#was that to do with being in the spore chamber

[youngpettyqueen]

HI. WHY THE FUCK DID STAMETS' REFLECTION JUST HANG OUT THERE. WHAT THE FUCK

[capitollie]

Hermes drabble kinda bc hnnnnnnghfjfnkd

The only things that were on his mind were you and getting to safety.

Knowing what a poison Hera brought onto the world, knowing what it did to humans like you... it scared Hermes, even though he didn't show it.

Hermes and Apollo rushed as much as they could to Hermes' chambers, pain coursing through their bodies, but it had to be worse for a human like you.

Was this what his father felt when the human he loved was on the brink of death? Did he feel fear and anguish, did his hands shake as bad??

Hermes forced himself to run faster, although his limbs felt like they were on fire. Your mortal safety was more important. He fell over his feet as he reached the inside of his chambers, and he struggled to stand.

But the sound of your hacking and coughing pushed him forwards.

He hurriedly rushed into your shared room, finding you buried under mounds of blankets and pillows, no doubt to avoid the spores that would kill you.

"Y/n?" He called out, hands and legs shaking as he fell beside the bed, Apollo lingering in the door. He was met with a hacking cough, and he grit his teeth.

"I swear..." He growled, draping his arms across your blanket covered body. "You'll live, I swear by it."

He could feel you move under, what he assumed your face nuzzling the palm of his hand the best you could. He sighed, standing.

"Y/n, I'll help you, but for now-"

"Go, do what you... have to do." You wheezed out, making Hermes grit his teeth once again.

"I will..." He whispered, being helped to hus feet by Apollo, and the two left quickly, no doubt to meet with the other gods.

[ventisettestars]

DannyMay Day 6+7: Eclipse And Weapon [ao3]

This is a continuation of Day1: Fantasy AU. [link] Next part: [link]

Summary: Sam and Tucker meet the Fae Lord Phantom with a bonus flashback to how he earned the title.

Please note things get violent near the end after Danny messes with the pendant.

WC: 2,369

“Lord Phantom” Fright Knight knelt to face his Lord. “I have secured the humans as you’ve requested. Might I inquire as to why you personally collected them?” 

Phantom rubbed between his eyes as Cujo whined for his attention next to the throne. “They are my attendants from while I’m-. Companions of mine since early childhood.” 

“I see.” 

“So.” Phantom’s gaze fell on his knight, the ring of light in the black projecting his source of power. “Do I need for you to attend to them before I make my way, or will their accommodations be adequate to please me?” 

Fright Knight stiffened. “My Lord. May I be dismissed to address and correct my misunderstandings of your relations to the humans.” 

So they got the standard 'throw the humans in a room’ treatment. “I’ll handle it myself. I’m sure they are frightened enough without you returning to move them to a new location.” He rose from his throne, waving Cujo to join with the other hounds. “Lead me to them.” 

So Fright Knight did. 

Sure enough they were in one of the more nefarious rooms in his domain. The room was pretty basic by fae standards. Lots of wooded and delicately carved furniture, cozy temperature regulated between an opened window and a fireplace that always burned with just the right amount of warmth to fend off the cold of his corner of the realm. 

What made this room so dangerous to humans was the moss that carpeted the floor. It released spores to make creatures other than fae more docile after long exposure. 

Entering the room, Tucker was the only one in view. Phantom had barely a moment to process that, before Sam burst out from the other side of the door, attacking with her dagger. 

Phantom blocked it with his armor, staring at her with his dark eyes. “Stand Down.” The slim green ring was the only indicator of where he looked and it seemed to glow brighter with his command. 

Sam, losing the only advantage she saw at the moment, relaxed her grip and let the dagger fall to the floor. Phantom smirked, knowing it wasn’t the only dagger she kept on her person. 

He bent to pick up the dagger and handed it back to her. “Hang onto this. I’ve no need to disarm you. I invited you here as guests. Have you had anything to eat or drink?”

They both shook their heads, probably feeling a bit of both hunger and thirst now that he mentioned it. That was another side effect of the moss. 

“Good. Don’t do either.” Phantom turned in the threshold. “Now then. Follow me and don’t wander.”

He walked off, and was relieved when the two followed. He wondered if maybe Tucker noticed the properties of the moss, cause they both hurried quite a bit. 

Fright Knight followed behind the two humans as extra protection, irritated that his Lord let the humans see his back. 

Once at Phantom’s personal chambers, he turned. “Thank you for the escort. Now leave us.” 

Fright Knight bowed and took his post at the end of the hall. 

“This way.” Phantom opened the door to the first room, the area was filled with lush flora and I couldn’t be considered a room as the walls vanished with only three free standing doors. The sky overhead filled with stars and a black moon, surrounded by a ring that seemed to match Phantom’s eyes. 

“An eternal eclipse. A sign of the Lord of Night.” Sam mumbled, the sky and his eyes being the only proof she needed. “Is that why you tend to hunt only on the darkest nights?”

“Yep. I didn’t realize you’d actually read my parent’s scrolls.” Phantom looked up and winced as he realized his slip. He always enjoyed this inbetween space of his, but his two natures also tended to meld here. 

“Your par-?!” Tucker gasped as he watched a resigned Phantom shift into Danny. Only, one of his eyes remained Fae looking.

“Hey, surprise?” Danny had the gull to look sheepish with a tiny wave. 

They were all silent. Danny waited on his friends before he made the next move. 

His nerves started to get the better of him as the wait till they said or reacted stretched on. He looked up to the eclipse in his sky as just something to hold his attention, when Sam finally said something. 

“So. Let me get this straight. You, the skeptic prince of Amity, are not only Fae, but a freaking Fae Lord. The fucking Lord of Night, Leader of the Winter Wild Hunt, AND the Summer King Pariah’s Bane?” 

Danny nodded. Only to turn to Tucker as he started laughing. 

“How the heck have you found the time to pull all of that off??” 

“Oh, Time in the Realms is slippery…I’m a bit older than I look…Or, I’ve got like centuries of life experience in 16 years time…?” 

“How does that even?” Tucker looked like he was trying to do the math, when Danny shrugged. 

“Don’t think about it too hard. I stopped trying to figure it out ages ago. I could be in ruling for weeks, then once I return to my room, the night wouldn’t even have passed. Don’t get my started on the pure headache of figuring out seasons and times of power.” Danny leaned as though he were going to sit, but there was no chair behind him. 

Sam was about to call out when suddenly there was a chair. She raised a brow at him. 

“What? The courts are always playing around with their politics and times of power. It might look like it’s on a 3 month calendar, but here those three months could last only a week, or years.” 

“That's absolutely fascinating, but the chair, how did it?”

“I’m the Lord of this Realm.”

“Danny, that makes no sense.” 

Tilting his head a bit, he grinned. “Good.” Letting his fae nature slip to the forefront again, he spread his wings that sparkled in starlight, “If it made sense, then I’d be a shit Lord.” 

Phantom preened and let his wings fluff a bit before they resettled into looking like his cloak. He reveled in their dumb founded stares. The lore books always hyped up ‘the fae’s gossamer wings’, so they probably assumed his raven wings were just a feathered cloak. 

“So, you both have two options. First being, go through that door.” Phantom pointed a finger at the door that looked like it belonged to Amity. “It’ll return you home sometime in the night. It’s never consistent so can’t say when. Or-” Danny shifted to Phantom. “I could give you a tour of my realm.” 

They both looked a bit concerned. But, this was Danny. Right? 

“I’m down for staying. How about you Tuck?”

“I don’t want to miss out on all the fun. So the time thing, is it that you are time traveling or-”

“Probably time dilation? Something in Infinite Realms keeps everything out of sync. I’m still expecting one of these days I’ll come here, and lose months in the Human Realm. I’ve been blessed so far.” 

“So, when’d this all-?” Tucker motioned to all of Phantom. 

“Human time, about a year ago. This is my second winter in power. You remember that charm my parents got from Duke Masters? The pretty black one with the ring.” Phantom made sure to look both of them in the eyes, drawing attention to it with a tap. Just to make sure they could see his eyes matched the charm. 

Sam gasped. “But, it was useless, did-”

“It contained the previous Lord of Night. I broke it and unsealed the binding spell. Defeated him in single combat, then tada-” He grinned, exposing his fangs. “The Realm couldn’t have a Human Lord, so it fixed that problem my first night here. I’m pretty sure that my attendant at the time helped the progress. Come on. Let me start with introducing you to Cujo!” Phantom was done discussing his rise to power.  

They both knew Danny well enough to know that it wasn’t that simple.

