#squall golem

[witherking001]

Windswept Secrets

The mountain range of Howling Peaks offers no shortage of amazing and ancient structures.

It's one of the most unique locations in the Minecraft Universe and it's about time we uncover its windswept secrets!

Come support me!

[jack-of-crowns]

@flashfictionfridayofficial

'The White Elephant Rules' by @jack-of-crowns

In the sweltering late monsoon streets of Krung Thep, the air hung thickly incensed with a heady mix of dok mali jasmine tinged with pungent fumes sputtering from the exhaust of horseless carriages. Five ministers gathered inside the Hall of Whispers, silken suits rustling as they took their seats around a circular teak table inlaid with a mosaic of enchanted mother-of-pearl tiles, which were constantly shuffling and rearranging themselves in an endless retelling of the glorious history of their city-state.

Everyone in the quintet could feel the strong presence that they would obliquely refer to amongst themselves as the 'Invisible Guest'; it was in the way the sunbeams rippled through the kranok-patterned latticework of the windows, it was in the way the usually steady flames of the kerosene lamps seemed to flicker in some unfelt breeze. Even the afternoon tea service thrummed along to this mystic undercurrent, the bonjarong teacups humming ever so slightly in their fine porcelain saucers.

Chaiya, the eldest and Mahatthai of the North, cleared his throat. His long and wispy beard quivered as he spoke, but the voice behind it carried a weight steadied by decades of experience. "Esteemed colleagues," he began, "the royal khlang wanes, and the winds blow ever stronger at us from the empires of the Distant Shores. We must find a way to preserve our sacred ways while...adapting."

The other ministers nodded gravely, looking around the room at each other and at the clashes of old and new- intricate carvings of mai daeng set against art nouveau wallpapers, sandstone bodhisattvas jostling for shelf and table space with newspapers and a wireless radio set. None dared let their gaze wander towards the massive, milk-white presence that dominated the far end of the cavernous chamber, ivory tusks brightly reflective under the electric light.

Lalita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, her carefully coiffed bob a stark contrast to the traditional khao san braids of the court ladies, spoke next. "Perhaps we could increase trade with the mage guilds of the Distant Shores? They're always looking for new material component sources in these lands."

A low, barely audible rumbling filled the room, and the ministers collectively held their breath. When it passed, Chaiya shook his head. "And risk the establishment of their guild houses here in Krung Thep, growing in influence until we become another one of their protectorates? No, we must tread most carefully in our dealings with these artificers. Remember the fate of the Hidden Kingdom."

Kiet, ranking Krom Na of Agriculture and Land, nervously adjusted the settings on his insight monocle. "What if we embraced some of their farming methods? I've seen reports that the new combine golems increase rice yields tenfold and-"

As he spoke, a blast of trumpeting wind swept through the hall, squalling of nor noi grass with notes of jessamine and tamarind. For a moment, even the bulbs of the chandeliers overhead flickered and dimmed, as though open flames caught in a sudden gust. An afterglow of leathery whiteness followed in its wake. Kiet's words died in his mouth, and he quickly refocused his monocle on the morning edition of the 'Krung Thep Chronicle' which he then quickly unfolded and pretended to study.

Niran, youngest of the group and recently appointed Krom Wang of Palace Affairs, leaned forward, highborn education from the universities of the Distant Shores evident in their clipped inflections. "Esteemed colleagues, we dance around the issue like chanis around a phonograph. There can possibly be no new solutions so long as we still find ourselves beholden to...outdated notions."

"Careful, Niran," Chaiya cut in sharply, eyes wide with warning. Remember our duties, sacred as well as secular. Remember the very source of our prana."

The Hall of Whispers fell quiet once more, save for the high-pitched hissing that always seemed to permeate the room when no other sounds were otherwise present. It had the thick sybillance of ancient dreams; tensed as a gathering storm.

Malai, Krom Phra Khlang of the Treasury, who had remained silent until now, began calmly speaking in her characteristically precise and eloquent tones. "Perhaps we have been asking ourselves the wrong questions. Instead of choosing between conservative and progressive options, perhaps we should...redefine the obligations of our posts."

The other ministers exchanged glances, hope and trepidation mingling in the creases of their features.

"Go on," Chaiya urged, his voice low yet encouraging above the whirring of the ceiling fans.

Malai took a deep breath. "Chang Phueak has always been the symbol of our nation's prosperity as well as that of the divine favour bestowed upon us. What if...what if we were to make it a symbol of our adaptability as well? We could organize international exhibitions, showcasing what wonders Krung Thep has to offer a modernizing world."

A sharp, bell-like chirping began reverberating throughout the chamber, like the tolling of hours from the ho rakhang. The ministers all gripped the edges of the enchanted table before them, white-knuckled, waiting for the sound to fade.

Lalita spoke quickly, covering the falling echoes. "This is not entirely without precedent. Did not the Great Yai himself use the manifestations of the might of Chang Phueak as part of his diplomatic endeavors during his tour of the Distant Shores?"

Niran scoffed, unable to contain themself anymore. "And look where that has led us - caught between past and future, neither here nor there. We pour scarce resources into maintaining this...relic, whilst our people cry out for progress and reform!" They opened their mouth to say more, but no words or sound came forth. As their face flushed with anger and frustration, a massive shadow fell across them.

"Niran!" Chaiya's voice cracked like a whip. "You forget yourself and whose holy presence you are in!" All of the ministers could feel the weight of that shadow upon themselves as well, and for several long moments all was still as they clasped hands and offered up silent awgathas, asking forgiveness for the brash words of their young colleague; and there was only the tick-tocking of a distant chronothurge.

Finally, Kiet's pragmatism broke the silence. "Surely, there is a middle path to be tread here. What if we invested more in modern artifice but dedicated a portion of the profits to the upkeep of our sacred institutions? Surely Chang Phueak would bless those endeavors that ensure our prosperity?"

But this time, there were no signs with which to augur the questions, and Kiet's words fell heavily into the growing darkness of the oncoming night. Chaiya sighed heavily, looking every one of the many years of life that his devoted service had earned him. The irony of circumstance was lost on no one. Here they were, in a city-state brimming with all the trappings of modernity, and yet all of them were in return trapped by this magnificent, impossible creature in their midst- and not one of them could truthfully admit that Krung Thep had escaped the fate of so many ancient civilizations of their world precisely because of the presence of Chang Phueak.

As they rose to leave, each of them performed a deep wai, acknowledging the unblinking gaze of Chang Phueak upon them; for some satjas are too apparent to be questioned, and some traditions have roots that are deeper than meadows of vetiver. The last to leave was Niran, pausing at the threshold of the portal that would transport them back into the humid evening shadows that were growing long in the streets outside the Hall of Whispers. They stole a look backward, taking in the full majesty and wonder of the creature that ruled their life.

Chang Phueak stood there, magnificent and resplendent, wrinkled hide gleaming with a light to outshine even the incandescent suns that blazed along the deep routes that led to the Distant Shores. Its eyes, brimming with an inscrutable jutamung, met Niran's gaze; and for the first time, the minister at last understood their predicament. The White Elephant was Krung Thep, and Krung Thep was the White Elephant; preserving them both upon the stage of this changing world would require balance and skill worthy of the greatest performers of nora.

With jai as leaden as an anchor, Niran placed their hand within the imprinted sigil within the portal, and in a flash found themself in a beautiful tropical twilight that had splashed an indigo sky with pale pinks and then been pinpricked with the thousand coal-fired stars of the gaslamps. Another day had drawn to a close, and tomorrow they would once again dance around the enchanted teak table with its swirling mother-of-pearl mosaics, talking in endless circles about the truths of which they could never speak; for the White Elephant would always rule, even as the world around it had changed. The question was, would Krung Thep change with it, or would they both be left behind, magnificent relics from a world that had moved beyond them?

[floatingcamel23]

categorizing mobs

hello travelers. are you to gain knowledge on mobs? well your in luck. this post will categorize mobs on what they are, how they look and there purpose. it will add mobs that were scrapped, spin off games, lets jump in shall we? the first category is the simplest. these are the undead. creatures that burn in the sun with rotting flesh or no flesh at all! some have abilities like hunger and poison! the following are these. undead: zombie, husk, drowned, lobber, bouldering skeleton, wither skeleton, bogged, wither, mossy skeleton, stray, frozen zombie, jungle zombie, wraith, phantom, red phantom (pet mob in minecraft dungeons), zombie piglin/pigman, armoured zombie/skeleton, zoglin, zombie pig (pet in minecraft duongeons), giant, zombie horse, skeleton horse, vex, necromancer, sunken skeleton, tower wraiths, vanguard, zombie villagers, bone spiders, skeleton wolf, skeleton horse traps, zombie rabbits, nameless one, wretched wraith and finally the wither storm (?).

some of you might ask why the wither storm is on the list. it is a command block corrupted version of the wither. therefore, undead.

next one has a wild range of mobs. known to be the main villains in the game and have been the center of theorization and fanart, i give you, the illagers. these lovable gray psychos inhabit the world and raid villages. plundering and thievery are there main skills. whats interesting is that some are known to have powers. lets take a look.

illagers: vindicator, pillager, evoker, witch, ravager, illusioner, iceologer/chilliger, tower keeper, guildsmith, powersmith, uniquesmith, enchanter, geomancer, mountaineer, rampart captain, pillager captain, royal guard, tower guard, vindicator chef, wind caller, pillager/vindicator raid captain, giant royal guard, warrior, giant royal guard, mage, arch illager and finally the viler witch.

this category is one of the famous ones. creatures that will help in battle and more. presenting, the golems! (yay!) this category consists of mobs that can be made or summoned. magically and manually.

golems: iron golem, snow golem, love golem, wither, wither storm, copper golem, tuff golem, agent, glowing abomination, jungle abomination, glowing ministrosity, mini abomination, redstone ministrosity, squall golem, redstone cube, corrupted cauldron, redstone monstrosity, redstone golem, tempest golem, mooshroom monstrosity, obsidian monstrosity, jack o lantern (unused minecraft doungeons mob) , mob of me (minecraft earth), furnace golem, melon golem, cobblestone golem, grindstone golem, stone ministrosity, mossy golem, plank golem, first of brick, first of oak, first of diorite, first of stone, key golems, (from now on it will be the minecraft story mode golems) golem in a box, icy golem, magma golem, prison golem, prismarine soldier, larger icy golem, giant magma golem and prismarine collosus

the last one does not have a name yet. lets call this category the sprite/spirit category. some may be undead and others living. its a mixed bag.

sprites and spirits: allay, vex, blaze, breeze, glare, wisp, guardian vex, soul wizards, wraith, wretched wraith, wildfire, build and gather allays.

ok heres a bonus one. a very small category that has one mob only. introducing, the sculkoids.

sculkoids: warden. thats it. this is part 1 of me categorizing mobs. next one will be: animals (uh oh. a lot of them-) insects (cool) and finally, amphibians! (AMPHIBIA VIBES GIVE US SEASON 4 MATT BRALY-)

if you have a suggestion for a theory, feel free to type it in the comments and i will make a post abt it! camel out!

