#his appearance amplifies his status

[self-indulgentmanic]

SPOILERS FOR DEATH MARK 2!!

Death Mark 2 in a nutshell

[withbriefthanksgiving]

The director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN (UN OHCHR), Craig Mokhiber, has resigned in a letter dated 28 October 2023

the resignation letter can be found embedded in this tweet by Rami Atari (@.Raminho) dated 31 October 2023.

The letters are here:

Transcription:

United Nations | Nations Unies

HEADQUARTERS I SIEGE I NEW YORK, NY 10017

28 October 2023

Dear High Commissioner,

This will be my last official communication to you as Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

I write at a moment of great anguish for the world, including for many of our colleagues. Once again, we are seeing a genocide unfolding before our eyes, and the Organization that we serve appears powerless to stop it. As someone who has investigated human rights in Palestine since the 1980s, lived in Gaza as a UN human rights advisor in the 1990s, and carried out several human rights missions to the country before and since, this is deeply personal to me.

I also worked in these halls through the genocides against the Tutsis, Bosnian Muslims, the Yazidi, and the Rohingya. In each case, when the dust settled on the horrors that had been perpetrated against defenseless civilian populations, it became painfully clear that we had failed in our duty to meet the imperatives of prevention of mass atrocites, of protection of the vulnerable, and of accountability for perpetrators. And so it has been with successive waves of murder and persecution against the Palestinians throughout the entire life of the UN.

High Commissioner, we are failing again.

As a human rights lawyer with more than three decades of experience in the field, I know well that the concept of genocide has often been subject to political abuse. But the current wholesale slaughter of the Palestinian people, rooted in an ethno-nationalist settler colonial ideology, in continuation of decades of their systematic persecution and purging, based entirely upon their status as Arabs, and coupled with explicit statements of intent by leaders in the Israeli government and military, leaves no room for doubt or debate. In Gaza, civilian homes, schools, churches, mosques, and medical institutions are wantonly attacked as thousands of civilians are massacred. In the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, homes are seized and reassigned based entirely on race, and violent settler pogroms are accompanied by Israeli military units. Across the land, Apartheid rules.

This is a text-book case of genocide. The European, ethno-nationalist, settler colonial project in Palestine has entered its final phase, toward the expedited destruction of the last remnants of indigenous Palestinian life in Palestine. What's more, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, are wholly complicit in the horrific assault. Not only are these governments refusing to meet their treaty obligations "to ensure respect" for the Geneva Conventions, but they are in fact actively arming the assault, providing economic and intelligence support, and giving political and diplomatic cover for Israel's atrocities.

Volker Turk, High Commissioner for Human Rights Palais Wilson, Geneva

In concert with this, western corporate media, increasingly captured and state-adjacent, are in open breach of Article 20 of the ICCPR, continuously dehumanizing Palestinians to facilitate the genocide, and broadcasting propaganda for war and advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, and violence. US-based social media companies are suppressing the voices of human rights defenders while amplifying pro-Israel propaganda. Israel lobby online-trolls and GONGOS are harassing and smearing human rights defenders, and western universities and employers are collaborating with them to punish those who dare to speak out against the atrocities. In the wake of this genocide, there must be an accounting for these actors as well, just as there was for radio Mules Collins in Rwanda.

In such circumstances, the demands on our organization for principled and effective action are greater than ever. But we phave not met the challenge. The protective enforcement power Security Council has again been blocked by US intransigence, the SG [UN Secretary General] is under assault for the mildest of protestations, and our human rights mechanisms are under sustained slanderous attack by an organized, online impunity network.

Decades of distraction by the illusory and largely disingenuous promises of Oslo have diverted the Organization from its core duty to defend international law, international human rights, and the Charter itself. The mantra of the "two-state solution" has become an open joke in the corridors of the UN, both for its utter impossibility in fact, and for its total failure to account for the inalienable human rights of the Palestinian people. The so-called "Quartet" has become nothing more than a fig leaf for inaction and for subservience to a brutal status quo. The (US-scripted) deference to "agreements between the parties themselves" (in place of international law) was always a transparent slight-of-hand, designed to reinforce the power of Israel over the rights of the occupied and dispossessed Palestinians.

High Commissioner, I came to this Organization first in the 1980s, because I found in it a principled, norm-based institution that was squarely on the side of human rights, including in cases where the powerful US, UK, and Europe were not on our side. While my own government, its subsidiarity institutions, and much of the US media were still supporting or justifying South African apartheid, Israeli oppression, and Central American death squads, the UN was standing up for the oppressed peoples of those lands. We had international law on our side. We had human rights on our side. We had principle on our side. Our authority was rooted in our integrity. But no more.

In recent decades, key parts of the UN have surrendered to the power of the US, and to fear of the Israel Lobby, to abandon these principles, and to retreat from international law itself. We have lost a lot in this abandonment, not least our own global credibility. But the Palestinian people have sustained the biggest losses as a result of our failures. It is a stunning historic irony that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in the same year that the Nakba was perpetrated against the Palestinian people. As we commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the UDHR, we would do well to abandon the old cliché that the UDHR was born out of the atrocities that proceeded it, and to admit that it was born alongside one of the most atrocious genocides of the 20th Century, that of the destruction of Palestine. In some sense, the framers were promising human rights to everyone, except the Palestinian people. And let us remember as well, that the UN itself carries the original sin of helping to facilitate the dispossession of the Palestinian people by ratifying the European settler colonial project that seized Palestinian land and turned it over to the colonists. We have much for which to atone.

But the path to atonement is clear. We have much to learn from the principled stance taken in cities around the world in recent days, as masses of people stand up against the genocide, even at risk of beatings and arrest. Palestinians and their allies, human rights defenders of every stripe, Christian and Muslim organizations, and progressive Jewish voices saying "not in our name", are all leading the way. All we have to do is to follow them.

Yesterday, just a few blocks from here, New York's Grand Central Station was completely taken over by thousands of Jewish human rights defenders standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people and demanding an end to Israeli tyranny (many risking arrest, in the process). In doing so, they stripped away in an instant the Israeli hasbara propaganda point (and old antisemitic trope) that Israel somehow represents the Jewish people. It does not. And, as such, Israel is solely responsible for its crimes. On this point, it bears repeating, in spite of Israel lobby smears to the contrary, that criticism of Israel's human rights violations is not antisemitic, any more than criticism of Saudi violations is Islamophobic, criticism of Myanmar violations is anti-Buddhist, or criticism of Indian violations is anti-Hindu. When they seek to silence us with smears, we must raise our voice, not lower it. I trust you will agree, High Commissioner, that this is what speaking truth to power is all about.

But I also find hope in those parts of the UN that have refused to compromise the Organization's human rights principles in spite of enormous pressures to do so. Our independent special rapporteurs, commissions of enquiry, and treaty body experts, alongside most of our staff, have continued to stand up for the human rights of the Palestinian people, even as other parts of the UN (even at the highest levels) have shamefully bowed their heads to power. As the custodians of the human rights norms and standards, OHCHR. has a particular duty to defend those standards. Our job, I believe, is to make our voice heard, from the Secretary-General to the newest UN recruit, and horizontally across the wider UN system, incisting that the human rights of the Palestinian people are not up for debate, negotiation, or compromise anywhere under the blue flag.

What, then, would a UN-norm-based position look like? For what would we work if we were true to our rhetorical admonitions about human rights and equality for all, accountability for perpetrators, redress for victims, protection of the vulnerable, and empowerment for rights-holders, all under the rule of law? The answer, I believe, is simple—if we have the clarity to see beyond the propagandistic smokescreens that distort the vision of justice to which we are sworn, the courage to abandon fear and deference to powerful states, and the will to truly take up the banner of human rights and peace. To be sure, this is a long-term project and a steep climb. But we must begin now or surrender to unspeakable horror. I see ten essential points:

Legitimate action: First, we in the UN must abandon the failed (and largely disingenuous) Oslo paradigm, its illusory two-state solution, its impotent and complicit Quartet, and its subjugation of international law to the dictates of presumed political expediency. Our positions must be unapologetically based on international human rights and international law.

Clarity of Vision: We must stop the pretense that this is simply a conflict over land or religion between two warring parties and admit the reality of the situation in which a disproportionately powerful state is colonizing, persecuting, and dispossessing an indigenous population on the basis of their ethnicity.

One State based on human rights: We must support the establishment of a single, democratic, secular state in all of historic Palestine, with equal rights for Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and, therefore, the dicmantling of the deeply racist, settler-colonial project and an end to apartheid across the land.

Fighting Apartheid: We must redirect all UN efforts and resources to the struggle against apartheid, just as we did for South Africa in the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s.

Return and Compensation: We must reaffirm and insist on the right to return and full compensation for all Palestinians and their families currently living in the occupied territories, in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and in the diaspora across the globe.

Truth and Justice: We must call for a transitional justice process, making full use of decades of accumulated UN investigations, enquiries, and reports, to document the truth, and to ensure accountability for all perpetrators, redress for all victims, and remedies for documented injustices.

Protection: We must press for the deployment of a well-resourced and strongly mandated UN protection force with a sustained mandate to protect civilians from the river to the sea.

Disarmament: We must advocate for the removal and destruction of Israel's massive stockpiles of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, lest the conflict lead to the total destruction of the region and, possibly, beyond.

Mediation: We must recognize that the US and other western powers are in fact not credible mediators, but rather actual parties to the conflict who are complicit with Israel in the violation of Palestinian rights, and we must engage them as such.

Solidarity: We must open our doors (and the doors of the SG) wide to the legions of Palestinian, Israeli, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian human rights defenders who are standing in solidarity with the people of Palestine and their human rights and stop the unconstrained flow of Israel lobbyists to the offices of UN leaders, where they advocate for continued war, persecution, apartheid, and impunity, and smear our human rights defenders for their principled defense of Palestinian rights.

This will take years to achieve, and western powers will fight us every step of the way, so we must be steadfast. In the immediate term, we must work for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the longstanding siege on Gaza, stand up against the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank (and elsewhere), document the genocidal assault in Gaza, help to bring massive humanitarian aid and reconstruction to the Palestinians, take care of our traumatized colleagues and their families, and fight like hell for a principled approach in the UN's political offices.

The UN's failure in Palestine thus far is not a reason for us to withdraw. Rather it should give us the courage to abandon the failed paradigm of the past, and fully embrace a more principled course. Let us, as OHCHR, boldly and proudly join the anti-apartheid movement that is growing all around the world, adding our logo to the banner of equality and human rights for the Palestinian people. The world is watching. We will all be accountable for where we stood at this crucial moment in history. Let us stand on the side of justice.

