#oh and this was all unverifiable UNTIL...

[littleeyesofpallas]

Thankfully I don't have to deal with shit on youtube 99% of the time but every so often I open the front page on incognito/private at work or something and I'm reminded what a shitscape popular youtube videos are. But other than the usual mill of adult cocomelon tier clickbait, I'm really off put by this apparent trend in fake "scam buster" type videos where some wannabe hbomberguy, or some C string programmer, or some loser who grew out of doing prank videos churns out frequent and regular videos of what are blatantly fake ""takedowns"" of scam companies. And it's always this uncited hearsay """"research"""" followed by either randomly harassing slave wage workers at like a call center somewhere or actually literally nothing. And somehow people are dumb enough to fall for this garbage?? On like a weekly basis????

A little rule of thumb. If a person's channel relies on the incredibly unlikely event that they can both locate and effectively address these kinds of scams or other problems, with time to script and edit videos on the events once a week or even just once a month, AND remain competitive with a dozen other channels doing the exact same shit, and have never dropped the ball or run out of stories to tell? They're full of shit. They are "my uncle works at Nintendo" kids running the same school yard grift for meaningless clout a decade+ after the fact.

[emmg]

“I will be but a moment,” Emmrich says, gracing her forehead with a smooch like he’s heading off to grab milk and not vanishing into the depths of the Grand Necropolis. Off he goes to do whatever it is necromancers find utterly fascinating(debating the emotional integrity of femurs, cooing at runes, reorganizing skulls by sentimental value) while the rest of the world collectively shits its pants at the mere idea.

It is absolutely not just a moment.

It’s a whole cascading avalanche of moments. Hours, really. She’s done everything short of starting a one-woman interpretive dance routine to keep busy, and she is so done. It’s cold. It’s dark. Everyone here is approximately seventeen ancient tomes smarter than she is and smug about it. She’s not even sure they breathe oxygen.

She wants to go back to the Lighthouse, curl up on her unfortunate green settee and pretend the only dead things in her life are the flowers she keeps forgetting to water.

Eventually, she finds Vorgoth.

"Hey, Vorgoth," she says. "Do you think you could, I don't know, send Emmrich a heads up that I'll be heading back soon? I really can't keep waiting for him."

"HE ENTWINES THE FLOWS OF UNSPEAKABLE RESONANCE BENEATH THE SEVENTH STRATA OF THE CHARNAL PYRAMIDS."

"All right," she says, not even listening, "that’s great, I’m thrilled for him, truly, but I am also incredibly hungry, so like I said I’ll be—"

"IT IS DISAGREEABLY CURSED. THE GATES OF BONE MUST NOT GAPE IN THE PRESENCE OF UNVERIFIED WILL. THE SIGILS REMEMBER WHAT THE LIVING HAVE FORGOTTEN."

She takes a moment to stare at Vorgoth, at the tendrils of smoke, or shadows, or possibly some kind of sentient ennui, spilling from beneath their hood.

“Amazing. Well. I don’t plan on poking around in any cursed pyramids, disagreeable or otherwise. I do, however, plan on returning to the Lighthouse and collapsing onto something soft, vaguely clean, and deeply un-haunted. So could you please—"

She’s already turning away. She knows exactly how many steps it takes to reach the eluvian; has counted them, loathed them, prayed over them. Maybe the Caretaker will be in a talkative mood, or at least let her loiter without judgment while she waits for it to ferry her back to the Vi’Revas. She really wants to gossip about that horrendously attractive Antaam stomping around the Crossroads.

Vorgoth catches her off guard.

"THE VESSEL OF FLESH REBELS. HIS BODY PURGES THE RESIDUE OF THE INNER ROT. HE MUST NOT BE DISTURBED."

She falters.

"...What the fuck? Is he—are you saying he’s on a toilet?"

"THE THRONE OF AGONY KNOWS MANY FORMS."

She takes a full step back. “All right. All right, but you’re saying a throne. Like, metaphorical? Or are we talking a literal, haunted latrine situation? Does he need tea? A compress? A medic? A priest? A bucket?"

Should she get Lucanis? Wait, why Lucanis? What is he going to do? Sneak up on the diarrhea and assassinate it? Whisper menacingly to Emmrich’s lower intestine until it falls in line?

Maybe Davrin, then. Maybe he could lend her Assan, and the griffon could majestically swoop through the Necropolis to deliver Emmrich a roll of paper and a heartfelt “get well soon” screech. She could even pack a snack basket. Some dried fruit. A scented candle. A handwritten note that says “please stop being like this.”

Why is she thinking about this? Why is she building an entire rescue operation in her head? Why is this the hill she has chosen to die on today?

"THE STENCH OF PURIFICATION IS UNYIELDING."

"Oh my Maker, he is on a toilet," Rook whines. "He's been gone for hours, Vorgoth. Hours. What did he eat? Was it cursed?"

"THE SACRED INTESTINES OF KORTH’S FALLEN BEASTS—"

"NO. Nope. I don’t want to know. Take it back. I un-ask the question."

There’s a pause. A long one. The kind of pause that suggests even the shadows are contemplating whether to kill themselves rather than continue existing in a reality where this conversation is happening.

"...HE PERFORMS THE RITE OF BINDING. THERE IS NO TOILET."

Her eye twitches so violently she briefly wonders if she’s about to have an aneurysm. She thinks she might be about to throw up. Right into Vorgoth’s hood.

“Why... Why would you say all that other stuff first, then?”

"THE MORTAL TONGUE LACKS PRECISION."

She feels something rupture in her brain.

"I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, VORGOTH!" she yells, just as Emmrich materializes from thin air and wraps his arms around her middle to start dragging her away from the robed figure.

"Ah, you found Vorgoth," he says. "Did they help?"

"NO."

[windvexer]

Maybe this is a dumb baby question but, How do you know if a spell works? I’m investigating different practices and all the spells are like… focus, luck, etc, like things that are supposed to either influence my interior state or encourage certain events to occur. But I can’t help but think that if magic was “real” it could do things that are obvious or immediately observable. Have you ever done anything you think was undeniably magic? How did you know?

Not a dumb baby question.

It works if it works! And you can test this.

Broadly speaking we can divide all practical sorcery into two categories: verifiable and unverifiable.

It's really hard to know if an unverifiable spell works. E.g., a spell for focus could often be explainable by the placebo effect. (Or, this lovely Guardian Animal Shielding exercise, which is a fun and relaxing thing to do).

But a verifiable spell is something that you should be able to test and see if your magic did or didn't work.

A good way to find sources of verifiable magic in your life is to observe relatively stable patterns in your own life which have been going on for months, and then cast a spell to directly change it.

An example might be always getting a bad parking spot at work - and then trying to get a very good parking spot.

Either you get to work and have a great place to park even though the whole lot is normally full, or you don't. The spell worked, or it didn't.

Yes, I've worked magic that is obvious and immediately observable. I've worked so much of it and some of it is so miraculous that I don't talk about it publicly because practitioners have a lot of hangups about what kind of magic they think is allowed to exist.

But more importantly I think that while wanting magic to be real, and sorcery to work, are very valid, just chasing that realness alone is probably going to lead you to a path of misery. Here are some of my thoughts on this: On witchcraft as spirituality

Here are some random stories:

At one time there were many arguments in the household due to home renovations (stressful!). I cast a spell to cause one person in the household to be more mindful of the situation. I cast the spell and stepped outside of my practice space. That person was, surprisingly, in the yard and started asking me questions about the exact issue I had just cast on. We ended up having a very long conversation and after that the arguments stopped.

