#amazing sinkholes

[endofsuccession]

man who declares himself a film buff but only likes tarantino and wes anderson flicks: this film about two women having to face their own mortality and armageddon who still love and care for one another and try to make their passing as peaceful as possible is boring 😒 wish i'd watched the nice guys for the hundredth time instead

[achromatophoric]

It’s Parents Day. Wednesday and Yoko sit beside Enid to ensure that Esther stays civil. Seeing her father, Yoko gets up to leave.

Wednesday: *inclines her head* Tanaka.

Yoko: *nods* Eagle Scout.

Esther: *confused* Enid. Why did your friend call her Eagle Scout?

Wednesday: The moniker was earned through my proficiency with kn—

Enid: —KNOWING how to start fires!! In the woods! Haaaaaaah!! Totes the best at wilderness survival. Right, Roomie? RIGHT?!

Wednesday: Ah. Of course, Roomie.

Esther: Well. I suppose that makes sense. What about the other names?

Enid: Other. Names?

Esther: Mm hm. Like Throat Goat?

Enid: She uh, does an amazing goat impression.

Esther: Regina Gorge?

Enid: ‘cause she’s mean and hungry?

Esther: Sinkhole de Mayo?

Enid: Deep concern for Jericho’s infrastructure??

Esther: Panda Ma Corral?

Enid: Because— whut? I actually have no idea.

Wednesday: It’s Panama Canal. Thusly named for a shared aptitude at accepting immense vessels into an exceedingly tight passage.

Esther:

Enid:

[fickleminder]

return to sender

Nightbringer AU. Wherein unsent letters are finally delivered to their intended recipients.

Before Lesson 40 dropped in NB, I often wondered where the letters MC wrote when they were about to be kicked out of the Devildom disappeared to. This fic was also inspired by the lesson where the brothers were talking about their pacts with MC and it sounded like they really regretted it :/

Hopefully you found me helpful from time to time?

Don't push yourself too hard, "big brother."

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"SURPRISE!"

The blindfold is pulled away with a flourish, and the first thing that catches your attention is the large banner spanning the entire restaurant with the words "THANK YOU" splashed across in bright colors. Everyone is dressed to the nines, holding party poppers and showering you in confetti, but all you can think about is how tedious the cleanup will be afterwards.

As though reading your mind, Diavolo speaks on behalf of those present. "You are our guest of honor tonight, so please, put all thoughts of work aside and enjoy yourself to the fullest!"

So that's why Asmo has been pestering you about your measurements lately. To his credit, the outfit he personally tailored for you makes you look like you belong in the upper echelon of demon society. Not that there are others around to pass judgement; Ristorante Six is fully booked this evening for the future demon king and his entourage.

"Here, I hope you're hungry." Beel hands you an untouched plate of food, piled high with all the expensive items you can only dream of ordering and then some. Even though half of it is almost gone already, the buffet tables lining the walls feature a generous spread of your favorite dishes.

"A toast," Lucifer announces at one point, raising a glass of blood-red demonus, "to our dutiful attendant."

Everyone follows suit, and a part of you wishes there was actual alcohol in your drink. You're way too sober for an occasion such as this. Still, you smile and laugh along.

"Cheers!"

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Thank you for always thinking of me.

I always had fun when we were together.

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When you finally find the time to visit what's left of Cocytus Hall, all you see is a ring of rubble surrounding a massive sinkhole no one has bothered to clean up yet. Though, in light of recent events, you're not surprised rebuilding isn't on the list of Diavolo's priorities, if it even makes the list to begin with.

The brothers have spared no expense in replacing your personal belongings, furnishing the spare room in the House of Lamentation with all the material comforts to make your residence as cushy as possible. Their personal attendant deserves nothing less, after all. You have everything you could ever need, and yet...

Dirt cakes your skin and wedges under your nails as you start digging with your bare hands, determined to salvage what you can from the remains of your former home. You aren't looking for anything in particular, not that there's much that managed to survive the collapse intact. A crumpled book here, a chipped flowerpot there, scraps of clothing pinned under debris, a thick piece of fabric with 'Kiss The Cook' embroidered on it—

The dam finally bursts. You clutch Solomon's apron to your chest and fall to your knees.

"Come back!" You sob, coughing and choking on dust between desperate gulps of air. "Please, I can't do this without you! Come back! I need you, Sol—"

No one hears you wailing into the night. No one helps you up when your tears run dry at last, when your bones ache with exhaustion and you can't feel your legs anymore.

You have no one to turn to, nowhere else to go, and as you drag your feet back to the House of Lamentation, you pretend you can still feel your mentor’s warmth on the tattered apron wrapped tightly around your shoulders.

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Make sure to take good care of Snake Henry, okay?

I know you'll make an amazing demon.

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"Oi, watch it!"

In the blink of an eye, you find yourself swept off your feet and cradled protectively in Mammon's arms. A shower of rocks and bricks crashes to the ground where you were standing not one second ago.

"Are ya alright? Are ya hurt anywhere?"

"I'm okay! Thanks for the save, Mammon." You gently swat his hands away once you're sure your knees won't buckle. Mammon continues to hover over you, but at least he's stopped checking every inch of your body for injuries.

"This is all Levi's fault," the demon grumbles. "Him and his stupid Envy summoning Lotan—"

"Hey, come on. He wasn't in control and you know it."

"I hate to agree with Mammon, but it totally is when we all have to clean up his mess." Belphie wanders over with a frown, having noticed the commotion. "Why didn't you use your magic to shield yourself?"

"...That's what I have you guys for!" You take a step back to dust yourself off. "Seriously, I owe you one."

"Getting others to do the work for you? Nice." Belphie gives you a thumbs up. You laugh when Mammon tries and fails to ruffle his hair in retaliation.

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Someday we should both go bookstore hopping!

You're fine just the way you are, Satan.

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"Is it just me, or do they seem more tired than usual?"

"Not tired per se, more like defeated?"

"We don't exactly make it easy for them. Plus there's all the stuff happening with the Little D's lately..."

"Maybe they're still upset we didn't make pacts with them."

"Nah, I don't think so. I mean, it's our decision too, and they gotta respect it!"

"They have done a lot for us since becoming our attendant. How about we treat them to a nice dinner? Take them out for a night in town, all expenses paid for."

"A fine idea. I'll run it by Lord Diavolo and see if we can arrange something."

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Looking forward to the next Asmo Night!

I love you! More than words can say!

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There's a chilly breeze in the air tonight, but being bracketed by two demons helps to keep the cold at bay.

"Are you sure you don't want to share my scarf? It's long enough for the both of us~"

"I'm certain you can fit my jacket just fine too."

"Guys, I'm alright!" Their overprotectiveness warms your heart. "We're almost back at Cocytus Hall anyway."

"Already?" Asmo pouts, shifting the bag of groceries to his other arm so that his now-free hand can grab yours. "I told you we should have taken the scenic route! It's so hard to spend time with— Hm?"

The demon lifts your hand and squints at your bare fingers. "No ring today? I noticed you don't wear it anymore."

"Oh, that?" You tug free of his grasp with a small laugh. "I just put it away for safekeeping, that's all. A Celestial item in the Devildom does tend to draw attention..."

"Makes sense. Plus it's Lucifer's, so you shouldn't even be wearing it in the first place," Satan huffs.

Before long, the three of you arrive at the front door of Cocytus Hall. Asmo peers through the dark windows with a curious hum. "Is Solomon not home? Seems like he's never around nowadays..."

"He has some business to take care of in the human world. It's nothing he can't handle by himself, so I'm on my own for a while."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? We could have a sleepover, or you could come stay with us! I'm sure it gets pretty lonely at night—"

"Knowing you and your brothers, I'd never catch a wink of sleep," you deadpan.

"Speaking of, we do need you at the castle early tomorrow." Satan sounds almost apologetic. "Lord Diavolo wants to coordinate efforts for rebuilding after Lotan's flood."

"Understood, I'll be there."

"Get some beauty sleep tonight, okay? See you in the morning!"

Asmo blows you a kiss while Satan hugs you goodbye. Once they leave, you make sure the front door is locked tight behind you before allowing your shoulders to slump.

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Put your name on any treats you put in the fridge.

Keep your brothers safe, okay?

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You love the brothers, you really do, but some days you just want to kick their asses to the Celestial Realm. It never fails to astound you how these centuries-old beings can be so immature.

"—umpteenth time, no brawling in the house!" If it were possible, there would be steam coming out of your ears by now. "What if the fire had spread to the rest of the library?"

"But Mammon ate my—"

"I don't care!" You snarl over Beel's protests, already feeling a headache building at the back of your skull. "If you want to pick a fight with one another, fine! Just take it outside!"

"Ugh, you're not the boss of us!" Belphie snaps back, flicking his tail irritably. "Some of us weren't even involved in this, so leave us out of it!"

The word 'stay' is at the tip of your tongue, ready to put your rowdy demons in their place, and it takes everything in you to hold it in, knowing it won't do any good.

