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ganondoodle · 4 months

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was watching another totk video and through that found out what the reward is for completing koltins quests, honestly im not really surprised but also baffled and it really just shows, once again, that totk kinda does exactly what you shouldnt do in a sequel imo.. double down on all the bad stuff of the previous title

at this point i have talked about various problems in detail but i just keep realizing over and over just how much of the wrong lesson they seemed to take from botw, they recycled almost everything from botw by changing some paint or some words, made a giant game even bigger and filled it with boring and tedious busy work that has mediocre to insulting rewards EVEN MORE than botw

game too big and empty? make it TWICE as big, change barely anything about the map of the previous title and the new added map(s) is ONE biom that almost everywhere looks the same and even emptier with little to do

too many krogs? MAKE IT MORE and double down on the literally shit reward bc its the SAME just with one more stack of shit

too many shrines with short puzzles? ADD EVEN MORE and make them even shorter and easier to complete, alot of them not even involving a puzzle and multiple being an utterly out of place tutorial that could have been explained to you in a single text box

rewards in the overworld being mostly either a krog or a shrine which gets repetetive with shrines being ALOT and krogs being wayyy too many? add even MORE shrines and EVEN MORE krogs, but now add over a hundred of caves to it that all get repetetive after just a few of them and you only do them for a shrine or a currency you have to collect to get one cool looking but pretty bad to use armor set and a piece of cloth for your parasail that you can only use one of at the tiem and to switch have to go back to a specific NPC, theres ghost lights to collect which only serve to yet again buy one armor set from a set of NPCs and ar meaningless afterwards, the light roots dont require you to do anything but walk to them and the reward for finding them all is a "you did it" sticker that doesnt even stick (its useless)

weapons break too quickly? well make the weapons you can find even worse to force you to fuse a material to it so its at all usable BUT IT STILL BREAKS and when it does it breaks not JUST the weapon but ALSO a material, materials that you will need for now EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE armor upgrades too, weapons cannot be rewards anymore either bc they will always have to be fused with something to make them stronger bc none is strong on its own- this also applies to THE MASTERSWORD, something ALSO complained about that it still 'breaks' even after empowering it through the DLC in botw, and now it cant even BE empowered (bc no DLC) unless you fuse soemthing to it (to. the. MASTERSWORD.) EVEN THO EMPOWERIGN THE MASTERSWORD IS THE ENTIRE POINT OF ZELDAS ULTIMATELY MEANING- AND CONSEQUENCELESS SACRIFICE !!

the dungeons were to samey and simple? make them look different but keep the core structure (activate terminals in completely seperate from each other "puzzles", fight boss) while also makign them be even more skippable (climable walls, the ceiling jump ability- something the titans DIDNT have) with incredibly easy bossfights that end with an embarassing copy and paste scene that hits you over the head with long known and obvious information over and over

people didnt like how the story was so detached from everything in the present? well, make the story and the present EVEN MORE detached from anything in the present, so far in fact that there is literally no connection to it aside from zelda who is the only connective thread and is also only treated as such (she is as personality lacking as sonia as soon as shes yoinked into the past) and the suddendly and out of nowhere intruduced architecture and history that wasnt a thing in botw but is treated like it was always there

people didnt like how far botw was detached from all other zelda games? ok totk is not only FURTHER detached from those it also completely detached itself from its on predecessor :)

people didnt like the memory system? ok make it WORSE then, its a linear story now that you can ruin by seeing even one out of order, they are super short and dont give you anymore context to anythign than the things you could figure out yourself or were already told really, instead of giving you views into a characters personality you get to view a basic plot summary of a story that is so flavorless and predictable i knew what would happen from the start yet acts like its being vague and cool that i felt like i was beign treated like a literal toddler

too few enemy types? well, we will reuse the old ones EVEN MORE thant before over twice the map and the new ones that are there are either utterlly irrelevant to change up the gameplay or largely feel like the old ones just with a paint job (constructs), the griocks looked cool at first but are just a more annyoing version of the lynels (who feel like an actual duel, akin to a proper boss)

even the things that were adressed, or attempted to, didnt fully work, like the bosses ARE more unique, but also still so incredibly easy and ALSO have multiple duplicats just sitting around in the underground despite them being supposedly the root of the problems of the regions (i like refighting bosses, but id rather have a character that lets me choose ok i wann fight this one again and teleporte me into a vision or sth- also the most fun fights arent even part of it (koga) )

the rain complaint got a new effect type to counteract it, which ... doesnt work well, you need specific materials to make potions with that effect which you also need to upgrade the only armor set wit hthat effect that ONLY works once you upgrade it (i think ... i dont know how high i got it but if even the full upgraded set doesnt negate the rain effect i will not be surprised either lol) also it adds just yet another effect type that spams your inventory and you dont really need .... or i might be the only one that saw no value at all in the "attack up when hot" new type of effects bc it felt so specific and situational while also having a way better option (just make it a standard attack up thing?) at least in my eyes-

... ill stop here .... this got longer again didnt it O-o

#ganondoodles talks #zelda #totk #ganondoodles rants #YET AGAIN #aaaaaaand i wasted all my evening #this was supposed to be a half joking short post #but i keep getting into ranting #hhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrraaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

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tinfairies · 1 year

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The Fairy Garden

My Ko-Fi

Commission Directory

My Art Tag: tin art

My ask box and DMs are always open for people to come chat or be horny little freaks!

Don't like it? Block me!

Don't be a cunt.

Dark content including rape, self harm, suicide, murder, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, necrophilia, cannibalism, incest and bodily fluids will be present here.

My only major boundary is scat. It just doesn't interest me.

Bestiality and pedophilia are entirely off the table. Yuck.

I do not consent to my writing or art being translated and/or posted to any other website or being fed to AI.

I go by Tin or Lu, I'm 23 years old.

Filthy American 🦅*eagle noises*

I am bi, enby and more fem presenting. I use any pronouns but use she/her by default since it's just easiest. (what I'm used to)

About Lu

I represent myself with bears, tigers and orange cats.

Lu's tumblr

Lu is similar to an alter ego or imaginary friend if you will. I blame shit on him and project my problems onto him. I use him so I don't have to feel negative emotions. He is my punching bag.

Lu is me and I am Lu and I am in full control of my actions and words.

Lu is represented by black dogs/wolves

I "talk" to him and he "talks" to me

Fun Facts

I have 2 kitties named Mercury and Jasmine and 2 leopard geckos named Mister Man and Dracarys

I do lots of art, I used to write a lot but I haven't had the muse for it lately

Mentally ill but who isn't these days (we live in a society fr)

Kink Stuff

Bisexual, switch. Lots of nasty, icky kinks.

BDSM, pet play, age play, knife play, cnc, dumbification, and piss are some of my top kinks.

A mommy dom, or a ma'am but I like being called daddy and sir too. I love puppy and kitty subs and littles.

I am a kitty sub and a little sometimes.

I like being a brat.

I can be a mean dom or soft dom depending on what my sub wants

Fandom List

(this list updates frequently and you're always welcome to pop into my ask box or DMs to talk about these fandoms!)

Anime/Cartoons: Hunter x Hunter, Death Note, Fruits Basket, One Piece, Black Butler, Hazbin Hotel, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Ouran High School Host Club, Princess Jellyfish, Bungo Stray Dogs

TV Shows: Supernatural, The Boys, Gen V, Alice in Borderland, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Criminal Minds, Percy Jackson

Movies: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, MCU, DCU, X-Men, Slasher/Horror Fandom, Star Wars, The Last Unicorn, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Twilight Saga, Phantom of the Opera

Video Games: Left 4 Dead, Fallout, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Borderlands, Resident Evil, Dead By Daylight, The Sims, Stardew Valley, Red Dead Redemption, Animal Crossing, Boyfriend to Death, The Price of Flesh, Sally Face, Fran Bow, Night in the Woods, Fear and Hunger

Misc: Creepypasta, Marble Hornets, Homestuck, The Vampire Chronicles, Lychee Light Club

Other Interests

Art, writing, history, archeology, anthropology, architecture, vintage era, edwardian era, medieval era, dinosaurs, cryptozoology, speculative evolution, science, mass tragedies, chernobyl meltdown, cults, fashion, historical fashion, horror, true crime, music, musicals

My Hunger Games/TBOSAS Masterlist

My One Piece Masterlist

My Hunter x Hunter Masterlist

My Old Masterlist

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ledalasombra · 1 year

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The Granddaughter

Chapter 1 - Reunion

The motorcycle cut through the city traffic passing through different scenarios from the fashion district to the noblest region, stopping in front of the big gates of the Wayne mansion. She rang the intercom looking at the mansion in front of her through the gate.

“How can I help you?” She was slightly startled by the sound of the intercom that didn't take long to be answered.

“Ahn... I'm here to see Alfred Pennyworth? Sorry, this was a little awkward” She took a deep breath, removing her helmet “My name is Marinette Pe… Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I am here to talk to Alfred Pennyworth.”

