#Backup Generator In Phoenix

[batterybackupsaz]

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[slitheringghost]

Making Sense of Lily's Last Moments

Lily Evans is textually and in fandom lauded for her sacrifice, but if you stop and really think about it, Lily's last moments are extremely bizarre, and, to be frank, make her seem kind of incompetent rather than the battle hardened soldier she was:

1. She doesn't have her wand on her when Voldemort is hunting her family down and they could be in danger any moment, which is insanely careless (James does have his, even though he leaves it for just a couple moments just as Voldemort arrives)

2. She wastes precious time blocking the door with cardboard boxes when she knows Voldemort can just wave them away and then more precious time trying to reason with Lord fucking Voldemort despite having wandless magic abilities, begging Voldemort for mercy when the entire reason they've been in hiding for a year is because they all know that, y'know, Voldemort has no mercy (And Lily, the Muggleborn, who has lost the most to this war, knows this better than anyone)

As I explain in this post, we have similar scenarios in which the characters do fight - Amelia Bones "put up a real fight” against Voldemort. Bellatrix uses knives as backup when disarmed of her wand. Dobby saves Harry via wandless magic in the same book we see Lily’s death and her controlling wandless magic at 9. Harry avoids curses from Voldemort/Bellatrix/other Death Eaters by hiding behind stuff. Bellatrix initially escapes Dumbledore who's the better duelist over Voldemort, etc. So while escape is highly unlikely, isn't impossible either. And there's no way Lily wouldn't go down fighting if she had the option.

There's a lot of moments in the series where we as readers go "well why didn't the characters just do XYZ instead, it's such an obvious answer!" especially with how limitless magic in HP is. But I generally assume there's some in-universe reason that would make the characters' choices make sense rather than just accepting that they're stupid and incompetent.

I'm constantly on my soapbox about how fandom should adapt the interpretation that Lily had a plan and did dark magic to save Harry and to defeat Voldemort, which is my personal reading of the text However, if I haven't convinced you on that (...yet), here are some possible ways to fill in the gaps and make Lily's choices seem less strange. (Even if you don't think the canon version makes her look incompetent, these are just fun ideas to play with regardless!)

Why Lily didn't have her wand

Lily's wand broke at some point during a particular dangerous experiment. We have canon examples - Ron's wand in CoS, Harry's in DH (How did Voldemort's wand survive the blast if his body evaporated and end up with him in GoF then? Who knows...). Realistically, the Order would prioritize getting Lily a new wand ASAP because it's so obviously necessary, so maybe it happened close-ish to Halloween and they didn't have the time or opportunity. It could be an interesting parallel to Harry's own powerlessness in DH without his phoenix wand.

@keepmycandleburning's explanation in her fic I'm quicker includes a dark interpretation of James and Lily's marriage, where James took Lily's wand hostage as a method of abuse.

Why Lily didn't fight with wandless magic

Despair and depression can sap your magical power - examples include Merope, Tonks, dementors affecting the magical power of Azkaban prisoners', etc. Perhaps Lily had post-partum depression which sapped her wandless powers, or even just the general despair of fear for Harry's and her own and her loved ones' lives, being trapped in hiding, her family and other friends being dead, etc. Also interesting because until then Lily had a safety net compared to a lot of other Muggleborns - who were in constant fear of having their wands taken away and no wandless magic to fall back on - due to her magical power, but she ultimately ends up deprived of that too.

I still think Lily would've tried, like, anything else other than the cardboard box thing and begging Voldemort, but at least this makes her actions less weird and more like the brilliant witch we know she was.

[rei-ismyname]

X-Comics Weekly Roundup

Week 4

Ahoy there! At the end of each week I do a roundup of the X-Comics and characters' appearances in other books. I read a lot of comics in general and I can't or won't write an essay on all of them, like I did with Exceptional X-Men #10 here. The others are all generally worthy of commentary, so a paragraph or two on each in this post is much better for me. This week I'm doing Magik #7, Phoenix #12, Giant-Size Dark Phoenix + the backup story, Marvel United: Pride, and One World Under DOOM #5. I can't be bothered with Deadpool/Wolverine but I'm sure it had dick jokes, violence and bub. To me, my X-books!

2 Wolverines! Cyke! Storm! Magik! Others!

MAGIK #7

So, demons are rebelling against Maddie Pryor in Limbo, again. Making Soul Weapons, same as in Storm #10. There's no indication the two are related which feels like a huge missed opportunity. I had to reread both to make sure I didn't miss any connections or references. The stories are close enough that collaboration could be claimed ex post facto, which will probably happen, but it feels really weird to do very similar plots in two separate solos without linking them. It would have been very easy, too, as Maddie has acted against DOOM, who seems eager to quash rogue powerful beings (at least in tie-ins.) Apparently Soul Swords etc are not especially difficult to make, actually, even for demons.

That nonsense aside, Magik has been one of the better X-books. I do love checking in on Maddie and her ongoing efforts at self determination and happiness. Ilyana's support of her would ring a little more true if Limbo and demons thereof weren't showing up so often I'd wondered who was actually running the show. Being a single author whose protagonist is handled by many others it's probably wise to lean into that tension, though I'm left more confused about the mechanics of Limbo rulership. The character beats are solid, if a little repetitive on Maddie's end. That's understandable, of course, as you don't just start assuming good intentions after a lifetime of transactional relationships and abandonment. Generally speaking, what is given can be taken back, so it's nice to see support freely offered and happiness not as a zero sum game. Magik using her newfound acceptance of Darkchilde as a part of her to help Maddie feels like growth and I'm invested in where she goes from here. Hopefully Dani Moonstar shows up again - I want closure on their conflict. Lastly, I empathize with the demons a little. Sure, they're fucking with Maddie, but also they object to being ruled by force from an outsider. That's pretty sympathetic, and I find it hard to swallow the conceit that it's okay to kill and subjugate them because they're demons. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #5

It's nice to see the X-Men show up in One World Under DOOM, finally, if very briefly. Storm silently stood with the heroes in issue #1, after dying at Doom's house and refusing any kind of discussion about how best to improve the well-being of mutants. Deux ex machina undid that death, and DOOM insisted she be held accountable for harbouring a war criminal convicted of crimes against humanity. Given that the other heroes are actually having the chat - with The Mighty Thor of all people postulating that DOOM is a net positive - I would love to see any X-Men weighing in. Any opinion at all, maybe how universal healthcare and education was more than Krakoa managed. Also, The Krakoan project saw alliances and reformation of various long time antagonists, many of which stuck, so it's not like they lack a recent frame of reference. Of those who have struggled after the Fall, the majority are bought down by circumstances and bad luck, highlighting that you can't be reformed if society won't let you. Rogue and Logan make a late appearance as Thor points out what should be pretty obvious by now but they don't have anything to say, staring blankly as if waiting for Maria Hill to save them from having an opinion. Literally blinking at the reader in multiple sequential panels lol. Unsure why anyone would trust Maria fucking Hill even a little bit, and not just because of ORCHIS. The woman is a fascist. OWUD continues to frustrate, consistently giving DOOM and his rule growth and vindication only for the heroes to keep looking for the trick. Iron Man, noted Nazi collaborator, billionaire, arms dealer and strike breaker, says it loudest - 'his last name is DOOM' - as if that means anything. Ironically, Tony has actual opinions in his solo even as he arms a literal Nazi coup of Latveria.

Logan? Rogue? Storm? Any thoughts? Bueller?

Thor's POV is largely Odin-positive, ignoring that he was a brutal Imperialist who 'protected' realms whether they liked it or not. It points to the ludicrousness of a Norse God siding with any modern nation state, as if US exceptionalism and neoliberal democracy means anything to him. Thor does make excellent points, highlighting the benefits of unified government in the abstract as well as DOOM's incredibly successful healthcare, education, and disarmament reform. Plus defeating Dormammu, of course. Cyclops, Rogue and Logan are just here to look good while noted fascist Maria Hill tells the heroes what they want to hear. I don't see why anyone would trust her though I can imagine her making the hard decision of snatching away global QOL increases just because they don't like the guy who did it - with a mandate and broad support no less. Ironically, DOOM helped out vs ORCHIS while SHIELD did not. In fact, 30+% of ORCHIS personnel were ex-SHIELD. Cyclops has nothing to say, Rogue too, and Logan barely pays attention. Maybe Dormammu cast a silence spell on these very outspoken mutants. If nothing else, Maria Hill could serve as a blame pincushion for smashing the welfare state so the heroes don't look too bad. I'm thinking she can repossess insulin and enforce any welfare debt accrued while the hero teams *just* violently subvert the will of the people.

