#Space Gate Odyssey

[femmehysteria]

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day, check my pinned post for active polls

[stuckasmain]

Really relate to Dave because I too wander around my room and stand in doorways wondering how the fuck I got there. Just zone out and lose an hour on accident.

[fizzytoo]

we’re back on the hot dog space ship yall

[cafecdramin]

Bad AI lip reading

[musicandotherstuff]

"I sometimes imagine each word to be made using a three dimensional open-top glass alphabet. Each letter built to harness and transport the mirror ball liquid marble of the melody. When the 'substance' fills up the syllables they seem to shimmer and become weightless. With the addition of close harmony I see colours swirl together, parts of the lyrics glow and the way in which they float suggests that something like the 'star gate' sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey is happening deep inside them out of view"

- Alex Turner, The Telegraph 2016

Happy Bday Alex Turner (38 years old today)

January 6, 1986

[perfectsunlight]

𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮

lisa x non-idol!reader

warnings: minor angst (?) , mostly fluff tbh

part 2 of attention

word count: 3,313

synopsis: your girlfriend proves that she'd do anything for you, no matter what.

an international flight was more than enough time for lisa to think. she knew you weren’t going to answer her, especially after your last argument. she also knew that this wasn’t just about the argument, or your graduation. this was about your relationship.

lisa rested her head against the window, doing her best to ignore the kid kicking her seat behind her and the way the man next to her was snoring. when she arrived at the airport, she didn’t really have a plan. all she knew was that she needed to get onto the next flight back to korea as soon as possible.

maybe that’s why she didn’t care if she got an economy class ticket and boarded without anything except the clothes on her back and the items in her purse. perhaps that’s why she didn’t care that her phone was at 45% or that her airpods were left in the hotel. but none of that seemed to matter to her at the moment.

nothing was as important as you.

with a heavy sigh, the idol closed her eyes, attempting to find solace in the darkness behind her eyelids. but there was no escape. every single one of her empty promises haunted her. she realized that this flight was more than just a physical journey; it was a mental and emotional odyssey, a chance to finally confront the demons that had driven a wedge between you and her.

regret was not a strong enough word to describe the emotions that she felt right now. 

she had spent so long blaming everything and everyone else for the issues you two had. the tour, the company, the schedules. these all had a strain on your relationship, but she never stopped to truly recognize that her actions had done the most damage.

but lisa also knew she was causing damage by going to be with you, as well.

missing a concert date was a breach that yg entertainment would not take lightly, especially from someone as crucial to the group as her. the repercussions would be severe, but at that moment, it felt like a distant concern. 

all she cared about right now was you.

time seemed to stretch and contract in the confined space of the airplane. hours passed like minutes, and yet every second felt like an eternity. the rhythmic hum of the engines provided a backdrop to her thoughts as she drifted in and out of attentiveness. 

as the plane descended into seoul, lisa's heart beat erratically in her chest, matching the turbulence of her thoughts. the city lights twinkled below, a familiar sight that should have comforted her, but all she felt was a gnawing anxiety. the weight of it pressed on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

she glanced at her phone, which was at 15% battery, and noticed the time. lisa would barely make it on time to your graduation. it was cutting close. 

every passing minute seemed to mock her, reminding her of the time slipping away, of the chance she might be losing with each second ticking by. the reality of what she had done settled in like a heavy stone in her stomach, a constant reminder of her impulsive decision. as the plane taxied toward the gate, lisa's fingers drummed anxiously on the armrest. she knew she had to face the consequences of her actions. 

with a sense of urgency, lisa rushed out of the plane. paparazzi and fans were everywhere. the thai girl pulled her shades closer to her face and lowered her cap to shield her eyes and send the silent message that she didn’t want to deal with anyone right now. 

lisa navigated the chaos of the airport terminal with the grace of a seasoned performer, her steps quick and purposeful despite the pounding in her chest. the cacophony of voices and camera shutters filled the air, each flash of light blinding her momentarily. she pulled her shades closer to her face, a feeble attempt to shield herself from the prying eyes and the harsh glare of the cameras. she felt like a deer in the headlights, vulnerable and exposed. 

the fans, once adoring, now felt like an encroaching wall of judgment and scrutiny. every step she took seemed to magnify her guilt, each flash of the camera a reminder of her failures. reaching the front of the airport, lisa spotted a nearby taxi.

paparazzi shouted questions, their relentless pursuit of a scandal evident in their probing eyes. lisa kept her head down, her cap pulled low, and her shades hiding her emotions. she was a fortress of stone, unwilling to let the world see the cracks in her armor. as she slid into the backseat of the car, the noise outside dulled to a muffled roar. the tinted windows offered a semblance of privacy, shielding her from the prying eyes outside. 

inside the taxi, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the chaos outside. the paparazzi’s shouts faded into the distance, and the insulating walls of the car cocooned lisa in a brief moment of respite. yet, the weight of her actions pressed heavily upon her shoulders, even in the relative silence of the vehicle. 

“where to?” the driver asked as he looked back at the idol through his rear view mirror. “seoul national university.” lisa quickly replied, rubbing her temples. 

the taxi driver nodded, his eyes meeting lisa's briefly in the rearview mirror before he pulled away from the curb. the city lights blurred into streaks of color as the car sped through the night, the engine's hum a steady rhythm beneath their conversation. lisa leaned back in her seat, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. 

the weight of her actions bore down on her, but in this moment, she was determined to face them. there was no turning back now. the truth, raw and unfiltered, was what you deserved. as the car wound its way through the familiar streets of seoul, lisa's gaze drifted outside the window. her phone buzzed with messages and missed calls, but she ignored them. right now, you were her sole focus.

this was your special evening. she’d witnessed how hard you had worked over the past years, spending hours studying and slaving away at the kitchen table in her home. there were many days when she’d barely be coming home at the early hours of daw, only to see you fast asleep under your books and papers. 

there were countless evenings when lisa would return home after a grueling day of rehearsals and find you hunched over your books, your eyes tired but resolute. the soft glow of your laptop screen illuminated your face as you delved into your notes, your fingers dancing across the keyboard with practiced ease. 

your girlfriend would watch you in admiration, marveling at your intellect and work ethic. she recalled the times when you would fall asleep amidst your textbooks, your head resting on a pile of notes and your hand still holding a pen. lisa would gently cover you with a blanket, tucking you in with a tender kiss to your cheek. if you fell asleep on the couch, she’d just pick you up and carry you to bed with her.

she cherished those moments, the sight of you in peaceful slumber, surrounded by the remnants of your dedication to your education. 

one particular memory stood out vividly in lisa's mind at that moment. 

it was the night before a crucial exam, the air thick with tension and anticipation. you had been studying for two weeks straight for this exam. your brows furrowed in concentration, eyes puffy and red from the mental breakdown caused by the anxiety you were feeling about the exam. lisa had just held you in her arms for a good half an hour as you cried.

lisa remembered how she was going to suggest you take a break, but you simply wiped your eyes and turned back to focus on your flashcards. there was a fire in your eyes, a fierce determination that lisa had always admired. it was a determination that had brought you through countless challenges, and she had no doubt it would carry you through this exam too.

the thai girl prayed for even an ounce of that determination you had from that night to be present in her current moment. as the university came into view, lisa could feel her heart racing. this was it. 

when paying the driver, her fingers fumbled with the bills and she definitely gave him double than what he charged because she didn’t care about counting any of the money out. there wasn’t enough time for that. 

she quickly stepped out of the taxi, the cool night air hitting her face. the campus gymnasium was where the commencement ceremony would be. lisa pulled her hat down further, practically running full speed towards the building at the end of the block. 

lisa's sneakers pounded against the pavement as she sprinted towards the campus gymnasium. her heart raced, not just from the physical exertion but from the urgency of the moment. the distant echoes of applause and laughter reached her ears, a reminder that the ceremony had already begun.

each step she took was a plea for time to slow down, for the universe to grant her a few precious moments to make things right. as she neared the gymnasium, she slowed her pace, trying to catch her breath. she straightened her cap and removed her sunglasses, taking a moment to compose herself before entering. the night air had done little to calm the storm inside her.

the weight of her actions hung heavy, and every heartbeat was a reminder of what she had risked losing. taking a deep breath, she pushed open the doors to the gymnasium. the atmosphere inside was charged with excitement and anticipation. the graduates, clad in their caps and gowns, sat in neat rows, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the stage lights. the air was thick with a sense of achievement, a tangible reminder of the years of hard work that had led to this moment. 

lisa scanned the crowd, her eyes searching for you amidst the sea of faces. the fear of not finding you clawed at her, urging her to move faster. the sea of dark blue uniformity didn’t help her either. but she’d recognize you anywhere, blending in blue or not.

