#they got the slow time ability from expeditions

[snickerdoodlesart]

The Martyr Ref

[advertingpizza]

sykobe redesign (the 6th)

self explanatory. with the revamp of my star wars stories, obvs kobe gets a revamp too! lore below the cut

sooo. new sykobe eyros. his design? toothless + orca meets red dead horse named cow + dark urge half elf. you'll understand later

i should make non chaotic moodboards for my characters and post them. anywho, the LOOOORE!

tw: mentions of very intense religious groups + torture disclaimer: this doesn't really fit in sw canon BUT. in a galaxy of absolutely billions and billions of sapient beings, you CANNOT convince me that there are only 2 groups of force sensitive beings + a few small breakoffs. so. i made my own small breakoff group

far off in the outer rim lies a backwater mountain planet known locally as sjaell, home to a peculiar chiss that is extremely powerful in the ways of the force. once prospecting to become a sith apprentice, the man saw far more in his future than serving a selfish lord that cared not for his innovation. instead, he defected from the CIS in order to begin his own colony of devoted followers that all shared in his belief. his passion for conquest was naturally accompanied by a thirst for blood, leaving a trail of corpses just about everywhere he ventured.

along his journey, he began coming across force sensitive children that had been deemed either too old or too passionate to be eligible as future jedi, creating the perfect conditions for apprentices of his own. by the time he reached sjaell in his conquest, the man—hoova—had claimed three children of his own: asara (lethan twi'lek), chi'daal (deep sea nautolan), and lastly, sykobe (pseudomelanistic togruta). all three children were taken from their natural environments, with each race being highly prized by the chiss for their natural abilities as apex predators.

growth of the group was slow, as hoova spent the first decade raising the young children to be formidable warriors with the same unhinged, murderous urges that his connection with the force brought him. over the years as his connection became more and more destructive, he began to divert much of his energy and power into his three chosen heirs, solidifying their fates as bloodthirsty assassains that served him, their god. with members joining both willingly and by force, hoova began to assert himself as an untouchable deity, and anyone who dared oppose him met a swift end by the hands of his chosen, the sjaellspawn (iykyk LOL).

these spawn—extremely ferocious in nature—were notoriously hard to control as they reached adulthood. insatiable urges to spill blood met with powers gifted to them from their proclaimed god made for lethal attack dogs that often could not tell friend from foe. on a failed expedition to observe the abnormalities in the force, two members of the jedi council were met with a deadly foe as they got far too close to the cult and its domain. only one jedi survived, barely escaping within inches of his life as he desperately retreated, leaving a fallen padawan behind.

the surviving jedi was not ready to let the loss of his padawan go unaccounted for. the jedi, master sikoal kanakan, rallied the 321st clone legion, as well as the legion's general to stage an assault on sjaell. the mission, while disapproved of by the high council, succeeded in the capture of sykobe after commander hurricane lured him into a trap by manipulating the togruta's thirst for blood, leaving him vulnerable to various traps that ultimately detained him.

as the story stands now, sykobe is aboard the venator enroute to coruscant, awaiting trial to be executed for the murder of a jedi. however, rumor has it that after arc troopers blessing and waves discovered master kanakan's relentless torture of the togruta, the clones began to stage an escape mission that could possibly cost them their ranks, as they had come to learn that the crime itself had been staged onto sykobe with the intentions of waging war on the inhabitants of sjaell.

[lets-try-some-writing]

Survivors

The Pretenders have made attempts to spread. Efforts have been made to stop them, however fear amongst the Decepticons is growing. The Pretenders are appearing more and more often, always being cut down before they can return to their abominable creator. The Cons learn more with every Pretender killed, but the survivors still bear the scars.

Damus wishes more than anything else that he could have minded his own business long enough to not get involved.

Previous part here.

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Damus never intended to get involved. He already had enough to deal with considering his outlier ability, his faltering memory, and the fact that empurata had done extensive damage to his ability to function normally. He didn't have the time or the motivation to join up with either faction when the war began, at least at first. He knew Orion Pax, well he knew of him at any rate. He was also familiar with Megatron's doctrine. As such, he took his time trying to decide which faction he would inevitably end up siding with. War would force him to choose eventually, but he was slow in his selection. There was no need to rush, not yet.

He saved up shanix, doing odd jobs for both sides as peace talks began to occur. Maybe he wouldn't even need to pick. At least, that was his hope as he got his life together. With the senate in disarray, they didn't care for the fact that he went to a medic and payed an absurd amount to receive a new set of servos and a proper face. Things were looking up for him and he couldn't have been more thrilled when his old mentor called upon him to do odd jobs and run calculations. Damus didn't know why Shockwave wanted him to collect seemingly random fauna and flora from on and off world, but he did as instructed and was paid handsomely for his services.

Part of him wanted to question, but after the Senate and his prior empurata- No, he refused to risk it. He was getting his life together and he was going to keep things stable. That was his hope. But of course, just as he found himself a spot working as a field scientist for a research facility, everything went to slag. Orion Pax dropped off the face of creation and in turn the war went to the pits and back. Both sides were in an uproar, so Damus tried to steer clear of it. That of course did not last, not when during an expedition underground for a few stellar cycles to escape the horrors of war, he met a mech who was far larger than he remembered.

"You are Damus."

"Orion Pax. It is a surprise to see you here."

"I come in search of the Matrix of Leadership. Do you know its location?"

"Legend says it returned to Primus after Sentinel offlined."

"Do you know the path to Primus's core?"

"Maybe? I can try, but I don't work for free Pax. I am not the lost mech you knew. I have a life, a job. I am not risking it by helping out the Autobots without something in return."

"You desire payment?"

"Obviously. I know the tunnels well enough to get you going in the right direction at any rate."

"That is sufficient. Should you complete this task adequately, you will be rewarded in due time."

There was something very off about the mech who Damus was pretty sure was Orion. But he decided whatever it was, he didn't want to get involved. Orion had been gone for stellar cycles, probably on this foolish mission. It was in his best interest to get Pax where he needed to be so he could get his aft but up to the surface and stop the panic. And so that's just what he did. He walked Orion down the right paths until he didn't trust his memory to lead him further. Orion, or at least the mech who looked a great deal like Orion, watched him with calculating optics and nodded before vanishing into the dark. He decided then and there that he didn't even want to be paid, not when this mech was staring lasers into his spark during their entire walk.

Not his problem. Not his problem.

That was what he chanted to himself as Optimus Prime emerged onto the battlefield not long later and Damus found himself with no choice but to join up with the Decepticons for his own safety. Something was very wrong with Optimus Prime, although he couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was. He was just WRONG and looking back at the tunnel incident, Damus regretted guiding him. He did everything in his power to steer clear despite being with the Cons technically. His hope was that by staying in the city of Tarn, he could keep away from whatever was going on in the war. Being a researcher behind the lines was his safest bet. He didn't even care about trying to make something of himself. The job could frag itself now that he had his face and servos. He just wanted to stay as far away from all of it as he could. Whenever he left the safety of Tarn for whatever reason, he seemed to run into trouble.

Optimus met his gaze twice from a distance. Damus purged after each incident. The Prime was focused on him, and something deep in his spark told him that was a death sentence. A few times he caught sight of another one who gave him unsettling feelings. A yellow scout, one who the records stated was designated as Bumblebee once he finally worked up the willpower to look him up. Then there was the third, the last one that confirmed Damus's fears. Ratchet was the CMO of Cybertron before the war, but now he was on the battlefront every now and then... and he was different. There were rumors that he got ill and then miraculously recovered. But looking at him from a distance? Damus got that same feeling, the one he got when he saw Optimus. Those three were wrong, and so he tried not to leave Tarn for his own safety.

He was concerned to say the least. But he was safe in Tarn. Of course that was fine until Megatron began laying down rules that Damus and many others didn't understand. There were constant warnings about an infection originating from Autobot lines. Medics were suddenly being trained en masse and were promptly put absolutely everywhere. Medical procedures grew more invasive and frequent, constant sanitation became the norm, and any soldier that presented even the slightest behavioral difference after battle was taken away, often never to be seen again. There was also the sudden appearance of strange armor suits that mecha amongst the Decepticons began to wear. There were whole propaganda campaigns urging every soldier to get the suits for their own protection. The bulky things covered every possible part of the frame, and somehow Damus got the distinct impression that something darker was going on behind the scenes. Things weren't adding up.

His fears were confirmed when Optimus Prime decided it was time to give Damus his payment.

Damus had no time to react when the Autobots launched an attack on Tarn shortly after the destruction of the Senate. Damus hid with the rest of the non combatants, but the Prime was quick to appear on the battlefield and tracked Damus down like a bloodhound when he tried to run. Optimus Prime found him huddled amidst the ruins of the bombed out fortress he called home for so long. And it was there that the Prime, no, the monster, ruined his entire life.

"I promised you payment. I have come to offer it."

"GET AWAY!"

"You are one of his students. You will be useful."

"Primus no-!"

He could only scream as the thing's jaw came apart, splitting into a maw of mandibles. Then just as quickly, a squirming bug of some sorts was lowered toward his right optic. It was agony as the thing wormed its way into him, and all the while the monster above him seemed to smile in its convoluted way. All he knew was pain as the thing left in a hurry and he was promptly collected and dragged away to a place he didn't know.

He remembered medics, dozens of them all practically buried under the protective suits the posters were always advertising. He remembered screaming in agony as they worked on him, doing something to his helm and much of his torso. But then it ended, and Damus was left in an isolated room, strapped down to his berth with heavy chains, and standing before him was the one and only Megatron who also wore the suit.

"What in Primus's name happened to me?"

"You were infected with the Pretender larva. We managed to remove the larva itself, but its roots have already spread."

"What does that means? What is this?"

"Listen closely Damus. We don't know where it came from, but the Pretenders are creatures that infest a host and devour them in order to wear their frames as disguises. Optimus Prime is one of these creatures."

"Then he-"

"He spread the infection to others, including yourself. We have found hundreds of others like you in various stages of infection. We have done everything we can to reverse the effects, but all we have accomplished is slowing it down."

"So... I am going to die?"

"Yes. We slowed the infection to a crawl and your life will be extended through frequent surgeries to remove the largest of the roots. However, it will kill you one cycle."

"I will become one of those monsters."

"Only if you give in. We have installed an explosive in your processors that will eliminate you at a moment's notice. This is not out of cruelty, but merely to ensure you cannot become another tool for the Pretender plague."

"I see..."

"You will die, but you need not do so without honor. You carry part of the Pretender genome. With it, you will likely find you have new abilities, most notably, an inbuilt radar which will point toward other Pretenders."

"You want to make me a tool."

"I offer you a choice. You can die here with a quick and painless offlinement, or you can serve us and use your curse to ensure others do not suffer the same fate."

"How many have died due to this?"

"Thousands. We find more every cycle. The thing that calls itself Prime is prolific and must be eradicated."

"Then... I will serve. I will make sure this CURSE cannot spread."

"Good. We will have need of you Damus."

"Please, call me Tarn. I want that monster to know that the city it destroyed yet lives on. That I still remain defiant."

Damus, or rather Tarn took one look at his face and knew what he needed to do. The larva had buried itself into him, and so to remove it, his face that he spent so long achieving was now devastated. However in his rage, he found he didn't care. He wasn't afraid anymore. That monster took his entire life from him. Condemned him to eventual death alongside countless others. He refused to let the newly named Pretenders be. Not after everything.

He wanted to not be involved. But now he had no choice. Passivity got him infected. And so until he perished, he would fight. He could feel the new strength that hummed in his fuel lines. Evidently, the Pretenders were more than simple infiltrators. The world was brighter, more noisy, and far less frightening. The thing within him would kill him, but until it did, he had its strength as its own.

The Pretenders were going to DIE.

With Megatron's aid, Tarn was given access to all he needed. Every moment was spent on the hunt, and the few he found in time to save quickly joined his ranks. Other mecha, each survivors of the larva. Together they grew in number and slaughtered the Pretenders in their cradles. The things were so very weak when young. Tarn could feel the rage of the one called Prime. But he merely smiled as time went on. Every Pretender killed was one less threat. Megatron's warnings now made perfect sense.

An infection was spreading across Cybertron, and Tarn was going to stop it.

[lostfirefly]

You’ve Got the Same Dream as Me (Ch.10, the final)

Hello, kiddos! The idea for this fanfic came to me from a dream. Тhe main characters were T. Cruise & H.Cavill (don't ask me why), but with a light hand they have been replaced. The main action of the dream took place somewhere in the sands. Аlthough this fanfic will feature Sir Crocodile and Buggy, the action shifts to the desert. No marines, ships etc. The devil fruit's abilities are preserved. Catch the Mummy and Indiana Jones vibes :) Different titles and names from the original source material will be used to emphasise the general OP's vibe.

Since English is not my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts :) 

And thank you to my dear @yujo-nishimura and @laurasoretta for believing in me :)

Description: Catherine, a librarian who is searching for the trail of her sister who went missing on an expedition. Notes in books and diaries lead her to Cairo. There she finds a retailer from an artifact shop who, in exchange for selling her a map and equipment, insists that Catherine take her along. They get into a little (or maybe a big) adventure.. 

