#the work title of this bonus bit is “hunted”

[angeart]

Surely Link would never steer me wrong. I shall ask for the snippet. *nods* -🎀

you: place your trust in link link: perfect. give them the evil one

WELP ANYWAY. here's the snippet from the upcoming hhau mimic arc rambles III bonus:

-- Scar barely catches a glimpse of him—his gaze snagging on a disturbing amount of deep red; items slipping out of Grian’s grasp and clattering, uncaught, to the floor; messy hair and dishevelled feathers; an almost triumphant spark in Grian’s eyes, his expression wild and relieved and breathtakingly alive—and then Grian’s on him, grabbing his cheeks and kissing him before they even get to say hello. The hands on Scar’s face feel wet.  They leave red smudges across his skin, painting over his flush as Grian fervently presses his lips to Scar’s. --

[5ummit]

Permanent Blacklists for AO3

Would you like to permanently remove fics with your squicks, triggers, and dislikes from all AO3 searches by default so that you never have to think about or encounter them again? Well now you can!

The ability to do this has actually been around for a little while but it relies on some new CSS functionality that wasn't supported on all major browsers until fairly recently (though you may still have to enable it manually on some). I'm not going to explain how this method works or how to code AO3 skins in general, as I've only dabbled in it a little and there are already some very good tutorials out there. If you want all of the details, check out these guides:

Skins and Archive Interface FAQ – The official skins guide created by AO3. Lots of good information but might be overwhelming and confusing for a beginner.

A Non-Extensive Guide on How to Start Creating a Skin for AO3 by ao3skin – Some good, fairly easy to understand, beginner info on CSS and specifically how it applies to AO3 skins.

Permablocking Specific Tags - Site Skin by Eli0t – Everything you need to know to create permablock lists. If your blacklist doesn't seem to be working as expected, check this for troubleshooting tips.

What I can offer though are some handy pre-made blacklists that you can use as-is or as a starting point to create your own so that you don't have to go to the trouble of figuring out how any of this works or hunting down relevant tags. Just copy the code, open AO3, go to My Preferences > Skins > Create Site Skin, paste it in the box, title it, and click Submit!

Note: The following lists are very specific to me and my own personal tastes. Absolutely no judgement if you love any of the things that I choose to blacklist. You do you. I just happen to like my fics fucked up and relatively canonical.

★ No Reader Fic – Hides all self-insert and reader fic.

★ No Alternate Universes – Hides anything tagged with the most common AU tags. There are so many incredibly specific AUs there's no way to list all of them and AU tagging is also extremely inconsistent from fic to fic so this blacklist may only catch 80% of AUs, but that's better than nothing. You could always exclude the entire alternate universe tag, rather than trying to list specific ones, but unfortunately canon divergence and other less extreme AUs would get caught in the crossfire, which is not worth it for me.

★ No Fluff – Hides anything tagged with the most common fluff and romance tags. I specifically left out "fluff and angst" though because sometimes that's used for things that are mostly angst with only a bit of fluff and I do love angst.

★ Bonus: No Dead Dove – This list is not mine (for obvious reasons) but I know some people may find it useful. Hides anything with the main archive warnings and many common problematic, taboo, or controversial tags. Some of these I wouldn't even classify as dead dove, they're literally just kinks, so I'd suggest reviewing the list carefully and removing any that don't apply to you.

Additional Notes:

This system doesn't work exactly the same as AO3's exclusion filters because you can't use top-level wrangled tags to block all subtags. It only blocks exact matches.

Once the blacklist is implemented you'll see no indication that anything was blocked (except for fewer fics listed on each search page); the entire blurb will be hidden. The tags and fic counts listed in the filter bar will remain unchanged. If you want more advanced features like whitelisting or adding something to indicate when a fic was removed, check out the permablocking guide by Eli0t.

Here's a link with info on which browsers currently support the new "has()" element, which this blacklist system relies on. As of right now Firefox for desktop still has to be manually enabled (for instructions see the section on flag enabling in the permablocking guide). Firefox for iOS isn't listed on this website but it seems to work fine for me.

There are other browser-specific extensions that let you permablock tags, such as this one and this one, that may be more a little more user friendly, but I've never tried them so I can't vouch for them and they may not work consistently between different devices. The good thing about doing blacklists via skins is that, after setting it up once, it should work automatically on pretty much any device (as long as you're logged in to your AO3 account).

[endrinstone]

Since it looks like ivory's streams are gone now, I compiled a list of all of her Showtime SMP streams, so that there's at least some record of their existence. I provided links (in blue) to alternative povs of the events, if any exist for the given day, and included brief descriptions of what happened. In parentheses are the titles and links of the now deleted streams. Enjoy!

All dates are in 2023.

9. 6. ivory's video. Gets gear, and a horse named Lewidor. Not in character. The video Becoming a Minecraft Dictator is a summary of the first few days, with kinda a more self-aware, comedic take on it. (Title: its showtime.)

10. 6. Zolister. Announces her Watchkeeper reign, then talks about morals with Vi and chat. (Title: ivory makes an announcement)

12. 6. ivory's video. Hunts down her first person, Rylan. The video Hunting Minecraft’s Most Elusive Player sums it up very well. (Title: showtime smp)

13.6. None. Makes a grave for her horse Lewidor with Vi. Vi then shows her his therapy office. (Title: lewidor's funeral)

22. 6. Vi. Gets introduced to kantje and Effy. Kills Cupid, then Mugm in an arena duel, then Rylan. Then hangs out with Vi. (Title: SHOWTIME SMP)

25. 6. None. Builds a drowned farm (with Vi and Loppezz, if I remember correctly), and kills Tidus in a very drawn out battle. (Title: happy tuesday.)

28. 6. Nebula. Killing Strobe, which she felt really bad for. (Title: i love murder.)

2. 7. Nebula. Killing Nebula. (Title: i am normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

4. 7. Zolister and Vi. Gets hunted down by a group of people. The bit where she gets hunted is gone now though. (Title: frog)

5. 7.  None. Family roadtrip with Vi, Zolister and Rasplin. Ends with Vi trying (and succeeding) to prevent the other three from killing each other. (Title: SNOG)

9. 7.  kantje. Casino opening day, she threatens the owners after they put her kill list up for auction. (Title: shoe time)

16. 7. Vi and Zolister and kantje. The petition against ivory's regime. She refuses to step down, and gets killed repeatedly. (Title: SHOWTIME SMP SUNDAY and the n NIERAUTOMAA) 

17. 7.  None. VN43 makes a deal with her: he will provide her with resources, and in exchange she will give him some power if she wins the election. Both are very willing to betray each other. (Title: nothing - showtime smp AND THEN OMORI)

21. 7. Vi. Talks with Vi, looks for a location for a new base, briefly talks with Win, Trashy, and Divy. (Title: showtime smp - WAHOO)

23. 7. None. Looking for a potential base location and grinding. She (half by accident, half on purpose) finds someone’s secret base. Not in character. (Title: SHOWTIME SMP)

26. 7. None. Just grinding for resources. Not in character. (Title: showtime smp CHILLING. NO MURDER.)

6. 8. Zolister. Gets told about The Silencers by kantje, kills Zolister, tears down her house. She starts "glitching out", reminiscent of the I Killed God video. Alluded/talked to Ebony (clarification). (Title: showtime smp sunday)

7. 8. None. Renovating an ancient city, getting rid of the shriekers. Not in character. (Title: im going to kil)

9. 8. None. Hangs out with CherryNyx, who asks her questions about humanity. Then works on her base. (Title: im)

13. 8. None. Building an iron farm in her base. Not in character. (Title: gorgle)

18. 8. Vi. The election. (Title: SHOWTIME SMP ELECTION)

Bonus: ivory didn’t stream these, but they are relevant. If you have more of these, let me know.

23. 6. Vi: Vi and ivory hang out, and discuss ivory's mental state.

20. 8. Win/Boba/ Vi: ivory’s goodbye letter.

28. 10. Vi: (Unborn Solipsism) has a scene where ivory tells Vi goodbye.

Bonus two: these ivory streams were not actually on Showtime, but were related. Not super useful information, but here you go.

30. 6. gug. Analysing her video Becoming a Minecraft Dictator.

13. 7. WEEE. Analysing her video Hunting Minecraft’s Most Elusive Player.

18. 7. showtime smp reading stream (then drawing). Reading Showtime SMP fanfics.

31. 7. showtime smp base planning. In a creative world, planning out the design of her ancient city base.

[theresattrpgforthat]

do you have any games with a sci-fi fantasy setting that are adventuring/exploration focused, similar to numenera or wildsea? the flexibility to play more or less mature games, lots of character creation options, and a solid combat system would be a bonus

THEME: Exploration

God I wish I could recommend As the Sun Forever Sets yet but it’s still in development. It’s a game inspired by The War of the Worlds, and is a Forged in the Dark hex crawl. The creator is partnering with Evil Hat so you’ll want to keep an eye out for when they start crowdfunding it.

If you’re interested in games like The Wildsea, I’d also recommend checking out the Wildsea Discord, where there are plenty of games in the works using the Wild Words engine. I don't think much there has reached playtest levels yet, but there's a lot of game-things that look very interesting.

Anyways, let’s see what else is out there.

Dreams and Machines (Players Guide) (Game-Master's Guide), by Modiphius.

Dreams and Machines is a brand new RPG setting where people come together to rebuild their world following a catastrophic war. You will venture into a world of mystery and adventure, a world where slumbering mechs dot the landscape and people build their lives anew in the wreckage of paradise. Take on the role of one of the new tribes of humanity, an Archivist, Dreamer, Everan, River, or Spear, and forge a path for yourself and your people.

The war against the machines was 200 years ago, but many threats from that era abound, along with others, like raiding parties of Thralls from the deep ruins, that have arisen in the intervening years. The machines are dormant, but they sometimes awake, causing death and destruction until they are stopped. Hideous, mutated, creatures infest the landscape, vicious byproducts of the war. Ghostly nanograms lurk in the ruins promising knowledge or luring the unwary to their deaths. Yet against all this, humanity is rebuilding. People live full, happy lives despite the threats that assail them. Cooperation and mutual aid are everywhere, humans coming together to build something new amid the ruins of the past.

If you are a fan of Horizon Zero Dawn, this game was made for you. While it’s not taking place within the official licensed setting, the inspiration is visible all over this game. The game uses the 2d20 mechanic found among many of Modiphhius’ well-known titles, tailored for the large range of movement and large-scale conflict expected in a game like HZD. Characters are composed of an origin, archetype, temperament and bond, and refer to attributes and skills when determining whether or not the succeed. Some rolls have a difficulty determined by truths attached to locations, scenes, or equipment. Others are contests, and the outcomes are determined by the results from each opponent. These pieces point towards a complex ttrpg that has plenty of potential both for exploration and combat.

If you don’t want to get the Players Handbook and the GM’s Handbook without a bit of a first taste, you can check out the free Quickstart!

Between Clouds, by Andi Licht.

Between Clouds is a colorful, biopunk, tabletop RPG about a family of misfits navigating the open skies atop their beloved flying beast. Life among the clouds revolves around the Kirin, oversized animals that possess volatile genetics and the gift of flight. Across the skies, floating vessels and cities are held aloft by the animated remains of hunted Kirin, whose beating hearts defy gravity itself. Commoners are wary of becoming abducted or eaten by these creatures, while propaganda and folklore only stoke their fears. With an uninhabitable surface below, humanity must learn to coexist with the flora and fauna of their airborne realm or perish.