"What the blazes is going on here?!" Lucifer storms in before you can say anything else. "Are you lot not capable of staying out of trouble for one day? And you!"

You flinch as the first-born rounds on you. "I thought I could count on you to have things under control. I'm disappointed to see that I was wrong."

"H-hey, it's not their fault," Levi stammers, looking visibly guilty now that Lucifer has turned his ire towards you. Next to him, the rest of his brothers fidget uncomfortably. "We'll clean this up, okay? So why don't you take it easy on—"

"All of you return to your rooms this instant." Lucifer refuses to budge. "I will supervise to make sure our attendant actually does their job properly this time."

And there goes the rest of your day. You grit your teeth and nod obediently, ignoring the demons filing out of the library one by one, some murmuring apologies as they shuffle past you.

This is fine.

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Someday I'll buy you the ultimate alarm clock.

I love that happy look you have while you sleep.

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"You're the only one who can tell them what happened."

You curl Solomon's fingers over a small stack of letters, written what feels like years ago but never handed to their intended recipients.

If Solomon seemed upset before, he looks downright devastated when you place the Ring of Light on top of the pile, the final nail in the coffin. "We'll find another way," he pleads. "You and me, just— Don't make me do this, please."

"It's too late for me and you know it." You avert your gaze, unable to maintain eye contact with the one person who kept you sane throughout this entire nightmare. "My magic is as good as dead, but you still have enough for a one-way trip."

"I can ask Barbatos for help, I'll do anything he wants—"

"They'll take care of me here, I know it. They may not be the same, but they're still my boys."

Anger and jealousy flash briefly across the sorcerer's face. "If only they knew..."

"All the more they wouldn't let me go," you sigh, rubbing his white knuckles with your thumbs. "They're fresh from the war, strangers in a strange land, and Lucifer just pledged loyalty to Diavolo. Do you really think he'd allow what's left of his family to give their freedom away? To a human no less? I can't use them Sol, not like this."

"You wouldn't hurt them!"

"I know, but they don't. They don't know me here, and by the time they do, we'll both be doomed."

"But Nightbringer—"

"Whatever he’s planning won't work, not without those pacts." Your eyes harden at the thought, determined not to play whatever game this father of demons was trying to pull. "So really, this is for the best. Besides, there's another you running around during this time period. Maybe I'll bump into him someday. Can't have the two of you together, that's too much good food for me."

Despite the weak joke, Solomon cracks a sad smile. "I've never been able to say no to you, my dear apprentice. But before I go, may I?"

You meet Solomon halfway, pressing your lips against his, losing yourself in his arms one last time while trying to imprint the smell of old spell books and spices into your brain.

"Are you sure I can't change your mind?" He whispers, one last-ditch effort even though the answer is clear in your watery eyes.

"Please," you shake your head, "do this last thing for me."

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I always enjoyed the time we spent together.

I hope you never forget me.

Take care of yourselves, okay?

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At the call of your name, you turn around to see a familiar demon rushing through the hallways of RAD towards you, only stopping once you're within arm's reach.

"Hi Barbatos, did you need something?" You frown, noticing his somewhat unkempt state up close. A loose button in one corner, collar not done up all the way— It's as close to disheveled as you've ever seen him, not to mention the tips of his horns and tail are quivering slightly.

The butler doesn't answer. He continues to stare at you with a foreign look in his eyes, which have started to mist over.

"...Hey, are you alright?"

Barbatos breathes your name again, in a tone you haven't heard since Solomon left this timeline altogether, and something buried deep inside your heart sings.

[lunerenzo]

Falling behind, 01

Art cred(s); @wacuoms

☆ Pairing(s). Barista!Suguru geto x Nursing student! reader 

☆ Content. Swearing, mentions of self harm (not seriously though), conversations of college, fluff, talks of food, reader is intended to be black but anyone can read, please let me know if i missed anything :)

☆ Notes. Hi guys! First off, thank you so so so much for a hundred followers! I appreciate it so much and am so grateful! This is going to be a series so expect more pieces from me soon and yeah. That's all I got for right now.  Words in bold is reader.

☆ Word count. 997

REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED, Enjoy!

Masterlist. | Next.

‘Fuck mornings.’ Is the mantra that repeats in Suguru’s mind as he turns on the cafe’s lights. Laying his hands on his face before inevitably dragging them down, shrugging his coat off and hanging it against the wall before making his way out the backroom. “Who the fuck is even up this early to get coffee? ‘S ridiculous.” He grumbles as he stumbles to the front of the establishment, flipping the sign that hangs on the door to ‘open’. 

The smell of coffee and soft music slowly wakes him up, heating up pastries and putting them in their respective places in the display glass, the usual. Suguru looks at the clock on his lockscreen, its only been fifteen minutes? He huffs, leaning against the counter as his arms are tucked under each other. He sits there staring blankly at the wall. He could read, or doddle, or-, the bell at the front door rings. Isn’t it like six o’clock in the morning? Why would somebody be out of the house this early? Geto sighs as he turns around. “Welcome and good morning. How can-” Everything stops. The music, the sounds of coffee brewing, the clock in the corner, everything. In Front of him sat a girl, roughly his age. She was beautiful, dewy skin glowing in the light of the rising sun. An elastic headband pushing some of her hair out her face. Brown tortoiseshell glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. “Um.” God, even her voice was amazing. 

“S-Sorry, um, howw can I help you?” Shit, how long has he been staring? His eyes cast down in embarrassment as he tusks a strand of hair behind his ear. He’s racking his brain to see if he’s remembered her from somewhere. A regular or something? No. Well, the school year just started and there’s a university not that far from here. That’s probably it….or maybe not. She's wearing scrubs, so maybe she has some type of early shift at a hospital. “Is the brown sugar espresso good?” “Uh, i mean yeah. I like it.” The girl nods, sitting there idly for a bit. “Yeah I’ll take that and aaa…creme brulee donut.” Suguru nods, tapping on the screen and logging in quickly. “Oat milk okay?” “Yeah, that’s fine.” He hums putting in the order before looking back up, hand reaching back to the nape of his neck twirl and pull his hair nervously. “Anything else?” She declines, shuffling through her purse and handing her card.

Geto damn near short circles when his hand brushes her. Busy swiping the card and doing whatever else, a slight aroma of peaches fills the air. He sniffed slightly, was that her? “Here you go.” He mumbles as he hands her back the card. The girl flashes him a smile as she takes the card back. When Geto turns around he mentally hypes himself up as he makes her drink, his face feeling like it was on fire as he prepares himself to engage in small talk. ‘Come on Suguru, you got this.’ He takes a deep as he puts ice in the metallic cup, “So, whats your name?” “[reader], you?” “Suguru, suguru geto.” “Oh, thats a nice name.” He might be dying, like actually. “T-Thanks. You got a morning shift? I mean we’re uh…pretty far from the hospital.” Did he just stutter? His palms begin to get clammy as he pours the syrup to the bottom of the cup. Why can’t a sinkhole just his size open up right under him? “Oh no, i’m not a nurse. Not yet at least, I'm going to the medical university not that far from here.” He could feel her eyes in the back of his head. Dear god, what is happening? He’s never been this nervous in his life. Okay, maybe once or twice, but to talk to a girl? Never. Her voice was so light and cheerful.

“That’s whats up. Umm…got anything that you like studying or something that interests you?” ‘Just focus on making the drink. Focus and everything will go smoothly.’ Geto thinks as he pour the espresso and oat milk into the cup. Shaking it quickly and a bit roughly before pouring it in a plastic to-go cup. “I enjoy the simulations, they have these extremely realistic robots, like i i was in a simulation lab with a friend, ya’know just practicing, and one just yelled out ‘i want my mommy’.” He chuckles softly. Putting on the cups top and he put it on the front counter. Towards the pickup side. “I’d honestly be terrified if i were you.” He mumbles as he grabs a small parchment paper bag. Squatting down and grabbing the tongs to put one of the huge brulee donuts inside. He stands back up, folding the top flap and putting a little sticker to keep it sealed. “Here.” Suguru mumbles with a small smile. His hand brushes against hers once more, her skin was so soft. “You smell like peaches.” He blurts out, and immediately regrets it. His entire face and ears flushed into a shade of red. Embarrassment eating him whole, he’s throwing himself off a building. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why i said that, i just-” [Reader] giggles, waving her hand dismissively. “You’re fine and thank you.” She says after a while. Full lips pulled into a graceful smile, his breathe hitched slightly. She was ethereal, like some type of painting you’d see from the renaissance era.

“N-No problem. Uh…s-see you around?” Geto stammers, looking at the girl across the counter. He felt like he was floating, is this what people mean when they talk about love at first sight? Cause he totally gets the hype. “Yeah. I’ll be around every now and then.” He nods frantically, “Yeah, okay.” [Reader] giggles one more time. Before grabbing her food and waving at him as she walks out the door. Him doing the same and waving a good bye as she leaves. ‘Shit.’

☆A/N. I don't really having anything else to say besides I'm working on the second chapter rn and if anyone want to be on the tag list let me know!