finally, her eyes landed on you. you were seated towards the back middle rows, your eyes fixed on the stage, a mixture of pride and determination in your gaze. 

the idol pulled her hat down lower, fearing that she’d cause a huge scene if recognized by anyone. lisa quickly slipped into one of the side bleachers as your section stood up and made way towards the stage.

the pride in your eyes was undeniable, a reflection of the years of hard work and dedication that had brought you to this moment. as you walked, your steps were confident, your shoulders squared with determination. lisa felt a mixture of awe and regret wash over her. 

awe for your strength and resilience, and regret for the pain she had caused you. the applause that filled the gymnasium was deafening as each graduate's name was called. lisa clapped along, her eyes never leaving you. she marveled at your grace, your ability to shine even in the midst of her failures. each step you took towards the stage felt like a step away from the darkness of the past and towards a brighter, hopeful future. 

as you ascended the stage, lisa held her breath, her hands trembling slightly. the pride in your accomplishments filled the room, a tangible force that seemed to push back the shadows of doubt that had clouded her mind. for a moment, she allowed herself to bask in the sheer brilliance of your achievements, a glimmer of hope that perhaps, with time, she could be worthy of you once more. 

the moment your name was called, the room erupted into applause. lisa clapped harder, her heart swelling with a mix of emotions. you walked across the stage, receiving your diploma with a smile that could light up the entire room. at that moment, the thai girl’s heart swelled with pride and love. 

she was reminded of just how incredible the person she had fallen in love with was.

as you made your way back to your seat, lisa's eyes followed you, her gaze soft with adoration. she knew that this was just the beginning of your journey, and she was determined to be there for every step of the way. the applause continued, but in her heart, there was a quiet resolve. she would make amends, prove her love, and stand by you, no matter what challenges lay ahead. in that moment, amidst the sea of applause and celebration, lisa made a silent promise to herself. 

she would be better. she would be the partner you deserved, supporting you, uplifting you, and loving you unconditionally. no matter what.

the ceremony continued, but lisa's focus remained solely on you. she knew that the path to redemption would be long and challenging, but for you, she was willing to face any obstacle.

echoes of the ceremony's final applause reverberated through the gymnasium as the graduates tossed their caps into the air, celebrating the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter. for everyone else, it was a moment of joy and accomplishment, but for the idol, it was a reminder of her solemn commitment. 

as the crowd began to disperse, families reuniting with their graduates, lisa waited patiently in the corner, her eyes never leaving you. her cap was lowered, and her shades were resting on her head. she was wearing a mask she snagged from the taxi driver as well, just to make sure no one else would recognize her.

well, no one other than you, of course.

you finished hugging your parents, and over your mother’s shoulder was when you noticed the girl you loved in the corner. at first you thought you were seeing things, but you’d spent too many nights sleeping in lisa’s clothes to not recognize them.

without another second, you ran towards your girlfriend. lisa’s arms opened as she embraced you, hugging you tightly against her chest. tears fell over from both your eyes and hers. it had been months since you two had seen each other, and despite the argument that had occurred just a day prior, you couldn’t care about anything else while being wrapped up in the arms of the idol.

“you came.” you whispered into her chest, tears soaking her jacket.  in the tight embrace of lisa's arms, you could feel the steady rhythm of her heart, a comforting reminder that she was real, that she had come back to you despite all the obstacles and the recent argument. tears streamed down your cheeks, mixing with hers, as the emotions of the moment overwhelmed you both.

“anything for you,” the taller girl whispered back, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and remorse. she held you even tighter, as if trying to make up for all the time that had passed since you last saw each other.

“but how? you’re supposed to be performing tonight.” your teary eyes met hers as you looked up at her with confusion. 

lisa brushed a strand of hair away from your face, her thumb gently wiping away the tear stains on your cheeks. “i did what i had to do,” she explained, her voice soft yet determined. “i needed to be here for you, that this was more important than any performance.” a mix of surprise and gratitude washed over you. knowing how tightly controlled her schedule usually was, you understood the significance of her decision. 

“you're my priority, y/n. i've realized that nothing matters more to me than you, than us. i don't want to miss out on the important moments in your life.”

it was a sentiment that resonated deeply within you. the fact that she was willing to put your relationship before her career, before the demands of fame, filled you with a sense of overwhelming love and devotion. 

“but won't there be consequences?” you asked, your concern for her career evident in your voice. lisa cupped your face in her hands, her eyes locking onto yours with unwavering determination.

“i don't care about the consequences. i'll face whatever comes my way. i want to be there for you.” the idol pulled her mask down and pulled you closer to her, speaking to you in the most soft and sincere tone you’d ever heard from her. “i’ll fly halfway across the world for you at the drop of a hat. i’d drop my career and my schedule if you called. you mean more to me than anything else.”

her words hung in the air, a solemn promise that washed away your doubts and fears. in that moment, you realized the depth of her commitment to you, the lengths she was willing to go to make things right. 

tears welled up in your eyes once again, but this time, they were tears of gratitude and overwhelming love. you pulled her into another tight hug, clinging to her as if she was your lifeline, because in that moment, she was. “i love you, lili,” you whispered against her shoulder, your voice filled with sincerity and adoration. 

“i love you too, y/n,” lisa replied, her words muffled against your hair, but the love in her voice was crystal clear. “more than words can describe, and more than i can express.” she added, gently kissing your forehead.

in that tender moment, under the weight of her love and the sincerity in her voice, you felt a profound sense of peace wash over you. the doubts that had clouded your heart dissipated like mist under the morning sun, leaving behind only the unshakable certainty that you were meant to be together. 

“i'd do anything for you,” lisa whispered, her voice soft and unwavering, her eyes gazing into yours with a depth of emotion that left you breathless. “i'll stand by you, no matter what challenges come our way. i'll be your rock, your support, and your greatest cheerleader. you're my everything, and i promise to spend every moment proving that to you.” 

with those words, you knew that your love story had weathered the storm and emerged stronger than ever before. in lisa's arms, you found not just solace, but a profound connection that transcended the boundaries of words and actions. it was a love that spoke in the silent moments, in the gentle touches, and in the unwavering presence of one another.

 “i think i just fell in love with you all over again,” you whispered back, your voice echoing the depth of your emotions. in that shared promise, you found the strength to face the future, hand in hand, ready to conquer whatever challenges life might throw your way. your girlfriend could only smile, because she knew everything she had done was worth it.

the last minute flight, the kid kicking her seat for 10 hours, the chaos at the airport, the fact that she’d get an earful from her company, her phone dying in the taxi and her losing $200 by paying the driver. none of that mattered to her.

none of it except being here with you.

with a tender kiss against your lips, lisa held you close, sealing the promises made between you two. you knew without the shadow of a doubt now, that the world class idol you loved would do anything for you.

no, lisa would do everything for you. and you could only smile against her lips.

because you knew you’d do anything and everything for her, too.

a/n: thank you for 1.8k :) enjoy this bc i know u all have been waiting for it <3

[insufferableprotagonistpoll]

Please note that a character currently needs at least 3 submissions to make it into the poll

That said:

Has 3 Submissions or more:

Aang - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Anakin Skywalker - Star Wars

Batman - DC

Bella Swan - Twilight

Bloom Peters - Fate: The Winx Saga

Bojack Horseman - Bojack Horseman

Brambleclaw - Warrior Cats

Clary Fray/Fairchild - Shadowhunters

Coriolanus Snow - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Elsa - Frozen

Evan Hansen - Dear Evan Hansen

Frank Reagan - Blue Bloods

Gregory - FNaF Security Breach

Harry Dresden - The Dresden Files

Harry DuBois - Disco Elysium

Heywood Floyd - Space Odyssey

Holden Caulfield - The Catcher in the Rye

Kazuya Kinoshita - Rent-a-Girlfriend

Kiris - On the Emperor's Lap

Mal - Descendants

Peter Pan - Peter Pan

Rand al'Thor - Wheel of Time

Rintaro Okabe - Steins;Gate

Scott McCall - Teen Wolf

Stolas - Helluva Boss

Ted Mosby - How I Met Your Mother

Tim Jackson Drake - DC

Tony Stark - MCU

Walter White - Breaking Bad

Wanda Maximoff - MCU

Xander Harris - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Zoey Redbird - The House of Night

Has 2 Submissions:

Ash Ketchum - Pokemon

Bloom Peters - Winx Club

Claire - Ship It

Dawson Leery - Dawson’s Creek

Duck Dodgers - Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 century

Dr Gregory House - House MD

Elizabeth - Bioshock Burial at Sea

Ezra Bridger - Star Wars Rebels

Ferris Bueller - Ferris Bueller's Day off

Feyre Archeron - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Harry Potter - Harry Potter

James Bond - James Bond

Jaune Arc - RWBY

Kyouya Sata - Ookami shoujo to kuro ouji

Netsa Archeron - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Odysseus - The Odyssey

Owen Grady - Jurassic World

Piper - Orange is the new Black

Pucca - Pucca

Quentin Coldwater - The Magicians (books)

Rey - Star Wars

Richard Rahl - Seeker of Truth/Legend of the Seeker

Riley Matthews - Girl Meets World

Robin - Teen Titans Go

Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan) - Scum Villain’s Self Saving System

Tom Paris - Star Trek: vVyager

Velma - Velma

Wade Watts - Ready Player One

Has 1 Submission

Achilles - The Iliad

Akiyama Shun - Ryu Ga Gotoku/Yakuza

Alexander Hamilton - Hamilton

Animal Crossing New Horizons' Player Character - Animal Crossing New Horizons

Aquamarin Hoshino - Oshi No Ko

Aragorn - Lord of the Rings

Arek - So This Is Ever After

Artemis Fowl - Artemis Fowl

Arthur Pendragon - BBC Merlin

Ataru Moroboshi - Urusei Yatsura

August Landry - One Last Stop

Ayin - Lobotomy Corporation

Bakugou Katsuki - My Hero Academia

Betty Cooper - Riverdale

Billy Buddy/Dr. Horrible - Dr. Horrible's Sing Along

Blake - Pokemon Adventures Black 2 and White 2

Blitzo - Helluva Boss

Bubsy - Bubsy 3D

Charley Pollard - Doctor Who

Charlie Morningstar - Hazbin Hotel

Choromatsu Matsuno - Osomatsu-san

Colin Bridgerton - Bridgerton

Corrin - Fire Emblem Fates

Cory Matthews - Boy Meets World

Dal - Star Trek Prodigy

Damian Wayne - DC

Daphne Bridgerton - Bridgerton

Data - Star Trek The Next Generation

Dr. Hanna Heath - People of the Book

Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way - My Immortal

Ellison Oswalt - Sinister

Elric of Melniborne - The Elric Saga

Emma Nelson - Degrassi: The Next Generation

Equality 7-2521 - Anthem

Eren Jaegar - Shingeki no Kyojin

Faust - Goethes Faust

Frasier Crane - Frasier

Galadriel Higgins - The Scholomance Trilogy

Geralt of Rivia - The Last Wish, The Witcher books

Go Siwon - A Guy Like You

Gray Wing - Warrior Cats

Haruyuki Arita - Accel World

Homer Simpson - The Simpson

Howard Roark - The Fountainhead

Jaypaw - Warrior Cats

Jean-Luc Picard - Star Trek The Next Generation

Jeff Winger - Community

Jim Hopper - Stranger Things

JJ - Cocomelon

Joaquin Monegro - Abel Sánchez

John Proctor - The Crucible

Jughead Jones - Riverdale

Kai - The Witch King

Kang Jinha - A Guy Like You

Katara - Avatar the Last Airbender

Katnis - Hunger Games

Khai - Theory of Love - Thai BL Show

King Arthur - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Korra - Avatar: Legend of Korra

Koyomi Araragi - The Monogatari series

Kun-chan - Mirai

Kvothe - The Kingkiller Chronicles

Lelouch Lamperouge - Code Geass

Leroy Jethro Gibbs - NCIS

Lionblaze - Warriors (Power of Three and Omen of the Stars)

Luna - Retro

Luffy - One Piece

Lyn - Fire Emblem

Makoto Naegi - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Mal - Firefly

Manaow - Love Senior

Mark Watney - The Martian

Mary Poppins - Walt Disney's Mary Poppins

Meliodas - Seven Deadly Sins

Merlin - BBC Merlin

Mia - La La Land

Mike Wheeler - Stranger Things

Miyo Sasaki - A Whisker Away

Mordecai - Regular Show

Nick Carraway - The Great Gatsby

Nightheart - Warrior Cats

North Italy - Hetalia

Okajima ""Rock"" Rokuro - Black Lagoon (Anime)

Oscar - Shark Tale

Otis Milburn - Sex Education

Patrick Bateman - American Psycho

Peppa Pig - Peppa Pig

Piper McLean - Heroes of Olympus

Pippa Fitz-Amobi - A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Rebecca Bunch - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV show)

Robert Langdon - The Da Vinci Code

Rodion Raskolnikov - Crime and Punishment

Rorschach - Watchmen

Ruby - Max & Ruby

Ryo Saeba - City Hunter

Sabrina Spellman - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Satou Kazuma - Konosuba

Shiori - Six Crimson Cranes

Shiro Emiya - Fate/Stay Night

Shrek - Shrek

Skullduggery Pleasant - Skullduggery Pleasant

Snow Villiers - Final Fantasy 13

Star Butterfly - Star vs The Forces of Evil

Stiles Stilinski - Teen Wolf

Sydney Atherton - The Beetle

Tai Kamiya - Digimon Adventure

Takao - Garden of Words

Tara Webster - Dance Academy

Tarl Cabot - The Gor Chronicles

Violetta - Disney's Violetta

William Afton - FNaF Ultimate Custom Night

Yu/Ai - Final Fantasy Unlimited

Yuri Zhivago - Doctor Zhivago

Yuusaku Godai - Maison Ikkoku

Zack Morris - Saved by the Bell

Available for Resubmission (needs at least 1 resubmission to participate)

Atsuko Kagiri/Akko - Little Witch Academia

Beca Mitchell - Pitch Perfect

Elena Gilbert - Vampire Diaries

Izuku (Deku) Midoriya - Boku no Hero Academia

Katarina Claes - My Next Life as a Villainess

Scott Pilgrim - Scott Pilgrim

Sophie Foster - Keeper of the Lost Cities

The Tenth Doctor - Doctor Who

Wei (Ying) Wuxian - Mo Dao Zu Shi

Currently unavailable for a new Round:

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius/Celaena Sardothien - Throne of Glass

Alex Eagleston - YIIK

Caillou - Caillou

Dean Winchester - Supernatural

Eragon - Eragon/Inheritance Cycle

Erika Shinohara - Ookami shoujo to kuro ouji

Kirito - Sword Art Online

Light Yagami - Death Note

Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Miraculous Ladybug

Naofumi Iwatani - The Rising of the Shield Hero

Peter Griffin - Family guy

Rachel Berry - Glee

Ross Geller - Friends

Tori Vega - Victorious

Victor Frankenstein - Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus

Y/N - Fanfiction

[naisilla]

The Emperor's New Muse Part .11

Odyssey Kayn x Reader

content: you need to stop Kayn. you die...

Was this crazy? Absolutely.

Did you really have much of a choice? Not at all!

With how dire of a state the Morningstar was, the closest planet that you could refuel or even better, hijack another ship, was the same planet you were fleeing from less than an hour ago.

Demaxia_Alpha was THE WORST planet you could possibly retreat to. It was the Demaxian capital, home to the king's palace and thousands of soldiers with the order to shoot you on sight. Only an insane person would return here and Jinx was out cold.

Even though your head was pounding from the stress of escaping the space battle, the adrenaline from the fight still left your hands shaking. It wasn't until now that the panic set in. The sheer insanity of even attempting to land on the Demaxian capital with a half-broken ship and two unconscious crew members. Shaking your head, you realize there is no turning back now. The only choice you had was whether you'd survive this mission or not. Turning your focus back to the controls, you took a deep breath and began searching for a place to land.

The air space and atmosphere of Demaxia_Alphas orbit was oddly vacant. You were sure that there would be fleets of military ships patroling the area with what is currently going on Kayn would have probably launched every ship they had to prevent your escape, so why weren't they here?

Even if this was some sort of ambush you had no choice but to go in and land the Morningstar next to the Palace.

The Morningstar sputters as you descend, coughing out plumes of black smog, the entire frame rattling like an elderly with Parkinsons. You bring out the landing gear only for the ship to give up and fall the last few meters as it finally dies.

The crash jolts you, making you fall to the floor of the mangled ship with the wind knocked out of your lungs. You scramble back to your feet and punch the dashboard button that opens the main door. You rush out into the demaxian palace grounds. The royal military station was abandoned, and not a single sign of life was to be found.

There was no time to stop and think about what that meant, you sprint through the base in search of any ship to commandeer. Just your luck that there were rows upon rows of fully operational Demaxian military vessels, always with the overproduction of everything with this Empire.

