#25% off clearance

[prismaticutie]

Hot topic had a flash clearance sale (It's over, sorry for not telling y'all sooner </3) but look at all the cute stuff I bought!

[mayakern]

our ⚡️sale continues!

today’s the last day to get 25% off almost everything in our store, including clearance items! (some discounted as much as 50%)

🤝 ethically made 👗 size inclusive 🎮 pockets deep enough to fit a nintendo switch!

[cobragardens]

The 3 Falls of Anthony J Crowley

So far, Crowley has told three different stories to three different audiences about why he Fell, and there's some important information that can be inferred from them. Let's get nerdy.

(Nb. C. 25% of this is from a previous post I made about Crowley's memory problems.)

Here's Crowley's 1st story (gifs courtesy of Fuck Yeah Good Omens), in 1867:

In Book Omens this line is narration about Crowley, and means that Crowley didn't embrace evil and side with Hell so much as he just wasn't into the whole Heaven shindig.

In Show Omens, this phrase becomes a little more fraught, because Crowley says it about himself, and he says it to Aziraphale.

Aziraphale has just disagreed with Crowley's assertion that the two of them have a lot in common. Az thinks Crowley means their origins as angels, and demurs, "I don't know. We may have both started off as angels, but you are fallen."

But what Crowley means, as we find out in pretty much every other scene the two of them share in S1 and S2, is that that he and Aziraphale have a lot in common now, in their current positions. He wants Aziraphale to see him as a friend--and to be his friend--so he elides the difference his Fallenness makes to Aziraphale, all "Ehhh, it wasn't really a fall kind of Fall, it wasn't that bad."

Also, given the conversation they have in the Final Fifteen, I feel like his phrasing is kind of important here, because falling is not voluntary, but sauntering is. In saying this Crowley is claiming that to some degree he chose to reject Heaven.

It's entirely possible that Crowley may have been lying to Aziraphale in 1867--he is, as he says, a demon, and he's lied to him before to make something bad seem less bad--but maybe not. Remember what the Metatron says about Crowley:

And this is another interesting point: The Metatron knew Crowley as an angel. The Metatron. The being who, after shepherding Aziraphale out of the bookshop, turned back and looked at Crowley with hate.

(And tense music playing, in case you weren't sure.)

So maybe that's it. Maybe Crowley just chose to be on his own side.

But in 2019, and addressing God, Crowley's story of his Fall is slightly different:

I think we can take this as Crowley's sincere belief. It's unlikely that he would lie when speaking to God, because that is Aziraphale's job because he doesn't have any reason to do so: God hasn't been listening to Crowley for 6,000 years at this point, and if She were listening, lying would not work. So Crowley probably believes he's telling the truth here with this story: Crowley believes one reason he Fell is that he asked questions.

But is he right?

Another line from the Metatron:

The Metatron seems to speak of Crowley's habit of asking questions as though he finds it obnoxious rather than damning, so maybe the questions weren't the problem. Then again we know that the Metatron is a lying piece of shit and an authoritarian who doesn't want his regime questioned, willing to erase memories and destroy lives to cover up the 'institutional problem' that Heaven doesn't know what the Plan is and is run by a handful of warmongers who want everyone dead or indentured.

Either way, this is the third time in the series someone has talked about the problem of Crowley asking questions, so my guess is his questions were probably a salient feature of his Fall.

Onward!

Before we look at the 3rd story, remember that we have strong evidence now that Crowley has had his memories erased by Heaven.

But we also know Furfur, another demon, still has his memories. Inference: Heaven don't erase the memories of every angel who Falls. This suggests that Heaven erased Crowley's memories because he had knowledge in those memories Heaven didn't want him to have anymore.

This may not be specific knowledge. We know Crowley has a high security clearance in Heaven and therefore must have been a high-ranking angel, and we know he created a nebula with Saraqael, so presumably there was a lot of stuff in his head Heaven wanted stripped out.

But I think there was something specific, and here's why. Firstly, there's no reason to assume that importance in Heaven is a guarantee of importance in Hell. Furfur could have been a high-ranking angel too before ending up an admin in Hell. (Hell does not seem to be any more of a meritocracy than Heaven does.)

Secondly, it's clear that Crowley doesn't know his memories have been erased. If he knew, then when Furfur says "We were in the same Legion? Just before the Fall? Doing dubious battle on the Plains of Heaven? Remember?" he'd say something like "Don't be stupid, of course I don't remember, Heaven erased my memories."

Instead he says,

Now, maybe Crowley is just being a dick here. Certainly we're supposed to take it that way until he goes up to Heaven with Muriel and doesn't remember Saraqael either.

But what if he's being truthful? If Crowley is being honest (and a dick), that would mean the Fash didn't erase all of Crowley's memories of his time in Heaven. We know this because Furfur says he and Crowley fought together "on the Plains of Heaven," and "just before the Fall" [emphasis added].

This suggests that Maybe Heaven didn't erase time from Crowley's memory. Maybe they erased people.

Okay, now here's Crowley's 3rd story about how he Fell:

It's a cute line, but what if it's not just a throwaway joke referencing what people say about kids who go down the wrong path and become criminals?

Crowley mutters this 3rd story to himself, so we can be confident Crowley believes this to be true. But Crowley doesn't know who the wrong people are. He doesn't know whose company got him thrown out of Heaven, because his memories of all those people have been taken from him.

And taken together, these three stories and Crowley's stolen memories suggest a bigger, more disturbing inference: Crowley doesn't know why he Fell. (Or sauntered vaguely downwards.)

Like Crowley, Job was once a favorite of God. But he has fallen out of that favor and been delivered to demons for reasons God refuses to tell him.

We the audience are meant to draw a parallel between Job and Crowley. We know this not just because of the speech Crowley cathartically gives Job's goats, in which everything he says to the goats can be just as easily applied to Job or himself, but from two other indications. Here's one:

Job is wearing Crowley's color.

The other is the minisode title, "A Companion to Owls." This phrase comes from the Book of Job, specifically Job 30:29. Job, lamenting what has happened to him, says,

 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

In Biblical symbolism, dragon=serpent=snake=demon. And in some Mesopotamian beliefs--one of them Judaism--owls were associated with demons as well:

and

and

So the Job of the Bible is saying in this verse the same thing the Job of Good Omens says: God has forsaken me and delivered me to demons. Or even: God has forsaken me and I am now being treated like demons are treated.

And he's also saying something else. In the Bible, owls symbolize loneliness, desolation, and solitude. They're consistently depicted as living in barren, abandoned, isolated places. Seriously. Go search owl(s) in a Biblical concordance and read all 30 entries: it comes up a lot. If you're a companion to owls, you're alone (except for the owls) in the wilderness. You're forsaken.

WHOMST do we know whose signal color is yellow, who's a brother of demons, and who admits at the end of the episode that being alone and forsaken in the wilderness is lonely?

So. Job, a character whose claim to fame is that God punished him and he didn't know why, is a mirror character to Crowley. This on its own isn't enough to say definitely that Crowley doesn't know why he Fell, but combined with the three different stories he tells about his Fall, I think there's enough textual evidence to conclude that Crowley isn't entirely sure why he fell; he only has educated guesses. Either he knew and the memory was erased, or he was never told at all.

My question about Crowley's Fall is this: Who pushed him?

Was Crowley's Fall an act of God Herself, or was it an act of Heaven? What did the fucking Metatron have to do with it? What was Crowley's crime? When Aziraphale takes charge of Heaven and the Second Coming, will he read Crowley's file?

[mochinek0]

Daminette December 2023: 25-Plain Clothes

Marinette sat on the hotel bed, easing her nerves.

'This is a simple mission; a test. Best outcome: we find ShadowMoth. Worst: Zero progress.'

Robin knocked on the door, startling her.

"How are you?" He questioned "Are you ready to leave?"

"Nervous." She answered with a sigh.

"Why? It's a simple mission, is it not?" he replied.

"It's my first mission, as myself. No one but Batman and Wonder Woman knows who I am." She called out.

"We can use an alias." Robin declared.

"Can't." Mari groaned, "I know people at the event. I was going to be here, one way or another."

"I take it that you are well known, then." Robin spoke.

"Yes and you?" Mari asked.

"Correct." he answered.

"Okay." Marinette said, before taking a deep breath.

Tikki shook her head a flew through the door, startling Robin. He quickly put his emotions back in order and glared at her. Tikki giggled.

'He reminds me of Plagg.'