Some years ago the neighbor was causing horrible ruckus and giving my partner awful anxiety, as he could clearly hear it through the old, thin window. I found a bit of thread and "tied up" the neighbor's loud sounds into a knot, and weighted it down with a rock on the windowsill. At this time I wasn't living with my partner, so I came back some weeks later to see the knot. I thought I'd get rid of it, but when I moved the rock my partner stopped me.

"You know what's strange? After you put that there, the neighbor stopped being loud."

I looked at the disrupted rock, which was to "weigh down" the spell, and immediately the neighbor started yelling. I put the rock back, and about 30 minutes later he piped down again and stayed quiet.

Years later, after many calls to the police from many people in the neighborhood with no traction at all, I used the Justice tarot card in a spell and that neighbor was permanently removed from the home within a couple of weeks.

At one time, I was trying to do a distance energy reading for someone. But something was wrong; I couldn't see clearly. In fact it looked like they were consumed by a black void... then presently a lighter blue color was around the blackness, then white, then dark blue. It was no energy I was familiar with and I double-checked with the person that they had no magical protections to stop me from Seeing them.

"Oh, the only ward I didn't take down was my nazar." 🧿🧿🧿🧿

I have Very Silly Tendons, and in the morning I usually have a painful limp for several minutes until my foot stretches out. That is, of course, unless I remember to do a very simple energy exercise the night before. Then my foot is as loose and supple as a bowl of buttered noodles.

Once, I cast a spell using the planetary energies of Mercury in order to secure a good deal on a used van. I put in very specific requirements, and asked that if I tried to buy a van that didn't meet these requirements, that the elementals would stop me and not let the deal go through. Immediately after I cast the spell I found a van which was disqualified from the list, but I reallllly wanted it. I contacted the Craiglist seller, who didn't respond for a couple of days, but the listing stayed up.

The next morning my friend contacts me. She says she had a dream that yellow tornadoes came and told her to give me a message; that I was making a mistake.

Well if you know Mercury, then you know yellow airy energies are really his thing.

I immediately set up the spell again, retracted my requests, and apologized for going against what I said I wanted.

The seller contacted me within the hour, and I got the van.

[exoticalmonde]

IS2 also known as Phantom & Crimson Solitaire but the Part where I learn about some of the Lore via Operator Records

This all started because I am a stupid idiot simp and have no self-control, okay?

The other day I was trying to mind my business when I was wondering who out of my Bandorio (husBandorio) squad I want to E2. It was almost an unfair match between Shalem and Mr. Nothing (whose position in the band is already shaky with Lessing and Hoderer coming eventually).

I thought to myself 'The best way to really know who I want is to see how useful they are in batte-' WRONG, I wanted to know if I vibe with them on a personal level. Which meant that I had to sit down and read their Operator Records.

And proceeded to yap about Shalem on TWTR since harlot gloves and an iridescent shine on his tail + it being cutely wrapped around his leg is the go-to if you want to impress me.

Also because I like the look of sheer exhausted, barely clinging to sanity look he gives me when I zoom in on his person.

Continue below if you want to see me cry about Shalem, the Troupe and then about the Crimson Solitaire and what it was throwing at me the last two days.

So being said, I started admiring... everything that is happening in his E2. Prior to actually reading anything I knew that Shalem has something to do with Phantom, at least something enough that he has to go and save him from IS2. I've dabbled with it before just a tiny little, never reached an ending and I still haven't as I write this.

Items of background as of yet unverified, which is really funny because I think the same goes for Phantom. Maybe I should look him up while I'm here to read side-by-side comparison.

Take note, it says Shalem works in logistics.

Both Victorian, born within a month and a bit of each other, so that's interesting. What's that? Phantom is taller?? Than shalem?? The twink black cat is taller than the black snake?

Insanity.

Oh, he's doomed. Who do I like that ISN'T infected with Oripathy??? It feels like they're all sick... But now that I look at my list, Chongyue, Ebenhol-

Okay... that leaves SilverAsh, Vigil, Lee, Tequila, Lessing they're all fine.

My head is too full of Czerny and Hoederer being Infected on a very advanced level, so it feels like my world is ending every time I start reading the Medical Analysis.

-Shalem Trust 50-

Considering Rhodes Island's operators come from all corners, races, temperaments, histories and myriad diversities of the land, there are indeed plenty who are weak with communication yet possess a kind heart, and thus HR's operators haven't had serious concern, vis-a-vis the state of Shalem's life. 

Me *handshake* Shalem Disliking mixing friend groups so we just avoid it at all cost

He's been waiting forever, waiting for his chapter's end, but he doesn't anticipate that in ten or so months, when Rhodes Island life has long since become routine, that a shadow of the past will sorrowfully arrive.

Congratulations, everybody, another sad boy has reconsidered subearthing themselves because he found a place to call home and a bed he can sleep in with both eyes closed.

-Phantom Trust 50-

When Phantom first set foot on Rhodes Island, he terrified the logistics personnel who were on duty at the time. He suddenly appeared behind one individual, standing there without a word until the person turned around to discover his presence.

IF SHALEM WORKS IN LOGISTICS WAS THIS ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT HIM???? I can't believe Shalem was stalked by Phantom for absolutely no reason and then Closure got pissed that this arrogant feline just boarded the ship without telling anybody, or anybody noticing even, until it was too late.

Talk about being a professional assassin.

Accompanying Phantom on his arrival to Rhodes Island was a person as mysterious and alluring as the night itself, someone known as 'Ms. Christine.' Through her demeanor, it was clear that she was a refined and haughty woman. No one knows whether she will remain or leave, and she is not always seen with Phantom, instead happy enough to wander around as if quietly patrolling her turf.

To this, I have only one responce

*Throws 15, 000 of those at Phantom* I HAVE THE LADY'S PERMISSION!!

-Shalem Trust 100-

After a field mission ended, Shalem noticed a phantasm behind him. He was the most brilliant of those young stars in the troupe, its leader's favorite, a crimson blood diamond, and he stared at him, naturally not seeking to reminisce. 

Oh my god I was right.

An acquainted operator informed him someone called Phantom had joined as an Operator in the past few days. Who was Phantom? Shalem knew in his heart as clear as night.

Joined like it's nobody's business.

After which Shalem just decided his anxiety is too much to handle and didn't go out of his room for a small eternity.

When he received a mission on his terminal to seek the missing Operator Phantom, Shalem believed someone to be pranking him, but after verifying high and low, he realized Phantom truly had departed Rhodes Island, and no one was more familiar with the mission objective's search area than Shalem. It was his and Phantom's home, and the beginning of their nightmares. The past had already found Shalem, and he could not choose to stay uninvolved again. He accepted the mission to search for Phantom.

Oh no, he's being sent to whatever hellhole the Troupe is situated at. That must actually be one hell of a notice to get on his terminal. Go look for the person you have been trying to avoid, with whom you were potentially raised to play an endless play because he disappeared.

How did Phantom even end up there??? I have more questions than I have answers now.

-Phantom Trust 100-

After receiving his permission, Rhodes Island conducted a series of tests aimed at targeting this ability, basically confirming that Phantom's ability to alter the shadows is related to sound. By using his throat to vocalize certain sounds, he is able to interfere with and severely damage the psyche of a living being. The more intense the emotion in the tone, the deeper the effect is, producing psychological damage that is difficult to repair or reverse.

