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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 2 months

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tuesday again 3/12/2024

beat breath of the wild and have no real interest in rot13’ing spoilers for a seven year old game. also early thoughts on the first couple hours in tears of the kingdom. so if you don’t want to see that don’t read the playing section

listening

there is a particular piece of exploring ambient music that plays in a particular cave in genshin impact's fontaine and i adored it. i kept going back to that cave to trigger the music. it reminds me very much of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who won several Oscars for early Technicolor swashbucklers-- The Sea Hawk, The Adventures of Robin Hood, et al. this particular piece leans into it the most and really grabbed me bc that's what Fontaine is all about: the romanticism, the folk heroism, the seafaring swashbuckling. i wish they leaned into it a bit more across fontaine, but i haven't played since i got fired and had to give my laptop back so perhaps the last patch has more similar music?

the use of bells in this is super great and pulled my attention first, but the way it ends-- a sort of sliding violin halt, some woodwinds fluttering up, a flute twining in. i hope their composing team wins some fuckin awards this year bc all the genshin music is good but the fontaine music is really a cut above.

youtube

either you've seen enough lavish technicolor adventure movies to know what the fuck i'm on about or you haven't, i hope this makes sense for why i was so excited about hearing this particular style in such an unexpected medium. here actually listen to this

youtube

reading

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang, i think a post on here influenced me bc it promised gay genderfuckery but i put it on hold SO long ago i could not tell you when that was or what the post was. it’s not NOT gay and genderfucky. but that’s really not the point of the book. this also wasn’t the easy read i was expecting it to be. let's yoink both the photo and the pitch from macmillan:

Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor's soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job. Until a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully-built life away. Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal, and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan. Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice—for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats. Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang's The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.

this book kept me company through a particularly bad bout of insomnia and i did enjoy my time with it, i'm glad it exists in the world and i'm glad to have read it essentially in one sitting. if i owned a hard copy, i don't think i would hang on to it. it was Fine, it's simply not for me. a bit too chewy and for bigger fans of Chinese history and/or wuxia i think.

there is an extremely large cast of characters (i often found myself referring back to the dramatis personae) and quite grim in parts. sexual assault, cannibalism as revenge, a very realistic war. a lot of really terrible, really grievous things happen to bodies. the fight scenes are clear and competent and will in fact unfold in your head like a martial arts movie.

it does take quite a while to get going and unfolds more like a TV show than a political thriller movie. this is a fat fucking book. this is a twenty hour audiobook. it strongly benefits from shifting POVs over its length, Huang is particularly good at differentiating tone and what each character pays attention to for maximum effect. she's also really good at one of my favorite things, displays of political deftness where you can’t see how someone would have made any other choice. some really top tier leftist infighting

while it is gay and it is genderbending, i would not say discussions of sex and sexuality are at the forefront. this is a group that has been pushed to the margins for their gender and sexuality, but this is a book concerned with how they survive and there isn’t a lot of space for discussions that aren’t about survival. there’s no fucking on page, but this book did not advertise itself as a romance or erotica so i don’t fully understand other readers' criticisms here.

this is a very competently written book. i am not going to remember it in a month's time. i don't normally emphasize it to this degree bc i feel a little bad about going "meh" at this tale of women fighting for societal and personal freedom, something i too have done but with less gore, but there is a wide gray sea of books that are simply fine and i don't particularly love or particularly hate bc they weren't quite what i needed or what i expected at the time. so it goes.

watching

there is a revelation in Yellowstone season 3 episode 7 (picture unrelated i just like having a picture for each section) that made us (me, my bestie, my bestie’s husband) all SCREAM and have to pause it and leave the room for a moment to compose ourselves. the amount of Things per episode that happen in that show. they really fuckin use all of their forty-four minutes.

i watch so little modern prestige tv i i keep thinking about why this has its hooks in my brain so, and i think this is the same concept as homestuck and soap operas and war and peace: once you get sucked into a huge sprawling semi-nonsensical drama you are In It BayBee

playing

i didn't know lizalfos could do that. i don't like that. stop it.

somehow i had never gotten up to this platform near dueling peaks stables and was rewarded with...some arrows. but the sun rising turned the marsh all gold, and all the atmosphere shading was firing on all cylinders, and it looked real pretty. the weather in breath of the wild is fun.

i had been under the impression that the divine beasts had been slowly siphoning away ganon’s energy or something and had not realized that they were lining up shots and were the equivalent of little laser sniper dots. hearing that joyous musical cue and watching ganon get got by that tremendous beam of light was maybe the funniest moment in the game???

anyway did finally beat breath of the wild!!! did tear up at the end! im annoyed that the postgame just vworps you back immediately pre-castle but i get it from a game architecture perspective.

at the very last bit of the fight i fell off my horse who got stuck against the beast’s leg taking damage and i was SO scared it was going to kill my horse but we were ok!!! i think i overprepared for that fight. the thunderblight light ganon fight was way harder imo.

popping that map back open postgame and seeing a cheery little 43% completion in the corner was. good god. i had 105 shrines and 66/77 side quests, all but four of the shrine quests, and like 250 koroks. i guess the koroks count for way more than i thought??? or perhaps i didn’t actually discover as many named places as i thought??? i would probably have more coherent thoughts about the end of this game if i were not Extremely Depressed and wasn't able to immediately jump to tears of the kingdom. as it is, i feel sort of "huh. ok. that's checked off. next task: ganon But More"

on to tears of the kingdom: i love zelda with her little bi bob. i do NOT love link with longer hair. give him his ponytail back

i loooooove these little grotesques on the temple of time-- i was spoiled for the end of tears of the kingdom bc i watched my bestie’s husband play through the last three hours. i have just enough context to make everything more confusing. also, i was fully expecting the time skip to be like several thousands of years but it’s like a month at most???

it is So Funny to me that the lord of the mountain in the last game is an extremely rare occurrence you have to go visit at a specific place, and in this game he just wants his appy slices :) this is an excuse to talk about other rideable animals: i started a new switch profile to replay botw lo these many weeks ago, forgot to choose that one when starting totk, and don’t have any of the horses i spent the last month with :( the horses from my first playthrough several years ago are, quite frankly, not very good stats wise.

i went right to hebra to start the rito quest (where is the divine beast??? what has happened to the divine beasts???) but keep getting my shit kicked in one blow so i think i will fuck around the castle and do some more shrines. my overall impression is that this game is way more fiddly. there’s more Stuff to combine and keep track of. i wish i could premake fire and ice and bomb arrows instead of having to select them every time. that’s a lot of button presses in the middle of a fight. also my controller is succumbing to some fatal connectivity issues so this portion of the tuesdaypost may be slower for a bit. i will scrape up some money for a new controller bc this is a real loadbearing activity but it’s going to take a minute to ship to me i assume.

making

listen i deep cleaned my living/dining and bedroom today in a fit of remarkably productive anxiety, that’s about all that’s happening this week. i finished repainting some large frames, i framed one thing but don't like it, i fucked up framing another thing and i have put it back in the closet to simmer/until i remember how to measure things again

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem

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justsome-di · 5 months

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The Fairest of All Stars Should Be Your Next Read: a presentation by Di, the author

The Fairest of All Stars is my most recent project! A sapphic romance, pirates, sirens--god, what else can someone ask for?

Stars is a fun, short novel. It's currently only being posted on Patreon, but you'll be able to read it for free soon(ish). This isn't an ad for my Patreon, I promise. It's just my system.

If you're not super into fantasy but like some elements from the genre--this is good for you. There's no big magic systems or other worlds, but there is lore behind the sirens.

You'll be able to read it for free in 2024:

On Patreon (join for free)

On AO3

Right here on Tumblr!

It'll be a good time.

Transcript of presentation under cut:

What's it about?

Are you in the mood for some lesbian pirate/siren romance? Of course you are! When are you not?

So, listen, we have Andy. Everyone’s favorite gremlin. She’s the captain of a pirate ship, recovering from not so great tropical fever that wiped out a good chunk of her crew.

One night, her ship comes across a siren tangled in fishing net, not doing so hot. Andy takes her aboard and while the siren recovers, learns a lot about her.

But uh-oh Andy is wanted by a Navy Captain, and he manages to find her ship after years of hunting.

Okay tell me about Andy and Syan

Andy:

Never meant to be pirate captain but here she is. Living the dream (not really).

Andy trusts very few people. Despite being brilliant, a brutal fighter and cutthroat at sea, she has a hard time running her crew.

Syan:

The runt of the litter. Not as strong as the rest of her choir, she got left behind during an encounter with fishermen.

She’s curious but prone to bad moods. She’s a loner looking for a place to belong.

More about them

Andy panicked years ago while cornered by Captain Bettridge and stabbed him through the hand. She’s been hoping to get her knife back ever since. Bettridge really wants her dead, though, so she has to be careful.

Syan and Andy would be pretty badass in normal circumstances but they’re poor little meow meows in this story

There’s another cool guy. His name is Pinkey. He’s the ship’s gunner. You guys will like him, I promise. He’s Syan’s bff.

Syan and Andy are immediately attracted to each other. Andy is a monster-fucker and Syan is into messy women who are hoarders and misplace everything under piles of junk.

Okay but tell me more about the story

Set in the Golden Age of Piracy, Andy and her crew come face to face with danger--mythical and imperialistic. There’ll be sword fighting and gun-wielding and all sorts of adventure.

It’s not really found-family, either, it’s more of like found tolerance.

Is this well-researched? No. Not really. But it’s fantasy, and it’s fun. We can make some excuses here and there.

*whispers* is there lesbian sex?

yes of course there’s lesbian sex you think Andy is going to pass up on that opportunity?

Can I read this anywhere?

Right now, the only place to read bi-weekly updates is my Patreon--but I promise this isn’t an ad for my Patreon.

I’ll be posting it for free once a substantial amount is up on Patreon. You’ll be able to find it on AO3, Tumblr, and you’ll be able to see it for free on Patreon once I made it public.

Keep your eye out for it! btw, you can also join my Patreon for free and get notifications for when the story goes public.

#writeblr #writblr #original writing #queer fiction #writing #writing community #original work #andy and syan #the fairest of all stars

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lullabyes22-blog · 3 months

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Snippet - Schatze - Mal de Mer

Mel remembers her parents' marriage.

