#tinfoil alert

[yournextflame]

Children of the Erdtree

Recently I've been thinking a lot about Tarnished Archeologist video, where he suggested that during the Marika's age all people were born from the Edtree. And while I disgree with his main statement, I think there is certain truth when it comes to... Empyreans. As crazy as it sounds, there are plenty of evidence that Empyreans are plants spawns of the Erdtree, especially in Japanese.

Those born at the foot of the Erdtree are blessed. At least, that is the enduring belief of the people of the plateau (Golden Rune [6]) 黄金樹の麓に生まれた者は特別である 高原の民は、未だそう信じている

This description in English draws connection to the blessing of the guidance, but JP doesn't use "blessed", 特別 means "special, extraordinary, unique". This word is also used in the description of the amber draught that Seluvis made to seduce Ranni, Radagon's seweing kit (unique item made to alter demigod attire) and plenty of other items associated with demigods, which in my opinion implies that people born at the foot of the Erdtree are divine beings.

Upd: it can be translated as "blessing" and used as such in the description of the Erdtree's flavor.

In one of my recent replies I suggested that Melina (I was born at the foot of the Erdtree) is a secret Empyrean, who born after the Shattering and, unlike Ranni or M-twins, she was directly spawned from the Erdtree. However, description of the Golden Rune states that this phenomena of people coming from the Erdtree is widely known to the regular folks as well as the special status of people born this way.

Before dwelling deeper into the mysterious lore of floral Empyreans, I want to explain why in my opinionnot not all people and demigods were born from the Erdtree; and this pattern is not an evidence for this statement, it's simply a genealogical tree of the Golden Lineage. The demigods are all directly related to Queen Marika's/Only Godric, the grafted one, is a distant descendant…/The runt of the litter, his divine blood sorely diluted (Enia) The issue with original theory is that such a thing like Godrick's diluted blood wouldn't exist in a world where everyone is Marika's or Erdtree's offshoot, not to mention logistics of childbirth would raise a lot of questions, how would people determine which child-bud is their child? The game makes it very clear that people are coming to the Erdtree to die, but nothing points that majority of population were born from the Erdtree, otherwise Melina's situation wouldn't be presented as something unique and people, who were born at the foot of the Erdtree, wouldn't be viewed as extraordinary entities, and brother D wouldn't boast that no child will came from Fia's rotten flesh anymore. While I believe that Marika definitely screwed to concept of motherhood by her decision to remove the Rune of Destined from the Elden Ring - that's why Formless Mother is an outer god, "Bat Song" - a song about motherhood is the only song with real Latin lyrics; and why Marika has no luck with children, I don't think that it was screwed to the extent of people being fully dependant on the Erdtree to reproduce. [cut content alert] Turtle meat is said to boost virility, but none in the Lands Between seem to have much appetite for it these days. In Lands Between, the urge to reproduce has waned long ago Going with Elden Ring's based idea of life being intertwined with death, I think immortal people simply lost interest in reproduction, but since this description was changed, I don't have a hard evidence to support this idea. That being said, there is no hard proof for anything, but there are plenty of interesting connections between Empyreans and plants, and I want to talk about it.

Souls Seed, Japanese lore-blogger, pointed similarity between the oval shape in the center of mural on the Erdtree's entrance and Miquella's cacoon, but I decided too add Rennala's amber egg as I strongly suspect that this thing produced Ranni. This mural was always interesting to me, the meaning of the lower part is easy to understand, the Erdtree sprouts from the Elden Ring as it is said on Kadokawa JP site, but the upper part is more abstract. What is this oval object? What are those lines are supposed to symbolize? According to the Soul Seed's theory, this mural is showing the blood watering Empyrean cacoon born from the Erdtree (or the Erdtree being watered with blood and producing Empyrean). The Empyrean was thus used as a name for the firmament, and in Christian literature for the dwelling-place of God, the blessed, celestial beings so divine they are made of pure light, and the source of light and creation The very name of Empyreans says to us that they are very special, in Japanese they are 神人 "god-person", they are indeed a level above an average demigod. And I really dislike that EN translation dropped that the birth of Empyreans means that the age of current ruling god is ending. 神人とは、通常のデミゴッドとは異なる存在

エルデンリング、即ち女王マリカの時代が終わったとき

神となり、新しい律を掲げるべく、尊く生まれ落ちているのです

An Empyrean is different from an ordinary demigod.

When the Elden Ring; the Age of Queen Marika ends,

an Empyrean is preciously born to become God so they can establish a new Order (Sage Gowry)

If you haven't read my close reading of Marika's echoes, I'd recommend you to do it as in that post I explained in details why this verb 掲げる is so important. It's used in the description of the Dectus and Rold medallions, which are mended by Tarnished, it's used in the description of the Mending Runes, and it's used... by Marika when she sends Tarnished on the Long March.

Then, after thy death, I will give back what I once claimed. Return to the Lands Between, wage war, and brandish the Elden Ring. そして、お前たちが死した後、いつか奪ったものを返そう 狭間の地に戻り、戦い、赴くままにエルデンリングを掲げるがよい Just to be clear, I don't think the Shattering was a rebellion against the Greater Will as Marika planned that the Elden Ring would be 掲げる in the end. Me general idea is that it was a succession war between Marika and Empyreans, but this theory always had two giant plot holes named Malenia and Miquella, who were born after the beginning of Tarnished campaign. However, no matter in which theory you believe the birth of Miquella and Malenia wouldn't make sense, not to mention the whole selfcest thing. Unless the birth of the Empyreans is something that Marika can't fully control because they aren't born in classic way, they are spawining from the Erdtree.

Floral theme is very important in the imagery of gods and Empyreans. Marika/Radagon and the Erdtree, Miquella, his lilies and the Haligtree, Malenia and Scarlet Aeonia. The only Empyrean, who isn't associated with plants, is Ranni, but I think this Miyazaki's interview explains why:

What can represent these rules and order but also not be absolute? That was the question that ran through my mind when I created this image. And the tree really fits the bill nicely for that because the tree is something that's alive, it's something that grew, it's something that will eventually wither and die. And this really fits the role of something that can then bestow this order, control these rules, and enforce these rules on the world. Because these too are things that will grow and will change and will wither and die as well. So I feel that the tree this time is something that fits those elements both visually and thematically. But saying any more than that would definitely go into spoiler territory.

[Miyazaki's interview to gamesradar explains lore better than 150hr long game 🤦‍♀️] Those big, magic plants, the Erdtree, the Haligtree that was supposed to replace it, they are embodiements of the Order. The Erdtree used to be an object of worship, Haligtree played the central role in Miquella's plant. The Scarlet Aeonia would be worshipped too if Malenia was interested in the Order of Rot.

But Ranni choose to walk the shadow path and the main idea behind her ending is that there wouldn't be a god and Order to worship, in that case a symbol of the Order shouldn't exist. In the light of theory that Empyreans blood is a source of life, her slaughter of the body would also makes sense because... the blood of gods and Empyreans is a source of life and a lot of problems.

I always thought that Millicent story is a missing piece of puzzle to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the Elden Ring - Marika/Radagon. Of course, Malenia is posessed by Rot, but I think the key principle between the birth of Malenia's daughter and Radagon's existence is the same. Notably, Millicent is always descibed as a flower (as well as her sisters and Malenia herself) The despair of sweet betrayal transformed Millicent from a mere bud into a magnificent flower. And one day, she will be reborn—as a beautiful scarlet valkyrie The girl, Millicent. She is a bud. Green and undeveloped, waiting to flower into magnificence/In truth, before her, I'd never seen a bud of such superior quality. She might very well outshine her sisters. However, Millicent believes that she is blood-related to Malenia. In which case, allow me to explain myself. I am of Malenia's blood. But in what capacity I know not. I could be sister, daughter, or an offshoot…

Recently I've been asked to translate official Malenia vs Radahn story board and found out something interesting on this panel - according to the trailer director Malenia uses the weight of her body to push the sword deeper inside Radahn's body and mix their blood. The result comes immediately - Radahn blooms with the Aeonia flower. Considering what happened in the trailer and later in the story, I can suggest this formula:

Malenia's blood -> Scarlet Aeonia flower -> Malenia's "daughters" or:

Empyrean's blood -> magic plant -> Empyrean's offshoot The latter is partially supported by Miquella's lore. We know that he was fertilizing Haligtree with his own blood: The surcoat bears the crest of the Haligtree. Though watered with Miquella's own blood since it was a sapling, the Haligtree ultimately failed to grow into an Erdtree A popular theory also suggests that Miquella has his own offshoot - St. Trina, but without cut content we can rely only on visual similarities between their lilies and spirit/dreamwrold connections.

