#flashback quote

[dd-dailybarks]

"A-again, the same terrible dream..."

[apricusnights]

Stories from the past #6: To stand before a god.

There have been many stories through the years of those who went before one of the five emperors, beings of such enormous power it's said they could part the seas, and split the sky.

Whether or not the stories of the emperors are exaggerated or not remains to be seen. In the end though, the five emperors remain some of the, if not the most power people to exist.

Every so often someone may attempt to run the gauntlet of dangers required to receive an audience. Sometimes it's to ask a favor, sometimes it's to request a blessing, perhaps others simply believe their strength is enough to challenge one of the great beings.

This is a story passed down from generation to generation of a family. A story of arrogance, acceptance of one's self, and passage into adulthood.

Time: Many years ago.

Location: ???

A young woman nearly collapses as she pulls her small boat ashore. The journey had been long and arduous. The island itself had no actual coordinates, one had to use unusual methods just to hopefully locate it. Even then the island was surrounded by a constantly raging storm, treacherous waves, and was cloaked in an otherworldly mist.

This wasn't even taking into account the various leviathans that lurked in the surrounding waters. After catching his breath the young woman tried to get a look around. The mist made that nearly impossible, unless you had come prepared.

A spyglass handed down from her father allowed her a better view. There was a large fortress in the center of the island. In other to get there, one had to travel through the dense jungle, and make their way up the mountain upon which the fortress stood. She had come this far, turning back wasn't an option.

After what felt like days, possibly longer, she had reached the fortress gates. The gates slowly opened, allowing the young woman access. She took her time walking through the fortress. The building seemed old, far too old to even comprehend. She wondered how many others, how many generations had walked this path. Perhaps also on her mind was how many never made it to the end.

She arrived in the central courtyard, looking across the large area she saw what very few had ever witnessed. Five thrones, each occupied by a being shrouded in shadow and mist.

Her eyes gazed from left to right. The first throne was the largest of them all, occupied by a behemoth of a man, he couldn't even guess the man's height. Next to him sat a large woman, not nearly as tall but certainly very large in her own right. In the middle sat what looked like a man of average height. Next to him was a woman, a foot or two taller than the man in the center. At the far end was a being he couldn't quite make out the details of. Her thoughts were interrupted by the large woman's voice.

"We haven't had a visitor in a while, what do you want brat?"

She considered how to respond, her father had warned her of what not to say.

"I wish to prove my worth, like my father, and his mother before him." Reaching into he pocket and pulling out a small jade coin.

The smaller woman waved her hand, the coin suddenly levitating over to her. She seemed to examine it before nodding to the behemoth of a man on the end.

The fortress itself seemed to shake as he stood and took several steps out into the center of the courtyard.

"Ya wanna be chieftain huh? I remember your daddy, I remember his momma as well. Your whole family is full of fools, but maybe you'll prove entertaining. Show me what you got girl"

The young woman knew this was it. She had to give everything she had. She wasted no time in striking the large man, using everything she'd learned. Putting her "blessing" to good use. But every blow her struck seemed to bounce off the behemoth.

Time and time again she attacked, time and time again nothing happened and he was struck back down. Still she persisted. Her body grew tired, her mind fought back the thoughts of hopelessness. She refused to give up. Even after every strike, after every time she was thrown to the ground, she got back up..she had to get back up.

Finally it seemed as though her opponent had grown tired of her, striking back with a blow that shattered her weapon and sent her flying back against the fortress wall. It felt as if her body itself was broken. She knew his opponent was still using a faction of his strength.

She stood again..dragging herself back over only to get slammed to the ground. As she started to fade, thoughts of her clan entered her mind. Her father was growing old, she needed to take his place as chieftain, she needed to protect her people..and she stood once again.

With everything she had, everything she could summon, she struck out..her opponent seemed to be moved back an inch or so...something that made her smile.

Her opponent however was less than amused. Raising his arms up to deliver what would surely be a final blow...

