#;timeline: mass effect 2

[valka-arialitan]

Shepard's suicide-squad selfie

Following this post

The ride-or-die team taking one last picture with everyone, before letting their commander surrender to the Alliance.

[drelldreams]

[Meta] Mass Effect 2 timeline

How long does ME2 take lore-wise?

According to an old Twitter post from Drew Karpyshyn (I still have it somewhere, I swear, I'll post it eventually when I find it..), flying to the next relay takes between a few days and a few weeks.

In ME2 Shepard visits quite a few places: The Citadel, Tuchanka, Illium, Pragia, Purgatory, Omega, Haestrom, Freedom's Progress, Horizon, Korlus, the Migrant Fleet, Aeia, Zorya.. And probably a few more.

That means just travelling across the galaxy takes a lot of time. And it's not possible to do everything at once in a place. You don't go to Omega just once, you go there at least twice - one time to recruit people, another time to get Morinth. You recruit Kasumi before you take care of Sidonis.

Obviously Shepard would take an approach to travelling the galaxy that would save time (recruit everyone at once on Omega and Illium if you're already there, and the likes), but the travel alone would still take up a lot of time.

That supports my headcanon of ME2 taking approximately six months.

[molliehaswords]

I’m not sure which is worse:

BioWare saying practically everything is “about a year ago” and not aging characters appropriately (*cough* Wynne, Loghain, Eamon, Teagan *cough*)

Or Bethesda setting things “after the Great War” which was 25-30 years ago but having characters talk like the event was less than a decade ago and only aging characters maybe 10 years. (*glares at Skyrim and Fallout 76… and a little bit at Fallout 4 too*)

[mindsmade]

@afraidofchange / cont'd ( bc old editor ⚰️ )

His expression remains unchanged for another moment. It's painful to keep it that way, given the tension of his cheeks beneath — he wants to grin, as he isn't blind to Miranda's particular brand of humour. He also isn't immune to it. The pulling beneath his scarred face puts tension on his skin, before long forcing his features to buckle and cave. A flash of a grin splits his face, further straining his skin all too uncomfortably. The discomfort's numbed well enough by his present ( and pleasant ) company, though.

❛  Hmph. Fine.  ❜ Realistically speaking, he never would deny her a simple joy like this — or anything, really. That rule crystalises all the more when reminded of the hold she has on him even through the slightest of touches, like the squeeze along the jut of his hip. He reciprocates with a hand on her waist, toying gently with the towel there. Pull just a little too hard, and it'll fall right off.

Now, there's a thought ...

But he won't. Not now, at least; not intentionally. He's too keen on skirting that fine line and upping the suspense for both of them before those lights go out. His eyes stay fixated on the meeting point of his fingertips and the fabric before climbing, unabashedly lingering on her chest, before at last meeting hers. They haven't grown a bit less captivating over time.

❛  Where'd you like to ... light this candle?  ❜ It has to be the subtlest euphemism he's ever employed, with his actual curiosity being geared much more towards where they'll continue their quality time.

[maintitle]

FINALLY doing my Jade Empire replay.

[visible-schizo-spectrum]

as a vocal member of the certain special group that tumblr luvs sm… i want to take a moment to address the situation.

for ppl unaware, a popular transfem blogger had her account banned (for like the 5th time) and previously had her completely SFW transition timelines marked as mature bcs ??? you know why .. her crime was a post that said smn to the effect of “i hope matt gets into a car full of hammers and it crashes and explodes” idk . totally non serious post. super outlandish and obviously a joke. but ofc nothing is a joke when a woman says it.

anyway. after reading a lot of posts i am not going to just repeat what everyone else has already said but i want to touch on 2 points that i feel like ppl are not addressing.

this is a transfem specific issue. this is just not something that is happening to transmascs en masse rn and it’s frustrating to hear this rebranded as transphobia when this is specifically transmisogyny.

that said. this isn’t fucking transmasc’s fault lmfao?? this is the fault of the cisgender ppl who own and operate tumblr. idk why this is complicated.

[yourmoonie]

Let's talk about circumstances, perspectives, quanutm physics and Neville Goddard:

1. Circumstances are irrelevant unless we give them relevance

Nothing and nobody exists in our 3D without our imagination & permission

Circumstances become relevant when we give them a specific meaning

(The observer effect)

2. Let's say there are 2 people who have got SPs

Both of them are manifesting a relationship

But there is a difference between these 2 people and the way they view their circumstances:

(Picture 2)

Person A's sp calls them a friend:

Person B's Sp calls them a friend:

3. Now let me bring Neville and quanutmn physics here:

ery single possibility, result, and every single scenario you can imagine exist right now, whether you can see them or not, in the quantum universe in which we live.

