#traveler verse

[yinjiyang]

Shadow Petals

"When was the last time you actually got some rest?" -- @hua-cheng-silver-wrath -- Hua Cheng -- Lack of Sleep Starters

Three days. Three nights. That was how long it had been since the daoshi arrived in the village after hearing whispers of a mysterious illness afflicting its residents; an illness that did not appear abated by most medicines, but the daoshi seemed to at least know of a concoction capable of staving the effects, stopping the illness from worsening those infected. During the day, the windows were boarded yet he continued to work by the golden light of a single lantern at his table; but in the evening, the windows were open to allow the silvery glow of the moon and stars to shine on his workspace as he mixed and measured and stirred. To most, he appeared to be working tirelessly in the medicine house, at all hours of the night. Including this one. People had come in and out of the medicine house quite frequently...during the day. At night, however, it had generally been very quiet as the majority of the village slept. But not this person, it seemed. The sound of the voice--and more importantly, the ripples of that presence--warranted a lift of Yin Jiyang's head in acknowledgement of the visitor, though he did not look away from his work.

"...I am resting..." he softly replied as he continued to grind the dried herbs with the pestle, the sound quiet against the stone of the bowl and blending with the hauntingly ethereal quality of his void. "...this is therapeutic..."

[thewordfortheday]

God said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Then Moses said to Him, ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here’” (Exodus 33:14-15). Moses knew it was God’s presence among them that set them apart from all other nations. The same is true of God’s people today. The only thing that sets us apart is God’s presence “with us,” leading us, guiding us, working His will in and through us.  The only source of protection is God’s presence with us and fear has no place in the life of a believer.  When His presence is in our midst no one can destroy us, no harm will come nigh our tent. But without Him we are helpless and defenceless. As we go out and come in, thank God for the nearness and closeness of Jesus. 

[comixandco]

The four Sages were called back into the past by Terrako and they remember it happening

Tulin got to meet his hero, Revali, and decided to be just like him, adopting his idol’s brash personality and drive. He practises Revali’s Gale and eventually comes up with his own way to show off his mastery of wind, and when trouble hits his home he rushes to fix it on his own to prove how strong he has become and because, like Revali, he can’t stand idly by while he knows there’s still things he can do.

For Yunobo, when he goes back and meets his ancestor Daruk, he is a very timid and reactive Goron. He needs a push from others to come up with ideas and carry plans through, and when bad things happen to him his first instinct is to use his fire magic as a shield, to wait until the threat has passed by or somebody else has come to save him. But when he is sent back in time to Divine Beast vah Rudania, for the first time he has to be the one doing the saving. Daruk encourages Yunobo and is proud of him from the moment they meet, and it’s this support that gives Yunobo the confidence to help fight against Calamity Ganon, and to start YunoboCo when he gets home.

For Sidon, meeting his family from 100 years ago is bittersweet. He is proud that he was able to protect his sister, and it’s a comfort to know there is a version of him who will grow up alongside Mipha because of his bravery and fighting prowess. But as much joy as he got from seeing her, hugging her, and hearing her voice again, it just reminds him of how unfair her death was, of just how young she was when she died and how he is now older even though he’s the younger sibling. And at the end of the war, when he’s returned to their original time, he has to readjust to her absence all over again, and in light of that is it really a shock he’d have her statue moved further away from his home? And it also explains why he’s so desperate to protect Yona from the sludge.

Riju in AoC still a new ruler to her people, despite her accomplishments in BotW, she still feels guilty over the temporary loss of the Thunder Helm and isn’t sure if she can lead the Gerudo. She has a lot of confidence but is quick to falter when things go wrong. Urbosa treats Riju as a capable fighter despite her young age, and teaches her that she should never give up, to keep trying even when her resolve falters. There is always something you can do, even when it’s just stalling for time until help can arrive. Urbosa guides her in mastering the Thunderhelm, and possibly begins teaching her to summon lightning herself after Kohga attempts to steal it, and at the end of their time together Urbosa tells Riju she’s certain she’ll lead the Gerudo well. Riju treasured her time being mentored by Urbosa so much that she considers what Urbosa would do during the Upheaval in her diary in TotK.

I think the entire reason Tulin was added to the DLC was because the TotK team had already decided that Tulin was going to be the Sage of Wind, and that since the other sages were going to meet their Champions Tulin had to as well.

At some point in the years between Botw and TotK Teba, Tulin, Sidon, Yunobo, Riju and Patricia were summoned back in time by Terrako to aid the Champions during the Calamity, and even though those events took place in a parallel timeline and had no bearing on the world they returned to, the Sages’ personalities at the beginning of TotK are because of their experiences during the Calamity and the bonds they made with the Champions.

