#and called for backup (traumatized ravens)

[starry-bi-sky]

honestly thank GOD danny does not have his powers available to him in WTNS because if he used them as Nightingale he would be terrorizing Gotham's nightlife with them. like nothing would change he'd still be emergency backup (by his own choice) but his psychological torment just went up by 20 degrees.

creepy ghost children are already a pretty big staple in horror games and movies, tons of scary games where the antagonist is a scary dead child. well!!! now that scary dead child is Nightingale! and you have his Bat! It's like I always say: 'nightingales should be heard and not seen'

(as reference to the fact that according to the british museum, nightingales are elusive and private creatures and tend to be heard more than they are seen)

imagine being a goon that successfully trapped the Bat and then some indeterminable minutes later you hear a gentle rapping at the window like a branch tapping the glass and you turn and there's just two glowing green eyes in the window. The eyes are shorter than you, you blink or yell or cry out and then suddenly the small shadowy figure is gone.

you hear a nearby window creak and groan, you turn and a window nearby is propped open just a sliver. its not the window you saw the eyes from, the sliver is too small for any human to come in. there are footsteps, soft and teeny, circling around you. you keep seeing a small figure darting around through the reflections of the window. the lights are flickering, something is whooshing up above you.

imagine seeing a black silhouette with only green eyes climbing in from the window -- except, you only see it in the reflection of a window and when you look behind you, where the figure should reliably be coming in from, there is nothing there. the window isn't even open. or worse, maybe it is. but just a crack.

Danny isn't there to dawdle, but in the time its going to take for him to release/recover his Bat, he is going to make it your problem. and your fresh new night terror and ten years paid therapy!

[undercontrolofdarkness]

funniest part about thea and kevin’s interview is that, even with their horrible comments and the lighthearted argument with the monsters, kevin STILL wants to save face and be charming to the press LMAOOO like kevin they KNOW you’re in a mood rn and your rude gf isn’t helping

[gotewithsomedice]

Hi. Local TTRPG goat. Normally does Shadowrun, but I have played Eclipse Phase 1e, and is also going to be my hyper fixation reads when I'm more stable. I might have to come back to this since I'm traveling and at a rest stop for a bit, but the skinny is this.

Eclipse Phase is a d100 system. It's a bit better than Call of Cthulu in terms of skill checks since skills characters are proficient with are around 60s-80s instead of having, at max, a 40 in Call of Cthulu.

Death is more of an inconvenience than permanent since the soul is a microchip implant in the brain. (Unless the character is a base mod. Then they are screwed with death.)

Speaking of, that soul chip thing allows the characters to switch bodies, make duplicates, merge duplicates, become data in the system, and can be retrieved, made into a backup, and destroyed.

The character is only assumed truly dead if they didn't make a backup when their soul chip is damaged, but the game assumes that the characters already had at least one backup if the GM is running the main group, Firewatch or whatever.

Losing a soul chip means losing any gear, morph (the bodies), and memories that the characters had. Working for Fire whatever means the characters will get some, but not all, their gear replaced for the job.

Switching morphs actually have advantages as certain morphs can change skills and attributes as they were built for. Morphs can range from standard biomorphs, exotic alien like morphs, robotic morphs, or even some uplifted animals, such as a giant raven or octosquid.

Eclipse Phase 1e is a gear porn game where every small things costs credits and most be kept tracked. Exactly like Shadowrun and how it has a thousand little things to dress your Blorbo.

Eclipse Phase is HEAVILY Sci-fi, if the whole morphs thing didn't give it away. Space travels, diplomacy, venturing to different planets, occasionally fighting space monsters and solving crimes. Think Star Trek instead of Star Wars.

Very trans. Transhumanism and existencial horror is the name of the game as having to role play characters who woke up in a clinic being told they have died and come back from their last backup can be very traumatic. It gets even better worse when more copies of the same characters with different agendas starts to make the player question "did the original actually died? How many rogue clones are out there? Why did so many of them defect? Is my character going to defect? How many times has they been backed up? How often? How many times did they get brought back? How much memories did they lost? Did they ever actually lose them if the cortical stack is still retrievable? Who is this character? "

So yeah. Some help on this... Wait, what is this in replying to exactly?

What's your opinion on Eclipse Phase? Also, where does it lie on a scale from D&D to Pathfinder?

I haven't actually read Eclipse Phase, but have heard of it. It has a reputation as being extremely crunchy and systemic, so based on a pure coin flip I'm going to say that it's medium Pathfinder with a sprinkle of D&D.

I should probably check it out at some point, I know it was a pretty big deal when it first came out.

[twisted-wonderland-but-gayer]

Unit Y-0U

Prologue: Fragmented Memories

Notes: Yuu is Gender-Neutral. No set description of Yuu at all, aside from some mentions of scars and them being on the taller side. (explained in the prologue). The characters in this are a bit older as I made night raven an actual college. This is based off of the Great 7 Parent Au on this blog ans stuff.

This Prologue is entirely optional and just provides some basic worldbuilding for the world Yuu is from. Important stuff will be repeated in later chapters. I based this world on the Mirrorverse game. Also, I fixed Pocahontas because I am native and still enraged. She is a kid too, and not colonized. The Horned King is a forgotten Disney villain which surprises me since he's worse than Chernabog.

This kinda sucks ngl…. It's a series of, well… fractured and corrupt memories that aren't entirely accurate or in their entirety. I hope it gets better from here, but I doubt it. Yuu will actually start to remember things correctly/remember their actual feelings as time goes on. Yuu is generally a pretty kind but traumatized trope that will also tend to push the OBs around more to help them develop. Idk lmao.

Locating Unit Coordinates...

[An error has occurred. Review crash log?]

Rebooting…

Unit coordinates can no longer be tracked. Unit has disappeared.

****

Unit has sustained large amounts of damage. Reviewing backup cache… Fragments of information have been restored. Note: What is seen here may have been altered by unit mental state or devices that can change or alter memory. The following memories are out of order. Proceed with caution.

****

Magic was once the lifeblood of your world. It pumped life into every corner of the universe, bringing balance to all inside. At least, that is what the elders said. Ever since the disappearance of magic, nothing has been the same. As magic began to die, so did the world, causing cataclysmic events.

The fae was the most affected, and their home became a barren wasteland, and with each new generation of fae having weaker magic and mages becoming rarer, there was no guarantee their species would survive. Without magic to balance the world, it came down to the people. Many argued about who should be in charge and how the world should be poised; some sought to control the world through structure and rules. Others turned to violence and discord.

You were born during this apocalypse, or rapture, as many called it. Though, you never really understood most of it as a kid. Your village and your parents taught you more about how to survive. How to hide. How to hunt. How to barter. How to be crafty and frugal. How to run. How to have no waste. How to sneak around. How to read safety diamonds and warning labels. That was your life. Then an invasion came.

****

Mercenaries of the higher powers came in their high-tech armor, and fancier phones, and scary beasts they rode upon because they could afford to feed them. 

“The detectors say there is either a mage or catalyst among you filth.” Catalyst? You and the other village kids hid behind the adults, confused by the big words they spoke. “We do need some magic batteries for the city, so give up whoever it is! Cough them out, and I may just let you live.” The man spat, cruel eyes glaring down at everyone atop his high-griffin that swiveled its head around vigilantly.