Running up to the closest one you immediately board it, or at least you try to, for there was no manual access to the ship entrance. Most likely you would need some sort of ID card to board anything as high tech as this. Cursing under your breath you spin on your heel and make your way to the control tower across the other side of the base. It took precious minutes of your time to be running back and forth like a lost chicken, you needed to stop Kayn and here you were fumbling around not even in orbit yet while he was already across the galaxy approaching the Ora Gate.

Hot tears of frustration and pain began to spill down your face as all your bottled emotions began to pour over the edge, Malphite is dead, Sona is dead. Kayn is winning. There was a physical urge that was tempting your body to collapse right there on the ground and just sob but you need to focus to stop Kayn and keep your remaining friends alive.

Sprinting to the control tower you skid to a halt at the automatic doors that remain closed upon your arrival, you grab the doors, sticking your fingers between them, and frantically try to rip them open. They refuse to budge and you kick the doors utterly infuriated while letting out a frustrated scream. Huffing you whip out Jinx's pistol and shoot at the door, one bullet, two bullets. Your face contorts, wrinkling in anger as you let out all of it's magazine, now aiming at where the door is meant to open from and finally, it is destroyed enough to bust through.

You run through the tower, now breaking your way through every wall and door that got in your way from the control panel. Alarms and sirens were sounding off with every violation the tower's interior received. Eventually, you burst through and into the control center. There was a ridiculous amount of stations with their own numerous monitors and elaborate keyboards.

Your eyes were peeled for any sign of one that authorized the aircraft and to your luck there was one station with a demaxian ship on its monitor. Rushing over you click through the software, checking every step with haste until you were rewarded with a clearance to take off. You memorize the ship's ID and continue on your sprint back to the aircraft bay to board your newly acquired spaceship.

After getting inside you have to navigate your way to the cock pit, finally things were moving along. You steer the ship and drive it over to where you had left the Morningstar, you had to drag both Yasuo and Jinx from one ship into the other but finally you could properly treat them using the medical a.i at your disposal. Now that they were treated, they could rest and recover while you began the high speed chase of your life.

Since Kayn had taken off he would have traveled an immense amount of lightyears across the galaxies and with no idea where the ora gates were you had zero input as to what direction to take off. That was the case until your ship's computer started to play some sort of message directed to all Demaxian Military. It was without a doubt Kayn's voice rambling through your sound system and by the sounds of it Kayn had completely fallen off the edge.

The reason why Demaxia_Alpha was abandoned? Because Kayn had ordered for all of Demaxia's military to surrender their current post and duties to meet him at the ora gates. Fortunately for you, the coordinates had been automatically assigned to every ship's navigation systems. Now that you were in space, the directions had activated and you were being auto-piloted towards the ora gates.

With your hands now free your mind was able to focus on the message that played on repeat. Kayn's voice was rambling on about how all should come bare witness to his ascension, how he was chosen for this destiny. The longer he talked the more deluded he seemed, it seemed that Rhaast had truly corrupted him beyond the point of redemption. Kayn's mind now weeps in the abyss between oblivions...idiot. What fool could think they could ever conquer the dark entity that is Rhaast.

After a while of listening to Kayn's voice on repeat a large hand comes into your view, clicking off the message. You flick your eyes to the side where Yasuo looks back at you, his gaze soft and comforting desire the grimace the rest of his features bare.

"How is she?" You ask.

"The treatment procedure is complete, she's fully healed but she's still out cold."

A pang of worry makes itself restless in your heart. "You don't think she's-"

"No, diagnostics confirmed she isn't in a coma. She's just sleeping."

You breathe out a sigh of relief. "Thank the universe."

"She was calling out to Malphite in her sleep." Yasuo mentions, his eyes cast towards the ground.

"Poor thing." You whisper, your chest tightening in empathy for Jinx. As the ship auto pilots you towards the Ora gates you are left with nothing to do but wait with your emotions stewing. They stirred in a pot that you forced the lid over while retrieving this stolen ship but now the lid was gone and your emotions begin to boil up and pour out over the edges, tears cascading down your face once more.

A dry hiccup draws you away from your second meltdown and you look back at Yasuo who just like you can no longer hold his tears back. "I let him down, Sona died in vain just like Yone."

Your hand reaches out to find its placement on his shoulder, you wanted to comfort him, tell him it was going to be ok. Have the perfect dialogue that could fix him and make everything better. But you had no words of encouragement or comfort and the silence hung between the both of you.

Instead, you chose to lean against him. You were right, there were no words that could fix the deaths of your friends. No friendship speech would bring them back. Your hand goes towards his belt and you grab at his hip flask, bringing it to your lips and taking a swig of the Vodka while looking out into the stars beyond. After a few sips, you look up at Yasuo and tilt the flask toward him.

He glances down, his eyes flicking from you to the bottle before shaking his head. "Now is not the time to give up drinking asshole." You wiggle the flask the reflection of its metal finish bouncing off of your tear stricken face.

Sighing Yasuo takes the flask from your hand and takes a swig from it.

"Better?"

"Fuck no." Yasuo snorts and leans back against you.

You both continued to indulge in the alcohol in what was otherwise a silent and solemn moment between the two of you. It helped, somewhat, to numb the pain of the entire events that had occurred thus far, but you couldn't help but feel as though it was only temporary.

The Demaxian Empire's capital planet Demaxia Alpha was swiftly approaching as the auto-pilot navigated towards the Ora gate. As you both continued to drink and stew in silence, you could only wonder what was to become of you both now.

Time passed, as space travel wasn't as instant as it's portrayed in movies. Even with light speed and wormhole hopping, it took hours before you approached your final destination.

You didn't need a GPS guide to say you were close when you could feel it for yourself. The air was thick, as your ship entered it you were hit with the pressure of the atmosphere that blocked your ears. The feeling made you stir and you stood up straight, pulling away from Yasuo who also seemed to be affected by the sensation. By now your tears had dried leaving your eyes dry and raw which only made the shining light up ahead sting more.

The light poured out from the structure up ahead. A golden glow illuminates the empty space, its shining rays stretching out far into every direction of the universe. It was ethereal, heavenly and warm, you couldn't help but be mindlessly drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Yasuo's eyes were blown out in sheer amazement after he finally adjusted to the light and could see what it was producing such beautiful light.

A void that drew you into its pull. Drawing out feelings of vulnerability and insignificance from your hearts as if feeding off of it. A gaping maw that drifted idly in the darkest corner of the universe. Your eyes strained to focus on its shape, it was round, then it was angular, then it was twisted. It was like staring into a heat haze or a shimmering mirage. But there were two things that you were positive about the Ora Gates. First they were massive and Second, it was gold.

There was something about them that was both unsettling and incredible to witness. The glowing light that poured out from it was warm and inviting, yet at the same time it felt as though it was beckoning you towards a horrible fate. But despite that fear, there was also a lingering sense of fascination and awe that drew you to them.

Your ship is pulled in towards the hoard of Demaxian ships gathered before the base of the Ora gates. Now, up close to it, you could finally make out details. It was like staring up at an ornate golden picture frame that slowly spun on its axis, its surface shimmered of the ora essence it is made of.

And there before it was Kayn's ship, hovering above the rest of the fleet, centered as the focal point. Once you got in range of him your dashboard glitched and opened a livestream hosted by the Fractal Shear. Kayn's face was suddenly broadcasted before you and every other Demaxian ship, basking you and Yasuo in the glow of its hologram projection.

"My fellow comrades! I am honored you would all come here today! In the wake of our fallen King our great Empire has gone into a dark age with no ruler to lead us towards eminence. With no heir to assume the throne I've taken it upon myself as the High Ordinal, Jarvan's righthand man and his closest friend to follow in his footsteps and embrace the role of Demaxia's new Emperor!"

Kayn speaks with an overly confident tone, his pupils are narrowed into tiny unstable pinpricks and his lips are curled into a wide, sinister grin. It was almost embarrassing to watch how overdramatic the Ordinal had become, no doubt he was teetering off the edge of sanity.

"Demaxia was ruled by a weak man. Jarvan lacked what it took to make our empire great, he was too soft and because of his weakness we still have outliers such as rebel groups, the syndicate, and the templar order standing against us."

“Demaxia deserves to be led by a strong hand. A hand that can eradicate any obstacles in its path. Demaxia, Deserves. Me.” Kayn’s arrogance and prideful tone continued ramping up the more he spoke. In his mind, he was truly a force to be reckoned with, a being that would propel the empire towards its glory.

"Our empire is already the greatest monolithic force known to the universe! But with my rule, will begin the era of the Demaxian Empire reborn. One that could truly live up to the power and potential that Demaxia truly possesses!"