I love it when Thor gets to be funny/clever, but he's just being shouted down here. No mutant really has an opinion on free healthcare and education, open borders, and disarmament at the cost of not liking the guy who did it? No political thoughts from any X-Men is disappointing but not surprising because nobody seems to have any. Maybe that's the point - that superheroes and intelligence agents shouldn't be making political and ethical decisions unilaterally. They mostly look like idiots because THOR IS RIGHT. Doom's 'tyranny' is life-changing benevolent shit and he isn't emperor, actually. World leaders agreed to follow him and he's been doing the job. The Avengers etc opposing him is not democracy - it's an oligarchy of superhumans choosing the method of global government by themselves. Mask off shit. A lot of that is how Ryan North has set this event up, making Victor Von DOOM an unprecedented progressive political force. He's not torturing kids on the side or purging enemies. Maria Hill of all fucking people knowing some secret that'll certainly put her and Roxxon etc back in charge is going to feel awkward. She's a fascist and Marvel governments are famously even more corrupt and evil than even IRL ones. So yeah, I'm pro DOOM - because he's been shown fixing the damn world while the heroes embrace reactionary kneejerk ownership of the political process. I'd love a reason to not be but it hasn't been shown this run. Where's the Omelas?

PHOENIX #12

This issue was really quite dull, sadly. The dichotomous reveal of Sarah Grey's life as normal/special and filling gaps in known history with extra bits and pieces, takes up the entirety of the issue. It feels like the Adani problem all over again - Jean and Phoenix backgrounded to focus on a character Jean has a power imbalanced affinity for - but not really delivering a hook. We've been told that it ends badly in some way, so the mystery is more in the how than the what, yet Jean herself is barely there. I admit I found it funny when Cable walked in the door and blew her away mid-speech, but it feels like a retread of last issue's cliffhanger. I like to think Imperial is happening at the same time - it's where Nova fucked off to - and Jean is ignoring the intergalactic war because she's preoccupied with a mortal she loves. If you squint it's the second incidence of this tactic, like when Corsair 'warned' Scott about the bounty hunters after him for leverage on Jean. Considering the continuity between other books happening simultaneously, I doubt it. *See Magik #7 and Storm #10 for what I mean. It's a shame they're under different editorial offices... Wait, what? They're all under the same editor? There must be extenuating circumstances surely? Oh ok, there's not. Well, as we found out in Giant-Size Whatever that the past is not set in stone. That's probably it. Time travel, and now Cable has arrived to make everything easier to follow, as he usually does. The thing is, if Sara Grey is full of shit why are we spending two whole issues listening to her talking? How would Cable know and Jean just ... doesn't? Unclear. I think there's potential here, but the info dump needs to matter to elevate this beyond treading water.

Hi Cable! I guess you can elaborate next time

IMPERIAL Chuckwatch

As mentioned last week, Imperial #1 was Chuckless. However, A series of spin-off titles called Imperial War has been announced, with Exiles apparently focusing on Twink Xavier and his birdwife plus their bird daughter. That's an interesting title to use, as it usually refers to pan-dimensional mutant shenanigans with characters like Blink. It seems that Xandra really has been booted off the throne and Chuck does everything he can to protect her AKA form a team of heroes, lol. It's unsurprising that he jumps into imperialism with both feet though forming some Space X-Men sounds interesting. Looks like we're keeping the ragtag bunch of misfits Exiles is known for and keeping up a proud history of the Imperial Guard backfiring on everyone.

I doubt Vulcan is showing up in a retread of War of Kings etc but I'd be surprised if Cannonball isn't at least mentioned. His bootlicker wife might have something to say about it and fingers crossed his boyfriend Sunspot shows up. In the first Chuck Hunt issue, Xandra was getting couped by rebels. Xavier escaped to help her, eventually, then came back to deliver soup recommendations. I assume that rebellion was defeated, as she was on the throne in Imperial #1. It seems she's been couped again and her entire family exiled. The Shi'Ar must have some pigeon ancestors or something. Coup coup! 🎶

GIANT-SIZE NOSTALGIA #2

Rod Reis's pencils are always delightful, a very fitting choice for the range required of a Dark Phoenix redux. The story is certainly better than the last one, purely for explaining what Legion actually wants - to get back to David in the White Hot Room, to kill him? The why of Kamala's presence is handwaved; she's special and that's that. I can accept that, though I think it would be more satisfying if she chose this quest as opposed to being dragged along accidentally. It's interesting that the X-Men remember Kamala from last issue but Jean does not. Makes sense, because this shouldn't be Jean Grey, right? It should be Phoenix, with Jean resting up in a cocoon while the bird takes her body for a joyride. I don't expect the mechanics of that will be explained, even as Kamala is inserted into X-Men history. We're playing fast and loose with established continuity and rewriting it at the same time. It's the kind of arc welding and consolidation that Al Ewing is master of, like Gillen managed with The Phoenix and Exodus; time will tell what history looks like when the Hivemind are finished. Pun intended.

YOINK!

I am glad that David Haller hasn't been regressed, with confirmation that he ended up like Hope Summers. Still, I hope for closure that respects his mental health and self-determination. I will say that Kamala being the closest to Jean/Phoenix here is weird. By her own admission she stays out of the Jott tags and doesn't know her X-Men history, as if she doesn't feel like enough of a self insert OC already. I'm invested enough to see where this goes but the SEO-driven slapdash construction invokes feelings of cynicism. The antagonistic relationship between Kamala and Legion seems to be dying down as they end up in Age of Apocalypse - both out of their element. No doubt they'll flip flop again, but hopefully we get some characterisation beyond 'crazy gestalt.' Kamala easily overpowering him with her mutant abilities makes them more vulnerable, which is a good basis for an emotional core.

How does Kamala know this? They've never met.

I admit I was dreading the backup story a little. I've felt burned by Steve Foxe's X-Men efforts the last few years and Tom Brevoort teased his 'Grand Unified Theory of Scott and Jean' between these covers. It's pretty satisfying though, and importantly it's sincere. Jeanix in present day meets a dying alien creature and shares her feelings/memories of love with Scott to them. We get affirmation that they're 'two sides of the same being' but also that they have had (past tense 😞) other true loves.) The Phoenix is a through line of their bond, a cosmic marriage of sorts starting with the psychic rapport. The creature dies happy. It's a bit sappy and underexamined for such a big concept, frankly I think it would be better served as its own thing. It's a concept that supports a reading of their relationship that I've held for a while - that Phoenix is part of the polycule with separate love for Scott - yet their bond doesn't require The Phoenix to give it meaning. The narrative being told is sweet as a one shot, but the additions and revisions to Phoenixology need more space. That's probably not happening, so I'm happy with what's here.

UNITED: Marvel Pride

'Would you go on the record stating that for our corporate diversity initiative?'

Marvel has a pretty terrible history of how it treats queer characters, and it's never more obvious than in their Pride Month content. Queer characters and creators are pretty underrepresented in general, so frequently Pride works end up reinforcing normativity instead of challenging it. I'm not saying anything new here, of course, but I'm not giving them credit for doing the bare minimum sometimes. Al Ewing rarely misses and I think they pushed the cynicism about as far as allowed in having mostly unconnected queer characters team up to kill Nazis. It's worthwhile to say something while railing against the limitations of the medium.

The alt universe tale or dream of a milquetoast Destiny and Mystique chilling in the background while Kurt gets focus is truly baffling. Raven dreaming of the child they abandoned and a different life is just weird, fitting none of the characters. I'm not sure what this is trying to say at all, maybe it doesn't say anything. If so, why bother? Seriously, who is this for? Surprisingly, I know who all these characters are despite barely showing up in print. Sure, Loki does, almost always presenting as a man (unless Ewing is writing them,) which gives me the impression that Marvel isn't interested in having queer characters. Where's Kitty Pryde? Where's Karma and Bobby? I thought that a queer X-Men thing was a tradition by now. Kurt and Cap ain't exactly queer icons and the actual queer people in their periphery getting trotted out for Pride would be more powerful if they were in other books too.

My expectations were nonexistent but this still managed to disappoint. If nothing else, some queer creators get paid. That's something. Hopefully they get work for the rest of the year too.

Thanks for reading, that's the weekly roundup!

