#ingenious home design

[aikoiya]

Oh, this is super cool!

[recherchestetique]

The creator of the safety pin — this simple object present in almost every home — was a man named Walter Hunt. But his story goes far beyond a bent piece of brass.

Walter Hunt was born in 1796 and was one of the most prolific inventors in American history. Creator of various devices, like a primitive sewing machine model, Hunt had a restless mind — but, like so many geniuses, he lived surrounded by financial difficulties.

In 1849, in debt with a friend for 15 dollars, Hunt did the unthinkable: he took an 8-inch brass wire, began folding it with his fingers, and in a little while, one of the most useful objects ever created appeared — the safety pin.

But Hunt didn't just create a pin: he had the ingenious idea to include a spring and a protected tip, which would prevent accidental drilling. It was a small touch of genius with a giant impact.

He registered patent No. 6,281 on April 10, 1849 — and soon sold its rights for $400 to W.R. Grace and Company. Enough to pay off debt and, as always, continue your life as an anonymous inventor.

It wasn't just an ingenious creation. It was a definitive solution to an everyday problem. Before him, common pins were dangerous, loose, unstable. Hunt's model has radically changed it — with a design that endures to this day, almost unchanged.

While older versions exist, such as the Roman fibulaes, it was Hunt who created the model that is modern, functional, safe — and accessible.

Walter Hunt was not a millionaire But his little invention has become immortal. The safety pin is the perfect reminder that even the simplest idea, when done ingeniously, can transform the world.

A debt. A string of brass. A moment of brilliance

And the rest is history.

[vintagehomecollection]

Carol Davis ingeniously breaks a long expanse of glass in a sun room with a kotatsu / trellis suspended on a chain. The grid filters the sun, while the wood softens the severity of the glass.

At Home With Japanese Design: Accents, Structure and Spirit, 1990

[luminetti]

Dressed to Kill

༘⋆ Summary: In which, you, a professional cosplayer, mistake Bakugou’s hero outfit for a really good Halloween costume. ༘⋆ Pairing: bakugou katsuki x fem!reader ༘⋆Warnings: n/a, reader is just the biggest dumbass (lovingly) also, i cannot stress this enough. they are NOT CHILDREN in this. they’re both at least the age of college seniors  ༘⋆Notes: huge thanks to one of my biggest inspirations for writing in general: @andypantsx3 ! this fic is lightly inspired by—and lowkey a lovechild of—her pieces, baby are you playing tricks and unconventional, so if you somehow haven’t read those yet, i strongly recommend doing so!  also now that i actually have more than one piece of writing, id love for some writer/fandom moots! im very new to tumblr and would love friends :’)  ao3 release

Halloween was by far your favorite holiday. 

As a child, you were always drawn to Halloween, not just for the candy, but for the extravagant costumes and house decorations. Nearly every year, you stayed up late with your father, hand-sewing various details onto your costume. Finally, for your eighteenth birthday, you were gifted your very own sewing machine which officially kickstarted your interest in cosplay.

Throughout your first couple years of college, you worked on your Twitter account, posting quick mirror selfies of your various cosplay projects. Only during senior year did you finally feel comfortable enough to go out in public for your first official photoshoot.

‘Comfortable’ was a bit of a stretch. Very seldom does one feel truly comfortable when posing in front of a grandiose fountain in the middle of a public garden, fully clad in foam armor. What made it significantly worse was when the aforementioned armor looked more like a metal bikini than an actual chest plate worn into battle.

Poor character design choices aside, you loved Halloween for that very reason. With everyone dressed up–or down, for some–there was no reason to feel self-conscious during your monthly photoshoots. Sure, there was the occasional snide remark, but the number of supportive comments from passersby was enough to quiet your uncertainty.

This year you had stayed up late for the past month putting the final touches on your purple staff, even attempting an LED system that allowed parts of it to glow. It had taken two weeks to get the prototype of the dress situated since you weren’t used to sewing such a large amount of detail into your fabrics. Unfortunately, this also meant it took significantly longer to finish the outfit than expected, leaving almost no time to do your wig. But, in true cosplayer fashion, you managed to whip something together with an older purple wig, just in time for tonight.

You did, however, only realize the character also had a sword occasionally, but there was no way you were going to make that in time so the staff would have to suffice.

The night had already been proving to be one of the best so far. Starting around eight in the evening, you and some of your closest friends had gotten together for a costume party, a series of shitty horror movies, and a plethora of even shittier cheap cocktails. Despite not being much of a drinker yourself, you always participated in the annual spooky-themed cocktail charcuterie. This year you weren’t holding back. Your pride and joy charcuterie consisted of nine drinks including, but not limited to ghost-themed Aperol Spiritz–nicknamed Spirit Spiritz, Bloody Marys, and your personal favorite, Bonejitos. They even had little skeleton dudes sitting on the rim of the glass.

Unfortunately, your friends weren’t very amused by your festive drinks, even going as far to say your ingenious Bonejitos were a stretch. So, clearly they didn’t see the vision. Eventually, the party events died down as the guests began to go home, allowing the night to evolve into just drinking.

“Did you get a photo of your costume yet?” Himari, your friend from freshman year, questioned.

You shook your head, absently watching as the rest of your friends downed your masterly made Bonejitos. Liars, all of them. “‘A stretch’ my ass,” you scoffed.

Himari dug around in her bag, retrieving her camera. “Halloween photoshoot? Your fit is cute and I’m getting bored here.”

You did like the idea of photography-major level photos with none of the price involved. “I love you, Mari.”

She stuffed your spear under her arm and with that, the two of you stepped out into the cold and crisp autumn air, the breeze running over your bare shoulders and thighs. You shivered lightly, pulling up your thigh-highs and hugging the excess fabric close to your body.

Himari glanced at you in concern. “Does the Raiden Shogun not wear a jacket?”

“Unfortunately, she doesn’t.” You chuckled, rubbing your arms. “You can’t be sexy and wear a jacket,” you joked.

She hummed in sympathy, looking around for a good place to set up. The park was a particularly popular spot during Halloween, specifically known for its comforting lighting and ambience.

 “What about there?” Himari pointed to a small gazebo surrounded by violets, lit up by a string of fairy lights. There were a couple groups nearby, but otherwise it was pretty much empty.

You nodded, excited. “Good eye as always, Mari.”

She handed over your spear and offered an arm,helping you step up onto the platform and underneath the gazebo. While she adjusted the lights to her liking, you took a moment to adjust your skirt and sleeves.

“Do you think it’s too short?” you asked, tugging on the cloth. Thankfully the character wore a pair of shorts underneath, but the dress was barely miniskirt length.

Himari looked over briefly before turning back to the lights. “No, not really. Why? Are you uncomfortable?”

Before you could answer, a group of college-aged girls passed by the gazebo, clearly a bit drunk. As they left, one of the girls that was hanging onto her friend’s arm looked over. “Don’t be, girlie! You look hot as fuck!” she shouted out, words slightly slurred.

You flustered, blabbering out a quick thanks in surprise. There’s nothing like a friendly drunk girl to get your confidence up.

From behind the camera, Himari gave you a thumbs up. “Give me one of these.” She mimed leaning against the wooden banister. “Yeah like that, but with your leg more out.”

The shutter clicked several times as you did your best to recreate her gestures.