In Between Clouds players assume the role of Symbiotes, rare outcasts who have formed unbreakable bonds with a Kirin. It is not an easy choice to join forces with such a reviled creature. Those who crave power and a comfortable life seek to hunt the Kirin, and the Symbiotes with them if necessary. Few are ever approached by the flying beasts, and fewer still head the call. Those who do lead nomadic lives. They travel across Empyrea atop their airborne companions, making allies and enemies along the way, all while striving to help those in need and protect the wild Kirin that they encounter.

This game looks so pretty. The world looks very unique, with larger-than-life creatures called Kirin and a number of isolated biomes accessible only through riding on their backs. While the system uses the Year Zero engine, the creator also claims inspiration from Belonging Outside Belonging and Forged in the Dark games, so I’m expecting a complicated world with a lot of narrative prompts to drive the story forward.

Electric Bastionland, by Chris McDowell.

Bastion - The Electric Hub of Mankind. The only city that matters.

In Deep Country, the land stretches forever. The long shadow of our embarrassing past. Villages rot away, trees don’t bother to flower anymore, and the potato is eaten cold from the ground. Things were better before. Better before Bastion.  In the Underground are impossible tunnels beneath time and space. Devious machines release their creations into the corridors. All while the twisting network grows and touches everything. Connects everything. You can get anywhere, but there’s always a challenge. 

You have a failed career and a colossal debt. Treasure is your only option. A spark of hope in Electric Bastionland.

Electric Bastionland is a roleplaying game written by Chris McDowall, author of the critically-acclaimed Into The Odd. It uses and expands upon the systems developed in Into The Odd, resulting in a rules-set that’s easy to run as a Referee and even easier to play. It’s not a sourcebook or an expansion - it’s a standalone journey into an unknowable world. 

If you like OSR games this might be a game for you. Bastion is such a unique city that begs you to explore it. Your characters start as people who have failed in another career before, which is an interesting premise to give you at the beginning of the game. Treasure hunting was nobody’s first option, so your entire crew already has something in common. This feels like a game where survival is difficult, and everyone is trying to get themselves out of a rough place to a slightly less rough place. If you want a fantastic setting that might beat you up a little bit, I recommend Electric Bastionland.

Odyssey Aquatica, by Old Dog Games.

The year is 1960 and you are an Oceanographic Adventurer, a brave or foolhardy soul who goes to the most remote seas and the deepest ocean trenches to conduct groundbreaking research, help those in peril, document the wonders you discover — and bask in the glory. You will chart your character’s life work, from their first expeditions to their last, and record memoirs of the years lived in-between. 

ODYSSEY AQUATICA adapts the fast and flexible PARAGON system to a world of 20th century oceanographic adventure inspired by The Life Aquatic, Subnautica, and the life and times of Jacques Cousteau.

I’ve talked before about how AGON is a great tool for exploration games by providing you with a new way to journey, and plenty of the supplements for this system confirm my theory. Odyssey Aquatica keeps the exploration at sea, but brings it into the modern day, adding memoir rules that expand the game’s timeline to cover your characters’ careers. It’s also beautifully laid out, with a stunning boat sheet to help you keep all of your tools and equipment organized. If you like PARAGON games, you’ll like Odyssey Aquatica.

Bug World, by Alfie.

maybe the apocalypse could have been averted, but it wasn’t, and here we are, in a brand new world. this isn’t your cold, nuclear winter, sparse and dead kind of post-apocalypse. the end sent the world on a new course, brimming with life - just not quite as much human life as before. ok, barely any. in the super oxygen-rich atmosphere of the earth today, insect life has thrived.

it only took a few decades for bugs to reach incredible sizes, and now, about a century-and-a-half after the disaster, gargantuan insects are a normal sight. from a ladybug the size of a dog, to millipedes that might as well be trains, to horned beetles with skeletons big enough to use as shelter. bugs are huge and they are everywhere. the remaining humans have domesticated some, trained others, made wary peace with some intelligent groups, and carved themselves out sections of the world to live.

BUG WORLD is a Powered by the Apocalypse TTRPG where players navigate this post-apocalyptic jungle world, with all its scavenger towns, junk economies, and incredibly huge bugs. playbooks include more classic TTRPG options alongside bug wranglers and jockeys, rock collector archaeologists, and mob bosses.

Currently a work in progress, this game is all about exploration and survival. It uses a PbtA ruleset with moves like deal damage and survive harm for combat, and playbooks that specialize in it, like the Brutalizer and the Exoskeleton. As a post-apocalypse game I think it has plenty of opportunity for death and danger, and like plenty of PbtA games, the setting is baked into the character options more than anything else. I like the premise of this game and I think it holds a lot of promise, even if your play group has to build a lot of the setting themselves.

Nibiru, by Araukana Media.

Nibiru is a science fiction tabletop roleplaying game, set in a massive space station in a neighboring solar system. Players take on the role of Vagabonds; people who woke up in the space station with no memories of their past.

Nibiru tackles themes of memory, nature and artificiality through simple mechanics, evocative art and immersive worldbuilding.

This feels like such a unique game to me. Nibiru has a character creation system that you engage with during the entirety of your campaign experience, as your characters are uncovering more of their backstory as they play. You will fill in pieces of your memory as your character tries to do new things, and each new experience has the potential to cement a part of your character’s personality. The world itself is also begging to be explored: the Skyless World is a monstrous space station with an unknown purpose. Each choice your characters make will draw them deeper into the world, and have ripple effects on the world around them.

If you want a unique method of character generation, and a truly breathtaking reading experience, I recommend Nbiru.

Games I have Recommended in the Past

Apocalypse Roadtrip, by Mynar Lenahan.

Songs for the Dusk, by Kavita Poduri

ICON, by Massif Press.

Ultraviolet Grasslands, by Wizardtheiffighter.

[groundzero-v]

Titles tag game

Thank you @roalinda for tagging me! 💕

List the titles of your top 5 priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers)

An upcoming scene, event or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which of the top 5 wips are they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

Titles

1. Revenge *is* the answer (worktitle, Prongsfoot)

Set in a version of the wizarding world where ghosts work a bit differently, Sirius and James team up to hunt Peter Petigreew down.

Or: James comes back (sort of), breaks Sirius out of Azkaban (finally) and decides whoever betrayed them both doesn't deserve to live on.

2. Marauder's Guide to Saving the Wizarding World (Prongsfoot)

I suppose everyone is tired of me talking about this one, but it's my only published wip 😄 James and Sirius compete as a team in the Triwizard Tournament which sets things that were never supposed to happen in their time in motion. Marauders fight Voldemort AU!

Includes lots of Marauder banter, feels, questionable humour, prongsfoot moments and brand new tasks in the tournament

3. No title yet. Star Wars AU + transmigration* (Prongsfoot)

The Proud Immortal Sith Way was a webnovel with an average rating of 2.5. It was, quite frankly, a piece of shit. The only thing that kept James reading, day after day, was the main character, the Jedi turned Sith, Sirius Black.

Sirius' whole life was filled with misfortune and pain. Upon entering the Order he received nothing but distain and distrust from everyone around him, even from his Master. It was no wonder he turned to the Dark side when everyone was just a useless NPC!

'How is it fair that Sirius had to spend the rest of his life in misery after suffering this whole time?!!’ James wrote at 1AM into the comment section of yet another chapter that had Sirius traveling the galaxy and adding another one-chapter, useless love interest to his harem.

The same night, James died. When he woke up, he was in the novel, the words 'Fine, do better,' apprearing in front of his eyes before they blipped out of existence.

*((A variation of SVSS for those aware, but should be totally alright to read without any knowledge of SW or SVSS^^))

4. Fantasy/Knights of the Round table AU (Prongsfoot)

Fantasy, Arthur & Knights of the Round table AU. James in the place of Arthur, future king, and Sirius as Lancelot, his most loyal knight. Features sword-magic, epic adventures and magical creatures. A very much just a concept for now

An upcoming scene, event or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing:

1. Prongsfoot just...being feral for each other, absolute devotion to the max. They have finally reunited again and there's nothing that can stop them. Also just them...trespassing everywhere 😄 Besides that, definitely the confrontation with Peter!!

2. I'm pretty excited about the Second Task of the Tournament (and a bit scared since I had to create it, hopefully it's interesting). But other than that, to be very vague haha, Prongsfoot meeting Voldemort for the first time!🙈 (There is a line that started this whole fic that I have been waiting to use and its coming closer with each day!!)

3. It's so different so I have to say there're so many things I'm really excited about. Figuring out who should be who in the SW universe is a lot of fun, but I think I'm mostly looking forward to James and Sirius being absolutely unstoppable with lightsabers and the Force. The aspect of the transmigration is also something I'm really really looking forward to

4. I love fantasy so puttting Prongsfoot in there is just a dream. A scene I'm most excited about is Sirius getting knighted by James and swearing his loaylty to him 🥹

Tagging (no pressure and sorry if you were already tagged!) @lovelymasks @jmagnabo92 @cassiaratheslytherpuff @gracelesslady23 @prongsfoot4life @solitaire-sol @mycupofrum @siriuslystarbucks @siriuslycomplex

[brick-a-doodle-do]

Story idea! Which will contain tiny!tubbo tiny!baby michael and giant!ranboo

Tubbo lives alone in the tundra lands of snowchester with his son Michael, tubbo is known for studying and hunting mythical creatures, but after a harsh snowstorm and lack of food he ventures out one night and ends up meeting one of the mythical creatures he has been desperately searching for.

Noms are up to you, btw

yay no more creative slump! thanks anon :D

i kinda switched this around s little bit but i think it's still alright? i mean i didn't read it but eh

(bonus points if you know what the title's from! :3)

agony drips from me, poisonous remedy

wc: 2519

cw: sfw vore (unwilling prey + miscommunication/no communication), panic

—–—

Call him an idiot, call him insane, call his work useless, but he prefers ‘over it’. Because in the depths of all of his pinned up papers, half-finished sketches littering the floors and a thousand theories blurring his head, he has a son, who’s obvious struggles haven't gone unnoticed from Tubbo, and he is over his weird hobby.

He does try, he keeps up with Micheal’s schedule, making sure he’s clean and well-fed and gets to sleep on time, (Although he can't be positive on that because unless his frenzy has kicked up hallucinations, he’s fairly positive he’s heard Micheal’s muffled snorts from just outside his office.)

Tubbo knew about that. He knew his son was distressed and isolated and tired and curious, yet he still persisted with the thing he couldn't even call work, it was just a hobby he clung onto desperately like it was pumping air into his lungs.

So, the recent storm was rather eye-opening. At the first crack of thunder and blast of lighting, Tubbo found it mildly distracting, while Micheal’s panicked squeals had traveled through the mansion and right to Tubbo's office, where the boy then threw himself at his father, burying his face into Tubbo’s chest with panicked breath. Tubbo had jumped at the contact and shuffled his papers around before scooting back to tend to his son. 

“Hey, hey, it’s just a storm, the thunder can’t hurt us,” Tubbo reassures, rubbing circles into the kid’s back. Micheal squeals as another clap of thunder echoes from the sky and rattles the windows of the office. Micheal’s grip on Tubbo’s vest tightens and he has to suppress the urge to wince under the pressure of his forming claws. “It's just passing over us,” Tubbo says, although he can't be sure about that, the weather has been showing signs of storms all week.

Another flash of lightning leaves Tubbo jumping at the way the windows light up at the streak, just a mile too close for his word to stay true. Presumably having felt Tubbo’s jolt of fear, Micheal sobs a little, still huddling close to his father for comfort. Tubbo sighs, tearing his wary attention away from the window and turning to focus on his papers, bullet points about a deity blurring together even more than usual at his worry. He moves his attention from his work and focuses on his son, still shaking with sobs. A wet spot has formed on his jumper from the kid’s tears, meanwhile Tubbo is stunned at what to say. He’s never been the most emotionally available, or if he was he wasted it all on useless attempts at humor to try and calm down Tommy. 