[zombiekittypets]

major major Dual Destinies spoilers + even though i dont go into major detail its definitely not for people who cant handle the mention of dead bodies or death in general. also ALOT of rambling from a sleepy guy because i read too deep into things ↓

now that im thinking about it. it took an entire year to identify Bobby Fulbrights body and the only reason why they got it was because of fingerprints yeah?

i know alot of people already theorized about his body being destroyed to being unrecognizable but i just fuckin realized that theres NO way it was fire damage or other methods like acid for the sole fuckin reason of the fingerprints and also identification he would have on his person, badge being the main one but also he dresses unique enough i think clothes are absolutely an identifier too.

there is a possibility that the clothes and badge the Phantom uses is directly from Bobby, especially assuming if there was no duplicates. i kinda doubt he was killed while on duty, else he wouldve either been caught by other people and also wouldve been more prepared.

i dont think the Phantom wouldve used a gun either because of this, which explains why the clothes dont have any damage and despite how even more incompetent the force is in Ace Attorney i dont think it wouldve been easy to explain a sudden absence to wash out blood either. PLUS if hes not doing work it means a gunshot wouldve been even more suspicious basically almost anywhere. obviously the way exactly how Bobby died is a mystery but personally i think the order of events was:

1st. killed either out of uniform, in uniform but in a way that didnt result in major damage,

2nd. badge & uniform taken from his house or if he was wearing it, directly from the body

3rd. body was either first mangled or was moved elsewhere to be mangled. obviously in a discoverable spot however

4th. the Phantom then started being Bobby, and the events of Dual Destinies plays out

but like. why the fuck did the Phantom NOT just dispose of the body using something like fire or acid? its not like they couldnt afford the disposal or hide it somewhere not discoverable, considering theyre literally a spy and also posing as at the very least a very well off person??? and especially in a place that was apparently discovered very quickly even if it took a year to identify????

This means that something either went terribly wrong when trying to dispose his body, or in a very Ace Attorney move i got my "facts" wrong. plus ill admit that its possible that the clothes were discarded and just had multiple copies or one was created in advance. Still definitely think the badge is the same badge though

i think there was another victim of the Phantom when they were trying to assume Bobbys identity. hell, maybe even multiple others. that's what this entire ramble was about. the way Edgeworth even talks about his findings kinda leads me to believe there was more than one body even if they werent mentioned

i genuinely want to know who this other person is if they existed. Bobby did have a family and with how he seems i would be shocked if he didnt have friends before his death.

something something prequel game about Bobby Fulbright and his awesome orphaned teenage girl with secret powers friend idfk

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

the Phantom having MULTIPLE masks, and who said masks are (NOT counting ones in the breakdown) is so so so interesting as well! i think its possible that these masks wouldve been backups if the Bobby facade was caught earlier.

Starbuck being kinda obvious, hes another person involved with the HAT rockets and would be a great face to use to sabotage from the inside. Prof Means & Phoenix while a symbolic choice originally imo actually makes alot of sense as another disguise. theyre both a person in power in the legal system, much like how Bobby was. albeit not as high ranking but still a person in power nonetheless

anyways. ending notes that dont fit elsewhere: i still dont understand why the Phantom didnt(or couldnt) dispose the bod(ies)y or at the very least bury them somewhere secure. unf, i am not smart enough to come up with the exact why! maybe theres a weird honor thing in the spy org but youre still allowed to absolutely destroy the face idfk

at first i thought that the way Bobby was killed didnt really matter, just the where, but i definitely think theres probably even more going on with that now. not something i wanna go into detail on a public platform tho

the masks themselves being so perfect especially without an actual head to base the things is insane. obviously game logic but with the Phoenix mask actually falling apart under stress i wonder if theres some flaws in them that arent known or seen because again game logic. not everyone is perfect

my logic for the "clothes came from Bobby instead of being a copy" is simply because its way more fuckin awesome and cool from a storytelling standpoint than just being a copy. its the same reason why the writers probably didnt actually have the Phantom dispose the body, its just better storytelling :) still fun to think about tho

[gravecircuit]

Act 2 Review + Act 3 theories (FULL spoilers)

ouch

Maddie is up there waiting in Caitlyn's bed while this Shakespearean bloodbath is going down lmaoooooo

Jayce pancaking Salo made me cackle like an idiot, I heard the mario bros game over theme play when he did that, put that thing down you murderhobo omg

Vi didn't see the slap coming because Jinx was winding that one up since Season 1, Episode 3

I really thought Cait army vs. Jinx army was going to be a more fleshed out / dramatic arc but I'm not against the Metal Gear Powder episode we got instead.

My previous theory of it not being LeBlanc is essentially debunked in this batch - I was theorizing against it because of power scaling but looking at Mel's power, I thought she would have a force field but she's got some sort of phoenix force thing going on. (There's theories out now that MEL technically blew up the council in reflex to deflect the jinx rocket). I'll leave the Du Couteau theory on the shelf, but if were going all the way up to LeBlanc's office + reading all of Ambessa's lines, what on earth did Kino do to piss off DRACULA!?

To go further, because of in game descriptions people were speculating if the "Pantheon" in Ambessa's music video was just some Noxian stand in. But the Ambessa plot snippet + Mel's power maybe being hereditary makes me think actual Pantheon might be on the menu, as in, Mel is the child of the Matriarch and Aspect of War. Pin this for now, I'll browse the wiki again later.

Silco, Vander, Felicia flashback: new context dropped. Literal actual godfathers of Zaun. At this point how many generations back does sibling conflict go omg, Felicia's a descendent of Morgana or something.

Cait doing a 180 out of her heel turn felt a little rushed to me. We didn't see "commander" Caitlyn command anything?? It felt like she was in that ceremonial position Jayce offered her in season 1, it's like, "I'm a dictator /j" - Vi also didn't seem mad enough idk, off screen timeskip call her cupcake kiss and make up end scene bleh. They switch back sides with very little conflict idk.

"I won't fail, I swear it." Did Jayce enter the Viktorverse? Who else would he swear to if he's tasked with crossing that line?

Isha. Fortiche established 2 new cinnamon rolls in Act 1. The way they terrorize us with both of them in opposite ways omfg.

Overall, Act 2 felt like a lot of bullet points wanted to be covered. but still keeping Vi & Jinx as the through line. It's not perfectly paced, but I still think that they will stick the landing (especially after the end of this batch aaaaa).

Act 3 thoughts:

The Noxian invasion seems to be kicking off in Act 3, I wonder if there are any other tricks remaining up Ambessa's sleeve or if another Noxian character is who show's up with the air balloons / army. (Cast feels pretty full as it is but still)

It looks like Mel escapes and returns to Piltover maaaaybe in episode 7? The thing with Mel's story is again, I don't know what Piltover should do if LeBlanc actually rolls up. Everyone fire all their abilities I guess.

On that note, I really doubt any other characters are coming in as backup for Piltover. Maybe some from Zaun? (Urgot clutch LOL no). "Prototype Blitzcranks" might be used idk.

Heimerdinger might hard carry. Also, the in-game Arcane theme turrets looking like hex gates I think is intentional. Potential Piltover death laser incoming?

I'm hopping on the train of thought that Act 3 will have a scene of everyone dying and Ekko going "you're probably wondering how we got here" *rewinds the tape*

I think Viktor will be the final boss.

[m--rtyr]

OKAY OKAY! HEAR ME OUT

More in line with the idea of a much older general cast of MCD, may I present Vylad having a massive age gap with his brothers. Also the idea that Garroth had run away long before Vylad was born and in his guilt he used Zenix as a sort of replacement. To be a good big brother for the one he never got to meet.

It could also explain why Zianna was so willing to have an affair knowing the risks, she no longer believed she could get pregnant and Vylad was a miracle baby. It would also make more sense as to why Garte would keep him around. His oldest son had left and he knew that Zane could not be trusted to run O'khasis so an easy backup plan was formed should all else fail. So, imagine that Zane grew to resent Vylad and the mysterious circumstances around Young Vylad's death was not as mysterious, Zane had just had his brother assassinated.

Zane knew that he would never get the throne but Vylad is harder to manipulate than his older brother. He can't treat him as a puppet but Garroth can be walked around like a dog running purely on guilt. What would fuel that guilt more than a dead brother he never met and thus could never have protected?

Ah i love your brain (i think youve sent me another Older cast ask and i will find it and answer it soon i promise idk why i havent already)

The fact that Vylad then kind of... seeks him out as well

Vylad was in Phoenix drop before Aphmau showed up, presumably the lord died quite a while before MCD even begins so he's been there a while, and just the idea that this kid who never knew his older brother... died, and he's back now, and he's seeking him out, because he has to make sure someone is looking out for Garroth, making sure Zane isn't doing the things he wants to do.

