#30 seconds certain victory

[mejigay]

MEJIBRAY MiA is chewing on his ribcage bone

Keeping up with MEJIBRAY: The Series

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹

Hello to my favorite bitches, long time no see! Ready for a classic mejigay gossip sesh?

If you were anything like me, you started a Tumblr blog about visual kei very young (I've posted about vk on this blog since I was 16) and now you're an adult. MEJIBRAY broke up around 6 years ago now I think right? I am now 24, have a masters degree and planning on moving to Japan in spring. Crazy how time flies right.

Let's refresh our minds a little bit okay? Now I'm assuming you remember everything from those 6-ish years ago. The MEJIBRAY label/contract issue with Tsuzuku and Koichi, Tsuzuku's borderline disorder, the refusal to do encores during the last tour, the charcoal face paint and the result of it all which was 8p-sb. If you want a recap on that specific semi-disbandment drama there's plenty of posts that I made about it while it was happening so feel free to check it out! (keep in mind I was like 18 and very dramatic writing those posts lol) There's also this great summary from a redditor in the comment section here

The same redditor even filled me in on stuff I felt out of the loop about in their reply to the OP. I know 8p-sb is gone and Koichi does Trembling Bambi solo stuff while Genki (Tsuzuku) is a vocal coach, is in the band 30 seconds certain victory, and revives VanessA occasionally. But this has also happened:

Yeah what the fuck Koichi? Now, I do remember starting that yakuza theory here on Tumblr back in the MEJIBRAY semi-disbanding days. I read it on tanuki and told y'all about it and got soooo much shit for it at the time lol. Looks like Koichi kind of confirmed the theory! (take that rude anons in my asks back then lmao). However, Koichi staying in the same industry he claims is rotten and run by the yakuza is definitely weird. Why talk all high and mighty while benefitting from it one may ask. Either way, for those wondering what Koichi is up to, there's your answer and an explanation to why he got backlash. About the VanessA stuff, one can conclude that our favorite duo, Genki and Koichi, doesn't seem to be that involved with each other anymore.

I would also like to take time to talk about Genki's well being, as some of you might know he has a youtube channel in Japanese. From my so-so Japanese skills I can still keep up with a lot of what he's saying. Good news, he's doing better now than the MEJIBRAY days from the looks of it. In this video he talked about how the photo from the MEJIBRAY days was him being unwell and the picture to the right is him feeling much better!

(TW for this paragraph: self harm) In another video he talked about various topics/gave advice such as about self harm/cutting and how it annoys him when people say he shouldn't hurt the body his parents gave to him. He thinks that's an incorrect way to tell someone to stop cutting and seems in general to be very open to talk about this topic while smiling and not getting angered. So he seemed very stable, mature and content to me.

What about Meto/Yutaro? Well, he seems to be a happy chef! As for MiA... I've seen him hang out with hosts like Roland and in general seems to live that bougie life. Roland is a top host who aims for the prince vibe just like MiA, and is open about his plastic surgeries just like MiA. Now let's get into a really recent topic about Mia!

Just like me, you might still follow our MEJIBRAY boys on various social medias. And just like me, you might have seen MiA's picture where he chews a bone. "Huh, weird" you might have thought as you scrolled past it. Well here I am, resurrecting this blog once again, just to tell you that the bone is MiA's fucking ribcage bone. I ain't posting that picture, find it yourself cause it's gross.

As MiA poses in the same costumes from his MEJIBRAY days and posts them on Instagram, you'd think his life and social media posts were a bit mundane. Then, a fucking picture of him chewing a thick ass bone pops up. The bone in question was taken out during a ribcage surgery, that MiA claims was done in order for him to create a custom guitar with his BONE INFUSED into it. Yeah I know. What???

In general you could either see it as him being a massive attention hungry person, or as unhinged and putting his life in danger. Bone surgeries are very harmful and anyone with two working eyes can see his shaved jawline bone already. So adding a removed ribcage bone to that... It's dangerous.

That's it for the gossip sesh! I'm thinking of making this "Keeping up with MEJIBRAY: The series" a thing whenever I think there needs to be a big gossip update like this.

To anyone still here in the MEJIBRAY Tumblr tags and to anyone following this blog, thanks for reading all of this and I hope we can laugh at this absurdity together! <3

xoxo mejigay

(feel free to read that sign off in the gossip girl voice lmao)

[tanadrin]

do polls of the whole country tell us anything? don't you need to look at swing states?

National polls aren't useless, because movement in polls tends to correlate. If a national poll moves a couple points in one direction or another, that will tend to correlate with some degree of movement in several states. As I understand it, though, certain subgroups of states (e.g., ones with similar demographics) have much closer correlations in how their polls move, so that a shift in the polls in one Sun Belt state should correspond to a similar shift in the polls in another. This means you can make predictions like "If Donald Trump wins Virginia, he's probably winning a crushing victory nationally," because his performance in Virginia should correlate to his performance in many other states.