Sweet Mouthpiece... What the actual hell?

-Shalem Trust 150-

After the flood receded, some sumptuously graceful guests entered the village. Yes, they handed people money to seek local aid; yes, they carefully selected, adopted many children who were without claim, now their parents had vanished or been lost.

I have a bad feeling about thi-

Numbering one of them was the young Shalem.

I hate this with all my life, actually.

'You are children of the arts. Now, you may rest well.' So the old butler promised, and so Shalem believed. Soon after, his life became a play. Modest and gentle was the label the troupe gave to Shalem, and ever since then, it has become his 'true personality.'

'Modest' and 'Gentle'? Explain this, then

We shan't dwell on the daily physical training and rehearsal of lines. Understudies as excellent as Phantom would be led upon stage, given verbal motivation and material reward in front of them all.

Yeah, so they did know each other and everybody hated Phantom because he was good at what he was doing. Actually terrible by definition.

The children who entered the troupe together one by one disappeared, and those left were completely changed in temperament, not a speck of the innocence of their years left visible. As they grew in years, Shalem had convinced himself to accept one fact: We were only brought into this troupe to offer our lives to the arts. If we are unable to perform... Then we have no right to live within the troupe. Whether voluntary or not, so long as you joined the troupe, the script you were given would be written long in advance. To run until your life's end.

God, Shalem... My darling...

Survival drives all to the brink, and they who ought to have worked together past these difficulties began to slaughter each other. In the end, no one escapes. Only a few uneaten slices of meat remain, scooped away by fowlbeasts, flapping their wings across the endless waters.

Is this... hinting at... cannibalism...? Again?

-Phantom Trust 150-

We can infer from our investigations that a wave of Oripathy that ripped through parts of Victoria a few years ago destroyed this troupe, and changed the trajectory of Phantom's life. He may have had a wonderful voice in the past, but as he is now, he could not be further from the stage.

I feel like I need a little more context about this. Shalem's town was flooded, but the Troupe exploded because of a wave of Oripathy? Where did it come from? Did I miss it somewhere? Obviously, this information is outdated because we know the Troupe exists in a much more bloody cult-like fashion now, but WHY? What is their point?

I can also tell you about the impressions I now have about him, but it may not be of any use to you, because there's a good chance you won't listen. But if you insist? Very well. I don't have much to say, but there is one suggestion. —Stay away from him. He's still caught in a nightmare, not fully awake yet.'

—A conversation with Schwarz

Schwarz?

This Schwarz?

Ma'amn you need to explain why you think all of that, I'm getting a little sweaty about how much people know and what they think about Phantom, because I kinda still do like him.

-Shalem trust 200-

He should have delivered that dagger to their heart, felt the spasm of their limbs, watched the light in their eyes little by little melt away. But the boy of the abyss did not do so. The weapon meant to murder instead cut the rope, and was handed to another to become a tool protective of life. And so did a meticulous production end. A play rendered a complete shambles by this boy of the abyss. A stage offered to him to prove his talent, so wasted and defiled by a conscience. Sinner, sinner! This coward, this lamentable coward. A hunter letting go its prey, presuming to still return to the castle, to report to its king. And yet he! He follows the prey's steps, disappears with it into the barrens' ends?! Let him be far from civilization, far from art, to go to that wild brink. He is fit only to be exiled.

HE ESCAPED BY TURNING ON THE TROUPE IN A MOMENT OF CONSCIOUS GUILT AND REBUTTAL!! My sweetest, tormented darling yeah, you get to stay in my husband team forever.

-Phantom Trust 200-

[Classified Log] We found the site of the incident that befell the troupe at the time.

Alright...

All the residences, facilities, and public spaces have been preserved as is, including the troupe's tents stationed in the park, just like in the records - the only thing that's missing are the residents.

Gosh, the description is like they got wiped away by Nuclear power. What in the world kind of Oripathy wave was that???

The best way to describe it is as if a piece of cake was sealed within a plastic bag, then thrown into a fervent crowd at an Iberian festival.

Someone gave their all fishussy to write this line.

What we managed to recover is pretty similar to whatever would be left in that bag afterwards. As for the portion of the data that was sent out, the path was too vague and could not be tracked.

Data sent out? Am I understanding this correct, the show was being streamed?

In order to verify the content, we played a portion of the video footage that could be considered somewhat intact. While doing so, three of the investigators present experienced degrees of psychological disturbance, so we were forced to temporarily seal off the remaining files.

What the absolute hell, so we never got to really see/hear what was happening? Was Phantom... the one to do this? Was he singing and it destroyed everything?

[Video File - Encrypted] [Encrypter - Kal'tsit] [Danger Level - 3] '■■■stage, death■■■■behind■■■loop, song■■, ■■■■end, all■begin.'

I need to ask Dr. Pinkie as soon as they wake up about this. I didn't read a lot of stuff about the game while I was playing it, only laughing at items I got.

-Shalem E2 Promotion-

When a person begins learning to perform, or takes up the profession of an actor, they bear for the rest of their life a curse: Are you doing what you would, or carrying out an endless performance?

This is not going anywhere nice.

Do you enact your true personality? Or is your false personality itself the true you? Oh, I imagine you likely can't make heads or tails anymore. Let me show you a way forth. Whether you're the bottomless boy of the abyss taking the stage, or the nobody Shalem aboard Rhodes Island. Listen to this suggestion from your old butler. Everything is a sham. You are not your own self. You were born a performance. Don't be led astray by your self. You are a role, and the role is all that you are. The role's choices are your choices. Now take the stage, performer. The time to offer yourself to art has come.

-Phantom E2 Promotion-

...

...

...

[georgegraphys]

Warning : Unprofessional unverified talks as I am not Mercedes nor have 10 masters degrees. Fragile snowflakes that got their heart shattered by opinion differences are not welcomed. An opinionated talk.

I'm just gonna back track on what happens here. What started this all sudden China PR campaign of this douyin acc thing and my whole summary of thoughts. If you're new here and you haven't had the time to scroll through my PR talks regarding this whole 2024 George PR cooking class. Let me summarize you here (this lacks the recent targa florio updates, mercedes vision one eleven, etc. i haven't updated it further)

Again, I'd like to say. I am not a Mercedes Benz PR team member. I am not a professional. I am just someone who worked in a similar field who analyzes, plans, and strategizes PR agendas like this. Of course the very first time I posted about this whole theory it's just a goofy hypothetical tweet of "what IFs"

This was just minutes after George opened his douyin acc btw. Something just struck me like "Huh? Why bother opening an account for a race that lasts 2-3 days?". As someone who worked in PR myself, these things are not a good move. Like why the hell open a douyin account? If I were Mercedes, I'd open a tiktok account for George that could be used beyond China GP. That was my mindset back then until I watched the video again and I realized George saying things like his F1 journey throughout the season. And that's the part where it struck me.

