#giant fish masterpost

[citrineandrosmarin]

🦉Athena Masterpost🦉

This masterpost will cover very basic information with links to further posts or resources (otherwise it’s super long) and may be updated in the future. Basic bibliography at the end. I welcome you to share your UPG and resources in the comments - I won’t differentiate between mine and others’ UPG.

UPG = Unverified Personal Gnosis, SPG = Shared Personal Gnosis, H = Historically Inspired association

Last updates: 5 Feb 2025, added my ko-fi / 4 March 2025, added a link to Additional Info Posts - Athena & Minerva / 23 March, minor appearance edits

Love this post? Consider thanking me with a small donation to my ko-fi!

🦉Overview🦉

Athena is the Hellenic goddess associated most commonly with wisdom, war, weaving, and in modern times, education and knowledge. She was a goddess who occupied both masculine and feminine roles in a highly patriarchal society, standing outside the societal binary. She is a fascinatingly variable and nuanced deity who has adapted and persisted in the mind of western society until this day. This masterpost is in dedication to her.

“Through our investigation of [Athena’s] role within the pantheon, she has emerged as a power of technology and creativity who promotes creativity and order, but with another side to her power, that of the storm bringer and warmonger.” -Susan Deacy

🦉Domains🦉

Metis (Cunning, Practical Wisdom)

Skills

Crafts

Invention

War

Civilization & Civic Institutions

Hero Mentorship

Education and Knowledge [Modern SPG]

IT and Engineering [UPG]

🐍Find out More!🐍

🦉Symbols, Colors & Tarot Cards🦉

Traditional:

Owls (Specifically the Little Owl, Athene noctua)

Snakes

Horses

Olive trees

The Aegis (Fringed goat skin sometimes depicted as a shield)

The Gorgoneion (Protective symbol depicting a gorgon head)

Spindle

Spear

Helmet (Particularly with gryphons and/or sphinxes on it).

Crows (In Messenia and Boeotia, though elsewhere she was not fond of them)

Gulls

Other symbols: Spiders [Roman & SPG], Books and Scrolls [SPG], Pens or Quills [UPG], Pallas symbol [SPG], Snow Leopards [UPG], Bees [UPG]

Colors: Saffron/Yellow/Orange/Gold [H], Murex Purple [H], Hyacinth Blue [H], Red [H?], Bronze [H], Green [UPG]

🐍Find out More!🐍

Tarot Cards (All UPG/SPG of course): The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Chariot, Strength, Justice, The World, Knight of Pentacles, Queen & King of Swords, Queen & King of Wands

🦉Name & Epithets🦉

Athena has some variations in name. The Attic form was “Athenaia”, which was contracted to “Athena,” the Ionian form was “Athenaie,” the Doric form “Athana,” in Aeolic, “Athanaa,” and in epic she was “Athenaie,” shortened to “Athene.”

A few common epithets:

Areia - Warlike

Ergane - The Worker

Glaukôpis - Bright/owl-eyed.

Pallas - Refers either to the myth of Athena’s childhood friend Pallas, or of the giant named Pallas whom she slayed.

Parthenos - Maiden

Polias - Of the City

Polymetis - Cunning in many ways

🐍Find out More!🐍

🦉Offerings and Devotional Acts🦉

This section was super long! Only including a few here but check out the link!

Gemstones & Metals - Gold, Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, Iolite

Plants - Olive, Ivy, Thyme, Rosemary, Cypress, Peppermint, Orange

Incense and Fragrances - Frankincense, Thyme, Bay Laurel, Amber, Myrrh, Dragon’s Blood, Orange, Citrus, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Cypress, Bergamot & Sage

Food & Drink - Olives and Olive Oil, Honey, Milk, Cheese, Cereal Grains, Diluted Wine, Bread, Baked Goods, Fish, Meat, Fruit/Fruit Juice, Water

🐍Find out More!🐍

🦉Athenian Festivals🦉

Athena’s main festivals were the Panathenaia, Khalkeia, Kallynteria and Plynteria. It is up to individuals to decide if and how to include these celebrations in their practice. 

Panathenaia: The biggest festival for Athena taking place annually, but with a bigger version every fourth year. Mainly a festival with athletic, poetry and musical competitions.

Kallynteria and Plynteria: Sacred days centered around cleaning.

Arrephoria: A mysterious festival that took place at night and is theorized to have been a fertility rite.

Khalkeia: The festival of artisans, which celebrated Athena and Hephaestus.

🐍Find out More!🐍

🦉Family & Connections🦉

Parents: Athena’s father was Zeus (Except in Libya, where she was known as Poseidon’s daughter) and her mother was the personification of wisdom, Metis. In some sources she was raised by Triton alongside his daughter, Pallas.

Children: Athena had no children as a virgin goddess but she did adopt and raise Erichthonius, who later became king of Athens.

Retinue: Athena was often associated closely with Nike (Victory), an example being the famed statue Athena Parthenos, which held Nike in its hand. The aegis which Athena wore also contained the personifications Phobos (Fear), Eris (Strife), Alke (Strength) and Ikoe (Panic) as noted in the Iliad.

Companions: Pallas is perhaps the most famous of Athene’s companions, as the two girls grew up together until Athena accidentally killed Pallas and afterwards took on her name as an epithet. However, in the Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter it is shown that Athena, Artemis and Persephone spent time together and were playing and collecting flowers before Persephone was abducted. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus claims they were also raised together.

Heroes: Athena was a mentor of Heroes and had a hand in assisting heroes such as Herakles, Odysseus and Diomedes, but also Achilles, Bellerophon, Perseus, Theseus, Kadmos and Tydeus.

🐍More of my Info Posts!🐍

Athena and Childbirth

Athena Hippia / Khalinitis

On The Nature of Metis - Excerpts from “Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society”

On the comparison of Athena and Ares

Athena and Herakles: Excerpt from Susan Deacy’s book

Myth of Athena's Birth

Comparing Athena and Minerva

🐍Extra Links🐍

Prayers, Hymns and Poems

Homeric Hymn to Athena 11 [Tumblr - Mine]

Homeric Hymn to Athena 28 [Tumblr - Mine]

Poem for Athena [Tumblr - Mine]

Adaptation of the Orphic Hymn [Tumblr - wisdomweaver]

Ode to Athena: A Birth of Wisdom [Tumblr - panjackdaw]

Prayer to Athena [Tumblr - rue-with-the-tarot]

Hymn to Athena [Tumblr - entricacies]

Praise to Athena [Tumblr - piristephes]

Prayer for Clarity and Sound Intuition [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Prayer for Athena [Tumblr - hisfleur]

Prayer for Athena [Tumblr - evilios]

Prayer to Athena [Tumblr - ranger5000]

Chin Up - A Message From Athena [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Assortment of Prayers [Website - greekpagan.com]

Battle Armor Poem [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

A Prayer to the Wise Short Poem [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Learning Short Poem [Tumblr - Mine]

Additional Links

Theoi.com [Website]

Iliad - Athena dons the Aegis [Tumblr - Mine]

Reconstruction of Athena Parthenos statue’s colors [Youtube - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]

Bathing of Athena in Argos [Tumblr - verdantlyviolet]

Subtle Athena Worship [Tumblr - khaire-traveler]

khaire-traveler on their snow leopard UPG [Tumblr]

Parthenon 3D Reconstruction [Youtube - Ancient Athens 3D]

Parthenon in AC: Odyssey [Youtube - Invicta]

🦉Bibliography🦉

Barber, E.J.W. - The peplos of Athena

Burkert, Walter - Greek Religion

Deacy, Susan - Athena

Deacy, Susan & Villing, Alexandra - Athena in the Classical World

Deacy, Susan & Villing, Alexandra - What was the colour of Athena's Aegis?

Detienne, Marcel & Vernant, Jean-Pierre - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society

Drees, Ludwig - Olympia

Larson, Jennifer - Ancient Greek Cults

Mansfield, John Magruder - The Robe Of Athena And The Panathenaic "Peplos"

Maurizio, Lisa - Classical Mythology in Context

Mikalson, Jon D. - Ancient Greek Religion

Ogden, Daniel - A Companion to Greek Religion

Theoi.com

[2isted-chocol8-art]

2isted_chocol8 art Masterpost

-> Outer Wilds (Spoilers!)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Illustrations˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

We reached the end of our journey

Chit chat on Giant's Deep

Time buddies hanging out on Timber Hearth

The Universe Is And We Are

I Hope You Don't mind if...

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Comics ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Meet the outer wilds crew!

Tired of the loop

Going fishing

Gosslate + Time buddies art trade

(Fanfic art) Interpolation - All's fine

Are you going into the eye?

Kid Gabbro discovers quantum physics

Quantum Art (Dlc spoilers)

Hatchy has bad handwriting

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Time Buddies˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Time buddies doodles

Time buddies doodles 2

Can I stay here?

Cuddles

Taking Gabbro out of the hammock

Out of the hammoc into ember twin

Bug buddies

Bad pickup line

0-g dancing

Ah, time's up

What can I say this is just them making out

Exploring Brittle Hollow

Cute kisses AND steamy kisses

(Fanfic art) The Freedom - Breathe

(Fanfic art) Next time - doodles

(Fanfic art) Got weird - Y'know...

(TLOOW) Sketches

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Out Of The Loop AU ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Out Of The Loop AU

Out Of The Loop - Quantum Hypotheses...

Out of The Loop - Since when are you two so close?

Out of The Loop - Can't sleep

Out Of The Loop - Hatchy asks for advice

Out Of The Loop - Something's off...

Out Of The Loop - Swim Free (@tippertot collab!)

Out Of The Loop - Scientific Method (@tippertot collab!)

Out Of The Loop - Aggresive Advice (@tippertot collab!)

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Drawing Requests ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Double the Time Buddies

Gabbro and Solanum Chatting

Drunk Feldspar

Slate and Feldspar Are Good Role Models (not really)

Hal and Hatchling Childhood Friends

Tiny Baby Chert

Hornfels, Hal and Hathcy hang out

(Fanfic art) Interpolation - Esker and Tuff's photos

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Gen Doodles ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

All the travelers + (Dlc spoilers)

Misc doodles (Dlc spoilers)

Time buddies + post loop doodles

(Fanfic art) Interpolation - 24th chapter doodles

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Headcanons & Text Posts˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Hearthian relationships and Time Buddies situation

[dungeon-meshi-tournament]

I'm doing a throwback to the start of this blog with the

Most Delicious Monster in the Dungeon Tournament 2024

This is the masterpost for the tournament. I'll pin it and update it with every new round, so you'll be able to find all polls easily.

The rules are very simple: You just vote for whichever monster you think tastes better, for whichever reason. The monster with the most votes advances to the next round.

Propaganda is encouraged! Please put it in the body of the post so I can reblog it. I don't reblog propaganda from tags or replies.

Spoiler warning: This tournament contains material up to the end of the manga. If you haven't caught up yet, you may be spoiled.

Finale:

Basilisk vs Chimera Falin (Chimera Falin won)

Battle for the bronze:

Treasure insects vs Red dragon (Red dragon won)

Previous rounds under the cut

Semi-finals:

Basilisk vs Treasure insects (Basilisk won)

Chimera Falin vs Red dragon (Chimera Falin won)

Quarter finals:

Basilisk vs Cockatrice (Basilisk won)

Treasure insects vs Walking mushroom (Treasure insects won)

Barometz vs Chimera Falin (Chimera Falin won)

Red dragon vs Minotaur (Red dragon won)

Round 3:

Demon vs Basilisk (Basilisk won, surprisingly)

Jackalope vs Cockatrice (Cockatrice won)

Dungeon rabbit vs Treasure insects (Treasure insects won)

Walking mushroom vs Phoenix (Walking mushroom won)

Barometz vs Nightmare (Barometz won)

Chimera Falin vs Familiar (Chimera Falin won)

Red dragon vs Sea serpent (Red dragon won)

Chimera Laios vs Minotaur (Minotaur won)

Round 2, part 2:

Barometz vs Kelpie (Barometz won)

Succubus vs Nightmare (Nightmare won)

Mimic vs Chimera Falin (Chimera Falin won)

Dire wolf vs Familiar (Familiar won)

Red dragon vs Flying pig (Red dragon won)

Sea serpent vs Leviathan (Sea serpent won)

Hippogriff vs Chimera Laios (Chimera Laios won)

Minotaur vs Doppelganger (Minotaur won)

Round 2, part 1:

Demon vs Man-eating plant (Demon won)

Basilisk vs Wyvern (Basilisk won)

Jackalope vs Tentacles (Jackalope won)

Mandrake vs Cockatrice (Cockatrice won)

Dungeon rabbit vs Shapeshifter (Dungeon rabbit won)

Green dragon vs Treasure insects (Treasure insects won)

Walking mushroom vs Living picture (Walking mushroom won)

Phoenix vs Undine (Phoenix won)

Round 1, part 4:

Red dragon vs Big walking mushroom (Red dragon won)

Flying pig vs Fish-man (Flying pig won)

Sea serpent vs Ghost vs Huge scorpion (Sea serpent won)

Leviathan vs Eastern dragon (Leviathan won)

Hippogriff vs Bicorn vs Magic mirror (Hippogriff won)

Chimera Laios vs Ice golem (Chimera Laios won)

Minotaur vs Warg (Minotaur won)

Hag vs Doppelganger (Doppelganger won)

Round 1, part 3:

Barometz vs Changeling vs Ivy tentacles (Barometz won)

Kelpie vs Fairy (Kelpie won)

Golem vs Succubus (Succubus won)

Nightmare vs Wurm (Nightmare won)

Mimic vs Unicorn (Mimic won)

Chimera Falin vs Gargoyle (Chimera Falin won)

Dullahan vs Dire wolf (Dire wolf won)

Familiar vs Giant parasite (Familiar won)

Round 1, part 2:

Dungeon rabbit vs Griffin vs Ghoul (Dungeon rabbit won)

Shapeshifter vs Green slime (Shapeshifter won)

Green dragon vs Huge spider (Green dragon won)

Treasure insects vs Skeleton vs White dragon (Treasure insects won)

Harpy vs Walking mushroom (Walking mushroom won)

Living picture vs Dungeon cleaners (Living picture won)

Phoenix vs Mermaid (Phoenix won)

Undine vs Eyes of the magician (Undine won)

Round 1, part 1:

Demon vs Bladefish vs Dryad (Demon won)

Werewolf vs Man-eating plant (Man-eating plant won)

Basilisk vs Coatl (Basilisk won)

Wyvern vs Giant frog (Wyvern won)

Living armour vs Jackalope (Jackalope won)

Tentacles vs Jack Frost (Tentacles won)

Mandrake vs Big bat (Mandrake won)

Kraken vs Cockatrice (Cockatrice won)

[starwrighter]

I am not a baby!! (Yes you are)

(Ao3) (Masterpost) (Previous)

(Chapter 19 another long one)

His base shook like an earthquake hit, knocking him off his feet. The lights in his sea base flashed an angry red, a jarring siren sounding inside metal walls. “Shit shit shit shit shit!” Danny screamed, rushing to the front hatch, silicone flippers slapping against the floor.

Thoughts cluttered Danny’s throbbing skull. Had the reaper followed them? Why wasn’t Dami doing anything about it? Did the reaper hurt him that badly? Why wouldn’t this door fucking open?!

It didn’t give a single inch no matter how hard he pushed the sturdy glass hatch. Nothing he tried seemed to work, the door didn’t want to budge. Even when he threw all his weight against the glass like a living battering ram something pushed back every time. Staring through the glass, his blood began to broil like milk placed on a hot stove.

What.

The.

Actual.

FUCK!

Curses fell past his lips like heavy rainfall. Words that would make a sailor blush and land him a permanent grounding if someone heard. Barely legible words, too big for his mouth to keep up with. Feelings too big for his body left him wailing on the metal floor.

His only door was blocked by Dami, keeping him prisoner in his own Seabase. Forget anything he said about Dami not being cruel, this fish was a cold, callous bastard who deserved to be mauled! False imprisonment. Kept in a cage like a rowdy puppy!

This was a setup for a gruesome true crime documentary. One that’d have scary music with violins and a poorly tuned piano for dramatic effect. It would have that one moment where a photo of them had its colors inverted so the narrator could build up suspense. “They were friends until they weren’t,” Then they’d go on to describe in graphic detail how Danny starved to death in his fucking base. He’d be the cautionary tale Alterra would use; twisting the actual cause to benefit the company and shame employees.

His Seabase suddenly felt incredibly small as breathing sharpened. Yanking hard on locks of raven hair Danny let out a scream. Snot dripped down his nose, scalding hot tears burning against chilled skin. He wasn’t trained for any of this shit! Why did nobody think to put a “giant fish bastard,” protical in the survival guide? Didn’t Alterra pride itself on being prepared?

Slamming fists against glass, he could feel his flesh begin to bruise; short fingernails dug into his palms with every heavy hit. Feet slammed into the door like mini hammers. Hinges creaked as Dami put more weight into keeping his base sealed tighter than Pandora’s box. Fucker!

