#I realize that I've branched off a LOT from the original concept

[cloudwhisper23]

The Guardian

The man didn’t know she was here, of course. He’d been inconsolable after she died, and she didn’t want to break him a second time. He deserved better than seeing ghosts everywhere.

She watched as they unloaded the suits, one by one. An uncomfortable prickle grew in her fingers as the last suit hit the floor. She knew that suit. She knew all of them, in fact, but that one…

Spring Bonnie didn’t used to produce this sort of reaction in her. It probably never would have, if not for the fact that the man who wore the costume had killed her.

It unnerved her, realizing that each suit had a soul inside of it. She knew about the first five, of course, but the extra soul bothered her. It was in the wrong suit. The unfamiliar soul should’ve been in Spring Bonnie, but it wasn’t. It was in Fredbear. She twitched toward the box, sorely tempted to challenge the spirit. She hadn’t put it there, but she could rip it free.

The Protector

Evan glared distastefully at Spring Bonnie. He wished he could share Gabriel’s sudden anger at the suit upon leaving it, but there was nothing. A blank slate to him. Evan wondered if that was Fredbear’s fault, balancing out his emotions.

This was exactly what he was worried about when he first started out. As the Protector, he hadn’t needed to worry about Fredbear’s magnetism and urges. Not as much, anyway. He’d made it hard to kill Mike, but that was the only problem Evan had ever had with the suit. The others had stayed in their suits less than he had, something odd at the time, considering how Evan had actually been killed in his suit.

Now it was the opposite. Evan couldn’t even use Fredbear. If he tried hard enough, maybe he could squeeze in alongside his brother, but he didn’t want to try. No, he’d leave that for a case where Freddy wasn’t an option. Despite Spring Bonnie’s availability, Evan didn’t trust his feelings in that suit.

A new challenger approaches!

@lonelyfreddles hope you like it!

[hungarianmudkip69]

*sets out a tea service* So about your CG necromancer that you'd like to play, but the campaigns keep falling through before you can play them?

SO. I once had this idea. What if I made a chaotic good necromancer, whose culture has positive associations with necromancy. And I ended up making Elrena. (Yes, I took the name from Kingdom Hearts, but just because I liked it, she's not based off the KH character.)

What I ended up coming up with, is that she's from a small village in a very inhospitable area, prone to freezing cold and fierce storms. It would be completely inhospitable if not for their magic, an unusual branch of necromancy more benign than evil. Her people believe that when one of them dies, their soul cannot rest without knowing their body has been raised to continue protecting their loved ones, and raise the bodies of their dead to do necessary tasks when it is too dangerous for the living to step outside.

They worship Kelemvor, god of death, who cares for the souls of their protectors; Mystra, goddess of magic, who gave them the magic that protects them; and Ilmater, god of endurance and perseverance, who reminds them that they must help each other.

Not all members of the village are necromancers, but Elrena, a protector aasimar, showed the signs of becoming a necromancer very young, and became especially close with her fellow necromancers. Traditionally, when a young necromancer reaches the age of twenty, she goes out on a journey to experience the world, help others, and hone her power in ways she cannot at home.

In all campaigns, she has just left on this journey, and doesn't have any idea how the wider world views necromancy. She believes very firmly in her people's beliefs, and does not realize that they aren't universal and that most people have never heard of her more benign branch of necromancy. She carries a small bag containing bones from a few ancient community members whose bodies no longer can physically serve the village, but continue to protect it by guiding the newest generation.

In the last campaign she was going to be in, which unfortunately fell through, the DM actually was modifying a class from the Valda's Spire of Secrets Kickstarter for me, the Necromancer. It used to be on 5e.tools, but looks like it's not anymore? And unfortunately, I don't remember much of what it was like. But here's an example of an ability he made for me:

Starter Feat: Soothing Necromancy: Your necromantic magic differs from the typical soul binding magics of the weave, into a more soothing melody of temporary transition. Some of the spirits and souls of the departed wish to aid you due to your kind nature. Spirits linger around your person, and sometimes whisper secrets to you or your allies. You learn the message cantrip if you don't already know it, and require no components to cast it. When you cast the spell, the messages are delivered by one of your whispering spirits rather than you or the target's voice. Additionally you learn Protection from Good and Evil spell. You can cast the spells without expending a spell slot. Once you cast the spells in this way, you can't cast that spell in this way again until you finish a long rest. However, some spirits are intentionally malicious even after their death, and may alert enemies to your presence. You take minus d4 to stealth checks. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (your choice when you gain this Starter Gift).

I think she's really neat and I put a lot into building her. But unfortunately I've never been able to use her for more than a few sessions. The DM for the game I originally made her for tried to do this thing where actually necromancy isn't what she thought and it tortures the souls that I was really uncomfortable with a few sessions in, and then the game fell apart when someone moved away and the pandemic started a bit after... The DM for the other game was so into the concept and helping work with me on it, I really wish that game had kept going. It just never had a second session due to scheduling conflicts.