-----one and half years ago

The pendant was pretty, and that was about the only thing it was good for. Duke Masters had sent it in place of taxes this month. Claiming it to be a ‘fae trinket’, his parents eagerly accepted it in place of taxes. Which really ticked Danny off. Duke Masters had more than enough coin to spare. Had it been a villager that painted a rock, he would’ve been less ticked off about it. 

But it was the richest of their people that pulled this bullshit. Danny was running his hand over it, attempting to see how the man had made the rock to produce the glow. It didn’t seem to be the work of wizardry. Least from what the court wizard observed. 

The fae might have been a thing in the past, but now, people going missing in the woods were just unfortunate victims to nature. Not whisked away to some magical realm. It was all just fairy tales. 

His nail caught in the glowing circle on the charm. There was a divot there. He picked at the spot with his nail at first, but then tried at it with a dagger-like letter opener. Finally, a small enough nick was formed, but rather than just looking scratched, shadows burst and the air grew thin. A figure emerged, everything about them deathly white from their features to clothes, to large feathered wings.

“Foolish Mortal. You’ve done me a service by freeing me, but as my sentence wasn’t fully served, you’ve committed a crime to the realm. For that, you must face your punishment. I shall even show you mercy and deliver your death quickly.” 

A sword materialized in the being’s - the fae’s hand. They went to strike, the bone white blade swinging down. 

Danny wasn’t going to just die just like that. So with the only weapon at his disposal, he blocked using the letter opener he’d been holding. 

The bone blade was deflected to Danny’s relief, but it has cut the tip from his own blade. In a panicked thought, at least the blade was sharper now. 

It did little to comfort him as the fae continued to strike. Danny focused more on dodging since he couldn’t afford his blade getting any smaller. Everything the bone blade connected with was cut as though it were butter. Least it wasn’t the poor letter opener’s fault. 

The blade nicked his arm and Danny had never felt such pain before. It was cold, but it burned. Distantly he remembered learning about sensory death to cells when they were damaged to the point of no longer being able to regenerate feeling. 

He couldn’t afford another hit, so Danny lunged with his little blade. He wasn’t sure where he was aiming, he just didn’t want to die. He didn’t-

The bone blade was through his chest, pain flared so bad he almost didn’t notice the blood pouring from the fae’s neck. Danny’s dagger had struck just right, that the fae lost their grip on the blade as they began to sink to the floor.

“How-?” Their voice was weak. “You’re but a mere child…”

“Looks-” Danny coughed. “Looks like you picked the wrong prince to try to punish.” 

The fae’s form began to turn to dust, their blade following along. 

With the blade gone, Danny’s wound started to bleed with more flow. Shit, he knew it was bad to remove a weapon like that. He tried to apply pressure, unable to call for help. Come to think of it, where were his guards? 

They should’ve-

The dust started to rise, though there was no wind. 

It seemed to whisper. “Youngling. Do you wish to die a mortal, or continue on…” 

Danny thought it’d be dumb to reply. He was probably just dilutional from blood loss. Of course he didn’t want to die. He wasn’t done yet.

Without replying, the hallucinated whisper responded. “Wise choice…” 

The swirling dust flew at him, and into the chest wound. The pain stopped. At least from the wound. 

Danny could feel the dust, spiraling through him. He couldn’t tell if his blood was boiling or freezing, he couldn’t even scream. Or maybe he was screaming? 

No one came rushing to his aid though. He collapsed and the last thing he was aware of, was chains, that seemed to emerge from where his once wound had been, began to wrap around his body. Moving almost like snakes to bind him. 

He vaguely was aware that they‘d be gone when he woke next. 

“Danny, there you are.” Danny peaked open an eye at the voice calling to him. Tucker was- 

“Dude, we’ve been looking all over for you. Sleeping at your desk is going to make your back suffer.” This time it was Sam. 

“Sorry, I-” Danny sat up. How did he get to his desk, and-? He looked to his letter opener, it wasn’t in two? And the Pendant. The glowing ring on it was gone. It was just a shiny black rock. 

“I guess I’ve been working too hard.” It was all a dream?

“Probably. You should head to an actual bed, or I’ll tell Jazz.”

Danny gestured in mock offense. “You wouldn’t dare bother the kind princess with something so petty.” 

“I would, and she’d take you off your duties for a week.” 

“Then there would be a back log…” Danny got up and grabbed the pendant. “In all seriousness, I might actually be working too hard. I didn’t even notice I’d fallen asleep.”

“Then get to bed sleepy head. Want an escort?”

“Nah, you both can head home. Thanks for waking me up. If Jazz had found me asleep there, it would’ve been bad.”

They both waved him off. 

Once in his room, Danny's reflection caught his eye. Right in the center of his chest there was a glowing scar. It was where the blade had gone through. It pulsed with each heartbeat. 

Danny had a feeling getting any sleep tonight was going to be impossible. 

-----

It took a week til he noticed the door appear that no one else could see. Then another few days till he gave into the temptations to enter it.

End notes:

The eclipse is Danny's eyes and the pendant so I couldn't figure out a good place to separate the two chapters cause Walker's Bone Blade was going to be for Weapon, so I just didn't x'DD

Hope you enjoy this cause I got more planned for the Fantasy AU (It'll probably get it's own fic after DannyMay with some edits.)

[skybristle]

ask game time

8, 17, 22 for whichever one is on your mind at the moment

IM SO SORRY NAV I WENT OUT TO EAT AND THEN IMMEDIATELY FELL ASLEEP

hmmm. Looking at prompts.... [grabs chimes like a soda can and crushes him]

8 - What is your iterator's opinion on bioengineering? Natural ability of iterators? A cruel push of artificial will? Something to be moderated? etc.

he does do bioengineering much more than a lot of his groupmates!!!! mainly for slugcat messengers [gardener, recon, and mercy were all designed by him]. i think he's very... modest about it though. he's very careful to make sure their quality of life is intact and modifications work well [which is interesting when mercy's spores make *it* sleepy all the time, hes just in such a rush... </3]. i think he doesn't have many qualms about it but tries not to be.... clinical. he tries to hand raise them, brings them to his puppet chamber as soon as he can, etc etc. they're his babies!!!

he also feels like he doesn't have much of a right to step on their free will [again, mercy is a divergence with such a specific task. also recon but it was made by ochre in flors can chimes just designed it], but gardener especially spends most of its time just,... wandering the wild being happy. especially as he remakes it dozens of times and watches them all choose different lives [living with the colonies, on its own, staying in his can more permanantly, etc]. it's only when ochre approaches death that he sends overseers to beg it to come back.

17 - How does your iterator feel about ascension? Is it something they want to strive for? Help others achieve? Something to avoid? etc.

you see he was never particularly oriented towards iterating to solve the Problem compared to most iterators- partially because reefs, his mama, didn't believe in the construct of religion as ancient soceity practiced it, and honestly a lot of that belief continued to his city with a very lax view of ascension. just 'yeah, hopping in a vat of void fluid if you feel fufilled and happy at the end of your life is a thing you can do if you want.'

he DID care about his ancients very much and while YES ascension made them happy, he had a really good understanding of like.... the trust and weight of the choice, and he doesn't really think its the kind of choice a slugcat can make [or if they do, its not up to him].

he misses his parents, so deeply, and it never really leaves him.... he doesn't resent ascension but sometimes wishes he could see them again [reefs, especially].

he doesn't know if he'll ascend some day, especially as he sits in the snow having not spoken to another iterator in centuries. but as saint descends the rubble and approaches him, i think he's okay with it. he wants to go home [to his parents, to his friends, to his wife...]

22 - Where does your iterator live? Describe the region.

HIS REGIONS ARE SOOO FUN I THINK...... his can is built partially over the sea!!!!!! and underneath his can is reef's hometown, a once prosperous and bustling port city that was crushed under the rains during sparks' time and abandoned. but i think you can still kind of tell it used to be like this... there's probably a really cool sub region in there thats an old temple. its probably pretty flooded and stuff too... idk the contrast is fun to me....

towards the west you can find the decayed old docks which lead into the sea itself.... i really should develop a sea-living scug for the area because god is it so cool to me, going into the colorful depths... HOWEVER ! as for navigating the region you still CAN because of the WHALE SAILS !!! WOOOO.

they're GIANT ass creatures originally bioengineered to function similarly to the sky sails [thank you cheston druidshollow for making them biological its so cool] but... for water. they lsot their purpose a while ago when the great equalizer set in and it became too dangerous to navigate the surface but they're still very friendly and okay with slugcat getting a ride. probably function similarly to rain deer... maybe they eat glow weed? idk. probably some kind of filter feeder.

his underhang/leg region is also called the frets. aren't i so clever. iirc i called his wall the neck at some point too. hehehe instrument analogies. and his city is named Chorus and is probably similar to most besides all the decor and murals and music-making stuff like wind chimes everywhere still left behind. he doesn't mind scavs and stuff up there.

