and dodged the warden, the better he got at it all. At this point, even in the dark, it was like he could see the cave. And he also seemed to be getting better reaction times, knowing when the warden was about to attack.

The admin kept looking at the information his helmet gave him. It was set up to double as a communicator, so along with the currently disabled admin functions, he could still see the chat, and most importantly, see his coordinates.

He raced past the Warden on his next respawn, going into the tunnel and climbing through it as fast as he could. He reached the end and hung onto the highest point he could of the cave, finding himself clinging to the wall. The warden reached him, ready to swing, and then Xisuma dropped. The monster punched into the place X had been a moment ago, causing more of the wall to break. Instead of there just being more deepslate,a stream of water fell from one of the new holes. Xisuma felt the cold water on his hands as it rushed past, and then he was killed by the Warden.

Xisuma didn’t care that he had died, he had gotten something better. And that was a way out. He rushed back to that part of the cave and got the warden’s attention before running the other way, letting it follow the echoing sound of his footsteps. It slowly got closer and closer to Xisuma, speeding up as it went. The admin barely cared when it finally did reach him and immediately kill him, sending him back to his spawn. He just found the warden and did it again.

X led it all the way to the other end of the cave, going until they were up near the wall. Then he let himself get killed. He started by moving carefully. He didn’t really have to rush right now. In fact, rushing would just be loud and alert the warden. So he slowly made his way through the caves, finally reaching his exit.

He didn’t care how much noise he made now, there was no way the warden could reach him in time. Xisuma waded into the water, the splashing noises it caused alerting nearby sculk. They started to send the message along to the warden, but he didn’t care. He started swimming up the water with all his might, ready to get to the other side of the wall and escape. Then he finally reached the air on the other side and took a deep breath.

He looked around, hoping he could see the area around him, hopefully from some lichen. While there was no lichen, Xisuma could still see enough to have his heart drop. He hadn’t escaped. This just led to another part of the same cave, except much closer to where the warden was now. Right now, the admin couldn’t see the past few respawns as anything but useless. He had essentially made no progress and was back to square one. Sure, he could try somewhere else, make sure that this time he was really going away from the cave, but right now, everything just felt like a waste.

Xisuma lay down in the pool of water, letting himself float there. Of course he would try later. He was the admin. If anyone was fixing what had happened to the world, it would probably be him since he was admin. But right now, he just wanted to rest. He had run so far, dodging the warden and leading it around. And now he had some chance to rest. A short break before he tries to escape once more. And he would escape, even if that ended up being days or weeks or even months. Everyone seemed to be in their own bad situations, so he needed to find some way to help and fix things.

.

.

Jevin feels the rumbling from below him again. He still isn’t sure what it is. It never has a death message to go along with it. All he knows is it’s below him. Well that, and the axolotls aren’t a fan of it. He pets one that swims by, hoping to calm it.

While he’s got some tools, the makeup of the cave has been difficult to get through. Clay and stone and plants all use their own tools, so going back and forth isn’t the best. Plus, while he found some wood, it’s still limited and he’s not sure how long it would last. So Jevin just has a stone pick and sword, only wanting to use them for emergencies. He used to also have a wooden pickaxe, but he used it up trying to escape the cave, it breaking being why he stopped trying.

Besides, due to the glowberries, he had both food, and enough light that no monsters were spawning. If Jevin really had to, he could stay down there. He'd prefer if he could leave, but it wasn’t currently a life or death situation like so many others.

He pats a yellow axolotl as it swims by, a green spot left behind in the shape of Jevin’s hand, making him sigh. He had started having trouble keeping his slime together, constantly leaving it behind on the things he touched. He’s pretty sure that it’s because he’s in a humid cave, which is making his slime looser, and spending so much time sitting in the ponds doesn’t help, but he hasn’t fallen apart or dissolved, so it’s not dangerous or anything.

And then there’s the fact he’s just had trouble getting out of the water. He’s recently had trouble swimming and his limbs feel heavy when he tries to climb out. Jevin would try to stay on land, but the place is filled with water, so it’s either stay stuck on one or two small blocks making a platform, or wade in the water. And he’s decided the water is the better option right now.

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.

.

