#ray has logged in (ic)

[sentient-rift]

*spawns in holding many, many baskets of chocolates*

hey y'all want chocolate? honestly I uh...don't think you have much of a choice at this point, because this stuff can and will melt into oblivion.

just wanted to show my appreciation for you guys taking time out of your day to answer my asks :)

bass if you have any way that i can contact you that would be much appreciated okay BYE--

*blips out like mega man*

"Wow... That's a lot of chocolate..."

"Guess it's a good thing we have a lot of people here, huh...?"

"I remember when Max shared chocolate with me... I wonder how he and the others are doing..."

"Well, let's not let all this chocolate go to waste. We should go ahead and have some. Just try not to eat too much. Cavities are no joke."

"Ain't that the truth..."

"Hmm...? You want my contact information as well? I... Really appreciate that you trust me enough to call me whenever you need help... Even after my past as the former Chaos Lord..."

"And I appreciate how adorably oblivious you can be, Bass."

Calm down, Ray... Don't let yourself outburst like last time... I should respect my rival just like how my rival respected me...

"Oh, uh... That's okay with you, right father? You know, to give out my contact information to someone who will need my help?"

"Heh heh... Yes, of course, my boy. I'm glad to see you so willing to help people again, Bass... And that people have taken a liking to you."

[orangetintedglasses]

... then that picture of the three of them is long gone, too.

He's... just gonna go to sleep.

[operationslipperypuppet]

Home is Where the Hearth Is - Emily Axford (2024)

they made a pact. they broke the pact. they spent tens of thousands of years alone. and now, perhaps, they can start to be whole again.

image description under the cut:

[ID: two images that are show comic panels.

the first image is 16 comic panels showing words and drawings to correlate with the words.

from left to right, top to bottom, they are:

1: a light green background with the words "they say the" and then a gold circle with a cross stitch inside it, with the words "home is where the hearth is" stitched in, with a roof above "home" and a fireplace between the i and s of "is".

2: a light yellow panel showing a gold dragon breathing fire and a large yellow divine heart with blue and green veins with a humanoid with yellow hair, yellow skin, green pants, a brown tunic, and brown boots, (Telaine, the gold dragon) reaching out to touch it. there is a green and gold overlay to both so they appear to be glowing. the words over it say "and fire heals the soul".

3: a light blue panel with darker blue footprints moving through the panel, as though walking through snow. the words read "but you've been trudging through the cold".

4: a wintry scene with a humanoid in a green cloak with yellow pants and green, leaf-covered boots (Melora), cloak blowing in the wind. the sky is gray and the ground in front of her shows a blue patch of ice. blue snow overlays the entire scene. the words read "you have been traveling through ice and snow".

5: a light green panel showing a teal pocket watch and a green arrow with green, yellow, and blue feathers. the words read "'cause time isn't an arrow".

6: a light blue panel with a dark blue man, Aryox, with his chin tilted upwards, a blue knife pointing at his throat, lifting his chin upwards. the blue knife is inscribed with runes. the words read “it’s a dagger at your throat”.

7: a light blue panel showing two figures, frozen statues, one teal (Aryox) and one a different shade of light blue (Raedak). Raedak’s arms are extended and he is holding a sword, which has intercepted Aryox’s head. Aryox’s elbows are bent and shards of ice, the same color as him, extend into Raedak. the words read “and you are numb from head to toe”.

8: a light yellow panel showing a gray divine heart with golden veins. three hands; one blue, one green, and one yellow, extend toward the heart, as though to take it. the words read “and all your blood has turned to stone”.

9: a light green panel showing a log cabin with one side blue, one side green, a yellow roof with a green chimney, and a green window and door. below it is a green hand reaching out to the right as though to take another hand that is not there. the words read “so come home to me”.

10: a light green panel with a small fire on two logs and a purple and white tea pot with leaves as part of its design and steam coming out of the spout. the words read “the fire’s warm and I am making tea”.

11: a light green panel showing an image of the sun with an orange center and yellow rays surrounding it and a cream yellow crescent moon below it, surrounded by stars. the words read “the day has turned to night”.

12: a light blue panel showing a blue hand turned downward and blueish gray snowflakes extending down from the hand. below it is a smaller image of the frozen statues from panel 7, one teal (Aryox) and one a different shade of light blue (Raedak). Raedak’s arms are extended and he is holding a sword, which has intercepted Aryox’s head. Aryox’s elbows are bent and shards of ice, the same color as him, extend into Raedak. the words read “and all the snow has hardened into ice”.

13: a light green panel with an image of a pair of green boots with leaves drawn into them that have green laces, the boots Melora is wearing in panel 4. the toes and bottoms of the boots are speckled with light blue water stains. the words read “your boots are stained with slush”.

14: an outdoor scene with Melora, clad in her green cloak and green boots which are blowing in the wind approaching a light blue cave with a different blue interior. in front of the mouth of the cave is a light blue arctic fox, Lumi, who is glowing with a blue aura. the wall of the cave immediately inside of it is carved with an image of a gray divine heart with golden veins. three hands; one blue, one green, and one yellow, extend toward the heart, as though to take it, from panel 8. the sky is a grayish blue and snow overlays the entire image. the words read “and the northern winds ain’t letting up”.

15: a light yellow panel showing an image of an intricate gold cloak with a hood and many shades of yellow to create shadows and an intricate pattern. the words read “and your best coat can’t compete”.

16: a light green panel with a wooden window showing a purple night sky with the cream yellow crescent moon and stars from panel 11. in the foreground is a dark wooden table with two pairs of arms and hands on it, one pair is yellow and the other pair is green. the arms are resting on the table and the people are holding hands. the words read “with an evening in good company”.

the second image is 15 comic panels showing words and drawings to correlate with the words.

from left to right, top to bottom, they are:

1: a light blue image showing the teal head and torso of the frozen statue of Aryox from panel 7 of the above image. halfway down the torso, the color changes to the dark blue color he is in panel 6 of the above image (when he was alive). the dark blue is giving way to the teal. the words read “frozen half to death”.

2: a light blue panel showing an image of a pink bowl of hot soup on a matching pink plate with a spoon resting on the plate. the broth in the bowl is tan and has green onions floating on its surface. there is gray steam coming out of the bowl. below it is an image of a bed with a brown wooden frame. the made is made with purple sheets and pillows under a royal blue blanket. the words read “you need a hot meal and your bed”.

3: a light blue panel showing an image of a cushioned purple armchair. draped over the chair is a flannel blanket, the majority of which is yellow but has dark blue vertical stripes and dark green horizontal stripes. there is a fringe at the edge of the blanket that is alternating with the blue, green, and yellow of the rest of the blanket. the words read “you need a blanket and some rest”.

4: a light blue panel showing an image of a small purple teacup with brown liquid inside and steam coming off the top. there is a lemon wedge on the rim of the cup. below it is an image of a piece of brown bread with a layer yellow butter covering its surface. the words read “you need a toddy and some buttered bread”.

5: a panel that is twice the size of the other panels, separated into three triangles by gray lines. the left triangle shows a gold dragon flying upwards with its mouth open with a light green background. the center and largest triangle shows a temple with dark and light green stones constructing it, and large columns at the front. the top of the temple has a craving of a wavelike swirl at the center, the symbol of the goddess Melora. the right triangle shows a gray divine heart with golden veins. three hands; one blue, one green, and one yellow, extend toward the heart, as though to take it, the image from panel 8 of the above image, on a blue background like the cave wall in panel 14 of the above image. there are a pair of blue hands in front of it, holding a chisel and mallet, carving that image into the cave wall. the words across the top of the three triangles read “wear the mantle like an albatross” and across the bottom read “and never take it off”.

6: a light blue panel showing an image of the teal torso and head the frozen statue of Aryox from panel 7 of the above image, with the light blue sword of Raedak overlaying his head, as it does in the statue. the words read “you let yourself grow numb”.

7: a light blue panel showing a green hand reaching out to the back of the frozen teal statue of Aryox from panel 7 of the above image. between the statue are layers of blue and purple energy, keeping the hand away from being able to touch the statue. the words read “‘cause you’re too proud to need someone”.

8: a light yellow panel showing a log cabin with one side blue, one side green, a yellow roof with a green chimney, and a green window and door. below it is a yellow hand reaching out to the right as though to take another hand that is not there. the words read “so come home to me”.

9: a light yellow panel with a small fire on two logs and a purple and white tea pot with leaves as part of its design and steam coming out of the spout. the words read “the fire’s warm and I am making tea”.

10: a light yellow panel showing an image of the sun with an orange center and yellow rays surrounding it and a cream yellow crescent moon below it, surrounded by stars. the words read “the day has turned to night”.

11: a light blue panel showing a blue hand turned downward and blueish gray snowflakes extending down from the hand. below it is a smaller image of the frozen statues from panel 7 of the above image, one teal (Aryox) and one a different shade of light blue (Raedak). Raedak’s arms are extended and he is holding a sword, which has intercepted Aryox’s head. Aryox’s elbows are bent and shards of ice, the same color as him, extend into Raedak. the words read “and all the snow has hardened into ice”.

12: an image showing the blue cave wall with an icy blue floor and the feet and legs teal statue of Aryox. there is an additional layer of blue ice overlaying the feet of the statue. the words read “the cold has got its claws in you”.

13: an outdoor scene of two figures walking together through the snow up a light blue hill. on the left is Melora, in her green cloak, green boots, and yellow pants, braid peeking out from the cloak which is blowing with the wind. to her right is Telaine, with a golden yellow cloak, brown boots, and light blue pants. the sky is a slightly darker blue than the ground. snow overlays the scene. the words read “oh, the weather she can be so cruel”.

14: a light blue panel showing the torso of the teal frozen statue of Aryox. on the part of his leg that is visible is a pair of snowdrops, white bell shaped flowers drooping off of green stems. at his back are two hands, a yellow one above a green one, both of which are touching him. dark blue emanates from both hands, spreading throughout the rest of him in concentric circles. the words read “but home is where the healing starts”.

15: a light yellow panel with an image of 4 arms and hands, one yellow and one green each holding the hands of the two blue arms, as though to guide them somewhere. below that is an image of a fireplace, with brick walls, a stone border, and wooden mantle and baseboards. there is a fire at the center with two logs, the same one from panel 9 of this image. the words read “so come in from the dark and find the hearth”. /end ID]

[the-bus-called-graveyard-8]

can you show your entire madagascar collection?? sorry if you already showed it 😭

Sorry to sit on this ask for so long anon!! But I've finally sat down and photographed everything I've got! Turns out, there was a lot. So without further ado:

Long, picture-heavy post ahead. Image descriptions in the post body. Click for better image quality.

