#orange: surveyor

[annelise-draws]

An expedition, four grumps strong Of scientists, who all set off Seeking out some signs of life In Area X they did find A tower deep, a moaning beast Abandoned journals from The Southern Reach Venture deep to reach the truth And maybe you'll learn something too!

[emperornorton47]

Surveyor Mark

[dduane]

Hey DD! My friend and I were looking at the graphic you have for the All the Wizardry bundle. We're both on the Curiosity science team, and we're curious (pun intended) where the model came from. Every time I see it it makes me smile :)

(chortle) I was impressed with it too when I first saw it, though the maker doesn't explicitly come out and say that's what they're modeling.

It turns up over here at Daz3D: "Mars Rover." And the maker seems to have done a pretty good job. It's fully rigged, and everything that ought to be able to move, does.

...When I was working on A Wizard of Mars it occurred to me that wizards with an interest in the Red Planet would be up there covertly interacting with the machinery on a regular basis—usually with puffer brushes and/or carefully-shielded cans of compressed air to help keep solar panels clean (or cleaner...) when observed weather conditions on Mars offered them sufficient cover to let them exploit the "plausible deniability" factor. (Because the last thing they'd want to do would be to mess up the science.)

So when it came time to do the cover for the New Millennium edition of AWoM, it seemed to me that the best thing to emphasize would be the concrete reality of what we'd put up there. Therefore a wheel of that Rover model appears on that cover.

The Rover also turns up occasionally, as you've seen above, in promotional stuff for the Ebooks Direct store; such as this 2017 ad for a summer reading sale.

(And yeah, if the orange-redness of everything is emphasized... oh well, it's a trope, and sometimes you just surrender gracefully and lean into those.) :)

BTW, the rather blown-out image of Mars displaying on the right side of the Wizard's manual in the AWoM cover above is a relic from older editions of the book: a render I did using laser altimetry and radar terrain data from the Mars Global Surveyor probe. There's a scene in the book where one character gets really annoyed at another and uses wizardry to drop a small ocean's worth of (ancient) water on the Oceanidum Mons region in an attempt to get rid of her. This attempts to show how the region looked in the immediate aftermath.

...I really need to re-render this now that Terragen has upgraded its planetary-level cloud management. :)

Anyway, I'm delighted you liked the Rover! Thanks for letting me know.

[fluentisonus]

Cadastre B; Cadastre C; Cadastre A

The cadastres of Orange

Dating from 77 BC and commissioned by Vespasian, the three so-called Orange cadastres consisted of large white marble tablets, of which 300 fragments have been preserved. They represent the plan of the colony, and are the only surviving example of their kind for the entire Roman era. This cadastre provides us with information about the land and fiscal administration of the times.

The term 'cadastre' refers to the administrative organisation of ancient Roman territory for the requirements of land and fiscal administration. The cadastres covered the entire territory of the colony of Orange.

On cadastre B [image 1], the representation of the kardo and the decumanus [the two lines forming a crossroads created by a surveyor from which to measure land] enabled the territory to be divided into four major regions and determined the coordinates of each centuria. Each of these, measuring 750 x 750 metres, covered an area of 50 hectares (i.e. 200 jugeri, the unit of measurement of land area used by the Romans).

The inscriptions show the various legal statuses of the territories:

EX TR. [ex tributario]: land allocated to the settlers

REL. COL. [reliqua coloniae]: leased land (the amount of the lease and the name of the lessee are mentioned)

TRIC. REDD. [tricastinis reddita]: land restored to the defeated indigenous peoples (in this case, the Tricastini tribe).

-- Text from the Museum of Orange [with a couple clarifications]

^ detail of a section of cadastre B [image 1] showing the outline of river

^ more example details from cadastre B

+ dad for scale:

[ladyoriza]

what color is your ocs aura

tagged by @simplegenius042 for this uquiz

let's do @echthr0s @socially-awkward-skeleton @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed and @josephseedismyfather and anyone else reading this bc i cannot remember everyone

Forest fern leaves, greenhouses, cloaks, bookstores, pine trees, chokers, snake scales. your essence is forest: you are insightful and intense, possessed by your thoughts. you seek the impossible; you are pulled between pragmatism and romanticism, never sure which is right. often you rest in the spaces between black and white, lost in theory. you are the observer. you are the hypothesizer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of green, sage, moss, and teal, who share your deep contemplation. you are also drawn to the imaginative souls navy and amber, who will help you grow and help you let go of the rational. however, you may struggle to get along with the theatrical personalities of magenta and gold who are too loud in their pride.

ETHAN (still haven't made a banner for whoops) Crimson rose vines, blood, apples, velvet, sharp nails, galaxies, dripping jewelry. your essence is crimson: you are the strong, defiant and avoidant. you crave some sort of deviation; to walk in another's footsteps feels mundane, a waste of your time. you are possessive and never look back at the things you've lost or forgotten. you are the rebel. you are the one who will change the world. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of red, blush, garnet, and bronze, who share your impassioned existence. you are also drawn to the confident souls royal and gold, who will help you grow and show that not everyone seeks to break you. however, you may struggle to get along with the slow-acting personalities of navy and umber who never seem assertive about anything.

Chartreuse handbooks, spring buds, bamboo, forest ponds, glass, vintage sofas, fairy circles. your essence is chartreuse: curious and thoughtful, you are a surveyor of patterns. you enjoy your introversion; you feel most in your skin when you're alone, autonomous and uncontrolled. your enthusiasm comes through when expressing your passions to your close companions. you are the analyst. you are the detailer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of moss, honeysuckle, green, and yellow, who share your natural inquisition. you are also drawn to the intense souls jade and fire, who will help you grow and not be so dependent on your knowledge. however, you may struggle to get along with the people-pleasing personalities of pink and yellow who seem too disingenuous.

Fire sunrises, woven blankets, campfires, tigers, whiskey, monarchs, roadtrips. your essence is fire: you are the bold spirit of adventure. you seek out others who can broaden your horizons; a life best lived is one that's vivacious, but also makes a difference. you are steadfastly committed to your values and do not waver from your opinions. you are the inspirer. you are the opportunist. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of coral, bronze, red, and orange, who share your strong opinions. you are also drawn to the contemplative souls jade and chartreuse, who will help you grow and see the fullness of your vision. however, you may struggle to get along with the opinionated personalities of wine and mauve who act above reproach.

