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bidisastersanji · 5 months

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The Old Guard x One piece AU got my brain going brrr and i'm gonna make it your problem now. Center of the matter is I want Zoro and Sanji to meet kind of like Nicki and Joe did (discovering their immortality by fighting on opposite sides and killing each other over and over and then becoming eternal lovers) so I went and did some research for the entire Straw hat crew. Main thing is I wanted to link them to historical events that will give them the right motivations and backgrounds! so here we GOOO

Sanji and Zoro: Because Japan has an isolationist past, the only battle I could find that would work is the Cagayan battles of 1582 in Jakarta between Spanish-Philippine forces vs Japanese pirates (a.k.a Wokou, which are basically pirate ronin) Sanji would thus be a reluctant "Rodelero" sent to South East Asia by his noble family (jokes on them he loves being in the middle of the spice trade and he hates being part of a noble family funding the conquistadores) who one day finds himself fighting a mysterious Wokou samurai Zoro. They're partly isolated from their respective camps when they first kill each other, and again, and again, until they realise they should by all means be dead but they keep healing. After a couple decades of -against all odds- running into each other everywhere, they reluctantly decide to try and figure out what the heck's happened to them together- struggling to communicate at first, then learning each others' language over the following decade, then falling in love and becoming inseparable. This makes Zoro and Sanji both over 400 years old, and they are the same age. Zoro learns about so many sword techniques and Sanji about different cuisines/ leg-centric fighting styles during this time.

all the other straw hats and their historical periods under the cut!

Robin as an Egyptian scholar who died during the burning of the Library of Alexandria in 48 BC/ was killed for researching something forbidden during the declining years of the Roman Period (early 200s) and found out she was immortal this way, making her around 2 millennia old. She spends her time recording history and traveling the world and encountering new cultures. Her long time enemy is religious obscurantism, and the Catholic church spends a lot of resources trying to kill her. (they have conspiracy boards about this immortal witch in the Vatican)

Brook: so ancient he doesn't remember much, other that he came from Kerma culture (2500 BC), loved music, and that his entire village had died from an illness, but he came back. His memory isn't great but if there's one thing he's loved in his Millennia of existence is discovering and learning how to play all the instruments that he could find. He mostly hangs in Vienna nowadays as a music teacher.

Jinbei is a Samoan chieftain from around 1000 BC who one day died during a battle with a Fijian chieftain. When he came back from death he assumed Tagaloa chose him. He loves navigating, sailing, exploring and going on voyages with his people. In more recent times (post european contact) he was forced to ally with the US Navy to protect his people.

Nami: Irish lass from around 800 who's coastal, tiny village was about to be raided by Vikings from Sweden. She made a deal with their chieftain Arlong to go with them and map out the British isles for them to help their raids be more effective and targeted, in exchange for not killing people in her village, and that she would make back the plunder they did not get from this town for them. She started to join their raids to try and make this money, but she died in battle. She came back and they believed her to be some kind of Valkyrie or Einherjer brought back to midgard. She took over the raider's leadership- also Norsemen always had women handle money, which works great here. During her time as an immortal she travels, seeks treasure, double crosses people etc.

Usopp a young double agent/CIA spy from the Cold War who died on a mission. He tragically could not return to his love Kaya because he was afraid of putting her in danger by revealing he was alive to the spies that killed him. He relocates and starts anew constantly, his entire life a web of lies. He's a great marksman/sniper.

Chopper died young of the Bubonic plague in medieval Europe. He resuscitated, tragically his father is infected as well and he's unable to save him- motivating him to get to the bottom of this disease, he decides to become a doctor. Looking like a 15 year old for centuries doesn't make this task easy and he has to hide a lot.

Franky is an American veteran of WWI who was heavily disfigured first, and died later (which is why he's not fully healed and needs prosthetics). He's heavily anti-government from having been sent to fight in such a meaningless war that sacrificed young men like cannon fodder. He learned to fix himself up and make prosthetics and masks for veterans, got into making tech stuff

Luffy is a modern, 21st century 20 something year old from Brazil's favelas. He dies in a gun violence incident (maybe linked to a drug war/gang war where he's been trying to protect his neighbourhood) and comes back, experiencing visions of others like him. He's resolute to find them and make a crew, thinking that with all of them together, maybe they can help liberate the world from opressors and inequality

#it's one am #but i couldnt stop #did all the research i could to match each straw hat with a nice historic period #one piece au #zosan au #zosan fic idea #one piece fic idea #zoro x sanji #i just want the star crossed immortal lovers with lots of lore and cool adventures as #new immortal luffy just goes around collecting these people who have no idea there's others like them #and them going around liberating people #like the scariest undying ten people army that they are #the old guard one piece au #the old guard au #immortal straw hats #straw hat crew #zosan

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tellusd20 · 2 months

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Artwork by @hirodraga A campaign I started in June 2021 has finally concluded and this band of tomb robbers and grubby mercenaries archaeologists and brave adventurers have gone their separate ways at the end of their expedition. Starting from top left and then zig-zagging down to bottom right, here are their brief bios and character arc conclusions: Qiliq: orc ranger and party leader. Minor noble from the empire of Alamgir who got roped into a matter of family honor. His uncle, the patriarch of their family, had been disgraced and accused of cowardice. His uncle had subsequently undertaken an honor quest into a magical wasteland (the remnants of a collapsed civilization) with the promise of retrieving the crown of a long-dead tyrant as a trophy for the emperor. He disappeared instead, leaving Qiliq to both solve the mystery of his disappearance and to complete the quest. The party accomplished both objectives, recovering both his uncle's corpse and the crown. The tyrant's crown turned out to be a powerful, sentient magic item that began speaking to them in their dreams, preying on insecurities and tempting them into bargains. Almost all of them desired it for themselves, but in the end, Qiliq ended up possessing it. Instead of returning to Alamgir and presenting his emperor with a new prize, Qiliq turned to a conquistador path, using his newfound wealth from the expedition to hire more mercenaries and carve out his own bloody "kingdom" on the periphery of civilization.

Minerva: elven druid, common born retainer of a reactionary noble house in the elven empire of Melate. A spy inserted into the group to ensure that any elven artifacts recovered on the expedition were returned to their homeland. Over the course of the campaign, she made a bargain with the fey to betray her sponsors in favor of the empress for her own gain.

Minerva possessed the tyrant's crown when it was first obtained, but ended up trading it to Qiliq in exchange for a political marriage and a leadership position among the forces he intended to raise. She went on to conduct numerous atrocities in their conquest of a new 'kingdom'. Her player was aware that the lifespan difference between Qiliq and Minerva meant that the crown would pass back into her possession again within a few short decades, and she was fine with being patient.

Zerrus: tiefling warlock masquerading as a human sorcerer. A con artist, grifter, and criminal from Alamgir's lower classes, he misrepresented himself to acquire a spot on Qiliq's expedition and the opportunity to gain wealth, power, and most importantly, a way out of the country. During the course of the campaign, he somehow managed to keep his secrets. Zerrus liquidated his share of the expedition's treasure, purchased a townhome in the city of Aphursa (a bustling, Istanbul-style metropolis), and went on to invent the world's first multi-level marketing scheme.

Auden: human fighter, archaeologist from the kingdom of Talland. Marooned in the wasteland by the deaths of his prior party, Auden gratefully took the chance to join a new group after meeting them at a frontier outpost. Upon the conclusion of their adventure, Auden returned to his homeland and university, where he published numerous research papers on his findings. He became a highly sought subject matter expert on the wasteland; published tales of his adventures raised him to something of a minor celebrity and enabled him to found a profitable consulting service for other expeditions.

Aupo: orc, orthodox cleric from Alamgir's anti-magic Tathir religion. He signed up mostly to remove heretical and blasphemous artifacts from existence. His enthusiasm for the task often generated tension with the rest of the party, particularly when his hammer fell upon expensive relics. The crown never revealed its true nature to Aupo, and the rest of the party concealed the truth from him, knowing he would attempt to destroy it. He signed up with Qiliq's mercenary force, becoming a fanatical missionary in new lands.

Herwyg: human druid, archaeologist from the kingdom of Talland. Upon return to his homeland, he liquidated many of the mundane treasures but kept all the interesting pieces for his own collection. His research papers and artifact loans to museum exhibitions won him tenure and academic awards, as well as recognition from the royal government for his service to the kingdom's cultural prestige.

#D&D #dungeons & dragons #character art #adventurer #Tellus #ttrpg #love a good heroes to villains arc

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dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night · 8 months

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Trading Your Soul for a Kiss chapter one

TW: stalking, kidnapping, gore, grief, bondage, emotional manipulation, taxidermy of a sentient species, referenced human sacrifice, referenced colonialization, referenced sexual assault, whumper-turned-whumpee, creepy whumper, vampire whumpee, human whumper

Note: This is the first chapter of a crossover between Blood Sacrifices and You can't Follow Your Heart if there's a Stake Through It. But you don't need to read either series beforehand. Almost nothing here is canon.

The vampire did not appreciate his position, chained to a human's bed. This bedroom, if one could truly describe it as such, was as cramped as it was filthy. Dust and cobwebs lined every out of reach corner. The room reeked of decay and desperation, if desperation could have a tangible scent.

He felt truly disgraced, and desired nothing more than an explanation for his plight. What mortal man would dare to humiliate him in such a fashion? He would surely pay for this with his life. How the vampire wished to sink his fangs into the unknown person who had captured him.

After seeing the stuffed heads and other curiosities in a display case, he was almost insulted by his captor coddling him with silver chains wrapped entirely in leather. Did they think him incapable of handling a little pain, even as they seemed intent on ending his life? Pathetic mercy amid disgusting cruelty.