"Enough.."

The smaller woman spoke and stood up. He took a look down at his opponent before walking back over and sitting down. As the woman stepped closer her rabbit ears twitched a bit. The flowing gown she wore brushed against the ground. As she laid her hand on the young woman's head she felt her injuries begin to heal, she felt her energy returning.

"Your worth is proven." The woman handed back the jade coin before slipping a necklace around her neck. "May you lead your people with strength, courage, wisdom, and honor. When your time comes we will await your successor."

She stepped away as the somewhat enigmatic member of the group stood from their chair, waving their hand. All the young woman remember was being engulfed in shadow before awakening on a beach surrounded by her family.

Time: Years later.

Location: Marigold Flotilla.

"Cye! You slept in again, get up!" The young man groaned and reached over, trying to smack his alarm clock. "Cye! I'm not an alarm, get out of bed! Everyone is starting to arrive!" He groaned again, dropping the clock before forcing himself out of bed.

A few moments later he stumbled out of his cabin, a toothbrush in his mouth, and trying to adjust his pants.

The Marigold clan was meeting up with a few of it's sister clans. Ships of various sizes as far as the eye could see. Their clans WERE nomadic after all. His mother, the current chieftain of the Marigold clan rolled her eyes at the boy.

Despite the supposed importance of the meeting, he couldn't care less. None of it was his problem. He'd rather be anywhere else but here. It wasn't until his mother called a meeting that he understood why everyone had gathered.

Her time as chieftain was coming to an end. She was in the process of making the announcement as he seemed to slink off, vanishing through the crowd of people.

As his mother spoke about stepping aside for the next generation, she looked around. Unfortunately for her, the one she had planned on inviting to speak wasn't anywhere to be seen. Her successor had apparently gone off on another of his so called adventures.

Ricusare was a nice place. He'd docked his small rowboat and went right into the market. He'd been here plenty of times to trade before, and got in a fair share of fights. All his life he'd been raised knowing one day he'd be chieftain. Which of course meant he often needed to let off some steam and well...as some in the family put it..he was quite the "little shit".

As he made his way through the crowd he wasn't paying much attention to where he was going, bumping into someone and making them stumble a bit. "Sorry pal..." His thought process stopped as he saw the woman now glaring at him with her arms crossed. Is this what love at first sight felt like? Perhaps..but it certainly was what a shopping back smacking over the head felt like..

As the woman walked off he found himself following her as if he were a puppy. Eventually she seemed to relent a little, her name was Lacie..and she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Unfortunately for him..he didn't quite know how to handle that. Any dates he'd been on before were...well not like what he found himself wanting know.

Time passed, every day he rowed back to Ricusare to spend time with Lacie. When the flotilla headed somewhere else he wrote letters, sent packages, did everything he could to stay in contact with her. But as time passed, he realized he was growing tired of the constant travel. He still craved the adventure, but he also craved somewhere he could call home. Somewhere that those of his clan that wished to stay could call home. And if anything, a home port for those that still wished to roam.

Thee years later it seemed his time had come. His mother called on him. He had matured..at least a little. But he still had that unique spark, something she made sure he never lost. This was when she spoke of tradition to him. The details of a story he'd heard before. A story he always knew one day he'd have to add to.

All Marigold clan members had several steps to take before becoming adults. A future chieftain had more than the others, including one that no other could accomplish. When he was younger his arrogance was a driving force, he always claimed he could take down one of the emperors, he could do what no one had done before. But arrogance was a downfall, something his mother warned him of.

The moment she passed a jade coin into his hand, and handed over a spyglass...he realized this was it. He wrote one final letter to Lacie. The truth was he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it back, if this was the case he wanted her to know everything. To know how he felt from the moment he saw her. Leaving the letter to be delivered he bid his clan farewell and took a small craft directly into the growing storm.

