#what a way to really kick off pi month!

[thecharliechickenshow]

[oddheadd]

Frostbite °• : ⁠｡ - Chapter II

Wendigo/Skinwalker x Reader

CW: Gore, animal deaths. The religion is made up and in no way do I intent to offend anyone, please don't read if such subjects trigger you.

I stare at my laptop screen, wanting to bang my head against the wall as I observe the blank page.

Yesterday I actually managed to fall asleep. The tapping didn't continue, but that's probably more disturbing. I would've brushed it off as the quirk of the cabin, but it was so random.

I sigh and close the laptop, lazily lifting myself off the couch and deciding to make myself another cup of coffee. I go outside and sit on the porch, drinking the steaming, bitter liquid. I watch the forest and I feel it drawing me in.

I keep watching the hypnotizing sway of the trees with the gentle wind, before I bring the now empty cup into the house and head out again, walking straight into the forest.

I wonder if it's still there.

As a child, I'd always wander into the forest, making mud pies, finding big sticks and hopefully searching for the animals. In my child, naive mind I thought I'd hop on their backs and they'd take me away into the wonderland.

Then I saw it... Not a cute, big eyed, furry animal, but the monstrously enormous monastery. What once used to be a praying space was then broken down and abandoned. And despite my fear, I went in.

The walls were painted with blood, carcasses of small animals hung loosely from the ceiling... In the very edge of the room, what I assume a recently killed deer was hung on the wall, its body was cut from it's neck to it's stomach, as if showing off it's insides.

I ran home crying and mom never brought me here after that. I assume it was something ritualistic. I shouldn't have wondered into the 17-19th century broken down catholic church anyways.

I sigh and kick around in the snow.

Looking down I see something. I furrow my brows and lean down, looking at what I assume is a deer footprint.

Then I hear shuffling behind me. I immediately turn around and-

"Oh, hi..." - A man waves at me awkwardly. He has dark hair with a matching pair of almond shaped eyes. Lashes, longer than my own rest on his eyelids under his thick brows. His hair is a little overgrown and he has a bit of stubble. He's wearing warm clothes and there's a hunting rifle in his left hand.

"Ah- You scared me." - I chuckle sheepishly.

"Sorry." - He smiles. - "What are you doing here?"

"...Taking a walk, I guess?"

"All alone? These woods are dangerous." - He furrows his brows a little.

"Really? I used to play in here all the time when I was a child..."

"You live here?" - He tilts his head and rests the rifle on the snowy ground.

"Not really, me and my family used to come here in summer. Now I'm here to uh, work, I guess?"

He smiles again. - "I just moved a few months ago."

I eye his rifle. - "You like hunting?"

"I hunt for food." - He corrects me. He then gives me his free hand to shake, and I do so. - "...Nathan."

"Y/N. You said the forest is dangerous? I've only seen deer so far..."

"Wolves." - He answers Shortly. - "But yes, there are lots of deer in here. Check this out," - He comes closer and leans down, pointing at the footprints I was observing before. - "I've never seen a footprint of a deer that big. If I manage to catch it, I won't have to hunt for a few weeks, maybe even a month. I swear to God I've been trying to hunt it down for days." - He sighs.

"Oh wow." - I tilt my head. - "Hunting seems intense."

"It's not as hard if you know the basics. Just long... And I'm impatient." - He chuckles. - "I could show you."

He looks at me with a smile and I find it hard to decline his offer. I smile back and nod.

We walk for a while, getting to know each other. He then lays down behind a fallen log and motions for me to do the same. We wait for a while and then two deer walk into our view. Nathan looks at me and brings his finger to his lips to hush me.

It all happens fast, there's a bang and the deer falls as the other runs away. Nathan gets up and approaches it. "You gotta be humane when you kill them, try aiming where it would have vital organs so it dies fast."

I hesitantly follow him. I look at the deers hooves and only then do I realize the huge difference between these and the footprints I saw earlier. The footprints were three, if not four times bigger.

I start to get bad vibes from this. - "...Have you seen big deer before?"

Nathan looks at me with a puzzled expression. - "Huh?"

"You said the footprints we saw earlier were big." - I say and sit on the nearby rock. - "You see them often?"

"...Not really."

"That's... Disturbing." - I sneer.

Nathan grins. - "Why, you worried for me?"

I snort. - "No, I'm worried for myself. I live on the edge of the forest." - I joke and he chuckles.

"It's totally a deer, I'm sure nothing to worry about." - He shrugs and starts tying the rope around the dead animal. - "If you're too worried, though..."

He stands up straight and approaches me, placing his hands on the rock, trapping me in-between. - "I could give you my number."

I chuckle and he backs up. - "The service is shitty but we can text. I don't like calls anyways."

"Okay." - I grin and he smiles. I write my number in my notepad, tearing the paper out and giving it to him after.

"You should go now, it's getting dark. Want me to walk you?"

I shrug. - "Nope. Just lead me towards the main path and I'll return myself." - I instruct him.

The walk home isn't too long, and I find myself attracted to the man as he waves at me. I walk into the cabin and sigh, happy to be embraced by warmth.

Then the deer footprints float up into my mind and I feel uneasy. How can Nathan be so calm? The deer is probably humongous, why? Is it a type of anomaly?

My worries wash away as my phone buzzes and I see a text from an unknown number.

"So you live on the edge of the forest? If you see a seven foot deer, text me asap ;P"

[westwindy1]

Imagine that, occasionally, you spend your evenings walking down a gravel path. Someone with a shovel who doesn’t like gravel and feels a lot about it could clear it in maybe a month. However, you don’t care whether or not there’s gravel. The stones are so, so tiny. You don’t realize it, but whenever you walk down the path, one or two get kicked off into the forest. 

An average person wouldn’t live long enough to see all of the gravel gone. However, you don’t just have a shovel and a month or fifty years or a hundred. Of course, you just don’t walk down the path frequently enough to make scuffs in the ground nor to notice when stones are kicked off or dropped back onto the path, and yet what you do have is all the time in the world, and over the course of all those years, one day, you look down- and then you realize, “Oh, okay, the gravel’s gone.” You still don’t care. You keep walking. 

The Guardians are extraordinarily talented individuals. They are intensely smart with their own sets of skills, strengths and weaknesses- however, we as people exercise so many skills without realizing it.

  When people think of, “good at something,” besides genius, there is a different type of being good without trying- being good at something doesn’t always have something to do with intention- it doesn’t even have to have anything to do with talent. Sometimes it has everything to do with building experience. 

People get good at skills really fast. We practice these skills all the time constantly at every point of the day. Walking, talking, singing, sitting, doodling, tapping- you can’t go over a hundred years you can’t go over ten- without knowing anything about any one subject and what it means to draw a shape, to add a few numbers, to do it do often it becomes second nature, to know what it means to chart a map, to tell a direction, to run the sharp end of a carving knife against a block of wood, to do it so many times you forget what it means to catch, to dig to deep and chip or jerk a spade against a dip.

 People learn, and it's not even something you pick up on yourself until you’re confronted with someone who's struggling with the very same thing, like, “oh, I can do that, but I guess I’ve been doing it longer,” Or, “I’ve had a lot more time to get used to the idea of doodling.”

Immortal people can do things an average amount of times over the course of hundreds of years and not think about it- they don’t have to have an investment in or a care for the little things to get better than everyone else at the little things. Even if they’re not super consistent with it, the experiences stockpile.

That’s, for the Guardians, hundred of years of unutilized skills, for all of Bunny, Tooth, North, Sandy and especially for Jack, who is only three hundred seven/eighteen compared to their couple hundred more in a world where the Guardians are geniuses and, while he’s not particularly bad at anything -quite above average, actually- he just, well, isn’t.

Imagine a Jack whose, yeah, maybe he's not a math guy and maybe he can’t list all of the first five hundred numbers of pi off the top of his head, but he can match Bunny in any race- he’s had the practice, he’s run his way through many forests, whipped his way through hundreds of cities, even if he loses, he can do it with intense confidence. He can understand what North’s saying for the most part even after he starts going off about something like vibrating plates and old runes of the Greecian flavor and the psi of a Yeti in relation to the heavy-pressing arms of a manufacturing magic gizmo. He can follow along just as well as three times as many men, just operating without the right terms, listening to anyone dabbling in the Quantum, speaking something like collimators and quantum physics and micro and macro and particles and planes, because, yeah, he’s spent some time listening in.

Sure, he’s not a sing-ey type of guy, and he doesn’t care much for anything like humming but is good enough at it to pick up any tune at any time and to sing it at just the right pitch. Like, yeah, Tooth is the artist. Bunny is the artist, but also imagine a Jack who, even though he can’t draw a perfect portrait, of course he’d been able to draw a perfect circle within his first fifty years -within his first year- and if you gave him a pencil and an easel he might be able to whip up something fine if not a bit off, not that he’d give it much of a thought- but he’s spent enough time doodling on people’s windows to at least make that. He might not care much for the craft, but well, that doesn’t mean he can’t be good at it, and he’s old, so of course he’s had the time. 

There’s something intensely charming about a guy who is not necessarily good at things because he was born a genius at everything or because he was just inexplicably knowledgeable about a load of things, who is not necessarily a bookworm but who is someone who had to take the time to learn things.

He knows the process intimately, which provides a talent that most geniuses cannot- It makes him better. It makes him wiser. It makes him a teacher- an older brother.

I think that would make him a really good Guardian of Childhood.

It’s this very same skill that makes them all good Guardians, even if most of them lost track of how to do a lot of the right ‘guarding along the way.

[richonnesbitch]

Here's chapter 2 of my bridge wedding fanfic! I wrote this like two months ago and then got distracted with personal stuff so I haven't finished chapter 3 yet. I hope you all like this one! I'll upload chapter 3 as soon as I'm able :)

"Thank you all for meeting me here today. As you all know, the bridge is nearly finished. We discussed this before but I don't believe we went into detail. There was some talk of a party to celebrate. Would everyone still be up for that?"

"Rick, that's a great plan. Kingdom will most certainly do their part to help.", Ezekiel responded. Carol smiled and nodded in agreement.

Rick looked to Jesus. "Sure, Rick. That'll be good for all of us."

"Oh, great. I'm glad to hear that. Michonne and I.... we're gonna get married on the bridge. I was hoping maybe it could be not only a celebration for the bridge but a reception, too."

The room lit up as he dropped the news.

"Congratulations, Rick Grimes!" Ezekiel extended his hand out to Rick, shaking it firmly.

"Congratulations, Rick.", Carol replied genuinely. She flashbacked to their recent conversations where Rick seemed more than interested in her and Ezekiel engagement.

"Congrats, Rick." Jesus grabbed his shoulder and gave it an affirming squeeze. "We can definitely do that."

"Definitely.", Ezekiel concurred. Carol nodded.

"Thank you all. I really appreciate this. Alexandria will handle food and decorations. But I was wondering... Ezekiel, Carol... would Kingdom mind handling desserts."

Carol stared at him. "What kind of desserts did you have in mind?"

"Well, a cake for me and Michonne. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting is her favorite. That ones a must. For the rest it doesn't really matter as much... maybe some brownies, cookies, maybe some pies, cinnamon rolls.... you know, that kinda stuff. Jesus, maybe Hilltop can bring some wine or booze for the adults to enjoy. People may get a little inebriated, but we'll make sure to have plenty of people on guard who aren't drinking. Alexandria will bring the main food."

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

"Baby, I'm home!", Rick hollered out for Michonne. No response. "Michonne?! I'm home. Michonne?!"

He could hear a muffled yell coming from upstairs. As he walked up, he realized it was coming from the bathroom. He opened to door to find Michonne undressing as the bath water ran.

In her black bra and panties, she approached Rick to greet him with a soft kiss. "Hi. How did it go?"

Rick unhooked her bra, tossing it to the side somewhere. "It went great. Everybody's on the same page."

"Good." She removed her panties and began to unbutton Rick's shirt. He kicked off his boots as she undid his pants and blue boxers. "You and your boxers."

"What's wrong with my boxers?", he joked back.

She giggled. "Nothing. Nothing."