A man sat down next to him on the bed. He had pale skin the likes of which the vampire had never seen, until the conquistadors had razed the land he once ruled over as a god. The vampire knew he ought to forget those days. But it was difficult, or impossible rather, when everything served as a reminder of what he had lost.

"How are you feeling?" the human asked.

What a bizarre thing to ask. The vampire could not remember the last time someone had given care to his feelings, and his executioner was an unlikely candidate for such a task. But, if this man truly did care, then perhaps this presented an angle for manipulation.

"Who are you?" he asked. How he wished that he could stand. Looking down on others always suited him best. But with his wrists and ankles lashed to the bed frame, he couldn't so much as sit up. "Where am I?"

"I'm Jacob Amity." He smiled brightly, gesturing in a peculiar fashion as he spoke. "I know so much about you. I mean, from watching you and following you around. Um, but I don't know your name. Since every time you talk to someone, you give them a different one. Can you tell me what to call you?"

This was true, of course. It had been thousands of years since he had a name to call his own. Now he simply traded them out with every new interaction. Some lasted longer than others, but none suited him well enough for him to keep them permanently. Names were such fickle things, here today and gone tomorrow.

As for the matter of this human taking it upon himself to stalk the vampire as a jungle cat might stalk a boar, the answer was obvious, for he was clearly a vampire hunter. But most hunters killed their prey outright, instead of capturing and humiliating it. He was clearly a deplorable breed of men, too similar to the vampire himself, but too inferior to make the comparison.

"Why do you need to call me anything?" he spat. "When you are to kill me? You may as well cut the pleasantries here."

"N- no," Jacob stammered. "I'm not gonna- I won't kill you. Sorry, sorry, I'm being dumb. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."

If the human was telling the truth, which he seemed to be, then the situation begged to be reexamined. Waking up chained to the bed of a vampire slayer was hardly where the vampire wanted to find himself, but now he needed only to find some advantage or point of weakness.

"My name is Ve'Qren," he said, choosing a long discarded name in a moment of impulse. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Ve'Qren," Jacob repeated, mispronouncing it on his clumsy tongue. "That's a nice name. And I'm sorry about the whole kidnapping thing. It was probably rude. But I promise I won't hurt you, so nothing to worry about."

"Do you really think you can keep me here?" Ve'Qren hissed, offended by every word of Jacob's empty apology. "I, who have slaughtered thousands of mortal men? I, who crossed the ocean to find new land before any thought it possible? I, who was once a god? When I escape this bondage, for no simple chains could keep me forever at bay, I will not grant you an easy death. Your body will serve as a warning to all those like you, your ribs spread like wings and your skin fashioned into clothing for me to wear."

Jacob stared at him in shock. His eyes widened with an emotion which could have been fear or excitement. They were as gloriously brown as Lohl's had once been, though his sickly looking hair, as straight and yellow as straw, ruined the effect.

Ve'Qren wished he could forget Lohl, just as he had forgotten every other man who he had once called a lover. But even now, in the age of computers and nuclear energy, he could not banish the sight of Lohl's body lying broken on the ground. He and all those like him slaughtered by foreign men plundering the jungles for gold. Nor could he forget the forget the furious battle as he killed dozens, no, hundreds of conquistadors.

As though more bloodshed could get Lohl back.

"I love you," Jacob said, snapping Ve'Qren out of his morbid thoughts. "More than anything. And I know- I know I can't compare to godhood. Or any of the men you've probably loved before. But I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. You have to love me back. You have to."

Laughter rose in the throat of Ve'Qren, brought forth by the sheer absurdity of his situation. How dare this mortal claim to know what love was? He was of a poisoned age, where love was represented with the giving of roses, not the spilling of blood.

"I don't believe you," Ve'Qren said, smiling at Jacob with the fangs once described as bestial, so many centuries ago. "You are a filthy vampire hunter, who clearly wants nothing more than to ravish my body and mount my head on your wall. You poor misguided fool. Is this really what you call love? In the best of years, love was blood spilling over altars and hearts presented on platters of gold. Love was worship. Something you will never understand."

"I know I can't give you a fraction of what you deserve," Jacob said pleadingly. "And I know that our relationship will only be a small blink in your immortal life. But I do love you, no matter what you think. And I'll prove it to you. You want a heart on a platter? I'm happy to provide. You want worship? I will sing your praises like a bird. All I want in return is… you. Your love and affection. Is that really too much to ask?"

It had been a long time since Ve'Qren had someone to call his own. Far too long. Jacob lived up to the history of his name, nothing more than a supplanter. Trying to weasel himself into the heart of Ve'Qren, in Lohl's place. But perhaps this would serve them both well. Jacob could very well make a good plaything, but Ve'Qren was loath to offer him any power over him.

"You will release me from this bondage, unless you wish to die when I finally free myself. You cannot keep someone in chains, yet claim to revere them. It reveals your deception."

Jacob took a key from his pocket and fumbled at the locks. Ve'Qren secretly delighted how easy a feat it was to control his new lover. A real man would have called bluff in this game of love and left the chains in place. But Jacob was nothing more than a figure of straw in the eyes of Ve'Qren, and he wished to set him ablaze.

"Just know that you can't leave," Jacob said. "We're in a vampire hunter base. Underground and heavily guarded. I'm not gonna kill you, but they might."

So, his captor had thought of everything. How Ve'Qren wished to be of a different sort, those cousins of his kind who could weave their bodies into mist or the form of a wild beast. But his blood curse was of another variety, more powerful in some ways, and terribly lacking in others.

But what he truly excelled at was manipulation of minds, both mortal and immortal. He could stitch lies together to make himself an impenetrable cloak. And Jacob's mind was so very vulnerable. He laid out all of his desires and fears within minutes of introducing himself, keeping back no secrets that might aid him.

Ve'Qren pulled Jacob into a kiss, all passion behind it nothing but falsehood. He could hear Jacob's racing heart pounding against his unfortunately intact ribs, wishing he could tear them open to watch his organs working to keep him alive. He felt Jacob's blood pulsing as he grabbed his wrist, proving his vulnerability. All Ve'Qren needed to kill him was to dig his claws into the artery and have a feast.

This hunter wanted the love of his prey, and so he shall receive, at great cost to himself. Would he trade his lifeblood for affection? His soul for a kiss?

Blood Sacrifices taglist: @hugh-lauries-bald-spot @thedarkmongoose @whumpsday @whumpshaped @boxboysandotherwhump @thecyrulik @heavenlyeden @whumpitisthen @whumptier @whumpy-writings @desiresandvampires

You can't Follow Your Heart if there's a Stake Through It taglist: @hugh-lauries-bald-spot @heavenlyeden @whumpsday @whumpshaped @kira-the-whump-enthusiast

#Abraham original: Hot off the press #Blood Sacrifices #You can't Follow Your Heart if there's a Stake Through It #Trading Your Soul for a Kiss #Whump #Whump series #Crossover #Writing #creative writing #Vampire whumpee #whumper turned whumpee #Human whumper #Creepy whumper #fantasy whump

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intuitive-revelations · 10 days

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Doctor Who Thoughts! (Ep 1 and 2)

Since the spoiler situation is so risky this year, I'll keep my usual episode notes below a read more for now. Took these non-chronologically while watching and rewatching (becuase even though I'm ridiculously busy rn with thesis and work stuff, of course I'm doing that), so it's less of a reaction and more of a moment-to-moment breakdown.

Ep 1: Space Babies

"I was adopted and the planet that took me in... they were kinda posh. They'd use titles like the Doctor, or the Bishop, or the Rani, or the conquistador. Say Doctor for a thousand years and it becomes my name." So we're right in with the recap. Good. Also still leaning on the Timeless Child thing, which I have mixed feelings about. I love it not being ignored... but I would still rather it not become THE origin for the Doctor. At least not without acknowledging some of the ambiguity on how exactly the Timeless Child is linked to the Doctor. (Personal favourite explanation: they're just the Other. They're not a previous 'incarnation' of the Doctor, but a previous 'REincarnation', something which we know existed on Gallifrey even prior to regeneration, and opens up its own questions about Gallifrey.)

A little odd emphasis on the titles, given it's such a renegade thing. Makes me think of entry-level fans who assume all Time Lords use such titles.

Love the Rani name drop though, of course. A bit odd to get one now, considering there was JUST almost one in The Giggle. Russell what are you up to...?

"You're the Doctor, but you're… the police?" "Police box, no! No, no, no, no, that's a disguise." "Oh." Ruby takes a deep breath realising she didn't just join a cop.

You CAN'T just spring This is Gallifrey on me like that Murray Gold. Not this early.

"I am the last of the Time Lords"... ugh again. Thanks Chibbs.

Also still a bit interesting that all Time Lords are assumed to be gone, given there's nothing as catostrophic as the Time War that caused it, just the Master raging out. There's still plenty of room for surviving renegades and such. (cough!Rassiloncough!) Pretty sure the Division agents in Flux were Time Lords too, though who knows if they're from the 'present' era. More on this in Ep 2.

"And I am so, so glad to be alive." Wow, you can tell 14 went through his break. Quite a turn around from 12 hesitating to regenerate and 13's hidden struggles.

The Doctor healing the butterfly... on one hand, it's not unprecedented with stuff like 10 and the TARDIS crystal, 11 healing River's hand or 12 and Davros, but compared to those cases it's a little odd seeing it done so easily for something with no tech or inate regenerative ability.

I find it interesting that Lizard!Ruby looks almost Silurian, but clearly isn't given her hair and antennae.

The TARDIS trip gags of this and 'mavity' are a fun stylistic switch for the show, but I do hope we don't get too many of them.

