#lakeside lightning

[guguseti]

Keanu Pinder, un australiano para el Fuenlabrada

El otro día hablábamos sobre el australiano Wil Magnay, último refuerzo del Obradoiro, y hoy nos vamos a ir a Fuenlabrada, porque el equipo de la comunidad de Madrid también está reforzándose de cara a la segunda vuelta de la competición, en concreto vamos a hablar de su último fichaje interior, Keanu Pinder, que curiosamente, también es australiano. Biografía de Keanu Pinder Keanu Pinder es un…

[garthglaz]

Pixel Weather, "October Showers Over Muskegon Beach"

I wanted that unique amber light of early October. This concept has been hanging around my studio since March. Originally comped up in Photoshop for a physical painting, the painting did not gel and never was finished. Then, the first attempt at a digital artwork stalled. Finally, I came back to it this week. It has morphed as I worked to define areas creating as much a fantasy work as a representation of the actual place.

[ncrthernl1ghts]

" ARE YOU NUTS, sweetheart? " wind howls as stanley approaches the woman by the lakeside, practically shouting over the gusts as the sky darkens, " can't you see that storm coming in? you don't want to be here when the lightning starts. " normally, he wouldn't bother, but the kids in his backseat & their big sad eyes convinced him to intervene. even now, he can perfectly picture dipper & mabel pressed against the back windows, eyes wide, brows knitted.

@intothewildsea // s.c. // stan pines

[clemswalkietalkie]

My late submission for @tes-summer-fest ! August 6th-beloved or and ritual

My Last Dragonborn, Faustina, lays by the campfire with her wife, (butch!)Brynjolf while on the way home to Lakeside Manor after checking in on the Thieves Guild in Riften. The journey is long, but they’ve grown accustomed to it, so they’ve learned the best places to set up camp for the night. On warm nights at home, they will also sleep outside with a campfire to hear the trees rustling and watch the lightning bugs flicker. Rest is easy like this.

[gravityfallsweirdgirl]

DARKWING IN: LA Llorona

In Darkwing's hideout, shrouded in shadows. The air is tense. Darkwing and Gosalyn face each other, the atmosphere thick with conflict.

"Gosalyn, this has to stop. You can't keep putting yourself in danger" darkwing says.

Gosalyn's voice was trembling with emotions, "I'm not a kid, Darkwing! I can help you. I want to help you!"

"It's not about what you want! I can't focus if I'm worried about you getting hurt"

"So, what? You're sending me away?"

"Yes. It's for your own good. You need to be safe" darkwing sighs heavily, looking away.

"I don't belong in an orphanage! I belong with you!" Gosayln says furiously.

"Not anymore" Darkwing was cold.

At the orphanage. The walls seem to close in, oppressive and unwelcoming. Mrs. Crumple, the cruel caregiver, a Cassowary glares at Gosalyn as she enters.

"Welcome to back, troublemaker. Follow the rules, and you might survive"

"I won't stay here long"

She was leaning in, her breath cold, "We'll see about that"

Over the past few days, after Drake aka Darkwing abandoned Gosalyn, she sneaks out of the orphanage, running through the dark forest.

She reaches a secluded lake, collapsing at the water's edge, sobbing.

"How could he do this to me?" Gosayln sobbed.

The water ripples, and a mist rises. But a A ghostly legend, figure shadow appears dark eyes staring from the reflection of the lake. A woman in a white dress.

a figure from Latin American folklore. According to legend, she is a ghostly apparition of a woman who roams near bodies of water, weeping for her lost children. The myth of a weeping women.

The legendary La Llorona, she emerges, her eyes filled with sorrow, she saw pain in gosayln

She slowly pulls out of the lake, her boney cold fingers touched gosayln shoulder.

"AH!" She gets startled, but too upset to care when she looks up at La Llorona who whispered to her.

"Who... who are you?"

La Llorona kneeling beside her, whispering, "what's wrong? My hero... he sent me away. He thinks I'm a burden. I thought he cared enough to adopt me but I guess I was wrong"

La Llorona gently brushes gosayln hair back whispering.

Gosayln smiles at her, "thank you for listening to me...what's that? You know what it's like...you had children of your own? What happened to them?....they died...oh I'm so sorry how did they died?....they were drowned, just be hard, you know I lost my grandfather to a bad man"

Over several more days, gosayln would always head back to The lakeside, to visit her new friend and mother figure.

After several nights later. Gosalyn sits by the water, speaking animatedly to La Llorona, who listens intently.

"And then I said, "You call that a trap? I've seen better from kindergarteners!.....I wish Darkwing could see that. Maybe then he wouldn't have sent me away. Thanks, La Llorona. You're the best friend I've had in a long time. What's that? I'm the daughter you wish you could have had. That's so sweet, well I guess I should get back now before Ms crumple gets mad and punished me again I swear she needs to stop being so mean, I wish someone would teach her a lesson"

But La Llorona is a dangerous ghost when it comes to children, at The orphanage. Mrs. Crumple is harsher than ever, berating Gosalyn as she scrubs the floor.

"You're not working fast enough, girl! Do you want to skip dinner again?"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

Mrs. Crumple grabbing Gosalyn's arm roughly, "Don't you talk back to me! You'll learn your place soon enough"

It was raining outside when La Llorona saw how gosayln was being treated, she gets furious.

Later that night, by the lake. La Llorona steps out of the lake and heads to the orphanage when she sees Gosalyn.

As everyone heads to their room, gosayln saw La Llorona.

"La Llorona!" She whispered and hugs the ghost, "I'm so glad you're here, She's so mean, La Llorona. I don't know how much more I can take"

The next night, A dark, stormy night. The orphanage sits ominously against the backdrop of rolling thunder and flashes of lightning. Inside, Gosalyn lies in her bed, staring at the ceiling, the oppressive silence broken only by the occasional drip of rainwater through a crack in the roof.