He can't be a part of Garroth's world, he knows what he himself is, and he knows that trying to integrate himself into Garroth's life is only going to hurt when he has to leave it. Especially because he'll have to leave it badly, it's always badly when it's people like him. He can only watch from afar, imagine what could be, and he can do his best to protect Garroth - and he does, even if his best still gets Garroth injured.

Garroth and Vylad are both just ideas to each other. Vylad gets to imagine being alive, being happy, being Garroth's brother, and Garroth gets to imagine not failing his family, himself, everyone. But it would, ironically and inevitably, lead to Garroth's death and Vylad's failure if they were to meet, so there's a distance kept. It has to be. The line between fantasy and reality.

A line blurred by Zenix and Aphmau. Vylad is the person who easily knows the most about Aphmau - he was there when she spawned in, and has been observing her ever since. It's not a close bond, but it's... the closest he has. Garroth is likely the person who knows the most about Zenix - despite everything, despite it all, there was a knowing there, somewhere, even if it was nothing. Knowing a little bit about an unknown subject is still knowing the most about it. And yet... Vylad and Zenix end up in what seems like perpetual dual, always on the opposite ends of moral extremism to each other, Vylad doing whatever needs to be done to keep other people alive, and Zenix doing whatever needs to be done to keep himself alive. And Garroth and Aphmau is... ITS THE SHIPWAR SHIP IDK WHAT TO SAY

Which is all to say, from what they keep their distance from, they end up getting very close to something that the other cared about, they are getting close to each other but there is still a mountain of distance between them.

And this kind of ended up segregated to the original point, but i just. idk.

i like the idea that Vylad could get his brother back any time, but he just... won't. He has reasons, but at the end of the day, he's willingly making the decision to not be a part of Garroth's life. So they gotta have that bond elsewhere dude

[the-valiant-valkyrie]

wanted to say your post about right robot is so so good, so for a question maybe how you think their possible reunion would go?(prism and right ofc), or anything you wanna say about him in general

well one, i think if prism ever reunited with him again, the first thing she would probably do would be to wail. i definitely think that when the rest of her robots were destroyed, the shock and suddenness of the moment kind of... completely hollowed her out. she couldn't feel anything. and it took until after she left phoenix on the beach for any of those emotions to come back to the surface again. i think meeting back with her last remaining robot after already mourning each and every one would probably force some of those feelings to resurface.

i think right robot would take it a little better, but it would still be pretty hard on him, too. i imagine it must be frightening waking up to hear that all your siblings are dead, and your creator almost followed suit... so finally being able to see her again would probably be a huge relief. i imagine it can get kind of lonely being the only sentient robot in the agency... everyone othering you. no one communicating with you the same way prism used to... it must be a bit of a culture shock

i think their life post reuniting would be... stressful. i like to think one of prism's biggest regrets post-game is that she realizes she accidentally became horribly similar to the agency. they weren't originally even supposed to be sentient! she doesn't even know if they wanted to be robot agents! she never told them they could be anything else! they weren't able to do anything other than what she told them!

... and all but one of them are dead, now... and she can't help but feel like it's all her fault. she trusted too much. she didn't think too far ahead. her old factory has turned into a mass grave... nothing she does can possibly be enough to mourn every last one of them. as a result, i think she's very careful with her last remaining robot. as well as very paranoid about backing him up. she does so once a night, with three back-up backups just in case.

right robot... is glad to be back with her, don't get him wrong, but... it hurts to see prism tear herself up about everything. even when she says its fine, he knows that isn't true. sometimes, prism will look at him and... he can see the regret well up in her eyes. she's so exhausted... and even after everything, she works herself so hard. she beats herself up over her mistakes so often. it hurts to see.

he helps where he can... does anything he can to make prism's life easier. whether that's making sure she doesn't miss meals, or get to bed on time, or entertaining her whenever she's worried she forgot to do a backup the night before (even despite his constant reassurances that she has)... he loves prism very much. and it's so painfully obvious that she loves him, too. he wants her to be happy, so... he hopes that some day she can find it in her to forgive herself. he would like that.

[ophiocordyceps]

ok i need to know how v2 preserves itself and what kind of being it becomes in a sense, how it changes and what it's able to retain as it saves itself from its decay. ALSO very interested in gabriel's response to it - both like. how he takes the plans it enacts with regard to its study of angels and its transition into a new entity (hope it's not too much but i love these ideas uuwahhhh)

im not yet sure how gabe would react other than it being generally bittersweet !! (unless @presidentbungus has any input there), though he probably wouldnt've been too surprised when it first started studying angels since V2 was just extremely curious all around and initially it just wanted to learn more about them, since that was wayyy before any of end-of-life plans had ever even been relevant. but the whole backup thing is kind of stressful for V2, at least in a 'you need to get this done while you still can' sense. the whole reason phoenix is more of another, separate entity than just V2 resurrected is that I kind of took from the idea of how artificial intelligence works in the mass effect universe, where you can't even transfer an AI to different hardware without fundamentally altering it by virtue of slight variables between different bits of hardware, even when it's presumably identical on the surface, combined with the fact that in my interpretation the Vs computers are neuromorphic and modelled after the human brain and have artificial synapses and everything, so instead it decides to create some sort of esoteric hybrid processor (which takes a lot of trial and error and probably some suspension of disbelief) that'll last for a very, very long time (it's capable of regenerating itself, but puts a lot of strain on the rest of its body's systems, meaning phoenix has to do a lot more frequent upkeep) and then uploading some of it's memories and other archived data to it that it deems important or vital; mostly important events in its life and various bits of info that would otherwise be lost, and then it leaves gabriel the instructions for how to actually swap out the parts and upload the data backup onto it. it really is a sort of bittersweet 'came back wrong' sort of deal because of the inherent differences between iterations, which is something they would need to work out for sure. it's aware that it's a derivative of someone else who it can never truly be, but it doesn't dwell on that because it knows it was created out of it's predecessor's love for it's friend and to make sure someone would be there still with him, it has those memories and has at least part of that connection still.

phoenix is also initially just kind of. off-putting, vaguely. being an angelic machine (or a mechanical angel), it operates at far higher temperatures and its lights are all bleached white and are brighter and trying to output light from any possible place on its body. it's aware that it's not quite the same entity as V2, though it will respond to both that name and it's given designation (PHNX-AM or just phoenix, V2 named it that both to play into the idea of something being reborn from ashes and also riffing off its mechanical nature and angels as messengers). it's generally more hollow and blank seeming at first, though it does start to relearn a few of V2's mannerisms, and as time goes on it eventually begins modifying its body again into something more unique over the course of what would be several lifetimes both for optimization reasons and identity realization reasons. the whole dual nature thing probably messes with gabe for a good while at first, reminding him of things he's lost or left behind

instead of asking whether a doctor has a doctor, we're asking if angels can have guardian angels, basically.

[phoenix-and-found-family]

@wyvchard (This is long so forgive any mistakes. I can't think of anything else at the moment.)

1. Who are your agents bringing with them?

Agent 13-12 will definitely be bringing Agent Smitten (their husband) with them. Smitten is more well known for information gathering and reconnaissance, which would balance out the fighters. He's also well known for being able to sneak around quite well.

2. Who did they tell?

13-12 told their Reginald, Roxana, Ashley Lincoln. Reginald got told everything, as well as Roxana. (Both wouldn't tell anyone else, aside Reginald following regulations and informing the higher-ups about Phoenix's new unavailability in as vague terms he could get away with.) Ashley Lincoln was merely told they're going on a mission, mostly to make sure their apartment was well taken care of; she has no idea what is actually going on. (She won't be able to tell anyone anything.) Smitten told John Juniper but only that he would not be available for an unknown amount of time. (He's uninvolved and unaware that Smitten was/is an agency operative.)

3. What are they bringing with them?

Both 13-12 and Smitten (Each has a copy)

Spare clothes (Casual clothes but there is an agency uniform there.)

Agency communication devices, along with backups

Trackers for everyone with the same range as their earpieces. (They're waterproof and hard to track.)

Hygiene kits (same with 043), along with spare first aid kits. (For simple scratches and injuries, along with generic medicine like paracetamol.)

Sewing kit

Knives

Phones and Chargers

Notepad and writing materials

Their wallets and agency identification documents (So they can contact the agency in the other dimension)

13-12

10 of the experimental tie pins that allows for evasion but has the chance of causing drama. They will tell 043 about the possibility.