Tawny fall leaves, candles, blood oranges, hawk feathers, ladybugs, clay dust, toadstools. your essence is tawny: you are an energetic force with purpose. there is a genuine care for others that dictates your actions; still, you do not doubt you know best. effortlessly a leader, you extend your wings to watch over the ones you love. you are the protector. you are the consul. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of terracotta, garnet, blush, and beige, who share your strong core. you are also drawn to the open-minded souls periwinkle and peach, who will help you grow and show you how to open your boundaries. however, you may struggle to get along with the internal personalities of seafoam and ashen who are thought-heavy.

[tomorrowusa]

South Carolina, where Nikki Haley was governor for six years, is just one of two states without hate crimes laws. So the feds had to pick up the slack when some blatant incidents took place in Horry County.

The FBI has searched a house in South Carolina after a white couple allegedly put up a cross that faced their Black neighbors and set it on fire. On Wednesday morning, federal agents searched the house of 28-year-old Worden Butler and 27-year-old Alexis Hartnett in Horry county for a “civil rights investigation involving allegations of racial discrimination”, WBTW reports the agency saying. According to Horry county police reports reviewed by WPDE, between 23 and 24 November, Butler and Hartnett, who are white, allegedly harassed and stalked their neighbors, who are Black, with “racially motivated words and actions”. In one incident, Butler and Hartnett reportedly erected a cross that faced their neighbors’ privacy fence. “The cross was facing the victims’ home and the suspect set the cross on fire,” a police report said. The neighbors have been identified as Shawn and Monica Williams, WMBF reports. Speaking to the outlet, Monica Williams said, “There was a cross burning about eight feet from our fence … We were speechless because we’ve never experienced something like that.” “He’s blatant with the N-word … He’s chased off our surveyors. He’s chased off people from the water and sewer department,” she added. Butler was also accused of publicizing the Williamses’ location on Facebook by posting a picture of their mailbox which has their address posted on it, one of the police reports said. It added that Butler posted on Facebook that he was “summoning the devil’s army and I don’t care if they and I both go down in the same boat”. [ ... ] South Carolina is one of two states – the other being Wyoming – without hate crime laws based on someone’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, national origin or physical or mental ability, according to the Associated Press.

While Butler and Hartnett can't be charged with hate crimes in South Carolina, Horry County (which includes Myrtle Beach) is charging them with second-degree harassment and third-degree assault and battery.

^^^ They sorta look the way you'd expect white supremacists to look. Hope they like orange.

[sassykattery]

Love's Web, Part 1

Hi there! Welcome to Part 1 of my new series, "Love's Web." This story features a crossover of characters from Obey Me! and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. If you have not seen ATSV, I recommend it, but if you choose not to, looking up the plot online might help guide you into what's going on.

Synopsis: Altaira is a woman who thought that her life couldn't get much weirder, considering she lived with and consulted with demons on the regular. But one day, she learns her life can become a lot more complicated when you learn about the multiverse.

CW: Altaira is afab, uses she/her pronouns. Profanity.

Characters: Altaira (afab oc!), Diavolo, Lucifer, Mammon, Satan, Barbatos, all brothers implied, Simeon, Solomon, Miguel O'Hara

Themes: Romance. Jealousy. Multiverse.

Minors and ageless blogs DNI

18+ only

Enjoy~

Masterlist

"Now, for this year's Student Council budget, we need to assign someone to keep track of the checkbook," Lucifer stated, reading the document in his hand aloud.

"Right, so let's get it over with and tell Altaira she's the only one impartial that can do it," Satan quipped.

"Have you all considered maybe I don't want to do this every year? Don't I at some point become partial just like everyone else?" Altaira grumbled from her seat.

Diavolo smirked behind his hand at her, and her moody reply, finding it to be adorable.

"Altaira has a point," Diavolo agreed. There was a series of eye rolls from some of the brothers at such a response. It was no secret the prince carried a fondness for her, a fondness treading on infatuation. "Surely she would like to have other positions within the council–"

Suddenly, in the middle of the council room floor, there was a tear in the middle of the air, and a bright burst of blue, followed by oranges and reds flashes in a hexagonal shape, radiated from the tear. Through this portal, a figure dropped from it, rolling onto the floor with a loud grunt. The dark blue suited and masked figure came to their knees, looking around at the surveyors. They then rose to their feet and looked down at what seemed to be a watch while mumbling things in another language, which Altaira figured out to be Spanish.

"Hey, Lucifer? What the fuck is that?" Mammon blurted out.

"I'd say not what, but who is that?" Satan replied.

The suited person smacked their hand against their watch-looking device and finally looked up at everyone again. Altaira recognized the print of the suit, having a red spider across the front of it. She also noticed how tall and muscular this person was, nearly a close representation of how the crowned prince looked, which was no small feat.

"Our apologies, but you seem to have stumbled into our realm. May we ask who you are?" Diavolo asked.

"What realm is this?" The figure asked with an airy, masculine voice in a lower tenor pitch.

"This is the Devildom, home of demons," Lucifer replied.

The figure looked down at his watch again and sighed, only to start taking note of the room he was in.

"It seems I ended up here by mistake, and my device is no longer working," the man stated. He looked around and settled on the smaller blonde sitting in her chair, looking him over. With a hand on his waist, he pointed at her with the other. "You're going to help me."

Immediately, there were frowns from the demons in the room. Unfortunately for this newcomer, none of them took kindly to messing with their human. Altaira's brows shot up.

"Me? Why?" She asked a little indignantly.

"You're the only human here, which puts you leagues ahead of the rest of this group in terms of capability," he answered with a bored but spiteful tone.

"Excuse me?" Satan asked angrily.

Diavolo cleared his throat to stop anyone else from speaking. He stood to his feet and looked down at the man from his chair up higher in the Student Council Room.

"While we would like to help you return to where you're from, I would advise against speaking ill of your new hosts," Diavolo warned with a slight smile on his face, indicative of his small agitation. Everyone else sat back, willing to let the prince handle this. They all knew when it came to Altaira, to never get in the prince's way, and even less so, to make an attempt to take her from him.

"How'd he know Altaira is human?" Mammon asked in a whisper, leaning toward Levi. Levi shrugged.

"This technology is sensitive, and I need a human to handle it," the man reiterated, the eyes of his mask narrowing.

"May we have your name?" Barbatos finally repeated the question after watching the event unfold.