And notes that her own shares troubling similarities.

tw: trust issues, betrayal, violence, gore

Mal de Mer on AO3

Snippet:

Mel stares. The urge to break away, to force a confrontation, is surging in her chest. She's used to his obliqueness. She's not, and will never, be used to his unpredictability.

When he says Don't run, he means Hold your ground. And when he says Surprise, he means Beware.

And then he says, "Trust the plan."

Which, she's learning, is his shorthand for, Trust me.

Mel's mouth pinches. Trust. Doubt. These are two sides of the same coin. His past, and hers, laid bare without veils. Moments like this, she's reminded of the enormous gamble she's taken by marrying him. She knows, from her own experience, how quickly trust can curdle into the opposite. And she knows, too, that doubt can devour even the sturdiest edifice.

It had, after all, devoured her parents' marriage.

Ambessa Medarda, no sentimentalist, had not married for love. Her choice was pragmatic, and it was prudent: from a broad swathe of suitors, ranging from bluebloods to brutes, she'd selected Mel's father, a swarthy, scarred captain from the Targonian Isles. Known, simply, as Aziz, he'd possessed a devious head for deals, and a deft tongue for wooing. His clan were descended from a line of seafaring mercenaries. Over the centuries, they'd carved a bloody path on a shifting sea of wars, alliances, and compromises.

Aziz had met Ambessa during a trading venture. It had been, by all accounts, an explosive collision.

Ambessa had admired the way he squared his debts with a bladesman's exacting precision, and wielded his real blade with a cutthroat's clarity. He, in turn, was taken by her ruthless pragmatism, and her cold-eyed resolve.

There'd been no need, in the end, to seek approval from either clan. The match was mutually advantageous: her riches, and his ships, would forge a dynasty.

Theirs was not, by any metric, a love-match. Yet Mel remembers the heat, and the intensity, and the sheer physicality of her parents' union. With Aziz, Ambessa became, despite her hardness, a creature of feeling. And Aziz, for all his wily ways, became a man of sentiment.

They'd quarreled often, publicly. They'd butted heads over business, and brawled over trifles. But they'd also made up in the same fashion: two titans, clashing in a storm.

Mel, since girlhood, knew never to knock on her parents' bedchamber door when she heard raised voices.

She'd witnessed the aftermath, once. After a particularly savage row, Ambessa had stormed from their marital suite, and headed for the stables. Aziz, stalking soundlessly after, had caught up with her halfway there. In the middle of the courtyard, they'd fought anew. Aziz, seizing her waist, had swung her in. Ambessa, kicking out, had knocked his legs from under him. Together, they'd fallen into the thatch of wildflowers behind the copse of cypress trees.

Their cries were not, Mel had realized with a dawning horror, cries of pain.

They'd been so preoccupied, they hadn't noticed her creeping closer. They'd not seen her stare, through the screen of foliage, as their fierce struggles devolved into a fiercer embrace. And as they did, a surreal alchemy took place: Ambessa, all wildfire and iron, began to melt. Aziz, all seaspray and stone, began to yield.

Mel, unable to tear her eyes away, saw the exact moment they transformed. A moment before, they'd been two warring elements. A moment later, they were one. And the power of it, the raw, unmitigated passion: it was a force beyond the comprehension of an eight-year-old girl.

That day, Mel sometimes thinks, is when she'd learnt that the strongest forces can be unmade by desire.

Love, fear, fury: they were not, as she'd childishly believed, discrete entities. They were all part of a single current, ebbing and flowing, and changing course with the tides.

Later, much later, her parents had subsided into a languid sprawl. Ambessa's head, pillowed on her husband's shoulder. Aziz's fingers, stirring through his wife's curls. Their bodies, twined, were a study in drowsy contentment.

"Never leave me," Aziz had whispered.

"Why should I," Ambessa had purred, "when I've already cut out your heart?"

"That you have. Now, it's yours."

Ambessa's lips, curving, had found his throat. "Then remember, Schatze, I'll do worse to any woman who dares to claim it."

Schatze.

That was her private designation for him. Treasure.

Her one and only.

And she'd meant it, Mel thinks now. Meant it in the way a warrior, who's seen a thousand battles, will fight her last. She'd fought him, and he'd fought her, and they'd taken shelter in each other. Over and over. For twenty years, their marriage was the stuff of legend: a dynastic alliance, and a private whirlwind. They'd begotten two children, lost two more before birth, and spawned a military empire.

Until their union, with the same suddenness as their collision, came undone.

Aziz had, during one of Ambessa's war-campaigns, chosen a mistress. This, in itself, was not unheard of. The men of the Tagonian line were notoriously philandering, and the woman of the Medarda clan were notoriously pragmatic. Ambessa, who'd not only kept her own paramours, but had changed them with the frequency of a Piltovan noblewoman changing her gloves, had never begrudged her husband his dalliances. She'd even handpicked a few herself, including the mistress Aziz so doted upon.

The choice had proven fatal.

She was a pretty thing, Mel remembers. Pale as a lily, and shrewd as a serpent. She'd beguiled Aziz with her beauty, and bound him with her wits. In the span of months, her hold on him grew implacable. By the time Ambessa, returning from a year-long absence, realized what had happened, the damage was done.

She'd discovered Aziz gone, along with three-fifths of their battleships.

Ambessa was not a woman prone to tears. Now, her fury was a black inferno. She'd raged, and she'd razed, and she'd sworn to see the mistress decapitated, with her golden head on a pike. Her pursuit of the wayward pair had been relentless, and the carnage, legendary. She'd burnt villages to the ground. She'd sunk fleets to the bottom of the sea.

And when, finally, she'd had the chance to close her fist around her husband's neck... it was too late.

Aziz had succumbed to a tropical fever. He'd been bedridden and delirious when his ship was waylaid by Ambessa's fleet. The mistress, by then, had already fled with whatever riches she could carry.

When Ambessa had stormed into her husband's cabin, Aziz, on the verge of death, had mustered a crooked smile.

"My lioness," he'd rasped, "have you come to finish the job?"

Ambessa's fury, like a house of cards, had collapsed at the sight of him. She'd flung her scimitar aside, and fallen to her knees at her husband's bedside. His ramblings—of repentance, of devotion, of the children he'd left behind—had been shushed by her kisses. The entire night, she'd sat vigil, cajoling and bargaining and finally, begging.

To no avail.

Aziz had perished at dawn. He'd died, as he'd lived, with a smile on his lips.

For Ambessa, the fearsome general who'd won a hundred battles, this was the first true defeat. But she'd not wept, or wailed, or rent her hair. She'd only kissed Aziz's forehead, and smoothed his lids shut. Then, with a composure born of pure iron, she'd ordered his body laid out onto a wooden funeral bier, and floated out to sea, before it was set ablaze in the Targonian custom with five dozen flaming arrows.

When the sun had set, and the smoke had dissipated, she'd hefted her scimitar and turned her eyes to the horizon.

There are a thousand and one ways a Medarda avenges a slight.

Aziz's mistress would learn them all.

And soon.

Ambessa's troops had cornered the woman, in a tiny port town along the southern coast. By then, she'd spent every last coin she'd stolen from her dead lover, and had nothing left to offer in her defense. Not that coin would've made a difference. When Ambessa, flanked by her honor-guard, arrived at the tavern where her quarry was hiding, there'd been no mercy, and no negotiation. The woman, bound and gagged, was dragged to the center of town, and flung at the feet of her former benefactress.

"For my Schatze," Ambessa had vowed, "I'll make this slow."

And she did.

In front of the entire town, she'd cut out the woman's tongue, and plucked out her eyes. She'd hacked her fingers and her toes. She'd flayed her skin, and slit open her chest. And as the woman's life bled out, Ambessa had at last carved out her heart.

It was, in its ghastly way, a fitting recompense.

In the years afterward, Ambessa had grown harder. More ruthless. The light that once shone in her eyes—that strange, fierce light, whenever she'd looked at her husband—had flickered, and faded away. She'd gone on to wage numberless wars. She'd had lovers by the score. She'd built a legacy, and an empire.

But her husband, she never replaced.

Schatze.

She'd still call him that, whenever she reminisced. The endearment was its own admission; the sentiment, its own confession.

Ambessa Medarda did not marry for love. But she'd loved, and lost, nonetheless.

Schatze.

Mel, in the heart of herself, knows the word. It is worth its weight in gold—and the poorest possible investment. Men, as a rule, are faithless. Even the ones who seem, in the sunlight, like perfect princelings. And sharks, as a law, never stop swimming. Even if the water's blue for miles.

To trust one is to invite hurt. And to trust the other is to invite teeth.

Mel knows the price of a life-bitten heart.

And yet, in the depths of passion, she trusts Silco with hers.

Because, in the afterglow, languid and spent, she sometimes calls him Schatze, too.

#arcane #arcane league of legends #arcane silco #silco #forward but never forget/xoxo #forward (never forget)/xoxo #arcane mel #mel medarda #arcane ambessa #ambessa medarda #melco #silco x mel #mal de mer #snippet #tw: violence #tw: gore

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obetrolncocktails · 1 year

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Karma Sutra | Sam Kiszka X Reader | Part 2

Warnings: Alcohol use, mentions of drug use and drug related injury, mention of death and grief, grossly-sweet fluff. Minors DNI, this series will contain smut.

Work Count: 4.3K

A/N: This is a longer one, folks. As I was editing and making some changes, I realized how much I missed this fic and how much I love it. I hope you guys do as well.

Summary: Is he really as terrible as everyone says he is? The only way to find out is to dive right in. Hopefully you don't end up regretting it.

“What?” His eyes squinted and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at you. Nevermind, I spoke too soon. Sam bent closer to you, which suspended your breath immediately. You gulped.

“I said, how are you not deaf with all this noise?” He grinned, tracing his gaze from your eyes down to your lips and back up again. “Honey, I am in a band–this is nothing.” He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair, shaking his head left and right, dismissing your silly thought.

You made your way with him through the house, weaving through a sea of drunken students. Entering the kitchen, there was an endless assortment of cheap liquor, wine and beer. “Now or never. White or brown?” Sam gestured to the bottles. “Don’t mix them. You’ll end up on someone’s bathroom floor.”