Swing state polls are very valuable, but keeping those correlations in mind helps to understand whether a swing state poll is an outlier or not. If a poll shows a shift in a certain direction, but that's not correlated with similar movement in similar states, it's worth questioning of that poll is accurate. Ditto if the poll shows unusual breakdown of results in demographic subgroups: if Trump is winning (say) 30% of young black voters, given the way demographics and party alignment usually break down, he should be winning a massive margin with other groups.

One reason I am not so bearish on Biden is that my understanding is that a lot of polls have had these demographic anomalies, with Trump's lead coming largely from support among younger, politically disengaged voters of color, and Biden, apparently, doing well with demographics like older whites. It is not a coincidence, in this view, that Trump seems to be performing unusually well with demographics that are particularly hard to poll in the modern polling landscape--response rates to telephone polls are very low among millennials and gen Z--and while there are various ways you can try to compensate for non-response bias, those depend on your model of the electorate.

Now, I am not extremely confident about this, because I am the furthest thing in the world from a polling expert, but as I understand it, there are two possible situations here:

One: the polls are broadly correct, and Trump is ahead. The election in November, if current trends continue, will feature a historic realignment of voters along demographic lines like age and race of the likes not seen since the 1960s (called "depolarization" by some commentators), perhaps driven by the rise in far-right internet media and social media.

Two: the polls are broadly incorrect, and we should be more agnostic about the state of the race, or even assume Biden is a little ahead, because such a massive realignment is extremely unlikely to have occurred in only two years since the 2022 midterms (where no such realignment was in evidence, and Democrats broadly overperformed polls), and polling right now is plagued by historically low response rates in the same key demographics that give Trump his lead.

Some commentators, including commentators whose field is polling, seem to want to have it both ways: the demographic crosstabs are wrong, but the top-line polling numbers are right. I'm not sure how this can be true. On top of that, big political realignments usually take time (i.e., we should have at minimum seen some evidence of this coming in 2022), and are unlikely to occur in a race where both candidates have been president before.

So on balance I think the second scenario is more likely. Now, I am not a stats person, nor particularly knowledgeable about polls; all of this opinion is second-hand from other commentators. As such, I am not going to claim any kind if ironclad certainty about this, and you're perfectly entitled to rub it in my face if I turn out to be totally wrong. And if I do stumble across someone who does know the polls really well with an explanation of why I'm wrong (even just at the level of "you are factually wrong, here's why the crosstabs are actually perfectly normal") I may well revise my opinion.

[bellsxwriting]

٠ ࣪⭑ KARMA.- Scaramouche x reader

Summary.- It’s been over 10 years since you last saw Kunikuzushi, back then he had blocked everyone and disappeared without a trace. Now, you’re in your second year of the Akademiya University. But what happens when a certain someone appears from your past, and now, with an entirely new personality?

Staring.- Scaramouche, Tighnari, Cyno, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Childe, Venti, Xiao, Kazuha, Aether, Lumine, Hu Tao, Ayaka, Yoimiya

Context.- Enemies to lovers, childhood friends, suggestive content, fluff, angst, hurt comfort, university AU, Drug usage.

Status.- Started 17/04/2023, regular updates at-least weekly

Notes.- I’m still new to this app and this is my first SMAU so it can only get better before it gets worse

Taglist is open ٠ Just send an ask or comment ♥

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡

# ACT 1

Profiles ﾟ☾ Girls Gays and They’s ﾟ☾ It's not a phase mum

⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡

.1 Welcome to hell bitch

.2 And they were roommates

.3 Coffee Dates

.4 Fated Reunion

.5 Getaway Car

.6 Oh gods what did I do wrong?

.7 Oh my god they were roommates

.8 Stalker Alert

.9 Say it ain’t so

.10 Oh my god it was so.

# ACT 2

.11 Opposites Attract?

.12 Wattpad IRL

.13 Old habits die hard

.14 Just like old times

.15 Down Bad on main

.16 They tell us, You're jealous.

.17 Operation get bitches?

.18 - We must stay focused brothers

.19 - Emotional Constipation

.20 - Wish you were sober

ACT # 3

.21 Karma

.22 Never drinking again

.23 Confess your sins

.24 Absence makes the heart grow fonder

.25 Secret admirer

.26 WHY CAN I SEE COLOURS?!

.27 Advice from a couple

.28 Drinks and an Apology

.29 Forgiveness, can you imagine?

.30 Road to recovery

ACT #4

.31 It was always you

.32 Sugar Daddy?

.33 Hard work pays off

.34 The taste of victory

.35 You mean it?

.36 Simping on main (not clickbate)

.37 Drinks, Drugs and Dick

.38 I’m talking nonsense -SMUT-

.39 Made to be Mine

.40 I’ll never leave again..

FIN <;3

[skyplayssplatoon3]

INKCOMING: Triumvirate

The Dreaded King Trio Is Coming Back!

Did you miss out on Big Run? Or perhaps you tried your best but couldn't quite slay these beasts? I'm here to try and help as someone who did manage one victory (out of like 13 tries.......)

There's actually a couple different strategies I've seen people talk about that have worked for them! Feel free to try what may work for you:

(NOTE: For advice on specific Grizzco Weapons, please send me an ask specifying which ones you'd like advice for!)