Marinette can hear the sound of something breaking on the other end of the line, frowning “Monsier, is everything alright?

“Marinette? When did you arrive in Gotham?” There was a pause and she sighed lightly “Enter and follow until a little after the main entrance. There is a place where you can stop the bike. I'll meet you there.”

“I'm on my way...” she replied, giving a slight smile, knowing that she managed the feat of surprising him. She replaced the helmet quickly, redirecting the bike to the indicated place, looking with great admiration at the whole place. The front gardens and the mansion building were beautiful. She removed her helmet after getting off the bike, attaching it to the bike and grabbing her purse afterward.

“Grandpa!” She said, hugging him next with a wide smile on her face and her eyes full of tears “it's so good to finally be able to see you!”

Alfred smiled as he hugged the young woman in front of him. She was so much like her mother Julia that he felt as if he had been given a new lease on life.

“I didn't know you were coming to Gotham... Sabine and Tom didn't tell me anything. Let's go inside, I'll make us both some tea, and in the meantime we'll talk and I'll finish up dinner.”

“ Can I help you?” she smiled while holding his arm “ This place is amazing grandpa! So much to be inspired by... The architecture, the details and that garden! Wow, that place is beautiful!” She spoke with eyes shining like a child, as they walked through the halls of the mansion.

Alfred gave a slight smile at the enthusiasm of the granddaughter he hadn't seen in almost a year. And despite the long time without seeing each other, the bond between them was strong. They constantly spoke through voice and video calls, she sent constant photos about everything that happened in her life and Alfred was happy about that. Everything he lacked with Julia, all the closeness and trust he would have liked with his late daughter, he gained with his granddaughter. Not even the distance allowed them to be separated or absent from each other's lives. Though only Bruce knew of her existence, they shared a unique family bond. He would have liked to be physically present in Marinette's life, but he knew it wasn't fair to make a 4-year-old child live in the chaos that was Gotham, the chaos that was the Wayne family.

When they reached the kitchen, Alfred indicated a chair for her to sit on, immediately putting the water on to heat, then bringing all the material to prepare tea for both of them.

“And then, mademoiselle, to what do I owe the honor of your visit? Why didn't you say you were coming to Gotham? I would have picked you up at the airport” he asked sitting down opposite her, she immediately took his hand. Alfred smiled at the gesture, knowing how much she liked and asked for physical contact.

"If I had, it wouldn't have been a surprise." her smile fell quickly, becoming slightly anxious “shouldn't I have come? Oh, I'm interfering with your work, aren't I? Oh my god I should have warned you and not just knocked on your employer's door...”

“It's okay my dear, I'm sure Master Bruce won't mind. He will certainly want to meet you” she said patting her hand lightly, seeing her expression calm down.

“I came to see how you were doing and to give you the news that I've moved on to the University of Gotham” she said extremely excited about the matter “and I start classes next month! I arrived in the city two days ago and it's been so busy. Everything is so different around here...”

“I thought you liked living with Sabine and Tom? I thought you were going to do Esmond, as you commented several times…”

"Paris has been my home for years, but I can't stay there after everything that's happened... With the whole Hawkmorth affair and I don't have that many friends to lock me up there..." Marinette looked at her grandfather with sad and tired eyes, taking a deep breath. She had already told him everything she could and what had happened to her from the beginning. Alfred was her only blood family, all she had that was related to her mother. For years, even apart, she formed a relationship of trust and friendship with her grandfather, telling him practically everything. She trusted him as much as she trusted Tikki and hoped that one day she would be able to open up to him the only part of her life he wasn't yet aware of.

The young woman took a deep breath, hearing the noise coming from the kettle and getting up “let me prepare it. I brought an herbal preparation that my old Mandarin teacher taught me. I know you don't like just any tea, but for some reason whenever Master Fu made it for me I was reminded of you.” she said as she walked over to the stove, bringing the kettle over to the table, failing to notice how her grandfather made her back stiff and tense with the comment.

Alfred watched his granddaughter take a can from inside her bag, opening it carefully, giving a slight sad smile with the memory that came through the aroma of tea. She put a little of the mixture on the porcelain, adding the water next, looking at the clock so that she wouldn't waste the preparation time. He was intrigued by the name quoted by his granddaughter. It couldn't just be coincidence, but he saved that information for now.

“And what happened to him?” he asked seeing her give a sad smile.

“He passed away in London together with his wife 2 years ago. I visited them from time to time, they were quite old.” she sighed looking at the clock again. “According to him, the secret of a well-made tea is not only the herbs used, but also the time for it not to become bitter and, above all, the energy we put into it when we prepare it. He helped me a lot when Hawkmorth came along, especially with my anxiety attacks. He helped me with some self-defense classes as well. In return I helped him with the massage shop schedule and some shopping.”

Alfred drank some of his tea and smiled. It tasted great and took him back to a past he hadn't told anyone about. He looked at the can that was on the table, smelling the herbs, realizing in his memory the same preparation he hadn't seen since his youth. He took a deep breath looking at his granddaughter weighing what he should say or not, taking her hand he saw her eyes go towards him.

“When I was in the war many years ago, before I met your grandmother Marie, I met a man named Wang Fu.” He paused, watching his granddaughter hold her breath, “he made that same tea and said that, like everything else in life, nature requires balance. For a good tea, we need good leaves, which require time and patience, the latter being a virtue. I confess that this was a quality I lacked at the time” he smiled slightly at the memory “We met a few times, until one day he found me seriously injured. He took care of me for 3 days until I was able to recover.” she paused, adjusting her posture, “Fu was a rather peculiar man, you might say. He followed the war from afar, although he tried not to intervene. In those three days that we were together, I met his fiancée, Marianne. She was part of the French resistance, just like her grandmother.” He paused with a sad look on his face, patting his granddaughter's hand lightly, "He gave me a second chance, which completely changed the course of the war."

Marinette took a quick breath at the two words spoken by Alfred and he couldn't help but show his surprise when he heard what her granddaughter mumbled. “Sass?” she spoke Kwami's name almost instinctively, bringing her hand to her mouth right after. She saw Alfred smile slightly, placing her hand between his two.

“Certainly he was very agreeable company for several months, until the war was over. Wang Fu said it was too dangerous to remain where he was and left a few days later with our mutual friend.” he smiled slightly patting the hand he was holding “We kept in touch after many years. It was Fu who told me about the existence of his mother, Julia, who until that moment was unknown to me. He was a great friend and is an irreparable loss.” Alfred make a pause, looking Marinette in the eyes “But what intrigues me at the moment my dear is how you met him and know that name.” he said letting go of her hand, hearing a faint alarm coming from the direction of the oven. He got up then to check on dinner.

Marinette was speechless upon hearing her grandfather's story. She held her teacup in both hands, trying to center herself and think of what to say. At least that explains the protective aura coming from Alfred that she always felt when she was with him. She takes a sip from her tea, and close her eyes quickly, sucking in air and concentrating. When she opened it she could see Sass's aura around her grandfather, letting a tear flow. Alfred, like Luka, was one of the true holders of Sass, which explained so much on her mind. She got up going to the island in the middle of the kitchen and pulling the bench to sit down, seeing the door open then, turning her attention to the person who entered.

"Alfred, I'm going to need..." Bruce stopped talking as soon as he saw that Alfred wasn't alone. He adjusted his posture giving his charismatic smile, watching the young woman who was sitting, apparently talking to the butler. "I didn't know I was interrupting, sorry Alfred."

Alfred finished removing the dinner that was almost complete from the oven, seeing the door open and hearing Bruce come in, he sighed deeply, shaking his head, and approaching his granddaughter, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Master Bruce, let me introduce you to my granddaughter Marinette Pennyworth Dupain-Cheng. Mari, this is Bruce Wayne. Every male in our family has worked here at some point.”

Bruce flashed a wide smile that Marinette found forced, but ignored in favor of Alfred. However, what bothered her was the aura that emanated from him. She closed her eyes briefly, taking his hand towards the man in front of him, giving a slight smile.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Mr Wayne. My grandfather spoke a few times about you.” she said squeezing his hand.

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Alfred told me about you, although he is very secretive about his own family.” Bruce responded with great enthusiasm, which made Marinette tilt her head slightly and Bruce slightly raise his eyebrow.

"Marinette, please behave yourself..." Alfred caught her attention with a slightly raised eyebrow, looking at her and then at Bruce. His granddaughter just sighed, looking at him.

“I'll ignore it this time. I have to go, I have dinner with Uncle Jagged tonight and if I don't make it on time, I'm sure I'll get several calls from him coming to the restaurant.” She saw Alfred nod, realizing he recognized the name from conversations they'd had earlier. She went to the table, picking up her bag and stopping again in front of Bruce who looked at her intrigued. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope we can talk more properly next time” She gave a slight smile and turned her attention to Alfred. “I need to use the restroom before I go.”