“I can handle my liquor, but thank you,” you replied with an edge in your voice, but he didn’t seem to care. “White–I’ll do some tequila.” He nodded his head with enthusiasm, grinning as he poured two shots for you and himself.

“That’s my girl!” Coming around the kitchen island, he handed you a miniature solo cup. “Cheers!” You decided to inquire, trying your best to flirt.

“What’s the occasion?” You asked. He cocked an eye your way.

“Just to new adventures, and no hangovers.”

You smiled, tapping your cup against his and again on the countertop before emptying it. “Cheers!” He easily knocked back the shot without exaggerated expression. You paused and watched him. “Y/N,” He points loosely at your full cup. “You’re supposed to drink it–that’s how alcohol works.” Rolling your eyes with a cheeky grin, you fire back.

“Really? I had no idea!” You threw the shot back in an attempt to impress him. Your eyes watered and your throat burned, but you steeled yourself. You forced your face to remain neutral. “Wow, I am impressed–a woman who can take her liquor.” Sam took his plastic shot glass and aimed for the trash can at the other side of the island, but missed. “Shit–let me see yours.” handing out your empty cup, his fingers brushed against yours as he took it from you. This time, he made it directly in the can. Walking over, he bent and picked up the previous failed attempt, disposing of it as well.

“Ping pong?” You suddenly blurted, peering beyond the kitchen into the dining room which had been converted into a makeshift game room.

“Yeah–you play?” you nod.

“I do–well, I did. I kinda had an obsession with it freshman year of high school. My best friend had a pingpong table in her garage. We spent hours playing every day after school.” You turned to him with a shrug. “Let’s just say I’m a veteran.”

He placed his hands back in his pockets, leaning against the counter. “You couldn’t beat me, though. They call me The Master.” He bats his dark eyelashes in feigned innocence. You release a chuckle through your incredulity.

“Very creative, did your mom come up with that?” He grimaced at you before pushing himself off of the counter.

“Say what you want sweetheart, but I am cutthroat–and a pretty girl is no exception for a worthy opponent.” he lifted your chin with a curled pointer finger, beckoning your eyes to meet his. Your cheeks flamed, and every sinapse begged you to look away from him. Tilting your head back down with determination, you countered him.

“You’re on, Jackass.” Sam reached his hand out for you to take.

“Loser buys lunch.” Your heart fluttered. A date?

Shaking his hand, you simply answered with a nod, “lunch.”

The room was crowded with people, many of which were cheering on the players at the table. “Aye, Sam!” Christian came from around the table to embrace Sam.

“Hey man, what’s the score?” Sam absently reached up to stroke the stubble on his chin. You heard the repetitive din as ping pong balls and paddles collided, lulling you into dissociation as Sam and Christian conversed with one another.

“8-7, close game,” Christian answers. “They are so crossfaded, I am surprised they are upright, let alone playing fucking ping-pong.” They laughed, watching the game progress.

“You know Y/n, right?” Sam gestured to you and back at his friend. Christian smiled at you, tipping his head in greeting as if he were wearing a hat.

“Friends with Paige Gilbert, right?” He asked. You nodded kindly.

“Yeah, we were roommates for a few years before I decided to move off campus. She’s my best friend.” A quiet moment passed before Sam cut through the awkwardness. Wrapping an arm around your shoulder, he continued. “So, Y/n challenged me to a game of ping pong and I told her she has no chance of winning.” Christian nodded and shook his finger, pointing at sam.

“He is a fucking animal. He plays dirty–Good luck. Make sure he doesn’t cheat–he’s good at that.” Sam’s face went ashen for a moment but he covered it immediately, clearing his throat. “Alright man, I’ma head out. Gotta be up at six for work.” Christian glanced back at you, offering you both a salute before winking at Sam and leaving the room. What was that? Sam sensed your confusion, watching you and clearing his throat again. The room suddenly erupted in cheers, catching both of you off-guard.

“Fuck yeah!” Todd slammed his paddle on the table before jumping up and down, knocking into other partygoers.

“Better luck next time buddy,” Sam mentioned to Ben, the unfortunate loser of the evening. Ben offered half of a smile to him before throwing a wadded up twenty on the table. “Don’t spend it on blow–” he retorted at Todd, making a display while wiping at his nose before chuckling. “Like you wouldn’t join me if I did.” The pair parted ways, leaving the table open for another game.

“Well, Y/n, it’s been nice knowing you–prepare for annihilation. Red or blue?” Sam lifted both paddles at either side of his face for you to choose from.

“Blue, and you know these paddles don’t just work for hitting ping pong balls, right,” you said, grabbing the paddle and slicing it across your throat in the classic ‘throat slitting’ gesture, wearing a massive grin as you did so. You had to find a way to keep up with his cockiness somehow.

“Wow, Y/n, threatening physical violence–that’s really cruel.” The flirting tossed your insides like a game of squash. It made you feel desirable and sexy. “Alright, you two–first to ten wins the match. Heads or tails?” Ken asked Sam to start the game.

“Tails,” Sam answered. With a quick flip of the thumb, the coin spun through the air and landed, revealing the winning face.

“Tails. Opening serve goes to you, my man.” Ken Harding told Sam. He was the quarterback of the football team, who had been serving as referee for the night, albeit, a very bad one. Considering the lengths that players have gone to win tonight, you might as well have called him an emcee. Sam served the ball to you lightly, which you were appreciative of. You had no idea how the game was going to go–you hadn’t played in years. You smacked the ball back on his side, moving your body with the trajectory of the ball. With a deft flick of the wrist, he slammed the ball back to your side, bouncing it on the playing field. Before you could hit it back, it bounced behind the table, earning a deflated “Oh,” from the crowd surrounding the table. Your serve. Alright, Y/N, don’t fuck it up, you told yourself. With quick agility, you fired the ball to Sam’s side, making him work for the point. The ball rallied back and forth, hitting your paddles in quick succession. Ah, now I remember. You started taking risks with your play. Timing your paddle, you struck the ball forward across your boundary and into Sam’s side, forcing him to jump backward in order to hit it back. He missed and it sprang directly into the net.

“POINT!” Ken bellowed, throwing a signifying arm in your direction. You threw up a fake gun, blowing the smoke from the barrel.

“Very cute, I’ll give you that.” Sam spun his paddle in his hand, waiting for your serve.

“What can I say? it comes naturally.” Sam nodded in agreement, pointing the paddle at you.

“You trying to beat me at my own game? I’m the one with the God complex, love.” Shaking your head, you served the ball to him, catching him off guard. Impressing you, he caught the rhythm with a fast reflex, knocking it back to you, sending the ball rallying once more.

Just as you prepared to score again, a collective gasp echoed throughout the house causing you to fumble your next return. Heads turned towards the front end of the house as the music shut off, leaving your ears ringing.

“What’s happening?” You asked Sam, who looked just as equally confused. He came around the table, grasping your hand and squeezing.

“I have no idea, but don’t go anywhere. I will be right back, Y/n.” You nodded as you watched Sam wade through the crowd, finding the head of the frat.

“Damien–Damien, what’s happening?” Sam approached him through the crowd.

“Someone took too much acid, tried to jump into the pool from the roof, and fell on their head. Police and ambulances are on the way now.” Sam’s expression intensified, his eyes widening.

Thanking Damien quickly, he rushed back through the panicked mass of people to find you. Taking your hand without taking a moment to explain, he pulled you out of the room and through the house toward the entrance.

“Sam,” you attempted, but he made no attempt to stop or listen. “Sam! Where are we going? What is happening?” He stormed through the crowd, shouting, “Move!” He elbowed his way through the room, shoving people left and right as he dragged you along. Within a few moments, you both arrived on the diamond-shaped lawn outside. You rubbed at your sore wrist as he released his grip from you.

“What the fuck, Sam? What’s Happening?” He threw an anxious hand through his hair.

“Someone got hurt –they just jumped off of the roof and landed on the pavement. They tripped on acid. From this house.” Sam pointed to the earth below you. “It’s not safe here. The police are on their way as we speak.” You gulped and nodded, feeling your gut swell with adrenaline. “Did you drive?” You shook your head.

“I got an Uber–I can order anot–” He cut you off immediately. “No. Let me drive you home.” You attempted to protest.

“Really, Sam. It’s no big deal. I’ll get home safe.” You tried to fight the nagging feeling of wanting him to care for you, but you forced yourself to believe that it was all temporary, fleeting fun. A moment.

“Y/n. Please. Let me.” He took your hand with a glimpse of tenderness that you had never seen from him. You nodded reluctantly, squeezing his hand slightly. He offered a thin smile, bringing you close to him as you walked together.

The night is frigid and you both found your lips and teeth chattering against the cold wind. Finding his car quickly, he jogged around to open your door for you. You couldn’t help but laugh as you lowered yourself into the Tesla. “What’s so funny?” he asked, closing his door and starting the engine.

“Your nipples are probably hard as a rock and you still open my door for me?” He eyed you with a sly grin.

“Mama didn’t raise a complete asshole.”

“Sam ‘Cocky’ Kiszka. That’s your reputation.” He placed a hand behind your headrest as he peered behind you to back out of the tight space.

“A reputation doesn’t always accurately reflect someone’s character, Y/n. You should know that.” He emphasized the word ‘you,’ which almost seemed accusatory.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” You snapped back at him, turning your body towards him as he drove.

He shrugged. “People think you’re quiet. Inexperienced. Sheltered. That you don’t have a personality.” His eyes found yours in short glances before turning his attention back to the road ahead. “But you’re fiery and opinionated. Strong. I like that.” Your cheeks flamed from feeling so exposed. The silence in the car became overwhelming as you realized that no music was playing.

Music was your comfort blanket; It was always there for you in times when you couldn’t find an avenue to express yourself. In many ways, there was unconditional love between yourself and music. It never demanded more from you than it gave, and you could find exactly what you needed from it without judgment or concern. “What are you thinking about?” Sam cut through the silence as he drove. You turned to him, debating on whether you should be honest.

“Music.” You said simply, meeting his gaze.

“What about? Did you wanna play something?” Shit. I am going to sound pathetic. “Oh, no, I was just thinking that the silence feels strange. I never drive without music playing.” He smiled over the steering wheel as he approached a red light.

“Katy Perry? Ariana Grande? Oooh, T-Swift?” You scoffed and rolled your eyes playfully. “I would rather let you pour molten steel into my ears.” He flashed you a toothy grin.