Strategy #1 - Take Out Horrorboros First

If a Grizzco Charger is in your hands, you're in luck!! Horrorboros can be taken out in about 30-40 seconds with the proper timing! If I recall correctly, the explosion of the bomb in its mouth can also damage other Kings, so use that to your advantage!

This strategy frees up the map from the explosions so you can better focus on the other two!

Strategy #2 - Use Megalodontia Wisely

This one is an expert strategy that takes VERY careful coordination; I recommend having a squad for this one.

For those who may not know, Megalodontia can be used to attack Cohozuna directly for major damage! Just lead the bite right under Coho, and it'll help deal damage! But did you know you can also damage Horrorboros with its bite?

The aim for this is very tricky; You need to hit Horrorboros' bomb DIRECTLY to get the most damage (and potentially get both at once for huge damage), and this takes being able to track its location AND lure Megalodontia to the right spot at the right time, all while dealing with the usual Salmonid bosses. Only try this strategy if you've got a good handle on Salmon Run!

Strategy #3 - King Farming

This one also requires a full squad:

Have you applied the strategies, got REALLY close, but just couldn't quite finish it? Are you tired out from having to run so many waves just to try again?

KING FARMING!

Granted everyone is okay going down ranks, you can just throw/give up waves together on Wave 1 by jumping into the water, and that charges your King Meter! Throw maybe 4-5 waves to fill it back up to max, then put your effort into that wave to get your next chance! If you fail again, rinse and repeat!

It makes the attempts much more frequent.

--

General Advice:

-Do NOT forget about Salmonid Bosses! They group up very quickly. Try to lure certain ones closer together so you get large batches of eggs to use for attacking! (Also Stingers/Flyfish are a MUST to take down immediately)

-Watch your team's back! It's okay to take a couple seconds to help them clear out chum/bosses that may be swarming them; you need EVERYONE on this if you want to succeed, you cannot solo run this boss.

-Manage your ink, ESPECIALLY with the slower/ink heavier Grizzco weapons! Use bombs sparingly and have a plan for when you're about 50% ink capacity, or you can and will get stuck somewhere bad!

-Don't tilt! If you feel yourself getting frustrated and heated, step back for a while! Go calm down, shake off the jitters/nerves, and don't beat yourself up! You will play worse if you're in a bad headspace. Go take a break and come back to it! Keep your spirits up, and don't let losses take you down.

That's about what I got for now! Anyone else is absolutely welcome to add in further advice if they so wish! Let's help each other best this beast!

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Ghaalib— The Victor, the Predominant— on one occasion in the Quran. Al-Ghaalib is the One who is victorious in every situation. He is the only One who decides and does as He wants with the creation and makes the believers prevail.

The Victor, the Predominant, the One Who Prevails

Ghaalib comes from the root ghayn-laam-baa, which points to two main meanings. The first meaning is to be victorious and to prevail. The second main meaning is to be predominant and overcome.

This root appears 31 times in the Quran in five derived forms. Examples of these forms are yaghliboo (“the will overcome”), ghaaliboona (“victorious”), and maghloobun (“one overpowered”).

Linguistically ghaalib refers to the one possessing the attribute of victory and dominance, whereas ghalaba refers to the verb “to overcome.” From the same root comes the word ghulb in the Quran, Allah says: wa hadaa’iqa ghulba– and gardens of dense shrubbery [Quran, 80:30], which points to a thick foliage of plants to be found in the earth and “overcoming” the soil it is growing in. Al-Ghaalib is the ultimate one to prevail, control, dominate, and overcome each being and situation with great ease and utmost wisdom— and whenever He pleases.

Al-Ghaalib Himself says: And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, “Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son.” And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know. [Quran, 12:21]

“Against all odds”

Allah ‘azza wa jall calls Himself Al-Ghaalib in Surah Yuusuf. In the story of the prophet Yuusuf ‘alayhi sallam everything is intended one way and it goes the other way, a beautiful example of how everything is in the control of Al-Ghaalib.

Yuusuf’s brothers want to get him out of the way so they can get the love of their father. They left him to die in the well, but he survived. Allah says in this surah: Wallahu ghaalibun ‘alaa amrih (And Allah is predominant over His affairs). What He wills will happen, even though everything indicates another way.

Then Al-Azeez, the wealthy ruler, buys Yuusuf and brings him into His palace, and Al-Azeez’s wife, a powerful, beautiful woman, does everything she can to seduce this young, single man who is her slave. Every single aspect is tempting for zinaa– immorality– but Yuusuf doesn’t sway.

He ends up descending from a palace into the darkest prison and from the prison back to a ruling position in Egypt where he is reunited with his beloved father, Yaqoob ‘alayhi sallam. All the events of this story are a clear sign that the final decision is to Al-Ghaalib, “against all odds.” And every human being is like Yuusuf ‘alayhi sallam in that in his affairs Allah is Al-Ghaalib!

How Can You Live By This Name?