Himari proceeded to guide you through a series of poses, occasionally having you incorporate your staff or the gazebo. Eventually you got used to the flashing camera and allowed yourself to melt into the character, embodying her essence as best as you could.

Time flew and before you knew it, Himari was calling you down from the gazebo to look over the photos. You hovered over her shoulder as she flipped through each one, pausing at her favorites.

“I’ll import these onto my laptop and send them back edited sometime this week,” she told you, removing her glasses and wiping them off with her sleeve.

You nodded. “Thanks for doing this, you really didn’t have to.” You rummaged through your bag, hoping to find at least a little money for her efforts. Feeling a couple bills between your fingers, you held them out to her.

Himari’s eyes squinted and you realized she was staring over your shoulder. “I think that guy in costume was looking at you,” she said, still cleaning off the lenses.

You turned to see a tall man across the park, large grenade shaped gauntlets resting on both his arms. He quickly looked away once he saw your head turn. Looking closer, you realized he was dressed in a dark black sleeveless jumpsuit with orange and green straps along his body.

He was clearly a Dynamight cosplayer. And by the looks of it, a really talented one at that.

You were almost convinced that he had real hero equipment on. His armor pieces were strikingly accurate, and you made a mental note to look for more realistic prop materials.

“He probably spent a lot of time on that,” you mused to Himari, who had already gone back to inspecting the photos.

“You should go ask him about it.” she suggested, collecting the rest of her things and zipping her bag. “I’ve gotta catch an Uber soon.”

Maybe it was the lingering confidence gifted by the girl from earlier, but you managed to muster up enough self-assurance to wave goodbye to Himari and stride right up to the cosplayer.

As you got closer, you realized just how much work must have gone into all the details. The gauntlets–a very convincing metal–had several dents and scratches, giving it a worn down look, as if it had been used frequently.

His hair looked far too real to be a wig, likely just being his natural hair with lots of product in it. The most impressive detail by far was his physique. Had he trained specifically for this? The closer you got the more you noticed. If you were lucky, maybe he’d give you the name of his supplier.

“I love your outfit!” You smiled cheerily at him.

He turned to look at you, slightly taken aback. “Thanks?” he replied, folding his arms as he looked you over, eyes lingering on your cosplay.

You felt a twinge of anxiety as he inspected your outfit. He probably just didn’t recognize the character, you convinced yourself.

“I’m a cosplayer too,” you clarified, gesturing to your dress. “But clearly not as dedicated as you.”

You watched as his chest puffed lightly at the compliment, though he titled his head, a bit puzzled.

Clearing your throat awkwardly, you tried a different method. “How long did it take to make?”

He blinked at you and shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe a couple of months? I just told them what I wanted.”

Oh, you got it now. He’s just a model. It wasn’t uncommon for people to collaborate on cosplays, especially ones where one person either commissions or buys a cosplay from an artist, and then models it themself. Either way, he was still one of the best you’ve seen.

You nodded in understanding. “Do you have social media? I’d love to see what else you’ve done.” Pulling out your phone, you loaded up your Twitter, preparing to enter his tag.

“Dynamight Official. All one word,” he replied hesitantly, looking you up and down as if he was scanning for signs of sickness.

You chuckled faintly. He was really dedicated to his role. “Well, what's your name? I follow a lot of cosplayers already. Maybe I’ve seen you?” You pulled up your profile and turned the screen around to show him in case he recognized your tag.

His arms unfolded and his face slowly morphed from confused to exceptionally amused. “Bakugou Katsuki. I am Dynamight.”

Waving him off absently, you nodded as you scrolled through your followed accounts. You swear you’ve seen him online before. “Sorry, I’m not really good at roleplay. But you’re pretty convincing.”

He leaned against the cold metal lamppost, watching you sift through various Twitter accounts. You sneaked a glance to check his facial features again, but he was already staring straight back at you.

In such close capacity, his striking crimson eyes stood out to you. Even his contacts were high quality… Fighting back the warmth that threatened your cheeks and ears, you averted your gaze downwards.

Your eyes flicked to his waist. You hadn’t noticed it before, but a thick black bomber jacket was tied tightly around his torso, unlike the real hero’s costume. Well, you stand corrected. You certainly can be sexy with a jacket.

Speaking of jackets, you had been so caught up in conversation you hadn’t realized how cold it had gotten. The soft breeze from earlier had picked up into chilly wind, rustling the fabric of your dress as it blew by.

Bakufaux–haha–seemed to notice your interest in his jacket, untying it and tossing it over your shoulders. “Bit cold for you, Princess?” he drawled. “D��nno how you’ve managed in that outfit.” He gestured to your short dress and tall socks.

You couldn’t help but notice how his gaze lingered on you for a half second longer than normal. Not that you would’ve said anything. Thanks to his jacket, you were enveloped with warm and musky scents of charcoal and sandalwood. Though, being honest with yourself, you’ve been distracted ever since you walked over.

You snapped out of your trance when he pushed himself off the lamppost and leaned over you. It could’ve been twenty degrees out and you’d still swear you were overheating.

“Ever considered cosplaying in my costume?” He asked, watching your darkening cheeks closely.

Maybe it was the shit eating grin he wore proudly on his face, or the sneaking suspicion in your gut, but you had an inkling of a feeling he knew something you didn’t. In a surge of confidence and curiosity, or perhaps just pure adrenaline, you took a step forward.

“And if I have?”

Something snapped behind his eyes and you could’ve sworn his gaze dropped to your lips. He might’ve actually kissed you if you weren’t interrupted by the sound of glass shattering and the screams of customers inside a late night coffee shop.

You felt your heart rate increase as he swore under his breath, whatever smug expression he previously had was replaced by something far more intense and serious.

‘“I’m not leaving you out here alone, stay close to me,” he urged, taking one last look at you before turning and running towards the sound.

It took you a second to realize you were running behind him as fast as possible.

As the two of you neared the coffee shop, you noticed numerous shards of glass laid out on the concrete. On a second glance, you noticed some of the smaller shards were beginning to melt, turning the ground slightly slick.

You halted to a stop, almost crashing into your new friend. You felt a warm hand snake around your waist, lifting your body off the ground and onto a nearby bench.

“Don’t touch the ground, and stay right here,” he told you sternly, before turning and rushing straight into the cafe.

You watched, frozen in astonishment, only able to hear the horrific sounds of glass and… explosions? Occasionally you caught a glimpse of blonde hair, dropping off a poor customer caught in the crossfire, before dashing straight back inside. In what felt like seconds, he had already retrieved nearly every patron from the cafe, all while the villain was still inside.

Quickening footsteps approached from behind your place on the bench. You barely had a chance to comprehend the noises when a flash of red zipped past you, making a beeline straight for the cafe. Only after several trips in and out of the building did you finally recognize the eccentric costume of Pro-Hero Red Riot as he gathered the remainder of the victims outside.

Through the ringing in your ears you could only vaguely make out shouting between Red Riot and someone else still inside the building. It was all intelligible until he turned to you and the victims. The last words you heard was look away, or at least you assumed.

You weren’t interested in waiting around to find out so you shut your eyes tight and turned away from the scene as best as you could.