[burr-ell]

So while Byleth as a character pretty clearly found that she took to leadership like a duck to water and she wants to help and guide people, the players don't really feel that.

After all, if I was in her shoes, I'd feel like I had all this responsibility thrust on me that I never asked for. So Rhea made me a teacher even though I have no experience, and Claude is just using me, and I think Rhea's crazy and Edelgard has a point and I want to side against the church but the game won't let me, and Rhea made me her successor even though I don't like her/the church/religion in general, and Claude ran off to Almyra and made me the ruler even though I never said I wanted to.

Kinda nailed it on the head the disconnect between the playerbase and Byleth...The amount of VW/AM fics that are like "i GUESS Byleth cares to run after Rhea during the Battle of Garreg Mach for SOME REASON even tho I hate her" can attest to that attitude lol

You're right in that they should've just ditched Byleth being a self-insert since they didn't even know how to write a self-insert to begin with. So little of the dialogue branches actually matter that it got to the point where I wanted to yell "tf is the difference here!?" Case in point when Claude confronts Byleth after Ch4 the dialogue is either "I don't know" or "I don't understand" and like! what!!

Also chalk it up to personal preference, I've never really enjoyed self-inserts the same way I do avatar chars (which are different). Like, I don't wanna be "me! but in a video game!" I wanna play/rp a cool character where I interact with the world through their lenses & experiences.

It really is a bummer cause the concept behind Byleth- a character learning how to feel & realizing that they can be more than just some lonesome sell-sword- as well as their few in-game traits are parts that I really liked, it's just that there's so little of that because they're meant to be a self-insert instead rip

Also chalk it up to personal preference, I've never really enjoyed self-inserts the same way I do avatar chars (which are different). Like, I don't wanna be "me! but in a video game!" I wanna play/rp a cool character where I interact with the world through their lenses & experiences.

S A M E. I think for me, part of the issue is that no matter what I do with the self-insert, that's not me. I'm not really in the game. I don't really look like that or act like that. None of it is real. Same with [Y/N] fanfics. I'd rather experience a world vicariously through someone else who has an established personality and character arc; I want the storyteller to just sort of take me along for the ride while I get to watch a good yarn gettin spun, because at the end of the day, that's what's happening. (Sort of lessens that "I wish they were REAL" feeling if you haven't inserted yourself into the story, too. Keeps you grounded, y'know?)

"i GUESS Byleth cares to run after Rhea during the Battle of Garreg Mach for SOME REASON even tho I hate her" can attest to that attitude lol

ok but LITERALLY miss blooth eisner went tearing leeroy jenkins style after rhea to protect her, after rhea put everything on the line to protect the students and stop the empire from destroying the monastery. rhea's a good person and byleth cares about her, antis stay mad about it lol

Yeah, generally speaking Byleth represents a lot of missed opportunities. And I love her, 100%, it's just that her character writing needed to be stronger—because like you said, her story could have had so much meat to it if they'd pushed themselves further! Truth be told, it makes me concerned about the direction of the next FE game (either the inevitable Jugdral remake or the next original one) if they keep waffling like this.

[pionoplayer]

I keep having this really dumb idea in my head of like... overly long undertale style genocide run? But in a setting specifically constructed in such a way to keep the serial escalation of it going without derailing/diluting the thematics. I dunno if it's a particularly good idea but since one of Everhood's songs put another fight concept into my head for it I decided I might as well post the original idea that came with it here to tumblr.

Steps echo down a ruined corridor, worn down by calamity and time both. At the far end, a figure slouches against a pillar, notices the newcomer, and stands up straighter to face them.

"Hey there. Didn't expect someone to make it this far.

Let alone for that someone to be you, of all people.

Guess this is the part where I give my little speech, yeah? That's usually how these things go.

There's a line I've heard said, quite a few times in fact. It goes something like…

'Do you believe that even the worst person, no matter how horrible, can change if they just try?'

I've always considered it a tacky line but in the end, I believe it. The answer was 'yes' for me after all…

But here's the thing, buddy.

After a certain point, the question stops being "can this person change" and starts being "how many people will they hurt if we give them that chance again".

Because a person can change, no matter how horrible… but only if they decide to.

And you've been given more chances than anyone could possibly earn at this point.

Some people would draw a line in the sand and dare you to cross it.

Not me. You've already crossed every line that mattered.

Some people would give you one last chance to drop your weapon and surrender.

But you already killed them all while their guards were down.

And some people are like you. Ruthless, cold, downright psychotic.

I'd say it turns out they were right but uh, you didn't really leave any of them lying around either did you?