Doc kicked at a goat. He didn’t actually kick it, then it would probably attack back and throw him off the cliff. That had already happened to him more than once. He also didn’t want to stay in place, as apparently the goats preferred attacking him when he wasn’t moving too. So the best the hybrid could do was move around and glare at the animals.

He looked up at the clouds, still walking around. He had seen two different people fall from the mountain hidden above. Based on his communicator, those two were Grian and Grumbot. And then from some achievement messages, it looked like Jrumbot was up there too. Doc was half glad that the robots had come along to the next season, but wished they didn’t have to end up in this situation and instead came to a normal season.

Doc looked back down just in time to stop himself from walking off the edge. He looked behind himself quickly to make sure there weren’t any goats ready to attack him, and for the most part they were, save for two that were maybe a little too close for comfort. The hybrid stepped back to the middle of the mountain cliff he was on, hissing slightly in frustration. The only trees were lower down, so he couldn’t get wood. But then there was also coal and iron staring him in the face from the side of the mountain.

He was so close to being set and yet he was so far. There wasn’t even any water that he could reach with a jump. And he had already tried getting the goats to launch him, but it was always random which way he would be hit, and it never seemed to be towards the water enough for him to make it. At the very least he was far enough down that it was a bit chilly, but not cold enough to freeze him. Though it did seem to be getting colder the longer he was there. But that could just be because it was starting to get late again.

Doc was fine with night. Sure, monsters would spawn, but that meant the goats were more likely to attack them and not him. And if he made sure they didn’t fall off the edge, Doc could get whatever they dropped. He had managed to get lucky with a carrot from one zombie, which was stored in his pocket for an emergency. If he could somehow get lucky and till some ground, it would be a reliable source of food, but until then, rotten flesh would do.

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.

Grum and Jrum did their best to keep their dad in the blankets of the bed. After that pillar thing had shown up, he seemed to get colder. Grum was pretty sure it was due to whatever ice was used to build it. It looked like regular blue ice, but since it had affected his dad, he wasn’t sure.

Jrum wanted to curl up in bed with his dad, but he still remembered the fact that metal would steal heat that there wasn’t spare of. He tried to hold up one of the pieces of steak to Grian’s mouth, hoping he would eat something, but the only reaction the avian had was to turn his head away and refuse it. Jrum tried to get him to eat a few more times before giving up, putting the food away.

Grum got up and walked over to the pillar. Their dad couldn’t do much from keeping himself alive, but he and his brother weren’t affected by the cold. Fall damage could kill them of course, but just standing on the mountain wouldn’t. So Grum grounded his feet in the snow, packing it down so he had a sturdier place to stand, and then he started punching at the ice. It was slow to break since the only tools he had were his hands, but it was slowly working.

Jrum noticed what was happening and joined his brother, standing on the opposite side of the pillar. With the two of them, the cracks in the ice formed faster, getting closer to fully breaking. Grum punched just a little faster when it looked like it was just moments away from breaking and then-

Purple light started to glow from the cracks and they reformed. Grum jumped back at that, surprised, but then moved forward again in anger. They had to get rid of it. Maybe just be faster this time. He started again, but this time Jrum wasn’t helping. “Come on, let’s try again.”

But Jrum didn’t listen, just ran back to their dad, making Grum stop to turn around. Gria had pulled himself out of bed and was coming over to the bots, wings dragging in the snow behind him. “Dad no! You need to stay in the blankets! You gotta stay warm!”

Grian ignored Jrum and instead went to Grum. The bot took a step back from the way his dad looked, his eyes a bright amethyst color even though he wasn’t using magic. “Dad? Are you okay?”

Grian tilted his head for a short moment with a chirp before he grabbed Grum. “Don’t break it. It’s very important.” And then he started to lift Grum up. The bot struggled and Jrum ran to Grian’s side to try and make him let go. He tried harder and harder as Grian slowly moved them closer to the edge, Grum still scared of heights after before. But nothing seemed to be working and Jrum was also panicking now.

As a last resort, Jrum stopped dealing with his dad and instead grabbed for Grum directly. At first he had no luck, but then he pulled as hard as he could. There was a crack and then Grum was free, falling on top of Jrum. The bots were both still looking in their dad’s direction and were still able to see him. The arm he had been holding Grum in was now broken and hanging at an awkward angle.

