#Logos React Replica

[zmeyel]

Since it looks like the Avenger Ordeal Call is going to be about Guda dealing with accumulated trauma in a seemingly literal garbage dump of their soul rather rayshifting anywhere, I wonder what's left for the Ruler Ordeal Call.

Maybe the Black Barrel? Mash's shield? What other mystical items do we know are lying around?

[scentedtheoristperfection]

sion isnt trustworthy

Sion's exposition is not trustworthy, and should always be treated with heavy skepticism. She is the cause of every wrong conclusion Chaldea has made.

A thread on the many contradictions and deliberate mistakes in her exposition.

(Spoilers for up to the intro of LB7)

Let's clarify something real quick, this is not me attacking Sion as a bad character. I adore her even more than Aoko. This is not me claiming that she's behind the Bleached Earth, or that she is pure evil. This is just me pointing out that she is manipulative for her interests.

She believes that Holmes was meant to guide Chaldea through LB5 and then destroy them from within. But she also claims his days were numbered when Moriarty was chosen as an Apostle... Traum formed before Atlantis as we know thanks to Quixote...

She doubles down on this contradiction with the aforementioned claim that Holmes could not betray the Foreign God because he was an Apostle- so he sealed his memories. Is that not an act of betrayal? But also… Moriarty betrays the Foreign God… or at least thinks he does. So let's go beyond the LB7 Prologue now back to the Traum Prologue. Trimegistus II and Sheba both return errors when observing Traum and act like it's a sudden thing. Sion references it in both Avalon le Fae and Tunguska- showing she is already aware of it.

This screenshot is Avalon le Fae. The second one is Traum right before entering the singularity- she gets the same prediction for it- but doesn't share it until last minute yet again. Since SHEBA/Trisgmegistus had errors, she either is able to fabricate their readings or-

Has a more accurate method of making predictions than even Trismegistus which is a replica of Tri-Hermes and SHEBA which literally observes the future? (She has Logos React, an Atlas Superweapon designed around predicting and creating hypothetical histories in a GudaGuda) Regardless of which it is, both have pretty big of implications of her manipulations. But scripting order is par for the course with Sion. Nemo outright admits she scripted going to LB2 and told them how LB4 would go in LB4.

But Tunguska takes things to a new level.

So why would Sion go through the trouble of staging a martyr moment? I'll let Mash go through the trouble of explaining this one for me.

[nursingwriter]

Belief System: Epicurean vs. Stoic People over 65 should be prohibited from having major medical treatment such as open - heart surgery. Health care efforts would be better directed toward preventative care for children. From this standpoint this work intends to examine the belief of the Stoic and of the Epicurean and finally to form a personal opinion and state the same. Stoicism is a term derived from the Greek "stoa" which refers to the columns or "colonnade" such as one sees in the replicas of Grecian architecture or on the front of colonial style homes. Zeno, a teacher taught his followers in the "stoa poikile" in Athens and the name stoics was applied to this group. Followers were inclusive of Marcus Aureoles, Seneca and Epictetus. Stoic Belief The thinking or logic of the "Stoic" was the same as that of Aristotle but with a different twist adding that: "The mind is a blank slate, upon which impressions are inscribed.' Stoic physics claims that "nothing incorporeal exists." This materialistic view is cohesive with the doctrine of the stoic. Plato understood the substance contained within the knowledge in thought and ascribed value to that knowledge. However, the stoic places value in sensations experienced on a physical level stated that reality is matter. Believing that "All things, even the soul, and that even God himself, are only material and nothing more." The stoics basis for this belief was upon the following two considerations: * It is demanded by the unity of the world, the world is one and must obey the principle of one - monism. * God and the world are pair acting and reacting upon one another The fire logos is the primordial type of being from which all things are composed was adopted from Heraclitus by the Stoics who stated that the primal fire is God. So as is God the primordial fire then the human soul is too fire. God is to the world as the soul is to the body of a human. The soul comes from the divine fire permeating and penetrating the body completely and according to the Stoic belief "the soul-fire permeates the whole body, and God, the primordial fire, permeates the entire world. " Materialism set aside Stoics hold to the belief that God to be "absolute reason." Following the thinking that the divine fire is an element based in rationality of thinking. The Stoic belief is that all things will return to the primal fire, and at some future time God will transmute himself into the physical world again. This materialistic view doesn't see progress for either God or mankind but sees the physical human condition perpetuating forevermore with no changes but only an ever- continuing cycle. Ethical beliefs of the Stoic finds its' basis in two governing laws of physics. The first, that the universe is governed by absolute law, which admits of no exceptions. The second ethical teaching is that the essential nature of the human being is reason. II. Epicurean Belief: The general philosophy of the Epicurean, as taken from the translation of Nicholas White is simply this: "Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well" III. The Stoic & The Epicurean The Stoic holds the belief that the ever-perpetuating cycle takes care of itself and that is basically the belief of the Epicurean as well. The philosophy of "going with the flow" of "swimming with instead of against the current" is the theme running throughout the discourse examined. Conclusion: It is the personally held belief of this writer that God bestowed upon mankind intellect, cognizance and above all things the ability to reason. With the use of those attributes reflected in the decisions of mankind, whether in relation to sickness or any other category of thought true reason leads the individual to that which provides for the longest life characterized by "quality of life." Therefore, the coined phrase, which states that "while there is life, there is hope," would the correct thought process for the individual needing surgery. The conclusion is that any individual regardless of that individual's age should examine and pursue all means possible of having better quality of life and any individual requiring surgery for added years to their life should be provisioned that medical care without question. Bibliography: "Stoic Logic" Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/stoicism.htm#StoicLogic The Handbook of Epictetus. Translated by Nicholas White. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1983. Walton, Stephen (1997) THE MANUAL: "How to Control Everything You Can" a modern rendering of the Enchiridion of Epictetus available at: http://www.ideonautics.com/manual2.htm "Stoic Logic" Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/stoicism.htm#StoicLogic Ibid. The Handbook of Epictetus. Translated by Nicholas White. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1983. Read the full article

[kara-knuckles]

Spoilers for Atlas Contract arc of Lord El-Melloi II Case Files

I have been thinking about my theory about Sir Kay's death in Nasuverse, and suddenly his role in the backstory of Camelot Singularity got even more cruel.

Unfortunately, I only saw summaries of Atlas Contract arc, so my theory may be based on false/misunderstood information. But the point I make still stands. From what I know, the Kay in this arc is something closer to Alice or Twice than to a Servant  (i.e. he is more like a recreation of a living person created by Logos React Replica after original's death + some modifications, instead of customized appropriation based on info from the Throne). It seems that Add was created after Kay's death, and Kay also used his death as an excuse to not elaborate on Morgan's character and actions after Artoria's death. But what if he actually worked with Morgan on Add and his refusal to explain things is to hide his involvement? It's rather conspicuous that we don't know what happened to him after he refused to join Artoria on Camlann. What if he died to help seal Rhongomyniad? Or even if he was dead by the time Morgan was creating Add, at least the Logos React version of him has met her and may have more info than he lets on. I also find the fact that Shirou met a "ghost" of Kay after talking with Waver about missing Artoria in that one Drama CD highly suspicious...

Anyway, my point is one way or another in life (or rather, in death) Kay had a connection to Rhongomyniad. Add also states in the final arc that one of his functions is to prevent its wielder from gaining too much divinity/losing their humanity.

And now think about when Kay was summoned in Camelot by Lion King. If he indeed collaborated with Morgan on "seal Rhongo and hope Artoria isn't resurrected" plan, then the whole Lion King thing is just awful. Imagine him dying to seal Rhongomyniad only to be summoned to see the exact situation he died to prevent: his dear sister that should have died, wielding the weapon that turned her divine, giving inhuman orders to her knights. Even if he wasn't involved in Morgan's plan in life, it still works as dramatic irony because of Add.

And now imagine if Lion King killed him with Rhongomyniad...

[demifiendrsa]

Assassin's Creed Mirage: Cinematic World Premiere

Developer Trailer Breakdown

Assassin’s Creed Mirage will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC via Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store, and Luna in 2023.

Logo

Key visuals

Screenshots

Game Editions

Standard Edition

Base Game

Deluxe edition

Base Game

Deluxe Pack

Collector’s case

Base Game

Deluxe Pack

High-quality figurine of Basim

Replica of Basim’s brooch

An exclusive Steelbook and more

Pre-order bonus

Overview

About

In the ninth century CE, Baghdad is at its height, leading the world in science, art, innovation, and commerce. Amid its bustling urban landscape, a conflicted young orphan with a tragic past must navigate the streets to survive.

In Assassin’s Creed Mirage, you are Basim, a cunning street thief with nightmarish visions, seeking answers and justice. After an act of deadly retribution, Basim flees Baghdad and joins an ancient organization—The Hidden Ones. As he learns their mysterious rituals and powerful tenets, he will hone his unique abilities, discover his true nature, and come to understand a new Creed—one that will change his fate in ways he never could have imagined.