1. Have strong belief. Never fear people and their decisions, never be deceived by the looks of a situation nor be scared of losing your possessions – know that Allah is Al-Ghaalib in Your affairs and He will decide what happens. Next time you feel tempted to care more about the acceptance of people or gaining belongings than trying to please Al-Ghaalib, remind yourself and live by this ayah:  If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome (ghaaliba) you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely [Quran, 3:160]

2. Hold onto the truth. Allah has written, I will surely overcome (la’aghlibanna), I and My messengers. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might [Quran, 58:21] Know that if you stick to the truth and to your Islamic principals you will win; no matter how weak the believers might get, the truth will prevail. This is because Allah is Al-Ghaalib; the victory of those who follow Him and the messengers is His promise and when Allah promises, He delivers.  Allah says: But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, How many a small company has overcome (ghalabat) a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient [Quran, 2:249] So hold on to the truth, no mater how weak it seems, have strong belief Allah is Al-Ghaalib, have patience and victory will be yours, whether in this life or the next!  And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – indeed, the party of Allah they will be the predominant (al-ghaaliboona). [Quran, 5:56]

3. Take lessons from the past. And Pharaoh and his people were overcome (faghuliboo) right there and became debased. [Quran, 7:119] While you read the ayaat in the Quran of the former people and their fates, Allah observes if and how you apply these lessons in your daily life. Do you try to avoid the sins they committed? Look at the characteristics of the people who were defeated because of their transgression, disbelief and arrogance and strive to be better than them in shaa Allah.

4. Don’t let sins overcome you.In the Hereafter there will be a heart-shaking scene: the people of the Hellfire will beg Allah to release them from the Fire. They will say, “Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame (ghalabat) us, and we were a people astray. [Quran, 23:106] However He (Allah) will say: Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!”  Verily, there was a party of My servants who used to say: “Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy! But you took them for a laughing stock, so much so that they made you forget My remembrance while you used to laugh at them!) Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that are successful. [Quran 23: 108-111] Let this scene inspire you to not be overcome by sins in this life and end up like the people begging Allah for one more chance. Instead believe in this life and continuously ask Al-Ghaalib for forgiveness and mercy, as you will not get a second chance to return to this world!

5. Don’t think you can prevail by yourself.Never attribute any victory or success to yourself, nor dominate others in an unjust way. And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, No one can overcome (ghaaliba) you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector. [Quran, 8:48] Some people think they can prevail by themselves or they attach their mind or trust to another human being or even object, but eventually they will be defeated.

6. Don’t be deceived. But, [on the contrary], We have provided good things for these [disbelievers] and their fathers until life was prolonged for them. Then do they not see that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders? So it is they who will overcome? [Quran, 21:44] Sometimes the wealth, success, beauty and even intelligence of those who disbelieve can be confusing and even tempting. Know that Al-Ghaalib only prolongs the lives of some people for them to increase in their transgression. Say to those who disbelieve, You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell, and wretched is the resting place. [Quran, 3:12]

7. Call upon Al-Ghaalib. When all people turn against Him after years of calling to Allah, what does Nuh ‘alayhi sallam do? He doesn’t ask others for help, he doesn’t give up, but he turns to Al-Ghaalib and beautifully supplicates:

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ So he invoked his Lord, “Indeed, I am overpowered, so help. [Quran, 54:10] Whenever you feel overpowered, call upon Al-Ghaalib with this Quranic dua’!

Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem. O Allah, Al-Ghaalib, we know that You are the One who is predominant in all affairs. Make us of those who have strong belief, hold onto the truth at all times and learn from the lessons You provided us in Your book. Don’t let us be overcome by sin, and make us of those who are victorious in both this life and the Hereafter, ameen!

[millionsknives]

district 4 is so interesting to me because they're commonly named as one of the career districts but the actual text kind of shows us otherwise?? granted we don't get a good look at too many district 4 tributes but district 4 was one of the very first to rebel, and their tributes in the 75th games were extremely anti-capitol. my theory is that maybe they were a bona fide career district some time ago, maybe ~30 years, but anti-capitol sentiment grew over time and by the time of the books they're not really playing the games that way anymore. maybe kids still train to compete, but it's more for survival and not for glory or the capitol's favor.

or maybe they just lumped in with the careers because they're generally healthy and strong and have lots of skills that transfer to the games, and the kids from 1 & 2 target that and ask them to join the pack. because besides maybe 11's potential botanical knowledge, 4 is really the only district that gets any skill buff from their line of work. at the very least they can all swim. everyone else is in factories or mines. so maybe 4's kids are not coached and trained like 1 and 2, but their natural advantage from their environment (wealthier district, physically active work, healthier diet) brings them into the career pack more often than not.

maybe it's just not something suzanne thought about, but i think there's support for my theory that district 4 formerly trained career tributes but doesn't any longer. like why would finnick have volunteered for his games at the age of 14, that's a death sentence. and if it's true that he didn't volunteer, it means a 14-year-old was reaped and no 18-year-olds vied for his place, which is not typical career behavior. and if he had volunteered because he had been trained and coached for the games, i can't imagine any mentor would send in a kid younger than 16 if they wanted their kid to have a shot at victory. even if they were betting on his beauty carrying him through the games. it just doesn't make strategic sense to me to send in someone SO young. why not wait two or three years for him to become even more beautiful. and also, if the district 4 careers were just as career-y as 1 & 2, why did no one volunteer when finnick was reaped the second time?