"I am Tikki. I am the Kwami or Goddess of Creation." she spoke, "I am what makes the girl behind the door, Ladybug."

He nodded in response and looked back at the door.

"We will have somoene looking out for us in the shadows." he called out.

"Batman is here?" Ladybug asked.

"No, Superboy. Apparently, he saw your tiny companion here through a door once. His X-Ray vision works on her. Superman couldn't see her, at all." Robin declared, "I know his identity and he won't say anything, unless they have proper clearance. So far, that consist of you, me, Superboy, and Batman. We will have earpieces on and he will be able to communicate with us, if he notices anything."

"Meaning if ShadowMoth is in the crowd-" she stated.

"He should sense it." Robin answered, "If he tried to leave, he is capable of following him and giving us directions to his location."

Marinette walked out of the room, full of confidence and hope. Robin couldn't believe his eyes. Ladybug was a leader. She was strict. She reminded him of his parents, at times; dedicated. This girl in front of him didn't look deadly or commanding. She looked small and shy; she looked like an angel.

"You look.....beautiful." he spoke.

Mari smiled and tried to fight off her blush, "Thank you. How did the suit fit?"

"Um, well. Thank you for the suit." Robin replied, "Where did you get it?"

"I made it." she spoke, "I'm a fashion designer."

Damian looked down at his clothes. He hadn't appreciated them until that moment. He thought it had just been another suit. He looked back up before bowing to her.

"Damian Wayne." He announced.

She smiled back and curtsied, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Marinette walked in on Damian's arm.

"I can see you both. I am still able to see Ladybug. I can see your earrings glowing and your little friend in your bag."

Mari gripped Damian's arm after hearing the voice speak

"Thank you, Superboy." Damian whispered, squeezing Marinette slightly, "He's on our side."

She just nodded. Soon, everyone crowded around them.

"I can see two other people with glowing items in attendance, aside from her."

Damian felt Marinette tense up again.

"Where?" Mari asked, "Who?"

"An older gentleman."

"Must be ShadowMoth." Damian inquired.

"The other?" Mari pressed.

"Our age."

Marinette bit her lip confused.

'Could Felix be here? No; Hawkmoth got the peacock miraculous back from him two years ago. That's why I used Kalki to get into the Justice League's headquarters in space.'

"Heads up. Incoming fast!"

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien cried out, "I didn't expect you to have a date."

"Watch him."

Damian felt the tiny Ladybug grip his arm like her life depended on it, but on her face was plastered a smile.

"F-Felix?" Mari whispered.

"Uh, no." the blonde answered, "It's Adrien, Adrien Agreste. Did you forget about me?" 

"Why wouldn't my girlfriend have a date?" Damian demanded, moving his arm from to her waist to stabilize her better.

Marinette turned to him and smiled.

"His ring is glowing and he has a creature in his right breast pocket."

Marinette glanced at the familiar ring he wore throughout middle school. An image of it painted black with a neon print came to her mind.

'Adrien is Chat Noir!'

"There's something else. There's a....it looks like a feather inside of him. It looks like it branching out, like veins."

Marinette buckled, feeling faint.

"Mari!" Adrien shouted.

"Angel!" Damian cried out, catching her.

Adrien held her hand as Damian checked her over quickly.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked.

"Do you think we can get some air?" Marinette questioned, "Still not use to these heels."

"Of course." Damian chuckled, "Did you remember to pack the bandages that Selina recommended?"

Marinette nodded, struggling to get to her feet. As she got up, she slipped the ring off of Adrien's finger, using her Guardian powers. Unfortunately for Adrien, Plagg was asleep and unable to warn him.

Once outside, Marinette burst into tears.

"Marinette?" Damian prodded, confused.

"Adrien is...was my partner." Marinette sobbed, showing him the ring.

"Why did you take it?" he questioned.

"The feather he saw." Mari declared.

"What about-"Damian began.

"He's a sentimonster! That's not the real Adrien and if it is.....who is to say he hasn't been helping Hawkmoth since the beginning?" she stated.

Marinette looked at the ring and placed it on her finger.

"Hey, Kid. What-" Plagg demanded, but once he saw Mari he changed his mind, "Where is he?"

"Did you know?" Marinette questioned.

"Know what?" Plagg asked, confused.

Tikki flew out of Marinette's bag, "Adrien is one of Duusu's creations."

Plagg's jaw dropped, "No!"

He floated down onto the Guardian's hand and sat down.

"You couldn't sense it?" Tikki asked.

"No." he answered shaking his head, "How big were the branches?"

"Large." answered Damian, "According to the half-alien who has x-ray vision and can see through people."

"It is possible that Adrien was never real." Tikki spoke, "For small times, it wouldn't be that much."

Tears poured down her cheeks. Adrien not being real opened up so many possibilities. She wiped her tears away.

"Bug?" Plagg questioned.

Marinette took a deep breath and reached into her bag. She quickly fixed her makeup and grabbed Damian's hand. The ring change from its once silver color to a dark metal with a large emerald.

"You are my partner for this mission." Mari declared, "It is only fitting that you now wear Plagg."

"Will he not notice?" Damian questioned.

"No." the Guardian answered, "The magic of the miraculous will keep him for recognizing it."

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"I need a moment." she whispered.

He nodded and walked back into the venue.

"Marinette?" Tikki whispered.

"I may have to kill Adrien." she answered.

"I have eyes on another."

Marinette stood up and walked back into the gala.

"Male, 40's. Maybe 50's. White suit and glasses."

Marinette looked around and spotted Gabriel Agreste.

She took a deep breath and asked, "Where is it?"

"Under his tie. It's red and white."

'Yep. That describes Gabriel Agreste, perfectly.'

Before she could make her way towards him, Adrien jumped out of the crowd, in front of her. From his eyes, she could tell he was panicking.

"Mari, hey, did you see me drop my ring?" He pressed.

"Ring?" Marinette asked.

"The one I always wear. The silver one!" Adrien stated.

"No." she answered, "I'm sorry. I didn't notice it. We can go back to where we were and see if It fell off. Maybe, someone kicked it under a table or something?"

Adrien nodded and followed her towards where they had been. He looked through the crowd.

"Where's your boyfriend?" he asked.

"Talking with other people about his father's business." Mari shrugged.

"Oh." he answered, "So, uh, how long have you guys been a thing?"

"Oooh, maybe he likes you. Robin, you need to step you're game up. Someone is trying to steal Ladybug from you."

'Yeah, right.'

"Be silent. This isn't a commentary show."

'Thank you, Robin.'

"Two years." Marinette answered, quickly.

"Nice save. Using how long you have been coming to the League, I'm assuming."

"Oh, that's nice." Adrien replied.

"Incoming."

"Miss Dupain-Cheng." Gabriel spoke.

"Hello, Mr. Agreste." Marinette smiled back.

"I couldn't help but notice that you came in with young Damian Wayne." he declared.

Mari answered back, "Yes. He is my date for tonight's event. We figured since we were both coming, why not announce our relationship?"

"I see." he spoke, not noticing his son wilt at her answer, "I was hoping you would come work for Gabriel. I understand Audrey still has an invitation open for you, as well."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Agreste, but Damian has offered me my own studio." She announced, "Not an internship. He will be paying for the building and I will take care of the rest. My boyfriend has confidence in my work."

"Well, Miss Dupain-Cheng, good luck to you." Gabriel stated, "Will your studio be here in Paris?"

"No. I'll be leaving Paris at the end of the week to Gotham." Marinette declared.

Adrien quickly turned to her in shock.

"You're leaving?" the model exclaimed, to which she nodded, "Why haven't you said anything?"

"Adrien." Gabriel growled.

"I've been so busy and my apartment can't really contain my designs and equipment." Mari answered, "I've been working out of my place and have been so focused on my commissions."

Damian created a distraction by throwing five silver platters at the giant windows, as if they were shuriken. People began to scream when all the windows shattered at once. Many believed it was the work of an akuma and started to scream. Many began to push people out of the way to get towards a door, faster. Marinette took notice of Gabriel leaving during the middle of the chaos, leaving Adrien behind. Quickly, an akuma appeared out of one of the scared party-goers.

"I have him."

Adrien began to look around the room, after he lost sight of Marinette. He spotted her again, hoping to see her transform into his Lady.

'She had to of taken the ring!'

Adrien noticed bits of the ceiling beginning to crumble above her head. He watched through the chaos as the ceiling began to collapse overhead.

'Transform!'