[thistleation]

Beyond our Space and Starlight: Chapter 2

It was 2 months and 17 days since they’d lost Shannon. Beatrice was still in the process of correcting flaws, addressing weaknesses, inadequacies… primarily in herself of course, that was the place where inadequacies were always the most readily available. 

Her sword was the current focus of her obsession. The new one. She couldn’t stand the sight of the old one anymore. 

Fortunately she never had to look at it again if she didn’t want to. 

Unfortunately it would always be there, ready to be called, just a shadow’s breadth away away from her, no matter where she ran. 

She’d finished forging her new blade two weeks ago, and she’d managed to abstract it earlier today. The rooms she’d existed in the past two months — her personal chambers, the forge, the library, the study she preferred, and the training grounds — were still littered with the cast off, the chaff of her forging process. 

Books for the most part, like an explosion of them, or mushrooms that sprouted from a spore cloud. Books on swordcraft, fighting treatises, books on war, but also books on biology, evolution, compilations of interviews with first responders, … all scattered about.

The organic nature of the chaos stood in stark contrast to her usual disciplined personality and methodology, but something had grown here. For all its wrongness it felt right. 

Now Beatrice was standing in the courtyard, summoning and dismissing and once again summoning the new blade to her grasp. 

Her breathing was regular but heavy, her eyes lined with deep dark circles but her gaze sharp. 

She was a mess, hair disheveled, wrinkled dark shirt loosely thrown on over a white tank top, marred by old stains of literal blood and sweat, but the sword… the sword was pure. 

She kept testing it, feeling its weight in her hand, its responsiveness to her commands, kept inspecting every millimeter of its surface in search of a flaw, and as she was finding none, she felt herself slowly… well not quite calming, but at least she felt a certain level of tension begin to drain out of her. 

Purity. 

She felt some measure of salvation in it, hoped that’s what it was, needed it to be. 

Her old sword had proven inadequate in the face of catastrophe and she needed to be rid of it. 

It was the sight of the hilt that really twisted her gut. 

That beautiful and elegant basket hilt. 

An adornment. 

An indulgence. 

It had decorated a weapon made by a Beatrice who saw violence as just another art to be mastered, one fascinated by the evolution of swordsmanship throughout history, by the martial philosophies posing one another challenges and answering them in turn, a Beatrice who enjoyed being ever so clever. 

It belonged to a Beatrice who had not yet been thrown into a building full of monsters with blazing fires for faces, monsters with no mouths who nonetheless managed to scream . Sounds that tore right through you, heralding that they themselves, their bodies overflowing with crackling, fiery energies, were coming to tear through you as well. 

It belonged to a Beatrice who made her sword to fight other swords, with clever tricks and artful parries. 

One who hadn’t yet had to fight desperately for her life in a storm of roiling fire and flesh with a weapon crafted for ‘civilized dueling’ — if there even was such a thing. 

One who hadn’t yet had to watch her closest friend die in front of her. 

Because all she’d barely managed to do was fight for her own meager survival. 

Inadequate. Foolish. Naive. 

She’d foregone clever tricks and fanciful additions for this weapon, turned away from all modifications to benefit different variants of thrusts and parries, away from counter strategy upon counter strategy, stacked like a house of cards. Instead she’d chosen to pursue simplicity. 

Fundamentals. 

As with so many things that concerned the beyond, the key was intent. 

It was not that her other sword — enhanced and bathed in otherworldly energies as it was — couldn’t do damage. It was the state of mind she’d been in when she abstracted it. It was how she’d seen combat back then, what she’d envisioned for her sword to do and how it ought to do it. 

That was the reason for the books: a new version of her understanding. Not because a weapon that existed partially outside of reality would still function the same, but because the understanding of the how helped sharpen and refine intent. Helped purify it. 

The merging of intent was how one channeled the beyond. Beatrice had spent days linked with her rider, focusing on this sword, imbuing it with a purpose that bridged realities so different even their laws of physics seemed strangers to one another. It was grueling and exhausting work, but Beatrice had kept at it, welcomed it even. 

And now finally, the result of that obsessive effort rested contently on her fingertips, at ease but with an underlying eagerness to fulfill its purpose: to cut. 

No adornments. Not a single object, material, or even any marking on the blade that wasn’t functional. 

Just a simple sword, with a single, perfect edge. 

Made simply to cut, to separate, to divide. To cleave left from right. To separate what was protected from what was to be destroyed. To divide life from flesh. 

A weapon reduced to its essence. 

Abstracted. 

Holding the sword out in front of her, edge up, Beatrice finally let out a long, quivering breath. 

She imagined herself on that edge, wondering if she could match its purity, if she could be that blade with its simple curve, its perfect edge. 

It was impossible and it was her only salvation. 

… 

“Now will you finally rest?”

It was Lilith, standing in the doorway. She looked a little haggard, but she was in her proper vestments at least, not even coming close to what Beatrice herself looked like. 

Beatrice looked at her for a moment, then turned her gaze back out into the courtyard. 

“I need to train with it. It’s a different style of combat, I’ll need to get used to it again.” 

“You can do that after you've slept.”

She didn’t answer, just twirled the sword experimentally in her hand again. It felt good there. Her wrist liked the motion, and her mind liked having anything to focus on that wasn’t loss or fear or grief. 

“You need it, Beatrice. You can’t keep doing this to yourself. I get why but… Bright above, you’re no use to anyone half-dead and a shadow of yourself either.” 

Beatrice scoffed. 

No use indeed. 

That had been precisely the issue hadn’t it. 

She heard Lilith’s sigh. Failed to hear the undertone in it. 

“Beatrice, I’m serious.”

She stared directly ahead, her gaze focused on the point of her sword. 

“Is that an order, captain?” 

It wasn’t said with venom. Just cold. 

Cold could hurt plenty too, as she saw when she finally turned to look at Lilith — too late — and she just caught the tail end of her wounded expression, hardening into something more determined. 

“Yes. It is.” Lilith’s jaw was set and her eyes were hard now, and Beatrice knew she couldn’t reach her anymore just as she now knew — should’ve always known — how much Lilith was hurting too. 

But she’d drowned out her own feelings so much in her daze she’d stopped realizing she was even feeling them. And she’d drowned out her sisters’ feelings too without meaning to. 

Lilith was turning away now and Beatrice suddenly, desperately needed to tell her something. She felt a thousand things suddenly well up inside her, none of which she had the words for. 

She needed to say I don’t know what I’m doing or how I’m supposed to heal. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to hurt. I  don’t want me to hurt but think I’m hurting and I don’t know how to stop and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I don’t have the words or the feelings I can understand. I know I just hurt you and I just want to take it back and eat it and let it poison me so it won’t poison you. I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry — 

“Lilith!”

She stopped in the doorframe. 

“I’m not losing you!”

Beatrice had felt a thousand things she couldn’t articulate and just pushed them outwards, and those were the words that managed to punch themselves out of her throat. 

She hoped they carried something of all the things she meant. Hoped they carried enough. 

Lilith’s fingers on the doorframe tensed for a moment and relaxed. Her shoulders rose and fell in a soft sigh. 

“Get some rest, Beatrice...”

“... please.”

—

CONT. on Ao3

[alwaysdevilday]

Part 2

Spring of the first new year has arrived. The snow still lingers on as it will until the heart of summer, but it's not as terribly harsh as it was in winter and grass is still visible beneath the cover of the pines. A bounty of diorite hidden far beneath the earth has allowed us to make enough smooth tiles to cover most of our surface floor, obscuring ugly sand-riddled loam with pristine, interlocking stone.

We now number seventeen. Ten migrants trudged through the frigid air for god knows how long to join Icemourn and I don't even know why, but extra hands are certainly welcome for the moment. It's worth noting that when a civilization has only eight members (our dwarves and our king alone) migrants will be drawn from mysterious and unknowable origins. This technically means that the game creates them out of whole cloth, but I like to think that they were itinerant and simply did not have a nation of origin until they decided to join us. Whatever the case, they're dwarves of Icemourn now, loyal only to the banner of our group, the Last Wanderer.

