#Tow Recover Assist

[redbuddi]

What we know about the missing Sub

For whatever reason this story has absolutely grabbed my attention, and so I will be compiling the information that I can confirm in a decent timeline of events, feel free to message me if y'all feel like something needs to be changed/revised

A company known as OceanGate offers dives to view the wreck of the Titanic, charging 250,000 USD per ride. This sub is not approved by any regulatory body, and is controlled with an xbox controller. The inside is a small tube one would have to sit down to fit inside.

It is not a regular sub, but a submersible, which does not have the power to lauch itself and return on it's own, but instead must be launched and retrieved by a mothership. Thus, constant communication is of the utmost importance.

4 AM, June 18th, an expedition begins. Confirmed passengers are a pilot, a "Content Expert," Businessman Hamish Harding (who posted the linked instragram post,) and two other passengers who are as yet unconfirmed.

Communications with the sub are lost 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive.

The US and Canadian coast guard begin working together to try and find the sub. The vessel has an advertised 96 hours of oxygen.

The instagram post earlier is found by CNN, although they do not yet divulge who posted it. They reach out to OceanGate for comment and get none.

An additional vessel is dispatched to assist in the search.

The US Coast Guard holds a press conference where they discuss the difficulties in locating the vessel in the remote area it dove into.

Coast Guard surmises that there is 70 to 96 hours of oxygen remaining, although this was reported abt ten hours ago, so it's more like 60 to 86 now.

The coast guard also begins a twitter thread which they are continually updating. They have completed two flights over the area but have not found anything, they will dispatch another plane in the morning.

OceanGate claims to be taking "every step possible" to recover the missing vessel.

Twitter user Kenny Sharpe realizes that he had seen the vessel being towed out to it's expedition and posts photos that he took.

LITERALLY FOUND THIS AS I WAS GETTING SOURCES, Daily Mail claims that the other two passengers are businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, but given DM's dubious journalistic integrity (to put it nicely,) I would take this claim with a grain of salt until other sources confirm it.

I will update this as more info becomes available, feel free to message me with sources if you know anything.

[romanteacism]

Knight Aemond x Princess Reader Missing

Synopsis: You went suddenly missing, and your knight, Ser Aemond, was beside himself-- completely desperate to find you once more. Warnings: None (yet), Aemond and Reader becoming closer, ¿infatuation?, Aemond Overly Concerned, Fluff PREVIOUS PART / NEXT PART A/N: ngl, i rlly like this one.

“I was gone for just a moment… how the fuck did you lose the princess?!” Aemond roared at his fellow knight, who had just recently recovered from his fever. You and your family were still staying by the seaside palace, and Aemond had only recently adapted to your new routine when your days were spent in your summer home, but it was suddenly disrupted by your disappearance. Ser Adam turned his head to the side and had a sneezing fit once more, making Aemond roll his eye. “I—I had only excused myself for a quick moment to relieve myself, and the princess swore she would stay put! I had no idea that she would escape!” 

“You imbecile! What kind of guard are you? Leaving the princess alone! You had a station in the castle longer than I— you must know of her tendencies to run off!” Aemond spat, stomping furiously as he searched for you through the halls, Ser Adam in tow. “I thought she had outgrown such habits! Ever since you came to be her guard, she never once escaped.” Ser Adam tried to defend himself. “Because I never let her out of my sight!” Aemond resisted his desire to punch his fellow knight as he gave him a sheepish look, and an ‘oh’ left his lips. “Go! Alert the other guards; the princess must be found quickly. If she is found harmed due to your negligence, I swear to you I’ll be the one to put your head upon a spike personally.” Aemond quickly sprinted through the halls, unable to see Ser Adam's reaction to his rather… bold and overly passionate statement. 

Aemond ran up the stairs, battling through the pit in his stomach and ache in his lungs to reach your chambers that were placed upon the highest tower of the seaside keep. When Aemond opened the doors of your circular chambers, naught a soul was to be found beside your pet cat who leisurely laid on your bed. “Princess!” Aemond called, going through the various rooms in your chambers in search of you. When he heard footsteps approaching, Aemond quickly exited the wet room, hoping it was you, but it was only your brother. The prince rested by the doorframe, catching his breath as he ran up the endless steps that led to your chambers. “Where…. Where is— she?” He panted, resting his hands on his knees as he felt winded. Aemond could not reply, only assisting the prince onto a chair. “I do not know if the tightening in my chest is because my sister is missing or because I ran up those wretched stairs! Whose idea was it to place her chambers in the highest tower?” He started to ramble on. 

“I believe she said that it was yours, my prince,” Aemond answered, remembering one of your anecdotes from the day before. “Ah, yes, so she could not climb out the window.” The prince ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily. “How, in the name of the seven, did she even escape?! You never take your eye off her! I find it impossible to believe that she slipped through your fingers!” The prince exclaimed, exasperated as he was once again subjected to the fear of your disappearance. He felt a kind of anxiousness he had not felt in a while due to the attention your sworn protector placed upon you; he had not worried about you escaping and wandering off ever since Ser Aemond came to your care. “I was summoned by the king, and I left the princess on the watch of Ser Adam. He tells me he took a short moment to relieve himself, and when he returned to the gardens, the princess had already disappeared.” 

“Damned stairs!” A third voice suddenly boomed, catching the attention of the prince and the knight. “My king,” Ser Aemond quickly bowed, and your brother abruptly stood. “Where is your sister?” He questioned sharply, another person who got accustomed to your shift of habits as you had not once escaped when under the protection of Ser Aemond. “She escaped her guard,” Your brother sighed, making the king point his heated gaze to Ser Aemond. “Not Ser Aemond; you summoned him, and sister was under the protection of another.” Your brother quickly defended. “Oh, yes, of course,” The king said, already forgetting that he had spoken to Ser Aemond just a few moments ago. “Then what are you two doing in her chambers? Find her! For heaven’s sake, I thought we were past this!” The king said, holding the same exasperation as his son. “Of course, father.” The prince gave a curt nod. “And for the love of god, move her chambers to the east wing! These stairs would cause anyone apoplexy!” The king exclaimed from a distance. 

“I had told Ser Adam to order the knight to patrol and search the beach,” Aemond spoke, and your brother nodded. “The shore is stretched for miles. Hopefully, she had not threaded far.” The prince said in thought as he tried to recall where you had escaped to the past times. “Unless…” He trailed. “Unless what?” Aemond questioned. “Unless she found a horse— I gave strict orders to the stableboy not to lend her one, but she always manages to bribe them.” Aemond’s grip on the hilt of his sword tightened. “If she had managed to mount a horse, where would she run off to my prince? I only ask because I am still quite unfamiliar here,” 

“Oh gods,” Your brother suddenly paled, “She could reach town.” Dread spread to his stomach as his sister could be defenseless, squished amongst the crowd of smallfolk who would not hesitate to take advantage of her. “Or worse… she could reach the Mootons.” Aemond frowned, “Lord Tristan’s house?” He gritted, the gnawing feeling in his gut evermore persistent, and it only multiplied as your brother nodded. “I was told they left the capitol shortly after we had.” Your brother covered his mouth in deep thought. “I shall ride to Mooton, my prince.” Ser Aemond announced, ready to step out of the door, but the prince hindered him. 

“No, you are unfamiliar with this place. I shall ride to Moonton and search for my sister there. In the meantime, order the guards in town to keep an eye on her, and you must continue to search this castle.” The prince decided, and Aemond nodded with understanding. Both men quickly descend the endless stairs to search for you. No guard nor tracking dog had found you by the shore nor the town— not even in the near lordship. When the night was coming, the king had ordered to expand the search into the sea, searching for you far and wide when, in truth, you were just a few yards away from them. 

Aemond was growing frantic in his search for you, leaving no hall nor room unchecked. The moon was nearing its peak, and most of the guards had grown tired in their search, but not your knight who searched the castle like a madman. “Princess!” He yelled for the hundredth time of the day, still hoping that you would eventually answer his call. “You must rest, Ser Aemond… we will start fresh in the morning.” Ser Adam said cautiously, seeking out your sword protector, who returned to the gardens in search of you. “Rest?” Aemond spat. “We would not be in this situation if it weren’t for your incompetence!” He seethed, “As of now, the princess is alone and helpless in the night! And you are thinking of rest?! She— she had not eaten or… or drank anything for hours! She could have been taken or harmed! The princess of the realm is missing, and you think of rest?!” Aemond was ready to pounce on the knight, but he abruptly froze as a structure caught the side of his eye. 

Aemond turned to his right, his gaze enclosed on the towering shrubs of the maze, and only then did it occur to him that no one had searched there. He pushed away his fellow knight, took the lamp in his hand, and ran towards the maze. Aemond turned endless corners and was constantly met by block pathways until he finally found you. Aemond wanted to fall on his knees in relief as he saw you seated on the grass, a pout on your lips as you boredly picked at the grass you sat upon. “Princess,” Aemond breathed out, rushing to you and knelt by your side to check if you were at all harmed. “They changed the maze,” Was the first thing you said. “I got lost.” 

You looked upon your knight, his tired face filled with relief that slowly turned into anger with each moment you looked upon him through the light of the moon. “What were you thinking escaping your guard?!” Aemond roared, the dread in his stomach turning into a rage as you had subjected him to such emotions of anxiety and fear the whole day. You shrugged, having no reason or defense to escape Ser Adam. In truth, you had just wanted a moment alone— a moment without your knights’ constant presence or gaze. You did not intend to set a panic. You sighed as Ser Aemond pinched the bridge of his nose. “I feel faint; I have not eaten since the morning,” You said weakly, unaccustomed to hunger and lack of sustenance, even if it was just for a few hours. And with you venturing through the maze in the summer heat as you tried to find the way out, it had left you completely tired. 

“Why had you not cried and yelled for help? Do you know the panic you had set? The King is furious; your brother is wrapped in fear, and The Queen—“ Aemond abruptly stopped speaking as he had not sensed any fear nor anxiety in the queen during your disappearance. Your mother was quite used to your escapes and no longer found care as she was certain that it was just a cry for attention on your part. “I did! I had been calling for you since the morning, but you never heard me!” You frowned, a pout returning to your lips. Ser Aemond had always answered your call, even if it were the measliest of matters, but when you needed him the most, it would seem he had not heard you. 

Aemond sighed once more as you crossed your arms across your chest, a furrow in your brow that was a telltale sign of your irritation due to your hunger. Your knight reached into his pocket and retrieved a pastry wrapped in cloth that he had been carrying the whole day, knowing that you would undoubtedly be peckish when he eventually found you. The sour look on your face instantly disappeared as you were presented with the pastry Ser Aemond had brought for you. 