i am almost 100% certain that many of the reapings for the 75th games were rigged. whether by the capitol or by the rebels, i'm not sure, but it's too fishy. despite being known rebels, johanna and katniss as their districts' only female victors obviously had no choice, but aint it sure convenient that finnick AND annie both got reaped, and that haymitch's name was called when everyone knew peeta would volunteer. fourteen out of the twenty-four victors turned out to be rebel sympathizers, and while i'm sure several only joined the plan once they had been reaped, many of them were known anti-capitol people. i don't know if that's just because most victors became capitol haters once they survived their games and were turned into toys for the president, or if the rebels planned to get as many as their people in there as possible, or if the capitol decided to knock out all their unsympathetic victors in one go, but it's too much of a coincidence to be a real coincidence

[star-stable-tournaments]

Have you ever thought to yourself: Yee howdy, I wish I could know what everyone thinks of my favorite character, and I also wish we could all definitively rank them in popularity based on the whims of the public? Then do I have the thing for you!

Right out the gate, it's time to vote for favorite characters. The votes for favorite NPC (human) and favorite NPC (other) will be running alongside each other, with the vote for NPC (other) starting a little later to make them both finish at the same time and end in an epic dual victory.

I have chosen to split them up because there's a lot of NPC's and we can expedite the process somewhat by having separate tournaments running alongside each other.

Humanoid creatures such as Pandorians residing in the circus will be counted as humans because that's how they choose to present and I will respect that.

Certain conditions apply regarding characters added to SSO just to host races, NPC's that are named but do not take part in quests, and characters from earlier games. these characters will not partake because the list is so. long. already.

Every poll will be accompanied by a picture and a brief description to refresh your memory, so don't worry if you can't remember them just by name! If you have any concerns or can't see your favorite NPC anywhere, send a message or an ask.

The first NPC (human) tournamnet will take place over 3 sessions of 40 posts per week, because it's 120 posts and I don't want to overwhelm you with that many posts. Once we've narrowed it down to 60 favorites it will be split into 2 sessions, and once we've only got 30 contestants left, I'll post them all in one go until a winner is declared. That's also when the NPC (other) polls will be posted.

Who will go up against who is randomized and can be found under the cut.

The First tournament:

Kirsty Griswald VS Evergray

Violet Dappelbrook VS Mrs. Pike

Derek VS Professor Chiron

Mr. Pike VS Hawaii Jones

Rami VS Felicity

Ydris VS Astrid Ingvarsdottir

Sunshine Joytree VS Mr. Anwir

Jessica Lunar VS Syntax Silverstream

Elsa Einstein VS Harold

Larry VS Landon

Captain Brus VS Pi the witch

Sigry Varanger VS Julie

Aideen VS Jill Goldspur

Tor Sunfield VS Pamela Moonriver

HelmsmanVS The main character

Idun Goldspur VS Mandy

Mr. T. Cray VS Lizzy Jarlasson

Marisol VS Ewa

Sigrid VS Leonardo

Donald the builder VS Captain Waterloo

Eddie VS Bernardine Winterwell XVII

Jade VS Doreen

Courtney Summers VS Bob

Janitor VS Mayor Klaus

Terrance Rockwell VS Gary Goldtooth

Nanook VS Ivan Drake

Saga Sunfield VS Aaron Silverglade

Yousef Sahli VS The Baroness

Gavin VS Wynna Sunbeam

Galloper Thompson VS Stephanie

Isebell Figg VS Dylan

Fina Way VS Mario

Hanna Jarlasson VS Filip Sunfield

Carl VS Ms. Drake

Tim Hooper VS Isabel Stonefield

Justin Moorland VS Mrs. Peterson

Charlotte VS Tiera Vaughan

Scott Buttergood VS Li Ming Yue

Anne von Blyssen VS Darko (oh my god)

Ashley VS Lance

The second tournament:

Joe Jarlasson VS Bob Jarlasson

Linn VS Xin

Alex Cloudmill VS Maya Dew (I promise this is randomly generated, this is homophobia)

Mrs. Hill VS Josie

Jon Jarl VS Jonas

Lydia Rockwell VS Martina Sunfield

Nova VS Ferdinand

John VS Eva von Blyssen

Nic Stoneground VS Hugh

Big Bonny VS Magnus Steinar

Loretta VS Anastasia Silverglade

Edith Octavia Hartwood VS Spymaster

Sedna VS Fleur

Ricky Winterwell VS Will

Barbara VS Helga

Edward Rockwell VS Frank Einstein

Rob VS Mrs. Packard

Carl Peterson VS Kora Pelletier

Rhiannon VS Agnetha

Gaia VS Buck

Huck VS Silencia Tranquila

Jakob Goldspur VS Isolde Goldspur

Igor VS Steve

Tan VS Linda Chanda

Mrs. Dew VS Reyansh

Jack Goldspur VS Ed Field

Karl Franz of Silver Fork VS Mrs. Holdsworth

Mr. Sands VS Farah

Professor Hayden VS Daxton the tailor

Jasper Holbrook VS Erik Hightower

Tamika VS Barney Summers

Dr. Eiren Doyle VS Granny Rose

Catherine Moorland VS Ana

Poppy VS Mr. K. Trout

Tobbe Larsson VS Thomas Moorland

Imane Highcantle VS Andy

Charles VS Mel

Jupiter Peacebloom VS Mr. Hill

Stacy VS Sive

Rowan Allaway VS Mr. Dew

The third tournament:

Claire VS Guillermo Gadea

Marley Summers VS Johanna

Reed Kessler VS Jenna

Robert Buttergood VS Josh

Jamie Olivetree VS Gunther

Madison Hightower VS Mr. Cod

Tristan Goldspur VS Alexander Goldspur

Godfrey VS Carney Summers

Mr. Kembell VS Thalia

Carmela VS Mica Stoneground

Harley VS Harriet

Jessica VS Amelia

Erissa VS Freja Sunfield

Alonso Rivera Sandoval VS Emma

Kit Shorthouse VS Raptor

Luke Excavator VS Herman

Council Man VS Mrs. Cloudmill

Mr. Andersson VS Lily Bones

Keema Steelgait VS Luciana

Walter Winterwell VS James Cloudmill

Holly Hightower VS Elizabeth Sunbeam

Stein VS Enitan Taiwo Ladipo

Sindra VS Felix

Nathalie Moonriver VS Björn

Councilman Skoll VS Rania Varanger

Lisa Peterson VS Loke Sunfield

Professor Jura VS Dorith Jarlasson

Hannibal Goldspur VS Hermit

Junior Buttergood VS Conrad Maarsden

Gretchen VS Li Jian

Rin VS Sonja

Angus Goldspur VS Daisy

Petunia VS Ginny

Kai VS Judy

Mary VS Zed

Katja VS Stanislav

Mrs. X VS Ms. Morse

Sabine VS Sahar

Carin VS Avalon

Kent Jarlasson VS Beatriz

When there are only 30 rounds left, I will start posting NPC (other) tournamnets as well. They consist of these competitors:

Starshine VS Nightdust

Meteor VS Pearl Hart

Knut VS Esben

Popcorn VS Summerflower

Calanthe VS Nutkins

Sahara VS Mayor Peanut

Beeper VS Hieronymo

Sirio VS Lynx

Galloper Thompson's Horse VS Mudskipper

Sprout VS Pistachio

Lignos VS Firewind

Cayenne VS Mortifa

Crowy McCaw VS Ms. Morse's Horse

Diggory VS Shay

Ganymede VS Athena

Balder VS Pico

Nihili VS Lemmy

Beatrix VS Archie

Acerbus VS Ancient Tree

Rocco VS Lucien

Juniper VS Dellingr

Techno VS Birdie

Swedenborg VS Atlas

Crabapple VS Sapling

Ash VS Cedar

Khaan VS Kasper

Bartok VS Hrafnfaxa vom Schwanenteich

Blondie VS Rosemary

Lady VS Garnok

Balder's Mother vS Pari

Shakira VS Elli

Butterfly VS Fripp

Mardy VS Bear

Alder VS Pegaso

Valiant VS Mousebiscuit

Goons VS Brunte

[theculturedmarxist]

The Tumblr Files

Tumblr has a habit of disappearing blogs that it seems to find objectionable. Alas, if only they were full of reactionary content they'd probably have been allowed to stay, but instead they're Leftists of various stripes, which makes them uncomfortable for the owners of Tumblr at best and dangerous at worst.

Regardless of what you think of Musk's purchase of Twitter, one good thing that came out of it was the release of the Twitter Files. Therein we learned of just how closely social media companies like Facebook and Twitter have integrated with the US government and its spying agencies.

Does the FBI have a direct line to TumblrHQ? I can't say for certain. I haven't seen any evidence of it yet, but Tumblr is a massive platform with a lot of reach. Its size alone makes it a prime target for surveillance if only because were the community left to its own devices it might start to develop its own ideas about how the world worked contrary to the bourgeois narrative, or what the US government currently calls "misinformation."

Some things to consider:

First, in the wake of the Democrats' 2016 presidential loss, the Professional-Managerial Class which make up its primary constituencies freaked out. The development of Russiagate was the response. This wasn't just about Trump winning the presidency though. The source of bourgeois terror was that the internet was an unregulated source of information, and people were starting to get the "wrong" ideas, as evidenced by Bernie Sanders immense popularity at the time, and Trump's victory.

Second, Russiagate triggered a concerted spy agency response to root out basically nonexistent "Russian influence" on social media "promoting misinformation." Pressure was put onto SM companies to "do something about Russian election meddling." Twitter's internal research found that there was basically nothing of the kind. This was the wrong answer, so Twitter was compelled by propaganda outlets and the threat of expensive legislation to "do something," and that something was to basically turn over its moderation process to US spy agencies.