He felt like a toddler throwing a tantrum, kicking, screaming, crying. This was a justified tantrum though. Nothing about this situation was trivial. His entire body could be crushed within a matter of minutes. All Dami had to do was put a little too much weight on his roof and he was flat as a pancake. It didn’t even need to be purposeful! The worst part was; he couldn’t even look his captor in the eye because his thick skull was blocking the fucking door!

Coiled around his base like a snake he made himself at home. Technically, this planet was his home but the fucker was suffocating himself to be petty. Normally, he respected petty behavior; pettiness flowed through his veins but this shit crossed past the line of petty revenge or malicious compliance.

All it would take is one wrong move for his solar panels to be damaged. Just a few seconds of curiosity for him to pluck them off the roof like dandelions in an open field. Without a source of power pumping breathable air into the base would be a distant memory. One he’d miss oh so much when his face was turning purple as he slowly suffocated to death! To add insult to injury, he’d be dying in a place he specifically built to be his safe haven in a sea of salt water.

Even if they weren’t damaged, his power situation looked as bleak as his academic future. Daylight wouldn’t last forever and solar panels weren’t exactly known for their effectiveness at night! A power outage that lasted more than a few minutes would kill him. Such a stupid way for him to die; the only redeeming feature of that death would be the location. Dying on a planet unexplored by humans was decently cool no matter how you spun it.

Would he come back afterward this time too? When he’d been gargling on his blood as his Lifepod crashed to the sea; not once did he think there would be another chance for him. Danny could only assume it’s three strikes and you’re out, but when it came down to weird zombie resurrections he could never be sure. Would he be caught in a death loop? Doomed to slowly die of suffocation over and over again until Dami decided he’d had his fun?

Is this a normal prank for a fish teenager to pull? Because this was sociopathic behavior if this was a prank. The language barrier made the situation a little better, but it wasn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card. Language barrier or not this was still leaving a dog in a hot car levels of stupidity.

This was such a cruel thing the universe decided to do to him. What had he done to deserve this? He hadn’t cheated on the CATs. Not in this timeline at least. Was this some form of divine punishment or did he just have an aura that made everyone want to screw him over? Either way, if this guy really thought of him as a pet he’d be in for a surprise when Danny built a fucking taser. Let him have a taste of what made him so awesome!

With a sneer, Danny watched the window. Dami’s midsection was pressed against the glass. Dots ran across his body, a straight line of tiny circles glowing dimly with the setting sun. A built-in night light to help Dami sleep at night knowing how terrible he was being right now. Pale desaturated blue faded to a shadow-like black. The transparent looked ghostly, like he could run his hands straight through it. A feat he was capable of doing without breaking a sweat not even a week ago.

Glowering, he slammed his hands against the window with a rage burning brighter than the stars in the sky. How could he convince a giant sea serpent teenager to piss off? Without his ghostly wail to boost his volume loud enough to shatter glass and crumple buildings, shouting was a useless scare tactic.

Dami couldn’t plan on blocking the door forever; could he? Maybe he was just pissed Danny ignored him about the crash zone. If he’d understood that hungry murder fish were chilling near the crash zone he probably would’ve gone anyway just to see it. But he hadn’t known; how could you punish him for that?

Actually, there were a lot of people who’d do that.

With a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagged, every breath of fresh air exhausted him to the core. Eyelids drooped anxiety battling against the growing need for rest. He could wait this out; Dami’s only mortal, he can't stay forever…

But he could keep his lazy ass parked here long enough for his supports to give in under his weight. His foundations continued to creak, a nauseating groaning of metal being strained. It was a pure miracle his base hadn’t collapsed already!

Danny screamed, collapsing into a heap of snot and tears. Chubby fingers smudged the glass. He’d never felt so useless in his life. Not when his parents rambled about ripping his alter ego molecule by molecule and not when his grades slipped through his fingers. Life sucked when you didn’t have a grocery list of superpowers at your fingertips. He felt further from normal than ever. Dying a second time had made him more freakish than the first.

A Useless freak! Wasn’t this just a wonderful predicament? This was the perfect use of precious time. It wasn’t like the Aurora’s drive core was a ticking time bomb that would explode into a massive conglomerate of metal with enough radiation to cause a mass extinction…

Oh, wait, what’s that? The Aurora is a fucking quantum detonation waiting to happen? And he’ll be stuck here like a toddler trapped in their playpen when it happens? How wonderful! Here Danny thought he could actually try to help. You know, find a way to be useful when the tragedy happened instead of waiting a week to gather the supplies he’d need to do anything.

Instead, he was trapped here with no laser cutter, no seamoth, no propulsion gun, and no radiation suit to do anything but wilt like a daisy planted in battery acid when the radiation spread out. He couldn’t go check if the Degasi base even existed either! He couldn’t check down there for anything useful and he couldn’t check to see if anyone was alive! All because a stupid teenager decided Danny’s a puppy who needs kennel training!

All he wanted now was to phase his hands through the glass and punch Dami when he wasn’t expecting it. To scare the teen into running to tell his parents about how mean Danny is. He didn’t care! He’d throw hands with however many parents and siblings Dami had! Lay down with dogs get up with fleas. Play stupid games win stupid prizes. At this point, ghosting should be the consequence of stupid actions.

Something tight wrapped around his wrist squeezing flesh and bone in a python-like grip. The curtain clung to his wrist, his entire hand stuck through it like he’d punched a hole through. A transparent ripple in the fabric circled his hand, a defiance of physics he’d never been so excited to see.

If anyone took a picture of him right now you’d think he won the lottery. Intangibility, his beloved! Oh, how he desperately missed it. Attempting to pull his hand back, Danny blinked owlishly when his hand remained firmly implanted in the fabric. He braced his foot against the glass, tugging as hard as he cut but the curtain rods just groaned, creaking under his weight.

It reminded him of the first few months after the accident; when his powers just didn’t do what he wanted them to do. Of all the times he’d fallen through his locker door. All the poor beakers and cups that'd slip through his fingers and shatter on the ground. Every memory of a mistake or malfunction a reminder that things weren’t always as easy as he mourned them to be.

What happened?

When did walking through walls become as easy as breathing for him? Something he could do without thinking or breaking a sweat. There had to be a turning point. A moment when everything clicked into place like puzzle pieces. Not having some sort of dampener might’ve helped. Maybe he just needed to think intangible thoughts?

Uhhhhh…

Blob ghosts!

Technus, Ember, Skulker, Pointdexter!

…

Nothing.

The cloth continued to strangle his wrist, cutting off his blood flow, turning his hand a frightening shade of red. Irritated and throbbing with every second the limb went without the crucial oxygen it needed. Yanking back with all his pitiful might, the metal rod groaned with each tug.

This stupid curtain was going to take his hand. The limb was going to go necrotic and fall off like a twisted 1600s fairytale! It wouldn’t even be one of those fairytales that got butchered into a poorly produced Disney movie! Just a cautionary tale that parents would use to scare children out of throwing tantrums. And it would happen because this thin piece of cloth just-

Wouldn’t.

Let.

Go.

Thud!

Blunt pain shot up his back as he toppled over like a house of cards. Static shot up throughout his arms, fingers tingling as blood finally flowed freely again. Wiggling each finger individually, bright purplish red faded to its normal pallor hue. Breathless, excitement surged in his chest, freedom at the tips of his fingers. Intangibility! It’d worked! An excited squeal died on his lips both hands blocking noise from alerting his self-assigned prison warden.

When this was over he’d never take his powers for granted ever again! Never in a billion years! Forget being normal. Normal is the path of the coward; he’s a fucking ghost! Danny Phantom; that’s who he is! Not some pet for an oversized oceanic teenager or the cowardly dumbass of a family chalked full of geniuses everyone thought him to be.

Freedom was just a few feet away now. All he needed to do was brute force his intangibility into working again…

Easier said than done.

Something somewhere in this solar system really didn’t want him to use his powers but that something could go pound sand for all he cared. He had a Seabase to explore and a Leviathan to punch when he got back.

Slowly, he crept toward the far side of his base. The closest he could get to kelp forests without leaving his base. The furthest he could get from Dami’s face. There would be no invisibility to shield him from Dami’s gaze if the leviathan turned his head.

This escape had to be flawless! Not a single glowing eye could land on him; not for a single millisecond. There was no doubt Dami would attempt to follow him. He’d been willing to follow Danny into reaper-infested waters to act as a guard dog!

Squishing his body against the floor, Danny squeezed his fists tight. He needed to be ready to swim. As fast as he could and as stealthy as physically possible; Dami couldn’t be given a chance to catch him. One poorly placed grab and Danny could be shish kabobed by his claws in an instant!

Metal walls groaned, Dami’s python-like grip denting titanium and straining glass. Danny hissed, a cheek pressed up against the wall; he’s going to implode at the rate things were going. This Leviathan needed to take a chill pill before he gave himself a heart attack and a murder charge.

He kept his breathing deep and slow; his eyes pinned to the window. Muscles lax, palms flat on the ground a tingling sensation sparked through his body as he slowly sunk through the floor.

There wasn’t a second of hesitation in his mind; when he made it through he booked it. Not a single thought of reluctance could make him falter. Any coherent idea was drowned out by the desperate need to reach the kelp forests. Only when he swam deep into green-tinted waters did he allow himself to look back. …

Dami hadn’t followed him?

Did Dami think he wasn’t worth chasing? How dare he. Maybe he just didn’t see him? There wasn’t exactly an abundance of creatures who could through both walls and flesh but Danny couldn’t help feeling disappointed. It wasn’t like he wanted to be hunted down like an animal but a little recognition would be nice.

Pouting, a frown tugged on his lips, his PDA lighting up his face in the fleeting daylight scrutinizing the coordinates on screen. A deep yellow light shone from clusters of seeds like naturally grown lamp posts in a busy forest of kelp. Groups of Stalkers prowled the biome, their lack of bioluminescence allowing them to cloak themselves in the setting sun.

The signal was closer to the Aurora than he’d previously thought. It wasn’t clear if it was directly in the crash site but it was definitely close enough to guarantee a lethal injury if the drive core decided to explode while he was busy poking his nose in Torgal Corps business. Was this really worth the risk?

…

Yes.

Absolutely.

Without a possible doubt.

There was something fishy going on and he wanted to know if this was a Scooby-Doo situation. The Torgal’s in all their eccentric glory dressed themselves up as giant fish to keep the planet for themselves. At least in a scenario like that everyone would be mostly alive.

A naive part of him wanted to believe that. Was the lack of human contact already getting to him? Maybe it was the PDA’s explanation for morbid realities? Death dumbed down and sugarcoated to the point your brain would rot if you took it seriously. It was like the PDA couldn’t grip his reading comprehension and common sense was above that of an infant!

The tablet not thinking he could piece together what happened to the people in lifepod three made sense. But life pod seventeen?? Ozzy’s death was clear cut; eaten by a giant snake,done! Trauma contained, business as usual until, finally in his late fifties he realized how badly the situation fucked him up. With how the tablet tried to explain things he'd go his entire life thinking Ozzy and anyone who didn’t make it to a life pod “Went to live on a farm off-planet,”

Would the PDA try to explain things away if he found a skeleton?

Yeah, he didn’t actually want an answer to that question. Finding someone dead was the last thing anyone wanted unless they were a mortician…Or a serial killer.

As hypocritical as it might sound, he’d prefer to find living people. At this point, he wouldn’t even mind if he found ghosts. He needed there to be ghosts. For those who died to tell him who they were. Names, their favorite colors, what they wanted to do with their lives. Anything to prove these people were something other than their last words. Something to prove they were something other than a number on a list of casualties. He had to find something.

He would find something; someone, scanners be damned.

A dense forest of kelp transitioned to the plateaus red grass sprouting from the seabed as distance ticked down. Wrecks he didn’t have the tools nor the energy to explore taunted him. Tantalizing, wires smoked and sparked as if screaming of all the possible valuables hidden inside.

See if he cared. There was someplace much cooler for him to explore! Ancient's forbid there be something as abhorrent as ugh; walls down there. Hopefully, they were sensible enough to leave a key under the doormat.

Chunks of seamoths half buried in the sand were scattered near each wreck. Storage crates filled with only the mangled remains of what once was a complex piece of technology. Tools gnarled and melted, fragments of what they used to be. Reduced to nothing but an expensive piece of scrap. It was a miracle his scanner could salvage anything from some of this stuff!

How would the PDA even make some of these blueprints useable? Would it babyproof the laser cutter? Cutting through layers of steel wasn’t what he’d call a safe activity. You could easily chop off a hand or foot if you weren’t careful. The heat would cauterize it too so the chance of reattaching anything was small. Maybe it was like those car doors that stopped automatically so it wouldn’t crush your hand?

How would it make the seamoth usable? He’d thought about it briefly before but now that he had the blueprints in hand his curiosity tripled. A seamoth was essentially just a submarine but felt closer to a car than anything else. Would the tablet even allow him to make one? He hadn’t had a license before the crash but now that he’s funsized it’s twice as dangerous!

The PDA did let him swim around with a knife, but giving him a car was a bit much even for Alterra. Then again; they did bring a fourteen-year-old into space so maybe the line was further away than he thought?

Watching the numbers tick down as he paddled closer to his destination, he shook his head. Alterra’s restrictions were a problem for the future. Present him should stick to worrying about the Degasi.

Between the bright red grass of the plateaus and the murky green of the kelp forest was what he needed. A chasm leading downwards was illuminated by mushrooms clinging to stone. A scratchy roar muffled by the depth gave him goosebumps.

He broke for the surface, taking a huge gasp of air as his tanks topped up. Those snake-like creatures Ozzy talked about were down there. Something he found terrifying on its own without knowing they already had a taste for human flesh. Flesh, bone, and everything in between, nothing had been spared.

Ancient’s, these guys better not be like owls.

Blinking a gruesome image out of his brain, he delved down into the chasm. Darker and darker, a purplish glow lit up his face. The jellyfish mushrooms he’d seen before filled the biome. With caps like pretty pink jellyfish and their stems dark and strong. A piece of flora he’d expect to see in the ghost zone but also fit with what all those old sci-fi comics said alien life would be like.

A fish that looked like a peeper swam near, its eye a bright magenta and its tail like dripping wax. The light from his seaglid startled the fish into a hasty retreat.

It’s not long until he finds what he was looking for… Or at least what’s left of it. Every inch of metal was covered in rust, barnacles fused to the roof. A compartment collapsed to the floor, seawater flooded the base.

He knew; before he even stepped foot in that seabase that nobody lived there for a very long time. Only curious fish looking for somewhere to hide.

A spotlight hung from the roof almost indistinguishable from the rusted rooftop. A water filter stuck out against smoother surfaces. The survivors who stayed here were in it for the long hall or at least they tried to be. It hadn’t exactly gone well for them from what he could tell.

A PDA glowing dimly where a compartment had collapsed. A single log transferred to his PDA before the tablet went blank.

“Son, there is always a pecking order, and in our world, money makes the hierarchy,” An older voice begins. “I pay Maida a fraction of what I pay, and you a fraction of what I pay me,” He’s confident like each word was a law set in stone.

“If money makes the hierarchy, why is Marguerite making the decisions?” A much younger voice questioned.

“We NEED her.” The older man emphasizes. “We let her think what she likes, so long as she does what she’s told,”

“And what if she doesn’t?” The younger prods.

“For enough money, she will. People always do.” This Paul Torgal sounded like he'd get along well with Vlad.

The whole “ Everything and everyone can be bought if you have enough money,” Was straight up the Fruitloop’s alley, never mind the fact that it’s blatantly wrong. They’re both delusional old men; maybe they could bond over that?

Shaking his head Danny stared at a duo of hanging plants. Downward spirals that reminded him of jellyfish stingers. Their bright purple glow screamed, “Touch me and you’ll have a very bad time.” A carnivorous plant that ate small fish.

Now, he wasn’t a fish; but he was small. Small enough to be eaten whole by a crabsnake and small enough to squeeze by the stingers without even grazing them.

Trash was piled throughout the base; wires hanging from the ceiling of a multipurpose room. Plenty of things to scan yet not a single person in sight. Though, he wasn’t quite sure he’d expected to find anyone in here in the first place. The base was flooded; bottom to top. Not a single foot of this base was free from seawater.

Two PDAs sat abandoned in the room. One stashed away in an open locker; the other sat flat on a desk. Both of them still glowed dimly despite human hands not grazing those screens since they were abandoned. It was a miracle these PDAs managed to turn on let alone transfer any data! Yet here it was; two logs and coordinates right here for him to gawk at.

Maybe Tucker was right about the older PDA models being better. A notification popped up on his PDA; a reminder that his “Bedtime” was near. He ignored it; simply ushering a gentle reassurance to the tablet. Clearly, it’s jealous and was trying to redirect his attention.

{Proposed Degasi Habitat (500m)}

500 meters down?! What were these people trying to swim down to the core of the earth?! This base already flooded! What made them think they could keep the seawater out when the pressure was a thousand times worse?

Tapping the play button he decided he’d give them a chance to explain themselves as he poked his scanner everywhere he could.

“You know what Maida told me today?” Paul's voice starts, leaving Danny to guess.