4. There is no past, present, or future;

all that exists is the eternal NOW moment, where everything is happening at once. As a result, we are not moving through linear time; space time is only a human invention to keep track of events and memories.

5. Atoms make up everything in the universe,

& each one of them is made up of 99.9% energy (empty space) and 0.1 percent mass (actually dark energy combined with dark matter).

The probability waves are atoms that are vibrating at a frequency so high that u can't see them

6. BUT it really doesn't matter if you can or CANT see them

because you can manifest these waves of probability in your world.

And make the invisible-> VISIBLE

You achieve this by becoming aware of the possibility/result you would like to experience

7. Since the waves have always existed

and cannot be imagined or conceptualised, they do not actually transform into physical matter or form. When Neville Goddard said that creation is complete, he truly meant it because nothing in the universe is physical or solid.

8. The reason it seems like things are changing

is because when u choose to change ur state of consciousness around any specific outcome, your reality begins to inevitably match that state of consciousness where all of those events that already exist in that state happened.

9. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed;

you are simply tuning into the reality where you are actually experiencing that thing. Some people refer to this as timeline shifting/ Mandela effect/reality shifting, etc

10. The way you choose to consistently observe the waves

will determine whether or not they lead you to that reality or if they continue to be waves of probability. The waves do not have minds of their own.

You can choose ur path and your faith

You are the only person who can do it

11. The only reality that truly exists is Consciousness,

& everything resides in Consciousness, which in turn resides in everything.

As a result, everything u want to experience in your reality depends on you & the things u decide to believe, perceive, and consistently be aware of.

In conclusion, our circumstances ARE what we make them to be

So? Are you ready to take control and change the outcome in your favor?

It's time to stop letting the 3D world have an affect on you

[acesw]

The "Storm"

"The 'Storm' brings frequent anomalies. And also more development and field missions. Sadly, combat is not my thing; luckily, data analysis is!" - X, Xtreme Talent

The "Storm" is an intriguing topic to look into in the world of Reverse: 1999, and a lot of people tend to be confused on how it works alongside the functions of the immunity zones. For this post, this'll essentially be a more detailed explanation on it. This post will cover what the "Storm" is, its patterns, and the function of the immunity zones with Asymmetrical Nuclide R. This'll be a really long post, so hold tight. :) [Spoilers for Chapter 5-6]

What is the “Storm” anyway?

The “Storm”—or the "Emanation" to the Islanders—is a supernatural phenomena that is affecting most of the globe. It destroys the current era of society and reconstructs it into a point in the past or in the future. It “reverses” time, with the tendency to regress through eras. This means human technology increasingly deteriorates while arcanum flourishes.

Being a phenomena caused by arcanum, the “Storm” is difficult to be studied. Basic understanding of the "Storm" requires affinity with arcanum.

The “Storm” is unpredictable; Besides the Manus and the Apeiron to some degree, no one knows when the “Storm” happens, but the closer we get to its occurrence, the easier it is to figure it out. Manus activity is shown to accelerate the "Storm", with events beginning to deviate from the historic timeline due to their influence.

As of ‘The Star’ and Chapter 6, we find that Laplace has been keeping track of possible “critical points.” Critical points indicate where the eye of the “Storm” might be. An “eye” tends to be located at places globally significant, where historical events take place. It can be a cultural event, a significant movement, or a major conflict. These events don’t have to directly affect the entire world, per se. They merely have to be significant enough to leave a mark in the world's history.

Right now, 8 “Storms” have passed and we have one that is currently beginning to take place. With the information we have of each one, we find common themes among them:

1. Most of these “Storms” occur at least 1 year after the other. There are 4 exceptions to it: 

1999 (The Progenitor)

1987 (3 years)

1929 (1 day)

1914 (5 months)

2. They’re triggered when the timeline destabilises, or strays from what is the normal ‘course’ of the world’s timeline. (As said by Greta Hofmann)

3. The nature of the “Storm” and the Storm Syndrome are usually based on the themes of the era and the conflict.

A very clear example of this would be the “Storms” of 1966 and 1929. With 1966, we see how the height of the “Storm” deconstructs everything around the critical point with booming bold colours and pop-like art, reminiscent of the UK’s Swinging Sixties (as mentioned by the game itself).

With 1929, we see how the Storm Syndrome affects the mass population of humans, with how they sell food in exchange for gold and money to eat because of how it references the sudden rise in the American stock market. This led to the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and the crash caused an economic recession in the US.