Warnings: Mythical creatures are mentioned in the text. Half of ch. 10 is completely from my dream. We're coming to the final. Catherine is smart (but I love smart girls). Riddles :) Fight scene. Adventures and fun are still here (I hope). Dumbest events ever. Romantic movie vibes. Buggy x OC, Sir Crocodile x OC.

Welcome to the big final! Thank you for your likes, comments and love! It was fun to create this story. Maybe not everything turned out the way I wanted but I'm happy I decided to write it.

Words: 5100

Light. Camera. Action :)

Totally reccommend to listen to Real Slow Motion - Imminence before the last chapter. I've beem listetning to that track for the last days for inspiration.

The title is taken from «You've Got the Same Dream as Me» (Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli) (One Piece, Netflix)

Taglist: @gingernut1314

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• Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

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The beam of light spread across the entire wall. At some point the wall began to dissolve like a mirage in the desert and the road appeared. 

"I guess this is your Grand Line," Catherine said with a smile. "Maybe that's what was meant by the phrase 'believe your eyes'." There's the sun up ahead. So are we going? I don't know about you, but I'm confused by the word 'death' in the riddle. What if we don't make it out in time and stay here forever?"

“I guess, you’re right,” Buggy said almost silently.

They quickly gathered their belongings and crossed the passageway.

"Well, the third leg hasn't grown, that's good. If we don't get attacked by Horus's minions now, I think we're winners," Catherine laughed nervously. "Give me the map and compass!"

She spread everything out on the sand, lay on the ground with her belly and began to stare at the compass glass.  The green beam pointed clearly to the right. 

"Look, the map is completing the path!" exclaimed Jules. 

"Buggy, you promised to take me to the party. Well then, this has to be the biggest and the funniest party ever. We're in the Sabaody Desert!" 

Everyone looked first at Catherine, then at the coordinates in the diaries.

"So what I was looking at at the bar wasn't a joke or just numbers?" asked Buggy in surprise.

"Nope, those are the very real coordinates!!! We made it! See that beam pointing that way?" Catherine stood closer to him and held the compass up to his eyes. 

"Cathie-pie, I'd take off my captain's hat if I had one. But I have to admit, we wouldn't have gotten this far without you!" He looked at her and smiled broadly.

"Quit with your cute dialogues. Have you forgotten why we're here?" asked Crocodile irritably.  "Just because I helped you doesn't mean we're friends. I think you're misunderstanding a bit. I want the gold." He ran his hook along Catherine's neck.

"Hey, I told you already. Get your hands off her. And the hook, too," Buggy hissed through gritted teeth.

"I got it, I got it. You want the gold. It's over there." She pointed in the direction with her hand. "Judging by the map, we need to go around the wall we're at now and go up a bit. And, if Alabasta's book is to be believed, somewhere in there is the entrance to the cave with your treasure." 

Crocodile lowered his hook. Catherine took a couple steps toward Buggy. "If there's anything in that cave, you owe me the most delicious ice cream in all of Egypt, got it?". He nodded and put a hand on her back. 

They walked along a sandy cliff which was called Enies Lobby according to the book, periodically taking shelter from the sun in the shade. 

“Besides ice cream, you owe me a whole cake. I wish there was an island like this. A Whole Cake island. Wouldn't that be cool?” Catherine asked, panting from the heat. “God, it’s too hot. I’m gonna die here.”

"I won't let you die, my pie. Listen. Can I ask? How'd you get into all this Egyptian stuff? Sister? Longtime love? Or following in your parents' footsteps?" Buggy looked at her with a corner of his eye. 

"What? Oh, no. My mother worked in a bakery and my father was a journalist for a small newspaper. You know, one of those ones that travels out to cover unimportant events. But they made sure my sister and I had a normal life and an education. She went to engineering school, then fell in love with a pilot. As you can see, breaking up with him brought her and me here. As for me.. I went to the ancient literature faculty and found nothing better than being a librarian. But I'm happy with my life. At least I was. What about you? Who are your parents?"

"I don't really remember them, to be honest. Me and.. a former friend of mine.. were raised by another man. But that man died a long time ago, so-- "

"Oh, I'm sorry about the question then. I didn’t want.. you know.. So.. How did Buggy the Genius Jester end up in Cairo? Rika said you had your own circus or something."

"I just wanted to make a change in my life and decided that Egypt was the best place. And I'll be sure to take you to the circus the next time you come here to look for your sister after she breaks up with another guy again,” he cleaned his throat,  “Listen.. Do y–..” 

"Сathie, my sister!" Jules put her arm around Catherine's shoulder. "Promise me, when we get home, you and I will definitely go to the nearest bar and celebrate our returning."

"Get where? Home? Oh, yeah... We'll definitely go and celebrate something. All right, folks, I think we're here.  You see, the map doesn't show anything further”. Catherine tried pointing the compass in different directions. 

They were standing by a large sandy cliff, the top of which overhung the abyss. There were statues made of sand on the walls. 

Crocodile turned to Catherine, "Well, where to now?"

"Wait, let me see the diary and the book. So... So... There's a drawing of an octagon in here. I'm willing to bet my life that this is the key to your treasure. We just need to find where it fits." She approached the statues. 

"You realize that he won't let you or your sister out of here alive once he has a way to the treasure," Laura's quiet voice came from behind Catherine's back. 

"Why are you suddenly concerned about my life? You're the one who dragged me here in the first place."

"I don't know if this is going to sound dumb, but you're kind of a normal person. But I didn't willingly give you the tickets either. Everyone has their reasons for doing the wrong thing, right? Unfortunately, I have one. Anyway.. Sorry. I didn’t want to."

“What?” Catherine turned around, but Laura was already gone. She looked at the wall again, “One more riddle.. People! One more riddle!”

Everyone's father is the sun,

The main way will tell you his son.

Try to go through danger road,

It will lead you to the gold. 

“And?” Rika asked. “Honestly, sometimes I think you're just stalling.”

“Everyone's father is the sun… The god Ra was considered the supreme ruler of the world and the father of all pharaohs. We need to find his symbol or pattern. He is usually depicted with the head of a bird.” 

"They all have heads like that around here!", Jules said indignantly.

"No, there should be a sun above his head.”. 

"There's a similar one to what you described," Buggy beckoned Catherine with his hand. She squatted down next to him.

She whispered, "Listen, Laura came up to me out of the blue. And..."

“News? Updates?” Crocodile hissed and approached them. He placed the hook around Catherine's neck.

"That's the way it is, the beehive. The riddle says the son of the sun will show us the way. And I don't know what the difficulty of the road it says here is, but you know, the Egyptians liked to scare for nothing."

“The son of the sun? What's the point of these words?” Crocodile groaned. 

Catherine walked in circles and tapped her temples with her fingers. “The son of the sun.. The son of the sun.. It's Horus!” 

“What?” Jules squealed.

“Horus. He’s the son of Ra! We need to find his drawing!” Catherine snapped her fingers. 

"And what does this god of Horus of yours look like?" asked Rika

"He has a Falcon's Head... Look for the falcon head."

"Then there he is. On the next wall," Jules pointed her finger at the drawing.

 “Yes! Yes! That's him! That’s Horus! See, his beak is pointing toward the cave passage. Wait! There are lines here. See, it's also repeated in the diary and the book. Which means that Alabasta got to this place. “Where the moon meets the sun”. What does that mean?” Catherine sat down on the sand and rested her hands on her knees.

"Have you noticed that all the riddles are mostly about the sun and light? Could that mean something?" Laura asked, sitting down on the sand. 

"I have a hunch it has to do with the god Ra. He's the sun god and was considered the most important in Egyptian mythology," Catherine rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling of the aisle. 

"And what are those drawings on the ceiling?" Jules pointed her fingers to the obscure side of the lines. 

"Looks like an eye of some sort," Buggy muttered. 

"An eye... An eye. Exactly!" Catherine suddenly jumped up and ran forward.

"Cath?!" Jules shouted in the direction Catherine had run off in.

"This way!!!" came from somewhere in the depths. 

Without wasting a second everyone ran in the direction the voice came from.

"I told you not to do that!" Buggy walked over to Catherine, leaned over and stared intently into her eyes.

"I... well... just..." she mumbled uncertainly. She looked up at the ceiling and pointed to more drawings with her hand. "See? Barely visible lines that look like stars or eyes. They lead somewhere forward. The main way will tell you his son. As I said Horus was the son of Ra. The left eye of Horus symbolizes the Moon and the right eye symbolizes the Sun. Guess where they meet?" 

"Where the treasure lies?" Crocodile and Rika asked in unison. 

“Probably.. According to the book, there's a narrow road ahead, right along this sand wall. Listen, the beehive, can you turn into... well... I don't know... a sand bridge so we can all cross over?"

"You know, when we're done, the first thing I'll do is cut off your long tongue, and then I'll cut off your pretty little sister's tongue too if I have to," Crocodile hissed and ran his hook across Jules' throat. 

"Alright, alright! Please don't touch her!" Catherine's face changed. "She hasn't done anything to you..."

Crocodile turned around and walked forward, pushing Rika up behind him. Catherine glanced at her. Rika laughed evilly and hugged Crocodile. For the first time in a week, Catherine felt uncomfortable.

"Are you okay?" asked Buggy, when Jules came over.

"No, Buggy, I'm not okay. We're out in the middle of nowhere, looking for some treasure for you and that freak. My sister and I will probably get killed either way. And you-- You'll be chopped up into some kind of salad like Cole Slaw, but you won't care because you'll put yourself back together again. And I'll die here. Hey, I’m warning you when I’ll turn into a mummy, I'll come for you. Do you understand?" 

“At least you'll be a cute mummy.."

“Why do you always have to mock me?” She rolled her eyes.

"Come on! Let's find a gold piece for me after all.” he smiled.

They reached a narrow sandy road that ran above the abyss. With each step, the path crumbled a little at a time, making their feet slip. While Crocodile clung to the wall with his hook, the others used small axes. Catherine kept whispering to herself, "I'm not going to die in the fucking cave," and occasionally glanced around to see if Jules was still there. They reached another cave with a huge hole in the rock. The bright sun illuminated the whole space.

Catherine looked up at the ceiling. "See. The lines have converged. And see the large pattern of the eye. It's not just an eye. It's a Wadjet. The Eye of Horus. It symbolizes fire and light and protects everything and everyone. And also known as “All seeing eye". And he's not looking sideways, he's looking down. Who's got the map?” 

Rika handed Catherine the map. She took out the compass and held it up to her eyes. "I don't understand a thing. It's like the green beam is going round and round. We couldn't have got the road wrong. Jules, hold the book, please. Buggy, you hold the diary." 

Catherine began to compare notes. "We're definitely in the right place, but I don't understand. It says there should be some kind of ring or lever. But where is it?"

Rika came up behind her and looked at the compass as well. "You're standing on it."

"What?" 

"You're standing on the lever, move aside!", she pushed Catherine out of her seat.  

“Hey. You could be more gentle.”

They all began to run their hands over the sand, trying to clear the surface. Under the thick layer of sand, a large circular stone ring with an octagon in the center appeared. 

"The octagon!" whispered Catherine.

"Holy mother!" echoed Buggy.

"So it's all true?" said Rika faintly.

"Have we found the treasure?" asked Crocodile.

"Not yet... Crocodile, Buggy, you need to try and pull this thing off. It's obviously got to go up. Again, according to the records...," Catherine flipped through the pages of the book and ran her fingers over the drawings.

Crocodile and Buggy walked around the ring for a long time, then made several unsuccessful attempts to pick it up. 

"Are you sure it goes up this way and not the other way round?" Buggy asked panting.

"Alabasta clearly spells the word 'rise.'" Catherine continued to run her fingers over the lines. 

"I may sound silly now, but have you tried putting that octagon you were talking about on top of the drawing?" came Laura's voice from the corner. Everyone turned around to look at her. Catherine shrugged her shoulders. 

Rika picked up the octagon and put it on the drawing. The five of them stood near the circular stone and drilled it with their eyes. Suddenly there was a creaking sound and the stone slowly began to rise.

"Pinch me somebody!" Catherine whispered softly. "It's like a real adventure movie, isn't it?" 

The stone rose all the way up and stopped, making a heavy sound. They stepped forward to get a closer look at it. 

Catherine gently ran her hand over the surface. "Look. Ankh is painted here too. And more than one. And the eye of the god Ra."

"And what does that mean?" Crocodile asked with a tone like he was already losing patience.

"Well how would I know, I'd have to look at the records."

"I'll give you five minutes," Crocodile slowly approached Jules.

"Okay, okay. Why is it all here?

The last border will fall,

When you shed a few tears on the wall.

If you’re not who is pure of mind,

Then the cave will leave you behind.”  

“I’m losing my patience!” Crocodile hissed.

“Honey, relax, we are so close to the treasure!” Rika suddenly hugged him. “Let that bitch do her work”.

“"We need water! Does anyone have water?" Catherine suddenly ran toward the rock. "See this ankh. This symbol is also considered the key of life. What do we have the key to life? Water! Also in Egyptian mythology, it is believed that all living things were created from the tears of Ra. Life is water. We need to pour water on this stone!"

"I have some," Jules walked over to the stone and poured some water on it. 

A noise was heard in the rock wall. They all walked toward it. 

"There's an octagon symbol here too. I suggest you try to take that key and put it here," Catherine pointed at the rock.

Buggy detached his hand, took the key and handed it to Catherine.