Key Features

A Powerful Coming-of-Age Story – Discover a narrative-driven action–adventure experience that follows the transformation of a defiant young man into a refined Master Assassin with a conflicted destiny. Meet an inspiring cast of characters who will shape Basim’s destiny and may be more than what they seem…

The Ultimate Assassin – Become the most versatile Assassin in franchise history. Parkour seamlessly through the city and leverage the largest assortment of tools to date. Get contracts at the Assassin’s bureaus, collect vital clues, and stealthily take down targets with more visceral assassinations than ever before.

An Immersive, Reactive City – Explore a dense and vibrant city whose inhabitants react to your every move. Uncover the secrets of four unique districts, from the industrial Karkh to the lush gardens of the Round City. Discover surprising world events and interact with historical figures that shaped the Golden Age of Baghdad.

A Tribute to an Original – Experience a modern take on the features and gameplay that have defined a franchise for 15 years. Journey to Alamut, the legendary home of the Assassins who laid the foundations of the Creed in this heartfelt homage to the game that started it all.

Characters

Basim – Originally born in Samarra, Basim lost his mother at a young age and grew up on his own in the streets of Baghdad. Basim admires the Hidden Ones, and dreams of joining them.

Roshan – After escaping a life of oppression, Roshan became a master assassin at the Hidden Ones’ stronghold, Alamut. Now, she takes Basim under her wing as her first true apprentice.

More characters coming soon.

[nanamunath]

No grave can hold my body down I'll crawl home to her

Vampire!Eddie x Fem!Reader

Warnings: talks of grief and loss of a loved one, mentions of death, stranger things season 4 spoilers duh, the reader has a panic attack and experiences something similar to derealization, mentions of scars, slight angst.

A/N: Hiii, It's been so so long since I've written anything for fandom. I wanted to give it a try, i didn't have anyone proofread this so... Yeah, let's just jump straight to it.

🖤

As i stared into the eyes of the boy i once dreamed of building a life with from across the vast green of the woods surrounding us, i felt cold to my bones, like the coldest breeze had blew right through me, icing me from the inside out. I couldn't move, i couldn't speak, i felt as if my heart was an icy stone and it had dropped to the bottom of my stomach.

Fear.

I never thought the day would come when i would be something other than excited to see that face, that i would be wanting to turn heel and run away from him instead of into his arms so i could get lost within his scent, feel the strands and curls of his hair grace my cheeks and tickle my nose, feel the planes and reliefs of his chest under the fabric of those old faded band tshirts he always opted to wear outside school, on the days he was not wearing his Hellfire club t-shirt. Always so proud of showing it off and then becoming shy and bashful when somebody asked who designed the logo cause it was all his idea and he had sketched it over and over despite not being the greatest at drawing until it came to be what is was.

Now as you stared into his once warm eyes, all you felt was terror. That's not him, that's not him. Your mind screamed at you.

Have you ever heard about the uncanny valley? Gosh, Eddie and i talked about this a couple summers ago, he saw it on a sciency magazine somewhere, something about robots or robotic parts that resembled too much the appearance of something organic and human caused a negative response in humans, whether that reaction be of disgust or fear or uneasyness... Rejection. He had wanted to implement that in his story telling, trying to figure out how to do it, how to paint a picture of something so seamlessly ordinary and human but that it actually wasn't, how to make the players fall for it until they didn't and have them get to that point of feeling uneasy even before he revealed the plot twist and the true nature of whatever it was that was in their presence.

Well, as i held his eyes, there was something in the back of my mind that warned me to not be fooled, whatever this was infront of me, standing in the middle of the woods behind the trailer park, with what looked to be dry leaves and caked mud and dirt covering his- it's hair, clothes and face, despite being an almost identical replica of that boy i adored and spent countless evenings with, it was not him.

Struggling to piece whatever it was that made me so uneasy, my eyes searched for something, anything, to help me understand what it was, why my body was reacting in such visceral ways to... A dream? An hallucination, maybe?

Cause there was no way that what i was seeing was part of reality, my reality at least. He was gone. He is gone. Present tense.

Dustin said it, he said, he saw him die. He died and Wayne and I mourned him, we didn't even have a body to bury, like many other families in Hawkins, we only had memories and broken hearts to go by.

Only left with drawers full of clothes from the ones we lost, boxes full of his music cassettes, his magazines and band posters, old notebooks filled with scribbled notes and countless ideas for his campaigns... Stuff that neither of us, two of the very few people who actually knew him, can part from, cause it's all that's left, the only thing that proved that he was there once. That he existed and that he made us happy, that he loved and was loved by someone.

That means that at the moment i must be dreaming... But this is different.

I've dreamt of him before, many times. I've dreamt of him returning to me, of all of these past months being just a bad dream, and I wake up and find I'm in Ms. O'Donnell's class and he's sitting next to me, with that far away look in his eyes he gets when he's lost in daydream land.

In those dreams i stare at him in awe and relief, glad that it was over now, that life will go on now, go on as it should. Sometimes in those dreams I'd cry, somehow nobody else in the class would notice or acknowledge it, he would turn to me with surprise and worry written in his eyes, always those damn expressive eyes of him, until something in him seems to click and he just smiles knowingly, like him and I are both in on the same secret, like he understands how much it tore me apart to see myself enduring life without him, and then he'll open up his arms and I'd get up from my seat and run into them. Ms. O'Donnell frozen mid sentence, the rest of the students unmoving, like a movie on pause. It's just him and I and i tell him that I miss him and he laughs.

I dream of that. That's what my dreams of him feel like.

Never have I felt this in a dream before, this dread. This visceral rejection towards him, is so strong it makes me wanna weep and scream, my heart and mind want to feel happy to have him here but my body is trying to run away, but why would I run away? It's Eddie! He's here now.

Right?

Or not... I start clicking the pieces together one by one. Coming to a slow realization of what is wrong with this image that is presented to me.

That's not mud in his white t-shirt... That looks a lot like when i split my chin during gym class, the blood trailed down my neck into the white uniform from my old school, before I moved to Hawkins. I didn't want to bother the teacher, so i went and sat on the bleachers, quietly, using a couple napkins i had on my bag to press down on the cut till it stopped bleeding. My mom freaked out when she saw the dry blood, it had dried and got this copperish brown tone against the white of the tshirt.

Much like the one covering his own now.

His skin looked unusually pale and sickly. His eyes... Those eyes, once brown and warm and full of life, they were cold and dead, color a deep, all consuming jet black and they were set on me as if i was...

Prey. I am prey.

That's what's yelling at me to run, my own instincts, that long forgotten something in me, that those who were in this earth way before us, needed in order to survive in the wild with beast and predators a lot bigger and stronger roaming around. A fight or flight response, my monkey brain deemed that this was a fight i was meant to loose, so i needed to flee the scene.

I can't die, i need to be there for the little ones.

Help Dustin rebuild the Hellfire club from scratch after this hateful town took it and, just like they try to do with everything good, destroyed it. He can't do it on his own, i was going to help him, eventually we'll clean Eddie's name, his legacy.

We'll take care of those lost little sheep, he promised him and I am going to make sure nobody got in the way of him fulfilling that promise he made to the boy that was my best friend, my first love.

So i take a slow deep breath and i turn around- with utter horror I realize my feet are glued to the floor before I can even take the first step, my breathing is superficial, chest moving up and down rapidly but i feel as if I'm suffocating. My heart beating so fast I'm sure it's going to explode in my chest, the blood rushing through my body so loud i fear I'm going to go deaf.

And then he- it speaks. With his voice.

"You wound me darling... I thought you would have missed me."

I can't speak. I can't move. I have my back turned on it and i can't do anything. This is surely the end of me... I close my eyes and try to will myself to wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up.

"Darling... Open your eyes" he says, tone not quite scolding me, i can't help but obey it's command, despite not wanting to.

The sight that greets me is one of a swirling black pool, devoid of light, devoid of warmth. I immediately feel something within myself change, a voice inside of me whispers, tells me that surrendering it's easier, just do what you are supposed to do. Roll over, expose your neck in submission, bare your throat for it to feed and maybe it will take pity on you.

It's how it's supposed to be, it's what will keep the balance in this fragile ecosystem. Whatever this is... Is an apex predator and i've fallen right into it's claws. The more i struggle to break free, the more painful it will be. Just-

"Stop" Eddie's voice speaks again and it's like I'm suddenly out of a trance. Those eyes are not staring straight at me but looking away now. "Don't- just don't do that, please" the voice is almost pleading, he sounds restrained, talking through gritted teeth and it's like a spell has been broken, the air around me suddenly doesn't feel as oppressive anymore.

"I... I'm not doing anything" i manage to whisper, voice shaky, body still thrumming with adrenaline.

"No, i know, i know that" he says, frown deepening, shaking his head as if trying to put his thoughts together. "I don't know how to not do it. I'm- I'm still getting used to this, the superpowers thing, I'm sorry"

I don't say anything. If this is a dream it's the weirdest i ever had. I still can't move a single muscle in my body and i can feel my legs start to tingle and cramp from being standing in place, unnaturally still for so long.

"I just wanted to see you" His voice cracks a little bit and when he looks at me again the tears catching in his waterline resemble my own that are rapidly building, whether it's because of the fact that i never thought I'd hear his voice again or it's in response to the adrenaline I'm feeling, it's hard to tell. "I missed you so much"

"You were the one who left" i croak out. This is by far the cruelest dream my mind has come up with, this is not a dream, this is an absolute nightmare and I'm growing fed up with it. "And now... Now you only come back in dreams."