As he walked the path his mother walked long ago, the path her father had walked, the path one day one of his successors may walk, his thoughts were of his clan, and of Lacie. The gate opened for him as he walked slowly into the courtyard...the sight of the five emperors seated across from him was something he couldn't put into words. So this was what it was like to stand before god.

To be continued?

[yousaveeveryonebutwhosavesyou]

[shinelikethunder]

You asked me to teach you chess, and I've done that. It's a useful mental exercise. Through the years, many thinkers have been fascinated by it. But I don't enjoy playing. Do you know why not?

Because it was a game that was born during a brutal age when life counted for little and everyone believed that some people were worth more than others. Kings and pawns.

I don't think that anyone is worth more than anyone else. I don't envy you the decisions you're going to have to make. And one day I'll be gone, and you'll have no one to talk to. But if you remember nothing else, please remember this:

Chess is just a game. Real people aren't pieces. You can't assign more value to some of them than to others. Not to me. Not to anyone. People are not a thing that you can sacrifice.

The lesson is: Anyone who looks on the world as if it were a game of chess deserves to lose.

— Harold Finch, not knowing how to explain to his AI offspring that it should care about people (but doing his best), Person of Interest 4x11 “If-Then-Else”

[fantasticgothicpeachsludge]

Cody, collecting seeds on every planet they go to: Enrichment for my beloved’s enclosure.

[hyolks]

look at what you did to him.

[your-royal-momoness]

Air Nomad Monks, after Aang drops cakes on them: We assume you realize that this kind of idiocy will not be tolerated in this temple

Aang & Gyatso: is there any kind of idiocy you would be more comfortable with?

[simple-dark-eyes]

*Mexican!Yuu, going to Savanaclaw after putting up the ramshackle for collateral. Leona basically called them dumb for making a deal with Azul.*

Yuu: *pulling out the chancla* I'm going full Mexican on your bitch ass!¡Mas te vale que nos des un pinche cuarto! ¡Si no, horita te tumbo los pinche ojos güey!

Leona: Someone tell me what they're saying! I don't speak Taco Bell!

Ruggie: *hysterically laughing despite also not knowing what was said*

Leona: What the fuck are they saying?!

Ruggie: *wheezing, practically dying from laughter*

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Playdate in peril, the homosexual thoughts be upon ye.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[noyzinerd]

Scott: *tripping and accidentally tearing the poster Stiles got signed by Mark Hamill*

Derek: Dear God, what have you done...

Stiles, from downstairs: What was that?

Derek: *shouting down to Stiles* UMM UHH-HEY!!! GEORGE LUCAS JUST SAID THAT HAN DEFLECTED GREEDO'S SHOT USING HIS TRACE AMOUNTS OF MIDI-CHLORIANS!

Stiles: He fUcKiNG WHAT?!??! Stay right there, I'm getting my diagrams!

Derek: *whispering frantically back to Scott* Quick, that'll only buy us 2 hours, tops. That's just enough time for you to make a new copy at Kinko's and forge the signature. Take the Camaro, cut through the alley on Glendale and make sure to get 24x18 poster paper in semi-gloss. SEMI-gloss, you hear me? Not gloss! Ask for Lyle, tell him to put it on my tab.

Scott: How do you know all this?

Derek: Scott, there's no time!

Scott: Okay! But, wait, what about you?

Derek: It's too late for me! Go! Save yourself!

Scott: I'll never forget you.

[youre-a-bruiser-baby]

Jay: Hey, uh, random question, what are your favorite flowers? Cole: Lilies, why? Jay: Cole: Were you going to get me flowers? Jay: Cole: Jay, quietly: It's a possibility.

[dd-dailybarks]

"The desert - it pulls me back!"

[apricusnights]

Stories from the past #3.

Time: Present day.

Location: A campsite in one of the forests deep in Smokey Gardens.

A group of Apricus university students are spending the week out in nature. The group of four are sitting around their campfire as night begins to fall.

"I swear to creation if you try and sing one of those dumbass songs again.."

"What, I brought my guitar and everything!"