So I'm gonna ask this question one, final time. Just for nostalgia's sake. Back when there were beautiful days outside, when there were flowers left to bloom and birds left to sing.

Are you ready to have a bad time?

Because you don't get a choice anymore, as far as you've come down your path the only thing left waiting for you is the worst time of your life.

NOW STAND STILL AND DIE LIKE THE CREATURE YOU ARE."

The newcomer - no, the challenger - steps forwards instead, sending an attack towards the figure at the end of the hall. The strike is rendered harmless.

"Yeah, I figured that would be your response. Let's get started then, shall we?"

The defender begins his own assault, attempting a pace to keep the challenger from launching their retort.

"You know, it's kinda funny. Looking at you, you don't look like the kind of person that would be responsible for everything happening."

A gap in the onslaught, another quick and precise strike, followed by the defender resuming his barrage.

"Hey now, that's not a jab at your height. I don't waste jokes on an audience like you. Just a statement of fact, ya know?"

Another opportunity, another missed shot.

"If it weren't for all the bloodstains and equipment stolen from the corpses of people better than you, I'd think you were just some poor sod looking for their way back home."

A gap, a strike. The pattern is established.

"Wherever your home was, it's probably not there anymore. A lot of homes aren't there anymore, thanks to you.

Doesn't that bother you? That wherever you started you can't go back? That everyone you might have ever cared about in whatever times and places you could've been…

Are just gone? Vanished? Obliterated so thoroughly that even we can't bring them back?

Look, kid. I don't know what your deal is. I know you by reputation alone, and even if my job is dealing with 'problems', I was really hoping I wouldn't wind up here. With you.

But every single one of them, even the psychopaths bent on breaking everything over their knee…

They still had something they wanted to see through. Something they wanted to protect, even if it was just their own sorry hides.

I look in your eyes, in your past, I see nothing. Oh, I see a house, and parents, maybe friends. But I don't see anything real. Real to you. It's like you've erased it, severed all your own ties on a conceptual level.

It's almost like you're just as gone as everything you've taken away."

Something changes. The strike lands a little closer, shaving off something small, insignificant. The constant barrage of destruction falters.

"...That fast huh? Go on, do it again. I dare you, kid."

Another strike. Another impossibly near miss.

"I didn't think you'd actually be dumb enough to do it. Guess my little ramble actually paid off yeah? Now I know exactly what you are. Approximately."

Another strike. This time the sound of it hitting the far wall seems to shake the very foundation of the world itself. And then the room fills with death.

"Let's see how you deal with phase two, buster."

The pattern resumes, just with more noise and violence.

"You know, I really don't know why I'm still talking to you. A friend of mine would tell me to stop wasting my energy…

But, you know, it calms my nerves. Pretending I'm talking to a real person.

Now, I'm sure you know the whole catastrophe, inside and out. You were right at the heart of it after all.

To get things straight though? You got lucky. We were busy, other problems were cropping up, and it didn't look like you were the threat you are until suddenly everything was collapsing.

And with what you are… do you think maybe in another branch of causality we could've maybe been coworkers? Maybe friends?

You've got the moxie to be one of us, I'll tell you what. A bit lacking on the 'morals' side of things though.

Guess it doesn't matter anymore. Even if I, if we, stop you dead in your tracks, in a way you've already won.

Can't go back from where we are now after all…

Speaking of 'not being able to go back', I'm getting a little bit tired of this endless back and forth. What do you say I… speed things up a little?"

Abruptly the pace picks up, what was already an assault leaving so little untargeted space it was frankly unreasonable that the challenger had gotten this far - and gotten this far unscathed no less - becomes an unrivaled, personally targeted cataclysm.

"...You know, even knowing what your deal is... watching you brush off one of my best tricks like it's a laser pointer is infuriating."

The challenger lashes out, a set of frantic, angry strikes that are abruptly cut short by a resumption of hostilities from the defender.

"So you know what? I'll take a turn at your game. Go ahead, hit me with your best shot before I can charge up something better. Let's see how this goes for you."

The hall is silent for the briefest of moments, before the challenger lets loose the first noise they've made throughout the entire confrontation; an infernal, blood-curdling shriek. Power ripples through the hallway, searing away pieces of it in a barrage of strikes meant to bring gods to their knees.

Everything freezes. The challenger, the collapsing hall, everything but the defender.

"Wow, you're really ready to have this be over with, aren't you? I'm sure you almost got me, try harder next time and I'm sure you'll get to see what comes after."

There's a crunch and a soft cry of pain. The challenger is forced to their knees.

"I've got a little piece of advice for you though, assuming you haven't gotten it from me already."

Another crunch, a steady pace of dripping liquid can be heard.

"Your little 'quest' doesn't end with me. I'm just the wake-up call. If you get past me somehow, things are gonna get a whole lot worse for you than you realize. You might wanna turn back now before things actually get ugly."