Behind your parents' back, you recognized a signal. One said, ‘take the other children and hide. You’re the oldest. We believe in you.’ You used the adults as a shield as you grabbed other children by the hand and led them to the safe zone—a hollowed-out tree with rocks and mud covering the opening. 

Digging through the rocks and mud, you removed the barrier to safety and slid inside to prepare the inside for the others, making sure it was safe. All those years of skipping meals to keep the younger ones fed made you thin enough to slide in. Through one of the cracks in the trunk, you saw the griffin push over an adult and screech at the group of children. 

The last thing you remember is watching the man grab the sword around his waist and his men grabbing blasters. You remember desperately digging your fingers into the mud and rocks and digging till they bled to make the opening wider. While digging, you heard screaming, running, gunfire, violence, and crying.

You were in that trunk for what felt like hours, and not a single other kid made it in. “Men! Find that mage and spare no mercy!” echoed through your head over and over. Your body shivered from both fear and the cold.

****

Happy memories surge forth to try and protect your fragile mind. 

“We never cut our hair in our culture. It contains your knowledge and wisdom. That's what my mama told me, at least.” The girl in front of you leans her head back and smiles as you braid her hair. “Really?”

“Mmm-hmm. You could only cut on a new moon when you need to make a change or when you lose a loved one,” Pocohontas leaned back up and stretched her spine. “Sometimes, when the women in my tribe get really stressed, they would braid their hair super tightly and go outside on a windy day. They then undo their hair and let the wind carry away all of their worries!” 

You adored listening to your friend and learning about her culture. She was like a little sister to you. Both of you had to grow up too fast. Her face fell as the conversation dwindled. “I miss my tribe….”

****

The sounds of bloodshed continued and continued for what felt like days. Still, no one else came into the shelter. Did you fail…? The only thing keeping you awake was adrenaline and the cold as you shivered in fear. Left in pitch black darkness, hoping to survive—

****

“Some pancakes for you, Mulan.” “Thank you, Kronk.” “And for you too, Merida.” The redhead didn't wait to dig in, thanking the cook through a mouthful of food. “You too, Rapunzel.” “Ooo! Thank you.” “And finally, here's some for you, kiddo; Go on, take a bite. We did make them together, after all.”

You beamed as you bit into a pancake you and Kronk made together. The man has been your teacher in the kitchen and even taught you how to be a proper scout. He even taught you how to understand the woodland creatures within the forest. You adored the tan man and hoped to get as big and strong as him someday. You hope he's safe…

The other girls were also important to you. Mulan was a master at the sword. She carried six on her person, along with a shield that hung off her armored body. She was so kind and taught you some basic blade and footwork. She often went out on missions to help gather materials for the village. If only she was here right now…

The blonde with the long hair was also the village healer. Her hair and singing healed any wound there was. You often ended up in her care, but it wasn’t bad at all. Together, with her chameleon, Pascal, you both painted together. You would make up silly stories with her and sing silly songs. Maybe she can heal the others.

Merida, the redhead with an accent. She taught you everything stealth. Everything hunting. Under her training, you learned to hit bullseyes easily. You often went out with her to practice your hunting skills, and she’d always congratulate you no matter how small your catch was. She should be back from her hunting trip soon you hope…

****

Peaking out of the tree, you saw tents and buildings in ruins. The few vehicles and other technology your village had were either scalped or broken beyond repair. You squeeze out of your hole, head on a  swivel to check for any danger as you try to find an adult.

Sneaking slowly you trudge forth into the broken village. Beneath your feet, you step into something warm and sticky. Looking down you recognize the bodies that hugged each other in death as your parents— you can barely remember their faces any more or the name they gave you— and you fell to your knees, letting out a wail. You didn't care who heard, unaware you were being watched.

****

“A catalyst with such potential… how rare…” 

A skeletal figure watched from afar, whispering to himself. Running into a potent catalyst was lucky enough, but now he doesn’t even have to put effort into kidnapping or indoctrinating them. He can step in and ‘save’ that child.

The hooded figure approached the kid, standing behind them as they mourned. “You poor thing, all alone with no one left…” His bony hand rested on their back as his honeyed words soothed them. “There, there. I will take you in, I promise.”

****

You held the rotting, bony hand of the man who saved you. The Horned King. You allowed him to guide you through the castle he constructed with his own magic. He spoke of many deranged things in a manic tone. Politics. Power. Desires. Ideals.

Then he stopped in front of the balcony, admiring the red sunset in a grey, smog-filled sky. “The world we are in is dying. But… It can be saved.” Your eyes went wide. “It can?”

The king nodded. “I have been using what magic I have to give my men power to rebuild The Black Cauldron, a magical item that will save us. I have sent my men across dimensions and planets in mechanical space boats to seek a catalyst powerful enough to bring the cauldron. With it, I can rule over the land and bring back the magic this world has forgotten.”

“Catalyst?” You remembered the men at your village, what did that word mean? The horned king’s sunken eyes looked down at you. “A catalyst, unlike a mage, is something that can absorb magic, and redirect it. Like a magestone.” The king paced in front of you. “Catalysts, not to mention powerful ones, are rare. They can handle storing high amounts of magic to be used at a later time.”

The king turned to you. “This is where you come in, little one. I have found seven magic fragments that I cannot use. You, however, just might…” The hooded figure of rotting flesh knelt in front of you. “With your power, we can bring back magic and save the world. What do you say, little one?”

****

Spread on a vivisection table you lay, barely covered up by a hospital gown of sorts. Your chest and stomach hurt, your body was weak, and you can feel the thin, paper gown brush against the sensitive scar tissue on your body hurts. It hurts so bad. You feel your heartbeat in your ears being accompanied by a faint ringing and pulsing. What did they do to you?

A muffled groan echoes in your head, followed by the sounds of cracking and popping. ‘Oh it feels good to be back…’ a gravely voice echoes in the back of your head, reverberating in your thoughts. You can hear additional whispers and laughter in the back of your mind. Please shut up. Please. You can’t take any more noises or voices in your head. You just want some time to yourself. ‘Woah easy there kid, no need to worry…’ The voice purrs, ‘Just give me control, and you’ll be fine…’

You didn’t even know what that meant until you felt your body go slack, twitching by itself as if there was a puppeteer over you. You panicked, trying your best to fight back against the feeling of your eyes drying out from glowing or the weird blue flicker of your hair. You couldn't do much, strapped down to the vivisection table, but damn it if you didn’t try.

Odd power surged through you as you felt your body flicker before going back to normal. ‘What the hell?! Why can’t I take control?! What's goin on? Actually better yet, why am I in you, kid?’ You were too tired to answer, and the energy that flowed through your body early drained you of what little energy you had left, making you pass out. The entire time you swear you can hear a conversation within you. Your body hurts, but you remember what your savior said. “I am sorry for the pain you must endure, but know that it is necessary, and that you are strong enough,”

****

Log 3: Side-Effects

Unit Y-0U has been successfully fused with the 7 mage fragments uncovered from [REDACTED]. The child is now in recovery mode from what appeared to be an extremely painful surgery, I sadly wasn’t present at the time, however, I heard it was done without painkillers. Master said that it was to make sure the weapon becomes resilient by increasing tolerance to pain. Surgery to eliminate pain receptors: Pending.