Aemond bit his tongue as the pout on your lips quickly bloomed into a smile as you gratefully took the pastry from his hand and ate it, Aemond moving to sit by your side as the adrenaline had worn off and his tiredness quickly weighed him down. “I’m sorry,” You say as your knight rests his head upon the tall bush, a long, tired sigh leaving his lips. Aemond hummed, not wanting to believe you, but it was difficult as sincerity and remorse were heavy in your tone. “I truly am. I… I just wanted a few moments alone; I did not mean to alarm anyone.” You said softly, offering half of the pasty to your knight, who you were certain had no time of reprieve the whole day. Aemond did not have it in him to deny your offer to take a piece of the pastry to sedate his stomach. “Whatever intentions you have, you must know of the consequences of it, princess.” He said. 

“I was only gone for a few hours— none of you needed to panic as you did. It’s quite an overreaction.” Aemond scoffed. “You dare blame us?” He questioned. “Now, it is our fault that we care?” You rolled your eyes at your knight. “Seeing how often I do this… it is an overreaction! You need not fret that much,” Aemond shook his head. “Are you aware of how well-loved you are? Not only by your family but as well as this whole entire kingdom?” Aemond questioned. “No guard ceased in finding you— some did not even wait for a boat to search for you in the sea; they readily swam. I passed the kitchens endless of times, and each time, I saw the cooks and maids praying for you to be found. Even your cat joined in on the search, accompanying Ser Adam as he searched for you in each room. It is not an overreaction, princess; it is an action brought out of adoration.” 

Your gaze went to your lap. You bit your lip harshly as Ser Aemond waited for your reply, but he was only met with a stifled sniffle. “Princess?” He asked, trying to meet your gaze, but you would not let him. “Why are you crying? Does something hurt?” He asked, quickly springing up from his lax position and taking hold of your arm. “You made me feel guilty!” You cried, Aemond pursing his lips to hinder an amused smile that was twitching on his lips. Aemond froze as you suddenly buried your face onto his chest as you sobbed. Aemond sat there completely still, unknowing what to do, until he eventually cautiously wrapped his arms around your tremoring frame. He could not recall the last time he had embraced another person. He would think it was when he left home, his mother embracing him goodbye, but even he was uncertain. All he was certain was that though it was quite inappropriate to embrace the princess of the realm, it felt… nice. 

“Do you… do you think they will hate me now?” You sobbed, and Aemond ran his hand through your hair, taking the moment that you both were away from any prying eyes. “No.” He said with conviction. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better!” You cried. Aemond breathed in deeply, “Princess, I don’t think anything you would do would make anyone hate you.” You raised your gaze to see if your knight was sincere or if he was saying such a thing so your tears would cease.

“I tried to, but I couldn’t,” Aemond confessed, unable to restrain himself as the words left his lips. “Oh,” You say, “Why did you want to hate me?” You asked, but Ser Aemond shrugged, moving the two of you to stand. “Come now, we must return, so they must cease their search.” You could only nod, deciding to let go of the matter for the moment and focus on being grateful that your knight had found you. 

Taglist: anukulee ladyriverasafespace rebeccawinters

[zoros-bandana]

Hi Dove! I’m so happy that ur requests are open!!! So may I please request angst to fluff with Sanji where reader (female please) and Sanji had a fight about something (you can choose and they are together) and then the next day they were ambushed by the marines, reader saw that there was a marine about to creep up to Sanji and she took the hit for Sanji, it was kind of a big slash to the stomach and reader fainted after a while because of the loss of blood and Sanji got angry and began fighting more aggresively? Timeskip after the whole thing Chopper patches up the reader but Chopper said its gonna leave a scar on her body (specifically the stomach). Sanji felt so guilty and keeps apologizing to the reader and reader said that its okay and some other comforting words to Sanji and eventually also says sorry about the fight they had the day before. In the end Sanji takes care of the reader while she recovers. Thank you!!

Sour

(SFW)

Slight angst/slight fluff

Warning: mention of relationship fighting, mention of physical fighting, mention of blood, mention of wound

Summary: Sanji's drifting eye had froze the minute he saw you, however, when it returned, it became a rude awakening. Ending you both in a turn of anguish and hurt.

Word Count: 1,800

Your relationship with Sanji was effortless.

He was kind, as he was with any female he encountered, but with you it was something different. From the moment you joined the Straw Hats there was a sense of relief around him, freeing your once twisted past like loose ends, breaking free of what weighed you down.

And for Sanji it was mutual.

He acted differently.

The once love-sick cook had no longer any desire for anybody besides you, confusing the rest of the crew. He no longer ran after Nami or Robin, simply treating them like he did with the rest of the crew; competent and helpful. His spare time would be swooning over you and granting your every wish, making his priorities realign to appease his girl.

Nothing was too big or too small for him.

That was why, as you docked onto the island of Goruden for supplies, your relationship turned an unexpected sour.

It was a beautiful island, full of warmth and depth, casting every inch of the land in a glow from the sun. And much like the land itself, the people were just as beautiful.

You had taken off with Sanji in tow, heading towards the markets for a restock of food and drinks; a few crew mates tagging along with the hopes of promised luxuries. Upon your search, Sanji's gaze had drifted, taken aback by a tall women with long vibrant blonde hair. Her skin glistened like bronze, covered in a set of orange fabric that draped carefully over her curves. Her face was soft, kind, blushing a smile that drew you in with the faint tickle of her laugh.

Sanji reluctantly let go of your hand, for mere moments, assisting the women as he struggled to hold her basket of overflowing fruits. The sickening crack in Sanji's voice returned, knowing he was in awe of the women in front of him. Feeling betrayed by his actions, you retreated back into the group, shielding yourself from your boyfriend. Your whole body felt heavy, almost on the verge of fainting, fighting the urge to snap at him. You never imagined he would fall back to his old ways, only ever hearing stories of his behaviour, trusting your relationship was stronger than his urges.

But you were wrong.

You kept your distance from Sanji, walking a few steps ahead, clinging onto Zoro and Luffy; knowing it would annoy him the most. His voice continued to ring out to you, over and over, attempting to apologise for his misbehaviour. His stomach tied in knots the moment he realised what he had done, almost in a trance by her aura, unbeknown he was doing it until it was too late. The look on your face as he watched you sink further behind the swordsman broke his heart. He never wished to hurt you, knowing how deeply your trust for him ran, and how devastatingly hard it was for you to trust someone again.

This game of avoidance continued through the day, carrying into the late hours of the night aboard the ship. It was agreed to venture in the morning, leaving the island, giving into the night to rest; sleeping apart from your usual shared bed with Sanji.

Sanji did, however, continue bombarding you with displays of love, hoping to persuade you to come back to him, but his efforts were met short. You had watch the man you love fall back on his estranged love-struck patterns he promised were behind him, making your mind up to sit in the loathing bitterness of your hurt.

Word quickly spread of a pirates arrival to the island, prompting a worried call for marines to surround the ship early into the hours of the morning. It was a heavy blow, drunkenly guiding yourself to the deck just before sunrise, watching your friends already mid battle. Heavy clatters of swords and fired bullets rumbled your hearing, quickly snapping into action to join in the weave of intense crowd to defend your honoured ship.

A sharp snap of blond hair and fire shifted your attention, recognising Sanji's perfectly poised mannerism even in the midst of a fight. Meeting his bright blue eyes you exchanged a silent word, both relieved of each others safety in that moment; still bearing love for one another. Distracted for mere moments, Sanji's position became vulnerable, letting an open on his left switch your attention to the sword coming down towards him.

Your overall skill of endurance surpassed the likes of your boyfriend, quickening your reflexes for a perfect wing of defence to your crew. Snapping into action you took off, racing against the wielded marine to reach the still unsuspecting Sanji.

As you collided with the marine, you disarmed him with a few simple manoeuvres, relieved of your quick defences. He hit the deck in front of you, instantly passing out from the blow which deemed unusually large for someone of your size.

Dusting yourself off you looked back at Sanji, furrowing your brow upon his sickened look.

Sanji's eyes casted at your stomach, his face a ghostly white, mumbling out your name as he grasped your arm tightly. You followed his eyes to your stomach, noticing the large gash that spanned over your full abdomen, seeping through a heavy brown as blood oozed from your wound. Dazed in shock you zoned out, feeling your body shake into the likes of a collapse. You could still feel Sanji near you, his body inching closer in worry, his hands in the stage of lifting you into his arms. Fluttering your eyes you tried to mumble out your confusion, not grasping how the marine managed to reach you in time to cause such a heavy injury. However, your efforts were met short, your body giving in under the loss of blood and soon passing out in Sanji’s arms.

You awoke groggily on your back, fluttering up at the familiar ceiling of the infirmary. Your body rose in a searing pain, targeting your tightly bandaged abdomen, forcing you to groan out. Your voice prompted the answer of two voices, those of people you recognised well, turning your head towards the sounds.

Chopper and Sanji sat by your side, both exchanging a mixed look of relief and joy, leaning in towards your groggy state.

“You’re awake” Sanji smiled, reaching out towards your hand. “I’m so glad to see your face again. You’ve been out of it for a while, we were getting worried”

Squeezing gently you slid your hand in his, intertwining your fingers. It felt almost impossible to speak, your pain heaving heavy gasps for air as you tried to make sense of what was happening around you.

“Everyone else is okay, Y/n” Chopper encouraged, checking over your IV lines; prompted by your obvious pained state. “You just worry about getting better. That wound is pretty deep and it will leave a scar, so don’t move around too much while it heals”

Turning around to face Sanji, Chopper toughened his voice, raising it to make him seem bigger. “You make sure she stays safe, okay? And follow everything I told you earlier! She needs to keep still as much as she can”

“You don’t have to worry about her, Chopper, I'll look after her. There should be some cake up in the kitchen for your efforts, go and help yourself for helping my sweet Y/n-swan”

Chopper squealed in excitement, quickly running towards the door in a flash on fur. As his body hit the deck his voice was followed by the usual kitchen thief’s; Luffy and Usopp.