“Ouch, sounds very painful.” He handed you his phone. “Let’s listen, then. Play something.” Suddenly, the hand of insecurity stole your smile. You didn’t share your music with others very often; you didn’t listen to popular music. You listened to what spoke to you, and you knew he’d have thoughts about it.

“Don’t judge,” You said as you scrolled through his Spotify account, typing in your information through the search bar, finding your go-to playlist. You pressed the shuffle button, landing on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me.” You considered skipping it, but it was one of your favorites, so you decided to listen anyway. Looking up, you saw Sam tapping the rhythm against the steering wheel, beginning the song.

“If you ever change your mind, about leavin’, leavin’ me behind, oh bring it to me, bring your sweet lovin’, bring it on home to me.” He sang the words quietly with a warm smile, glancing over to meet your gaze. “Sam Cooke- one of my all-time favorites. How did you know?” His eyes were kind, easing your worry.

“Growing up, my dad used to sing this song around the house on Saturday mornings when he would make breakfast for my family. It makes me feel closer to him.” You smiled in remembrance of him using a mop pole as a makeshift microphone, swinging back and forth as bacon popped and sizzled in the pan. “Dad, you’re going to burn the bacon!” You shouted between giggles, watching the personal show from the breakfast nook at the back of the kitchen. You suddenly ached for him, wishing for one more burnt piece of bacon and one more morning filled with his music. You noticed Sam’s expression intensifying, not sure what to say. “My dad passed away six years ago–sudden heart attack.” His expression softened as he reached over to grab your hand softly as he drove.

“I’m sorry, Y/n. I had no idea.” You offered him a light smile, shaking your head.

“It’s okay–I don’t talk about it very often, so I listen to his music instead.” He nodded, reaching up to flip his hair back–a habit of his that was becoming somewhat comforting to you. You let the song play out softly, the sound of the highway lulling the moment somewhat.

“Can I show you something?” He asked, his glassy eyes meeting yours for an answer. The two of you had been driving aimlessly for a while, driving down the main strip of town away from school.

“Of course.” John Denver’s “Annie’s song” began to play softly. The melody that you knew so well always found its way back to you, comforting you.

“And Denver? Where have you been all of my life, Y/n?” Sam chuckled, swaying to the lilting melody. You chuckled as he asked.

“Listening to good music, I guess. I’m a rare individual–I’m different.” You spent time leaking sarcasm through your words. A grin too wide for your face spread, causing your cheeks to cramp.

Fuck-I could kiss her. She’s beautiful. Sam struggled to keep his eyes on the road, lost in his own thoughts. You couldn’t help but steal glances at his features, spending perhaps a bit too long admiring the softness of his lips. Street lamps sliced beams through the windshield in natural rhythm as he drove. You pressed your head against your window, feeling the chill prickle your skin with goosebumps. Your eyes began to loll closed as “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor started to play.

A few minutes later, you felt Sam’s hand softly nudging you awake. “Hey sleepy head, we’re here.” You straightened in your seat, finding yourself in a dark parking lot. There were many darkened shops, all closed for the evening.

“Sam, where are we?” He turned off the car’s ignition and turned to you in his seat.

“You’ll see. Come on.” He found his way back to your side, opening your door.

“You’re not gonna murder me and leave me in a dumpster somewhere, are you?” In truth, you were a little concerned; there was virtually no light in this parking lot.

“On the first night I really got to know you? Come on, I’d wait until at least the second date. I’m not a sleaze.” You snorted, stepping out of the car and shutting the door. He held out his hand for you to take. “You’re safe. I work here in exchange for practice time.” You had no idea what he was talking about, but you walked with him anyway, enjoying the way your fingers laced together so naturally. You made your way to one of the glass storefronts. You tried your best to look inside, but the darkness obscured what was behind the glass. Sam dropped his hand from yours to reach into his pocket for his keys. Unlocking the door, he held it open for you to enter, a collection of bells tinkling above your heads. His fingers drifted upward to the lightswitch on the wall to his left. It was obvious that he had memorized its placement because he didn't need to see it to find it. You squinted as the room blinded you with incandescent overhead lighting, revealing the contents of the store. Pianos. Dozens of them of all age, size and color.

Sam tilted his head down, eyes fixed on yours as you took in the sight. “Welcome to possibly my favorite place on Earth.” He paused for a long moment as you both scanned the room. “My boss lets me use this place to practice as a trade off for pulling extra hours during the week.” You nodded and took a few steps further into the room, its vastness spanning further and further. A vast record collection lined the walls, stacked within towering milk crates that seemed to wrap along every open space around the perimeter of the store. “When I need time away, I come here.” He pointed to a large mahogany Steinway & Sons piano that sat in the middle of the room. “This one is my favorite to play. Made in 1914.” The piano was remarkable; it was the centerpiece of the store, beckoning musicians of all kinds to play. You enjoyed the way Sam spoke about his art, and though you had never heard him play, you were fully invested.

“Sam, this place is amazing. How do you not live here?” His cheeks blushed slightly as he listened to you speak.

“You’d be surprised. I am here more often than I’m at home. I’m surprised there aren’t ass marks worn into that piano bench.” You grinned, and watched the same expression snake across his lips. He took your hand softly. “Come, let me see if I can pull something out of my ass.”

You took his lead, approaching the piano before taking a seat beside him. “I’m sure anything you play will sound better than anything I could. I could do a kick ass rendition of “Mary Had A little Lamb,” though. I’m not sure you’re ready for that type of humbling.” You couldn’t help but grin so large that your cheeks hurt. Sam placed his hand on your thigh, leaning into you.

“You could play anything for me and I’d still tell you that it was the best thing I had ever heard.” His smile melted you like you had sworn it wouldn’t, cracking at the guarded exterior that you wore so well. “Anyway, here’s a little something that I am working on.” You placed your hands in your lap, preparing to listen.

Sam took a moment to close his eyes, centering himself upon the keys. He began to play, fingers flying gracefully across the keys. He was so focused and diligent that you couldn’t help but feel hypnotized by his expression; he was lost within the music, possibly even forgetting that you were sitting next to him. The piano was his true lover; he treated each note with respect and dignity, caressing each key with care and importance. His eyebrows rose and lowered with the swell of the music, carrying him into the thin boundary between simply sitting at the piano beside you and hovering somewhere else, a place that transcended time, worry or circumstance. For reasons you couldn’t understand, a lump sprung in your throat and your eyes began to burn with overwhelming emotion. Get it together, what is wrong with you?

You had decided. You wanted him to see you in that same way; to desire you, to want you the way he wanted music. You wanted him. His eyebrows furrowed together and his mouth opened slightly. His features pulled taut, his expression almost akin to an orgasm, which sent flames lapping upon your neck and cheeks. You averted your gaze, the embarrassment of your inner thoughts becoming far too loud for only you to be able to hear. His innate passion filled you with desire, clouding the simplicity of the moment; he was just playing a song. That’s all.

Eventually, he opened his eyes softly, finishing the melody with a delicate flourish. Bringing his gaze to you, he could see the stupefied expression plastered on your face. He brought his hands back to his lap, letting the silence linger in the room. “Um, that was something I guess.” He brought a hand up to fluff his hair, a mannerism you had become familiar with. Your eyes trained on the plushness of your lips, struggling to meet his gaze. You were silent for a moment.

“That was…so special, Sam. Really, Thank you.” He nodded, smiling. “Y/n, when are you going to call me Sammy?” You paused, caught off guard by the question.

“Well, you haven’t really given me a reason to.” You shrugged casually as you responded, noticing as the smile on his face fell into something more contemplative and nervous.

His glassy eyes traced the blush of your lips, biting at the corners of his mouth before bringing his gaze back up to meet your eyes once again. The desire for each other was palpable, there were no words to speak. In the silence, only one question lingered; one that could only be answered by his touch. You were drawn together, wordlessly answering the inevitable question. In a collision of frenzied senses, his lips skimmed yours with ponderous reluctance, a surprise to you. You nodded slightly in consent and dissolved into his kiss, your thoughts silently scattering the word “yes” over and over. Parting your lips, you let him wash over you completely. He tasted of tobacco and tequila; his hot breath swirled upon your skin, consuming you with desire. The roughness of his beard rubbed against your chin and cheeks, destined to leave proof of his touch. He brought you closer, his fingers guiding your chin up to his, beckoning for you to pursue him. Your heads curved in a languid dance, searching and finding each other each time. You unfurled yourself within the kiss, releasing all reluctance within the security of his embrace. Leaning further into him, you laced your arms around his neck, grabbing at his dark waves.

He reciprocated without hesitance, pulling you into him. His hands made their way to your face, thumbs caressing the softness of your cheeks. The silence of the room transformed into the sound of swarming bees inside your head, obscuring your senses, leaving you only able to process the feeling of his touch, and the overwhelming sexual instinct blooming in your core. He seemed to search for something within your kiss; a place to inhabit, a secret to know, a promise for more. He parted from the kiss, leaving you feeling stunned and breathless. Bringing his forehead to rest against yours, still so close in the embrace, he whispered with a simple smile, “Hi, my name is Sammy. Nice to meet you.” He traced a thumb against the softness of your smile.

“Well, Sammy. You’re a very good kisser.” Bending to kiss you once more, he sealed the moment.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”

End of Part 2.

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butterfrogmantis · 6 months

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ARRRRRR YA READY KIDS?

Well, it happened. I got attached to the pirate crew and then other people got attached to the pirate crew and now we have a small crew! (with more potentials from other people I just had to put a cap on it yesterday)

Captain Bluebeard (Born: Blueblood Smurf) was the son of wealthy noblesmurfs who were murdered by pirates. As an adolescent he joins a sailing crew which is then plundered by pirates, and he’s given the option to die or join their side. He switches for fear of his life and spends years at sea as a pirate, until his ship is captured by Navy Smurfs. Blueblood narrowly escapes his execution and goes on to continue a life of piracy, having gotten a taste for it. He serves as the first mate aboard the ship that murdered his parents until overthrowing the captain, which is where he earns his title (and by now in his 400’s, his impressive beard, which becomes his new name and symbol).