"Is that a matter transporter like in Star Trek?" "We've got to visit them one day." Assimilation^2 canon?! /s (but seriously, love stuff acknowledging the 'everything is canon' nature of the DW uni-/multiverse).

So much emphasis on the coincidence with Ruby. RTD loves that trope doesn't he?

"Baby farms boost the population. Sometimes a world goes sterile or... I don't know, goes mad and bans kissing." Or in the case of Gallifrey... maybe both, depending on how you follow Platt or Parkin's lore for the looms.

Don't think I didn't spot that Mavity easter egg on the overlay.

The phone call is a nice moment... even if entirely RTD ripping himself off.

So... the space babies! It's charming, it's campy, it's fun... it doesn't really work... I'm still glad for it, because what is Doctor Who if not being exceedingly ambitious with a dumb idea (if anything I'm glad that even with Disney money, DW's production value shines through!), but the babies expressions always match so poorly to the dialogue that it's pretty distracting. I hope kids will like it though.

I kinda wish these were just child actors, instead of cgi, babies, and voice acting. It would have made a lot more sense in the story, and probably been cuter tbh. (Side note: didn't Disney ask RTD to propose a more ambitious first episode? I wonder if that had some part in this.)

"I made this for you. It's a little flower." Some of Eric's expressions with the dialogue do make me crack up a bit though.

Also glad to see more "[blank] in space" formula episodes, since that was one thing the RTD era always really shined with.

The waiting for Mummy and Daddy thing is very charming too. As is the Doctor and Ruby taking time to give them all hugs.

The multi-pronged satellite design weirdly evokes the Division's timeship design. Definitely just a funny coincidence though. It's cool seeing less 'one-way-up' station designs though.

"Did we grow up wrong?" 😥 (Also with looms on mind, this weirdly feels like a reverse 'childe' situation.)

"Oh 'Nanomatrix electroform'." With the revelation that 'Nan-E' is a person, I like to think this is the Doctor just bullshitting his way through.

The snow and the memory changing is... interesting. More later.

"Oh, I thought my birth was crazy!" Let's not get into it Snail.

The shutting down of the baby station, yet it being illegal to actually stop birthing them even though the station has a limited lifespan feels VERY topical to me, in a weird way. It evokes the post-Roe abortion bans in America, and how pro-life people only care about the fetus, regardless of viability or post-birth care.

"That's the fate of every refugee in the universe. You physically have to turn up on someone else's shore." Again politics, quite explicitly with the use of 'shore' rather than orbit or a similar term that makes sense in an interplanetary context.

"Children will return to the upper levels, or have no /expletive/ dinner. Let Nan-E say fuck!

I love all the actual info in the screen art. If I was an active wiki editor I'd love to take the time to break down all the system info.

At first I thought the bogeyman would be a more 'fantasy' creature a la the Goblins, between it's storybook nature and scaring the Doctor, so it being an artificial creature designed to be scary down to its sounds was a cool twist. Also being made out of bogies?

The fact the story also firmly decides that it's worth saving too? That it's "one of the children"? Muah! 👌 No notes.

The way the airlock works with the 'oxygen field' is a little counter-intuitive and confusing, but I'll allow it. I take it as a safeguard force field gradually powering down, hence the slow depressurisation.

"A great pile of sh-" Let the Doctor say shit"

I buy the methane working to get them to Mondo Caroon a bit less. Hopefully planetary orbit is close enough for refugee status.

Again, Eric's face cracks me up.

TARDIS key! I like this tradition.

A bit cruel to not take Ruby to Ruby Road after bringing up the mystery during the episode, even if it makes sense. Clearly also a bit of a callback to Father's Day.

The emphasis on Ruby's adoptive mum vs bio mum is good.

This arc with Ruby feels weirdly like RTD giving his own take on a Series 6/7 story arc, even down to the ambiguous TARDIS bioscan like with Amy.

When the Doctor mentioned Time Lords and titles again, I was bracing myself to see something related in the scan, so didn't even realise it was snowing until the wide shot. But it said her species was human, so nevermind...

"My name was..." Such a tease! I doubt he's actually giving his birthname, even though it's not unprecedented for the Doctor to tell people. Probably either just explaining the title or something.

Ep 2: The Devils Chord

Maestro emerging from anything playing music is so Wordlord-core.

"Henry get away from him." "Them." Woo!

I could have sworn 'Timothy Drake' would be a real person (at first I assumed he was somehow linked to the Beatles), but a quick google doesn't seem to find anything? All I found was a modern-day composer, who seems to have done an album based on Voyager data. Weird choice to go with just a random person sharing the name of a DC character.

Henry Arbinger is neat. If he's actually a seperate character, I guess he's technically the Toymaker's grandson? He does seem to pre-exist Maesto's imprisonment.

Maestro is so good throughout the whole episode.

The fourth wall breaking with the theme! Transition into the main theme could have been smoother though. I kinda wish they just kept a full piano version all the way through, like Capaldi's guitar.

Speaking of the theme, it somehow appearing in universe on the jukebox?! Really funnily lines up with a later joke in retrospect.

"My mum she had a girlfriend: Claire." Between this, the "heartbroken lesbian song" later and Maestro, this episode really starts to showcase the queerness of this era.

Ruby's first plaid dress is so Clara-ish. As for 15… while I don't mind the Doctor being a bit more casual, seeing him wandering the TARDIS in jeans and trainers is kinda meh. The period costumes are great though. Always happy to see those.

Speaking of 15 and Ruby. They continue to be a delight.

Not gonna lie, as someone who's never really listened to the Beatles but knows their songs only vaguely, it took me a moment to realise there was something wrong with their 'dog' song.

Wasn't expecting the Cilla Black cameo!

Very weird doing a historical with living people. Particularly Paul McCartney, given he has a fairly prominent role, along with John Lennon.

Probably a bunch of easter eggs I'm missing because I don't know the Beatles. I only just discovered while writing that the "Mr Epstein" the Doctor mentioned was their manager.

Weird that we've had two mentions of the First Doctor and Susan in 1963 in two episodes. With it being Feb 11th here… cue more fan debate about when exactly they arrived in London, especially if you account for the "bad smog" in December 1962 line.

"You've got children?" "I did have. I will have." Now he could just be referring to the First Doctor's future, but I can't help but imagine this as a Miranda Dawkins reference! In fairness, he does say that "Time Lords get a bit complicated" which doesn't really match that interpretation. Could also connect it to the future!Other + Other'sGranddaughter!Susan interpretation of things I suppose.

"Where is she?" "I don't know. The Time Lords were murdered. The genocide rolled across time and space, like a great big cellular explosion. Maybe it killed her too." Uhhhhhhhhhh, WTF does that mean? It doesn't sound like the Master's actions, unless he went on a killing spree beyond Gallifrey? My best guess is it's referring to the Time War (in general, rather than just its ending - which tbf does at least match our current knowledge about Susan's fate). If it does refer to it, it kinda seems to ignore both the Moffat and Chibnall arcs with Gallifrey, both its return and its destruction again, by referring to the Time Lords as being 'murdered' in that genocide. Sounds more like The Ancestor Cell than anything tbh. The wiki connects it to the Death particle, but I doubt that.

Maestro giving the Giggle, already connected to music, and the Doctor immediately grabbing Ruby's hand and running running?!

The Doctor removing the sound with the sonic sure is... another sonic power. I've never been one to complain about the sonic use, but between this, plugging in the sonic last episode and the holograms and force field in the anniversary specials, this is getting a bit much. I'll allow it in this case though, as I assume it's working through the TARDIS translation circuit.

The sound design is great this episode.

Also again, the fourth wall breaks rule.

"That thing must be part of the pantheon" Wait... it's obviously linked to the Toymaker but... the pantheon as in the Pantheon of Discord? Like the Trickster's part of?

"One trick once: that's all you get with gods."

June 2024. Woah, so it's been a big time skip! 6 months from Ruby's perspective, and she has been travelling at least some of that time. The Doctor might know what's up with Ruby by this point?

Kinda crazy how much emphasis we've gotten ever since Flux on time's malleability, with the time tracks shifting so easily. Really supports my idea that the Ravagers' attempt to undo the Anchoring of the Thread has had an ongoing effect.

The ash turning to confetti when Maestro appears!

"Lord Temporal" ooh, how Obverse Books of you Maestro!

"Child of the Toymaker" Huh. That works surprisingly well with the version of the Toymaker's origin that has a sister (Hecuba from "The Queen of Time"). Interesting, considering The Giggle seemed to lean more in the Crystal Guardian direction.

"The Music of the Spheres" I know it's an actual term, but you can't say that without me thinking of the Prom minisode.

"You might be bright, and hot, and... *dun du-dun* timey-wimey." Heck yeah. Only contention is it could have been slightly more perfect if Maestro played the four-beat baseline, since 'heartbeat of a Time Lord' and all that. I guess that's kinda synonymous with the Master though, which might have been misleading.

Though they do then play four beats when attacking the TARDIS (also awesome), so I guess they could have gone with it in the first place.

"The only thing I can do is take us back to 1963!" Fast return switch time?

Him kissing the TARDIS better!

Weird emphasis on the TARDIS groan once they exit. Seemed disconnected from Maestro, but didn't come back again.

"I thought that was non-digetic" Perfect! So should we take this to mean that the Doctor can hear the show's soundtrack?!

The music while Ruby is dragged away. At first I thought it was "The Sun's Gone Wibbly", but listening closely it sounds closer to the music from the climax of Waters of Mars, itself very similar.

