#tricky telescope

[fr-familiar-bracket]

[sysig]

Have I mentioned I love Zums lately (Patreon)

[flightrising]

Tick tock...tick tock...tick tock...

Familiars:

Tricky Telescope

Tick-Tock

[starsfic]

Should've done this yesterday, but...

Summaries below:

SDMI/FNAF: Based on this post, the gang is hired to investigate the rumors of a bunny animatronic ghost overnight. The truth is a little more tricky.

TMNT, my incarnation: April O'Neil makes a new friend when staying up late studying at the public library

LMK: Long Xiaojiao streams the Hitman games and is disappointed that she cannot play out all of the murder plans she’s made over the years because of game limits.

LMK: After LBD’s defeat, Qi Xiaotian decides (with some “gentle” encouragement from everyone) to take the summer off work and training. The moment he mentions the monkey village and Wukong’s shame temple to her, Long Xiaojiao suggests maybe they work on fixing it up! Red gets dragged along too.

LMK: AU where Long Xiaojiao’s best friend’s new husband is strange and a giant red bull has been killing livestock.

LMK: Modern AU where Azure, the head of security in a fancy casino, meets a beautiful golden man.

LMK/PP: Due to a misread address, a missent letter, and some poor decisions, Qi Xiaotian finds himself trapped in the depths of the Playtime Co. factory. But he’s not gonna let DogDay be stuck too.

Scooby Doo, my incarnation: The first part of Episode 1, when trying to leave their hometown of Crystal Cove to start their second year of college, the Mystery Gang finds themselves trapped in Crystal Cove.

LMK: Xiaojiao jokingly challenges Red to a duel only for both of their families to take it super seriously, especially when old grudges (aka Ao Lie’s death) are brought up

PJO: The Romans do not take kindly to random people judo-flipping their praetors, and Annabeth is forced to think about the amount of violence in her and Percy’s relationship. (A thing that came to mind when re-reading the books.)

LMK/FNAF: After a nasty argument with her parents, Long Xiaojiao decides to cut herself off financially from them and get a job. However, the only available position is a night guard of an American pizza chain. Shouldn’t be too hard…right?

TOH: Old fic idea where Luz is forced to team up with the Golden Guard to deal with the inspiration for the Xenomorphs.

[crisiscutie]

Hello sweetie! I hope you have been doing okie these days~

I have an adorable ask for you: What would a birthday for Lucy be like? Would it be a small party or would it be a grand celebration? What presents would she get and maybe... Domestic Darling and Fluffy Sephy having a surprise for her~?

Hello sweetie, thank you for this scenario! So what would Sephiroth and his darling do for baby girl Lucrecia on her birthday? Let's see!

The party size: This is tricky because Sephiroth and some of his kids like Yazoo and Angealica prefer small gatherings whenever possible, but Domestic Darling, Lucy, and Loz love large, lively ones. Kadaj prefers whatever he's in the mood for xD. So in a compromise, it'd probably be a medium-sized party, leaning towards smallish, but Domestic Darling and Sephiroth both agree on making it a grand celebration for Lucy. Lucy would invite every single classmate from her homeroom because she's just such a kind social butterfly!

The presents: It's no secret to anyone who knows Lucy knows the girl is obsessed with Moogles. So I would expect much of these gifts to be moogle-related items like keychains, plushies, or hairpins or, etc. Another gift for Lucy would be some fighting gloves designed for her small hands. She's really wants becoming a brawler like her favorite big brother Loz and Darling, and she can't wait to start training with them. Another great gift for her would be a telescope, since she has an interest in astrology ever since her older sister introduced it to her!

The surprise: While Domestic Darling bakes Lucy a moogle-themed cake, she also tries to convince Sephiroth to dress up as a moogle mascot.

Sephiroth is somewhat hesitant about it since it's not something that fits his personality, but he eventually caves in for Lucy. And surprisingly, he ends up enjoying it! He doesn't get many chances to be silly and outgoing, so it's even more liberating that he can do it without everyone knowing who he is at first. It took some time adding "Kupo" at the end of his sentences though. But the best part of the act for him?

It was when he first introduced himself to the children. It was really awkward and quiet when everyone stared at him. But just as he was losing confidence in the act, Lucy came running at him at full speed, and tackled him to the ground in a bear hug. Her happiness gave him the confidence he needed to keep up the act. Everyone already figured it was Sephy in the costume after some time had passed but Lucy was naïve until she saw peeks of long silver hair poking out of the head and became even more happy to realize that the giant plushie moogle was none other than her father!

It's a really special bonding moment for Sephy and Lucy to connect he is usually occupied with Angealica and/or the triplets, doing things that the young Lucy can't handle or understand. And for Lucy herself, her age and lack of silver hair and slitted pupils, unlike her siblings, often make her feel left out from her family. Out of her siblings, she looks the most "normal" appearing.

Domestic Darling knew she made the right call by convincing Sephiroth to wear the moogle mascot costume instead of hiring someone to do it.

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

This is a kinda random question, but do you know of any random chance events in the game? Like one thing can happen or the other? I played Barbecue recently, and I was surprised when I tried to reload a moment from there, I was the one tripping on a rock instead of Lizzie. I feel like there must be other moments like this in the game that I never notice because I don’t reload super often, and I’m curious where they are.

This is such an interesting question! :o

But yeah, I could help you out~!

Step 1

Barbecue

As the anon said, if the MC chose to help pick a spot instead of helping carry things, who trips on the rock (or if no one trips at all) is random.

Step 2

Wave

If the MC has a surfing competition with Cove, is "awesome at surfing," and Cove is at all Sporty, it's random who wins.

Dinner

If the MC did not tell Cove about the deal here, thus allowing them to play cards with the Holdens, and chooses that they were either "decent at go-fish" or "left it to luck," the game randomizes whether or not the MC was lucky. If the MC was decent at go-fish specifically, they are guaranteed to win the first round regardless, but if they simply left it to luck then it's random if they win the first round or not. Being lucky entails winning multiple rounds afterwards whereas the opposite goes for being unlucky.