The Cauldron Mage Unit has remarked about hearing more voices in their head than usual. These voices are apparently very rude and confused. The (Child) Unit seems disturbed. When put on anti-psychotics the new voices did not go away. This must be a simple side-effect of the casting process. I will continue to keep an eye on them

-Yzma Researcher #121000

Log: End

Personal Diary: New Entry

This child has lost all light in their eyes. As time goes on they have become more ill-mannered and rude. I do not blame them. No child deserves any of this torture. I just wonder what The Horned King is thinking, making this kid into some strange ‘cauldron born’ soldier to bring back all of magic. Fucking hell. I regret what I did. I regret working with them. Am I truly doing the right thing? Torturing a child? Ripping the wings off fae and draining them of what little magic they have left? Will this really bring back magic to our world after it disappeared? I have a lot to think about. I’m going to be sick.

If this continues I doubt this weapon would even work with us. I am going to try and sneak it some bread tomorrow, Cedric’s approval be damned. I can disguise it as maintaining the weapon and its cast. I can’t imagine what it is like to wake up in a new body. Poor kid, it doesn’t even have a proper name. 

#121000

****

The next few days were odd. You started to hear more voices… But this… This will go away. It will be worth it if you can help your savior save the world! Right…?

****

‘I see… So… I am now stuck inside you, a kid no less…’ You can see a ghost of a hand drag across the specter's face in your mind. ‘Great… Wonderful. How am I supposed to take over Olympus like this?! Did I die? Is this the afterlife for gods?’ The voice snarled in your head, making you flinch, you can feel his rage wash over you, heating the inside of your body.

‘Silence. You are giving me a migraine. I cannot believe that someone like me is trapped inside this… unsightly vessel. I swear no vessel of mine will be looking like a slob.‘ A cruel voice cuts in. Her words harsh, but true. 

‘And now I have roommates. Also, what do you mean by your vessel? I woke up first! This thing is mine, get your own!’ ‘Yeah, you tell them boss!’ you hear a few voices mutter. Your chest felt cold as the cruel voice from before became silent. Her rage, icy and cold. ‘Enough, I am not talking to an ill-mannered slob such as yourself. Unlike you, I am actually trying to find a solution.‘

An argument was brewing in your mind, and you can tell a headache was coming on.

****

‘Revived? Inside a child? Tch, it's better than that lamp I suppose.’ the voice sneered.

‘Ah Jafar, what an unpleasant surprise, you’re here as well. Hmph. So you were revived as well. What a shame…’ another voice who called herself Maleficent hissed.

‘Please don’t fight you two. I don't know what happened. I was just told I was going to be fused and woke up like this.’ It was quiet for a minute before a sigh echoed through your head. A new voice came. This one is older, but smooth and soothing despite the words she spits, but before you can hear anything you let drowsiness overtake you as the conversation gets quieter.

****

Your training got harder by the day. Magic theory. Potion craft. Alchemy. Tactics. Sword Fighting. Hand-to-Hand. Dodging. Weight Training. carrying weights for days on end without sleep. Pushing, pushing, pushing.

You were a weapon, a beacon of hope, and you must be strong. You were subjected to experiment after experiment. Regimen after regimen. “Allow them no breaks! We have no time to waste!” The Horned King speaks.

It was the last thing you remember before being attached to a machine. A machine that plugged into the flesh of your neck and kept you active. It would both rest and still train you. Not even in dreams do you escape your work. Your stomach hurts. They forgot to feed you again. Your head hurts from the strange voices in your head that have yet to clear up. Every word they speak is strangled and garbled on some days, yet completely clear the next. As you drift off, you hear a conversation

‘The gall of those mages to hit my vessel. Next time, you are to strike back- no wait. We are going to concoct a poison so potent, that two sorry excuses of mages won't see it coming. they do not know the first thing when it comes to magic anyways!’

‘They speak as if magic is foreign to them and teach poor, pathetic, elementary spells.‘ The new woman's voice muttered. ‘I think if we all long for freedom, we should teach this child how to use our magic, for a price of course…’

****

Personal Log:

I saw the child destroy the only object it had in its room the other day— a mirror. It couldn’t stand looking at itself in its new body. I don't blame it, this new one isn’t designed with any warmth in mind. Just a simple cast to help one achieve being the perfect weapon. I have heard the child scream to shut up multiple times while grasping its head in pain. The voices haven't stopped.

At least it is showing promise of power, recently it has been wielding high-power magic and is now taking on even higher-level training exercises. The weight it can now lift is incredible! Truly a worthy vessel under our king who will turn things back to the way they were before! 

I heard they are sending the child out to the wastelands to retrieve more relics. That's good and all but how are we sure they won’t run away? Their handlers refuse to treat them with an ounce of respect, and we barely feed it for the sake of ‘strengthening it just in case the weapon goes too long without food. This feels strange. How long before it gets wiser?

I guess it doesn't matter since I can simply implant better memories in them or remove those fragments temporarily and render them unable to use magic. I'm sure the King wouldn't mind me doing a biiiit of brainwashing.

Anyways, new ships capable of gliding across water and into space have been constructed. Our empire will now grow even stronger. The child will now be sent on missions across dimensions and into space. Now they can truly train for phase 2 of the king's plan. To rule the world with our Cauldron Born army. And with such a happy and kind child showing off their magic and helping villages, no one would dare to oppose us, but rather, welcome us with open arms.

- Cedrick

****

‘You must rest now, otherwise evil and vengeance will never prosper’ The dragon fae soothes you with her words as you rest in a medical tent, the last mission exposed you to some poisonous spores, giving you a fever. A warm washcloth rests on your forehead and you can feel the ghost of her fingers brush against your cheek. ‘I'm not used to just sitting around so idly…’ ‘You should really learn how, it would benefit you’ Scar interjects. You can see the specter of him stretching before lounging on top of you. Oddly enough, you could feel the weight of him on you, along with the strange heat that comes off of him. You can even hear the three hyenas rummaging around beside you.

It's so strange feeling so loved… You remember just a year ago how hostile they were to you. This insolent subject! How dare you refuse a command from me?! You remember the Red Queen yelled at you. You are to obey or it is off with your head! Now you are her ‘Little Crown’ or heir as she sometimes calls you. It’s crazy just how fast things change

****

You came to realize that with the seven in your head, you were being used. No hero would abuse their subjects like the Horned king did. He lacked transparency. He let those scientists hurt you. ‘We should burn him’ Hades replies in your head.

‘Absolutely not. That King’s followers are quite devoted. Furthermore, we are not in a position to fight back.’ Jafar notes. Scar grumbles in agreement, ‘No place to escape to, surrounded by insanely devoted minions… The effort it would take to win…’ ‘Would not be ideal…’ Ursula purrs. ‘Even with our magic combined, the poor guppy here isn’t in the ideal condition to fight.’