"I can't stay here anymore... I have to leave"

Suddenly, a cold breeze sweeps through the room, extinguishing the single flickering candle by her bedside. The room plunges into darkness, and the temperature drops sharply. Gosalyn pulls her blanket tighter, eyes wide with fear.

La Llorona's Voice softly, echoing, "Gosalyn... niña..." Gosalyn sits up abruptly, heart pounding.

"La Llorona? Is that you?"

A misty figure materializes at the foot of her bed, La Llorona's sorrowful eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

The hallway outside Gosalyn's room. Mrs. Crumple walks down the darkened corridor, muttering to herself about the troublemaker she has to deal with. She hears a distant, haunting wail echoing through the halls.

"What now? Who's making that racket?"

The wail grows louder, more intense, reverberating off the walls. The air grows colder with each step she takes.

Then A gust of icy wind blasts through the corridor, knocking Mrs. Crumple off her feet. She scrambles to get up, panic setting in as she realizes she is not alone.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

Darkwing's hideout. He's looking at news footage of the recent attack he thwarted, realizing Gosalyn's warnings were accurate.

"She was right. I've made a terrible mistake. I have to make things right" darkwing says to himself.

In Gosalyn's room. La Llorona stands beside Gosalyn, her spectral form now more defined, her expression one of determined anger.

The hallway. Mrs. Crumple stumbles to her feet, her breath visible in the cold air. Shadows move along the walls, and the wailing grows unbearably loud. Suddenly, La Llorona appears before her, her eyes burning with fury.

"What are you? Stay away from me!"

La Llorona raises her hand, and the shadows around Mrs. Crumple come to life, wrapping around her limbs, holding her in place. She struggles, but the grip tightens, making her scream in terror.

"Let me go! Please!" Ms crumple cried.

Gosayln hears Mrs. Crumple's screams echoing through the halls, fear gripping her heart. She stands at the door, hesitating.

"La Llorona, what are you doing?" Gosayln watched.

The shadows lift Mrs. Crumple into the air, her screams piercing the night. La Llorona steps closer, her face inches from Mrs. Crumple's.

A sudden explosion of force sends Mrs. Crumple crashing into a gas lamp, which topples over, igniting the curtains. Flames quickly spread through the hall, the heat intensifying.

The orphanage, now ablaze. Darkwing arrives, seeing the flames engulfing the building.

seeing the building engulfed in flames. He rushes in, calling out for Gosalyn.

"Gosalyn! Where are you?"

"Gosalyn! I'm coming!"

In Gosalyn's room. Smoke begins to fill the room, and Gosalyn coughs, trying to stay low. She gets scared and she hears Darkwing's voice faintly over the roar of the flames.

"Darkwing!"

"Gosayln!"

"DARKWING!"

He finally finds her but the building started to collapse splitting apart.

"Gosayln come on grab my hand" he reachers out for her but then....

Gosayln looks back as if someone was calling her, "gosayln what are doing come on"

But she leaves, "gosayln don't"

He jumps and he sees her looking up at someone, he ran and as some debris collapsed.

"Gosayln! I'm coming" desperately. He pushes through and He finds Gosalyn unconscious on the floor, the fire closing in around her. He grabs her and carries her out just as the building starts to collapse.

"Hold on, Gosalyn. I've got you"

Outside the orphanage. Darkwing carries Gosalyn out just as the building starts to collapse. They tumble onto the grass, gasping for air. Gosalyn loses consciousness as Darkwing holds her, tears streaming down his face.

The hospital. Drake sits by Gosalyn's bed, guilt and worry etched on his face.

"I'm so sorry, Gosalyn. I should have never sent you away"

Gosalyn stirs, her eyes opening slowly. But something is different. She stares blankly at Darkwing, not speaking.

"She's conscious, but... she seems different. We'll need to monitor her closely"

"I'll take care of her. I'm not leaving her side again"

"Gosalyn, I'm here for you. I'm going to adopt you officially. We're going to get through this together"

Gosalyn doesn't respond, her gaze unchanging. Darkwing embraces her, vowing to be the protector and father she needs, despite the eerie silence that now surrounds her.

The lakeside. La Llorona watches from the shadows as Darkwing finalizes the adoption process. Her ghostly form flickers with rage.

"He thinks he can take you from me? No. You are mine, niña. I will get you back, no matter the cost"

In that hospital room, later that night. Gosalyn lies in bed, her eyes flickering with a ghostly light. La Llorona's voice echoes faintly in the room.

Gosalyn's expression remains blank, but a single tear falls, hinting at the internal struggle within her. Darkwing watches over her, unaware of the spirit that now resides within his daughter.

[link-posting]

A Beetle for Beedle

Beetle’s footsteps fell heavy under the weight of his beetle pack. The pack was large, packed full of Hylia-knows-what. It was anyone’s guess how he was able to carry it, let alone how he could fit everything in it. But, he was a beloved traveling merchant so most people simply didn’t question it. Some of the less-frequent stable visitors sent him odd looks now and then, but those who frequented the stable network were used to his… peculiarities.

Among them, one particular stable-goer was particularly good friends with him: a certain young, blonde-haired Hylian. Their paths crossed constantly- each one curious as to how the other reached the other stables so quickly. Oh well, everyone had their secrets.

Said young Hylian was currently jogging down the road towards the merchant, one hand clutched to his chest, the other waving over his head. He had a bright smile, looking excited to see his friend. He called out his name just as Beedle turned toward the entrance of Lakeside Stable. It was still early in the night, not quite 10pm, but most of the patrons of the stable had already headed inside for the night. Beedle paused where he stood, waving to the other.

“Hello, Link!” he called back, wondering what he was holding to his chest.