A smirk grew on his face. "Something apparently..."

"Nothing. It's just you only ever wear one color."

"Yeah, so what?"

"Nothing! I think it's cute you're so set in your ways." Michonne placed another kiss on his lips before leading him to the tub. He got in first so she could lean back against his chest.

This bathtub was extremely small. Probably too small for the two of them. They didn't care.

"Anyway. I think things are coming along nicely."

"Yeah?", Michonne turned off the water. "How's it all gonna work?"

"Well we can start things at 6. The bridge opening first. There's a banner being made for us in charge to cut. Hilltop has a Polaroid camera we can use to capture the moment. I'll figure out someone to take pictures. Then's our wedding. Gabriel will say some things, we do our vows- oh speaking of vows. I don't wanna brag buuuuut...." He dramatically blew air out of his mouth. "It's gonna blow you away. You've got some competition. I know you use to take creative writing in college and all but... what I got. It's poetry."

"You finished your vows already?"

"No but I got a good start. In between breaks at the bridge I would write. What about you?"

"I haven't started mine yet."

"You what?", he sounded slightly offended.

"Well I kind of have an idea... of what I want it to be. It's just all in my head right now, you know?", she attempted to comfort him.

He paused for a moment. "Well... anyway. After the wedding we do the party. I thought we'd do homemade pizzas for food. Everybody likes pizza right?"

"I sure do."

"Okay, pizzas it is then. We can do five different flavors, give the people a little variety to choose from. Hilltop is bringing liquor. I'll have plenty of people on guard, don't worry about that. Kingdom is bringing desserts. We'll have a feast. We'll have music. Everybody is gonna have a good time."

Michonne chuckled, reaching back with one hand to cup Rick's face. "I love you so much."

"I love you so much."

"You know... you don't have to throw a big wedding to prove that. I'd be okay with just you, me, Judith, and Gabriel on that bridge."

"You don't want a big wedding?"

"No, I'm not saying that." She scooted around to fully face him. "I just mean... a destination wedding at the end of the world is something I never could have imagined. I feel lucky enough just getting to marry you."

Rick smiled. "No, if anyone's lucky it's me. I'll never understand how I got so lucky."

She looked at him amusededly and grabbed their soap, lathering him down generously. "Wait, what the hell are we suppose to wear?"

"Oh I got that covered, too. I spoke around to some of the woman and they're all gonna get together with their best dresses for you to choose from. Tomorrow at noon in the church."

"Woooow. Look at you.", she teased. "You really know what you're doing."

He laughed. "I'm just working with what I got."

"What about you, what will you wear? Got some sort of secret suit?"

Rick laughed again. "No. I've got a nice light blue button down. And some slacks. The theme is light blue."

"There's a theme?!"

"Well yeah. There's gotta be a theme."

Michonne grinned.

Rick took notice. "What is it? What's that smile?"

"I'm just... happy."

Rick's heart began to swell. That's all he ever wanted for her, to be happy and safe. It was all coming true for him. "Come here." He pulled her in for what was suppose to be a peck on the lips. Before he could stop himself he had her out of the tub and in his arms heading straight for the bed.

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

"Rick, can I speak to you for a minute?"

Rick let out a sigh. He was much too busy lighting the obscene amount of candles all over the place. "Yeah... Eugene. What do you need?"

"It's about the music."

Rick paused to give Eugene a death stare. "I thought you told me you could handle it." He didn't mean to be short with him, but they had a very limited time frame and he was stressing to get things done on time.

"I can. I am. I will. But... I need to know what it is that you want to be played. I am not not a mind reader."

"Eugene, I don't know... just play easy-to-listen to stuff. Ask Rosita or someone."

"Are you doing a first dance?"

"Yes, definitely."

"Well don't you at least want to pick your first dance song?"

Rick set the lighter down. "Yeah."

"Follow me."

He followed as Eugene led him to the large table a few feet away from the bridge with a cd player and speakers on it. "So I took the liberty of finding a few albums for you to choose from."

"Okay"

"We've got the soundtrack album to Grease, a Kelly Clarkson album called All I Ever Wanted, one called Best of the Beach Boys, another call-"

"Eugene, I have to get back to decorating. Let me see." He grabbed the Grease CD off the table, turning it over to see the track list. A slight smile grew onto his face. "Number 3. That's our first dance." He handed the album to Eugene, quickly walking back to the bridge.

"Rick, it's time!" Rosita yelled out to him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Already?!" He looked at his watch. There was never enough time these days. "Shit." He knew he was probably sweating through his shirt at this point. Whether it was from the heat or from anxiety, he couldn't be sure.

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

She’s Imperfect, But She Tries for the ask game? (Song lyric fics my bELOVED)

Thank you anon! I do actually know this song! That's a first for me (but anything from a musical your odds are pretty good I'll know it 😅). However, this isn't a direct lyric fic but I hope you still like it!

No one knows where Bob disappears to every afternoon just after training is over. Most of the other aviators relax in their rooms, hang out in the common area, or head down to the Hard Deck for drinks. Yet like clockwork, Bob is nowhere to be found from 3-5 every day. Finally, the other Daggers decide to figure out this mystery and follow him. To their surprise, he goes to a small hole-in-the-wall dinner on the edge of town and sits down at a booth in the corner alone. Following him inside, they make a big deal about being surprised to see him there, though he looks equally surprised and flustered at the Daggers' sudden appearance. But before he can say anything, a waitress comes over to the table. She is cute, though sort of plain, her hair tied up into a messy bun on top of her head. But it is instantly clear she is the reason Bob comes here every day based on the smile that breaks out across his face. And the waitress smiles back just as brightly. "Hiya, Bobby. Wow! Looks like ya brought the whole gang with ya this time! I'll have ta get more menus!" "T-thanks, Jenna. Sorry about this. I didn't know they'd all be here." "That's ok, honey! The more the merrier!" She winks at him, takes everyone's drink orders, and hurries away. When she is gone, Hangman leans over and whistles. "Way to go, Bob-o. She's a real catch." Bob shakes his head. "It's not like that. Jenna is… She's just a friend. I stumbled on this place a few months ago and stopped for a quick bite and she was just really nice. So, I started coming back and we've gotten close. But she's just a friend," he insists again. Jenna comes back with a tray of drinks. As she sets them down, she gives half of them to the wrong person, spills Phoneix's water, and it turns out she got Rooster a Sprite instead of a Coke. The Daggers exchange side-eyed glances, but Bob never takes his doe-eyed stare off of her. When she rushes off to get some more napkins, Rooster chuckles. "Damn, Bob. You've got it bad for this girl. No offense, but she's not so great at her job. Yet you keep coming back just to see her?" Bob shrugs. "I guess everyone is looking for a perfect person. Someone with no flaws or who never makes mistakes. Jenna isn't that. She's imperfect, but she tries. She always has a smile on her face and remains so upbeat and kind, no matter what happens. And she never gives up or stops trying to make things better. I've never met someone like her…." He trails off in a dreamy sigh as he watches her pick up a stack of menus she had just knocked over. "Bob, just ask her out. You know you want to," Phoenix urges. "It's clear she likes you too." "I-I don't.." Bob blushes a deep red but shuts his mouth as Jenna comes back with the napkins. "Sorry about that! I can be such a klutz sometimes!" When she has cleaned up the water, she places a plate in front of Bob. "And I went ahead and brought yoa your pie, Bobby." She smiles as she turns to the other Daggers. "Every day he comes in here for a slice of the flavor of the day. The boy does love his pie!" "Actually…" Hangman pipes up. "I think he's more interested in something else… or should I say someone else." Bob kicked at Hangman under the table, but missed and hit Rooster instead. He let out a small yelp, but Jenna didn't seem to notice. Instead, her eyes were locked on Bob, a hopeful gleam shining in them. "Oh? Really? Bobby, is there sometin' I can get you?" Gulping audibly, Bob whispers "You…. I mean, would you maybe wanna go out sometime?" Jenna squeals as a smile breaks out over her face. "Boy, do ya know how long I've been waitin' for ya to ask me that?" "You… you have?" "Why sure! I mean, I know our pies are good and all, but honey, no one loves pie enough to come in here every day for months just for that. I was hopin' ya'd eventually get up the nerve to ask me out. But I didn't wanna push ya into it either." She winks at Hangman. "Luckily ya got some really good friends to do that for ya." Bob looks around at the Daggers. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

send me a made-up fic title and i’ll tell you what i would write to go with it

[kactiworld]

KACTIWORLD - Chapter 2 - Trouble - C-SIDE

“Daddy, why do you have to leave so often?”

“It’s important for the safety of the city, Chris. Just stay with your mother, alright?”

“Ugh.. ok.”

My dad left the room, I could hear my dad and mom arguing. All I could make out at the time was something about being close to something. I suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. I grabbed my head and sat up in bed, sighing to myself before getting up to walk over to my calendar. I cross off monday. Today is a new day.

While walking to the station this morning, I was a little more cautious than usual. For the first time in a while, I was on edge. One of my colleagues got murdered right in front of me by someone I’ve been chasing for months! The corners and alleyways somehow seem a little bit darker than usual. 

I get to the station and walk in. It’s quiet. Quiet like a relative of a family had just passed away. That is basically what it was like after all… I walked into my office, and to my surprise, Alice was sitting in there. 

“Alice?”

“Oh! Chris! Pretty hot in here with a giant hole in the wall, huh?”

“Uh, yeah, definitely. As if it couldn’t have gotten hotter in this desert.”

I saw that Alice was holding onto something that looked like a file that she was waving herself with. It was sealed shut. She was waving her face because of the heat, and she was right, it was hot in here.

“Hey, what’s that?”

“Oh! Right, I wanted to give you this.”

Alice handed me the orange sealed file, it was extremely light, like all it had was just a single piece of paper in it.

“When you open it, don’t say anything.” Alice warned me.

I opened the file after checking over my shoulder and shutting the door to my office behind me. There was a paper that seemed to be a memo of some sorts. I skimmed through the memo at first, but then realized who it was addressed to. 

‘Darius Graves.’

My heart began to race again, the only kind of feeling that I feel when I’m on a lead. That sort of excitement that flows through you whenever secrets come to light or hidden passageways are revealed.

I started over and continued to read. It was a meeting with the mayor. Tonight. 

“What the hell is this? A meeting with…”

“Hey! Shut up!”

“Oh right. Sorry, I got excited.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you did. 41 years old and gets excited like he’s 10.”

“Listen, this has taken years, okay?”

I paused, and Alice perked up.

“Years…? You’ve only been on this for like 5 months I thought?”

“...Never mind.”

I read through the letter more, and that is when it hit me. The mayor is giving a speech on Sunday… That’s the end of this week. And now he’s meeting with this city's biggest threat? What’s going on…

“Chris…”

“Huh? Yeah?”

Alice looked down at the ground and then back at me, looking pensive. 

“Just take this slow, okay? Don’t put yourself in any danger.”

I stared at her for a good couple seconds, thinking of what to say. I really wanted to go, I had to see what they were going, I had to know, I wanted to know. I just…

“Yeah. I’ll take it slow, don’t worry about me, okay?”

I put a hand on Alice’s shoulder and smiled.

“Alright…” Alice smiled back.

“How did you even get this?”

“Well… You know me. I have a lot of friends. This guy named Karter helped me get this stuff. Apparently he’s a PI.”

“I’ve heard of him, that’s pretty cool, I didn’t know you had those kinds of connections.”

“Yeah! Listen, at first I didn’t believe you but, after you pretty much got proven correct, I can’t help myself to help you in any way I can…” Alice kicked her feet against the ground.

“Well… Thank you, Alice. You gotta stay out of trouble too, though. You’re only a junior.” I ruffled her hair and walked out of the office.

The day ended and I went back home, but I wasn’t done with today. The meet is happening at this old warehouse. I need to go. I know I promised Alice that I wouldn’t get myself into trouble, but if I don’t, then who will. 

End Chapter 2

[cloudshoregames]

Your Mech is Different: Inspirations Behind BTE

Hi everyone, Dan here!

