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madcatlad · 3 months

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Aaron Needs Friends

Having him be aloof and mysterious was cool for the first few adventures, but for the amount of time that Aaron was traveling with Aph he should have been making SOME sort of relationship with her squad. This man was present since BEFORE Garroth was lost to the Irene Dimension. Yet all anyone had to say about him was "I didn't know much about him" "he was a good man". The group didn't even need to know him all that well, or be super close. He didn't need to expose all his secrets or be particularly socialable. But you're telling me that during the span of time that Aaron was around the same people, all the time, risking their lives...and he didn't interact with them on a more personal level? He ONLY interacts with Aphmau. That just isn't human nature.

I vaguely remember multiple characters getting shamed or dismissed for being concerned about his intentions. But looking back that is completely valid! From Aph's perspective, Aaron is a good guy who had proved himself, and doesn't need to explain himself ever. From everyone else's perspective, he is a complete stranger, with vague intentions and questionable goals, who they have know for at least a year in close proximity but goes out of his way (quite literally every single time) to interact with NO ONE but Aphmau.

Suspicious Behavior. That or he seems rude. But their distrust of that kind of put out is not unbased. Especially when his past comes to light, yet he is still no more than a stranger, and shown to be purposefully secretive. Suspicious Behavior. But the cast is supposed to ignore all that because...? "He's a good guy" how would anyone else know that?

I mean he doesn't have to open up to them in great lengths and cry about his tragic life, but by time he died he should have had a surface level relationship with the main gang. More than never knowing jack about him as a person. Training/mentoring with Laurence, amicable acknowledgement with Garroth, maybe teasing flusterable Katelyn. A joke or two outside of Aphmau. Just any amount of relationship outside of Aphmau. Please.

Otherwise his mysteriousness becomes an archetype instead of characterization. And it became more of a hindrance to the story, especially later on.

Having Aaron never build relationships with anyone BUT Aphmau sets him aside in a way that is very odd. Aaron is essentially NOT a character, but a plot point. He only exists to advance the plot, add suspense, or subvert the plot. But he himself had no character- other than grief.

And it especially took away from the significance of his DEATH! When he died the only person really grieving HIM was Aphmau. Everyone was sad for HER. It made so Aph could be sad but - "oh nobody else understands my grief". While Aph was grieving nobody could really grieve with her. It isolated her in a way so jarring and disconnected from the story it felt more like a plot diversion than a plot point. And everyone just continued with their respective plots, yet the STORY had to come to a screeching HALT after Aaron's death because aph was mouring and she is quite literally OUR EYES.

There in lies the problem. NOBODY could mourn for Aaron, because he was a stranger. But HE DIED! He died without ever getting to grow or build new relationships as his story was clearly building up to do. HE DIED with no mourners! What kind of depressing precedent is that?!? "You don't need to grow past your grief, and build new relationships after great lost! You just need to be HOT and (somehow impregnate) the main character! Plot 😃".

What a Lackluster death for a character!! A main character!!! To be mourned by no one. It should have been Aaron's death that brought the story to a halt, the fact that they had lost HIM. Not that Aphmau had lost him.

Aaron's death should have affected the entire cast, or at least the main one who had traveled with him so long! Yet everyone else is allow to move on as they would because essentially they lost nothing.

Yeah, we were all sad when Aaron died as kids. Because Aphmau was sad (that scream was something else). And, yes, Aaron's death was sad. But imagine how devastating it would be if EVERYBODY knew him- to some capacity- if everyone mourned his passing. Imagine how much more significance it would bring to his SACRIFICE.

Aaron was a man with nothing to lose from DAY ONE. BUT HE STAYED THAT WAY! He never grew! What kind of sacrifice is it for a man with nothing to live for, no mortal ties, to sacrifice his life.

It dumbs down his death to in essence, achieve his ONLY goal in life: revenge, and make his girlfriend-not-girlfriend happy.

He A STRANGER. Not because HE necessarily wanted Garroth back, but because Aphmau wanted Garroth back. It doesn't work well. Aaron should have sacrificed himself for Garroth because HE wanted to, because HE cared for Garroth.

It objectified him in a sense. His decisions- his world revolves around Aphmau, and only her? (And Zane strangely enough). He has free will but his choices like agency, desire, depth. He's a means to and end, hardly a character. He experienced no growth, no change, no discomfort.

He only experienced pain and Aphmau. Tragic.

#minecraft diaries #mcd #aaron mcd #aaron lycan #aphblr #aphmau

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kanekoii · 6 months

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a breakfast date with shu yamino (100 follower special)

lyra’s notes -> did i write out the whole damn date with him? perchance. it’s my 100 special so it’s gotta be good yk?

pairing -> shu yamino x gn! reader

genre -> a long ass scenario fic

song -> stops making sense - dayglow

warnings -> food mentions throughout, one singular use of name “darling”

the sun wormed its way through the curtains of your room on a warm morning. it was still relatively early, you figured to yourself as you essentially rolled out of bed and checked your phone, seeing a text from shu asking if you wanted to get breakfast with him in an hour and a half or so. even if he was your boyfriend and had been for a few months now, he never failed to make your heart flutter a bit with his romantic actions. once you texted him a reply that you would be happy to meet him for a date, you got in return a purple heart emoji.

shu had woken up not much before you had, just wanting to take you on a date that spanned a whole day like in his dreams. when you agreed, he couldn’t be happier as he jumped out of bed and began getting ready. he hummed to himself gently as he styled his hair and put together an outfit. he usually wears glasses when not streaming, so he’d have those set aside on his bathroom’s counter while he washes his face using the sink. he was still in his pajamas, just lavender purple plaid pants and a plain black shirt. his hair was messy and his eyes still held the smallest traces of sleepiness in them as he looked at himself in the mirror before running a shower.

you dressed in the clothes that made you feel best, that’s how shu liked it anyway. he’s happy when you’re comfortable and happy with what you’re wearing, so you dressed in that. the restaurant he suggested was a bistro in the nearby city’s downtown area. wouldn’t it be such a perfect day to walk or bike there, you thought to yourself as you strolled a few streets down to shu’s apartment. when he opened the door, you got a good look at his outfit for the day: black jeans, black combat boots, a dusty purple colored t-shirt that was slightly baggy on him, a deep purple belt around the waistline of his pants, only visible because his shirt was tucked in slightly, and a necklace with a penguin charm on it. his hair was tied into a messy ponytail at the back of his head, purple streaks poking through at some points. the front of his hair was relatively the same, pink streaks framing his face. the only different from how he usually did his hair was that his blonde bangs seemed more tamed than usual and hung over one of his eyes a little.

he squinted since he didn’t have his glasses on yet, but he was very vocal about the fact that just because his vision was blurry didn’t mean you weren’t the most attractive person he’d ever seen! he’d stumble around before he put on his glasses, deep purple eyes no longer squinting and able to fully see how absolutely adorable you are! when you asked if he wanted to bike to the bistro he suggested only to be met with the question of if you had brought your bike at all, shu couldn’t help but kiss your forehead! he knows it’s cheesy but just seeing you think and try to figure out things is so endearing to him! he’s super big brain, and you are too to him, even if you aren’t the smartest in reality.

his question of “can we both just use mine?” surely didn’t signal you that you would be sat in the little basket on the back of the seat, wrapping your body around him for support as the both of you laugh from joy and adrenaline. he had put on a jacket before you left, just plain black. you buried your face into the hood to avoid the air whipping your face (seeing as he was biking pretty fast by now) and inhaled his calming scent that was present in the fabric, in his hair, on his skin. he smelled like a campfire. not a bad kind of fire, a warm and comfortable one that reminds you of warm summer nights spent with friends around a fire, laughing and sharing stories and eating s’mores until the sun had risen.

breakfast with shu wasn't anything particularly special, just the both of you ordering filling breakfasts and a caffeinated drink of choice. for him, it was coffee with a vanilla flavored cream to balance out the bitterness of it. he couldn't help but smile so happily when he spends time with you, offering you a freshly picked flower upon leaving the restaurant. he knows you have things to do but he wanted to make your morning a little bit better by tucking the fresh flower behind your ear with a quiet “i love you so much. have a nice day, darling”.

#lyr.fic #nijien x reader #nijisanji en #nijisanji x reader #nijien #shu yamino #shu yamino x reader #shu yamino x you #luxiem #luxiem x reader #luxiem x you #lyr.100

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kohakhearts · 3 months

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hey taylo my bestie hello please elaborate on the goh cubone jn subtle storytelling thingy

COMING TO THIS SUPER LATE SORRY MAN SCHOOL WAS KICKING MY ASS BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING. IM SO FUCKING GLAD YOU ASKED.

ok so jn015. our intro to goh's family unit, notably his parents. goh explains his dad is a systems engineer and his mom is a programmer. they work together and run their own company (and appear to be a two-man team, when we actually see them at work). right off the bat, ash is surprised that goh has to call to warn his parents he's coming home. goh essentially says he doesn't want to be a bother to them. he's very casual about the whole thing. it apparently doesn't bug him at all. in fact, he goes out of his way to get them and his grandmother gifts and generally seems to be looking forward to seeing them.

he IS disappointed when they turn out not to be home when he gets there, but in true pokemon anime fashion, this is not dwelled on for long. he says it's fine, he doesn't want to make his parents worry, and also his parents are great and scorbunny's gonna love them. so instead of moping about it, he goes out and gets involved in his little park adventure, where he runs into a cubone being targeted by a bunch of mankey.

this is the only time in the main-line anime that cubone's dex entry is given. it is not the first time a cubone has shown up, though, which is...strange, but i'll roll with it. here's what the dex says (sourced from bulbapedia):

Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. A Ground type. Cubone wears a skull as a helmet, concealing its face as it sheds tears for its long-lost mother. It cries loudly to express its loneliness. It also always carries a long, thick bone.

