#dragon panda combo lets go

[gomzdrawfr]

🐉

[nerdieforpedro]

Weekend Update 05/19/2024

Three weeks in a row. I should play the lottery, I might hit for some big money!

Nerdie, please. We think it’s fine that you play the lottery, but have you done much this week?

I will have you know, that I worked three 12 hour shifts in a row, one of which I was the charge nurse. Something I’ve never done before and only had a 4 hour class once. The person that was supposed to be training me was not there so I just did trial by fire. I also worked this weekend. 

Though the highlight of the week was Friday night!

What? You had a hot date? Good for you!

Huh? This is Nerdie you’re talking about, no. Not at all what happened. I got to see Hozier live in a concert! It was wonderful! I might still be singing all the songs, have played them for my coworkers and that one guy whose room I was in for 30 minutes getting him cleaned up and bed changed should know a fair bit of “Almost (Sweet Music)” and “Something New.” I think I also had a brunch with my family this week somewhere in there.

We have so many questions…did that man even know what you were singing? Is he now a fan? How was brunch? How did you even find out about the concert? Why wasn’t that the first thing you said?

Sometimes you gotta bury the lead. Brunch was with mama Nerdie and two of Nerdie’s brothers. I have three total. I’m the only girl. The concert was magical, I’m trying to figure out something for September but it’s likely sold out. I think I really lucked out last Friday. 

Nerdie, do you have anything fanfic related? We’re happy to know you’re doing well. We wonder sometimes, but you know, this is Tumblr.

This week will be a bit different. I did a lot of reading last week but this week, I didn’t read much of anything except beta reading for a couple people. So Nerdie will highlight some series she thinks you should peek at:

Symphony by @maggiemayhemnj (A wonderful series featuring Joel - who is having a moment with his new hair by the way. I did notice, how could one not? Has Joel and a female OFC in post outbreak Jackson.) Fun fact - one of my patients called me symphony so it’s going to be one of my many aliases now.

If Wishes Came True by @schnarfer (A Dieter Bravo trilogy. Our beloved trash panda is many things and has many expressions, some not so great. Can it turn into something worthwhile?)

Headshots by @secretelephanttattoo (Marcus Pike - being the sweet man that he is. The OFC is a photographer. Love blooms. It will give you warm fuzzies and you’ll sniffle. It’s totally fine to do so.)

Bloody Kisses by @perotovar (Shane Morrissey and Tim rockford are the combo I was not aware I needed and now I think about them. The longing, the realization, the understanding, the build up, and the growing pains. Just read it and you’ll get it.)

IRL by @grogusmum (A sweet Javi G fic. You and Javi have been chatting about your shared interest in movies and sparks fly. So much so that you fly to see him in person. How does that go? Read and find out.)

These are five series I’ve read, loved and will read again because I enjoy them. I hope you all do too. 

I believe I did post a Dieter one shot for the Dieter Bravo Brain Rot May challenge about aliens. 

Also @fhatbhabiee back! 💖💖

I was tagged by people for WIP Wednesday through Saturday so I’ll do something from my not titled Pero x Dragon fic (look - it was a thought I had and it morphed into this but it’s dialogue):

Darkness is beginning to take him as is the cold. Pero cannot feel his limbs nor tell if he’s moving them. “Hmmpf, you care nothing of your life? Just to let it slip away like this. You appeared to be a warrior of some sort. Do all human warriors lay on their belly and wait for their final breath? Such a pity.” This voice, such torture before death to be mocked like this, couldn’t he have died in battle?  “I’m already in hell only hearing this voice before I die. Goddammit.” The mercenary laments.  “Are all humans fools like this? Why will you not heed my words? I am not trying to reach you for simple vexation.” “Stop with your flowery words then. Say what you actually need. I’m not going to listen to you the entire time before I leave this earth.”

Pero is the type to curse and argue with demons, angels, monsters and Gods if it means he has the last word. I stand by this. Contrary to what this conversation reads like, Pero does not die. His fate could be worse than death, we’ll have to see. 👀

The Peeps who maybe tagged me? @tinytinymenace @connectioneverywhere @magpiepills @604to647 @djarinmuse

@megamindsecretlair and @for-a-longlongtime There are either people I missed or people who didn't tag me. My bad either way. 🤣

I’ve also been toying with which series between my Marcus therapy series and my sweet Javi P series to start posting on Tumblr. I’m not sure which one. Everyone one’s welcome to ask me questions about any of these WIPs, just know I may not stop talking about them like most fic writers. 

I think I do dialogue well in my fics, and wacky ideas, but I could use work on world building, smut, descriptions and other things. I think. Who knows, I'm just going to keep wiring and we'll see what happens.

Stay safe and hydrated everyone!

Love Nerdie!

[northwest-cryptid]

Meet the Mabi Squad, I figure if new players have a few friendly faces they can recognize it might make it easier to approach people:

I guess if we're starting off introductions I best explain myself, that only seems fair. I'll try to keep these quick and snappy

Meet Akitovt, named after the Vtuber who plays the character. I'm extremely casual but well rounded with a focus on production now that I have most my advanced magic and melee worked out. More often than not you'll find my ass waiting around for someone to want to do something that I can tag along for. At this point I'm pretty much up for whatever but I'll always have a focus on getting my Engineering and Magic Craft ranked ever higher so I can make people gear.

Next up we have Galurre the Grandmaster Blacksmith and all around cool dude. This lad is known for his love of the moon, foxes, women, and his generosity and ever helpful nature but also for his absolute lust for destruction. I'm not joking this man terrifies me sometimes because he gets a little trigger happy with his alchemy and magics, but hey if you need some armor or a cool sword Galurre's your guy.

My partner and the leader of our guild Ryuchan might just be one of the most powerful among us if I'm being totally honest. She excels with magic, music, and cooking and can typically be found wearing yet another set of expensive fashion or dragging me along for a dungeon or shadow mission that she could easily handle on her own but I'm not going to complain about getting to spend more time with my wife, unless she tries to drop a meteor on me again then I won't have time to complain because I'll be too busy running away.

We also have Burlington, the newest arrival in Erinn who is our resident tailor and fisherman. They have a love for spiders and tend to focus on the production and gathering side of things over the fighting side of things but I've not seen them say no to being dragged into a dungeon or two. It's been a blast seeing them develop their skills and come into their own. I've never seen this lad not rocking their iconic beard.

Khiyo is an absolute wild card of a player who is rarely around but is always a pleasure to have in the party. The man's current mission is to make his Red Panda absolutely massive to which I've been repeatedly running the bean dungeon with him and making him a ton of tofu. Typically swapping between Archery and Knuckle skills with a high focus on Luck and speed he's an absolute monster with crit hits and combos because he refuses to let the game put him in the "You're an elf and you will play a squishy ranger character" box unless it's specifically to go Falcon and blast everything with Magic Missile, which is the kind of punk attitude we applaud around here. The lad often plays as a young elf but has been known to use transformation so you may encounter Khiyo without knowing it, or perhaps he might just be too fast for you to notice. He's such a rare encounter that I don't have many pictures of him so have a fairly outdated one

and of course we have the individual who's name never fails to amuse me; I will call them Peachy because they're a fellow Vtuber by the name. However their IGN is Dearesteachy because they didn't know you couldn't put capital letters in the middle of your name and didn't notice the lack of the P in Peachy. They tend to log in on even rarer occasion than Khiyo but are always a welcome inclusion to the squad; they focus primarily on the fashion aspects of Mabi with a love for dragons and fairies.

If you should ever encounter us in the wild don't be scared to come say hi, we're literally the most non-threatening group of players you'll ever meet I promise.

[obsidiancreates]

My Spotify Wrapped (Kinda)

My family all share the Spotify account, but I'm for sure the one who uses it the most. Mainly because I tend to stay up until sunrise writing fanfic or scrolling Tumblr or reading fanfic while letting my playlist run in the background. ADHD babeyyyyyyyyy

But yeah so there's some of my family members mixed in here and I'll be doing the fun game of identifying where their influences show up in the wrapped!