Returning his attention back to you, Sanji’s face softened, lowering his head to avoid your face in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Y/n. I should’ve been there to protect you, to help defend you against that deranged marine. Someone who has the audacity to lay a hand on a women, especially someone like you, truely deserves the worst possibly death”

“I’m also sorry about our fight; about how I acted” Sanji looked back up then. “I need you to know I never meant to hurt you or betray your trust. I helped her because I could never turn my back on a lady in need, and in those few moments even though my attention was on her, all I could think about was you. Her basket carried all your favourite fruits, down to the loose handful of grapes that I know you would happily fight our captain for. The crease beside her eyes when she smiled at me was something reminiscent of how you look at me when I make you laugh. Her hair was curled just the way that your hair does in the morning, framing your face when you look at me. There will never be a moment when I don’t think about you and how much you mean to me. You are my girl, Y/n, and nothing is going to take that away from you”

Fighting against your body you pushed yourself up, ignoring Sanji's protest to rest, moving to sit upright; the stack of pillows behind you cushion your fallback. You cleared you throat promptly, ignoring the surging sting as you coughed, busting enough strength to speak.

"I'm sorry, too"

You voice broke in a quiet groan.

"What are you talking about, Y/n? You didn't do an-"

"I'm sorry for the way I handled seeing you with somebody else. I know you, it feels like I have done more than this lifetime, and your hearty intentions to be kind to women. I know you wouldn't do anything to jeopardise our relationship, and I'm sorry I felt the need to avoid your apology. I was hurt, and too stuck in my own feelings to face this problem, because when I see you I see someone who I don't wish to lose"

"You will never lose me, okay?" Sanji promised, moving himself to sit beside you on the bed. He leaned forward over your body, his hand resting beside you, face inches from your own. "I'm not going anywhere, my love. I will be here for you through good and bad and nobody will ever come between us, no matter how many loose grapes are in their basket"

Sanji swiftly moved to you, sweeping you up in a soft kiss. His lips were always the perfect mould, curling against you in the most plump and soft folds, feeling somewhat like heaven. His taste remained the same, lingers of smoke dancing on his tongue as he deepened the kiss, working to build a familiar rise of butterflies in your stomach. As he pulled away, a soft pucker left behind a kind smile, relieved to have put the fight behind him and move forward; working towards getting you better.

"I love you, so much, never forget how much you mean to me and how much I value us." He looked up towards the IV bag, noting the drop in liquid from the bag, furrowing his brow. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a doctor to collect and a girlfriend to heal"

[dib-thing-wannabe]

The Villain's Untold Moldings - Chapter One

next>>>

(Quickly, two things before y'all start reading this-

This doesn't mean that I'm quitting with my cu au content, I just needed to write this as it came to me at night and I have to share it with everyone else, so consider it more as a side project then anything else.

In this fanfic, Robot does not have his canon look, but instead has the Robot human (?) design made by @taxlthomas (Or @itsalldownhillfromherehoney because idk which to tag as they are the same person). This is something that I feel is important to mention as I don't think anyone could take it as seriously as I imagine it to be, so please check out their artwork before reading this if you don't know what it looks like. As I'm already tagging people, I'd also like to thank @genderlessjacky who helped me with the name of this fanfic!

Other than that, enjoy this!)

(Edit: I should mention that when I make more chapters, they will be featured on my pinned post, though I'm not tagging my pinned with the pj masks tags.)

Memory log 1 - Date: Sept. 7, 2005 - Time: 12:01

I turned on for the first time ever. I scanned the room I was in, standing on my charging pod, when the scan stopped as I laid my robotic eyes on a man. He had raven colored hair, fair skin, green eyes, and he was wearing a lab coat covered in oil. He seemed proud, yet tired.

"Hello, Robot. You may call me Mr. Mecano, or if you'd prefer, Master. I'm the one who made you!" He told me in a prideful tone.

"Hello, Master." I replied with, only having a monotone voice at the time.

He looked at me again, motioning me to follow him as he exits the room. I, of course, follow him. His house was much bigger than it looked from the charging pod, it was clear that he had the money to spend. I saw other robots around the place as I followed him, though they were much smaller than me and didn't do much.

We eventually made it to what is called a living room, with a large couch in the middle of it.

"Go ahead, sit down for a moment! I need to grab some people before I can tell you what your current purpose is!" Mr. Mecano told me, holding his hand towards the couch. I sat down on it as he exited the room.

After some time, I heard a female voice nearby. "Hunny, are you sure it's going to be safe? I mean, his body that you reused was originally made to harm any trespassers! Who knows how gentle he could get!" She spoke up.

"Dear, trust me, I have made the necessary adjustments to his physical body to be able to be as gentle as a mouse. And, before you even think about his coding, I took out anything that could harm someone who may be innocent!" He told her reassuringly.

She let out a soft sigh before telling him, "Okay, I believe you. I don't have any reason not to."

He walks back in with the woman trailing behind him, holding something wrapped in a blanket in her arms. The woman had long brown hair with a white streak in it, more tanned skin compared to Mr. Mecano yet it's still pale, blue eyes, and she was wearing a long nightgown, despite it being noon.

"Robot, this is my wife! You may call her Mrs. Mecano, or you may also call her Master!" He announced lovingly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Hello Ma'am."

"... You know what, that works too!" He began walking towards me again, now with his wife in tow, as she is clearly nervous.

He gently grabs what's in her arms as he speaks in a soft yet energetic tone. "Now I can tell you what your purpose is!"

He walks closer to me until he is basically towering over me, as he begins to show me what's in the blanket.

"This is our son. His name is Romeo Mecano. He was born on August 31 of this year. You see, I need to continue to work so that my family and I can continue to live comfortably, but the baby still needs to be cared for, as my dear wife is having too many troubles recovering from his birth to safely take care of him without any assistance. Your job is to care for Romeo when neither of us can, and to make sure that whatever happens, he would never be harmed."

I nod my head as I looked closer at what was in the blanket. Sure enough, it was a baby. A sleeping baby with the same raven hair his father had, yet has the white streak in his hair that his mother passed down to him.

"Here, try and hold him! You're going to need to do it a lot anyway!" He said with a light in his eyes, as Mrs. Mecano bit her finger out of nervousness. I hold my arms out in what I had believed to be the correct way. He placed the child in my arms, and I just held my arms like that.

He chuckled before speaking again. "Robot, you are holding a small human being, not a platter! Don't be scared, gently bring him towards your chest more!"

After a moment of processing, I then held him similarly to how they held him. "Is this good, Master?"

"It's great! See, you just powered on, yet you're already learning all the necessities!" He cried out in a joyful manner, clearly more proud then ever.

He began conversing with his wife, but my memory doesn't remember their exact conversation, as I was paying full attention to Romeo at this point. I can only recall that Mr. Mecano was reassuring her that their son was safe in my hands and that he wouldn't ever make something that would hurt either one of them. I began to hold him in a way where he was facing me, my hands under his little armpits. After a few seconds, I held him near my chest, his tiny head resting on my shoulder as one of my hands gently cups it, and the other held his scrunched up body. My Master quickly took notice of this, and he only chuckled and said, "Yeah, he's going to be safe and sound."

The rest of the day was Mr. and Mrs. Mecano teaching me what to do during what situations, how to care for the child, how to care for wounds, ect. When Romeo finally woke up, he had icey blue eyes, though they told me that his eyes would darken overtime, but will most likely stay blue.

Memory log 7 - Date: Sept. 15, 2005 - Time: 20:21

A week has passed since I was first introduced to everything. Today I noticed that Mr. Mecano started acting strangely. Normally he works on other inventions and sells them, and tries to spend every spare second he could with either his wife, or if he's awake, Romeo. Meaning that I see him around ten to twenty times a day other then when he is in his workshop. Today though, I had only seen him once outside of his workshop, and it's already dark out. It was as if he was trying to avoid them today, especially his son, who he usually coddles every time he lays eyes on him.

As I was patrolling the house, something I normally do when not given a task to complete, Mrs. Mecano approached me.

"... Hey, Robot? Can you tell me something?" Her voice was filled with worries and woe's as she asked me this.

"Of course, Ma'am."

"Do you think that my husband has been acting... strange, today? I mean, I don't think that this is a bad thing, but I need a second opinion on it."

I stood silent for a moment, trying to find the words to tell her that I agree with her without her feeling anymore worried. "Yes Ma'am, I do. Though I believe it's nothing to worry about just yet. I saw that he didn't get as much sleep as he normally does last night, so there is a great chance that is what's causing him to act strangely."

".. Yeah, you're probably right. Though just in case, I'm going to talk to him about it. If Romeo wakes up, please watch him for me until I'm done."

This caught me off guard, as she doesn't like it when it's only me and Romeo together alone. I believe she's either starting to finally trust me, or she's too worried about her husband to think properly.

"Of course, Ma'am."

She let out a sigh of relief before speaking again.

"Thank you, Robot." She then began heading downstairs towards the workshop.

She didn't say a word to me as she went back to her bedroom two hours later, so I am guessing she wasn't able to get anything out of him. Romeo is growing rather fond of me, so I don't think he mind the fact that he had seen me more than he had seen his dad today.

Memory log 13 - Date: Sept. 21, 2005 - Time: 15:34

Mr. and Mrs. Mecano have been agruing for what has felt like non-stop today so far. After he started randomly distancing himself from his family, Mrs. Mecano has been trying to talk to him more and more about it, yet he's been practically pushing her away. This is what seems to be their first ever argument in their entire relationship. I began standing near the doorway of their bedroom, as the tention began rising between them.

"Oh my GOD, WHY WON'T YOU GET THE FUCK OFF MY BACK?! I AM WORKING MY ASS TO PROVIDE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET FOR IT!?" His voiced boomed through the house.

"H-Hunny, please!! I'm not trying to be overbearing, I'm j-just getting worried! You have never acted like this before!!!" She yelled back, holding in tears as she tries to talk to him.

"OH, PLEASE! YOU ARE ALWAYS GETTING WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I DO, EVEN WHEN I TELL YOU THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE, BUT NOOOOOO! SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG WITH EVERY SINGLE FUCKING THING I DO!!"

"SIMON!!" Her voice strained, now with tears rolling down her face. This is the first time I have ever heard her call him anything other than his nickname.

Now they are in a full on shouting match, throwing accusations at one another, from cheating to lying about their past. Clearly, this is turning into something much more serious than it once was.

Suddenly, I heard Romeo crying from his crib, so hesitantly, I go to tend for him while they continue to scream at one another.

I quickly go into his room and shut the door behind me, trying not to let him hear the yelling from his parents. Yes, he may be a baby who wouldn't have a clue what was happening, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't effect him. Thankfully, they made his room soundproof, so he couldn't hear them at all as long as we stayed inside his nursery.

"Shhhhhhhh, shhhhhhhhh, hey, hey hey, it's okay, it's okay." I softly spoke to him, as I scooped him up into my arms. "Don't cry, don't cry, you are okay, you are going to be okay."

