#Lotus Angel Warrior

[kult-of-tol-in-gaurhoth]

ANGEL WARRIOR FROM THE WORLDS ABOVE -- PARTICIPANT IN THE SAMURAI WARS BELOW.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on promo shots of Lotus, the Angel Warrior (something of an "Anti-Spawn"), from Spawn Series 19 "Spawn Dark Ages: The Samurai Wars," released by McFarlane Toys in July 2001.

FIGURE OVERVIEW: "Lotus is an angelic Samurai warrior sent to feudal Japan from the Worlds Above to put an end to the epic battle between Samurai Spawn and the beast Jyaaku the Nightmare. Lotus dispatches the three-headed Jyaaku back to its own dark realm before turning her attention to Samurai Spawn. The Samurai, formerly known as Takeda, bows his head to receive the death blow he longs for. Instead, Lotus pardons the wild creature, leaving him to roam the ancient Japanese landscape in search of salvation."

-- MCFARLANE TOYS, c. summer 2001

Source: https://mcfarlane.com/toys/lotus-the-angel-warrior.

[makapatag]

Spear in hand I sought to scour heaven.

Many heroes fight with a blade. I do not. I wield the weapon of soldiers and warriors, not of heroes. I am no hero. I profess no village to protect, I profess no god to herald. With my weapon and with my conviction, I unlash myself from the bindings of the earth—the first step to my enlightenment. The Heavenspear Art teaches that the first step is always this: no gods, no kings.

What King but me? What God but me? Become the spear. The spear does not choose who to kill, only the wielder.

I am the wielder and the wielded. I am the spear and the thrusting hand. I understand this, even as the naga courses through me. I understand this, even as the spirit of a thousand rain-waters courses through my veins, powering my katas, my spear twirls. I ascend, ascend, and ascend. I am the rain, I am the storm, I am the lightning rising, returning to the clouds that is its womb.

And I face the angel machine head on. What else but a fool chooses to reactivate such weapons of mass destruction? Virbanwa must be curbed. Their inutility has become a nuisance, near a danger to all of Gubat Banwa. Its eyes aflame with unpursued glory, its wings sprouting from behind its back like thorns from a lotus. Not an affront to creation—nay, just a pitiable excuse for a weapon in this land of suffering.

I wield my weapon and I am wielded by the naga. A sword swing from the horrible excuse for a God Body and the naga parries it with a live hand, and I see my opening. I am like the shooting stars, I am the comet, I am crashing straight through its heart and I am become the spear that scours heaven, both imagined and real. The skies are my friend, but alien conquerors are not. Jamiyun Kulisa, the Thunderbolt Brother, imbues me with a certain fulmination.

I am white-hot, brighter than the sun. Through my deed and my violence I shall be remembered as Sri Lakan Bishruta Nalilipad Sa Bulalakaw, and in this moment I am King.

Art above by @villain-returns!

Above is fiction for Gubat Banwa, a Tabletop Tactics Roleplaying Game (think, D&D) where you play as KADUNGGANAN, overdramatic warrior-braves and martial artists taking jobs from datu and rajas in a Classical Southeast Asian Fantasy setting! We have a kickstarter coming soon!

[santoschristos]

The Magic Theatre

O nobly born, listen well: You are now in the magic theatre of heroes and demons. Mythical superhuman figures.

Demons, goddesses, celestial warriors, giants, Angels, Bodhisattvas, dwarfs, crusaders, Elves, devils, saints, and sorcerers, Infernal spirits, goblins, knights and emperors.

The Lotus Lord of Dance. The Wise Old Man. The Divine Child. The Trickster, The Shapeshifter. The tamer of monsters. The mother of gods, the witch. The moon king. The wanderer.

The whole divine theatre of figures representing the highest reaches of human knowledge. Do not be afraid of them.

They are within you. Your own creative intellect is the master magician of them all. Recognize the figures as aspects of your self. The whole fantastic comedy takes place within you.

Do not become attached to the figures. Remember the teachings. You may still attain liberation.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Something rather curious I noticed about the Curious Cat...

One of my favourite moments from today’s new fifth episode was the scene where RWBY are attacked by one of Neo’s Jabberwalkers only to be rescued by the Rusted Knight on the back of his faithful stead. As I mentioned in a previous post, I felt that scene was rather cool and I absolutely love the new theme that was featured in it.

However; in rewatching this particular scene, I noticed something rather interesting in respect to the Curious Cat.

As some of ya’ll may recall---while RWBY were in the strange Lotus Market gathering ingredients for the parfait, there was an anthropomorphic bird vendor. When we’re first introduced to this feathered salesman, he was just innocently trying to sell his mud cookies to passersby, RWBY and Cat included.

But when we next see the salesman, he suddenly becomes this fearsome warrior, eyes ablaze, as he suddenly charged bravely into the fray to fend off the Jabberwalker; protecting RWBY. A farcry from his original gentle demeanour at the start.

It was during this scene where Ruby turns to the Curious Cat and questions it on why the Cookie Salesman was suddenly there fending off the Jabberwalker, only for Cat to reply that it “gave the salesmen something new to do in the moment”?

“Run!” “What’s he doing here?”

“I gave him something new to do for a moment, now go! Your friends need to get big again or we’re Jabberwalker dinner!”

What did the Cat mean by giving the Cookie Bird something new to do?

Early in the episode when the Curious Cat was explaining the workings of the Ever After, he mentioned that the denizens of the Ever After each have a purpose that they live out until they either ascend or are called back when they stray too far from their original purpose or something like that.

Throughout previous episodes whenever the Curious Cat was around, I noticed him doing something peculiar---giving a piece of his heart to other Ever After beings like the Red King and the Herbalist who weren’t acting like their usual selves.

In giving his heart to them, the Curious Cat was able to help the other characters, turning them back towards the right path.

So…the Curious Cat has the ability to alter one’s heart and change their purpose?

Is the Curious Cat some kind of guardian angel type of character---a being whose sole design is to ensure that all denizens of the Ever After discover and fulfill their given purpose, only intervening when they stray away and run the risk of falling or not ascending?

What would happen if the Curious Cat was the one to stray away from its original purpose?

In today’s episode, we saw the Curious Cat use its power to help RWBY by “altering” the Cookie Bird. Kind of like hacking into a computer program and making it work differently from its original programmed functions.

So basically the Cat hacked or possessed the Cookie Bird to use him as a weapon for his own benefit. And while his intentions were just as it was only doing it to aid the helpless Team RWBY, I’d like to believe that that is NOT how the Cat is supposed to use its abilities.

So I’m thinking, what would happen if the Cat ended up in a similar position as the Herbalist and the Red Prince?

What would happen if it somewhat starts to abuse its powers further for the sake of helping RWBY; unintentionally straying from its original purpose as a “helpful guide” despite its best efforts to aid RWBY throughout their journey in the Ever After?

What if…much like the Red Prince and the Herbalist, the Curious Cat will end up needing to be called back to be fixed and it will be all RWBY’s fault that it ended up in such a position?

Or what would happen if the Curious Cat fulfilled its purpose and undergoing its own ascension?

I have a theory that at some point, Ruby is going to end up falling deeper into damnation and it will be the Curious Cat sacrificing itself to save her in some way by giving the last piece of itself to mend her broken heart and forcefully remind her of WHAT she is supposed to be! A hero. A warrior. A protector of humanity. A huntress.

What will become of this Curious Cat should it do this?

What will be the next phase of life for it if it were to ascend after fulfilling its purpose of aiding others in realizing theirs?

And an even curiouser question:

What would become of the Curious Cat if it were to be eaten by the Jabberwalker?

The age ole saying is that it was curiousity that killed the cat, right?

So imagine if...this episode foreshadowed the eventual death of the Curious Cat and when that time comes, it will be all RWBY or rather Ruby's fault?

Let that thought sink in.

But yeah, these are just some further thoughts that came to mind for me after today’s episode that I wanted to share.

