#cs lapis

[ilikefork]

Happy 1 year anniversary to @chained-spirits! I've been following this comic since day 1 and I can't wait to see where it goes ^^

And since I couldn't pick a favorite Link for the prompt- more art I made throughout the days under the cut >>

[yuki-boshi]

Kai no Kiseki Prologue English Summary

Table of Contents

Hey all, I will be doing summaries for the game like i did with Kuro 2.

I might be busy so I will try to update the blog frequently.

My twitter is https://x.com/fragmentums

The opening scene takes place in May 1209 at Calvard's Space Force base, where the Independent II rocket is launched with the Prometheus IV satellite attached. Two months later, on July 8th, we see Van, Feri, and Bergard engaged in training exercises at Marduk's headquarters in Ored State.  They’re being monitored by a voice (later being revealed as Kasim). They’re in competition with another team called “Y-Team” while Van and his group are the “X-Team.”

The training facility is called the VARHALA sector, which combines VR, AR, and is based off the term Valhalla. Meanwhile, Altina, Kevin, Rean, and others are also participating in the same exercise. Altina is geeking out about the technology of MK compared to anything in Erebonia and it’s implied that it’s possibly even harder than Professor Schmidt’s training from the CS games. Rean praises Kevin and Kevin mentions that he’s honored that a Divine Blade is praising little old him. Kevin mentions that he’s actually met Rean before at the wedding but, but never directly spoke with him much, but heard all sorts of things from Gaius. Kevin deduces that Rean is on some kind of top-secret-mission, and Rean spills the beans to Kevin. Kevin is honored again and wonders why, and Rean explains that it’s that he feels he can trust him if he’s Estelle and Gaius’s friend.

Altina starts geeking out that the Holy City is also working on new military efforts for a new airship, but she’s cut off by Kevin saying “Hey that’s top secret!”

Mirabel is overwatching them as they speak about their past briefly, mentioning that she knows a whole lot, and Kevin is surprised a girl like her knows all the Church’s dirty laundry and inner conflicts. Altina funnily mentions that they’re both speaking weird (In Japanese, this is Kansai-ben) and that it’s similar to a classmate Rean used to have when he was in Thors as a student, referring to Becky.

Rean deduces that there’s another team also in the exercise, using his Minds Eye ability and is able to sense the numbers, but not exactly who it is. Kevin is impressed. Kevin’s also impressed that Altina’s shield, a modified Claiomh Solais can speak!

As the teams progress through the training, they meet up and exchange greetings. They discuss their past relationships and learn that Van knows Rean from his reputation. Mirabel interrupts to remind them that this is still a training exercise and more combatants are added to the field.

Risette and Crow join, and so does Rufus and Lapis. The groups are divided into two teams for a boss battle against Bergard, Risette, Crow Armbrust, Rufus Albarea, and Lapis.

The XY-Team narrowly secures victory with Van using the Kuro 2 S-Craft, and everyone compliments each other on their fight.

Afterward, Gilliam Thorndyke appears with a live camera feed to note that he's pleased with the new combat mechanics used in the exercise. He also reveals that Meister Jorg asked him to test Lapis' new body during the battle. Finally, everyone is invited to join Thorndyke for a banquet.

We are then serviced with a flashback of Gramheart back to the day of April 13th, explaining his Startaker Plan, stating it’s been under development for more than two years, and this will greatly benefit the country as a whole, as well as possibly helping out the Eastern parts of the continent too, which has been in turmoil and conflict for about a hundred years.

During this segment, it’s revealed that Daniel Harling is in charge of the operation, with the first phase of the plan is to be launching the satellite, while the second phase will be to send a manned launch into space, and the first astronaut to do so will be Harling’s daughter named Emilia Harling (Hermes from Kuro games), who is actually a former ace pilot.

It switches then to everyone reacting, Renne understanding now why the Ikaruga are defending the mountains where the operation is under development.

Agnes being mysterious mutters to herself that the announcement is a shock, but she’s glad that she can work with everyone again. But she needs to pay more close attention to her Father. Feri takes notice and Agnes was saying she was just spacing out and thinking about how to give it her all and tries to distract the subject by dragging Feri to go shopping. Quatre blushing also wants to go shopping, and Aaron can read the room and tells Quatre to go for it and he’ll also tag along. Judith responds that since she’s a movie star, she’ll give them the scoop of all the latest fashion trends! Group shopping!

Van is doing his classic “Good grief…” During the flash forwards, everyone drops by the Office, Shizuna included, scaring Van, and fast forwarding again, Agnes gets a secret message on her phone from Hamilton who she looks at it, away from everyone.

Fast forward back to present day with Rean, Rean talks that he was surprised Crow accepted a contract to help test Marduk’s new products and he’s surprised that Rufus is here too. Crow retorts that he’s a freelancer more than an employee, kinda like Arkride in a sense. Altina mentions that Rufus has been traveling all over the continent, and Rufus says something along the lines of “well, can’t exactly just walk back to Erebonia so I might as well travel everywhere else like the Free Cities and the other Central Eastern countries.” Lapis interrupts him by saying that’s exactly how she got a new body and “powered up” and says that she can experience being drunk now with it! Rean has the expression of a haha, but he asks isn’t she a little young to be drinking? And Rufus agrees saying that she’s too young and she’ll probably be allowed to drink whenever Nadia gets old enough to drink too. Lapis is kind of like, “grr I guess it’s fine if it’s together with Nadia.”