"What... No, darling. I'm- I'm right here." He says. "I'm sorry i was gone for so long but I promise you, I will explain it to you, i just... Need time to put myself together again. Cause I've changed, something happened to me, i-"

"You died... You're dead Eddie, this is- I'm gonna wake up and that won't ever change, it will still be the same as it has been for the past months, I'm gonna wake up and try to live a life without you." I choke on my own sobs that threaten to rip from my throat. "this is so unfair. Why is my mind doing this to me now? dreams are supposed to be good, are supposed to be painless."

I flinch when cold hands land on my wet cheeks, he's freezing as he cups my face in his hands and looks at me with so much pain.

I'm in shock at how real this dream feels, i start to wonder when exactly on the journey from the trailer park to Hawkins high school i fell into this strange state of sleep, i wonder if I even left Wayne's trailer at all, maybe I'm late to the meeting with Dustin and the rest of the Hellfire club... If they even showed up at all, maybe it's just Dustin and Mike sitting there, waiting for me. I should wake up now, go to them. Wake up, wake up, wake up.

His voice breaks me away from my thoughts "My darling... I'm so sorry. I promise you I will explain everything" for a moment this conjuration from my mind gives me that look, that look that only Eddie would give me, nobody else ever looked at me like that, i didn't think i was even capable of conjuring such look with just my memories. "This is not a dream, I'm really here"

And just like before i can't help but believe him, despite how wrong everything feels, the dread I felt at the start is back with full force at the realization that this isn't something my head is making up, this is happening, the reality sinks in and my head feels foggy, suddenly i can't tell what's real and what's not, or who i am, my body is both there and not quite there and i can't help but wince as i start feeling the tip of my fingers go numb, nothing is making sense anymore.

I can tell I'm falling to my knees but at the same time the feeling of the humid grass under my knees doesn't fully register on my brain, like I'm just an invisible witness, like I'm not in control of my body anymore and the rest of my body feels too heavy on it's own, without it's puppeteer... I just do nothing as gravity takes it down with it, eyelids doing the same thing, falling shut as consciousness slips away from me and I'm just floating around in the darkness, i can hear a voice calling me but it's very far away from me, i ignore it and decide that it's better to sleep this feeling away.

I wake up to the high pitched, insisting ringing of a phone, looking around I realize I'm at Wayne's trailer, more specifically in Eddie's room, it looks the same as it did when I left this afternoon, his stuff hasn't been moved since he disappeared but now some of my things also adorne his desk and the foot of his bed, i have been staying here often, just wanting to feel closer to him.

I hear the shower running and the phone keeps on ringing, getting up i walk into the small kitchen/living room space, not bothering to close the door of the bedroom after me knowing Wayne wouldn't be home soon, since finding out about Eddie's death he has been working more and more hours to the point he barely comes home.

"HELLO? Y/n what the hell?" Dustin's angry voice is what greets me from the other side of the line. "You stood us up today, we waited two whole hours for you, TWO."

"Dustin I'm so sorry, i-" What excuse could I come up with... How do I even explain the experience i had. Or i dreamed I had? "How did you know i was here?"

"When you didn't show up i got worried so i asked your parents." The honesty in his tone made my heart ache, this kid... "Listen, i know it's not easy, wherever you went Eddie was attached to your hip and viceversa, even before i knew the both of you, everyone knew what you had was something special. I'll give you all the time you need just... Don't shut us out, we cared for him too. It might be a bit easier if we go through this together, you don't have to suffer alone."

My chest was sinking with every word he said, this grief i had been carrying was too much for me to explain, so heavy it had me crumbling every time i got home from school or work, feeling every time i tried to put it into words that the only thing that was going to come out of my mouth was my bloody bruised heart barely beating now without one of the main reasons it was ever whole to begin with.

When i didn't say anything he continued "maybe it's too soon to be resuming Hellfire meetings, i just thought maybe it would be nice... To put something together, Gareth came around, he said he'll see if the rest of Corroded Coffin would be down for one last session before they left town and I'm not the most experienced DM but you know." I could hear a slight wince in his voice, it was rare to hear Dustin sound so unsure. "I thought it would be nice to put something together, for Eddie."

"I know kiddo... I know it's just- listen, I'm truly sorry for leaving you waiting, i promise not to do that again. And i think it's a wonderful idea, seriously. You can bet your ass I'll be there, I'll have to bring tissues with me but you know" We both laugh lightly. "I'll pick you up tomorrow and we can start planning the whole thing, how does that sound?"

"You better not leave me waiting this time, I'll let the rest of the guys know" After we both said our goodbyes i hang the phone with a sigh, finally registering the sound of the shower running that i heard earlier was no longer in the background.

Not knowing what to expect i looked over and saw the bathroom door was slightly ajar, steam streaming out from it. I grabbed a kitchen knife from one of the drawers nearby and slowly made my way towards Eddie's bedroom door that was now closed.

Grabbing the doorknob i twisted it open, knife held high, i bursted into the room and saw a figure standing in the middle of it that made me freeze in place.

Sweatpants hanging low from his hips, there was Eddie Munson in all of his disheveled glory, hair wet and tangled on top of his head, curls weighted down by the water still clinging to them and dripping down his shoulders and back but still looking magnificent in the way it fell messily around his face. My eyes drifted lower to his chest, there were the tattoos that he showed off proudly at any chance he had, i was there when he got some of them, holding his hand while he tried to pretend it didn't hurt at all.

New marks covered his torso too, these ones in the form of what looked to be recently healed wounds and scarred tissue. In different pink and lavender tones... Some seemed to have belonged to very deep wounds, other probably scratches or friction burns. My breath caught in my throat at he sight, my whole self trying to imagine and then emulate the pain that he must have gone through, cause whatever it was that he was going through i always felt it the same as if it was my own heart and body that was in pain, i could never bear to leave him alone not even in his suffering.

Feeling the knot start to form in my throat i dropped the knife to cover my mouth to stop sobs from escaping, it hadn't been a dream, he was here... What happened to him?

"Eddie, Jesus Christ, Eddie" i managed to let out as i ran into his arms, getting lost in him as i always used to do, he wasn't the biggest guy out there, but he was definitely broad and a couple inches taller than me, enough to always make me feel safe and tucked in his embrace. Tears falling freely into his naked chest, i sneaked my arms around his middle, holding on tightly, having missed what it felt like to have him so close to me every day for the last couple of months.

"There you are darling, oh dear. I was so scared when you passed out on me" he said into my head, wrapping his tattooed arms around me.

"You have no idea what it's been like, being without you." I couldn't stop crying, even when he was here with me, i couldn't quite stop myself from feeling he would be taken from me again.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." He replied, his bare skin felt cool to the touch. A pit started to grow inside of me as i realized that i couldn't feel anything under the cheek that was pressed against him, against his chest, nor could I hear the two toned beat of his heart inside of it. Paying attention i was able to tell that his chest wasn't even moving with breath intakes and exhales.

Untangling myself from him with a gasp, i looked at this alien Eddie, standing right in front of me, once again feeling something was not quite right. He immediately noticed it, he always read me like a book, pressed his lips tightly for a moment, the hurt in his eyes was evident as he slowly raised his hands up trying to appease me.

"Please don't be scared of me, i would never do anything to hurt you, y/n" He said. "I know this is fucking crazy, i know how it looks like... I get accused of brutally murdering a girl in this trailer and then i go into running and then a fucking earthquake destroys the bloody town and now I'm back and I'm... Like this. I don't even know where to start or how to explain everything that happened, i don't even know how much Dustin told you about it, i asked him to keep you out of it to protect you-"

"Wait, Dustin... Dustin knew you were alive all this time?"

"No! No! He doesn't know. He thinks I'm dead... Oh well, I'm sure i died. But i came back and I'm different now and i was so fucking terrified of coming back like this so i hid and I was so fucking thirsty, i- i didn't know if it was safe for you to be around me so i didn't come back immediately, but i wanted to, Jesus y/n, it was all i wanted, all i could think of." He was pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair, finger and rings getting tangled in it. "You have to believe me that i never wanted to leave you alone, i swear. I was so scared too and in so much pain and I knew that you would make it better, you would be there for me but i couldn't risk hurting you, i can't barely control this... This powers i have now. Like earlier when i made you do things, i didn't mean to do that, i don't know how to will it to go away when i say anything."

"Okay okay, hold on, Eddie I'm so confused... Am I loosing my mind?" I sat in his bed, the bed where i had been sleeping, trying to surround myself with his scent. "I think i might have lost my mind, it's not every day that your tragically deceased love comes back from the dead and goes on about having super powers"

I feel the bed dip with a weight right next to me although i couldn't hear any steps or shuffling as he made his way to me.

"Believe me darling, I've thought that i may have lost my mind too... If i even had it for a start" He chuckled and i couldn't help but snort at it. "Y/n, I'm terrified, i don't know what this is supposed to mean but I feel... Different, very different."