Your eyes are drawn away from the hologram and out the window towards the ora gate where Kayn now floated before in the zero gravity of space.

"What the fuck? With no spacesuit?" You stare in disbelief as Kayn defies the law of physics.

Kayn basks in the moment, it was the rising action before the climax. The bridge before the chorus. Things were only going to get better and Kayn was savouring the feeling of success. He had already won, Demaxia- no, the universe and everything beyond was now his to rule.

A dark chuckle reverberates from the scythe still equipped in his hand, the vibrations running up Kayn's arm and resounding in his core. "Finally you have proven yourself worthy, with all the ora you have harvested you have become fully unbound, you are one with Ora Kayn can you feel it?"

"I can Rhaast, now I wield unlimited power!"

The Ordinal was truly unbound from his previous human form, with pure Ora coursing through him, Kayn's body was almost tearing at the seams with how supercharged on power he was. His eyes which were once a steely blue have been taken over by the golden glow that now shone from out of his sockets, his veins that spidered up his arms now resembled cracks of lightning that pulsed with the same golden glow, every time his mouth opened light would beam out from his insides.

"Open the gate Kayn, and unleash your power!"

With a manic grin Kayn lifts one arm, his hand reaching out towards the Ora gate. As if commanding it with telekinesis the Ora Gate responds to him. A loud and low groan reverberates from it causing the demaxian ships before it to tremble from the vibrations.

It's slow rotation begins to pick up, the rings begin to spin faster as if warming up. Crackles of lightning flash from within the ring and the low hum begins to turn into a gradual whirr.

Suddenly a bullet flies by Kayn's face, barely missing the side of his cheek. Kayn's head snaps toward the insolent being who dares interrupt his moment.

"YOU AGAIN!? I SHOULD'VE KILLED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!"

Kayn turns to look at the one rouge ship that dares to approach him, unsurprisingly it is piloted by you and Yasuo with its firearms activated. All the other ships immediately turn on you with their own weaponry trained on you. Kayn clicks his tongue and gestures for his fleet to cease.

In a blink Kayn appears right in front of the both of you, he now stands on the nose of the ship looking into the flight deck window. It was surreal seeing a man outside of a spaceship breathing and living in the vacuum of space, but Kayn wasn't an ordinary human anymore. He stares down at you with his glowing eyes.

Yasuo is quick to position himself in front of you. An intense glare is shared between the two men. You press down on the intercom button and project your voice towards Kayn. "Get away from the Ora Gate you don't know what you are doing."

The Demaxian fleet watches on from their ships in silence. You weren't surprised, everyone watching this wouldn't know what to do. Too scared to interfere with the Ordinal being so unstable.

"What are you doing Kayn? You're wasting your time with these insignificant pests! Just open the gate already!"

Kayn sneers at his scythe. "The gate WILL open."

Your perception of the Ordinal is challenged again as he steps through the window and into your ship, his body glitching out as he passes through the barrier that once separated you. You quickly draw out your pistol and don't hesitate to fire a round at Kayn, to your horror it merely passes through him and hits the windscreen behind, burying itself into the glass.

Kayn without even glancing back, makes a gesture with his hand and suddenly you feel a force weighing you down. You feel like you're underwater and the pressure of its depth is slowly crushing your organs inwards. Your finger loses control of itself and it uncurls allowing for the pistol to slip out of your grasp. You are paralysed and Kayn chuckles.

"You like that little trick? I can control the ora that is within any being making every living thing my puppet." As Kayn clenches his fist you feel a sharp pain internally. Kayn laughs at your suffering.

Yasuo growls his face contorting into an expression of unbridled rage and foolishly rushes Kayn. Not even sparing him the attention Kayn flicks his wrist and the telekinetic force throws Yasuo to the side, propelling him to crash into the side of the cockpit. Yasuo lets out a pained grunt and you watch on helplessly.

"You will sit here and watch me open those gates, feel grateful you get to witness this astronomical event."

Kayn then slips through the ship and repositions himself before the Ora gate, conducting it with his hand to make the Gate spin faster. It generates a loud resounding hum that grows in volume. You would try to ram Kayn with the ship but thousands of fleet ships had reengaged their firearms at you, any sudden movement and you would be vaporised by the entire Demaxian armada.

Something crashing from behind alerted you to Jinx's presence as she stumbles into the cockpit, barely awake. "Guy's? Why are we in a..." Jinx's confused voice dies out as she looks ahead.

The ora gates had gone from a gradual rotation into a whirling vortex, the acceleration now turning the beautiful details of the gate into a golden blur. The once empty centre of the gate was now swirling with a strange cosmic aura, it was like looking into an otherworldly mirror with a reflection made of a nebula.

Meanwhile, Kayn was calmly standing in front of the portal as he observed the vortex with a satisfied grin. "yes! YES! I COMMAND THE ORA GATE! ALL OF THIS UNIVERESES POWER WILL BE WIELDED BY ME ALONE!"

Yasuo's hand finds solace with yours as you link together. Jinx walks over to join the both of you, seeking shelter under your free arm which you use to embrace her, bringing her close to your side. You, Yasuo and Jinx watch on as the ora gate begins to flash as if fully charged.

"This is it, we lost" You murmur a sinking feeling pulling your heart down.

"Not entirely, maybe there's a chance Kayn fails-"

"Fails with what!? He's activated the gates! They are open! We're all going to die!" Jinx wails fresh hot tears streaming down her face.

A loud bang snaps everyone back to the Ora gates that were now open. Kayn draws closer and closer towards its entrance. "I CAN HEAR IT! I CAN FEEL THE ORA CALLING TO ME!"

"TAKE IT KAYN ENTER THE GATES!"

Everything went silent the moment Kayn vanished through the portal. It was the kind of silence that permeated an entire battlefield after a deadly assault. The ora gate had come to a hault and its center was filled with an inky blackness that drained the surrounding light. Was Kayn dead? What was going on in there??

The entire demaxian fleet were still, no one was willing to approach the ora gate to go after Kayn. Murmurs of the insane ordinal meeting his demise spread between the Demaxians. Your ship was still caught in the thick silence that suffocated each of you. Your breath refused to escape pass your through and your lungs began to burn as you waited in anticipation for anything to happen.

Jinx was latched onto your arm squeezing it tight in her grip in an attempt to ground herself from shaking. Yasuo continued to grip your hand tightly aswell, his features sunken with an internal dread. All eyes were transfixed into the void before you.

A low rumbling resounded from within the portal, one that was louder and deeper than before. It traveled through space and rattled the interior of the ships with its frequency shooting chills up your spine. It groaned and creaked, then it began to shake, like something inside was stirring.

You watch in awe as someone emerges, no, not someone, something. You wouldn't be wrong to assume it was a person as whatever it is was roughly the same size and build as Kayn, but this wasn't Kayn.

From the void came a being, a fractured and violent adaptation of Kayn. It's skin was made of darkness with a glowing red center held together by the ornamental shards that adorned its body. Upon his head was crowned an imposing set of arched horns and his ordinal uniform was gone expect for the torn pants. This being was no longer Kayn but the vessel reposessed by the sentient alien scythe, Rhaast.

Rhaast emerged from the ora his voice bellowing out across the galaxy for all to hear. "The test has ended. I am victorious! I am the herald of oblivion! I! Am! Rhaast!" The creature cackles in victory before approaching the Demaxian fleet before him.

 "Kayn is gone. What is left is ruination!"

You turn to Yasuo in a panic "We need to leave, get us out of here!"

"But I'm the adventure pilot-"

"NOW IS NOT THE FUCKING TIME JINX." You regret snapping at her harshly but urge Yasuo with a push to take over the control center. You begin to break away from the hoard of armada ships as Rhaast approaches at an alarming speed.

Rhaast hovers before the fleet his serrated scythe glinting in his hand. "What an honour, Kayn. To watch me slaughter everything you wished to rule." And then Rhaast lunges to attack.

You watched in horror as the human sized being was able to tear through army space ships thosaunds of times his size. One ship, he sliced in half with one swing of his scythe. Another ship, he burrowed into, tearing a hole through, forcing Demaxian soldiers to be pulled though the opening into the vacuum of space outside. Their bodies torn and spat out. The next ship is invaded through his phasing abilities and Rhaast tears through the soldiers, ripping them apart.

Rhaast's slaughter is vicious and insatiable as he hops from one ship to another, slaughtering them faster than they can react. The surrounding fleet have also taken their chance and floor it, everyone is scattering into random directions. But Rhaast is an unstoppable force that can chase anything down. Other ships chose to fight as they draw their firearms to shoot at Rhaast who simply laughs at their attempts, he is simply too fast for them and the Demaxian armada end up hitting one another with heir own fire.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" Jinx shrieks drawing your attention towards the Ora gate.