This was his son, and this was not a laughing matter. He stands, his chair sliding back along the wooden floor with a wince-inducing scrape, to which he ignores and focuses on supporting his son. “We haven't had thunder for a while, so, you know what that means?” Tubbo asks, using old techniques Schlatt had used when Tubbo wouldn't be quiet. 

“What?” Micheal asks, smally, voice broken from his tears. 

Another clap of thunder. Micheal gasps softly at the sound. 

“When there's a clap of thunder, you count the seconds between it, and that's how many miles away it is,” Tubbo informs him, still rubbing along his back as he navigates through the mansion.

The hybrid pulls away from his chest, still secure in Tubbo’s grasp but now facing him eye-to-eye, looking a little suspicious of Tubbo's claim. “Not true?” Micheal inquires. Tubbo cracks a smile and shakes his head.

“It's true! Listen, let's wait for the next one,” he says, heading down the grand staircase to find their way to the family room. 

Micheal’s eyes avert his gaze and instead move beyond him to watch the windows, spirit enlightened. Tubbo finds the lift in demeanor satisfying, though without a problem to worry about he finds his mind traveling back to the creature studies sat in his office. Supposedly considered deity amongst the End and the Nether, and the very last creature he has in an old book of monsters he found as a kid. 

He’s never been so riled up over finding something, but Ranboo proved so important that Tubbo would forget his own son in their time of panic. 

Tubbo plops on the couch, Micheal falling with him, just in time for another clap of thunder. “Alright! One, two, three—” Tubbo is cut off as Micheal takes over.

“Four, five—” Boom! The windows rattle and a few pieces of lopsided furniture shudder. That’s odd. It hadn't been so close before…boom!

Micheal squeals. That was loud. 

“Hey, hey, bossman, you're alright! It's just thunder,” Tubbo says, holding his boy tight while keeping his eyes glued to the pitch-black windows. 

“Too close!” Micheal squeals out, his hybrid coming out in a fit of snorts and whines that make Tubbo’s heart ache. Why did he tell him about the distance method? 

He considers calling Phil, but he doubts his communicator will work in this storm. The loud rush of rain hitting the window becomes apparent to him the more it picks up, rapidly thumping on the glass panes. Micheal’s crying again, his body quivering with every hiccup. 

“Hey, baby, you're okay,” Tubbo whispers. He can't handle this. Boom! “Bud, how about a special trip to old man Phil? I bet he and Technoblade can help, huh?” He asks, bouncing the hybrid on his knee. All that Michael responds with is a childish sob. 

His heart twists. Tubbo pulls him close, picking the kid up. He can make it to Phil and Technoblade's cabin, and then he can just…pick up where he left off with his work. You know, unless he dies. 

Tubbo’s footsteps softly echo around the high ceilings, just barely audible against Micheal’s crying. “We’re going to go out to uncle Technoblade and old man Phil’s cabin, alright Micheal? They’ll know what to do,” Tubbo informs, sliding into his shoes and setting the kid down by the door. “Which coat do you want, bossman?”

Micheal hiccups, staring up at Tubbo with confusion in his eyes. For the most part, it goes unnoticed  while he opens up the chest of their jackets and shoes. 

“I don't want to be in storm,” Micheal says, frowning. Tubbo pulls a coat from the chest and pulls it around himself, grabbing another one for extra good measure. He zips the two up then crouches down to eye level with the piglin.

“I know, I know. We just need to get somewhere a little safer, okay? Their houses are more prepared for this,” he lies, knowing full well that while he knows the storm is coming closer, he really was orchestrating this so he could just get some quiet work time, no matter how bad he felt about it. 

Micheal, at the very least, seems to buy it. “Okay…I want red, Techno color!” the piglin says, squealing in delight at his own mention of Technoblade. 

“Ah, what did I expect,” he chuckles, pulling out a red raincoat from the chest and carefully pulling Micheal’s arms through each sleeve, then buttoning it up gently. Micheal flaps his hand as Tubbo pats his chest to let him know he’s ready to go. Tubbo pulls out his wellies, a blue pair to take after Tommy, (Who he’s quite sure took after Ghostbur), then hands them to micheal to fit on. In the end, Tubbo is fighting down his overwhelming guilt of letting Micheal go for the storm. 

He's adorable, already abandoning fear because he looks like his uncles, (And his flaunting his excitement of the fact). Techno’s old raincoat almost pools at Micheal’s feet, the faded thing barely fitting yet somehow keeping Micheal in complete bliss.

“You look dapper,” Tubbo compliments, one last time reaching into the chest and grabbing out an umbrella before closing it. “Ready to go visit Philza, bossman?” 

Ultimately, Micheal looks a little uncomfortable at the thought of going out into the storm, although the thunder has been distant recently and Tubbo can tell Micheal has registered that.

“I think!” he responds, voice wavering before gaining confidence near the end. He smiles shallowly. 

With one arm, Tubbo lifts Micheal up into his hold again, the piglin snorting at the quick movement. He switches the umbrella to the hand holding Micheal and opens the front door, pulling at it until it finally opens with a pop!, leaving him stumbling at the sudden jerk. He keeps it open with his foot and steps out, shielded from the pouring rain under the thin awning. The door slams shut behind him, nearly causing him to drop the umbrella as Micheal jumps at the sound and digs his fingers into Tubbo’s already-sore sides. 

He huffs out his pain and slides open the umbrella, which clicks as it locks. Tubbo raises it above their heads and steps out into the storm. Immediately, the constant stream of rain against the material above their heads pounds in Tubbo’s ears, even as damaged as they are. 

Boom! 

Immediately, Tubbo hears Micheal whisper under his breath: “One, two, three four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten—” Boom! 

“Ten miles is pretty far,” Tubbo comments, trudging through the thin layer of snow that he’d just shoveled earlier today. It mixes into a sludge with the rain, crunching under his boots in a pleasing manner, something to distract him from his desire to study and his worry of making it through the path to Techno’s cabin. It also distracts him from the impending feeling like he’s being watched. 

He tries to convince himself that isn't true, for the most part, even though he does give in with a quick look around his surroundings. The only thing he’s ever met with is the comfort of being alone with just him and his boy. 

Wind laps around them, the thunder and lightning seemingly having passed already, the only applicable features of the storm remaining being the strong rain and the surprisingly aggressive winds. He can barely see anything, let alone hear anything outside of the wind in his ears, Micheal’s hushed shivers and whimpers, and the rain on the umbrella. All the mobs have taken a rest for the night, thankfully, but it only leaves him in suspense. 

Who had eyes on him if not a zombie or a creeper? 

Who was watching him from above, threatening the security of him and his son?

About halfway through the forest to Techno’s cabin, he pauses at the sound of something shuffling. Micheal hums at the motion, his attention also caught on the noise. Perhaps he would've passed it off as a victim of the storm, but it seemed too orchestrated, like something running into a bush. He tries putting it behind him, whispering a reassurance to both himself and the boy. 

Tubbo makes it two steps before there's another rustle. Now, he stops. Full-fledged freezes, subconsciously holding Micheal a little closer. His grip on the umbrella handle tightens until his knuckles run pale while he spins around against the wind to look around. 

The hue of something red and green catches his eye. Too large to be anyone's communicator or any of the server’s eyes. Too vibrant for a coat or anything of the sorts, too colorful for an animal, no, this was the watchful gaze of Ranboo.

It fit the description of their eyes, the giant creature often hunched low to the forest floor, said to be a nod to their connection with the Nether. 

Tubbo can’t help the excitement that flares up against the fear. Ranboo was feet from him. He has been searching for so long—he finally can care about his son the way he needed to. 

“Papa?” Micheal inquires, presumably noticing the way Tubbo has stopped in his tracks again. 

Tubbo shushes the piglin. “Hold on for a second, bud,” he says, hiking up the kid before he slips out of his hold. Micheal seems to relax, resting his head on Tubbo’s shoulder while he waits. 

Meanwhile, Tubbo stands, staring at the vibrant eyes in the foliage ahead.  

“Ranboo,” he whispers. The eyes lift up a bit, like the mention of their name intrigued them. Tubbo’s spirit lightens immensely. 

A crack of lightning charges through the sky, lighting it up enough for him to make out a rough outline of the crouching monster. “Woah..yeah, that's you, Ranboo!” He says slowly, more of a reassurance to himself than anything. 

“You're Ranboo, right?” Tubbo calls out to the forest. The eyes disappear for a moment before reappearing as the creature blinks. 

There's a small vwoop! that echoes through the forest. Micheal perks up at that, turning his head in the direction of Ranboo. Against his fingertips, even through the raincoat, Tubbo's feels as Micheal tenses up. 

“What's that?!” the kid demands, fear inflicted in his voice. His pink fur has risen at the fear he emits.

“It's nothing to be afraid of, just an important thing I've been looking for,” he informs the kid. Micheal doesn't seem to relax. 

Ranvoo releases another vwoop! which is shadowed with a glk! that echoes from their throat. 

Suddenly, a thick tail with a furry, split-colored tuft is extending from the forest and into the clearing, rising high above them before, strangely prehensile as it curls around Micheal’s small form, somehow breaking the boy's contact with Tubbo. Micheal squeals at it, crying out for his dad. Before he has the time to react, Micheal is plucked from his grasp and swept up in Ranboo's tail, becoming a speck of pink amongst a sea of black and white. 

“Hey! What the fuck?!” Tubbo yells, immediately dropping the umbrella to run after the retracting tail. The rain pours into him immediately, wind rushing in his ears and pushing him as he trails after Micheal quickly. He stumbles over his feet, ankles rolling at his attempts to stay sturdy in snow. 

Tubbo can just barely hear Micheal’s panicked squeals and snorts while re-entering the forest, quickly behind the tail as he runs uselessly towards his son. “Ran-Ranboo! Sir–um, oh my god, surely you doing need to do that!” Tubbo calls up, watching from the shadows as Micheal is lifted effortlessly into Ranboo's two-finger hold, dangling him in open air, infuriatingly oblivious to his panic and sobs. 

Tubbo’s heart sinks when he watches through another streak of lightning illumates the forest around them, as his son is drawn to Ranboo’s open maw, a fit of sobs and garbled calls for his dad and screams to stop. 

Immediately, he runs closer to the giant, who’s still crouched over the clearing. 

“Oh god, oh my god, what the—RANBOO!” Tubbo yells, hands cupped over his mouth desperately. Rain pours down into him as he runs, causing him to stumble in the mud. As he approaches, he realizes quickly he can barely reach the edge of Ranboo's leg despite his immediate attempts to jump at it, and at another clap of thunder and bolt of lightning, he’s craning his neck in horror as he watches a lump in the deity’s throat travel down. 

—–—

taglist: @i-am-beckyu, @skullsnbruises, @nobodywritingao3, @krazycat49, @da3dm, @a-xyz-s // taglist request

[dragonfelling]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Top! Ten! Mirka! Facts!

MIRKA FACTS COMING UP.

She is Ishidan Gixian. Her father is Ishidan/ Anemoian and her mother a Gixian. She gets most of her looks from her father, and shes named after her mother (who kind of abandoned her with Arty. She wasn't planned nor really wanted, but Arty stepped up anyways.) .

She had popflower tattoos running down her arms, which react and turn white when she's channelling her lightning magic down her arms. They have turned permanently white where they have scarred due to reckless use of the magic. .