"You look different, changed." I said, finally looking at him again. "It's like... Earlier, when i saw you in from of me, it was like watching something else, something dangerous. Even though I didn't want to be scared of you, my body kept trying to run away. And when I realized i couldn't, i could only think of... Surrendering, resignation. Even before you controlled me into accepting it was real and not a dream. It was instinctual. And it is kinda still there, even if i know it's just you and I would never be afraid of you, is such a visceral reaction. As if I'm a prey and you're..." My words hang heavy in the air between us as we look at each others eyes.

"I get it. I feel it too. I can feel a lot of things now, and hear them too. Your heart pumping, your blood rushing, i can smell it in you, that you were terrified earlier and now even though you are calm, you're still wary." he says. "And I also know that if you had had the chance to run earlier, i would've had no other choice but to hunt you down. Whatever it is that changed me, made me into something that is a lot more in touch with it's baser instincts and needs, besides being a lot more powerful. Sometimes i can't control myself " i feel myself shiver at his words. Not quite understanding what he meant by these instincts and needs.

"I know you would never hurt me" I whisper and bring my hand to hold his cold one that is fidgeting in his lap. "Whatever this is, we'll figure it out together, Eddie"

"I don't know what I'd do without you" He replied and i could see how his eyes turned watery, lower lip wobbling and i knew this was my Eddie, i had gotten him back, perhaps a bit changed but it was him, and I would anything in my power to protect him, i wouldn't let anyone or anything take him away from me again. So i reached out and i held him close to me, whispering sweet promises and reassurances into his still wet hair as he cried in my arms.

I was still very confused and had many questions, but those could wait, tonight my boy needed me and there was no force strong enough in this world to prevent me from following Eddie Munson wherever he asked me to. No power great enough to keep me from giving him whatever he may need from me without even thinking of the consequences.

[cerisezero]

Fic-concept-type posting, part two. (Before everything is Zelda.) This one follows up on Future Redeemed; it could be part of the same continuity as my previously mentioned Lanz and Sena bit, but might not be, I don't know.

Shulk's got some work to do post-series. No-one knows how to deal with Monado-related issues better than he does... or Trinity Processor related ones, in some regards.

Following the separation of Aionios, the Logos processor ends up on the wrong side of the split. Still damaged, sure, but-

A: Shulk and the Machina crew have spent plenty of time working on Monado replicas. B: Whether or not he actively remembers it, the guy's spent ~1000 years 'in the system' with one of the Trinity and with the Driver to another. That's got to leave a mark.

When it starts to become clear that yes, reunification can/will happen, the prospect of having all the Trinity potentially operational or around to help starts to rear its head. Maybe the Bionis-world tech can do what the Alrestians can't?

And eventually... Shulk and co. manage to wake Malos up, as the last stage of the restoration process. (Or at least, The Aegis/Trinity Member Formerly Known As Malos, given the implications of that name and the way the other siblings have worked out.) Can a good hearted god-cleaver be a better influence than a corrupt god-wannabe? Probably not hard... Does it count as Shulk becoming a Driver? Do the pair make it over to Alrest before the reunification happens? If so, it definitely counts at that stage. And what does our Logos boy remember from his time being awful?

...also Malos as a weird 'uncle' around Nikol. Another 'brat' to react to. Just saying.

[tainbocuailnge]

zepia’s last name is oberon. back in melty blood this was probably a symbolic writing choice regarding the night of wallachia manifesting rumors for a single summer night much like the fairy king oberon does in a midsummer night’s dream, but many years later casefiles material points out that zepia chose the name oberon himself and it is incredibly conspicuous about how this is important. “In the world of magecraft, where a resemblance of names holds such a deep meaning, the relationship between him and the fairy king Oberon of a Midsummer Night’s Dream is a story only he knows.“

as a dead apostle, zepia’s exact lifespan is hard to determine. what we know for certain is in fate he became director of atlas (exchanging the name oberon for atlasia) around 1400 AD and was likely already a dead apostle by then, and in tsukihime he made his contract with altrouge and became the night of wallachia around 1500 AD.

this means zepia’s name was oberon centuries before shakespeare was even alive to write a midsummer night’s dream, so zepia choosing this name predates the invention of the character of the fairy king oberon.

that being said, a character called oberon does exist in the 13th century story of huon de bordeaux, where oberon is the elven son of morgan le fay and julius caesar. this story is referenced in caesar’s profile, although it’s not sure how true it is within fate when caesar lived some five centuries before morgan.

fairies are beings that are normally imperceptible to humans unless they have certain mystic eyes, but there do exist fairies that wear human imagination as a perceivable shell. fairies that can be fully perceived by and interact with humans without such a shell are of the elemental class, of which arcueid is an example given in material books (yu mei-ren would be another example).

the night of wallachia is a phenomenon that cannot be said to exist, but it its able to manifest physically by cloaking itself in malicious rumors.

zepia became the night of wallachia through a contract with altrouge, arcueid’s sister.

in casefiles volume 6, zepia is staying at the blackmore cemetery because it possesses one of the seven atlas contracts that allow one to demand the cooperation of atlas even if it goes against their rules of never letting anything leave the institute. 

chaldea also has such a contract, which is how they were able to obtain trismegistus and the paper moon made by sion. zepia was in charge of making trismegistus until the responsibility was pushed to sion instead.

the cemetery is in gray’s hometown, home to a cult that intends to revive king arthur and which has safekept the mystic code containing rhongomyniad for centuries. said mystic code is add, which was turned into a seal for rhongomyniad and given its current form by morgan le fay. its original, true form is that of the logos react replica, which is a copy of one of the seven superweapons of atlas.

the village’s ritual to revive king arthur was also created by morgan le fay, and they are using the atlas contract to have zepia help in performing it.

zepia is able to control the logos react with ease, and can almost singlehandedly contain it after it goes out of control, which is outrageous even for atlas alchemist standards.

another copy of the logos react is the cause of the gudaguda final honnouji event. sion explains that the nature of logos react is creating an “observational space” for the sake of running thought experiments, but these simulations can easily go on to become singularities. this copy of it was a birthday gift to her from zepia.

in fate timelines zepia did not become the night of wallachia, but in casefiles he does mention having once calculated the possibility of him becoming a “comrade” of gransurg blackmore (his fellow dead apostle ancestor in tsukihime), although that possibility was cut off around 300 AD before he was born. this means zepia is aware of the night of wallachia even if it is impossible for him to become it in fate.

zepia is also connected to doctor heartless, who had his heart stolen by fairies (though I can’t be sure of the exact connection until casefiles vol.6 is translated lol)

lostbelt number six is called “avalon le fay” and is described as a world of fairies instead of humanity. its fantasy tree is dead, and instead it is being maintained by rhongomyniad.

the atlas institute has become dislodged from time in the wake of the incineration of humanity and was subsequently able to appear in the sixth singularity in its present state.

having listed the facts as far as I can find them, here are some things that can be extrapolated from them.

morgan le fay has to have worked together with atlas in the past in order to get her hands on the logos react replica so that she could turn it into add. it is not unlikely that she is also the one who procured the atlas contract for the blackmore cemetery that now allows them to have zepia aid in the ritual, as she would have needed it in order to obtain the replica from them in the first place.

zepia is strongly connected to the fairies through his name and ties with doctor heartless, perhaps even being possible to classify as fairy himself as the night of wallachia, which he became with a fairy’s help, and he is aware of this possible outcome for himself even in worlds where it is impossible. since he predates the writing of a midsummer night’s dream he might have gotten his name from the oberon in huon de bordeaux, or considering the material book does specifically mention a midsummer night’s dream maybe zepia himself was the inspiration for shakespeare’s oberon. 

if zepia indeed took his name from huon de bordeaux’ oberon, it gives him a more direct connection with morgan le fay than simply “director of the institute she worked with long before his time,” as she is the mother of this oberon. 

going by the title lostbelt 6 is all but guaranteed to heavily feature morgan, who as said above has to have connections with atlas, which is currently dislodged from time and has previously appeared in a round table related story chapter. the lostbelt is maintained by rhongomyniad, and zepia has masterful control over a device that can completely seal rhongomyniad, a lesser copy of which is known to be in sion’s possession.

chaldea has an atlas contract, which allows it to demand the unconditional aid of atlas’ alchemists, and it has already previously worked with zepia during the development of trismegistus - although this was unknown to the current chaldea staff before meeting sion in the wandering sea.

believe in lostbelt zepia.

