#older nopal

[au-mashup-party]

((Sidenote: The baby desgin is canon for this current timeline, the toddler desgin is canon for the far future timeline. On another side note, at least you guys get to see what that baby full looks like skeleton form))

LAZE FAMILY 6 YEARS LATER: CHILDREN FUTURE DESGINS!!

[mermaidchan05]

Vesuvia Weekly: the Many Questions of Damian

For @vesuviaweekly 's "Who, what, when, where, why, and how" prompt. Blatantly borrowed the format that @fox-daddy used for this post, which I just loved. Thank you for sharing your wonderful Apprentice and for inspiring me to use this prompt as an excuse to talk about my boi Damian lol

Presenting, the 5 W's and one H of Damian!

(Amazing art by @kristinart18officialpage!)

Who...

…is Damian?

Damian Mendoza, the third of four children.

He has an older brother (whom they don’t talk about anymore), an older sister, and a younger sister.

An alchemist with a penchant for fire magic.

Best friend to his familiar, Oswald the bat.

A bit of an up-and-coming inventor as well: he loves to tinker and

build things, especially working with metal.

A Tarus.

A musician: he plays the guitar.

The type who can and will talk nonstop when the topic of conversation turns into one he’s passionate about

Pretty good with people, partially thanks to his Big Brother energy.

One who will defend and fight for his family until the end of time.

Determined… or some might say stubborn, which is both a blessing and a curse. He will see things through to the end, but if he gets stuck in one way of doing things, it takes a lot to break him out of that cycle.

A person with very little fashion sense, preferring practical, comfortable clothes.

(This man does not know how to do his hair. It's always a mess. Please help him.)

Someone with a dry, witty sense of humor who pretends to hate puns but secretly loves them.

The type to either know exactly what’s in his bag at any given time or to have fifteen different notebooks in there because he kept forgetting he already packed a notebook and there is no in between.

What...

...are Damian’s favorite things? 

Let’s go through the official Arcana favorites list! 

Favorite food: Chilaquiles 

Favorite Drink: Apple cider 

Favorite Flower: Marigold 

Bonus favorite season: Autumn

When...

... is Damian most like himself?

There are three general scenarios where Damian is purely Damian. 

One involves family. When he’s watching out for or taking care of the people in his circle, he truly shines. 

(aforementioned Big Brother Energy definitely comes into play here)

It’s extra obvious when he’s interacting with his familiar. Damian treats little Oswald as a trusted companion, but makes sure he has absolutely everything he needs. 

 The second involves music. 

Damian loves music, and he’s very skilled with his guitar.  

Sometimes, he finds that he expresses his emotions best through his guitar. 

When his feelings are too strong to articulate with words, he’ll always turn to music. 

Third is when he’s working on a project. 

He loves creating things. Experimenting. Putting things together to make something brand new. 

Sometimes his work is methodical and by-the-book. Sometimes he just throws everything together to see what works. 

Either way, the sheer excitement and focus and passion behind his work is a sight to behold.

Where...

....does Damian feel most at home? 

Damian grew up in Nopal. Even after he had completely lost his memories, Nopal had always been a pretty comfortable place for him. 

He knows a lot of history and folklore of the area, too, mostly thanks to his own curiosity.  

But for him, home will always be the shop in Vesuvia... 

Or, really, anywhere with his family by his side. 

If Julian is there, then he’s perfectly happy.

Why...

...did Damian move to Vesuvia? 

Damian moved to Vesuvia to help his aunt run her magic shop. 

Said shop started out pretty small, with just enough for her to make a decent living. 

When it became the only somewhat-prolific magic shop in the city, she started getting in over her head. 

Damian immediately volunteered for the job. He ended up really enjoying the work. And he was pretty darn good at it, too. 

All this turned out to be a good thing when he had to fully take over the shop thanks to the Red Plague. 

How...

...is Damian doing? 

He’s doing much better now. 

He still hasn’t regained all of his memories, but he’s learned more about his family and his history. 

He and Julian are very much in love, and they’re equal partners in every way. 

The two of them really build each other up, covering one another’s weaknesses. 

As much as Damian loves adventuring, he’s always happy to come back home to the shop. And he’s grateful that Julian was willing to settle down a bit and move in with him.

Bonus Fun Facts!

His Patron Arcana (before the whole Fool thing) is the Chariot. 

All of my Apprentice OC’s are partially inspired by different magical/mythical creatures. Damian’s inspiration is a phoenix. 