© 2023 lunerenzo, please don’t plagiarize or translate work.

[nevzatboyraz44]

Gezegendeki en derin ve en büyük doğal kuyu Xiaozhai Tiankeng olarak adlandırılır. Çin'in kalbindeki Chonqinun Belediyesi'nin Fengjie kentinde yer alır.

Bu muhteşem kuyu tamamen doğaldır ve 662 metre derinliğe, 626 metre uzunluğa ve 537 metre genişliğe ulaşır.

Ancak en şaşırtıcı şey sadece boyutları veya neredeyse dikey duvarları değil, barındırdığı yaşam patlamasıdır.

Xiaozhai Tiankeng, jeologların bir çukur veya vadi olarak adlandırdığı, diğer faktörlerin yanı sıra suyun etkisiyle oluşan bir toprak çöküntüsüdür.

Bu durumda, bir mağaranın tepesinde oluşmuştur ve toplam uzunluğu 8,5 kilometre olan ve muhteşem bir şelaleye akan bir yeraltı nehrine ev sahipliği yapmaktadır.

Muazzam boyutu onu dünyadaki tiankeng olarak bilinen türünün en büyük ve en derin çukuru yapar.

Xiaozhai Tiankeng, boyutuna ek olarak içinde barındırdığı biyolojik çeşitlilikle de etkileyicidir. Tabanı o kadar büyüktür ki ginkgo ve vahşi hayvanlar gibi yaklaşık 1.300 bitki türüne barınak sağlar.

Yeraltı ormanlarında gezinmek için en büyüleyici "kiracılar" arasında, 1,1 metre uzunluğa ulaşan ve genellikle ağaçlarda dinlenen, belirgin kürkü olan bir kedi olan bulutsu panteri (Neofelis nebulosa) öne çıkar.

Bu tiankeng, kireçtaşından oluşan 280 km2'lik geniş bir karstik alanda yer almaktadır.

Uzmanlar, 511 ila 662 metre derinlikteki çukurun son 128.000 yılda şekillendiğine inanıyor.

Mağaranın çatısı çökene kadar tarihinin büyük bir bölümünde, devasa bir yeraltı boşluğuydu. Çin genelinde, Dashiwei gibi diğer dikkate değer büyüklükteki tiankeng'ler de bulunur.

İlginç bir şekilde, boyutlarına rağmen, Xiaozhai Tiankeng nispeten yakın zamanda çalışmaya başladı, ancak yerel halk onu eski zamanlardan beri biliyor.

أعمق وأكبر بئر طبيعي على كوكب الأرض يسمى Xiaozhai Tiankeng. يقع في Fengjie، بلدية Chonqinun، في قلب الصين. هذا البئر المذهل طبيعي تمامًا ويصل عمقه إلى 662 مترًا، ويبلغ طوله 626 مترًا وعرضه 537 مترًا. لكن الشيء الأكثر إثارة للدهشة ليس فقط أبعاده أو جدرانه شبه العمودية، بل انفجار الحياة التي يستضيفها.

Xiaozhai Tiankeng هو ما يسميه الجيولوجيون بالبالوعة أو الوادي، وهو انخفاض في التربة ينشأ، من بين عوامل أخرى، عن تأثير الماء. في هذه الحالة، تشكل فوق كهف ويستضيف نهرًا جوفيًا يبلغ طوله 8.5 كيلومترًا في المجموع ويتدفق إلى شلال مذهل. حجمه الهائل يجعله أكبر وأعمق بالوعة من نوعها، والمعروفة باسم tiankeng، في العالم.

بالإضافة إلى حجمه، فإن Xiaozhai Tiankeng مثير للإعجاب بالتنوع البيولوجي الذي يضمه داخله. إن قاعدتها كبيرة لدرجة أنها توفر المأوى لنحو 1300 نوع من النباتات، مثل نبات الجنكة، والحيوانات البرية. ومن بين أكثر "المستأجرين" إثارة للاهتمام للتجول في غابتها تحت الأرض تبرز نمر السديم (Neofelis nebulosa)، وهو قط ذو فراء لا لبس فيه يصل طوله إلى 1.1 متر وعادة ما يستريح في الأشجار.

يقع هذا الكهف في منطقة كارستية شاسعة تبلغ مساحتها 280 كيلومترًا مربعًا تشكلت من الحجر الجيري. يعتقد الخبراء أن الحوض، الذي يتراوح عمقه بين 511 و662 مترًا، قد اتخذ شكله على مدار 128000 عام الماضية. طوال معظم تاريخه، حتى انهيار سقف الكهف، كان تجويفًا ضخمًا تحت الأرض. في جميع أنحاء الصين، تم العثور أيضًا على تيانكينج أخرى ذات حجم ملحوظ، مثل داشيوي. ومن المثير للاهتمام أنه على الرغم من أبعاده، إلا أن تيانكينج شياوزهاي بدأ دراسته مؤخرًا نسبيًا، على الرغم من أن السكان المحليين عرفوه منذ العصور القديمة.

The deepest and largest natural well on the planet is called Xiaozhai Tiankeng. It is located in Fengjie, Chonqinun Municipality, in the heart of China.

This amazing well is completely natural and reaches a depth of 662 meters, with a length of 626 meters and a width of 537 meters.

But the most surprising thing is not just its dimensions or its nearly vertical walls, but the explosion of life it hosts.

Xiaozhai Tiankeng is what geologists call a sinkhole or valley, a depression of the soil generated, among other factors, by the effect of water.

In this case, it has formed on top of a cave and hosts an underground river that measures 8.5 kilometers in total and flows into a spectacular waterfall.

Its enormous size makes it the largest and deepest sink of its kind, known as tiankeng, in the world.

In addition to its size, Xiaozhai Tiankeng impresses by the biodiversity it houses inside. Its base is so large that it gives shelter to about 1,300 plant species, such as ginkgo, and wild animals.

Among the most fascinating "tenants" to stroll through their underground forest stands out the nebula panther (Neofelis nebulosa), a feline with unmistakable fur that reaches 1.1 meters long and usually rests in trees.

This tiankeng is located in a vast karstic area of 280 km2 formed by limestone. Experts believe the sink, between 511 and 662 meters deep, has taken shape over the past 128,000 years.

For much of its history, until the cave’s roof collapsed, it was a massive underground cavity. Throughout China, other remarkably sized tiankeng are also found, such as Dashiwei.

Interestingly, despite its dimensions, Xiaozhai Tiankeng began studying relatively recently, although the local population has known it since ancient times.

[heavenlybackside]

The deepest and largest natural well on earth is called Xiaozai Tiankang. It is located in Penji, in the heart of China. This amazing well is completely natural and reaches a depth of 662 meters, a length of 626 meters and a width of 537 meters. But what stands out the most is the explosion of life it inhabits.

Xiaozhai Tiankang is what geologists are confused about due to the influence of water. In this case, it was created on top of a cave with an underground river of 8.5 kilometers in size and flowing into a spectacular waterfall. Its enormous size makes it the deepest sinkhole in the world.

It houses close to 1,300 species of plants and wild animals. Among the most fascinating "tenants" that roam their underground forest, the misty panther stands out

Locals have known him since ancient times.

[amberluvsbugs]

I hope you trip and fall into a sinkhole

but the sinkhole is filled to the brim with giant plush craftycorns and catnaps

and then all of your friends fall into the sinkhole too and then you end up vibing with them and watching hilariously bad movies while feeding the now sentient plushies chocolate croissants

Ur amazing and a huge inspiration for many (including me)

Happy (probably late) birthday :3

DSJHSDJKHHJKDS GODD I WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!!! Grabbing all of my moots and just joining me in a sink hole to watch campy movies and hanging out OUGH MAN I WANT THAT ;O; BUT WAH THANK YOU SO MUCH

[thisonesatellite]

Praetorian CH 4/4

AO3

Rating: Mature Pairing: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Summary: Britain, 60 AD. A former Praetorian Guard (Steve) and a Pagan Witch (Bucky) are thrown together as enemies and end up marching into battle as much more than friends. Here then are legend, myth, magic, and historical fact, enemies that find common ground, small moments, big missions, epic battle, and a soft happy end, because love and connection will always conquer all.

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OMG, PEOPLE.

WE MADE IT.

Yes, darlings, i mean 'we', because honestly, i owe all you lovely and supportive people, ALL OF YOU WHO EVEN GLANCED AT THIS EPIC INSANITY.

i owe you everything.

Also, you may want to strap in. It's time to do BATTLE.

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One last time i have to thank @stuckyhistoricalfiction for making this event possible and the amazing @greekgeek24 for working with my timeline.

To @wistfulcynic , who literally saved this chapter from not one, but three, yes, THREE plot /character sinkholes, and subsequently suggested one crucial bit (adding the Steve-est line that ever steve-ed at a perfect key moment, which is something i still cannot believe i MISSED, i should be flogged,) and which resulted in three paragraphs that are now officially my favorite moment of the whole fic. Such is her magic and i am so lucky to have her.