Important notes about the "Storm"

Now we have to keep in mind that there are some things that need to be noted about this phenomenon. For one, the “Storm” doesn’t induce the grandfather paradox, since the survivors of the phenomenon don’t cease to exist whenever they arrive in an era that precedes their lifetime. They don’t encounter the younger versions of themselves either.

Also, since this is an event caused by arcanum, the people who are mainly affected are humans and mixed people who don't have strong arcanum. Pure-blood arcanists tend to be the ones who are the last to be affected by the "Storm," since they only begin to feel the effects once the countdown is approaches near-zero.

The memories of the survivors are quite faded. For example, none of them could remember what happened during 1999 that caused the first “Storm.” Greta and Vertin themselves confirm that they and the Foundation have rather vague memories of that time for reasons yet to be found.

And lastly, as stated before, the “Storm” can be accelerated / triggered early by orchestrating a chain of events that further puts strain on the critical point, and significantly causes disruption in the original timeline. This is the case with 1929 and 1914 right now.

Immunity Zones, Asymmetrical Nuclide R, and Vertin

With these out of the way, there is now space to talk about the points of immunity. For a location to be immune, the area would need a “core” that distributes a high concentration of Asymmetrical Nuclide R.

AN-R is a nuclide that’s present in the “Storm's" rainwater, as well as the fog in Apeiron, the Spinning Wheel, and possibly the Yuān temple in Pei City alongside Uluru in Australia. The nuclide creates a structure that makes it possible to survive the “Storm,” but it is an unstable component that can quickly disappear when isolated from the rain drops.

A more stabilised structure of these nuclides are those found imbued in the Manus Vindictae Mask, and the fog surrounding the cores of the immunity zones. However, when one comes close to said fog, it can affect people’s minds to the point of deep sleep until they’re taken out of the area. Otherwise, time flows normally within the immunity zones, unaffected by the “Storm.”

Meanwhile, as the truth remains unknown (noting that Asymmetrical Protein G is a false biomolecule), Vertin is the only person who is able to cross the “Storm” unharmed. She is able to endure most of its effects such as the fog.

For example: In the fog surrounding the Apeiron and the caves of the Island, she wasn’t afflicted with the deep sleep most of the time until she was fully immersed in it. However, she only needed to be woken up by any sort of disturbance. (i.e. pain caused by the bangle)

Despite this however, she’s unable to perceive and predict the “Storm," needing technology from Laplace to keep track of its countdown.

Anyway, AN-R tends to spread throughout an entire area and creates a range of immunity from the “Storm.” This range becomes theoretically weaker as one strays further from the main source; it's why Vertin’s breakaway group got reversed as they played outside the tower, while Madam Z survived while being barely outside the building. (Chapter 3)

It may also explain why the humans did not survive being in Vertin’s suitcase, since the spinning wheel might not be a strong enough core for the nuclide to resonate really well with humans. But I’m not exactly sure why this is, so this is only an assumption for myself.

For now, this is all the information that I have of the "Storm" and the immunity zones. There are some pieces of information that I also found while looking into it, but I've kept these as footnotes for now to go back to later once things begin to come together.

Many ideas can be thought of on how the phenomenon could affect many other areas, but this is essentially how it works based on what was observed in the story. I hope it answers a lot of questions for some who don't quite understand the "Storm." And if there aren't, feel free to ask me anything. Thanks for reaching the end. :)

[cr-noble-writes]

Title: Argonauts Series: Odyssey Fandom: Mass Effect Rating: Explicit Characters: Alex Shepard, ME1 Ensemble, Aria T'Loak, Minah Atruzea Relationships: mShenko Tags: ME1 timeline, minor character death, canon typical violence, nightmares, male Shepard, Sole Survivor Shepard, custom background, paragade Shepard

Summary: Alex Shepard, his crew, and the quest to find Saren Arterius.

Notes:

I've been writing and rewriting this fic for about 2 years, and I finally decided that it is time to start posting it.

I want to thank everyone in the Dragon Effect server, and my besties, who have listened to me rant and rave and come up with increasingly angsty bullshit to put Alex through for the last 2 years. Truly, I don't think I'd have gotten this far without y'all.

This is still a WIP, and as of right now I am planning on posting every other week.

Extra thanks to @unfair-water-plane, @ad-astra13, and @mallaidhsomo for alpha reading, doc gremlining, and otherwise helping me stay motivated, and to Snarkelogist for beta-reading for me <3

Read Prologue here

Excerpt:

“Do you know why we’re here?”