Damian grabbed her arm and pulled her to his chest, as he dodged the debris. Marinette sobbed into his chest. Damian picked her up and ran out of the building with her. Watching his friend cry in the arms of her lover, he realized it wasn't her. She wasn't Ladybug.

'Shit! Where the fuck is my ring?'

Marinette jumped out of Damian's arms, as he moved them to the side of the building.

"You're positive you have eyes on him?" Marinette questioned, getting into Ladybug mode.

"Yes."

"Spots on." Mari spoke.

"Claws out." Damian whispered.

"Can you creep up on him and knock him out?" Ladybug asked.

Damian smiled, evily, "I was trained in stealth."

"Do it." she replied, "I'll deal with the akuma."

He nodded and followed Signal's directions. There stood Gabriel Agreste in another room of the building, transformed as Shadowmoth. Damian quietly snuck up on him and used one of the techniques his mother had taught him to temporarily paralyze someone. Shadowmoth was caught off guard as he collapsed to the floor.

"My apologies, Shadowmoth," a new cat like figure spoke, taking the brooches off of him, "but the hunt is over. I have acquired them, Ladybug."

Ladybug quickly destroyed the akuma and announced, "Shadowmoth has been defeated. This plan has been in the making for along time."

Paris began to cheer in happiness.

With help from the Batfam, they were able to clear out certain evidence out of Agreste Manor. They placed Emilie and Natalie into a hospital. Gabriel was still paralyzed on his right side; the doctors believed he had a stroke. Adrien was temporarily staying at the Bourgeois hotel. Gabriel lay in the hospital bed upset. At the foot of his bed was Ladybug and Chat Noir's stealthy replacement.

"Your days are over." he growled, "I'll come back!"

"The miraculous will be out of Paris, tonight." Ladybug replied.

"You-" he hissed.

"Do you realize I have to kill your son, Adrien?" She asked, causing him to freeze, "I know he's a sentimonster. The question is was he always a sentimonster or is the real one hidden away like your wife?"

"My wife wanted a child!" Gabriel declared, "We couldn't have one and that was all she wanted. I jus wanted her to watch him grow up."

"Adrien is sucking the life out of her." The Guardian stated, "It's one or the other; not both."

Gabriel paled at the news.

"Will you kill her son, who she did everything for, just to bring her back? Or will you give him the life she wanted for him?" Ladybug questioned, "She will remember everything."

"We will find them again." Gabriel stated.

Ladybug sighed, "No, you won't. I've asked the Justice League to take them off planet and onto another. They could bury it on the center of Pluto or send it to another planet that Earth could never reach. No one will ever find them again."

Hawkmoth sagged in defeat.

"Adrien doesn't know." he spoke, "He had nothing to do with this."

"Then, let him live his own life, like your wife would have wanted." The Guardian whispered, "Spend time with him. The Justice League will be keeping an eye on you and your movements from now on."

Ladybug walked up to Adrien Agreste.

"Ladybug, I had no idea-" he began.

"Chat, I'm sorry." she whispered.

"Huh?" the model stammered, "Did you steal away from Plagg? You replaced me?"

"I had too." She answered.

"When did you find out?" Adrien asked, "Did you-"

"You know we've been getting help from the Justice League." Ladybug spoke, "At one point I had to recharge and someone was able to sense Tkiki. They came along hoping to sense ShadowMoth's kwamis. I had to take him from you; they sensed you were in danger."

"I don't understand!" he cried out.

She sighed, "Your father was Hawkmoth."

"No!" Adrien exclaimed, "We ruled him out!"

"He got smart. He threw us off his trail." Ladybug continued, "He won't go to jail, but he will be under Justice League surveillance. They will know every keystroke on his computer and be able to listen to every phone call. You can still have your father; be thankful you are not losing him too."

Adrien sagged in defeat, "What happened? Did he really have a stoke?"

"The temporary chat snuck up behind him and knocked him out. We think realizing he lost the miraculous caused the stroke." Ladybug declared.

"Why?" Adrien asked, "Why did he-"

"Your mother is very ill." She admitted, "He wanted to heal her."

"That's it?" he shouted, "All these years? All of Paris' pain and suffering, the nightmares.....it was for my mother?"

"I'm sorry." The Guardian apologized.

"Can I know who you are?" Adrien questioned, "You promised."

"I wish I could, but you're too close to him." Ladybug answered, causing him to pale, "Plagg is in good hands for now. I will be giving up my mantle today. I won't even remember you; I don't want to cause you anymore pain. Can you really handle seeing me everyday when I won't be able to remember my own name?"

Adrien's eyes began to water.

"I wish you a good life, Chat." She smiled, "Find love. Be happy. Your father can no longer design. Gabriel will likely fall so you won't have to model anymore."

He smiled through his tears.

"Do what makes you happy." Ladybug declared, before leaving.

"Are you sure that was a wise thing to do?" Damian questioned.

Marinette nodded, "He deserves to be happy. The Justice League will have him under heavy surveillance and if he starts to follow in his father's footsteps, I'll use the Peacock to undo him."

"I thought I was meant for the Kwami of Destruction." Damian smirked.

"Oh, shut up." Mari scoffed.

TAGLIST: @maribat-calendar-events @animeweebgirl@a-star-with-a-human-name@meme991001@vixen-uchiha@abrx2002@alysrose-starchild@fandom-trapped-03@dood-space@moonlightstar64@saltymiraculer@marveldcedits20@09shell-sea09@icerosecrystal@animegirlweeb@insane-fangirl-of-everything@blueblossombliss@nickristus-dreamer@megawhitleycalderonpaganus@missmadwoman@meira-3919@princessdaisysolosyourfaves@blep-23@fangirlingfanatic@darkhinauniverse@ravenr22@im-a-satanic-ritual@ravennm84@bianca-hooks123@a-slytherinish-gryffindor@starling218

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Year

1. Belgium approves four-day week and gives employees the right to ignore their bosses after work

Workers in Belgium will soon be able to choose a four-day week under a series of labour market reforms announced on Tuesday.

The reform package agreed by the country's multi-party coalition government will also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours without fear of reprisal.

"We have experienced two difficult years. With this agreement, we set a beacon for an economy that is more innovative, sustainable and digital. The aim is to be able to make people and businesses stronger," Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo told a press conference announcing the reform package.

2. Spain makes it a crime for pro-lifers to harass people outside abortion clinics

Spain has criminalized the harassment or intimidation of women going for an abortion under new legislation approved on Wednesday by the Senate. The move, which involved changes to the penal code, means anti-abortion activists who try to convince women not to terminate their pregnancies could face up to a year behind bars.

3. House passes bill to federally decriminalize marijuana

The House has voted with a slim bipartisan majority to federally decriminalize marijuana. The vote was 220 to 204.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, will prevent federal agencies from denying federal workers security clearances for cannabis use, and will allow the Veterans’ Administration to recommend medical marijuana to veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder.

The bill also expunges the record of people convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, which House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, “can haunt people of color and impact the trajectory of their lives and career indefinitely.”

4. France makes birth control free for all women under 25

The scheme, which could benefit three million women, covers the pill, IUDs, contraceptive patches and other methods composed of steroid hormones.

Contraception for minors was already free in France. Several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, make contraception free for teens.

5. The 1st fully hydrogen-powered passenger train service is now running in Germany. The only emissions are steam & condensed water.

Five of the trains started running in August. Another nine will be added in the coming months to replace 15 diesel trains on the regional route. Alstom says the Coradia iLint has a range of 1,000 kilometers, meaning that it can run all day on the line using a single tank of hydrogen. A hydrogen filling station has been set up on the route between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude.

6. Princeton will cover all tuition costs for most families making under $100,000 a year, after getting rid of student loans

In September, the New Jersey Ivy League school announced it would be expanding its financial aid program to offer free tuition, including room and board, for most families whose annual income is under $100,000 a year. Previously, the same benefit was offered to families making under $65,000 a year. This new income limit will take effect for all undergraduates starting in the fall of 2023.

Princeton was also the first school in the US to eliminate student loans from its financial aid packages.

7. Humpback whales no longer listed as endangered after major recovery

Humpback whales will be removed from Australia's threatened-species list, after the government's independent scientific panel on threatened species deemed the mammals had made a major recovery. Humpback whales will no longer be considered an endangered or vulnerable species.

Climate change and fishing still pose threats to their long-term health.