Bluebeard starts a new crew under the name of “The Devil’s Sarsaparilla”

Bluebeard is … powerful man. Ruthless and merciless to his enemies and fiercely protective of his crew, essentially. He’s no stranger to high sea battles or negotiations or the ‘persuasion’ of Navy secrets via unscrupulous methods but he’s also a surprisingly fair boss and the crew, in return, are loyal to him which is how he maintains such a strong position.

Cutthroat was a pirate aboard the first ship Bluebeard was part of, but he’d traded ships before it was captured. Bluebeard knows him to be a cunning Smurf and good fighter and invited him on, and Cutthroat is honoured at the chance to be his first mate and lord his positon of authority over the rest of the crew (something Cutthroat loves to gloat about). An arguably even more bloodthirsty man than even the captain, Cutthroat has no patience for the shenanigans of the crewmen and delights in reporting Scallywag’s antics to Bluebeard so he may ‘deliver suitable punishment’.

Another weird thing to note about Cutthroat is that his stance on relationships often times comes across as extremely ‘holier than thou’ and very much into ‘marriage before anything’ and can be borderline homophobic, despite the fact he’s so clearly in love with Bluebeard in some other sense of the word. (This is the character that’s lowkey just a mockery of a certain someone’s stuff to make Cutthroat seem nonsensical to the other character’s and even more ruthless and also his descendant Brainy is gay so ya boo sucks to him). Note this ONLY applies to Cutthroat, Bluebeard himself doesn’t really care what his crew are into as long as they’re good pirates and whilst I can’t speak for other people’s ocs Swashbuckler is … well idk but he’s straightn’t so he takes extra delight in helping Scallywag hide a lobster in Cutthroat’s pillow.

Cookie … really should not be on a pirate ship? Note it’s possible she has a nature name but the crew call her Cookie after her speciality biscuits. She’s a sweetheart and despite the plundering’s of her crewmate remains as such. There’s rumours she’s the aunt of one of the men who was just like ‘yeah ik we’re pirates but she’ll turn the nasty slop we’ve been eating into a 5 star meal’ so Bluebeard was just like ‘eh’ and Cookie became the ship’s mom. That’s not to say she doesn’t have her own secrets …

@chaoticsimp15's bean Herbalist! A transmasc pioneer of natural medicines and a worthy adversary to the ship where cuts and stab wounds are plentiful. Herbalist lost an arm to amputation following a poisoning and despite run ins with other dangerous plants like the kind that almost took his eye, has developed an interest in them and his knowledge of healing herbs makes him a well-respected member aboard the ship, who even Cutthroat has to give some level of respect after having his life saved a couple times.

@coconuttyglittersmurf 's bean Anne! (Queen Anne's Lace) Dreamt of a life of piracy and ran away to join a crew. Bluebeard may have been dubious about her apparent naivety at first but Anne shows good prowess with a sword, dedication and loyalty, all things Bluebeard needs and he’s an equal opportunity employer (diversity win, the murderous pirate is a feminist) and I think perhaps Cookie would become fond of her :)

@schtroumpfalunettes’s bean Rosemary! Became friends with Anne (Anne Bonny and Mary Read parallel) and joins as another buccaneer. Highly enthusiastic, cuts down enemies with glee. I see a scene of Bluebeard standing there in the back watching her go ham on a rival pirate boat and being like ‘dang glad she be me crew’

@a-doodling-tanuki 's bean! Scallywag :) As described by them, Scally was picked up from a pirate wreckage where they thought he was a smurfling and would make a good cabin boy, only to realise he was in fact an adult of diminutive stature, so Scally became a steward instead (general cleaning and maintenance of the ship, often works under Cookie as a sous chef) Best friend and fellow fun-haver with Swashbuckler, often scolded and told off by Cutthroat and Bluebeard and forced to mop the decks as punishment.

The man of the hour; Swashbuckler (cheering noises). Swashbuckler had been a cabin boy and sailor on merchant ships as a child, but after the death of his father he turned to piracy in order to steal medications for his younger sister who suffered with a weakened immune system. Swashbuckler loved the freedom and loot piracy brought and less so the plunder and murder – he was a good hearted Smurf and a lover of jokes, but he was also an excellent swordsman and a fierce opponent in a duel. It was perhaps his youthful ego and lack of experience that ultimately cost him.

Skelly’s sister! I’ve decided not to name her since that’s kind of a key part of the lore of Skelly not remembering, F. But since Skelly remembers seeing her in his dreams & she’s Tuffy’s direct ancestor, I can * certainly * design her >:)

+ Uncensored death art

Bluebeard, Cutthroat, Cookie, Swashbuckler and his sister are mine

Other oc's are tagged above!

Franchise and descendants (c) The Smurfs

#the smurfs #smurfs #BFM oc: Skelly #technically #cw blood #cw death #pirates #lets call this hmmmm #pirate BV

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princess-of-the-corner · 5 months

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Toontown: Corporate Clash Recap: Fishing

Every Toon-controlled area in the game (not counting event-exclusive neighborhods) has at least one fishing pond.

Fishing is in fact a beloved past-time of the Toons.

In order to fish, all you have to do is step onto one of the docks at the fishing pond. Toons use Jellybeans as bait, but you have 45 seconds to cast your line. The timer resets every time you cast your line, but letting time run out will boot you off the pier.

In order to catch a fish, you have to click on your Toon and pull back. The further back you pull, the farther your Toon will cast the reel.

How do you catch fish?

In every pond, there are a few bubbling shadows that move about the water. If this shadow comes in contact with your bobber, you’ll automatically reel in a fish, an old boot, or a jar of Jellybeans.

Jellybean Jars automatically add more Jellybeans to your personal jar, old boots are thrown out, and fish are added to your bucket.

If you talk to a Fisherman or a Pet Shop Clerk with fish in your bucket, you can sell all of the fish in your bucket for Jellybeans.

However, there’s an additional twist: Bingo.

That’s right, when you go fishing, you’re ALSO playing Bingo! The Bingo card depicts all of the fish you could possibly catch in the pond, and reeling in a fish allows you to cover that square. (The center is always a free space that is automatically claimed, even in Bingo variants where that is useless.) Old Boost, meanwhile, are wildcards that can be used to tick off ANY box.

If you win before the Bingo Card runs out, you can click the “Bingo” button to earn you and EVERYONE fishing at the same pond as you some Jellybeans.

That said, there are some variants:

Classic: Mark out a row, column, or diagonal to win.

Four Corners: Mark out all four corners of the Bingo Card to win.

Crossout: Mark out a + sign to win.

Diagonals: Mark out the diagonals to win.

Tea Time: Make a T-shape on the board.

Three Way: Mark the diagonals and middle row to win.

Perimeter: Mark out the outer edges to win.

Blockout: Get every single space in order to win.

Bingo is played cooperatively, as Bingo Cards are per-pond rather than per-Toon. However, only fish caught DURING the current game will allow you to mark off spaces. You can’t “bank” fish from one round to the next. You are ONLY prompted to mark off a space immediately after catching a fish.

Oh yeah, and every cast of your line costs Jellybeans (you ARE using Jellybeans as bait, after all), and better rods have more expensive casts. However, you NEED those better rods in order to catch heavier fish and bigger Jellybean Jars.

Speaking of, all fish species fall under one of the following categories:

Balloon Fish: Red balloons with fins, their faces are the part you tie.

Cat Fish: Round fish with cat ears, cat faces, and whiskers.

Clown Fish: Fish in clown outfits.

Frozen Fish: Shivering, blue fish encased in ice.

Star Fish: Elvis-impersonating stars with faces.

Holey Mackerel: A fish full of holes.

Dog Fish: Fish with dog ears, dog faces, and slobbering tongues.

Amore Eel: Pink eels that curls into a heart shape.

Nurse Shark: A shark in a nurse costume who’s endlessly trying to contact a “Dr. White”.

King Crab: a crustacean in royal regalia, holding a scepter in one of his pincers and wearing a crown atop its head.

Moon Fish: Astronut Fish with a Corporate Clash flag.

Sea Horse: Non-anthropomorphic horse in scuba gear.

Pool Shark: A shark who’s ready to play pool, complete with the pool stick thing.

Bear Acuda: a non-anthropomorphic bear in scuba gear.

Cutthroat Trout: Fish in a pirate outfit.

Piano Tuna: Fish with a massive mouth full of piano keys instead of teeth.

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish: A PB&J sandwich with stinging tentacles.

Devil Ray: A red stingray with devil horns who cackles maniacally when reeled in.

Individual fish species are also sorted into the following rarities (from most to least common):

Cod Do Better

Common

Finteresting

Rare

Very Rare

Reel-y Rare

Trouta this World

You’re Pirahna Roll!

The following fish species can be found at any pond:

Balloon Fish

Hot Air Balloon Fish

Cat Fish

Clown Fish

Sad Clown Fish

Party Clown Fish

Star Fish

Five Star Fish

Rock Star Fish

Shining Star Fish

All Star Fish

Holey Makeral

Dog Fish

Puppy Dog Fish

Amore Eel

Nurse Shark

King Crab

Sea Horse

Rocking Sea Horse

Pool Shark

Cutthroat Trout

Piano Tuna

PB&J Fish

Grape PB&J FIsh

Strawberry PB&J Fish

Devil Ray

The following, meanwhile, are exclusive to only a few ponds, including the Estate’s pond:

Tabby Cat Fish

Tom Cat Fish

Bull Dog Fish

Hot Dog Fish

Dalmatian Dog Fish

Electric Amore Eel

Clydesdale Sea Horse

Arabian Sea Horse

Heavier fish are worth more fishing experience when caught, and you earn achievements for every 10 unique fish species you discover.

Uniquely, the first 6 fishing achievements reward fishing experience IN ADDITION to Toon Experience.

The Fishing Level Cap is 70. You can purchase larger buckets every 8 levels (Your default bucket holds 20 Fish and the largest holds 100), and you unlock new fishing rods at Levels 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60. It’s suggested for players to priortize fishing rods over buckets due to how pricey buckets can be for very little pay-off beyond saved time. Starting with your default rod and going up in quality:

Cardboard (1 bean per cast)

Twig (2 beans per cast)

Bamboo (3 beans per cast)

Hardwood (4 beans per cast)

Steel (5 beans per cast)

Gold (6 beans per cast)

Platinum (7 beans per cast)

You can change your rod at any time from the “items” page of your Shticker Book, and you can view what species you’ve encountered from the “Activities” page, along with fish currently in your bucket.