During the winter we spent a lot of time prioritizing our subterranean expansion. Access to stone meant access to easy and plentiful building and crafting materials, many of which could be quite valuable and hardy--not to mention the security that being deep beneath the earth represented. A few weeks of work and what would become our "main floor" was cleaned of debris and tidied up significantly. We smoothed the floors of our (non-denominational) temple, our future militia's barracks, a handful of offices and our first infirmary.

Additionally, we spruced up the kitchen and food storage areas, laying down pine slats to seal off the packed soil beneath. I don't know if there's a tangible effect from this, but it undoubtedly makes me feel better. Unfortunately I didn't manage to construct the canal-ways in time to get fresh water into our fortress, but I'm prepared for when the weather warms this year.

Since I've come down with a bad case of stone-greed, I had also ordered my dwarves to carve away at the stone far, far below our feet. I would need great fields of rock to supply me with enough materials to rebuild our civilization, so I would go as deep as I needed to, damn the consequences. After about 20 meters, I set up a series of chambers that would serve as the foundation of our mining chasms. Little did I expect that I would come into contact with an ancient cave system spanning a massive depth.

I counted! This chamber (open air shown in blue) extends vertically a full 37 z-levels (about 74 meters) to the dark, murky water below. The whole cavern plays host to a network of towering fungus of several varieties. So far I see no signs of hostile life, but I plan to seal it off just in case. Either way, the moment I broke the seal on this cave system countless centuries'-worth of spore-saturated underground air flooded into our fortress. You may have noticed some yellowish patches in previous pictures? Yeah, that's our new fungal carpet. You're welcome. Regardless, work continues apace.

Meanwhile on the surface, I've directed the dwarves to construct upwards, walling off a section on top of our hill to allow our handful of chickens to roost and forage and potentially allowing us to set up an apiary in the future. Honey is tasty and shiny golden, and as we all know, bees are generous roommates. Thankfully, the local colonies seem to be extremely resistant to cold weather.

Unfortunately in our efforts to secure our home, we've neglected to provide our dwarves with private lodging. They'll be content enough with the primitive dormitories I've provided for a little while, but sooner or later I'll have to bite the bullet and construct a residential district of some kind. It wouldn't do to have our citizens disgruntled by constantly being exposed to each others' various odors. I took a few minutes to lay out the skeleton of what would hopefully satisfy their needs.

Thanks to some careful organizing and the help of our fortress management-dwarf, our basic needs are being met purely off of our last trade and the occasional foraging excursion. Thankfully, many of the plants in the area are hardy and their roots and stalks tend to survive being blanketed in snow. With only seventeen mouths to feed and plenty of livestock in reserve I'm not too concerned for the moment, but I know that with a growing population will come growing demands for long term solutions.

As an aside: I've requested that my dwarves build a few simple wooden cages. The puppy population is growing quickly and I fear that before long I'll have too many of them running around to keep track of. I'll let them roam freely until the end of this year but come winter, I'll be adopting some of them out to the trading caravan who will hopefully provide them with good homes.

It also might be a bit overdue, but I decided to build a farmer's workshop to start handling some of my animal population in various ways. The first order of business is to actually milk the water buffalo and yak that I have hanging around outside my fortress gates. Hopefully they won't object after a year with almost no handling.

Speaking of food, let's take a look at our stocks, shall we?

Our primary form of alcohol delivery has been in cranberry and bayberry wine. Personally, I find this delightful as hell and I'd actually love to try some. Unfortunately the wine is digital and cannot currently be accessed as I am not yet a wizard.

Our food itself is perhaps less exciting, delivered to dwarven mouths entirely in the form of biscuits! I'm not quite sure what the binding agent here is, as not every biscuit uses egg and we don't have access to flour, but they're evidently making it work somehow. Even in the case of the... "bayberry wine biscuit"? Formed entirely of bayberry wine. And nothing else.

I've decided to do my best to provide them with better food in the future.

Just in time for summer, we received our first visitor, a human mace-man. This made me think that we might start getting more travelers in the future, so I decided to start planning for the construction of an inn and tavern; such an attraction might tempt some folks to stay, which could be a boon if we're ever invaded. I'll never say no to more meatshields. For right now they'll have to content themselves with hanging around the fortress entrance, but once I have enough materials the project is on for real.

As the height of summer hits, several things happen at once.

The temperatures rise above freezing for the first time this year. The river ice melts and allows water to start flowing into my little canal. Soon we will have a steady and safe supply of drinking water, which is vital for the recovery of injured dwarves. The grate I've installed should ensure that no errant fish (or goblins) make their way into my cistern.

With the coming of the thaw, there also comes a human caravan. Humans are not quite as fond of alcohol as dwarves are, but they can still carry it, and so their arrival is welcome news. Unfortunately I have very little in the way of trade goods prepared so I'll have to scramble to come up with something that they might find shiny enough to give me booze for.

When the human merchant's guild representative asks me what I would like to request for trade next year, we cheerfully reply "as much alcohol as you can carry in every variety I haven't seen before". Or at least that was my intent. I'm not sure how my broker phrased it.

In the rush to create some valuable trade goods, my dwarves must have gotten some wires crossed in the order relay, because they studded our hive boxes with gemstones. This was not the plan, as I'm not sure bees care how opulent their hives are. None of the workers will accept the blame. The plans for an apiary will have to be delayed as we instead try to convince the humans to buy some fancy nest boxes. Maybe we'll enlist the help of the bees.

They didn't want the hives.

But on the bright side, we have water now!

Remember I mentioned my mine chasms earlier? Well, they're definitely under development. The plan eventually is to have them go about a dozen z-levels down (about 24 meters) and possibly build some pod-style bedrooms into the walls, but for now they're a great source of stone.

And as suddenly as they came, the humans are departing. Their wagons full of rock mugs and wooden brick-a-brack, hopefully they leave satisfied and carry good word to their fellows.

Okay so I may have made an oopsie. Somehow we ended up with over 400 units of food... almost all of which is biscuits. That's enough to feed us for over a year at our current population. How did this happen? Ah, looks like I screwed up the fulfillment conditions on my cooking orders. So they just kept going... and going. And going.

Well, you live and learn. Guess they're gonna be chowing down on solidified wine biscuits and spinach bricks for a while.

Now that the trading is out of the way for now, we began the arduous process of smoothing all of the stone on my fort's main floor. It's time-consuming and not at all necessary, but it makes me feel good to look at smooth pixels and makes my dwarves feel good too. It will take them almost a month to complete the work on this floor alone.

Autumn comes in, riding a steed of frost and falling leaves. The ice returns. Thankfully we still have a large reserve of water hidden safely below, but this cold signals the coming of the snow and the dormancy of the fruit trees. This is our last chance to harvest before it all spoils.

While much of our retinue spends their time shaving away at the rough stone of our bedroom district, I direct our miners to carve into our caveward staircase to open up some rooms for smithing. It is in here that we will conduct most of our metalworking. The furnaces will produce a fierce heat, but dwarves are hardy creatures and also I do not care, wear some shorts or something.

Thankfully, the next dwarven caravan has arrived. Surely these folk will appreciate our crafts and trade precious alcohol with us, as our supplies are running low (a short six months before we run out!).

We decide to buy several barrels of alcohol for a few bins of our meager wooden crafts. We also buy a peacock. Because I wanted it.

Of course, our luck has been running too well for far too long. A ghostly apparition has risen, presumably the product of some unknown fallen dwarf somewhere on the map. He may give our residents a fright. If I could order him punched I would.

Continued later

[scarlet--wiccan]

I’m picturing multiple enchanted doors that least to loved one’s homes. Especially to Jericho’s place/strange academy (warping to work in the morning while sleep sounds like a bad idea). Maybe they’re unnecessary but the thought of Darcy getting turned around and ending up in New Orleans or the kree/skrull throne room is really funny. (Also a possible explaination for how Tommy got on Krakoa that one time)

I like that idea, and I've toyed around with something similar. I prefer for magic characters to have set-ups and systems like that, because it makes the magic feel more tactile. Wanda and Billy are powerful enough that they probably could teleport pretty much anywhere with just a thought, but that gets a little boring sometimes on the page.

If I were writing them, I would always be asking myself how I can make those little magic moments more interesting. For example, maybe it's easier to warp long-distance if you have a specific anchor point that's already marked with a special sigil. If you have a lot of of wards and protection spells on your home-- which they both should-- you might need to create secure passageways, such as an enchanted mirror or magic door, so that other, trusted magic users can come and go safely.