I've always been a fan of mechs. As a kid I would dream of growing up to be a mech pilot. I would enjoy shows like Gundam Wing, Zoids New Century, Escaflowne, and Big O while also playing PS1 classics like Armored Core and Xenogears. I remember one time explaining to my older brother that I thought I had figured out how Roger Smith piloted the Big O, pantomiming the movements with my hands and feet, only to be teased for being a nerd.  While there was no mech pilot's academy to join, some people could inevitably point out, "Well you could have learned to fly a jet or drive a tank. That's the next best thing." This notion, I have found permeates the mech subgenre of science fiction/fantasy. Mechs are certainly a power fantasy, but one that is very flexible. What they represent in fiction are different for each person and franchise.

What kicked off my journey into developing Beneath Twisted Earth was actually a YouTube video by Josh Strife Hayes, Armored Core - Was It Any Good? This took me on a nostalgia trip to my childhood playing Armored Core, and the various franchises I had enjoyed over the year. It got me thinking about if I were to make a mech setting what core elements would I include for it to be my quintessential mech game?  (I've Game Mastered for a long time, so this is an exercise I entertain often, seeing a thing I like as seeing how I would apply it to TTRPGs.) Most mech tabletop games in my experience were very crunchy, (Mekton & Battletech were first to mind). This is because fans of mechs like the idea of customization, and making their mech. Having that control over building your machine, but I've never been a fan of crunchy systems. I've always found them cumbersome and tedious. "I just want to play the game!", I would say. 

The next day I threw together a three page mech construction system, and jotted down some notes for a dystopian setting that I could use with my house system someday. I was really happy with what I came up with. The mech construction was highly customizable, but not overly complicated (no number sheets needed). The setting was suitably bleak for a game about war machines, but had lots of potential to be tweaked to tell many different stories'. As I excitedly went over it with my wife, she encouraged me to put it out there. After all, when combined with my house system which I used to run games in any assorted setting that there wasn't a game for, it could be fleshed out into a full game. So I did.

Over the next six months, I began fleshing out that write-up and combining it with my house system. At the same time, I immersed myself in mech fiction to draw as much inspiration as possible. I played any mech video game I could get my hands on, I watched lots of anime, I researched every TTRPG I could find record of, I watched lots of YouTube retrospectives/reviews, and for the first time I dove head first into the world of Battletech, reading through several of the core novels.

This encouraged my design of the game to be more diverse. I wanted to any players who sat down at the table to play BTE to think of a mech and to be able to build it. Not in the number crunching, twelve volume, 30 hours of work sort of way. There are players who like that, and there are games that catered to it. I wanted a game that an experienced player could create their pilot/mech in 10 minutes without sacrificing customization or growth for the people who just wanted to get in their big, stompy robot and start living that life.

Something I found compelling about this deep dive is what mechs meant to different people. When it came down to it, in stories, mechs were always analogous to other archetypes. Mechs can represent many things, but I most often found them taking the role of the following:

Tanks

Jets

Suits of Armor

Horses

Cars

Swords (or other weapons)

Depending on what archetype the mech filled, determined things like how important the pilot was to the combat, what sort of stories were told, and what the capabilities of the mech would be. Because there was so much variation, I also found a lot of conflict in the fanbase over what they should be. This only reinforced to me the importance of customization, not because all fans are gearheads, but because mechs represented a flexible archetype. That meant the mech should allow for each player to express themselves/their pilot. While one player might want an oversized gun on crab legs with armor a mile thick, another player wants an angelic suit of armor that allows them to have sword fights in the sky, and still others want a custom grown symbiotes with bone claws and mouth lasers that fire when it roars in anger at their enemies. All have a place at the table as mech pilots in Beneath Twisted Earth. 

Tangented a little there, but allow me leave it there to you followers and future readers. What do mechs represent to you? What is your ideal version of a mech?

TL;DR - BTE's main inspirations are Armored Core, Battletech, and Gundam. Also, mechs mean different things to each franchise/fan so individuality is at the core of the subgenre. Because of this customization and player agency at the two core principles behind the game.

Art by JGD

Preview Book now available at https://cloudshore.itch.io/beneath-twisted-earth

[dove00]

CW Flash Rewrite

Hi! I wanted to try and do a cw The Flash rewrite. I acknowledge I am not a writer. This is just for fun!

I own nothing DC owns. Warning for child abuse mention (Wally’s past). Please let me know if more warnings are needed. Stay safe and enjoy!

This is going up to a season 1 mid season finale. I really did like how they cut the main villain into arcs A and B with A being stopped in some way in mid season finale. The B villain is Thawne and the A villains are the rogues.

Rogues of Season 1A: Captain Cold, Heatwave, Golden Glider, Pied Piper (who’s a bit younger, maybe 16-17, recently kicked out by parents)

Okay. Barry still goes to Starling but comes back to his fiancé Iris West. As awesome as WestAllen is and their journey, I’d think it’d be better to start here because reasons you’ll see.

Barry and Iris are planning stuff for the wedding and Iris is nervous because her brothers haven’t RVSP yet. Her brothers, Rudy and Daniel, don’t have a close bond but Joe isn’t abusive. They just don’t see each other enough. Barry is aware Iris has nephews (Wally and Wallace) but has never met them.

Barry gets struck by lightning and is in a coma for 9 months. He wakes up in a hospital and they tel him what happen but to him, they talk very slowly. He shakes it off. Iris is called and picks him up. She waited for him but she has news. Her nephews have been placed in her custody.

Barry freaks out and then realized everything stops. Barry sees Iris still and the world the same. Good thing, too, because a driver is going to hit them. Barry grabs Iris and pulls her out of the car and he gets a look at the driver and bam! Normal time starts again. Iris stares at him and he stares back. “Oh, fu—“

The driver keeps going but Barry recognizes him. Leonard Snart.

Iris is confused and Barry said, “I think I’m like Jay Garrick.” Iris nods. She knows about his favorite comic book character (the one who got him through his parents’ tragedy).

She has to go to work so Barry runs her to work and promises to pick up Wally and Wallace from high school and elementary school.

Iris is a reporter already at Central City Picture News (not the Citizen yet) so she does some investigating (even sometimes using one of the intern’s comic books) when news of a bank robbery is happening. A bank robbery where the guy has an ice gun.

Barry…isn’t doing so good. He shows up in his car, that he ran home to grab and then rushed to Wally’s school—meaning he was late. Wally stared and then got in the front seat. Barry tries to make small talk but Wally isn’t really responding. They’re even later picking up Wallace. He apologized but Wallace doesn’t talk to him either. Wally is 16 and Wallace is 7. They make it to Barry and Iris’ house and that’s when he sees the news.

Barry is so used to going to crime scenes after—maybe he can stop one before anyone gets hurt. He runs upstairs and grabs what his teen self created as cosplay of the flash and changes.

He hears a “woah.” And turns to see Wally.

“No time to explain. Watch your cousin. Back in a flash.”

Barry and Cold have a cool (ha!) fight and Barry wins.

Episode ends with Iris and Barry kissing.

The rest of arc 1A is finding the other rogues and Barry and Iris taking care of Wally and Wallace. Wally is hesitant to trust Barry but eventually he wins Wally over. At one point, Rudy West and the Manhunters kidnap Wally two episodes before mid season finale (two episode arc) and Barry is trying to save him and come to terms with the fact that he sees Wally as his son.

They save him but he was hit by lightning too. He doesn’t end up in a coma for very long (a week) and finds out he has powers. They train but Barry is hesitant to let Wally into the field.

Mid season finale has Barry almost losing to the fully formed Rogues when Wally comes in and helps him out. They save the day and Wally recognizes Piper from school. They don’t talk much as the season will show with Wally in school sometimes but Hartley’s story is pretty popular at school—especially for bullies. Wally tries to shut it down when he can but it’s not like they’re friends. He tries to stop the cops from arresting them (he has nobody to bail him out) but Barry pulls him back, whispering “we’ll help him but we have to protect our identities first.”

Wally looks hesitant and then nervous as we see Iris come into the scene but before she can speak a voice calls out, “Flash…um…Younger Flash!” Iris turns and it’s the intern who had comics. “Linda Park, CCPN…intern. Can I have a statement on tonight’s events?” Again, Wally remembers her from school. Linda Park writes for the school newspaper. She’s in four of Wally’s classes—not that he’s aware of that. Nope. She continued, “Why is Hartley Rathaway working with…um…rogues? Oh, yeah! That’s a good name.”

Wally frowns. “It’s complicated. Not that you’d understand.” Then he rushes away.

“Is…is that your statement?” She asked Barry, who shrugs then runs too.

“Do you need a ride home, Linda?”

“Yes, please.”

Look, I wanna see WallyLinda but I also wanna see them grow!

Mid season ends with a blonde man coming through a portal. Running through a portal.

That’s all I’ve got. Hope you liked it. Let me know if you’d like more!

[soft-bellied-tannies]

The Heaviest of Sympathies

Read here or on AO3! - ⚠️ ABO/Mpreg ⚠️

Jimin sat down his boyfriends one day and asked them an unexpected question - how would they feel about him being a surrogate for Hoseok and Yoongi? The beta couple had asked their closest omega friend to carry a baby for them with all expenses covered. Taehyung and Jungkook both supported him, saying it was his body and his decision. They knew it would be quite a while before they considered children of their own so why not give their friends the best gift possible.

Things moved so quickly after that and within weeks, Jimin was pregnant and absolutely glowing. Their friends gave them an endless budget for whatever Jimin could possibly need and his alphas were amazing - taking care of everything he needed. However, there were two very unexpected things for the alphas.

1. Their attraction to Jimin’s new figure

Jimin’s body filled out perfectly - beautiful curves, soft thighs, wide hips. He was stunning in their eyes with each little bit he grew.

2. Jimin’s insanely intense cravings

Jimin went through major phases of sickness and aversion pairing with massive cravings which created a weird landscape in their kitchen.

One day, Jimin would need something very specific like choco pies so badly he could cry. He would go to the store and buy at least three or four boxes, thinking that he would be eating them for days. A few would be eaten that day and then the next morning, the sight of chocolate would have him heaving over the toilet with nausea. He tried his best not to let it bother him and always reasoned that he had two alphas at home to eat the rest so it would never go to waste.

Jimin had no idea how true that statement would become in a few months time.

Taehyung and Jungkook spent the entire pregnancy so focused on Jimin’s needs that neither of them seemed to notice his little routine of buying and not finishing his cravings. The foods he wanted were all over the place so it never seemed like they were constantly stuffing sweets that were sitting around because one week it would be watermelon then spicy tteokbokki then hotteok then right back to fruit. It was oddly balanced but filling nonetheless.

After Jimin gave birth, his omega genetics kicked right in. He was pumping for the couple and the normal amount of pregnancy weight he put on fell right off. He was able to be more active again and the nightmarish cravings were gone. A little bit of fat stuck around his ass which he was not complaining about, but the rest went within a few months - his slim waist and toned thighs looking back at him in the mirror filled his confidence back up to the top.

An interesting development, however, was the fact that his boyfriends’ added weight, another victim of his cravings, was not really falling off quite the same way. Actually, it wasn’t falling off…at all. To Jimin’s surprise, he was pretty happy about it - sympathy weight is what the internet had told him when he went down a rabbit hole of alphas experiencing symptoms during their omega’s pregnancy. Whatever it was called, Jimin was into it.

The most surprising part of it all was the fact that Jimin did not think his alphas had necessarily noticed their new weight. He would admit that the weight was different on both of them, but it was definitely there and no one had said a word about it yet. He had no intentions of bringing it up though, happy to ogle his boyfriends on his own private time.

Jungkook’s weight was all belly. When the alpha was wearing a hoodie, someone probably wouldn’t even notice because his workout regimen had continued the same as always. His arms and legs were muscular as always, toned and strong. The difference now was the soft pudge in the middle where his washboard abs used to be. Jimin loved when Jungkook wore one of his tighter workout shirts around the house because his belly fought against the fabric in way that highlighted his softness perfectly.

