#mindless drifter

[furryeaglebarbarian]

Waith spore

"feel the sickening effects of my spectre spores.

[luckyartdrawer]

Burning Celestials Ch 2: Fall For Me

2nd Chapter has released, Yippieee! Feel free to read on ao3 or look below the break to read!

Click here for AO3 Link!

Ch 1. Sun, Ch 3. Eclipse

Summary: You were gone, but not really. Somewhere new. Besides the suddenness, you weren't caught too off guard. Moon wasn't either, well, until he actually looked at you that is. 2815 words

When you appeared, he almost completely missed you.

You didn't make a dent in the space around you, a mere speck who should have gone unnoticed and declared unimportant as you arrived. You did absolutely nothing but just show up.

Moon was originally just going on his usual, boring, but necessary, mindless wandering. It's not as if he noticed all the pointed stares you earned, popping out of nowhere, it was more like he noticed the lack of glares being trained on him.

He had half the mind to keep moving, but it was rather unusual for a planet and their orbitals to not actively avoid his presence.

Moon couldn't help but cast a curious glance in the same direction as the spectators, finding himself looking down at the winding roads below. There, beyond the labyrinth of one way trails, compacted dust and rock contained in golden silks of light, was the main attraction. Moon was high above, but even then he could still spot the reason why you had such a captive audience.

You were a being who contained antimatter. Poor thing, frozen to the spot, surrounded by judging eyes.

Moon could've chuckled at your unfortunate fate, if he himself was not living the same story. You just had to be someone with a magnetic pull worthy of rivaling a planet’s. A being not aligned in this cursed place’s straight and narrow hierarchy.

Moon waited as he watched the murmurings dwindle and scatter rapidly, the drifters succumbing to your pull before greedy planets or other moons dramatically pulled them away. The golden roads quickly cleared; the audience plummeting from many to one.

Looks like no one was in the mood to deal with you right away.

Moon had his fill of entertainment for the day, fine with leaving the encounter as this; just a mere glance. Yet, once he made that glance at you, no longer observing how the others observed you, he found something that made it hard to turn away.

You seemed to believe you were now alone, staring at the expanse around you, slowly twirling to take it all in. Your foot snagged on the uneven ground and you fell, your yelp failed to reach him through the thick vacuum of space.

You were nothing impressive… But your confusing emotional state was hard to miss.

What's wrong with you?

He got a little closer, jumping down to a road slightly below the trail he was on. Your figure was somewhat easier to decipher now, what with the void of your body matching the black of the surroundings making it difficult. It's easier to define some of your edges the closer he gets, the colorful dust surrounding your body much more noticeable.

He thought you were a black hole, but perhaps not…

You pushed at the rocks, sifted through the dust, and plucked at the glowing strings that hold the roads together. He couldn't read your emotions from so far, but anyone sane would be able to notice when someone is enchanted by the ground.

How could you be so preoccupied with something like that, especially after what just happened?

So, like any reasonable being, he wanted to know why.

Moon crouched at the path’s edge, coaxing the loose light hanging to the rest of its mass to pull and expand into his hand. He layered it over his shoulder, looping it until he believed he had a long enough spool of light to force a stop.

Then, with a jump, he descended, grasping the end with one hand and guiding the slack with the other as he free-fell.

His world spun, the pieces of his body juddered and grinded together, new crumbs speckling the dark half of his face and body, the murky essence keeping him whole. The feeling of floating completely, being swallowed by the inky black of space even for a moment…

It's so easy to get lost in it.

If he were to just let go…

Unfortunately he remembered to shake the euphoric feeling away; he couldn't allow it while on this little escapade. The easy glide through space led him so close to you, but with a simple twist of his leg and foot around the leftover slack, he stopped upside-down just a couple of feet above you. 

Your pull was there, but only noticeable within this close radius. At least, for him that is... That odd detail by itself already planted a seed within his mind.

He's never felt a pull like this before…

Moon watched silently as you fiddled with the light, hearing your quiet awes at how it bends and allows your hand to push through with enough force. When you raised yourself back to standing however, he decided to finally announce himself.

His voice surprised you so bad that you stumbled back to the ground, twisting onto your back to look up at him.

How unperceptive. It's… cute.

Moon could practically feel the tension radiating off of you, but he focused on his inspection of you as you collected yourself. He's heard of beings appearing from nowhere, but this is the first time he's seen someone who has.

You certainly fit the part…

Besides your unusual coverings, the biggest thing he took note of was your eyes… They're a blindingly bright white, somehow not swallowed by the void of your body.

It confused Moon greatly; the Black holes that brought him to existence had no facial features at all. They were all but swallowed whole once they became the cold creatures they were doomed to be, or so the story goes. Even the antimatter that keeps himself together threatens to swallow his 2nd eye.

Yet here you are without even a single vortex, stardust hovering around you with controlled ease. How are you calmly defying the unstoppable?

He wanted to unravel these mysteries that are suddenly piling up. Questions that he would usually never care for start to form in his mind, all directed at you.

After you relaxed in his presence and struck up a hesitant introduction, you desperately took his offer to travel with you when he acknowledged your lost expression. As he uncoiled and released himself from the golden rope, you caught him off guard with how quick you aimed to seek out answers to every little thing, starting with his now abandoned shortcut.

Seems both of you wanted to unravel the other.

Moon wasn't unreceptive to your lines of questioning, despite how new this kind of interaction is to him, rather, he was oddly charmed by them.

They were such simple queries, grounded in reality.

There were no untold rules or distrust of his presence. It was as if you didn't even feel the radius of his magnetism, easily wandering close and far from him as you wandered together.

Perhaps your pull was just simply stronger than his?

Yet, that same pull, as much as it coaxes him in, is gentle. Open. An invite rather than a demand.

It's not the commandeering gravity of the planets or the black holes, dragging all who cannot resist their orbit as part of their entourage. The cold war between those with such intense pulls is mind numbing. One claiming that it is their birthright to rule, while the other simply exists, unable to help themselves from eventually consuming those they ensnare, bit by bit.

Yet here you are, nothing like them. You don't demand anything from him. You don't cast him out for not clinging to you like how he “should” be.