I thank you, High Commissioner, Volker, for hearing this final appeal from my desk. I will leave the Office in a few days for the last time, after more than three decades of service. But please do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance in the future.

Sincerely,

Craig Mokhiber

End of transcription.

Emphasis (bolding) is my own. I have added links, where relevant, to explanations of concepts the former Director refers to.

[powdermelonkeg]

TotK theory, do NOT read until you’ve beaten the Dragon Tears quest:

We never actually see the Golden Goddesses in past games. We see effigies of them, like the three Oscars flying into the sky in Ocarina of Time, or the three identical Hylian statues surrounding the Triforce in Twilight Princess, or the three pearl-holding statues in Wind Waker.

We meet their oracles in Ages and Secrets, and help those oracles get houses in Minish Cap. We meet their agents, the Twilight Princess Light Spirits, or the Skyward Sword dragons, or the three protectors of the Goddess Pearls in WW.

Even in Skyward Sword, we only see their symbols, despite being in the time arguably closest to them.

And now, in present day, when only Hylia is still worshiped, we have Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh. And thanks to Zeldra, we know how they came to be, to an extent.

We know they used to be mortal.

We know they had incredible power.

We know they sacrificed it for something.

A big question that’s always burned me since Skyward Sword is why did the goddesses leave?

Hylia didn’t. She stayed to help, stayed to fight until her last breath, then was reborn to try it again.

It always used to strike me as particularly cold of them that they’d ignore their youngest sister, even with all the power they clearly had at their disposal.

But what if they literally couldn’t help?

To become an immortal dragon is to lose oneself. They wouldn’t have even been aware.

Of course, why would an immortal goddess need to become an immortal dragon in the first place? Don’t they have everything?

Here’s my theory.

In TotK, we’re repeatedly told that the Zonai, when they descended, were praised as gods for their powers. And we know the Secret Stones amplify that power.

Coupled with the fact that we never see any consistent portrayal of the High Trio—

I think Din, Nayru, and Farore were Zonai.

I think they’re revered as gods because they descended from the heavens, as the Zonai were said to have been.

I think that their powers involved the terraforming they did to the world to make it habitable.

I think that Demise lived on the surface first, with the malice, with the gloom, and that the golden trio stopped his conquest of the surface peoples by force.

I think they swallowed their secret stones to keep them from being taken by Demise, since we now know what someone with even a fraction of his power is capable of doing.

I think when they became dragons, the power they shed in their wake coalesced into the Triforce.

I think Demise, when he waged war on the surface peoples afterwards, emerged from the Depths.

I think that Skyloft was Hylia knowing that the sky has always been safe, always been out of reach, and repurposing the lowest of the Zonai isles to protect them. Even though we know the Goddess Statue was on the surface originally, we don’t know where the rest of the isles came from—the Hylians rose with the statue, but spread to the other islands.

And I think that Demise telling Link that Zelda’s form pales in comparison to the magnificence of her former self is referring to the youngest Zonai sister’s former appearance. Because what a downgrade it must have seemed to him to watch one of the most powerful beings in the world, the one that sealed him away, turn herself into one of his prey.

[astrogre]

Aphrodite(1388) Beauty Indicators

What counts as Aphrodite(1388) beauty indicators:

Aphrodite in 1st house (YOU are appealing, this asteroid is simply who you are as this house represents you as a whole, physically and personal identity)

Aphrodite in 10th house (this is how you publicly appear to others at large, so if you have an asteroid here it kind of shows those themes come to mind in general when people think of you and what your reputation is associated with, imagine yourself as a concept, you perceived as a brand)

Aphrodite Conjunct Venus (your beauty and the way you style express yourself, you express your love and sense of beauty in similar ways, Venus also shows where we are most beautiful therefore the things that make you most beautiful are like Aphrodites)

VERY Strong indicators:

Aphrodite Conjunct ASC (it further amplifies because you become the physical embodiment of Aphrodite, no longer just a hint but may even be mistaken for her your form of expression and how you come across to all and most importantly yourself is just like Aphrodite)

Aphrodite Conjunct MC (same as 10H however it’s even more prominent, your Aphrodite characteristics may manifest or be needed for the job you do as well)

Aphrodite conjunct is at 0-2 orbs. Closer the orb more exactly like your appearance. 0 orb means Aphrodite is YOU to a T. Your physical appearance/public image/expression of oneself, if described with an adjective would be the asteroid itself.

2 or more of any of the previous Aphrodite indicators this asteroid is far too prominent in your chart to be an adjective to describe your beauty, it’s more like an epithet.

What kind of beauty you have:

- You embody the ideal beauty standards

- You shapeshift to appeal to the senses and pleasures of individuals who look at you

- People may struggle to define you by your appearance because you come across so differently to each person

- The allure (the buzz and positive talk of you) stands out more than what you put out to reality especially for Aphrodite asteroid in 10H/conjunct to MC

- You’re beauty is so rare that it’s unbelievable, people that hear of you described by others who know you may think you’re a myth or not real like a catfish or someone pretending to be real. Eg someone looking at your instagram may think you’re not real or if a guy is explaining you to his friends you sound too good to be true especially from the male gaze. That is until they meet you and realise you live up to their expectations and then the rumours of you further amplify as even MORE talk of you. If you start dating around jumping from man to man, people will gush over you

- You may pretend to be modest, demure and coincidentally sexually attractive yet your sexual attractiveness is purposefully intentional

this is based on aphrodites Greek and Latin scholars who wrote about the famous statue at Knidos on which it is based, says that Aphrodite’s facial expression and gesture show ‘false modesty’. She purposefully displays false modesty to look like her nudity and sexual allure is unintentional and just happens to be on her

- You show your beauty through your clothing perfumes and hair accessories. Aphrodite wore perfumed and silken garments, a crown of gold or flowers in her hair, and had expensive jewellery covering her body

- As time goes on you are more sexualised, no joke if you guys made a sex tape in your elder years you’d be like a trending milf dilf, especially with Capricorn, Saturn and 10H Aphrodite

Aphrodites depictions were always fully clothed until as centuries progressed the men that idolised her wanted to make her wear less and less, become sexier and sexier, they project their lustful thoughts on her and Aphrodite viewed it as compliments

- No matter what people may say about you, they cannot shake or change the fact that you are beautiful, they may also bring that up when talking about you behind your back if in 12H conjunct ascendant

- You have feminine curves which are shown best through draped clothing, you look best in clothes that drape to your skin and hug your curves

- No matter what you wear people will always see you nude or want to, they may sexualise you and you may subconsciously enjoy it because you feel desired and it feels good to know you’re making others feel pleasure just from looking at you

- You look best naked, your breast and hips may be most prominent and something men recognise you for and what garners admiration from women too. Women may look up to you as the standard and what they wished the looked like

Source: the idealization of womanhood in all her femininity; the Aphrodite sculpture, Praxiteles was mainly responsible for establishing the type-sensuous in its soft curves and voluptuousness.” (Morford 180). As told by Morford, the exaggeration of body parts, breasts mostly, became Aphrodite’s spotting mark in art

- You could have long hair, or your hair can be styled in a different way to other women, very distinct, it can be different from what others expect, your hair may be “immodest” like it looks like it’s uncovered, not domestic, you may put a lot accessories on it or do something specifically that makes it stand out and look better, it’s kind of “unintentionally” erotic.

- You look best in bodies of water, playing with your hair in water, when you’re showering, wringing your hair dry, you may get a lot of stares when you go to the beach just relaxing, or if you’re swimming. It’s something people could watch for a long time

- You love to accessorise excessively

- Men change the way they see you physically from your body to your face and hair, all just to fit their imagined ideal beauty standards. For an example: say a man may prefer brunettes, if you’re blonde, that man will imagine you with brown dark hair and romanticise it, from that point onward he can no longer see you as blonde no matter how blonde you are because the fantasy of an idolised you is so overwhelming

- Men fantasise about you a lot, women too. You invoke fear/admiration into women because of your appearance

- You represent the most ideal physical traits, you can be compared as the standard for others and people may put you on a pedestal so high that makes others want to be where you are but knowing they simply cannot as it’s not in their nature. Because competing against you would destroy them and they do not compare

- You may make people feel ashamed of themselves because you’re so uplifted and idealised by many

- You can adapt to the taste of the target/person you’re trying to seduce

- Your clothes and the way you style yourself enhance your features and make you look like someone who is wealthy and important of high status/nobility

- You are one of the most physically desired people to others

- Your physical appearance isn’t the only thing that makes you so beautiful, it’s the fact that everyone finds you desireable no matter who is looking.

Honestly when I think of Aphrodite I think of someone who is overly sexualised by men. Like they collectively came together and said THIS is what we like. She is the image of sex and desire because they put her there. And she likes it, which is probably why she is labelled as the god of sex, pleasure, love and beauty, it’s because she accepts all kinds of admiration from anyone. No matter how degrading or intensely it manifests. Do you too also accept love no matter how sexually degrading or intense it is? Do you have a tendency to expect to be glorified?

Source:

Link to the historical study of Aphrodites physical appearance

Homer, for example, said that the goddess could be recognized by her shining eyes and “desirable breasts.” Other writers gave her the epithet “Smile-Loving,” indicating that she often had a happy expression. More often, writers described Aphrodite’s beauty through her clothing. She wore perfumed and silken garments, a crown of gold or flowers in her hair, and had expensive jewelry covering her body. most of what we know about Aphrodite’s looks must be drawn from the art of the period.

gain, the representations leave much room for interpretation. The one aspect they have in common is that, fittingly, Aphrodite was shown as beautiful.

This usually meant that she had feminine curves, which were often accentuated by closely-draped clothing. When she was dressed it was often only partially, but the goddess was just as often shown in the nude.

She usually had long hair that was left at least partially down, in contrast to the more demure, covered hair of matronly and domestic goddesses. A favorite subject of classical artists was the emergence of Aphrodite from the sea, in which she was sometimes shown wringing the water out of her long hair.

Sculptors had more freedom than painters to imagine the goddess in different poses and situations. Often these poses emphasized her feminine shape and attractiveness to the male gaze. As the goddess of beauty, she represented the most desirable female form possible.

She often changed her appearances to suit her purposes.

This shape-shifting also allowed artists to portray her in a way that reflected the physical idea of their own time and place. Aphrodite could have dark hair in one place and be blonde in another.