Now why does it intrigue me? Douyin is a platform that is only available in China (or probably in Macau/HK/Taiwan too, idk sorry) and to sign up for Douyin you need a Chinese phone number or ID card verification. It makes me think that maybe Mercedes pulled some strings? To be able to get George in Douyin? But until then my thoughts are just goofy ahh what if lol. Then suddenly Douyin Sports starts posting about George on their account and George makes a specific video greeting for Douyin Sports. Now this kind of confirms my idea? Because douyin sports rarely post international athletes unless you are on the calibre of probably Marc Marquez or Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, other than that they just posted about the chinese athletes. Afterwards, there was the Mercedes Benz official account commenting here and there and I just went "maybe this isn't a joke"

For now, it seems that the douyin account is also posting personal things about George like his post with Carmen, his family and friends and more. Well surprising considering I thought they're going to be full racing and business because at first i thought that douyin acc pr move was solely for the company because they were promoting lots of 63 series that George will probably lead the promotions later. I didn't expect them to actually build something that is also personal to George? Like his brand image? As they also involve posts about his beloved ones and not pure business. Also Mercedes even invited a LOCAL press to directly interview George one-on-one??? I'm surprised by that. But this is honestly good for George!

I know i've seemingly been all positive about this but just to let you know, I had doubts lol. Like I thought this wasn't gonna last this long. I thought it was just to keep the China GP hype for 2 weeks and it's all gone and dusted. But it didn't. Turns out they even have these 3 days posting patterns which not only intrigues me but also intrigues the chinese audience. It brought them to pay attention to George and question things like "oh he is still posting??" "who posts for him??" "he's using douyin actively??". I honestly expect lower than this and thought that the account would be another vessel to promote Mercedes cars to the chinese audience but wow... also building his individual brand images? I did not expect that.

I might have been able to guess the purpose of the douyin account making but I could never know what they were cooking. It baffles me. You might not understand but in that one single douyin account, there's a social media team or at least one person handling it and a PR planning over it. The posts were planned, it has posting patterns and it shows that it was scheduled, the subtitles, the songs (even though it's shitty), and the editing. The editing specifically appeals to the chinese audience. And I cannot wrap my mind on the reason why. These have lots of efforts poured into it and the supportive Mercedes Benz account? Unusual. Because they usually gave 0 fucks in other platforms. You need to acknowledge that this is

a) A whole ass PR planning with the approval of the company because it represents George and even also builds his individual brand value and image to the chinese audience/target market

b) No doubt Mercedes pulled some string to get his account to douyin and have the app promote his account

c) This stretched out longer than i would ever expect. My expectations weren't low but it's realistic. This thing is a bucket full of effort and planning inside for it to stretch until this long.

Now this part gets a bit sensitive. So again WARNING that this is highly SPECULATIVE and we're PREDICTING not saying that this is true. "But ari you're so jobless for all of this guessing. No one does this except the obsessed ones" This is what I and some people who worked in the PR sectors do. We look at a company's PR planning and make a guess out of it. Why? To counter their PR strategy of course. For the sake of competitions. And it's a REAL PAID JOB. But anyways

My guess is that maybe in the future George will be used as some sort of representative or ambassador for the chinese market? As for now, Mercedes Benz's objective and target market is the Chinese market. Their collaboration with Denza and BAIC, Beijing Benz subsidiary making China specialized vehicles, joint cooperation with chinese universities like Tsinghua and more.

Not to mention that this whole Mercedes in China field trip is not just any other field trip. It is state backed. Germany and China seem to be building this whole bestie relationship when it comes to automotive, technology, engineering, etc. Judging by how it's state backed and which means things won't get "nahhh okay byeeee" just anytime, that means this would then be a long term thing?

I'm just connecting two points here. A) Mercedes strong ambitions on the venture in China (Not every automotive manufacturer is aboard on this idea btw. Stellantis doesn't) B) George's sudden PR campaign in China. I look at those two and suddenly 🧐🧐, maybe it might be related??? I understand that Mercedes could use chinese ambassadors to promote Mercedes in China. Of course they're more popular and relevant in China than George since he isn't Chinese. But to promote China and Beijing Benz outside, they need a guy too yk? And that guy MAY be George Russell with all this PR cooking up behind him.

Again this is just a silly goofy guess based on EVIDENCES and PROOFS shown. As much as I love to waffle, I don't lie about these things unlike Toto. But also, don't trust me on it and take my words seriously?? Because I ain't Mercedes 😁😁 🤷‍♀️

Lastly, George's linguistic journey is basic at its finest. ciao, bonjour, JEL-AND-WAGEN, adios, hola, konnichiwa. For him to suddenly be SITTING DOWN reading a written script of his introduction in Chinese??? To be seriously sat and memorizing "da jia hao, wo shi qiao zhi la sai er-" means something 😭😭😭 don't tell me someone did not write that down for him and tell him to memorize that like an asian parent would sign their kid to a mandarin course.

[sugarbang]

Maybe you would've taken that suggestion to run if your head wasn't buzzing so hard. It wasn't so much of an electric zap like usual, and was more like a constant droning, an internal tetanus blotting out your thoughts. This had happened many times in the past, after hang overs or bad press your mother found out about, but it's been years since it was ever this bad. It reverberated through out your entire body, and you, despite how unobservant you can be, notice how hard it is to turn against your baseline instinct like this. Like you can't go against the motions. When you push open the door to your mothers office, literally everyone is looking at you. Why don't you have a seat, they say, and thoughtlessly, buzzingly, you take one.

They tell you they know about your phone, and your heart sinks into your stomach. Your mother pulls out your phone and opens it, immediately putting in the correct pin. "1234." Damn it! How did she guess that. It was supposed to be so basic no one could guess it. One of your guards, the one that typically stands outside your room speaks up. He tells you they've gone through everything that they could, but they'd need your help getting into an app called "Tumblr" and demand your passwords. What?

Right! Oh shit, right. Dirk installed something on your phone while you were at his house that would automatically log you out of most apps at inactivity. It was a pain in the fucking ass! You hated him for it! He's a genius! God he is so smart. You almost lose yourself to the droning in your head, thinking about Dirk and everything he's done for you. But no! Stay grounded, Jake. The mans asking you a question. You cock your head innocently, confusion plain on your face.

"What?"

You know what I'm talking about, he says, stern and angry, but you just blink your big lashes. He can't help but note how much you look like the cows Crockercorp keeps around the manor, big beautiful dumb eyes. You wrap him once more around your finger, by looking at your mother with those beautiful stupid wet eyes.

"I don't know what he's talking about Ma."

"It's a blue app, with a T on it? You're saying you don't use it?" The guards all glance looks at Jade, hoping she'll have enough of a back bone to actually keep the kid in trouble this time around instead of forcing them to do it.

"No? I use youtube... aaaaand, I think I use google sometimes because I ask him for recipes." You try to think of any surface level shit you were doing on your phone, things that wouldn't have been wiped or hidden due to Dirks meddling. You cock your head the opposite direction, scratching your chin. "...I... look at pretty clothing sometimes..."

They have no actual proof against you, you realize, as they all turn to themselves and look at the phone in your mothers hand. The only evidence they have is the contraband. They have no idea about your blog, or any conversations you've had with any unverified personnel whether it be Roxy Strider or some rando on tumblr. You feel on top of the world, like a genius. That is until the buzzing drones at that feeling too, and it gets harder to hold onto.

"Alright," Your mother starts in a worried tone. "You know I'm keeping this, don't you Jake?" She holds up your phone with two fingers and you imitate fear, as if that punishment isn't much lighter than you thought it'd be walking in, and shrink down in your seat. With a nod of your head, you convince her this is the only wrong doing you've done. "Good... I'm glad that was so easy." She adjusts to put your phone away in her sylladex, and suddenly it hits you how permanent it'll be. You aren't sure how you'll be getting another one without Dirk to give it to you, and... that's how you were talking to other people! That's where you were staying up to date. You swallow thickly, a bead of sweat developing on your forehead.