It looked like the alpha was permanently bloated after a big meal, rounding out around his belly button that squished into the countertop when he made his protein shake or brushed his teeth. Jimin’s favorite thing was when the alpha walked out of their bedroom in the morning, stretching his arms above his head in his shirtless glory - belly pushing forward slightly when he arched his back giving Jimin the perfect view.

Taehyung, on the other hand, simply had a new layer of softness spread across his body. While Jungkook had always been a gym bunny, Jimin’s other alpha could not care less about fitness. He was their sweet, newly soft, artist who spent his days in his attic studio painting and doing pottery. Taehyung simply had a metabolism that had managed to keep up with him until now. His thighs were a little softer, his ass was a little wider, his belly was a little rounder - it was just a new layer all around.

Jimin noticed that the ties on his smock emphasized his new shape very well, often leaving the omega staring at his boyfriend while he sat in front of his pottery wheel. Taehyung’s cheeks had a little puffiness to them that was adorably noticeable when he smiled. The most exercise Taehyung got was walking Yeontan and that was certainly helping his figure remain heavier for Jimin’s viewing pleasure.

He planned to let his alphas stay exactly the way they were and happily admire their softness. That was until he got called out unexpectedly. Jungkook was standing in the kitchen reading their mail when Jimin got home from work. He slipped in between the small space between the alpha and the counter, popping a kiss onto his lips. The alpha immediately abandoned the mail and wrapped his arms around his omega. After quietly saying hello, the pair just stood in each other’s arms, but Jimin could not resist.

His hands found the alpha’s sides and he rubbed gently back and forth, silently admiring the softness of Jungkook’s belly. The comment honestly caught him so off guard that he didn’t even realize he had been spoken to at first.

“I guess Taehyung was right.”

“Hmm?”

Jungkook laughed, lifting Jimin up onto the counter with ease, stepping closer until his belly was caged between the omega’s thighs. “I said, Taehyungie was right.”

“Right about what?”

“Our boyfriend is a chubby chaser.”

Jimin’s jaw dropped at the statement and the smirk on Jungkook’s face. He stuttered for a moment with wide eyes and pink cheeks before he tried to deny it. “What the hell, no, I’m not. That…I…what does that even mean?”

Jungkook grabbed Jimin’s hands and brought them to his stomach. “It means that you like that your alphas have put on weight. Because of you might I remind you.”

“I-I…that…this is not my fault,” Jimin replied with a pout even though he was in no rush to take his hands off the alpha’s belly.

“Isn’t it? All those cravings stockpiled had to go somewhere. You know perfectly well where it went.”

“But I just…I couldn’t help it.”

Jungkook huffed a deep laugh and kissed Jimin softly. “Yeah, neither could we. Pretty obvious, huh?”

Jimin blushed again at the alpha directly addressing his new shape. “I…um…I think you look great.”

“Just great?”

“I mean, I think you both look perfect no matter what.”

The smirk on Jungkook’s smile slid into a tender smile. “We know, Minnie. I feel the same about both of you. It just seems pretty clear that you have been admiring us lately. It’s okay that you like it. You know that, right?”

“I mean, yeah, I think…yes, I know it is, especially if you both are happy. I don’t know, Tae looks so happy and carefree and so damn attractive. And you, my god - you are so strong and sturdy and safe. I love it. My omega loves it.”

“You are so fucking cute,” Jungkook praised, kissing him yet again. They didn’t pull apart until they heard the stairs creaking with footsteps coming down from the attic. “Speaking of sturdy…”

Jimin burst into laughter, hiding his face in the alpha’s shoulder at his comment.

“What’s so funny?”

“Just talking about how sturdy you are, babe.”

“Oh, fuck off, chubby bunny.”

“Yeah, yeah, tubby. We both know who still fits into his pants here,” Jungkook said, lifting Taehyung’s shirt to reveal one of Jimin’s hair ties holding the button closed.

Jimin looked at Taehyung with wide eyes, not realizing how hot the sight was. He didn’t notice both his alphas staring at him with loving yet teasing expressions.

“See, what did I tell you - Minnie is totally a chubby chaser,” Taehyung quipped, stepping closer and squeezing a handful of Jungkook’s belly.

“I am not!” Jimin cried, smacking the alpha on the shoulder. “I just…I just love you both a lot. That’s all it is.”

“Mhmm, sure, sure, baby,” Taehyung responded followed by a kiss, smiling at Jimin’s blush that was spreading to his ears and neck.

Jungkook shared a quick glance with Taehyung before grabbing Jimin by the waist and hoisting him over his shoulder. The omega shrieked and started giggling as he smacked the alpha’s ass. “Come on, you kinky little thing, you can feel us up in the shower.”

“Oh my God! I’m not a chubby chaser!

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1124: Pilgrim Moonlight (Super Smash Bros Ultimate X River City Girls)

9:34 p.m. Outside of the Smash Mansion.......

Misako: (Points Dark Pit Up to the Stars While Laying Next to Him on One Side of the Pinic Blanket) See a bunch a stars up there? If you connect them together, they look like a Toad trying too hard to sing those high notes.

Dark Pit: (Scoffs While Squinting his Eyes For a Closer Look at the Stars in Question) Please. There's no way it looks like- (Eyes Suddenly Begins to Widened a Bit) that. Huh.

Misako: (Smirks Smugly) Told ya~ I'm always right.

Dark Pit: (Rolls his Eyes) Uh-huh. Like 50% of the time maybe.

Misako: (Lays her Head onto Pitto's Shoulder) Add that to fifty and I'm 100% guaranteed~ But seriously though, what made you want us to come out here and star gaze in the first place? Not to say it's boring, mind you.

Dark Pit: (Shrugs) I couldn't really thinking of anything better for us to do for our sleepover tonight. (Turns Directluly at the Viewer) Or maybe the writer of this fic, is starting to run out of ideas.

Misako: (Softly Swats Her Boyfriend's Chest While Snickering a Bit) Don't be dick, man. You know he's trying.

Dark Pit: Yeah, yeah.

Kyoko: O-M-GGGGG!~ (Turns to her Boyfriend and Girlfriend on the Other Side While Showing Them a Video on her Phone with a Very Excite Smile on her Face) You guys, look!~ The new Scott Pilgrim show is coming to Smashflix in a next three months!~

Misako: (Eyes Begins to Widened in Genuine Surprise) No fucking way, are you for real!?

Kyoko: I've never been more serious in my bubbly life!~ We are SO back, baby!~

Misako: (HI Fives her Girlfriend with a Bright Smile of her Own) Hell yeah!~

Dark Pit: Who the fuck is Scott Pilgrim?

Kyoko: (Turns to Dark Pit) Only the most coolest guy who ever lived in Toronto!

Misako: I wouldn't exactly call him the coolest guy out there, he's a piece of shit actually, but he can kick some major asses when he needs to. You seriously never heard of him or his seroes before, babe?

Dark Pit: Not until now I haven't.

Misako: (Smiles Brightly) Then it's settled! Once we head back inside, we're watching his movie.

Kyoko: (Happily Pumps her Fust up in the Air) And we'll mosey our way to bookstore tomorrow and read the graphic novels together!~ It's six of them in total and story starts to get more deep as volume pasts, but trust us, Pitto-Kins, you'll love it!~

Dark Pit: If you say so. (Notices a Picture of a Girl Playing the Drums on Kyoko's Phone Before Pointing at Her) Who's the redheaded chick on your phone?

Misako: Who? Her? That's Kimberly Pines. The dummer of Scott's band, The Sex Bob-Ombs, as well as his ex.

Kyoko: She's moody and hates everyone and everything. Kinda like you.

Dark Pit: ('Tch') Please. (Crosses his Arms) I don't hate EVERYTHING that exist. Except for floor ice creams. And waking up early in the mornings. And doing any chores around the mansion. (Rolls his Eyes in Annoyance) And I definitely hate Hades more than all of them combined

Hades: Oh hush, Pitto-Pat! You know you love me!~

Dark Pit: (Angrily Gets Up From his Seat andThrows a Water Bottle Up in the Air) NO I DON'T!!

Hades: ..............Yes, you do. (Starts Crackling Evilly)

Dark Pit: (Groans While Sitting Back Down) All of my hate!....

Misako: (Gently Rubs Pitto's Shoulder) Don't let him get to you, babe.

Kyoko: (Hugs Pitto Next to Her) Yeah. We'll be more than happy to kick his immortal butt right now if you want.

Misako: (Already Cracking her Knuckles) Without. Question.

Dark Pit: (Sighs While Calming Himself Down) Don't bother. Knowing him, he's probably out in partying his ass off right now. (Smiles a Little) Appericate the thought though.

Misako/Kyoko: Anytime, honey. (Gives Their Dark Angel Each a Kiss on Both of his Cheeks)

Dark Pit: (Notices Another Girl With Blue Hair on Kyoko's Phone) So I take it that girl there is the main heroine or something?

Misako: Yep. That there is Ramona Flowers, Scott's actual main love interest.

Dark Pit: (Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) Actual.

Misako: Yeah, he was dating Knives before this. And that in it of itself is a can of worms to unpack. But before him and his new flame make their relationship status official, he have to fight abd defeat seven of her evil exes one by one.

Dark Pit: (Eyes Begins to Widened in Complete Shock) Are you shitting me!?

Kyoko: (Smiles Brightly) Nope, it's true. Her exes decides to form a group that prevents anyone from officially dating Ramona without fighting them first. Each of them more eviller than the last.

Dark Pit: And the girl has no saying in this. Like, at all?

Kyoko: (Grabs her Chin While Thinking) Hmmm.....Now that you mentioned it, I don't think I remember if that's the case or not.....

Misako: Neither do I. (Shrugs) But I'm sure we'll figure that out eventually.

Dark Pit: (Couldn't Believe What's Hearing) God, I know love make people crazy things sometimes, but this is ridiculous! Who would be stupid enough to waste their time fighting a bunch of crazy exes for some girl or guy they JUST met!?

The sounds of groaning in agony caught the trio's attention as they turn to see Min Min helping a bruised Captain Falcon making to the Smash Mansion's Doorway.

Min Min: Easy there, captain. We're almost home.

Dark Pit: Min?

The Duo turns to see Pitto, Misako, and Kyoko staring at them.

Dark Pit: What happened to the capt?

Min Min: He got himself involved into a hectic brawl earlier. Apparently the woman he's dating had a total of ten exes wanting to fight him for her honor.

Falcon: And.....I was.....so close in....winning too.....Till that damn Armstrong came in and ruined. EVERYTHING!

Misako: Wait. Armstrong?

Kyoko: You mean that big, scary guy with the neno-

Falcon: -machines, son? Yeah, that's him and I HATE HIM! ('Sniff') I hate him so much......

Min Min: How about we get you inside and accounted for, big guy. I can make you some noodles to help make you feel better.

Falcon: Yeah. ('Sniff') (Continues Walking to the Door With his Pupil Helping him Get There) A bowl of noodles would sound nice right about now.......

Dark Pit: (Watches the Duo Head Inside and Closes the Door Behind Themselves Before Turning Back to his Girlfriends) See what I mean? Batshit crazy.

Misako: Yeah, i wouldn't go that far in doing that either. And it looks like it's gonna be a while before we watch the movie ourselves.

Kyoko: (Shrugs) I don't mind the wait. (Happily Pulls Pitto and Misako in For a Group Hug) Right now I wanna spend the night out here cuddling with two of my favorite people in world, just a little bit longe-

The sound of a roaring thunderstorm begins to ring the trio's eardrums as the rain suddenly begins pour down onto their heads.

Dark Pit: What the.....

Hades: Oh and I forgot to mention that rest of the evening will be cloud with a chance of heavy rain and thunderstorm, courtesy by yours truly!~ (Let's Out an Evil Laugh)

Dark Pit: (Growls in Anger as He Shakes his Fist Up to the Raining Skies) GO CHOKE ON A FUCKING CORKSCREW, HADES-

?????: Pitto!

The trio turns to see Peach by the doorway motherly glaring at the dark angel in question.

Peach: What do we say about language?

Dark Pit: ('Sighs in Defeat') Sorry Momma Peach. Hades' been driving me up the wall lately.

