#the rocket ride was very disappointing :

[ranticore]

answering asks in a big batch post

my god u guys are curious

nah I don't think they live that long. the matriarchs maybe will take several generations of rider but for the average workers i don't believe their lifespan would be much longer than a human's. maybe an extra 10 or 20 years over the human average, in which case they would be retired (and likely grieving)

@illbecreativelater thank you bestie... yeah absolutely, any recommendations of the pern books need to have a big "this was written in the 1960s" disclaimer attached lol. i have a real soft spot for them for the sci-fi disguised as fantasy aspect, and the plotline of people coming together to rediscover lost technology - if someone reads it purely for dragon riding i think they'd be disappointed. i find it interesting how it launched a genre but the most unique aspects of the story (aforementioned sci-fi elements) were not really replicated in other dragon riding fiction. also um obligatory plug for Said The Black Horse if you like Pern Story since that's where all the characters come from (no dragons tho)

idk

hfkjsg i'm kidding, I didn't think I'd put this much thought into the prehistory stuff so it's still patchy and not internally consistent. re: the mages, they did not go willingly at ALL and it was not the crime of one group - it was unable to be conclusively proven (behind closed doors) what started the "portals spewing out inorganic killing machines" problem. each had dirt on the other and they all stabbed eachother in the back over it during the ensuing tribunals (and it was because Revelation had no leverage over the others that it became the fall guy). there were only a handful of mages in reality, and one of them was fully exonerated and became the judge who gave the sentence and the ensuing punishment. the options presented to the mages were "submit or die", with submission being contingent on their future lives as underground pest control monsters.

the magic was not like dnd wizard magic. it was more esoteric - a study like alchemy which could not actually be weaponised. wizards were vulnerable to physical attack. they weren't throwing out lightning bolts or fireballs, and away from their laboratories, helpers, and equipment, they couldn't cast spells at will. they were, as it turns out, very stoppable. far from the most powerful people in the world - the ability to manipulate the fabric of reality is all well and good but if you don't have a rich patron or king giving you unlimited funding it's not like you can do much. the spell of Turn Into Monster was the last piece of magic powered by extra-dimensional sources before those sources chose to stop humouring spellcasters, and it took years to implement.

magic could not handle the new threat. they tried and failed. it was very much a "i opened a portal to the void to see if it would make my dinky little orrery spin, and something in the void stared back" situation, where that 'something' was not controllable by magical means. the events at Amphora were greater than just a stream of crawling beasts (again, where Amphora once sat there is now a vast plain of completely flat, empty land)

anyway i still need to seal up some of the gaps but essentially, wizards caused the mess collectively, were unable to stop it, and then turned viciously on one another when it became clear their magic wasn't helping and their patrons were no longer willing to support them. many of them were torn from their laboratories by the vengeful public and few survived long enough to see their new lives as wyrms.

Dark age/renaissance/industrial revolution: yes kind of! Even the generations of people directly following the original settling of Siren were forced to live essentially stone-age lives despite being fully aware of technology like LEDs or rocket engines. The mineral composition of Siren made metals really hard to come by, and without an established Industrial Sector they struggled to produce things like medicine (the ol' 'how will you make insulin' question again) and they were shit outta luck for microchips or computers. they could farm, they could make primitive refineries, but it was increasingly clear that if they wanted to reproduce the conveniences of modern Earth life, it would have to be developed again from scratch using only the materials available on Siren. And the more decrepit the original settlement ruins became, the harder it was to access knowledge of the old world, and for a while many societies on Siren were subsistence farmers/hunters only. this dark age birthed many superstitions and myths that persist today, and the theory of 'predecessors' who were like gods who'd come to Siren to populate it with their creations. normally i wouldn't believe stuff like this could happen but tbh i've seen people go full anti-vax in real time and it only takes a few generations of that for entire belief systems to spring up and warp the truth.

the renaissance era is Qedivar's time, it's when the University is at its peak and the study of the natural world and its phenomena has become more science than superstition, it is an era of rapidly expanding knowledge. Industrial Revolution has not taken place however it's not far off on the horizon; the most 'modern' cast of characters I have is a whaling crew in a metal-hulled, coal-powered ship.

which forms of government were most prevalent during the existance of Sirenian civilization? which forms exist currently?: the first Sirenian government was a military dictatorship formed in secret with the first rebels at the helm, which dissolved once its stated goals had been met and the settlement had been destroyed. after that there was an attempt at republicanism but ultimately different groups drifted apart instead of staying all in one place, forming small scattered enclaves around the western continent, usually ruled by whoever chose to go out there and start farming. these developed into villages. pelagic villages in some regions are still ruled by a patriarch (gender neutral) selected by a council of elders based on who has the most experience. there have been as many forms of government over the years across the planet as you can imagine, probably. notably, most of the Eastern continent is ruled by whoever is currently the president of the University. for most prevalent I'd say some form of council, elected or not. but on the eastern coast of the Eastern continent there exists Siren's only bloodline monarchy as well, and that still persists into the renaissance era.

was there any sort of access to advanced knowledge that helped them during the social/cultural/technological development? Not particularly; although people went to Siren specifically to make a settlement and live there, it was never intended to be permanent. when permanently settling other planets (for example, the ship that brought people to Siren originated on another planet, Ceti, and not Earth) the effort would usually be far more robust and massive databanks would provide people with knowledge. the settlement had 3D printers to produce clothing and day to day objects when needed, but they were sabotaged by the last non-allied unmodified humans when it became clear their cause was lost. they also had basic wikipedia level databanks which were stored within their own servers (i.e no cloud backups or anything and no connection to anything outside Siren), which were subject to flood damage and also more sabotage via crowbar, in an attempt to hide from future access what had been done within the genetic lab. parts of the databanks were later able to be accessed (it's how Qedivar got all that information about Ishmael) but as mentioned above, the knowledge was scarce and all but useless. it'd be like a caveman finding a manual for how to turn on a wifi router, but there's no wifi, no router, and no materials to make any of those things.

some of the harpy visors contained the photo albums (3D and immersive videos included) of the pilots who once wore them, which provided a glimpse into Earth or Ceti. they also had digital maps which greatly aided in navigating Siren; there was never any era of exploration, as the geography of the planet was known from the start.

had things like feudalism/class inequality/slavery still emerged, regardless? yes but in small and isolated areas, as the population density of Siren overall is extremely low and it was difficult for anyone to concentrate enough power in one place to enact widespread feudalism or start up a formal slave trade. the monarchy described above does engage in feudalism, for example. class inequality is very pronounced in places like the University but classes are not defined by wealth, rather by scholarly ability. in the west coastal areas of the Eastern continent it is common to simply not have any relationship with your blood relatives on the basis of that relation; that is, even if you know who your parents are (a very rare occurrence). this makes it difficult to concentrate class power via bloodline, and why the monarchy is wildly different and kind of an unthinkable novelty to everyone outside it lol.

[sailorsplatoon]

ok so I'd thought I ask you this question cuz it's kinda been on my mind for quite awhile and I couldn't exactly Wrap my head around it but I figured you're the smartest I know when it comes to splatoon stuff so here

So ... How Did Neo Agent 3 squid jump from alterna all the way to space (or the mesosphere in this case) cause regarding the past cutscenes from Neo getting to alterna in the first and then them getting up to mr grizz it doesn't really link up with me right

and even if deep cut helped it still doesn't make that much sense to me since alterna is underground if i remember (I think???)

And watching that cutscene where Neo gets to grizz its either these three to me

Neo Has the Biggest Squid jump skills In history

Alterna is at surface level and it's in a completely different place

Or that is the TALLEST Rocket Station I've ever seen

sorry if this feels dumb to you I'm just curious

Okay, first of all I’m the smartest person you know in terms of Splatoon!? I’m so flattered! Thank you!!! <3

Secondly, it is not dumb at all, this is actually something I’ve wondered about myself. I don’t think we have canon confirmation for anything, but that doesn’t stop me from making an extremely detailed theory about it!

Tiny disclaimer: I unfortunately do not have the Splatoon 3 art book, so I cannot refer to it like I have done in previous posts with other art books, so there might be some information that I miss.

You’re right that Alterna is underground, it’s located directly below The Crater. My guess is that Neo left through the hole in the ceiling that they made when they fell into Alterna. You can see the hole in the “sky” (since the sky is just made of those liquid crystal things) of Alterna where the glitchy part is.

But that doesn’t answer the big question: How did Neo jump into space???

We can see that Deep Cut helps them get higher up with Frye’s eels and riding on Master Mega, but it didn’t look like they even rode all the way out of Alterna before jumping. Then they’re just suddenly in space, implying that they jumped all the way there.

(I got this footage from Wasarety’s video of Return of the Mammalians without dialogue boxes. Here’s the link.)

Now to be honest, thinking about this stumped me a little bit. Here’s the theory I’ve come up with, though it’s a bit of a stretch:

You’re right about Neo having amazing squid jump skills. It’s canon that they survived off of selling scraps in the desert for a long time along with Little Buddy. It would make sense that they’ve gotten very strong because of that, likely improving their squid jumping skills. 

That said, it still wouldn’t make much sense for them to just conveniently know how to jump into the mesosphere whenever they want. So my guess is that Deep Cut was able to help them gain a massive amount of momentum, which sort of catapulted them up. Paired with being able to jump very high, they were able to make it up to the rocket.

This theory is far from perfect, but it’s the best that I can come up with. I’m sorry if this is disappointing, I am honestly stumped.

Great question though! If you have any other theories regarding this, I’d love to hear them (or just theories in general)! Thank you for the ask!!!

[philliamwrites]

Um do you do requests because If it alright can some one make genderbend story with fem eren and male reader and like fem eren is a bully and the male reader put fem eren in her place. Based on Eren pov if hard for you write for male.

A/N: Ooohhh this is so exciting, the first real request ehehehehe, thank you, nonny!

Since there wasn’t a specific mention if this should be nsfw or not, I kept it sfw-ish (except the end lol) I hope it’s fine! (and there’s always the option to commission me for very specific things, just DM me). I took some liberty and changed the dynamic that you’d usually read (bully! Eren / nerd! Reader) and made them both over-competitive jocks, only Eren is mean about it.

Warnings: fem! Eren / male! Reader; unresolved sexual tension, swearing, sport-typical violence; Reader is also taller than Eren; 18+ Minors DNI; not proofread; implied male receiving oral sex by fem.

You have it in the bag. Five steps away from the goal, a clear shot before you, nobody in your way. The stick feels good in your hands, its familiar weight an extension of your own limbs, a weapon to clear a path towards the goal.

Jean screams from behind the restraining line to take the shot—“Take the fucking shot, you dumbass, what are you waiting for?!”—but you feel Coach Levi’s inscrutable look from the side line like a physical touch around your throat; Patience with capital P has never been your strong suit, and you don’t want to spend another thirty minutes after practice getting chewed up by Levi; or worse, signed up to run a marathon.