My headcanon for Wanda is that she has a big stand mirror in her room that acts as a portal directly into Jericho's chambers at the Academy. For Billy, I think that he and Teddy still have their little apartment in New York, and there is a spell-circle in their palace chambers that warps whoever stands on it into the living room. I also think that they can both locate their family members automatically for any kind of travel spell.

Tommy was coming and going from Krakoa in X-Factor, well before the Emporium was opened. Obviously, the island has terrible defenses against magic, so I'm sure that Wanda could have helped him sneak on at any point, even with a simple teleportation spell. Williams also had Pietro just running across water to reach Krakoa in ToM, so I assume that's what Tommy was doing, too. That would, actually, trip the island's security measures-- specifically, the barrier of phtyoplankton and air-born spores that sense non-mutant intruders. I genuinely believe Williams just did not think she had to account for how Tommy, child of the Most Wanted Woman On Krakoa, was able to come and go freely without using a gate or being apprehended by X-Force.

[ahungeringknife]

365: May 23

Fear gripped her heart in a way it hadn't in a long while. She looked up at the Warpriest and his Oculus and he laughed a great guttural laugh. She was alone standing before him. No more totems. No more chances to prove their worth. The corpses of her friends lay scattered about his chamber and their Ghosts had fled into the cracks and dark recesses of the Dreadnaught to escape for fear of being crushed or evaporated by the power of his Oversoul.

Except her Ghost.

Ghost hung against her neck in her hood. Silent and watching, his fin touching her neck where the armor had already started to be repaired with nothing but chitin and sinew like it had been with Crota. There was no carbon steel, sapphire wire, or metal plating here. There was only bone, chitin, and sinew to protect you against the claws and the Hive fire.

She couldn't beat this thing. She was out of chances. Then a thought that wasn't her own drifted across the front of her mind. It was from Ghost. She said she wouldn't do that again. It had been dangerous. But if she didn't she would die. If she didn't all her friends would be dead forever.

The Warpriest laughed and she knew he was speaking to her but she couldn't understand. He shot her with his boomer and Taken canon and she ran for the stairs. She got the feeling he was toying with her before he finally killed her. Before he used her Ghost to pick between his teeth some ancient gristle that had been bothering him for an eon.

At the landing she turned and faced the Warpriest as his Oculus started to shine. She braced herself and then took a running leap towards the Warpriest. That surprised him long enough for her to land hard on his dais and she screamed at him as she let loose all the Light inside of her. It erupted out of her like an unkinked hose and from every pore Light poured and became blinding. It outshined the Oculus as it started to glow and bubble.

The Warpriest screamed as the Light assaulted him. A pure white hot nova of grief and Light. It penetrated his armor and his body and all that was left of him was a shadow against the wall as spores long dormant in his body erupted into life and strangled him from the inside out. The Light seared away the Oculus and the Warpriest's chitin and armor and left him a smoldering heap on the ground of charcoal bone and cordyceps straining, struggling, bursting with life, wanting to be alive long enough to be born from his husk of a carcass.

The Light cut off as Wolf landed lightly on the ground. It had been such a burst of Light it had lifted her off her feet in its radiance. Her armor was half destroyed, her helmet cracked across the entire facade revealing half her face and one wild purple eye. She was breathing hard and her body was limp from such an exertion.

"I can burn out the shadows too," she coughed out to the corpse of the laughing Warpriest. She took a step back and immediately collapsed into her own heap, exhausted beyond belief so much she didn't even remember hitting the ground.

When she woke she was only clad in sinew, chitin, and bone. There was nothing left that Ghost could save from her old Tower armor. She went and collected her friends' Ghosts from the cracks of the Warpriest's chamber so they could bring the others back. She saw they were all curious as to how she'd killed the Warpriest but she said nothing. She just stepped through the portal in the back of the room.

She still had monsters to kill and couldn't linger on the death of a single priest.

[rocket-69]

Ramshackle: 02 - Safe

Scribe Oliver stood uselessly by the shack in the dry early afternoon heat. The scavengers had shrugged off the insistence of vaccination- most of them just laughed. If someone got tetanus scavenging, they did their job so wrong they couldn’t not be some kind of dumbass. Some were smart enough to say they had it already, which he thoroughly doubted after the fourth one just gestured to the others. But he wasn’t going to tackle and tag them like wild animals. That was much more a thing the Followers would do. Try to tell The People that they had all the answers. The Brotherhood at least had a focus* and wasn’t tangling itself up in every direction.**

He put the syringe back into a sealed case and listened for the temperature seal click. It’s not like they would have been receptive to more protective gear either. Some of those men had long hair that was bound to get caught up in something. In the Brotherhood, anyone with hair that could get tied back had the sense to do so.

Paladin Roland ushered the scavengers into the mineshaft, and after the last one entered he followed. He took a look back and signed to Scribe Oliver.

“Watch my six, brother.”

Oliver rolled his eyes with a smirk, gesturing to his case and then his laser rifle.

“Need a shot?” he signed back.

Roland’s helmet didn’t betray any expression, but the headlamp flickered twice before he turned away and vanished into the darkness.

Benji’s glove hung from his mouth as he tied his hair back in the darkness, remembering the elastic bracelet Ada made him, one summer camp. Roy walked ahead of him, flicking on a headlamp himself. Benji pushed his head forward until his glove slapped against Roy’s back, and Roy in turn craned his head back to get Benji in the corner of his eye and mockingly scowled. He reached back toward Benji and pushed his helmet down over his eyes.

They laughed as the whole crew made it to the main chamber. The paladin in front of them turned in the wider entry shaft. He leaned on a metal barrel and turned to face them all.

“I’ll be here. Protocol is to always stay close where you can hear the fan whirring on this.” Paladin Furioso patted the chest piece of the power armor, which did roar. “As always, work in pairs. Don’t lose sight of your partners.”  He flipped a dial on his laser rifle; it sparked to life then made a high pitched whine. A plasma pistol hung on his hip, slightly luminescent. “You see anything, hear anything, run back here or yell. I’ll be on my way.”

The crew nodded along. This was really more for him than them, they felt. But hey, they didn’t mind the idea of siccing a paladin on a radscorpion or some giant geckos. Even coyotes were nasty, but that was a little harder to watch, especially when they yelped like dogs.

They dispersed. Roy and Benji went down their favored tunnel. After they dug through a moldy clothing pile, it broke into some small electronic appliances. The Brotherhood were always after those things, constantly needing wires and chips. The last thing they got a bonus for was a television.

They both stepped past the clothing pile, fully kitted in shining helmets, masks, gloves, and big heavy boots. Roy wore rusty red coveralls and Benji wore blue.

“You think the farmers will take those clothes to cover their soil?”

“If it don’t smother them in mold spores. Think prewar plastic was used in the clothes too. Polyester I think, my dad said.”

“Hm. We oughta send him a letter. Ada’s growin’ out her clothes. We’ve taken the hems down on all her shirts, they’re still a little short.”

“Worth thinking about.”

“Do you remember where we found that TV?”

Roy looked around the cavern.

“There’s a small opening down there.”

Benji’s headlamp light turned toward Roy’s, making double circles of light. In the center of it, an opening betrayed a lower segment of the cave system.

“Alright. Who went first, last?”

They fell into a loving bickering match, until finally Roy insisted on being the better man and climbing down, but of course this meant Benji would have to hold the rope. Benji gave a bitter retort, that Roy knew what he was doing and he wasn’t going to stand for it, Benji would use it as an excuse to replace his favorite gloves. The back and forth rekindled, and finally Roy decided to be the better man and let Benji climb up first into the tight, narrow tunnel.

Benji headbutted Roy’s helmet, but obliged. Roy slapped Benji’s back, then squeezed his shoulder.

“Love you, honey.” Roy hammered a piton into the cave wall.

“Uh huh.”

The crevice was narrow, but opened wide into a cavern. Roy slowly lowered Benji down, not able to watch him but listening for anything.

“Slow down! Spikes!”

Roy stopped, hastily securing the rope around a solid looking column of rock and checking down at Benji.

Benji was laughing at him.

“I’m going to drop you, let’s see how you like that!”

Benji pouted up to Roy. “You love me too much.”

“Try me.”

“You… You wouldn’t.”

Roy looked past him and squinted. “How much farther is that? Your voice is echoing.”

Benji looked around- a large cavern like a stone amphitheater. He braced for heights and looked down.

Water. Little waves lapped below him.

-----

*A laser focus, perhaps.

**Debatable.

[amplexadversary]

Apparently "when it rains, it pours" also applies to dead insects.