Feri impresses everyone with her natural insight and suspects there’s more to this exercise, and Kasim praises her to keep that instinct in mind, not just for her, but as the Kruga Clan’s Priestess too. Once the food is brought out, Van walks around to talk with the many groups.

Talking to Rean’s group, they briefly discuss Shizuna, and Van and Crow exchange their business cards. Crow asks Van why not just make her an official assistant already.

He says no freaking way, plus she’s ghosted all of them for nearly two months and recalls a moment where she stole his limited edition cake and brought a lesser replacement, laughing not knowing the difference. Lapis asks if it’s about the sweet cherry pie cake that’s available only in the Summer. Lapis mentions she’s eaten that too and it’s delicious. And Van says how can you even taste if you were stuck in that shard form back then (Kuro 2).

Van talks to Kasim and Feri, the two bonding. Mirabel explains that she traveled with Kasim back to his hometown and saw a smile that Kasim gave to Feri that she’s never even seen before. Van teases that isn’t it a bit unprofessional to be going together with a coworker back to their hometown on unrelated work duties.

Mirabel blushes and tries to deny it at first, but then gives up and says yeah, she and Kasim are dating (first hinted at in Kuro 2 in the finale, you can catch them watching a movie together!) and they’ve actually been dating for three years. Van teases her some more and she’s like grr why...

Van talks to Kevin, Bergard, and Thorndyke, basically confirming this whole exercise has an ulterior motive. Thorndyke doesn’t deny it, saying it’s for the advancement of AR technology. Kevin says the VR version of the tech is also super impressive too. Thorndyke mentions that it was a shame that ASO couldn’t make it,  Van says it’s due to Agnes having her finals, and Quatre also being busy, but is surprised that Risette came and found out through her own way.

Van then heads to Altina and Risette talking with Rufus, mentioning it’s a strange combination. Risette corrects him saying, she’s been in touch with Altina for MK business purposes for a while, and also with Rufus because of the incident regarding Lapis. Altina says she knows Rufus and is actually grateful to him because he taught her “common sense” years ago. He says the same thing back to her, saying that she’s completely different from back then. She says she’s humbled.

Van asks if he’s cool with calling him Albarea instead of “Rufus A.” Rufus says he can do whatever, but people might get nosy. Rufus says he can’t roam the Capital so he’s glad that he was able to meet Van through this exercise. Van thanks for him what he was able to do in Kuro 2 with Marielle and Dingo.

Van eyes some very tasty cakes, but is saddened as he only asks for a few pieces while Lapis demands the entire cake.

Van relents because he has to be the better person since she’s never had pastries from Calvard. Feri checks in with Van, but finds him basically sulking saying he’s a failure. The server brings out another cake for him, trying to console him.

Van runs into Lapis again, eating an entirely different slice of cake, realizing she already ate the whole cake she took from before, and chastises her that a patisserie put their whole soul into it and she should savor every bite. Altina mentions to Van that actually, her original body was known to be a heavy eater too. Van worries about the financials of Swin and the others who had to deal with Lapis.

Van also runs a sweets blog.

Van then runs into Rean and Kasim, talking, both meeting for the first time and thanking each other for what happened in Cold Steel 4 with Operation Mille Mirage and that MK was a supporter in it. Bergard mentions that he saw Gaius after three years, thinking he would hate him, but instead he got a hug.

Kasim mentions how Feri’s life has changed and thinks perhaps Van could become an in-law and a member of the Kruga, Van gets mad saying don’t be ridiculous. Bergard asks Rean to have a good relationship with Van.

As the conversation with Thorndyke continues hoping that the group will continue to do more exercises, suddenly, the second phase of the Startaker Plan commences to everyone’s surprise.

With the AR tech, everyone is able to witness it up close, and see that the rocket launch is a moick-up of an Assault Frame. (It thinks it's the Hyaku Shiki!)

Harling then announces that the second phase will be completed and that the third launch will have a piloted Assault Frame.

Everyone now suspicious, thinks that the Startaker Project has a hidden purpose and MK inviting them is to that purpose.

Van leaves with his group, Rean leaves with theirs, suspicious, showing that they’ve brought their Panzer Soldats from Reverie. Rean looks at a letter by Yun Ka-Fai talking about how the Eight Leaves One Blade has to reach the Land of the Turning Tides and ponders on it.

Elsewhere, Lapis, concerned that humans have reached into a place not even Elysium has reached. She asks what Rufus will do, but he says, basically nothing as they need to work out any kinks with her body, and will meet up with Swin and Nadia. Kevin in the back seat, is hitch hiking, says that Lapis has a cute charm to her, and she says that his name “Kevin” isn’t that bad, it gets a 70, no 69 in terms of cuteness. Kevin says that’s a stingy number.

Kevin gets to the matter at hand calling him and Rufus, “bad adults” and he needs to hire them for a certain task.

Elsewhere, Campanella from the Society is observing things where he gets a very angry call from Novartis saying his help is different from what was promised. Campanella says he’s busy and Novartis tells him it’s too late to back out now and says to forget it and he won’t need his help at all, also cursing Harwood, saying he’s just going to get the new recruits to help him. Ulrika and Simeon both enter, with the former saying she was prepping for a livestream. Campanella asks to help with the Professor. Ulrika agrees and Campanella says it’s to help with the third phase of the Eternal Recurrence Plan, and the chapter ends with the opening playing.