[mybookof-you]

On the wettest mornings she’d duck into a cafeteria to wait out a squall, and buy a cup of coffee and a sticky bun as payment for the shelter. The counters would grow crowded with others like herself, a temporary fellowship, all with their own buns and coffee-cups, their own furled umbrellas dripping onto their shoes. At last the rain would pause—and then everyone would hurry out together, umbrellas open and raised, coffee warm in their bellies.

Wecker, Helene. The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni (p. 205). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

[a-vicious-faithless-angel]

i feel miserable anyway the next 10 days!

----[Tags]

[the-fearmonger]

Last week on the Dragonslayers...

From the Journal of Taliesin West   Last Day of the Drawing Dawn ------- I died today.  Today I drowned for the third time, but this time Squalls wasn't there to save me. It seems like weeks we've been traveling down, down, down, always down.  Down into Hal's mind, down onto the Sunless Sea, down into the bellies of hungry ships past untrusting eyes.  Today we descended a mine, and into a trap door under a mithril golem.  More down.  Until finally we could go no deeper.  A platform with icy seawater to my knees and my own wooden face staring back at me.  And yet, even further down under that black seawater to face my end. And under that water, I saw it.  It's the voice that started speaking to me years ago when we first went into the Underdark.  That eight-threaded voice that wound its way into my skull and gave me eldritch powers I don't understand.  I always feared it was the land, my homeland, trying to snare me back.  But it's always been here, waiting for me, this Kraken and its tentacles and its mouth and its teeth and its fear.  And I drowned. They say a man sees the full measure of his life at the last, but I didn't see the end of my life; I saw Francis'.  That terrible day of our greatest victory and our hardest losses.  But this time, Francis wasn't gone before I could reach him... I had time to say the words that I needed him to hear, the words I've always needed to say.  How he saved me from wasting away on land, saved me to the lifegiving ocean.  And as I said goodbye to Francis, finally, I let go, too. But as I inhaled seawater, there it was.  Hal's carving of me floating in front of me, like the ones that we found before.  And as I reached for it, I found myself alive.  Drowned, but alive.  That figure in my hand, the Kraken melded into the darkness.  And now I understand what it is... it's not the land trying to choke me, but the sea always bringing me back. My trial is done.  It's Finn's turn.  I expect much punching.

[commandertheory]

Cavalier of Squalls 2UUU Creature - Elemental Knight Flying When Cavalier of Squall enters the battlefield, you draw three cards, then put two card from your hand to the top of your library. When Cavalier of Squall dies, shuffle it into your library, then Scry 2. 5/5

Now that we’ve seen the full cycle, I think the power rankings go something like:

White

Black

Red

Blue

Green

Note that these rankings take into account not just how useful their abilities are, but how common/useful the effects are in their respective colors. White doesn’t have any other creatures that ETB and destroy any permanent (unless you count Meteor Golem), while the Black, Green, and Blue Cavaliers are all redundant to some extent with existing creatures in their colors.

I don’t really understand why the Blue and Green cavaliers are nerfed to prevent any sort of recursion when the Black and White ones (which have greater combo potential) were left untouched. Thoughts on why this may be (aside from reparations for years of Blue and Green dominance)?

[paperanddice]

Hoard Golem

As with so many other golems, hoard golems really don’t fit the definition or concept beyond “construct made from special material.” Except in this case, they aren’t even made from a single material, instead being a mixture of many different valuables. Closer to a swarm than a single creature, the hoard consists of coins, jewelery, art objects, weapons and armor all sharing a hive mind and dedicated to securing itself from theft. After all, what better way to prevent someone from stealing your money than having all your money fight back against the thief? Of course, that presents an issue with using the treasure, so it’s better suited for a situation where the owner has no intention of ever giving up a single piece of the hoard, such as dragons or offerings to a powerful being that are intended to remain for the rest of time.

I remember a treasure golem that had the same concept as this showing up in the 4th edition Scales of War adventure path as part of a hoard of gold laid out in tribute to Tiamat. Other examples of such show up in Pathfinder, or 3.5’s Draconomicon including a swarm of beetles that appeared identical to gold coins that dragons would plant in their hordes to fend off thieves. It’s fairly common for adventures to include angry treasure to kill the players. It fits with all the other disguised threats.

A better name if you’re interested in something besides the generic and inaccurate “golem” label could be something like “animated hoard,” or “swarm of treasure.” Just a couple thoughts.

Dragons will often animate their hoards, but on rare occasions one will find a way to animate someone else’s hoard. The method to animate a collection of treasure is usually too long and intricate to perform to do so without the owner noticing, but clever dragons with this goal may subvert or even replace the treasurer of a kingdom and have them carefully arrange the ritual. As the treasure to be animated must be present for the entire duration of the ritual, a portion must be set aside in order to allow for regular expenses and to hold that which arrives after the ritual begins. Even a small percentage lost to this strategy is painful to the dragon, so if given the chance they will make off with the remaining gold during the chaos of the animated treasure’s rampage and escape.

A swarm of treasure may spontaneously arise through the presence of a particularly greedy and selfish ghost. Essentially possessing their treasure, the ghost refuses to give up even a small portion of the wealth they hoarded in life, clinging to it as the only thing of value they can recognize. Most beings with the strength of presence and greed to be able to create a swarm like this are dragons whose hoard went undiscovered for a time after their death, but the rare humanoid miser may find themselves with a collection large enough and a greed deep enough to bring their hoard to life. Such people have often driven away all family and friends they once had, living in squalled conditions and eating the cheapest food possible, their only significant investment being the traps, locks and vaults that protect their precious treasure. Their deaths may even go unnoticed for a time, as nobody recognizes or cares about their absence from their previous life.

A noble family who had fallen to near impoverishment manages to find their ancestral vault. Unfortunately, the ancestor who hid it away from the rest of the family had the treasure within animated into a furious swarm, which battered and slew the head of the family and two other members along with several guards when the vault was initially opened. The surviving members of the family are offering a great reward to anyone who can figure out how to pacify the swarm without destroying the value of the treasure that makes it up, even willing to split with up to half of the total value of the treasure within. Digging through the records and journals of the old family member may find a pass code or symbol that will allow the treasure to be taken out and the swarm dispersed, but that information is now held within the complex the treasure swarm haunts.

[poorvioletdraws]

Tom vs. The Underworld

*I decided to write a fanfic based specifically around Tom from SVTFOE and my oc, Raya as practice for a bigger project I want to do one day since I haven’t written any kind of story in years. It takes place mainly in the Underworld around season 4 and later post-Cleaved. This is the first chapter. Hope you like it and happy reading!

---

Chapter 1: Someday I Suppose

I had been passing the time in between deliveries for my eldest sister, Rochelle, by playing an old favorite of mine on my Sintendo 66 gaming console in the backroom of her feed and bait store. Being the youngest of seven from the infamous Stone Demon family, the Belmontes, I constantly had a lot of pressure on me to turn out just like my siblings whenever my last name was mentioned. All of my brothers wanted to be great builders like Dad. All of my sisters wanted to create magnificent swords and weaponry just like Mom. Then there was me. I wasn’t very good at building or creating anything really. Except when it came to music.

Music was always a passion of mine to forget about the normalcy of my reality, and having a game like “The Legend of Lilith: Fiddle of Time” to consume myself with really highlighted that vehement urge for escape. I often times would play the many medleys and songs for hours on my saxophone after such sessions. My family and friends knew this ritual of mine all too well and would admonish that I can get lost in the music and forget reality if I’m not careful, though I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my day honestly. 

It wasn’t until the third time of Rochelle’s abrupt entry--swinging the door open and shaking the room with her shouting--that I had to tear away from my fantasy and get started on that invoice in order to not incite her wrath any further. I idly examined the statement and retrieved each item, all the while as my older sister berated my slothlike behavior and questioned aloud why I even decided to help out at her store knowing my history of “slackerdom”. The address was a recurring one whose proprietor always paid in advance so this would be a quick delivery. They also preferred to be left anonymous yet they religiously requested the delivery of the same bulk products every few weeks--Hydraworms, Tears of the Harpy, Leviathan Leeches, spool of Acromantula web, skeleton horse hay and grass (not to be confused with flesh horse hay and grass), and a few boxes of “Underworld’s Best Bunny Pellets” just to name a few on the list. I knew it all like the basic fingerings of my sax.