Connie’s waiting behind the goal line, his eyes rivetted on you, goalie stick raised in anticipation. He knows your moves, you’ve both started playing at the same time, three years ago after making the drunk decision to give it a try and having fallen in love with the sport ever since. He’ll expect a feint. He knows you’re good at those, and you know nothing pisses him off more than falling for that dirty little trick. Which is exactly the reason you’ll do a behind-the-back-shot.

Or you’d like to, were it not for a lightning-quick body slamming into yours like a wrecking ball, throwing you to the ground. Multiple things happen at once. You feel a stick snatching the ball out of your pocket; you hear Jean’s swears as he roars for the defence to fall back behind the restraining line; you see Eren’s lithe, muscular form as she steals the ball from you and throws a long pass forward to Sasha, bringing the ball across half the field and away from the attack zone.

She turns around briefly, and through the metal bars of her face mask you see her striking green eyes flashing wish mischief as she looks down on you. When you try to get up, the head of her stick pushes into your chest painfully, keeping you on the ground.

“Don’t bother,” she says, and just hearing her voice, the snarl in it, makes you want to kick her legs from under her. “You’ll do your team a favour by staying out of the game.”

Before you can reply, she’s already rocketing off, down the field to your defence zone, and you’re not proud of the fact how your eyes immediately fix on her long legs in that short, white skirt that’s riding up her ass as she runs.

A gloved hand hooks around your elbow and pulls you up to your feet. Marco gives you a pat on the back, dusting dirt off you. “Don’t let her get to you,” he says, and you can hear the smile in his voice behind the mask. “She’s unstoppable when she’s having a good day. Let’s hope Mikasa’ll shut down some shots. Oh, and don’t take Jean’s complains too much to heart.”

You watch them squabble at the other side of the field, feeling your heart drop to your stomach. You don’t give a shit about Jean. Levi’s disappoint, however, is palpable from the side line. It’s like someone just shot his dog.

“Exercise patience,” he always says. “But if you see Jaeger coming at you, you take that fucking shot as if your life depends on it, got it?”

 

The locker room is empty when you finish showering and pack up. You should get a fucking medal for the self-restrain you’ve practiced not drowning Jean under the showers after he gave you so much shit because “If you’d put your little girlfriend on a leash, we wouldn’t have that fucking problem. Every. Single. Time.”

Girlfriend. As if anyone can put a leash on Eren, especially when her brain is hardwired to stop at nothing to accomplish her goal. Start a fight with someone from an opposing team for giving her a weird look? Eren prefers not wearing gloves simply for the fact that she loves having her knuckles skinned bloody. Get Floche to do her assignments for International Politics? He’s eating out of her palm like a dog, easily submitting herself to Eren laughing at him whenever he’s asking her out for a real date. Knock you down on your ass? Her favourite pastime.

Just the thought of her, of her wide, forest-green eyes, garlanded by pretty, thick lashes the colour of ink against her sun-kissed skin, hits you with the force of a train. Fury: white-hot, boiling, venomous. You want to do something that shuts her up, makes her swallow her mean words—Christ, if you could make her cry, make her feel small and insignificant; make her look up at you and really see you, her round, soft cheeks flushed crimson, her full, red lips slightly opened as you drag your thumb over her bottom lip, your other hand secured around her throat—

Your hand would fit around her neck so perfectly—

“You done wanking one in the showers?”

You make a disapproving noise at the back of your throat. Just like the devil she is, Eren has been waiting for you outside the gym, balancing her stick in the palm of her hand. She’s changed her field gear for a simple vermillion hoodie and black shorts. You can’t get the image of her wearing that tight, white skirt out of your head, so you do what any respectable man should do and ignore her.

Eren doesn’t like that one bit.

See, when she goes at something, she goes swinging—literally. Metal slams into your gut hard enough to crush your lungs into your spine. The only reason you don’t crumble to your knees is because you’re used to shit like this on the field.

Eren laughs. “What’s the matter, big guy? Cat got your tongue?”

“I don’t have time—” You suck in a deep breath; the air won’t fit down your throat. “—for your bullshit.”

“You mad? Why are you still mad?” Eren’s smile slices white. “You got a problem I brought you down? Shame, you look good on your knees.”

If you’re the keg full of powder in a room, Eren is always the one trying to throw a burning match inside. Tough shit she doesn’t know you’re secretly a pyromaniac.

You move too fast for her to react, or maybe she just wasn’t expecting you to fight back. When her back hits the hard wall with a satisfying thud, you consider smacking her head against it for good measure. She stares up at you with wide eyes—exactly the sight you’ve imagined moments before—and when she swallows, you feel her throat flex under the palm of your hand. There it is. Your hand around her throat. She has to crane her had back; you dip yours, head cocked to the side slightly.

“What a fucking brat you are.” Your voice is so quiet. Hoarse. You don’t recognise it. You have a hard time focusing right now because one thing becomes painfully clear: You’d do anything to fuck Eren and make her scream and cry. “Is that what get you off at night? Bullying other people? Really? What are we, fucking twelve?”

Eren snarls at you, showing her teeth like a captured animal. You tighten your hold around her throat, dig your thumb into her pulse point that’s jackhammering like a rabbit’s heart caught in a snare. Pressing her harder against the wall, bringing your bodies flush against each other, you slide your leg between hers, and the sound she makes is exquisitely delicious.

“You’re just so easy to tease,” she replies, just as quietly. She turns her face towards you, like a flower following the sun’s path. “Maybe I’m weak for big guys that cry.”

“If I’m done with you, Eren, I won’t be the one crying.”

She shudders against you and tries to bring your bodies harder together, pressing her tits against your chest. You dig your fingers into her jaw until you can see your nails leaving red half-moons on her skin. Hovering your mouth above hers, you watch every twitch and change on her face, and every time she tries to close the gab between you by slanting her mouth over yours, you push her head back. The frustrated growl at the back of her throat is almost adorable.

“Or do you want for someone to put you in your place?” you wonder aloud, jerking your leg only once, only a little. Eren melts against you, moving her hips against the strong muscle of your thigh.

Your mouth goes dry. Eren uses that moment to slap her hands around your cheeks and pull you down, slamming her lips into yours. Her mouth is hot, almost feverish. She strokes her tongue against yours, and you groan into her mouth—the vibration of the sound sending lightning flicks of pleasure down your spine. The kiss goes rough, deeper, and claiming.

You’re not done with her yet.

Sneaking the hand that’s been holding her jaw to the back of her nape, you curl your fingers into her thick hair—and yank it back. Eren gasps, bearing her throat to you. You reward her by running your tongue over her bottom lip, grazing the soft flesh with your teeth.

“You had to—” she starts, and swallows when you put your mouth to the curve of her jaw, biting hard. “Fuck—Ever since you split that fucking watermelon open with your fucking thighs, you fucking gorilla.”

You laugh against the hot skin of her throat. “Is that it? You got a crush on me, and that’s how you’ve been trying to get into my pants?”

“If anything, I’m creative.”

You consider that with a hum against the curve of her shoulder. When you raise your face again, Eren is already waiting for you, her mouth hungry and pliant under yours. You run your hands through her hair, over and over again while tasting her, feeling her hips stutter against your thigh. When you’re holding her hair in a ponytail, she separates for a moment to look up at you—eyes blown black with desire, but lucid enough to question what you’re doing.

You’ll change that.

“I said I’d make you cry,” you say against her cheek, feather-light and soft, deceptively so. “I think it’s time to see how pretty you look on your knees.”

Eren tenses up at that, you can feel it against your body. Tenses up in anticipation, you realise, when her hands begin to work on your belt buckle, her eyes wide, wanton. Excited. Your cock jumps inside the confines of your pants, half-hard.

“You’ll do that for me, won’t you?” you whisper, kissing her cheek, her nose, her neck. Why have you never noticed before how ridiculously good she smells. “You’ll be good and nice for me, right?”

“That depends.” Her answer is breathless, barely audible. She’s still fighting in the end, as though she isn’t completely melting in your arms already. So cute.

You tighten your hold on her hair, pushing her down slowly.

“You’ll find you won’t have much choice,” you say, smiling. “I’ll make you behave this time.”

And Eren, still looking up at you while working on your zipper, answers with a smile herself, accepting the challenge.

A/N: I had too much fun writing this lmao

[runawaycarouselhorse]

Goodbye to Ash and Pikachu and all their friends and rivals and everyone we loved so much for so many years! It was a great ride and it was fun to see different takes and concepts and adventures. It was also wonderful to have a series that's realistic in that the main character tries and struggles and fails, teaching kids it's okay to lose, as long as you get back up and continue trying another day.

A show where most of the heroines can have their own journeys, rivals, goals--they're not cardboard cut-out love interests without lives of their own... where women can hold roles similar to the men (Pokemon Champions, regional Professors, etc.), not just relegated to one or two stereotypical roles, things SO many shounen anime aimed at an older audience fail to do.

Thank you for not shaming kids for crying, thank you for comforting and meaningful lyrics (Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara, Te wo Tsunagou, Smile, etc.).

Thank you for beautiful stories of characters overcoming trauma and abuse, being saved from or escaping bad situations, and shown genuine love and friendship (Chimchar's storyline and especially the Tears for Fears episode, Larvitar's storyline too, even Tepig's story ending with Evolution by Fire), thank you for stories of kids with phobias and repressed memories and all the recovery stories (Lillie, Sophocles...), the episodes dealing with loss (Mallow's mother), and the characters who were traumatized and couldn't fully overcome those fears but still found their place in the world (the Nurse Joy who feared she would drown as a child in The Joy of Water Pokemon and James with his fear of marriage, where even the word "fiance" triggers flashbacks, not to mention the sound of a whip... but he still found a place of belonging with his friends from Team Rocket), kids who were bullied and ostracized in school (Iris, Regina) but found friendship later on...

What a great show!

I got into this show a bit late (after Pokemania ended, because I was too young when it came out to appreciate it, but I still loved and cried watching the first Pokemon movie and the one cassette I had with four episodes, including Todd Snap's first episode--I think that first Pokemon photographer is why I love taking pictures so much!), but I got into it just as I went through big changes (the divorce of my parents) and trauma of my own, so I got very, very attached to the Team Rocket trio (especially Jessie), as they all had such tragic backstories, but they weren't one-note tragic characters who could never find happiness.

Especially with how Jessie lost her mother very young, being put into foster care by her very poor mother, and spent years being shifted from home to home, every career she pursued ended in failure, until she joined the same gang her mother was in (I don't know if she ever knew that)... but she found true friendship even in a dark place like that.

I also loved Iris and how she had trouble opening up to others because of what she'd been through; she was also a tomboyish girl who loved nature and didn't mind getting dirty and fighting, but also loved pastels, bows, and dressing up!

I also loved Trip and how much he changed from the sweet and happy child he used to be, to someone jaded and cynical and convinced he's an adult (but he's still a child... I also didn't think I was a child anymore at 12), how disappointed he was by meeting his childhood hero again, but also how he began to question what he previously believed and became a better person, even if he'd always be a little distant and awkward and won't be that child again.