[moithan]

coises mod um mod mundo legal e completo para minecraft 1.19.2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rp1NLjuh44HGXFmwxtRIuYCFcLngNpB_/view?usp=sharing tags: mod legal,mod chato, mod completo, mods funçoes 1 mobs cymor, mulher de fralda, baby girl, moises, nathan , botafogo , silager ,goomba , cara grandão do pau alemanha ocidental, lapis lazuli , gizmo. 2 blocos / blocks dix log, cs, austria hungria, NIOBRIO ,mix , volks , radiação vasco , minerio de atomo,…

[itsbulkgemstones]

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[fury-brand]

Lapis is like "these are my emotional support war criminals"

[dark-lapis-77]

We feel like related a lots with The Crystal Gems Lapis Lazuli. She really hate Mary-Sue.

[connieswap]

☆It’s Here!☆

Space Race Ep26S1P2

Summary: Pearl and Amethyst have finished their spaceship and will be lifting off soon, headed for Homeworld. Connie goes to say her final farewell to the pair and wish them a safe voyage. A bittersweet visit for all before the blast off.

My heart is racing!! 

Make sure to share, reblog, And leave a comment! it helps us a lot!☆

Art © MjStudioArts & BurdenLord

Steven Universe © Rebecca Sugar

[kenyadiggit]

#love my new ring @chelagurnee made me!! Lapis lazuli #custommadejewelry #lapizlasuli #blue https://www.instagram.com/p/CS-4gcTLaGO/?utm_medium=tumblr

[klarolinedrabbles]

sorry if i'm nosy but i live for drama and the quarantine ain't helping lmao so do you have any more wild anecdotes from the kc/tvd fandom besides the ones you told a while ago?

Oh there’s definitely more.

There was the muffin incident. Which, sounds ridiculous, and I assure you it both is and isn’t. But basically, one of my dearest friends in the world, Jenn, @jonsnowbitch, decided one day she was going to conduct an experiment, if you will. And this experiment entailed sitting through an entire episode of TO and in that specific episode, replacing Camille’s presence with an inanimate object, and determine whether or not the story remains the same. Spoiler alert, it does. And the object Jenn chose was a muffin. Which didn’t sit well with some CK stans, who missed the entire point of Jenn’s post, and/or chose to ignore it. You can read it here. It’s the reason we have these amazing gems;

Uhhh there was a point where we had confirmation Carina was just hangin around on the blogs. She’d done an interview where she’d said her two most visited sites were these two blogs who hated TO, me and Hillary were like well that could not more obviously be us. Then like a year or so later, someone had sent me a screenshot of a tweet of hers, because I’m blocked by her on twitter, where she said she was just scrolling on a blog and came across a post that said ‘carina get off my blog’ which was something I’d written like the day before, lmfsksks. 

Uh let’s see, SOME WRITER LEFT TO, idr who exactly it was, Charlie something, I wanna say. He’d officially departed as a TO writer and he’d posted a picture of his goodbye letter on twitter, and he ended it with, ‘and yes, I love Klaroline too’ the kill bill sirens were real. We were like wtfwtfwtf. The fact that he didn’t say that till he was out the door, plus the way it was written. We’d had this theory that there was a Klaroline gag order, and that all but confirmed it for us.

Uh the last week or so of TVD’s series finale filming was pretty wild. 10/10 do NOT recommend, that was horrendous, no one knew wtf was going on. For some god-awful reason, this new girl popped up during S8 of TVD with information. But she had about a 60% success rate, which caused heaps of confusion in my inbox and on twitter. Every damn day was something whacked. She had this unprecedented access to sides, which are usually audition script pages, or misleading one’s. Like she’d posted a script page of I wanna say Matt or Alaric idr in a hospital bed scene, and it wound up being Stefan. It was just chaos. 

The day they leaked the board in the writer’s room during TO S5, spoiling that Hayley died mid-way through the final season. My running gag used to be that there was something in the water over there. The amount of times they themselves spoiled shit. Leah spoiled Camille’s vampire arc by posting a bts where she was very clearly wearing a lapis lazuli ring, some guy in S4 spoiled his character’s death, I mean the list goes on.

Narducci had given some interview once about how ‘tHIS UPCOMING EPISODE HAS THE MOST CHILLING ENDING WE’VE EVER DONE’ and I was like oh well I gotta see this, so I watch the entire episode just for the purpose of whatever this ending was, and it was just Aurora telling Klaus how she’d got the one-up on her brother that day and to come back to bed. I sat there for like five minutes going ‘....what’ because I couldn’t believe that was all it was. They had a notorious habit of overhyping things. Like who’s death was it in S2, I think? I honestly can’t even remember, that’s how whack it was. BUT THEY WAY THEY HYPED IT UP, LMFSKSK. Those weeks leading up to it, they had us convinced it was like Marcel or someone who was kicking the bucket. And then it was...no one. 

