#moose's world map?

[the-kiarah-organisation]

*speaking and background audio begins to fade out, music gets louder*

"I GUESS ITS MONTAGE TIME-!"

[machveil]

The Zombie!AU but with Moose!König thoughts...?1

OKAY, you unlocked some hidden compartment in my brain—

CW: nondescript zombies, Moose!König, minimally descriptive gore visuals

Survivor!Reader who’s been constantly on the move during the apocalypse. they figure it’s never truly safe to fully settle down, hoards of zombies often migrating around. the fear that a location can suddenly be swarmed, so they don’t stay one place for too long. the world fell apart quickly, no sign of a beating heart anywhere

you find yourself cutting through a thick, wooded area on your way to the next small town. the trees give you cover, a way to lose any wandering corpses. the sun is dipping in the sky, the moon visible not too far away. clear skies, the canopy lets what little light there is peak through. it’s quiet, no undead groans or the buzz of flies, just the soft pad of your footsteps against the ground. it’s too quiet, when did the birds stop chirping? how long has it been since you’ve heard the odd cricket? how deep are these woods? the roughed up map you found made it seems tiny—

is that a body? sucking in a breath, dulled knife in hand, you eye the body on the ground. dead, not reanimating upon your approach. this deep in the woods? maybe someone passing by had killed a stray wanderer? but there’s another, and then a handful more. all slain on the forest floor, it’d be best to leave. there’s something foreboding about the scene, it doesn’t look like they had been killed by blades or bullets. maybe it’s best to turn back. you’d seen enough horror flicks before the world went to shit, smart enough to not continue this way

pick a direction, go. you got a little turned around in a brief moment of stress, your map useless until you could find somewhere to act as a point of recognition. it’s eerie now, the sky darkening overhead and the crunch of leaves underfoot. a clearing? there’s a patch without trees in the distance, dead shrubs and bushes had been growing there where the sky opened up. maybe you could set up camp there. maybe if it weren’t so cold out it’d be nice, reminiscent of camping before the outbreak. the quiet and stillness of the looming night isn’t terrible, there’s a crispness to the air

if you weren’t so distracted by your thoughts you’d notice the gored ground - maybe the lack of dead is to blame. dulled, matte red staining fallen branches and logs, speckled on the leaves you’re walking on. antler velvet. but you’re caught up looking skywards, small, dazzling stars peaking out as dusk settles into night. looking towards the heavens, only brought back to earth when you hear a huffed groan, the cracking of twigs and heavy footsteps behind you. knife drawn, when you turn it’s not a zombie, maybe it would have been better if it was. shock rushing through you momentarily, grip slack as your knife falls, a sudden course of adrenaline shoots through you

red, raw antlers with velvet hanging off them, a massive frame looming in front of you. cold, apathetic eyes. a muscled, heavy body marred by old scar wounds - a zombie you could handle, what the fuck do you do about this? it’s— he’s stood still, gaze cast down on you. he’s a brutal sight, the need to look away overpowered by the fear of breaking eye contact. where did he come from? the woods are dense, but not so much you’d miss a behemoth. a slow step backwards, what else can you do other than put some distance between you and— this? but where would you go? there’s no clear direction towards what had been civilization. the chance of running into the undead in the dark is even less appealing, of course, that doesn’t matter if you’re killed here

“Stay.”, god, one word has your throat tight with stress, nerves on fire as he slowly approaches. it’s too much, especially when a strand of velvet falls from his antlers in front of you. there’s curiosity in the way he tilts his head, how he crowds a little too close to you. you can’t help but flinch when he brings a rough, calloused hand up towards your face - it makes him pause, fingertips ghosting over your cheek. his near silence is awful, deep, heavy breathing cutting through the quiet when he breathes out. he doesn’t ask for your name, retracting his hand before glancing around the area

suddenly he’s giving you space, still eyeing you as he steps further into the clearing. “You can stay.”, his voice is quiet, pitched a little higher than you’d think for someone of his stature. and then his words catch up to you, staying in the clearing with him. as much as your head is screaming to leave, that this could be a ploy to some— some trap… unfortunately, it’s better than wandering the pitch black woods. the clearing at least has scattered beams of moonlight illuminating it, moonlight reminiscent of his pale eyes. the better of two evils, hesitant all the same, you let your backpack fall to the earth

one night in the woods with a stranger is better than dying to the dead, right?

[irinaseverinka]

Lotta functional toys

A set of functional wooden toys - animals for children, toddlers and infants. The set includes a wall map of the world with shelves for toys. You can place animals at their habitat or in random order))

15 items: World map display. Animals: Leo, Tiger, Bizon, Camel, Polar Bear, Panda, Pinguin, Seal, Jaguar, Kangaroo, Walrus, Elephant, Lama, Moose BASE GAME - LOW POLY

DOWNLOAD

[pinep-ne]

one shot idea- charthur cuddling for warmth???

mmm the classic.... here you go!! thought this would be more entertaining as an... almost developing relationship...? theres tension you just gotta squint...

anywho. i hope u enjoy ^^

-----

It had all become a haze very quickly. An ungodly amount of snow, swept like dust across the Grizzlies.

There's not much to see as there is to hear. They've both flipped up their collars to ease the damned wind. That's already proven itself futile. Arthur can only hear himself speak.

Unfortunate, he feels.

He trails behind Charles, and it's like peering through a pencil-tip hole through a sheet of white paper, trying to make out his silhouette. In attempt to counter this, narrow as the path is, a meager game trail, he's been riding as close to Taima's rear as he can, as much as both horses can tolerate.

God damn mess.

The trail widens, and Arthur squeezes Elijah in, flank to flank. He grabs for Charles' shoulder.

He jumps, torso twisting just to meet Arthur's eyes. Arthur bites his cheek. Adjusts himself in the saddle to lean as close as possible without slipping off. It ends up being closer than he anticipated— their brims and collars brushing slight, like shields to the outside world, connecting and forming this little reprieve between the two of them. It dulls the blaring white, and the wind, and he breathes the space in, trying to focus on getting a single audible word out.

Charles squints at him, obviously desperate to get out of here. They're awfully close, Arthur thinks. But it'd probably be more awkward to back away suddenly, so he stays leaning. Maybe a little further, as Elijah sways, and he nearly falls onto Charles.

Arthur stabilizes himself, hand still on his friend's shoulder. Huffs, "I've come through this way before, scoutin' on the way back from Colter." He tries to keep his voice level, "Little huntin' cabin maybe... quarter mile off this trail..."

Charles nods and turns his sights to... nothing... ahead, then back to Arthur. He shivers, and it's a powerful little thing, and Arthur watches him with a pulling, pleading look on his face. He barely catches the 'alright' from Charles before the man's settled back in his saddle, halting Taima a moment to let Arthur lead.

Arthur gladly picks up the pace as soon as they get on. Eager to get out of this mess. Eager to get this whole trip over with. He'd suggested it in the first place. That map Hosea'd given him, he went and showed it to Charles all giddily not long after. Planted a finger on it, south of Grizzlies West, and figured they could catch a moose, or something alike. But he didn't tell that part to Charles. He only mentioned it was big game, and that was enough to sound like he knew what they were getting into.

Obviously, that didn't work out. He's been a fool.

They reach a thicker part of the forest, where the beast is forced to calm itself, stifled by the trees. Arthur groans with relief, finally out of the whirlwind. Back to his senses, if only slightly. When the cabin comes into view he thinks it's what arriving at heaven must feel like, if he should ever experience that. He looks back at Charles, who gives him a tired look. Feels a pang in his chest, that it must be resentment.

He takes to the horses as they settle, trying to corral them where there's more sun— or where there should be more sun. It's hard to tell. He imagines it's nearing evening, anyhow. Prays to whatever superior being to let all this up by morning, so they can at least have a chance at finding their way home. The adrenaline, the urgency, melts off him in waves. Leaves his body to the cold and hell, if it doesn't hurt. Hell if he doesn't think about the fire that must be in the cabin, being stoked by Charles. If theres enough room in front of it for the two of them to sit. He treats both horses to all the fresh fruit left in his saddlebags, and hops over to the rugged thing.

When he enters, Charles is, indeed, blowing over a small flame. Arthur hangs up his hat and looks around. One of everything— including a bed. Definitely not abandoned. Seasonal residents, maybe; likely for the summer. There's a thin film of dust over most of the furniture. Disturbed, now— a dense, blue fog, filling the room, drifting up like coffee steam. Dully lit, where the snow reflects slight and seeps through the threadbare curtains.

"Arthur."

He starts. Charles is looking back at him, still crouched at the fire. Arthur sniffs, brows furrowed. Charles exhales, long and tired. He sits back, knees drawn up, hugging them loosely, and softens. There's a subtle tilt in the corner of his lips when he speaks.

"You're letting all the cold in," he says, turns back around, and Arthur would take it as something agitated or distant if it weren't for the oddly fond look on his face.

"Oh. Right," he says. Takes a second, shoulders raising, then fumbles behind him for the handle.