Oh the scorecore is my brother. He made a whole playlist of Movie and Video Game scores he loves and he listens to it all the time. I know the Kung Fu Panda and Godzilla: King of the Monsters soundtracks so well (not complaining they slap).

Sorry for them all being different sizes. Anyway the middle orange one is for sure my brother's tastes mainly and the morning yellow one is probably largely him as well (though I do enjoy a good Energetic song that makes me writhe while grinning so it's not purely him). The last one is all me though and yeah mostly at night.

Goh fucking hell- I mean like I said my family of 4 all share this one account but still. I know a huge chunk of that was me, I-I'm looping Playing with Bad Luck by Set It Off right now and the other night I just sat there listening to Tainted Love for literal hours.

Oh this is for sure because the song is so fucking short. No way in hell this'd be winning if it was for the fact it's like 1 minute long and worked great for a couple night as Writing Background Music while I wrote Hobbit fics. If I had to guess my most looped after this I'd bet on an AJR song or a Set It Off or MCR one.

... Okay so I was almost right- I really listened to Lift Me Up that much? It is a fantastic Bagginshield song, granted, and just a fantastic song in general. I fucking love OneRepublic.

Cut Off is because of OFMD. I'm sorry that is exactly the song playing in Ed's head at the end of the finale.

This isn't a surprise except for the 0.1% TOP LISTENER HOLY FUCK UM YOU'RE WELCOME BOYS I GUESS HOLY- WHAT

I say as I loop one of their songs making this post.

Yeah this one is all me, except Imagine Dragons is probably a combo me and my dad, he also loves them.

WHAT THE- MY BROTHER AND I HAVE LIKE 3 PODCASTS WE LISTEN TO AND ONE OF THOSE ONLY UPLOADS A SINGLE EPISODE A YEAR

I KNOW THEY'RE ALL 1 HOUR+ BUT STILL

I cannot stress enough that these are the only 5 podcasts we have ever listened to on Spotify and that I've only listened to like 5 episodes maximum from G!MFST and The Cryptid Factor.

This is the one that only uploads a single episode a year by the way. And between my brother and I we spent over half our entire podcast time on it. Granted, I did use it to fall asleep to for a couple of months there. After a few gos around learning the jokes in and out, it was a very reliable Background Noise to lull me to sleep and make sure my dreams didn't get too anxiety-inducing. Highly recommend it!

I can't tell if this is because my brother loves a lot of music from past decades or if it's because I almost exclusively listen to songs form the early 2000's or 2010's with the exception of a few select bands and songs. ... It's probably both, neither of us keep up with current music trends.

SHOCKED that no Goo Goo Dolls made it onto this!

[sekhithefops]

Ready for Dragonflight: Alliance

Welp! Its almost time isn't it? In just over two weeks we'll be heading to the Dragon Isles at last! I was fortunate enough to get into the beta and have already worked out what my main twelve characters (yes, twelve. I can sleep when I'm dead) will be doing spec-wise and profession-wise... and Imma shoot my mouth off about it now because why not?

Nelen Fullmoon, Master of the Arcane

Nelen is a character I've had since Cataclysm, and was infact my first Worgen character when they became playable.

In Shadowlands I alternated between all three specs as the mood took me, but I've rather fallen in love with Arcane magic for this round. I will have a frost and fire mage, but they'll be separate characters so I can use them in my story.

With Dragonflight comes the return of honest-to-gods Talent Trees, which lets you build your character however you see fit... and with Nelen's build I focused mostly on talents that enhance his clearcasting abilities.

Amplification to increase the number of arcane missiles he fires when he gets clearcasting, Improved Clearcasting to gain the ability to stack clearcasting up to three times, Slipstream so he can move while channeling arcane missiles, and Nether Precision so that clearcasting makes his Arcane Blasts have more OOMPH!

Top this all off with the mages new Spell, Arcane Surge, which consumes all your mana at once to deal a frankly absurd amount of damage to an enemy but then gives you 425% mana regeneration and 35% more spell damage for fifteen seconds and Nelen is taking the term "glass cannon" to its most literal sense. He can't take a beating, but if he's fast with the incantations he won't need to because all that'll be infront of him is a pile of glowing purple ashes!

Jaie Swiftpaw, Monk of Many Talents

Its been a loooooooooong time since I did anything but Brewmaster as Jaie, pre-BfA really. In Legion I did all three specs, but that whole Azerite Armor mess and how it cost gold to redo your abilities on armor really killed a lot of the fun for me (seriously Ion, you knew that was a bad idea dammit.)

Welp, come Dragonflight my panda gal is multi-spec once more!

As a brewmaster I focus mostly on attacks that let her do a lot of AoE stuff for keeping aggro. Rushing Jade Wind (constant physical damage to all enemies within 8 yards,) Shadowboxing Treads (Blackout Kick does more damage and hits up to 3 targets,) Sal'salabim's Strength (Keg Smash resets Breath of Fire's cooldown,) and Dragonfire Brew (when you use Breath of Fire you breathe flames three times instead of once) along with some abilities like Light Brewing and Gift of the Ox for self healing and damage mitigation. I'm going to take Weapons of Order most likely for the ability to empower myself and summon Niuzao as well.

As a windwalker she's very combo focused and does a lot of single target damage, but has some decent multi-target abilities as well such as Whirling Dragon Punch (attack all nearby enemies for solid damage, but can only be used when both Fists of Fury and Rising Sun Kick are on cooldown,) Strike of the Windlord (strike with both fists at all enemies infront of you, dealing quite a bit of damage and reducing their movement speed by half,) and good ol' Faeline Stomp (deal nature damage in a line to up to five enemies and restore health to up to five allies, enemies who stand on it take additional damage as well and standing in it while attacking can reset it's cooldown.)

For mistweaving I'm more of a traditionalist. I tried "fistweaving" but it just wasn't for me. Jaie can summon Yu'lon for backup healing, has Upwelling to enhance Essence Font's power, Bonedust Brew for some extra healing AoE for her allies (and the bountiful brew upgrade so she sometimes just randomly tosses it to her target because thats REALLY useful in tight spots,) and of course the almighty Revival spell to heal everyone an dpurge all Magic, Poison, and Disease effects (saved a few raids with that baby!)

I really can't stress how happy I am about the talent trees letting us have this versatility again.

Samantha Montebank, Voidblade

I was rather surprised by this after how meh I was on it by the end of Shadowlands, but I've fallen in love with Subtlety. I was all set to focus on Assassination, especially with the 'four poisons at once' trick we get for it... but dammit I'm having fun with this!

It helps that Subtlety gets some REALLY nasty tricks this time around. Flagellation is back from our time with the Venthyr so yay for that, but also the fact that they went all in on making Subtlety void/shadow themed which character-wise fits her to a T.

... this is very important to me you see.

One of the best parts of this for me is the Secret Technique finishing move. She creates shadow clones of herself and they attack all enemies near her target, dealing quite a bit of damage at max combo points (which can be SEVEN if you take the right talents!)

See, in my story she's a void elf because of a void entity living in her mind... and in the story that void entity can manifest for brief moments as a shadowy copy of Sam herself.

Thats right! In my headcannon Secret Technique is actually her letting her spoopy friend out to play! I love it when stuff in game synchs up so well with my character ideas.

Also quite possibly my new favorite talent. It seems simple, but listen closely: "Dark Brew, your attacks that deal nature or bleed damage deal shadow damage instead, all shadow damage increased by 10%."

Yeah, it doesn't sound like much, but when most of your attacks already did Shadow damage this becomes a real killer. Like I said, its about as perfectly fittingly thematic for her as I could have asked, so Imma use it. :D

Dareley Steelhammer, Paladin of the Silver Hand

Imma stick with retribution for soloing most likely... but when it comes to almost any group content I say Holy Holy Holy. I just really love being a healadin!