Before becoming Mav's spouse, Mirka was an Aeraki knight that apprenticed under Head knight Kurtys. He also partly raised her since her father died when she was 15. .

Kurtys took her in at 15. She was a very independent teenager and most of her time was devoted to training. She however got in a few relationships that Kurtys absolutely did not approve of. Not because he didn't trust Mirka, but because he knew the boys in junior guard that she was kissing in the back halls weren't the most reliable. .

Kurtys did not approve of her being with Crown Mavros. He gave the king a hard time about it for months before finally giving his approval. Mav didn't exactly need it, but it was for the best to wait for it since Kurtys is his head knight and making a further enemy of him wouldn't bode well. He finally gave his approval after Mirka had gotten pregnant and barked at him so her child would not be a bastard, and would be eligible for the throne. .

Mirka is slightly infertile. She only had one child with Mav during his reign, despite their constant attempts. She knows it wasn't on Mav either, as she had been with other guys while married. (Both Jeremias and Deke. All instances were with Mav in on it.) She also knows it wasn't Mav because he has many, many bastards. .

Mirka is actually straight, surprisingly. She only likes men (though it doesn't matter much to her if they're masculine or feminine) Howeverrr, Mirks has an interesting relationship with gender. She is fine with she/her and they/them pronouns, but prefers masculine titles like sir, lord, Mr. etc. If she was in a modern time, she'd likely be a trans man or non bianary, but at least during her time, that isn't something often explored by people. She wears her hair up in a masc style, and would often be mistaken for a boy in her younger years (which she never really corrected.) .

Mirka isn't a fan of being inebriated. Shes fine with others around her being high and drunk (considering Mav is always one of two, is not cross-faded). but she doesn't like the vulnerability. .

Mirka is ruthless as hell. Shes strict with her guards and knights under her. When she fights, she goes for the throat figuratively. Her powers are terrifying and she's beaten men close to death with just her fists. .

Mirka has one more child after her and Mav run from Anemoi to live a quiet life. She has a daughter that she names Oriana. This girl would one day return to Aeraki after he is discovered by a relative of his. Mirka works on a farm as Kurtys once did in his younger years before he became a knight and Mav becomes an author and helps a bit on the farm. He also assists a girl named Camile, using his toxikineis to numb her hip issues. Camile is the daughter of the mentioned relative. This relative, Joyce, blackmails Mirka and Mav a bit into helping them fund their daughters treatments. They end up all becoming good friends though, Mav helping Luan (Joyce's husband) with the (unnamed hagfish beasts) on his farm and going hunting with the younger man. Mirka and Joyce find themselves in their own friendship and Joy tells the former-Crowns all about everything they missed in Aeraki. .

BONUS: Mirka's name means peace and glory, and her last name shpatë means sword. As Ishidans would put it, her name means Glorious sword.

[editorialsonlife]

HOW IS IT APRIL ALREADY

who wants a chaotic life update coz here we go

We just submitted an offer on a house in palmy, eeeeeeeek. So moving to a whole other city an hour and a half away from where we currently live. Likely to be accepted and have been working through all the admin for mortgage approvals and selling our current home and buying new up there. We’ll be going from a 90m2 house to a 200m2 house on a larger section - it’s going to be hilarious to live somewhere so massive.

Antidepressants are the best things in the world I should have done them years ago.

Work is a wild shitshow, thanks to a prime minister who can’t accept that running a country and a company are two fundamentally different things. Consequently, work is currently calling for voluntary redundancies and then will kick off a change process in May. Will I have a job come 1 July? Who knows. Current math suggests job losses for ~1200 people across our 3500 ish back office staff so watch this space.

Thanks to antidepressants, I can’t even be stressed about this. It’s amazing!!!

Dave got a solid bonus this year, which is amazing. They did it so tough last year through all the flooding and having clients on suicide watch and everything else and they really Fkn earned it so yay. Waiting to find out what his pay rise will be as well.

At least both of us can keep our current jobs when we move and just commute a couple of days a week ( I’m in denial about the reality of this but anyway)

Naturally my sister and her husband couldn’t possibly be left out so have also put an offer on a house up there but it was so impulsive and a really dumb choice but it’s been accepted so their only hope now is they can’t sell their current house.

Fuck I’m glad we don’t have stamp duty in this country.

I signed up for an online bootcamp class on zoom that’s 530 every morning coz let’s be real I ain’t doing nothing after work apart from collapsing in a heap and it’s been so fun! They are v much like, this is your first start back in a while these are your regressions we expect to see you using them and then don’t shame you for it either? And are just like, too hard? Don’t use weights then? And my god is it ever a relief for my poor overweight body to not be forcing it to move in ways it can’t and reminding myself that actually I can do pretty amazing things if I give it a chance and it’s just been such a massive mental win. Maybe over the next few months I might get my eating sorted you never know.

I signed up for it as a 6 week challenge kinda thing and I’m 99% sure I haven’t lost any weight which was not at all the point of signing up for it - it was proving to myself I could be consistent with something and I’ve achieved that so yay.

Dave and I are good which is lovely. Even started talking to the counsellor about all my sex hang ups which is deeply unpleasant and awkward but at least it moving things along a bit??? 🤮🤮🤮😬😬😬😳😳

Have I mentioned lately how good antidepressants are honestly?? I have my brain back and my personality and it’s wild.

We wanna start having kids this year? Also wild.

Had a birthday and now I’m 34 and somehow it’s April? I do not understand time at all honestly.

I fucking love my new doctor he’s actually the best I will not be changing when we move.

I’m excited for a slower, quieter pace of life and more chill. I’m honestly done with my girl boss era. I’ve made the money and chased the titles and it’s exhausting honestly. (Watch this change again rapidly)

I was away for 7 of 8 weekends across Feb and March and it was INSANE. weddings. TAYLOR SWIFT ERAS TOUR!!!!! Birthdays and friend birthday and mum and I went to Pink and other birthdays and it was way too much. Oh, and house hunting mixed in. Plus ya know, a full time job in the mix.

It’s been a Fkn massive start to the year, and she ain’t slowing down any time soon.

Antidepressants man. Wild the difference they have made to my life. WILD.

Happy and grateful for my life and everyone in it and all the madness that it is right now. Someday it’ll be chill right??? I’ve been saying that since 2019 at some point I’ll accept that the answer is no.

Cool cool cool what a wild ride.

[icey--stars]

Born For Tragedy: Part 20

Series Index

She was tragedy. Nothing except death, fear and pain followed in her wake. When she was young, she was beaten. Now she’s the one doing the beating as an assassin. A mysterious stranger comes to her, paying an absurd amount of money for her to kill Beron Vanserra, and protect the eldest son until the job is done. She stumbles across a story much similar to her own, and knows what must be done.

a/n: this is mostly just an epilogue (and… well… calanmai again)! thank you all for reading and to those that have followed this story since the beginning (or really, just kept reading this story as it was written…) i love you <3 there might be bonus parts in the future, but not any time soon, but keep an eye out for them!

i probably won’t post any new stories any time soon and take some time for myself as life is getting hectic, but requests are still open! they just may be slow! 

WARNINGS: SMUT AHEAD! (PRIMAL PLAY, overstim) MINORS DNI 18+ apologies if the primal play is odd- it’s my first time writing it. also, not proofread, so i apologize for any mistakes <3

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

Strangely, life for Valda stayed about the same after that. Eris and her were… tentatively happy. The other High Lords beside an asshole named Rhysand were a lot more pleasant to deal with. However, Kallias seemed extremely unsettled by the fact that it was an assassin helping to rule one of two neighboring courts to Winter.

Valda decided to let the title of High Lady sit for a while longer, however, and instead took up the position of spymaster, both to taunt the Night Court and to get her used to a leadership position. Surprisingly, she was actually really good at what she was doing with the spies, despite it being mostly within the court, and occasionally sending someone to another court to check on some rumor. Even training! But honestly, she should’ve expected that being a spy was basically the exact same as being an assassin besides the planned, paid killing.

Eris seemed incredibly proud as she slowly took on more roles and let her help him with some of the work he was doing for the court. Most of it was boring, however, and either writing letters or making decisions. The fun stuff was when you actually met with someone on the matter. Recently, it’d been lords coming to complain and she’d gotten to snark back like in the Night Court. Not her favorite line of work, but good enough.

Throughout the rest of “summer,” they focused on the Autumn Court and less on other-court relations. Very simple. However, come autumn, it was time to start with trade deals and sadly, invite people to the court for holidays and dinners and balls. The Night Court was not invited, however. Eris had decided that they’d let that one sit for a while before attempting to soothe some sort of relationship between the two courts. The Spring Court was also ignored mostly, seeing as Tamlin denied their invitation to a short dinner. Valda hadn’t been surprised.

She found the autumn holidays much more to her liking however. Harvest and the Autumn Equinox and all the hunting competitions- it was great fun. And there was food. Oh great Mother, so much fresh, delicious corn and bread. Oh, the bread was one of her favorites, especially when paired with some butter and cheese.

Through winter, they relaxed and managed the court through some hardships like a food delivery problem to some of the poorer individuals of the court. Of course, everyone was angry at Eris, as there was so much change and fae always were difficult with change. But, with some light discipline they were set on track.

However, spring came much too fast for Valda’s liking. Calanmai, and the anniversary of Beron’s death and Eris’s rise to power drew near. She was a bit… nervous to say the least.

There were rumors spreading through the Forest House and the entire court. The Maiden.

Her.

Secondly, Eris was acting weird. He seemed apprehensive about something and there were little spikes of happy nervousness when she came into a room or when they cuddled or even when they were having dinner. 

She planned to talk to him about it tonight when he got back from training the pups. Well, they weren’t exactly puppies anymore and had grown considerably (Tempus was her favorite because she was the best cuddler out of the three) and were training for tracking and this week they were going to start some basic hunting commands.

But aside from the pups and Eris’s oddness, she was still anxious about Calanmai. Not for the anniversaries or anything, but purely because she didn’t know her job for it. Was she meant to turn into a whimpering mess for her mate in the middle of the forest? Honestly, they need to put some instructions out.

“Eris?” Valda asked one night. She knew Eris was exhausted due to all the work he’d been doing today, but she needed to know with Calanmai only two weeks away.

“Yes?” He asked, his face stuffed into her chest.

“What’s going to happen on Calanmai?” She asked.

Eris didn’t reply for a few long moments but eventually responded. “Nobody is going to force you to be the Maiden if you don’t want to. The Spring Court is the main one where they have to have one.”

“But won’t you…” She hesitated.

“It’ll be fine,” he dismissed. “I’m sure it's not that bad.”

That seems very wrong, considering her memories from the last Calanmai. “But won’t the court want to see proof that we actually are mates?” Valda argued.

“Probably,” Eris admitted, lifting his head now to meet her eyes. “But I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to, even if it does leave me insane for a night or two.”

Valda winced at the thought. She didn’t want Eris to suffer.

“I just don’t know what to do for it,” She admitted quietly, glancing down and away from Eris’s gaze. “I know it's a sex ritual and all that you told me before but… it’s different being the Maiden, I’m sure.”

Eris hummed in agreement. “Well, from what I remember, the Maiden is obviously dressed down and when time hits, which is when the High Lord declares an official start to Calanmai, the Maiden begins running into the forest. The High Lord is forced to wait, normally getting quite unhinged before the people holding him free him. Then I suppose, it’s a chase.”

Valda hummed. “No winnowing?” She guessed.

“No winnowing, but I doubt anyone would even know. It’d only make the chase more interesting.”