Speaking of which, I'd like to pay ettention to the base of the St. Trina's lily. Unlike Miquella's lily, this one doesn't have roots, and the base of it looks similar to the rootless Haligtree sigil. Applying the pattern that I mentioned above, we can see how blood/plant thing works for Miquella:

Miquella's blood -> Haligtree ->St. Trina [confirmed in cut content, speculative in the current lore] However, I wonder to which extent Empyreans can control creation of plants/people from their blood. Malenia definitely bloomed on purpose, but it seems that Millicent and her children were born without Malenia's awareness. Same goes for the St. Trina. Does their shape is so uncertain (some say she is a comely young girl, others are sure he is a boy) because Haligtree was still growing or and wasn't fully formed or is it result of Miquella's connection to the dreams, a realm of abstract imagery?

Quite often when it comes to Radagon's lore we can only pray use visual design as an evidence. And Radagon is always surrounded by plants. He has 11 portraits in the Roundtable Hall and almost all of them are paired with the Erdtree's painting. His talisman depicts him with the stamens of Miranda's flowers and if Miranda's prayer wasn't cut from the game, I would definitely draw parallel to the Floral Crucible. Finally, his statue shows him T-posing ohgodwhy over the roots or... the growing Erdtree. Following estabilished formula: Marika's blood ->the Erdtree -> Radagon

Rennala got horny for a plant. Of course, there are a plenty of wonky parts in this theory. Why is Radagon=Marika, a fully functional male counterpart capable of carrying the Elden Ring, but Millicent is not even a demigod. Maybe because Malenia herself wasn't a real god at this moment, let alone a ruling god on top of the Order:

When Malenia ascends to godhood, Millicent too shall be reborn. As a scarlet valkyrie. Alternate explanation is the influence of the Rot, but I think what matters in the end is that Empyrean's blood can create plants that are birthing people.

[I think now I know what's deal with M-children and butterflies, they are attracted to the flowers]

More over, there are a plenty of mentions of how a single creature became a progenitor to entire specie:

Greyoll was the mother of all dragons, dwarfing all who stood before her like a looming mountain (Greyoll's Roar) Shield featuring a vividly painted twinbird. The twinbird is said to be the envoy of an outer god, and mother of the Deathbird (Twinbird Kite Shield) The Gloam-Eyed Queen cradles newborn apostles swaddled in this cloth. Soon they will grow to become the death of the gods (Godskin Swaddling Cloth/there was description that she was their mother, but I can't find it it)

Blue silver is a metal born from the same mother as the archers themselves, and provides protection from magic and frost/Tall oval shield made of metal carried by young Albinaurics. The ornamentation represents the primordial drop of dew from which they are said to have been created Doesn't it remind you of something? Please make certain that little Millicent goes unharmed. Like her mother, she has the stuff to be a great warrior

Strictly speaking, there is no hard evidence that Greyoll or Twinbird were Empyreans/gods, but I wouldn't deny the possibility, given Twinbird's connection to the outer god and the fact that dragons previously ruled the Lands Between. Is this why Misbegotten are called Radagon's children in game files and 1.0 description of Winged Misbegotten ashes called them Radagon's chimeras? Sadly, those lore bits didn't made it in the game, but idea that all this time Radagon was experimenting with his blood in an attempt to create Empyrean child is fascinating.

As I said before, the biggest issue with this theory is the difference between basic offshoots like Millicent, Empyrean children and Empyrean alter-egos. What draws the line between them? So far I can suggest this explanation: alter-egos - byproducts of Empyrean/god growning a new governing plant, offshoots - random sprouts, unwanted children, but the nature of Empyrean children is still rather mysterious. Were they born from M/R blood or because the Erdtree felt like it? What I've found especially interesting is that the state of the Erdtree possibly influenced M-twins. I've been writing a lot about the fact that the Erdtree is dying and it is confirmed by Miyazaki himself in the interview that the Order and the embodiement of it are not eternal. A lot of descriptions in game are talking about it:

The Erdtree once flourished with abundance—yet it was only for a fleeting moment. Such is the course of all life

Malenia and Miquella are feeble and sickly chiildren, who need a special treatment. Malenia should bloom 3 times before becoming a goddess. Miquella was growing himself into Haligtree.

They are premature babies. It's commonly believed that M-twins are cursed because EN translation of Malenia's remembrance invented things that don't exist in JP, but I think they born so messed up for s different reason. The Erdtree was old and dying and produced a pair of fragile Empyreans.

In this post I was rambling about divine blood and its connection with the different plants and I almost forgot about Warrior Jars. Sadly, in my current save I wasn't able to finish this questline as I finish Volcano Manor's story before From patched Diallos. All I can say is that this quest line only strengthens connection between blood and plants, but I don't know how to interpret it futher. Was it tradition invented by Marika to prolong her age by sending people to water the Erdtree with their blood or was it something that people decided to do following god's example? Could it be that the quality of god's blood is why Two Fingers are changing them?

Contrapoints to this theory: I don't know where to fit that Marika is Numen, who came from another world. Maybe in the times of the Crucible, the rules were different and the birth from the Erdtree is exclusive to the Golden Order age.

I don't know how to explain why Radagon and Marika stats are polar opposites based on their scar/soreseals as if they were spliced in two beings (my OG theory). If he is an offshoot, why is he so different from Marika (unlike Malenia's "daughters")? Of course, this theory is written under assumtion that Melina is Empyrean herself, which raises another question, - why is she burned and bodiless? Is her state reflecting the state of the Erdtree, considering theories that it was burned before - either by Bernahl or Vyke, and now is a spirit? And now when I typed this, I'm almost certain that the Erdtree was burned by Vyke and this is why Melina hates the Flame of Frenzy so much. This theory indeed seems like a missing piece of the puzzle to me.

[annabelle--cane]

they wrap fancy chocolate in tinfoil so you can't eat it by yourself. they want to stop you having a little solo clandestine treat so they wrap it in "paper that coughs loudly every time you breathe on it" to alert everyone in a five mile radius that you're trying to be sneaky and eat a fancy chocolate that you didn't tell anyone about and didn't take out of your bag until you were alone in your room. they do this because of misogyny.

[corporatefrog]

╭₊˚ ๑︰Being a Youtuber who reports on South Park Superheroes

A/N: made a post about this the other day and can’t stop thinking about it. I just love the idea of making video essays about the superheroes while the city is destroyed everyday like it’s Gotham 

EDIT: this post is being turned into a SMAU that you can read here

- Being a university student in South Park, you’re simultaneously fighting Midterms and constant ridiculous levels of crime

- You grew up a few hours away from South Park so when you were offered a full ride to their university, of course you said yes 

- After threating to sue (and crying in the dean’s office for 3 hours), the university offered to help pay for housing in a more expensive building away from the center of the city 

- making youtube videos about the heroes and villains was a way to deal with the flabbergasting fact that a random dude in a tinfoil helmet is fighting a dude dressed like a raccoon on the daily 

- the account gains traction with other people in the town

- now you’re a niche internet microcelebrity all because you lost your house. yay...

- you were even able to interview Call Girl for a video! 

- after that, the coon started badgering you to make a video with him as well

- to which you said “no fuck off” 

- spoiler alert: he didn’t take that well

- next day you had a brick thrown through your window

- it was easy to figure out who it was 

- being neighbors with kenny, kyle, and stan gives you a place to go instead of waiting for the landlord to call someone to fix your window 

- you hadn’t known them too well before but when you said the coon had thrown a brick through your window, they both became insanely interested 

- turns out the don’t really like him either 

- “bro what do you mean your favorite is the human kite? a strong breeze would send him halfway across the city- he’s a flying squirrel made of plastic and delusion.” 

- definitely being a professor chaos stan. 

I kind of want to make this into a whole smau but idk if there would be pairings or anything, just silly interactions with an overarching storyline 

[menofchaos]

Coco x Reader

Note: Not sure where this came from but I'm not questioning writing inspo! This look holds a special place in my little heart. Shout out to @thesewickedhands for the gif and @spideyspeaches for the divider. Sexy warnings. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

Her foot tapped anxiously against the floor, her eyes watching the clock on the wall as it ticked by, minute after minute. The playlist on her phone was on its third round, the mostly-melted candles on the table were put out only moments before. The street outside was silent, no rumbling of his bike engine alerting her of his arrival. She looked at her phone screen, tapping the screen to illuminate it again. No notifications still. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the prickling anger she felt in her veins. He had never stood her up before and was never late without an explanation. The hour hand moved to the 12 and she shook her head. He was officially three hours late. She cleaned up the remnants of their date, covering his plate with tinfoil and sticking it in the microwave. She considered how to approach him when he came home. While it was his first offense, it was their second anniversary. Two years of dealing with their own individual relationship traumas, the club, exes to get to the solid ground they found themselves on. Or so she thought. She entertained herself with going the toxic route. Texting him and telling him not to come home, locking him out or waiting up for him and blowing up on him as soon as he stepped foot through the door. Before she finished eating, her phone lit up with a call. From EZ. Fuck.

“Hello?” she answered nervously.