Two giant, clawed hands creep from the blackness of the gate and perch themselves onto the corners of the portal. Something was coming through the gate and into your world and it was massive.

Suddenly your ship jerks from something strong hitting it hard and you are forced to look at Rhaast who has landed on the nose of your ship in front of your windscreen. Just like Kayn he is able to pass through the glass that separates you and he steps aboard. Now you could see his face in greater detail.

His face was featureless except for a toothy maw that is plated in gold forming segmented mandibles, the rest of his head is made of a polished globe with a nebula swirling within.

He approches the three of you and you make a point to step in between Rhaast and Jinx with an arm guarding her back defensively. But both of you knew you stood no chance against Rhaast.

Rhaast walks up to you, his tall frame towering over yours. "It turns out the scythe was evil and wants to annihilate all reality. Who could've guessed?" You take a step back and Rhaast cocks his head to the side in amusement.

"What happened to all that fire you had Y/N? You were filled with so much anger that field your passion. That's what I liked about you." Rhaast turns towards Yasuo and throws his scythe at him like a throwing knife that embeds itself into Yasuo's chest. You cry out for Yasuo as Rhaast walks over to the fallen captain and wrenching the scythe out of his chest causing Yasuo to bleed out onto the floor.

Jinx trembles and hugs you from behind, burying her face into your back. But Rhaast is quick to rip her away from you and tears her head off right in front of you, letting her head drop to the ground with a dull thud.

Now it is you and Rhaast, you had lost the only family you had come to love and care for and your entire life and existence was now about to be ended.

"Why?" Is all your able to croak out.

"Because I live to reap chaos and violence." Rhaast lunges forward and slices at your already wounded torso and then he disappears. You fall to the ground and clutch your wound, looking around confused. You can't see Rhaast but you can feel his presence, your body feels cold and something inside you stirs.

"I'm sick of being the one trapped inside a mind, how I was forced to witness to Kayn's thought's." Rhaasts voice echoes within your mind. "That idiot was an ambitious fool, he had delusions of grandeur. All he could ever think about was ruling the universe as a cosmic emperor, constantly I had to witness these fantasies of him being the greatest threat to the universe that's all he thought about, except for you. Whenever he wasn't obsessing over the ora gates or his duties he was thinking of you, I had to suffer seeing you live in his head as a source of obsession. Albiet one he never acted upon but something about you fascinates him...I don't see it." With that Rhaast finishes his ultimate move, bursting out your body, instantly killing you.

You fall to the ground lifeless and Rhaast gaze lingers on you before looking towards the giant figure that pulls itself out of the ora gate. Finally, his brethren have arrived.

"Bare witness to the Dark Star! Bare witness to Rhaast!"

Bad Ending: The Dark Star.

Took forever but I pulled through once again! For a long time, I've criticized Odyssey Kayn's skin. It is, in my opinion, his greatest skin of all time. It genuinely has the best voice lines and interactions that Heartsteel Kayn just doesn't have (fight me) and the idea/concept was groundbreaking compared to his previous skins. Anyways here's a shitty half assed redesign to his base form's uniform because I'm a fashion snob:

No, I'm not 100% proud or think that it's complete but it's been sitting around for MONTHS, might as well share it.

Part Twelve: coming soon...ish.

[hoidn]

okay so i watched all eight episodes of 1899 in one go on monday and i cannot stop Having Thoughts. quite honestly it is the most superbly executed narrative i've ever encountered outside of literature. the sheer thematic scope and complexity is breathtaking. THEY WROTE A GREEK TRAGEDY about all my favourite things and it begins with an emily dickinson poem. !!! the universe was aiming its arrow right at my brain with this one.

(so of course it wasn't renewed. given that la révolution also wasn't renewed, i'm forced to conclude that tptb at netflix have something against thoughtful and nuanced excellence in storytelling.)

this is one of those times i especially miss metafandom because i'm sure there've been discussions about everything my brain is yelling at me but how the hell does one find the good shit anymore? or even the bad shit, for that matter. so here you go, tumblr frēonds, have yet another brain dump that nobody asked for or cares about.

a list of topics covered by 1899 that i recall after watching the entire thing once, in no particular order:

the nature of identity

the nature of reality

how grief warps both the self and the perception of reality

the often inexplicable nature of trust

the human brain's capabilities

the inherent untrustworthiness of memory and the irony that it's all we have

explorations of female identity

the many meanings of freedom

communication!! — trying to understand and be understood through barriers of language, of levels of reality, of technology

the destructive nature of religious zealotry (and christianity in general *internal sigh*)

classism

patriarchy

homophobia (both social and internalised)

the beautiful and horrific acts humans will commit in the name of love

the looming shadow of the male authority figure

space as a concept, both literal and psychological: liminal spaces, confinement

'the odyssey', obviously

the trope of the mad woman in the attic (this one gets its own post because I Have A Lot To Say)

now let's talk ancient greek references!

[1] the names of both ships come from ancient greek mythology: prometheus stole fire from the gods to give to humans and was sentenced to eternal punishment; kérberos (or cerberus) was the multi-headed dog who guarded the gates of the underworld to prevent the dead from leaving.

[2] in ancient greek philosophy, there were four classical elements; this concept was taken up in western alchemy, which made a hobby out of giving everything a glyph or symbol. the symbols of the four elements are triangles:

🜂 = fire 🜄 = water 🜁 = air 🜃 = earth

[3] it's been four months since the prometheus went missing. what, i wondered, is the significance of the number 4? in greek numerals 4 is represented as Δ´. oh, look, a triangle. and what's a triangle in three-dimensional space? a pyramid. and what's a pyramid geometrically speaking? a tetrahedron! which has 4 faces and 4 vertices. it's also the smallest possible platonic solid and plato associated it with the element fire. i don't know enough about geometry or philosophy to take these associations any further, but, as shakespeare would say, come the futtock on. this level of detail is RIDICULOUS and EVERYTHING TO ME.

[druidshollow]

I'm surprised that Space isn't at the back of the party and Rivers and Phrases at the front. Considering Space is probably a bit slow and Rivers has the map

hmmm interesting good points! i put rivers and phrases in the back here because i imagine theyre basically stuck to eachother when they travel and i think rivers in general would be the type of person to take up the rear. probably Would make more sense for the person with the map to be in front but tbf the map is pretty zoomed out and rather than directly guide them it just lets them know where gates, cans, and sometimes shelters (depending on what state of decay theyre in) are, as well as picking up signals coming from other id drones.

i put space near the middle because i think they probably tend to hover near phrases. they also really like fleck, and actually space's placement makes the least sense in a lot of ways because theyd probably place themself further away from odyssey than that. as bad as things ended with dune (im so sorry every post comes back to her), she was at the end of the day space's first friend and older sister, so they're probably a bit unnerved, atleast at first, travelling with her killer. they understand that what happened to dune was inevitable and probably really just the best thing to happen for their society in general but i mean. thats the person who straight up did it just right there

realistically root and fleck would also be somewhere near rivers and phrases (phrases is popular LMAO), but lucky and swamp are also back there and i thought it would be super cramped from that perspective

yknow i might actually swap where odyssey and canopy are with fleck and root rq because i already picture odyssey and canopy rushing ahead pretty often and tending to take a lead

yeah you know what i like that better. cool thanks LMAO

[hubristicassholefight]

Full contestant list

Hoping to put the bracket together sometime in the next couple of days. Sorry this took a while, I had to deal with RL stuff for job onboarding (also Splatoon Side Order dropped)

Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein)

Feanor (The Silmarillion)

Erin Ruunaser (Aurora webcomic)

Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

Gale of Waterdeep (Baldur's Gate 3)

Light Yagami (Death Note)

John Gaius (The Locked Tomb)

Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars)

Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Odysseus (The Odyssey)

Starscream (Transformers)

Jurgen Leitner (The Magnus Archives)

Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z)

Icarus (Classical Mythology)

Five Pebbles (Rain World)

Elias Bouchard/Jonah Magnus (The Magnus Archives)

Kim Dokja (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint)

Laerryn Cormar-Seelie (Critical Role: Exandria Unlimited Calamity)

Essek Thyless (Critical Role)

Macbeth (Macbeth)

10th Doctor (Doctor Who)

Magolor (Kirby Series)

Achilles (The Iliad)

Herbert West (Re-Animator)

Magnus the Red (Warhammer 40k)

Old Lady Odin (The Mechanisms: The Bifrost Incident)