"Give it to me!", yelled Crocodile, abruptly snatching up the octagon. and placing it in a pattern in the wall. 

“One more riddle. Come on! Egyptians, are you guys serious?" Catherine grabbed her head.

“I have no time for this shit and for your riddles! Open the fucking door!” Crocodile yelled pulled out a gun and pointed it at the back of Catherine's head. 

"Yeah! I don't know how to open it just like that. I didn't put up those fucking ancient Egyptian locks. And you pointing that thing at me isn't going to make it go any faster!"

"Listen, clown, your girl is starting to bore me. Maybe I should shoot her in the head?" 

"What?" Buggy interjected, scanning the cave space with his eyes. "Oh, what do I care about her? I'm here for the same thing you are."

Catherine turned in his direction and looked at him with round eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Cathie-pie, I told you from the beginning I only wanted gold!" 

Rika laughed loudly. "Oh, wow. I guess they lived happily ever after isn't part of the Egyptian myths. Open the fucking door!" She took Jules by the neck and pushed her toward Catherine. "Give her a hand or something!" 

"Yeah, sis. You sure know how to pick your boyfriends," Jules whispered. "I knew he'd trade you for the gold the first chance he got."

She hissed through gritted teeth. "He's not my boyfriend. He's a fucking clown! Listen...

To the east you look around, 

You'll see the sandy ground, 

Be aware it could be a trick,

You should push a small goldbrick.."

“And? There's a small goldbrick next to the key!” Crocodile pointed at the wall. 

“The translation is wrong.” Catherine whispered, checking the diary and the book. “No-no-no-no-no-no! What is the fuck?” 

“What's wrong?” Rika and Crocodile asked in unison. 

“The map's changing!” Catherine shook the map in her hands. 

“How is it changing?” Buggy asked with surprise in his voice.

“Are you fucking kidding with me?” Crocodile put the gun harder against Catherine's temple. 

“What the fuck?! Look! There was a passageway here, now it's gone, and there's a river instead of a road.” Catherine pointed at the map. “I guess someone doesn't want us to go that way.”

“We'll just stick to the plan. You're the smart one. Find me a way.” Buggy suddenly approached Catherine and looked intently into her eyes.

“I hate you. How cou..”. She didin't finish the phrase because he put his finger to her lips.

“I told you. I’m looking for this treasure and some chicken-brained girl and her sister aren't going to stop me.” He kept his eyes on her. 

“I have no time for your bullshit!” Crocodile growled and and started lowering the trigger guard.

Suddenly there was the sound of a gunshot. 

“Honey…” Rika's voice came through.

Catherine and Jules turned their heads and saw that there was blood dripping from Rika's side. She started to fall to the sand. Laura was holding a gun. 

"I told you he wouldn't let you go. Sorry, red-haired girl, I just picked the wrong side once. I played you for time. Run."

"You cunt!" Crocodile walked sharply toward Laura and impaled her with the hook. “I knew you couldn't be trusted.” 

Jules and Catherine's eyes darted around. "What the hell?"

He threw Laura's body to the ground, walked over to Rika. 

"I'm okay," she wheezed, "Luckily that girl missed. I told you a long time ago she was probably messing around with the clown. Where is he, by the way?" 

"Where's your boyfriend?" Crocodile ran up to Catherine, grabbed her by the neck.

"He's not my boyfriend! I have no idea where he is. Twisted off with his tail between his legs." 

“I don't have time for this shit!” Crocodile went back to the wall and pressed the brick with all his might. “Read the fucking diary!”

“I can bet my life that you won’t find your gold without the fucking map! By the way. Hello. The map has changed!” Catherine shouted. 

“Alright. I gave you a choice.” He stabbed Jules in the leg with the hook. 

“Catherine, run!” Jules whispered. 

Catherine hesitated for a few seconds and ran toward the hole in the rock. 

"Well no, come here, you bitch!" Rika, slightly wobbly, darted after her. 

The mountain starts to shake. 

Rika grabbed Catherine’s legs and pulled her to the ground.

"Get off of me!" She tried to fight Rika off. 

"Well no, you trashy bitch. I'm going to finish you myself and then your little sister." Rika pulled Catherine towards her by her legs and the belt of her pants. Catherine noticed the hatchet Rika had dangling from her belt. She tried to reach for it several times, but Rika fought back. On her next attempt Catherine managed to pull the hatchet out of Rika's pants.

"Try chop-chop ability, bitch!" She swung to hit Rika's arm with the axe, but missed. "Damn, I thought this was going to be cool like in the movies!" 

She saw Crocodile trying to open the door, holding Jules up with his foot. The sand began to slump over them. Catherine tried to get up, but Rika grabbed her and pulled Catherine to her. 

A chunk of the floor failed beneath them.

"No!" Crocodile shouted furiously. "My gold!!" 

"Crocodile!!!" Rika shouted with all her might. She and Catherine were hanging from a small handrail that was bending more and more under their weight. The floor was collapsing downward more and more.

"Rika!!!" he turned around in the sand, picked her up and lifted her up.

"Well, of course!" Catherine muttered.

"Have a nice stay. You'll look pretty good among the mummies!". Rika laughed. Crocodile picked her up and they rushed toward the hole in the rock. 

"Juules! Fuck!" Catherine yelled with all her might. The torrent of falling sand was starting to make her hands slip. She looked down. "Jesus, that's a long way to fall!". 

She felt a hand on her brisket. "Jule-e-es!"

"I've got you, sister!" she clutched the syially bleeding wound with one hand, the other trying to hold on to Catherine. "Damn it, promise me you'll go on a diet when we get it back!"  

The floor was crumbling more and more. Suddenly someone pulled Jules back out by the scruff of her necks into the air, tossing her closer to the hole. 

“Fuck! Jules!!”

She tried to pull herself up, but it didn't work. At the same second, she felt hands on her arms.

"Jul... Buggy? You're back?"

"Of course I'm back, Cathie-pie. It's not like I went anywhere."

"I thought you said you only cared about your gold," she muttered as he pulled her out.

"I winked at you!"

"No, you didn't! You told the dumbest lines ever!!"

"Why on earth would I not wink at you and then save you? You were probably so blinded by my beauty that you didn't notice." He pulled her to him for a split second.

"You're unbelievable," she rolled her eyes. 

"We'll discuss all this later. We need to get out of here, because anytime this whole cave is going to go to hell. We need to run as fast as we can forward and jump as fast as possible”

“Ok, Run. Definitely run... What? How do we jump? Where do we jump?

“Cathie-pie, down, it's our only chance to survive.”

“Great, our only chance is to fly into the abyss? Jules! Please! Buggy, take her, please! You know, you can save her using your chop-chop thing. I’ll jump. I promise.” 

“But..”

“We have no time. I’ll be fine!” 

He quisckly run up to Jules. “Well, hello, Catherine’s sister. Let’s fly a little”.  Buggy grabbed her in his arms and they rushed toward the crevice in the rock. 

Catherine just for a second saw him split apart, but then a great wave of sand caused by the collapsing cave obscured visibility.

"Oh, Catherine, amazing. Your second dumbest idea ever! Clear your mind and run. Clear your mind and run!"

The mountain is already falling apart and throwing some pieces up.

⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭

Catherine woke up lying on the ground. She looked around quickly. Neither the cave nor the rock was gone. 

"Jules!!!" she shouted, wiping her eyes from the sand. 

"I'm here, I'm alive!" Catherine saw Jules lying on her back waving at her. "That Crocodile hurt me of course, but I'll live. God, I hope we're not lying on top of him somewhere right now."

"You're such a fool!" Catherine crawled up to her on all fours and hugged her tightly. "Where's Buggy?" 

"I don't know, he left me here, then he rushed in your direction. But then the rock collapsed and I never saw him again."

"Buggy?" they shouted together.

"I'm here!" his voice came from somewhere in the distance. Catherine squinted and saw him walking in their direction, picking himself up piece by piece.

"Thank goodness! You're alive!" She ran to him, stumbling in the sand and hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Oh, my cotton candy, you're going to suffocate me! You alright? Jules, what about you?"

“What? Yes.. I’m fine. By the way, we haven't really been introduced,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Hah! You’re funny! Buggy the Clown.” he said and made a gesture. 

“No-no, Jules. He's not just a clown. He's “The One and the Only” Buggy the Clown.” Catherine laughed and pressed her forehead to his. 

"Hm.. So... What about the treasure? Lost forever? Along with the book and the compass?” Jules pointed to what was left of the cave.

“I guess..” Catherine replied and pressed her head to Buggy’s chest.

“Oh my God! I just realized what happened... We fell from there... He did it... I'm here... Oh... my goodness holy!" Jules said in a thin voice and started to pass out.

"Juuuuuules?!" 

⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭

Ladies and gentelmen, welcome to Cairo Internatioanl Airport.

"Well, girls. Thank you for your time. It was really fun."

"Thank you, Buggy… but fun? No! Oh, my god, I cannot wait to get home and take a hot bath," Jules said with a sigh. "Nono, I’m definitely done with this shit. This Isn't for me. I'm gonna go home and ask Ethan out. I'll stay home and let him run around the world and solve impossible missions" 

"Sounds like a good plan," Buggy said with a smile. "Cathie, my cotton candy, are you coming? Don't you want to say goodbye to me?"

Buggy glanced at Catherine.

"What? Yeah. Sure. I’m coming," Catherine stood next to the trunk of the car and discreetly wiped away her tears.

Ladies and gentlemen, the flight from Cairo to Loguetown will depart in a half hour. All passengers are invited to board.

"Well…," Buggy said with a slight tremble in his voice and came closer to her, "This information is probably for you."

"I guess.. Yeah," Catherine hugged Buggy around his waist tightly, buried her temple in his chest and closed her eyes as hard as she could. "Thank you… For everything... These days were really fun." 

Buggy chuckled, hugged her,  pulled her closer and started stroking his hand down her back. 

"Catherine, sister. Come on! Hurry up, I don't want to be late," Jules shouted as she stood at the airport door. 

"Fuck… I’m coming!!!" Catherine shouted in annoyance towards Jules. She buried her forehead in Buggy's shoulder, keeping her eyes closed. "Sorry. It didn't work out with those treasures. But I hope, one day you find what you are looking for."

Ladies and gentlemen, the flight from Cairo to Loguetown will depart in 15 minutes. Аll passengers are invited to board.

"Shit, I really have to go now," Catherine hugged him even tightly, rested the top of her head under his chin, her eyes were still closed and she felt the tears begin to treacherously come. "Goodbye, my silly clown."

She grabbed her bag and walked quickly to her sister. 

"Goodbye, my red-haired pie," Buggy whispered softly. 

Boarding completed. 

⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥫⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭⥭

The epilogue.

—-3 months later —-

"Are you ready?" he asked her standing next to a car.

"S-sorry, I‘m late again, aren't I?" She popped out of the house to him wearing one sneaker, the other she held in her hand.

"Kind of.. Yeah, but I've gotten used to it in the last three months."

"Ass.. So… our sails are set?" She closed the door, sat down on the steps and began to put on her second sneaker.

"I don't know about the sails, but the tires are definitely ready," he kicked an inflated wheel with his boot. 

"You're my best! Well.. according to the map I was able to get..," she said, approaching him.

"You mean “you were able to steal." he put his hand on her back and kissed her temple.

"Shut up! I had a good teacher!" She put the map on the bonnet and ran her finger over it. "So... we're gonna have to go this way."

"God!" He started laughing.

"What?"

"What have I done in my life to deserve you?" He turned her towards him and looked intently into her eyes. 

"Well, first you pissed me off, and then you saved my life. Plus, you promised me a private jet home, which I didn't get. So I had to stay here to punish you." she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, standing on tiptoe and kissing him on his big red nose and lips. "I love you, my Buggy Bear."

"I love you too, my cotton candy," he replied quietly and kissed her forehead. "But I still think the nickname you gave me is terrible."

"Just deal with it, you have no choice now," she lightly hit him on the nose with her index finger and ran her hand through his loose blue hair. "All in all, we have at least 5-6 days on the road. But, according to the map, we should come across small towns where we can spend our nights and replenish our supplies. And by the way, just for your information, you owe me a romantic dinner. Well, because of you.. we didn't get to finish the one you set up for me a couple days ago," her face turned red. 

“My fault, admit it,” he said against her lips, then took her hand and kissed her wrist. 

"I hate you," she gently pushed him away. “So-o-o… we can go on a new adventure!” She took a couple of steps back and began a little joyful dance. "Wait! Does this treasure have a name? Just so it's not like last time..."

"I've heard people call it the One Piece."

[warwicked]

Collection post about everything physical (will probably expand)

Rozália Raia was born in 1980, yet she seemingly stopped signs of aging in her late 20s (early 30s if you want to be rude) thanks to great genetics and conditioning.

Overall she has three tattoos; leopard prints on her right side from feet to hand (mostly to cover up the hand surgery scars, then the idea got out of hand, so to speak), abstract gothic underboob tattoo which contours her abs perfectly and a delicate lace anklet on her left ankle:

Raia's diet is extremely healthy, rich in fiber, protein and fluids. She doesn't smoke, drink alcohol nor coffee, prefers teas without caffeine such as honeybush. Drugs are absolutely out of the picture, the only additional supplement she is taking is fruit flavored collagen powder mixed daily into her water.