Thus, our modern interpretation of Aphrodite has been filtered through the ideals of female beauty from not only Greece and Rome, but long after as well. Medieval artists gave her a high forehead and Renaissance painters showed her with flowing blonde hair because those were the ideals of their times. The written descriptions of Aphrodite were open-ended enough to allow artists to show her in a way they thought was beautiful for centuries. While later artists were influenced by the paintings and sculptures of Rome and Greece, they had the license to show the goddess of beauty in a way that made sense within their own cultures.

Most often, Aphrodite’s clothing and jewelry were described in greater detail than her body or facial features. The richness of her garments and adornments both enhanced her features and signalled her nobility.

The lack of written detail meant that artists were able to portray Aphrodite in a way they felt was beautiful. While these typically followed certain conventions, these conventions could vary between regions and time periods. Aphrodite/Venus was therefore shown with certain marks of beauty that had persisted from the ancient world, but also with the features and clothing considered ideal in the artists’ own times. She could be recognized not by a specific feature, but by her desirabilithy.

[kiame-sama]

The Hylian Zonai- (Yandere!Ganondorf x Reader)

Warnings; Based in Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, only a few spoilers for 'past' characters and what they look like, Ruaru & Sonia & Ganondorf appear in this fic, divergent from primary ToTK plot, reader is fem bodied and pronouned, Reader is half-Zonai half-Hylian, yandere behavior, yandere temper, obsessive behavior, romantic yandere (Ganondorf), platonic yandere (Rauru), soft kidnapping,

"Hylian"

"Gerudo"

"Zonai"

~~~~~~~~

The sands rolled in a never ending storm that seemed to sweep over the vast landscape. Wind howled in mournful wails that seemed to only be amplified by the ever rolling sands. Even the village built to nestle within the sands seemed to be rather battered by the constant winds.

Not far from the village, near buildings meant as training grounds stood an imposing figure. His wild red hair seemed to whip around his face and accented his sharp features. He stood staring out into the rolling sand, eyes fixed on a truly pathetic sight.

Struggling in the sand was a newborn molduga. Though it was a monster in almost every regard, this one was just an infant and would be claimed by the sands in no time without the brood mother that bore it.

"Another beast soon to be felled by the very thing that gave it life."

"Should we intervene, my king?"

"No. The sands take as much as they give. The beast will nourish the sand with the blood in its veins."

The tall and well-built Gerudo woman nodded, knowing that going against the King of the Sands was suicide. Still, she felt pity for the whimpering pup that struggled blindly in the scorching and unforgiving land.

A movement among the rolling dunes near the pup caught their attention, sure it was a larger beast coming to claim an easy meal. However, a much smaller figure than expected emerged from the intense sands. They walked with purpose towards the whimpering pup and remained obscured beneath a cloak that shone white like exposed bone.

The molduga pup growled and tried to struggle away from the figure, barely getting any distance from the being before being easily overtaken by the stranger. Every snap of the small molduga's jaws seemed to do little to dissuade the being before the infant beast squealed in fear. It cringed away and tried to curl up in a futile effort to protect itself from what was no doubt about to end the little creature.

That end never came.

Instead, the figure rest a forgiving hand on the side of the pup, soothing the frightened newborn with a kind touch. The pup seemed calmed by the being, a faint yet sweet voice carried on the wind with clear sweet tones that put the young monster at peace. Far too distant to hear clearly, the voice seemed to have an effeminate pitch to it that interested the king.

After a moment's time a sudden music met the ears of the onlookers, the figure holding up a beautiful pan flute that sparkled in the sun. The sounds carried on the sand and echoed out in all directions, seemingly calling attention to itself.

Silence was what met the music at first before a deep rumbling gathered in strength and volume all around. It was the familiar sound of a molduga- an adult molduga- burrowing through the sand. The sound of the pan flute had attracted the attention of the nearest molduga and it now rushed to find the source, not wanting to pass by an opportunity for food.

The figure did not flee even as a spout of sand flew into the air due to the molduga breeching to take a breath. Even as the beast drew near, the figure remained by the side of the pup, standing so still the onlookers would have mistaken it as a statue had they not seen it move moments before.

When the adult molduga finally emerged from the sand to find the source of the sound, it reacted in an unusual way. The beast turned one small eye to examine the figure and the pup, carefully staring the two down. It then seemed to let out a deep rumbling purr, the molduga pup responding in kind to the sound as it nuzzled up to the adult. Despite all odds, it seemed the scarred and old molduga was the brood mother of the abandoned pup.

The pup was quick to climb into the open maw of the brood mother, taking shelter much like a crocodilian species would. It was clear both pup and brood mother were pleased to be reunited as the brood mother  purred to the figure. Just as quickly as the brood mother appeared, she burrowed back into the sand and began the long travel away from the figure.

The wind whipped around the figure, pulling back the light covering the figure wore to reveal the being underneath.

A shock of white furred ears lay back against the (h/c) skull of the figure, likely working to keep sand from entering the soft ears. The figure had the clear complexion of a Hylian despite the large Zonai ears which tucked back to reveal the typical Hylian pointed ears. The general figure of the being seemed to be Hylian and bore a peaceful smile as their eyes followed the path the brood mother molduga had taken.

"A Hylian? Here? Unacceptable! Shall I dispose of the intruder, my king?"

"No," the Gerudo King shook his head dismissively, "this is no ordinary Hylian. The Zonai King Rauru has a daughter, correct?"

"Yes, my King. Our sources indicate that the Zonai Rauru has a child and she has been absent from their kingdom on some kind of exploration journey."

"Excellent," the intimidating figure bore his teeth in a clear grin at the fortune smiling upon him, "if it cannot be dismantled from the outside with brute force, I will destroy the kingdom from the inside with wits."

The Gerudo King grinned and walked forward towards the odd Hylian-Zonai, noticing how one of the large furred ears angled back towards the sound of shifting sands under his feet. He debated cutting the woman down while her back was turned, but decided the princess would be of better use to him alive.

Before he could reach an arms-length away, she turned to face him. Her golden adornments clinked together and chimed with her movement as he finally got a full look at the unusual woman. Her facial features seemed almost tailor made as she observed the much taller Gerudo man, her (e/c) gaze examining him as the notable Zonai feature of a third eye stared unwaveringly at his imposing frame.

She had a feminine figure that accented her unusual appearance, the union of Hylian and Zonai attributes giving her a unique silhouette. He would be lying if he said he didn't find her beautiful and her mixture of features only seemed to accent that beauty. The silence stretched for a moment before one of her delicate eye brows lifted in question, snapping the Gerudo King out of his temporary stupor.

"You aren't from around here, clearly. Tell me, what is a woman such as yourself doing in a land so inhospitable?"

"Well," her two primary eyes narrowed, the one in the center of her forehead still wide and staring, "it is common courtesy to introduce ones self before questioning the intent of another, no?"

An odd thrill ran through him at the clearly clipped tone the woman used, feeling his lips try to pull into a grin. It was impressive to hear the polite yet firm tone the woman used as she stood unflinching before the man who dwarfed her in height.

"It is indeed. I am Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo."

"Then we are well met. I apologize for intruding on your lands, King Ganondorf. I am (Y/n), daughter of King Rauru and Queen Sonia, princess of Hyrule."

The intimidating king decided to have a more cordial approach to the lovely woman, lifting one of her noticeably smaller hands to his lips as he kissed the knuckles gently. His hand seemed to only be bigger in comparison as he noticed the rather soft feel of her skin. Though he was not often the kind to partake in such pleasantries, the Hylian-Zonai interested him.

"Tell me, Princess (Y/n), to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"I am on a pilgrimage of sorts to the neighboring lands of my father's kingdom. I wish to learn more of lands dissimilar from the kingdom I am accustomed to."

"I would be happy to tell you what I know of these lands. Of course, I must invite you to the city I call home for the sands are treacherous at the best of times. It would honor me if you would join me in a banquet this evening."

"The honor would be mine, King Ganondorf."

The large Gerudo king could feel the corners of his mouth curl into a toothy grin at the princess' easy acceptance of his invitation, knowing her royal upbringing would make her more likely to agree out of politeness. Though he intended to overthrow King Rauru and absorb the Hyrule Kingdom, that didn't mean he needed to harm the lovely princess. Perhaps he could even absorb Hyrule Kingdom through succession of the throne by wedding the princess.

He was of the belief that King Rauru would be unlikely to just offer (Y/n) in marriage given the strength Hyrule already had. There was no need to have a political marriage with another kingdom when there was an apparent standstill of strength in war between those kingdoms. In any case, it would behoove the Gerudo King to win over the trust of the princess before entering Hyrule to lure the King into a false sense of trust.

~~~~~~~~

The afternoon sun shone through the windows and dappled the halls of Hyrule Castle with the colors of stained glass. The group that kneeled before the two sitting on their thrones seemed almost out of place, none more so than the Gerudo King who seemed so large even in the grand halls. Next to the thrones stood a woman with fair skin and blond hair, eyeing the Gerudo man with great suspicion.

"Allow me to offer you my deepest apologies on behalf of the Gerudo for taking so long to accept your repeated invitation. It is our desire to be accepted into the protective embrace of your kingdom. To seve it faithfully."

Each word was carefully chosen and spoken clearly, seeming to be almost hissed out by the Gerudo man. Though the pair of royals saw through the almost exaggerated show of fealty, neither said anything against the king. Instead, the Zonai King Rauru spoke with a kind and welcoming tone.

"A welcome appeal, Ganondorf. I will accept your vow of fealty to the kingdom of Hyrule. I understand that a single male is born to the Gerudo every one hundred years.  Receiving such an appeal from you, a hero to his people and a king by birth... Well, it is truly reassuring."

"It is my honor. When your Zonai ancestors first descended upon these lands long, long ago, they must have seemed to be gods. And now you rule as king and have taken a Hyrulean woman as your wife. Your Majesty has certainly risen above your admirable lineage. Most impressive. It is unfortunate that the noble Zonai no longer grace this world with their presence... All except you, your sister, and that lovely daughter of yours, that is."

The comment about King Rauru's daughter caused a clear reaction from the royals and the woman at their side, all seeming uncomfortable at the mention of the kind woman. Sonia, the beautiful Hyrulean Queen, glanced at her King with an almost worried expression. They had been quite careful when it came to announcing the birth of their daughter, (Y/n) Princess of Hyrule. Beyond just the care they took, Rauru in particular was known to be quite fiercely protective of his daughter and mention of her put him on edge.