~LMS (2023)

[mymarsmoonandstars]

ONE THING I ABSOLUTELY LOVED about wakanda forever is how shuri never admitted to seeing killmonger in the ancestral plane. nakia asked her twice, and she disclosed not a thing. so i've been mulling over two questions: will shuri ever admit to seeing killmonger? and if so, who will she tell?

i was thinking of writing up a meta, but i saw the scene too clearly in my head. so i wrote a story, a short one, about 1.4k words. tw death mention. i call it, cat's got your tongue. i'm kidding. it's untitled.

i haven't written fanfic in years, until wakanda forever, apparently. the power of black women front-and-center on screen, eh?

anyway, i think yes, shuri will eventually admit to seeing killmonger. but to whom? well. . .

.

.

.

Even the loud cascading water of Warrior Falls could not mask the sound of footsteps on rocks. A perk of being the Panther. So when a certain former member of the Dora Milaje appeared behind her, Shuri did not have to turn and look back over her shoulder to verify. She remained sitting on the edge of a rocky outcrop, legs dangling over a crystalline pool of shallow water. "If you're here to vent about your new suit, Okoye, your very long list of edits is still underway," said Shuri, keeping her eyes straight ahead. The golden horizon made the reservoir shimmer.

"It is not my suit I am concerned about. At least, not today." Okoye went to Shuri's side, and this close, Shuri not only breathed in her faint, reassuring scent of steel and lotus flower, but she could hear her heartbeat. Another Panther Perk that felt less like an advantage and more of an annoyance. She heard not only the heartbeats of humans, but the ancient thrumming of elephants, the flitting ones of birds. Sometimes, she wondered what her heartbeat had sounded like to her late brother, T'Challa. She knew it couldn't be like Okoye's, whose heart's drum beat as resonant and steady as the tama, speaking to her in a powerful but welcoming rhythmic language only she could understand. For the first time in days, Shuri felt the tensed Panther Spirit inside her head ease.

"Then what is it, Okoye?"

"You. If you wanted to challenge for the throne, I'm afraid you are a few weeks late. Though still fully within your rights."

Shuri looked down, twisted the Kimoyo beads on her wrist. She had programmed them off so that no one, not even Griot could reach her. "I did not come here to challenge for the throne."

"Then why are you here?"

Shuri furrowed her brows. She did not know the exact reason. She hated Warrior Falls, actually. As a child, she'd always associated it with being forced to wear itchy ensembles or watch boring fights. That is, until a few years ago, when T'Challa fought M'Baku and N'Jadaka here. She now thought of Warrior Falls as the place her brother not only once, but twice nearly died in. So why did it beckon her so?

"Okoye. Do you ever think of your tribe? Before you left it?"

Okoye sat beside her. Being that she was not in her Midnight Angels suit and no longer a Dora, she wore casual Wakandan wear. A sight Shuri was still getting used to. "Of course I do. I come from a long line of shepherds and farmers. But do not be fooled, as The Border Tribe was and still is Wakanda's first line of defense. We obliterated any threat before they had a chance to even feast their terroristic eyes upon Wakanda's protective barrier. We've earned our bragging rights, as your Americans say." Okoye bumped her shoulder against Shuri's, teasing a small smile out of her. Okoye's voice softened as she sank further into memory. "My father used to grow the sweetest yellow yam. Better than W'Kabi's, but do not tell him I said that. And my mother. . . she sang me songs full of stories about the king's personal protectors, instilling in me the dream of becoming a part of the Dora. After their spirits answered Bast's call, I decided to make that dream come true."

I'm so sorry the dream doesn't exist anymore, Shuri wanted to say, but couldn't bring herself to. She blamed herself for Okoye no longer holding the title. But Okoye often assured that she had let go of the position and was ready to move on to the something more. "I do not understand, Okoye. Why must violence always be the price we pay for transformation? For progress?"

"Hm." Okoye tilted her head, thoughtful. For the first time in her life, Shuri saw shadows of black hair peeking through her tatted scalp. "Is this why M'Baku sits on the throne now, instead of you?"

"My father sat on the throne only to die. My brother sat on the throne only to die. And my mother, just the same. That throne is cursed." Shuri's voice was as bitter as heart-shaped herb tea.

"Cursed? I thought scientists such as you did not believe in curses."

"I've visited the Ancestral Plane. I—I have senses," said Shuri, struggling to explain the black-furred soul trapped in her mind, "that tread the world beyond physics. What I believe in, I am no longer sure."

Okoye turned and took hold of Shuri's hands. She rubbed her callused thumbs over Shuri's tattooed skin. "I've served under many Panthers, and from them I've learned that Wakanda's Protector is never alone. The herb is always there for you, if you are ever in need of ancestral guidance."

Shuri stood up, so quick, a cat alerted to danger. "Taking the herb is not an option for me."

Okoye stood with her, pose straight, electric, determined. "How, when it has been this way since Bashenga?"

"Because of who I saw, the first time I went there." Shuri swallowed hard. The first and only time she'd went there. She backed away from the rock's edge. The Panther Spirit growled, paced in its cage.

Okoye took hold of her arm. "And who did you see? What troubles you, Shuri?"

Shuri's dark eyes shone. She'd never admitted this to anyone, not even Nakia. "My cousin. I saw my cousin, and only him."

Silence. As deafening as the Falls. The wind blew at them. It was only until Okoye spoke that Shuri realized it was not a surprised silence, rather one where Okoye was waiting for Shuri to explain. When she did not, Okoye quirked an eyebrow. "And what have you learned from it?"

"I. . . learned?"

"Yes." Okoye circled Shuri. Even without her spear, she looked like a warrior. The water shifted around their ankles as if it, too, were intimidated. "I served Killmonger, once. Though it was brief, I have no shame in that. He taught me something valuable, that the throne matters just as much as whoever sits upon it. So. . . what did Cousin teach you?"

Ah. Shuri shut her eyes. So this is what she needed. Okoye's voice was not laden with pity or concern. But purpose. She did have a general's heart. And perhaps that's why she confessed to Okoye. They shared so much. Ramonda had stripped Okoye of her entire world; she understood what it was like to feel Queen Mother's rejection. And she understood what it meant to be pinned underneath Killmonger's sway.

Shuri recalled T'Challa once telling her that the Ancestral Plane was a very purple, but beautiful and fitting retirement. And for the most part, he had been right. The plane had been very purple, but also orange and yellow and red from the flames burning all around her and Killmonger. She felt a deep shame, seeing him. She regretted the words she told him. How he influenced her so quickly. And what type of leader succumbs in such a way? For the past weeks, a shamefaced Shuri had hid herself from everyone. They couldn't even find her in her lab. But the same compassion she extended to her enemy. . . perhaps it was time she offered it to herself.

Shuri's eyes opened, and they sparkled with renewed confidence. "I learned while anger is a valuable tool, vengeance is its puppeteer."

Okoye smiled, wide and beautifully. She stopped circling. "And you are no one's puppet." The corners of her smile faded, and she looked down at her deep blue dress, then out at the Falls. "Not even a puppet to tradition."

Shuri nodded once, understanding. She was never one for tradition, and she knew Okoye was slowly learning that about herself, too. "I will suggest to King M'Baku that we end Challenge Day. There are better ways to find a king or queen."

"Just bring with you a bowl of vegetables. He claims he cannot hear council on an empty stomach."

They laughed together. Okoye pulled her in for a long embrace. "Thank you," Shuri whispered in the former general's gold-cuffed ear, holding her tight. She and Okoye were both women who had shed old skin, who were finding their footing in newfound roles. They faced uncertainty. Restlessness, even. But they found stillness in each other, and through this, they would persevere.

The Panther Spirit leapt, bound, wind beneath clawed feet. Weight lifted. Free, at last.

[yga-vn]

Ok, I absorbed as much as possible before going to sleep. First thing that Ill say is fuck Joel, Imma smash his bro and flaunt it. You my BIL like it or not.