It helps that my build for Dareley means that he's constantly healing multiple allies throughout fights. With stuff like Resplendent Light (Holy Light heals up to 5 targets within 12 yards for 8% of it's healing,) Light's Hammer (Hurl a light-infused hammer to the ground, damaging enemies and healing allies every 2 seconds for 14 seconds,) Divine Toll (cast holy shock on up to 5 targets within 30 yards and instantly cast holy shock every 5 seconds for 15 seconds,) Second Sunrise (Light of Dawn has a 20% chance to cast twice,) and Breaking Dawn (Light of Dawn now has a range of 40 yards) I can carry half a raid through a boss fight just by spamming Holy Light and using Light of Dawn as needed, saving the hammer and Divine Toll for emergencies.

I'm also going to take Blessing of the Seasons once I have the talent points. Yes I know its not a hugely popular one, but remember how I said theme matters to me? Well in my story he's close friends with my druid, and gee... "Blessing of Seasons" sounds rather... druid-y doesn't it?

Yeah, he may have learned a few tricks from her.

SPEAKING OF...

Shalandrae Deeproots, Druid of Many Roles

If I listed everything I was doing with Shalandrae we'd be here all night, so here's the shortened version:

Guardian Druid: Focusing on mainly stuff like thrash, brambles, blood frenzy, after the wildfire, twin moonfire, and such for constant AoE aggro generation. In her bear form she looks like a mountain and thats how I intend to do things. Keep the enemies wailing on the stone grizzly while my allies wail on them!

Feral Druid: Good gods Feral feels good right now doesn't it? I went with Feral Frenzy just because hot damn and I'm going to take Adaptive Swarm once I get the talent points again. Yes I could take Convoke the Spirits and I may yet, but I never did anything with druids and Maldraxxis and the concept intrigues me.

Balance Druid: FAERIE DRAGONS FAERIE DRAGONS DENEIZEN OF THE DREAAAAAAAAAAM! Ah gods thats such a cool idea, Also taking Wrath of Elune, Syzygy, and Sundered Firmament so I can get Three (COUNT 'EM, THREE) death star lasers whenever I dman well please! ... also Force of Nature because I missed my treants.

Restoration Druid: Adaptive swarm is a very useful spell for healers. I'm still experimenting but Verdant Infusion VERY much has my attention as it makes it so Swiftmend not only doesn't consume heal over time effects but extends them instead, along with Natural Wisdom which makes it so my Innervate spell, when cast on another, gets cast on me too (and automatic +5% mana regen bonus!) but overall... still feeling it out. Druids have a lot of options this time.

Zhan-min Irontummy, the Shamanbrewer

Even after the recent nerfs, Zhan-min is a freakin' MONSTER of an enhancement shaman! Molten Assault allows Lava Lash to spread Flame Shock around to up to four enemies, Improved Maelstrom Weapon empowers the damage or healing of his spells by up to 20% per stack, Overflowing Maelstrom lets him consume TEN stacks at once for +200% effect at the full ten, Hot Hand lets him get reduced cooldown and increased damage for Lava Lash on successful attacks with Flametongue, Ashen Catalyst gives Lava Lash +12% damage and reduces the cooldown by 0.5 seconds each time Flame Shock deals damage (and remember how I said that Molten Assault spreads Flame Shock around?) and the like.

Ontop of that Ice Strike and Hailstorm. Ice Strike makes Frost Shock deal 100% increased Damage, but Hailstorm increases Frost Shock damage and allows it to hit up to one additional target per stack of maelstrom consumed, up to five times. And yes, these stack!

So yeah, fire and ice in one big kablooey for my pudgy panda man. They may have nerfed him a bit, but he's still a freakin' powerhouse!

But yes, thats all my Alliance mains. I'll do my Horde roster tomorrow as its 4:00 AM here and my eyes are starting to do the leak-y thing again which usually means I should sleep.

[sword-of-summer]

All of them answer every question fuck you

ahahaha no i respectfully deny your "fuck you" and i accept the ask and so-

i am 5'10", and i don't wish to be taller or shorter- i am the perfect height for hugs and messy hair, and yep, i like it here-

dream pet would be a mix of golden retriver and a husky called Holly and a chonky cat called Loki- yes ofcourse my future kids have names everyone should name their future pets-

ripped jeans/black pants with a Darth Vader tshirt or a Ethnic Fusion Kurta with black sneakers/artificial leather slip-ons, and if it's cold, a black jacket open obviously- and a black wristwatch i love my black wristwatch.

favourite video game was Clash of Clans and going even back, GTA Vice City and, the og- MARIIOOOO

three things/people are Oreos, Nutella and Pizza. The Holy Trinity-

"Beware me my fingers are smeared with chicken popcorn grease"

you didn't mention an opinion, @chunkybirb, so imma give my opinion on Vanilla ice cream and Nutella- ANYONE WHO HADN'T COMBINED THESE TWO COMBINE THESE TWO THEY ARE FUCKING AWESOME

im either phlegmatic or melancholic bruh idk maybe ik or maybe not

im v v v v ticklish

not an allergy, but an intense hatred for ketchup- i vomit if it gets too close to me fuck you ketchup

im heterosexual

any between tea and coffee but full milk coffee (ik, kill me), never had cocoa- but i love a chocolate or nutella milkshake

both. both is good. (cat and dog)

i would be an elf cause hell yeah, knowledge and wisdom

favourite youtuber is Samay Raina, a stand up comedian turned youtuber who is just awesome-

as i mentioned in 1., i am 5'10"

i would not change my name cause it's the coolest fucking name ever, i am Tanay, and Tanay in Hindi means Son, and my parents literally named their son Son, and hell yeah i like it

i forgot how much i weigh- last i checked it was 75 kilos, but ive gained weight since 2019 so yep, gotta walk in the mornings

yes i believe in metaphysicality cause one- it seems cool- second- me and @theclassyghost discussed a metaphysical life theory that i really really like and metaphysicality gives preservation of knowledge so i believe in spirits

SPACE. SPACE. SPACE.

im not that religious, no

pet peeves no well nah not really

nocturnal def nocturnal i sleep at 4.50 anyway hehehehe

fav constellation is Cassiopeia

fav star is Sirius tho

what the fuck are ball jointed dolls

i do have a fear of losing people that's just anxiety i guess

yep, global warming is real

never thought that much about reincarnation tbh but maybe, i do

fav movie is Spider Man : Into The SpiderVerse and Inception and The Dark Knight Rises and Revenge of The Sith and yes, for my indian gang, 3 Idiots and Gully Boy

yep i get scared v v v easily

i have had no pets but i plan to once i grow up

@chunkybirb 's blog is fucking cool awesome and *chef's kiss* a masterpiece

blue calms me. i love blue.

live in Norway cause pretty lights, snow, and less people than this overpopulated country i am in

born in Mumbai, India

v v v dark brown like it's almost black but no it's dark brown

introvert

horoscopes and zodiacs, i do read them, never believed that much tbh-

HUGS I LOVE HUGS

i really wanna visit my brother i haven't met him in a long time i really wanna play cricket w him just like old times

my sister- she's annoying but well i care for her

nah

tattoos idk bruh im okay idk may get one or may not get one

nope, smoking is ewwww *vomits*

ah my crush- she's cool [ if she exists

when the chalk doesn't write on the board but goes iiiiiieeee I HATE THAT

a sound i love is rain pitter pattering i just hhhhhh sends me into happiness

nope fatass here

nope fatass here

favourite actors have to be eddie redmayne, oscar issac and pedro pascal- and margot robbie and winona ryder in the actresses section also yes, elliot page

bruh already answered in 30.