30.“REPORTERS NOW KNOW THIS IS A MODEL THAT WORKS” This cycle – threatened legislation, wedded to scare headlines pushed by congressional/intel sources, followed by Twitter caving to moderation asks – would later be formalized in partnerships with federal law enforcement. 31.Twitter soon settled on its future posture. In public, it removed content “at our sole discretion.” Privately, they would “off-board” anything “identified by the U.S.. intelligence community as a state-sponsored entity conducting cyber-operations.” 32.Twitter let the “USIC” into its moderation process. It would not leave. Wrote Crowell, in an email to the company’s leaders: “We will not be reverting to the status quo.”

Why is this relevant to Tumblr? Because it has a large, influential community, which alone would necessitate its surveillance if not control, but especially because Tumblr is hemorrhaging money and is failing to gain ground against its competitors.

TechCrunch reported that CEO Matt Mullenweg spilled the beans during the Q&A, which was cohosted by COO Zandy Ring and attended by a meager 800 users, despite being plastered across every Tumblr account’s dashboard. According to Mullenweg, the platform is spending $30 million more than it’s making as it tries to desperately cling to relevance in its fight against Instagram and TikTok. Moreover, COO Ring explained that the platform is not seeing much of an increase in its userbase.

“People have this impression that we have massive growth right now, and we really don’t,” Ring said during the Q&A.

None of this necessarily means that it's Langley that's getting Leftist users booted off the platform. It could merely be personal biases on the part of the staff, against transsexuals, against pro-Palestinian activists. It does seem arbitrary and capricious enough. If the goal was, say, combating antisemitism by banning pro-Palestinian users, would there be so many fascists and outright Nazis on tumblr? Why does it seem like the majority of those that get banned just happen to be on the side which opposes imperialist Western narratives?

In any case, this markedly underscores that if the Western Left wants any hope of surviving on the web, it can't rely on corporate resources to do so.

[tomorrowusa]

Two headlines which help explain the victory of Poland's pro-democracy opposition in Sunday's election...

Opozycja zmobilizowała niegłosujących. Na PiS głosował żelazny elektorat (The opposition mobilized non-voters. An iron electorate voted for PiS)

Stats are preliminary, but voter turnout was around 73% in Sunday's parliamentary election – a post-Communist high. The opposition got out the vote – big time. As many as 31% of the eligible voters who did not vote in the 2019 election voted in this one. Meanwhile, the ruling party whose acronym is PiS tightly held on to its own voters; it wasn't enough for them. 87% of PiS voters had voted in 2019.

Wśród młodych najwięcej stracił PiS (PiS lost most among young people)

Of the five party groupings which won seats in the Sejm, PiS came in fifth among voters under 30. Donald Tusk's Koalicja Obywatelska (KO) came in first and Lewnica came in second. The rigid socially conservative agenda of PiS was regarded as repulsive by many young people in Poland.

But wait, there's more!

One aspect of the youth vote which the second TVN24 article did not emphasize is that women were particularly important in the turnout. This is from a DW article about the defeat of PiS.

High turnout thanks to young and female voters

Observers say young and female voters, motivated by the issue of abortion rights — which the ruling PiS has sought to curtail and Donald Tusk has promised to liberalize — turned out in large numbers to support opposition parties. "Until recently, half of women said they would not vote," sociologist Justyna Kajta of SWPS University in Warsaw told AFP news agency. "Now these exit polls actually show more women than men voted."

From "half of women said they would not vote" to "more women than men voted" shows how decisive increased involvement by women, especially younger women, can be.

During the 2020 demonstrations against the extremist anti-abortion law authored by PiS I saw a sign which this election reminded me of. It displayed a fundamental truth as well as a great bilingual political pun based on a classic song by Bob Marley.

The word kraj is pronounced like the English word cry. In Polish, kraj means country though in certain contexts it tends to refer to Poland in particular. For language nerds, you may recognize it as coming from the same Slavic root as Ukraine (Ukraina as written in Polish).

For a well-functioning country, you need active participation by women in the political process. That happened this week in Poland. ❤️🇵🇱

So massive GOTV and appealing to forward-looking young people had a considerable impact in Poland. Those are lessons which should not be overlooked by center-left parties and coalitions in other countries.

BTW, a second exit poll was released for Sunday's election. It showed the current opposition with 249 seats in the Sejm; that's one more than the earlier poll. But the official results should be available by the middle of the week.

[thearchmanofgreenfield]

The Gallery of Saints- TWHUTH Lore

In the days of the Doomed Campain before the Flight and the dawning of Hatlynshire, the humans of unknown origin fought vicious battles for the lands of the Arylmoor. These battles led to the creation of heroes among the ranks of man. These people would later be honored by receiving the title of 'saint' and they would have a Hamlet named after them in the first Borough of Hatlynshire, Great Borough.

There were nine such men given the title 'saint' for their endearing acts of heroism.

Saint George (the Great) Montgomery of Georenberg: Born ~30 years before the end of the war, Montgomery led the humans during the final years of the war, defeating the Circulions and founding the Order of Man and modern Hatlynshire. Despite his seemingly prodigious talent for war he is noted as granting mercy to the fleeing Circulions and hiding their existence, he did this for reasons unknown. He married his contemporary St Amia Bargandow of Amenberg and his name is immortalized in Georenberg Hamlet.