Her exercises are personalized, fine tuned to her limits by her: cardio, weight lifting, different kinds of martial arts and yoga, breathing exercises, stretching; this combined with her diet not only allowed her to look youthful but also to not lose anything from her abilities even in her 40s

She is 6' / 182 cm & approximately 175 lbs / 80 kg of dense bone and hardened muscle

While her physical strength isn't something to be overlooked, speed, agility where she shines the brightest. She is engineered, built for speed, quick hits, lightning strikes and endurance. She is an explosive sprinter, an terrific long distance runner: her average running speed is 14 mph / 22.5 kmh. She can work herself up to 16-18 mph / 25.7-28.9 kmh and keep this speed over extended periods of time. Her record was 25 mph / 40 kmh. (With her height and form combined, it's basically the T-1000 chasing you. She even has the blades ready)

Raia is absolutely in peak physical shape, always giving her utmost which is almost Olympic athlete / acrobat level regarding multiple events. And sometimes heavily skirting limits humanly possible. She doesn't feel her age the slightest, never slows down, can't sit still; she always has to do something with the amount of pent up energy circulating in her.

Thankfully her exposure to drugs during captivity wasn't overly excessive as the Don wanted her to be lucid during sessions, to not allow her the mercy of unconsciousness and to see her break. He didn't get to see that. The damage however is slowly creeping up on her, she is slowly developing tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. She is aware yet she doesn't lessen the stress on her body; after all she has to die in something.

Raia had undergone multiple surgeries regarding her mauled/tortured/ruined right hand, the best surgeons, neurosurgeons managed to restore full dexterity, despite how hopeless it looked, motivated by the triple of their usual salary. It was 80% successful, she has to warm it up after every rest, needing near constant blood circulation. The worst is after waking up and in cold weather.

She has a ridiculously high tolerance to heat. Most of her workouts are done outdoors, usually 8-12 am, warming up as the weather does. Her most comfortable weather is around 95 F / 35 Celsius (can be higher) with clean air and an occasional breeze. She does just fine in tropical conditions as well.

However, she does not like the cold the slightest, meaning anything below 77 F / 25 Celsius. Her joints are stiff, harder to maintain their fluidity, flexibility which is crucial to her skillset. Therefore if her job calls her to colder climate, the price is usually the double than she would ask for a ‘jungle expedition’.

Shameless muscle group highlights:

She definitely doesn't skip leg day. Yes, she can crack a watermelon open with her thighs; tried it because the gang kept nagging her about it.

Her balance is past extraordinary, sometimes she practices in 6 inch stripper boots; if she can execute a move wearing that, then surely she can with more...combat appropriate footwear as well.

Raia is all about finesse regarding combat, she is a graceful, elegant, agile and acrobatic fighter. She isn't defenseless without daggers/knives/swords, well versed in mostly eastern martial art styles and many joint locks, breaks. She is precision and aims to kill first and foremost, the type to bring a knife into a gunfight and win. She strongly resembles to a feline the way she moves, strikes: fast, fluid and fatal.

[miekasa]

the intimacy of prince!levi tending to/patching up the wounds of knight!reader after reader gets back from an expedition (ft. levi's usual stern but affectionate chastising and lecturing)

Oh the intimacy of having someone take care of you... of putting you back together... far too much... I was gonna offer you a traditional, “Don’t be so reckless next time,”—translation: don’t leave me next time—scene, but instead I offer you this excerpt from that prince fic I’ll never complete teehee.

cw: mentioned/descriptions of blood and injury

It takes two weeks for you to be able to leave your bed, outside of essential trips to the bathroom, after regaining consciousness. It feels slow and agonizing, even with your catalyzed healing abilities, but Moblit applauds you and reassures you that your recovery is incredible, and escalating far more quickly than anyone could have hoped for.

The shallower cuts have healed by now, leaving only scars and stained skin in their wake. The deeper gashes along your sides, arms, and ankle remain wrapped and careful monitored by Moblit and the other nurses; as do your stab wounds and the burns on your right arm—it’s wrapped from shoulder to wrist, the bandages extending around your pinky and fourth fingers that were heavily sprained. 

Your bedside attire consists of open-back cotton gowns and loose, but elegant robes that allow your nurses easy access to your wounds. But, to venture downstairs for dinner, you would need to find something more sightly to wear. Your standard uniform was out of the question, and to your knowledge, out of commission; and even if it were to be pieced together and polished, something as routine as strapping your armor to your suit would bear a significant burden in your current state. Even more casual attire expected of the knights would be difficult to wear—pants and thick shirts would only serve as invitation to chaffing, and further irritation to your wounds.  

You don’t own many gowns outside of those provided for surgical ease or for formal events. A skirt might be the solution to the bottom half of the equation, but finding a matching blouse that you could fix to button up with your six working fingers posed another challenge. With a sigh, you carefully close the drawer shut, and take a seat in front of your vanity. You understood the risks of your actions, and that recovering from your injuries would be gradual and frustrating, but you hadn’t anticipated your difficulties would start with your clothes. 

Luckily, you were blessed with people who had anticipated this. Isabel comes by with Farlan and Eren in tow, maneuvering handfuls of dresses into your closet. The princess informs you that she and her mother have sent your measurements to the tailor to have more made for you—along with a variety of loose shirts, skirts, pants, and undergarments. 

She refuses to accept your protests for any further special treatment, busy with ordering the boys about to make room in your boudoir for more slippers and robes—only allowing them to rest when she deems their work satisfactory. “We’ll leave you to change! Eren’s got some boring papers to read, and I’m making Farlan go riding with me before the table gets set, but Armin should be heading over here soon to help you get downstairs,” Isabel exclaims, clapping her hands together, “I’m so happy you feel well enough to come to dinner. I missed having you at the table.”  

You thank her and the boys again before they exit, waiting until the door is shut behind them to take ginger steps towards your wardrobe. You’re aware that your armor is costly, but there’s an undeniable luxury about the garments gifted to you that outweighs the bronze and gold you’re accustomed to wearing. Your uniform is hard, resistant, tough; these gowns are soft, light, and smooth to the touch. They are not gifted without thought—non-irritable fabrics with little or no buttons, at most, a single zipper that even your limited grasp can handle.  

Carefully, you select a dark blue piece from the crowd: a silk slip that slides over your skin and falls at your heel, with delicate lace trimming around the neckline and wrists. The fabric is light on your shoulders, but weighs heavy on your mind; this is one of the Queen’s gowns, and although Kuchel has always been more than kind and welcoming to you, you can’t help but to be reminded of her status when adorning one of her dresses. You figure the least you could do to honor the material is to wear it the way it was intended to be styled, so you reach your dresser to find an appropriate corset.  

You settle for a white one with a softer skeleton that you figure won’t sit too uncomfortably on your wounded torso. Fitting it around your waist proves to be the easiest part; attempting to lace it and position it properly is where your limited mobility and strained muscles are highlighted.  

You must spend at least ten minutes trying to fix the damn fabric on your body—hissing when you move too sharply, cursing when you lose grip of the laces, huffing when your arms grow tired. So, when you hear a gentle knock after your fifth attempt at stitching your corset, you’re relived—believing it to be Armin, you call for him to enter, “I’m glad you came. I think the stairs should be fine, but I need your help with—” 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing.”  

The voice is dark, heavy, and cuts through your pleas with that question, phrased like a declaration. You needn’t turn to confirm your suspicions; and Levi’s eyes are steely and scrutinizing in the reflection of your mirror.  

You choose to blame your hesitance on your injured state, unable to react normally as you continue to watch him in the mirror as he takes strides towards you. Levi pushes your hand away from the laces of the corset, holding the offending fabric between rough fingers and questions you through the mirror, despite his proximity, “You were stabbed in the side twice and you think to put on a corset?”  

He holds eye contact, even as he unlaces your hard work between every word. You part your lips to protest, never minding Levi squinting at you. “The dress is typically worn with one, though I suppose you’re right—a waistcoat would have proven to be easier.”  

“I was not insinuating that you need something in place of this,” Levi says, setting the corset onto the bench once it’s off your body. You know that; he presses anyway, carefully reaching to your side to adjust twisted fabric before holding your gaze in the mirror once more, “It’s fine on its own.”  

You don't dare to protest again; any excuses becoming meek in your mouth as you hold Levi’s gaze—unwavering and headfast with room for gentle affection. It's a look his mastered well, you think, considering how often he throws it your way.

A protest will fall on deaf ears; an alibi cut with a silver tongue. So, instead, you offer the truth: “I wish not to draw attention to myself.”

Levi squints again, barely, but you catch it—not scrutinizing this time; wary, almost, of what you’re not sure. You don’t question him, even as he breaks eye contact to look at your right wrist, carefully raising it between his fingers, “Then don’t get blood on your sleeve.”  

Your eyebrows pinch together before you look down and see red seeping through the bandages around your wrist and palm. You curse under your breath, realizing you must have reopened a tender gash with repetitive movements. You part your lips again to speak, but Levi does so first: “It’s old, anyway,” he says, “Moblit didn’t change it yesterday. Sit, I’ll fetch more.”  

“You don’t need to, I can—”  

“You can wrap your own bandage with your non-dominant hand that has two splinted fingers,” Another question delivered as a statement, followed by a command this time, “Sit. I’ll get more.”  

You nod shallowly, and carefully resume your seated position, noting the way Levi watches you again through the mirror; only when your sat completely does he turn to bedroom to retrieve more bandages—almost out of sight before he turns around, walks back, and grabs the corset to take with him.  

You laugh—genuinely, for the first time in a long time when the prince turns his back to exit your boudoir again. “That wasn’t necessary,” you taunt, laughter still seeping through your syllables.  

“You’re stubborn,” you hear Levi hum, before he turns his head to look back to you in the mirror. “I know you.” 

His words prompt further laughter from you, and he turns his head before you can see the gentle smile that graces his face.

“You think so?” you question, watching his back in the mirror as he pauses just under the door frame. You watch how gently his hair moves when he nods, not sparing you a glance this time when he speaks, “I know you very well.”

[angeflrs]

Flufftober — Day 06: Only One Bed.

Pairing: Max Goof / Yakko Warner.

Fandoms: Animaniacs, A Goofy Movie (Disney), Ducktales 2017 (Disney).

Word Count: 1087.

Versión Español: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50488909/chapters/127909900

When Max came on the ship on a weekend adventure and found out that he would have to share a bed with Yakko, he actually tried not to show how excited he was.

Now that he was lying on his side, with his back towards Yakko and trying to get as far away from him as possible without falling off the bed, he felt stupid.

Unable to sleep due to the anxiety of not knowing what tomorrow would be like, Max stared at the wall as memories of today replayed in his mind again.

It all started out pretty well, they arrived at the island before lunch, but the journey through the jungle to the hidden temple took all day as they expected, so once they got back to the ship, they had dinner and everyone went to bed. Donald and Scrooge would take turns taking the ship to the next point, where the other half of the treasure was supposed to be.

The problem occurred during the expedition, his uncle and great-uncle had stayed on the boat, saying that they would do this part of the adventure alone, a practice for when they grew up. Max knew that was part of the reason they invited him and let him bring the Warners, Donald trusted his nephews, but there was no way he could stop worrying, so, unofficially, Max was babysitting, with Yakko as his support. Furthermore, Max was very sure that his uncle had the supernatural strength and “magical” abilities of the Warners to face any obstacle that was too deadly.

Max was happy to go on an adventure with his family and his boyfriend's family, which is why he forgot how reckless Yakko could be sometimes.

So, when he deliberately started doing risky things and teasing while ignoring Max's warnings, it soon brought him to a breaking point where he ended up yelling at him in front of the group. He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth, and was relieved that his outburst occurred when they were returning to the ship with half the treasure and the riddle that would take them to the second island in Huey's hands.

Dinner somehow ended decently thanks to all the kids who filled the silence with stories of their day (they were smart and left out the parts that would make Donald's blood pressure rise). Yakko participated in several parts, but Max remained silent. He lied that he was exhausted, while his mind raced frantically with thoughts with no beginning or end that ranged from how angry he was at Yakko to the guilt he felt in the pit of his stomach for the way he spoke to him.

Around 9 pm everyone went to their rooms, Max and Yakko changed in silence and without looking at each other they got into bed with their backs to each other. It took Max about an hour to fall asleep.

Max woke up with a start, gasping, his body shuddering under the covers. It took him a couple of minutes to calm his frantic heartbeat, with long, slow breaths, he concentrated on the sound of the waves breaking on the shore and the almost imperceptible rocking of the ship until his heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm and his claws loosened from the sleeves of his shirt.

“Maxy?” Yakko's voice was barely a whisper, but in the silent room it still made Max tense.

“Would you like a truce for a hug?” The tone was only soft this time, unsure, as if Yakko wasn't sure if he would be yelled at again or if Max had fallen asleep again, he didn't want to wake him.

Despite his better judgment, Max barely hesitated before whispering back. "I would like to…"

Silently, they both turned under the covers. Yakko crawled closer to him and Max met him halfway, opening his arms so that Yakko could settle with his nose buried in Max's shirt, while Max wrapped his arms around him and held him, resting his chin on the top of his head. Of Yakko between his ears.

The effect was instantaneous, Yakko's warmth relaxing his muscles almost instantly. The scent of lavender and ink on his nose.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

Of course, he noticed. Max didn't bother to lie. “Yes, but it doesn't matter anymore.” Yakko stirred, and his hands tightened on Max's back. “Seriously, I don't even remember it anymore.”