Basic makeup kit (foundation to cover eye bags, lipstick, other feminine stuff)

A pen knife. (The grip is a pen that's as long as the palm and the blade is as big as one's palm that is covered by the rest of the pen's body)

A list of chemicals and how to obtain them (You know why. XD)

Smitten (I'll ask later if I can add something after. I think of anything else at the moment.)

Cooking supplies (like the pots and pans)

Basically also the camp stuff

4. Any soul crushing secrets or phobias I should know about?

13-12's Secrets / Phobias

13-12 has a streak of self-experimentation but due to an incident, they are unwilling to do so again.

13-12 seems to have a nagging feeling that they shouldn't be Phoenix. As seen by Candlelight, they aren't too far off the mark.

13-12 does not like to use their time-death ability too much, citing that it once left them feeling out of breath.

13-12 also fears losing their loved ones, hence they carry a small bottle of a chemical that put someone in temporary (enough to allow someone to be taken to a hospital in near fatal injuries). It has been a while since they replaced it so it may not be as effective anymore. (This is for plot reasons. Using this would make something worse. >:3)

13-12 finds it hard to cry, often shutting down to focus on the task at hand but they would be incapacitated for a few hours afterwards. One of the few cases they did cry was when they made it to Babadag after the elevator.

They also have a fear of holding people back, causing them to occasionally overcompensate.

Smitten's Secrets / Phobias

Weirdly enough, he has highly conflicted feelings with 20 dollars that he can't quite explain.

Smitten is protective of 13-12 but is able to let them go. However, he feels guilt on getting them involved in this path of life.

He feels unsettled by the funeral director responsible for agent funerals.

He only recently received his implant but seems to have proficiency for it, much to his surprise.

He's involved more on infiltration in the business side of things, which means he knows quite a bit about Zoraxis, particularly when it comes to Zoraxis involvement in their district.

Officially, Ameri is considered missing and only recently found. He was in hiding to find out the identity of the Phantom, but it's mostly to find out what happened to the former Lead Field Agent before Phoenix took over.

He has a suspicion that his family has ties to Zoraxis but can't bear to look further into it at the moment.

His marriage with 13-12 is something neither of them like to talk about, specifically on how they got together. They have been friends before college though.

5. Where are they opening the portal to 101-A?

We're going to 014's / your Phoenix's dimension, mostly because it would probably make sense plot-wise. Also gives them an opportunity to look around and see if this is where Vadas first came to the world in.

6. What have they told each other?

13-12 would also tell 043 everything they knew about the situation as well. From their conversation with Circuit to what Smitten discovers on his missions.

Okay great 👍

[batterybackupsaz]

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[exeton]

Data Centers in High Demand: The AI Industry’s Unending Quest for More Capacity

The demand for data centers to support the booming AI industry is at an all-time high. Companies are scrambling to build the necessary infrastructure, but they’re running into significant hurdles. From parts shortages to power constraints, the AI industry’s rapid growth is stretching resources thin and driving innovation in data center construction.

The Parts Shortage Crisis

Data center executives report that the lead time to obtain custom cooling systems has quintupled compared to a few years ago. Additionally, backup generators, which used to be delivered in a month, now take up to two years. This delay is a major bottleneck in the expansion of data centers.

The Hunt for Suitable Real Estate

Finding affordable real estate with adequate power and connectivity is a growing challenge. Builders are scouring the globe and employing creative solutions. For instance, new data centers are planned next to a volcano in El Salvador to harness geothermal energy and inside shipping containers in West Texas and Africa for portability and access to remote power sources.

Case Study: Hydra Host’s Struggle

Earlier this year, data-center operator Hydra Host faced a significant hurdle. They needed 15 megawatts of power for a planned facility with 10,000 AI chips. The search for the right location took them from Phoenix to Houston, Kansas City, New York, and North Carolina. Each potential site had its drawbacks — some had power but lacked adequate cooling systems, while others had cooling but no transformers for additional power. New cooling systems would take six to eight months to arrive, while transformers would take up to a year.

Surge in Demand for Computational Power

The demand for computational power has skyrocketed since late 2022, following the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The surge has overwhelmed existing data centers, particularly those equipped with the latest AI chips, like Nvidia’s GPUs. The need for vast numbers of these chips to create complex AI systems has put enormous strain on data center infrastructure.

Rapid Expansion and Rising Costs

The amount of data center space in the U.S. grew by 26% last year, with a record number of facilities under construction. However, this rapid expansion is not enough to keep up with demand. Prices for available space are rising, and vacancy rates are negligible.

Building Data Centers: A Lengthy Process

Jon Lin, the general manager of data-center services at Equinix, explains that constructing a large data facility typically takes one and a half to two years. The planning and supply-chain management involved make it challenging to quickly scale up capacity in response to sudden demand spikes.

Major Investments by Tech Giants

Supply Chain and Labor Challenges

The rush to build data centers has extended the time required to acquire essential components. Transceivers and cables now take months longer to arrive, and there’s a shortage of construction workers skilled in building these specialized facilities. AI chips, particularly Nvidia GPUs, are also in short supply, with lead times extending to several months at the height of demand.

Innovative Solutions to Power Needs

Portable Data Centers and Geothermal Energy

Startups like Armada are building data centers inside shipping containers, which can be deployed near cheap power sources like gas wells in remote Texas or Africa. In El Salvador, AI data centers may soon be powered by geothermal energy from volcanoes, thanks to the country’s efforts to create a more business-friendly environment.

Conclusion: Meeting the Unending Demand

The AI industry’s insatiable demand for data centers shows no signs of slowing down. While the challenges are significant — ranging from parts shortages to power constraints — companies are responding with creativity and innovation. As the industry continues to grow, the quest to build the necessary infrastructure will likely become even more intense and resourceful.

FAQs

1. Why is there such a high demand for data centers in the AI industry?

The rapid growth of AI technologies, which require significant computational power, has driven the demand for data centers.

2. What are the main challenges in building new data centers?

The primary challenges include shortages of critical components, suitable real estate, and sufficient power supply.

3. How long does it take to build a new data center?

It typically takes one and a half to two years to construct a large data facility due to the extensive planning and supply-chain management required.

4. What innovative solutions are companies using to meet power needs for data centers?

Companies are exploring options like modular nuclear reactors, geothermal energy, and portable data centers inside shipping containers.

5. How are tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google responding to the demand for data centers?

They are investing billions of dollars in new data centers to expand their capacity and meet the growing demand for AI computational power.

Muhammad Hussnain Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Youtube

[rosieblogstuff]

The seatbelt is all that’s now holding Jack into the plane, but if Mac gets him down, he’ll need to have somewhere to sit him where he won’t end up wet with melted snow. The ground near the airplane’s body is a mixture of chewed-up dirt and a couple inches of snow. “I need to get some supplies from the back,” Mac says. “You okay for a minute?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll just hang out,” Jack deadpans.

Mac has to climb onto the wing and slither through a broken window to get into the back of the plane, and then he has to lean against the seats for a minute to clear his head. Once he’s steady again, he pries the under-seat bins open. It’s a smorgasbord of supplies: one of Phoenix’s well-stocked first aid kits, a tight wad of generic spare clothes, an emergency kit, extra tac gear, including vests, gloves, guns, and ammo, and few other odds and ends. He also finds two middling-weight jackets with the logo of the shell company they’d been using for cover. He stops to pull on two extra t-shirts and the smaller jacket. He drops the rest of his finds out the window onto the wing as he collects them.

“How are you doing, Jack?” he asks around the seat backs that separate the cluster of passenger seats from the front. There should have been a backup battery somewhere for charging a phone, but he can’t find it.

“Thinking about Nigeria,” Jack says slowly. “You remember how hot it was?”

“Yeah, and I remember how much it stank like burning oil,” Mac says. “And how we almost cooked ourselves.”

“Sure did. But it was warm.”

“I found you a jacket. Wish I’d found a sat phone. Or even a tarp and a rope.” Mac gives up his frantic searching and pauses to look around.

(Continued on ao3)

[ace-avian]

how does it come to be that ein joins aphs group and start living in Phoenix Drop? I know he starts off trying to get vengeance on Irene only to realize shes not actually Irene, but how does that happen? Like a general confrontation w Aph? Would he even believe her if only herself claimed to not be Irene with no backup? Did he try to hurt some of Aphs friends or just her, or did he not even get that far before being talked down?

Ah yes, the main confrontation—

Of course, at first he gets out of the locked garden in the Irene dimension, he does indeed think Aphmau is Irene due to both the centuries spent there alone messing with him and the fact she looks eerily similar.