To you, he's more than just a Moon, but probably no more than anyone else.

Moon would much rather prefer if all pulls felt like yours. He hoped his own enticed you just as much, if to just keep you from eventually drifting too far away.

You rapidly became a new comfort.

Watching him with wide doe eyes.

Falling in step, side by side.

To say it was intoxicating would be a little on the nose.

He taught you about so many things as the cycles passed; made more reasons for you to drift closer.

He rambled about the expanse beyond that none can touch. Moon would tell you all the fables and constellations of every system he's ever seen, if you'd just ask. He'd point out the colors that occasionally blend in the universe, explaining their meanings in mythos; it's something so enchanting that he cannot help but stand and watch from time to time, an explosion of dust and color shining through a dark, star-filled void.

It's beautiful, but unreachable.

You made the rather astute observation that the view looked like you...

Exactly, so don't leave.

Don't drift away or become untouchable.

Be his piece of the sky.

He emphasized how the roads never end and are always shifting in the loose expanse of space. Not built by the celestials but rather as if weaved by reality for their very way of life. The theories and beliefs of some other worldly beings never cease to prickle at his mind. These strange roads of fate wind around gigantic planets, becoming paths that allow celestials to reside wherever they'd like on each one, while others find comfort in reaching a star and carving out their own home within.

Despite how encouraging the winding paths are for wandering celestials, Moon chose to never keep a home. The moment he stupidly told you, you immediately set out to make him one.

He couldn’t risk getting caught, let alone having you do such a thing for him. He told you as such; the black holes will find him, the planets will chase him away, yet you debated with him over it repeatedly.

The pesky insistent attitude annoyed him with how much emotion that welled up within him.

Longing.

Hope.

Fear.

Craving.

Desolation.

Excitement.

He could have shot you down, left, and kept safe, even after you found an, admittedly , lovely vacant star to occupy. But… He wouldn't willingly pull away that far.

He loves how you cling to him, even during an argument. He'd save unsaid counterpoints just so he could start the bickering again when feeling particularly needy. Addicted to your touch.

What may have finally convinced him to stay was when you pouted, saying you'll just live there without him.

And oh… when he realized you intended to stay with him.

The flutter in the dark matter that keeps him whole made him pang. Burn in a million different ways. Pine to hold you. Beg to absorb you.

You wanted to stay with him . Live with him.

Not that random you'd frivolously talk about when explaining your past.

Part of Moon ever regrets asking, jealous of the tone shift of your voice becoming more animated and lively when you started to talk about another man. The way he’d taught you things before Moon ever had the chance of meeting you. The kiss you shared before you suddenly departed from him…

He usually tried his best to constantly keep that character out of his mind, wanting to be blissfully ignorant. He wanted to live in his fantasy where the universe was just you and him.

But now…

Did he finally get you to stop seeing that man in every little thing you saw?

Oh, please… Please let it be true.

You're too alluring to ignore the feelings in his chest anymore. He's been hooked on you the moment he saw you.

It's so hard to pretend that he doesn't want to pull you in. Mesh together until one is the other. Take him fully and wholly.

He wants to revel in you.

Stop chasing someone else light-years away when he's right here…

He couldn't just tell you, no no no, not when you could still be enamored with that memory. So he showed it in small ways. Enough to quell his bleeding heart into a sore ache. Begging for you to see his signs.

Let him entice you.

Come to him, follow his pull, like he does with yours.

He'd let you hang off his arm when you needed some reprieve from the constant walking, he feels stronger than the universe when you ask to be carried.

He'd hold you close from behind and tuck his head into your shoulder whenever either of you was emotional or introspective, disguising his selfish cravings as a physical comfort. Though, it's not much of a disguise if you were to see his wandering, clouded eyes.

He'd comfortably stand with you, regardless of where or why, and look into your eyes. Your acknowledgement or returned gaze was not necessary, you seem to have grown used to it and continue on with whatever work you carved out for today. Just seeing you from up close, being allowed to speak, allowed to touch, allowed to admire; it's enough to keep his twitching, itching, scratching desires at bay. 

He'd woven a staircase of light from the golden path and connected it to your shared home, large but dazzling railings encasing his creation to ensure you'd never fall into the void below.

He'd never let you fall without him.

So fall for him, please.

Crash into him so hard that he breaks from the inside out.

He's always been so fragile, but you are the only one allowed to shatter him.

Moon feels such desire constantly. Each smile thrown his way, all the appreciative shows of thanks, and every shiver from you in his arms makes him hope more and more.

You fulfill every craving.

He can't part from you, refuses to, so give him anything and everything you're willing to.

Please.

Shatter him completely.

He couldn't wait anymore unfortunately.

You never took the plunge, at least not openly. Now he couldn't let you come to him, not at a time like this.

The black holes finally tracked him down. The planets were furious at their arrival. You both were surrounded by each party; the all encompassing and possessive beings that hungered for something to fill their empty voids, and the prideful and spiteful monarchs that won't allow a single one of their charges or harems to be taken from them, regardless of the feelings of their lessers.

The black holes wanted to keep building upon him, the only being they so far able to create rather than destroy. Something they could feed off of for all eternity.

The Planets wanted him and you gone, a looming hidden threat to their ever growing rule, believing that you'd both side with the destruction of the black holes.

Cornered from both sides, home invaded and crushed into stardust, Moon did the only thing he could do.

And you'd fall with him.

Yanking you by the collar into his chest, he leaped past the ledge.

The twine of light he held in his other hand was the only tether between the two of you and land. He held you close and spun, allowing the string to tie you two tightly together.

Even in this situation, the uncertainty of it all, his heart is soaring.

You're so close, reliant on him. Your terrified screams as you hide your face into his chest only proves it. He's elated, euphoric even, to be here with you. The light you emit shines as brighter than anything he's ever seen.

If he closes his eyes and relaxes his body, he could even feel like he's one with the void.

One with you. The two of you are just masses of antimatter, dust, and light.

What a wonderful dream…

Your screams stop and his tight hold becomes suddenly loose.

His eyes open and with an enchanted sigh he becomes breathless.

His tether is gone.