Link jogged up, bouncing a little on his feet as he stopped in front of Beedle. “I brought you something!” he said, absolutely beaming. Before Beedle could ask what, he held out his hand, carefully uncurling his fingers just enough for Beedle to see what he was holding.

Beedle gasped and let out an excited “Yahoo!”, his eyes lighting up. “An energetic rhino beetle! You don’t see those very often!” he spilled out, reaching out for the insect.

Link passed it over to him, careful not to hurt the small creature or accidentally let him loose. Beedle pulled out a small jar to put it in, capping it off with a cork. Beedle thanked him again, offering to trade an elixir for it, but Link shook his head. “It’s okay! I don’t need anything in return,” he insisted.

The pair walked into Lakeside Stable together, Link waving a hello to the stablemaster, Anly. Just as he was about to offer to cook for the patrons and stable workers, a loud crack filled the air. Link could feel the electricity in the air just before lightning struck outside the stable. Oh well, such was life in the rainforest. Instead, Link headed toward the back of the stable and plopped down on the ground beside the quirky merchant he called his friend.

[strelles-universe]

Clan Names - Additional Notes

Spruce and Conifer are more common with the lakeside territories than with the forest territories. Pine and Fir are more common to the forest clans. Mostly based on location of growing.

--

Number Based Names are more common when there’s a specific name in mind - usually the clans only use up to the number four. 

---

Drift is a common suffix for the Escorts of WindClan but also for lakeside RiverClan warriors

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Lightning is also used by ThunderClan for those who are struck by lightning and survive. It’s a very honorable suffix and these survivors are considered blessed by Sunsoul.

---

The meaning of Cloud- changes based on what kind of cloud the cat is named after. A dark gray cloud means headstrong and determined - it’s a workaround of storm-. Meanwhile a white cloud implies happiness or gentle emotions.

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All the clans have pet names for the apprentices of other clans; Maggotpaw (ShadowClan), Minnowpaws (RiverClan), Bunnypaws (WindClan), Fawnpaws (ThunderClan), Chickpaws (SkyClan). 

---

Burrow is a common tunneler suffix. Burrowers is a nicer term to refer to the tunnelers of WindClan.

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Mud and Muck are often used for Murkers in ShadowClan and within RiverClan, as the name for craftcats. Muckypaws are the titles of both clans’ new apprentices (murker and apprentices) who have just gotten into the messier parts of their jobs.

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RiverClan often uses the borrowed word Kolu- as an alternative to Echo- for their kits. 

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The Special Ranks within the clans are Boreal, Moth, Shark, Anaconda and Raptor. The affix -chant refers to their knowledge of prayers. Cinderpaw’s name could therefore be Cinderchant; acknowledging her new position. There are clan specific staples from the Old Tongue for each rank;

---

With Bite vs. Snap vs. Nip; Bite is the most common variant is straightforward. Nip is often for those who are cheeky or mischievous while Snap refers to cats who are sarcastic or dry in tone.

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The Beaver is a common RiverClan title for the most skilled craftscat. In ShadowClan; they’re called the Tarantula; in ThunderClan they’re raccoons; and in WindClan they’re called…

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WindClan primarily uses Lapwing and Snipe while RiverClan is fond of Plover-.

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Cricket refers to a very good singer in WindClan. 

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Ladybug-/Ladybird- doubles to mean, “predator” or “hunter” on the down-low given how pretty they are despite the fact that they demolish aphids. 

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Speckle vs. Freckle has freckle- giving the implications of facial spots while speckle is more body-wide

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The name Lost- is often taking up following traumatic events as a sign that the cat has managed to escape the fear and terror associated with the events. The name Lostfire for example could mean a cat who suffered from a fire is finally moving on. 

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The clans refuse to use the names of the founders as prefixes within their own clans. ShadowClan cannot use Shadow-, RiverClan will not use River-, SkyClan won’t use Sky-, ThunderClan won’t use Thunder- and WindClan won’t use Wind-.

Using the words as suffixes is perfectly fine however; SkyClan won’t have a cat named Skytalon but they’re fine with naming a cat Eveningsky. A founder’s suffix is an honorable thing to be proud of within the clans.

---

Many names in this list have doubled names where the words mean the same thing, but one name implies maturity while the other implies childishness. Here are the doubled names;

Pool vs. Puddle Jaw (River/Shadow) vs. Mouth (Wind/Thunder) Stomach (Shadow/Thunder) vs. Belly (River/Wind/Sky) Claw vs. Nail Fang vs. Tooth Ferret (Wind/River) vs. Polecat (Thunder/Sky) Cobra vs. Kait Tortoise vs. Turtle

It’s very common for ShadowClan Prophets to be renamed Moon-. 

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Shrimp and Prawn can refer to an albino cat referencing the pink eyes and flushed spots of the kit

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Birds of prey are extremely popular names in SkyClan - some suspect it's due to Kitesong's own name, but there's evidence that Old SkyClan also had a fondness for them. SkyClan takes hostage most of the more unusual raptor names;

Falcon -> Merlin Kestrel -> Hobby Kite -> Harrier Buzzard -> Vulture

In the same vein, ShadowClan takes claim to the most unusual snake names (Kait, Cobra, Boa, Anaconda) and RiverClan hyperspecific fish names.

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Urchin is essentially the RiverClan version of porcupine or hedgehog.

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Bumble- is an honorable and sacred name in New SkyClan for it was her that encouraged Kitestar to reform the old clan. She was also known as one of the founders of the New Shining Sun (the one in the forest).