Birthday

If the MC didn't pick the exact right choice in pin the tail on the donkey, it's random whether the MC (only if the MC was still close/not that far off), Cove, or someone else wins.

Summerwork

If the MC said "I dunno" or "I don't care" in response to what assignment they'll work on, what they pick out of their bag is random.

Siblings

If the MC suggests hanging out to Elizabeth, the winner of the board game (or if it's a tie) is random.

Step 3

Hang (Baxter's Version)

Baxter's comment on the MC's room will be random if the MC has a ukelele (he finds the sound it makes charming) and/or a telescope (which he finds very nice); he'll comment of either one of those if the MC has them or the MC's room in general.

Boating

If rock-paper-scissors was chosen to decide who goes first, Cove's choice between rock, paper, and scissors is random.

If Cove is helping the MC make drinks, his addition is semi-random (partly based on what the MC put in).

Happiness

The show the MC and Cove go to see can be random if the MC suggests letting chance decide.

Where Cove decides to take the MC to for the second outing/date is random as elaborated on here.

Ending

If the MC chooses to make jewelry but wants to wait and see, not having a plan, it's random what they end up with (which can be any of the other options).

Step 4

Cove's Step 4

If the MC isn't sharing a bed with Cove and tells him that they want the window bed, who wins the coin flip is random.

As stated here, Cove's proposal can be random under certain circumstances. What Cove thanks the MC for can also be random.

Cove's Wedding DLC

Cove's suggestion of cake is random if the MC admits that they don't know what type of wedding cake they want.

The winner of the bouquet toss can be random depending on who's participating and who's not. For example, if Jeremy was invited and dragged into participating (if Shiloh was also invited and has the "Shiloh" or "Mr. Fields" personality; see the "Other" section for more details), then the tricky side toss will end on either Cliff or Jeremy. If Shiloh was invited (only participating if he has the "Shiloh" or "Mr. Fields" personality), then a high toss can give it to either Liz or Shiloh. If both the MC and Cove threw, then who got the MC's bouquet is totally random (only condition being that it can't be the person who caught the first bouquet).

Baxter's Step 4

Both the MC's first round results in bowling (depending on their choices) as well as whether Jude or Scott win if the MC plays along with Miranda is random. More detail here.

If the MC does not have a hobby in drawing (painting or digital art counts for drawing as well) but offers to help Baxter with the cake stencil, it's random whether the MC or Baxter comes out with the most usable stencil first.

Other

Cove's choices when playing tic-tac-toe are random.

What kind of person Shiloh becomes is random. I go into more detail here.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

I've an anthro tiger character who can walk/run/etc both bipedal and quadrupedal. Within the scope of the story he also becomes an amputee - so now hes missing his entire left arm and his right leg up to the knee. I've figured out that bipedally he mostly uses a crutch. but is there anything i can do for him that'll still let him scamper around? I've not been able to find reference for animals missing limbs in a similar configuration.

alright this one was fun. mobile aids for non-human bodies can be tricky, but it's cool and important!

the first step of course is making sure you can keep a character design relatively consistent in both a bipedal and quadrupedal stance.

(image description: simplified sketches of a feline character standing on all fours as well as upright on two legs. their left arm and right leg have also been colored over in red to note that these limbs are missing. there is also a note on the image stating that the arms and legs should be roughly the same length. end description)

keeping the limbs similar in length is important for quadrupedal motion, if you want the spine to be kinda parallel to the ground. otherwise, you get sloped backs which are not the best for smooth motion. but the more important part of this ask is the matter of mobility aids for a character that moves between bipedal and quadrupedal motion! so let's talk about that.

for one thing, if your character is not using a leg prosthetic, they'll need two crutches when they walk upright. one crutch is helpful when you have two legs but one of them is weaker, and in that case you'd use the crutch on the strong side, actually.

I previously reblogged a post about proper cane usage, but it can apply to crutches as well! and from what I've seen, the crutches that have a forearm brace are the most popular for comfort and ease of use. your character happens to be missing an entire arm on the same side he would be using a cane or crutch if he had a leg prosthetic on. so that does make things tricky. alternatively, he could use a leg prosthetic and not bother with a cane or crutch. but! you don't have to do that. you can still give him crutches, leave his right leg without a prosthetic, and even give him a versatile prosthetic for upright and quadrupedal motion!

conveniently, cats are well documented to manage just fine with three legs, whether they are missing a back leg or a front leg! there's even at least one cat out there missing both front legs and doing fine! so, your tiger fella really only needs one prosthetic to do both kinds of locomotion, I think. here's what I've got:

telescopic/collapsible arm prosthetic-crutch-combo and a collapsible or folding forearm crutch that can be carried on a belt when not in use.

(image description: the same feline character sketched upright and on all "fours", this time with added mobility aids. the notes on this sketch say "one leg, no prosthetic, requires two crutches. cats get along fine with three legs." the mobility aids drawn on the character include a folding forearm crutch and an arm prosthetic strapped to the left shoulder that can be extended into a tall crutch for walking upright. end description.)

play around with it until you're satisfied! if you just want a leg prosthetic instead, no crutches, then I think he could use the exact same prosthetic both upright and on all "fours" without the use of an arm prosthetic.

(image description the feline character again, this time showing a simple leg prosthetic that attaches at the knee, has a small thick piece bending slightly back, and then a longer straight rod ending in a foot pad. end description.)

you'll have to adjust the exact proportions and design to better match your character, of course, but these are the options i thought could work for your idea. I hope that's helpful and gives you more ideas for how you want to draw him! good luck!

[idontknowreallywhy]

Tormenting Scotty more? Me? Surely not.

So this was the first thing I read when I woke up this morning…

And ermm… Oops…

😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰😰

It was the beard that broke his heart.

Scott had three methods of tracking the time he’d been Here.