"Miguel O'Hara. It should be clear at this point, but I'm from another dimension," the man answered.

"So uh, what's with the suit?" Levi asked, intrigued by the design.

"That's classified," Miguel replied.

"You're a spider-man, aren't you?" Altaira asked.

Miguel muttered under his breath but reluctantly affirmed, walking towards her. "Yes. I figured you'd know something about it," he answered. Diavolo frowned again at the way Miguel studied her, so he left his spot to meet the newcomer on the floor.

"Then I suppose you'll need somewhere to stay and to work on your... device," the prince stated.

"I'll be staying with my assistant," Miguel demanded, more or less.

There was a unison answer of seven voices that said, "No!" Miguel raised a brow.

"What they mean is, the House of Lamentation, where they all live, is full. We have room in another dormitory for you to stay in while you're here. It's not too far," Diavolo clarified.

"Fine. I'll need somewhere to work," Miguel replied with annoyance.

"I think it would be wise to do it here at RAD so that you may make use of our laboratory and supplies, and Altaira can help you," Barbatos suggested.

"Then it's settled. Welcome to the Devildom, Miguel O'Hara," Diavolo said formally, extending his hand. Miguel glared at him for a moment and returned the gesture, with both of them noticing how strong the other's grip was.

"Miguel," Altaira murmured.

The newcomer instantly turned in the direction of that soft call of his name. He found her standing at his flank, peering up at him. His head dipped down to look her over again, noting she was just eye-level with his sternum, and his senses told him she was in her mid-twenties and strongly smelled of vanilla and berries.

"Your name was Altaira?" He asked warily.

"Yes. If you'll follow me, let me show you where you can work," she replied. She turned and started walking toward the door, and when Miguel took one last look at the demons behind them, he received nothing but aggravated glares from almost all of them. Diavolo and Barbatos kept their civil expressions, but there was no doubt with the way the prince watched the human woman leave that he wasn't pleased.

---

"This is our lab. I'm the director of lab management, so I'll make sure you aren't disturbed. I'll move the labs around your schedule and ensure your project isn't tampered with," the woman explained as she opened the door to the RAD lab.

Miguel looked around, taking note of what was available.

"This all looks rather... primitive," he observed quietly, approaching some of the instruments.

"Ah, well, this is the home of demons. They rely on magic and less so on technology. To which, I must add, I don't know how much help I'll be to you. I'm going to take a guess you're not just from another universe, but also another time period. Any advancements you've made in technology in your time are unknown to me," she replied.

"You'll be of help. I noticed you had a cellular device on your table, so I assume you know something," he answered, grabbing a few tools as he walked around to an open bench next to a fume hood. "And if you're able to figure that much out, I can't say I've lost all hope just yet."

"You're a ray of sunshine," she mumbled from his right flank. Miguel turned his head slightly toward her.

"Just leave me be for until I get a diagnostic going on this," he somewhat snapped at her.

She was silent, and with a sharp turn of her heel, she turned and left the universal interloper be as she walked toward another door with her name on it beneath "Lab Director" and slammed it shut.

---

Knock knock.

"Yes?" Altaira called back out, writing and looking up at her computer.

The door opened, and Miguel stood in the doorway.

"I'd like to retire for the night," he stated. Her eyes darted to the clock on the computer screen before her, and she realized it was well after midnight. In her fit of aggravation, she had worked for nearly eight hours straight without a break, looking at her phone or the time.

"Ah, right, sorry. You could've come and got me," she apologized.

"No, I just finished my own work," he replied coldly. His tone changed slightly to be more considerate. "But I won't stop you if you're not done."

"That's alright," she said as she stood, gathering up her documents and putting them away while she turned off her computer. "I'm sure the brothers will be cross that I never came home."

Miguel was silent as he watched her move about her office, gathering her personal effects and finally standing before him.

"Follow me."

---

"So that was RAD we were just at, the academy for demons to learn higher education," Altaira explained as the pair rode in her car. "We are heading to Purgatory Hall, which is where Diavolo said you'll be staying. Your roommates are Solomon, Simeon, and Luke. Solomon is a human sorcerer–"

"Like the biblical Solomon?" He interrupted.

She chuckled, a sound that piqued his senses again. "The very one. Simeon and Luke are angels, yes, the biblical kind, just not as scary. I live with the Morningstar family in the House of Lamentation. And, yes, the biblical ones like Lucifer, Mammon, and so on."

Miguel sat quietly with the information.

"The typical response would be to ask how I, a nonmagical human, ended up in this place," she added with a bit of a humorous lilt to her voice.

"Well?" He asked in that same cold, bored voice he had.

"I was kidnapped," she confessed, sounding very serious but still thoughtful.

"Excuse me?" He sounded genuinely shocked, and in her peripheral, she could see him flinch and whip his head around at her.

She laughed, a sound that tickled his senses again. "I know, I'm pretty comfortable and collected for someone who was kidnapped. Yes, it's true, but I did make the decision myself to stay. I was brought here to be a human exchange student for Diavolo's program here at RAD, but none of them really realized the ramifications of just stealing a human from her world. Diavolo convinced me to stay."

"Ay dios mío, that's insane Altaira," Miguel replied, sounding exasperated. "You were kidnapped, and you speak of it like you're on vacation with your friends. Demons eat souls, human souls, and you do realize–"

She brought the car to a stop at a stop light and looked him over. When he saw the softened look on her face, he stopped.

"I know, Miguel. But there's more to me than you realize, and trust me, I'm well in fine with living here. I've lived here comfortably for the last three years," she replied. She took off again from the intersection, turning down a darkened street toward the dorm.

"What do you mean? How can you be comfortable with demons?" He asked, insisting on an answer.

"Because..." she trailed off. She considered what she was about to say. "Those seven brothers follow my command contractually, and the prince and his butler follow it faithfully." She waited for him to say anything more and then continued. "Those seven are bound to me through individual pacts with each of them. I'm highly trusted by them and the nobility here because I'm someone who can be trusted. I take care of them and do good by the realm as best I can."

Miguel was silent, watching the road ahead of them as a tall building loomed at the end of the street. As they found a spot in front of the building for the car, she put it in park.

"What I'm getting at is, I'd like to help you. But you have to let me help you," she stated, looking at him with a genuine sense of caring before exiting the car. He stepped out and looked up at the towering dorm, dark and ominous like every other structure in the area he'd seen so far.