Peach: ('Sigh') As he does with the rest of us. We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay? Right now, I want you three to get out of this rain before either of you get catch a cold. Come on!

Trio: Right! (Pulls Up Their Picnic Blanket and Covers it Above Their Heads as They Quickly Made They Way to the Door)

Misako: You don't think the captain would mind us watching the movie with him present, do you?

Dark Pit: I wouldn't worry about him. He's probably sulking too much to care.

Kyoko: Is the three way cuddle still on the table?

Dark Pit: ('Sigh') Yes, Kyoko. We'll still cuddle.

Misako: Right after we change first! I am not hugging either of you with my clothes and hair being wet!!

@keyenuta

@cyber-wildcat

@albion-93

@caleb13frede

@ma-lemons

[castle-dominion]

Season premieres & finales, trying to remember what happened when

season 1: he met beckett

he said "I looked at your mom's murder"" & she kicked him out

Season 2: he came back for a photoshoot & the reporter said "ooh I want to see the two of you in action" but I think this one is the one where the body got stolen.

he left for the summer with Gina

Season 3: his artist was murdered when he got home from his book tour. he started investigating on his own so they arrested him for murder lol.

Monty got shot, beckett did too & was on disability for three months. Castle says he loves her.

season 4: Gates shows up. First homicide back is some gal who got shot in the chest ("good thing beckett sat this one out") & hastings had a line with a front shot on her. they are simultaneously investigating becketts shooting. also the guy's name is rod haelstead which is very similar to a famous Métis fiddler rod olstad.

Monty's place had a breakin & evelyn shot someone with his old gun. Files were stolen. the dead guy who stole files was in contact with an old friend from the military who got him into this crap. Smith calls again, as he does. Castle needs to stop becks from looking into this case. He fails, she's hanging off a roof, all she can think of is castle. Ryan saves them by telling gates their secret & especkett get suspended & they are mad at ryan. Beckett resigns & goes to sleep with castle. No time passes but she does get a suspension in 5x1 which was the hiatus.

Season 5: Smith got beat up by maddoox. Ryan shows up at beckett's apartment bc he is working without a team. Esposito gets his army friend to find maddox. Caskett find smith all beat up & go to his property where esposito also happens to show up. The file goes kablooey & the cops are like "caspeckett why r u here?" Ryan shows up at beckett;s apartment again & gets two guns pulled on him lmao. they do a puzzle & somehow the file got blown up into pieces but not blown up into ash... anyway they find out it's bracken. Smith "dies". Beckett is not an assassin. Beckett wants her job back & gates is like "smh" but she lets beckett back. Well. After her suspension which is why I consider 5x1 to be more like 4x23b.

She gets a job at the AG's office bc of some anti surveillance tech guy who I really appreciated. Castle is like "what about me" but then proposes.

Season 6: she is working at the AG's & engaged to castle. Castle is no longer working with the nypd. Alexis introduces Pi too.

He has resurrected Derek Storm. Beckett turns out to be married. Castle got into a car crash & disappeared. Beckett is back at the nypd btw. She is the new roy montgomery, always quitting her job & coming back.

Season 7: they pick up at the end of the last season but Castle is missing for 2 months after that. Then they find him. Yay. He has no memories. (He should keep it that way.)

castle also becomes a pi in this season.

Castle's childhood trauma comes back to haunt him. Beckett is trying to be Captain or Senator. Castle gets an award & all the people are there which is nice.

Season 8: Beckett has become captain but then gets a call from the AG's office from some poor nerdy kid. Bracken, who is in jail now, still has a plot going on. Sullivan does not return (he was beckett's replacement when she was in the AG's). Hayley Shipton is introduced. She takes a break from her relationship with Castle & he is no longer working at the precinct but he keeps coming back anyway.

Idk how it ends. Don't tell me.

[celloknightkc]

(cross-posted from twitter, you can read the original thread here)

cat!diluc, trans!diluc, trans!kaeya, t4t #kaeluc, smut, afab language, master/pet play

Diluc isn't used to being a human. Or, well, having a human-like form.

He's spent centuries as a spirit, a familiar to a witch who has only recently released him from his contract. She also encouraged him to use his human form more.

Though 'encouraged' is a nice way of saying 'cast a spell to change him to his human form without a way to change back.'

It's been tough, but Diluc has his new master to help him out.

Kaeya tries to insist that he isn't Diluc's master, his skin flushing even darker every time Diluc refers to him as such, but Diluc doesn't know how else to contextualize what Kaeya is to him. Kaeya takes care of him, giving him food and shelter, and he's so patient with helping Diluc get used to his new form.

It's been several months since Kaeya took Diluc in when Diluc starts feeling... off.

His first thought is that he's coming down with something, but after giving himself a check-over, Diluc realizes the reality of the situation: his heat has come.

Normally he would have Alice cast a spell to suppress his heat, and then hole himself up somewhere soft and dark to ride the worst of it out. But Alice isn't here, and Kaeyaisn't a witch.

Kaeya gave him a room when Diluc moved in, so he decides that there will have to do. He collects all of the bedding from around the apartment and uses them to turn his bed into a nest.

As he's rifling through Kaeya's room for extra bedding, he comes across one of Kaeya's hoodies, and something compels him to pull it on. It smells nice. Really nice. And it makes Diluc feel warm and safe. So he keeps it. Kaeya won't mind, right?

As soon as Diluc is nestled amongst the blankets and pillows on his bed, his heat properly hits him. He kicks off all his clothes, overheated, but then puts Kaeya's hoodie back on, unable to take not being surrounded by the human's scent.

He quickly finds himself in a pathetic state, sprawled out on his bed with the sleeve of the hoodie held to his nose and his fingersstuffed deep inside of his pussy. Kaeya's scent is overwhelming, prompting Diluc to shove his fingers in even deeper.

It's entirely different in his new form. He's not even fully sure what he's doing, he just knows that it feels good, especially when he crooks his fingers like--

Yes, just like that. Diluc whines, arching into the sensation.

He doesn't mean to think about Kaeya while he's doing this, but it's almost impossible to avoid when he's so wrapped up in Kaeya's scent. A mix of soft, freshly fallen snow, and ozone; the charge before a storm. It's addicting. Diluc can't get enough of it, mushing his face against his sleeve while he pumps his fingers.

Soon the position isn't enough, and Diluc rolls over, lifting his ass into the air with his tail pointing straight up, presenting himself for a Kaeya that isn't thereas he plunges his fingers back into himself and starts to fuck himself on them.

"Kae," he moans, rubbing his cheek against the soft material of Kaeya's hoodie. The way that his scent mingles with Kaeya's, strengthening that charged ozone scent with Diluc's warm smoky scent, and fuck is it maddeningly wonderful. Diluc mewls, closing his eyes and fucking himself faster.

"Kae... Kae please..." Diluc's brain is fuzzy with his heat, and the only thing he can think of is Kaeya and his large, lithe hands, touching Diluc all over.

"I need it," he whines, clinging to the pillow below him. It has Kaeya's scent too, and Diluc shoves his face against it, breathing in deeply and getting high on his master's scent.

"Master Kaeya, I need you," he whimpers. "Need you so bad..."

"Diluc?"

Diluc's head snaps up, and he looks over his shoulder to find his worst nightmare; Kaeya standing in the doorway, staring at him.

"I thought I locked the door," Diluc says weakly.

"It was open," Kaeya replies, looking dumbfounded. "Diluc, what--"

Diluc throws a pillow at him. It only just nearly misses Kaeya's head, the human ducking out of the way at the last moment.

"Go away!" Diluc hisses, mortified. Gods, Kaeya can see everything. Diluc presses flat to the bed, tugging at the hem of the hoodie and curling his tail around himself. "Don't look at me!"

"Luc," Kaeya says gently. "I'm-- I'm sorry, I'll-- is that my hoodie?"

"No," Diluc lies, even though it very obviously is.

"... right. And you definitely weren't calling my name just a few moments ago."

Diluc shakes his head, his ears flat against his scalp. Can this just beover already? Diluc wants to cry from embarrassment, and from the fact that his body won't let him remove his fingers from his cunt.

Kaeya sighs. "Look. If you really want me to, I'll leave. But if you want me to stay..."

There's a few beats of silence where Diluc can feel Kaeya's eyes roving over him, taking him in. He's torn between shrinking down even further, and uncurling to present himself.

"I'd like to take care of you, kitten." Kaeya tells him, his tone low and smooth. Diluc shudders, and his body decides for him, his hips and tail raising to present his soaked pussy for his master.

"Please," Diluc murmurs, even as he hides his face in shame. "I need you..." His fingers, still buried inside of him, splay to stretch his hole open, showing Kaeya just how loose and wet he is. "Here."

"Fuck, kitten," Kaeya groans, and then the door shuts, and Diluc feels Kaeya's weight settle behind him on the bed.

"Awfully nice nest you have here," Kaeya tells him. Diluc's chest glows with praise, and his tail swishes happily. "Yeah? You like it when I praise you?"

"Shut up," Diluc grumbles. Kaeya's hands settle on his bare ass, and Diluc gasps, arching into it. Kaeya's touch is electric, sending shivers up Diluc's spine as Kaeya gently kneads his ass.

"Oh, so you're gonna be a bratty little kitty, huh?" Kaeya teases. "Guess I should've seen that one coming."

Diluc grumbles, not wanting to confirm or deny that. Kaeya tuts.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to teach my little brat a lesson, hm?"

Diluc isn't sure what Kaeya means, but then Kaeya's thumb is brushing over his folds, and another mewl leaves Diluc."So cute," Kaeya murmurs. His thumbs part Diluc's folds, exposing his slick, needy hole. Diluc can feel Kaeya's breath against him, and it makes him shiver.

"Kaeya," Diluc manages to say, though he's unsure if it's a warning or a plea.

"I've got you, kitten." Then Kaeya's tongue is laving over Diluc's sex. Diluc startles, clenching around nothing. Kaeya groans, licking at him again. "Fuck, Luc, you taste amazing."

Diluc hides his face in a pillow, trembling as Kaeya continues to lick at him. He's never felt anything like it.

Kaeya eats him out with a practiced ease, one that makes something possessive and jealous burn in Diluc's gut. Who else has Kaeya touched like this? Did he prefer how they tasted? The way they moaned? Would he rather be eating them out right now?

"Kitten," Kaeya says gently. "I can hear you thinking. What's on your mind?"

Diluc swallows thickly, debating telling him. Will Kaeya think that he's crazy? Too clingy?

"Are you mine?" is what his heat-clouded brain manages to ask. Diluc regrets it immediately, hiding his face in the pillow.How stupid of him to ask. Kaeya is his master. Kaeya belongs to nobody but himself.

But Kaeya hums in thought, rubbing his cheek against Diluc's ass in a way that distinctly feels like scenting. Like Kaeya is marking Diluc as his.

"Do you want me to be?"

Diluc trembles, clinging to the pillow and willing himself not to nod. He doesn't want to know what Kaeya's answer would be. He doesn't want Kaeya to let him down easy. He just wants to have Kaeya tonight, for as long as he can.

"Luc," Kaeya murmurs. "Answer me. Do you want me to be yours?"

"Yes," Diluc can't help but whimper. "Mine. Only mine."

Kaeya chuckles, low in his chest, and Diluc braces himself for the worst. But Kaeya only kisses the back of Diluc's hip and says,

"Then I'm all yours."

Diluc lifts his head to look back at Kaeya in disbelief. Kaeya meets him with a soft, warm smile, a look in his eyes like adoration, and Diluc whines needily.

"What does my kitten need?" Kaeya asks, even as he starts crawling up the bed.

"Kae..." Diluc turns onto his side, a hand coming up to grip at Kaeya's shirt. "Please." He's not entirely sure what he's asking for, but Kaeya seems to know.

Their lips meet softly, Kaeya cradling the back of Diluc's head and tilting him into it. Diluc can taste himself on Kaeya, and it just makes him leak more wetness between his thighs.

"Kae," he gasps against his master.