And now, let’s see what’s next:

Trolley Games

Minigame Area

Estate

Fishing

Cogs and Buildings

Social Activity

G.U.M.B.A.L.L. Machine

Toon Levels

Huh… Looks like next time, we can begin our tour of Toontown Central.

That’s a lot of fish! But sounds less frustrating than most fishing games lmao

#submission

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jones-friend · 10 months

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With Commander Masters dropping I thought it’d be fun to dig deep and go back to when I first started playing and some commanders people ran.

You probably remember Sygg River Cutthroat, the dimir legendary from the rogue deck. Here’s his more pleasant self! A merfolk saboteurs deck in azorius. This means you find lots of ways to get combat damage for value, with merfolk the easiest way is make someones land an island and start swinging. Protection helps with combat, stops targeting, and prevents red board wipes!

Heroic was in the original Theros block, a mechanic that rewards you for casting spells that target a creature. This is a deck that turns that one spell into an anthem and trample for your field! The trample enabling is especially juicy, and there’s a number of relevant cards in boros like Boros Charm and Temur Battle Rage.

Lazav 1.0 is probably my favorite commander when it comes to milling. He’s entirely fair: he’s only as strong as what your opponents run and he punishes building with bomb mythics over synergy. Discard, kill, and mill all trigger him. Retaining Hexproof is nutty too when you get something indestructible. He’s a fantastic minigame that continues as you forward your mill.

Varolz is a card I can never remember the spelling of. He uses a mechanic called Scavenge: exile a creature card from your gy and pay its cost, put that many +1/+1 counters on your dude. There are tons of low mana creatures with stipulations like Death’s Shadow and Lupine Prototype that fit the bill, giving you a super unique counters build. His sacrifice for regenerate means nothing short of exile, -X/-X, or bounce is gonna remove him all tied up in a useful 3 drop.

Rosheen Meanderer funnee. You have green and can go absolutely nutso with ramp letting you go absolutely nutso with your X costing spells. And having a commander give you 4 extra mana towards them can do a whole lot. There is the sultai hydra X cost commander from Ikoria, but this lets you use burn as a strategy.

Jori En is the best izzet commander no one uses. The idea is simple: cast two spells a turn for a card. Jori En draws me So Many Cards each game its unbelievable. I’m casting two spells on my turn, on your turn, on the next turn. This is letting Talrand make a shitton of drakes. Lots of token generation in this build, its very fun.

Orzhov is usually known for its sacrifice but what about its flicker? Triad of Fates allows you to start fate countering yours and your opponents stuff, its slow so you’ll need untap effects to get good use out of it. Their second ability allows you to remove your opponents’ stuff or draw off your own!

Lyzolda allows you a sac outlet in the command zone and draws off your sacrifices if they have black. That’s in conjunction to the test of your synergy. The 2 damage on red sac isn’t bad either, using it on small drops is great, and equipping her with Basilisk Collar for deathtouch and lifelink goes a long way.

In the before days wotc used to print lots of different kinds of products besides standard, edh, and masters sets. Krond comes from the second planechase set, a selesnya auras build. I love that mana cost, its so juicy. Something that 100% supports devotion tech in either color. Vigilance also makes him a great mid to late game drop and that you don’t have to connect, you just have to swing to exile is huge. Great base stats and keywords before enchanting makes him a monster for voltron or in an auras build.

One of the best yet simplest simic commanders, Zegana becomes one more bigger than your highest power creature then you draw that many cards. A perfect play after you’ve established your field and ran out of hand. Works for counters, sea monsters, general ramp builds, Zegana provides you with a beater and gets you back in the game with card draw.

While I wanted to stay in two color there’s two special mentions I wanted to touch on. Everyone knows Alesha and Tasigur but they were two cards of a cycle. Shu Yun pairs so well with new Narset, after Narset free casts you pay two to give something double strike. If you pick Shu Yun thats two prowess triggers and he’s a 6/4 double striker.

Yasova has interesting tech for power matters. For 3 you can steal a smaller dude for combat. Yasova herself has trample making buffing her worthwhile, and in temur colors this can be turned around into a fun power matter strategy with buffs, doublers, etc.

#Mtg #edh #commander #buy singles not sealed

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the-arcade-doctor · 3 months

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Violet Seas AU!

Screech - a sea monster who fit in with humanity as the Screeching Captian of his rotting vessel, The Violet Death, Screech spreads a curse that eats at flesh and stuff and turns corpses purple JOTA - robotic pirate with the bloodlust of blackbeard himself Jotette - a siren, made with the same haunted mechanisms Jay's a dead kid who died at sea, as a sacrifice to the Screeching Captain of the Violet Death jay has a tattered hood and his 87 is like a bird skull turned to it's side he sings songs to anyone willing to listen some say, late at night, you can still hear his song also jay runs a tavern the cade crew is a band of thieves The Cutthroat Crew -the most feared band of pirates, their boat is almost.. alive (possesed by jay) the tavern is in the lower decks and it glows green due to ghost powers

#cade crew #au #text doctor

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novemberhope · 6 days

Note

🌹 (wip thingy)

This is in reference to this post

Please remember to specify which character to include if you want someone specific.

To the person that recently suggested Azura (she has earned the name Cutthroat Swordstress here since many of the characters are known by certain names) should join Cross Guild, I'm still not at that point in the manga (but I'm getting there hehe) but I felt like writing a few lines about it wouldn't hurt.^^

"Are you seriously trying to recruit me for that little club of yours, Crocodile?" Azura asked, throwing the former Warlord of the Sea a stunned look. "What could possibly make me want to ally myself with the likes of Buggy the Clown?"

A hint of amusement crossed Crocodile's face. "Ah, Azura, you misunderstand. Buggy is merely a figurehead to divert the attention away from the rest of us. Cross Guild is not lead by him."

"Cross Guild?" Azura raised an eyebrow.

"An organization you, with your nearly unparalleled swordsmanship and your animosity towards the Marines, would be a valuable asset to," Crocodile explained.

Azura's eyes narrowed. "So you need what? More funding?" she replied.

"I can assure you, we have more than enough funding - although I guess more never hurts. But I know your history, my dear. You became a Warlord of the Sea for a reason. What are your plans now that you're back to being just one of many pirates, hunted down mercilessly by the Marines? How are you going to get your revenge now?"

A flicker of doubt crossed Azura's face. That was the question, wasn't it? She had been so close to reach her goal but the decision to dissolve the warlord system had thrown her right back at the starting point. Sure, she had an excellent crew and a fine ship and and enough money and influence to live a good live on sea, and she was clever and cunning and cutthroat enough to not get caught by the Marines, but... she never wanted a good life at sea. She didn't even care much for finding the One Piece, although she wasn't, of course, opposed to that either. What she really wanted was the world government to burn for what they had done to her parents all those years ago. But... Crocodile? Mihawk? Buggy, of all people... Could she trust them? Pirate alliances usually ended in betrayal. If she was going to do this, she would have to be one step ahead of everyone all the time.

"Your goals may currently align with mine, Crocodile," Azura said cautiously, "but I have no interest in working under that buffoon, Buggy."

"Rest assured, Azura," Crocodile said smoothly. "Buggy is merely a decoy. If you agree, you'll be working with Mihawk and me."

Despite her doubts, Azura found herself intrigued. Cross Guild presented an opportunity to strike hard a blow against the government. Could she even afford not to take the opportunity? She had worked with Mihawk before and trusted him slightly more than Crocodile. Still... it was risky for sure.

But then again, these days, what wasn't?

"Very well, Crocodile," Azura finally said. "I will join your organization. But know this, I will not play second fiddle to you or Mihawk. If I join, I will have my say in how things are to be run. And I will not tolerate any betrayal. And please, do keep that clown away from me."

Crocodile smiled, a menacing glint in his eyes. "I have expected nothing less from the Cutthroat Swordstress."

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themculibrary · 6 days

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Pirate AU Masterlist

A Dreadful Bond (ao3) - jobrker (grazziella) T, 4k

Summary: After his friend, Lady Michelle is captured by a band of pirates, Peter Parker confronts the infamous pirate captain, Tony Stark. The captain isn't willing to aid him, but Peter has a secret. Captain Stark is his father.

and a bottle of rum (ao3) - starkly G, 1k

Summary: Lieutenant Anthony Stark never expected to be fished out of the water by pirates after his ship sank in a storm, but life has a way of taking highly unexpected routes.

A Pirate's Life For Me (ao3) - Summer_Sunflower steve/bucky G, 1k

Summary: Steve thought it was surprisingly easy to capture the infamous pirate Captain James Barnes.

Turns out, it wasn't actually that easy.

Cutthroats, ViIlains, and Scoundrels (ao3) - glitchmalfunctioned, ransomdrysdale, SpecialHell steve/bucky, sam/bucky, m'baku/sam T, 25k

Summary: Pirate Captain James Barnes gets more than he bargained for when he takes prisoner Steve Rogers into his protection. The Captain is far from what Steve was expecting. Will the voyage to Wakanda (and some meddling from James' friend Sam Wilson) push them closer together?

Hoist a Black Flag (ao3) - Kangofu_CB clint/bucky E, 11k

Summary: “What if,” Barton said, “I offered to spare your men’s lives and your ship?”

“I accept,” Bucky said, resigned to his fate. He dropped the sword and fell to his knees.

“Excellent!” Barton said, and used the point of his sword to tip Bucky’s chin up and force him to meet his eyes. “What shall we do with you?”

After his best friend and captain goes missing on the high seas, Bucky Barnes finds himself taken captive by an all too captivating pirate.

just another (drop in the ocean) (ao3) - lincesque steve/tony, clint/phil T, 17k

Summary: Captain Steven Rogers of the Imperial Navy had one mission: to locate the notorious pirate ship, the Ironheart, and capture her mysterious captain, a man known only as ‘Tony’.

Let's To Sea (ao3) - Ginevra_Benci steve/tony T, 8k

Summary: Samuel Wilson, Lieutenant, Royal Navy, is the newest crewman aboard the Starry Shield. The famed pirate hunting vessel, captained by the famed Captain Rogers and locked these several years in eternal pursuit of the legendary Iron Captain, is... not what Sam expects.