It had to be something along the lines of, “Pull that stick out of your ass!” Or maybe “ Stop being such a massive douchenozzle,”

“She wants to build a habitat 500 meters below sea level more than a kilometer northeast of here. And she needs Bart and I to do it,” Oh, that explained the crazy scuba diving he’d be needing to do. Maida won this battle.

With a shake of his head, Danny kept his scanner pointed at the water filter. It stuck out of the wall like a sore thumb a piece of tech that hadn’t been changed since the day it was sent out. Pretty sure the same brand of water filters had been tucked away in the cargo bay. Hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Though he’s not sure if that still applied when it came to life-saving technology.

Danny only paid half attention to the man as he rambled about Meida like he was a grade-schooler who didn’t understand bullying your crush wasn’t the way to get their attention. “She’s being so reckless! I am obviously the leader of this group meh meh meh meh meh,” Please, this guy had a superiority complex every word he spoke screamed of it. Even when he spoke with his son, it sounded so insincere and- what in the fresh fuck?!

He’s eighty?! No wonder he was spouting nonsense; he’s completely senile! Eighty years left in him; that was mother Gothel level shit right there. Does Bart have healing hair? Is that why Paul sounded so freaking. Seriously all this talk about mortality and replacing livers like that’s a normal thing to do when you get old.

“It’s my responsibility to make a decision. Return to the island and hope whatever knocked the Degasi out of the sky won’t do the same to the rescue ship, or take us deeper in search of answers. All the while hoping old age gets to me before the sea monsters do.”

Danny hoped old age got him first too. Not that he wanted anyone to die. He’d just prefer it if whatever sea monsters the old Fruitloop was talking about didn’t have a taste for human flesh. Maybe they already did? After all, two ships had been knocked out of the atmosphere with no hesitation. Not even a warning shot or redneck war cry of “Get off my turf!”

Just- BAM!

A hundred people dead without so much of a clue what the hell had happened! What was the point of that? It needlessly destroyed the planet. Was human flesh that tasty? Should he be flattered? He probably shouldn’t. People are dead and more would be dead if he didn’t find out what was happening on this freaky planet!

Swimming through the hallway the drooping stingers gave the room an eerie glow. Yet another tablet sat on a desk a few feet away from a double bed. The only bed he’d found in this seabase. Maybe they scrapped the other ones but Danny preferred to think the Degasi survivors packed themselves together like sardines. With Marguerit and Paul glaring daggers at each other while Bart acted as a living barrier.

A funny situation to think about while he did his best to brush away the morbid reality that these people were dead. To brush off the sinking feeling in his stomach that something much worse than flesh-eating sea monsters was going on here.

Call it morbid curiosity but he’d never been one to mind his business back home. What made anyone think he’d stop now that he’d been stranded on an alien planet? He’s the perfect example of a real-life horror movie protagonist. One you’d scream at through the screen as he waltzed right into a situation that’d kill him. With that said, he pressed play on another log.

“We’re already 200m below sea level! You want to go deeper,” He could empathize with the guy. Fish got freaky the deeper down you went. His PDA blared, an upgrade for his air tank added to his blueprints.

“Look around us Chief. Water leaking through the hull. Water outside the hatch. We’re drowning. Real slow.” Marguerite drawled out the last sentence. It’s clear in her voice; she’s already made up her mind.

If rescue arrives whatever shot us down is going to do it again. And again. Until it’s shut off. You see an off switch around here, chief?” The word chief sounded like a devastating insult when it came from Marguerit. A sardonic hint to her voice that

“Why would it any more likely be half a kilometer down?!” Paul shouted.

“Your kid found something on the scanner. There’s something down there. Something that shouldn’t be,” She states, and if Danny wasn’t on her side before he definitely was now.

“You’re mad,” He spits.

“I’m going all the same. And I’ve an idea you two are gonna follow. But if you do, be mindful: your authority stopped at sea level.” She ends, unwavering against Paul’s objections. He already knew who won this battle. Marguerit took no bullshit and went to chase down whatever Bart found on the scanner.

For some reason; he didn’t think they had the chance to find what they were looking for down there. Neither did he; Marguriet was right. There’s no off switch around here, and there certainly wasn’t a spare radiation suit hung up in the lockers that he could borrow.

All that’s left in these caves were the stones scattered throughout the biome. Paul was right about this place being chalked full of materials. Lithium clung to the walls and magnetite stuck out of the sand. An abundance of shale outcrops dropped gold and lithium, diamonds slowly drifting into his tiny hands.

“Remember that materials you gather are-“ The robotic voice cut off. The tablet decided whatever message pre-programmed into it was inappropriate to say to a baby.

Why did he get the feeling that the message was going to be a bill? It was a bill, wasn’t it? Anchient’s what kind of dystopian hellscape was Alterra running?! Billing a crash survivor for surviving? That sounded like something he’d expect of Vlad.

If the rescue teams showed up with itemized bills for everyone nothing would stop him from bankrupting Alterra. He’d bulldoze the corporation and turn every building they owned into a spirit Halloween maybe turn a warehouse or two into a hot topic. A little gift to Sam. No amount of backtracking on Alterra’s part would deter him. It’d be time for them to start rebuilding everything from scratch; with morals this time!

“Oxygen.” His PDA chimed; clearly a distraction to keep him from holding a grudge against Alterra for an imaginary scenario. The tablet underestimated the sheer pettiness he’s capable of; a rookie mistake on Alterra’s part.

Swimming up to the surface, Danny gasped, filling his lungs until they felt like they’d burst. His seglide helps him keep him bobbing above water seawater, moonlight engulfing him like a paper-thin bedsheet.

Stranded or not, he’d insist enthusiastically to anyone who cared that this planet’s moons were prettier than the one orbiting Earth. Glowing like a copper sphere half heated, several times the size of Earth’s moon. If he ever found that island Paul talked about he’d be stargazing like a king!

Staring longingly at the sky Danny kicked off, darting through the water as if he’d been born in it. His fingers lingered above the play button of one of Bart’s recordings. Bart was different from Paul and Marguriet in a way that made the thought of him being dead more distressing.

Marguriet was in her early forties when the Degasi dropped off the radar. Paul was in his late seventies when they crashed, turning eighty in the Jellyshroom caves. But Bart… He was just nineteen when he disappeared. It’s hard to wrap his head around that he’d be in his early thirties if he were alive today. Somberly, he pressed play.

“I thought it might get claustrophobic, living underwater. Father feels it is. He’d tell me it was childish but I stare out the window and sometimes I think how lucky I am to see this world up close.” The biochemist starts.

“Back on the island, I wouldn’t have believed the creatures that lived down here. The fish, they GLOW… There's one that’s 90% eyeball… and snakes twice the length of a habitat compartment” He says, awe oozing from each word he spoke. Sam would’ve gotten along with this guy.

“Certainly it’s not all friendly. Most of the plant life is toxic, I learned that the hard way, but I’ve managed to coax some marblemelons into growing indoors, and when they don’t cover our dietary needs…” There’s a slight pause and Danny really hopes he’s not about to confess to being a cannibal.

“We eat the fish themselves. It’s a bit gross, but nothing they wouldn’t do” Thank fuck.

“I’ve been attempting to document my findings. Father approves. He says understanding is power. That the more we know about the planet the more we can use it to our advantage,” Paul was right about that. Learning to differentiate between animals that wanted to tear flesh off your bones and the guys who just wanted to be left alone certainly was an advantage.

“I’m just doing it because it’s fun. It’s not easy without proper equipment and network access, but the old-fashioned way- Observing, taking notes, testing theories- shows me the world in a way spectroscopic analysis never could,” Bart continues.

“Lately I've been watching the crab snakes. They ambush their prey as it tries to feed on the mushrooms they hide in. What they don't eat settles on the seabed, which fertilizes the mushrooms, which feeds the herbivores, and so the chain continues. Co-evolution gives me the fuzzies.” Whatever floats your boat dude.

Biology never was his thing. He got a C in that class for a reason. Sure he’d gotten better but it wasn’t anything to write home about. Whatever notes he wrote about the local ecosystem were just entertainment for him. A way to fuel his obsession without having to look around and remember everyone was dead and there were no ghosts to be vengeful about their deaths. Most of the notes he wrote down on his PDA were solely for telling stories others hadn’t lived to tell.

They’d be another funny thing to explain when he found other survivors. Though hope was dwindling a bit at this point he wouldn’t give up just yet. There’s still a speck of hope for him to cling to. A logical expectation that the universe wasn’t stupid enough to leave him to solve problems on his own.

A piece of magnetite rested in his hands as his base slowly came into view. It’s strange to think a small stone like this was used to make torpedo systems all across the universe. Just another miracle of human intelligence. Anything and everything nature churned out could be made into a weapon if you scienced hard enough. … … … … Dami was gone.

It might be the crushing loneliness, but he couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Dami is classified as a teenager for his species he could have a parentally enforced curfew or something. That or maybe Dami found out he’d left and went to chase him down. Either way, if Dami tries a trick like that again he’s getting tased harder than a neckbeard at an anime convention.

Clliiick crickk....

A quiet noise echoed throughout the shallows. Like the click of a tongue, barely noticeable but creepy as hell to hear in the dark of night. Hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he scanned the area for any sign of Dami… Nothing, not a roar or a croon. Just an empty imprint in the sand where the leviathan curled around the base.

A peeper, its eye half open and Danny could only assume it was sleeping. Did peepers snore or something? How could something so tiny make a noise so big? The peeper's beak opened…

....       ....

           ....Clllick crickk

Ah, that’s how. He guessed that made sense… It didn’t but he wasn’t down for vivisecting local wildlife for something as stupid as a little snoring. Sometimes it was better to chalk things down to Alien life being weird. Still, if he wanted to mark down peeper sleeping habits he needed to make sure this one wasn’t just congested.

Inching closer, its bright yellow eye snapped open. Darting away like a bolt of lightning before Danny got the chance to poke it. That didn’t look like a sickly fish? It acted the same as a healthy one. Terrified of everything unless it was trying to rub that weird fluorescent glitter all over you. Maybe peepers were the heavy snorers of this planet?

That’s the explanation he'd stick with for now. And if anything freaky happened later he’d facepalm at the obvious signs of danger. If he wasn’t brutally murdered, that is.

Another reminder chimed the five-minute mark before his Ai-assigned bedtime. Hastily he fumbled with the habitat builder building up a multipurpose room onto his base. He’d like to sleep in an actual bed tonight if that wasn’t asking too much.

Ocean water dripped from his hair when he entered the seabase; pooling down onto the metal floors. There’s no towels to dry him off here. No shower he could wash off in, daydreaming until the water ran cold. Unfortunately, indoor plumbing wasn’t included in Alterra’s survival blueprints.

There wasn’t enough time or power to place down a water filter. Solar panels were too weak to keep the base powered with a water filter running. Oxygen trumped the need for water just like water trumped the need for food. Despite what his teachers said about him, Danny did know how to prioritize! Ghosts just got in the way more often than not.

The room was gigantic compared to the basic compartments. Empty enough that his words held a slight echo; an empty canvas for him to decorate. Unfortunately, he’s got plenty of time to decorate his home away from home.

A timely rescue was a dream of the past. It took a decade to find the planet the Degasi crashed on and that was by accident! So for an unforeseen amount of time, he’s trapped on this planet. Far outside of federation space, stranded on a freaky ocean planet determined to outdo the Bermuda Triangle. This was what they made sci-fi movies about in the nineties.

With a shake of his head, he built a bed. It’s a double bed because he deserves that luxury. A thin blanket was tossed across the foot of the bed, the mattress more like a cot than anything else but who was he to complain? At least it was comfier than the ones in the nurse's office. Plenty of room for him to curl up and make a move toward sweet unconsciousness

… Hopefully, his PDA would wake him if anything was about to blow up.

[encyclopika]

Animal Crossing Fish - Explained #243

Brought to you by a marine biologist with some moray appreciation...

CLICK HERE FOR THE AC FISH EXPLAINED MASTERPOST!

We have covered morays extensively; they seem to be AC's favorite Anguilliformes, or true eels. The eels we have covered so far are mostly from the Family Muraenidae, the morays, which are quite diverse and really cool, so I get it. The ones we've covered so far are the ribbon eel, the moray eel (which we found was the Kidako moray), and the white ribbon eel. Our other eels were the spotted and splendid garden eels (which are conger eels), the pelican eel (which is a weirdo all by itself in its own Family) and the eel (which was a freshwater eel). So, with today's moray from ACPC, that means species from Muraenidae make up half of all the eels in the franchise (that I know of, as of writing).

The moray in Animal Crossing Pocket Camp was available throughout the Fall of 2022 and then again in Fall 2024. Maybe it will come back this coming Fall 2025?

What I find funny is that this moray eel is meant to be the Kidako Moray, which is the species present in ACNH, New Leaf, and City Folk, but like. It's a bad take and way too ambiguous. It's lazy - I know you can do better, Nintendo. And I know that it *should* be the Kidako, considering the Kidako is an important food fish in Japan and it makes sense they would continue on with the same species. But. We know that sometimes that isn't true. Nintendo can do whatever it wants, and that means I will, too. LMAO

A yellow-bodied moray eel with brown spots is actually a popular look among morays. The family has 200 species, and of those I found quite a few that could be even better represented by the ACPC sprite than the Kidako. For example, the Freshwater Moray (Gymnothorax polyuranodon) looks much more like the sprite.

Image from fishkeeper.co.uk

The Freshwater Moray is actually a unique species of moray that can survive in fresh, brackish, or saltwater, so the fact that ACPC's moray is found at Saltwater Shores doesn't count this guy out. Its native range is in extremely shallow water from Sri Lanka to the northern coast of Australia. It's thought to be catadromous, meaning that it goes out to sea to spawn. It's the opposite of what salmon do, but seems to be a theme among eels. So, yeah, it's a really good candidate.

But we also have the Spotted Snake Eel (Scuticaria tigrina), also called the Tiger Moray. This one is also shallow water, but only in saltwater throughout the Indo-Pacific to Hawaii and also around the west coast of Mexico to Panama. The spots on this one are more blotchy, but they're big and round and look brown on some individuals, so this one is a candidate for species rep here too.

By zsispeo - Flickr: Scuticaria tigrina, CC BY-SA 2.0

Another candidate could be the Laced or Honeycomb Moray (Gymnothorax favagineus). Its also native to the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Southern Japan and the Great Barrier Reef.

By jon hanson from london, UK - honeycomb moray eel, CC BY-SA 2.0

And still, we have the Fimbriated Moray (Gymnothorax fimbriatus), another candidate of the Indo-Pacific, from Madagascar to Polynesia, and from south Japan to New Caledonia. As with many morays, they are reef-dwellers and are nocturnal, coming out at night to feed on squid and fish.

Image from scuba.spanglers.com

And the last one I want to mention is the Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus). This species is the largest of the morays in terms of weight, although 10ft/3m is not a small length either. It is also a denizen of the coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Hawaii and everything in between, including Japan's southern islands. It is known to cooperatively and mutually hunt with the Roving Coral Grouper. This is a rare inter-species cooperative hunt in which the animals bob their heads at each other to start the hunt. It's pretty incredible. We do, sometimes, see relations like this in other species, like that between coyotes and badgers. In both these relationships, the slender, burrowing partner can flush out hiding prey from its burrow into the waiting maw of their larger, quicker partner.

Moray eels are so cool, but I've covered them so much, I kinda just wanted to do a slide show of just a few really cool members. Head back up to the links to learn more about them and other Anguilliformes.

And there you have it! Fascinating stuff, no?

[erijuice]

Bug Fables: Tales of Bugaria Masterpost

Episodes on AO3:

Episode 1: The Survived Giant

Episode 2: The Haughty Hooligans

Episode 3: The War With the Blade

Episode 4: The Wishing Stone

Episode 5: The Giant's Village

Episode 6: Some Enchanted Human

Reference Sheets:

Maggie Dolittle

Nox

Team Hooligan / The Hooligans

All the TOB Characters

Pluto

Artwork:

One Giant’s Garden is Another Bug’s Hometown

Hooligans and Spy Cards

Hug A Giant Day

Sleepover at the Giant's Residence

Golden Settlement Autumn

Winter Moth and Flower Human

Nox and his pet Aphid

Maggie and Kabbu

Fishing by the Campfire

Team Snakemouth in the Giant's Realm

Memes/Sketches:

Weed Brownie

A Giant and Her Knights

Kabbu Lifts

Moth Maggie Pt 1

Moth Maggie Pt 2

Skills/Statistic:

Skills for Team Giantspeak Skills

Bugtober 2024 Artwork:

Day 1: Ready Up

Day 2: Beemerang

Day 3: Rainfall

Day 4: Strength

Day 8: Lore (written text)

Day 14: Bounty

Day 16/18: Joy/Beetle

Day 21: CD-I

Music:

Scavenger's Paradise

Beware of the Giantess!