Alex shrugs. “I know more than most of the crew. Covert pickup on Eden Prime. Testing the stealth systems in action.” He looks at Nihlus. Spectres are the galaxy’s best soldiers. They don’t ask questions like that without already knowing the answer. “But you know something I don’t, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Yes.” The bass of Nihlus’ subvocals offset the tenor of his voice in a pleasant harmony. “I’m sure you are aware that the Alliance has been pushing for the induction of a human Spectre for years. I’ve been sent to evaluate your candidacy.”

[deusvervewrites]

Ask Game: Overhaul starts mass producing the permanent Quirk erasing bullets sooner and starts Dequirking people

So keep in mind that this first point is running somewhat parallel with what will follow--I don't have a good way to sort it chronologically. Togata becomes the Ninth Holder of One For All. Nighteye stops paying attention to the yakuza to train him. All Might never really bonds with Togata because it was Nighteye's choice, and All Might dies at Kamino. Togata himself will not survive the Eight Precepts raid. Shigaraki puts up no resistance to his body being stolen, and the procedure is completed without issue.

Overhaul's plan goes into effect: selling the Quirk-Destroying Bullets on the black market while simultaneously selling the cure to the bullets to the Heroes (after waiting long enough to ensure a demand). There are, however, a few complications that perhaps he did not consider. Like the MLA. Or the HPSC. Or All For One.

All For One and the HPSC both want to independently monopolize the drug, while the MLA want it destroyed at any cost. Overhauls' yakuza organization, comprised of nine decent fighters including himself, is unable to withstand that pressure. The Bullets drop one by one, and eventually even Overhaul himself is killed. However, the drug has by this point circulated quite a bit. If Garaki was canonically able to replicate it, I doubt he was the only one who could.

So to recap, the HPSC now has the ability to determine who gets Quirks at all, All For One has the drug, and if I cared enough to bring them up, Humarise would have the drug for their bombs. Meanwhile the MLA are super fucking annoyed about all of this, and since somehow the HPSC completely fucking missed that they exist before Hawks warned them in canon, that's a problem. So the HPSC crumples like the house of cards that it is, All For One shows up to beat up the MLA, and from there I think the next step is feudal warlords again?

Ten years into the collapse of society, Eri, now fifteen, is really fucking sick of AFO's bullshit. The only thing keeping him contained is the threat of New Order since he never got a chance to take OFA, but who knows how long that will last. So Eri decides to remove the competition, being a warlord herself by this point. She sends herself back in time using Rewind. What she doesn't realize is that in doing so, she throws a massive wrench into her own plans that she never could have foreseen: ensuring that All Might will meet a young boy named Midoriya Izuku. And god help her if she tries to resist his friend-making instincts.

+1. Eri is extremely surprised when Uraraka passes the UA Entrance Exam, as she had been one of her greatest lieutenants in the original timeline

+2. Eri has mastered Rewind to the point that she can remove someone's Quirk at will, something Overhaul learned the hard way. Her younger self thinks she's the coolest.

[felassan]

Spacelab9 have revealed more details about the upcoming Dragon Age Vinyl box set. (It's a 70 track collection which will include songs from DA:O, DAII, DA:I, DLC and also some DA:I bard songs.)

I found this new info blurb about the cover art really interesting 👁️ (emphasis mine):

Deluxe package features all-original artwork by Dragon Age Concept Director Ramil Sunga and Lead UX Artist Danny Richardson, created exclusively for this album set. The beautifully detailed artwork presents a pictorial timeline following the lore of the Dragon Age series, beginning at the dawn of the Golden City, throughout the City's Fall and culminating in its re-emergence as the Black City, seat of the Old Gods. [source]

hello??? (the announcement blogpost for the vinyl contained the flavor text "From the land of Thedas, at the dawn of the Golden City".)

they also announced that the pre-sale for the box set was scheduled to begin April 27th (can't see it atm unless I'm missing it, maybe it's not yet started?) and that on the BioWare Gear Store it will begin on May 10th. each outlet will offer their own exclusive color variant of the vinyl.

lastly they also posted the full track listing (emphasis mine):

"DISC 1 SIDE A [DRAGON AGE ORIGINS]

1. DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS (2:49) 2. ELVES AT THE MERCY OF MAN (1:21) 3. RUINS OF OSTAGAR (1:18) 4. THE COMMON DWARF (1:24) 5. THE PARTY CAMP (0:44) 6. THE DALISH (1:18) 7. DARKSPAWN IN THE WILDS (1:13) 8. HUMAN NOBILITY (1:21) 9. URN OF SACRED ASHES (1:01) 10. JOIN THE GREY WARDENS (1:53) 11. BATTLE THE DARKSPAWN HORDES (1:05) 12. MAGES IN THEIR CHANTRY (2:01) 13. LELIANNA'S SONG (2:33)