Once more to @sparkagrace, @cable-knit-sweater, and @bittersweet-in-boston, as well as @fsbc-librarian, @actualalligator, @zenaidamacrouras1 and @late-to-the-party-81 for being the loveliest people and holding my hand whenever i need it most.

To my beloved @booksandabeer, who is the fabulous-est in a world full of fabulosity, and who has been waiting so patiently. Darling, i am so sorry i could not quite finish this for your birthday. Will you still take it, even if it's ridiculously late? 😘💖❣

And finally -- to every single one of you who has read this insanity and /or left a comment. YES. YOU, TOO.

THANK YOU ALL.

i love you very much. 💖💖💖

[journeythroughjourneytothewest]

The Original Location of the Ruyi Jingu Bang Has an Actual Geologic Site!

In a delightful coincidence given that we just finished Chapter 3 of Xiyouji for this book club, I happened to stumble across the fact that there is an area in the world which local people--in particular fishermen--believe to be the spot where Sun Wukong found (and stole) his golden cudgel. This is the Dragon Hole, the world’s deepest underwater sinkhole at just over 980 ft, located on a reef in the South China Sea. Blue holes are sinkholes that form through erosional processes in blocks of limestone while the limestone is on dry land and before the holes are flooded by sea-level rise.

Long called the “eye” of the South China Sea by locals, viewed from above the Dragon Hole looks dark blue due to its great depth compared to the light blue of the water on top of the reef. 

I’ve included a few photos below as well as a link to an article detailing more about this amazing piece of planet Earth’s features. It’s always a wonderful thing when mythology and geology combine!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/south-china-sea-blue-hole-could-be-world-s-deepest/

[comics-and-fanworks]

ML Career Choice Part 3

Hi! I still don’t know how to tag so here’s my best attempt!

@its-maemain, @yasmin-rdz, @marsrize, @pasteile,

@

vixen-uchiha

TW for disasters and mentions of death, and Jason Todd swearing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette had never moved so fast in her life. She arrived to see her beloved city in ruins, and their was nothing her Miracle Cure could do.  Buildings had collapsed, sinkholes had split open, and parts of the city had flooded. She could hear people screaming, crying, and everything in between. Buildings burned from electrical fires, and she felt like she was looking at hell on earth. People were dead, she knew it, it would be naïve to assume that no one died in an event like this. Her mind was already kicking into overdrive. People would need to be rescued, the dead will need to be buried, the injured treated, debris cleared, weakened buildings would need to be demolished, plans must be drawn and contractors must be hired. Gotham would get through this she’d make sure of it, so Marinette did what she does best, and made a plan.

Phase one was to take out unnecessary variables, so it was time for Hawkmoth, Mayura, and Chat Noir to go. With help from Tim she was able to hack into Paris’s CCTV cameras, and what she saw surprised her. Hawkmoth, Mayura, and Chat Noir all lived under the same roof, what were the chances. It didn’t surprise her that Adrien was Chat, when she thought about it the two were incredibly similar and were always defending each other relentlessly. She suspected he used his Chat Noir persona as an outlet to behave in ways he never could as Adrien. Jason was still furious, and she resolved to take Chat’s ring first (she did not need more destruction, and a large part of her brain was telling her that Jason would look amazing in a catsuit). Mayura would be second, and Hawkmoth would be last.

Pega-Bug had teleported into the Agreste Manor with the Red Hood at her side. The two quietly made their way through the maze of a house, Tim had disabled the house’s security systems and cameras, but the two still had to be careful. They were about to enter Adrien’s room, when a certain black cat kwamii met them holding a ring. Mayura’s pin was easy enough, she was passed out exhausted. Gabriel turned out to be tougher, as he hid the butterfly broach. After many minutes of searching, they found it hidden in a drawer full of plans on ways to restore his company. “He needs to let it go. His days in the spotlight are over after the shit he’s pulled,” Jason muttered. Nodding, Pega-Bug opened a portal back to Gothem, and the two left just as the sun was beginning to rise and the former cat was beginning to wake.

Marinette never thought she would do something like this, but with barely 24 hours after the disaster, she needed to make sure Gotham’s villains wouldn’t cause problems. In the abandoned shipping warehouse she stood before Bane, the Sirens, Penguin, and Killer Croc. She wasn’t in costume, she faced them as Marinette, not Ladybug. She could feel her husband’s eyes on her back, ready to swoop in the moment he thought she was in danger. Gotham was still well, Gotham. Supervillains were as common as the rain, and she had to make sure she could rebuild Gotham in peace.

“So why’d you call us here lady,” The penguin sneered. Marinette had to be quick, or Jason would start shooting. Mari took a breath, “As you all know, Gotham is in ruins right now, and I need people I can count on to keep the rest of the rogues under control until we can rebuild.” The villains looked at each other, unsure if they should trust the newest Wayne. “What’s in it for us,” Poison Ivy’s eyes narrowed, the Sirens were more inclined to help seeing as Selina and Bruce were sort of dating, but she knew the others would take more convincing. Ivy had a soft spot for the newest Wayne due to her push for more eco-friendly architecture.

“We’ll rebuild the botanical gardens since they sustained major damage, The Iceberg Lounge is currently underwater so we’ll raise that. Museums are refusing to send artifacts to Gotham so unless you wanna relocate Selina, we’ll have to fix those, Harley for you I’ll condemn Joker’s amusement park and remake it into Harley’s Fun Land. The sewers also have collapsed so Croc you have no way of moving undetected, and Bane your fighting rings are currently broken beyond repair and will need fixing. I can take care of all of that. I just need you all to take care of the rogues that don’t care, like Joker and Scarecrow.” They couldn’t deny that she had a point. After a moment of deliberation, Marinette and the Penguin shook hands. The Gotham Rogues would help her, as long as she kept her part of the deal. Almost as soon as she was out of the warehouse, she was scooped up by her husband, and spent the rest of the night reassuring him that she was okay.

Phase two was clearing the rubble and rescuing trapped people. Marinette was surprised with how smoothly this process was going, since multiple heroes (and even some villains with morals) arrived in Gotham to help. It took a major load off of her shoulders, because what would take a crew of 500 to clear in a month, Wonder Woman could clear in a day. She was also relieved to find out there were minimal casualties. Gothamites’ unique ability to sense oncoming Rogue attacks seemed to work with natural disasters as well. That didn’t mean there were no injuries. Thousands of people were hurt, ranging from scrapes and bruises to broken bones and everything outside and in between. This was nothing that Zatanna and the other magic users couldn’t handle, and Marinette found herself adding to the list of heroes and villains she would be sending gift baskets to.

It was at this time that the League of Assassins decided she should be kidnapped. Of course, with everything going on surely no one would miss her. SURELY she had nothing better to do with her time then sit tied to a chair with a sword to her neck and threats of death if she didn’t rebuild the city the way the League wanted it. She wasn’t really paying attention, so she may have missed parts of it. What she didn’t miss was that the Lazarus Pit was critically damaged. What would that do if it leaked into the soil? Apparently Ra’s al Ghul kept the original plans for the Lazarus Pit, but did not think to use it to keep the original architect alive. Marinette was debating on if this should be her problem or not, when her youngest Brother-in-Law and husband busted in. Damian was getting into a screaming match with his mother and grandfather, while Jason was checking on his wife. Marinette was so caught up in everything that she didn’t even realize her scuffle with the League of Assassins led to a broken arm, Tikki was gonna kill her.

Eventually, she got tired of the arguing and Jason freaking out. “THAT’S ENOUGH! I have too much on my plate as it is! Unless the Lazarus Pit is going to leak out into the environment and make the city a wasteland you’ll need to get someone else to fix it!” Everyone stood silent as Marinette crossed her arms and began to tap her foot impatiently. Talia nods. “That’s exactly what will happen.” Marinette sighed and marched over to the assassin holding the plans. She took the plans and began flipping through them, before pausing, “Did you really have to kidnap me? You couldn’t have started with that?” She sighed. They better have coffee down here, she was going to need it.

Three days later the Lazarus Pit was restored, but the same could not be said about Damian’s relationship with his mother. He was still upset about the League kidnapping his favorite Sister-in-Law, and Talia was furious that he was more loyal to Marinette than the League. Mari was the first person who really encouraged him to pursue his own interests and help him find his own path. She knew what it was like to have a lot to live up to in terms of being a Guardian and also being a hero, and she understood the pressure Damian was under. She didn’t want him to make the same mistakes she did, and decided to help him when she could. She helped him realize that his life was his, and he didn’t have to live to only fulfill others’ expectations. She was happy he was much more confident than she was at his age, and knew he wouldn’t end up falling into the “Everyday Ladybug” trap she did.