I loved and related to Lillie feeling sad when her friends spoke about their mothers, when she rarely saw hers, when she lagged behind the others because her mother wasn't around enough to teach her things like how to cut vegetables, but also took credit for her learning things (in her absence!), the way her feelings were devalued if they weren't logical, so she'd insist any emotion she felt was rational or logical... she even named her Vulpix, in the dub, the same name I gave my cat around her age, a cat I had gotten after I'd just recovered from fearing touching cats (despite loving them since I was small, I was scared, after my mother's cat scratched me out of nowhere and scarred my ankle)! Her recovering the last of her lost memories and overcoming her fears was pure catharsis... beautiful to watch. To say nothing of finally finding her father and even being able to embrace a Nihilego as her sister.

I love them all so, so, so much.

[tacoma-narrows]

Six Flags Great America! - 5/4/24

Finally decided to put together my post from going to Great America about two weeks ago lol. Sorry it took so long! With moving back home after college, I kept getting distracted by other things haha.

Here are some of my fav pictures I got! In-depth thoughts about each coaster I rode are below them!

So I went with a friend from college and rode about half of all the major coasters there (7 out of their total of 15) since lines were pretty long all day. American Eagle, Whizzer and Sprocket Rockets were closed all day (this was only the third weekend of the season so it was to be expected - you know how it is with Six Flags lmao), and then everything else we didn't get to ride was either a kiddy coaster (Little Dipper) or has a clone somewhere else that I've ridden before (Batman the Ride, Joker, Flash: Vertical Velocity, Superman Ultimate Flight). So not super bummed about missing any of those. Getting on American Eagle and Whizzer would've been fun since those are both classics, and even with clones, a credit is still a credit lol. My friend and I are hoping to go back when we come back to school in August, so we'll hopefully be able to ride what we missed then.

But enough about what we didn't ride, onto what we DID ride! (This will be in the order we rode them throughout the day, plus what number they are in my credits list)

Maxx Force - Credit #162! This was easily my favorite coaster in the park! I am a huge sucker for launch coasters, especially ones with powerful launches. With Maxx Force now having one of, debatably the, fastest accelerating launch on any coaster in the world, that did not disappoint! The funky inversions were a lot of fun and I really liked the high speed heartline roll in the middle. Of course the one downside to Maxx Force is that it's a very short ride in duration, in addition to the brakes kicking in while you're still going through the final element. But overall, it was still an absolute blast of a ride and I definitely wanna ride it again next time I'm at the park!

Raging Bull - Credit #163! I knew this B&M Hyper has gotten mixed reviews in the past, so I knew going in it wasn't going to be the best Hyper out there. I did really enjoy it's more unconventional layout for its model and the focus more on lateral and positive forces throughout the layout, and it was pretty smooth all the way through. What did disappoint me a bit though was the airtime. Like I said, I knew not to expect the 5+ second floater airtime hills you get on other Hypers like Diamondback or Candymonium, but I had heard that in the back row, the main first drop off of the pre-drop had some crazy ejector air in the back row. We rode in the back row and there was definitely some air, but not the crazy throw-you-out-of-your-seat type air that I was expecting. There were a few other good pops throughout the layout, but like I said, I liked it's focus on laterals and positives more. Definitely solid all around.

Viper - Credit #164! Viper I was slightly underwhelmed with. Going in, I had heard that Viper is one of the more underrated coasters in the park, both from other enthusiasts and locals who visit the park regularly. It was definitely smooth for a wooden coaster, it had clearly been well taken care of and looked to have gotten some recent re-tracking, which was very welcome. It also had some good laterals going around some of its turns, but similar to Raging Bull, I found it to be kinda lacking in the airtime department. Again there were some good floater hills here and there but not every hill hit like it should I felt like. This is one I wanna give another shake next time I'm there to see if I just missed something.

Demon - Credit #165! Demon was, not my favorite I'll say. Like it wasn't awful, I've certainly ridden worse Arrow loopers but this one was kinda middle of the road. I didn't think it rode as smoothly or had as much hangtime as the other Demon at California's Great America did. I liked the theming that this one had around it though, much like it's sibling in California. The rock work around the lift and corkscrews and the tunnel you fly through after going through the loops were both pretty cool. Other than that though, I wasn't huge on this one.

X-Flight - Credit #166! Opposite of Viper, X-Flight was better than I had expected! I had heard going in that it was the weakest Wing Coaster in the US, so I wasn't really expecting much, but really ended up enjoying it! We rode in the back row on the right side, so we really got whipped through some of the elements, especially the first wing over drop. I sat on the outside seat, so it was a little rattly there but that's to be expected with B&M Wings lol, and it wasn't really that bad. There were a lot of positive Gs that were a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the hangtime on the first drop and the final in-line twist through the tower (which was also a really cool visual moment both on and off the ride). Of the three Wing Coasters I've ridden, I put it in the middle. I liked it more than Wild Eagle at Dollywood, but not as much as GateKeeper at Cedar Point.

Goliath - Credit #167! Goliath was the longest line we waited in throughout the day at over 90 mins, but I would say it was worth it! I knew this was one of the shortest RMCs in duration, so that wasn't an issue for me but I really enjoyed the elements here. Great first drop and some really strong airtime moments. Both inversions were awesome too! The dive loop was really weird in a cool way, since I turned my head up while we were upside down to look through the structure as we dove down, which was a wild moment. And then the HUGE stall under the lift was soo cool as well. I'd only done prolonged stalls on Jersey Devil and Wildcat's Revenge (the one on Steel Vengeance is really quick and snappy unlike the ones mentioned here), but this one was just so big and so long that it was just a crazy moment. Easy number 2 in the park after Maxx Force for me!

Dark Knight - Credit #168! The last coaster we rode was Dark Knight, the indoor Wild Mouse. I know there are better coasters we could have ridden like Batman or Superman, but at this point, it was about 4 o'clock and we just wanted to get out of the heat and sun for awhile, so we chose to wait in the indoor queue of the Dark Knight lol. I knew what to expect since I had done the one at Great Adventure before, but I think this one was a bit better. The trims didn't seem to be hitting at all on the switchbacks, or if they were, they weren't hitting very hard. So lots of laterals all over, and it looked like more of the theming elements were either on or working than on Great Adventure's (at least from when I rode that one back in like 2018 lol). So it was fun, but in the end it was still just a Wild Mouse in a box lmao.

So that's my recap of my day at Six Flags Great America! I had a great time, at least until it started POURING as we were heading out at about 6 lmao. I'm definitely looking forward to going back, hopefully in August like I said. It definitely had similar bones to California's Great America, but I liked the charm of CGA a bit more, although Six Flags Great America has way more coasters lol. If you've been to SFGAm, let me know what you think of their rides or how your thoughts compare to mine! I'd love to know!

Here's all of the coasters I rode at the park from most to least favorite, along with where they landed in my overall credits ranking (plus which coasters are before and after them on my list for frame of reference):

Maxx Force (#20, between Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood and Thunder Striker at Carowinds)

Goliath (#30, between Volcano the Blast Coaster [formerly] at Kings Dominion and Candymonium at Hersheypark)

X-Flight (#46, between Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure)

Raging Bull (#50, between Great Bear at Hersheypark and Impulse at Knoebels)

Viper (#65, between Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion and Comet at Hersheypark)

Demon (#101, between Iron Dragon and Wild Mouse, both at Cedar Point)

Dark Knight (#113, between Racer at Kennywood and Dark Knight at Six Flags Great Adventure)

[sandrodeandrade]

The King and the Goddess | Theme: Far Cry 4 fanfic

Chapter 1: The Fall of Sabal

I pointed the rocket launcher at Pagan Min's helicopter at the royal palace of Kirat. I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger, seeing the explosion in the sky. I felt a mix of relief and remorse. Had I made the right choice? Pagan had revealed that Lakshmana was my half-sister, the result of his involvement with Ishwari, my mother. Mohan, upon discovering the betrayal, killed Lakshmana and tried to kill my mother, but Ishwari reacted and killed him in self-defense. After that, she fled Kyrat with me. Pagan then decided to hand over Kirat to me, which awakened my desire to rule the country and honor the memory of my family. I wanted to transform it into a modern democracy. I sometimes wondered if Pagan was the only sane one in that country of madmen. I remembered his crimes and his tyranny. I knew that Pagan was not a kind leader. He dominated Kyrat with cruelty and ostentation, using his militia to intimidate the people and profiting from drug trafficking. I remembered all his evil deeds, which included torture, mass murder, betrayal, corruption, destruction, kidnapping, propaganda, slavery, prostitution and animal cruelty. He wanted to end the traditions of Kyrat and prevent the progress of the country. He deserved to be tried by the Hague Tribunal for his crimes, but there were still those who defended him. That was one of the reasons why we lived in a violent world, dominated by autocracy and corruption.

I knew that Pagan had to fall. But I didn't trust Amita, the leader of the Golden Path who dreamed of turning Kyrat into a drug empire. I made a vow to myself to never become a despot like Pagan Min and to defend Kyrat and its people. I wished that my mother and sister would feel proud. The snow of the Himalayas covered everything with its beauty and its cruelty. I thought of Bhadra, the girl I had met in this war. She was the only one I cared about in that insane country. She was like a younger sister, or the only friend. I knew she was destined to be the Tarun Matara, the reincarnation of the goddess Kira. She would be exploited by the religious fanatics of Sabal, just like my mother had been exploited by my father. I couldn't let that happen. I have to rescue her.

Ajay heard the noise of a helicopter and recognized the voice that came from it, it was Hurk: Hey, brother! Want a ride? Ajay: are you sure this helicopter is safe? It looks kind of old and rusty. Hurk: Chill out, man. This is my baby. I fixed it up. It will fly like a turbocharged eagle. Ajay: That doesn't make me very confident. Hurk: Trust me, brother. Ajay arrived at Ghale Residence with a heavy heart. He had just learned the whole truth about his father, his mother and his little sister, and the farce that was the Golden Path. One thing didn't leave Ajay's mind: Bhadra. He couldn't allow an innocent girl to suffer what his mother had suffered at the hands of his father. Ajay remembered the sad look of Bhadra when she was taken to become Tarun Matara. The sadness in her green eyes contrasted with her beauty, which had fascinated him since the day they met. She had a great admiration for his father, but if she knew the truth, it would be a great disappointment. Ajay felt a fondness for Bhadra, as if she were his sister. He wanted to protect her from all the evil that plagued Kyrat.

Suddenly, the radio rang. It was Sabal.

Ajay, Pagan is dead. - he said with a solemn voice. Brother, it's over. I can hardly believe it. Did you find Lakshmana? - Sabal asked with enthusiasm. Yes, I did, Sabal. My mother can rest in peace now. Thank you. - Ajay replied coldly. Kirat is free, brother. Thanks to you. Mohan is also resting in peace now. Come home. I'll need a right-hand man to bring Kirat back to its roots. - Sabal said and hung up. Ajay felt a wave of anger and contempt for Sabal. Right-hand man? I had done all the dirty work and now Sabal wants to use me as a puppet? I won't let Sabal turn Kirat into a theocracy. I won't let Sabal do to Bhadra what my father had done to my mother: use her as a religious and political instrument, without caring about her feelings or desires. Ajay turned off the radio angrily and left Ghale Residence. He was tired of hearing Sabal's lies.