"Sure? I wouldn’t mind listening.”

Max couldn't help but smile. His tail moved behind him in a single lazy sweep. “It was there when I opened my eyes, but it vanished in an instant. I just- I just remember being anxious and scared for someone.”

Once again silence surrounded them, Max felt his eyes begin to close more and more, when Yakko spoke again.

“I'm sorry about today.” He sounded shy, something unusual for Yakko Warner.

"Alright. I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

"No, it's not okay." Yakko responded, instantly moving and raising his head to look at Max's face. “I put your family in danger and ignored you when you tried to tell me nicely. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is as resilient as my sibs and I… But that's not an excuse either, I know I wouldn't like it if someone put Wakko and Dot in danger and ignored me about it. I promise not to do it again."

“…thank you” he blinked a few times to get rid of the sleep that was clinging to his eyelids. He looked at Yakko and gave him a small smile.

Yakko smiled back, clearly more awake than Max. He settled back into Max's chest, and once again rested his chin on the top of Yakko's head when he said, "for nothing."

His voice had become slurred with sleep as he said. “And you don't have to change what you do, I wouldn't bring you in if I thought you might hurt them. I’ll just ask you to listen to me first.”

Hecould feel Yakko's smile, as well as the purrs in his chest. “Of course, HoneyKnees.”

With the last of his consciousness, Max murmured, “okay…” and fell asleep.

The next morning, they had breakfast together with the others, and although the table was big enough, they both stood so close that their shoulders were touching and their knees were knocking.

Later, they passed through the underground ruins in record time.

[housewarningparty]

i am about to go spend 4 mandatory days with my family so i went back through to make sure i didn't miss your book recommendation post. it looks like you haven't made it yet and NO RUSH and also NO PRESSURE but i AM looking forward to it and invested. thank u for your time

Expediting this list FOR YOU, SHANNON ❤️

These are unranked btw. A single tier that is "this was good so you should read it"

Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk - this novella feels almost like it was cooked up in a lab specifically to appeal to me. I love 40s noir, I love urban fantasy, I love sapphic romance. This book delivers on all fronts. It follows a freelance magician as she investigates a series of brutal supernatural murders that have been plaguing Chicago. If she can find out who's behind the killings she can save lives - including her own. Aside from the great noir detective angle and the fun magic system, there's a beautiful romance at the core. If you read this and you like it, you should definitely also check out P Djeli Clark's Dead Djinn series of books for more stories in a similar vein.

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky - another novella! This one's not gay, but it's got a great science fantasy premise. At what point is technology indistinguishable from magic? How much difference does it make? This story is a dual narrative - half of it follows the daughter of a royal so low down the succession chain that she's functionally useless embarking on a half mad quest to track down the ancient wizard of folk legends and secure his help in protecting her family's lands against attacks by monsters. The other half follows an anthropologist, the lone survivor of a research team dispatched to a backwater planet centuries ago, struggling to find a sense of purpose in his lonely existence, while the terms of his placement on the planet forbid him from engaging in the lives of the civilization he was sent to observe. Very fun and a brisk read.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - this one's quite different in tone. It's a quiet, contemplative romantic drama about a married couple who planned to spend their whole lives together, slipping away from each other after a traumatic event. It's also a cosmic horror novel about the ocean - its secrets, its power, its ability to transform. Beautifully written but slow paced - if reading about the minutae of the relationship between two British lesbians and also Lovecraftian body horror both hold equal appeal to you as subject matter, it's a book you'll adore.

Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt - speaking of relationship issues! This one's gay and haunted in the other direction. It follows a couple after one of them suffers a horrible accident while mountain climbing and comes back different. I'm not sure how much you like scary books, Shannon - I'd say this one is scarier than Our Wives, but not like super terrifying. It's got some amazing ideas though - genuinely the most original haunting/possession story I've read in years.

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman - this was SO much fun. I've struggled reading fantasy this year - I keep starting books and not finishing them. This is the title that finally broke my fantasy slump. It's easy to read, fast paced and not overly dense, with an interesting world and lore that's constantly fleshed out throughout the whole run of the book. Also, god, it was so refreshing to read a sword and sorcery fantasy book with wizards and goblins and shit and just have it be full of women? And the author isn't weird about it? It's narrated by a male character in the vein of the classic Irish trickster hero, but the supporting cast are mostly women. A scrappy apprentice witch, a stoic raven knight with magic tattoos, a magic assassin, a witch queen in exile who has to be restored to the thrown that was stolen from her - it's all happening! Honestly adored this book. Can't wait for the next entries in the series.

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner - okay this is not gonna be for everyone. It's also the only straight up romance on the list - in my defense, I haven't read many this year. This is a book about what if you were a college senior moping about on your school's family weekend and you hook up with a hot older chick about it and then the next morning you find out your one night stand is actually your best friend's mom. No wait, keep reading! I actually found this book to have way less of the conflict you'd expect - there was some of the obvious friction, the conflict of interest, the secrecy demanded by the premise but the romance itself was very kind, sweet, generous, once it got going. This one is also very smutty. If a romance sounds appealing but this premise is a no-go, you might want to check out Meryl Wilsner's other book Something To Talk About! I'm very picky with romance, but they're two for two with me.

Good luck! Happy reading!

[dhampiravidi]

dc comics OC (Rose Porter-Constantine)

Legal Name: Rose Madeline Porter-Constantine

Alias(es): John's Kid, Lady Constantine, Rosie

Citizenship: British (English; by birth)

Ethnicity: Biracial (Black & White)

Gender: Genderfluid; she/they

Sexuality: Homosexual Demiromantic

DOB: Nov 5, 2004 [year is plot dependent]

Appearance: she mostly takes after her biological mom when it comes to her physical appearance. Rose stands at 5'1" (1.55 m) as an adult, and she has light brown skin. As a child, her naturally frizzy hair appeared to be brown, but as she got older, the sun lightened it to a golden brown color (it looks even lighter in the light). She has a bit of muscle from occasional boxing training, but she has a petite form overall. Rose has her father's blue eyes. Lastly, she has several tattoos, mostly ones that protect against malevolent forces.

FC is Antonia Thomas.

Background: She had a regular life until some dead creature crushed her house and killed her parents. John Constantine, who happened to be visiting, took the then-eleven-year-old Rose (who'd only known him as her mom's friend John) to the Tower of Fate. He didn't trust the government to take care of her, and once she displayed some magical ability, he realized that the only option was for Rose to be raised in his world. Still, she had to be safe. So whenever he went off on a mission, he left her behind. This meant that she grew close to Zatanna, the Nelsons, and Nabu. Once she was an adult, she began traveling the world on her own, mostly to satisfy her curiosity. And then, when someone needed her magical expertise, she made herself known.

Personality: loyal, intelligent, protective, hardworking, intuitive

Power(s): Rose inherited her natural proficiency for magic from her father. She's trained with him, Zatanna, & the Nelsons.

Slowed Aging: her father's blood, which was demonically enhanced, makes her age slower than other humans

Space-Time (Dimensional?) Magic: includes creating wards, portals & items that have been literally wished into existence

Elemental Magic: she can control and/or create the classical four elements as needed

Spirit Control: exorcisms & summoning (but she's not great at it)

Abilities

Fighting Skills (Basic): not fancy but she can throw a punch

Astral Projection: via meditation

Languages: English, Latin, some BSL, some Italian

Misc.: knowledge of the occult, decent cooking skills

Emotionally Intuitive: talented at reading body language & figuring out people's true motivations (often, to manipulate them)

Equipment:

White Fishnets: she wears them (in the form of socks, sleeves, or tights) to honor Zatanna

Magic Locket: lets her see & communicate with her dad, no matter which planet and/or dimension they're both in. It's connected to a pocket watch that he owns & can communicate through.

Grey Trenchcoat: has pocket dimensions in the pockets. She regularly magically adds/removes the sleeves & hood.

The Mummy/Historical AU: Rose is a flapper, to say the least. She loves parties, and smokes when she pleases. She’s been on many expeditions using the bits of scientific knowledge she has, plus her martial and magical skills taught to her by her father. She’s solved crimes, found artifacts, and exorcised households. Rosie the Riveter’d be proud.

[timekeepertwister]

TBD Subject Record: C/A-95

Name: White Lily Cookie

Subject Classification: Ancient

Subject Type: Cookie

Allegiance: Unknown, assumed none

Origin Timeline: PET-K

Known Abilities: High Intellect, Dark Moon Magic, Communication with (and medium control of) Nature, Magic Drawn from Soul Jam

Status: Unknown

Pronouns: She/Her

Availability for Inquiry: No

Last Update of Subject Record: February 27th, 2023

🥖 Baguette Cookie’s Audit: Requires Decryption of Bracketed items. Send your decryption proposals to the ask box to expedite decryption. Decrypted by Croissant Cookie. Trainees and Employees should refer to this TBD Subject Record as a reference to what any given Record should look like when fully decrypted.

Canonical Image:

“Forbidden Curiosity”

Date: [The Late 19th Century] - 4/30/1939

Locations of Interest: Blueberry Yogurt Academy, Witch’s House

Once a friend of the other Ancients, especially so with Pure Vanilla Cookie, her curiosity often got the better of her in some of the most peculiar subjects imaginable. Sometimes, it would cross boundaries never meant to be crossed at all, especially in one case where everyone but one Cookie at her old magic academy was turned into a spirit. The one holdout, the professor of arcane geology, ultimately reacted differently to this dimensional magic, resulting in a slow mutation into a chimeric curio of sorts because of their own research in other arcane minerals. This catastrophe uncovered a subconscious dimension between time and space which would ultimately be dubbed the “Lilywhite Space” in remembrance of the Blueberry Yogurt Academy’s most intelligent student that happened to cause such an unforgettable disaster.

Even with her academy years behind her and after she reconciled with the academy’s student and professor population, she still hungered for knowledge. On April 30th, 1939, also known as the Night of the Witches, she would seek the “Tower of Sweet Chaos” to inquire about the reason for Cookiekind’s creation, to which she saw the Witches [eating Cookies] to her horror. One misstep off the table landed her into a cauldron of [Ultimate] Dough and placed back into the Oven out of one Witch’s own curiosity to twice-bake, which gave rise to Dark Enchantress Cookie.

Current Whereabouts

Her current status is unknown, as all witnesses to the events of the Night of the Witches were silenced either out of fear or [Attacked by Dark Enchantress Cookie’s armies]. Many high-ranking Cookies like Pure Vanilla Cookie and [Clotted Cream Cookie] say that Dark Enchantress Cookie and White Lily Cookie are the same entity, but our best lead suggests that she instead survived the Oven’s heat, albeit badly burnt, and was subsequently whisked away by a hooded and winged figure that resembled a raven into a portal. Further counterpoints suggest that she was still present for the end of the Dark Flour War in the year [1945] in the Vanilla Castle before vanishing again during the final battle alongside the other Ancients.

Triangulated interdimensional signals suggest that she’s fled back to the aforementioned “Lilywhite Space” she uncovered, but sightings have been reported by [GingerBrave’s party] that she still roamed the physical plane of Earthbread for a while before disappearing again… just as Dark Enchantress Cookie appears again in the deepest vestiges of the old Blueberry Yogurt Academy.

A recurring witness from the Saint Pastry Order, who wishes to remain anonymous for their own safety on penalty of [being crumbled by the Shadow Sisters] if they would be found out, has also come forward to verify several of these claims. As such, their TBD Subject ID will not be printed on this report. They cite recurring nightmares involving what White Lily Cookie has seen on the Night of the Witches and suggests a possible way to contact the hooded/winged figure seen within these dreams, often accompanied by figures [named Dark Amethyst Cookie and Moonlight Cookie]. The witness’s dreams never saw White Lily Cookie and the hooded figure in the same space. It is unknown if White Lily Cookie exists completely on the physical plane at all.

[macgyvertape]

D2 season of the Plunder Thoughts

gameplay stuff above cut story stuff below in a liveblog format (what a mess this post is when tumblr ate my bullet points)

DIM has been painfully slow and it’s a problem with the Bungie API system, DiM is so integral to quality of life in the game, the app can’t compare. Tower has been unusably slow like the last few season but even worse

 I appreciate the UI buff changes, color coding it via class and with different shapes.

 Story progression requiring 50 champ kills and giving bonus for master ketchcrash is so bullshit since master ketchcrash isn’t matchmade and requires a high powerlevel grind. Glad they made it autocomplete after a day

The ketchcrash activity is fun, it's great that it's randomized to reduce the monotony of the grind. I think it’s neat the level of companion AI there is.

 However expeditions are frustrating with the ruffian mechanic which only progresses when you sit around and throw the treasure away. So they basically never show up with blueberries.

 Destroy shield generators is also a pain. Fighting other guardians for the scorch cannon then some asshole steals it right from your kill. Same thing with deposit treasure for scallywag, where you fight other guardians for it. A lot of people complained about this with scythe kills last season

Nice to see old areas repurposed for pirate hideouts

.Anti-barrier sniper is really bad this season, between the flinch changes and snipers being outclassed by other weapons the damage power isn’t there like lastime

The real flaw this season is the reward structure. So few red border drops, limits on the ability to buy focused weapons when you have challenges that require leveling them.