As soon as I packed the last of the order into my Golem--the only thing I created with my elemental abilities that was actually exceptional according to my Dad--I was off and heading out to Lava Lake. My eagerness of getting back to my game and becoming further engrossed in a fantasy of excitement gradually subsided as I gazed across the bubbling body of lava. There were demons swiftly surfing across the molten rock waves of the beach while others were challenging each other to an intense game of Skull Ball. A group of Monster tourists were fishing off the Dock of Unending Torment at the same time another group was setting sail on their ghost ship rental. Small demon children were joyfully building sand coffins and burying each other in the dark gray grainy substance, their laughter becoming an accompaniment with the rest of the enjoyment on the beach. Although playing games and creating music were fun hobbies of mine, it was seeing crowds of people having fun themselves and getting lost in their excitement that was something else I would never get tired of. Everyone seemed to be so happy as they relished in the atmosphere. And witnessing such happiness made me happy for them as well. 

This part of the beach was the busiest; a prime location for my sister’s shop. Our mom suggested she learn how to run a smaller business before taking on the huge responsibility that is the family trade, and like the obedient daughter she is, my sister followed through without hesitation. Plus, Rochelle was able to practice forging smaller items like fishing knives and hooks when she wasn’t spending her free time bossing me around. She would rush me if I couldn’t ring a customer up fast enough and belittle me when I accidentally spilled something (multiple things) and didn’t clean it up right away--which is why she has tasked me with deliveries. I can’t destroy the shop if I’m not in the shop, I guess. And it was only one time where I accidentally let loose that swarm of piranhaflies in the store; in my defense, I didn’t know you sell the whole container of the creature to a customer instead of just one individually.

I know she assumes I purposefully don’t work at my full potential, but I really am trying to. I may be slow and clumsy, but I genuinely want to do the best I can to help my sister achieve her goal, even if my own hasn’t really been figured out yet. I like observing her work. She knows how to answer every question a customer has and can find the best solution to their problem. I like how she includes me in things that interest her too. She shows me the best bait to use to catch a Flaming Crococricket and how to break open the shell of an Ember Berry to use the juice for medicinal purposes. But most of all, I like seeing how happy helping others makes her feel. Sometimes, while we are sitting out on the beach together and watching the waves calm at the end of the day, I glance over and admire the contentment of Rochelle. She is truly happy with her existence and extends that aspect towards others, something I secretly yearn for. She inspires me to be that kind of beacon in someone else’s life one day. But with my reputation of being a “lazy” and “procrastinating” demon lacking the expertise to carry on the Belmonte name, I highly doubt such a day would come anytime soon.

Being lost in my train of thought, I didn’t realize that dark maroon and coal black clouds were forming overhead. And then without warning, a thunderous boom filled the sky, shocking me as I clutched onto my Golem. The wind began to shoot passed me furiously and the clouds burst open, spitting down violent flames as the red waves crashed wildly on the barren land.

“Where’d this storm come from all of a sudden!” I shouted to myself, jumping from my Golem and placing my hand on its base. It began breaking down from its previous walking form and into a makeshift stone shelter. Now covered from the onslaught of the fiery squall, I looked around at my surroundings. 

I had already wandered into the secluded area of the beach where the crowd had vanished from sight. This was definitely part of my usual route but the storm was definitely not. Fire really couldn’t harm me with my skin being partly covered with stone and all, but I was wearing my favorite outfit today and didn’t want it getting singed. I guess I’ll wait it out. 

I thought how mad my sister will be, knowing I’ve taken longer than I needed to. She probably thinks I am messing around this very minute. How was I to know a flash firestorm was going to occur? I then began to think of my friends back home in Chernabog City, the largest demon metropolis in the heart of Prickly Plains. The six of us would be hanging out at the arcade right around this time, maybe deciding if we wanted to go do karaoke before or after we ate at our favorite burger place, Grimdonald’s. We also formed a band together. Even though we are amateurs, we have a lot of fun just playing together regardless if we don’t always sound good. We don’t have a singer yet however. I haven’t had much time to hang out with my friends or look for a singer now that I help out my sister. She had told me that this busy season will be slowing down soon, which will be a pretty good thing. Not that I’m complaining, but I would like to focus more on our music we had been creating together lately.

All of a sudden and as quickly as it started, the storm died down, leaving no trace of its presence at all. A bright rainbow shown through in its place off the horizon. I looked around quickly for a sign of familiarity. Off to the far side of my Golem structure, there was a wooden post near some large rocks that read “Private Property”. I gave a sigh of relief, knowing I was almost to my destination. I transformed my Golem back into its riding form and continued on. Aside from the bipolarity of the weather, it had been just another typical day in the Underworld. Instances such as that one do not happen out of the ordinary too often. Guess that was my bit of excitement for the day. Or so I thought.

A spacious beach-side home--not too extravagant but still containing the right amount of grotesque appeal demons like--was positioned comfortably near the lake of fire, separating the rocky terrain from the burning abyss before it. A large cone shaped tower with a beaming eye atop it sat adjacent to the home. Having stopped by the carport where a blue vehicle was parked, I hopped off my Golem and retrieved the boxes to be delivered from its carriage. Carrying so many in one trip wouldn’t be too hard of a task for me, though if my sister were present she would comment how I’m just being too lazy to want to make multiple trips. I staggered over to the door with the mountain of goods and was able to extend one of my fingers just enough to press the doorbell without dropping the load. I turned to the side so my head wasn’t blocked by the packages and could greet the usual patron that came to answer.

However, instead of being greeted by the high pitch voice of the little red winged demon that would confirm the address and flap away with the order just as fast as he came to the door, a teenage demon boy with pale lilac skin and salmon-colored hair answered it.

“Hey.” he said calmly.

Still taken aback by the fresh face, I mumbled, “Um… Uh--Hi. delivery for this address from Styx & Stones.”

The demon boy looked puzzled at first but when I mentioned the name of the store he quickly caught on and said, “Oh yea, my Dad placed the order not too long ago. For the Lucitors, right?”

“Well… it always comes in as Anony—Wait, Lucitor?” I uttered the last name again.

“Yeeea…?” he shrugged coolly..

 “As in THE Lucitors?!” I gasped alarmingly.

“Uh huh, yep.” he repeated his affirmation without hesitation.

“As in KING and QUEEN Lucitor!” I blurted out, my eyes were probably as wide as saucers at this point.

“Yea, well, they are my parents so…” He chuckled a bit as he averted his eyes to the side and itched at his cheek.

“Eh! So you’re Prince Lucitor?!”  I squealed, feeling an overwhelming rush of anxiety take over me.

“Uh, you can just call me—“

“I’m so sorry for my rudeness!” My body began to tremble and my voice was shaking as I panicked, “P-Please forgive me, Your Highness!” I instantly hung my head down, my red hair falling in my face. But because I had hastily bowed to the demon prince, I did not realize I had dropped the entire order to the ground in the process. My hands clutched at the sides of my face in horror. “Ah! I dropped all of your stuff, I’m so sorry!” I fell on my knees and started to frantically collect the pile of items around me. “Sorry for my incompetence, I’ll make sure you don’t get charged if anything is messed up! I’m so very sorry, Your Highness sir!”

“Uhh..” he couldn’t find his words; probably because he is too busy considering various ways to discipline me for my insolence, no doubt. Even worse, he will probably go get King and Queen Lucitor and tell them what I have done!

I bent down even further, slamming my forehead to the floor with my knees in my chest. If it weren’t for me being a Stone Demon, such an action would knock out anybody else. Although, I do wish I were unconscious right now instead of feeling like such an idiot in the presence of our prince. I wish I could just bury myself in the sand and disappear. Now it made sense why the order was always left anonymous. The royal Lucitor family owns this home! How could I have spoken to royalty--our prince of the Underworld--in such a casual tone. Once my family finds out about how I have shamed them, I’ll be banished, I’m sure! Just the thought of such impending ostracization had me sweating bullets and my yellow eyes filling with tears. I needed to find redemption with him somehow. 

So, while still being extremely embarrassed, I was able to meekly cry out, “I didn’t know your family was staying here, I deserve whatever punishment you see fit for my blatant disrespect, Your Highness!”

Silence.

I didn’t dare look up from the ground but when I saw the shadow of his hand raise, I knew it was coming. I held my breath as my own hands clenched at the floor beneath me and my body stiffened in anticipation of his chosen judgement. But instead of a rage-filled strike, my shoulder was met with his touch in a comforting way. I slowly brought my head up to look in his direction, casting my hair to the side and finally out of my face. 

He gave a half-smile,  “Ok, look. I know I’ve been a bit of a… of a jerk before in the past with my subjects--and believe me, I get how some of you may still think of me as this angry, spoiled guy--but I have changed SO much now. And thanks to a lot of people close to me, I am working on my temper so I can be a better prince for the future of the Underworld.”

Still nervous, I murmured, “Your Highness, n-no… I wasn’t calling you a--”

“And all that Your Highness stuff, psshh, you can just call me Tom. It is my name after all.” He removed his hand from my shoulder and began reaching for a box.

I began to worry again, “No, Your Highness, please, you shouldn’t do that, it’s my fault you--”

“Hyuh!” He called out as he shot his hand upward. In an instant, all of the items in disarray on the floor suddenly floated in the air. He motioned his hand towards his front door and everything that had been levitating proceeded to quickly fly inside his beach house. 

I was at a loss for words. His telekinetic ability was amazing, but I didn’t expect less of a feat from such a high-born child whose family rules over the Underworld.

“Well, there we go.” He turned back in my direction with his hands on his hips and all three of his red eyes now fixed on me. “So, you uh, going to get off of the ground, or something?”

I jumped to my feet, feeling some of the debilitating anxiety slowly release its hold on me. I tried to calm myself but my words still came out in a panic, “I-I-I-m so sorry you had to do that, Your High--”

“Hey, I told you. You can call me Tom, all my friends do.” he gave a genuine smile.