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Locust has implications of greediness

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Calla refers to a black or dark gray cat around the lake

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Azalea can also refer to a red or ginger cat when referencing the ones that grow near the Mother Maw; this version usually comes as a suffix - Azalea is also sometimes bundled with Honeysuckle

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Ballad tends to refer to a more serious or solemn cat than -song does

[hyliascommonwealth]

“What is this place?” You ask looking about before focusing on Viri who had already made himself quite comfortable before realizing you had said something and were now expecting an answer

“Oh! Uhh- this is the Faron woods horse Stable! We’ll probs grab a couple horses before we head out when the rain stops, or tomorrow, whichever comes sooner!” He has a broad toothy grin though he seems to catch that you were kind of hoping for more info “The Hylians tend to travel on horseback a lot so when the calamity struck like, a hundred some odd years ago a family of farmers put this whole thing in motion to maintain safe regularly placed rest stops for people and horses!”

“So, it’s like a hotel or inn?”

“Yeah! Just like those, but everyone sleeps in this big communal space instead of their own rooms you can pay extra for a real nice bed, but also most of the towns we’ll pass through will have their own more familiar style Inns for travelers.

You two sit for a moment, the soft chatter of other Hylian travelers and merchants visiting while waiting for the storm to give out, thunder rumbles after a pretty killer flash of lightning. You find yourself focusing a bit more on those around you pleasantly chatting, some even bright their mules under cover with them visibly carrying dried herbs it made sense now, they didn’t seem like they would stay the night.

Your focus goes to the stable staff, all wearing similar colors, patterns and hats, then to the travelers all wearing what appear to be traditional Hylian clothing. You start to feel a touch self conscious, like you stand out like a sore thumb in your modern outfit, though no one could stand out of a crowd quite like your guide now quite sound asleep in the chair he’d claimed.

You find yourself restless as you shuffle slightly before looking over the stable interior again.

Part 1

part 2

Part 3

Lakeside Stable

[shiokaiton]

Heroes

The flames of my heart clear the wintertide storm

Yet so has their blaze burnt up my mortal form

When the lakeside of heroes

Not me nor my heart knows

Temper the blaze to a calm, gentle warm

Wind, rain, and thunder would shatter my path

The sky cares not to spare me of its wrath

When the rooftop of heroes

Not me nor my heart knows

Draw in the lightning, protect me they hath

My heroes ask me what my heart seeks to do

I tell them it seeks for that which makes it true

When my heart of no heroes

At last finally knows

The names of my heroes, my heart beats anew

For my heroes had always been here

Right here, my heroes had always been

The heroes who temper my fire

The heroes who protect me from rain

The heroes who remind me the very truth of who I am

Oh, my heart beats not for that which it searches for!

Nay, my heart beats for that which has always been here!

My heroes

My wonderful, wonderful heroes

My heart beats for you always

My heroes

[spidermilkshake]

Ancardia's Unusual Animals--the Longgui (or Dragon-turtle)

Classification: Beast (chelonian)

Habitat: Deep bodies of fresh water, especially in the Drakalors, Akimmia, and Tvearban lakes.

            The Longgui—known in Commontongue as the “Dragon-turtle”—is among the largest extant reptiles in Ancardia and definitely the largest chelonian currently living in this world. Longgui are massive, long-lived, and highly intelligent and cryptic in their habits very similar to the two true dragon species, and while aquatic they are generally not strong swimmers due to their incredibly heavy bodies and will usually simply walk along the bottoms of lakes, large rivers, and estuaries, nearing shore every several hours in order to take breaths. The average longgui has a head measuring a meter in length and a carapace about 4.6 meters long by 3 meters wide. Due to the horns and protruding scale structures on this creature’s head it lacks the ability to withdraw its head into its shell, but this in no way diminishes the longgui’s ability to protect itself. Much like true dragons, dragon-turtles are very arcanely gifted and possess a natural capacity to summon bursts of fire, cold, and lightning in self-defense. As a result, the longgui have no natural predators and their population is mostly controlled by their dramatically slow rate of breeding, limitations in food supply, and a number of isopod and roundworm parasites which can weaken and slow dragon-turtles enough to further reduce their reproduction rate.

            Longgui live for an average of 400 years, or until their parasite load eventually overcomes them with anemia and weakness from considerable age. While longgui grow continuously throughout their lives, most of even the giants of the species over 300 years old do not exceed 10 meters in carapace length. Their metabolism as adults in incredibly slow as well, and longgui have been known to sit on barely-submerged sandbars for more than 48 hours at a time doing very little but stretching up for air. About once every decade, a longgui becomes capable of breeding, and if lucky two fertile longgui will be able to make multiple mile journeys to find each other and dig out a suitable nesting site in marshland, lagoon, or natural oxbow lakesides. Longgui nests are constructed of layers of sand or soil and rotten vegetation, the mound often being several meters high and deep, and the longgui will lay approximately 10-12 eggs within. Only about half of these eggs will be fertilized, the rest acting as decoys should any predators burrow far enough into the nest. Longgui parents will generally leave their nests alone, but if interrupted in laying eggs have been known to become highly aggressive. After incubating for several months, the surviving eggs will hatch into juveniles roughly the size of a pie tin; this is the only time in a dragon-turtle’s life cycle where they are vulnerable to predation, and they must hurry to deeper water to avoid creatures like grizzly bears, dire wolves, owlbears, and sabrecats. Once in the water, they graze waterplants and hunt small crustaceans and molluscs in order to grow rapidly in their first few years, avoiding aquatic predators like bull sharks, large catfishes and pike, and the mishipeshu or bunyip (a close relative of the true dragons). Once they reach a carapace length of a meter or more their hard, sharp-edged shells protect them from any more consistent threat of predation, and their ability to use offensive magic protects them far further.

            In the event of an elder longgui dying, a great many carrion birds and carnivorous animals flock to the area to scavenge the multiple-ton carcass, much like the lakeside equivalent of a whalefall. Humanoids also flock to the area, particularly alchemists after rare material derived from longgui and craftsmen after the dense and sturdy shell and horns left behind by the majority of scavenging beasts. Alchemists seek the smaller scales present on the legs, tail, and facial area, and must arrive at the carcass quickly before various birds and rodents make off with these pieces. Armor-crafters have been known to use the shell portions to create unparalleled shields and cuirasses, particularly Hill Giants and Frost Giants.