im okayish!! spotify and tumblr, cool combo-

my hair are okay being black for me

yesterday, monday, from 6.40 to 6.50

music

uhhh naah not that i know of

well in Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase books, the sword of Frey aka Sumarbrander TALKS and demands to be called Jack, so here i am

bakwaas, music and comfy

yep, i believe in evolution

unfollow on hate and when they dm me sending nsfw pics ugh why are people like that

follow, well, i like people and they seem cool, so i follow them

fav kind of person is the one who'll sit with me for hours not even talking and just vibing to music

fav animals are beavers, doggos and cats

three fav blogs are @chunkybirb, @theclassyghost, @little-boats-on-a-lake, @aredhel-of-gondolin, @sue-me-imbadass, @alleenkaas, @my-ackerman, @brrrrrrrrrrzone

fav emoticon has to be ☹ this me seeing my stupidity outrank others

fav meme has to be Butternut is a master of psychological manipulation

INTP

Libraaa let's go

no dog, i have

black darth vader tshirt, black pants, black sneakers and black wrist watch

i have no selfies my phone has no cameras i live in eternal darkness

what the fuck are platform shoes

i, uhhh, i remember weird things like what i drew in class in 3rd while i was supposed to be doing english

lazy ass here, no front flips possible

i like birds they fly

nope i don't Iike swimming i like blankets

wrapped up in blankets reading books sounds better than both

ketchup

hyperspace travel

nope none

reading writing eating sleeping

my friend

tumblr seems cool

i have around 60-70 idk

yes i can run but why

yes they do but what's the fun in that

nope I'd fall over

sapphire let's go

koala bear or panda

sunflower or the one on a lemon tree

ketchup store

one cup of coffee is enough, tysm

read minds that sounds cool cool yeaaahh

nope never wore it a black clothes guy here BatMan

winter winter all year long

i don't know and i don't wanna try

i don't know and i don't wanna know

everyone cause they are better than me

bookstores cause bookstores any bookstores

sneakers, black onez

apparently some gas bitches mixed up to form a planet

non vegetarian but i partake meat just twice or thrice in two weeks

i don't know they don't seem like liking

naaaaaaaah

bugs ew

spiders ew

about the fact that i come off as arrogant and overconfident while in reality it's just that my communication skills suck

i can draw averagely whenever im in a mood

this thing im answering but i like answering it

uhhhhhhh brain freeze- idk bruh questions are good they give knowledge

yep, while sleeping

ahh yes calming, they are

cloudy days cause fucking cool vibes

hehehe wouldn't you like to know, weatherboy

CumuloNimbus i really like it's name yknow nimBUS

dark blue, dark blue always or black

naaaah no freckles

fav thing is when they laugh and it's just happy and we're both laughing like shitheads but who cares we're rebelling against depressing life and we laugh

both. both is good [ fruits and vegetables

sleep but i have to answer 170 questions cause @chunkybirb

sky sky sky it's my blog's header duh uh sKy

sweet and sour candy. SWEET AND SOUR CANDY.

dim lights it makes me feel cool

ahhh so here we go- Mooncalfs, Thunderbirds, Phoenixes, Sphinxes, Dragons that seem to be Space Nebulae, and more and more and more

i really feel like a boomer sometimes

i love everything about this site/app it makes me feel happy cause i like the people and the posts

uhhhhh i think too much about everything cause i just do. i like thinking

"He's dead, guys. For the sake of The Force, please watch Star Wars now he wanted to discuss it with you" actually no i would just say "A big shoutout to Garlic Bread he loved Garlic Bread"

myself cause i should be sleeping but sleep is for the weak and i am the weak and the strong i am a paradox-

that i obsess too much on things and try involving people it never works out

nope. had braces for 4 years, that beat out teeth showing smiles

i prefer computer-tv ahahahahaha

never tried them, so IDK

naaaaah not motion sickness- never travelled by sea so idk seasickness

lobed ears

yep i believe that deeds do count in life and beyond

idk bruh i don't believe in physical attraction too much- bodies are fake- mentally/metaphysically tho, im a 7

ahhhhh many many Stupid Genius, Tani, Tanu, Tanya

i still do-

i really want to talk to a therapist. converse. and discover.

im both, i am both.

10:1 is the ratio- giving 10, receiving 1

uhhh nothing just when i am right and people use the old "disrespect" argument

3, Hindi, Marathi, English

girls

uhh no i am not

my hair i love them everyone says things about my hair but i love them

knowledge vibes i give, someone tells me- and that's all i ever wanted

anyone i know tbh, my mutuals, my friends, my discord friends

ahhh no i wouldn't but i wish i was born 20 years earlier

bleh bloo, neither like nor dislike

i don't know if i have one

i don't know, haven't had physical contact in a long long long time in a galaxy far far away

the above point stands but i would like to ig

anything i write, 3 hours later, i instantly hate just idk why

anything i write

that i am normal no i am not and i am not okay hahahahaha

65-70 ish people

somewhere around-

many many many don't ask please but okay if you do ask

somewhat

uhhhhh idr exactly but i won't tell in public duh uh

mediummm hairrrr

last year lockdown i became harry potter

i don't know buddy i seriously don't know

yep i do cause knowledge i like knowledge

naaah never tried

no i definitely cannot stand on my hands or my head for more than 30 seconds

yep, im pretty sure i answered most of them correctly-

og link-

[saltybiowarefantears]

1, 10, 14, 36, and 43 for the dragon age ask meme!! :)

101 Dragon Age Questions

1. How did you get into Dragon Age?

Short answer is Alex (mostly). Long answer is when we moved to a new town years ago, I was suuuuuper depressed and stuck at home while looking for work. He plopped me down in front of Mass Effect to pass the time. Was active on deviantart for a while writing fan fic and befriended someone (I miss you allelujah-kyrios, wherever you are *blows kiss into space*) who loved Alistair. She was the first one to kind of mention Dragon Age and I think I just kind of started playing some time after that when Alex bought it as a cheap bundle.

10. Share a pic of your favorite OC from any DA game.

adfkjklasf it Eva.... because of course it is

14. Favorite DA:O party combo?

My canon Warden is a dual-wielding rogue, so I almost always go with Alistair, Morrigan and either Dog or Shale depending on how far I am. Force Morrigan to spec into healing when I pick up Wynne because that is both game sense and also HILARIOUS.

36. What kind of DLC do you hope for for DA:I DA4?

If it's essentially the end of the main series, I demand a Citadel-esque DLC. Give me the fan service, the closure, the happy sighs and laughter to process what undoubtedly will kill me in the main game. That or some sort of expansion-esque thing letting us explore Arlathan before the fall. Let me run around and read lore and talk to people and just... see this beautiful city. I'm a sucker for gorgeous city designs (Altissia from Final Fantasy XV is one of my favorites.)

43. Favorite romance overall so far?

THIS IS SO TOUGH WHYYYYYY. Ok I will cop-out with a bullshit which I personally adore as in would romance and which I love as an experience/narrative. First for the personal preference is Alistair. The big Ali-bear. My beloved. He's funny, sweet, compassionate, grows and matures along with you during your journey... I love him so much. Now for narrative... Solas. akwdjsflkas I KNOW OK. Listen though, I'm literally at the time of writing this languishing waiting for the last novel in a series that involves the main character romancing the embodiment of winter and death. Don't at me, I know my romance taste in books is absolute trash. But I cannot help my trash panda tendencies. It's forbidden romance, it's the longing, it's the heartache, *channeling readwithcindy * it's about the yearning. Anyway I like bittersweet romance and what's more bittersweet in DA romances than boyfriend ghosts you for two years, shows back up as Big Bad, monologues for five minutes, kisses you goodbye and takes your arm.

That's all of them! Thanks so much for the ask! I love doing these and rambling in something other than the tags for once. If anyone else wants to send one, the link to the list is at the beginning or here (x) if you don't want to scroll back up.

[recentanimenews]

Monster Mash? Non-Scary Anime for Halloween Wimps

  Halloween is generally viewed as a season of supernatural thrills, but some us—even some of us who routinely watch horror movies or read scary stories—aren't always in the mood for the terrifying and the macabre. Some of us, in fact, are gigantic, rubbery babies when it comes to anything more frightening than E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, so what are we supposed to do when October rolls around and suddenly the Internet is flush with features proclaiming which scary anime are essential Halloween viewing?

  Fear not, gentle reader, for this article features nothing but the cutest, funniest, gentlest, or strangest viewer recommendations for anime involving things that go bump in the night. Below please find (in alphabetical order) a curated chronicle of some nine shows that are more sweet than spooky.