“As soon as you leave the kitchen, it's the second door on the left.” He watched her leave, turning his attention back to Bruce, “Master Bruce, I'm going to ask you two important things: the first is that you be original with her, Marinette can see right through all this media act. Second and most important, my granddaughter has had some very difficult things in her life and I would like you to make a big effort not to start an investigation into her life. She is a strong and very sensitive person, you will realize that over time...”

#mlbxdc #mlb x dc #dc x mlb #daminette #damian x marinette #maridami #maribat #marinette x damian #damianette #damimari

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cochineal-leviat · 11 months

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Anniversary A Royal Visit.

Last year I uploaded the first chapter of A Royal Visit, and to celebrate its anniversary and, coincidentally, also my birthday - I wanted to draw something special to thank everyone who supported me throughout its run. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. This fic is what made me fall in love with writing again, and I have everyone who read it and commented on it to thank for that. Even now, I am happy that although it has been a year, people still enjoy reading it. Writing this fic was so much fun, and I have a lot of fond memories from it. So this is kind of like a birthday present from me to you guys.

I made two versions as I first started on the gijnka version to get the positions right and then the puffball version. I like both of them. They have their own charm to them. Especially as I can show off my design for gijnka Water Kirby. Surf's up, my dude.

For everyone who does not know what this is about, please go check out the fic these drawings are based on.

Art rant under Keep reading

So, I started on this piece right before A Royal Visit was finished. But I got stuck in the background. I could have just posted Kirby and Fluff smooching with a grey background or a gradient, but that didn't feel right. I wanted to capture the grandiosity and vibrancy of the finale. So I stuck to my guns to draw a background. It was horrendous. The very thought of showing it to compare the two gives me hives. I was stuck for a whole year on what to do for it, which is why if you have seen my other art gijnka Kirby and Fluff looks a little different than how I usually finish my art.

There is something funny about taking a year to finish the Gijnka version but then to complete the version with everyone's canon appearance in a week. Sure, I burrowed some of the background aspects of the Gijnka one, but it ended up being more work getting the perspective right and painting extra houses. I'm sick of architecture for the moment. I love how the houses look but also, ugh.

The water shading was the most fun to paint. I almost went overboard with it and had to tone it down. I look forward to doing more pieces with water in them, as I am a sucker for water and the ocean. (And, of course, Water Kirby)

I wanted to add more characters, but I also know that the rest of the characters that appear in the last chapter come in later in the day and that the ones on the scene, like Taranza, Magolor, Susie and Marx, would realistically not join the crowd and cheer for Kirby and Fluff. They are sitting behind the crowd, watching the spectacle.

I put the most effort into gijnka King Dedede's design, but unfortunately, the crowd covers up most of it. What a shame. Oh well, I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful day further.

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saintmeghanmarkle · 5 months

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A Year in Review: All the times Meghan Markle been publicly called out in 2023. Highlights and favorite #MarkleMoment from last year? 📌Part 2 of 2

These are her humiliating moments over past year that she’s been publicly called out for in some way. All with proof, all archived from media reports around the world. Get cozy, save this post, and as always, appreciate the upvotes so it doesn't get targeted for downvotes! Posting it now as many of us will be celebrating Christmas with our loved ones. Although we are a diverse bunch, this unites us all :)

Here’s some from 2022 to inspire you:

Harry and Megan of “overseas”

the Funeral candle

no Jubilee balcony

voetsek Megan

I love the part where…(YouTube comments on their Netflix trailer)

Marriott Meg

12% Rotten Tomatoes rating for Netflix flopumentary, with her cutesy (mocking) curtesy

What was your favourite from 2023?

Meg inexplicably marching with the Invictus vets, at the front, while Harry is literally on the sidelines. https://archive.ph/wip/VG5SP

Meg wears a JCrew sweater to the Games. Her fans claim the Meghan effect crashed the site. JCrew comes out faster than Dior to clarify it was a confirmed outage for a website update.https://archive.ph/wufbS

Archetypes trademark abandoned. So much for the other platforms manifested clamouring for it. https://archive.ph/wip/yhziu

Embarrassing video at the fundraiser with Kevin Costner where she assumes she’s going to be given the mic by virtue of her being there, reached for it, and is very intentionally avoided and not given it. https://archive.ph/yeZDN

Despite the NDA attempts, information on how the NY Bench faux Royal visit does not let anyone speak negatively about her visit. Ever. She also demanded a new carpet. https://archive.ph/qAhnb

Snubbed by the Beckhams on their far more popular Netflix documentary. “Humiliated” by the snub from the Clooneys at their New York Foundation for Justice event.https://archive.ph/wip/GsB7j

Snubbed by Kim K birthday party, despite earlier pics with Doria and days before floating PR that Meg may do a cameo on KUWTK. Compounded by Kylie’s ‘boyfriend’ Chalomet talking about the Worldwide Privacy Tour earlier in the week. https://archive.ph/wip/BGvVP

Mocked on Family Guy for Netflix contract getting paid for nothing/ spon con Insta for Del Taco. Del Taco joins in and tweets about it. https://archive.ph/wip/Sm56V

Meg manifests a deal with Audible. Audible spokesperson shuts that down. https://archive.ph/KTLnP

William lands in Singapore for Earthshot to lit up architecture, Union Jack waving crowds, and an official tree planting at the airport. Meg and H attempt to compete by releasing a ‘candid’ pic of them at Katy Perry’s Las Vegas show (implying the standing people, phones were for them and not Celine Dion who walked in behind them). Cameron Diaz was also there, but didn’t get pics sold the same way. None of the other celebs present interact with them on camera. https://archive.ph/gnpjA

Dior signs Meg. No, not that Meg, but Meg the actress who plays Kate Middleton on the Crown. https://archive.ph/wip/lH6dY

Harry and Meg highly publicize their birthday call to Charles. The Palace discretely responds with detailed full itinerary of Charles’s busy day and evening, plus the press runs the fact that Charles doesn’t have a cell phone. Sussexes double down and pivot to it somehow being a prerecorded message sent (to where?) with Archie and Lili singing happy birthday. The world laughs or ignores them. https://archive.ph/i0uz8

Move along Meg on TikTok, after the video of her refusing to leave her basking on the press carpet at the Variety awards. Bonus is the real celebs inside clearly refused any pictures with her. The next day it’s confirmed she wasn’t even on the Guest List, which explains the Table 12 seating in no star names social Siberia. https://archive.ph/uC4Y8

Harry and Meg graciously are open to an invite for Christmas. Palace guest list leaks a day later, NFI. https://archive.ph/wip/0dEoi

Endgame is published. Omid claims to not be a friend of Meghan. Two Royal racist names are leaked to the Dutch publication based on Meg’s letter to Charles post Megxit. Omid blames the translator. No one publicly appears to believe them. There is not one single positive review of Endgame in major world newspapers. Omid later in the week acknowledges the names were in the Dutch manuscript. https://archive.ph/wip/Lr8XR

Hollywood Reporter lists Harry and Meghan as one of the biggest losers of 2023. https://archive.ph/E4hUt

Kitson’s Holiday Hypocrisy celeb window display in LA features Harry and Meg. Tik Tok notices. https://archive.ph/7yA3F

Ranker poll has both Meghan (#2) and Harry (#6) in the Top 10 list for Most Disliked Celebrities of 2023. Oprah, Hilary Baldwin,Ellen, Amber Heard (#1), and Bill Cosby also make the list. Update: They've recently become #1 and #4. https://archive.ph/OpKH5

Archewell 2022-2023 Impact Report highlighting ‘Restoring Trust in Information’, including ethical journalism, drops the same day Harry is fined $60K in court for providing misleading information - where he’s suing a newspaper. Court documents call it “ironic” given the “Duke of Sussex is responsible for misleading the court.” https://archive.ph/wip/1YtSe

Archewell’s 2022 financials reveal they only raised $2 mil (two anonymous $1 mil donations) vs $13 mill (also two anonymous donations) in 2021. Press brand it a “failure.” Notice they literally had only 4 donations in two years. https://archive.ph/wip/LqnuL

Not invited to any parties for Art Basel in Miami. Back in 2014, Markus organized a Soho party, invited Meg, and sat her next to Misha Nonoo. Context shows Meg has even less clout now than her pre Royal days.https://archive.ph/wip/aKYPL

Christmas card released. Largely ignored by world media. The response from other media: where are the kids? Called out for its embarrassing corporate look. https://archive.ph/fldEw

WME is "horrified" by Meghan Markle's sinking brand and association with Endgame, and may drop her in 2024. https://archive.ph/mye6j

(Honorable mentions to specific Harry’s moments: with Charles too busy to met, not going to France and hiking in Transylvania, and “in the realms of total speculation”. Harry pitches a Spotify show interviewing Putin, Zuckerberg, the Pope, etc on their shared bond of childhood trauma, Spare the most dumped holiday book of 2023. “Peace talks” between KCIII and Harry since he’s nearby in Germany for Invictus shut down less than 24h later. Persona non grata).

