#dream is a white spotted jellyfish because I said so | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mmvalentine · 3 years

Text

The Bargain Pt 4 | Feysand

Modern AU. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Feyre’s last session was on a Thursday evening, Rhys’ last appointment of the day. And she was running very late.

Feyre rushed down the street, trying to scrape her hair back into some semblance of presentability, and narrowly dodged bowling an old man over in the street. She skidded to a halt outside the tattoo shop, spared just one glance at her reflection in the glass and then swept in. Despite noticing with horror the dark circles under her eyes.

She stood in the doorway, and watched Rhys look up from where he was sitting and sketching, probably startled by the clanging she was making by bursting through the door like this. She just hoped she wasn’t too late.

“I’m so sorry,” she said to him, still panting slightly. “I know I’m unacceptably late. Do you still have time to finish my tattoo?” Rhys put down his pen. "Of course," he said. "Are you okay?" "Yeah," Feyre said, looking away and self-consciously tugging on her dishevelled shirt. "I... got caught up at home, I'm really sorry." "That's okay," Rhys said. "Come on in."

They set up like usual, and soon Rhys was putting the finishing touches on Feyre's arm. She lay there and stared at the ceiling, Tamlin’s latest temper tantrum reeling through her head and still pounding in her ears. And this time, she barely felt the needles at all. She could hear the machines buzzing but the pain seemed very, very far away.

In all honesty, she was glad of a little pain today. Morbid as it may seem, her insides were churning so hard, the sharp physical sensation actually made more sense than the hurt and confusion that she felt every time Tamlin lost his cool. How strange, that being tattooed today seemed like just what she needed.

So she let Rhys finish the shading around her wrist, add dot work, and highlight in white, and just lay quietly. Better than opening her mouth and letting Rhys see what a mess she really was.

But Rhys seemed to notice anyway. He kept glancing up at her, as if waiting for her to resume their usual chatter. After about half an hour, he spoke.

"You know I'm really glad you're here," he said. "All day I've been tattooing this guy who just won't stop singing." It took a moment to filter through, but Feyre had to admit she was intrigued. Rhys went on, speaking quickly as if trying to fill the silence.

"Yeah, he's carrying on and on and even giving tips to Mor- she's one of the artists here, who's in a band. So he's telling her all these things about performing and vocals. Thing is, he's absolutely shite."

Feyre looked at him. Was Rhys… babbling?

"I had to make sure I talked to him the whole time, because if I stopped talking he started singing." Feyre snorted and Rhys smiled to himself.

"So here I am, trying to concentrate and tattoo as fast as I can, and trying to come up with lengthy topics of conversation before one of the guys comes over to murder me." "What did you talk about?" Feyre asked him. "Jellyfish," Rhys told her. "Jellyfish?!" "Yeah I've been listening to podcasts about ocean life and it's all I could think of at the time." "Okay," Feyre said. "Hit me with some jellyfish facts."

"Did you know," Rhys said, "that there is a species of jellyfish that never dies. It's got two life stages, sort of like you know insects have a larval stage, but it just shifts back and forth from one to the other indefinitely." "So it's immortal?" "Yeah, basically. Another species can glom onto each other and form a mega jellyfish, where like there will be a mouth jelly and an excretion jelly and all that but they're just one big jelly now." "Woah like hivemind jellyfish?" "Sure, except jellyfish don't have brains." "That's crazy." "Uh huh."

Rhys let Feyre ponder jellyfish facts while he went back up her arm checking for bits he had missed. Found a spot that would be shaded darker, and started on that bit. The needle bit into her skin with a whine.

"Hey," he said tentatively. "Are you okay?"

Feyre sighed inwardly, and wished fervently that she was the kind of girl that could make a guy laugh, and not worry.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she answered. "I'm so sorry I was late today. Looks like everyone else has pretty much packed up for the day and you're staying late because of me." Indeed the last artist had left the space ten minutes ago, and they were now alone.

"Well, actually," Rhys said, "I'm just about done here. Just have to finish up this bit... and we're finished." He sat up straight, put the machine down and wiped her down. Then he stretched in his seat while Feyre stared at her arm, turning it this way and that. A whorl of night sky and dreaming stared back at her, and for a moment she forgot Tamlin altogether.

"Rhys," she said, "this is incredible. Thank you so much. I…I love it." Loved the way it looked on her, actually. She had never been particularly fond of her own body, and couldn’t stop staring down at herself.

"You're very welcome. If you want, you can go look in the mirror and see then whole effect before I wrap you up."

So Feyre slid off the bench and skipped over to the full length mirror by the wall, and Rhys chuckled as he started packing his area down. She took in her reflection, this time bypassing her tired face completely and just seeing the ink in her skin. She had had the tattoo for months now, but it hadn't prepared her for what the finished product would look like. It looked like... like herself.

When she came back, Rhys wrapped her arm she paid the remainder owing. And then all that was left to do was leave. Go home. To Tamlin.

She stood on the spot, with one ankle turned out and her bottom lip between her teeth. Rhys paused.

"You don't want to go home, do you?" he asked her. And she looked up at him, and his searching, violet eyes, and couldn’t lie to him. She shook her head.

Rhys nodded. Looked around the empty studio, and then said, "Okay. Well I'll need another twenty minutes to finishing break down, and then I will tell you the rest of the jellyfish facts I know before you go. Deal?"

Relief slid into her veins. "Deal."

So she sat a stool in the corner of the studio while Rhys pottered about, putting things away and sanitising his station. Then when he was done, he pulled up another stool and sat opposite her, and told her everything he knew about scyphozoa while she picked through his sharpies and drew pictures in the blank spaces on his left forearm. It was only fair, she had said, since he had inked hers. He even had her sign the work, just below the heel of his palm.

"I'll get it tattooed," he said, "and then when you're world-famous I'll be a collectible item." Feyre laughed. "Okay, well then I'll give you a nice artistic autograph so you don't have to have some random girl's name tattooed on you." She scribbled her signature, and Rhys turned his wrist around to read it. "Oh so by artistic you mean illegible," he said. “Wouldn't want to upset any love interests," Feyre said, "I can't fight for shit." Rhys laughed. "Well there's no one to fight, but thanks for your thoughtful consideration."

They smiled at each other for a minute, until Feyre’s heart squeezed painfully and she forced herself to stand. "I should go," she said. Rhys took his markers back, and walked Feyre to the door.

And yet still, she couldn’t quite walk out.

"So, I guess this is it," Feyre said. "Thank you for everything." She lingered. "You know, I still think we could be good friends, you and I."

Rhys put his hands on the top of the door frame and leaned against it. The hard muscles of his triceps and forearms framed his face, and the light from the shop spilled around him.

"I'll make you a bargain Feyre," he said. "When you're getting tattooed you're really vulnerable and it can be easy to latch on to people who make you feel safe. So, give it six months, and if you still want to be my friend, I would love that. Okay?"

Feyre nodded. "Okay."

She turned to go, but before she did, Rhys reached out one last question.

"Feyre?" She turned. "Are you going to be alright?"

And Feyre put on her very best smile, smoothed it over her face like lipstick, and tried to photograph him, there in the doorway, in her mind.

"I'll be alright," she told him. And she waved and walked home.

****

This is based on actual conversations that I had with my tattoo artist recently, and he assures me all of those jellyfish facts are true. Mind blowing stuff.

MASTERLIST

TAGLIST: @ghostlyrose2 @highladysith @stardelia @feysand-loml @tillyrubes10 @ratabrasileira @live-the-fangirl-life @maybekindasortaace @annejulianneh111 @thebonecarver @rowaelinismyotp @loosingdreams @whythefuckdoiexist @inejsarrow @swankii-art-teacher @sjmships @courtofjurdan @teddytdr @positivewitch @thalia-2-rose @darling-archeron @rapunzel1523 @fairchildjace @asteria-of-mars

#feysand #feysand fic #acotar #fluff #mine

88 notes · View notes

farchanter · 3 years

Photo

Hollow Knight

Bear witness to the last and only civilisation, the eternal Kingdom. Hallownest

The experience of playing through Hollow Knight has taught me that I can't ever review games professionally. Because if I find a game I really enjoy I will spend forever with it, turning over every stone I can possibly find to fully soak in it.

Friends, I love Hollow Knight. That isn't to say it's perfect— and we'll get to that— but let none of my critcisms detract from how great this game is. I played some great games in 2020, but Hollow Knight has been the crown jewel of my quarantine. I cannot wait for its upcoming sequel, Silksong.

You are a wandering swordsman who comes across the rotting ruins of a once-mighty kingdom known as Hallownest. As you explore, you learn about what tragedy befell the kingdom and its inhabitants— and how your own destiny and choices play into its future.

Hollow Knight is a Soulslike Metroidvania, a sentence I didn't really enjoy typing out. You explore a 2D world, navigating the ruins and acquiring new powerups, abilities, and unquantifiable skill which allow you to plumb deeper into Hallownest's depths. It's hard— it's not quite kick-you-in-the-teeth-bury-your-controller-at-a-crossroads hard the same way a Dark Souls would be, but just about every boss fight will kill you several times before you "solve" it. It's a good balance: I've played games like this before that just leave you tired and cranky after finally finishing an encounter, but Hollow Knight hits a great sweet spot where you feel amazing after finally winning a boss battle. This creates an indelible experience— I'm going to remember beating the final boss with sweaty, shaking hands for a long, long time.

As an exploration game, or as a combat game, Hollow Knight feels really good. Movement is fluid, and fighting has the elusive "grimace when you're hit" quality that makes for a satisfying experience. There's enough depth to the system that you can really grow into it, and I found my growth from flailing around Dirtmouth to dancing through the Queen's Gardens to be a joy.

I also want to take a moment to specifically call out the soundtrack. Christopher Larkin does an amazing job creating pieces which are both atmospheric and intense. I bought the soundtrack, and I'm listening to it now as I write this.

Part of what makes Hollow Knight so enjoyable is that, despite its Metroidvania perspective, it is focused first-and-foremost on being an RPG rather than a platformer. I really disdain platformers, particularly the ultrahard ones that permeate the pantheon of indie darlings, so I would be remiss to not mention that there are some sections which are really annoying platforming parts. If you don't mind the spoilers in this video, the White Palace is by far the most egregious— and it was a mandatory section for the ending I wanted. In just about any other game, I would have rather quit. I'd much rather die 20 times in the same boss fight than die 20 times falling into the same spike pit. But, that's just my personal preference— and, like I said, people seem to really like games like this.

We live in a golden age of great environmental storytelling— the idea that you can find the story and deduce it for yourself rather than be explicitly told it. When done well, it's a really effective means of conveying a narrative which is both immersive and makes you feel clever. However, I do think that Hollow Knight swings its pendulum a little bit too far in that direction— there's a great story here, but the characters who do tell it speak in deliberately vague dialogue and the clues you find while exploring aren't adequate on their own to tell you the whole story. I don't know that it's possible to fully understand the plot of Hollow Knight without the Hollow Knight Fandom wiki as a constant companion while playing, and that's honestly kind of a bummer. I like the community, and the way that community has filled in the gaps the game won't, but I do feel like a game should be able to have its story stand on its own. Without this supplemental material, I fear that the game is so cryptic— and there's so much that's so easy to miss while trying to not be exploded by a jellyfish again god damn it— that a player without it would just wind up with a good action game devoid of plot. This is another one of those things that other people seem to enjoy, so your mileage here may again vary.

Despite their mysterious dialogue, I did really love these characters: they're the biggest reason I took such a leisurely pace to finish the game. I wanted to rescue Bretta, I wanted to restore the memory of the Last Stag, I wanted to find all of the missing children, I wanted to save Zote, and for the Hollow Knight...

One of my favorite parts of the narrative of this game is that you are asked to make a really powerful decision about who your character is, and what they want. I can't really explain that choice without spoiling essentially the entire game, so I'm putting it after the break here.

In short, the people of Hallownest came under psychic attack by a supernatural entity known as The Radiance. The Radiance haunted their dreams, and ultimately broke them to her will and turned them into— essentially— zombies. Faced with utter collapse of civilization, the King and his advisors devised a desperate plan: The Radiance's entire essence could be imprisoned within a single mind. However, that being would need to be both magically and physically imprisoned for all eternity for the sake of Hallownest. They would be under constant mental attack by a Radiance trying to break loose.

They realize that their chosen vessel would need to lack a mind of its own— in addition to the cruelty of that fate for a sentient being, if The Radiance were to break the will of the prisoner, then it could begin its mental attacks all over again from within the body of the vessel. They developed a plan to breed a child who they thought would be devoid of mind and will— and after hundreds of attempts, they produced a child who met their criteria. They dubbed them the Hollow Knight, sealed The Radiance inside their mind, and entombed them for all time.

However, the Hollow Knight did have an independent will— and, after a long time, The Radiance broke it. From within the sealed crypt, it began to attack the people of Hallownest again— and this time succeeded in destroying the kingdom. At the time the game begins, with its enemies defeated, The Radiance is still attempting to break the physical restraints keeping the Hollow Knight in place and venture out into the world to rain destruction on the remaining survivors of Hallownest.

Your character is also a product of that program to produce a soulless vessel, and you have been supernaturally called back to Hallownest to usurp your sibling and take The Radiance into yourself instead. You, not they, will be sealed away for all time to allow the broken pieces of the kingdom to go on.

This is where the choice comes in. Over the course of the game, you discover that there may be another way: you can enter the Hollow Knight's mind yourself and destroy The Radiance. But this path is much more difficult.

What makes it such an interesting choice, to me, is that it asks you what you believe about your character. The game, true to fashion, never specifically says "hey, your character also has a will of their own!" (in fact, at least one character specifically says you don't— or, importantly, that your mind might be beyond her considerable power to understand. This might be kind of a satirical intepretation of the "silent protagonist player proxy" trope.) If you believe that your character is soulless, then the idea of taking the easy way and sealing yourself makes logical sense. No harm would be done, in that case.

But I could not stand that idea. A soulless being would not have saved the missing children, Bretta, Zote, the Last Stag— I did not want that for my character. And, so, since this is I am the one playing the role in this roleplaying game, I decided it wasn't so. I took the extra challenges, I took the harder route— and I defeated The Radiance.

For me, then, it wasn't just about beating a hard boss capping off 40+ hours of gameplay. It was about a personal vindication for my understanding of my character. That was a pretty powerful feeling.

#completion list #games #completed #todo #review #metroidvania #soulslike #hollow knight #team cherry #knight #the quarantine list

23 notes · View notes

city-of-spooks · 3 years

Text

There is a Selkie in our bathtub.

A short story about casting off your skin, fishfingers and a dog called Dennis.

She’s quiet now, but usually, you can hear her moving about because the water splashes over the rim and Dad goes mad about the floor.

“Fish don’t pay the deposit,” he says.

“Miss McColl says seals are mammals, not fish,” I explain.

We had a lesson about animals and their families at the beginning of term and there was a whole bit on seals. They raise their pups on milk, like people do, and the mums look after them until they are ready to go out and swim on their own.

Dad does not find this helpful. His mouth goes all thin when he’s unhappy, like someone has pulled on the other side of his beard. A lot of it is grey, now.

The couple on the bottom floor has a big dog that always sniffs my pockets, with fur like silvery wire. It’s called Dennis. Sometimes he comes and watches me tie my laces in the morning, eyes like jawbreakers. He just sits there. And then the lady will whistle for him and he pads home, big paws slapping like welly boots.

•

I think Dennis might have been a person.

Sometimes I dream about things like that. My mouth opens and bubbles come out, floating towards the ceiling, and the blankets go soft and slippery. You can pull them over you like a cocoon. My bones go to jelly inside my skin - but it’s a good thing. It makes sense, somehow.

Then I wake up and I feel even weirder; like someone has bundled all of my left shoes into a bag and dumped them off the pier.

“I don’t know where you get all this shite from,’ says Dad.

I try not to talk too much when he gets back from work, so mornings are the best time to ask him things.

How big can the waves get? Big.

Why doesn’t Gilly sink? Good boats don’t sink.

Do you have to go? I needed this shift. The old woman said she’ll have you.

Hmm. What’s the weirdest fish you’ve ever fished? It wasn’t a fish.