The Humble Bard

Misc:

Maggie and Nox Game Sprites

Nox the Firefly Memes

Videos:

Kabbulith Date

Nox Singing About Cola

Survived Giant Storyboard

[britt-kageryuu]

Things are a bit different today, sure Leo is in the clinic again, but he's also playing Mineko's Night Market. And of course because he's in the clinic, chat is using a MedicBlue emoji alot.

When the stream started Leo mentioned that there were no appointments, but he was the only one available to be in the clinic that day. Thus once again streaming to pass the time.

So his model dressed in scrubs is seated behind the Receptionist desk in the clinic, and the gameplay is boarded with bandaid graphics.

"The most annoying thing I keep running into with this game is that there's next to no guides online. I was trying to look up, like a progression chart or something, but there wasn't much available." Leo explains while moving around the Dark Woods to get more wood, collect hair balls, and fish. "Then again I got lazy, and didn't want to go to some of the websites."

"I got the in-game thing telling me that more tools were available, almost at random, and when I looked at the prices I did some math," Leo starts to say while running back to the bus stop, "And I realized 'oh I need just $4200 to progress with the story."

Quick check to see if there's any friendship quests he can fulfill.

"But I also wanted to get through the friendship quests, so I also needed to buy the new crafting benches." Leo rattles on while going through the Minekos' house to talk to Nikko about collecting resources.

"The other thing, is just how hard it is to Not look up whatever these 'Agents' want with the giant Cat God, enough to pretend to look for a missing kid, just to snoop into people's houses."

Leo's eyes shift after that sentence, and he quickly pauses the game, and mutes the mic.

An arm with a recognizable blue jacket reaches into view handing Leo a bento box wrapped in a blue rabbit motif cloth. Leo is talking to who the chat realizes is his boyfriend for a couple minutes before turning to the computer to do something.

What he did was bring in a Usagi model that's propped up next to him, while the actual Rabbit stays offscreen. Leo un-mutes the mic. While handing a clip on mic to Usagi.

"Hey guys, I see you already guessed that My Moon is joining me for lunch. Though he's staying behind the camera." Leo says while moving stuff on the desk, and minimizing the gameplay since he's taking a lunch break from it.

"Hello everyone." Usagi greets them, his model speaks in his place like a PNG, "I guess you can just call me Moon, since I definitely can't give you my real name."

"What did I bring Blue? Pizza Gyoza, Onigiri with salmon, steamed carrots, and snacking tomatos. Along with some snacks, and tea to go with it." Usagi explains to the chat while Leo opens his bento and spreads out his food.

"So Moon-Bun, anything new happening with your friends?" Leo asked while they started eating. Usagi goes on to Vaugly tell a story of his friends trying to get back at an annoyingly clever businessman, who wanted his Aunts farm for some reason.

Usagi sticks around after lunch to talk with Leo while he continues with the game. Greeting a few guests that show up while Leo turns off the camera to help them.

-----------------

Masterpost

[datvtranscripts]

The Dragon Slayer Pt. 3

Antaam Plans

Taash Masterpost

Signs and Portents Masterpost Previous: Bait

They start to head towards the horn Taash mentioned.

Taash: So what do you all do?

Rook: Right now, we're trying to take down evil god-monsters and their blighted dragons.

Taash: What? That can't be right. Dragons don't get blighted. They're smart enough to avoid that crap!

Rook: However it's happening, the gods are using the blight to force dragons to attack people.

Taash: That's messed up. Somebody needs to stop them!

Rook sounds the horn.

(Horn calls loudly)

A dragon flies out over the area.

Taash: There you go. Ataas-kari.

Rook: Where are we headed?

Taash: That old Grey Warden fort. Antaam might be there. I want to see what they're doing. If it's anything the Lords of Fortune need to worry about.

They head towards the fortress.

Bellara: So she responds to the horn?

Davrin: She responded quickly to the horn.

Emmrich: The Vinsomer responded quickly to the horn.

Harding: She responds to the horn?

Lucanis: That was fast. She answers a horn?

Neve: She responds to people blowing a horn?

Taash: This time.

Bellara: So, not the first time you've done this?

Davrin: You've fed her before?

Emmrich: You've fed her before?

Harding: You've fed her before, then?

Lucanis: You've done this before.

Neve: You've left food for her before?

Taash: Took a while to get her used to it.

Rook: It sounds like you've got her trained.

Taash: You train a dog. You reach an understanding with a dragon.

They continue.

Taash: Vinsomers are clumsy on land. Better in the water. They cut the surface like a knife.

Rook: They swim?

Taash: They dive down after prey like a giant bird. Sometimes they stun schools of fish with their lightning. Gulp them all down in a single bite.

They reach the fortress, and the dragon flies by.

Bellara: Oh, wow! That dragon got very, very close.

Davrin: That was close! A lot bigger than a griffon!

Emmrich: She came rather close!

Harding: That was close! Maybe too close.

Lucanis: Maker…

Neve: Well, that was close!

Taash: Letting us know she sees us. Might also be her way of saying thanks for the food.

Davrin in party: Davrin: Some of these buildings look like Grey Warden architecture. Taash: Good eye. Wardens used to have a big outpost here. They left after a volcano erupted. Said it closed some tunnels? Davrin: Makes sense. If a volcano floods the Deep Roads with magma, you don't need to worry about darkspawn using those tunnels.

Davrin not in party:

Bellara: Someone put a lot of work into these fortifications. Why'd they leave?

Emmrich: This was quite the fortress. Why was it abandoned?

Harding: Someone built an entire fortress, and then left it empty?

Lucanis: Why build all this and leave?

Neve: Someone put a lot of work into these fortifications. Why'd they leave?

Taash: This used to be a big Grey Warden outpost. They left after the darkspawn stopped coming.

They continue though the fort, and come across Antaam materials.

Bellara: Well, there's definitely Antaam here.

Davrin: The Antaam are definitely here.

Emmrich: I see the Antaam have arrived.

Harding: Yep. That's the Antaam.

Lucanis: The Antaam are definitely here.

Neve: So the Antaam are here.

Taash: Let's check inside the fort. I wanna see what they're doing.

They start to look around, and a bunch of Antaam burst in.

Taash: Shit! More Antaam!

Antaam: Zeshadim shok saam!

Taash: You're not even supposed to be here!

Antaam: Itwar issala-ari!

Taash: Weak dust people? I'll show you weak dust people!

They defeat the Antaam.

Taash: Come on. Let's keep looking.

Rook: So the Antaam took over the outpost after the Grey Wardens abandoned it?

Taash: Yeah. Rivain and the Qunari were at peace forever. Then the Antaam broke away from the Qun and invaded. But Qunari builders are part of a different caste. They didn't break away. So the Antaam take over old forts like this instead of building their own.

They search the fort, and Rook finds a note.

Antaam Note (Translated from the Qunari language) Your instructions are unchanged. Use the nets to bring the dragon from the sky and the grapples to tie it down. Do this and win glory for the Antaam.

Taash: Grapples. Nets. The Antaam are going after the Vinsomer.

Bellara: Shouldn't the dragon be okay against the Antaam?

Davrin: She's a dragon. She can take care of herself.

Emmrich: Surely the dragon can defend herself against the Antaam.

Harding: Is that bad? She can deal with that, right?

Lucanis: She's more than a match for the Antaam.

Neve: But the dragon can handle that.

Taash: Not after I drugged her! Come on!

They make their way out.

Taash: They've been watching. They knew I'd drug her to make her sleep. Assholes!

Next: Adaari

[harrowharks-iliac-crest]

The Nine Houses

Worldbuilding/Lore

<< Previous: Masterpost

-

The Nine Houses refer to planets, named, presumably, in order of colonisation. I'm befuddled as to which one is which planet, if we're going on the assumption that this is the solar system. This is what I've extrapolated from reading:

First is Earth.

Second is most likely Mars - gathered from the fighting energy of its house, proximity to Earth and viability for terraforming, and also this:

"[...]Each Beast is different. I have fought numerous now, and each Beast is quite unlike any other … Number Two spewed quicksilver and remade itself into hundred-foot spikes. Number Six kept sucking us into enormous sphincters and spraying us with worms. I cannot even remember what it looked like. I remember Number Four … it was a humanoid creature with a beautiful face who held me under the water, and it spoke in a lovely voice but it only repeated, die, die—and I recall Number One as a great and incoherent machine … when I saw it I thought it had a great tail, and a thousand broken pillars on its back, but Cassiopeia saw it as a mechanical monster with swords for wings, and great horns of myelin, tessellated over with graves.” It was the Saint of Duty who said, restlessly: “Number Eight was a giant head.” “Finned like a fish,” said Augustine, lost in reverie. “Its ribs were bloody bandages, and its teeth protruded through its own skull, tangled about its face like a nest. It was red, and it had a single eye of green that moved all about the body …"

Metal-related appearance, from the planet notoriously rusty.

Actually, this passage describing the Resurrection Beasts - revenants of the planets - was the thing that got me into trying to assign planets to Houses based on, mostly, vibes.

Forth could be Venus, based on this passage alone. I could easily be wrong.

Sixth is Mercury I reckon. In the epilogue of HtN the setting is described as very hot - close to Dominicus. I reread it now and I don't think it's ever mentioned to be set on the Sixth, in fact parts of it actively contradict that assumption, but somehow I seem to have gotten that into my head anyway? But even so, Sixth is described as the one closest to Dominicus - notably this passage:

The Emperor dropped to his haunches and eased the white robe off Mercy’s dead shoulders. He shrugged his naked body into it—coyly pulling it closed—and he stretched his jaw in his mouth, and wriggled the tip of his newly grown nose. “Right,” he said, and closed his eyes briefly. Then he said, “The sun has stabilized. Hope the Sixth House didn’t get cooked in the flare.”

This to me pretty much confirmed the Sixth as Mercury.

Eighth, in the above passage about the Resurrection Beasts, is described in ways that immediately make me picture Jupiter. Red, a single eye of green moving all over the body? Ribs were bloody bandages? A "giant head" - Jupiter, in Roman mythology was the king of the gods? Am I way off the mark here?

And Ninth is Pluto, furthest from the sun, cold and desolate. And solid. (How are they pulling off living on gas giants?)

This leaves the Third, Fifth, Seventh houses to be matched with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. At a loss, still, for how gas giants are supposed to be colonised. The general infrastructure of the pre- and post-resurrection world/Empire has me asking questions like, where do they get the materials to build starships and feed their officers? Metal and plastic seem abundant. In terms of food we've mostly seen snow leeks, Canaan House and the Mithraeum, all of which are probably exceptional to what a regular House person eats. There is some talk of John's expansion and colonising efforts, so do they just go to random planets - are there aliens in this universe? (Is Alecto one?) So the Empire is expanding, mining colonised planets for ore and oil to turn into plastic - though that would indicate a lot of life on a lot of these planets, so I'm gonna guess that whatever happens to those planets isn't kind to the native flora, fauna and people.

Of course, there's always the option that this isn't meant to be the planets at all, and even if it was, it might be a lot more metaphorical. Or just actually a completely different world to ours, not the solar system at all. (Though there's many explicit and implicit pop culture references which would indicate the First to truly be Earth, so we're sticking with this theory.)

Are they actually on the planets - we haven't seen any planets other than First, and Ninth, arguably big exceptions; the Epilogue seems to be set on a moon of some kind, after a more thorough reread. The Actual Planets are dead, or rather resurrected, with their revenants on the hunt. Could be that the Houses do stand for the planets, and some people might be living on (or near) the actual planets, but a lot of people are actually living away from the solar system entirely - born into "Houses" far from the sun, into the Emperor's war machine. It's hard to tell.

Either way, I'm not gonna assign any more planets now until I know more.

>> Next: The Resurrection

[hisui555]

Hazbin Hotel thoughts : Pets 2

"How are they with pets ?" Vees and other Overlords edition

(Pets 1 (Hazbin Hotel crew) here)

(Pets 3 (Heaven's side) here)

Masterpost here.

Aaaand my titles are still as creative as a rusting cheese grater on sale. Anyway, let's jump to it.

The Vees !

Vox did have an (now archived) Instagram that's also now loosely canon, where he put pics of his cute pet hammerhead landshark Vark (that's probably not in the show the same as it was in the Instagram, but made it in with another form : might be the hammerhead bio-shark we see in the tank in ep 2 and why do I get the feeling we got robbed from something ?) and given his interactions with it, he clearly loves it with all his heart, calling it "baby" and posting what he brought for him (in a handbag), so it's safe to say that Vark is spoiled. One pic even shows it jumping on Velvette with Vox doing a fist-pump, another has an out-of-focus one with Vox being the one jumped on, so the critter can be safely described as rather enthusiastic (and giant. Hell fuck is it big). Which, based on this, gives a rather good idea of how he would interact with a pet : it's kind of a special, non common animal of specific interest (shark), that he will coddle and spoil to high heavens, basically a pseudo-kid. Expect tons of affection, letting it run around to its heart's content with a whole room (or more) dedicated to the beast, and a Never Could Do Any Wrong attitude that might be even worse that Lucifer's in the previous post. He will also train and teach it tricks, complete with lots of praise and treats, and given his management skills vet appointments are no problems (well, for him. Given the animal, very much not so for the vet), even cooing to the tyker that I know, you don't like it, but we'll have to go. I know, I know, I promise it's not for long. Touch it and you're dead, your reputation is dead, your whole family is dead up to the 10th ancestor, even your ashes are dead.

Alternatively, given how Vox is in the show now (still secretely hoping we see that side of him I admit, but I wouldn't place any bets on it), he has multiple shark-like creatures in a GIANT fish tank (at least two of them recognizable as sharks, I've counted four beasties that are seen on the opening of Stayed Gone), which look impressive and silently drift by. So while there's still the affinity for sharks, they look less goofy and more dangerous than Vark by some metric magnitudes and go quite well with his cunning CEO image, even emphazing it ("I think I have... just the one." Ep 2). So it paints a picture of power and silent intimidation, grinning like a shark and tempting to trade into the waters, smelling weakness like blood in the waves and drowning people under false hope : which is pretty much how he'd probably like his pets - hunting, powerful, highly unusual ones, that make him think of, well, himself and his empire. He'll keep them well-fed, cares for them, and likes to watch them swim around, maybe to calm his nerves after a Valentino tantrum or whenever Alastor so much as breathes wrong, more like status pets than coddling pets like his Instagram incarnation with Vark (again, shame*).

*While I do go awww, too bad, the producers, animators and whatnot had to work with an 8 episodes season. Characters also evolve (5 years between the pilot and the first episode), and things get dropped or picked up considering the needs of the show, and the intends behind the characters. The retired character Instagrams (and the pilot) paint the big lines, but smaller details are either contradictory or true-but-in-a-sideways-way compared to the final product, hence why "loosely canon". Vox with Vark would've been adorable, but he's probably not supposed to be that likable in that precise way, and it would've probably not brought the show itself much. I can only speculate why they dropped Vark's previous version (if he's indeed in the show at all), but don't take it as me faulting the show's creators and workers for it : my word is far from being gospel. Or else I'd make a really shitty deity.

Velvette would probably like a small, handholding pet that she can customize and that accords to her tastes, but also cute, photogenic and personable, so expect something like Hell's version of a chameleon, a pug or a Yorkshire (wait scratch that, I said "cute and photogenic"), or something that other people would find hideous but she'll make it work (nevermind, this fits) to show off how good her fashion skills are. She'll parade around with it, and if it has the same bitchy disdainous attitude as her, gladly welcomed bonus. She'll train it to obey only her (to Vox and Valentino's consternation and frustration), but also perfectly : every command is fulfilled within the snap of her fingers, but if the pet does outstandingly well, she won't hold back the treats. In private, she might be softer and more affable to it, praising and baby-talking it, but at the very least it'll have a luxurious corner to live in, and when she's away, her assistants are given the tasks of taking care of it (however not to a keep-an-activity-journal point unlike Pentious in the previous post). Unlike Angel, she might go for multiple pets at once (again, they're taken care of by a whole flock of staffs - good for testing interns and all that), and bank fashion lines and trends on them, associating with Vox to push out new product lines about animal care and fashion.

She'll also have pretend "dialogues" in public with one of them (switching favorites often following her moods - Velvette likes to have a wide choice fan of options) about how ugly or stupid she finds something and what's that you say Pookie ? Yes, absolutely, this dress looks like colored by sewer waters, ugh, good thing someone agrees with me. Think we should fire her ? to someone she particularly despises or deems unimportant enough and won't address directly because she'll estimate it beneath her, or sometimes to have an outlet of her own to vent. Rarely if ever goes to the vet unless one of the critters ate something it really shouldn't, since she's counting on her assistants to be skilled in healthcare, and they better be. Naming will be themed after what she likes, supported by tons of nicknames, and only her will know which one is named what because no one can keep up. Will be more annoyed than sad if one of them is hurt or died, but there will be a pang of sorrow for her favorite ones.