Which is why when spoiler anon said ‘in less than half a season they kill x, y, and z’ I didn’t believe them. Lemme think, the invasion of the sterobots. SC was up against CS in the finale of a poll, and there is absolutely zero way that fandom had the numbers to beat CS. Then one of their own went and said ‘we’ve been using bots’ and the rest is history. We were up against DE in a poll on EW. I don’t remember if it was the phone call or the letter though. But point is, they were gaining on us, while also competing in another poll on the same site and someone came to my inbox and snitched. Said she was in a gc and they were discussing how to overtake the poll. We lived some Wild times, ya’ll.

[godfreythegreywanderer]

“An anciente mappe of Fairyland : newly discovered and set forth,” by Bernard Sleigh, published in London around 1920. The map aims to be a nearly comprehensive atlas of the world of common English fairy tales, with a few of its own twists and turns. The accompanying guidebook lays out the map’s unique, ontological take on folktales and faerie stories, with the following introductory paragraph (with a quote from Keats’s “Ode to a Nightingale”):Of the Land of Faerie and of the way theretoIn the Heart of every child, is hidden away a golden key which unlocks the door of a silent, clean-swept room full of changing lights and mystic shadows. There, every child that is born into the world enters at times to gaze eagerly upon the one great window, pictured with ancient legends, and glowing with many colours: amber and scarlet, lapis blues and strange greens. And it is written in many places with curious letters of silver upon black and black upon silver.About these,“Charmed magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn,”there lingers a faint, plaintive music, as of far-away organ pipes, of whispering harps, and the sighing of wind amongst the reeds. You would think, at times, it was but the droning of bees in the clover field, or the fall of surf upon some long white beach. It is always there, rising, swelling, dying away in a long, pulsing, voiceless harmony, and through the jewelled panes the light changes continually from that of a pale, cold starshine to the white glory of unclouded moons; and again to the rich warmth of an Eastern sun. Always too, there is the fragrance of enchanted winds, a breathless scent that is like the fading memory of all the flowers that have raised their glad faces to the sun, and closed them softly beneath the Evening Star.At one time or another of its life, every child that is born of woman sets trembling fingers to open wide the flashing casements — to stand gazing, awed and silent, upon a sea and sky of gold and crimson, full of winged forms grey against its summer radiance. One of the many things this is useful for, besides its own right, is in understanding the cultural mentality in which works like The Lord of the Rings, CS Lewis’s writings, Walt Disney’s films, and the like were shaped. There was a real grappling with European folk stories, from the 19th century onwards, but the 20th century added a metaphysical dimension, a desire to make these stories real, to fix them in a place, to give them their own world. I find that desire fascinating, especially coming out of the horrors of World War I, and the destruction of so much of what had been the old Europe.

[goatyellsateverything]

Prickly Pear

I like how this one almost picked up where the last left off. Building some tension only for it to drop in the next episode was something I didn’t care for in the original show because of the time constraints.

The Crew seem to be heading in a PTSD direction and I like that. Steven 100% had some serious issues in relation to his heritage, his purpose, and his life in general. Even if they dont ever say, specifically, that Steven has PTSD or any other mundane human mental/emotional issue, its pretty clear they ARE trying to get him to use the conventional methods of healing. And they’re showing how someone with those issues will have a hard time admitting to it.

Steven needs someone to talk to that isn’t one of the people he cares about. Thats why Cactus Steven was the one he talked to. “I dont need advice. I dont need anyone blaming themselves. I dont want to hurt someone with how I feel.” Steven just needs to vent. Get it all out in the open so HE can sort through it. A little guidance helps but sometimes only an outside perspective can really help you though things.

At one point I would have said Sour Cream or Buck would be a good person to vent to. They were laid back and good listeners and were removed enough from the situation that they could offer a perspective Steven didn’t have. But now they are part of Steven’s family group and, as a result, part of his problem. He cant vent to them ABOUT them.

To be perfectly honest? I kinda want Steven to go to Jasper.

Now, hear me out.

Jasper has her own problems. She has serious anger management issues and an abandonment complex she refuses to acknowledge.

Sound familier?

I think spending time with Jasper and venting to her would help them both. Obviously, they aren’t gonna sit around and have tea and vent about their feelings, thats not Jasper’s style. Steven should go to her looking for help controlling these new, ANGER BASED, powers he’s developing. In the midst of training is when the emotional therapy would happen.

Maybe White Diamond can be helpful too. Ms “I want to fix everything and refuse to look at my own short comings” Diamond may have some good insight for Steven.

And, I THINK, this may be the way they go, sort of.

Notice how the opening scene with all the antagonists so far have been stories that reflect a lot back on how Steven is emotionally? The Lapis sisters and Bluebird being a reflection of a ‘stuck in the past’ mentality. CS an amalgamation of all his repressed feelings. And Jasper being a reflection of not having a purpose anymore.

We havn’t seen White yet but a lot of people have drawn parallels between her need for everything to be perfect and Steven’s need to fix everything around him.

Only time will tell here, but I’m interested in seeing where it goes.

[yuki-boshi]

Kai no Kiseki - English Summary - Act 2 Rean Route 2

Table of Contents

Grim Garten: Door 4

(Taken Place after Kevin 1 but before Van 2 / Rean 2 / Kevin 2 )

Renne joins the party hearing about what Novartis has been up to. Upon reaching the end of Door 4, the group is surprised to find Jorda and Lucrezia. Jorda says she’s obligated to be here as a member of the Society. Renne and Lucrezia talk saying that they were just ran into each other a bit ago.