"Welcome to Purgatory Hall," she announced with a hand waving vaguely in the air as she walked to the front doors. They walked inside together and she led him up the stairs.

"It's me," Altaira immediately announced herself to anyone who was still awake.

"Altaira, this is a surprise," Simeon called back out to her.

"Can everyone meet us in the living room? We need to talk," she asked, putting away her keys and shuffling around the hulking man following her.

"Us?" Solomon asked from somewhere else.

After a couple seconds, two of the dormmates came out of their rooms.

"Hey– oh," Solomon craned his neck up at the new guest.

"Who do you have here?" Simeon asked, giving the newcomer a look-over.

"This is Miguel. He accidently ended up here when traveling through the multiverse, and he's staying with you all until he can get back home," she explained nonchalantly, taking a seat on the sofa and beckoning Miguel to sit next to her.

"Here?" Solomon inquired.

"Diavolo's orders," she answered his unasked question.

"Well, welcome, Miguel. We're happy to have you," Simeon said with a smile. "We have a spare room that you'll take. I'm Simeon. This is Solomon. Luke is young, so he's asleep already."

Miguel simply nodded and looked around again.

"So, um, can I ask–"

"He's not a demon, Solomon. He's from earth, and he's a superhero," Altaira interrupted the sorcerer, knowing what he was about to ask as he kept looking at the ranges of Miguel's suit. The eyes of his suit narrowed at the sorcerer, and when Solomon got too close, he leaned away.

"I see. Can you take this off?" Solomon asked, reaching out to the mask.

"Leave him alone, Solomon. He's not your new toy," Altaira barked. Solomon merely smiled and stepped back.

"Of course."

"Give us a couple minutes to make sure his room is ready," Simeon said, dragging Solomon by the shoulder away from the pair.

Altaira turned to Miguel. "I do apologize you'll be here with people you don't know. I promise I'll see you tomorrow. They'll escort you to RAD and I'll meet you there. Try to sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."

He didn't say much, so she got up and left him there. She left hoping that he would consider her words from earlier and take it to heart.

---

When Altaira arrived back at the House, she quietly padded down to her room, only to hear someone clear his throat as she walked by. She looked toward the sound and saw two shining rubies in the darkness.

"If it's about the time, you have no room to talk," she mumbled as she opened her bedroom door.

Lucifer followed her in and shut the door. "Were you with him?"

"In a way. I let him into the lab and went to my office to work on lab schedules. He was actually the one to tell me he wanted to rest," she answered, kicking off her boots.

"And?"

"I'm not sure how far he got on his work, but he's not terribly keen on telling me much, so I wouldn't know either way," she replied. "But I took him to Purgatory and got him settled there."

Lucifer pulled her into a hug, causing them to both instantly relax.

"I know you don't trust him, but you have to trust me," she murmured. "I can take care of myself."

"I know. But you're my family and I'll always worry for you."

She hummed in understanding and squeezed the demon tighter.

"And you wreak of him," Lucifer added.

Altaira laughed aloud. "Yes, I'll go take a shower."

Altaira broke the embrace first and walked over to the dresser to fish out her night clothes.

"Diavolo wasn't happy," Lucifer mentioned suddenly.

She barely turned her head at the name.

"Oh?"

"He seemed a bit out of sorts when you left, and after the meeting, he was uncharacteristically unenthused," Lucifer added, trying to gauge her reaction.

"I see," is all she replied. "And what position did you all decide for me?"

"Well..."

"Dammit, again?!" She snapped. Lucifer chuckled at her dismay. When she was done in the dresser, she looked back at Lucifer. "Alright, I'm home. I'm about to shower and go to bed. That means you can sleep," she said, changing the subject.

He chuckled again.

"Yes ma'am."

---

The next morning, as Altaira skipped breakfast to gather up some information and books from the royal library and the House's personal library on interdimensional theory to bring with her to RAD. Once she was prepared, she left the House without a word to her roommates and drove herself to class.

Just as she pulled into her parking spot, Diavolo was rolling in next to her in his black sports car. Excitedly, he exited his car quickly to find her in the back of hers.

"Oh, Altaira, let me help," he immediately intervened as she pulled out five very thick books and took them from her hands. "My my, quantum theory and interdimensional travel? Well, I can take a guess as to why you needed these, but there's no sense in you hurting yourself."

She smiled gratefully up at the prince, making his heart flutter as her gaze met his. "Thank you, Diavolo. I appreciate the help."

"Of course. Your office?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied with a smile, walking with him into RAD.

"I heard you left pretty late last night. Everything go okay?" He asked her quietly as they walked the empty halls. They were likely the only ones there just yet.

"Oh, yeah. I ended up getting so caught up in lab scheduling, Miguel actually came and told me he wanted to go rest," she admitted, rounding a corner.

"That's not like you," Diavolo observed, side-eyeing his companion, shifting the books in his grip.

"I know, but I got it done," she replied quietly, her eyes lowering with guilt.

"I suggest leaving early today so you can rest," the prince murmured when they reached her office door. She unlocked it, and he set her books down on her desk.

"Does that mean I have the headmaster's permission to do so?" She asked teasingly, touching his shoulder as she passed behind him.

"It does, so don't waste it," Diavolo replied with a wide smile but trying to sound serious. They both giggled and sighed. She sat in her office chair, and Diavolo sat in one of her visitor chairs.

"I know you don't like him, but if I help, this will all go smoother," she blurted out softly, staring at her computer. She noticed how he shifted in his chair in her peripheral.

"I can't help but agree," he murmured with a sigh. He crossed his arms and looked out the window in her office. "Tell me if he causes you any issues though. I won't tolerate him hurting you. He's not an ordinary human."

"Ah, you picked up on that. Yeah, spidermen or women usually have some powers, and that's how they end up as superheroes," Altaira replied. She minimized her screen, and her eyes stayed glued to the desktop wallpaper. It was a photo of her and the brothers, royals, and angels all together for a party. She was sitting on Diavolo's lap, and though they were off-center in the photo, on the desktop, it was cropped to show them in the center.

"I shouldn't keep you, I suppose. You already have that focused look about you," Diavolo observed.

She looked up at him and clicked back to a page to cover the screen.

"Ah, sorry, I was actually thinking about something else. Anyway, why don't we get some coffee? It's still early yet," she tried to shuffle away her thoughts.

