#giant challenge

[sunsage]

@sageshadowed

He's picking idly at the stone crust on the edge of his fingers. It's not helping much - the stone regrows just as fast as he picks it off - and the only result he gets is a pile of stone dust in his lap. But given how dirty he already is, it's not much of a change.

Some of the smaller monkeys tried to clean him earlier, but with the sand being too fine they only managed to get a little of it off. And then one of them jumped down on his knee and screeched in alarm at the hard texture of, well, him, so Macaque escorted all of them out of the room and told them to go play somewhere else. It was a little harsh, but Wukong couldn't really say anything about it (not right now at least). It's not like he can entertain the little ones well in this state anyway and he didn't want them to worry any more than they needed to (which is not at all). He will just have to make it up to them later.

If there is a 'later' for him, that is.

So it's just him and Macaque in here now. Him, slowly dying, and Macaque, who looks like he's about to do the same. Again, his brain unhelpfully provides. Wukong doesn't regret asking the other to stay ("Someone should stay behind to call off the search party if you guys are too slow", is what he said. In hindsight, the joke was terrible), even if he still wishes he didn't need to. If there is one person he doesn't feel too bad dying in front of, it's Macaque. He probably deserves to see it, after, you know. Everything.

That is also a terrible joke.

"It's going to be alright, you know that." Wukong breaks up the silence, softly but with the edge of his usual confidence hiding in there. Doesn't add "I will be alright" or "they'll get here in time" or "the cure will work and I will not die.". Doesn't want to say anything he doesn't one hundred percent believe.

[plantfell]

To do a good deed is an almost frustratingly broad task, for Knives. There are so many factors that go into it. Would the Stars think that helping someone cross the road is enough or does he have to save a baby from a burning orphanage? Can he explicitly ask to do a good deed or would that dull it?

Legato's a tempting first stop, but Knives doubts it's what the Stars had in mind with this game of theirs. The human is far to quick to give his approval for most things, and anything that could count as a genuinely good deed would feel too disingenuous to do because he wants to get this over with.

There is another candidate in the Ark. Someone who is in need of a few things from Knives, and who can act as a test of what exactly a good deed is.

Knives shoots Zazie an innocuous text, asking them to meet at the entrance that connects the Ark to their tunnels. It seems more polite to meet them on their home turf, so, when he does reach the access, he waits in the the tunnels with a small electric lantern to light the space. He waits, and tries his very best to not fidget too much.

@gunsmokeheart

[venusaur-propaganda]

Drawing Venusaur with every Pokemon pt. Wailord

[shorthaltsjester]

watching the sdcc panel and i am just very :) about how sweet their answers to “what are some of the micro moments from the game that have stuck with you the most over the years?” are. taliesin saying what the fuck is up with that which was the first like The Party Gets To Know Each Other moments of c3. travis saying asking his wife if he could kiss her in campaign. marisha going way back to the cannonball competition in campaign one. ashley choosing the beauyasha date but also just the silly goat noise matt made. liam adding onto that to compliment matt roleplaying grass so well and then saying his favourite moment was writing a story for laura and reading it to her as caleb for jester. and then matt saying that was his answer, and that his favourite moments of the game are when they find ways to give gifts to each other whether tangible or not. and sam saying his favourite moments have less to do with the story and is more so when he can just. see his friends across the table from him. when marisha perches and when laura and ashley are (badly) drawing dicks and liam saying he loves when sam sneezes and ashley tells him to stop it and just. yeah. they Are an extremely popular online powerhouse, but i’m so happy that they’re also friends building a world together out of gifts to and love for one another.

like i Am so enamoured with the characters and the world of exandria but the moments when you can feel the love that those people have for each other reach out from behind the stained glass of their performances (to steal a metaphor from brennan lee mulligan) are so extremely special and i am endlessly grateful that they decided to share their silly little home game with the world.

