#and a great many adventure missions to sort through...

[a-la-campanella]

I've been grinding for weeks to get her.

The night of the update, I was there the minute servers were back up, with about 70 pulls worth in savings. I hadn't saved so much jade since Luocha's banner. She ran me to pity, and the minute I saw gold, Himeko was at my door. I had lost the 50/50.

In madness, I spent the past 20 days gearing characters, throwing them at the Mirror of Chaos (then Pure Fiction), completing the backlog of missions, wringing the Simulated Universe dry of lore tidbits and jade, desperately tracking my achievements... I was going through it.

I gave up on the final stretch and converted my Undying Starlight to about 10 pulls, and finally got Ruan Mei.

...and now? I'm free. Finally. She's here.

Thank gods Dr. Ratio is free. If I have to do this again in Penacony I might actually lose it.

[jjwolves]

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚ TRANSGRESSIONS

What: A Story About Theodora (ENA) X Reader

Who: Theodora from ENA Dream BBQ

How Much: ~1000 words, ~4 mins

Credits: Image Banner and Character -> Joel G, Divider -> @cafekitsune

Warnings: None

You didn’t meet the Genie of the Bathroom the way you thought you would, because you never got to the bathroom. You had failed to cross a river of souls while trekking through the dark substrate of this world… past your home, past the vast expanses of shivering mountains, past everything: the Core. Your vision quadrupled like you were wearing beer goggles and you fell into a land of lies.

Past even this is where you met her, laid broken on the ground and a lot more egg-shaped than expected.

Shattered like pottery, the Genie spoke into your mind, “This is what remains of Theodora, the Genie of these lands.” There was simply no way! How was it possible that the Genie was stuck down here, too? A curled, golden whisper emerged from the remains. “Touch my memories, and find a world where you are forgiven.” This path was not the one that lead to forgiveness, it seemed, but that wasn’t an excuse to leave the Genie ruined on the ground the way it was. Decency or not, that’d be another thing you’d need forgiven, wouldn’t it? You could fix a clay pot, even a magical one… Couldn’t you?

The Genie was looking a lot better once you were done working on it. Sure, the cracks were visible, and they glittered, but glitter glue was still glue. For the final leg of the project, you used a stick to prod the ghost of the Genie’s memories into her form before sealing the top half back on. (Best not to touch it, you decided.) For a few minutes, you were worried that the Genie really was gone for good. But when the Genie began rocking back and forth, you observed its face. Yes, it was alive again. And also looked very confused. Her eyes shifted from side to side.

“You… fixed me.” When she spoke, it had the cadence of a half-forgotten prayer. You knelt down before Theodora, suddenly remembering that you were talking to a being who played a big role in the musical that was this universe, and not an egg-shaped effigy with silly ears. “Oh! U-uhm… Where are my manners?! Great Genie! I found you all broken up so I fixed you! Sorry!” The great Genie wore a wide-eyed expression of surprise, teeth bared in a sort of wince that you were pretty sure was permanent. “I am grateful for your assistance, strange one… But this path is not optimal.”

~

There wasn’t much to do nor many places to go now that you were stuck in this small, deceitful world. You were originally reverent of the great Theodora, but as hours turned to days and you got to know her more, and her you, you began to feel more at ease with her around. She spoke to a resonant truth, and with authority, which gave you an odd sort of comfort you hadn’t properly experienced in this world. It prompted you to open up to her more than you would others.

“I guess I failed my mission. Every adventure, dead end and convoluted wrap-around… It was all for nothing. I ended up here anyway,” you said. Sitting on top of a small rock, Theodora turned her upper half towards you and fixed you with a gaze that told you that she was going to say something revelatory. What you got was revelatory, but in a different way.

She began, “You ended up here as I have. Purpose or no purpose, knowing or not, I am confident I have long aspired to meet someone like you.”

That took you aback. “I’m flattered, but… Confused. Did you make a wish to be here? To do that?”

“Wishes aren’t fulfilled nor quenched… Aspirations are what give you the strength to forge an ideal world for yourself. All you must do is create them and follow them.” Well, that begged the question. Many, actually, but you'd have to settle for one.

“Can you aspire to get out of here?” You felt Theodora shuffle. You looked down to see her huddled up next to you, her expression unreadable as usual. Her eyes peered sagely up into yours.

“No, I’m not sure I aspire to that any longer.” For a moment, her voice had an odd lilt to it as it left her.

~

It had been weeks since you failed the test and were made to dwell in the village of lying houses as punishment. Despite this, the time you spent with your unlikely companion made the situation a lot more livable. Still, the sting of failure was felt long after the slip that led you here, and your mind kept returning to your quest, even at night, when Theodora hugged herself close to you with her little noodle arms.

“What exactly is the Bathroom? I was told that once I got there, I could find forgiveness,” you admitted.

Theodora murmured a reply in a tone which was uncharacteristically quick and dismissive. “I forgive you.” You peered down at the Genie who was snuggled in next to you in your sleeping bag. Was she purring? She seemed to be too busy getting cozy.

“You don’t even know what I did… I’ve disappointed a lot of people and made a lot of mistakes. I’m serious about this Bathroom stuff.” Theodora sighed and rolled slightly away before righting herself, attempting to summon the wisdom and grandness of the great Genie before singing back a reply.

“Ahem. The Bathroom’s power comes from the aspiring of it. You cannot aspire for others to forgive you, but you can aspire to forgive yourself. Either way, the Bathroom would be of no help to someone like you.” You felt your heart sink, but the feeling stalled when Theodora raised a wavering hand to boop your nose. “Because you are a sweetie pie. And so I forgive you.” She uttered the title with reverence and eyes shut. And if you squinted, you could make out the faintest hint of a smile. For a moment, you wondered if it were true, if you were someone who could forgive themselves. Someone who knew they were sweet. Either way, Bathroom or not, purpose or no purpose, you felt like you were next to someone now who really loved you, whether it made sense or not. And love washes away all manner of transgressions.

[supercap2319]

Being the son of one of Charlie's Angels and running into Peter Parker on a case.

You were the first Angel hired by the Townsend agency that was male. Not only were you the first male Angel hired to work in a detective agency that usually only hired women, but your mom was a former Angel and she and your Aunts would tell you all sorts of stories about their adventures when you were a kid.

You worked hard, and studied hard, with the hopes of becoming a great Angel just like your mom. It seemed impossible to compete with so many strong and intelligent women, but apparently Charlie saw something inside you before he died. His successor, Kelly Garrett, personally hired you under the disguise of being Charlie.

There were many cases that you worked. Sometimes with other Angels. And sometimes you worked by yourself. You liked working by yourself. It gave you a sense of peace. Perhaps it was easier for you to work solo, instead of a group like other Angels did.

Your biggest case came from Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

It was crazy to imagine that Nick Fury wanted you to work on this case. Of course you knew about the Avengers. Spiderman. The Winter Soldier. The Eternals. They protected the world from otherworldly threats. You protected the world from threats closer to home, but still dangerous nonetheless.

Your mission was to find some missing tech that belonged to S.H.I.E.L.D. You tracked the tech through intel and asked around in different disguises and cover stories. That's what led you to an abandoned warehouse where a bunch of mean looking thugs were looking to sell this expensive tech on the Black market to the highest bidder.

You got in and waited for the perfect moment to swoop in and steal back the stolen tech, but apparently you weren't alone on this case because Spiderman swung into the building and was surprised to see you.

"What are you doing here?" Spiderman asked.

"Me? What are you doing here? This is my case. And you're ruining it." You responded.

Before Spiderman could retaliate, your noises of surprise caught the attention of the bad guys as they started to shoot at you both as you and Spiderman sprang into action and defended yourselves.

After it was all said and done, you looked at Spiderman. "Not bad. For a kid." You teased.

"Hey, I'm not a kid. I'm a mature adult." Spiderman's voice got high in protest.

You chuckled. "Sure. I'd love to stay and chit chat, but I've got to get this back to Fury."

"I understand. I've got to get home and finish my Lego set–I mean–lift some weights." Spiderman said.

"Surrrre." You laughed. "See you around, Peter Parker." You winked and left.

"Wait! How did you know that?!"

Y/N laughed at the cute superhero.

[bearloonz]

What Is Wolf 359 anyway ? Is it like a podcast ? And could you tell me all your favorite parts about it in great detail because it sounds really interesting and I trust your opinion :]

sits down across the table from you and slams a briefcase on the table so heavy it breaks it in half. Hey.

Wolf 359 is an audio podcast that came out in 2014. It opens up by asking the question “Would that be fucked up or what?” and its answers are really funny until they aren’t. Classic case of the funny story slowly becoming painfully real and dangerous for the protagonists.

The basics of the plot is a crew of three people plus their space station’s AI are sent to orbit a star lightyears away from earth by some totally suspicious corporation. The show introduces you right in the middle of the mission, when everyone’s already been out there for months, so they’ve sort of abandoned decorum for gassing each other with chemicals as a solution for workplace discourse. I will put my in depth thoughts under a cut because frankly, I would very very much like you to check out this podcast, because I like it a lot and want to see more people talking about it. Stick through at least season one and the beginning of season 2, it’s about a dozen episodes and it’s a quick listen to help you decide if you want to keep checking it out.

ok so my favorite things about it (non spoilers edition.)

-Really solidly written female characters. Like it’s genuinely enjoyable how much they share the same narrative weight as the male characters especially for a 2014 podcast.

-Character focused podcast 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶 I love a story that is first and foremost about dissecting characters and their actions and I think Wolf 359 excels in this section of its writing. Doug Eiffel is a wonderful adventure in finding out what happens when a comedic relief character is confronted with being more than just his archetype.

-Ai storyline. Do you like robots? You should like my friend Hera. Everything happens to her. She sees everything all of the time, she knows so much more than you do, and she is physically unable to insult you to your face but I think she should do it anyways. I like. Her. She gets to get up to weird gay people stuff with a character that shows up later on and it leaves her changed in so many ways.

-Fucked up little scientist that I like. He’s Russian and you should listen to the podcast for the sole experience of comparing his voice in ep 1 to any ep in season 3. It’s funny.

ok specifics under the cut if you dare to hear my detailed thoughts before listening to the podcast

-Doug Eiffel’s character is genuinely one of the most interesting things to me. I talked about it in an older textpost but I love how Wolf 359 is a media not unfamiliar with immoral and nuanced characters and chooses to make sure that applies to not just its antagonists. The reveal in season 3 that he was a dad? And he like? Brutally impacted his kids life forever because of His Own shitty mistakes? And now he has to deal with that forever? Big. Massive even. Also part of the reason I have such a gripe with the finale of the show but it’s okay I think the show itself is still really worth it in spite of my mixed feelings on season 4.

-Isabel. ISABEEEEEEL. Isabel Lovelace is really good and the entirety of minisode 4 (I believe it’s 4?) kills me dead. She’s died not once, but twice! And lived! She’s tormented! She’s miserable! She’s the final girl! she’s a clone! She’s the original! I need to finish my relisten so I can get as weird about her as possible because fuck me does she have a fascinating storyline.