He went to visit his neighbors Reggie and Yogi. They were lying around doing nothing as usual. What a waste of life, he thought with contempt. He wouldn't tolerate them smoking near Bhadra when she came to live with him. She deserved more respect and consideration. Reggie: Hi, neighbor. Yogi: Ah! Mr. Ghale. Well, I guess that's it, then? Reggie: No more panic and destruction?

Yogi: Are you going to retire the old rocket launcher? Reggie: Put it on the shelf, the way it was: collecting dust. Yogi: Unless… Reggie: You have unfinished business? Maybe? Loose ends to tie up? Yogi: Or people you need to kill. Reggie: That's what I said, Donald. Yogi: My name is Yogi. Ajay said goodbye coldly and crossed the small stream. He thought to himself: "Sabal, I'm not your brother. I'm not your right-hand man. I'm the king of Kyrat. And I will free my people from the oppression of you and Amita". He muttered, with hatred. He had a mission: to rescue Bhadra, the young girl he considered a sister, the young girl he promised to protect. Ajay contacted Hurk by radio and asked for one more favor: that he take him by helicopter to Jalendu, where he had to save a princess in arrived at the Jalendu Temple with the intention of finding Sabal and Bhadra, the leaders of the Golden Path. He wanted to end the conflict that plagued Kirat and free Bhadra. But what he saw left him horrified. Sabal was at the entrance of the temple, with the rebels who supported Amita, the other candidate for the leadership of the Golden Path. All tied up and on their knees. He shouted, ordering them to be executed, making an insane speech.

You chose to fight against your own people. By taking Amita's side, you decided that you would make your own legacy and spit on the Gods. Now you kneel before the Tarun Matara, asking for forgiveness. No, no. Where was all this forgiveness when you massacred your brothers and sisters? You committed crimes against the very Gods. That's why I tell you: today you chose to cut your own neck. I don't.

Bhadra was sitting on a throne, dressed in ceremonial clothes. She seemed to be in a trance, as she did not react to anything. She looked at the void with a cold look. Ajay felt a pain in his chest when he saw Bhadra in that state. He couldn't believe that Sabal had done that to her. He couldn't let Sabal continue with that madness.

Wait, what about Bhadra? — asked Ajay, interrupting Sabal.

Now she is the Tarun Matara. The sins against the Gods can only be erased with blood. Purification is necessary to move forward, brother. — answered Sabal, with a crazy look.

The Tarun matara does not object? And you? - accused Ajay, with a furious look.

Ajay, what objection will Bhadra make? Are you crazy? She is in shock. For hours I think Amita was right. You have other intentions with Bhadra. — said Sabal, with contempt.

Bhadra? She is your hostage, Sabal! You are using her as a symbol to manipulate people! She is a girl, not a goddess! — said Ajay, indignant.

You don't see what you did to her, Sabal? She is catatonic! She doesn't speak, doesn't move, doesn't feel anything! She is a shadow of what she was before! You destroyed her! — shouted Ajay, pointing to the motionless girl.

You don't understand anything, Ajay! You are nothing but a foreigner, an outsider! You don't know what's best for Kirat! You betrayed your father's will and let Amita escape. You are weak, cowardly, useless! — said Sabal, pushing Ajay away with force.

Sabal, you've gone mad! You're killing people in the name of a lie! You're betraying everything the Golden Path stands for! — said Ajay, drawing his gun.

Don't challenge me, Ajay! I am the leader of the Golden Path! I am the protector of the Tarun Matara! I am the chosen one of the Gods! — said Sabal, raising the knife.

No, Sabal. You are a tyrant, a fanatic, a murderer. And I'm going to end this once and for all. — said Ajay, shooting Sabal. When the Golden Path soldiers were going to attack Ajay, they heard howls of wolves and saw Bhadra with a bloody face. She seemed to cry tears of blood. They were horrified by the scene and knelt down, begging for forgiveness. They said that Sabal had awakened the wrath of the gods and that Ajay was the chosen one and the new leader of the Golden Path. Sabal fell to the ground, moaning in pain. Ajay ran to Bhadra and hugged her. She was cold and pale. She did not react to his touch. Her eyes were empty and her face expressionless. She seemed to be in a trance, disconnected from reality. Ajay felt sorry for her and angry at Sabal. How could Sabal do that to her?

Bhadra, it's me, Ajay. I came to free you. Let's get out of here. Let's go to Ghale Residence. There you'll be fine - Ajay said, stroking her face. He saw the fear in her green eyes, which looked lost and empty. Suddenly, she looked into his eyes and began to speak in a strange language that he did not understand. He carried her in his arms and left the temple, avoiding the corpses that Sabal had left behind. He got into his helicopter and flew as fast as he could away from that hell. When he got close to Ghale Residence, he got out of the helicopter with Bhadra in his arms. She was shaking and sobbing softly, clinging to his chest.

It's okay, Bhadra. It's okay. I'm here with you - he said, trying to comfort her.

Ajay… Ajay… - she whispered, with a weak voice.

I'm here, Bhadra. I'm here - he repeated, carrying her in his arms. he climbed all the way up to the house and found Yogi & Reggie in the living room. They were surprised to see him and even more so to see Bhadra.

Hey, man, you're back! - Yogi said, getting up from the rug.

And you brought a girl! - Reggie said, widening his eyes.

Who is she? - Yogi asked, approaching.

It's Bhadra - Ajay said, with a tense voice.

The Tarun Matara? The reincarnation of the goddess? - Reggie asked, impressed.

Yes, but she's bad

Ajay said - Sabal forced her to watch him kill people.

That's crazy! - Yogi said - What did he want with her?

I don't know, but I'm afraid to imagine - Ajay said - Do you know how to get her out of this state?

Well, we have some experience with herbs - Reggie said - Maybe we can make a tea.

Or maybe we just need to wait for her to wake up - Yogi said - She needs to rest after going through a scene of terror.

Whatever it is, I need you to take care of her - Ajay said - She's just a child. She doesn't deserve this.

Sure, man, we'll take care of her - Yogi said - You can count on us.

Thank you - Ajay said. He thought about everything that had happened since he arrived in Kyrat. In his father, in his mother, in Pagan Min, in Amita, in Sabal. He had lost everything and everyone he loved or respected. He looked at Bhadra and felt a pang of affection. She was the only person he still had some connection with. She was the only person he wanted to protect. He wondered if she would recover from the trauma she had suffered. He wondered if she would forgive him for not arriving sooner.

He was exhausted and worried. He didn't know what had happened to Bhadra while he was away and how she would react when she woke up. Ajay fell asleep without realizing it, tired of the war and violence that plagued Kirat. He dreamed of Sabal wearing the Yalung mask dragging Bhadra to the Jalendu shrine. Ajay follows him desperately, but the scenery changes to Shangri-La, the legendary Tibetan paradise. It is a magical and beautiful place, full of colors and lights. He sees a woman resembling Bhadra sitting on a throne of flowers, dressed in red and gold clothes. She is beautiful and radiant, like a goddess. She calls him by name.

Ajay… Ajay… I'm waiting for you. You finally arrived. You are an honorable man, my chosen one, my companion… - she says, with a sweet and melodious voice.

Bhadra? Is that you? - he asks, confused. She shakes her head. Ajay doesn't understand if it's yes or no.

Who are you? - Ajay asks, perplexed.

I am Kira, the mother goddess of all kirats. I thank you for saving the Tarun Matara from Sabal's bloodlust. I would forgive everyone, no matter the side; they are all my sons and daughters. - She says, with a bitter voice. She began to cry and said that she didn't want Sabal to kill her people. Ajay felt relieved to hear her words, but also anguished to know that he had caused so much suffering.

I am to blame for putting Sabal in power of the Golden Path. - He says, with a tone of remorse.

It's not your fault, Ajay. Sabal was blind by faith. You are not to blame. - She says, with a loving voice.

Ajay, I just wanted to fulfill my mother's last wish: to free the people of Kirat, honor my father's legacy and protect Bhadra. She is the only person in this madness that I still care about. I don't want for Bhadra the same fate as my mother; I want her to be happy as possible, to have a normal life. I want to see her smiling; something I rarely see. Bhadra has no reason to smile; I don't want to see children going through the nightmare that Bhadra went through. - He says, with a tone of sadness. The young goddess is touched by his answer and smiles at Ajay.

Ajay, protect Bhadra, protect Kirat. - She asks, with a loving voice. She gets up from the throne and walks up to him. She hugs him and kisses him passionately. In his ear, she whispers:

Ajay, protect Bhadra, protect Kirat. - She asks, with a loving voice. She gets up from the throne and walks up to him. She hugs him and kisses him passionately. In his ear, she whispers:

Ajay, protect me. She takes him to a tent made of silk and petals. Inside, they make love, without fear or guilt. When the scene starts to heat up, Ajay wakes up all sweaty and panting. He is confused and scared. What a strange dream… Ajay got up from the rug and looked at Bhadra, who was still sleeping deeply. He felt a mix of relief and anguish when he saw her there, so fragile and innocent. He approached her carefully and stroked her face. She opened her eyes slowly and stared at him. He saw a glint of recognition in her gaze, but soon after a cloud of confusion and fear took over her. She squeezed his hand and asked, with a trembling voice:

Where am I? Who are you? What happened to me? Ajay felt a tightness in his chest when he heard those words. He remembered everything they had been through together, how he saved her from Sabal's clutches, how he protected her from Pagan Min's soldiers, how he considered her a sister. He tried to explain, with a gentle voice: You're safe, Bhadra. I'm Ajay, your friend, your… your ally. We fought against Sabal and Pagan Min, we freed Kyrat, we… He stopped talking when he saw Bhadra's expression change. She looked at him with a mix of fear and gratitude.

You saved me from Sabal? He told me I was the Tarun Matara, the goddess of Kyrat. He forced me to see terrible things. He hurt a lot of people. She looked into Ajay's eyes and remembered everything he had done for her. She felt a wave of relief and affection for him.

You are very brave, Ajay. You are very good. She started to sob and clung to him. Ajay hugged her and tried to calm her down. He said:

It's okay, Bhadra. I'm here. You're safe with me. He smiled and stroked her hair.

Sabal is dead. I had no choice but to kill him. He was a madman, a fanatic, a murderer who deceived you, used you and hurt you. You don't have to be afraid of him anymore. You're not a goddess, Bhadra. You're a girl, a… - He says, but is interrupted by her.

A almost younger sister? Is that what you were going to say? - She asks, indignant. - Do you think I'm a child? That I don't know what I feel? - She breaks free from his embrace and faces him defiantly. - In my land, I am a woman.

She thinks of her grandmother, who at 12 was already a great hunter and took care of three children alone. How she wished she had that decision-making ability, that willpower. How she wanted to be a woman like her.

Ajay stroked her hair.