There's no sound besides the slow drip of blood to the floor of the ruined hall. Or something approximating blood at least.

"Now get lost."

GAME OVER

...You aren't getting rid of me that easily.

>RETRY

[galaxy-mermaid-musi]

WIP and Writing Tag Game

I was tagged by @givethispromptatry And my other blog so let's do this!

1. Is there any scene from any piece you’ve written that actually scared you? If so, describe the scene.

Okay, so there a piece I have published on another site that is an almost exact replica of a horror nightmare that I had the night before. All of it scared me, but there's three bits that hit me the most... Gore mention warning:

1. The bit about "Sophia" running into the bathroom because her new friend screamed only to find said friend's boyfriend hanging by his feet with blood still dripping off of him in a bathroom that not only was bloodsplatered but also looked like it had been abandoned for years.

2. The chill "Sophia" felt when the murder made himself known and immediately singled her out to be next to die.

And

3. The feelings when she escaped. A feeling of sorrow realizing she had abandoned some of her family to die, a feeling of hopelessness when she thought that the cops were in on it, a feeling of dread at the thought that the killer wouldn't stop hunting her knowing her as the only witness as well as knowing her face and voice.

So yeah, I'd say it stuck with me.

2. What genre do you feel most awkward writing?

Action. Ironic since that's the main genre of most of my works.

3. How many different types of writing do you write? Types of writing include novels, short stories, poetry, song lyrics, etc.

A couple. While I haven't dabbled in poetry much lately I still find it fun and have written it before. Short stories are my main deal, and I do okay on song parodies but not original songs.

4. How old were you when you first started writing?

Fun fact, I used to have proof that I was at east attempting to be a writer even before the fourth grade. I had a short "picture book" about a queen who had been turned into a duck by the fairy servant of a neighboring evil king. To be fair, it has some lingering potential, but it needs a total makeover before I'd be comfortable releasing it.

5. How confident are you in your writing?

Confident enough to post it on here knowing that very few people will actually tell me what they think.

6. Have you ever written and posted anything that was very personal to you?

The nightmare story mentioned in the first question was very personal to me. I didn't post it here but I did post it.

7. What inspired you to start writing?

I honestly don't remember.

8. Which of your OCs do you relate to the most?

I'd say Sara, but I've retconned most of her past existence. I don't know, come back to me when I'm in a state of distress.

9. Have you ever written self-insert fanfiction?

Sort of? There's an old piece that I abandoned years ago that technically had a self insert character.

Oh wait, there's another one also from way back then that has a directly self insert character.

Only one of those two was romance. The other was some silly little CLEAN "Truth or Dare" fic

10. What is your favorite piece you’ve ever written about?

It's silly but my favorite piece was a Doctor Who one shot where the Doctor regenerated as a redhead and said "I'm as sexy as you now!" to the TARDIS.

11. How frequently do you actually sit down and write?

Honestly rarely. Probably twice a month if I get the chance

12. How many hours at a time do you do research on your writing?

None if I can help it, and up to five if I have to

13. Do you like to branch out in your writing or do you tend to stick to what you know?

A bit of both. I like working on my older ideas right now, but since I haven't written most of them down they're coming out a lot different than the original concepts.

14. What would your antagonist of your current WIP say to you if they saw you in person?

They wouldn't 'say' anything. One would try to possess me and the other would sing something to try to convince me to make the healer kid join her cult.

15. Do you consider yourself your OCs’ god or just kind of a guiding hand (or other? If other, please list)?

I feel like a time travelling historian. Like I can be there to see what's happening and write it down, but the characters themselves mold the story.

16. What do you think you’d be doing with your time if you’d never gotten into writing?

Drawing more, or singing, or maybe acting.

17. Have you ever written a smut piece?

No. The closest I've gotten was a role play where I wasn't given the option to avoid it and as such felt extremely uncomfortable around the other person who pressed me to do that. It also caused me to write any versions of my character after that to be asexual.

18. What was the first thing you ever wrote about?

If you mean actually wrote, then "counting from 1 to 10 in English and Spanish" if you mean first story then that duck queen one, and if you mean first published piece then there's a poem that I wrote for a contest which I won. It exists in a book somewhere with the other winners

19. What is the most creative creature you’ve ever created for world-building?

The Ekatorie (a word which I am surprised that my phone knows)

I won't go into too much detail since I may use them later, but they have long sharp nails that hold a black venom and they're faster in the dark.

20. Tell me one random fact about your WIP that you have yet to tell your followers.

I don't talk about my WIP to my followers often.... So, here's a little thing. Only a couple of the main cast are actually straight or white. The main character is white, but that's by design, and she's bi.