[lenasai]

this week in blaseball: season 18 edition

coin entered maximum gaslight gatekeep girlboss mode

you can change the color on the beta logo and that's Neat

ultra league blaseball????

salmon restored a player's bat and yeeted them elsewhere at the same time

dale and worms broke the record for longest game time (so close to 69 minutes, but fell just short...)

mike townsend avoided getting faxed because of a black hole and TECHNICALLY PITCHED A SHUTOUT BECAUSE THE SHOE THIEVES ENDED THE GAME WITH 0 POINTS

finn james committed fax evasion by only giving up 9.5 runs

one player got an item called ACTUAL GLOVE OF THE FAMINE (and now i have a name for my new metal band)

discuss: did the coin effectively utilize girl power when she canceled the tarot reading

shoe thieves and mills got so close to ending a game 4-20, but the mills had to score one unrun and make it 4-19.7...

at least one team collected 69 birds

after two escapes, mike townsend finally got arrested for fax evasion

max and ivy both pecked free by birds, PANIK ENSUED (I WISH ALL GEORGIAS A NEVER PLAY US IN FEEDBACK EVER)

garages copied charm from lovers and proceeded to get into a charm fight with them

max and brisket friendo both got to do skateboard tricks! the latter, who is An Actual Cat, did a cat's cradle, which is very fitting

someone named an actual star after chorby soul

a new book was revealed in the library called "a ruby tuesday" that contains (somewhat minor) inaccuracies. is lootcrates lying to us....or is this history from an alternate timeline?

max copied attractor off brisket friendo and gave the garages The Dot™

PLAY BALL PLAY BALL PLAY BALL PLAY BALL PLAY BALL PLAY BALL

new item got added to the shop that paid out coins whenever consumers attacked (or attempted to attack)

CHAOS! CHAOS! CHAOS!

we thought the devs just got rid of chorby soul entirely, but it turns out they were just turned into a funko pop without any stars or soul but all of the instability!

legendary replicas are scary, especially if you have someone on your team named wyatt mason

TWO illegal party time games! mints and georgias got to burn down the party time chat for one game

the commissioner tweeted about the first illegal party time, then deleted the tweet after the game ended

knight triumphant and connor haley switched teams and the chat reacted by singing the entirety of "in the feedback" (and they got through the entire song!)

firefighters got fireproof, taunted the umpires with the tigers

one chorby soul replica got redacted, another got incinerated, and the other one partied. very mixed bag for players named chorby soul this season.

betsy "No Parties In Seattle" trombone finally partied (TWICE!)

rest in funko pops goodwin, aldon, and pitching machine… 😔

what if you (spies) wanted home field advantage but the salmon said no

the sim really hates nerd pacheco and the philly pies

chorby short vs. jaylen hotdogfingers pitch-off in the finals

BEE HONEYMOON FINALS

[365days365movies]

March 7, 2021: Onward (2020) (Part One)

Finding Nemo.

That’s my favorite Pixar film. Real talk, no arguments, and today’s movie? NOT dethroning it. This movie is so hard-wired into my brain, that the second I typed the words of the title, the theme song ran through my head, where it lives rent-free. It will be a cold day when I don’t find an excuse to shout “NEMOOOO!!!! I HAVE TO FIND MY SON!!” at any opportune moment. I will never stop swimming. Whenever I catch a Chinchou or Lanturn in a Pokémon game, I name it “Goodfeeling’sgone”.

SHARK BAIT OOH HA HA

YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE DEPTHS OF MY LOVE FOR THIS MOVIE.

...Ahem. So, yeah, I love FInding Nemo. For the record, the sequel ain’t bad. And also for the record, there’s only one Pixar movie that I consider to be bad, and it’s the one you’d think. You know, the one about ageism. The one where somebody dies by torture? The bad spy movie?

...the second one about cars?

Which means, YES. I DON’T THINK The Good Dinosaur IS THAT BAD! Not exactly good, but its gorgeous, and just kinda boring, not outright terrible. That Styracosaurus, though...that dude is great.

Anyway, off of Pixar for a sec, huh? What about fantasy? I’m a big tabletop RPG nerd, and I’m currently the GM for a Pathfinder campaign, a Pokémon RPG, and a Mutants and Masterminds game, while also playing in a Pathfinder game as well. Yeah, I’m a busy dewd. But what I’m saying is, this movie should be preaching to the choir for me. I’m a Pixar lover who plays RPGs. I’m ready for this. I’m ready for CGI Bright. Which is another way of saying, I’m ready for a version of Bright that doesn’t suck.

So, why haven’t I seen it until now? I mean...COVID-19. This film got FUCKED. But, no matter! It’s on Disney Plus, I’ve got Disney Plus, so let’s get this baby STARTED! Let’s get updated on some Pixar! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/2)

OK, immediately digging the soundtrack over the Disney logo as we jump in here! Very ethereal, very fantasy, very LotR, I LIKE it, I LIKE it! And then...long ago, the world was full of wonder!

We get a view of the world of olde, with magic and many mystical, mythical creatures living together and adventuring. However, as magic wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to use, it eventually gave way to technology, fading away in a world now very similar to ours.

Basically, it’s about the same as our world, except for a few different races, and the fact that dragons are basically dogs, and unicorns are basically raccoons, which is fuckin’ fantastic.

We enter the home of teenage elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) and introverted now-16-year-old who lives with his mother, Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt). Barley’s a tabletop RPG nerd who’s also a fan of the magical past. Said obsessions cause a strain on his relationship with Ian, and with that of his mother’s boyfriend, centaur policeman Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez).

After a discussion about Barley’s recent attempt to protect an old magical monument from destruction, he accidentally damages the sweatshirt that Ian is wearing, which was owned by their late father, Wilder. Ian rushes out, flustered, despite Barley’s attempts to bond with him. Well, looks like we have a sense of the plot for this one.

On his way to school, Barley stops to get some food when he meets Gaxton (Wilmer Valderrama), an old college friend of his father’s. From Gaxton, he learns things about his father that he never knew, like that he was bold and standout. From there, Barely pledges to try and be more self-confident, like his father.

Whiiiiiiich, doesn’t exactly work once he gets to school. He fails to stand-up to a jerky guy at school, he fails in his driving class, and he fails to ask other high school kids to his birthday party. But to be fair, Barley helps a bit with that last one when he shows up with Guinevere, his busted-ass van with a unicorn painted on the side. Which is supposed to be uncool...but I kinda dig it, not gonna lie.

After that, Ian completely flubs the invitation bit, confusing the people he was talking to, and disappointing himself in the process. He gets a ride home with Barley, and goes home to talk to a tape recording of his dad. Which is...beautifully sad, and somehow very easy to identify with. So, yeah, it’s gonna be that kind of Pixar movie.

Ian talks to his mom about his father at his age, asking if he was ever unsure. She says yes, but couples this with a surprise: a gift from his late father, who died of a terminal illness shortly after Ian’s birth. The gift is for both Ian and Barley, and was meant to be opened when they were both over 16.

She gets it from the attic, and they unwrap it, where it’s revealed to be a wizard’s staff. Which is weird, because Wilder was an accountant. In a pocket of the wrapping cloth, there’s a letter written by Wilder with the narration from the beginning of the film (that “Long ago” bit).

Also included is a spell, written by Wilder so that he could see who his sons grew up to be. This “Visitation Spell” would appear to be a way to bring Wilder back for 24 hours. Barley, being the magic-lover that he is, tries multiple times to cast the spell with the staff, but fails to do so, much to his and Ian’s great disappointment.

However, when Ian tries to read the spell out of curiosity later, the staff begins to react, and the spell begins to work. Barley comes in as this is happening, and the spell works...halfway. It starts to fail, and Barley offers to help, but Ian pulls the staff away, and the spell stops as the Phoenix crystal inside it shatters.

Looks like another bust, but it’s not a complete failure. And if you’ve seen literally any trailer for this movie, you know what happens.

Although it’s just his legs and feet, it’s still Wilden Lightfoot (Kyle Bornheimer...technically). The boys decide to try and complete the spell, but need another Phoenix Gem to do so. According to Barley’s “historically accurate” TTRPG, Quests of Lore, they will be able to find one by accepting a quest from the place where all quests start: the Manticore’s Tavern. And so, the quest begins!

The brothers and their half-dad board Guinevere and drive to the Manticore’s Tavern. On the way, Barley convinces Ian to practice some spells from the games rulebook, but they don’t work because Ian’s not invoking his passion (or his “heart’s fire”, as Barley calls it). Meanwhile, Laurel figures out where they’re headed, but doesn’t know exactly why...yet.

After the journey, they make it to the Manticore’s Tavern, which is now essentially a themed Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant, owned and managed by Corey (Octavia Spencer), a very overworked manticore. Which is pretty great, not gonna lie.

They try to get the actual map to the Phoenix’s Gem from her in order to conjure their Dad, but she no longer sends adventurers on dangerous quests, mostly because she doesn’t want to get sued by any injured adventurers. When Ian argues with her about this, she IMMEDIATELY DIVES INTO AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS/MID LIFE CRISIS!

It’s, uh...it’s kind of amazing. Having completely lost it at this point, she basically tears down the entire building with her bare hands and fire-breath. Unfortunately, the map to the Phoenix Gem is burnt in the process of Corey’s literal meltdown. However, as Wilden’s about to be crushed by a couple of falling beams, Ian taps into his heart’s fire.

Nice. They get out of there, and head out for the Gem, using a child’s placemat replica of the real map to make their way to a place called Raven’s Point. However, rather than just follow the goddamn map, Barley decides to go on much more dangerous road known as the “Path of Peril”, once again following the “call of adventure” and his gut.

Which...yeah, Barley’s not really considering the reality of this whole situation, which fits his personality. He’s a dreamer, despite the rational and reasonable solution in front of him. And, in case you weren’t sure, I’m pretty sure that isn’t a good thing.

Ian points out the correct point that what actually matters is that they send enough time with their father, and they do indeed take the straightforward path. Good! Barley listened to Ian’s suggestion after all. However, they hit another snag when the car breaks down, completely out of gas. Problem.