The challenge of “level 3 seasonal shaped weapons to lvl 10” exemplifies this when I had 0 seasonal weapons crafted by then

 Even worse that challenge gives repute when I need more repute to buy something that increased the drop rate.

I wish bungie wouldn’t lock GMs behind the power grind. They’re the content I want to do but irl keeps me busy so I never get to power level until after GMs start

Glad I don’t care about event title because I don’t have the time to grind for it. I made an attempt at getting challenges done but the weapon kills and 35 haunted sectors were too much of a time sink. So no point paying for the event pass even if I was interested. 

50 super kills in Mayhem was a lot easier this season with no classy restoration in PVP. Despite only using Thundercrash titan, I got that challenge done before “defeat guardians with arc damage”

Really enjoying whatever this Telesto thing is. Favorite fusion rifle and in top 3 favorite exotic guns. Edit: hmm it actually ended up being disappointing that they reverted all the changes

Very glad Devil Lair is the double loot GM. That way I can masterwork all my high stat exotics on hunter and titan

Masterworked Hunter Trip Grenade Gauntlets: wow those are a lot of fun with the new solar rework.

I played my Hunter and Titan characters a lot more this season, and I’m finally as comfortable doing endgame PVE with them as I am with my Warlock. Warlock is still my favorite class just how healing rift and grenade focus compliment my playstyle but learning to like all classes and be good is something I worked on since WQ launch and I think its paid off

Arc super on Warlock feels weak in that Chaos Reach can’t kill a champ in master content without Geomags, and ticklefingers is only really good for add control of which the rest of Arc Warlock kit provides a lot of other options.

Gathering Storm arc super for Hunter is great, finally makes Arc Hunter good in higher difficulty and its really good against both a crowd of adds and bosses. I think I used arc staff like once but it wasn’t as fun.

I didn’t think much changed for arc titan but I finally got the hang of the movement charged melees.

I love Brigand’s Law what a great sidearm. No Reprieve (stasis shotty) was the weapon I crafted first and lvled to 20. I don’t really like it as a precision shotgun but it will be great for Shank-Taniks boss fight next season.

Finally got my 3rd pattern for Seasonal weapons with 3 weeks left. Yeah the red border system this season was awfulI

 wound up not playing any iron banner this season. No seasonal challenges required it and if I’m not super interested in the game mode this season and skulking wolf trait isn’t good in PvE

.Just like seasonal event titles, the new IB structure incentives grinding a lot in 2 weeks. Its a fast track to burnout for me so I don’t go for it, but I dislike the shift towards short time to earn FOMO titles

 Did the raid almost every week on all 3 characters and no Touch of Malice, raid exotics being random RNG with no bad luck protection system is just such a waste of players time

This season I finally did a reset with Banshee, I’m glad they adjusted it.

Without even trying for it I got Thrillmonger medal, and thereby completed Dredgen. No FUCK no to ever trying to Gild it though

Glad there’s skill based matchmaking but crucible still sucks ass when I play with my friends in other timezones. Damage glitching with cheats or bad connections, gives me 0 reason to do pvp except for seasonal challenges and its so prevalent in Trials and Glory Playlist

The challenges I skipped were 100 Guardian stasis kills, and 2nd reset for Crucible and Gambit. If I’m not having fun then I won’t force myself to play

Did Master Rhulk through the streamer’s checkpoint system, it wasn’t that bad. Glad to get the sparrow.

Gameplay wise the community event was great to have during the last week, bonus rewards for doing a lot of playlist activities to finish seasonal challenges. I turned in most of my planetary materials to Rahool to buy golfballs, and I have most good stat exotics masterworked.

I’m SO GLAD they changed Scallywag to 8/9 triumphs, I’m tired of doing expeditions and I don't want to have to sit in the activity growing to hate Destiny to get it

I tried to do Master Caiatl with some clanmates on the last day and holy shit I think its the most difficult PvE in the game. Between survivability from lots of adds, match game with lots of shields, deaths from architects and being thrown off the map, and that you have so little time to kill bell keepers before Caiatl gets there. Its a lot to deal with and after close to an hour with no progress we gave up.Master WQ campaign mission was a cakewalk comparatively

First week:

I hope someone got a gif of the ketch flying overhead, that was my favorite part of Beyond Light, how present Eramis Shipstealer’s ketch is. Shame it wouldn’t let me replay the mission on other characters b/c of a bug. 

The following cutscene: cries in how bad my guardian looks on my graphics card. 

This pirate theme is a lot of fun, a lighter in tone breather from the horror of last season. If the music wasn’t a clue the fact that basically every NPC has a punny pirate name would do it 

Also the music that played during the cutscene sounded like the start of “the families” but different. Interesting because “the families” was from black armory soundtrack

Other weeks:

This is really peak Eliksni fucker season

While I’m enjoying Drifter’s antics I wish we got him being a bit more morally gray and sketchy like he was in Season of Outlaw/Joker’s Wild

Pirate Hideouts: The Blademasters - i do appreciate some immune Cabal chasing me with swords

In universe they keep calling what we’re doing “unsavory business” but aside from like working with Spider (leader of an organized crime ring) what morally dubious actions are we committing than our normal “privateering actions” where we basically have a comission of war from the Last City. Worst thing I guess we're doing is blowing up the ether and thereby starving others but that isn't like brought up as a plot point.

Spider and Misraaks have BIG ex energy. Feels like classic ex-significant other back in the life of the single dad causing drama with his child because the dad has a past he REGRETS

Misraaks threatening Spider(Rakis) is hot DILF shit.

Eramis is short! Wonder if she remembers me specifically as that guardian from Europa

Making people walk the plank into the void of space, marooning on small asteroids where who knows what you'd die from first. great melding of pirate+space.  Misraaks’ dark past wasn’t shocking, nothing that hadn’t been heavily hinted at 

The people in Victorian times ate mummies thinking it would be curative. Wonder what powers people would get from eating parts of Nezarac (edit: lmao what an easy I made before the cutscene even leaked)

Eramis vs Mithrax sword fight was great! Love that Eramis was there defending Eido. So curious about how things might have gone if Mithrax didn’t attack first

Feels nice to be the good guy again” WHEN DID YOU CHANGE DRIFTER?! you were pragmatic not moralistic, why are you not asking for any pay?! 

I wish there would be more pay off in the last week of the story instead of waiting for the last week of the season after a holiday event where you have to hope you have free time. The season just felt really anticlimactic, and I guess I wish Eramis’ message of “I can’t change I will never get over the pain of the whirlwind” wasn’t just in a radio message. Despite her threat to Eido I don’t  think she would follow through. Mithrax, yeah she’d totally hurt him. 

All of Drifter’s “funny” voicelines during the Halloween event, its like Drifter are you still the same character as the guy who killed and ate his fireteam to get off the ice planet and had people die for real in your gambit arena?

The community event of improving the eliksni quarter is cute, I don’t know if they went for the intentional parallels that Spider who is the face of organized crime in universe is “leading” the cleanup, when irl organized crime groups help the community because it gets them good pr

Love the end of season cutscene. Idk how to phrase this without uncharitable reading replies, but its good bungie made it explicitly clear it was a romantic relationship with an onscreen kiss. Like if you read the lore it’s been obvious for a while but in light of the 2021 IGN expose, and considering you have to go looking for the Immolant weblore, and when the writer was confirming it on twitter Osiris had already been replaced. Just glad Bungie doubled down about it being a gay romantic relationship and I hope everyone mad about it uninstalls. 

Overall its hard for me to say how much I would have enjoyed this season if I didn’t enjoy seeing characters who haven’t got a lot of screentime, especially since it was mostly Mcguffin chasing, with the twists of; Lucent Hive are after the relics too and Nazerac parts could wake up Osiris not really being built up before they’re revealed

[omegawizardposting]

The deeper I delve into my second phase of ScarVi hyperfixation, the more I realize just what a shitshow these games actually are. We were all way too lenient on them, I'll be honest.

I'm going to be talking about mechanics specifically, since we all already know the performance and graphics are ass.

First, let me note that the steps taken BACK from Legends: Arceus are EGREGIOUS. Legends: Arceus had quick, snappy gameplay that respected the player's time. Its out of battle catching mechanic was universally beloved and made for a much less tedious experience overall. The ability to grow Nature Mints and availability of Gravels (which augmented your Pokemon's EVs) made customizing Pokemon a relatively painless experience.

Lets start with battling. In ScarVi, we see the return of mandatory turn-by-turn combat. This is fine while playing through the story, but a major part of Pokemon's appeal is its postgame, which is dominated by one, singular activity: customizing your Pokemon. Whether you breed for the perfect 'mon or hunt for them in the wild, the majority of long-term players spend their postgame acquiring Pokemon.

In Legends: Arceus, this could be done without ever having to enter battle, but even if you chose to do so, battling was significantly speedier than in previous gens. No more waiting five seconds for a text box to tell you that your Pokemon is paralyzed. You were in and out in the blink of an eye.

Gen 9 returned to the franchise's roots, turning catching Pokemon into a slog. Unless you're using Quick Balls, it's possible to spend minutes at a time on some of the trickier catches, such as the Paradox Pokemon. I just got finished hunting for a Modest/Timid Sandy Shocks (did I mention that Synchronize no longer has its usual out of battle effect?), and at one point, I was so unlucky that I spent upwards of five full minutes watching text and battle animations play out. In Legends: Arceus, if you didn't catch your target on the first ball, you weren't punished for it. In ScarVi, if that bitch breaks out, it's going to be another eternity before you get to throw another ball.

Speaking of battle animations, they're on. Permanently. I'm the kind of person who prefers to save money (to the tune of 500k) by EV training my 'mons the old fashioned way. To expedite this process, I used to turn off battle animations. No longer an option. You will sit there and watch every animation or you will grind Raids for money for vitamins.

Okay, well, if catching Pokemon is such a pain, why not just catch one and use a Nature Mint? My sweet summer child, we can no longer grow them. The only way to obtain Mints now is by taking on 5-star+ Tera Raids, none of which are guaranteed to drop even a single Mint. Add onto that the bugginess of Tera Raids and you've got a recipe for disaster.

So no Gravels and we can't grow our own Mints.

Are you starting to see the problem here?

All right, the Paradox Pokemon might be annoying, but for every other Pokemon, why not just get a Ditto with good IVs and breed for the right nature? Darling of my heart, apple of my eye, they fucked breeding up, too. The picnic system is so unintuitive that it boggles my mind how it got past player testing. (Do they even DO player testing? It sure doesn't seem like it.) Not only is the acquisition of eggs painfully slow without the use of Egg Power sandwiches (DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE FUCKING SANDWICHES), you cannot produce eggs and hatch eggs at the same time. The only time eggs are produced is while picnicking. You cannot change your party once a picnic has begun, and even if you could, steps taken while picnicking DO NOT COUNT.

Overworld traversal is clunky. Places that feel like they should have fly locations don't, while others have far too many. Gliding and flying on Mir/Koraidon is SLOW, probably because if they moved any faster in the air, your Switch would explode. (I have never played a more poorly optimized Nintendo game.) Mir/Koraidon would rather slip and slide than stick to a climable surface half the time.

POKEMON.

HAVE.

NO.

COLLISION.

The amount of times I've exited one battle only to immediately be forced into another because an aggressive Pokemon quite literally shoved its entire body up my tight little asshole is TOO DAMN HIGH.

Both of the DLC Legendaries (or are they considered Mythicals?) force you to capture them after a stupidly lengthy battle. Ogerpon and Terapagos have MULTIPLE phases. Resetting for different natures is simply not an option if you value your time at all. This is coming from the guy who reset for Eternatus, don't even bother. Grind Raids. Use a Mint.

As far as I'm aware, there is no quick way to jump through your inventory. You must scroll. And scroll. And scroll. Arceus help you if you're looking for something in the middle of the bag. (In USUM, you could press L or R to jump down several items, which was a lifesaver when you were looking for, say, a Protect TM.)

Why are TMs single use again? Who asked for craftable TMs?

The list goes on...

I remember being so hopeful for these games, and honestly, I had fun playing through the story both times. It was when I got to the postgame and started hunting 'mons that I could no longer ignore their flaws. ScarVi was not a game built with longevity in mind, which is INSANE given how big and dedicated the competitive scene is. You are meant to play through their story, maybe the DLC stories, too, and then never, EVER touch them again.

[angelanimedesaray]

(Trying to write this around appointments, it keeps snowballing hahaha)

Preemptively, for those this tends to annoy, I am an examples/compare and contrast from my own writings and such person.

Also, this is a massive wall of text so I'm adding a keep reading bar to try and help.

Okay, so:

First things first, definitely agree.

Honestly I was surprised to hear this was a thing when I am of the opinion, as an aot writer and Levi writer, that the duality/complexity of Levi as a character, especially in regard to the emotional and caring side in juxtaposition to his violence, is a basic thing you have to understand when writing Levi's character. One of the first things that came out of my mouth when talking about getting back in the habit of writing him was that there was a slight relearning curve to remember how to balance his emotional and tender side, his value of human life, with his proclivity to violence, readiness to kill to survive or protect, and the way he approaches things, and understanding his viewpoints/motivations/personal moralities that drive which side he falls on for his reactions.