DISC 1 SIDE B [DRAGON AGE ORIGINS]

1. THE CHANTRY'S HUBRIS (3:16) 2. THE NATURE OF THE BEAST (1:30) 3. TAVERN BRAWL (1:15) 4. THE DALISH ELVES ENCAMPMENT (1:18) 5. FERELDEN AT WAR (2:57) 6. KING EDRIN (1:32) 7. CHALLENGE AN ARCH DEMON (3:12) 8. THE CORONATION (1:03) 9. I AM THE ONE (HIGH FANTASY VERSION) (4:02)

DISC 2 SIDE A [DRAGON AGE II]

1. DRAGON AGE II MAIN THEME (2:03) 2. HAWKE FAMILY THEME (2:00) 3. QUNARI ON THE RISE (2:04) 4. LOVE SCENE (1:39) 5. VISCOUNT (1:29) 6. TAVERN MUSIC (2:11) 7. KIRKWALL ARRIVAL (5:13) 8. ROGUE HEART (3:12)

DISC 2 SIDE B [DRAGON AGE II]

1. JOURNEY TO DEEP FEAR (2:55) 2. MAGE PRIDE (4:03) 3. KIRKWALL TOWN ACT 2 EXPLORATION (2:05) 4. DARK DAWN (3:22) 5. FENRIS THEME (2:30) 6. NIGHT ATTACK AND VICTORY (1:56) 7. DESTINY OF LOVE (3:25)

DISC 3 SIDE A [DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION]

1. DRAGON AGE INQUISITION THEME (2:52) 2. THE WRATH OF HEAVEN (5:25) 3. ESCAPE FROM THE FADE (1:14) 4. CALLING THE INQUISITION (1:59) 5. IN HUSHED WHISPERS (4:49) 6. THE WESTERN APPROACH (2:07) 7. JOURNEY TO SKYHOLD (1:48)

DISC 3 SIDE B [DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION]

1. THE DAWN WILL COME (1:58) 2. ORLAIS THEME (2:44) 3. THE SCAR (0:56) 4. SIEGE OF ADAMANT (1:14) 5. WICKED EYES AND WICKED HEARTS (3:35) 6. THEDAS LOVE THEME (1:59) 7. CHAMPIONS OF THE JUST (3:55) 8. SACRIFICE (1:01) 9. RETURN TO SKYHOLD (2:13) 10. EPILOGUE (1:10)

DISC 4 SIDE A (BONUS DLC TRACKS)

1. I AM THE ONE (DARK FANTASY VERSION) [DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS] (4:10) 2. MAIN THEME [DAI DESCENT DLC] (2:58) 3. AFTERMATH [DAI DESCENT DLC] (1:29) 4. DARK SOLAS THEME [DAI TRESPASSER DLC] (3:01) 5. QUNARI ATMOSPHERE [DAI TRESPASSER DLC] (2:41) 6. LOST ELF THEME [DAI TRESPASSER DLC] (3:58) 7. D'READ KODA (1:08) [HIDDEN TRACK]

DISC 4 SIDE B (DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION - THE BARD SONGS)

1. ENCHANTERS (3:23) 2. GREY WARDEN (2:12) 3. I AM THE ONE (1:58) 4. ONCE WE WERE (2:10) 5. RISE (1:26) 6. SERA (1:45) 7. FALL OF THE MAGISTER (3:01) 8. SCOUT LACE HARDING (2:08) 9. THE SLIGHTEST ONES (2:28)" [source]

👁️ Hidden track - "D'Read Koda"? ^^ Koda like a coda? (of interest here is that the recent Mass Effect vinyl collection contained some previously unreleased and some rearranged/remastered music.)

[source]

[secretlythepits]

4 Months or 2 Years

When my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, she was told she had 4 months to live. She had 11 masses in her brain. She tried full brain radiation but it didn’t have much of an effect. When we saw her oncologist, we expected a transfer to hospice.

Instead she threw out chemo and said maybe Mom could live for 2 more years. Mom never wanted chemo because she had witnessed its brutality on her brother and sister. We questioned quality of life and her oncologist spoke about her patient who just called her from a trip to California.

We left the appointment dumbfounded and went to a cafe to discuss it over sale and Nanaimo bars. We had already literally settled everything up with the funeral parlor. We had accepted the hard truth. At lunch Mom decided to try chemo, but her heart wasn’t in it. I think she felt like she had to for her girls. It just didn’t feel right, but what do you do with that information? You can’t crumple 2 years into a ball and make a basket in the trash can.