You roll in your bedroll within your ‘room’. An observation room in the lab with a one-way mirror taking over an entire wall. Windowless, no decoration or light. The silence and plainness of it all is maddening,

‘Isn’t strange to not take care of your weapons?’ Grimhilde notes. ‘Surely, if your plan relies on one person, you would take care of them…” Her voice became sour at the end, disgusted at the treatment you have endured. 

‘Which means, he may know about our loyalty wavering, or he knows that we may rebel…’ Maleficent notes. ‘Well, maybe he wouldn't have to worry about that if he were to have actually treated our precious crown right’! The Queen of Hearts sasses, you can hear the low clicking of the eel twins and the Jabberwock agreeing with the queen.

‘Stay on your toes, young one. Be careful. And look for an opening to escape.’  Jafar whispers to you, and you feel the ghost of his hand cup your cheek.

****

“The village people have constructed a statue of us in the town square.” The king hums. “Really?! I mean— I’ve hardly done anything…” The king looks down at you, rotting, sunken eyes analyzing you. “You have grown so much stronger than when we first met, I knew it was a good idea to take you in on that day.” 

‘Tch. What a pathetic attempt at lying. Also do not doubt yourself so much, little dragon.’ Maleficent responds. ‘All those years of dealing with this asshole probably did something to their self-worth, if only someone suggested we kill him sooner!’ You close your eyes in agreement with them. Lies. He never cared. You were just another test run that ended up making it the farthest.

‘Language, Hades. That foolish plan wouldn’t have done well, as for you Vessel. Do not talk down to yourself. I am not letting someone that represents me do such a thing!’ You smile a bit at her words, able to read between the lines to understand that what she really means to say is ‘I care about you so much’. Hades huffs. ‘Whatever Hidey… Now let's focus on what this Underworld escapee has to say.’

Oh right, there's a statue of you in your honor and a few propagandic stories of your tales to make you feel like you’re doing the right thing.  All this work just to make sure you don’t fight back. As much as The Horned King hated to admit it, you were stronger than him, and that's terrifying. No one has ever survived this long as a Cauldron Born Unit. At least, when he is done using you, you will be sacrificed to the cauldron, making him the most powerful one of all, and he would no longer have to worry about pleasing you. 

Or so he hopes. You see through him. But you will continue to play dumb and take the abuse. But… a very small part of you believes it all. You deserve to be hit. You are doing the right thing. Maybe He was right. Maybe, you truly are worthless...

****

In your room that night, you curled up in your bedroll, hiding the data crystal you swiped from the lab earlier. You were gonna get down to the bottom of whatever the hell these people were doing.

Tapping it, a small screen popped up from it. The beginning of the report was titled “Magic Extractor”. By the description, this was related to fueling both the cauldron and The Horned King himself…

Opening it you began to read, and with each line, you began to feel sick. Your stomach sunk and your heartstrings felt like they were played by a knife as you continued. You knew that the people you served were bad… You never knew it was like this.

All those fae, all those mages, those children…

Something snapped in you that day, and the seven found themselves supporting you. You are done. You are escaping. You will bring hell to all of those to hurt you.

****

“My King! Unit Y-0U has run off and escaped.”

“What?!” The Horned King yelled. “Where are they?!"

“They ran out of the lab without permission and were last seen going to the Magic Extractor.”

The Horned King fumed and immediately teleported off to you. Maybe this was a rebellious phase he needed to hammer out. You were still a kid after all. Maybe he can convince you that what you would see is what had to be done. Maybe he could just simply erase every memory you have.

As he teleported and appeared at the sight, he looked upon the ruins of what remained of the extractor. It was destroyed. Mages, mers, beasts, and fae all escaping out of the prison he built. Many were fighting the workers. The king felt rage bubble in his bones as he searched around for— you. A child amidst it all. 

In the middle of it all, fighting with those who want to fight, instructing the others on where to go. Summoning waves to carry the mer away. “YOU! CHILD. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” The king roared, catching your attention.

You gripped your polearm in your hand and turned towards him. “The future you want is one I despise. I never wanted any of this!”

“Do you really think you can defeat me?! I created you!”

“And I am stronger than you.” Fae and beast stood aside as you raised your polearm. From this day on, you bow to no king. From this day on, you declare war on your creator….

….

...

You swear you hear Hades, Pain, and Panic all yell “Viva la revolution” while cheering you on…

[secret-engima]

So, in the Raven-verse bits you’ve posted, Ravens frenemy-ship with Ironwood was mentioned, as was his subordinates reactions, with a line about them leaving before she decides to ‘play’ with them too. Which implies there is at least one poor traumatized underling who Raven hauled into shenanigans. Sooo.... what do typical Ironwood-Branwen shenanigans look like? (And do newbies get a special handbook for Raven-protocols? ...Are there Raven specific protocols, actually?)

*cackles*

-Yes, Raven has dragged more than one underling into the shenanigans, though she would argue that they volunteered by shooting at her. Ironwood always points out that they think she’s trying to kill him, to which she says if “that” was their rescue attempt than Atlas needs to step up their training because that was pathetic.

-The underling is usually too busy wheezing on the floor to protest.

-The first underlings she ever did this too was the Spec Ops, which is why they’ve learned their lesson. But there have been others, like Winter, who also got involved and run circles around.

-Typical Ironwood-Branwen shenanigans usually fall into one of a few different categories:

-Raven opens a portal to him with no warning and tackles him to the ground for a spar without caring what he’s doing, usually because he missed one too many of their *scheduled* spars

-Raven kicking open a portal and kidnapping him for a family dinner or some other event with her little chaos clan because he looked too stressed and sleep deprived over the last vid-call with Ozpin and clearly needs a break.

-Raven kicking open a portal and hauling Ironwood off for a face to face meeting with Oz for something, at which point the only way back to Atlas in any good speed is for her to kick open another portal to Clover afterward. Ironwood makes a point to text Clover when he gets kidnapped for these just so the poor man isn’t in the shower or something when Raven trundles in with his superior officer.

-Raven opens a portal, announces that everyone back home is *busy* and since Ironwood is capable, has minions for backup, and has a ton of paperwork to keep him off the field, he can look after these for a hours. *These*, of course, being hers and Summer’s kids. The first time she did this, Ruby was like- one or two and Yang was three or four. Ironwood *panicked* the entire time, but managed to keep everyone happy and untraumatized and not riding a sugar high. As her kids have increased in number and age, Ironwood has started to yeet them at his school for the day as Phys Ed TA’s because nothing motivates a bunch of teenagers like a pack of ten year olds casually running rings around them on the obstacle courses and in sparring. Tbh Raven’s (and Summer’s by extension) kids ADORE getting babysat by Uncle James because he always comes up with Cool Things for them to do in an effort to keep them from accidentally setting his paperwork on fire.

-Yes there is a handbook for How To Deal With Raven and the Branwen-Rose-Xiao-Long Clan. It was printed out mostly as a joke by Spec Ops at first, but now they give it to all the rookies most likely to encounter Raven’s Chaos as they climb the ranks. By this point there are also Raven protocols, but all of them are unofficial and mostly boil down to “don’t try to contain it, she’s going to do what she wants anyway, and don’t let the kids get lost”.