He’s named after Damien LaVey from Monster Prom, since I was listening to a lot of Nathan Sharp’s music while working on his character. Thought it was a fun homage. 

His relationship with Julian very much boils down to that one dialogue exchange from Coco.

[colorfulatlas]

I got 2 finish this today… U get to see all of my object show OCs all together!!!

I've already talked about Nopal and Cempoal on an older post about them here if you're interested, for the new guys I dont have a set personality about them yet, but I'll show you their initial design sketches with additional information (in spanish)

Translations are on read more:

Raspado (Shaved Ice) she/they/he

the affeminate gay without the prejudice

always tells the best gossip

don't bother them, they aren't afraid to fuck you up

(Miel de) Abeja (Honey Bee) she/her

Mute, she uses (mexican) sign language (LSM) to talk

Very strong, she can handle anyone

If her liquid is gone, she stays in a coma state until she's filled up again

Mapamundi (World Map) any pronouns

Very shy and anxious

Closes himself when afraid

Very weak

Afraid of sharp objects

They're also afraid of objects that can stain them

[fisherrprince]

Ooh, could you tell us more about Ch'mhat?

Mhat is justa little guy. mhat was the third born to Ch’leure, and had terminal youngest sibling older sister syndrome. Do you know what I mean— GSJDB like. she wasn’t paid all that much attention to, so she thought up a lot of ideas on how things could be better and believed them wholeheartedly. She was Loud, to get attention, and deliberately did things her way which because she’s a baby was sometimes mama’s way that had just been ignored by the people in charge. She believed Leure when he said having a Tia like Ari was harming the tribe. She had the least wanderlust of all the kittens, but the most bossiness (right below Ari), and when the tribe ate itself she was thirteen and there with it. She liked finding nopales and hunting bush pythons the most. Her favorite color was pink

[acertainmoshke]

Happy STS! What are your go-to/preferred writing tools? Favorite pen types, notebooks, keyboards, etc, but it doesn't have to be limited to just those things. Writing programs, favorite reference books, thesauruses, dictionaries, TTS software, whiteboards, corkboards, flash cards, encyclopedias, anything goes!

Nooooooooooo Nopal you don't know what you've done! How could you know I have an actual special interest in this??

So I am obsessed with notebooks but also REALLY picky about them. My handwriting is teeny so I don't like big lines, and I think it looks neater and prettier with smaller lines anyway. The covers can have a cool pattern or be plain if it's a nice color and high-quality enough. I do occasionally make exceptions; my current journal is fairly cheap with large lines, but it's a rare older Batman one in my favorite color with bat-tech designs on all the pages and a light-up bat signal on the color, so it was worth it. My newly discovered favorite notebook aspect is ones that are designed so the pages lay flat and it's easier to write. Oh, and I LOATHE spiral notebooks. The big school-style ones are ok for random notes or anything unimportant, but the smaller little ones that are normal book size are absolutely worthless. The spirals always come undone before I'm done with them.

I'm also picky about writing utensils. I keep a journal strictly in pen so it can't fade and I can't get embarrassed and erase it. I write stories strictly in pencil because I WILL need to erase and try out lines. But, although I'm using one currently for my big-lined Batman journal, in general I can't stand large ballpoints. By which I mean 0.7, which is pretty standard. 0.5 is ok, but I much prefer the rarer smaller pens. I used to have a Japanese friend who I would get to send me 0.35 pens because they are normal there but expensive over here. In pencils anything under 0.5 is impractical, but I like the fancy mechanical pencils with a nice grip and a dent that lets you dig out the eraser even after it's erased down. My current one is teal.

None of that answered your question but it was necessary anyway. And this is getting too long so the actual answer is going under a cut.

We'll see how long I can keep it going, but I like to write my stories on paper. Of course, it's not worth starting a nice new notebook if I'm unlikely to finish it and it's impractical if I don't have a clear idea of the basic story, because jumping around out of order is impossible. I like it though because it forces me to slow down and think about each scene; I can't rush the way I do when typing. It also gives me a built-in edit when I copy it up, so by the time I'm editing a full draft it's already technically a second draft. And it's convenient because I can take it to work and write on my breaks, or if I'm waiting in line at the post office, or anywhere I happen to find myself.

I do still write on the computer, of course, for fanfiction or just-for-fun things I'll never finish or stories I'm still figuring out. When I do truly long-form things I like to use work because I hate the way Google docs looks (controversial, I know). But for short things, or worldbuilding, or fanfic, I like to use Notion. I like that I can nest pages within each other endlessly. It makes my autistic organizing brain buzz.