    Actually, I Am

  Year Aired: 2015

  Contents: Vampires, demons, gender-bending werewolves, very tiny aliens

  Profile: When Asahi Kuromine's would-be crush, Yoko Shiragami, turns out to be a vampire in disguise, she's allowed to continue attending the same school as her human friends so long as no one else learns her true identity, a task that is complicated by Asahi's general inability to keep quiet as well as the presence of numerous other supernatural entities among the class and faculty.

  Comfort Level: A cozy evening under the kotatsu, with plenty of mandarin oranges on hand.

  Where you can find it: Actually, I Am is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, and the series is also released on DVD and Bluray in North America by Eastern Star. An English language version of the original manga is available from Seven Seas Entertainment under the title My Monster Secret.

    Cuticle Detective Inaba

  Year Aired: 2013

  Contents: Werewolves, mad scientists, goats with a penchant for organized crime

  Profile: Former police dog turned private detective Hiroshi Inaba (who is also a werewolf) was ready to leave his old life behind, but his previous partner keeps dragging him into investigations involving the nefarious Valentino Family, a Mafia organization led by Don Valentino, for whom the letters “g.o.a.t.” take on a meaning other than “greatest of all time”.

  Comfort Level: A play session with a friendly but precocious puppy.

  Where you can find it: Cuticle Detective Inaba is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, and the series is also available on Bluray and DVD from Sentai Filmworks.

Demon Girl Next Door, The

  Year Aired: 2019

  Contents: Demon girls, magical girls, overly dramatic familiars

  Profile: One day, Yuko Yoshida awakens to her dark destiny as “Shadow Mistress Yuko” (“Shamiko” for short) and learns that she must spill the blood of a magical girl in order to break the seal on her family's diabolical powers. Unfortunately, Shamiko's a complete wuss who can't even throw a punch and the local magical girl, Momo Chiyoda, is a physical powerhouse, so the two end up becoming close friends instead.

  Comfort Level: Winning a particularly grueling thumb-wrestling match against your kid cousin.

  Where you can find it: The Demon Girl Next Door is currently streaming on HIDIVE and VRV.

    Don Dracula

  Year Aired: 1982

  Contents: Vampires, vampire hunters, enthusiastic large women who long to be bitten

  Profile: A horror-themed comedy based on the manga by none-other-than Osamu Tezuka himself, Don Dracula only managed to animate 8 episodes before the commercial sponsors funding it went bankrupt. Highlights of the series include Dracula's cute daughter, Chocola, and Van Helsing having an intestinal emergency and taking a poop in Dracula's coffin.

  Comfort Level: Realizing that even people regarded as artistic geniuses have a few turkeys in their body of work.

  Where you can find it: Don Dracula used to be available via streaming on Viki and YouTube, but at the time of this writing, these videos are no longer available in the United States.

    Flying Witch

  Year Aired: 2016

  Contents: Witches, seasonal spirits, vegetables with a threatening aura

  Profile: A cozy little tale that follows the apprentice training of a would-be witch with no sense of direction as she lives with her cousins in the Japanese countryside, Flying Witch celebrates all of the little things that make life worth living, such as gathering wild herbs, spontaneously chasing pheasants, and making poor life decisions after imbibing a few too many adult beverages.

  Comfort Level: Being swaddled in your warmest blanket with a warm cup of cocoa (complete with marshmallows) on a chilly winter day.

  Where you can find it: Flying Witch is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, and the series is also released on DVD and Bluray in North America by Sentai Filmworks. An English language version of the Flying Witch manga is published by Vertical.

    How to Keep a Mummy

  Year Aired: 2018

  Contents: Tiny mummies, tiny dragons, tiny creatures of myth and folklore

  Profile: Caring for an animal companion can be a huge responsibility, but what if the pet in question is an ancient Egyptian mummy that can fit in the palm of your hand? How to Keep a Mummy is a short-form series that's sure to deliver bite-sized moments of bliss for even the sternest monster-lovers.

  Comfort Level: A sixty minute YouTube compilation of pandas falling over, set to smooth jazz.

  Where you can find it: How to Keep a Mummy is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

  Interviews with Monster Girls

  Year Aired: 2017

  Contents: Teenage vampires, teenage yuki onna, teenage dullahans, teacher succubi

  Profile: Overcoming physical disabilities and pushing back against social stigmas are a daily challenge for the demihuman high school students in this heart-warming and humorous TV anime based on the manga by Petos. And you thought your adolescence was weird...

  Comfort Level: The realization, muted by the distance of decades, that maybe high school wasn't that terrible after all.

  Where you can find it: Interviews with Monster Girls is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. An English language version of the original manga is available from Kodansha Comics, and the series is released in North America on a Bluray/DVD combo pack by Funimation.

  Is This a Zombie?

  Years Aired: 2011 - 2012

  Contents: Zombies, necromancers, ninja vampires, magical garment girls

  Profile: Ayumu Aikawa is an ordinary high school student who has to deal with the curse of undeath as well as a harem of supernatural interlopers including a reticent necromancer and a chainsaw-wielding magical girl in this light novel-based comedy that is silly, ultra-violent, and just a bit lewd.

  Comfort Level: That numb, prickly sensation you get when you sleep in a weird position and your entire left arm falls asleep.

  Where you can find it: Both seasons of Is This a Zombie? are currently streaming on Funimation, and Funimation also releases the series in North America on a Bluray/DVD combo pack. An English language version of the manga adaptation is also available from Yen Press.

    Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood.

  Year Aired: 2018

  Contents: Moe vampires, moe vampire enthusiasts, a thinly-disguised Amazon.com

  Profile: It's a tale as old as time: girl meets girl. Girl loses girl. Girl discovers girl is a centuries old vampire, then gets girl back again by unceremoniously moving into her mansion along with her collection of creepy dolls. Vampire girl orders otaku merchandise online. Vampire girl's friends show up. Truly, it's a close encounter of the moe kind.

  Comfort Level: The supreme satisfaction of ordering pizza online and then having it delivered straight to your door and eating it off of paper plates rather than cooking a real meal and then having to clean up the kitchen and the dishes afterwards.

  Where you can find it: Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood. is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

    And there you have it, a (mostly) wholesome list of monster-themed anime for celebrating the Halloween season in a not-too-spooky manner. The titles here are by no means exhaustive—we didn't even mention Toei's 1980 masterpiece, Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned (pictured above)—nor did we delve into other honorable mentions such as As Miss Beelzebub Likes it. or MONSTER MUSUME EVERYDAY LIFE WITH MONSTER GIRLS.

  There's a whole world of cute and cuddly Halloween-appropriate anime out there, just waiting to be discovered. What are some of your favorite non-scary series? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to have a Happy Halloweeen!

    ---------

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[shimmerjjang]

VIP Diaries: (Meeting Seungri!!!) The Great Seungri Show in Manila 2019

Hello 안녕 안녕 shimmers and VIPs! Wow, I’ve been wanting to publish this post for a while now because this experience I had during The Great Seungri Show in Manila is a FIRST in my whole life as a BIGBANG VIP! I met Seungri and I got the sweet sweet chance to be in a photo with him. Not a standee, not a poster but the real Seungri!! Gurlll, I could go on and on about this but let me compose myself for a bit and talk about The Great Seungri Tour which happened in MOA Arena last January 19, 2019.

So, if you know me or if you’ve been following my SNS and happened to see one of my posts from last year, you’d know how much I loathe this area. I swore I won’t even go anywhere near Mall of Asia after the trauma I had from this horrible incident. And after that, I never attended any sort of event if it’s held around this area.

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME back here in months. Only BIGBANG can bring me back! The bitter memories are now replaced, thanks my Panda Seungri!!