-There are also a ton of rumors about where all the kids come from among the lower ranks. The upper ranks know that Raven is an old work associate who has too much fun tormenting Ironwood now that he’s “big and important”, but more than a few rookies and civvies connected to the military think that Ironwood’s wife needs to stop bugging her husband during work hours. Ironwood just about died the first time he heard the rumor that Raven was his WIFE.

[astoria00]

Salem set Cinder up to fail

Seeing as we slowly reach the end of vol 6, I thought I get this theory out before it's too late XD

So what brought me to the idea that Salem set Cinder up to fail?

The first piece for that puzzle can already be found in vol 4 episodes 11 and 12. In episode 11 Cinder was clearly struggling, “holding back“ as Salem put it. The very next episode nothing of that remained though and we see her utilize her rage and anger to overcome whatever held her back before, burning an illusion of Ruby with Salem smiling very satisfied in the background. Nothing strange so far...until we ask ourselves the following question: Who even came up with this idea to use Emerald's semblance? For a while I had believed Cinder herself was the one who thought of this, but the more I rewatched and analyzed Cinder related scenes I realized it had to be Salem. She was essentially treating and aiding Cinder's recovery and obviously in charge of her training as well. Now you could argue that Cinder still could've pitched the idea to her, but remember how she acted in vol 4 overall? Insecure, lashing out, easily angered, lost, in pain. Sure, she was mad and frustrated, but her anger lacked focus. She wasn't only angry at Ruby at that time, so her coming up with this idea doesn't seem likely, it had to be Salem's. And seeing as Salem is a master when it comes to anger and vengeance it even makes a lot of sense. So Salem actively pushes Cinder into a vengeful mindset to help her overcome the trauma that held her back. Can't wait to watch you burn indeed XD

But this alone doesn't prove that Salem set Cinder up for failure, so let's jump into volume 5 episode 2, where it becomes more and more a possiblility.

Throughout that scene we see Cinder being awefully triggered by the mere mention of Ruby alone, so much that Salem even reigns her in at some point. That clues us in just how her mindset is at this moment. Even after the report is over, Salem immediately picks up on the fact that Cinder is feeling unruly and rather wants to use force than cooperation, just like she was pushed to do in her training. So Salem knows this, she knows she pushed Cinder into vengeance, she knows Cinder is overly triggered when Ruby is mentioned and she knows she'd rather use force than trying to manipulate the bandits and Raven Branwen...but she still puts Cinder in charge of the mission.

Now why would she do something so risky? We all were able to guess what Cinder would do, so it would be laughable if Salem didn't. So Salem put her in charge deliberately.

Another small, but maybe not unimportant detail is the scene right after assuring Cinder she will get the power she promised her and telling her to be careful in a sense, because there was only so much she could do to guide her, Salem stops her and tells her to inform Tyrian that she “whished to have a word with him.“

I believe I was not alone in the assumption, thinking she wanted to chew him out because of the Qrow thing, but why draw attention to this fact? Why use animation for something like that?

Because Salem talking to Tyrian is important later on and I will come back to this at a later point.

But first let's go back to vol 5 and the whole attack on Haven. A lot of people found Cinder's behavior at Haven in regards to Ruby and her lack of reaction inconsistent, illogical or simply bad writing, and seeing how I already pointed out that Cinder was triggered by Ruby before, I feel compelled to clear this up some more.

Cinder was 'pushed' into seeking vengeance against Ruby. We were led to believe she would react to her on sight, when in reality she had only ever reacted to her being mentioned. Yes, we saw her burning an illusion of Ruby, but it is still miles away from being ready to face the real thing, the actual person. Cinder parallels Yang in that regard. Both were traumatized badly and were not ready to face the one responsible for that, just that Yang was able to deal with her trauma in a more healthy way than Cinder. With that in mind and seeing that she didn't even risk looking at Ruby once, we can safely assume Cinder wasnt ready. And the person who definitly knew that send her to lead the attack at Haven, even though knowing full well that Ruby was there. Salem didn't call Cinder's change of plan off when Watts told her either. She could have done something, but she didn't.

When she confronted Lionheart and he tried to blame it all on Cinder, she appeared more bored than anything. Even if we assume she already knew that Cinder changed the plan, she couldn't have been sure it was Cinder's fault things went south, but she really just looks bored out of her mind, as if she expected most of this to happen. She made sure to to push Cinder into a mindset that made her overly predictable and out her in charge after all.

Now you could argue that Salem was pretty angry about not getting the relic, but the thing is...Salem hadn't facored in EVERYONE failing. If Blake hadn't brought the Faunus backup, Hazel's group would have clearly won against team Rwby and co. They were already having the upper hand and if Adam had succeeded in blowing up the school it would've been them who would need to retreat, leaving room for Salem's faction to either go after the maidens, though Cinder would've already been defeated at that point, to retrieve the relic from Raven, or they wouldn't have found either of them, which would have probably prompted them to visit Raven's tribe once more. Salem deliberately had enough components in this plan of hers, that Cinder failing wouldn't factor in in the end.

So her anger in vol 6 ia still understandable, it is just not really directed at Cinder.

Now we come to the most interesting part (at least for me XD). Why would Salem even want to make Cinder fail?

We may not know Salem's ultimate plan or end goal at the moment, but she apparently needs Cinder in some kind of broken up like state and she is clearly not finished, as we can see in vol 6.

In episode 4 she deliberately pressured Emerald to give up Cinder's name, even though it was clear to all of them whose name Salem expected and wanted to hear. One could argue that she asked Hazel first, but actually she didn't. We just presumed Hazel was the one the question was directed to, but Salem never specified him to answer. This also ties into my theory I made about Emerald naming Cinder and there being consequences for that, and with episode 9 we got even more hints that could strengthen this.

Salem wants Cinder to hit rock bottom. She pushed her into rage and vengeance and set her up to really lose this time around. Now she is working on removing the only bonds Cinder still has, her subordinates, and she does so with Tyrian's help.

Let's recap. In vol 5 she asked Cinder to tell Tyrian that she wanted to talk with him, right after sending the girl off on a mission she was supposed to fail anyway. And then, in vol 6, we have Tyrian constantly messing with both Emerald and Mercury. When they firat come back in ep 4, he immediately bugs them. He didn't seem in the slightest surprised that Cinder wasn't with them and he specifically focused on Emerald. If Salem really only wanted to punish or reprimand Tyrian again, he wouldn't have been that cheerful at Hazel's return. Furthermore Tyrian messing with them on his own volition seems unlikely. They still are, for all purposes, their allies and as long as someone is useful, I don't think he would try to get them to leave in fear of angering his goddess. It would be pretty bad for him to mess with people Salem might still want to use. Him stirring trouble now, two times in the row, overly fixated on Cinder's subordinates, even going as far as to indirectly tell them they should go and disobey Salem's orders? After Salem herself made sure to have Emerald sell Cinder out? Those would be very strange coincidences indeed, seeing as she is also the one trying to isolate them from Cinder.

All of this might just be an elaborate plan of hers and seeing as we talk about the person who manipulated kings and queens into rebelling against the gods...I could envision her doing just that.

Then again, it's only one of my theories, but I really like this one XD

[gameofbrodon-blog]

S8E1: Winterfell AKA The Beginning of the End AKA Bran is a vegan

Ooooooooh Brodes. What. An. Episode.