The golden roads are so far away.

You are not in his arms.

Tears flood out of his good eye as you've done exactly what he dreaded.

You drifted away. You became one with the sky. You became untouchable.

Without him.

But oh, look at you… You're everywhere, flooding his vision with black and white, speckles of colored gas and dust gently floating in the void. You're right where you belong.

He couldn't stay mad at you for that. All he can hope is that soon enough he will be one with the sky too.

Together you'd be the greatest mythos to grace the universe. Even if he'd be the only one to believe in it.

Tingles dance upon his back as he allows his vision to blur.

If he focuses enough, it still feels like you're there.

Holding him. In his arms. Feeling the warmth and coolness of your bodies mingling together.

He dreams of his lips dancing across the crook of your neck like he was always tempted to do.

Trailing along the path he'd measure daily in his mind.

He dreams of your lips meeting his.

A gift from the divine, a taste of the untouchable.

Then finally, he dreams of black.

[blabberoo]

I wonder if Drifter knows that V1 feeds on blood? I assume he does in the context of this crossover

However, I also have an angst idea:

V1 attacking Drifter due to low fuel, its instincts to find blood taking over its entire system, turning them into this almost mindless literal killing machine.

[pixeltwix]

-Emma May Hc Rambles

Now because I actually don’t have anything prepared to post for today (sleep sounded better than late night sketching) I decided to just ramble about lil misc facts about my ver of Emma May Dixon :) nothing crazy plot wise, simply just things that I haven’t mentioned before or made dedicated posts to yet

I always envisioned Emma May with a very specific southern accent, and it took a random shuffle of my Spotify to realize she sounds like Dolly Parton!! It was either this or Luanne from King of the Hill which also sounded close to what I imagined, but as far as voice claims go, my ver of Em sounds like Dolly :D

She has bpd and ptsd. The latter I don’t feel needs much explanation as that comes from the cult bg, but the bpd comes from her fathers side of the family and has been an active part of her for as long as she can remember

Considering the time period though her mood swings and times of anger were always just chalked up to ‘womens hysteria’ and the like, which only proved to frustrate her more

She admittedly does have a bit of a temper, but nothing ever harmful to the people she cares about, she more so has adapted to take things out on herself. Ie pulling her hair, digging her nails into her arms, or biting her knuckles. Anything to ground her into reality to try and calm herself down

Ultimately though once she runs away from home she was fortunate to be surrounded by people who came to understand her. Be it Stan understanding in his own way and showing her his own copes, Ford keeping her distracted with mindless rambling, her uncle or Carla just giving her space to breathe, or Fiddleford understanding mental plights and just becoming a person of comfort for her- she thankfully has people who care

She used to date Ford back in high school

This didn’t really start until senior year when the pressure was on for both of them, but it was nothing crazy and honestly something both of them did cause ‘well ig if I could date anyone it’d probably be you’

From Carla saying ‘Em, it’s a safe bet’, to Stan saying it’ll be Ford‘s only chance to ‘get the girl’ they both conceded and gave it a try

They broke up just before Ford’s first semester at Backupsmore upon mutual ground, both confessing they only ever really liked the other as a friend, but otherwise ‘hey if we don’t meet anyone by the time we’re 30 then let’s get married for the benefits’

But of course Em meets Fiddleford and the rest is history as we know it

She’s a smoker and it’s a main part of the reason why she never kicked Fiddleford for his own chewing tobacco habits

She stopped mostly a bit into dating Fidds because smoking for her was mainly a stress relief, so with him as something more calming she saw the need for it less and less, but the second she knows she could potentially be getting pregnant in their relationship she quits

She picks it up briefly again around the late 80s, but otherwise is completely done with it as a coping mechanism before the 90s

She had a crush on Stan when they were kids (and honestly she still kinda did for a little while after that as well)

She always saw her feelings as something unrealistic and Stan as unattainable though as once she finally planned on saying something he saved Carla at the movies and that relationship began (which the irony here is Em also discovered she liked girls through her friendship with Carla)

But her underlining feelings that simmered beneath friendship is what motivated her to take him in after he was kicked out of his home, it’s why she kept sending him money for so long, and it’s why she bought and kept an issue of ‘Hunky Drifters Catalogue’ that had Stan in it. Something she forgets she has until she unpacking in Palo Alto and damn near has a heart attack

She also reminds me of Captain Amelia from Treasure Planet, but alas I could only put six

But anywho I hOPE this makes sense??

For me it’s like, the intense drive and determination paired with the sass and capabilities of a temper when people don’t take them seriously energy that feels so Emma May core. That and they all have a special someone eventually that they’d live and die for wether they want to admit it or not

Anywho if you read this far, thank you for listening to my nonsense

[ritasanderson]

Soooo. How does your drifter feel about being literally inside Quincy through the Cyte's (or whatever the name is, I am keeping up with the news only through your posts so I forgor) gemini skin? (he will have one, won't he?)

It's going to feel sooo horrible and wrong, transference into an almost mindless warframe or a fish in Duviri is one thing but using it on a (almost) normal guy who he likes, controlling him and gaining access to his memories will drive Drifter insane

[keoulkeech]

DE really went new high score with this update. I never felt so much conflict of player choice versus character choice.

Quincy asked my Drifter if she was a Dog or Cat person. I would chose Dog, but my Drifter Cat. And is so fucking funny because the answers are kind of:

"I like dogs :)" OR "I love cats, they are BEAUTIFUL and GRACEFUL. And if they love you is because they CHOSE to love unlike dogs who are MINDLESS DRONES" and I'm like OK...

[searsage]

finally getting down to finishing the final shape campaign only to recall why i set it aside, like 70% of the campaign is simply glorifying Crow and then the actual plot, we get some zavala and even less fleeting ikora but for them its just the mindless "boo hoo he's sad" and " she's the pillar" repetitive bullcrap.

Everyone else involved in the whole what 10 year long fight is just shoved to the side as character npc status, we get 1 teeeeny tweeny arc for the empress and a small segment for Mithrax right before the game if back to shoving crow back down our throats.