Valentino, well, also had a loosely canon pet queef (those half chihuahua half horsefly thingies, which are two abominations put together to make a third one - kidding, Fizzarolli's are kinda endearing), named... Queef (worse than my title names, good job bud), and emphasis on had, since he shot the tyker dead because it annoyed him, according to his archived Instagram. A safe bet is that it didn't even lasted very long. Which... paints dead-on (...sorry) the picture of how Val would treat pets : it's like a fancy that strikes from time to time and goes away just as quick, the second he's bothered by the critter. He's atrocious with naming them (though Adam beats him for sure in terms of naming things), sometimes can't differenciate one from another because oh right, I killed Queefie last week, you're actually Queefrey (...look at what you've made me do, stupid moth), and doesn't really care in general. Vet ? What's that ? Seriously the only time he'll go to a vet it's to enrol them in his studio if he finds them sexy enough and uses the critter for it. To him, they're not animals, they're trending accessories : something that goes nicely with the fishnet stockings and mink coat for an evening or two, not longer - or a tool to pick up chicks and chucks. If it dies, either he's the reason for it, or he'll just be annoyed.

He might just give them away if feeling generous or in a good mood, mostly to Velvette or his employees (he was the one who gave Fat Nuggets to Angel canonically - which was when Hell probably got a sudden cold wave or something. My sarcasm is having a stroke today, damn, sorry. Often happens when I'm writing Valentino's section, wonder why...ah, shit.), but hates if it disobeys or doesn't do what he wants it to do. Given that he doesn't train them either and expects it to behave like he wants right off the bat, this happens often. The longest any pet has lasted by him ? I'd say a week, two tops.

The other Overlords !

I don't peg Zestial for a pet owner, but again, let's pretend. It'll probably be something silent and creepy, ancient and powerful just like him - I mean, can you see him pick up any sparkly eyed kitten ? Me neither. It would make for a hilarious image, though. But nope, he'll be more like Hagrid than Umbridge in that sense : the most horrifying the better. Given his motif of spiders, he'll have his own Aragog, or some giant chiropteric monster from the dawn of times, with its own gregorious Fancy Name The Nth, something that even Lucifer thought died out ages ago. It's more a mutually respectful companionship than anything else : there's no "owner", no "pet", it just happens to live in Zestial's basement (or wherever he hangs his spindly, spidery legs from) and hunt down nuisances for him, in exchange of the occasional chin scritches. Might also know how to play chess, because why the hell not. Zestial won't like it being hurt, but will let it lick its wounds on its own and wait for it to ask for help, and it'll show up to show support in a fight and some extra manpower if needed. It doesn't obey squat, just agrees with you from time to time. No vet is crazy enough to go near that beast.

Carmilla will probably not have a pet either (too bothersome), but her daughters just might, and she'll allow it (somehow). Strict rules, the animal can't go wherever it pleases, better be damn well potty trained, and girls, if you want a pet, I'm not the one taking care of it - and she will stand by this, unlike some Didn't Want The Damn Cat Parents who melt at the first purr (welcome to the club of cat lovers, I'm the self-proclaimed president, what can I do for you ?). However, she's not against the affection, enjoying some relaxing moments with the pet at her side. Also, just having it around sleeping while she does work is nice and stress-relieving enough. She appreciates whatever "help" it can provide (fetching stuff), and simply talks to it like she would to an everyday person, only repeating words to make it understand what it should or should not be doing. She doesn't like cruelty to animals, and will make very clear what she thinks of someone who does that, but otherwise won't blow a gasket (like Vox or Angel might do). Might favor guard pets to protect her loved ones.

Rosie would be more about some old fashioned and elegant pets like poodles or whatever frizz-furred (or hairless, or scaly, as long as its classy) critter this side of Hell has to offer. However, since Alastor doesn't like dogs, she'll either keep it at home, or simply have another pet altogether, but case in point, it's a home pet, not something to parade around the Emporium with. Having it on a leash in the streets, fan in hand (her, not the tyke), and taking a strut around while waving for her fellow citizens or stopping to chat with other pet-owners is really picturesque, and exactly what she'll do. She'll make sure it's well-behaved, and will just have to softly utter a single command for it to obey. The most questionable thing would be the... diet. One sure thing, that beastie is well-fed.

Part 3 will be Heaven's side. Hope you enjoyed !

Again, Masterpost here.

[edupunkn00b]

Just Like Magic, Chapter 8: Seek

Prev - Seek - Next - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

From Chapter 7: Light

“Not a mage, no, but… something,” he murmured. Finally, he shook his head. “Something dangerous?” “No,” he shook his head again, almost laughing. “No, definitely not dangerous. Not to us.” He looked like he wanted to say more but instead he clapped his hands and fished his staff out from under the covers. “I will prepare breakfast for us,” he said, pushing up to his feet and beginning to fold the blankets. “Let me help,” Logan said and reached for the opposite corners. “Ah, ah, ah,” Janus tutted as he took the blanket from him with a little smile. “You, my dear Logan, have a staff to find.”

Janus gave Logan his cloak for his trip deeper into the woods. “The snow appears to have stopped for now, but the skies are heavy with more,” he murmured, fastening the clasp. Feigning to struggle with a twisted hem, he ducked his head to hide his frown at the way the cloak swallowed Logan’s bony frame. They would soon need to find him more food. While their meals of travel rations and foraged nuts appeared to be more than Logan had regular access to, he would need more to truly recover from years of undernourishment, let alone be ready for the trek back north to New Veecey.

But this morning’s mission was simpler. “Here,” Janus said, lifting his satchel. While he’d emptied it of most of his travel gear, the bag still held Logan’s spellbook. “You can carry this.”

Nodding, Logan looped the bag over his head and shoulder. “Thank you,” he said, patting the strap. “I… I’m sorry I don’t feel ready… to leave it behind. I trust you with it, I—”

“You are right to want to protect what’s precious to you,” Janus smiled, brushing an imagined bit of leaf or twig from Logan’s hair. “Don’t ignore that instinct. Certainly not for fear of appearing impolite.”

Nodding again, Logan chuckled. “Thank you.”

Janus’ response died in his throat when he glanced over Logan’s shoulder and caught sight of shadows moving beyond the protective veil of the creek. Pushing a smile onto his face, he directed Logan’s gaze away and gestured deeper into the forest. “Search anywhere within the boundary of the water. Don’t cross it.”

“You enchanted the creek,” he guessed, eyeing the still-icy strip. “I saw a spell for that but I couldn’t make it work on the water I had.”

“That’s to be expected.” One hand gently gripping his shoulder, Janus walked him few steps closer to the thicket. “Just like pyrocasting, it’s a matter of harnessing the power that’s already there. A cup or vessel isn’t the same as naturally flowing water.”

Logan’s brow crinkled but he nodded.

“Once you’ve found wood for your staff, I’ll show you something new. Now go,” Janus murmured, the deepening shadows just beyond the creek giving him fresh urgency. Buoyed by the promise of learning new magic, Logan grinned and marched with fresh purpose toward an opening in the woods.

Janus watched him for as long as he dared, then readied himself for his own hunt.

~

Twenty or so paces ahead, earthen patches sprouted where the trees grew so thickly together their branches blocked much of that night’s snow. One foot still in the snowy clearing behind him, Logan looked back over his shoulder and watched Janus for one more moment. Satisfied his smooth, purposeful movements meant the lucis had truly helped restore the magic he’d used defending him from Cassius and his mob, Logan nodded to himself. He took a deep breath and stepped into the thicket.

Guarded by dense woods, the air stilled, the wind’s whine and whistles hushed. In its place was the soft chitter and rustle of the forest’s creatures. A startled hare bounded past and a disinterested moose eyed him for a long moment before closing his giant maw on another patch of pine needles off a fallen branch.

Logan walked further, keeping a meandering finger of the creek to his right, following its swoops and dips. When he was done searching, he could simply follow it back to their camp. Before long, he came across a tall felled aspen, its roots still firmly gripping the soil. Fresh growth sprouted from what was left of the splintered trunk, the shoots nearly as large around as the thickest part of Logan’s wrist.

The rest of the tree, though, lay barren and dead, its wood dried from seasons spent separated from its roots. Knots and swirls broke up its bright white bark, and the larger knots looked so much like eyes that, for a moment, Logan imagined one blinked. A chuckle burst from his lips, breaking the growing silence in the woods and the tension in his throat.

“It’s like she’s watching you,” a high voice laughed from behind him.

Logan spun around, scanning the woods. But it wasn’t until he looked down that he locked eyes with the source of the laughter.

A little boy.

~

Janus continued his preparations, piling wood next to their dwindling fire and filling his small cook pot with snow. He set it to melt next to the fire-warmed rocks and listened as Logan’s footsteps began again then faded as he ventured deeper into the woods. Janus waited a full minute longer before rising and approaching the creek’s edge.

This close to the veil, Janus spotted retreating shadows where even the faint magical light of the air itself fled in the wake of the descendants of Southern Inquisitores. When he was certain their pursuers had abandoned this section of the forest, Janus slipped through the veil protecting the  camp they’d built in the middle of danger.

Woodsmoke, heavier than that of their campfire, assaulted his nose. Tinged with the wet, rancid stench of burnt tar, it scraped the back of his throat. He covered his face with his sleeve and stifled a cough before steeling himself with a quiet chant.

‘There are spells for that…’

‘Yes, for emergencies. For life-or-death situations. For battle.’

Shucking off the cold and the lingering ache under his ribs, Janus took one more slow breath, then turned to test the strength of the protective charm he’d placed on their camp. Already, even he could not spot where Logan had slipped into the forest. Logan would be safe until he returned.

~

“Who—Wha—” Logan stumbled backwards, eyes darting about the surrounding forest. “Whe—Where did you—” The boy was dressed in patched woolen breeches and sturdy—if old—leather boots. A double-knit sweater poked out from beneath his oilcloth cloak and a matching green hat was pulled down over a mess of auburn curls. He was dressed for the weather, but not for travel, and his clothes and hair, while not spotless, had both been recently washed. He lived close.

Logan’s was the only town for miles. The boy looked familiar, too. Logan must have seen him around the town. This child must live there. But what was he doing exploring the Dark Woods? He couldn’t possibly be alone. Which meant…

“Where are your parents?” he asked, keeping his voice low and pushing away his fear. His knees wobbled and he peered between the trees, readying himself for whoever had accompanied this child.

The boy loped closer and grabbed his arm, steadying him. “Pop's at home,” he grinned, wild eyes fixed on Logan’s face. His stare should have been unnerving and coming from anyone else, Logan suspected he would have fought to extricate himself from this child’s remarkably strong grasp. But from this boy, he merely felt… seen.

“Do you—” Logan bit back the question. Do you know who I am? sounded more like a threat than a warning against the trouble this boy would surely find himself in for innocently associating with him. He looked up at Logan, bright green eyes dancing. Gleeful.

Unable to shake the strange familiarity in his gaze, Logan asked instead, “Do I know you?”

The boy grinned again and pointed to the tree. “Whatcha gonna do with her?”

With the reminder of the tree and her luminous bark so like Janus’ staff, Logan’s own questions faded. He tilted his head and traced the edges of the larger knots. “I… “ he began. “I am uncertain.” But was he?

The wood buzzed under his fingertips, warmth spreading up his arm and into his chest.

You will know, Janus’ voice rang through his mind.

“I need a bough,” he said, fingers closing around a thinner branch. Despite the winter’s chill, the wood was warm against his palm, sun-baked rocks at dusk. “But…”

“But you don’t want to just pull it off her,” the boy finished.

“Well, yes, but—” Logan turned again to the child. The top of his head barely grazed Logan’s elbow. He couldn’t’ve been much more than five or six years old, but he didn’t behave anything like Logan imagined a six year old would.

“Can I show you something?” the boy suddenly asked, eyebrows waggling under the fold his hat.

Logan held his breath, ripped back to his front porch, blinking at the twin boys bouncing on their toes as they waited for his answer. Can we show you something, Logie?

Before he could formulate a better—or a wiser—answer, Logan nodded. The boy took off, small fingers still wrapped tightly around his arm. Logan’s longer legs helped him keep up with the boy’s sprint, but just barely. While Logan had explored the woods, the sun had stretched higher in the sky, warming the air and the earth. A faint scent of sod and pine burst up with each step and the boy seemed to take pleasure in zig-zagging between the smaller trees. After successfully dodging a low-hanging branch, Logan let out his own laugh and the boy glanced back, eyes bright.

“Here!” he said, suddenly stopping at the base of another young tree growing out of a mangled stump. The husk of whatever came before lay split on the ground, charred edges hinting at the lighting strike that must’ve felled it.

Though the trunk had been thick, easily twice as broad as Logan’s outstretched arms, it had been shorter than the surrounding trees, with long, twisted branches splayed out as though reaching for its brethren. The question of how lighting had even found it in the crowded forest pecked at Logan’s mind and knelt to get a better look.

Impossibly, the tree’s core was tinged in blue, like it had been stained with fancy ink. Without thinking, Logan reached out.

The tree sparked back, the tiny blue arc startling him. He fell back and sat panting on the forest floor, staring at the tree.

Still smiling, the boy sat next to him, thin fingers dancing in his lap. “Did it hurt?” he asked, watching Logan more than the tree.

“No,” he shook his head, hand already lifted and reaching again. “It felt—”

“Strong?” the boy guessed.

“It felt right.”

You will know.

Logan crawled closer and set both hands on the fallen tree. Blue light arced between this fingers, brighter than any fire, but it didn’t burn. “How?” He watched the light swirl around his hands, reminiscent of that morning’s lucis dancing in Janus’ palms.

“It’s a special tree.” The little boy now perched on a branch thicker than Logan’s thigh. Light did not spark from where he sat and Logan moved closer, tapping every few inches. He marveled at the bright blue light glowing under each touch.

“I do not…” He stared down at his hands and then at the boy. “I do not understand.”

“It’s a blue mahoe. They won’t grow here by themselves,” he explained without explaining anything. “And I think it’s yours.”

A twig snapped behind them and they both turned. In the path forged by their footsteps lay a long branch from the tree, as thick around as the boy’s arm and taller than Logan. “That wasn’t there—” Logan began, looking back at the child.

The boy was gone.

“Hello?” he called, belatedly realizing he did not even know the child’s name. “Whe—where did you go?”

It’s yours… the wind answered back.

[preciouslandmermaid]

quiet fury in your head [v]

Dream of the Endless x F!Reader / Sandman Fanfiction

Note: I wrote this in a day and it’s pretty short and it’s mostly just PINING. YEARNING. PINING. No use of Y/N. See part 1 for all the tags tbh. 

Warnings: None 

(Read on AO3)  ||   (masterpost for other chapters)  

1789

Dream sits across from Hob and twists the small, black onyx ring that he’s chosen to wear on his smallest finger. Your magic—your dream-weaving abilities given to you by Desire—they thrum with pulsing, hot energy that coaxes down his spine and across his collarbone. It is as delicate as a kiss. It is as burning as molten, hissing magma. Hob glances down the ring.

“I’ve never know you to…” Dream stares at him, impassive, “well, I suppose I don’t know you at all.”

“You do not.” Dream replies stiffly. But the rest of their conversation draws short as a woman enters wearing a golden cloak, her brown hair fashioned in an up-do, flanked by two men holding knives.

He returns to the Dreaming. The leaves rustle with his disconnected mood. It takes him no time at all to find your presence within the Dreaming. You are a magnificent bright light that shifts in color depending on your mood. Today, the color is periwinkle and pensive.

***

You wag your small, white tail. The child—you don’t know her name—pours you another cup of tea. Her stuffed animals blink at her. You often use your shape-shifting abilities to traverse the Dreaming. You think this child would see you as a nightmare if she saw you in your true form. Your pointed ears suddenly perk. A sensation—a familiar smell—sharp, acidic tickles your wet nose. Fear. The child is afraid of something...That isn’t unusual. Children are often afraid of many things—darkness, thunderstorms, being left alone. But this fear is different. A shadow creeps across the floral parlor. You strain to sense anything else. The shadow fades. The child’s dream continues. Something haunts this one. You leap from your chair and sniff around the carpet, though it only smells of tea leaves and the child’s creativity. The child scoops you up in her tiny, thin arms and deposits you back onto your chair.

“No, no Stinky! Our tea party isn’t over yet.” She chastises. Before you can resume your tea party, however, Morpheus arrives and the dream vanishes to some other corner of the Dreaming, leaving you and Morpheus standing across from each other alongside a canal in a city of Moroccan architecture. The murky canal waters ripple as three giant, red koi fish swim past. The air smells of freshly baked bread and cigar smoke.  A few Dreamers walk along a stone bridge several feet away. Yet, no one pays you any mind.

You say, “You could call rather than pull me from a dream.”

“This is more efficient.” Jessamy lands on his shoulder.

“Very well.” You sigh, “how can I be of service, King of Dreams?”

“Follow me.”

You fall into step behind him. You admire the stern, tense line of his back and the sharp cut of his cloak. He has not touched you since Desire came to visit all those years ago. You suspect that your shared kiss was merely a lapse in his judgment. An error—one that he would not repeat. You try not to dwell on his absence or his coldness. His aloof nature does not harm your pride. It is safer if Morpheus is untouchable. Badb’s prophecy will not come true if keep distance between you. He will be your undoing. Those were your sister’s words. Her final prophecy. Yet Morpheus treated you as he treated all his subjects. He requested your help from time to time, but that was all. Any fire that once burned between you had turned to ash.