“Hey uh…Coco needs a ride home from the clubhouse,” EZ sighed, “Jesus, dude.”

She frowned, “Is he okay?”

“He’s wasted. We had some club shit run long and as soon as we got back, he hit the bar hard. Finished a whole bottle. He’s mouthing off to everyone. Can you take him home? He’s getting belligerent. Gilly and Angel said they’ve never seen him like this.”

She closed her eyes as she listened, hearing arguing in the background, “I’m gonna change and then I’ll be on my way.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, “The gate’s open, we’ll be here to help you get him in the car- bro, why don’t we go outside and have a cigarette? Your girl is coming over.”

She heard a voice she knew anywhere, slurring and harsh, responding to the suggestion.

“I’ll see you soon, E,” she sighed, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” he hung up and she pulled off her dress, changing into a pair of cotton shorts and one of Coco’s old flannel shirts. She slid some shoes on and grabbed her purse, the ride silent as she drove through the dark streets of Santo Padre. When she pulled up to the clubhouse, Coco and EZ were sitting on the porch steps. Coco was resting his head against the stair railing, a lit cigarette in his limp fingers. Chucky was cleaning the other side of the steps. Gilly walked outside as she got out.

“What happened?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Gilly scoffed, “But he better get it together. I almost knocked him the fuck out.”

“Fuck off,” Coco’s retort was raspy and low but lacked the usual bite.

Gilly rolled his eyes, “Come on, boy scout,” the two men picked up Coco, helping him into the passenger seat of her SUV. EZ handed her a water bottle after they closed the door, “He threw up already but he’s been quiet since. Hopefully he just goes to bed.”

“Good luck,” Gilly nodded, “Text when you get home so we know you made it. We can come kick his ass if you need us.”

“I can handle him but thanks boys,” she smiled softly, “I’ll make sure he apologizes tomorrow.”

EZ laughed, “Want me to follow, just in case?”

She shook her head, “I'll call if there’s a problem. Good night,” she got in the car and started driving home. Coco’s eyes were closed and his head was against the door.

“You got anything to say?” she asked him a few minutes later.

He grunted, “Got a cigarette?”

She sighed, “In my purse.”

He reached down and opened her bag, lighting a cigarette and opening the window to let the smoke out. She waited for him to take a few drags, pulling up to a red light.

“Anything else you wanna say?” she looked over at him.

He rubbed his eyes, “We almost home? I’m fuckin’ tired.”

She scoffed, “Unbelievable.”

He narrowed his eyes, “What?”

The light turned green and she started driving, “You don’t call or text all day. You stood me up to get shitfaced with your brothers, who you pissed off so bad they almost beat your ass, and all you have to say is you’re tired?”

“Pretty much,” he grumbled.

“You can get yourself inside because picking you up is about where my hospitality runs out,” she snapped.

“I can walk,” he hissed, “I’m drunk, not paralyzed.”

She pulled into the driveway and got out of the car after grabbing her purse, slamming her door behind her. Coco stumbled out, following her up the path to the house. They went inside and he collapsed on the couch, closing his eyes.

“I don’t know where you get the balls to treat me like this, Johnny,” she glared, “I don’t know what your fucking problem is but I didn’t do shit to you. We were fine this morning, you were more than happy to let me suck your dick in the shower but now I get this drunk, pissy asshole who doesn’t even have the decency to let me know he’s gonna miss our anniversary dinner for what? Drinks with the guys? Something you can do literally whenever-”

“Celia has Letty doing fuckin’ porn.”

She froze at the admission, her eyes wide in shock as she watched his still form. She hadn’t heard his mother or daughter’s name since he first told her about their situation. They had been looking through some old boxes of his and a few pictures fell out of a stack of papers. One was of a newborn, her eyes big and her hair dark. His twin. It hung in his cell while he was inside. The other was a picture of 8 year old Coco next to a woman in a green dress, fixing his little matching tie. It was one of the few good memories he had of his childhood, the one event at school she attended. Celia had a sugar daddy and wasn’t on the corner or strung out. It didn’t last long and it wasn’t perfect, but at least he wasn’t cooking heroin to shoot into her veins. 

Question after question tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself, “Are you sure? How do you know? You talked to them? Why didn’t you tell me? Do you want me to knock Celia's ass out?”

She stepped closer when he didn’t respond. She rolled her eyes when she saw his chest rising evenly, “Pendejo,” she mumbled.

She moved a pillow behind his back to make sure he was propped up, then set a bucket on the floor near him. She watched him for a few minutes, his face soft in sleep. She took his shoes off and set his gun on the side table, then covered him with a blanket. She texted Gilly and EZ, letting them know they made it inside unscathed. She climbed into bed and tried to sleep but her mind was still going a mile a minute. Last she knew, Celia and Letty were living in Fresno and Coco’s only contact with his mother was when she needed money. She tossed and turned for a while until she fell into a very uneasy sleep.

She woke up alone with even more questions and even less answers. She heard movement in the kitchen and decided to let him come to her. She was checking her phone when the bedroom door opened to reveal Coco with a mug in his hand, showered and in different clothes.

“I wanted to let you sleep,” he explained and set the mug down on her nightstand.

“Thanks,” she sat up slowly, putting her phone down in favor of the coffee.

He sat on the side of the bed by her legs, “I made it the way you like.”

She nodded and took a sip, “Hungover?”

“Pretty bad one,” he smiled softly, “Guess I deserve it.”

“At least,” she murmured, taking another sip.

“Good?” he checked, motioning the mug. She nodded, “Look, ma. Yesterday was fucked. And that's on me, you know? You were right, you didn’t do shit but I took it out on you anyway. I’m sorry for that.”

She set the coffee down to tie her long hair up in a messy bun, “Thank you for apologizing but I still have a million questions.”

Beeping from the kitchen sounded faintly, “I gotta get that, I cooked you breakfast,” he stood up, “You wanna come eat? I’ll answer your questions.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she agreed.

He went to the door but paused, turning back around, “Can I kiss you or am I still in the doghouse?”

She couldn’t help smiling at his serious face, eyes wide and sad. She crooked a finger at him and he darted across the room, pressing a few hard kisses to her lips.

Coco headed back to the kitchen, taking a steadying breath as he fixed her a plate. His military training still had him up early, long night or not. He woke up on the couch alone, still dressed with a bucket on the floor. Memories of the previous day and night flooded back to him and he knew he needed to stop wallowing and talk to his partner. She was his queen. She always accepted, never judged and matched his energy effortlessly. She deserved better than how he treated her, which is how he found himself buying a bouquet of flowers at 7:30 in the morning, the cashier smirking knowingly. He cooked her favorite breakfast, texting apologies to his brothers when he had a free second. 

She joined him a few minutes later, sitting down with her coffee mug. He set their plates down, “How’d I do?” he asked.

“So far, you’re going in the right direction,” she admitted, taking a few bites, “This is actually perfect. You buy this?” she joked.

Coco laughed, “Damn, alright. I deserved that,” he lit a blunt, “So…the club and I were talking to Louie the other day and he told me he made a movie with my little sister but he didn’t know till she came back all pissed off about money.”

She frowned, “Shit. So it’s too late to stop it?”

“Already uploaded,” he murmured, letting the smoke out, “I saw the little picture thing. The thumbnail.”

“Coco,” her face softened, “Why?”

He shrugged, “I guess I was hoping he got it wrong, you know? Even though she threatened him with the club.”

“I guess he didn’t,” she took a drag of the blunt when he passed it over.

“It’s her. Remember when I got back late the other day? I found Celia on the corner,” he admitted, “Told her to arrange a meeting. I met them at a diner yesterday afternoon. Celia told Letty I’m her dad and she ran off with a trucker. I uh…I don’t know where she is.”

She set the blunt in the ashtray, “Baby…”

Coco shook his head, “Club shit went a little weird yesterday. Took much longer than we thought. I was so in my own head that time just got away from me. I know that’s a shit excuse but…”

She took another bite, “And the drinking?”

He leaned back in his chair, pushing his food around with his fork, “I was gonna have one and come home. It was like my brain shut off. Next thing I knew, I was throwing up on the stairs.”

“That’s heavy,” she held her hand out across the table, “You don’t need to deal alone anymore, my love. You know that.”

“I know, I know,” he squeezed her hand, kissing her knuckles, “I just…it’s Celia.”

She nodded, knowing his mom was one of his biggest issues, “So…we getting a bigger place?”

His eyes widened, “What?”

She stroked his hand with her thumb, “We don’t have a spare room for Letty, she’s what, 16? We aren’t gonna bring her here just to have her sleep on the couch.”

She barely had the sentence out before he kissed her with bruising pressure, holding her cheeks as she whimpered. They were breathless when he broke the kiss, their lips still brushing together.

“Why are you so fucking good to me?” he whispered, “I don’t deserve it. Especially after last night.”