This VIP concert experience is made possible by K-Music Insider! I’m beyond grateful for this chance because the truth is, my budget didn’t allow me to shed 10k upfront that time for the VIP seats and photo-op opportunity. I would’ve settled for a cheaper lower box ticket but I still made sure I hop into giveaways with the goal of getting a photo-op pass in mind. And dear heavens K-Music Insider blessed me with one! 넘너무 행복해 ㅠㅠ

Gates opened at 7pm and I entered the venue at around 7:15. There weren’t crazy lines so I just went straight to the entrance. There weren’t any chaos (thank goodness) and I know it’s a good thing, but I’m kinda sad too because we weren’t able to fill the entire arena. The show was announced late so many VIPs weren’t able to prepare them fundsss (including me haha)

BUT when the show started, it didn’t feel like the arena isn’t full! It was a whole new party out there!! Just exactly as how I expect a BIGBANG concert should be. I mean, Seungri is a total charmer and I’m sure all VIPs know that he’s the best at sweeping the crowd off their feet compared to the rest of the members. Seungri has been my bias wrecker since 2012! Oh well, but yo gurl is tough and my heart for G-Dragon won’t be swayed by anything!!!! \\(^^,)//

Here are some fancams I managed to take. I know, I wasn’t able to take that much because I really want to savor the moment. Also, this is my first time to attend a concert without my sister or cousin (huhuhuhu) so I don’t have someone to take turns with recording. But then again, all throughout my life as a K-Pop fangirl, I have learned how important it is to really get into the moment instead of recording each and every part of the show. So yep, enjoy my mini fancams! 

Opening MV - Where R U From

BANG BANG BANG

Intro Talk (Some in Tagalog)

GG BE

If You

Where R U From

Fire - 2NE1 Sandara 

I am the BEST - 2NE1 Sandara

Go Away - 2NE1 Sandara

Dahil Sa’yo Tagalog Cover - Pandara (Seungri & Sandara)

Seungri calling his mom (haha!)

Tagumpay (Seungri’s self-composed Tagalog song LOL)

We Like 2 Party

셋 셀테니 (1,2,3)

In My World

I’m so proud of Seungri! This is his first ever solo world tour and I can see that he did so well in pleasing and wowing the crowd despite the absence of his hyungs. 

Did you watch the whole video? BOYYY I CHOKED WHEN HE SLAYED THAT TAGALOG SONG!! I swear that song by Inigo Pascual annoyed me for a while because I hear it everywhere. But gurllll, who would’ve thought that I’d learn how to love it. I’ve been singing it subconsciously right after the concert. I mean, I’m gonna be honest, he sounded more native than Sandara and Ryan Bang (he showed up briefly on stage too along with Anne Curtis) LOL

Dara was also a guest for Seungri’s show. Well, Sandara has always been a steady guest whenever BIGBANG would show up here for a tour! That’s OG YG Family for you, children! The 2NE1 songs she performed were immensely nostalgic. How can my eyes well up over happy songs? I’m still hoping for a 2NE1 reunion to fulfill my empty Blackjack heart! :(

Seungri has always been the life of the party and he’s so good at being in variety shows! That’s what he served us during his concert. For a short moment we all thought we mistakenly entered a comedy bar, not a concert LOL Seungri made my stomach burst out of laughter the entire night. He’s just GOLD! He even savaged his fellow BIGBANG members in front of us. haha! Ang lakas ng loob kasi everyone’s in the military haha

Seungri showed us funny photos of every BIGBANG member for him to roast... EXCEPT for T.O.P... So naturally, us VIPs will ask and look for him. When he wrapped the photos up without including TOP, all of us went “Where’s TOP?!!!” I honestly thought he’ll just brush it off, considering all the crazy controversy surrounding TOP, I won’t be surprised if he’ll just ignore us. But Seungri didn’t. He heard us and he gave us a very reassuring answer.

VIPS: “TOP!!! TOP!!! Where’s TOP?”

SEUNGRI: “Ah, TOP? He’s fine! I just wanna say he’s okay.”

ME: Wooooh!!! OMG OMG *hyperventilating*

SEUNGRI: “He’s super okay. Yeah. He will come back soon, don’t worry!”

VIPs: *crying and going wild*

SEUNGRI: “You know what, now in BIGBANG, TOP is MOST OKAY! hahaha We are all okay..”

ME: LAUGHING WHILE CRYING UGLY TEARS

Watch the full clip of that comedic/unexpectedly emotional part here..

The entire show lasted for around 3 hours, I think. Seungri gave us major K-Pop throwback as he also sang a lot of his great hits from his early solo career (Strong Baby, Gotta Talk to U, GG BE..), as well as BIGBANG’s! It was an amazing show full of nostalgia. 

Here’s my only #OOTD shot from the concert, together with my fellow mod at BIGBANG Philippines - Chi! 

We, along with the ladies of 2NE1 PH, as well as other VIP friends lined up for the photo-op right after the concert. Each photo with Seungri will be done by 10s and we’re fortunate enough to be the last ones in line so there were just 8 of us.

AND NOW! TADAAAAAA!! Here’s our official group photo courtesy of LOONG Studio, the official promoter for Seungri’s Manila leg of the tour.

I mean, let that sink in for a short moment. Gurl, MY EXISTENCE GOT PULVERIZED! I wasn’t sure of what was happening and if it really was happening at all. For the first time in my 10-year VIP fangirl life, I was able to see and interact with a BIGBANG member. INSANE!

As I was walking towards Seungri, my mind went blank. I just stretched my hand for him to shake and I told him that he did great on stage. OH DEAR I remember him just looking back at me, smiling and thanking me for coming to his show. I’m in a trance! And because I went straight to him and approached him first, I totally forgot everything I initially planned. I have my phone in hand to secretly record everything just for my personal memento but totally forgot!! Also planning to stand beside him (I was 2nd in line so I could’ve done that) but chose to just talk to him first so by the time I was done talking, everyone got settled already while I’m still lost in front of him! Also planned to stand on his right side because that’s my freakin’ angle but totally forgot!!! HAHAHAHA Basically, my mind stopped functioning LOL but I’m so happy I got to interact with the King of all Maknaes, SEUNGRI. Everything happened so fast and when we were asked to leave, I made sure I told him I love him! HAHA He’s probably tired of hearing that from everybody but at least I let it out my chest. ^^

Say hello to my very nervous smile!!!! HAHAHA My heart was about to pop out of my mouth! SEUNGRI is just super handsome and I’m not just saying this because I’m a fan. Like he’s legit handsome and his smile is so dreamy. He’s just genuinely friendly and there’s this warmth from him that makes you forget he’s a star. I guess I’m used to seeing K-Pop stars being cold in real life, but definitely not Seungri! 

Ah, seeing him so close is definitely one for the books! Ah also, I would like to thank my Moonshot x Innisfree combo for keeping my foundation on point despite going crazy the entire night. hihihi~~ (I will review these two soon, promise!)

I’m beyond happy to see Seungri’s last show before he enlists. Their OT5 comeback may take a while because of their military schedule and all these sad controversies that still stir everything up unnecessarily! But hey, we’re all waiting at the Flower Road (꽃길) so I can only hope that the kings stay healthy and happy. 

My next goal is to see all BIGBANG members in their Final world tour in Seoul - 2020, 2021, who knows! Really hoping to have the same amazing opportunity like this to meet all of them next time. IT WILL HAPPEN I CAN FEEL IT! <3

Read more of my VIP Diares here or my other K-Pop shenanigans here.

[shy-violet-soul]

Try to Remember (2)

Summary:  Continuation: A forgotten memory surfaces and breaks Rae’s heart.  How will the boys, with their own heartbroken history, help her heal? (Read Part 1 HERE) Warnings: Graphic descriptions of injuries/fatal injuries; grief; parent death; depression; angsty fluff Pairing:  OFC Rae Himmel, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel  Rating: Mature due to descriptions of canon-type gore Word count: 1300-ish

A/N:  We all love the funny moments with the brothers.  But their sensitivity to someone else’s pain has always broken my heart a little, and I wanted to explore that. This is a companion piece to Life is Good (for you) & Just Desserts. You don’t have to read them to understand this story. This is my OFC Rae’s “origin” story. 