Speaking of the past, many of her old classmates reached out to offer help in redesigning and rebuilding Gotham. They were appalled that Gotham was abandoned, Alya in particular got in contact with Lois Lane, and the two made sure the story never left the headlines. The others helped the best they could too, using the influence they gained in their respective careers to hold fundraisers and supply drives to send to Gotham. Chloe even pitched in (she and Marinette and come to a truce in high school) and convinced her mother to make a new clothing line, and donate half the proceeds to the Rebuild Gotham Fund, “Dupain-Cheng, I mean Todd-Wayne- Marinette will want to work with someone when she makes her return to the fashion world. Would you rather that be you, the Style Queen, or another major fashion house? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Tom and Sabine were also determined to help their daughter, and with a little help from Nadja Chamack, The line outside their bakery was always wrapped around the block.

Only three people in Paris were refusing to help, and they were all currently holed up in the Agreste Mansion. Lila was still furious that she was thrown out of Marinette’s wedding reception (that she and the others crashed). How could this happen to her?! She, Lila Rossi, was supposed to be the successful and famous one! She was supposed to be married to a Wayne! SHE was supposed to be the one the world adored! Not Marinette! Unlike the other people in the room, Lila knew that after the stunt she pulled, she had no way of wiggling back into Marinette’s good graces. She also knew that since the public knew about what she did, it would be hard for her to run in the famous social circles she wanted to be in, since her reputation had been ruined and no matter how much damage control she did it would most likely stay that way. Lila was smart, and she always knew when to abandon a sinking ship, and she felt that now would be the perfect time to abandon the S.S. Agreste.

Gabriel was in a daze. His Miraculouses (Miraculousi???) were gone. He’d turned the Mansion upside down looking for the peacock broach and butterfly pin, but they were gone. What he did find in their place was a note, with two simple words on it: ‘I know.’ It was signed ‘L,’ and there was no doubt in his mind that L was Ladybug. He was also dealing with the PR nightmare that was his model, his son, and himself being thrown out of the wedding reception they crashed, not to mention the restraining order they got as well. The Wayne lawyers were a stone wall of legality, and no matter how hard he or his lawyers tried, they refused to budge and refused to let him try and smooth things over with Marinette. Unless something major happened his company would be bankrupt by the end of the year. For once in his life, he did not feel like he was in control.

Adrien was fully in denial as he sat in his messy room. He woke up to find his Miraculous gone, and a note from Plagg. It read, ‘Kid, when I first met you I thought you would be a great cat, and for a while you were. Things started going downhill fast though, you wouldn’t listen or work with Ladybug, you’d harass her constantly, and you would often refuse to help if you didn’t get your way. I tried to tell you, but you refused to listen. Then Lila came along and you chose to sit back and watch as she destroyed Marinette’s life, hell, you helped her. I thought you cared about Pigtails? I thought she was your friend? You sure didn’t treat her like one. You threw her to the wolves, helped destroy her career, then when the consequences of your, Lila, and your father’s actions came back to bite you, you continued to harass Pigtails to fix it. YOU CRASHED HER WEDDING RECEPTION AND DEMANDED SHE FIX YOUR MESS. That’s messed up. Don’t get started on that ‘She’s our Everyday Ladybug’ bs either. Just because someone’s a good person, doesn’t mean you can treat them like crap and expect them to take it with a smile. I’m leaving, of my own accord. Ladybug’s coming to pick me up, and I guess it doesn’t matter now so I’ll tell you this: Marinette and Ladybug are one in the same. You managed to treat the same woman like crap in two different personas. I’m happy Bug’s in Gotham now, and I’m happy she’s found herself a better cat.’ Plagg left him. Marinette was Ladybug. She left him. His Lady and his Everyday Ladybug were the same person, and she was married to someone else. A part of him knew he should never have told Marinette to take the high road, a part of him knew he should have acted better with Ladybug. He had always assumed that both Ladybug and Marinette would always forgive him, and that they adored him so it didn’t really matter, but now he could see how wrong he really was. As he watched Marinette and Jason helping at one of the makeshift hospitals set up in Gotham, he couldn’t help but notice a familiar ring on Jason’s finger. ‘Maybe she really has found a better cat.’

Phase Three was finally ready to begin! Some buildings were able to survive the earthquake, so those had been repaired first, but most of Gotham was lost in the damage. It had taken weeks (and a small graveyard’s worth of pencils) but Marinette had finally drawn up new plans for the city! It was difficult, but she was able to combine Gotham’s iconic gothic architecture with more sturdy, eco-friendly building components. When she pitched her idea to the city, it was a hit. Gothamites refused to be so reliant on the rest of the country anymore, since it was clear that in a crisis, they would not be helped. With people around the world chipping into a construction fund, they had the budget needed to make the dream happen, so with employees hired, the journey to rebuild Gotham finally began. 

Marinette also made sure to keep her promises to the rogues she allied with as well. The botanical gardens were the first thing she tackled, and under a very happy Poison Ivy’s supervision she was able to rebuild and expand the gardens. She brought in wonderful plants from all over the world, and the building had some nice new laboratories as well. It’s crowning jewel was an exhibit of rare orchids from around the world. Next, she decided to tackle the Iceberg Lounge. After deciding that the old building was the lost cause, she rebuilt it, and improved upon the original idea. She added many flourishes like a beautiful crystal grand staircase, and a massive island bar with an aquarium inside. The top was made of strong glass, and acted as a main stage while there were smaller ones along the side. On the ceiling she added light blue lights and a mist maker, which gave the hanging crystals a sparkly, ice-like affect. When the Penguin saw it he shook her hand and said he should have hired her to design the first one as well. It quickly became the coolest club on the east coast. The Gotham Museum got some nice upgrades as well. The building had survived the earthquake with minimal damage, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t need some work. Marinette expanded it, and added a gemstone exhibit, a massive Ancient Egypt exhibit, and a famous jewelry exhibit. The last one was so she could keep an eye out for any missing Miraculous that might show up, but there was another reason as well. She was able to convince many museums to send artifacts, gemstones and jewelry citing Catwoman as the main reason. “It would certainly draw a crowd if you had a piece that was stolen by the most famous thief in the world,” she’d tell them. Sure enough, it worked like a charm.

The Joker put up quite a fight about his amusement park being destroyed, however he was no match for the new Gotham hero Lady Miracle (whom everyone suspected was Paris’s Ladybug) the Bat Fam, and a large chunk of Gotham’s Rogues. He was quickly defeated and returned to Arkham, which had thankfully survived the disaster. By now the city was about 50% complete, and she began work on Harley’s Fun Land. She added coasters, games, rides, a cruelty-free circus, and anything else Harley could think of. There was carnival food, bumper cars, a waterpark, and a Pie the Clown attraction. If you hit all of the dummies that looked like the Joker, you’d win a replica of Harley’s hammer. She was even there when Harley got to cut the ribbon and welcome Gothamites into their new theme park, and she and Jason got to have a romantic ferris wheel moment. She rebuilt the sewers, and added some improvements for Killer Croc. They were now deep enough for him to comfortably swim in, and had multiple entrances he could fit through all over the city. Much to his surprise and delight, she added a nice living space for him, and she even through in some comforts like a TV with various subscriptions, and some consoles with controllers he could use. Bane’s fighting rings were her final project, and she decided she wanted to help him branch into legal fights. Sure supervillains would still duke it out, but now it was regulated and there were safety standards, so he now had a legal source of income. This also meant she could expand the small rings, into an arena. They called it the Colosseum, and in no time at all fighters were lined up hoping to take on Bane. Opening Night’s main fight was Bane vs Kalibak, the Son of Darkseid. No one quite knew how she pulled that off, but she did get him to agree not to go to war with Earth if he lost. The packed house roared as Bane defeated Kalibak after an incredibly long and close fight. The king was back, and stronger than ever. With Marinette’s side of the deal fulfilled, the Rogues who had helped her made a pact amongst themselves: If Marinette needed help in the future, they would help her, and they’d make sure NO ONE harmed their favorite business partner.

After many months, Marinette, Jason, and the rest of the Wayne family stood proudly looking at the new Gotham. The rising sun shone and reflected off of the glass of the new buildings, and many more gargoyles stood watch over the city. It took everything they had, but Gotham was restored, a shining example of just what Gothamites were capable of, of what Marinette was capable of. In Marinette’s purse, Tikki was beaming with pride at her holder. Her Baby Bug has come so far, and still has so much to do. She was so happy her Chosen hadn’t given up, and that she had found her Cat. Tikki could practically hear Plagg purring in Jason’s pocket. As the Wayne’s press conference began, Marinette was given the mic to speak. She spoke of how difficult it was, but that they did it. The resilience of Gotham and the determination to heal, and how she was honored to help the city that had accepted her as one of its own. Finally, she ended her speech with, 