At first nothing happened. But after a beat, you felt your eyes burn behind your eyelids as a blistering wave of heat surrounded you. You think you screamed, but you weren’t entirely sure. Every muscle in your body tensed as the bench shook underneath you, threatening to break.

But as quickly as it came, it passed. You couldn’t tell how long you had been trapped in that position, clutching your knees to your chest with your eyes sealed shut. A warm hand shook you out of position, jostling your eyes open.

When your eyes finally adjusted, blocking your vision of the cafe was none other than a tall silhouette, and familiar red eyes.

“Hey, stay with me, Princess. You hurt?”

You felt calloused hands hastily press against your body, examining you for injury. He took a hold of your ankle, easing you into extending. “Anything?”

Shaking your head, you gripped onto him as he lifted you from the bench to your feet, steadying you with strong arms.

“Happy Halloween,” you managed to mutter meekly into his chest.

You felt him shudder beneath your head as he laughed, surprisingly heartily.

“Certainly one you’ll remember.” His low voice resonated in your brain, calming whatever nerves were remaining. “Let’s get you home, m’kay?”

You let him navigate you back to your apartment surprisingly deftly given your shaky directions, until finally you found yourself thanking him at your doorstep and shutting the door behind you.

Now that you were home and given a chance to breathe, you weren’t sure what was real. Everything mixed together in a blur and you couldn’t tell if it was all a dream or not.

As you groggily slumped against your bed, you felt something soft bundle against your back. Sitting up, you reached behind your back to feel the cool fabric of the black jacket you had been holding tightly against yourself. Embroidered on the sleeve were a pair of initials you hadn’t noticed before.

B.K.

With a strange pounding in your chest, you pulled out your phone.

Sure enough, you had one new notification.

@DynamightOfficial followed you back

The device buzzed in your hand with a second notification. A direct message request alongside an image. Swiping to your messages, you opened the text from your new follower.

Front and center was a quick photo of Bakugou’s hero costume, laid out neatly on his bed. Directly underneath the image were two small text bubbles.

u take commissions?

ive got something in mind for ya

[bubblingooze]

The Veilguard companions as people you would meet at a protest against American fascism:

Varric—

This man has been marching in the streets protesting injustice and governmental oppression for decades. He has forgotten more protest chants than most people will ever learn. He takes charge of training the newbies, ensuring everyone has sunscreen, water, and a buddy. Leaves the protest when the dispersal order comes in because he’s got so much PTSD from Kirkwall.

Harding—

Originally from a “no politics at the dinner table” family from somewhere in the Midwest, she’s now an active community organizer with Democratic Socialists of America (Christian Socialism Work Group.) She believes revolution happens at the ballot box and sees protests as a way to put pressure on politicians and motivate more people to vote. She leaves before the dispersal order comes in because she’s got a hike early in the morning the next day.

Bellara—

She opens the protest with a land acknowledgement. She has crafted many ingenious devices to protect protesters and is well-versed in guerilla techniques. She’s passing out homemade gas masks and umbrellas with protest slogans. If you saw her at the protest, NO YOU DIDN’T. She hears the dispersal order and puts on her gauntlet because someone has to stand up for the people and she’s ready to fight like hell. She holds no allegiance to a system that’s racist by design and has no qualms about smashing a few shop windows so that the rich people know they’re serious.

Neve—

She’s not actually in the streets, she’s in her car two blocks away listening to the police scanner and physically keeping watch on the police/national guard, ready to message the encrypted group chat when she sees them putting on the riot gear, and tracking their movements so the protesters aren’t kettled. Before the protest, she hands out face masks and sunglasses, warning people that the Proud Boys have been spotted around town and they like to doxx people in right-wing online chat rooms so that their accomplices will contact the landlords and employers of protesters so they lose their homes and jobs.

Lucanis—

Local rich guy just trying to get home from work but his uber got caught in the march, so they parked it and spontaneously joined. Thinks the President is a national disgrace and hopes the next assassin doesn’t miss like an idiot. Doesn’t join a community organizing group because he thinks no one would want him. Ends up bonding with his eccentric uber driver.

Spite—

Lucanis’s uber driver and an immigrant himself. He was actually trafficked here against his will but decided to stay. His legal status is dubious at best. Lucanis doesn’t comment on how his picture in the uber app looks so different. Spite is scared of being at the protest but he wants to make sure Lucanis gets home.

Davrin—

Poor Davrin is a National Guardsman who has been sleeping on the ground and eating rations for a week. He signed up for the National Guard to defend his country in case of an invasion and he’s pissed they called him up for this. This is not what he signed up for. These people are civilian protesters. He plays dumb and fakes sick to ignore orders while he frantically calls the hotline for conscientious objectors.

Taash—

Taash is fully Black Bloc and ready to burn the local immigrant detention center to the ground. Their protest sign says “If you don’t support trans rights, your pronouns are about to be was/were.” They crack their knuckles when the dispersal order comes in because shit’s about to get good. They absolutely will de-arrest you if the pigs get you.

Emmerich—

Local professor who hasn’t protested since the Vietnam War, he’s out here for his students who had their visas suddenly revoked without warning. He’s actually on a green card himself and scared of being deported despite his decades as a respectable tax-paying resident. He is also pissed about cuts to education, worried about Medicare and social security, and terrified of the direction the country is headed overall. He doesn’t leave after the dispersal order is issued, he gets in Neve’s car because he’s a medic and he wants to help if anyone is injured by the police or National Guard. Neve drives him to where he’s needed (if he’s needed.)

[meret118]

Spout is an intriguing water source alternative in a moment when questions about sustainability and water accessibility are pressing. With its minimalistic design, it looks deceptively low impact. The filtering tank envelopes a pitcher, and it plugs into an outlet just like any other appliance. It’s sized at a reasonable scale and takes up the same space as a large coffee machine. In reality, however, the device can produce anywhere between one to two and a half gallons of water daily, depending on temperature and humidity levels. And the mechanics of how that happens is where the magic truly lies.

[gia-d]

Do you have any recommendations on how to learn bookbinding? It looks super cool, but I don't know where to start.

It depends on the type of bookbinding you want to get into, my focus is primarily on hardcover case bound books, so if that is what you are keen on, here are some resources that I found incredibly useful while learning:

YouTube

DAS bookbinding has a whole bunch of really detailed, professional tutorials that are incredibly useful. He covers multiple types of binds and techniques and they are all very easy to follow. (I always laugh when I watch his videos tho because he’s Aussie like me and he has the EXACT same shitty tiles in his workroom that I have in my house.)

Sea Lemon does bookbinding amongst other crafts, and while her videos are shorter and less in depth, they are very friendly for beginners and offer alternatives if you don’t have all the tools/equipment at home

Omgreylo is great for if you are doing fanbinding, she also has videos on typesetting, which is something you’ll want to learn too if you are planning on fanbinding. Her videos are also very chill and sometimes I’ll just watch them to relax because I’m a nerd.

Ingenious Designs has some really good videos on some more advanced skills like edge gilding and working with leather bound books. He’s also really charismatic so his videos are fun and informative.

I’m probably forgetting a few, but those channels have all been super useful. The other thing that I do and highly recommend is just browsing the bookbinding and fanbinding tags on tumblr, reddit and instagram to see what other people are doing. A lot of people (including myself when I finally remember to actually take pictures and record the process) will post progress photos alongside the finished project and will talk about the process. Most people are quite happy to answer any questions you might have about their projects too so don’t be afraid to ask.