“I’m good to you because we’re in this together,” she licked her lips, smirking when his eyes fluttered closed at the feel of her tongue, “And because you’re taking the day off to make it up to me. That’s not a request.”

A devilish smirk crossed his lips, “Does that mean I get to eat your pussy all day?”

Her eyes lit up, “I mean…at least.”

She laughed as he carried her over his shoulder back to their room, tugging her shorts down her legs and leaving them in the hall as the bedroom door slammed closed.

“Taking advantage while you can?” she joked as her back hit the mattress. Coco crawled over her, pushing her shirt up and kissing the skin he exposed before helping her out of her shirt, kissing her hungrily. She wrapped her legs around his, pressing closer to him. He groaned as he ran a hand down her side, slipping his fingers between her legs. She gasped, her hips rolling as he touched her. He kissed back down her arching body, his tongue and fingers moving slow and deliberate. Coco smirked when he sucked harder, his tongue speeding up on her clit. He loved eating pussy but there was something about hers that made him feel insatiable. Her taste, her smell, the needy sounds she made when she got closer. Her long nails were scraping his skin as she gripped his hair, moans getting louder as she fell over the edge. Hearing her cry his name over and over like a prayer had him grinding against the bed as he brought her over a second time. He looked up to see her trembling, her chest heaving as she collapsed back on the bed.

“So that was one?” he smirked, licking his glistening lips as she laughed. He didn’t wait for an answer before lowering his head between her legs.

[cigarettesandinevitablebetrayal]

Tinfoil Hat Time

Or Why Cigs Thinks Mount Hood is Still Alive

Okay, so, yeah, back before I deleted, I had a theory post about Sidestep being a re-gene that was mostly ignored and turned out to be true, so now I have a new wild theory for the modern age: Marshal Mount Hood is still alive.

Specifically, I am pretty certain Hood is alive and held captive in Hollow Ground's home. Bear with me. I have reasons:

Is it possible that HG is a double boost? Yeah. So why do I think that's not the case? Well, for one, it would be a narrative disaster. When writing a major antagonist, you want them to be powerful enough to be a threat, but not enough to feel like an overwhelming task for your protagonist. Having HG be both a tactile telepath and in control of seismic activity would put him into the latter category. It would put a lot of wrenches in the machine, especially given that HG is more of a secondary antagonist (read: not a minor antagonist).

HG likely wouldn't have wanted to get a second boost. Taking the Boost drug is incredibly dangerous and becomes more of a gamble the more you take it [5]. If HG started out with seismic control, why roll the dice on another boost? That's already an alpha level power. Similar reasoning if HG started with tactile telepathy. Why would you risk you life on a gambled second power when you have the ability to thread people?

HG is an incredibly private and cautious individual. They are hiding their telepathy so well that almost everyone we talk to thinks they have seismic-based abilities. The only way you can determine their telepathy is if you have extremely high telepathy yourself and meet them in person. They take a gamble on you to thread you - high risk but also high reward, and likely played with the knowledge that few people are powerful enough to catch their threading in the act [2]. This level of caution begs the question of why they would risk a second boost, but also:

If you follow HG after Parkview and botch it badly enough, HG notices you tailing them and turns around. But they head back to Parkview [3]. Why? That's an extremely dangerous place for them to be at this point. Charge was just there, there's a likeliness that other Rangers will be close behind, and it was their last known location. So why go back and risk being seen/caught? Unless there is something of extreme value at their home. Something that is worth jeopardizing their own capture rather than giving it away.

On that note, it is extremely difficult to play without alerting HG to the fact that you're a telepath [1]. It would make perfect sense for them to want you out of proximity of their home if you have the ability to pick up a particular mind in their house.

Now, regarding Hood himself. We know a few things about him, such as he was an alpha level seismic boost with full sleeve tattoos and a dislike for the stuffy bureaucracy of his position as Marshal. So why is it that when his funeral came around, he was dressed in a suit and had his tattoos covered? [7] There would be no reason for the city to go against a living will - something that likely all the major heroes in the city have - and I highly doubt Hood himself would have made either of those requests. So why would they have occurred at his funeral?

Finally, the scene that started it all: the Hollow Ground Retribution epilogue. In said epilogue, Hollow Ground mentions to Nocturne that they had to "deal with the old man" [4]. This could be colloquial for their father, but it's a little antiquated if it is, and that would be the perfect place to hide subtle hints without tipping off all of the readers. They also mention that seeing their mystery guest drains them [4], something we know is also a problem when they red-thread people.

[1]: Retribution - Chapter 20

Though mentioned again later in the code (spefically the Parkview meeting), Hollow Ground will know Sidestep is a telepath not only if they've been an open telepath in their villain career, but also if their pre-Heartbreak Sidestep reputation is equal to or higher than 30 regardless of whether or not they've used telepathy during their villain career.

[2]: Retribution - Chapter 23

In order to notice or avoid being threaded by HG, Sidestep must have either >80% Subtle Manipulations or >80% Force of Mind respectively.

[3]: Retribution - Chapter 25

$!{swear}. You pull out, but not in time. Below, you can see the car slowing down, making a turn, going the long way back toward Parkfield. $!{swear}.

[4]: Retribution - Hollow Ground Epilogue

 "You know I needed to deal with the old man today. I couldn't be stuck on the phone all morning." Hollow Ground swings ${hghis} legs over the side, pushing the sunglasses to ${hghis} forehead. [...] "Come on, Noe, can you blame me? You know it takes a lot out of me." Hollow Ground gets to ${hghis} feet, shrugging on a shirt before following her back inside.

[5]: Patreon Q&A 04/2021

What would happen if a boosted individual takes the drug again? Is there more risk involved?  Yes and no. Taking it again means pushing the odds, the body is already changed, but if the first boost power increased durability, the risk would be less. This is why Anathema survived the second dose.

[6]: Patreon Q&A 08/2021

Could Anathema have kept taking the boost drug repeatedly, or would something have eventually gone wrong? Something would eventually have gone wrong, there's a limit to how much the body can be twisted. If that would have ended in death is a different question...

[7]: Patreon Extra - "Four Funerals and a Wake"

You're not wearing a suit. Hood hated suits and wouldn't have been caught dead in one if he had a choice. Now he's dead and in a suit. [...] An open-casket funeral, you know you're supposed to say he looks just like if he was alive, but they covered up his tattoos...

[frostyreturns]

Yes the emergency alert thing should be concerning but anyone trying to panic you about the alert itself should be mistrusted. The issue is they want to make sure they can reach a mass number of people, which tells me they are planning something else and wish to control the narrative early.

However I see a lot of people panicking about the message itself. People talking about taking the sim cards out of their phones, turning off all their power...putting devices in the microwave in an attempt to stop the signal. This is crazy, the idea that the message itself is going to kill people or do anything to you was probably started by the same people who are sending the message. They want you to look insane and irrational, they want you literally wearing tinfoil because conspiracists have been right so consistently they need to discredit them again.

There are a lot of controlled opposition conspiracy theorists right now so do not trust someone just because they acknowledge some conspiracy theories you know are true. Like false prophets also beware of conspiracy theorists who give specific dates, the enemy doesn't announce their plans to the public in advance. The idea behind this is to tell people the truth somewhat but give fake dates, fake details so when these things don't happen the way they claim people start to dismiss conspiracies altogether. That way when your city is burned down by directed energy weapons people will be like yeah but you;re the same person who said fema was going to use 5g brain control to murder half the world on oct 4th with an emergency message.

It's mostly boomers who have discovered conspiracies for the first time and don't understand technology trying to grasp whats coming. Yes be prepared for an emergency, but as much as you can't just uncritically trust the news you can't just blindly accept conspiracies either...because they've figured that out. Even when a presenter is trustworthy you never know when a guest is just an asset there to spread discord.

[rising-volteccers]

Puts on my tinfoil hat. These are just some miscellaneous thoughts on what I'd like to see happen in HZ023. Seeing that there's sparkles around this week's episode, I'm assuming that something big or significant will happen / be revealed.

I would love to see Friede and Amethio temporarily calling a truce, or briefly working together while they're trapped with Galarian Moltres. Personally I'd love to see them get affected by that stamina sapping aura (mostly cause I wanna see them both vulnerable on the ground) but generally seeing them having to work together would make me happy.

The kids alerting the rest of the RVT on what happened. I want to see them coming up with something that allowed them to head back inside the mine. I imagine the kids found a separate entrance, or Friede and Amethio busted their way out.

Friede revealing a third Pokemon. Seeing the recent release of Ceruledge and Armorouge in anime style, it would be fun if it was revealed that he had an Armorouge to be rivals with Amethio's Ceruledge. I'd prefer him to have more type diversity than another Fire-type but it'd be neat to see him have one. The last time they had the sparkles around the date was when they revealed Friede's Charizard to have Tera Dark, a week before the release of the new TCG deck + they gave us a Charizard a gift in game. I think they have the opportunity to release Armorouge as a gift too to tie it together.