-That fuckass scientist. Hilbert. Heart. I can and have gone into depth about him before because I hate him. He’s like, peak for me vis a vis Wolf 359 and character dissection. Hes a horrible horrible man but the way he justifies his actions and how he views himself and what exactly his apathy is driven by fascinates me. This man died at 6 years old and has spent the rest of his life dragging the dead weight of his own corpse around while he works toward his unreasonable goals. I love him.

-Lovelace and Hilbert have a shared connection from before canon that makes me insane in a way I literally cannot describe. Type of dynamic that makes you so fucking nuts that I don’t just need you to hear me I need someone to grab at my brain and match my freak. I need more people to talk about them. They were friends and then they were enemies and also they understand each other more than anyone else. He killed her entire crew, but he’s the only member of her crew that’s left. He’s everything she lost and he’s all she has. She came back to tell him he isn’t allowed to forget what he did this time. They haunt each other. Blow them up now.

-Marcus Cutter is a deeply unsettling little man and I find him fascinating.

[singswan-springswan]

rebelcaptain fantasy mermaid AU since I'm apparently not done daydreaming about them rn.

Jyn Erso is mer nobility, being the daughter of a powerful sorcerer in the royal court. She's expected to be a prim lady, and she's certainly educated enough, but she much prefers sparring with soldiers or scavenging through human shipwrecks over mincing words at tea parties. many other nobles look down on her for her adventurous hobbies, especially since the Emperor has forbidden contact with the human world, and collecting surface world trinkets is pushing the boundaries as it is.

Cassian Andor is a captain in his kingdom's royal navy. He's unassuming, but he's skilled in so many different areas - including leadership and strategy - that it would be a waste to not place him in a position of authority. For this rank, he is also revered by the court as a member of high society. Admiral Draven often sends Cassian and his crew on scouting missions and the sort when the stakes are high and the weather is certain to be treacherous (mer have been making life difficult for ocean-going humans for the past generation or so, whether out of spite or territorial disputes, no one is sure. some believe the emperor is just salty about - quite literally - losing his right-hand man, who was a sorcerer powerful enough to bring the kingdom to unprecedented levels of subjugation)

Under the rule of her majesty Queen Amidala (shut up about continuity parallels and let me play with dolls), the human kingdom of Coruscant is thriving. Their sea trade suffers from the hostile weather, but everything else is going great! bountiful crops, art renaissance, good relations with neighboring nations and provinces, etc. in fact, their prosperity is their main drive for all attempts to open new routes by sea; they want to share their wealth with other countries and explore new lands in peacetime. (the king consort privately advises against this transportation of choice, but the presence of many powerful magic wielders in the ranks of the navy, including the prince, has perhaps lulled the queen into complacency about this).

it isn't until the worst storm of the season manages to catch Cassian's ship and wreck it along the coast that the humans begin to feel concern. He was tasked with escorting the princess home after a diplomatic trip to the neighboring kingdom of Alderaan. Their ship was laden with treasure and gifts, and ill-suited to maneuvering in such unexpected and inclement weather. Even with Cassian's great skill as a sailor, and the power of the princess' magic, the ship is easily overcome and destroyed. possibly blown up too, depending on how dramatic you want to be.

Now of course, the mer keep track of things like ocean travelers, and the emperor has always been weird about the queen and her family. no one is surprised when he decides to target her sailing vessel with his evil storm sorcery. Jyn might be one of the few mer who doesn't care. (besides, Jyn has diplomatic immunity! it's not like she's breaking any laws by looking at the ship from a distance). Jyn loves to watch the humans exchange treasure, and she's starting to grow fond of these ones, the more she continues to find them in her waters. especially that particularly attractive man with darker hair and even darker eyes. he's as rough a sailor as the rest, but kriff is he pretty. He's so serious, he doesn't smile much. Jyn saw him do it once, and if the sight almost melted her into sea foam, well, that's between her and the ocean current she escaped on. So naturally, Jyn is drawn to the beautiful ship with its beautiful goods and beautiful people. they're so festive in ways her own kind aren't. their parties literally explode. it's so lovely to watch that she finds herself climbing up onto the ship (definitely moving into illegality there) and tucking herself beneath the banister to watch them dance. Cassian isn't dancing, but she likes to watch him too. He seems in a light mood. he's almost smiling.

Then the storm hits and the ship wrecks, and Cassian being the captain is charged first and foremost with protecting the princess. He manages to get her out before it's too late, and her magic - though much quieter and less suited to storms than her brother's - is enough to keep the survivors safe in the life boats. Unfortunately, Cassian goes down with the ship because he's a good little captain and the plot likes him. Jyn thinks it'd be a shame for such a pretty man to die. She saves him and dumps him on the nearby shore. kriff, she thinks as the sun rises on the two of them, even drowned he's gorgeous. Cassian remembers none of the rescue. He is later collected by a search party sent to retrieve stragglers and beached wreckage. the queen rewards him for his bravery and stuff.

meanwhile Jyn gets found out for her highly illicit involvement in the event. Not only is she facing scorn in high society, but she may very well be imprisoned, or made an example of (the emperor has certainly never been shy of that move before). Not to mention her parents' reputations and positions are at stake. Jyn decides to just hit the bricks. not like she was infatuated with the mer world anyway, kriffing fascist regime that it's tending towards. Logically, the move for her is to become an international fugitive! and since contact with the human world is banned, that's the last place anyone will think to look for her. She enlists the help of her mother's old radical friend, Saw Garrera. While not himself a sorcerer, he's always claimed to be in contact with a few pretty powerful ones, and sure Jyn, of course he's got a spell or two you can use to escape the ocean. She transforms herself into a human and flees the cops by washing up on Coruscanti shores. Naturally, Cassian finds her 😏 she's pretty hyped about that.

Now technically the existence of merpeople is still mythical to most humans, so Jyn is careful to keep her mouth shut. She's not totally sure the extent to which her transformation spell extends, and she has no idea if there's anyone here on land she can ask or trust to ask for further insight. Better to play it safe than risk drawing attention and the possibility of some meddlesome human witch using her for experimentation.

She settles into life on land quite easily. She's a skilled, intelligent woman, and she has experience parrying her way through high society conversations, so it doesn't take much for her to secure herself a new home in the palace. Cassian is, naturally, immediately infatuated with her. He's not sure if it's the fire in her words or her eyes or the way she sometimes sways on her feet like she expects the air to cradle her, but he's captivated. He asks Leia if it's some sort of bewitching spell. She laughs in his face. Jyn says she's from a far away country and spins a web of lies and half-truths to explain herself to the Queen's court. Cassian is enraptured by this. It's under his advisement that Jyn is granted a position in the royal navy. He says they need strong sailors with good instinct and fearless hearts, and the royal family is inclined to give him whatever he wants these days, so Jyn ends up as a rookie on his crew. They are both thrilled.

It becomes promptly clear that Jyn was high born, wherever it is that she won't say she's from, even if her brash attitude and snippy words are unladylike; she has a very particular skillset. Cassian is especially impressed with her skill in combat. She finds it very different from fighting underwater: the mechanics are all different, and the footwork is boggling her mind a bit, but she's good. scrappy and vicious and good. She's good with strategy, and good with navigation, good with words and saying what she means. it helps that she's so happy to finally be here on land, surrounded by curiosities she's held most her life. She's really thriving. It makes her very attractive.

She and Cassian also happen to work together well, frighteningly so. Though Jyn has never known how to sail, she's a quick learner, and Cassian is the perfect teacher. there's no stopping them once she's been weaponized with the knowledge. Together, they are a force to be feared on the open seas. Somehow she always knows how to avoid the storms, when they'll come and from where, to the point that the rest of the crew calls her their seabird, their good luck charm. They're able to blaze new trails and find new worlds, even reaching as far as Lothal. Life is going great! Becoming a wanted fugitive might be the best thing Jyn's ever done.

bar the part where the cops are looking for her, of course. We're gonna say that Krennic is the emperor's bloodhound for the sole purpose of just including him in the story. While not a sorcerer either, he's a (mostly) trusted tool of the emperor, and can be temporarily imbibed with magic when tasked with hunting down a runaway mermaid. idk something something, he threatens Jyn's parents, then comes on land and threatens her, and that's probably really fun for me the target audience because it gives Cassian an excuse to be stupid protective of his bestie. I'm just thinking of the vibes rn and not specific details. feel free to use your imagination here. Somehow, it's revealed that Jyn is a mermaid, and there's a dramatic battle or whatever, and in the end krennic is defeated and he drops a loot tile which conveniently holds the secret to the emperor's power. the emperor is predictably pissed about that. he is summoned from the depths to try and throw a hissy fit, ends up destroying a lot of human stuff like their ships and coastal structures. Luckily, Cassian and Jyn play relay with the loot tile that holds the secret to the emperor's power and pass it on to the princess, and the princess gives it to her loyal sheepdog, and the sheepdog gets it to the prince, and the prince and his dad (who gets out to the water despite an incredibly uncomfortable trek through a beach of sand) use the power of their combined flamboyance to summon a lightning bolt from heaven and fry the emperor's scaly butt. the end everyone lives happily ever after.

turns out btw that queen amidala totally knew about merpeople! where else do you think she got her pathetic wet hot wizard of a bride from? Anakin's more than happy to live it up on land with his cool wife and wizard kids. man he's so glad he dodged a bullet being emperor palpatine's evil enforcer. Padme's cool mermaid friend Mon is gonna take over the mer kingdom now. she's chill and she cares about justice and stuff. hooray! fascism is defeated by lightning!

Jyn's silly little criminal record is cleared now that peaceful relations between mer and humans are miraculously established, but she's really come to enjoy her life on land and her life as a sailor at Cassian's side, so she decides to get a proper transformation spell and stay. Cassian is predictably delighted.

as an added bonus, the human and mer kingdoms decide to cement their new treaty with a marriage alliance. everyone decides it should be Cassian and Jyn, since they're both prominent nobles with illustrious careers in politics (working as ferrymen for actual politicians like Leia is close enough to count). Cassian and Jyn think this is a genius move. they're very in love

[kittyball23]

Hello! I would like to request a fanfiction where Branch prepares a nursery for his first child and has a heart-to-heart moment with Poppy when he feels doubtful about his readiness to become a father. Poppy, who is carrying their unborn child (as an egg in her hair), comforts him that he will be a wonderful father as long as they raise their baby together.

Would you be able to do this for me? If you're busy with other requests, that's fine, just let me know when you have time. Thank you! 😊

Yes indeed, here it is 🙂

Doubts (a Trolls fanfic)

Branch wasn’t usually wrong about things. But in the occasion that he was, there was usually good reason for it. He remembered the rather sarcastic remark he’d made when venturing to Vacay Island, declaring that their adventure right then and there was their ‘most fun mission.’