Also the most important piece of advice I can give, if you are serious about bookbinding, GET YOURSELF SOME SHORT-GRAIN PAPER. It makes all the difference in terms of quality, ease of use, and durability.

Anyways if anyone else has any other resources or tips they think are useful, please feel free to add!

[scotianostra]

On 8th June 1778 Robert Stevenson, the noted Scottish civil engineer, was born.

Robert Stevenson was born in Glasgow a few days before Robert’s second birthday his father, Alan, passed away of an epidemic fever in The West Indies Robert’s uncle died of the same disease around the same time. Since this left Alan’s widow, Jean Lillie Stevenson, in much-reduced financial circumstances, Robert was educated, as a young child, at a charity school.

Robert’s mother intended him to join the ministry, so when he was a bit older she enrolled him in the school of a locally famous Glasgow linguist, a Mr. Macintyre. But when Robert was 15, she remarried and the family moved to 1 Blair Street, now made up of holiday homes from what I can gather. Blair Street is just off the Royal Mile beside the the Tron Kirk, the street runs down to Cowgate.

Robert’s new stepfather was Thomas Smith, a tinsmith, lamp maker, ingenious mechanic, and civil engineer, who had been appointed to the newly formed Northern Lighthouse Board in 1768, Young Robert served as an apprentice civil engineer to his stepfather.. He was so successful at it that, at age 19, he was given responsibility for supervising the erection of a lighthouse on Little Cumbrae on the Firth of Clyde

From then Stevenson excelled at his trade and is credited with practically inventing the Scottish lighthouse system. In 1794, Robert also supervised the construction of the Pentland Skerries Lighthouse. From 1797-1843 Robert acted as engineer to the Northern Lighthouse Board. During this time he oversaw the construction of many lighthouses, the most famous of which was the Bell Rock Lighthouse.

Notably, Robert Stevenson invented intermittent and flashing lights. His invention earned him a gold medal from the King of Netherlands. Although most well-known for his lighthouses, eh also engineered bridges, roads, and railways, among other things. Probably the most well known of his bridges is the Hutcheson bridge officially called the Albert Bridge in Glasgow.

In 1797, Robert married his step-sister Jean Smith . The couple had 13 children, but only 5 survived into adulthood. Three of his sons, Alan, David and Thomas became lighthouse engineers as well. Thomas was also father to Robert Louis Stevenson, the author.

RLS was the odd one out in his sprawling clan of engineers, he too was set to follow in his family’s footsteps, but abandoned his studies in the field early on to pursue the building of books. He was nevertheless vastly proud of his stalwart relatives, writing in 1880: “There is scarce a deep sea light from the Isle of Man to North Berwick, but one of my blood designed it. The Bell Rock stands monument for my grandfather, the Skerry Vhor for my Uncle Alan and when the lights come on at sundown along the shores of Scotland, I am proud to think they burn more brightly for the genius of my father.”

[leibal]

António Silva is a minimalist apartment located in Lisbon, Portugal, designed by pele. The apartment, which had suffered from a lack of character and deterioration due to numerous alterations over time, has been skillfully reimagined. The central objective of this renovation was to clearly demarcate the social and private zones within the home. The architect ingeniously employed different floor levels to address the functional requirements of this new layout.

[cr33pz-mck3nna]

"They're so much like Gaster!"

".. you never met their mother."

For many years in the underground there was rumors/stories from around the time when peace was still between human and monster that Gaster had two assistants, the prodigy genius Alphys and the strongest(and smartest) warrior in the entire underground simply known as Justice, Gaster was in charge of basically running the underground's "government" but before that he was merely Asgore's most trusted scientist but his two students were almost as glorious as him in their feats, Alphys went on to become Gaster's successor in his first line of business and became the head scientist of the underground while Justice went on to become General of the royal army and founder/first grand master of the royal guard and gained a reputation for being the strongest(and most terrifying) in all the underground and for many centuries they were, after Asgore, the strongest in the underground until the day that Sans and Papyrus were born or rather Cosmo and Dusky were born.

The stories of those times always tell that Alphys may have been the successor of the great Gaster but that was simply because Justice refused! In fact Justice was by far the more extraordinary of the two, for what Alphys had compared to Justice in knowledge Justice was by far more creative and came up with many ingenious ideas that when successfully executed far surpassed Alphys accomplishments. Justice was the greatest inventor, engineer and architect the underground had ever seen but she was also the most mysterious person anyone could ever meet.

They say she randomly appeared in the underground not long before they were sealed away.. The underground was the place to be after all, the entrance was lined with a grand bazaar and all of it was quite ordinary in daylight until the night when the "sky" would light with millions of hanging lanterns, just past would be quaint villages and beyond would be acres and acres of unpopulated mythical "wilderness" beyond comprehension. It was any other normal day when the girl walked in the entrance, walking through the bazaar and stopping to help others on her journey, she stayed for a short while in a snowy village before leaving once more and she walked and walked and walked before coming to the very end of the underground and collapsing before the royal estate, the home of the royal army, the asylum of knowledge for the scientists and the royal palace.

Some say it was the two children of the royal family who found her out there while playing and others say it was King Asgore himself while privately speaking with Gaster but regardless she was brought in by the royal family and considered to be no different than the princess(female Chara) in circumstance though she didn't wish to be called princess but felt lady was perfectly suitable, and then it's said that the mysterious girl had all but abandoned royalty and instead sought to become student of Gaster and she did so successfully as well as her only acquaintance(at the time) in the entire underground outside of the royal estate, Alphys.

It's said when the prince and princess died she was at the front of the charge into the war, she wound up loosing an arm and nearly her life defending the underground and protecting the king, for the first five years sealed away she was not permitted to leave the royal estate even once, though many knew that was Gaster's decision, for personal reasons as well as needing to monitor her new arm.

After this she earned the title "Lady Justice" and so Justice became her name, she was the greatest knight that ever existed but to some who knew she was also very special in the eyes of Gaster, to him she was everything. And for many centuries after that he strived to discover how life could even be and eventually he would in the form of his, their, sons. Skeletons similar to Gaster but designed like a natural child, with characteristics of both a father and a mother, but he never did get to show her their greatest creation. For a tragedy struck, during a time of peace in the underground, where the great Gaster, Alphys and Justice reunited to continue their research together when suddenly as if the lock holding back hell snapped the barrier suddenly opened but not in the way it should've, the seal was like a portal now and the mass of energy flowing from it sent most all the way to the royal estate, it's said that the tragedy that occurred that day only stopped when a red and a green bolt of energy shot out from the general area of the asylum of knowledge. This was the day Cosmo and Dusky were born and the day Gaster and Justice vanished.

Toriel figured it was their doing, the colors fit them and all, so she went to find them immediately in Gaster's lab, but she never could've expected what she found.