Liko finding a way to calm down the Galarian Moltres. Seeing that there was a scene of Sprigatito on Charizard's head in the mines, I think those two would work together to come in close with the Moltres. Sprigatito knows how to utilize its Leafage depending on the situation (reminiscent of Agile and Strong Style from LA). We know that the scent it releases can make those around it relax or outright knocking a Pokemon to sleep. What I'm thinking is that Sprigatito would infuse its Leafage with that scent before firing it towards Moltres in the hopes of calming the Legendary down.

They have another scene with Lucius. Like how it was with Arboliva, the kids catch another glimpse of Lucius through Liko's pendant resonating with Moltres's Ancient Pokeball.

Moltres won't stay captured but it would come to their aid if needed. It'd be pretty fast paced if they already two of the six Heroes with them, even more so when one of them is a Legendary.

Sprigatito learns a new move or the kids' Pokemon evolve into either Floragato or Crocalor. We're 20+ episodes in so it won't be surprising if an evolution happens seeing that Goh's Scorbunny evolved into Raboot only after 13 episodes back in Journeys.

The other Explorers finding out about Amethio's insubordination. That, or Amethio skulks back into the shadows, considering his next move. Some kind of consequence for going against Gibeon's wishes would be interesting to see, or we get glimpses of the other Explorers again.

Getting a glimpse of Diana's look in the preview for HZ024.

Regardless of what happens, I'm just excited to see the end of this arc and see a preview of the next one. Where will they go next after coming across Diana?

[chadillacboseman]

Just had a brief tinfoil hat moment thinking about this FEMA alert and remembering Stephen King's "The Cell".

[thegreatdeceiver333]

tmc theory from a newbie

VOL. 4 SPOILER BELOW

[puts tinfoil hat on] what if Alternate Gabriel is trying to do with Adam what God was supposed to do with baby Jesus before Alt Gabriel jinxed it for him?

In Intruder Alert, the song playing in the background when Lynn finds Adam's missing is a version of the Ave Maria, Hail Mary. The empty cradle is quite the disturbing parallel to the manger baby Jesus was supposed to lie in.

We do know that a ton of other children have been going missing all over the neighboring counties, but have any of those been returned the way Adam did?

If they have indeed been returned, it would be plausible for Alt Gabriel to be in the process of slowly uprooting humanity by unleashing a whole generation of alternates into the world. It would make sense for Alt Gabriel to want to create his very own humanity, one that's not made in God's image but in his own. On top of that, this small army of alternates-at-birth would also function as Adam's "congregation" of followers in the future.

If they haven't been returned, were they all failed experiments and Adam was the only one that had what it takes for him to reverse the delusion?

[concentratedbitterness]

The Morning

Somewhere Near Houston, Texas : August 26, 2023

It’s convenient to be an early riser; the kind of person who wakes up refreshed and naturally alert at the ass-crack of dawn, most days before the alarm has even gone off.  Not that he’s ever been swayed all too much by fables praising early birds and worms or any of that other stuff old folks are always going on about, but in a practical sense Leroy has always found it more useful than not to be up before the sun.  It’s the best time to do chores and work, to tend to the horses; the best time to go for a drive and crank up the radio.  Best time to get a head start on the things that matter, in those quiet hours while the rest of the world is still sleeping.  Life’s too short as it is, no sense wasting the daylight.

Of course, not everybody sees it that way.  Lee smiles to himself and artfully slips out from under the tangle of pillows, blankets, and long blond hair, careful not to jostle the slumbering form at his side.  Luckily he’s had plenty of practice over the years; though in great contrast to the many who came before, this is as far from a one night stand as it gets.  He pauses briefly to pull the sheet back up over Hannah’s swollen belly, letting his hand linger there just a moment in hopes of feeling a tiny punch or kick.  None are forthcoming, as usual.  It would seem the twins take their beauty rest as seriously as their mother.  He leaves them to it.

It doesn’t take long for him to shower and throw on some clothes–he’s always prided himself on being a particularly low maintenance specimen–and dawn is still teasing the horizon by the time he shuffles into the kitchen.  Uncle Mal is already there, fussing over something on the stove.  “Mornin’,” Lee greets as he tosses his jacket on the table and sidles over to pour himself a cup of coffee, more chipper than anyone has any business being before the sun is up.

“--Is it?” Malcolm replies absently, glancing up from the pan as though he’s just been pulled from some deep thought that most certainly didn’t involve the pork sausage sizzling away at the end of his spatula.

Leroy only chuckles under his breath.  His uncle doesn’t sleep much, that’s nothing new, but in recent months he seems to have traded in passing his time in the laboratory for the kitchen.  This is where Lee finds him most mornings now, toiling over comfort food instead of alchemy.  Then again, maybe the two disciplines aren’t so different; one just involves a whole lot more butter.  “Quiet ‘round this place, since the ol’ man an’ that damn bird been gone.  Doc still here?” “No, Ig had t’ go take care of some things.” Mal replies almost wistfully.  “He won’t be back for a few days.” Lee resists the urge to make an inappropriate joke.  “So who the Hell ya’ cookin’ all that for?  Ain’t no one here can eat it ‘cept you, me, an’ Zad…an’ I ain’t gonna’ be hangin’ ‘round for breakfast.”

“I don’t know,” his uncle murmurs as though he’s only just considered the notion himself, and reaches for his coffee mug.  Lee is fairly certain whatever’s in it, it’s not coffee.  “Where are you off to, Leroy?” he asks after a moment.  “Shouldn’t run out on an empty stomach.  If you’re in that much of a hurry I can pack ya’ some t’ go.”

Part of him wonders if he’ll ever get used to the man who looks and sounds just like his father speaking to him so gently.  It’s unsettling in a warm, fuzzy kind of way that makes him sad all the same.  “--Yeah, guess that’d be alright,” Lee relents, not because he’s hankering for a breakfast burrito so much as it’s hard not to appreciate the sentiment behind it.  “Been workin’ on somethin’ down by the creek.  Figure after I turn out the horses I’ll put a few hours in there ‘fore Hannah wakes up.”   

There’s a soft clank of cast iron as Mal sets the pan down and hobbles over to the cupboard to fetch a bit of tinfoil.  “Workin’ on what?”

Lee flashes his signature lopsided grin.  “Just somethin’ special.”

A distinctly skeptical look is tossed his nephew’s way, but Malcolm doesn’t pry.  “If you say so.”  He turns back to the counter to assemble the burrito, and Lee doesn’t miss the way his fingers tremble as he piles the fillings high and rolls everything neatly in a foil cocoon.  “Need a hand?”

“Nah, I’m good.  Gonna’ drag Zad along,” Leroy explains, draining the last swallow from his coffee cup before swooping over to snatch the oversized to-go meal from his uncle’s hand.  He grabs his jacket off the table as he walks by.  “You seen ‘em this mornin’?”

“Reckon’ they’re probably out on the front porch.”

“Aight,” Lee waves back over his shoulder, already heading for the door, “Catch ya’ later, Uncle Mal.  Thanks for breakfast.”

“--Wait, Leroy.  Hold up a minute.”

He stops and turns around, looking expectantly at his uncle.  “Yeah?”

Malcolm stands beside the table, holding something in the palm of his hand.  “This musta’ fallen outta’ your jacket,” he drawls, and lets his fingers unfurl to reveal a small ring; a simple white gold band adorned with an unusual stone that sparkles brighter than any star in the sky even in the dimly lit kitchen.  “Is it what I think it is?”

Lee shrugs, padding over to pluck the ring from his uncle’s hand and tucking it back into his pocket.  “Depends what ya’ think it is.”

A tight frown pulls across Mal’s lips, and he sinks into the nearest chair.  “Jesus Christ.  Toni’s gonna’ shoot you again.”

“Why’s everybody always sayin’ that like it’s normal behavior?”

“Normal’s relative.”

One of Santiago’s old cuckoo clocks chimes faintly from the hallway, drawing Lee’s gaze in that direction.  The first rays of dawn are beginning to pour through the windows, painting lines of light across the Spanish tiles on the floor, and he stares at them for a long moment.  The morning’s wasting.  “Guess so.  Listen, I get you’re fixin’ t’ go off ‘bout how I’m a selfish fuckin’ peckerbrained imbecile an’ all, but it’s gonna’ have t’ wait cuz’ I ain’t really got time for another lecture right now—”

“No lecture,” Malcolm interrupts, folding his hands neatly on the table in front of him, “but I have got somethin’ I need t’ say.”  His reading glasses are sliding down the bridge of his nose, and there’s grease from the frying pan splattered onto his shirt, but the deeply thoughtful expression that’s settled over his face is far more composed.  “I love you an’ I’m proud of you…”  

Lee’s shields are up, ready to deflect, but the words fly right through the defenses and hit him square in the chest where he feels every syllable like a shot through the heart.  “Just said I ain’t got time for…you’re…wait, what?”