Pouring down on my head, when I disturbed the insulation lining the roof of my grandmother's portable greenhouse.

While I'm not particularly interested in catching and killing specimens in an ongoing global ecological crisis, I have started to get fairly decent at catching bugs to escort them out of the damn greenhouse.

The glorified tent seems to break their buggy navigation sensibilities by being enclosed, because once they're in there, they have all kinds of trouble getting themselves out. I've rescued a few bees, moths, and butterflies this way, for the most part using the clear sample containers I have from a previous job (I'm afraid that I'll injure them or get stung if I use my bare hands, which kind of defeats the point of rescuing them)

One of the poor bastards found its way in there this morning, a brown butterfly with eye spots. As usual, shooing it out did not work, and I saw it flutter up between the insulation and the roof. I went back inside to get my container, pulled down the insulation, and got a face full of bugs. One big fat bee, a few flies, three little butterflies, one of which was pale yellow and definitely new to me, and what appeared to be the large brown butterfly I had intended to rescue.

I gave the little thing a good half hour to show any signs of life while I set up little rehydration/sanitization chambers for the obviously stiff ones. I went out to the greenhouse again, to see if maybe these were two different butterflies, and there was still a living one trapped in there (no dice). I checked on my older specimens drying on the foam board, thinking "I really should post these, with how much I'm talking about them." Went and got my phone. Took pictures of the new butterflies. Took pictures of the old butterflies. Took pictures of the butterfly that I thought might still be alive.

...I think what might have happened is that it cooked itself to death in the two minutes I was inside getting my sample container.

So once I was really sure it was dead, I shrugged, spritzed it with a little rehydrating fluid to kill any mold spores it might have on it, and added it to the board. So now I have a specimen that is much more intact than the ones I was working with yesterday (and the two I lost to mold because I mixed the first batch of solution wrong)

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the tiny butterflies I have, because the gap in the board I have appears to be too wide to properly support their wings. Maybe I need to ask the neighbors if they have any trash styrofoam and make a smaller one using this one as a reference.

[pooepw]

i have traveled the ends of the world

i have played and talked about the greatness of arcanum, and now, in a masochistic fever dream, i played a bit of starfield. i am midway through the story, and i have not paid attention to a single thing that is happening. yet somehow, i still comprehend what is happening: acquire many mcguffins. omg! now there is someone here to take away our mcguffins! oh! we have to steals the mcguffins? the story mode is just a bunch of glorified fetch quests. you know the story is bad when at some point you are playing the single player of among us as one of the quests. i just click random shit with every dialogue prompt since nothing really feels like it matters. characters still interact with you regardless of what is happening. the quest where you were supposed to steal an artifact? i was so done with the bs that i just immediately went for attack and kill. does barrett still team up with me? YES.

though i have not gone through the entire game, i assume that there are no intelligent alien races that the player interacts with (otherwise the player could have had the cool choice to BE those races). it is disheartening that bethesda decided to choose the hyper realistic approach to sci-fi in assuming that there are next to no aliens that humans could interact with within a large sect of the galaxy. what is the point of constructing a game around sci-fi if one of the coolest parts of the fi is absent? dumb ass game.

the story and the lack of cool aliens is really small pebbles to the big boulder that is the content held within the game. and when i say big boulder, i mean the crater that such a boulder would cause upon impacting a surface. this game is empty. with this game, bethesda seemed to be determined to top their previous huge empty world, daggerfall, only, when i play daggerfall, i can at least instant transmission wherever i want to. now every single thing is a cutscene. enter chair of cockpit? cutscene. go into space? cutscene. sit in chair inside office? cutscene. the ingenious thing about the cutscenes is that the skip cutscenes mod cannot even skip some of the cutscenes because the game breaks when you try to skip them. i recall that the landing cutscene COULD be skipped if you pushed certain buttons, but doing this would crash the game.

back to the subject matter of emptiness, planets can be summed up into two categories: ones with life and ones without. ones without life are pretty bland; obviously if there are no signs of life on the planet, that has to be boring. however, the ones with life are functionally equivalent to the ones without life because all alien life in this game is the same. just animals varying from small to large. and all of them feel like they simply come out of the game spore. plant life already becomes inherently samey because of the materials being mostly the same across planets, but did they have to go ahead an copy and paste them across different solar systems? did plants discover the perfect form to take in any environment?

the final thing i have to say before i enter truly unhinged territory is that the procedural generation used for the planets is garbage. the content of the planets outside either lifelessness or existence of life can easily be categorized as follows: cave, raider place, worthless structure with shit held inside of literal shit. the caves in this game are the worst things i have ever seen. they are equivalent to the mines in skyrim, except there are no npcs within them. just ore. on the off chance there is a lifeform within, it is usually an easily dispatch-able spore creature. there is no point in entering these randomly. going a bit out of order, the worthless structures are a slight step above caves; rather than going into a chamber placed behind a loading screen, the player can find resources by looking for the local dung pile in these structures. you can also get experience from these, but the reason i dub them as worthless is because they parallel the experience of the plants and the animals. they are copied and pasted across the galaxy, sometimes figuratively and sometimes literally. if i am to believe that there are no sentient beings for me to interact with, then why are there so many structures that are shared across the galaxy? there is probably some dumb reason like a human did it, but it would have been cooler to interact with aliens. finally, the raider places are the only other part of planets. i would have said interesting, but these are completely copy and pasted. once the player has completed a single uc base, they have done all of them. enemy npcs in this game are stupid and boring, and the experience of going into these places reflects that.

i actually lied when i said that those were the three categories. there is a 4th category for areas on a planet, and that final category is the places where npcs exist. with the big towns, there is some amount of fun to be had doing the quests. but the real issue with the big towns is how few and how harsh it is to be in them. this game is not well optimized; every time i enter new atlantis, the experience is either that my computer has no trouble, or that my computer thinks this is crysis. i AM in fact using high power specs, but also i am not running this game with super high graphics: no raytracing, no 4k; just 2k with ultra.

so if there are few huge towns to get immersed into, how else do i interact with npcs? the other way is to find the preston garvey like settlements that need your help. i cannot believe i have to say anything good about fallout 4, but, by some miracle, settlements in fallout 4 are more interesting than the ones in starfield. where fallout 4 forces the player to go to an interesting location in the world, starfield's npc settlements will send the player to one of the many copy pasted structures on the planet to do dumb bullshit that can easily be messed up. my experience can be summed up by this anecdote: i was given the quest to find someone in a random spot on the planet (i believe it was a cave), and when i found them, they followed on me. walking back (yes indeed the adventure is over already, nothing interesting happens in this game), the guy i had to save dies to the local wildlife. when i say dies in this scenario, i really mean, walks headfirst into danger and pauses so that it may take him. it was not even funny at first, just aggravating.

there is a slew of other issues with the game that i have not gone over yet like the lackluster spaceship usage, the lack of good npc combat, the lack of cool weapons, etc., but i wanted to enter unhinged territory with this last point. i rarely play sci fi games. the biggest one i enjoy is fallout, but the game does not lean into sci fi involving space for the most part, but rather post apocalypse. a game that i do enjoy that is entirely about space is star control. so it was to my great dismay that when i entered the procyon star systems that there was no reference to the chmmr, chenjesu, or the mmrnmhrm. not even the smallest thing like silicon based life or a seemingly abandoned space station. instead this game had references to among us (yes i consider the quest where you do chores on the eye to be a reference to among us; heck the imposters come soon after and kill a main character (trying not to spoil)!). and for this reason, i consider this game to be below the mariana trench in terms of quality. every turn where bethesda had the choice between making a good decision and a bad decision, the company chose the bad path.

i implore you, do not buy starfield. this might be one of the moments where it is more ethical to steal this game rather than pay for it if you really want the experience, and i reserve this action for few games (actually it is just one game: the sims 4 and all of its dlc; also, just wait for starfield to go on a huge sale before purchasing it. a game of this caliber does not deserve to be $70 when games like arcanum and fallout 1 are single digit prices.). (I WILL ALWAYS STAND BY THE CONCEPT THAT IT IS MORALLY CORRECT TO STEAL ALL OF SIMS 4. IT IS SIMPLY EVIL THAT A COMPANY CAN CHARGE LITERALLY OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR WHAT IS FUNCTIONALLY A COUPLE OF MODELED ITEMS, MAPS, AND CLOTHES) the hinge on the door is broken now.

edit: just in case there is one last screw on the hinge holding the door, i am going to leave a batshit insane prediction on what bethesda is going to do with the game with its dlc. after the absolute tease that is the several mech ruins, but the lack of mechs in the game in general, bethesda is going to release a dlc that lets you have a mech, but it is not going to be interesting in any way since there is nothing interesting to kill with such a cool mechanic. it will use the same system as the spaceships in terms of constructing them and will have the same issue in that there is nothing interesting to do with them. if you want to have the illusion of fun, you better pay more!