Well, this wasn’t the case.

It wasn’t anything to get him wrong about, though. Going on their travels, singing, dancing, and bonding with family really was fun (if you excluded nearly getting squashed by doll-like maniacs). But the adventure of sorts that he found himself in now had succeeded in topping that.

Branch stretched out the cramping in his hand, taking a break from the way he was holding the paintbrush, and considered that thought yet again, as he had been for many days at a time. Maybe it was silly calling it an adventure. When he thought of one, he pictured defeating traitorous zenmasters, overthrowing Rock Apocalypses, or exposing frauds through the power of diamond-shattering Family Harmonies. Not one of… fatherhood.

But nonetheless, whether it could be categorized as an ‘adventure’ or maybe not, it still was something alright.

News traveled quickly of the pregnancy, and it was the fuss of the town. Poppy - friend, beloved Queen - was going to become a mother! It was enough to light up one’s face like a Christmas Tree at the mere mention of it.

He could feel the excitement every moment he stepped out into Pop Village, stronger now more than ever since the actual egg had been laid, the buzz of anticipation and happiness with every Troll who passed him by and offered their congrats, or gifts for their new child, or, as it was on most occasions, both!

Branch took it all in stride, proud and eager, arranging everything he’d graciously received into the newest addition to his bunker, specially made for the newest addition in their lives. Toys, blankets, bottles, and diapers galore were all set into the nursery, the pièce de résistance itself the lovely wooden bassinet that he had so carefully crafted by hand himself, and was in the process of painting.

Branch smiled. He was excited. He was excited to see her excited, and everybody else!

However, there was still something that he couldn’t ignore. Something he couldn’t so easily shake off.

And those were the nerves.

Entering parenthood was like entering one of the musical tribes for the first time. Unknown territory, foreign lands he hadn’t traveled and didn’t know what to expect from it. Sure, his nursery exemplified the love, care, and dedication he was putting forth for the baby and Poppy… but was it enough?

The chipper melody of his beloved suddenly drew him from the musings, making him smile.

“Oh!” Poppy gasped as she entered the space, clasping her hands and looking all over at the domestic little room. “It looks great!”

Branch set the brush down and greeted her with a quick hug and swift peck on the cheek. "Thanks." He said it in a manner that he believed was casual and nonchalant. Poppy, however, seemed to pick up on the undertone of tension that was hidden beneath his words. Her brow creased into an expression of concern.

"What's the matter?" she asked, taking his hands into hers.

Branch glanced at her, stunned for a second for her having figured him out so quickly like that. But then again, this was Poppy, and she knew how he worked - mentally, physically, and emotionally. She knew what tones in his voice were indicative of distress, knew that the caress of her hand over the back of his would begin to quell any anxieties within seconds after she touched it, knew that he could openly speak to her about whatever storms of doubt were clouding his mind…

Branch shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know, I just…” He paused to take a deep breath, and then continued. “I guess I almost feel like I’m not cut out for this…”

Poppy blinked in surprise at him. “What? No… no, how can you say that about yourself?” She shook her head, trying to comprehend what would make him conclude such a thing. Branch, even before the baby was born, was already proving to be a wonderful father!

“I’ll tell you how,” he said firmly, "Just look at the way I was raised! My brothers weren't there, and neither was Grandma... I had to do it myself. And you remember the whole 'Bergens are coming' thing, right?" He ducked his head in shame, himself not wanting to recall his boisterous, reluctant behavior in his gray days. That had been some dark time for him, a time that he was ashamed to even claim as his own. He had learned some valuable lessons about survival, in retrospect, but at what cost? At the cost of pushing everybody away? Secluding himself? Purposefully estranged from the girl he loved?

"I just don't want to be a letdown for our baby," he admitted in a hushed voice. "I don't want to be a failure. We've already been through so much, and I... I would just hate to make it any worse..." He shuddered to think what might happen if he was unable to provide properly, unable to continue showing the affection the baby so rightly deserved.

Poppy's eyes softened, her demeanor shifting slightly. "Oh Branch..." Her coo was as gentle as her touch upon his arm. "Listen to me: You will never be a letdown to me. Nobody can blame you for how you were back then, or for what happened. If anything, our experiences together helped shape us. And I wouldn't change any of it."

Branch raised an eyebrow at her. "Not even the whole smashing-cards-in-front-of-you thing?"

Poppy laughed. "No, not even that. Besides... you kept all those cards, remember?"

The blue Troll blushed, the time he had revealed his collected stash having been a memorable one.

“And you don’t have to worry about junior, here,” Poppy added, reaching into her pink hair and pulling out the delicate little egg, a beautiful pastel blue with pink swirls. She caressed it for a second, and then lifted it up, pretending to ask it a question. “Baby, do you love your Daddy?” She provided the answer, using a higher-pitched voice to act as the baby. “Yes, yes I do!” She put on her normal voice after that to ask, “Is he the best Daddy in the whole wide world?”, and then put on the higher voice again for when she answered, “Yes, yes he is!”

Branch and Poppy laughed together as she passed the egg onto him. He looked meaningfully at it for a second, touching the shell’s exterior gently and stroking its soft texture.

"I don't know if we'll be the best parents ever," Poppy said, shrugging, "but, as long as we do it together, it doesn't hurt to try... does it?"

Branch gazed at her with shining eyes. "It doesn't hurt at all," he responded simply, “ and Poppy giggled, leaning her head against his, with their egg snug between them.

The Troll felt a warmth spreading through his chest, a newfound confidence blooming within. And, as they stood together in the gentle glow of the nursery lights, the pair couldn't wait to face the next chapter of their lives, hand in hand, side by side, together forever and always.

[tinyinvadr]

Ahhh I’m so glad people like my silly AU! Here’s more of it!

Shifter!SMG3 AU

Let’s Go Visit Peach!

Things haven’t been the same since we lost the old castle. Or, I haven’t been the same, is more accurate.

Everyone else was so optimistic. They acted like that whole nightmare never even happened. Not even SMG4 was acknowledging it. But I couldn’t forget. Not when I was left to deal with a constant reminder of that day.

It was hard to pinpoint what exactly was triggering it, but every time I felt some sort of intense emotion, I turned back into a giant. Anger, fear, jealousy, it all ended with the same effect.

Don’t get me wrong, a power like this COULD be useful, just not when it’s only accessible when I’m at my weakest. For that reason alone, I didn’t want anyone to know about it.

I still hung around with the group so they wouldn’t get suspicious, but I made sure to stay at a distance and keep myself under control. It actually wasn’t too difficult. Well… as long as HE wasn’t around.

I couldn’t look at SMG4 without thinking about what happened. Whenever I saw him, it all rushed to the front of my mind and it was hard to ignore it. There had to be a way to deal with this. I couldn’t avoid him forever. He’d catch on, and it would only make me feel worse. I needed an outlet of some sort.

But that would have to wait, because I got roped into another one of that idiot’s adventures.

Construction on the new castle was almost complete, but we needed to get the Power Star from Peach’s castle. You know, the one at the bottom of the Eldritch death pit. Against my better judgement, I met SMG4, Mario, and Meggy at the cliff.

“I still don’t get why I have to come on this mission! Can’t the three of you handle it yourselves?”

“The cavern’s really dangerous. I need all the help I can get, and I’d rather go with people who have already been down there and know what to expect.”

“Ugh, fine, whatever. Let’s get this over with.”

We jumped over the edge, free-falling into the nightmarish abyss. Mario nearly got us both killed when he wouldn’t let go of my foot, but thankfully I had Eggdog with me to cushion our fall.

Meggy went ahead to scope out the dark tunnel because no one else wanted to, and she was instantly abducted. Great.

Armed with our weapons of choice, we headed into the tunnel to look for her. I may have panicked and thrown more bombs than I probably should have, but it’s like I always say: When it doubt, blow it up!

Actually, the bombs seemed to be a decent outlet for my fear. I was so distracted that I didn’t have time to worry about suddenly becoming huge again. Huh. Maybe the answer WAS explosives!

…And then we got caved in.

Rocks fell all around us, blocking off all the exits. We ran left and right, trying to make our escape.

“Why the hell would you bring bombs into a cave?!”

“Because they’re cool!”

As more rocks fell, I could feel myself changing. My only outlet was no longer an option. There was nothing to stop it. I had to just let it happen.

I shifted into my giant form, grabbed SMG4 and Mario, and pushed my way through the rocks blocking our path, getting us into a more stable area.

As expected, Mario started screaming, so I put him and Four down.

“WAHHH!! SMG3’S BEING ALL WEIRD AND GIANT AGAIN!!”

Four turned to face me, looking confused.

“Uh, is this gonna be a regular thing?”

“NO! I mean… Obviously, this only happens in the hellhole!”

He paused for a second, then shrugged it off.

“Well, either way, thanks for saving us, SMG3.”

“What? No! I didn’t save you! I was just… shoving you against the rocks! Yeah!”

He clearly wasn’t buying it, but he didn’t question it further. There was no point. We found the castle’s remains.

I went ahead to look for Meggy on the right side of the ruins while they searched the left. Seeing the castle again after everything made me uneasy. It was painful to see a place that used to house so many happy memories become nothing but the sight of a tragedy.

Why did this have to happen? Was there anything I could’ve done to stop Four before it was too late?

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of something rustling behind the castle’s stained glass window. I pointed it out to the others, and Mario opted to take it out with a bomb. See? He gets it.

Behind the window, we found Meggy wrapped up in spider webs and dangling upside down. Her mouth was covered so she couldn’t talk, but she started letting out muffled screams when Four stepped in to free her.

He went ahead and pulled the webs off her face, and she shouted out a warning at the last second.

“IT’S A TRAP! RUN!”

Out of the shadows, a hideous creature appeared. I almost didn’t recognize her, but I knew her face all too well. This was Peach. Or, it used to be, at least.

She went down with the castle and everyone forgot about her for months. I guess that gave her plenty of time to stew in anger for being left behind. She was stuck in this place, surrounded by that horrible goo, and it changed her.

Just like it changed me.

Meggy did say I turned into a monster. Was this what I looked like? Would Peach end up like me, or was it too late?

There wasn’t time to think about it. She pounced at us and we took off. I may have been big enough to fight back, but I didn’t wanna get anywhere near those sharp claws.

I ran for the exit, not looking back. Facing off with another goo monster was the last thing I needed.

To my surprise, Mario called out to me.

“SMG3, wait! The bombs!”

I turned to see him pointing at a cannon, and I knew what I had to do. My moment had finally arrived. It was time to prove that bringing bombs to a cave WAS a good idea!

Oh, and save SMG4 from being mauled by Peach, I guess.

We loaded the bombs into the cannon and fired, sending Peach flying back into the depths of hell. Once the coast was clear, I pulled Meggy out of the webs and dusted her off.

“Thanks, SMG3. Um… Why are you giant again?”

“You think I understand how this creepy cave works?”

At that, I suddenly shifted back to normal.