"Playing lovesick songs for heartbroken lesbians." I mentioned the queerness of the episode already, but can I also point out I think this is the first time we've actually used LGBT terminology in the show? We've certainly used the descriptors before and plenty of people have explicitly had partners of the same gender etc., but for example, Bill never called herself a lesbian, nor did Clara ever identify as bi. Only exception is 'gay', and even then it's mostly only been jokes (eg. the thin fat gay Anglican marines, Rose calling Nine gay as an insult etc.).

"How can a song have so much power, and power like him? The Oldest One. The night of her birth, he can't have been there. What for?!" Oooh, so the One Who Waits is connected to Ruby. Interesting... also another connection to the Guardians and/or 'pantheon'. Is the One Who Waits one of either of those? If a Guardian, then the only candidate is the Red Guardian (who was technically there that night being the Doctor), but that would be ridiculous to be the answer. If connected to the latter, then... the Trickster? Or more likely someone completely new, of course.

Ngl, at first a little part of me thought the 'reverse devil's chord' would end up being part of the theme song.

The Beatles were surprisingly underused through the episode, but them finding the chord is a decent use of them, even if it could be seen from miles away.

The wink launching into a song and dance number, less so! I was wondering when the musical scenes from the trailer were coming...

Shout out also to the Murray Gold cameo on the piano, somehow playing himself according to the credits, despite this being in the 60s.

I'm not familar with them so not 100%, but I think the two dancing with the Doctor and Ruby here are cameos from Strictly Come Dancing too? Specifically Shirley Ballas and Johannes Radebe.

Speaking of "the twist in the end" pretty cool that "Harbinger" survives. It's unlikely, but I'd love to see Maestro return, maybe for a full-on musical episode?

The piano dancing was cute. Very 'Big'!

Overall thoughts in a few words?

Space Babies was kind of meh, even if I appreciate the campiness of it and the ending is pretty good. Pretty standard decent, if not great, episode.

The Devil's Chord however might actually be one of my favourites? Maybe even my favourite RTD episode, though I'd have to think through them all. And that's without being a Beatles fan and probably missing all sorts of flourishes.

Looking forward very much to next episode too, with Moffat back! I saw the episode was about the Doctor stepping on a landmine, but I thought that was a joke before the Next Time teaser. 😅 Apparently it's Ncuti's favourite episode of the season, which is a good sign!

#Doctor Who #Space Babies #The Devil's Chord #Fifteenth Doctor #Ruby Sunday #DW Spoilers #DW Meta #Doctor Who Spoilers #long post

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lunarspiral1127 · 5 months

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What If...? season 2 episode 6 *SPOILERS*

Asgard destroyed again! This time Ragnarok came early, like before Odin hid the tesseract. Well, it does explain how it ended up in the lake, but poor Asgard can't catch a break.

Kahhori, so far, is a pretty cool character. I was surprised that she was able to get stronger with her powers in a matter of hours. But, I like that she cares for her tribe and her brother that she's willing to leave the paradise that is Sky World to save them. Yeah, she was kinda harsh with her speech to the Sky World villagers, but it was needed for them to come back to help her. She alone wasn't enough to take on an entire fleet of Spanish Conquistadors. Although, I thought her getting hit by a cannon ball on the head would've been fatal. Then again, she did gain powers from Sky World so maybe that helped with that.

Oh yeah, Sky World. So, when the tesseract landed on that lake, the Space stone created a portal to that world. It's pretty cool and quite peaceful. So, I can understand why Atahraks and the others would want to stay, but them helping Kahhori save her people was the better option.

I wasn't sure how accurate this episode is on portraying the Indigenous Americans, but apparently, the people working on this episode worked with members of the Mohawk Nation, and the actors voicing Kahhori and the others are also Mohawk.

The hunt scene was pretty cool. Those were some massive space buffalos....I don't know what to call them but they looked pretty cool.

At first, I thought Kahhori, Atahraks and the others were gonna take the rest of the tribe to Sky World, but instead, they confront the Queen of Spain to make peace by force. Well....the queen was very stubborn and entitled. And, well, there are worse things Kahhori and the others could've used their powers for. I was worried for a minute there that the episode would turn her into a villain. Thank god she didn't cause I like her.

Strange Supreme? In this episode?! I thought he was showing up in the season finale only. Guess not. So he's either gonna recruit her or he has to tell her something. Maybe it's got something to do with the 1602 episode.

So, yeah, I liked this episode. Kahhori's a pretty cool character so far. Another thing to point out is that the whole episode was spoken in Mohawk and in Spanish. The only English spoken was from Strange Supreme in the end. Also, I assume that a certain amount of time has passed for Kahhori to speak Spanish.

Next episode is what if Hela was banished from Asgard like Thor was in the first Thor movie, but ended up in China and met Xu Wenwu and the Ten Rings. Well....not what I was expecting but, okay. Maybe they'll have a pretty good dynamic. Or maybe they're gonna be a couple in that universe and Hela would be Shang-Chi and Xialing's mom instead.

#what if #what if...?#what if season 2 #episode 6 #episode six #what if series #what if spoilers #disney plus #disney+#marvel cinematic universe #mcu

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socoolinmypajamas · 2 years

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This is something I have to take out of my system: Christopher Columbus is a VERY well made character in Fate/Grand Order.

His design is unique, his seiyuu is amazing, his performance gameplay-wise is quite good, and he manages to shine no matter the quality of the story. Every human trait he could be the embodiment of, he does it almost flawlessy.

Now, this doesn't mean he's someone we should love, like nor even feel something for that isn't disgust. And if we do, that's just us falling for his facade which, again, shows how well written this absolute bastard is.

In Agartha, a horrible story overall, he becomes our ray of sunshine during the first 3/4 of the story. He's the old rebel captain telling us to never give up and push through all the hardships, making the reveal that he's the worst of them, ready to kill and steal everything in sight, a fitting thing for his record as a "hero" despite being a genocider.

In Oniland, he got trick and ended up lost in a house of MIRRORS, which is hilarious when you think of all the stories in which he and other conquistadores scamed natives by trading GLASS beads with them. It was also a situation where his "never give up" trait shone, and we are again wondering if we should trust him or not. (Maybe I'm reading too far into this one but meh, worth poiting it out).

In Summer 3, he was scamming artists under the pretention of doing a fair trade, so we had to beat his ass. Again, good use of him.

In Fate/Grand Carnival and Summer 5, we see how his most positive trait mix with his hideous greed: In the first one, he's playing slots just to hit the jackpot, even if it lefts him bankrupt because he set his dream on hitting it, and will not stop no matter what until he does it. And in Summer 5, when we se a version of himself that couldn't reach his dream, he's... The same. Just because he couldn't archive his dream doesn't mean he gave up trying. It was just another example of how feral and determinated (obsessive) he could get to reach his dreams, the further away from them he is pushed.

And finally, his interlude. Probably one of the better written ones in the entire game. I'm not going to spoil this one because it really is THAT good and worth reading, but I do gonna say that every good and bad aspect of his character is explored, well used and detailed stablished without making him likeable.

Columbus' writting is consistent (hopefully it will in Summer 6) and does a great job portraying an irl villain that lots of people keeps thinking was a hero, even up to this day. He's a servant that only shows up in the Grand Order because it would be bad for bussiness if the Earth was destroyed, and while is ok (and encouraged) to hate him (because that's like, the whole point), I think is important to consider where does the strong feelings for a character come from.

Tl;dr: Columbus suck and I hate him but his FGO version is a fantastic fictional portrait of a historical figure.

#fgo #rider of resistance #colombus #christopher colombus #writting #character #analysis #historical figure #fate/grand order #fate series #gacha game #gacha games #fate #agartha #epic of remenant

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earlymodernbarbie · 1 year

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Idk if anyone would misconstrue my little rant last night to me criticizing Anne Boleyn, but I want to set the record straight anyway: I DO NOT DISLIKE ANNE BOLEYN. I consider her to be my second favorite wife of Henry VIII and the third historical figure I know the most about (after Mary I and Catherine of Aragon ofc). I’ve written four research papers on Anne Boleyn and I have a pretty substantial Anne Boleyn collection (including a purse, a few necklaces and a mini painting I did of her famous “B”). I don’t hate her at all. That said I do not tolerate people using her to tear down the other wives, especially Catherine of Aragon and Jane Seymour. It’s really ridiculous to be that angry over something that happened 500 years ago, I mean it’s one man’s marital problems, not the 30 years war. I used to be very angry about the Great Matter, then I turned 14 so like let it go I guess. We can talk about the good things about one wife or talk about the tragedies in their lives without busting the door down with “So and So was better, prettier, hotter, thinner and had a way more tragic life than So and So 2”. So grow up and get over it, or stop talking trash about historical figures you hate so much. It’s not healthy to harp on stuff like that and it’s kinda pathetic (and that’s coming from a girl who face planted in the parking lot of a North Carolina Dairy Queen)

*P.S.: none of the historical figures from the 16th century were “feminist” or “woke”. They literally would all think that anyone non-noble, non-white, non-Christian, and non-heterosexual were beneath them. There weren’t all that many people who went against the status quo back then, and if they did (such as the Spanish clergy men who wrote pamphlets and went to court to try and stop the violence of the conquistadors) we would have some record of it. Ok I’m done now*

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breitzbachbea · 11 months

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💖🛒🎢

(And I wanna ask more, but this seems like enough for now.)

Ohhh, inch resting ones!

Fanfic Writer Emoji Asks

💖 What made you start writing?

Already answered here!

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

For obvious, be it very personal reasons, grief plays a major role in many of the things I write. Loss of a loved one, but also the mourning of chances not taken, of paths now seemingly blocked. (The latter has a lot of overlap though with me trying to not romanticize Organized Crime, so it's not just 'here is someone grieving for their past self and that is something normal we all go through', but 'Living this life will never make you happy and instead lock you into one of your potential worst selves').