Like dayum. I gotta say, it was too lovely. Like we’re gonna get totally forked this season. They gave us happiness in ep 1, cos they’re going to emotionally destroy us for the rest of the season. Just you wait. Battle of Winterfell in ep 3 is gonna be so traumatic I may need to call in sick at work the next day. Legit.

Let’s do this recap then... I’m writing this on my flight to Melbourne so I have no distractions and can dedicate a whole hour to it for you. Let’s go!

I’m OBSESSED with all the s1 throwbacks in this ep. The little kid running through the crowd and climbing the tree to see the royals (Jon/Dany) arriving in Winterfell is such a cute throwback to Arya and Bran doing the same in S1 when the royals (King Robert & co) arrived.

Dany has the most smug look on her face when all the northerners were scared of Drogon and Rhaegal. She’s really feeling herself since she banged Jon. Girl got laid so now she’s feeling like the top bench. Can’t blame her really ;)

Then Arya sees Jon and has the cutest smile on her face, which transforms to a scowl when she see’s The Hound (I think she legit thought he was dead. She’s probably annoyed that that she has to put him back on her list now!). And then she smiles again when she see’s her lover boy Gendry. Can’t wait for them to get married and have little warrior babies.

Reunion 1 happens; Jon sees Bran and he’s so shocked and happy. So cute how he rushes off the horse and gives him a big kiss. Major LOL at Jon being all “you’re a man now” and Bran being like “almost” COS HES THE THREE EYED RAVEN WE GET IT BRAN. Bran is like a vegan - he has to announce his status at every opportunity.

Sansa is so unimpressed by Dany, but then Bran goes vegan again and interrupts to tell Dany that Viserion is a WW now and she’s devo.

Skimming through now...

Reunion 2; Jon / Arya. I cried Brodes. Oh I cried. It was beautiful. Angelic. Gorgeous. Heavenly. Thank god they’re back together - you can actually see that they love each other it’s so sweet. Also hilarious moment when Jon is like “needle, have you had to use it”. LOL JON IF ONLY YOU KNEW!

Reunion 3; Sansa / Tyrion. Together again for the first time since Joff died. Loved the joke about how Sansa said that it was a highlight of the wedding hahaha Same gal, same!

So much happened in Winterfell. I’m so forgetting something but I’m trying to work chronologically and deffs failing at it.

Euron Greyjoy arrived back at Kings Landing with the Golden Company and new character Harry Strickland. Only 20k men and no elephants. Cersei mad. She should go see Dumbo at the cinema to get her elephant fix! My friend Emily has her name in the credits. Off topic but important to share.

Cersei and Euron bang. She’s not happy about it but I reckon she’s gonna pretend she’s pregnant with his baby to lock in his loyalty. She’s a shady one.

Theon rescues Yara and they split - she’s off to the Iron Islands to win them back as a backup plan for Dany to escape to if she needs it and he’s off to Winterfell to fight with Jon. Ahh siblings. Friends. They won’t see each other again before they die, sorry not sorry.

Back in Winterfell, Reunion #4 and #5. Arya sees The Hound in the blacksmith and have a tense but cute exchange. He’s all “you left me to die” and she claps back with “I robbed you first”. QUEEN.

Then Arya sees her boyfriend/lover Gendry and they flirt. He says “as you wish m’lady” and it’s GoT crossing over with The Princess Bride and like I can’t handle that - it’s both of my fave things! AH! G is making A a new weapon, cute.

Jon and Dany go for a casual dragon ride (JON RODE A DRAGON OMG) then have cute kissy time in front of a waterfall. Drogon though is not impressed at all. I love that they’re giving the dragons a personality now.

Controversial opinion: they gave us Jon on a Dragon too soon. They should have waited until like The Battle of Winterfell cos how cool would it have been for him to ride into the battle on a Dragon!

In Last Hearth, Tormund (yay! Tormund!) is alive! He and Beric are looking through the castle for signs of life, and they come across Edd and the best line of the whole episode happens; “STAY BACK HE’S GOT BLUE EYES” “they’ve always been blue”. HILARIOUS.

Then Lord Umber aka little kid is nailed to the wall but then he turns WW and starts screaming when they set him on fire. I may or may not have screamed in the cinema from fear. Whatever. You can’t prove anything.

Can we also take a moment to say, WHAT THE fork IS WITH CERSEI ASKING BRONN TO KILL HER BROS?! Like, surely Bronn taking the crossbow is just so he can go dob on Cersei to Tyrion. Tyrion promised Bronn that if anyone ever asked him to betray T then T would pay double. Bronn, you better be going after that double money and not legit planning to kill your two best buds T & J!

Back in Winterfell, Sam finds out that Dany killed his dad and bro and he’s heartbroken. Dany could have showed more compassion here tbh. She killed his fam, maybe apologise??

Sam then goes to the crypts and tells Jon the sad news... and then breaks the big big news. Jon finds out that Ned isn’t his real dad and he is heartbroken. He looked up to Ned so much and was proud to be his son. I can’t imagine how he feels now.

I don’t think he’s gonna tell Dany; he said that him being the true king was treason cos he’s sworn fealty to her. He’s gonna keep it a secret but dump her cos he can’t kiss or bang his aunty now that he knows. DRAMAAAAA!

Finally, bran’s “old friend” Jamie rides into Winterfell and when he sees Bran he looks terrified. I can’t wait to see what Bran says to him “I’m a vegan... oh wait I mean I’m the three eyed raven and I know you pushed me out of the window. Dude wtf”

Lots of setup here, but that’s normal for Ep 1 of a season. Let the chaos begin!

Can winter be over yet? Spring is coming? Maybe? I hope????

X Jords

[lopezdorothy70-blog]

Creatine Supplement Offers Protection Against Neurodegenerative Diseases Like ALS, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's

by Paul Fassa Health Impact News

Creatine is a highly touted supplement for building muscle mass rapidly with resistance exercising. You may have heard about it or noticed this if you've glanced at bodybuilder magazines or looked over the shelves of certain supplement stores that tend to cater more to athletes and bodybuilders.

But not all of us are bodybuilders or high-performance athletes that rely on short intense bursts of energy output. Those among us who do casual resistance training could benefit from creatine supplementation, which has proven itself in studies, as covered by this meta-analysis.

But it's wise to also explore some other non-athletic, less promoted applications of creatine that are beginning to show up in journal studies as creatine has the ability to protect against neurodegenerative diseases.

Other Creatine Benefits Beyond Physical Strength and Athletic Performance

Creatine is involved as a pH buffer in tissues to maintain slight alkalinity at a pH reading slightly above 7. Tissues with pH below 7 are acidic. The more acidic an organ or any part of the body's internal terrain becomes the more probable it is diseased or will be soon. Acidity indicates a compromised immune system and is a precursor to cancer. 

Creatine is a key compound offering protection against neurodegenerative diseases by creating more phosphocreatine. It's been observed in animal (in-vivo) studies that low or diminishing brain levels of phosphocreatine promote neurodegenerative diseases. 

Supplementing creatine boosts the recycling dynamic of ATP to ADP with its release of energy then back to ATP to start all over again. Supplementing creatine will increase ATP levels in the brain cells' mitochondria to facilitate metabolic energy production and expedite energy transmissions among brain and central nervous system cells. 