2nd, I kinda want to see Noel react to my favorite book saga "LOTU" (The Lords of The Underworld) which is basically heavenly warriors tied to demon lords(The sins) who... well, find love and such smutty scenes. What will his reaction be? I want to know if hed be flustered bc of the spicy or pissed of at my demon liking or jelly bc well he a yan.

Fun thing is, my favorite character looks just like Noel, its the warrior with blondish/platinum hair and soft eyes. But personality wise its the other way around, he is flirty, funny and outgoing (Even if not allowed)

Noël likes all types of books, even taugh his fav one is probably romance books or advanture/fantazy, if you propose him to read a book that you like he will gladly read it whitout hesitation. He wouldn't be flustered or anything if there is some smutty scenes as he already read books with some spicy scenes in it.

if you prefer demons Noël isn't really an angel anymore so hum...enjoy your time I guess? :,D. He might tease you if you tell him that he looks like your fav character

[crystalgemgirl]

Xiaolin Showdown Clay Bailey x reader Songfic: It's A Wonderful Life

the Dragon Warriors were all doing chores, as always, they wanted to get them over with quickly so they had time to hang out. Clay was using the Jet Bootsu to dust the lamps and rafters, Kimiko was using the Lotus Twister to clean under benches and other tight places, Omi and Raimundo were tag teaming the dishes, and (y/n) was off somewhere scrubbing the floors. Clay was letting his mind wonder how (y/n) was doing when there's a sweet and familiar voice drifting through the temple halls.

(y/n): 🎵Take a look around and see the world we think we know, Then look closer. There's more to life than meets the eye, A beauty to behold. It's all much bigger than we know. It's only just beginning to unfold. So let it all unfold.🎵

Clay floats to the ground, completely in a trance.

Kimiko: Is that... (y/n)?

Raimundo: Judging by Clay's reaction, yeah.

Omi: Let us go see what she is doing.

Raimundo pulls Clay along, as his brain seems to have completely shut down. They follow (y/n)'s voice as she keeps singing, completely unaware that they could hear her.

(y/n): 🎵Far beyond all reason in your mind. There's a world Mysterious There for you to find. All these questions That we always have. All we are is curious, There's nothing wrong with that. So go 'round every corner, Search every part of the sky. 'Cause a life that's full of wonder, Is a wonderful life.🎵

The other monks find her, scrubbing floors like she was told to, she's wearing her headphones, something she always does when she does chores. She has a habit of singing along with whatever she was listening to, no one really minded.

(Y/n): 🎵Dig beneath the surface Find the lessons there to learn, And then dig deeper. Feed your intuition, Don't leave any stone unturned. Be the seeker of the truth, Listen when you hear it calling you, You know it's calling you. Far beyond all reason in your mind, There's a world mysterious There for you to find. All these questions that we always have. All we are is curious, There's nothing wrong with that. So go 'round every corner, Search every part of the sky. 'Cause a life that's full of wonder, Is a wonderful life. Is a wonderful life. Is a wonderful life. Is a wonderful life. And the answers aren't that far away, Look closer. Look closer. Look closer. Look closer.🎵

She finishes and straightens up, popping her back. She nearly jumps out of her skin when her friends and boyfriend start clapping, she spins to face them, blushing.

(y/n): Oh... was I doing it again? Sorry.

Clay: What are ya apologizin for, Darlin? Ya have the voice of an angel.

Raimundo: Clay's right, you can SING.

Kimiko: I don't know why you feel like you have to apologize for it everytime, we haven't complained about it once.

(y/n) hides her face in her hands, feeling overwhelmed. Clay, noticing her discomfort, gently takes her hands away from her face and plants a gentle kiss on her forehead, making her crinkle her nose and smile.

Clay: There's that beautiful smile, Darlin.

He goes to gently move a loose strand of (h/c) hair behind her ear, when his hand gently brushes her cheek, she gently grips his hand, keeping it pressed to her cheek, her right hand on the back of his larger hand and her left hand rests on his wrist. She closes her eyes and smiles in bliss, her friends could almost see the hearts around her, Clay's face is nearly entirely red.

[dunebrainrotmtg]

MTG x Dune Crossover

View the entire deck on Archidekt! [link]

Main Deck

Anointed Procession: Updated Art (no name change)

Arcane Signet: Atreides Ducal Signet

Baru, Wurmspeaker: Paul Muad'dib Usul, Wormrider

Canyon Jerboa: Muad'dib, Desert Mouse

Courser of Kruphix: Spice Harvester

Desert Nomads: Fremen

Desert of the Fervent: Updated Art (no name change)

Desert of the Indomitable: Updated Art (no name change)

Desert of the True: Updated Art (no name change)

Elvish Piper: Gurney Halleck, Balliset Warrior

Emeria Angel: Sietch Tabr Sayyadina

Enlightened Tutor: Bene Gesserit

Ghired, Mirror of the Wilds: Paul Muad'dib Atreides

Hazezon, Shaper of Sand: Stilgar, Naib of Seitch Tabr

Idol of Oblivion: Updated Art of Salusan Bull Head (no name change)

Impact Tremors: Fremen Thumper

Jetmir, Nexus of Revels: Paul, Lisan al Gaib

Lifegift: Spice Melange

Lotus Cobra: Lotus Nahya

Maja, Bretagard Protector: Duncan Idaho

Map the Frontier: Cultivating Desert Power

Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation // Temple of Civilization: Paul, Kwisatz Haderach

Parallel Lives: Updated Art (no name change)

Queen Allenal of Ruadach: Lady Jessica, Mother of Paul

Radha, Heart of Keld: Chani Sihaya Kynes

Rampaging Baloths: Rampaging Salusan Bulls

Retreat to Emeria: Retreat to Seitch Tabr

Soul Warden: Sihaya, Desert Spring Tears

Tireless Provisioner: Shadout Mapes

Tireless Tracker: Thuwir Hawat

Tribute to the World Tree: Tribute to the Missionaria Protectiva

Tunneling Geopede: Wormsign

Warleader's Call: Voice from the Outer World

Worldspine Wurm: Shai-Hulud, Grandfather of the Desert

Maybeboard

Azusa's Many Journeys: Paul's Many Journeys

Blackblade Reforged: Crysknife, Tooth of Shai-Hulud

King Darien XLVIII: Duke Leto Atredies, Father of Paul

Mother of Runes: Lady Jessica, Reverend Mother

Retreat to Kazandu: Retreat to Cave of Birds

Sandblast: Spice Blow

Trailblazer's Boots: Stillsuit Boots

Wall of Omens: Shield Wall of Arrakeen

Zendikar's Roil: Desert Djinn

[open-hearth-rpg]

Open Hearth Video Roundup - March 15, 2024

Welcome to the weekly Open Hearth Gaming video roundup!

These recorded sessions represent only a portion of the games we play every week, and anyone is welcome to join the fun! If you'd like to play in games like these, join our Playabl community and click on the "Calendar" tab to sign up for upcoming games. To browse our entire library of session videos, please visit our YouTube Playlists page.

Discussions, Panels, and Seminars

Talking Hard Moves, Costs & Consequences Lowell Francis A community event talking about GMing and playing hard moves, managing costs, and balancing consequences for PbtA, Forged in the Dark, and other storygames.

Open Hearth Gaming Calendar

#Rich Kid Problem$ (Session 1 of 2) Donogh runs for Madelancholy, Sabine V., and Thomas Manuel Our kids show that they have 'more money than sense' by throwing around their influence, time and money like there’s no tomorrow. Alen, the offspring of powerful black marketeers works with Delilah, the scion of old money to float a new must-experience party boat. Leo, the mid-child of a Novae Rich family does his best to help them out while Zara, the fledgling of a military dynasty aims to sabotage!

#Rich Kid Problem$ (Session 2 of 2) Donogh runs for Madelancholy, Sabine V., and Thomas Manuel Our kids know that, when you hit rock bottom the best thing to do is get out the kanji-hammers and keep digging! Alen attempts to prise away their cousin Vladimir from Zara’s embrace, but this doesn't quite go to plan and there is serious blowback on the way! Leo and Delilah continue to grow closer but there’s a surprising fly in the ointment...