Absent the first couple of days or so where he’d been dragged from building to building… he’d always ended up Here at the end of the day. ‘Here’ being the 2x3m concrete box with a steel door on one side and a tiny grate to the outside, about 3m up on the other. That seemed precisely positioned to let in plenty of chilly breeze but very little light. Another couple of days passed before he realised it was definitely the same one… the bloody stain where his head had hit the wall as they’d slung him in one evening was there the next. To welcome him home.

He had always had a good memory for images and so he started out by creating a mind palace. He imagined his old bedroom at Gran Roca. Each day as the light started to trickle in, he added another object which didn’t belong but which gave him a moment of peace. Gordon’s stuffed shark on the pillow, Virgil’s painting overalls hung over the back of the chair, John’s telescope at the window, Alan’s old rocket teething toy he still clung to aged 7 propped up on the desk. Each morning he pictured it, listed and counted the objects and added one more.

But some days he was so hazy he worried he would forget something. Maybe Virgil’s easel had been there all along and he’d counted it twice. So on day ten he cast about for something outside his own head he could mark the time with.

Another defining feature of Here was that floor was particularly gritty compared to some of the other rooms/labs/holding pens. He’d cursed it many times as he’d stumbled through the door and taken more skin from limbs that didn’t have a lot to spare.

He could use that.

Sweeping an area clear in one corner, he made a tiny almost invisible pile of grit as the light entering the cell began to disappear each day. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen… on the Fifteenth day he swept them all into a bigger pile and started again. Sixteen, Seventeen… Eighteen, Nineteen…

On the twentieth day he suddenly panicked that he could roll over in a fitful sleep and brush it all away. Or the breeze could betray him in more ways than just chilling his bones. So he instituted another back up. For every 5th day he also made a mark on the back of the door where they’d never look. That same mark on the wall reminded him he did have one kind of ink in plentiful supply. Even on the rare occasions there was none fresh there were plenty of barely healed wounds he could reopen with a flick of a broken fingernail.

Twenty. Twenty Five, Thirty. Thirty Five. Forty.

On day 41 the first tendrils of doubt began to weave their way through. He’d expected a couple of weeks, maybe three or four… he’d been air support on two retrieval missions so far so he knew they took a bit to plan and resource. Maybe this was particularly tricky, so maybe it could be four before they came. Maybe five?

Initially he blamed his counting. Maybe he’d doubled up some days - maybe mistook a floodlight for Dawn, or a cloud passing over the sun for dusk. He needed some other more reliable method.

He sat in the corner and ran his hands through his unruly hair and matching beard and tried to make himself look respectable. And then his heart froze and sank into his gut where it thrashed painfully against his other organs. He’d never had much success with facial hair, it grew so slowly and patchily. He’d stopped shaving for charity one month and in 31 days it was still pretty threadbare fluff and he got rid of it with a sigh of relief as soon as the challenge was completed. This… this was A Beard.

On day 41… or maybe it was 51 or 61… he began to believe they might just… not... come.

Surely Ash and Val would raise hell, his whole squadron would. Their Group Captain wouldn’t let him rot.

And if not them… Dad… he’d raise hell and then do it himself if necessary. He’d imagined that gruff voice at the door so many times. Of course he hoped Dad wouldn’t have to because the thought he could be hurt was… unacceptable. But he would do something. Someone would launch a rescue soon.

Unless they thought there was no rescue to effect. He squeezed his eyes as he recalled attending the empty coffin funeral of a colleague he’d never known. The pomp and gravitas so hollow and…pointless. The eyes of the man’s family so dark with sleepless grief as they accepted the flag and tried to summarise a life in halting, pain-filled words to a crowd of uniformed people all praying they wouldn’t be next.

Had they… had they done that for him?

Had someone called it? Drawn a line?

Changed the M to a K?

Had his family stood in the front row and listened to a bugle and mourned him?

He could see their faces and it tore at his soul. He could picture Virgil’s devastated eyes, John’s pallor, Gordon’s tears, Allie’s tantrum at the absence of his big brother hugs and he gasped in horror.

He had to get to them and tell them it wasn’t true.

His bruised and battered body screamed at him as it collided with the steel door. He cursed it into silence and threw himself at the unyielding metal again and again and again…

[flightpolling]

Flight Rising Mimic Melee! Round 1

The Top 2 winners from this poll will go on to the next round!

[peacevine]

tricky telescope // 2101569

At least it only has one eye!

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Chapter 3 Part 2

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 3 - To Zofia Castle

Part 2  - The Night Before Storming Zofia Castle

"The castle really is everything it's said to be! I've heard the rumors, but I never imagined it would be this beautiful! The entire building was made with marble mixed with seashell plaster to harden it, allowing it to stand tall and sturdy throughout its long history. Doesn't it look just like a mountain range covered in snow?" Gray said as he looked at the breathtaking view of Zofia Castle from atop the fort watchtower. He was currently drawing a rough diagram of it on a piece of parchment. He was so blown away by how beautiful it was that he said his thoughts aloud to Tobin next to him, who was looking through his telescope and counting how many units were stationed within it.

"It's more like a white rose covered in thorns! Desaix's units are everywhere!" Tobin said, still looking through the telescope. 

Gray held out his brush, using it to measure the rough dimensions of the castle.

Upon retaking the southern fort and successfully rescuing Clair, Alm ordered Gray, Tobin, Kliff, and Silque to stay there. It was likely that Desaix would send more of his units once he realized that it had been captured, so in order to protect their new base, Alm left four of his units there.

"We'll be right back." Alm had said to them, then left with Lukas and Clair to go to the cave where Clive and the others were waiting. 

And so, the other four members of the Deliverance were now gathered together at the southern fort, and had to immediately start planning their attack on the castle.

"It has a moat and a castle wall, making it a perfect castle for defense. Because there's no opening that allows the army stationed inside to go on the offensive, once we break their defenses, it might as well be a sand castle. But getting to that point will be tricky." Gray said as he switched to a finer brush to write down the distance between different locations on his diagram. 