REALLY interesting choice for Pokemon Of The Day (literally bc it's also the who's that pokemon feature) for the episode where we're introduced to goh's parents.

it's also like...obviously not the only time where we see goh decide to help a pokemon, but i do think that his captures (especially early on in the series) that are framed in this way (i.e. they span over the course of an episode, wherein he befriends the mon before catching it. he doesn't have many catches like this in the series!!) seem to serve a purpose of like, really emphasizing certain traits he shares. before this, we had scorbunny - who is a bit of a loner, kind of the "odd one out," but is determined and stubborn and doesn't really want charity, either (but latches very quickly on to the first human who shows a genuine interest in it). now, we have cubone. the lonely pokemon.

i feel that the WAY he approaches cubone is...interesting? like he's sad for it. his facial expressions are very telling. and this is the first time we see him choosing to help a pokemon without ash around (something we know he never really would've done before meeting ash; and i've mentioned this before, but i do think a lot of his "well, you can't just help pokemon because you think they need it, they need to learn to be independent and help themselves" attitude stems from the fact that he was forced to be independent and help himself from a young age. so i think it's actually pretty profound that one of his first major overtures to a pokemon without ash pushing him is in a situation where he is acting more the parent to his parents than the other way around. he's literally on the way to delivering them dinner to work. and his gift for them is gloves, because it's cold). that tells me he is really affected by what he's seeing. he's empathetic to it (he also never tells it to stop crying or anything when they're looking for its bone, which honestly doesn't seem all that in-character for him at this point. just look at the way he talks to scorbunny a few episodes later when it's trying to learn ember, right?)

anyway, this being the only time it gets a dex entry is already like, kind of in your face enough imo. but then he also catches it. and at the end of the episode, when his parents are talking in the kitchen (and notably they are, again, separate from the other characters - more so onlookers than active participants in the family), his dad specifically says this

like i don't know how much more obvious than that they can get with saying they were trying to draw a parallel between goh and cubone. but lonely - anyone can feel lonely. that's just one aspect of the comparison. cubone is lonely because it misses its mother. because it's an orphan.

isn't it a little...ironic...that goh's parents would be the ones drawing the comparison in the end? but that's the point, i think. i mean, goh's not an orphan. but his parents chose to continue living a lifestyle that reinforced his loneliness and ensured a degree of separation between them. they share with each other their concerns for him, but never voice those to him. obviously there's love on both sides, but emotionally speaking - there's next to no connection there. goh idolizes and idealizes his parents, and goes out of his way to take care of them; in turn, his parents share in a secret concern for his wellbeing and compensate for their guilt at making him feel isolated by supplying him with whatever they can materially (mr six computer monitor set-up in his bedroom at age 7. what the fuck). so he's not literally an orphan...but emotionally? well. that's a whole other can of wurmples :pensive:

anyway, tl;dr he's not a real orphan. but i'll give him the honour because he does kinda have that orphan complex going for him <3

#answered #*meta #goh #NOT the only case of this either. the most damning by far but like #sobble is a whole THING. actually his starter trio in general. fascinating symbolism in all their narratives #i love this episode though. it makes me so. im so normal about it. trust

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spnfanficpond · 2 months

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New Member Spotlight - March 2024

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family, along with a little info about them!

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

@samanddean76 -

Other SM names? - Same name on AO3 and Discord

OTP? - Wincest and/or J2.

Looking for in the Pond? - To be around other open-minded and creative people so that I can see how far I can be inspired to go with this writing thing.

Pairings you read? - All of it. I love Wincest, Wincestiel, Sabriel, Destiel, Jammy, and J2.

Genres you read? - Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Smut, True Mates, Soul Mates, Unrequited Love, and A/B/O is my favorite way to combine all of the above.

Favorite writer(s)? - nyxocity. She started on LiveJournal with the first episodes to air and transfered a lot to Ao3. Her work in both SPN and SPN RPF is some of the best I've ever read.

What do you like to write? - A/B/O, AU's, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, True Mates, Soul Mates, Revenge, and All The Feels

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Joyous Memories Amongst The Sorrow

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - A full on, hard-core revenge story where nothing is softened, the focus doesn't shift away, and there is no doubt as to what was done. Haven't tried it yet as I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace the darkness required to write it. Also, I don't want to scare off my readers. How you can help? Encourage me to finally tackle that next seemingly impossible challenge.

@kayleighwinchester -

Other SM names? - KayleighWinchester (AO3)

OTP? - Awful as it sounds, Dean and my OC! Beyond that, absolutely Destiel.

Other fandoms? - I'm pretty active in the band Ghost's TikTok fandom! I used to be *huge* into Harry Potter, but that's definitely faded in the last few years. As it stands, Supernatural has definitely become the main obsession.

Looking for in the Pond? - I'm mostly here for the community! My fanfic writing has mostly been just for me and shared with a few close friends in the last few years - publishing it anywhere, especially in the really rough state it's in at present, is super daunting! I'm always looking for more people to bounce ideas off of, chat with, and generally obsess over the show with, as well as finding new stuff to read!

Pairings you read? - I'm especially fond of reader inserts, and they were my first big step into fanfic! When it comes to ships, I tend to stick specifically to Destiel, since it's my OTP, but I'm always willing to branch out!

Genres you read? - I love angst! Writing was, for a long time, my free version of therapy, so reading and writing angst was always a huge thing for me. I also love smut and fluff. ...Essentially, everything. Depends on the mood!

Favorite writer(s)? - I always have to boost TinkerbellBleu on Ao3, even though she isn't active anymore. She wrote an amazing DeanxOC fic, essentially turning episodes 1, 2, and part of 3 into full-length novels. I adore her writing and hope she comes back soon!

What do you like to write? - Most are CharacterxOC, and I have absolutely no self-control, so they are almost always ridiculously long. As it stands, I've been incapable of not just writing a fic that is supposed to span the entire show, because there's just *so many* good moments, good scenes, good storylines, etc. There's never one specific 'theme'; I write everything! I do enjoy writing angst, though.

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Smut! I've made an *attempt*, but never one that I actually kept. Generally, it comes down to a lack of confidence; I'd love some critiques if I ever get around to it!

@whiskeyjuniper -

Other SM names? - Whiskeyjuniper (AO3)

OTP? - DeanCas, Midam, crackship DeanChuck

Looking for in the Pond? - Sprint buddies!

Pairings you read? - DeanCas, Midam, crackship DeanChuck

Genres you read? - Horror

What do you like to write? - Horror, Weird

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - a happy place to dream about

@bloodydeanwinchester -

Other SM names? - Same name on Discord, alovelyhorror (AO3)

OTP? - Destiel

Looking for in the Pond? - Looking for a place to talk to other writers and participate in sprints.

Pairings you read? - Almost exclusively Destiel

Genres you read? - Angst with a happy ending is my favorite but I also love some good horror. my favorite trope is probably time travel.

Favorite writer(s)? - sobsicles and komodobits on ao3

What do you like to write? - mostly into writing longer destiel canon/canon divergent fics (although i do have an idea or two for aus)

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - When the Night Is Over

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - The thing I'm most focused on wanting to do now is to finish the longer fic that I’m currently working on. I'm struggling with keeping up motivation now that I'm right in the middle of the fic!

@notanotherthembo -

Other SM names? - Same name on Discord

OTP? - Dean/Cassie

Other fandoms? - TWD, TOWL

Looking for in the Pond? - Beta readers, homies, amazing writers to talk shop with

Pairings you read? - Sam/Femme!Reader, DeanCassie, Sam/Dean/Femme!Reader, Wincest

Genres you read? - Smut, Rivals or Enemies to Lovers,

Favorite writer(s)? - @uncouth-the-fifth is the GOAT

What do you like to write? - Crossovers, specifically ones that feature Black femme characters as the romantic lead

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Clap Your Hands If You Believe

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Reader inserts! I'm working on one right now that I need a beta reader for. I'm also considering finishing up/rewriting an old Spn/True Blood crossover series that I haven't touched in years.

@bigmouthlass -

Other SM names? - darali_starscream (AO3) & Darali (Discord)

OTP? - I write Dean/You, and Dean/Donna should've lived happily ever after.

Looking for in the Pond? - Get a better handle on fandom stuff, meet some other like-minded obsessives.

Pairings you read? - Dean/anyone. He fascinates me.