“See? It’s random.”

Meggy ended up finding the Power Star, and we all made it safely back to the Showgrounds so the construction team could finish the job.

Before the unveiling, I made a quick stop to the Internet Graveyard to let Eggdog take a nap. The poor boy had to be exhausted.

To my surprise, he wasn’t tired. He ran right past his bed and went for my bookshelf, pulling out a book to bring to me.

It was my old notebook. I hadn’t written in it in forever, but I used to vent in it a long time ago. Mostly about SMG4.

I guess I forgot about it because I didn’t have a reason to keep writing in it. Things had gotten better for me, and I didn’t need an outlet…

Oh.

“Eggdog… are you saying I should start journaling again? Do you think it’ll help me control this giant problem?”

He happily barked in response, pushing the notebook into my hands. Maybe it would be a better outlet. I do remember it helping me in the past, and it’s more subtle than bombs.

Of course, I had to protect the thing with my life. My deepest, darkest secrets were in there, and I couldn’t let anyone see them.

Especially not Four.

[beatthegame]

I just beat the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. It's a direct sequel to it's predecessor, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is a first for the franchise? Perhaps Hyrule Warriors? Or Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link could be an exception but even that was a huge pivot from the original Zelda. But I digress...Storywise, Zelda games typically occur generations apart from each other. But this game is unique in bridging two games together within a couple of years. Nowadays, good sequels are rare. We usually go backwards through the prequel route but this game takes place just a few years after the events of BOTW. Not many sequels live up to outshine their originals. Often falling short in certain aspects. And Breath of the Wild, as a stand alone game, is an absolute masterpiece. One of the greatest adventure games I personally experienced. So when the developers announced that there would be a direct sequel to one of the greatest adventures ever made? It left a LOT to be desired. But does TOTK truly live up to the hype? Let's try to fuse all these elements together and try to make sense of it...

In a nutshell: It's like Minecraft in Hyrule! You take the same open world template from Breath of the Wild. Triple down on the map & add heavy emphasis on crafting abilities. Combined with hundreds of side quests, treasures, characters and challenges sprinkled across the largest open world in gaming history. (If you can find a larger open world in a game, please let me know.) When you boil it down, Tears of the Kingdom should be considered tears of joy!

The Good: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a BEAST of an adventure game! The cel shaded anime inspired graphics are simply gorgeous. These screenshots would be good enough for the artwork inside the 8-bit game manuals of years past. Trying to imagine those details on a 8-bit platform was great for the time. But being able to control those stillframes now like a beautiful moving painting is like a dream come true. Most open world games are pretty rich in terms of a playable area with missions sprawled across the land. But I don't think I've played a game world this deep? And I mean that literally. You have the vast continent of Hyrule to explore. Same map from BOTW. All of it's valleys, lakes, mountains, islands and more. And when I say more, I MEAN MORE. Because now you have islands hundreds of feet in the sky to explore. In addition to the underworld depths hundreds of feet below the surface. The deepest bowels of a planet you can think of? And it goes DEEPER than that! I find it difficult to express myself through words, how packed this game map is. But you have the freedom to explore it all, however you like! And boy, does this game offer a rich variety of CHOICE. Something I feel is an gift AND a curse in this game? For now, let's talk about how AMAZING it is to create almost ANYTHING your imagination can handle...based on the items scattered throughout the land.

Your Sheika technology from the previous game has been replaced with new Zonai fusion technology that will allow you to combine all sorts of objects, monster parts and broken vehicle pieces to construct all sorts of cool contraptions. From simple suspension bridges to complex flying automatons with rocket launchers! There's a bit of a learning curve to manipulate pieces and placing them in functional spots. But once you get the hang of it, it becomes 2nd nature. You can even save your creations to quickly assemble duplicate machines, which is convenient at times. But that is only ONE fraction of your creative capabilities. You are also able to create custom weapons, armor and arrows to expand your arsenal. You will need these abilities to explore the land, skies and depths of Hyrule. It's an experience that can grow beyond your imagination. Which sounds amazing. And it is, in so many ways. However, it also one if this game's many problems...

The Bad: I hate to say it, but this game is the very definition of "trying too hard". Breath of the Wild is off the charts fantastic! Almost a perfect game. So when you're tasked to make something great even better? Sometimes adding more ingredients to a stellar dish ruins the meal. Like, imagine the best 5 layer cake in the world...perfectly frosted, with sprinkles and a cherry on top...and now add a tomahawk steak, and a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, and nacho cheese fries with frosted flakes sprinkled on top of that? A bit much, right? That's how this game is... You have an entire world of objects and machine pieces and monster parts. But there's only so much you can do to actually function well in the game. What's the point of building an elaborate hovercraft when a crude assembly of logs & rocks can get the same job done? Which leads to the weapons. One of the main things I hated about BOTW are the fragile weapons that break after a few swings. This game not only brings back the shitty fragile weapon system, but now you have the burden of crafting your own weapons. Which is FUN... for about 5 minutes. But when you are in the heat of battle? Quickly assembling weapons or sifting through my entire inventory under durress was more annoying than it was fun. And don't get me started on the Blood Moon. A couple of times would have been ok but like every 10 minutes?! Give me a fucking break! Let me build this wooden helecopter in peace LOL!

But refocusing on the positive, overall, this was a fantastic gaming experience! But even though this play-thru was satisfying. There were too many flaws that effect the final score. Tears of the Kingdom would have been a decent spin-off game. Like, focus on the Sheika Lab team and have them rebuild Hyrule and deal with the Ganon threat with building gadgets. Harvesting minerals underground. Rebuilding towns devastated by the Calamity. That would've been cool. But as a Zelda adventure? It falls short when you compare it to the other masterpieces throughout the years. But when you put aside the competition? Tears of the Kingdom is a stellar game experience!

A-Class

[miloscat]

[Review] Sonic Lost World (3DS)

The better Lost World?!

Dimps made some of my favourite Sonic games: Advance 2, Rush, Rush Adventure, Generations 3DS... not only have I now played them all, their handheld companion version of Lost World is the final Sonic game they've developed. And they went out swinging, because this dinky SD game shows up Sonic Team's console effort in many ways.

As with Unleashed, this version shares much with the higher-spec console game: the soundtrack, visual design, cutscenes (albeit crunched to 240p, and some have been removed). Broadly speaking the concepts are carried over as well, but a shift in focus and some gameplay tweaks make this a more playable and enjoyable experience.

For a start, there’s still a run button but Sonic runs faster by default and conserves more momentum. The homing attack is streamlined: back on the jump button where it belongs, and the kick is replaced by an arc projectile with a more clear situational use against strong enemies. Wallrunning and climbing are more useful and easier to maintain due to a mechanic that lets you extend them with a spin. The spin dash has slightly more use too but that’s more down to level design, which I also find more engaging.

Compared to the Wii U version, this game is more like a puzzle platformer. There’s still plenty of running fast and the platforming is challenging and involved, but they pack in a lot more interaction in these dense levels. Elemental shields are now given in levels rather than through the inventory system, and used to open alternate paths by protecting you from hazards. Wisps are also utilised better (including a few exclusive to this version) with some extended sequences that require and explore their powers.

Even the helper feature is implemented better here. Instead of simply whisking you ahead in the level, dying a few too many times offers you a relevant power-up like one that auto-attacks enemies, makes you intangible to damage, or gives you higher and floatier jumps. This version also actually has special stages which give a motivation for grabbing and hanging onto rings until the level’s end. They play out with Sonic flying in 3D space and are very gyro-heavy which was troublesome and made me dizzy at times but they’re a nice novelty.

I do have issues with some other choices. Taking a page from Colours, Wisps are now unlockable and so some can’t be used on your first run through a level. Gyro is now non-optional for some sequences including certain boss fights and Wisp powers. There’s also a tacked on crafting system where Tails can make you items from materials gathered by playing levels, but it’s entirely ignorable. The Streetpass feature sort of plays into this; people send you their best runs of individual levels (which you are now ranked for) and you have to beat them for the reward of more materials. Having cut the side missions and minigames I found I didn’t miss them but these replacements aren’t much better.

Although the Zeti remain boring, with lazy and stupid designs, they at least have slightly less of a presence here. On Wii U they would talk at you sometimes during gameplay, displaying more of their shallow and broad “personalities”, and have two boss fights tacked onto levels per world. Here not only are their fights improved but they’re relegated to a boss fight act. This means there’s fewer levels overall but it’s worth the compromise. The final lava world is also nothing but a boss rush, a slightly underwhelming change although I suppose it gives a more climactic feel.

With Unleashed and again here, I’m glad my completionist tendencies prompted a look at these alternate versions because in both cases I prefer them to the leading HD iteration! Dimps did a great job especially considering the 3DS’s weaker hardware necessitated cutbacks on the scope. In fact that just makes Lost World 3DS more focused and streamlined, on top of the improved controls and puzzley tendencies. They even did the gravity gimmick better here, I reckon! I hope Dimps gets another chance with Sonic at some point but if not they at least have a strong legacy, and this is a fine way to cap it off.

[rielzero]

POV: The adventuring party meets up yearly after the epilogue to talk about their lives.

Loki Wren: So, I realized I really liked rats, and decided to raise them by hand because I thought they were cute- Even if they live short lives, I had to think: What else could befriending those critters bring? Loki Wren: Eventually, after selectively breeding the critters, I've gotten all sorts of quirky results, healthy of course. Its important to improve the lives of the offspring. They are my friends!

Loki Wren: To improve my communication skills and to tame them better, I asked Halsin to teach me a few things- I basicially don't go a day without casting speak with animals.

Loki Wren: Then, one of my nests developed a few prodigy rats, very obedient little pets. They're kind of my children. Started teaching them how to gather information. They're cute tiny spies. Very smart, very adorable.

Loki Wren: Had to neuter a lot of my babies though- You know- Things can get out of hand, one of my favorite sons tried to breed with sewer rats, and I didn't want to upset Astarion again with my obsession over these critters.. Early on he was not very happy with my research.

Loki Wren: My precious boy was angry with me first- but then understood it as if I had given him a new great holy mission: To befriend the sewer Colonies and establish an alliance with them through education.

Loki Wren: [starts laughing, there's a giggle at the end] And now I... [wheezes] Have an army of rats at my full disposal, with emissaries of rats training and teaching each other.. Convinced I am god. They developed an entire culture surrounding me.

Astarion: From ratboy, to ratfather, to Locke- then Loki Wren. And then Ratgod. Who would've thought. [chuckles] And now all in Baldur's Gate adore the critters.

Loki Wren: Anyway, the city is now psyched about pet rats and less eager to kill the sewer rats. My ''divine'' protection. [manical laughter] Of course, they do have territorial disputes. Helps keeping the population at bay.

Loki Wren: I love my rats..

Astarion: Sometimes I wonder if you are a genius or just really enthusiastic about your little hobbies.. Then I realize you are both. Always both.

Loki Wren: So what's everyone else been up to?