DVDs & DVD extras

Madagascar 1-3 + Penguins of Madagascar

Merry Madagascar, Party with the Penguins, and Madly Madagascar

The Penguins of Madagascar, Operation: DVD Premiere, New to the Zoo, Happy King Julien Day, Operation: Get Ducky, Operation: Blowhole, and Operation: Special Delivery

Operation: Video Fun (cereal box prize! It has two episodes on it, off the top of my head I want to say they were "What Goes Around" and "Snakehead!") and Operation: Search and Rescue (redbox ebay buy, I think it has six or eight season two episodes)

Marty's Rainbow Wig (Mada3 bonus)

2 Poppin' Penguins wind up toys (PoM Blu-ray bonus)

Video Games

Mada1 for GameCube, Mada2, Mada3, PoM and Madagascar Kartz for Wii, TPoM, TPoM: Dr. Blowhole Returns Again and Madagascar Kartz for NintendoDS, and Operation: Penguin for GameBoy Advance

Literature

Mada 1-3 + PoM movie novelizations

Madagascar: It's A Zoo In Here!, Madagascar Little Golden Book, Meet the Penguins!, Fish Happens: Words of Wisdom from the Penguins

Mada2, Mada3, PoM Concept Art books

Two Feet High and Rising, Skipper's Log, Elite Strike Force, King Julien's Guide to Ruling the Zoo, Banana-palooza

Learn to Draw Madagascar, two Penguins of Madagascar sticker and activity books

Mada2, Mada3, and four TPoM coloring books

DreamWorks My Busy Book (also features Shrek and Kung Fu Panda

Comic Books

Operation: Wonder from Down Under parts 1 &2, Operation: Weakest Link, TPoM Comics issues 1&2

DreamWorks Madagascar issues 1-4 + Madagascar 3: Long Live the King

Five Penguins of Madagascar comics + 1 book compilation When in Rome...

Misc. Paper Stuffs

Penguins birthday card

Three issues of Nick Mag featuring Madagascar, a few cut-outs from other issues, and a one-page ad for DirecTV featuring Mada3

Mada3 2013 calendar, Madagascar Magic Pen book, two paper Skipper figurines

three boxes of Valentines (two Mada3, one PoM)

two boxes of Mada themed cereal and two boxes of Mada themed fruit snacks

PoM puffy 3D stickers, Madagascar The Musical button set (featuring Alex, Marty, the Penguins and King Julien)

Toys and Collectibles

Skipper Happy Feet plush, King Julien Tsum Tsum plush, mini Skipper plush w/mini Meet the Penguin book (I also have a King Julien plush that is packed away somewhere I didn't feel like digging out)

TPoM Return to the Habitat board game, TPoM Clementoni Impossible Puzzle, TPoM Kidz Cards (I got shorted buying this; it was supposed to have Go Fish as well but I only got Crazy 8s), TPoM Uno

Five Madagascar figurines of Alex, Marty, King Julien, Gloria and Melman

Ten various Mada McDonald's toys

Cake toppers and rings that the baker at the local grocery store gave to me

My birthday cake from 2016, PoM themed of course (I still have the toppers, the cake is obviously gone lol)

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private Funko Pops

Super Spy Penguins Hallmark Keepsake ornament

Apparel

Disguise Master baby Penguins shirt (Zazzle.com, no longer available), I Like to Move It Move It King Julien shirt (ebay), caroling Penguins shirt (Zazzle.com, I think this one is still available)

two TPoM kids backpacks, King Julien Loungfly bag

Miscellaneous

Penguins kids drink cup, TPoM Activity Coloring Roll

PoM ice cube molds

Skipper shaped flash drive, PoM keychain

TPoM inflatable punching bag

TPoM kite (I think I still have the actual kite, if my mom didn't get rid of it without telling me, but it's unfortunately broken)

TPoM decal sticker I made in Web Design class in high school and never stuck to anything

TPoM Hot Wheels car

PoM movie poster (torn and wrinkled and stained from mounting putty because I never put it in a frame lol)

And I think that's everything! I'd love to someday have enough space to actually put all this stuff out on display. We're moving next year so maybe 👀

Things I'd like to get someday

the last three TPoM DVDs I'm missing

Mada soundtrack CDs

Mada1 on VHS tape (just for funsies)

the comic books I'm missing (several)

Madagascar Sorry! board game

an autograph from Tom McGrath

[sincerely-some-guy]

... > to find comfort in the unknown, to live in the absurd.

a "guy" lethe roleplay blog (world's no. 1 dnd npc), affiliated with the hermitcraft mailbox universe, written by mod ray (world's no. 1 loremaster). EST timezone, they/he pronouns ic and ooc.

[ you've got greetings from the resident of the pale garden, who wishes for nothing more than a friend. whether you choose to help him escape or simply choose to be a good pen pal, he's sure to appreciate any form of interaction. ]

[ after all, how long has it been since someone said hello to him? he can't quite remember. ]

[ affiliations (the lore-ers) ] [ lore logs ]

... > notes below the cut.

hello hello! mod ray here. i also run skizz's blog! i've kind of accidentally turned into the "dungeon master" of a couple of mailboxes who are participating in lore, so i've ended up kind of running a side-lore thing for those who are interested in participating. if i don't reach out to you first, please feel to DM me if you're interested in joining!

despite this, though, this blog participates in both silly and serious roleplay threads! i also do both semi-literate and non-literate (socmed) roleplay. you are free to send in asks as well. i'm generally friendly, if not a little awkward sometimes, so please feel free to reach out and ask "what the fuck is going on, ray" if you ever want to know what's going on!

... > guidelines:

-> no nsfw. -> no shipping.

... > notable tags:

#written with love -- ic #beyond the border -- ooc #replies are scarce here -- answering asks (character tags are tagged as (character's) mailbox!)

and divider credits go to strangergraphics-archive & enchanthings-a!

[lauvwar-r]

07 from the start ⸝⸝ cold drinks and cowardice

"oh? we're not going to the library this time?"

it must be a sign, you think, holding a paper bag in your right hand and his hand in your left. it was late enough into the cold winter season for frosty breath and signature hot chocolate but warm dandelion rays seemed to follow you two and frame the campus perfectly.

"nah," you shrug, "pela said that the council agreed that the stage would be put in the middle of the campus uh- garden? lawn? grass area thingy- you know what i mean…"

"yeah! we thought the area would bring the most traction." you're not even looking at him: your nervous eyes glued to your surroundings with false confidence, but you know he's giving you that look. that sickening soft one that you often mistake for adoration.

it's… fond??

and it makes your heart race — just for a second, before remembering what he said before.

"not a date huh…" you mutter dejectedly.

truthfully, it kinda sorta hurt when you found out he said that. whilst not fully demolishing your ego and porcelain heart, it did pinch at you — like soft rope burn for your self-esteem.

but what hurt a little more was the fact that he never told you. never told you about his private account that is.

i mean yeah… i have one too, but that's because i talk about how much i like him on there, you reason with yourself. and i get privacy and everything. but, bronya? you thought him and bronya were just school friends. were you… even his best friend?

"hm?" a hum interrupts your spiralling thoughts.

"anyway! i thought we could like, survey the area. see how and should things be set out and work from there." you say with faux enthusiasm, "we can work on your quote-on-quote poster on a bench nearby too."

"...it's not that bad."

"uh huh," you tease, raising an eyebrow. whatever. who geppie lets follow his private doesn't mean anything.

eventually, you two end up sitting on a bench together that faces the lawn.

"oh come on! look," gepard laughs as he pulls out his laptop, already logged in and displaying a somewhat improved version of his last poster. the changes are minor, like font changes and whatnot. but you can tell just how much effort he put into it. effort he put into everything and anything he did. a quality of his that you love. "i got rid of some of the uglier images," he pointed out excitedly, shuffling closer to you so you could get a closer look, "just like you told me to." the last part, a whisper similar to the sweetness of vows.

"it's good…" you mumble, too busy clinging onto his words and soothing a racing heart.

"really?"

"really." you reply earnestly, hooded eyes studying yours.

you wanted to lean in. to tread past the tightrope of a line preventing you and gepard from being more than just friends; to finally speak your mind on what you've been feeling for the past few years.

but…

"ah!" you explain, pretending to remember something by suddenly grabbing your paper bag from before.

…you're a coward.

inside are two beverages and a warm pastry carefully wrapped in tissue. "my favourite…" gepard mutters, surprised, "you remembered."

"iced coffee. you always preferred things cold. and a pastry too! it's a thank you for yesterday and-"

his ears turn redder than the normal red-on-a-windy-day red. and you almost — almost considered this a win: a step over that line, before…

"ha. you really are my best friend."

ouch.

MASTERLIST ⸝⸝ previous! ⸝⸝ next!

𑁤 sypnosis. despite claiming to be 'rizz master 3000' name has failed to ask out their crush and childhood best friend, gepard, for a few years (L). with this new wave of courage, will this lovestruck idiot be able to confess before gepard buys a house and adopts 3 cats and a bunny with someone else? (this is a joke. geppie will not be adopting 3 cats and a bunny).

notes. . . omgg this is like my 6th time ive tried to post 😭 ( so sorry for the like 3week hiatus LMAO) anyways ive been trying to get into a law school for next year so college has been biting me in the ass lately. sending love to all yall tho <3

. . . tags @520cafe , @kitsuxiv , @91ed0 , @iridescentsunsetwaters, @yevene , @lunavixia , @vilthenothing , @ryuryuryuyurboat

[the-dose-makes-the-poison]

Song of Autumn

Charles Baudelaire

I

Soon, we shall plunge into the shades of cold;

Farewell, bright summers too quickly passed!

I hear, falling already with funereal shocks,

The wood resounding on cobbled yards.

All of winter will enter my being anew: anger,

Hatred, shivers, horror, to hard work compelled,

And my heart will be, like the sun in its polar hell,

No more than a block of crimson ice.

I hear in trembling each crashing log;

Building a scaffold has no sound more dull.

My spirit is like the tower that falls

To the battering ram and its tireless blows.

It seems to me, lulled by these monotonous shocks,

That one nails in great haste some part of a coffin.

For whom? - Yesterday was summer; now it is autumn!

This mysterious noise announces departure.

II

I love the verdant light of your long, wide eyes,

Sweet beauty, but all today is bitter to me

And nothing, neither your love, nor your room, nor hearth,

Is worth more than the sun streaming over the sea.

And yet, love me, my tender heart. Be mother to me

Even though ungrateful, even unworthy;

Lover or sister, be the ephemeral sweetness

Of a glorious autumn or the setting sun.

Short shift! The gaping tomb awaits!

Ah! Let me rest my head upon your knee

As I deplore the loss of white, hot summers

And taste these final rays of yellow gold.

Translation: © David Paley

Chant d'automne

Charles Baudelaire

I

Bientôt nous plongerons dans les froides ténèbres;

Adieu, vive clarté de nos étés trop courts!

J'entends déjà tomber avec des chocs funèbres

Le bois retentissant sur le pavé des cours.

Tout l'hiver va rentrer dans mon être: colère,

Haine, frissons, horreur, labeur dur et forcé,

Et, comme le soleil dans son enfer polaire,

Mon cœur ne sera plus qu'un bloc rouge et glacé.

J'écoute en frémissant chaque bûche qui tombe

L'échafaud qu'on bâtit n'a pas d'écho plus sourd.

Mon esprit est pareil à la tour qui succombe

Sous les coups du bélier infatigable et lourd.

II me semble, bercé par ce choc monotone,

Qu'on cloue en grande hâte un cercueil quelque part.

Pour qui? - C'était hier l'été; voici l'automne!

Ce bruit mystérieux sonne comme un départ.

II

J'aime de vos longs yeux la lumière verdâtre,

Douce beauté, mais tout aujourd'hui m'est amer,

Et rien, ni votre amour, ni le boudoir, ni l'âtre,

Ne me vaut le soleil rayonnant sur la mer.