Shutting the door, he steps into the center of the room. Charles stands and undoes his scarf, hair cascading down like linen curtains. He bundles it, and throws it on the floor with his boots, and hangs his coat. Arthur, mirror-like, follows him in undressing, keeping as many layers as necessary.

At some point, Charles goes out to collect water. To brew something, if Arthur can guess. He sits on the bed and waits, slumped and done with the damned day. Done with the damned cold. It seeps under his skin, pulsating with shivering bouts, and it aches. His muscles, both tense and limp with exhaustion, make their soreness known. He shakes his shoulders, breathing harsh. Whispers a string of curses. He supposes whoever hates it more can sleep at the hearth. Soak up the last bit of warmth for the night. He adds in a few logs.

The sun sets as if it were falling. Or maybe the horizon's just that far beneath them. Charles returns, and pours a mug for him and Arthur, and there's enough room for the two of them to sit at the fireplace. Arthur leans back on a hand, not entirely parallel to Charles, askew enough to easily catch the soft line of his profile.

He looks down at his mug. Chamomile, Charles had said. Not his favorite, but no tea really is. Not so far at least. He thinks it's selfish of him to tell Charles otherwise. To take the tea for the simple fact it was brewed for him. Satiate that itching part of him that likes to be cared for.

"I can take the floor," he says, and waits. Picks the skin at his lip. He can feel Charles looking at him. Smiling, probably. His face burns.

"Mm. And take up all the heat?" He looks at Arthur, and moves to grab their mugs. He stands to discard them as Arthur sputters.

"Well, y'know, I dragged your ass out here for nothin'. Figured the bed would be a little comfier, but if... if you want I can grab the blankets from the horses, and our bedding, and you can—"

"They're probably all frozen, Arthur." Charles sits back down, closer. "I don't mind sharing."

"Sure." Arthur breathes. He hums, still stumped. "Though... both our built asses might just cave the whole thing."

Charles laughs. It's brief, but full. It makes Arthur laugh, too. He feels like his heart could stop at any moment.

Not for the first time, this gap between them makes itself very prominent. But not of distance. More like an unfinished piece, slowly unfurling itself. How light it makes his breath, his touches. It's so easy that it's suffocating. Consumes him greatly with those implications. He wants to smother it once more, as he has every other time.

But the air shifts, and he lets it, and he realizes they've both sunk into this dance once more regardless.

He thinks that maybe he should say something. Something about turning in, or hitting the hay, or going out for a smoke. But he doesn't, and neither does Charles. There is only the sound of their thin breaths, and the rustling of clothes, and the wind hitting the outer walls of the cabin, and the crackle of the dimming fire.

Charles rises then, and puts it out. Crosses the room to dim the lantern till there is only swallowing darkness, and the faint blush of moonlight off the snow. He walks to where Arthur sits on the bed, waiting. Aimless, blindly brushing the back of his hand across Arthur's bicep, shins hitting the edge of the bed.

Goodnight, he whispers. Arthur watches him get comfortable on the wall-side, sprawled out on his stomach, before he settles down himself, on his back. He mouths the words back, trying to preserve the syllables, or the softness it was said with. He does it again for good measure, enough to hear, to which Charles hums, a lot like a purr.

"It's cold," he says, the low timbre of his voice filling Arthur's head, nestling deep somewhere under his sternum.

"I know," Arthur whispers. He can feel a palm on his arm, frighteningly warm. It slides down, finding the skin of his wrist beneath his sleeve, and he tenses, sitting halfway up. Holding himself up on his elbow, his shadow blanketing. Charles lies on his back, now, hand still wrapped around Arthur's wrist, pulling. Beckoning. Arthur gazes down at the scene, and it hardly does anything to smother the blooming feeling in his gut.

He wishes he could see Charles right now. To decipher the knowing offer he has twisted into his wrist by the gentle features he'd much rather scrutinize. Tempting could be the right word, but Arthur feels he's stepped into something terribly domestic instead. Terrible that it is requited, apparent with only the guise of necessity— because of course they'd both be warmer that way. Of course the night is so cruel, as well as the singular bed, and the storm that snuffed their whole trip, to coerce them so. To persuade his own palm to reach beneath the layers of fabric and find the soft skin there, where neither of them have ever breached so carefully before.

And Arthur realizes then that it's not a apprehensive proposal, but rather an answer.

So he gives the question, and lies back down. Steps into this home they have built together. Finds a spot to nestle himself into, pulling the warmth towards him, as if he could burrow himself beneath it. He all but wraps himself around Charles. Feels a similar motion behind him, now holding each other, facing each other, entirely encompassed. And it's strikingly familiar, being held. In a way he hasn't experienced it before, but that was inevitable from the beginning. He feels Charles hands wander across the expanse of his back, catching on the folds of his shirt, and he says the word again in his mind. Home.

He turns his nose into the pillow, reaching for that closeness again. Voice breathy, and muffled, "You better?"

Charles gazes up at him, and Arthur can't see it, but he can feel it. "Yeah," he hears, silken and hushed, somewhere near his neck.

[tristepinguino]

Mario Kart World Detail Observations

I'm normal.

There has been more than one instance in which the game's Courses have been shown on the World map. I've only recently learned to count, but it looks like there's 29 of them. An odd number, in more ways than one. But it didn't escape notice that there was no sight or word of Rainbow Road. ...Until the "Direct".

Even so, 30 isn't divisible by 4.

Crown City appears in both the Mushroom Cup and the Shell Cup.

The accompanying thumbnails are different, so they may be different Courses through the same area. The route to Crown City will be different, at least. That said, Crown City may not be the only Course to appear in more than one Cup.

The segment of the Direct hinting at Rainbow Road shows a shot of an object rising into the sky. The position of the camera in this shot seems to be in the opening of the bay south of Peach Stadium, facing south. The rising object in question appears to be a trophy.

In the Support Features segment of the Direct, we get a view of a rather paltry vehicle selection menu. It consists of a single page of 11 vehicles and 1 ? space. Could this be the starting selection? And if so, could the preceding menu be the starting character selection? It seems to consist of 4 pages of 12 characters (at most) and we are only shown the first page. But where are Daisy and Rosalina? Obviously, they could very well be on a subsequent page, but the character order shown here is odd.

This also confirms that vehicles (at the very least) are unlocked by collecting coins again. It's worth mentioning that World features a 20 coin maximum and new coin-focused items.

One thing that has not been very demonstrated is the addition of cosmetic unlockables that have been spotted in gameplay. On the vehicle selection screen, the "+" button can be pressed to, presumably, change this cosmetic. Going forward, I will be referring to these as "decals".

The purpose these serve is unclear, but may simply be a matter of customization. They often appear wherever your character or player information is indicated. Many of the decals seem to be based on the game's diegetic sponsors.

The option to select a decal was not available to those who played a demo of the game. As such, examples of decals other than the default in use are few. In addition, some vehicles do not seem to feature space(s) for a decal (including the Biddybuggy and that blue snowmobile-like vehicle).

When an outfit is obtained via Dash Food for the first time, an accompanying pop-up is displayed. Something similar appears when the player is transformed into a character for the first time via Kamek.

There is a prevailing idea that characters who appear as audience members or course hazards are also likely to become available as playable characters. That said, who might we potentially see join the ranks?

And why stop at Cow? Why not Zebra, Giraffe, Elephant, Ostrich, Camel, Bison, Moose, Armadillo, Dinosaur, etc.?

Miscellaneous

Other little things, some of which I don't have images of, and some of which I have no commentary for:

Binoculars appear, resembling their appearance in Odyssey

The way DK strikes the ? Block item resembles his upward punch in Bananza

Looks like most Yoshi's locations have signage displaying the Dash Food they offer

Tires change visually when driving off-road, increasing in size

The way characters throw Spiny Shells is really funny; Blue Shells are thrown with intent to kill

An item's remaining uses/time is now represented by a "fluid" in your item slot

Landing on another driver grants you a bounce from which you can perform tricks

Getting rear-ended seems to grand you a boost?

Explosions create waves in bodies of water that can tricked off of

The star score/ranking for Cups returns

One aspect of the game I am very excited for is the music, but I wonder how it will work. Courses likely each have their own dedicated music tracks (like in the previous entry), but what about everywhere else? And there's a lot of everywhere else. This might account for the assortment of music heard so far.

I decided against speaking on the Courses others have spotted that have yet to be officially presented (in part 'cuz this post is long enough already). Additional info may be found in image descriptions.

If you have any evidence you'd like to share, please feel free!

[queen-of-deans-booty]

We Happy Few: Part Two

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.7k

Warnings: canon angst and violence

Summary: Sam, Dean, Chuck, and Lucifer enlist the help of demons, angels, and witches to finally take down Amara. It doesn't go quite according to plan. You, however, finally have a solution to breaking through her spell. It's going to take every ounce of power you have.