Some other uplifting news from last year:

A Cancer Trial’s Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient

California 100 percent powered by renewables for first time

Israel formally bans LGBTQ conversion therapy

Tokyo Passes Law to Recognize Same-Sex Partnerships

First 100,000 KG Removed From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

As we ring in the New Year let’s remember to focus on the good news. May this be a year of even more kindness and generosity. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2023!

Thank you for following and supporting this g this newsletter

Buy me a coffee ❤️

[plushieanimals]

it’s my duty to inform you that the US build a bear is doing a big clearance sale right now until 11:59 PM CST on 12/31!

and that the UK build a bear is doing a similar sale for boxing day with slightly different plush, plus an up to 25% off pokemon sale!

[whimsicalchaosgarden]

Do you know what you need to get yourself? An outdoor quilt.

I am a lover or quilts and blankets, and I have made and accumulated many. However, as soon as the weather turned nice, I had to agonize over, which I was willing to get dirty and possibly stained from picnicking. Then, one day I was checking out the clearance section of Walmart and found a king-size quilt for like 25%off. I bought it with the purpose "this will be my outdoor quilt".

I didn't have emotional attachments to it, and it wasn't handmade, or a gift or anything. It was just my outdoor quilt. And it's PERFECT!

Having a picnic? KING SIZED QUILT BABY, WERE FITTING EVERYONE! Only ground open enough is covered in sticks and maybe even pine pitch? No big, I can clean it later, and I'm not worried if it stains!

And even better by having a dedicated outdoor quilt, it helped my roomies and other friends! I would have people come ask to borrow it for their outdoor party or picnic because they didn't want to get their nice blankets dirty either!

It's a life saver. Get yourself an outdoor quilt.

[eskiworks]

Alright my dudes, I need some help! Our SNAP (food stamps) benefits are on hold for a month while we sort out documents, so I'm running a sale! I've added a few little clearance minis, and all merch is 25% off. It would help a lot if you picked up an item or two, donated to my Ko-fi, or spread the word! https://www.etsy.com/shop/Eskiworks https://ko-fi.com/eskiworks

Posted using PostyBirb

[waytooinvested]

Forgotten, Not Forgiven - Chapter 25

This and previous chapters are also on AO3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Ten minutes Ms Luthor.’

Lena acknowledged the warning with a nod, and skimmed through her note cards one more time before heading to wait by the stage door, Jess following at her heels.

It was the final event on their tour schedule before they flew back to National City tomorrow morning, and it was a big one. Representatives from just about every newspaper and media station in the state and beyond would be there, ready to spread the word about the emissions converter far beyond the realms of tech and business executives to (hopefully) inspire the hearts and minds of the public on a global scale.

It was understandable therefore that when her phone rang with six and a half minutes to go until she was due to step out onto that stage, she didn’t pay it much attention.

Lena got dozens of phone calls most days, and while the majority of them were important matters demanding the attention of L-Corp’s CEO, very few were anything that couldn’t wait a couple of hours, especially during a major press event. Still, just to be safe she had given her phone to Jess and asked her to answer and triage anything that came through, and give her any urgent messages. There were only two numbers that she had told Jess to hand over to her directly, and the owners of both knew her itinerary for the week and would never dream of calling her right now unless there was a serious emergency, so it was safe enough to ignore-

‘Ms Luthor, I’m sorry but it’s one of your priority numbers. What would you like me to do?’

Lena’s attention snapped to Jess, and she held out her hand for the phone.

Alex.

Oh well, she had probably just got her times mixed up, and thought that the press event was just ending, rather than just starting. She glanced at the time – still six minutes to go before she was due on stage, she could make this quick.

‘Alex, this isn’t really a good time, can I call you back in a couple of hours?’

‘Lena…’

Alex’s voice sounded strange. Choked up and shaky, and nothing like her usual self. Adrenaline surged through Lena’s system and she clutched her phone, her mind instantly leaping to worst case scenarios.

‘What is it?’

‘It’s Kara.’

Lena closed her eyes.

Of course it was Kara.

‘She got picked up by our ambulance diversion alert about half an hour ago, and now she’s in the med bay. She’s stable, but…’

Alex broke off with another small, strangled sound, and Lena’s stomach twisted.

‘What happened to her?’

‘I don’t know. She was unconscious when they brought her in, and she hasn’t woken up yet. Apparently someone found her in an alley looking pretty badly beaten up and called 911, but no one saw what actually happened. Lena... can you come?’

Lena glanced over at the stage door and the assembled stakeholders, journalists and investors she knew were waiting beyond it, then turned her back on them all.

‘I’m still out of town, but I can be there within a couple of hours. Less if you can arrange clearance for my helicopter to land directly on the DEO helipad.’

‘Consider it done. I’ll have someone waiting to meet you there.’

‘See you soon.’

Lena terminated the call.

She allowed herself precisely four seconds to feel the wave of emotions the news had brought on:

Shock.

Terror.

Grief.

Fury.

Then on the fifth second she put them aside, and turned her focus entirely on what she needed to do next.

‘Jess, we’re going to have to cancel. I have to leave.’

Her assistant gaped at her, shaking her head in disbelief.

‘Cancel? Ms Luthor, we can’t. You’re due on stage in four minutes. Everyone’s here, everyone’s waiting. If we cancel now the whole launch will be impacted – there’s been so much build up, and we won’t be able to reschedule, not with the same reach we have now.’

Lena wanted to scream that she didn’t care, because the woman she loved was currently unconscious and if things took a turn for the worst and she wasn’t there, she would never forgive herself. But she knew that Jess was right. Cancelling now would put a black mark on L-Corp’s reputation that would be hard to overcome, and would doubtless irreparably damage several important client relationships. She couldn’t cancel.

But she couldn’t stay either.

‘Okay… okay, you’re right. So... what if you did the speech?’

‘Me?? But I’m not a scientist, I’m just your assistant, I can’t do it!’ Jess protested.

‘I know. I’m sorry to put this on you, and I wouldn’t if there was any other option, but there isn’t time to get anyone else here and brief them. You’ve been practising this speech with me for days, you know it as well as I do by this point, and you’d have the notes. There are some expected questions and answers on the back, but if anyone asks something you don’t know the answer to just explain you’re here filling in due to an unavoidable emergency and don’t know all the details, but that we will gather any questions and answer them in a press release within the week. And of course you’ll have Raj and Amanda to do the actual product demonstration so you won’t be alone up there.’

‘But what would I tell everyone when they ask why you’re not here?’

‘Tell them I have a burst appendix and had to go to hospital.’

Jess’s eyes widened in alarm, looking her up and down as if wondering whether she should be dialing 911.

‘DO you have a burst appendix?’

‘No. But I promise you this is as much of an emergency as if I did, and it’s easier to explain.’

Jess swallowed hard, looking pale beneath her layer of foundation.

‘Ms Luthor I want to help you but I’m really not sure I can do this…’

Lena put her hands on her assistant’s shoulders and looked into her eyes, trying to steady the desperate tremble in her hands to convey rock-solid confidence in her proposed plan.

‘Okay. Jess, I know I’m asking a lot of you and this is not in your job description. If you really don’t feel you can do the speech then that’s fine, I’ll just cancel and take the hit on the launch. But if you can do this for me, you will get a twenty thousand dollar bonus before the week is up, a ten percent ongoing pay rise, and my undying gratitude.’

It was a lavish promise, but likely only a fraction of the amount it could cost L-Corp if she cancelled the whole event, and right now money was the last thing Lena cared about.

Jess bit her lip, then Lena felt her shoulders straighten under her hands, resolve stiffening her spine.

‘… So I guess I’m making a speech.’

She let out a breath.

‘Thank you Jess. Seriously, thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Okay, I have to go.’

‘Good luck Ms Luthor.’

‘People who have done me favours this huge call me Lena.’

Jess smiled faintly at her and nodded.

‘Good luck… Lena.’

‘Good luck to you too Jess.’

And then she ran.

The journey in the helicopter was agonising, but at least she knew that with every wumph of the rotor she was getting closer to National City and the DEO. For once she didn’t even think about the possibility of crashing. All she thought about was Kara, and what the hell had happened to her to leave her beaten and unconscious in an alley.

Whoever had done this she hoped it had been worth it for them, because Lena was going to track them down, and if Kara didn’t come out of this one hundred percent recovered she was going to kill them. Slowly.

She was about 30 minutes out when she got a text from Alex:

Alex: She’s awake

Relief swept through her, and Lena read the short text five or six more times to convince herself that it was really real and she wasn’t just seeing what she hoped to see. She wanted to grill Alex for more details of exactly how Kara was and what had happened to her, but she clenched her hands into fists to quell the urge to type out her string of questions.