"I am afraid my daughter is out on pilgrimage at the moment and not present in the kingdom."

"On that, I have to disagree, King Rauru."

Before the Zonai King could ask just what it was Ganondorf was insinuating, the door at the far end of the hall opened with a loud sound. Walking in- flanked on either side with tall Gerudo women- was a familiar face that put the Zonai King's heart at rest for what felt like the first time in ages. Queen Sonia was thrilled and stood quickly to meet her daughter, Rauru standing as well to do the same.

"Mother, Father," (Y/n) practically cheered as she melted into the affectionate embrace of her parents, "I've missed you both so much..."

The woman standing at the side of the thrones seemed confused and surprised, as if she were unaware of the royals having a daughter. Though the interaction was going exactly as the Gerudo King had planned.

"Oh, my beautiful girl, how was your pilgrimage?"

"It was fantastic, Mother. The other lands around Hyrule have such differences and complexities to them. Better yet, I have learned so much about the other lands and creatures from those lands. I have so much to share with you both and show you."

The excited tone of their daughter almost completely distracted the King and Queen as it had been a few years since they last got to hold their offspring. It was as if everything else had fallen to the wayside in favor of putting all their attention onto their beloved child. So often Rauru had considered bringing his daughter home simply for his own peace of mind, but he was thrilled to have her back now.

He did not overlook the stare King Ganondorf had fixed upon his beloved child, however.

"I thank you for your show of fealty, Ganondorf. You may leave."

"Father," (Y/n) interrupted with a chiding tone and an unhappy frown, "he is king of a kingdom near to our own, and he is a guest here! We should show him the same hospitality and kindness he showed me when I first encountered the Gerudo."

"... You are right, (Y/n). There is no need to be so crass as to dismiss visiting royals, regardless of their allegiance and standing with Hyrule. We should have a feast tonight, to welcome these visitors from the sands."

Despite the warm tone he took, Rauru fixed the Gerudo King with a clear gaze of distrust. The stare was an obvious statement to the Gerudo man to keep his distance from Rauru's beloved daughter. But the way (Y/n) looked as she smiled back at the foreign King made the Zonai's blood boil with frustration as it was clear the princess had taken an obvious liking to the man.

Rauru would not give up his dear daughter so easily.

[jointhepartypod]

Welcome to the World of Verda Stello! 🌱 🏴☠️

Campaign 3 of Join the Party is set in the world of Verda Stello, the great green ringed world. This fantastical land is filled with approximately human-sized plant and bug people (give or take some 2 foot tall fruits and giant vines) called the Greenfolk. The main source of life for Verda Stello is the Cascade, a massive waterfall that pours over the whole inner ring of the world.

Over time, the Cascade dried up, leaving all the Greenfolk scrambling for water. But the waterfall revealed the entire center of Verda Stello was a great salt sea, dotted with countless unknown islands, and a prophecy about an Infinite Lake that can save the world and a Salmon that grants your deepest desire.

This kicked off the Tide, a pirate era that has raged for 50 years. People are still searching for the lake and the salmon, and the Tide shows no sign of stopping now.

Find out more about Verda Stello and Campaign 3 here!

The Hothouse

Country’s Motto: Why Suffer When We Can Strive

Known for their ingenuity and extensive construction, the Hothouse is the technological hub of Verda Stello. Hothousers believe that finding the best way to do something is its own greatest reward (except for letting everyone know that you did it with a plaque or statue or signature). You might recognize Hothouse architecture with the incorporations of big windows or a solarium, amplifying the sun to do extra work for you. The ruler of the Hothouse is The Builder, someone who is recognized as the best and the smartest through a series of public and brutal competitions of mind and might.

The official Hothouse Flag was designed by the first Builder, Appleton the Original. The triangle represents the hothouse, as you might have guessed, but the doubled triangle is a symbol of so many values that Hothousers hold dear.  Appleton was known for his patience and care when erecting and planning the major monuments of the Hothouse capital, so scholars and politicians say the doubled triangle meant, “measure twice, cut once.” But it can be interpreted as broadly as “quality over quantity” or “do it right the first time,” as double-paneling the triangle is stronger than many triangles in a line. What is most intriguing is the intersection of the symbolic hothouse and the sun itself, putting them in concert, or at least as two parts of the whole. The construct is not subservient to the sun. In fact, they are relatively the same, as a sibling or partner encouraging the other to be better than they could have been alone.

Open Fields

Country’s Motto: Reap What Is Sown

The people of Open Fields feel the deep connection between themselves and the ground, giving themselves strong perseverance and belief. This allows them to stare at the strangeness of existence in the face, such as how they can harvest produce and greens for sustenance even if it looks exactly like them. Open Field families show this devotion by naming themselves after virtues (in a Puritan sort of way) and both fervently praying and farming.

Unfortunately, there is no definitive account of how the Open Fields’ flag came to be. Many leaders have invoked various legends and parables, usually involving a poor potato farmer, resistance of temptation, and then divine inspiration. One version of the story says the pattern appeared in a bowl of mashed potatoes, when the butter and the mash was swirled together in the bowl. Another version supposes the farmer tried to harvest one of his crop but could not, and only through the collective strength of the entire farmer’s family and friends did they put the largest tuber ever recorded, with the design outlined in the eyes of the potato. The only record of the creation and adoption of the current design comes from the journal of a monk known as Saying-Thank-You-Meaningfully-For-an-Unexpected-Gift-No-Matter-What-It-Is. It seems that Saying’s closest friend at the monastery made woodcuts as a hobby, and created the sun-on-top, shovel-on-bottom image. That night, Saying wrote in their journal, “Saw an interesting image today. Must be the divine.” The colors–especially the deep red, unique in the flags of Verda Stello–and how it became the symbol of the entire country, remains unknown.

Kingdom of the Crags

Country’s Motto: We Cover All

The Crags is the most Game of Thrones out of all of the countries. They find strength in dealing with adversity and sacrificing comfort for something greater. They explore their land, find the great thing that it does, and work with it (whether obsidian from lava or a fruit that gives you the strength of 10 in a mountain or a glowing mushroom in a crevasse). Over time, many families have formed into houses and territories, which has then led to a revolving door of kings and queens as the houses vie for power. As the Craggish saying goes, “Everyone has their purpose, and the royals are dying.”

The modern version of the Crags flag (say that five times fast) was established over six hundred years ago, at the signing of the Brevi Pax. Short for “brevi pax pugnantibus,” or “short peace between combatants” in middle Folkish, it was supposed to be a document that finally codified the system of governance in the Crags and illustrated all rights for Craggish citizens regardless of ruler. At the time of its signing, it was just Pax Pugnantibus, but the Brevi was added after Queen Opaline V was slain by her three sisters only ten days after the document was signed.

Although the peace did not remain, the rights of citizens stayed, as well as a specific agreed-upon design for the Craggish flag, The purple emphasizes the strength of the ruling families, while the white V and the black background stands in for the hard landscape where the people make their homes. There’s an interesting optical trick too; the sprout is in the dead center, but the crag makes it seem lower; what appears worse to others is exactly where the Crags knows is best.

Many of the sigils of the houses in the Crags use inversions or additions of this flag to bolster their claims for royal legitimacy, but they do not risk changing too much as would alienate themselves from the existence of the state. They are not above the kingdom and the Rocky Seat, as there would be nothing to rule.

Overstalk

Country’s Motto: Carry Your Roots

The future lives in Overstalk, but it might linger as more of a dream than actually getting it done. Overstalk is the home of the philosophers, a quixotic solarpunkish country. This led to a vibrant merchant culture, so you buy what you need since we’re philosophizing over here. The beating heart of Overstalk is the Stacked City of Skyreach (think the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but a whole city), where radical but sometimes dangerous ideas flourish and fester.

The historians of Overstalk delight in explaining the symbology of their flag to others, as the metaphor of each color and symbol were, if you will pardon the pun, dyed right into it when the Fourth Congress of the Representatives commissioned local textile artist Cablin Pogostemon to create it. On the left side, the yellow represents the warmth and energy of the sun (but modern philosophers would argue that the top band is ascribed to the mercantile success of the region). The cream is the color of a yellowing page of a book, representing study, while the gray is the smoke of incense, representing spiritualism. As the cream and the gray interest each other and the yellow, you cannot forget the mind for the spirit or vice versa, and they are both integral to day-to-day living (or for modern interpretation, business dealings). The right side is the vertical expansion of Overstalk, as high as the stars themselves. 

This is the only flag in Verda Stello to use green, which some suppose signifies Overstalk’s high view of themselves as compared to the other countries.

Maybe Cablin knew this when they designed the flag, as it came with explicit instructions to never be hung up-and-down, with the stars at the top. It is considered a deep political insult to hang the flag in this way… but it has been accidentally turned during some particularly prickly international visits.

[uncharismatic-fauna]

A Mata-Fine Mata Mata turtle

A resident of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, the mata mata (Chelus fimbriatus) is a species of freshwater turtle found in streams, pools, and wetlands throughout northern South America, from Venezuela to Brazil, as well as the island of Trinidad. This species is almost entirely aquatic, and excursions on land are extremely rare. However, they are not well adapted for swimming in open water, and are thus most commonly seen in shallow bodies of water with soft, muddy bottoms.

C. fimbriatus has a unique appearance among turtle species. The carapace-- the part of the shell that covers the back--it has three ridges running down its length and is often covered in algae, and so resembles tree bark. The head is similarly shaped to resemble leaf litter; it’s triangular, and the fringes around the cheeks and mouth break up the outline. The mata mata’s nose is long and snorkel-like, allowing it to remain just under the surface. Despite its unobtrusive looks, this species is actually quite large; mata mata can grow up to 45 cm (1.5 ft) long and weigh up to 17.2 kg (38 lbs).

Because of its unique body shape and camouflage, the mata mata is well suited to a sedentary life, and has few natural predators. It has extremely poor eyesight, though it does share an adaptation with other nocturnal reptiles that allows the eyes to reflect low levels of light. To compensate, the mata mata relies on its hearing, amplified by a large tympanium on either side of the head, and on the barbels lining its jaw. In addition to being an excellent costume, these barbels allow C. fimbriatus to sense vibrations in the water. The mata mata spends most of its time submurged or buried under the mud, waiting for potential prey like fish, worms, crustaceans, and insects to swim by. When they’re close enough, the mata mata opens its jaws and sucks its target in whole. Individuals have also been recorded herding schools of fish into confined areas before feeding.