I’m going to tag: @sempaipeasentklaus @lapis-lazuli-mana @ravenwolfie97 @midnite-highway @here-there-be-nerds

[zombiiesque]

Nocturne Alchemy Seth's Dinosaur Collection - PART ONE

Originally published on 6/27/2017

Hello, everyone! I've been wanting to write some reviews for a while now, but we moved, and then I promptly came down with a really bad case of bronchitis, that did not seem to want to go away. I ended up with two different antibiotics and almost went to the hospital at one point, but it's mostly dissipated finally. Well, then I had to put my house together and get everything situated here, and I'm sure anyone that has moved understands how much effort that takes. I haven't moved in over four years, and I felt really bad about not getting my house organized! And here I am, going on and on. Anyway, I had intentions of reviewing Seth's Dinosaur Collection for quite a while, but I think it's particularly relevant now. Nocturne Alchemy is reopening in 4 days, on June 30th! *squeeing and flailing* I'm so excited to see the site redesign. Also, they've been working on new label art, and from what I understand, they'll be adding new scents to the various Permanent Collections. So much fun. I'm sure it's going to be beautiful. If you'd like to keep up with them in the meantime, they have been posting fun things on their Facebook Business page, including a sneak peek video of the new logo, which is absolutely elegant.

Well, I started this last night, and ended up having things to do that needed my immediate intention - so I had to put it down and come back to it in the morning! It seems like that's the way things have been going lately, so now this review is even more timely. Before I delve into it, I want to make mention that I had an email conversation with the NA crew, because I wanted to address some of the rumors I'd seen going around since they'd been closed. I saw that folks were concerned that they wouldn't be reopening, because they've been gone so long, and I also saw that many were worried that the catalogue as it was known might not be returning, so I wrote to see if they'd give me something to share with people - and they did! Such lovely, kindhearted people, and that is the reason I am such a huge "fangirl". I mean, don't get me wrong - they make the most exquisite perfume oils, and of course that drew me in, but once I began to see how much heart they pour into their company, and how much they care about their customers, that really made me fall head over heels. Honestly, in the world of indie perfumes, NA is a pretty good sized company. They've been making perfumes for 10 years now - actually, as it's June, they're into their 11th year, and they have a pretty extensive catalogue! So in their own words, I'll use a direct quote here from Nocturne Alchemy.

NA will return June 30th. We asked our customers last year what they thought of the old NA site. Constructive criticism concluded that it was dated. The truth is, we knew this and had been looking for the right host site for the past two years. We knew it would take time to migrate and create a new site but we'd have to be 100% involved and the focus of a new site would mean we'd have to shut down the old site. In the process, we decided to recreate the art for the labels of the Permanent Collection (we call it the PC because we view perfume as you would at an art gallery, where there is a Permanent Collection and a Limited Collection or the temporary exhibit if you will). In the past six months we've taken some much needed time off after a decade of perfume making, perfume soul-searching, travel for more unique perfume, and also back in the Studio for months now working on new PC, new art for new labels and a new look for NA. It took two years prior to opening NA in 2006 creating a small collection of PC and Limited perfumes, designing labels, the site...the fact that we can do this in six months, means we are at the top of our game. We know what we want to create but you can't rush art. NA will return June 30th. Find us on Facebook to stay up with current information. The PC and Studio Limited will return, as well as the beloved VApothecary line that has been rebranded under Nocturne Alchemy to facilitate cohesiveness at the new site.

So, there you have it! In addition to completely redesigning the site from the ground up, including a different type of "shopping cart", they've been working on all kinds of wonderful things. I am not sure I will even know where to start on Friday! I'm certainly looking forward to digging through the new site - bad pun intended? And now, I have to apologize. As I said, I'd meant to get this posted a few weeks ago, but life sort of threw me under the bus, and I just couldn't give it the proper time it deserved, as the Dinosaur collection, and the eNVie review, both deserve a bit more depth than just reviewing a single perfume. I'll be working on the latter today, to get it posted up hopefully by tomorrow.