I recently discovered that I enjoy using actual notecards pinned to a corkboard for initial plot planning. I can't always do this, and I make outlines too for more detail, but being able to physically move stuff around in real space helps my brain focus on what is actually important to include.

Thank you sooooo much for giving me a chance to ramble about this!!

[sam-glade]

Happy STS! Have you ever had to cut an interesting part of a character's backstory/lore because it didn't make sense with the overall story that you were trying to tell?

Happy ST...M, Nopal💜

In terms of backstory, I don't think so. The cast's backstories changed over time, but they eventually settled on something that's most interesting to me and make sense, and at this point I don't even remember the older iterations, because they got discarded as wrong and 'not it'😅

Having said that, I have considered making Gullin's backstory much darker than it already is, but I realised it didn't match the tone of the rest of Days of Dusk. Oh well, I can reuse it for someone in The Truth Teller.

There are also a handful of details I ended up cutting from Gifts of Fate, because they didn't amount to anything - setups without payoffs. For example, Lissan was supposed to have a red ribbon tied above the pommel of his Sword. Red is a colour that infuriates the demons in my setting, so his reasoning was that it would distract them from their victims and focus them on him. He's not the smartest one, is he...

Also, I'm still sad that this whole training segment got cut, and so did all the later jokes and references about it.

[tabswrites]

7 Snippets, 7 People

Tagged by @writernopal here! Thanks, Nopal 💜

Tagging (no pressure, as always!): @theroseempress @writinglittlebeasts @hd-literature @j-1173 @clairelsonao3 @gummybugg

Silver Sentinels tag list (please ask to be added/removed!): @outpost51

Silver Sentinels, Ch. 3

Adrin gave the girl an encouraging smile as she set down a pail of water and a folded piece of linen beside him. “Just tell me what you can remember.” Before she could set the bottle down, Davis snatched the spirits out of her hand, causing her to jump back. Adrin felt a surge of annoyance rise up inside of him as he watched the man take a long sip with his free hand.

“All I know is, Henrietta was talking to her one moment and the next that crazy bitch was attacking me!” he exclaimed, wiping drops of liquid out of his beard.

Henrietta stiffened at his words. “It was a misunderstanding.” she said, so softly Adrin had to lean towards her to hear.

“How so?” he asked.

“She thought he was trying to hurt me-”

Davis slammed his good hand onto the table. “Hush, girl!”

“Hang on,” Adrin squeezed the injured hand as a small warning. “Do you mean to say the exile was protecting you?”

Henrietta opened and closed her mouth, eyes darting between her parents. The tension in the room was stifling. Adrin found himself unable to speak as he considered how to proceed. They hadn’t covered how to mediate uncomfortable family meetings in guard training.

S.S, Ch. 3

An older guard close to his father’s age saluted the captain from his post at the end of the hall and stepped aside to let them through.

The interrogation room was a cold, uninviting place made of four solid granite walls. The only light came from the two torches hung on either side of the door–Adrin supposed there was no need for comfort in a room so few ever saw.

He guided Henrietta towards the table and pulled out a chair. She sat down slowly, her dark brown eyes reminding him of a frightened doe as they wandered around the room. He joined Hollowar on the other side of the table.

“Why was Mara Wilkes at your home, Miss Rameau?” The captain placed her arms on either side of the chair and straightened her posture, staring down at the girl with a thinly veiled look of displeasure.

Henrietta swallowed, shifting in her seat. “I’m not sure, ma’am.” she squeaked. Her hand drifted up to her hair and tugged at a random curl. “She arrived shortly after sunrise, asking me to deliver something for her.”

S.S, Ch. 3

“Ramsby, escort Miss Rameau to a cell.”

Adrin stopped his pacing and spun to face her, his cape whipping around with him. “Captain, is that necessary?” His heart ached at the sight of Henrietta’s small frame slumped over the table. There was something so honest about her, a natural sense of freedom in the way she expressed her emotions. It reminded him of Sophie, he realized. “Look at her. She’s hardly a threat.”

“That is not your decision to make.” Hollowar growled in response. “Let’s go.”

Adrin was left with no choice but to obey, glancing down at the bracelet on his wrist. Nothing about the situation felt right, but he figured couldn’t do a thing for Henrietta if he was in a cell, and he was already in shackles, so to speak. He followed the captain back to the main hallway and through a heavy set of wooden doors.