You are safe with me. I will take care of you. I will protect you. — he says, trying to calm her down. He looked into her eyes and was overcome by a strong feeling. He remembered the dream he had with the Goddess. She looked a lot like Bhadra. Was she Bhadra or Kira? He shook his head and pushed those thoughts away.

What nonsense, Ajay! She is only 14 years old! And she is like a younger sister! I would never get involved with her! — He thinks, condemning himself.

I like her. — He thinks, confessing.

I will not make the same mistake that my father made with my mother. Then he asked her to rest, because they needed to talk about their future, about the future of Kirat and about his dream of becoming king of Kirat.

[ask-de-writer]

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SUBMARINE! 1812 an Alternate History

Chapter 6 : KRAKEN

(Part 1 of 5)

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

5462 words

© 2023 by Glen Ten-Eyck

All rights reserved.

This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

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Fan art, stories, music, cosplay and other fan activity is actively encouraged.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

KRAKEN-

Anchors were dropped with a rattle of heavy chain, followed by the hiss of heavy cable through the hause-pipes as the hooks sought and found purchase in the bottom of Hampton Roads. We were home at last.

The seaman beside me was precariously standing on the rail of the Maryland, one hand on a line for balance, the other waving enthusiastically at the small boats approaching from shore. “I got me more than two thousand gold Continentals in prize money to blow,” he confided to me. “I’d ha’ stayed out longer, iffin’ I was the Commodore. We chewed ‘em up and spit ‘em out so good.”

“Indeed we did, though I was one of those who said that we should return,” I replied.

“So why’d we come back? You got the inside skinny?”

“Only part of it. If it helps any, even Commodore Marks shared your view. We had two attack boats damaged in loading accidents there at the last. Shark lost her mast and a tackle failure caused Polliwog serious damage to rudder and diving planes. We had not the facilities to refit the Shark. Still, we were willing to continue, with altered raising tackle. There was something in that last messenger packet’s dispatches that changed The Commodore’s mind. What that was I do not know.”

“What’s up? Green Jackets in boats is turnin’ back the harbor boats...” The shrill of the bosun’s pipe sounding assembly interrupted him. He leapt nimbly down to the deck and ran aft with the rest of the crew. Commodore Marks was standing on the poop deck, ready to address the crew.

“Men,” he cried, “you have done what no nation has ever done before. You have humbled the Beast of Britain on her home seas. Even the least among you has enough prize money to buy a decent farm. Our holds bear a secret and that secret is the rocket, nothing else. If any man or woman questions you about other weapons or even the submarine boats, what do you do?”

There was a pregnant pause, followed by one man saying, “Report ‘em!” Suddenly the whole crew caught it. “Report ‘em!” they thundered as one.

“That’s right! Report ‘em! There are no submarine boats! Anyone who says that there are is a liar! An arrested liar at that! It’s rockets that sent the Brits to the bottom! Is every man here clear on that?”

“Aye, Sir!” they responded.

“Signal man! Clear the boats to approach us! Bosun Harding has the harbor duty assignments. Those not on harbor duty may go ashore and God go with you.”

Bosun Harding read off a dozen names and was met by as many groans of disappointment.

The many small boats swarmed like a gaggle of geese about our ships. Many were carrying liveried servants from great houses, and at least as many more were carrying ladies. They all were bearing invitations to come to parties being held in the honor of our deed. The servants wanted officers, or at least the highest ranking men that they could get for their master’s “rocket parties.”

The ladies were mostly less discriminating. They were there to invite any man that they could get to come to their ‘parties.’ Some of those parties were very private and some were open invitations from the brothels of Norfolk.

One boat cut through the swarm and all made way for it. It bore the ensign of the Office of the President of the Continental Congress. Riding stiffly erect, in his fine coat of green broadcloth with red and gold trim, was the President’s personal aide, my grandfather, Tall Bear. He had three eagle feathers in his braid. The bosun piped him aboard.

In spite of his age, he climbed the ladder easily and swiftly gained the deck. That he saw me in his brief glance about the deck, I was sure, but he went straight to the Commodore and they went into his cabin. Whatever the discussion was, it was brief. They emerged moments later, and he strode gravely across the deck to me.

He looked me up and down, quietly. “You have done well. We have read every dispatch and all of your letters too. It would appear that all of your devices have done as well or better in real action than we had hoped.

“Your mother, Sun on the Cloud, misses you. Also your sister, Cornflower, wishes you to meet her new husband.” Here he at last grinned and clapped me on the arm and thrust a letter into my hand. “Harvest Moon wants to see you, too. Most urgently. When are you two going to settle down together?”

“I don’t know, Grandfather. When the war permits. I, too, wish to see the forests and lakes of home. I will come home as soon as I can find the time. I have missed you all.”

“It will have to wait a bit longer. I bear an invitation from your Uncle, President Arnold. All of the principal officers and you submariners are to go to Philadelphia for a special reception at the Presidential Mansion. Something big is in the wind. That is all that I can say about it here.”

“May I come with you, Grandfather?”

“I fear not, Tecumsah. I have a number of errands to accomplish yet. I will not get back in time to be at the fete. Smollet will be there.”

“Mister Smollet! I haven’t seen him for ages! What is new from his workshops?”

“I cannot say. I am sure that he will tell you himself. You two always did understand each other better than any two men ought. Now, I must go.” With that, he strode across the deck to the ladder and the bosun piped him off the ship.

To be continued

NEXT==>

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[majormeilani]

What are your thoughts on the DLCs and Mafia Town? I know that you also think that Battle of the Birds is the best chapter and that you're not too fond of Alpine Skyline.

hattytime thoughts.... okay.

on mafia town:

i think it's an alright chapter? i mean, i think it's full of a lot of character and environmental storytelling that helps you put everything together about what happened on the island. it also leaves you to wonder a lot about it too. the only thing that kind of disappoints me about it is that we don't really learn that much about mafia boss and his intentions are left extremely vague as well. i also kinda wish the acts had a more cohesive purpose to being there and didn't seem all over the place and random. like the race one is just there for no reason it seems like lmao okay? i know that was probably a leftover from cut content tho (riding a rocket)

i know a lot of people think that mafia town is an 'ugly' level but personally i think it's rather nice looking and i think its kind of 'gummy' look really adds to the degradation of the island.

i do really kind of wish that we got more out of it or some resolution that was properly set for mu as well because i feel like there's so much more we need to know about her.

one underrated part of the level that is probably my favorite is heating up mafia town. not only is the concept really funny but it's actually a nice and light little challenge for the early-midpoint of the game. i love what it tells us about mu and her knowledge of the island as well, so again some rather nice environmental storytelling. i also thought the little feast that the mafia goons had made for her was kinda sweet, even if they were assholes to her and what they did to mu sucks 😔 but the statues that are there and them calling hat kid their "hero" really makes me think......................... like augh.

on the arctic cruise:

i liked this chapter but i wouldn't say it was one of my favorites. i wish it were a little bit longer but tbh i don't know what else i would have personally expected from it in terms of gameplay. it was rather challenging to do ship shape and i remember having such a hard time playing it the first time. i played that level for like over an hour before i got it. i think part of it is really nailing the layout of the level and knowing all of the shortcuts, which is really hard to do in your first time around.

i liked rock the boat however, even if that one was also really challenging. i mostly liked it though for what it told us about hat kid and her character. that instead of just abandoning everyone for how rotten that they treated her, she makes the effort to save everyone. and you could tell that hat kid really regret her decision and felt remorse like idk i love that a lot. esp bc some people took hat kid to be the type to not care about any of them but it goes to show that she did, at least a little bit.

i think walrus captain does deserve some more attention too but it's kind of sad that he doesn't play all that big of a role in the dlc. but he seems like a good guy just very depressed to the point that he can't really find the energy to be more involved in things. also his little backstory is really tragic and you can tell he used to care deeply about everything until he experienced loss. i think grief is one of the most interesting things to have a character endure and i'm kind of thankful that they had a character in ahit going through it. it's also really sad to me that he wanted to go down with his ship, like he didn't have anything else to live for at that point but hat kid still pulled him out of it and carried him to safety. even if that part is played off like a joke kind of, like everything else serious in the game really, it's still very. sad.

there's also the deep sea rift that was like the worst fucking thing ever, at least first time i tried to figure it out. that level genuienely made me turn on assist mode for the first time ever playing ahit it was that bad for me LMAOOOOOO. like aesthetically it's very pretty but augh. very unforgiving level for sure. HOWEVER i will say that i've gotten much better at that level and the trick for those who are struggling: collect as many pons as you can on the first levels and you should have enough to skip one of the really difficult ones.

deathwish itself since it's a part of the dlc i have many thoughts on it. i'm probably in the minority in that i actually think a lot of the deathwishes were lots of fun! my favorites were wound up windmill and killing two birds. wound-up windmill is just a lot of fun for how fast paced it is and i've always really liked a lot of the platforming for the windmill. and for killing two birds, y'know as a dead bird studio enthusiast that's kind of a given. but more because that deathwish actually makes me laugh hysterically to play, especially since dj grooves and conductor can actually damage each other with their attacks. and that deathwish is prone to the funniest glitches i've ever seen. i don't even mind dying a thousand times because i'm just laughing my ass off. also both of those deathwishes have the best osts too like i can unironically listen to both of those for hours.

though in general i think all the deathwishes are really cool. i like the bonus storybooks too they mean a lot to me tbh. the only deathwish i cannot for the life of me beat is the 'no jumps' candle for trainrush like i've tried so many times and i don't think i'll ever get that one...

we also can't forget that deathwish also brought us the peace and tranquility smug dance which is iconic LOLLL

on nyakuza metro:

ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS DLC. i think it's genuinely gfb's best work on ahit thus far. i think the animations are gorgeous, especially empress' animation like holy fuck? i love love love the environment design and i think they applied the concept they intended with the free exploration well and in a creative way, much better and less confusing than what they did with alpine. i just think everything about the environment and level designs were so good! and the ambience and character of the npcs also added so much life to the level. it's just. there's so much to praise.

i also love that the finale level instead of being a face off against empress is you escaping the metro with her chasing you. it broke away from the mold but in a good way to where it actually. it told you a lot about empress as a character too in that she usually has others handle her dirty work instead of acting on it herself and that when she has to she's rather ruthless about it, though even a little reckless because she ends up having some fallout to her own detriment in the end. empress also seems to know the metro like the back of her paw as well, seeing as she beats you to the elevator and confronts you which makes her really intimidating.

i also looooovvveeeee all the outfits and hat flairs that you can get from the metro cats and the buying food mechanic was cute and unique, i love the little voice acting with it too. i also love the stickers and the charm they add and how fun they are to collect. the badges are also lots of fun ever though they're cosmetic mostly. also it kind of gave end game players a way to spend their pons, which i think is really awesome because you always end up with so many of those lmao.

in regards to the storybook for the dlc i'm a little bit disappointed we don't learn all that much about empress or any of her background from it. but that timerift was really unique and fun to explore. i like to believe that the rift taking place in a rumbi factory tells us that empress used to work in one as a mechanic but that's just me.

by far my favorite dlc though!