My mouth was slightly agape but I didn’t really care how I looked right now. I was still in awe of being able to stand in front of one of the Lucitors of the Underworld. I clutched my hands together tightly to my chest, something I always tend to do when I am unsure how to read the situation. I have never met anyone of royalty before, let alone seen anyone of such stature before either. How I imagined the prince to be was not the same person I am seeing before me. My friends and I thought of him and his family to be the most despicable and aggressive of creatures, ready to obliterate any one of us lesser demons who even dare cough in the same room as them. This demon boy was nothing like that. He wasn’t terrifying or vile. He looked just like us. He dressed like us. He smiled. And not in a deceptive way. An actual sincere smile. Looking into his eyes and observing that smiling face, I felt my guard beginning to slip a little. I was about to muster up enough courage to reply to him when--

“Tom! Your Dad got the board drawn for Sand Darts and you’re up first, handsome!” a cheery and youthful female voice called from inside the home. 

“Oh ho, It’s on! Coming, Star!” The demon prince turned away and was about to close the door behind him when he paused. He glanced back at me and said, “Oh, I never got your name.”

I began to blush nervously as I stared at my feet. I took a breath and was able to mumble out, “Uhm.. It’s… Raya… Your Hi--Uhm... Prince Tom…”

“Cool, nice to meet you, Raya. Well, see-ya around. Heh heh.” He pointed his hand at me like a finger gun and winked all in one motion before shutting the door behind him, getting a laugh at his play on words with my name.

And just like that, I was alone again. I don’t remember how long I stood there staring at the now closed door, or when I finally returned to my Golem to take the trek back to my sister’s store. I never really felt like this before. Everything seemed so unreal and as if my head was in a haze. I can’t believe I met the prince of the Underworld. He wasn’t what I expected at all, which was kind of a good thing really. He was very welcoming, kind of dorky, and, most importantly, he was happy. Just like my sister, Rochelle. He has the kind of happiness in him that is unbreakable. Which is to be expected, being a prince and all. 

Coming from royalty, his life must have always been easy and perfect; with a future decided for him, he probably doesn’t have a care in the world. His royal parents must really love him and that female voice, a princess girlfriend perhaps, loves him too. He probably can have anything he could ever want and do whatever he wanted to. His reality is that of a  most coveted fantasy by many. But, despite all that, his happiness is still pure and the kind I admire. The kind I wouldn’t mind being around more in hopes of taking in some of that for myself, if that were even possible. Random encounters such as this don’t happen everyday. How many of us common demon folk even get to say we met Prince Lucitor? … Prince Tom… His friends call him Tom… I wonder what it's like being friends with someone like him…

Secretly I hope one day I’ll know. Someday, I suppose...

Read on:

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9  | Chapter 10

[gaasaku-fanfests]

Desert Heart [Part III]

Title: Desert Heart Author: keltoi-oak Rating: T Word Count: 17886 Summary: Returning to his homeland in order to face the hardest trials of his life, Gaara encounters a water nymph who proves to be much more than she seems. Warnings: None Author's Note(s): AU/Fantasy. This threatened to turn into a multi-chapter monster, so I was forced to compress it into a three part fic. Managed to incorporate all the prompts. All in all, had a blast writing it. Hope you enjoy!

Prompt chosen:  chosen, survival, bells . (all three) Partner: thefreckledone

PART III

It was fading, little by little.

Sakura felt… different.

Over a week had passed since Gaara pulled her out of her agitated slumber and there was no doubt the experience had altered her.

As Sakura floated under the water, she closed her eyes and turned her consciousness inward. There was movement within her, a rearranging of sorts. Even though she could not pinpoint what was happening to her exactly, she was very much aware of the shift. The emotions still caught her unawares, and although she had remembered bits and pieces of a life long gone, she was still unable to make much sense of them.

But she was releasing the need to understand. Gaara’s words would echo in her ears, reminding her to respect the rhythm of her remembering. This helped to settle her inner discomfort and as a result, the intensity of her feelings was gradually diminishing. She was no longer overwhelmed. Because of her watery essence, Sakura was particularly good at flowing. So she dedicated herself to not resisting the current of emotions and to run with it.

Of course, other feelings were also surfacing. They were, as a matter of fact, becoming stronger by the day. But the difference was that she knew where these new sentiments were coming from. And frankly, she welcomed them.

The memory of the feel of Gaara’s arms around her, the sense of safety of falling asleep in his embrace, it all triggered honeyed and warm feelings within her. These were in complete contrast to the uncertainty, sorrow, and anxiety she had been experiencing. As was the case with Gaara, he provided great contrasts. And when being presented with such big differences, it was simple to decide which emotions to choose.

Therefore, Sakura focused on what he incited within her, welcoming the change. She would find herself relishing in his soft smiles, in the way the tone of jade in his eyes would shift depending on his mood, in the way the sun revealed orange glints in his otherwise dark scarlet hair. She would find herself absorbing his strength through his kind words and supportive perspective, finding that he was caring for her with the same commitment with which she was caring for him. They balanced out in the end. These emotions went hand in hand with the longing: her heart would always yearn when she waited for him to return.

The desire for closeness was also flooding her. After he offered her solace within his embrace, Sakura craved his nearness. He must have sensed it because he made it a point to make space for her. If he was cooking or eating, he would move to the side so she could sit next him; if he was meditating, he would allow her to rest her head on his thigh; when he rested on his bedroll, he would gesture for her to come close. These small allowances filled her heart with elation and helped to assuage the pining whenever he was away.

Because he offered her comfort, Sakura would always respond in kind. She would run her fingers through his hair whenever she had the chance. The softness of his locks had been a revelation. To realize Gaara welcomed her physical contact had brought with it great delight. Therefore, she wasted no chance to offer caresses, loving it when he leaned into her touch. It gave him ease when he returned to the pool exhausted. The fatigue he was experiencing was not just physical, but emotional and mental as well.

This was another element that weighed on her, the knowing he was pushing himself to his limit. Although Sakura knew the Sand Roam was meant to push participants to the edge of their abilities, she was very much concerned for Gaara’s well-being. What he needed was prolonged rest and quality sleep. His mind and body needed to recover equilibrium. She sincerely wished the challenges would come to an end sooner rather than later.

Rising inside the pool, she broke through the surface, looking up at the endless sky above. Sunset was fast approaching and Gaara had not returned yet. He had been gone since yesterday afternoon and it had been her hope that the present task would prove a short one. Just a few days ago, Gaara had survived an encounter with a lightning wyrm that had left him seriously wrung out. The battle had raged for long hours and had, no doubt, been his toughest challenge yet. Severely wounded but alive, Gaara had stumbled his way back to the oasis. Sakura had wasted no time in flooding him with her energies, lifting the water from the pool in order to sheath him in a healing cocoon. He was so fatigued, he was unconscious practically the whole time it took her to treat the wounds scattered across his body. When he finally opened his eyes, he was awake just long enough to get something to drink and have a quick bite. Sakura allowed him to slip back into slumber, knowing very well rest was essential.

The next day he had shown great improvement and was finally able to share the full account of his clash with the wyrm. He also attempted to stand and move about but Sakura was having none of it. His body had been seriously injured and although she had helped, its healing response was slowing down due to accumulated exhaustion. Therefore, she watched him like a hawk and did not allow him to stray from his bedroll.

Thanks to this, the day after that he was feeling much better and his wounds showed amazing progress. Sakura would have confined him to his bedroll for the whole day again but the desert had other plans.

The Sand Roam summons came around mid-afternoon.

Gaara dressed and prepared to leave with his characteristic stoicism. Sakura bit her lip to prevent herself from ranting, thinking the whole thing was incredibly unfair. But she was aware any complaints on her part would just be unnecessary weight. At the moment, Gaara had enough on his plate for him to deal with her opinion. As he had always told her, the Sand Roam was what it was. Adding mental drama to the challenges would only pull him under.

With his usual promise to return as soon as possible, he stepped out of the sanctuary of the crescent stones and wandered out into the dunes.

Knowing very well his body was still in the process of recovery, Sakura was concerned about the state he would be returning in this time round. With any luck, the present task would have proven simple, with no threat to his health. She held steadfast to this hope.

But her expectations were proven futile some time later.

A gust of wind pummelled against the stones all around the oasis, funnelling though the small space between the tips of the crescent and blowing straight at her. Sakura felt it lash across her face. She covered her eyes with her arms, blinking at the sand the draft had carried. A second later, another squall hit the pool with the same intensity, causing waves to crash against the rocks. Perplexed, she looked all around as the wind and sand continued their assault, one powerful gust at a time. The rocks responded, their usually unwavering energy vibrating with a sense of unrest. The cacti and succulents followed suit, their vitality becoming restless, and the trunk of the desert willow began shaking.

The realization of what the wind and sand were conveying hit her instantly: urgency.

Something of great magnitude was happening.

Sakura closed her eyes and became one with the water. She spread her consciousness into the small streams running deep within the earth. The ground around her was eliciting the same kind of agitation and it took some doing for her not to be overwhelmed by it. She continued to search, connecting with the waters hidden underground in an attempt to find an answer.

But then the voice of the pool resonated within her and Sakura heard it speak his name.

Gaara.

Something was happening to Gaara.

Her eyes flew open and she willed the water to rise. It lifted her up in the air, clearing the top of the rocks and continuing further. Up and up she went, until she could get an eagle’s eye view of the surrounding landscape.

‘Where?’ she asked.

The water turned her towards the left, where she could make out some figures in the distance. Even this far away, she could make out the deep scarlet of his hair. He was in the middle of a fight against three hulking figures. In a radius around the bout, she could see several people, all of them standing around as if waiting.

Sakura saw Gaara take a hit only to fall to the ground.

He did not stand up again.

– XXXXXXXX –

The bastards had waited for him on his way back. No doubt they had been spying on the route he took after finishing each challenge. They must have been aware of his battle against the lighting wyrm a few days back too. It was a sound strategy if you saw it objectively: catch your enemy at their weakest and attack with everything you have.

What they had was three large stone golems.

Gaara’s exhausted body and depleted chakra were simply no match for their brutal strength. He did his best to dodge and move around them but he simply could not avoid all their blows. Hit by hit they reduced the little stamina he had until he was breathing heavily, barely able to stand.