She did one round. It was awful. That’s not what this post is about. She died 4 months from her diagnosis. I think the 2 years was never really on the table. Don’t let anyone tell you hope is always a good thing. It can wield tremendous cruelty through delusion.

My mother died 7 hours before I was getting on a plane to take over her care. There are more than medical decisions that get made based on what an oncologist says. For 4 months, I could stay the whole time. I wanted to. I planned to. But 2 years was a different story. My kids couldn’t be away from their dad for that long. My sister had to work and care for her family too. My sister and I decided to rotate care. I started homeschooling my kids so we could be wherever whenever.

4 months or 2 years?

You make different decisions. Financial decisions. Logistical decisions. Communication decisions.

I have an idea of my husband’s timeline, but nothing definitive. There’s a giant question mark about immunotherapy that is unknowable from the onset. There are strong statistical probabilities.

This is what I’m wresting with now and I’ll use my mother’s timelines for a framework. To be clear, these are not my husband’s timeline projections, but the idea is the same. Is the end sooner or later?

Do I speak up about issues in our marriage and push for my needs?

4 Months:

No. Forgive and let go. Focus on the fundamental love and don’t add an emotional burden to him. I could do this easily in this time frame.

2 Years:

Yes. That’s too long to let hurt fester. It will bubble up anyway. There’s also a real possibility of resolving some or all of it, which would be amazing. I cannot suppress my feelings for years. I would be consumed with anger and resentment.

Do I put my goals on the back burner to prioritize his?

4 Months:

Yes. I will have more time and his is finite. Also, I’d want to maximize our time together.

2 Years:

No. I can give up some but not all. What if 2 years is 3 years or 4? I am coming off of a 3 1/2 year brain infection. I lost so much time. Then I immediately had to support his first cancer journey. And before all that, it was my mom dying. I’ve had nonstop emergencies for 6 years and I clawed my way from the edge of death. I can’t just turn over all my next years. My time is finite too.

But here’s the tricky part. He will only get worse. So, although it makes sense to be tending to him now as this is new and we are figuring things out, I might miss the only realistic opportunity I have to keep my life from being swallowed up by caregiving. The only certainty I know is that later will be worse.

How much time do I devote to building my finances?

Ah, maybe these are the same for both timelines. I’m struggling with being present to the moments and bucking down to focus on providing. Do I continue building my business, the dream I worked so hard for, that got dashed so many times these last 6 years? Or do I chuck it, take some classes to get a certification that would lead to a job I would hate, but would provide a stable income? He could have an emergency and no longer work at any moment. But, that’s also unlikely. Arg!

I hate that I am back in this 4 months or 2 years place. It was torture for me. I remember people telling me I couldn’t make a wrong choice.

I felt like I couldn’t make a right one and it paralyzed me.

Now that I think about it, in the end, I decided to make the choice that was best for me. The toxicity of extended family dynamics was too much for me. I decided mom made her choices (smoking) and I had an equal right to make mine (removing myself from a situation that unhinged me). Mom also wanted space to process after the onslaught of visitors. She needed some solitude. So I left and went home to calm down and recenter myself in my life and in the family I created. Rotating her care was practical but also gave me breathing room that I needed. I could have and would have stayed if we knew it was just 4 months, but I can’t deny that something really important happened to me when I took that break. I think I would have broken without it.

This is stream of consciousness so I didn’t know I’d land on the paragraph above. I just wanted to say what I was trying to figure out, what was hurting my heart. But now I think I landed on a compass. And it rings true because I feel my North Star blinking.

I have to continue to live my own life.

I always knew that. Always know that. The reason that truth felt out of reach is all the social conditioning around being a support. Women are expected to give up everything to be a caregiver, while one of the predictors of imminent divorce is a wife’s serious diagnosis. I am experiencing a personal crisis that exists within the context of our societal dynamic and it would be disingenuous to pretend I was immune to the influences of the patriarchy. And the thing is, I know what to do. It’s more of fear of judgement for doing what I know is right.

Two truths exist simultaneously:

I want to take care of him. I really, really do.

I want to take care of myself. I really, really do.

Why does one of those feel like a mandate and the other a source of guilt? Why the dichotomy?

Why is love for myself always supposed to be second place?

One thing is for sure: with 2 dead parents, a dying spouse, and kids to look after, nobody is going to take care of me

but me.

[mindsmade]

@immobiliter ( garrus )

❛ You look like you just escaped yeoman Chambers' cross examination. ❜ He should've warned Garrus, probably — but everyone knows what they say about hindsight. ❛ Are your ears ringing? ❜

[darkmaga-retard]

Australia provides useful information on Monkey Pox Jab Harms from detailed post-jab surveillance. Call it Mpox to make its sound better?