S.S, Ch. 4 (whaaat? Chapter 4 already? Go me!)

The still of the silence revived her. Mara opened her eyes to a clear blue sky and exhaled, knowing she had once again evaded death. As she sat up and looked around, she wondered if it might be too early to celebrate.

Ascension, Ch. 2

Callie opened her eyes to a sky full of stars, a peculiar observation due to the fact that she was indoors.

It had been just over a week since her brother had left, the same amount of time he had spent working on her parting gift. The mural covered the entire space over her bed. It had a background of the deepest blue and tiny stars in glistening gold.

Kiran had traded a quarter of his cattle for the paints, insisting it was worth it. She was still very cross with him for leaving in the first place—they hadn’t been apart for more than a day since he had arrived in Atharis ten years prior.

“Oh, come on Callie,” he implored her with a taunting grin. “We’ve shared the same air for most of our lives. Could you settle for sharing the stars?”

Ascension, Ch. 2

“Ah, Your Highness!” Duke Overly exclaimed, clapping his hands together as she appeared. “So kind of you to finally join us.” He took an agonizingly slow sip of ale.

Callie curtsied to her father before turning her focus to the duke. “It takes time to be presentable in accordance with the court’s impeccable standards.” she replied with a beaming smile. “Perhaps if the court would reconsider my request to wear less formal clothing from time to time, my morning routine could be considerably shorter.”

Ascension, Ch. 2

News from the border was never good. It usually meant Aleksander had grown bored once again, and was starting an even more infuriating game with them. Kiran had mentioned just before he departed that Atharis was reaching its limit, and their father was uncertain about how to proceed. One thing was clear—they could not survive another escalation.

[writernopal]

Hey, Nopal! Happy STS!

Who would be your OC(s)'s godly parent? Feel free to pull from any pantheon you'd like!

Happy STS, Tori!

I'll do this one for Wilkes! For him, I'd choose his father to be the Aztec God of War, Lord of the Sun and Fire, Huītzilōpōchtli. This god has many origin stories, but this one is my favorite one and very fitting in the case of being Wilkes' father/patron god.

Another origin story tells of a fierce goddess, Coatlicue, being impregnated as she was sweeping by a ball of feathers on Mount Coatepec ("Serpent Hill"; near Tula, Hidalgo). Her other children, who were already fully grown, were the four hundred male Centzonuitznaua and the female deity Coyolxauhqui. These children, angered by the manner by which their mother became impregnated, conspired to kill her. Huitzilopochtli burst forth from his mother's womb in full armor and fully grown, or in other versions of the story, burst forth from the womb and immediately put on his gear. He attacked his older brothers and sister, defending his mother by beheading his sister and casting her body from the mountain top. He also chased after his brothers, who fled from him and became scattered all over the sky.

For the uninitiated, Wilkes was an army man before he took up pirating. He has a reputation for being ruthless in battle, as well as being incredibly protective of Fay and his adoptive mother. Despite his size (he's 7ft tall) and age (he's 45), he moves incredibly fast and is very clever.

Huitzilopochtli is fierce in his own right, wielding Xiuhcoatl, the great fire serpent, as his weapon and demanding blood sacrifices from his followers. He is represented by the hummingbird, a bird widely regarded by the Aztecs as being reincarnated warriors because they have traits of great fighters! They are a very aggressive species of bird and will actually dive at their opponents, beak first, to stab them (Did I mention they are going at about 60mph when they do this?). They are the perfect father-son duo if you ask me!

[toribookworm22]

Happy STS, my friend! What is an unexpected thing that your readers have brought to your attention about your stories or characters? (It could be an aspect of your writing, a minor character they got obsessed with, a moment that made them gasp/cry/scream/etc., anything!)

Hey, Nopal! Thanks for the ask, love!

I can't say it's completely unexpected, but the almost unanimous and immediate love that everyone has had for Emerson Haryl from The Animatronic Saga was hilarious to me.

Don't get me wrong; I love him, too.

But he's almost everyone's favorite character. And thinking back, that was true of older drafts as well. Guess he's got the charm or something. 😄

[elshells]

Happy STS, my friend! What is an unexpected thing that your readers have brought to your attention about your stories or characters? (It could be an aspect of your writing, a minor character they got obsessed with, a moment that made them gasp/cry/scream/etc., anything!)