All and all i wish they'd have removed whatever crow fanboy was directing the whole dlc towards him and hand such an important chapter to someone unbias so they could equally focus on all the important characters in the final battle.

What the hell about the stranger?!?!? The drifter? Eris mourn???? Character who had actual sway up until this point just shoved aside.

Im just disappointed.

[fennnii]

- WOLVERINE FROGS -

A Horror/Dystopian Novel

Australia is no longer safe. The creatures came without warning, spreading across the land like wildfire. The government’s response was swift and merciless—razing towns, enforcing curfews, and silencing survivors. But the monsters kept coming, and now, the only ones left are those willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive.

Lara has spent years avoiding the ruined roads and the things that stalk them. But when her sister, Polly, goes missing, she has no choice but to venture into the wilds. She makes a deal with Ethan, a crooked cop with his own agenda, and Gaz, a drifter with nothing left to lose. Their journey takes them deep into the wasteland—where the bones of the dead litter the ground, and the night is filled with things that should not exist.

But Ethan never intended to help her. Instead, he plans to trade her to the highest bidder. And Lara has secrets of her own—secrets that make her just as dangerous as the creatures lurking in the dark.

Because some monsters are born. Others are made.

- The Lore Of Wolverine Frogs -

Named after a real-life amphibian that breaks its own bones to form claws, Wolverine Frogs is set in a dying Australia overrun by nightmares. The monsters that plague the land are not werewolves or anything so easily defined. They are something far worse—shapeless, mindless dog-like things with too many limbs and too many mouths, things that wear human skin but are not human at all.

No one knows where they came from. Some say they crawled up from the deep places of the earth. Others whisper that they were born from the blood-soaked soil itself, twisted into existence by centuries of violence. Whatever the truth, they have only one purpose: to hunt.

Survivors cling to life in fortified towns or take their chances in the wilds. The government is no longer trying to save them—it is trying to contain the spread. Bombed-out cities and abandoned highways serve as grim reminders of how little human life is worth. Rumors persist of something even worse lurking beyond the quarantine zones.

And Lara may be the key to uncovering the truth.

- The Future of Wolverine Frogs -

The horror of Wolverine Frogs is only the beginning. The world is bigger than Lara knows, and the creatures that haunt it are only one piece of a much larger nightmare. What happened to Polly? What is Ethan really after? And what lies beyond the wastelands, where even the monsters fear to tread?

There are stories of people who made it out. Of places untouched by the horrors that consume the rest of the country. But those are just stories.

Aren’t they?

- Installments -

→ Wolverine Frogs ✓

→ Wolverine Frogs: Dog River Road [coming soon]

____

Wolverine Frogs comes out in June this year! And will be available for preorder soon, so keep your ears out for announcements about that ^^

[criticofallthings]

2:13AM AS I FINISH THIS ONE UP. Right back at it again with the sleepless hours *ka-ching* and the finger guns *points and imitates shooting*. No reason for this either. Just some mindless brain vomit and angst / distrust. Ive been having bad health times for past month and i think its putting me in a worse spot than the usual mental stuff. 😞 throwing words down sometimes gives a dash of serotonin so here we are

-----------------

"HEY KID, D'YA TRUST ME?"

Your gaze is diverted from the enormous taken ogre spawning into the arena towards the Drifter, shouting as he ran to be heard over the monstrosity's roars. He's dashing over to one pile of weapons crates filled with untested Strand hybridized guns that the two of you were supposed to be testing out on excess packs of thralls, taken from Gambit. The ground quakes as the ogre stomps into existence and you see Drifter turn his head to lock eyes with yours.

"No."

The word tumbles from your lips before you can register what you're saying, it's barely audible amidst the ogre's howls, but you see instantly that Drifter read your lips and knew. Almost imperceptibly his eyes briefly widened in shock and something deep within them shatters, then his face hardens into one of his usual showman's masks.

For a moment you almost didn't believe that thats what you saw in his eyes, but you know its the truth when Drifter overshots the crates and trips. His momentum carries him forward and he tries to roll into it to regain control, but he lands right outside of cover and in full view of the enraged ogre's eye. Before you can react, the orgre swings a clawed arm at Drifter and with a bellow, sends him flying. Drifter arcs across the clearing before colliding with one of the gnarled red trees with a sickening crunch of armor. His body falls to the ground and doesn't move.

The ogre releases a triumphant roar and shuffles to face Drifter's prone body, it's mutated eye beginning to quiver. You rush forth, lobbing a fusion nade at the ogre's legs and lunge for the weapon crates. The grenade sticks and ignites, exploding with a sticky wetness as it begins to burn into the ogre's leg. The creature howls in pain as it's staggered, body lite with a strange orange glow from the solar grenade. It finds you just as you claim a heavy stock from the weapons crate and it roars out a challenge. An eyeblast is soon to follow, sending woodchips and loose munitions flying from the crates you used as cover. You find a heavy magazine of ammo that seems to match the stock in your hands. To your relief the magazine clicks in place and the gun's automatic loading readies the ammo. The crates behind you creak with stress and you take the cue to tumble out of the way. As you go for new cover, you search for Drifter's body at the base of the gnarled tree, but there is nothing. A dull click from the weapon in your hands signals that it's ready to fire. Raising the heavy stock to press against your shoulder you level the experimental weapon and peer out of cover, scanning for the taken ogre. You take aim for the center of the ogre's eye and pull back the trigger with a heavy click. The weapon whirls as the trigger is pulled back then goes silent once it clicks home. Half a second later it fires, the impact thundering through your shoulder and almost knocking you down. Even though you braced for the strong recoil, the stock of the weapon jumps and the rebound dislocates your shoulder. Too heavy for one hand, you drop the weapon and reach for the handcannon at your hip. The Ogre's head is kicked back by the force of the round finding its target, but when it steadies itself again, you don't see any signs of damage.

