#sorry it's short and a little literal
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Em, it's birb, please may I have pando with song 19 in these trying (for me) times <3
Friday I'm in love - The Cure
Lando looked forward to Fridays.
He loved being an F1 driver and the chaotic life he led. But Fridays seemed much more special for him. Much more fun.
Because on Fridays he was in love. It was the one day of his busy week he could see Pierre and no one would say anything.
Thursday was always so busy with media, Saturday was busy with quail and of course Sunday was busy with the race.
But Friday free practice sessions meant Lando and Pierre could meet up between sessions and talk. It wasn't anything special but for Pierre and Lando it meant they could share a quick kiss and soft words. It wasn't much but it was something and that's all that mattered.
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bring your son to work day
#art#twisted wonderland#twisted wonderland spoilers#tsumsted wonderland#sorry this might be it guys#just kind of burnt out right now#i am enjoying the event though! i love these silly beanbags and their charming little adventures#can't wait for silver-tsum to wake up just long enough to take a bullet for malleus-tsum#and i extra extra love malleus and his beanbag both being SO passive-aggressive about missing the pile-up#the solution: DANCE PARTY#APPARENTLY#between this and glorious masquerade i'm starting to think this is malleus' solution to everything#(is this how episode 7 will end) (we DO traditionally get an end-of-episode rhythmic...)#also a+ some truly excellent spritework going on in this on#(sebek crunches down slightly 'RIDE ME WAKATSUMSAMA') (long beat) (malleus and tsum just sliiiiiide away screen left)#genuinely so much funnier than a literal depiction could ever be#anyway i did some careful calculations re:the probability of upcoming cards that i absolutely need and long story short#i am key-poor but tsum!malleus-rich >:)#(immediately goes through and switches all his lesson sprites to having a tsum wobbling on his head) worth it#now watch next month they're going to give us a white rabbit rerun with malleus and/or lilia as the frilliest froufrou bunnies#and i will be thoroughly effed
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pairing: messmer x wife!tarnished! reader
notes: i've never had anything i've written exceed a character limit before. can't believe the first time was because of a request, things i usually try to write short and sweet little hcs or stories for. anyways i hope this was enjoyable!
( part 1 )
He knew once you approached him that you would make your choice known, whether your answer would break his heart or not he was unsure. Either way he was sure he’d have no other option than to accept it. He knew his sweet, perfect, stubborn little Tarnished better than most.
Had you chosen to stay his cheeks would flush with delight. He’d sweep you into a tender embrace and secretly plan a feast befitting a king later that very night. The both of you would never again separate for longer than a day or two — never.
Especially not after the devastating news he’d just learned. Speaking of which, I doubt he’d acknowledge it so early on. If it hadn’t been for the topic of your decision, he’d have sent you away to spend some time brooding on his own for a good week.
“O darling returned, never again from thee I shall part.”
And thus begins your life anew as the Lightless Lady of the Shadow Keep.
If you were to leave then he’d beg you to stay just one last night, and hold you with all the care in the world. It would be quite difficult for you to leave him then, but he knew you’d find a way out of his arms eventually. He’d press a solemn kiss to your lips after ensuring you were well-prepared for wherever you would go next, tucking one of Marika’s blessings into your belt as he did so.
“Precious wife, apple of mine own eye,” he began. “Rest upon thine throne as Lord, but forget not thine home. Forget me, my dearest, not.”
#elden ring x reader#imbibe nectar :: anons#messmer x reader#messmer the impaler x reader#if the shakespearean grammar is a little off blame the fever#im sorry the second half is so short it's literally all i had left after reaching the word limit
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guys i got to see this amazing cosplay by @lesoldatmort and @artofalassa and now i'm making everyone else look at it
literally exploding
i love them
:DD
#oh god the cosplays are so good and full of detail#i dont even know how long it must've taken but theyre on point!!#also i admire the dedication to wolfwood's socklessness but for mort's sake i hope you're at least wearing ankle socks in those shoes#nicholas d wolfwood#vash the stampede#trigun cosplay#animefest 2024#trigun#and sorry if i was acting weird#i was short circuiting a little bit#but you two literally made my day yesterday#i can't believe trigun fans are real#vashposting
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what is the theory that ivan manipulated the event where till and mizi met the wagyein?