•

Dad doesn’t like talk after work. He’s always quiet. Angry, I think. Always smells like fish and salt and the sticky seaweed that gathers under the pier. He used to get straight into the shower and stay in there for ages, coming out all red and scrubbed like a shiny lobster.

I don’t think flannel ‘once-overs’ are helping because he still stinks of Gilly.

Dad still goes straight into the bathroom, but he can’t use the tub because it’s got… her in it. Sometimes he goes in with a bucket full of glassy-eyed fishies.

It always comes out empty. No bones in the plughole.

I eat my tea in front of the TV, leaving four fish-fingers in the oven for Dad.

The volume has to be loud to drown out Mr Kinney’s radio upstairs - but sometimes I can hear him talking in the bathroom. It echoes. His voice is low, rumbly. There might be a splash, the taps running, buckets being filled and brought out onto the landing. I brush my teeth there and spit into the toilet next door.

When I’m feeling brave, I can hold my breath and push my ear to the wall.

Thump. Murmurs. Low. Dad. Thump. Quiet. Splash. Thump. Quiet. Dad again. Thump. Thump. Thump.

I’m there for ages. A lot longer than I thought, because I’m getting sleepy and my toes are going all stiff in the cold from under the door. Then... a click. It’s loud and I scramble into my bed, thinking it’s Dad turning the light switch.

It isn’t.

•

He doesn’t eat his dinner. He talks to the tiles all night.

I’m not supposed to tell anybody, but Dad says not to especially tell Granny about the Selkie.

She’s not my real Granny, she’s actually the old lady who owns the flats, but she’s been here for as long as I can remember. Her eyes are watery like milk and she smells like smoke, but she always stops to give me these little chewy toffees whenever I see her on the stairs.

Dad says I shouldn’t take sweets from strangers, even Mrs Keeley. He doesn’t like me calling her Granny. His nose wrinkles like he’s smelt something off.

Once she came and hammered on the door really loudly when I was in bed, yelling about lots of things. Dad’s weird hours and the water pipes clanging when she’s trying to watch the news. She’s always watching the news.

Sometimes she braids my hair when I stay over. Her fingers curl where they shouldn’t, but they still manage to brush out the tangles Dad can’t get when we’re rushing for the bus.

“You’re really good at that,” I say. My mouth is full of peppermint chew.

I don’t take my shoes off, sitting with my school bag tucked between my legs. I want to curl around it like seaweed.

“My Lorna was always head sore.”

Mrs Keeley sounds like she’s smiling.

“I had to get her hair done quick or it wouldn’t get done at all.”

She ties off my plait with a bow. Blue ribbon. Her fingers hold onto the ends of it like she doesn’t know when to stop - and the jelly-bones feeling comes back, just for a moment.

“You never lose it.”

•

When I go back upstairs to our flat, Dad still isn’t home.

If this happens I’m meant to go back to Mrs Keeley and stay with her a bit longer, even though her rooms are always a bit too warm, like she’s trying to heat the entire place up from top to bottom.

Our bit is quiet. And cold.

I want to show Dad my hair and how pretty it is - it looks like how Shauna’s Mum does hers. Sometimes I stare at it when I’m in science.

The tap drips. Once, twice, three times.

I’m supposed to be in bed, but if I’m hungry the fridge has those leftover fish-fingers from the other night. But I’m not hungry. My stomach is full of peppermint chews.

When I pass the bathroom, my foot catches the spot where the carpet has rolled up. The floor is squeakiest there - and it groans when I go to catch myself from falling. My hand loudly slaps the landing wall. Ouch.

Water hits the tiles on the other side of the wall, a huge spray clattering against the old shampoo bottles and soaking the shower-curtain. I can almost feel it under my stinging palm, and just know that Dad’s going to be really angry about the floor this time.

But I don’t care. I want to see her. Selkie.

My voice comes out all wobbly.

“It’s me...”

I don’t want to scare her, even though I sound a lot different than Dad.

She still hasn’t seen me yet - but knows I exist. My name gets passed around the taps during those late-night chats. I think that’s enough.

•

Dad was in a rush that morning. He went to bed angry and woke up groggy, nearly putting his foot in the sink-that’s-actually-a-bucket. I think everyone had weird dreams, even if we didn’t dream the same thing.

I dreamt that the bedroom was full of water again. Fish swam in shoals through the wardrobe, picking at Dad’s thick mariner’s socks and hiding in the blankets. My shoes floated past me, hitting our bobbly ceiling with a thunk.

I looked down at the bed, the pillows billowing like jellyfish, mattress lifting from rusty springs.

Something is there, right at the edge-

•

I take a deep breath and open the bathroom door. It’s cold, smelling of fish and the underbelly of the pier. Buckets are everywhere - some full of water, some with half-eaten fish guts sloshed up the sides. I feel a bit sick.

Now, our bath is pretty deep. It’s very old, the kind that takes up the whole boiler if you let it, so we have to top it off with pans heated on the stove if it runs short. I can’t peer into it from the doorway, but I can see long, browning lines painted on the tiles. We have those markers on my classroom wall, groups of five scrunched together in a weird pattern.

I think they’re called tally-

A CLICK sounds from the bottom of the tub, the noise loud and sharp.

I drop my bag.

The oily blanket stuffed at the bottom tumbles out of it, along with my sandwich crusts, landing by one of the buckets with a thump. I’d go to reach it, but my feet won’t move.

Jelly-bones again. The world has gone quiet. All I can hear is my heart thumping loudly and the grumble-rumble of Mr Kinney’s radio. Dennis is barking from the bottom flat. Someone is yelling outside.

The tap isn’t dripping anymore.

I step closer to the tub and my mouth flops open, like one of Dad’s biggest catches.

Dead fish. Hook-in-lip.

Stoppered in the spout is a toe, with silvery webbing connected between each one. There’s a long foot, leading up to a shaky knee crisscrossed with streaks of pearly white. It’s hard to make out over the mottled brown patches blooming across her skin, but it’s a very pretty pattern. Like Mrs Keeley’s swirly carpet and-

“Coira.”

•••

Author’s note: I could have ended it there, but I am a slut for the poetic and always over-egg my stuff - especially when I’m stressed. So here’s a Director’s Cut finish.

There’s nothing else to know.

I’m older - and yet younger than I’ve ever been.

My home is spread over miles of water, mountainous waves and my stomach is full of fish.

I have siblings now. A whole colony, rookery and herd of family. We go by many things.

Sometimes the men in the boats call us a ‘Bob.’

It’s a name that hurts the back of my head but the memory always slips away before too long, for I am coated in an oil-slick. Soft and sleek. Quick.

We spend our days playing in the long weeds, hunting, playing, nudging - sometimes we even stretch out onto the beaches and soak up the sun. Children come to watch us, their sticky fingers reaching to pull at our coats but the parents always steer them away.

They never let on to what they really know.

On a handful of nights, when the moon is full and bright, we walk on the shore. My skin is bundled up and always kept within my sight, tucked behind a stump of the old pier.

It’s been years since I’ve seen myself like this. Longer legs, thick thighs and stomach to keep warm in the winter currents. The brown and white mottles running up and down my skin are less graceful on me, more abstract.

I think of a painting made with fingers - maybe mine? - from many years ago. It hung on the fridge for months, until it got swallowed by angry red letters.

But we continue to dance. My eyes, which can see through shifting silt and roaring tides, do not search beyond the beach. I simply spin faster and the seagrass tied in my hair shimmers in the moonlight.

Sometimes I feel a person or two watching us.

One of my sisters laughs and it cracks through the silence like a bark, more voices rising with it until the calls of early morning gulls are drowned out.

It’s the darkest moment before dawn. In this light, the seagrass looks like a dark blue ribbon.

#my writing #writing #celtic #celtic mythology #selkie #mermaids #short story #story #mythology

2 notes · View notes

broken-clover · 4 years

Text

AU-gust Day 8- Superpowers/Superheroes

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

So apparently when I say ‘these are very long, maybe I should make them less long next time’ it apparently means ‘WRITE NEARLY 5000 WORDS AND SUFFER’ I’m having. A day. Not a bad one just. A Day. This more or less feels like a pilot episode for something honestly.

Please do not ask why I keep writing Sin because there is no answer.

Ky had left him in charge of the scanner. Again.

And Sin knew why he had done it, why he always left him sitting in the high-backed chair perched in front of an array of high-tech computers while he and his friends leapt into action. It wasn’t because Sin was any kind of tech genius. It was because it was the best way of keeping him out of the way.

They didn’t even pretend like it was a real task in need of doing. Sol had already rigged the scanner so that it would send notifications to the entire team as soon as it picked up anything suitably peculiar. Ky’s excuse was that they needed him to watch it and make sure the scanner didn’t malfunction, but it never did. It was just a good way to keep him from running around while Ky couldn’t keep an eye on him.

Well, he could have brought him along, but whenever he suggested, Ky just had to get all uppity about it, and say in so many words that he didn’t want his precious baby boy going on dangerous missions, except he’d say it in a way that made him sound completely reasonable and rational, even though he was a teenager now and he was tired of spending time in front of the monitors and doing nothing but sitting on his ass like a useless idiot.

He shifted to prop his chin up on his other arm. The scanner did another rotation around Illyria, but no notification popped up, just like the last thousand or so times. Ugh, he’d been here for hours, when were they going to come back? The distress call had come from the complete opposite side of town, but considering that half of them could fly, and Ky himself could turn into a goddamn lightning bolt, they were awfully slow. So much for ‘just a quick mission’ like he had promised.

Groaning, Sin abandoned the chair and left it to spin behind him. He left the completely empty computer room to head into the equally-empty kitchen, hoping to find something to munch on. In between Sol’s beer bottles, Testament’s vegan snacks and Chipp’s leftover Japanese takeout, there was a plastic-domed pastry box. His excited smile melted off as soon as he pulled it out and peered inside.

“Thank you for keeping our city safe!” Said the fancy frosting letters. Yeah, he knew where it was from. The local orphanage had sent it after Ky and his friends had stopped Judgement from blowing up half the city last week. Because they were a bunch of good-samaritan do-gooders so compassionate and helpful that they got fucking cake from orphans.

He still cut a big piece from it before shoving the thing back into the fridge. Hey, cake was cake. Plus, he could get a kick out of ruining the letters and part of the bright yellow smiley-face under it.

At least being stuck at the base meant nobody raised a stink over him sitting on the meeting table. Sin was careful not to leave any shoe tracks on it, though, after Ky had chewed him out for it the last time. Personally, he thought having a white table was stupid in the first place, but that was the design Ky liked. It was the same reason they had the big sweeping ceilings, elaborate carvings along the walls, and a special designated chair for each of their official members, individualized by their names and insignias (Because his dad really was that fucking cliche)

In between bites of cake, he toed at the fancy lightning bolt carved into Ky’s chair, with ’Thunderseal’ written out above it. Sin remembered when he used to chase his father around the house, pretending to be him with a construction-paper mask and towel cape. He had utterly idolized Thunderseal, and dreamed that someday he would be able to take up the mantle when he became a real hero. It wasn’t a dream he clung onto anymore. Just the shadow of being his son was big enough.

Sin tried to take his mind off things by pulling out his phone. Maybe May would be up for a chat.

‘Anything going on w/ u?’

May always had her phone on her, so it didn’t take long before his pinged with a message. ’Just finished a job! Hbu?’

‘Send pics?’ Just his luck he got her while she was out working. At least maybe he could get a few cool pictures out of it.

Just like last time, it barely took a minute before she responded back with a pile of photos. All of them had May smiling with her teammates in uniform, along with a very irritated-looking (and very wet) tied-up criminal. He’d hoped that the pictures would have cheered him up, but all it did was annoy him further. She was younger and smaller than him by a lot, but she was allowed to go out on dangerous jobs.

Mer-May, the absolute darling of the Jellyfish team of superheroes. Even though they weren’t from Illyria, he still saw stories and photos about them in the paper. They looked like a real team. They probably took all their team members out on missions, and when they didn’t, he bet they had a much better reason than needing someone to watch the scanners.

’Great job! :D’ he messaged back with stiff, trembling fingers, before an errant current made his screen crackle and explode in a burnt cloud.

“Oh for fuck’s sake…” Why did that always happen when he got frustrated, this was his twelfth phone in the last year! Like he needed one more thing to be annoyed about.

Sin was sick and tired of being inside. He abandoned his half-eaten cake at the table and headed for the entrance, swiping his jacket and a spare mask on the way out.

++++++

Nobody gave him much of a second look as he slid along the wires twenty feet off the ground. Anybody who even noticed the crackle of electricity in the first place regarded him with complete nonchalance. Superpowered individuals had become a lot more commonplace, especially with the formation of publicly-known groups like the Jellyfish and the Guardians of Illyria. It was practically a celebrity subculture. Just a fixture of daily life. People with powers no longer had much of a reason to hide anymore.

In his absentmindedness, he nearly fell off-balance and slipped from the wire he was on. He wondered if Ky ever did that on the job. He might’ve been the team’s shiny poster-boy, but he wasn’t as perfect as everyone always acted like he was. It didn’t stop the newspapers and nighttime TV reports from painting him as some flawless guardian angel. Even when he was little, they were always talking about Ky.’s exploits, how he made Illyria a safe place. For the longest time, all that praise had convinced him his father could do no wrong.

Sin remembered the times when he would hold his father’s hand as they skated across the powerlines, helping him keep his balance. Sin always kept his eyes peeled for trouble, and whenever they spotted a kitten stuck in a tree or someone struggling with groceries, Ky would let him take charge to ‘save’ the civilian in need. He used to love the slightly-exaggerated smiles from grateful people and congratulatory pats on the head from his father, but it all felt so infuriatingly patronizing now. He didn’t want to be stuck helping old ladies cross the street while his father and his friends fought the real villains and saved the day. It never felt like he was helping anyone in the long run, he was just doing errands for people and nothing more than that.

He skidded to a stop on an electronic billboard, slid down the maintenance ladder, and found a place to sit. From his jacket pocket, he pulled out a tiny battered book and pen.

‘Sin the Superhero!’ was scrawled across the front in faded, childlike handwriting. He skipped past the scribbled-over and torn pages in the front half, all practically carbon-copies of Ky, until he reached the more complicated doodles and neater handwriting.

‘Hero Name Ideas.’ The list had gotten longer recently, but still none of them seemed to fit him right. He scratched off a couple of older ideas and jot down ‘Livewire’ and ‘Sparx’ at the bottom. Mmm, no, when he wrote them down on paper, that didn’t seem right, either.

“Ughh, why is this so hard!?” Sin groaned to himself, closing the book and smacking himself in the face with it. He wasn’t going to be Thunderseal. No matter what, he was not going to be Thunderseal.

He’d thought of skipping town and joining the Jellyfish, but May’s manager Johnny said that they only accepted female members. There were a few others scattered across the country, like the ones down in Kagutsuchi, Remnant, and Inaba, but they seemed so different from what he was used to, Sin wasn’t sure he’d fit in even if they let him join.

He spotted a convenience store half a block down. Maybe he just needed a snack to help him think. He hadn’t gotten to finish his cake, after all.

Sin slid back up onto the powerline and followed the sidewalk until he found a wall generator to jump into near ground-level. The light burst that followed him when he landed startled an older woman as she headed back to her car, but otherwise nobody paid attention.

The convenience store was awfully quiet for the afternoon, but all it meant was that he could scour the aisles for something to eat. They didn’t have anything meaty, so he settled for red licorice. It almost looked like meat.

“Would you like a bag?” The cashier asked, with the usual feigned-cheer that minimum wage barely afforded.

“Nah, I’m just gonna eat it now.” He replied, digging for a few spare bills in his back pocket.

When he found the money and went to turn back around, he spotted an ominous smear of crimson in his peripheral vision. Out through the front windows, a peculiar-looking girl was stumbling across the parking lot barefoot, stained in what appeared to be blood.

“The hell…?” Sin murmured. He realized he still had money in his hand. “Oh. Shit, uh, keep the change!” All but throwing the money at the poor woman, he grabbed his licorice and bolted out the door, taking a moment to swing his head around to find that girl again before running after her. “Hey! Hold on a second!”

Maybe he was too loud, because she immediately flinched and threw up her arms to cover her head. “I-I’m sorry!”