on vanessa's curse:

this one was one i was very excited for when they made an announcement for it. it kind of was a little less story than i was expecting to come from it but it think despite that it was really impressive for a creator dlc.

when it first released it was so cool to explore all the corners of the manor and figure out the mechanics of it. even though it still can be glitchy at times, it does run rather well despite that and i play on a laptop LOL.

i think what they tried to do with it was a cool concept as well. it took the collect-a-thon aspect and built off the multiplayer concept that was implemented in an earlier addition to the game and made those work in a real time environment for challenging collaborative play.

i think that the level design is very pretty and well thought-out too, even though i often still get a little lost sometimes. i've especially a fan of the interior design and decor.

i think my favorite thing about the dlc though was all the cosmetics. i loveee how there's hat flairs that actually did unique things with hat kid's powers. like how the ice hats give you a different ice sculpture and the brewing flairs add unique splatter and explosion effects. i think my favorite flairs have to be the dweller mask glasses, the crown, the donut and the lampshade. the dyes were also really pretty and i loved that we got another unique weapon variant. i'm a sucker for the cosmetics they make me happy. ALSO i love hat kid's little pigtails for the punk dye. it's about time that she got another unique hairstyle.

overall i think vanessa's curse is fun but idk. sometimes i wish there were a little more? but i suppose what we have is good too.

thanks for asking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ketchupkio]

hey ho, op of the totk rant about the sandbox approach to totk here, i read your tags and i just wanted to add that i am german and played the game with the original japanese audio and german text, i like to call the things as the names i know them as even if i know the english version of them as well :D

i understand that you like the sonau tech stuff (personally i found it super clunky and mostly too tedious to deal with .. also i just like walking or riding around gdfhkbndj) and i get that, i totally do! and im not trying to argue against having that sort of movement in the game, but the EXECUTION of it!

like you could have achieved the same kind of movement and abilities with shiekah tech, you have all the parts from guardians, you could make flying maschines too! even more effiecient with guardian legs beign able to step over stuff that wheels get stuck on- and after zelda is in charge now shiekah tech could have been developed further again since she liked it too and wouldnt impose any rule against it, the time reversal for example could just have been the stasis rune but taken further- and if you had zelda as your companion, you could have an ability to losely attached the pieces you want to build (like with the shiekah arm prosthetic i gave link for the rewrite im doing for example) and zelda does the actual building to make it work in a quick little animation- for nearly everythign the sonau are used for the shiekah basically already had it and its driving me nuts that they instead undid it all only to .. do it again but worse o-o

sorry for the lil rant hdbksbfsbfkjd

YEAH I TOTALLY AGREE!!! The stuff that they wanted to implement could have been done much better with more ✨nuance and finesse✨ than the actual execution, and the reason given that the Sheikah tech just magically disappeared one day???? Bullshit. No one acknowledges this, and there are still Sheikah tech parts in the towers and the tech labs??? It obviously didn't ALL go away bc it's still there in those specific places. I don't know how the tech that's lasted 10,000 years up to this point, that works regardless if we take the tower warp pads as evidence, would know that the Calamity is gone and just disappear. It didn't go away once you did all the shrines, and you could argue that the monks were the last living part of it that would know if Link did it or not???

It's just. It's stupid, and very evident that the director was different from one game to the next. Totk kind of undoes the message that botw had and that just makes me angy (not to mention the blatant lore crimes that we're all going to have to work around if we wanna make the whole timeline make sense. I want to tear my hair out).

It would be better, as far as the botw shrines go, to just make them inactive. The door closes, the light goes out, the warp pad turns off. The totk shrines are plopped around because that's a Rauru thing, and they look like they're going to disappear anyway once his spirit is at rest, bc it's just a big rock, a decorative stone thing, and some sand. They're not part of the landscape like the botw shrines were.

Really, I only like the Zonai tech for the hover bike part and the steering stick applications, everything else I don't usually touch (though rocket shields are fun as a replacement Revali's gale). Like a lot of people have done really cool things with it, but I'm not those people 😂😂😂 I just have my One Thing that I use to get around scary places and it pulls left pretty hard so it's far from perfect.

The same thing could have been accomplished many different ways without introducing the Zonai. Like I would have given anything to see the Twili come back with their lore entwined with the Sheikah (bc the Sheikah probably learned how to make their stuff from the Zonai! It would make sense if the game acknowledged it).

Hahaha,,,,, I could go on about this forever tbh. My opinion on totk as a whole is: fun to play but disappointing. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Now all we can do is fix it with fanfic.

Though that was a good idea on how to re implement the Sheikah stuff! If you're cool with it, I might use it :3c (not for a whole retelling of totk, just for like. Flavor in the au I'm working on bc I was already planning to ignore the botw shrines disappearing.)

[crossoverbaps]

Breadwinners' Doom Part 1

SwaySway and Buhdeuce were imprisoned for the destruction of tons of property and nearly endangering the lives of the ducks in Ducktown. They didn't mean to harm anyone, but Rambamboo insisted they were to be locked up for an entire year.

"Who is going to deliver the bread now?" SwaySway asked. Suddenly Rambamboo reluctantly unlocked the door.

"SwaySway, your parents have paid handsomely for your bail." Rambamboo groaned, behind her were two ducks who smiled and waved sadly at their son and his delivery partner. SwaySway teared up and then started to sob. His parents immediately hugged their son and made shushing noises.

"You… You did this for me?" SwaySway whimpered as his eyes filled with tears.

"Son, we may be a little disappointed but we still love you very much." Garret, his father explained.

"You're still our little Swayski." His mom Steph pinched his cheek. Buhdeuce watched and teared up a little as well.

"I'm sorry I haven't visited as much as I promised…" SwaySway apologized. "I can visit more… I need help…"

"You don't have to. We have to stay with you." Steph smiled but seemed sorrowful.

"Your freedom comes at a price. Your license is taken away and you can't earn it back until next year." Rambamboo took Sway's license away. SwaySway's lip quivered.

"But who will deliver the bread?" SwaySway questioned worriedly.

"We will." Garret told SwaySway.

"You can still ride with us, though." Steph told SwaySway.

"That's not fair!" SwaySway was about to try try get his license back from Rambamboo, but Garret held him back.

"Sway, you have to calm down." Garret commanded. SwaySway sighed as his parents took him and Buhdeuce into the Rocket Van and parked at the swamp pad. The parents gasped at how much the boys let the place go. There was grime everywhere and the dishes were covered in disgusting bacteria.

"SwaySway! What happened to the place?" Steph scowled.

"I… We cleaned it last year." SwaySway grinned sheepishly. "New record."

"Sway, go to your room." Garret told him.

"My room? I'm eighteen!" SwaySway laughed.

"Go to your room, we'll discuss this soon." Garret frowned, Steph nodded in agreement.

SwaySway pouted and walked into his room, then closed the door.

"Guess we have to clean this up…" Garret sighed.

"I feel bad for us being hard on him but he needs to learn." Steph shook her head.

"Me too, sweetheart." Garret held her hands and looked at her sadly. "Let's check on him once he cools down."

"What about me?" Buhdeuce asked.

"We'll call your mom." Steph told Buhdeuce. "She and I go way back."

"Alright…" Buhdeuce sighed. "May I go keep Sway company?"

"Be our guest." Garret agreed. Buhdeuce was about to open the door but it was locked,  so he decided to knock instead.

"Go away!" SwaySway complained.

"It's me. Buhdeuce." Buhdeuce said. The lock turned.

"Come in." Sway gave in. Buhdeuce got on the bed next to the crying duck. "Looks like my big bap needs some duck hugs."

Garret saw a bunch of video tapes that said "Jenny Quackles." He put one inside the VHS and it showed a bunch of clips of Jenny Quackles, then onscreen was a map for inside the Swamp Pad. Curiously, he went to a trap door and saw a shrine of his crush Jenny. He growled and scowled and immediately explained everything to his wife.

"He what?!" Steph gasped in horror. Both parents knocked on the door slightly hard. They only ever did that if SwaySway was in big trouble. He swallowed and walked outside the door.

"Sway, I know you're obsessed with this girl and it seems you two don't even know each other." Garret frowned.

"But dad, I love her." SwaySway retorted.

"That's no excuse to be this obsessive. You are not to follow this girl any longer." Steph told him.

"Mom, Dad. You're treating me like a kid." SwaySway whined.

"Because you keep acting like one." Garret scolded. SwaySway's eyes filled with more tears than before and then he started to cry out loud Garret frowned and hugged his son once again. "Sway… We're sorry. We don't want to punish you."

"You don't?" SwaySway whimpered. As he rested his head on his dad's shoulder.

"Of course not, we're just worried about you." Steph told her son as she lifted his chin a little. "But you must get your life back together."

"And we will help." Garret told him. SwaySway was still sad about the situation but he hugged his parents tightly, they did so back. "We love you very much, son. We just need to show you more tough love."

"But we still need to be there for you." Steph added. "The first step for you is cleaning this mess up."

"But I like my mess!" SwaySway complained. "And Buhdeuce likes it even more."

"We all like our messes but we can't let it get this out of hand." Garret told him. "But we can work on this together."

"Alright." SwaySway sighed.

"Fine!" Buhdeuce scoffed.

As they continued cleaning, something from under the stairs chuckled at them mischievously.

"Who's there?!" SwaySway demanded as he put an arm in front of Buhdeuce, slightly pushing him back.

"Who do you think put that hole in your bag to make you go all the way back and use shortcuts again?" The voice chuckled.

"Show yourself!" SwaySway barked. The source of the voice obeyed, revealing a scraggly blue shrew-like creature who wore an indigo and gold outfit that almost looked like an astronaut suit but with a matching backwards cap instead of a space helmet. "Aww, you're actually kind of cute! What am I saying?! YOU ruined our reputations?"

"I only helped, you did so well on your own. You just need a little extra push." The alien shrew smirked. "You see, I am your bad luck, your very doom! But you can call me Fraz Flub."

"You took everything from me!" SwaySway growled.

"Not everything." Fraz grinned.

"You better not hurt my beautiful parents!" SwaySway hissed.

"Again, you did that fine yourself." Fraz told him.

"I… Huh?" SwaySway froze and then looked at the ground in shame.

"It's not your parents you need to be rid of. It's your best friend that needs to go." Fraz pointed at Buhdeuce. SwaySway stood in front of him.

"You leave him alone!" SwaySway growled.

"Of course." Fraz grinned sheepishly and then slipped through a mouse hole that was too small for SwaySway's melon shaped head and Buhdeuce's round body.

"He got away!" SwaySway clenched his fist.

"We'll get him next time!" Buhdeuce promised.

"Not you. I don't want him to hurt you." SwaySway put his hand on Buhdeuce's shoulder while kneeling. "And don't worry about me, he looks too small and weak to hurt me."

"It's not his strength I'm worried about, he seems really smart…" Buhdeuce bit his bottom lip.

"And I am too. Just stay away from that area, promise?" SwaySway pleaded.

"Promise…" Buhdeuce reluctantly complied. SwaySway picked up his best buddy and squeezed him.