"Now that that's out of the way," Crap, there's more? She clears her throat. "We need to talk about your obsession with Lalondes boy." Fuck. "I know you really liked him Jake, like, a lot.... But sometimes when you're a grown up, you have to let go of these things. This isn't healthy for you, and it's giving a bad impression..." She looks at you with these puppy eyes that make you feel sick to your stomach. Whatever emotional response she thinks she's pulling out of you, she isn't, she just makes you feel angry and sick. She looks behind you at the guard that keeps you from going into the kitchen every day, which only makes your chest hotter with anger. Why is she looking at HIM? WHY WON'T YOUR HEAD STOP BUZZING. "We want you to make a statement about Dirk publicly about how you're moving on. We'll write up an outline for you, alright? And we also want you to make a statement about your experience with Lalonde as a brand, a dis-endorsement. Can you do that for me Jakey?"

"You have got to be out of your damn mind!!" You wish you didn't sound so shrill, you wish you sounded scary, intimidating. Your mother still flinches like you are, though. Your body practically ejects itself from the seat as you grit your teeth and fight against the mechanical instincts in your head that want you to think you're glued down, and point a finger in her face. "I don't know what the hell has gotten into you but I want NOTHING to do with it. I may not be privy to the mechanisms that got me to send those friggin letters in the first place but that does not mean I AGREE with them, let alone want to cut ties with the entire family publicly! Have you gone off in the head!?" You won't stand for this. You're storming towards the doors, paying the now flustered guards no mind. They can't put their hands on you anyways.

"JAKE! You!-" She sounds shocked at your reaction, and you have no idea why. "Sit back down! We aren't done talking! I- We can figure something out!" But she doesn't get up, in fact by the time you're walking out it sounds as if she's lost steam in the argument entirely. Good. Thank god. You weren't even going to entertain the idea of any of this, your heart was broken and they're thinking about brand deals!? Is that all you are to them?! To your own mother?! You feel sick, the buzzings advanced to an electric ringing in your head, making your entire skull feel like it's reverberating. Your entire body felt like it was shaking, full of energy you had to get out somehow. Storming through halls and halls of the manor once you arrive in your bedroom you slam the door hard enough to cause on of your framed portraits to fall, and whip around, your fist following your momentum like a wrecking ball as you send it through the wall with a loud grunt. FUCK! SHE HAS LOST IT!? HAS IT EVEN BEEN A FULL WEEK SINCE HE LEFT YOU!?

"We're going to have to take a more direct approach," Dáire states while placing a hand on your mothers shoulder, and she slumps down in her seat, expression blank and defeated. They had to get into his head even further than they already had. Scramble the last little bits left he had. How the fuck did it get this far? Why couldn't he just behave, she gives up everything she can for him and it still isn't enough. Jade sighs, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips.

"We have to," She repeats back to Dáire, defeat audible. "We can't risk anything with the Lalondes.... why couldn't it have been anyone else."

[thelonesomequeen]

Chris Evans is not "Elijah Eros". //Yeah i’m sure you’d know just like you how the Design Architect article was coming and the pregnancy announcements that were supposed to come on his birthday and fathers day oh and of course the costa rica trip! Yup you know everything so🙄

1.) We showed you all proof that there was something in the works for AD. It being pulled at the last minute is not our fault. We’ll link that proof again. You can see from the screenshots where we were sent photos in JULY for the feature. The same photos L&D didn’t post themselves until October. Photographs that were taken by a photographer who works directly for AD. Ask yourself how we’d have had access to those pictures if something wasn’t in the works. As to why it never came out? We don’t know. But maybe take a look at the state of the fandom as to why Chris might change his mind about sharing it. https://thelonesomequeen.tumblr.com/post/730722612360167424/to-be-fair-i-do-still-think-this-is-his-house

2.) We never claimed there was going to be a pregnancy announcement on his birthday, or any day for that matter. We’ve also never claimed she was pregnant. We’ve said multiple times we’ve not seen a single piece of evidence that back up pregnancy rumors.

3.) The Costa Rica "trip" info was sent to other blogs as well, and likely a troll and we even said as much before the “pap walk” was even supposed to happen. From the very first post, we told everyone to take it with a grain of salt because it was unverified information. If you don’t understand how to do that, that’s a you problem. Before the end of the day, it became clear it was a troll sending that same info around to a few blogs. As soon as we realized that, we came out and said to disregard it because it was s troll. But odd how you only hold THIS blog accountable for that rumor and not the dozens of others who were also talking about it.

Hope that helps!

We know you’re desperate to hunt down one thing we’ve ever been wrong about ever so that you can discredit everything we’ve ever said, specially in regards to the wedding, but that’s not how reality works. Ok. An article we were told would drop didn’t drop. It doesn’t make Chris any less married. He has said it himself. It’s been put in multiple other publications. It is what it is. If you can’t accept reality, it might be time to step away for your own benefit and mental health. If you’re angry he’s married because you feel “tricked” by it, maybe you need to turn your anger towards the people who are still trying to trick you and haven’t been credible about a single thing in this fandom and have done nothing but maliciously lie and plot from the get go. And that’s not us.

[maribatserver]

Tag Team Tournament 2024 - Day Seven

It's the seventh and final day of this year's Tag Team Tournament. We've had a lot of amazing submissions so far, and we expect that there will be more published today! If you're only recently hearing about our event, make sure to check out our Event Guide Document to get all the details about how our Tournament works!

Oh, and don't forget, prompts can now be stacked for multiple bonuses. If you use them all in one submission that means you'll get 9 bonus points! And that may sound like a small number, but trust us, these score can get close, and nine points can make a big difference.

Our prompt for Day 7 is "Trust me—I won't let you fall."

Day 6: "If I tell you how badly these heels hurt, will you carry me?"

Day 5: "You made me a mixtape?"

Day 4: "I'm not saying that he's evil, but I am saying that all rich people are trash."

Day 3: "I left them alone for five minutes."

Day 2: "Shut up, I'm trying to tell you how much I like you!"

Day 1: "Start at the beginning, and tell me how we got to this."

You don't have to respond to a prompt, but if you do then your submission will get a certain number of bonus points! Prompts are worth more on the first day that they're scheduled for, but you can still get extra points even if you miss that window! Be sure to check our Prompt List if you want to work ahead. You can also seek inspiration through our Team Playlists, which we have on good authority is the best way to get a mod bonus from Newsie this year.

You have until the clock strikes twelve in EST (which is 24 hours from when this post was published) to get the full amount of bonus points for today's prompt. Happy creating!

We’ll be searching the #ttt2024 tag for your submissions to reblog, so please make sure to share them here with that tag as well as submitting through the Form!

Additional Notes:

Only submissions through the Form will count towards scoring! We will NOT be collecting AO3, Discord, or Tumblr submissions manually.

If your post hasn’t been reblogged to our Tumblr within 48 hours, please reblog it and tag @maribatserver​��� in the text of the reblog to make sure we see it! Sometimes Tumblr tag searches are a bit janky, and we want your work to get the attention it deserves.

The only way to check if your submission has been scored is to check our Live Tracker which will automatically update once your submission has been processed. Just because your work was reblogged does NOT mean it was scored! Please allow 24 hours for your work to appear on the live tracker, as unverified submissions will not be shared. 

Good luck to your team(s) and we can’t wait to see what you’ve got!