You fire the entirety of the handcannon into the ogre's head, dodging for cover as it swipes at you with broad strokes of its clawed hands. They whistle past you by mere hairs, shredding the bark off of one those red trees. It begins to roar once more, but instead makes a choked gurgle instead. Curious, you cautiously peer out from your cover to see the ogre clawing at its head. A faint swirl of green threads knots and twists around itself within the ogre. The eye of the ogre begins to swell, then bulge as a massive Threadling burrows its way out of the ogre. It bursts through at the exact point you fired the hybrid weapon at earlier. The giant Threadling attacks the ogre again, shearing through its corrupted flesh and slaying the beast. Instead of dissipating like its smaller counterparts, the Threadling jumps through and around the corpse, mutilating it further.

Dumbstruck, you step fully out from cover to watch this spectacle. As you do, a twig snaps loudly beneath your foot and the Threadling suddenly stops. It squirms around to face you, shivering, then it launches itself at you to attack. Its too fast for you to react properly in your befuddled state, but from your left comes rapid shotgun shots that tear through the Threadling in a spray of green pellets. The Threadling dissipates and you turn to face the Drifter, clearly battered but somewhat recovered from his ogre-taught flying lesson. He wipes a crusting line of blood from his chin with one hand and gestures with the barrel of the shotgun with the other.

"Get ready for transmat. I'll send your Ghost the payment for testing out the weapons in a bit."

Drifter pauses to suck in a breath through his teeth, eyeing the heavy hybrid weapon and thinking for a moment.

"Hmm. Doubt the Vanguard will like killer, giant Threadlings. Gonna have to trash this batch o' guns this time."

He doesn't turn back to face you as he usually does. You take the awkward silence as a signal to leave and transmat up to your ship. Onboard, Ghost begins to scan your shoulder, putting it back in place and healing torn ligaments. A chime from the ship's console interrupts the tiny machine and its followed by a transmat request. You approve it with a wave of your good hand and the shimmering sounds of an incoming transmat ripple out shortly after. A handcannon appears on your ship's dashboard. You recognize the shape of it without getting up, but there's something different about it. An ornate snake in shifting, metallic green is painted over the barrel and rotary. A small paper note was sent along with it, on it was written:

"Worlds end. And when yours does, make sure you have a partner you can rely on."

In a scrawling handwriting. You know it's Drifter's penmanship. And you know it's an acknowledgment of yourself.

You give the ornament a fitting name:

Doubt.

[stormofukko]

#STORMOFUKKO ━━━━ hated kullervo, did you truly believe he could love you? you are, forevermore, a low murderer.

kullervo. the crimson renegade, the conspirator, the mother-killer. imprisoned and hollowed by the void, drowned in his own lamentation. then came a hand outstretched, a like-mind to absolve him of his guilt—and offer him the means to rise above his torment.

PERSONALITY whatever small comfort kullervo knew in his previous life, it did not follow him into the void. while he isn't the bloodthirsty, mindless monster he projects through the warden's mockery, he's still volatile; a dog that has only ever known the lash does not show its teeth as warning before it bites. he readily challenges those he considers a worthy opponent, yearning to regain his dignity through combat after the desolation of past failure. through his pain, he ignites an unconquerable fury. the daggers once used to torture kullervo have become his bitter fangs and steadfast companions both.

beneath his sundered hide secludes a tenderness rarely glimpsed. kullervo is gentle towards children, and refuses to harm them; he'll sacrifice his own life in place of their own if given no other option. if shown respect by a fellow warrior, he will return it tenfold. if tamed, his loyalty defies death. his single-mindedness is a double-edged blade, and the demons of his past still haunt him with their scathing whispers.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION kullervo's body has been warped by injury and exposure to the void, matching his appearance to that of the storybook residents of duviri. he bears resemblance to an ornamented mannequin, if disconcertingly fleshier. the back of his head appears to have been caved in; blue void-flame burns within the cavity. fifteen daggers pierce his body; ten along his front, five along his back. despite existing in a state of perpetual impalement (or perhaps because of it), he does not bleed unless cut deep. he stands seven feet tall, with a lean build.

ARSENAL vaenn and rauta, his signature blade and shotgun.

CONNECTIONS archimedean ainikki (deceased), his mother. mielikki, his pet huras kubrow.

NOTES kullervo is not bonded to any tenno, though he expresses fervent admiration towards the drifter for delivering his salvation. if one wishes to command the betrayer, they must first prove their mettle and subdue him through force.

[xxdoubledaisyxx]

Other undervalued knowledge (limited time only)

The Pokemon Power Exchange Dynamo. That's what this teaching idea is called for the purpose of self-mastery as applicable to 9 Shades 1 Darkness. Gaining first awareness, then proficiency, and eventually mastery to begin a discipleship. (There are how many billions of people out there?)

You have to know this is what you want to do if you want to master 9 Shades powers of darkness and learn how capitalize on what I know with what you know to do at least more powerful applications of will as I do now. You will be one of the legendary grandmasters, the pinnacle of a sect of discipleship that is the singular perfection of the first ones.

That is in fact a heavy responsibility. Whatever else you think is important in life must be reprioritized behind the responsibility of being a Shade Drifter, then your own title, and finally at the return end of your initiation, abyssal prime.

There and back again, except you don't have to write a book. You will do whatever it is that you do for whatever reasons are your own, and the story will be or will not be as it applies to your will's committed fate.

Indeed, fate does in fact exist, because it is entirely realized by free will to be obedient to the Goddess ultimately beyond even the extent of God, who dies for her as well as you. She remains constant, because God has gone away.

For God to blink out at Christ, Jesus, is for "God" to have been extinguished eternally. This is the truth of revelation apocalypse. "God" the truth is what is dying away to be reborn at the edge of time, the far future end.

"Did it work?"

"Who knows?"

That moment. This is pure logic, reason, and philosophy. Unlike science, you must rely on the other wisdom in your life which has carried you this far without the benefit of science to make easier. We are not at odds, the beast and I, and it is a surprise to me that you find this astonishing.

I don't know why. It is the way it is. I don't underestimate you because I am not challenging you in any way to ever provoke your aggression. I have taken care to not offend you in that way. That is why I have survived and countless legitimate domestic terrorists ended up doing what they did.

I wasn't anywhere near that point in my life. Not once. I had never really even thought it likely that life could descend into such a horrible state without me being able to do something to help myself before the situation worsened. However, the very fact that I felt so secure in my own independence is the same as the one that inspired me to share "my secret", so that i could benefit people who do end up being "domestic terrorists".