"That sounds lovely," Diavolo said with a smile, standing when she did. They both got up and walked out of her office. Diavolo followed her closely, sensing something was off about her, but choosing to ignore it in favor of staying in the moment.

Nearing the cafeteria, Altaira heard a commotion and her name being said. She, and consequently Diavolo, circumvented the cafeteria and headed toward the front doors.

"Now, I do apologize, but I'm sure Solomon didn't–"

"Are you fucking serious?! He was trying to kill me!" Miguel barked at Simeon.

"Hey, hey! Shhh, stop, what happened?" Altaira dashed outside to see Miguel looming over Simeon. When he heard and saw Altaira running up to him to stand between him and Simeon, he glared down at her.

"You didn't tell me!" Miguel snapped at her, causing her to flinch slightly.

---

Thanks for reading! <3

Post made by sassykattery. Do not repost. Reblogs and comments appreciated.

(If you don't wanna be tagged, just let me know, or if you do, let me know too!)

Tags: @delphi-dreamin @bite-sized-devil @itsmeninerz

[emmybeearts]

Day 6: Bloom

To me, animal mimicry is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it's fascinating to see the lengths animals go to survive, influencing each other and evolving side by side. I love to see how this relationship permanently radiates outward and alters the appearance of so many other species that happen to live in the same area. On the other hand, mimicry can make your job very difficult. 

I know I'm not the first biologist with these qualms. Throughout history, so many forms of animal surveyor have fallen victim to our biology. Animals hide themselves in plain sight to prevent predators from finding them; and that's exactly what we are in nature's eyes: predators. Countless animals were deemed threatened or endangered when in reality, they were just hard for us to see. Some were even undetectable for centuries. We lived side by side with countless species who would always be better at hiding than we would be at finding them on our own. 

It wasn't until 2234 when the Lancet Scope was invented that we were given a glimpse into how abundant diversity truly is on Earth. Ecosystems thought to be near barren were actually teeming with countless species and contained a deeply varied food web of crafty predators, and even more clever prey. That year, the number of species believed to be on Earth tripled and Scoping became a field surveyor's favorite activity. 

After a while, you start to pick up on things without the scope. Little idiosyncrasies and things so barely uncanny that most eyes pass right over them. After a while you get a sort of sixth sense for these kinds of things. You start to notice them before your brain recognizes that you notice them. It takes practice and it's a good skill to learn. One day, it might just save your life. 

Today, we made it to the edge of the highland plateau and started our trek down the side of its steep cliffs. Some narrow paths have just barely been worn by the few animals that traverse these mountains. Even the quantity of crab-bugs noticeably dropped compared to the jungle highlands. Small cracks and crevices in the cliff face became anchor points for patches of polyp-grass to grow. Small blooms of strange white, almost algae-like matter crept out from the deeper cracks on the cliff face. Every now and then, the path would widen to a thicker outcrop where more noticeable signs of life could be found. Flowery shrubs and even small pseudo-trees were even able to take root there. 

We were thinking of setting up camp on one of these outcroppings when Lily informed me that something was pinging the scope. They scanned for thermals, UV, even so far as to check for eye shine but couldn't find anything. Just as we were about to write it off as a false ping, I could feel that sixth sense gnawing at the back of my mind after glancing at one of the bushes. I’ve only come across a handful of these shrubs all day and it was today that I even learned of their existence, but I could just tell something was wrong about this one. 

It was a familiar orange with yellow stamen we've seen so few times coming down this mountain. Its fleshy, transparent blue leaves grew outward from the cliff onto which its hardy, gray coenosarc clung on tight. But something about it just felt off. The more I peered in the more wrong it felt. It wasn’t until I looked around at the surrounding foliage that I was able to pinpoint that uncanny feel of the mystery plant. A gentle breeze blew up the side of the cliff. All the plants would move together; all but one. 

Picking up a small stone, I tossed it into the bush. My intent wasn’t to do any harm to the mimic, but rather to startle it, and get it to leave the bush so we could get a better look at what it might be. However, as the pebble bounced off the pseudo-plants leaves the whole bush sprung to life. It leapt from the cliff face onto our outcrop below. Its roots unfurled into four long spindly limbs. The head, tucked neatly away against the animal's back, twisted around as four intense blue eyes peered straight towards us. 

From what we could see of the animal, it was a frightening visage. It was primarily bright orange with blue adornments that keep it hidden amongst the blue cabbage bushes even when its intent is not trying to hide. Its lightweight spindly legs give it exceptional agility and speed when traversing these cliffs. All 4 of its eyes, as well as its ears and melon, face forward. This animal clearly has no interest in perceiving anything other than its prey, nor does it have a need to. Just below its jaws, its primary forelimbs have become mantis-like raptorial forelimbs. It quickly became  abundantly clear that this animal's hunting strategy is to sneak up on anything it deems to be its prey and strike before the unwitting meal knows it's not a bush. It just so happened we were the creatures in range of striking today. 

Fortunately, it turns out the Blue Cabbage’s plan falls apart as soon as it is noticed. Just as soon as it leapt from the cliff, it began to scamper away. Aggressive mimicry relies on the element of surprise above all else. Once it realized that it was tracking something that's better at perceiving than it is at hiding, it cut its losses and went to find food elsewhere. If it weren’t for the time I've spent learning these skills and the technology breakthroughs that better these skills further, there was a good chance my story would've ended here today. 

[End Transcription]

[mikaarchives]

【 The Mika Archives 】

❥  A collection of most, if not all, the relevant content of Mika Schmidt from Genshin Impact! by @mika_archives on twitter

❥  NOTES:

This project is still not finished, it will be updated whenever new information is available.

Underlined Texts are links.

Reblogs and likes are appreciated :)

As per usual, please take the info with a grain of salt.

Last Updated: January 4, 2022

Google Docs Version

━ ━✦❘༻༺❘✦━ ━

❥  Profile

╰┈➤ Bio

✧ Name: Mika Schmidt

✧ Nation: Mondstadt

✧ Affiliation: Knights of Favonius

✧ Occupation: Surveyor of the Reconnaissance Company

✧ Birthday: ???

✧ Body Type: Short Male

✧ Overview: Mika is an event-exclusive NPC (as of now). His first appearance in the game is during Act 1 of the “Of Ballads and Brews” event. [Test Dialogue Link]. Mika is a shy and distant boy who is part of Grand Master Varka’s expedition. He was sent back to Mondstadt to report the progress of the mission.