If Kara had only just woken up she would need some time before they started interrogating her, and Alex would want to focus on her sister right now.

Lena would get her turn.

Still, she kept her fists clenched tightly for the remainder of the journey against the temptation, so that by the time she arrived she had tiny, crescent shaped gouges across each palm.

As soon as they touched down she was out and running again, the agent who had been sent to meet her barely keeping up as she dashed past him to the elevator. Now she was so close she found every second of delay unbearable.

The interminable time it seemed to take for the elevator door to close.

The slow descent through the layers of the DEO building that made her want to dash out and take the stairs instead, even though she knew logically that standing still in an elevator would get her to the med bay faster than her own legs could.

But she wasn’t moving, and that left too much space for her to imagine what would be waiting for her when she finally arrived.

Kara, beaten and bruised and barely conscious.

Kara vomiting blood onto her sheets from internal injuries that her body would never normally have been capable of sustaining.

Kara relapsing from a brain bleed and seizing, or slipping into a coma.

Kara broken and in pain and…

At long last the doors opened and Lena burst into the med bay at a run, to find-

Kara, sitting propped up against several pillows, one leg in plaster, a bandaged wrist, and a large white dressing pad on her forehead. Her face was scraped and a little swollen, but she seemed fully alert, and the worst of Lena’s worst case scenarios unravelled and evaporated as she moved swiftly to her bed side.

‘Kara! Oh thank god. Kara.’

It was all she could manage as she drank Kara in, reassuring herself once and for all that she was alive, and alert, and showing no immediately obvious adverse affects from being knocked out.

‘Lena, hey! You came to see me! You didn’t have to do that, aren’t you meant to be giving a big speech right now?’

‘Never mind my speech. Are you alright? Kara, what happened? Did someone do this to you? Who do I need to kill.’

Kara chuckled, clearly not taking the question as seriously as Lena had meant it.

‘No, no I’m fine honestly. Nobody did anything to me, I just-’

She glanced up at Lena and bit her lip, then winced when her teeth met the split, swollen skin there.

‘Ouch! I keep forgetting about that.’

‘Kara, you just what?’

‘I just… fell.’

‘You fell.’

‘Yep!’

‘Down the stairs?’

‘Not exactly…’

Kara wriggled awkwardly against her pillows, as if she thought she might be able to hide from Lena’s stern gaze if she burrowed down deep enough.

‘You’re not allowed to be mad at me when I’m hurt, okay? Alex already gave me the lecture.’

Lena absolutely did not agree to that. She folded her arms and used her very best do-not-mess-with-me tone.

‘Kara Danvers, what did you do? Did you try abseiling by yourself? You promised you would wait until we’d done the safety research!’

‘I wasn’t abseiling!’

‘Really?’

‘Really really.’

But Kara didn’t quite meet her gaze, and Lena’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

‘So what were you doing?’

‘I just… well, I happened to see this video of a guy doing parkour on Youtube, and I thought it looked really fun. I just wanted to try it, it was going really well and I was so sure I could make the jump between those two buildings. It wasn’t even that big of a gap!’

‘You- are you seriously telling me that you got hurt because you literally jumped off a roof. For fun. Without any kind of harness. I’m not missing a subtlety here.’

‘Um… maybe a little bit?’

Lena sat down on the hard plastic chair at the bedside, her legs suddenly unable to support her own weight any longer, and took hold of Kara’s uninjured hand. How was it that she had made Kara promise not to abseil on her own, only for her to do something even more dangerous by essentially doing the same thing but without the rope?

‘Kara. Please. For the sake of my blood pressure, please promise me, no more extreme sports that don’t involve a proper safety harness and a qualified instructor.’

Kara grimaced.

‘Parkour’s not really extreme extreme.’

‘KARA.’

‘Okaaaay. It’s not like I’ll be up to jumping off any buildings for while anyway – it’s going to be weeks before the plaster comes off. I’m going to lose my mind.’

Lena relaxed a little at the promise, and allowed her expression to soften from stern to sympathetic, though she still couldn’t quite take in the fact that the beating she had been so sure had happened all the way here was actually entirely self inflicted.

‘Good. It’s going to take at least that long for me to recover from the shock of you almost dying because you “saw a guy do it on Youtube”. You almost gave me a heart attack.’

‘I’m sorry…’

The apology sounded so genuinely woebegone that Lena didn’t have the heart to stay angry with Kara, despite the fact that she richly deserved it (she jumped off a roof. For fun). She sighed, and stroked a consoling thumb across the back of her hand.

‘You won’t lose your mind. You might be stuck in one place for a while, but I’m sure we can find other ways to keep you entertained while you’re recovering. I’ll help you.’

Kara brightened instantly.

‘Does that mean you’ll do karaoke with me?’

‘What? No!’

‘Pleease? We can do a duet. It would make me feel better.’

She was giving Lena a full on puppy dog eyes look now, complete with as much of a pout as she could manage with a swollen lip and gravel-grazed cheek, and even though adrenaline was still coursing through her system and she absolutely shouldn’t be this easily won over after the shock Kara had given her, Lena couldn’t help laughing.

‘I know exactly what you’re doing, and yet somehow it still works. I will think about it.’

Kara grinned.

‘Yay! Oh this is going to be so much fun.’

‘I didn’t say yes!’

‘Yes you did.’

And, well, she wasn’t wrong. It looked like Lena was going to be taking part in karaoke night.

She could practically feel the entire Luthor line turning in their graves.

‘Okay, okay, you have exacted all the promises from me that you’re getting for right now. What do you feel like doing next? I think I still have a pack of cards in my purse if you want to play a game, or I could probably find a laptop we can borrow to watch netflix. Or do you need to sleep? Are you hungry?’

‘A game sounds nice. And if you’re offering I could go for some jello. That’s what people always eat in hospital shows, and being here is making me crave it even if this isn’t a proper hospital.’

‘Alright, I’ll be right back.’

Lena touched her lips briefly to the uncovered part of Kara’s forehead in a quick kiss that she hoped might just about pass for platonic, then slipped out the room to find Alex waiting for her in the hallway.

Her friend looked pale and haggard, as if she had been awake for two days straight, even though it had only been a few hours at most since Kara had been hurt. She looked almost worse than Kara did, and about how Lena herself felt.

‘She told you what happened?’ Alex asked.

‘Yes. I can’t believe she did that.’

‘It’s a bad sign, isn’t it?’

Lena glanced back at the closed med bay door and beckoned Alex away down the corridor. Kara might have lost access to her super hearing, but she still had sharp ears, and there was no point taking chances. Even once they were well out of range of any possibility of being overheard, she kept her voice low.

‘It’s not good. Without powers it’s sheer luck that a fall like that didn’t kill her, and even that wasn’t enough to overcome the fear barrier and let her fly. If she can’t break through it even to save her own life, I’m not sure she will for anything.’

All the time they had been working together to get Kara’s Supergirl memories back Lena had never seen Alex break down, but now tears spilled down her cheeks and she let out a shaky sob.

‘Fuck.’

Physical affection between them was mostly limited to the odd shoulder squeeze interspersed with minor acts of violence, but at the sight of her tears Lena pulled Alex into a tight hug without a second thought.

‘Hey, it’s okay! Kara’s going to be fine, and we’ll work this out. Lex may be a devious shit, but you and I can beat him, I know we can. We just need to find a way to give Kara more help to face her fears than we have been so far. We can do this Alex.’

Alex hugged her back, hard, and allowed herself a few hearty sobs against Lena’s blazer before straightening up and wiping her eyes.

‘You’re right, we are a kick ass team. I’m really glad you’re here Lena, I don’t know how I’d get through this without you. Whatever happens, you belong here now, you know? You always will. Even after all this is over.’

Lena felt a warm glow at Alex’s words, and hoped that she was right. She wanted to belong with them. But she wiped her own eyes quickly, and tried to stay practical – it was what they both needed right now.

‘So I’ve been thinking about what’s going to happen when Kara’s ready to leave the med bay. With a sprained wrist and a broken leg, she’s not going to be able to manage by herself for a while.’

‘Oh, yeah, well I figured I’d go and stay at her place for a bit. We’ll drive each other nuts, but it’ll be fine. We lived together as teenagers without killing each other.’

‘Yes, that’s one option. Or… Kara could come and stay with me.’