Meanwhile, Laurel makes her way to the Manticore’s place, only to find it on fire! She meets Corey, who tells her that she’s met her boys, and told them about everything...except the curse. Also, there’s a curse. Laurel, who is the best movie Mom ever, tricks a policeman interviewing Corey to diverting his attention away from her, and smuggles her into her car to help find (and maybe rescue) her sons. 

Stuck off the freeway without gas, a desperate Ian asks Barley if there are any spells that can get them more gas. They concoct a plan involving a shrinking and growing spell, but that immediately goes wrong as Barley tries to instruct Ian, only frustrating him further, and causing him to fumble the spell and hit Barley with it, making him tiny. 

They decide to head to a gas station, where a group of pixie bikers has just arrived. This backfires when Barley, lacking basically any common sense, ends up insulting the biker leader, Dewdrop (Grey Griffin) and her ancestors. Nice one, Barley. As they escape from the pissed off pixies, the tiny Barley is unable to drive, forcing the driver’s anxiety-riddled Ian to drive, overcoming his fears from earlier by force, being chased by the pixies all the way. It’s a pretty good sequence, to be honest.

Well, they escape the Pixies...but not the cops. And I think that’ll be a good place to pick up in the next part! See you there!

[justlightlysedated]

sugar and spice and everything nice

Michael looks down at the address written on the paper in his hands and sees the name of the bakery written in Isobel's loopy handwriting, and then looks back out of his windshield at the shop he's parked in front of. 

It's nestled between a bookshop and a coffee shop, arguably the best place to be if you're a bakery, especially with the name, Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice.

But the display in front of the window looks like it came out of a spread for the fictional magazine, Witches Brew Weekly, and Michael wonders exactly what kind of cake Isobel had made here.

He also wonders exactly why she's throwing a Happy Divorce Party, but sometimes it's better to not understand the workings of his sister's mind. He goes crazy trying to figure her out on a daily basis.

Michael inhales deeply, and tells himself that looks can be deceiving, prime example being himself and how people react when he tells them that he owns his own flower shop and studied horticulture in college.

He grabs his cowboy hat from where he'd set it on the passenger seat and puts it over his head as he gets out of his truck.

Michael walks towards the bakery, eyeing the display with some more interest as he gets closer.

The spiders crawling all over the cupcakes look too real and are creeping him out a little bit, but there is something oddly charming about the three tiered cake depicting the beheading of Anne Boleyn.

Michael walks in through the door, and jumps a little when there is a creepy haunted mansion style doorbell ringing through the room announcing his presence.

He bites down on the smile that wants to pull at his lips and looks around the place.

The color scheme is all dark, mostly black and white but with dark red and dark purple accents. There are three display cases practically caging in the six small tables with two chairs each, made up of glossy purple wood and black glass panelling one with normal looking breakfast pastries and muffins, the other with a different kinds of cupcakes each depicting a Summer yet halloween based theme, like two ghosts snorkeling or a skeleton tanning, and the last, right in front of double doors that Michael is sure lead to the kitchen with a register perched on top and a few baskets full of what looks like freshly baked bread, and underneath on display through the glass beneath a sign that says, Our Specialty One of a Kind Divorce Cakes, No Two Cakes Will Ever Be the Same, We Guarantee, are an array of cakes that could pass for wedding cakes if it weren't for the terrifying scenarios being depicted.

Before Michael can get any closer to see what he can make out beside the one where it looks like a tiny fondant bride is tossing her tiny fondant husband into a wood chipper, the double doors opens, and a young woman with long dark hair held away from her face by a black visor with the name of the bakery and the skull and crossbones design that is at the front of the store stitched with holographic silver thread on the rim. She's wearing a black apron with the name Rosa stitched in the front with the same holographic silver thread over an outfit that wouldn't be out of place in the middle of a mosh pit. She's carrying a tray of what looks like caramel apples with a little sign that says, If you spend more than 20$ you get me for free! and looks up, mouth open like she's about to say something and she stops, giving him a very obvious once over, before making a face at the cowboy hat.

She still smiles, bright and wide and a little flirty, red lips coming off more like a warning than a beacon, and sets the tray down in the space between the register and the first basket of bread.

"Well, hello there," she says, as she leans against the counter. "Welcome to Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, where we make all of your not so sweet dreams come true. What can I do for you?"

Michael blinks at her, "Shouldn't it be sweet dreams?"

Rosa's grin turns all teeth and predatory, "If you're in them, then sure."

Michael just smiles shaking his head a little before he tugs out the paper that Isobel had given him.

"I'm here to pick up an order," he says and hands over the paper.

Rosa takes it and reads it quickly before making a face, kind of like the one she made when she saw his hat.

She walks to the double doors and pushes open one of them yelling, "Someone's here to pick up the Ice Queen's order!"

Michael would protest the use of the nickname but he knows it's probably something that Isobel would like.

There is a startled yelp, and then the sound of something metal clattering to the floor, before someone is cursing low and fervently.

Rosa just lets the door fall close and turns back to Michael, "The Chef will be right with you."

Michael nods his head and casts a look around the shop and his gaze is caught by the window display again.

"You design all of these?" He asks looking back at Rosa. She has that air about her that tells him that she's artistic, but she shakes her head.

"No," she says sounding amused. "Most of the designs are Alex's, except for the spider collection. Alex mostly keeps me around because I'm much better at customer service than he is."

"Which really isn't saying much," a dry voice says from the double doors.

Michael turns towards the newcomer and feels almost like he's been hit across the back of the head with a baseball bat.

While he blinks dazed and confused, it's almost like everything is moving in slow motion.

The vision stands for several still seconds right in front of the door, being illuminated by the light coming from the kitchen, making his messy hair that is sticking up all over the place, kind of glow golden like he has a halo. He's wearing the same visor and apron as Rosa, but his apron is covered in flour and butter and chocolate and what looks like food coloring. Alex is stitched in the upper right corner of his apron in a rainbow colored thread.

That combined with the dark, dark eyes that seemed like they could swallow Michael whole and he would enjoy every minute of it, and the luscious full mouth, that purses into an annoyed expression the longer that Michael stares at him, makes him consider the warmth jolt in his stomach with the utmost seriousness.

He turns to Rosa to say something, turning his back to Michael and Michael's gaze drops right to check out his ass, and it's almost too good to be true.

Michael feels the hot bolt of attraction and the gooey warmth in his stomach combine to conspire against him.

He has the brief and totally insane thought of what flowers they'll have at their wedding and if they would be in season, before he snaps himself out of it and looks into Alex's narrowed pissed eyes and realizes that maybe the whole slow motion thing had been in his head and smiles as apologetic and charming as he can.

"So sorry," he says. "I kind of spaced there for a second. What were you saying?"

His eyes dart over to Rosa who looks entirely too amused, so he probably hasn't fucked up beyond repair.

Not that there is anything to fuck up.

Alex clears his throat pointedly, and Michael looks over to him immediately. 

Alex's brow is still furrowed, but he seems to be more confused than angry.

He inhales deeply like he's steeling himself and then moves to the side and Michael sees that while he'd been busy committing Alex to memory, they'd brought out a rolling stand with a huge open white cake box, the name and logo of the bakery stamped on the side, the cover is propped open so that the cake fits and there is what looks like a black veil covering the cake from view, and Michael's curiosity peaks, overwhelming the stupefying feeling of attraction, and he leans forward, on the only empty space on top of the counter.

Alex's brow furrows even more, but he just takes a deep breath and lifts the veil over the cake.

Michael has a moment where he thinks that he's been transported to a gallery, because what Alex unveils could very easily be mistaken for a painting.

"Isobel wants you to take a picture even though I already uploaded the time lapse video on the shop's Instagram-"

"Is that a replica of Judith beheading Holofernes but with my sister?" Michael interrupts him leaning even closer, trying to get as close a look as possible.

The cake is three tiered and covered in white icing, with a pillow and pearl buttons design, that Michael remembers from the wedding cake that Isobel had when she married Noah, five years ago, seemingly bursting out of the cake, is the bloody scene, depicted in some kind of frosting or fondant, tiny Isobel with her knee right on tiny Noah's chest, one hand in his hair, holding his head at an angle that exposes his neck and the other holding the hilt of the sword, as she slices through. There is realistic looking blood, and Isobel and Noah are very recognizable, and it's literally the most amazing thing that Michael has ever seen in his life.

He looks up at Alex, who blinks twice at him before speaking.

"Yes," he says shortly, bordering on defensive. "I talked with your sister and she told me her story while I sketched out some ideas, and afterwards she chose her favorite."

Michael just exhales and wonders if it would be creepy to tell someone that he just met that he thinks he's in love with him.

"It's one of the most-" Michael starts and stops looking for a word to say, and Alex just sighs, like he's tired and cuts him off.

"Disturbing things you've ever seen?" He says, a little mockingly making air quotes and rolling his eyes.

Michael's complete attention focuses on Alex's fingers, long and pale and strong and covered in rings silver and black, and several bandages.

Michael stares obviously enough that Alex fidgets a little, looking at his hands and scoffing.

"Don't worry," he says dead pan. "It's not my blood. I only save the blood sacrifices for when I'm making pastry."

Michael laughs, a startled burst of giggles that he can't seem to really control, and Alex freezes completely on the other side of the counter, not moving, barely even breathing.