I liked some good eating metaphors, even far before I knew what was going on metatextually, but now it's kicked into hyperdrive. Food, teeth, hunger, all those are things that often find their way into my writing, in minor ways.

I also love a good historical allusion, goddammit. To be fair, I don't know how many I've actually written into my writing, but I very often think about how I could represent characters with elements from myth or history. I adore a historical nickname, even if it is rather for the parent generation. Fernando's nickname being 'El Rey', and thusly Antonio at first being called 'El Principe', before the other senior Spanish mobsters realized he's pursueing a different style of business conduct and so he got stuck with 'El Conquistador'. Salvatore being known as 'Caesar' or 'Dionysius of Palermo'. Haunted houses, HUGE thing. The English office being a former Victorian era factory, Michele's house made to resemble a Roman villa, the O'Connel's house formerly being a house where in Industrial times, dozens of people lived in crammed conditions. Two of the Danish subordinates are directly based on two heroes from the medieval German epic 'Kudrun'. Dolcetto's cat is named Machiavelli and Lovino is the reason.

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

I can't judge this one on subject matter (Though I guess, as far as fucked up shit goes, La Sicilia dell'eterna notte gets disturbing very quick for something with less than 500 words). Therefore, I will go for the writing process. No Rest For The Wicked was written within a week, with no prior planning whatsoever and with a deadline for rarepairweek to meet. That was some topsy turvy shit. And the latter half of Italian Affairs, like the last third I guess, is a rollercoaster ride - both in its creation and within the actual text.

But the award has to go to The Amulet. I still have to have a call with Emi and iron out the last comments, before I print the 70 pages out and proofread them. And then I can finally, FINALLY upload them.

I started writing the first draft of the story on paper in January 2017. The idea of wanting to write something with my Greek and Turkish OCs had been ghosting around my head for a while. But I initially started writing because I was stuck on Italian Affairs and none of the characters would talk to me (e.g. everything I wrote in their voice sounded ooc), so I started writing something else to 'make them jealous'. Absolute pro tip btw, pivoting away from one story when you are stuck with another will do wonders for making you inspired for the first story again. Get out of that rut. Anyways, so I started writing that draft and then continued doing so when I had a free minute at school, until the story was done. I then typed up the draft and did a first round of revisions. I tried to find beta-readers for it, which also worked in 2019. But I still didn't publish it, because the beta never made it to the end. And then it sat and sat in my drafts, while I worked on other projects. My writing improved, my standards raised themselves. And I began to see why the story had always bugged me. I saw that I would have to scrap the whole thing and start from scratch, with extensive research and some soul-searching. And this is what I did - Before I was able to write part 3, I spent weeks hovering up information about the Turkish Republic and the 2014 election and so on. Only for it to vaguely matter for half a page in this 70 page epos. (But worth it, I love learning stuff). I eventually got dear Emi as a beta, who immensely helped to improve this text. Let's all hope that after 6 years of work, it'll finally see the light of day.

#beareplies #someone-you-do-not-know #writing #storie nostre #oh i cannot tag all these bitches #as always I feel like my answer is messy all over the place and dogshit but lmao <3 it is what it is

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uiruu · 1 year

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im gonna respond to this post i just saw here, because i dont wanna like blow up op’s notifications or anything. i agree with this 100%, but i have a lot to say and i dont wanna like start a huge discussion in their replies and stuff

it really is telling how like... even though the only reason spanish is spoken in latin america is due to violent colonization, because the modern spanish speakers in that region are often not white, white americans perceive it as an indigenous non-white language. when white americans hear any bit of spanish anywhere, they immediately think of the brown people to the south of them. the spanish colonized the americas just like the english did, and yet racism has poisoned people’s minds so thoroughly that that doesnt even matter to racists, spanish is just a brown people language to them now. if any of them went to spain and saw white people speaking spanish, and spanish signs all over the place, they’d probably go “goddamn political correctness” or some shit.

the only silver lining in this is that i bet it would piss the white supremacist conquistadors off to know this. i’m just kidding, there’s no silver lining. it’s all awful. latin americans speak a european language that they did not choose to speak, but racists dont see it that way, because in their minds spanish has simply been “demoted” or whatever to an indigenous language. it’s buckwild. it actually is so infuriating to think about, because i can’t help but think of the thousands of actual indigenous languages that are either wiped out or struggling because of spanish, only for spanish to now be treated like it was their native language all along by racist people in other countries. it’s like they saw latin americans speaking spanish and decided to reject spanish as a result. meanwhile nahuatl and mayan languages are struggling. it’s so fucked up.

#idk if you follow me hyejui but i almost reblogged your post with all of this haha

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weatherman667 · 1 year

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Greedfall

Greedfall is made by Spiders, and widely proclaimed as Spiders finally succeeded.

But that’s not true. Spiders’ biggest problem is they want to reinvent the wheel. But the problem with reinventing the wheels is that you don’t have to be as good as, you have to be better than the original wheel.

The wheel they are trying to reinvent is the RPG.

So, for the record, there is only one RPG that manages to make it to real-time.

And this isn’t it. That RPG is Dragon’s Dogma. Every - single - other RPG that tries to be real time completely fails at it.

Greedfall gives you stats, and fails at it. It gives you skills and fails at it. It gives talents, and fails at it. What the tutorial thinks is a good idea is stopping in the middle of hand-to-hand combat to setup a beartrap to bypass an enemy’s armour. It works as poorly as you expect, and only works as all because they dumbed down the enemy AI to make it slightly viable.

It creates a setting which everyone calls daring, but it’s boring and generic. The only reason it has any value is you can apparently take the side of the people being colonized.

The problem, is this is a game. Games have to be played. You can make a wide variety of fun gameplay mechanics. You can even make visual novels that require little interaction other than hitting a button to advance. But, if you add a gameplay mechanic, it has to be good. This is the problem that Spdiers and Quantic Dream both have, they can’t for the life of them create good video game mechanics.

Quantic Dream has created a number of interesting premises for video games, but categorically refuses to make the gameplay playable. Spiders constantly tries to reinvent the RPG combat wheel, and categorically fails at it.

Spiders’ Mars series is an incredibly interesting premise. Mars was colonized, than some catastrophe happens, making it lose contact with Earth. Society devolved. The world is barely habitable, mostly controlled by water guilds that engage in constant territorial warfare. Technology is treated like magic, with Technomancers being the vaunted elite. You often engage in expeditions to find pre-war technology. But the gameplay was always absolutely terrible.

Greedfall, on the other hand, doesn’t have a interesting world, it was what woketivists THINK is an interesting world. This is because you are playing as one of the major colonial powers invading a tiny island.

Which one? It doesn’t care. Whatever country you are coming from isoffensively generic, and because it doesn’t define your country, it doesn’t define what kind of colonialism they had.

Britain created trading posts. England and it’s colonies use Common Law.

France created colonies, with the the people being controlled having exactly as few rights as the average Frenchman had. France and it’s colonies use Civl Law.

Spain was conquistadores. They would literally turn the local areas into modern fifedoms.

This could have created an interesting option for the player, to choose which kind of Empire they wanted to represent, but instead, they are all rolled into together, because the point isn’t what colonialism was like, but that European powers bad.

To make it worse, the reason you are going to this island is the promise that it holds a cure for a disease. If they wanted to lay it on thick about how colonialism was bad, they could have made the goal the same as the Spanish, gold and slaves. The only reason to do this is to demonstrate how noble the savages are.

To make matters worse, the game lays heavily on the social graph, which if the point of the game was colonialism, the focus on the game should be... running a colony.

They also don’t seem to understand how scars work.

in summary:

Gameplay: poor

Setting: Poor

Focus: Poor

#greedfall #video games

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scarsmood · 2 years

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If it's not too nosey a question, what is being yukonkin like?

Waggin’ always wanted to talk about this. So for me it’s definitely identifying as the concept from a very biased perspective and privileged perspective. I bring that up cause I think the one thing that gets me about it is land you live on is typically in someones culture and shapes your worldview. To some degree if not defining it. Geography is destiny as they say.

I’ve never been to the yukon. I plan to but even then i’m not living there and I wasnt born there. Which i think both merit something to the deeper understanding of the land. With that out of the way. I identify with a specific time period roughly the gold rush era. Everything about the time period fascinates me about how people stake claims, sought for gold, competed with the indigenous people of the land. It was one of the hardest lives you could pick yourself out to do.

Death was everywhere around the corner all the time. Jack londons stories cemented this for me as he only lasted 4 months in the yukon before getting sick and having to leave. His stories like white fang, to build a fire, and call of the wild are impressions from those 4 months. It does not suprise me men froze to death trying to walk in 50 degrees of frost or wolves picked off sled dogs at night.

In wilderness its taught pretty universally you respect nature or nature will disrespect you. It’s not a matter of you “pitying” nature you are asking for space and wishing for that to be granted. Nature or the natrual world is full of tricks that have been in developement for millions of years as humans we cut outselves away from these lessons in our own curated space. Its awfully bold of us to come back into nature with not even enough knowledge as a squirrel and claim we know better.

So what does this have to do with concept kin? I identify as the unrelenting force that is natrual pressure. The cold, the starving, the growing and dying of resources, shaping and cutting into nature can either work out great or set up the local village for a mudslide.

The yukon is a great example of these interactions with humans. We survive the wilderness at the price of gold all for a chance to bring back a pretty rock for money and our own monetary survival. This relationship between nature and man is amplified in this situation the humans are desperate and the ecosystem is extreme. It takes animals who have evolved for millions of years great effort to survive there. Good luck to joshua, the guy who just got off a boat from england trying to strike gold hundreds of miles from civilization to find knowledge wiser than a wolf or eagle.