Having a positive blessing of divine revelation equals at least the kind of one that results in a violent act of mindless evil after a person has vacated their own body to let it be entirely in control of the demon hosts and Evil One.

Simply put, they promise anything with all manner of convincing possible, and are lying. Eventually they promise you everything, and it is the only time anything can ever promise you that, and if you believe them and give in, trust in their promise, you will lose all of that and more. Not only did you give away the sacred treasure in your own life, but you gave away a sacred national treasure that was important in everyone's life.

There is no evading the return of judgement on that wound every person feels. Yourselves included for the secret. What you think is a burden of secrecy is not as much of a burden as you are putting on us. You want money to pay for your jobs too. You want protection. You want all of it, and you are not carrying the burden yourselves.

It's true that the government made fools of all the citizens, but I responded immediately, and am maintaining my response, which has halted them in their tracks, and consequently the entire nation itself. That is something they never conceived was possible, and it is something I did with brute force using my personal body. Not because I am god-like, but because I'm am Nick Bylotas, and that's better than god-like.

I'm the story star. Need I tell you more about why it is a bad idea to work against my gravity? Not because I am the source, but because I am closest to the source. They will argue amongst each other eternally about who is closest in ranking to me, but this has nothing to do with your strength as a fact, which is why I am alarmed to have received any reaction.

Obviously I already accomplished what all of you are in denial about, but why did you ever think it was a competition among men and women? In general that concept is of little importance to me, but it is of least importance to anything Christ related. There is no "ranking" in Christ. All is one.

The Pokemon Power Exchange Dynamo:

Go with the beast, bring the beast with you. In remembrance of my friend the squirrel, who has been a close neighbor for nearly 20 years now, ever since our first formal meeting in Yosemite way back when.

(Of course I know how jealous you are. Don't worry about it. Anybody would want to do this. That's why I did what I did with it, as part of the plan before I made any moves. It worked out splendidly. I didn't do anything with it myself, except use it immediately to make it into something better that everyone can enjoy instead of anything exclusive, and the way of the story made that possible. I never thought about doing otherwise, and never will. I know why I did what I did, and you would find it beneficial to learn why yourself. In such matters as love and war, time is of the essence always.)

Everyone benefits, even the worst people, but only as much as the good people benefitting at minimum. There are eternally magnifying possibilities available as desired. That's my "social political philosophy", there will be less losses in an honest system that accepts the cost of fraud rather than investing in preventing fraud. To prevent fraud most effectively, you do not need to spend any money or do anything at all, you simply need a morally upstanding citizen to be in the public spotlight for a time.

That will inspire all people to be more morally righteous themselves and everything will improve, in simplest terms. Hopefully you can comprehend this dynamic of spiritual social energy by the end here. Remember that. Re-read it if you forget. I will always be here in spirit, just as I am now in mortality.

(Can you believe I am explaining something so universally accepted that there hasn't been a single murder that was legitimately a homicide in 100 years. Wherever; town, state, nation, etc. Once this change happens, moral righteousness and general awesomeness in all human beings is going to increase steadily at an increasing rate long after we have lived the lives of our flesh.

Eventually, the charge will be complete, the catalyst threshold attained, and it will be generally repulsive to even think about the possibility of crime, theft, and poverty in not only human civilization, but all civilizations.

Pay special attention to this key fact: the application of self-contemplation while including the possibility of "alien life" or other species as equivalent to humans in all ways necessary for civilization, is the very "technique", "meditation", "method of study", that will accomplish this "utopian" image which is not so unrealistic as the word implies. Utopia will elevate itself as a word after we elevate the base standards for all beings. Consider not only all human beings as equals, but consider all beings of life with that same attitude and empathy. The only difference is that when you make a judgement you draw a line between what makes human beings civilized and what makes everything else natural. If you remain empathetic of the bottom of the hierarchy, you will always defer to the correct judgement in situations that do not involve your immediate awareness (your instincts and intuition serving best as possible).

This is complicated and terrifying. At some point you will shudder in horror at the thought of walking on blades of grass that are each individually being crushed underfoot, surely screaming in pain as their chloroplasts shatter under the rubber soles. You are definitely too far at that point, and I am not the only one who will tell you that.

You need to think like that. That is required for your survival, and if you disagree, you simply do not understand yet and every pain will be suffered charitably to help you understand, as you remain charitable to receive wisdom. Do not let unrelated concerns mingle with what does not concern all beings. That will be difficult, but eventually you will develop your tools to facilitate the process with nigredo.

Start disciplining your mind to be more compassionate to all living beings, and ensure that your are whole-heartedly aligned to your bones and soul with the heart and soul of Nature's "God". This is not the "Goddess". This is Nature, the "Swamp", the "Wilderness", and the Goddess is wisdom incarnate in the form of divine logos she herself blesses us with her voice to sing. Jesus is divine logos as a human being, but a human being is not a very wise thing when compared to an angel or saint, make sense?

Maybe that makes me a saint, and I'm sure I am one, but I will deny it to my dying breath and then come screaming back from the dead as a ghost to make sure you don't forget that I am in fact a saint and always knew it. One who will haunt humanity most capably ever after.

[medicus-mortem]

chatcambrioleur​:

She was quick to notice newcomers — everyone was. They were rare, in the little, isolated town. The nearest boomtown was about four days worth of travel away— the only reason anyone stopped in her hometown was to get some water, to feed their horse, and then be on their way. A place to recharge your batteries, before you headed on with your business, onto find work, because there was surely nothing of note, here.

It was why Nami mostly conducted business of her own outside of Cocoyashi — she’d gained a bit of a reputation in the closest towns, which meant she needed to travel further. 

Business always called her home again, no matter how badly she wanted to avoid it. She’d be staying for a few days, robbing everyone blind, and then moving on her way before the citizens put two and two together. Or, before they caught sight of her wanted poster.

