#a traveler's gamble

[wowpindrop]

This is so adorable, I'm close to sobbing.

How can one man be so sweet and silly.

[niftukkun]

leaving home is never easy. but sooner or later, you must leave behind what you knew.

when monstera and monger were younger, they were separated from their parent. luckily, they wandered into a scavenger tribe kind enough to take them both in, despite their oddities. but one cannot live in a world not made for them without consequences. monstera and monger leave. for better pastures? for the hope of finding their parent? it doesn't really matter, does it? they left because they couldn't stay.

anyway worldbuilding under the cut

this scav tribe is in outer expanse, or an area/region close by but still outside pebbles and moon's walls. its in a wetlands biome, a grand tree draped with vines and architecture. bigger than a toll, but not quite the city metropolis became. the tree blooms with fruit, not enough to feed all the scavengers, but enough to help bolster their ranks. the outer edges of the tree act like any other toll, but unless youre trusted by scavengers (chieftain passage unlocked) you wont be let near the grand tree.

the large space within the tree and under its roots help the scavengers grow their community, outposts just at the edges of its roots guard the growing populous and brighter scavengers focus in on building food stores, learning how to heal, and advancing their meagre technology without much fear. architects build out from the tree, poles and platforms spiraling upwards and out, with a few braver scavengers experimenting with canopy bridges to other trees. still, life in the rain world is brutal, and the unforgiving rains are much more fickle in their timing outside of iterator territories.

scavengers are family, no matter what. even if a scavenger kills another scavenger, it must have been an accident, or perhaps there was a reason. this type of mentality, where it is no man for themself, where you help family survive, even if you despise them, helps scavengers as a species thrive in rain world. however, this comes at a cost: their trust in other species. it doesn't matter if it was an accident, if youre not a scav, one step out of line can and will mean death, for you threaten the family. yet, trusted non-scavengers will often be helped, a squad keeps them safe, and tolls will be free. this way of life extends to monstera and mongers time in the grand tree scavenger community, where they were raised kindly and taught everything the scavengers knew, treated like any other scavenger child,, but the moment either of them were seen as a threat? exile, at best. at worst, well, that deep in scavenger territory, itd be hard to escape.

scavengers are jumpy and paranoid,, but not malicious. it helps that monger was familiar with and to scavengers, even before meeting pearl travelling parent. monstera, on the other hand, is both new and holds a mutation of a terrifying creature. if mo didn't grow up and into moss mutation while with the scavengers, then mo would have had a harder time getting the scavs to trust moss. as it is, all mo can do is act in a way that wont scare scavs,, but what an exhausting life to lead, acting unnaturally just to be trusted by those around you. labelled weird, or even dangerous, for just being alive. anyway the scavs do hold some fondness for both monstera and monger, so the two slugcats leave home with gifts. a mask and two pearls for monger, and the finest spear for monstera. not that thats saying much, its still just a spear

[looks at my outline for finding myself homeward bound] like, none of this shows up in the story btw. theres some scavenger interaction, but the main story happens after m&m left the grand tree community,, ,

[neechees]

Update on the niblings & bad-mom-sister situation again & whinging below

but my sister got her kids (which i was surprised about) on Wednesday but today she called my mom demanding we take the kids again bc shes fighting with baby daddy as usual. My mom asked how HE got them again & my sister didn't give her a real answer lol

My sister is literally so fucking stupid. She'll hand her kids over to her shitty boyfriend & then like 2 days later be angry he has them (& act like he kidnapped them) and then demand WE take them, like YOU GAVE THEM TO HIM WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. She's done this three times in a row now

[extrashortshorts]

Did you jus call Rayleigh hot mama?

Weird 🤨

(relatable)

because he is!☝️ he's a "strict but cool mom" in spirit

[geraldofallon]

Fallen London Travel Guide:

The House of Chimes

Those favoured by Mr Chimes meet here, beneath a great and nameless Bell in a leaning clock-tower, the lights of London glittering at their feet like stolen souls.

[alliswyattonthewesternfront]

can't believe i bought that man a robot buddy and he STILL won christmas. not knowing Morse code yet is one of my top 5 anxieties, and now i can finally conquer it

[b3y0ndm3asur3]

hear me out: jonathan bailey on the off-menu podcast

[comicdiaries]

The ship tour was really fascinating. Highly recommend if you ever get a chance. We were able to talk to a number of members of the crew and learn about ship life. The work sounds hard.

[vintage-tigre]

I see your panic at the disco and raise you:

[timmurleyart]

Casino de Monte-Carlo. 🇲🇨🎰

[fic-ive-read]

Link To The Fic

This and its sequel are really good! I just finished both today and absolutely loved it. I hope @phoenixyfriend has more to add to the story some day 😁

[rabbitcruiser]

Gambling was legalized in Nevada on March 19, 1931.

[silentfallnight]

[geraldofallon]

Fallen London Travel Guide:

Rooms above a Gambling Den

The gambling den is unlicensed, but regular bribes to the Constables mean it is usually unmolested. Smoke, quiet conversation and the endless movement of money. What could be finer?

[travelers-of-the-multiverse]

"Tch...asshole. Glad I put a stop to at least one of these fucking Radio Demon's BS." He grumbles. Did nothing to calm his nerves though.

[noxaurumque]

@pawowogic if i may add my thoughts under your thoughts related to this post:

i think the main reason eva and aglaya are written that way is to pull the rug out from the player and hammer home the themes of futility: the game puts these characters in your care and has them put faith in your abilities, and then it kills them anyway like some sort of cruel joke. they saw you as something special, but it turned out you were subject to the same limitations. fun! i love it

i will always complain about this a little because. i suspect the writers are relying on the player being more invested in a potential love interest over other characters. as if they were saying, “look they love you! you love them too, yes?” ehh… personally, i think the emotional impact of those scripted deaths would’ve hit harder if they had developed those particular character relationships.

anyways, that’s not to say there’s nothing to love about them. even with it’s flaws, patho’s character writing is really strong. buuuut when it comes to the romance, you will find me leaning into the realm of unrequited love and tragic idealism. it's how i'm coping. sorry ladies, don’t put your faith in a god who is no better than a child playing with dolls.

(now excuse me while continue to play god to a religiously traumatized teenage girl in the next route. this will go extremely well)