After a few minutes of shushing him and patting his back gently, he eventually stopped crying, but he clearly still wasn't happy. I held him up to my face level, and start mimicking his cooing noises that he normally makes when he's happy. After a few seconds, he starts making the noises back.

"Yaaay! There you go, now who's a happy boy? Who's a happy bouncing baby boy~?"

He started getting louder with his cooing as I did this, reaching his tiny hands to me.

"Yes, you are! You are just a happy boy!"

I stayed with Romeo for a few more hours in his room, taking care of him. He seems to have me as his favorite 'person' in this household, especially lately, where I have had to take sole care of him as his parents argue, like they have been for the past week. I only left him alone after around 15 minutes of him being asleep. It's now 20:57, and his parents seem to have finally stopped with their bickering and gone to bed.

Memory log 14 - Date: Sept. 22, 2005 - Time: 02:31

I woke up from my charging pod as my internal sensors started going off.

*DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! A PERSON IN THE PREMISES HAS BEEN GRAVELY INJURED!*

Quickly, I get off of the pod and start scanning the area for the person who had gotten hurt.

After a few minutes of scanning the area, I finally had found who it was. It was... Mrs. Mecano. She was laying at the bottom of the steps, bleeding out. She had been shot in the stomach.

As I walked up to her, about to try and stop the bleeding before I called an ambulance, she started talking in a strained and tired voice.

"D-don't.. help me y-yet-" She coughed between her words, blood spilling out of her throat. "G-get.. m-my son.."

"Romeo? You want me to get Romeo?"

"H-he-" she coughed again, now speaking in more urgency. "I fear.. that h-he is next..."

As I realized what she was talking about, I nodded my head and quickly began rushing to his nursery. Who could in their right mind go and shoot a child after shooting their mother? Especially a baby, who could have never done any wrong to any person ever. I gained sight of the nursery door, and it was wide open. Quickly, I ran over and looked inside. A figure was standing above the crib... with a gun. Pointing. At. Romeo.

*TARGET ACQUIRED*

My arm extended from the doorway to the figure, wrapping itself around his arm, making the gun in his hand now aim to the floor. Before I can think, I lifted the arm it was intangled in, and threw it from where it was standing to the railing behind me, causing a giant crack sound to be made. I looked at the figure, now behind me..

"... Master?"

He groaned before speaking, struggling to get up on his feet, using the almost broken railing to lift himself up.

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT, YOU STUPID ROBOT?! DON'T YOU SEE THAT YOU'RE MASTER IS TRYING TO KILL THAT ANNOYING LITTLE SHI-"

Before he could finish his sentence, I covered his mouth from behind him, having a tight grip on his face as I silenced him. I began talking lowly and slowly, as if I was growling as I spoke.

"I did that because you told me to. You said that my purpose was to take care of Romeo when neither of you could, and to make sure that whatever happens, he would never be harmed. But you. You tried to kill him after almost killing your wife." I moved his head towards the downstairs, facing him to Mrs. Mecano's close to lifeless body. "I may not experience the same emotions or have the same 'morals' as humans do, but I am disappointed in your actions. You are the biggest monster that this town has probably ever seen."

I let go of him entirely, having his full body weight fall onto the railing.

"Now, if you can behave and control your emotions, I'll go and make sure that you didn't hurt your child over a silly argument that wasn't even involving him."

I walk over to the crib and look down. There he is... the sweet baby boy, safe and sound, just sleeping. Unaware of the event that just occurred.

Now that I know that he isn't hurt, I can now call an ambulance and the police for Mrs. Mecano-

*BAM*

The sound of a gunshot going off filled the homes silence, and soon after, Romeo began crying, having woken up by the sudden noise and getting scared. I turned around to face the man with the gun, and-

... he shot himself. His body is laying on the ground, now lifeless. He must have realized what he had done, and what he was about to do next, and out of sudden grief and shock, he shot his brains out.

Okay, okay, there is no way they can be able to save him, but Mrs. Mecano still has potential to be saved. I can still call the ambulance for her, and then everything else will be fine-

"Sorry, your call wasn't able to reach the person you were trying to contact, please check your connection or try dialing a different number-"

"What?? Why would I not be able to call 911?"

I redialed the number, thinking it had to be some sort of mistake.

"Sorry, your call wasn't able to reach the person you were trying to contact, please check your connection or try dialing a different number-"

"Come on!!"

I check outside of the window, and there is no lights on. Anywhere. Not in the streets, not in anyone's windows, no where were lights on. Then I remembered something that made everything click.

They turned the cities power off. They turned it off because the wires connected to everything were getting faulty and too dangerous to not replace. There was a city wide announcement about it a few days ago, and Mr. Mecano knew that. He knew that, and that's why he shot himself. Because he shot his wife, the love of his existence, and there was nothing no one could do to save her.

I realized that Romeo was still crying heavily, with his poor little voice going hoarse. I quickly scooped him up again, and held him close.

I whispered quietly to him, trying to calm him down. "Shhhhhhhh, shhhhh, it's okay, you're okay, you are going to be fine.. I'll make sure of it..."

I headed downstairs towards my now late Masters workshop with Romeo in my arms, desperate to find something, anything, that could help me out with this situation. As I opened the door, my sensors started going off again.

*DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! TOXIC FUMES IN THE AIR! DANGEROUS TO HUMANS AND ANIMALS!*

I quickly closed the door to the workshop, backing away from it as I held Romeo closer to my chest. He wasn't acting like this because he was stressed, or tired, or covering up for something else. He was poisoned while in his workshop. A gas leak broke out and he didn't realize it until it was too late.

I ran out of the house, trying not to get Romeo harmed with the gases as well, because they were bound to spread to the rest of the house overtime. I ran out to the backyard, where I found the ship. The flying ship Mr. Mecano made in case of an 'emergency'. It was to live in, and it could go anywhere in the world given enough power. Thankfully, it had full power and it wasn't going to run out of it for at least twenty years. I board it with Romeo still in my arms, a little fussy but much better than before. I didn't start flying it, as there wasn't a place where Romeo can rest in it. I sat down on the couch in what I believe was the living room of the machine.

What do I do? It's not like I know how to take care of children older than three years old, and I still need a charging pod, yet I don't detect one in here. He can't go back in there, there's too many dangers for a baby to live in there. What to do, what to do...

I held him close to me still, as he fell asleep on my chest.

... I can worry about that tomorrow, I have plenty of power to last through the night.

Memory log 3,663 - Date: Sept. 19, 2015 - Time: 01:42

I was sitting down on the couch, in the living room of the flying machine, charging. When suddenly, I heard a slam from the metal door connected to the living room.

Romeo walked through it, mumbling to himself.

"Stupid PJ masks, ruining my plans for no reason other than 'beINg GoOd'! UUUGH!!"

"Still having trouble figuring out a new plan, Master?"

"No!.. well, yeah. But come on!! It was my greatest plan yet! But noooo! Those PJ Masks need to stop it! AAAAGH, I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM!!" He screamed out, stomping his feet out of frustration.

"I know, I know. Want a hug to let all your frustrations out?" I told him, holding out an arm to him.

Romeo scoffs before speaking in an annoyed tone. "No! What am I, a baby?!"

I continue to hold my arm out to him, closing my eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he quickly crawled into my arms, and begins to reach his arms out to me.

I chuckled softly before picking him up higher. "Thought so, Master. C'mere."

"Quiet, Robot.." He whispered in an embarrassed voice.

I placed him on my chest, where his head rested on my shoulder. He hugged me back, letting out a soft sigh as he let his full body weight on me. I caressed the back of his head and ran my fingers through his hair as I begin to hum.

After a few minutes, Romeo is fast asleep on me, fully relaxed.

To think that you were able to fit in my hands at one point, yet now, doing the same thing that I did when I first met you, you've truly gotten so much bigger..

[thatblondeperson]

Car Trouble Nightmare, Help Needed!

More details of one of the worst days I've had in a long time that will not end, under the cut. I really do need help, I feel like I'm going to cry.

On Wednesday 7/3 I went to San Jose for a friend's going away party. Party had been canceled and I was not informed, which honestly is whatever at this point. I went in to the bar anyway, had a glass of wine that someone bought for me out of pity, made new friends, sand some karaoke and started to drive home. There was a 5 car pile up on the highway that had people dead stopped, and after sitting in that for far too long, people were detouring and I followed. Got very lost. Started trying to follow signs that said "north". Finally got back on track and my car started overheating like crazy. Took the next exit and parked. Car was smoking. At this point, the sun was rising and I was exhausted. The lady who's house I was in front of let me charge my phone and she brought me ice water. I called AAA to row my car but our plan only covers 5 miles of free towing. It would be $1000 at least. Called my mom crying. She came to rescue me. While waiting a guy tried to offer help and then got weird about how cute my small feet were. Finally mom got there and we decided to tow to the nearest AAA repair place. Car would be stranded in San Leandro which is an hour and a half from home. But it got worse.

We got on the road. Stopped at taco bell so I could get some food in my system. Was okay for a bit but the sleep and food deprivation kicked in and my body started shutting down bit by bit. Heartburn came, headache, mood swings, and nausea. Mom also wasn't listening to me with the map and took a detour that she said she knew, then blamed the detour on me when it didn't work out and wouldn't drop it. Basically heckled me about it. Treated me like I was being a baby the whole way home while I was in pain, and only realized I was serious when I started having an autistic meltdown and the tics kicked in. Made it almost home in this awful state before I had to stop at Lowe's hardware store because I felt so sick. IBS had kicked in, and when I came back to the car, the taco bell promptly exited my body via throwing up profusely. It was enough to get me home but I still felt awful. Tried to clean off in the shower a bit which helped somewhat and then tried to lay down, but my body felt so uncomfortable. I was still habing an autistic sensory meltdown, but then I suddenly got really bad, and it felt like my blood was boiling and my hands were going numb. Called 911, paramedics cane and made sure I was okay, and thankfully it was just a wicked panic attack, but it took me like 36 hours to recover from that shit. Stayed at my mom's for a bit, and then on Saturday we went back to San Leandro, because I had jumped onto my dad's plan since he had 200 miles of free towing.

Soooooooo...AAAs policy is that the point of roadside assist is that they need to tow it to a repair shop. It's already at one, so they can't send a truck to pick it up just because. The only reason they can do that is if the repair place can't fix it. We'd have the free tow back home at that point but right now we're fucked. Car is stuck in San Leandro for the time being at the repair shop and since it's AAA, it'll be expensive. We wanted to go to our guy back home.

I went back today and they said it was fixed, the bill was over $1000 with the "just look at it" and "repair" fees combined, and I hoped that would be it.