Creatine also increases the brain's dopamine content, which is a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for a normal functioning central nervous system and physical coordination. It creates a sense of well being that is useful for depressed and bipolar patients. 

Consider the brain a muscle, as some do, to see how it relates to creatine's increased skeletal muscle mass and energy. These energy factors are micro-dynamic activities within cells, but the sum total of these micro-dynamics increase bulk muscle performance as well as enhance one's more subtle central nervous system's neurological activities. 

There is Plenty of Science-Based Evidence Supporting Creatine Health Claims

The fact that natural food sources for creatine are red meat and fish led to experimenting with creatine supplementation for vegetarians. This was done in 2003 with a six-week study of supplementing 45 young adult vegetarians creatine monohydrate titled Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial.

At the end of six weeks, test scores given were compared with base test scores from before creatine supplementation. From the study abstract:

Creatine plays a pivotal role in brain energy homeostasis, being a temporal and spatial buffer for cytosolic and mitochondrial pools of the cellular energy currency, adenosine triphosphate and its regulator, adenosine diphosphate. 

Creatine supplementation had a significant positive effect on both working memory (backward digit span) and intelligence (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices), both tasks that require speed of processing. These findings underline a dynamic and significant role in brain energy capacity in influencing brain performance. (Study- full text)

Another study published in 2007, Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals, performed a double-blind placebo trial with creatine tested on 32 elderly folks divided into placebo and creatine groups. From the abstract:

Results showed a significant effect of creatine supplementation on all tasks except backward number recall. It was concluded that creatine supplementation aids cognition in the elderly. (Source)

Several animal studies, accessed via embedded links in each of the following disease names, covered the neuroprotective aspects supplementing creatine orally for potentially ameliorating symptoms of ALS, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and ischemic stroke recovery.  

Another creatine supplement study had success with pre-diabetes individuals with results that suggest that supplementing creatine while engaging in aerobic training can improve glucose tolerance without affecting insulin sensitivity. 

One of the most challenging studies dealt with 39 traumatic brain-injured children with ages ranging from one year of age to 18. It followed them for six months. Those who supplemented reduced dizziness 50 percent less than what those who didn't supplement creatine.

More impressively, 10 percent of the patients in the supplement group suffered from fatigue while 80 percent of the non-creatine consuming control group continued to experience fatigue. This study was published in 2008 as Prevention of traumatic headache, dizziness and fatigue with creatine administration. A pilot study. (Abstract)

Creatine's Many Faceted Functions

Creatine is normally created among vertebrates internally from synthesizing three amino acids: L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine. Natural sources of creatine are grass-fed sources of red meat and wild (not farmed) fish. 

It is a nitrogenous organic acid. Its main role is to facilitate recycling of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of cells' mitochondria primarily in muscle and brain tissue. ATP is the stored energy in each cell's mitochondria containing three phosphate molecules. 

This energy is vital to meet the demands of most metabolic functions as well as outward physical functions. ATP is vital for tissue repair and level and nervous system functions, which will be covered later in this article. 

When its energy is used, it loses a phosphate molecule and becomes adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Within the mitochondria, the phosphocreatine system adds a newly formed phosphate molecule to ADP to create ATP as needed. This is the recycling process of ATP. 

Using all three amino acids mentioned above as supplemental precursors without appropriate supervision is not recommended, because excess L-methionine does pose some problems. Augmenting creatine levels can best be safely achieved orally with either creatine monohydrate or creatine nitrate.

Creatine monohydrate is one creatine molecule bound to one molecule of water. It's been around for a while with a lot of success. Those who might experience bloating, diarrhea, or dehydration issues are recommended to switch to creatine nitrate, which binds one creatine molecule with a nitrate molecule. 

Creatine nitrate is a newer formulation for creatine, so it's safety and efficacy is not as well known as the monohydrate combination. It's claimed to be more readily absorbed into tissue cells than creatine monohydrate, and nitrates alone also support ergogenic functions. 

Creatine nitrate is usually a component of a sports energy formula and rarely appears alone like creatine monohydrate powders usually do. (Source) 

It's apparent that many of us can benefit from creatine supplements beyond strictly physical performance and strength for which they are commonly promoted. 

It is safe enough to consider for reducing stress, maintaining mental clarity when sleep deprived, protecting against several neurodegenerative diseases, and/or reversing many of their symptoms.

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[battybat-boss]

Creatine Supplement Offers Protection Against Neurodegenerative Diseases Like ALS, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's

by Paul Fassa Health Impact News

Creatine is a highly touted supplement for building muscle mass rapidly with resistance exercising. You may have heard about it or noticed this if you've glanced at bodybuilder magazines or looked over the shelves of certain supplement stores that tend to cater more to athletes and bodybuilders.

But not all of us are bodybuilders or high-performance athletes that rely on short intense bursts of energy output. Those among us who do casual resistance training could benefit from creatine supplementation, which has proven itself in studies, as covered by this meta-analysis.

But it's wise to also explore some other non-athletic, less promoted applications of creatine that are beginning to show up in journal studies as creatine has the ability to protect against neurodegenerative diseases.

Other Creatine Benefits Beyond Physical Strength and Athletic Performance

Creatine is involved as a pH buffer in tissues to maintain slight alkalinity at a pH reading slightly above 7. Tissues with pH below 7 are acidic. The more acidic an organ or any part of the body's internal terrain becomes the more probable it is diseased or will be soon. Acidity indicates a compromised immune system and is a precursor to cancer. 

Creatine is a key compound offering protection against neurodegenerative diseases by creating more phosphocreatine. It's been observed in animal (in-vivo) studies that low or diminishing brain levels of phosphocreatine promote neurodegenerative diseases. 

Supplementing creatine boosts the recycling dynamic of ATP to ADP with its release of energy then back to ATP to start all over again. Supplementing creatine will increase ATP levels in the brain cells' mitochondria to facilitate metabolic energy production and expedite energy transmissions among brain and central nervous system cells. 

Creatine also increases the brain's dopamine content, which is a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for a normal functioning central nervous system and physical coordination. It creates a sense of well being that is useful for depressed and bipolar patients. 

Consider the brain a muscle, as some do, to see how it relates to creatine's increased skeletal muscle mass and energy. These energy factors are micro-dynamic activities within cells, but the sum total of these micro-dynamics increase bulk muscle performance as well as enhance one's more subtle central nervous system's neurological activities. 

There is Plenty of Science-Based Evidence Supporting Creatine Health Claims

The fact that natural food sources for creatine are red meat and fish led to experimenting with creatine supplementation for vegetarians. This was done in 2003 with a six-week study of supplementing 45 young adult vegetarians creatine monohydrate titled Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial.

At the end of six weeks, test scores given were compared with base test scores from before creatine supplementation. From the study abstract:

Creatine plays a pivotal role in brain energy homeostasis, being a temporal and spatial buffer for cytosolic and mitochondrial pools of the cellular energy currency, adenosine triphosphate and its regulator, adenosine diphosphate. 