He does indeed attack a few of them, involving keeping a few, being Lucinda, Garroth and Travis mainly in small crystals. The first confrontation is very much the vibes of “Other Friends” from Steven Universe.

Since Ein isn’t a huge antagonist and is more of a small one/redeemable, there isn’t a lot I’ve thought out JUST yet.

Eventually though, there is a second interaction where Aphmau (or Anstice as I’ve called her in my rewrite), does manage to find Ein, in that sort of garden area in the dimension, as him breaking out of it made it a bit easier for the two to reach that dimension back and forth.

That’s where he attacks Aphmau again, still angry that she is Irene that left him. It’s not until Hyria manages to show up with Levin, Malachi and Zoey that it’s able to hit him that Aphmau isn’t Irene, and it breaks him.

Not because he misses her, no, the rose coloured glasses have come off, but because he can never get the closure he wants anymore. He can never find out why she left him. She’s gone, and he can’t ever call her the terrible sister she was.

Seeing him break down and realise everyone he’s ever cared about is gone, is what allows Aphmau to extend a hand to him. An excerpt of fucking around WIPs I’ve written:

“I’m not Irene.” She whispered, rubbing her throat. “I never will be. I can’t give you your family back, I can’t give you your sisters…” She swallowed. “I can’t give you Shad. But,” She paused for a moment, extending a hand down.

“I can give you a home. You can have Phoenix Drop, you can start again…I can’t give you what you lost, but I can help give you something new.”

And, he takes it. He takes the chance. Granted, there’s a lot of healing for him to do. He’s been slowly losing his mind, starving and never able to die in a garden that used to be a source of ‘comfort’, and well…being in a place that worships your abuser is a very difficult transition, which is why he struggles to connect with a few of the people of Phoenix Drop (especially Emmalyn), but slowly, he does heal.

He doesn’t have the family and friends he knew, but he gains a new one.

He gains a sister that treats him just like his other one did. A sister-in-law that helps him learn that he’s okay. Two nephews that want to learn to fight from him.

And he eventually gains a partner that cares for and understands him.

So yea! Ein’s story has gotta be one of my favourite plans that I’ve plotted out. Next I’ve really gotta share a big post on the songs in his playlist XD

[lonewolflink]

hambbyong here. why the FUCK does goalie gear look like that what the hell do they just get actual pillows strapped to their legs

HAHAHAHA omg

tbh like...kinda? it's a pretty dangerous position so they gotta be well protected! Here's a breakdown of what the armor looks like under the jerseys (the diagram or whatever is for young players but it's still all the same):

so yeah goalies end up looking a little silly because they're so padded up. but the pads, glove, and blocker are pretty heavy so goalies are actually super strong. plus they need to make crazy athletic movements (like doing the splits and stuff), and they're on the ice for the full 60 minutes unlike the rest of the team, so they're truly built different lol

something you (and any other artists) might find extra cool about goalies is that their helmets actually get custom art made for them, individualized for each goaltender. some of the designs are really amazing.

for example, here's a goalie mask design i really liked from the washington capitals' back up goalie (phoenix copley) a few years ago:

their starting goaltender (darcy kuemper) had a really cool mask commissioned for one specific game last year that was honoring the best goalie in franchise history, olie kolzig (olie the goalie, they called him) aka "kolzilla". hence the godzilla mask theme for that one game:

for certain special events, goalies might get custom pads made too! so like last year, for example, the caps' backup goalie (charlie lindgren) got these made for a special outdoor game the team was going to play in called the Stadium Series:

pretty slick!

if you're interested in seeing some cool goalie masks, here's a list of some of the best ones from the last couple of seasons. here's a top 12 list of masks in the nhl this season (some of these are really awesome). and here's a list of some of the most iconic masks of all time, not just in recent memory.

in general, if you're looking to get into goalie mask art, i'd recommend following artist david gunnarsson on instagram; he designs a ton of masks for goalies around the world. you can see them all here, and this is an article about him from ESPN.

[wavering-eyes]

January 7, 2024 Richmond Regional Report - Top 32 w/ Salamangreat

Mole gaming.

First off, proof of the above.

And my list below. Note the matching COSSY ID:

Let's talk about the format before we get into my deckbuilding choices. I heard a shit-ton of complaints from many, many people seemingly already tired of Level 1 FIRE the format, but that didn't really pan out in a way that represented my matchups. I played 9 decks and two were on Sinful Spoils.

I expected a lot of Fire King, R-ACE, Labrynth, and Orcust going in, and was very close to taking Fire King myself. Harp just got unbanned and people are still so keen on their new toy that they haven't realized Orcust cards aren't good. I thought Mannadium and Runick decks were strong enough to compete, but given their difficulty I expected relatively lower conversion from them. That left Orcust and the rock-paper-scissors of Lab beating R-ACE beating Fire King beating Lab.

And I took a deck from 2019. Why, exactly?

It's my favorite deck of all time.

Lots of people have forgotten what my cards do!

Veiler, Impermanence and Ash Blossom are all very low-impact hand traps against Salamangreat and those are the most played ones currently.

I didn't practice anything else.

My build is schnasty.

My main combo was Debug + Gazelle, with an additional extender in some cases. This sounds like quite a lot to ask for, but the 1 and 2-card combos are both okay so it pans out pretty nicely, and it's Salamangreat with all cards unbanned so it was very consistent despite that. Here's how it goes:

Debug search Mole (we'll get to this later)

Make Balelynx, search Sanctuary, summon Mole

Make Wicckid, trigger and summon Gazelle, banish Debug, search Weasel and send Spinny

Turn those into Heatsoul, draw a card

Weasel (or extender) summon, make Raging Phoenix

Activate Sanctuary, make a second Phoenix, search Will (if you don't have it and that wasn't your extender)

Will back Weasel, Spinny, Gazelle, and something else

Make Horse Prince with Weasel and Gazelle, summon out Ash Blossom

Make Stallio with Ash and Spinny, trigger Weasel to give opponent Gazelle, then activate Stallio summoning Jack Jaguar

Link off Stallio and Raging Phoenix for Sunlight Wolf, bounce Gazelle, then link off Wolf and Jack for another Wolf

Jack put back Sunlight Wolf, summon to Wolf's zone, add back Ash Blossom

Turn two of your monsters not named Sunlight Wolf into I:P, pass. If you have an extra monster, make S:P then I:P, and on the opponent's turn you can I:P into S:P if you haven't made it or Unicorn otherwise. If you pitched Ash Blossom you can add that back again when you do.

None of this is possible with Salamangreat of Fire which is why it is absent from the above list. I considered one to enable Circle into a decent 1-card combo but assumed if I had only Circle that summoning Gazelle would have to be enough to get me there, and that decision generally led to me winning and losing the same games I would have anyways.

Now, the elephant in the room, Mole. That combo above also works if Debug searches Meer, but Meer is a really versatile card that allows you to play through Debug's biggest weakness: immediate spot removal. Having Meer in the back pocket is always a huge deal since you can Circle into it and keep playing the game, and I think it's a huge waste to have it be essentially Backup Secretary in this combo, so I played a Mole to have a second slightly worse Meer with bonus text. The GY effect made effectively no influence on this decision. It still came up once but we'll get to that later.

Now, what about that extender? Well. The one thing everyone knows about Salad is that every combo line ends on a Nibiru token, so you can let them cook all turn and just Nib once you've decided they've plussed enough, right?

NO. If you read my last post, you might remember that I said Salamangreat had better things to be doing than summoning Gazelle with Speedroid cards, and I meant it--Salamangreat now has anti-nib lines by more or less holding cards to make Stallio. It came up several times this tournament: by the time that combo reaches 5 summons, you already have Spinny in GY and Weasel in hand, so your response is to immediately make Stallio and continue as before with a 1-card Stallio combo, then turn the Nib token and Jack into Hiita and that and Wolf into Raging Phoenix. If they stop you on Raging you can continue similarly. These combos become much stronger once Promethean Princess comes out since you can do this while popping the Nib your opponent controls--there is in fact no good time to use Nibiru against that combo once that card comes out, it literally ends on the same board with a draw off of Weasel.

And this is all a supplement to the lines where you just hold one of your three copies of Will, which is always a possibility. The only game I lost after being Nibbed this tournament was because I literally threw it away.