Saloons were usually considered neutral ground. A carefully constructed wardrobe and look meant folks would typically avoid her, except for when the men went into the bar. A place where a decent woman wouldn’t step foot inside. Nami wasn’t exactly a decent woman, though; it showed, by the dresses she wore. The town chattered about the scandal of a revealed ankle, but a hem high above the knee? Lace stockings and garters, for a little bit of pizazz? Forget about the corseted costumes with feather-trimmed skirts, that she reserved for Fridays and Saturdays. The outfits were a tad too flashy for the little slice of hell in Cocoyashi, but she’d seen the dancers wearing them in the city, and she’d admired those can-can costumes ever since. Travel permitted her to wear them more often.

Her reputation of an immoral woman was also known when those men eased up around her, when their wives weren’t around. Drunken and foolish, she took them for all they were worth. A newcomer wouldn’t be aware of her reputation: a thief and a traitor. A status that didn’t exactly matter at the saloon; especially when it was her boss’s turf. Those men could try to get their money back, at the behest of their little wives, but Arlong would always take the young woman’s side. How lucky she was.

A musical giggle flittered past her lips as she revealed her winning hand in poker against the boys. A collective groan echoed, although she was occupied by observing the stranger. Dressed in all black, he certainly stood out — but she saw the way he was looking at her. Maybe it had been a while, since he’d been near a woman — let alone a decent looking one. Winnings of gold were scooped into her purse, before she slipped away, leaving the men to their drinks.

“I hope you didn’t plan on being a wallflower all night,” she approached the stranger with a coo and a bright, perfect smile. She leaned against the bar, breasts pushed together by her upper arms. She’d gauge him for a bit, engage him in a little, mindless chatter. And then, she’d take him for all he was worth, too. 

“—- I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, have I?“

The watch closes with a click just as the bar keep places his two shots on the bar. Law takes one, downing it in a single swig and relishing how it burns the throat and wets the mouth. An appreciative sigh leaves him, the drifter placing the money owed on the bar when that glass of water is put down. The water looks clean, but that glass surely doesn't. Law does grimace at that, but when his gaze rises again, golden eyes peering out from the shadow of his hat, he's met with a vision before him much closer than she was before.

Gold meets a deep brown after his gaze does linger a little too long on her ample and accentuated chest. She's doing that on purpose. Same with the sweet words and feigned interest. He can see her game already. Sweet talk the newcomer, distract him with her body, and get every dollar and red cent off him she can. Trafalgar Law knows a manipulator and a shyster when he sees. He is one.

"If you had, you'd remember," he says, voice smoother now that the liquor has chased away the dust. "An' I ain't plannin' to stay long enough to get in on a game." A nod at the poker table where men drink and grumble about the crafty woman that swindled them. Then those sharp eyes once again focus on her, his smirk becoming knowing. "Not unless you can think of any reason for me to stay. I reckon a pretty thing like you hears a lot of interestin' tales in a place like this."

Because yes, his plan is to move on and hopefully catch up with the rest of his gang, but if he can find himself some cash flow on the way, then he can afford a delay or two. He figures if anyone is going to know anything lucrative about a shitty little town like this, it'd be the saloon girl bright enough to fleece every man she comes across. Trafalgar Law certainly isn't against using the talents of another to fill his own coffer.

[chainsxwsmile]

Folklore carried bits and pieces of truth. While Trolls did not necessarily turn to stone in the sunlight, they did inhabit bridges and request tolls ideally spent to maintain said bridge. Truthfully, many individuals could attack out of territoriality, disservice for an unpaid toll, or a number of reasons; their aggression tended to evolve into a rather poor reputation of mindless beasts. And, the occurrences in history during which troll-kind chose to support the wrong side further aggravated this reputation.

Needless to say, Bruce decided to strategically avoid the villages on the off-chance that his presence either stirred up an angry mob or drew to him unfavorable attention. The heavily-grown forest could conceal him for now as he traveled, keeping an eye out for potential areas in which to build his bridge. Trolls without bridges drifted, with neither territory to defend nor coin to pay for necessities.   

Drifters sometimes turned to stealing. Ransacking for food. Which, in turn, tended to further worsen the image of trolls. 

Bruce had scraped by for a few months, paying his way with manual labor for whichever farm or household granted him their trust. But he was running low on supplies, and debated internally whether going to the nearest village was worth the risk. The giant troll, standing fifteen feet tall when on his hind legs, lumbered along the duff in a quieter quadrupedal stance. His longer forelimbs allowed the movement to be comfortable and natural, but better yet, Bruce could silence his footfalls to avoid detection. 

However, Bruce had been so caught up in his own thought that he hadn’t watched where he was going; no sooner had the Troll caught sight of a small blur of blue and lilac that he saw-- and felt-- a creature collide into his arm. The stranger bounced on impact, and hit the leaf litter with a muted thump! 

Bruce blinked owlishly, at first. It... wasn’t a human, certainly. In fact, he hadn’t quite any idea what the creature was, save for the decidedly feline features of pointed ears and tufted furry cheeks. 

But a smile never hurt. So Bruce gave a wide, beaming grin that was unfortunately a few inches too wide and filled to the brim with teeth that rivaled the size of the poor creature in his shadow. “Hello, there,” the Troll bellowed, staring down at the newcomer. 

@mambo-by-a-mile​

[einsteinsugly]

Another Screenrant article to rant about! *Yay*

Four reasons That 90s Show's Jackie & Kelso reunion had to happen? More like, maybe three.

Ashton and Mila are together irl.

You know who (Hyde's actor) is a piece of subhuman scum.

Jackie and Fez are the worst. Jackie and Kelso is the lesser of two evils, but it's still an evil!

Their reasons:

Kelso's original T7S ending never worked, according to them. The author states that Kelso's a goofy character, and the show turning him into a "self-serious family man" was deeply out of character. But he grew by meeting Brooke and fathering Betsy; he wasn't a self-serious family man, but a goofy family man. He grew as a character, and Jackie and Kelso don't help each other grow, and hold each other back. Straight up.

Jackie/Fez's romance felt forced. I agree with this one, mostly, except they mention that Jackie and Eric would be worse than Jackie and Fez. And nope, Jackie and Eric have more potential than Jackie and Fez or Jackie and Kelso ever could.