Et pourtant aimez-moi, tendre cœur! soyez mère,

Même pour un ingrat, même pour un méchant;

Amante ou sœur, soyez la douceur éphémère

D'un glorieux automne ou d'un soleil couchant.

Courte tâche! La tombe attend; elle est avide!

Ah! laissez-moi, mon front posé sur vos genoux,

Goûter, en regrettant l'été blanc et torride,

De l'arrière-saison le rayon jaune et doux!

[partyblakerz]

I'll meet you in the evening so we can swim tonight ~

Summary: The DudeHusbands's pool is out of commission, so they go to the lake to cool off.

Rated T for swearing, drinking/drug refs, and a mildly suggestive scene where Adam and Blake check Dersy out in his speedo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sweltering Rancho summer heat was taking a serious toll on Adam, Blake, and Anders.

The ice in Anders's coffee melted in just a minute. Their car became a sweat lodge since they couldn't find a single space in the shade. To top it all off, they had to put up with Alice chewing them out about squirting each other with mist fans in the middle of an office tangled in telephone lines. Especially since said fans were full of beer rather than water. The usual.

Ultimately, it didn't matter if their means of staying cool in the office were confiscated. After all, they knew they could use their pool when they got home.

If it wasn't completely trashed when they got home.

"Uh, what's goin' on here?" Blake asked, alarmed at the scene in front of him.

The pool was occupied by a mountain of debris. The basin was full of tables, soggy pizza boxes, and even an entire log in the hot tub. It looked to be emptied somewhat, and what water was left over was clouded and mucky.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Anders noted, frustrated by what he witnessed. "Of course this has to happen the day we actually need our pool."

Anders continued surveying the damage. The Norwegian man eventually came to a disappointing conclusion.

"Damn. From the looks of this it's gonna take us a whole day to clean this mess. Maybe two if Adam takes his sweet time to use the damn PlayStation all day again." Anders remarked.

"Well that sucks, because now we've got no choice but to smoke some dro and watch our dicks melt into the pavement." Adam griped, crossing his arms.

"Dude, relax. I know a good spot I used to visit to take some post-practice dips. We'll worry about the pool tomorrow." Anders promised.

"Sounds pretty dope." Blake said, giving a thumbs up.

"Well what the hell are you waiting for? S'GO!" Adam crowed, eager to gain some relief from the beating sun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

One quick drive later, the trio arrived at the lake. It was an expansive body of water, located in a quiet and relatively secluded spot lined with tall green trees.

Naturally, Anders immersed himself in the refreshing pond first. He slid his swimming goggles over his eyes and began gliding on the lake's surface, feeling the water graze his skin. He may have missed the satisfying scent of chlorine, but any time he could spend in the water was fine with him.

From a distance Blake sat on the lakeshore, dipping his feet in the cool water and watching Anders mirthfully swimming laps with aplomb. After what seemed like forever, he stood up in the lake's shoal. Bright gold rays shone on his stomach and the pectorals on his chest. Droplets trailed down his shapely legs, which were accentuated by the red speedo he donned. Blake's eyes were affixed, completely unable to even briefly glance at anything else until Adam verbalized exactly what was on his mind.

"Hot daaaaamn! I see you staring Ders down like that and I can't blame you one bit."

"Yeah, I gotta say he's lookin' pretty hot right now. And not just because it is pretty hot right now." Blake replied with a nod.

"And absolutely nobody can resist staring at his tittaaaaaaays! REWR!" Adam shrieked, making claws with his hands.

"Heh, I like everything about the dude, really."

"Oh, he's ridiculously attractive. But don't you dare forget that the pinnacle of sexiness is sitting in front of you right now. That's right! I spent months working on my beach bod and it paid off." Adam began to flex, flaunting his stout physique.

"It suuuure did, braj." Blake softly murmured. His face flushed a soft pink as he continued gazing, this time at both of his partners. He never imagined that he'd have such a handsome boyfriend in his life, let alone two.

"Hey guys!" Anders exclaimed. He climbed out of the drink with a smile and walked closer to his partners, who were watching him in awe. "The water's great. As always. I'm really surprised you haven't come in yet."

"In a minute, Ders! Gotta finish this can first." Adam said, swallowing a whole can of beer.

"Yeah, how deep is that lake? It'd be cool if you could show us how to, y'know, swim better." Blake suggested.

At that moment, Anders realized he had a great opportunity to teach his boyfriends how to swim. Something more substantial than pointers like "HOV" or "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper".

"Then today's the day I finally show you two how it's done."

"Whaaaa?" Adam asked, throwing the empty can in his hand aside.

"In case you haven't known me for 15 years of your life, the water is kind of my deal. If you were on a plane, or a boat, or that chopper you dreamed about riding in last night, and you fell into the sea, you wouldn't last 30 seconds before you sink and die." Anders explained.

"He kinda has a point." Blake stated, nodding.

"And lucky for you guys, you're getting lessons from the 50 yard butterfly practice record holder. The bronze medalist of the 100 yard freestyle at city regionals. The 5th place ribbon holder of the-."

"Well jeez, tell us something we don't know! We saw you workin' your magic out there." Adam interrupted, pointing at the swimmer with a cheeky smile. "You're the best guy who could show us that sorta thing. Behind Ryan Lochte."

"Hey man, I've got nothing but mad respect for him. I'll take that as a compliment of the highest regard." Anders smiled before heading back into the lake, with his boyfriends following closely behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now, if you want to know how to swim, you'll need to know how to float. All you have to do is lie down and arch your back."

Blake did as he was told, and felt Anders holding onto his back. It felt a bit surreal to be suspended by the water below him, but he felt secure in the clasp of Anders's hands.

"Hey Ders," Blake began, tilting his head back as Anders continued holding onto him. "You're not gonna let go just yet, right?"

"Not until you want me to." Anders assured.

"That's nice, because being left in the middle of this lake where I could die seems kinda freaky." Blake quivered a bit.

"Look, I know it's scary. But when it comes to staying afloat the key is to relax. I got you, Blazer."

Blake nodded and closed his eyes. He let his mind wander until he almost completely forgot about his apprehension. All that was on his mind was the man who stood behind him, watching him, instructing him, protecting him.

"I think I'm ready now, Dersy."

Blake felt his boyfriend gradually lower his hands until they no longer touched his back. To his surprise, he didn't sink. He instead found hiself buoyantly lying atop the placid water. A relaxed smile graced his face, and he settled into the liquid's grasp peacefully.

Anders was elated. He couldn't think of anything better than watching the man he loved learning more about the activity he loved with such enthusiasm. He cupped his hands around Blake's head, feeling his lengthy, saturated hair brush the back of his hands. Leaning forward, he left a soft peck on his forehead. Blake's denim blue eyes shot open after recieving the affectionate gesture.

"Whoa. Ders..." Blake smiled. He stood back on his feet in the shallows and blushed.

"It's nothing, really. Just a little something to take your mind off the fear of it all." Anders stated with a slight smile.

“Well it worked like a freaking charm!” Blake replied. "Come to think of it, I could stay here all day. Just let all my fucks melt away into this pond."

Blake laid back onto the top of the lake, letting its water carry him. Meanwhile, Adam paced around the dock. He was supposed to be observing Anders and Blake, but in true Demamp fashion, he just couldn't stay put.

"WHAAAOOOO!"

Adam hopped off the wooden planks and crashed into the lake. Right near Blake. As he hit the water, the force of his jump knocked the floating man over, and they both sank into the green deluge. Within seconds Anders pulled them back up and he glanced at his two sputtering boyfriends with a look of befuddlement and concern.

"Hey! The fuck are you doing?" Anders asked.

"Calm down, I was just practicing some extreme dock jumping. It's a whole regimen. Might put it in the next installment of Demamp Camp. DEMAMP CAMP VOLUME 3: 3 DEMAMP 3 CAMP!" Adam roared, enthusiastic about his endeavor.

"Look, just try to be more careful, okay? I love you guys too much to have any of you drowning on my watch." Anders scolded protectively.

"FINE, Ders-el Hasselhoff." Adam muttered sheepishly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the events that transpired before, Anders declared that a lesson in treading water was in order.

"Alright guys, egg beater kicks! Move those legs like you're peddling at the X-Games! I know you have it in you." Anders encouraged, watching Adam and Blake doing the same motions he was demonstrating.

"I'm! Doing it! Anders!" Adam panted, barely keeping himself afloat as his head bobbed in the lake. "X-GAAAMES!"

When he declared that they had mastered water treading, Anders had them practice their kicks more as they held onto the edge of the lake.

"Excellent frog kick, Blazer." Anders complimented.

"Thanks, braj."

Anders swam over to check on Adam, who managed to pull off skillful kicks as well. Forceful kicks, but kicks nonetheless.

Eventually the two of them were beginning to make their way through the lake. As he watched over them, Anders began telling his partners yet another anecdote about his favorite sport and all-encompassing interest.

"So there I was. It was my yearlong stint as the alternate captain of the varsity swim team. Our main captain was out and I had to do 15 laps of underwaters on the spot." Anders began.

"And I really pushed myself. I emerged from the pool coughing every time. It was hard work but man, it felt great standing on that podium on competition day. Sure, I'm proud of that accomplishment, but I still don't understand why they never called me the reigning king of underwa-Ders."

Adam and Blake both chuckled at their boyfriend's cheesy pun. Suddenly, Adam made a proposal.

"Hey Ders, you think you could show us how to do some underwaters? Maaaaybe?"

Anders paused. He was reluctant to do so, knowing that Adam knew nothing more than a mere doggy paddle. And then an idea materialized in his head.

"You know what? I think we could try it. Just stay close and follow my lead."

Adam and Anders took in deep breaths and the two of them plunged beneath the lake. Adam let himself sink, surrounded by an abundance of bubbles and green hues. The shorter man paddled towards Anders, who was standing on the sediment with his lengthy, robust wingspan.

With several awkward movements, Adam clawed his way through the water and tightly clutched his partner. He let his hands crawl slowly up Anders's back until they reached his shoulders and he affectionately moved his head closer to his chest. The taller man reciprocated, taking him into his own arms and pressing his lips onto his. Something about that peaceful embrace made Adam's usual untiring self want to pause, and remain in that stillness for as long as his lungs would possibly let him.

Moments later Blake descended, his long flowy hair swaying like the scattered plants sprinkled along the subaqueous landscape. He wrapped his arms around his two loves, laying his head down on Anders's back. The three of them were suspended in the lake, completely intertwined.

After half a minute passed they broke away. They remained immersed for a while, glancing at each other with adoring smiles until a cloud of bubbles surged from Adam's nostrils. Subsequently the boyfriends swam up together hand in hand, breaking the surface with exhausted gasps.

"So... How's that for some underwaters?" Anders asked with a grin.

"If that's what underwaters are, then underwaters are freaking epic." Adam gushed.

"There’s more to them than that, but I'll have to explain more about them in depth later." Anders remarked.

"Oh I see what you did there! 'In depth.'" Blake giggled, pointing at Anders.

"That was actually completely unintentional, but I love your spirit, Blazer."