The only time the mata mata emerges from the water is to reproduce. Individuals are solitary until September or October, when they begin to seek out mates. When a male encounters a female, he approaches while opening and closing his mouth, extending his limbs, and moving the flaps on the side of his head. If the female is impressed, she allows him to mount. Afterwards, she hauls herself out onto the nearby bank and builds a rudimentary nest from the forest litter. There, she lays 12-28 eggs, which will take about 200 days to hatch. There is no information on how long hatchlings take to fully mature, but individuals can live anywhere from 15-30 years.

Conservation status: The mata mata has not been evaluated by the IUCN, but is threatened by habitat destruction and overharvesting for the pet trade.

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Photos

Rune Midtgaard

Christopher Wellner

Joachim S. Muller

[everythingisblue-if]

“Everything Is Blue” is a modern fantasy set in an alternate universe. The game revolves around a fantastical world and romance. This game is currently in development (wip).

CONTENT WARNINGS: The game includes mild language, depiction of war, sexual themes, death, blood, minor gore. The current age rating is intended for players 17+.

~

Ending a war is not the easiest way out of this.

New Hampshire—your home, where everything you love resides. However, everything is going to have to wait, when you’re suddenly plunged into the middle of a forest by a hotdog vendor who might’ve hurried along your future death.

The forest is not one that you can trek out of so easily; known as the Cursed Forest, there are no willing participants to help you from your doom unless they’re the soldiers who are fighting to have you. Two opposing Kingdoms of this new world you were pushed into see you as a gift from their absent Gods. You wouldn’t have believed it until you realize that they were fighting over the all-powerful ring on your finger, and not you alone.

Figures. You were never one for being special.

Found by the Kingdom of Blue, they’re all too happy to claim their prize and end an ongoing war with their enemies: The Monarchy. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that easy, as you play a major role in that future that might or might not come. But you have to try, as it’s your only way home.

FEATURES

Customize your character; choose your gender (female, male, and non-binary, pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them, xe/xem, ey/em, zie/zem), and appearance.

Your choices will shape your personality, friendship, and love life, leading to different and expanding scenes.

Learn about the Kingdom that claimed you, and the land that’s drastically different from you.

Strategize with your new peers on how to end the violence before everything turns for the worst.

Use your chosen one status to gain an upper hand during the war, so you’re able to return to your world.

ROMANCE OPTIONS

There are six romancable characters who will either stand by your side or you will stand alone. Romance The Sovereign, The Hunter, The Prince, The Commander, The Noble, The Protector, and The General.

“The Sovereign”

Lane is the Sovereign (King) of the Kingdom of Blue. Appointed Sovereign after his father had passed, he had to grow up quickly and assume responsibility. He has no extended time for any relationships, and often finds himself alone with his thoughts, with no one but himself to rely on. Ensuring the safety of his home is his utmost responsibility. He's labeled as broody and serious, and this war has amplified his reasons for no nonsense.

male; he/him

“The Hunter”

Henery is the designated hunter for the Kingdom of Blue. His role includes being an unofficial member of the Blue Army, targeting certain enemies-and with his quick agility, he's valuable during the war. A former mercenary in the Kingdom of Black, he finds himself being the topic of discussion, on whether or not he's trustworthy. He has to prove himself, but at a cost? He's insulting and withdrawn, but always calculating. He's not going to let anyone destroy the home he's come to love.

male; he/him

“The Prince”

Simon is Lane's younger (half) brother, the Prince of the Kingdom of Blue. Stepping up into the spotlight, he's no longer a rowdy teenager, but now, a rowdy young adult. His fun and flirty personality makes him a popular royal, but also an unreliable one. He's living his best life with no regards to the war, even though it might end his lavish lifestyle.

male; he/him

“The Commander”

B is the Head Commander for the Kingdom of Blue's army and the right-hand of Lane. They’re on edge from the current conflict, and it will only get worse as the war progresses. A hard commander, but a soft person, they will not stop until their land is free from tyrants. Discouragement will not show through their cracks, but all they need is reassurance and they will claim their victory.

male, female; he/him, she/her

“The Noble”

Samara is a noble from the Kingdom of Red, and she's known for her diligence and blunt honesty. Because of her traits, she's a front-runner to become the new queen of the Kingdom of Red, seeing as the present queen has not produced an heir. She will do anything to claim that title, knowing that she will bring Red to become a prosperous kingdom, as it once was. Traveling to the Kingdom of Blue, she plans to assist in the war efforts, hoping something comes from it.

female; she/her

“The Protector”

M made their name by becoming the youngest knight to join the Blue Army, and their skills brought them up the ranks. Second in command to Ben (now former), they're appointed to become your Knightly Protector by Lane. Similar to Simon, they're always quick to flirt, as it's the only way to distract you both from the impending doom they're always in. A good fighter, but a loyal friend, M protects, especially when it's their duty.

male, female, non-binary; he/him, she/her, they/them

“The General”

Knox is the General of the Black Army in the Kingdom of Black—The Monarchy. They are seen as dangerous to outsiders, as they’re a ruthless leader. However, their credibility goes head-to-head with Blue’s Commander, due to their tactical and strategic abilities. Even though their exterior is hard and nothing to undermine, their heart flourishes with love for the people of their kingdom. They have done whatever it took to claim the power they needed to make their home a better place, and they won’t stop now.

male, non-binary; he/him, they/them

-

RO's Appearance

Knox's Appearance

~

Alpha Build

Last Updated: July 3, 2023

Demo Content: Prologue, Chapter One

Word Count: 36,000+

Availability: Patreon

-

Public Build

Last Updated: July 19, 2023

Demo Content: Prologue, Chapter One

Word Count: 36,000+

~

Demo

Patreon

I will accept and answer asks if you’re interested. Thank you!

[formulapai]

DAY ELEVEN: ROYALTY AU

LEWIS HAMILTON

TAG LIST:

@i-wish-this-was-me

@giada-chan

@havaneselover08

@fangirl125reader

@rheathesimp

@strangemaximoff

The rythmic sound of violins fills the venue as bodies waltz around, heels tapping the floor with elegance and lightness. Diamonds are hanging from the chandeliers, swaying with every gust of air and reflecting a pure, white light with their movements. Champagne is flowing from a gigantic fountain, a clear sign of abundance shown to everyone doubting the kingdom's wellbeing, dark green velvet getting stained with splashes of alcohol. The floor-length curtains match the tablecloth and hide them from the outside world, forcing a close proximity between all of the guests, the thick material a reminder of the severe gap between them and the rest of the people, left outside in the dark of the night. Sir Hamilton hates these kind of events, hates the mere idea of royalty and what it includes, or more likely, what it excludes. As the only representant of the Hamilton House, his presence is undeniably important tonight as the kingdom celebrates your birthday and, by the rules, your fiançailles. Just because he's important doesn't mean he's welcome and it's been clear from the start of this ball, left in a corner so he doesn't bother anyone else with his vision of the world and thoughts about traditions such as this one.

He's quite content with his position, enjoying watching with an exterior point of view, his sparkling water as only company. He observes the many gowns floating around with each steps, he listens to the melodious laughs resonating between the walls, chuckling quietly when he spots things he knows are going to be talked about and amplified by tomorrow morning. As amusing as it all seems, Sir Hamilton swiftly makes his way towards a bay window hidden behind a curtain, making sure he closes the curtain back before pushing the window closed as best as he can and leaning against the balcony's railings, taking the sight of bright stars and an even brighter moon in. His hands delicately searches his silk suit for something, retrieving a pack of cigarettes from the hidden breast pocket, bringing on to his mouth before lighting it up, a small cloud of smoke appearing. He doesn't have many bad habits but this one is his worst enemy, corrupting his body while helping his mind. He's only a man trapped in a role he doesn't want to be in, a pawn used by his family and kingdom as they please while his true wish is to be as kind as his mother once was, using her status to help the people around her instead of abusing them.

"- I knew I'd find you here.

-You seem to have a way to always find my hidden place, don't you ?

-That's because I care enough about you to know."

You smile softly at him before leaning against the railings, right next to him. Sir Hamilton swiftly moves his cigarette to his other hand as to not have you smelling like tobacco and despair, not like him.

"-Aren't you supposed to be with your soon-to-be fiancé, Your Highness ?

-Well, His Majesty left me the choice, a surprising thing isn't it ? As long as the person is in the room, they're worthy enough to have my hand."

You carefully watch as Sir Hamilton's eyes widen before going back to their usual state, his hand reaching for another cigarette before he finally looks at you.

"-And, why aren't you looking for the one ? Or maybe you've found them already ?

-It's a shame, really. They’re not in the room right now."

You narrow your eyes at him, knowing fully well that he understood your words perfectly. A deep chuckle leaves his throat as he looks up at the stars, the celestial bodies sharing their light with him, making his dark skin glow in an inquisite way, your hands begging to touch it.

"-Your Highness, aren't you aware of the Kingdom's hatred towards me ? Surely, marrying me is not your smartest move.

-And aren't you aware of my lack of care towards them ? If I have to spend my life trapped in this castle, is it a sin to yearn to spend it with you ?

-You're not trapped, you never are.

-The exact same can be said to you, then. Don't let them win against your beliefs, His Majesty has another descendant, he doesn't need me. We can refuse this life and create a new one of our own, I'd follow you, I always do."

Your hand softly touches his cheek, bringing his face towards yours. Unshed tears reflect your appearance in his eyes, earnest and stubborn as Sir Hamilton blink them away, his hand finally meeting yours.

"Then, Your Highness, would you do me the honour of being mine, in this life and in many others ?"

The stars sure do shine bright, but in this moment, nothing is as bright as your shared smile while soft violin is playing inside the venue, a promise sealed with a kiss.

[sonicasura]

Feral Plagas!Leon but he acts more like an energetic cat that was just given catnip. The pills used to suppress the Plagas growth alongside the miniscule inactive viruses from his previous adventures just toasts the bug's original nature. It's relationship with Leon becomes akin to Venom with the mind of a stubborn toddler.

Don't give it sweets and the guy will be bouncing around like a lunatic until you catch him on a tree covered in fresh sap. Leon arches his back like the Halloween Black Cat with his tail plus spike spines flared up if spooked. Becomes a pure chittering mess if given anything that contains honey or maple syrup. Meat honey from vulture bees is Plagas!Leon's favorite so it's best to keep stock.