Jorda says just because Van helped the day before with 4SPGs doesn’t mean she’ll hold back. Swin tries to ask her about her brother, but Jorda gets annoyed saying it’s none of their business and now she needs to destress. Before the fight begins, Lucrezia asks about Sharon having heard things about her and Rean's relationship, causing confusion amongst all the girls from the CS games.

Towa gets flustered and annoyed, asking for more details. Fie wants to know more, Altina says good grief. Crow says it's probably his influence on Rean. Rean tells everyone that it’s a misunderstanding!!! Aaron asks if Rean is some kind of seducer of women and Renne responds to Aaron saying, looks like it, but he is unaware of it himself. Kevin disappointingly says to Rean to not be worse than Lloyd. Rean tells everyone it’s a mistake!!

Van will also say something but everyone in his group says he's not one to be giving criticism right now. After defeating Lucrezia and and Jorda, they say their job is done and leave.

---

In the Sanctuary, Kevin talks to Towa and Elaine, having heard that they both met Hamilton, and hopes he can meet her too while also talking to himself. Elaine looks confused.

Aaron, Crow, and Bergard talk about the ETWS Orbal bikes that they brought into the Sanctuary. Bergard is surprised that despite Crow and him having the same orbal bike, their customization makes it unique to themselves and the group thinks they should all go an orbal bike tour together after this is all over.

Talking to Van, Judith, Feri, and Rufus. Van talks about how Rufus can use their 4SPG system, but don’t get in his way, and also don’t make him look bad. Feri mentions that during the events of Hajimari, he was actually on the wanted list by the Kruga Tribe. Judith finds it interesting to be talking to a governor who is supposed to be dead. Van also finds it funny and says you know, working together with a former dead governor is very Spriggan of him.

In the Hot Spring area, Agnes, Renne, and Nadia and Swin are in their swimsuit. Nadia will call it a date between her and Swin. Agnes will say it feels weird to be wearing a swimsuit in VR, but Renne says it's fine and that they should take a break and play some volleyball.

Talking to Quatre, Lapis, Altina, and Risette, Quatre will find it weird that Swin is avoiding him and wonders what it could be and if it's his imagination. Lapis will say that she shouldn't say anything to Quatre regarding Hamilton.

---

Rean Act 2

The group visits the Motor Pavilion, where Gotti announces a collaboration between his movie and the energy drink, Maximum Energy. The promoter is Rion in a suit, accompanied by Celis in a recolored version of the Z1 DLC race queen outfits. Celis is visibly embarrassed and wants to die but has to put up with it. Altina finds the suit too revealing, while Crow praises Gotti's work. Fie, familiar with the two Gralsritters, wonders what they're up to.

Elsewhere, they run into Mint, Esmeray, and Lila having a conversation. Mint suggests that after everything is over, Esmeray could visit the Empire or Liberl for a drink. When Rean joins them, Lila reintroduces herself as the ZCF liaison on behalf of Liberl and shares that she’s involved in the space program, exchanging information with Mint and Esmeray.

At the Old Town Inn (Quarry), the group encounters Commander General Harling and Emilia. Emilia offers to treat them after her public display of affection with Rean and Crow.

During the conversation, Harling shares that he never wanted Emilia to join the military, but she did anyway, eventually rising to become an ace pilot before being injured and discharged during the Great War. Crow asks about her future plans, and Emilia responds that she has some, pending military approval. Harling jokes that she should take it up with the Military Affairs, not him. The group observes the strong bond between the Harlings as father and daughter.

Harling hints this might be the last time he sees Emilia, depending on future events. When asked about this, Emilia mentions that the space launch is challenging and likens it to an "S difficulty" similar to her Orbal Bike racing. She also knows a surprising amount about Crow’s role as a “free contractor” in the Free Cities, hinting that he’s more like a Spriggan than a Bracer.

Crow is impressed and asks if Harling also knows about his past. Harling responds that his issues are with the Empire, not Calvard. Rean asks about the chances of the rocket launch’s success, and Emilia tells him not to worry; she’s got it covered because Rean made this all possible with the possibility he's given them (CS4). The group is left speechless as the conversation ends because of how cryptic it sounds.

Speaking to Emilia afterward reveals that Shizuna might have taught Emilia how to pilot her Excalibur AF, which explains why Rean had trouble fighting her, though Emilia doesn’t directly confirm this.

Talking to Emilia a SECOND time (because seriously who does that?), Emilia will ask out Crow saying they should team up after she retires, and thinks that a Courier and a Freelance (Free Contractor) has a nice ring to it, and that Crow is into older women so therefore she fits the bill. Crow takes her up on it, leaving Towa flabbergasted.

At the Basel Institute of Science, Professor Cronkite is seen giving the updated information to Kincaid. When the group stop by, Cronkite mentions returning to the Zeku Base, and Kincaid says he’s staying in Basel for a little bit longer to investigate a matter.

Talking to Kincaid will reveal that he knows that the group intends to go to the Observatory, so they should just take it easy and also remember that they’re invited to the Capital to see the launch.

Talking to Cronkite afterward will have him tell the group that their operational data will be crucial to helping the Excalibur succeed in the Startaker Project.