AKA: The Transponder (Session 2 of 2) Donogh runs for Anders and Jonathan With our agent Carter off the grid in Baikonur it falls upon the conspirator JC to push through the deal. But handler James finds him an altogether different prospect. Meanwhile the boss Robert wonders who he can trust (if anyone)...

Pulp Cthulhu: Dark Passage (Session 1) Lowell Francis runs for Horst Wurst, Paul Rivers, Puckett, and Will H We meet our heroes coming off of a job is Los Angeles which cost them dearly. They're called to San Francisco where they must board a cruise liner headed for Shanghai. Their task: locate the person who has taken possession of some stolen occult relics. But things turn nasty quickly with one person murdered and another vanished.

Pulp Cthulhu: Dark Passage (Session 2) Lowell Francis runs for Horst Wurst, Paul Rivers, Puckett, and Will H Further investigations aboard the Coolidge point to an occult murder-- but the truth may be more complicated than they first thought. What's the connection behind the artifact smuggling person they seek and the shape-changing sorcerous killer. And what is this music?

Monster of the Week: The Rockies (Session 7) Blake Ryan runs for Brandon Ungar, David Montgomery, Dom, and Grey Dodgy Deals Delivery

Monster of the Week: The Rockies (Session 8) Blake Ryan runs for Brandon Ungar, David Montgomery, Dom, and Grey Fickle Fey Fortune

Eotenweard: Tarham (Session 1) Alun R. runs for Dom, Dominik, and Pawel S. Cola the Hunter, Izold the Storyteller & Gwylog the Revenant arrive at the village of Tarham to find a settlement recovering from a recent attack. There's a disloyal warrior, a cowardly herder, a loyal outcast and an aging Lord. Then...carrion crows return along with the stench of death, shadows take on a life of their own, and there's 'something' out there in the dark...and bagpipes...

Godbound: Sundered Cycles (Session 30) Lowell Francis runs for Dan Brown, Ethan Harvey, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack The first half of a journey into the mythic plane-- the crossing of the threshold, a journey across the ocean of souls, and a challenge atop a mammoth lotus flower.

Trail of Cthulhu: Fearful Symmetries: Arc Two (Session 4) Lowell Francis runs for Alun R., Paul Rivers, Sherri, and Will H Having made their made into the Bradbury estate-- the circle realizes the threat is both more dire and more immediate than they thought. After wrestling with various plans and consciences, they split up-- with Isabel and Richard trying to find Flora and the grove while Wilford and the Doctor try to see what they can do with Mrs. Bradbury and her impending delivery. Things do not go well. They go messily. Very messily.

Orbital (Session 1 of 3) Donogh runs for Mark and Puckett Discover our orbital, a strange place of crystals, fractal architecture & psychic warnings - the perils it faces: hunted star-crossed lovers from the War, a damaged warship seeking assistance, and something ancient stirring in the depths... Meet the orbital's residents: Cash Only - the Source of exactly what you're looking for, Rye - the Heart of a bar that epitomises the genuine warmth of the station, & Hemlock Pangolin - a Shadow on a secret mission to ensure the Orbital remains neutral ground a stoic hydroponics engineer who minds their own business.

Star Wars Saturday

Fellowship (Session 4) Rich Rogers runs for Greg G., Kae, Steven Watkins, and Tyler Lominack The fellowship dances and fights until they uncover an ancient artifact that will rock an entire world.

Fellowship (Session 5) Rich Rogers runs for Cody Eastlick, Greg G., Kae, and Steven Watkins The fellowship makes a difficult choice about the holocron of stillness and escapes Vuarlock for Dathomir.

Stars in the Dark: Stars in the Dark II (Session 2) Anders runs for Marc Majcher, Mark (they/them), Rich Rogers, and Steven Watkins Strange Smugglers and Gamorrean Grapplers - Our stalwart spies follow their target(s?) and discover that not everything is as it seems. Also: Gamorrean wrestling! Hotwired speeder bikes! A traffic stop!

Stars in the Dark: Stars in the Dark II (Session 3) Anders runs for Marc Majcher, Mark (they/them), Rich Rogers, and Steven Watkins Industrial Automaton Entanglements

Off-Calendar Highlights

The Between: Stars and Suns, Season Two (Session 5) Madelancholy runs for Jack, Sarah W., and Steph "A Tale of Two Parties" - New opening credits! 🎉 A little bit of chaos ensues when the Explorer and the Undeniable throw separate parties at Hargrave House. A sinister royal personage drops by. Come day, a demonic presence is reported at Kilborn Abbey, Ernest experiences time distortion, Dame Georgie talks to Mr. Figg, and Liat pressures the abbot for some answers.

The Between: Stars and Suns, Season Two (Session 6) Madelancholy runs for Jack, Mike, and Steph "For All Good Intent" - Sir Atticus returns from the Void with the help of a familiar friend, and returns to Hargrave House with Ragg in tow. Dame Georgie comes to an uneasy truce because of his new state, and Liat invites her fellow hunters to tea and oh-so-innocuous conversation.

[eggoverlord]

I'm gonna start posting the music I listen to every month. Just did it for February (which I will get to in a second) but before that, I want to say some things about it.

Number 1: Formatting. It is Album Name - Artist - Genre(s)

Number 2: Yes it's a lot of music. I have an hour long bus ride to and from school every day so I listen to 2 albums frequently, lately I haven't kept up as much, but that's why it's so long.

Number 3: all but one albums are new or mostly new to me. I listed the album I already listened to, the rest are new albums. Not necessarily new artist though

Anyway

Delete Yourself - Atari Teenage Riot - Digital Hardcore

Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus - More experimental jazz? Avant-guarde I guess

AS HARD AS YOU CAN - LustSickPuppy - Digital Harcore

Cosmic Brownie - LustSickPuppy - Digital Hardcore

Headhunters - Herbie Hancock - Jazz Fusion

Take Me To Your Leader - King Geedorah (MF DOOM) - Hip Hop, kinda Acid Jazz

Diary of an Afro Warrior - Benga - Dubstep

Parrhesia - Animals as Leaders - Djent

Color Him Father - The Winstons - Soul

Lemonade - Beyoncè - R&B

LP! - JPEGMAFIA - Experimental Hip Hop

Try and Love - Ofege - Psych Rock or Funk Rock or something

The Battle of Los Angeles - Rage Against The Machine - Nu Metal and or Funk Metal

Uprising - Bob Marley - Reggae

I Wish My Brother George Was Here - Del The Funky Homosapien - Alternate Hip Hop

Maggot Brain - Funkadelic - Funk with some rock and blues elements

Cosmogramma - Flying Lotus - IDM or some other Electronic Thing

What Did He Say - Victor Wooten - Jazz Fusion

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Ms Lauryn Hill - Hip Hop and Soul and R&B and more probably

Exmilitary - Death Grips - I already listened to this many times but it's my favorite album, also punk rap or experiment hip hop or something

United States of Horror - Ho99o9 - Punk Rap with a heavy emphasis on Punk

Bad Brains - Bad Brains - Punk with Reggae influence but is also distinctly not ska if that makes sense

...For The Whole World To Remember - Death - Proto Punk

Visions of Bodies Being Burned - clipping. - Experimental Hip Hop

Vivid - Living Color - Kinda Funk Rock Kinda Hair Metal

Queen of the Blues - Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe - Blues

TRYPNOTYX - Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers, and Bob Franceschini - Funk and Jazz Fusion

Motherlode - Super Soul Brothers - Soul, Jazz, and Funk covers of Earthbound songs

Odetta Sings - Odetta - Folk

Graduation - Sleepy Dog - Math Rock, Midwest Emo

A New Machine for Living - Turing Machine - Math Rock

Aquemini - Outkast - Alternative Hip Hop

[isisvidals]

I was an angel sea flying above the heads' fish

I was a warrior princess defending the skies from the cataclysm

I was a lighthouse keeper who saw mythical creatures crossing the seven seas

I was the stylist of the real stars, adorning them with the finest jewellery to shine bright

I was a sufi poet rhyming words to unlock universal love for humankind

I was the Africans' fashion designer 'cause I wanted to see them dance in flowy fabric

I was the storyteller of my small town who made children travel in their subconscious minds

I was the spirit of the blue lotus that wanted to ease people's breaths in ancient Egypt

I was thousands of things one day

But for now I'm a dreamy child

A wanderer, a hopeless being

A loner and a lover till I die

Finding a home in the woods, finding magic everywhere I look

Dreaming of being thousands of things once again before death.