“I ain’t your daddy, I know that, but he’s not here t’ say it an’ you need t’ hear it.  I’m sorry you haven’t heard it enough.” His uncle continues, soft spoken yet earnestly.  “You’re a good man, Leroy.  You’re gonna’ be a good father, an’ Hannah’s as lucky t’ have you as you are t’ have her.  You both deserve t’ be happy.”

Lee is silent for what feels like a moment that stretches on and on and on.  There was a time–most of his childhood, really–when he would have given anything he had for little more than a kind word from his own father.  It’s been years since he stopped asking himself why; and maybe he’s never fully come to terms with the hand he’d been dealt, but he can’t say it’s ever occurred to him that he’s been carrying the crushing weight of someone else’s burden all along.  “Uncle Mal,” Lee ventures finally; voice tight and throat burning.  Hesitating again, he swallows thickly, and hopes it’s enough to hide his sniffle.  “That’s gotta’ be without a doubt the gayest shit you’ve ever said t’ me.”  

Malcolm huffs a quiet laugh under his breath, and shakes his head.  “Yeah, well, next time I’ll try sayin’ it straighter.”

Slowly, that same lopsided grin pulls its way across Leroy’s face once more.  “Thanks for sayin’ it.”

[pikslasrce]

Kate i dont follow any mcr blogs to protect myself from mentall illness so if we get mcr5 today u need to alert me . i am so so hopeful (^doesnt even know why ppl think today is tje day)

lets make tinfoil hats together <3

[yournextflame]

What’s wrong with Ranni’s Two Fingers?

Let’s start with the obligatory - they are alive. Two Fingers of every other demigod are long dead, Two Fingers at the Roundtable Hold are broken and every other character questions them and how trustworthy they are, but Ranni goes on the special quest to kill hers.

And as I kept looking, I found more and more odd things about them.

Appearances: hairless, smooth, a few times bigger than regular Two Fingers , no dip on the palm, different color. They don’t look like the same creatures at all.

Champions would gather at the Roundtable Hold in days long past, when the Two Fingers were masters of oration, their flesh yet full of vigor ( Coded Sword)

Two Fingers at the Roundtable are old, they are dry and crispy, same goes for Two Fingers at Divine Towers, but Ranni’s Fingers are bleeding.

(Ranni’s Two Fingers are showing more similarities with Fingercreepers, the color and the texture are almost the same, but still not identical.)

Placement: Cathedral of Manus Celes (Hidden Hand from latin or... Celestial Hand). Ranni’s Divine Tower is empty. Can Fingers walk? Teleport? Why would they change their location?

Behavioral pattern of Empyrean Shadows:

War Counselor Iji explained that he locked Blaidd because he was an instrument of Two Fingers, a living time bomb that can turn against their Empyrean if Empyrean turns against the Two Fingers.

But if Lady Ranni, as an Empyrean, reists being an instrument of the Two Fingers, the shadow will go mad, transforming from a follower into a horrid curse.

But Maliketh never betrayed Marika or went inherently mad despite her treachery or the Shattering, in either his prime form in Farum Azula or his hidden identity Gurranq. He died, trying to keep his promise to guard the Destined Death.

Tarnished, why wouldst thou... Why... Tis no matter. I hereby vow, that Destined Death shall not be stolen again.

Forgive me, Marika... The Golden Order... cannot be restored.

(wouldst thou...gull me? Why...shatter...)

Blaidd, “a colossal failure on the part of Two Fingers” as Ranni called him, attacks us while there are Black Knives on the ground around him. He says that  he doesn’t want to betray Ranni, but clearly mentally unstable and hostile to Tarnished. I’m still unsure what happened to him, was he driven mad by Two Fingers or our wrong assumptions about his loyalty.

And, of course, it is suspicious that Blaidd, a walking kill switch, was approved by Rennala, who was actively pushing Ranni *to weave night at being* as she says at the end of her bossfight.

Blaidd is Lady Ranni's stepbrother. Ranni's mother, Queen Rennala, approved of him, and they played like siblings from childhood.

This moon was encountered by a young Ranni, led by the hand of her mother, Rennala. What she beheld was cold, dark, and veiled in occult mystery.

Why would Rennala, a descendant of Nox, who were punished by the Greater Will, accept an Empyrean Shadow from the Greater Will’s vassals?

Assassins:  In Ainsel River Tarnished encounters Baleful Shadow, who resembles Blaidd the Half-Wolf. They even share the same moveset. However, the Baleful Shadow's sword is imbued with Destined Death, not the Frost enchantment that Blaidd's sword is enchanted with.

My thanks. Twas more of a challenge than I envisioned. Now I can finally stand before them.

if by “them” Ranni means Two Fingers it raises a lot of questions about nature of the Baleful Shadow.

We know that Roundtable Two Fingers have their own clan of assassins, Confessors. But...

The assassins were charged with eliminating Tarnished who had strayed from guidance (Assassin's Approach incantation)

Roundtable assassins are hunting Tarnished, nowhere is it said that they are used against Empyreans or have any connection to the Destined Death. While nothing in the game says that Two Fingers can’t use assassins to pursue Empyreans, I have no idea where they can get an access to the Destined Death, considering that it was stolen once and then Maliketh imbued it to his body.

Conclusion: in everything but name Ranni’s Two Fingers are different from the rest of their crew. Their design, how they are controlling their Shadows, location, they are alive.

This returns back to the initial question - why Ranni’s Two Fingers aren’t dead and what killed Two Fingers of other demigods?

Two Fingers can’t die because demigods are dead, some of them are serving two demigods at once, more over, from brother Corhyn we can learn that Two Fingers are ancient, he calls their incantation book heresy because it predates existance of the Golden Order.

That... is a work of heresy. Its incantations bear no lineage from the Erdtree.

My main theory is that Two Fingers are linked to the grace, and Marika switched it off from them, leaving only Two Fingers at the Roundtable Hold, who were tasked (or more like Enia was tasked) to deceive Tarnished. If Two Fingers were dependant on the Greater will, they all would be dead after the Shattering.

Anyways, Ranni’s Two Fingers aren’t dead.

Here comes my wild speculation:

Ranni’s Two Fingers aren’t vassals of the Greater Will. They are vassals of the Dark Moon.

As I mentioned in one my previous posts, the Greater Will and Dark, Black and Full Moons are mysterious, celestial themed godlike entities that are never named outer gods. if Frienzed Flame can have Three Fingers, is it possible that Moons have their own servants? I think yes.

Predicting the questions about the Age of Stars and why Ranni wants to kill vasssals of the Dark Moon: Three Fingers are burning the body and implanting Flame of Frenzy inside the future Lord of Chaos, Two Fingers are probably responsible for the creation of offshoots (Radagon/Marika, Miquella/St.Trina, Malenia/her “daughters”, after all Hyetta described the Greater Will as something that fractures the one and gives a soul).

Maybe, it’s the Dark Moon vassals, who actually controlling their Empyreans and gods? 99% of mind-altering or fate-changing magic in Elden Ring comes from Nox or Carians. Puppets, Celestial Dew, Starlight Shards (it was once used in the Eternal City as an ingredient in intoxicating draughts), bewitching Moon, the whole concept of fate being bound to the stars so tight that members of Carian family can’t die without their stars moving again.

The only exception I can think about is Miquella’s bewitching branch, and it’s almost funny how everyone is freaking out over this item, while ignoring the rest.

The snowy crone taught the young Ranni to fear the dark moon as she imparted her cold sorcery.

[borrowedtimeandspace]

The Mishap

19. Same size

From this list of gt prompts.