For a moment, Grian’s other hand started to glow with purple energy, moving to heal the broken bone. But before he could get far, Grum was back up and pushed him off the side of the mountain. The two bots stared, not sure if they wanted their dad to fly back up, or if they were glad he was gone, but eventually Grian hit the bottom of the mountain, not doing anything to keep himself alive.

The bots both got the message of their dad dying, so they looked back to the bed. The avian was back under the covers, but wasn’t getting back up, instead curled up for more warmth. Reluctantly, Jrum got up first and carefully walked over to Grian. He stopped in place when there was another glow of purple, but he saw something appear in the avian’s hands and the glow disappeared, meaning he just used magic to summon something new.

Jrum finally reached the bed and was glad that his dad didn’t react too violently. “D-Dad? Are you okay?” He asked, and then Grian looked at him, making the bot freeze again. His eyes were still the bright amethyst color they had been before, but they weren’t as mean looking.

“H-hey… it… no I kn-know it’s n-not okay… Y-You two shouldn’t…” Grian chattered out, wishing he could comfort the two bots. “I d-didn’t know th-that it was going to be h-here. I c-can’t get you out y-yet… I’m… one of you n-needs to get down… g-get help. B-both of you if you c-can. I-I’ll be f-fine on my own.”

“But dad, we can’t just leave you here. And we don’t know where anyone else is.” Jrum complained, but then Grum spoke up.

“Well… we actually do. Everything’s processed and… Doc’s down there somewhere.”

Grian shook his head. “N-no. Stay away from h-him too. Stay a-away from everyone t-to be safe. Just g-get to spawn.” The bots tried to say something, but he cut them off. “No buts. I’ll t-try to fix things, b-but it m-might just g-get worse.”

“Why would you need to fix it?” Grum asked, having gotten behind Jrum.

“B-because it’s my fault. I b-brought you h-here. A-and I d-didn’t even ask about wh-who it was. And now I-it’s just going to g-get worse fr-from here.”

“Dad, you didn’t know this was going to happen.” Grum said, though it looked like Grian didn’t believe him. “And we want to stay here and make sure you’re okay since you’re obviously not. I know you wouldn’t want to do what you just did normally.”

“B-but…”

“No, now you get no buts!” Jrum spoke up. “If only one of us can get down, then the other of us will stay with you, and it’s better if we stay together. So we’re both gonna stay up here!”

Grian tried to argue again, but the bots both made sure to keep him stuck in the bedsheets, even tying the blanket down in a few places. “Don’t worry dad. Jrum and I will make sure everything is fine. We’ll be here for whatever you need.”

Grian didn’t answer, just flopped back down onto the bed and curled up. He still wanted to argue, but he was also tired, and one of those was easier to fix than the other. So before long, Grian had fallen asleep, the bots staying nearby in case he needed something, but also using each other to pass the time.

And then suddenly Etho was there, making the two of them jump.

[out-there-so-it-isnt-just-me]

Hey guys...I have an idea if you aren't sad enough yet. I was struck by a painful comparison sort of crossover idea. It would never be canon, but  I'm mourning the end of Campaign Two, and I want to be sad and over-dramatic. Essek, but as Eliza from Hamilton in “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story.” But, it’s for the entire Mighty Nien. Some of the lyrics are so on point for a poor Essek who will probably outlive all of his friends (Elves still generally live longer than Firbolgs by a good 200 years). Anyway, enjoy.

MN

Every other founding father's story gets told

It occurs to Essek, during one of the many periods without one of the Mighty Nein (the time that he dwells on them the most), how unfair their whole situation is. They saved all of Exandria, and no one knows. They are amazing, and odd, and frustrating, and no one knows. They will die loved deeply, but not widely. He knows they prefer it that way, all things considered. But, everyone else who saves all of Exandria becomes legends, while the people he loves best will be forgotten, remembered only by him.

And that. That sounds unbearable. 

So, in-between the times he sees the Mighty Nein, he begins to gather accounts. He writes down stories from those they helped, or simply left an impression on.  The people who have met the Mighty Nein have an air about them that he gets good at detecting. They attracted the oddballs and the outcasts. And if they're entirely normal (whatever that means), then they usually get a certain twitch if you ask for stories about interesting strangers. About half the time, a certain blue tiefling pops up in them. He almost has a heart attack when he hears  “go fuck yourself,” in Jester’s cheerful voice, when he knows Jester isn’t anywhere near there. He ends up getting the kenku’s story, and the voices of his friends are weaved into it. Essek thinks the Mighty Nein are the best people in the world, in their own rambunctious way. Part of him wants the world to love them as he does, or at least have the option to. Everyone should have a chance to get to know them, even if it's just through tales. The world would be a better place for it.