Which ones did you not know or forget about?

It's been quite the year! To quote the Sussexes, thanks for all the support in 2023!

post link: A Year in Review: All the times Meghan Markle been publicly called out in 2023. Highlights and favorite #MarkleMoment from last year? : SaintMeghanMarkle (reddit.com)

author: somespeculation

submitted: December 17, 2023 at 02:25PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

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aangarchy · 6 months

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So while rewatching the live action trailer a 50th time i kind of started thinking about something.

There's a few moments in atla that always seemed untouchable to me. Not only because they were well executed when it comes to storytelling, but also bc we never actually see the moments in question. Examples are: the attack on the air temples, Ozai burning Zuko, Katara's mother's death. We hear about these from other characters who happened to be there, or in case of the air temples: we hear the moment being retold as history. It's the latter i want to expand on.

The original cartoon never shows us even a glimpse of the attack on the air temples. You could say "well it's a kid's show they can't show a brutal genocide" but honestly, we're talking about a cartoon that showed a skeleton on screen in the third episode, showed the main character getting electrocuted and plummeting to his death, and showed a man being drowned by a spirit. The reason they didn't show it imo, is because it makes sense for the narrative. This attack was a century ago. Everyone that witnessed the attacks and was old enough to remember them is dead. Bumi is the only person we know of that was alive at the time and old enough to somewhat remember, but he wasn't present. It's comparable to world war one for us. There's nobody alive currently that properly remembers WW1. We're being told about it in history class, we get shown those weird black and white videos of smiling soldiers on their way to their death, pushing carts through the mud, them shooting a few canons, the trenches etc. But there's no first hand recollections. The creators really drove home the point of the airbender genocide being ancient history to the current inhabitants of this world by never showing us the attacks itself, and only having it be a known historical fact. It's just something that happened, it was long ago, nobody remembers it. All they know is there's no more airbenders, they're extinct, and nobody remembers jack shit about airnomad culture and philosophy except those that study it (aka professor zei) and even then, it's based off of destroyed architecture and hard to find historical texts that i'm sure the Fire Nation tried their best to erase. The viewers of the show only get information about air nomads through Aang, and whatever flashbacks from his own memory he provides. It leaves us wanting to know more, and it feels extra tragic knowing we'll only have Aang to rely on to tell us the tales of his people (for atla specifically, i know we now have more info due to the avatar novels).

Netflix however, literally opens their trailer with three shots of the attack. The comet, then the fireballs being shot, then the firebenders and airbenders facing off. I don't like this decision to show the battle that took place, because then the point of it being ancient gets a bit lost. We as the audience get more information than the main characters have, and idk but to me that kind of ruins the experience?

Same with Zuko getting his scar. Not only are they gonna show us that, they put it in the trailer. Why? This is a very important character moment in the show that we don't even get to see bc it's told from Iroh's perspective and he looked away the moment it happened. Before this we were given crumbs as to how Zuko got his scar. And Netflix is just tossing it our way like Peeta tossed bread at Katniss Everdeen.

I might feel differently abt this when the show airs (although not likely lol) but currently i'm just kind of mad at these creative decisions being made man

#avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar #netflix atla #atla netflix #netflix #atla live action

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rheya28 · 3 months

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Frost Point Ski Resort [ Rental ] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

Welcome to Frost Point, a ski resort nestled in the peak of Mt. Komorebi, where the chilly winter air is infused with the warmth of hospitality. Frost Point is not just a destination for winter enthusiasts; it's a haven for those seeking a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

The resort boasts charming, rustic architecture, with snug lodges that feature crackling fireplaces and plush furnishings. Picture yourself sipping hot cocoa by the fire after a thrilling day on the slopes, surrounded by the laughter of fellow guests sharing tales of their adventures.

Additional Notes: ● Obviously we do not have a hotel lot, however you can set this lot to a rental or a residential rental to make it somewhat function like one. You can also just set this as a generic lot for storytelling purposes.

● Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ● Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ● Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ● Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ● Thank you to all CC Creators ● Please let me know if there's any problem with the build

➽ SPEED BUILD VIDEO

00:00 Beginning 00:02 Intro 1:10 Speed Build 16:16 Photos

➽ LOT DETAILS

Lot Name: Frost Point Ski Resort Lot type: Rental, Residential Rental, Generic Lot size: 50x50 Location: Mt. Komorebi

➽ MODS

● Tool Mod by Twisted Mexi

➽ CC LIST:

Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, Tuds, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make downloading a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama, Peacemaker, kiwisim4. This will also ensure that the lots are complete and are not missing any items upon downloading ! Harrie ● Baysic Bathroom ● Country ● Brownstone ● Klean ● Octave pt [2] (Door), pt [4] (bed) ● Shop the Look pt [1][2] ● Spoons pt[2][3] ●Stockholm (Floor lamp) ● Orjanic (Windows) The Clutter Cat ● Busy Bee pt [2] (Ceiling Light ) ● Dandy Diary pt [2] ( Chess table) ● Sunny Sundae (rug) Bbygyal123 ● Abstract Prints FelixAndre ● Berlin (Office Chair) ● Kyoto pt [2] ● Chateau pt [5] (books), pt [4] (small plant) ● Florence pt [4] (Floor pattern) ● Grove pt [2] (coffee cups), pt [3] (Cushion) Charly Pancakes ● Maple & S Construction pt [3] ● Dinna (Small plant) ● Soho pt [1] ( Rug) House of Harlix ● Harluxe ● Jardane LittleDica ● CountrySide Cabin ● Rise & Grind Rustic Sims ● Mayaken Cozy Kitchen (Ceiling Lamp) ● Modular Life (Wall art) Myshunosun ● Garden Stories (String lights) ● Lottie ● Tranquil bedroom (Ceiling light) Peacemaker ● Coba (Ottoman) ● Gently Draping ● Pointless Renovation ● Wood Slat Flooring (Vertical and horizontal) Pierisim ● Calderone (mirror) ● Coldbrew ● David Apartment pt [1] ● Domaine Du Close pt [2][3] ● MCM ● Oak House pt [5] (Pillow bedding), pt [4] ● Unfold ● Winter Garden pt [1] ● Woodland Ranch Sixam ● Cozy Family (decorative rug) ● Home Office ( Tablet keyboard) ● Hotel Bedroom (desk) Syboulette ● Ratatouille (Simlish sign's) MycupofCC ● The modernist Dining (wall art) The Townie Architect ● The Moderno Living Room (wall art) Tuds ● Cross (wall divider) ● Ind

● Tray File: Patreon Page ● Origin ID: Applez ● Twitter: Rheya28__ ● Tiktok: Rheya28__ ● Patreon: Rheya28 ● Youtube: Rheya28__

#ts4 #sims 4 #thesims4 #sims #thesims #showusyourbuilds #sims 4 cc #sims 4 screenshots #sims 4 builds #builds #the sims 4 cc build #the sims 4 hotel #the sims 4 ski resort #simblr

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pensat-i-fet · 1 year

Text

Birthday twins (Rúben Dias x Reader)

**Of course, I had to do a little birthday imagine for the birthday boy! 🎂 Credit to @faye01mcfc for the ginger shot idea! Hope you guys enjoy it!! ❤️**

Word count: 1852

Masterlist

Wattpad

What do you get for the guy that has it all? And that can buy anything he wants but doesn’t have yet…well, that was currently your most significant problem as you walked around the streets of Madrid. Manchester City were in the Spanish capital to try and get revenge after the way they lost in the previous edition of the Champions League, but for you, it was also a chance to do some touristy stuff and to get some shopping done.

You soon discovered that your second favourite thing called Serrano, after the ham, was the street that had that name and where you could visit some of the most luxurious stores. The architecture of the area was also stunning so you took plenty of photos and videos in between all the shopping.

“Should we go to Loewe next?”, asked Sasha, who was also in Madrid for the match and became your shopping buddy the second you mentioned your plan.

“Sure, I love their menswear. I might find something there”.

Yes, back to your problem. Sunday was going to be a very big day for you. Not only was it your birthday but it was also your boyfriend’s birthday. Meeting someone who was born on the same day as you and him becoming your boyfriend felt like some sort of destiny thing. Like you were meant to be together. But it didn’t make buying a present for him less of a pain.

Rúben had everything he wanted. And when he wanted something new, he bought it. He really was that type of guy. You wanted to write down all the things he mentioned liking for future gifts…only to find a parcel arriving home a couple of days later containing that same thing he mentioned. Really annoying.

“I like that jacket”, you said, pointing at a gorgeous bomber jacket. You loved it when Rúben wore those.

“Get it for him!!”, exclaimed Sasha, happy you finally found something you liked. “Should we go to Sephora next?”

“Duh! Always”.

So the next shop you visited was Sephora, where you bought way too many things for you…and some for Rúben. A little plan formed in your head as to how you were going to give him the presents.