“Oh?” Valda questioned with a little smirk. “And do you like interesting, my lord?”

Eris smirked. “Only if you do, my mate.”

Valda chuckled, shoving his shoulder as he leaned in to try and kiss her cheek. “Stop it,” she chastised.

Eris only got more insistent until he simply dropped dead on her and finally made her arm collapse at the elbow so he could plant his lips across hers with a happy hum.

Valda rolled her eyes, but made sure to participate in the kiss. She turned her head to force Eris away when he tried to nip at her lip. “Uh uh,” she said, tapping his lips. “You need rest , mister. As do I.”

“You wound me,” he said, tightening his grip on her body momentarily. “But really, nobody will force you to be the Maiden, no matter what. I will incinerate them.”

Valda smiled. “I know,” she whispered, pecking his forehead gently as he laid his head back down on her chest. “I’m just nervous.”

“Because you don’t know what to do or some other reason?” Eris asked.

“Well, I know mostly what to do now, don’t I?”

“So what else?” Eris asked, snuggling closer.

“As you might know, I have very limited experience with being submissive, and with the… primal part of it, I’m not sure.”

Eris hummed in acknowledgement, staying silent for a few moments before replying to her. “It’s supposed to be natural. You follow your instincts, that’s all. And honestly, if you want to chase me, I’m not arguing.”

“The court will,” Valda pointed out.

“Fuck them,” Eris said, chuckling. “If my mate wants to fuck me, I am not saying no.”

Valda rolled her eyes, but felt a bolt of heat settle in her abdomen at the words. “I’d like to do it the way that it was intended, Eris. I’m not breaking any traditions yet.”

“So you’re doing it?” Eris suddenly asked.

Valda hummed before sighing. “Yes.”

Eris chuckled. “I’m going to love you so good then,” he said.

Valda smiled at her mate’s words. “You already do,” she pointed out.

Eris remained silent for a few moments. Then, out of the blue: “I’m going to hunt you down and make sure you know you’re mine. I’m going to chase you through that forest because I need you so badly. Because you are my mate. My prey. You’ll try and run away but I’ll catch you and pin you down and then show you just how much I fucking know and own your body.”

Every word sent a rush of heat down Valda’s spine. Holy fuck. Why did that arouse her so much? Honestly. The idea of Eris chasing her alone was enough to make her knees wobble.

Eris had a shit-eating grin on his face when he looked up at Valda. She had a slightly open mouth like she was already panting from running.

“I knew you’d like that,” he whispered. “You like being my prey?”

Valda was speechless. Absolutely flabbergasted by this side of her mate. But she loved it.

Eris supported himself on his forearms, lifting his head to look into her eyes. “Yeah, you do, don’t you? You want to be chased and pinned down just like any prey out here. Except you want your hunter to catch you, don’t you? You want to be pinned down and taken right on the forest floor.”

Valda couldn’t fucking breathe. Why did she never let Eris be dominant before? It was so hot. So hot she could barely breathe and make coherent thoughts.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you want,” Eris said, smirking above me. He pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before laying back down. “Rest, my prey. When Calanmai comes, I will give you exactly what you want.”

——

Valda was buzzing with energy. She stood underneath a tree wearing a lot less than she usually preferred (in fact, she was wearing a skirt; how terrifying). She wore a black bra that had lace that went down to her belly button with that knee-length black skirt. That still didn’t stop her from being armed, but as she saw Eris slide his shirt off and head to the raised podium nearby, her breath was stolen. 

Cauldron, he’d been relentless in his teasing. At every opportunity, he called her “my prey” or “little deer” or something like that and it just set alight a flame between her thighs. 

“Welcome, once again, to Calanmai,” Eris said loudly, catching everyone’s attention. “Fire Night at its finest. Let the flames be set alight!”

All around her, fires were sparked and lit up the area around them. There would be no faelights– only the true source of light in this world: fire.

Two of Eris’s brothers, Hue and Kuhn, came up to the podium then and put an arm around each of the High Lord’s to restrain him. The moon rose higher into the sky and Valda felt the magic hum in the air. Tonight was the one night of the year that fae from all Courts could cross borders without consequence. She already saw some people that stood out from the rest.

Valda began to pant in anticipation. Soon, they would release the “Maiden” and then soon thereafter, the hunt and eventual capture would begin. It was overwhelming in the best of ways.

She didn’t bother to look at who, but someone finally yelled “Release the Maiden!” 

Valda didn’t waste a beat and began sprinting into the forest. The skirt certainly wasn’t the best to wear for this, but Eris had managed to convince her since it gave him more “access.”

She leapt over a log with ease, however, and continued bolting. She had a plan to make this chase last as long as possible. It’d only make the inevitable catch more exciting. Valda turned toward the Spring Court border, not planning on passing over it, but simply planning to mix her scent up and then winnow once her mate was released.

Too soon, she felt the excitement and energy on her mate’s side of the bond skyrocket. The High Lord had been released and the court awaited the inevitable capture to celebrate Fire Night. Valda didn’t waste a beat in winnowing to the edge of the camp and began running in the opposite direction she’d taken off in at first.

Eris would know she’d winnowed since she couldn’t mix her scent with the Spring Court’s flowers, but he’d still need time to track her. Even if the mate bond they shared was almost like a living beacon. Eris’s emotions were getting slightly weaker as he moved farther away.

Valda began running north blindly now, hopping over logs and circling around trees (even climbing some briefly) before continuing her sprint. By now, she was panting heavily. But her body felt alight with anticipation. She could feel Eris getting closer again. He was coming for her. And she was his little deer.

She ran now, not bothering to disturb her trail anymore as she fell into a blind, instinctual run. Like she really was the prey, falling to her instincts of fear. But it wasn’t fear driving her but lust. Oh, she could feel him near and she needed him. But he had to catch her first.

Eris had been adamant on telling her that he’d capture her on his own two feet. Not shifting into the maddening, terrifying creature of the High Lord or even winnowing. Eris was determined, and she could feel it.

Valda kept running, skirting around a pond that reflected the moon’s light. But then a shadow leaped for her from above and she screeched in surprise.

She was pinned on her stomach, arms behind her back as something panted into her ear.

“Got you, my little deer,” Eris whispered into her ear.

Valda moaned openly, closing her eyes.

“You tried to trick me, didn’t you?” He continued. “You tried to throw me off but it never worked because you’re mine.”

She could suddenly feel her clothing being ripped off however possible. Valda was bare under her mate and she couldn’t be happier.

Eris reached down between her legs and swiped through the wetness gathering there. “Oh, wet aren’t you, little deer? Do I need to clean this up before I take what’s mine?”

Valda could barely think. She hasn’t felt this turned on in centuries.

“Come on, tell your hunter. Perhaps I’ll be kind enough to give you some mercy.”

“Please,” Valda got out. “Please. Clean- clean it up.”

She knew Eris was smirking from where he was. In seconds, she was twisted around and shoved up against a tree where Eris lifted both her thighs onto his shoulders and began to lick her cunt like a male starved. Valda could not control her noises. Nor could she stop herself from barrelling into release only a minute later.

Eris only continued, however, and forced her body into an overwhelming overstimulation. Her mind was fuzz and her body couldn’t decide whether it wanted more or wanted Eris away from licking her clit.

When Eris finally did pull away, it was when she was steadily building toward a second orgasm. His face was a mess but he looked so dirty and it turned her on even more. Was that even possible at this point? Apparently.

“My poor prey,” Eris purred, leaning up to press lips to hers. “So helpless.”

Valda whimpered, closing her eyes. “Please,” she begged, arching her back under Eris.

“Please, what?” Eris growled, grabbing her chin to force her to meet his eyes.

“I need- I need you inside,” she begged.

Her mate smirked and then tore his pants and thrust inside of her hard.

It was fucking perfect. Everything was so much but it was so perfect. Valda couldn’t even begin to make words, but she distantly felt her orgasm building more and more.

Then it snapped and pleasure tore through her as she screamed, shouting Eris’s name as he only seemed to continue thrusting inside of her with more vigor.

“You’re going to stay there like a good girl until I’m done,” Eris growled.

Valda’s eyes rolled back into her skull as she gave herself over fully to Eris and the pleasure.

It felt like centuries passed when Eris finally growled into her ear and came inside of her. She quickly followed him over the edge at the heat flooding her belly, moaning obscenely. The heat wasn’t the only thing however- there was magic completely filling the air. The magic was thick and she knew that it would be felt across the Autumn Court, signaling the Maiden had been caught and that the celebration could properly begin.

When she came to, she was sore as fuck and Eris was gently sliding out, kissing her cheeks gently.

“Fuck,” she groaned, feeling a root digging into her back. She still felt aroused, despite being so sore. It must’ve been the magic, but she was going to need a little break after that.

“You alright, my love?” Eris asked, gently helping her sit up.

Valda leaned onto his shoulder as he moved beside her. “Mostly,” she chuckled. “I’m sore as fuck. Who knew that fucking on the floor of a forest was so bad for your back?”

Eris laughed. “It’s alright, I’ll take care of you.” A warm hand slid down her back to where the root had been digging in, and gently massaged the area. She sighed in relief at the immediate relaxation and pain relief.

“Want to go back to the Forest House?” Eris asked. “We can take a warm bath.”

Valda groaned. “That sounds extremely appealing right now.”

Eris smiled and suddenly, they were in the bathroom. Eris held her up when she stumbled at the suddenness of standing. “I’ve got you,” he promised.

Valda nodded, closing her eyes as Eris leaned down to put an arm under her knees and lift her up to his chest. She heard the unmistakable sound of water pouring from a faucet right after. Eris probably used his magic. He walked to sit down on the edge of the bathtub, kissing her forehead.

“I’ve got you,” he repeated.

She hummed, smiling. “I love you,” she whispered, kissing his cheek softly.

He seemed to beam at that little movement. “I love you too,” he replied. “Mate.”

“Mate,” Valda agreed. “My mate.”

Eris chuckled. “Come on, let’s clean up,” he said, standing and turning to gently set her down into a tub of warm water while he stepped in himself to settle behind her, hugging her from behind.

Eris began to gently clean them both up, rubbing shampoo and conditioner into her hair and washing her body from any dirt stains. He also used that time to use his heavenly fire magic to massage the sore parts of her body. (well, besides one.)

“You’re too good to me,” Valda whispered as he helped her rinse her hair.

“I’m giving you exactly what you deserve, Val. Love and care.”

Valda chuckled. “Funny, I probably wouldn’t have ever imagined myself like this when I first came to the Forest House.”

“Ah, yes. Adira Void. The spunky servant who didn’t bow her head.”

“Now Valda Callahan- hopefully one day, Vanserra. Mate to the High Lord of Autumn.”

Eris chuckled. “I will keep that hopefully in mind, my love.”

Valda grinned. “I know you will.”

“I would do it right now, but I lack the proper materials and the ability to kneel before you,” Eris chuckled.

“I’ll be expecting it then,” she chuckled.

“You won’t expect the timing at all,” Eris replied ominously.

——

Eris was kneeling. Kneeling. The sun was going down, turning a bright orange and beautiful red. Nearby, Lady Merle was gasping while Hue and Kuhn looked at each other in combined surprise.

“Valda Callahan,” Eris began, reaching back to his pocket as he stared up at her. A ring box came up in his palm and he opened it gracefully. “Would you do me the honor of marrying me? Of becoming my High Lady? For the rest of eternity?”

Valda couldn’t contain her smile as she looked down at the ring. It was perfect. Rose gold colored leaves went around each other and then held a beautiful circular bright forest-green jewel– an emerald, if she had to guess.