Complete and total hoarder. He loves to collect stuff in this feral state akin to a bower bird. If it gets Leon's attention, then it's added to his makeshift hive like nest. Man has a few scratching posts and something very durable to chew on. Got a tendency of stealing animals like rabbits or chickens for the purpose of being pets.

Any nest Plagas!Leon makes is a mix between old clothes, bedding materials, and a unique type of saliva he can produce. The slime is very adhesive that it'll put even the strongest glues to shame. Leon's saliva has minor healing properties.

It's usually made in a web form than liquid to heavily reduce the adhesiveness and make it easier to remove. He can also make a powerful acid with the purpose of making pathways. Leon has quite a number hidden in Spain with only one not made during a feral episode.

He is absolutely embarrassed once a feral episode comes to an end as he's fully conscious for every moment. Especially since tantrums are a given in this state and he'll wreck furniture out of spite. Saddler trying to control the parasite just pisses it off instead so Plagas!Leon is even more vicious when fighting the cult.

In fact, he will even EAT the other Plagas as rage lets loose cannibalistic tendencies from its altered nature. A good chunk of insects do feed on other members of their species so don't be surprised if its true here. Leon later admits that they taste like chicken much to Ashley's disgust and Luis' morbid fascination.

Zoomies happen a lot even more so during a feral episode. His body tends to produce too much energy and Leon has to expel it. A human sized hamster wheel or hamster ball is always brought up with Ashley even thinking of a design. Leon wasn't amused.

Completely territorial especially when a huge threat such as Krauser is nearby. Half the time Feral Plagas!Leon will cut down the threat or get his 'swarm' to safety. (Leads to a Luis lives situation) Ashley and Luis are HIS, same goes for anyone else that he can trust and likes.

Feral episodes has a 50/50 chance that he'll shift into 'bug mode'. His appearance heavily morphing to an insectoid yet oddly reptilian visage. It's completely random so what comes come. Plagas!Leon still acts the same although he might carry Ashley or Luis by the scruff of their shirt with his fangs.

His abilities are heavily amplified in bug mode than just size alone. Leon's acid can melt steel than just rock, his adhesive saliva now hardens into a cocoon like shell, and any webbing produced is able to treat more extensive injuries such as 2nd degree burns. You can say he's more of a tank or sentinel from roleplaying games in this state.

Overall, the man is just relieved that he isn't going to hurt anyone innocent thanks to his new infected status. Although Leon will never tell anyone about the time he almost ate a Karen's annoying corgi. Guy's Plagas was hangry that day.

Plagas!Leon: War Mode

[empydoc]

some redacted soul eater au stuff :]

(from now on, all au things regarding this will have the tag: #redacted soul eater au !)

it’s far from complete in terms of how i want each character to work, but i thought i’d share my concepts for how each ‘species’ / empowerment (that we’re familiar with) works.

also! in-universe i like to think werewolves, vampires, all the rest still have their abilities, it’s just considered a primary or secondary factor to their weapon/meister status.

THIS IS LONG. everything under the cut!

werewolves — usually weapons. if they’re meisters, they’re very in-tune with their soul, and can use wavelength control pretty well (usually as melee attacks- something where one utilises their wavelength and pulses it against someone, creating force).

werewolves fit best as weapons because shifting comes naturally. they can go in and out of weapon form much swifter than other weapons, being quicker than non-werewolf weapons.

werewolf souls are identifiable. a person who can see souls/use soul perception (usually always meisters) can tell if someone’s a werewolf when seeing their soul.

vampires — kinda tricky. they have stronger wavelengths and are almost impossible to match with if you aren’t a vampire (it IS possible… just difficult as hell). vampire souls are a unique sort of soul, since they’re technically dead but continue living. their soul falls under a weird purgatory state.

if someone consumes a vampire soul, they’ll become a vampire themselves. this causes a lot of people to avoid hunting vampire-type kishin souls (vampire souls that have consumed so many human souls they became a kishin, a creature that is capable of horrible power and tries destroying/eating everything around them).

vampire weapons tend to be heavier, stronger, and all around sturdy. this links back to how usually other vampires wield vampire weapons.

note: vampires (or, in the soul eater universe, ‘bloodsuckers’) exist in soul eater, but because their way of life and abilities are different from redactedverse, i chose not to use them.

demons — demons fall into two categories, always. i’ll use gavin and caelum as an example. demons can either be ‘demon weapons’, or ‘monster souls’.

gavin is a demon weapon, able to change his weapon form at will (unlike other weapons that hold one form).

caelum has a monster soul, meaning he has unique powers and characteristics. monster souls can be, but aren’t always, malevolent. this means caelum is pretty much the same as he is in canon, but has an easier time using transformation magic (see: blair, a cat monster, who can transform into a human form).

demons are never meisters. i play into the fact that demons ‘need’ to feed from humans, and paired with it, they need them as meisters, too. a demon cannot wield another demon.

demon souls are also much bigger than human souls, signifying their power and inhumanity.

freelancers — freelancers have souls and wavelengths that are easily compatible. it doesn't really matter on whether the freelancer is a humanborn or not. depending on what element or magic the freelancer is most proficient in, during soul resonance (explained below at elementals) that magic will be prevelant.

elementals — elementals tend to have rather significant souls. weaker meisters who use soul perception can see them rather clearly. their soul takes on the form of their dominant element (for example, damien’s soul appears ablaze).

elementals, when using ‘soul resonance’ (an ability that, when used by both weapon and meister, amplifies ability and strength) often show their element. for example, if freelancer used lasko during soul resonance, air would be part of their attacks.

seers — seers can see souls easily (soul perception). it comes with being a seer. this means, typically, all seers are meisters.

seer obscura see souls practically all the time. the obscurity, though, makes it so that seer obscuras cannot be compatible with any meister or weapon in wavelength.

telepaths — pretty simple, telepaths can use their telepathic ability whilst them or their partner are in weapon form. it doesn’t change. i also like to think telepaths have pretty defined souls, meaning that as long as someone has an in-tact soul, it’s easy to meet their wavelength.

edit, additional: telepaths who have a meister/weapon partner often are able to communicate with them at longer distances. however, this can only proceed if both parties are aware of that and consenting to it happening.

stealths — also pretty simple. if they’re a weapon, they can turn invisible/intangible whilst in weapon form.

i’ve made sweetheart a meister for weapon milo, but this is pretty cool to me anyway, because imagine them wielding him whilst invisible themselves? a floating weapon coming at you … woa

humanborn/magicborn nonsense — humanborns have weaker but more compatible souls. magicborns are the opposite, having stronger but less compatible souls. magicborns are stereotyped to seek humanborns as their weapon/meister partner.

empowered types that have no difference when it comes to weapon/meister ability (or other):

• dreamwalkers

• energetics (work the same as elementals!)

• any other empowered types we haven’t seen enough of for me to gather an opinion of (illusory/warders/etc)

deathwalkers are something i’m still trying to work on … tempted to have it so that they have a fraction of lord death, the reaper’s, soul within their own, or if they should have a lack of soul overall, but maybe someone can help me in terms of that? ^^ idkidk

that’s all for species types ! hopefully it makes sense. if not, feel free to ask about it !

[captainmera]

I've been reading your Tales of Caleb Wittebane story and honestly your grasp of 1600s America makes the worldbuilding very interesting. I admire your dedication to making it as accurate as you can!

omg THANK YOU!!! :DDDDDD <333333

I've done so much research--!! I know so much about Connecticut Hartford and the witch trials, and Pequots, you don't even know half of it.

As a non-american, I never thought I'd know this much about a state's history lol. For one, Connecticut has a whole museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Pequot tribal nation! Super fascinating check it out!

I think I've consumed every documentary available on youtube twice, as well as scraped sites like Wetherfield's historical society & Hartford museum's sources and recommendations, just to get the detail snippets up.

Both Wethersfield and Hartford are very obvious inspirations for Gravesfield! Considering they have so many similar things appearing in them. I mean, just look at Hartford's founder statue lol:

I did look into the work behind the costume designs for movies like VVITCH, Salem and Sleepy Hollow, just to consume the visual knowledge of what experts had to say about it. Y'know? :D Saves me the work to listen/read what experts have to say about it!

Looking into the witch trials too (which took place before Salem) is also very interesting! Though, Gravesfield is inspired by it, so I'm allowing myself some creative freedom. Especially in regard to what "witchcraft" happens. Considering, Evelyn is a real witch and her magic has an actual system behind it.

Matthew Hopkins was a real witch finder, which I believe Jacob is referencing. But in true Disney fashion, I changed his name to Anthony instead, so it isn't a ~real~ historical figure. :P

I like history, but my area of fascination is social culture. So a lot of what I dig into is everyday life, behaviour and objects, fashion and how things are used.

It's been particularly fun to look into Woodsmen and what their actual duties/lives were like! :D And right now I'm looking more into crime and punishment. Which is also a lot of fun!

I don't save all my sources because I just write down in my notebook of what is relevant for me and the story. So I won't say I'm a 100% accurate, but I'm like... a solid 70%??? Which is good enough for me! Heheh!

idk about you fam but history immerses me creatively. Because the more I find - like little objects and what they ate, wore, things like that - it makes me grounded and I can see it so much clearer what is happening and what SHOULD happen.

Like, when Evelyn meets Mr Hopkins and Caleb keeps elbowing her to be quiet. It's not in-text, because I want the reader to be mystified with Evelyn more in that scene; But she is not supposed to talk with Mr Hopkins so frankly. And, she responds to his "how do you do" incorrectly, she answers it! You're supposed to reply the same in return "How do you do." "How do you do." Which is what Caleb did!