"I was actually going to say, it's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my life," Michael says and sincerely as he can.

Alex just stares at Michael with wide eyes, and he looks a little panicked and like he really needs to bail the scene, but as he turns to Rosa, Rosa turns away, heading towards the entrance.

"I'm taking my fifteen minute break," she says.

Alex opens his mouth, and Rosa cuts him off as she pulls her phone out of her pocket.

"Yes, I'll get you the French vanilla iced latte."

He makes another attempt to say something, but the doorbell rings out again, and this time Michael lets  the smile take over his face.

When he turns back to look at Alex, Alex is staring at him with a furrowed brow.

Michael licks his lips, but before he can say anything, Alex is speaking.

"The amount pending is 60$," he says, and moves towards the register, pulling a receipt notebook from a pocket hanging beside the register and starts to write out the receipt.

Michael pulls out the money that Isobel had given him, the amount due plus a large tip.

Michael leaves the money on the counter, and pulls his phone out of his pocket to take a picture of the cake.

He sends it to Isobel and she immediately responds with a bunch of excited and happy emojis, and a text demanding that he hurry up and get back to her place.

Michael slides his phone back in his pocket without answering her, and turns to Alex who is counting the money and putting it inside of the register before he tears Michael's copy of the receipt off the notebook and hands it to him.

Michael takes the receipt and before Alex can say anything else, his eyes fall on the caramel apples with the sign that Rosa had set down earlier.

"Does that mean I get one of those?" He asks pointing at the apples.

Alex purses his mouth and gives him a look.

Before he sighs and looks down at the apples.

"I like experimenting with flavors in my baking and sometimes it works really well, but most of the time it's a disaster. I still test them out on customers to see if they like them."

Michael nods his head slowly, "So the apple is the experiment you're testing today?"

Alex smiles, a quick brief thing that Michael almost misses, before he grabs one of the plastic cake knives from a jar full of them, and a small white ceramic plate.

He lifts one of the apples on to the plate, using the side of the knife, and then sets the plate down in front of Michael.

He takes the knife and places the edge right by the wooden stick.

He pushes the knife down, and Michael expects resistance, so he's surprised when the plastic knife just falls straight through, cutting the apple in half easily, only a slight crunch towards the bottom.

He parts the two halves and pushes one aside and then starts to speak again.

Michael looks away from the interesting layers of mousse and jelly and cookie, and looks at Alex and then can't find himself able to look away.

"It's a dark chocolate mousse sitting on top of a layer of hot mint jelly and a shortbread cookie infused with jalapeños and lime, shaped into a sphere and covered in a shiny red mirror glaze," he says, pointing out every layer with a finger, and looking so animated that he almost seemed like a different person.

"I'm calling it the Poison Apple. The idea behind the flavors is that they'll balance each other out, and I really like a little bit of heat in my desserts, something that I became fond of when I was overseas. But it's not exactly everyone's cup of tea."

He looks up straight into Michael's eyes and stops talking.

Michael licks his lips and looks down at the dessert. 

"That actually sounds awesome," he says honestly, before he looks back up at Alex who flinches a little like he got caught doing something he shouldn't.

Michael just smiles as reassuringly as possible and asks, "Can I have a fork?"

Alex stares at him for another long moment before he reaches down beneath the counter and pulls out a silver fork, and hands it over to Michael, who takes it smiling at Alex, who continues to look at Michael suspiciously like he's expecting something bad to happen at any moment.

Michael just pulls the plate closer and tries a forkful, making sure to get a little bit of everything, and he barely hesitates as he takes the bite. 

The flavors explode on Michael's tongue one after the other starting with the slightly bitter chocolate and then a sharp burst of lemon and the heat coming from the shortbread before there is a soothing coolness coming from the jelly, and Michael doesn't really understand it and he never in a million years would've thought that the flavors would go together, but it actually works.

"Wow," he says and looks at Alex who is just blinking at him like Michael is being confusing. "It's amazing."

He can't help but sound awed. He hadn't really expected it to taste as good as it did, and he wonders how much of it is due to the fact that Alex was the one who made it.

Michael eats most of the case, knowing he's making the most ridiculous faces, but every time it hits him different.

Alex just continues to stare at him, gaze intense, and Michael finds that he really likes it.

He looks up at Alex then, and Alex is licking across his bottom lip, and Michael feels a pulse of heat go straight down the back of his neck, and he doesn't think that he's ever wanted anyone the way that he wants him, right now, but he also doesn't think that he's wanted to keep someone as much as well.

Before Michael can make any decision, Rosa is moving behind the counter, and Michael's gaze falls on her, and he wonders how long she'd been watching.

The knowing smirk on her face tells him that it was long enough.

Alex jumps back, startled and he looks from Michael to Rosa before he grabs the coffee in her hands and walks straight through the double doors not even looking back.

Michael sets the fork down slowly and he looks at Rosa, who gives him a sympathetic smile, before she motions towards the cake with her chin. "Need some help with that?"

Michael nods his head, and Rosa covers the cake back up.

Together they get it secure to the back of the truck and Michael promises that he'll drive slow.

Rosa turns to walk towards the bakery and then she turns back to Michael.

"Look," she says, a protective edge to her voice."You seem like a nice guy, and you obviously speak Alex, but Alex has been through a lot, and if you're just messing with him-"

"I like him," Michael blurts out, and rubs the back of his neck when Rosa looks at him, feeling a little embarrassed as he looks away from her. "I like him a lot. It actually feels a little insane how much."

"Good," she says and Michael's gaze snaps back to her.

"You gotta be a little insane to try and date Alex," she says, shrugging a little as she turns back towards the bakery. "He's really fucking weird."

And with that and a cheerful see you soon that she shouts from the open doorway, almost getting drowned out by the doorbell.

Michael shakes his head and gets into his car.

Something crinkles as he sits and he pulls the piece of paper from beneath his thigh and looks at the address for the bakery.

He's almost completely sure that he'll remember the way to get back here even without an address, but he pulls his phone out and saves the address in his contacts. 

A pop up appears asking him if he wants to add sugarandspice on instagram, and he clicks yes, and starts the truck.

His phone buzzes with a notification and he smiles when he sees rosa.zombie. is now following you.

He pulls away from the curb and finds his head full of thoughts that are entirely premature, but he can't exactly help himself. 

He wonders if Alex will accept edible flowers and potted herbs in exchange for taste testing more of his flavor experiments.

*

The picture posted on Rosa's instagram before seven in the morning is of Michael eating one of the mousse cakes disguised as a caramel apple with a rapturous look on his face, and Alex is staring at him like he's confused and absolutely flabbergasted.

The caption for the picture is:

rosa.zombie. he is eating one of @manelydead's super special recipes. obviously, he's an alien.

Followed by the following comment thread almost immediately after posting:

lizziethestrange HOLYSHIT!!!

delucastyle holy shit

valentimcsexy hoLY SHIT

iamcamiam holy shit

manelydead Don't any of you assholes sleep in???

guerinsflowers @manelydead 😉😉😉

intergalacticbitch @guerinsflowers you fucking better not!

[call-me-noa]

keep in mind that what I’m reading is Japanese->Chinese->Google TL’d English and that means this is not at all a good translation please do not cite me, please wait for someone who knows what they’re talking about to actually talk about it.

But that being said, things that I think I’ve gleaned from Case Files Material:

-Morgan le Fay was the one who created Add from the Logos React Replica. Which implies she’s the one behind Gray’s situation with the village and ritual? I think the novels had already hinted at that but this is more evidence.

-Bedivere had a prosthetic arm that he wore for official ceremonies out of courtesy, which is clearly just a post-hoc explanation for when Case Files and the Apo anime accidentally drew him with his arm from GO (remember he didn’t have that during Arthurian times, he was just missing an arm), but it makes sense to me

-Rin is called “the Red Devil” and I THINK it says she joins Waver’s class after Svin graduated, so even though Svin was gone Rin being around meant the class was still loud? I think that’s what this says.

-Reines and Olga Marie became friends after the series?

-Caules discovering his talent for electricity magecraft was a suggestion from Narita, the writer of Strange Fake

Again please wait for someone who actually knows Japanes to read the Mats and translate it directly to English without Google before taking anything I say as gospel.

[omgcbcnewsblog-blog]

Online reputation management tools for your brand

If your brand has an online presence in any respect, you may’t now not worry approximately its reputation. (Learn more here about what is reputation management?) Today, online popularity control (or ORM for quick) isn't always best applicable to every commercial enterprise; ignoring it could price you customers and cash. Here’re just a number of the reasons why ORM need to be an imperative part of your strategy:

Consumers an increasing number of rely upon on-line research whilst considering a buy. 88 percentage of buyers research merchandise on line earlier than creating a purchase (on-line or in-keep); and 86 percent will hesitate to buy from a business that has terrible critiques.

Leaving emblem reputation to hazard can lead to a disaster. Monitoring your reputation and reacting promptly will assist you keep away from crises and full-on disasters, and save you poor news about your commercial enterprise from spreading.

Your brand’s on-line reputation management software can have an effect on your web site’s ratings. It’s legitimate: Google makes use of an algorithmic answer designed to de-rank websites that offer bad patron experience. 