Nopal! Happy STS, I hope your week has been treating you well!! 💕

I actually have an answer for all three of the examples you gave above, and they all come from EMBR of the Earth. :)

1) When I first started writing EMBR, I joined a book club on Wattpad to get constructive criticism on my first few chapters. This was about three years ago, when I was still very new to online writing communities. I got a very polite (and very eye-opening!) comment from another writer about how they counted over thirty adverbs in my first chapter alone! It absolutely blew my mind, because I had no idea I was using that many. And I value that comment so much, because it was the first time I really started to look at my writing through an editor's lens. So while I'm still prone to using adverbs, I'm much more conscious about it and don't tend to use that many!

A quote from this same writer that I still live by to this day: "Adverbs are like rabbits; you start out with two and before you know it there are a colony of them in your chapter." XD

2) There's one character—‌Dr. Clay, if anyone has read it—‌that got a much stronger, but overwhelmingly positive reaction than I had expected. As the head scientist aboard the satellite, he acts as a sort of mentor figure to the main character, Tana, showing intelligence and a sense of humor. However, at some point people shipping Dr. Clay and Tana together as a romantic pairing, which was a problem because he was old enough to be her father XD. I think this happened because I never specified his age, and the characters' early interactions were friendly, and so people took that to mean that they were flirting. I cleared this up in an edit and established more quickly that he was an older man, while she was in her 20s. Definitely not love interests, although the playful father/daughter dynamic stayed more or less the same!

3) Lastly, one moment that stood out to me the most was the first time a character explicitly died on-page. I was especially nervous about the reception I would get, because it was the first time I had ever killed off a character (which is kinda nuts to think about now, haha). The character in question hadn't (to my knowledge at the time) elicited any strong reactions from my readers, either positive or negative, but she was the first person in the book to die and her murder was brutal and somewhat unexpected. I received a lot of shocked comments, but also praise for how I handled the scene, which is what I was expecting and hoping for. But one reader in particular left a comment on the exact line where she dies, something along the lines of, "YES! TAKE THAT!" I remember cackling out loud because the comment seemed so out-of-pocket, though upon a reread of previous chapters and that reader's comments, I understand why they said that. Still a VERY strong reaction that I wasn't expecting. XD

So I guess the moral of the story is, happy accidents arise in writing all the time, especially when you're first starting out!

[au-mashup-party]

to: hacker

hi! you okay? also, i'm Kayla The Skeleton! and you are?

Baby Blithy by me and @nova2cosmos

[neuropurereviews7]

NeuroPure Reviews: Does it Really Work?

Just what is NeuroPure?

People with diabetes and those who experience nerve discomfort are the targets demographic for NeuroPure, a nerve support supplement.

NeuroPure claims to alleviate nerve discomfort, including numbness or tingling in the extremities, generalized aches and pains, and more.

"Permanently eliminate neuropathy from your life all within 30 days," the manufacturer claims on the product's website (GetNeuroPure.com).

The creators of NeuroPure based their formula on a five-second routine practiced by people on a secluded Greek island. The inventor of NeuroPure's dad spent his childhood there. Today, NeuroPure relies on rare substances sourced from that island to cure neuropathy.

When used, how does NeuroPure function?

NeuroPure was created using components typical of a certain region of Greece. The inventor of NeuroPure discovered that on one Greek island, neuropathy was uncommon.

The island of Ikaria is where the father of NeuroPure's inventor was born. His older brother and sister still reside on Ikaria.

Among the five Blue Zones in the globe, Ikaria is among the healthiest. The term "Blue Zone" refers to regions of the world where the prevalence of centenarians is significantly higher than elsewhere. The Blue Zones are areas where people have a higher than average life expectancy, and scientists have been trying to figure out why.

This is how NeuroPure's developer describes coming across the secret formula:

"Thanks to this [Greek] island, we were able to identify the three hazardous enzymes that underlie every episode of neuropathy. Humans share a common set of enzymes. However, patients with Neuropathy see an increase in activity from enzymes that everyone carries. Invading your physical being and affecting your nervous system.

His neuropathy was cured, according to the NeuroPure formula's developer. Following on from that first success, 88,268 additional patients have utilised NeuroPure with impressive outcomes.

Can you explain what NeuroPure does?

The developer of NeuroPure found that those with neuropathy have an overproduction of three enzymes. Your body and brain are quickly overrun by these enzymes. On the other hand, the makers of NeuroPure assert that their product may significantly reduce the levels of these overactive enzymes, therefore permanently curing the user of neuropathy.