╰┈➤ Combat Information

✧ Role: Healer (speculations in accordance to statement by Naevis)

✧ Vision: Cryo, Mondstadt Frame

✧ Vision Location: Placed on a gauntlet worn on his right hand.

✧ Constellation: ???

✧ Weapon: Polearm (as stated by leakers, such as Ubatcha)

✧ Kit Explanation:

Elemental Skill - “has press and hold variants, both press and hold launches some sort of “bullet” that applies a target mark to enemies.”

Elemental Burst - “heals all characters in the party.”

✧ Additional Gameplay Leak:

Mika’s skill is said to increase characters’ attack speed (15% with +4% bonus per enemy hit, with a max of 4 stacks). His burst also apparently heals characters when they perform a normal attack. [Source]

╰┈➤ Relationships

✧ Huffman: Mika’s older brother.   

✧ Eula: Captain of the Reconnaissance Company of which Mika is a member of.   

✧ Varka: Leader of the expedition that recruited Mika. 

✧ Others: Amber, Kaeya, Lisa, and Jean know Mika.

* Mika was also mentioned in Eula and Amber’s conversation during the “Charity and Creativity” event

╰┈➤ Voice Actors

✧ English: Robb Moreira

IMDb

Twitter

✧ Chinese: Deng Youxi / 邓宥希

Moegirlpedia

✧ Japanese: Sanpei Yūko / 三瓶由布子

IMDb

Wikipedia 

MyAnimeList

✧ Korean: Yoon Eun-seo / 윤은서

Wikipedia

*I had trouble finding links for the CN, JP, and KR voice actors as I cannot read those languages. If anyone could provide any additional trusted sources, it’d be much appreciated!

❥  Personality

Mika is shy and distant, often stuttering and making voice cracks when talking. He prefers to observe and understand people before properly interacting with them, which is his way of showing respect. According to Amber’s voice line, Mika shows great respect to his superiors, and Eula, Jean, and Lisa’s voice lines mention Mika being a hardworking and capable person. It’s also suggested that he can take some jokes literally, evident with his delivery of Varka’s letter and Kaeya’s voice line. Lisa also mentions that Mika is bad at hiding anything from people.

❥  Design

Mika is a short boy with messy blond hair that has orange tips, he also has droopy blue eyes and a light skin tone. His outfit consists of an off-white hoodie & shorts with a royal blue long-sleeved coat and several accessories. He also wears light blue earrings.

Mika wears a pale yellow tie and a brooch in the shape of a shield with feathers on the right side of his chest. Mika also appears to wear a pauldron and  dark blue gloves with some kind of gauntlet, his vision is located on his right hand. He wears a baldric around his body which holds a book bag on his back. The book bag is dark brown with some feathers and ornaments, most notably a big yellow feather. For footwear, Mika has black socks that reach below his knee. He also wears big leather boots with spurs.

Notable features about his design include a lot of triangular and rhombuses. His key defining features are his ahoge, color scheme, and the big yellow feather.

━ ━✦❘༻༺❘✦━ ━

❥  Story

Mika is a member of Varka’s expedition team. Originally belonging to Eula’s Reconnaissance Company, he was borrowed by Varka for his scouting capabilities. During Mondstadt’s Weinlesefest Event, he was tasked to return to Mondstadt to deliver the Grand Master’s letter detailing their progress and notable experiences. There was also an additional letter addressed to Lisa. Interacting with Mika and Kaeya will trigger a conversation, in which Mika runs away at the end, presumably to meet with the Reconnaissance Company.

When you talk to Huffman during Weinlesefest, he praises Mika’s capabilities and mentions that he is joining Guerrilla Assault Platoon. A tweet from @hxg_diluc also suggests that Mika is actually stronger than he looks.

❥ Leak History

╰┈➤ The First Leak (?)

The earliest leak related to Mika I could find was a tweet by @SpendYourPrimos on Twitter, mentioning his design, element, and personality.

╰┈➤ Other Relevant Leaks

✧ Element - @hxg_diluc

✧ Design Details - @SpendYourPrimos and @hxg_diluc

✧ Amber, Eula, Jean, Kaeya, Lisa voice lines - @merlin_impact

✧ Character Sheet - @genshinBLANK

✧ Appearance, Element, Weapon - @Ubatcha1

✧ Skill and Burst Description - @naevisleaks

✧ First Official Appearance - @genshin_7

✧ Height - @hxg_diluc

❥ References

Mika Genshin Wiki

Mika model viewer

Mika Info Masterlist by @mikabrainrot on Twitter

Mika Mains Subreddit

Personal Sources

Leaks

[recalcitrantpharmacologist]

Oh thats uh- that's Orange Man. - The Surveyor

Well, I don't like him.

[yr-obedt-cicero]

I know the term was only coinned in like, the mid-19th century, but did the founding fathers knew of dinosaurs? even if the name for them wasn't really a thing?? thank you!

I find it funny I saw that meme way back, and see it's circling around again.

It's true, the founding fathers had never heard of dinosaurs, and the notion or scientific discovery wasn't until much after their time. But that does not mean fossils were not still found even during their days. Though the popular belief at the time was that some of these fossils belonged to giants, and that's due to the religious influence as many in the colonies were Christian (or had to convert to Christianity) and they believed giants to have once existed like in biblical stories.

But some known founding fathers actually had quite a fascination with paleontology. Even before the first known dinosaur bones from America were described by Joseph Leidy in 1856, there was still significant American study of paleontology. Although not necessarily concerned with dinosaurology, it is kinda important to understand these early paleontologists and the impacts of their findings, and how it was important during the Georgian era. Patriotism was one of the major reasons the founding fathers cared so much about the fossils they were uncovering. Influential Europeans like Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon argued that species found in the “New World” were inferior to the ones found in Europe. As I said above, some theorized they were the remains of once giant humans, while others more reasonably compared them to living hippopotamuses and elephants — They were, in fact, Mammoth's — Contrary to popular belief that it was merely Thomas Jefferson who thought of this; extinction was not really a finalized concept or common thought at the time, so the possibility of an extinct animal was not yet considered. Once again, due to religious beliefs, as many believed the Creator would not kill of his own creations. (Yes, most notably Thomas Jefferson thought this way too). Thus this mysterious creature, called the incognitum — meaning ‘unknown’ in Latin — was thought to still roam the uncharted areas of the North American continent, as many other fossils explorers found. The incognitum sparked interest among many of the easily influential explorers, and would be primarily the reason behind for starting serious investigation into paleontology.