Tobin nudged his shoulder. 

When he turned around, Tobin was already looking through the telescope out the watchtower window, and down at the fort courtyard.

"What is it?" Gray asked.

Tobin did not respond with words, but pointed at something. 

There were two people in the embankment, where the enemy archer had stood. They were Kliff and Silque.

"Looks like they're having a good time!" Tobin commented.

"A very good time!" Gray responded with a grin on his face.

From this far away, they couldn't hear what the two were talking about, but their shoulders were touching, and they appeared to be talking very intimately, like two lovebirds spreading their wings and resting together.

-

 "Lukas!"

"Forsyth!"

Upon seeing his little sister's safe return after being prepared to receive news of her death, Clive's expression lit up with such joy that it looked as if he was going crazy. 

But Lukas and Forsyth might have been even happier upon their reunion.

They called each other out by name, then hugged hard as they could, and Forsyth unabashedly cried big, wet tears.

They were both Soldiers, and units of the same class generally have a stronger bond than those who are not. Meaning also that Clive's sadness over losing fellow Cavalier Mathilda must have been the reason why he could not truly celebrate his reunion with Clair.

"Where's Mathilda?" Lukas asked. 

Clive told him everything that happened. 

Knowing that it was her fault Mathilda ran off, all of the color drained from Clair's face. "I'm sorry, everyone. Especially to you, Brother. Please, forgive me." 

Mathilda was always very kind, and often encouraged Clair, who was timid due to her gentle nature. Clair thought of her like an older sister. She knew she felt that way because she was Clive's sister, and Mathilda was deeply in love with Clive. Clair knew that he also felt the exact same way about her.

Standing a slight distance away from everyone else as their excitement overflowed was the archer Python. From the moment Lukas returned, Python was wary of the young man he brought with him to the cave. In fact, he thought Clive and Forsyth were the weird ones, so easily able to open their hearts and share their joys and sadness in front of a guest when they had no idea who he was or where he came from.

Lukas explained everything, highlighting that he brought Alm with him because he was of Mycen's bloodline, and that he witnessed the strange experience Alm had at the remote Mila Shrine. But even after that, Python's feelings did not change. Python was a unit who valued hard facts most of all, and would not believe anything until he saw it with his own eyes, even if he had heard of it one hundred times before. It was set in stone that he would not consider Python his ally until Alm approached him directly and showed him Desaix's head.

"Let's trust what Lukas says for now." Python said. "And accept this boy's worth as someone of Sir Mycen's bloodline. If Mycen has fallen ill and sent Alm directly himself, then we should accept his aid. Alm also seems to be someone special who has received Mila's divine blessing. When I see his face, I can tell immediately that there is something mysterious about him. But right now, you're our leader, Clive. I want to hear what your plan is."

Clive's expression suddenly became serious. Python wasn't the only one asking him that question. It had to be the question on the minds of the other remaining members of the Knights of Zofia as well.

He said, "Lukas saw everything with his very own eyes, so it must all be true. I believe Alm is fit to be the Deliverance's general even just because of his strategy that retook the southern fort alone."

Python responded with the topic that concerned him most. "He might not feel obligated to save Mathilda."

"I don't think that's true." Clive answered without a moment's hesitation. However, that instant, clear reply only revealed how unsure he was. 

'Clive surely remembers what Mathilda said to him when she ran off. That he is unqualified to be leader.' Python thought. 'Even now, he might still have lost the determination needed to lead the Deliverance.'

Python growled. Until now, he'd never once felt that Clive, as their leader, would do something as unsightly as show weakness in front of everyone. If that were still the case, Python probably would have immediately accepted Alm without any worries weighing on his mind. 

Python, as his friend, remembered how much pain Clive was in right now. The Knights of Zofia were not built on the ideal that combat strength and ability was everything. Power and strength bring people to trust each other, but trust alone was not the reason why they could put their lives in each other's hands. Their bonds were stronger than trust - almost as close as family.

'Time might be able to heal Clive's wounds.' Python thought, and decided to accept Alm as their general for the time being. Still, that did not mean that he approved of him one hundred percent, and so he started to interrogate Alm, partially as a means to convey his feelings to the others.

"There's just one thing I want to confirm." Python said. "What is your opinion of Emperor Rudolf of the Rigel Empire?"

"I've heard that he is a naturally gifted leader, and that he is both kind to and popular with the people. However, he is Zofia's greatest fear. He must be removed from power." Alm said without even a hint of hesitation. 

Python continued, "How must his power be taken from him? Through an alliance with another country?"

"Achieving a balance of power is an illusion. Judging by the current relationship between Zofia and Rigel, an alliance would clearly be meaningless. History has proven that to be true."

"Then shall power be taken from him through a treaty?"

"Treaties are relative. They change based on the current era. As I said, Rudolf is Zofia's greatest fear." Alm stated once again, and looked directly into Python's eyes. "Rudolf must be killed. That is my ultimate goal. Killing Desaix and liberating Zofia is the first step towards achieving that goal."

"Then we are of the exact same opinion. I will serve you." Python said, took Alm's hand, and kissed it. The gesture was how the Knights of Zofia swore their fealty to their lord.

-

The run-down assembly hall in the western fort was turned into a temporary strategy meeting room, and all the members of the Deliverance, excluding Mathilda, gathered around the small light of a lanturn. Upon seeing Gray and Clive's horses nuzzle each other the moment they met, everyone naturally felt as if they were all destined to meet each other.

They were currently in the middle of a strategy meeting, planning their attack on the castle. Everyone helped to place a piece of the fort's door, which Alm had smashed during their siege, on top of a rock, and roll out Gray's diagram of Zofia Castle on top of that. 

"Your diagram is amazing! It has details that even we didn't know about!" Gasped Forsyth, normally one to make calm and collected decisions even in the heat of battle, in astonishment as he looked it over. It was now complete with Tobin's analysis and predictions for the army's battle stations.

