#CRAWLER COMB

[fried-peaches00]

“It’s The Way”

Teylan x Human Reader

Word Count: 709

Summary: A little something about Teylan dreaming of life on earth with his human.

Of course So’lek noticed Teylan’s love for humans. Anyone could see the way the RDA conditioning was hard for him to shake. He didn’t adapt as well as the other remaining members of his clan to being ripped from everything they knew as home, despite how they hated it. They saw how he lived for human validation, scrambling to be needed, working himself past fatigue. However, neither So’lek nor the other Sarentu saw who loved him so effortlessly he didn’t have to try to feel wanted. Since the day he turned up at headquarters you never treated him like anything but Teylan. To you, he wasn't the exotic, endangered, last of his clan and he definitely wasn’t the RDA brown-noser So’lek thought he was. He was just perfectly who you needed him to be.

It’s the way you included him in your routine since day one, allowing him to follow on your heels when he wasn’t sure where he fit in. He lingered close when you took samples from the aquaponics and he loved to be around when you cooked at the small kitchen. Whether it was scavenged MREs you added sugars and spices to or meals you learned to cook from na’vi clans you visited, you always made sure to give him a taste, passing along what you learned from the time you spent on this moon.

And when he found his groove, it’s the way you bonded over your sciences, especially now that HE had something to teach YOU, and gossiped about other members of clans and the resistance. Over climbing trees and watching the mud crawlers wind through the stream running under headquarters.

It’s the way that when he crawls under the sheets of your much too small cot, curling his big body around yours; you always welcome him no matter how exhausted you are. Combing your fingers through his short black hair until he purrs, whispering to him stories of earth upon his request. Tales of high schools and summer camps and puppies that kept him entranced for hours at a time.

And long after you drift to sleep, still contorted around his crumpled body stuffed into the bars of your bottom bunk, he imagines being an earth human. He Imagines going to human university and meeting you while you were studying Biology with a minor in astronomy and astrophysics just like you said. He imagines sneaking into your dorm room past the resident assistants to do homework and watch all the movies you reminisce on from your time on Earth, maybe more if he got lucky. He imagines going on dates to local cafés and drinking coffee that you promised was better than the stale, close to three decades old grime you let him try from the kitchen (but not by much). He dreamt of dates to libraries with real paper books and being nervous about meeting your parents over a homemade pasta dinner. But over anything else, he dreamed of kissing you in public; and no one thinks twice about it.

Teylan wants to love on you without the concern of hurting you with his immense size, or worrying about how long it is going to last before the war rips you from him the way that he was ripped from his clan so many years ago. He didn’t want to have to worry about the crushing gaze of the other Na’vi or the pitying looks from the scientists when he sat on the hard cold ground while you were working just to be around you, or when he worried endlessly while you were away conducting field research he was too nervous to join you on. Mostly, He just wants to love you like a human loves another human.

But when you wake to the resistance team beginning to rouse, one by one, and you smile at him through puffy, sleep-laden eyes. Petting his face and resting delicate kisses on his broad nose, whispering to him what you had wanted to do today and inviting him along. When you coax him into the wilds of pandora and show him the beauty of his home planet through intertwined fingers and kisses soaked by native fruits. He knows he’s right where he needs to be.

[dragonofpandora]

Making a list of foods in Frontiers so I can think about maybe trying to make fake recipes for them later. Smacking it below a cut for everyone's sanity.

EDIT 2: FINALLY FINISHED!

Specialty Recipes

Relun's Fish Stew: The fish is cooked to perfection and complimented by the umami of the mushrooms. A favorite among the Aranahe. (Superior mudcrawler fish/superior crimson mushroom)

Kìn's Zangke: A zangke that starts bold on the palate yet has a wistful and lingering finish. (Superior fiery herbs/superior zakru milk)

Sweetened Niktsyey: A niktsyey that will quench a sweet tooth with its dark nectar and fruits. (Fine swamp hive nectar/fine shelter fruit)

Novao's Niktsyey: A light meal with fruity tones. Ideal for a scout or gatherer who spends their day on the move. (Superior pod fruit/superior feather blade seed)

Stormglider Soup: An intense soup that unites sky and water in an unlikely yet rewarding combination. (Stormglider egg/fine octofin fish)

Novao's Mushroom Pie: Chewy mushrooms and crunchy seeds, well-seasoned and enjoyed by many in the Zeswa clan. (Superior cloud spitter seed/superior vineshroom)

Okul's Grain Soup: A sweet,thick soup with an earthy flavor. The Kame'tire enjoy this especially in the morning. (Fine cloud spitter seed/fine creamy plant milk)

Steamed Stormglider Bun: A soft bun filled with juicy meats, steamed to perfection. Rumor has it So'lek is quite fond of this dish. (Fine whipfang crawler fatty meat/fine stormglider lean meat)

Okul's Bake: The hearty flavors of meat and mushroom have a surprising subtlety to them. (Superior banquet mushroom/superior echo stalker lean meat)

Nutty Pastry: The crunchy seeds mix perfectly with the sweetness from the nectar while maintaining an earthy undertone. (Fine eyethorn seed/fine stagfly ant nectar)

Fresh Fish Soup: Fresh fish and generous chunks of mushroom make for a universally enjoyed and healthy soup. (Fine buoyfish/fine radar mushrooms)

Kxan'epe: A peculiar yet emboldening kxan'epe. The result of Okul's uncurbed experimentation. (Also described by various characters as "a challenging drink" with conflicting yet fascinating flavors.) (Superior sage mushroom/superior stagfly ant nectar)

Revitalizing porridge: An exploration of blaze fruit, soft and sweet from being cooked in nectar. (Fine blaze fruit/fine forest nectar comb)

Bladehead grain soup: The thick soup - rich with rugged chunks of steaming bladehead meat - is given a nice texture by the seeds. (Fine bladehead fatty meat/fine feather blade seed)

Thanator brisket soup: A soup with thick, gamy cuts of thanator brisket. The broth is well-rounded with bits of meer deer meat in it. (Boulderlands thanator lean meat/fine meer deer fatty meat)

Relun's meaty soup: A soup made from various cuts of fatty meat. The broth is quite intense, yet enjoyed by many Aranahe. (Superior scarab crawler fatty meat/superior hexapede fatty meat)

Bitter fruit pie: For all the sugar of the fruit, the combination comes out bitter, yet it does have its fans. (Superior yoten egg/superior shell fruit)

Relun's fruity tea: A fragrantly fruity tea that gently tickles the nostrils and brings a warmth that spreads throughout the body. (Superior fortune's fruit/superior forest nectar)

Sweet fish pie: A sweet dish filled to the brink with slices of fruit and delicate cuts of fish that almost melt on the tongue. (Fine blaze fruit/fine mudcrawler fish)

Cheesy Sähena: With cheese and herbs filling the dough buns that are steamed to perfection this is a dish to remember. (Fine zakru milk/fine fiery herbs)

It won't let me add any more images, but -

Thanator Niktsyey: A rugged niktsyey, or Na'vi wrap, made from eggs and thanator meat. A true hunter's meal.

Fruit-based

Mushroom-and-fruit salad: A delicious portion of tangy fruit chunks and savory pieces of mushroom. Steak salad: A hearty, baked helping of fruit salad and fatty steak. Sweet fruit salad: Various fruits glazed with a thick nectar for that extra sweet touch. Fruit salad: A flavorful fruit salad that can be prepared to suit individual tastes. Spiced fruit salad: The herbs enhance the fruits in this light dish, giving the flavors new depth and dimension. Meat slice salad: A delectable serving of lean meat slices and fruits. Eggy fruit salad: A protein-rich mix of fruits in a golden egg wash. Crunchy salad: A mix of fruits sprinkled with popped seeds for a satisfying texture. Creamy fruit salad: Fruits in milk, a refreshing and creamy treat on a hot day.

Fruit + fish: slimy salad: The fish and fruit have combined into a slimy mess that is not fit to eat.

Lean meat-based

Egg-washed meat skewer: A lean meat skewer with additional robustness from a generous egg wash. Meat and fish skewer: Land and water unite in a skewer that hosts the best of both worlds. Mixed meat skewer: A skewer with alternating chunks of lean and fatty meat, combining the best of both worlds. Fruit and meat skewer: Alternating chunks of fruit and meat, skewered and grilled together in a marriage of sweet and savory. Cheesy meat skewer: Chunks of strong cheese add a tangy richness to this meat skewer. Sweet meat skewer: A nourishing portion of lean meats with a generous coating of sweet nectar. Spiced meat skewer: Chunks of lean meat, skewered and infused with an herb mix that gives them a verdant aroma. Meat and mushroom skewer: A robust umami experience featuring juicy mushrooms and chunks of lean meat. Lean meat skewer: Chunks of lean meat lightly grilled to keep them juicy and delectable. Crunchy meat skewer: Skewered chunks of meat, coated in crispy seeds for a satisfying crunch.

Fish-based

Fruity seafood: Grilled fish with a side of sweet salsa made from fresh fruits. Mushroom seafood: Fried fish fillet with a side of chopped mushroom. Simple yet succulent. Meat slice seafood: Fish and meat, the flavors of the land and water in a single dish. Marbled meat seafood: A generous fish fillet accompanied by tender slices of marbled meat. Extravagant seafood: A hefty amount of fried fish to sate even the hungriest fisher. Sweet seafood: A fish fillet coated in a surprising sweet and sour nectar seasoning. Creamy seafood: Fish poached in milk, creamy and flavorful with an unrivaled texture. Crunchy seafood: Fish covered in nuts before being fried, making for a crunchy and satisfying meal. Spiced seafood: A helping of fried fish seasoned with various herbs that bring new depth to the flavor.

Fish + eggs = sloppy seafood: The fish and eggs repelled each other, and the end result repels all but the most desperate and starving.

Spice-based

Meat chunk spice bowl: The fat from the meat tempers the fire of this dish and creates a pleasant, smoldering warmth within. Mushroom spice bowl: A heavily peppered mushroom for those who like their food to bite back. Egg spice bowl: The simple scrambled egg develops a bite from the mixture of spicy herbs. Fish spice bowl: An herbal fish fillet that will have mouths watering all around the cooking fire. Meat slice spice bowl: These spicy meat strips will make your nose run and your eyes water, but the flavor is worth it. Cheesy spice bowl: Cheese filled with a variety of herbs and spices. Rich in flavor and nourishment. Crunchy spice bowl: The spicy seeds, roasted to perfection, bring the heat to everyone who enjoys them. Sweetened spice bowl: Sweet and crunchy nectar comb covered with herbs and spices. Packed with flavor and energy!

Spices + fruit = slimy fruit spice bowl: The fruits reacted unexpectedly with the herbs, losing their consistency and becoming a slimy, caustic mess. Spices + spices = scorching spice bowl: The aromas are wonderful but the taste is anything but. It's dry, hard to swallow, and burns the throat.

Egg-based

Steak egg fry: A stacked dish featuring eggs topped with a rich, juicy steak. Chopped fish egg fry: An egg fry with juicy fish chunks that bring a savory contrast to the fluffiness of the eggs. Fruity egg fry: Lightly-baked fruits contrast pleasantly with the savory egg in this colorful egg fry. Crunchy egg fry: The baked seeds bring a crunchy texture to an otherwise deliciously soft egg fry. Sweet egg fry: The amount of nectar used was just about enough to caramelize the egg fry. Extravaganza egg fry: When one egg fry won't do, just stack two on top of each other! Meat strip egg fry: A savory egg fry with strips of protein-rich meat that'll keep you going. Spiced egg fry: A fluff of spiced egg fry that just melts in your mouth while its flavors linger pleasantly. Creamy egg fry: Infused with creamy milk, this egg fry is a fluffy delight.

Egg + mushroom: Moldy egg fry: The fungus and the egg, instead of coming together in the oven, disagreed. The resulting dish tastes moldy at best.

Nectar-based

Glazed fruits: Chunks of hard sweets with fruit pieces. The floral undertones of the nectar lend depth to the fruity flavors. Glazed mushroom: Nectar-preserved mushroom. The texture is curiously chewy but quite pleasant, as is the taste. Glazed spices: A large nectar comb infused with a mix of herbs. The spiciness cuts through the sweetness, bringing heat to this snack. Glazed fish: Seared fish coated in a thick, sweet nectar sauce. The sweetness brings a whole new dimension to the flavor of the fish. Glazed egg: A cooked egg coated in nectar and then fried. The sweetness mixed with the savory works a treat. Glazed bright nectar comb: Hard chunks of crystalline nectar. The floral undertones lighten the otherwise heavy sweet dish. Glazed seeds: Chunks of hard sweets with seeds. The nutty flavor of the seeds yields gently to the floral undertones of the nectar. Glazed sweets: Hard chunks of caramel that start out brittle in the mouth before gradually turning chewy.

Nectar + lean meat = glazed lump: The meat is lost, drowned in nectar. The flavor is cloying, the texture sticky, and it fights you all the way down. Nectar + fatty meat = glazed mass: Too much nectar, too much heat, for far too long. The result is an unidentifiable, disturbingly stretchy mass.

Milk-based

Meat strips and cheese: A large, baked cheese with strips of lean meat on the inside. Herb-infused cheese: The herbal seasoning infuses this cheese with an enticing aroma and gives it a distinctive flavor. Fruity cheese: The cheese balls have small pieces of fresh fruit inside, making an otherwise heavy dish lighter. Eggy cheese: Baked cheese with a side of fried egg for a protein-rich meal. Smells delicious. Steak and cheese: Baked cheese balls with chopped steak. A rich combination. Tangy cheese: The fungal spores grew in the milk, creating a pleasantly earthy and tangy cheese. Crunchy cheese: The coating of crunchy seeds creates a delightful contrast to the soft and mellow cheese. Delectable cheese: A cheese connoisseur's dream. The heat has melted the cheeses to stringy perfection, their flavors mingled.