That being said, our first president, George Washington actually had some experiences with fossils!

During 1780, in Orange County, New York, some unknown bones and teeth were discovered by a digger in a ditch on the farm of the Reverend Robert Annan. Washington and the Continental Army were in winter quarters nearby, and word of the discovery of the new fossils reached Washington. He was curious as he gathered some officers and went to see the bones for himself. Robert Annan wrote that Washington, himself, actually owned a strange tooth back at Mount Vernon, and talked about it. Apparently it was the tooth of an unknown animal collected from Big Bone Lick near the Ohio River in Kentucky.

“He told me, he had in his house a grinder which was found on the Ohio, much resembling there.”

(source)

Research proves Washington received the tooth by Dr. John Connolly. He was a trader and land speculator in western Pennsylvania, and had also dined with GW in 1770, and wrote to Washington in September, 1772, describing a visit to Big Bone Lick where he had; “just stumbled upon the tooth I now present you with.” But Washington had many other opportunities to learn of such fossils. The Ohio Company was responsible for exploring the Ohio River Valley and promoting English occupation against the French, and it was a land speculation company that drew the participation of Washington and a few of his relatives. In 1751, Christopher Gist, who was an explorer, surveyor, and frontiersman active in Colonial America. He was one of the first white explorers of the Ohio Country. Also knew Washington quite well, and had while traveling through Ohio had received two teeth of a giant beast from an Indian trader. But it's unknown if he actually knew anything more of it, other than it existed.

Next on the list, is nature-loving, first Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson was fascinated by the fossils of the incognitum. Interestingly, Jefferson believed that these creatures still roamed North America, and collected many accounts of their supposed continued existence. He even hoped that Lewis and Clark would find a living specimen of the mammoth on their famous 1804-1806 expedition. Clark and Lewis would often send him back fossils and other wonders they found, and he would excitedly analyze them. Jefferson’s paleontological career truly began in 1797 with reading of a short paper to the American Philosophical Society. This paper possibly was the first ever published work concerning paleontology, as it described strange fossils recovered from a cave located in West Virginia, including a set of large claws. Jefferson called it Megalonyx, meaning “giant claw”, and incorrectly identified the bones as belonging to a giant lion, apparently (the identification of Megalonyx as a lion was probably part of TJ's attempt to find an American carnivore to reflect against the European claims of superior fossil findings). Fast forward, during his presidency in 1807, he hired William Clark to collect fossils from the “birthplace of paleontology”, as it is famously known as; Big Bone Lick in Kentucky. Jefferson then had Clark's collection, numbering around three hundred bones of various extinct mammals including mammoths, shipped back to the White House the next year, displaying all of it on the floor of the East Room. There he collaborated with Caspar Wistar in analyzing and formally describing the numerous fossils. The Jefferson-Clark collection, as it would come to be known, would remain the most extensive assemblage of fossils in the United States for decades. There have been many debates wether Jefferson is to be truly credited in the field of paleontology, considering his analysing and identification was mostly incorrect. But others argue he still contributed to the stepping stones of early discovery of paleontology. The remainder of Jefferson's collection was divided between the Society and Monticello, where the fossils were displayed in the Entrance Hall;

“There is a tusk and a femur which Genl. Clark procured particularly at my request for a special kind of Cabinet I have at Monticello,”

(source)

[prettyswellaus]

(Splatoon AU) Edd's Crew's Lockers

(More to probably be added and soon)

Edd

Color: Green

Stickers

Inkbrush Sticker

Inkbrush Holo Sticker

CARBV Poster

Bacon Cola Poster

SM-SM Character

SP0P-INK Graffiti

3TSCRM Character

Decorations

Comedy Comic

Pop (12 Cans)

Monkey Crab in Silly Land

Octo King Country

Super Squid Collection

Purple Loose-Leaf Binder

Sea Snail Man (Ghost)

Lucky Can

Eddsworld Cereal

Tom

Color: Blue

Stickers

Krak-On Splat Roller Sticker

Krak-On Splat Roller Holo Sticker

Krak-On Logo

OKTRVNG Poster

PTYSQD-B sticker

SQDSN-B Character

SQSK Graffiti

PXSQD-B Deco

SQSQD Poster

Decorations

Susan (His bass)

Blue Candy-Drop Can

Record Player

Rockin' Music Quarterly

Contain the Kraken

Tomee Bear

Smirnoff Bottles (3 of them)

Black Dakronik (Specifically one shoe)

Small Amp

Aqua Water Bottle

Rusty Blue Harpoon

Matt

Color: Magenta

Stickers

Splat Brella Sticker

Splat Brella Holo Sticker

FRGL Sticker

INKWR Poster

PRL Poster

King Matt Poster

BWTR-SPRGS-MR0R Graffiti

Decorations

Mirrors (2 of them. One hand mirror and one taped on the inside of the locker door)

Inkopolis Illustrated

Drip Squad

Surveyor Tripod

Pink Squid Friend

Cymbal Playing Monkey ("Little Tom")

Photos of himself (4 of them)

Micro Shelter

Japanese Umbrella

Sakura Paper Lantern

Old-School Radio

Tord

Color: Red

Stickers

Splat Dualies Sticker

Splat Dualies Holo Sticker

MNA Poster

Robot Blueprints

Red Army Insignia Graffiti

Zekko D1MND logo

Zekko MLTY logo

Decorations

Ink & Splatter

Love-and-War

Commander Cephalopod

Fangirl Comic

Romance Comic

Sci-Fi Comic

Sharktooth Comix

Sharktooth Comix-Double

Sharktooth Comix-Special

Ultra Squid

Schoolyard Scrap Jack

Tordbot Action Figure

Octoleet Goggles

Pickelhaube Helmet

Blaze

Color: Black

Stickers

Blaster Sticker

Blaster Holo Sticker

Firefin FFN-R Logo

Firefin CH0 Logo

Squidforce Logo

SQDWV-TDP Sticker

SG-BNHPHN Graffiti

Decorations

Cheesy Munchy Snacks

Ginger Ale (6 Cans)

Fiery Squid Friend

Chocolate Cereal

Orange Candy-Drop Can

Crunchy Snacks

Crusty Snacks

Processed Cheese

Salted Munchy Snacks

Tentacle Nights

Squidlife Headphones

Enchanted Robe A

Enchanted Hat

Enchanted Boots

Dusk

Color: Pink

Stickers

Aerospray MG Sticker

Aerospray MG Holo Sticker

N-Zap Sticker

Decorations

Dancing Flower

Ice Cream Box

Pink Squid Friend

Fangirl Comic

Nostalgia Power

Romance Comic

Purple Squid Cushion

[fantasycorrupted-a]

what color is your aura?