Nope.

Car started overheating just 10 minutes into the drive home, and I had to turn the AC off just to get through the drive. Coolant tank is still bubbling, the engine smells burnt, and I am exhausted and wanting to scream. My car is my lifeline, I can't be without it and I can't afford a new one right now. I just need to get my car to someone more reliable, and hopefully things can actually get fixed. It may be more than what I'm asking for, but I just need a smidgen of help. Anything will help, I'm just so tired and so stressed and my body cannot handle another panic attack tbh.

[skitter-kitter]

👀👀👀👀 (release the wips skitty 🔫)

Okay so here’s a fic I wrote like 8k of a few months ago. It’s called “Wrath” and it’s an au where while Hoopa is out of control during the villain arc it accidentally kills Lear so it teams up with Colress to bring him back to life. It’s dark so the snippet’s under the cut.

Colress came back into the room with a long bed and some odd medical things in tow. His expression was focused and his mind was only on what was in front of him, so Hoopa didn’t dare try and interrupt him. “Put him here, I’ll attach some monitors so I can see his vitals as we do this.” Hoopa skimmed over his mind again, checking to make sure he didn’t intend for this to hurt Lear.

He intended to push Hoopa as far as it would go to bring Lear back; he was ready to sabotage equipment, alert others to the situation, and see how far Hoopa’s “mental state” would make it go. Whatever. The deity didn’t care. He wasn’t hurting Lear, so it didn’t matter what his intentions were. It put him down on the bed and allowed Colress to hook him up. None of the vitals looked good, they were all low and… bad.

“Do you have any special ideas for resurrecting him?” Colress asked, stripping Lear’s coat and shirt off of him. He was having trouble with the clothes, they stuck to him like stubborn burrs. Hoopa didn’t offer to help. “I can get electricity into his brain to start that up and have some strategies to try and restart his heart, but anything beyond that is up to you.” He paused, turning to stare at Hoopa with an accusing stare. “You have to give me everything you can. You caused this. You killed him.”

Hoopa knew Colress was only trying to get it to snap; that was the only thing that kept it from lifting a hand and turning him into red paste. The mythical pokémon turned its head questioningly, a sadistic grin forming. Colress’ mind was suddenly overrun with memories of humans burning alive. What an odd coincidence.

Give me everything, Hoopa told him once he recovered.

It thought for a long while over everything that could possibly assist in the resurrection process and begrudgingly came to the conclusion that the best thing it could do for Lear was to call in an old favor. It lifted a hoop into the air and issued a command to a being it had controlled hundreds of times over— mostly for pranks, but there had been one occasion where it had helped Hoopa in eradicating Arborvitae’s killers. Could it still depend on the deity it had once puppeted into constant battles, forcing it to partake in wars it had no interest in?

It wasn’t that Hoopa felt bad for its actions; it only felt remorse at the thought that its past actions might affect Lear’s chances of being revived.

Regardless of whether it genuinely believed the legendary pokémon would assist it, Hoopa opened a portal to it. It didn’t force the pokémon to fly through, didn’t force it to obey its commands.

Through time and space, through reality and everything in-between, Hoopa sent a message to the god of rebirth: Ho-Oh.

Please, assist me.

After a few seconds, a glowing feather floated down from its portal and landed on Lear’s unmoving chest.

[xxx-inhibitionless-xxx]

Chapter 67 : Day Three ( Chad & Brad’s Afternoon part 2 )

 They had agreed that they definitely did not want anyone finding them there in their current state of undress. They managed to get Chad’s door opened and out of the car, dropping down to the muddy puddle filling up at the bottom of the crater Brad’s car was currently sitting in.

 The water that continued to erupt from the pipe that had burst was freezing and the walls of the crater they had fallen into were turning to mud as a result of the water spraying everywhere, making it incredibly difficult for the two of them to climb out. They slid down the slippery steep slopes of the pit several times, landing in the muddy puddle at the bottom.

 Brad eventually managed to toss Chad to the top where he was able to then lend Brad a hand in climbing out. By the time they were both back on solid ground at the top of the crater, they were completely covered in mud from head to toe. Chad immediately burst into laughter at the sight of the mud-covered Brad.

 What are you laughing at, Brad asked with more anger than he intended, what the hell is so funny ?

 You, Chad answered not taking any notice of Brad’s hostility, you look like a wild-man.

 Appreciative of the fact that Chad either hadn’t noticed his hostility or wasn’t offended by it, Brad realized what Chad was talking about as he looked himself over. Before he could suggest that they maybe try and use the water to rinse off some of the mud, Brad got a glimpse of Chad acting like a wild monkey-man hopping around waving his arms and burst out laughing himself.

 They laughed so hard at each other, they ended up literally rolling on the ground. By the time they recovered, the water had stopped erupting out of the puddle which had filled the crater to above the rear wheel of the car. Without the fountain of water, there was no way to rinse off other than the pool at the bottom of the pit, which Brad had decided they were not going to try and utilize lest they get stuck down there again and not able to climb out.

 Who the hell puts a damn hole in the middle of the road anyway, Brad asked as they got their bearings and examined their surroundings. I mean seriously, why is this even here ?

  As Chad surveyed the road they had come from and the surrounding woods, Brad took a closer look at his car and it’s situation. They had intended to back-up into the access road and turn around. From what Brad could make out, someone had dug a pit right at the mouth of the access road and covered the hole with a thin sheet of wood. Brad guessed that the pit was to get access to the water pipe they had landed on and busted.

 Brad’s car sat nearly vertical in the pit up to the door hinges. The driver’s side was about flush with the side of the pit, but luckily the passenger side had enough leeway that they had been able to open that door enough to get out. There was definitely, however, no way that the car was going to get out of the pit without the assistance of a winch or tow-truck.

 Dude, Chad put his hand on Brad’s shoulder, come on, we’ll have to deal with the car later. Right now, we need to get out of here.

 Yeah, Brad sighed in resignation, I know. I’m just so dead. My Dad is going to literally kill me. How am I even going to explain this ? Oh, hey dad, Brad pretended to address his father, yeah, me and a buddy were out driving naked and I backed into a pit. Yeah, he said addressing Chad, that is going to go over really well.

 Look, Chad assured his friend, let’s not worry about that right now, let’s concentrate on the naked part and get out of sight. Surely someone heard all the commotion and will be coming down the road any minute. We need to not be here when they do.

 I know, Brad agreed reluctantly, I know. Alright, where are we going to go ?

 We’ll follow the access road a bit, then cut through the woods to the house. Maybe we can sneak in with everyone coming to check out what happened.

 Accepting that it wasn’t a bad idea at all, Brad extended his arm and addressed Chad, alright mud man, lead the way.

[icology]

I'm not going to say ICO's combat is complex. But it definitely has more to it than people give credit for. Even reviewers who adore this game will critique the simplicity of the combat, not always recognizing that Ueda and the team really put all that they could behind the simplistic framework. I'll start by pointing out the obvious helpful tips and then move into more obscure trivia. 1. You can skip most fights by rushing Yorda to the Idol Doors. Shadows also can't follow you out of a load area, so just leaving a room with her in tow is also acceptable, especially if you're feeling overwhelmed. 2. Positioning is actually what a lot of fights come down to. Baiting Shadows into corners can be very beneficial for you and end fights much quicker. 3. Ico does not have to perform the 3-hit combo move. I have seen a lot of players, new and old, spam the square button and rush at at the closest group of Shadows. This requires no tactical thought and will often get you knocked down, but because it's still ultimately successful a lot of people don't realize there's a better way: It can actually be more effective to stand still when striking. Or space out your attack inputs when running at a Shadow. It's really no slower than the alternative, and using the combo blindly can be disadvantageous in crowds. The combo animation locks Ico along a set trajectory that makes it difficult to turn around and react to incoming threats from the side or back. In short, it can leave you vulnerable, where swinging precisely does not. 4. Ico can recover from a hit faster by mashing buttons and directional inputs. This is a programmed feature, not a gaming myth. It's even listed in a section of the PAL manual. 5. Ico can fight bare handed without a weapon (by hitting a directional button while you hit square). It knocks foes to the ground instantly, and yes, it deals damage. But this awkward shove attack will not do much, since it deals a very very small fraction of damage. It takes up to 21 hits to kill the weakest shadows. Speaking of knock downs. 6. If you value the combo attack for its consistent ability to knock Shadows down on the third swing, I can offer a quicker way. By jumping and swinging with a weapon, you can perform an air attack that instantly knocks any Shadow off their feet.

Knocking Shadows down quickly like this can help you juggle a crowd or them, or assist in making a swift escape. Just be sure you don't hit a Shadow already downed, or they're back on their feet and ready to attack instantly.

7. A couple of early Shadows are incapable of flight, but love to duck under your attacks. If you ever find yourself playing the waiting game with a Shadow that ducks to the ground, the third strike of the combo attack will always swing low enough to uppercut that enemy back out of hiding. 8. Ico can parry. ...Yes. You read correctly. You can block an incoming strike with any weapon, and you won't be knocked down. Heck, it even works bare handed. And unlike Dark Souls it doesn't require precise timing or anything. All you need to do is turn to face an incoming attack while either standing still or walking (walking being distinct from running). To test this out yourself, you can bait Shadows into attacking you by showing your back to them. Turn to face them just as they reel back to hit you and you'll automatically parry it. This feeds into my next fact. 9. Ico can intimidate Shadows. They don't want to have their attacks get parried, so when they see you stare them down while standing still or walking, they know an attack won't succeed. By anticipating your parry, they'll either be forced to back up and stay away, or prioritize getting past you to grab Yorda. Intimidating Shadows can help in your effort to escape a fight or back your enemies into a corner.

10. Terrain actually affects your combat capability. Idk if you've ever fought on a set of stairs or stood on any loose pile of rocks in this game before, but ICO's early adoption of inverse kinematics allowed for an interesting feature. If Ico's feet are displaced in their height, such that one knee is bent while the other is straight, his attack speed slows. And this effect is incremental, becoming more obvious the farther up one knee is compared to the other. This means that his positioning actually affects his battle stance, so he can't swing his weapon as quickly as he would on flat ground. (Really, if you look closely, all his animations slow down when this happens, even his idle. But I think the intended effect was for only his swing speed to be offset by the weird terrain.) Man, sorry about the length. It just didn't feel right to split these facts into separate asks since it all centers around the same point.

Wow I'm starting to think I don't know this game AT ALL because there's all of these things that I'm just finding out about now!