Manfred von Karma (Ace Attorney)

The Entire Allagan Empire (Final Fantasy XIV)

Cave Johnson (Portal)

Ahab (Moby Dick)

Hal 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey)

John Franklin (The Terror)

The Pale King (Hollow Knight)

Cersei Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Lord Shen (Kung Fu Panda)

Walter White (Breaking Bad)

Lucrezia Mongfish (Girl Genius)

Adam (Nier: Automata)

Gordon the Big Engine (Thomas the Tank Engine)

Ford Pines (Gravity Falls)

Ego the Living Planet (MCU)

Gregory House (House MD)

Yoshikage Kira (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Lelouch vi Britannia (Code Geass)

Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts)

Dream/Morpheus (The Sandman)

Emperor Belos (The Owl House)

Maxwell Carter (Don't Starve)

Richard III (Shakespeare's Richard III)

Ace (Zero Escape)

Fei Wang Reed (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles)

Dimentio (Super Paper Mario)

Nemesis (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche (The Evilious Chronicles)

Gojo Satoru (Jujustu Kaiden)

Eustass Kidd (One Piece)

Flowey (Undertale)

Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)

Bedman (Guilty Gear)

Akio Ohtori (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

The Scarab (Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake)

Sinbad (Magi) Hamlet

[sorenblr]

Prepare those calzones rojos and don't choke til you swallow that twelfth grape.

Any "best of '23" lists you wanna expose to this here tumblr audience?

I've waited until the very end to answer this, since my yearly vacation lines up with the last week of December, allowing maximum time to devote to "gaming like a monster". I still didn't play shit for new games this year, but I am confident that every title on this list makes Baldur's Gate 3 and Tears of the Kingdom look like a bunch of muddy, wet shit:

Heart of the Killer

The 8th and penultimate episode in thecatamites' Anthology of the Killer series, which in aggregate is the most compelling project to come out of the medium in recent memory. Follow zinester and aspiring murder victim BB as she navigates a strange world of maniac killers and maniac killer paraphernalia. Combines the warm trappings of pulp horror and associated genre schlock with the profound literary sense and humor of the author. Boasts the rare perfect art design.

This one features 'liminal spaces' and is about the regulation and dictation of desire. Oh shit!

Varney Lake

Another 'pixel-pulp' title by the Argentine LCB Studio, this time a King or Bradbury-esque portrait of mournful childhood nostalgia set in the summer of 1954. Three friends find a dracula in the woods and he turns out to be basically just a stand-up kind of guy. Sincere, intelligent writing and gorgeous CGA-inspired art that transcends mere imitation of that style.

Pseudo-sequel to the fantastic Mothmen 1966 and best enjoyed in sequence with that game.

Stomp Plonk

It's just good old-fashioned fun to stomp and plonk around in Marek Kapolka's wordless fantasy world. The character designs and animation here bring me a lot of joy. Sometimes a game just needs to be a collection of little cretins.

Pseudoregalia

Sharply designed 3D metroidvania based on an earlier game jam project. Strangely melancholic tone and a nice, expressive moveset. One of the more engaging translations of the genre to 3D.

You can tell the developer didn't expect so many eyes on this because the protagonist has her big goat ass hanging all the way out and they had to include a toggle for pants in the options menu.

Honorable Mentions:

Shards of God: point-and-click agatha christie murder mystery set on a dune-esque desert planet. good

Orbo's Odyssey: kinetic 3d platformer. movement funny... but good?? slay 4 golden draculas

Kowloon's Curse: Lost Report: any game with an explorable desktop w/ fake sites and shit is good

Tommy Gun Witches: if you haven't seen the main promo screen for this game, there's still time for you to correct that

DOCTRINESPACE: cool twine game about a future where crypto bullshit is king, and the doctrines are hotter than ever

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days: mostly about killing chinese police officers and any civilians foolish enough to enter your line of sight. kane and lynch are craaaaazy!

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2023 games that I would like to have played but couldn't squeeze in: Blasphemous 2, Crypt Underworld, Bahnsen Knights, Knuckle Sandwich, 24 Killers etc.

[mattapparentlystumbltourneys]

BRACKET REVEAL

Alright. At long last, I present to you the bracket...or should I say...*BRACKETS* for the Virtual Character Tournament!

Given the scale, the first round is going to be one bracket per week, 4 a day, with each lasting 24 hours. I know that this is still tight, but given how many contestants there are, along with the necessary inclusions of images and propaganda (oh and I guess also my job), it's what I can do to keep this semi-manageable. There's also no redemption round this time. It's gonna be a single elimination tournament. Be kind to your peers. This is not but a drop in the infinite ocean of the internet.

...oh yeah the brackets themselves. We'll be going in order over the course of 4 weeks. I'll make proper announcements for them as they commence. Given how many there are and what I want to get done beforehand, Bracket 1 will likely begin some time this week. But for the matchups...

Bracket 1:

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) vs. Elohim (The Talos Principle)

Flame (Yu-Gi-Oh! VRains) vs. The Supervisor/Mouthless (Tenkuu Shinpan)

XANA (Code Lyoko) vs. MetalMan.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network)

9-Jack-9 (Zot!) vs Poppy Pipopapo (Kamen Rider Ex Aid)

Sage (Sonic Frontiers) vs Mektryllis (Fate/Extra CCC)

Dot Matrix (Reboot) vs V Flower (Vocaloid)

Wizardmon (Digimon) vs Delta (Red Vs. Blue)

Sora (Ever17) vs Kasane Teto (UTAU)

The Doctor/EMH (Star Trek Voyager) vs Crash (Awful Hospital)

Burroughs (Shin Megami Tensei IV) vs Quorra (Tron Legacy)

The Machine (Person of Interest) vs The Rocket Dex (Pokemon)

P03 (Inscription) vs. M.X.E.S (FNAF Security Breach: Ruins)

Hakuno Kishinami (Fate/EXTRA) vs Data Riku (Kingdom Hearts)

Samaritan (Person of Interest) vs ART (The Murderbot Diaries)

Cortana (Halo) vs M-Bot (Skyward)

Mitsuko Miyazumi (Archer) vs Ritsu (Assassination Classroom)

Bracket B:

Ene (Kagerou Project) vs The Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe)

Amadeus (Steins; Gate 0) vs D.O.M (The Adventure Zone)

AM (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream) vs Theo (Meta Runner)

Colonel.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network) vs Daia (Kiratto PriChan)

Agumon (Digimon) vs The Bobbiedots (FNAF Fazbear Frights)

Felix the Desktop Cat (Real Life) vs SHODAN (System Shock)

MegaMan.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network) vs Church (Red vs. Blue)

Shepherd (ENA) vs Dr. Coomer (Half Life VR But the AI is Self-Aware)

Sophie/Sophia (Persona 5 Strikers) vs Dizzy (Beyblade)

Miss J/SCP 5094 (SCP) vs Ultraman X (Ultraman X)

SAYU (No Straight Roads) vs Falulu (Pripara)

Incarceron (Incarceron) vs Benry (Half Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware)

Lea (Crosscode) vs Kiracchu (Kiratto PriChan)

Dragon (Prahumans) vs Murder-Bot 2.0 (The Murderbot Diaries)

Ai (Yu-Gi-Oh! VRains) vs Glitch Slime (Slime Rancher)

Eris (Wolf 359) vs Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Bracket III:

Hera (Wolf 359) vs Shin AI (Your Turn to Die)

Alba (Star Twinkle Pretty Cure) vs The Denpa Men (The Denpa Men)

Guy (Free Guy) vs EDI (Mass Effect)

Aetna (Lore Olympus) vs Yui (Sword Art Online)

Nicole the Holo-Lynx (Archie Sonic) vs Gabumon (Digimon)

Jacqueline Box (Pripara) vs Mamechi (Tamagotchi)

Vanellope von Shweetz (Wreck-It Ralph) vs Cleverbot (Real Life)

The Phantom Virus (Scooby-Doo) vs Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa)

Alter Ego (Danganronpa) vs Digit (Cyberchase)

Simulcast (Reflection TTRPG) vs SARA (Toonami)

Lumina Ichihoshi (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ) vs The World Machine (OneShot)

Rumble McSkirmish (Gravity Falls) vs Holly (Red Dwarf)

HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey) vs Samantha (Her)

PAMA (Minecraft Story Mode) vs Noah Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Agent Smith (The Matrix) vs O.R.C.A (Splatoon)

Spunc (Alpha Betas) vs Porygon (Pokemon)

Bracket Delta:

GIFanny (Gravity Falls) vs Coco (Aikatsu Friends)

Vic Fontaine (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) vs Red One (The Last Angel)

Glitchtrap (FNAF Help Wanted) vs Holo (My Holo Love)

Avina (Mass Effect) vs Light Hope (She-Ra)

Motherboard (Cyberchase) vs Aya (Green Lantern: The Animated Series)

Bonzi Buddy (Real Life) vs Tama (AI The Somnium Files)

Dragon (Worm) vs Bip (Runway to the Stars)

Failsafe (Destiny) vs J.A.R.V.I.S (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Aiba (AI: The Somnium Files) vs CanHaz (DC Comics)

SAYER (SAYER) vs Fey (Welcome to Night Vale)

Buddy (Buddy Simulator 1984) vs Ziggy (Quantum Leap)

Maggy (Hellspark) vs The Squip (Be More Chill)

Lyla (Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse) vs Durandal (Marathon)

Beta Jay 137 (Ninjago) vs Zero III (Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward)

Sergey Ushanka (The Magnus Archines) vs Demetra (Spy Kids 3: GAME OVER)

Alie (The 100) vs Lil' Hal (Homestuck)

As always, thank you for bearing with me during this long and arduous process. Sorry for the hassle, and be prepared, as it is almost upon us.