“Of course,” she answered. “Of course, my love. I would spend all of eternity with you regardless.”

Eris smiled and plucked the ring from the box and Valda offered out her left hand.

Eris carefully slid the ring onto her finger, kissing it and then standing up to kiss her lips properly.

He even dipped her and Valda laughed as they broke apart. “You are so dramatic,” she teased, lifting her hand to examine the jewel. “Emerald, right?”

“Emerald,” he confirmed. “Its meaning is much more appealing than a diamond.”

“What is the meaning?” She asked, ignoring the others around them for the time being.

“Eternal love, peace, hope and new beginnings. I thought it fit well with our pasts.”

Valda grinned. “You’re too perfect.”

Lady Merle’s happy squeal interrupted them as she rushed over. “Eris! I wasn’t expecting this! Why didn’t you tell me?! I could’ve helped-”

“Mother, mother, I was planning on telling you. Right now.”

Merle groaned as she turned toward me. “Welcome to the family, daughter. Eris chose well, with you. You will make a powerful leader and partner for him.”

Valda smiled. “Thank you, Merle,” she replied.

Hue came over and clapped Eris on the shoulder. “You know, I don’t think you’ll be half bad as a sister. As long as I don’t get on your bad side, I’ll stay alive.”

Valda scoffed. “The only family I might kill is my old one.”

Eris smiled and pulled her into his side. “Let me join you,” he said. “Your brother in particular.”

“What did your brother do?” Merle questioned.

“Uhm…” Valda hesitated. “My late father, brother and mother might’ve hit me a lot before I left Hewn City?”

Rage filled Merle’s gaze. “Eris, you’re sending a letter to Rhysand for me,” she said sternly. “Setting up a meeting between my new daughter’s old family and me. Just me.”

Eris swallowed nervously. “Something tells me I don’t want to make that meeting.”

“I’m coming,” Valda volunteered. “It can be a girls’ night,” she said, grinning at Merle.

Merle grinned back evilly. “Girls’ night. Yes, I think that’s a good idea.”

“Alright murderous people,” Kuhn said, placating from beside his mother, “relax. We’ve got a wedding to plan first. And a High Lady ceremony.”

“Yes, indeed we do,” Eris said, smiling and sending warmth down the bond.

Valda scoffed. “Fine. Murder after,” she offered.

Everyone laughed and Valda felt joy unlike any other filling her chest.

This was her family now. Her mate. Her life. Her court. She was at home. And always would be. She was no longer that tragedy of before with her Masters’ words bearing down on her and her brother’s words echoing in her ears. She was no longer born for tragedy. No longer an assassin. But a part of a family.

For the first time in a while, she thought the words “How beautiful” without being sarcastic.

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

TAGLIST (see post for getting added)

@bunnymallowo, @officiallyunofficialperson, @margssstuff, @rebloggiest-reblogger, @inpraizeof, @graciereads, @eos-princess, @imma-too-many-fandoms, @mali22, @sassybluebird, @bubybubsters,

[formulaorange]

2023 Summer Anime

This is the anime season I've been waiting for this year:

Jujutsu Kaisen - Season 2 speaks for itself, long awaited, goated characters, fun action packed story

Bleach: Thousand year Blood War - Season 2 One of the best come backs of all time for an anime, the first season was absolutely worth waiting 10+ years for. Season 2 back to kill it again I'm sure.

Horimiya: Piece - 13 Episodes One of my favourite shoujo romance series. This isn't the second season but it's a lot of new content that didn't make it into the original series. Another one lots of people have been waiting for.

Another one of my all time favourite shoujo (?)/fantasy? series is coming back this season as well: Sugar Apple Fairy Tale This was such a brutal cliffhanger to leave us on in the first half and I honestly cried so much. This is a highly anticipated second cour for me. We also have Mushoku tensei season 2 coming this season. While I feel like it's definitely one of the top isekais out there, I'm not too sure how this second season will do, it seems a bit darker and has a different vibe to it. We'll have to wait and see. There's also a bunch of series that attempted to air in the winter series but were halted for one reason or another: The misfit at demon lord academy - season 2 The devil as a part timer!! - season 2 After watching what they did release originally, I feel like these series could honestly have been left alone and been such solid series. Who knows if they'll redeem themselves. NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a - it seems like this is only going to be 4 episodes, not too sure what's New Series:

The Girl I like forgot her Glasses A new romance series that looks straightforward and wholesome. Pretty much what the title says. It's done by an older studio, known for the 2012 anime "K". It seems like they're trying to make a comeback as they're also releasing the following show this season: The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today I've heard of the manga for this series and it's supposed to be quite highly rated but I honestly know nothing about it. My guess is that it'll be popular with the manga readers but likely won't get too much traction in the wider audiences. My Happy Marriage Historical romance series that honestly looks like it checks all the boxes for me. Arranged marriage by evil step-mother of a quiet girl to a supposed cold hearted commander with money. The quality animations are honestly a bonus.

Zom 100 I think this is exactly the kind of show that'll do well as an anime, it's big, loud, and stupid (in a good way). A 24year old salaryman realizes he never has to work again when the zombie apocalypse hits japan. Definitely a fun one to watch this season.

Helck This is a new fantasy/comedy series where a human - Helck, is nominated as demon lord. Big muscle brain who hates other humans and wants to destroy humanity. The manga was just released in english so I've heard the name around recently and think it'll be a fun watch. Dark Gathering A new horror/supernatural series where a shut in start working for a child prodigy psychic who wants to hunt down the spirit related to her mothers disappearance. Seems like it could be a half-decent supernatural series, it's been a while since I've watched one so i'll likely check it out.

Undead Girl Murder Farce Another interesting dark looking series. It's about a disembodied head who's a detective who travels with her half-demon friend and maid around Europe solving supernatural related mysteries. Liar, Liar A big brain battle anime about people faking each other out to win some kind of tournament (?) I know people like this kinda series quite a bit, like Classroom of the Elite so I figured I'd throw this in incase you're interested. Level 1 Demon Lord and One Room Hero A new comedy fantasy series that's popular in the manga realm. After 10 year the hero and the retired demon lord room together as the Demon lord tries to get the hero back in shape. What I wanted from Devil as a part-timer. Record of Ragnarok - Season 2 I honestly have so much fun with this series and have no complaints about the animation style, looking forward to the new battles. Along the same lines: Hanma Baki- Season 2 Easy brainless violence/entertainment Link Click 2 I really need to get to watching the first season, I know this is supposed to be an incredible series with solid animations. Fate/Strange Fake A new season of fate, animated by A-1 who'll be doing solo leveling. I've been putting off watching the series but honestly will likely try and catch up for this season. Sequels: Masamune Kun's Revenge R (season 2) Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 3 BSD Season 5 The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 2 Spy Classroom Season 2 Others/Isekai/Fantasy: The Gene of AI - technically just sci fi - detroit become human meets medical show Hero Classroom - honestly the one that has the most potential out of this list - Hero/Fantasy/Ecchi/School Genre Atelier Ryza - looks a little promising, new alchemy apprentice in fantasy world Reign of the Seven Spellblades - Harry Potter type fantasy school (but not really in a good way)

[saellefanwork]

Hey Saelle! I absolutely loved the Tears of Time - you're a tremendous writer and it's obvious that you plan out your writing with a lot of thought!

I basically binged the whole thing lol, wish it wasn't over! But all good things come to an end, and their ending was both beautiful and hopeful...what more could I ask for?

Do you have any plans for any more Rengoku fics? I would read it without question ☺️

Wow, thanks a lot @altarusse <3 I'm thrilled you enjoyed the story!

I'm not sure if you read "The Tears of Time" directly on Tumblr or on AO3/Quotev, but I just released the Epilogue chapter on Tumblr (I... forgot to post it here, oops). So if you haven't checked it out yet, feel free to do so :3!

In the upcoming days, I'll be sharing a revised version of a polyamory Rengoku/Kamado/F!Reader stories, titled "Echoes of Loss" and "Chocolate Lips," that I've already written. Additionally, I'll be posting fanarts and probably little bonus sections of "The Tears of Time" featuring cut/dumped scenes or additional trivia in the upcoming weeks.

I have some ideas for a Demon Slayer Modern AU involving a demon or ghost hunting agency. Not sure yet which pairing(s) it would involve. Maybe I'll write it in the future months when my ideas are clearer. We'll see because I also work in real life as a writer/illustrator and in a shop, and I'm a bit overwhelmed with all my projects 👀. Meanwhile, I might take on some commissions.

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in my future fic-related posts or if there are specific stories you'd be interested in reading :3 Can't promise anything, but your input might inspire/motivate me, so don't hesitate!

[kookies2000]

Disney tries to make a sequel, everyone hates it already.

Dreamworks plans a sequel, Shrek 5, Kung Fu Panda 4, and wanting a Puss in Boots 3 and Bad Guys 2, everyone is hyped and dying of waiting!!!

And I fully understand why.

Sequals (Essay because there's a lot of sequels to talk about)

Disney was never the type to serialize their films. Heck, most of their films are stand-alone films because of the fairytales they're based on. You can't exactly make a series out of Cinderella, Snow-white, Beauty and the Beast, etc, without changing a few things from the original. Disney tried and let me just say that Cinderella 3 was most likely their only good sequel. And that's because they retold the story of Cinderella. Even redeeming one of the step sisters. As for the other sequels that Disney has planned or made, 50/50 for me. I'm not looking forward to Frozen 3. Frozen 2 was good until the third act. Elsa just pushed Anna away again, and instead of it being this bad thing, Elsa is rewarded for it. She gets to see her mother and gains an improved version of herself. While Anna struggles by herself. Yes, Elsa did "die," which could've worked as character development if Elsa realized that pushing Anna away was the cause of that death. But no, Anna unites the spirits again, and Elsa comes back to save the kingdom and all it good. There isn't really a punishment for Elsa pushing her loved ones away. Anna was the one with the best development because she had to grieve and push forward without Elsa. And she grew into a better version of herself that way, earning her crown as queen. I can see why people liked the ending, but to me, Elsa really should've reflected on what she did to Anna and Olaf at the end. It's just a little detail that made the film fall flat for me. Toy Story 5.......... what? The first three are masterpieces, really, they are. The 4th was definitely unnecessary, but I liked it as its own stand-alone film. Like a bonus film, a reboot to a possible new chapter for the franchise. But the way they ended it, they separated Woody and Buzz. Bonnie just straight up left Woody behind. I get it. There were hints that Jessie was gonna be her new favorite toy, but Woody should have some value. Yes, I know the film was about Woody accepting that he is no longer in the spot light and must pass down that title to someone else and his new chapter in life doesn't include his old friends. I get it. That happens in real life, too. But a 5th film? How are they exactly gonna do it with the way the 4th film ended. It doesn't seem very possible. Plus, it's not like the 4th film lived up to the first three, I still think they made Buzz a little out of character. And the old toys were underused. Like they could've evened out the roles a little more instead of letting Buzz take the spotlight. The same with Wreck it Ralph. I'm not going into detail about this. The sequel was pretty bad. I get it. Ralph is insecure and doesn't want to lose his only friend. But to put her in a life-threatening situation to get her to stay with you? I'm pretty sure you could've just said you were feeling lonely without her. That was too big of a drastic measure. I know that wasn't his intent, but the writers might want to have rethought about that. Ralph was just a bit too much of a jerk, and the product placement was kinda too much. Cars 2.......... it's a guilty pleasure of mine for a reason. 🤣 Incredibles 2, I thought it was good, but I can see why people have issues with it. The villain didn't make that much sense. The only sequel I am looking forward to is Zootopia 2, and that's because that story has a lot to offer. I'll explain later.