So, roughly two summers ago, Nocturne Alchemy released the original Dinosaur collection, which was Seth's baby, as his other passion, from his early childhood, was dinosaurs, and he wanted to do a collection with that theme. I must tell you, it's been one of my very favorite collections, and I'm only missing a few of them. Last summer, they released a Resurgence, and added some new perfumes to the collection. It's alternatively been called the Prehistoric collection, but the name "Seth's Dinosaurs" has kind of become the popular name among the fans, and often gets shortened to "the Dinos". A little note about this collection: "These dinosaur perfumes are created with the beauty of resin in mind for each of them. The concept to this perfume, the label and the respect of the dinosaur is built on imagination. If you look at the label, there is an egg to the left. It is the same color as the Dinosaur. Apply the perfume on wrist and inner elbow and allow the scent to bind with your chemistry. Once this has occurred, inhale. This conceptually, is the egg. To allow the dinosaur to hatch, we wanted you to go to your Studio Limited Library and pull as many as you want, especially your favorites. The magic in layering the dino's with your Studio Limited Library will give your library a new NAVAlchemy aspect of layering and creating your own personal Dino scent. The fun in NAVAlchemy and hatching the dino eggs is all up to you!" - note from Seth. So, I've seen a few comments floating around the internet that say these oils seem to be rather linear, or flat - and I hope that people will read this, because if they don't realize that these were created specifically to be layered, then they'll miss the beauty of these. I do like them on their own, but I find that when they are layered with other perfumes, the beauty and versatility really shines through. I was never adventurous about layering until I was introduced to these beauties, and they really taught me to branch out, because the possibilities are quite endless. What's interesting is that a lot of the SL (Studio Line) is also fantastic for layering, so I'll make some suggestions for these together for you to try. I believe, from the hints that they've been dropping on the Facebook page, that we'll once again be graced with new Dinos this summer. I don't know if it will be happening with the grand reopening, or at some later time in the summer, but it seems that we'll be getting new Dinosaurs to play with! I cannot wait.

So, let's get started! I'll go with the first round of Dinosaurs that I have, and then the second round will be in a separate post. All of the Dinosaurs also make this mention: "*tiny bits of resin may occur in the Dino blends, these will only enrich the blend even more with aging!"

Cryolophosaurus: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, Aged Organic Studio created Patchouli, Black Patchouli, SL Crimson and only a drop of fine aged Egyptian White peppercorn eo. So, this was my first love of the Dinosaurs. I was pretty new to NAVA at the time the first collection came out, so I was still trying everything via decants before I sprung for full bottles, because I hadn't learned what worked on me and what didn't yet. I think I ordered decants of everything but Spinosaurus, because I had learned at that point that black honey and I don't get on. Still salty about that! Anyway. The decants arrived, and I tried them all out - and fell madly in love with Cryolophosaurus, and promptly ordered a full bottle. It's....what are words! I feel as though I'm going to be repeating myself here with this collection, but I'll do my best for y'all. The patchoulis in this blend are bright and sort of herbal, almost minty? I don't know if that's a proper patchouli trait, but as a bit of a hippie, I've been a lifelong fan of patchouli (thanks, mom!) and was exposed to the dark and dirty hippie type patchouli early on in life. This was the first time I was exposed to patchouli as a more herbal note, and I was absolutely blown away. I often find NAVA ambers to have a "fresh" sort of quality, and the two ambers used in the Dinosaur collection definitely seem to have that, so it keeps any of these blends from being overly dark. There's definitely a depth and a sort of stoney feel to each one of these, but as I've mentioned, that seems to come out more once you layer them with another perfume, and Cryolophosaurus is no exception. I can wear this happily alone, it's quite different than say Hessonite, which can be a little overwhelming if you're new to patchouli, the ambers lift this up and seem to give the patchoulis a different nuance. You don't get the red musk (Crimson) or pepper aspect very much until you wear this one layered, but those aspects come out and shine once you pair this with another oil. Also, this oil is red! As I've had my bottle for 2 years, there's definitely some resinous bits forming now, but I couldn't seem to capture a picture of it.

I could rave and rave about this one. Goals: If they bring this back as a Resurrection again this year, GET A BACKUP BOTTLE. Hah!

TL;DR A fresh, sort of bright, herbal patchouli. The nuances of the ambers, red musk, and pepper come out to play when you layer this, but you probably won't notice them while wearing it solo.

Layering suggestions: Try this with Kashmir, Crystalline, Amethyst, Santalum, Crystal, White Ambre Ombre. If you have Labyrinth Oudh, this pairs beautifully with that. If you are a patchouli fiend, you might try hatching it with Patchouli Ombre or Hessonite. I like it with Sekhmet Amber and Black Raven, also.

Diplodocus: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, a drop of Cacao, Boswellia carterii Frankincense from United Arab Emirates and a drop of steam distilled Oman Frankincense tears we picked from the actual Frankincense tree.

Believe it or not, although I tried all of my decants the summer that the Dinosaur Collection came out, I did not really pursue full bottles of any except Cryolophosaurus. When I heard that the collection was to be resurrected last summer, I decided I needed to try my decants again, and came to the conclusion that I would have to acquire full sizes of all the originals that I had decants of - oh boy! And then there were new ones joining them. I was in trouble. So, I was trying to decide which of these I absolutely had to have, and at first, I had decided since I had Holiday Egyptian Frankincense, I probably didn't need Diplodocus. Well, I fell pretty hard for HEF last summer and found myself layering it with everything, and before I knew it, I had gone through a half a bottle. Panic set in, and I decided I was probably going to need an alternative frankincense, as it was a note I was falling more and more in love with. Diplodocus became a must have, and I am glad I was able to sneak it in my last order before the collection came down. As a stand alone perfume, this is pretty much a linear frankincense - albeit a lovely one. Beautifully woody, you could wear this alone if you were in the mood to wear a sort of single note frankincense, but this lends a wonderful aspect with so many perfumes, I prefer to layer it. Once I layer it with another perfume, the bright, resinous, stony amber comes out to play with the woodiness of the frankincense, and it's heavenly. The cacao is not a starring note, I can find it with my nose only if I keep sniffing, but it plays a lovely supporting role.