...And when you're gone, who remembers your name?

Who keeps your flame? 

Who tells your story?

Who tells your story?

Who tells your story?

Once there is only him and Caduceus left, this becomes a more prominent part of how he spends his time. After...after a long, long period of mourning. He has so much life left to live without most of the people who made it worth living.

I put myself back in the narrative

I stop wasting time on tears

I live another 50(0) years

He stops hiding his past and bears his sins and his story to the world. Essek tells his story so their story can be appreciated to the fullest; his part in their story emphasizes the depth of their compassion and chaos. He tells his story, but not as himself. Essek continues to drift from town to town under a vast number of aliases. Everywhere he goes, he spreads his stories of his friends, some serious, most silly. He disguises himself so he can stay alive to do a little more good, tell a few more stories, to truly live the life his friends wanted for him.

...I try to make sense of your thousands of pages of writings

You really do write like you're running out of time.

Eventually, he gets his hands on some of Beau’s journals, Jester’s diaries, and Caleb’s research. Well, he always had the research, but he gets to the point where he can share it with the world. He slowly begins to share and explain their thoughts and personalities with excerpts from those. Maybe he also has letters that he shares parts of (though most of those, those words specifically for him, he keeps to himself, for himself). He wonders if they'd be angry at him for spilling their private thoughts. But neither Beau nor Jester filtered their thoughts very much in the first place, and he keeps anything truly painful out of the public eye. Caleb, well, Caleb was always about sharing his knowledge and research, provided it wasn't dangerous. And they were all dead anyway.  One of the last things they told him was to be happy. And talking about his friends, learning more about his friends even after they were long dead, that made him the happiest he'd been in a while. So he hoped they wouldn’t begrudge him this small joy he’d managed to grasp and forgive him, should it be necessary.

I rely on Angelica

While she's alive, we tell your story

She is buried in Trinity Church near you

When I needed her most, she was right on time

Caduceus isn’t particularly interested in being well known or famous, but he never shies away from telling a story about any of his friends. Plus, he thinks it’s a good project for Essek. It's a way to continue to show his love for them and keep them alive in the only way they can be now. When Caduceus eventually passes away, he joins the eight other graves (Veth refused to be buried apart from Yeza) that lay in a tucked-away corner of the Blooming Grove. There is one space left, nestled between where Caleb and Jester lay, but it will be empty for a long time yet.

And I'm still not through

I ask myself, what would you do if you had more time...

...You could have done so much more if you only had time

And when my time is up, have I done enough?

Will they tell your story?

He keeps adding to his tale; he stretches it longer and longer with every shred he can remember. But, even his memory, as long as it is, runs out eventually. And their story finally ends, but he doesn't. He throws himself into activities that remind him of them. He does a lot of gardening ( mostly tea, poisonous plants, and flowers). He teaches children some rudimentary dunamancy in his spare time, for Caleb. He messes around with alchemy a little. Eventually, he publishes the last of the research that he and Caleb worked on together; ones that took him decades to solve by himself. He even finds himself drawing a surprising amount of dicks on random surfaces near the very end.

Oh, can I show you what I'm proudest of?

...I help to raise hundreds of children

I get to see them growing up

The time that doesn’t go towards his now worrying amount of hobbies, he spends doing what he has done since the beginning: caring for the Mighty Nien’s true legacy. He looks after and visits their children. He takes care of descendants of Luc, of Jester and Fjord, of the random teenager that Beau and Yasha seemed to adopt completely on accident, of TJ, of the Clays, and of a lovechild of Kingsley’s that found out who his father was and then somehow found Essek himself to learn about him. In an embarrassing show of sentimentality, Essek always keeps at least one offspring of Caleb's very first cat. There is a very funny story about Caleb thinking the animal was spayed when it was, in fact, not. He visits the different generations every couple of years or so (he has a schedule). The drow makes sure they know the stories of their ancestors, the adventures of the Mighty Nien; he tells them it's all real. He gives them ways to contact him if they’re in danger, or need any kind of help really ( he has funds to spare at this point). Every once in a while, a few of them will get it in their heads to write him yearly updates. It’s nice.