"I'm shocked that such talent was hidden in a remote village! They're all going to be a huge help to us!" Lukas said and slapped his hand on Forsyth's shoulder. 

Gray, Tobin, Kliff, and Silque all heard what he said and all looked at each other while scoffing, remembering that Lukas had argued against taking them along until the last second.

"Zofia Castle was built for defense. That is why Rigel makes fun of it and says it's like a castle made out of toy blocks." Python said.

The conversation naturally gravitated towards Alm and Clive trading ideas back and forth to develop their battle strategy, but Python, as the member among them quickest to anger, interjected every chance he got. Their forces were all very strong, but when they compared themselves to Desaix's army, they were vastly outnumbered. Python served a role akin to the person stirring the fire as they perfected their strategy that they had to construct with extreme caution, making the others in the group resent him from time to time.

"The moat has two bridges over it, and the castle wall has two gates. But if we can break through that far, then we have a chance." Clive said, and proposed to split up into two groups. 

Clive and Python would take the east bridge, with Forsyth in the middle. The western bridge would also utilize the same Cavalier-Soldier-Archer formation with Gray, Tobin, and Lukas. That choice was the most logical, and no one objected to it.

After finalizing that decision, Clive said to Clair, "You can fly over the castle wall, right?"

"Of course! It was the training grounds for me and my pegasus!"

Though it was being used as Desaix's base, Zofia's Castle was like a home to the Knights of Zofia. Clive and Clair's interaction made Alm and the others realize the suffering the surviving members experienced by being chased out of the castle.

"The gate does not open from the outside. You are the only one of us that can do it. You understand how important this role is, right?"

Clair nodded deeply at her brother's words. 

Looking at Gray's diagram, there were three archers guarding the castle gate. Their arrows could easily reach a flying pegasus, and Clair would be flying straight towards them. Their biggest gamble all rested on this part of the strategy. Whether or not they entered the castle depended entirely on if Clair could open the gate from the inside. In other words, everything hinged on whether she lived or died.

"This is our momentous first battle as the Deliverance! We shall call our strategy, 'Clair's Wings!'" Alm said. 

Clair stared straight at him. Underneath her bright blue, thick bangs, there was a faint light in her eyes that might have been tears.

"Where should we position Silque?" Alm asked. The position of healer units had a close effect on the tide of battle.

"The five of us remaining from the Knights of Zofia could march through the castle with our eyes closed. Let's put her behind our allies from Ram Village first. We'll be fine until we reconvene, and just use Vulneraries on our wounds."

Clive handed down his decision without hesitation, then on the diagram on the west bridge, which Gray and his group was responsible for, wrote down her name, "Shilk."

"I will go ahead of Clive." Alm said.

"When Clair opens the gate, I will immediately rush inside to be her reinforcement. Everyone else should continually assess the current state of battle, and proceed with caution. Once the gate is open, both the east and west groups should focus on reconvening. The two Cavaliers will be the vanguard with the Archers in the middle, and the Soldiers will guard the rear. The Cavaliers and Soldiers should put more effort into defense than offense, and the archers should prioritize offense. My only target will be Desaix, and I will charge directly into the castle. Clair will fly ahead and report to me the foes I will need to face. Even if I am injured, I will not hesitate. I will focus solely on locating Desaix until I find him."

As Alm explained his strategy, both Clive and Python were rather impressed, but Alm did not think it was that impressive. He simply decided it sufficient to expand on the scope of the strategies he would plan while defending Ram Village from Brigands; and saw finer details the Knights of Zofia did not notice, as he had more real combat experience.

He next addressed Kliff directly. "You will protect Silque. Do not hold back. Whether you need to use fire or lightning, you must strike down any foe that comes near her. This is a very important assignment. You'll be able to get all the rest you need after the battle. Do not let up your spells until you have defeated every last enemy."

"I've known to do just that since long before you told me to." Kliff said, and held out his fist towards her. 

His dependable words and tone made her face turn red as she bumped his fist back, a gesture Gray and Tobin would never miss. They both looked at each other and whistled.

The scene made Clive chuckle as he wrote down Kliff's name as "Klih" next to "Shilk."

Kliff noticed the spelling and clarified, "You're a little off. It's K-L-I-H-S. There's an S at the end."

"That's an unusual way of spelling it." Lukas said.

"That's how my mother spelled it. She's from the countryside."

"Yeah, must be a countryside thing." Lukas said, and everyone laughed, the cheer in their voices relieving the strategy room of the tension it has been filled with since they started to decide their tactics for the next morning's battle.

-

With their strategy complete and perfected, they all entered their makeshift beds early, but could not sleep with the day ahead of them that would decide their fates. Forced to wait until the next morning to act, each member of the Deliverance spent the night unable to sleep for their own reasons.

Clive thought about Matilda. She might already be gone. Since there was no sign of her her at the western fort where Clair was being held hostage, it was logical to think that she might have been killed by Desaix's army here several days ago. 'But now is not the time to be overcome by grief! Tomorrow we will liberate Zofia Castle, and make our teacher's dying wish a reality!' Clive thought, and shut his eyes tight.

Lukas and Forsyth decided that if they could not sleep, they might as well practice sparring together, and went outside.

Python spread his arrows out across his bed and polished them with oil. Gray and Tobin, perhaps because they were from a remote rural town and did not mind their manners so much, talked all about how cute Clair was, despite only having just met her today. Gray proposed to make the battle tomorrow a competition, and whoever lost would have to graciously give up pursuing her to the other. Tobin accepted the bet, then responded by saying, "Clair is mine!!"

Clair herself, meanwhile, was in her bed in a separate room from the men, thinking about Alm. His skill with his sword that he displayed atop the watchtower… His regality as a general despite his young age… The kindness of his heart, that he would name their strategy after her, a soldier beneath his rank… Silque said that he was the person who would rule over all of Valentia. Clair saw him as an ideal person.