A huge, sparkly, fluffy hug to my 2 betas @pinknerdpanda and @thesassywallflower. Ladies, you get all the Sam cuddles!

This is a work of fiction based upon characters created and owned by the CW. My work is not to be copied/distributed elsewhere without my written permission.

To listen to for this part: Try to Remember by Harry Belafonte

After a half hour of just sitting on the shower floor, letting the hot water pour over her, Rae finally found the energy to get up. Busting out her fancy, boutique soap and expensive, impressive in-shower lotion, she scrubbed. The debrided bits of painful memory from her careful box washed away, soothed with shea butter and the newer notes of Winchester hugs. A little achy, a little empty, Rae felt both tethered and light as she bundled her favorite fleece robe around her. A knock on her door frame caught her attention as she combed out her wet hair.

“Cas! I didn’t know you were here!”

The angel took in her genuine smile along with the puffy, drawn pallor as he accepted her hug.

“Do you mind if we sit a moment, Rae?”

“Of course, please.”

A methodical, analytical thinker herself, Rae had never chafed under Castiel’s considering stares. She only smiled as the blue eyed angel tilted his head as he pondered her.

“I know you have questions, Rae. About your parents’ death.” Rae only nodded, waiting for him to continue. “I also want to tell you how sorry I am for your loss. It’s always awful to watch someone you love die.”

Rae dropped her gaze to her hands, feeling the echo of her pain in her ribs. It thrummed anew as she thought about the times Cas had watched his own loved ones die. Two of them repeatedly.

“No, it never is.”

“I have those answers for you, Rae. Dean and Sam had me follow up on your case while they cared for you.” Cas sighed gently as he glanced around her room. “Knowledge. It doesn’t always end pain. In the millenia I’ve watched God’s children on this Earth, I’ve learned something. I think that the resonance an answer carries depends upon the heart that receives it. A soul fueled by anger, by fear - answers can trap them. Anger and fear take over their lives. But a soul led be compassion and hope accepts the pain along with the truth. They let it be their freedom.”

Cas’ words cast about in her ears. More weary than she could ever remember being, Rae braced herself for anger, more tears; but numbness lapped at her instead. The achy spot where her cobbled box sat empty in her chest pinched at her, but with no true threat. She lifted her eyes and met Cas’ gaze unblinkingly.

“What is my soul led by, Cas?”

After a moment, the angel smiled at her with heart-tugging gentleness, and took her hand.

“The Thule Society is a splinter group of the Nazi Party.  They’ve practiced the dark arts and necromancy since before the second World War. Another group of Jewish Rabbis known as the Judah Initiative have fought against them for decades, their mission to stop their evil ways once and for all. The Thule High Command also made up Hitler’s inner circle, with their chief goal being to bring Hitler back from the dead. The leader of this effort was a man called Nauhause. After he died, his son, Christoph, swore he would abandon all heinous deeds of his father. Sam and Dean believed him.

A few weeks before your parents’ death, a member of the Judah Initiative contacted the Winchesters. He said he’d discovered that a sect of the Thules had happened upon a list of supposed Judah Initiative operatives who had immigrated to America after the war, and was systematically killing who they saw as enemies. The name of one of them was Aleksender Himmel.”

Cas’ heart thumped in sympathy as Rae’s eyes widened.

“My...my father’s name was…”

“Alexander Himmel.”

Rae honestly didn’t think she could hurt anymore, but the tightness in her throat wringing out fresh tears proved her wrong. Cas squeezed her hand, offering her wordless comfort.

“The worst part of the whole thing, Cas? My father was adopted. He wasn’t Jewish by birth,” a sob choked off the word as Rae covered her face and cried. “My parents were murdered by a monster because of a spelling mistake.”

Cas twitched as her pain emanated in cold, chilling waves, poking pinches against his vessel. After a moment, Cas couldn’t subdue the urge any longer.

“It’s appropriate in many societal groups to offer an embrace to one in pain. I would like to offer you an embrace, Rainbow, as I’m reasonably certain this societal group finds it acceptable.”

Rae snuffled out a chuckle as she flopped her arms around Cas’ shoulders.

“Your reasonable certainty is correct, and I accept, Cas.”

The two friends sat in a companionable silence for a moment before Rae leaned back, wiping at her eyes. She offered him a shy smile that was all fatigue and flusterment.

“Thank you, Cas. I mean it.”

“Rae, nothing will ever erase the pain of your loss, I know. But I can tell you I’ve seen their souls in heaven. They remember nothing of that moment, and their heaven is all moments with you.”

Bittersweetness trembled on her lips as Rae nodded her thanks. Dean suddenly poked his head around the doorway.

“I hate to break this up, but movie night is on in the Dean Cave in five. C’mon, you two.”

Rae huffed a chuckle as she let the men bundle her along the hall to the Dean Cave. The elder Winchester had commandeered one of the rooms, tricking it out with a couch, recliners, and a non-possessed flat screen that shone in a place of honor in all its HD splendor. Rae was given the comfiest seat, the middle of the recliner-couch combo unit. The brothers had gone all out - someone made an emergency run, and an array of theatre candy was waiting for them. Twizzlers, Junior Mints, M&M’s, Dean’s nasty black licorice, and Skittles.  Each one of them had their own bowl of popcorn, and Sam produced a surprise with a smiling flourish.

“3-D glasses! And, I did some research. The best movies to watch in 3-D are ‘Iron Man’, ‘Kung Fu Panda’, and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’. We’ve got all three. Rae, you pick the first one!” Sam urged, holding out the DVD cases excitedly.

Rae went with ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ first with a promise to Dean that ‘Iron Man’ would be second. While Cas blandly pointed out that night fury dragons didn’t really look like that, and that their belly scales were more dark blue in color, Dean started a personal contest on how many popcorn bits he could flick into Sam’s hair without him noticing. Dean and Sam got into a heated debate on how possible Tony Stark’s tech actually was. Rae stealthily dropped Skittles into Dean’s beer, laughing until tears smarted her eyes when he gagged at the first chewy, fizzy swallow. And as Master Shifu said goodbye to Oogway in a beautiful billow of blossoms, Sam slid his fingers into Rae’s hand.

“See? ‘There are no accidents’. You’re here. We’re here,” he whispered to her, wishing he could see her eyes behind the 3-D glasses.

Rae was glad he couldn’t. Her heart wasn’t ready to look too closely at the softer, warmer feelings she had been ignoring for weeks. She knew she couldn’t forget the pain of her past. To heal, she needed to remember. But, not just the pain. She would try to remember the love of her parents. Her dad’s Old Spice cologne, her mom dropping socks, and them holding hands. She would try to remember Cas’ compassion, and the safety and comfort she felt right now - resting among her friends, sugar high in her veins, laughter in her ears.

For now, Rae offered Sam a soft, tender smile, and snuggled herself in a hug around his arm. Rubbed her cheek against his shoulder just a breath. And studiously ignored Dean’s approving, ‘go get him’ wink.

She would try to remember it all.