GeoffPainPhD

Aug 19, 2024

Previously I reported that Pfizer specialized in mass production of Monkey Pox Virus and that is why it was known as Mason-Pfizer Virus.1

Now we know that Fauci and his cronies funded Mpox weaponization experiments.

Thanks to US Congress investigation we have a timeline.2

Others have written very useful Substacks and I will add more references as I find them.34

Australian Monkey Pox Jab Harms Study

Western Australia provides very interesting data on the Bavarian Nordic Monkey Pox Jab known as Jynneos.5

The high rate of AEFI reports observed in the Mpox vaccine group illustrates how effective active safety surveillance can be in a closely monitored targeted vaccination program. It is expected that the combination of both passive and active surveillance will lead to a sustained higher background AEFI report rate for all vaccines, when compared to historical reporting data in WA prior to 2021.

Part of a National study:

Readers will be aware that all of the Adverse Events have a Cause.

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 2 replay, Legion’s loyalty mission:

-Of course the heretics are inhabiting a former quarian station. There are plenty of other abandoned stations, but when have the geth ever chosen an alternative if the quarians are an option?

There’s probably an essay that can be written here about children that feel cut off from their heritage, but that is outside of my league.

-It took at least 10 years to rebuild the station, so the heretics have been outside of the Veil for some time.

Given the extent of Saren’s plans, the timeline (for once) adds up. It must have taken years for Saren to build the base on Virmire, develop a cure for the genophage, find and hatch a rachni egg, etc.

-Legion doesn’t inform you that the station has little air or gravity until after you land.

To be fair he probably didn’t know, but informing you of the possibility would still have been helpful.

-Legion refers to what to do with the heretics as “the heretics question”. Loaded language much?

-If the virus is complete, why haven’t the heretics used it against the true geth already?

-Legion sure is quick to inform you that there’s an alternative to destroying the heretics.

For all he hems and haws through the mission, it’s implied that the true geth really want the heretics back. They’re just not quite sure it’s safe.

-In the same conversation, Legion is far more receptive to rewriting the geth (renegade) than opposing it (paragon).

On the surface it feels like it’s about the logic.

If you go renegade, you say organic ethics don’t apply to synthetics. He agrees. Every species should be taken individually. Then he notes that changing organics takes time and effort, but changing synthetics only requires a data file.

If you go paragon, he says that whether synthetics should be treated like organics is irrelevant. If you don’t rewrite them, you’ll destroy them. And by the way the heretics will kill all organics because their gods tell you to. And they don’t have emotions to appeal to.

The undercurrent is that Legion doesn’t want to go with destroy. If you support rewriting, he points out how easily synthetics can be changed. If you oppose it, he emphasizes that the alternative is killing them. Then he throws in that the heretics want to kill organics and can’t be negotiated with as if he doesn’t want you to feel bad about your choice.

The vibe is he’s nudging you to rewrite, even if he isn’t quite willing to say it outright. Isn’t willing to admit it to himself, maybe.

-As a general rule throughout this mission, you learn more about the geth if you go renegade than paragon.

-As others have pointed out: Why does a heretic station have med kits scattered all over it?

-Another apology to Project Overlord: The geth do (infrequently) make geth noises.

I still maintain that Cerberus should know they can talk too.

-Legion’s eagerness to talk about the geth to Shepard reminds me of Tali explaining the quarians to Shepard in ME1.

A bit ironic that the quarians and the geth are both badly misunderstood and desperate to talk the ear off of anyone that shows the slightest sympathy to them.

-Legion describes programs as being reduced when they’re in platforms.

I wonder if there are programs that never want to be in platforms to avoid it?

And possibly others that seek it out – maybe they’re seen as weirdos? - because it offers them the chance to experience the world first hand in a way they can’t from a server.

-At the salvage hub, if you go paragon Legion speaks like it’s a given that the heretics will be rewritten.

If you mention that it might be traumatic, he hedges that the geth aren’t sure they can be traumatized. (Spoilers: They’re already deeply traumatized. Complex PTSD or regular PTSD? You decide!)

If you say they might feel guilty once the heretics rejoin, he says that once the decision is made it’s made. It requires careful thought. He never directly responds to the statement about guilt.

-If you go renegade, you compare the heretics to a rogue limb and rewriting the heretics to reattaching a severed arm.

Legion has an interesting line: To use your metaphor, they removed themselves from our body. Took their perspective. Their judgment.

That sounds an awful lot like the geth might be upset at the heretics for leaving.