Genres you read? - Smut to start, anything interesting and well-written.

Favorite writer(s)? - @thoughtslikeaminefield, @sam-is-my-safe-word , @talltalesandbedtimestories, Edge_of_Clairvoyance (AO3), and @rizlowwritessortof

What do you like to write? - They start as smut, and insist on growing plots.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Stairwell Drums

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I'm trying to get comfortable writing Sam; he's harder for me to feel at ease with. Also slash generally, it doesn't come naturally to me.

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @spencereliotwinchester and @heavenssexiestangel!

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miraculous-pyromaniac · 9 days

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BEHOLD MY PJO/HOO ORIGINAL CHARACTER

This wonderful artwork was done by @justanotherpersonsuniverse they're a wonderful artist and writer whose works I enjoy a ton. If you're into miraculous ladybug, Splatoon, or good art and vibes in general I would guide you towards their blogs.

This is Bellerophon Heimbald, sometimes called Camp Half-Blood's Benchwarmer Hero, but most of their friends just call them Bell

A strong wielder of They/Them pronouns, Bell is a child of Euphrosyne, goddess of mirth, merriment, and joy.

Alright, this post is a little long, so ima make a break here. Bellow this is more stuff about the OC and some semi-relevant rants on greek myth lore

They changed their name to Bellerophon because they were Bell before but wanted a less gender specific full name. Also, Bellerophon is Bell's favorite Greek hero because they really love horses and pegasi, and dream of one day riding on Pegasus, the majestic flying god-horse.

Bell gets super fucking jealous of Reyna.

Bell made the unique decision to declare themselves as a Champion of Hestia, a title and role that notably doesn't exist. Despite this, Bell stubbornly insists on their role as a protector of homes and families. They will insist on being sent on, or sometimes sneak out to go on, quests relating to saving the families of her friends and fellow campers. Such endeavors include, but are not limited to, 'my godly step mom kidnapped my Mom for having too many kids with her husband', 'My Dad keeps sending me bloodstained notes and his fiancé says he hasn't left the house since I left for camp', or 'the Titan Army kidnapped my mortal siblings because I'd been feeding them false info while pretending to spy for them'. Bell will also eventually be accepted as Hestia's Champion and will be sent on quests to solve squabbles between the gods that have really been killing the vibe on Olympus. Things such as 'My husband thinks I'll fall for this shit again so I made a doll to replace him', 'That bitch banged my daughter and I might start a war over it', or 'oh fuck I lost the moon'.

The PJO storyline spans many years and this is only a screenshot of time for Bell's character. They're about 16 in this art, at around the time of The Battle of the Labyrinth book.

Bell's godly parent is not a well known goddess, Euphrosyne is one of the Charities, a trio of goddess siblings who serve as Aphrodite's attendants. The best way I can relate who she is is that she's the daughter of the Titaness of water-meadows, Eurynome, who raised Hephaestus after he was baby-tossed off Olympus by Hera. Her father is of course Zeus, though it might not have been adultery. Hesiod claimed that Eurynome was Zeus's third wife after Metis, who he absorbed, and Themis, who Zeus divorced after birthing at least 2 (possibly 3) sets of triplet goddesses. One set of those triplets was the wrinkly goddesses now known as the fates, who scared their parents so much that Zeus got a divorce and Themis stopped having kids and went to law school or something or other.

In any case, my point is that Bell's demigod powers aren't flashy or destructive like the show's main cast. Bell can innately sense when those around them feel positive emotions, a kind of joy empathy radar. They can also induce and amplify positive feelings in others, though its not effective most of the time. Their only other powers include a slightly dulled sense of pain and a resistance to poisons.

A few years into their story, Bell will end up gaining the blessing of Hestia's hearth fire. This blessing grants Bell several powers that are all defensive due to the nature of Hestia and her flames. Bell's wounds will instantly cauterize in battle and heal faster after the battle is done. Poison has way less effect on Bell, combines with their poison resistance from their demigod powers this essentially makes them immune to all non-divine poisons. Their regular body temp is also increased to around 107°F, making them very popular with the Hypnos kids during winter months. This obviously grants an aspect of fire resistance to Bell, but not immune like Leo, at about the same level as Hephaestus kids.

That spear is their primary weapon, a cross shaped Japanese style spear that Bell found wrapped up in the camp armory. It also happens to have been cursed by the man who forged it and is a very dangerous object.

That leather bracelet is actually a size changing celestial bronze shield in it's smallest size, a small disk of metal attached to the leather arm strap. It was gifted to Bell by their mother Euphrosyne. It was forged by Hephaestus, who was convinced to make the shield by his wife, Aglaia, who is also one of the Charities. Aglaia didn't just do that as a favor for her sister though, but that's not super important.

Yes, Hephaestus got remarried canonically, in both mythology and described in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods.

Bell is the main character of a PJO fanfic story I've been creating with my best friend. Though, while Bell may be the main character of their story, they are ultimately a side character in the PJO/HOO stories. My goal for Bell's story is that that it's written into the sidelines of the story the book tells, this story is the one that happens when Percy is off on his quests, or during the non-summer months when most characters are with their families, or in the gaps of time between books. I'm having a ton of fun developing a story like this, filling in the background of an already great story.

I've been writing and developing Bell's story, as well as a couple other OCs of mine, for about the past 6 months or so and this is the first time its being seen publicly. I've been trying to write a whole book/questline of story before releasing as my current fanfics update one every blue moon and I feel bad about it.

This is only 1 of the 4 Camp Half-blood OCs i have for this story and, even further, only 1 of the 10 OCs I plan to put story focus on throughout my whole plotline. Hyperfixation went crazy.

Alright I think that's enough random powers, no-context plot points, and Greek myth lore rants for one post. Ima hit the post button now but again go check out @justanotherpersonsuniverse their stuff is amazing

#pjo hoo toa #pjo #pjo oc #pjo ocs #fanfic ocs #riordanverse #percy jackson ocs #my ocs #enby oc #well technically theyre agender #just like my goofy ass

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ckret2 · 10 months

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Looking at all the stuff you said in that recent reblog of yours and just nodding my head in so much agreement. Like, the Gravity Falls canon is so fun but if you (the royal you) poke at some of the more conspiratorial elements of it...it can SO very easily veer into 'Not Okay' territory, depending on how one approaches it in their fanworks.

Especially the fact that Bill is literally based off the triangle symbol that is often used to represent the Illuminati, and...well, there's a lot of Not Okay stuff tied to them that we don't have time to unpack.

It's just good to be VERY careful and find a balance between the borderline Not Okay stuff canon gives us and finding an approach that is...let's say CLOSER to okay. This is a long winded way of saying I agree with the stuff you said 👍

Yeah, especially with Mr. Illuminati-Face here, so many of the ideas that are very lightly brushed over duck so close to some really awful real-world ideas—but in most cases, what's actually presented in canon is so quickly passed by that like... it only really works because you don't think about it too hard. Wading any deeper into it is like walking into a minefield. (Here's the part where I guiltily confess that one of the lines that always gets a wheeze out of me is the super fleeting mention of "Ronald Reagan's masters," and I think the reason it always gets me is because it's SO blink-and-you'll-miss-it, combined with a heap of dark comedy "OH NOOO PLEASE DON'T HAVE HIM SAY THAT". But do I want to engage with that idea? God no.)

If you give serious credence to half the claims Bill makes or that are made about him (much less the things without him that get peppered in), then you're essentially saying that Gravity Falls is the kind of world with secret globe-spanning history-controlling government-running overlords that's being espoused by, most prominently, right wing q-anony antisemitic racists... and like, that's not the kind of world I want to celebrate and play around in. I don't want stories about the kind of world the worst conservative politician believes is real.

And all those more serious issues aside—just from a sheer characterization perspective, Bill is a goddamn liar. Mr. Illuminati-Face Overstuffed-Resume Dress-For-The-Job-You-Want. If all his big claims are treated like unadulterated truth, that ignores a lot of opportunities to say he was lying or distorting the truth in a way that makes him more interesting.

Read up on the actual real Illuminati that actually existed before their name got hamfistedly shoved into every gross conspiracy theory you can imagine, and they're just... such a not a big deal. It was like two dudes that used the mystique of LARPing as an ancient secret organization to dazzle a handful of people into reading a few mildly politically spicy pamphlets, and then got shut down. They didn't do anything but talk to each other about how important they were (they weren't) and wank off to their own sense of intellectual superiority.

I feel like that's a good metaphor for how to treat Bill Cipher's position in human history. The conspiracy theory talk has to be treated like self-congratulatory hot air. Yeah, he's like the Illuminati—in that, like the Illuminati, he wildly oversold his importance to the people he was trying to recruit, and his actual influence has been consequently overblown compared to the underwhelming truth. His face is everywhere, signifying nothing of any real importance. The echo of his historical bark is much worse than his historical bite.

If we're leaning into Bill's conspiracy theory vibes, then let's really lean into them: and the truth is most conspiracy theories, like Bill Cipher himself, are full of bullshit. He's a gold-foiled nothingburger.