It's not a theory, actually! It's confirmed that Ivan orchestrated the whole event. The true reason as to why however is still unknown. The information provides more context to this scene, though:
During the earlier times of ALNST the most rational explanation for this scene was that Till ran after a flower crown (presumably Mizi's) and Ivan followed him in out of curiosity. Now we know that Ivan was conveniently just standing there because he was waiting.
Side note, I find it heartbreaking (and maybe a little funny, sorry) that Till most likely didn't notice Ivan in this scene. That's just like him, isn't it. Always too busy running after Mizi while Ivan trails behind, an ever-present shadow.
I'm not sure how Ivan manipulated the circumstances for both of them to end up there, but it is confirmed that everything was intentional. What strikes me most is how they describe this particular scene:
I can't copy down what they said word-for-word (Patreon info), but they described Ivan watching "creepily" as Till and Mizi are faced with danger. We know that Ivan was familiar with the Cerberus wagyein beforehand, enough to touch its teeth and even to rest himself inside its maw. To Ivan, the wagyein is not dangerous, but to Till and Mizi, it could be. Ivan prepared the wagyein, led them there, and watched "creepily" from afar as Till fell on his knees, seemingly injured.
The closest I can get to making sense of Ivan's "scheme" is that he wanted to see how other children would react in a dangerous situation. Ivan's always been an observer, after all, and he's learned to survive by copying the more "normal" behaviors of his peers. This situation occured when Ivan was still young and had not yet developed his more charming mask, so perhaps he staged this encounter to study a situational response, to learn and mimic the emotion of fear. And what better subjects for the experiment than two of the most expressive and reactive humans of their batch? It helps that he was already fixated on Till beforehand, too. I think Ivan became irreversibly obssessed after this incident, especially since it's framed as a turning point in Ivan's life, comparing Till to the stars.
This is just my attempt at an interpretation, though. It could very well be for another reason. He most likely chose Till and Mizi specifically for personal reasons, not just for reaction. I'm still not sure on the purpose behind the whole thing.
The team wanted to capture Ivan's "dark emotions" through the shot of his stalking, which could relate to his more sinister intentions. His gaze can be read in a few different ways, though. Curiosity, interest, fear, etc. Maybe that's why they decided to redraw the shot in ROUND 6.
I think this better sells the feeling they were trying to convey.
#ivan u fucked up little guy.#also okay i just wanna clear this up#i know i make a lot of posts about ivans darker side and his more problematic traits#but this isn't me trying to villainize him or reduce him down to “toxic yaoi”#I HOPE YOU GUYS KNOW ALL MY TOXIC YAOI POSTS ARE LIGHTHEARTED.#i just want to clarify that ivan was always intended to be a darker and complicated character. even since his debut in round 3#the way i refer to ivan (“twisted” “creepy” “obssessive” etc) are literally the direct words used by q and v themselves to describe him#but despite that id like to emphasize that i don't see ivan as a villain or a completely bad person. hes complicated#there is no normalcy in this world they are living in. none of the characters know what being truly normal is#this isn't me condoning his actions#but it has to be acknowledged that alnst is fucked up in nature. we can't expect perfect relationships from people who are born to die#plus ivan has a lot more layers past the “dark” parts. he's constantly battling himself and his desires#especially at the end of round 6 where he performs a myriad of conflicting actions (kiss strangle peck smile)#thanks to the r6 production notes we now know that ivan was going through a rapid internal conflict#“sure and unsure at the same time”#there is sooo much to ivan. his low self-esteem. his desire and possessiveness despite knowing till will never love him#his VEHEMENT insistence that till will never love him vs his desperate persistence in trying anyway#uh i need to shut up i think#anyways sorry. just wanted to clarify my thoughts on him in case people think im. yk.#in short. hes a fucked up little freak and he fascinates me. this poor tragic child. i love him.#SORRY I GOT CARRIED AWAY#alnst#alien stage#alien stage ivan#alnst ivan#asks
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Day 16
As the human and I did not share any duties during this particular cycle, I decided now might be a fitting time to inform the Vitrichl about the aforementioned book, which could possibly grant a further insight into Terrans.