[timetravelingcas]

Masterpost of shows I've watched and liked.

A- A.P Bio, Angela Black, Alex Rider, American Vandal, Avenue 5

B- Brooklyn 99, Big Little Lies, Broad Church, Breaking Bad, Big Mouth, The Boys, Bridgerton, The Bay, Bloods, Bad Sisters, Brassic, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself

C- Clarice, Charmed (reboot), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Community, Call the Midwife, City on Fire

D- Doctor Who, Dead Like Me, Dead To Me

E- The Essex Serpent, Eyewitness, Everyone Else Burns

F- Fargo, Fragile, Funny Woman

G- The Good Place, Good Girls Revolt, The Good Lord Bird, Ghosts (UK and US)

H- Halt and Catch Fire, Hard Cell, House M.D, Hand Maid's Tale, Human Resource

I- The I Land, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I'm Dying Up Here, Interview with the Vampire

J- Julie and the Phatoms, Jury Duty

K

L- Loki, Luther, Landscapers, The White Lotus, Last of Us

M- Manifest, Masters of Sex, Miracle Workers, Mind Hunter, Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Merlin, Mindy Project, Melissa & Joey, Mandalorian, MINX, Mythic Quest, McDonalds & Dobbs, Moonhaven

N- New Girl

O- The Office(US and Uk), Orange is the New Black, Once Upon a Time, Orphan Black, Our Flag Means Death

P- Private Eyes, Prodigal Son, Preacher (AMC) Parks and Rec, People of Earth, Psych, Paper Girls, Poker Face, The Patient

Q-

R- Room 104, Roswell New Mexico, Russian Doll, Reservation Dogs

S- Supernatural, Sherlock, Star Trek Discovery, Sex Education, Space Force, Schitts Creek, Shameless, Severance, Silo

T- Twilight Zone (2019), Torchwood, Timeless, Touched By an Angel, Traces,

U- Umbrella Academy, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

V- Versailles

W- What We Do in the Shadows, World Beyond, Warrior Nun, Wandavision, Welcome to Flatch, Wynonna Earp,

X- The X-files

Y- Yonderland, Young Royals

Z

[freyayuki]

Final Fantasy Record Keeper Final Fantasy VII Relics List

In the Final Fantasy Record Keeper (FFRK) mobile game, Final Fantasy VII (#ad) is the realm where I have the most relics. 

This is a list of those relics and whose chars they belong to although I’m only listing them if I have at least their Awakened Arcane Soul Break (AASB) and/or their Synchro Arcane Soul Break (SASB).

Genesis Rhapsodos from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Limit Break Overstrike (LBO), Light of Doom

Synchro Arcane Soul Break (SASB), Purgatorial Wave

Awakened Arcane Soul Break (AASB), Genesis Rhapsody

Arcane Overstrike Soul Break (AOSB), SOLDIER’s Epic

Ultra Soul Break (USB), Apocalypse Genesis

Glint+ Soul Break 1 (G+1), Epic of Creation

Glint+ Soul Break 2 (G+2), Epic of Heroism

Glint Soul Break (G), Epic of Destruction

Legend Materia Relic (LMR), Fierce Opposition

Angeal Hewley from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

LBO, Unleashed Wrath

SASB, White-Winged SOLDIER

AASB2, Burden of Pride

Sephiroth

SASB, Demonic Lord

AASB1, Stigma

AOSB1, Setting Sun

USB1, Heartless Angel

USB2, Zanshin

USB3, Crimson Lotus

G+2, Fervent Shadow

Burst Soul Break (BSB), Reunion

Super Soul Break (SSB), Transience

Unique Soul Break, Nibelheim Nightmare

LMR1, Fateful Secret

LMR2, Apocalyptic Hero

Aeris or Aerith Gainsborough

AASB, Star Pulse

USB1, Hidden Bloom

USB2, Innocent Cure

G+1, Refreshing Breeze

G+2, Star Whisper

Unique Soul Break, Planet Protector

LMR, Flower of the Slums

Barret Wallace

AASB2, Uncontrolled Beam

USB, Height of Anger

G+, Avenging Flames

G, Angry Mind

LMR2, Opposition Leader

Vincent Valentine from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

LBO, Galian Scratch

SASB, Bestial Claws

AASB, Chthonian Blaze

USB1, Lucrecia’s Lament

USB2, Dirge of Cerberus

Chain Soul Break (CSB), Cerberus Soul

Cait Sith

AASB, Hit the Jackpot

USB1, Danger Dice

USB2, Random Summon?

G+, Planetary Protector

SSB1, Moogle Dance

Zack Fair from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

SASB, Come Get It!

AASB2, Road to Heroism

USB2, Lazy Mirage

G+2, Sonic Squat

G, Storm Squat

CSB, Lucky Stars

Tifa Lockhart

SASB1, Zangan’s Infinitude

AASB, Meteor Arts

AOSB, Platinum Strike

USB1, Meteodrive

BSB1, Meteor Crusher

LMR1, Brawling Barkeep

Yuffie Kisaragi

AASB1, Sublime Doom

AOSB1, Freewheeling Bloodfest

USB2, Freewheeling Gauntlet

G+1, Ebb and Flow

G1, Freewheeling Reflection

CSB, Smoke Shell

LMR, Finders Keepers

Red XIII

AASB, Lunatic Roar

USB1, Mighty Warrior

USB2, Earth Rave

G+, Expanding Earth

BSB, Cosmo Canyon

CSB, Howling Earth

LMR, Elder Race

Cid Highwind

AASB, Dreams of Space

USB, Dynamite Boost

Shelke Rui from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

AASB, Transparent Bolt

G, Technical Defense

CSB, Synaptic Current

Cloud Strife

True Arcane Soul Break (TASB) or Arcane Dyad Soul Break (ADSB), Omnislash

AASB1, Angelic Synergy

USB2, Climirage

Overstrike Soul Break 1 (OSB1), Finishing Touch

G+1, Aerial Fang

G+4, Triple Slash

LMR1, Sprinting Wolf

LMR2, Truth Surmounted

LMR5, Borrowed Blade

Conclusion

So what about you? Which realm in FFRK do you have the most relics for? Do you have a lot of Soul Breaks for Final Fantasy VII chars? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below or by reblogging or replying to this post.

Notes:

screenshots are from my Final Fantasy Record Keeper game account

[canceriancarmen]

nakshatra associations

please let me know if any of this information is wrong!