Dreamworks sequals, oh boy, where do I begin!!! Dreamworks serialized their films at the very beginning. Did you know there were at least six El Dorado films planned? If the first film didn't flop, we could've had a whole franchise of the treasure hunting trio. Or the fact that before Shrek was released, they were already working on a Shrek 2. Dreamworks make their films with a franchise in mind. They planned ahead. And each squeal they made only added more and more to their characters.

Shrek 2, Shrek has marriage problems because his in-laws are baiscally racist towards orgers. Shrek 4, he learns to love his life again. I will not mention Shrek the 3rd because that movie should disintegrate and never come back to reality. 😅 And I'm hyped for Shrek 5 because there is still more to write about. The film takes place in a fairytale land. There's hundreds of fairy tales out there that Shrek can make fun of. Hence, more films. The concept itself opens up new stories.

HTTYD. I haven't seen this one, but I know enough. I love the idea of Hiccup growing up and learning something new every film. Finding his mother, dealing with the loss of his father, dealing with being separated from his best friend at the end. Each film gave a new element to his story. A new gain and a new loss. I can't see the film going beyond three films, though. Unless it's gonna be about Hiccups kids, they kinda closed the book, and the concept isn't very open to anything. Unless a new threat comes and Hiccup has to learn to be the new village leader. Which he kinda already did. So I'm glad there isn't a HTTYD 4 planned.

Kung Fu Panda. This franchise has 6 films planned since the very beginning. SIX! And they always add a new element to Po's story. Earning the Dragon Warrior name, finding inner peace and dealing with his PTSD, becoming a teacher and chi master. And there's still more to Chinese culture that can be added to this franchise. The concept opens up the franchise to new ideas. The number of characters they have adds to the story. We got Shifus back story, we got Po's back story, we got Oogways back story, and the fandom is now expecting Tigress's back story soon. The concept and the characters are the reason why this franchise is loved and why we're dying for the 4th film!!!!

Madagascar. Fun fact, Madagascar 3 was, in fact, not the final film. 😅 Yeah, shocking. After the Penguins of Madagascar in 2014, Madagascar 4 was supposed to be released in 2018. So they did plan more films but got delayed with Kung Fu Panda 4 and Puss in Boots 2 because of the reconstruction of the studio. How many more films? I think the 4th one was supposed to create a reboot situation. I have no idea how the story is supposed to continue. I really don't, but at the same time, I do. The first three films had one story. The three wanted to go home to the zoo. Each film took place in a different setting, with each character learning something new about themselves. In the first film, they learned how to be in the wild, just like animals in Madagascar. Second film, they reconnect with their African roots. 3rd film, they realize what they really want is to see the world, so they move in with the circus. In Europe. That's why the sequels worked. Different settings = different discoveries = new story. Yes, their story about getting to the zoo is over, but we can't forget about the situation their in now. They're traveling the world now. The point of Stefanos and Gias character in the 3rd film was that the two were tired of staying in one place. They did the same acts to the point where they lost passion and meaning. They wanted something new and to improve the circus. And now that they have that, new stories can be told. In other words, the new concept opens up a door to a new story. They can travel the world and discover new things and new characters. New culture and even back stories to new characters. As far as I remember, Vitaly has a father like relationship with Gia and Stefano. Why? What's their past? Or we can get new pasts from new characters to come from different parts of the world. The concept of a circus traveling the world is what opens up the door to new stories.

Trolls, I know people don't like this film, and I agree it's for a much younger audience. Like 8 and under. But I can still appreciate the franchise for it's story telling. Poppy has to learn to be queen before becoming queen at the end of the film. She had to learn where happiness comes from and how having others you love in your life can improve on that happiness. Trolls 2, she had to learn about being a good queen. And I do love the metaphors they used in the 2nd film. Using different kinds of music a metaphor of tribes at war with each other. Poppy learned that it was her kingdom that caused the war in the first place. She had to learn that she can't push her own culture onto the other tribes because you can't just think your culture is superior. Like she wanted to make the country trolls happy with her own music simply because she believed the country trolls music was the wrong way. Which makes me love her interactions with Coopers family so much. Learning that her kingdom tried to erase the other tribes culture by replacing it with theirs. That her tribes scrapbooks are just cutouts and glue ons by the winners to rewrite history so they feel comfortable with it. And I love that the king and queen of funk explain it to her. That differences do matter, and no, we are not all the same deep inside. Our culture, our lives, and our experiences are different, and they make us who we are. Harmonizing with different cultures is what makes a good queen. And that's why the sequels work. Why I'm excited for my little sisters to see the franchise. There's so much you can do with a story about a queen trying to do good for her kingdom. And YES, I know Frozen is the same. Like I said, I did enjoy Frozen 2. It's just that the third act fell hard on its face. Like, why is ice the 5th element and not love? There are little details that really made it flop. I can understand Trolls being kiddy and cute because they are made for children and babies. I would much rather have my sisters watch Trolls than Coco Melon any time. I appreciate Frozen for what it is as well. Loved the films, wish it reached its potential and that's why I'm not looking forward to Frozen 3.

Are there any DreamWork films that would work as a franchise? Yes, Megamind can learn how to handle being the towns new hero. Bad Guys, this screams franchise!!! It's like Suicide Squad. Former criminals help to save the world!!! Puss in Boots. Puss, Kitty, and Perrito are three out laws going on adventures. How many new adventures can you write for them to go on? HUNDREDS!!! And this is why I'm excited for Zootopia 2!!! That story DOES have something to look forward to. The concept is great. A cop and a former criminal fighting crime together? HELL YEAH!!! That's why Toy Story worked, too!!! The life of a toy is creative. They watched their owner grow, and each stage of their owners life affected them. When a kid moves houses, they can lose toys on the way. What if a toy gets broken? What if the kid is no longer a kid? What do toys feel about being lost or replaced. The concept is incredible and leaves tons of opportunities to continue the story or create new ones. So I'm a 50/50 on Toy Story 5.

Conclusion

Disney doesn't plan ahead when they make a film. They clearly start to make it up as they go with no plan. DreamWorks does plan ahead. A lot of Disney's concepts don't work for sequals. I can not see a squeal to any of the Disney princesses. Bell? Ariel? Cinderella? Not really much to their story except they lived happily ever after. It's a closed book for good unless they take a Cinderella 3 route and rewrite their stories. Dreamworks do have concepts in their stories that open opportunities. And the #1 reason why we don't get excited about Disney squeals. Reputation. Disney has a horrible reputation when it comes to sequals. Dreamworks have a perfect record. As long as we burn Shrek the 3rd from our minds. Not talking down on Disney. I know they have the ability to create great classic stories. But only stand-alone stories. While DreamWorks has a gift in making franchises and taking risks in their stories.

Ps. SHREK 5 IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED!!!!!

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Hi, can you help me come up with a scientific name for a Harpy, Wyvern, Dracolizard and Dracoturtle? I'm a little lost on how to go about it. In my world wyverns and dracolizards aren't dragons but are a closely related cousin species but I don't want to use the Latin or Greek root words for dragon since I used those for my actual dragons and I don't really know what to do with dracoturtles which are, well, turtles with very minor and diluted dracolizard blood. And harpys are just really weird birds that evolved to lure in humans due to their progenitors developing a prominent fondness for human preys.

{Sorry if this just turned into a infodump}

It's a little hard for me to help you there without knowing more specifics about your creatures, but I can give you the resources I have turned to when making taxonomic names for my own fantasy creatures!

here's a wiki page about taxonomy

here's a multi part article series about taxonomy. part 1 is just a short bit of history on taxonomy. part 2 actually gets into how the taxonomic naming works. part 3 lists some common suffixes. part 4 is about taxonomic terms related to body parts. part 5 is about using habitat in taxonomy. and the final part 6 is about behaviors in taxonomy.

and using my own older posts as an example, let me explain some of the taxonomic title choices I made. (it got long)

on the goblins: Hadebufo, hades-frog, based on the real life Beezlebufo, meaning devil frog. this is a way to use taxonomy words by combining two words into one. bufo here basically means frog, and I simply smushed another word in front of it. Same goes for the next one, Manibufo, where "mani" means "hand", so it's the hand-frog because it had prehensile fingers that allowed it to grab things. from there, I made up the title "goblus" to represent the whole goblin family tree. it's just a vaguely latin sounding alteration of "goblin". I named the modern goblin "goblus goblus". usually in two-word taxonomic titles, the first word indicates the genus (that's the broader family they're in) while the second word indicates the species. so having them doubled like "goblus goblus" or "rattus rattus" usually indicates that they're like the archetypal species of their genus, the defining group. the two goblin ancestors before goblus goblus had different names; goblus troglodites (taking inspiration from chimpanzees, pan troglodytes.) troglodyte means "cave dweller". the other one is goblus textilis, or "goblin of textiles" because this is when they became very good at weaving baskets.

on the orcs: i took inspiration from prehistoric boars here. hyotherium means "pig monster" with "therium" being a common suffix to indicate a very large creature. I also used mongolian-based words for the first two in this line, since many prehistoric boars and similar creatures' fossils have been found there. which gave me hyotherium khurtshud (pig beast with sharp teeth, remarking on it's more carnivorous diet) and vounotherium sureganchin (mountain beast which hunts in packs, remarking on the evolution into a wolf-like hunting style). from there, I started to make up new terms, this time stealing words from tolkein. Uruk Urukhai, a direct reference to tolkein's strongest orcs. Uruk then became the genus name. From there, Uruk Orci is the modern orc ( could have sworn i made updated names, but i cannot seem to find any updated charts in my files lol) and I have a bonus there for Uruk Korri, taking the second title from Korrigan, a type of small fae from european mythology, often associated with hills and caves. This is a branch species that experienced island dwarfism and then split again to create the mountain dwelling Uruk Gnomi (gnomes) and the burrowing Uruk Hobbi (my version of hobbits/halflings, which I call Haufin).

on the elves: I went for the -pithecus suffix which is common for a lot of primates, including some human ancestor species. so alfipithecus, alf being an alternate word for "elf", and then sylvapithecus, referencing the word "sylvan" which i then used to make the genus name "sylvus". It's a word heavily associated with elves, especially in DnD where Sylvan is like a more ancient version of the elvish language. from here, sylvus arborea, "tree elf", and then the branching species split into sylvus arachne, "spider elf" for drow, and sylvus draculan "dracula elf" for vampires. (this needs an alteration, i'm not sure i want to call them vampires anymore). sylvus sylvan for "true elves" and sylvus hominid for modern elves that have changed with the addition of human blood in their ancestral lines (thanks to supernatural intervention while humans were going extinct)

these are currently the only evolutionary lines i have worked out, and so the only taxonomic names I have come up with so far! i hope that helps you decide what features you want to use as a base for your own fantasy taxonomy! have fun!

[bakersstreetirregulars]

CROB 7th Anniversary: Wish Camp Treasure Hunt

Duration: 10/26/23 - 11/27/23, 6 PM EST

☁️ Wowee… seven years already? Vanilla Meringue Cookie- our Editor- started playing this game waaaaaaaaaaay back just a bit before the 2nd anniversary. That’s how much you can trust him on how this game works! And it seems like there’s a lot planned here, so let’s not waste any time and have Cannoli Cookie help share everything there is to offer!