[merryfortune]

Beloved Wife

Ficwip Discord’s November 1000 Words Event

Title: Beloved Wife

Ship: Rocksaltshipping | Kureha/Spectre

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains

Word Count: 1,000

Rating: T

Warning: Canonical Character Death

Tags: Alternate Universe - Lisa Frankenstein (Movie), Poetry, Fluff & Angst

   “O Mary dear, that you were here, with your brown eyes bright and clear. And your sweet voice, like a bird, singing love to its lone mate…” Spectre read aloud.

   The crisp autumn breeze of November played with Kureha’s hair just as much as Spectre did.

   Together, they were on a picnic. A plaid, brown blanket was spread out underneath them and was adorned with tassels. As well as quite the hearty spread of foods. Spectre was quite fond of cucumber and tuna sandwiches these days, anything on wholegrain and cake, too. As well as drinks and other goodies hidden away in a woven cane basket tarped with fabric that matched the blanket.

   The lovey-dovey scene was utterly idyllic. The sun was shining, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The birds were singing. Together, the lovely couple could want for nothing in a little piece of paradise in the parklands, on the lakeside where the water shimmered in the distance.

   “Voice the sweetest ever heard! And your brow more...Than the ... sky of this azure Italy.” Spectre continued.

   Kureha rested her head in Spectre’s lap. She was tired. It had been a big day but she was soothed by the sound of Spectre’s voice. He was reading aloud the poems of Percy Shelley, his diction was excellent and his speech impeccable. He continued to read the next part of the poem and had Kureha in awe of how he breathed new life into the centuries old poetry with vibrancy and… love.

   He loved Kureha so very much.

   One hand wielded his book and the other, played with what he could of Kureha’s fluffy locks - or what remained, or wasn’t otherwise exposed by the bandages that she was wrapped head to toe with. She looked so sick and ill in her current form. She had taken quite a bit of damage from the electric coffin known as a tanning bed.

   But it was worth it.

   A goodbye to her old life which would lead into a brighter, illuminated future with her one true love.

   She burned it all down so she could start anew, rise from the ashes. Though her body and her heart still ached with grief, with pain, Spectre’s gentle companionship more than made up for it as he absolutely doted on her. 

   Oh how the roles reversed.

   Spectre’s grave had been struck by lightning, as though directed by the heavens themselves to find Kureha and the rosary that she had gifted him. From such circumstances, buried six feet under, he cracked through a rotten wooden coffin and emerged from the dirt. All in search of her, the one who had shown him kindness despite the circumstances of him being dead.

   As a gentleman from the past, Spectre had been dug up from something even deader than he was as far as the eras went and was now embedded in the groovy future of the 1980’s. A time where women had right now, for a start and their treatments for hysteria had become household items with things called batteries inside of them.To say nothing of his shambling state wherein he couldn’t get a word out. His body rotted, caked with muck and dirt but he managed. 

   He got there in the end and navigated quite the learning curve but Spectre took to it with an axe. He was graceful and he was bloody, all so no one would dare come between him and Kureha. 

   Up until his body had been fully restored, his right hand, his left ear, and even his penis below, he had been in Kureha’s care. She had put him back together again as though he were Humpty Dumpty, without asking for anything in return and so, Spectre became besotted with her. They exchanged a marital vow on the sugary ring of a fizzy peach sour. 

   They slow-danced in that little shed. Their music was the blaring of sirens, of assorted emergency vehicles. The shed lit up, as though the passion and the ecstasy of the love that Kureha and Spectre shared was just too much for its little structure to bear.

   Or, more likely, because Kureha cranked up the power to dangerous levels so that before she even entered the tanning bed, there were sparks and embers as it sputtered under such duress. She grinned and kissed Spectre sweet goodbye. She would be back though. She would, indeed, be back, when the rosary caught the glint of lightning once more and Spectre waited patiently for such an event to occur.

   To think, just the night before, it had been biblical weather. Thunder and lightning. A storm heavy enough to cause blackouts through the town and now mud was strewn through the streets - as well as the corridors of the gravestones in the cemetery.

   A place that would not be Kureha’s final resting place. No, she had somewhere better to lay down her body. She had Spectre.

   Kureha rested. Perhaps uneasy because she knew her family and their friends were mourning her but she took comfort in knowing she was in good hands. After all, she was a beloved wife now. Spectre would take good care of her, that was his oath and vow as husband.

   “Here now, darling, have a sip of water.” Spectre said.

   “Mmhm.” Kureha replied weakly.

   Spectre coaxed her head forward so she could safely sip some water via a straw. It was cool and turned her chapped lips dewy. Spectre smiled to himself and leaned forward, over himself so he could kiss Kureha’s forehead. The bandages she was swaddled in were coarse to his lips and he could not press too hard, either due to her burns. The poor dear… He would have to find a way to help her soon.

   For now, she was content with these little gestures.

   “I love that poem.” Kureha said with a hint of a giggle.

   “I’m glad, my beloved wife.” Spectre replied and he flicked to the next page of his book.

[radiantmorningstar]

Tomb: the Chronicle of Sirius and Prin 1

Rules Used:

Main rule set: Tomb: Small Form Adventure Gaming by Perplexing Ruins (https://perplexingruins.itch.io/tomb).

Solo Oracles and Tables: Scarlet Heroes by Kevin Crawford (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/127180/scarlet-heroes).

Dungeon Generation: Dungeons & Dragons DMG 5e (2014), “Appendix A: Random Dungeons.” (https://archive.org/details/dungeon-masters-guide/Dungeon%20Master%27s%20Guide/).

Additional material and inspiration from Scarlet Heroes, Dragonslayer by Greg Gillespie, and Shadowdark by Kelsey Dionne.