[went-out]

Fanart for Retail Therapy by Hocus on AO3... Or inspired by it?  

for @friendshipgun 

[itsaship-literally]

"I need to give you a nickname. BJ might work."

"Technically, it should be BG, Lyds," Betelgeuse corrected, amused, as they followed Delia to the dining room.

"I am not calling you BeeGee," Lydia protested, laughing. "That band sucked! Anyway, it's not like spelling was standardized, when you were named."

Beetlejuice and Lydia: ( Tangled Time by Psi Fi )

[catwyk]

recent sketch comp :]

[flowercrowngods]

in which steve takes el to see her first meteor shower

Steve is pulling up at the Hopper-Byers house around ten at night, hoping that El remembers their little date. Hoping even more that the Chief will let them do this.

The door opens before Steve so much as closes his car, and a very excited teenager already runs toward him, laughing when she crashes into his chest, the impact of which makes Steve stumble back against the car.

"Good evening to you, too, you little menace." He ruffles her hair, excited to see how long it's gotten again, a mop of wild curls.

"Hi," she says into his chest, hands hooked behind his back, and they just stand there and cuddle for a minute. The night air is refreshing after the day's boiling heat, and it's good to bask for a moment.

After a moment, Hopper appears in the front door, framed by the low light coming from inside, but even in the dark, Steve thinks he can make out the expression on the Chief's face. How he tries for stern, but can't quite manage it. Not when they've all been through so much.

"Hey, kid," he says, approaching the siblings where they are still hugging. "You looking to kidnap my daughter?"

"Yes, actually," Steve grins. "Will you let me?"

Hop gives a long-suffering sigh and places a hand on Steve's shoulder. "If there's one thing I've learned, Steve, it's that I can't stop you from anything you set your mind to. So I don't think I've much of a choice in the matter, let alone a say."

El chuckles and leans up to press a little kiss to Hopper's cheek. "Thanks, dad."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbles, and Steve snickers. "Get out of my sight, you two, but I expect to see you both at breakfast tomorrow."

"Eleven o'clock," Steve says in lieu of a groan, because he loves Sunday breakfast at the Hopper-Byers' place.

"Eight."

"Ten-thirty."

"Nine-thirty, last offer. Take it or leave it, boy."

"Deal," Steve grins, then turns back to El. "You ready to go?"

She nods. "Ready." Then turns back to Hop and gives him another kiss to the cheek and a quick hug. "Goodnight, dad."

"Have a good night, kid." As El bounds around the car to jump in on the other side, Hop turns to Steve, who's already moving in for a hug, too. "You, too. Be careful."

"Always. It's just stars, though."

"I know. Still."

"I know."

It's good. The hug. The worry. The way they care and talk and accept. Makes Steve think that it was all worth it, sometimes. Moments like this, under the stars. He gets to have this.

The Chief lets him to eventually and then they're speeding off. Steve is taking El to the weather top in the middle of the night, snacks and drinks and blankets in the back of his car. Because El has never seen a shooting star, let alone a meteor shower. And Steve is dead set to change that.

The other kids are gonna be so jealous when they hear that Steve and El went to watch the stars fall from the sky (well, not really, but that's what it looks like, and that's what Eddie weaves into his stories sometimes), but Steve doesn't care. This is for El. This is for the little girl, injured and weak and frightened, and for the boy who taught her the meaning of magic.

This is only for them.

They don't trek up to the real weather top, since it would be too exhausting of a trip, and too dangerous in the dark. Instead, Steve parks on the open field of a smaller hill that offers them a perfect, uninterrupted view of the sky. No trees, no houses, no excess light to bother them.

"Yeah, this is perfect," he mutters as he kills the engine.

They spread out the blanket together right beside the car, grabbing snacks and drinks and more blankets in case they get cold at some point. El immediately lies down and reaches for some cookies while Steve goes back to the car, putting on one of their favourite tapes. Kim Wilde's 1982 album. One of El's first ever favourite albums.

It makes Steve smile, especially when he hears the excited squeal when the first notes carry through the air.

He eventually settles beside her on the blanket, the music just loud enough to create a nice atmosphere in the otherwise quiet night, and Steve already feels like there's something incredibly special about this moment.

And then El gasps. "Steve," she whispers, pointing up at the sky above them.

He can see the last remnants of the shooting star that lit up the the night and, most importantly, El's face. She's gripping him now, frantically scanning the sky for more, and Steve chuckles, moving his arm in her grip enough to take her hand if that's what she wants.

"What was that?" she asks.