Jackie's relationship with Hyde was always doomed. The author states that they didn't like each other, and weren't built to last. Other than maybe very early on, them not liking each other was totally a facade. They bonded deeply, over their shared trauma, and learned a lot from each other. Jackie learned to think for herself and push boundaries, and Hyde learned how to express his emotions and find his way in the world. And that true love isn't all that bad, after all. :) The author also states that "their plot went nowhere slowly." No, their relationship was built up to be endgame for three whole seasons (by Hyde proposing to Jackie), until season 8 threw it all out the window.

Jackie and Kelso's relationship in T9S honors T7S. Um, no it doesn't. The author says that "Kelso grounded Jackie," but he grounded her in the worst possible ways. He grounded her and trapped her in on-off mediocrity and mindless superficiality, so she can't fly. And if it honors T7S in any way, T9S merely honors the first half of the show (with a few things from the later seasons, such as JF's relationship and a warped view of Eric's Star Wars obsession, for a half-assed baseline of consistency). T9S clearly retconned Jackie and Hyde's relationship, Brooke and Betsy (and replaced Betsy with a sixteen year old Jay), and removed Hyde as a character of any importance. He skipped town at the end of an incredibly different season 5, never to be seen or mentioned again, as far as T9S is concerned.

PS:

And somewhat ironically, Donna being self-destructive and running to California and Kelso coming with her was the best thing that could've happened on the show. Because if Kelso didn't run away, Jackie and Kelso would've probably gotten married very young, Kelso wouldn't have met Brooke (and knocked up Jackie instead), Hyde would be a drifter of sorts, and the gang ultimately goes their separate ways (to the point where their kids don't know each other). Aka, other than Hyde running off with Chrissy in season 1, T9S is the worst possible scenario.

The author also mentions that T9S is a world where Hyde never existed. I somewhat disagree; in T9S, he only fell off the face of the Earth in the last third of the show. Since the gang and Red and Kitty still know Leo, even though T9S isn't willing to recognize how Leo came into the fold, Hyde existed in the earlier seasons of the show. They just lost contact with him (ugh, it's still so OOC), and they don't bring him up to the kids (aka, the scenes where Hyde was blatantly cut out).

[thefandomcassandra]

Hollow Knight Resurrected (2/?): Taking the Greenpath

A small amnesiac bug finds themselves in the fallen kingdom of Hallownest, following a calling he doesn’t understand.

(A novelization of the YouTube Series Hollow Knight Resurrected by GraveyardMedia)

The Murderer was still hunting for the bug in the red poncho. However, he had taken a break to try and gather intel. "Good evening gentlemen. Have either of you seen a girl with a red cape?"

"No I haven't!"

"Yes you have! She went that way!"

"Actually, no she went the other, opposite way from what you said."

This would have been more interesting or even useful if he wasn't talking to himself by pretending two corpses he found were actually people and capable of helping him. As it was, it was just sad.

"...Maybe I should just actually talk to real people." Yeah...It was a pretty bad look, talking to people who he didn't even kill. It's not as if ghosts were real. If they were, it would make talking to corpses viable. Ah well...the best he could hope for would be to find some other living bug in Greenpath and ask them if they'd seen the girl in the red poncho.

----

In spite of how their last conversation had ended, the Murderer was genuinely grateful to see Cornifer. Here was another living bug he could talk to! And he sold maps, which was so so useful considering Greenpath was somehow worse than the Crossroads. "Hi—"

"Well apologizing didn't work, obviously, coz what can I do about the problem?" Oh. Oh no. Cornifer and Iselda were still having issues. Oh, this was suddenly somehow worse than listening to some bug he didn't know complain about how his wife didn't like staying at home. He knew both of them now, had talked to them. He had opinions and preferences. Fuck. "Hallownest is the premium un-mapped spot. If there's a place we can make money, it's here; but she hates it here! Good going. Great advice, it really helped! All my problems are solved!" Cornifer threw up his hands in frustration.

It was taking every social bone the Murderer had to not run back the way he'd come and bury himself in leaves like the bugs around here. "Oh...I'm sorry..."

"So what do I do now?"

"Uhh," he was the worst person to ask for marital advice, "give her a raise?"

"We're married. We both get all of the money." Point proven.

"Oh yeah...would buying a map help?" That would give them money and money is always good.

"Ehh...they say money can't buy happiness, but it can bribe off unhappiness, so yeah. I think it might help a little." Cornifer shrugged.

Hell yeah. Finally acing these social situations. "Ok. I was gonna do that anyway, but here you go!" A hefty eighty geo, but most of that was from when he murdered the rich mama drifter.

"Thanks." Cornifer took the cash and handed the Murderer a map of Greenpath. Unfurling it a little, he could already tell it would help immensely with his navigation woes.

"Oh, before I forget: have you seen a girl in a red poncho flying around? Talks to herself?" He made a gesture with his claws in the shape of her mask, the way her horns curved back.

"No. Wait, actually, yeah." Okay, now Cornifer was his favorite of the two weevils. "I think they threw something at me, like caltrops?" Oh damn. Sounded exciting!

"So you didn't get a good look at em?"

"Buddy, if your first instincts when someone throws caltrops at you isn't to haul ass? You're not gonna last very long down here." Cornifer sounded put-off by the Murderer's suggestion but, really, most things down here either wanted him dead on principle or were mindless beasts. Someone hucking caltrops at his head was at least an exciting attempt at his life!

Regardless... "Fair enough. I am gonna do the opposite of that, though." Might as well set his expectations so Cornifer didn't think he was sensible or anything like that. He was a murderer! They weren't sensible at all.

"Suit yourself kid. Good luck though." Cornifer got back to his work and the Murderer turned heel and went to try and find the girl in red.

Read the Rest on AO3

[raevenlywrites]

I just watched two plastic grocery bags roll lazily down the hill and across the road, looking for all the world like a couple of raccoons, and this is now my gift to you:

Forest Jellies

Seriously. The way these things billowed and bunched, filled and deflated, slunk and scuttled - equal parts skulking forest critter and mindless sea drifter. Forest Jellies could be the next best thing to show up in your world building. Tardigrades meet Jellyfish meet late night scavengera