‘Wait, seriously? Don’t you think that might be too much for you given… you know…’

Alex made a vague gesture that Lena knew was somehow meant to encompass her unspoken feelings for Kara, Project Atlantis, their complicated history, and the more recent hiccup over William and his investigation.

‘...everything?’

‘I can handle it. Besides, it makes the most sense. Kara’s apartment has all those stairs, she’d be practically trapped in her own home once she made it up there, and yours only has one bed, plus there’s Kelly to think of. I have a private elevator to the penthouse and a spare bedroom, and anyway, my job allows much more flexibility to work from home than yours does, so I can be there with her 24/7 until she’s well enough to start doing some things for herself.’

‘I… yeah. Yeah, if Kara’s on board that does sound like a good solution. Thanks Lena.’

‘Of course. Now, next problem: do you have any idea where I could get hold of some jello around here?’

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 19 thoughts

did you ever want to see mulder and scully die of old age? well, you're in luck! this episode was made for you <3

i'm giggling. who came up with this concept?

when i was reading the plot description, i kept thinking of all those memes a few years back about the beach that makes you old. it was referencing the plot of the m. night shyamalan movie with this very concept, aptly titled "old"... good to know he isn't the first one to come up with such a topic. also we moved on from that meme too fast because it was hilarious.

okay. let's go.

pause. we open on a boat at sea. i haaaate boats. we seriously need to stop getting on boats because it seems that only bad things follow.

some people are leaving this boat. and a guy threatens to stop them. but he doesn't. and they climb into a lifeboat and sail off.

those who sailed off in the sailboat have been found by another boat. they were sailing the seas and playing blackjack. blackjack is great, boats less so. these new guys are tying to rope in those from the lifeboat for help, but they're not being super responsive. this is because they have become very old men.

(i was trying to think about how i would respond to finding a rescue boat full of old men on the open ocean, and i think i would assume it was a cruise wreck. recently read an article about the secret world of cruises. fascinating stuff)

((anyway, when we're looking at these newly old men, you can tell that it is in fact the same young actors under a bunch of makeup, and it's an eerie thing to view. baby old men))

at this point, i asked the question on everyone's mind: are we going to speedrun the whole msr thing by throwing them on this boat? like, skipping to growing old together? it's almost romantic, in a way

anyway, back to the present day. after the newly old men have been rescued. mulder calls scully to a hospital, and thanks her for coming without explanation.

she has freckles and he has to bend down to whisper to her, two things i enjoy greatly.

he wants her to go in and talk to the one survivor of the whole thing, and they wouldn't let him in, so her medical background is a good excuse, and he got her clearance. he tells her to figure out what is going on then come back to his office, and instead of listening to her try and ask questions, he grabs her shoulders and says thank you. and leaves.

she is baffled. for a man like him, a shoulder grab probably explains everything.

(this has prompted contemplation on that man and his relationship to physical touch. i just know he'd cry if given a nice long hug)

so she goes in the room and picks up the chart, and despite the fact that a very old man is sitting on the table there, she sees his chart says he's supposed to be like 25. so she asks why there hasn't been a full investigation and the physician comes in and says "i wasn't aware that my diagnostic decisions required your approval"

OOP. an awkward situation! she must have chased mulder off. and while it may be a bit weird to have another doctor burst into your patient's room, is this not a valid question to ask???

the physician demands scully show her clearance, which she does, and she is told it is invalid, and to get out now before she is removed. which is sus as hell!!!! what are they hiding...

back to mulder's office. she walks in and tosses her coat on his chair. ah, casual intimacy of cohabitation. i love you dearly.

and this man is deeply touchy today... he must have known he was setting her up to get yelled at in the hospital and this is his way of saying sorry. that's my best guess, anyway.

he's got a map pinned on the wall and he's pointing out all the ships that have gone through the area and disappeared, and as i began to make my average declaration- that this was "nerd behavior"- my phone began to predict the text for me. well! it is consistent at least.

"do you know anything about the philadelphia project?" he asks scully. and she explains it to him, but i had to google to see if it was a real thing. and actually, i had heard of it before, because the u.s.s. eldridge makes a very brief cameo in season 1 of loki!! but it seems to be mostly a thing that didn't happen. i'll have to look into at a later date.

mulder proposes that those involved with the teleportation philadelphia project must still be at it, and they are using this area to explore wormholes on earth.

(scully exhales quietly) "wormholes." <- god-tier reaction

he decides to head out to norway and investigate, and she wants to come!! woohoo 8:30 flight to norway!!

they're in the norwegian bar. looking cute. asking for help re:area where boats are going mia. but no one wants to help!

until a very conveniently placed american over hears them! and he has a ship that can take them out there! ahh, storytelling conventions <3

he says he'll take them out there, but he is the only one who will do so, because all the others think that there is an evil god in the sea. and evil god or not, i am not sure i trust this man who offers to give them a ride.

NOOOO poor mulder is getting seasick :( he seems to have lost his quick tongue in the war against the ocean:

"you're lucky you inherited your father's legs", he says to scully. "what," she deadpans, smiling. "his SEA legs", he clarifies, and she laughs while he is in misery.

(and this was sosososo cute <3)

they have been on the boat for 12 hours...... i would have simply perished!!!

they then CRASH into another ship and he is suffering even MORE immensely

so they climb onto this ship they ran into, and it looks old and rusty, like 20 or 30 years hanging out in the ocean rusty, but it was launched in 1991. soooo things are not adding up!!!!

they go in and investigate the giant old ship, and they encounter some bodies that have been, like, crystalized? super old and dead and crystalized. shoutout to the props team for that fr.

and scully looks both terrified and deeply intrigued. the medical curiosity has set in.

NOOOO! someone took their ship that they arrived there on!!! they are stuck on the boat full of very old dead crystal people!

there's a little montage here of scully and mulder trying to fix stuff and it was really really cute. yeah get your tools and go fix something man. get under there. it doesn't work out, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

the american guy who took them out is getting pissed they aren't telling him the Truth so he tries to explain the wormhole theory. and he isn't buying it and getting More pissed. this could have been easily avoided by Not Getting on the Boat.

NOOOO the other crew member that joined them had his skull cracked!!! are there any old people doing some skull smashing on this boat?!?

AUGH the boat is such a perfect setting for horror. the persistent Wetness. the quiet except for light dripping noises. the maze-like construction of the big old ship. confined spaces. it is simply not for meeeeee

oh okay. guy in the freezer sipping jack. he says time got lost. sure. it seems we have found our Skull Smasher.

the american guy whose ship was stolen is getting even MORE pissed and honestly i feel like he has the right to be. his friend is dead his ship is gone he is stranded on a boat of crystalized old people. truly L after L is being delivered. and as he goes to bury his friend at sea, even singing a little song for him, a dude comes and tries to crack HIS skull with a pipe??!? (so maybe old man sipping jack DIDN'T do the killing? i honestly don't remember sorry)

mulder stops pipe man from beating the americn ship captain... wow... so heroic <3 and american guy is like, oh i know this dude... he's a PIRATE WHALER... he sells whales on the BLACK MARKET.... i wish him to suffer immensely. remember when a fungus grew out of people a few episodes ago? yeah he deserves that. get eaten by bugs. you stay away from the whales you sick freak. but he is kinda hot and that is NOT be excusing him i just have eyes and can see. hot pirate whalers still get the cruelest of punishments in my book.

NOOOO the old man sipping jack has died. and is turning into salt. real sodom and gomorrah ass situation.

mulder declares that it is time to get rest, in an environment in which rest is impossible. and honestly, he is brave as hell for persisting and taking the first watch despite having dealt with seasickness, let alone being trapped on a boat full of old salty dead people and having just apprehended a pirate whaler. give him a raise, for he has suffered.

he takes his shift, and goes to wake scully up for the next one. and she mumbles about having just fallen asleep, to which he offers her a few more minutes

AUGHHH my heart. my heart my heart. this man is Suffering but he still offers to stand guard for a few more minutes. so she can sleep. oh i would have married him on the spot i'm sorry.

she insists that she is up and everything is adorable and sweet until.