The legendary Iron Captain, when Sam finally meets him, is even less so.

Life In Between Fighting (ao3) - Crematosis, holistic_alcoholic sam/steve T, 7k

Summary: “Did you see that guy?” Steve asks, still a little dazed, and turns to Bucky, who stops parrying the guards’ blows to look at Steve’s face with more attention.

After a second of consideration, Bucky changes his expression to a more familiar exasperation.

“Fuck my life,” he says, stabbing the guard who was attacking him from behind in the belly as an afterthought. “Was he even hot?”

There’s really no need to be that apprehensive about anyone Steve likes.

“He kicked the hangman in the guts,” Steve says with emotion. “And then he flew away.”

Loyalty Amongst Thieves (ao3) - whatyoufish G, 6k

Summary: “Call it what it is,” said Rogers. “A mutiny.”

Loki’s smile grew. “I’d prefer,” he said, “To call it an opportunity.”

(Being an adventure of the crew of the pirate ship Avenger)

Pirate's Heart (ao3) - NotEvenCloseToStraight bucky/steve/tony E, 267k

Summary: The 1700s, the Golden Age of Piracy, and Captain Steve Rogers has all he wants: a ship, a loyal crew, Bucky at his side, and the horizon offering a new adventure everyday. But an impulsive kiss gone wrong leads to a marriage between Steve and Tony Stark, and now Steve doesn't know what to do about ANYTHING.

Steve loves Bucky, but something about Tony draws him in. Tony is too innocent for this life, but he picks up a sword anyway. Bucky is Steve's, but when he offers his hand to Tony and now the three of them are something new.

When the truth about Steve's mission to ruin the Stark name comes out, Tony runs away, leaving Steve and Bucky behind in search of answers to the secrets hidden from him his whole life-- about his company, about Uncle Obie, about his parents death.

Steve and Bucky cant abandon their mission against Stane and Tony cant deal with the answers he finds in New York. Is this the end? Is Tony gone forever? Or will he leave his old life and return to the sea and the Pirates that hold his heart?

Tell No Tales (ao3) - NamelesslyNightlock loki/tony T, 4k

Summary: Whilst preparing for battle against the most feared pirate crew in the world, Tony cowardly and treasonously hopes that the pirates will escape– but it’s not himself that he’s scared for.

together, no more to move alone (ao3) - NoRationalThoughtRequired loki/sif M, 11k

Summary: “You’ll be at my right hand, of course. Captain Loki, my most trusted commander, in charge of the second-most-fearsome ship in the fleet.”

“What if we took a different path?” Loki asks. “The kind that allows us a certain, ah, freedom that the Royal Navy typically does not provide to its officers or its enlisted men.”

Or: After a secret about Loki's past destroys his naval career before it can even begin, he turns pirate. Lieutenant Sif must decide whether to keep their relationship clandestine forever, or join him as a co-captain of a pirate crew.

together undivided (forever we'll be free) (ao3) - mwestbelle steve/bucky M, 9k

Summary: As captain's clerk aboard Ocean's Shield, Steve Rogers is not the naval hero he hoped he would be. But when his ship comes across the dread ship Winter, everything changes.

twist me a crown of wind flowers (ao3) - powerfulowl (StuckyFlangst), StillTurningOut steve/bucky E, 27k

Summary: King George has taken the infamous Dread Pirate Rogers prisoner, but as a show of power allows his prisoner to roam free across the palace grounds. His son, Crown Prince James, finds himself strangely drawn the Pirate King, whom he keeps encountering in his favorite haunts, despite being appalled by his rumored exploits.

As Bucky discovers that perhaps all is not what it seems with Rogers, he also begins to question his father's actions. Does Bucky want to rule himself one day, or does he want something else?

Up In Flames (ao3) - STARSdidathing loki/tony T, 1k

Summary: Loki is a pirate, so when he wants something, he takes it. Luckily, Anthony Stark seems more than happy to become part of his crew.

we're really bad eggs (drink up, me 'earties) (ao3) - Anonymous steve/tony G, 8k

Summary: “Your compass is broken,” he calls, and Tony leans over the railing to look at Steve before frowning.

Steve watches him as he comes down the steps, and Steve holds out the compass for Tony to take, which is uncomfortable, since his hands are tied together in front of him.

“It’s not broken, you just don’t know how to use it,” Tony says as he approaches. “How the hell did you get-”

He stops, staring at the compass.

you, me, and the stars (ao3) - icymapletree G, 3k

Summary:

Peter Parker had a plan.

Firstly, find the least threatening pirate ship in the harbor. Then, hide in a small compartment on the ship and stay there until they were far enough from shore. Finally, steal one of the crew member’s clothes, and then blend in from there.

He didn’t anticipate getting locked in ship’s storage.

#themculibrary #masterlists #marvel #mcu #pirate au #pirate au masterlist

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princeoftrashy · 9 months

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I thought I'd introduce my main OCs! I mean, I always draw them, but a refresher is nice, right? Especially because the lore has changed a bit since I last gave a proper introduction.

They are all from The Lost Ones, an original story of mine. It's about a prince named Equinox, who is the reincarnation of an ancient dead god (Zola). After being murdered and suddenly coming back to life with newfound magic, enemies from his past life begin to show up and cause trouble.

Cassandra is Equinox's half-sister. She is a half-demon raised by her other mother, Veronica, and was trained from a very young age to be an assassin. One day, she was told by her mother that she was to be adopted by the King and was even given a fake backstory to make her less suspicious. However, instead of killing anymore, she was ordered to just befriend the returning prince and keep tabs on him. And although she figured it would end in his death, she was unprepared for how readily her new family accepted her and found herself faltering.

Velox (Kat) is a cat-shifter amnesiac whom Cassandra found alongside a river when they were children. Of course, at the time he was in cat form and didn't remember he was originally human, so he lived as a pet for some time before realizing he could turn back. His second name "Kat" was given to him by Cass since he didn't remember his original name. He tried to convince Cassandra to run away with him many times throughout the years, but she's always feared what her mother would do to him when she found out. He stayed by her side regardless of her reluctance to leave and follows her on every mission.

Equinox is a prince of Gowoa. He ran away from home at the age of 11, a year after his mother's passing and the dissolution of his family dynamic. While in Spiivica, he met Mandy, and they began traveling together, doing small quests under the table for the Adventurers' Guild. Eventually, they found themselves back in his home country of Gowoa, and they tried to make a home for themselves in an abandoned house in the woods.

Minerva is a princess of Distrovia. She is Equinox's childhood friend. When she was 19, her parents discovered she was a lesbian and tried to force her into a marriage with a man. She ended up running away the morning of the ceremony and took refuge in Equinox's house. She was disowned not long after but now lives happily in Gowoa (and yes, eventually gets a girlfriend).

Solstice is a bounty hunter from Lumin. She's a bit of a party girl and a ditz, but make no mistake, she is renowned within the guild for her skill and is known for her cutthroat attitude. As a result, she doesn't have many friends and prefers the company of money instead. At some point, she is offered a job by a very shady individual to kidnap a prince, and... it doesn't quite go her way.

Mandy is from a small village in rural Fulica. When she was 11, her village was attacked by bandits. She inherited her father's enchanted sword (contained in her necklace), swore revenge, and tried to go after them. But she found little success and quickly lost the trail. She was in Spivica across the sea when she saw a young Equinox being mugged. She saved him, and she's stuck by his side ever since.

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female-malice · 1 year

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Another thing I love about Island of the Sea Wolves is it shows how truly enigmatic wolves are. They really do behave in strange and unpredictable ways for an animal.

Wolves understand the natural wisdom of being cutthroat and making hard choices to better their chances of survival. They know what they're supposed to do. They hear that voice in their head. And in the documentary, you'll see them start to make a cutthroat decision about a pack member. And as you're watching this you think "ah yes, nature is harsh. And so are wolves. They're living by the laws of nature."

But just as soon as they make that cutthroat decision, they do a 180! It's like they feel a stab of grief and go running back to whatever sorry/sick/injured pack member they briefly abandoned. They suddenly decide that their social rules and survival rules are not so strict after all. They're like "maybe we can make an exception just this once!" But then a few months later, they end up doing the exact same thing all over again lmao.

In the documentary, the wolf pack shuns a low-ranking female for mating with the breeding male. That's a big no-no in wolf society. A wolf pack can't raise two liters at once. The expectation is that she's ostracized forever and she probably won't survive the year. That's the cutthroat survival choice. But that's not exactly what happens. They do make the choice to shun her. But they're not thorough about it. They let her roam around the edge of their territory scavenging. They let her feed on carcasses for a bit before chasing her off. If they were truly shunning her, they would never let her near a carcass in their territory. It's like they're watching her from a distance and making sure she has something to eat.

And when it comes time for her to give birth to her liter, they 100% welcome her right back into the center of the pack. No hard feelings. It's all water under the bridge apparently! 😂

The smart survival choice is to not raise two liters at once. But these wolves are like "eh whatever we'll manage somehow ahaha"

Later in the year, one of the puppies has a broken leg. The whole pack moves on, abandoning him alone on the beach to die. Back to the cutthroat survival attitude. But then, of course, a few days later, they do a total 180 and come back for the puppy.

It would be one thing if wolves were cutthroat all the time like eagles are. Or if they were sentimental all the time like whales. Instead, wolves seem to wrestle with a constant internal conflict between sentimentality and survival. The sentimentality tends to win out. But first they have to waste time and resources going back and forth on their decisions! Wolves are so intelligent that they have doubts! They second-guess and question themselves!

I guess even wolves have two wolves inside of them.

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ash-and-books · 2 months

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Rating: 1/5

Book Blurb: For fans of Fable by Adrienne Young or To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, this romantasy debut is filled with sirens and mysterious magic, swoony romance and cutthroat betrayal.

This world of sea and storm runs deep with bargains and blood.

On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim out to shipwrecks to plunder them. Mira’s job is to rescue survivors, if there are any. After all, she never feels the cold of the frigid ocean waters and the waves seem to sing to her soul. But the people of Rosevear never admit the truth: that they set the beacons themselves to lure ships into the rocks.

When the Council watch lays a trap to put an end to the wrecking, they arrest Mira’s father. Desperate to save him from the noose, Mira strikes a deal with an enigmatic wreck survivor guarding layers of secrets behind his captivating eyes, and sets off to find something her mother has left her, a family secret buried deep in the sea.