Shadowheart: Uh, I learned how to swim. Properly this time.

Karlach: The usual, fighting off fiends. [yawns] I would love to pet some rats though!! Wyll: I hunted a few bounties in Avernus... Nothing out of the ordinary. Seldazr: Published another book, I think Volo's jealous of my success. He's been trying to claim my glass eye is the cause. Not much else?

Gale: I've been trying and failing at modifying a scrying spell... Elminster has been dodging my letters. Lae'zel: Could you overthrow another city with the rats? They're pretty much soldiers already. I'm disappointed you haven't tried yet. Minthara: ..I would like to know as well. I think they'd do well in the underdark. Enough space. They could potentially and easily adapt to the ecosystem in a few generations, reigning terror on the denizens and cultivating with their religion into a functioning society. We've seen it happen many times before..

Loki Wren: ..How do you think the Bhaalists were driven out? They work better as spies.

Halsin: Okay- Thank Silvanus. I was worried you were conscripting them.. From what I've seen in the city itself, life thrives better with less conflict and more equity.

Loki Wren: I AM NOT SENDING MY BABIES TO WAR!!!

Astarion: [sips his drink] Of course not, Darling. Of course not.

Loki Wren: This is why we did not invite Jaheira for our repeated reunions, next thing you know she's ruining everything with her paranoia....

Meanwhile back in Baldur's gate

Jaheira: [holds up a pet rat that has no fur] Who's my little Minsc baby- who's my little baby boy??? Yes you are. You are. [scritches the rat]

Rion: Ugh.. Jord: :(

[maybe-not-a-robot]

Media Log 2024 End-of-Year Recap

Hey! After making so many entries this year, I wanted to go back through them and give some additional thoughts or edits to them. I also feel like stuff like this needs a capstone, y'know? Anyway, on with it!

Entry 1: Angel Hare: In the time between watching Angel Hare and now, I got a plush of Angel Zaggy! They also made a third season of Angel Hare, which I haven't watched - part of me wants to watch it specifically because I feel the second season wrapped it up well.

Entry 2: The Ray'z Series: I got really into shmups this year. Seriously, play some, they're great fun!

Entry 3: de Blob: It was really nice to replay this game and finish it after spending a lot of my childhood replaying the first level because the first level didn't have any enemies in it. Harder than I expected, to be honest.

Entry 4: Touhou Eiyashou ~ Imperishable Night: Udonge udonge udonge udonge. Mariali supremacy. Touhou good.

Entry 5: Touhou Fuujinroku ~ Mountain of Faith: Still not huge on using a level of shot power to bomb. Kappa's Pororoco is my least favorite spell card. I play Reimu C!

Entry 6: Bang Brave Bang Bravern: It is still insane how gay this was, and it was very funny how this made it parallel G-Witch from last year. I miss Bravern Thursdays.

Entry 7: Isle of Dogs: Stop motion is such a beautiful method of animation. Just... wow, man.

Entry 1X: Games I Gave Up On: I think next year I want to do more of entries like these, about things I chose not to finish or didn't finish by the end of the year. Eschatos would be on the docket for this year. I fucking hate Biomutant so much.

Entry 8: Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers: I need to get back to this game. I loved doing time trials in it. Shoutout to Joypolis.

Entry 9: Neon Genesis Evangelion: I kind of can;t believe it really is as good as everyone says. Kawoshin has been the template for all this time.

Entry 10: The End of Evangelion: I don't have much else to say. I like the mass-production Evangelion units a lot, they have a very neat design.

Entry 11: Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone: It's so weird that this covers like, six episodes total. Asuka isn't even in this, but Mari is.

Entry 12: The rest of the Evangelion Rebuild movies: My opinions of these movies soured in real time. I think 3.0+1.0 is probably the thing I disliked the most out of everything this year I finished. Don't wait up for the essay.

Entry 13: Poképark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure: It's hard to overstate just how cute I think this game is. It felt so nice to go back to. I started the sequel, but didn't finish it this year.

Entry 14: Portal 2: Shorter than I thought I would be, but still fantastic. I need to play the co-op campaign now...

Entry 15: Deadpool vs. Wolverine: Just... really disappointing. Such a nothingburger of an emotional core.

Entry 16: Gundam Breaker 4: I was so hyped for this game I remember where I was when it was announced - I was at my community college, waiting for a class to begin. It was so worth it.

Entry 2X: Minecraft but I survive in PARKOUR CIVILIZATION [FULL MOVIE]: Mass psychosis event. If you told me this didn't actually happen, I might believe you. What the hell happened?

Entry 17: Mobile Suit Gundam: Still kind of stunned at how... normal this anime was. I was sort of expecting it to be life-changing because of its legacy. Guess not.

Entry 18: ATLYSS: This game is seemingly getting some new content soon, excited for that. Some of my non-furry friends also love this game. It's that good.

Entry 3X: Gundam Breaker 4's DLC: Mid. Like, really aggressively mid, and so few missions too!

Entry 19: Settlemoon: I completed this game back in July, but I started an NG+ run and doing a media log entry slipped my mind. Here's my town right now:

Entry 20: The Emperor's New Groove: Shoutout to this movie's singular musical number. Very funny thing to open a non-musical with.

Entry 21: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (movie): I watched this movie in theaters with a few friends with Spanish subtitles. We all bought tickets for the wrong day, but the incredibly nice person behind the ticket counter gave us vouchers for free seats to any one movie... and they had a showing that night with Spanish subtitles.

What a year! Overall, my highlights of this year were probably ATLYSS, Evangelion, and Gundam Breaker 4. I also technically have, like, eight or nine written works I could include on here but didn't because they were assigned by classwork. Read Giovanni's Room. Get sad.

Of course, the media log will return in 2025... stay tuned!

[ravensvirginity]

I woke up today and got struck by the thought of Raven being a galaxy/interdimensional guardian, most probably be inspired by Persis Khambatta's role in Star Trek as Lieutenant Ilia.

I do feel like she would make a great space guardian, though. Raven was very efficient in coordinating and recruiting defense against Trigon across different dimensions in NTT (I vaguely remember she was even fighting Green Lantern and the Justice League to let some mystic monks complete their defense against Trigon during her travelling back and forth from Azarath to Earth to simultaneously form the TT team and beg the Azarath monks to help), and was quick/proactive in response to crises - which she could pick up timely with her cosmic sensing. Not to mention her problem-solving and diplomatic skills, and her strong sense of compassionate justice could really help sort out many conflicts. And if things get heated anyway, her soul-self is more than capable of putting people (and aliens) in their place lol.

I don't know, what do you think?

Also, was golden Raven involved in anything major related to space/time/dimensions? I only remember she was on a critical mission in heaven, but then ended up needing Donna's help because she couldn't get into heaven. (I swear our girl Raven is always on some kind of quests her entire life lol)

(By the way I am also an autistic mess obsessed with Raven, glad to be your company! Maybe you can also send other Raven stans asks about Raven? *wink wink)

That would be really cool!! I can definitely see her doing that. It reminds me of another idea I saw on twitter that I really like, that Raven should travel through Trigon's dimension and try to help the people he's hurt and bring peace in the aftermath of him being overthrown. I really just want anything with Raven in Trigon's dimension, it's so underexplored as a concept.

The biggest arc like that that golden Raven is in is definitely the Technis Imperative. It's a space adventure where the Titans team up with the Justice League.

I would love to send you asks!! Just lmk what your blog url is 🐦‍⬛

[splinterson]

Costume Talk

For @ultimatebabygirlsupremebattle babygirl halloween prompt week (using the "costume" one)

also found under the cut (1,382 words)

"TA-DAAAA!!!" 

Lee stared at her little brother, Mikey. The freckled turtle just came out of the makeshift changing room in a horrific zombie costume, horrific as terrifying but more so as in… Bad.

"... Are you sure about this one Mikey?" She tried, not wanting to mention it's whole deal outright. Soften the blow sort of approach.

"Hhmm," He hummed as if thinking deeply, "not really. I was thinking I could be Dracula! Or a Vampire Turtle! Then I wondered if that was in poor taste so I vetoed that… And I don’t think I’m in a vampire loving mood lately, you feel me sis?" 

Leo, not for the first or last time today, wondered about the benefits of sleep and not getting into thoughts like that. She didn’t want to dissect their relations to vampires anytime within the next century.

"... Let's not get into that, better safe than sorry. Maybe you could be Crognard The Barbarian, Turtlefyle orr Wingnut?" 

Mikey drummed his fingers on his chin, mimicking Donnie when he’s thinking deeply. "Crognard is a good choice. Turtleflyle isn't a costume for halloween Lee, you disrespect me for even suggesting that. And dressing up as Wingnut as we met and fought that dude! It feels weird."

"And a poorly done zombie costume doesn't? Wingnut is at least better than that, even though it does feel a little weird." 

How many things did they rule out from being Halloween costumes in their adventures over the years anyways? 

"Says the turtle who's going as plain Captain Ryan, again. Try taking my suggestions for costumes sometime before suggesting mine."

Leo sighed, "your suggestions start and, don't stop, at 'werewolf Captain Ryan' 'bigfoot Captain Ryan' 'mildly glitter attacked Captain Ryan' 'local cryptid Captain Ryan' and 'motorcycle champion Captain Ryan'... And you brought me here to help you choose."

She didn't want to admit she was far too tired this year to think of something that wasn't Captain Ryan, it had been a busy last few years and things have finally calmed down. So she has been resting, and thinking of a Halloween costume or remembering the holiday existed went to the back of her mind and she only remembered about a week before Halloween as Mikey was discussing what he wanted to go as, taking the time to ask his siblings what they were going as.

So she said she was thinking of going as Captain Ryan again… It was a solid choice if you asked her.

She knew Donnie was in the same boat as he said after a long noticeable pause, "Frankenstein?" 

He didn't survive that. (Mikey started making it his mission to annoy Donnie about Halloween costumes, trying to find one that was not a scientist as he had been doing every year so far). 

(... Would going as Frankenstien be considered weird for any of the turtles to do too?)

Raph just told Mikey he was working on it. Leo was pretty sure he was scheming with Casey on costumes, she wasn’t entirely sure though.

Present day Michelangelo reaches into the makeshift changing room and pulls out a coat track with so many different costumes Leo has never seen a day in her life until now.

"Let's sseee hereee…" he sticks out his tongue as he goes through the selections.

"If you're going to choose for me, still no to your dinosaur Captain Ryan suggestion."

"What do you have against dinosaur Captain Ryan? Do you think I'm suggesting old man Captain Ryan, ignoring the fact he is kinda one. I mean a dinosaur dinosaur, you got the reptilian look to pull it off…" 

“That’s not the problem Mikey.”

“Then what is the problem, Leo? Because you would make a great dinosaur, Donnie agreed with me!” 

Having decided not to make a comment on that, Leo slid over to the costume rack, eyeing it carefully. She was pretty sure some of these weren't even Mikey’s costumes, she could see which ones were Raph’s, Donnie’s and even her own.