Dream glances to the side and your heart squeezes at the clear line of his profile, his lush mouth, his nose. His arm extends and sand swirls around his feet. His power ripples through the Dreaming—through you. Your teeth clack together as you suppress a shiver. Perhaps the fire still burns within me.

“Do you not like the dresses in your room?” Jessamy asks. Morpheus gave you a room inside his castle complete with a bed and wardrobe. You touched none of it. You laid in open fields when you felt like resting—although you did not sleep or dream. You walked barefoot through the Dreaming, your dark dress carried the rips and tears from Lugh’s spear like scars.

“I wear this to remember and honor them.” You lift the tattered sleeve of your dress back onto your shoulder. And to punish myself. Macha’s generous laughter rang inside your ears. Badb’s crows nibble at your fingertips. Lugh’s spear glistens with the blood of your sisters. I do not deserve the comfort of new clothes. My sisters are dead and forgotten and only my tie to the Endless has saved me from the same fate. Once Dream releases me, I will bury their tokens as Desire instructed me, and only then will I allow myself the pleasure of grief.

“Do you see it?” Dream asks, pulling you from your reverie. You gaze toward the white sands. They roll and shift as if breathing. The Dreaming is alive as he is. A reflection of his power, his creativity. The fine specks of sand tickle your face as they slide across your jaw and cheeks.

It takes a moment, but in the cloudless blue sky, you see the shimmering shapes of floating translucent jellyfish. Their bodies plume outward and then relax like a parachute as they meander through the air. You can feel Dream’s eyes on you, but you don’t turn toward him. You keep your focus on the creations. This is why he brought you here. It’s not to show off. In the past, whenever Dream brought you to a location in the Dreaming, there was always something to be altered, or fixed, or improved upon. This is your service to the Dream King. Your penance for a transgression that occurred over a thousand years ago. Morpheus uses your insight to shape the Dreaming. You see the Dreaming differently than his creations do—because you weren’t made by him—and you see the Dreaming differently than a mortal would.

“Something is missing.” Your fingers twitch at your sides. If you had your dream weaving abilities, you would fix the problem yourself. But, you gave those powers to him as a show of good faith. You no longer ran and hid from Morpheus within the Dreaming. You are compelled to serve him. It was your final command given to you by Desire. Once you were free of Morpheus, you would be free of all the Gods and all the Endless. You would create your own destiny.

You sink onto your knees in the soft, warm sand. You use your finger to draw shapes and Dream’s shadow looms over you. Once finished, you look up at him. His lips purse softly, his fathomless eyes regarding you and your drawings. His eyes meet yours. Electricity runs through your veins like lightening running through a storm cloud. You wish—foolishly—that he might arch his spine and brush his cool, dry lips against yours. You push the thought from your mind.

You say, “Every creature deserves to rest.”

Dream straightens and the Dreaming shifts at his beck and call. A formation of tall, canyon rocks burst through the sand. The jellyfish float around them and land inverted on the orange scraggly rock faces. Their tentacles pulsate upward and gradually slow as the jellyfish stop their cycle of endless swimming. You rise to your feet and brush the hard grains of sand from your knees.

“Do you include yourself in that sentiment?” His rough and pleasant voice envelopes you. You focus on the sleeping jellyfish. You envy their peace and their simplicity. They will live forever in the Dreaming with Morpheus watching over them. You wonder if Dreaming creatures mourn and if they grieve as Gods do. You haven’t interacted with many of the Dreamings’ inhabitants. You keep yourself contained to visiting the dreams of mortals—it helps to keep yourself connected to the outside world and learn how humanity fares without your influence. I know the humans still have their wars, and battles, and strife….they just don’t do it under my name anymore. You doubt the Men of the world remember your name at all. Desire called you ‘forgotten’ and you are inclined to believe them. I wonder if Lugh ever became a saint as he wished. I hope they burned him regardless.

You close your eyes and finally answer Morpheus, “No.”

The warm wind stirs.

“Are we done?” You say before Dream can respond. You don’t want to think of the past anymore. The past has serrated edges. And your heart only has so much room before it starts tearing at the seams. You must keep moving, like the giant koi fish in the canal, otherwise you’re afraid you’re going to break. I don’t deserve to grieve my sisters. Not until their tokens are laid to rest at the Heart Tree and my spirit is free to travel the mortal world and astral planes.

His voice is soft, “Yes, we’re finished here.”

You nod stiffly and turn on your heel to leave him.

“Until next we meet.” He says to your retreating back.

****

Dream watches you leave him with his heart lead-weight at the center of his chest. The Dreaming shudders around him like a sigh. Your tattered dress: I wear this to remember and honor them. Your closed eyes and forlorn expression. You are a creature of grief, and rage, and patience. He has no doubt that you are just biding your time until he releases you.

Yet, as the years pass, Dream is finding it harder and harder to let you go. You will likely never return to the Dreaming once you are gone. And he is selfish. He enjoys your presence here even as he keeps you at arms-length.  No matter what Desire said and promised—he cannot trust his sibling. You ensured Desire would not meddle, but who knew what influence his sibling still had on you.

He couldn’t risk it. The bright blue sky overhead rumbles with storm clouds. Dream lifts the collar of his coat and begins his solitary walk back to his castle.

[dungeon-meshi-tournament]

This blog is celebrating the spooky season with the

Spookiest Monster Costume on the Marcille Tournament

This is the masterpost for the tournament. I'll pin it and update it with every new round, so you'll be able to find all polls easily.

The rules are very simple: You just vote for whichever monster costume you like better, for whichever reason. The monster costume with the most votes advances to the next round.

Propaganda is encouraged! Please put it in the body of the post so I can reblog it. I don't reblog propaganda from tags or replies.

Spoiler warning: This tournament contains material up to the end of the manga. If you haven't caught up yet, you may be spoiled.

Finale:

Huge scorpion vs Coatl (Coatl won)

Battle for the bronze:

Tentacles vs Phoenix (Phoenix won)

Previous rounds under the cut

Semi-finals:

Huge scorpion vs Tentacles (Huge scorpion won)

Coatl vs Phoenix (Coatl won)

Quarter finals:

Huge scorpion vs Slime (Huge scorpion won)

Tentacles vs Cockatrice (Tentacles won)

Red dragon vs Coatl (Coatl won)

Bicorn vs Phoenix (Phoenix won)

Round 3:

Huge scorpion vs Basilisk (Huge scorpion won)

Treasure insect vs Slime (Slime won)

Tentacles vs Kelpie (Tentacles won)

Cockatrice vs Living armour (Cockatrice won)

Red dragon vs Dire wolf (Red dragon won)

Coatl vs Harpy (Coatl won)

Bicorn vs Demon (Bicorn won)

Doppelganger vs Phoenix (Phoenix won)

Round 2, part 2:

Red dragon vs Kraken (Red dragon won)

Giant frog vs Dire wolf (Dire wolf won)

Minotaur vs Coatl (Coatl won)

Harpy vs Succubus (Harpy won)

Bicorn vs Familiar (Bicorn won)

Demon vs Hippogriff (Demon won)

Doppelganger vs Shapeshifter (Doppelganger won)

Dungeon rabbit vs Phoenix (Phoenix won)

Round 2, part 1:

Mandrake vs Huge scorpion (Huge scorpion won)

Basilisk vs Walking mushroom (Basilisk won)

Living picture vs Treasure insect (Treasure insect won)

Mimic vs Slime (Slime won)

Tentacles vs Fish-man (Tentacles won)

Undine vs Kelpie (Kelpie won)

Man-eating plant vs Cockatrice (Cockatrice won)

Dryad vs Living armour (Living armour won)

Round 1:

Huge scorpion vs Big bat (Huge scorpion won)

Living picture vs Ghost (Living picture won)

Fish-man vs Mermaid (Fish-man won)

Golem vs Man-eating plant (Man-eating plant won)

Living armour vs Fairy (Living armour won)

Barometz vs Dire wolf (Dire wolf won)

Coatl vs Ice golem (Coatl won)

Unicorn vs Bicorn (Bicorn won)

Hippogriff vs Griffin (Hippogriff won)

Gargoyle vs Dungeon rabbit (Dungeon rabbit won)

[starwrighter]

I am not a baby!! (yes you are)

(Ao3) (Masterpost) (Previous) (Next)

(Chapter 17 long ass chappy!!)

As expected, his plan worked! Dami managed to scare off the other Leviathan! The shallows were finally safe again! For the time being at least. Danny paced around his base, celebrating this victory with a thawed peeper. He pondered throwing one to Dami, but they still had yet to make any attempt of eating any fish. Plus, the leviathan might see his offering as an opportunity to chow down on him. They were temporary allies through a shared enemy, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a potential snack. 

Maybe he should be more concerned about the existence of a third species of leviathan. After all, the existence of three suggests there might be more. Scratch that there were more and that he was certain of. Dami was a graft of two species and Taser fish wasn’t the parent neither was the giant beta fish-looking guy from lurking near Lifepod three. . According to the scanners on his Lifepod, this was a planet mostly composed of water it’d make sense there’d be more nightmare death creatures swimming around in the depths of the ocean. He could easily avoid them if he tried hard enough. A quantum detonation, however, was a threat he couldn’t run from or throw hands with. At least not effectively that is. 

Danny looked down at his message log with a wince. He’d take more nightmare-death fish over the Aurora exploding any day of the week. At least he could fight the leviathans. How was he supposed to fight the genetic meltdown of a peeper blasted with the radioactive energy of a small power plant? It would be like Chernobyl all over again and he wouldn’t have the industrial equipment to clean up the fallout. 

The nuclear power generator was one of the blueprints stripped from his PDA by the crash, as were the disposal protocols that came with it. He had no way to fabricate anything but a primitive water filter. It wasn’t even one of the grayed-out blueprints like the battery charger; it just didn’t exist in his PDA. He wouldn’t be surprised if baby mode blocked the recipe out. It let him build a knife but it wouldn’t let him play with a nuclear reactor the PDA Truly was the most responsible piece of technology on this planet.

God speed Alterra…

Danny snickered, swiping through the screens of his PDA looking desperately for something he could do to help. Was there anything he could do? There wasn’t a blueprint for a radiation suit in his PDA but he was a Fenton! They got irradiated for breakfast. He could at least try, to fix things for both him and the survivors.

Taking out his sea glide Danny shot out his sea base like a speeding bullet. Time is limited and it was slipping through his fingers with every moment he wasted anxiously waiting for the perfect opportunity to help. There had to be at least one life pod that landed in near the Aurora someone who was either stuck in their pods or getting blasted by the bad vibes of the Aurora’s drive core.

Dami watched him intently from the edge of the shallows. Clicking teeth and a worried croon from the leviathan as Danny crept closer to where the crash site should be. He only swam a few feet before Dami bolted from his spot in the sand hands attempting to nudge him back to the shallows. 

With puffed-up cheeks, Danny nipped at the other darting around the leviathan's tail to further his journey. He couldn’t go back to the shallows. He wouldn’t sit there uselessly until things literally blew up in his face. Dami didn’t know how dangerous things could get. He didn’t know the catastrophic consequences this could have on his home.

The waters were murky sand yet to settle and debris scattered across the sand. Any plant life the biome had previously cultivated was crushed, uprooted, and torn apart by the impact. The wrecks in the crash site made the shallows look clean. Metal torn apart like playdough were scattered throughout clouded waters. Not a single place was clear of debris, a burning sensation in his palms the longer he swam.

A stabbing pain like a jackhammer to the skull hit him like a truck. Nausea broiled in his stomach, bile rising up his throat. Danny didn’t stop swimming not when the edges of his vision began to blur not when Dami desperately tried to push him back. Snapping teeth and swiping through the water in an attempt to intimidate him into turning back. Danny didn’t care, he… he had to do something, he had to try.

His PDA screamed, a glitching image that looked concerningly similar to what you’d find on one of the barrels in his parents' lab flashed on screen. It sounded painful, the tablet flashing like a strobe light and a shrieking noise filling his ears. Any words jumbled, thousands of audio cues playing over each other and meshing into of mess of trailed-off screams cut off when the screen went blank.

Fuck.

Shit… That wasn’t a good sign, was it? His pounding head made it hard to truly wrap his head around what just happened. If death would be permanent this time would anyone even know what happened to him? Every distress call he’d responded to every destroyed life pod he found… All of them were gone, reduced to nothing, only a splotch of red if they were lucky. If his PDA was broken how would his family know what happened to him?

Dami screeched, a noise so high-pitched it made his ears ring. The leviathan wrapped his entire body around Danny, his claw barring him from escaping. Panic swirled through his mind before a lower, spine-tingling roar broke through the sea. Peaking through the gaps in Dami’s claws, Danny’s heart jumped into his throat.

A leviathan with a sickly gray body circled them. Pitch black eyes that held something primal. There wasn’t the gleam of intelligence in its behavior, just gnashing teeth and snapping mandibles. Decorated with red, muscle so defined you’d think that was all that made up the creature’s body.

Maybe it was the headache amplifying the noise but the guttural sounds the creature constantly let out were like a nuclear bomb. His eyes stung all he could do was watch as Dami snapped his tail like a whip, slashing at their attacker. Yellow blood spilled into the water and Danny couldn’t tell if it was Dami’s. 

Saying their attacker was aggressive would be an understatement. Nothing seemed to deter the creature. Dami’s strikes only seemed to piss it off further. Every impact from Dami’s tail pulled a furious shriek from the predator. It circled them like a shark, it didn’t care that Dami was much larger it just wanted to eat.

Pointing his scanner through the gaps in Dami’s claws seconds felt like hours as the tool worked its magic. On swing from this worm on steroids and he was triple dead! The thing could swallow him whole with no room left for seconds!

At least it would be a cool death. “Danny Fenton, cause of death; Radiation poisoning and fish bites,” He’d be proud to have that written in his obituary. If anyone survived to collect and fix his PDA it’d be one hell of a conversation starter.

His skin burned like he’d pressed himself against the surface of the sun. His dive suit felt like molten lava and his air tank felt like it was filled with smoke. Dami thrashed slapping the steroid fish into the sand.

They couldn’t keep going. If both he and his PDA were being affected by the radiation then so was Dami. Their attacker wouldn’t hesitate to finish them off if the radiation didn’t melt their internal organs into a shapeless goop. They needed a route to the Aurora that wasn’t surrounded by a toxic death field. But when the death field originated from the Aurora there wasn’t much he could do. There was no safe path to the Aurora so long as he was without a radiation suit.

Danny slapped his palms against Dami’s almost transparent skin. His oxygen running thin, he tugged the leviathan’s fins until the other turned to him. Hopefully, as another sentient creature, he could understand the plea of “Let’s get the fuck out of here before we both die a slow excruciating death,” 

Thankfully, he understood. As Dami snapped his tail at the creature one last time grabbing Danny by his oxygen tank and boosting away from the crash zone. The two of them cut through the water easily gliding faster than his seaglide could at its base. 

Dami wasn’t as muscular as their attacker but he made up for it in size, speed, and intelligence. If they’d stayed to finish the fight Dami was the obvious choice to bet on. He would’ve won if he hadn’t been focused on guarding Danny from being eaten.

When they finally reached the shallows Danny could’ve kissed the sand. He’d never been so relieved to be in the kiddy pool of this planet's ocean. He felt like crying, he’d never abandon his beloved biome of coral tubes again!

Thwack!

A Peeper charged into him, hitting him in the cheek full force. Was this revenge for the fridge? Dami let out what he could only assume was the fish equivalent of a laugh, gently batting the little blue fish away. Danny didn’t have the energy to smack the leviathan for this offense nor did he have the strength to chase the Peeper who attacked him. Sleep never seemed so sweet before but he knew if he slept now he might not wake up to see the light of day again.

Danny watched the faint yellow sparkles trailing behind the fish as it rubbed itself against plants and rocks. More social than the normal peepers swimming around. If you could count tackling everything in sight as a social behavior. Danny scrunched his nose at the offensive fish rubbing the glitter-like substance off his face. If this was how Peepers tried to make friends he’d have to say it’s ineffective. 

Danny turned back to the leviathan, yellow blood oozing from long thin scratches running along his tail. He frowned, that was his fault, wasn’t it? Dami had tried to stop him, likely knowing what lurked near the crash and Danny blatantly ignored him. He’d been naive, thinking he knew better than the literal native who’d likely lived on this planet his entire life. A stupid thing to do even with the risk of an explosion. Especially with the risk of an explosion, a deeper part of his psyche nagged, pulling the bile halfway up his throat. 

What if someone had been with him? Someone had been with him! Dami wasn’t indestructible. What if that thing managed to kill them both? What if he’d gotten Dami killed just by leading them in there? Radiation poisoning was an all but painless death. Vomiting your internal organs in their liquidized form wasn’t a fate he wished on anyone let alone an ally.

The visible injuries on the leviathan seemed to be minor. If the nonchalant way the leviathan lifted Danny to the surface with a clawed hand told him anything. It was good to know they had a mutual understanding that air was a necessity for him. Accidentally being drowned by an ally wasn’t on his list of ideal deaths. Maybe if this were a horror movie he’d be more welcoming to the idea so he could haunt people more than he usually did. 