[amymbona]

HE'S SO BIG HE HAS TO BEND DOWN I'M SOBBING

[so-very-small]

thinking of a young adult, freshly moved into his first home, which happens to have an elderly borrower couple living in the walls. the elderly couple is a little noisy and long lost all subtly when borrowing, so the guy discovers them quickly, but doesn’t let them know he’s aware of them. he lets them borrow in peace, and thinks they’re utterly adorable.

until he suddenly has to make sure no spoiled food is in range because they will steal and eat ANYTHING, no matter the expiration date. he has to put railings on the counter because they’re a little unsteady and his heart drops every time one almost has a fall. he has to act oblivious when he hears them bickering at a huge volume because they don’t realize how loud they are. he’s sneakily stealing their old worn supplies like rope or bags and replacing them with new ones that won’t break or hurt them.

and when the tinies do find out he knows about them? oh, little Grandma and Grandpa TAKE ADVANTAGE. they now have a strong young man who will go to the grocery store and get them applesauce whenever they ask. Grandpa is having the guy do heavy lifting and construction work for them. Grandma is sitting on his shoulder and fussing at him for slicing veggies wrong. they nag him to take them to visit their grandkids, they tell him to cut his hair and get a better job, they sneak little trinkets into his hand and run off before he can politely decline.

and he utterly loves it. he loves his tiny grandparents

[prettymediocrewizard]

Embrace thine oblivion, as shall I

I finished fighting Messmer last night and honestly did not think that I'd be so taken by him. Phase 2 design lives rent free in my head and the image of a moment of tenderness for someone so distraught with emotion really got to me.

[charcarts]

>deregis your ice

[robindaydream]

Pyromancers

[mikao]

lightning-wielding thunder-clapping spirit-squashing lord. do you care him?

[echosong971]

i wish every sniper on the roof in this game a very [metal pipe sound]

[sunsage]

>>>

He hobbles to the cave's entrance and drops on the ground just outside, phone in his hand. It's late, or early, either way the desert is still dark when he sends the texts.

to: @sxnburst from: Monkey King

[txt]: need your help. urgent

Monkey King shared his location with you!

[txt]: don't tell anyone else

[plantfell]

Giant Challenge Finale

CW: familial death, child death, child experimentation, and grief

Once things are finished at Cafe December, Knives makes his way back to the Ark. In his pocket, the splinters of wood feel like lead weights. It was easy, as he was doing his deeds, to put them and the consequence of their joining to the back of his mind. He wasn’t completing the task to reach the end, but to get the Star’s game over with as quickly as possible. Now, there’s no more avoiding it. The game is over and a choice must be made: burn the figure, or keep it. Erase Tesla from his memories, or bring her into this world.

The choice is harder than Knives would like to admit. It wouldn’t be the first time the memory was taken from him in this world, and he still remembers what it was like when his memories were fragmented. While he hadn’t thought much of it in the time since, it’s hard to deny that it was nice to live without that weight in his heart. Yet, so much of who he is, is wrapped up in his memories of Tesla. Knives can at least admit that ridding himself of her memory would make it impossible to truly improve himself. To do so would mean confronting the fear that informs so many of his actions, and he can’t do that if he doesn’t remember where that fear started.

It may be a difficult choice, but the answer is obvious.

Picking where to piece the figure together is more of a process than it needs to be, and Knives ultimately settles on the Ark being the least jarring place Tesla could appear. He’s not sure what to expect or what state she might be in or even if she’ll even appear with him. A cruel twist like that doesn’t feel out of the realm of possibility, like some kind of monkey’s paw wish.

Even after he arrives home and finds a nice spot beneath the apple tree at the center of the bio-dome, it takes some time for Knives to start. Then, piece by piece, he finally puts it together. As the final piece finds it’s place and the figurine takes shape, he blinks. When his eyes focus again, he becomes aware of a little girl standing before him and his heart skips a beat.

It’s her.

Tesla. As she should be. Not in pieces suspended in tubes like a discarded specimen. Living, breathing, and, if her expression is any indication, confused. Despite her confusion, there’s still an element of curiosity and wonder to her gaze as she looks around. She doesn’t know where she is or why, but there is something about the man before her. Something familiar in a way she can’t explain. Not until she reaches out and their minds connect.

You’re like me, Tesla murmurs into his mind with oh so wide eyes.