----

4SPG: Red Star Orbal Bike Issues

A man named Tao Min requests help from the 4SPG, specifically Rean and his group, knowing they have experience with Orbal Bikes. He reports issues with the new Red Star Orbal Bike demo. Rean and Crow take the bike out for a test drive with Crow’s ETWS as backup. After failing to find the problem initially, they run into Emilia on her own Orbal Bike, and the three decide to race. When Rean tries to match Emilia’s speed, the Red Star suddenly stops. Emilia deduces it’s a safety limiter triggered by overly cautious settings that cause the bike to shut down with minimal strain.

Armed with this knowledge, Rean and Crow return to Tao Min and question Honley, the mechanic, about the tampering. Honley admits he did it because he couldn’t accept the company’s new direction, which prioritizes speed and acrobatics over safety. Tao Min is forced to report Honley but asks Rean and the group for advice.

Honley turns himself in.

Cover it up.

Choosing the second option has Crow propose framing the incident as a field test gone wrong, allowing Honley to keep his job.

---

4SPG: CEO Tausend

Tausend is facing rumors, and a company employee asks Rean to investigate an incriminating photo. The rumors suggest Tausend has ties with the mafia after being photographed with a shady figure. Altina points out that the photo must have been taken by someone with insider knowledge, narrowing down the suspects.

Another employee reveals audio leaks of Tausend, which include suspicious conversations and possible sexual harassment. Altina believes the recording has been edited due to its choppy quality. The third rumor involves Tausend entering a hotel with a woman.

Rean, skeptical of these rumors, asks Towa to contact Tausend directly. They find Tausend at the Basel Institute of Science, talking with Giscard and Prince Sherid. Tausend explains that Professor Hamilton advocated for his return, and he’s trying to live up to her expectations without repeating past mistakes. When Rean questions Tausend privately about the rumors, Tausend clarifies the situation. The woman outside the hotel was a job applicant, and the hotel in the background was a coincidence. The "mafia man" was actually a trading company representative who wore sunglasses due to sun sensitivity. The third audio recording was a conversation with Secretary Cohen, who started the 4SPG.

Confronting Cohen reveals that he believed the previous director, not Tausend, should have remained in charge. Cohen doesn’t trust Tausend with the company’s future. Tausend gives a speech about learning from his mistakes and asks Rean how he would handle the situation, noting that Arkride used to offer advice. Choosing the second option leads Tausend to include the previous director on the board committee.

---

Connect Event: Towa

Towa leads a remote class, with Rean assisting as part of the Thors curriculum. She teaches astronomy, sparking the students' curiosity about her club. Rean attempts to help answer the students’ questions, but the connection drops. Towa quickly fixes the issue, discovering that over 200 people had joined the session to see her and Rean. The female teachers jokingly ask if Towa and Rean are staying in the same hotel room, hinting at a romantic relationship. The male students call it "office love" and express jealousy. Rean shuts them down by threatening to increase their workload if they don’t stay on topic.

After the session, Rean and Towa talk about how remote classes present unique challenges. Rean asks why she wants to visit the Observatory, and Towa explains that stargazing has changed with technological advancements. She also wants to learn more about her grandfather, a pioneer in astrology.

---

Connect Event: Crow

Rean and Crow grab drinks and talk about Crow’s new life as a Free Contractor. Crow explains that he handles tasks the private sector isn’t equipped to manage, which makes Rean think of him as an “Underground Solver” (Spriggan’s technical kanji). The conversation shifts to Rean’s life as an instructor. Rean admits he’s been juggling responsibilities between the branch and main campus, relying on Kurt, Ash, and other Class VII members for support. Crow suggests organizing a “guy’s hangout” and inviting some girls, but Rean sighs at the idea.

Crow suddenly remembers he was supposed to be sports betting, and jokingly suggests they visit a casino or night club in Edith. Rean questions the appropriateness of such activities during a business trip, but Crow insists. As Crow plots to trick Towa, the girls suddenly appear, much like a dramatic movie entrance. Crow asks for permission to visit the night club, offering the prospect of males dancing at the pole to entice them. The girls decline, planning to pick them up later for the Observatory visit.

Connect Event: Altina and Fie

Rean, Fie, and Altina stop by Professor Hamilton’s house, curious about the Engadin Cake they received earlier that morning and eager to learn how to make it so they can share it with their friends back in the Empire. Altina takes charge of whisking the dough, but when Esmeray suggests that thinking of the person who will eat the cake makes it taste better, Altina is puzzled, finding the sentiment illogical.

Moving on to the next step, they prepare the cream, which Esmeray explains is made from the milk of cows raised in the highlands surrounding Basel. After baking the cake, they sit down to enjoy it, and Altina comments that with each bite, she feels as if her heart warms a little more. Grateful, the group thanks Esmeray for teaching them the recipe. Altina mentions that Millium will love the cake, while Fie adds that Laura, Emma, and Alisa would also appreciate it.

Afterward, the group outside of Hamilton's house say that they should all reunite with their friends back in the Empire.

----

At the Observatory, they run into Mint again. Upon entering, they are greeted with the high-functioning telescope Aqueos II. Near the PC is the manual and notes left behind by Professor Hamilton for Towa regarding her grandfather’s research. Mint cheekily gets first dibs on looking through the telescope, but Altina acts like a child and demands that since she’s younger, she should get to see first. She runs up the stairs while Rean remarks that Altina is still a kid in many ways. Crow thinks that’s fine, considering her Black Rabbit days.