So she's a weirdo! :D For me, that really helps me write Evelyn clashing and standing out more. And amplifies Caleb's nervousness of her strangeness by others. He is very self-aware of social status and position. Which she is not. So he is her perfect guide! :D

:DDDDD

Sorry I'm going off on a babble here but THANK YOU FOR NOTICING. I'm very proud of it! :D

[shvdwscng]

STATUS : open ⟳ @ofcourtfablesarchive

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐋  𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐇𝐀𝐃  𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃  and  all  the  days  prior  leading  up  to  tonight,  sitara  had  been  utilizing  every  free  moment  ensuring  everything  went  seamlessly.  that  there  was  no  stone  left  unturned  in  both  preparations  for  the  ball  and  all  else  that  would  follow  soon  the  moment  her  son  was  crowned.  mother  help  her,  she  thinks,  as  joyous  as  she  was  for  this  momentous  day,  it  was  a  difficult  task  for  a  mother  to  watch  her  son  grow  up.  more  so,  when  she  and  her  late  husband,  at  one  point,  feared  if  kabir  would  survive  his  childhood  years.  she  thanked  the  mother  for  watching  over  her  son.  now?  her  fear  had  amplified,  kabir  was  not  only  her  son,  but  the  king  of  prythian,  in  the  den  with  vipers.  while  she  and  dev  had  educated  their  son  to  their  best,  there  was  much  her  son  still  had  to  learn  of  the  other  courts  and  their  high  rulers.  each  one  of  them,  in  her  perspective,  were  ruthless  as  they  came.

  her  chartreuse  eyes  had  scanned  the  ballroom  countless  times  as  well  as  the  entrance  of  each  fae  walking  in,  subtly  approaching  their  attire  to  make  sure  they  had  kept  her  words  in  mind.  all  the  while,  keeping  an  eye  on  her  staff  as  she  greeted  and  mingled  with  the  other  court  faeries.  it  had  been  going  enough,  it  appeared  they  were  enjoying  themselves.  she  had  parted  ways  with  a  guest  when  her  eyes  caught  to  another  with  an  empty  glass  in  hand,  and  then  peering  around  for  another.  sitara  motioned  to  a  staff  near  by,  "make  a  round  there,  we  cannot  have  our  guests  parched."  she  instructed,  before  she  made  her  way  to  the  other  fae.  "i  recommend  the  crystil,  there's  notes  of  lavender  and  citrus,  odd  combination  but  its  rather  lovely."

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jay Kuo at The Status Kuo:

In a letter to the Fox Network, Hunter Biden’s attorneys have put the company on notice that it’s about to get its pants sued off for defamation.  Again. Biden’s attorney, Mark Geragos, best known for his successful representation of celebrities, issued the following statement: 

[For the last five years, Fox News has relentlessly attacked Hunter Biden and made him a caricature in order to boost ratings and for its financial gain. The recent indictment of FBI informant Smirnov has exposed the conspiracy of disinformation that has been fueled by Fox, enabled by their paid agents and monetized by the Fox enterprise. We plan on holding them accountable.]

The letter specifically cited the network’s “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light, the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name, and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.” It also stated that Hunter Biden would be suing the network “imminently.” Supporters of the younger Biden cheered, glad to see he was finally taking the gloves off against purveyors of salacious, fake news. Fox is already reeling from other defamation lawsuits, including one it settled with Dominion Voting Systems for nearly $800 million and another by Smartmatic, a voting software company presently seeking $2.7 billion in damages. Not everyone is happy, though. Advisers to the president had been hoping his son would keep a low profile and not put himself back in the news during an election year. They worried that news stories about the lawsuit would resurface the allegations, even if false and defamatory, which would then suck the air out of the news cycle. Such media time might otherwise be focused on Donald Trump’s problems and Joe Biden’s many accomplishments.

[...]

The Burisma bribes lie

There are three main things Fox was fixated upon that have now opened it to possible massive liability. The first is what I call the fake “Burisma bribes.” Fox gleefully amplified the false claims of former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who had conveyed to his handler that he had information that both Joe and Hunter Biden had accepted $5 million in bribes from the Ukrainian company, Burisma, on whose board Hunter Biden once served. This false statement was dutifully recorded, as most statements by informants are no matter how wild, in a standard FBI informant form. This was left to gather dust for years until Rudy Giuliani and the FBI, at Bill Barr’s urging, resurfaced and weaponized it along with help from members of Congress.

For its part, Fox made sure that story went wide and was repeated ad nauseam. For months, host Sean Hannity ran nonstop coverage about the alleged bribe, poisoning viewers with actual Russian disinformation. Hannity’s show alone aired at least 85 segments that amplified these false Burisma bribery claims in 2023. Of those 85 segments, 28 were Hannity monologues.  After his indictment and arrest, Smirnov admitted that the story he received had come straight from Russian intelligence. By centering and repeating the fake story, Fox had become a willing Russian disinformation mule, along with many members of Congress. But it never retracted the story or apologized for its role. Instead, it continued to claim that the source, Smirnov, was “highly credible.”

[...]

Nude pics

We all have heard about, but hopefully not personally seen, intimate images of Hunter Biden at parties and in sexual acts with various partners. His lawyers claim that these images were “hacked, stolen, and/or manipulated” from his private accounts, and then aired by Fox in violation of his civil rights and copyright law. They also appeared during congressional hearings as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q-MW) infamously used them as visual props. (She’s lucky to be shielded by the Speech and Debate clause of the Constitution, or she could be swept up in a suit as well.) The decision to go after those committing what amounts to “revenge porn” on Hunter Biden, including the Fox Network, is part of a larger legal counteroffensive that began last year, according to sources with NBC News.  As you may recall, the “Hunter Biden Laptop” story emerged as a kind of “October surprise” in 2020. The repair technician who leaked the contents of it to Rudy Giuliani later sued Biden and others for defaming him, claiming he had suffered damage to his reputation because they had claimed the laptop contents were part of a Russian disinformation campaign. 

[...]

The “Trial of Hunter Biden”

In fall of 2021, Fox aired a six-part series called “The Trial of Hunter Biden,” which amounted to a mock trial of what his upcoming trial would look like if he were charged with being a foreign agent or with bribery, none of which has happened.  Biden’s lawyers claim in their demand letter that “the series intentionally manipulates the facts, distorts the truth, narrates happenings out of context, and invents dialogue intended to entertain. Thus, the viewer of the series cannot decipher what is fact and what is fiction,” and it should be removed entirely from all streaming services.

[...]

The reality is, Fox and other right wing media continue to give oxygen to Rep. James Comer, who has yet to end his evidence-free impeachment inquiry. At least now, Fox will be on notice that it could face ongoing liability for failing to retract its false reporting, even while pushing out more lies about Hunter Biden. The network will have to tread more carefully, and ultimately it will have to consider whether it doubles down or backs off. Then there is the actual trial of Hunter Biden which is set to begin this fall. Attention will be on the president’s son at that time anyway, but with this lawsuit, just as with his counterclaims and counteroffensives against those who violated his privacy, Hunter Biden will look like a fighter and not just a victim. With all that has been done and said about him, he has very little to lose but a very large ax to grind. And if the GOP overplays its hand, as it inevitably will, it could create voter sympathy for him, even though it had hoped to paint him as a criminal, drug addicted womanizer. Democrats are often accused of not having enough courage to go on the offensive, of being too reticent to push back against the onslaughts of numerous bad faith actors on the right. Then when they do, there’s a good deal of hand wringing about how this assertiveness might come across to the voters.

Glad to see Hunter Biden fight back against the right-wing smear machine by threatening to sue Fixed News for defaming him.

[dasher85]

Elucidation

Alhaitham x reader | y/n | you

Slow burn

Part 5

[ When Alhaitham is pressured by the arranged marriage he refuses to deny his feelings any longer. ]

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

[ 3 more days ]

"I care about you"

He was holding a list of words as if it's his new research material. But all those words he has spoken were not the exact one you really want to hear.

"No. Even my friends cares about me" 

He frowns all the way to his lips. You could tell he was frustrated but refused to declare defeat.

"If you don't feel and understand this, what's the difference with the man whom I've never met?" 

" Are you really comparing me with him now?"

You laughed, feeling absolutely amused by his genuine reactions.

"It's just for your reference. No hard feelings intended"

He's still listed in your friend list after all even though you never want to admit it yourself.

It's probably only you who could enjoy and crack a few jokes with him. The way he normally looks would absolutely terrify most people, even those kids would run away from him. He's all frown that sometimes even you couldn't help but feel depressed just by looking at his face. You'd rather not look at him whenever you're already feeling stressed over writing the research report. But today, you're feeling good so even if he's making such an expression it wouldn't bother you as much. 

"Terrible reference."

He muttered, but eventually started to focus his gaze entirely on you.

"I'll probably regret for making things easier for you but perhaps I still do prefer you…" you let out a chuckle, "page 216"

It was maybe the way he looks at you, the way his teal colored eyes beautifully amplified the calmness in his gaze. These subtle things somehow give him winning points even without him realizing it. 

[ 2 days left ]

You walked side by side with the man whom you've never met until today. He was undoubtedly handsome, tall and perfectly well mannered.

"If you're interested, we can visit the places you're interested to go"

The man spoke with a soft smile, and by his appearance you can already tell he's well off. As expected because your parents wouldn't want someone any less compared to their financial status.

You nodded, displaying the same smile. Being you, showing politeness and kindness is the only way to communicate with people. If you hated something in someone you'd rather just refuse to speak up about it as long as it doesn't harm you.

As of right now, he's been good to you. So there's nothing to hate or dislike about him. At least that's your first impression of him but who knows, you're just following the flow. 

The hustle and bustle of port Ormos does feel refreshing to you because you haven't had a leisurely stroll for a long while. You haven't had much conversation with the guy, but he was too just seemingly at ease. 

"Let's go" 

A voice spoke close behind you and you spun around, the person beside you also stopped walking as well in response to your sudden halt. The emerald diamond on his chest reflects a fraction of sunlight as it reaches your eyes.

"Eh?!"

Before you knew it, he had grabbed your wrist  and was about to bring you along with him but the other guy was also quick to stop him.

"Who are you?"

The person whom you've only met today was genuinely feeling cautious about the whole situation as he questions Alhaitham. He was reluctant to let you be taken away by a person he doesn't know anything about.

They intensely stare at each other and you can feel the unwavering determination that neither of them is willing to surrender. Even at times like this you still thought the moment was quite interesting. 

'Should I intervene?' You secretly enjoyed the things that unfold before you but surely it's not good to make other people argue just because you failed to explain to both parties. 

"It's alright, he's a work colleague from the Akademiya. He's just too focused with his research most of the time. So he doesn't really explain things"

"I see… "

"Seeing how he's in a hurry, I guess he's having problems with the research. He's required to submit the research at least by tomorrow… so, I believe I'll have to deal with this first. I must apologies for cutting our stroll short"

You explained while displaying an apologetic smile. Eventually, he nodded understandingly before telling you that it's fine with him too. The guy hasn't formally excused himself but Alhaitham didn't wait any longer before taking you with him.

He carefully lets go of your wrist after taking you farther from the place before, finally setting his phase a lot slower that matches your smaller steps. 