ashwini: aries rashi, ketu, horse head symbol, masculine, earth, ashwini kumars deity (twin healing gods), horse yoni, angelic species, merchant caste

bharani: aries rashi, venus, yoni/vagina symbol, feminine, earth, yama deity (the god of death and protector of the dharma), elephant yoni, human species, barbarian caste

krittika: aries and taurus rashis, sun, sharp instrument (razor or knife) symbol, feminine, earth, agni deity (the god of fire), sheep yoni, demonic species, kshatriya, priest caste

rohini: taurus rashi, moon, venus, cart symbol, feminine, earth, brahma deity (the god of creation), snake yoni, human nature, labourer caste

mrigashira: taurus and gemini rashis, mars, deer symbol, ambiguous, earth, chandra deity (the moon), snake yoni, angelic species, servant caste

ardra: gemini rashi, rahu, teardrop and diamond symbols, feminine, water, rudra deity (the destructive aspect of shiva), dog yoni, human species, butcher caste

punarvasu: gemini and cancer rashis, jupiter, quiver of arrows symbol, masculine, water, aditi deity (mother goddess of infinite space for creation), cat yoni, angelic species, merchant caste

pushya: cancer rashi, saturn, udder symbol, masculine, water, brihaspati deity (guru of the gods), sheep yoni, angelic species, warrior caste

ashlesha: cancer rashi, mercury, coiled serpent symbol, feminine, water, sarpa deity (divine serpent; nagas), cat yoni, demonic species, barbarian caste

magha: leo rashi, ketu, royal throne symbol, feminine, water, pitras deity (male ancestors, forefathers), rat yoni, demonic species, labourer caste

purva phalguni: leo rashi, venus, hammock or bed symbol, feminine, water, bhaga deity (god of good fortune and luck), rat yoni, human species, priest caste

uttara phalguni: leo and virgo rashis, sun, hammock or bed symbol, feminine, fire, aryaman deity (a solar, friendly, companion god), cow yoni, human species, warrior caste

hasta: virgo rashi, moon, hand symbol, masculine, fire, surya deity (god of the sun), buffalo yoni, angelic species, merchant caste

chitra: virgo and libra rashis, mars, jewel symbol, feminine, fire, tvastar deity (god of engineering and form), tiger yoni, demonic species, servant caste

swati: libra rashi, rahu, sword and sprout and coral and egg symbols, feminine, fire, vayu deity (god of air), buffalo yoni, angelic species, butcher caste

vishakha: libra and scorpio rashis, jupiter, archway symbol and forked branch symbol, feminine, fire, shakragni deity (indra/agni), tiger yoni, demonic species, barbarian caste

anuradha: scorpio rashi, saturn, decorated gateway/arch and lotus symbol, masculine, fire, mitra deity (god of friendship), deer yoni, angelic species, labourer caste

jyeshta: scorpio rashi, mercury, talisman symbol, feminine, air, indra deity (king of the gods), deer yoni, demonic species, servant caste

mula: sagittarius rashi, ketu, roots symbol, ambiguous, air, nritti (goddess of evil fate/calamity), dog yoni, demonic species, butcher caste

purva ashadha: sagittarius rashi, venus, decorative fan symbol, winnowing basket symbol, feminine, air, apahs deity (water goddesses), monkey yoni, human species, priest caste

uttara ashadha: sagittarius and capricorn rashis, sun, tusk symbol, feminine, air, visvedevas deity (saintly ancestors and sons of dharma), mongoose yoni, human species, warrior caste

shravana: capricorn rashi, moon, ear symbol, masculine, air, vishnu/saraswati deity (the preserver and the goddess of learning), monkey yoni, angelic species, barbarian caste

dhanishta: capricorn and aquarius rashis, mars, musical drum symbol, feminine, ether, vasus deity (deities of wealth and fame), lion yoni, demonic species, servant caste

shatabisha: aquarius rashi, rahu, empty circle symbol, ambiguous, ether, varuna deity (the god of water and the underworld), horse yoni, demonic species, butcher caste

purva bhadrapada: aquarius and pisces rashis, jupiter, two faced man and funeral bed symbols, masculine, ether, ajaikapada deity (rudra/bhairava), lion yoni, human species, priest caste

uttara bhadrapada: pisces rashi, saturn, back legs of a funeral bed symbol, masculine, ether, ahirbudhnya deity (the serpent of the deep), cow yoni, human species, warrior caste

revati: pisces rashi, mercury, timekeeping drum and fish (two) symbols, feminine, ether, pushan deity (a nurturing god), elephant yoni, angelic species, labourer caste

[avi17]

MK X Pacific Rim AU Concept

You ever get an AU idea in your head and go absolutely feral for a bit putting it all on paper?  Me neither, until now!  This isn’t so much a fic as just a detailed wiki-style outline, but hopefully it will still be fun to read!  I had a ton of fun figuring out how to translate all these concepts and backstories into the PR world. If anyone feels like doing anything with these ideas they’re absolutely welcome, just please credit me and link back to this post if you do!  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to write this into some massive longfic, but I definitely hope to do some shorts in this ‘verse. I brainstormed this with a bunch of people, and got some fun ideas from @sxvethelastdance​, @bastardsunlight​, and @fallen-angel-lucifer- thank you guys so much for humoring all this!​

Pan Pacific Defense Corps Marshal Raiden was a legendary Mark 1 pilot dating back to when the program was first launched.  Based out of the Shatterdome in Tokyo, he and his brother Fujin, in their Jaeger Thunderbolt Gale, were the first line of defense from Kaiju attacks headed westward from the breach for five grueling years. However, they met their match in Motaro, the first Category 3 Kaiju to make landfall on Hokkaido, and when Fujin was torn from their Jaeger and killed, Raiden was forced to take down the creature solo- a feat replicated only twice since. The physical and emotional toll of that day led to his retirement from active combat, but he remained in the PPDC as a commander, as well as a mentor of other pilots.  When the Jaeger program was decommissioned, he was the last one to retain his faith in it, and took up leadership over the few remaining Jaegers at the Shatterdome in Hong Kong for one final stand against the Kaiju. Current Pilots:

Liu Kang and Kung Lao Jaeger: White Lotus Original base: Hong Kong

The home base heroes of the Hong Kong Shatterdome, pilots Liu Kang and Kung Lao are the top graduates and darlings of the Wu Shi Jaeger Academy.  Raised together in a martial arts sect before the first breach and drift compatible since their ranger training began, they are nearly inseparable- though Kung Lao has never quite forgotten how Liu Kang's scores just barely edged out his own in their individual skill assessments, and he strives constantly to prove himself his partner's equal (despite Liu Kang's insistence that such competition is unnecessary). Their Jaeger, White Lotus, is a well-rounded, powerful machine, featuring high-powered flamethrowers, as well as a system of fuel vents that allow it to set its fists alight and heat them to brutal temperatures in close-quarters battle. For ranged combat, it utilizes a circular blade mounted to its head, which can be thrown like a boomerang with enough force to slice through buildings. 

Kitana and Jade Jaeger: Edenia Glory Original Base: Lima

Interplanetary refugees, Kitana and Jade escaped to Earth after their homeworld was attacked and overrun by Kaiju invaders.  Their spacecraft crashed in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, and though they immediately searched for civilization in order to warn Earth’s people of what was to come, the first wave of attacks had already begun.  After making their way to Lima, they volunteered to put their combat skills and close bond to use as rangers in the South American Jaeger program. Together they have defended the coasts of Chile and Peru since the Mark-2 days, though between battles, they spend their time in communication with the PPDC and the U.N., sharing what information they can about the Kaiju and other alien life previously unknown on Earth. Their Jaeger, Edenia Glory incorporates technological elements from their original planet not used in any other Jaeger, and is lithe, fast, and deadly, with a style focused primarily on precision bladework rather than hand to hand brawling.  Its name is a tribute to their lost homeworld, and they use it to great effect to prevent Earth from suffering the same fate.

Sonya Blade and Jackson "Jax" Briggs (later Johnny Cage) Jaeger: Flawless Victory Original Base: Los Angeles

Both Lt. Sonya Blade and Maj. Jax Briggs had successful careers in the U.S military behind them when the first Kaiju came ashore and attacked San Francisco.  Though at the time, Sonya was in the field pursuing the criminal Kano, she returned to the states when her friend and superior officer, Jax, suggested that they might be good candidates for the newly-formed ranger program.  He proved to be right, and the two did time at the Shatterdomes in both Los Angeles and Anchorage, fighting off Kaiju from Canada to Mexico, and became well-admired figures within the military for their ascent.  Though far from unscathed, the ostentatiously-named Flawless Victory is the last American Jaeger left standing by the time the program is decommissioned and is a tank of a machine, sacrificing some speed for the greatest physical strength of any Jaeger still on the field. Like the other American Jaegers, for long range combat it favors plasma cannons and explosives- particularly a ring-shaped plasma blast with wider coverage than the usual single beam- but it is at its most effective when delivering a crushing beatdown up close and personal. Johnny Cage is the star of a popular series of action films dramatizing the battles of the Jaegers and Kaiju, and to many civilians at home, is as much the face of the Jaeger program as its real members.  He has a secret ambition to become an actual pilot and has an impressive record in simulations, but because of his celebrity status (and his personality), Marshal Raiden and the other Jaeger teams refuse to consider him as a true contender.  However, when a vicious fight with two Kaiju at once leaves both of Jax's arms shattered, taking him out of commission as a pilot for the foreseeable future, Sonya is forced to accept Johnny as her new co-pilot in order to keep Flawless Victory in the fray where it is needed. Despite her irritation with him, they turn out to be drift compatible, and become a formidable duo in their own right.