#gravity falls #bill cipher #meta #astro b o y d #ask

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tmgstudios · 2 years

Text

Tips on Consuming Podcasts for Those With Short Attention Spans

hi there! your local podcast guy with adhd here! for a while i struggled to consume podcasts because of my short attention span, but over time i have developed a few tips and tricks and am now absolutely in love with the medium. these aren’t in any specific order, and hopefully some of these can be useful to others as well!

1. check out podcasts that have visual aspects

whether its the occasional visual bit or a set thats super interesting to look at, visual stimulation is key! i personally love the sets of tmg studio’s podcasts, so that plus the occasional visual bits mean i don’t get under-stimulated as quickly! this doesn’t always work however, so feel free to take it to the next level;

2. engage in something else visually stimulating while listening to your podcast of choice

for me this is usually video games. something like minecraft, that requires attention but not reading, tends to work the best personally, but i’m also definitely not against plowing through something like dead cells or hades as i laugh along to my favorite podcasts! it doesn’t have to be video games for you, whatever media/activity will allow you to be visually stimulated while not blocking your audio should do the trick. some of my friends like to play mobile games like subway surfers, and others like to play something on their browser like flight rising (specifically the coliseum. podcasts are a great way to get some coli grinding in)

3. listen while in motion

so this one might be a little confusing on first glance, but i literally had no other idea on how to write it. essentially, this means listening while physically in motion. whether you’re on a walk, folding laundry, or eating dinner, being physically in motion can help stimulate your brain. this can ALSO extend to listen while in a moving vehicle, like a car or a plane. i personally love listening to podcasts as i stare out the window on road trips or plane rides. i have a ton downloaded just for this purpose. some people like to listen to podcasts while they drive, so that’s another thing you could try, just be careful it doesn’t distract you from the road to much!

4. take breaks

podcasts can be long, and you absolutely do not have to listen to them all in one go! 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there, break it up however you need to.

5. listen to podcasts you know are going to hold your interest

this might go without saying, but be sure you’re finding podcasts that cater to your interests. if you try to muscle your way through a podcast you aren’t interested in just because it’s popular/your friends like it, you won’t have a very good time. you like horror? listen to a horror podcast! dnd? find a dnd one! are you like me, and story-based podcasts stress you out? find a comedy podcast! the possibilities are endless

if you’ve got any tips & trick to add on, please please do so!!! i really love podcasts and the amount of people i’ve talked to who say they want to get into podcasts but just can’t sit through them, and it makes me sad.

podcasts definitely aren’t for everyone, so if these tricks still don’t work for you, that’s ok! there are plenty of other forms of media out there. but that said, i hope anyone who’s wanted to get into podcasts but been unable to due to the medium gives these tips a shot!

if you’re not sure where to get started in terms of what podcasts to listen to, hit me up! i absolutely love podcasts, and while i tend to be a comedy guy myself, but have plenty of friends into other kinds of podcasts, and with all that knowledge combined i’m sure i can find you some good recs

good luck and happy podcasting!!

#podcast #podcasts #adhd #adhd advice #actually adhd #i have no idea what else to tag this with. lmao #hopefully it doesnt flop!#podcast guy moment

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manonamora-if · 1 year

Note

Twine support please Super Manon🙏

How do I make the title at the top of the chapter flicker?

YAY an animation question :D

Preface: animations are great and fun to add to the ambiance of the project, BUT are not always accessibility-friendly. Try to consider this when starting a project (and include a toggle for animation, similar to the notification toggle here).

There are many many different ways to make a text flicker, it really depends what you mean by flickering:

SugarCube Add-On shaking the text

Greyelf had compiled a bunch of different text animation here, that you can find in Harlow. A handful makes the text flicker/move.

HiEv's glitchy code (can have subliminal messages)

HiEv's drunk code (less flickering, more blurry)

HiEv's blinking code (flickering, but not forever, can be made so)

And then, there are probably hundreds of codepens or the-like on the internet animating text to flicker (search "CSS flicker text" for a few results, here's one making it look like a neon sign!).

Note: whatever CSS/JS code you will find online that is not created specially for Twine will need to be tweaked. This has to do with the built-in CSS/JS code in the format used.

But, let's do a simple flickering animation as an example to talk about the base of CSS animation.

As always, the basic code can be found in my Paste-Bin (because Tumblr sucks).

CSS ANIMATIONS - The Basics

Animations created with CSS needs essentially two things: a '@ keyframes' (damn you Tumblr) and the 'animation' CSS rule. The first defines the way the animation will go, the second will link that animation to the relevant block and indicate other information (how long it lasts, whether it loops, whether there is a delay, etc...).

And for it to work, you'd need a container to target (like a span or a div) wrapping the text.

Keyframes

All keyframes are built in the same way:

@ keyframes animation-name { keyframes-selector {css-styles;} }

You will need to indicate :

a name. Here, let's take flicker.

a selector a.k.a the percentage of the animation duration where something changes. It can be done in percentage (0-100%, you can have whatever number you want) or with "from/to" (same as 0 and 100, any other stop needs to be in percentage). Here, let's have the flicker happen half-way through.

a css-rule which changes the style. It can be anything, from changing the colour, to the size, to its placement*. Here, flickering the text will mean changing the opacity.

So, for the example, we will get this:

@ keyframes flicker { 0% { opacity:1; } 50% { opacity:0; } 100% { opacity:1; } }

*Note: some CSS animation (like placement or rotation or transform) will need for the target item to be displayed as a block or positioned in absolute. The more complex the animation, the more you will need to test and tweak.

Animation Rule

Now that we have an animation, let's link it to the targeted item. The animation CSS rule is a compiled version of 8 different rules (animation-[insert rule name]). the most important ones are the following:

animation: name duration iteration-count;

Here's what you need to define:

name [also animation-name]: the name of the keyframe animation. Here, we defined it as flicker.

duration [also animation-duration]: the duration of the whole animation. Let's make it 1 second here.

iteration-count [also animation-iteration-count]: how many times the animation goes. Since we would want it to flicker forever, let's make it infinite.

If you want to go further, you can also defined the following aspects:

timing-function [also animation-timing-function]: indicates the curve of the animation speed (slow start, slow end, etc...)

delay [also animation-delay]: delaying the start of an animation.

direction [also animation-direction]: whether an animation should be played forward, backward, or alternating.

fill-mode [also animation-fill-mode]: define whether an animation takes the styling in the start of the animation or the one at the end.

play-state [also animation-play-state]: define whether the animation is playing or paused.

Going back to out example, we have defined the animation rule as such:

animation: flicker 1s infinite;

In the meantime, I have wrapped my text in a div:

And included the css rule to my stylesheet:

.flickering { font-size: 50px; animation: flicker 1s infinite; }

Now to check if it works!

Yay!

Now go forth an create weird animations :D

#coding support #animation #css animation tutorial #css animation #twine #sugarcube

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shitposting4squares · 1 year

Text

half life theory

So I saw this conversation between two people on discord, “You know, I realised something In Half Life 1, Gordon, a physicist, is the most dangerous thing for the army that came to kill the scientists (edited) Not the aliens, not the tentacles coming out of the ground that gibs everything No Gordon fucking Freeman is the biggest threat there” “i mean only because hes supposed to approach combat in a methodical/scientific way, as apposed to the monsters and military, the whole tagline for the first game was "run think shoot live", the combat and environments are presented like a puzzle so in that way of course a scientist is goin to dominate” And it got me thinking, you know what actually makes Gordon so unstoppable? Cus i dont think it’s the whole being a scientist thing. For one, he's outfitted with super science gear like the hev suit and experimental weapons. But more importantly, he’s got a massive supply of miracle cures from another dimension. Gordon wouldn't matter for jack shit if black mesa hadn't set up medical centers full of xen healing goop every 20 feet that let him learn from his mistakes in ways no other human soldier had the opportunity to do up until that point. I mean in the regular military, you generally don't get the chance to learn from the mistake of being shot. You just get shot once or twice and you're done for. And as for the theory I developed from this... This healing goo situation could actually be a great reason why g-man would have had to wait a few years to release Gordon again. He'd have to wait until the ant lion healing goop became ubiquitous across locations Gordon would have to travel through, so Gordon could effectively use his skills to speedily rip through locations like a human bullet. Maybe even poke at the threads of fate to ensure Gordon would have recovery tools when needed. Essentially gman and his associates being a level design game developer making sure Gordon has suit chargers and healing goop whenever things get hairy. And with him encouraging the development of the black mesa action protagonist format that was potentially refined not just through Gordon, but with Adrian Shepard, Colette Green, Gina Cross, and Barney Calhoun as well.