TL;DR A perfect frankincense layering note, it does well with adding a sort of grounding to perfumes that might ordinarily be too bright or feminine for my particular tastes, and is lovely paired with the SLs as well to create a duality.

Layering suggestions: Kobalt Dark, Santal Ombre, Egyptian Musk, Crystal, Diamond, or even to add a tad more frankincense to Ember. I've also paired this and love it with Gabriel, Eternal Egypt, and Ozymandias. I love it with several LC perfumes as well; Black Velvet, Black Crystalline Black Fig, Vamp, Anticipation, Blue Lotus, Snow Amber.

Pteranodon: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, a drop of Cacao, Pure Sandalwood left to age in the perfume, Santalum Gold, Santalum and a drop of Blue Santalum.

GODS. Gods. This was the one that made me sit up and take notice, why had I missed out on ordering a full bottle, and I need to rectify this immediately! All of the Dinosaurs are fantastic, versatile little workhorses when playing with layering, but Pteranodon became a quick favorite of mine, and dare I say? Yes, I dare, it became my favorite sandalwood thus far. Don't get me wrong, you'll be prying my gloriously aged bottle of SL Santalum out of my cold, dead hands, I absolutely adore Santalum White, especially when spring and summer roll around, but really I can see using it all year...but this, this is special. Samantha tells me that's because it has the most precious of precious, Santalum Gold. Since she sent me a little sample of her precious bottle, I can understand the obsession - there's something pretty amazing about Santalum Gold. It's a little more woody and resinous, more fully sandalwood than the new version Santalum. I love mine, don't get me wrong, but I can see why Santalum Gold is so popular that if one pops up in the secondary market, it is gone within minutes. Ah well, one day I will be quick enough! Until then - Pteranodon. Yes, I can and have worn this alone, and I absolutely adore it. I like it in my hair, it's one of my favorite layering components when I pair it with something and add a few drops of unscented hair oil and run my fingers through my hair. Hnnnnggg. It's hauntingly familiar, it reminds me of when I lived briefly in Minneapolis in the early nineties and I hung out in the head shops and the kitschy little knicknack shops of uptown and the fantastic thrift stores....ahhhh the nineties, it brings me a feeling of nostalgia, for that's when I discovered how glorious sandalwood was. Oddly enough, my mother is a darker creature, and I don't remember her wearing sandalwood during her hippie days, mostly patchouli and musk and especially dragon's blood. She was missing out, I tell you. This. This really evokes some strong emotions in me. So, once layered, again the ambers come out to play, and the cacao is there as a supporting note, but the star is the variety of sandalwoods. You really get a sense of the four once this is layered. I don't know what to say other than IF THIS COMES BACK AND YOU DON'T HAVE IT YOU'D BETTER GET ONE. I'll be picking up a backup. I might not be able to get my hands on Santalum Gold, but this will do.

TL;DR HNNNGGGG GORGEOUS INCREDIBLE SANDALWOOD.

Layering suggestions: Gods, it goes with everything. Seriously. One of my favorite things is to hatch this with a combination of Diamond, Crystalline, and Tibetan Crystalline. Alternately, I'll do Bloodstone, Egyptian Musk, and this (maybe some Amethyst too). It's fantastic with Ember Vanilla or from the LC, Phantasm Kiss. I love it with Egyptian Temple Oudh. Umm, Eternal Egypt, Bastet Amber, Raphael, Black Raven. Ambre Ombre, or even Santal Ombre. I love it with the OPs, Baba, Tawaret, Pakhet, Hathor. I've got a smidgen of my sample of Egyptian Peach Blossom left and it's lovely with that. Polichenelle. Cecilia, Adele, Music, Snow Amber, Patchouli Ombre. There hasn't been a layering combination with this one I haven't loved, so be adventurous. If a perfume seems a bit too sweet or floral, this makes a nice "grounding" effect. Just do yourself a favor and nab this if it comes back!

Tyrannosaurus: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, a drop of Cacao, Dracaena Draco of Morocco (Dragon's Blood resin) and Sangre de Grado Dragon's Blood.