Despite the quite serious circumstances we are currently in, I was able to secure a time frame to initiate a conversation regarding this topic.
I repeated the information V-7 had been able to conjure on this as well as other stories and reports on humans.
"There seems to be one…obstacle, though: The book‘s last documented location is in system Skė-51-33, which does not seem to be even remotely near our current route.", I eludicated.
The Vitrichl seemed to consider the information given, keeping in mind the reason the SIIR Noxos usually avoids this particular system: its unfriendly and occasionally aggressive nature.
Concluding, I was able to convince the Vitrichl through the benefits this book could provide in the task of studying humans, causing the Vitrichl to eludicate that changing the route was currently not possible, but as soon as the chance was offered to us, we would make a short detour through this system to retrieve said book, given that the book was still located there.
In the meantime, I was tasked with retrieving as much possible information on this particular and other sources about humans.
Our arrival on Fendaar is imminent, as we are nearing the planet‘s atmosphere. Further reports will follow.
#So um. Hiiiii#Sorry once again for my absence I‘ve been in a bit of a writing slump the past few days for some reason#I actually had this chapter laying around for a few days basically finished but unfortunately. Written on paper. By hand.#And I kind of avoided making a digital form and typing everything off again#And before anyone asks no I cannot just take a photo and copy the text out because I happen to write in cursive <33#Also I had work 😔 but I got to pet animals sooo#By “animals” I am referring to actual animals and not the kids I had to look after lol#But I‘m back now!!#This chapter seems kinda short#It IS kinda short I mean#But this is for actual plot reasons for once and not bc I had little time to write lol#Bc the next chapter they literally land on a planet so it‘ll likely be long asf again 😀👍#Anyway#nr.16#day 16#earth is space australia#humans are space orcs#humans are weird#space australia#humans are insane#humans are terrifying#humans in space#humans are space oddities#humans are space australians#humans are crazy#humans are awesome#original writing#humans from an outsider perspective#alien pov#original story
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It's the last day of Serirei week 2024, the theme is festival/beach, and Serizawa turns up to the local haunted festival despite not being on the schedule today.
I wanna say a huge thank you to @thenoodledart and @brockoliguy who put this week together, I've had so much fun writing these silly shortfics and seeing what everyone else has been doing too!!
#serirei week 2024#mp100#mob psycho 100#serirei#fanfic#ive had so much fun doing these!!!#obv its been a challenge#cause i obviously have a hard time keeping my shit short and efficient#but its been good practice!!#sorry if this last chapter was a little rough#ive been hungover doing chores all day#and im literally falling asleep in front of my laptop#hope you liked reading it!!
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Tim explains Reese's feelings
Orca 的陪伴讓Reese渡過了最艱難的時刻,你總是那麽溫柔的安慰我照顧我的心情,甚至泰國台灣往返只待一天只是為了做早餐給我吃替我整理家裡,有你的陪伴真好。
With Orca by his side, Reese went through the most difficult time in his life. You were always so gentle to comfort me and take care of my feelings, even flying from Thailand to Taiwan and staying for just a day to make breakfast for me and to tidy up my home, it is so good with you by my side.
萌萌頭時期的Reese 有了人生第一個像親人一樣的兄弟,那時的眼神裡都是愛與希望。
Reese who was just a boy with a cute hair-cut, had for the first time in his life brothers who were just like family, the expression in his eyes was filled with hope and love.
如果當初沒提議辦那場演唱會是不是Matt就不會離開,也不會讓Neil一蹶不振~
If I hadn't suggested holding that concert then, would Matt still be around... and Neil would not have been devastated
小海的出���像一把鑰匙一樣解開了所有人的鎖
Xiao Hai's appearance was like a key, that opened up everyone's locked up emotions
讓七年後活在自責的Reese 把塵封已久的所有情感打開,學會放下執念、重新愛自己、愛Orca,找回對音樂的那份單純與熱忱,讓我們一起完成那場未完成的演唱會吧。
To let Reese who had been living in guilt for seven years, to let out those feelings that had been locked away so long they had turned dusty, to let go of the guilt and feelings he had been holding on to obsessively, for him to love himself again, love Orca, to get back the innocence and passion he had towards music, let us finish that concert that we did not manage to hold before.
source
bonus: Director's comment
@ lienchienhung I love you
@ timliou1020 i love you too. without you there would not be the Reese we know now
#彈一場完美戀愛#first note of love#reese#no other artiste received a follow from me as fast as he did after i read this post#i really like Reese's character#and i really look forward to the rest of his story#the translation style is going a little in the format of literal#i just think some images induced from mandarin phrases are often cut short in english#sorry if anything is excessively random!