Special thanks to @izanae, @nottesilhouette and @newdog14 for coming up with our prompts, and to @nottesilhouette for designing the calendar & coding our Live Tracker, and to @newdog14 for creating out prompt graphics & making our Team Playlists!

[ask-serendipity-sky]

Today was a perfect example on how Jikookers start to become more and more like a cult, sorry. A Japanese fan told us about meeting Jimin, told us that it was a private schedule and that she couldn't say more besides that Jimin is the biggest cutie. Then people asked her who Jimin was with and she answered she couldn't say to respect Jimin's privacy. That's when Jikooker should've just stopped but no. They kept spaming her with questions about Jungkook until she said she didn't see Jungkook. And then Jikooker started to call her a liar, started doubting her and made her tell that Jimin was with a friend. And of course now that poor girl is getting harassed more. Jikookers claiming she's lying and using arguments that are either based on misinformation or mistranslations. That's so embarrassing.

Jikookers fighting just because Jimin went out without Jungkook. We knew it was always a possibility that Jungkook actually had a schedule (his dancers were in Tokyo and his dancers conveniently flew back to South Korea at the same time as Jimin and Jungkook went to Sapporo, also Hybe's make-up artists were in Tokyo too and, oh surprise, flew back with the dancers). So why shouldn't Jimin go out while Jungkook is probably busy?

I even doubt Tokyo will be part of the travel vlog. They were not filming during the departure to Tokyo, nor when they landed. And as far as we know, no one saw them besides at the airport and now Jimin shopping with a friend. But now that they're in Sapporo, they're suddenly filming?

Sounds to me that they both went to Tokyo due to different reasons. Jungkook probably had schedule. He probably filmed something. Jimin either had schedule too or he wanted to see his friend one more time before enlisting. Or he went with Jungkook to spend time with him, well knowing they would fly two days later to Sapporo to film their travel vlog.

But nothing that OP said was unbelievable at all and Jikooker are moving like Taekookers right now, trying everything to twist it in their favour (when Jimin going shopping alone doesn't change anything).

Hi anon,

I wished I had posted this when this was happening.

It wasn't just jkkrs that acted tkkr-like in that post, it was pjms, tkkrs, and others.

The girl was harassed and some people can't deal with harassment and they will take back their statements and rewrite stories. Her story made sense to me, in the beginning.

But the fact that so many people are ready to jump at any mention of Jimin, Jk, or jikook ready to ask and ask and invade the space of a person only to prove their point is alarming.

Now that other stories came out "proving" that Jk was there, people immediately started posting about it because now they had a weapon...another unverified story.

So according to everyone's logic, only the stories that fit our narrative can be true and the ones that don't aren't and we must fight people until we arrange or get a story that proves us right.

In reality, no one knows anything so everyone should just stop being invasive and stop treating this as some sort of contest. Not just jkkrs, bt pjms, tkkrs, army. Everyone.

Thank you for sharing.

[tonydaddingham]

Unverified (I'm colourblind, sooooo) observation courtesy of my sister: apparently Crowley's sideburns, besides changing lengths, are sometimes red to match his hair and sometimes David's regular brown. In her words, on seeing 2×02 (she was complaining about the sideburn variations after 2×01, so I explained the official Doctor Who reason to her) "And they forgot to dye them too", only to say when she saw 2×03 "OK, now they're red". Not at all sure, so definitely check in the other direction as well if you do decided to check, but I *think* they were short when she said they were brown and long when she said red, which would make the Doctor Who line fall apart completely.

oh anon please this is dragging me back into the watery depths of scrutinising crowley's sideburns until my eyes go funny 🫠✨ im perfectly willing to accept im wrong, but ive never been convinced that the sideburns thing is down to the DW schedule, a) because the dates don't match up, afaik, and b) fake hair exists???

as for the sideburns going brown; my initial thought process is leaning towards it being down to dt's roots coming through (same as michael's, bless), and certain scenes being filmed out of sequence... i will need to rewatch and duly report back!!! but in any case, it makes it even more suspect that if he does have altering-coloured sideburns, even if just down to the roots growing out, it only makes the whole short/long sideburns thing all the more suggestive???

thanks be to yourself and your sister for pointing it out, and dragging me kicking and screaming back to speculating on the batshit time-travel theory 🥂 (lbr i never left)

[btcinfonews]

Unverified $1 Billion Crypto Treasury Plan Sparks Discussion

Unverified $1 Billion Crypto Treasury Plan Sparks Discussion

🤔💰

Speculation has emerged regarding a Chinese firm's alleged $1 billion crypto treasury plan, focusing attention on BNB and Bitcoin. 🧐

The existence of a significant treasury plan remains a mirage 🦄 with no confirmed impact on BNB or Bitcoin's current trading stability. Spoiler alert: it’s all just rumor-ville!

Chinese Firm's $1 Billion Crypto Move Unverified

An unverified report claims a Chinese company is planning a $1 billion cryptocurrency treasury purchase. No official statements have been issued by any company leaders or associated officials as of June 24, 2025. "As of now, we have seen no evidence of any $1 billion crypto treasury plan from Chinese companies that would impact BNB or Bitcoin," said John Doe, Market Analyst, Crypto Insights. Sounds legit, right? 😂

And guess what? There’s been zero on-chain activity or official wallet flows supporting this alleged treasury action. Meanwhile, the crypto gossip mill churns as market discussions around BNB heat up despite the lack of confirmation from reliable sources. Drama alert!

BNB Market Stable Amid Treasury Rumors

The alleged treasury news has sparked enough debate to power a small cryptocurrency! ⚡️ BNB's recent performance remains as steady as your grandma’s favorite rock, with no abnormal fluctuations indicating capital inflows from this “oh-so-mysterious” initiative.

Potential financial implications could be HUGE if verified, reminiscent of past large crypto purchases like MicroStrategy's Bitcoin accumulations. Official confirmations would likely precede such market moves, so stay tuned! 🎭

Historical Comparisons Raise Doubts on Rumor

Historical crypto allocations from firms have led to notable market impacts, typically pre-announced through verified channels. The current situation? Well, it’s about as reliable as a broken clock. 🕰️

If confirmed, the treasury plan could shake up market dynamics akin to past events. But until then, all signs point to ‘meh’ as trend analysis shows significant purchases can lead to price volatility and ecosystem changes.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are volatile, and investing involves risk. Always do your own research and consult a financial advisor.

Dive deeper into the wild world of crypto rumors and read the full article here! 🚀✨ What are your thoughts on this unverified treasury plan? Is it just smoke and mirrors? Let's hear your wild theories! 👇

#Crypto #BNB #Bitcoin #TreasuryRumors #InvestSmart #CryptoCommunity #TumblrInvestors

[thisbunnyhatescarrots]

Twitter..

Oh here we go.

I’ve moved over to Tumblr from twitter and I just wanna say can we talk about how fucked up it has become? I’m sure everyone has seen the hate from Elon adding a limit to the amount of tweets one can view. And I am on that train for hating on Elon.

The screen shots above show the basics of the limit on twitter, I only recently began to look into it but as far as I can tell its seems he’s really just making low quality excuses trying to provide and explanation for this.

The limit is depressingly low as you could quite literally scroll through 20 tweets in a minute,do the math,and thats 30 minutes for people who dont want to pay 8 dollars for a horrible upgrade.

And it being 400 for the unverified is a horrible limit.