The makers of NeuroPure assert that with frequent use, you won't need to keep taking the prescription your doctor has prescribed any longer. For instance, he saw his father go off his medicine after NeuroPure successfully treated his father's neuropathy:

Synergistic Neuroprotective Components Many supplements sold on the internet promise to reverse the effects of neuropathy. Ingredients and doses in some of these supplements have been tried and tested. Many people don't.

The neuropathy-causing COX-2, PE-2, and MMP-13 enzymes can be blocked by the natural components in NeuroPure, allowing you to feel better in as little as 30 days.

According to Chris and his colleagues, these are the active chemicals in NeuroPure, and this is how they function:

Natural anti-inflammatory benefits have been connected to the prickly pear plant, sometimes called nopal or opuntia. Chris says prickly pear is a "wonder plant" that blocks all three of the dangerous enzymes we just discussed. The natural antiviral and anti-inflammatory qualities of the substance promote feelings of energy, revitalization, and mental clarity.

An extract of the passionflower plant has been used for millennia in alternative medicine. Chris claims that passionflowers are effective in relieving symptoms like nerve pain, tension, anxiety, and insomnia. Passionflower reduces anxiety by boosting GABA levels in the brain and calming the hyperactive nervous system. Inhibiting COX-2, PGE-2, and MMP-3 in the body, which are all enzymes associated to neuropathy, passionflower also aids in the elimination of neuropathy.

Due of its anti-inflammatory properties, NeuroPure includes marshmallow root. Chris claims that marshmallow root can reduce tension and anxiety, ease pain, and improve digestion.

Corydalis is a popular medicinal plant throughout Asia, especially in Siberia. One study indicated that corydalis helped reduce inflammation-related tissue damage pain. In terms of pain relief, Chris says it's on par with morphine, but without the associated tolerance accumulation.

Poppyseed extract contains sedative, relaxing, and pain-reliever effects and is useful for treating insomnia, migraines, stress disorders, anxiety, and nerve pain. Poppy seeds are an ingredient in numerous dietary supplements and medicinal concoctions.

Collectively, these chemicals are what Chris calls "5 super-powered neuropathy destroying compounds" that can reverse neuropathy in 30 days.

As a Closing Remark

It is estimated that 28 million Americans suffer from neuropathy. NeuroPure asserts it can resolve this issue. According to the makers of NeuroPure, the supplement can completely cure neuropathy in just 30 days.

Vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts are just some of the natural substances that NeuroPure uses to do this. Together, these components eradicate the cause of neuropathy, allowing people with diabetes and others to enjoy a life free from the effects of the condition.

[artsywinter13]

A Family Meal

   As Gabriel and his mother got closer to the dining table, the rest of the family were setting the table up. The small man of the house, Mamá Julieta’s husband, Papá Henry, was trying his best to set up the handkerchiefs and glasses. It was quite hard for the poor man, as he was no more than 4 feet and 9 inches tall. Thankfully, he was helped by his much taller daughter, Rosemary. With a cold, emotionless face and an unmatched grace, Rosemary set up the handkerchiefs and the cutlery, all wrapped up with a pink ribbon and pinned by a small, panther skull pin, representing the graceful Goddess of Shadow, Cehuacelotl. Meanwhile, Rey was setting up the plates. The plates all had ornamental patterns, some with a green, feathered serpent, others with a skull, black panther. These types of decorations and patterns were very common for the family. Some only have decorations of the green, feathered serpent or the skull, black panther due to the area they live in. But the Winters were an oddity, as they live in the border of the two empires comprising the Tlanex-Tlian Empire. One empire in the north is governed by the God of Light, Tonalcoatl, a green, feathered serpent with golden feathers like the sun; the other, in the south, is governed by the Goddess of Shadow, Cehuacelotl, a black panther with a skull face, outward spine and ribs and a green aura replacing her stomach, hair, and arms. 

   The three little triplets were running around playing tag all over the house. Their older twin sisters, Solana and Selena, tried their best to keep them in check for the important occasion. They really tried-they did-, but it was difficult to keep up with the hyperactive trio. They were both left exhausted, fanning their sun hats to try and not to overheat; a problem they’d have to deal with due to their conditions of albinism and melanism respectively. The table was almost ready. All that was left was the delicious food. Do not think that there is any meat in these meals, as the kouroo are only able to eat fruits and vegetables. But that doesn’t mean that these meals weren’t just as delicious. With a professional cook and baker in the house, every meal was always as delicious as the love they were put through. 