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finally doodled the doomed victorian yaoi
#greylu my beloved it's been years. i missed you#sorry i made you and your gay little hateship canon only to immediately doom you via the narrative#i promise you'll get compensation in 5-6 months. give or take#yin art#the illusive yin paper doodle... hallow be its name....#anyway. past caeru! he's literally exactly like normal caeru except he's significantly less inclined to be feral!#and also he's hopelessly in love with a tall (short) dark and mysterious (overly dramatic tell-all) stranger#(guy who employed and actively overpays him to work as a nurse for his orphanage business)#im sure they're going to live happily ever after and nothing is ever going to go wrong in either of their lives#especially one of those lives being cut dramatically short
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01/08/2023
Porto Ercole, Italy
He looks so boyish, like the backwards cap and the dangling foot
His standard Apple cable headphones I can’t he’s so sweet (probably either listening to the Beatles, Bowie, some classical music, the strokes or Miles new album 🐢 and maybe getting some inspo for AM8)
THE TATTOO I can’t 🤣🤣 like after leaving the fandom wondering for five years what he possibly did with the Taylor tattoo, the little shit just doesn’t give a fuck
Pretty sure that’s the hotel, cause towels, the pool and the dock all fits
Also like im sorry but if you look at the pics of Harry Styles and Olivia from the beach that were taken by Backgrid they look near identical
Also cause i was already on the subject of Harry Styles:
Are they in the same place ?! cause towels and the furniture and the stonewall. That would be fuckin hilarious but probably they already know each other well through Alexa Chung
Alrighty confirmed Harry also stayed at Il Pellicano (he was photographed with a bag with the hotels name on it)
#alex turner#arctic monkeys#slightly overwhelmed by the amount of shirtless swim short pics like that’s more than we got in the last 18 years#his hair 🦁#he looks and seems so youthful idk how to explain it but he doesn’t appear a day over 20#(I literally just googled Porto Ercole residencies that was like the first one to pop up)#they deserve a break#(not just from touring but also from each other it seems ;))#also like I’m so so sorry but wtf is that white stain on Alex’s trunks#Alex has the opportunity to play tennis and wear shorts again 🤣#I’m sorry but like my biggest take away is literally that the little fucker (affectionately) just didn’t bother doing anything bout that#Taylor tattoo#like the fact that he just has his exes name in his body still after 5 years and just seemingly can’t be bother that alone screams autism#Il Pellicano
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AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH OMG OMG OMG-
#sorry i just listened to the Wisdom Saga and I'm SO EXCITED AAAHHHHHH#i was so hyped the whole time watching Jorge's stream! all of the animatics were awesome!! and the vocals!#i gotta talk about it#all of the songs were AMAZING!#i think my favorite song from this saga is between 'Little Wolf' and 'Love in Paradise'#'Little Wolf' gave me CHILLS#i literally gasped when Athena showed up! her parts were really cool!!#and 'Love in Paradise' is so catchy!#also 'God Games' was genuinely heartbreaking at the end#because Athena - who is known for being very prideful#pushes her pride aside and BEGS Zeus to let Odysseus go from Calypso's island#and the way she says it aaahh!!#and i will never get over Aphrodite's and Hera's parts#they're kinda short but they really stand out!#i love how Aphrodite isn't only concerned about romantic love but all types of love#like she's mad at Odysseus for breaking his mother's heart by leaving and never coming back to see her again#he “claims to love his mother but let her die of a broken heart”#and she tells Athena to let Odysseus rot on Calypso's island and feel the pain his mother felt (by never getting to see Penelope again)#“let him feel the pain that his mother felt and rot!” i love that line!#and i'm so obessed with Hera's “hey baby” at the beginning of her part#her section is pretty short but it's such a groove!#aaaahhh anyway sorry sorry!!#i'm just feeling so many things right now
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wait hello?