All the while, the group kept their distance and waited for their creations to finish the job. Gaara recognized some of the faces in the assembly: people who had called him monster to his face, people who had openly shunned and harassed him. The venom in their voice had not diminished in the least throughout the years.

“We will never accept you as Chieftain!” one of them shouted as he continued to battle the golems.

“The desert can’t choose you if you’re dead!” another exclaimed.

It was amazing how they still carried the hatred and the loathing with them.

Their words only hardened his resolve.

But even though he did his best to deal with the golems, his body had finally reached its limit. His legs did not respond to his command to dive to the right and one of the creatures hit him square in the torso, sending him flying through the air.

He landed forcefully some distance away, the air leaving his lungs completely. Harnessing the last of his strength, he bid his body to stand up but it could not obey. His chakra was completely exhausted.

With his cheek against the hot dry, ground, Gaara acted on the last choice available to him: he opened up to the desert and asked for its help.

But no response came.

Instead of a full-on reply from the landscape, a small, thin tendril of sand rose next to his head. It caressed his cheek lightly before dissolving in the breeze.

Gaara blinked, utterly befuddled.

He heard the heavy steps of the golems as they came closer, intent on finishing their task.

Once more, he turned inward and pleaded. Asked desperately for aid.

But the desert did not respond. It remained still. The vastness all around him held back.

A fraught sound escaped his lips.

Give in, he heard the desert say. Yield.

‘You want me to submit to my enemies? They will not accept my capitulation. What they want is my life.’

The thin tendril of sand returned to stroke his hair but was gone in an instant.

Cede.

Gaara closed his eyes. There was nothing left for him to do. No action left in him and the golems were moments away from ending his existence.

Trust, the desert insisted.

Letting out a deep breath, he did the most difficult thing he had ever done in his life: he let go. Completely.

‘If you wish for me to lay down my life for you,’ he told the desert, ‘so be it.’

In the next instant, he felt the foot of one of the golems connect with his battered torso. The blow sent him flying through the air once more.

As he landed, tumbling among rocks and sand, he realized he could barely feel pain anymore. Everything was going numb. Slowly, he was losing his connection with his body.

The golems lumbered close, battering him once more before throwing him into the air. Amidst the beating, Gaara realized he had one sole regret.

In a hoarse voice, he whispered her name.

– XXXXXXXX –

The fear rose in a torrent within her, clawing at her stomach and making her tremble.

Sakura was paralyzed, unable to fight the dread. Yet time continued to tick away, uncaring of the void that had opened up within her and threatened to swallow her whole.

The golems kept moving in on Gaara, pummelling him with their blows.

She was well aware his body would not be able to withstand much more.

The sorrow pushed itself into her awareness and robbed her of breath. A grief so intense it made her feel as if all colour had vanished from the world, never to return.

She felt so small, so insignificant. All she wanted was to crawl away and hide.

Gaara’s body rolled on the ground and the dread was back, chaining her up and preventing her from acting.

‘I’m powerless,’ she told herself, a dry sob shaking her frame. ‘I can’t leave the pool. I can’t move that far away from water.’

An overwhelming anguish rose to the fore and Sakura felt her heart break into a thousand pieces. Nothing in life would ever make her whole again.

The emotions were so extreme, she let out a desperate scream and clasped her head in her hands. There was no way of avoiding the force of the feelings, they kept slamming against her incessantly.

Just like the blows Gaara was receiving.

Sakura lifted her head and forced herself to look at him. He never ran away from a challenge, never looked the other way when something proved difficult. Stoic and steadfast, he continued on his path, facing it all even when he had no strength left.

He had taught her so much.

It was time she put the lesson to the test.

Turning inward, she looked the dread in the eye. Gave it her full attention. She felt herself being pulled in, falling into an abyss where nothing but fear existed. She gave in to it, let it rise without restraint. And as overwhelming as it felt, Sakura realized something: there was a part of her that was aware of the dread. A part that stood apart and was untouched by it.

The terror was just a part… a part of her whole.

She was not the fear.

Pulling back, she created distance from the emotion. In a similar vein, she looked straight at the grief, taking in the anguish fully, and came to the same conclusion.

It was a part of her, not all of her.

She was not her grief.

 The whole contained the parts. It was big enough to hold them, to experience them, and still remain standing.

The realization unlocked something within her, a portal that burst open with a force that left her reeling. She felt power flooding through her limbs. It greeted her like an old friend, one who had been waiting a long time for her to let it in.

It surged through her, flooded her entire body until there was no space left for anything else. Every particle of her body vibrated with it, clearing away all her confusion and cutting through her emotions like a blade.

Lifting her face to the sky, she felt a yell rise from the very core of her being.

“I am not my past!”

The sound of her voice echoed up into the ether and was gone, taken what she did not want with it.

As she turned towards the fight once more, she heard him clearly.

“Sakura.”

Her heart answered fervently to the sound of Gaara’s voice, the core of her entire being focusing exclusively on him.

When he called, there was nothing she could do but answer.

– XXXXXXXX –

The beating was brutal yet somehow, Gaara was still conscious. A part of his mind wondered idly just how much he would have to endure before the end.

The golems kept coming, their unnatural strength never diminishing. As constructs, they would be able to keep this up for days without tiring. It was all a matter of how long it would take for Gaara’s body to give out.

He hoped it wouldn’t be much longer.

But as one of the creatures bent down to pick him up, a gust of wind blasted its hand away. An intense squall descended from the open dunes and blew with such force, the golems were forced to take a step back.

Gaara heard the voice of the desert within the gale, heard it sing in elation.

His confused reaction was not allowed to last long.

The ground trembled, quaking with a force so powerful Gaara felt his body bounce upon it. With his ear against the surface, he could hear a distinct and loud rumbling approaching, his mind disbelieving what his senses were telling him.

He could hear the sound of flowing water under the ground.

A moment later, it exploded from under the earth, a great stream bursting several metres above the ground.

Gaara heard the hostile members of the Clan scream in confusion and fear some distance away but his entire focus had been captured by something else entirely.

As the fountain of water dissipated and fell to the earth in a flash of heavy rainfall, Sakura emerged from its core.

Moving with the fluid grace of a feline, she rushed at the nearest stone golem, no hesitation in her step. A single punch and she had deprived the creature of its leg, pulverizing it with the force of her blow.

Despite falling to one side, the construct reacted, swinging its heavy arm at her. She dodged the incoming blow and twisted, punching the golem’s limb as it moved past her. Dust and pebbles went flying in a burst as its arm was destroyed by her fist. The creature fell to the ground and she wasted no time in delivering her coup de grace, stomping on its head and crushing it underneath her foot.

With deliberate purpose, Sakura turned towards the other two golems.

After such an astonishing display, Gaara somehow found the strength to lift himself unto his elbows.

Having lost the element of surprise, the two constructs bore down on her in a coordinated assault. They towered above her, sending a barrage of attacks one after another. But she was too quick for them. She danced around their blows, dodging with such ease Gaara could only liken her movements to flowing water. But the golems kept coming, working together so as to prevent any opening for her to land a punch. As one of them swung at her, the other would appear before her, forcing her to step back or change course.

They were hulky and clumsy creatures, nonetheless. When fighting them, all one had to do was to be patient and make sure to avoid their blows. Their ungainly movements would yield a chance eventually. It seemed Sakura was very much aware of this fact. As long as she continued to move, an opportunity would present itself.

It came in the form of a lumbering kick aimed at her side by one of the golems. She dodged underneath it, sliding across the ground on her knees under the creature’s legs. She aimed a punch right at the hinge of its hip, disintegrating the joint. Deprived of its balance, the golem fell on its side like a tree being cut down. It certainly made a similar clamour when it hit the ground, the boulders that made up its body rattling loudly.

Sakura delivered a kick to its chest, pieces of rock flying every which way as she connected. Its entire torso crumbled and the creature stopped moving.

One left.

With the grace of her movements, she made quick work of it. One punch eliminated its right arm and a perfectly aimed kick pulverized its left calf. The golem fell down to one knee, its head coming level with Sakura’s eyes. As she was standing at its side, she lifted her arm and elbowed it in the ear, the skull-like stone exploding with the force of her blow.

As the golem’s body fell heavily to the ground, Sakura turned towards Gaara’s true assailants. She stood directly between him and them, her fists at the ready.

She was the most magnificent sight Gaara had ever laid eyes on.

His attackers, evidently, did not share his opinion. They shouted in dread and scattered to the four winds.

As they ran, Gaara saw Sakura’s legs twitch. She was contemplating the possibility of following them, no doubt. But to his elation, her caring nature took precedence. Turning his way, she fell into a run.

He stared in wonder as she approached. When she came closer, he noticed a glint in the middle of her forehead. There was a mark there, in the shape of a diamond. It flashed with a different kind of chakra that was still very much hers but that he had never felt before. Somehow, he had the sense she was more herself now than she had been before.

“Gaara,” she said, coming to kneel beside him. “Let me have a look at your wounds.”

But he pushed past his exhaustion and commanded his body to sit up.

“You should lie down and keep still,” she reprimanded.

Although her worry was merited, Gaara would have none of it. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. Kissing her knuckles, he fixed her eyes on hers.

“You are glorious,” he told her, his voice laden with admiration and a whole array of emotions too intense to properly identify.

Sakura stared at him for a long silent moment before her lips lifted in a splendid smile.

Cupping his cheek with her free hand, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Although before he had been unable to feel pain because of numbness, now he was unable to feel his hurts because of bliss.

Somehow he managed to find the strength to lift his arm and pull her close, allowing her to deepen her kiss. For a moment he believed he had died without realizing it and was now in an afterlife filled with nothing but delight.

He could have gone on kissing her forever but Sakura did not allow it. After what in Gaara’s perception felt like a brief moment, she pulled back.

The wry chuckle she elicited when he groaned in protest was music to his ears. He kept hold of her hand, cradling against his chest.