“You’re...what?” He skidded to a stop right in front of her. Yeah, that was definitely blood. The girl didn’t seem to be in a good condition, if the stumbling hadn’t already given it away. All the bloodstains appeared to be coming from the numerous wounds on her body, mixed together with a handful of ugly violet bruises. “Man, you look in bad shape. Did you get attacked?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” With her arms still covering her, she crouched down and began trembling.

Sin’s features softened. “Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He crouched down next to her, trying his best to sound harmless. “Okay? Not gonna hurt you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“Y-you aren’t?” A single diamond-blue eye peeked between trembling fingers.

“No, I’m not. Are you in danger? Do you need someone to keep you safe?”

She gave him a slow, jerky nod. “Ok! I can do that. My house is really safe, my dad’s a superhero so you don't have to worry about people getting in unless you want them to! Why don’t we go there, and then I can get you some bandaids?”

Another little nod. “Sounds like a plan, then!” He took her hand, helped her back up, and turned in the direction of where he’d come from. “It’s over this way, so we can-”

“No!! No, no, we can’t!” She suddenly shrieked, trying to pull herself from his grip.

“Woah, woah!” Sin let her go in his shock. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t go! I can’t go!” She cried, tugging at her pale pink hair with both hands. “I can’t leave without my sister!”

“Your sister? Where is she?”

Her expression grew haunted. “Oh...oh no...I left her behind...I promised we wouldn’t be separated…”

Sin tried to quell the growing feeling of excitement unfurling in him. Yes, this girl was clearly in need of help. He was finally doing his first real job as a hero, without Ky getting in the way! And he’d found it all by himself! But he needed to keep serious.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get your sister.” He gave the girl a confident grin. “Can you show me where she is?”

Another nod. “Uh-huh. I can show you.”

“Think you can show me from the rooftops? It’ll be faster that way.” She didn’t pull away again when he started leading her towards the generator he had jumped out of.

“Huh? There’s no ladder, how would you- aaaah!”

Sin scooped her up before taking off up the wires to the roof. “I’m a hero, too! I can follow electric currents! So if you can point me in the direction of- oh.”

The sudden movement had apparently freaked her out, and both of her trembling arms were tightly wrapped around him for stability.

“Oops. Um, sorry about that. I forget the vertigo is really bad the first few times.” He tried giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “But I promise I won’t drop you, okay? I just need you to show me what direction you came from.”

It took her a moment to unbury herself from her place in his jacket, but she reached out to point towards the heart of Illyria. “That way. It's by the big building with a cow on the roof.”

His grin came back as Sin felt the sparks fly off his feet. “Say no more!”

++++++

Sin had never been to this part of town before, on the ground or otherwise. It seemed like a perfectly nice neighborhood, but for some reason, there was just something that felt...off.

He tried not to worry about it. “Hey, so you didn’t tell me your name. I’m Sin! What should I call you?”

The girl in his arms seemed to have finally gotten used to the harsh movements, only wincing when the harsh wind blew the hair in her eyes. “E-Elphelt.” She said. “My name is Elphelt.”

Weird name, but he didn’t say anything. Even if he wanted to, he was interrupted by her pointing him left. “R-right there! The big white building!”

“This one?” He asked, sliding up onto the roof of what he could only guess was a large warehouse. A few trucks were parked out in front, but he didn’t see any people, nor were any lights on inside. “Are you sure this is it?”

“Mmhm!” She nodded vigorously, though the fear had come back into her eyes. “Please! I can’t leave her behind!”

We’re gonna save your sister, don’t worry.” Sin put her down on the roof next to him, and began searching for some kind of way in. “How did you get out?”

She walked towards one of the building’s edges and peered down. “Stairs! There’s emergency stairs by the windows!”

“Stairs?” He headed off after her. Sure enough, a set of metal stairs snaked down the building’s side. “We can get in through one of those windows!”

The two of them ran down a few flights, only stopping when Elphelt pointed one out. “This one! I think it’s this one!”

“This one?” Sin repeated back. He crouched down to get a good look at it. “I don’t think it’s latched; it should probably just slide open from the bottom.”

“Okay, then let’s-”

“Wait-” He grabbed her hand a half-second before she could slide the window open. “There’s an alarm. It’ll trigger if you pull it open.”

Elphelt recoiled immediately. “How can you tell?”

“I told you I can ride currents, right? I can sense them, too.” He put a hand on the wall next to the window. “Feels like there’s a whole security system set up and wired to the same main hub.” Elphelt was tearing up again in the corner of his eye, and he raised his free hand to assure her. “Don’t worry. Each window has its own sensor alarm. If I can just overload it…”

Sin pressed his eyes shut and willed a bolt of electricity into existence. He slid it between his hands a few times before feeding it into the sensor. After a moment, he felt the current split off between the window and the rest of the system as the wires melted and the plastic exploded.

“Okay, just hold your breath…” He put his hands on the sill. In one motion, he jerked it open and...no alarm.

“Phew…” Elphelt shook her head in momentary relief, before tensing up again. “We have to hurry! We have to hurry!”

She squeezed herself inside before he could even think of doing it himself. Once she had gotten inside, he wormed in after her. “Yeah, of course. But why do we have to hurry? I don’t think anyone’s here.”

The building was as dark inside as it had looked outside. The room they had been dumped into had a high ceiling and a concrete floor, but was nearly empty aside from some storage crates. At least, they looked like storage crates, he couldn’t really tell. From another pocket, he pulled out a rechargeable flashlight, funneled a bit of electricity into it, and switched it on. A narrow slice of light cut through the empty room.

It fell on Elphelt’s horrified face. “El? What’s wrong?”

“We have to hurry.” She spoke in a trembling whisper. “We have to hurry before mother comes home.”

He wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but it seemed important to her. “Okay. We’ll go quickly. What room is your sister in? Can you show me?”

The hallway was slightly lighter, but no less empty. Had everyone gone home already? Then again, he had no idea what this building was for in the first place, maybe there never were people at all. He couldn’t see any security cameras on the ceilings, but even if they were there, he doubted they would be able to see much.

He followed Elphelt down a couple sets of stairs. They both kept their backs pressed to the wall, their footsteps light, and their guard up. Sin glanced over his shoulder every few seconds to be absolutely sure they weren’t being followed.

At one point, Elphelt stopped and held a hand out to him. “I think this is it.”

Compared to the rest of the building, he could sense a veritable feast of electricity coursing back and forth beyond the door they were staring at. It seemed logical that if she was anywhere, it would be in there.

The new room was a stark difference in just how blindingly white it was. Sin had to blink and cover his eyes for a minute while he convinced himself that he was not actually going blind. Elphelt seemed unconcerned with the sudden change, and walked deeper in without him.

“Elphelt! Wait!” He hissed, blinking to clear his vision. The blurry edges eventually smoothed out and sharpened. “Woah…”

Just from a wild guess, it had to be some kind of laboratory. All the glass, fancy equipment, and desks looked like something from the sci-fi shows Sol liked to watch. What kind of science exactly, he had no idea. But it didn’t matter. He had to help Elphelt. Where had she gone to?

“El?” He called out, still trying to keep himself from being too loud. It was a bright white room and she had bright pink hair, how could he not find her in two seconds?

Sin felt his stomach growl as he began to search. Absentmindedly, he pulled out his abandoned licorice and peeled a strand off to eat it. “El?”

He thought he had spotted a flash of pink, but when he approached it, he found a strange pile of pink mush in a large clear dish. He didn’t have the slightest idea of what it was, but it unnerved him. Sin put down his licorice on the tabletop and reached for a glass rod that had been left near it.

What did he think would happen if he prodded it? That was another question he couldn’t answer. It made an odd, gooey noise as the tip sank into its surface. It had looked solid, but the more he pushed into it, the more the glass vanished, even when he thought it would have gone all the way through and come out the other end.

“Sin!”

“Elphelt?” He looked up from his impromptu experiment. Why had he let himself get distracted? Sin pulled the stick back out and set it on the table, and reached for his-

“Where’d I put my licorice…?”

“Sin! Please!”

“Coming, El!” That was more important. He ran off towards her voice. The tables gave way to what he could only describe as giant stove burners built into the ground. “Where are you?”

“Over here!” He saw a hand in the air and headed towards it. It was actually Elphelt that time, instead of some weird arm-monster, thankfully.

“There you are. Jeez, you’re fast-” His eyes went wide.

There was...a girl, suspended in some sort of glassy prison. It hovered over one of the weird floor-burner things, spinning around and around as the room’s lights glinted off it. The girl inside didn’t seem especially bothered by the spinning, or the fact that the ball was barely big enough for her to fit inside. If he didn’t know any better, she looked completely unconscious.

“What the hell?” He looked at his companion. “El, is this her? Is this your sister?”

“Ram…” She said, more to the other girl than to him. Her eyes had gone wet with tears again.

There was an electrical current running under the burner. Without thinking, Sin shoved his hand into it and discharged a bolt of electricity.

He was pretty sure he felt the fluid splattering on his face before he even heard the glass break. The overload of energy had not only shut off whatever the burner was doing, but forced the ball to shatter. He heard Elphelt dive to the ground behind him. Any of the glass that exploded onto him was melted by the heat of his lightning. The smell of ozone and the backlash from overusing his powers was making him dizzy, but Sin tried to focus on what was around him.

Once the chaos had died down, Elphelt crawled back out from the table she’d hidden behind. “Sin?”

“El.” He sent her a dopey, tired smile. “I got it.”

“Ram!!” The girl hurried back over to kneel down by the unconscious body. A few glass shards had nicked their skin, but there was nothing especially worrying. Elphelt seemed to be far more concerned with Ram than she was about her own injuries, anyway. She scooped up the other girl and held her close, placing a hand on her chest as she began murmuring something incomprehensible. Sin watched a faint pink glow envelop her hand and flow into the other’s body.

“Elphelt?” He asked in quiet awe. “You have powers?”

Whatever she was trying to do, it seemed to have worked. As soon as the glow faded, Ram began to rouse.

“Mhh...Elphelt?”

“Ram!” El hugged her sister tightly as her shoulder began trembling. “Oh, you’re awake, you’re awake. I promised I wouldn’t leave you.”

“Elphelt…” She put a hand on her sister’s back and smiled gently. “I’m okay.”

“Th-this is Sin!” When she regained some of her composure, Elphelt pointed at him. “He helped me save you!”

“Yeah. But El, you said we had to hurry, right? We should leave.”

“Oh! We need to leave fast, you’re right.” Elphelt stood back up, but she appeared remarkably calm. In fact, she was smiling. “But we can go even faster with Ram!”

The girl nodded in silent agreement. She looped a hand around her sister’s waist, before beckoning Sin over.

“Faster?” He was confused, but he complied, stepping closer so Ram could grab him by the middle. “I’m not sure what you me-EEEEEAN- !”

The question was answered for him very quickly. His feet were off the ground before he could blink. Ram was shooting off towards the nearest wall, and he had absolutely no way of stopping her.

“Are you insane?!” They were going to fly headfirst into a metal wall! Sin absolutely couldn’t handle hitting something that solid that fast, but he didn’t have any electricity left to try and shock her into dropping him. All he could do was watch.

There was a horrific crunch, and everything went black.

And then blue, as they passed through to the other side without a scratch.

Sin hadn’t realized he was screaming in terror until he stopped. He saw a massive gaping hole in the metal when he turned to look back, but he couldn’t see a single scratch on him, or his questionably-deranged pilot.

“It’s okay, Sin!” Elphelt called. “Ram’s really strong!”

‘Strong’ didn’t seem like a very good explanation on how they hadn’t just smashed their collective heads open, but really, after everything he had been through, it seemed stupid to ask questions.

++++++

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU RAN OFF??”

Sin winced, pulling the receiver away from his ear. “I know, I know, dad, I messed up-”

“MESSED UP??” Ky’s voice shouted back. “You ran off without telling anyone! I thought you had been kidnapped!”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry.” He said. “But I promise I can explain everything. I need a ride back, do you think you can come pick me up over by Bishop Bakery? The place over at the corner of Hansen and 15th?”

“All the way out there?! Sin, what are you doing in the north district in the first place?”

“Uh, that’s a bit of a long story…” He turned to look at his two new companions. Elphelt kicked her bare feet under the bench as she watched the cars go by, and Ramlethal was sitting cross-legged and bobbing her head back and forth to a song coming out of a nearby radio. “A really long story. Why don’t I tell you all about it over leftover cake?”

++++++

A dark shadow slid along sterile white walls, pacing back and forth and back. Immaculately manicured nails drummed against a pale sleeve, the only giveaway against a perfect porcelain mask of calmness.

“So they both ran away…” A melodic voice echoed off the high walls. “I never would have expected such ingenuity from her.”

The room went quiet for a moment. “Still, nothing I can’t handle. A few steps to shuffle around, but in the end, those girls saved me quite a lot of effort. Brought back to the Guardians on a silver platter! What a stroke of luck.”

She paused. “Oh? The boy? Just another pawn, easy enough to handle. His powers are little more than parlor tricks. I’ll have no trouble disposing of him as soon as he becomes a nuisance."

Another pause. Slowly, the porcelain mask began to crack. “Is that so?

In the blink of an eye, she lashed out to grab one of the trailing tubes. It was squeezed in a white-knuckled grip until the flow was dammed. “Now, you aren’t getting all high and mighty on me, are you?” She asked in a sickly-sweet voice, putting the smiling mask back on. “Don’t forget who gave you all of your shiny new toys. If it weren’t for me, you would still be rotting away in that hospital bed, where nobody could hear you.”

She took a moment longer to grab onto the clear plastic, then let it go. “I’m glad you’ve decided to cooperate. I helped you for a reason, you know. I saw the potential you had...Ah, I ramble so much.” She shook her head. “I’ll leave you to your work. And don’t forget to get plenty of rest. We have so much work to do, and so little time…”

The shadow moved away, melting into all the others with the sound of clicking heels. Once it was far, far away, the faint hum of magic sounded. From another pool of darkness, a half-eaten package of red licorice floated into the faint light. A single braid was pulled out of it, and invisible fingers peeled a stand off to carry it into an awaiting mouth. Artificial strawberry, what a peculiar flavor.

“So…” A silent voice echoed in the darkness. “...Sin?”

#AU-gust #superhero au #writing #guilty gear #Sin Kiske #Elphelt Valentine #Ramlethal Valentine #I will now proceed to bury myself in my front yard

17 notes · View notes

bogleech · 5 years

Text

Okay here’s the whole entire text of my original pokemon gen concept under a cut (sorry if that screws you up on mobile)

I’ve only ever sketched a tiny number of these (like my fly ideas here), but I can see most of them in my head pretty clearly and might sketch more of them by request someday. I originally set my fan-region in Florida, a place I hated living but still had a lot of interesting characteristics. This changed over once I moved to Oregon, and the thing about Oregon is that it has desert, forest, swamp, coastline and frozen mountaintops that are all pretty vast, ancient and in places relatively untouched compared to the rest of North America. This is not only a perfect setting for some really wild pokemon, but makes a believable choice because our Pacific Northwest is pretty popular in Japan.

The different biomes of this region have "deep" areas where the pokemon change. Some also have "polluted" areas. The region is environmentally themed and heavily deals with human interference on the natural world.

The villains are Team Bio, genetic engineerers lead by a mysterious old woman who narrowly survived the original Mewtwo experiment. Her underlings all use "mutant" pokemon, and she seeks to create a new species of hyper-intelligent, pure-hearted pokemon that will replace humans entirely. Along the way is a strange increase in reports of interstellar pokemon activity... I actually tried hard to minimize how many pokemon in this are just “my kind” of concept, but I think I failed pretty hard. It probably does feel like it leans a little more towards Mortasheen than something Pokemon would actually make, but for basically every pokemon that’s one of my “dream concepts” or “most wanted” I tried to come up with one that I thought would appeal more to somebody else’s taste than mine.

THE STARTERS

Grass Starter: a grass "lumberjack" pterosaur with an axe for a beak. Second stage has more saw-like beak, final stage is a grass/steel quetzalcoatlus (the pterosaur) with a beak and crest forming a chainsaw, no longer flies

Fire type calf whose black cow marks are actually soot. Evolves into cow with craggy black “helmet” and horns of charcoal. Final stage a charcoal-armored minotaur like fire/ground type.