“The Veiled Crypt of the Witch.”

Year 297 AC of the Deer, Highday 14th of the Month of Close

Sirius and Prin, two apprentices in the Adventurers Guild in Redianteris, are dispatched to the town of Veldmark to assist with flood relief in a bad storm season. However, Veldmark is still over ten leagues away (about 22 miles) when the storm turns the plains south of Council Mountain to impassable sludge.

The Wraith River, which flows south from Wraith Lake (near the wooden fortress town of Lakeside), has flowed over its banks and turned Lake Forest into a veritable swamp. And the rain shows no sign of stopping.

The flooding is so intense that Sirius and Prin, traveling on foot, witness an entire horse and wagon (and rider) overturned by the rushing water. Unfortunately, the rider drowned before they could pull him out of the wreck. Then the lightning and thunder began and the two apprentices had to run for shelter in the ruin of an old fort atop a low hill.

They enter through an alcove, barely recognizable as such through the rain and fallen stones. The lightning casts weird shadows throughout the ruin and they wisely avoid trying to light a fire; though it means a miserable, cold, wet night. In the morning, there is hardly any light. They eat dry rations, huddling together away from the storm (ration check -no change for either of them), and then depart toward what seems like the north, wading thigh-deep in the rolling sheets of water swirling over the plain.  

To be continued.

[restingarea]

Relaxing Waterfall & Cozy Campfire Tent Night: Rain Sounds For Deeper Sleep! | Resting Area

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[simp-ly-writes]

Our Fates

What is Left by the Lakeside pt.6

Pairing: God!Gale Dekarios x Sorcerer!Reader

Summary: The aftermath of the decision is upon the divine and mortals alike- what does the future uphold for them all and how does this story come to an end?

Warnings: 3000~ words, heavy mentions of death, crying, overall angst and a bittersweet ending.

A/N: One last long chapter...

Masterlist | Taglist | edited.

What is Left by the Lakeside Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) (pt.5) (pt.6) you are here

Gale’s POV

Gale, a god amongst men, stayed kneeled in the space long after you left. Crystal-like tears flowed down his silver cheeks and onto the dirtied floors beneath. The lightning in his veins flickering as he sobbed alone in the room, his cries echoing endlessly into a new void he found himself in. A void where he found fragments of you in front of him; accepting to join his loneliness yet nevertheless his dreams would never bear the fruits of reality. 

There the God sat alone in his sorrows, in his grief for his own choices- for he had learned too late of the fate destined for those overcome by greed and of course, ambition. A mockery he was truly of himself, many of the others gods and goddesses thought as they watched him return to his domain. Laughing behind their hands, mocking his pity with prideful smiles adorned as they gossiped over wine and platters. 

What was more cruel- to watch as everyone you loved matured to eventual trees- unheard falling against the forest floor, or for all those to become leaves- still alive as they breath the same air without the single thought of wanting for you? Because alone the gods sit- and for a thousand years as stars fall and endless cycles of life pass-him-by, Gale would wonder back on all the decisions he had made, and only then would the God of Ambition understand that forever would never outweigh a life well-lived. 

Gale Dekarios watched as you walked back to camp to find yourself at a dinner table as hundreds of candles littered the space. Familiar faces from your travels together welcomed you back brightly as you all dined and danced. He laughed into a cry as you all went for once last swim in the lake. They each hugged you tightly as suns passed upon your greying hair- you always made time to visit- to show you still cared. He watched as Tara grew old, her wings falling with age as she helped you to master control over your wild-magic till her final days. Where she rested beside mother and you wept over both their graves. 

The god watched as Halsin pulled you into a hug and helped you to lock the doors to the estate. His tower was long forgotten as nature began to cover-over what was left of his place. You had moved to the newly uncursed lands, raising the children, giving each and everyone a drop of your fighting spirit as they held a beautiful ceremony in your final days. He watched as they slowly lowered your forever bed into the ground. Your body joins the soils and roots- feeding the world once more with your grace. To take it all back is what the God of Ambition pleaded, yet even the hells laughed in his face- the disgrace he was to his name. Gale stood at the back of the service, underneath a willow tree that effortlessly drifted in the wind as it creaked and groaned like an old house- well lived. 

He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of your hands against his skin, caressing his cheek to jaw, down to his neck and shoulders as you hugged him in memory. And only then did Gale open his eyes once more to see the children looking up at him, offering the flowers that you onced loved before they ran back inside to continue their day onwards like the rest. Only once night had fallen and everyone had gone to bed, the God of Ambition would find your tombstone down by the lakeside as he kneeled down at the sight of your name etched into the stone. He prayed for you, wishing you a restful place; the savior of worlds, the friend to many, and the once lover to a god who had learned all too late.

Purple fireflies swirled around the site as the man left a singular flower- forever blossoming in his place. It never moved with the wind, changed its colour, nor did it age. It was used as a reminder to those who worshipped ambition- its symbol found in every temple that rises with each new sun. 

--

Reader’s POV

When you return back to camp, a silence has fallen over its inhabitants as no one dares to speak a word. The scene is still playing out in all your minds and hearts. You feel lighter from letting go, yet a leash attaches itself to you- capturing the dreaded, what ifs? 

Shaking your head from the start of insanity. You decide to prepare one last meal before walking everyone back to their homes as you contemplate where your’s is going to be. Lost in the world of thoughts, you do not hear Halsin talking in hushed tones towards you as he heals your hand gently. It appears you had nicked yourself slightly in preparing the dish. 

Sighing out, Halsin takes over and says for you to rest in the meanwhile, always the healer, you think to yourself while returning to your tent. A letter with a fresh seal sits on your bed. You look around for who may have left it yet no clues arise from the space. Opening the paper carefully you smile and notice the paw print signed at the bottom. Mrs. Dekarios has sent you a letter, offering you a permanent space in her home should you return- it appears Withers had already given the word out. 