“You are severely wounded,” she remarked, doing her best to sound stern. “I think your ankle is broken.”

He nodded. “I think a few ribs are broken too.”

Letting out a sigh, Sakura was on the verge of speaking when the desert made itself known.

The sand rose all around them, covering them in a protective cocoon. It swirled happily, its life-energy resonating deep within Gaara’s core. He narrowed his eyes at it, slightly peeved.

“So this is what you had in mind when you asked me to surrender,” he commented sourly.

A tendril detached itself from the wall of sand and took on the shape of a hand. It hovered in front of his face, and before he could do anything about it, it curled a finger and flicked his forehead.

“Ow!” he exclaimed.

The hand dissipated in front of his eyes and he was certain he could hear laughter somewhere in the background.

“What was that all about?” Sakura asked.

He opened his mouth to explain but was not allowed.

Another tendril of sand separated itself from the cocoon and spiralled around Gaara’s arm. He relaxed his fingers so as to release Sakura’s hand as the sand lifted his limb but he found that another tendril was actually pressing their palms together. After a moment, yet more sand flowed towards their joined hands and twirled its way up Sakura’s arm.

“What’s going on?” she asked, slightly nervous.

“Don’t worry,” he replied with a smile. “Wait and see.”

The coarse feel of the sand against his skin was soon replaced by a strange tingling. The coiled tendrils swirling round their linked limbs thickened until it covered them completely. Gaara could feel the desert’s joy as it went about its task and his heart could not help but respond in kind.

After long moments, the sand pulled back slowly and the cocoon around them began to dissolve.

Gaara looked down at the exposed skin of his arm and at the marks left by the desert. They coiled round his arm in a series of abstract shapes and they glinted brightly with chakra.

Relief flooded him, followed quickly by profound fulfilment.

“What does this mean, exactly?” Sakura asked, looking in astonishment at the marks left on her arm.

“It means, my fighting nymph,” he told her with satisfaction, “that we have been chosen.”

She blinked a few times, clearly unable to get her head around the full implication of what he had just said.

When she opened her mouth, to ask another question undoubtedly, Gaara did not give her the chance. He pulled her into his arms and fell backwards with a laugh.

Sakura scolded him, told him to be mindful of his ribs, but he was beyond caring at this point. Gaara looked up at the sky and felt his chest fill with the deep gratitude and exultation of having a wish fulfilled.

– XXXXXXXX –

“Are you certain about this?” Gaara asked.

Sakura had managed to strip him down to his under garments and the state of his body had made her gasp inwardly. But she did her best not to show it. Besides, she would make him right as rain soon enough.

“Completely,” she assured him.

“I can’t swim with my ankle like it is.”

“You won’t have to,” she said, standing next to him.

Grimacing slightly as he slid forward on the rock he was sitting on, Sakura finally got him into the water.

She followed him in, and just as she had promised, she commanded the water to hold him up. He floated with his head above the water without him having to exert himself physically. She had also borrowed some of the heat from the nearby stones to warm the pool, adding to his comfort.

Bruises and abrasions covered him completely, and just like he had predicted, more than one bone was broken. Due to the extent of the damage, she had decided it was best for him to receive the full power of her healing ability. Hence, she had asked him to come into the pool. It was going to take all of her skill to be able to patch him up this time and she was certain it would be slow going.

What came as an unexpected surprise, though, was the desert’s help.

Connected to the water as she always was, Sakura became aware of a greater presence behind it. The pool, with its own life-energies, stood on its own but was also a part of this grander essence.

The desert was the whole that contained the parts.

Sakura smiled and felt tears gather behind her eyes. But she forced them back. The task before her would require all of her concentration.

The marks on her arm began to emit a soft rosy glow mixed with jade as she released her chakra. She felt the environs beyond the pool stir and turn their attention towards her. She was startled when she realized she had suddenly become the focus of a vastness beyond description. It was a rather humbling feeling, making her conscious of the sheer immensity of the desert’s awareness.

Nonetheless, she also realized it was holding back. It approached her tentatively, as if given her the chance to get used to it being there.

She smiled wryly at her own expense: if this was the desert being cautious on her behalf, she did not want to think what it was like to receive its full attention.

This was what Gaara communed with all the time?

Although she did not believe it possible, her admiration for him increased once more and Sakura could not help but marvel at his abilities.

The desert held still, as if waiting for her move.

Sakura felt like if it were looking over her shoulder and assessing her handiwork.

So she continued to release her chakra and to tap into the healing essence of the water. Her energies circled Gaara, evaluated his injuries in order to begin with the most pressing. Once she had settled for the ribs on his right side, she began to work alongside the water in order to heal the bone.

The desert took it as its cue to act. It channelled its life-energy through her and Sakura felt her breath catch. The marks on her arm ignited like flames and the capacity of her healing amplified in a way she would have never thought possible. The mix of her chakra with the desert’s vitality allowed her to heal Gaara’s bones in no time. Before she knew it, she was already moving towards the broken ribs on his left side.

Sakura was speechless, unable to comprehend the level of power running through her. Something within her told her she would never be able to grasp it.

So she concentrated on healing Gaara.

She had used her chakra to lull him into a state of semi-consciousness, offering him as much ease as possible. Whenever he stirred in discomfort as she treated a particularly painful injury, she would bring her face close to his and whisper reassurance in his ear. This seemed to do the trick and he would allow himself to be cradled by the water once more.

Every time she offered him tenderness, Sakura became aware of the desert reacting to her actions. It took her a while to realize it was approval.

She smiled, coming to a realization.

‘That’s what we do, isn’t it? We take care of him.’

The vastness answered her.

Never would have Sakura thought that a simple ‘yes’ could feel so overpowering.

Swallowing with emotion, she focused once more on Gaara. With the desert’s help, she was done a lot sooner. All his wounds had been treated and were no longer hurting him. Even though Sakura could have continued to channel her chakra through him, it was best for him to rest and allow his body to heal at its own rhythm from now on.

As she moved back and commanded the water to let him float on the surface, she was aware of the desert pulling away from her. She felt its absence keenly and felt strangely spacious within herself. Getting used to its assistance would undoubtedly take some doing.

Coming to rest on her stomach next to Gaara, Sakura watched him sleep. She caressed his hair lovingly. Soon, she was also lulled into slumber as the events of the day began to take their toll on her.

Night had fallen by the time she woke to the lovely feel of fingers running up and down her back. Sakura opened her eyes only to find herself the focus of a jade stare.

She smiled at him, lifting slightly so she could kiss him gently on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

His attention turned inward as he assessed his body. “All I feel is a dull ache, particularly around my middle. But it’s completely manageable. Nothing compared to what I was experiencing before.”

“Good,” she replied. Moving her hand over his ribs, channelling her chakra in order to offer him some relief.

As she did so, a hundred questions about the future flashed through her mind. There were so many things she did not know about the Wind Clan and there were so many things she had to tell Gaara about the rediscovery of her lost power. There were countless details she wanted to share with him about her experience. She was certain he felt the same way concerning the end of the Sand Roam and the desert’s choice.

Before she became overwhelmed, Sakura pulled back from the frenzy of her thoughts. She had the perfect role model in front of her and it was best to follow his example.

Deal with things as they came and take it one step at a time.

Once she was done with his ribs, Sakura turned her face towards him only to find him grinning.

“What is it?” she asked, unsure of the source of his merriment.

“You have finally proved you are a true nymph.”

Sakura arched an eyebrow.

Gaara lifted his hand, bringing it up to stroke her cheek. “You finally deprived me of my clothing, pulled me into the water, and had your way with me.”

Despite herself, she laughed. “So I have.”

“So she admits it,” he countered. “Too bad I was unconscious while you were running your hands all over my body. Now that would have been an experience.”

With a wide smile, Sakura leaned closer to his face, her lips brushing his chin. “I’ll make sure you’re wide awake the next time I have my way with you.”

His jade eyes sparkled with desire. “Well, I’m wide awake now.”

“You’re recovering from full body injuries, not to mention five broken ribs.”

“There’s no time like the present.”

She shook her head at him.

“Am I to become the first person to leave a nymph’s pool without being ravished?” he asked, downcast.

“Who says you’re leaving?”

She leaned down into him and kissed him.

Gaara lifted his arms to pull her closer, returning the kiss deeply, but as Sakura brushed against his side, he winced.

Pulling back, she looked down at him with a deadpan stare. “My point has been duly proven.”

“Fine,” Gaara capitulated. “But you won’t deprive me of this.” He pulled her down and settled her against his him.

Sakura carefully wrapped her arms around him, over and under the water, and they floated together in tangle of limbs, effortlessly suspended.

Despite his bluster, Gaara was soon drifting back to sleep.

Sakura snuggled her cheek against his chest, relishing in the closeness. It made her heart sing and she felt the water all around them respond.

Stirring, Gaara cracked open an eye. “Do you hear them?” he asked drowsily.

“What?”

“The chimes of your joy,” he replied, smiling widely before succumbing once more to slumber.

Sakura lifted slightly to kiss him fully on the lips.

“Yes, I hear them, my love,” she whispered. “But they’re not mine. They’re ours.”

Taking hold of his hand, Sakura linked their marked arms together before turning towards the dark heavens above them. The myriad stars of the endless desert sky shone brightly and she basked in their brightness, all the while listening to the sound of bells ringing in the night.

[molebradry]

Playlist: https://bit.ly/3wlOrde Squall Golem Series Cup --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Me On Ko-Fi: https://ift.tt/9ZSPEHc Subscribe to Me: https://goo.gl/Jb4xtm Most Recent Upload: https://goo.gl/CcnPeH Most Popular Upload: https://goo.gl/id51qE Twitter: http://goo.gl/GjHNP -------------------------------------------------------------------- #ChocoboGP #GamingMole #Golem

[clueingforbeggs]

I think it depends on the golem.

I think the Snow Golem should become a snowman. The Iron Golem I would change to guardian or construct. The ultimately not added Copper and Tuff Golems I would change to Copperbot (one word) and Tuff Statue.