Hanzo Hasashi and Kuai Liang Jaeger: Phantom Vengeance Original Base: Nagasaki

From the Nagasaki Shatterdome, the bright yellow Mark-3 Jaeger Shirai Ryu defended the coast of the Yellow Sea across three countries.  Its building was overseen by its husband and wife pilots, Hanzo and Harumi Hasashi, and it was named for the legendary warrior clan from which Hanzo claimed descent.  It was in service for four years, though Hanzo and Harumi always spent as much time as possible between missions with their young son Satoshi, who lived with them in their quarters at the base so that his parents could still have a part in raising him in a world that would not guarantee a reunion for families who choose to separate. Across the sea based in Shanghai was an organization known as the Lin Kuei, a private military contractor funded by shadowy, unknown sources.  Though its bread and butter was anti-Kaiju weaponry, it also began to develop its own Jaegers- the only ones outside the PPDC, created from illicitly obtained blueprints, and hireable for the right price.  Its crown jewel was a small, stealthy machine called simply Sub-Zero, unique for its proficiency underwater and tendency to use coolant as a weapon rather than fire or explosives, and piloted by two brothers- Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. When the massive Kaiju Kintaro directly attacked the Nagasaki Shatterdome, Shirai Ryu was the only Jaeger left to defend it. Desperate, the Hasashis attempted to contact the Lin Kuei, as they were closer than the nearest other Shatterdome in Tokyo.  They received no response and were forced into battle alone, and though they prevailed, the price was too high- not only Harumi’s life when part of their cockpit was crushed, but Satoshi’s as well, buried in the wreckage of the base.  In his grief, Hanzo blamed the Lin Kuei- particularly Bi-Han, with whom he had never gotten along- for what he perceived as a failure to act due to greed and amorality. What Hanzo did not know that day was that they were experiencing the first double event in history, and Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei were under attack by the Kaiju Sheeva at the same time.  The Kaiju hivemind had figured out Sub-Zero’s usual strategy of attacking from the water, and were ready with an acidic bite that tore a hole in the cockpit, which rapidly flooded.  After a similar failure to make contact with Shirai Ryu, Bi-Han was swept out into the sea and presumably drowned (though his body was never recovered), but Kuai Liang, despite a bleeding face and water up to his neck, managed to kill the Kaiju mere moments before Sub-Zero ceased to function. After his release from medical, a furious Kuai Liang set off immediately for the remains of the Nagasaki Shatterdome to confront Hanzo for his failure to respond to the attack, since Shanghai was within Nagasaki's area of coverage. Both blinded by rage, they nearly got into a fistfight in the middle of the base, but once they realized what had truly happened, their anger cooled.  They bonded over their grief, and the unfathomable experience of having to pilot a Jaeger alone after such loss- and in the process, discovered they were drift compatible, and that they both wished to continue the fight in retaliation for what the Kaiju had done to their families. Their new Jaeger, Phantom Vengeance, is a strange sight- constructed from salvaged pieces of both Sub-Zero and Shirai Ryu (along with some newer tech to fill the gaps), it looks as much like a walking ghost as its pilots. However, it should not be underestimated based on its appearance. Quick and light (for a Jaeger), it features a retractable grappling hook to drag Kaiju into the range of its blasts of powerful coolant, and a devastating grip to snap them like twigs once frozen. 

Other Players:

After the destruction of Sub-Zero and the defection of Kuai Liang, the Lin Kuei concluded that the problem with the Jaeger program was the human element of drift compatibility, which limited the number of possible pilots and held them back due to concern for their partners in battle.  Therefore, in secret, they began a series of horrific experiments, fusing subjects with their Jaegers to operate more like batteries than true pilots, and erasing their memories through drugging and electric shock in order to create blank minds that could operate together without the complications of emotion.  Assassins Cyrax and Sektor, along with Kuai Liang’s close friend Tomas Vrbada, were among the subjects of this initiative, forced to operate a three-armed machine called Triborg.

Shang Tsung is a scientist, shunned from the academic community and at times running afoul of the law for his unethical- if not outright twisted- biological experiments. He and Marshal Raiden have crossed paths in the past, and though no one knows the details, their enmity towards each other is clear. However, in his desperation after the decommissioning of the Jaeger program, Raiden had Shang Tsung brought from prison to the Hong Kong Shatterdome, and gave him access to whatever parts he needed to find a way to destroy the Kaiju- by any means necessary. Shang Tsung agreed partly because of the money offered, but mostly because the world's destruction would throw quite the wrench into his own personal goals. (And maybe because it was deeply satisfying- and perhaps useful- to have the Marshal in his debt.) Where his allegiance will lie at the end of the day, however, is anyone's guess. 

For such experiments, one needs a steady supply of Kaiju parts, and for contraband like that, Raiden had to look even lower- to the crime syndicate the Black Dragon, led by Kano and including his associates, Kabal and Erron Black.  Though once mercenaries dealing in everything from illicit arms trading to assassination, the Black Dragon followed the money and and put all their resources into the trafficking of Kaiju parts.  With demand so high, they have become immensely powerful, but their involvement with the PPDC in the name of greater profits ends up bringing Kano face to face with his old nemesis, Sonya Blade- with predictably violent results.

Nightwolf was the historian of the Matoka tribe, which had long ago predicted a great cataclysm that would bring about the end of life on earth.  Though he had been skeptical that such legends were real, when that cataclysm came to pass in the form of the Kaiju invasion, Nightwolf was not content to merely await a prophesied destruction.  He left home and applied for the ranger program, but although he trained toward being a pilot and had the necessary combat skills, he never found a partner with whom he was drift compatible.  Rather than dwell on this with resentment, he pivoted his focus into other ways he could help, and found his place as a technician and LOCCENT officer.  Transferred to Hong Kong after the decommissioning of the Jaeger program, he was the rangers’ primary point of communication with the base while in battle.

Though most of the world fears the Kaiju, there are also those who worship them, and such admiration has evolved over the years into a full-blown religion.  The shadowy high priest of this cult is Quan Chi, who claims that the Kaiju have been sent by the God of Death himself- to end the days of humans on Earth as we so richly deserve.  Recently, a strange, hollow-eyed man calling himself Noob Saibot has appeared like a shadow at Quan Chi’s side, serving as his personal bodyguard against all threats and a fellow ardent believer in the inevitability of humanity’s destruction. Mileena is a grotesque fusion of Kaiju DNA with that of Kitana, which was stolen against her will when she was injured and bled during the invasion of Edenia. She enters Earth as a general of the Kaiju, connected to their hivemind, along with the first Category 5 to ever come through the breach, Goro.  Together, they intend to ensure the will of their creator and the ruler of the Anteverse- Shao Kahn- is carried out.

[serendipitybutterfly]

Pick a Card Reading: What's Coming in the Month Ahead?

*Disclaimer- Pick a card readings are general as they are intended for multiple people. If a message resonates with you and what's going on in your life then it is for you and if it doesn't then it's probably for someone else and you can ignore it.

If you feel drawn to more than one pile then feel free to have a look at any of them as there may be information for you in more than one. I'd be grateful for your feedback on if you enjoyed this kind of reading and if you found it helpful as this is the first pick a card I've done. I hope you enjoy and that this may be useful to you in some way! 💜

Close your eyes and take deep breaths, focusing on the cool sensation of the air entering your lungs and warm sensation as it leaves your nose. Pay attention to sounds around you, from the loudest to the quietest... Let your awareness expand. Then, ask the question, 'what is coming in the month ahead?'. Open your eyes and they will be drawn to the pile or stone that is meant for you.