If anyone had looked at it, they would have realized Kliff's bed was empty. After everyone went to lay down, he continued to stare into the strategy room, still lit in the bright lamp light, from the shadows.

"Even with such a significant difference between our numbers and Desaix's, the actions a healer unit takes are more important than offense." Alm said before continuing to give Silque his carefully detailed briefing to her. 

While Kliff of course felt nervous before their decisive battle, he also could not sleep because he felt uneasy about Alm and Silque being alone together. Alm spoke softly, but his words still reached Kliff's ears.

"I've assigned Kliff to be your guard, but sometimes his kindness can backfire. You might think of me as insecure for doing this, but I have requested Forsyth to be a second guard for you as well. You have no reason to worry."

At his current strength, Kliff had no other choice than to realize Alm was right. He watched Silque nod in response, and bit his lip.

But what Kliff was worried about was not the idea that Alm did not really trust him to be able to do the job. He was afraid that Silque would reveal the secret of Alm's fate directly to Alm. Until the tragedy completely played itself out, even Alm himself should know nothing. His tragedy was to be the sacrifice made in exchange for world peace and stability, and was directly connected to Mila, Duma, and Valentia's fates. 

'His secret will move the gods, meaning…' That was as far as Kliff's thoughts got before the lantern went out. He hurried to his bed so that they would not see him.

[xxiamtiebrousxx]

Counting Stars (Kars x Reader Oneshot | This Bizarre World)

A/n: Kars is a little bit out of character in this. I rewrote history a bit.

“I’m so tired of hearing my own voice.”

As a child, I always dreamed of studying the universe and exploring space. I would go out in the middle of the night to count the stars. It was extremely fascinating. My dreams came true when I met a man named Robert E.O Speedwagon. He was able to give me a job in his foundation’s astronomy branch. I had access to telescopes, graphs, and maps of the stars. All the necessary tools were in my hands. I was grateful for this opportunity. Before he died, Mr. Speedwagon named me head of the department. Under my leadership, we were able to make many discoveries. My life was going good. I was happy. But with all this work and staying late at the office left no time for me to enjoy life and relax. The workload was getting even heavier with our new spaceship program. It was mainly my idea. Sometime after the war, the main telescope found a strange object in orbit. The object was too far away for the telescope to capture a high resolution image. Curiosity filled my head. I raised and invested money for a mission to retrieve that object. The program opened up a lot of job opportunities for astronauts. Unfortunately, no one was up for the job. Everyone was about to quit the program. We experienced unfavorable weather and so many delays. The rocket was ready. My patience was running thin.

So I did the unthinkable.

One of the many reasons I stayed at work late was because I used the training facilities to prepare my body to be launched past the atmosphere. I was going to get that object, no matter the cost. If I died, it would be for science. Tonight would be the night the Speedwagon Foundation will launch its first space rocket. I was scared, that much was true. But I was ready to explore the galaxy’s frontier.

Everything was on autopilot. That included the co-pilot system, the countdown, the take-off, and as well as the landing. I had control of the rocket’s navigation system. I held on to the edge of my seat as the rocket took off. It was a wonderful sensation! I was finally blasting off into space! I, Y/n L/n, was the first human to accomplish this! It was smooth sailing from here. The stars were gorgeous. They looked better here than on Earth. The rocket was in Earth’s orbit. I thought I’d make a few rounds around the world, maybe remove my helmet and get some cabin air. I launched at the right time. At the speed I was going at, I would catch up with the mystery object. Although, I wasn’t expecting to crash into it just a few hours into the ride. I screamed at the sight. The mystery object wasn’t a meteorite or space trash! It was a statue of a man, with his arms and legs folded. I wasn’t expecting that. It seemed so real. It was carved to perfection. I gained control of my movements. There was a hatch that I could open. I could walk outside, grab the statue, and bring it back inside. The rocket was designed for this. I put on my helmet and adjusted my suit. I tied a rope around my waist. Performing this space walk would be tricky. If I fell off, I’d float off into space, into the undiscovered nothing, and eventually die. I swallowed the lump in my throat. The view of Earth gave me a sense of hope that I would live to return. I opened the hatch and leaped out.

I heard nothing. It was just my thoughts and I. I only heard my heavy breathing. Goosebumps appeared on my flesh. The glass fogged up. Was I panicking? No, I couldn’t panic. I reached out and grabbed the hand railing. I pulled myself onto the rocket, holding on tight to my rope. The statue was there. It was bigger on the outside. I trudged forward until I finally reached it.

“Oh wow, you’re a beautiful statue,” I said, caressing its cheek. “Whoever made you had significant craftsmanship. I just wonder, how did you get up here?” I didn’t wait for a response. I grabbed the statue by what seemed like its arm. I leaped back to the hatch with the statue in hand. That was the first thing to enter before I did. I closed the hatch behind me and untied the rope. I removed my helmet. The zero gravity had the statue floating around. It was a curious thing. I swear I heard it breathing. I walked back to the control panel. If I wanted to get back before I missed my mark, I’d have to leave now. I strapped the statue down in the seat next to me. I didn’t want it bouncing around during re-entry. I exhaled harshly as I gripped the controllers and turned the rocket towards the re-entry point. 

I wouldn’t have to worry about landing in the water. The foundation’s engineers helped perfect the rocket’s engines, allowing me to safely land back down on the ground without having to crash into the ocean. The rocket landed on the launching platform with a smooth thud. It was weird walking back to the lab. The statue weighed me down. It seemed to be getting heavier with each step. “Here you go!” I gently dropped the statue onto a table. A little experimenting on it wouldn’t hurt. I wanted to know what kind of rock it was. It was cracking, which worried me. I’d have to do this quickly. I didn’t see that I was exhausted from my trip. My head was throbbing and my legs were weak. But science came before rest! I grabbed a small hammer and a small chisel. The statue wasn’t on the table anymore. Instead, there was a man, with flowing, thick, purple hair. He peeled off pieces of stone off his body. Feathers grew back into his spine. The man stretched and rubbed every part of his body. This man was just waking up like anyone else would. But he scared me. I didn’t see his face and I didn’t plan to. I backed away, shuffling towards the exit.