[lapeaudelamemoire]

Gonna scream bc everywhere there is 'progressive', 'woke' white 'Westerners' & I just want to scroll happily on social media but no. Their fucking takes are unavoidable. And then they have like 12k 14k notes because everyone sees the thing and goes 'Ah yes! Time to show that I too support being a Good White Person and Progressive!' without any critical thinking or having sought out and listened to more than just the token pushed minority agreement that got blasted on loudspeaker by the government or some bigwig that's basically 'I know this minority person and they said they agree this is a good idea/that I can use the n-word/they don't think I'm being racist/I can wear the cultural clothing or engage in the religion or learn this language'/whatever the fuck it is.

If you wanna be so fucking doing the right thing go and do some fucking self-decolonising!!!!!!!!!! Stop foisting your musty colonial ideas about on the internet like spores!!!!!!

Like yeah I get that the whole thing is set up so that it is an echo chamber self-fulfilling so on and so forth (i.e., someone who has some Ideas goes and tells others, others go 'actually yes you're right, this is not good', and yes we need white people to realise this and to spread this among themselves yes, but also, again, *points to the issue of white people listening to other white people and not, you know, maybe nonwhite folks who are the people something actually affects*) and this is by design and part of the structural construct itself etc. but like. It is not any less frustrating.

[dzthenerd490]

File: The Last of Us

SCP#: AMS

Code Name: The Cordyceps Plague

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Captured samples of SCP-AMS are stored in Site-AL in the biohazard labs. They are stored in a single six biohazard capsules within a superheated containment chamber to prevent its spores form growing. The containment chamber is stored in the Level 4 biohazard storage unit at the biohazard labs of Site-AL. As such only Foundation staff of Level 4 or higher are allowed to request testing involved with SCP-AMS. Should testing with SCP-AMS be approved, Mobile Task Force Zues-1 "Conduits" Division "Ice" is to act as security during the test.

Description: SCP-AMS is a strong and quickly spreading fungus, a more advanced form of the Cordyceps fungus, which is commonly known to infect insects and use their bodies to spread their spores. SCP-AMS is more dangerous in that it can infect humans and primates with a 100% infection rate and 0% chance of survival after the incubation period ends. Like SCP-AHT there is no cure for SCP-AMS other than created instances SCP-500 and there are multiple stages of life for the infected. Once SCP-AMS samples were contained, Dr. Malik proposed to use D-Class and have them infected for a small period of time to see the full effects of SCP-AMS. The request was approved by the O5 Council and Ethics Committee.

Once someone is infected with SCP-AMS they will come under its control after 5 to 15 minutes for the fungus to reach the brain and kill the host. Afterwards the host will be reanimated but under the control of SCP-AMS. In the first stage of infection due to the host being dead the reanimated corpse will have cognitive abilities no different than a rabid dog. They will attempt to bite, scratch, and kill every living thing in their path. They do not actually hunger for flesh only to infect and kill; they normally don't worry about killing potential hosts as SCP-AMS can just reanimated it later. Hosts infected with SCP-AMS only stopping hunting and killing after all are infected are dead. Afterwards they will either remain dormant or wander to look for others to infect and kill.

Once two weeks of infection have passed the host will mutate into a stronger and more terrifying form to better spread the infection. From here the hosts are known as SCP-AMS-1 instances or as some Foundation staff refer to them as "Stalkers". These instances typically allow lay themselves on the ground or walls so that SCP-AMS can spread all around. From here the body and fungus will pass spores into the air to infect anyone who comes by. Of course, even if prey passing by is wearing biohazard protective gear they can easily get attacked by the SCP-AMS-1 instances. SCP-AMS-1 instances actually use their ability to spread SCP-AMS on the walls and floor as a trap. Its also a way to make unsuspecting prey believe they are immobile when in reality they can quite easily break out and kill any potential prey nearby. This is why they have earned the title of "Stalkers" they are smarter, faster, stronger, and use SCP-AMS itself to trap prey and infect them by any means necessary.

Originally a month was the longest any SCP-AMS-1 instance was allowed to live however Dr. Malik the site director ordered to have a sample live for at least a year before incineration. The request was approved the 05 Council and begrudgingly by the Ethics Committee. It was because of Dr, Malik's request that we now know of the existence of SCP-AMS-2. SCP-AMS-2 instances are the third stage of infection by SCP-AMS, which only manifest are a year of infection. SCP-AMS-2 instances are much stronger, faster, and more durable than SCP-AMS-1 instances, thought currently only one has ever existed so weather this could be consistent with all SCP-AMS-2 instances is unknown. They can survive several bullet wounds to the head, are able to bend their bodies to crawl through any space and can spot anything around them via sound. SCP-AMS-2 instances have lost their eyes as the fungus of SCP-AMS has destroyed their brains and ripped their skulls open. Though they now use the fungus on their heads as a type of hearing organ to listen to even the quietest of noises and hunt with great precision. They are able to use noise in an echolocation manner similar to bats, therefor tricking them with a different noise or trying to get them to fall into a trap is nearly impossible.

The O5 Council did now allow the only living SCP-AMS-2 instance to live any longer for fear it would grow even stronger and eventually break containment, so it was quickly killed off by Foundation security and the containment cell was heavily sterilized. This was done to prevent SCP-AMS from growing and spreading more of its spores as it is fully able to do so without a host. However, Dr. Malik didn't give up and instead had Foundation A.I. staff review the data and find logical evolutionary paths for hosts of SCP-AMS should they live longer than a year. The A.I. involved found several results of possible stages of infection that can come after 10 to 20 years of infection. Though there were only three that were the most possible.

Because these instances don't actually exist and there's no proof that they could exist, they have not been given anomalous labels. Instead, they were given labels as probability-1, probability-2, and probability-3. probability-1: is the result of host of SCP-AMS for 10 years or more of infection. They're bodies become bloated with the fungus acting as an armor that can even be broken off by the host and thrown at enemies as spore bombs. However, this only concerns ranged attacks as the host now had great strength and a bullet proof exterior as well as heightened echolocation abilities. The only downgrade is that they are slower and more venerable to fire, besides that they are killing machines. Probability-2: similar to Probability-1, however it requires extensive exposure to water or moist environments. The resulting mutations also leads to a bloated body of fungus armor however rather than relying on sturdiness for defense its skin is more slippery making weapons slide away or bounce off. Unlike Probability-1 the infected instead has spore sacks all over its body so that it can spray both acidic spores on anyone who gets too close, giving it excellent defense. Probability-3: Results when multiple hosts of SCP-AMS staying together after 20 years of infection. Their bodies start to fuse and become a single entity with multiple heads and limbs. The only thing that makes this entity different form the rest is that it cannot be killed by decapitations due to its multiple heads and even if the main body is destroyed the other bodies will split into separate entities to avenge the original body.

Dr. Malik, requested to use Dr. Wicked's [data expunged] to see if these mutations were truly possible for SCP-AMS. The request was denied almost immediately.

SCP-AMS was discovered in June of 2013, when SCP-AMS had an outbreak at [data expunged], [data expunged], [data expunged] quickly leading to chaos within the entire city and neighboring towns. Furthermore, it was later discovered that SCP-AMS had infected the local food that was to be transported internationally thus spreading SCP-AMS everywhere. Thankfully Foundation agents that were around during the attack managed to get the message out to the Foundation. As such, the flights for the planes were canceled and all planes already in air were shot down by Mobile Task Force Sigma-9 "Valkyries". The cover story was that the area was hit by a terrorist attack, the same cover story was used when the area was quarantined.

Due to the nature of SCP-AMS, the Foundation was reminded by SCP-AHT and thus took action to eradicate the entire infection rather than giving Group of Interest: The Sarkic Cults or other outside threats, a chance to take SCP-AMS and use it as a weapon for their own gain. As such Mobile Task Force Zeus-1 "Conduits" Division "Ice" was sent in. For the first time AND only time, Nix was declared the captain of this mission and given unlimited authority to destroy the infection of SCP-AMS under protocol "Scorched Earth". After 48 hours the mission was declared a success and MTF Zues-1 Division "Ice" was quickly pulled out, because of their anomalous abilities they were naturally immune to SCP-AMS.