   With the table set up with beautiful, striped cloths and ornamental dishes and cutlery. The meals they were about to eat was all that was left, and so the family went, one by one, to help place all the delicious, steamy dishes. A hot, chewy casserole made with bell peppers, corn, black beans, enchilada sauce, brown rice, and cheese was placed as the main meal at the table. Grilled nopales chopped into cubes with carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and corn were served into a healthy salad. Grilled tortillas were laid out on the table, ready to be served with whatever the family wanted. As for the pastries, they were never forgotten. The most typical dessert was the Dulce del Sol, a soft, chewy, dough ball filled with a purée of mangos and dragon fruit and some spicy honey on top. The other is La Sombrita, small, jello-like cakes that are filled with chocolate and some cocoa powder on top. The meals were absolutely delicious for the family.

   Although the table was set and the meal hot and ready, the three little troublemakers were still running around. Poor Solana and Selena were tired, unable to keep up with their younger siblings. Papá Henry and Gabriel chuckled at the scene, while Rey and Rosemary only looked in shame, shaking their heads in unison.. And so Mamá had to use her authority to keep the kids in check. She took a deep breath and started to yell, “ VALENTINA, ALEJANDRO, AND CAMILA WINTERS JIMÉNEZ!” The three, little troublemakers knew they had screwed up. Once your full name was called, there was no going back. “SI NO SE CALMAN Y SE SIENTAN EN LA MESA AHORA MISMO, LES VOY A DAR UNAS PALMADITAS QUE NO VAN A PODER DE SENTARSE BIEN ME OYERON!!?” The trio quickly responded quite scared, “Si mamá!,” and immediately sat down in their chair in orderly but quick fashion. 

   With the kids finally settled and on their best behavior, the family went on to have their family meal. The last meal they’ll have with Gabriel. And they enjoyed each second of it. They laughed and cheered all the way. They ate the wonderful feast with glee. Each bite just as delicious as the first. By the end of it all, there was barely anything left. Only just tiny pieces of leftovers that they could eat as snacks for later. It was a wonderful feast and a wonderful family time as well.

   After it all dialed down, the family had settled all in their places to rest. But the younger twins didn’t feel like the goodbye celebration was over just yet. They both looked at each other, knowing exactly what the other was thinking, “You know what would liven the mood?” Selena yelled out to the family, “MÚSICA!!” Solana cheerfully responded. With the boombox in tow, música ranchera started playing at full volume. Immediately the rest of the family seemed to gain their energy for a round of dancing. The mother and father of the family immediately took each other by the hand and started dancing happily as if they were young once again. A hilarious sight indeed, seeing someone that is less than 5 feet try and dance with someone a whole foot taller. But either way, they were both laughing all the way, reminiscing of youthful days. The young twins danced in circles, laughing all the way, while the kids cheerfully jumped and ran all around. Gabriel took his older sister’s hand, an invitation for their last dance, and she took it with glee. They danced what felt like hours, even though not even an hour had passed. They were all happy, taking turns to dance with the other with the lively music in the background.

   While the family was cheerfully and gleefully dancing their lively song, a strange, large, dark, bulky figure was approaching the door. Its steps were silent, like that of jaguar stalking its prey. It inched closer and closer to the door, standing tall and proud over the wooden door. It even towered over the decorated colored door. It gave three hard knocks at the door.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

    But the family didn’t respond. They were too busy dancing to realize there was someone on their door. So the large figure gave three more knocks.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

   The family still hadn’t noticed. The figure was getting impatient. A deep growl came from the figure, teeth now bared for everyone to see. Its long tail moved in anticipation. And so, once again, the dark figure knocked three times, but more rapidly and impatiently than before.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

   One of the triplets, Alejandro, noticed that someone was knocking at the door, so he yelled out to the rest of his family,“Hay alguien en la puerta!!” The others looked back to see a strange figure at the door. They could only see a portion, and the small, cloudy glass did not help in their view of the stranger. They all looked at each other nervously. A natural response for them of course, as they had evolved from prey animals and they were one of the smallest races in the world. After a while of staring at each other in worry, Gabriel gained the courage to carefully open the door. He inched closer and closer and got a better view of the stranger. The stranger was indeed bulky and seemed strong enough to break the door open with ease. There seemed to be a collar of teeth that, in a closer look, was actually coming out of the next itself like some sort of maw. The stranger looked familiar, but Gabriel couldn’t know for sure until he opened the door. And so he slowly opened it and peeked a little at the towering figure. 