All at once, any progress Knives might have made since his arrival dissolves. Her mind touches his and he’s reminded of all the reasons he started his crusade. Every reason he has to despise the human race. He falls to his knees and tightly wraps his arms around Tesla; one hand tightly gripping the back of her head while the other arm protectively wraps around her shoulders. Anger and bile form a knot in his throat as he struggles to form words or thoughts. Now more than ever it’s painfully clear that Tesla was just a child. She was innocent. The fact that humans were able to look at such a precious being and subject her to inhumane experiments is unfathomable. To think that he was actually starting to—

“Stop—“ Tesla mumbles uncomfortably, “You’re hurting me.”

Suddenly, the world comes rushing back in, and Knives becomes acutely aware of small hands pressing against his chest. He hadn’t realized how tightly he’d been holding Tesla and quickly releases her.

“Sorry, I—“ Knives hesitates, and guiltily looks away. He’s uncomfortably reminded of the first test he experienced. When mist engulfed the city and he found himself in the company of Vash’s younger self. If you asked him moments ago, he might have said he’d grown since that disastrous encounter, but now it couldn’t be clearer how little he had. Everything stems from Tesla and the ball of hate and pain he’s been unwilling to let go of. The one that reminded Knives that everything was for her sake. Just as it had once told him that everything after the Fall was for Vash’s sake.

Knives was the snake in the Garden of Eden and he just couldn’t stop eating his tail.

“Tesla…” He tries to keep his tone soft, but there’s an edge to it he can’t quite shake. He tries forcing a smile, too, but it’s debatable how helpful that is as he reaches out with shaking hands to gently hold her shoulders. All the while, he’s trying to ignore the fear that’s replaced the wonder in her eyes, and the way she flinches away from his touch. “Let’s start over… My name is Knives, and I’m… kind of like your younger brother. You have another brother named Vash, too. He’s… probably the kindest man to ever live, despite having every right to curse the world. I wish you could meet him, but…”

There’s a short pause as Knives takes in a shaky breath. He could take her to see Vash. Both of them. It’s fairly clear that this is meant to be some kind of reward where he can make up for lost time, but the lack of permanence makes it a little cruel, too. How can he really be expected to make up for so much lost time? Is it even his right to? Even now, as Knives settles on how to move forward, he’s not sure what would be more selfish: denying Tesla the chance to live, short as her time may be or denying her peace by forcing her to live to fulfill some need he thinks he deserves to fill.

“I want you to know something important. For what little good it does you now: you are loved. Your life was short, but it had an impact. One bigger than you could ever imagine. Those who love you keep you alive in their memories, and, so long as they live, a little part of you lives on within them.”

Knives shakily leans forward and presses their foreheads together. There isn’t much good he has to give, but still he digs within himself for the smoldering embers of love he’s been carefully cultivating and shares them with Tesla. It’s a weak flame, yet more warmth than she’s likely ever felt.

Thank you for being born, Tesla. Your life had meaning, and it’s loss was grieved. May you find peace in whatever lay beyond this life.

In return, Tesla wraps her arms around as much of Knives as they can reach and she hugs him tight until her form starts to fade. Soon Knives is left kneeling alone beneath the apple tree with only the vague impression of where she used to be. Grief weighs heavily in his chest as he almost immediately regrets letting her go, but there’s also a lighter feeling mixed in between. One made more prominent as he curls in on himself and allows himself the space to really grieve. Tears, snot, and ugly sobs… He lets himself feel it all.

As the chains of the past finally start to loosen, maybe soon Knives will be able to fully embrace the future and all it may hold.

[entomolog-t]

🖋 G/t Writer Appreciation Challenge🖋

Just in time for February! Let's show the writers in the community some extra attention and engagement and let them feel our appreciation 💕

This challenge involves interacting with others, so please remember to be respectful and have fun! This is a great opportunity to interact with new creators or a wonderful excuse to leave some extra love on a fic that's near and dear to your heart!

[toadlett]

Doing a lazier version of @mortiscausa's fantastic arthurian drawing challenge! I'm using the prompts to inspire some pencil drawings based on the Mabinogion's tale of Kilwhch and Olwen (which in turn is the basis for a book I'm working on). First up, "Quest."

(edit: reuploaded the image without embarrasing typos oops!)

[marissasketch]

A quiet moment during giant dragon scritches 🐉

~2.5hrs, for a very fun Study Buddies challenge