With just nine days to find what she needs to rescue her father, all Mira knows for certain is this: The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.

Review:

A girl connected to the sea finds herself setting sail to find her mother's secrets... and facing love, betrayal, and discovering who she really is. This is the first book in a series and follows Mira, a wrecker who plunders ship wrecks to make money just like her mother did before her mother died at sea. She lives on the remote isle of Rosevear but when the Council wants to put an end to the wrecking they arrest Mira's father to make an example of him and he is heading towards the noose unless she can save him. Along the way she makes a deal with the mysterious wreck survivor Seth, who has secrets surrounding him and lies on his tongue. Mira has no choice but to trust Seth yet finds herself drawn to him and falling for him... yet one lesson she is about to learn the hard way is that sometimes you have to be careful who you can trust and she's going to need all her wits about her to survive the betrayals that await her at sea. This book unfortunately was a let down for me. I had really high hopes and was so excited for a fun pirate/magic story with romance and adventure. The romance was NOT IT AT ALL, seriously, do yourself a favor and skip this one if you are looking for a good romance. Mira is the most annoying and naive protagonist I have come across in a while. It was so hard to get across this book because every time I would start reading, I would just want to close it and walk away from it. Mira comes off like a naive high schooler and honestly her survival instincts are pretty...bare to none. I just, don't see myself finishing this series and the way this one ends sets it up for the next book. So while this one was a miss for me, I would say if you enjoy younger YA books with romance and quests, maybe give this one a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #book #compass and blade

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clansnaphance · 2 months

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For lore asks!

Do any of the Blackblades have an immutable code of honor? something that even a grand offer of coin couldn't make them betray? Have any of them ever taken a fee for something that they simply couldn't follow through on?

If Ashen were to be restored to divinity tomorrow, would he be forgiving of former followers who weren't responsible for his loss, or vengeful over the experience of being forgotten and abandoned to the sands of time?

Ayy thank you for these great questions! I'll put most of it under the cut.

Code of honor

The Blackblades have an unwritten and immutable code of honor! Here are some of the rules:

If another Blackblade is facing danger from either city/desert creatures or a vengeful employer, you’re honor-bound to aid them. You only cut your losses and run if those in danger aren’t a Blackblade. Employers may get themselves eaten by eldritch abominations or old gods but friends cutthroat mercenaries do not let friends cutthroat mercenaries perish to scary creatures.

You may accept a job that pits you against another Blackblade, but in the event of physical conflict, you will not maim them or deliver lethal blows. Direct assassination contracts or the like are off-limits.

No touching eldritch artifacts. The employer will always show up in person or provide a team that handles this stuff.

No contract that demands you spend more than a day in the eldritch city is worth it. Remember what happened to Thorn, Whisper and Hemlock.

It is also a quiet agreement that if Thorn, Whisper and Hemlock warp more than they already have, the rest will put them out of their misery.

Anything the Order of the Sacred Tomb (Lazarus, Jarah, Ishmerai) guards in their underground catacombs is off-limits, no matter the price.

You always alert others to the presence of lawmen or those who bring their own protection, you cannot be bribed into silence.

Fee for something they could not follow through on:

Occasionally they do that! Two examples:

Yerah was hired by a stupidly rich Pearlcatcher from Mirrorlight Promenade to retrieve an artifact from the eldritch city. She took payment up front and promptly pretended she died (got Sahar to write back to her employer and attached a bloodied tuft of her mane). Never set a foot in the city, which is the only way to handle those kinds of risky jobs.

Caillan, Andrus and Sarik accepted a job to escort an archaeology team to a promising Second Age site, and to protect the camp and supplies for the duration of the excavation. On day two, their stirrings awoke Mirage, an old goddess who “died” when the seas retreated—this was roughly when Ashen was in his prime. Mirage was not happy about being woken. The gang fled, most of the archaeologists made it out, but their supplies weren’t so lucky. The archaeologists wanted a refund, and instead of providing that, the gang ran for the hills and lay low for a while.

Ashen’s restoration to divinity:

At first, Ashen entertained thoughts of retribution. To him, even those who had nothing to do with the betrayal were guilty by association because they left him just the same. If they returned to him when he was weak, he’d forgive them, they’d seen the errors of their ways.

But the years passed and no one came. The fires of vengeance burned out just like his own, and a deep, aching loneliness took their place. This is where he is now, alone and forgotten. If he was restored to his former glory and his people returned, he’d forgive them. Out of fear of being abandoned again, he may just end up a bit too forgiving.

#flight rising #feraleir #ringleaderising #m'lore-day #fr clan lore #dust to dust lore #these were really great asks #thank you so much for sending these #and also great intiative #the pictures look aligned in my post and are shown one by one on my dash sigh #ask

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infected-immunity · 1 year

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🏹 Hunger Pangs 🏹

They hadn’t travelled far before everything went to shit.

In the days that followed Dan and Amber being torn apart, Ellie couldn’t quite shake the sounds out of her head. It turned out the outside world was just as cutthroat as everyone said. Great. Fucking fantastic. Way to kill the novelty of it all.

The real issue had been figuring out what to do next. Running seemed like a good plan at first. Away from man-made structures. Away from houses, sewers, roads, abandoned cars- away from all of it. In the brief terror-infused aftermath, it was easier to wish to never see another person again. Dan had been carrying the pack with the map and most of their food. There was no way in hell she was going back to see what was left of him, or what he’d turned into. Screw that. So, what next?

Which way was home?

Hell, it wasn’t even like walking to any other city settlement would be safe. The guards would do their obligatory ‘Are You Infected’ check and it would be game over.

The woodland had been cool when she’d first stumbled across it. The ground was spongey. It smelled different to the sanitised concrete of the Boston QZ. There were bugs and green for as far as the eye could see. And then it got dark. The woods were much less cool in the dark. The noises they contained felt worse when you couldn’t see the small forest creature they belonged to. It was hard to sleep out in the open, under a poorly constructed canopy of sticks. Staying in the woods felt pretty useless. There was only food out there if you knew how to hunt- a skill that Dan and Amber hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with when it came to teaching.

And so, Ellie resorted to wandering further, feeling the growing bite of hunger with every passing day and hour. Eventually, the hunger fuelled a bold decision to creep out of cover to where the old signs of human life were. At least roads were everywhere, right? And roads had signs! That seemed like the best way to figure out where to go next. Roads were also littered with the husks of long-dead vehicles. Maybe, just maybe, they weren’t all picked clean. Maybe one of them, just one, would have some expired snacks buried in a glove compartment or a back seat pocket.

It couldn’t hurt to try.

Pocket knife in hand, Ellie ventured out of the overgrown thicket, cursing to herself as a bramble caught on her sleeve. Past the road and over a steep ledge of dirt and shingle was a huge expanse of water. Ellie paused, feeling her eyes widen.

“Whoa.”

That was the sea, right?! There was no way this was a lake. If it was a lake, it was a fucking big one. If it was a lake, she’d be able to drink from it. There was even a boat out there! Cool. Ellie paused, wondering idly to herself whether it was possible for the infected to be stranded on boats. There had to be, she decided after not much thought. Perhaps that meant there were entire cruise ships, floating lost in the ocean with infected staggering around the deck. Her lip twitched as she contemplated whether the idea was sad or funny.

Her stomach growled again, stirring Ellie back into motion. With her knife, she began prying windows down, taking every effort to be as quiet as possible. After checking three cars, it was beginning to get frustrating. As it turned out, people mostly left trash in their vehicles. Disheartened but hungry enough to keep trying, Ellie turned her sights onto a truck. Truck drivers needed food, right? With a grunt, Ellie finally convinced the window to lower. Straining to reach, her fingers curled around the door handle and pulled before clambering inside to rummage.

Another growl.

This time, not from her stomach.

Ellie froze, scanning the road. Stalking through the cars was an infected. Instinctively, Ellie’s grip tightened around her knife as she watched infected begin to tumble and crawl out of vehicles, stirred by the movement of prey.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

Was it better to hide in the back of the truck, or make a break for it whilst they were still at a bit of a distance? If the infected were staying inside some of the cars, waiting felt like delaying the inevitable.

Running, then.

Marlene’s reminder swam to the forefront of Ellie’s mind.

‘Being immune won’t stop them from tearing you apart.’

Geez, thanks brain.

Where was safe to run, anyway? The woods were too far now, and climbing a tree (although cool in theory) had proven way too difficult when she’d given it a shot. The road was out in the open. What about the water? Would that slow them down? It felt like the best option. With a breath, Ellie collected herself, counting down in her head before opening the door and bolting.

She didn’t need to check over her shoulder to know they’d seen. A vicious screech from the nearest infected alerted the others. Ragged, hungry breaths sounded at her back. Were they getting closer, or just louder? The ground beneath her feet changed from tarmac to shingle. The water was close. The boat was close too. Were there infected on the boat?

A bleak, amused part of Ellie wondered if they were enjoying the show. Would they try to paddle ashore to chew on her too?

Ellie’s stomach lurched as her ankle buckled, sending her crashing into the ground. A wheeze sounded from above, and the closest infected dropped. With a shriek, Ellie scrambled away, convinced it had descended to sink its teeth into her until she saw it twitch and fall motionless, an arrow jutting out from its head.

“Oh, shit.” Disbelief escaped Ellie in a single shaky breath as she picked herself up in an attempt to reach the water before the other infected closed the distance.

The shape on the boat moved. But it wasn’t jerking around like an infected. Had they shot the arrow?

“Hey!” Now felt like a good time to start shouting.

“I’m not sick!” Arms waved in the air desperately as Ellie made her best effort to wade into the icy water. Shit, it hadn’t looked that cold! Grimacing, Ellie fought the water, reaching her waist before hesitating. Drowning was preferable to being torn apart. Would the infected follow her in here? Could she reach the boat without swimming?

“Don’t shoot that fucking thing at me! Shoot at them! I can’t even fucking swim, what the fuck!”

(( Starter for @1womanarmy ))

#1womanarmy #tlou rp #twd rp #crossover rp #I told you I suck at short starters haha #hope this is okay!#welcome to the 14 year old that expresses every emotion she feels through swears :)#the last of us rp #ellie williams rp

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