“Don’t even bother trying to escape,” he said. I held my breath, unable to move. The man turned around. His ruby eyes met mine. I can’t describe the sensation his eyes sent me. It was almost electrifying! I kept my lips pressed harshly together. Could I trust this space man? Would he kill me? He did have bird feathers just moments ago. He truly resembled a Greek statue. He had no flaws in his appearance.

“W-what is your name?” I quietly stuttered. The man extended his legs, getting off the table.

“My name is Kars,” he answered. “What is yours?”

“I’m Y/n,” I said. “I don’t mean to come off as rude, but may I ask what you are?” Kars exhaled softly. With kind eyes, he nodded.

“I am the ultimate being,” he answered. “I know it seems impossible, but I accomplished my goal a few years ago.” The ultimate being? Was Kars telling the truth? “Hmm, you don’t believe me,” he said. Kars lifted up his right hand, which was consumed in green mist. A butterfly was in the place of his hand. It fluttered its wings, taking off and flying around the room.

“How did you do that?” I asked.

“I’m the ultimate being,” Kars simply said. The butterfly flew back to him, returning to its original form as a hand. The Speedwagon Foundation had reports of a man similar to Kars. Except, he couldn’t change his body into other living organisms. It happened in 1938, two years before I joined the foundation. I sat down on the table Kars leaned against. I swung my legs back and forth like a child. “It suddenly got quiet,” he said.

“You did take the words out of me,” I replied, smiling. “My mind cannot comprehend your abilities. You are quite unique.” Kars chuckled.

“I haven’t talked to anyone in forever,” he said. “I used to think mortals were below me. I was given a just punishment which allowed me to think about that. I was alone, forced to ponder my evil actions. I got weary of hearing my own voice.” 

“That sounds horrible to be alone,” I replied. “I don’t think anyone deserves that fate.”

“I’m glad you saved me,” he said. Kar’s smile made my heart flutter. Was it palpitations? Hearts fluttering usually meant that. It was true that Kars would want to have killed me in the past, but it seemed he changed. I didn’t know much about his story. I felt like I could trust him, but didn’t want to. He could be lying. I was willing to give Kars a chance to earn my trust. 

“Do you like to count stars?” I asked, jumping off the table. “The observatory here has a great telescope. You can count more than a million stars! I know you just got back from space, but would you like to?” Kars crossed his arms.

With a scoff, he said, “Y/n, I can handle anything you throw my way. Counting stars will be an easy task to accomplish. As the ultimate being, I accept your challenge.”

A/n: Out of all the villains, I feel bad for Kars regarding his fate. I wrote this to give him a happy ending.

[hey-hamlet]

AU where Midoriya, Bakugo, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu and Iida are their prototype versions (so Midoriya is a quirkless hero student, Bakugo is nice, Uraraka has Gigantification, Momo is already a pro hero and Iida is a delinquent).

I think it would be funny if Iida was a delinquent but still keeps his canon personality, so, introducing the first delinquent you could confuse for a 38 year old business man. He's still robotic and formal but he's got piercings, tattoos and while he follows the school rules, actual laws are. A bit hit or miss. Izuku thinks he's hilarious.

Bakugo really annoys most people but Izuku gets along well with him because he's unafraid to razz him up a bit. Bakugo is like, a boy scout but one that is also a bomb, so he didn't have many friends in Aldera. Izuku thinks hes a goody-two-shoes and tries to be a bad influence. Hes very good at it!

Uraraka is shy but just as ruthlessly competitive as her canon counterpart. Izuku is also incredibly competitive so they can often be found doing stupid competitions like : who can eat the most chilli, who can walk the farthest on their hands, who can scream the loudest. It drives Aizawa insane but he lets it happen because it gets Uraraka out of her shell.

Yaoyorozu is Izuku's favourite hero (after All Might, of course). Her quirk is both the word's coolest and something that could be replicated by having good support equipment and being prepared. She actually invites him to intern with her, because he shows off his brain in the sports festival and her agency does a lot of investigation. They spend a very fun afternoon testing out Izuku's ideas for her quirk while she gets Izuku to come up with ways he can use the same stuff with support gear. She gifts him a very nice telescoping bo staff on his last day!

Midoriya is a wild ride. He's snarky to cover up his massive anxiety, he has a massive chip on his shoulder and is quick to take things personally but quick to forgive if you say sorry and mean it (if you dont he will hold a grudge until you die - Monoma he's coming for ur ass). Smart and tricky, scared of authority figures but covers that up with a smart mouth and bluster. Master at not getting caught, will smirk at you as you seethe in rage bc you have no proof he did something.

[pareidoliaonthemove]

Contagion

It was a rare quiet period for International Rescue, and its operatives were all making good on the unexpected free time.

Maintenance had been caught up on. Household chores were completed by human hands, to the exacting standards of Grandma Tracy, and now they had all scattered to pursue personal projects.

John, having elected to remain on Thunderbird Five, was in deep contemplation of the beauty of the cosmos, via the satellites’ state of the art telescope. Alan was chasing down a league record speed-run of a notably tricky game level. Grandma Tracy was pottering in the small, and largely neglected, flower garden. Kayo did yoga. Brains dusted off a pet project left over from his college days. Gordon had taken Thunderbird Four on a marine wildlife survey expedition in Tracy Island’s surrounds. Scott, having finished a backlog of Tracy Industries paperwork, was now idly spending time in an online chatroom with some old, and much neglected, buddies.

Virgil had drifted, unsettled, from one project to another, before being seized by inspiration, and setting up at the piano to score a piece of music he could hear in his head.

Scott had surreptitiously opened comm channels to Grandma and John, so they could listen as Virgil worked. They both loved the music that Virgil wrote, and listening as he composed brought back bittersweet memories of Lucy doing much the same thing.