“Well with that, Jason and I have some exciting news to share. I can’t see myself slowing down anytime soon, although it won’t be engineering, architecture, and fashion that’ll be keeping me busy. What I’m trying to say is... I’m pregnant!” And the excited cheers of the Gothamites rang out, the city couldn’t wait to be introduced to the newest, already beloved Wayne.

~~~~~~

Sorry it took me so long! I’m currently a college student so things have been a bit busy! Also thank you so much to all the people who have followed me, liked my work, commented, and reblogged! It means the world to me and I appreciate Y’all so much! Lemme know if I need to change anything or if I didn’t tag correctly!

[thekristen999]

Writing Patterns

I was tagged by @exhuastedpigeon Thank you!

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

I set-up the tone of the story right at the get-go, at least, I think I do. I'm not best at analyzing my own words :)

..

All Buddie.

A Light in the Darkness  (one-shot, just vibes, post-apocalyptic)

His coordination is off; fat-feeling fingers fumbling with his turn-out coat, the snaps refusing to work. Exhausted, Eddie gives up wrestling with the damn things, yanking at the bottom until all the snaps come undone like the rest of him.

Follow You Into The Dark (one-shot, hurt/comfort, suspense,)

The moment the alarm blared, all the hair along the back of Eddie’s neck stood on end. He didn’t need to check his watch. It was after midnight, maybe one or two in the morning. It was always around the same time. He’d bet a month’s paycheck this would be a three-alarm fire at an abandoned building under suspicious circumstances.

Cutting The Ties That Bind (multi-chapter, mafia AU,)

It’d been three days since the brakes on his car had gone out. There was an active factory recall regarding the master cylinder on the same make and model Buck owned, but his uncle didn’t believe in coincidences. So, Buck suffered the indignity of being chauffeured in the back of a giant SUV like a teenager.

We All Fall Down (one-shot, missing scenes, post 6.18)

Sounds filtered through his muddled brain. Radio static. Heavy breathing. Metal creaking—no groaning. Or was that him? Was he groaning? Why was he—

Tick...Tick...Boom (one-shot, hurt/comfort)

It was a good day when all their calls ended in success. An automobile accident and an incident involving a large sinkhole resolved with only minor injuries. If they took 10th street back to the firehouse, then his and Eddie’s shift would end, and they could find some alone time.

We’ve Got Fun & Games (one-shot, humor, Amazing Race)

Giddiness ran through Buck’s veins. He stretched his arms, his hamstrings, even his calves.

Eddie, on the other hand, leaned against a tree wearing a lazy smile like he was waiting on a weather report.

Not Today  (one-shot, backstory)

The first time Eddie encountered death was at his Tía Lula’s bedside. He held her limp hand, whispering thanks for all the times they baked cookies together, for the days spent outside in her lazy hammock, or playing with her cats.

bro·ken (multi-chapter, S3 AU, diff first meeting)

The last place in the world Buck wanted to be was in one of the worst neighborhoods in the middle of the warehouse district. But his rent was due in a couple of weeks and his savings account was already depleted. Beggars couldn't be choosers.

The Shape Of Water (one-shot, backstory, hurt/comfort)

Pennsylvania was made up of trees and mountains. Every day was just another shade of gray.

We're In This Together Now (one-shot, hurt/comfort)

Eddie stared out through the window of the fire truck counting the number of billboards rushing past. Occasionally, he risked a glance in Buck’s direction, confirming that Buck was also staring out a window. Both trying to ignore the other.

no pressure tagging: @shortsighted-owl @shyaudacity @ci5mates @fleurdebeton @mellaithwen @andavs @renecdote @eddiebabygirldiaz @spaceprincessem @the-likesofus @steadfastsaturnsrings @hippolotamus @sherlockcrossing @diazsdimples @cal-daisies-and-briars @wildlife4life

[nottoxicfr]

So…

*steeples fingers*

FFXIII Rosegarden. I must know the inspiration aside from FFXIII being AMAZING (and my childhood) and also RWBY for the same reasons.

Scratch that, I must know everything. This is a crossover I never knew I needed.

I’m sorry this took so long! Seriously, my bad. If you have any questions, please tell me. I promise I won't take three months to answer this time

This will be long.

For inspiration, the short story is that I have a lot of Final Fantasy-RWBY AUs, for basically all the Final Fantasy games I think of regularly (7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) and even in the scope of Final Fantasy 13, I have a 13-1 and a 13-2 and a 13-3LR AU. I also have a KH AU I've been working on.

This'll just be the Final Fantasy 13-1 AU, though I’ll link the other story details when I post them.

Just to run through a few things, just to set a baseline of how the world works. This is a Remnant where the world increasingly reveals elements from Final Fantasy 13, rather than a true crossover.

For example, the l’Cie and the Fal’Cie are the same idea in concept. The l’Cie are branded servants of the Fal’Cie, mechanical deities serving the Gods themselves. However, in this story, the l’Cie are a fairy tale to even Ozma, which means he only has a strange idea of what they actually are. Only l’Cie really knows what being a l’Cie entails.

A l’Cie is:

Someone who has been branded with a tattoo by a Fal’Cie, essentially the sign that they’ve been given a quest and a vision (a Focus) of what they have to accomplish

The tattoo slowly grows, setting a time limit for their quest. As it grows, the l’Cie also gains the ability to harness magic

However, if they fail to accomplish their task in time, they will be transformed into a monster, a Ci’eth

Someone who is branded naturally attracts Grimm to them, which makes traveling more difficult

Oscar is aged up here a bit, just a year younger than Ruby, and this takes place during a pseudo-Beacon Arc time period.

Oscar is the first l’Cie of the story. His brand is on his neck, under his bandage wraps. His Focus, his quest, is to awaken the slumbering Fal’Cie hidden around Remnant. They were put to sleep when the Brothers left Remnant and, for some reason, they’ve judged it time for them to awaken.

Outside of being a L’cie, he’s just a regular guy at this point and that makes it hard for him to get where he needs to go. For this reason, he hires Ruby to help him get to Forever Fall Forest, which is where he thinks the Fal’Cie he needs to awaken is.

The first arc takes place in Vale, where Oscar’s tremendous bad luck causes a trip that should only take a few hours take several days, which pushes him up the edge of his time limit. Naturally, this puts him in a bad mood, which makes him and Ruby have some friction between them. The situation is somewhat smoothed over when Oscar shows Ruby some magic and he vaguely explains that he needs to get to Forever Fall soon or he’ll die a miserable death.

Ruby distracts him for a little while by talking to him about her Team and asking him about his life. He worked on a farm for most of his life, his aunt died recently, and he’s always wanted to see the world. They fight several packs of Grimm as they hike and Ruby contemplates calling in reinforcements because, for some reason, Oscar insists he’s on a time limit.

They arrive in Beacon where they meet up with WBY and Team JNPR briefly, only to hop on a wagon heading to Forever Fall. Oscar is, at this point, seemingly kind of sketchy. To be fair to him, he’s basically dying.

The arc resolves when Oscar and Ruby plummet down into a sinkhole and find the sleep Fal’Cie of Forever Fall, Behemoth, who brands Ruby simply for being nearby. Now, aside from being paid, Ruby has been dragged into this race to awaken the Fal’Cie, much to the frustration of Oscar. He doesn’t feel comfortable with that, but there’s not a lot he can do but beg an uncaring Fal’Cie to unbrand her.

On the upside, Oscar is given an extension of his time limit and a new vision. He needs to go to the floating city in the sky (Atlas) next, which is where he needs to find the twin Fal’Cie sleeping there.

Ruby is branded as the second l’Cie. She has a brand at her collarbone, hidden under her shirt. Her Focus is to awaken the slumbering Fal’Cie as well, although she also catches further glimpses into the future that put an emphasis on encroaching darkness.

This starts the second arc, Atlas, or the journey to Atlas.

It kicks off when Ruby essentially runs away without telling anyone, under the assumption that once Oscar and her finish their quest, she’ll come back and explain everything. It’s not a very good plan, but she’s understandably occupied by everything that’s going on with her life right now. Ruby and Oscar try and fail to rent a car because they’re both underage. Following this, Ruby tries to buy them tickets directly to Atlas, which doesn’t work because travel to Atlas has suddenly jammed up. Instead, they have to take an indirect route from Anima (the Mistal continent) to Mantle, which takes a few more days but that’s fine.

Yang is, understandably, incredibly distressed that her sister seems to have given up her dreams of being a Huntress to chase after a boy she met three days ago. She reports this to Qrow, who tells Ozpin, who tries to get an understanding of what happened. Yang tells Ozpin about the weird stuff that she heard Oscar and Ruby talking about before, which entails something about Fal’Cie and l’Cie and the Kingdom of Atlas. 

She suspects Ruby has joined a cult and is, again, incredibly distressed.

As stated before, the words l’Cie and fal’Cie are like myths to Ozma. They’re messengers of the Gods and assistants to their angels and, most importantly, they’re almost synonymous with great change. Not good or bad, just big changes in the world. This rings alarm bells in Ozpin’s mind, though not to the point of overreaction.

Ozpin asks Yang to take Team WBY and go after her sister, just to make sure she’s alright and to try and bring her and Oscar back. Ozpin wants to speak with both of them over this supposed l’Cie business. Qrow says he’ll do some scouting ahead to search for them, hopefully, to wrap this whole thing up quickly. He’s not too fond of the idea that some kid swept Ruby away from Beacon.