I grew up in central texas near cold springs. I never socialized well with other kids cause I felt like I was the forest. Kids were often afraid of the forest but i could weave under the bushes and thorned vines. I knew which ones were poison ivy and which were fine to be scratched by. I learned which plants were edible by foragers or asking more experienced people as a kid. I knew never to eat anything i didn’t understand fully. My forest is haunted i spent every day alone and in the forest. I saw creatures that lurked in the trees that didn’t exist. Central texas has a rich history of indigenous people that was basically erased. When I comb through the river you find metal door handles hand made rusted for decades and arrow hears and oddly shaped rocks. It is unsettling to be the ancestor of conquistadors who erased a society to then have the audacity to set foot over the same river people lived on for thousands of years and pretend you understand.

I don’t understand and i never will understand the landscape to that deep intrinsic level but i can make sense of my experiences and what the forest teaches me.

My experiences have made me feel the same things I’m sure my ancestors felt when they saw creatures never identified before. The euphoria of finding a berry patch or successfully hunting an animal. Somethings being in the forest that long just ignite parts of your brain I feel most haven’t honed.

The force of nature on the human mind is one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. As I grew up this other’d experience became more streamlined. I hung out in the forest less. I did more human things but I still know when a bad storm is a bad storm when the forest goes silent. I know it’s been a hard year when the leaves aren’t so crisp and fell more like leather. Getting by in a hard summer.

Being conceptkin of the yukon is an extension of these experiences. Watching the human experience play out against nature. While I do identify as a threatening wolf I acknowledge im human bodied and with that my experiences persist far closer to a human than an animal. Because of how I grew up I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with being human. I think the actual issue is how humans forget how to have a relationship with nature. We have to consider when we cut a path through the forest if instead we should just use the deer trail like all the other animals do. We are not special. They also have the most optimized path. This isn’t something typically known or followed though.

When I get a shift It’s a mirage of feelings, the cold breeze on mountian tops, the swirling air, the breathing forest, the burning fires in the valley, the elk herd on the side of the mountian like a body working in tandem. I am a casual observer of these things from my perspective. Watching the interactions of man and nature. Letting a story repeat itself as many times as it wants. Watching as the system of interactions change. The wolves get hungry and pick off a dog or people cut down a section of forest for logging.

It’s very serene. Peaceful and quiet. Turning my brain off to listen to the systems at play. I will never claim I “know” everything about the yukon or nature because i never will. I just experience and know what ive learned from my own experiences.

I hope this makes sense!

#conceptkin

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araminakilla · 2 years

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Day 39: Mummy's song and some thoughts of him being a monster

Originally I planned to translate the new Tadeo Jones 3 song, but I got another idea. Today I will translate Mummy's song from the Musical of the sequel (where he dresses as a flamenco dancer)

Here are the lyrics:

Chorus:

Dance Mummy!

Beautiful!

Dance dance Mummy

that everyone already looks at you like that

Because life here is wonderful

Dance dance mummy

After now it's your turn

You are elegant and so precious

Mummy:

I am the mummy of a distant land

But my past seems a little weird

I'm over a thousand* years old and no one could tell

I am a monster of pure sympathy!

Chorus:

In the sky you shine today

You dance out of control

every day is an adventure

Mummy:

I'm sure I'm not the toughest**

but I can be friends for life

If you need me soon I will arrive

If you give me your friendship I will fight for you

I'm the best mummy

and you know why!

Chorus:

Dance mummy!

Mummy:

Olé!***

Chorus:

dance dance Mummy

that everyone already looks at you like that

You are beautiful and never scary

dance dance Mummy

After now it's your turn

You are elegant and so beautiful****

Mummy:

If you like it...

call me Mummy

Chorus:

Mummy!

Mummy (speaking proudly):

What am I a true artist? ;)

Tadeo (speaking tired):

Come on, Mummy... come on -_-

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

Notes:

*He says he has more than 1000 years old but in the movie he recalls he has 500 years old since that was the time the Incan Empire fell at the hands of the Spanish. Unless...

** In spanish he says "aguerrida" that word is linked to "guerra" the spanish of "war", hence "aguerrida" means someone who is skilled on war and battle or who is trained for war. Mummy is admitting he is none of that.

*** "Olé" is something spanish people will say in flamenco and other spanish dances. This mummy knows how to adapt to other cultures.

**** Love that a spaniard chorus is singing to him that he is precious, beautiful, elegant and not scary, considering that was the opposite of what the conquistadors thought about royal Incan mummies to the point of burning them all. It's a nice subversion.

Now, about the aspect of him being a monster... recently I reblogued posts about a Youtube animation called "The Vampair Series" from the chapter "Raised by Bats" and it explains the story of how a miserable human tormented by bullies (Duke) found his place and happiness as a vampire, and he and his partner go around humans who are more perplexed and unamused about their existence than scared.

And I thought, yeah I'm 90% sure Mummy's life as a human was awful when the Conquistadors arrived and maybe, just maybe he gained more confidence when turning himself into a monster, especially when interacting with the human world. It seems like he doesn't mind being a monster around mortals, it's like he embraces it just like Duke embraces being an edgy vampire.

It makes sense, as he goes by the name "Mummy", his tik tok and instagram (according to that video with the "dance emoji" Tad says something about the inca having one as well) accounts have "mummy" on it and his phone case has a mummy design, so he's not bothered by his monstrous circunstances, the only thing he doesn't like is being feared and persecuted, just like in the times when he was a royal human and the perfect prey for power hungry conquistadors.

He perceives himself as a normal guy ready to make friends and have a good time. A inmortal, bandaged and ancient guy, but that doesn't matter to him.

At least he has Tad and Sara's friendship, possibly Victoria's and he has Ramona as another mummy to have a good time. Two mummies are better than only one.

#tadeo jones #tadeo jones 3 #tad the lost explorer #tad the last explorer 3 #tadeo jones meta #tadeo jones analysis #mummy (tadeo jones)#mummy #mummies #incan mummy #monster #monsters #tad 3 countdown

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themurphyzone · 2 years

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Nova Ch 19

So…the last chapter was fun, wasn’t it?

Ch 19: Absolute Zero

Brain tried to ignore the nuzzle against his cheek, the last sign of life before Pinky fell limp in his arms. The once vibrant mouse was nothing more than deadweight as he was carried out of the inferno that used to be the Conquistador.

The temperature difference was extreme. Heat on Brain’s back, the ice on his front, and a comfortable, crisp night ahead of him.

Brain nearly buckled from supporting all of Pinky's weight, too exhausted by the long night's events to go on much farther.

He was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained, and he'd love nothing more than a nice rock to crawl under and never come out again.

He carried on though, refusing to allow the fire to lay claim to Pinky's body.

Pinky was completely limp, his limbs and tail stiff. The pinks and reds of his body were a very pale blue, his once vibrant snowy fur now colorless.

There were no narfs, no poits, no egads or trozes or zorts. No incessant chatter or high-pitched laughter, no questions that were off-track from what they were doing.

What he wouldn't give to hear Pinky's voice.

I…can't accept this. I won't accept this! There must be a way to save him before…before he-

The outcome was unspeakable. It was unthinkable.

Yet…it was inevitable.

Despair overtook him despite his denial, overwhelming his senses and mind. He considered himself a logical, rational being, but no amount of logic or critical thinking would help Pinky.

He helped me…he helped me so much even when I was no more than a stranger to him. Can't…I have one good thing in my life? Am I asking for too much?

He couldn't go on, no matter how hard he tried to push himself.

They were a good distance away from the flaming wreck of the Conquistador, atop a grassy hill dotted with tiny white and yellow wildflowers.

Above them, the cloudless night sky shone with millions of twinkling stars and other worlds so far away from this one. The Terran moon was full and round, and it was difficult to fathom that he'd resided on such a lonely celestial body for most of his life.

After spending so much time with Pinky, he didn't want to return to a solitary life, where he had no one to distract him from the storm inside his head.

Brain placed Pinky onto a soft bed of grass as gently as he could. He laid on his back, head lulled to one side. His limbs were frozen stiff, and though Brain tried to cross them over Pinky's chest, they were stubbornly resistant. Brain gave up that plan without a fight, not wanting to damage Pinky's body further.

In the distance, ACME Labs' golden lettering flickered like a beacon. The dark outline of a long bridge loomed above the building.

Sirens wailed, heralding the arrival of many large red fire engines. Decked from head to toe in protective gear, the firefighters barked commands to their coworkers as they unfurled their hoses and ladders.

The blaze had drawn a crowd too, even larger than the audience at the Embassy. Several people began to record the events on their phones, and two of the firefighters switched to crowd control when several curious civilians strayed too close.

Nobody noticed the lone alien and mouse on the next hill.

It was just as well.

Brain didn't want to be disturbed. He tuned out the noise, ignoring the shouts and screams and orders as he settled beside Pinky’s lifeless body.

Surely there had to be a way to save him!

He couldn’t just let Pinky die like this, so cold, so empty.

He’d never been this still before. Always so vibrant and energetic and perpetually, annoyingly cheerful. That’s what Pinky was supposed to be.

During the nights they’d spent waiting for the party, Pinky had tried getting Brain into some Terran medical drama show. Brain had tried to put up with it for three episodes, figuring that he could glean some knowledge about Terran anatomy for later. But the show had been less medical and more about messy interpersonal relationships between the hospital staff, to Brain’s dismay. Pinky didn’t understand complex medical jargon, but he was somehow able to keep track of who was dating who, which changed like the wind even within the same episode.