Season Eleven Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. I love seeing any and all comments <3

x

Three teams. Three different goals. Lucifer returns to Heaven, Sam with Chuck's help, searches out Rowena, and Dean enters Crowley's domain at the asylum. Crowley is sitting on his throne drinking a glass of the best bottle of whiskey. He goes to take another sip when he feels Dean's presence in the room.

"Stealing my moves, Dean?" Dean walks out from behind a pillar. "Let me guess. You got Lucifer back in the fold. He snapped you here."

"No, it wasn't Lucifer."

Dean walks over to Crowley and plucks the glass from his hands before he can take another sip.

"Ah-ah-ah! It's time to sober up. You smell like a Dumpster outside the Liquor Barn."

"What's this? Concern for me? I appreciate your attempts at bro-mantic rekindling, but I think we both agree that the ship has sailed."

"That's not what this is about. We need your help. Now, you can sit on the sidelines and watch the world die, or you can fight." Crowley considers it but he doesn't respond. "You know, to be king again, maybe you need to remember how to be a soldier."

"What's the plan?" Dean tells him the plan. "It's suicide."

Crowley might have agreed but the angels are a little less than forgiving now that Lucifer is back in Heaven. They follow him with angel blades in their hands, and he walks over to yet another angry group holding more angel blades.

"And here I thought I had made real inroads with you guys."

"You thought wrong, Serpent."

"Serpent," Lucifer chuckles.

"We loathe you. We'll always loathe you."

"I came here to ask a good-faith favor of you folks, but as you are clearly less than kindly disposed, perhaps you'll lend an ear to my very own Jiminy Cricket. Hmm?"

Lucifer hunches over and allows Castiel to come forward. The angel, having heard everything that's going on, looks at his brothers and sisters.

"Hello, brothers and sisters."

"Castiel?"

"It's me."

"Do you think we see any daylight between you and the Adversary? Let's hear it from Him."

"In good time. Do I have your support?"

"I can't even look at you, Castiel. You befouled yourself with the Deceiver," a female angel scoffs.

"Every second that I've spent subordinating myself to Lucifer, it's been a torment. It's destroying me, it's burning through my vessel, but I would do it all over again because through me, he and God, will defeat the Darkness. That's my role in this fight. It's God's fight. You can play a part in that fight too, if you join me."

He explains the plan just as Dean did for Crowley.

"That's a very simple plan."

"I know."

Two down, one more to go. Rowena and another witch are located so far off the map, but Chuck is able to find her easily. Rowena must be getting ready for a spell because she's putting ingredients onto the table.

"We've got the owl feather and the yarrow root."

"Check and check," says the other witch, Clea.

"Jaw of a pig?"

"Check," Sam says.

Rowena rolls her eyes and faces Sam. "What are you doing here, Giant? Give it!"

"Not until we've talked."

"You walked right into a powerful coven—"

"Ah, takes three for a coven," Clea interrupts.

"—witches' den without a weapon," Rowena corrects herself. "I'll turn you into a moose. An actual moose."

"You can't."

"Read his aura. He's under some potent protection. Never seen that before." Clea shrugs. "Hear the man out."

"What do you want?" Rowena grits out.

"We need you. So, we're gonna play the God card."

"God's back?" She laughs. "You've tricked me before, Samuel. Why would I believe a word you say?"

"It would explain that aura of protection. That's not regular magic."

"Clea, dear, is this how it's going to be with us in Crete?" She rolls her eyes. "Even if God's back, why would I care? Hello, pagan here. I serve magic, not God." She snatches the jawbone from Sam. "Sorry. Not interested."

"I am." Rowena stares at her. "What?" Clea reaches for the cross on her neck. "I can't serve both?"

"No."

"Ro, you brought me a plan to escape. This here's an opportunity to fight and win."

"She's right," Sam says.

"Nobody's talking to you, Big and Tall."

"I can enlist others. Sister witches."

"You're mad. We don't stand a chance against Amara!"

"Rowena, honey?" Cla reaches for some tarot cards and pulls out a sun card. "There is a chance."

Sam tells them both the plan and Rowena has to admit that it's not that bad of a plan.

"It's simple and bordering on insane."

"So, are you in?"

The only way Amara is going to find out where her brother is is if she enlists the help of one of his prophets. She finds Donatello easily since he's connected to her. She's the one who gave him the all-seeing eye. Donatello is reading peacefully in his home when he's overcome with loud screeching. He drops the book and shouts in pain. Amara appears and blasts him back with your magic.

"No! Please! I don't know anything. I've only been a prophet for three days!"

She kneels in front of him. "You know where he is."

"I won't tell you."

"You won't have to." She grabs both sides of Donatello's face and opens her mouth. His soul travels up his body and into Amara's. She breathes in his essence and smirks. "Kansas. The Bunker."

Sam and Dean, along with Chuck's help, have put the warding back up to keep someone like Amara out. She conjures a big ball of blue magic and sends it flying toward the Bunker. The magic crackles and attacks the warding on the Bunker. It shines brightly before being burned off completely. She disappears from the outside and reappears on the inside right on top of the war table. She looks around the silent Bunker. They're not here but he was here earlier. She notices a mug on the table and scoffs when she sees WORLD'S GREATEST DAD on it. She angrily kicks it off the table, and it shatters on the ground.

Not even the kids are dogs are here. Dean must have moved them knowing they were probably going to get caught in the war. She wouldn't have let them get hurt. She made a promise to you, and she doesn't go back on her promises.

She jumps down from the table and starts searching the Bunker for... what? She's not sure but something is calling her to one of the rooms. If they're not here, then where is her pesky brother?

They can't certainly make a plan in the comfort of the Bunker knowing Amara is going to breach the surface sooner or later, so they had to move the party elsewhere. Plus, the ambush they're planning needs more room than the Bunker allows. Sam found an abandoned power plant on the border of Kansas and Colorado.

Rowena is the last one to arrive, and the King of Hell and the archangel are already going at each other's throats.

"I don't hold grudges. Besides, that dog collar was a lovely touch, really made my eyes pop. Almost wore it here today," Crowley smirks.

"Oh, I'm glad you're such a good sport." Lucifer notices Rowena who slows her walk. "Hey, Red. Looking gorgeous as ever. Hey, I think a little apology is in order."

"You think you're the first man to try and kill me?" Crowley rolls his eyes. "Hello, Fergus."

"Mother."

A bright light protrudes from the middle of the room and then Chuck appears standing on the table overlooking everyone else.

"Hello, my children."

The only ones that are shocked are Rowena and Crowley having never met Chuck before.

"Him?" Crowley scoffs.

"Rowena. Crowley. It's good to finally meet you in person."

Rowena pushes her way to the front. "Sorry about, well, everything I've ever done in my life. Really, you can't have been a fan."

"Oh, yeah, I've been quietly rooting against you both for some time now. Although, I can't deny you're one of my guilty pleasures."

"Oh, God," she giggles.

"Oh, God," Crowley scoffs.

"Alright, no flirting and no fighting. No deals, either. No talks about who is owed what if we survive this. Nobody likes each other. It doesn't matter."

"We only have the fight ahead," Sam adds.

"Amara's looking for me, but I'm warded against her, for now. The second I drop the warding, she'll show. She'll be expecting a fight, and we'll give it to her. Do you have your troops in position?" Rowena raises her hand politely. "Yes, Rowena?"

"Fabulous plan, God, but doesn't this strategy strike anyone as a wee bit un-strategic? Shouldn't we at least try to catch her off guard?"

"Is that sequence set in stone? Demon, angel, witch power? Seems to me that the first response should come from the most disposable force."

"Right!" Lucifer gasps. "Good argument, Doggie. Demons first, it is."

"The weakest should go first. Naturally, that means the witches."

"Enough," Sam growls.

"After all that, it's Lucifer's turn. Physical attack. One-on-one."

"What about Cas?" Dean asks.

"Oh, don't worry. Your pet's safety is my highest concern." Dean glares and Lucifer rolls his eyes. "Trust me, he's on board."

"Once she's been weakened, I will take the Mark back from Amara and use it to seal her away." He looks at Sam. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Wait, what?" Dean asks, shocked.

"God and I talked about this. Someone needs to bear the Mark."

"That should be me. I've had it before. I'm damaged goods."

"Exactly. You've already been tainted. I can't transfer it to you and Y/N is out of the picture. Sam volunteered."

Dean grabs his brother's arm and yanks him away from the group to speak privately.

"First Cas is making kamikaze side plans, and now you? You couldn't have talked to me?"

"We did talk."

"What happens when the Mark turns you psycho? Then what?"

"You lock me up where I can't hurt anyone and you throw away the key."

"Sam, no."

"Dean, you told me you couldn't beat Amara and that it would have to be me. Well, this is it--me." Sam looks at the three supernatural beings and sees they're already arguing with each other. "We talked about this. It's time to do the smart thing."

"What do you expect me to do? Sit by and watch this destroy you?"

"No. We're both in this fight. You're leading this army."

Dean rolls his eyes. "Oh, you mean babysitting the bad guys?" Sam looks at his brother. "Fine. God's plan. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"It's going to be okay."