WHAT!!! they are old!!!!

the image of these two in their Old Person makeup was making me laugh so hard, so i once again asked "who came up with this episode", but here's the tea: the pirate whaler guy isn't getting old!!! and, as scully points out, their hair isn't falling out or turning grey... strange.

she proposes that they are... drifting towards something... electrical... magnets... i'm sorry queen u lost me. too much science jargon. i'm sure it's a good theory i just have no understanding what it is you're saying.

oh. and blood is dripping from the ceiling. while the evil whale killer serves looks in the corner. fuck you, freak.

they go off to investigate the dripping blood (actually rust!) and they leave american ship captain to guard the pirate whaler. and oh man, he is gonna let him go, isn't he...

our agents are climbing into the sewage hold. bad place to me, imo. and ohhhh they think it is related to the water! non-sewage water = makes you old. cutscene to american ship captain, who has shot pirate men, lapping from the toilet like a dog.

mulder and ship captain man are fightinggggg... old man violence

scully demands everyone do a blood test, which had me asking: how did she test their blood on a ship? does she just keep that sort of equipment around? anyway, it shows waaaaay too much salt.

and NOOOO mulder is doing worse than the others because he has been dehydrated from seasickness :(

(again, i made note of the fact that they looked crazy and this was such a ridiculous plot for an episode)

he presents her with his urine for testing. that is true friendship.

the american ship guy says that mulder isn't gonna make it, and they should look out for themselves. okay good try you dumb bitch but they WILL die for each other.

cutscene to mulder lying in his cot, dying of old age. typical king activities. the water isn't working on him for some reason!!!

(who did this old person makeup... the girls are scared)

american ship guy is in the sewage area gulping all the water. "go ahead and shoot me if you think i'll let mulder have another drop" <-okay but she Will kill you. like you get that right.

(he escapes death by locking himself into the container)

this sends scully into a frantic search for any sort of liquid, and she's holding up a snow globe, and i have the realization, oh man, she's gonna drink the snow globe water, and they are gonna have to go to the hospital even more than before

"it's sardine juice, half a dozen lemons, and the water from a snow globe" <- new worst meal just dropped

(get her as a bartender NOW. i want to see what other fucked up concoctions she can create if given the resources)

he says that she should drink it, and tells her to stop being stubborn, she's more likely to live. and he WILL resign himself to death for her. which is A Lot. they are arguing about who gets to drink it and it's really sweet and sad and they look scary.

noOoOOOo there is a big THUNK and the jar falls on the ground and CRACKS. and now water is coming in!!! and the guy that locked himself in the sewage hold is gonna drown!!!

this is not promising for anyone else. at this point i was asking if they were gonna just lay down and die together, and if so, would it involve having a talk about their Feelings before death?

scully promises mulder that she learned there is nothing to fear after death when she began to drift off in her coma. oh my heart. talking about her Worst experience in the entire world so her friend can die in peace. knowing that it will be okay. ohhhh man, i need to unpack this at a later date.

so she closes his eyes and he drifts out of consciousness, and she's writing down detailed notes as she goes, but finally the pen slips from her hand and... they're gone

UNTIL!!! HELP ARRIVES LATER!!! and they bring them into the hospital to desalinate them. and they are able to be saved because scully kept impeccable records the whole time!

OH. and who is tending to them but the physician who kicked scully out of the other guy's room at the beginning of the episode!!!!

so the ship sank. and that was that. the end.

and where does that leave us?

well, honestly, i'm torn. because there were some very sweet moments in this episode- poor seasick mulder, fighting over who gets the potion, him letting her sleep a little longer, her sharing what happens after you die to give him a sense of calm- but it was also taking place while they were in scary old person makeup, so it had its ups and downs.

[boatemlag]

Pearl rerun is here! Build guide

Hello all! The queen is finally back. Pearl is the dendro archon and a polearm character. I know you've been waiting for this, I know I have... her c1r1 will be mine! [ScottSmug]

I've decided to put together a guide now for new players and old, as her kit is really unique and one of the best future-proof archons to pull. I'll also offer some perspective on her weapon, because I've seen some doubt about it in the community. [PearlBAMF]

✦✦✦ Breakdown ✦✦✦

Pearl is a 5* limited dendro support and healer who benefits most reaction based team comps as her passive enhances damage specifically for all types of bloom and catalyze reactions. Her kit is a bit wordy, so I'll so my best to explain and clarify what she does.

She's super future proof, and has stood the test of time as one of the best dendro supports. You won't find many premiere dendro team comps without her. Her weapon is great for any HP scaling polearm, which we're expecting when the hydro nation Ghrelian finally releases next year, if leaks are to be believed.

✦✦✦ Explaining the kit ✦✦✦

◇ Basic Attack: Three Strikes

Does three consecutive strikes with the polearm. Nothing special.

◇ (E) Skill: Dirge of Earth

Creates a Tumor of Forbidden Knowledge. The tumor will continue to deal dendro damage both to party members and enemies, though less to allies than enemies. Three charges with a 1 second cooldown in between the charges.

◇ (Q) Burst: Relief in the Soil

Burst healing. Takes into account all the damage taken by the Tumors and by enemies, and enters the Purification state. The Tumors explode, dealing massive dendro damage to enemies and healing a massive amount to allies. 50% of that healing will be applied to party members.

◇ Passives

Controlled Burn: Any reaction done by party members while tumors are on field is increased by 400% of Pearl's HP.

Grace of Nature: Damage to party members from Tumors is reduced.

Hands in the Earth: Increases the amount of certain local specialties gotten when Pearl collects them.

✦✦✦ Constellations ✦✦✦

C1: Converts 1% of Pearl's Max HP into EM while skill is active.

C2: During Pearl's burst, an additional 25% of healing will be applied over time to the party.

C4: Burst damage ignores dendro RES.

C6: Increases the rate at which Withering accumulates, meaning more damage and more healing.

Shockingly, Pearl's C6 is not great unless you need faster rotations. I'd say C1>C4>C2>C6.

✦✦✦ Ascension & Talent Materials ✦✦✦

◇ Nagadus Emerald

Dropped by her boss.

◇ Drops: Rangers

Found exclusively in Perija, and in tight clusters mostly around the sanctum. Check the map for ideal farming routes. You will need:

Rotten badge x18

Worn insignia x30

High clearance pass x36

◇ First Bud of Spring

First Bud of Spring can be claimed by defeating the Young Hatchling in Perija. You'll need x46.

◇ Glow Lichen

Pearl's local specialty. You will need x168. Ideal farming route is hitting up each labyrinth and just following the path. Should get plenty that way. If you haven't done the Hidden Greenhouse world quest, there's some in the cave by the border of Ention.

◇ Forgiveness Talent Books

Perija talent domains on Tues/Thurs/Sun.

◇ Mirror Shard from the Sleeping Beast Beneath the Arena weekly boss

Should be able to quick access it even if you haven't done the Pearl story quest!

✦✦✦ Artifacts & Stats ✦✦✦

2pc Seven Days and 2pc Legionnaire for the double HP bonus is fine, since that's the main stat you want to focus on for Pearl. But if you want to farm the Farmer's Piety/Thorny Dreams domain, be my guest, lol. Farmer's Piety is technically Pearl's intended set, as it gives an HP bonus at 2pc, and increases outgoing healing while off-field. But that domain seriously sucks, and Thorny Dreams is a really niche set.

Sands: HP

Goblet: HP/Dendro dmg bonus (if you hit 60k HP without the goblet, go with dendro dmg bonus)

Circlet: HP

Substat priority: Go for ER until you hit the goal, and then invest in EM

ER goal: 140%

✦✦✦ Weapons ✦✦✦

Pearl's signature weapon, in my opinion, is a GREAT weapon. A lot of people see the description and get a bit turned off by it, but trust me it's great. At R1, "When the wielder is switched on-field, decreases movement speed for 2 seconds and increases stamina consumption. After the 2 seconds is over, heals the party for 14% of damage taken and gives the on-field character an elemental burst DMG bonus of 22%." This is great even if you're using this to buff the next character to switch in. Getting Pearl in, using her three tumors, then switching off to someone to do their burst, does massive damage.

Other options is Asclepius if you have it, or Sidepiercer, alternatively. Requires you to invest a bit more in the HP artifacts department, though.

✦✦✦ Talent Priority ✦✦✦

Skill = Burst >>>>>> Basic Attack

Do NOT level her basic attack. You don't want to ever use it basically. Skill and Burst are equally important. A conservative level plan is 1/8/8 or 1/9/9. But give her the double crown. You will not regret it.

✦✦✦ Team Comps ✦✦✦

Literally any dendro reaction team.

Hyperbloom Premium Team: Pearl, Sausage, Docm, and a flex dendro or electro battery. Does massive damage with very little investment.