Cheese + fish = over-salted cheese: The ingredients combined to make a clotted brine of sorts, resulting in a dish that is unappetizing in almost every way. Cheese + nectar = The nectar caused the milk to congeal in an unfavorable way, resulting in a sticky goo that smells a bit rotten.

Nut-based

Sweet stir-fry: A stir-fry covered in nectar and slowly roasted to sweet, savory, crunchy perfection. Meat slice stir-fry: The meat is given nutty undertones by the seeds in this savory stir-fry. Mushroom stir-fry: A rich stir-fry mixed with minced mushrooms. Smooth and flavorful. Crunchy stir-fry: A large portion of nutrient-dense seeds stir-fried to perfection. Fruity stir-fry: The fruit juices have infused the stir-fry and made it sweet and slightly sticky. Fish stir-fry: A basic but delicious combination of fish and seeds that no Na'vi will turn down. Chunky meat stir-fry: The seeds have been fried in the fat from the roughly cut meat chunks. Salty, crunchy, delicious. Egg stir-fry: Covered in a delicious, savory egg-wash, the stir-fry has a pleasing, nutty richness to itself. Creamy stir-fry: Given a healthy dose of milk, this is a creamy and satisfying dish.

Seeds + spices = throat-burning stir-fry: An ambitious idea gone terribly wrong. Has more potential as some manner of weapon than a dish.

Fatty meat-based

Egg-washed roast: This protein-rich egg-washed meat roast will leave you ready to take on the whole world. Meat and mushroom roast: The saltiness of the meat combines with the umami of the mushrooms, the two elevating each other to a symphony of flavors. Meat roast: A hearty meat roast, infused with spiced leaves. (Fatty meat + lean meat) Meat and fruit roast: A roast with a side of steamed fruits that give the dish a sweet edge. Meat and fish roast: A portion of meat roast with a side of high-fat fish that will sate the hungriest warrior. Herb-infused roast: A meat roast infused with intriguing herbs and spices. A dish to contemplate. Sweet meat roast: A decadant meat roast with a plentiful nectar glazing. Crunchy meat roast: A side of popped seeds gives an exciting texture on this roast. Rich meat roast: A rich meat roast with veins of marbled fat running through it.

Fatty meat + milk = greasy roast: The sauce didn't mix properly due to all the fat from the ingredients. The result is a greasy slop that sits heavy in the belly.

Mushroom-based:

Fish-stuffed mushroom: Fatty fish fills the natural bowl formed by a large mushroom, the flavors creating a pleasing union. Fruit-stuffed mushroom: The savory mushroom and the sweet fruit compote compliment each other perfectly. Meat-stuffed mushroom: A huge, juicy mushroom stuffed with lean meat. Just breathing in the aroma feels nourishing. Glazed mushroom: A large mushroom glazed with nectar. The dish just about gives off an enticing, amber glow. Spice-stuffed mushroom: A huge mushroom seasoned with with a rich blend of herbs and spices, giving it a steaklike flavor. Egg-stuffed mushroom: A veritable omelet within a huge mushroom. The insides are steamed well and the texture is nice and spongy. Roast-stuffed mushroom: A great mushroom filled with fatty meat. The edges seem crunchy and well-seasoned. Stuffed mushroom: Mushroom stuffed with mushroom, this umami-loaded delight is for the true fungi enthusiast. Cheese-stuffed mushroom: Stuffed with fresh, creamy cheese, the huge mushroom has a mouth-watering aroma.

Mushroom + seeds: Acrid mushroom: The mushroom and the seeds disagreed with each other causing an unexpected, acidic reaction.

[lostusagis]

@jiraipink asked:

"Th-There... There... There's..." She points a shaky finger to her bed. "There's a spider on my bed when I woke up!" She slept too long that it was already afternoon by the time Kamui visited; apparent by the bedhead, cutesy comfy pajamas and lack of makeup. If only she woke up peacefully to Kamui's warm smile and soothing voice, but a spider greeted her instead. Not that she hates them nor has anything against what they do, but their appearance is what scares her.

Hearing and seeing Kamui look so confused made her feel bad for worrying him. Geez. She felt embarrassed for running towards him calling out his name and clinging onto him for something so trivial. Her hands release him and she awkwardly fidgets with her fingers. "S-Sorry. I guess I just... When I saw you, I couldn't help it. You make me feel so safe and ended up relying on you..." And then a realization hits her. "O-Oh no! I don't even look ready! Oh god my hair is a mess I'm so embarrassed!" Her black nailed fingers comb through her two-toned hair speedily to at least have less strands sticking out and detangled. "C-Could you wait for me in the living room? Don't worry I may be scared, but I'm used to catching them. I don't like killing them eheh...." Namida offers him an apologetic smile before she picks up an empty jar she keeps in her room specifically for these instances and anxiously looks all over her My Melody Kuromi blanket to find the little creepy crawler.

''. . . . . .'' Kamui blinked, looking at her for a few seconds before his body would erupt with laughter. Here he was, having assumed the worst. Yet, she had screamed like that over a spider of all things.

''Hahahahaha- Namida. . . .'' It was too funny to him, although maybe he was being a bit mean. Kamui couldn't imagine something like bugs ever actually scaring him. Hell, he's seen some way bigger than the ones typically living on earth. Which is why he found this situation so funny.

''Sorry, sorry. . . .'' He eventually stopped laughing, although Kamui just kind of smiles warmly at her when she'd say she felt safe with him and relied on him too. There was an indescribable happiness from that, especially since he felt the same way.

''You don't need to feel embarrassed though, I think you still look cute even when you're not all dressed up. Not a lot of people can say that.'' The messy hair was adorable in his opinion, Kamui was tempted to take a picture but decided not to. Maaaaybe another time.

''But alright, good luck finding the oh-so-terrifying little spider.'' Kamui teasingly says with a smirk, ''If you need my help, just call me. ♡'' Although, he'd probably just kill it instead of saving it like she intended. It occurred to Kamui that's probably why she hadn't asked him for help at all.

Well, whatever, he'll just wait for her on the sofa. Kamui couldn't help but find the fact that she was still going after the spider, despite being afraid really admirable. She was really amazing in so many ways, which was why he liked her as much as he did.

No other human was this interesting.

[proud-mama-joyce]

s5 concept: Vecna’s “Hawkins crawler”

just had a crazy thought about Vecna and the new title. 

could “The Crawl” possibly be related to the concept of a web crawler?  A web crawler is a type of software that basically combs the internet to save information from current versions of websites so that they can be found on a search engine like Google. To make the process more efficient, the software will typically also find any links on those pages, follow them, save information from those, and repeat until there is a database of as many websites as possible.

here’s a little more info:

We got a glimpse in S4 of how Vecna was searching through Hawkins residents to find his victims, but we don’t have all the information about how this works. Does he have to see what they’re doing in real time when he chooses to view them, make an informed guess based on what he sees, and then dig deeper into someone’s mind? Or does he have the energy/power to learn deeply about each person’s memories and trauma before trying to focus on a few? Is there a limit to how many people he can keep tabs on at once? Can he mass-acquire updates to people’s memories/thoughts/feelings with a single sweep, or does he have to spend time and energy looking at people one at a time?  ...more importantly, no matter how he looks into people’s minds, could the spread of the UD into Hawkins make his mind-reading process more energy-efficient for him, allowing him to use his strength more fully?

What if Vecna’s goal in opening the gates was to create/improve a method of “people crawling” (attempting to keep a database of everyone’s memories, thoughts, and feelings that he could search in more detail at will like a personal psychic Hawkins Google)? Maybe the vines--which we know are connected to the hivemind and which literally crawl/slither--are related to this process, which could make sense with one meaning of “The Crawl.” He would have some good motives to improve his psychic read on Hawkins residents after the events of S4. Maybe he could be even more confident that he can stay ahead of any plans to thwart him, if he has a more efficient psychic updating system. Maybe he could assess larger trends in morale or spot potentially threatening people/groups, and target attacks from UD creatures to make the most impact. (Scary.)

And, in our metaphor, since web crawlers search pages for links to find additional pages, maybe this hivemind Hawkins Crawler could search people for their relationships to others, or take advantage somehow of their love and connection. The thought of Vecna trying to use our characters’ bonds with each other against them would seem in-character to me, given his S4 temporary defeat, his deep-rooted resentment of other people, and maybe especially Will’s escape from his control in S2 as a result of his loving relationships. 

If any of this is on the right track, it’s worth noting that the first web crawler (from what I can find) wasn’t introduced in 1993. This would seem to limit the relevance of a metaphor like a web crawler for our characters. However, I’ve thought it was interesting how Suzie brought up the internet in S4 and how it would “change the world.” (Fun reference for us in 2022, or also foreshadowing?) There’s even a track on the S4 soundtrack called, “What’s the Internet?”, adding more emphasis. I think these could be hints that this subject will come up again in S5. Also, there will be a time skip at some point of undetermined length that could bring us closer to when crawler technology was being discussed or developed (so closer to when someone like Suzie might have a good way to understand Vecna’s system through a metaphor like this, which could be earlier than 1993). We have science genius characters and military interest in the situation in Hawkins. We’re also a modern audience watching the show with more context to understand internet metaphors than most of our characters would initially have. I could also see this concept as being one that would draw together 1) nerdy genius (maybe with a dash of Cold War tension?), 2) Will’s connection to the hivemind/Vecna, and 3) El’s psychic abilities as they attempt to understand it, game Vecna’s system, and disable it. All with a term (”crawl”) that could double as a relevant D&D concept. Maybe a reach? But I’m intrigued.

[thehyperrequiem]

Batim: Ink of Origins

I decided to create an au based on the Origins from not only the Origins Smp, but the origins from the Afterlife Smp. Pretty Cool huh? Well anyways, here's how the AU works...

Basically, this AU is something like a Supernatural scenery and it is focused on the humans more than the toons (The toons are in it, they are just being some of the origins) where they have magical ancient devices called The Artifact of 10 Souls. The Artifacts are magical and grants any wearer the ability to turn into any Origin that the Orb of Origins pick out for them, which can be randomizing when it comes to choosing. However, as the name implies, the artifact has ten slots for each origin, so the user is limited to 10 origins that they are given...And the artifacts cannot be destroyed, which it can take form of amulets or any different wearables. (Think of it like a Ben 10 like AU, but instead of aliens, it is origins. Look at these following links to see the origins. Origins | Origins SMP Wiki | Fandom and Origins | AFTERLIFESMP Wiki | Fandom)

Humans

✒️️ Henry Stein

Artifact Shape - Wristwatch

Origins:

🌊 Kraken's Ink (Merling, Cephalopod classed with Mimic Octopus)

🐇 Lucky Feet (Lepus/Rabbit)

☁️ Air Rider (Elytrian)

🐺 Ink of Boris (Wolf)

🦋 Lepidombra (Mothling)

🐚 Shells of the Hard (Shulk)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

🌌 Aquarius's Cartoonist (Starborne)

😇 Ink of Alice (Angel)

🐲 Blood of a Dragon (Half-Dragon)

🧹 Wally Franks

Artifact Shape - Choker

Origins:

🐇 Lucky Feet (Lepus/Rabbit)

🤖 Techno-Organic (Half-Robot)

🐺 Ink of Boris (Wolf)

💉 Geode in the Rough (Thornling)

🐝 Bumbling Janitor (Bumblebee)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

🍪 Sweet Toothed Yeti (Cookieborn)

🕷️ Ink of Edgar (Arachnid)

🦠 Slimy Janitor (Slimecican)

🐥 Tweetin' outta here (Birb)

🔧 Thomas Conner

Artifact Shape - Glove

Origins:

�� Ink of Boris (Wolf)

🐚 Shells of the Hard (Shulk)

🧌 Supersize (Giant)

🤖 Techno-Organic (Half-Robot)

🍪 Sweet Toothed Yeti (Cookieborn)

🐉 Full on Dragon (Wyverian)

🛗 Force of Gravity (Gravital)

🐗 Hog Wild (Piglin)

⚡️Blood of Zeus (Thunderborne)

🔥Heart of Fire (Blazeborn)

🪕 Sammy Lawrence

Artifact Shape - Bowtie

Origins:

😇 Ink of Alice (Angel)

👻 Ink of Carley (Phantom)

🧛 Ink of Charley (Vampire)

🦋 Lepidombra (Mothling)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

🦊 Tail of a Kitsune (Fox)

🧿 Eyes of Purple (Enderian)

👽 Intergalactic Slime (Goolien)

🧪 Magic Fingers (Illusioner)

🖤 Shadow Music Composer (Shadow Crawler)

📝 Jack Fain

Artifact Shape - Pocket Watch

Origins:

🫧 Amphibious Lyricist (Atling)

⛄️ Frosty's Charm (Snow Golem)

🐚 Shells of the Hard (Shulk)

🦝Trashivore (Raccoon)

🐗 Hog Wild (Piglin)

🦠 Slimy Lyricist (Slimecican)

👝 Super-Shrunk (Inchling)

🐾 Playing Possum (Opossum)

❄️ Ink of Barley (Iceling)

🐛 Insectoid (Crawler)

📽️ Norman Polk

Artifact Shape - Brooch

Origins:

🔊 Blood of Fungus (Sculkborn)

🖤 Shadow Projectionist (Shadow Crawler)

👁️ Soul of Chaos (Enigma)

🧿 Eyes of Purple (Enderian)

🐺 Ink of Boris (Wolf)

🦋 Lepidombra (Mothling)

🦘 Creature from the Outback (Kangaroo)

🤖 Techno-Organic (Half-Robot)

👽 Intergalactic Slime (Goolien)

👝 Super-Shrunk (Inchling)

🎙️Susie Campbell

Artifact Shape - Hair comb

Origins:

🎍 Going Red (Red Panda)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

😇 Ink of Alice (Angel)

🌊 Siren's Scale (Merling, Ichthyes classed)

🧚 Dust of a Pixie (Fairyborn)

🐇 Lucky Feet (Lepus/Rabbit)

🧛 Ink of Charley (Vampire)

🧪 Magic Fingers (Illusioner)

🕷️ Ink of Edgar (Arachnid)

🌳 Daughter of Mother Nature (Forestborn)

🧮Grant Cohen

Artifact Shape - Tie

Origins:

🧛 Ink of Charley (Vampire)

🐈 Cat Scratch Fever (Feline)

🐝 Bumbling Accountant (Bumblebee)

👝 Super-Shrunk (Inchling)

👽 Intergalactic Slime (Goolien)

🦝Trashivore (Raccoon)

🦎 Color Changer (Chameleon)

🛗 Force of Gravity (Gravital)

🦊 Tail of a Kitsune (Fox)

🌱 Touch of Nature (Floran)

🍀 Shawn Flynn

Artifact Shape - Amulet

Origins:

🏘 Wooly Trader (Villager)

❄️ Ink of Barley (Iceling)

🌳 Son of Mother Nature (Forestborn)

🐛 Insectoid (Crawler)

🐇 Lucky Feet (Lepus/Rabbit)

☁️ Air Rider (Elytrian)

🐾 Playing Possum (Opossum)

👻 Ink of Carley (Phantom)

🔊 Blood of Fungus (Sculkborn)

🍪 Sweet Toothed Yeti (Cookieborn)

🎢 Bertrum Piedmont

Artifact Shape - Cufflinks

Origins:

🧌 Supersize (Giant)

🤖 Techno-Organic (Half-Robot)

🎍 Going Red (Red Panda)

🦅 Birds of a Feather (Avian)

🐚 Shells of the Hard (Shulk)

🌌 Taurus's Special Project Director (Starborne)

🐉 Full on Dragon (Wyverian)

🧛 Ink of Charley (Vampire)

🐗 Hog Wild (Piglin)

🔊 Blood of Fungus (Sculkborn)

⚙️ Lacie Benton

Artifact Shape - Anklet

Origins:

🕷️ Ink of Edgar (Arachnid)

🧚 Dust of a Pixie (Fairyborn)

🫧 Amphibious Engineer (Atling)

🐥 Tweetin' Fix (Birb)

🍬 Sweet Essence (Candy)

🦘 Creature from the Outback (Kangaroo)

🤖 Techno-Organic (Half-Robot)

💉 Geode in the Rough (Thornling)

🌱 Touch of Nature (Floran)

🐇 Lucky Feet (Lepus/Rabbit)

🗡️ Allison Pendle

Artifact Shape - Bracelet

Origins:

🐚 Shells of the Hard (Shulk)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

😇 Ink of Alice (Angel)

🧚 Dust of a Pixie (Fairyborn)

🌳 Daughter of Mother Nature (Forestborn)

🐾 Playing Possum (Opossum)

🧿 Eyes of Purple (Enderian)

🐝 Bumbling Angel (Bumblebee)

🍄 Fun Gal (Truffle)

🌊 Siren's Scale (Merling, Ichthyes classed)

✒️ Joey Drew

Artifact Shape - Tie Clip

Origins:

🐲 Blood of a Dragon (Half-Dragon)

💀 Headless Horseman's Call (Dullahan)

🖤 Shadow Director (Shadow Crawler)

🌌 Ox's Drew (Starborne)

🧛 Ink of Charley (Vampire)

🐺 Ink of Boris (Wolf)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

😇 Ink of Alice (Angel)

🥀 Withering Soul (Half-Wither)

👁️ Soul of Chaos (Enigma)

💘 Linda Stein

Artifact Shape - Necklace

Origins:

🌊 Kraken's Ink (Merling, Cephalopod classed with Mimic Octopus)

🐇 Lucky Feet (Lepus/Rabbit)

☁️ Air Rider (Elytrian)

🧚 Dust of a Pixie (Fairyborn)

🐚 Shells of the Hard (Shulk)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

😇 Ink of Alice (Angel)

🐲 Blood of a Dragon (Half-Dragon)

✏️ Buddy Lewek

Artifact Shape - Collar Necklace

Origins:

🥀 Withering Soul (Half-Wither)

🐺 Ink of Boris (Wolf)

👻 Ink of Carley (Phantom)

🐛 Insectoid (Crawler)

🦅 Birds of a Feather (Avian)

🍪 Sweet Toothed Yeti (Cookieborn)

👽 Intergalactic Slime (Goolien)

⚡️ Blood of Zeus (Thunderborne)

🏘 Wooly Trader (Villager)

🦠 Slimy Cartoonist (Slimecican)

✍ Dot

Artifact Shape - Collar Necklace

Origins:

🧚 Dust of a Pixie (Fairyborn)

🐺 Ink of Boris (Wolf)

⚰️ Rotted Soul (Zombie)

🐝 Bumbling Writer (Bumblebee)

🐥 Tweetin' Sentence (Birb)

🍬 Sweet Essence (Candy)

🍄 Fun Gal (Truffle)

🌱 Touch of Nature (Floran)

🔊 Blood of Fungus (Sculkborn)

🐈 Cat Scratch Fever (Feline)

Toons' Origin:

Bendy - Vex

Boris - Wolf

Alice - Angel

Charley - Vampire

Barley - Iceling

Edgar - Arachnid

Carley - Phantom

Chester - Shulk

Gaskette - Half-Robot

Canoodle - Racoon

Dewey - Illusioner

Bonus Guest under here.

🖊️ Audrey Drew

Artifact Shape - Ring

Origins:

🐲 Blood of a Dragon (Half-Dragon)

💀 Headless Horseman's Call (Dullahan)

🖤 Shadow Director (Shadow Crawler)

🧚 Dust of a Pixie (Fairyborn)

🌌 Ox's Daughter (Starborne)

🐺 Ink of Boris (Wolf)

🗡 Ink of Bendy (Vex)

😇 Ink of Alice (Angel)

🦠Jelly Cartoonist (Slimecican)

🐾 Playing Possum (Opossum)

[sarfras1-navas-digital-marketing]

how does seo working..?

working of SEO is the search engine crawlers  (also called bots) comb through all the content they can find on the internet. They do so by following internal links within websites and links across different websites. The bots look at the content on each of your pages (including the URL, title tag, headings, links, and more) to get an understanding of what each page is about. The search engine provider takes all of this information to build what is called an Index

[that-kid-from-vault-101]

We eventually pushed them back to Adams Air Force Base, just outside of DC. They had this huge land crawler, like an aircraft carrier on treads that was serving as their HQ. I got dispatched to infiltrate the place, shut down their air traffic control, soften up the approach to the crawler while the rest of the Brotherhood assaulted the base proper.

They fought tooth and nail, worse than any other battle of the war. Fuck...I’ve never seen so many corpses. I guess they knew they were beaten, and the ground pounders were just giving it all they had left. Buying time for the upper echelon to board Vertibirds and run.

The adrenaline wore off quick after we watched the crawler go nuclear, and were set to comb the base, secure it and any tech the Enclave had left behind. Pick through the wreckage.

The Scribes had...I helped the Scribes make this new weapon, some kind of Tesla cannon, took micro fusion cells and fired a big blast of energy and electricity. It just...tore vertibirds out of the sky. Threw them on the ground like a pissed off supermutant with a toy car.

After Raven Rock, we always wondered how they’d gotten out with so many personnel. How they still had so many soldiers.

My team picked over five separate Vertibird crashes. Not a suit of power armor between them.

Just blood, blouses, and kids toys.

None of us were the same after Adams.

[nightingaelic]

Fallout 3 companions react to the Lone Wanderer getting in contact with the Followers of the Apocalypse and asking to join them. (Possibly resulting in the creation of a Capital Wasteland chapter of the Followers?)

With the Enclave in full retreat and the Brotherhood of Steel officially installed at the Jefferson Memorial and Adams Air Force Base, the kid from Vault 101 seemed to be adrift. They wandered from Megaton to Underworld, Canterbury Commons to Rivet City, helping those they met along the way as they always had but growing more and more despondent with each passing day. "It's just me out here," they would mutter to themselves occasionally, after particularly tough run-ins with raiders or wasteland vermin. "What am I supposed to do?"

That question didn't have an easy answer, or so they thought. Then, like a lighthouse cutting through fog, a summons on Galaxy News Radio brought them to Three Dog, who parked the Lone Wanderer in an office chair and jammed a set of headphones over their ears. The kid talked for days, tuned to different frequencies, scribbled notes on every piece of paper within reach, and their missing smile gradually returned. When they finally stood up and gathered their thoughts together, a new dream came from their lips like a sermon: "There's a group on the West Coast that heard about me. They're called the Followers of the Apocalypse, and they help people. They like what I've done so far, and they want me to start a chapter here in the Capital Wasteland. I want to do this."

Butch DeLoria: Butch stared at them, flabbergasted. "You... haven't we... what more do you think you owe to these people?"

The kid he used to bully sighed. "What do I owe to anybody, Butch? This isn't about settling a debt. I think it's pretty clear now that I can make changes around here, big changes, and this is just another opportunity to do that."

"But why?" Butch pulled out a comb and ran it through his hair, visibly anxious. "So you purified the water, ran those Enclave upstarts out of town. Leave it there. Kill anyone who tries to jump you on the road, and stop worrying about everyone else."

"I..." The Lone Wanderer clenched their fist, unclenched it. "I can't. If I can make things better for everyone, I have to."

"Well that's not what Tunnel Snakes are about," Butch replied angrily. He seized his traveling pack, shook out his leather jacket and headed for the radio station's door. "You change your mind, you can find me at the Muddy Rudder."

The door slammed behind him. Three Dog, who'd been eavesdropping from the next room, poked his head in. "Is your friend coming back?"

"Ugh." The Lone Wanderer sank into their chair again. "Give it an hour or two. He'll come around. Probably when he runs into the super mutants in Georgetown."

Charon: Charon nodded. "As you wish."

The Lone Wanderer pressed a hand to their forehead in exasperation. "Okay, I tried to phrase that as openly as I could so I could get your thoughts, but I realize now that I should've just said... Charon, what do you actually think about this idea?"

The ghoul shrugged. "I don't."

"Come on Charon, there has to be something-"

"Fine." Charon rolled his eyes. "It's more of the same. More time on the road, more time building up and securing settlements, more time spent fending off attacks from those who want your stuff. I'd say you're also more likely to die, but you've defied my expectations before."

"And..." the Lone Wander pressed. "Are you okay with that?"

Charon, who was still unused to this kid's attempts to include him in decision-making, glared at them. "I am."

They studied each other silently. The Lone Wanderer broke first. They always did. "I'm not going to order you to do this with me."

"You don't have to," Charon reassured them. Half-facetious, half-sincere. "That's not how this works."

Clover: Clover examined her nails, clearly not that interested. "So what's the angle, lover?"

"Clover..." the Lone Wanderer hesitated. "What if it's not an angle? What if we just... did this?"

Clover stuck her tongue out playfully. "Whatever, honey. You probably have some scam cooked up already. Lure them out here, take their stuff, feed them to a deathclaw... you're such a tease."

"Uh-huh." Her companion crossed their arms. "A real scam. Like that time I used a GECK to purify the DC basin. Or that time I led a giant robot to fight the Enclave and eventually took over their crawler. Or that time I rescued a bunch of slaves from Paradise Falls. Clover, we've been on the road together a while. You know I'm not like that."

"I know, I know..." Clover trailed off and looked away. "S'just that I need a good story to tell when you take me back to Eulogy. Otherwise..."

The Lone Wanderer dropped their headset and took her hand. "You're not going back there. Ever. You hear me? You don't belong to that motherfucker anymore. You don't belong to anyone."

Clover still couldn't meet their gaze, but her eyes filled up with tears. "Mmm-hmm. Sure, lover."

Star Paladin Cross: The Star Paladin smiled. "I've encountered the Followers. They bring a noble cause to the wasteland, even if they stretch themselves too thin."

"Well, the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood is stretched too thin right now." The chapter's newest Knight sank back against the desk they'd been tethered to for the better part of the last 48 hours. "Scribe Bigsley is tearing his hair out about water caravans, the Enclave still has holdouts in the area, and Elder Lyons..."

They trailed off and sighed. "We need help. I don't know if I can be a Follower and a Knight, but I know they're more open to working with me because of Elder Lyons' decision to break with the High Elders. We have the same mission: To help the people of the wasteland."

"Our missions are similar, but there are a few fundamental differences," Cross corrected them. "The Followers emphasize the sharing of knowledge and learning, while the Brotherhood seeks to protect it. That said, your assessment of the Elder's decision for our chapter is apt. Perhaps we have opened ourselves up to common ground, in our desertion of our primary mission."

"Right." The Lone Wanderer nodded. "We're deserters. Let's use it. I'll start making plans and a list of potential recruits. I'll start with Reilly's Rangers and the Temple of the Union and get some leads."

Dogmeat: The mutt that accompanied the Lone Wanderer wherever they went barked, excited by his owner's excitement. The noise drew Three Dog's attention from the other room.

"Kid, I'm trying to run a radio station here," he said, leaning on the door frame with a mug of steaming tea in his hand. "Don't get your little buddy too riled up. Fight the good fight and all that, but do it outside."

"Sorry, Three Dog." The Lone Wanderer dropped to their knee and scratched the mutt's back and neck. "Just thinking out loud."

"You take their deal?" the DJ asked, before taking a sip from the mug.

The kid grinned. "You bet your ass I did."

Fawkes: The super mutant that had shadowed the kid since Vault 87 nodded sagely. "These Followers. Would there be room within their organization for an individual such as myself?"