The full cover story was that an extremist terrorist group attacked the entirety of [data expunged] in an attempt to keep all the food and resources transported for themselves. The end of the cover story is that the terrorists and local forces ended up killing each other in the resulting war, hence why everything was destroyed. Thankfully, to date, no other outbreaks of SCP-AMS have been spotted anywhere in the world.

"It's honestly lucky we got rid of SCP-AMS when we did otherwise, we would have faced an XK class end-of-the-world scenario, or just reached an excuse for the O5 to activate Protocol "No Mercy". Honestly thought, it breaks my heart to know that despite doing all of this. Despite sending out that loose cannon Nix, despite killing thousands of innocent people, despite shooting down all those planes, despite looking all the people who were outside of the quarantine zone dead in the eyes and lying to them about their family inside the zone were dying at the hand of terrorists... This isn't even the worst atrocity the Foundation has ever done." -Dr. Malik.

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SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[nelll101]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 

For some reason, I just could not pay attention to the movie and kept getting distracted but that probably my fault so I won't say it was a bad movie because it was actually a good movie but idk I just couldn't get into it, but I did love the wonderful visuals, the music was nice, and the message of the movie was the most important. (Also I watched this dubbed and I actually really enjoyed Nausicaa's voice actor, I felt she brought a lot of emotion to her which helped me fall in love with her character)

The movie's main theme is environmentalism. It was more of a metaphor as how humans treat nature, and the consequences of it. Nausicaa was found in some chamber where she stated that she irrigated the chamber of plants and spores using water and soil drawn deep underground. She found that with clean water and soil, the plants aren’t poisonous. All the soil is actually poisoned. This scene was most evident that as long as you take care of nature, it will produce good effects. Also, there was one scene where Nausicaa stated that they can’t use guns in the jungle and if they do the insects will descend upon them. The gun represents a man made, violent thing intruding on nature itself. The gun is the opposite of nature entirely, and bringing something like that into nature will disrupt the environment.

To add, the one specific scene of her with Tito was my favorite and how she related that back to another scene of her and Kushana was interesting. This scene with Tito really showed how wonderful Nausicaa really is. Overall, Nausicaa treated things that weren't human with love and respect even when they caused hurt and damage to her and her people. I feel like we could all take something from her character into us.

Also, this movie did remind me of NGE as the insects kind of resembled Angels and had kind of the same function as Angels since both humans and insects lived together but fought with each other for keeping their own humanity/race. Nausicaa evidently represents hegemonic masculinity with the way she fights for her people and even her clothes, and could be compared to Asuka due to that. But through that hegemonic masculinity she maintains her feminineness of being a loving and caring girl.

[magicmushroomstore]

Effects Of Ingesting Golden Teacher

Golden Teacher is a type of psilocybin mushroom that contains the psychoactive compound psilocybin. When ingested, psilocybin is converted to psilocin, which binds to serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to altered perception, mood, and cognition.

The effects of ingesting Golden Teacher can vary depending on several factors, such as the dosage, individual sensitivity, and set and setting. However, some of the common effects include:

Changes in perception: Golden Teacher can alter the perception of time, space, and colors. Objects may appear distorted, and people may experience visual hallucinations.

Mood changes: Many people report feelings of euphoria, happiness, and increased empathy after ingesting Golden Teacher.

Spiritual experiences: Some people report having mystical experiences, feeling a sense of interconnectedness with the universe, or having profound insights about their lives.

Cognitive changes: Golden Teacher can affect the way people think, leading to more creative or abstract thinking. It can also impair short-term memory and cause difficulties with concentration and focus.

Physical effects: Golden Teacher can cause nausea, dizziness, and sweating, especially during the onset of the trip. Some people may experience muscle weakness or tremors.

It's worth noting that ingesting Golden Teacher can also carry risks, especially for people with underlying mental health conditions or those who take certain medications. It's essential to approach psychedelic use with caution and to seek guidance from a trained professional when possible.

How long does Golden Teacher work?

The effects of Golden Teacher can last for several hours, typically between 4 to 6 hours, depending on several factors such as the dosage, individual sensitivity, and set and setting.

The onset of effects can vary, with some people reporting feeling the effects within 20-30 minutes of ingestion, while others may take up to an hour or more. The peak effects typically occur between 2 to 3 hours after ingestion, with the intensity of the experience gradually decreasing over time.

However, it's worth noting that the duration of Golden Teacher's effects can also depend on the method of ingestion. For example, when ingested as capsules or tea, the effects may last longer than when ingested as dried mushrooms. Additionally, when taken with food, the onset of effects may be delayed, and the duration of the experience may be longer.

It's important to note that Golden Teacher, like other psychedelic substances, can have long-term effects on a person's psychological well-being, including changes in mood, perception, and cognition. Therefore, it's crucial to approach psychedelic use with caution, do your research, and seek guidance from a trained professional when possible.

Is Golden Teacher Easy To Grow?

Golden Teacher is a popular strain of psilocybin mushroom that can be grown at home using relatively simple techniques. Compared to other strains of psilocybin mushrooms, Golden Teachers are relatively easy to grow, making them a popular choice among beginners.

Golden Teachers can be grown using a variety of methods, including the PF tek method, monotub method, or the grain spawn method. The PF tek method is the most common method used by beginners and involves growing the mushrooms in jars filled with sterilized brown rice flour and vermiculite.

To grow Golden Teachers using the PF tek method, you will need to purchase spores, which can be obtained from online vendors. The spores are then inoculated into the jars using a spore syringe. The jars are then left to colonize in a warm, dark environment for several weeks. Once the jars are fully colonized, they are moved to a fruiting chamber, where the mushrooms are encouraged to grow.

It's worth noting that growing Golden Teachers, or any other strain of psilocybin mushrooms, carries legal and health risks. In many countries, the cultivation and possession of psilocybin mushrooms are illegal. Additionally, growing mushrooms can be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken to ensure sterility and prevent contamination.

If you're interested in growing Golden Teachers, it's crucial to do your research, follow best practices for mushroom cultivation, and seek guidance from experienced growers when possible.

[driedmushroomstore]

HOW TO MAKE MAGIC MUSHROOMS

Here are the basic steps for growing magic mushrooms, including Psilocybe azurescens:

Obtain spores of magic mushroom mycelium or a spawn bag of colonized grain.

Prepare a substrate, such as wood chips or straw, and sterilize it to kill any competing bacteria or fungi.

Inoculate the sterilized substrate with the mycelium or grain spawn.

Place the inoculated substrate in a suitable container and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap to maintain humidity.

Keep the container at the proper temperature (around 20-22°C) and humidity (around 90-95%) for mycelium growth.

Once the substrate is fully colonized with mycelium, place the container in a fruiting chamber to stimulate mushroom growth. This typically involves increasing air exchange, reducing humidity slightly, and providing indirect light.

Harvest the mushrooms once they have fully matured and dry or preserve them as desired.

Note: Cultivating magic mushrooms, including Psilocybe azurescens, is illegal in many countries, including the United States. Please be aware of the legal implications of growing psychoactive mushrooms before attempting to do so. Additionally, consuming magic mushrooms can have unpredictable effects and can cause anxiety, paranoia, and other negative experiences in some people. It is important to use caution and be informed about the potential risks before consuming any psychoactive substance.

Benefits of Magic Mushroom

Magic mushrooms, including Psilocybe azurescens, contain psychoactive compounds that can have a range of effects on the mind and body. Here are some potential benefits associated with consuming magic mushrooms:

Treatment of mental health conditions: Magic mushrooms have shown promise in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some studies have shown that a single dose of psilocybin can lead to significant and long-lasting improvements in symptoms.

Improved well-being: Magic mushrooms can cause a range of positive emotional experiences, including euphoria, joy, and a sense of peace and well-being. Some users report that these effects can be long-lasting, even after the immediate effects of the substance have worn off.

Increased creativity and insight: Some users report that magic mushrooms can increase creativity and lead to insights and breakthroughs in problem-solving.

Spiritual experiences: Some people use magic mushrooms as a tool for spiritual exploration and growth, claiming that they can lead to profound spiritual experiences, including a sense of connectedness with nature, a feeling of unity with others, and a sense of peace and well-being.

It is important to note that the effects of magic mushrooms can vary greatly from person to person and can also be influenced by factors such as the dose consumed, the user's environment and mindset, and the presence of other substances. Additionally, magic mushrooms can have unpredictable effects and can cause anxiety, paranoia, and other negative experiences in some people. Further research is needed to fully understand the benefits and risks associated with consuming magic mushrooms