There's also additional golems in other Minecraft games (EG Dungeons)

I think the Key Golem could just become the Key. The Redstone Golem could become the Redstone Titan.

I think the Squall Golem and Tempest Golem could just become the Squall and Tempest.

If the Furnace and Melon Golems from MCE are ever added anywhere else, I think the Furnace Golem could be the Living Furnace, and the Melon Golem the Melon Snowman.

I remember a post a while back about a fan-made remake of MCSM. My suggestions for the Icy, Magma and Prison golems are 'Icy/magma Construct/Guardian', whatever you want to call Iron Golems, and Prison Guard.

[mtgbracket]

Round of 8192 - Batch 28

You can now vote in Batch 28!

Currently open batches:

Batch 28 Batch 27 Batch 26 Batch 25 Batch 24 Batch 23 Batch 22

Batch 21 results will be up shortly.

Feature match: Milling king Laboratory Maniac takes on burn deck star of yesteryear Urza’s Rage.

Full list of matchups:

Etched Champion vs Sabertooth Outrider Might of Old Krosa vs Quarantine Field Gremlin Mine vs Gaseous Form Safehold Elite vs Incendiary Flow Diminish vs Living Terrain Banishing Light vs Aerial Caravan Bred for the Hunt vs Illusionary Servant Nameless One vs Garza's Assassin Gladecover Scout vs Strafe Orb of Dreams vs Azorius Charm Hallowed Moonlight vs Armageddon Clock Plague Sliver vs Squall Line Damnation vs Divine Offering Squee's Toy vs Blackcleave Cliffs Scab-Clan Mauler vs Shielding Plax Rootwater Thief vs Ground Seal Phylactery Lich vs Fungal Bloom Oversoul of Dusk vs Divination Death Wind vs Hero's Blade Mystical Teachings vs Vengeful Dreams Pillaging Horde vs Nix Minions' Murmurs vs Steady Progress Laboratory Maniac vs Urza's Rage Goblin Sharpshooter vs Caustic Crawler Yawgmoth's Agenda vs Priests of Norn Arrogant Wurm vs Immolating Souleater Shrieking Affliction vs Titan's Strength Thermokarst vs Illuminated Folio Gravity Negator vs Ensnare Harnessed Lightning vs Savra, Queen of the Golgari Ur-Golem's Eye vs Avacyn, Angel of Hope Lightning Strike vs White Sun's Zenith

[teejay-kaye]

Nascent

Part 1 | Part 2

Sand clung to every inch of Nadhir’s once-lustrous fur. The desert squall he’d used as cover during his escape had not left him unscathed; an errant lightning-bolt had struck his left wing, charring the skin and rendering him flightless. His slave-garments stank of oil, bile, and burnt feathers, the delicate silks not meant to withstand days of aimless wandering through the desert. 

He couldn’t bring himself to discard the clothes. The gem-studded baubles might fetch a decent price, if he could only find a market - and while they overwhelmingly reeked of the sharp-toothed Snapper’s vile scent, they still gave off just the faintest hint of hardy leather and polished bronze and a murky, rugged Guardian-scent. 

The smell conjured up a memory of scarce nights spent swaddled in each other’s scents and bodies. In the blissful moment, he only thought of the Guardian’s kindness, and how that kindness might help him make his escape. 

At no point had Nadhir considered how those nights would stay with him, days and weeks after he’d broken free of the empress’s grasp.

#

Nadhir squeezed through the narrow canyon passage, rough sandstone scraping his shoulders and limp wings. Dust caked the roof of his mouth, throat and nose so parched that every breath he took rattled through him as a hoarse wheeze. 

He needed water, needed it badly, and his element-insight had led him down this canyon. So far, he’d only seen bones and borderline-inedible cacti in the past three or four days, and the starvation was rapidly setting in, withering his muscles and dampening his senses. He’d felt watched, haunted, like one of his old captors was breathing down his neck - no matter how hard he’d tried to shake the feeling, over the past few days it felt like something was... wrong with him.

The death seekers circling overhead weren’t an inspiring omen, but he forced himself to ignore them and focused on the vague scents drifting down the arid canyon. 

Bones, of course - there were always bones, dry and cracked and marrow-scented, unless the carrion-eaters had already gotten to them. Metal and oil, sometimes, from the desert’s many stray golems, and the ozone stench of lightning. Sometimes he smelled a distant rain, but it never came his way. 

Here, in the canyon - bones, cacti, mud-

He stopped. 

Mud.

Nervous anticipation flooded Nadhir’s body, propelling him forward into a run. He stumbled down the canyon, finally bursting out into an open intersection of smaller passages. The canyon floor suddenly squelched under his paws, and Nadhir found himself standing in front of a tiny desert spring. A craggy desert tree bent over the top of the canyon walls, shading both the spring and Nadhir as he approached. 

A steady flow of clear water trickled out from a cleft in the rocks at the back of the canyon. Small clusters of scrub bushes and flowering plants dotted the muddy terrain around the spring, the smell taking over Nadhir’s senses. He trotted up and plunged his entire face into the spring, gulping the water until he choked on it.

Pulling his head out of the spring with a soft gasp, Nadhir dipped his sand-burnt paws into the water and flicked it over his body, the momentary coolness an immense relief. He promptly turned and devoured the nearest plants - stem, flower, bulb, and all.

When at last he couldn’t feel the gnawing void of hunger, he turned to the spring again. It lacked the salt and the swell and the familiarity of the deep sea, but it was water all the same. 

Nadhir bowed his head. “Thank you, Tidelord.” 

The spring gurgled quietly, as if in response to his gratitude. Nadhir sighed, retreating from the spring to the largest of the shaded boulders, flattening himself out upon its warm surface. 

Sleep took him swiftly the moment his weary eyes closed.

#

A maelstrom ripped into the shoreline, tearing apart driftwood huts and dragons alike. Nadhir floated above it all, helplessly caught in the vortex, unable to move or speak, only watch the chaos below. The shallows frothed to a frenzy of white foam and black water, nightmarish waves breaking upon the tidal flats with such force that no dragon could survive them.

This wasn’t right. This had to be a dream. The sea was never like this, never so violent - the sea was home, the sea was safety and clan and family. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. 

A sharp wind tugged Nadhir downward, down into the salt. It dragged him past debris and bodies swirling underneath the waves, down through tunnels and vestigial reefs until he was plunged into an inky darkness so oppressive he couldn’t tell which way was up or down. 

In that darkness, there was only silence.

And then something moved. A long, coiled shape cut through the darkness like a knife, many times longer than any dragon he’d ever seen. Yellow eyes and spined fins were all he could make out for detail as it circled him slowly, letting out a sound like a long, hissing exhale.

In its wake surged a shoal of dark-hued fish, anglers and eels and rays and sharks-

And a dragon. Blue-eyed and dark, serpentine in their movements. He almost mistook them for a second serpent, but as they moved up in front of him, he saw them for what they really were; a sinuous Imperial, dark as the abyss itself. 

“Tidelord speaks no more,” the Imperial whispered, her voice like the quiet rush of bubbles from a drowning dragon’s throat. “But the deep still calls, and we must listen. We all must share the burden now.”

Before he could cry out, the Imperial grabbed his lower jaw and pried his mouth apart. The freezing water poured into his lungs, choking him, drowning him, and the fish and serpent faded to blackness, until only he and the abyssal Imperial remained.

“Listen, little water-child,” she said. “These words are not a kindness, but do not ignore them. The sea will speak when you need to hear it. Be ready.” 

The Imperial turned and vanished into the dark, and left Nadhir drowning.

#

Nadhir awoke with a ragged gasp, doubling over and sliding off the rock into the mud. He sniffed the air desperately, taking in the familiar scents of the desert - no salt, no ocean storm, no brine. With a choked-off sob, he collapsed into the mud, confusion wracking his brain.

Tidelord...

His teeth chattered. The abyss-Imperial said the Tidelord spoke no more, but that couldn’t be true - and those storms in his dream, the destruction on the beaches, the sea a roiling pit of anger-

He didn’t want to accept what he’d seen, but Nadhir knew the telltale touch of a water-dream. He’d never experienced them to this scale before, but he was not a stranger to glimpses of prophecy. 

If what the Imperial said was true...

Nadhir shuddered. Tidelord missing, the Currents in turmoil...

For the first time, he was almost glad to be out in the Expanse, far away from the terrors besieging his home flight. 

Stifling an exhausted groan, Nadhir righted himself and sat up from the mud. While he was in no mood to endure another one of those dreams, he desperately needed sleep. 

As he stood, however, something rippled through his core, jamming itself into the front of his mind. He hissed and staggered, trembling as a series of images and scents glazed over his senses.

He saw himself and the Guardian, tangled in senseless ecstasy-

A radiant emblem of the Lightweaver suspended in the air above the Guardian’s brow-

-and eggs. Three eggs, soft and round and glimmering with inner light. Eggs half-buried in the sand. Eggs cracking open from within.

Eggs that smelled like the Guardian.

Eggs that smelled like Nadhir.

[khrow-shinku]

The Great War S5

D&D 5e Campaign

The Great War

Session 5

The day begins with Rin awakening to Ara groping Rin’s breast and pussy. She blushes and removes them and attempts to wake her up. Tinkerman wakes up and gives Rin a katana while telling her how after watching her fight and seeing her movements he feels it will much better suit her petite and slender physique. Before she can accept it from his hand Ara rolls over and grabs Rin again, this time wrapping her arms and legs around her as if she was a body pillow, while mumbling something about Rin being “best girl” and “ultimate waifu” too low for anyone else in the room to understand. Rin, looking noticeably annoyed at this point, peels her off again and pushes her off the bed, Ara hitting the floor with a thump. Tinkerman then extends a hand to help Rin up and she accepts his hand and pulls herself out of bed and grabs the katana and looks it over before responding to Tinkerman's earlier comment by saying she'd try it out later today and see how it feels. She remembered training with one when she was younger, however as royalty they pushed her to choose the longsword as her main weapon. It would be a good change to revisit such an interesting weapon with such a different fighting style. Tinkerman then leaves as Rin gets dressed and attaches the katana to her hip then she too leaves to head down to the tavern part of the inn. Ara wakes up as Rin slams the door intentionally to wake up the handsy tiefling. Ara then gets dressed and also proceeds down stairs to join with everyone else. However as Ara heads down the stairs, Biska the Tabaxi Gunmage, falls through the roof of the building and through the floor of the second floor and lands face planted right in between Ara's huge breasts knocking Ara onto her plump ass. Ara reaches down and pets Biska's head and says, "Well hey there, pretty kitty!" and gives her a smile.