And there were wayy more costumes than she remembered going out on Hallowen for, they’ve only been up a few times since turning 15. Not the stench of time that the years worth of Halloween costumes Mikey had out would imply.

Mikey must’ve been waiting for the day we could go out, she thought, feeling something in her heart break. Her fingers loosely traced the sponge costume Mikey wore on their first year out on Halloween.

It truly was a special time, all of them getting to talk to humans without them thinking too hard about the fact they were turtles. A thing that baffled Leo still, she would think they would question the whole… Turtle mixed with regular costume deal, but it still worked out. That night was so… Magical.

Their previous Halloween was more literally magical causing them to miss out on the main event, which meant this Halloween was all the more important. Second only to the first one.

She felt Mikey’s gaze on her, she turned her head to meet his eyes.

He’s giving me the puppy eyes, she noticed immediately, why? 

“... Do you want something?” Lee asked, tilting her head.

He fidgeted absently with the cloth of a costume, “Nothing… You sure about Captain Ryan sis? You could… Be Captain Ryan but Real Swords?”

She smiled, “I know you want something else Mikey, you're not being as subtle as you think you are being.” 

The freckled turtle stopped mid-reach for an undefinable costume, “ohh right. Yeah, that on purpose.” 

“Rightt, and Captain Ryan isn’t a great captain.” 

Mikey refrained from making a comment on that.

Uncharacteristically nervous and silent for what felt like an hour, Mikey finally spoke up,  “... Maybee… I want to match with costumes… With you?” 

Leo froze, staring at him in absolute silence.

After about three seconds of just her staring he started talking, clearly regretting suggesting that, “If you hate that idea badly, we don’t have to sis! yo-” He was interrupted from his overthinking by Leo hugging him. Or Mikey saved from overthinking and regretting thanks to her hugging him, depending on your view.

“Leo?” He said after hearing a sniffle from the older turtle, his arms wrapping around her.

She took a moment in Mikey’s arms, letting herself cry, feel the warmth of his scales and listen to the younger turtle breathing.

Mikey squeezed her, he didn’t say anything. Leo couldn’t see his face but she could sense his confusion.

“... No… It’s fine. Just,” she shut her eyes, “I don’t know… Felt emotional, I don’t know why…”

Maybe because it was a simple fun silly thing she could do with one of her brothers, maybe it was because she could do something with Mikey after so long of not. But she didn’t know why she cried little happy tears at the proposal, it just happened. 

The tension in Mikey’s shoulders dropped, “you really love the idea of matching costumes that much?” He sounded so hopeful and happy.

She hummed her yes, too busy enjoying the quick shell rub he gave her to respond.

Mikey giggled, “okay! Doctor Brainstormstein is in the house! With his assistant… What’s… The title for assistants Leo…?” 

Leo got out of the hug before he could start questioning that thought train too much, though her arms remained on his shoulders. “As if you don’t have any ideas.”

“I do! But since we’re matching you should be pitching ideas in too!” Mikey beamed.

She beamed back, “fair. But not anything like that zombie costume, okay Mikey?” 

“Okay! Now I have a few ideas starting with…” 

She listened to him ramble about his ideas, there were many, all of them were such Mikey costume ideas. Lee found herself looking forward to this Halloween more than anything else happening right now, not that there was anything more exciting happening but if there was, matching costumes with Mikey beats it.

This Halloween will be better than the last one, she knew it would be. Maybe even better than the first one, in its own way.

But just as quickly as those thoughts came she decided not to worry about how good of a Halloween this one was or that one was, Leo had a pair of matching costumes to brainstorm with her little brother first.

[ruinsofxerxes]

Hi Nikki! I just read through your answer from your most recent anon ask and your amazing tags too, of course. anyways. pls say more things.... 👀

I love this post-cos HC. so interesting!

HI!!!! First off, I have to say I’m quite honored you messaged me because you’re one of my fav fma artists!! When I think of my early years in this fandom, your art is one of the things I think of 🥰🥰

OKAY. SO. POST-COS. Like I said in my previous post, I think they definitely fudged Alfons’s papers for Alphonse. Ed was his roommate, he would have had possession of all the stuff Alfons, my poor boy, left behind, and it was the 20’s, it wouldn’t have been too hard to forge the documents a little further to match Al’s age, appearance, etc. Idk why, but I feel like they would have lied on the papers and said Al was older than he was, maybe to get government agencies off his and Ed’s backs in case they wanted to force Al into school or foster care or something. I could see them saying he’s like 15/16, and since he is mentally like 16, I don’t think it’d be too hard to pull off. He’d just be a little short for his supposed age (oh how the tables have turned!!)

Anyway, I think directly post-movie, Ed and Al (and Noah!) went on to have adventures all over Europe while trying to find and destroy the bomb, similar to how they ran all over Amestris to find the stone. And this is a more lighthearted hc but imagine them getting to travel to all these amazing places and learning all these brand new cultures!!! I know Al’s had his body back for a while post-CoS, but I think he would absolutely love all the new foods, experiences, etc.

Did they succeed in destroying the bomb? Either they did (great!) because the Axis powers didn’t use uranium bombs, or they didn’t and somehow it ended up with the Americans. Oppenheimer who??

Either way, personally, I think the boys stayed in Europe through the war. I mean, it would have been difficult to leave after a certain time, but they’re also not ones to leave a fight when they can stay and help people. Also, I feel the need to point out, by the time the war was in full swing, Ed would have been late thirties, so for this next headcanon, you need to be envisioning older, Hohenheim carbon-copy Ed. But I think Ed and Al would 1000% join the underground resistance. Can’t you see them doing that?! Secret missions to blow up or set fire to government buildings to destroy as many records as they could, sabotaging railway lines, things like that. They both have incredible knowledge of science, especially chemistry, and Ed was in the military, these things would have made them super knowledgeable and super effective to a resistance.

But I also think they would have been in constant danger, I could see them having to stay hidden or be on the run constantly (but hey! They’ve done that too, so they know how to do it!). Idk, I just feel like they might hide out with a resistance and help others to hide with them. And there would definitely be some doppelgängers in their midst, you just know it!!

That’s all I’ve got tbh. They would probably stay and try to help rebuild too after the war, but at the same time, I can see them just being tired of the constant fighting and running and turmoil they would have been through for over 30 years at that point. I can see them taking a step back and trying to lead more or less peaceful lives once the war ended.

As for how they ended up in Japan? I have absolutely no clue haha. I feel like after the war, maybe they continued to travel in search of knowledge, similar to how they did it at the end of the manga, and somehow it lead them to Japan, and they liked it, so they settled there!

Also, 84 year old Ed was definitely in attendance for the grand opening of the first Hot Topic in 1989. Just kidding (sort of…)

Sorry to everyone that has to scroll past this, this ended up much longer than I thought it would! Lol. Anyone who has post-CoS headcanons, feel free to come share them because honestly I think there’s a lot of directions they could’ve gone after the movie!

[radiantlyrey]

Doctor Who: The Star Beast (quasi-recap and review)

I haven't been this excited about Doctor Who in freaking AGES, so it's a delight just to be here, writing about it again, it really is. This is gonna be partly my thoughts on the episode, partly a recap, so spoilers shall abound. BE YE WARNED, etc.

We start off with a quick recap of how we got to where we are and the Situation, as it were, with the Doctor and Donna (namely Donna cannot remember the Doctor again or the metacrisis in her brain will kill her). There's some nice little call backs to Series 4 stuff, and honestly despite the weird "Doctor in front of a planetarium show" thing, it does a nice job of summarizing things for new viewers.

LOVE the new opening credits. Use that Disney money, use it good!!! I love that the basic gist of it is "Series 5-7 opening credits, but give me MORE"--nice little callback to that era of the show, but with newer twists and turns.

And then we have a typical RTD opening (at least as far as some specials are concerned), with the Doctor happily wandering about a crowd of people in London, and then he spots someone having trouble with a load of boxes and happily goes to help--except it's DONNA!!!!! I do love that little bit of comedy with the boxes, where the Doctor puts the boxes back, that was hilarious.

Classic Tenth Doctor "Hwhat?!" moment with Rose's introduction (she seems so sweet, I love her already!!), and then things go flopsy when a freaking SPACESHIP careens across the sky right in front of them, but not in front of Donna because she's on a mission to get Rose's boxes all stacked correctly, and she misses it! Of course!! Why not!!! (I do love this though, tying right in with the "Donna misses the Big Events" thing from her intro in "The Christmas Invasion." Love to see a little callback.)

And then we get a proper look at Shaun Temple as a character!! We didn't get a terribly good glimpse of him in "The End of Time", but he seems pretty nice, and ready to roll with just about anything, so good for him!!

Okay, trying to pull out a bit with this, since I've been mostly recapping so far… What I really like about this episode so far is just… the comedy aspects? the callbacks to various things? I like the energy of the episode through and through, it feels like a brand-new adventure, but with new aspects we haven't considered before, while still keeping the old Doctor Who spirit. It's refreshing in a great way for someone like me, who sort of fell away from the show a while back and never really got back into it. It's really Just Like Old Times, and I wonder, a little, if that isn't on purpose. (I have SO MANY theories about Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker, all right??)

Since I haven't kept up with the show, I don't know how accurate this overly militaristic version of UNIT is to recent appearances, but no matter! The Doctor sneaky-beaks his way inside with the sonic, and sort of strolls in to get a look at things. And here's the first hint that maybe something is off: the "crashing" spaceship landed upright, as though ready for another liftoff. Interesting! So there's something to chew on for a little bit, right?

As we cut back to Donna and Rose, we have a moment that is… what it is, I guess? Basically some of Rose's classmates pass by and deadname her. On the one hand, it… sucks that we have a trans character in Doctor Who, who almost immediately after her intro gets deadnamed. But trying to see this moment as it functions in the episode as a whole, and also on a meta level… I feel like this moment is meant to establish an aspect of Rose's character that we see a little later on, where she's lonely and a little outcast (the "I feel like I'm from a different planet" line later on comes to mind). On a metafictional level, I think this moment is doing two things: 1. trying to evoke the audience's sympathy for Rose as a character both by showing her hurt and moments later with Donna's full-throated support of her; and 2. basically putting a narrative foot down against transphobia, which is getting worse all over the world, but especially in the UK. So it sucks that we have this major trans character getting deadnamed, but it's good that the writing comes down firmly on the side of trans rights. So that's my thoughts on that. (As a person whose relationship with her gender is.... apathetic at best. I'm only "cis" because doing anything else would require Effort and Money I do not have.)

And then we see Sylvia again!! She's a lot less… I guess catty? than she was in Series 4 and so on? Like, she isn't constantly picking at Donna, and is more openly concerned for her (with good reason). I also like the little conversation she and Donna have about Rose and getting it wrong sometimes, because that does happen.