"C'mere, kitten." Kaeya reaches between Diluc's legs, hiking one over his own thigh. His fingers find Diluc's pussy once more, and Diluc gasps as two long, slender fingers slip inside of him.

"Good boy," Kaeya purrs, gently feeling out Diluc's walls. "Is this what you need?"

Diluc nods deliriously, writhing on Kaeya's fingers. He's trying his best to ride them, but between his inexperience, the position, and the fog clouding his brain, the best that he can manage is awkward little rolls of his hips. Kaeya doesn't seem to mind though, murmuring encouragements and praises against Diluc's lips.

"Such a good boy for me. How long have you been holding out, hmm? How long have you been waiting for me to come satisfy you?"

Diluc whimpers, clinging to Kaeya's shirt. Normally he hates feeling helpless, but Kaeya holds him securely, making him feel safe.

"Please, Master," Diluc says. Kaeya's pupils dilate, leaving just a sliver of pale blue, and he tugs Diluc into a deep, fervent kiss. Kaeya's fingers pick up the pace, pressing right up against Diluc's most sensitive spot. He's sinfully skilled, drawing gasps and moans out of Diluc with ease.

"Just like that," Kaeya says against Diluc's lips. "Good boy. Such a good kitten for Master, aren't you?"

Diluc whines, nodding eagerly. Kaeya's fingers are driving him wild, and all he wants is to please his master.

He doesn't last much longer; Kaeya crooks his fingers just so, and Diluc keens as he comes, wetness gushing all over them both.

"Fuck," Kaeya groans, stroking Diluc through it. Diluc tucks his face against Kaeya's shoulder, shuddering as Kaeya draws out another squirt of cum from him. "Such a good boy for me, aren't you?"

Diluc whines as he starts to come down, breathing heavily against Kaeya. Kaeya gently pulls his fingers out, then holds Diluc close, rubbing at his back and murmuring soothing nothings into his hair.

"Doing okay?" Kaeya checks once Diluc's breathing has evened out.

"Mmn," Diluc grunts.

"Mm, you're full of surprises, aren't you kitten?"

"Shuddup," Diluc grumbles, though his tail trembles down to the tip, pleased.

Kaeya chuckles low in his chest, and before Diluc knows it, a purr is rumbling in his own chest.

"Cute," Kaeya murmurs, pressing a kiss to the top of Diluc's head. "Such a cute little kitten. Why didn't you tell me you were in heat?"

"Didn't wanna bother you."

"Oh, sweetheart, you could never. Well. Next time make sure to tell me, yeah? I'll clear my schedule and help you out."

Cautiously, Diluc lifts his head to peer up at Kaeya. "Yeah?"

"Of course. Anything for my sweet kitten."

Diluc tucks his face back against Kaeya's shoulder, this time to hide a smile.

[explosionshark]

book asks: 3, 6, 10, 11, 20

3. What were your top five books of the year?

Red X by David Demchuk - this was the first book I read this year and it's stuck with me this WHOLE time. It's a tough book to describe succinctly - it's a supernatural horror novel fictionalizing the events surrounding the very real disappearances of men in Toronto's gay village between the 70s and the 00s, but interspersed with non-fiction essays by the author. The relationship between queerness and horror is one that's fascinating to me and Demchuk really tears into it here. Cannot recommend it highly enough, though I'd check storygraph for triggers if you're a sensitive reader.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - one part moody, existential relationship novel, one part Lovecraftian body horror. It's gorgeously written, bracingly sad, and the dread is smothering. Very atmospheric and contemplative, while still maintaining a sense of urgency.

Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk - this was so much fun. It combines a few things I love - a good noir detective story, some urban fantasy, lesbians. It follows a supernatural PI attempting to solve a series of grisly murders in 1940s Chicago - with her life on the line.

The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp - OKAY TALK ABOUT FUN. I listened to this on audiobook and really recommend the format, actually - the narrator was great. The book is presented as the posthumously published final book of Jack Sparks - think of the shittiest, most miserable VICE-style journalist you can imagine, now have him set out to disprove the existence of the supernatural, only to end up immediately possessed. Sounds good, right? It IS. I'm REALLY stoked to read more Arnopp next year

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - the only non-fiction in my top 5 this year. This book, as you can probably tell, is a historical biography of the five "canonical" victims of Jack the Ripper. It's less true crime than you'd think - there's very little in the way of grisly details of the crimes. Instead, Rubenhold chooses to focus on putting together as compete as possible a biographical record of each of the women, while helpfully contextualizing the facts of their lives with details of Victorian-era life. The dismal similarities between recent "culture war" rhetoric and the attitudes of Victorian moralists were striking, depressing, and vital to understand. It made this book feel even more timely.

6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

ooh yeah a bunch. I have a bunch of sequels I mean to read and didn't get to - most notably the last two books of the Foundryside series and A Desolation Called Peace. Also The Thousand Eyes, which is the sequel to The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood. God, I suck at sequels I'm so bad at reading sequels. I wanna get better. Also I was going to finally read Ghost Story by Peter Straub this month, but I haven't gotten to it. I'll save it for next year, I think.

10. What was your favorite new release of the year?

Our Wives Under the Sea, I think. Really striking.

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

The most extreme example was probably Dracula which I happened to read like a month before Dracula Daily kicked off lmao. But yeah - I'm not super well read when it comes to pre-1900s fiction. I was surprised by how readable it was. Certainly not without its issues, but it was REALLY fun and now I've unlocked a whole literary canon of Dracula spin-off works. I'm so stoked.

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

So embarrassing but my most anticipated release was Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez which I haven't actually read yet. I bought myself a copy for Christmas! I'm gonna read it next year!

end of year book asks

[taiblogcomics]

Miss Mary Marvel, All Dressed in Black

Hey there, low-poly kart racers. It's June now! We're a month into this review, which at least also reflects on the review itself. Which is to say, we got 51 issues in as many weeks. Unlike its vastly superior predecessor 52 (yes I will keep mentioning it), I don't think this one's being told in real time. Can you imagine a month of your life going by and this little happening in it? I mean, I can, but also I don't live in the DC universe~

Here's the cover:

All right, this cover's pretty sweet. Like, as a latex fetishist, I really appreciate Mary Marvel's costume change. There's no separation between the gloves and sleeves at any point! I think that's cool! The one thing is that the skirt is just a bit too short for someone Mary's age. Like, you're getting a little cheek peek right on the cover, and I don't think that's okay. I do get the symbolism of a more risque outfit being symbolic of her slip into darker magics. But, like, couldn't it accomplish the same thing if her skirt reached her knee~?

Previously: Jason Todd watches the Monitor shoot Duela Dent, then bonds with Donna Troy over it. Pied Piper and Trickster audition for a big caper with the rest of the Rogues. Karate Kid is held for questioning by the JLA. Jimmy Olsen discovers he has superpowers while at Arkham Asylum, then watches Lightray of the New Gods die. And Mary Marvel, as implied by the cover, ends up seeking out Black Adam for a power boost after being cut off from her own powers and family. All this and Holly Robinson hasn't even appeared in the series yet! Maybe this issue~

We open with a brief scene of Jimmy Olsen having a nightmare where he's trapped in the Source Wall wearing Lightray's outfit. He then wakes up screaming. What a necessary sequence. We then finally cut to Holly Robinson, who might be the most obscure character of the lot here. Long story short, she's a former sex worker who's pals with Catwoman, even taking over the identity for a time while Selina Kyle was indisposed. A couple of Russian supervillains kill a cop, and the police blame it on Holly. She's on the run as a fugitive now, having picked the worst place to hide out: this series.

Holly arrives in Metropolis, clearly trying to disguise herself with an ugly army cap and sunglasses. Like, she hasn't even changed her hair. A guy who is only slightly sleazy-looking approaches her. Like, worst of it he's wearing a black trenchcoat and gold chain necklace. He's like "Hey baby, need somewhere to stay? I see you have a barely concealed whip in your bag, I can get you a lot of attention for that kind of kink." She kicks him in the face, which drops him instantly. She doesn't do that kind of work anymore. She then debates calling a friend, then spikes her cellphone on the ground angrily, figuring she has to live without help now.

Over in Gotham City, Mary Marvel is continuing her chat with Black Adam, another way you can tell this story isn't taking place in real time. Can you imagine this conversation lasting three weeks? Anyway, Adam doesn't think it's coincidence Mary ended up at his doorstep and figures if she's come inquiring about his power, she must accept that they feel the same: lost, abandoned, left with nothing. Mary replies that there's not nothing, hope still remains. Black Adam then chokeslams her against the wall, raging that hope is a sick delusion. Can you imagine The Rock doing that~?

So we cut over to the Monitors, who are continuing their "We should do something" discussion. And the something they should do? The Monitor who killed Duela (later named Solomon, which we will use to distinguish him for simplicity's sake) proposes a call to action. There is a multiversal crisis, a disease that could wipe out everything--and I do mean everything, everywhere, all at once--and the ones carrying it are Jason Todd, Donna Troy, and Kyle Rayner (which is weird to call him out here, considering Kyle hasn't appeared i the comic in person yet). For the good of the multiverse, these three must be wiped out. And the rest of the Monitors cheer him--save one, the one who stopped Solomon after he killed Duela.

Pied Piper and Trickster are at another of the Rogues' debauchery parties, and they step out for some fresh air. Both of them question why the other is here. After all, didn't they both go straight? (An ironic twist of words, considering Piper is gay, which Trickster makes jokes about.) Trickster reasons it out as being bored working with the FBI. Hey, not wanting to be a fed? That's respectable! Piper, on the other hand… Well, Wally West and his family disappeared into the Speed Force after Infinite Crisis. He doesn't have any other family or friends. What's left for him but the Rogues?

The conversation with Black Adam continues, as he asks if Mary wants to die. She responds (pretty clearly for being pinned to a wall by her throat, no less) that she only wants her old life back. They both know that's impossible. And while he can't help her loneliness, he can give her some gods to hang out with instead. He calls down the lightning, transferring his powers to her. Because if you put that on the cover, it better come true. And yes, he's given her all of his power, reducing him to Teth-Adam. As he leaves, the only instructions he gives are to tell Billy "sorry" if she does happen to see him.

And you'd think that'd be the end of the comic, but nope! That'd be a great place to end it! But instead… we have to spend the final page reminding you that even while this year-long maxi-series was going on, there were still other event comics happening at the same time. The very last page of this issue shows a news broadcast from Washington D.C. (Not to be confused with Washington Marvel.) The subject of that news broadcast? To lead into the next few issues actually being a tie-in to an even worse event storyline: Amazons Attack.

Well, at least something on the cover actually happened this issue. Oh, wait, that's the same praise I gave to the previous issue last time. Well, then maybe I got nothin' for this one. Congrats to Holly for finally showing up five issues in, though. We got all our storylines now!

Would you believe I completely forgot this contained an Amazons Attack tie-in? Like, can you blame me, though? Amazons Attack might be one of the most pointless events in all of comics, and I'm saying that reviewing Countdown in 2024. Like, someone suggested I do The Death of the New Gods after this, and I'm willing to take them up on that! If anyone recommends I should review Amazons Attack after this, I'm going to tell them to eat lead paint~

[prophetkristy]

20 YEAR DIVE-A-VERSARY

(I'm not old, YOU'RE old!)

copypasta from LiveJournal Dreamwidth:

Like Finding Nemo, Only Less Cartoony Part III: 3955

On December 14, 2003, I went to the bottom of the ocean.

It is getting late in the Extreme 2003 cruise, and the handful of us on board who have not yet gotten the opportunity to dive on Alvin are starting to get worried. The electrochemists' instrument is giving so much trouble that the chief scientist is minded to send a member of their lab down on every dive in order to troubleshoot. This despite the fact that the instrument's daddy, D, has given a group of other scientists a course in running the instrument, and common fixes, so that we will be able to take in situ electrochemical readings on our dives despite not being well-versed in the field. Despite the fact that most of the electrochem failures have been due to hardware problems and instrument hard grounds which were unfixable from within the submarine and shut the instrument down for the dive after the point of no return. A few of the other PIs on the ship are looking out for those of us who haven't yet dove, however, keeping track of who had yet to dive and how many dives were left, dropping suggestions to the chief scientist whenever they feel they have a chance.