The Lone Wanderer shrugged. "I didn't ask. The woman on the radio made a point of saying they were okay with ghouls, but she didn't say anything about mutants in general. I've heard that the mutants out west are more like you though, so probably?"

"Then I would like to be the first to sign up for your new chapter," Fawkes replied.

"Okay." The kid from Vault 101 grinned. "Great. Even if they aren't good with mutants, it's my chapter, and I say it's okay. It's not like they're going to be peering over my shoulder."

"And what do you intend to christen your first project?" Fawkes asked.

"Hmmm." The Lone Wanderer scratched their head. "Well, after recruitment and finding a base of operations, I think we should help stabilize the water caravan system. From there we can move on to tackling the slave trade."

Fawkes chuckled. "'From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.' Then let us begin."

Jericho: The retired raider, who had been taking a nap in one of the office chairs, snapped awake with a snort and grabbed his assault rifle. "Who-whatsit?"

"Chop-chop." The Lone Wanderer tossed him his pack and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "We're going to shake up the Capital Wasteland hierarchy a bit."

"Well, that sounds like something worth getting up for," Jericho replied, somewhat more agreeable. "Where are we going?"

"Seward Square," they answered, throwing their own pack over their shoulder. "I know a crew over there that might be interested in helping."

"Reilly's gang?" Jericho stopped them. "Wait a minute. This isn't more of your usual goody two-shoes shit, is it? I told you, I was done after the business with the Enclave. Can't we just roll into a settlement and take their chems like the good old days?"

"Thought you were awake, Jericho." The Lone Wanderer smacked him on the cheek a couple of times. "You want to sit on top of the Capital Wasteland, you have to make yourself indispensable. Capisce?"

"Oh, fuck you," Jericho grumbled. "Should've kicked you off my steps back in Megaton, kid."

Sergeant RL-3: "Sir, yes sir!" the Mister Gutsy agreed. "Anything for our good old Uncle Sam!"

"Right then, soldier," the Lone Wanderer replied at the same level of enthusiasm. "Pack our gear and have this place spotless, on the double!"

"All recruits will be responsible for their own bunks!" Sergeant RL-3 shot back, before moving to retrieve the traveling packs from where they'd been stashed away.

Three Dog, who was watching from the door, shook his head with a grin. "I need to get me one of those models."

"Well, I know a guy out by Tenpenny Tower that might have a bot with your name on it," the Lone Wanderer offered. "Or at least the parts to build one."

"No time to dilly-dally, sir!" Sergeant RL-3 commented from across the room.

[tomtenadia]

First steps

Rowaelin month day 21 - Rowan, Aelin and their toddler princess

Terrasen had been at peace for a full decade now and Aelin and Rowan had reigned over the kingdom they had fought so hard for with fairness and hard work. Some days had been easier than others. The rebuilding process had taken a long time but slowly, Terrasen had returned to its glorious state.

They had been happy. They had finally found the happiness they deserved and with time managed to slowly heal as well.

But if ruling their kingdom had proven in the end a wonderful thing, nothing even came closer to the happiness of the day Aelin announced she was finally pregnant. It had taken them a long time and Rowan would admit only to a few selected individuals that he had cried the day their daughter came to the world. It had been the best gift he could hope for. The pregnancy had been hard and took a toll on Aelin and he had more than once feared for his mate and child. But eventually Aisling had joined them and Rowan had fallen in love with his daughter instantly.

For her he had set down his weapons and transformed in a full time dad. Aelin had work to do and he had offered to look after their daughter when she was busy with crown duties. She was the queen after all. He was just the king consort and was more than happy to hide in the background and let her rule. He had helped, throughout the troublesome pregnancy and took his share of duties, but he never had any interest in ruling.

On that lovely spring day Aelin was locked in the council room wooing new allies, drafting treaties and listening to her people’s problems.

He, on the other hand, was in the garden playing with their daughter. Aisling was one and his exact copy. The little girl had pine green eyes and silver hair that matched his to perfection. 

The climate in Terrasen was getting milder and Rowan had decided to enjoy some fresh air with her.

Rowan sat on the grass and let her down from his shoulder and Aisling had started crawling happily and to play with flowers. And although she was his clone from a physical point of view, Aisling was like her mother through and through when it came to how she behaved. The little girl had a sunny disposition just like Aelin but, just like her mother she had the same fiery temper.

“Where are you going?” He followed her and stopped her before she could get injured. Aelin would have his head.

She babbled something and giggled happily when he pulled her to him and blew a raspberry on her tummy. But the girl wanted to be free and quickly she started wriggling in his grip and Rowan let her go keeping a watchful eye on her. 

He had an ulterior motive to take her out. He was positive Aisling was about to walk for the first time. She was a skilled and fast crawler, but recently she had started to pull herself upright and he had a feeling it was a sign. 

He hoped she would wait. That was a milestone that he wanted to share with Aelin, but alas, infants had their own schedule that apparently did not follow court meetings.

Rowan moved his daughter close to a tree in a standing position so that she could hold on to something and sat back down on the grass opposite her.

“Come on, my love, will you walk for your dad?”

Aisling babbled happily and put one of her hands in her mouth chewing happily. She had been teething for a while and apparently loved to chew on her hand.

Gently he pulled the hand from her mouth and moved away again “come, just come to dad.” He extended his arms in a welcoming gesture.

Aisling looked at her father with a curious expression and then extended her arms to him and a bit wobbly she moved a few steps to him before landing on the grass on her bum. The girl giggled happily and clapped her hands.

Rowan cheered and lifted her in his arms “yes, you did it my love,” he covered his daughter with kisses. Then sadness hit him because that was a moment that he should have shared with Aelin.

He looked at his daughter and an idea hit him “shall we walk for mum as well?”

She laughed happily and he left the garden in a hurry, with Aisling riding his shoulders once more.

He knew Aelin was meant to be in the council chamber so he ran quickly back inside, through the main hall, down the corridor and then he stopped at the heavy doors. Was he really going to interrupt the meeting?

By now Aelin would have clearly felt his burst of happiness through the bond. He had to share that moment with his mate. It could not wait and the council could just wait in line.

He opened the doors with a strong push and the room fell silent at his entrance. The council turned and stared at the renewed warrior holding a happy girl on his shoulders.

“Rowan? Is everything okay?”

“She walked.” He shouted, unable to contain his happiness and not caring about the meeting “Aelin, Aisling took her first steps.”

Murmurs erupted from the councillors but Aelin stood from her seat “dear councillors, I need to ask you to reschedule the meeting.”

The men slowly filed out and Aelin only had eyes for the bundle on Rowan’s shoulders.

“When?”

“Just now, in the garden.” He placed his daughter on the floor and sat behind her, holding her upright. Aelin followed him and sat opposite them “come on darling, will you walk to mum?”

Aelin opened her arms in a welcoming gesture “walk to me my love.”

“Mama.” Said the little girl. At least Aelin had been there for her first word.

“Go to her.” Rowan’s hand hovered just at her side to grab her in case she would plop back down . Aisling looked at him and he smiled “go, mum is waiting for you.”

Her green eyes turned back to her mother and then Aelin saw it happen. Slowly, she moved her feet and after two unsteady steps she was in her arms.

“You did it.” She kissed her silver hair combed in two cute pigtails “you walked, my love.”

Rowan scooted to her and took a seat behind Aelin and his arms enveloped them both in his embrace.

“Sorry I interrupted your meeting.” And he kissed her temple.

“For this moment? I don’t care.” Her head turned so that her mouth could gently meet his “you and our daughter will always have the priority.”

Rowan chuckled while he replied to the kiss “I am sure the lords will be happy to know they are very low in the pecking order.”

“I don’t care.” she kissed him again while Aisling escaped her arms and started crawling around the room.

Rowan stared as Aelin chased their daughter and smiled tenderly.

He felt complete.

After centuries of pain, hate and guilt he finally had the family he always wanted.

“Wait for me.”

The room resonated with the sounds of their laughters.

[fancoloredglasses]

The Terrible Triumph of Dr. Octopus (let’s see how much isn’t web-slinging stock footage)

[All images are owned by Marvel Comics. Please don’t sue me, O benevolent mouse overlord]

For those who haven’t read a Spider-Man comic (and didn’t see Spider-Man 2) Otto Octavius was involved in an accident that fused a harness that housed 4 robotic arms to his body. He decided to become a criminal, calling himself Doctor Octopus (cuz he now has 8 limbs) I’m sure there’s more to the story, but I can’t be bothered to research it right now (it was the 60s. I doubt Stan Lee put much more thought into it as he was writing nearly every title for the company at the time)

I chose this episode of the 60s Spider-Man cartoon series as it was one of the few I didn’t remember (I know he repeatedly fought Electro, the Scorpion, Mysterio, and many others. However, I wondered why Doc Ock, Kingpin, and Green Goblin were never in any episodes (SPOILER: They are. I just didn’t remember)) so I’ll be truly going at this with fresh eyes (much like my review of Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars)

We open to a demo reel of a device known as the Nullifier thwarting a missile attack. Its inventor, Dr. Smarter (guess Stan Lee was too lazy to come up with a decent name for a throwaway scientist), discusses the Nullifier with Peter Parker (because all government scientists discuss their top secret devices with freelance photographers...he couldn’t even blab to an actual reporter) when...

OK, so they brought a top secret device to a New York City apartment (looking at the background they’re fairly high up)? Why wouldn’t they bring Peter to whatever military base they were testing the Nullifier at?

Anyway, Doc Ock grabs the Nullifier after dispatching the guards as Peter slips out. More soldiers show up, but they’re as easily dealt with, then...

Spider-Man and Ock tussle for a bit before the numbers game (the numbers being how many limbs each has available) gets the better of Web-head and he’s thrown out the window, ridding the world of Spider-Man once and--

Whoops, Otto counted his spiders before they’re smashed. The bad Doctor grabs Spidey, but...

...he should’ve used one of his arms to bind Spider-Man’s. Here’s webbing in your eye!

The wall crawler frees himself, but Ock threatens to drop the Nullifier on the city if Spider-Man tries anything else. Spidey plants a Spider Tracer on Octavius while he’s removing the webbing from his glasses, but before Spidey can do anything else, Doc Ock manages to slip away.

You know, I’m not one to backseat hero (wait, yes I am!), but wouldn’t it have been better to use his web shooters to snag the Nullifier away from Doc Ock while he was distracted?

Now we insert the stock web-slinging footage to pad the episode’s run-time. It turns out all that padding was Spidey using his spider tracer to track Dr. Octopus to the waterfront.

That evening, Spider-Man drops in on Doc Ock.

You know, there’s something off here, and Webhead’s spider sense agrees. Not sure if it’s the fact that Ock’s arms aren’t moving...

...or the spider tracer just lying there on the ground. Spider-Man fires some webbing at Ock...and Ock explodes! Fortunately Spidey survived, scavenging a piece of the Man-Ock-quin’s cape from the wreckage.

The next day at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson is having a field day claiming Doc Ock and Spider-Man are partners, despite all logic to the contrary.

Meanwhile, we get some deus ex Spidershit as Peter invents a doohickey that can use the cape fragment to track down Doc Ock.

Cue more stock footage padding as Spidey combs the city all night (doesn’t Peter Parker have class in the morning?) following his doohickey’s readings.

Spider-Man follows the doohickey to an abandoned bunker where he finds...

...Octavius and the Nullifier. Spidey covers Ock with a webbing net, but there are four arms free to attack. Ock throws Spider-Man toward a wall that’s been electrified, but fortunately Spidey thinks quickly.

The electricity paralyzes Ock, so Spider-Man leaves a note for the cops before vacating.

(The animators forgot the hyphen. Stan Lee’s gonna be pissed)

Later at the Daily Bugle, Dr. Smarter forces J. Jonah Jameson to print a thank you to Spider-Man if he wants to publish the pictures Peter Parker took of the Nullifier.

Doesn’t J. Jonah look thrilled about this?

Wait, Dr. Smarter brought the Nullifier to the Daily Bugle?! So much for National Security...

[teaandinanity]

As is inevitable when I hyperfixate on a story, I’ve started coming up with Theories.

So! Hello new fandom! I think the Scholomance is a mal.

[cut for length because I have a basic inability to shut up]

When El is confronting Chloe about Magnus’s crawler, she says a few things that got me thinking, which spiraled into combing the book again for quotes and resulted in uh. This mess. Page numbers provided are from the hardback. Here we go!

El says that any construct “with the ability to collect power on its own in any way” (p.203)  has a 50-50 chance of turning into a mal. Since intention matters, any sneaky little wish for a slip (or non-sneaky desire for someone to get murked) will throw those odds very firmly in favor of mal-hood. The artificer who creates a construct can set rules governing where it’s allowed to get that power, but even a very good and carefully-made construct is one bad coinflip away from going after unapproved sources, instead, when it runs out of sanctioned targets.

And I bring this up because everyone in the Scholomance (and pretty much everyone outside, too) accepts the premise that “the school has to be fed somehow.” El says that on the first page. Clarita repeats it almost verbatim when she’s pushing for Orion to go down and fight the graduation horde.

My guess would be that it was originally allowed to eat students who died in the course of their schooling. And since El thinks more than once that she wants to have a daughter who will live, since most of the repair crews after the first one were sent in desperation by parents who wanted their children to live, I suspect the sneaky wish that fucked everything up, if it wasn’t just an unlucky coin flip, is that Sir Arthur probably had a child, a child he wanted to live. Who he wanted to live badly enough that he thought, ‘any child but mine’ when he was designing and building his magnum opus.

The school definitely had directions not to just slaughter the students, but maybe just... ever-so-slightly imbalanced in one particular student’s favor. And it was most likely allowed to eat what was dying anyway.

After all, like younger El thought when she found that dying bird... what would it matter? It was going to die anyway.