Water Starter is a beady-eyed water shrew with big webbed flipper feet, known to steal shiny objects. Second stage more humanoid, said to dive for treasure. Final stage is water/dark lanky, stripey shrew with a black mask, said to rob boats like a “highwayman” of the river.

Meadows and forest:

Normal type mammal is a spherical porcupine, like a chestnut. Rubs its spines with noxious fruit juices, giving it a multicolored look. Evolved form is a colorful “punk” porcupine.

Early bug is a sticklike inchworm Evolves to cocoon resembling a wooden log on top. Final form is bipedal stick mimic grasshopper, evocative of a cute wooden puppet with a pointed nose.

Basic bird is a hummingbird Evolves to be four-winged and legless, never lands in its whole life. Final hummingbird is a fierce looking hunter that drains energy from grass types like a predator.

Grass type walking bud creature, looks nervous. Evolves to grass/flying orchid-like angelic flower. Alternate evolution is wilted, grey, grass/ghost goth orchid with tattered petals, cute but sad. (evolves this way if it levels up after a battle in which it sustained super-effective damage)

Ground type earthworm sticking out of dirt, cute flower-shaped head. Evolved worm looks like shark sticking out of the dirt, nose looks like its prevo

Electric/dark pikachu-like packrat holding a large coin. Electrically charges its treasure as a booby trap. Actually said to be employed as underlings by the water-type shrew starter.

MISCELLANY:

Bug/poison type grub with fangs. Only encountered in garbage cans. Evolves into a fly pupa Final stage is a gloomy looking, drooling anthropomorphic fly.

Single stage bug/fairy type: a beautiful Maleficent-looking parasitoid wasp. Evolves from any cocoon/pupa pokemon if they're holding a "suspicious egg" item.

Ocean

Water/grass nudibranch with flower on its back. Evolves to a glaucus, each "arm" a colorful flower that absorbs sunlight as it floats.

Water type fish that "sails" on the sea's surface with its fins. Sleepy looking stingray evolution. Final form is water/dragon deep sea fish, combines some traits of anglerfish and viperfish with eyes on stalks. Only evolves from stingray when you're in the sea trench.

Water/flying marlin with huge, dazzling butterfly like fins.

Water type baby dolphin, fuzzy like a seal pup, only evolves if it has fainted more times than the number of its current level. Evolved form is water/dark, shaggy-furred, fierce looking, battle scarred dolphin with legs instead of flippers, a throwback to the doglike ancestors of delphinidae.

Polluted inlet

Water/poison oil slick with two tentacles and beady white eyes, signature ability changes it to water/fire type if it uses a fire move. Evolved form is an oil slick rising into a cartoon octopus with x's for pupils.

Water/steel fish hook with tiny head and eyes, like a barbed metal worm. Water/steel fishing jig, googly eyes and everything.

Barren Island - just a very big rock in the middle of the inlet

Ghost/poison: a greenish "dodo bird" with a face like a biohazard mask, the ghost of a species that went exinct due to sickness.

Sea Trench

Water/fire bristleworm "snake" Water/fire tube worm "dragon"

Water/ghost wailord skeleton draped in pink fuzz and a garden of one-eyed bone worms.

Swamp

Electric/flying bird resembling a lightbulb kiwi. Evolved form resembling a neon light lawn flamingo.

Grass/fairy giant sloth with sleepy face, completely covered in shaggy moss with various flowers and mushrooms. Protector of the swamp, able to control plant life.

Grass/psychic sundew, just a pair of sundew leaves atop a sleepy looking oddish-esque bulb. Evolved sundew is mostly a big circular sundew rosette, but a humanoid flower rotates in the center like a music box to lure prey.

Water/fighting borzoi pup with long legs, acts like a water strider. Evolved form is an elongated, elegant borzoi "ballerina" that dances atop water

Water/ground red leech slightly evocative of a vacuum cleaner. A healer that sucks poison from the body instead of blood. May mysteriously appear in your team after walking through swamp water.

Deep Forest:

Grass/ground banana slug with colorful mold spots, learns spore. Evolves into mold splotched, brown banana peel creature, more like a big squid.

Grass/dark autumn leaf in the shape of a bat, has levitate. Evolved form redder, bigger "vampire cape" leaf-bat.

Psychic/ghost cheshire cat with Meowth-like proportions, bright crescent smile. Evolved form just huge smile and cat eyes hovering in the air, beastly cat body fading into view only for physical attacks or when struck.

Rock type humanoid made of transparent amber with a strange mayfly-like bug sleeping inside. Outer body can "break" at low HP and release faster, more offensive pure bug form.

Rock: incredibly huge, stony looking moose with long white fur draped over its eyes and back. Comes in size variations like Pumpkaboo line and said to never stop growing. A truly titanic one is used as transportation through the deep forest.

Snowy patches

Bug/ice velvet worm that spews a freezing liquid. Silly looking, almost like wiggler from mario.

Ice/flying fluffy white bird resembling a tiny Japanese style snowman. Evolves to resemble western style snowman with clawed bird feet, pointed beak nose. A flightless pure ice mountain dweller.

Electric/ice with levitate: a crystalline "UFO" sky-jellyfish with many colorful lights, core body looks like a cute pikmin-esque "alien" inside. Catch by fishing off of ledges into the sky. Mistaken by locals for alien activity.

Lava Tube Caves

Psychic type bipedal pink salamander with no eyes. Evolves into beautiful milotic-like psychic/dragon blind olm.

Rock/fighting spearhead with feet, eyes are just round holes through blade. Evolves to gain a stick-figure sort of body.

Abandoned town

Normal/bug filthy dog, a shaggy pile of fur with goofy eyes and pink tongue. Little black specks jump about it. Ability changes normal moves to bug moves. Evolved form more obviously a dog but still very shaggy, surrounded by constant cloud of black specks.

Grass/electric "christmas tree" made of holly and lights. Found in a burned down house, glowing eyes peer out from beneath it.

Ghost: has a colorful quilt for a body and a pincushion for a head. Found inside houses.

Garbage dump - accessible through abandoned town, possibly what drove people away (includes piles of toys you may investigate to encounter a banette, mimikyu or klefki)

Water/poison: cartoony fish with blank eyes and humanoid pair of legs. Fish for in toxic green garbage pools. Evolves into ground/poison skeleton fish with four limbs, walking like a lizard.

Steel/bug rusty orange silverfish. Eats junk metal. Evolved form so big it wears a rusty car for protection with just its legs and feelers sticking out.

MICROPOKEMON - enlarged artificially in a laboratory where you can also take your fossils.

Bug/fighting flea - spiny black flea with big jagged white teeth. Create from the "pest sample" an item carried randomly by the normal/bug dog.

Poison/fairy germ - fuzzy multicolored mold ball with eyes, stalked suckers. Retrieve "germ sample" from the dodo ghost.

Water/fairy tardigrade - transparent, cute bug stylized almost like a "gummy bear." Retrieve "dew sample" from moss sloth.

Pseudolegendary:

Rock type baby gargoyle creature. Evolves to winged gargoyle with levitate and a few mossy patches. Final form is an elegant griffon-like rock/dragon with an elaborately carved surface

SPACE ARK DRAGON This location is itself a dragon/fairy legendary pokemon so massive you can enter its body. It exists to collect and preserve species from dying worlds. Most common wild pokemon inside is duosion and sometimes Reuniclus. You can also collect "gene samples" from crystalline pods to replicate the ultrabeasts in the same lab you enlarge the microbes and resurrect fossils.

Bug/dark parasitic alien, a little like weird yellow plant suckered to the ground, red flower-like head with an eye on each petal ala the yokai parasite, gyochu.

Bug/dark parasitic alien, a colorful worm with cute eyes and beautiful mothlike wings, a little like the yokai parasite koshi-no-mushi.

Bug/dark parasitic alien, a pale, red and white striped "lizard" with six spindly limbs and a tubular proboscis, inspired by the yokai parasite kagemushi.

Fairy type alien medic, looks like a cute flatwoods monster with heart motif and nurse coat. Flees from all battles unless you have defeated at least one of each of the parasites.

LEGENDARIES:

Dragon/electric: the ark dragon's smaller offspring, looks like an electronic space whale.

Dragon/steel, menacing, sleek black starship creature. Rival to the ark dragon, a "world reaper" that attempts to destroy planets that it thinks are already dying.

Psychic/fairy little white, fluffy mothman-like being, an observer that casts judgment on suffering worlds to call one of the dragons (version based)

Normal type legendary is the most human-like pokemon we've ever seen, a serene floating figure with long hair and black, almond-shaped eyes. A genetic experiment to supplant humans.

Electric/fighting: a hulking humanoid beast, almost frankensteinian with asymmetrical features, a failed early experiment.

A "glitched and scrambled" two dimensional pokemon. The result of the earliest known experiments in digital pokemon transfer. Actually literally typeless.

POISON FUSIONS created in the garbage dump:

Weezodor - poison/flying - Garbodor/weezing hybrid, like a jellyfish bag with smog tentacles.

Mukking - poison/water - Weezing/muk hybrid, like a koffing with slime appendages.

Garmuk - poison/ground - Muk/garbodor hybrid, like a giant slug made of trash.

MUTANT POKEMON: mutations of classic first-stage pokemon into creatures slightly tougher than even their original final stages.

Mutant Caterpie - bug/dragon - huge, dragonlike Caterpie with more menacing eyespots, clawed limbs.

Mutant Paras - pure grass - giant paras with far more mushrooms of different colors, body pure white with no mouth and white sphere eyes, actually made only of fungus.

Mutant Venonat - bug/dark - same old venonat with a big shaggy monster body

Mutant Zubat - Psychic - somewhat larger than crobat, has actual legs and a pair of clawed arms instead of wings. Much bigger ears.

Mutant Voltorb - electric/steel - a Voltorb even bigger than Electrode, otherwise looks normal besides angrier yellow eyes...until it splits open to reveal sharp teeth.

Mutant Tangela - grass/fairy - more like its scrapped Gen II evolution but perhaps a lot taller, with two very very long arms.

Mutant Geodude - rock/fighting - HUGE spiky arms and hands but head/body are the same as always.

Mutant Shellder - water/steel - it's the spiraly slowbro one!

Mutant Exeggcute - psychic/poison - bigger and more plentiful but "rotten" looking eggs with gloomier eyes and dark purple goo.

Mutant Eevee - normal - bigger than any of the eeveelutions, shaggy and beastly with the "camouflage" ability. Learns strong attacks of every eevee evolution type.

Mutant Doduo - fighting type with only one head

Mutant Luvdisc - the only one based on a non-evolving pokemon. Angry "broken heart" Luvdisc with record offensive stats for the series, but even worse defenses than regular luvdisc.

Mutant Trapinch - dragon/bug - giant turtle-like Trapinch, redder, spiny, second mouth inside jaws.

Mutant Dratini - dragon/fairy - huge long dratini with longer feathery wing ears, identical wings down body.

Mutant Larvitar - dragon/dark - big, armored green reptile, still has larvitar type head with craggier, meaner horn.

Mutant Bagon - dragon - huge, more t-rex proportioned bagon, spiked shell on head.

Mutant Deino - bigger and shaggier with a ring of five long-necked deino heads

Mutant Gible - dragon/fighting - only usually seen as a huge sharky fin sticking out of the ground. When it emerges, its body isn't much bigger than regular gible.

Mutant Goomy - psychic/dragon - giant goomy with gaping mouth, antennae are much longer, green and stripey.

Mutant Jangmo-o - dragon/steel - same old head but more ankylosaur-like big body, entirely a dark iron color with more pitted looking scales.

ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATIONS no mechanical or typing difference, but new color schemes and decorations on existing pokemon, totally an aesthetic change. Have their own shiny forms.

SEA TRENCH FORMS: Entirely pale pink golisopod line with closed eyes transparent red tentacool line with darker red nodules dark maroon inkay line with blue lights red and purple feebas line

CAVE FORMS: White, eyeless venipede line White, eyeless magikarp line

DEEP SWAMP FORMS: crocodile-green Sandile line with lily pad on head black shelled "freshwater" shellder line with green algae growths pure red and purple colored bellsprout line

DEEP FOREST FORMS: braviary with more hawklike colors foongus line with no pokeball pattern...the original foongus? wolf-spider colored joltik line

POLLUTED INLET FORMS: Dewpider line with all black body and limbs, yellow glowing eyes in dirty green water Grey wailmer line draped in red algae, clumps of barnacles (presumably degenerated binacle) Wingull line with grey and black oil-splotched feathers, tin can on head

GARBAGE DUMP FORMS: Bounsweet line with only grey, brown and black colors, dark spoiled looking splotches Black bag trubbish line with green trash, copper colored pipes Rusted looking klink line, rotates only once every few seconds.

----------GYM LEADERS -------------- In this region the gyms are dual type, and bring back past mechanics and gimmicks as their focus.

flying/normal: a blind, wheelchair-bound old man who specializes in dog and bird pokemon. Uses a baton pass team.

Steel/electric: an astronaut commanding his gym by remote feed from the station. Uses Magnezone, Rotom forms and, surprisingly, a random steel or electric ultrabeast.

Poison/bug: a germophobic lady scientist ironically obsessed with pollution pokemon, always wearing a biohazard suit. Has weezing, garbodor, the fly pokemon and Yanmega. Uses Z-moves, but it's random whether she uses a bug or poison one and on which pokemon.

Dark/fire: an elderly biker lady. Has no gym and in fact roams around the region. Surprisingly challenges you to a third-gen style beauty contest with her frightening selection of pokemon.

Grass/fairy: witchy pharmacist and botanist who lives out in the woods, all of her grass types are mushroom based. Unusually has you team up with her in a double battle against a random pokemon of unusual size and strength, like Alola's totem pokemon.

Ground/fighting: an extremely frail little nerdy guy who likes amazingly fearsome pokemon, hates bullies but kind of is one. Makes you face a horde battle with all of his pokemon vs. only one of yours at a time.

Dragon/rock: a boisterous monster movie director who dresses his pokemon in costumes, gym is a cardboard city. Uses a dynamaxed pokemon.

Ghost/psychic: a horror author, Vincent Price like, lives in a mansion and makes visitors face scenes from his books. Instead of a single battle, he has you face a series of singular mega pokemon behind each "scene." THE LABORATORY This location is of course secretly associated with the villain team, but you can free it up from them in the endgame. Here you can make fossil pokemon, micropokemon, regional forms from past generations, ultrabeasts and even mega stones, but all require you to spend one or more “gene crystals.” You’re handed a number of these through the storyline but it would be very challenging to farm more than that (think Gen 7 bottlecaps). Spending more crystals at the lab would allow you to finally alter abilities, natures and IV’s at a whim, and for an exceptional cost you could upgrade the BASE stats of any L100 pokemon permanently. This is a percentage increase applied across the board to all of its stats at once, and stops at either 100 total points beyond their normal limits, or a final base stat total of 530 (equivalent to a fully evolved starter) MISC STUFF:

Your mom this gen asks you if you hope to have an easy, challenging, or very challenging adventure. You can return to her at any time to adjust the difficulty again.

When you beat the game, you can make a custom trainer for online battles using the models of other NPC trainer types, i.e. you can finally be a swimmer/scientist/grunt/etc. You can unlock some popular ones from past generations.

You can select one pokemon as your main partner, which not only has it following you, but involves it a little more in the storyline (special events based on its first typing) and gives it some in-game perks.

A special item attached to any one of your pokemon allows your whole team to “share strength,” meaning that their weaknesses are mitigated for each teammate they share a type with. This allows for type-themed teams to be more viable but wouldn’t completely eliminate their weaknesses, and the effect diminishes proportionately for every pokemon that faints.

You can designate a seventh pokemon to be your “team mascot,” a non-combat role with different effects depending on species/type.

A single team can have either the mascot, a z-move, a dynamax/gigantamax form or a mega, cannot mix these.

Legendary pokemon now suffer a stat nerf for every other legendary pokemon on the same team. A team of six legendaries would actually be somewhat below-average in stats.