Once upstairs, Mint demands that “Al-chi” give back the telescope. Altina, ignoring the nickname, says she has no idea who Mint is talking about. The group then asks Rean to look into the telescope, telling him it’s an unbelievable sight.

Excited, he tries, but instead of the beautiful starry sky, his vision is filled with a black void that glitches out. Rean, confused, says he can’t see anything. Mint takes another look, thinking Rean is messing with them, but when he tries again, he sees something in the distance. Crow also looks into the telescope but sees nothing, both of them catching quick glimpses of the CS4 Normal Ending stock photos.

The group is called by Rion and Celis, who hide their identities, but request a meeting with Rean about the sky. They tell him to meet up, limited by circumstances.

--

In free-roaming mode, depending on the party's main character, Fie and Altina can see the stars, but Crow and Rean cannot.

--

At the Church, Rion introduces himself, explaining that they don’t have access to the University due to clearance issues. Fie calls it nonsense, saying something so trivial wouldn’t stop them from trespassing. Rion and Celis then introduce themselves, mentioning they helped with the Babel Incident, although offscreen. Rean, familiar with their feats, refers to them as the Scarlet Blaze and Frozen Flame.

Celis cringes at Rean for actually saying it. Fie teases Celis, saying her Z1 outfit is a good change of pace, while Crow compliments the way the way the leotard is cut accentuates her hips and waist. Celis gets flustered.

Back to the matter at hand, Rion explains that the Gralsritter and other Church sects merged after the Pope (who turns out to be female this entire time, WHAT) introduced a significant figure in April: Nina. This individual has the highest authority, shocking everyone with what she had to say. The group realizes this is all related to the space program.

The group realize that this must all be related to the space program. The groups join together to go back to the observatory. At the observatory, Mint instantly recognized as the erotic campaign girl and Rion as the promoter. Celis gets flustered saying she’s not erotic and also how does Mint even know that.

The group discusses why Rean and Crow see only a hollow void while the others see stars, leading them to question what powers the telescope: the Aurora. Though it doesn’t make sense there’s already an Aurora that exists so this must be a different one. And also, since all imagery is processed by that computational unit, the discrepancy doesn’t make sense for why Rean and Crow sees something different. Mint mentions that the entrance to the underground power source is hidden in the walls, but she can’t figure out which one, to everyone's annoyance after her initial smart-sounding deduction.

After solving the puzzle, the group enters a long hallway not documented in the Institute’s schematics. It leads to a creepy workshop ruin, where Central Eastern and Medieval technology are combined and guarded by Demi Grendel Weisses. After defeating them, the group finds the White Genesis from Act 1, powered by Kevin 1. They also find a Hollow Core AI called EOS, which has more human-like responses than other Hollow Cores. However, EOS cannot provide answers about its creation or purpose. The terminal, Aurora-Alba, is a duplicate of another Aurora, and both EOS and Aurora were installed on September 1st, 1206. Altina is suspicious of how a Hollow Core AI can interact with Alba, as the Xipha standard wasn’t a thing back then.

The group asks EOS how long it and its predecessors, the Kappels, have been operational, and the answer surprises them: since Septian Year 1189, meaning it’s been in operation for 20 years, just like Tharbad. EOS refuses to answer any more questions. Rean then asks it to hypothesize what he and Crow saw in the skies that the others did not. Everyone finds it clever that Rean is trying to bypass the security protocols. EOS replies with three possibilities:

They are giving it false information.

The system line was hacked, showing a different image when Rean and Crow looked.

It’s possible that only Rean and Crow are capable of seeing the truth, while everyone else sees something else.

While the group finds the third possibility absurd, Rean and Crow give it some thought. Rean and Crow explain to Mint, who wasn’t around during the Babel Tower events, that there was a resonance with an entity "calculated" and "simulated" from another possible ending (CS4 Normal Ending).

Towa realizes it might be similar to the constant loops in Kuro 2. Crow suggests that this "ending" might not have been a dream but something that truly happened.

(This is huge because in story, it was kind of always written as a calculation, but now it’s framed as another timeline.)

Fie then explains that the Eighth Genesis can discard unwanted results, saving those into the  final observational results, and Elaine had heard about it from Dingo.

Rean adds that Lloyd experienced something similar and wonders if all these resets are part of the same phenomenon. He recalls that in this other “ending,” it was him, Millium, and Crow.

As Crow tries to explain what they saw, Shizuna interrupts, appearing alongside Kincaid and Ashladd. Crow asks if Shizuna is the secret Senior Sis Disciple Rean had mentioned, but Rean clarifies he might be Yun Ka-Fai’s hidden disciple. Shizuna corrects him, stating she’s the true secret disciple and hasn’t seen Rean in nearly a year and a half.

Ashladd introduces himself, saying it’s a pleasure to meet the Thors group and pointing out that they've been misled by troublesome individuals, referring to Celis and Rion. Kincaid attempts to detain Rean and the others for snooping, but Fie argues they have permission from Hamilton to use the Observatory, making Kincaid the trespasser. Kincaid doesn’t deny it, but he threatens to cancel their plans to go to the Capital and relocate them far away. Crow and Altina ask EOS to gather all data related to the third possibility and save it to the connected device. Rean and Shizuna engage in battle to buy time.