#its so pretty and artistic and all these religious motifs#THE SHOT WITH VI UNDER THE BLOODY WINDOW LIGHT..#im obsessed with how human everyone looks#like jace's big ass chin. altho i was wishing his mom looked more like him. but also like the white hair streak says sm#jinx's movement is sooooooooo good its so unique and u literally understand her like i get her#also the voice acting augh.. all the crying scenes are so good#powder just as little girl. i feel her tbh. im so..#i love the plot so bad im going crasyy#but im forreal so obsessed with the character designs its so good its sooo. its so.. like idk their personality shows so much idk..#like the goggles? augh#fuck its so good. the themes.#rex.txt#arcane#<- i intend to talk abt this more..#wait no sorry jace's chin isnt big its just so normal like its so perfect. but his mom's chin does look short in comparison
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Ep 5!!!
#Episodes that make me go “The author has never talked with a woman ever” 😓😓😓#I don't like how Lucy's character is handled at all. And I feel like I can't talk about it because I'm just going to sound like a bitter–#ss/kk shipper... But I really don't like it. And if it can help my case I'm a multishipper so I really don't take any–#issues with atsu/lucy I like the ship quite a lot actually.#So you're telling me there's this girl... Who meets this boy who pretty much ruined her life by directly causing her to lose her job...#And the next time she sees him she's going to sacrifice her own freedom for him as well as tell him “when you're done doing your things–#come and save me” (longest ewwww ever)... And when she regains freedom (author didn't bother to explain how because they don't care)–#she goes to work... As a waitress at the café beneath his workplace. So he can keep doing his Cool Superpowers Job while she literally–#must serve him every time he visits the place. It's just ?????????????????????????????????#Look‚ I don't dislike Lucy and I feel general affection towards her. It's just that they make her act like no one ever would#Just for the sake of the plot I guess#And like I knoww it's (probably just a little) more nuanced than that. I know Lucy is living her own fairy tale fantasy.#It's just that what I've said about her story is still true‚ you know?#I'm sorry but as sweet as atsu/lucy can be. I really hate the author for making Lucy a waitress. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.#It's so weird. This anime has women writing standards that feel like dating back to the 20s#Same with Katai and the ideal woman tbh. Like why are women to be seen as this abstract impersonal entities? Why can't they just be people?#Ideal for WHO. It's like super screwed up of a concept. What even is an ideal woman? What does it mean to be a woman anyways?#They just want to say “ideal wife”. But women aren't made to be wives their existence isn't functional to another person.#Sorry. I derail. Next episode is going to be even worse on this front ughhhh#Back to the episode: once again it really shows they were running out of budget with this season‚‚‚ the animation looks very suffered#Too many flashback also... I feel bad for the animators tbh#I don't really like the shift in art style :( Not even Atsushi I found particularly pretty this episode my heart cries#The nail pulling thing made me feel like throwing up afhsjyabfsbfwasfvb I feel like I can bear worse gore but there's a couple of little–#specific things I can't stand and this seems to be one of them pffftttt#I like Higuchi I think she's both very funny and cool. I really wish she was explored more (but then again looking at Teruko... )#The relationship between Kunikida and Katai looks so interesting even though we only get glimpses of it. Kunikida regrets Katai leaving–#the ada but is also happy for him but also worries for him. He comes to his house seemingly to check on him and starts cleaning around.#The way he loves him and cherishes their friendship and shared history is really evident and it makes for a compelling dynamic.#Perhaps I should read their short story... In any case. Going to someone's house and compulsively start doing the dishes half out of will–#to help out half because he can't bear the mess sounds a lot like something I'd do lol
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I wish my sister would stop making fun of my music taste :[
"your music taste is so basic"
"this song sucks/this is boring"
"ofc you would like this song"(/neg)
"why do you like *genre/general songs* they're not even good"
"hmm I think this is one of *music artist*'s more weaker songs"
"turn this trash off oh my god I'm tired of it"
GIRL. just let me listen to songs I like in peace. I don't talk about your music taste!! I never judge you for what you listen to and I never tell you your music taste is bad. So why do you keep treating my music taste as inferior??