The brothers return to the group.

"I will try and remove Amara from Y/N, but I need her weak to do it. That means she needs to endure the attacks of everyone."

"But what if..." Dean stops himself. What would you say if you were here? You'd tell them to do whatever it takes. "Never mind. Carry on."

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[walks-the-ages]

If you love educational games, if you love wolves, and you love animal sciences, please check out WolfQuest! They just released their absolutely huge expansion today, completely free for anyone who already owned the game, and only raising the base price of the game by $5 to make a grand total of.......... $20 for the entire, fully expanded, remade and reworked game they've spent years crafting.

Live the life of a wild wolf You are a two-year old gray wolf born in the Northern Range of Yellowstone National Park. You learned the ways of the wolf in your birth pack. Now it's time for you to learn how to live on your own, finding food, meeting other wolves, and searching for a mate. Ultimately, your goal is to find a home and build your own family. Embark on a quest for survival Your quest begins on the slopes of Amethyst Mountain and eventually takes you across the Lamar Valley to Slough Creek. There, you and your mate must  establish a territory and raise a litter of pups: training them, feeding them, defending them against predators, and finally taking them on a cross-country journey to a summer home. Ultimately, your success will depend on your ability to ensure the survival of your pack. Experience Yellowstone National Park Explore WolfQuest's realistic recreation of the Northern Range of Yellowstone National Park — "the Serengeti of North America" — where herds of elk and other ungulates roam the sagebrush steppe grasslands, alpine forests, and magnificent high ridges. But watch out for packs of stranger wolves, who patrol their territories and don't look kindly on intruders. The wilderness brims with other dangers as well — grizzly bears, cougars, and coyotes — who all vie with you for territory and food. Realistic Ecology and Gameplay (Anniversary Edition) Herds of elk roam the land in realistic herds, along with moose, mule deer, beavers, and other prey. Other wolf packs maintain and defend their territory against intruders -- like you. Grizzlies, cougars, coyotes, and other predators challenge you over your kills -- and protect theirs. Wolves communicate with each other using natural actions and vocalizations. Dynamic (family-friendly) courtship interactions allow you to choose a suitable mate. Adorable wolf pups who play with each other and with your wolf and mate. Vast wilderness maps (nearly 50 square kilometers) depict Yellowstone's Northern Range. Innovative Age Perks system models the arc of life (and death) of a wild wolf. In Ironwolf mode (optional), live life on the edge: your first death is your last. Dynamic day/night, weather, and seasons immerse you in the wilderness. Over 80 achievements, plus collectible objects. Our science advisors include some of the top wolf biologists in the world today, who help us keep WolfQuest accurate to real wolf biology and behavior.

Their youtube channel has tons and tons of videos showing the development of the game, what kind of research they do building the game, behind the scenes info, bug fixing, etc!

They also go out of their way to make the game playable on the the most potato computers possible, so you can play this game without having the most expensive gaming PC in the world, and they love receiving feedback from people using low-end PCs to try to make it even better.

Links to buy:

https://eduweb.itch.io/wolfquest

https://store.steampowered.com/app/926990/WolfQuest_Anniversary_Edition/

[lacrymatoryao3]

Redemption Was Just The Beginning

Chapter 13: February, 1900 (Continued)

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

To the world, Arthur Morgan is dead. As he tries to face the idea, in a lush valley in Ambarino he comes face to face with a woman from his past, and they must reckon with an era long gone. Especially when she has secrets of her own.

(Rated explicit simply because eventually there’s smut in this.)

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I live in the US and life has become an increasing nightmare.

Tag: @photo1030

1,946 Words (AO3 Link)

It was still dark when Arthur and his son set out. It was eerily silent. There was no sounds of birds or other wildlife, not even the howling of wolves. It was only filled by the horses’ hooves crunching down in the deepening snow, or the steam created from theirs or their riders’ breaths. When the cabin was out of sight the feeling of isolation became imperious. Not even the moon was in the starless and overcast sky to keep them company. They held their lanterns close to Arthur’s compass, or to Arthur Francisco’s hand drawn map of the area they needed to travel to.

The trek lasted until the mid-morning when the snow was losing its orange tint from the dawn, higher and higher up the mountains. They stopped at a plateau over looking a small crater that became a deep, frozen over lake that fed the river below. Just off center within it was a small island. In the spring time there was likely still some snow, but not enough for the water to stay icy or to stop the plant life from becoming green. With food and a water source, it was good enough for moose.

“Is this the place?” Arthur asked quietly.

Arthur Francisco looked at the map and nodded.

“Okay.” Arthur continued, “Now, what we’re gonna need to do, is start looking for signs.”

They left their horses in a safe place and went on foot half a mile further up the mountain. They scanned the trunks of the ancient, tall fur trees. They focused upon ones where the branches didn’t start until several feet up. They finally found one with stripped bark and deep grooves in the wood, something a bull moose would do to assert dominance in their territory. While it was a good sign, there didn’t seem to be any recent tracks in the snow.

They curved their way eastward. They found an area with thicker brush that had more things a moose would usually eat in the winter months. Carefully keeping his eyes to the ground, Arthur eventually found something. Near a patch of eaten up juniper, there was a fresh pile of moose droppings and tracks in the snow that weren’t yet erased.

“Seems a way’s off, but not too bad.” Arthur muttered.

They followed the tracks zigzagging through the landscape. Along the way there were more signs like other scraped trees and fur. It led them to the other side of the lake, where there was an almost farmland-like field of bare bushes. At the center there was a great bull moose, its head bent down and making a meal of the twigs. Before it could catch their scent, Arthur and Arthur Francisco backed further away and huddled behind a large rock on the ridge line above the animal.

Arthur sized the moose up using his binoculars. It was massive even for its species. From hoof to shoulder it looked about 10 and a half feet tall. Its body rounder than that of a draft horse from eating so well to survive the season. It was probably close to 2,000 pounds. Its head was thick and solid, especially carrying its monumental antlers that spread farther than Arthur was tall.

“Looks like this is our boy, son.” Arthur whispered, “You ready?”

Arthur Francisco took his Carcano off his back. He loaded it close to the ground so the snow muffled the sound. He stood up slowly and lifted it. Arthur rested his hand on the boy’s back to stabilize his shot, telling him to aim as much to the forehead as possible to preserve the antlers and the pelt. Arthur Francisco focused with his eye in the scope. He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.

The shot that rang out echoed through the mountains. The bull moose’s head jerked with a spray of blood as the bullet went through its head. Its body dropped hard on the cushioned ground without any resistance and laid there completely still with vapor coming from the fatal wound where its warmth inside met the cold.

A thunderous and gleeful laugh burst from Arthur's throat, replacing the deafening ringing in Arthur Francisco's ears. He stood up and towered over the boy, excitedly grabbing him by the shoulders.

"You got him!" Arthur cried, "You sure as shit got him!"

The moose was an even more massive beast up close. Arthur whistled for the horses, and then took out his knife. He used the tip to point at where to cut open the abdomen for field dressing. He then gave Arthur Francisco the blade and talked him through it.

"Get the knife through the skin and muscle. Then just slide it in as straight of a line as you can. Nice and easy..."

Arthur Francisco opened the animal, exposing the viscera with the unflowing blood leaking out of his incision.

"Now, we're gonna need to get rid of all them organs. Anything that we can't eat needs to go, so it don't dirty up the good meat. It'll lighten up the load we'll be draggin'."

Arthur helped in removing the unpleasant parts of the animal, then left the rest for the boy to do with his supervision. They kept the heart and liver, wrapping them individually in waxed paper and covering them with cloth and string.

Arthur Francisco looked at his soiled gloves and the mess they left, "What's going to happen to all this?"

"Animals'll get them. Probably wolves or anythin' else around here that eats meat." Arthur said, "A free meal that's easy to come by is much appreciated until Spring."

When the horses arrived, Arthur pulled several feet of rope and large canvas tarps out of his saddle bags. He placed them on the snow beside the moose and spread them out. He and Arthur Francisco took the moose by the legs and rolled it onto its other side onto them. They wrapped it and secured it with the ropes, affixing them to the bodies of their horses in a way that didn't bruise the moose's flesh or damage its antlers.

They slowly used their horses to drag the moose out. Arthur patted Arthur Francisco on the back, "You did real good, son. Your mama will very proud."

[*]-----[*]-----[*]-----[*]-----[*]

Ana watched for them. That and going out to keep the snow drifts from building up at the door. The moment she heard the horses in the distance, excitement and apprehension came in equal measure. It would be a major disappointment for Arthur Francisco if he didn’t manage to catch anything.

She let out a sigh of relief when she saw they were dragging something, and it was much larger than she expected. When they stopped in front of the cabin the antlers told her they found their target before anything could be said.

“My God!” Ana cried, “Look at him!”

“We’ll have plenty of meat now!” Arthur Francisco said with the largest grin.