And though he has a proclivity for violence, yes, he always has a personal reason for it, but he doesn't enjoy it--hell, one of the main things that drives him into a rage in some of his legendary fighting scenes is when he sees his opponent enjoying the violence they're inflicting upon the people around, that it pushes him even further (i.e. Zeke enjoying chucking boulders at the scouts treating it like a game, Annie seeming to enjoy brutally mowing through the scouts in her pursuit of Eren in that first expedition). Not only does he not enjoy it, but he also has this conversation with the 104th after they fight humans for the first time in the coup arc, about how Levi isn't saying Jean is in the wrong for not wanting to kill people/hesitating, and Levi doesn't know the answer for what is right and wrong in that situation, and Jean may be right, but Levi DOES know that their people are alive because of the ones in the squad who made the choice and got blood on their hands, and he understands the weight of that choice and thanks them for protecting the members of the squad and keeping them alive, he doesn't thank them for killing someone. And he says quite explicitly that he's prepared to get his hands dirty and do the dirty work even if it makes him seem the monster. I won't get into the motivations that he will be the monster for because that's a separate discussion that will make this even longer than it's already shaping up to be.

The timing of this coming across my dash is honestly insane, though, because (NEXT CHAPTER SPOILERS FOR MY WINGS IN THE DARK FANFIC) I'm literally in the middle of tackling this balance and morality and such in my current in progress chapter. And it's actually tackling this very thing, from three different characters, all in Levi's POV, so I've been going admittedly slow kind of carefully picking through it to make sure I get it right/do it justice because of the complexity of the choices and situations and morality of the people involved. And while in previous chapters Levi did, initially, respond with violence--his first thought, after the silent treatment while he figured out his approach, was the really rough sparring to either knock some sense into the Fem!Reader or make sure she was truly prepared for trouble if something happened in her endeavor to help this third party. And he backed off when her mind was made up and she showed she was prepared for consequences. But now that she doesn't know what to do and has opened up to him for support and this third party keeps going back and forth seemingly unaware or with a disregard for the danger Fem!Reader is putting herself in and some of the risky choices she's made to protect them and how the back and forth is increasing the potential danger and impeding their ability to make a solid choice, he's stepping in again, with violence. There's Vampire AU shenanigans and rules that add to the complexity of the situation, but it boils down to basically I have Levi knee jerk reaction to Significant Other (SO) putting themselves at risk for someone else they may not be able to help being to try to knock some sense into them or at least make sure they're prepared for trouble in their fights, then backs off cause it's their choice and they want to try and they're confident and are capable, but when they come back discouraged and unsure and worried and the risk has only gotten worse because the person his SO is risking their safety for can't make up their mind on what to do, and his SO has opened up to him about this situation and their unsurity of the situation, he's sympathetic to the struggle because it's over taking life in the name of survival, but he reacts with violence because their indecision is putting his SO (and by extension because vampire abilities being utilized the goals of the scouts/Erwin) in increasing danger and forcing them into situations Levi just finished helping the SO get out of, he reacts with violence to make this third person face the reality of the situation and make their choice so Levi and his SO know if they need to cut ties and back out because they can't help someone that isn't letting them help the way they can, or if they're going to actually put in the work to learn what the SO is trying to teach them. And I'm leaving out a bunch of details that add more context and nuance and weight but this is already long so I'm gonna stop there lol.

So yeah, I definately agree, Levi himself has admitted that he doesn't have the answer, like many of the characters in the series, he's just doing the best he can with what he knows in the moment for the people he cares about, trying to "Make the choices he will regret the least" (sorry for the go to/cliche lol) and that tends to include violence against threats to the people he cares about/protects in attempts to make sure they stay safe/have a chance. But he's not doing it out of enjoyment of the violence or advocating to solve all things with violence, he's very much a case by case based on context person when it comes to how he reacts to things.

But I'll end it there because I've officially been trying to type this across several hours to the point I'm forgetting details and points I wanted to make or address so I'll stop here before I lose the plot lol.

Okay, this is a bit of a call-out post, which I don't like to engage in, but some of the stuff that's been brought to my attention, that's apparently been being said about me and, by extension, people who share my views, isn't really something I can let stand.

So apparently there's some blogs going around vague posting about Levi fans who dare (oh the horror) to call Levi a good man and a hero, saying stuff like doing so is how one treads down the path toward Nazism, because it's a "denial" of Levi's faults, and if we don't condemn his violence as outright bad or wrong, then we're liable to start making excuses for and justifying all forms of violence.

Do I even need to lay out why this argument is absurd and absolutely childish at its core? I don't think so, but I will anyway.

One of the overarching and main themes of AoT is that we shouldn't flatly condemn people for their actions without first understanding the context of those actions. That nothing is ever so simple as being flatly right or wrong, good or bad. That there can be and are complicating factors that might lead to any, given person's actions or behavior.

Levi himself is a prime example of this, and we see the error of flatly condemning and writing him off as "bad" in the form of Jean's and Mikasa's judgmental and dismissive attitude toward him after seeing him engage in acts of violence, only to themselves be forced into similar acts moments later.

The stupidity inherent to uniformly condemning all violence as bad or wrong lies in its total failure to consider any mitigating circumstances that might have lead to the violence in the first place, and, ironically, it's THAT sort of basic and simplistic thinking that leads toward the kind of fanatical, ideological foundations of Nazism and other, similar movements. Nuanced thought, consideration, empathy and critical thinking are never the things that lead down that road. Moralistic and generalized view points are what do that. To call Levi a "morally grey" character is to fundamentally misunderstand that morality itself is a "grey" concept. There's no such thing a black and white morality. Almost nothing is always right and always wrong, including violence. Very few things, if anything, can be definitely categorized as right and wrong in and of itself. The argument that some things need to be wholly condemned or eradicated is, for example, the same sort of logic that people who advocate for censorship apply. All pornography is bad or wrong? Better to just flatly condemn and ban all of it, then. Oh my, you're going to let two men marry each other? What if someone wants to marry an animal next? Better just make gay marriage illegal then, I guess. Many Jews are bankers, and banking is a corrupt business that preys on people's vulnerabilities, thus, all Jews are really just money launders and loan sharks and need to be stopped. Killing and violence is always wrong, and so people who kill or commit acts of violence are always criminals and bad people with malicious intent or who reveal in other people's pain. See how that works? All generalizations like that lead to is mass persecution, either of a concept or of a person/group of people, without taking into consideration the actual complexity or nuanced reasoning for why something or someone might be a certain way or do a certain thing. That's what's dangerous.

To deny Levi is a good man or a hero because he commits acts of violence is to totaly deny and strip him of all the many aspects and characteristics of his personality that makes him who he actually is. Levi's violence doesn't define him. It isn't who he is. Rather, it's a product of the world he lives in and the circumstances of his upbringing and life. It doesn't signify the person he is at his core. It doesn't negate the immense compassion, kindness, empathy and sensitivity with which he regards and treats other people. It doesn't render his heroism worthless or questionable. It doesn't undermine his intentions or motivations. It doesn't rob his many sacrifices of their selflessness. That's why I say Levi is a good man. Not because he's on the "good guy side" or because he holds a certain set of ideological beliefs, but because of those inherent qualities which define him as a good man. Compassion, kindness, empathy, emotional intelligence, and a genuine desire to help others for others sake. He's a good person because he actually, truly cares about other people. Is that assessment of him supposed to somehow lead down the road to fanaticism? How absurd.

That's not to say Levi doesn't have flaws. Of course he does. He's a human being, and all human's are flawed. Nobody ever said Levi was a "perfect" hero, just that he is a hero. Understanding Levi's violence and where it comes from and why he engages in it doesn't mean we're excusing it or calling it "good". It's simply an attempt to understand and acknowledge one of the main themes of AoT, which is that a person committing a "bad act" doesn't in and of itself make them a "bad person", and that certain actions and behaviors that are deemed "bad" by society can and often do have reasonable and justifiable explanations at their root. Does Levi resort to violence too often and too easily? Sure. I've said that and acknowledged it on multiple occasions. I've dedicated entire, long-winded analysis posts to exploring the duality of Levi's compassionate and empathetic nature with the fact that he's one of the most violent characters in AoT. His knee-jerk reaction and response to most situations is to apply physical force of one kind or another. Levi is also an extremely emotional character, and is given at times to bouts of emotionally excessive response. When he kicks Eren and Jean after his conversation with Erwin. When he manhandles Historia for her initial, flat refusal to take the throne. When he kicks Eren's teeth in during the RtS arc, or on the airship in Liberio. When he tortures Zeke in the cart on the way to the capital. These are all instances of Levi giving in to his emotion and responding violently. And no, it's not good, but it also doesn't make Levi bad. It doesn't make his intentions malicious or cruel in nature. In all of these instances of violence on Levi's part, it's driven by an intense emotional response, generally in regard to some traumatic event. Levi learning Erwin might not be the good man he thought he was. Levi having to torture a man for specific information, only to have the point of it threatened by Historia's self-pity. Eren interfering with Levi's direct command during a situation in which time was severely limited in making a decision. Eren slaughtering countless innocent people. Zeke forcing Levi to kill more than two dozen of his own soldiers. All of the examples one could point to of Levi being "unnecessarily" violent, meaning in a way that didn't further some larger goal or cause, were all moments of emotional reaction linked either to trauma or urgency or both. Most of these responses from Levi, in fact, came about because he was upset about someone else getting hurt, or at the possibility of people getting hurt. They're rooted, at their core, in Levi's compassion for others. They're emotional responses triggered by Levi's empathy and care. He gets angry because he's scared or grief stricken over someone else' suffering. And that's my and other fans' only point. Levi's violence might be considered bad by some, but the underlying reasons for it almost always prove Levi's goodness. He responds so strongly because he cares. So to refuse to acknowledge the circumstances and context surrounding those acts of violence and to refuse to acknowledge the influence of his upbringing in his inclination to respond with violence is grossly unjust and unfair to who Levi is as a person. To pretend that his very nature can't be contradictory to his actions and behavior is to deny, not just Levi's complexity as a person, but the complexity of people overall. Because Levi's nature is, much of the time, contradictory to his actions, especially when one only looks at his actions in a vacuum instead of in context. He's a violent man who also holds more kindness and compassion in his heart for people than any other character in the story. That's a contradiction. But it's true, nonetheless. You can be a good person who does bad things, or things deemed wrong by others and society.

Levi doesn't enjoy violence, and anyone who says he does or tries to claim he does is flatly wrong. To say, just because Levi is good at violence, that must mean he's somehow born to it, or that it's in his nature to want to commit it, is equally unjust and unfair in the way it dismisses the circumstances of his life and upbringing. A person can be forced into doing something that goes against their core temperament and personality due to forces outside of their control, and acknowledging that about Levi and his violence isn't the same as claiming him to be a "perfect hero". He's not perfect, but he is a hero. He's a hero because he's inherently selfless and kind and empathetic toward other people and their suffering, because he's willing to do all he can to help other people, despite an upbringing which forced violence and a familiarity with violence into his life, despite a childhood and young adulthood filled with deprivation and poverty. He wasn't born with a violent temperament, he was raised in an environment that necessitated a reliance on violence in order to survive, and so we see that manifest in Levi as an adult. A reliance on violence to survive. Again, to not acknowledge that and the impact it had on Levi's behavior and actions is unjust and unfair to him as a person. A stupid oversimplification of not just Levi as a character, but of people in general, and of the concept of justifiable violence too. Pacifism is an ideal, but one which doesn't and can't always coexist with reality. To judge someone and condemn then for engaging in violence, no matter the circumstances surrounding that violence, when nature itself is predicated on violence, is absurd.

Context matters. Circumstances matter. Intent matters. Levi's violence was never ideological in its reasoning. He never committed acts of violence in service to some abstract school of thought or philosophy. He never killed anyone because he thought they represented or symbolized some great evil or threat to the world and needed to be eradicated as a result. Levi's acts of violence have always been practical in nature. Defense of himself and others against people directly threatening their well being. And further, Levi has never, not once, tried to impose his way of thinking or doing on a single, other person. He's always, always, allowed everyone to decide for themselves. To come to their own conclusions of what they believe is right and wrong, good or bad. He's always allowed everyone their own agency. He's never manipulated or badgered or bullied anyone into agreeing with him or tried to brainwash anyone into a certain set of ideological beliefs. He's only ever wanted and tried to ensure people the freedom to make those decisions for themselves, and he's only ever tried to protect people, more often than not at great cost to himself.

He's the very definition of a hero, and to accuse people who call him that of exhibiting the kind of ideological thinking that leads to Nazism is not only absurd, but a massive insult, both to Levi's character and to the intelligence of his fans. As if they're incapable of understanding the nature of violence because they differentiate between acts of violence by applying critical thought to outside factors and mitigating circumstances. I guess our justice system is similarly incapable of understanding the nature of violence too, then, because it also dares to weigh outside factors and mitigating circumstances when judging a person's "crimes" or "guilt". It isn't the people who apply nuanced thought and consideration to Levi's actions who are susceptible to fanaticism, it's the people making those sorts of accusations who are, in exposing their total inability to divorce themselves from their black and white view of reality.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - June 20, 2022

🏳️‍🌈 — Happy Pride Month! Let’s start this week with some great news coming from Tokyo.

1. Tokyo Passes Law to Recognize Same-Sex Partnerships

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday adopted legislation recognizing same-sex partnerships, which will extend some rights that apply to married heterosexual couples.