"Y'know, it's cool that we don't have to worry about ending up in a watery grave as much." Blake commented. He looked over his shoulder and was a bit alarmed to see that Adam had disappeared.

"And hey! You're learning. Obviously we'll have to practice more once the pool's cleaned out but-" Anders continued, before getting abruptly cut off.

"SURPRISE, BIATCH!!!"

Adam popped out of the water and pushed his arms forward, ambushing his boyfriend with a large tsunami of lake water.

"Adam!?!"

"Didn't see that coming did you, Ders?"

"Alright, you thought that sneak attack was so clever, but you're about to think twice about crossing the seasoned master of Sharks and Minnows." Anders taunted, before splashing Adam back. To his surprise, his target swiftly dodged the crossfire. Adam erupted into raucous laughter until he was interrupted by a surge of water.

"Hyah!" Blake exclaimed, giggling at his sopping wet partner.

"Oh it is so on." Adam declared, sporting that mischevious grin.

The trio spent the rest of their time in the water splashing each other playfully, laughing and enjoying the refreshing pond together.

Before the three men knew it, the sky became drenched in warm yellows and oranges as the bright sphere in the sky dipped below the horizon. The three men climbed out of the water and sat under the shade of trees, ensconced in their soft towels.

"You know, this isn't a bad way to spend the summer. Just us, some cold ones, and peace." Blake proclaimed, sipping a can of beer. As he sat on the grass, the dappled light shining through the leaves illuminated his soggy curls.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, my DudeHubby." Adam replied, placing his hand on Blake's shoulder.

“I’m just so damn proud of you guys. Watching you in that lake... it felt so great, man.” Anders beamed.

After another hour the light had finally disappeared, usurped by the moon's cooling shade. As the night arrived, they finally piled into their car, ready for another sweltering, yet satisfying day.

[druidx]

Her Countenance was Light - Chapter 44

CW: Major character death, Fire AO3 ; Chapters: 01. 10. 20. 30. 40. 41. 42. 43 Tag list (ask for +/-): @aquadestinyswriting, @hannah-heartstrings, @jacqueswriteblrlibrary, @babyblueetbaemonster @mr-orion

The fish-processing yard has seen better days. Nature pushes up through cracks in the concrete. Litter collects in corners. Barrels and other unidentified items rust away in a haphazard sprawl. Crumbling walls, rebar protruding like teeth, are decorated with graffiti. Elo blinks. Some of those rocks in the shadow of the building are not rocks. Just as, when she follows the Eshen girl's path to where the sun's last rays collect on the other side of the yard, what first seems a tumble of logs are not logs. And standing tall, on the darker edge of the divide between the sun and the shadow, is a man. From behind her, Theodarsson exclaims, "Exchequer Brauma!"

Elo wishes she felt surprised; instead there's only exhaustion. It's now clear that yesterday's stunt was Bruama's last attempt at getting rid of her with his hands still clean. He's now going back to the more traditional method. With a breath, Elo sets her shoulders.

"He does not belong here," Brauma says, looking past her at Theodarsson. Elo nods, then over her shoulder calls, "Agent Theodarsson, go get backup." "But, milady–" "This is a city matter, Agent, and places you outside your purview. I will require backup. Please go and retrieve it." "Lady Toreguarde–" "That is an order, Agent!" She can practically hear Theodarsson grinding his teeth behind her. "Yes, milady," he grinds out. There's the crunch of loose dirt on concrete. An empty feeling behind her. Running footsteps, fading into the distance. Elo hopes she hasn't made a mistake.

Automatic steps take Elo towards that log pile that is not made of logs. This is not a tournament fight, but Elo finds herself treating it as such, folding down the extraneous parts of herself that do not matter when fists and weapons fly. The elder, Aster, leans heavily on a gnarled walking stick. As Elo bows sharply from the waist, she thinks their leaves look more autumnal than ever. Eyes of acorn-brown regard her gravely. "Now is the time," Aster says, "when you must reach for your bloom and use what Aukštasvilkas has gifted." "I understand," Elo says, and she does. She's not scared of Brauma, not like she was before. Farren might have been right about Brauma being a supernatural entity – but now, so is she.

She walks back to where he paces along the line of dark and light. Stalks, more like; a cat, with metaphorical fur bristling. He appears more than willing to have this be him or her, ice or fire. But Elo knows it doesn't have to work like that. Even if the book hadn't told her, she knows there's always a middle ground. Bridges don't have to stay burned forever. She thinks back to the mission which gained her the title she carries. How it was not her fighting skills, not her detective's acumen, which won the day – but her compassion. Of facing the man who would wage war on everything she held dear and offering a hand in sympathy. Mercy, understanding, acceptance. These are what make her a hero. Maybe if she can get Brauma to talk, they can work this out.

Elo stops. Spreads her hands: I'm unarmed. Gives him a rueful smile. "D'you want to go get a cup of coffee?" Brauma stops, looks back at her like she's insane. Maybe she is. "What?" "You heard me," Elo says. "A cup of coffee. Would you like one?" "What?" Elo huffs. "This isn't a difficult concept. We ditch this party, go find a food wagon, and get a cuppa Joe each." "You think I can be as easily bought as those simpletons who used to work for me?" Brauma spits, resuming his pacing. "I'm not trying to buy you, Brauma. And I don't want to fight you, not when we don't have to." "Bah! Stupid little girl. Of course, we must fight!" "We're two halves of a whole, you know. Aukštasvilkas has gifted to you the night, the light of the moon, and he has gifted to me the sun and the light of day. We each rule over the other in equal bursts – my power waxes while your wanes currently. Once midsummer passes, I will wane while you wax. We are in concert, keeping each other in check naturally. So why fight?" He rounds on her, roaring, "Because you were not satisfied with your lot! Always poking your nose into the night, stealing its creatures into the day. You have disrupted the balance and I will not stand for it anymore!" Elo forces herself to hold her ground. "I've been aware of this part of myself for a mere nine days. You can't blame–" "Nine days! Ha!" He throws his head back as he scoffs. "You child. Too stupid to know what you have now, too stupid to know it back then. You and Stucker's brat. I never should have been so careless to let you infants see me as my true self." The air around him shivers. A Dvasia takes the man's place. Elo feels her body grow cold. Burning red eyes, cutting through the night. A voice she shouldn't understand… Her eyes grow wide. "That wasn't a dream?" Icemight sneers. "You imbecilic wretch. You don't deserve what you've been given. So now I shall rectify this wrong, and have it all for myself!"

Elo is forced back, as Brauma who is Icemight becomes both and neither. In his palace springs up a whirling dervish of wispy blackness, studded with ice-point specks of silvery, splintered light. A cone of darkness, as frigid and solid as any cave, as ancient as the reaches of space, towers above her, his power drawn from the darkening sky and the rising moon. He plans to drench the world in this darkness, Elo realises. That's what Aster was trying to warn her about. This perceived slight against the natural order of things is the excuse he has been looking for. Her and Evie's mistakes will cost the world its light. Elo feels anger take her, the fire of conviction welling like a gout of bonfire-flame. This will not be permitted. There are too many beautiful things in this world, too much joy and passion, colour and laughter, for her to step back and let him smother and wilt it all under the cloak of night. The sun is lowering behind her. She felt herself reaching towards it, growing like a tree which burgeoned with the new life of Spring, until she was at eye level with Kasskekadmas, and aware of every little thing, the dreamyness of her life sloughing away. She felt keenly the night's breeze carrying the scent of jasmine and canal-waters. She could pick out every detail of Kasskekadmas's face, written in nebulae and clouds of ice, and knew exactly where the line between them lay.

He didn't wait. The sword of frost sailed out, slashing towards her. Elo spun, deflecting with a buckler of fire that she couldn't think too hard about lest it vanish. "I am stronger than you. I have been around since the drawing of time, and you – you are just an upstart. There has been night longer than there has been day!" He came at her again, the sword leaving coldly glittering particles as it travelled. Elo rose to meet it, a sword of flame flickering out to catch the frozen edge. Fire melts ice water's flame. Kasskekadmas growled. Slivers of sharpest ice raked at Elo's face and she howled, an inferno devouring a building. In retaliation, Elo kicked out. The funnel of darkness wafted back like sooted smoke in a gale.

With a snarl, he whirled towards her, a cloud of dagger-like ice. Elo ducked low, heaving up as he passed over, catapulting him away again with a rush of flame. The contact hurt them both, Elo can see that in the contortion of constellations that is his face. His sword flashed out. Elo jumped and kicked, a flaming foot glancing off his shoulder. His sword caught her ankle. Elo landed badly, panting through the pain. "Kasskekadmas, stop. This is stupid. We are evenly matched, as Aukštasvilkas intended. I don't want to spend my life fighting you!" "Upstart! I will fight until you are gone. Until your light is nothing but a memory! Until you join Strucker's meddling welp in the silent ground!" The icy barb that filled Elo's chest had nothing to do with her battle-partner. "You admit you killed her?" Elo asks, sidestepping as Kasskekadmas starts to circle, aiming for another attack. "Do you confess that you murdered Evelyn Isabel Strucker on the evening of March 25th?" He laughs derisively. "What weakness. You still care so much for the laws of mortals. Yes, I killed her. Yes, I confess," he mocks. "Blithering child, running blind, bumbling into my affairs, sticking her nose where it didn't belong!" Hot tears filled Elo's eyes. Her gun seemed to leap into her hands. "I'm placing you under arrest. Lay down your weapon and assume the position or I'll shoot." His laugh was the eerie jangle of a frozen pond. "You have had everything laid at your feet, and still you know nothing." Stars of ice flash up the gun barrel, forcing Elo to drop it. "Your toy could not hurt me before, and it shall not hurt me now!"

Anger, consuming, raced through her veins. Fire erupted from her hand in a blade of sapphire. She jumped back as he swung again. Screaming, she lunged. He twisted, crying out as her sword sliced his side. Ice clove her back. She gave herself to the rage, then, the consuming fire. They trade blow after blow, neither one able to land a good hit, a scrape for every scratch. Elo dredged up all of her grief and hurt, throwing it like a gladiator's net of fire to encase Kasskekadmas. He dodged, but only just, and retaliated in kind. She blocked the ice sheet with the buckler. Rather than chunks of ice to her face, Elo was sluiced with a wave of frigid water.

It is enough to diminish the rage. To remind her that for every blow she strikes, he will land another. Every mark she gives will be returned. He may be stronger now, but the sun will rise and she will be rejuvenated. The day will turn and in the moon's light, he will be renewed. An eternal fight, as she predicted, fueled by their rage and the turning of the world. Rage enough to maybe destroy the world. Unless something drastic happens, they will be stuck in this ouroboros forever.

They trade another flurry. He tags her leg; she burns his arm. She slices his chest; he drives a spike of ice through her thigh.

There is a drawing realisation then. Only one way possible to end this. She thinks of Farren and of Merri and all her other loves – and hopes they'll know she's sorry.