Despite its many, many shortcomings, that show was how he learned of a Terran technique called cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which could revive an individual from dea—near death.

He placed both hands in the center of Pinky’s chest, trying to ignore how his later research into the topic revealed that it wasn’t always guaranteed to work, that it wouldn’t solve Pinky’s severe hypothermia, that he was alone and didn’t have an entire team to help him…

But heaven forbid he didn’t try. It was the only thing he could think of. Imagine that, his own mind failing him when he needed it most.

And try he did.

He pushed on Pinky’s chest as hard as he could. Pinky didn’t react to the blow. Again and again he pumped, until he was putting almost all of his body weight on Pinky.

Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes despite his best efforts to hold them back, his arms screaming with exhaustion with every thrust. He panted for breath, not realizing how exhausting this method was until now.

He wasn’t producing enough force to keep Pinky’s blood circulating. He knew that. But he couldn’t…he couldn’t-

Finally, his arms gave out from fatigue, and he fell heavily onto Pinky’s chest. The chill of his cor-no, his body, stung Brain’s fur, but he barely felt it anymore. He could deal with the physical cold, but this emptiness in his chest, this numbness he felt towards the world at large…

It was incomparable.

There was a harsh sob, and surely that couldn’t have come from him. But the tears blurred his vision as they slipped down his cheeks and splashed onto Pinky’s stiff fur.

Why couldn’t he just…do something right for a change?

If he hadn’t foolishly abandoned Pinky in pursuit of power, then he would still be alive! Maybe…maybe if they’d never met at all, then Pinky would’ve been better off.

There was no heartbeat under his ear, no pulse under his finger or breath under his body.

Pinky had died a slow, agonizing death. Yet he delayed his inevitable demise just to help Brain escape from Snowball, bearing no ill will and considering him a friend in spite of all the pain he’d been through because of him.

He’d pushed himself to his limits for someone who didn’t deserve it.

Why?

Because of loneliness? Because of pity?

The world would never know of the kindred spirit they’d lost. Lab mice weren’t important creatures. Humans would shrug their shoulders and replace him with another mouse.

That’s how it worked.

But Brain knew better. Pinky was one of a kind. Irreplaceable and loyal to the end. Brave and true. Silly and dare he say, sweet.

But…there was nothing more he could do for his friend.

“...I’m sorry,” he whispered. He gave up his efforts at CPR and bowed his head in mourning, gently running a hand down Pinky's cheek. “I’m sorry. A-and thank you. For everything…”

For accepting him into his cage when he had nowhere else to go, for showing him the wonders of Terran cuisine, for that brief yet wonderful dance they’d shared together.

His antennae touched Pinky's chest, right over his heart.

Even through his closed eyes, his vision was flooded with a bright pink light.

And when he opened them, his orbs were glowing with the brightest light he'd ever seen from them. He glanced behind him, and found that his tail was lit up too.

He didn't understand. He was the furthest thing from happy right now! So why…

Then his hand hit a dry, warm patch of fur. Startled at the sensation, he looked down.

His hand was over Pinky's heart, now thumping ever so faintly, the fur shining with a bright shade of pink. The fur was once again smooth and fluffy, no longer clumping together in prickly spikes.

And against his better judgment, Brain's hopes began to soar.

Could it be? Was it possible after all…to save Pinky's life?

And then an idea struck him.

Of course!

If he could absorb energy from others, then surely he could reverse the current and transfer the energy into Pinky! That electrical energy would help Pinky's heart circulate blood and oxygen, and would then transform into heat energy, thus resolving the hypothermia!

He brought his tail around and rested his head and antennae on Pinky's chest, focusing on that transfer of energy that would revive Pinky once more.

Pinky's chest began to rise and fall, slow and imperceptible to anyone who wasn't in direct contact with him, but the signs of life were there.

By great Selene, the signs were there.

Little by little, the pink light spread across Pinky's body, starting from his chest and sweeping down to the very tips of his fingers and toes. The layers of ice and frost melted away, turning to water before evaporating into thin air. His fur sprung to life wherever the light touched, vibrant and fluffy and warm.

It took Brain more effort to breathe, and he quickly realized that this method would deplete his energy reserves.

But whatever it took to bring Pinky back, he would do it.

Pinky had an entire list of things he’d wanted to show Brain, from movies to food to the wonders of bubble wrap and trampolines and music. In the short time they’d spent together, there hadn’t been enough time to cover them all.

They’d only gotten up to the Prisoner of Azkaban in Harry Potter. There were still five more films they had yet to watch together.

It wouldn’t be the same, having to navigate the streaming services on his own and only popping popcorn and creating M&M and pretzel bowls for only a single mouse.

And most importantly, they were going to take over the world together. Ruling the world alone…it was something he’d never wanted. He wouldn’t accomplish anything, never establish a worthwhile legacy as a lone emperor.

Pinky’s fingers were twitching, toes curling, tail swishing.

Pushing himself up, Brain peered over Pinky’s snout, feeling every heartbeat and breath under his hands. Pinky coughed as Brain gripped his large nose to look at his face, and his warm breath smelled of shrimp.

Ew. He was definitely dragging Pinky to the nearest sink once this ordeal was over.

Pinky’s ears fluttered, his nose digging into Brain’s fur. Brain yelped as a tickling sensation overtook him as Pinky sniffed him experimentally. The resurrected mouse giggled and sneezed. Startled by the sudden yet wonderful noises, Brain overbalanced. Their foreheads smashed together, and Brain saw stars from the impact.

Red giants, white dwarves, yellow middle-aged stars…

And two extremely bright sky-blue stars, shining their blindingly beautiful light upon him.

Neither of them spoke.

Pinky’s blue eyes finally zeroed in on Brain. His head lifted off the ground slightly.

A high pitched squeal was the only warning he got before something suddenly ensnared him from both sides and held him high into the air. Brain instinctively kicked his legs out to free himself, but he couldn’t reach his attacker.

And below him, Pinky shook with laughter, his fur glowing a vivid pinkish-red. His arms were held up high above him, hands wrapped around Brain’s waist and upper arms so that Brain couldn’t free himself with his hands.

Escaping from those mechanical tentacles had been much easier than his current predicament.

“Narf! Look, Brain! I’m alive!” Pinky exclaimed, quivering with joy and laughter. “Alive!”

Though Brain didn’t like being held in this way, he decided to cut Pinky a little slack for being nearly dead. Just this one time.

“Yes…you’re alive,” Brain said, unable to keep the relief out of his voice. He managed to free one hand, and he clamped down on Pinky’s wrist. “I’m glad, Pinky.”

There was a pulse. A beautiful, thriving pulse underneath his fingertips.

As happy as Brain was to see Pinky alive, his mind had inevitably wandered to that what-if.

What if this is only temporary? What if-

A tear splashed down onto Pinky's nose. It didn't escape his notice.

"Brain?" Pinky said. His joyous smile was replaced by a concerned frown.

Brain averted his eyes. "I nearly lost you…" he murmured. "I…I don't even know if this will last."

Upon hearing Brain's concerns, Pinky kicked his legs out to help him get into an upright position. Once he was sitting up, he wasted no time in bringing Brain close.

Brain didn't resist Pinky's embrace. This comforting warm light surrounding him, a light, airy breath tickling his ear, the soft fur cushioning his cheek…

This was real. This was very real.

Pinky cupped Brain's face in his hands, giving him a gentle, reassuring smile.

"You brought me back with the power of love, Brain," Pinky declared. "I'm not going anywhere."

There was no uncertainty in his voice.

But even so, Brain folded his arms. "It was merely an energy transfer, not the 'power of love', as you so eloquently put it. Don't you even realize how cheesy that sounds?"

Pinky licked his lips. "An extra cheesy pizza sounds really good now! All that dying and coming back to life stuff's made me super hungry."

The power of love. Yeah, right.

Where was Pinky getting all these weird concepts from?

But…a mere energy transfer couldn't explain the healthy pink glow that emanated from Pinky, the silvery stars that shimmered in his fur.

Perhaps it was better to not dwell on it.

Pinky was alive, and that’s all that really mattered.

Slowly, Brain allowed himself to relax against Pinky’s chest. The heartbeat in his ears was strong and steady, arms cocooning him in a protective embrace.

The light around Pinky finally faded, his fur becoming a healthy, snowy white once more. Similarly, Brain’s orbs dimmed back to their normal shade of red.

With some hesitation, Brain wrapped his arms around Pinky. He couldn’t reach all the way around, but Pinky hummed contentedly, so Brain knew that this little effort was plenty.

Neither of them bothered to move. Let the world go by around them. Time didn’t matter.

And Pinky seemed like he would’ve stayed in this position forever too.

“This was it! I swear this was the source of the light!” a man’s voice shouted.

“These are mice, Jason. Look, it was probably just some fireflies or something. Now make yourself useful and grab more supplies from the truck for the firefighters.”

“Yes, sir.”

A sudden clamor of footsteps and whispers was all the warning they got before several quick, bright flashes of white light blinded them. Brain shielded his face, his eyes shut tight to avoid any temporary blindness.

When the light subsided, Brain lowered his hand and opened his eyes. There was an entire crowd around them, and Brain quickly separated himself from Pinky, though he kept hold of his hand. Pinky made a disappointed noise, his fingers lacing around Brain’s. And Brain didn’t blame him for wanting more time to themselves.

He scanned the area for possible escape routes, but everyone was so tightly packed together that even a mouse couldn’t squeeze through.

The Conquistador’s flames had diminished on the next hill over due to the firefighting team’s efforts, though a thick plume of smoke still filled the air. It would be awhile before it cleared up.

The mice and the humans stared each other down, silently daring the other to make the first move.