And then Donna has an absolutely heartbreaking monologue about missing the Doctor (without knowing she's missing the Doctor), and that made me tear up. The writing is just excellent like this all through the episode; the pendulum swings between comedy and drama so effortlessly, and I love it.

And then there's some business with a neighbor friend of Rose's and an escape pod from the crashed ship--and then--THE MEEP. The Meep is adorable! The Meep is in trouble!! The Meep needs help, and Rose is suprisingly down for this kind of thing (which makes a surprising amount of sense given later developments), and sneaks the Meep into her shed out back of the house.

Meanwhile, back with the Doctor and UNIT… the Doctor makes the acquaintance of one Shirley Anne Bingham, a science officer for UNIT. (Also an aside: I love that the sonic can suddenly make floating holographic display surfaces. Gotta put that Disney money to good use!!) She and the Doctor have an interesting conversation about the recent events, and Donna, and the Doctor's returning face, which is a mystery even to him. (Another aside, but I love that this Doctor is not NEARLY as emotionally constipated as Ten was, because good grief that would have been annoying.)

In re: the Doctor's returning face: I have my theories about what might have caused it (they mostly concern the Toymaker), but I will hold my tongue until the other two specials air. Part of me wants to see if I'm right…

A plot thing happens to some UNIT soldiers, with bright light and swirling eyes, but meanwhile, the plot at large is converging on Donna at home!

So this whole sequence with the Meep and everyone else is a frankly hilarious piece of comedy, all spinning plates and moving parts. Sylvia's being pulled two directions at once, trying to keep Donna from remembering and trying to keep the Doctor out; Donna is freaking out a little bit about the Meep; Rose is trying to get everyone to calm down and failing; and then the Doctor is… being the Doctor and intervening when he knows he very well shouldn't. And all this chaos ends with the perfect button: Shaun walking in and seeing the whole mess, and reacting with a great deal of rolling-with-it poise. Like, he sees all this weird stuff, and decides that is A Problem for Later, and it's hilarious and I love it.

The next scene is a quiet moment after all that chaos. The Doctor tries to extricate himself and the Meep from this situation (with Sylvia helping), but Donna wants to know what's going on. There's a lovely little moment about pronouns that I think was handled wonderfully, and a moment about Wilf (who I know we're going to see in one or the other of the next specials) that tugs the heartstrings. We also get some backstory from the Meep.

And then the plot crashes down again with the arrival of the "infected" UNIT soldiers and also the Wroth warriors (Roth? Wrarth? I need to watch with captions next time…). Here's another indication that things aren't quite what they seem: the UNIT guys, who were apparently going after the Meep, start firing on the Wroth, rather than the two teams working together to capture the Meep.

On the whole, I feel like this whole firefight sequence goes on a bit too long, both inside the house and later on the street. I like the Doctor's escape plan, though, that's pretty good stuff. Love to see that Disney money getting used for ridiculous stuff (both the sonic's shields and the pyrotechnics in the street); it's so interesting to see Doctor Who with a big budget. I love the "resonating concrete" bit calling back to the Ninth Doctor (!!!), and the bit of comedy with the sleeping guy as the group sneaks out of the house. But on the whole… I feel like maybe this sequence should have been maybe a minute or so shorter? There's too much going on and not a whole lot of delineation between the sides, unfortunately.

We get some more subtle signs that things aren't right: the Doctor's confusion when he checks the pulse of the downed UNIT soldier, and the fact that the Wroths' guns don't put a scratch on the taxi as they drive away. And indeed, the Doctor's first action once they're well away is to put the Meep on trial to try and untangle the truth. It's so ridiculous, but it has just the right amounts of camp and tension that it works. We get the actual truth from the Wroth--the Meep is the last of its kind, but only because its entire species was annihilated in a war the Meep started. And indeed, when the Doctor asks the Meep to speak in its own defense, the sob story act vanishes and we get a look at what the Meep is really like.

Some side notes on the Meep: Love Miriam Margoyles' voice work throughout, sounding just the right amount of sniveling and pathetic at first, before switching to hammy, over the top villainy once the penny drops. The puppet work on the character is also immaculately done; it's just real enough that you believe it, and while you can see that some of the puppet work is replaced with CGI as the Meep reveals itself, the CGI is incredibly well done (making good use of that Disney money, again). I love the narrative use of the Meep's design, too; the way the Meep weaponizes its own cuteness to win sympathy and aid, which works on the audience as well as the characters in the story.

Donna's family and the Doctor are captured, and we see the first signs that Donna's starting to remember when she explains why she gave away the lottery money, which only expands after Bingham saves them and they're escaping. Donna then calls the Doctor by name (or "name", I guess) when she goes back to help him, when he has up to now avoided introducing himself to her.

Another side note: Aboslutely ADORE Bingham as a character. She's not overawed by the Doctor at all, and she has weapons built into her wheelchair like a total badass. I love that her disability is just accepted by the narrative at large, and that it doesn't make her "less" of a character in any way.

Getting back to the story: this entire sequence in the engine room is breathtaking. It's got action, it's got drama, it's amazing. It's fun to see David Tennant throw himself around the set like he hasn't aged a day since he left. And then, when the room gets bisected, the real drama begins. The Doctor has to do the one thing he's been trying to avoid this whole episode, because there isn't any other way to save everyone except with Donna's help. And he doesn't want to, but Donna's willing to do anything to save her family and the 9 million people who will die if the Meep's ship launches. We see, with the Doctor, that his memory wipe on her back in "Journey's End" didn't just take her memories of him, but also the self-confidence and self-esteem that she had gained by traveling with him. She's so certain that she's no one special, and the Doctor looks absolutely heartbroken to hear her say that. And then, with pain in his voice and regret in his eyes, he starts saying the word sequence that will unlock her memories and start the metacrisis back up. And it's heartbreaking, and moving, and then…

DONNA'S BACK, BITCHES. FUCK YEAH.

I love that before she saves the world, Donna has to rip the Doctor a new one about the metacrisis making her soft like he was as Ten, making her give away all that lottery money to help people. It's just very HER, and it's such a fucking DELIGHT to have her back, it really is. UGH. I'VE MISSED THIS SO MUCH.

And then they save the whole of London, and then the metacrisis kicks in and Donna falls down, and the Doctor holds her as she dies, and Tennant's sad puppydog eyes get a workout here. This was honestly the most devastating part of the episode for me, I was nearly in tears as he held her close. UGH.

AND THEN.

The controlled UNIT soldiers wake up. And there's a big combined "what." from everyone--INCLUDING DONNA. Who is NOT DEAD. Because it turns out that a biological metacrisis is something that can be passed down to one's children, and the Doctor unlocking Donna's memories ALSO unlocked memories in ROSE. Who with a flicking of switches and pressing of buttons, foils the Meep's plans and saves the world just as much as her mum. And isn't that beautiful!! RTD took Disney money and BBC money and freaking said LOUD AND CLEAR, "Oh yeah, btw, trans folks are gonna save the world," and GODS BLESS HIM FOR IT.

And so it's seemingly happily ever after! Some of the other Wroth warriors come to arrest the Meep, who says something cryptic about two-hearted species and "the Boss" that the Doctor doesn't like at all. (My current theory? The Boss is the Toymaker. Maybe. We'll see.) But the metacrisis, while it is split up, is still gonna burn up Donna and Rose, and the Doctor has to fix it, but then these two wonderful ladies do something different: they let go of the Time Lord power instead, saving their own lives and keeping their own memories in the process.

My only quibble about this bit is that it maybe shouldn't have been about the male-female binary, especially since we'd just established that the Doctor is male and female and neither and more? Like… it just seems kind of unnecessary and weird to frame it that way. (Maybe a Time Lord vs Human binary would have been better? I don't know.)

That said: was this resolution of the metacrisis a bit contrived and a little ridiculous? Oh, certainly. Do I care that it was contrived and ridiculous? NOT ONE IOTA. Donna's BACK and she's SAFE and she REMEMBERS, AND THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS. I have achieved Doctor Who Zen: I don't care how silly it is anymore! I'm free to enjoy it as I like!!!!!!!

And then we move on to the TARDIS and the Doctor trying to needle Donna into one last trip to see Wilf and there's so many little funny bits here--Sylvia's flat-out "no"; Donna IMMEDIATELY nixing Rose going inside because she knows how that'll end; Shaun not being the least bit worried about Donna with the Doctor. And then we get to go inside the TARDIS.

I LOVE THE NEW SET. It's SO BIG. It's like the best parts of Eleven's first TARDIS interior (big and expansive, with paths leading off that make it feel like the set goes on forever) and the Classic Who designs with the white and the round things. Another thing I noticed is that there are no stairs. If, say, Shirley Anne Bingham were to come inside, she'd be able to go anywhere without any trouble at all. HOW COOL IS THAT. A wheelchair-accessible TARDIS. Now all it needs is some homey touches, like maybe some furniture? And chairs, too? Not all of us can stand forever, you know. ;)

Everything about this little scene is just… UGH. It's beautiful to see the Doctor and Donna together again, and Donna asking the Doctor if he might try having some friends this go-around, and the Doctor acutally agreeing. I love them screaming excitedly about how gorgeous the TARDIS is. I love that tiny heartbreak of the Doctor saying he remember every second with Donna, and how it killed him (certainly an inkling that even he knew what he did to her was not necessarily the right thing to do). The coffee machine in the console!! All these lovely little touches that really bring a TARDIS set to life!

And then…

The TARDIS: here's a coffee machine for you to have coffee with~~ (✿◡‿◡) Also The TARDIS: Also If You Spill Any of That Coffee On Me I Swear to God I Will Explode Donna: *spills coffee* The TARDIS: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

and so!! Off on another unwilling adventure, the Doctor and Donna Noble careen into next week's episode: Wild Blue Yonder!!!!!

And I, for one, cannot WAIT.

[sands-of-amber]

FFXIV Write Entry #4

❀ Prompt #21: “grave” || Read it with notes on Ao3 here ❀

Yuna took a deep breath, grinning giddily as the crisp autumn air filled her lungs and the scents of many different food stalls wafted into her nostrils. Add in the sights of people in costume and the sounds of live music and chatter, and the whole thing was one big lovely symphony of everything the Warrior of Light always looked forward to each year around this time. Today was a day of reprieve for the Scions– a rare and much needed break from the usual struggles and battles that typically filled their schedules to the brim.

All Saints’ Wake had become Yuna’s favorite holiday ever since she first made the pilgrimage from Kugane to Ul’dah years ago to follow her dreams of becoming an adventurer. The people of Kugane celebrated the holiday to some extent, but it was never anywhere near as exuberant and passionate as the celebrations that took place here in Eorzea each year. For weeks the streets would be filled with vendors and entertainers catering to the spirit of the season, and as the big night drew near the number of people parading around in costumes and peddling spooky performances would increase. The mood in the air would gradually build until it all culminated on the night of All Saints’ Wake, and tonight was the night.