After playing it so many times, running with Yorda to the nearest idols is my favorite thing ever to do because you can end the battle much faster, except it's hard because the enemies are fast! The ability to parry is very interesting and I had no idea we could do that. I always played that waiting game of turning around until the shadows decided to attack (when I'm not extremely outnumbered and on the verge of being murdered lol), but I guess I just never did it at just the right time for it to trigger.

I had noticed that the terrain affects the combat (oh, the times I spent running up and down stairs and swinging the stick cause I was terrified of whole crowd following me) but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, except that it made my attacks land everywhere except where I wanted them to! It can become annoying for the player, but I like how the team always makes the characters react according to where they're standing at that precise moment.

Also... I actually managed to attack without a weapon once but it happened one single time and it was so fast that I thought I had imagined it until you said it was possible lol!

Like you said, all of this goes to show that the combat is indeed much more intricated and well-thought out than it seems. I think most people just figure it out on their own and mostly mash the attack button until the enemies are all gone. But it makes sense as it's actually a bit of a challenge sometimes. It's funny because anyone who hasn't experienced the game themselves might think the battles get boring with time as it's always the same thing, but the speed at which they happen always keeps you on your toes and it's one heck of a sweat even when you're used to it. You can never really predict where the next blow is coming from when you're surrounded.

Curious to see how many of my followers knew about these!

[theluckywizard]

happy friday Lucky! how about some Bethany Hawke this week, with: 'I'm always running from something'?

happy writing!!

Hi Mer! This week I have a "Bethany goes to the Circle" fill featuring both Cullen POV and Bethany POV! For @dadrunkwriting WC: 1578 Rating: Teen

They’d cut across the bay on their usual sloop, with the kind of uneventful, silky smooth passage that bolstered his confidence in his mission. He was antsy but determined. Meredith couldn’t be bothered with the delicacy of it; her directives were always simple when it came to apostates. Apprehend. Neutralize if necessary. The safety of Kirkwall depended upon it.

But it was a delicate mission, one he’d investigated more thoroughly than any other.

He’d long looked the other way when Garrett Hawke came around with his apostate sister sister in tow. He sensed the daring in Hawke’s demeanor each time. Take her. Try. Hawke would smile pleasantly and crack jokes as if she weren’t in violation of Chantry law. He’d ask Cullen and others in the ranks what he could do to assist the Templars. And when Cullen had explained to him the inherent dangers of mages— that they weren’t like either of them— Hawke had chuckled and agreed and then quipped about them being a damnable annoyance all while winking at his sister behind him. 

And Cullen appreciated the good that Hawke was trying to do. He’d helped the templars recover Keran. He worked tirelessly to support the refugees that had spilled in from Ferelden on the heels of the Blight. He respected Hawke. And he respected his reputation as a warrior of unmatched skill.

But Bethany Hawke existed outside the order he strove to establish in this infernal city, which seethed with blood magic and lawlessness. He was experienced enough not to be taken in by her striking, baleful brown eyes, and docile, pleasing demeanor. From his investigation he knew she’d been hiding from the law her entire life, ten maybe fifteen years already. It was as good a chance a practiced facade as it was her genuine temperament.

He’d managed his unease with the whole affair by timing the arrest while the Hawke brothers were on an underground expedition, certain that he’d be met with violence if he ever attempted it while they were around. He felt the underhandedness of it keenly, but not enough that it deterred him from his duty to the Order, to the safety of Kirkwall, but he felt it. Mages belong in the Circle. This is right.

Cullen regretted that he couldn’t enter the homes of known apostates alone, have a cordial conversation about the benefits of belonging to the Circle and walk out with the mages in full cooperation. Today he approaches the Amell household with three of his most trusted men having uncovered in his investigation that her father, Malcolm Hawke, had proven himself a particularly adept mage during his time in the Kirkwall Circle before absconding with Leandra Amell to Ferelden. If there was a chance she was half as dangerous, he’d need the backup.

He exhales firmly and reaches a gloved hand out to knock twice firmly on the door.

The door groans open and the apostate in question greets him, timid brown eyes flicking to his momentarily before falling to his boots. He notes her staff of aurum leaning on the wall far behind her.

“Knight Captain,” she utters, the tension in her throat obvious.

“Serah Hawke,” he says carefully, feeling out the situation. Bethany breathes a laugh through her nose and her shoulders fall. 

“I’m hoping maybe you’ll surprise me and tell me you’re here to visit Garrett.”

“To be honest, I wish that were the case.” 

“Let me say goodbye,” she says, pleading. He might worry she’d go in for her staff but he’s already pushing a dampening field wide enough to dispel any possible defenses. The staff wouldn’t make a difference. He nods slightly, as if he’s extending her the bit of trust she’s asking for when, in fact, he’s already covered his bases.

There’s a twitch deep inside his chest when Leandra Hawke collapses on the floor at Bethany’s feet. He presses his lips together to manage his expression as Bethany strokes her mother’s graying hair and then crouches down to promise it will be all right. 

Truthfully, Cullen isn’t sure it will be all right. Apostates who have never belonged to a Circle have a mixed record of surviving their Harrowings. He suspects that her competence is above average for a mage without formal Circle training, but the Harrowing tests them, tempts them in ways they cannot predict.

He watches her, that flicker of guilt unruly inside him, beating its wings against the strength of his resolve. This is right.

oOo

“Did you have to confiscate my father’s staff?” she asks, the question having seethed within her during the entire humiliating walk down to the docks. “What are my brothers going to do with it?”

“It’s Order policy to collect items of arcane interest found in the homes of illegal mages,” he explains as if it was obvious. She steals glances to assess him as they board the vessel that would take her to her final destiny across the bay, the one Garrett had dragged her to on occasion. Carefully managed hair. Spotless uniform. He can’t be much older than her really, but the shadowed, violet circles that underscore his eyes and the deep set lines across his forehead betray exposure to some horror or other. She wonders what 

“How long have you been running now?” he asks, in a horribly misplaced attempt to make conversation. His tone is cordial but it feels a bit smug to her, like he’s outfoxed her in the name of the Order at last. She just shakes her head, one of her brows twitching upward slightly. 

“I don’t think I’m the only one here who’s been running,” she ventures impulsively, impetuously. The Knight Captain’s shoulders stiffen and he answers in a low voice.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he says. Bethany casts a gentle eye on him but there’s a sharpness there that she unleashes occasionally and the situation calls for it.

“You may not be moving, but you’re running.”

“How could you possibly know that?” he asks sharply, a pair of eyes the color of aurum, the color of her father’s staff bearing into her angrily. He blinks away quickly, reclaiming his veneer of professionalism before her. But his reaction only bolsters her serenity and she finds herself perfectly willing to explain. Perhaps conversation might humanize her in his eyes.

“The lines around your eyes. Garrett told me how old you are, how you’re the youngest Knight Captain Kirkwall’s Order has seen. Nobody your age has lines and circles like yours unless they’re running from something or other.” Cullen looks perturbed by the intensity of her percipience, and nearly raises his fingers to his eyes to feel for them. Bethany watches him wrestle with her remarks before he settles on staring at the salt scrubbed wood of the sloop’s deck.

“Fourteen years.”

“What?” he asks, like it’s some other insolence.

“Fourteen years. That’s how long I’ve evaded the Circle,” she answers. Cullen nods, exhaling through his nose, still seeming to mull over her pointed observations before. 

“Well I hope for your sake your competence in magic matches your perceptiveness,” he says in a startling admission.

They sail for a ways in fraught silence, Bethany searching for the words that might prove something to him about her value and experience. And by Cullen’s perturbed glances in her direction, she suspects he’s still rolling her comments around in his mind. But she can’t seem to shake her thoughts about her father’s staff, her staff.

“Will I ever get my staff back?” she asks. “Or do you make it a habit to keep family heirlooms?” Cullen sighs and clutches tiredly at the back of his neck.

“I can appreciate the attachment you might have to it. But it is a staff. If you are successfully harrowed, you’ll be able to sign it out for use within designated areas inside the Circle.”

“Sign it—“ Bethany huffs in irritation and wonders momentarily if she might have put up more of a fight before resigning herself to this circus. This is better for them. For all of them. She tells herself, but the pang of having her decision forced smarts deep in her breast. “How do you cope with it? You collect people from their homes. You take their belongings and put them in—“

“It’s for the best,” he says softly.

“Why? I’m no more a danger than you. You’re as much a trained weapon as I am.”

“Your connection to the Fade puts you at risk of possession every single day. Even after you’re harrowed—“

“You don’t think apostates have faced demons?”

“I— the risk of possession— it never goes away. In the Circle the danger you pose is mitigated.”

Her heart twisted and writhed inside his logic. On some level she could understand it. It was meant to keep people safe. And she knew she was better prepared and better trained than most apostates who’d never been to the Circle. She and her father had been careful to make sure of it. If apprehended by the Templars, she’d be as learned as any child who’d grown up in the Circle. She’d be ready for anything she faced in a Harrowing. 

But still, the trepidation sends her stomach into a roiling storm, churning and twisting. Unmoored.

She looks over at the Knight-Captain, her restive brown eyes fixed anxiously upon the destination as the sloop eats up the span of harbor between her and the Gallows. And he looks back, a knot of concern etched deep between his own brows.

And maybe they don’t share the same fears. 

But at least she’s not alone in being afraid.

[alleksistrash]

The Stone On The Wall

Chapter 6 of (?)

Previous Chapter:

Days had passed since the battle had begun and ended, and the company was starting to lose hope. Now not only was Bilbo still unconscious, but so was the line of Durin. Thorin had managed to defeat Azog, with Dwalin close by to assist in helping him walk back to Dale. Fili and Kili were found near each other on the top of Raven Hill, barely breathing. There were now four cots in the tent, with Thorin being placed next to Bilbo and Fili and Kili on the other side. The elfs had taken pity on the company, knowing what they had gone through to get to Erebor and eventually defeat the pale orc. They had brought in more chairs, allowing for most of the company to sit at their friends’ sides while the others wandered about Dale, still trying to be useful. The only way they knew there was still a chance of them recovering was the deep rise and fall of their chests.

It was on the seventh day after the battle that things had started to change for the better. Oin, Balin, Bombur, and Gandalf were in the tent, keeping to themselves when they heard it. A groan had tumbled out of someone, causing Gandalf and Balin to look up from their books. It was quiet for a second, until they heard it again. Balin stood up and nudged Bombur, who was sleeping beside him. He scanned their faces, trying to figure out who was waking up. His eyes landed on Bilbo, who had begun squirming in his cot. His face broke out into a smile once the hobbit’s eyes had started to open. Balin began laughing in earnest as Bilbo took in his surroundings. “I am quite glad to see you are still with us, my friend! You certainly had us convinced you wouldn’t pull through a couple times. Now, don’t try to sit up so fast, you might pull something. I’ll go get some of the elfs and the rest of the company while Oin and Bombur help you.” With that, Balin left the tent in a hurry, still laughing to himself.