Chartreuse

handbooks, spring buds, bamboo, forest ponds, glass, vintage sofas, fairy circles. your essence is chartreuse: curious and thoughtful, you are a surveyor of patterns. you enjoy your introversion; you feel most in your skin when you're alone, autonomous and uncontrolled. your enthusiasm comes through when expressing your passions to your close companions. you are the analyst. you are the detailer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of moss, honeysuckle, green, and yellow, who share your natural inquisition. you are also drawn to the intense souls jade and fire, who will help you grow and not be so dependent on your knowledge. however, you may struggle to get along with the people-pleasing personalities of pink and yellow who seem too disingenuous.

Tawny

fall leaves, candles, blood oranges, hawk feathers, ladybugs, clay dust, toadstools. your essence is tawny: you are an energetic force with purpose. there is a genuine care for others that dictates your actions; still, you do not doubt you know best. effortlessly a leader, you extend your wings to watch over the ones you love. you are the protector. you are the consul. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of terracotta, garnet, blush, and beige, who share your strong core. you are also drawn to the open-minded souls periwinkle and peach, who will help you grow and show you how to open your boundaries. however, you may struggle to get along with the internal personalities of seafoam and ashen who are thought-heavy.

Gold

lion statues, coins, gold leafing, bound books, goldfinches, crowns, heart lockets. your essence is gold: you are a noble heart who believes in your own strength. you stand against your fear; if you can deny something exists, you will not see it, it cannot touch you. you are enduring and strong -- but watchful, for anyone can grow fangs. you are the monarch. you are the leader of the rebellion. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of cream, yellow, marigold, and moss, who share your ambitions. you are also drawn to the forthright crimson and umber, who will help you grow and find genuine confidence in the face of uncertainty. however, you may struggle to get along with the overly-involved personalities of magenta and forest who are unconscious of their own feelings.

[macaron-n-cheese]

Day 1 (1/3)

We did a little touring of the William and Mary campus! We first went to the central building, the Wren Building. W&M was first established in 1693, making it the second oldest college in the United States to Harvard. However, it did become the first university because of its law school. It is named after King William of Orange and Queen Mary who reigned at the time of its founding. It originally was affiliated with the Anglican Church because of the authority of the Church of England. George Washington obtained his surveyors license at the college. Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe both attended the college as students.

Anecdote: A few scenes from "TURN: Washington's Spies" was filmed in Wren's Great Hall. These are the scenes with King George III! It was amazing to stand where Bill once stood ❤️.

Here are a few photos of the Wren building (I'll add more photos in a subsequent post).

Lord Botetourt Statue

In front of and behind the Wren

British cannon captured at Yorktown

Inside the Wren

Wren Chapel

Classroom used by current students

Upstairs room!

The Great Hall

[ratctchr]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀 ?

Tawny

fall leaves, candles, blood oranges, hawk feathers, ladybugs, clay dust, toadstools. your essence is tawny: you are an energetic force with purpose. there is a genuine care for others that dictates your actions; still, you do not doubt you know best. effortlessly a leader, you extend your wings to watch over the ones you love. you are the protector. you are the consul. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of terracotta, garnet, blush, and beige, who share your strong core. you are also drawn to the open-minded souls periwinkle and peach, who will help you grow and show you how to open your boundaries. however, you may struggle to get along with the internal personalities of seafoam and ashen who are thought-heavy.

Chartreuse

handbooks, spring buds, bamboo, forest ponds, glass, vintage sofas, fairy circles. your essence is chartreuse: curious and thoughtful, you are a surveyor of patterns. you enjoy your introversion; you feel most in your skin when you're alone, autonomous and uncontrolled. your enthusiasm comes through when expressing your passions to your close companions. you are the analyst. you are the detailer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of moss, honeysuckle, green, and yellow, who share your natural inquisition. you are also drawn to the intense souls jade and fire, who will help you grow and not be so dependent on your knowledge. however, you may struggle to get along with the people-pleasing personalities of pink and yellow who seem too disingenuous.

[duhragonball]

And that’s it.  Luffa #197 is posted, and I’m all caught up on updates.   It still feels surreal to me to have that Blood Rubies arc finished.   I’ll probably never feel completely satisfied with it, because it always seems like I could add more to the story.  

For example, the final shot is a post-credits scene of King Gurumes’ castle, as a lake materializes around it.   Throughout the movie, it looked like the castle was built on a steep hill, surrounded by barren land that had probably been strip mined for Blood Rubies.   But with this shot, we realize that the castle had been sitting on an island in the middle of a lake, and Gurumes must have had it drained to get at any Blood Rubies on the bottom. 

So I suddenly have this urge to write a bunch of scenes of that backstory, with a surveyor reporting Blood Ruby findings at the lakeshore, and Gurumes ordering the lake to be dug up for mining.  Like, this lake has to be a national landmark, right?  They probably built the castle there because it looked so picturesque, and now the king is so messed up from the curse that he doesn’t even care.   But there just isn’t room for things like that in my fic, and I knew I’d have to leave some stuff on the table. 

Anyway, it’s done, and my backlog is cleared and there’s nothing but open road ahead.  I probably won’t be updating Luffa again until December, after I’ve completed the 2022 Nanowrimo.  But I’ve got a lot of stuff lined up.   I need to wrap up the Xenoverse story mode adaptation, which means polishing off Demigra, and then there’s this big orange plot point that I’ve been meaning to address for about seven years.  Oh, and somewhere in the middle of all of that, we’ve got the 200th chapter.   I did a whole special, extra-sized story for #100, but I don’t think that’s going to work out for #200, since I’m going to be in the middle of a major arc.   I mean, I’ll find some way to make it a special chapter, but it’ll still end up being Part 3 of the final showdown with Demigra.  

If all goes well, I should have the fic at just over one million words long, which has been a personal goal of mine for the last couple of years.  It won’t be the end, although things will certainly be different going into 2023.   So yeah, it’s going to be pretty interesting...