"A shooting star," Steve explains. "They're not real stars, though. There are rocks floating around in space, and sometimes the Earth will move through, like, a chain of them, and then they burn up when they enter the Earth's atmosphere. That's what makes them look like that. Pretty, right?"

She's nodding, refusing to take her eyes away from the sky, and Steve settles back, too, getting more comfortable on the blanket. It's not long before the next shooting star appears - a larger one this time, cutting through half the night sky before it disappears.

"Wow," El whispers beside him, and Steve wants to burst at that genuine wonderment in her eyes, her voice, the way she's squeezing his hand.

"You get to make a wish when you see a shooting star."

"A wish?"

"Yeah. But don't tell me. It has to be a secret wish, and then maybe it'll come true."

At that, El nods solemnly, always so damn serious, like wishing on a shooting star deserves to be treated with the utmost care and calculation. Maybe it does. Steve won't judge. It's not like El grew up with many serious opportunities to make a wish, let alone make it freely.

"Can I wish something for you?" she interrupts that particular train of thought, and Steve stops short, looking at her.

"You wanna wish something for me?" She nods. "What would you wish for me?"

She meets his eyes with a little frown. "It's secret."

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

"It's okay."

Oh, he wants to burst again. But he only squeezes her hand. "Yeah, I think you can wish something for me."

And then she only smiles, and Steve wants to know, wants to ask, wants to be seen just a bit less, wants to exist only between the stars and the wishes that El could have for him.

He closes his eyes, focusing only on her gasps, her hums, her chuckles, her little wows, and he smiles.

Later, he tells her about the constellations he remembers. Some he made up himself. Some that Eddie made up. His heart jumps a little at the thought of the metalhead he never thought to fall in love with. Eddie who loves the stars, who knows so many seafarer's tales about them, mythology that Steve doesn't know if it's genuine or if Eddie made it up. If he's writing his own mythology. Steve wouldn't put it past him.

It's long after midnight and silence has settled between them, both of them somewhere deep inside their own heads, yet anchored in the moment, together. It's serene.

Maybe it's that serenity that gets Steve talking.

"Hey El?"

"Yes?"

"I kissed Eddie."

She gasps again, but not because of a shooting star this time, and turns to face him. "You kissed Eddie?"

"Yeah." The smile is on his lips before he can even try to fight it, and he finds that he doesn't want to. "I was really scared to do it. But it was good. I think..."

"Yeah?"

Steve exhales slowly, seeking solace in El's hand, who immediately squeezes his again, her other hand coming up to run through his hair. A calming motion that never fails to ground him. El is the only one allowed to do this, the only one who does it right. "I think I might have fallen in love with Eddie."

She nods, smile on her face, and then falls forward, head landing on his chest. They don't really have a sense of personal space around each other and Steve loves it, combing through her hair now -- a motion that is just as calming.

"That was my wish."

"Come again?"

"My wish. My shooting star wish," she says, shuffling so she can look at him without moving from her spot. "I wished that you'd smile like you did when you told me you kissed Eddie. And if he makes you smile, he can stay."

"You'll allow it, huh?" Steve chuckles, but El is dead serious when she nods.

"I'll allow it."

And his chuckle turns a bit more genuine now, his lungs filling with the perfection of this moment. He has people that are fiercely protective of him. He has a pretty boy willing to kiss him that he doesn't have to share with those people yet. He has the stars above, willing to grant wishes despite the horrors they know he's seen. And he has El.

In a way, it's really all he could wish for.

El stays the night at Steve's, though he has to carry her inside from his car and wake her like he used to. They share a bed like they used to, and in the morning she'll wear his clothes like she used to.

It's good. It's perfect. And when they arrive for breakfast at ten, Hopper doesn't even call them out on being late when he sees the happy, content smiles on their faces. He just very discreetly kicks Steve's butt, but he had that coming.

[rinnysmuses]

She finally finished getting dressed. Whew.

[yinjiyang]

The Echoes of Ghosts

[ rest ] sender sits next to receiver and rests their head on receiver's shoulder -- @hua-cheng-silver-wrath -- Prompts for Touch-starved Muses {Accepting}

The daoshi sat quietly studying some texts when he felt a bit of weight on his shoulder. At first, he only lowered the scroll and stared ahead at nothing in particular, perhaps a bit surprised--not startled, just surprised--that someone was touching him, let alone resting against him. However, he did not move nor push away the Ghost King; oh no, he knew Hua Cheng must have a reason or a need for the contact and far be it from Yin Jiyang to deny him any sense of comfort. Besides...the daoshi somewhat enjoyed the closeness; it was rare for anyone to find cold shadows comforting. Instead, a shadow of a smile traced his lips as he returned to his reading.