It's just.frustrating. It's gotten to the point where I don't wanna listen to songs I like near her anymore. Anytime I hear her coming upstairs or I feel like she's going to come in the room, I immediately stop the music I'm listening to because I know once she hears it she'll start saying a buncha negative stuff about it. LIKE BESTIE. IT'S NOT THAT DEEP IT'S A THREE MINUTE SOUNDWAVE. JUST LET ME ENJOY IT :(
#I literally can't listen to my music whenever she's in the room#and I KNOW. I should just ignore her#but it's just tiring. I don't feel like hearing ittt#how the hell am I supposed to enjoy my favorite songs when someone is constantly in my ear nitpicking every little thing about them??#so I'm willing to wait until she goes to sleep so I can listen to my music in PEACE#thank god she's a heavy sleeper :p#and she keeps being all like “you're still into vocaloid and love live? I got out of those when I was like 12 wtf” HOW ABT YOU STFU#and she's constantly shitting on im@s songs I listen to IT'S SO TIRING GGGGG BLAHBLAHBLAH I GET YOU THINK THEY'RE BORING BUT JEEZUS#I DON'T TALK BAD ABT THE SONGS FROM MUSICALS YOU MAKE ME LISTEN TO SO WHY.WHY DO I HAVE TO GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK RAAAGASDHFHDAB#aaaa sorry sorry I'm just#asdbfhbdashfsdaj#vent#<- kindaaa I guess? I was thinking of tagging this as complaining hours but I think it's a little too ranty of a post to tag it as that
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idk if this is a good prompt but put doomguy in myhouse.wad I think he would find it enriching
Right, so I've been mulling on this one for a little bit now, n I'm not opposed to writing something for you, I'm just not... entirely sure what to write? Because the thing is, myhouse.wad doesn't actually really have anything to do with Doom as a story. Sure, Doom is important in that it's the vessel through which the story is told and one of the connections between the narrator and his dead companion. But as far as Doom itself goes, and the story about a man who was too angry/stupid to die, fighting demons and saving earth, none of that is at all relevant to myhouse.wad and its story. For all intents and purposes, Doomguy isn't actually a character in myhouse.wad. So I'm not really sure how exactly to fit him in there.
#pikspeak#bc like. ok so if u say write dg as if he is actually the character in myhouse.wad#then the problem is that theres a pretty huge meta element to myhouse.wad and having some of the outside context- even just the context tha#its supposed to be the creator's dead friend's childhood home- is important. youre not MEANT to 'immerse' yourself in it or pretend you are#the protag. part of the impact comes from knowing youre just an observer and this is just a videogame on your computer.#writing dg as a character inside myhouse.wad would rob it of a lot of context and therefore impactfulness. hed just be walking around an#old house looking at things that have no meaning to him.#so ok then not dg as the protag of myhouse.wad but what about just like.. him in the funky liminal space of myhouse.wad? the non-euclidean#reality breaking shifting house of leaves place of myhouse.wad? i *could* do something like that if thats what youre looking for#but then considering this is the character whose reaction to finding himself in literal hell was to go 'hey??? this is stupid???? anyway im#gonna kill everything here' he probably wouldnt be too exceptionally ruffled by finding himself in a sorta funky reality breaking space.#hed probably still just go 'oh weird. funky. anyway back to killing demons.' and that would be it. which yeah i CAN write if its what u wan#it just. yknow. doesnt quite seem like the right tone? just kinda flat by comparison#i have considered doing things in the right tone before. since it is also canon that on his way back to hell dg has to run through the#burned out ruins of his own hometown. something similar to the visiting an old place thats been twisted by time and grief and coming to#terms with its loss or something to that effect#but. if im being honest i dont know that i have the writing skill to pull that off well much less as a short fic for a prompt response#uhhh anyway where was i going with this.#im happy to write something for you; possibly even something myhouse.wad related if you want!! im just not sure how to do that hdfbhdj...#anyway sorry for letting this one sit for so long without an answer. have another fic prompt where the fic is getting a little longer than#anticipated n combining that with rotating this to try n figure out what i could write for it...#guess time got away from me a little bit. sorry about that!