Pile 1: Amethyst

Pile 2: Selenite

Pile 3: Rose Quartz

Pile 1:

For everyone who chose pile one, this will be a month where the focus is entirely on your personal growth and development. This is a month in which you fulfilling your dreams and goals needs to be at the forefront. The archetype card that represents you this month is The Exorcist and this is really representative of you exorcising your own demons; the little voices in your head that tell you you can't do it, that you're not good enough or that lead you towards toxic habits or people. This month, your attention needs to be on letting everything which no longer serves you go in order to focus wholeheartedly on your dream (I love how the Focus card here has purple crystals which match the amethyst... some lovely confirmation!).

The tarot shows that you have The Star, The Empress in reverse, the Wheel of Fortune in reverse, and the 10 of Pentacles. This is telling me that you have the immense potential to make your dreams a reality and that fulfilling this dream will lead to a comfortable, secure lifestyle for you and your family materially. You are like the Empress waiting for her throne to come to her, but you're the one who needs to make it happen. You need to believe in yourself. As soon as you start working on developing yourself, you'll see the wheel begin to turn in your favour. It will take hard work to kick bad habits and have the discipline and focus to develop your skills and work towards your dream, but it will be worth it.

I hope this isn't too disappointing to some of you, but for most of you I don't think the True Love card is referring to your relationship with another person, but rather it's about how you see yourself. You're going to be learning that True Love actually comes from within. Love is a quality, a state, which is born within you and which you can share with others. You never need to look further than your own heart for love. There's a need to shift your perspective on love, on the way you view it and where and how you're looking for it. You need to begin seeing yourself differently, believing in your own talent and potential and having confidence that you will succeed.

It might sound strange, but I need all you pile ones to go listen to The Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston, you could even watch the music video, and make sure to pay attention to the lyrics! I started singing it to myself while doing this reading so I think it contains an important theme in this month for you and could be great inspiration.

Speaking of which, The Bard card tells me that music, songs, stories and art in general will be hugely inspirational to you this month. It could be a song you listen to, a book you read, a movie you watch... Something will motivate and inspire you and it's important that you take advantage of that inspiration. I think quite a few of you may also be aspiring 'bards' ; artists who want to share their music, art and stories with the world. I'm telling you that The Star is shining on your dreams so believe in yourself, work hard and you will have your wish! Good luck in the month ahead! 💜

Pile 2:

Perhaps unsurprisingly, for those of you who chose pile 2 and Selenite (a stone associated with the moon) this pile seems to be very much about you getting in touch with the watery energy of your spirituality and emotions. The archetype card representing you over the next month is the Monk / Nun. Someone who has devoted them self to a spiritual life. Monks and Nuns also take vows of chastity and what I'm seeing for any of you that are interested in romance is that there is quite a bit of spiritual work you need to do on your own first before you're truly ready to open your heart to love.

The tarot cards you got, the 2 of Air (swords), the 2 of cups, the King of cups reversed and the nine of wands, are telling me that you have some underlying issues when it comes to relationships (I think mostly romantic but it could also include other kinds of relationships so take it how it resonates). I feel like there's a sense of hesitating to trust others or believe you could be in a great relationship... You have some hidden emotional blockages that you need to work through before you can be a well adjusted King of Cups with his amazing emotional intelligence, confidence and open heart. The nine of wands in this tarot deck (Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights) is actually very different from the usual imagery of the nine of wands which shows the battered warrior having won one battle yet knowing the war isn't over. This nine of wands on the other hands shows what seems to be a couple meeting each other in a quiet place for a romantic rendezvous... I take it in this case as a couple reuniting after being separated by difficult circumstances and overcoming them on their own... Now finally they can be together. That's the message for you pile 2, you have the potential to have beautiful relationships but first you need to work on the blockages that are holding you back from being able to love with all your heart.

You got the Lotus card representing 'Unfoldment'. I want you all to look up the symbol of the Lotus in Buddhist tradition, but essentially consider that the beautiful Lotus flower rises to the light of the sun out of the darkness and filth at the bottom of the pond. You may have gone through dark times in your life, but don't see yourself as tainted by them forever. You can and will overcome your past and rise, pure, clean and beautiful into the light. You can see with the Water Cleansing card just how much clear water elemental energy is present in this reading. I think doing some cleansing rituals involving water would be extremely beneficial for many of you. If you live near the sea, or a clean river, stream, spring or lake where it is safe to swim and wash yourself in the water, do go out and do so at a peaceful time of day, visualising the water washing away any past wounds and leaving you fresh again. If there's no natural body of water near you, then make up a cleansing bath (or shower) at home and do just the same, imagine the water washing away the pain and fear that no longer serve you. Almost like a baptism where the past is washed away and it's like you are born again, I see that symbolic cleansing with water will help you feel pure and clean in your body, mind and spirit and allow you to begin anew.

Rounding out the water imagery, we have the Water Faery card representing you in the month ahead and emphasising that this month is all about emotional healing and spirituality. Together with the Druid Card and It's Safe to Love card, I'm getting the message that having this period of soul searching and spiritual growth is key to healing the emotional wounds left by your past. I want to recommend all of you to do some Sacral Chakra and Heart Chakra healing meditations as I think that would be a good place to start for a lot of you. You can find guided meditations on YouTube for these. Right now I'm really getting the impression that you're experiencing blockages in these areas due to some events in your past that you've really held onto and it's stopping your loving and creative energies from flowing as they should. Once you give yourself permission to heal and let go of the pain you're holding onto, you're going to be elevating yourself and opening up to the love and connections you really deserve. Sometimes it's hard to face and reconcile with the most shadowy parts of yourself, sometimes it's actually scary to step out from the shadow because you don't know who you are without it, but I promise you all that having the bravery to start this healing process will be worth it every step of the way. Let yourself be washed clean and start afresh now.✨

Pile 3:

OK pile 3... This is a rough time for a lot of you I can see. Right now some truths seem to have come to light in your life and you've been left feeling betrayed, deceived, lied to... It doesn't feel good, but let this reading give you hope and confirmation in the fact that you are blessed and protected.

First of all, the archetype representing you this month is the angel card. Not only is this telling me that you are a good, kind person who is not in the wrong in the situation you are in, its also a confirmation that you are surrounded by angels who are protecting and guiding you. This reading is full of angels. I counted 5 angels in all so perhaps 5 is a lucky or significant number this month (it is also the 5th month of the year!).

All the tarot cards - 7 of Air (swords), 3 of swords, and Judgement twice! - are giving me the simple message that you were being deceived or misled, but the truth has been brought to light and this left you feeling heartbroken or disappointed. But try not to give in to this feeling. Everything happens for a reason and those who did wrong will be brought to justice and those who did the right thing will receive their just rewards. Honestly, I get the feeling that you were actually protected from a worse outcome. You feel the truth coming to light ruined something for you but actually it spared you from a greater suffering and has now opened the doors to you stepping into the opportunities you really deserve. In a sense, this really is actually something to celebrate, even though it may not seem so right now.

With the Distant Thunder and Oracle cards, I'm getting the message that right now isn't the time to make any hasty decisions or take any rash action. It's important right now to watch and listen carefully to what's going on and make sure you have all the information you need before you make your next move. Don't worry, you're going to be guided to take action when the time is right and all the necessary information will be provided to you. Just keep your eyes and ears open and watch for the signs.

With this Partnership card I'm getting that this particular group has people dealing with a few different kinds of situations... For some of you this is to do with a romantic relationship, for others it's with friends or family and for others it's to do with business or education... Regardless of the specifics, I want to assure you all that you have been blessed and protected by the guides watching over you and that is something to celebrate and grateful for. Although you're disappointed now, try to have faith that what is coming to you is greater than what you had imagined previously. There are better things in store and this setback is just paving the way for you. Have a little patience and keep watch because great new opportunities are in your future!😇