Elo stopped. The armour of her fiery conviction, the shimmering buckler, and the blade of flame dissipated, leaving the night empty and cold. Kasskekadmas reacted as expected. Only a few loping steps to meet her. His aim is true. Elo gasps as the piercing ice slides through her. Her knees give way. His sword still in her, Kasskekadmas has no choice but to follow her down. "How kind of you," he hisses, "to give in to the inevitable." Elo raises her hand to his chest. Her voice is a whisper. "Who says… this is a kindness… to you?" Fire blooms under her hand, burning through his chest. The nebulae of his face swirl in confusion. "Why?" "This is the only way to keep the balance. I would have our people move forward in peace." "I don't…" His ice is spreading, catching her lungs, making it hard to speak, but even after everything, he deserves to know. "Our people have hated too long for something that was no one's fault." Constellations clear into wide eyes. His voice is naught but a wheeze. "The sickness…" "Was from Aukštasvilkas' own heart. It tore itself apart, trying to choose." Elo's vision wavers, dizzying. "But there was nothing to choose. Both our people are beautiful, complementary." "Aukštasvilkas never wanted us to fight…" "But what you started, I will end." Elo pours the last of her fire. He calls the last of his ice. It eats a hole through him, ejecting from his back a narrow blade of light. The water in her fingers and toes and the ends of her hair crystalise. The piercing shriek he utters as he dies joins her last sigh, a puff of chilled air falling from her lips as she dies too.

[oeldeservesthenorris]

Canucks: Quinn Hughes looking, talking, playing like true captain material

'For me, there are the assists, but he’s a terrific leader. He has been one of our best when it comes to being vocal. I haven’t really seen a bad game out of him. He’s very consistent.' — Rick Tocchet on Quinn Hughes.

Don’t let that boyish look fool you.

Aside from the obvious with multi-talented defenceman Quinn Hughes — sublime edge work to spin away from frustrated forecheckers, laser-like passes to trigger the transition and orchestrating the power play like a conductor — there’s also a growing and noticeable maturity.

It speaks of captain material.

Hughes is the product of a rich family sporting lineage and his respect, dedication and professionalism are building blocks in what is already a remarkable record-setting career with the Vancouver Canucks.

When Hughes, 23, and Elias Pettersson, 24, were promoted to the leadership group following the All-Star Game and donned an ‘A’ as alternate captains, along with J.T. Miller, 30, it was a sign of changing times.

Captain Bo Horvat had been traded and the consensus was to allow Hughes and Pettersson to methodically grow into their new roles and see who might eventually blossom to wear the ‘C’ next season.

That process has been sped up.

Hughes was always an engaging interview with frankness and vast knowledge of the game. It was more evident when he became an alternate and taking his energy and enthusiasm to another level hasn’t gone unnoticed — especially by the coach.

“For me, there are the assists and what he has been doing, but he’s a terrific leader,” Rick Tocchet said following a two-helper effort by Hughes on Sunday that elevated the blueliner to the 60-assist level for the second-consecutive season.

“I’ve been here seven weeks and he has been one of our best when it comes to being vocal. I haven’t really seen a bad game out of him. He’s very consistent. Obviously, the assists are great and his breakouts are incredible.

“That’s why (Paul) Coffey, (Scott) Niedermayer and (Ray) Bourque are great breakout guys and he (Hughes) is climbing that ladder.”

Bourque had a remarkable run between 1986-87 and 1993-94 where he put up 65, 73, 60, 63 and 71 assists. Coffey went even higher into the assist stratosphere between 1981-82 and 1985-86 with 60, 67, 86, 84 and 90 helpers.

Bourque served as captain of the Boston Bruins for 15 seasons and it’s not unusual to see a defender get that honour. This season, Jared Spurgeon, 33, serves in that capacity with the Minnesota Wild, while Roman Josi, 32, is captain of the Nashville Predators and Jacob Trouba, 29, wears the ‘C’ for the New York Rangers.

It’s customary to award your best player the captaincy, but it’s not always the best fit.

arkus Naslund was a reluctant captain because he preferred to let his game do the talking as an elite left winger. He would address the media — and often on a daily basis — but there was never a complete comfort factor because you have to be wired a certain way to answer repetitive and taxing queries.

The same could apply for Pettersson.

His play speaks volumes and the glare of the media spotlight isn’t the favourite part of his profession. It’s not a knock. Like many, he’s more comfortable in a one-on-one interview or small scrum.

So, what does this all mean?

Your captain has to be prolific because walking the walk is always going to beat talking the talk. He has to excel on the ice, play hurt, support the bench and be a voice of reason in the room.

Hughes logs a ridiculous amount of ice time with an average of 25:23 minutes that ranks sixth among all defencemen — and he has surpassed the 30-minute mark on four occasions, logging more than 28 minutes in 11 games.

“I want to play as much as I can,” he stressed. “I feel really good. Of course, some minutes are too much, but if I’m playing well — not lazy defensively and pushing offensively — I know I can play them.”

That’s leadership.

If that isn’t enough, there was one brief but testy shoving match between Hughes and Dakota Joshua that ended a long and draining practice last month on a fitting note.

Hughes got his back up during a two-versus-two scrimmage with the nets in close proximity at the defensive zone. It ramped up the testosterone and Conor Garland stepped in as referee. All in all, it served a purpose.

“For me, I’m trying to be a leader now and I want everyone to get better,” reasoned Hughes. “I need him to be the best he can be. And I need to continue to push myself to get better and push other guys.

“Petey and Millsy need to do that because, right now, we’re not getting enough from everyone and that’s why we’re not in the playoff spot. Everyone is a little edgier now with the way the season has gone.”

Joshua applauded the Hughes moxie because the fight in the mighty mite forced the big winger to ramp up his game in the mini scrimmage.

“That’s what it’s going to take to make this team better,” said Joshua. “Make sure everybody is pulling on the rope and I loved that and seeing him (Hughes) get fired up like that. We could use more of that every day around here.“

Hughes also got a hockey degree in human behaviour by playing with and soaking up the Luke Schenn tutelage. He became and better person and player from that union.

Captain material.

Source: https://www.princegeorgepost.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-quinn-hughes-looking-talking-playing-like-true-captain-material/wcm/9b3c9f08-7442-4c1c-9c1e-7352dc85f9b8

[yohohonabottle]

The Sun's favored, ascended to a brightest star

It was akin to being ran over by a high-speeding freight train on ice-covered rails. Akin to being fifteen years of age, laying bedridden and withering.. wracked with violent coughs scraping his lungs and throat, scratched as if with a knife most sadistically. Whilst blood gushed and trickled out his throat and lips, skin ashen and sickly pallid with wax-yellow tint, cold sweat on his brow listening to the quiet weeping of distraught voice.

Mother, promising through tears with shaky brave smile, that everything will be alright. As she gently cards a hand through his curly locks, hoping and praying the physician would be wrong.

Father, looking on with stern but tired scowl. Holding back his emotions behind mask of reserved calm and composure... yet the agony tearing at his very soul and wishfully naïve hope shone clear within his eyes. Praying, to the gods, to the celestials— For his beloved son, to be spared from this ghastly fate. Pacing restlessly, fighting against the cruel illness, until every option has been exhausted. Both left no other choice, but to face the gruesome truth.

Slowly, exhaustion weighs, eyes falling shut never to open with one last bout of spasms upon Death arriving at his bed....

——The world comes starkly into much sharper focus. Dear goodness, not this again- The last time wasn't kind, lapsed into moment of death, Awoke from slumber to the Truth of the world. A canvas, no, void. People from outside having painted the lands and people he sees, has seen; Wove letters, syllables, sentences and paragraphs into scripts of a grand overarching narrative— Fate itself. Predetermined, everything from the start to current point and the very ends- What life was that? What life, sick caricature is this?? How? How can someone decide it all for me, and so..So callously? So lightly? Dismissive? Why did no one ever pause to ask? Or at least perhaps ponder?

Bitter, hideous, acrid, metallic vile tang of blood yet far worse-

The possibility of having had a normal life, without being haunted by ailment, of dying from old age——It dances tauntingly in the youthful-appearing Graveborn's mind. Mocks him as ruthlessly as the Directors' choice to etch, inscribe the tainted past clinging unto his back. Whilst weaving lines of numbers and text, of code, neatly tying it all together into one vast creation - of mere smoke and mirrors. Cheap trickery and cardboard. As madness lurks much dangerously close, crawling ever closer...

Rage, grief, wry and desperate amusement bordering on hysteria- on insanity. Solely one single question hammering amidst it all- Why?

Why give me this illness? Why cut my life short? Made me suffer? Took everything from me? Didn't consider- The only ray of solace, is— A cold hand rests on his quivering shoulder, firm and consolling grip. No words spoken, only cold lips press to his forehead in lingering kiss. No words, empty sentiment, only a frigid hand carefully soothe the dishevilled hairs; sweep back his fringe, turns to arms and warm embrace. Quiet strength, blazing conviction unshakable like mountain, and heart gentle as an angle's.

—My Muse...

Power, unfathomable congeals. Wasn't waking to the Truth of the world enough? Being on supreme rank in unit tiers? Emotions flow through the Earl's very being, but not his own, having reached point where they're as vivid as his very own. ...Laughter echoes, merry and speaks foreign tongue. The Sun.

She, is not here yet for today. Not logged in for the usual route of gameplay loop. However it feels as though She is right before his eyes, Her voice echo and ring in his mind. Ludovic had wondered if he'd caught schizophrenia and truly fell into insanity. ... But no, still sound of mind. Valen, Captain Sinbad, Soren and Carolina along with Mikola– All suffer the same effects.

Paragon. Last stage.

No Celestials, no gods nor Hypogeans stand a chance against him, and the other Paragons. The lesser foes are child's play, for all it takes is a figurative snap of fingers, to be decimated. Illucia and her lackeys endless in numbers, their dark arts, are nothing more than a farce, laughing stock.

Just as Silvina, infamous Silver Reaper, was easy target and all it took was merely five seconds. This was prior to the highest ascention, mind you.

The battlefield, a state of art– I'd say so often. Yet it had begun to feel like a joke. One that has grown rather tasteless... Lost all meaning.

Defeat no longer holds significance, death never true and subsequently consequences being illusory. I can loose a thousand times over, it would be all the same in the end.

As for Victory, 'akin to priceless art'?

Hollow shell, as insignificant as Defeat. Simply a benign, measly chore checked off a list.

At least Mikola, Carolina and the two Lightbearers still feel the thrill, the rush of adrenaline. ...Good for them.

Hugging back, Ludovic's arms tighten around the slim form, forehead rested on boney shoulder; in the crook of a delicate neck, listening to the faint pulse of slow rhythm. The warm presence washes over like lapping of tide, calming— Just as it was in radiance when they first met in that forest.

No words are needed. Silence carries mutual understanding, borne from a bond deeper than the oceans' abyss, honed through the years.

–"Thank you, for being by my side, part of my life." (I love you, my dearest Muse.)

Uttered in the steady hum of the manor's silence, in voice a supple, shaky whisper of conflicting emotions to the ascension irreversible.

A hum, soft and sweet answers back. While silky pinions of flame, magic, rest onto his back and low thrills reverberate through the being's chest. The soft glow in the darkness of the study, shared quarters— A steady light illuminating his days, years, eternity of gloom. Fills them, every second both waking and in slumber, with utmost radiance, with reason and life. No art, craft nor sculpture and treasure can replace nor hope to come close in replicating.

A guiding candle-light, unwavering and source of boundless strength, of courage and certainty.