Tears well up in your eyes once more, the kindness that this woman gives to you will never be forgotten as you hold up a quill and think on what to write back. You had your old family home before these adventures started- yet it does nobody any good to dig up the past that lay there. There was joining one of your companions back in their realms of expertise- Halsin appeared to be the most appealing option, you always loved visiting the druids and children yet would your future there be a viable option? Then of course stood Gales tower, left unkept and awaiting a new manager but the Dekarios home was just the same distance away…

Halsin called out for everyone to eat, you didn't not notice how much time had passed as you stumbled out of your tent and ate with the team before packing for their journey home. Alonzo had left before you all went to bed- promising that your tale and love for Gale would be known to all in the form of truth. You smiled softly in reply, wishing the man a safe travel home- to wherever that was. Watching as his form became lost in the treeline. 

--

A few months had passed, ultimately as you laid underneath the stars alone one night, all your companions back in their domains both above and below as you took more time for yourself. You continuously contemplated where you would take your life, there was no more doom that laid its fate upon you, no celestial creatures haunting you in your sleep, only the silence that you kept and a certain skeleton that stood beside your form, staring off beyond the cliff-face. 

Standing upright and voicing your apologies, he simply threw a delicate wave of his hand in your face before giving you a tight-lipped smile that you knew to be truthful. “Fate spins along as it should- thank you,” Withers spoke before looking past your form. 

“I did what I must for others-” You trail off, the words that you endlessly repeated, that haunted every decision you made. 

“But what of yourself now- hm?” Withers asks with a lightness in his tone that you had only heard when Tara was in conversation. 

“I have yet to discover that, Withers” You note pitifully before walking yourself over to the cliff face, sitting on the ledge as you kick your feet back and forth- contemplating. 

“Hm- but you already have. You have friends, you have family- what more could one want after a lifetime of served adventure?” You hear him say as he drifts over to stand beside you once more. 

“The human heart always wants more of what it can no longer have…” 

“And that is greed in the end,” Withers notes with a certain edge in his tone, conveying utmost sincerity. 

“But what is greed- if not longing?” You question to the immortal figure with a tilt of your head, your human curiosity begging nurtured one more. 

“It does not matter the words used to describe, yet the contexts in which we place them. You choose to live- did you not? I think it is not to be the words you used- yet the contexts you served to live in,” Withers speaks in an even tone as he looks down at your sitting form before extending a hand and transporting you into a scene that you needed most. 

--

Various candles littered a path leading up to where your adventures started all those months ago, you had already celebrated, you thought as confusion etched its way onto your face as various companions hugged your form tightly and whispered their praises. 

“Though one has celebrated their journey coming to an end, there also must be celebration for all those new beginnings that branch from where one rests another.”

“I think you just like partying after being stuck in the tomb for so long- it's alright your secret is safe with me, Withers” You joke back as you provide more hugs and wishes before settling yourself a seat at the table as various plush rugs rest underneath your well-worn boots. 

An echoing chuckle is heard from behind you as you turn to face the skeleton with a large smile, he grasps your shoulder lightly before closing his eyes and replying, “most of all you deserve to find happiness after serving so much of it out to others, may this be your new beginning- my friend.”

You give his hand a light few pats before a dinner is being conjured across the table and various goblets and glasses are being raised once more, Karlach stands with one knee on the table as she tips her cup towards your own, shouting proudly in your face as her figure ignites from within- setting all the candles to shame. “Let us drink to new lives! Happy lives, fulfilling lives, filled with the greatest pleasures the world has to offer-”

“May this night be a happy ending, encasing the old,” Wyll adds while your eyes widen, you didn’t expect the camp to notice that you were gone that night as Shadowheart grabs your hand from across the table and gives you a small smile before adding her own piece, “To our leader!”

And that final statement is echoed from every mouth yet to be filled with bourbon and wine. You raise your own glass, tipping your head back with a cheer. Never have you felt lighter in a moment as music begins to fill your ears. 

Everyone stands once the table is magically cleared, you all laugh and rejoice as you feel Wyll dip you with a wink before twirling you into a stilled Lae’zel who awkwardly shimmies to the beat. You grab her hands in your own as you direct both your movements, and feel as her armour soon begins to fall as she raises a glass towards Astarion who praises your dance moves with a high-pitched compliment before he returns back to conversation with Halsin. 

--

Removing yourself from the festivities to catch your breath, you hear the sounds of wings flapping and the purr of a cat. Smiling to yourself- extra wide you take long strides to meet Taras form, your face showing surprise. 

“Hello, dear. It is great to see you happy and healthy once more” The old tressym greets you calmly, licking her paw while eyeing your slightly intoxicated state with the hint of a smile from behind her whiskers. Extending your hand towards her, she tips her head as you give behind her ears a light scratch before settling yourself upright once more. You notice as her eyes drift off behind you as the echoing of a voice catches your breath and Tara has disappeared out of sight- headed towards Withers. 

Turning around on your heel stuck in the mud, you see not-quite-Gale standing off to the side. He waves a hand in your direction, “A word, please? It's very, very important.” You shake your head, what a tragedy his projection is- yet you still remember all those steps of his failsafe by heart. As you feel your magnetic pull force you in his direction for what appears to be the last time. 

“Well met. I am a projection of Gale of Waterdeep. Alas, on this occasion it appears I have been erased from this plane in both soul and substance, so the usual protocol for re-vivification cannot be followed. I am, however, available for the duration of this spell to assist with the tying of loose ends related to my recent departure from mortality. I have been entrusted with the delivery of a letter to be given to one who cared most for me in life…”

Purple magic shines against your face once more, its glow and allure catching the edges of your mouth in a twinge of a smile before you grasp the letter tightly to your chest. 

“With that, I am afraid my spell is waning. Is there anything else you need from me, before I blink out of existence?”