Monitoring your on-line popularity will provide you with valuable client insights: what humans love about your product, what they desire they might change, and what they experience is lacking.

Now that we’re clear at the benefits of ORM, let’s see which gear will let you facilitate and automate the technique.

1.   Awario Monitor what human beings are announcing approximately your logo throughout social media and the internet, and spot tendencies with Sentiment Analysis and powerful analytics.

Awario is a social listening device that makes popularity control clean. The platform will music your emblem’s mentions throughout the essential social networks and the net in actual-time and will let you reply to them right from the app.

To assist you spot mentions that require your instant attention, the tool offers Sentiment Analysis. The Sentiment graph within the dashboard suggests you the percentage of superb and poor mentions of your enterprise, letting you discover spikes you want to deal with.

On top of that, the device allows you notice copyright infringements and find human beings stealing your content material. To get started out, simply create an alert with an extract of your replica in costs to make the app look for an precise fit.

But the actual strength is in Awario’s competitor analysis talents. If you create monitoring indicators to your competition, you’ll be capable of snoop on what their clients are happy or unhappy about, and examine out of your competitors’ errors. Furthermore, you can compare mentions of your logo (in quantity, sentiment, attain, and a number of different factors) to competitors’ and spot in which you’re prevailing and where you’re lagging in the back of.

Pricing: Awario gives three plans: Starter for individuals ($29/mo), Pro for SMBs ($89/mo), and Enterprise for agencies and massive manufacturers ($299/mo). If you go together with an annual plan, you’ll get 2 months for free. To attempt Awario before you compromise on a paid plan, sign on for a free trial.

2.   Reputology

Monitor and control on line critiques of your nearby commercial enterprise in real-time.

Reputology allows neighborhood businesses music their online critiques. Apart from the not unusual review structures like Google and Facebook Reviews, Reputology video display units industry-unique evaluate web sites, be it actual estate, hospitality, or healthcare. Of path, you could also reply to these reviews from the app.

Reputology works specifically well for multi-area companies that need to maintain reviews of every of their locations in a single area: it helps you to drill down on why certain places are not doing in addition to others, and degree your logo’s standard popularity throughout places.

The nice bit is, the tool integrates with Hootsuite. The integration lets you monitor and control your critiques in the same dashboard in which you maintain your social media bills – superb accessible if SMM and overview control are both achieved by using the equal crew for your organisation.

Pricing: Reputology costs from $10 to $49/mo for every location. You can join up for a loose trial earlier than you settle on a plan.

[tainbocuailnge]

Is there any possible connection between the TATARI manifesting copies of people and Servant summoning? Any crackpot ideas?

Man. i could totally argue servants are a type of manifested rumor. if i wanted to i could argue lostbelts are a type of rumor. but i doubt the servant system is in any way based on or related to the way TATARI functions beyond sharing some imagery. as much as i’ve been clamoring for zepia grandorder i kinda doubt any TATARI power will be involved altogether because of how explicitly that’s something only possible in worlds where crimson moon didn’t get his ass beat to a pulp by zelretch back in 300AD.

though now that i’m typing that out perhaps the logos react with its ability to generate simulated replicas of people and worlds will end up being a standin for TATARI what with that seeming to be zepia’s signature toy between him using it in casefiles and giving a copy of it to sion

[playmoviemoney01]

Add Slogans, Business Logos, Faces, And More To Your Counterfeit Money!

Have you ever imagined changing your cash? Using your company's logo or even your own face on Fake Dollar bills? Prop film money has the necessary equipment to do so.Contact our specialists immediately to come up with a cash solution that is designed for specific demands.

Your show deserves the best unique fake money stacks imaginable. We can modify our Counterfeit Money stacks for your personal use or to advertise your brand, as they are designed and printed by the industry's top-rated professional prop money company. Our bespoke prop money stacks are ideal for occasions such as birthdays, business cards, artists, DJs, training, gifts, novelty, and more.

Prop movie money creates some of the highest-quality, custom-designed fake money available today. This company provides exactly what you need if you need clean and crisp notes for a bank robbery scene or aged fake currency to dig up a buried duffel bag.

You will never face legal troubles as a result of employing this motion picture money because the corporation strictly adheres to all regulations in order to keep their funds out of the economy. While prop movie money may resemble real money in appearance, it does not have the same markings. The ink on replica money is not the same as that on actual money.

You may use this fake money right out of the package because it has a prop movie money design, no shine, and is macro close-up ready. If you are unhappy with the money that has been delivered for whatever reason. This company stands behind their products and promises to provide excellent customer service, and they accept returns and exchanges if necessary.

Please contact us and we will react to all of your inquiries as soon as possible.All after-hours communications are returned the next business day. For more detail, please visit our website :

https://www.playmoviemoney.com/

or email us:

sales@playmoviemoney.com

[charlieharry1]

Great practices for measuring a social media campaign

In recent times social media is everywhere, maximum can’t pass a day without posting their modern instagram story or tweeting updates with their pals, that's why social media is immensely  Digital Marketing Companies Liverpool crucial to marketers. Producing an enticing yet powerful social media campaign is critical to building a brand’s visibility, growing your base of loyal clients and reaching into new markets. Despite the fact that the marketing campaign is wherein the real cash is made, the at the back of-the-scenes of the marketing campaign (marketing campaign analytics, measuring and tracking) is wherein you’ll discover the most treasured supply of records. Nonetheless, according to mdg advertising, 44% of corporations don’t measure the impact of social media on their commercial enterprise and 36% of corporations feel as though they have an excellent qualitative feel of the effect but cannot quantify it. Social media campaign tracking and monitoring are first rate approaches to measure the performance of your social media advertising initiatives and pastime. Right here you’ll discover what elements absolutely pushed your logo even in addition into the minds and hearts of your purchaser, and what elements didn’t even make it beyond the finish line. You’ll also be able to quantify the achievement of your marketing campaign, identifying which factors have been key in riding leads and which social media platforms are most proper for your accomplishing your audience. Knowing this information will assist your commercial enterprise keep extra cash as you could reallocate a while and sources to the advertising systems which might be handiest. Here are our three high-quality practices whilst measuring the achievement of your social media marketing campaign:

Read Also:-  Now Google postponed Mobile-First Indexing due to Covid-19

1. Social media analytics dashboard

it can be difficult to keep on top of all of your numerous advertising efforts when walking a campaign. Consequently, developing a simple dashboard using your selected social analytics platform will control this for you. Social media analytics gear, as an example, keyhole, have incorporated this into their providing already supplying you with a top level view of every of the key factors to your dataset. The device shows you an array of various records from whilst your customers are maximum active, the wide variety of impressions, attain, posts and engagements to figuring out key influencers in particular industries. Therefore make sure you don’t miss out on all this facts with the aid of either putting in place one yourself or the usage of a device which does! 2. Analytics equipment

there are such a lot of exclusive analytics equipment accessible, with each one presenting your business key insights into your social media efforts. Google analytics is unfastened analytics dashboard, making it a really perfect device to provide you with valuable insights approximately your social media audience, inclusive of the quantity of leads transformed, visitor demographics, the web sites your visitors came from and so forth. In pairing your social media campaign with google analytics, you’ll actually be able to find out what makes your target audience tick, which content material the react the first-class to and what excites your target audience, therefore providing you with all of the information needed to reflect and in addition that fulfillment. Facebook additionally offers a loose analytics tool - facebook insights. As the name suggests, it lets you degree and screen the overall performance of your enterprise’s fb web page. Monitoring middle metrics such as likes, web page perspectives, shares, remarks and extra will help you understand how your social media marketing campaign efforts are measuring against your goals. Fb web page’s metrics will also offer you with the facts you need to make sure you’re putting the proper content material in the front of the proper target market. Therefore, in preference to publishing posts to the complete facebook platform, make sure you target your posts on your favored audience so your emblem reaches those who are most likely to interact with you. Instagram insights, much like google and fb analytics, is an analytics tool which provides records on follower demographics, actions and content material insights. Uncovering these specific insights, as an example, the quantity of impressions, the quantity of money owed reached or audience profile makes this is a first rate device to apply especially if you’re trying to growth your instagram engagement and following. Three. Google url builder as described by means of google themselves, google url builder “lets in you to without problems add campaign parameters to urls so that you can song custom campaigns in google analytics.” in other words, the device permits you to measure which factors of your advertising and marketing campaigns are succeeding and which aren’t quite assembly your requirements. The use of social media dashboards and analytics gear are superb for studying more about your person and what kinds of social posts are the simplest together with your target audience. However, in case you want to drill down similarly to discover which channels your traffic is coming from and how they came, i. E. Changed into it out of your fb put up you posted final week or became it a business enterprise page, then google url builder is ideal for you. As soon as you have got completed a campaign and have collected all of the important statistics and insights, you ought to put what you’ve learnt to apply. In case you’ve observed that your facebook target market is maximum energetic on weekends, then begin scheduling your content material for then. In case you observed that users engaged with visual content material extra than replica, then positioned greater emphasis on that, and so forth. Reflecting  Digital Marketing Companies Manchester on all of the key takeaways and lessons learnt will help your brand to grow and increase, making for a stronger brand that your clients will love.