[sentient-rift]

Mary, I suggest you go in for the kiss towards Enzan. I suggest the same for your respective netnavi, she is frightening Protoman more than any opponent he has ever faced. I might suggest wearing that dress that Ring was referring to earlier or maybe ask to wear Maylu's businesswoman style dress to allure your sweet tsundere sword-swinging saviour (say that 10 times fast) before any other girl does before you.

"W-w-why must you always suggest I kiss him?!"

"That's Super Sentai Fan for you. When it comes to his ships, he doesn't seem to give up on hooking them together and giving love advice. Isn't that right, Solo?"

"Yes... Unfortunately..."

"And who would be dumb enough to try to steal my Protoman away from me?! I'll show them a world of pain if they come anywhere near my beloved prince!

"But I do like that kiss idea. Maybe Protoman will finally be honest about his feelings for me that way. Oh, Protoman!❤"

"WHEN WILL YOU GIVE IT A REST ALREADY?!?!"

*Protoman flees.*

"I'LL NEVER GIVE UP UNTIL YOU FINALLY ACCEPT YOUR FEELINGS FOR ME!! WE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER, AND YOU KNOW IT!! NOW, GET BACK HERE AND KISS ME, YOU FOOL!!"

*Ring gives chase!*

"Great... I think you've made it worse, S.S. Fan..."

"Tsundere Sword Swinging Savior, Tsundere Sword Swinging Savior, Tsundere Sword Slinging... Wow, it is hard to say ten times fast, blip..."

[nameless-network]

What kind of Pikmin do you think each of the QSMP members would be?

oh ho ho ho ho

sorry for taking a bit to respond i put way too much thought into this

this is all based on their characters;

Red - Fit (2B2T lore and all) - Roier (was debating between putting him here on in rocks but this feels right) - Felps - Luzu - Ironmouse - Rivers

Yellow - Forever - Mariana (Cubito is a god but isn't confirmed to be able to fly (Yellows can be thrown higher than other pikmin + it feels right)) - Tubbo (Create mod is the closest thing there is to electricity so) - AyPierre (Same as above) - Wilbur

Blue - Foolish (Shark hybrid) - Baghera (Duck hybrid) - Quackity (Feels cruel but because of the pool he keeps getting sent into. He's survived in there for long enough to get water breathing I think.) - Kameto - Pol - Tina

Purple - Maximus (dude brought a whole nuke to purgatory . how did he do that. did he carry it himself. he can be purple for that. alternatively i was gonna put him in yellow because they were the only ones who could hold bomb rocks in pikmin 1 but i didnt have any purples so) - Vegetta

White - Cellbit (whites have X-Ray vision and are used to find treasures other pikmin can't + immune to gas bolasbolasbolas) - Missa? (my only reasoning is like . skeleton. whites are the closest weve got to a death based pikmin since they do damage when eaten so)

Rock - Etoiles (Does lots of damage + hard to kill (rocks can't be crushed)) - Spreen

Winged - Philza (Kinda cop-out choice for the bird hybrids but. yeah) - Jaiden - Carre? (im not really sure where to put carre actually. winged because his skin has wings and i like to draw him with them. alternatively could be purple with how he carried bolas early days /j) - Niki ? (no real reason for this just feels right)

Glow - Slimecicle (Strange little green guy + Immune to poison (was a hard pick between glow and white because again poison-toxins-code infection seem related in my head) - BadBoyHalo (It's the radiation poisoning /j) - Mike (feels right) - Arin (Computers/AI glowy aesthetic) - Bagi (at first i was gonna put her in white as well because mystery twins and all but glow feels more right to me)

Ice - DanTDM maybe? (ive got no basis for this other than ice kinda looks like diamond and i had no other characters for ice. hes ice bc his character got iced after 2 days logging on /j) - Willyrex (bc of the ice prison) - German (as above) - Lenay (as above)

Bulbmin - Logically I think all the eggs would be Bulbmin actually - You get Bulbmin by killing an adult with dwarfs following them and thats kinda like how the Federation claims the eggs came about (the dragon mother getting scared off by the wall exploding and leaving them behind) - Other than that it feels right that q!Antoine would be a bulbmin. i dont know why it just feels right

Shroomin - Happy Pills Arc Forever + Pac (Applies to @v@!Forever too) (Toxins/being mind controlled)

[peacehopeandrats]

Breezes Are Better On Vacation.

(There is mention of nudity here, but nothing at all explicit about it.)

A warm, salty caress of air woke Belle on their first morning in the new realm. Even with her eyes closed, she could envision the elements of the Mediterranean in this place. Perhaps it was something about the warmth of the sun or the taste of the sea. Maybe it was the sound of the birds or the accents of the locals that wandered under their always-open window. Whatever sensory combination created the sense of belonging, it was welcome to stay.

This was their visit to a place where they had no plans, there would be no exploration. For this visit, time would be kept only by the number of waves crashing on the nearby shore. That decision had been made on their arrival. The Golds had taken one look at the beautiful blue water surrounding the realm's islands and decided that this time, in this place, there would be no exploring.

"It will be a vacation," Rumple insisted.

"A vacation when we're always traeveling?" Gideon frowned. "How do we do that?"

"We do absolutely nothing," Belle told him. Which was exactly what they'd all done. They hadn't even lifted a finger to make a snack, keeping their vow of laziness by eating at a one of the local food stalls for lunch and a restaurant for dinner. Tea was the only thing Belle allowed herself to make and that only because the blend here, poured over ice, was the perfect contrast to the humid afternoons.

"You're awake." It was impossible for Belle to trick Rumple into believing she was still slumbering away.

Instead of responding to his statement, she stretched and let out a hum of delight.

"Our son has been up for a while," he whispered as his arm shifted beneath her. "Out on the balcony. I think I should check he isn't burned."

Reluctantly, Belle adjusted her position so that her husband could extricate himself from their tangle of limbs. "We have aloe gel in our bathroom. Make him use it."

"I-" The beginning of Rumple's sentence turned into a chuckle. "Son. What /are/ you doing?"

Now more curious than lazy, Belle twisted herself around and sat up in the bed until she could barely catch the sight of Gideon through the bedroom's doorless arch. He was stretched out on his stomach, head right at the edge of their small balcony and his chin resting on his crossed arms. From there, he extended in a perfect line, log legs reaching well into the living room. Though the position was peculiar by itself, their son's complete lack of clothing was what had both his parents shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Basking," he said with a shrug, not even taking his eyes away from the activity below. With one hand he gestured at some houses farther down the hill. "Everyone here does it."

There was a pause before Rumple tipped his head to one side. "He's right."

Belle adjusted her nightgown and left the bed to pad over to them. "That doesn't mean we need to follow their example."

Below her, residents who were fully clothed went about their daily routines, walking up and down the cobbled streets, greeting their neighbors, or purchasing goods. Meanwhile, blissfully contented individuals were stretched out as Gideon was, fully unclothed, bodies aligned perfectly with whatever rectangular rays of sun fell on their balconies. She turned around and tried to peer beyond their house, but the angle of the hill prevented it.

"Enough of them seem to be comfortable," Rumple said, glancing around as if taking count.

"You're visitors," a voice chimed in, lifting and falling with amusement.

Belle turned and smiled at an older woman standing out on the next balcony. "How did you guess?"

She nodded their way. "Your lack of love for the breeze. Here we all spend some time with the salt on our skin. We see it as a form of cleansing. It's one of the reasons our homes are designed to let air flow through."

"That and the heat, I imagine," Rumple added with a smile.

The woman grinned. "That too." She picked up a cup from some surface hidden from Belle's view and nodded at her own building. "So long as your air bathing remains respectful and limited to your balcony or your home, no one will think anything of it."

"Thank you," Belle called out before stepping back in their own building so she could stand next to Rumple.

Out on the balcony, Gideon let out a contented sigh. Then he closed his eyes, rolled over, and folded his arms behind his head to make a pillow. "Breezes are so much better on vacation."

---

Crazy schedule today. It took me all day to write this, in 5 minute spurts, but I got it done in the end. That's why this is such a disjointed thought flow. Again, these are very rough drafts and might get properly written into real stories some day.

Image prompt was from Samuel Jerónimo at Unsplash:

https://unsplash.com/photos/roof-of-a-building-j73rdhsRE7o

[kramlabs]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/PwoGuBkmRUiddMQKA?g_st=ic

Floaters who wish to fish hard without a lengthy shuttle may launch at the Kendall Recreation Area ramp, located off U.S. 127 below the dam. The takeout is the old Kendall Ferry landing located at the end of Ray Mann Road, just off the road to the recreation area. This makes for a float of approximately 1.75 miles with a shuttle of just a few minutes.

This section includes the hatchery creek outflow, a good place to fish. Boyd’s Bar, a productive wading shoal for rainbow and brown trout, lies at the end of Ray Mann Road. The next take out is a little over 4.5 miles downstream from Wolf Creek Dam at Helm’s Landing Boat Ramp, located off KY 379 via KY 55 and U.S. 127. Excellent rainbow trout fishing runs all through this stretch of the Cumberland River. Toward the end of this float you will see two rock walls on each side of the river. Legend has it that people removed rocks and piled them near the riverbank to help steamboats power over a shoal in the river. Anglers should know this shoal is one of the most productive rainbow trout fishing spots on the Cumberland River. From Helm’s Landing, it is a 5.8-mile float to the next take-out at the Rockhouse Natural Bridge, located off KY 379. In this section, the river is a series of shoals and long pools. Anglers working the rocky edge of the flowing shoals and pools score on a mixture of rainbow and brown trout. Near the end of this section, floaters will see the river take a hard left turn at a high bluff. This is the Rockhouse Hole. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources recently purchased the island on the downstream left, just above the Rockhouse Hole. This island shoal is Long Bar, although some refer to the area as Snow Island. It is one of the better wading shoals on this section of the Cumberland River. Anglers may beach their boats on the island to fish this area.

The Rockhouse Natural Bridge take-out requires you to carry your boat through the arch and up a steep incline to the parking area. This take-out is not recommended for anglers in johnboats.

The Rockhouse also serves as the put-in for the next section of river. Although the float from the Rockhouse to the next take-out at Winfrey’s Ferry is 5.5 miles on the water, the shuttle is just 1.5 miles. This is because the road connects the neck of a large bend in the river. A single paddler could drop off a boat in the Rockhouse parking area, drive down KY 379 to Winfrey’s Ferry, then walk back, leaving the vehicle parked at the end of the float. Rainbow Run, one of the best fishing shoals on the river, is just downstream from the Rockhouse. A long gravel bar on your right denotes Rainbow Run. The entire length of this shoal is worth many casts. Class I rapids downstream of this area provide lively paddling. A little further along on this float is Winfrey’s Rocks at downstream left. These rocks served as signposts for boat pilots back during the steamboat era.

The rocks, located halfway through the float, mark a deep hole that holds bruiser brown trout. Striped bass also show up regularly from this section downstream. The rest of the float is a long, deep hole until Winfrey’s Ferry. Look for a cable that goes across the Cumberland River. This cable indicates the take-out downstream to the right.

The Cumberland River rises quickly when electrical generation begins from the dam. Powerful current created by more than one generator in operation makes the river unsuitable for paddlers. Log on to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Web site at www.lrn.usace.army.mil/ and search for Lake Cumberland generator schedule. The daily fishing report contains the 24-hour generation schedule for Wolf Creek Dam. Boaters may also call (606) 678-8697 for current information.