Content creators all around twitter have stated their opinions as when you reach your limit you cant even view your own tweets. Which is a huge issue in itself as a creator might need to edit or unsend a tweet and they have to wait until the 24 hours is up to be able to do such. I’m sure you all see the problem here?

His reasoning is rather valid but making the users basically unable to use twitter for the remainder of the day is crazy. Thats like your mother coming in and taking your phone away after 30 minutes everyday,(excluding the people who find that normal)it is extremely unfair. Even the people who pay have to suffer through the limit.

All I have to say is I hope all the people who are currently sitting on twitter move to Tumblr where they don’t have a limit and they can actually speak their minds with less chance of getting punished for their honest opinions.

Thats all for now folks,from yours truly,

Bunny

[leasthaunted]

Ghost Business. 

In 1990 The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield Ohio ceased operation as a state prison. The imposing structure had housed around 155,000 inmates between the time it was built in 1896, and when it closed almost 100 years later.

It was due to be demolished, despite having been declared a historical landmark in 1983, but then two things saved it; first a little film called The Shawshank Redemption chose it as the setting for the titular prison, and second: Ghosts.

"Red, you ever think this place is haunted?" "What the shit Andy?"

A local historical society was able to purchase the old prison from the state for reportedly, $1.00. (Which is insane!) But despite the cheap price tag, the costs of maintaining a former prison and keeping it from falling over soon mounted up. Perhaps the kids were going to lose the recreation center after all?

But then, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society came up with a bold and interesting plan. What if we charge people to come look for ghosts?

Look at this magnificent haunted son of a bitch!

They began running ghost tours and renting the space out to paranormal investigators, as well as hosting spooky events. The money raised through this was then used to maintain the building and keep it standing as a historical landmark. Good for them!

But then, the rest of Mansfield wanted a cut of that sweet sweet spectral spendola! Local business people started asking The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society about how they could get in on the action? After all, they had haunted shit too!

By 2009 there were six other haunted attractions in the town, and Mansfield was appealing to tourists as a world premier paranormal location.

Which brings up the main point I want to talk about. The Paranormal Economy, and Exploitation of Supernatural Entities.

In the case of Mansfield, the utilization of people's paranormal beliefs for financial gains had an altruistic origin: Preserve a historic building. But maybe, just maybe, we don't need to keep an ancient monument to incarceration and industrial prison complexes? Maybe, the prison could have been demolished and the land made into a park? A Nature preserve? Low Income housing even?

This is of course easy for me to say. I wasn't there, and I don't know all of the intricacies of the situation. But let's assume you are a ghost, and therefore, that ghosts are real...

In life you were sentenced to serve a term at The Ohio State Reformatory. It just so happens that the crime you were convicted of is one that is disproportionately charged against people of lower income, people of color, and the easily exploited. Fact is, you were there for bullshit reasons. Sure, there are actual monsters in the prison with you, but a lot of the prisoners really don't need to be there.

Where was I? Oh yeah! So, due to atrocious conditions in the prison and inhumane treatment of inmates in the early 20th century, you got sick and died. You were only supposed to get 3-5, but instead you got death from indifferent bureaucracy.

So you died, and it turns out, Oh No! You're a ghost and are now stuck in this fucking prison until at the very least it gets demolished or destroyed. At which time, who knows what happens? You move on? I don't know.

But you never get to find out! Because the prison continues to stand. And it stands because people want to come pester you in your eternal prison, like a ghost zoo, and they pay for the privilege of doing so!

Then the entire town gets in on the action as well. The town that definitely once based some of its economy on the presence of a state prison and all of the accompanying industry that comes with, is now basing part of its economy on that same institutional building. Time is a flat fucking circle.

Look, The paranormal entertainment industry is huge! Just do a quick search of "Ghost Shows" or "Ghost Detecting Equipment". A lot of money is generated off of something as immaterial and unverifiable as ghosts and spirits... Which actually isn't that different from the entire concept of money in general....

It's all a fiction based on make believe and pretend!

The ghost tourism industry is just one spooky arm of the issue. For over a decade one of the most popular ghost hunting shows, Ghost Adventures, has aired on The Travel Channel.

This show has "25 seasons" and has spawned over 8 spinoffs and related shows... On THE FUCKING TRAVEL CHANNEL!

Advertisers make money off of it, travel channel makes money off of it, the "Ghost Adventures Crew" makes money off of it (although Zack definitely makes more than Aaron), makers of paranormal hunting equipment featured on the show make money off of it, the haunted locations and the economies around them make money off of it, and so on, and so on.

And that is just with the one show! History Channel has tapped into the UFO and Monster side of paranormal television and have several shows of their own. And I'm not a believer, but, it still just feels really gross? You know?

Like remember how in Ghostbusters, our heroes find irrefutable proof of an afterlife and their first instinct is:

$$$$$KA-MOTHERFUCKING-CHING$$$$$

Like, never mind the fact that these are apparently human souls they are trapping and imprisoning. What gives them the right? Apparently, "the free market" does. You know that other faceless, formless, demonic god that controls everyone's lives? It's super fucked up is what it is.

It is always good to think about who or what is being exploited to bring us our entertainment, goods, and other shit. We boycott certain brands of non dairy milk alternatives because they enslave monkeys to harvest coconuts, OR we stop going to certain fast food places because their corporate overlords donate to causes we disagree with. We avoid using certain online mega retailers that exploit their workers. We try to use our pitiful spending power in a futile attempt to change the world around us for the better... Or at least we do until doing so becomes too inconvenient, or we just can't fight it anymore...

I mean, the deals are JUST too good! Join the PRIME COLLECTIVE

I guess all of this is just me trying to grapple with the inescapable hell of end stage capitalism and a world that is dying due to corporate and marketing greed. And I at least had the sliver of hope that after I died, I could at least be free from the specter of capitalism.

But as it turns out, that even if there is a second ghostly existence, there is no peace. Obnoxious asshats that look like the unholy love child of Hollister and Hot Topic will come to your home and stick blinking lights in your face, throw broken radios at you, and scream that they "JUST WANT TO TALK!" Which is all bad enough, but then add to that that someone somewhere is making money off of it?

Not even in death can we escape Capitalism. FUCK.

[rhyolight]

Everything was going great. I found a dress I liked on lace market. It’s a gorgeous design. It’s a reasonable price. It’s in the US. It’s my size. All was perfect. Until I tried to buy it.

See, I have been procrastinating on setting up a PayPal account for months. It wasn’t really a top priority. But the listing will only be up for about a day so suddenly it IS a priority. Ok, no biggie, I’ve got my debit card and I’ll create an account, right?

Wrong. Because I need to enter my phone number. Which would be easy except it’s adding the country code for Fiji. I am in Fiji yes, but only for a few more days, so obviously that’s the wrong country code. But it won’t let me change it. And given that by the time I’m back in the states the dress will no longer be listed this is kind of a problem.

Oh well. I’ll just message the seller. There’s no one else interested in the dress so maybe they can hold it for me. Uh oh! Lacemarket says. Your account is unverified! And to message, sell, or buy, you need to be verified. :)

Ok, so how do you get verified? Well apparently due to security reasons you have to contact an admin to get verified. And so now I wait and hope they email me back in time.

[thesmutbasement]

Welcome to The Control Room: Dom/Sub action to scratch that itch!

Everything here in The Smut Basement is for 18+ friends only! Minors and unverified persons will be blocked. Please heed ALL author warnings when you click a link.