This left Bilbo even more confused, but he was too tired and groggy to ask many questions. He went to try and speak but his throat was scratchy and his mouth was dry. Before he could even motion for it, Bombur had already made his way over with a cup of water. Bombur and Oin helped him sit up on some pillows so he could drink without choking, and he was very appreciative for the help and water. He set the cup down on the table next him, picking up the wooden duck and examining it. He tilted his head up, still squinting at how bright it was in the tent, and glanced between Bombur, Oin, and Gandalf. “What exactly happened? How long have I been out? Where’s Thor-” Bilbo looked around the tent and fully took in his surroundings. Once he had spotted Thorin in the cot next to him, he tried to jump out of his own to try and reach him. He was immediately stopped by Oin’s hand on his arm, alerting him to the fact that he didn’t have his mithril or robe on. He looked down at his exposed body, startled by the faint black veins that still danced across his chest. He snapped his head up, a furious expression on his face, but before he could demand any answers the rest of the company came sprinting into the tent, with some elfs in tow. He was met with a chorus of shouts, ranging from “Bilbo, ya bastard!” to “Took you long enough!”. His anger faded, a small smile taking its place. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he was glad to see his friends again, and happy that they were glad to see him as well.

The elfs began fretting over him, checking him for any residual fever, unusual aches or pains, feeling in all of his limbs. The whole time, the dwarves were laughing and talking over each other, telling Bilbo everything he missed in the past week. It wasn’t until Bofur had begun a sentence with “You should’ve seen Thorin and Dwalin face off Azog last week! It was a spectacular fight,” that Bilbo remembered the dwarf lying still next to him. “Last week? What do you mean last week? What fight are you even talking about!” He had begun to get worked up again, much to the dismay of the elfs tending to him. The company fell silent, with Bofur wringing his hands as he tried to form a thought to begin explaining. Gandalf stood up, making his way to stand at the foot of Bilbo’s cot. The old wizard’s face seemed to have more wrinkles than the last time Bilbo had seen him, but there was still a twinkle to his eye as he spoke. He explained everything to Bilbo, from how he had collapsed again, the poison spreading and the elf lass Tauriel helping, to how Thorin and Dwalin took on Azog while Fili and Kili took on Bolg. As Gandalf talked, the pit in Bilbo’s stomach grew heavier and heavier, until he felt like was going to be sick. Oin must have noticed as he held a bucket besides Bilbo as he vomited, wincing from the pain as it was mostly stomach acid and the water he just drank.

When Bilbo sat up, he looked over at Thorin and his nephews, tears pricking in his eyes as he felt too useless to do anything. If he hadn’t been attacked, would he have been able to help? Would the dwarves he had grown so close to still be in this state? He tore his eyes away before the pain in his heart became too much to handle, looking amongst the company instead. They all looked exhausted, the bags under their eyes more prominent than when they were traveling. Some had just scrapes and cuts, while others had bruises covering what little skin was showing. Their hair and beards were all disheveled, mud and blood matting them. It had been a week and none of them had been able to clean themselves up, upsetting Bilbo even more. He looked back down at the wooden duck sitting in his lap, a small smile gracing his face as he realized that Bofur had made it for him. “So now what? Is there anything that I can help with? It would be quite nice to get out of this lumpy cot and get a breath of fresh air.” One of the elfs who had moved to check on Fili made a strangled noise in his throat, while Dwalin snorted a laugh. 

“You, Master Baggins, are not going anywhere past the chamber pot until we figure out what all has been affected by the poison. We need to make sure you won’t drop on us again, and that it isn’t spreading still. Master Oakenshield bringing you to us when he did certainly helped, but the.. Lack of attention from one of us did not. You are quite lucky Mistress Tauriel knew where to look for Athelas to draw out the worst of it.” The male elf shook his head as he spoke, returning to Bilbo’s side with a small bowl that contained what looked to be a green paste, and a cup that had a sweet smelling drink. “Alright now, onto your side so I can reassess the damage on your back.” Bilbo grumbled but did as he was told, listening as the dwarves started talking amongst themselves again. He shivered as the bandage was removed from his back, letting the cold air hit it. He felt the old paste being wiped off with a rag, and was surprised when the new paste was warm. “This should be able to get the last bit of poison out, but I am afraid that your skin will stay marked, possibly until the end of your days.” Bilbo let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, glancing down at his chest. Thankfully it looked like the veins would all be covered by his clothes, but that didn’t help to alleviate the dread in his chest. He would forever be marked, the memory of that day on the ramparts burned into his mind. Damn orcs!

“Well that’s alright Bilbo! You can just get tattoos like us and turn them into battle stories!” Bofur tried his best to cheer up the hobbit, showing off the tattoos on his hands. Bilbo grimaced at the thought, sitting back up to drink whatever the elf had just handed to him.

“This should help warm you up, but it will make you tired. Rest is what you need, and lots of it.” Bilbo took delight in how warm the cup was, holding it closely before taking a sip. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be, downing the rest of the cup before setting it on the table. He pulled the furs that had fallen to the edge of the cot back up, bundling under them as the drink started to work its way through him. He closed his eyes, listening to the company share hushed conversations and Gandalf laugh with the elf. His last thoughts before he drifted off were about the line of Durin, praying to Yavanna that they would make it.

Next Chapter:

[drawn-on-phone]

New 40k Brain Rot: Clowns, Pirates, Witches, and Wraiths? Oh my!

Tyranids are kind of not giving the good brain juice right now. So we're going to try something else. And turns out that Eldar as a culture seem to use plurality as a basis for their being (in a fantastical way). So with that our wheels started spinning. And then we ran into the Harlequins and the Good Brain Juice(TM) returned.

So below the break is the LONG working draft of our new custom Craftworld full of Harlequins, Corsairs, Witches, and Necro-mechas!

Name: Xama-Bechareth

Meaning: Forgotten Spirits of the Wind; Forgotten Eldar who Died without Spirit Stones.

Patron Deity: Hoec, the Eldar God of Wandering and Webway.

--- History ----

Pre-Fall: It's original name lost to time, the Craftworld that would become Xama-Bechareth initial fortunes came from it prowess as an Eldar archeological and maintenance trade ship. Despite conquering it, the galaxy still held many buried secrets and discoveries for the Eldar. As such Xama turned its trade to uncovering these secrets: locating Necron Tomb worlds, searching for forgotten battles sites from the War in Heaven, and finding emerging xenos cultures, nothings was too small or too large for Xama to turns its attention to in the same spirit of discovery and exploration that underpinned their own worship of Hoec.

To accomplish this mission, Xama was an unusually small vessel for the usually planetoid size ships of other craftworlds. As the family crew's focused on wraithbone manipulation, Xama custom built/grew attachments / enclosures for their discoveries to attach to or tow back to the Eldar empire. And while these discoveries were their bread and butter, the family crew's biggest joy were the small stops along the way assisting any calls for helps they encountered.

Fall of the Eldar: Xama-Bechareth survived the birth of Slaanesh but only through the slow perversion of their original trade. Arriving too late to assist the other Craftworlds in their exodus of Eldar homeworlds, Xama was caught in Slaanesh's awakening destroying most of Xama's systems and population. Stuck orbiting the edge of the gravitational well of the newly opened Eye of Terror the craftworld began the slow process of slowboating around the hellscape of the Eye and using their skills to scavenging and or cannibalizing the hundreds of destroyed and abandoned Craftworlds and Eldar vessels.

In this time, even after his assumed death at the hands of Slaanesh, worship of Hoec never faltered. Seeing their predicament as a final challenge from their Patron, Xama took to earnest wandering the alien landscape of their once familiar empire. And over time, Xama mastered this hellscapes of death and psychoreactive horrors that once was home.

Slowly but surely refugees were found and in their rescue so to was Xama. These new hands slowly rebuilt the craftworld piece by hard fought piece until finally the ship was able to escape into the Webway. However after a millennia of salvage Xama's original form has shifted into a glorified twisted rhizomic lump of inter-connected flotillas connected by wraithbone tendrils.

Once in the Webway, Xama encounter the shattered remains of the Eldar empire, both the Aeldari of their former sibling craftworlds and the hedonistic Drukhari. The spirit of Hoec, the Path of the Outcast as the Aeldari called it now, still strongly rooted in the culture of Xama and upon each encounter Xama slowly dislodged its nodes of survivors into the hands of their kin. Each group leaving according to their own will free to choose the life and path they alone desire. Slowly, overtime, Xama regained it original form, but in doing so felt lesser for the kin lost. Finally, after securing their the final group from the ship, Xama took off again.

Claiming they would return to their skills of records keeping and ruin delving to again salvage and recover the lost of Eldar culture, Xama was never seen after that. Though no one knows for sure, it is assumed that the ship either got lost to the Webway in honor of their patron deity or was destroyed on their mission in realspace. Either way, despite its deeds Xama's name was lost, just another lost piece of Eldar history.

Post-Fall: Recently though, some claim Xama-Bechareth has returned. But those who have encountered the ship describe it in a hushed whisper of a haunting. Once more the ship is misshapen into a lumpy cluster of wraithbone nodules. Appears like mist out of the webway only to slips away form both mind and space soon afterward leaving little proof it was ever there the craftworld supposedly trades in Eldar salvage, bodies, and information. Tells of the ship have spread across the universe from the heart of Commorragh to Exodite world.

Those who claimed to have not only encountered but resided within Xama-Bechareth tell tales which are impossible to align only furthering the mysterious nature of the supposed craftworld. For the Aeldari those from the Path of the Outcasts (Ranger or Corsairs alike) speak of their time aboard in reverent tones as a haven that they chose to leave for the sake of others. While other Paths seems to recall disparate moments of existence but no more lasting details between these moments of clarity. Those Drukhari who depart the Craftworld appear more tenacious and battle hardened, but their need to drink from the suffering has notably lessened. When questioned, all the Dark Kin describe is the memories of constant carnage of terror akin to the most violent of Real-Space Raids.

The result of these all these half-recalled tales mean that the view of Xama-Blechareth among the upper nobility of both the Craftworlds and Drukhari is one of deep mistrust and apprehension. Most vocally, if spoken about, as little more than a glorified Corsair Fleet masquerading as a Craftworld scavenging the bones of the dead, filling its belly with the refuse, only to regurgitates its flotsam and jetsam to any port of call willing to take them.