Biska gets up, removing her face from the pillowy boobs in front of her. Grim calls Biska over so that he may heal her from her fall. Biska attempts to get up but falls again this time landing with her boobs in Ara's face.(How one falls up the stairs is a real mystery and a testament to how ungraceful this kitty truly is.) She then tries to get up again succeeding this time. Biska then sits down next to Grim who heals her wounds as Ara comes down and also takes her seat after getting up. As soon as she is healed a mage walks in, under the order of the queen of Dustreodan, and hands Biska a letter and walks out. The letter says she is to join The Milkmen aka The Misfit Inquisition and assist them in their travels. She tells everyone what it said and of course everyone asks the obvious question, why were you falling through the roof. The only response she gives is idk I was launched somehow. I just remember being in the air and then hitting the roof. Then a guard walks in and asks if The Milkmen are around. The group says yes they are The Milkmen. They then receive a bill for 99 gold for a destroyed building  that was a result of a yeeted troll that smashed into it. He also left another cursed gem at the table in front of tinkerman and said he was told to leave it with him. Tinkerman paid the 99 gold and the guard left. The party then splits up as everyone needs to get different things done before they leave to go back to the Urildyr. Lolxsis goes to the library to look for spells, as Rin, Ara, and Biska go to help Rin try out her new sword with some light sparing. Grim, Tinkerman and JJJ go to the Church, where Tinkerman prays to Mysta to get permission to examine the golems. Grim prays to paylor for guidance, and JJJ prayse to Tyr. Tinkerman after a pleasant conversation gets permission to examine them and is given blueprints for a couple of golems. After some successful back and forth with Tyr, JJJ has won some favor with the goddess. JJJ asks if she’d like to have a drink some time. At that point Tyr spawns 2 drinks and JJJ chugs his down. As soon as he finishes drinking it his body begins to tingle and scales start to form under his skin. He feels stronger and tougher as a result of the drink. Tinkerman then goes to visit the warforged at the barracks and examine him, while the rest of the party eats lunch. Tinkerman gives the warforged a checkup and gives him his eyes a night vision upgrade. After lunch Tinkerman and JJJ  go to talk to meet this Sir Squall and the girls and Lolxsis head back to the library to do more reading. Tinkerman and JJJ went to the prison where Tinkerman showed the music box he made for Ara to Sir Squall as proof that he was an inventor and tinkerer as well as fired a single shot into the dirt to show him that he was familiar with guns. Upon firing his shot into the dirt, a forest fairy showed up and planted a seed into the hole the ball bearing made and returned the ball bearing to the surface. This convinced Sir Squall to show Tinkerman his gunblade and the rounds for it. Tinkerman inspected both and made a schematic for both the gunblade and its rounds. Ara found in her research that the spider that was pulled off of her was a crystalline mechanical spider and there was a 50/50 chance that the reason it was changing her was due to a bloodline link to the Arachnae demons. Rin also found a book with basic Drawings of the mechanical differences between the one that has to have the bloodline and the one that doesn’t.

After everyone had finished up the things that wanted to get done here, they all got on the wagon and headed back to Urildyr. On the road they were stopped by guards and told that there was a detour due to the road ahead being blocked. This sent them to another town where their wagon was checked, while waiting for the wagon to be searched for security reasons, they grabbed a drink at the local tavern. There Grim and Ara had a whore off and Grim won with the better bolster about his sexual skills which now has Ara curious what the pachyderm is packing below the belt. After a few drinks and laughs as everyone struck out with a hot adventurer that had wandered into the tavern. Eventually the wagon was cleared and the party set back off again. The Party was nearly back to the capital when they were attacked. Similar mob of monsters as they have fought numerous times already. The party defeated the enemies  with relative ease, and given the similarity of the encounters they have been having, Rin searched the bodies specifically to another cursed gem like the ones they’ve been finding and sure enough there was yet another gem. She handed it over to Tinkerman and then they continued on to the capital without further issue where they stopped at the inn for the night.

[cryptochurp]

Op Ed: Why Millennials Migrate to Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency in Droves

Millennials welcome new industry dynamics, but they have their own motivations for supporting the ascendancy of open-source, decentralized blockchains, many of which are unique to trends common for their generation. Regardless of the reasons for their backing, millennials are indisputably crucial to the survival of blockchains. Now the largest population on Earth, millennials also enjoy more collective buying power than any other group, with $200 billion in discretionary income in 2017 expected to increase significantly this year. More so than their financial support of blockchain solutions, decentralized ledger technology also speaks to millennial values. While some of their motives for loving blockchain technology are shared with peers, there are additional reasons blockchains cater to millennial tastes over any other audience.

Disenfranchisement by the System

A generation that bears the burden of their predecessors’ financial mishaps, there is significant evidence showing that millennials are poorer than their parents were at the same age. With historically low wage growth and unrelenting inflation, this specific constituency is largely bereft of shelter in one of the biggest financial squalls of all time. Alongside student loan debts of almost $1.5 trillion in the United States alone, many millennials have largely given up hope of a healthy financial future.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies represent a small rebellion to the average millennial — a chance to go against the grain and deploy their money as they see fit. Furthermore, blockchain-based efforts toward disintermediation and reducing the role of centralized authorities is a fitting driver for millennials to embrace these concepts, especially when considering their wariness toward institutionalized corruption.

Rejection of Traditional Financial Products

Despite the volatility of the cryptocurrency market, millennials see it as a more trustworthy alternative to traditional financial products like stocks, bonds and even insurance. There are many reasons why this young group’s preferences swing in the opposite direction of their parents’, but the likeliest is that they witnessed the 2008 financial crisis firsthand and don’t feel comfortable or in control as stakeholders of this system. Who would trust products that can be obscured and manipulated to such a worrisome extent without consequences? Better to participate in a newer market where entrenched stakeholders have less sway.

The evidence is resoundingly painted by the numbers when considering more millennials are choosing not to invest at all, keeping their money in cash. In fact, according to a survey of U.S. adults conducted by Bankrate, millennials prefer real estate, cash and even gold ahead of stocks. With bitcoin viewed as digital gold and other digital currencies remaining outside the realm of mainstream finance, it is no wonder that millennials prefer asset classes which  distance them from the traditional financial products pushed by Wall Street.

Achieve the Pipedream Lifestyle

One of the more troublesome trends in the millennial market is that millennials are more willing to spend big, even if they lack the funding to support their lifestyle. Part of the reason is greater exposure to media with a convincing materialistic message, which encourages to find fulfillment in entertainment, vacations, clothes and other luxuries instead.

A general lack of money is no barrier to this lifestyle as many see the financial deck stacked against them regardless. Nevertheless, the blockchain sector has found solutions to get around this financial quagmire, letting younger generations enjoy life without having to participate in the status quo. Cool Cousin, for example, is a blockchain project which lets users hire local experts during their vacation and get a great and authentic experience. The service, and platforms like it, leverage millennial ideals to create low-cost alternatives that don’t sacrifice the experiential aspect of the venture because of financial concerns.

Tech Savviness and Utility

The first generation to mature alongside the internet, millennials are a distinctly tech-savvy group. They can understand and appreciate the benefits of blockchain technology, especially its participatory aspect. For younger investors and entrepreneurs alike, the initial coin offering (ICO) model represents a more accessible, democratic way to invest in new ideas or to launch their own, without jumping through the hoops present in the status quo’s investment arena. Millennials are eager to become not just customers but also stakeholders in the applications of tomorrow and have a real knack for picking easier solutions.

Blockchains empower millennials to become part of the platforms they believe in and thus create more comprehensive and better models for various technologies. Offering more than simple financial services, this trend has led to an explosion in high-tech offerings which disrupt established paradigms. In the field of computer processing, for instance, Golem provides an intriguing case study in harnessing decentralized network power for broader uses. Participants on the platform earn tokens by sharing processing power and pay tokens for the privilege of using a remote supercomputer that draws on this network’s parallel processing capabilities. Millennials have taken to this new investment model and are determined to see their generation’s crucial apps on the chain.

Building a New World

More than having a stake in the future, millennials want to use blockchain technology to build it with their own hands. The digital ledger is a revolutionary tool for promoting pure transparency, which is a word that has little relevance to today’s politics, financial markets and business world as a whole. Millennials love the internet, but this also makes them intimately aware of its downsides, namely that it only exacerbates media bias, corporate control and political obfuscation. Many in this age group see open-source blockchain technology as an accountability tool, one that will create a better system for voting, sharing data and advertising for instance. Already, services like Horizon State and others are creating platforms that make voting and other democratic tools more accessible and transparent, further empowering younger generations.

Ushering in the Future

Millennials are growing up and can no longer be characterized as the youngest and most naïve generation. They’re waking up to the inequity present in the world and are hyper-aware of the status quo’s faults as well. Blockchains provide not just productive ways for them to air their grievances but also social and financial tools allowing millennials to demonstrate what the problem areas are and, at the same time, exactly how to fix them. While the future for blockchain technology is anything but clear, if millennials have their say, it will not only stick around but grow and flourish.

This is a guest post by Reuben Jackson. Opinions expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Media or Bitcoin Magazine.

This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine.

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