But once the Scholomance started going mal, WELL. It would make sure to maximize that, wouldn’t it. I’m pretty sure, just for a start, that it’s not the mals poisoning the food, and El mentions that it gives students “reading assignments that dissolve away our eyeballs.” (p.9)  But it’s not nearly as hard on maleficers. No, the school deliberately spares them. They get safer assignments, and—most interestingly—it also sounds like the school’s mals tend to leave them be, and I’m pretty sure that’s not because they’re more dangerous than the other students. It’s possible the school itself is shepherding the mals towards other students, the non-maleficers—not unlike when it tries to keep El away from the maw-mouth.

It seems probable that when the maleficers pull malia (which is to say, ‘when they kill things’), the school gets a cut. I think they help feed the school, and in return, it eases their way. And after all, some of them have to make it out, or the enclaves would shut the place down entirely; but like the seniors, who are kind to the five who try to bust the stairwell open, it repays their kindness in feeding it by making their lives a little easier.

The Scholomance is clever enough, aware enough, to be petty, and it’s smart enough to manipulate people, so it makes sense that it’s usually willing to be patient. Like the graduation mals, it’s willing to wait for its food. It’s probably less obvious about all of this, when it’s not starving. Clarita talks about how the students are going hungry, the mals are going hungry. And so is the school.

I have no idea how the Scholomance was originally meant to replenish itself. Maybe no one does; it’s not like the creator survived for long after the school was complete.

Another point of interest is that the cleansing machinery in the graduation hall basically never worked—and whatever was wrong with it wasn’t what the team thought they were going down to fix at the end of A Deadly Education.

We don’t find out what the problem was because Ellen was the only one who could have easily translated, and she went down before they got to the machinery, and then there’s no chance to ask for clarification before graduation and another near-death experience, but I’m fairly sure the exact nature of that problem will come back up, given we don’t yet know what it WAS.

But it seems entirely possible to me that the graduation mals aren’t the ones breaking that machinery. El says that part of the hall is actually fairly clear, when they head down to fix it. So it seems possible that the school itself sabotaged the machinery, to ensure it would be fed a nice big meal at the end of every school year.

Possibly a point in favor of that, although this may be reaching; El says constructs that go mal usually head right for their creators. The school can’t move, but Sir Alfred came himself with the third team to come in to try to fix the machinery, which would be fairly easy to predict—and then went straight into a maw-mouth, even though he was supposed to have been the most powerful wizard alive at the time.

And then, once he was dead, the London enclave took over, increased class sizes and started taking unaffiliated wizardlings into the school as fodder, to pay the blood price. I don’t know how the school was originally fed, but no one is under any illusions about how it’s being fed now, and they haven’t been since 1888.

And I’m pretty sure that certainty doesn’t help matters. El says the reason the blueprints are all over the place is so everyone can mentally reinforce them. But that’s not the only thing they’re reinforcing, not when all four thousand students are all constantly in fear for their lives and convinced their school can and will and should eat some of their classmates.

[softy-b]

The making of new friends.

On your way home you run into people.

Pirate People.

Oh no.

—

A fanfiction that highlights the crew a little. Eustass Kidd x Reader if you squint, maybe the beginning of something. Watch these hooligans tear themselves a way into your heart. 

It’s getting dark out, the wind was howling and you were pretty sure it was raining gently. Not actually rain but this weird sheet of wetness that pulled through the air as if it was to remind you that it was cold outside. All in all it was a pretty spooky looking night and you did not appreciate that, even though you were currently sitting inside a building.

That would be because you could not sleep in here. These were your evening classes you undertook to become a nurse. You had lacked the proper degree to give it a shot so now you had to take these extra classes alongside the actual ones to keep up with the others. At least you weren’t the only one.

There were other people in the classroom, staring with a tired intensity at the chalkboard. All of you were exhausted but had the motivation and determination to get this shitty degree to continue onwards in your career. You knew because coming here at this ungodly hour was not something people who didn’t feel like it did.

Everyone here was very serious about graduating, thus, evening classes. But man, the poor teacher. The old, round man with a moustache longer than his arms was currently talking about the pro’s and con’s to vaccine’s, about how the pros outweigh the cons by a very long mile, but he was clearly tired too. It’s not like you could blame him. What time was it, almost 10 pm. Your class ended in a bit.

Even though your thirst for knowledge was endless when it came to this sort of thing, your body needed to rest. Sleep was a curse.. and yet a curse you loved to live. Sleeping was probably one of your most favorite things to do.. if only you could mix it with something productive and you’d never get up from bed unless you had to.

Talking about sleep wasn’t helping, or thinking of it even. Your eyes drooped a little and you had to force your entire body to stiffen and cramp up to wake up a little again to pay attention to the teacher and his ramblings. He’s wrapping the topic up and people all around the room were giving off a collective aura of relief.

You? You wanted to be happy and somewhere you were happy for finally getting to go home but there was the fucking problem. You’d have to go through the forest near the pier to make it home. The.. fucking.. dark and creepy forest. Euuughhh.. You wiggle about a little on your chair just thinking about that horror story about to become reality.

You had evening classes three times a week, monday, thursday and friday so this wasn’t a new occurrence you suddenly had to deal with, you had to deal with it three times a week after all but somehow it never got easier and made your stomach clench so hard you were sure you could make diamonds with the pressure.

You had a flashlight in your bag, pepper spray, a pocket knife and your stuff you needed for school. You liked to say you were well equipped in case a wild animal tried to turn you into a midnight snack. You refused to go out like that. Stupid bears could munch some tree bark!

You combed with your fingers through your h/colored hair absentmindedly, thinking how you needed to take a shower once you got home. You think about you home, it was a nice spot, even if a bit isolated and creepy at night. It was just a normal sized cabin that had belonged to your parents after all.

They have passed away by now, both due to unforeseen health issues but the memories didn’t hurt so much anymore. It’s been years since then. At first you had thought about giving the house away, feeling not very safe all alone, out of sight from the city.. but then you kept it because it was your parents.

They build the damn thing and everything, you couldn’t just give it away. So you tried to get used to it. Kind of did over the years. The dark still scared you severely but now you could stand your ground and check if there really was someone in the living room or if you’ve been hearing the house doing it’s creaking noises.

It’s not like it was extremely big. There were three levels, the upper one, the ground one and the basement. The upper level consisted of four rooms and a bathroom, the ground level had a bathroom, a living room and a kitchen and the basement was a singular storage room.

It was kind of a hassle keeping everything clean, seeing how you were usually busy studying so cleaning was just a bit of a thing you did not wanna waste your time with.. but you had to. Once every week. A full wipedown to make sure there was not a loading of dust ready to pop out spiders.

It’s not like it mattered, seeing how you lived alone, had no pets and usually didn’t get visitors. You had some pals, here and there but they were mostly school friends. You guys didn’t hang out outside of classes and were just hooliganing it whenever you were together. You look up and see lightning in the distance, making a face.

It’s gonna storm and you’d rather make it home before the rain turned from a drizzle into an actual issue because you did not take an umbrella with you, the weather had looked fine when you left for school after all so you did not think too hard on the matter. Now it was a fact you regretted greatly, as you did not wish to be soaked while the wind was howling.

Then again, the wind would probably just blow the umbrella away. So maybe a raincoat would be better.. which you did not bring either. Damn it.

“Alright!” You blink at the teacher, smiling a bit to yourself as you watched him clap into his meaty paws. “That would be all for today! Please stay safe going home and until monday!” Right. It was Friday. The only plus side you had right now was that you could sleep in tomorrow.

People are shuffling to get up, put their stuff into their bags, chatter among each other about what they’d be doing on the weekend but it was pretty much just polite talk. At this point everyone wanted to go home and either sleep or go and party. The teacher sat down at his desk, supervising the people leaving.

You don’t waste your time staring around much longer, grabbing your stuff and shoving it into your bag, pulling out your flashlight and pepper spray, letting the pepper spray slip into the back of your pants. You fistbump gently to hype yourself and march to the door. “Miss L/N, ready for war as usual I see.”

You halt, looking at your teacher and smiling shyly, a little embarrassed that he saw that. “Ah, yeah. Can never be too careful these days!” The old man nodded, petting his moustache and giving you a kind smile that made wrinkles all over his face. You like him. He reminds you of a grandpa you never had. “Right so! Please do take extra caution going home.”

You give a nod and wave to him. “I will! Thank you and you too!” On the way out you ignore the feeling of dread settling within the confines of your body. Hnnhgf.. God this was just horrible on so many levels. You’re about to fricking piss yourself just wondering what creepy crawlers would await you tonight.

If you got lucky, maybe you’d see a hedgehog.. Something told you that you were not going to be getting much luck. The bad weather would probably make them hide in their burrows and what not to not get totally soaked. Like you were going to be if you didn’t hurry up already!

Once outside, you take in the town square that presented itself in front of you. The street lamps were lighting up the place but that was only within the town itself, sadly, the path leading to your home was left completely dark and empty. You swallow thickly at the thought and begin to walk.

Most stores were closed up by now, only a bar here or there still open, the noise of people laughing and singing filling the air. This was a happy place, usually. The people were nice to each other and often willing to help someone in a tough spot. You’re reminded of when your parents died and you were left alone.

Everyone had put some work into helping you support yourself. You’ve been fifteen at the time and since this was a small town there was no such thing as an orphanage. People kept coming by, giving you money and food and other stuff you needed to live until you managed to graduate.

You got a paid scholarship for the nursing job, which you were thankful for. You were still getting support from a lot of people, they were happy to help out until you could afford your own living. It was kind of something your parents left behind, didn’t they? Everyone had loved them. You being their kid probably made a lot of people feel responsible.

Maybe a bit shady but you would not fight their kindness. It was a gift from your parents, at least that is how you saw it.

Your footsteps carry you throughout the empty, dark streets, closer and closer to the forest. Once the treetops come into view you feel your heart sink all the way into your butt and hide there. ..You want to wait in a hotel or something but that’d be an expense you couldn’t afford. Hhff You’re so fucking scared.

There’s thunder rolling above you, a fat drop of rain landing right on your nose. Ah, snails and nails. Damnit! You pick up your pace as the sound of the wind howling got louder, the rustling of the trees shaking the giant branches, making it look like demons were growing out of them.

You do not like the look of it.. not like it would change anything, you still had to go home at some point and rather now than later because the rain was picking up now that it really got going. Your walk to your house is maybe ten minutes if you hurry so you tried and take comfort in that.

You do not wish to jog though, worrying about attracting the attention of an animal or whatever else was creeping around in that fucking forest. You remember you saw a boar there once. During this time of year they had babies and got even more aggressive than usually. Hnnghff.. it was tough to get around them once they blocked the path.

One time you had to climb a tree to hide from them after they hunted you for what felt like five minutes through this shitty fucking forest. Eugh..

You reach the edge of the woods and step onto the path that had formed over time from people walking along here. It made you feel only worse thinking about the next ten minutes of cold, wet horror. You’re tense, listening as you quietly sneaked along the middle of the path, unwilling to get too close to the bushes or trees lest something might grab and drag you in.

You could hear the ocean from here, the waves splashing aggressively against the stones that were poking out from under the surface. God, the water probably looked like a black nightmare of horror right now. Eugh, the thought of drowning in that mess was another nightmare of yours.

You didn’t like the ocean that much, seeing how you were not exactly a strong swimmer. You learned how to do it once and then after that you’ve been so often in deep waters you could count the events off on one hand not even using all your fingers. You’d definitely drown.

“-can you stop fucking pushing?!” You flinch and automatically click the light off from your flashlight. The thing was loud and the ‘click’ echoed almost in your brain, clearly signalizing.. surprisingly you didn’t get noticed apparently though. But those were the voices of people. Men, to be specific.

“I’m not pushing shit, you prick! Stop stepping on my toes. Can someone just try and relight a fucking torch this is ridiculous!” Travelers? You duck down as your eyes slowly started getting used to the dark. “Trying. No use. They’re soaked.” Yeah.. with the rain, no doubt. God, they’re so close to your home too.

Should you chance it and try and sneak past or maybe run back..? You didn’t really know the answer to that kind of question, you’re too worried that these might be robbers or whatever. Maybe bandits. Those were common since you guys were connected to the main lands which were full of mountains and what not.

“Boss- Boss your arm is slamming right into my side.” “Then fucking move!” You heard a loud crunching noise and then yelling and cursing as something whizzed past your head, gracing your hair actually and slamming right into the ground behind you. You’re frozen.. carefully turning your head and stare at the scythe lodged into the ground.

“Kidd, what the fuck?! Throw your own, goddamn weapons!” Oh god, was he coming closer? “Where did it even go? I can’t see it anymore.” Oh god, he was coming closer! You scramble to the side and press into one of the bushes to hide in it, ignoring the fact that there might be bugs.

They had weapons, they were definitely bandits and you were officially super scared, grabbing your pepper spray tightly and pressing it into your chest. You could probably make an escape if you ducked deeper into the forest and away from the path. You’d have to circle back and go back to town to tell the police department about this though.

Heavy footsteps walked past your hiding spot and you squinted your eyes with no luck. There was no way you’d be able to actually see anyone in this darkness. The trees were blocking out the little light from the moon that did make it past the clouds. It was basically pitch black..

You crawl backwards and through the bush quietly, trying to ignore the fact that these men were really fucking close and could probably see you if they had nightvision. Please, just let luck be on your side right no-ough!

You get a foot right into your side, but not because someone kicked you. “Ah- FUCK!” You hear someone cursing above you right before a heavy body fell right over you. You can’t help but shriek in panic and bolt forward, trying to scramble away. “Who the hell was that?!” Oh shit.

“Wasn’t me- sounded like a broad.” “A woman, here? I’m sure.” “Are you deaf? Of fucking course that was a woman! Someone fucking grab her!” There’s a few choruses of ‘yeah boss’ or ‘got it’ or, your personal favorite, ‘okie dokie’. The rest goes to chaos.