"I figure Toriel will be the one on the receiving end of this note, and if so I deeply apologize for this burden I must place on you. You were...a wonderful mother Toriel...so I beg of you my Queen to be one once more. I know our departure is sudden but..oh Toriel you were her dearest confidant you of all people should understand how she pined to see the sun again, to return to her home, to live her human life, and I as I prepared for her a gift in hopes to make up for what she lost I found an opportunity to return her to everything she loved, and so I decided to not tell her about them. I planned to break the seal and send her through but if you are getting this letter instead of hearing this from me it means my hunch was correct and she made me go with her. She has seen my world for all this time, I wish to experience hers now. When you next see us Justice will be as she was but I will have changed, any sign I am a monster will be covered and simply by everything besides my appearance you will easily mistake me for being human as that is the role I now play. I chose to not tell her of their existence simply because I know her too well, if she knew she would've stayed. I love her too much to let her do that. To our sons, when I return do not worry, your mother will be close behind as she always has been for long ago she embraced the monster and she now lives forever, her one separation from her humanity. The elder son shall be named Sans and the younger Papyrus, Sans you shall hold to high expectations while you may give Papyrus an easy life, but make great things of our sons. Goodbye my friend."

Toriel almost immediately disregarded most of his requests, bringing home the two boys and declaring the new princes, Cosmo and Dusky Dreemurr, Cosmo would be raised by Toriel in the asylum of knowledge and would become the smartest monster in the underground but disavow the life of a scientist due to his distaste of his true father and would become an astrologist and astronomer instead, he always did have an obsession with the surface, while Dusky would be raised by Asgore in the barracks of the royal guard, trained since birth to essentially surpass his mother. Asgore and Toriel were always fighting after the death of their children and it's quite obvious it was sadly taken out on the skeleton boys. It wouldn't be until the savior Liz arrived and the Dreemurr family had three children once more that a group of allies would emerge and they would meet their illustrious leader Vengix who seems...oddly familiar.

A random MASSIVE lore dump of insane information that took me like three hours and I'm now on the floor finishing this...yeah I need to go to bed, enjoy. -Creepz

[solohux]

Thief Kylo Ren is the best in the galaxy at what he does. No job is too big, no treasure too hidden, no jewel too sacred. So when he hears about the gem of Arkanis, he’s intrigued. Said to be red in colour and locked away in the bowels of Arkanis Academy, the gem is said to be so heavily guarded that no one has ever set eyes upon it. It’s the pride and joy of the Arkanisian people, a source of hope. Therefore, Kylo has to have it.

Getting into the Academy is harder than Kylo anticipated but he works at it, disguising himself as a tutor and using his manipulative Force-powers to trick these weak-minded fools into letting him behind enemy lines. It isn’t long before he’s in General Brendol Hux’s private office, looking for the entrance to the gem’s hidden vault. He finds a hidden keypad that has a 16 digit passcode on it but Kylo has worked through tougher doors than this one. Soon enough, the wall parts to reveal a turbolift door. Whilst descending, Kylo changes his clothes from that of a First Order tutor and back into his thief-like clothing, complete with gloves so that he can handle the delicate gem into his bag to sell on to the highest bidder.

But none of this is what he was expecting. He thought there’d be a plinth or a case with the red gem inside of it but instead, the turbolift doors open into a white room where there’s a screen of duraglass in front of him and living chambers behind it. There’s a bed, a kitchenette, a desk and massive piles of books and blueprints. And standing amongst it all is a beautiful, red-haired man. He looks to be about Kylo’s age but is slight in stature. He’s barefoot, dressed in a white shirt and white pants, looking more than alarmed at the intruder in front of him.

Kylo tells the man that he just wants the gem of Arkanis and then he’ll leave.

“So that’s what they call me,” the man shrugs, huffing a laugh out before picking up his fallen chair and sitting back at the desk, resuming his work with the blueprints.

Kylo’s confusion is palpable. It cannot be that this skinny man is the gem that he’s been searching for. He can’t be. Someone would know that there’s no jewel, just a man in a glass box.

Kylo introduces himself to the man. The man tells Kylo that his name is Armitage, the mind behind all of the ingenious designs of the First Order’s military and armoury. Annotated blueprints for the First Order’s Starkiller planet are pinned to the wall as well as drawings of ships and blasters and stormtrooper armour. There may not be a physical jewel to steal but Kylo is content enough with stealing the gem of Arkanis for himself, to use Armitage’s ideas and creations for his own financial gain.

So he does. He breaks Armitage out of his glass cage and they escape, with Kylo making it very clear to Armitage that he is his prisoner and will be treated as such. Armitage doesn’t seem to care what happens to him so Kylo’s threats are meaningless; Kylo has never come across anyone who is long scared of him and it’s strangely endearing. Kylo finds himself calling Armitage ‘gem’ a lot whilst they’re cooped up in his ship whilst he travels back to his home on the other side of the galaxy. Armitage is snarky, making quips all the time.

But all Kylo has to do is get back to his hideout without the gem being harmed or escaping. He hadn’t accounted for the feelings that would develop along the way. Armitage is beautiful in every way.

Can a thief truly call himself a thief if he allows his own heart to be stolen?

[black-suns-rim]

Desert Loreirran village concept art

I’m not that great at architecture, so I’m practicing it with some village concept art. I’ll definitely me making more here soon. This is a good time to also talk about the desert village architecture. (Information under the concept pictures)

1. Building Materials:

The desert region Loreirrans utilize a combination of natural materials to construct their desert homes and city buildings. These materials include:

- Sand: Sand is used as a foundational element, providing stability and insulation against the desert's extreme temperatures.

- Mud and Clay: Mud and clay are mixed with water to create a binding agent. This mixture is essential for forming the structures and keeping them sturdy.

- Plant Wastes: Various plant materials, such as dried leaves and stems, are added to the mix. These materials contribute to the insulation and help regulate the interior temperature.

- Water: Water is a precious resource in the desert, and it is carefully used to moisten the building materials and facilitate their molding.

2. Cooling Architecture:

The desert region Loreirran buildings are ingeniously designed to maintain a comfortable interior temperature, even during scorching summer months. Their architecture includes:

- Thermal Insulation: The combination of mud, clay, and plant waste acts as natural insulation, keeping the interiors cool during the day and retaining warmth during the chilly desert nights.

- Ventilation: Buildings feature strategically placed openings and wind-catching structures that facilitate natural ventilation. Cross-breezes help regulate the indoor climate.

- Shaded Courtyards: Courtyards within villages and towns are often surrounded by buildings, creating shaded areas where residents can seek relief from the sun's intensity.

3. Surface Villages and Subterranean Cities:

The Loreirrans have adapted their architectural styles to suit different settlement types:

Surface Villages and Towns: These settlements are typically located in proximity to natural rocky formations and hills. The Loreirrans mimic the rounded and occasionally pointed shapes of these geological features in their building designs, ensuring that their structures blend seamlessly with the desert landscape.

Underground Cities: In larger urban centers, Loreirrans construct underground cities to escape the extreme surface temperatures. These subterranean cities are accessed through large sun holes in the ground. Roads connect these cities to the surface, allowing for transportation and trade.

4. Aesthetic Variations:

The aesthetic of Loreirran architecture varies based on the specific location of a village or town:

- Rounded Structures: In areas with smoother rock formations, Loreirran buildings adopt smooth and rounded shapes. These structures flow organically with the surrounding landscape.

- Pointed Structures: In regions with more rugged rock formations, some buildings may feature natural pointiness to mimic the local geological formations, creating a unique architectural style that honors the desert's natural beauty.