[thirteenmyspacegirl]

glaring at him rn all i wanted was a chill birthday ride 😭 and he had to rocket off and not listen to me AT ALL i am very disappointed -.-

[auniverseforgotten]

13 16 21 for the pokemon ask game!

o boy here we go

13. favorite antagonist team

This one is hard because I enjoy a lot of them for different reasons. Like I love that Team Rocket is just straight up the mob, they are definitely a legitimate Threat, but then like I also love Team Skull because they are TEAM SKULL.

But for a favorite...well, Team Aqua and Team Magma are tied. I enjoy the fact that they are both just so dumb??? They want to improve the world for Pokemon but they somehow never took an earth science course (even though Maxie ABSOLUTELY has) and thus don't know that expanding the land or the ocean has Serious Consequences for everyone. Like I enjoy that the ideas/goal aren't fundamentally evil, but they are so misguided that they fall to doing evil things to accomplish their goals. And they are just...so, so stupid, I love them.

BUT to avoid a tie, I'll say my fave is Team Magma, solely because, going by the ORAS redesigns, I love that these idiots wear sweaters in a volcano.

16. least favorite shiny pokemon

Honestly I have SO MANY. I love a lot of shinies but just as many are...so bad. But the reason why this one is hard isn't because of like, degree of ugliness of colors as much as it is that my least favorite shinies are the most disappointing ones. With that in mind, my least favorite shiny is Leafeon, because we could have had AUTUMN COLORED LEAFEON and instead we got Slightly Darker Leafeon.

I am gonna give a couple runner-ups. Kecleon, because Pokemon Mystery Dungeon had the Kecleon Brothers and I think the shiny should have been purple and green like the brother instead of slightly different yellow markings and blue stripe instead of red.

And my other runner-up, Dragonite, and this one IS because I dislike the colors because we go from lovely pink and gold to very questionable purple and green. And purple and green is a color combo I do enjoy together, but...not these shades.

21. favorite legendary/mythical pokemon

I am bullied, BULLIED I SAY. Now I AM going to cheat and list a legendary and mythical Pokemon because they are two separate categories.

So, legendary. This one is very hard because I love two legendary Pokemon very much, but I am going to go with Suicune. Aside from a whole lotta love for the Johto games fueling this choice, I also adore Suicune's design? The color palette is one I enjoy, I like the ribbons and the mane, I am heavily biased towards water types, and as a kid I definitely wanted to ride on it like a horse. It also plays an important role in the fourth Pokemon movie, which is one I remember very fondly.

The runner-up here, if anyone cares to know, is Articuno, the OG Kanto version. Love me an ice birb and that TAIL.

And Mythical is even harder because I have many emotions about many of them and I love so many. Manaphy especially has a place in my heart because of how desperately I wanted one and how IMPOSSIBLE it was for me until they were rereleased, I even tried the Pokemon Ranger thing and it didn't work lol.

But one of my two fave mythic Pokemon is Jirachi. I cant really explain why; is it the zero thoughts looking face? The eye on the stomach, because I love me some eyes where they don't belong? Or is it the wish-granting mechanic? Who knows, certainly not me.

Also I am calling this one a TIE because I ADORE Celebi. Teeny bug with the power of time, what will it do. Yes I know Celebi is Psychic/Grass but it is bug in my heart. I love the design and the colors, grass Pokemon being another weakness, but once again I also have built emotions based on other Pokemon media. The fourth Pokemon movie is Celebi-centric and amazing, ESPECIALLY THE HEARTBREAK OF THAT SCENE, but in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, she was also a very important character.

Thanks so much for the ask, this was a ton of fun!! :D Feel free to send more in if you like!

The ask meme: Clicky

[eldritchtouched]

Been thinking about TF2 AU Elden Ring with the demigods. Like, who would fit which classes and why.

Malenia as Scout. Both are the youngest of eight (acknowledged) children and known for their fast-paced and relentless style of fighting that requires a lot of maneuverability on their parts. While Scout is far more arrogant and brash, the boast Malenia gives could have shades of it, since she has been felled in battle.

Rykard as Soldier. Let me be perfectly clear that I think Rykard is far more ‘insane’ by any metric than Mohg but people latch onto that description for Mohg because of Gideon. His whole plan is basically “get vored and then eat everyone,” which is frankly not a workable plan, especially since he keeps eating all the possibly sympathetic Tarnished who might otherwise join his ranks. Soldier, as a character, has a very shaky grasp of reality and his methods of handling everything is questionable, such as rocket-jumping, and it only works because the TF2 setting is heavy on cartoon logic. They’re also incredibly hammy. Tanith is also as ride-or-die as Zhanna, what with the former’s eating Rykard’s corpse in hopes of rebirthing him and the latter with the ear necklace. Rykard also uses lava as a sort of environmental hazard in his fight, much like how Soldier has splash damage.

Melina as Pyro. Melina and Pyro both have a heavy association with flame and have basically almost no information about themselves. Indeed, they tend to act more as a mirror to build other characterization up outside of the small slivers of glimpses about them. They are surrounded in speculation because of how little there otherwise is. Narratively, in Pyro’s case, and literally in Melina’s case, they’re phantoms within the work. (While this also applies with Godwyn and Miquella to a lesser extent, we get more about them.)

Godwyn as Demoman. This one is the shakiest by far. (And some would say that, due to design motifs, Mogh might fit here better for missing an eye and being considered ‘cursed’ but design motifs were mostly a secondary consideration for this list in favor of their lores, characterization, and how they handle combat.) However, Godwyn and Demoman both get shit done. Godwyn managed to fight dragons to a standstill and a good Demoman is insanely good at mopping up a whole team, especially fi they know all the tricks. Both also have mothers who expect them to do certain things a certain way, the former being how Marika was probably trying to groom Godwyn to take her place at first, and Demoman’s mother and how that plays out. In both cases, they’re disappointed in their sons for specific things related to their vocations/directions their life have gone in.

Radahn as Engineer. Radahn may be big and brash, while Engineer is as short hardhat man, but both are intelligent characters specializing in, among other things, physics and teleportation-related abilities. They also have shades of questionable morality that many of the audience do not see.

Mohg as Heavy. This one might be controversial, both because Heavy/Medic is a common pairing while Mohg/Miquella is reviled outside of a subset of the fandom who actually ship it. However, I’m focusing on two things in particular, despite being a Mohg/Miquella shipper! First has to do with their fighting style. Mohg and Heavy both take whatever someone dishes out and then responds in kind. They are very bulky and it takes time for them to reposition because of it. Heavy and Mohg also have a lot going on under the surface that’s similar. Heavy became a mercenary in order to protect his family and keeps them hidden in the middle of nowhere in the Dzhugdzhur mountains and is often assumed to be slow-witted by virtue of his simple English. (He is not stupid, he has a PhD. in Russian literature.) Due to his appearance, Mohg is often assumed to be a monster and not a very bright one at that despite having one of the more workable plans in the post-Shattering setting, and keeps his following safe by virtue of only teleportation being the means to access the grounds under a wasteland. And if you get anywhere near the most vulnerable of the bunch, they will tear you a new asshole.

Miquella as Medic. Both have strong associations with biology specifically, between Medic’s expertise and animal experimentation, and Miquella’s routine moth motifs. They are shrouded in ‘angelic’ imagery to the audience and can be incredibly charming and affable. They are also notably bad at fighting directly. The rest of the characters around them can defend themselves well, but Miquella and Medic are uniquely vulnerable characters because fighting is not their primary focus. While they both can defend themselves in the pinch, it’s clearly more risky for them because, again, not their focus. There is also a strong element of their manipulation, if you delve into their characters. Medic is able to be quite manipulative, to the point of conning the Devil, while Miquella might have the ability to make people like him. Both have strong focuses on healing, with Medic’s being literal and Miquella’s being metaphorical with the Haligtree. Medic and Miquella also have associations with raising up to divinity- Medic is all about creating gods/an ubermensch/playing god and Miquella himself is trying to raise himself up to divinity.

Morgott as Sniper. Morgott and Sniper both have a characterization where they’re kind of obsessed with validation from their parents to actually treat them well (and only receive it upon death canonically, though Sniper gets better). Morgott’s fighting style is also generally 1 on 1 and his sword is dex-based, while Sniper is very much only fighting 1 on 1 or hanging back and sniping or observing.

Ranni as Spy. Spy and Ranni both share fairly ‘cold’ motifs, being incredibly pragmatic and using people to their own ends. They are also both associated with performing assassinations with blades that can functionally kill instantly. They also both do not wear their own faces, as Spy both has his disguises and keeps his face hidden, while Ranni abandoned her body in favor of a doll body. While often cool and playing things close to the chest, they can be endearing to those whom they trust, though that is a scant few, including whoever they take as a lover.

[jellostories]

AJ the Very Whimsical, Ch. 25: The Legend of the Air Vent

To those who have lost loved ones in The Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine Wars. God bless you all. ♥

~~~~

NorthStarr Elementary School was no stranger to legends, rumors, or hearsay. For example, there were rumors that anyone who swung over the bar on the upper-grade playground’s swing-set would be teleported to a family fun center in Las Vegas. Or how about the legend of the goop monster who lived behind the pot of gulosh in the school’s kitchen?

But perhaps the most infamous NorthStarr legend was the one about how you could travel through the air vents “like space tubes in a sci-fi movie”, according to the fifth graders.

Upon hearing this legend, AJ immediately became so enthralled, she decided she wanted--

“--to try eet out for myself!” the bubbly girl said to Twist in the hallway, mere moments before the morning bell was supposed to ring.

Twist looked at AJ as if she’d just said she was a cyborg who ate car batteries to recharge herself.

“Are you insane, Angel?” Twist said. “Haven’t you heard about the kids who’ve already tried riding through the air vents? Billie Jean Tucker from Miss Golden’s class got stuck in there for almost a whole hour, and when they finally got her out, her shirt was covered in mysterious sawdust!”

AJ laughed and waved her hand dismissively at Twist.

“Seelly Tweesty,” the bubbly girl chortled. “I climbed down my chim-in-ey last December to leave a letter for Pere Noel*, and I only got stuck for three minutes! Not to mention--” Here AJ grabbed either side of her frilly, lavender dress and curtsied, “--I’m wearing a dress, not a shirt.”

Twist massaged her forehead, likely trying to prevent AJ’s quirky-itis from infecting her mind.    

“Just -- stay away from the air vents, ok, Angel?” Twist said right as the morning bell rang.

DING, DONG, DONG-DIING! DONG, DING, DING-DONG!

Because of this, all AJ heard Twist say was: “Air vents -- ok, Angel?”

The silly girl smiled and gave her friend the thumbs-up sign.

Satisfied, Twist followed her classmates into their homeroom, completely unaware of the lack of changes in her naïve friend’s plan for the day. 

AJ’s smile remained on her face as she watched everyone file into class. Then, once the coast was clear, the silly girl bounded towards the air vent across the hall and unhooked the latches on the grate. The air blew AJ’s hair back as she set the grate down on the floor and waited for the vent to suck her in.

A few seconds passed with no incident, and AJ started to become disappointed. But suddenly…

WHOOOOSH!

AJ was sucked into the air vent like dust into a super-vacuum. The next thing she knew, she was shooting through the ventilation system like a rocket, zigzagging over this room and that room. 

“Le woohoo!” the little girl cheered, relishing the breeze blowing through her hair and the adrenaline pumping through her veins. What was Tweesty so worried about!? Zis eez awesome!

As she shot over another classroom, AJ could’ve sworn she felt someone (or something) tug on her dress, followed by a SHRIIIP sound and a surprised scream, but she was too busy having fun to pay those things any mind.

“Le brrr!” AJ thought, shivering. “Zese air vents sure get drafty after a while. Eet’s almost like I’m ‘alf-nakey or somezing!”