Finding the perfect gifts was hurdle number 1. Number 2 was finding out when to exchange them since City played an away match on Sunday. They were heading to Liverpool to play against Everton so it wasn’t the longest trip but…should you give him your presents before he left? After he came back? And what was he planning on doing with the presents he got for you?

Saturday was also the day you were going out to celebrate with your friends, leaving Sunday as the day for a big family dinner. So everything needed to be sorted out before you left to meet your friends.

“Last party as a 25-year-old then?”, asked Rúben, getting inside the room while you finished getting ready.

“I’m getting too old for this. I need to party as much as I can before my back starts to hurt and all that”, you joked.

“The hangovers will get worse too…”.

“And you’ll use that as an excuse to try to feed me weird mushroom concoctions. I can’t let that happen”.

He shook his head before burrowing his face in your neck and muttering against your skin. “We should spend our birthdays together”.

“Call in sick?”, you suggested but he only laughed.

“We are the same age. Literally”.

Only a couple of minutes later, your phone started to buzz with a couple of texts from one of your friends saying they were waiting for you downstairs.

“I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow, old man”.

“I was born at 8 pm, not during the night like you, so…”.

He shut you up with a kiss. “Have fun”.

“I will. Good luck tomorrow”.

What you didn’t know was that Rúben was actually looking forward to you leaving because he needed to get some things ready too before leaving to meet the team. Why did he have to play on your birthday?

You made it home…late. But still set the alarm to 7.30 so you could say a happy birthday to Rúben the moment he woke up.

“Happy birthday!”, he said, beating you to it.

“Ugh, I hate you. But happy birthday my love! Or…feliz aniversário?", you tried to say, reading the note you had left on your bedside table. "Did I get it right? It’s what Google translated happy birthday to”.

“We’ll work on the pronunciation but yes, it’s correct. Thank you!”

“Look inside your pillowcase”.

That left him even more speechless than your terrible Portuguese accent. “Are you still drunk?”

“Ha ha. Do it”.

So he did, and there he found a birthday card from you.

“How did you…”, but before he could finish asking, he realized how.

“Let’s just say I asked a little fairy for help”.

“Come on, Bernardo is small but not that small”, he said, making you laugh. “Now I understand how I lost my room key and how he was the one to find it so quickly”.

Rúben opened the card starting to read it. He laughed at all your attempts to write to him in reading the card, he had to laugh at all your attempts to add little words in Portuguese. But he loved them, and all the other words in the card too.

"Go make some tea".

"I don't want to leave the bed now, Rúben…".

"Go make some tea", he insisted.

"Why?"

"Just do it".

Leaving the bed was tough but you made your way to the kitchen and found another birthday card, this one for you, behind the kettle.

"Great minds and all that, right?"

Since you were already there, you put the kettle on and moved away so the noise wouldn't disturb your call.

Reading Rúben's card put a huge smile on your face. He was so cheesy. And you loved it.

"Are you making tea then?"

"Yes, let me grab a mug and a teabag…".

"Get the mug I got you for Christmas".

You frowned but did as he told you, finding a note underneath it. The note had instructions on where to find your first gift.

"This is fun", you told him, giggling like a schoolgirl. "Also, open the big pocket of your suitcase".

He also didn't ask why, guessing what it was all about. And when he opened the pocket he saw a note telling him to go find Bernardo so he could get his first two presents.

When he went to find his friend, you started to look for your gifts. Finding them and more clues about the next one's location.

He overdid it, of course. But it was the last "gift" that you liked the most. It was just a note telling you he had called your boss so he would know you weren't going to work on Monday. Rúben had a day off after the match and that would be the perfect day for you to celebrate alone. No family, no friends…just the birthday boy and the birthday girl spoiling each other.

Both your parents and Rúben's joined you at your place to watch the match and then wait for him to get back and go to the restaurant you had booked for the day. That was, if any of you was actually hungry enough to eat dinner after all the cake you had been eating. Your dad, being the baking enthusiast he was, made sure there was enough cake to feed half of Manchester. And some cupcakes too.

"He's back", you yelled, jumping from the sofa so you could run to the door and half tackle Rúben. Good thing he was strong or you would have ended up on the floor.

"Missed me?"

"What am I supposed to celebrate without my birthday twin by my side?", you told him, pouting.

"Well, I'm here now. Let me say hello to our guests and get ready to go to dinner. And then I'm all yours".

You also needed to get ready but wanted to surprise your boyfriend and were already wearing something nice enough for dinner. He thought that was your outfit for the night when he saw you. But when he left, you ran to the guest room to put on the dress you planned on wearing that night.

"Darling, you look so beautiful", said your mum.

"Thanks. I bought this in Madrid the other day".

"Another birthday present for me?", asked Rúben, getting out of the room wearing some nice black trousers and a matching shirt. And holding the jacket you bought for him for Christmas to complete the look. He looked like a whole meal. A much better meal than the one you would be offered at the posh restaurant you were going to.

"You could try wearing it too but I'm not sure it's the right size…".

"Seeing it you wear it is much better", he whispered before taking your hand and following your families to the door.

You were getting ready for a toast when you noticed Rúben picking up his glass of water.

"Making a toast with water is bad luck", you told him, passing him a glass of champagne and seeing his hand move. "Don't you dare pick up the glass with juice. Come on, just a little sip".

He obliged and you all toasted to another year of health, happiness, love and success.

"Nooooo".

Hearing the alarm go off on Monday was never a good feeling. Especially when you remembered you were supposed to have the day off.

"Wakey wakey, old lady. I know age makes it harder to leave the bed in the mornings but we have a day full of activities ahead of us", said Rúben, jumping from the bed and leaving you there, still half asleep.

"I'm younger than you!"

"By 12 hours!"

You heard movement in the kitchen and sat up slightly, wondering what he was doing. But you soon found out, hearing his footsteps coming closer and a familiar melody.

"Is that happy birthday in Portuguese?", you asked and he nodded, holding a little cupcake in his hand. He put a candle on it too, which made you laugh.

"Make a wish".

You blew the candle and made your wish before kissing him and taking a bite of the cupcake.

"Wait! I have something for you too!"

Copying his actions, you went to the kitchen to find something for Rúben and came back to the room singing happy birthday to him.

"I hate you", he said when he saw you were holding one of his ginger shots with a candle on it too.

"Well, you weren't going to eat the cupcake so…".

But he blew the candle as well, making another wish before tickling you and making you laugh so hard you probably had woken up the whole city.

"Happy birthday, annoying but beautiful birthday twin".

"Happy birthday, my love. There's no one I would rather share my birthday and my life with than you".

#ruben dias #ruben dias imagine #ruben dias one shot #ruben dias fluff #footballer imagine #footballer one shot #footballer fluff

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paracosmicessence · 6 months

Note

Hey! I love your art so much 💖 I wanted to ask what program you use for 3D modelling?

aw thank you!! :3

and to answer your question i’m going to warn you this is going to be kinda long because i’m gonna use this post as an excuse to show my 3D models that aren’t awful (sorry lol).

i actually use two different programs, both for different purposes, but you don’t need to get both, it really depends on which kind of modeling you want to do.

1) the first is called Nomad Sculpt on the iPad, you do have to pay for it unfortunately but it’s definitely one of the best modeling apps for the iPad. i know Blender is free but my computer is really old and doesn’t run the program very well, and at this point i’ve already gotten used to nomad sculpt.

anyway tho, i use it for art-related things like the obvious 3D models, but recently i’ve been playing around with just making scenes to use as references for my drawings. they’re not anything impressive, most of the time i actually use it to make little figurines to print and turn into earrings/little friends that sit in my room just for fun.

i’m gonna show this first bc they look cooler once they’re printed and colored (also you can tell i printed mini crowley and aziraphale when my sonadow hyperfixation started bc i never actually painted crowley) (he’s just kinda sitting there oops).

the little red guys are actually my favorite bugs (goliath beetles), i made them about a year ago but i still wear them like every day.

and here’s what they look like in the app, it’s a little intimidating but once you get used to it it’s actually kinda fun just playing around and seeing what you can do.

2) the second program i use is Shapr3D (also for the iPad, but i think they made an update where you can run it on windows/mac). you also have to pay for this as a subscription which sucks, i’m only able to use it since the engineering program i’m in pays for it.

Shapr3D is one of the many CAD software programs out there, but it’s nice bc it’s very beginner friendly and very easy to use. CAD is mainly for architecture/engineering but i honestly think more 3D artists should give it a try. it’s really nice once you get the hang of it and (i’m probably biased bc i’m a student) i honestly prefer it over just normal modeling software because i feel like you can be a lot more creative with it.

right now for my engineering class, our semester final is to design and present something that’s functional, and we can either explain the math behind it or just 3D print it and demonstrate how it works, and i’m making a functional mini model of “the rack” trap from Saw III (i’m not psychotic i swear i’ve just had a Saw hyperfixation for 5 years).

i’m definitely gonna post it when it’s finished just bc i’m already excited with how it’s turning out, but for now here’s a couple at-home projects i’ve done:

(above) i have a bunch of wet liners and i designed a stackable holder thingy with bolts between the shelves and a little cute star screw to fasten it at the top.