[saybiwithme]

Nine people I'd like to get to know better

tagged by @theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming & @disasterbuckdiaz ❤️

Last Song: Don’t fear the reaper by Baltic House Orchestra

Favourite colour: Blue

Currently (re)watching: Dimension 20 - A Starstruck Odyssey, Lost in space season 3, Schitt’s Creek season 4

Spicy/Savory/Sweet: Savoury and sweet.

Relationship status: Single

Current Obsession: Lockwood and Co, Buddie, Baldur’s Gate 3

Tagging: @your-catfish-friend, @giddyupbuck, @rogerzsteven, @singlethread, @spotsandsocks, @hippolotamus, @andrewblur, @brightokyolights & @lucydonato

[mrschwartz]

Alex Turner most likely has synesthesia: a compilation

“She floats like a niccy rush and stings like a B-flat” (The Blond-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap)

“When you’re experimenting with more genres, it’s so delicate. It’s like a chemistry set: you got like all the boiling tubes and pipettes and you add one or too many drops on the whole thing and it falls apart and you get the wrong colour of the smoke.” (x)

"If desire would be liquid, then it wouldn’t be something you easily sail through, but a rough sea that whirls you around. The rhythm of [Fireside] has those wild motions of desire. If desire is something liquid, it is a rolling boil–like when you’re boiling potatoes." (x)

“That sensation of longing for something or someone, if it were a liquid it’s not something you sail smoothly along in. It’s gotta roll and boil, or it bubbles and coughes and splutters, and I think we wanted the rythm to reflect that in the tune Fireside.” (x)

“I love the color of them shows, [Thunderbirds] and 60′s Batman as well, that technicolor thing. If I could make a song sound like the Joker’s laugh, when it’s all angled and pink... for me it sounds like that, technicolor. [...] I’d love to have drums that sound like that looks.” (x)

“Jamie’s doing a lot of that icy plucking in the background, adding a texture.” (x)

“Alternative Endings was [my idea for a bar name]. [...] You can see that in pink neon light.” (x)

“It was what became a line in a song called 'Aviation'–'The Colorama in your eyes takes me on a moonlight drive'–not completely unremarkable written down but when appropriated by this particular melodic idea and backlit by its chord progression it permitted me to glimpse into what seemed like a new constellation in my imagination, one that every time I heard the demo recording I was encouraged to try and traverse.” (x)

“Franz Schubert the composer said ‘there’s no such thing as happy music’. I always got a kick out of that. Not because I think that music has to be sad but because I think when it most effective there’s an element of it operating within a spectrum that has neither ‘happy’ or 'sad’ at either end of it. Music with lyrics in a language you don’t understand or no lyrics at all has the power to send vehement shivers through your body. It’s almost as if the melody or something else in there has an invisible direct line to the depths of the subconscious. This interests me greatly. I always wanted to use the word 'Colorama’ in a song ever since I saw Antonioni’s Blow Up. It was an unplugged neon light at the back of my mind for years. Some lyrics are declarations of love or hate written in blood or carved in a bus stop, in need of little or no melodic illumination. Some, I believe, are there almost entirely to facilitate it. If I ever thought about it at all I’m sure I used to think the melody was the vessel that carried the lyrics but more recently it has occurred to me that the opposite is often true. The problem with the neon sign analogy is that neon signs are invariably bolted to the wall and full of gas. Melody seems as though its poured rather than sprayed and doesn’t feel as though whatever holds it ought to be fixed to anything. I sometimes imagine each word to be made using a three dimensional open-top glass alphabet. Each letter built to harness and transport the mirror ball liquid marble of the melody. When the 'substance’ fills up the syllables they seem to shimmer and become weightless. With the addition of close harmony I see colours swirl together, parts of the lyrics glow and the way in which they float suggests that something like the 'star gate’ sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey is happening deep inside them out of view.” (x)

“The types of sounds, or the chord progressions, or the music I was composing, let’s say on the piano or on these recordings I was making, definitely informed the lyrics, I feel, as much as the films I was watching or anything that was going on in front of me. It often does seem like it really just comes from the music. Like, that seems to suggest things to me as much as, if not more than, everything else.” (x)

“I like what you say about the pieces in the puzzle. I like the idea that the other part of that puzzle is the music, that the melody completes the lyrics, that you can feel that harmony between lyrics and music, a whole. The lyrics are just a piece of the puzzle, not something you have to decipher, but something that goes together with the music…” (x)

“Because you hit a couple of things on the way there. One was Bond villain–that went off in neon in my mind.” (x)

“Lego Napoleon movie / Written in noble gas-filled glass tubes / Underlined in sparks” (Hello You)

[astralscrivener]

For the End of the Year Book Ask! #3, #10, #16 <333 Let your correct onions be KNOWN Beautiful <3333

I LOVE TALKING ABOUT MY BOOK ONIONS

3. what were your top 5 books of the year?

FUCK this one took a lot of thinking

i had to go to my shelf of favorite reads of the year and it was. very tough to choose.

firstly is yellowface by r.f. kuang, which i talk about more in the next question (i answered these out of order oopsies)

second i think is the fifth season/the obelisk gate by n.k. jemisin. i read the fifth season both last year and this year for two different classes, and then finally got around to the sequel + am currently reading the third book and i am bonkers about them. i am thinking about essun and nassun and alabaster and hoa constantly. deeply unwell. a lot more geology than i had initially expected but i'm having a GREAT time

the long way to a small angry planet by becky chambers. my fucking beloved. i've literally owned the book since like 2021 but took forever to read it but i love it sooo much i love the entire wayfarer crew but i think about kizzy and ashby constantly. the socks match my hat scene was so small but lives in my head rent-free

circe by madeline miller!!!! this one is popular for a reason. i know a lot of people tend to prefer TSOA/their first introduction to miller's writing is TSOA but circe was mine bc i love the odyssey (and also the emily wilson odyssey came out before wiliad. so. i have not had the brain power to get thru the fagles translation of either one yet). anyway i loved this a lot. i connected a lot with circe as a person and a character and her entire web of relationships...i am so emo about it. also i am a circe/penelope truther and when i write a sci fi or fantasy novel very loosely inspired by their dynamic. then what. ....wait i might have just had a breakthru on one of my wips wait a minute—

and finally the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson. i think about eleanor too often. way too often. someone in the goodreads reviews commented on her loneliness and it clicked for me why i like her so much and i have not recovered <3

10. what was your favorite new release of the year?

out of the ones i read this year? yellowface by r.f. kuang. i don't read thrillers much but this one was so much. i loved it. chaotic satirical thriller criticizing the publishing industry and raising questions about ownvoices and representation, which authors and stories the industry rewards and prioritizes, the pitfalls of being a young prodigy, and also it was just bonkers. i know this one was divisive for some people but i loved it. i had a great time. i have not stopped thinking about "they called it a globule" for months.

16. what is the most overhyped book you read this year?

you know DAMN WELL what you were doing when you chose this question. kissing you on the mouth

anyway is this a safe space. is this a safe space for me to be bitch. f**rth wing. it was f**rth wing. spoilering so tumblr doesn't put it in the search for the stans to find me

it is bad. it is bad. i initially gave it i think 1.5 stars (rounded up to 2 on GR) but i hate it more every single time i think about it. there is just so much wrong with it as a book but is also emblematic of a lot of larger issues in publishing, and particularly with red tower as an imprint, but i do not have all day to rant or we will be here forever

end of year book ask!