Arthur and Arthur Francisco dismounted and untied the moose from the horses. Arthur removed the canvas and Ana got a better look at it. She had never seen such a creature. Then again, she wasn’t sure if she ever saw a moose to begin with. She heard of them, she saw drawings of them in books and knew they were formidable, but this one seemed like a giant.

Ana wrapped her arms around Arthur Francisco and Arthur, “Good job you two! Once we take this to the butcher’s everyone in town will be talking!”

They had to hang the carcass high up in a bare tree. Arthur climbed it and threw the ropes over the thickest branch supporting the beast’s great weight. As he got down Arthur Francisco was lashing the horses in a single file, first Delfina, second Josefina, and lastly the Criollo. Ana tied the ropes to the moose’s hind legs, Arthur taking the other end of them and attaching them in a chain-like manner to each horse. Arthur and Arthur Francisco slowly leg them forward, the moose dragging along the snow until it was lifted in the air. They all carefully tied the ropes off to the tree trunk, making sure their trophy didn’t fall to the ground or be accessible to any roving scavengers looking for a quick meal.

Even so, Arthur Francisco frequently checked it from the window for the rest of the afternoon into the evening.

“Are you sure it’ll be fine?” He asked.

“It’ll be fine son,” Arthur said, “Wolves don’t jump that high.”

“And bears are still hibernating, plus mountain lions aren’t this far north.” Ana added, “Now, come and sit down. We’ll play a game until it’s time for bed.”

When they were gone, Ana had found an old and ragged deck of cards on the hearth mantle. They tried a few card games until they somehow ended up with an adapted version of Poker. She didn’t really want to teach her son how to gamble, but it seemed the only game she and Arthur were good at. Since they didn’t have chips, Ana opened and sorted a jar of mixed dried beans. Instead of monetary amounts, they became point based. The white beans were 1, the red beans 5, the orange-ish brown beans 10, the green beans 25, and the black beans were 100. The person with the most amount of points would win.

After a few hours and several cups of gin for Arthur and Ana, they ended up losing miserably to Arthur Francisco, who had every pile of beans in front of him. In any other circumstance, Ana wouldn’t have been amused by it, but she laughed just as hard as Arthur was.

Ana put Arthur Francisco to bed not long after. It allowed the alcohol to take over Arthur, watching Ana climb up the ladder behind their son in a dreamlike manner. He let his mind wander to when they were young. When they spent so many nights together, two lonely people desperate for a loving touch.

Ana climbed down and noticed the way he was looking at her. She smiled, “What’s that for?”

“Nothin’…” Arthur replied, “You just look good, is all.”

Ana laughed and went back to her chair, “I don’t think you drank that much.”

“I’m serious!” Arthur said.

Without thinking about it so he wouldn’t stop himself, he reached over to Ana. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist, lifting her from her seat and into his lap. It was surprising, but Ana was in no way going to protest.

He held her tightly and buried his face in the crook where her shoulder met her neck, taking in her scent and presence. She ran her fingers through his hair. It sent a desperate chill through his body. He lifted his head and his lips found the exposed flesh of her jaw. She let out a soft moan, and tilted her head to the other side. It further emboldened him, moving upwards until their lips met. Both eager to have some taste of the other as Arthur’s hands wandered from her back to her upper thighs.

Through frantic breaths Ana had to remind him how careful they needed to be, with Arthur Francisco just above them to easily hear.

Arthur let out a reluctant, but understanding groan, “Are we ever goin’ to be able to be alone?”

“I would like that more than anything.” Ana replied, “There is an opportunity I was going to talk to you about. Valentine, down in New Hanover. There’s a horse auction in Spring. I’d like you to come with me.”

Arthur nodded eagerly, “Oh, I’d like that.”

[chanaleah]

an personal narrative speech on israel i wrote for school

note that this was written for an audience who mostly doesn't know anything about Israel.

essay below if the images are not working for you/you have a screen reader

I was at Hebrew School, my legs against the cold plastic chair of the over-air conditioned synagogue basement, and I was bored. My eyes fell over the posters on the wall — the Rambam’s ladder of Tzedakah, common Hebrew words, and a large map, almost my size, of Israel.

I had looked at this map so many times, so many days. But I had never really looked at it. My eyes traced the coastline … Ashkelon, Ashdod, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Akko. In the center, Jerusalem. At the bottom, Eilat. And at the very top, the little tip wedged between Lebanon and the Golan, Kiryat Shmona. 

Israel is a small country, about the size of New Jersey, located in the Middle East. It borders the Mediterranean Sea and is home to almost 10 million people. It is the only country with a Jewish majority, but it also has large Arab and Druze minorities. Many holy sites for the main three Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — are located in Israel.

As a kid growing up in the Jewish community, Israel was a common topic of conversation. We had Israelis come and visit us, a lot of us had family there, and most people we knew had visited Israel. We learned the Hebrew words for things like ice cream (glidah) and dog (kelev). We used the Hebrew pronunciation of words like hummus (huh-miss), which we said houmous (choo-moose).

We celebrated the new year of the trees in January (which doesn’t really make any sense in [redacted]) and we prayed for rain during services.

Really, whether or not we said it, we knew, we could feel, that everything we did… our prayers, our traditions, all traced back to Israel.

But here’s the weird thing… I’ve never been to Israel. I’ve never even really been close to Israel. I’ve never swum at the beach in Tel Aviv, never walked the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem, never felt the heat bearing down on me as I climbed Masada. I’ve never placed a folded up prayer in the Western Wall, never smelled the aromas of spices and herbs at a shuk, never read the ancient names on the graves at the Mount of Olives. And even though I’ve never stood on the grounds my ancestors stood on, put my hands where they did, and breathed the air they breathed, I can still feel these places. They’re in my DNA… literally. 

The traditions of the Jewish community connect me to my roots. When the kingdom of Judah, where Jews are from, located in modern day Israel, was taken over by the Romans, the Jews were forced out of our homeland, and we became dispersed throughout the word. As Rudy Rochman, an Israeli activist, says, Judaism “is a portable suitcase of a native people's identity that was created to preserve who they were after their forceful displacement from… Israel.” Every Jew throughout the world, no matter where we are; in the United States, Israel, or France, continues to carry this suitcase that connects us back to where we came from.

Today, when I celebrate Jewish holidays, I know there are people halfway around the world doing the same things I’m doing. They sing the same prayers, eat the same foods, and participate in the same traditions. They are all drawing from a suitcase that looks a lot like mine.

Today, about half of the world’s Jews live in the United States, and about half live in Israel. My traditions and culture connect me to all Jews, but my traditions also tie me to that land. I know that if I wanted to, or if I needed to, I could move to Israel. I could become a part of that country — the country I already love so much. 

But today, there are a lot of challenges with loving Israel — at least in the sense of the modern nation state. Currently, Israel is locked in a conflict with Palestine — a conflict you’ve probably heard about in the news — that has been going on for over a century. Today, neither Israel nor Palestine are completely innocent or guilty in this conflict. Israel, as much as I love it and feel connected to it, has done a lot of things I disagree with. And it’s hard for me to love Israel when I constantly see things in the news that make me facepalm, and when I know that the Israeli government is doing things I don’t agree with.

I love Israel. But love is complicated. It’s not black and white. I love Israel as my homeland, the place that birthed my people. And that love is paradoxical. I accept it as it is now, and I want it to get better. 

But now that I think about it, I realize that love means caring enough for something that you’re willing to work for it. Love means believing that peace, and a better future, is possible. Love means that a better way will be found. Because you don’t just walk away from something you love when it doesn’t meet your expectations.

So someday, I will go to Israel, and when I swim at the beach in Tel Aviv, walk the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem, and feel the heat bearing down on me as I climb Masada — I’m not going to be thinking about news headlines or military operations. I’m not going to be thinking about disappointment and failures. I’m going to be thinking about the three thousand years of history and tradition that led me back to the land of my ancestors.

[rabbitcruiser]

Jasper National Park, AB (No. 1)

Jasper National Park, in Alberta, Canada, is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains, spanning 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi). It was established as Jasper Forest Park in 1907, renamed as a national park in 1930, and declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. Its location is north of Banff National Park and west of Edmonton. The park contains the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.

The territory encompassed by what is now Jasper National Park has been inhabited since time immemorial by Nakoda, Cree, Secwépemc, and Dane-zaa peoples. Plainview projectile points have been found at the head of Jasper Lake, dating back to between 8000 and 7000 BCE. In the centuries between then and the establishment of the park, First Nations land use has fluctuated according to climatic variations over the long term, and according to cyclical patterns of ungulate population numbers, particularly elk, moose, mule deer, and occasionally caribou. Starting in the 1790s, Haudenosaunee and Nipissing hunters and trappers moved in large numbers to the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, around the headwaters of the Athabasca and Smoky Rivers in particular, most of them employed by the North West Company. By the time David Thompson crossed the Athabasca Pass in 1810, led by a Haudenosaunee guide named Thomas, there were hundreds of Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe people living in the region. When Mary Schäffer Warren became the first settler to visit Maligne Lake—known by the Nakoda as Chaba Imne—in 1908, she did so by following a map given to her by Samson Beaver, a Nakoda guide and hunter.