[iplaywithlife]

Playing A Bug's Life The Underrated PlayStation Game

Playing A Bug's Life The Underrated PlayStation Game - For many people who are lovers of the PlayStation, A Bug's Life is not just another movie tie-in; rather, it is an adventure that is surprisingly memorable and stands out as one of the more undervalued treasures of the PlayStation 1 era.  This game instantly brings back waves of memories, from the vibrant graphics to the wacky level design and the distinct charm that marked late-90s platformers. When you boot up this game now, you are instantly transported back in time. For many PlayStation fans, A Bug’s Life isn’t just another movie tie-in. Released in 1998, A Bug’s Life for PlayStation closely follows the plot of the beloved Pixar film.

A Faithful Pixar Adventure on PlayStation

For its time, the game’s visuals were quite impressive, capturing the whimsical world of the film with vibrant colors and oversized environments that made you feel tiny in a world built for bugs The plot of the well-known Pixar film is faithfully portrayed in the PlayStation version of A Bug's Life, which was released in 1998.  In this game, you take on the role of Flik, an ingenious ant who is on a mission to rescue his colony from the tyrannical grasshoppers.  You will travel from the bustling ant hill to the perils of Bug City and beyond as you progress through each level, which is based on particular scenes from the film.  The visuals of the game were fairly stunning for their time, encapsulating the whimsical world of the film with vivid colors and huge surroundings that made you feel like a bug in a world that was designed for bugs.

Unique Gameplay and Hidden Depths

For many, the challenge of 100%-completing a level was a big part of the fun—and frustration. The way in which A Bug's Life combines action and puzzle-solving is what sets it unique from other platformers that were released during the same time period.  Flik's primary weapons are berries, which come in a variety of forms, some of which are more powerful than others, some of which have the ability to homing, and the highly sought-after gold berry, which has the ability to permanently annihilate foes. 

The seed-planting feature of the game is particularly distinctive. You collect colored tokens in order to cultivate various plants, which can assist you in reaching new places, healing yourself, or attacking any enemies you encounter.  This had a strategic component that kept the action interesting and drove players to play through the levels multiple times in order to uncover every secret.

Bonus objectives are also included in each level, and they include things like gathering every grain, locating all four letters of Flik's name, and locating the golden fruit.  Through the completion of these challenges, completionists are able to unlock bonus clips and other incentives, providing them with a multitude of reasons to continue coming back.  The challenge of completing a level with a perfect score was a significant part of the fun for many people, as well as a source of aggravation.

A Nostalgic Challenge

Many players fondly remember struggling through tough levels, asking for help with the infamous bird stage, or getting lost in Bug City’s maze-like streets. The soundtrack, with its upbeat jazz and catchy tunes, still lingers in the minds of those who played it.

In retrospect, A Bug's Life was not a game that was simple to play.  There were times when the controls were difficult to understand, the camera was frequently a battle in and of itself, and if you lost all of your lives, you were subjected to a severe reset that brought you back to the game's opening logos.

These peculiarities, however, are a significant part of what makes the game so memorable.  There are a lot of gamers who have happy memories of having to struggle through challenging stages, begging for assistance with the notorious bird stage, or getting lost in the streets of Bug City, which are like a maze.  The catchy tunes and lively jazz that are featured on the soundtrack continue to remain in the thoughts of people who have played it.

Why It’s Still Worth Remembering

Although it received a variety of reviews upon its initial release, A Bug's Life for PlayStation holds a unique and significant place in the hearts of people who were raised with it.  It is a game that manages to capture the essence of the film that it is based on, while also providing exceptional gameplay mechanics and a sense of discovery that is uncommon in movie tie-ins.  The experience of going on a nostalgic journey that is difficult to reproduce is the thrill of exploring enormous surroundings, experimenting with seeds, and collecting every last grain.

Replaying A Bug's Life on PlayStation is like opening a time capsule for everyone who played it when they were younger. It is a game that is packed with hard platforming, clever puzzles, and the simple thrill of being a small hero in a large world.  Despite the fact that it did not achieve the same level of success as other PlayStation classics, A Bug's Life continues to be an underappreciated gem that is always worth taking another look at. Despite mixed reviews at release, A Bug’s Life for PlayStation has a special place in the hearts of those who grew up with it

[themattress]

Sailor Moon (Takeuchi): The Top 20 Villains

Ranked using my core tenets for villains, and done countdown style for dramatic effect.

Honorable Mention: Danburite - He's technically not from Sailor Moon, instead being the main antagonist of the prequel Codename Sailor V. Danburite is the leader of the Dark Agency, a worldwide criminal organization that is secretly a subsidiary of the Dark Kingdom. He's a fairly complex character: hating Sailor Venus for never returning his love yet also still loving her, being upset that she favored Kunzite over him yet still working directly under Kunzite, and manipulating her in a Tuxedo Mask-esque guise just to lower her guard so he can kill her...yet ultimately choosing to die himself and use his last words to encourage her to move past him, something he could never do in regards to her. All in all, a damn solid villain.

20. Pharaoh 90 - The ruler of the Death Busters, Pharaoh 90 is a demonic extraterrestrial being bent on destruction. He's definitely the least engaging of Chaos' incarnations, but I have to give him points for a pretty great final battle and even some pathos in his last moments where he gracefully accepts his death and returns back to the Tau Nebula, saying that he wants to die in his home. That sticks with me even when little else about him does.

19. Queen Metalia - While a step above Pharaoh 90, Metalia still isn't all that interesting. She's a big blob of evil that wants to plunge the world into darkness and corrupt all its inhabitants because she's evil. Also, her design in the Crystal anime is underwhelming. Nevertheless, she gets by on how much destruction she wreaks, being the one to destroy the Moon Kingdom of the Silver Millennium and nearly causing Usagi and Mamoru's deaths.

18. Sailor Lethe and Sailor Mnemosyne - The Sailor Moon manga has straight-up villains, tragic villains, and villains who aren't really villains and are just brainwashed. That's why Lethe and Mnemosyne stand out as true blue Anti-Villains: having joined Shadow Galactica of their own volition and even doing bad things, but having a backstory that justifies it, a deep love for one another, and conflicting feelings about their mission the more destructive it becomes. They would rank way higher if they had more screentime, but alas, they do not.

17. Safir - At the same placement as his Toei counterpart, Safir is the brooding young man in the background who develops the Black Moon Clan's droids and watches helplessly as his older brother Prince Demande descends into madness thanks to Wiseman and the Malefic Black Crystal. There is no redemption to be found here, however, as Safir blames Sailor Moon and her future self Neo-Queen Serenity for everything wrong in his life rather than take any responsibility for himself and his clan, which ultimately leads to him becoming forcibly mind controlled by Wiseman and then killed by his own brother. The lesson: misogyny kills!

16. Evil Endymion - Metalia and Beryl long resented that they were unable to corrupt Prince Endymion in the Silver Millennium despite doing so with everyone else on Earth. In the present day, they finally get what they wanted, and the result is a sinister, cold-hearted and unsettling presence. Seeing the heroic, chivalrous young man we've come to know and love become a manipulative, violent sociopath is arguably where the Dark Kingdom arc peaked.