Washed Up: Basically the Gudemorder hyperbloom team but replace Etho with Pearl, lol. Pearl, Cleo, Bdubs, and Joe or Oli.

Girls KILL: Burgeon team with Katherine, Lizzie, Shrub and Pearl. This one doesn't have the beeeeest synergy? Shrub and Lizzie both want a good amount of on-field time. But they were so cute in the summer event last year, OK, and I cleared abyss with this team so let me have it. It works.

If leaks are to be believed, WRA hyperbloom team is going to be viable. Here's hoping Gem's kit doesn't get changed too much in beta.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

That's all! Let me know if you have any questions, or if you want me to rate your builds or anything. I'm thinking of doing an archon series in general, because it could be fun to look how the game has evolved like that. All Pearl wanters shall be Pearl havers! Amen!

[somecunttookmyurl]

It's Black FriYAY! SumUp lets me do discount codes now, so use FriYAY10 for 10% off orders over £10, or FriYAY25 for 25% off orders over £25!

Ends midnight (UK time) Dec 1

Other updates:

Lots of new things New CLEARANCE section. Sale???? Sale!!! And yes, it stacks with the discount codes Shipping can now be calculated by weight, so shipping rates have been updated. No more manual refunds!

[mayakern]

our miniskirt sale is still ongoing! 🎉

we're offering 25% off on all miniskirts until august 8th. this is going to be our last sale before moving to 3PL, so be sure to check out all of the clearance items while you still can!

[legendsliveon]

May 4th Legends Deals

Happy May 4th Legends fans! Here are some discounts on Legends merch I've found around the Internet. I'm sure this list isn't exhaustive, so please add on anything I may have missed!

Books & Comics Merch

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor book cover shirt - available in Boys (S-XL) at Target for $18.99 and Mens (S-3XL) Target $22.99 (through May 4th) or BoxLunch $21.67 (25% off May 4th & 5th)

BoxLunch also has the cover of Dark Horse Comics' 2013 run of Star Wars available as a shirt in Unisex sizing (S-2XL) for $21.67 (25% off May 4th & 5th)

In odd but cool pieces, we have a shirt from BoxLunch (25% off May 4th & 5th) that features the Hungarian cover art for the novel Han Solo and the Lost Legacy by Brian Daley. The shirt comes in Unisex M-XL, for $21.67,

and a Jaxxon statue for $170 at Gentle Giant (regular $200) discounted May 4th - 8th

TeeTurtle has a shirt on final clearance for $10 that shows Kit Fisto and "a padawan." Logically I know this is probably supposed to be his padawan from TCW, but at least to me it reads more as Bant Eerin, his padawan in the Jedi Apprentice chapter books. The shirt is available in Women's XS-3XL and Men's S-3XL.

Rock Love has their entire Star Wars stock 20% off May 3rd-6th, including this Rancor Tooth necklace for $56 (regular $75) that is arguably Tenel Ka vibes.

Chronicle Books has 20% off all Star Wars books and novelty products from May 4 - 20. This includes:

Star Wars: 100 Collectible Comic Book Cover Postcards ($19.96) which covers covers from the 70s to 2023, so it is mixed canon. The description promises Mara Jade, and some of the covers shown are Legends. Common sense (hopefully) dictates that the majority of cards will be from the Legends era since that is ~35 years of publication vs. ~11 years.

They also publish the in-universe guidebooks The Jedi Path ($17.56), Book of the Sith ($17.56), Bounty Hunter's Code ($17.56), and the Imperial Handbook ($17.56). There is also a $64 box set of the four books. These books also straddle Legends and current canon as they were published in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively.

More items in the category of "we slapped a comic cover on this" that are 25% off May 4th & 5th at BoxLunch include:

The 1998 manga edition of ANH as a unisex sweatshirt (S-2XL) for $33.67,

Issue #7 of Marvel's 1997 run of Star Wars comics that is available in a variety of shirt styles,

and the Infinities ANH #1 cover as "framed wood wall art," whatever that means, for $18.67.

There are some Thrawn items that are stylistic enough there isn't a hard line in the differences between his Legends and current canon looks.

Funko is Buy 2 Get 1 Free through the 5th and they have Thrawn as a mini keychain ($5) and regular Pop ($12).

BoxLunch also has the regular size Thrawn Pop for $7.74 (40% off with code BLGIFTS). It will be 25% off ($9.67) May 4th-5th, and I don't know if that discount stacks, or if the 40% off will go away.

BoxLunch also has several Thrawn shirt designs that will be 25% off May 4th-5th.

The Triptych Grand Admiral Thrawn design comes in Unisex T-shirt (S, L-2XL) for $21.67, Women's T-shirt (S-2XL) for $21.67, long sleeve T-shirt unisex (S-2XL) for $24.67, unisex sweatshirt (S-2XL) for $33.67, and a Youth Hoodie (S-XL) for $33.67

Long Live the Empire comes as a Women's tank top (XS-2XL) for $22.40, Women's T-shirt (S-2XL) for $22.42, Unisex T-shirt (S-3XL) for $22.42-24.67, Youth T-shirt (XS-XL) for $15.67, Youth Girl's (XS-XL) for $15.67, Unisex sweatshirt (S-2XL) for $33.67, Women's sweatshirt (S-2XL) for $29.17, and a Unisex hoodie (S-2XL) for $41.17.

The red Thrawn design is available as a Unisex T-shirt (S-2XL) for $22.42, Big & Tall T-Shirt (LT-5XL) for $22.42-25.42, Long Sleeve T-shirt (S-2XL) for $24.67, Unisex sweatshirt (S-2XL) for $33.67, and a Unisex hoodie (S-2XL) for $41.17.

Gaming Merch

KOTOR Light/Dark Box $11.99 at GameStop (regular $36.99)

10" Revan statue $64 at GameStop (regular $80)

Funko is Buy 2 Get 1 Free through May 5th and they have Fixer for $15.

Heritage Games Pack $39.99 at GameStop (regular $59.99) They have many other Legends era games on sale too, check their website.

Revan's lightsaber is available from Fun.com for $269.99 with this extra 10% off coupon.

TV Merch

Ewoks fans, this is your time!!!

The black Ewoks shirt (left) featuring Kneesaa in the background is available from BoxLunch at 25% off from May 4th -5th in Women's S-2XL ($22.42), Girls XS-XL ($15.67), Unisex Youth (grey) XS-XL (15.67)

The green Ewoks squad shirt (center) is also at BoxLunch for 25% off from May 4th -5th, but it is only available in Girl's XS-XL ($15.67)

They also have a third Ewoks shirt (right) for 25% off from May 4th -5th, but it is only available in Unisex Youth sizes XS-XL ($15.67)

There's also this slightly disturbing Galactic Pals Ewok Plush (left) that's 20% off at Target through May 4th that doesn't say it's Kneesaa, but it sure looks like her. ($22.39)

Funko is Buy 2 Get 1 Free through the 5th and they have Holiday Special Chewbacca (right) for $15.

[zuccnini]

This weeks shop update: General sale 10% off Stickers, Figures and Paintings 20% off Prints, 25% off Clearance items!

This sale ends April 1st, shop will be closing the weekend of April 6th!

Etsy Shop

[buddycraft]

buddycraft Holiday Updates 🍓✨💝

Christmas Collections Return 🎄

It's that time of year again... Get ready for the season with our Christmas-themed jewelry! Whether you're searching for the perfect gift or that finishing touch for your holiday party fit, we have a variety of merry options to suit any holly jolly style. Browse Christmas here!

Halloween Clearance Sale 👻

We hope you all had a fun and exciting spooky season! Though Halloween is over, if you're looking to snag a deal or you're one of those ghouls who likes to keep the spirit all year round, our Trick or Treat collection is still available and now 20% off through November 30. Grab your faves here before they vanish into the night!

School Supplies Bundle 🖍️

How's the new school year been treating you so far? Here's your chance to jazz it up a bit -- purchase any one pair of each of our paint palette, crayon, AND pencil earrings for 20% off the entire bundle! There are plenty more styles than pictured here, so check out our Back to School collection here to nab your favorite colors (or maybe find a holiday gift for the artists and teachers in your life)!

Upcoming: Black Friday Sale 🎁

Mark your calendars! From November 25 through December 7, we'll be having a big bundle deal on ALL items: any purchase totaling $35 or more will receive 25% off plus free shipping! Stop by our shop and find something special for everyone on your list. (We recommend placing your order by December 18 for delivery in time for Christmas!) Thank you for supporting small businesses during the holiday season!