Source: Wikipedia

[k9canine]

ᐢᗜᐢ ﹑🌴 ﹨ ︖﹖

⋆ La bahía de Collie ⋆

Bone dividers, the eepy collie, the bernese mountain dog, and the doberman barking gif by :: @/chocoperrito

𝄞 ── Hi hi hi ! This is Collie's blog, this is where hy usually reblogs content of hys favorite artists, things of cherés fandoms, etc.

More info below the cut!

@ ✦ About the doggo

✸ ｡ Hy has a lot of names , but hy usually prefers Scott or Collie

✸ ｡ Hy / Chéri / Pup / It + more || We / Us + I / Me

✸ ｡ Spanish , diagnosed autism , Esp / Eng , MINOR

✸ ｡ Sometimes hy talks in 3rd person (like hys doing right now)

More info here

ou yea , here is when the text has no end

@ ✦ BYI

Im a self shipper.

I have a really BAD memory.

I dont usually post because I don't have time but I mostly reblog.

Im a faceless account.

Remember that Im neurodivergent, so please be patient.

I have nystagmus, so please write well because reading is so hard for me.

All the hate is going to be blocked and deleted.

Also remember that Im Spanish, so English is not my native language.

I DON'T really know how to use tone tags! Please notice me if you want me to use them.

I have a religious trauma, please be aware of that.

Please read the DNI list before following/interacting.

@ ✦ DNI

If you are -12 or +17

Default profiles / profiles with no posts, I'll think you are a bot.

Dry texters (Ex: Ok/K → Okay/Okie/Kk)

Zoos or pedos/''MAP''.

Anyone who invalidates someone pronouns/religion/identity.

Homophobia, transphobia or xenogenders/neopronouns-antis, (any kind of LGBTIQ+phobia).

Anti-therians or anti-furries.

Potaxies.

Any kind of problematic ships.

If you support any of these ↑

NSFW petre / agere.

(Heavy) gore or NSFW.

If you are in this fandoms: Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, FPE, TADC, Skibidi Toilet, Poppy Playtime, Fortnite, Brawl Stars, FNF, FNaF SB, FNaF HS, Taylor Swift, Kpop, football or reggaeton. (Sometimes I can make exceptions with some fandoms)

The next part is so long, heheh

@ ✦ Fandoms of the guard doggo

My favorite things are DSaF (i LOVE DSaF), Spongebob Squarepants (OMG SPUNCHBAWB HE'S SO ME !!1!)

✸ Lovelist

Music

My favorites songs → Natalie Wood (TV Girl) and Freaking Out the Neighborhood (Mac DeMarco)

TV Girl, Mitski, Jack Stauber & Mac DeMarco. I also love listening to the radio.

I love happy friendly music!

Videogames

DSaF, Dialtown, FNaF (+fangames), Roblox (my fv games are MM2, Adopt Me, Horse Life and LGTQ+ Vibe), WildCraft, Minecraft, Pony Town, The Sims 4, Nintendogs

Books + Mangas

Stephen King (especially Carrie), Warrior Cats, The Silver Eyes, Komi-San and Yotsuba!

TV

Movies: Horror movies (my favorite one is The Conjuring 1 (I LOVE Lorraine)), Deadpool, SpongeBob Squarepants (all), FNaF

Series: My Little Pony, Spongebob Squarepants, The Amazing World of Gumball, Doraemon, The Good Doctor, Chicago Fire, TBBT, F·R·I·E·N·D·S, Two And A Half Men, Mom, The Office. I love wild life documentaries! I like watching YouTube too (I love horror videos, ARG and icebergs)

Other

My favorite animals:

Unicorn, alicorn, pegasus, dog (especially border collies, golden retrievers, shar peis, dobermans and rough collies), moose, pigeon, snail/slugs, sharks (specially lemon sharks and whale sharks), horses, dinosaurs (my fv are the spinosaur and the carnotaurus).

Food + Drink:

I love ramen, pasta and summer and winter fruits!

My favorite drink is lychee Ramune

Other facts about me

I love Pompompurin and Pusheen

My favorite colors are pink and purple

My favorite number is the number 8

@ ✦ Tag list!

#✦｡perrito ➜ reblogs (i don't usually use it but sometimes i do)

#✦｡mon chéri ➜ text posts

#✦｡guard dog ➜ art

#✦｡old sport ➜ asks

#⋆ ➜ presentation

#favorite drawing ➜ just ignore this tag /nm /silly

( i use it for storing my favorite pics / videos . ah yea , if you see something with this tag that isn't a drawing , ignore it , i use it for EVERYthing 🐛[ NOT IN A WEIRD WAY. ] )

[emma-heart-art]

This is Chimera Country, something I've been working on for the past year. This was originally my final project to get my BFA in animation, but now that I have graduated I'm wondering if I can make this into something more.

More info about it under the cut, but TLDR; Chimera Country is a pitch for a video game about making friends with chimeras and using a "mount system" to deepen exploration and combat.

STORY:

In Chimera Country, you play as a feral child named "the wildling." She has spent her whole life away from humanity and has thusly learned to bond with nature in ways that most people cant. One day, the wildling comes across an abandoned farm who's owner has, for unknown reasons, turned into a flying talking book. With nothing better to do, the wildling teams up with this book and begins to rebuild the farm. With the book's knowledge of building, and the wildling's ability to bond with wildlife, they set off to find answers. Why did the farmer turn into a book? Why do some chimeras have cybernetic implants? Why are there chimeras here in the first place? All these questions have answers, though they may be hard for our protagonists to swallow.

GAMEPLAY:

I have previously described this as a "top-down metroidvania," but a better comparison would be basically a top-down zelda game with resource gathering components and deeper combat. I'm a sucker for games with an in-depth combat system, so I would love to have crazy stuff like frame perfect dodges, parries, counter attacks, and maybe even a few upgrades to your weaponry. This will not be a procedurally generated world, as I already have mapped out the general geography of this "country." I'm taking inspiration from Subnautica's map in the way its designed for exploration and resource gathering, having different biomes with different fauna and flora thought out in detail. I would also like to add puzzle/ parkour areas that can only be accessed using the mount system. And speaking of the mount system...

MOUNT SYSTEM:

This is the lifeblood of Chimera Country. Everything from the combat to the map layout will be designed around this system. As of right now, there are only five mounts that are in development. They are as follows:

LISA

An elderly Shetland pony who hasn't let her age get to her. She is the only creature in this game that is not a chimera, as she worked on the farm as a work horse during her prime.

Lisa is the first mount obtained in game, being given to the player right after the intro. Her main abilities are running at high speeds and jumping over obstacles. Very basic stuff.

She's also named after and inspired by my mom!

CAMILLE

A mix of a peacock and an emu. She is troubled with horrible anxiety, the type of creature jump at every small sound around her.

Her gimmick is that she can run around at road-runner levels of speed, but she is unable to be controlled by the player in that state. She can crash through fragile objects and give the player access to previously hidden away areas.

My fav of the mounts tbh

JOHN

Not actually a turtle, but a living, moving coral reef that has simply taken the shape of a turtle. They can be found in a above-water coral reef biome that fits they're aesthetic.

They're main ability is that they can bite through almost any material. Weather you need to gather stone for a build or if you need to break into a cave, John has got you covered!

They're a little slow though, so please be patient with them.

JAMES

A mix of a moose and a mountain goat.

His legs have begun to fail him in his old age, but luckily he has been equipped with cybernetic legs that let him jump higher than any other of his species.

His main use is to traverse the mountains located in the northern most region of the map, but if you backtrack you may find some other areas he can help out in!

Named and designed after my dad!

APPLE

Apple's segment had to be cut out for time, but she is still vital to the Chimera Country experience. She is a mix of a barn owl and a bat, and is a rare variant of the "owl-bat" enemies that are common in the game world.

Despite being last on this list, she is actually the second mount the player will obtain. Her main ability is her flight, witch can be used as a form of fast travel.

As said before, these are the only mounts in development right now. I doubt there will be more added to the game, thought. You will not be able to tame every chimera you see. I want to preface this now because I would rather have a highly polished experience with only a few mounts than have another "collect them all" type of game. Chimera Country will have some collection elements to it, but that will be limited to the bestiary.

I also want to mention that this is very much so a work in progress. All the abilities I have mentioned above are strictly for exploration. I'm planning on adding the mounts into the combat system, I just simply need to do some experimentation to see what works and what doesn't.

WHATS NEXT:

I've said before that this was my final project for art school, so as of right now everything is simply animation. The pixel art sequences were made in a program called Asperite and were sewn together in adobe aftereffects. There is no build of the game as of right now. However, I do know enough about the unity engine to confidently say I can make everything seen here a reality. Other than that, all of my development plans are up in the air. I just graduated, so right now my biggest concern is to just get a survival job so I can stand on my own two feet. Once I'm stable though, I can see myself working on this as a side project, kinda like how Stardew valley was made. Regardless of what happens next, I'm proud of the work I've done thus far and I hope I can continue working on this idea. It would be a dream come true if this became a real game people could play, but for right now it is still just a dream.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Could you go into the meaning behind the aesthetics? I'm intrigued but I'm uncertain if I'm fully grasping everything I want too!