15. Chaos - In terms of personality, there's nothing here. Chaos is the Ultimate Evil and that's all there is to it. But oh, how it coasts by on sheer concept! Turned evil because it is a lifeform that has perpetually failed to get out of the Galaxy Cauldron and become a star, Chaos seethes and longs for universal conquest. This desire is so great that even trapped in the Galaxy Cauldron as a being of pure dark energy, some of that energy is able to leak out, creating all the other major villains that Sailor Moon faces. It's an ingenious way to connect the story arcs, antagonists and series together, tying it all in a satisfying, truly epic bow.

14. Witches 5 - We had evil minions correlating to the Inner Senshi that challenged them and helped their character development before with the Shitennou and the Spectre Sisters, but I think Witches 5 is the peak version of this concept as a purely villainous force. They're all perfect dark foils to their respective heroic counterpart in terms of design, personality and powers, and face off against them not once but twice, the second time after having died!

13. Esmeraude - While the lone female leader of the Black Moon Clan is sadly the least consequential, she makes a stronger impression than Safir by actually fighting the Sailor Senshi on two separate occasions, and both times being a truly formidable adversary who almost kills them all. She also has a strong personality, being a haughty beauty who seeks to win Prince Demande's love and willing to do absolutely anything to achieve that desire.

12. Kaolinite - The Grand Magus of the Death Busters who commands Witches 5, Kaolinite brings a fun DnD aesthetic to the story while also being a fairly fleshed out character, especially in Crystal. Formerly Professor Tomoe's lab partner, Kaolinite now owes her life to the Daimon energy inside her and is obsessed with pleasing Pharaoh 90. Unfortunately, this puts her at odds with his actual number 2, Mistress 9, and seeing Kaolinite struggle even when the odds are against her makes her sympathetic despite being so unabashedly wicked.

11. Black Lady - When Wiseman corrupts Chibiusa, she becomes Black Lady, the self-styled Queen of Nemesis. Black Lady is a lot like Evil Endymion, but more nuanced as she doesn't do a complete personality flip due to the brainwashing. She still has the memories and feelings she held as Chibiusa, it's just that they've been twisted and perverted: her deep insecurities about living up to her mother and frustrations with Usagi manifesting as vindictive hatred of both, and her desire to keep hold of her father's affections turned into incestuous advances toward him. She may have breached the Top 10 had her resolution been stronger.

10. Queen Nehelenia - When part of Chaos leaked from the Galaxy Cauldron and into the dark side of the moon, it created a twisted mirror image of Queen Serenity: Queen Nehelenia. She's a fairy tale baddie based off the Queen from Snow White and the Wicked Fairy from Sleeping Beauty: a vain ruler who loves her beautiful image in the mirror and whose inner self is a hideous old hag, and a practitioner of dark magic who crashes a princess' birthday celebration and invokes a curse. Derivative? Absolutely. Effective at it? Also absolutely!

9. Crimson Rubeus - One of the most loathsome members of the Black Moon Clan, Rubeus operates by sending the Spectre Sisters out to fight and die for him so that he can swoop in and capture the Sailor Senshi they've rendered vulnerable and get all the credit from Prince Demande. He's a selfish creep and also a dirty coward, always feeling at the first sign of things going south for him. Despite that, he is perceptive enough to recognize that Wiseman may not have the clan's best interests at heart, and at least has the nobility to stand up to him over it even if that ends up getting him killed. If nothing else, Rubeus was loyal to the cause.

8. Queen Beryl - The main villain for much of the original Dark Kingdom arc, Beryl is interesting because in the Silver Millennium, she was more of a victim than anything. A jealous young woman who was misled and corrupted by Metalia. However, it’s a different story in the present day. The Silver Crystal granted her reincarnation and with it, a chance for redemption. A chance not to make the same mistake. But not only does she willfully re-release Metalia and then have the Shitennou re-brainwashed, but she takes things further by plotting to betray Metalia by keeping the Silver Crystal for herself and using its power to rule the universe with Endymion at her side. A case study in how corrosive envy and hate are.

7. Kunzite - While Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoisite of the Shitennou were thinly drawn beyond one basic characteristic (loyalty, passion and underhandedness respectively), Kunzite is a richer character. Despite being the leader of the Middle East branch of the Dark Kingdom, Kunzite is powerful enough to control a worldwide subsidiary in the Dark Agency, and reliable enough to be dispatched anywhere if necessary. He is arrogant and cold-hearted, allowing no personal connections in his life and focused solely on his mission. Yet then he becomes unbrainwashed and remembers being quite the opposite: devoted and dutiful, a protector not an offender, someone warm enough for even Sailor Venus to fall in love with. Tragically, when he tries to betray Queen Beryl he gets super-brainwashed and then killed in an epic struggle with the Sailor Senshi, but his cleansed spirit stays with Mamoru and plays a key role in helping to defeat Metalia for good. And through it all, he does it with such impeccable style.

6. Professor Tomoe - This villain is like unpeeling an onion, layer by layer. He seems like a good, caring father who is caught up in the Death Busters' shady business, with signs pointing him to being misled by Kaolinite. Then we learn he's actually Kaolinite's superior and not misled at all, but still trust he has his daughter's interests at heart since he's gone through such lengths for her. And in the end, we see that he is actually a complete psychopath who cares nothing for his daughter and only went so far for her so that he can make her into the thing he wants her to be: the first of a race of superbeings that he can rule over as a god. After he turns himself into a monster, Sailor Moon has to eliminate him, accepting that he is far beyond redemption. All in all, Professor Tomoe is effectively frightening and loathsome.

5. The Amazoness Quartet - I admit that I'm not that big a fan of Takeuchi's Dead Moon Circus, but even I can't deny that the Amazoness Quartet are spectacular villains. Remember how Chibiusa turned into Black Lady and then into Sailor Chibi Moon? The Amazoness Quartet is that without the Chibiusa part. What's more, they are preteens / early teens rather than adults, which means they rely far less on any sort of sex appeal and more on their raw cunning and deviousness. VesuVesu, CeleCele, PallaPalla, and JunJun...I love 'em all!

4. Sailor Galaxia - Usagi's final opponent is her perfect evil foil. Having grown up in a harsh, uncaring environment, Galaxia is as cynical as Usagi is hopeful, and instead of drawing strength from others, she sacrifices others to build up her strength. Chaos is easily able to manipulate her nihilistic psychopathy, but despite all of her attempts to break Usagi, she proves Galaxia wrong by never giving in and even saving her in the end. Before her (temporary) death, Galaxia realizes that someone like Sailor Moon was really what she wanted and needed in her life, and that even now an ideal like her seems so far out of reach.

3. Mistress 9 - If you want an example of pure evil done right, look no further than Mistress 9, the child and herald of Pharaoh 90. Like Pharaoh 90, Mistress 9 desires the destruction of Earth and its people, but she takes particular joy in causing it, relishing all the pain she inflicts on people...including people on her own side like Kaolinite. The way she uses Hotaru once Professor Tomoe sells her out to her control is especially despicable. When she finally turns into a hideous monster, it truly feels like the inside of her is finally showing on the outside.

2. Wiseman / Death Phantom - And if you want another example of pure evil done right, we have the best incarnation of Chaos in the series. Nemesis was an entire planet made up of leaked Chaos energy from the Galaxy Cauldron, awaiting only the proper catalyst to give it consciousness. That catalyst was Death Phantom, a psychopathic criminal sorcerer banished there by Neo-Queen Serenity. Melding his soul with the planet and magically puppeting his corpse under the identity of "Wiseman", Death Phantom will psychologically manipulate anyone to pursue his goal of taking over the universe and reshaping it into a void of nothing.