(above) i also made a few rotating brush holders at home (bc the ones that actually rotate are like $40 for some reason) by buying a set of small sphere bearings at home depot for like $5 (that’s what those little metal things are inside the third one, i took it apart bc i don’t know how to put a video and a picture in the same post) (just pretend they’re spinning rn).

anyway that’s all!! if you actually read this whole thing i love you so much bc engineering and design is one of my special interests so thanks for letting me tell you about the silly things i’ve made :3

#asks #3d art #3d model #engineering #infodump #special interest #ermmmmm not sure what else to tag #this was just a really long post lol #bugs #good omens #autism creature

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solarrush · 2 years

Photo

FNAF AU: Song for a Siren Chapter 1: Welcome Aboard!

Word count: ~5350 (Temporarily posting chapters below the cut until my AO3 is up and running. Please don’t repost this story elsewhere!)

Song for a Siren; Chapter 1: Welcome Aboard!

Just one drop of blood contains billions of strands of DNA — the building blocks of life! It’s a blueprint for building a living thing. As our world faces the extinction of millions of species, the need for new, radical ideas to save those species has grown. That’s where our Faz Researchers step in.

Using sophisticated technology, our team of scientists have collected and stored tens of thousands of samples from species great and small. Our geneticists teamed up with other like-minded partners across the world to create the first successful clones of endangered species. Through careful planning, animals that faced rapid population decreases, like salmon, would be boosted exponentially over several seasons, improving the overall health of local ecosystems.

Now, Faz Corp’s vision to advocate and educate future generations on our planet’s most important resource — our oceans — has led to the foundation of the Faz Aquarium and Research Center, or The ARC…

ARC? That seems a bit…pretentious. You can feel yourself going cross-eyed as you stared at the black box before you, distracted by its ancient appearance. For a job orientation you half expected a…well, honestly, a show of sorts. This was *the* Faz ARC you’d been hired at, after all; a place where a mad scientist’s dreams could come true. Creatures from children’s stories were brought to life here, for Pete’s sake.

You’d been surprised when, instead of a grand presentation, your team lead wheeled in this little 90s TV on a rolling cart and popped the DVD in (at least it wasn’t a VHS, you supposed).

Whatever. You weren’t here to be a part of the Research Team, not the cutting-edge one, anyway. Your job would be in the Children’s Education Center, teaching kids cool facts about the tide pools.

Like how one defense mechanism of the sea cucumber is forcefully ejecting their internal organs out their ass.

…Anyway.

You realize you’ve zoned out for a good portion of the orientation video at this point. Whoops. Hopefully nothing you couldn’t Wiki later. Correcting your slouched posture and giving a stretch, the sound of the break room door opening signaled the return of your team lead.

“Alright, let’s get you your badge and uniform.”

Vanessa gestured loosely for you to follow as she promptly turned right back around and walked out the door. You had to jog to catch up, matching her pace while soaking in your surroundings.

“Work day starts at 8:00am, make sure to clock in on time and take your breaks as scheduled. Your days end at 4:30, but there might be times you’re asked to swing shift.” She droned, handing over a paper bag with your name scrawled across the top and two outfits within. A badge is activated at the employee check-in desk and snapped to a lanyard, which you take and slip over your head. Keys on a loop are handed over last, snapped to your belt loop for safe keeping.

Exiting the employee building takes you out into the main park where families were already bustling about. The ARC was a massive campus sectioned off into three areas: the public aquarium, the research centers and a restricted zone where only upper management had access.

The entire campus criss-crossed with eco-friendly, recycled terrain paths and large gardens of native flora. As the name suggested, much of the architecture of surrounding buildings had a vaguely ship-like appearance; abstract enough to go unnoticed by most, but a wink-wink nudge-nudge for those who noticed.

Down the grassy hill a crowd had begun to gather at the Faz ARC’s main attraction: the Faz Theater. It was nearly 10:00am, which meant the first show of the day was about to start.

While their story might have started in conservation, what Faz was *really* known for was their “species ambassadors.” The ARC homed four of the only merfolk in the world, better recognized to the populace as the glamorous marvels of bio-engineering: Freddy, Roxy, Chica and Monty.

These merfolk were ambassadors for the species meticulously chosen for them and their purpose was to bring awareness to those species’ endangered status. How exactly the arguably “human” features came about wasn’t something Faz went about sharing, though.

Following Vanessa down the stairs towards the back entrance of the theater, you’re welcomed by familiar smells and noises of your childhood. A popcorn cart fizzled and popped continuously, buttery goodness wafting out every time the glass door was opened. Greasy hotdogs and tooth-rotting cotton candy delighted and satisfied early-lunch cravings.

From the employee back stage path you could survey the dome’s full layout. Colorful murals depicting the four stars flowed across the walls, up-lit in blues, purples and green spotlights. Facts about the ocean and its inhabitants bubbled up beside the depictions of Faz’s merfolk, little kids hopped up on adrenaline spinning the circular sign installments with “did you know” trivia. Obligatory gift shop to the back left, already full of squabbling kids; bleachers surrounded the massive show tank in a half crescent, echoing with the metallic sounds of hundreds of feet taking a seat.

“Wow…” You’re hit with a brief moment of nostalgia as you recalled begging your folks to see the merfolk perform.

“Ya know, when I was a kid seeing this show was all anyone in my class talked about. Some of the older kids would compare stories or what mercy their folks got them. I was always so jealous,” you chuckle, smiling wistfully at the crowd of kids. Vanessa said nothing, sparing a brief glance your way but looking away in the next beat.

“Wasn’t till my tenth birthday did my folks take me to my first show. I couldn’t help but be absolutely captivated by the merfolk and the trainers they worked with.” Ever since then you were dead set on working at the aquarium when you were older.

Each mer’s dedicated handler and trainer tended to their every need. A round-the-clock position, they oversaw the health both physical and mental of their mer. To the public it appeared to be all fun and games at their shows, not knowing just how much time and dedication the job really demanded.

That didn’t deter you at all, however. Becoming a handler had always been the goal, and while you were starting small you were still one big step closer to that dream!

Your gaze zeroed in on the handlers just below deck and did a double take when one appeared fairly shorter than the rest.

“What’s that kid doing down there?” You ask before the brain-mouth filter kicked in. Vanessa barely glanced up from the tablet — when’d she grab that? — in her hands.

“Gregory, our summer intern. He’s paired with Freddy.”

“I didn’t know Faz hired interns…”

“We don’t.”

You watched her type away, waiting for an explanation. When none came you cleared your throat. “So…what’s the deal?”

Vanessa gave a withering sigh through the nose before finally lowering the tablet and looking out at the intern. “Management noticed Freddy had taken a particular interest in the kid last summer. Freddy’s always been engaging and amiable with everyone he works with, but something clicked I guess with that kid.” Her face screwed tight momentarily. “Management likes to call it a ‘bond’ of sorts. They’re very interested. So…now we have an intern.”

Lucky bastard, you couldn’t help but think. The chances of that happening seemed a million to one.

Wait.

Were you jealous of a teenager?

…..

Ok. Yeah, maybe. What, you could admit that to yourself, you were an adult after all!

Gregory appeared to be speaking and gesturing to Freddy, dwarfed almost comically by the mer whose rapt attention was only on the boy. Even when Gregory started walking towards the stairs that led up to the show platform Freddy’s shadow slowly followed along with lazy strokes of his shimmering tail.

You’d been so focused on the pair that the sudden and loud sound of the announcer’s voice over the intercom gave you a jolt. Vanessa merely cocked an eyebrow at you as you flashed a sheepish grin in return.

“Welcome, Faz Friends, to today’s first show at the ARC Theater!” A pause for cheers, background music bumps steadily growing in volume to feed the hype. The lights in the theater slowly dimmed until only the pool remained fully lit, glowing a mesmerizing teal.

“We’re so glad you could visit us today! Our glamorous mer friends have a wonderful show for you they can’t wait to share!”

All at once the four mer leapt out of the water from the depths of the pool, delighting those in the crowd close enough to get caught in the resulting wave as they crashed back into the water. Colored lights danced over the rippling surface, bouncing off the shimmering scales of the mer as they swam in mesmerizing patterns before breaking apart. From above your perch the massive LED wall lit up with the show’s intro, the narration sounding similar to the orientation video you’d finished this morning.

Well, look at that. Seems you’ll be getting that show after all.

Nice.

“Here at the Faz ARC, our work with these magnificent creatures provides valuable data for conservation efforts around the globe.”

As the narration droned on your gaze drifts to the handlers. Despite being in shadow you could make out how their black wet suits sported accent colors according to the mer they worked with. Even Gregory wore one, you realized. He stood beside the senior handler, nodding along while pulling treats from the nearby cooler and into the bucket they’d take up. Glancing about, the other handlers are doing the same thing.