Character by character? Sure. Clockwise from the top left: young anglos only I will have to do the others another time

Alfred: Clockwise from the top left: chalkboard to represent his math and science oriented brain from early days especially as he predates calculus in multiple handwritings to show the collaboration of science. Lady liberty emerging from the fog, his ideals looming over him. The microscope is a sign of innovation. The moon is his hops and ambitions ever upward. The car both the american auto industry and the innate loneliness of it. The national bird, the eagle in flight, the ferocity and aim he often has for his goals. the horseshoes for the old west but also the odd nostalgia Alfred has for things that never were. Then the star, rusting on a warship. theoretical end of empire but never the end of american airpower. And finally his portrait is his spacesuit. The only one without hair/visible human features because no country has ever projected such a strong image around the world and it obscures him.

Matt: Whittling with a small knife because he's got anxiety and a lot of woods. a looming moose for the darker force and mystery of nature and his own personality. Pancakes because he's a domestic fuck when permitted. a hatchet. Lots of wood an also war crimes. his tools are often weapons too. Maple tapping. A reliance on the natural resources at his disposal that shaped his culture tightly. man's outline in front of a fire is for Matt's propensity for salt and burning and personally annihilating obstacles when properly motivated. sunrise through a frosted window. Spring and hope rising over winter and despair. A repeating rifle. He too, is the result the arms of empire. And finally his 'portrait' a young man facedown in the sheets, lots of curls. This one is popular for Matt aesthetics for the hair but he's a tired, depressive bastard who tends to linger in safety rather than push himself for better.

Jack: a selection of fossils. The happiest part of his childhood was in natural history but these very collections are soaked in empire. A kangaroo and joey. His fauna but also his instincts of aggression about his environment and sometimes his sister. Meat pies because they're popular but also, born a penal colony he lacked a lot of agency over his own food and being as fast growing as he was he's a chronic snacker. map of Australia. could be self explanatory but even all the way down there he's pretty concerned about his place in the world and tends to look at himself at globes when he sees one. Two horses. Man and his country love to race but also I picked two because he really is not a person who prefers to be alone for long periods of time, as misanthropic as he can be. Surfboards: he loves his water-sports but the sunny, 'no-worries, mate' attitude too. Coffee on books. He's always been very keen to prove his wine, coffee, cuisine and tastes can stand up to the snobs and a flat white was an Australian invention. Golden wattle is the national flower and symbolizes resilience, often appearing first after fires and floods. And finally the portrait. A young man with a collar pulled up and one hand on the back of his neck, pondering his future? being a bit sheepish? both suit him.

Zee: Two sheep gently headbutting each other. Sheep and a stubborn affection is something she shares with Jack even if it probably influenced her culture more. Books because she's the best educated of her generation for a long time but the titles for birds, fairytales and oxford classic texts are for her famous birds, her two sets of folklore and culture and her oxford education. Kiwi box on bike handlebars. Bicycles were a massive part of early feminism and her own independence. The box and kiwi silhouette see something she probably knocked together herself. She's handly like that. Silver ferns are a national symbol and very hard to kill, resilient and the shape is very elegant and invokes Māori art and resistance. A grumpy looking Kea. This image looks very cranky but they're the goofiest and probably smartest birds on the face of the earth. Map of new zealand on a globe. Her name is bigger than she is on the map because its somewhat imposed on her nd there's also her brother always in the corner. A canoe or boat to symbolize her maritime culture, but also her own ability to build and engineer and pilot one. Her portrait I chose a woman with her hair type elegantly put up and looking away, back to a wall, a hint of a smile on her face because she has her strict lines and a slog of struggles but also a pretty decent place in the world.

[90frogsinatrenchcoat]

Minecraft: A short Essay on Nostalgia

I'm writing this rather late at night so excuse any spelling errors (Sorry it's not in MLA format, I'm not back in school yet and need a break)

I often find myself scrolling online late at night, stuck in the rabbit hole of youtube shorts, wondering how in the world I'll be able to function the next morning. Many times, the only thing that puts me to sleep on those restless nights, are playlists of "nostalgic" minecraft music. Why is that? Why is the music considered "nostalgic" in the first place?

Nostalgia is defined as making one think of or long for a familiar or comforting time. When I first received Minecraft back in 2016, I was still a little kid. I was in fourth grade and was longing to know what all the fuss was about. I remember booting it up for the first time, my sister sitting eagerly next to me. We only had one controller, so we had to take turns. In true older sister fashion, I did not share as I was supposed to. Eventually, though, I learned to share the game and enjoy what my sister created. I found that I was a natural at this game, I learned all of the mechanics with ease. My sister was not so lucky, she still struggles to fight in the game to this day. We spent many nights playing Minecraft. My mother worked the night shift at her work, and my father was always working on schoolwork to get his second degree. This left me and my sister to eat our spagettio's and play minecraft all night. I remember one night in particular, playing the "Little Big Planet" Mash up pack for the PS4 Edition of the game. We knew that nothing we did would be saved, but oddly enough we liked it that way. I was usually a creative player and my sister liked survival, though she wasn't very good at it. When we did play on a saved world, we would build massive cities and marveled at our own architectural prowess (Or, more often, the prowess of those we watched on youtube). I still have these old worlds, I visit them from time to time. I used to entice my sister to play with me by telling her I would do whatever she wanted me to in the game. This usually ended badly. Still, there are many old save files titled, "E's the Boss". I was young and simple, a stable built out of pink wool was just fine for me.

As I work with my therapist to uncover certain things about my past, I remember the nights that I would spend playing this game, desperately avoiding my bed time. This game, this simple game comprised of blocks and some funny red powder, had become virtually the only escape I had from the harsh reality that attacked me every time I left that infinite green wasteland that was a superflat world. Long before the aquatic update or the remodeled horses, I was building houses to replicate my own, creating worlds to escape the one that so vehemently tortured me each day. I remember, on the days that we were aloud to have the sound on on the TV, I would always play my favorite music disc. It was the one simply titled C4-18. I have so many memories attached to the music that plays in this game. And the only reason those memories mean so much, is because that is how I coped. Gen-Z, the silent generation, the generation that inherited all of the problems that everyone else was to stubborn to settle, has been left to our own devices to find some way to be happy in a world that revolves around hate. And for many children, including me, that device just so happened to be digital. We found some sliver of hope in the notion that we could still shape out destinies. The thought that we could choose to survive, adventure, or create was so enticing that we put hundreds of hours into buildings and bases, maps and achievements. On the occasions that we couldn't play the game, we would watch others play it. Roleplay channels like Little Kelly and Little Carly, mod channels like Unspeakable and Moose, Pat and Jen, even DanTDM, shaped out childhood. Often these channels exposed us to more mature themes through contact with more mature channels, such as Markiplier, JackSepticEye, and Pewdiepie. Now, we're all grown up. Many of us are going to college, getting jobs, some are even starting families. And so are our heros. Dan is a father, and Felix will be too. Mat has a son and wife, Pat and Jen split up, Jack has Evelyn, Mark has Amy. As we matured, so did our heros. And what does it al come back to?

A simple video game based on mining blocks, and using them to craft different blocks. I guess, what I'm trying to say, is that the Minecraft soundtrack is so nostalgic, because it takes us back to a *bad* time. It reminds us of when everything was going downhill, and all we could do is watch and hope we didn't get hit when crap went flying. Minecraft, for many of us, was our first step into healing, our first step towards maturing, and our first step towards becoming our own people, all be it far to soon. Minecraft music makes us cry, makes us feel this deep nostalgic sadness, because we don't know if we'll be able to find that again. We're grown ups now.. there's no one else to guide us, and video games can only take us so far. How do we know what to trust, what to watch, what to smile and laugh at..

We don't. That's the unfortunate truth of nostalgia. We don't have that wonderful thing, that guide to help us through the tough times. Now we are the ones guiding, building, surviving.. In a weird way, Minecraft prepared an entire generation of struggling kids with a blueprint for life. It's as simple as this:

Start your Journey

Find someplace you like, and settle down there.

Go on adventures, make friends, learn new things, and never go into the dark without a light.

And if it all comes crashing down...

respawn.

[masoena]

World Bubble Kinks (Sastiel Short Fic)

Sam had Gabriel pinned against the wall of a fancy hotel room the archangel zapped them off to for some kinky sexy time with his favorite moose. Those were the shorter man's exact words.

Sam’s palm looked ridiculously large and dwarved the throat of Gabe’s chosen vessel while a one of Sam’s muscled thigh shoved between his legs gave him something to rut against.

“Mmm…so hard already little angel, now let's continue our exploration from last time. I wanna see if I can make you come just from that.” He pushed his leg in a little harder and higher against Gabe's cock which was obscenely outlined through the fabric of his beige dress pants, a dark spot already forming from pure excitement.