#pokemon #fakemon

631 notes · View notes

lanamemories2 · 4 years

Text

Startled by the sound of his door opening, Lana turned after making her last adjustments. She’d been hanging his birthday gift by his window, a prime spot for the breeze to stir if the latch was undone. Strung up on a homemade mobile, one she’d recruited the help of various minions to make, dangled twelve separate origami animals, each a different colour. All had a personalised message from one of Dom’s friends, if you spread the paper flat to read them.

Ducky’s said ‘cool guy :)’ and was folded into a bear. Navy white pinstripe.

Philly’s only had a little goblin doodled on holding a fistful of socks. The paper was an expensive kind, white with mint and lilac glitter. Folded into a caterpillar. Lana liked this one because caterpillar’s have butterflies inside them and she feels the magic in Philly is sourly overlooked by the general population -- she’s the most likely person Lana knows to sprout wings and fly away.

Viktor’s was far too explicit with a recurring mention of cock. It could not be included in the gift.

Maggie’s was a wolf. Lana drew a little smiley face below the snout that wasn’t quite fitting, but it felt friendlier, that way, more Maggie -- paired with a dainty floral paper, too. It had a quote written on from Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “She rested her head against his and felt, for the first time, what she would often feel with him: a self-affection. He made her like herself.” It finished with “love you, Maggie x”.

Marlowe’s was a tiger. Flame orange, eye catching. On it, it said: ‘anyone who's put up with my shit for almost four years deserves a medal of some kind... like pinned to their lapel and personally engraved and everything. i got outbid on ebay so I don't have a fancy medal to give you...so instead i'll just say, you're a good guy dom evans! and I hope you have a fucking awesome birthday man. if anyone deserves only good things its you :)‘.

Rosa’s was folded into a monkey. Pink paper, in the end, because Rosa makes Lana think of love and blushing and sunsets. ‘dom i can't believe you're 23 today, you're an old man now!!! when i was just an embarrassing 12 year old and made those happy 15th bday shirts for you i was so obsessed with you because a small part of you thought you were an angel on earth and you'd come to protect me but it's nice to know now that we can protect each other. i'm still going to wear those 15th bday shirts for the rest of the week so everyone knows, i think your life is the most celebration worthy thing in existence. and if you want to know i am, in fact, hoping that i never marry so that by the time i'm 35 we can just run off together, preferably with franklin in tow, and have a worry free life, it's what you deserve. i love you forever dominic james evans!!!‘

Kasey’s was a fish in a pastel shade, sweet like a ripe peach. ‘Happy birthday Dom, you're the best of the best!!‘

Jude’s was a sloth. Deeper blue. Lana hassled him to write Dom one despite the fact they aren’t even particularly close. On it, he wrote: ‘Dunno you that well but you seem alright. Lana’s pacing as I write, clearly riled her up enough. Saw your ass in full view, high definition. Was decent. Good work soldier. Back to the trenches. Happy birth and shit.’.

Gunner’s was a dog. She did her best to capture the essence of a golden retriever with yellow paper, given that this was his family pet’s breed. Notably, she drew a very large dick onto the origami between it’s legs -- assuring Gunner Paxton’s legacy wasn’t overlooked. ‘in first year i had a hard time making friends and you saw me struggling in the caf when i sprained my wrist so you offered to help me cut up my food and i thought it was weird but it was the first time a stranger showed me care in such a specific way now i always feel cared for with you and it's nice so thanks for being you and happy bday‘.

Jack’s was a lion. Below the paper mane Lana wrote ‘NOT UGLY’ in small, block font, almost fashioned like a collar. The paper was faded black and white, referee striped -- tribute to his time coaching little league. Unfolded, it says: ‘dearest cousin Dominic, you are my favorite cousin even when you peed on me that one time at the beach because you said it would keep the jellyfish away. thank you for always throwing the football around with me and even being okay with it if i threw it too hard and it hit your nose and made it bleed and we had to tell my dad you tripped over a rock. happy birthday let’s get fucked! Love Your Best Friend, Jack Hall :P’.

Will’s was a shark, folded from paper slicked to look like an oil spill, gleaming in the light -- dark and technicolour, all at once. Lana drew sunglasses over the eyes. ‘sorry i tried to dye your hair purple that one time. you're kind of great even if statistically you shouldn't be since you're an RA. that's fucking bizarre of you, by the way. you seem to be one of those people that's genuinely good which is also fucking bizarre but i figure if anyone around here deserves a good year, it's you. happy fucking birthday don't die xoxo‘

Marla’s was a pigeon. Oxblood red. She wanted a vicious city-dwelling creature that feasted on the flesh of abandoned McDonald’s fries. ‘you are more worthy than a thousand plates of ikea meatballs. you can seize life by the balls. the meatballs. extended meatball metaphor. you are a leaf floating on an amber river. you are a cherry blossom caught in a ceiling fan. if auras existed yours would be INCREDIBLY fucking sexy. you will live a long life and father approximately 333.3 children.’

Noah’s was a sky blue dog with a doodled strand of wheat from it’s mouth. ‘hey man happy birthday :) not to get all sappy but im really grateful to know you. don't know if luck is real but if it is, hope this brings you some of the best of it there is’. A drawing of a little four leaf clover after the message.

There was a thirteenth string without anything attached and Lana almost took it as an omen of how unlucky it was, her opening up in this way, how much she’d come to see it as a curse. But she held it in her hands, anyway. A swan as white as the Betta fish she’d pointed out as him at the aquarium. Wishing star white. Whiter than an angel. The most Dom paper she could think to fold it from, when she woke up and realised she’d been dreaming about him.

“Hey,” she breathed with a laugh, cat burglar caught with the ruby in gloved hands. By all practical accounts, she’d broken and entered. “Charmed my way in. Wanted to, um... Was meant to be a surprise, like, an in and out job, and... I told some other RA Gunner left his inhaler here and he went all crazed, like, Action Man, whipping out a master key. Totally Oscar worthy. Should probably... let him know Gunner isn’t dead, later, but. Wanted to give you your present. It’s, um... I mean, it’s everyone,” came as she sifted gently at Philly’s caterpillar, smile bubbling to the surface. “I got them all to write you stuff. It isn’t, like, crazy, or anything, but.” Lana wet her lips, excitement overflowing -- she couldn’t seem to smother her smile. “This... is mine.” That did it. It faded as her eyes dropped. She pinched the swan delicately in both hands, then, blood rushing in her ears -- it provided amusing contrast, the coy blush in her cheeks with the devil horns she’d slid into her hair, a costume nobody had asked for. “Kinda wrote it... a while ago. It’s -- I don’t know,” she second guessed, laughing again at how dumb she was sure she sounded. Gestures like this always scared her, when she really meant them, felt like far too much. “You can read it, if you wanna.” @domfm

#c: dom #ok. disclaimed 2 all on the dash bc i already privately told ella this. this starter is insanely long bt its gna shrink in size sm this isnt #the actual thread length. i jst cldnt avoid writing a lot w the nature of. the gift...n desc......#ok.... thank u... apologies........to all #long post tw

7 notes · View notes

harusha · 4 years

Note

What are your top pokemon games??

Official or fangame? I’ll just list both. I will say Pokemon Reborn is my top-rated overall if we combine both lists (with HGSS and Collesseum/XD following as 2 and 3 respectively.)

On Official, it’s

1. Heartgold/Soulsilver (My favorite region is Johto, and Ethan is my favorite Pokemon protagonist so…unsurprising. The games are still genuinely good though imo because of the massive amount of content and post-game and QoL stuff like following Pokemon, auto-run, etc.) I also love the nostalgic feeling of the region. Lance is also here, and I like him and his design a lot, not as much as Volkner though. Also Proton is here, and I love the dude so. Pedometer is included here.

2. Pokemon Colosseum/Pokemon XD; I include this together since they’re a duo set in terms of story. XD is the better one gameplay-wise because of the new additions of Shadow moves, more Pokemon choices, QoL changes like saving, etc. but Colosseum is the harder of the two games imo b/c of the sparsity of Pokemon–if you can play it on laptop, mod XD with Pokemon XG for massive QoL changes (Fairy Type, more shadow Pokemon, upped difficulty, etc.)

I like how this set tries new stuff and it honestly showcases how if you the Pokemon IP to a third-party, you end up with something that tries to be different and actually plays pretty well.

3. Pokemon BWBW2; included as a set because of joint story line. Honestly, I feel like BWBW2 are objectively the last great mainline series additions. Even if you didn’t care for the story, they at least tried with it and the rivals. You had the nice rival in Bianca and the “focused/ruder” rival in Cheren, and both encompassed the themes of the game (Truth with Bianca as she realizes her ineptness as a trainer and Ideals with Cheren who strives to overcome his boundaries and the player even if he never can). N is pretty awesome, and I think Ghetsis is a better Lusamine (sorry, idc for how Lusamine’s actions are brushed over and blamed on the space jellyfish). There’s a lot to enjoy in Unova imo.

Also massive post-game stuff like Join Avenue (which encourages one of the main tenets of Pokemon, interacting with others and trading; ex. “Magnemite Coil”), half the region opening up for Post-game (White Treehollow, Kyurem’s abode, etc.). The Legendaries also have home locations for the most part, and their items aren’t just given to you by random people. A lot of stuff to do that isn’t just breeding mindlessly for shinies (I mean I love doing that, but options ya know?) or online battle.

4. Pokemon Conquest; Fire Emblem (or more accurately, Nobunaga’s ambition) meets Pokemon. I like turn-based grid tactic games, and this one’s actually pretty fun. You’re encouraged to roam around and give people different Pokemon to see which ones they’re compatible with. Also another example of what can be done if Pokemon is given to a another developer.

5. Pokemon Explores of Sky (and to a lesser extent since it’s the base, Time/Darkness); you can swap this with Colloseum/XD, BWBW2 or Pokemon Conquest depending on if you prefer Pokemon’s style of play, tactics games, or dungeon crawlers. I like this one since the story’s actually pretty good, the difficulty’s nice, and especially the post-game dungeons and content.

6. Pokemon Platinum and Diamond+Pearl to a lesser extent– the region that actually has a reasonably difficult Elite Four and champion. I love the additions they have like distortion world, the melancholic feel you get at times in the Chateau area and snowfields, and the post-game Battle Frontier. However, the games run so slow without Drayano’s mods. In terms of husbandos, Volkner’s pretty nice as well, and he’s pretty high-tier for me. Cynthia’s here as well, so I guess she counts since she’s a feature every time she shows up.

7. Pokemon FRLG-The definite version of Kanto for me. Sevii Islands, callbacks (callforwards?) to the Johto games with the Rocket Admins, decent difficulty and ability to sequence break somewhat, etc. It gives new experiences for those who’ve played the OG versions, but doesn’t change them drastically. The “you can’t evolve anything outside of the OG 151 before post-game” is stupid though. Lance is here as well, but his half Dragonite/Dragonair team annoys me b/c of how repetitive it is, but product of the time as well and the HGSS first battle had that as well but at least they’re all evolved.

8. Pokemon Red/Blue Rescue Team-I like this one since the story’s still good and incorporates the idea of a human being transported to a Pokemon world, but I just feel like Sky’s gameplay improvements and portraits for everyone trumps this one. I like Gengar a lot and his team. I also think the difficulty on this one (depending on starter and partner) is fairly good at times (The Moltres fight is actually pretty difficult if you don’t have Pikachu or a water type partner).

9. Pokemon Emerald and to a lesser extent Ruby/Sapphire–Battle Frontier, Scott and Smeargle cave (ie. post-game content), beautiful promotional artwork (including ORAS’s), fairly difficult battles at time if you aren’t prepared/going in blind with no excessive grinding (2nd May battle, Flannery, etc.), hidden secrets like Regis and Secret Bases. However, the latter half is so boring with the excessive surfing and lackluster variety. Steven’s here, and he’s a dreamboat even with the sprite graphics.

10. Pokemon Channel and Hey you, Pikachu!-Weird I know. This would be higher if I didn’t think this was a niche pick. It’s just really relaxing, and I want another one, especially if you can get more Pokemon to raise. It’s a lot more fun once you play it. I like exploring with Pikachu and it offers a look into the world of Pokemon as a non-trainer. I really want another one tbh.

11. Pokemon Rangers series (Ranked from favorite to lowest; Shadows of Almia–>OG–>Guardian Signs; all are good but that’s my preference) The gameplay is actually pretty fun, and I wish we got another one. They could use Joycons as a styler. Spencer, Sven, and Lunick are also pretty cute

12. Pokken Tournament- What battles should feel like in mainline if they injected millions of dollars into the mainline, so unrealistic expectation. I think Pokken is a decent fighting game. The moves are nice, and the music is good. This can go lower if you don’t care for fighting games.

13. Pokemon Battle Revolution and Stadium games-They’re mostly battle simulators with some mini-games. The animations are actually pretty lively and fun compared to SWSH’s. I would like to rank this higher, but there is no story mode sadly. It’s great if you want to see what Pokemon would look like in-scale.

14. Pokemon X/Y-I think these are actually pretty nice if only for the fact there isn’t excessive handholding; it’s there but it doesn’t force me to put down the game out of boredom. The outfits are genuinely pretty cute. However, the rivals are ridiculously terrible, difficulty is either too low or unbalanced if you use/turn off exp. share. Let’s put ORAS here as well b/c I think the lack of Battle Frontier and mediocre post-game, getting Lati@s early, etc. drops it down from Emerald. The PSS system is amazing though.

15. Pokemon Trozei and Pokemon Pinball series-Yeah, I’ve played these. Trozei’s actually pretty cool as a match-3 game, and pinball is pinball. You also get slightly more lore into the Pokemon world with Lucy Fleetfoot. I like match-3 and pinball so very much a YMMV. Pop Gates to Infinity and Super Mystery Dungeon here as well. Idk, they just lack the magic of the first two entries.

16. Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Dash, all the other spin-offs I didn’t talk about-they all offer something fun, but I just wish it was either updated for modern times and not released again (like with Snap) or a bit more (in the case of Detective Pikachu and Pokepark series). Pop Puzzle League games here as well. I like them, but they aren’t much besides Tetris games. Same goes for the Pokemon Trading Card games; they’re nice, but not super great imo.

???. Pokemon Box/Ranch/all the other storage games and stuff like Dream Radar-Idk what you’d want me to say since they’re storage space or gimmick games to catch HA Pokemon. You do get Extremespeed Zigzagoon which I love since the little buggers are very adorable.

Bottom Tier. Pokemon SM and USUM. I hate these games. They’re cash grabs (more so than usual) with being $40 a piece and the updated versions being barely changed (and actually feeling like what should have been released first). Incredibly handholding, areas feel half-baked, lacks areas to explore for the most part, Lillie is kinda annoying for me tbh (which hurts because you’re supposed to feel for her and the game’s story hinges on that), and the player is an actual detriment to what they’re trying to achieve story-wise. A big shame b/c Alola is a pretty region and Team Skull is great in concept, but execution is awful. Stated as someone who has bought all 4 versions to keep, and 2 extras for gifting.

Absolute Bottom Tier- Pokemon Masters, incredibly terrible mobage game coming from someone who plays FGO, FEH, etc. lack of meaningful content, grinding but meaningless b/c of said lack of content (ex. FGO gates you with mats but it makes you feel like you’re growing with your servants and offers a story and events to compensate; basically, a sense of achievement). CO-OP is pretty bad when you can just hop over to GBF or something if you want guilds and group content. I’m still gonna wait for Ethan and Volkner to appear though.

Unrated-OG RBGY and OG GSC (the remakes are superior outside of nostalgia factor imo so I think it’d be unfair for them to take a spot), LGPE (didn’t buy them b/c pricing but the colors are vibrant and I love that), SWSH (didn’t buy them because I have opinions on the cuts and stuff and price point doesn’t look appealing for what’s offered), Pokemon Mini (these were included with Pokemon Channel), Magikarp Jump+Duel (Duel was a cash grab and Magikarp Jump is cute but no real opinion on it), Pokemon Go (weird spot where I like it, but I don’t live in an area with safe walking areas so very much area-dependent), Arcade games (I don’t live in Japan for that), Perdue Farm games (they’re flash games made to promote so…), Pokemon Rumble (enjoyable but not memorable for me imo) etc.