In their eyes, I see you, Alexander

I see you every time

And when my time is up

Have I done enough?

Will they tell your story?

It is strange and painful to see the attitude and mannerisms of the Nein in the descendants who have never met them. It is wonderful too. His stories of the Mighty Nein have become well-known tales that no one can decide how much is truth and how much is fiction (it’s true, it’s all somehow, hilariously true). He preserved them in his own way, in the right way (time travel is something he thinks of with a growing hunger the more years pass between when he last laid eyes on his friends). But in these men, these women, these children, they are truly alive.

One little half-orc girl has Jester’s mischievous eyes and infectious joy. Another halfling man squints just like Veth when she's trying to figure out if someone is bullshitting her. There’s a boy who charmingly bumbles his way through most social encounters, as Fjord did. A firbolg woman who has Caduceus gentle smile. A tiefling girl with all the audacious bravado of Kingsley. A man with eyes just as piercing as Beau’s, and a tongue just as sharp. Even Yasha’s kind and gentle demeanor somehow shines through in one small boy, despite her having no direct descendants. He gets to see these flashes of his friends in those who survive them, and it thrills him as much as it cuts him. (Sometimes, when the current cat has ruined some item of his, the pleased look it wears resembles the quiet glee Caleb exuded after he pulled a successful prank, but he’s pretty sure that’s just fanciful thinking.)

One of the last things Essek does before he dies is fully publish, in print, the entire tale of the Mighty Nein. How they came together, every person they helped along the way. The love, the loss, the kindness, the chaos, every moment he could recall or record was put into this one account (necessarily stretched out into several separate books). There is only one set, and he hands it over to the Library of the Cobalt Soul in Rexxentrum. Then he goes on his lonely way.

Oh, I can't wait to see you again

It's only a matter of time

There are now ten graves, each one as unique as its owner, nestled in a small corner of the Blooming Grove. One grave has the dirt still fresh around it. And somewhere, beyond the Divine Gate, there are cheers and laughs and cries of joy as the Mighty Nien become the Mighty Nine once more.

fin.

MN

It’s my head-canon that by the time Essek dies he’s practically a mythical figure among the select families he looks after. It's  to the point that in certain locations ( that have a lot of Nein remnants) he becomes a local legend, the guardian angel of nien (no spelling specified and with no real distinction of what that means), with skin like the night sky who drifts (literally) through towns and helps those who meet a certain requirement, unknown to the general populus. There are rumors that certain people have bestowed upon them a token they could use to call upon the angel’s aid. Of course, the people who have the tokens (sending stones or something similar. IDK how he would get that many wondrous items, but I focus on satisfying narrative not, like, plausibility) know Essek and know that he has died and that the tokens no longer work, but for a while they keep them as heirlooms, to show the love of one drow wizard for the friends he had long, long ago. Eventually, one of Veth’s descendants sells off their set because sending stones are worth A LOT, and the money seemed more practical. They have their stories; those are enough. 

And before anyone complains about the Kingsley bit, I felt compelled to add a smidgen of Kingsley content because Essek loves Jester and Jester’s with Fjord and Kingsley is with both of them for years. I’m sure they get to know each other well enough that seeing traits of Kingsley is vaguely nostalgic and warming, even if it lacks the depth and love he feels for everyone else. Also, there’s no convincing me that Molly/Kingsley doesn’t have at least one illegitimate child running around from various trysts, he was basically the Scanlan of this campaign. It goes with the hedonistic vibe he gives off.

Also, is it normal that I completely designed the Nein’s burial site in my head because I did? Like I imagine they’re all spaced out in a circle. It’s almost like a stone gazebo but there’s not really a roof; it’s just a group of nine pillars that support a stone circle. The entrance is the Traveler’s door with dicks around the edge, and each of the nine pillars/supports is designed to look the knowing mistresses staff. The stone circle is covered in carvings of storm clouds and lightning. Wires are strung across the center of the stone circle to form the symbol of the Cobalt Soul. Not that you can see the wires, because vines have been grown all around them. Once you step through the Traveler’s gate, you’ll find yourself on some kind of rough mosaic floor, with depictions of a peacock, a pyramid, a snake, a sun, a moon, and (oddly) a pirate ship. The mosaic is made up of buttons of various materials and shapes. In the center is a saltwater pool/spring (depending on how magical we can get idk) and floating above it is an eternal flame encased in some sort of dunamancy magic that doesn’t  actually exist that keeps it floating and eternal. Look I'm running out of ideas.