During the fight, Shizuna will mention to have a continuation of the fight they had on the road to Kunlun with Rean.

After the fight, Shizuna notes that she’s taken the beating quite well and has absorbed everyone’s feelings into her flesh and blood.

Rean wonders how is it possible that she lacks that drive, but her and her sword have reached to such heights and wonders what in the hell did Yun Ka-Fai teach her. She says it’s nothing special, just to help aid the world from being destroyed.

Shizuna also explains that Chitose, originally the Dark Blade Nayuta, has been passed down through generations. She challenges Rean, telling him to overcome her and forge a new tachi. Her blade activates, and she declares that the “crow’s cries” (Akegarasu, her sword's current name) of her tachi has awakened. Though it’s two days early, she invites Rean to fight with all they’ve got.

Just as Rean and Shizuna are about to clash again, EOS interrupts, announcing the file saving is complete. They grab the laptop. Realizing his mistake, Kincaid calls for reinforcements, as do Ashladd and Kurogane. EOS then reveals that the White Genesis is actually an "Alter Core," though details are prohibited. It also explains that the stars in the sky are a lie, unable to calculate beyond the "canopy." Everyone is shocked by this revelation, especially Ashladd, who is saddened by the "deception" that has been in place all this time. Rean concludes that this must be what the “other us” saw.

Towa also realized that the Zeku Space Base must be based off the word 是空 (Zekuu - Absolute Void)

Kincaid declares that Rean and the others are now maximum threats for discovering such valuable information. Mint uses her Septian Gems, given to her offscreen by Prince Sherid, to summon him as a distraction. Sherid cancels his attendance at the capital for the rocket launch, offering the group an escape by telling Rean and Crow to call upon their Tyrfing X and S, which are connected via the Septium Veins.

As Rean escapes, Shizuna relays a message from Yun Ka-Fai, telling Rean that he’ll be waiting for him at the Land of Kaiten.

Aboard the Haurvatat, the group is reunited with Gotti and Lila, who are also tied into the conspiracy. Celis is annoyed that Gotti is now on their side.

Back at the Workshop Ruins, Ashladd acknowledges that though they failed to capture Celis and Rion, their mission remains unchanged. They plan to rendezvous with the Fifth (Kevin) regarding their target. Kincaid orders an APB for Latoya Hamilton, stating her crimes are far greater, as she is suspected of deceiving the entire world with the device connected to the Aurora Alba.

----

Author Notes:

So far we know that Hamilton has been planning something for nearly 20 years.

Using One Alter Core to revive Tharbad from collapse by giving it water and affecting causality.

And now, it's been revealed that she's used an Alter Core with the Aurora Alba to effectively create an illusion of a fake sky filled with stars.

Also... this void was actually mentioned in Reverie!

[jkottke]

A map of Fairyland (c. 1920)

The Library of Congress has a remarkable digitized work in its collection titled "An anciente mappe of Fairyland : newly discovered and set forth," by Bernard Sleigh, published in London around 1920. Here's the high-resolution image so you can see some of the detail:

The map aims to be a nearly comprehensive atlas of the world of common English fairy tales, with a few of its own twists and turns. The accompanying guidebook lays out the map's unique, ontological take on folktales and faerie stories, with the following introductory paragraph (with a quote from Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale"):

Of the Land of Faerie and of the way thereto

In the Heart of every child, is hidden away a golden key which unlocks the door of a silent, clean-swept room full of changing lights and mystic shadows. There, every child that is born into the world enters at times to gaze eagerly upon the one great window, pictured with ancient legends, and glowing with many colours: amber and scarlet, lapis blues and strange greens. And it is written in many places with curious letters of silver upon black and black upon silver.

About these,

"Charmed magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn,"

there lingers a faint, plaintive music, as of far-away organ pipes, of whispering harps, and the sighing of wind amongst the reeds. You would think, at times, it was but the droning of bees in the clover field, or the fall of surf upon some long white beach. It is always there, rising, swelling, dying away in a long, pulsing, voiceless harmony, and through the jewelled panes the light changes continually from that of a pale, cold starshine to the white glory of unclouded moons; and again to the rich warmth of an Eastern sun. Always too, there is the fragrance of enchanted winds, a breathless scent that is like the fading memory of all the flowers that have raised their glad faces to the sun, and closed them softly beneath the Evening Star.

At one time or another of its life, every child that is born of woman sets trembling fingers to open wide the flashing casements -- to stand gazing, awed and silent, upon a sea and sky of gold and crimson, full of winged forms grey against its summer radiance.

It goes on like this. I hope you find it charming. (I do.)

One of the many things this is useful for, besides its own right, is in understanding the cultural mentality in which works like The Lord of the Rings, CS Lewis's writings, Walt Disney's films, and the like were shaped. There was a real grappling with European folk stories, from the 19th century onwards, but the 20th century added a metaphysical dimension, a desire to make these stories real, to fix them in a place, to give them their own world. I find that desire fascinating, especially coming out of the horrors of World War I, and the destruction of so much of what had been the old Europe.

(Via Allen Tan.)

[megasublimecollectiondetective]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Zuni Sterling Silver Ring Signed by CS Lonjose.

[creativsupply]

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