Ozpin informs his inner circle about all of this, just to keep them updated. It seems like Ruby and Oscar are headed to Anima and then to Atlas, they’re talking about l’Cie stuff which is crazy because, etc…etc… He wants Leonardo to investigate Oscar Pine, he wants Ironwood to try and bring them both in and most importantly, Ozpin just wants to talk.

The lack of details makes Ironwood have a bit of an overreaction. The l’Cie are agents of change in the world and, with the Vital Festival on the horizon, it seems more likely to him that these “l’Cie” are probably going to cause a negative effect. He mobilizes some of his elite forces to capture Ruby and Oscar, as well as putting out wanted posters on Scrolls that these two people are wanted for questioning. It’s a bit of an overreaction, but in his mind, it’s better to be cautious when it comes to mysterious things that haven’t been heard of since Ozma was a child.

Leonardo reports this to Salem soon after, having defected to her not that long ago. Just as troubled by this reappearance of a fairy tale from her childhood as Oz was, she tells Cinder to go find them. She can kill one of them, but she needs the other one to question about what’s going on.

To summarize:

Yang, Blake, and Weiss are chasing after Ruby and Oscar from Vale. Qrow is also looking for them as a bird.

Ironwood told Winter and some of her troops to go to Mistral and cut them off. He also made wanted posters for them.

Salem told Cinder to go find Oscar, who told Roman to spread the word and find them.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Oscar’s air ferry to the port crash lands because, apparently, l’Cie magic disagrees with technology. They have no idea they’re being chased until Ruby sees a wanted poster on her Scroll, detailing that Oscar is a potential terrorist and Ruby is either an accomplice or a hostage. This causes Ruby to freak out and summon her Eidolon, essentially a summoned spirit meant to assist a l’Cie in the quest. She and Oscar have to subdue it before it attacks the people on the crashed ferry, because a freshly summoned Eidolon is naturally berserk.

Her Eidolon is Carbuncle, which basically takes the form of a giant wolf-cat when it is going berserk and is much smaller after being tamed. It has the ability to produce elemental dust from a gemstone in its forehead and is, generally, more of a support Eidolon.

They have to run now because Carbuncle managed to destroy a hefty part of the ferry while it was attacking them, which upgrades them from potential terrorists to probable terrorists, even if it’s only on accident.

This is as far as I’ve written properly because I’ve also been writing a dozen other things. As I said before, I have a lot of Final Fantasy AUs. However, I do have vague details on how things progress from there.

Ruby and Oscar run into Yang, Blake, and Weiss just as they arrive in the port town where they have to board a boat. They end up getting into a fight, Ruby verbally and Oscar physically, because of the miscommunications involved. It’s hard to explain being a l’Cie to someone who doesn’t have the context of apparently sleeping Gods under Remnant. For the most part, Oscar’s part of the fighting ends up being running away and casting magic, which baffles all three of the Huntresses (because of genuine magic) and ends up casting a Thunder (Thundara) spell too close to Blake. This knocks her out.

They board the boat, just barely managing to escape from Ruby’s teammates and there’s a climactic moment where Yang has to watch the boat depart without being able to chase after them. WBY makes plans to keep up the pursuit as soon as they can, with Qrow flying ahead to Mistral.

When Ruby and Oscar get to Mistral, where they’ll board another ferry to go to the north and then get on a boat, there’s a scene that plays out similarly to when Snow rescues Lighting and Hope in FF13.

Winter corners Ruby and Oscar in a plaza with her troops, putting handcuffs on Ruby, only for Yang to show up on a motorcycle and rescue both of them. Blake and Weiss provide supporting fire and they all escape to the rooftops to get away. This puts Mistral on high alert, which shuts down the air ferry, complicating matters significantly. Still, Ruby and Oscar are grateful they weren’t captured. At this point, Ruby’s brand is halfway developed.

They all talk things over and, although WBY don’t necessarily believe everything they’re saying, they decide to help them get to Atlas. Yang also frets over Ruby’s tattoo-brand, which feels relaxingly normal to the group.

While all of that is going on, Cinder begins to make moves towards Atlas, planning to take advantage of the chaos the l’Cie are causing to damage Atlas and capture them. Salem is contemplating what to do about the awakening Fal’Cie, who is purging the overpopulation of Grimm in the world.

Oscar summons his Eidolon, Pegasus, which can turn into a motorbike with wings.

Ruby falls off of Atlas, but is saved by Oscar in a Bullhead.

When they get to Atlas and awaken one of the Fal’Cie there, WBY gets branded as l’Cie. It’s kind of like a spreading curse, and eventually, it will reach JNPR too. That comes later on though.

One of the Fal’Cie is located under Mantle, Vulcan, and the other one is located on the under side of the island of Atlas, Venus. WBY is entirely branded by Vulcan, and Winter and Penny are branded by Venus (though this isn’t something RWBYO is aware of).

There’s only one more Fal’Cie to awaken after this, which is located in Vacuo.

-Oscar awakened the Mistral one

Ruby and Oscar awakened the Vale one

Ruby, Oscar, Yang, Blake, and Weiss awaken Vulcan, which awakens Venus

The last one is in Vacuo. JNPR and Oscar will end up awakening it by falling into a ravine (Woo!)

The final stage of the story reveals that the Fal’Cie want to harvest the collected souls of Humanity so they can use that power to evolve into a God themselves and follow after their creators. They despise Humanity and resent having to serve the inferior creations of the Brothers. Everyone takes a stance on what to do about that, though the main characters decide to fight that. This goes against their final vision, which tells them they are meant to assist in harvesting the souls of Humanity. This is called Humanity's Fall!

Pyrrha does get stabbed in the process and possibly dies, which relates to the RWBY x Final Fantasy 13-2 AU. I love interconnecting these things.

I love talking. If you have any questions or ideas about anything, please ask. Please. Again, my bad. It's been a rough few months.

[transparentgentlemenmarker]

The deepest and largest natural well on the planet is called Xiaozhai Tiankeng. It is located in Fengjie, Chonqinun Municipality, in the heart of China. This amazing well is completely natural and reaches a depth of 662 meters, with a length of 626 meters and a width of 537 meters. But what’s most striking isn’t just its dimensions or its almost-vertical walls, but the explosion of life it houses. Xiaozhai Tiankeng is what geologists call a sinkhole or ditch, a depression of the land generated, among other factors, by the effect of water. In this case, it was formed on top of a cave and houses an underground river measuring a total of 8.5 kilometers and flows into a spectacular waterfall. Its enormous size makes it the sinkhole of its kind, known as tiankeng, the largest and deepest in the world. Besides its size, Xiaozhai Tiankeng impresses by the biodiversity it houses inside. Its base is so large that it houses nearly 1,300 plant species, like ginkgo, and wild animals. Among the most fascinating "tenants" who stroll through their underground forest, stands out the nebula panther (Neofelis nebulosa), an unmistakable fur cat that reaches 1.1 meters and usually rests in trees. This tiankeng lies in a vast karstic area of 280 km2 formed by limestone. Experts believe the sinkhole, which is between 511 and 662 meters deep, has taken shape over the last 128,000 years. For much of its history, until the roof of the cave collapsed, it was a massive underground cave. There are also other remarkably sized tiankengs, such as Dashiwei, located across China. Curiously, despite its size, Xiaozhai Tiankeng began studying relatively recently, although the local people have known him since ancient times

Le puits naturel le plus profond et le plus grand de la planète s'appelle Xiaozhai Tiankeng. Il est situé à Fengjie, dans la municipalité de Chonqinun, au cœur de la Chine. Il est entièrement naturel et atteint une profondeur de 662 mètres, avec une longueur de 626 mètres et une largeur de 537 mètres. Mais ce qui frappe le plus, c'est l’explosion de vie qu’il abrite. Xiaozhai Tiankeng est ce que les géologues appellent un gouffre ou un fossé, une dépression du terrain générée, entre autres facteurs, par l'effet de l'eau. Dans ce cas, il a été formé au sommet d'une grotte et abrite une rivière souterraine mesurant au total 8,5 kilomètres et se jette dans une cascade spectaculaire. Outre sa taille il impressionne par la biodiversité qu'il abrite à l'intérieur. Sa base est si vaste qu'elle abrite près de 1 300 espèces de plantes, des animaux sauvages. Parmi les « locataires �� les plus fascinants qui se promènent dans leur forêt souterraine, se distingue la panthère nébuleuse (Neofelis nebulosa), un chat à fourrure incomparable qui atteint 1,1 mètre et se repose généralement dans les arbres. Ce tiankeng s'étend sur une vaste zone karstique de 280 km2 formée de calcaire. Les experts estiment que ce gouffre, d'une profondeur comprise entre 511 et 662 mètres, s'est formé au cours des 128 000 dernières années. Pendant une grande partie de son histoire, jusqu’à l’effondrement du toit de la grotte, c’était une immense grotte souterraine. Il existe également d’autres tiankengs de taille remarquable, comme le Dashiwei, situés à travers la Chine. Curieusement, malgré sa taille, Xiaozhai Tiankeng a commencé ses études relativement récemment, même si la population locale le connaît depuis l'Antiquité

[warmbloodedzines]

new zine from me (mordecai)! xalli and i actually hung out in person for the first time yesterday (which was amazing and so so lovely) and hir neocities reminded me that i posted a zine recently on my own that i never posted here. it didn't get posted until very recently because i wanted to wait for permission from the friend whose face appears in it :] i hope you all enjoy!

Transcript:

A mini-zine with 8 pages. The first page is a cover, and has a red and yellow door on it with the title "Red Door, Yellow Door" in all caps and the subtitle "a zine about middle school girlhood."