[a-z0-9-i-n-gram-completionist]

1:    0 1 2 4 8 9 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z    32/36    (26/26)    (6/10)

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4:    1842 1908 abdo able ably acce acin acru acti actu adep ages ainf ajor akes akin alis allo alls ally almo alog also amil ampl anal anat ance ands andu aneo ange anim answ ants anus aped appa appe area aren arge arki arks arly arms arou arra arsa arte arti arts ased aske atar ated ater athe atid atio ativ atom atte atty atur avit awar aybe babl back ball base bdom bear bedd behi belo betw beyo biof bitt blog bodi body bone boun boyl brat brev bsta bula burr bute call cavi ccen ccyx ceed cent ceps cept cher chiu cial cien ciet cing cles cloa clus cocc comp conn cons cont cosu cret crib crum ctio ctua ctus cula cuta dard ddar deal deed denb denc deos depo dept desc dfis died dies diet ding disp dnes does dome domi dors dula duri eaki eall ears eart ebra ecia ecre ecti ectu edda edin edis eedi eein eems efer egio ehin eing eith elat elet elop elow elvi emal emel emen emor empl emur enbo ence endi ends engt engy enhn enop enor enti entl entu enve eous epos epti eque eral eran ered eres erio erly ermi erru erse ersi erte erti erto erus escr espe esti esty etal etat eton etwe ever evic evid ewha excl exem exte extr exus eyon fami fatt fema femo femu fest fibu fied fift find firs fish form foss frac frog from furt fuse gely geme gest gica gion gird glan glue gold gona gous grea grou gyst hape have head hear heir here hert herz hese hich high hims hind hing hips hird hite hium hnac hole hoto houg hroa hume hyme hymu iall ibed ibio ibul ibut ical icep icks icky icul idea iden ideo ides idfi ienc iety ifes ifie ifth ight ilar ilia illi imag imal imil imse inal incl inde infr ings inky inse insi inst inte into ints inuo iofi ions ious irdl irst isch ishe isop ispo issu ists ites ithe itio ittl itty ivel join jori just juts kele king kink kive knee know ksch land larg larl late lati latu lden legs leng leta leto lexu liar lier life lifi litt llie llow lmos loac logi logo lond loos lope lops lowe lowi lung lusi lvic lymp lypm mage majo make male mall many mark mass mati mayb mely meno ment meru meta mewh mila mili mina mite moot mora most moun mous mple mpli mpri msel murs musc must mygo naci nads nali nalo nato nboy nclu ndee nder ndin ndne ndon ndul nect neit neou ness next nfro ngem ngth ngys nhna nima nnec nopt norm nost note noxi nsec nseq nsid nsis nste nswe ntai nter ntin ntio ntly ntri ntua nuou nusu nvel oaca obab occy ocee ocie odie oesn ofib ogic ogou oint olde olog omat omen omew omin ompr onad ondo only onne onse onsi onta onti ontr oolo oose ooth oped oper opte oral oria orit orma ormo orsa oses osit osso oste osto osty osus otal oted othe otic ough ound ount oups outs ower owin oxio oylo pare part patt pear peci pelv perl phot pica pine plex plif poin pose posi post ppar ppea ppos pred pris prob proc prop pter ptid pubi quar quea quen ques quit ract rain rang rans rapp rate rath rawr rdle real reat rect redi refe regi rela reme rent rest rete reve revi rgel rges rial ribe ribu righ ring rior rise rity rkiv rksc rmat rmit rmou roat roba roce rogs rope rost roun roup rowe rpri rran rrou rrow rruc rsal rsed rsio rstl rteb rter rthe rtic rton ruco sacr sacs sals same save sche schi scie scle scri scul secr sect seei seem self sequ shap shes side sidf simi sion sist siti sits sive size sked skel skin smal smoo soci soft some sopt sori spec spin spos sque ssor ssue stan stea ster stic stin stio stly stom stot stud styl sual subs such supp surp surr swer syno tain take talk tanc tane tars tata tead tebr tend tera tere teri term tern than that thei them ther thes they thig thin thir this thou thro thus thym tibi tica tick ticu ting tinu tiny tion tips tiss tive toma tomy tons tota toti trem trib tsid tter ttle tual tuat tudi ture turn twee tyle typi uall uart uate ubis ubst ucos udie ueak uenc uest uite ular ulat umer unde undi undn ungs unus uous uppo urin urns uros urpr urro urth uscl uscu used usio usiv usua utan utsi velo vely verr vers vert very vice vide vill vity ware ween well were wers what when whic whit whol wing with xclu xemp xiou xten xtre ygol ylou ymen ymph ymus ynos

yond ypic ypmh ysto zool    815/1679616    (813/456976)    (2/10000)

5:    abdom accen acing acrum actio actua adept ainfr ajori aking allow almos alogo amili ample analo anato andul aneou angem anima answe appar appea arent argel arges arkiv arksc aroun arran arsal arter artic asked atars atera ather ation ative atomy atter ature avity aware bably balls based bdome bdomi bedda behin below betwe beyon biofi bitty bodie bound boylo brate brevi bstan burro cally cavit ccent ceedi centu cepti cherz chium ciall cienc ciety cloac clusi coccy compr conne conse consi conta conti contr cosus crete cribe ction ctual cular culat cutan ddard denbo dence depos descr dfish dings dispo dness doesn domen domin dorsa dular durin eakin eally earts ebrat ecial ecret ectio ectus eddar eding edisp eedin eeing egion ehind eithe elati eleta eleto elope elops elvic emale emely ement emora empli emurs enboy endin ength engys enhna enopt enorm entio ently entua envel eposi eptid equen erans erest erior ermit erruc ersed ersio erteb ertic erton escri espec estin estio estyl etata etons etwee evers evice evide ewhat exclu exemp exten extre eyond famil fatty femal femor femur festy fibul fifth first fishe forma fosso fract frogs furth fused gemen gical girdl gland golde gonad great group gysto haped heart herto himse hnaci hough hroat humer hymen hymus ially ibiof ibula ibute icall iceps icept icula ideal idenc ideos idfis ience ifest ified ilarl iliar illie image imila imsel inali inclu indee infro insec insid inste inter inuou iofib irdle irstl ischi ishes isopt ispos issue ither ition ittle ively joint jorit kelet kinky ksche lands landu large larly later lativ latur ldenb lengt letal leton lexus lifes lifie littl llier llowi lmost loaca logic logou londo loose loped lower lowin lungs lusio lusiv lymph lypmh mages major makes marks matid matio maybe menop menti merus metat mewha milar milia minal mites mooth moral mount mplex mplif mpris mself muscl muscu mygol nacin nalis nalog natom nboyl nclus ndeed nding ndnes ndula necti neith neous nfrog ngeme ngyst nhnac nimal nnect nopte normo nosto noted noxio nsect nsequ nside nsist nstea nswer ntain ntere ntinu ntion ntrib ntuat nuous nusua nvelo obabl occyx oceed ociet odies ofibu ogica ogous oints olden ologi omati omewh omina ompri onads ondon onnec onseq onsis ontai ontin ontri oolog operl opter orial ority ormat ormou orsal ositi osits ossor oster ostot ostyl other otica ounde oundi oundn outsi owers owing oxiou oylou paren parti patte pears pecia pelvi perly photo pical plexu plifi point poses posit poste ppare ppear ppose predi prise proba proce prope ptera pubis quart queak quenc quest quite racti rainf range rathe reall rectu redis refer regio relat remel rentl resti rever revic rgely rgest ribed ribut right rkive rksch rmati rmite rmous robab rocee roper rosty round roups rower rpris rrang rroun rrowe rruco rsals rsion rstly rtebr rther rtica rticu rucos sacru scher schiu scien scles scrib scula secre seein seems seque shape sides sidfi simil sists sitio sivel skele small smoot socie somew sopte soria speci spine spose squea ssori stanc stead steri stick sting stion stoma stoti studi style suall subst suppo surpr surro swere synos tance taneo tarsa tatar tebra tendi tends teral teran teres terio termi their there thert these thigh thing third thoug throa thymu tibio tical ticks ticky ticul tinuo tions tissu tomat total totic treme tribu tside ttern tuall tuate tudie turns tween typic ually uarte uated ubsta ucosu udied ueaki uence uesti ularl ulatu umeru under undin undne unusu uppos uring urost urpri urrou urrow urthe uscle uscul usion usive usual utane utsid velop verru verse versi verte verti vicep viden video villi wered which white whole xclus xempl xious xtend xtrem ygold ymeno ynost ypica ystom zoolo    622/60466176    (622/11881376)

6:    abdome abdomi accent action actual ainfro ajorit allowi almost alogou amilia amplex analog anatom andula aneous angeme animal answer appare appear arentl argely argest arkive arksch around arrang arsals articu atarsa ateral athert ations attern bdomen bdomin beddar behind betwee beyond biofib bodies boylou brevic bstanc burrow cavity ccentu ceedin centua ceptid cially cience cloaca clusio clusiv coccyx compri connec conseq consis contai contin contri cribed ctions ctuall cularl culatu cutane denboy deposi descri dfishe dispos domina dorsal during eaking ebrate eciall ecrete ection eddard edings edispo eeding either elativ eletal eleton eloped emoral emplif enboyl ending engyst enhnac enopte enormo ention entuat envelo eposit equenc eresti ermite erruco ersion ertebr ertica escrib especi esting estion estyle etatar etween everse evicep eviden exclus exempl extend extrem famili female femora femurs festyl fibula firstl fishes format fossor fracti furthe gement girdle glands glandu golden gonads groups gystom hearts herton himsel hnacin humeru hymeno ibiofi ically icepti icular idence idfish ifesty ilarly illier images imilar imself inalis inclus indeed infrog insect inside instea intere inuous iofibu irstly ischiu isopte ispose jority keleta keleto kscher landul largel larges latera lative lature ldenbo length letons lifest lified little llowin logica logous london lowing lusion lusive majori marksc mation menopt mentio metata mewhat milarl miliar minali mplexu mplifi mprise muscle muscul mygold nacing nalogo natomy nboylo nclusi ndness ndular nectio neithe nfrogs ngemen ngysto nhnaci nnecti nopter normou nostot noxiou nseque nsists nstead nswere nteres ntinuo ntribu ntuate nusual nvelop obably oceedi ociety ofibul ogical oldenb ologic omatid omewha ominal ompris onnect onsequ onsist ontain ontinu ontrib oologi operly optera ormati ormous ositio ossori osteri ostoti ostyle otical ounder oundin oundne outsid oxious parent partic patter pecial pelvic plexus plifie points positi posits poster pparen ppears predis probab procee proper pteran quarte queaki quence questi ractio rainfr rangem rather really rectus redisp region relati remely rently restin revers revice ribute rksche rmatio rmites robabl roceed roperl rostyl rounde roundi roundn rowers rprise rrange rround rrower rrucos rtebra rtical rticul rucosu sacrum scherz schium scienc scribe scular sculat secret seeing sequen shaped sidfis simila sition sively skelet smooth societ somewh sopter sorial specia sposes squeak ssoria stance sterio sticks sticky stomat stotic studie sually substa suppos surpri surrou swered synost taneou tarsal tatars tebrat tendin terans terest terior termit therto though throat thymus tibiof ticall ticula tinuou tissue tomati totica tremel tribut tually tuated tudied typica uarter ubstan ucosus ueakin uestio ularly ulatur umerus unding undnes unusua uppose urosty urpris urroun urrowe urther uscles uscula usivel usuall utaneo utside velope velops verruc versed versio verteb vertic viceps vicept videnc videos villie xclusi xempli xtendi xtends xtreme ygolde ymenop ynosto ypical ystoma zoolog    446/2176782336    (446/308915776)