Enough about engine, though, let's talk about defensives. Ash and Impermanence are unsurprising inclusions. Veiler is very nice right now since two hand traps including Veiler or Impermanence is enough to consistently interrupt Rescue-ACE. Belle is in there to counter Orcust cards, Big Welcome Labrynth, and Fire King High Avatar Kirin, as well as other random things it also happens to answer--but mostly just Kirin. I didn't play Fire King all day so naturally it came out almost every match. Droll was not in main because it's really bad against R-ACE and inconsistent vs. Fire King. Nibiru was not in main for similar reasons.

And as for the rest of the side, Bystials, HFD, Cyclones are obvious side inclusions. Cyclone was chosen over Lightning Storm to beat specifically Runick Fountain and Orcust Crescendo. Phantazmay is quite nice since all of those decks I prepared for are Link decks, Labrynth aside.

Rivalry of Warlords is not joined by Gozen Match here because using Weasel to lock a FIRE deck into FIRE monsters is generally a pretty bad idea. But Rivalry could be highly destructive against anything except the mirror and Marincess, two decks which I would literally never expect to see.

So that's the list. 41 cards because Mole was a last minute inclusion.

And brief notes on siding patterns: Underperforming handtraps usually came out. Ashes almost always stayed in. Mining generally came out after Game 1 unless I was desperate for engine. Rage usually came out going second except when I forgot to take it out, in which case it somehow always came up regardless. Rivalry came in against every deck when I was on the play and Phantazmay went in against any deck with Link Monsters when I was on the draw, though I'd probably not have put it in against Fire King.

Round 1 began, I won the die roll and full comboed against a Labrynth player who seemed stoked at first. At some point in my combo he activated Arias to set Big Welcome Labrynth, but for some reason chose not to activate it until my End Phase at which point I had already searched an Ash Blossom, and he quickly scooped. Game 2 he opened equally bad and I turned off my brain and comboed until he gave up, negating a random set Called By with a Belle. Incredibly easy 2-0.

[I would like to make this at least somewhat educational, so let me tell you right now that you have absolutely nothing to gain from counting yourself out after your first loss. This guy was very depressed after running into rogue and getting smoked like that, but if you look at the top cut, there were no undefeated players, and one X-2 made it into top 8. And realistically speaking... he was definitely not playing well enough to expect to make top 8 that day, but I know at least one person who got their invite at that tournament after dropping to X-2 by round 2. You have to have nerves of steel to do it, but it is very possible. Moving on.]

Round 2 started and I once again won the die roll and opened full combo. Naturally he failed to play through it since I learned he was on Branded and I had literally searched Ash Blossom in front of him--I think I had a Belle in the mix as well. Game 2 I open Ash Droll Droll Spinny Circle and draw into a Gazelle, and my opponent after those interruptions ended on no cards in hand, controlling Branded Lost, Cartesia, Guiding Quem, and Granguignol with Fallen of Albaz in GY. Over the course of the following turn these would turn into another Granguignol sending Rindbrumm to revive Albaz, triggering Branded Lost to grab Mercourier to pitch for it, allowing him to turn one of my monsters and his Albaz into Mirrorjade, and a Despian Luluwalilith via Quem. 3 interruptions isn't that much, but all of them float, Luluwalilith gets him another Quem, Mirrorjade wipes my board and the Lubellion sent off of it gets him a play for next turn while triggering Cartesia to add herself back. And I'm on effectively 3 cards.

I played through it all and outgrinded him because he wasted his negates, outing Lost with Foxy and bouncing Mirrorjade with Stallio, ashing Lubellion search in End Phase after adding it back from GY, and eventually topdecking into more playable cards since his Cartesia was actually dead. Another easy 2-0. At this point I was pretty convinced that I was going to top and I felt very confident in my deck.

Round 3 I beat Vanquish Soul 2-1 and took no notes so I guess you're not hearing much about this one. Don't worry, it will be back. I walked out to my car to enjoy my lunch break with the two guys I'd traveled with, absolutely pumped that I was starting off my tournament so strong. Both of them were much worse off, unfortunately.

Round 4 started with me sat at Table 4. I lost the die roll and was quickly faced with the brutal combo of Dimensional Fissure into Pot of Prosperity revealing Kashtira engine cards and Lightforce Sword, and I promptly realized that my opponent was a bozo who doesn't know how to deckbuild and that I was still probably going to lose to him despite that. I scooped without showing him a card beyond Ash Blossom and in the following game I opened poorly, my opponent dropped Shifter at the start of his own turn, played a little but I left him on just Unicorn, then banished it with S:P the next turn. Naturally, he ripped Pressured Planet off the top and I signed the match slip. I am pretty sure this guy heard me bitching about him post match but I don't care, he's not a bad person or anything but maining cards like that is bad deckbuilding and it sucks that he was rewarded for it against me specifically. But I got the last laugh--his name is not on that list at the top of this post and only top 48 got invites. Make of that what you will.

I took a brief mental break here and wandered around the venue for a bit. My lowest table this entire tournament (excepting Round 1 where I was placed at complete random) was 37, so I took a quick peek at bottom tables to see what was kicking around there and lost my shit seeing an Air Hummingbird for game--visibly enough that the player performing it looked directly at me and joined in the laughter. Shine on, you beautiful scumbag.

I rebounded into Round 5 accepting that there was nothing I could do about the loss and resolved to do better and was sat across from someone from my locals activating Peaceful Planet. I actually played Mannadium for my last event so I was very familiar with the combo lines, and I correctly predicted out loud that his board was probably going to be S:P Baronne and then picked up my cards before showing him any.

Going into Game 2 I opened Gazelle, Parallel Exceed and Will of the Salamangreat and my opponent did me the favor of handlooping himself on cards that did not matter, starting by using one imperm each on Gazelle and Parallel only for me to make Wicckid into Stallio into Jack into Heatsoul into Raging as though nothing had happened whatsoever, ending on a trap with Gazelle in hand which he couldn't beat with only three cards.

Game 3, due to his poor siding decisions, he opened 4 non-engine and Peaceful Planet, I activated Phantazmay for the only time this tournament on Light-Heart summon, and it drew me into Nib just in time for him to show me Baronne materials. Sorry bro.

This round ended somewhere close to time and the next round started nearly an hour later. Our lunch break was after Round 3 so this was very much off schedule. This isn't really related to the content of this post but I did get to hear the scoop on this drama, so I might as well share that with you:

I've included alt-text for this if you prefer that, but otherwise I have no comment on it. Moving on.

Round 6 starts with me going first against Rescue-ACE opening my worst hand of the tournament, double Ash, Veiler, Sanctuary, Will. I pass showing no cards and Ash one of his plays and he uses Talent to look at my hand. I draw no engine the following turn and naturally can't play, so, next game.

I really want to tell you I smoked this dude this game, because I had him absolutely dead to rights. I played through Nibiru and Ash in that order. His only play was to stick Accesscode and wipe board to swing for 5300, but him wiping board turned on my Mole.

I would like to tell you that I shuffled back my GY with mole and cooked him, but... I forgot it even had that effect and summoned Gazelle, throwing the game entirely. Whoops. I congratulated my opponent on his free win after interrogating him on why he didn't scoop and sat down to examine my mental state, realizing how tired I'd gotten after six rounds (and an extra hour...) given that I woke up at 6:00 that morning and had been the one driving the car to the event.

I sat down the following round across from Vanquish Soul activating Stake revealing Ash, and he passed after I ashed it. Good start! One thing I'd picked up from rereading the cards is that effects like Pantera and Razen which check columns do so on resolution, so S:P virtually by herself cooked all of his later plays.

I eventually lost Game 2 after playing through half a board and drolling my opponent on turn 3 because he had already drawn into all of his big VS monsters, used some position-changing effect on a stray Mole to push over 4000 damage, I'd already taken a stack from Heatsoul, and there was nothing I could do to stop myself from being burned 1500 twice. I was otherwise far up in material so I guess this is defeat snatched from the claws of victory. Game 3 went to time and he couldn't burn me through Rivalry, so we drew.

At this point I had the (wrong) supposition that I could still top at 5-2-2. It didn't turn into anything but it was in the back of my mind, so I figured the following round was the real do-or-die moment.

And I absolutely crushed it. Soundtrack for the moment--this is the exact song that was playing in my head as I sat down and mercilessly full-comboed through imperm veiler for the third or fourth time that tournament, ending on I:P S:P Raging. I actually misplayed this combo by searching an unnecessary Will, but it didn't matter; my opponent's first play was to imperm my S:P then activate King's Sarcophagus pitching a Hapi and milling Imsety, after which I activated I:P and spun it with Unicorn, leaving him on one card and leading to a concession before I learned which Horus variant he was on. But seeing that he had hand trapped me technically three times, I assumed Orcust, put in Nibiru and Bystials and was immediately rewarded with an extremely live Magnamhut and Nibiru when he activated Imsety by pitching Orcustrated Return, making The Zombie Vampire and summoning out Knightmare before linking both into Galatea.