Still there is still one more side to recent haunting by Xama-Blechareth. That of the Harlequins, the only individuals to speak coherently of Xama-Blechareth but whose very nature make their words suspect. According to the Harlequins, Cegorach himself delivered to Xama-Bechareth the last will of Hoec: A divide gift, sanctuary is provided to all the Eldari people (Aeldari, Corsairs, Drukhari, Harlequins, and Exodites) who desire to wander. Should any member of the craftworld dedicate itself to an any purpose other than exploration and wanderlust, they will be released from the safety of the sanctuary. They who do not leave, like those who would interfere with the Craftworld's discursive path, must deal with the Great Harlequin himself.

In the most recent era, tales of Xama-Bechareth have increased as a result of the rise of the Ynnari Death Cult. While the obfuscating mist of what exactly the Craftworld is remains, Ynnari individuals claim that while the main arm of the cult searches for Crone worlds for mythical weapons, Xama-Bechareth's acts as a courier and archivist for the less militarily inclined members of the cult. Often appearing in moments of great need to offer transport, knowledge of the lost and forgotten relics of the Eldar race, or merely to slaughter those imperiling the cults actions. .

----- End -----

So we have a lot more about this craftworld we wrote, but wanted to not dump all of it in one post. If people are interested we have a breakdown of each tabletop faction on board Xama-Bechareth as well as the true nature of the craftworld.

So if this was interesting and you enjoyed it please let me know (and specifically what you want next)? I'm dealing with a bunch of burnout now so having a creative project is helpful for the ol' mental health.

[brightfallapprentice]

May DWC 2023 Day 4 - Boundaries/Doubt Set before Razageth’s defeat & Fyrakk’s assaults.

---

As soon as Phe had left his makeshift research lab with the Kul-Tiran woman in tow, Aeriden had thrown himself into his work. Arlyn had come to him with a rather dangerous problem, and she’d sought out his help - which he gladly gave. At first he had thought it would be simple, but the primal frost that had taken over her own abilities had run much, much deeper than expected. His original fix was no longer an answer he could give her.

His brows furrowed as he sought to crafting the bracers first - a temporary solution of nullifiyng her abilities so the frost couldn’t hinder her. He’d already seen what happens when she lost control, and her handle on things had already been quite unstable in the first place, not to mention the state her elemental was in now. The bracers would take at least a few days, perhaps a week at most to craft specifically for her, and then Narielle to enchant them. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t confident in his own abilities, but Narielle had more advanced magic than he did, and that would be a better safeguard, with no second guessing or room for error. 

Although sleep did find him occasionally at night, he couldn’t help the doubt and worry that crept into his dreams. He was well aware of the primalists that wreaked havoc upon the Azure Span, and it wasn’t likely that they’d simply let up either. Between assisting the Kirin Tor, and now this personal project, Aeri had been stretched thin. He hoped at least, the bracers would suffice until they figured out exactly how to cure Arlyn, if there was such a thing. He was sure there would be...it would just depend on how long it took them to find it. 

The shard of primal-frost remained incased safely amongst his belongings and reagents, allowing him to observe it with constant dedication. He wasn’t out on the field the entire time, so the respite from battle would have to give him enough time to balance both the work for the Kirin Tor, and the assistance for Arlyn. 

Narielle had commented on the dark bags beneath his eyes a few times, and he had expressed his appreciation for her concern. It’s not something he could worry about right now, anyway. Perhaps soon he’d be able to rest and recover, but far more important things needed tending to.

@daily-writing-challenge​ @asharinhun​ for mentions of Arlyn

[alirhi]

I'm so fucking done. I can't do this anymore. (no, this isn't a weird digital suicide note, just venting)

I just... jfc. So on top of being homeless since April and falling behind on ALL of my bills because I can't work anymore and applying for disability in this country is a fucking JOKE... now I don't even have my shitty broken car to sleep in. The cops just fucking took it.

See, I'd raised money to get caught up on my car payments and insurance, but that was when I was working and thought I could KEEP up. Then my chronic pain got worse, and worse, and worse. Now I can't even be on my feet for more than 10 minutes at a time, and the price I pay for those 10 minutes? 30-60 minutes ON MY ASS trying to recover. ALSO, in this intervening time, the alternator died in my car. Oh yay. ANOTHER expense I can't afford!

Anyway, I got caught up (momentarily) on car payments, and hit goal on my fundraiser, but because of the aforementioned problems, ended up having to live on the remainder of the money raised to not, y'know, starve to death or lose all the shit I own currently sitting in storage. So I was unable to fix the alternator, or get the car insured and re-registered.

And today state cops decided to run my plates and have my car towed because, without insurance, the registration is suspended. Never mind that it's dead and not going anywhere. Never mind that I have nowhere else to go. Local cops cared that I'm living in the fucking thing. Local cops expressed sympathy and hope that no one would take away the only home I had left. Local cops do not patrol this area. Staties do. And Staties are fucking assholes.

I mean, ACAB. I will always firmly stand by that. But lesser of two evils and all that right now. Unfortunately, the bigger evil runs this place. Fuckers.

So now I'm cramming my fat ass into the back of my mother's Jeep with her and her (thankfully tiny) dog, and now she's paranoid about staying here so I'm about to lose the free AC, water, wifi, and 24/7 bathroom access that has kept me going for the past 4 months.

I've applied for disability. I've applied for housing assistance. I've applied for Section 8. I'm working with homeless outreach people. I'm doing everything I possibly can and none of it's enough. Not by a long shot. It's all a fucking waiting game, and between the heat, pain, and my diabetes, it's a game I'm losing by a fucking landslide.

I don't fucking know what to do anymore.

[detroitammoco]

Pentagon published details of $2.6 billion aid package to Ukraine.

The Presidential Drawdown is the thirty-fifth such drawdown of equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine that the Biden Administration has authorized since August 2021.

The capabilities in this package include:

Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems;

Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);

155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;

120mm mortar rounds;

120mm and 105mm tank ammunition;

25mm ammunition;

Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;

Approximately 400 grenade launchers and 200,000 rounds of ammunition;

11 tactical vehicles to recover equipment;

61 heavy fuel tankers;

10 trucks and 10 trailers to transport heavy equipment;

Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair;

Spare parts and other field equipment.

In addition, the U.S. government announced a significant $2.1 billion military assistance package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

Detroitammoco.com

[aimtowing]

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Off-Road Recovery Getting stuck off-road can be a frustrating experience. Whether you’ve driven off the road into a ditch or are stuck in mud or snow, Aim Towing offers reliable off-road recovery services. Using winches and other advanced recovery tools, we’ll get your vehicle back on track without causing further damage.

24/7 Emergency Towing and Assistance

Vehicle emergencies don’t follow a schedule, which is why Aim Towing is available 24/7. Whether it’s the middle of the night, a weekend, or a holiday, we’re always ready to assist. Our fast response times ensure that you’re never left waiting too long, no matter where you are in Calgary.

When you call Aim Towing, you can expect prompt, courteous, and professional service. We understand how stressful breakdowns and accidents can be, and our goal is to make the towing and recovery process as seamless as possible. From the moment you reach out to us, our team works diligently to get you the help you need quickly and efficiently.

Why Choose Aim Towing?

At Aim Towing, we’re dedicated to providing Calgary drivers with the best towing and recovery services available. Our commitment to excellence includes:

Professional and Experienced Team: Our towing experts are trained and experienced in handling all types of towing and recovery situations. We take pride in our ability to solve problems and get vehicles back on the road.

State-of-the-Art Equipment: We use only the best equipment for every job, ensuring that we can handle even the most complex towing and recovery challenges.

Customer-Focused Approach: At Aim Towing, customer satisfaction is our top priority. We strive to provide a stress-free experience, from the initial call to the final delivery of your vehicle.

Competitive Pricing: We offer transparent, competitive pricing with no hidden fees. You’ll always know what to expect before we start the job, ensuring there are no surprises.

Contact Aim Towing for All Your Towing and Recovery Needs

Whether you’re dealing with an emergency or simply need to transport your vehicle, Aim Towing is here to help. Our expert team and comprehensive range of services make us the go-to choice for drivers in Calgary. Contact Aim Towing today for reliable, professional, and affordable towing and recovery solutions whenever you need them.

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A1 Active Towing Calgary: Exceptional Towing and Recovery Services You Can Rely On

When it comes to reliable and efficient towing and recovery services in Calgary, A1 Active Towing is the company you can trust. Our team at A1 Active Towing Calgary is dedicated to providing top-tier service, ensuring that no matter the situation, your vehicle is handled with care and professionalism. We are proud to offer a comprehensive range of towing and recovery solutions, tailored to meet your specific needs, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Why Choose A1 Active Towing Calgary?

At A1 Active Towing, we understand that vehicle breakdowns, accidents, or roadside emergencies are stressful and often unexpected. That’s why we’re committed to providing fast and reliable service to get you out of difficult situations as quickly as possible. Our team of highly trained and experienced professionals is equipped to handle a variety of towing scenarios, whether it’s light-duty vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, or even long-distance transport.

We also specialize in vehicle recovery services. Whether your car is stuck in a ditch, involved in an accident, or stranded in an off-road situation, A1 Active Towing Calgary has the expertise and the right equipment to recover your vehicle safely and efficiently. Our fleet of modern tow trucks and recovery vehicles is designed to manage any challenge, giving you peace of mind during an otherwise stressful time.

24/7 Availability

Emergencies don’t wait for a convenient time to happen, and neither do we. A1 Active Towing is available 24/7, ensuring that no matter when or where you need assistance, we’re ready to respond. Whether it’s the middle of the night or rush hour traffic, our quick response times mean you’ll never be left waiting long for help.

Customer-Focused Approach

At A1 Active Towing, customer satisfaction is our top priority. We believe in delivering not just technical expertise, but also exceptional customer service. Our friendly and professional team is dedicated to making your towing experience as smooth as possible. We pride ourselves on clear communication, competitive pricing, and ensuring that your vehicle is treated with the utmost care.

Additional Services

In addition to towing and recovery, we offer a range of roadside assistance services including battery boosting, flat tire changes, fuel delivery, and vehicle lockout services. No matter the issue, A1 Active Towing Calgary is your one-stop solution for all your roadside needs.

Contact Us

Whether you need immediate towing, vehicle recovery, or roadside assistance, A1 Active Towing Calgary is here to help. Call us today or visit our website to learn more about our services and get the reliable help you need, when you need it most. Trust A1 Active Towing for exceptional service you can always rely on.