[fiepige]

Did somebody say more Hobie GIFs?

No? Well have some anyways <3 (Theme: Hobie and all his hand gestures) Part 1

[thewordfortheday]

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and  I will bring you back to this land, I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15

Notice, God says “I am with you…” He doesn’t say “I was with you” or “I will be with you,” but “I am with you.”  Yahweh … the great “I am” is with you! 

God not only says “I am with you,” but that, “I will watch over you.”  Psalm 121:7-8 says: The LORD will keep you from all harm -- He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

He also says, “I will not leave you.” Imagine, the God of the Universe is in you and He accompanies you wherever you go. 

So, even as you go through this new month, remember,

•  The Lord is with you

•  He will watch over you.

•  He will never leave you.

•  He will fulfill all that He has promised you.

[chemicallywrit]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! I was busy doing many things this week, but luckily they were the kind of things that facilitate a lot of audio drama listening. Shall we?

👹 G.O.B.L.I.N.S. is amazing. I love an office sitcom in any case, but an office sitcom with two goblins, an elf prince, and an overly enthusiastic government pencil pusher is an inspired idea. I really want this show to exist more, so if you can, consider helping them on their crowdfund!

💋 Josie’s Lonely Hearts Club this week was HILARIOUS. The presidential puns were so delightful, and I also ended the episode wanting to fight a veterinarian. Can’t wait to see where this season is going.

🌚 @hellofromthehallowoods is always so good at creating these gorgeous soft character moments, and I adore middle-aged Buck. Watching this man gracefully age into a husband and father who likes himself, who knows he is loved, is such a far cry from the poor little guy he used to be. I really don’t want him to get eaten by a vampire. Are you hearing me, Mx Wellman?

📻 Breaker Whiskey ended for now and ohhhhhhh. Oh man. I cried. The experience of listening to this story feels very early audio drama, and that’s definitely by design. Lauren Shippen let the story wander and discover itself, and we got to discover it too. Was it a flawless story? No story is, but getting to revel in the wandering just made it better. Whatever’s next for the story, I have enjoyed the ride.

🥛 The Silt Verses. That’s it. I found this episode entrancing. How’s this going to end?

🥃 Breathing Space this week was hilarious. In a rare voice acting appearance by Pacific Obadiah and some familiar voices from Melissa Lusk and Katrina Pecina as well as the ol' Breathing Space standbys, this heartfelt, witty, and above all very silly episode felt really good. I just loved it.

🐟 In Travelling Light this week, VERMI'S BACK. My favorite guy! And it seems we won't be seeing the last of this guy, either. Thank you Hero for my life. Friendship is gonna solve all the traveller's problems and I couldn't be happier.

🧟‍♀️ In Hannah News, The Dead started a new series called Turas that I really think you should check out. It’s set on a Scottish isle with Scottish Gaelic, and zombies, and sister dynamics, and it’s so good guys. Our main actors, Michelle Kelly and Bonnie Calderwood Aspinwall, are absolutely killing it, alongside an amazing cast. Please tune in, you won't regret it.

🧛🏻‍♀️ Also this week, I got the chance to hop on Re: Dracula's July Q&A for our patrons! You gotta check out our patreon, y'all, creating gothic fiction has been so much fun. We're hard at work on Carmilla while Re: Drac is having its second go-round. Join usssssss.

That's all for me this week! It's long enough as it is. See you next week!

[skyfullofpods]

Happy audio fiction Sunday, friends! My blog post this week includes my thoughts on the emotional end of the first year of @breakerwhiskey, the return of both @tellnotalespod and @hellofromthehallowoods from their well-deserved breaks, and the intriguing new @remnantspod!

[monstrousproductions]

Hi Hero, I'm in shock from listening to the latest Silt Verses and I just want to say hearing you voicing your characters in your works vs. who you voice in others works is always such a whiplash.

The Presenter: I shall do good by giving advice, loving my wife and exposing CEOs

The Queen of the Summer Sun: I am a CEO and this is my terrible nature and I will bring ruin to this museum and all within it

The Traveler: I am going to catalogue the wonders of the universe on my pilgrimage and try to do the best I can to prove myself to my crew and do as much good as I can

Sibling Raine: I'm going to hurt as many people as I can including my version of Jesus Christ. I have just been granted codes and access to the nukes.

I am honestly delighted by this dichotomy 🤩 My own shows I'm like "uwu mowals" and on everyone else's its NUKE TIME, BABY!!!

[cheapbourbon]

Lyla, Play Frank Sinatra.

[catwyk]

listened to @monstrousproductions 's travelling light. became deeply attached to the traveller. many such cases