Fangames-

1. Pokemon Reborn-150+ hours of content, visible themes that permeate the story and characters, beautiful spritework for some of the areas, intuitive usage of TMs/HMs and some logic (ex. Field Effects that emulate anime battling in turn-based rpg such as Corrosive Field; using Rock Smash to break the glass in some areas to solve puzzles, etc.), actual difficulty that hinges on how much you understand Pokemon (ex. IVs, stats, EVs, etc.) that’s fair but still difficult, puzzles and rewards for exploring and coming back to areas, etc. Fantastic game that I wish Gamefreak had attempted to emulate (perhaps not the darker themes but the ambition basically). Has some kinks with the revolving door of characters and such but still fantastic. Also offers custom shiny sprites, custom egg sprites, and online play like Wonder Trade and battling.

2. Pokemon Rocket Edition-Not done but I think this is a fantastic hack so far story-wise and how it implements its mechanics. You’re a Rocket Grunt, but you aren’t OP. It deals with the politics behind Kanto and Team Rocket. Still being worked on.

3. Pokemon Viridian Version-Another “play as a Rocket” game. Funny yet still can be serious; it takes the tone of the anime and understands when to be serious and when to not be. It feels like it would fit into the canon tone-wise, and deconstructs the “it’s cool to be a Rocket!” thing.

4. Pokemon Gaia-Excellent and a huge callback to classic Pokemon in story. It’s an OG region and offers a lot to do.

5. Drayano hacks- QoL updates but his work actually adds a lot to the games+new events.

Anyways, that’s my list. There’s a lot of Pokemon content, but this is how I feel for the most part.

#long post #i will say Piers is high tier husbando though

7 notes · View notes

impala-dreamer · 7 years

Text

Escape - Chapter Twelve

SPN FanFic

~Y/N and Dean are abducted after a night at the bar and thrown into a maze of horrors. Can Sam track down his brother and girlfriend in time? Can they even hold on that long?~

Dean, Reader; Sam

1,339 Words

Series Warnings: Angst. Show level violence. Graphic gore and blood. Extreme situations that may cause anxiety and fear. Character injury and trauma. (Extra Warnings in the tags)

~Feedback is the crack that keeps the Writing coming back~

ESCAPE Masterlist ~ My Masterlist

Chapter Twelve: The Gates of Hell -

Y/N crashed to the ground feet first; the impact of hitting the hard cement jammed her upwards with a force that rattled her bones. She felt her left leg buckle and she shrieked as pain ripped through her system. It sparked like fireworks up her legs and into her chest, lighting the edges of her vision with bright white. She fell forward, pressing her forehead to the cold floor and retching as a wave of nausea flowed over her.

Dean called to her from above, but only bile fell from her lips, and she could not move to answer.

He took the fall better than she had, rolling out of the somewhat controlled drop after landing on his back. He was dazed and probably bruised internally, but he shrugged it off; it was just one more injury to add to the list.

Y/N was gagging on nothing. Without replenishing food or water, their journey had left her stomach empty, but that didn’t stop her body from attempting to purge what little fluids she had left.

Dean flipped over and crawled towards her, inspecting her trembling body with hovering hands, afraid to touch her. When she could breathe again, she fell back onto the ground, twisting awkwardly so as not to move her leg. No blood showed through her jeans, but she feared the bone had snapped. She gasped, cringing in pain when Dean’s hand fell against her knee; the gentle touch sending shocks through her.

“That bad?” he asked, recoiling instantly.

“Yeah…” She nodded and raised her arm to her forehead, struggling not to cry again. She’d cried enough for a lifetime. She was tapped dry.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Kid.” He shook his head and went up on his knees to look her over. “Anything else busted up?” His fingertips brushed her over arms, he inspected the cuts on her hands, the bruise on her collarbone, and finally went for her leg, pulling the loose denim up to her knee. Gingerly, Dean lifted her leg and ran his hand down her shin. “It’s bad,” he sighed. “But I don’t think it’s broken. Probably jammed up your knee pretty good.”

“Lovely,” she whimpered and sat up on her elbows, finally looking around.

They were in a basement. It looked like one of a million such places, with cement walls that sported damp patches, and a cold, unyielding floor that was punctuated every few yards with steel columns that held the foundation in place above. The hole they had journeyed through was directly above, and while the basement around them was dark, the light from their Mirrored Hell shone down in thick beams. Looking up, Dean estimated they had dropped about fourteen feet to their current spot, and how they’d each landed without cracking their spines was a miracle in his eyes. The floor had buckled under their weight, but their drop was predetermined; they had passed through almost a garbage shoot, designed and built to deliver them to the basement.

When his gaze fell from the busted floor above, it landed on another miracle. Not thirty paces from where they lay was a steel door with a push bar handle, and above it, a glowing, red exit sign.

Sam was startled awake by his dream, though, when he opened his eyes, the details fell quickly away, leaving him panting and sweaty without cause. He rolled over and blinked into the late morning sun, trying to call back the dream, but all he remembered was Y/N’s scream as she fell through blackness away from him.

He scratched at the four days worth of beard on his chin and yawned as he stood up, ready to get back to work. He stumbled into the bathroom with his eyes still half-mast, and turned on the shower. When the water hit his wrist as he tested the temperature, he remembered the message that Drunk Sam had left for Morning Sam, and he made his shower a quick one. He would have skipped it altogether, but he needed to wake up fast.

Fifteen minutes later, not so fresh faced, but wide eyed and on alert, Sam sprinted towards the main lobby and waited impatiently as Roger finished up a phone call. When the receiver hit the base, Sam set his arms casually against the top of the high desk and looked down at the awkward man.

“Good Morning, Agent Tyler,” Roger greeted him with a smile that didn’t move his gray eyes.

“Morning,” Sam returned with an equally unconvincing smile.

“What can I do for you today?” Roger asked, but did not keep eye contact, dropping his gaze to his computer and typing something quickly on the keyboard.

Sam’s nostrils flared a bit at the rude action, but pressed on. “I was just wondering about all the construction around here. Been going on long?” He raised his brows and feigned a kind, interested smile.

Roger shrugged noncommittally and lifted his chin. “I suppose. About four years.”

“Wow,” Sam commented, shaking his head and tossing his hair back. “Long time. That’s a lot of work.”

“There’s a lot of rooms,” Roger offered and chewed anxiously at the inside of his cheek.

“I bet.” Sam nodded, and turned away as if his line of questioning was complete. Roger seemed to settle back into his chair, but Sam spun back around with one finger held high. “Just one more thing, if you don’t mind.”

Roger stiffened and sat up straight. “Yes?”

“Saw a big guy last night, about, yea high…” Sam raised his hand level with his nose and went on, “…disappeared behind the caution tape. You know him?”

Roger stroked his chin in contemplation and then tapped his index finger against his lip. “That may have been Kevin, our maintenance man. He keeps odd hours.”

Sam nodded in understanding. “That’s Kevin,” he said rhetorically and turned back towards the door. “Huh.” Something was off. His gut was burning, twisting around inside trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t reach it. It was right there on the tip of his nose, but Sam couldn’t see passed the years of monsters and demons to put the clues together.

“Have a nice day,” Roger said with a smile as Sam reached for the door.

He turned to reply, to wave, to return the wish, and as he did, a ray of sun struck Roger’s giant glasses at the perfect angle, illuminating the reflection from his laptop screen. He wasn’t playing a video game. At least, not one in a virtual world.

A genuine smile spread across Dean’s face for the first time since their hug on the street; that drunken night seemed like weeks ago now.

Y/N scrunched up her face as she saw the happiness leak onto his features. “What’s… what?”

“Y/N/N…” He pointed behind her at the door as a relieved laugh shook his shoulders. “We made it.”

“What?” She twisted around, flipping over onto her side, and gasped at the exit sign that greeted her. “Holy… fuck… Dean!” Her heart skipped too many beats to count and her eyes welled with grateful tears. She turned back and reached for Dean, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him into a hug that had never felt as sweet. They had done the impossible, made it through Hell together, and they were finally free.

“I-I can’t… that’s… that’s it?” Y/N clutched his shirt and stared up at him with hopeful and innocent eyes.

His cheeks twitched with a smile and he nodded gently, covering her hand with his, so thankful to be alive, thankful that they had both made it out. “I think so,” he whispered.

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment, just breathing and letting hope wash over them.

“Y/N/N?” Dean said softly, patting her hand and pushing himself up. “Let’s get outta here.” He bent down and held out his hand, gripping her tightly when she slipped her palm against his.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

TAGS ARE CLOSED!

FOREVERS:

@akshi8278 @allinhishands @amanda-teaches @ameliaponders @arryn-nyxx @asxualgallavich @atc74 @autopistaaningunaparte @babypieandwhiskey @bea789 @be-amaziing @because-imma-lady-assface @becauseyouwishedit @becominglionhearted @blacktithe7 @blanketmadeofstar @blood-on-roses @blushingdean @brewsthespirit-blog @brooke-supernatural16 @callmesatansprincess @captainemwinchester @carmenisafangirl @chaos-and-the-calm67 @charred-angelwings @charliebradbury1104 @chelsea072498 @chrisevansisdaddy04 @chumi-la-chula @crispychrissy @cyrilconnelly @dalikah3 @dannnyphantomm @daughterleftbehind @disphandomgirl @docharleythegeekqueen @dreamingofwinchesters @dustycelt @dylanosprayberry03 @easelweasel @erin654 @emoryhemsworth @emptywithout @evansrogerskitten @evyiione @fabulouslycassie @faegal04 @faithfullpanicmoon @fandomsanarchy @fandomismyspiritanimal @fandom-queen-of-wonderland @fatalcrossbow @feelmyroarrrr @findingfitnessforme @freddy-fuckboy-tammy @frenchybell @fuckyeahfeysand @geekgirl1213 @gemini75eeyore @ginamsmith @grace-for-sale @growningupgeek @hair-dresses @hannahsakorax3 @hareliketherabbit @hexparker @idreamofhazel @ilsawasanacrobat @imascreamerbabymakemeamute @im-super-potter-locked @impalaimagining @inthedepthsofdespair @itstatertot22 @j2-winchester-boys @jarpadandjensenaremyheroes @jayankles @jesspfly @jerk-bitch-and-an-angel @jocelyn-of-the-jellyfish @jotink78 @jpadjackles @katackles @kate-of-imperium @katelynbkool @katrodriguez99 @katymacsupernatural @kdfrqqg @lauren-novak @lefthologramdeer @letmusicguideu @lipstickandwhiskey @li-ssu @lizmalfoywayland @luciisthebest @luulaachops @maddieburcham1 @mandilion76 @megansescape @meganwinchester1999 @mein1928 @mija-novella @milkymilky-cocopuff @missdestiel67 @missselinakitty @mistressofallthingsgeeky @mjdoc90 @mogaruke @mrsbatesmotel53 @mrsdeanfuckingwinchester @mrswhozeewhatsis @my-life-is-here-soo @myfand0msandm0re @myloveforyouxx @mysteriouslyme81 @naadestiel @naviwhite @nekobemura @nerdysandwichqueen @newtospnfandom @nichtlisax @notesfromalabprincess @obessivecompulsivespn @ohgodjensen @ohmychuckitssamanddean @percussiongirl2017 @petrovadixon @pinknerdpanda @please-lives-are-at-stake @poukothenerd @precious-bands-love @privatebecks2313 @purrculiar @queencflair @queen-of-deans-booty @riddikulus-obsessions @ridingmoxley @riversong-sam @roxy-davenport @roxyspearing @samisimportant @sam-w @sandlee44 @sgarrett49 @shhhs3cret @sireennotsiren @silvershadow545 @skadi-winterfell @snarkpunsandsarcasm @sofreddie @sophiebobzz @spooookyscary @spn-fan-girl-173 @squirrel–moose–giraffe @sumara62 @summer-binging-spn @super100012 @super-not-naturall @supernatural-girl97 @supernaturaldean67 @supernaturallymarvellous @taste-of-dean @tennesseewhiskey-and-pie @the-moose-of-baskerville @theoutlinez @therosecolouredpost @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @thinkwritexpress-official @tmccarney @trexrambling @turnttover @typicalweirdbookworm @uniquewerewolfsuit @vacam79 @wayward-marvel-sommer1196 @waywardswain @weasleywinchester-blog @wellcrazythis @winchesterprincessbride @wordstothewisereaders @wotinspntarnation @xxmizzlexx @yearoftheweasley @yvngkinggchristyy

SERIES TAG: ESCAPE: @thelittleredwhocould @lissa1980fl @fatalcrossbow @its-a-pair-o-docs @thehardcoveraddict @just-another-winchester @jadepc @sammy-moo @ryantherandomhero @goldenolaf25 @sunskittlex @allethalove @masksandtruths @deepbreathssammy @susan-is-in-the-house @padasteph-nie @rebelslicious @hillywooddestiel @newtospnfandom @georgialouisea @casismyspiritanimal @ja9erz @mrssamfuckingwinchester @spectaculicious @colagirl5 @messy-buns-and-shotguns @bandobsession98 @sasquatch5 @frickfracklesackles @blackfandomtrashandproud @ladyaragorn13 @lefthologramdeer @deans-treasure @tardis-is-mine @savvy-j-01 @canadianjelly @kathaswings @ellen-reincarnated1967 @spnbaby-67 @rhapsody-in-flannel @ravengirl94 @invisibledevour @triciareh @just-a-normal-eccentric @veevm @ejspencer14 @goofynerd-67babylove@babylove @there-must-be-a-lock @jensensjaredsandmishaslover @shamelesslydean @mcallmestiles @kettle24601draws @carryonmywaywardcaptain @kingkenzieo @deansgirl215 @mariahoedt @akhuna01 @mizzezm @babyimp1967 @astration @hannahindie @soopranatural @ohmystars30 @superwholockmarauder @lavieenlex @oreosatmidnight @caramelcastiel @sammeh-pie-jawn @fangirlinglikeamentalpatient @spn-and-daddy-issues @mery-magizoologist @itsthesamegametoday @kittenofdoomage

#spn fanfic #dean winchester #sam winchester #sam x reader #angst #horror #escape #series

336 notes · View notes

la-appel-du-vide · 4 years

Text

02•14•20 - AIRLIE BEACH/WHITSUNDAYS

Today was another fun in the sun day. This time? Sail-boating around the Whitsundays! I’ve heard nothing but good things about these islands, and how beautiful they are, so I was really looking forward to this.

We knew our way around this time, so getting down to the tour was easy. We hopped on the sailboat, and it was awesome. They had big trampoline screens to lay on at the front of the boat, that allowed you to feel the sea breeze coming up from underneath you and going over you as you lay there. It’s such a relaxing feeling! We got more fruit, and we couldn’t get enough. Our first stop was a snorkel spot along the inner Great Barrier Reef. We got back into our snorkel suits and dived right in. The snorkeling was not quite as great as yesterday, because the water was a lot murkier this close to a beach. We still saw some fish, coral, and lots of anemones, but not quite the same level yesterday haha. The water still felt great though.

We made our way back to the boat, and then continued sailing down toward Whitsunday Island. I think they said there are 74 islands that make up the Whitsundays, but this one is its’ namesake. It has the famous Whitehaven Beach, and Hill Inlet Outlooks. It’s the third most photographed spot in Australia, and all the pictures I’ve seen of it don’t do it justice to actually being there. We started out by hiking up to the lookout spots. It was almost 100 degrees, and the humidity just makes it feel hotter, so climbing all that way up sucked really bad haha. We were sweating so badly, and in desperate need of water. But we pushed through it, and WOW it was worth it. That first sight of the white sands and the turquoise water made my jaw drop. Unbelievable that places like this really exist.

We walked to each of the three lookout points and took in the views. And then we were excited to get down to the WATER!

Whitehaven Beach actually has the purest sand on Earth. It’s 99% silica sand, and it’s finer than flour. It’s special in a lot of ways because it’s so pure. You can polish real gold/silver jewelry with it, you can brush your teeth with it, and it doesn’t get hot, so it never hurts your feet to walk on it. It sounds like snow as you walk along, in that way that it kind of squeaks. It’s illegal to take any sand with you, and the only time it’s ever been legally exported was for use in making glass used in the Hubble telescope. Pretty cool. I’m big into sand, and I’m picky about what sand I like, so for me to experience the purest sand on Earth was a dream.