7:    abdomen abdomin accentu actuall ainfrog ajority allowin alogous amiliar amplexu analogo anatomy andular angemen answere apparen appears arently arksche arrange articul atarsal atherto bdomina beddard between biofibu brevice bstance burrowe ccentua ceeding centuat clusion clusive compris connect consequ consist contain continu contrib ctually cularly culatur cutaneo denboyl deposit describ dfishes dispose dominal ecially ections edispos eedings elative eletons emplifi enboylo engysto enhnaci enopter enormou entuate envelop eposits equence erestin ermites errucos ertebra ertical escribe especia etatars eversed eviceps evicept evidenc exclusi exempli extendi extends extreme familia femoral festyle firstly formati fossori fractio further glandul goldenb gystoma himself hnacing humerus hymenop ibiofib iceptid icularl idfishe ifestyl imilarl inclusi infrogs instead interes iofibul ischium isopter isposes keletal keleton kscherz landula largely largest lateral ldenboy lifesty llowing logical lusivel majorit marksch mations menopte mention metatar milarly minalis mplexus mplifie muscles muscula mygolde nalogou nboylou nclusio nection neither ngement ngystom nhnacin nnectio noptera normous nostoti noxious nsequen nswered nterest ntinuou ntribut ntuated nusuall nvelope nvelops oceedin ofibula oldenbo ologica omewhat ominali omprise onnecti onseque onsists ontinuo ontribu oologic opteran ormatio osition ossoria osterio ostotic oticall ounding oundnes outside parentl particu pattern peciall plified positio posteri pparent predisp probabl proceed properl pterans quarter queakin questio raction rainfro rangeme redispo relativ resting reverse revicep rkscher rmation robably roceedi roperly rostyle rounder roundin roundne rrangem rroundi rrowers rrucosu rtebrat rticula rucosus science scribed sculatu secrete sequenc sidfish similar skeleta skeleto society somewha soptera special squeaki ssorial sterior stomati stotica studied substan suppose surpris surroun synosto taneous tarsals tatarsa tebrate tending teresti termite therton tibiofi tically ticular tinuous tomatid totical tremely tribute typical ubstanc ueaking uestion ulature undness unusual urostyl urprise urround urrower uscular usculat usively usually utaneou veloped verruco version vertebr vertica vicepti vidence villier xclusiv xemplif xtendin xtremel ygolden ymenopt ynostot ystomat zoologi    297/78364164096    (297/8031810176)

8:    abdomina accentua actually ainfrogs allowing amplexus analogou angement answered apparent arkscher arrangem articula atarsals atherton bdominal biofibul brevicep burrower ccentuat ceedings centuate clusivel comprise connecti conseque consists continuo contribu culature cutaneou denboylo deposits describe disposes dominali edispose emplifie enboylou engystom enhnacin enoptera enormous entuated envelope envelops eresting errucosu ertebrat escribed especial etatarsa evicepti evidence exclusiv exemplif extendin extremel familiar formatio fossoria fraction glandula goldenbo gystomat hymenopt ibiofibu icularly idfishes ifestyle imilarly inclusio interest iofibula isoptera keletons landular ldenboyl lifestyl lusively majority marksche menopter metatars mplified muscular musculat mygolden nalogous nclusion nections ngystoma nhnacing nnection nopteran nostotic nsequenc nteresti ntinuous ntribute nusually nveloped oceeding oldenboy ological ominalis onnectio onsequen ontinuou ontribut oologica opterans ormation ossorial osterior ostotica otically oundness parently particul pecially position posterio pparentl predispo probably proceedi properly queaking question rainfrog rangemen redispos relative reversed reviceps revicept rkscherz rmations roceedin rounding roundnes rrangeme rroundin rrucosus rtebrate rticular sculatur sequence sidfishe similarl skeletal skeleton somewhat sopteran speciall squeakin stomatid stotical substanc surprise surround synostot tatarsal terestin termites tibiofib ticularl toticall ubstance unusuall urostyle urroundi urrowers usculatu utaneous verrucos vertebra vertical viceptid xclusive xemplifi xtending xtremely ygoldenb ymenopte ynostoti ystomati zoologic    189/2821109907456    (189/208827064576)

9:    abdominal accentuat analogous apparentl arkscherz arrangeme articular bdominali biofibula breviceps brevicept burrowers ccentuate centuated clusively connectio consequen continuou contribut cutaneous denboylou described dominalis edisposes emplified engystoma enhnacing enopteran enveloped errucosus ertebrate especiall etatarsal eviceptid exclusive exemplifi extending extremely formation fossorial glandular goldenboy gystomati hymenopte ibiofibul inclusion interesti isopteran ldenboylo lifestyle markscher menoptera metatarsa musculatu mygoldenb ngystomat nnections nopterans nostotica nsequence nterestin oceedings oldenboyl onnection onsequenc ontinuous ontribute oological ormations ostotical particula posterior pparently predispos proceedin rainfrogs rangement redispose revicepti roceeding roundness rrangemen rrounding rticularl sculature sidfishes similarly skeletons sopterans specially squeaking stoticall substance surroundi synostoti tatarsals teresting tibiofibu ticularly totically unusually urroundin usculatur verrucosu vertebrat xclusivel xemplifie ygoldenbo ymenopter ynostotic ystomatid zoologica    112/101559956668416    (112/5429503678976)

10:    abdominali accentuate apparently arrangemen articularl bdominalis brevicepti ccentuated connection consequenc continuous contribute engystomat enopterans especially etatarsals exclusivel exemplifie formations goldenboyl gystomatid hymenopter ibiofibula interestin isopterans ldenboylou markscherz menopteran metatarsal musculatur mygoldenbo ngystomati nostotical nteresting oldenboylo onnections onsequence ostoticall particular predispose proceeding redisposes reviceptid roceedings rrangement rticularly stotically surroundin synostotic tibiofibul urrounding usculature verrucosus vertebrate xclusively xemplified ygoldenboy ymenoptera ynostotica zoological    60/3656158440062976    (60/141167095653376)

11:    abdominalis accentuated arrangement articularly breviceptid connections consequence engystomati exclusively exemplified goldenboylo hymenoptera interesting menopterans metatarsals musculature mygoldenboy ngystomatid nostoticall oldenboylou ostotically particularl predisposes proceedings surrounding synostotica tibiofibula ygoldenboyl ymenopteran ynostotical    30/131621703842267136    (30/3670344486987776)

12:    engystomatid goldenboylou hymenopteran mygoldenboyl nostotically particularly synostotical ygoldenboylo ymenopterans ynostoticall    10/4738381338321616896    (10/95428956661682176)

13:    hymenopterans mygoldenboylo synostoticall ygoldenboylou ynostotically    5/170581728179578208256    (5/2481152873203736576)

14:    mygoldenboylou synostotically    2/6140942214464815497216    (2/64509974703297150976)

Why are rain frogs so round? What's /inside/ of them around such an itty bitty skeleton?

So it turns out this is a really interesting question.

The first thing we must be aware of is that rainfrogs as we see them in videos of them squeaking are not quite the same shape as they are when at rest:

[x]

But you are quite right, they are very round. This is exemplified by the skeletal photo you refer to:

[X]

So what are we seeing?

Well, firstly, note that the body cavity in these frogs actually envelops the femurs, such that only the tibiofibula (fused in frogs) and the tarsals and metatarsals are outside the body. The arms are quite similarly enveloped, but a bit of the humerus does extend outside the body cavity too. This predisposes them to a rounder body shape.

Next, note the ilia - the U-shaped bone in the pelvic region. These in some breviceptid frogs are synostotically fused with the sacrum - that is to say, they are bound by bone-based connections to the bow-shaped vertebra at their tips. This whole joint seems to be quite smooth, and as a consequence, the back of the frog is quite smooth. The other thing we can see here is that the urostyle (i.e. the frog version of a coccyx) juts quite far beyond the ischium and pubis. This extends the body cavity beyond the hips. Note also that the pelvic girdle seems to be largely below the spine, rather than the typical position for frogs behind it and continuous with it. This makes the legs sit below the spine, rather than at its end, enhnacing the vertical roundness of the animal.

Next, let’s talk some soft tissue. Now, I’m not as familiar with soft-tissue in frogs as I am their skeletons, so you’ll have to bear with me a bit (rawr). Beddard (1908!!) studied the soft tissue of Breviceps verrucosus Rapp 1842. It seems that the majority of the body of these frogs is actually muscle. Beddard noted that muscles join the leg at the knee that extend into the body cavity, such that the inclusion of the thigh in the body cavity is further accentuated by musculature. The rectus abdominalis muscle is unusually large, extending from the lower abdomen up and around the sides of the body. Indeed, this large size appears to be the pattern with all of the major muscles, though in the throat the typical arrangement of large and small muscles is somewhat reversed. On the lateral side of the head, there is a substance that is not muscle, but appears to be loose tissue in which sits what is apparently the thymus gland.

There is a very large gap between the end of the urostyle and the anus (one fifth of the total length of the frog), in which there are almost no muscles, save for the one surrounding the lower cloaca. On either side of this area, between the posterior-most muscles of the thigh, lie two large ‘lymph-hearts’, as described by Beddard. These are between one quarter and one third of the total length of the frog. A further lypmh-sac sits between these lymph-hearts and the skin of the femoral region, and they are thus probably analogous to the femoral lymph-sacs of other frogs.

I find it interesting that Beddard (1908) did not mention any glandular formations in the dorsal region. As is evidence from many images (see below), these frogs are able to secrete a white, sticky, noxious substance from their skin (which they actually have to use during amplexus, as the male is too small relative to the female to mount her properly, and so he sticks himself to her with his glandular glue… kinky).

[x]

These glands do not apparently take up a great deal of the cutaneous tissue, and so I suppose are of no consequence to the size of the frog, especially relative to its enormous muscles.

The diet of these frogs consists almost exclusively of hymenopterans and isopterans (ants and termites). Neither of these insect groups are particularly fatty, so it is little surprise that their bodies appear to contain no large fat deposits - fatty bodies extend from the gonads up to the lungs and heart, but these comprise only a tiny fraction of the frog’s mass, and don’t contribute to the round shape. Instead, their bodies are extremely muscular, allowing them to be adept burrowers, ideal for their fossorial lifestyle.

So TL;DR: rain frogs are little balls of muscle (maybe the largest muscle mass relative to body mass of any vertebrate? science just doesn’t know).

Ref:

Beddard, F.E. 1908. On the Musculature and other Points in the Anatomy of the Engystomatid Frog, Breviceps verrucosus. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1908:11-41 [x]