In all matters scientific on Atlantis, the chief scientist has final say. This includes selection of each and every scientific observer for each and every dive made on the expedition. S/He has, therefore, a very difficult job, coordinating the wants and needs of 20+ scientists (and their co-workers back home) with limited ship and sub time. There are naturally a lot of tensions. Our group has the added fun of a chief scientist who always waits until the last minute for things. The observers for a dive have generally not been chosen until the night before that dive; sometimes very soon before the night's dive briefing.

When you're a newbie scientist on Atlantis (and a huge Alvin fangurl to boot), you try so hard not to get your hopes up, and usually you fail. Even though I felt blessed merely to have the opportunity to be on the ship and do research at sea, and I knew there was no guarantee I would be able to dive on Alvin, I really, really wanted to be chosen. I couldn't help keeping track of how many newbies were aboard vs. how many total scientists got to dive vs. how many dives we had left [1]. All I could do was try to be helpful on board in any way I could (so I didn't seem like a waste of valuable ship-time expense), and hope.

After yet another yummy dinner [2] on Dec. 13, I am at the bank of computers in the Main Lab going over dive tapes for footage of Pompeii worm sampling. It is cold, frustrating work. iMovie keeps crashing, and the vagaries of the ship's environmental controls have made the main lab excessively air conditioned on this trip. (The annoyances are partially mitigated by being near the electrochemists' lab space. They were fun people and I enjoyed being with them.) At some point, the chief scientist, C, appears behind me, leans over my shoulder, and says quietly, "How would you like to dive tomorrow?"

…!!!

I think I squeak out a "really??!?!" whisper. C is suddenly the most awesome person in the world. (If I were chief scientist I'd get a huge kick out of making people's days/weeks/months/lifetimes by picking them to dive!) He reminds me when the briefing is (in a few hours!) and goes off about his stuff.

My attention span, naturally, is shot all to hell. I save my workspace and fly to the computer lab to send a squealy email (or what would have been squealy, if emails had sound) to advisor, mom, and boyfriend. I fly to my cabin and pull out the wool stuff I've brought for the occasion (socks, sweater borrowed from mother). I riffle through my file o' accumulated paperwork for stuff from the briefings I'd had earlier in the cruise. (Actually, I'm not really sure what I did before the briefing (besides the emailing and flying).) I am v. bouncy.

Apparently there is some shuffling about who's going to be diving with me. I get the feeling that P, who's finally chosen, is called to the briefing pretty much as it's starting and told just then. (did I mention C did things at the last minute?) C becomes even cooler: P is a newbie, too. C is trusting *two*newbies* with a full dive.

P and I are two newbies all ready to become Deep Sea Explorers.

What happens at a dive briefing? The chief scientist, observers, and pilot (minimally) meet and discuss the dive plan. Others may attend: the expedition leader (from the Alvin group), any scientists who have special equipment aboard or sampling requests. The dive plan is a list of objectives to be met for a dive, along with pertinent instructions, dive coordinates, sampling requests, etc. It's one of those things the chief scientist must rack his/her brain about every day. We also go over any instruments or equipment to be used, and the pilot or expedition leader will bring up any safety concerns or technical issues and make sure the dive plan is realistic given their capabilities. I learn how to operate the Sipper, the water sampling instrument that will be on Alvin's basket, which is controlled with a palmtop computer by one of the observers in the sub. We also get tips and reminders on note taking, video operation, what to pack for the dive, and much more.

After the briefing you pack up your warm clothes, notebook, dive plan, spare batteries for the palmtop, any goodies you feel like bringing (I'd brought a stash of Riesen for the cruise--chocolate can be like gold at sea) into a pillowcase which is stowed in a box in the Alvin hangar. The pilots will make sure your stuff gets in the sub when they prep in the morning. Then you try to get some sleep, as you're due on deck by 7am. I am afraid I won't sleep, but the darkness of my cabin and calm rocking of the ship work pretty well [3].

Regardless, I don't have difficulty getting up the morning of Dive 3955. ;-) The sun is not quite up when I get on deck. I snap a photo of one of the first sights to greet me, the expedition leader getting the sub ready for my dive. *g*

Expedition leader P prepares Alvin for my dive. Obviously he's a good leader, as he's managed to delegate well here.

The pilots and techs are working over Alvin, still in the hangar. I wander the deck and try not to explode with excitement. (B, the morning's launch coordinator, makes a comment to me about trying not to be nervous and going to get some coffee or something. I look nervous? I'm not; I'm thrilled! I'm about to ride the world's first deep-diving submarine to the bottom of the ocean! And there's no way I'm eating or drinking anything before being shut into a titanium sphere for 8 hours [4]!)

The dive plan, naturally, changes at the last minute, and we huddle to confer. Yes, I'm really short. From left, B (launch coordinator), C, T, P, and me. Behind B you can see the aft of Alvin; above our heads are some A-frame hydraulics. Also on the deck behind us are several float packs for elevators.

Preparations for the dive go mostly as usual. After what seems like the longest prep ever to get the sub attached to the A-frame, P and I are called up. We climb the stairs, remove our shoes, wave to the crowd.

P and I are ready to dive!

As the starboard observer, I enter first. There are designated places you're allowed to put your hands and feet, and you have to be careful on the way down not to trip switches (there are control panels everywhere in the ball, including just behind the ladder you climb down). The hatch opening is greased (to assure a tight seal, I assume) and you have to be careful not to hit that on your way in (I think I did, what with my gimpy knee--but we didn't leak or anything, so it's all good). The pilot is already inside. You fold yourself down into your space as quickly as you can so that the port observer can follow you down and get into his space. Once all three are situated, the launch coordinator removes the ladder and seals the hatch. There's no going back! (According to my research, no one's ever fainted inside the ball. You do go inside beforehand, during your dive safety briefing near the beginning of the cruise, and I reckon any claustrophobes are weeded out then--long before they're ever sealed inside.)

Inside the ball, it isn't as crowded as I expect it to be. (I think all three of us were on the small side.) I sit behind and to the right of the pilot, who sits on a padded box (the first aid kit, IIRC) behind his window, surrounded by controls. I have my own window, looking starboard and forward and a little down (it was actually a little low for comfort--when glued to my window, which was fairly often until we really started working, I was rather contorted). The windows are v. small; just wide enough for two eyes. If you have hands my size, and make a circle with your forefingers and thumbs together, it's about that big around. They are tapered with the wide end outside, so not only do you get a good range of vision, but I imagine it also helps the pressure issues. They're about 3.5 inches thick.

Above that is my little video monitor and the controls for it and for my pan-and-tilt camera on the top starboard of the sub. Each observer has a monitor that can toggle through every camera mounted on the sub (and there are a handful), and also a pan-and-tilt outside that's a camera + light that can be controlled by remote. You can also turn on or off overlays on your monitor, which give you real-time information from the sub's computer about temperature, depth, position, and much more. Two digital video recorders run throughout the sub's time on the bottom. One is slaved to the starboard pan-and-tilt (which also has two lasers on it that are fixed at 10cm apart so you can get a sense of scale), and the other is slaved to whatever the port observer has on his screen. So you have video responsibilities on top of everything else. There is also a tape recorder and mini-maglite in my little corner. Many things like this remind you that this ship has been in service (though constantly upgraded; there probably isn't a single original part left) since the early 60s, and things have evolved for utility through long experience.

To my left, in the back of the sphere, is the science rack, a big rack of equipment and stowage. (The observers also have racks above their heads holding computers and such--space inside the ball is at a premium.) A shelf there holds a few handheld digital cameras--video and still--for when the mood strikes us, as well as the Sipper's palmtop. There is also the all-important lunch, always packed [5]. In the corners between science rack and observers are oxygen tanks, CO2 scrubbers, your pillowcase full of stuff, oxygen masks, and other necessities.

You can, of course, see outside through your window even when the sub is still on deck; I admit to appropriating the digital camera (since I couldn't take my own) and taking lots of curiosity photos.

C aboard the Avon, as seen through my window as we dangle above the ocean waiting for the divers' signal.

Having watched a number of launches by this point, I know the drill, and it is interesting to actually be launched. I see a number of jellies outside my window as soon as we hit the water. I don't notice much about the final preparations; before I know it T is radioing Atlantis for permission to dive, and we are sinking silently beneath the waves.

I'm in that little sub!!

It takes about an hour and a half to drift 2500 meters to the ocean floor. After learning how early I was expected on deck, I had toyed with the idea of napping on the way down, but of course I'm way too excited for that. We use the time to go over the dive plan and make sure we're absolutely familiar with what needs to be done. The pilot spends the first few hundred meters checking for grounds in any of the electrical equipment. We also listen to music; yes, the pilots have installed a stereo system in the ball. And we get steadily colder. The ball isn't insulated, nor does it have internal heat. Ambient seawater is about 2° C (halfway between refrigerator temp and the freezing point of water). Hence the warm clothes. You're encouraged to wear natural fibers (think fire). They also supply a couple of wool blankets, neatly folded underneath the lunches below the science rack. My mom's sweater keeps me pretty cozy; my feet are a little chilly, as usual, so I am thankful for the blanket.

The hatch and its tiny one-eyeball window (T tells me it's to make sure we don't surface directly underneath a ship). You can just barely make out the seam. Note condensation on the ball, and audio speaker at bottom left.

With the cold comes condensation on the inside of the ball. You've sealed in air from the surface, which (because we were at 9° N) is warm and humid. So the inside of the ball gets quite wet. As the dive progresses, water starts to drip over your window, giving you a split-second moment of worry that it's leaking. (At the pressures of the deep sea--over 250 times atmospheric pressure--if there was a leak, you'd probably never notice it before the sphere was crushed, I reckon.) Water also collects in the bottom of the compartment (there is a flat floor inside the sphere over a little compartment beneath), so you're sitting in a puddle. I don't even notice my wet rear until we're ascending again; we are v. v. busy once we reach the bottom.

The seafloor, off-axis. This photo was taken by the Dancam, a high-res digital camera mounted on top of the sub that automatically takes a photo every 30 seconds during bottom time. The front edge of Alvin's sample basket is at bottom. At right, the starboard manipulator has taken hold of the elevator we will later attach to the InSECT. Look closely to see a sea cucumber.

Dive time is limited by the sub's battery power, so no external lights are switched on until we're just above the bottom. We're working on the East Pacific Rise, a crack in the ocean floor west of the Americas where hot water and sometimes magma oozes out of Terra's crust. The sub comes down off-axis, which means that it's a small distance away from the vent area. You don't want to come down right on top of one of those black smokers!

Before we discovered vents (off the Galapagos in 1977), we thought the deep sea was a pretty barren place, biologically speaking. If you consider the common method of deep-sea biological sampling--tow a net behind your ship--it's no wonder. (One oceanographer remarked that sampling the deep sea was like running blindfolded through a field with a butterfly net above your head.) Hydrothermal vents are probably the primary focus of deep sea life, and they are *packed*. Some figures place the biomass per unit volume at a vent as much higher than the "photic zone" where light penetrates the top of the ocean. That's saying quite a lot, especially considering that we were under the impression that all life on Terra somehow traces its energy back to the sun; there is no sunlight on the bottom of the ocean.

So we reach the bottom, 2502 meters below the surface, off-axis where there isn't a lot to see. Mostly flat rocks (pillow basalt) and a few sparse pink sea cucumbers and sea stars. T gets his bearings (based on the baseline established by Atlantis once arriving on station), and drives us toward the vents. The best indicator that you are approaching the vent area is the crabs. There are little white crabs everywhere down there, and they increase in density as you move closer to the hot water, where everything else thrives. Regardless, the bottom of the ocean is an entirely different world, with plenty of strange alien life.