We were super excited to get in the water, because we were so hot. We were supposed to wear our stinger suits again, to protect ourselves from jellyfish and sting rays in the area, but we were rebellious and just went in without them. The water was great. So clear and blue, with soft sand to walk along. We did see some sting rays, and we chased them around a little bit to get some good video footage of them. But we were careful not to step on them, and never saw any jellyfish.

Our time there went too quickly, and then we had to climb back over the hill to get back to the boat. It was hot all over again. But what a great opportunity. So so beautiful.

We had lunch when we got back to the boat, and I had my same delicious salad from yesterday. Harder to eat on a sailboat though, and my lettuce kept blowing away from me hahaha, oops.

I lost an earring somehow, and as we sailed, Beach’s hat blew right off. The GoPro also came unscrewed from the selfie stick, and we have no idea how or where the screw went, but at least we didn’t lose the GoPro!

We sailed home afterward and slept on the sun trampoline. It was the best.

We thought we had been pretty vigilant about putting on sunscreen, but clearly we weren’t because we are BURNT. Our shoulders, the tops of my feet, and Beach’s back. Ow ow ow. I think it was just so hot that our sunscreen was just melting off immediately when we’d try to apply it. So we aren’t feeling too great!

We had one final dinner in Airlie Beach, and Beach tried an Australian game platter. She ate crocodile, kangaroo, buffalo, and emu. She didn’t like the buffalo, but the rest was alright. (I tried none of that, of course.)

And then we bought some aloe lotion for our poor little bodies. We love Australia. Time to pack, repack, and pack again, and get ready to head to NZ tomorrow! Let’s gooooo!

0 notes

stargazerinmoksha · 7 years

Quote

I’m tired of being sad and having no clue as to why I am this way, so I’ll write about the happy bits of me and why I smile. I dance when I’m alone, when the music gets just right and I’m sure that no one is watching, it’s okay to feel lonely, I used to not like the idea of it, but once you’re comfortable in your own skin even depression starts to feel like a breeze. I’m reading a book that says we are the beliefs and thoughts that we think and believe in. So if I say that I’m happy a thousand times, one of those will come back as true. So if I say I’ll find the love of my life some day, some day she’ll appear in front of me while I’m writing another poem. It’s good to have goals, the only goal I’ve ever had up until recently was to keep myself happy with someone else, that’s not a goal, but an illusion. You can’t live your life for someone else, it’s called your life for a reason. Happiness must happen when I say so, so I’m saying so. We bring into this world the kind of kindness that we’ve been dealt, so when I fake a smile, my mother is omnipresent. Although it’s not real, fake it until you make it, right? The book also says, spend more time doing things that make you lose track of time, so I decided to write again and more often than not, to not compare myself to others because once you start doing that, there’s no going back. I don’t write like someone else, I write like myself. I don’t think like anyone that I know, there’s just you and the beautifully twisted world, we’re all trying to find redemption inside of coral skies and trustworthy friends. I would break my own hand to contain my anger, it is contained. Happiness is what we make it, so if I say that it exists, then it will be so. Listening to your guidance, that makes me happy. You know who you are. Breathless to the words, you paint the sunrise with your pinky and promise that as long as I’m here today, tomorrow will not be filled with sorrow. I keep writing letters to the future person that I will be, I wonder if I’ll change. I probably will, we all do in one way or another. I’m the kind of person that snaps a picture of the sky while I’m driving, I’m reckless, but we’re still alive. Life’s too short and I need to be more careful, I’m certain that death has given up a few passes for me. Do you ever feel like you’re running out of time? Like there’s something trying to make a statement, a lost word that even google couldn’t even get its hands on. Do you ever feel like no one’s really listening? We’re all selfish in the end, but the ones that truly listen– they are the ones that I live for. I maintain online friendships better than I do with my siblings, I guess our thinking is just on different frequencies. On the topic of frequencies– the you that you would like to be is out there, you just need to listen. Hear the right words said by the right person and you’ll be in the right spot to be the you that you’d want to be in this life. Do you ever feel like you’re not good enough? Remember that thing I said about thoughts? Sometimes we just need to let go a little bit, embrace the art of it. To be left to the wind, the unknown will bring us to more adventures and you may not be loved by many, but there’s a chance that you will be– why not take it? I would like to break out of this, I want to smile more and to laugh a little louder, I just want to make myself proud of who I will be versus who I used to be. And you can’t turn back the hands of time, you cannot change your mistakes– they are permanent, but you are not. There is a fire inside of your chest and if you keep suffocating yourself with an indescribable pain then you’ll only suffer in a incomprehensible way. I just want to fill this world with more love and less pain, I see a butterfly and I’m easily distracted– how beauty will fly past you if you’re not even paying attention because you’re so damn sad all of the time. So I drop all signs of negativity and lean towards the positive, I am the only vibe that’ll alter my moods, so I must feel more wealthy than a million silver spoons even if I don’t have any, so I must create the art that likes to spill from my fingertips, we live such short lives– why not be the best version of yourself? Who will you be if tomorrow was your last day on this planet? Will you cry because it’s over? Or will you search the ends of the earth until you’ve found the fountain of youth? I’ve got a secret to share with you. You can be a 100 years old and still have the sweetest smile, you can be in your 20s and have a soul heavy enough to sink the titanic, life is strange, life is strange. We live our youth to buy pretty things, but live our oak days trying to make up more time– it waits for no one, the wrong turn will break you, a simple kiss will turn your thoughts into poetry and a life of self-hate is a road that needs constant validation– why not be your own way out? Be your own lover, be your own brand of music, be your own kind of poem, be your own story of kindness, and if you’re not perfect just look around– nobody is. I’m tired of dreaming, I want to build it instead. You can’t be who you want to be if you’re still having the same thoughts from last year– you can’t change or heal in the right way if you’re not willing to break a few pieces of your heart because the clutter inside of our minds often match the attitude that we give off. So like a quote, so like a poem, so like a bedtime story. If I repeat it enough times, I’ll be happy. I just want to be happy. I just want to let go of the bad feelings. I just want to love myself enough to see a brighter day. You can’t change the world if you can’t even change yourself, right? If I repeat it enough times, then it must be real. I will be happy. Sadness is a crucial emotion because without it, being delighted and euphoric wouldn’t be so dense, but that’s the beauty of the intensity to which we should love ourselves. I want to be so fucking glad to wake up today that it’ll just drown my depression into the white noise. I want to glow in the dark and live like the jellyfishes, give my poetry the immortality to always bring a smile onto the faces of those that love who I am even if I’m a bit flawed because at the end of the day– you’re the only one sleeping on your bed, you’re the only one who’s going to determine if you’ve got enough room to breathe, you’re the only one to have the last say if you’re art or not.

I wanted to write something happy for you– yes, you. The person that’s reading this.

#prose #poetry #spilled ink #self love #poems

1K notes · View notes

surveysonfleek · 7 years

Text

088.

Find the nearest book. Read the second sentence on page 13. honestly the closest thing that’s a book is my kindle and there’s no way i’m gna fuck up my place by going to page 13 for this question lol.

Do you own anything that is made of metal and pink? hmm probably only coz i do own a lot of pink.

Is there laundry in your dryer right now? no dryer.

Would you eat a hissing beetle for $1000? i would probably seriously consider it but not do it lol.

If you had to spend a year studying an animal in the wild, what animal? pandas. (this survey is super long)

What is your all time favorite recipe? i had this amazing recipe for the moistest vanilla cupcakes ever but i lost it. i need to find it. i’d always get compliments.

What’s the first thing you think of when you smell strawberries? nothing really.

What’s the nearest thing to your right that starts with an L? lamp. Are there any bells in your house? the doorbell? lol. there’s also bells on the front door, you’ll always hear it if someone opens it.

What’s your favorite informercial? i hate them.

Ever been to AsSeenOnTv.com? no.

If you could have a shopping spree in any store, what would it be? a department store so i can buy something from every section lol.

Where’s the best place to register for a wedding? a department store lol.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found on the beach? dead blue jellyfish.

Have you ever kissed anyone within an hour of meeting them? no i haven’t.

Can you watch a birthing video all the way through? i’m not sure, never tried.

What would be your act in a talent show? nothing!!

What channel is on channel 37 on your tv? nothing.

What’s the last thing you wrote? my id number.

Do you have a community mailbox or an individual one? individual. like for my family.

How many keys are on your key ring? only three i think.

What was your first myspace song ever? i forgot.

Besides mama and dada, what was your first real word? haha i have no idea i’d have to ask my parents.

Would you rather be stuck in the desert or in a blizzard? blizzard. i honestly hate the summer heat.

What dessert do you hate? ice cream. like just ice cream. it’s boring.

What candy factory would you love to work at? lindt.

What does an envelope taste like to you? an envelope haha. can’t really compare it to anything else.

What’s your favorite line in your favorite movie? ugh idk lol. i can’t be put on the spot like that coz nothing comes to mind instantly.

Have you ever gone to the bathroom outdoors? yes. i used to go on camping trips a lot as a kid lol.

Would you help a baby cougar w/ the risk of the mama attacking you? no.

What international monument would you like to visit the most? golden gate bridge - again. i never got pictures with it.

Have you decided where you want to get married? nope. around 30 i guess.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten in a sandwich? meh, i’m not very creative. so nothing too strange.

What’s the most exotic thing you’ve eaten? umm idk.

Is there a crime/criminal that intrigues you the most? no.

What Disney character do you think is the cutest? boo from monsters inc has always been cute for me.

Can you name some of the clever names of OPI nail polish? no lol.

Can you sing the entire theme song to any show? yes. the office. it has no words lol.

Did you ever get ‘the talk’ from either one of your parents? nope. my mum asked me as a kid if i knew how babies were made and i said yes and instantly left her room lol.

Do you remember drinking from a bottle? yes.

What’s in the third drawer of your dresser? leggings, tights and warmer clothes.

What do you keep in the little pocket of your purse? gum.

When people ask for ID, which ID do you use? driver’s license.

Who was the first person you knew who’s name started with a P? pj, my first friend in preschool.

What’s the last form you filled out online? this cashback thing from tolls.

How many times have you had to renew/change your driver’s license? i’ve renewed my license maybe five times now. and this month again coz it’s expiring.

Have you ever been given a bouquet of carnations? no.

Do you have an old computer that just sits at the house? yes lol. we should throw it, no one ever uses it.

Do you read the lyrics in the CD sleeve while listening to the song? i used to when i used to buy cd’s. i’d hate it when the sleeve didn’t have lyrics lol.

Name something you made out of play-doh when you were younger. a ball.

What’s your next appointment for? nothing.

When’s the last time you put glitter on something? on the weekend lol. as eyeshadow.

What’s the worst birthday gift you received as a child? clothes. i hated getting clothes. i was all about the toys.

Do you go into the gas station or stay by your car when pumping gas? stay by my car? then go into the gas station when i have to pay? confused by this question.

When’s the last time you sat on Santa’s lap? omg i don’t remember.

What’s your favorite kind of caramel apple? don’t think i’ve ever had one.

Would you rather wrestle crocodiles or anacondas? crocs. i’d hate to think of dying a slow and painful death with an anaconda squeezing you.

Did you sneeze last night? probably.

Do you hold the remote while watching tv or set it down? set it down unless i’m flicking through channels.

Have you ever done farm chores like milk a cow or shave a sheep? no.

When’s the last time you used a coupon? umm last week when i bought my new hair straightener.

Does your mom know what size clothes you wear now? yes.

Is Love written anywhere in the room you’re in? yes.

What’s the nearest sports equipment to you? basketball jerseys.

Have you ever glued your fingers or hands together? yes. i was fumbling around with superglue trying to fix my shoe and my fingers got stuck together for a good few seconds.

Do you think that they should bring the guillotine back? naaah. too messy.

If you could invent anything to make life easier, what would it be? teleportation so i could travel whenever.

Would you like to run in a giant hamster ball for humans? no.

What were that last kind of nuts you ate? normal peanuts.

Do you own any shirts with political or social statements on them? no.

Do you remember what your 2nd grade teacher’s first name was? mrs. la scala.

Have you ever played Twister & had someone’s butt in your face? haha i don’t remember the last time i played twister.

What was the last thing you cheated on? hmmm idk.

When was the last time you used a walkie talkie? geez probably when i was 10.

Where do you usually go camping? i don’t go camping anymore.

Who do you sleep with when you go camping? well with my family.

Ever been afraid to see a ghost in your rearview mirror when driving alone? hahaha plenty of times. especially after those nights with friends where you just start talking about scary shit.

Have you ever dated anyone whose name started with B? no.

If yes, was it a good experience? -

Do you remember what Doug Funnie’s dog’s name was? i forgot he even had a dog.

What is your favorite episode of The Brady Bunch? no idea. i remember watching it as a kid but totally no recollection of any scenes.

Name a line from a Spice Girls song. coz tonight is the night when two become one. man i had no idea as a 5yo that song was about sex.

Have you ever jumped into a pile of leaves? yes.

What does your swimsuit look like? a black one piece.

Do you like it fast or slow? ha, there’s a time for both.

What’s the last holiday candy you consumed? idk lol.

What’s the last thing you bought at a grocery store? smokes.

Have you ever done a backflip on a giant trampoline? no. don’t think i’ve ever tried doing a backflip in my life.

Do you believe that there is only ONE person out there for everybody? not sure, only because there’s the whole ‘the one that got away’ thing.

Do you prefer flowers or chocolate? chocolates.

Do you remember the first time you used a computer? yeah, there’s a photo of me and everything lol. i was playing some game that came from a floppy disk.

Do you remember the first computer game you ever played? some educational game. i forgot what it was called.

Does your Wii character ever look like you? sorta. but not really.

What’s the last sour thing you put in your mouth? my drink.

Do you remember anything from before you were 3? not really hey.

Do you believe in hypnosis? idk if you’d call it that but there’s definitely a way to get people who are willing to be entranced, to be entranced.

Do you reserve pages in the yearbook for certain people? nope?

Ever had a fantasy about a teacher? haha no. there were hot teachers but i never imagined dating them or anything.

What’s the most humiliating outfit your parent made you wear? it was book week at school and we had to dress up as our favourite character from a book and my mum made me the ugliest tinkerbell costume hahaha. it was true to the character, i just looked terrible in it.

Did you ever want to change religions? no.

Is it hard for you to fall asleep when you have had a lot of sugar? no.

What’s your favorite thing to eat with strawberries? nutella.

How do you eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup? i honestly just chomp it.

What would you do for a Klondike bar? nothing.

What’s the funniest bumper sticker you’ve ever seen? -

Ever been up in the mountains? no.

When’s the first time you ever touched snow? i was 5 i think.

What color is your computer desk? that light brown/yellowish wood colour.

Are you baptized? yes.

What did you dream of last night? nothing.

Have you ever eaten an exotic animal? define exotic? the weirdest thing i’ve eaten was turtle. never again.

What do you think is the funniest movie of all time? mean girls and white chicks.

Name a line from that movie? 'yo momma’s so old, she breastfeed like this *blows powder*’ still hilarious.

Would you be surprised if you found out your mom had tattoos? hahaha hell yes.

Would you wear a leather dog collar for free drinks? hahaha. no way.

When was the last time you danced the Macarena? forever ago. i think on a cruise lol.

Can you sing your school’s song? our school song was written and produce the year i graduated, so naturally i don’t remember it since it wasn’t played on repeat throughout my whole school life.

What was your all time favorite subject in elementary school? probably art. it was always really chill.

What’s the last song you sang out loud in the car? idk haha.

Who is the last person you talked to whose name started with a G? ugh, i can’t think lol. gio i guess.

Have you ever bedazzled anything? my phone cover back when it was cool.

Have you ever bought anything off of HSN or QVC? no. Where do you keep your cash? all in my account. i hate carrying cash.

Do you fold laundry while watching tv? no.

When’s the last time you used a protractor? high school lol.

When’s the last time you used a Victoria’s Secret product? the other day.

Can you name the kids from the Cosby Show? nope.

What’s your favorite show on Nick At Nite? never had nickelodeon.