"I'm sorry for taking you so suddenly. Initially I thought of waiting for you until your meeting ends but seeing you talking with him suddenly makes me feel impatient" 

Listening to his troubled words only made you smile, you casually took hold of his hand from which he instantly halted his steps in complete surprise at your actions. His eyes widen, as he glances at your hand before it reaches your smiling face.

"I'll let go if you-"

On the spur of the moment, he gently squeezed your hand, declaring that he didn't want you to let go.

You let out a laugh, "Do you feel happy now or?"

"I'm unsatisfied"

He barely explained before pulling you into his arms. The sudden closeness made your head turn blank, devoid of words. You didn't know how to react but you didn't refuse him either. The way he rests his head by the crook of your neck feels unquestioningly comfortable to you. How strange... 

"I have a confession, listen."

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

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

[umbra-borealis]

Elements of Chaos Chapter 1 - The first 2K words!

This is the first 2000 or so words from a draft I'm chipping away at, the very beginning of Elements of Chaos. I apologize for the lengthy build up but hey, I did say this was a long haul project! By the way, this is my first time writing something. My first language is dutch, not english, and to top that off I also have ADHD so this isn't exactly a walk in the park. At the moment I'm not exactly looking for people picking apart my grammar, syntax etc. because I have folks I can ask for advice on that. Be nice, thank you! CW: Minor mention of blood

How would you define Chaos?

Would you say it's the unpredictable nature of life itself? How a single drop of water will never take the same route down twice? Does it stand for a time of stress and turmoil? Is it this nebulous state we all find ourselves living in or is there an opposite? An element that binds it, understands it, tames it? And if there is, what would that be called? Order? Control? The fabled ‘red string of fate’ that strings us along, having already decided who sinks and who swims?

Perhaps none of these things matter in the end. After all most of us will go through the motions without ever really having the time or the energy to ponder the way of the world, not to mention the universe around us. Perhaps as we experience our lives our opinion will change and so will our answers, forever having the truth feel just out of reach, so close yet so far away. Then perhaps it’s better to stay in the moment and act accordingly, forever left to wonder if you did so by yourself, or if that too was a pre-written event scripted to happen from the moment you were born. They say ignorance is bliss but is it really? Are we truly free? Are you comfortable floating down a pre-determined river or did any of this make make you long for the endless open ocean?

So then tell me...

--

“Whose side are you on!?”

A voice screamed into the darkness, birds and other small fauna jumping, flying and running off into all directions. The full moon cast her dim glow upon the land below. Her image reflected on the surface of the water as it warped and twisted with the waves. A once beautiful lake surrounded by plains, hills and even a forest off in the distance had become the main stage for a grizzly scene. The immaculate green of the grass had been tainted with the deep red hue of blood, entire patches and trails uprooted making the field appear scarred and bleeding. There’s a tension in the air so dense, so charged with dread and danger that not only those present here and now but those from miles away could sense it. A shift in the atmosphere so severe it couldn’t be compared to an approaching thunderstorm or the early signs of an earthquake. The voice that had posed the question rather aggressively now snarled and with a wave of its owner’s hand the water from the lake behind him rose up, curling forward and threatening to come crashing down on whoever happened to be a bit too close to shore yet at it’s highest peak it stopped.

The silhouette of a hedgehog now stood out against the glistening backdrop of water, the light of the moon seemingly amplified by the reflective surface. He held his hand up above is head, palm open as if about to strike something or someone but instead he just stood there, still as a statue. His eyes pierced straight into those of his attackers, nailing them to their places only a few feet away from him. Heavily armored in white, high-tech protective gear from head to toe and with weapons drawn they kept their aim at the outlaw’s head and chest with possibly a few skilled, or cocky, marksmen planning to switch to the legs should he decide to turn tail and run. Unfortunately for them he had no intention to run.

“I’ll ask you again, nicely, whose side are you on? Because that insignia on your armor says mine, but those guns sure don’t. So what’s it gonna be boys?”

The lone hedgehog’s voice was full of rage though masked by the smug tone he was infamous for. A crack here and there gave away the layer of fatigue building below the surface though and he wasn’t too keen on giving it any more room to breathe or the consequences could be dire. A minute passed though to everyone present it felt like an eternity and when he was given no answer his hand twitched.

“What about you?”

One of the armed ‘knights’ as they liked to call themselves spoke up. A ballsy move sure but perhaps humoring the hedgehog’s ego would be their best chance of survival right now.

“You know what you did! You know why we’re here! At least tell us why!”

Icy blue eyes narrowed at the poor bastard who dared raise his voice at the outlaw whose arm had frozen in place one more. The audacity one had to have to make bold claims like that were one thing and he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or get even angrier than he already was, but to ask a man for a reason for something he has no memory of doing? Now that hit him funny.

“Ooooh but of course. Dad croaked and suddenly that’s my fault. For all the funding he put into your dinky little excuse of an ‘elite force’ you guys suck at your jobs. You really think if I had anything to do with it I wouldn’t take all of the credit?”

It was true and the Knights knew it. Their adversary was a known critic of the king, of his father but if he had anything to do with the act of regicide that shocked their nation mere days ago it would be him who would celebrate with a beer and mourn the fact he can’t dance on his grave. No, instead the former prince had kept his head down. It was so unlike him to do so it didn’t make him any less suspicious to some, but to those who really knew the young man it just didn’t add up. Why would a prince who had fallen from grace, stripped of all his titles and possessions and forced to live on the streets of his home city suddenly appear humbled by the whole experience? After all he had spent all of those years on the streets devoted to dismantling the monarchy with all of the knowledge he held on his own family. Murder was not part of the plan though, it would’ve been too easy and too simple. It would mean giving his deadbeat father an easy get-out-of-jail-free card which he didn’t deserve. No, the former prince wouldn’t have gone so far as to use a prototype warp ring despite all of it’s potential consequences if it had been him who did the honors. He would’ve accepted jail, or even execution with that same smug grin and proudly proclaim he did his kingdom, his people, a massive favor.

It mattered little now, the deed was done and the culprit was out there. The former prince wasn’t necessarily a suspect, just damage control. If this really was a coup on the throne by some outside force it made complete sense to him that he too would be a target. As the last heir currently known to be alive, even if bound to the throne only by blood, he posed a threat to whatever or whoever is behind all of this. The hedgehog had heard enough and made his choice, he would drown them all in the depths of the abyss if it meant his freedom, it being a punishment for their insubordination would just be a nice bonus. One wave of his outstretched claws and this whole mess would be washed away--

Just as his hand twitched he heard it, they all did. A deep rumbling, rumbling that grew louder as the ground shook, throwing everyone off balance. Instead of a focused tidal wave the water crashed down on everyone, merely causing confusion and panic. Rather than his attackers being dragged down into the water they would merely get their armor soaked and their vision temporarily obscured. The captain yelled out an order to fire at will and fire they did, forcing the stumbling hedgehog to bolt out of the line of fire. With the ground still shaking it was as hard for him to run as it for them to aim but he still had to try for getting hit with a bolt from their plasma rays would mean getting a hole burnt right through him. He’d never been more grateful for a boulder than he was now as he skidded across the wet grass and came to a stop behind it, crouching and making himself as small as possible. With a moment to think of a next move something stood out to him about this mysterious earthquake. An earthquake normally affects a large area, the lake water should be rippling but it barely even stirred. The rumbling and the distant yelling of the knights was like an awful white noise ringing in his ears, vague orders were being barked to find their target despite the chaos and he was running out of time. The outlaw weighed his options which were to either bolt and run or to stay and wait as something told him this seemingly sudden and highly unnatural earthquake might be the answer to his predicament. Each excruciating second he remained frozen in place, unable to make a decision and with adrenaline surging his heightened senses picked up on the detail that told his intuition to stay. The rumbling of the ground moved. It’s intensity shifted as it seemingly came from beyond the lake, passing underneath the hedgehog and made it’s way to where the team of elite knights were still trying to gather their bearings. Whatever was heading their way could’ve very well heard the noise and commotion and felt drawn to investigate, or worse, it felt threatened. He didn’t dare to take a peek and instead hoped he would hear an opening instead.

And an opening sure did come.

The ground below the captain himself split apart and before he could aim his weapon down or take a step back a blur of gold came right for the visor of his protective helmet that obscured his identity. The frightened yelp finally made the hedgehog move to take a peek at what was going on, too curious for his own good. The mystery gold object would become lodged in the captain’s visor before it could damage anything vital but the person attached to the pair of golden claws that struck him wasn’t finished. They popped out of the ground almost as easily as a fish leaping out of the water and the gap they came out of closed in just a second, giving the unknown assailant solid ground to stand on. They were big, not just tall, BIG, a solid red silhouette illuminated by violet geometric markings on their head and face which emitted a soft glow. Their enraged growl almost sounding like the earthquake from before as they turned to spin the poor canine still stuck to the golden claws that adorned the figure’s balled up fists, dragging him along and off his feet before flinging him up into the air. The rest of the knights were too frightened to move, let alone snap out of it enough to start firing at their new target and they watched their ‘fearsome’ leader make contact with the dirt like a sack of potatoes.

All of their heads snapped back to fix their gaze on the red stranger who cracked their knuckles and roared something unintelligible before charging straight at them. The silence of the awe struck knights broken by gunfire and angry war cries. Curious how bringing hand to hand combat to a gunfight would fare for the stranger the hedgehog stared intently. They moved like a well oiled machine, disarming those that clung to their weapon for dear life, snapping their guns in half like they were twigs, straight up butting their head against the metallic helmets if their hands were occupied and while the knights crumpled they seemed completely unaffected. As the battle raged on the lone hedgehog figured now was his chance to turn tail and run but as he turned his back on the battlefield a hand slipped over his muzzle, covering his mouth and muffling the yelp of surprise that followed. Blue eyes met an emerald green pair as yet another stranger held up his index finger to his own muzzle, the universal signal to tell someone to be quiet. As the loner took another good look it appeared he was no longer the only hedgehog here as this new stranger was a deep, vibrant blue all over. He could practically disappear against the night sky if it wasn’t for the short peachy fur covering his muzzle, arms and chest. Before he could get a better look the blue stranger whispered.

“Can you run?”

Whether this person was friend or foe would have to wait. For now the outlaw would take his chance and nodded.

“Then run with me and don’t look back. He’ll be fine. Trust me.”

That voice. If he didn’t know better this blue stranger sounded so much like him though he lacked the signature gravelly sound. While his thoughts raced the blue hedgehog removed his hand from the outlaw’s muzzle and firmly grasped his hand instead to help him to his feet and start running into the darkness.

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