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Luck, Be A Lady
[Emex turn 3: rest (5) + bonus (2) + dice (6+6) - create avatar (10) - avatar creates order (8-2) = 3]
A new godess* is born! A Tolinak called Tutsokis performs various miracles, surpasses all mortal limitations, and becomes the Queen of Fortunes. Her followers in life become the first of the Fortune-Seekers, an assorted collection of gamblers, entrepreneurs, mercenaries, adventurers, con-men and other risk-takers.
In the youth of their people, the Tolinakka lived a blessed existence: in a mild and pleasant climate, in fruitful valleys on the shores of placid lakes, completely lacking in external threats, and favoured by the gods. There was some strife and warfare, of course, but mostly in limited fashion, and on the whole the dwellers of the Cradle would have considered themselves lucky to be living in such a perfect paradise.
They would have, that is, if they had had a word for "lucky".
They knew "fated" of course, and "blessed" and "cursed", and so, when in a small village on the shores of Thon-Kirrilak a most unusual child was hatched those were the words used in heated discussions. The child was clearly unusual, but whether the gods smiled or frowned upon her was less clear: Her exoskeleton was purest perfect black, like a starless night - an uncommon colouring, and considered most beautiful; her limbs strong, and her voice loud - clear signs of a healthy body and will. So far so good, an uncommonly (but not unheardly so) beautiful and vivacious baby, but on her lovely pitch black head she had four horns, rather than the normal two - and also eight eyes, and on each hand: four fingers.
The horns were generally considered auspicious - a sign of Zoreinaks' favour, but four fingers were a clear deficiency - would she even be able to hold things, use tools, learn to write? And how inconventient it would be to count! But the eyes were truly contentious, by the same reasoning as the horns, they could be seen as a duplicative blessing, but not one anyone had seen, or heard of, before. And they were mighty strange-looking for sure, perhaps even freakish. That much of a deviation from a divinely shaped norm was surely a bad omen?
But while the debates raged loudly and long, her parents would hear nothing of it. Her father proclaimed that she would become the most beautiful of all Tolinakka, and named her Tutsokis ("Good-looking", or "Goot-at-looking"). While some villagers were less than convinced by this, there was not much they could do against such supportive parents, and they contented themselves with grumbling that the child was surely not long for this world anyway.
But while they would ultimately prove correct, it was certainly not in the way they might have thought, and Tutsokis grew up to become healthy, clever, and energetic.
People quickly noticed that the strangest things always happened around Tutsokis - and always in ways that worked out to her benefit.
When she was still an infant, her parents learned that keeping her safe was a thankless, fruitless, and pointless effort. Keeping her contained proved impossible, as each day, she escaped her cradle in ways more unlikely than the last. She would eventually be found among the woods, playing with wild animals, or splashing about in the shallows, or some other situation ill suited to toddlers, and worse yet for their parents' nerves.
When she and the other children went pearl diving, she would always find the biggest most beautiful ones; when the other children grew tired of this and went into the lake without her, they could search for hours for barely anything, only to find when they returned, that a great shark had drifted ashore near the village - and in that sharks maw, choking it, had been a turtle - and in the mouth of the turtle, and oyster - and in the oyster, the largest, most perfect pearl anyone had ever seen. And who had found that shark? Tutsokis of course, wandering about the shoreline, dodging her chores.
Once, a roving warband approached the village, looking for plunder, but finding a group of young Tolinakka playing a game of dice. Dice were not unknown at the time, they had long been used as tools of divination and for communion with the ancestors. But this game was new, and an invention of Tutsokis'. The rules were simple, just the highest rolls won, but the players bet shining pearls, and this caught the attention of the warriors. Before they could decide to rob them, however, Tutsokis invited them to sit down and play, and, seeing no harm in it, they agreed. At first it was good fun, a chance to win precious pearls risking only what copper baubles they might have brought, but while they won almost as much as they lost, Tutsokis kept rolling sixes. Eventually the many of the warriors had lost their bracteates, their arm-rings, their horn spikes, their armaments, and even the shirts off their backs. Some of them grew very wroth, once they'd lost too much, and no longer saw a way of winning this game. They accused Tutsokis of cheating, though none could say quite how, and wanted to take it all back by force. Tutsokis simply smiled, looked at them with her unnerving eyes, and asked if they perhaps wanted to borrow some of all these weapons she now owned? This joke did not land very well with most of the warriors, and it could have ended poorly, but the leader of the band was not one of those that had lost it all, and had actually made off with a neat little fortune in pearls. So when he laughed, and praised the girl for her wit, it was enough to defuse the situation. The warband left peacably, though not necessarily happily, and the village was spared.