On cue, the handlers mounted their individual platforms and waited as the mer and handler introductions began.

“Hi everybody!” A young woman with a ponytail of bright red curly hair stepped into the pink spotlight at her platform, waving to the crowd. Her wet suit screamed Chica with pink and green ribs, both patterned accordingly. “My name’s Alexi, and this is my wonderful friend Chica!” The crowd ooh’d at Chica’s twirling launch into the air, splashing the front row before returning to her spotlit platform.

“Chica is our ambassador for several species of tropical fish and rays.” A sweeping gesture with one arm sends the white, pink and green mer out to swim the edge of the pool in a showy display. “Her tiger-like stripes and spotted scales make her captivating to watch, but also serve to help Chica blend into her surroundings.”

You hum to yourself as you watch the pool become bathed in leopard-patterned spotlights, Chica’s form occasionally lost amongst the visual chaos. She was the second in popularity for the merfolk, appealing unsurprisingly to little girls in particular.

The lights went out and the next platform lit up in pale purple. A young man grinned at his turn, fists planted on his hips. Unlike Alexi, his suit was a solid black and purple. “Hey, guys! My name’s Jax and this rockstar is Roxy!” One fist pumps the air in time with the gray and purple mer jumping into the air, drawing hoots and hollers from the crowd. “Roxy’s got the highest agility of the mer with her leopard seal and mako shark primary genetics. Check out how she maneuvers these obstacles in the blink of an eye!”

A mechanical hum accompanied by a rush of bubbles from below revealed a version of Roxy’s course, the mer immediately darting through hoops and around pillars with precision. Roxy’s sea leopard face was certainly cute, but she had no qualms about flashing her sharp canines at the visitors who stood by the glass.

You couldn’t help leaning forward over the railing just a bit as the next mer was introduced. His size alone was a marvel, and, quite frankly, Monty had to be the most badass of the crew. His handler was petite in an all-black suit contrasted by their cropped, lime green hair.

“Hey folks, make some noise for the baddest mer on the block!” Their stance spread beneath the green spotlight as their arms opened wide, the crowd screaming in delight as Monty’s massive form rose from below and breached to his dorsal spines, intimidating maw snapping shut on morsel suspended from the ceiling. Splashing back into the water, Monty lazily swam back to his handler, swallowing the morsel whole.

“I’m Jessie, and this big guy is my partner Monty! Monty’s size and thick scales are courtesy of his sturgeon DNA. You might recognize some of his traits as being similar to a mosasaur too — an ancient predator from oceans long gone.”

Monty and Roxy definitely had the “danger” and “edgy” factor on their side, appealing largely to teenagers and young adults. You’re pretty sure Monty doesn’t have actual mosasaur DNA, but it’s still a very cool comparison. Crocodile seemed more likely. Although, you weren’t sure what they crossed him with to get that oil-slick green sheen over his scales. Eel or sea snake, you supposed.

An energy had begun to grow in the crowd with each introduction, dripping with anticipation for the final mer. No surprise there, of course.

Monty’s spotlight went out and at last came a beam of gold light on the fourth and final platform. The oldest handler stepped forward, smiling broadly. “We’re so thankful you all could join us in another celebration of our oceans. Now it’s time to meet our final member of the species ambassadors: Freddy!”

If you’d thought the crowd was loud before, you cringed when the screams doubled at the final mer’s introduction jump.

Freddy looked exactly as you remembered him so many years ago, dazzling orange-gold scales accented by bolts of turquoise sparkling with every stroke of his tail. He was always the star of the show; second biggest of the four, his gentle-giant personality made him a hit for visitors of all ages hoping to have a close encounter (for a fee, of course).

All mer now accounted for, the show could commence. While you half expected to be able to watch the dazzling show in its entirety, Vanessa was walking away from you.

“Oh, we’re not staying?”

“No, we have a lot to cover for your first day.” Came the blunt reply, your shoulders slumping minutely as you hurried after her back.

Casting one last glance back at the show, you felt your resolve harden once more. One day that’d be you up there.

——

“Please don’t pick up the sea cucumber, he’ll puke his guts again and no one wants that,” The plea rolls off your tongue for the hundredth time today as you reach across the tide pool to gently brush away the grabby hands from poor cucumber Larry.

It’d been a few weeks since you started working at the ARC as the “Tide Pool Guide” for visitors. All in all, about what you had been anticipating; demanding parents wanting their gremlin children pushed ahead of the others patiently waiting, other gremlins snatching hermit crabs from their pools and running off to “show their friends.” Larry was depending on you to prevent another repeat of the birthday kid trying to squeeze it like those water wigglers sold in the gift shop.

There were only two mer-shows a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, so a good chunk of the day could be spent exploring the rest of the ARC. Which meant, in this case, a manic rush of kids high on mer-adrenaline flooding the interactive exhibits for a solid five or so hours.

It could be worse, you suppose. You could be still working retail. This was your first big job out of college and damnit you were going to be an Adult™ and do it well. Armed with a plethora of SpongeBob references and fun (gross) facts about the critters you care for, you let yourself get lost in the children’s awe and wonder.

“See this guy right here?” You wave your hand across the vision of several 8 year olds, directing their attention to the chunky pink starfish. “He’s growing back an arm ‘cause the original fell off,” you point towards some rocks beneath the surface not far away, “and now it’s going to become a new starfish!”

A gasp to your right and you glance up at the little tike in a Freddy shirt. “Baby starfish!?”

“Yup! Wanna feel how bumpy they are?” Giggles answered as you took the child’s hand to gently pet the starfish.

“Weird!” “I wanna touch too!”

You watched with a smile as the kids took turns cautiously petting, some braver than others. Glancing over your shoulder you survey the rest of the tide pools. A few teenagers huddled together filming the sting rays, several visitors were watching the octopus tank and a handful more petting the anemones. This late in the day meant guests slowly started filtering out and wandered off in search of a bite to eat or planning on claiming their seats for the evening show.

Glancing at your watch, a rush of relief hits you with the realization that soon enough you could close up and focus on your end-of-day routine. While every shift got easier and you slipped more comfortably into your kids “show” persona, getting some quiet time with the tide pool critters was a nice way to end the day.

When that final call for the show chimed across the intercom you happily led guests out of the tunnel and hung up the chain.

“Not bad, shrimp.” Vanessa appeared from behind you, tapping on her tablet.

“V, it was one time,” you whined, head dropping back against your shoulders. Almost eating shit after slipping on a shrimp earned you the nickname for the foreseeable future, apparently.

“One’s all it takes,” came the smug reply, Vanessa glancing up from her screen to smirk. “Full house tonight. I’ll be with the others doing crowd control; you’re on meal prep for the Pools and Cove.” With a taunting wink, she turned and promptly disappeared into one of the tunnels leading out to the rest of the aquarium.

For a beat you just stared where she’d been, grimacing at the thought of sticking your hands in the cold feed bins. Shivering, you shook the thought away and went about cleaning and locking up the exhibit. You had about an hour before clocking-out, lest the wrath of Faz-god fall upon you for not being on time, so you make quick work sweeping up wrappers, scraping up unnamed (gum? you hoped it was gum) substances from the floor and peeling stickers off the tank glass.

Food prep always took you a hot minute, still learning the correct measurements and which supplements went to which inhabitant, so you wanted to maximize your time appropriately. Hoofing it back to the “kitchen” through the employee tunnel you run through your mental checklist.

One drawback to doing meal prep was just how damn far it was from the Tide Pools. You practically went half way through the aquarium to get there and you rarely came across another team member during the trek this time of day. The occasional chatter from your walkie was a welcome comfort on the otherwise silent walk.

A map caught your eye, easy to pass over tucked in between colorful posters and other employee notes. Peering closer, you skim the employee-only paths to the Tide Pools. The tunnel you were currently walking went out along the outer edge of the building, but according to this there was another route that cut through the Reef.

Your brows furrow in consideration. The Reef had been a brief part of the orientation tour, more of a “there it is” than anything. You certainly didn’t recall taking a corridor down that way. Maybe you simply missed it?

Glancing at your watch, you decide that now wasn’t the time to stand and ponder the logic of the building’s maze of hallways. Taking a quick snap of the map with your phone, you hurried along to the kitchen.

When you arrive you can’t help but sigh in relief to see Vanessa had actually already done some of the meal prep, laminated notes left behind for what still needed to be done. Not about to let this gesture go to waste, you're quick to pick up where she left off.

Thanks to Vanessa’s head start you finish the prep in record time, snagging your feed bucket for the Tide Pool’s evening meal and booking it outta there.

You must’ve taken a wrong turn, however, because now you’re in a hall you don’t recognize.

“Uh…” You glance at your watch. 30 minutes till clock out. Calculations race through your head, figuring how reasonably fast you could dump the food in the tanks and head out. Taking the route you’d gone on your way here wouldn’t leave you enough time, but if you were to cut through this Reef area…well, the shortest distance between two points is straight, right?