"Just because you can play doesn't mean you can sing. I've heard raccoons carry a tune better than you."

"Fine fine, so what are we doin? Story time? Same rules as before? Everyone takes a turn?"

"Alright, I'll go first.."

"You ever hear the stories about what happened out here round a decade or so ago? Probably not Bureau does it's best to cover it up. Everyone saw those old buildings when we were hiking earlier right? From what I hear it's what's left of an old off the records Bureau facility."

"See the Bureau was still goin through all the files they had leftover from the war. They had some facilities built out here to keep away from the general public. Don't know what they bribed the Union with to stay out here but I imagine it was somethin good."

"All sorts of weird experiments went on in there. Maybe they were trying to create a version of chimeras they could control, maybe they were manipulating DNA or somethin..who knows. Unethical stuff."

"One day one of those crackpot scientists created something so horrific they were ordered to eliminate it on the spot. Only problem was..that creature escaped it's cage, went on a rampage, slaughtered everyone in the facility, wrecked the labs, and ran off into the woods."

"Some folks say it was some poor low rank soldier they experiments on, spliced in this and that, turned them into a part human, part animal monstrosity."

"Like a werewolf?"

"Kind of, but think of one of those that never changes back and forth."

"Oh like the Dogman!"

"Where do you think those stories came from? The Bureau had to cover everything up so they let people run with all those different theories, figuring everyone would just dismiss it as bullshit. In truth there's somethin runnin around out there and it don't wanna be found. But you better hope it doesn't wanna find you either."

"Hear a story about a group camping out here that heard somethin in the middle of the night. All they saw was some shadow looming over their tent. Authorities found the campsite torn apart and pieces of the campers..everywhere.."

"Did you hear that?"

"Don't tell me you're.."

"Shh...what the fuck is that noise?"

"I uh..maybe we should call it a night..everyone get back in the RV.."

Time: Eleven years ago.

Location: PWSB medical facility.

"What the fuck even happened to her.."

Alarms were blaring as several doctors wheeled..what was left of a newer recruit into an operating room.

"Breach at the wall, wave of Chimeras took them by surprise. The recruits fought em off best they could before the reinforcements got there. Some of em weren't so lucky.."

"Creation...there's hardly anything left.."

"Just try! It's our job to try and save them!"

Time went by with no success. The patient was on life support but would likely never recover.

In the middle of the night, the door to the room opened, two individuals stepping in.

"What you're inquiring about isn't exactly the most ethical of things Cybele."

"Don't talk to me about ethics Windsor. We both know the Bureau won't listen to reason about projects that could benefit everyone."

"Are you entirely sure your ideas will work.."

"The person on that table is going to die if we do nothing..."

The two scientists wheeled the patient out and into another wing of the facility.

"I've gotten everything you needed Cybele. From this point on you're on your own."

Systems are functional. Memory loading...warning..fatal error has occurred..

"Who..what..am I?"

Answer to query: Project Viceroy

"Viceroy.."

Warning..subject unstable..

[yousaveeveryonebutwhosavesyou]

[nebulouscoffee]

"My name is Nyota. I'm the communications officer, I- I was born in Kenya- I used to have a cat, named Kamili. My first memory is watching my dad play the piano. I'm real."

Okay but I was wholly unprepared for how much it would mean to me to see more of Uhura's African identity actually being canonised by this show. The "I'm real" especially got to me; just a throwaway line but it really made me think of the Ben Sisko/Benny Russell parallels! Nyota, born in the 23rd century, is exactly the sort of person Benny Russell dreamed could exist in the future. She is real! She exists!

[fragmentos-literarixs]

En medio del frío invierno de marzo, caminaba junto a él mientras veía como su mano encajaba a la perfección con la mía. Desde que lo conocí siempre tuve el presentimiento de que íbamos a terminar en un desastre, pero en ese momento, cuando veía nuestras manos juntas, parecía que todo era perfecto y encantador.

Euphoria.