You heard footsteps everywhere now and you���re pressing against a tree to try and stay out of reach. You had to climb- climb! You turn around and begin to hamper your way upwards, only to feel a hand on your ankle. “Gotcha.” The angry growl of whoever had you made you tense your body as you got jerked downwards.

Your fingers dig into the bark and you kick out with your free leg, hitting someone in the shoulder but it only resulted in them catching that foot too and pulling down. Your grip slips and you slap like a wet piece of meat onto the muddy ground. “Ah! Stop- Get the fuck off of me!”

It’s no use. You’re overpowered pretty quickly and you felt the man lean over you, his breath on your face. He was probably trying to see you but good luck in this darkness. But you had the upper hand now. You reached out, grabbed blindly around and actually got the man by a well defined chin.

Then, with knowing where his chin was, you aimed your pepper spray where you assumed the rest of his face was and hit it. “Shit-“ You’re let go as the dude jerked back and yelled something in rage, you roll away just in time to not lose your head. You heard the ground crack underneath his boot. “You fucking cunt! Get the hell back here!”

Oh hell no. You don’t answer and just run into a random direction as chaos exploded behind you. You felt like something was right on your heels and you barely manage around a tree you felt with your hands, since you were running with your arms in front to not hit your face, when you felt the whole tree shake with the impact.  Oh fuuuck!

You flick your flashlight on because you needed to be able to see to be able to get away and you realize in horror you were running towards your home. Oh god- they’d see where you lived. Your thoughts are cut short, you slip and land in the mud. Gross. But then there are broad hands onto your arms, pulling you up. “No! Don’t kill me! I just wanna go home- Oh my god get off you’re wet!” The man sounding behind you had a deep baritone, suddenly he was holding your flashlight, shining it into your eyes. “Everything is wet. It’s raining.”

You’re dragged back by your left arm, fighting all the way until you were jerked forward and almost hit the chest of another man, staring up and not seeing anything until the blonde shined the light right at his buddy. Your blood runs cold.

It’s Eustass ‘Captain’ Kidd. The captain of the Kidd Pirates. Oh.. god.. His eyes were red and clearly strained, he’s drenched otherwise. Suddenly your life flashes past you as you stared at the man. You shot pepper spray into his eyes and now he was going to kill you.

“..You little bitch..” He growled lowly and grabbed you by your hair. “The hell was that about? You wanna fight?” Don’t say yes- you didn’t wanna fight this man. “N-No..” You swallow thickly again and just let him jerk you around a little bit until he was interrupted by one of his men.

“Boss. We’re freezing our nuts off out here. Can we find shelter first?” Yeah, you do not doubt that for even a second, it was very cold out here. But. Opportunity came knocking just at that sentence. “We can make a deal!” You feel eyes burning in your general direction. The dude who had caught you grunted. “A deal.”

It’s a question to elaborate. You talk quickly. “I live in a cabin not far from here! I’ll give you shelter and food and in return you won’t kill me or the townspeople?” It came out more like a question. “Hell no.” Oh god. The redhead was jerking your head around again as if he was going to break you neck- You felt the man behind you let you go and then Eustass Kidd got a flat palm to his face.

“We’re taking this, Kidd. I’m not sleeping in a puddle tonight.” The dude grumbled and handed you your flashlight. “Lead us there.” He sighed, forcing his partner to let you go, to which you stumbled pathetically before almost kissing the ground beneath you. “Killer, what the hell?! I said no!” You heard the men start to argue behind you but you’re too focused on your luck.

Oh thank fucking god they took that offer. “I’m not repeating myself.” Killer grunted, following you closely as you picked up your pace a little to get out of the rain faster. People were shuffling and bumping into each other behind you, talking about various topics you could hardly understand from the front.

Killer and Kidd were just arguing all out in the open now, almost at each other’s throat as they were shouldering each other with their massive bodies from time to time as if to make a point. “We’re not sleeping in the middle of the rain just because you need to let your ego out.” The blonde growled at his captain, shoving at him when Kidd gave him a pinch slap in the side.

“I’m the fucking captain, what I say should fucking go-“ “Cry me a river.” You’re surprised, honestly.

You thought for sure that they would be on the same page of murdering people, seeing how high their bounties were and everything.. but that wasn’t the case. They.. reminded you of an old, married couple. Bickering and yapping at each other like it was going out of style.

They were clearly comfortable with one another, they kept barking like dogs but underneath it was a layer of stubborn affection one would miss if you didn’t look for it. It.. surprised you was a bit of an understatement. Your home finally comes into view and you pray to every high entity that you would please, not die tonight.

“Just.. a moment please.” You mutter and unlock the front door, barely making it in and turning the light on and then suddenly you’re being overrun. You shriek as huge bodies forced their way into your home and you hit the ground, getting stepped on in the process. The weight squeezes all of your air straight out of you and the only saving grace you had was someone dragging you backwards by your ankle and then lifting you by your shoulder.

“I’m herding fucking cats..” It’s the Massacre Soldier. The man put you back onto your wobbly legs and waited until the rest had filed in until he closed your front door. You need to sit down a little. Taking in what the fuck was even going on an this point. Your gaze drifted around, spotting the awkward tension.

The dudes were soaked. Just as soaked as you were. Some were pulling their shirts off to dry off quicker, some just complained about it. Eustass Kidd looked like a poodle that went into a bath, his fur coat not nearly as impressive while it was sticking to his body as if it was a second skin he needed to shed. The man threw the thing over your couch, possibly ruining it in the process. What a fucking asshole.

“Found the food!” Oh great. They broke into your basement where you stashed all the preservable food and some meat. It had been a habit to stash this stuff in case people stopped helping you out. Now those pirates were cleaning out your basement..

Well, better your basement than your corpse, you suppose.

You were sitting on the staircase, just pressing against the railing to be out of the way was the men were making themselves comfortable in your home, so you didn’t notice it at first but then there was a huge man that reminded you of a zombie standing right in front of you. “Uh.” He sounds so awkard.

“Thanks for letting us in here.” Your mouth almost dropped open at the fact that you got thanked by a pirate. You swallow thickly. Technically.. you should be the one thanking them. They could have just killed you, taken the keys to your house and let themselves in. You suppose none of them came to that conclusion at the moment.

“No problem.. just.. please try to not break anything..” You get a thumbs up from the blue haired male before he sauntered off, probably to also eat. They were bringing everything to the living room and you’re already missing the blanket of security the food’s existence had given you. You’re going to have to start all over again, don’t you?

The idea of it doesn’t really irk you but some things can’t be changed with willpower alone.. like how they were currently tearing your curtains apart to use them as towels. You stared at the mess and just put your face into your hands.. Oh my god. This was just.. asking to escalate. Maybe you should slip out while they were eating.

You wonder if that was a smart move, seeing how armed they were and how fast the blonde dude was even in the rain. He’d definitely catch you before you had the chance to reach the town to warn everyone.. “Here.” You look up. It’s another dude you didn’t know. Orange Iro Haircut and black glasses. He’s holding a bottle of wine at you.

“We’re already taking all your shit, you’re gonna need this tonight.” You grab the bottle and pop the cork out after a bit of thinking, making a face at him. “Gee.. thanks..” You mumble and lower your voice. “How generous, you assclown.” His eyebrows went up all the way.

Then, before you could panic, he broke into laughter and slapped his knee. “Ah shit! First you spray the fucking captain and now you’re throwing insults! You have no bone in your body that wants to live, do you?” That was a very casual statement to make that sounded way too much like a threat.

“Lay the fuck off. She got lucky.” The dude turned and snickered at the oncoming figure, that you, to your dismay, recognized as Eustass Kidd who was currently rolling his shoulders and combing through his hair with his organic arm. The metal one loose at his side. His eyes looked better but he still seemed pissed.

“Give me that-“ He snatched the bottle out of your hand after shoving past his crewmate, proceeding to down the whole thing while establishing angry eye contact with you and just confusing the hell out of you. What.. Nani the fuck? Was this.. was he trying to establish dominance or something?

Suddenly you felt like a dog that was about to get a smackdown with a bunch of newspapers. “Boss, I just gave her that.” The mohawk cut murred and crossed his arms, giving his boss a blank stare before looking at you. “I’ll get you a new one.” How kind. But now he was leaving you alone with his shitty captain. Who still seemed angry.

He threw the bottle onto the floor, where it shattered and the pieces went flying everywhere. Oh god. Weirdly enough, he does not kill you immediately, just giving you an evil glare and leaning in, making you lean back. “..Scuse me. Please, personal space.” The space where his eyebrow would be twitched.

“The hell are you mouthing off for?” He’s looking for a fight, you faintly realize. The dude was probably agitated from getting pepper sprayed and was not looking for an excuse to go against what his blonde buddy had told him. Which would be to leave you be and not go ham on your home.

“..Sorry.” You grit out, now pressing fully against the stairs to stay the hell away but fuck, he just leaned in closer. By now the man was towering over you with his huge form, basically blanketing you completely as he continued to glare at you. He’s clearly trying to get you to shove him or something.

Fuck iiiit. You do not move and you hear absentmindedly the laughter of the other crew members. You can feel the dude’s breath on your face and it smelled like the wine that he just exed like a drunkard. Breath somewhere else! You felt like this were dangerous waters. If you didn’t watch out, he’d grab you and drown you… as in he’d beat the hell out of you.

“Say it again. Beg me to forgive you.” Oh fuck this guy. You can see a sadistic glimmer in his eyes as he grinned like a bastard at you. Something within you told you that no, you were not going to be begging this piece of shit for anything. Say something though, anything really. “..Your eyes remind me of gold coins..”

You were a fucking idiot.

The man recoiled from you and looked at you as if you were insane. Seeing what you just said, you might as well be. Both of you are staring at each other, ignoring the commotion that was going on around you from people drinking cheap juice and eating up your supply stash. Ah fuck.

The man stared onwards and then he actually let go of the railing from the stairs and stood back up to his full height, narrowing his eyes at you as if he was trying to analyze whether you were real or not. You felt unreal too, not gonna lie. “You think flattery is going to keep me from tearing you apart?”

Not what you were trying to do. His eyes were just so amber and cold, it reminded you of a cold, golden coin. No warmth there to be found except for now, but it was the heat that anger brought. “I was..” You cough awkwardly and just avert your gaze. “Sorry.” It’s not like you could explain your reasoning without making even more of an idiot out of yourself.

The man scoffed in disdain and, miraculously, he left you where you were sitting and to your own devices. His body easily parting the sea of men that was getting rowdy with each other. You’re kind of sweating just thinking about all the cleaning you’d be forced to do once they left.. on your own.

If you made it through the night. Who knew when one of them thought they could grope you or whatever and then? Then you could not guarantee for them to not get shoved. You wouldn’t actively dare to hit someone. Not right now where you were surrounded by pirates.

“What the fuck, girl.” Your solitude does not last you long, unfortunately. You’re faced with two men you do not, obviously, recognize. “You can’t tell me you only have this wine.” One of the scoffed at you and you just made a face. “..Sorry. I don’t really drink alcohol.” You were apologizing a lot today for no reason, weren’t you?

You’re being crowded, you faintly notice. First it was two, now it was four. “No booze for you? Are you.. like.. allergic?” There’s a collective groan going through them. “Idiot, she has wine, she’s not allergic to alcohol.”

“Seriously.”

“Getting smarter everytime we hit land, aren’t you?”

Now they were bickering among each other, throwing insults and shouldering people before settling again as you became the central point of their attention. The hell was with them? You felt like you were surrounded by a group of curious puppies.. Noo wrong example, try a bunch of pushy goblins.

“I just don’t like it.” You shrug, only getting deadpan stares. “So you’re like, all proper and shit?” The dude talking to you stuck his pinky out and some were jeering and laughing at the gesture. You resist the dying urge to roll your eyes. “Nahh.. Not really. I just, like, don’t enjoy hangovers.”

That seemed to be some common ground because the men were collectively groaning in agreement and nodding their heads like they were students and you were the teacher. “Oh yeah, those can suck my huge di-“

“No one would want to touch your baby carrot.” “Yeah, you’d have to pick a prostitute and pay her extra.” There they go, jeering and laughing again at the expense of one of their buddies.

“Shut your fucking mouths!” Now they’re back to bickering and shouldering at each other. You were so out of place right now. The railing creaked a little and you looked up to see a huge man.

And if you say huge, you mean fucking hugelicious. That dude was at least two heads taller than his captain, currently sporting a yellow cloak and black trident, his clothes, the little bit he was wearing, were also colored yellow and the dude just gave you a deadpan stare. “I see you found out what quality company we can be.”

“As high quality as my huge-“

“Shut up! You need to stop trying to sell that everytime we’re around a fucking woman!”

“It’s getting embarrassing.”

“Ridiculous-“

“Fuck you guys!”

The bickering was arting out a little. Now there were actual punches going around and you shriek and dodge a body hitting the stairs, scrambling up and out of reach as the guys that had been talking to you were getting into a semi friendly brawl. Semi friendly because no one was sporting any weapons. Until someone took a plate with potato puree and threw the damn thing from the living room.

It hits the man with the cloak, who’s eye twitched and he spun around. “You little shits!” Oh hell. This was escalating so fucking fast- Now there’s food going everywhere and not just food. There goes your wardrobe. Just flying away and kissing the world goodbye. You could hear that the brawling was slowly spreading from the living room and hallway to every other part of the house.

Not good. With a despairing inner mind you watch them tear your home apart as they went at each other like wild animals, throwing shit around as if it belonged to them, throwing each other around? You saw the Massacre Soldier walking through the mess, people avoiding him like a plague as he made his way to the stairs and came up until he could sit down next to you.