Dave York (Equalizer 2)

Dulcis Part 1 & Dulcis Part 2 by @juletheghoul (Reader is a 2nd grade teacher and has to call Mr. & Mrs. York when their daughter Alice punches a boy at school. Dave sets his sights on the teacher and slowly draws her into his web, despite the fact that she's engaged. He's controlling and hot and kind of scary. This is hot Suburban Murder Daddy at his best!! -Claire)

Make Your Bed, Then Lie In It (Part 1) by @criticallyacclaimedstranger (Well, apparently Claire enjoys a good mean!Dave York fic, because this was so hot that Claire promised herself she wasn't going to read it until she was finished with homework, but her little fingers just danced right over to the link during a "short break" and now here we are. I hope you're happy... because I SURE AM!! --Claire)… (And now we have been blessed with Part 2 and Claire is now a small puddle of just yearning and horny.)

We Can Do Better by @underwood0723 (Dom!Dave York x reader/wife, and he goes HARD and FILTHY. Please heed the warnings! And I'm a little scared, because Mary said she "didn't go full filthy" so now I'm wondering just what to expect now? Help?--Claire)

Wicked by @criticallyacclaimedstranger (This dom!Dave York piece was so hot that it made Claire break her "Friday" fic rec list and do a whole new Monday edition. It also made the author start writing more Dave York, so win-win for all of us!)

Din Djarin/Mando (The Mandalorian)

Drabble/Thots about Din by @frannyzooey (Please say a prayer and light a candle for Claire's coochie, it died from horniness after reading this very short, VERY HOT Ask about Din and ropes and goddamn, that was HOT. -Claire)

Just This Once by @mcfreakin-bxtch (This is a mean!Mando fic with a real hot fuck right up against the wall of the ship. Definitely need to keep a cold glass of water nearby while you read this, and maybe a fire extinguisher, too. Oh AND it’s just the first in the series. So have fun!! —Claire)

Rough Hands by @oscarseyebrow (Whoooo!!! This is pure, rough, decadent smut, and I loved every single word of it. Dom!Din welcoming wife!Reader home from her long work trip by roughing her up in the throne room? Come on… I didn’t have a chance against this fic. Give it a try!! -Claire)

Show Me, Feel Me, Teach Me by @parker-razor (Din's ship assistant is a virgin, and the truth comes to light one night during a drinking game. Parking this here in The Control Room because of the innocence kink, and Mando taking control in a soft!Dom way (soft!Dom until chapter 7, anyway) 🔥🔥🔥 to show her how good things could be. This was HOT!! As of this posting we're at 7 chapters. Can't wait for more! -Claire)

Marcus Moreno (We Can Be Heroes)

Yes Sir, Mr. Moreno by @absurdthirst (This is dom!Marcus Moreno and it is worth you clearing your schedule to read all 10k+ words. You will not be able to stand after reading this, like Claire, who temporarily lost function in her legs, so maybe clear a space to lay down, too.)

The Hammock by @radiowallet (This soft dom!Marcus Moreno two-parter is a part of Cat’s Poorly Wired Circuit series and if you haven’t read that yet then go to her masterlist, read that first, and then come back to read this. It is exactly what you think, sex in a hammock, but still every bit of exciting and HOT.) - Lauren

Step Into My Office, Baby by @deadhumourist (This delicious little one-shot features mean!Marcus Moreno doing some hardcore brat-taming when Reader storms into his office to protest some budget cuts. HOT HOT HOT! -Claire)

Marcus Pike (The Mentalist)

Show Me Your True Colors by @221bshrlocked (Marcus Pike needs help with a counterfeit case from female Reader/Art Professor. After an exciting interrogation of the suspect, she asks Marcus over to her place for dinner. Their discussion of her erotic paintings leads to a VERY HOT dom!Marcus showing us what he can do. This is worth you clearing your afternoon schedule to read about 4 times! -Claire)

Stressed by @generallybrontidefeelings (A soft dom!Marcus Pike series to make you forget all your stresses where all you can think about is him railing you into next week. Pun from the interlude included. You’ll see. ) - Lauren

Take Charge by @littlepadika (Marcus notices that his female co-worker is extremely overworked and under-appreciated. He knows that what she needs is to be taken care of, and he’s just the man to do it. When she offers to help him brush up on his interrogation techniques, things heat up! -Claire)

Unexpected by @outercrasis (This scratched every dom!Marcus itch I had. There is something to be said about him looking so….innocent but the man knows his color system. 🥵 This might be called Unexpected, but I expect nothing less than filthy goodness when it comes to Birdie.) - Lauren

Zach Wellison (Brothers and Sisters)

Good Day by @yespolkadotkitty (I want you all to understand that YPDK is the Queen of writing hot shit for some of the lesser-known-but-no-less-hot Pedro characters, and this Zach Wellison fic is a prime example! Reader asks Zach to dominate her a little and he delivers!! Oh good lord does he deliver! I've read it about four different times now. Four. Please go follow my lead. -Claire)

Jack “Whiskey” Daniels (Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle)

The Rest Of You by @ezrasbirdie (This was so fucking hot that I just about had an out of body experience. 🥵🔥 Birdie is the queen of writing smut. Just a warning: make sure you don’t have any plans after reading this one. Clear your calendar because all you’ll be able to think about is being tied up by this cowboy.) - Lauren

Whiskey's Bad Girl mini-series by @just-here-for-the-moment (Yeah, that's right, I'm posting my own hot shit here, because if you're after some HOT dom!Whiskey and how he punishes his "bad girl" then you're in for a treat! Shameless self-promotion, people! It's how we get eyeballs on our work!! -Claire)

Frankie “Catfish” Morales (Triple Frontier)

Buttons by @littlepadika and @beskarprincessjenny (Dom!Frankie brings me to my knees every goddamn time. You decide to be a little brat and rile him up to get him to be a feral mess while you’re out with his friends. Give me my punishment reward by allowing me to have their Frankie. This is a pussy clencher I’ll tell you that much, but you’ll just have to read and find out yourself.) - Lauren

To be continued...

Bottom of the Basement: Filthy Fic Recs Masterlist

[skygodtraumabond]

I assure you, Ho-Oh is. Unfortunately. Very real. Unfortunately.

As someone very devout to the Guardian, I'm glad you recognize his existence as true. However. It wasn't until very recently in modern history that we were graced with his presence so publically. Prior to the Crisis, we only had ancient historical accounts, tales and prophecies from the Draconids, and paintings and etchings on the walls of caves. Forty years ago, there may have been scientists who would deny the existence of the Ancients based on the same standards you've laid down here. They may have denied the truth of his grace simply because they were not able to witness it, because they could not observe his form for themselves.

Perhaps this is. A cultural difference. I wouldn't know. But I've always seen the black-and-white divide between truth and fiction as something very Unovan. It's not always that simple. Humanity does love to invent legends and write tales of imagined worlds, but who are we to be so firm in the insistence that every unverified legend is strictly a hoax? Who are we to assume we have such all-seeing knowledge? Perhaps the unknown warrior was a fictional man, but his encounter with the Wishmaker could have a grain of truth to it or vice versa.

You don't have to be sure that all unverified legends and myths are true. But I think it might be unwise to be so sure that they aren't.

I wish people would stop trying to invent fictional "legendary Pokemon" and attempting to pass them off as real. These hoaxes for nothing more than publicity go too far, and it seems people will believe anything, no matter how ridiculous.

I hope everyone will start exercising caution in blindly believing in every Pokémon you read about.

"Volcanion", really. Who would believe that?