~~~~

A few minutes later, in the janitor’s closet on the second floor…

AJ laughed like a carefree fool as she fell from the broken air grate into the dirty laundry basket below.

“Ahhh,” the little girl breathed, laying back among the rags. “Sweet, adventurous relief! Zair’s nuzzing like going on a fun adventure een a cute dress you designed your--your--your--”

AJ stuttered to a halt as she looked down to find that her dress was gone. The only (semi-mentionable) clothes she had left were her green leggings, her tank top, and the whistle necklace she’d gotten from her father.  

So, in other words…

“Sacrebleu**…” AJ said in a brittle voice, her eyes shrunk to pinpoints. “I--I am ‘alf-nakey…”

The little girl was about to fly into full-blown panic mode. What should she do!? Her mommy had always told her to try to dress nice in public (which confused AJ, since party-goers and hippies rarely looked nice at all), but how was she going to follow that advice if all she had on her were her tank tops and leggings!? AJ supposed she could slip her underwear off and wear it as a hat to spruce up what was left of her outfit, but Mommy had gotten mad at her the last time she’d done that. So, what now!?

AJ scanned the room for something -- anything -- she could use to cover up her semi-mentionables, and a few seconds later, she found it, right by the bottles of cleaning alcohol.

“Bongo de bingo!” the silly girl exclaimed, her smile morphing back onto her freckled face.

~~~~

A few moments later, in Mrs. Purple’s room…

For some strange reason, Mrs. Purple liked to have her class complete a math problem she’d written on the chalkboard before she took attendance in the mornings. She claimed she did this to warm up her students' brains and give herself some time to grade any leftover papers from the day before (or so she could finish her morning breakfast), but, in any case, Twist felt suddenly glad Mrs. Purple had such a weird habit.

When Twist realized AJ hadn’t entered the room with the rest of their class, an optimistic side of Twist had hoped that her frustratingly impulsive friend was just chasing a wormfly or something else that’d shown up out of the blue right as the bell had rung. However, the more realistic side of Twist found it more likely that AJ had gone and traveled through the air vent system.

“AJ, I swear to God…” Twist sighed silently as Mrs. Purple walked to the front of the classroom with her orange clipboard in hand, “I really don’t get you sometimes…”

Presently, Mrs. Purple cleared her throat and began reading off of her clipboard.

“‘Arquette, Angel’?” she said, scanning the classroom for the child in question.

No one answered. Twist bit her lip.

“‘Arquette, Angel’?” Mrs. Purple repeated. “Is Miss Arquette here with us today?”

Six seconds passed in agonizing silence. Then…

“Present!” AJ yelled as she rammed the classroom door open with a mighty BANG that nearly tore said door off of its hinges. “AJ eez present and ready for learning! And si’l vous plait don’t ask where I got ze ram from. Eet’s a long story.”

The ram who’d helped AJ bang open the classroom door jumped out of the little girl’s hands and scurried off down the corridor.

“Merci, Biiilly!” AJ called, waving to the ram. “And de rein*** again for ze grass!”

“Baaahh!” the ram bleated in response.

The entire class had its eyes glued to AJ as she seemingly glided into the classroom in what had to be one of her most bizarre outfits yet.

The silly girl was wearing a black garbage bag as a dress, a towel as a scarf, and soda pop-tops she’d strung together with yarn to make a crown. The only (relatively) normal parts of her outfit were her leggings and her mismatched black/invisible boots.

AJ sat down at her desk, noticed her teachers and classmates staring, and beamed.

“Do you like eet?” she said, spreading her arms out so everyone could see the top part of her dress. “I really let ze cat out of ze bag weeth zis one, deedn’t I?”

AJ laughed while her classmates groaned, rolled their eyes, or -- in Twist’s case -- slammed their heads against their desks. Yet another lame pun from AJ the Very Whimsical…

~~~~

Meanwhile…

Principal Phillips had a sour expression on his face as he threw the frilly dress that’d landed on his head into the main office’s Lost & Found box.

“I swear,” he said to everyone present, “if I get one more piece of clothing thrown at me, it’s not going to be pretty!”

A second-grader, who was waiting for her mom to come pick her up, donned a mischievous grin and threw her hat at the principal.

Principal Phillips burst into tears.

“WHY THE FRICK WOULD YOU DO THAT!?” he sobbed.

The principal ran back into his office, leaving everyone looking confused, amused, alarmed, or all of the above.

“He was right,” said one of the secretaries, hiding a smile as she went back to typing on her computer. “That wasn’t pretty.”

“Nope!” the hat-throwing girl agreed with a shake of her head. “Not one bit!”

Footnotes

*: The French name for Santa Claus. It translates literally to "Father Christmas".

**: An expression of surprise, like how we say "Holy cow!" or "Oh my goodness!" in English.

***: "You're welcome!"

[chelg]

Warner Bros. Games: The Whirlwind of 2024

Warner Bros. Games is set to officially launch MultiVersus, a free-to-play multiplayer fighter game, on May 28th of this year. The open beta version of MultiVersus received 20 million players within the first month of its release in 2022. The hype is unsurprising as the game features playable characters from some of Warner Bros’ most iconic media, such as Harley Quinn, Jake the Dog, and even Lebron James. The official launch is set to include new features previously not included in the game.

While MultiVersus seems to be performing well, 2024 hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride for Warner Bros. Games. Released on January 30th, 2024, AAA game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League experienced low sales, falling short of Warner Bros’ expectations. It’s difficult to pinpoint why the Suicide Squad game was unable to perform, but it’s worth noting that it was sold for $70 at its launch, likely to make up for the high development budget. Since then, the price of the game has been gradually dropping. 

Thereafter, Warner Bros. Games has been making strategic decisions. In the past week, the division has delisted games published by acquired game studio Adult Swim, causing developers to scramble in response. For example, Studio Bean, developer of Soundodger+, submitted a transfer request to Warner Bros. Games in order to keep the game up on Steam. However, Warner Bros. Games rejected the request, stating that it would only be fair to transfer none of the to-be-delisted games as they won’t be able to transfer all of them. 

Additionally, JB Perrette, CEO and president of the gaming division at Warner Bros, stated that the division will be focusing on free-to-play and mobile games more than AAA games in the future, seeming to allude to disappointments with the Suicide Squad game. As mobile games are becoming increasingly popular in the video game industry and are much more affordable to produce and develop in comparison to AAA games, this decision could prove to be very effective for Warner Bro. Games.

With rapid changes in a short period of time, Warner Bros. Games will have to carefully consider its future. The division’s strength lies in its ownership of intellectual property that it could continue to take advantage of beyond MultiVersus, but it's still not as well-known as other gaming companies. Thus, how will Warner Bros. Games stand out from competition with rocketing saturation in the market?

Word count: 400

[meowmeowbeepy]

Wow here are some updates no one asked for

I just caught up on previous blog posts. I am sorry the last two seemed more like tweets. Here are some historical happenings since last true post (mostly I've been doing book and podcast reviews lol?)

I went to NY w/ Benny which was fun. I was so incredibly pleased w/ myself that he actually LIKED it. Lots of touristy things that we all must do at least once in this life... Next time we go back we will be more slow paced. I liked the hotel A LOT. It's great to stay in 1 central place when traveling. I know I'll have made it in life if my future hotels on vacations are nice as balls and convenient and no compromise! He liked the MET the most. I felt bad bc I was not doing well that day (abrupt #3 iykyk and hungry and feet hurt). Something I like abt Ben: he never makes me feel bad when I actually am being a problem. I cannot say I am as gracious towards crankypants. I liked the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty! Specifically the Statue of Liberty. The island was not crowded, and we were the first group there so it was an ideal situation and felt whimsical for an iconic landmark. I also really liked seeing friends Clur and Corn. It was so nice and energetic for the limited time I had. But the most soul filling ofc was bringing Benny to grandparents. I appreciate my auntie sm for being the best (albeit crazy) caretaker of grandparents (also crazy). Family becomes everything and continues to speed up up up up in importance as we age. Our social worlds will get smaller.. not worse! Just infrequent! But family is home. That's how I can describe the feeling anyways. My translation abilities were better than I thought... Also, I knew they were old but I never felt they were any older than other grandparents. But after this trip, I could SEE and I really felt that they are getting far older than average/normal. So I treasure and am thankful for that. I hope they will be here for much longer. So much time has gone by since I was a little college kid staying majorly w/ them "upstate" and venturing towards Manhattan. Now, I don't think I could do that haha. I am such a princess haha.

Before we went to NY me, daddy, and Benny went to a Rockets game. It was perfectly fun and something I know my daddy will treasure a lot. He likes that kinda stuff.

I thought December was going to be a huge flop/slow month for HAs but it ended up being ok. January tho... extreme flop lols. But I guess I have one more week to turn it around? Doubt I can realistically. I wonder if I am not as motivated as I was when I first started :( But idunno. I think about the ethics and morals of different HA levels way more than I used to? Or at least deeper than I used to so maybe that is affecting me? I also think I am more realistic than before- I used to give my 500% and was blind to a person who probably wouldn't follow through. Now, I can see it early on and it doesn't disappoint as much I guess. Probably not good. Also, the salary drama I've recently become privy to was a weird thing to experience in my career. I didn't get TMJ from it lol and feel pretty neutral overall. But hoping the best... for all.. and for me. If I could say 1 thing I am really bleh to: the tracking and KPI of my office. The higher ups are VERY nice... but what's going to happen when my numbers aren't as good for an entire year as maybe they were Sept-Oct. But I won't be too negative, realistically I know things will ebb and flow without any change in me.

Ok last one. We got a new doggy! Born 3/21/2020... Barney! He's so sweetums and so much more DOG than Toby was. Barney is just a wee bit mischievous but it is overpowered by his loyalty and desire to be close to humans. Toby was very mischievous and not super affectionate or needy, tho very loyal w/out shame lol. (Ex. does not want love from anyone but my mom.. esp Joann) Barney is pretty sweet to all. Joann has announced that he is HER dog, which makes sense. AND I don't mind. I just want a little doggy adjacent. She is basically holding him hostage in her room which I think is funny bc his personality probably will do well w/ that. Vs. Toby hated her for that. God blessed us w/ Barney though. He is so gentle and baby that he will be a good second dog to people who VERY HONESTLY have not fully moved on from Toby. And probably never will (not in a super bad way) but he was more than a dog lollll so dramatic.

K bye