“THE HELL?! GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!” That was Eustass- a huge part of your wall actually bent suddenly before metal strings you didn’t even know where in there tore out and started wrapping people up like gifts. Now it’s raining into your kitchen. You grit your teeth..

“Sorry about that.” You didn’t expect anyone to give you an apology, so when the blonde man next to you did, it startled you into looking at him. “I’ll give you some money when we depart to help cover the expense as a sign of gratitude.” You do not know still why they are grateful. They could have easily taken this place by force..

You do not mention it.

“The house was old anyway..” You mutter to yourself, staring at the hole with a blank expression. Mom, Dad, please forgive this. You’re sure they’d be able to ignore this wreckage if only you’d be able to live another day. Oh god- there are gunshots coming from somewhere and the men were now jeering and yelling loudly.

“Y-You..” You halt and collect yourself a little, swallowing thickly. “You guys sure are lively.” You mutter and watch as Eustass tore through some people, having two by the necks and then throwing them at the dude with the blue hair, who dodged both bodies and kicked a chair at his captain, who got hit and yelled angrily.

Yet, among all the anger and aggression that everyone seemed to excel, no one was getting mauled to death. But there were loud gunshots and clear carnage going on around you and it was hard to think that no one in the town would notice them destroying your house.

They were loud. Extremely loud. The walk took ten minutes because you were a slow walker so there was no doubt that at least some of the people living at the edge of the forest would catch wind of this, despite the rain and wind. These weapons were loud. “Still, having your home destroyed by pirates..” The blonde hummed, putting his chin against the palm of his hand.

“..has gotta suck.” You grit your teeth. Because he was right. This fucking sucked and you wanted for them to go and take a fucking hike. Still.. People were laughing and screaming and oddly, it made you feel a bit better about this whole mess. As if this could be something you’d be able to look back on fondly in years to come.

Once they fucked off and all. So you and the massive man just sat next to each other, staring at the chaos below you in silence as you wondered if the police would come to check out the commotion. Hopefully. You did not want to get shot tonight.

As if on cue there was a row of gunshots sounding out. “Hank got shot!” You heard someone yell. “Doc! Doc get over here!” “Fuckers- I told you not to shoot these fucking-“ It’s drowned out by the noise of splat as a wet rag hit you right in the side of the face. You blink and cringe in disgust, slapping it away and robbing a bit further up the stairs.

Killer was following you with his face, tilting his head a little and letting his shoulders shake a little as if he was amused.

“Scared of water? That’s-“ And then slap, his whole mask is wrapped up in a towel and the dude froze in his spot. You glance behind him and see Eustass laughing his ass off, almost crumbling from the strain as he just shit himself over having hit his first mate with a wet rag.. That seemed really tame, seeing how the dude threw his men around like ragdolls otherwise.

“Fucker..” Killer hissed between, apparently, clenched teeth and pulled the rag off his head, getting up and then jumping over the railing like a lion on the hunt, tackling the redhead to the floor and getting into a grapple with the other man. God above, they’re aggressive. It was like violence was a turn on for these people.

And then suddenly there was the huge dude from earlier at the bottom of the stairs, heaving and covered in sauces and what not.. was that blood? He was clearly looking around for something he could be throwing right now and then his gaze landed on you. ..He’s grinning at you.. Oh.

Oh hell fucking no-

You shriek and try to dodge the large hand grabbing you by your ankle and yanking you down. “Scuse me.” He grabbed you under your back and butt, lifting you easily over his head. “Boss!” “No- Stop!” Both Killer and Eustass looked up and you could see their body posture tense comically at spotting what was about to be thrown at them.

Killer got onto his knees and Eustass’s eyes looked like they were about to pop from his skull, so wide he had them.

And then you’re flying and screaming your head off. It doesn’t take a second before you’re colliding with two warm, broad bodies and all three of you are send rolling around on the floor like toddlers. Eustass yelling and Killer cursing his head off- someone had his hand on your fucking chest and you slap out of instinct, hitting the material of the blonde’s mask.

“Ah, shit. Sorry-“ The dude actually seemed somewhat embarrassed at having grabbed you by accident but then you two are slammed down when Eustass used both of you as leverage to propel himself up. “You want my foot up your ass?!” He yelled at his companion, who flipped him off and just laughed out loud.

“Oh you little fucking-“ He cut up, jerking his head around and looking through the hole in your wall. The blonde groaned, sitting up and rubbing his neck but noticing the demeanor of his captain. “Kidd?” At first you didn’t hear it but now that you tried to listen closely, you did. There were voices.

It’s the fucking popo. You knew they’d notice the fucking ruckus if it went on long enough. “Twelve men coming over here. Guess we’re going to be killing townspeople after all-“ “No!”

Eustass had been in the progress of getting up but you threw yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his neck to try and jerk him back down again. “You promised! You gave me your word!” You point accusingly at Killer who seemed completely unbothered at how upset you were, yet, he did speak.

“I did kind of agree to her terms.” He supplied, looking up at Kidd, who was now trying to get you off of him by shouldering you roughly with his metal arm which, honestly, felt like you were being rammed by a bicycle. “I didn’t agree to shit.” “You ate her food and broke her home down.”

“You say that as if we don’t do that shit on a regular basis.” You remember something. ‘Beg me.’ To be specific. “Please! Whatever you want, just don’t hurt them!” Eustass’s head jerked down and his eyes bore into you. Killer put his face in his hands. There’s a moment of silence.

“..Fucking fine.” You’re surprised how easy that was, all until he grabbed you around the waist and lifted you over his shoulder. “Men! We’re fucking off! Gather at the ship!” You heard someone complain. “The ship is a day’s trip away though!” So that’s why they were here, to scout? .. No it didn’t make sense. You’re too confused to think about it.

“What are you doing, Kidd?” Killer grumbled, poking you in the cheek and making you stare at him like a frightened lamb. “Taking a souvenir.” The redhead grunted and then squeezed your waist a little. The blonde crossed his arms and huffed. “..Alright then.”

“What?! No! I don’t wanna go! I wanna live!” You shriek and struggle against the man’s grip, hearing a faint, familiar voice of a police officer you knew. “MISS L/N?” Oh god. “We’re not killing you, calm your tits.” And then the redhead turned around and bolted straight through one of your walls, busting it open like he was a jackhammer.

His men were hollering and laughing still as they scattered into the night. You’re wet again, the rain falling against your body as you were carried off. It felt like your life, the way you had known it, was over. You don’t know what to feel about it right now, it was too much all at once.

You did not know this at the time, but today would be the start of a life you never knew had been an option, or a life you never knew you needed.

A new adventure.

[hardcoregamer]

TGS 2021: The Puppos of the Post-Apocalypse Pack Serious Heat in Metal Dogs

When it comes down to it, Metal Dogs feels like a competent dungeon-crawler with a funny gimmick, and perhaps that’s all a game like this needs to appeal to most gamers out there. The loop of combing combat zones for loot, applying upgrades at base and then going back out again is a rather timeless one that doesn’t need much support if it’s done adequately.

Read some more!

https://hardcoregamer.com/previews/tgs-2021-the-puppos-of-the-post-apocalypse-pack-serious-heat-in-metal-dogs/412194/

[gothfoxx]

Here's a prompt for you. How about Aizawa finding one of Izukus analysis notebooks and seeing how accurate and amazing (terrifying) Izuku's analysis is. (bonus if Aizawa reads the notes on him.) 10/10 proud dad.

Aizawa had been a teacher for a few years before he got his problem class, and his problem child. So when he saw said problem child writing in a notebook during the first week of school he thought nothing of it other than the kid was committed to school. Aizawa had had students like that before who needed to write down their thoughts before they’d forget and with Midoriya’s penchant for mumbling to himself it was no wonder. It became normal to see the kid nose deep in a notebook writing or sketching.

When Midoriya brought the book out during a guest lecture Aizawa was a little annoyed that the kid wasn’t paying attention. That was until the boy raised his hand and asked some very interesting and in-depth questions. Aizawa was impressed and then assumed that the writing was a form of thought organization more than for memory, Mic had to do that sometimes when his ADD was getting in the way. He decided to buy a few books to keep in his desk should the kid need one, it would be a shame if the kid couldn’t cope during class and lost focus.

During lunch one day Aizawa asked Yagi if he knew about the notebook Midoriya carried around. The other hero laughed when he heard the question, “Oh that. Well you see the boy is a huge hero fan. He had one on him when I first bumped into him during a villain attack in the city.” And that explains why Midoriya and the old man seemed to know each other at the beginning of the year. “I signed it too, you should have seen his face. I’m glad we crossed paths that day.” Yagi finished, he seemed to be reminiscing about the fated meeting. Aizawa thanked him quietly and left wondering what kind of stuff the kid would have to write for All Might of all people to consider him a huge fan.

He finally got a chance to see for himself what was in one of the notebooks, Midoriya had started a new one that was the same blue as the gym uniforms. There was another guest lecture but this time it wasn’t in the classroom but out on one of the training fields. Ms Marble, the durable hero, had volunteered to help demonstrate the kind of martial art she used for hand to hand. When she asked for a helper Midoriya’s hand went up like a bolt and his eyes lit up like a toddler with free rang of a toy store, the powdery white heroine giggled and called the greenett over. Giddy about being picked Midoriya excitedly handed his home room teacher the notebook he had been writing in earlier and rushed over to be the ‘helper’. Aizawa would never admit that the excitement radiating off of Midoriya was adorable but no sain person would have asked.

Curiosity got the better of him and while the greenett was busy Aizawa thumbed through the first few pages. He hadn’t been expecting what he found so when he realized what the book was he flipped back to the first page and began reading more carefully. Inside were the observations on a third of his student’s quirks, strengths-weaknesses-possible further training-psych evaluations-costume improvements. The amount of raw thoughts and data that was written down between the detailed pages reminded Aizawa of being in Nezu’s class when he was a student. The teacher, now principal, had the habit of going on tangents when something gained his interest. Aizawa felt a shiver run up his spine at the memory of those improv lectures.

He was about to close the book when he saw his hero name mixed into the ramblings of one of the data pages. Aizawa leafed to the next profile page. Looking back at him was a sketch of himself in his hero uniform, his goggles resting on top of his head. He shouldn’t read it, he was already nervous about the implications of these notes but each one of the profiles before had been insightful too.

Aizawa Shota

Hero name: Eraserhead

Status: Teacher-U.A., Underground

Strengths: fast, quiet, observant, proficient in hand to hand, can use weapons, can sleep anywhere

Weaknesses: Dry eye, Injuries to eyes or occipital lobe, children, cats

Training: quirk is dependent on both eyes so tracing to try and make it effective with one would be beneficial for when the dry eye acts up, learning to apply stage makeup and prosthetics for undercover work (see crawler entry), a long rang weapon that doesn’t tether him to the enemy

Thinking: depression?, paranoia?, ptsd, hyper logical(Spock-ish), codependency with Mic and Midnight. If one used Midnight or Mic they would have sway over Eraserhead. Same for the children in his care. He acts like he doesn’t care but he is Hypervigilant and goes out of his way to make sure his people are taken care of even at the cost of his own life. (USJ, chocolate incident, extra supplies)

Costume: less baggy so it can’t be grabbed as easy, tie up or cut hair to remove tell, bracers for joints

Extra: He uses the excuse of ruses when he decides against what he said before. He advocates for kids with less or non combative quirks to get into the hero courses. Believes that people can change and gives second chances. Cares, I saw him feeding the cats that live in the woods behind the school. Cares, when Hagakure had cramps and couldn’t do hero studies he sat with her in the infirmary and bought her a chocolate bar. Cares, Mineta says that Aizawa threatened to expell the perv if he catches him again (make sure he catches perv). He cares, he bought extra notebooks after he started watching me, he noticed and didn’t get made! He cares, once Todoroki feels safe enough I’ll convince him to tell Aizawa what happened.

The extras spilled over to the next page with a drawing of the cats that trust Aizawa enough to let him feed them. The normally in control man felt a burning in his eyes that meant if he could he would be crying. The kid wrote like someone showing him or others kindness was a foreign concept and that normally his writing would get him in trouble. The more Aizawa looked at it and the pages of free thought before it the more he saw a danger. This kid, his kid, hadn’t been allowed to make connections with those around him and had started writing about them to feel less isolated. If something had happened to push his kid there was a real possibility that Midoriya would have either shut down or cracked. Midoriya could have become a villain.

Looking up at the lesson going on, no one privy to the crisis happening in his head, Aizawa watched Midoriya get flung onto the mat laughing and asking to see the move again. The kid was made of strong stuff, stronger than his quirk and stronger than his tolerance for pain. This kid had survived something that left him feeling alone and scared enough that he feared writing would be punished! It showed a lot of trust the he had given Aizawa his notes, had trusted his teacher with a part of himself. Aizawa closed the book and watched the rest of the lesson thinking about how he could encourage his kid without scaring him off like a cat that had been hurt before. How was he going to support this analytical genius.....? He’d also have to figure out that part about Todoroki too, that was concerning too, but he would have to wait until one or both of the boys felt safe enough to talk alone with him.



The lesson finished up while Aizawa was still in his own thoughts. “Sensei? Sorry about dumping my things on you, that was very rude and short sighted of me.” The greenett apologized with a small bow. The kid seemed more embarrassed then leaving a notebook should envoke. “It’s fine problem child, not like I was busy anyway. You know you have a real talent?” That made the kid sputter and blush further. “No no it’s just a silly hobby from when I was a kid, it’s basically habit now! It’s nothing as special as a talent!” The kid tried to argue but it wasn’t from being humble, now that Aizawa was listening for it he could hear the plea of the attention to stop, for the spotlight to be taken off of him...out of fear. “Whatever you say kid, but I think it show promise in Criminal Analysis. If you’re interested I could see if the principal would take you on as a personal intern.” He offered, hoping the kid would take it. Nezu would be better with a traumatized kid, could relate with them better than he did adults.