In fact many more would accuse Tutsokis of being a cheat, but if she was, she was a poor one. For while no one ever figured out how she might do it, it became very clear very quickly that she did always roll sixes, and that it was pointless to play against her. But the game caught on among the others, and soon enough spread around the Cradle, spawning new and more complex variants.
The Tolinakka knew little of magic back then, but many suspected her of somehow controlling forces beyond mortal ken, and she gained as many gainsayers as admirers. But people learned quickly that it was better to have Tutsokis favourably inclined, and they often tried to stay in her good graces, by gifts, compliments, or obeisance. She had a mercurial temperament, however, and flattery was as like to end in ruin as in fortune.
Upon reaching adolescence, Tutsokis, like many other young Tolinakka, was struck with wanderlust, wanting to make her own way in the world. And so, on the cusp of adulthood she left her village, accompanied by only loud "Good Journeys!", and more than one silent "Good Riddance!". Not one week after she left, the whole village burned to the ground in a freak accident. Or not quite - Tutsokis' parents' home was one of the few spared.
But Tutsokis would not learn anything of that until later, she was out seeing the world. She visited many places, and left behind too many stories to recount here, but suffice it to say, word quickly spread and soon she was known before she even arrived. Some started accompanying her, hoping to catch her glance and some of her good fortune, and it is from these we have the most tales of her many deeds and miracles - though perhaps not the most reliable. Around this time, while there were no real states, there were many petty kings and queens among the Tolinakka. The concept of kingship was one they'd inherited from the King Irradiant, and many a warlord proclaimed themself the king of this or that valley. But there were also philosophers, hailed the Queen of Deontology, or some such branch, and the merchants proclaiming themselves Kings of Copper where too numerous to count. So it was not strange when her followers started calling Tutsokis the Queen of Fortunes, and it was under this moniker she would gain notoriety.
Eventually, in her 32nd year, Tutsokis made her way to the Thunderous Inlet. Here she found a great bay, covered in constant storms, and many other adventurous Tolinakka seeking enlightningment. But the lightning rarely strikes on shore, so those who dare must go out on the waves, or risk waiting a long long time. But the small boats the Tolinakka knew to build were much better suited to the calm lakes of their homeland, than the rough seas of the Inlet, and many more drowned here than were ever struck by lightning. Tutsokis, however, simply walked up to the cliffs overlooking the bay and gazed out over it. Seeming to seee something, she then turned to her companions and raised one arm. Immediately, she was struck by lightning. Her companions, shocked, but not exactly surprised, tried to ask her for her insights, but she raised her second hand to silence them. And was promptly struck by lightning again. This did stun them somewhat, but Tutsokis simply grinned, blinked with one of her many eyes, and threw herself off the cliff. Though some tried to follow, the sea grew very rough then, and none who jumped in returned alive. Those that did stay ashore though, swear that they saw Tutsokis galloping across the waves, on top of the water, before losing sight of her.
Her disappearance caused quite the hubbub around the Cradle, and became a favourite topic of discussion among philosophers of all grades. She was never seen in the flesh again, but many have claimed to see her in their dreams, or that her eight shining eyes sometimes look down from the night sky, and those people often find success in risky endeavors. But apotheosis did not make the Queen of Fortunes any less capricious, and counting on her being, or staying, on your side is far from a sure bet. Her most avid devotees continue to court her favour, and over the centuries, many would try to follow her path out into the ocean to find where she might have gone - though typically in vessels, rather than on foot.
#sorry about this. i did not intend to write a short(-ish) story. but i kind of feel like she needed a little backstory#seeing as i intend for her to be a more public face#rather than the literally invisible hand pulling all the strings
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