Creatine supplementation had a significant positive effect on both working memory (backward digit span) and intelligence (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices), both tasks that require speed of processing. These findings underline a dynamic and significant role in brain energy capacity in influencing brain performance. (Study- full text)

Another study published in 2007, Creatine supplementation and cognitive performance in elderly individuals, performed a double-blind placebo trial with creatine tested on 32 elderly folks divided into placebo and creatine groups. From the abstract:

Results showed a significant effect of creatine supplementation on all tasks except backward number recall. It was concluded that creatine supplementation aids cognition in the elderly. (Source)

Several animal studies, accessed via embedded links in each of the following disease names, covered the neuroprotective aspects supplementing creatine orally for potentially ameliorating symptoms of ALS, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and ischemic stroke recovery.  

Another creatine supplement study had success with pre-diabetes individuals with results that suggest that supplementing creatine while engaging in aerobic training can improve glucose tolerance without affecting insulin sensitivity. 

One of the most challenging studies dealt with 39 traumatic brain-injured children with ages ranging from one year of age to 18. It followed them for six months. Those who supplemented reduced dizziness 50 percent less than what those who didn't supplement creatine.

More impressively, 10 percent of the patients in the supplement group suffered from fatigue while 80 percent of the non-creatine consuming control group continued to experience fatigue. This study was published in 2008 as Prevention of traumatic headache, dizziness and fatigue with creatine administration. A pilot study. (Abstract)

Creatine's Many Faceted Functions

Creatine is normally created among vertebrates internally from synthesizing three amino acids: L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine. Natural sources of creatine are grass-fed sources of red meat and wild (not farmed) fish. 

It is a nitrogenous organic acid. Its main role is to facilitate recycling of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of cells' mitochondria primarily in muscle and brain tissue. ATP is the stored energy in each cell's mitochondria containing three phosphate molecules. 

This energy is vital to meet the demands of most metabolic functions as well as outward physical functions. ATP is vital for tissue repair and level and nervous system functions, which will be covered later in this article. 

When its energy is used, it loses a phosphate molecule and becomes adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Within the mitochondria, the phosphocreatine system adds a newly formed phosphate molecule to ADP to create ATP as needed. This is the recycling process of ATP. 

Using all three amino acids mentioned above as supplemental precursors without appropriate supervision is not recommended, because excess L-methionine does pose some problems. Augmenting creatine levels can best be safely achieved orally with either creatine monohydrate or creatine nitrate.

Creatine monohydrate is one creatine molecule bound to one molecule of water. It's been around for a while with a lot of success. Those who might experience bloating, diarrhea, or dehydration issues are recommended to switch to creatine nitrate, which binds one creatine molecule with a nitrate molecule. 

Creatine nitrate is a newer formulation for creatine, so it's safety and efficacy is not as well known as the monohydrate combination. It's claimed to be more readily absorbed into tissue cells than creatine monohydrate, and nitrates alone also support ergogenic functions. 

Creatine nitrate is usually a component of a sports energy formula and rarely appears alone like creatine monohydrate powders usually do. (Source) 

It's apparent that many of us can benefit from creatine supplements beyond strictly physical performance and strength for which they are commonly promoted. 

It is safe enough to consider for reducing stress, maintaining mental clarity when sleep deprived, protecting against several neurodegenerative diseases, and/or reversing many of their symptoms.

<!--//<![CDATA[ var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https://network.sophiamedia.com/openx/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://network.sophiamedia.com/openx/www/delivery/ajs.php'); var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999); if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ','; document.write ("<scr"+"ipt type='text/javascript' src='"+m3_u); document.write ("?zoneid=3&target=_blank"); document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write ("&exclude=" + document.MAX_used); document.write (document.charset ? '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? '&charset='+document.characterSet : '')); document.write ("&loc=" + escape(window.location)); if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>"); //]]>-->

[movietvtechgeeks]

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Ravens John Urschel timely NFL retirement

Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel announced his abrupt, unexpected retirement from the NFL Thursday at the age of 26. The announcement comes just two days after the results of the medical study found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (better known of CTE) in nearly 99 percent of the brains studied. Keep in mind, that in this study, the brains donated were done so because of multiple concussions or troubling symptoms before the player died. The study was not a random sampling of football players; however, it does raise many more questions regarding CTE and a player’s potential risk. While the study found evidence of the disease in the deceased players, it doesn’t address anything but the presence of the disease. There were no footnotes on the various players’ possible genetic risk, how many years they played, or their lifestyles. It is unclear how many years of football is too many; how many concussions is too many; or how things such as drugs, alcohol, steroids, and diet might affect the impact of CTE on the brain. What the study does show, however, is how little we still understand about the disease. Clearly, more studies are much needed. And, if there’s a way to detect it before the player is dead, maybe we can find a way to slow or prevent it. The study was still enough to push Urschel over the edge. Or maybe the timing is just a crazy coincidence. Urschel hasn’t told us yet. He informed the Ravens of his decision without making a public statement. “This morning, John Urschel informed me of his decision to retire from football,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. “We respect John and respect his decision. We appreciate his efforts over the past three years and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.” While it isn’t clear if the concussion crisis is what made him call it quits, Urschel was set to compete for the starting job at center this season; however, he is more well known for his pursuit of a doctorate in spectral graph theory, machine learning, and numerical linear algebra at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this offseason. Yes, he’s an offensive lineman and a mathematical genius. Quite the unique combination. Urschel has appeared in a number of NFL promotional ads and commercials including one where he beats an entire classroom of kids in individual chess games simultaneously. Earlier this year, Urschel appeared on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” to talk about balancing his passion for football and his passion for math even though the first poses head trauma risks that could compromise the second. “I recognize that this is somewhat irrational, but I am doing it,” said Urschel. “It’s more important to me that I’m able to do the two things I love. I don’t know if people have really done things that I’ve done before. I don’t know if they’ll do it after me. But I enjoy carving out my path and not listening to what people say I can, and I can’t do.” Urschel is a smart guy. He knows what he’s getting into. He’s been playing for years, after all. He did have an eye-opening experience in August 2015, however, when he went helmet-to-helmet with another player, suffering a concussion and being knocked unconscious. The experience had a clear impact on his ability to think critically in the field of mathematics. “I think it hurt my ability to think well mathematically,” said Urschel. “It took me about three weeks before I was football-ready. It took me a little bit longer before my high-level visualizations ability came back.” With Urschel’s retirement, the Ravens have now lost five players since June 1, in a span of less than 60 days. Tavon Young, an offensive starter last season, tore his ACL on June 1. Tight end Dennis Pitta suffered what will most likely prove to be a career-ending hip injury the following day on June 2. Darren Walker, the Ravens’ backup tight end and one of their better special teams players, was suspended for the year on June 30 for violations of the league’s substance abuse policies. Kenneth Dixon, the Ravens’ top running back, went under the knife for season-ending knee surgery Tuesday. And now there’s Urschel. And this list doesn’t include quarterback Joe Flacco, who could miss up to six weeks with back issues. Not the best way to kick off a season that’s still a month away. Urschel, however, will be just fine. At 26, he has his whole life in front of him, and he was recently named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list in the field of science. Urschel has published six peer-reviewed mathematical papers covering a number of topics and fields, and he has three papers awaiting review.

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