As darkness fell over the city, there was a sort of palpable excitement in the air that began to spread as the realization that the night’s big events could finally get into full swing. Yuna and her companions had been wandering around earlier in the day sampling different All Saints themed concoctions and enjoying the daytime atmosphere the festival offered, and while that had all been good and fun, what she was really looking forward to were the performances and activities that the nighttime offered.

The same could not really be said for all of her companions, however. Alphinaud in particular did not share the same enthusiasm or excitement that she had for things like haunted houses and ghost tours, which honestly hadn’t been that surprising of a revelation considering his past reluctance to set foot in any place that could even be remotely speculated as being “haunted.” With a great deal of resistance and a little bribery, he’d resigned to try “just one” of the spookier attractions with her so long as any over-the-top reactions he had were kept strictly between the two of them. That, and she’d promised to walk in front so that the brunt of the jumpscares fell to her instead of him (and perhaps so that he could close his eyes and duck behind her, holding onto the back of her sweater to navigate through, but for his sake she would keep her promise and not mention that detail to the others).

Following that rather harrowing experience, as Alphinaud himself had put it, the poor boy had retired to the sidelines to watch the costume parade with Thancred and Y’shtola. That left the Warrior of Light without a victim–er, friend–to try some of the more daring attractions with, seeing as Alisaie had run off to Thal knows where and she was the only other member of the group who was usually willing to do these sorts of things with her. Sure, she could go by herself, but everyone knows that haunted houses and the like are much more fun when you bring someone else along for the ride.

Sat on a bench on the Steps of Nald with a candied faerie apple, Yuna watched the costume parade as it made its way down the block. Ever one for a bit of people-watching in the bigger cities, her eyes wandered this way and that, observing the different ways that people were going about their celebrations. Some sat around or walked with various street foods while talking with friends or by themselves, others watched the performances and crowded around the storytellers on the street who were providing ghost stories, and then there were those who made it their mission to hit every single haunted house and ghost tour that the festival had to offer. She watched as a young miqo'te couple stood in line for one of the haunted house attractions nearby, the pair holding hands and happily encouraging one another to face the frights that were in store for them. The lone Au Ra felt a small pang of envy, grumbling softly as she looked away and bit into her apple.

“All by ourselves, are we?”

Yuna quickly spun around to see none other than Emet-Selch suddenly sitting upon the bench next to hers, his lanky frame casually reclining with legs crossed and one arm rested comfortably upon the backrest. As he regarded her with a lazy smile, she noticed that he was not donning his usual regal attire, and instead was wearing what appeared to be a vampire costume of some sort. A long black cape draped over his shoulders and down over his seat, its hood pulled up over his head and tied with a knot at his neck so that his features were somewhat shrouded. A plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons undone, as well as a plain pair of white gloves not unlike those he usually wore adorned his top half. A pair of fitted black slacks and simple black boots completed the outfit, and as she took in his new appearance Yuna couldn’t help but stare a little. Though it was rather simple, it still seemed that he’d made the effort to dress up for the holiday, and she was quite surprised someone with such a track record of laziness as he had would even go to any effort at all.

“You dressed up for All Saints’ Wake?” She asked, turning in her seat to face him fully as she regarded him with open curiosity. Emet-Selch shrugged.

“More for the sake of blending in with the masses than a desire to participate in a tradition held by the halfmen, I assure you.” He responded coolly, eliciting a thoughtful hum from the warrior. Now that she thought about it, it did make sense that he’d be hard pressed not to don a costume when showing himself here in Eorzea. Showing up in all the grandeur of his typical royal furs and military regalia with his face on full display was likely to grab confused and negative attention from those who recognized the former Garlean emperor’s youthful appearance, not to mention just the fact that his chosen body was that of a Garlean to begin with. The hood shrouded his face enough to make his third eye very difficult to spot unless you were looking closely, especially under the cover of night.

“And yet, here I see that your ensemble leaves little to the imagination, by contrast.” Emet-Selch remarked, gesturing to her own costume with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. “So, the hero of the Source does know how to cut loose when the situation calls for it.”

Yuna felt a slight flush creeping over her pale cheeks beneath the costume makeup Y’shtola had helped her to put on earlier in the day. Half of her wanted to make some snarky retort, but the other half was afraid that her feelings would be on full display if she dared to open her mouth, so she simply rolled her eyes and resolved to chew on her candied faerie apple, her gaze dropping to the cobblestone. It wasn’t like her costume was overly scandalous or anything, but it certainly was a bit more revealing than what she most often wore while adventuring. A pair of short, heeled black boots, sheer black tights, a flowy long-sleeved black mini-dress, and a large floppy witch’s hat constituted her outfit of choice for the evening. Having been tailor-made for her by Tataru, as all the Scions’ costumes were, the fabric hugged her body and flared in all the right places; it fit her perfectly and it was exactly what she had envisioned when she’d brought her costume design idea to the talented Lallafell seamstress. She wasn’t entirely sure, but she almost thought she could feel the Ascian’s gaze on her, looking her up and down…

“So, where are your precious friends? I had thought you’d be palling around with them on a night like this, no?” Emet-Selch asked, causing her to look back up at him. She returned his shrug from earlier.

“Everyone is sort of off doing their own thing right now. We all wanted to try different things and…” Yuna sighs, looking wistfully into the distance. “Nobody wants to do that with me.” She pointed towards the biggest and most intimidatingly decorated haunted house on the square, and they both watched as the line steadily moved up and more pairs and groups entered one by one. It was then that an idea struck her, and she turned to look at Emet-Selch with a conspiratorial grin. “Unless… you would be up for it…?”

“What? Me?” He quirked an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth turning down into a frown. “Why would I participate in such a… barbaric activity?” Emet-Selch shook his head, his expression of disdain partially hidden beneath his hood. “I’ll never understand what it is about parading around a dark and decrepit labyrinth for the express purpose of being frightened that you halfmen consider to be ‘fun’. I think I side with your companions on this one, hero.”

Yuna frowned, the disappointment written clear as day across her face. “Oh, come on.” She pouted, though her expression quickly morphed into one of mischief. “Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

“Hardly.” Emet-Selch scoffed, rolling his eyes and curling his lip at her. “It’s simply that the idea does not appeal to me. You truly think I’d be afraid of a few dusty cobwebs and fools dressed in costume after all that I’ve witnessed in my many many years?” He asked, as if the very idea offended him. But Yuna was stubborn, and he knew from much past experience that the warrior was not going to take no for an answer. It simply was not in her soul’s nature.

“Please, Emet-Selch? Just once?” The Au Ra pleaded with a pout. The Ascian gritted his teeth and sighed heavily, his resolve melting away upon hearing those words just as it always had.

“Alright. Fine. But just once.” He relented, looking away from her and crossing his arms over his chest defiantly. This earned a cheer of victory from the warrior, who sprung up from her seat and grabbed him by the arm, urging him to his feet.

“Then let’s get in line before it gets too long! Come on!”

Getting him off that bench was like pulling teeth.

—-----------------

Yuna bounced excitedly on her heels as they approached the front of the line, her excitement a stark contrast to the lazily slouched figure standing next to her with boredom radiating from his very being. He almost looked as though he might fall asleep right there standing in line.

“Next!” The voice of the attendant boomed as he gestured for them to step forward.

Yuna tugged at the Ascian’s cape and pulled him forward with her, eagerly leading him through the creaky wooden entrance to the haunted house. Once the door shut behind them, they were no longer in Ul’dah, transported to an entirely different time and place through whatever enchantment had been used to make this place. It was just the two of them, standing alone inside the dark, quiet foyer of a long-abandoned mansion. The only sources of light were the flickering chandelier overhead and the candles that lined the walls.

“Whoa, this one is way more immersive than the smaller one I took Alphinaud into.” Yuna mused, spinning in place to take in their new surroundings as much as she could in the dim light. The occasional creaking and faraway noises of howling wind and suspicious thumps set the stage for an unsettling atmosphere, one that already made the hairs on the back of her neck bristle.

“Yes, well, as impressive as this illusory magic is, shall we get going?” Emet-Selch asked in a bored tone, sighing and taking a step forward toward the large staircase in front of them. It led up to another door, and it seemed to be the only way to move forward. Yuna followed him up the stairs, the old wood creaking eerily beneath their weight with each step. Once they reached the top, she grabbed the rusty old door handle and let it slowly creak open as she peered into the pitch black darkness within. With nowhere else to proceed, she walked through the door with her reluctant companion in tow, and the two of them were suddenly standing at the mouth of a winding cave like tunnel, the door they had entered through now gone.

This first floor was tame enough, with fairly minimal jumpscares and not a lot in the way of disturbing visuals or noises. However, as they progressed on through the floors, things started to become more and more intense. Each floor that they entered was made to simulate a different spooky setting. A dark swamp full of creatures, a maze-like cave with winding narrow pathways, a damp basement in an abandoned house. And now the pair found themselves emerging into what appeared to be a graveyard.

Yuna took a step forward, feeling the damp grass squelch beneath her boots. All around them stood a seemingly endless sea of tombstones, some smaller and some looming abnormally tall over their heads. There was a sort of thick fog hanging in the air around them, and all around a sharp chill almost like an eerie presence could be felt.

And still the Ascian by her side was not fazed in the slightest.

“Well, let's carry on, shall we?” He gestured for her to go ahead, and, somewhat cautiously, she nodded and began a slow trek through the winding moonlit path. He seemed to notice her slight hesitance and noted it with a playful smirk. “What, don’t tell me that the hero is… scared?”

“Of course not.” Yuna scoffed, barking out an unconvincing laugh. “Me? Scared? After all I’ve faced? Of course not, I’m aware that this is just-”

A sudden movement beneath her feet. She stopped dead in her tracks, feeling the ground buckle and the grass writhe. With a few steps back, she watched as what looked like lumps began to poke through the ground beneath the gravestones, realizing with sudden shock that they were not just lumps—they were hands and arms and heads. There were people crawling up through the dirt. No, not just people. Zombies. And a low collective hum was beginning to sound across the graveyard as they emerged.

“What the-” And that was when Yuna felt a cold, firm grip close around her ankle, and she looked down to find herself locking eyes with one of the undead creatures. Its flesh was rotted and discolored, human features all but melted away save for the hauntingly hollow eyes piercing into her own as it pulled at her ankles.

“WAAAAAH!”

A shriek of pure horror escaped the Au Ra’s throat as she stumbled backward, pulling herself out of the monster’s grip and turning to flee only to smack face first right into a strong, broad chest.

Emet-Selch let out an amused laugh as he caught the terrified hero, lifting her chin up to look at him. Frightened eyes met an amused smirk as he took in the rare sight of the warrior caught completely off guard and petrified.

“My my, so this is what it takes to give the hero a true and proper scare.” He chuckled, looking over her features as they quickly morphed into an annoyed pout, face flushed red.

“You. Tell. Absolutely nobody of this. Got it, Ascian?” She grumbled. Emet-Selch simply grinned.

“Your secret is safe with me, darling.”