AU: Nine AU; giving the other companion some much needed love at last

~~~

Rose's head pounded and her skin tingled all over, a rather rude awakening.

"Wha's happen...?" she mumbled as she stirred, finding a dark, unfamiliar room when she opened her eyes.

"Oh great, you're awake!"

The new voice startled Rose to her feet, adrenaline alone keeping her upright. She'd only been traveling with the Doctor for a short while, but she'd seen plenty to know to keep her guard up when things were strange.

"Who are you? How'd I get here?" she demanded of the air. She could barely make out simple shapes among the shadows, and a sliver of light across the room pulled at her attention and prevented her eyes from properly adjusting.

"Whoa now, take it easy," the voice said softly, much closer than Rose was expecting. A cold hand against her aching arm made her jump back and yelp.

"DOCTOR!" she cried, bolting toward the light in the hopes of finding an exit.

The owner of the voice was quicker, mostly because Rose's knee connected with something in the dark. As she stumbled, a silhouette filled the sliver of light, blocking her way.

"Rose, please! It's just me!"

She'd just begun to register that the voice that knew her name was familiar, when the shape leaned over and manipulated something lumpy in the shadows.

Even the soft, slowly intensifying light that came on made Rose blink spots from her vision. As they cleared, her position became unbearably clear. She'd bumped her knee on a chest-of-drawers made from a stack of match boxes. The bed she'd leapt from was really a series of fabrics piled on a mattress-shaped chunk of foam. The light was a gently glowing yellow stone arranged just so on a little block. And the voice...

"Zepheera?"

It was impossible to deny, but difficult to accept. Zepheera was a borrower. Only four and a half inches tall. But it was definitely her, down to the short brown hair and concerned deep violet eyes.

She was also just about the same size as Rose.

"That's it. It's only me, Rose," said Zepheera soothingly.

Rose sat down hard at the foot of the bed, energy drained as she took it all in. "How...?" was all she managed to ask.

Zepheera approached carefully, pulling up a chair-- a spool of thread with a cushion on top. "You were miniaturized, during the chase. Here, try and eat this."

Rose watched as she pulled a handful of tinfoil out of her knapsack, peeled back the layers until the top was open, and then handed it over. Taking it numbly, she recognized the look and smell of a chocolate orange. Only, the little brown chunk she held couldn't have been any bigger than a crumb. It was a sobering thought that Rose tried to shake off as she took a small bite.

"We're gonna do everything we can to fix you," Zepheera promised. "It's just not gonna be easy. We've seen something similar before, but in a more... crude state. In order to sustain the miniaturization ray's effects, which might usually wear off over time, they've added a compression field in the form of a microchip implant."

Zepheera's gaze dropped, and Rose followed it to a particularly sore red spot on her left upper arm. She reached up to rub at it and gulped down her bite of chocolate, already feeling a little more alert. Good thing, too; Rose could almost forget that Zepheera had been traveling with the Doctor a long time, and could sometimes sound like him when she explained things.

"Like...the Slitheen with their skinsuits?" Rose recalled.

"Sort of," Zepheera nodded. Much more refined than all that, though. No gas exchange for you."

"Can you get it out?"

Zepheera paused, choosing her words carefully. "We're going to try. The compression field has basically latched onto your vitals, which is why we've waited to try and disable it. Now that you're awake, it'll be a lot safer to--"

Her explanation cut short when Rose flinched and dropped the tinfoil into her lap. More used to it than the shrunken human, Zepheera belatedly registered the tremors in the floor.

"What's that??" Rose demanded. Before Zepheera could say anything, the tremors intensified, approaching fast in response to Rose's earlier cry. A final earthquake shook both tiny women, and a shadow darkened the gap in the wall that had let in the light from the TARDIS corridor.

"Rose?" boomed another familiar voice that once again had Rose leaping to her feet and pressing her back to the opposite wall in shock.

Zepheera offered a sheepish smile to cover her wince. "He's been worried..."

[nymika-arts]

Animal pic alert! Sadly he is my friends cat, not mine, but his name is Flump and he is pictured in his favourite place in the entire world- the kitchen sink (the tinfoil over the tap is an attempt to get him to stop licking it- it didn't work)

omg this never showed up on mobile so sorry i'm just seeing it now but!!!! i am fucking in love with flump. please give him my regards

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

The Movie ‘Civil War’ Echoes Real Political Anxieties (NYT) One subject seems to be unifying the right and the left today: Disunion. From the multiplex to social media, the prospect of America collapsing into armed conflict has moved from being an idea on the tinfoil-hat fringes to an active undercurrent of the country’s political conversation. Voters at campaign events bring up their worries that political division could lead to large-scale political violence. Pollsters regularly ask about the idea in opinion surveys. A cottage industry has arisen for speculative fiction, serious assessments and forums about whether the country could be on the verge of a modern-day version of the bloodiest war in American history. And “Civil War,” a dystopian action film about an alternative America plunged into a bloody domestic conflict, has topped box office sales for two consecutive weekends. Of course, the notion of a future civil war remains a mere notion. But, as another presidential election approaches, it has suddenly become a hotly debated one, reflecting the bipartisan sense of unease that has permeated American politics. In polls and in interviews, a segment of voters have said they fear that the country’s divides have grown so deep that they may lead not just to rhetorical battles but actual ones.

Historical Markers (NPR) The United States has over 180,000 active historical markers throughout the country, but little in the way of a national policy or code regarding what and who ought to be considered historical, or for that matter what actually happened that was commemorated. For instance, three separate states claim to have the site of the invention of anesthesia, two states claim to have Daniel Boone’s bones, two states claim to have sent the first telegram, and Texas inexplicably claims to be the site of the first successful airplane flight. Not to mention that some are barely history to begin with, including 14 markers memorializing a ghost, two markers about a witch, one about a vampire, and one about a wizard. California had one commemorating a dead mastodon that, upon further analysis, turned out to be a dead circus elephant.

Haitians scramble to survive as gang violence chokes the capital (AP) Life in Port-au-Prince has become a game of survival, pushing Haitians to new limits as they scramble to stay safe and alive while gangs overwhelm the police and the government remains largely absent. Some are installing metal barricades. Others press hard on the gas while driving near gang-controlled areas. The few who can afford it stockpile water, food, money and medication, supplies of which have dwindled since the main international airport closed in early March. The country’s biggest seaport is largely paralyzed by marauding gangs. “People living in the capital are locked in, they have nowhere to go,” Philippe Branchat, International Organization for Migration chief in Haiti, said in a recent statement. “The capital is surrounded by armed groups and danger. It is a city under siege.” Phones ping often with alerts reporting gunfire, kidnappings and fatal shootings, and some supermarkets have so many armed guards that they resemble small police stations.

Mexico’s leading presidential candidate stopped by masked men who ask for help in stemming violence (AP) Masked men stopped a vehicle carrying Mexico’s leading presidential candidate while she was traveling between campaign stops Sunday to ask that she address the violence in the southern state of Chiapas if she wins the June 2 election. Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, the governing Morena party’s candidate, remained in the front passenger seat of the vehicle listening calmly with her window down. Masked men filmed the interaction on their cell phones and one shook her hand before letting her move on. The men, who identified themselves as local residents, said they felt “powerless” because the government has not done enough to provide security. They asked her to take action as president so that their township, Motozintla, along Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, does not become a “disaster” like other communities in the region.

Ecuadorians vote overwhelmingly in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangs (AP) Ecuador’s fledgling president got a resounding victory Sunday in a referendum that he touted as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. An official quick count showed that Ecuadorians overwhelmingly voted “yes” to all nine questions focused on tightening security measures, rejecting only two more controversial economic proposals. Among the measures approved are President Noboa’s call to deploy the army in the fight against the gangs, to loosen obstacles for extraditing accused criminals and to lengthen prison sentences for convicted drug traffickers.

UK prime minister pushes for Rwanda deportation bill over objections from unelected upper chamber (AP) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is calling on the unelected House of Lords to stop blocking legislation allowing authorities to deport some asylum-seekers to Rwanda, as he seeks to make good on a campaign promise to “stop the boats” that bring migrants to U.K. illegally. Sunak has scheduled a news conference for Monday morning to make his case directly to the public after vowing last week that Parliament would remain in session until the legislation is passed. The elected House of Commons will take up the bill later in the day, followed by consideration in the House of Lords. The bill has been stalled for two months as it bounced back and forth between the two houses of Parliament, with the Lords repeatedly offering amendments that were then rejected by the Commons. The Lords don’t have the power to kill the legislation, but they must give their assent before it can become law.

Chinese general takes a harsh line on Taiwan and other disputes at an international naval gathering (AP) One of China’s top military leaders took a harsh line on regional territorial disputes, telling an international naval gathering in northeastern China on Monday that the country would strike back with force if its interests came under threat. The 19th biennial meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium opened in the port city of Qingdao, where China’s northern naval force is based, providing a vivid backdrop to China’s massive military expansion over the past two decades that has seen it build or refurbish three aircraft carriers. The four-day meeting has drawn representatives from partners and competitors including Australia, Cambodia, Chile, France, India and the U.S. and comes amid heightened tensions over China’s assertive actions in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China seas, and as China’s navy has grown into the world’s largest by number of hulls.