Danny tapped Dami’s forehead alerting the leviathan to his next movements into the kelp forests. Dami stayed where he was in the shallows, keeping a keen eye on Danny from afar. He swallowed the bile rising up his throat keeping up his routine of bribing the stalkers. They were like gator-shaped trolls. Demanding a toll of fish snacks before they’d ensure a safe passage through the shallows. Some of the bolder ones approached him with open mouths. He didn’t even have to chuck it at them! 

“Warning, leviathan class creature in the area,” He yanked out his PDA brushing his fingers against the screen. The tablet's light was dim but it was working. He could swipe through the tabs and see what the fuck the AI was talking about. It’s a little late for a warning about the leviathan at the crash site.

Danny swiped through the tabs of his PDA landing on the new data entry he’d risked his ass for. Apparently, the empty-eyed fuck they’d been assaulted by was a reaper leviathan. All muscle, tiny brain, and no sense of morality. Danny didn’t know what kind of morals his PDA expected from a fish like that. Lancer always told him not to judge a book by its cover but holy fuck, if Vlad stood next to one of those guys he might actually look decent.

The warning popped up again and Danny’s anxiety spiked. Did a reaper follow them? Was it the Leviathan he’d seen back at life pod three? If it was the stalkers might get to him before he could get close enough to strike him.  He pulled out his blade glancing around the kelp forest. His eyes landed on a glimpse of blue poking out from behind an arch of stone. 

…

It was talking about Dami, wasn’t it? 

Dami was following him, hiding it quite poorly. It was honestly, embarrassing he hadn’t noticed it sooner. The leviathan was out of his depth, any camouflage the other could have possibly had was squandered by his size. It was probably his size that intimidated everything into not acknowledging him.

Danny ignored the leviathan, mostly to spare the other’s ego. Danny was like a needle in a haystack while Dami was like an elephant in the chicken coop and if this were a game of hide and seek Danny would’ve demolished him by now. 

Using his blade to cut off pieces of creep vine Danny pressed the kelp together, stashing as much as possible into his bag. The fiber mesh he’d make from this would make decent bandages if he couldn’t make the blankets he wanted.

Would bandages even work on Dami? Tying gauze around the leviathan's tail just seemed restrictive. The language barrier would ensure Dami wouldn’t understand he was trying to help. Dami would just see it as Danny mistakeingly assuming he could finish the Leviathan off after a risky encounter with a reaper. He winced, getting slapped to death by an ally would be such a lame way to die. 

There had to be some other way to ensure Dami didn’t die of sepsis or whatever other infections a giant fish teenager could contract. Who was equipped to deal with this kind of thing? A vet or a marine biologist because Danny lacked the qualifications for both professions. He was two for two when it came to dying, any medical advice he could give was just a health hazard. 

Danny swam back to the shallows, Dami clumsily following him. He wasn’t bleeding anymore and Danny could vaguely make out yellow scabs clotting over his injuries. Only time would tell if that was a good sign or not. If there was anything wrong with Dami he’d find a way to fix it. It was his moral obligation to do so. 

Dami protected them from a reaper and the oversized eel! While he’s pretty sure Dami knew electric fish, he still slapped him into pissing off! Making sure the leviathan didn’t die was the least he could do even if he was friends with the electric fish secretly.

The “fight” was far too similar to the ones he’d have Dani or Jazz. Less a fight to the death and more like one of the lectures he’d get from Jazz for doing something stupid. Not antagonistic like the fights he’d have with Vlad. It was more like when Dani would hide his model rockets in the walls when he pissed her off. Dami and the electric fish acted painfully similar to how he acted with his siblings.

Would he ever see them again?

Shaking his head, a croon rippled through shallow water. Dami stared at him with glowing eyes, an expression as concerned as a gigantic fish could get. He crooned again, louder this time. A call probably evolved to be heard in deeper open waters. It wasn’t as effective in the shallows, he could hear Dami anywhere in the shallows no matter how quiet the other tried to be. All this call served to do now was to add fuel to the fire of his splitting headache.

Danny held his head in his hands, Dami taking this as a cue to be a bit quieter. The next croon he let out was softer barely audible but he got his point across. This guy was weird. He fussed over Danny more than he fussed over himself to the point he cramped himself in the shallows to stay here with him. He belonged deeper down, ancients he’d be happier deeper down but he just…stayed here? Sure he tended to follow Danny whenever he had the opportunity but Danny had mostly stuck to the shallows so far. Was this the fish equivalent to tourism? Had the crash screwed over his home so badly he couldn’t live there anymore. 

Danny glanced back to Dami, the leviathan looked perfectly fine but he didn’t exactly have another member of his species to compare to. It was like he was perfectly comfortable acting as Danny’s personal guard dog.

…

….

He was like a dog to this guy, wasn’t he?

Looking down at his tiny hand Danny squeezed them into fists. Pathetic, hardly a threat at all. Dami’s a teenager and Danny is a itty bitty squishy thing smaller than any of the other survivors. He was like a stray puppy to this guy! Like a little Yorkie happy and cute. 

He scoffed choking on the mouthful of seawater that flooded into his mouth at the action. He wasn’t anyone’s pet! He was the farthest thing from a pet! Sure, he might’ve watched Dami fight like it was a Pokémon battle but he still thought of the guy as a sentient being. It all made sense now, this dude thought he was an animal! There was no way to correct him either! They didn’t speak the same language nor was there a way for them to learn at the moment. 

How would he even go about speaking to him anyway? What was he supposed to say? “Hey, dude sorry for catfishing you but I’m not your pet,” He’d probably be dismissed and then be treated like a parrot. 

Ancients, he’s too nauseous to deal with this shit. Dealing with anything else but this would be better than this. He was stuck with a teenager who was convinced he got a new puppy… No wonder he tapped on the window like a small child seeing the fish tank at the dentist for the first time. 

At least he wasn’t the type of teenager to “Play” rough with his pets. Back home Sam went ape shit on a group of senior boys who kept shooting BBs at one of the oldest boy’s cats. Danny had yet to be manhandled, thrown, or shot at, nor was there any attempt to put him down after he bit him multiple times.

Maybe he was more like a cat?

He wouldn’t degrade himself into being anyone’s catboy. The thought alone made him want to cry. Tucker would never let him hear the end of it if he found out. The hacker would have all the ammo he needed to take revenge for being called a furry so often. He couldn’t let this happen! There’s no way he’d allow himself to be treated like a pet. If Dami ever tried to pet him he’d get stabbed! Puffing up his chest, Danny turned foot and swam back to his base. 

His to-do list was completely and utterly fucked over. Fixing the Aurora had been his top priority but he couldn’t fix it without a radiation suit and a distraction for the buff death fish! It was just like back home, the moment he sat down to knock something off his ever-expanding to-do list the entire universe ganged up on him!  

{Proposed Desagi seabase (200m)}

The signal caught his attention. It was on one of the main tabs of his PDA along with the signals for the Lifepod he’s aware of. On the front page of his to-do list, as a sub-task of finding survivors was searching for the Desagi sea base. Scrunching his face Danny pondered. If the seabase even existed there could be something down there to help him. Even if he didn’t find a survivor, the information he could gain from this could be crucial to figuring out what the hell is going on with this planet.

With the date of Paul Torgal’s environmental log, he could tell the Desagi had been on this planet within the first month of communications with the ship had been lost. Had they ever left? Did they crash or land here willingly for some unknown reason? Was what happened to the Aurora connected to the Desagi? Hopefully, he’d get his answers when he went down to explore.

Staring blankly at the signal, he studied the coordinates and the environmental log thoroughly. The cave he’d entered previously had multiple entrances. It was only logical if members of the Desagi were to build a seabase they’d build it close to an entrance. It was further into the cave system than the entrance he’d swam through had led him. 

He could search around for another cave entrance closer to the signal but it was still 200m down. His lower oxygen needs gave him a leg up but it could only carry him so far. His ability kept him from drowning in shallow water but anything deeper than 100m and it was game over, no restarts or save points!

With his current oxygen tank, he wouldn’t have the time to find the seabase let alone explore it. When the entire point of finding the seabase was exploring, it made his air tank seem about as useful as a warning label on a stick of dynamite. Any idiot with common sense could tell going down there without some kind of plan for oxygen was a sheer way to drown. While his common sense was sparse he still had it.

The blueprints for a seamoth were still missing so he’d have to go on a scavenger hunt for not only the blueprint but the resources to build it. Danny could only wonder how the Seamoth would be altered for him. The seaglide was made slightly smaller but what was it supposed to do about what was essentially just an underwater car? Pedal extensions, A controller, maybe just an autopilot? That was all he was willing to work with, a booster seat was too humiliating for his bruised ego to take. 

Along with a seamoth he’d need to upgrade his tank and replace the batteries for his seaglid. The seaglide drained power like spectra drained the happiness from children.

Digging through his storage lockers he scavenged the glass he needed for his new air tank. He fed the fabricator the ingredients waiting eagerly as the light show began. A loud jarring noise sounded from his PDA the moment the new air tank touched his hands. 

“New blueprint acquired.” The robotic voice drawled.

Danny glanced down at the tablet, staring slack-jawed at the appearance of the rebreather on his list of blueprints. Convenient, he didn’t dare question the PDA’s choice of only giving him the blueprint now instead of after all the other times he almost died. It was painfully easy to gather the materials he needed. With the creepvine he’d collected earlier he was set to make the rebreather.

Now all he had to do was get past Dami…

Why did he have a feeling that was going to be easier said than done?

@ashoutinthedarkness @avelnfear @meira-3919 @thought-u-said-dragon-queen @hugsandchaos @blep-23 @zeldomnyo @bytheoldwillowtree @justwannabecat @shepherdsheart @starlightcat04 @stargazing-bookwyrm @pupstim @dragongoblet @noxcheshire

[loominggaia]

BORMISH CUISINE

OVERVIEW

The Bormek Commonwealth was a Great Kingdom that collapsed long ago. Today, descendants of the Bormish people live in its ruins, now fractured into many small tribes. But in its glory days, this was one of the biggest and grandest civilizations in the world, and its delicious traditional cuisine is a testament to that, for these dishes still live on even in the post-collapse wasteland.

CORN ON THE COB Corn has always been a staple crop for the Bormish people, as it thrives in the soil that makes up the vast Buffalo Hills region. The Bormish refined this grain into all kinds of dishes, but they enjoyed it in its original form as well. Traditional Bormish corn on the cob is roasted in the husk, then drenched in butter, cheese, and chili powder.

DRAKBULOK A ball of fried cornmeal with some type of meat or vegetable in the middle. This dish originated with the ogre tribes in the redsnake canyons, who made them with hoopsnake meat. In their native tongue, the name of this dish translates to "dragon's bollocks". As the recipe spread around to new regions, different types of meat and even vegetarian-friendly versions began springing up.

CORN BREAD A sweet, dense bread made from cornmeal, animal fat, and sugar. In its traditional Bormish form, it's also made with hot chilies. In the kingdom's heydey, corn bread could be found in the hands of every traveler. This still proves true today after the kingdom's collapse, as its former citizens scour the wasteland with this convenient, portable snack.

PRICK ON A STICK Some type of sausage--usually beef--wrapped in a cornmeal dough coating, fried, and pierced on a stick. This food is hearty yet convenient to carry around, so it was very common to see on the street, especially at carnivals and other events. Its simplicity and deliciousness has carried it through to modern times, and it has even found popularity in foreign lands, particularly in Zareen Empire.

BORMISH FISH CAKE This dish is made from fish, potatoes, leeks, and hot chilies, mixed together and then baked or fried into a cake. Unlike most cakes, it is not a dessert, but instead eaten for dinner. This dish was obviously most popular around the kingdom's coastal regions, though as refrigeration technology improved, it quickly spread to inland regions as well. It's often eaten with pickles, potatoes, and mayonaise.

BERRY MASH Just as the name suggests, this dessert is made by mashing berries into a paste. Typically some kind of fruit and cream is mixed in too. The mash can be used as a sweet sauce or just eaten on its own. Its high sugar content makes it most popular with the region's fae peoples.

SHRUMETO A vegetarian dish that originates in the Brokenwood region. A shrumeto is a large roasted mushroom cap filled with mashed potatoes, diced tomatoes, and sometimes covered in cheese. Other vegetables and spices may be added too. The region's native peoples were notorious for growing giant mushrooms, and would cook shrumetos big enough for the whole village to share.

BEEDKI A potent whisky made from fermented corn. This drink is beleved to have originated with the centaur tribes of the Buffalo Plains region, but it quickly spread throughout the continent. It is most popular with heavyweight species like centaurs, ogres, and minotaurs. Beedki's popularity did not wane after the kingdom's collapse--rather, demand for it only surged higher, and large-scale distilleries are still operating in the wasteland today.

POP CANDY This traditional Bormish candy is made by popping corn kernels and then dunking them in honey, caramel, or maple syrup. Wherever there are smiles and laughter, there is usually pop candy, for this food was a staple at circuses, concerts, and social gatherings. Pop candy even survived the kingdom's collapse and carried many refugees through hard times.

*

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[pocket-lad]

CH 2- Grapes

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After endless minutes of constant thrashing, the movement in his pocket stilled, and Ian started to worry. He lightened his hold a little, but still kept his hand in place while the helicopter made its rough descent, not wanting Adelaide to hurt herself or fall out. 

It didn’t take long for Adelaide to regain consciousness. Her eyes peeked open as the giants exited the helicopter onto the landing pad. 

Okay, Adelaide, take stock of your surroundings, she thought. Standard procedure when she woke up anywhere, really.

She couldn’t see, that was for sure. So, she was still in Ian's pocket. At least she hoped it was Ian’s pocket, but she refused to consider any alternative, lest she throw herself straight into another panic attack. The sounds of rushing water and helicopter blades assaulted her ears, and she was suddenly grateful for the relatively quiet ride to the island. For the time being, Adelaide had to plug her ears. She felt the familiar sway of the pocket that came with Ian’s casual swagger. They probably just disembarked. 

Oh yeah, and she was mad.  

As much as Adelaide wanted to stay in the pocket and never face Ian or any of the giants ever again, she was still gross and sweaty and cramped, and above all else she had to know what was going on, so she squirmed her way to the lip of the pocket. 

Ian glanced down a little too eagerly when he felt movement. Slowly, he pinched the pocket open with his thumb and index finger. 

All the progress Adelaide made climbing to the top was foiled when Ian opened it, jostling her back to the bottom in surprise. She glared up at him as his face filled the entire opening, blocking any potential sunlight. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” he said. 

“Not funny,” she said, crossing her arms. 

Ian's smirking face was suddenly replaced by a giant hand looking to fish her out. Adelaide gave a half-hearted kick to his fingers just to let him know that she wasn’t in the mood, which made him momentarily freeze, but he continued, and she resigned herself to being lifted out. She made sure to secure her knife at the last second but was unable to grab her bag. Not that she needed it. She just felt naked without it. 

When she regained her bearings in his loose fist, Adelaide found herself held up to eye level. She surely wasn’t going to speak first, so she just stared at Ian, swaying in his palm as he walked along with the others. Her instinct was to look around and locate any threats (the rest of the giants), but she couldn’t be the first to look away in their potentially one-sided staring contest. 

Despite her size, Ian could clearly see the stains of tear tracks on her cheeks, which made his heart do a small somersault.Guilt. That’s what that was called. He didn’t like the feeling. “Are you alright?” he asked. 

“Fine,” she lied. 

“Yeah, okay,” he said, seeing through her bullshit. He lowered his hand to his chest so he could focus on walking across such uneven terrain, not wanting to launch her into oblivion. Apologies were easier when he didn’t have to make eye contact anyway. “What did you want me to do? The helicopter was ascending and - and descending feet at a time. I uh, I didn’t want you to get... hurt. I'm sorry.” 

“I said I’m fine." 

Ian sighed as he deposited her on his shoulder. It was a conversation for another time. 

If Ian hadn’t listened to Adelaide before, he certainly wouldn’t listen now, so what was the point in explaining herself? He would never understand what existence as a borrower was like, no matter how much he tried. He didn’t understand the exhaustion that came not only with the physical toll on their bodies, but the mental and emotional gymnastics of constant vigilance too. A borrower always had to be on guard. They had to sleep light, keep their head on a swivel, and always plan for the next outing, because they were always in need of something. Food, water, clothing, tools - all depleted quicker than they could keep up with. Plus, how embarrassing, to be shoved into a pocket against your will in front of a bunch of new giants. She was trying to make a good impression, exhibit her autonomy, and he made her look like some plaything. 

Adelaide loved Ian. She really did, but even a trusted giant was still a dangerous giant. One misstep, one careless gesture, and she could end up injured or dead. He simply didn’t understand that.

*** 

Adelaide stood in the enormous bowl of fruit, tugging on the same green grape she had been tugging on for the last thirty-five minutes. She was surrounded by food larger than her, but it had been a long time since anything like that bothered her. The more food around, the better. It had to have been almost two in the morning at that point, and she could feel her eyelids get heavier by the second. But the grape was so loose, just a couple more tugs and she knew it would be hers. Adelaide hadn’t had fruit in so long.  