[utopia-game]

INTERVIEW: Sadira sits down with Maugrim

Good morning Utopians! With the smell of baked goods, look who ventured onto my stoop. Its Maugrim!! Morning Maugrim. Mmmm cookies. Hello! Lets get some generic questions out of the way then we will pick your brain later. Tell everyone who you play for currently. Currently I play/lead in Barcoloco. I helped form it with a few others back in.. 2017? What exactly is a Barcoloco? Haha, good question! The name comes from one of our founders, Cappodocians, who once owned a bar named Barcoloco. We didn't have a kd name for a while, so we just used that and it kind of stuck after a while. That is actually rather cool. Its hard to come up with good names anymore. How long have you been playing Utopia? Too long. I first got a taste in Grade 8 Socials Studies class, so either late '99 or early '00. I don't recall exactly. Those early years are a bit of blur. You were young. Were you hooked right away? Not right away, no. I played solo for a little while and didn't care too much. I was more into Earth 2020 I think in the first years or so. I would just make big exploring/dicing provs, but eventually I kept getting farmed so I decided to try some more offensive strats and that's when I started talking in the forums more and then getting over to ICQ and then really getting hooked once i found out about warring I was definitely hooked by my final year in high school, because I remember staying after school to use the computers to hit during war. So basically you have been playing since the start of Utopia. Are there any other games you play? You mentioned Earth 2020. What else piques your interest? These days I mostly just screw around with friends on a bunch of games. League, Tarkov, CSGO. I played AoE II since about the same time as utopia, so that's probably another one I was pretty involved in and still play quite a bit of. I just finished the new FF7. That was alright I suppose. I guess I buy lots of random games and play them. I invest more time into utopia than all the other games combined though. So she's number one in my heart. I think the game doesn't allow you to casual play if you are monarch and serious about winning. Plus the community makes it fun. Do you have a significant other or friends you have tried to get to play Utopia? Haha, significant others and utopia haven't always worked together for me in the past. I always look forward to that first conversation about the depths of my utopia depravity when dating someone new. As for friends, one of my closer friends to this day was in that same Grade 8 class, and he played pretty heavily in the early days and then kinda came back off and on as I really needed players throughout the years. He's currently on again. There have been a few others that played early on i've tried to bring back, but no luck. A few years ago we created an IRL only ****** kingdom, and we won a few times with that. That was a nice experience. Would you like to give a shout out to any past kds you have played for in Utopia? Ohhh. Lets see. andn00bs, Zenobias Zealots, FAITH/IC, Reunion, Pandas, and Barcoloco. I played in lots of others, but I think these are the ones I spent the most time in. I hope I'm not forgetting any! Oh you played in ZZ? I didn't realize that. Talk about a blast from the past. Who do you think you learned the most about this game from or do you feel self taught? I did. I played with the legends Delm and filip and co. But then I also kinda rebooted it long after they had left. I've definitely had mentors over the years. To name a few people I really respected and learned a lot from.. Doccy, Delm, CGG, and hesus. I would often encounter some sick players though who I would always try to pick up tricks from: Twit, martin, kneten, Trekdrop, jordy probably a million others. There's a certain bit of self taught too, just being around so long and having done everything so many times i think leaves its impression. It also speaks volumes if being around for a long time, you actually care to learn more instead of going through the motions. Let's talk about your current kd, Barco. How would you describe your kd and kdmates? Well, love for everyone there. There's a solid 15 of us who have been together now over 3 years so you really get to know people after that long. Especially with the amount of time we spend together on here. It's kind of like a family. We've had our ups and downs, both in game and as a team. We had a player pass away not too long ago, Sonny, who was a big part of our team. That was a bit rough. Then you have your successful ages and your not so successful ages. I look back to all the kingdoms I've played in over the years and I can't really take away the same love from any of them as I do for Barco. It's just a different experience than the rest. Probably because I am older and super emo now. Shout out to Eleu, my uto queen. As for Barco itself, I mean, the only quad crown in uto history!! COME ON. We just love to war and have a good time, and typically we try not to stress too much. But sometimes this game can be frustrating!! Congrats on that! Is that your kd goal every age? Well, yes and no. We certainly don't play to whore and go for land every age. We are a warring first kingdom and if we do well at that early, we typically will push for the quad or triple or something. Today's kingdom landscape is pretty lacking, so the days of whoring and warring coexisting are kind of over. We definitely like to set the bar pretty high and see what we can do. It's hard to turn off the competitive drive. We also take into account irl things. I recently took a new job so it's been harder to play the way we want, and yeah, sometimes things fall during an age and you kind of adjust accordingly. It's nice to relax a bit, but like I said, it's hard to turn that competitiveness off completely! Its ingrained. I have tried casual ages, it doesn't work for me. To what do you attribute the successes of your kd to? That's a good question. I'm not really sure. I think we've been pretty innovative over the ages which has definitely led to some success. I think a big part of it too is the group of people we have. Most of us have all played together for so long we all just kind of know the routine. Organization and micro are a result of that which can be all the difference needed between two kingdoms. Truthfully, we don't have a lot of veteran players. We have a healthy mix of new and old and I think that keeps things fresh for everyone and there's always something to play for. Is there a particular race combo that you love and find yourself always wanting to play? I'm a smash and grab guy myself. I love the heavy hitters. Avian has always been a favourite. When I was solo, I think I played dwarf every age, so there's always been a soft spot for that. I've done the whole TM thing many times, but I always miss farming acres. Do you have any suggestions to potential new players or existing players that might find themselves lost? Get out while you still can! I think the utodiscord community is always willing to help if you are looking for it. That is mean! Alot of us 'quit' and look, we are back at it. Haha yep, uto is a cruel mistress. If you could go back in time and give the 'newb' you one piece of advice, what would it be? Other then to run? 40% TG is not a viable strat and releasing wizards DOES NOT help overpop. I am trying hard not to laugh right now. HAHA Describe any funny or peculiar incidents that made you either laugh hysterically or had you wanting to throw your computer or phone out the window. Oh jeez, there are many. When I went to sleep thinking the age was over and settling for a triple crown but waking up to see the kingdom who was #1 WW at the time declared war on someone and dropped enough points to give us the WW crown also. That was funny. A certain kingdoms war spoils wave on us then farming them. That was funny. Back in Identity Crisis when noh0 scripted a province into Glitter(?) so we could farm them again then all getting deleted. That was funny. I pretty much want to throw my computer out the window every war start between oops and unnecessary bounces. Oh the time I cast blizzard on someone and bounced him. That was funny too. There are plenty of kingdom discussions that have me laughing hysterically which make this game so much fun. I think that is why I play this game and the people I play with. Anytime you can laugh at a screen and people around you wonder WTF, always makes me chuckle. Do you want to talk about this last war against Hipmunks and what pushed you guys in the rankings? In the early days I played this game for the game itself and trying to outplay people. Now I play the game more so for the people. Everyone in utopia nowadays have something in common in that we all share a love for this game. Whether we get along or not, we're all pretty similar in that sense. I love that about this game. There's usually a certain respect for one another, even through all the flaming. Yeah, Hipmunks were the obvious choice for our next war. They had been sitting OOW for a little bit, but they were interested. We had already been planning to make a push, so getting that war was essential. We ended up playing quite well and having some good gains both land wise and honour wise. Hipmunks has been doing super well the past few ages, many people were shocked the war wasn't a little tighter. What do you think was the advantage your kd had over Hipmunks? Well, truthfully I thought it would be closer myself. I guess a few things come mind. We were just coming OOW so BE was nice and all that. They also suffered from some classic utopia bug at war start which left them without war ops right at the start and a normal relations dragon on us. I guess the rest of it came down to our strat of high def and not allowing them too much room to maneuver at the start. Then our avian attack time and better chaining range took over. If you could sit down and have a drink with DavidC, what would you be drinking and what suggestions would you like to mention? I think DavidC hates me because I msg him all the time about things i am frustrated about. I'd probably want to keep it light, maybe a Guinness, or a nice craft sour. If we start to get into it, i'd like maybe some gin cocktails or a negroni or something. I'd ask him to be more proactive with age changes and communication with the community. I have lots of concerns about this game, but simple communication is easy and it shouldn't be a problem we face continuously age in and out. Anything you would like to add or any shout outs to any players? I guess I'd just like to say thank you to everyone for making this game so enjoyable over the years even if it's lost me jobs, sleep, girlfriends, time, money, sobriety, etc. Shoutout to everyone in Barco and everyone else i've played with over the years. Cheers to many more ages of frustration and lack of sleep (at least, some part of me hopes this game continues in some form, i can't imagine life without it!) Oh, i'd also ask DavidC to make another war tournament server. I've asked this a bunch of times already though! Bonus question, and I hope you haven't cheated on this seeings I ask it in every interview and so far no one has gotten it correct. What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow? 56 mph? Good guess but Wrong! -=tosses him off the bridge=- Thanks Maugrim for taking time out to talk to me. I wish you and Barco lots of luck in the future. Thank you! This was fun!