The kid just nodded and tentatively reached for the book, Aizawa slowly met the kid halfway so Midoriya didn’t have to get to close. He would be changing his behavior around the kid, the kid would notice of course but he hoped the kid saw it for what it was. An acknowledgment. “Come on Midoriya, classes are over go get changed so we can go.” Aizawa stayed as he turned to head back to the main campus. “We, Sensei?” The kid didn’t miss anything huh, “Yeah, you took being Ms Marble’s punching bag like a pro so you deserve a treat. How does frozen mochi sound?” The concern and confusion on the kid’s face washed away and was replaced with relief and then a bright smile. “Thank you Sensei, I’ll be quick!” And with a bolt of green light the boy was headed for the locker room. “No problem champ.” Aizawa snorts a laugh at the empty air, well at least the kid felt safe enough to accept food from him. At least they weren’t at square one, he could help this kid. He WOULD help his kid.

Thanks for this one I love when Izuku gets the recognition he deserves!!!

[proxyartsblog]

Fallout Equestria ( Country Roads)

By proxyart.

{The introduction}

(68 years after the mega spells)

(A group of Caravan ponies and a group of Talons sit around a campfire in the forest of  West Virgineigh in the shadow the the stable 76 ruins .  It's cold out and the two groups sit making small talk and trading stories. After a while a pony started to notice a odd member of the talon group)

A shy young blue unicorn spoke up , she had a soft timid voice. "um m..mr Griffin... how ... uh no um why is... your back legs different from the other Griffins?" Her ears dropped as he looked Over at her.

"I'm a hippogriff" said the smooth looking avian, he was quite pretty, with his lovely golden feathers and creamy tan coat , he spoke with a unique accent, something from the old world the blue unicorn thought.

"F..forgive me but a what?" She said with a puzzled shakey voice.

(He smiled and sat up.)

"A hippogriff my dear filly" the smooth voice said, he spoke like a pony, " you don't know do you? " he asked.

(The blue unicorn shook her head.)

" no sorry I'm not aware of Griffins or anything to do with the talons " she blushes brightly noticing them stare.

(The hippogriff's beak gives a friendly smile as he steps into the fire light.)

"My name is Apple Gin, and I am not a normal creature, no matter how you look at it, I'm the descend of a earth pony who throw out all odds service the mega spells and fell in love with a Griffin , from her and their love my mother was born , my mother was a miracle my grandfather said, a foal that shouldn't exist but somehow did."

(Apple Gin saw the curiosity growing in the eyes of the young filly.)

"You want to know more don't you? " he asked with a croaked smile.

(The blue unicorn nodded happily, no longer the shy blue filly she was , this girl got closer to hear every word he spoke. )

"Please tell me what happened?!" The filly gidded as she clopped her hoofs excitedly.

Apple Gin sighed and sat back on his haunches. " so you want to know the story of my ancestor the the legendary stable 76? "  he asked.

She smiled sweetly and nodded " yes!" She paused for a moment  "I mean yes please mr. Gin sir"

Apple Gin gave her a odd look and sighed happily, " Gin is fine... so where to start this story? ... it's a long one to tell "

(The blue pony thought for a moment then with a smile.)

"I got all night... better then dealing with them swamp crawlers or mega beasts... right Gin ?"

(Apple Gin smiled )

"Yes ma'am " he started to tell his grandmother's story.

"To tell this tale we must start off 25 years after the war... 25 years after the mega spells dropped and all of equestria was plunged Into Darkness".

(War ... war never changes.... )

[End holotape prologue. ]

☆◇♧♡♤☆◇♧♡♤☆◇♡♧♤☆

[Chapter one] country roads.

[Memory orb holotape begin]

(A song started to play over the PA system of the stable, followed by a older mare's voice)

(A inebriated orange and creamy caramel colored earth pony falls out of her bed woken by the loudly playing music and that mare's voice, she looked around her stable room and realized it was very quiet, too quiet, there was a huge party just yesterday, and today was her 25th birthday, the day she was also supposed to leave the stable as well.)

"Shit... ouch my head, I swear one day I'll stop drinking " she always said it but she never has, after all she owed her cutie mark to alcohol, all the members of her father's family did, it was a family tradition and Apple whiskey wasn't going to be the pony to end a family tradition!

(She looked at goodmorning stable-tec window with its happy  little birds and smiling sun, the stable colt smiled back at her reminding her she was late. )

"Good morning stable 76, this is the Overmare , I hope you all enjoyed the party last night, even those who might have over overindulged and overslept. But it's time to get up and get out there, we've been locked away long enough."

(She listened to the Overmare speech as she brushed her teeth and combed her mane, it didn't do anything to help, her mane and tail was a knotted mess of curls and knots, she had tried to keep her hair nice but since mother died Whiskey had a hard time with managing it.)

"Stupid mane... ouch! How am I supposed to brush this mess if I'm not a unicorn!?" She yelled frustrated by her lack of magic or her mothers hair dresser bot.

(Her mother was a robotics engineer, the best in equestria or so others told her. The stable was full of the best and brightest members of equestria and many of the ponies onces worked for stable-tec or rob-co, some were doctors and musicians, others were bankers, scientist, farmers, painters, chefs and more, if they were the best they were in 76!, and the offspring, the children of the generation of genius ponies? Why they were told daily that they were going to save equestria... and the world, that day was today... and Apple wasn't running to the stable door like the others had.)

(A robot brought Apple whiskey her pipbuck, it had a big 76 Pip‑buck 2000 in blue and silver numbers on it with the ugly brown and tan pipbuck casing , Apple placed it on her fetlock and began to adjust to it's weight, Apple thought her pipbuck was very ugly and useless, all she ever used it for was the radio and keeping track of other ponies. )

"Stupid heavy thing..." said Apple.

"Oh miss Apple I thought you'd never wake up" said the floating mr. Handy.

(The over mare's voice pulsed for a moment or two then continued )

"Today is Reclamation day, I kn..."( the voice was drowned out for a bit.)

"What? Why? " Apple whiskey asked.

"Why its Reclamation day don't you remember? Most of the stable is already gone ." Said the robot.

"All ready gone?! But its only..." Apple looked at the time. " Half past noon! How could you let me over sleep so long!?" She started to ran to get her stuff packed .

( the Overmare's voice started again)

"It maybe time to leave but I'll always remember the day you all entered stable 76, you come from everywhere walk of life, every pony race, color and creed, but you all share one very important trait, you are equestrias best and brightest but more importantly you will always be my family."

(The broadcast ended)

"Wow Overmare ... I wonder if the old mare is still here? ... would make sense that the Overmare would be last to leave right?" Apple got all the things she wanted to take with her.

(Apple whiskey packed a large saddlebag with 5 bottles of purified water, 3 stem packs, 2 boxes of big-mac and cheese, 1 picture of her parents, a hoof pistol and a hoof full of bullets,  2 Med-X , 2 healing potions, 1 sparkle cola cherry and 4 bottles of her famous Apple whiskey and the recipe so no one else could make it .)

"Miss Apple you mustn't forget about you're camp " said the Mr handy.

"My camp? What is that? ... you mean my still bot? " Apple asked.

(The Mr. handy looked insulted by her calling that metal pot a robot)

"No miss apple not that busted excuse for bolts.... the camp unit is you're home away from home miss... " he handed her the rather small box .

"This is a camp?" She looked complex.

"You need a home base out there. The Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform is designed to give you one." Said the handy.

"So this will help me serve? Good to know... uh ok " Apple took the camp and stored it in her saddlebags.

"Wow it fits a lot... one day I'll learn how it carries all my junk..." she was impressed by the bags, she thought it had to be part of the stable-tec spell Matrix.

(Apple strapped the saddlebags to her back and holstered her pistol. )

"Ok looks like that's everything Handy...what will you do onces I'm gone?" She asked.

(The mr. Handy hovered around and brought her a tiny mr. handy statuette.)

"Miss Apple please take care of yourself... I'll be here , I must lock up the stable and once I do life support will be turned off... no living creature will be able to close the stable door." The handy said .

( Apple looked sad but she understood she would never seen the first friend she had again, tears fell down her pale caramel coat.)

"Good bye old friend " Apple gave the bot a quick nuzzle and a kind smile.

(Apple set out her room and into the corredores of the stable, the gray drury walls of the stable gave her a bit of comfort, she was very nervous about leaving, if it was up to Apple whiskey she would have stayed there until she died un old mare with many grand foals running through the many hall's. )

(As Apple walked past the Overmare's office she popped her head in to say goodbye however the office was completely empty of life.)

"Overmare!... eh? ... nuna?... " Apple walked around her desk and sat in the big chair, it smelled so nice , the smell of foal hood memories.

(The Overmare loved to let the foals play in her office while their parents worked their various jobs in the stable. Her happiness memories were learning how to be a Overmare from the only grandmother she would ever know. )

"Overmare... I guess I'll never get to say goodbye to her..." Apple saw that her terminal was still on, normally she wouldn't snoop but she was as rather nosy filly .

(Apple clicked her hoof to the keyboard and  ejected a holotape from the Overmare's office terminal)

"What in the seven?... a holotape? " she wondered if it was a goodbye from the Overmare.

"Overmare what could you be up to?" Apple noticed the holotape port in the side of her pipbuck, she put the holotape in .

(The holotape started to play)

"Overmare's log, or should I say, direct communication. Because whoever is listening to this had the moxy to try to find out where I've gone." It paused for a moment.

"But I'm glad you did. Truth is, I need your help. I've been given a task, and... I've decided to break protocol and tell you what it is. Because If there's one thing I've learned in these past few years, it's that we need to rely on each other." It paused for a moment.

"There were three active mega spell silos in Virgineigh before the Balefire Bombs fell. They blew up the Equestria before. We can't let it happen again. So we've got to locate and secure all of the silos, or die trying. Hopefully the former. Hmph." It paused for a moment.

"But it's been twenty-five years. I just don't know what we're going to find out there. Or where to start... My directive was to go to the nearest population center and assess the situation. I'll set up a C.A.M.P. on the way once I get my bearings. Find me there." The holotape stopped.

(Apple felt confused as she tried to figure out and take in all the information she just heard.  Apple wasn't exactly sure what she could do to help her but if the Overmare needed her she would try her best to find her and help... not because of Stable tec but for the only grandmother she had... the pony who called her family. )

"Looks like we are going out there after all..."  she thought to herself.

(Apple started to wake out when she stopped at the Overmare's bedroom door, she had took the time to make her bed and straighten her room, maybe she should have cleaned up her room before as well but she didn't want the handy bots to have nothing to do for all time.)

"Wow Overmare you really need to relax... hehehe " Apple said with a giggle.

(She smiled at the handy bots that met her at the hatch to the stable door.)

"Goodbye handys...  I wish you all the best, look after the stable for everypony. " Apple hugged the sliver handy bot.

"Goodbye miss apple, and we will look after your sill bot... even if we think it's a waste of technology and fermented grains." Said the mr. handy.

(Apple smiled, she whipped her eyes.)

"I'll miss all of you so much " Apple tried not to cry as she walked thought the stable entrance and stepped out into the world beyond .

[End of holotape chapter one.]

https://my.w.tt/JCjbulc9R5

[mostlysignssomeportents]

#1yrago How a political outsider's fundraising tool is helping insurgent, working-class Dems mount primary challenges and campaigns

Grassroots Analytics is a small, obscure founded by Danny Hogenkamp, a 24-year-old who studied Arabic in college and had not been involved in politics until he joined the 2016 Congressional campaign of Colleen Deacon in Syracuse, a working-class single mom campaigning on economic justice issues.

Working on that campagin, Hogenkamp realized that the ability to fundraise, primarily from big-money donors, was the most important factor in predicting a candidate's electoral success, and this puts candidacy out of the reach of many working class candidates who don't have connections to the donor class. Worse, this fact means that Democratic party institutions reject and discourage would-be candidates from the working class because of their inability to fundraise, preferring to give financial and logistical support to the candidates who need it least.

The Deacon campaign relied on a labor-intensive, time-honored fundraising tactic: interns combed through the donor records of similar candidates elsewhere in the country and then googled their contact details to create lists of fundraising leads.

Hogencamp made contact with another Democratic campaign worker, David Chase, who'd used his very modest programming ability to build a crawler that went through the records at Open Secrets and ranked donors by how much they'd given, and how often.

Using skills he'd picked up interning at the CFPB in college, Hogencamp used zero-inflated negative binomial regressions to analyze Chase's data to produce "lists of individuals most likely to support a candidate given shared characteristics and shared views — ranging from race and ethnicity to a passion for yoga or universal health care."

That's what Grassroots Analytics has done, and though it's received a cold shoulder from both the Democratic establishment and the Sanders-affiliated Our Revolution group, many insurgent, working-class candidates credit Grassroots with helping them to overcome the structural hurdles and raise the funds they needed to mount credible primary challenges and campaigns.

Grassroots Analytics lives in a legal greyzone; they don't use FEC data (which is illegal), but they draw on sources whose data often ultimately originates with the FEC, albeit after being analyzed and republished by many intermediate organizations, and Grassroots says it take steps to ensure that it doesn't touch FEC data itself. While virtually every campaign works with data from the same sources as Grassroots, they do so inefficiently, by hand, with armies of volunteers and interns, while Grassroots uses technology to automate that work.

Ultimately, Grassroots Analytics represents a very modest application of technology to a highly automatable task, and it raises the question: why isn't the Democratic establishment doing this already? Writing in The Intercept, Rachel M Cohen attributes the heel-dragging to the cozy nature of election-tech, where the campaigns source from buddies who left other campaigns to start low-tech, crude tools that Grassroots has handily leapfrogged.

https://boingboing.net/2019/01/23/not-rocket-surgery.html