Like Black Mesa coulda been an outstanding experiment and proof of concept for a somewhat omnipotent being of how to create human torpedoes if ya really think about it. Learning what sort of conditions lead to humans becoming absurdly lethal super soldiers within the span of just a few days, and how to optimize this process. Not just in the sense of the real life developers of half life learning and growing from the franchise. But g-man and his mysterious benefactors, canonically, in universe, using the events at black mesa and all it’s expansions and spin offs, as practice for the events of half life 2, alyx, and eventually someday half life 3. Just the typical videogame format of having a power and skill progression could take on a new meaning if ya look at it from an in universe context rather than just a pretext for fun gameplay. Instead consider it as a semi-omnipotent being, learning that if you put a human far enough from something you want destroyed, manage their increase of skill and power by putting them through progressively more difficult situations one after the other, with liberal access to resources and fast recovery tools. Then within 2-4 days you’ll be able to hit your enemy with a powerhouse super soldier that seemed to come out of nowhere and they had little opportunity to prepare against because of just how quickly these humans are able to go from zero to hero in optimal conditions. And even though not all of the black mesa event protagonists have been guaranteed to have have survived, so long as they're able to achieve a otherwise impossible goal before their death, they would still count as data towards refining the black mesa action hero method and being able to replicate it to use against the combine. Like if you think about it, each of the half life 1 protagonists could fit in nicely as tests/proof of concepts for different tasks, and different kinds of optimizations for these so called hero types. Like Gordon is solo act/jack of all trades, Collett and Gina are a co-op duo (potentially helpful data for when gordon and alyx would have to work together in the future), Barney is specialized for escort quests of non-combatants, Adrian is a squad leader of more combat focused types, and Alyx is a backup jack of all trades and test to make sure that the system of having a human run a gauntlet of challenges optimized for their growth still works effectively in a post combine world. Could probably even measure when these environmental conditions of having frequent healing and the opportunity for rapid skill progression that comes along with it really came together in the post combine earth, by how and when Alyx was able to become a near unstoppable human badass in her own spin off game.

#half life #gman #Gordon Freeman #Alyx vance #adrian shephard #barney calhoun #theory

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banditywrites · 1 year

Note

Bandity I feel like you’re giving your followers so. Much. Content. I’m super thrilled (but also take your time)! Umm so I have had this idea in mind for a long time, but essentially the team is invited to a planet for a couple days, to forge a potential alliance. The aliens there value intellect and they are super smart. Long story short, they start making jabs at Lance and leaving him out due to him having trouble following along. So that’s my idea and do with it what you wish! All the best✨

This probably didn't go where you thought it would exactly. I did my best to keep it to 1k. I did not succeed. Title is taken from the quote: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt" Please excuse mistakes, I'm a mess.

Also, I will be working on the other prompts, they will just be slow due to school and work and life.

Words: ~1750

Remove all doubt

Lance could talk fast.

In two languages even.

So it wasn’t that the Crineleans were speaking at too quick a pace. It was the way they said things. If one word ended in a vowel sound and the next one started with a vowel, the two words just merged right into one.

And he was just supposed to know what they meant from the context of the rest of the sentence that wasn’t mashed together.

And. When he didn’t try to emulate their speech, they all looked at him like he was a complete idiot. Or a complediot…. No, ‘complete’ ended with an ‘e,’ but with a ‘t’ sound so that wouldn’t be a word they smashed together…

After the first few raised eyebrows sent his way, he was trying his best not to say anything at all. Or. Sa’nything at all.

The last time he opened his mouth in front of them it was at dinner and he had said something wrong. Again. And the entire table had just stared at him before Pidge broke the silence.

“I’m sure you’ll get it eventually,” she patted his back and did nothing to hide her teasing grin.

And on the castleship, when it was just them, the light teasing would have been fine. But this was in front of a table of snotty aliens who could barely contain their snickering.

Lance’s face had turned red and he didn’t utter a word for the rest of the night. It wasn’t like any of the aliens were attempting to speak with him. In fact, after Pidge’s comment, they all seemed to be giving him looks that ranged from pity to derisive.

After that, negotiations went on with Lance in the background, quiet, doing his best to listen and not make the team look stupid. On the third day, Lance had been trailing behind their group when their hosts announced that they could all take a break before lunch because they knew the paladins must b’exhausted from all the talking. Lance tried to pretend that they didn’t look directly at him when they said it.

Lance was happy for the break from it all. They had at least given the paladins private rooms, which meant he could spend some time alone, away from their snide looks and his teammates not doing anything to help the matter.

He was sure he was making more out of it than he should. After all, the team teased him about his attention span and his intelligence and he never took it to heart.

It was different from strangers though.

Different to know that they wouldn’t defend him in front of others.

Even Hunk was too busy to notice how much it was bothering him. And that was fine. It wasn’t his friend’s job to make sure he was okay.

Lance was stretched out across the bed staring up at the ceiling, not thinking about it, not letting it bother him. He was good at not thinking too much, right? That’s what everyone thought anyway.

There was a soft knock at his door.

He jumped to his feet, startled at the noise. It had only been a few minutes, perhaps some of the others wanted to hang out? That would be okay. Maybe things would be better once the aliens weren’t around.

Lance swung the door open to find a young Crinelean girl looking up at him with wide eyes. She shifted nervously, before smiling gently up at him.

“They told me to tell you that they’re meeting at the courtyard in ten dobashes.” She spoke way too slowly. As if Lance was a moron.

“Fine,” Lance forced out as quickly as he could. The girl smiled and then skipped down the hallway. He tried to ignore the way she giggled as she went. He was going to ignore the fact that literal children were laughing at him now.

Ten dobashes.

Lance had a pretty good grasp on alien time measurements. He could meet the others at the courtyard at the right time and then he would sit and not embarrass himself or anyone else further. Maybe, if Hunk showed up a little early, he could actually have a conversation where he didn’t have to worry about sounding like an idiot.

Lance quickly grabbed his shoes and jacket. Yeah, earlier would probably be better.

-0-0-0-

Lance was sitting on the edge of a fountain doing his best not to fidget. The fountain was right in the middle of the courtyard, so he would be sure to see anyone who arrived first. Hopefully it would be one of his team members and not one of their hosts.

Lance took several deep breaths and waited.

And waited.

This had certainly been more than ten dobashes.

Oh God.

Was there another courtyard? Had he really just messed up probably the most basic instruction he had even been given while out in space? Meet over here in ten minutes. How could he mess that up?

Lance’s eyes darted around as he tried to think. Think. What did they say during the tour? Did they mention another courtyard?

Lance felt his heart plummet. He had messed up. And he didn’t even know what he had done to mess up. What had he gotten wrong?

He stood up slowly, ignoring the shame he felt heating up his face. There was a stinging in the corner of his eyes and he blinked rapidly. Definitely not. He was definitely not going to be crying about this. Just because everyone on this planet thought he was stupid and his team believed that too.

There were voices coming from down the corridor and Lance walked towards them, realizing he knew at least one of them.

Hunk appeared, walking with a group of Crineleans, talking excitedly about some science thing that Lance was too stupid to follow. His friend stopped when he saw Lance, standing there, looking misty eyed and probably quite pathetic. Concern passed over Hunk’s face before he smiled and approached Lance at a bit of a jog.

“You okay?” Hunk asked lowly. Lance bit his lip and found he couldn’t force a lie out, so he ignored the question.

“She told me we were supposed to meet up at the courtyard in ten dobashes. Is this the wrong one? Did I miss the meeting?” Lance stared at the ground, trying his best to not sound so damn upset over something so small.

“We’re not meeting until dinner,” Hunk tapped Lance’s shoulder. “Who said we were meeting now?”

“Perhaps,” a nearby Crinelean spoke up, “Perhaps the blue paladin misunderstood.” There was a barely concealed snickering that ran through the small group. Hunk frowned. Lance really wanted the ground to open and swallow him up. He knew he hadn’t misunderstood. He definitely hadn’t. So they were messing with him on purpose now and it looked like pretty much all the aliens were in on it.

“We have to go,” Hunk announced and he grabbed Lance by the elbow and led him away to an unoccupied corridor. The group of aliens looked startled at being brushed off so quickly, but they moved along in the other direction.

“What’s going on?” Hunk whispered once they were out of earshot. Lance couldn’t stop it, he had been trying so hard for days now and this was the first time someone had noticed that something might be wrong. Tears sprung to his eyes.

“Lance,” his friend sounded alarmed. “What happened?”

For several moments, Lance made vague gestures and choked out noises, unable to form the right words. Hunk started rubbing his back and telling him it would be alright. Lance finally took in one large shuddering breath.

“Everyone thinks I’m so st-stupid.” It was more than that, but that was all Lance could get out before tears started streaming down his face.

“Oh, Lance.” Hunk pulled him into a hug without hesitation. “Is that why you haven’t been saying anything?”

Lance nodded into his friend’s shoulder.

“I thought you maybe just weren’t feeling well. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were feeling bad about that. I mess up talking to them all the time…” Hunk trailed off and he suddenly pushed Lance away so he could look him in the eyes. “They laughed at you. I thought they were laughing at all of us and I didn’t think about it. I didn’t think they were singling you out.” Hunk looked angry now. “I’m stupid. I didn’t even realize what was going on. Lance, I’m so sorry.”

Lance was shaking his head. “You’re not stupid,” he choked out.

“Neither are you,” Hunk was quick to defend him. Lance wiped his face and shook his head, but he couldn’t find the energy to argue with his friend. He just wanted this whole trip to be over.

“Do you remember being at the Garrison and some of the older students were being jerks to me?”

Lance nodded.