This got punished by Talent draw into Foolish Burial, but even as he eventually passed on a Galatea with Crescendo and Impermanence set, my Nibiru was enough to force him into Dingirsu pass with random dead sets. I quickly cleared out his board in battle phase, went to MP2, cleared out some more dead backrow with S:P and Unicorn and eventually baited out a Nibiru that I sent with Druiswurm, leaving him on no cards. I thought to myself for a bit, saw that I still had a Will and cards in hand, and decided that was probably fine. I said to this guy out loud: "Sure. You have one card. Go."

He topdecks ROTA. What a god. It still wasn't enough--he went through Dingirsu and TY-PHON to try and push damage but wasn't able to accomplish much beyond getting rid of the token, and with over 20 minutes left I slowly calculated exactly what it would take to push game, which as I recall involved Jaguar doing piercing and crashing a revived Raging Phoenix into TY-PHON to revive the other one at 5600 ATK.

Cool guy, cool deck, exciting mach, incredible experience playing two 2019 decks in the final rounds of the first tournament of 2024. But this guy never stood a chance. 2-0.

I walk into the final round seriously considering the possibility that I might play the only other person in my car still in the tournament, but that didn't end up happening. My opponent started his first turn by accidentally drawing 6 cards and being ordered by a judge to shuffle back a random one after revealing it, which ended up being a starlight copy of Triple Tactics Talent. Whew.

He pitched a Scareclaw Arrival for Diabellestar, Normal Summoned Visas Samsara and... I think his hand was basically just that and Visas Starfrost? He went through both copies of Light-Heart before activating Primitive Planet and I correctly determined that stopping it would stop at least two interruptions, and was correct. He ended on Savage with Light-Heart and S:P Little Knight, banishing my Ash as though it was an afterthought.

[Another potentially educational sidebar! Mannadium has generally three major parts to its engine: Visas Starfrost and Samsara, 1500/2100 "Heart" monsters (of which Samsara is one), and Mannadium Meek. There is some overlap, but it is a lot to ask to see all of these, so you can usually try and interrupt Manndium hands by thinking about which of these they have and which they need. In this case, the only way he had to summon a Heart monster was by keeping Arrival or if the Planet resolved, so I made sure it did not even though he had a second copy available for next turn. I would probably highlight this as my best play of the tournament--had that resolved and been played correctly, I think it ends on Savage + Baronne + S:P + Dis Pater via Crimson Dragon and I would not have been able to play through that.]

I commended him on banishing the Ash after showing him Lady Debug, which he let resolve, hit over S:P, used Meer to pitch a dead Foxy (which he negated for some reason?), bounced his Savage, and... kind of fumbled the rest as I misplayed my combo, ending with neither Gazelle nor Ash in hand. But he also threw and I was able to pull ahead, after which we both agreed that I had thrown and he had thrown harder.

Game 2 I open 4 engine and a Veiler, and he opens with Wanted once again, but starts by summoning a Fenrir. I think to myself that there's a possibility he needs the Fenrir to hit GY to turn on Scareclaw Kashtira, so I veiler Diabellestar and he shows me both Riumheart and Mannadium Abscission before I scoop, acknowledging that there is simply no way I'm playing through a hand that good. He mentioned later that he also had Visas Starfrost; I don't know what his extra was exactly but I usually turned a hand like that into S:P, Baronne and Dis Pater with two cards ripped from hand via Omega. That hand steals your opponent's girl and does your taxes for you. It's insane.

Game 3, we have very little time on the clock. I open Gazelle and... Rivalry of Warlords. I proceed to fumble my combo horribly, making Stallio into Weasel but forgetting to make Balelynx to search Sanctuary, but he panics and activates Enemy Controller before realizing the lock he's placed himself in, hits me for 1800 and passes.

For the next 3 turns, I perform the Yu-Gi-Oh equivalent of a constrictor hold, locking him under a new Cyberse monster every turn by using Sunlight Wolf and Gazelle to loop Weasel and zeroing my own monsters with Sanctuary to prevent him from crashing to out the lock. He set monsters every turn but it didn't matter; by the time I finally outed the lock to put myself in the life lead, there were three seconds left on the clock.

I commended him on his play (honestly at the time; I only spotted his numerous misplays later) and walked back to my friends to share results, learning that my region had showed up big--some eight or ten of us had made top cut, including one other person in my car, and one, with whom I built this deck, made first place. (He said it was a grown-up decision to take R-ACE instead of Salad. I'm happy for him but a little miffed it paid off so handsomely; it was very sad to see him looking for R-ACE cards on Facebook after theorying Salad so much.)

And that's the story of how I got my invite after a years-long second place/bubble curse. My semester started the following day and I couldn't imagine a better way to start it, apart from having won a mat and deckbox. But this is a bit more than I expected going in and I'm happy to finally have my invite again.

Here's hoping I get to go to Nats this year. Thanks for reading.

[prvtocol]

❛ I’m just saying, murder is an option. ❜ // what if Quaritch 👀

𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 ✿

At least SecOps had the decency to involve the Director of SciOps in this briefing on Project Phoenix’s objectives. Scratch that — most likely Stringer pushed and General Ardmore obliged. It’s no secret they are under the RDA’s version of Marshall Law; what once was a corporate-run entity, is now under military control. The Na’vi resistance's continued boldness, from the welcome party in orbit to hitting supply lines, mining, and researcher facilities gave them a reason enough to deem that necessary — a chokehold that’s going to be hard to rescind. 

But here she is, in the Bridgehead Ops Center standing with Colonel Miles Quaritch back from the dead sixteen years later. The hybrid’s tall blue form may be a shadow of his former aged self, but everything else — personality, memories, the insatiable desire for revenge — is completely intact. The Recom Program is the next wave of human/Na’vi hybrids. No need for a driver like avatars and the potential for immortality if you grow them right. The first “squad,” with squad being the operable term, is all military in basis even if her own backup Recom is in an amino tank as they speak — an insurance policy for higher-ups to continue their job in the face of death. Until colonization is complete, and the capacity to house two million at Bridgehead City is fulfilled, humans remain in short supply on Pandora. Can't say the same for the endless supply of firepower and other machines getting 3D printed every minutes.

The Recom Leader’s remarks concerning eliminating the Na’vi resistance —  essentially the entire clan of Omatikaya that supports their leader, Jake Sully — shifts a concerned gaze from the interactive holograph projector displaying the Hallelujah Mountains, to Ardmore.

“If I may, General.” Leave to speak is granted by the stern woman who despite Stringer, pulls more and more of the operation’s strings. Eyes turn to the non-militant, much to the skepticism of the only Recom in the room. 

“Forgive me in advance as I only seek clarity.” Politely she starts, a soft though assured tenor which is often noted of the director. “Genocide of an entire Na’vi clan, which is who Sully is leading when we say resistance, could provoke more of a response than is prudent. It’s using a bulldozer to find a china cup.” The metaphor is spoken while matching Quaritch’s intimidating yellow stare with her own calm questioning gaze. Brianne may be petite in form, and unassuming in appearance, but she wields the Landry name and lineage making her corporate elite compared to others here from more modest backgrounds (job opportunities being so sparse on earth). Her posh accent is enough to sound as if she's speaking above them Not fully her intent. “If hunting down the leader of the resistance is the primary goal, I wholeheartedly support it. If we are lucky, they will run and lick their wounds and lose their stamina with it.”

The blunt switch in her voice and the harshness of her words are all a facade of military support. With SecOps and CetOps’ overreach, there is a need to be strategic. She is not going to be caught appearing as another Grace Augustine, whose Avatar Program was shut down due to interfering (leading the researchers to commit treason and their Sully problem to begin). SciOps is already losing control, she knows to be discrete.

“As you may assume, my primary concern is with my researchers in the field being able to continue their job. To find the next amrita, if you will.” It’s a boon to her subdivision to claim a discovery that is funding this entire operation, even if CetOps carries the quota forward. “But further stroking the flames of war prevents that. I support the squad but especially if they remain smart with this. I’m sure you will. I only encourage the colonel to consult me with xeno-cultural questions of engagement before more trouble is caused.”

Brianne knows that won’t happen. This invitation is a briefing, not a planning session but at least she made her voice known.