One of the things I don't think I've talked about a lot is exactly how much I love NAVA's dragon's blood. I seem to like dark, red, resinous things quite a bit, I mean, Kashmir is practically my signature, followed closely by Bloodstone. So, what is their dragon's blood like? It's that perfect mixture of spicy and fruity. It's so, so well balanced. I don't really like it when a db note veers too much into either territory, leaving the other territory well behind. I want that combination, just a little spicy, just a little fruity, almost delicious. This is another workhorse. Alone, it's a beautifully resinous, juicy dragon's blood with a little kick of spice. It might be too dark alone if you're not into db, but layer this big boy - did Seth name this one well or WHAT? Layer Tyrannosaurus, and it becomes bright and lifted with the amber, and it's possibly even more beautiful than Bloodstone. Wait, what? Blasphemy. Okay, maybe not my bottle of aged, thick, glorious Bloodstone, but it's pretty amazing. Worn alone, T-Rex is a hint of the amber, and the two dragon's bloods. Layered, and he comes into his full glory, the amber comes out to really play, and that lovely supporting cacao becoes just a little bit evident, to give it a little more depth.

TL;DR: T-Rex is a big boy, and this perfume more than lives up to its name. I find it apropos that his scent is dragon's blood. Layered, he is just the right amount of resinous, spicy, juicy dragon's blood and glorious, fresh stony amber. Mmmm. Mm. It makes me hum with happiness.

Layering suggestions: Ember Vanilla, Ambre Ombre, Patchouli Ombre, Santalum, Ember, Black Raven, Mists of Arcacia, OP Anubis, OP Pakhet. From the LC, try it with Phantasm Kiss, Blood Moon, Egyptian Temple Oudh, Copal Oudh, or Pandora.

Utahraptor: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, hungry chomps of Kashmir and Black Musk Absolutes, Egyptian Musk and a drop of Crimson and Sri Lankan Black Peppercorn eo.

Oh, Utahraptor. I've listed this last, but not because I love it least. In fact, I adore it, and it's quite versatile - different layering options bring out different facets of this one. I'm sure I've made mention of the fact that I really, really love NAVA musks. Kashmir is probably one of my favorite perfumes. So naturally, I had to have this. Worn alone, this comes across as mostly Kashmir, with a breath of Black Musk underneath, and the amber lifts it up - it might seem like a heavy blend, but it's saved from that by the beautifully clean Egyptian Musk and ambers. Start playing with layering, and while Kashmir, a bold red musk, remains the star, Black Musk and Egyptian Musk come out to play a bit more vocally, and I love that little kick of spiciness in the background of peppercorn. I'm a big fan of pepper in perfumes - Music is a great example of this, I feel, and it's kind of a surprising note, I think that many people would envision it from a cooking spice standpoint, but it's a bit different when added as a component of perfume. It adds a little kick, and it's quite fun. If you've never had the experience, I highly recommend giving it a chance. Anyway, enough about pepper, it's a supporting note here, and gives this "egg" a bit of pizzazz when you hatch it with another perfume.

TL;DR: Kashmir, a bold red musk, is the star here but plays beautifully with the other two musks, Black and Egyptian, when layered. Don't be afraid of the pepper. Despite the musk heavy blend, it's not nearly as heavy as you might think, the ambers lift and brighten this perfectly, and it's quite fun with a variety of different types.

Layering suggestions: Crystalline, Tibetan Crystalline, Santalum White, Egyptian Musk, Ozymandias, Pharaoh Anniversary, OP Baba, OP Set. For LC options, I absolutely am nuts over hatching this with California Redwood Crystal Musk. Also, Underlord Akhenaten, Pyewacket Cat, Pumpkin #2, Copal Oudh, Enigma, and it's amazing with the Byzantium Amber from their 9th Anniversary perfumes.

Okay, whew! That was pretty extensive, I am sorry for the wall of text, but I do hope you'll find my "hatching" suggestions helpful. This really did provide me with the courage to really branch out and become a layering fiend, and now I will layer various perfumes in with my unscented hair oils too, and I get a lot of compliments about how amazing my hair smells. Tomorrow, I'll get the second half of this posted for you, with last year's additions. From the first year, I do not have Spinosaurus, Stegasaurus, or Styracosaurus. Feel free to offer up your own layering combinations with these amazing perfumes! I want to mention one more thing in closing, these are another collection that do even better with age, they become richer and seem to come into their own even more. Have a wonderful evening!

Editing to add a note, and a link to part two! I forgot to mention previously, is that these are lovely when you pair them together! And I've done this several times with different combinations. Pteranodon with Protoceratops or Deinonychus, Velociraptor with Utahraptor, Diplodocus with Giganotosaurus, Protoceratops with almost anything! Hah.

Another thing to mention, if you have eNVie Saphir, many of these are stunning when hatched with Saphir. Definitely worth experimenting with - I have Saphir, Ambre Saphir, and Encens Saphir, and they all do well with the Dinosaurs.