“Do you remember what you told me?”

Lance blinked. “Those assholes don’t know how awesome you are?” Lance was pretty sure he had said something along those lines. Hunk grinned.

“Exactly. Those assholes,” Hunk gestured to their surroundings and the not present assholes, “don’t know how awesome you are.” Hunk gripped his shoulders. “You are a Paladin of Voltron. You think the Blue Lion would fly with any of these people on this planet? You think we would want anyone else on our team?”

Lance grimaced. “No?” he tried.

“Of course not, Lance!” Hunk slung his arm around his friend’s shoulder. “Come on. We’ll talk to Shiro and see if we can go back to the castleship while the others finish up here.”

“You think he’ll let us leave?” Lance frowned. They were all supposed to be making an effort here for the sake of the alliance.

“We’ll talk to him together. Shiro will understand if we explain it to him.” Hunk tilted his head to the side. “And if he doesn’t, let’s pretend to be sick and contagious and then we’ll have to go, for the good of everyone.”

Lance breathed out a quiet laugh.

“Thanks, Hunk. For everything.”

His friend tightened his grip around his shoulder.

“You don’t need to thank me. I’ve got your back.”

Lance smiled and felt some of the anxiety and weight he had been carrying around fall away. He couldn’t prove himself to everyone in the galaxy, but at least he still had a friend that supported him no matter what.

#Follower appreciation #bandity answers #Voltron ficlet #langst

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wvbaandtheboys · 11 months

Text

Super Punch Out Dreamescape Infodump Yo

It’s about damn time I did this shit again-

SPO and Wii have different realms all together so here we go again.

Gabby Jay - Gerontophobia (Fear of Aging)

“Eternel”

A lone sorcerer that lays in the ruins of his home. Once a spry, youthful and wise man, Eternel became severely ill upon being infected by the Constellation. Being sapped of a large majority of his magic and strength, he was left as practically a rotted corpse in the wake of destruction. However, Eternel is unable to naturally pass away for an unknown reason, so he lives in pain every night. Having long grown numb to the fear of death, all he would want is to be put out of his misery. He is one of, if not the only creature that harbors sympathy for the humans.

Piston Hurricane - Astraphobia (Fear of Storms)

“Tronador”

A demigod that lives in the clouds. Once infected by the Constellation’s influence, he became hostile towards any humans he met. Why, you ask? Well, little fun fact. The Constellation has no real original physical form, and instead appears as the amalgamation of all who have perished in the dreamscape while sleeping. Being horrified by its appearance, it jacked him up. He acts as a result of not wanting any other humans to join the Constellation (trying to frighten them out of their sleep and wake them up), but cannot be peaceful thanks to his being controlled by it. Basically this dude is fighting with his humanity as his motive, but his god heritage as his means. Tries to be good, but can’t because he’s a puppet.

Bob Charlie - Homichlophobia (Fear of Fog)

“Haze”

A spirit that lives in a muddy bog, surrounded by fog. He was driven into extreme paranoia by the Constellation, yet is another one of the creatures that persists in combating its hold on him. Haze is terrified of what the Constellation causes him to do, and often tries to stay hidden from view, instead speaking to any passerby from the depths of the fog and urging them to flee. When he loses control, he can easily maim any living being. He is another of the creatures who sympathizes with the humans and wishes he could protect them.

Dragon Chan - Atychiphobia (Fear of Misfortune)

“带来不幸的哭泣之龙” (The Weeping Dragon that Brings Misfortune)

A Chinese dragon that fled the safety of his homeland to an abandoned tower. Seeing that his presence seemed to make things worse in the Constellation’s takeover, particularly concerning his beloved grandfather figure, he flew far away from home to a secluded tower where he remains to this night. Ashamed and becoming overwhelmed with negative, overwhelming emotions, he succumbed to his infection over the span of many mournful nights. Driven to the brink of insanity, exacerbated by his self-isolation, he is very violent towards anyone and everyone he meets. However, deep down, Dragon still has a heart and craves nothing more than to reunite with his grandfather. However, he dreads what he would find, more over what he would cause, if he dared to return.

Masked Muscle - Volcanophobia (Fear of Volcanoes)

“Magma”

A humanoid figure made out of igneous rocks that lives within a massive volcano. A raging monster, Magma is essentially slowly killing himself by violently igniting an eruption to kill any humans he comes across. He loses body mass everytime he does so, which means he loses a bit of himself everytime he attacks. Though, this is on purpose. Unwilling to live in such a corrupt world, Magma knowingly does this as to both satisfy the Constellation and himself. He is convinced he will be able to pass peacefully and not have to submit to the Constellation’s bidding once he is dead.

Heike Kagero - Pistanthrophobia (Fear of Trusting Others/Deception)

“嘘をつく美少年” (A Beautiful Boy that Tells Nothing But Lies/The Lying Bishounen)

A deceptive boy that lives in an ever changing world of props. Having the ability to shift his world into whatever he fancies, alongside having the ability to change appearance at will, he is a malicious person that uses his abilities to torment his victims before taking their lives. Previously a very kind creature that used his abilities for entertainment, the Constellation easily claimed his mind upon lying to him that his family members (Dream!Dragon and Hoy) were both dead, devastating him. Lacking mental fortitude, yet still harboring a good heart, his corruption runs very deep to the point that even he is unable to convince himself to take pity on the humans.

Mad Clown - Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)

“Serenata and Burlone”

A theater entertainer with two separate personalities. Serenata, wearing the tragedy mask, is a somber and pessimistic man that often communicates through sing-song speech (sings as he talks.) His unwillingness to take action alongside the Constellation caused the entertainer’s unstable switching between both personalities. However, Burlone is a jester at heart and is very abrasive, and a little bit sadistic with an insatiable desire for thrill. He, as opposed to Serenata (the two don’t really get along tbh), agreed with the Constellation out of that desire for excitement. With many tricks up his sleeve within his own funhouse of horrors, he certainly proves to be one of the most frightening monsters with a lack of any emotion towards humans besides seeing them as entertainment.

Narcis Prince - Cacophobia (Fear of Unattractiveness)

“The Two Faced Prince” (or Twoface)

An ominous royal that lives in a grand castle. A seemingly emotionless yet outspoken young man, he wears a mask over one side of his face to hide a frightening deformity. Twoface’s mind has been completely overrun with a corrupt sense of vanity, causing him to become obsessed with retaliating against anyone he either deems to be “hideous” or “daring to be more beautiful than he.” (Everybody dying.) The deformed side of his face is more expressive and is quite talkative unlike his normal side, though it is almost as if Twoface treats both sides like independent personalities working together as one vessel. Startlingly sinister at times due to his twisted mind, he removes the faces of any humans he captures and sews them onto figurines. How’d he get corrupted, you ask? Well, to put it simply, he got manipulated into thinking his infection would be halted if he removed any skin that would visibly become corrupt. Surprise surprise, the Constellation picked his face for a reason.

Hoy Quarlow - Philophobia (Fear of Love)

“拒绝爱的邪恶老人” (The Evil Old Man Who Refuses to Love) (The Unfeeling Grandfather)

An elderly man that lives in complete solitude. Deeply wounded by the loss of his family, that grief was taken advantage of by the Constellation. Though not exactly enjoying it, he purposefully acts devious and hostile towards anyone (human or dream) to prevent forming even a mutual relationship. A proficient hunter by means of changing into another physical form resembling a younger version of himself, he plays his role of being seen as a threat well. Though, somewhere inside of him, he wishes to see his “children” (they’re not blood related, just close) again and know that they’re alive.

Rick & Nick Bruiser - Thanatophobia (Fear of Losing a Loved One (in this case))

“Conjoined”

Two brothers that have been forcefully combined together into an deformed amalgamation. Overwhelmed with thoughts of each other’s demise over the course of their infection, they stayed together up until the Constellation came along and made them into what they are now (as to, in its words, “keep them together forever.”) Both seem to work together as both brothers need to cooperate to move their body. However, internally, there is a whole bunch of conflict going on between them. They’re in a bit of a parasitic relationship instead of a strictly familial one, as they both consistently leech off each others’ strength to gain sole control (usually clashing thoughts or whatever. Basically, they’re slowly losing that regard for one another.) Despite that, even if it’s not for the right reasons at this point, they still fear losing each other as much as ever.

(I’m gonna rewrite Wii at. some point teehee)

#dreamescape au #punch out!!#super punch out #punch out au #birdie mac #gabby jay #piston hurricane #bob charlie #dragon chan #masked muscle #heike kagero #hoy quarlow #narcis prince #rick bruiser #nick bruiser

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nightmarist · 10 months

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Dnd Session So Far !

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

The adventurers traveled into the jungle continent of Draghule, said to be filled with dragons, serpents, lizards, and more.

Extremely long post !

Frankly I might start posting these on AO3.

Xehara the squid simic was at ease when they finally came to humidity, but Tahir the desert jackal did not like feeling Wet all the time.

Still, they traversed the dangerous thickets, the canopy of trees obscuring the sun as they fell into a Coatl nest.

Tahir opened his beastiary that he had collected from the previous temple and not only identified them, but was able to guide the party out of their nest without furthering their ire.