1. Prince Demande - Death Phantom's primary pawn? This guy. Prince Demande, leader of the Black Moon Clan. He starts out as a young man with a sensible conviction - an unnatural moon being ruling over humanity and forcing them into elongated lives in a utopian society is blasphemous, as she's basically playing God. Unfortunately, his methods go too far into extremism and terrorism, which attracts the attention of Death Phantom who, as Wiseman, lures him and his gang to Nemesis. There, exposure to the Malefic Black Crystal warps Demande....his motive shifts to envy of Neo-Queen Serenity, as now he decides that he deserves to play God and rule over Earth. And once he attacks Earth, the madman's motives shift again...now he wishes to rule with Neo-Queen Serenity at his side, as he has been overtaken with lustful feelings toward her and wants to force her into loving him. Despite being the worst of scum, Demande still has nuance: he cares for his comrades, especially his brother Safir. When forced to kill Safir, learning the truth about Wiseman and how he's been manipulated, and seeing the true power of the Silver Crystal he thought he could defeat, Demande's despair is palpable and pitiable. But then it brings him to trying to destroy the universe, taking everyone down with him just to prove he can be the master of his own fate, unbeholden to anyone or anything. So in the end, Demande epitomizes the tragic villain.

[bluesaus]

·˚ Earth Row Cavern ·˚

DESCRIPTION Earth Row Cavern is a fairly large cavern in the Southern Caverns, with an endlessly tall ceiling and looming earth stacks of various sizes. There is plenty to explore, but it is easy for newcomers to lose their way in the expansive paths. Everywhere you turn, you can expect to see tiered elevation of earth and large columns of sturdy rock, with the varying but occasional vegetation throughout the cavern. Tall columns are often inhabited by packs formed of Diggrix slugs, Hop Rocks, Slicksilvers and the occasional Crystalyds, who are more commonly found than in the 99 Caverns but still considerably rare. Earth Row Cavern is one of many caverns that host humanoid residents, most notably humans and cave trolls, with very few elves. Since long ago, humanoids have been drilling and digging into the largest earth columns and walls to hollow out a space to build a home. Thus, houses are scattered from the lowest points to the tiered earth, and even mounted against the rock wall, providing excellent vantage point and mounting space for Hoverbug riding. Despite most of the cavern's space being occupied by humans and cave trolls, bursts of forestry in various places across the cavern are home to small dormant Shadow Clan groups. Slughounds are few in numbers and mostly domesticated as either house pets or assistance in slug finding. Travelling traders often visit Earth Row Cavern due to the larger slinger population, and their trips often span across entire slugslinging tournaments so they can check out the latest consumer market and try their hand at getting new, potentially cavern-exclusive slugs. The main attraction of Earth Row Cavern is the Terrantech Citadel, widely known across the entire Southern Caverns as the most technologically advanced, high-end and prestigious producers of mecha beasts, blasters, mining tools and vehicles. Terrantech Citadel itself is the central building where it serves as a part-time gallery for their newest products, but it also encapsulates the array of smaller factories interconnected to the Citadel that are in charge of the engineering process. The only consistent competitor of Terrantech machinery is The Engineer, who is rumoured to have been an ingenious engineer who was formerly the head of product design, terminated from Terrantech for overly ambitious and morally grey projects. Some connect the decline in Terrantech innovation to the termination of The Engineer. The top slingers of the Southern Caverns make it their goal to book a private session with Terrantech Citadel for a custom set of blasters, mecha-beasts and modifications/upgrades. Though rather pricey, their products have never once malfunctioned. Whether you are a tech enthusiast, slinger, tourist or anywhere in between, a visit to Earth Row Cavern is sure to satisfy all of your curiosities.

NATIVE SLUGS: In order of prevalence + corresponding dice number:

Hop Rock - 1~7

Diggrix - 8~13

Slicksilver - 14~16

Geoshard (Red, Amber and Green variants) - 16~18, colour is randomised

Crystalyd - 19~20

-oOo-

Dice: d20

[talesfrommedinastation]

Tech's Helmet: Im finyish go fo Belta

So, a major plot point in Far Past the Ring is the simple fact that the layout and design of Tech's unique trooper helmet was copied, and taken back to the Ring Gate, where Belters have gone absolutely bananas over this fancy and ingenious design.

Belters live their lives in space completely, and having a helmet that is safe, comfortable, and practical, is crucial as life itself. In The Expanse, Belters often slap stickers or write their names on their helmets. I imagine, with more time and wealth, more decorations can take part, and it's a big plot point in the longfic, especially for Tro, pictured below in the bottom right.

Here's the OCs who have taken Tech's helmet design (which is called the 'Tekimang' style.

FYI: Tekimang is the Lang Belta word for an engineer, it literally translates to 'tech-man'! It becomes an ongoing joke that it's Tech's full name, lol.

Front view of the helmets.

Sjael Drummer: A chemical engineer who focuses on creating synthetic and organic sweeteners for human consumption, Sjael’s helmet is covered in elaborate flowers and fruits that she works closely with. You will see strawberries, blueberries, vanilla, and blossoms from potato and carrot plants. They are done in mixed Ojibwe/Rosemaling style, to signify her mixed First Nations and Scandinavian Earther heritage. I also designed it to also signify her archetype as Persephone and Idunn (coincidentally, the name of her Mulan-class gunship), bringers and guardians of life and all things green and growing. 

Timon Chapelle: Timon is a firefighter, through and through. His helmet is covered in almost brutalist paintings of flames and ropes, all in reds, oranges, and yellows. The ‘ropes’ on his cheeks are almost Celtic in design, as in some ways, he is a keeper of multiple facets of knowledge as a Belter elder. 

Hobbs Chapelle: “If an elementary school kid designed a helmet”. Hobbs is obsessed with animals, especially his two pet cats, and becomes enamored with the idea of Wookiees and other sentient species after meeting clone troopers from the 41st. He not only has his cats' paws on his helmet's front, but a stylist design of Wookiee handprints and claw marks on the ears and visor, made to look like they were painted with mud. The circles on top of the helmet signify his homes of Ganymede, Ceres, and now Medina Station. 

Tro Chapelle: A budding artist and high school freshman, Tro’s helmet designs is all over the place, as are her interests. Very much a teen's notebook style, a girl still figuring out her place in the universe. Her helmet's ears have the design of her great-grandmother’s ‘freedom quilt’ from Earth that was destroyed in the Ganymede attack. Her visor has her name in Ojibwe from the Drummer side. The rest of her helmet is covered in various paint jobs to symbolize elements of fire, air, water, and earth–things that she is thrilled to see now that she is on the station.

Side view of the helmets.

Tagging my Belter loving beratnas out there: @skellymom @thecoffeelorian @supremechancellorrex @sued134 @amalthiaph @littlefeatherr @eyecandyeoz @eelfuneral @notavalidusername @sometimes-i-talk-a-lot @rocicrew @perfectlywingedcrusade @autistic-artistech @that-salmonberry-punk @dukeoftheblackstar @freesia-writes @just-shower-thoughts