“Fuck Gabe, you’re already you leaking through your pants and I haven't even started yet, so needy and desperate for touch aren't you?”

Sam walked a fine line between baiting and dirty talk, knowing full well Gabe could turn the tables on him without breaking a sweat. The fact that the powerful celestial let him do this with him, made it all the more special.

“Samooose…. come on handsome giant, let's…..ugh…let's….” His words faded into desperate soft whines and pained moans which Sam absolutely lived for. He had one of Gabe’s nipples between his teeth, dragging and biting more roughly because he knew he could and didn't have to hold back not his strength, not his size, he couldn’t break Gabe if he tried. The other bud was held captive between Sam's talented fingertips which twisted and pulled the little nub causing positively delightful little gasps to tumble from the archangel’s throat, his head flung back. His golden brown eyes were half-lidded with unashamed lust and excitement as the leanly muscled compact body writhed against Sam’s tight grip on his throat and against the ridiculously large leg in between his own. Gabriel’s hips were just barely half way up the height of Sam’s thigh, their size difference among other things was a driving factor in this casual arrangement they had going.

To have the constantly bantering warrior of God before him, incapable of forming words because of the pleasure Sam, a lowly human of questionable repute, bestowed upon him was something the young Winchester could have never dreamt up even in the wildest of dreams.

Sam bounced his leg up and down to add a bit more pressure and friction while he switched his touches from rough and punishing to soft and gentle to quite literally keep his angel on his toes. He could tell by the fast erratic movements of Gabe’s hips that he was close. Amber eyes pleading when the hunter made eye contact before clashing their lips together hungrily. He clamped his fingers down tight around Gabe’s throat, taking away the breath the powerful being didn’t need but whose vessel seemed wired to react regardless.

Pinned like that Sam kept rolling his thigh and kept kissing the angel until his lips were red and swollen from it before nipping his lower lip sharply for a few seconds and finally devoured him with his tongue as he mapped every breathless corner of Gabriel’s mouth. All it took from there was a vicious twist of his nipple to catapult his angelic lover over the edge into full bodied climax. Sam felt him shudder, lips gasping for air he wasn’t getting, his head rolled back against the wall the tell-tale heat of his spend seeping through the fabric below as Sam rutted him through the delightful aftershocks until he finally loosened his grip on the shorter man’s throat, so he could drag in a few desperate breaths.

“Fuck Samshine… you’re… vicious.. ahahah… too…. t t too sensitive.” Gabe exclaimed as Sam kept rolling his firm thigh against his quickly too sensitive cock.

Sam took mercy on him and pulled his leg back and released his grip from the man’s throat entirely before he leaned down to kiss the archangel more gently, reverent and loving this time. He cupped Gabriel’s cheek in one large palm, thumb rubbing across the tender lips while tracing the fingertips of his other hand down the length of his arm before lacing their fingers together.

“Don’t you ever again think of yourself as lowly and of questionable repute or so help me Chuck I’ll spank those thoughts right out of your pert peach of an ass the next time we meet.” Gabe accompanied his statement with piercing amber eyes that told Sam that he meant every single word.

Find me on AO3 for more stories like these and long fics.

[trash-monkey]

Isekai; My life as a wagon

Chapter 2

I watch intensely as the flickering light slowly approaches to here I see l am resting by the dirt road but I hear the unfamiliar language before seeing the strange sight coming into view, I recognize what animals they are from my world but these are large and walking on their hind legs like humans.

"Re'ew er'a oggin? Er'a ew oslt aagin? Si isth aord veen no eht amp?" A strident female voice falls from the mouth of a green frog wearing a large straw hat hanging loose on the back of her neck and carrying a old spear with care, I can see a thin tan clothed dress that stops at her knees which she have a lather vest top of it acting like a corset and she also has a metal chest piece loosely on top of it all while I can see skin tight short shorts underneath the dress to hide her modesty.

"Anc ti, Armosg! Woh ma I sppusoed ot gifuer uot erewh ew re'a fi ouy on'wt tel em Uoscf!" Another female voice answered back from the rat as her voice almost sounds dead but I can hear the warmth in it so she isn't totally emotionless and I can see she's wearing skin tight leggings underneath the long lime green tunic that have slits on the sides for easier movements which she uses a utility belt around her waist as a belt to keep the tunic a certain length to give her full movement while also give the tunic another modification of a hood, her feet are completely free expect for the soles I see on the bottom of her sharp claws free for fighting and climbing as her nails are sharp to which is why she's holding the map in her hands carful, all types of nick nacks she had skillfully made into a long string to decorate her tail, long dyed white hair starts between her nicked ears which goes down her back before stopping in a small braid to keep her hair together at the middle of her back, and can see a nose ring glimmer in the torch light in her pink nose like a bull ring while there's a simple quiver on her back filled with arrow as her simple bow sits on a hook that is on the quiver.

"Armosg, Iencepat aseple." A male throaty voice comes from a moose standing at 6'4 in height and although he looks thin underneath his clothes I can see the hidden muscles which I suspect the clothes are the standard clothes for beginner adventures what I gathered from what they're wearing and carrying, two massive antlers sit on his head which a small mohawk of brown hair sits as he has a large pack on his back with a massive old metal shield on top which seems to already have seen battle before from the dents and scratches but I can tell it's been maintain greatly.

"I t'anc ese eht amp ni isth ghtil os ew htmig sa ilhew ets macp ereh tilun normnig." The female rat sighs as she rolls the map up carefully.

"Heret's a gonaw! Tel's macp heret!" I watch as the female frog become surprisingly fast in her excitement when seeing me by the road and ran over to where I'm resting, immediately jumping into my back only to tip me over as I can't support her weight although it doesn't feel much but her movement didn't help much.

'Hey! Watch it! I may not feel it but I'm not unbreakable!'

"Hatw od ouy inkth, Tunro?" I hear the female rat asked not caring about what happened to their frog friend probably knowing she isn't hurt or they're use to her hyper energy antics.

"Meess oogd ot em dna ew anc seu eht gonaw ot ieldsh su ormf eht aord." I can hear the two strolling over as the female frog shots up off the ground.

"M'i ko!" She said before propping me back up onto my one wheel as I'm not that heavy for my size even though I'm wood and she begin to look at it when noticing it was the reason we had fallen over, I'm very tempted to move my one wheel to let them know I'm sentient but I'm also afraid they'll use me for kindling if I do.

'I really really wish I can understand them!!'

I yelled and cried through my mind as the three continues to talk as the female frog fools with me seems on trying to figure out how to get my wheel back on which is keeping her entertained and mostly quiet so the other two leaves her alone to do so.

'THIS IS A FANTASY WORLD, RIGHT? THEN LET ME UNDERSTAND, PPLLEEEASE!!!!!'

I once again pleaded but only to freeze when a screen pops up in my vision like a system that video games have, skill tree and all the stuff.

Translation

On Off

'Why is translation off?'

I give a deadpan expression to myself at the foolishness of it being off the whole time because who would have it off in the first place in a unknown world, I switched it on with a thought as I've read and seen Isekai's before so I know the jist of it when coming to the system but one thing is for sure each system is different so I don't know what mine can really do. For now I just very happy at having a higher chance of living in this world although I'm a small wooden wagon so I shrub my imaginary shoulders.

"Gamora, what are you doing?" The male moose asked as he stroll over to us when the female rat went to get for wood in the near by forest which the frog is using her webbed bear feet on my side as she takes a close look at the naked bearing of where the wheel is supposed to go, I can feel her webbed feet and hands are slightly wet against my wooden surface.

'Identify!'

I yelled after taking a deep breath hoping to have the appraisal skill I have seen and I'll even be happy with the bear minimum information, I do a quirky dance when a small screen popped up.

Gamora Yoth, female, 20, and is a Ain'eads (Hylidae Tree frog)

"Seeing if I can fix this wagon as it's in perfect condition despite the wheel is off!" Sh gets up from her sitting position to roll the wheel over to my naked barring and let the moose prop the wheel back onto the barring.

"We don't need a wagon." He trys to reason with her as he sticks the torch into the ground so he doesn't have to hold it any longer which I appraised him.

'Identify'

Ortun Xoxxaw, male, 18, and is a Nodian (Moose)

"So? We can take it and get some money for it! We can get a silver coin!" She tilts her head making Ortun sigh and although she's right it makes fear grab my heart along with excitement of seeing the rest of the world instead of being left to rot by the road, the female rat returns from the forest with a arm full of fire wood.

'Identify'

Tiza, female, 22 and is a Ghuk (Bandicota Rats)

"What has Gamora roped you into now?" She asked after dropping the fire wood onto the ground and crossed her arms.

"Selling the wagon once we find a town!" Gamora immediately defended herself playfully from Tiza poke at her which she goes back at getting my wheel to stay on properly once Ortun moves from it, Tiza just goes about making the fire with a playful eye roll.

_______________________________________________