With only the vaguest idea of where the next temple ought to be, they stumbled and tripped their way through the vines.

They came to the base slopes of the forested mountains, and noticed a faint glow in a crevice. Ivan became Mist and attempted to touch the glow, which caused him severe burns, nearly killing him if he hadn't turned back into himself and Tork pulled him out. It was a magic lava, the laws of which they weren't necessarily sure of, but knew it was said to be able to smelt any ore and stone.

Tork used his Mold Earth ability to follow the vein. While it disappeared too deep into the earth, he stumbled, very literally, into a sudden stairwell made of pitchstone (a super hard stone with volcanic texture and color but diamond hardness). He only stopped because Hank had stopped. Tahir tripped but was able to save himself by landing on his feet with a sufficient acrobatics save. Ivan, already pained, burned all across his body with a new hole showing his teeth in his cheek, arms scarred, and having yet to heal to full health, tripped and fell to the bottom of the stairs.

Xehara helped set up camp and used sufficient medicine and nature checks to help brew potions for the group and heal Ivan as much as possible. While Ivan was restored to full health during a long rest, he maintained scarring and some temporary confusion.

They saw at the bottom of the stairs, the dirt and moss over grew over a galdronite (in universe metal) portcullis. With a few checks they were able to determine that where there is lava flow, there is ancient civilization, and this must be an entrance. The portcullis seemed intact, but the leve was on the other side, indicating there ought to have been someone there in ancient ages at all times. They found openings where the heavy chains could be seen and Tahir jumped up and crawled down. He made it to the other side and opened the gate.

Down a long hallway they can’t to the mouth of the vestibule, massive statues of dragons held up like pillars, a few inner towers overlooking the vestibule. They explored a few side rooms but found little.

Going deeper they came to a great hall, but the side wall was crumbled. It overlooked lava and several massive pipes. In the center Ivan managed to be coherent enough to make a successful religion check. There was a massive statue of the dragon god in the center, in mostly humanoid form save for his horns and claws. This was a temple dedicated to this god, known as a god of forge, artisans, creation, and of course fire and dragons.

They saw through the broken walls, this wasn’t just a temple but an entire underground city that spanned beyond their view. It was completely empty and perhaps long forgotten. They have erased onwards, and came to a crumbled bridge that lead down to a strange platform. Tahir recklessly ran and jumped, but managed to make it easily. Xehara also took a running start. Ivan was too confused to remember he could turn into a bat. Tork picked him up and threw him across, with a great Strength check. Ivan made a great Dex check and essentially didn’t even realize he was thrown, landing on his ass without hurting himself, sliding cartoonishly across the floor.

Tork had to throw Hank. He was much more scared of throwing his faithful companion than Ivan. He fumbled a strength check. He tossed Hank, and Hank made a Dex check.

Hank stumbled but landed on his feet, snorting and waiting for Tork to join him.

Tork stumbled but made it across.

They found themselves on the strange platform with four pillars in the corners, each with a dragon statue crawling over them.

Xehara passed an Arcana check to realize these are magic of some kind. Ivan threw an Eldritch Blast at one and it lit up briefly, full of arcane sigils and a hand print.

Tork placed his hoofed hand on the print and it traced the shape of his hand, opening a door in the pillar. The inside was a dark, purple glow, and another hand print. He and Tahir got inside but no one else could. Tahir placed his paw on the new print and it turned into the shape of his paw before the doors closed and they were surrounded by the purple glow, a sudden knot in their stomachs. The doors opened and they were somewhere else. Another platform, four Arcane Transporters like before, but they faced a massive claw, larger than Tork was tall, immersed in the lava that surrounded the platform.

Tork plucked a dragon scale from it.

They struggled to understand how the AT works. Tork is not particularly religious but decided he would pour libation to the dragon god, Dead although he was. I had him roll a Religion check since he otherwise wouldn’t be familiar with “how” to be religious.

It was a big beautiful nat20 so the scale in his hands glowed, and he felt the God of Forge and Fire fill his spirit and guide his hand, the new AT he was facing lit up and he entered, being teleported elsewhere.

It took Tork and Tahir a while to get them, but they figured out how the ATs worked. Anyone can use them, they only need to place their hand/paw/hoof on it to open, and again on the inside to activate the teleportation.

Ivan went into one at random and found himself in a destroyed hallway where the lava flowed almost freely, the mouth of the hallway leading to a room completely overtaken by lava. He failed a Wis check, feeling a fearful pit in his stomach about fire, and left.

This is where we left off before last week's session.

They explored all eight ATs. They found only a few viable paths.

Tahir went into one, but the hallway was completely destroyed, impossible to remove the rubble. Tork went into one and the room was on top of a tower connected to the ceiling stalactites. It was circular with archways all opened to to the lava, but the city could be seen in much clearer view. This was once a grand civilization, now starkly abandoned. However, the bridge connecting it to the city was completely destroyed.

Tork returned to the main platform.

Tork found a completely intact hallway that led into a large room. The hallway was carved meticulously so that the veins of lava were encased in stone, thin enough to light but magically strong enough to prevent it from leaking through.

He came to a long makerspace, a kiln off to one wall, the opposite wall a built in series of shelves housing tools galore, some he recognized, other he didn’t, various chisels, pipes, knives, even paint brushes and carved charcoals. Broken glass long shattered, half Forbes blown glass projects, miniature statues, canvases partially painted. But the last walk, directly across the opening he gave from, was completely blank. Suspiciously so. It seemed as if it was guarded by a pair of armors on either side.

Tork investigated but found nothing otherwise odd about the wall. No scratch marks or keyholes to indicate it was a door. He tapped it with his maul and his maul phased right through, as if it didn't exist.

He walked straight through.

Cut to the other three.

Tork's player started sweating when I did this :)

Xehara explored a bit and found a tower that lead almost nowhere, the bridge was completely broken. However, he wanted to shoot a rope across with his crossboaw. I asked him: Who has the supplies? :)

Tork. Tork has almost everyone's supplies. So Xehara jumps transporters to follow after Tork.

He goes into the makerspace and I tell him nearly everything I told Tork, except instead he sees Tork phase right through the wall asif it doesn't exist. He ran after Tork immediately.

Cut to the other two players

Ivan was sitting on the floor, lamenting his fire-borne scars, fear, and pain. He stands up noticing people are leaving and goes in a random transporter. Ivan found himself back in the lava hallway, not remembering where anyone had gone (or that he had been there before). He rolled a Wisdom check for, well, lava related trauma and succeeded this time. However, he ruled he may have been brave but not stupid. He eventually left and found the right Arcane Transporter, following loosely after Xehara.

During this, Tahir explores another transporter and it sends him off to a round foyer of sorts. As he goes down the wall, it opens into a grand hall, massive statues of the dragon god toppled over. He succeeds a perception check and notices there are deep scratches in the ground. As a battle-worn Fighter, he recognizes them as a fight. But the pitchstone this entire place is made from is extremely difficult to cut and handle. Something or someone truly strong must have fought here to gouge the pitchstone like this. He decides he would rather get the others before accidentally walk into a trap.

He transports and runs right into Ivan's back. He apologizes and decides he wants to explore the room.

Tork, Ivan, Xehara, and Hank have to roll Perception checks. They all fail. They roll Dex saves. Xehara is the only one who makes it. As he notices the tile they all step on begins to sink, he tries to push Hank out of the way but fails a Sterngth check, instead simply vaulting backwards out of the way.

Ivan, Tork, and Hank, standing between a pair of dragon statues, are lit aflame. They all take quite a lot of damage, and Ivan falls in a dying state. Technically, he would have died, but I didn't want to kill him so I let this one slide. If someone else dies from this point on, however, they're Dead (but can be revived with the cursed necromancy book they have since acquired and have been studying shh)

He makes a successful death save.

Xehara leaps backwards to avoid the fire, phasing through the wall where Tahir is standing.

Tahir, during this time, was staring at one of the suits of armor.

He made a successful perception check and noticed they were both carrying strange daggers - one side was a blade, the other side like odd, jagged edges. Like a key. If only there was a word for such a bladed key.... Ahem anyway.

He took the key from the suit of armor, and as he did so, he heard the screams of his companions as they just so happen to, in the other room, be attacked with blazing fire, unable to see through the illusioned wall. As this occured, the suit of armor flared to life, as though possessed by a flame elemental, stepping towards him.

Xehara sees it and poke his head through the wall illusion.

"Fire armor!" He screams in panic at the others.

Tahir avoids it swiping at him. He tries to jab it with the key-dagger but it surprised him so much he missed.

Xehara loads his crossbow and hits it between the seams of the armor. Though the bolt roasted into ashes, it certainly did some kind of damage. Even more damage as he's using sneak attack, out of tis line of sight as it is engaged with Tahir.

Tork makes Ivan drink a potion. Hank eats some herbs to heal.

The suit of armor grabs Tahir's shoulder, searing a handprint into his black fur, making a permanent scar. Tahir passes a strength check to get out of the grapple and hits it in the chest with his morning star.

Xehara shoots another stealth attack bolt.