So they all heard as Gordon came bounding exuberantly up the stairs into the lounge, whooping excitedly about some rare species of starfish that had apparently chosen to set up shop in their vicinity.

“Hey, Virge! You writing some music there? Great! I hope it’s catchy, ‘cause I’ve spent the last three hours with the ‘Pink Panther’ theme stuck in my head! I need something to dislodge it.”

Only Scott saw the expression on Virgil’s face, but Grandma and John heard as the piano tune slammed to an abrupt halt with a crashing of achromatic chords. The anguish in Virgil’s voice as he snarled at Gordon, “Why. Would. You. Say. That. I. Was. In. The. Middle. Of. Something. And. Now. It’s. Gone!”, was enough for them to abandon their projects and start heading to intercept.

Gordon’s self-preservation instincts kicked in, and he high-tailed his way out of the lounge, Virgil in enraged pursuit.

Scott sat for a long moment, trying to massage away an impending headache. Gordon screaming followed by a bellow from Virgil, was enough to have him out of his seat, and setting off after his brothers.

Humming the theme from the ‘Pink Panther’.

Notes:

The standard disclaimers, I do not own Thunderbirds, either the Original Series, the Movies (both Supermarionation and Live Action), or the Thunderbirds Are Go Series. (Although I do own copies on DVD.)

And yes, I have ‘accidentally’ transmitted this particular ear-worm by simply announcing that I had it stuck in my head.

[starsfic]

Welp, I finished the first poll choice...

Summaries:

SDMI/FNAF: Based on this post, the gang is hired to investigate the rumors of a bunny animatronic ghost overnight. The truth is a little more tricky.

LMK: Tangled AU where Long Xiaojiao has been kept locked in a tower under the watchful eye of her “uncle” and “the Lady”, only desiring to get out and see the world, especially lanterns that appear on her birthday. However, things change when Qi Xiaotian, heir to Sun Wukong, comes looking for the missing piece of the Samadhi fire.

Scooby Doo, my incarnation: The first part of Episode 1, when trying to leave their hometown of Crystal Cove to start their second year of college, the Mystery Gang finds themselves trapped in Crystal Cove.

Poppy Playtime: The moment that the angel steps into the factory, every toy knows. Dogday, down below, hopes.

Set sometime before Agony of a Witch, Raine Whispers is sent to the weekly Coven Head meeting- which is basically just an excuse to hang out at a bar and bitch. They meet up again with Lilith, drinks are drunk, and Lilith ends up drunkenly confessing the truth about Eda’s curse to a less drunk Raine.

LMK/PP: Due to a misread address, a missent letter, and some poor decisions, Qi Xiaotian finds himself trapped in the depths of the Playtime Co. factory. But he’s not gonna let DogDay be stuck too.

@draw-of-the-moon's LMK/Ninjago AU: When Red mysteriously disappears, Long Xiaojiao and pregnant Qi Xiaotian have to beat back suitors.

LMK: The Traffic Light Trio, Sun Wukong, and Macaque are cursed to tell the truth. Harsh stuff comes out.

LMK: AU inspired by the King Thrushbeard fairytale, where Red Son refuses all suitors until his father decides to marry him off to the next peasant who walks through the door. Except Qi Xiaotian isn’t royalty, but very kind.

TMNT, my incarnation: April O'Neil makes a new friend when staying up late studying at the public library

TMNT, my incarnation: Related to 10, but the entire first episode. When the turtles make and suddenly lose a new human friend, the four turtles (and Casey) find themselves in a hidden city.

@draw-of-the-moon’s LMK/Ninjago AU: In a daring mission to rescue their baby sibs from the underworld and Samukai, Nya and Kai both find themselves lost in the outer regions of the underworld. A lone wanderer named Azure offers to help guide them.

[mysticstronomy]

IS THE SOLAR SYSTEM IN A COSMIC VOIDS??

Blog#259

Wednesday, January 4th, 2023

Welcome back,

The Solar System floats in the middle of a peculiarly empty region of space.

This region of low-density, high-temperature plasma, about 1,000 light-years across, is surrounded by a shell of cooler, denser neutral gas and dust. It's called the Local Bubble, and precisely how and why it came to exist, with the Solar System floating in the middle, has been a challenge to explain.

A team of astronomers led by the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) has now mapped the Local Bubble with the highest precision yet – and found that the Local Bubble was likely carved out of the interstellar medium by a series of supernova explosions millions of years ago.

This is consistent with previous studies, with an additional sting in the tail: the still-expanding Local Bubble is responsible for regions of heightened star formation at its perimeter.

"This is really an origin story; for the first time we can explain how all nearby star formation began," says astronomer Catherine Zucker of the Space Telescope Science Institute, who conducted the research while at the CfA.

The Local Bubble was only discovered relatively recently, in the 1970s and 1980s, through a combination of optical, radio, and X-ray astronomy.

Gradually, these surveys and observations revealed a huge region about 10 times less dense than the average interstellar medium in the Milky Way galaxy.

Since we know supernovae can carve out cavities in space, sweeping up gas and dust as they expand outwards, this seemed a reasonable explanation for the Local Bubble.

But piecing together how and when was more tricky. It's hard, for one thing, to measure the dimensions of a region of space when you're inside it; and doubly hard to measure a void when you're surrounded by bright stars and other cosmic objects.

Zucker and her team used data from the most recent Gaia data release – an ongoing project to map the positions and motions of stars in the Milky Way with the highest precision yet – to map the gas and young stars within 200 parsecs (around 650 light-years) of the Sun.

They found that all young stars and star-forming regions are on the "surface" of the Local Bubble.

This makes sense; as a supernova expands outwards, it shocks and compresses the material it expands into. This creates dense knots in molecular gas floating in the interstellar medium that collapse under their own gravity to form baby stars.

Originally published on www.sciencealert.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, January 7th, 2023)

"WHAT DO YOU CALL THE MOON'S DARK SHADOW??"