Legion just spoke about how geth feel reduced in platforms because they’re linked to fewer programs. Now he’s speaking about how the heretics left – which implicitly means that the geth whole was reduced. He claims it was a peaceful parting, but I’m getting the vibe there are some unhappy programs.

-If you say they’re not missing much by losing the heretics, Legion says all points of view are useful.

Than he comments that analyzing organic self-deception has been helpful, which feels an awful lot like a jab at Shepard for them insulting the heretics’ judgment.

-If you comment on possibly losing the heretics point of view if they’re rewritten, Legion acknowledges the risk. The virus changes the possibility of all outcomes, not just the outcome of worshiping the Reapers.

So in other words, the geth’s concern about the virus might be the other impacts it can have besides rewriting the heretics. The ones that favor destroy might not be opposed to the rewriting but concerned about the other possible consequences.

-When you find the heretics’ databases, Legion says they must have runtimes in the geth’s networks.

How have the geth not realized this???

-Legion: The heretics desired to leave. We understood their reasons. We allowed it. There was peace between us.

“We allowed it” is yet another charged phrase. The geth allowed the heretics to leave. The heretics didn’t have the right to leave; it was a privilege the geth gave them.

I would love to hear the heretics’ point of view about what went down.

-Legion struggles to understood how the heretics are so different from when they last met. He doesn’t seem to grasp how time and experience can shape people differently.

I suppose that’s a natural side effect when you’re the sum of thousands programs that can read each other’s minds 24/7. When everyone is you, how do you understand people that are not you? How much experience do the geth have in meeting people after a separation?

-Legion, if you go renegade: We are not fully individuals. There are pieces of us in the heretics. One of those may be at fault.

I need Legion to take more time to explain this, because what part of the geth are in the heretics? The geth are one set of programs, there heretics are a different set. So what’s the overlap Legion is speaking about it? Functions they share? Libraries? I’m going to need more detail to make sense of this.

-Legion, at the end of the conversation: This topic is irrelevant. We must return to the mission.

I think this is very relevant, actually, but Legion’s clearly not ready to speak about this more.

-The combat here is awful if you’re a vanguard. You can’t charge the geth until they’re on the same floor as you.

Also, I got no ammo reloads through this section. How am I supposed to fight multiple waves as a vanguard if I can’t reload my guns???

-The geth can’t agree on rewriting or destroy, but they do agree on making it Shepard’s problems.

I’m getting strong vibes of control and destroy here. But there’s no third option for a synthesis.

-I went with rewrite with great doubts.

I do think it’s unethical, but I want to see the fall out of rewriting the geth with a more critical eye. They obviously retain some individuality since it makes the geth more willing to rejoin the Reapers in ME3.

On the other hand, it also makes peace with the quarins more difficult and I always want to achieve that.

-And mirroring the start of the mission, Legion waits until after he’s set off the virus to tell you the side effects may be harmful to organics.

We need to have some words with him about advanced warnings.

Normandy

-I consider Legion correct in the argument with Tali. Her people were torturing the geth to learn how to kill them. That’s something the geth have the right to know.

-Shepard does make a valid argument that it could result in a war between the quarians and the geth right when the Reapers are about to attack, which is bad for both of them.

Unfortunately, the quarians choose to attack anyway so all failing to prepare the geth achieved is making them decide to ally with the Reapers.

-Sovereign contacted many species over the millennia. How does Legion know this? What happened to the other species? Why do I suspect they’re all dead?

-So a single Reaper does consist of many minds. I thought I remembered that from somewhere.

However, we see later that Reapers are created by turning a species to goo. How does that goo consist of many minds?

And how is any Reaper sane​ after being made out of a species that was murdered?

-Huh. If I investigate first, I can’t speak to Legion. Whelp, time to reload.

-Legion quotes Sovereign from Virmire. How does he know the exact words Sovereign said?

I suppose he could have learned this from a broadcast. Which indicates someone was recording that conversation. Why didn’t anyone record Virgil on Illos?

-The geth want to understand organics better so they can understand the quarians’ actions during Morning War.

-I’d like to know why Legion never fixes the other hole in his platform. Surely that counts as a “structural weakness”?

Collector Raid

-As others have noted, the excuse to get Shepard and the companions off the ship is terrible. How does the entire squad even fit in a single shuttle? Who is sitting in whose lap?

-Kudos to Joker, he shows tremendous courage during this section.

-Shepard and Edi already sound married.

-Why doesn’t Edi ask other crew members for help?

When Joker gets to the Engine room, the Collectors are carry a crew member out of it. That means they must have already been in there. They could have done what Edi asked Joker to to do.