I can’t imagine what everyone’s grave marker would be, but I’m pretty sure Yasha’s is a simple stone that says "YASHA NYDOORIN: wife of Zuella and Beauregard Lionette," and the place where’s she’s buried is just covered in wildflowers that spread outside of the gazebo to encircle the structure entirely up to the gate. Also, everyone has a stone tarot card by their grave with the picture and designation that Molly gave them. Beyond that grows a weirdly dense thicket of trees and bushes that make finding the Nein's resting place rather hard. It’s said only the descendants of the Nein’s family or those favored by the Wildmother (or Traveler, Or Ioun, or Storm Lord) can find their way to them. And one tree, directly behind Yasha, is dead, struck by lightning who knows how long ago. 

And they’re buried in this order: Yeza/Veth, Caleb, Essek, Jester, Ford, Kingsley, Yasha, Beau, Cad. I know there’s a good chance that a) Kingsley would just eff off and die somewhere unknown and b) Cad would probably want to be buried with the rest of his family, but shhh let me dream.

[windermeresimblr]

The Clan of the Trash Panda: A Neandersim Midnight Sun Legacy (1.4)

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In the morning, concerned that Meeka may not be getting enough nutrients, I cheat and purchase a pet bowl for her. Despite it being a raw pet food bowl, the fllling animation has a very modern food bag with very cute kibble pieces.

Droh: Why would you ever want to eat cold kibble? Hot food is best.

However, when Meeka comes to eat the food, it has reverted to its proper state: raw orgsans of some kind or another. Which is interesting, considering that all Droh’s been eating are anchovies and alley catfish. Not a lot of organs on those, at least not enough to fill a food bowl with heaping helpings of gore.

Droh: Meeka is special and deserves the best food. Eat up, little fox-thing! It’s got chyme, my favorite!

Meeka: Squarshem organs between my teeth. Yes. Squarsh. No munchings and crunchings for poor Gurgi, er, Meeka. 

Droh does not have as much luck with his own meal. Not only does it catch fire, he also makes disgusted faces, gags, and coughs with every bite. To be fair, he’s had that fish in his bag of holding for, like, a day, and I don’t think he seasons his food. (I got very annoyed at the gagging and face-pulling. I almost yelled “you’ll eat your burnt fish and like it!” Is this what it’s like being a parent?)

Meeka: The big creature, yes, he’s done his job today. I will spare him.

Droh: Meeka, there’s a rainbow. A rainbow, Meeka. You’re missing the rainbow, Meeka.

You’re missing the rainbow, too, standing with your back to it like that, but I digress.

After this, I make Droh swim some more. It is then that I realize that the hygiene through swimming mod is broken. But I decide to take care of Droh’s hunger needs first.

Back at the camp, Droh roasts some more fish. This time, he says something that sounds suspiciously like the English “God, that’s good!” while eating it. I’m just glad that he’s not gagging and grossing me out, so I’ll let his accidental English acquisition slide.

I then send him on a hunt for things to pick up, because I wanted to see if there was a seashell spawner he could harvest. Instead, he finds a bunch of seeds. Look at it, it’s the size of his hand. 

I don’t think he can actually eat the seed, and mousing over reveals that it’s a mandrake seed. I was thinking of incorporating @danjaley ‘s rule from her Banished challenge about herbs and winter survival, so I decide to allow Droh a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit of agriculture, as a treat.

Droh: So I just...stick it in the ground? I don’t mix it with meat, or crack it with a rock until it breaks open, or set it on fire? That’s it? No thanks, Watcher. I’d rather eat the plant.

After this, I buy @aroundthesims​’ rock shower and plop it on the beach lot. I know it’s not terribly natural-looking, but I got tired of trying to figure out what concatenation of mods would make the ocean-as-bath mod work. 

However, as you can see, there’s some difficulty having Droh shower while the rocks are in the same area as the waterfall, so I had to separate them so that he’d stop having a routing tantrum.