Another thing that increases in density near the vents (but mostly off-axis) are "Alvin droppings": scores of dive weights left where they're dropped to rust and return to the ecosystem. ;-)

Most of our work is at a place called Tica. This isn't actually a black smoker, but an area of diffuse flow--great habitat for Riftia, the giant tube worm. We retrieve the electrochemists' InSECT (In Situ ElectroChemical Tool, named on this cruise by one of the pilots and looking a little like a mantis), sending it to the surface on an elevator. We sample the Riftia around which the InSECT has been taking measurements for the past four days. We pick up numerous sampling devices that have been set down there at the beginning of the expedition. We take a water sample with a niskin bottle that had been rigged atop the sub; the rope to trigger it is flippantly labeled "Pull to Flush." (hee!) My window isn't well situated to observe the action in front of the sub, so I mostly watch my monitor (at one point my pan-and-tilt is right on the action, because the pilot wants to use its lasers to mark the area he's working in) and work the Sipper. Tica is an incredible place; giant tube worms growing in clumps almost like flowers, their red lipstick-shaped gills poking out of their tubes. Older clumps of Riftia are tangled masses. Swarms of amphipods above the worms like insects. Crabs crawling over and under and around--the worms go down in their tubes when poked, a likely crab-defense-mechanism. The occasional ghostly white eel-like fish.

Taking a sample of a giant tube worm. The pilot honestly just grabs the tube in a manip and pulls it up like a weed. It will go in the open biobox on the basket. The InSECT is at bottom left.

After finishing our sampling at Tica and moving slightly off-axis to send the InSECT up, we drive to an actual black smoker called Q Vent. Driving is one of the biggest drains of battery power for Alvin, and our driving around to find the elevator for the InSECT, find various samples, and find Q Vent, coupled with a less-than-optimal battery charge [6], cuts our dive time short. After a cursory survey of a portion of the Q Vent chimney where my organism of interest, Alvinella pompejana, is growing, T informs us that we have only 40 minutes remaining on the bottom due to power concerns.

Taking Sipper samples of an alvinella colony at the Q Vent. The Pompeii worms grow in papery tubes of metal sulfide directly on the sides of the chimney. The instrument being held in a tube here has a temperature probe and electrodes for electrochemistry (when it's working), as well as the inlet for the Sipper. Note the red dots of the starboard pan-and-tilt's lasers, which are 10cm apart for scale.

One the things about which I'm most proud, being on a double-newbie dive, was the decision we made at that point. With 40 minutes, I felt there was no way we'd get any appreciably good Alvinella samples--both my group and the bacterial group are interested in well-documented measurements before sampling, especially of temperature and electrochem. Rather than doing a quick snatch of random worms, we decide to abandon the colony and get a frying pan set up in the time we have remaining. A frying pan is an apparatus our geochemists have built to put over the top of a vent chimney to grow a "protochimney." A day or so after placement, the frying pan is collected and brought to the surface, where it can be dissected to find out what's in a growing chimney [7]. We have just enough time to take Sipper samples of the black smoker on top of Q vent (which is a very tall chimney) and place the frying pan before we run too close to our power reserves.

The frying pan placed atop Q vent. The "smoke" isn't actually smoke, but metal sulfides precipitating out as they hit the cold seawater. These precipitates are what build the chimney at a hydrothermal vent. The water at the vent opening is 350° C (3.5 times the boiling point of water). It doesn't boil because of the extreme pressure. Note the "snow" in the water all around; these are clumps of bacteria.

Having accomplished all that we could for the day, we drive slightly off-axis and drop weights, beginning our slow float to the surface. All the exterior lights are again extinguished and the only thing to be seen outside our thick Plexiglas is occasional little specks of bioluminescence.

What the bottom of the ocean *really* looks like.

On the way up, there are still tasks remaining. The pilot has things to take care of with the sub and its computer.

T, our pilot, types data into Alvin's computer.

We scientists collate our notes and prepare a science report, which is called up to the surface once those up top are ready for it. The science report is a quick summary of what was accomplished on the dive, generally received and/or circulated during the afternoon science meeting. It's useful for the rest of the team on the surface to know what samples and how many are on their way, so that preparations to receive them can be made. The obligatory "this is me in the sub!" photos are taken. And we finally have time to eat lunch!!

P in the port observer's position, readying the science report. Yes, they've put in some cushions between us and the titanium, thank goodness. His window is just behind T's knee; you can see the blue pad around it.

Me, sitting in the pilot's seat. Behind me on the control panel you can read the temperature (in green), 1.8° C, and the depth (in red), 1559.4 meters.

I have yet to write in detail here about recovery, but one thing that happens is that Alvin sits on the surface for about half an hour which Atlantis slowly and carefully drives up to it and gets into position for recovery. Alvin is a fairly small boat--about the size of a UPS delivery truck--and so even calm seas will move it around quite a bit, in various directions. Waiting for recovery was one of the few times during the expedition that I felt seasick. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, telling myself in firm tones that I Would Not Be Sick.

I'm sure the scientists aboard had a great time planning for not one, but two initiations once P and I returned from the ocean floor. (another planned entry--initiations!) Actually, I know they did. After we climb out of the ball and stretch, we look for our shoes; they aren't in the bag on the side of the A-frame where they've been left. G, the recovery coordinator, points them out: sitting on the yellow line delineating the "safe" zone, mine frozen in a block of ice! (P's are merely frosty from being in a freezer.) I nearly fall off the stairs on my way down from laughing so hard! We're duly initiated, and I set my icy shoes out of the way to thaw and dry in the warm equatorial afternoon sun.

Some cold shoes. Compared to the stories I've heard, this was a pretty mild prank!

I'm very amused. :o)

Since we haven't gotten any Alvinella samples (disappointingly), I don't actually need to be present for the daily basket-swarming. I hang around in the sunshine drying off until P chases me off the deck because I'm not wearing shoes. (Um, obviously.) That's my cue to squelch my way inside and downstairs to change clothes.

The evening of that memorable day is also notable. I wander a good deal, winding down from my incredible experience. Out on the deck, seaman E is shining a light overboard and is fishing for squid amidst swarms of silvery flying fish [8]. If you discount most of 'em being underwater, they look quite a bit like a flock of little birds. I watch E help B bring in one of the biggest catches of the cruise.

B and his mondo squid. [9]

Finally I go looking for a flashlight so I can go up to the bow and look at the stars. D, one of the SSSGs, offers to go with me. We plant ourselves on the deck in the bow and cast our eyes to a glorious night sky spread above us. I've only seen that many stars before on camping trips in the mountains of Idaho. And it was somehow fitting to end a day spent at the bottom of the ocean by exploring the vast heavens.

Note: if I haven't done so before, I heartily recommend the book Water Baby by Victoria Kaharl for any and all fans of Alvin. It's out of print, so look for it at your library or used. It's a fascinating history of science and discovery.

[1]: Then there are the additional considerations: every eighth dive is a PiT dive, where the sub carries a pilot-in-training in place of one of the two scientific observers aboard. Also, it was general practice (at least on our cruise) that at least one of the two scientific observers on a dive was "experienced" (has been down at least once before). [2]: The food aboard Atlantis is v. good. Our steward/cook, L, was amazing. At our very first briefing on the ship, the captain told us we *would* put on weight during the cruise. [3]: I slept really well on the ship. The only time I didn't was when we had weather. My cabin was a level below water level, up in the bow. Waves of any appreciable size would SLAM into the hull with resounding booms. When we were cruising or there was weather, it was a little like being inside a cannon. [4]: Indeed, Alvin has no restroom. They do carry bottles for necessity. You have to empty your own up top if you used it. You can well imagine the apparatus is much easier for males to use. I managed to not need it. [5]: The one time Alvin was wrecked (it fell off its cradle during a launch in 1968 and sank--no one was inside), it stayed on the bottom of the ocean for nearly a year with its hatch open. After the salvage, they found the lunches inside incredibly preserved by the cold of the deep sea. [6]: You know how your Walkman's rechargeable batteries will charge better if they're completely drained beforehand? The principle is the same for large batteries, too. The night after 3955, the Alvin group deep-cycled the batteries. There was no power shortage on the next dive. I'd be bitter, but really I'd have been happy and fulfilled with a scant five minutes on the bottom. [7]: The downside here is that 3955 ended up being our last dive in that area, so that frying pan we put there was never recovered and is probably now a part of Q Vent. I still think we made a good decision. I imagine a lot of sampling devices get left and are overgrown (biologically or geologically) down there. Vent ecosystems are extremely dynamic. [8]: I only saw the flying fish at night, usually when E was fishing or when we had a light out there for a CTD cast (ack, another entry: CTD hooking!). [9]: We grilled it (and others) at the end-of-cruise barbecue!

[lasclsurfing]

Desktop Pets Sans

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If you see him sitting down with some Zs floating off of his head, this means he wants to sleep. Overfeeding him will cause him to get ill, so be careful. Looks like Sans is hungry! Select the Fork and Knife icon to choose a hot dog for a meal, and a bottle of ketchup for a snack, no skeleton can resist! Use the middle bone button B to confirm your choice. After it's done, your new friend, Sans, will appear! He will interact with you depending on how you care for him. After setting up your unit, a house will appear for a few minutes, indicating it's in "standby mode" until a few minutes have passed.Īfter a few minutes of waiting, your unit will play a section of "It's Raining Somewhere Else". Press the left bone button A to scroll, middle bone button B to confirm. The screen will show the date and time, but you have to set it. You will hear a long beep for a few seconds. Unscrew the back of your pet with a screwdriver (Phillips head recommended). Care always comes with responsibility, especially with a skeleton. Do you have the determination to care for him? Make sure he gets what he needs, so he'll be your friend for a long time. He wants to get out, but then he starts feeling snug, as it's warm. However, he ends up in a weird pod with a clear screen. He sees a bright light as if it's a way out.

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​Ever wanted your own virtual skeleton? Now you can, with Virtual Pal Sans! He's your own friend that you decide how to treat him! However though, neglecting him will have some consequences, so be wise!Īfter a few weeks being sealed in the Underground, a brave skeleton by the name of Sans tries to find a way to the human world.

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I hope you enjoy it anyway, plus there will be some missing things I might have left out, so if I find something I missed, I will edit this post to add it in. (also on pi day sans should say "happy pi day from pa*-pie-*rus".Author's Note: This is another idea of mine, but I will not be doing this, as I have previously said, I need permissions and the materials to create it. Do you not have the guts to stand my puns?What is the best band in the underground? Femur and Dreemurr. I don't know if I should put a little more backbone into these jokes, but then again it is tibia expected that I'll get lazy and not try as hard to make a skele- ton of them. I know i'm pretty humerus.This is going tibia funny pun. Have you seen my brother I have a bone to pick with him. The annoying dog stole Papyrus's left arm and leg. He even ran off with Papyrus' left leg! You could say he didn't leave him with a leg to stand on. That annoying dog came back and stole more of our bones. What do skeletons hate most about the wind? Nothing it goes right through them. why did the skeleton get kicked out of the comedy club? Because he wasn't very humerus Knock Knock : who's there? : to : to who? : to whom. You wan't dialogue? have some: I wanna make a joke about sodium, but Na.

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If you guys have any suggestions for dialog, feel free to put them below!! I'd love to put in as much as I can so his speaking doesn't get too repetitive.

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Once I get around to finishing him (just want to get a little more dialog in), I'll publish him for download along with the tutorial inside so you can edit whatever dialog you please to fit you personally! Feel free to make another character if you'd like to!! Sans knows what day and month it is, and also knows the time, so you can edit him to remind you about something or say something at a certain time/day! He also remembers names and birthdays!! He can read you RSS feeds, check your email, has a built-in calendar, and can empty your recycle bin. You can do really cool things with it, like insert your own dialog and pretty much make your own. Emotions!! (his facial expressions do change, as seen on the clips)įor those of you that have no clue what an Ukagaka is, it's a little desktop friend that sits on your desktop and talks to you on occasion. Whoopie cushion (yes, he will prank you with this at random) Random dialog he speaks every three minutes at what I've set him at, although it seems he's a bit quiet (usually tells jokes or useful hints about the program, or talks about his brother) He does make his speaking sound on dialog activation, I promise! Sorry for the low-quality video of him in action, it's all I can get for now.