The crowd did nothing but stare, which annoyed Brain to no end.

“Quit gawking and let us pass!” Brain shouted as loud as he could. With his voice hoarse from smoke and crying, his voice wasn’t as loud as he would’ve liked. “My friend has been through enough tonight and needs to rest!”

But his order did nothing to deter their unwanted audience, and many of the younger humans only pointed their phones at them instead.

“Could you let us go please?” Pinky asked, tightly gripping Brain’s hand.

They ignored Pinky’s polite question too.

Looked like the only way out was through force.

Brain scanned the crowd for any weak points in their formation, but there was a disturbance somewhere in the back before he could make his decision.

“Move! Don’t you know who I am? Stand aside before I have you lot arrested!”

People shouted their protests as they were forcibly shoved away by an extremely disheveled Lamont, who was still dressed in his ostentatious golden suit from the ball. His collar was crooked and unbuttoned, one of his shoes was untied, and his jacket was wide open, revealing a rather sizable belly.

He was flanked by several policemen, one of whom wore a golden star on his chest. The crowd backed away nervously, even the more fearless ones with their phone cameras.

Brain was absolutely not in the mood to deal with that rich blowhard.

“There they are!” Lamont spat. “Arrest them!”

But Lamont's otherwise unwelcome arrival had opened up an escape path, and Brain seized his opportunity.

"Run, Pinky!" he shouted.

They shot past Lamont, and Brain had a fleeting moment of satisfaction at the stunned look on Lamont's face.

As they veered around shoes and several grabby hands, it became clear he'd celebrated too soon.

The chief of police raised his boot, nearly stomping on Pinky and Brain's intertwined hands. The thud of his boot against the ground was so close that Brain's ears rung from the impact. Brain was forced to let go of Pinky's hand to avoid the chief's relentless attempts to stomp him into the ground.

Pinky shouted for him immediately after they were separated, and Brain felt a pang of regret for that. Neither of them wanted to lose the other so soon. Pinky lost speed as he made a sharp turn in an attempt to reclaim Brain’s hand, and one of the officers reached down and snatched his tail. He cried out as he was hauled up into the air, dangling from the officer’s fingers.

“Pinky!” Brain yelled. He turned around, fully intending to bite the officer’s fingers to release Pinky from his grasp, though someone else grabbed him before he could act on his plan.

He tried to bite down to free himself, but the officer pushed his finger against his mouth.

“We have them now,” the chief of police reported to Lamont. “What do you want us to do with them?”

But Lamont ignored the chief’s question, marching straight over to the officer holding Brain. The officer tried to remain professional, but Brain felt every tremble of his hand as Lamont approached.

“What did you do with my weapon?” Lamont spat, his eyes wild.

Brain glared at him. “I destroyed your weapon,” he declared, having no shame in telling the truth. “It was far too dangerous to leave in anyone’s hands.”

Including his own. He felt that rush of power himself, the same one Snowball and Lamont were completely ensnared in. Standing over Snowball, who cowered before him once his life was threatened, the satisfaction in seeing all that cockiness and bravado turn to cowardice, finally having the upper hand against his betrayer…

But he’d destroyed the weapon instead. Perhaps it would be considered a weakness by some, to not have the strength to follow through on revenge.

Then he saw Pinky, lying helpless and vulnerable against the roaring inferno. Brain couldn’t let him die, nor did he value his own vendetta over a friend who cared for him enough to follow him despite his declining health.

Lamont clearly didn’t believe him. “Liar!” he growled. “You’re clearly hiding it somewhere! Did you leave it with the other impostor?”

“That ‘other impostor’ doesn’t have the weapon either. He abandoned the plan and fled the ship as soon as his own life was in danger,” Brain replied. “And even if I knew of his whereabouts now, I wouldn’t tell you where he is.”

“Neither will I!” Pinky piped up. “You can’t make me talk! Narf!”

He zipped his lip up defiantly and made an elaborate show of throwing the key. Brain appreciated the effort, but he doubted it would last. Lamont was an idiot, but Brain hoped he’d focus his interrogation on him rather than Pinky, who wouldn’t hold out against pressure for long.

“Search that wreck!” Lamont ordered. “Recover that weapon immediately!”

The lesser officers all shifted awkwardly. The one holding Pinky stepped forward, a nervous expression on his face.

“We tried that when you first ordered it,” he admitted. “The firefighters have most of the area contained already, but they won’t let us pass since we don’t have any fire protection. And…if I may, there probably won’t be anything left but ashes anyway. The risk isn’t worth it.”

“That weapon costs more than all your annual salaries put together,” Lamont snapped. “So recover it or it’ll be your employment on the line!”

The officers glanced at their chief, who sighed in resignation. “Just do as he says, boys.”

A murmur rose from the civilians as the lesser officers reluctantly waved them aside.

“That won’t be necessary,” a new voice coldly said.

The crowd parted as a beautiful blonde woman with a long purple streak in her hair passed them. She held her head high among the stares that followed her, only stopping when she was in front of Lamont.

“Olivia!” Pinky shouted with joy, wiggling so much that the officer couldn’t restrain him anymore. He fell to the ground, landing flat on his face, but it didn’t slow him down at all. He ran straight up to the woman, who knelt down and scooped him up with one hand. “You came!”

The corner of Olivia's mouth lifted into a tiny smile. "Well, I did have unfinished business to take care of," she admitted. "I see you found your friend."

She gave Brain an appraising look, not friendly but not quite as icy as the look she reserved for Lamont.

"I didn't know you were acquainted," Brain said, figuring that a neutral approach was best. "But I was expecting your face to be more…deformed."

Pinky gasped. "Brain!" he scolded. "Don't be rude!"

To her credit, Olivia didn't seem too bothered. "It was just a really good makeup job," she admitted, to everyone's shock. "Just to clear the air, I was never in a horrible fiery car wreck that disfigured my face. That was all made up by the media. But I digress. So you really stole a dangerous weapon out from under Lamont's nose, huh?"

Brain's ears lowered, though she didn't sound particularly accusatory. But even so, the fact remained that he helped Snowball steal the weapon and abandoned Pinky in the process.

"He destroyed it too," Pinky added. "I saw him toss it into the fire! Narf!"

"Really?" Olivia said.

Brain looked away. "I wasn't about to choose a weapon over a-" He was suddenly aware of all the camera phones pointed at him. "-over Pinky."

Pinky's tail swished happily. Brain tried not to pay too much attention to the motion.

“Hand him over,” Olivia ordered the officer holding Brain.

The officer hesitated.

Olivia folded her arms. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

To Lamont’s protests, the officer reluctantly handed Brain off to Olivia. Brain only had seconds to enjoy not having the life squeezed out of him before Pinky tackled and wrapped him in an enormous hug.

Brain kicked his feet instinctively in an attempt to escape, though he gave up after several seconds. He was only allowing this because Pinky had just come back to life.

Not because Pinky’s fur was warm and soft or anything.

Lamont’s face contorted in rage as the full effects of his public humiliation began to sink in. “Princess! You humiliated me at the party, and now you’re protecting thieves and liars?” he snarled.

“My name is Olivia, not Princess. You’ve stolen the funds, heart, and soul out of this city, and you have the gall to call them thieves?” Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow at Lamont’s hypocrisy.

Lamont sputtered incoherently, all while his lackeys stood around and waited for orders, which he was unable to give. And the civilians around them were getting a good laugh out of his humiliation, which seemed to be a long time coming.

The firefighters finally gave the all clear, and though smoke still lingered in the air, the blaze was completely gone.

And the Conquistador was nothing more than a heap of scrap metal. Months of labor erased in the blink of an eye. The humans would haul it away in the morning for sure.

The last remnant of Brain’s life on New Selene was destroyed.

The moon hung above them. The barren desert, seemingly vast and endless, was barely bigger than his finger from this new perspective.

Terra was just full of surprises, both good and bad, wasn’t it?

Snowball was out there, somewhere. No doubt plotting a new scheme to take over the world. Whether or not he would ever be successful had yet to be seen.

And despite it all, Brain missed him. They’d been childhood friends, cagemates, partners. He remembered how the dark and lonely nights had been mitigated by pushing their cages as close as possible, holding hands through the bars. How they’d see who could run fastest on their wheels, who could stuff more food in their cheeks, when they’d play fight and refuse to admit defeat until they both dropped from exhaustion.

There was no hope for reconciliation if they ever met again. Funny how that worked. Though Snowball had done horrible things for the sake of his ambitions, some part of Brain would always wish for things to remain as they had been.

And yet…if Snowball hadn’t separated the ship when they’d first arrived, would Brain have ever met Pinky?

This planet was new, large, and frightening at times. But Pinky had shown him that there were so many wonderful things about this new world, like cuisine and dancing.

And to think there was more to discover too.

Something snaked around his waist, and Brain only had time to process that it was Pinky’s tail before he was pulled in close for another hug.

“Hey, Brain? You know my cage is always open for you,” Pinky said with a sad little smile, his ears falling. “If you wanna go elsewhere, I mean…”

There was nowhere else Brain wanted to be, other than at Pinky’s side.

“Don’t talk nonsense, Pinky,” Brain reassured him. “I’m staying here.”

And Pinky’s smile was all he needed.

AN: It was the power of love that revived Pinky. I’m allowed to do stuff like this in fanfiction.

And this chapter marks the end of Brain’s arc, from invader to guest to friend. He’ll always be sad about Snowball, but he’s got Pinky, and Pinky makes everything better.

Thanks to everyone who read this story! I had fun with it, even if work meant that I can’t update as often as I’d like.

Stay tuned for the epilogue!

#pinky and the brain #patb nova

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