Ivan gets up, almost in tears as he's been, once again, set ablaze. He throws an Eldritch Blast through the illusion wall. He can't see what he's aiming at, however, and hits Tahir. Thankfully it only did 1 damage. But it his Tahir's other shoulder, bruising him.

Tork asks Hank if he can find the right path, since he's noticed hank is surprisingly good at that. Hank begins to glow, his whole body encased in a pale light, his eyes filled with something arcane that pops in the room. He sniffs around and found the tile that is magically connected the other two remaining dragon statues.

The room theyre in is a 3x5 grid of tiles with four dragon statues. The other end of the room is a massive gate with two huge locks. They can see through the bars the piles, and piles of treasure that lie within, realize they walked into either an obvious trap or a security measure. Tork doesn't know about the keys, and Tahir doesn't know about the lock.

They all walk up to the final tile, following Hank.

The armor tries to grab Tahir again, but misses. Tahir hits it again with his morning star, making a critical, hitting it so hard he dents its helmet, stunning it for the round.

Xehara pops his head through to yell at the other half of the party.

"Flaming! Armor!"

Tork looks at him confused.

"Attacking us?"

"YES!!" Xehara pops back in and soaks a bolt in water, but sadly misses.

Tork and Ivan follow Hank out to see the armor. Ivan shoots an Eldritch blast at it.

Tork rages as he charges up to it, angry at everything fire-relate for hurting Hank (and his other friends). He hits it twice with his maul, a downward strike with the flat end, and an upstrike with the point, dealing heavy damage.

Hank charges at it, smashing full body into it, causing it to fall prone.

Everyone continues to wail on the armor. Ivan shoots one final Eldritch Blast, the force of the blast exploding the armor into pieces across the room.

They all take a short res. Xehara as a Phantom Rogue has the ability to change proficiencies every short or long rest. he changes it to medicine, calling upon the spirits of the dead. However, he hears an additional spirit. It garbles in his mind in an ancient language, the one he's been studying all this time, only making out a few words, but it guides his knowledge. I gave him an extra +1 in Medicine for now, and he makes an Arcana check, realizing the voice is that from the necklace, feeling its power course through him.

He helps heal everyone as they figure out what to do about the other armor.

Tork wants to take apart the armor. Ivan is worris it might still come back together if they take the key. Tork thinks about removing just the arm the key is in. To test how strong the armor is, Tork does a Strength check to remove the non-key arm. He rips it off with ease, there is basically nothing else holding it together that makes it particularly strong.

As he's about to do a Sleight of Hand check, I narrate to the group, Tork's meaty, porcine hands reach for the slender armor, between the narow clasps...

They get the hint and realize, ah. The clumsy barbarian who has a +0 in Dex probably shouldn't be the one to take the armor apart.

Xehara steps in and his squid-like body makes a dirty 20 SoH check, removing the arm with the key. With bated breath, they watch the armor as it... Does nothing.

With sigh of relief, they go into the next room, avoid the pair of trapped tiles, and pass an Investigation check to know which key goes to which lock. The gate clicks and opens, revealing to them the treasure.

Xehara fails a perception check to look for the magic stone, instead blinded by a country's worth of gold, silver, ancient coins, statues, jewels, necklaces, rings, paintings, piled so much and so high there had been a short, narrow bridge added to the room just to walk across and lay more treasures as offering to the god.

Tork and Hank see the red gem. It is in the center of the wall, encased by a relief of a dragon curled round it like a precious pearl.

Everyone is suspicious of what they call an "Aladdin trap"

They devise a plan of escape just in case the entire place fills with lava. Ivan tries to reach for a handful of treasure but they all yell at him.

As they devise this plan, Tork mentions he thinks this is a temple to the dragon god. As everyone sarcastically says "Oh, you think?" he says "yeah! :D This dragon scale Iprayed to helped me out."

Ivan snaps out of his dazed confusion to yell at Tork.

"Dragon scale? What dragon scale?!"

"You know, from the dead god."

"NO! I don't know!"

Tork thinks to himself and says, oh yeah, you never went donstairs.

Ivan, flustered and flailing, "What do you MEAN there's a dead god downstairs?!"

Tork gives him the Dragon Scale and Ivan passes a Nat 20 religion check. This is definitely the scale of the dragon god. They all four had avatars that walked the earth, but without such avatars are nearly rendered powerless without such vessels, though powerful magic and prayers can still be effective.

While Ivan marvels at the scale, thy decide Tork is a bit too slow, and so is Hank, and it would be safer to leave the room. They return to the main platform.

Xehara stands in the AT, but waits. Ivan was the one who volunteered to remove the gem as a Man of Faith(tm) obsessed with collecting religious paraphernalia. Tahir stands guard at the gate.

As Ivan reaches for the gem, I ask if he still has the dragon scale.

Ivan's player stares at me like a deer in headlights as I ask him to make a Wisdom save :)

Ivan is suddenly flooded with the vision of a grand dragon looming over him, so bright its hard to see. He nearly crumples in its presence as it says to him "Not yet."

Ivan curses very loudly with an annoyed groan at being suddenly responsible and yet obligated to follow Literal Divine Intervention. His physical body golds still as his mind and spirit are called to the dragon god. The scale begins to glow as he receives this powerful divination and asks the dragon god to bestow to him knowledge.

"There is more to do before the gem."

Ivan can feel the scale vibrate in his hands as he lets it lead him like a dowsing rod back into the AT. As he speaks in tongues to follow it, Tahir watches him, "Ivan, what the fuck?"

Xehara watches him, also, both thoroughly weirded out by his behavior, calling out to him to no avail. Tork sees Ivan as the vampire reproaches a different arcane transporter. The party follows him to the foyer. He is led towards the broken statues, beyond the battle-riddled grand hall. The only places to go are left and right. He is bestowed with the feeling that both are equally important, and require both to be explored for the other to make sense. The divination fades.

Everyone asks in vrious ways in unison, "ivan what the fuck was that about?"

He groans very loudly, "The dragon god said we're not done in the temple and we cant take the stone until we finish our business! Fuck!' He kicks a loose stone in frustration.

He and Xehara go right, while Tork, Hank, and Tahir go right.

Xehara and Ivan very shortly come to an altar room, where a pair of much more modest dragon statues are carved to hold up a pedestal where a book resides.

Xehara does an Investigation check and finds that the handwriting matches Sigurd's. He fails a religion check; he does Not care about religion and frankly the whole thing sounds absurd to him! But tells Ivan about it. Ivan throws his head back with annoyance. "Ugh! I'm starting to hate Sigurd! This bastard's fucking everywhere!"

He passes a religion check and tells Xehara that it's not unheard of for priests to worship multiple gods, or be dedicated to multiple gods, but it is certainly uncommon for a High Priest to be dedicated to multiple gods - it was established that Sigurd was a high priest of the Elk god via their investigating the Elk God temple ledgers. There have been a select few priests of the Usherian Quartet that worshiped all four gods and traveled to each temple, but that would mean constant traveling for essentially the rest of their lives.

Xehara passes a perception check and finds three scrolls. They are also in Sigurd's handwriting but in the ancient language. Thanks to his studying, he can read them. They are a scroll of Fireball, a scroll of Speak with Dead, and a Scroll of Horror (homebrew spell).

Ivan passes another religion check. It is said the spells and all magic come from the gods themselves. At first, elemental spells. Fire from the fire god, water from the water god, and so on, though it gets more complex as time went on. However, the other two spells are very unusual. Speak with Dead is in Morthana's domain, and Horror was said to be invented by the Godkiller. Ivan scoffs and said, "Sigurd's probably the Godkiller."

They take the scrolls and join Tork and Tahir.

Tok and Tahir go into a large room. Its very brutalist in nature, completely different from the rest of the temple. It is essentially a large square with little to no decoration. But dried blood seems to have exploded all over the room. On the walls, ceiling, floor, as though it came from the only other doorway in the room. They were too afraid to go down by themselves, looking down as it leads very steeply and very far into a distant doorway glowing with a pale blue light.

The party ventures forth together, seeing that the blood is so vast its difficult to tell where blod ends and wall begins.

They descend.

They finally come to the lit doorway, nearly blinded by the glow.

They see a circular room, a natural formation of massive, 40 and 50ft tall crystals jutting out from the boundaries of the room, a huge 60ft statue of the Dragon God in partial draconic-humanoid form with horns, claws, tail, and wing, holding a giant maul. Beneath him is a body of a humanoid figure. They cautiously approach the figure, who seems to be immaculately intact despite the dried, old blood around him. Tork tries to investigate but fails. He's too enamored by the giant maul as a connoisseur of weaponry. Xehara passes, however, and realizes this is one of the statues, and portraits, from the previous two temples, preserved in arcana as though he died but minutes prior.

This is where we ended. And I am SO excited for them to continue. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time.

They'll either have to cast Speak with Dead or, if they forget (which they often do) I'll gently nudge them by making the Necromancy grimoire they have "speak" to them, wanting to be used.

#dnd #reprise of renewal #homebrew #i take a lot of liberties so pls no rules lawyering lol

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