Treasure Hunt

🏕️ Thanks for having me here, Lemon-Lime Meringue Cookie! We’ve got a lot to cover here, so let’s get started with the main event: the Treasure Hunt! In order to start searching for treasure, you’ll need Camping Shoes that you can get from the events here and from a lot of the main game modes as collectable items. Use them to get a reward ranging from common resources to the most Legendary prizes! You’ll need one Shoe per pull, and up to 10 pulls can happen at a time if you have more than 10 Shoes at the time you choose to go hunting for treasure. If you have 10 Shoes or less, you’ll get as many prizes as you had Shoes on redemption.

☁️ Think about the Season 8 premiere event, this is basically the same thing but slightly more streamlined. Coins will not drop alongside prizes, but you might find groups of Cookies for the Group Photo. Also just a heads up, new Cookies, Pets, Treasures, and cosmetics that are scheduled for release this month (Ex: Cannoli & S‘more Cookie) will NOT appear here. Past Cookies like Abyss Monarch Cookie, however, CAN appear here!

Group Photo

🏕️ We need to find Cookies for our group photo! After you try searching for treasure, you’ll probably encounter groups of Cookies roaming the campsite. Cookies with a higher star rating are harder to find, but you’ll find them eventually. The more Cookies you find, the more populated the site gets. Find all 187 Cookies to get a special 7th Anniversary Lobby Design!

Daily Gifts

🏕️ Leave a message by the Wish Campfire every day and you’ll get a Crystal prize and 7 Camping Shoes! This’ll reset daily, so keep coming back for more!

Anniversary Package Payback

☁️ During the month, a lot of the packages award Package Points that you can accumulate here for bonus items such as Camping Shoes and Package Coupons! Just a heads up tho, this one’s for the whales and really just spending money on the game. So… if you don’t plan to spend money or get packages this month, just ignore this.

Anniversary Item Missions

🏕️ This one, however, is open for everyone. Just spend resources around the game and you’ll get Camping Shoes! The benchmarks get more lengthy the more you score though, so be ready to spend your supplies!

Gold Chest Missions

🏕️ This one’s really simple. Just open 4 Gold Chests every day for up to 16 Camping Shoes!

☁️ You might miss the first day if you opened all 8 Gold Chests today before the update though… like me.

Title Missions

🏕️ These missions just naturally complete themselves as you play around various places in the game. Just equip or display the “Star Searching Cookie Runner” title you get on opening the menu and you’ll be able to do the missions for Camping Shoes… a lot of them too!

☁️ Best of luck to you all! Bring back lots of memories and hidden treasures!

[talldarkandroguesome]

24th of Hearthfire, Sundas

After speaking with Tel, I was able to convince them to join me.

I mentioned that in the past as long as we knew the location of the dragon, the fight itself tended not to last overly long. It was not so different from a field battle, other than that your enemy could take to the sky and shoot huge spells at you. Or swallow you in a single bite.

Still, Tel seemed very keen on joining in on this hunt. They sent word to their captain requesting an extension of leave for the hunt.

When they left to send the letter, I spoke further with Tharn. Apparently, in addition to his dealings with The Mane, he as also been in touch with Sai Sahan. How long it has been since I heard that bearded fellow's name.

Honestly, I was quite surprised that they had kept in touch given their arguments and near blows over the whole situation with the Planemeld.

Tharn tells me that Sai Sahan is part of the Dragonguard. And in truth I thought they were a bit of a legend of the past and not still in existence until we met the last one in Anequina. That said, he died and mentioned there being only one other. So to hear from Tharn that Sai Sahan was with a group of Dragonguard was rather a surprise. They must have stayed safe by keeping themselves quite secret.

Tharn also told me that the Dragonguard had been working with a dragon named Nahfahlaar, who is the sworn enemy of whichever dragon is headed this attack across Elsweyr. Apparently the intent is to destroy or rule all of Tamriel.

Although Tharn has not said the name of this dragon leader, I can guess that it may be the same one who he let our of the Halls of the Colossus and who managed to escape from the moon after his defeat.

I have heard the rumors that dragons have been attacking all over Elsweyr. That they have been spotted on the boarder to Cyrodiil by Pact troops. There is an uneasiness even here in Mournhold that I think has fueled the Council's decision to send me with Tharn. Though this time they are not sending me with so many people, I think they are looking to bolster the city's defenses. I know that the Grand Council was called to meet yesterday and I can only assume that the timing points to a desire to fend off the dragon threat should it come this far north and east.

I was sent a letter from House Redoran, asking if a representative of theirs might accompany me. I have responded that I should be glad to honor our Houses' alliance though the transportation to this place and the logistics beyond are being handled by Abnur Tharn himself.

Of course, Tharn is staying at my residence, I would not have him put up at an inn when I have an obligation to provide for his care, but it means that we have been receiving a great deal of requests.

Poor Black-Silk-Earth, she has been the one to deal with the flood of letters and Tharn's... well, his... his Tharn-ness. I will be providing her a great bonus for all she has dealt with. I have informed her of this. I have also informed the rest of the staff that they will be compensated for having to deal with such an unpleasant man. I can feel the tension between them and him and there are some who are still unsure if the coin is worth the hassle.

He spends most of his time in the bath, drinking our finer vintages of imports, and telling people how they should be doing things. So, being himself, really. In order to ease the burden on the staff, I have asked that Avon occupy some of his time. It has helped. They can speak on the mechanics and theory of magicka. I do my part in seeing to Tharn's baser needs. And Sildras will engage him at mealtimes about theoretical aspects of magicka and spell creation.

I have been told, yes told, that we will be leaving this evening. Tharn has told us that we will be using the Mages Guild to get ourselves most of the way to Rimmen. He says that Queen Khamira, though he refuses to use her title when not in public, has asked to be included.

And so here we are, waiting at the Mages Guild as Tharn speaks to the head of the Mournhold chapter about arranging special teleportation. Honestly, the way everyone bows and scrapes to serve his every whim it is no wonder that he acts as he does.

I am glad that we will be seeing Khamira. I need someone else who understands the pain of dealing with Tharn, but also appreciates how to deal more delicately with his moods as his powers wane. I have not mentioned anything to Tel about these things. At least, not to the extent of them. But Khamira knows well.

Oh, there is the Redoran representatives now. I shall have to make formal introductions.

[adrinoir]

Reverse Love Square should not be a step back to square one

I’ve probably said it before but I’ll say it again:

The reverse love square shouldn’t be Marinette losing her feelings for Adrien, and Cat Noir losing his feelings for Ladybug.

Why? Well, there’s plenty of reasons why.

1) Marinette has pined over Adrien for a long, long time

Marinette has loved Adrien since season 1. One of the main focuses of the show is her feelings for him. She does a ridiculous amount of crazy things and tries to think of convoluted plans to confess to him. We’ve watched her for about 6 or 7 years pining after Adrien. That’s a long time.

I know it’s not a super long time in the show’s universe. The time frame is about 4-5 months (I think) according to Thomas Astruc. However, for the people who watch the show, it would make no sense to stop seeing her pine after Adrien after all these years.

But, also consider this. After the amount of things she’s done trying to get this boy to date her, it’d make zero sense for her feelings to just disappear. I feel like the only way that’d make sense is if Adrien did something really bad to hurt Marinette or turned into some sort of criminal/villain. But we know that won’t happen. And Thomas would damn well be hunted down by the fandom if he did go in that direction.

2) Cat Noir has pined over Ladybug for a long, long time

This is the same concept as my first reason. Ever since the first day these two met, Cat Noir fell for her.

The show title is The Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Of course a major plot line is going to be romance between them, and naturally, it’s going to be dramatic.

If there’s no mutual love between these two right now, no plot of a mutual love developing, the show would be completely different. It’d focus on just them being heroic partners and friends, and trying to defeat Hawk Moth. (More of a kid’s show that probably wouldn’t have as strong of an adult audience due to no romantic drama.)

But, this obviously isn’t the direction the show took. They made it very clear in their trailers and in the very first episode that there’s going to be romance between the protagonist and deuteragonist.

Cat Noir has flirted with her since day one. It wouldn’t make sense for him to drop both his feelings and this act entirely. Him loving and trying to woo Ladybug is on brand for him, and it has been throughout the whole show.

Ladybug has let him down - ignoring him, pushing him away, and leaving him in the dark. But, again, it wouldn’t make sense for Cat Noir to drop his feelings for her - he only has her. In his civilian life, Adrien doesn’t have his father’s support and starts losing support from his friends, Kagami and Nino. Him and Ladybug have to work together, meaning they need to sort their issues out no matter what. They were picked for a reason, that reason being that they’re an unstoppable force, even more so once they end up together (romantically).

3) There’s the signs of them loving each other’s other identities alongside of the feelings they’ve already declared

That’s a bit of a long title, I know lol. But, it’s been years of seeing them develop feelings for their other identities.

Marinette has made it obvious to just about everyone that she’s in love with Adrien, and keeps saying that’s the reason she doesn’t want to be with Cat Noir.

Cat Noir has made it obvious to everyone that he loves Ladybug and keeps saying Marinette is “just a friend”.

But this is a showing vs telling sort of thing. Despite Marinette saying she only loves Adrien and Cat Noir saying he only loves Ladybug, they’ve shown many signs throughout the entire series that they love their other identities at the same time.

It’s all denial. They don’t want to believe they have feelings for “someone else.” But they do and won’t admit it. It’s confusing for them trying to juggle all these romantic feelings that keep developing.

And as a bonus, even though it’s not canon in the show itself, there’s that short clip on YouTube of Marinette writing in her diary about Cat Noir. The big part being her mentioning things might be different if “Adrien wasn’t in the picture.”

In relation to the reverse love square, it makes perfect sense for Marinette to finally admit she loves Cat Noir and Adrien to admit he loves Marinette. Meanwhile, they’re going crazy thinking “how can I love two boys/girls at the same time?!”

Just because they’re finally coming to terms that they like each other’s other identities does not mean their feelings they’ve declared for the others are going to disappear into thin air. Realistically, that isn’t how romantic feelings work, and the writing in the show wouldn’t make sense if that happened. Speaking from personal experience, there have been times I’ve crushed on more than one person. When I develop feelings for someone else, sure the feelings for the other person simmer down, but they don’t die off right away.

4) They’re supposed to love both sides of each other

Isn’t this what the whole show is telling us?

The whole idea of the romantic plot is that these two have different sides of their personalities and that they need to fall in love with every side of each other.

When I first saw a trailer for this show back in 2016-2017, it showed Cat Noir flirting with Ladybug and Marinette being blushy around Adrien, but not them dating, not them being in love in both civilian and heroic identities. They made that very clear.

At first I was like, “wait, she’s fine around him as Cat Noir but not as Adrien?” and then I had the realization “ohhh, she doesn’t know he’s Cat Noir.” So, I - as I’m very positive other people as well - went into the show knowing she hasn’t fallen for him as Cat Noir just yet, and vice versa with him not having feelings for Marinette just yet, because they don’t know their other identities.

Marinette and Ladybug are initially two very different people in the eyes of Adrien. Adrien and Cat Noir are initially two very different people in the eyes of Marinette. And in case this wasn’t obvious to you from the get go, in Ephemeral, Marinette is in utter disbelief that Cat Noir and Adrien are the same person, and can’t immediately come to terms with that after figuring out he’s Cat Noir.

In order for them to have the purest and realest love of all, they need to fall in love with both identities. Then, when the reveal happens, there’s no surprise, no saying “wow I don’t love this side of you.”

Conclusion

No romantic feelings for each other can’t be dropped. It wouldn’t make sense after all this time and build up, it’d destroy the entire point of the romantic plot between Ladybug and Cat Noir.

“The power of love always so strong.”

Yes. Yes it is. That’s why no part of the love square should ever die out.