Yet you were already moving hastily towards your actions, as you carried out a hug- your hands slipping into his projection- trying to grasp onto what was left. The projection hums at you in contemplation, his head tilted and that all-too-familiar cat-like motion. 

“How fortunate I was to know someone like you and to think I believed godhood was worth losing all of this…” His voice echoes in your heart for the final time as his form drifts off into hundreds of purple fireflies drifting off into the night sky. 

Tara has appeared to have joined your side once more as she studies the space where her owner has left her once more. She paws at the letter you had appeared to drop as she sits atop of it, hiding it from your view. “I can almost feel Gale here. Among his friends- in you. Some part of him remains doesn't it? That crackle in the air of wonder, mischief, and of course, a hint of magic.” 

You smile down at Tara, holding your hand out once more before staggering back slightly when she jumps into your arms, holding your tightening in her own version of a hug. You look down to see the letter sat in the mud as you narrow your eyes at the tressym and she simply bats her eyes. 

Picking up the letter and sending it off towards your tent, you send many other letters later towards Morena- promising to visit her. You and Tara both settle back to the party where you ask Halsin if you, and your pets can join him back to the newly un-cursed lands. Halsin smiles down at you wildly, picking you up into a roasting hug as Tara hisses and gets caught in this outward display of friendship-based love before you all get thrown into the lake. 

--

Suns passed as stars clashed and created anew as wrinkles showed that life-well-lived. Familiar faces welcomed you in while others said their final goodbyes. You watched as the cycle continued as the children you kept in your care tugged at your hands, leading you away from their graves, the estate doors and past the WIzards tower. You missed Tara, Morena and Withers had work to do elsewhere. The various rest of your companions each had settled lives for themselves- each retired in places fate spun to be. 

You raised the children well- as was the last promise to yourself. You taught them how to fight and who to pick fights with. You taught them of love, loss, and celebration of it all as Withers, Tara, and Morena reminded you. And even as you were preparing to join your loved ones on an isle far away. You picked to rest viewing the lakeside, where all journeys start and end. 

--

Wither’s POV

The children all looked up at his skeleton-like figure with utmost curiosity as he watched your ceremony with a bittersweet reaction. His hands clasped in front of his robes that drifted with the wind. “Thou should play as others shall rest, do not allow for their absence of being to keep yours- for that would be of no respect to the dead.”

Withers' words drift off with the wind as the Children now tilt their head up in confusion to what he truly means, “There need not be two dead: one of the fallen and one of the falling. To live in the faces of grief that blankets over our minds in loss- is respect to oneself and to the others who have gone.” 

The children all look at one another, taking in this enterals words as he simply waves a hand as they all run back down the hill to join the druids and those-saved. Withers closes his eyes, hearing the divines’ presence from within as he knows without seeing- the children are handing out flowers to him. An act of being. They are to do well- learning so quick, Withers thinks to himself before disappearing back to his tomb, awaiting the next set of adventurers and their undecided fates. 

Fin.

╰┈➤ A/N: and there we have it, curtains closed. I think this series is my favourite thing I have ever written as of the publication of this chapter- and I hope that you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Quite possibly one day, I may write an alternative ending to this- if you all would like. But for now I think that this is a good place to end the tragic tale that is the God of Ambition- Gale Dekarios, with his lover and friends.

What is Left by the Lakeside Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) (pt.5) (pt.6) you are here

[snellblogs]

Canada Road 5

AUGUST 23

Between Goderich and Kincardine,

Lake Huron

Great Lakes

Ontario

Can’t see the Sunset for cloud

Today we had rain and thunder storms.  The lake was completely calm early this morning in fact it was the flattest I have ever seen it and I thought ah, I will be able to swim today.  But first I sat down to meditate by the lake, using a red plastic chair, sheltered under an awning and fellow swimmer swam out so far he was just a dot on the lake.  Then the slight drizzle got more intense and as he left the lakeside the rain began in earnest.  First heavy and then in a trice torrential and although I tried to stay and meditate, the rain was coming in so I moved farther back.  Then as it poured a drip began from the awning right onto my head and my hood was rapidly wet, so I gave up and took the path back up to the cottage and went and meditated peacefully in my room.

Later that morning watching the thunder that rolled in and counting the seconds between lightning and thunder I saw white lightning strike the lake at the horizon straight from the thunder clouds.  I wouldn’t have missed it.  Lightning on Lake Huron!

The fields were drenched.

Next day:

It’s raining on Lake Huron.  The washing and swimsuits and towels on the line strung between two huge pine trees is not getting any drier. 

Its evening now and yesterday I achieved a best:  I won my first ever game of five pin bowling.  I beat everyone, much to everyone’s amazement.  It was simply a great feeling to be the best at something, no matter how insignificant or how transitory.  It was a laugh.  I just remembered my Dad bowling beautifully almost making it graceful and tried to follow suit and it seemed to work somehow.

Then I went to see a piece of wonderful Canadian theatre at a very small place called Blyth which when it is not performing outdoors performs in the local town hall which looks like a museum or church or a cross between, a beautiful piece of architecture.

Today’s swim was good, the water is fresh but manageable, but I was able to swim up and down without being knocked over by the waves or swept off my feet by the current.  It takes some time to get used to swimming on one of the Great Lakes.

Today I went for a walk up the dirt road that leads in here through farmer’s fields that stretch for as far as you can see on either side.  They grow vegetable crops but without hedges or fences just a bunch of trees might signify the end of one field.  Either side of the track are a wide selection of beautiful summer flowers.  We collected one of each kind only.  There was the golden rod and the meadowsweet, black- eyed-susan, toadflax, vetch, purple thistle, pink clover, scabious and a blue flower and a shaking grass.  They were in the most beautiful clumps almost painted on and in such delicacy. So much colour.

The sun is hiding tonight but the lake is flat with no waves.