Have you ever made a rubber band ball? no lol. always wanted to.

What zodiac sign do you find to be the most interesting? none. people who truly believe in that shit kill my life. i could read any horoscope and somehow find a way it relates to my life.

Would you ever see a psychic? tempting but no.

When’s the last time you had cotton candy? ages ago.

Where is your younger sibling? in her room.

What’s the last thing you ordered at a Mexican restaurant? tacos.

Do you have an ant problem in the summer? nope.

Do you tan outside or in a booth? outside. but rarely.

Do you still use scrunchies? no.

Have you ever met someone for the 1st time that seemed so familiar? yes. i didn’t officially meet her, but there was this girl at work who looked SO familiar. i spent all shift thinking about it and realized she looks exactly like baby ariel lol.

What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? 40.

Do you keep anything in files? yes.

Do you have special ringtones for different people? only my boyfriend.

How do you eat your steak? rare/medium rare.

Is your birthmark shaped like anything? nah, it’s just a small dash.

Can you put on mascara with your mouth closed? yes.

Have you ever worn men’s underwear? no.

Do you own anything that’s fuzzy and purple? nope.

When’s the last time you were kissed on the cheek? on the weekend.

Do you play with pogs? nope.

What wild animal would you like as a pet? a panda that’s tame.

When’s the last time someone hung up on you? idk lol.

Have you eaten an entire pizza by yourself? hmmm. i probably have tbh.

Have you ever fallen out of a tree? nope.

Did you read the Babysitters Club book series? i was obsessed with it as a kid. i’d go to the markets and scope out garage sales just to collect them all.

How about Goosebumps? ^ same.

Ever worn a flower in your hair? yes.

What kind of car did your parents have while you were growing up? suzukis. they don’t have suzukis anymore yet i do lol.

Do you ever wish your birthday was on a different day? nah. i like my birthday.

Do you sunburn easily? i can if i’m not wearing any sunscreen.

Have you read the Twilight series? the first book only and like halfway through the second.

Why couldn’t you go to sleep the last time you were up all night? i was occupied lol.

What breed of dog do you find the most annoying? the small barky ones lol.

What would you name your first born son? haven’t thought that far ahead yet.

Do you cook anything you don’t like eating? no lol. what’s the point!

Do you watch any reality shows on MTV or VH1? no.

Would you have a better chance of surviving in the Sahara or Alaska? alaska. easily.

When’s the last time you pet a cat? omg maybe over a year ago.

Do you remember Eureka’s Castle on Nick JR? nope.

What would you say is Paris Hilton’s occupation? international dj hahahaha.

Are you wearing a necklace? yes.

Do you have any noticeable moles or birthmarks? i have a small mole below my right eye.

Count to ten in another language. ok i just did.

Do you feel uncomfortable telling friends they have boogers in their nose? no. i’d appreciate it if my friends told me if i had any!

What do you remember from sex ed class when you were younger? yes lol. the class thought it was a joke.

What’s the first instrument you ever played? keyboard.

What’s the last thing you wore around your neck? necklace.

#survey #surveys #quiz #bored #questions

1 note · View note

brophyblam · 7 years

Text

We the People Writing Contest 3rd Place Winner: “America, Through the Glass” by Nathan Miller ’17

When I was younger––oh, youth. Be honest. You don't run on Dunkin, honey. You need kids. Energy (not coffee, its synonym). Exploration! BAZINGA!––when I was younger, my mom and dad used to drive us to the aquarium every year. We'd get lost in that underwater, paradoxical world, snaking through mazes with transparent walls––not that we ever wanted to escape, really––and passing Japanese ponds full of koi, shallow reefs teeming with darting little squirts and starfish we could touch.

All of that was neat, but what gave me the biggest rush of all was the pool I could jump into. "Come feed the LIVE STINGRAY! Only $5 per person!" the sign said.

"No way in HELL," I said in my head.

Naturally, my mom was thinking the exact same thing:

"Come on, sweetheart, give it a try! You'll love it!"

Believing her for some imaginary reason, my brother and I climbed into the tank, wading through waist- (almost chest-)high salt water, clutching a few slimy sardines less afraid than we were, waiting for the rays to come. I stuck out my hand, gazing at it as if it were some alien limb.

Then, a dark grey saucer with a long, pointed antenna hovered toward me. Slowing down, it descended over my hand and, to retrieve the cargo, flipped itself up with a splash to reveal a lipless, almost-smiley mouth. The creature lingered, so I rubbed its slick body for good luck. All the while, mom and dad had been laughing, my brother tending to his own ray. Then, as suddenly as it came, the saucer floated back to the pool––off to spook and enchant, hopefully, another kid like me.

You, America, remind me of that aquarium. We've known each other for twenty years, babe–– fine, more like a decade and a half––so I know there's more to you than has met my eye. But tell me if this fits you:

You're full of surprises!

Back before I knew who Huck Finn was, my parents had been telling me about you all the time! They read books and sang songs to me about purple mountains and yellow plains and sharp, uncharted greens; about redcoats and General Washington and the minty Statue of Liberty; about pioneers and the wild, wilder west, and heroes like Jackson and Roosevelt.

All that stuff entertained me, sure. And, much the same, my parents could tell me all about hammerhead sharks and tuna, moral eels, sea urchins, jellyfish, stingrays.

But to see it with my own eyes––to see you in person––is a different story. And not just your landmarks or tourist destinations. Jobs galore––well, they sure aren't as pretty as they look on colored cardboard, but they're everywhere.

If I dreamed, and planned, I could open up a music shop. Sell used furniture and dj booths...too cheap, might as well become a dj myself! Eat ice cream right out of my stand when it gets too hot.

(It's always too hot)

I could open a law office. Work part-time for a construction team to build that office. Get a degree in studying people's feelings, the mind, the psyche. Design technology, new instruments and tools that such a psychologist could use. There's opportunity everywhere––and now, having grown up, I appreciate that more than ever.

And to watch you grow, America! More than your past, you're a fable being written every day; a timelapse being filmed as we speak.

You're a complex organism.

Sometimes, it's easy to feel powerless in this American system. I know there are hundreds, thousands of people bigger than me––not just in size or stamina, but in the scope with which their hands and minds can rend and contort our ecosystem.

You've got giants, America, and a food chain. You have your Great Whites, your barracudas, your bass, your starfish, your plankton, your seaweed. The dream is to climb that chain and metamorphosize into that shark; the challenge is, once up there, to control your appetite.

I, still over 220 years your junior, am beginning to perceive that chain for what it really is: a literal stairway to heaven for those below, a deadly weapon for those above (should they decide to vigorously yank and twist that chain, trying to keep their place at the top and shake intruders down), and a proving ground, tough but not impossible, for those in-between.

Recently, honey, and I cannot deny, that chain's been looking more like a cord lately. It's wearing thin, tense, stringy...

You're in danger.

Not that you ever weren't, America, but that a particularly pissed-off strain of violence is ravaging you. Personally, I've never seen you this weak. And it's not physical violence, no; no, it's more like an actual fever, all hot and sensitive and irritated. It's probably not terminal; but if that bug keeps growing, I'm afraid––lots are afraid––you'll collapse or choke, like a flailing tiger shark in the drained tank after somebody cracked the glass open with a hammer and

You might, as the vernacular simply goes, be fucked.

Now I don't mean to alarm you or escalate, but in that case, honey, we'd all be. It's a toxic jetstream that flows both ways. News sources lie to the people, disregarding truth; the people, naturally enraged, learn to love to hate the media. And hate the government. And hate the president. That's only part of it. It's cyclic, America, and it scares me.

You're my home.

In addition to, or in spite of, all that––you're my home. Not just mine, but the home of every Chris and Jim and Miguel and Barbara and Sanijn and Jessie and Robert and Julian and Alana, all the Chens and Garcias and Nguyens and Smiths and Wus and Kumars, and all the other stereotypes and clichès that, face it, Miller, just weren't going to work (fit?).

I know it was risky, honey, but they're frankly more than tropes: you are home to a full motley of people, period. This cannot be overstated! Diversity of cultures––that's your lifeblood, America, just like you're the lifeblood for all the people who come here.

Nor should you forget democracy. We all get, or at least share, some voice in you.

And youth––gumption, charisma, spark––that's your lifeblood, too! The young mind drives this country's interests, while the old mind keeps the two in check––a statement both true and false at the same time.

Nevertheless you are our bastion, a source of security and nourishment, my own "first frontier." Without you, I wouldn't be here; I've got to love you, America. We've got to protect you.

And that's why I hate to see you this way. No sea turtle appreciates a contaminated tank. No child likes to see his parents get sick, or tear at each other arguing. Just the same, it bites to see you torn in two, America. That's why we talked about you these past two weeks––because we, the "We, the People," want to help you help us help our posterity somehow.

Yes, it's confusing.

No, there are few straight-forward answers.

Yes, if there's a light at the end of this tunnel, then I sure as hell don't care for it sometimes.

Yes, admittedly, I might have enjoyed myself more if I spent one of those days at the aquarium.

But I do this because of what you mean to me, America––because of what you mean to us. You have a refugee heart, sliced and muffled but unbroken. Your streets may be spotted, coated with blood, but they will not lose their color, their shine, so easily. We will learn, America, together.

1 note · View note

yesemcollins · 4 years

Text

Chapter 1

I think on some level I knew that the life I lived was wrong. I remember spending considerable amounts of time looking in the mirror. Besides my father's copper brown skin and my mother's deep umber eyes, there was little of them to find in my facial features. I was often told how similar I looked to my Aunt Elizabeth. I had imagined at times that I was actually her child but since she had a full ride scholarship to college, she had to give me to my mother for caring. I think that gave me hope in believing that maybe someday I'd escape her. That because I wasn't truly hers to have, she had no right to keep me.

However, I've always been a glass half full type of person. After John had kicked us out for the hundredth time, my mother had found an apartment for us to stay in till we could come back. She had lost the key the first day. Luckily the apartment was on the ground floor, so we went through the back. That's when mom taught me how to open locked sliding doors, Just push in and slide. We had no furniture and only a few clothes that we had packed. The electricity and plumbing were down but my mother usually had me stay with a neighbor while she worked. Once, a sweet japanese couple said I could stay with them. It was the first and last time I ate jellyfish. That's where i'd eat and shower, and mom would shower at the police station, where she worked with John. Then we'd go back to the apartment at night and sleep on the floor. It was a strange way to live, but I thought 'atleast we aren't with John.'

We returned to John after only two weeks in that empty apartment. John had bought a new project house out in the small town of New Richmond. It was a large ranch house on a few acres of land, across from a cattle farm. It was a big project, the place had to be completely gutted and remodeled. It was the second longest place we had ever stayed, and my favorite. The summer we moved in, I took my bike and road along the fence line of the cattle farm. The few houses within miles of us were hidden deep within the woods, only the gravel driveways giving hint to their existence. When I found a pasture full of horses, it was like a dream come true. After making an agreement with the old man who owned the horses, I spent most of my free time mucking the stalls and riding when I was done.

I made friends with a boy the summer before we left New Richmond. I was walking down the long gravel driveway, when I noticed a new addition alone in the pasture. She was a beautiful brown paint, her hair the color of oatmeal and her eyes like sparkling crystals. I called her over to the edge of the fence gently, she was hesitant but soon allowed me to stroke her neck. With a deep urge to ride her, I climbed the fence and mounted her bareback. There was a strange connection between me and that horse as I felt her breathe between my legs. My mind drifted to the places I often dreamt of riding one of those horses off to. My thought had been interrupted by a wet voice of a boy calling out to me from the fence. The horse suddenly bucked and jerked around, I wrapped my hands in her hair trying to hold on. When I found a soft place to land, I quickly jumped from the horses back and rolled out under the fence. I scolded the boy for spooking the poor girl, but soon forgave him as he expressed his awe at my riding. Later that day, when the rancher returned home, I told him what happened. He couldn't believe I had managed to even get the horse to come to me, let alone mount her. She was his newest rescue and hadn't been properly broken by her previous owner. She was wild at heart and quite temperamental.

I promised not to ride her again, though it didn't much matter. With the house nearly done, my days on the ranch and with my new friend were short lived. So short lived, I hadn't even bothered to remember his name. It was something I had grown used to. Meeting new people and having to say goodbye. After our third move, I learned not to get attached to people. It was less painful that way.

When John found a buyer for the ranch he made enough money for us to stay in one house as he worked on another. That's when we moved to Amelia. It was the biggest house we'd ever lived in. The house had sky blue vinyl siding with navy blue shutters and bushes blooming with pink hibiscus flowers along the white railings of the front porch. We had a large backyard with neighbors on either side.

When the unpacking was done, I managed to sneak away on my bike to explore our new neighborhood. I found a lush green field with a dusting of daisies. A small dirt path, hardly visible from the street, led me through the waist high grass into a spot of woods. The canopy of the trees gave the area a whimsical feel. The air filled with bird song, the heat of the sun eased by the shade. I climbed over fallen trees and let the tall grass and flowers brush against my fingertips as I explored the area. Near the center of the forest, a fallen tree had been broken into four and arranged around a silver metal fire pit. I pushed on through the woods till I came out the other side to a soccer field. It was on a hill that looked down into the yards of the houses nearby. These two places would become my sanctuary.

As I put my bike in the garage, my body went stiff at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

"You must be my new neighbor." a scratchy voice said from the driveway.

I turned with a jump, my eyes wide and my heart racing. I looked back at the ginger haired boy, standing with his hands in his jean pockets.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought I'd say 'Hi'. I'm Miles." he pulled a hand from his pocket and gave a small wave with an apologetic smile.

"You didn't scare me." I said, relaxing my shoulder and pulling a can of Coke from the fridge.

"If that's what you wanna believe." Miles chuckled. "Anyway, I live next door. I saw you riding your bike and thought maybe you'd want to come hang out. All the kids on the street like to hang out at the end of the cul-de-sac." He offered, as I sipped my drink.

"I can't, I have stuff to do." I answered, climbing the two steps to open the door into our kitchen.

"Wait! You didn't tell me your name." Miles called out with a crooked smile.

I sighed, my hand on the door knob, I looked over my shoulder. "Naomi." Then I pressed the button to shut the garage door and went inside.

“Naomi? Is that you?” my mother called from the living room. I called back out to her as I searched the fridge for a snack.

“Will you bring me a can of pop and make me some salami rolls? I’m having the biggest craving.” She asked before turning up the volume on the tv.

I rolled my eyes before returning to the garage to grab her a drink, then pulled out the cream cheese and salami.

I handed my mother a plate of the salami rolls and drummed my fingertips over the pop can before opening it.

“Hey, could you grab my phone for me? I forgot it in the bathroom.” She added as she took the can from my hands. I quickly got her phone for her then sat on the couch across the room with a plate of my own.

“Who were you talking to out in the garage?”

I suddenly found the telenova very interesting, “Just some kid from next door, trying to be neighborly I guess.” I answered after I finished swallowing.

“Well, when you’re finished I need you to unpack all the stuff in Cory’s room. He will be staying with us this weekend. Now that we live closer, he will be visiting more often.” She crossed her plump ankles, her painted toes wiggling happily. I tried hard not to grimace at the site of her big toe. The nail was lifted above the bed by fungus, it was a sickly yellow beneath the bright red polish. I read a book where witches would get deformities from working with the devil, I sometimes wondered if that’s what happened to her toe.

As I stood to put away my empty plate, my mother held out her plate to be taken as well.

“And will you turn up the A/C, It’s so hot in here.” She wiped the sweat between her neck and chin with a towel then swept her long raven black waves of hair up into a bun. I quickly rushed upstairs before I could be asked to do anything else, and made my way across the balcony to Cory’s room. John had already set up the bed and dresser, but there were plenty of boxes to be unpacked.

‘Cory is plenty old enough to unpack himself, why can’t he do it?’ I had thought to myself as I neatly folded his clothes and put them away.

When I finished I snuck back across the balcony to my room. It was a minimalistic room, compared to everyone else’s in the house. The walls, a light lavender, with shelves for my books. A dresser and my bed was all I had or needed. A large bay window looked out over the driveway and into the street. I grabbed my book and cuddled into a pillow as I escaped into another world.

0 notes