April Showers Bring Historic Flooding in Guangdong (NBC News) The province of Guangdong, located in China’s southeast, is facing the threat of massive floods as a spike in rainfall has threatened to overwhelm local dams and reservoirs. The region has been pounded by heavy rainfall over the past week, with one neighborhood in the provincial capital of Guangzhou experiencing four inches of rain in just five hours. Today, some areas are predicted to see 10 inches of rain over 24 hours. Local officials have called the situation “grim.” Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in the face of floods at the time of writing, and nine rivers are currently at risk of overflowing their banks. 1.16 million households in the region have had their power cut off so far, and over 1,100 schools have canceled classes today.

Papua New Guinea leader takes offense after Biden implies an uncle was eaten by cannibals (AP) Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape accused Joe Biden of disparaging the South Pacific island nation by implying that an uncle of the U.S. president had been eaten by “cannibals” there during World War II. The president spoke at a Pennsylvania war memorial last week about his Army Air Corps aviator uncle Ambrose Finnegan, who was shot down over Papua New Guinea, which was a theater of heavy fighting. “They never found the body because there used to be—there were a lot of cannibals for real in that part of New Guinea,” Biden said, referring to the country’s main island. Marape said in a statement on Sunday that Biden “appeared to imply his uncle was eaten by cannibals.” “President Biden’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such,” Marape said.

Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War (NYT) Israel abandoned plans for a much more extensive counterstrike on Iran after concerted diplomatic pressure from the United States and other foreign allies and because the brunt of an Iranian assault on Israel soil had been thwarted, according to three senior Israeli officials. Israeli leaders originally discussed bombarding several military targets across Iran last week, including near Tehran, the Iranian capital, in retaliation for the Iranian strike on April 13, said the officials, who spoke on the discussion of anonymity to describe the sensitive discussions. Such a broad and damaging attack would have been far harder for Iran to overlook. In the end—after President Biden, along with the British and German foreign ministers, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a wider war—Israel opted for a more limited strike on Friday that avoided significant damage, diminishing the likelihood of an escalation, at least for now.

A Slap On The Wrist And $26 Billion (Guardian) For the first time ever, the U.S. is preparing sanctions against the Israel Defense Forces. The sanctions will target the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which operates in the occupied West Bank. The battalion has been accused of committing serious human rights violations against Palestinians, including torture and mistreatment of prisoners. According to ProPublica, the U.S. State Department has received a dossier full of such abuses by multiple Israeli military and police units, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken has declined to take action on that information. While one part of the U.S. government worked on preparing those sanctions, the House passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill that had been stuck in the lower legislature for weeks. $26 billion of the aid will go to Israel, though 37 left-wing Democrats opposed the funding because there were no conditions on how Israel should use the money. On Sunday, just one day after the House passed the funding bill, Israeli airstrikes pounded the southern Gaza city of Rafah, killing 22 people including 18 children.

Nearly 300 bodies found in mass grave at Gaza hospital (CNN) A mass grave with nearly 300 bodies has been uncovered at a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, Gaza Civil Defense workers said Monday, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area earlier this month. Col. Yamen Abu Suleiman, Director of Civil Defense in Khan Younis told CNN Monday that “today, 73 bodies were recovered” in the courtyard at the Nasser Medical Complex which brought the “total number to 283.” Suleiman alleged that some of the bodies had been found with hands and feet tied, “and there were signs of field executions. We do not know if they were buried alive or executed. Most of the bodies are decomposed.” CNN is unable to verify Suleiman’s claims and cannot confirm the causes of death among the bodies being unearthed.

A Palestinian baby in Gaza is born an orphan in an urgent cesarean section after an Israeli strike (AP) Sabreen Jouda came into the world seconds after her mother left it. Their home was hit by an Israeli airstrike shortly before midnight Saturday. Until that moment, the family was like so many other Palestinians trying to shelter from the war in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah. Sabreen’s father was killed. Her 4-year-old sister was killed. Her mother was killed. But emergency responders learned that her mother, Sabreen al-Sakani, was 30 weeks pregnant. In a rush at the Kuwaiti hospital where the bodies were taken, medical workers performed an emergency cesarean section. Little Sabreen was near death herself, fighting to breathe. Her tiny body lay in the recovery position on a small piece of carpet as medical workers gently pumped air into her open mouth. A gloved hand tapped at her chest. She survived. At least two-thirds of the more than 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since this war began have been children and women, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

[celebritieswithemmab]

Let's go Alien Hunting with Demi Lovato

Famous pop star goes hunting in the desert for proof of extraterrestrial life! Sounds like an ironic movie plot, right?

Photo from https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Unidentified-with-Demi-Lovato/0FVWMCXF9DU9CCO11ZX6GSHRWQ

Today, we're diving headfirst into a galaxy of entertainment to discuss something that's truly out of this world: Demi Lovato's Unidentified TV series. When I first heard about Demi Lovato's foray into the world of unidentified flying objects, I must admit, I was intrigued. I mean, who wouldn't want to see former actress turned pop-star donning a tinfoil hat and chasing little green men across the cosmos? It's like "The X-Files" meets "Camp Rock," and honestly, I was here for it. Former actress, turned pop-star, turned reality-TV-star, partnered with streaming service, Peacock, in 2020 in order to create the TV show: Unidentified with Demi Lovato. The show kicks off introducing Demi and her ragtag team of UFO enthusiasts, who are about as qualified to investigate extraterrestrial phenomena as I am to perform brain surgery (spoiler alert: not at all). With the help of two brothers working as UFO conspiracy theorists, Demi, their best friend Mathew Montgomary, and their sister Dallas Lovato, all dive head-first into the profound existential question that has thwarted humanity since the start of time: are we alone in the universe?

Demi's claim to qualification is their alleged alien encounter back in 2019. Out camping in the California wilderness, they and their (unnamed and uninterviewed) friends allegedly saw a blue, glowing orb that remained a steady 20-30 feet away from them at all times. Later that night, Demi claims that aliens visited and asked to take them (Demi Lovato) to their home planet. Agreeing, Demi claims they then had an out-of-body, astral-projection-like experience where they were "flying above the planet". Whether it was our wonderful, familiar, home planet Earth, or a foreign alien planet, they never clarify. After watching the first episode of this series I am left with far more questions than answers. Regardless, it is always entertaining to see out-of-touch LA locals armed with nothing but their wits, a questionable grasp of astrophysics, and a few pop singles as they set out to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

In the 2010's, television made a huge leap from the precedent of cable and live TV to paid streaming services. Following the large success of streaming service, Netflix, many former-cable companies have shifted their positioning to include a streaming service option. Comcast, a telecommunications company, known for their cable TV services, made this shift in 2020 with the launch of their streaming service, Peacock. In July of 2020, the service was launched to be available to everyone in the United States. That September, Unidentified with Demi Lovato premiered to anyone with a Peacock subscription. So why did Peacock partner with pop-star Demi Lovato? And why did they create a UFO investigative reality TV series together?

As we've discussed on this blog before, celebrity endorsements are a great way for any product, service, company, or brand to gain mass attention very quickly. As people already recognize a celebrity name, such as Demi Lovato, tying this name with a lesser known one (such as Peacock) is a way to gain the highly-competed-for head space of millions of consumers who are fans of said celebrity already. If you are a fan of Taylor Swift, and she partners with credit card company Capital One, you may not give a crap about credit cards but you'll watch the commercial anyways, because you want to see Taylor Swift. Then in the future, when you want to buy a car or a house and need to a credit score, maybe you'll remember that time Taylor Swift told you to get a Capital One credit card. At least, that's what the people who paid for the endorsement are hoping. This is a successful approach because celebrities are extremely memorable characters who are constantly and consistently in the news and the spotlight.

Partnering with Demi Lovato not only gained the attention of their loyal fans, but it also gave them the added value proposition of a reality TV show. Reality TV is known for being raw, uncut, unfiltered, and unscripted. Whether it is or not, fans are given the illusion of an intimate encounter with their favorite pop sensation as they open up about their feelings of ostracism from society due to their other worldy beliefs. Even if you aren't a Demi Lovato fan, the thought of seeing the celebrity attempting to find valid proof of extraterrestrial life may be enough to grab your attention anyways. It definitely grabbed mine.

Celebrities taking on ludicrous, bizarre, and mysterious exploits have always captured the publics attention. A four minute video clip on Youtube, posted by Peacock, titled Demi Sings Skyscraper to an Extraterrestrial Entity | Unidentified with Demi Lovato has gained over 850 thousand views in just over the two years it has been uploaded on the platform. The footage filmed during this four-episode single season TV show is a valuable asset for Peacock to hold. Considering the streaming service world is still so young, they can use the name and image of Demi Lovato indefinitely.

And let's not forget the expert interviews sprinkled throughout the series. Such as Kesha, who appears in a clip from her Podcast, where she speaks to Demi about their UFO encounter. We also can't forget that guy who runs a UFO-themed diner in the middle of Nevada's desert, because who better to shed light on the existence of extraterrestrial life? Forget NASA scientists and astrophysicists; we've got Larry, the self-proclaimed alien whisperer, ready to spill the beans over a plate of questionable pancakes. Larry may not be a celebrity or household name, but putting homey people like him next to Demi Lovato make this starlet appear more authentic, relatable, and real, even in layers of diamond-studded jewelry.

Demi and their group never find valid proof of extraterrestrial life, but they find themselves in some hilarious situations trying to get it. They stumble upon a mysterious crop circle in the middle of nowhere, only to discover it was just Farmer Joe's failed attempt at modern art. They also accidentally crash a local cosplay convention, mistaking it for an intergalactic summit.

So, if you're looking for a good laugh and a healthy dose of skepticism, Demi Lovato's Unidentified might just be the show for you. Just don't expect to uncover the secrets of the universe – unless those secrets involve questionable fashion choices and a profound misunderstanding of astrophysics.