Droh: Wow, this is great! Thanks, Watcher!

I also got sick of Droh doing nothing but chasing Meeka around the campsite, so I bought him Sandy’s prehistoric sculpture station and made him get to work with 3 simoleons’ worth of clay. 

We sacrificed one huckleberry bush and a random seed to afford this. I may have been too hasty removing all his money before this, but in my defense, I did not think that Meeka would have such a strong gravitational pull. Literally all he does, if left to his own devices, is play with her. While this is cute, I want him to survive, you know!

Droh: It’s not my fault. Can’t you be nicer to me? Ask me what I’m making?

Ok, what are you making, Droh?

Droh: :) You’ll see.

Now that I’ve hit the picture limit, let’s hit the credits!

Credits:

Meeka’s raw food by The Bleeding Woodland

Droh’s waterfall shower by AroundTheSims3

Droh’s sculpting station by AroundTheSims3

This episode is sponsored in part by viewers like you! I really appreciate how you all have been commenting and liking this. It makes me happy to see how everyone is enjoying my very ugly little Sim, with apologies to Asimov. I will try to get a proper response post up this week--maybe Wednesday?

[stagbells]

For Me and You

From: @vivifrage

To: @superbellsubways

Written works under readmore!

Creatures called, chirped, and chirred all around. Foliage rustled; a nail tapped the heart of a fool eater and, as soon as it snapped, sliced its mock jaws free in a single slash. The nail’s wielder sighed hard, tugging the collar of his shirt to puff in some air flow. Not that getting all the same warm, sticky air to flow did much to alleviate the way his clothes stuck to his carapace, or to fan his overheated face.

As he stepped past the fool eater’s remains, the ground squished underfoot, acid diluted with pooling water and flecked with various pollens.

It was warm, muggy, and acrid, but it was home.

He readjusted the bucket’s seat in his arm. The handle was digging in, not too bad, but he’d be happy to put it down when he could. It wasn’t exactly light, and while it was like his entire body began to itch if he didn’t do some sort of training, he wasn’t as into it as he had been when he was younger. Which, really, did wandering around Greenpath not make up for it? Or gathering supplies for art?

Though he had to say, he did not mind how much more the delicateness and care of his touch came to mind these days. Precision, too, yes, as it had under Sly's tutelage, but not so much speed, nor strength. There was a new world to learn.

He rounded a corner and maskflies burst from the foliage, grey bodies flooding from green so dense it hid them completely. They chattered and clicked and darted away as Sheo waved around his face to stem off any who flew the wrong direction. Branches and leaves rustled in their wake, bobbing as if disturbed by strong wind.

Oh, if only a strong wind had passed through. Even the beat of so many maskfly wings didn't waver the heat or humidity.

Sheo sighed a hot, sticky breath, flapped his shirt again, and picked through the undergrowth. The occasional maskfly, late to the party, fluttered away before him, but he didn't hear anything trapped and unable to free itself.

Sure, sure, the dead were what gave the plants life, starting the cycle of life and nourishment all over again, but it was a rare Root priest among their already low numbers that wouldn't excuse the technical mild blasphemy of sparing an animal here and there. Compassion was a natural thing, too.

The foliage gave way to a rocky outcropping, overlooking a short drop into a small, acidic pool, dotted with boulders and lined with sturdy rocks. Only the hardiest, most acid-tolerant of Greenpath's life grew here, thin and fuzzy bursts of ferns and moss peeping out from between the rocks. The smell of it bit at his nostrils, harsh enough to make him rub his face and huff, but still, he eased himself down and sat, bucket clunking onto the rock, legs dangling over the edge.

Because he could, because the world was his to delight in and make purpose of, he swung his legs. Years ago, he would have accompanied it with a child's giggle, but that had long since deepened into a low, full chuckle.

("Matured," some would put it, but in his opinion, his voice was the least of things indicating that. Neither was the joy of swinging one's legs through the open air.)

While he was there anyways, sitting down and letting his arms ache it out for a bit, he reached around to pull his canteen from its sling on his hip. The pull of his shoulders and arms sung briefly, but not enough to warrant a grimace. Just a little scrunching of the mouthparts.

He twisted the cap off with a clean pop, threw his head back, and gulped down some of the warm, metal-tinted water.