Without warning, tremors shook the ground. They grew stronger and closer quickly, which only meant one thing. Ian was awake.  

Abandoning the grape, she ducked behind the bundle of them, holding completely still and letting her dark hair conceal her face as he approached the kitchen. Though her eyes were well-adjusted to the dark, his massive body was so big and so fast that he still appeared as a dark blob.  

Don’t. Move. Don’t move and he won’t notice you.  

It was just her luck that the Bean stopped right in front of the granite counter her shelter sat upon. It was also just her luck that he wanted something from the bowl of fruit. A hand over double Adelaide’s size reached right toward her at a blinding speed.

Startled, Adelaide stumbled and fell through the grapes onto her back, landing somewhere in the middle of the bundle. She yelped. The hand froze three quarters of the way to its destination.

He heard me.  

It was all over. She was tangled up in the stems of the grape bundle, as bare as it was. It would take Adelaide a solid ten minutes and a lot of scratches just to untangle herself, and that was without a Bean standing right in front of her with the knowledge that she was there. The hand retreated, but only for a moment to flick on the light. Blinded, Adelaide reached up to cover her eyes, already nicking herself on a stem.  

Ian peered into the bowl. “Della?”  

Adelaide winced. Could she have explained herself out of that one? “Heyyyyy,” was all she could think to say. As her vision cleared, she stared straight up at him (not that she had the choice to look any other way, stuck as she was) and saw that he wore his pajamas. There were bags under his eyes and his dark, curly hair hung askew.  

“What are you doing in my, um...in my fruit...bowl?” he yawned. His booming voice made hers sound so quiet in comparison.  

“Oh, you know...just...hanging out.” She winced at how dumb she sounded.  

“Alright, well... can I grab a banana?”

“Be my guest,” she responded shakily. He still didn’t reach for it, expecting an explanation as to why she was ensnared in grapes. “I wanted some food,” Adelaide sighed, knowing how pathetic that admission was. 

“You can just ask, you know."  

“I know.”  

Silence.  

Finally, Ian broke it. “Are you going to get out?”  

“I can’t.”  

“You can’t?”  

“I’m stuck.”  

“Ah.” Ian wasn’t sure what to do. He hadn’t known Adelaide for a very long time, maybe a little over two months or so, and he had not held her, or even touched her for that matter, since the first day they met. If he knew one thing, it was that she didn’t like to be touched.  

The two stared at each other for what felt like an infinite amount of time before Ian made an impatient decision. He reached into the bowl.  

Adelaide cried out as the hand descended right toward her, same as before. But he just reached for the banana sitting innocently to her right. Ian’s hand was in and out of the picture before Adelaide could even think to move, leaving her confused and disoriented.  

Ian peeled the banana as he walked toward the kitchen table. With his mouth full, he said, “Well, let me know if you want any, uh, any help.” He sat in a chair, sinking below Adelaide's eye-line.

Adelaide was momentarily baffled that she made it out of the encounter unscathed. A larger part of her was baffled that he didn’t offer any help. He was going to make her ask for it.  

Fine. She would get out of this herself, then. At least she had light.  

Looking up through the stems above her head, Adelaide hoisted herself into a sitting position. So far so good. She leaned forward to see if she could build the momentum to swing her feet underneath her. A sharp tug on her hair.  

“Ow!”  

There was no way Ian didn’t hear that, sitting as close as he was, but she couldn’t see him over the lip of the bowl, and he gave no indication that he did. Adelaide twisted her head as much as she could, only to see her hair knotted around several different stems. Great.  

So, Adelaide spent the next six and a half minutes untangling her hair, scratching up her arms and legs in the process. Afterward, she tied it back to keep it out of the way like she should have done in the first place. Luckily, untangling her bag was less of a challenge. The only thing left to do was climb up.   

She saw multiple different openings and multiple potential paths, but each one was just a little too small for her to squeeze her body through. Where was the original hole she fell through? Adelaide tried and tried, but the stems kept her trapped in her prison. It would take her a million years to cut through even one if she wanted to use her knife, and the effort would dull the blade considerably, so that wasn't an option.  

The cuts across her body and face started to build up, and they stung. After about thirteen more minutes, Adelaide gave up. She would have to ask for help. If Ian hadn’t left. How embarrassing would it be for him to find her in the same position come morning? 

Though she still couldn’t see him, Adelaide never heard him leave, so she assumed he was still there. “Ian?” she tried. No answer. “Ian, I need your help,” she said, a little louder this time. Every prideful ounce of her body burned at the pitiful sound in her voice. Maybe he left when she was distracted, but she knew she would have heard, or at least felt his departure. Maybe it was for the best that Ian didn’t hear that, and she could save herself some dignity. 

In reality, Ian had finished his banana ages ago, and waited with crossed arms for Adelaide to either pull herself together (unlikely) or give in and ask for help. Adelaide heard a chair scrape backwards. Heavy footsteps shook the ground as Ian approached, right until he loomed over top of her. Sweat dripped down Adelaide’s back and she gulped.

“Please don’t make me say it again,” Adelaide said.  

“Say what?” Ian asked not-so-innocently, a smile plaguing his face.  

The word 'asshole' was on the tip of Adelaide's tongue. She took a slow, deep breath. There was only one way out of this. “I need your help.” 

“Alright,” was all he said before he reached in with both hands. Adelaide didn’t have time to process what was happening until she, along with the bundle of grapes, was lifted into the air and set back down on the kitchen table at an impossible speed, everything a blur. She forced herself to unclench her fists.

“Be right back,” he said.  

Adelaide waited there awkwardly. It wasn’t like she had much choice.  

Ian returned shortly with a pair of scissors. Adelaide’s heart plummeted. She knew that Beans used scissors of this size every day. It was natural for them, and she was sure Ian would be careful, but staring at scissors over twice the length of her fragile body as they rapidly approached was not for the faint of heart.  

Adelaide squirmed. “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!” she yelled, stalling. Ian froze. “Hold on. Do you need scissors? Can’t you just...” Adelaide knew that she sounded ridiculous even before she asked the non-question. 

Ian stared down at her, eyes never wavering. “I’m careful. I promise. Just uh, hold still.”  

Adelaide nodded and held her breath. That was all the confirmation Ian needed to continue. He reached down again, slower this time, but still too fast for Adelaide’s liking, and she braced herself. Up close, she saw that even the blades alone were bigger than her body. She watched as they came within inches of her, but just as Ian promised, he was careful. Even if the loud snap from each cut and the bounce back of the stem that followed made her jump every time.  

If she wasn’t so scared, it would have been mesmerizing to watch him work. The way the muscles and bones in his hand shifted under his skin with the smallest movement- Adelaide knew that it was just his hand, much like her own hand, but blown up to this size, it seemed unreal. A giant mechanism attached to an even bigger Bean with a mind of its own. She shivered.  

Eventually, Ian worked a larger hole into the bundle, big enough for Adelaide to pull herself through.  

She started to get up but was suddenly engulfed by a hand. It reached into the hole for her, easily sliding past those stems that gave her so much trouble. It wrapped around her body, perfectly covering her head to toe to protect her from scratching herself further, which meant his hand was just as wide as she was tall. Wow.  

Adelaide squirmed in his grip. It didn't hurt and she wasn’t suffocating, but it was tight enough to make her uncomfortable. Plus, he hadn't held her since the day they met, and that definitely wasn't a pleasant experience. There was no way he knew what he was doing. She felt her body yanked upward into the sky and then placed down on a hard surface. Still trying to wriggle out of his grip, the hand unwrapped unexpectedly, sending her sprawling.  

Adelaide blinked a couple times to clear her head. She was sitting on the kitchen table. Her body burned from all the miniscule cuts, some of which were bleeding lightly. And right in front of her stood Ian. He sat down and leaned his elbows on the table to put himself closer to eye level. Adelaide stepped back a little to get some space between them and to avoid looking directly up at him. She knew there was something she was supposed to say, but no words came to mind while her head spun. 

“You’re welcome,” Ian smirked.  

“I was getting to that,” Adelaide lied. “But thank you.”  

“Are you uh, are you alright?” he asked uncomfortably, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but there. But if he didn't want to be there, why didn't he set her on the counter so that she could have been on her merry way? No, he set her on the table for a reason, and Adelaide dreaded that reason. He wanted a captive audience, literally. He wanted to talk.

“Yeah. Just a couple of scratches, nothing out of the ordinary," she answered, downplaying the situation.

“Let me get you some Neosporin or - or something.”  

“It’s really not that serious.” Adelaide desperately wanted to get back into the dark, safe confines of the walls.  

“I insist,” he interrupted, and before she could dissuade him, he disappeared. She could have just left. Nothing really stopped her, but on the off chance that Ian got unreasonably angry at her early departure, she stayed. And whatever Neosporin was - it sounded like it was supposed to help with something. Adelaide kept telling herself she needed to make an effort if she was going to keep living in his walls. The opportunity practically fell into her hands.

Ian returned with a crumpled yellow tube. He stopped at the table while squeezing whatever was in the tube onto his index finger. He set the tube off to the side and lowered his outstretched finger next to her.  

Instinctively, Adelaide stepped back, but she wasn’t really frightened, just startled. He was too fast. She eyed the gel on his finger and slowly approached, not quite sure what she was supposed to do. She looked between Ian and his finger a couple times, trying to work it out. Adelaide hated looking stupid.   

“Put it on your arms,” he explained.  

“Oh,” Adelaide said. She tentatively placed her hands in the gel. Oh. It was a thick, cool, sticky substance. She wriggled her fingers around a bit, then pulled her hands out with a gross suction noise, and hesitated before she glanced up at Ian for confirmation.

Ian nodded encouragingly. If Adelaide had to guess, he almost seemed amused. If he even thought about mocking her though, she would have stuck him with her knife.  

She slowly glopped the gel onto her right arm, rubbing it in in a repetitive circular motion. At first it stung, but Adelaide felt relief almost immediately. “ Oh.”  

Ian quietly laughed as he she rubbed the ointment into all her limbs and realization lit up her face. By the end, she was one big ball of grease, and Ian couldn't help but smile. She looked so content, especially in contrast to her usual spiky demeanor.  

“You know, uh, you don’t have to sneak around to get, um, to get food anymore...right?”  

Adelaide closed her eyes. “Yeah, I know,” She was dreading this question. Because he was right. Adelaide had all the supplies she needed at her disposal, including food. So why was she out borrowing in the middle of the night, risking her life for a grape?  

Because you can’t rely on anybody. Ian didn't owe Adelaide anything. At any second, he could decide against sharing what was, by all accounts, his. She couldn’t provide him with money, couldn’t provide him with anything of use. He gave her these constant gifts out of the kindness of his own heart, even if he wouldn't admit it, and he could change his mind at any time. He could become annoyed by her; he could grow to hate her. Or he could just up and leave, away to some new place, leaving her behind. So, Adelaide couldn’t get soft or weak. She couldn’t stay reliant on anyone but herself, at least not if she wanted to survive.  

And even if she could rely on Ian for forever, she didn’t want to. Adelaide was not some pet to be taken care of. She was not some pitiful being who was less than Human Beans, who let the big, nice Bean take care of her. What would other borrowers think? What would her parents think? No, Adelaide was strong and intelligent and resourceful, and she would be damned if she let this man ‘look after her’. She did it on her own for eight years, and she would do it on her own for the rest of her life. Bean or no Bean.  

Adelaide could have said all of that. What she actually said, after a lengthy pause from Ian that indicated she should talk more, was, “I need to be prepared for the worst possible situation. You understand that? If I end up on my own again, I need to know I can survive.” Her cheeks flushed.  

“I don’t have any plans to – to go anywhere any time soon,” he shrugged. How could he be so nonchalant about everything?

“That’s not the point.”  Adelaide saw how he interpreted her admission and knew she needed to fix it, she just didn't know how. She felt like a child throwing a tantrum.

“That sure sounds like the point. Plus, I know-” Ian stopped mid-sentence to reach over Adelaide, pluck a grape off its stem, and pop it in his mouth. He continued, still chewing. “and - and you know...you can survive just fine with or, uh, without me. So, you might as well let me – let me help you.”  

Adelaide had to look away while he chewed, unsettled. A spark of envy briefly shot its way through her body at how easy it was for him to get that grape. It took her an hour to get to this point and she had nothing to show for it. Even if she did manage to snag one, she’d still have to haul it through the walls back to her home, clean it, chop it up, and store it as best she could. And that was ignoring the fact that predators would probably sniff it out from a mile away and come prowling. For Ian, it was as easy as picking it up between two fingers and bringing it to his lips. Ugh.  

When Adelaide looked back up, another grape sat next to her. She was shocked that Ian was able to move so quietly while she was lost in her thoughts, to the point that she didn’t even notice. That probably wasn’t good.  

Adelaide knew she should have felt grateful, but instead, her envy only grew. Oh, grab an another one. Rub it in even more, she thought. Then, she was mad at herself for being jealous. Things were the way they were. This was her life, and she was good at living it, end of story. And Ian obviously didn’t mean anything by it, he was just trying to be helpful.  

At the very least, Adelaide couldn’t accept the grape, no matter how much she wanted to, especially while she was trying to defend her independence and her insistence on borrowing.  

“Ian, please,” Adelaide said forcefully, ignoring the fruit. She was about to be vulnerable, and she needed his full attention if she was going to break through to him. She looked at her feet as she forced the words out. They sounded quiet even to her own ears. “I need to borrow, I need to feel this connection to my identity, to my...whatever." That was almost too vulnerable. She needed to reel it in. "I’m not some pet.” Adelaide lazily kicked the grape and watched it roll an inch or two.  

Silence. She slowly peered up at him, wondering what he thought, wondering if anything happened. Did she say something wrong?  

Ian just stared at her, confused. “You’re certainly not my pet,” he said matter-of-factly. “That- that doesn’t even make sense but beyond that, I can’t say I... follow... But hey, if it’s important to you, it’s important to you. We all have our things, and uh...’borrowing’ is yours. Mine is Chaos Theory. So go wild, but uh, you always have food here if-if you need it.” He smiled and ruffled Adelaide's hair with a fingertip.  

Stunned, Adelaide leaned back and batted at the finger overhead. She was frightened at first, feeling a slight pressure on her neck, but once she understood what was happening, annoyance sprouted, along with a little surprise at the sheer audacity. Ian seemed more comfortable touching her, and she could not let him make a habit out of it. The finger retreated before she could get a good hit in, but not before it could do some mild damage to her already tangled hair. 

With that, Ian lightly nudged the grape back over to her, stood up, and walked away, probably headed back to bed. As he made it to the door frame that led to the hallway, he paused and turned to look at her.  

Adelaide’s heart froze at the sudden attention, but otherwise she didn’t move. “I’d offer to take you back to your place, but you insist on independence, so...” he trailed off. 

Adelaide recognized his teasing but also recognized the question that lay underneath. Ian was asking to give her a lift back to the counter.  

She appreciated the gesture, but her heart wasn’t quite there tonight. It probably leapt out of her chest and ran away when Ian pulled her out of the grapes. Her body was sore, her mind raced, and she had already spent way too much time in those hands today.  

“I’m fine,” Adelaide said. “Go to bed.” She smiled at him. He smiled back before he turned to go.  

Adelaide’s smile faded. She liked Ian a lot. He was sarcastic but helpful, and he kept her life interesting, but she felt like most of her words didn’t register in his head. He didn’t understand and would probably never understand, but was he even trying? It wasn't like he had any obligation to. Or did he know it was useless to imagine being three inches tall anyway? Imagination didn’t do it justice.  

Whatever the case, Adelaide eyed the stupid grape as she pulled out her hook and briefly considered taking it, but she didn’t care enough and was frankly too exhausted to figure out how to get it up the cliff that was the counter and through the walls. Her thoughts would be elsewhere for the rest of the night, too distracted to even try.  

*** 

Exhaustion. All the time. 

So, Adelaide guessed she shouldn’t have expected Ian to understand why she needed out of the pocket so bad. In his mind, it was the only way to keep her safe, and therefore the benefits outweighed the costs. He didn't understand that at a certain point, it didn't matter if the hand belonged to a friend or enemy. It was still a trap, still a prison. There was no way he could’ve imagined what it was like to be stuck in a sauna of a cloth prison, held in place by an unmovable force with a mind of its own. One that could squeeze just a little too hard and- 

Glancing at the handful of giant strangers walking around her, Adelaide suddenly wanted to drop it. So as Ian approached a car with the others, she whispered, “I didn’t know your mouth was capable of forming the words, ‘I’m sorry.’” 

At that, Ian laughed. “I have my moments.” 

Okay. They were back for now. Both Adelaide and Ian felt the uneasy tension in the air, but both were willing to look past it so long as they were on this island. The argument certainly wasn’t over, but they could do that back at home. Stuck out on an island in Costa Rica, they were better off as allies. And so, the unspoken pact to take it easy was born.

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