   “Metzi!? Is that you!?” Gabriel yelled out in surprise. The figure- Metzi- only chuckled in response to the surprised face Gabriel gave her. “I came to visit you, of course!” she giggled, “I heard you were leaving soon, so I came here as fast as I could. I’m glad I came right in time,” a genuine smile spread across her face. Gabriel could not believe his eyes. She came all the way from the south of the empire just to see him go… but wait a minute. “How did you get out of the palace? I thought your mother barred you from coming to see me?” He worriedly asked. “I had the help of a friend. Don’t worry about it,” she winked mischievously. Another similar figure to her was in the distance, giving them both a thumbs up. Immediately, she picked him with ease and started twirling around and around. Both were laughing, happy to see each other once again. “What is it with you kouroos and your love of loud music anyways?” She jokingly asked. Gabriel chuckled, “Oh, you know us, always being loud and annoying. We need to get our energy out somehow!” They both laughed out loud at the incredulous response. Gabriel had now sat on Metzi’s arm, still giggling like a little girl. It had been a long time since they had seen the other. They had to break it off due to Metzi’s family and duties, but the sentiment of love was still ever present.    

[susartwork]

I think mama and papa are mad at me, so I'm hiding <D

Nopal teleported to Basic, but... something horrible just happened. He's scared to death for Corrupted File and the others. He has a really bad sight of universes getting destroyed... especially when glitching.

Context from THIS RP and THIS POST

[sam-glade]

Happy WBW! Are there any special handshakes or pass phrases that exist in your world? I'm thinking like those really cloak and dagger things where a contact might give you half of a phrase and then you have to complete it to prove your identity.

Hi Nopal! Happy WBW!

Ok, so for general greetings: in Days of Dusk times, you shake a person's wrist rather than a hand as a greeting. By The Truth Teller times, it's the usual handshake. There isn't really a clear explanation as to why - it's one of these things I use to indicate that the times have changed (and also out character that are older than people expect them to be).

But for the cloak and dagger type things - I'm ashamed to admit that despite half the plot of of the two later parts of Days of Dusk revolving around the Shadow, I haven't exactly specified them. So in lieu of this, I'll give you a short snippet of what a typical meeting with the Shadow looks like. Note that this is the cream of the crop of the criminal underworld, and the less influential merchants of whispers likely won't be this strict about ceremony.

A little bit of context: the Shadow is the legendary information broker operating in the capital, at least as influential as the princes, and often considered the counterpart to the Sun King. Also, the wearer of the Cloak of Shadow.

Falka entered an empty cistern under the City of Light. The stale air tasted of moisture. Her steps echoed beneath the vaulted ceiling, until she stopped in the very middle of the room, in the light of a powerful lamp. That was the protocol. She looked around, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger for comfort. She didn’t like the shadows in this place; they were too dark and unnatural. They sometimes extended towards her when the Shadow was displeased.

“I have a couple of tasks for you, Falka,” their voice was unmistakably indistinguishable – she couldn’t assess the pitch, accent, or any other identifying characteristics. She nodded quickly. “First, I want to revisit the flow of information on curses and the arcana. I want to know if any notable figures of the sunlit world are involved.”

“It will be done, Shadow.”

“The second job is in the Western Princedom. Will you take it?”

“It’s not my region, Shadow.” There was no shame in saying that.

“Then find me someone who will. The client wishes to know any dirt there is on the Prince’s of Fire Adamant Guard, any business they may not want discussed in the open.” The Shadow spoke slowly, so that the echo didn’t make their words incomprehensible.

It was an even more typical job, and Falka planned to delegate this one. She was born and bred in the First Princedom, and didn’t know the Western turf at all.

There was a quiet rustle of fabric.

“It will be done, Shadow,” she said into space, although she was pretty sure that the Shadow was already gone.

[tabswrites]

If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notifications, anonymously or not! Let's get to know the person behind the blog:)

Hi Nopal 💜

3 randoms facts about me…

1. My cats have weird names. I get tired of explaining them so I give them fake names when I don’t feel like having a conversation about it. Mostly older people, coworkers, people who don’t watch tv, etc.

2. Both of my thumbs are double-jointed. I can tuck them behind my first knuckle without any pain. It freaks a lot of people out.

3. I have an unhealthy obsession with dinosaurs which has only intensified after I started watching Prehistoric Planet.