Chewing your lip in indecision, you decide to pull up the map on your phone again and speed walk in the supposed direction of the Reef corridor. Familiar murals and tanks greeted you, but it wasn’t until you walked past a darkened hallway that you realized a “staff only” sign was hung up at the door.

Ok, “door” was generous — it was more a pvc temporary door that had been covered in black vinyl and vague reef illustrations to blend into the rest of the murals on the wall. That must have been how you missed it the first time.

Feeling more confident that this would save you time, you fumble for your keys and unlock the door.

“Holy crap it’s dark in here…” you slap your hand on the nearest wall, wet and cold, feeling along for the light switch. Stumbling over a few leftover boxes and whatever else, you sigh in frustration and instead pull out your phone once more and shine its flashlight around you.

“Oh, weird…” These walls appeared to have a character you didn’t recognize on them — a mer with features similar to a leafy sea dragon or perhaps lionfish. None of the glam-mers had these kinds of features. “What is this…?” You slowly walk along the wall, shining your phone on reef facts and across fake coral installments.

From the amount of materials and boxes strewn about, sporting a thin film of gunky dust, you’d think this part of the reef was shut down. But it didn’t take long to hear the hum of what must have been a significant filtration system, very much on and not at all offline. Having seen what decommissioned tanks looked like, and considering the illustrations, a strange sense of unease began to fill your chest.

“No personnel beyond this point…” You frown at the sign hanging from a chain cutting off your path. Up ahead plastic tarps hung from the walls, giving off very alien biohazard vibes.

Was it technically trespassing if you worked there?

The sign’s fine print about hazards and construction ahead seemed reasonable. Surely the “no personnel” was just a warning for the general public…

Right? Besides, the aquarium map you found clearly showed cutting through here would lead you back to the tide pools faster than going around. Employees surely used to cut through here all the time before renovation. Shifting your feed-filled bucket to the other hand, you steel your nerves and step over the chain.

“Just don’t touch anything…it’ll be fine.” You attempt to reassure yourself, carefully maneuvering through the plastic curtains.

It was only a tad darker than the rest of the aquarium, huge fish nets, more tools and random construction supplies scattered alongside the walls. The filtration system’s soft hum and your echoing footsteps were all you heard as you made your way through the winding tunnel. For an abandoned exhibit, you half expected the tanks to be empty. But the kelp fronds and small schools of fish said otherwise as you walked along the glass, the cool, damp room illuminated by the green-blue light of their lights. Jellyfish lazily floated up and over the glass tunnel you found yourself in, bringing you to a pause to watch their white and pink bodies drift by.

The lights along the edge of these tanks may be on, but staring further into them revealed barely any light — natural or otherwise.

“Creepy…” Shaking off the feeling, you focus back on the task at hand: feeding time and clocking out. Exiting the underwater tunnel brought you into what looked like a main viewing area, circular in shape and half of one wall essentially glass panels to observe what was held within.

You were almost at the end of the exhibit when a large shadow moved out of the corner of your eye, drawing you to a halt. Immediately your heart leapt to your throat, every muscle in your body holding perfectly still.

For a long moment nothing moved.

Then, through the misty, algae-covered glass a shape emerged out from behind a section of reef. At first, watching it move reminded you of a shark. But as it approached its frilled features came into focus.

“Holy shit…” The air was sucked right out of your lungs as you came face-to-face with big glowing eyes. Distantly you felt your watch buzz with a heart rate warning, but you were helpless to do anything but stare back at the creature before you.

Merfolk might be the ARC’s main marketing angle, but as far as the public (or you) knew, only four lived here. Why was this one separated from the rest in a supposedly closed exhibit?

A soft thump startled you from your spiraling thoughts, focusing back on the creature in time to watch its webbed hand slide down from the glass. Were those scratch marks on the glass?

Without thinking, you placed your hand where theirs had been. The creature’s head tilts to the side ever so slightly, eyes unblinking and seemingly peering into your soul. A mutual curiosity kept you both close to the glass, barely more than a foot or two separating you from something that 10 minutes ago didn’t exist.

“What….Who are you…?” Your voice sounds strange even to you, tongue thick and mouth uncomfortably dry. The mural from earlier flashes through your mind as you leaned close enough to fog the glass. “Another mer…”

The creature glided back at your advancement, but didn’t stray far. Its feather-like fins flared slowly on either side of its body, a proper display that could easily be interpreted as a threat.

But you’re instead distracted by the display, both hands now on the glass. “Whoa. You’re the mer from the wall — the sea dragon lookin one. Yeah? Do you have a name? What are you doing here?” You frown as the mer tilted its head the opposite way, seeming to consider you.

“Ah, hey, wait!” With a flick of its tail the mer turned away, swimming along the glass. You’d think it had lost interest in you if it weren’t for the fact that the mer clearly was glancing back to be sure you were following.

Stumbling over your own feet and painfully knocking the feed bucket into your knee, you curse as you try to keep up. For the second time in your short career here you nearly ate shit on the stairs you definitely did not see in your distracted state.

“Oh fu-!” Catching yourself on the railing, your gaze trails up the dark stairwell. “What the hell…”

Your fishy companion wasn’t in the window anymore, but you could vaguely make out the end fronds of their tail. Supposing there must be a second level (and you’ve come this far already) you make your way up.

Pushing through a creaky wood door at the top, you step out onto the observation deck level. It reminded you of a larger-scale version of your tide pool — this floor was basically a huge donut with the tank taking up the center. A protective wire and plexiglass barrier circled the perimeter, tall enough to prevent little kids from falling in. Much like the ARC Theater, this room had educational illustrations on its colorful walls, now muted from dust and mold. Part of it was covered in more plastic tarp, and the wall sported strange gouges that cracked fake coral.

Your hand brushes over the textured surface as you walk along the length of the room. Finally you came upon the sea dragon mer, taking in all its patterns and spines. “Wow…”

A splash from behind startles you from your thoughts, drawing your focus back to the water. From its surface you could just make out white eyes peering out at you, one fin crest drooped back from gravity. Against better judgment, you find your feet carrying you closer.

“What are you doing here all alone?”

The mer didn’t answer, but did glance (you think it did, anyway. It didn’t have pupils) at your bucket.

“Oh! Are you hungry?” You reach in to grab a handful of smelt, holding it up for the mer to see. A sound like an alligator’s rumble meets your ears, and you can’t help your grin. “I guess the others can share, huh?” You toss the fish up and watch as the mer disappears briefly to snatch the morsels out of the water.

Your smile fades as you begin to worry. When was the last time this mer was fed? Was anyone taking care of it? You’d seen no evidence of its existence anywhere. One would assume such an asset would be flaunted along with the other mer.

Judging from the algae growth and just overall unkempt appearance of the exhibit, you weren’t so sure this mer had a handler. Actually, this place looked properly abandoned; posters ripped from the walls and random debris scattered across the floor, plastic tarps sectioning off half of the room from the rest and just an overall dreary vibe. A play area with foam fish and coral to climb had long since faded like the rest of the room. What was probably a gift shop looked like Black Friday gone wrong with its shattered glass doors and cracked display window.

Wandering that way, you lean down to scoop up a plush from the floor. Its colors were long since muted from time, but you could make out its sunset stripes and sun ray-like head fins. Its big eyes and cat-like mouth screamed kid-friendly. Way more friendly than what was in the tank only a few yards away.

“Ah, that’s kinda unfair…” you mumble to yourself, shaking your head. Obviously this mer was part of something more kid-oriented, perhaps even a daycare of sorts judging by the play area and registration desk nearby.

Plush in-hand, you wander back to the tank and startle yet again to see the mer’s head poking out of the water entirely. It watched you in eerie silence, head fins seeming to flow ever so slight even in the open air. Like this, you’re reminded of the Teletubby Sun Baby and can’t help smiling at the creature.

“You remind me of a children’s cartoon sun, ya’know?” Its head tilts one way, then the other, fins flicking. “I’m gonna call you Sunny, ok?” Leaning down to your bucket, you pick up a couple more fish and toss them into the water. They’re gobbled up in seconds. “That cool?”

Sunny gave an indifferent sniff and disappeared back into the water.

“Alrighty then, I’m gonna take that as a yes.” Pleased with yourself, your gaze falls to the plush in your hand. Perhaps you could take this home and wash it up?

A buzzing from your watch flashed the 15 minute warning before you’d need to clock out, shocking you from your thoughts.

“Shit! I gotta go, uh, Sunny? I’ll come back tomorrow, ok? Bye!” You don’t look back to see if the mer heard you, racing down the stairs as fast as you dared and booking it down the hall with your bucket in tow.

So much for saving you time!!

#fnaf au: song for a siren #fnaf mermay #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #uh uhhhhh idk what else to say about this LOL #be gentle i'm a bit rusty at writing fanfics!!#my art

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