It also reflects changing attitudes toward the LGBT community. A poll by the Asahi newspaper last year found that 65 percent of voters nationwide supported same-sex marriage, up from 41 percent in 2015.

Japan is the only country in the G7 largest economies not to recognize same-sex marriages.

2. Extinct ‘fantastic giant tortoise’ found alive on the Galápagos Islands

Believed to be extinct for more than a century, a rare species of giant tortoise is in fact still alive.

Scientists assumed that the chelonoidis phantasticus had died out more than a century ago. The only known specimen was discovered in 1906. But in 2019, Princeton researchers discovered a lone female tortoise on the island that hinted that the species might live on. Last week, they finally proved that the two specimens are related.

3. Groundbreaking treatment for HIV/AIDS developed by research team ‘with just a single vaccine dose’

People with AIDS might soon have the option to be treated with just a single vaccine dose, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University that shows the potential impact of a new and unique AIDS/HIV treatment. The peer-reviewed study was led by Dr. Adi Barzel and PhD student Alessio Nehmad.

The goal of the research team was to genetically engineer type B white blood cells inside the body of a person with AIDS. Once modified, the blood cells would be able to secrete neutralizing antibodies against the HIV virus responsible for AIDS, eradicating it from the patient’s body.

4. Rare sun bears rescued from animal traffickers get health checkup

Heartwarming footage shows how two rare bears that were poached as cubs by animal traffickers were given a thorough health checkup.

“Sun Bears Bopha and Jamran are former victims of the illegal wildlife trade, but found their forever homes at Perth Zoo after being rescued by Free the Bears.”

5. The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for free for keeps

The library is giving away 500,000 books for free to kids, teens and families at all of its branch locations in an effort to help folks build their at-home libraries “and strength the city’s ecosystem of learning,”

All you really have to do to get your hands on some copies is to show up at your neighborhood library and use your card — or sign up for one.

6. Alaska Airlines flight attendant proposes to pilot girlfriend on Pride-themed plane

Veronica Rojas, a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines, surprised her girlfriend with an unforgettable wedding proposal on a flight to Los Angeles. During the flight, Rojas got down on one knee and in true flight attendant-fashion, used the PA system to propose to Moncayo.

7. Disabled teen completes 84-mile trek of Hadrian’s Wall in wheelchair

Plucky youngster Brynn Hauxwell, 17, who has autism, ADHD, severe asthma, and fixed ankle contractures, took on the historic trail on the border between England and Scotland as part of a charity challenge.

The arduous journey saw Brynn and his team traveling around eight to nine miles a day and at times going as slow as one mile an hour. The resilient teen has raised over $13,000 for Ability Shetland, a charity that supports disabled people to unlock their full potential in all areas of life, and which also provided the mountain trike for the expedition.

. . .

That's it for this week. Until next week, You can follow me on twitter. Also, I have a newsletter :)

Subscribe here to receive a collection of wholesome news every week in your inbox :D

[fanartalchemist]

Dead By Daylight x Bugsnax: ideas free for others to try

this came up in mind a few times when I've played dead by daylight. this is what I think it could be (contains spoilers):

new map: end game snacktooth island- will probably be one of the largest maps of Dead by daylight. this parasite infested island is meant to be a trap for those who search for adventure, only to fall apart from the parasites that crawl into their stomachs and transforms them. a little town called snaxburg is in ruins, and the terrain has shown its true form. the island is almost unrecognizable to those that have previously escaped this land is now property of the entity, and the only way out is to ride either of the two boats that are blocked off by gates that haven't been there before.

Killer: the parasites (snaksquatch)- this swarm use to be controlled by a queen. After the queen abandoned her them, the entity took control instead. the snaxsquach no longer belongs to the queen and is under the entity's bidding.

the parasite’s power: scattering swarm- they have the ability to break apart into smaller pieces of themselves and come back together again to attack victims. in their scattered form, boards and vaulting areas don't slow them down, and cant be blinded. you can swarm survivors to slow them down, but cant harm survivors and. you can return to the snaksquach form, but the process is as slow as when the wraith makes themselve visible.

paracites 3 perks: 

weakness exploitations- when a survivor fails a task like fixing generators or healing other survivors, you can see their aura until they finish the task right.

undetectable pest- survivors cannot hear you approach while they work on generators.

Feast frenzy- after all generators are on, killers can knock survivors out with one hit.

2 new survivors:

Filbo Fiddlepie- a grumpus who was once given a job as a leader of snaxburg by Elizabert. he wasn't great at his task as a mayer when he was in charge at first, but got better as time passes. in the end, he ended up becoming the city’ mayor. somehow, the entity has taken him to test his leadership once again.

Filbos perks:

mayor motivation- your presense improve other survivors chances of not alerting the killer.

growing leader- the longer you survive, the better you and other survivors ar able to escape.

team support-  other survivors presense improve your chances of not alerting the killer.

Elizabert Megafig- an adventurer who lead an expedition team to explore snaktooth island, with her romantic partner, named eggabell, by her side. people in town relied on her to hunt bugsnax as a food source, unaware that she is unintentionally leading her team to their doom. she slowly grew suspicion towards the bugsnax and their effects on her team, causing an argument between her and eggabell. after that, her partner grew guilty for yelling at her and decided to join her with exploring the mountain. on the way up, eggabell sliped and was about to fall. liz saved her from falling, but there was an avalanch that splitted the two apart. eggabell survived, but never returned to town, hoping to find liz. as for the adventurer, she fell underground where she found the truth about the island. the caves walls are nothing but food, and what was supose to be watter is snakmatter. she ended up being swarmed by bugsnax, where tthey endup forcing their way into her stomach.  her free will slowly faded away, and is on the brink of becoming one with the swarm. just when she is about to lose herself, she hang on to what willpower she has left. she pushed back the bugsnax’s control, and became the queen of bugsnax. she tried use her power to control the bugsnax to protect her team, but her connection was not strong enough to last. as soon as filbo and eggabell found her, she told them the truth and told them to leave without her. eggabell didn't want to abandon liz, so she fused herself to the queen, making the bugsnax easier to hold back. when the team escaped, they followed after, returning to their normal selves. that didn't last long, since the entity has brought their nightmares back to life.

lizberts perks:

Doctor’s love- you can heal others more quickly, and you come with your own med kit.

pushing back- chances of escaping hooks increase greatly after saving a survivor from one.

swarm senses- once in a while, you can detect where the killer is at

more things will be added and there will be future edits. let me know what else you want added to the list.

[elminx]

Happy August!

August is a 4 Universal month (8 (August) + 5 (2021) = 13 = 1 + 3 = 4) in a 5 universal year. With both Venus and Mars currently transiting Virgo, the energy is strong this month to get organized and/or get yourself back on track for your 2021 goals.

The setup: Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus are still square to one another and will be through December and into 2022. Pluto in Capricorn, Jupiter in Aquarius, and Neptune in Pisces are lined up ~30 degrees apart from each other. We have four plants plus an asteroid retrograde throughout August: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron. This signifies a more "yin" energy signature that is out of alignment with the forceful fire energy of Leo season.

The TL:DR: As the Sun and Mercury transit Leo, they are going to relight up our fixed t-square involving Saturn and Uranus early in the month. You may be able to break through the big blocks in your life during this time but only if you can step away from your ego. This month is full of mixed messages and misunderstandings - we are all trying to figure out our new lives right now, give yourself and your others a metric fuckton of space. The work you put into your life is what you will get back out of it - go slow and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Expecting expedited results is a recipe for disaster.

There's a lot going on in the cosmos this month - there's rarely a day that is aspect-free and they are, for the most part, challenging. This has to do with our lineup of outer planets - see the details for more information.

The Nitty Gritty:

As we enter August, our Sun-Mercury conjunction is lighting up our long-term square between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus. This is our unstoppable force (Uranus) meets immovable object (Saturn) energy. Something has got to give to make way for the After. Much of how August plays out for you will likely be dictated by how you have been working with and processing this long-term aspect.

If 2020's motto was "Change Before You Have To", this Saturn-Uranus square is the "Have To". Uranus is the lightning on the Tower card - the change that is unavoidable. All you can control is how you react to the change.

Yeah, that's probably a terrifying concept. I get it. But I also firmly believe that when you stand aware in the middle of the maelstrom, that's where the true magic happens. In the moment of liminality, anything is possible.

August is the maelstrom. This shouldn't really come as a surprise but I guess that some people have their heads really far inside the sands. The storm never ended, we just got a brief reprieve. I hope that you all took good advantage of it - I know that I did.

For the rest of the month, all of our personal planets will be making complicated aspects to our outer planets - this is because of the angles. It's definitely echoing the roller coaster vibe of 2021's "5" energy - you'll see that continue next month as September is a 5 month in a 5 year.

Expect epic highs and abysmal lows. Probably to have your stomach drop out from under you at least once. There's a lot going on, try to harness Mars in Virgo's ability to roll with it and worry about figuring out the details later. Mars in Virgo is very in line with August's 4 energy: make a list but keep it open-ended, show up and do the work. Amanda of Wise Skies Advice called this month "Focus Pocus" and I'm in agreement there - what you focus on grows.

There's a lot of magic to be found in August, but you need to keep your focus. If you get wrapped up in your emotions, or worse, the rising collective fear, it will be easy to lose your way. Don't feed the monster. This is especially true for empaths and other highly sensitive persons.

Dates to Pay Attention To

8/1: Sun conjunct Mercury in Leo, Mercury opposed Saturn - thoughts will be very close to the surface and potentially heavy. Watch out for the stories you tell yourself, especially about Saturnian topics: government, contracts, money, marriage - this will be in effect all through the first week of August and through the new moon

8/2: Sun opposed Saturn, Moon square Mars - this is likely to be a frustrating day. Where do you need to slow down? Where have you been pushing in a direction that is only resistance?

8/3: Venus trine Uranus, Moon square Venus - the anecdote to this malaise is to try something new

8/6: Sun square Uranus - watch out. Lie low. Stay away with explosives - observe that physically as well as metaphorically. Where is your ego getting in the way of what you need?

8/8: New Moon at 16 Leo conjunct Mercury - Depending on how comfortable you are with Mercury energy, this moon may feel enlightening or anxiety-making. Practice good self-care - soothe your system with calming crystals or nervine tea if you need to.

8/9: Venus opposed Neptune retrograde: that lie may come due today - watch out for dishonesty, especially with yourself

8/10: Mercury opposed Jupiter retrograde: What is your inner truth? What do you believe? Does it align with what you know now? What needs to be re-evaluated? Again, how you perceive this will likely have a lot to do with your relationship with Mercury.

8/11: Mercury enters Virgo, Venus trine Pluto retrograde - Mercury is at home in Virgo - expect communication to become more orderly and precise over the next three weeks. The Divine Feminine may be experiencing a rebirth at this time.

8/14: Moon in Scorpio square Saturn retrograde in Aquarius - this lights up that Saturn-Uranus square...again. Watch out, friction is likely to be high.

8/16: Venus enters Libra, Moon square Mercury, Moon square Mars - Venus is at home in the sign of Libra, expect some of our focus to be on our relationships (of all kinds) during this transit. The energy of the day will likely be volatile and moody. Both your words and your actions may be misunderstood at this time - exercise caution.

8/17 Sun in Leo trine Moon in Sag, Moon square Neptune retrograde - a lovely fire trine but watch out for illusions - all that glitters may not be gold

8/18: Mercury conjunct Mars in Virgo - work for it. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Slow and steady wins this race.

8/19: Sun opposed Jupiter retrograde, Uranus retrograde at 14 Taurus, Moon conjunct Pluto - The energy is likely to feel at once larger than life and impossibly deep. Whether you enjoy this will have a lot to do with your personality and comfort levels. It's always wise to go slow when a major planet like Uranus retrograde but Sun opposed Jupiter may not let us do that.

8/20: Mercury trine Uranus, Moon trine Venus, Moon conjunct Saturn - you might get flashes of insight at this time but it is unlikely that you will be able to implement them just yet. Hold tight. This day also lights up our Saturn-Uranus square - stay aware and cautious. Avoid arguments.

8/22: Full Moon at 29 Aquarius, Mars trine Uranus, Sun enters Virgo - this is wildcard energy, engage with care. This again activates our Saturn-Uranus square - stay aware and stay cautious.

8/23: Venus trine Saturn retrograde, Moon opposed Mars, Moon conjunct Neptune retrograde- emotions, especially around close relationships, are likely close to the surface. You may not have all of the information or may be lying to yourself.

8/24: Mercury opposed Neptune retrograde: another big reveal - watch the news, listen carefully to what the people in your life are saying

8/25: Moon in Aries opposed Venus in Libra - moooooody. Remember great things happen when you stop being a moody cow. Give your others a break.

8/26: Mercury trine Pluto retrograde, Venus in Libra opposed Chiron retrograde in Aries - the new message is one of independence and accountability, do you hear it yet? What part of you needs to be reborn to get you on track?

8/27: Moon conjunct Uranus, Moon square Saturn: the moon activates our square again today - same old - be cautious - this is happening 4x every month right now, it's not "new news" just something to stay aware of

8/29: Mercury enters Libra: this isn't a great placement for Mercury. The idea of giving two sides equal air time without account for its truthfulness is a failing of Mercury in Libra thinking. Watch out for overthinking and analysis paralysis.

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