There were ways to keep canteens and flasks cool, he understood. Pale ore, after all, with its inherent chill, served to combat the heat of the space the canteen was in, and all the actions taken upon it and its contents. But it was rare; it took either a wealthy noble or a lucky prospector to get the ore. And now, the last forge capable of handling pure ore had banked its fire and closed shop.

He would never had known this, not that long ago. Amazing, really, all the knowledge there was to share. His head swam and heart fluttered with it all.

Well, all right, the knowledge alone was not what made him feel so bubbly and joyous.

With a smile on his face, starting soft, then growing into something crooked and silly and from the heart as the idea of going home set into his head, he lifted the bucket, dropped onto the rocks below, and was off.

___

The windchimes clicked and sang their little song. It wasn’t much of a breeze, just enough to get a moment’s must off the shell, but it was something.

Sheo went out fairly often, gathering some food or potable water or things like that. So waking up to find him gone, his nail missing but a handful of fruit on the table, along with a heart painted on spare canvas, was no trouble.

The heart was signed, “Be back soon, love!”

He glanced at it again, and had to turn away for how much his heart fluttered at the sight.

He had a name, once. What one would call a proper name. None had called him it in so long, his skill had earned him the title of Nailsmith and that was it. Who he was, what he was, all he was.

Until he wasn’t.

And now he had so many names, he couldn’t keep track. Love. Dear. Darling. My love. My sweet. Cuddlebug, said with a laugh in the voice. Moss-Faced Sweetie, at times, which became Mossy. Kissums, whispered when they woke up tangled in bed in the earliest hours of the morning, and giggled themselves awake coming up with the silliest endearments they could.

He would find something again someday. Something proper, perhaps. Something for himself. Something to go with that solid thing, that realness in his core, that had been reborn upon casting the Nailsmith away.

Until then, he was more than happy to be Cuddlebug and for Sheo to be Sweetheart. To be an artist, a recluse, even, a partner, a wise soul, a someone all of his own.

Someone who leaned against the side of the hut he shared, eating fruit and letting the breeze tickle his beard.

They’d spent the day before tidying the hut, cleaning up all their art supplies, dishes, and making futile attempts to scrub some of the paint stains from Sheo’s apron and a couple from his cloak. Not for anyone, really, not besides themselves. The only visitor they ever got was their strange little friend with the pitch-black eyes.

But it felt terribly nice to do something for themselves and, in turn, each other.

A voice called out. His heart skipped a beat and he pushed off of the side of the hut, approaching the edge of the outcropping to look.

There was Sheo! Partway through the tangle of thorns serving as the front entrance to the place, his nail slung over his shoulder, a bucket hooked over his arm while he waved.

He waved back, laughing into his other hand. He knew perfectly well Sheo had no trouble traversing the course, but watching him do it with his nail and a bucket he had to keep from spilling?

Needless to say, his heart skipped a few beats as Sheo bounded along the way, using his nail for momentum, the bucket swinging this way and that.

With a whump! Sheo landed before the hut, triumphantly sliding his nail back into its sheath. He beamed, approaching with arms wide. “Hello, love!” he said, breathless. “Wonderful morning, isn’t it?”

“Muggy, that’s what it is,” he said in return, leaning in for a quick kiss and a hug. Sheo had definitely warmed up on his adventure, and the humidity clung to them both, but oh the strong arms around him and the hard breaths going soft as he listened, his head on Sheo’s chest. Even with the heat and stickiness, he couldn’t find the desire in him to part.

In the end, it was Sheo who let go to hold up his bucket. “I found some clay, it’s so fine to the touch. I just had to bring some.”

Oh, goodness. He heaved a lighthearted sigh, glancing back at the hut. “Dear, we just cleaned.”

“And we can clean again.” Sheo leaned in, mandibles brushing his temple. “But I know you’ve been thinking of modelling Dryya to finish the collection…”

“Hmm.” He couldn’t say he hadn’t been. And it would be nice, to sit together and make some more art, come up with new ideas, just hang out…

He returned the kiss, one claw cupping Sheo’s cheek. “All right. But maybe let’s set up outside today.”

“In this weather?” The look Sheo gave him almost made him laugh.

“In this weather together,” he corrected.

Sheo sighed, shaking his head. A slight grin crossed his face. “Well, all right, then. If it’s with you.”