Page 2: If you had asked 12-year-old me whether she thought of herself as a horror person, despite her penchant for Stranger Things and creepypastas, she would have said: "No!" (The word "No" is large and appears in a speech bubble next to a photo of my younger self.) But in the fall of 2018, I began a steady obsession with theghostinmymachine.com (appearing as a screenshot of a web address), one of the only unblocked sites on my school laptop where I could spend hours reading the spooky content I craved so much.

Page 3: One post in particular stood out to me, where the author gave instructions on how to play a game called "Red Door, Yellow Door." You were supposed to play with at least one other person, assigned as "The Guide." They would rub your temples while chanting: "Red Door, Yellow Door, any other color door." (The chant appears in all caps in a speech bubble attached to a drawing of a hand.) This was meant to draw you into a trance-like state, guiding you through the rooms and hallways of your mind.

Pages 4-5: Once in this state, you were supposed to be able to dreamily describe what you saw, ideally at least one door that you could walk through. Some doors would be locked, and if you couldn't find a key, it meant you weren't ready to see whatever was behind. The goal was to travel through your own mind, watching out for clocks, a man in a suit with a briefcase, an elderly woman, rushing water, a staircase leading downwards, or any other people at all. If those appeared, the guide needed to wake you immediately, at any cost—shaking you, splashing you with water, or screaming to wake up. (This page also includes several collage-like pictures of doors, clocks, and a picture of my younger self and a friend I played this game with.) This was exacty the kind of thing i hungered for at that age, and I was quick to suggest the game at every sleepover I went to, most of which involved the same friendgroup of girls (although, of course, not many of us still identify as girls). Our love for the game was so intense that we started playing at recess, too. While most of us had trouble sinking into a trance,

Page 6: one friend of mine didn't seem to struggle much at all. She spoke in an entirely different voice than she did when she was fully conscious, describing in great detail how each door or room instinctually "felt" to her and occasionally becoming fully unresponsive, at which point we would shake her awake again. Her mind had a depth we didn't quite know how to plumb. When I was "under," I was fully conscious of this fact, and was unable to divorce it from my experience. Others couldn't "go under" at all. (The bottom of the page has a collage of an eye behind pictures of doors.)

Page 7: (This page has another collage, of an eye behind a golden snake made of a house colored with white ink for scales.) Despite this, I found that my mind, too, was full of wonders, even if I knew they were a figment of the imagination—I watched from the bottom of a sinkhole as the boy I liked tilted his head down at me from a cliff far above, ran barefoot through hotel hallways carpeted in warm, breathing velvet, and raced across a large yellow snake as it billowed in the sky like a cloud. (There is a drawing of a snake here.) Of course, at this point, I haven't "gone under" in years, but I still marvel at the game's ability to draw

Page 8: us in so completely. I don't think there was anything sinister in our fascination with our own psyches. I think it was just an attempt to understand ourselves, cloaked in intrigue and horror. (There is a drawing of a red door in a great field.) I miss those days. But I know that one day, I'll return to those gaping sinkholes and great golden skies. (There is a dotted line, and underneath, some drawings of stars and a picture of me saying "Thank you SO much for reading!" as well as the date 6 May 2023 and mordecaialba.com) (End transcript)

[1solone]

The deepest and largest natural well on earth is called Xiaozai Tiankang. It is located in Penji, in the heart of China. This amazing well is completely natural and reaches a depth of 662 meters, a length of 626 meters and a width of 537 meters. But what stands out the most is the explosion of life it inhabits.

Xiaozhai Tiankang is what geologists are confused about due to the influence of water. In this case, it was created on top of a cave with an underground river of 8.5 kilometers in size and flowing into a spectacular waterfall. Its enormous size makes it the deepest sinkhole in the world.

It houses close to 1,300 species of plants and wild animals. Among the most fascinating "tenants" that roam their underground forest, the misty panther stands out

Locals have known him since ancient times.

[wickedsrest-rp]

One night, there was a terrible and long skyquake. The sound droned on longer than it ever had before, and then abruptly ended. It has not been heard since. The sinkholes in Gatlin Fields and Worm Row have expanded their borders, and another pit has swallowed part of the forest in the Pines. Things only seem to be getting worse, but the general consensus seems to be that… at least the sky isn’t screaming anymore. Now it’s just those damn cicadas.

Where there is one leg, there ought to be at least two. Another massive limb has erupted from the ground clear on the other side of town, on the border of Deersprings and the Pines, north of the hospital. And this time… it’s sizzling! Thankfully no one was using the baseball field at the time of the leg’s fiery arrival, and another fence has been erected around it to try and keep people away, but this one is not offering an entrance fee to go up and touch it. The second leg looks much like the first (which is also now mysteriously set ablaze), though it rises higher into the air and sports massive, inky black feathers at its base. The feathers’ form appears somewhat unstable, and they seem to be dripping something that resembles the goo from Serpent’s Flat. Perhaps that is why this fence remains locked. 

The problem of neighbors and friends going missing persists. No one that has vanished has been found, yet. Some people are starting to blame cult activity, afraid that people are being kidnapped to add to the ranks of these fringe organizations, or worse, to be used in some sacrificial way. In addition to a significant uptick in disappearances, other citizens that have been behaving oddly are beginning to drop all pretense of sticking to their habits and routines. They are becoming reclusive, abandoning whatever family they have in town and withdrawing, not leaving town altogether but treating people that they know as if they are strangers, saying strange things, and doing even stranger things. Blake Sheffield (of the town’s board of selectmen), who had previously arranged for temporary housing for those displaced by the Serpent’s Flat ooze and then demanded that search efforts for missing people be called off, has been doing everything in her power to thwart local authorities from performing their duties. The only thing she seems to agree with them on is keeping people away from the second leg. 

OTHER INFO:

The third sinkhole in the Pines, north of the town, is larger than the other two. The presence of demonic creatures around these pits continues, and now they can be seen climbing out of them, if you stick around long enough (though this is not advisable). These instances seem few and far between for now—maybe it’s a tough hill to climb. Demonologists are… concerned about what lies at the bottom of those sinkholes.

It’s rare, given the near-constant police presence at the site of the second leg, but if you are able to get over the barbed wire fence surrounding it and touch the black ooze leaking from the giant bird feathers, you may take on some unfortunately bird-themed demonic features. We’re talking feathers, talons, beaks… the avian works. These are only cosmetic in nature, and seem to wear off anywhere from a few hours to a week later, but clearly someone does not want this to be common knowledge. An unseen, unknown result of touching these feathers is also that it makes you a more attractive target for demons and ghosts. 

June 20 is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. For this entire month, folks who are sunlight-adverse might be feeling extra weak. At the very least, they’re probably annoyed that their ‘morning’ routine has been pushed back. Conversely, those that draw power from the fiery celestial body are going to be feeling amazing! Maybe too amazing! Maybe they might get a little out of control! Also throughout the entirety of June, both legs sticking out of the ground seem to be… smoldering. They’re more than hot to the touch, threatening to burn as small flames lick at the air, but they don’t seem to be turning to ash. In fact, they don’t seem affected by the strange fire at all…

The symbols appearing around the Abnormality are now cropping up all across town in far greater numbers than before. They are painted, burned, and even carved into all kinds of surfaces, and they all appear to be the same exact image. To the untrained eye, it sure does look a lot like a jazzed up pentagram that would be used to summon a demon… to the trained eye, it looks like nothing you’ve ever seen before, but you know it can’t be good. These symbols are being created faster than they can be destroyed by cleaning crews and facilities maintenance teams. Few have seen who is creating these markings, but those that have were surprised to recognize members of the community itself.

Ghost possessions continue to be an issue. That said, possession can be a long process, so Resters that are aware of the signs can thankfully get help from mediums and exorcists before it is too late and their photo ID is added to the wall of missing citizens in the police detectives’ office. 

Resters that seem to have abandoned their previous lives and undergone significant personality changes have been witnessed doing suspicious things. This includes  helping deface public property with those symbols, ransacking curios shops for specific items and ritual materials, and even collecting blood. Yeah, human blood.

A new island has appeared overnight off the coast, between Storm’s Eye Trench and World’s End Isle. It looks to be made of the same mysterious material as the mineral abnormality, and there are… creatures living on it. Anyone that has gotten close enough to see what they are has not returned from the trip. 

Fire salamanders and geckos are out in full force this summer. They’ve been blamed for a few fires already, people finding them congregating in their homes and gardens. They’re easy to find this month… practically glowing from the heat they’re putting out! It’s the solstice, baby!