Saint Amia (The Beautiful) Bargandowan of Amenberg: Wife of Saint George Montgomery and remembered for her astonishing beauty and her fierce will in battle, St Amia was an invaluable aspect of St George's campaign against the Circulions. She also the sister of St Caleb of Canterburg and co-wrote the book The War in Ink after the death of her brother. Her name is remembered through Amenberg Hamlet.

Saint Caleb (The Selfless) Bargandowan of Canterberg: Brother of St Amia and thought to be St George's closest companion and most loyal supporter. His works such as The War in Ink (Co-written by St Amia after his death) remains as the one of the most insightful works pertaining to the later years of the war. Yet he is most famous for his legendary sacrifice at the supposed Battle of Fort Eastmount, which repelled the Circulions away from Old Hatlynshire for the final time before their defeat. His name lives on through the Hamlet of Canterberg.

Saint August (The Ancient) of Austenberg: Considered to be the oldest and first of the Saints. August lived roughly 70 years before the end of the war. His life is so unknown that even his second name is lost to time. Yet the stories surrounding him state that he possessed almost supernatural strength and agility, a fact that led to many questioning whether he was of Circulion blood. His victories laid the foundation for the permanent establishment of humans in the Arylmoor. His death is mysterious, some say he died in battle while others suspect assassination or banishment to the Mirror. He thought to have tutored and guided many disciples including the future Saints Wren and Emilia.

Saint Wren (The Righteous) Fartown of Renanberg: He lived before the days of Montgomery roughly 50 years before the end of the war. St Wren was known for his ability to rally the passions of man in time of crisis. Yet he was also known for his mercy risking his own life to protect the vulnerable Circulions. He is seen as a pinnacle of disciple and morality. And while his death remains unknown it is certain that he died before he reached old age.

Saint Emilia (The Illustrious) Amerty of Eminsberg: A known contemporary of Saint Wren (possibly through St August), having preserved his story through various hardships due to his odd views, Emilia herself would rise to fame due to her establishing a faction of pacifists through the preaching and expansion of the teachings of Wren. Her approach of negotiation over bloodshed won her support and she is credited with many peace treaties and civil agreements between the Circulions and the humans. Her pacifist ideologies would lose favor during the last years of the war yet she would live to see the end of it, having died after the war had ended.

Saint Jacob (the Tactician) Dandory of Jaconberg: Coming from unknown origin. St Jacob is considering both the predecessor and mentor of St George. Known as a ruthless strategist whose battles were considered masterpieces in planning and control. Though in his later years (possibly having witnessed the fruits of his brilliance) he turned towards more diplomatic methods embracing Emilian Principles. This approach made him lose favor with the more extreme parts of the early Hatlynshire Order which would eventually lead to his grizzly death in the hands of a short lived coup done by bloodthirsty extremists. His name would only be remembered due to the efforts of St George.

Saint Julian (the Brave) of Julinberg: An exceptional warrior of his time St Julian would become renowned for his feats of single combat. His most famous achievement being how he allegedly defeated a band of hundred Circulion warriors in a day by himself. He had immense hatred of Circulions and hated the Emilian Princples of Pacifism. He is known to have interacted with St August (his senior) and was most likely a tutor to St Jacob. And while he lived to be quite old he did not see the end of the war. He is considered the symbol of Strength and Bravery.

Saint Annalise (The Young) Oldeus of Aningberg: The youngest and last of all the saints St Annalise has mysterious origins. While many assume her to be an orphaned girl adopted by St Amia there are some who theorize that she was a relative to St Emilia, others theorize she was a secret daughter to St Jacob. But her origins still are unconfirmed. Her most famous take pertains to the last struggle between the Circulions and the humans, where she is reported to have ridden a horse through the battlefield with a burning flag of St George in her hand in order to rally the men in their moment of desperation. She was apparently injured in this incident having being blown off her horse and having part of her face and hand burned by the flag. After the war she would aid St George’s successor, Thomas Montgomery in laying the foundation of the Order of Man. Yet she is also said to have been a practitioner of Emilian teachings having recorded to have helped orphaned Circulion children during the war. She is theorized to have possessed inhumane abilities like St August. She would die nearly 50 years after the end of the war though the cause of her death is unknown.

HEY, YOU! Yeah, you. You like fantasy? You like fantasy with guns and fancy suits? Do you like free original stories? Well, if so why not try this one riiiight here! You won't regret it!

[beardedmrbean]

Berlin — Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) emerged Monday as the winners in national parliamentary elections, marking a first victory for a far-right Austrian party since World War II. The Freedom Party, led by Herbert Kickl, secured 29.2% of the vote, topping the center-right Austrian People's Party with 26.5% and the Social Democrats with 21%.

The far-right win reflects a broader European trend of rising popularity for nationalist, anti-immigration parties, fueled by public frustration over issues including inflation, the war in Ukraine and rising migrant populations.

Kickl's party has drawn widespread attention for its anti-immigrant, nationalist rhetoric, with the party campaigning on a vow to seal the country's borders to create "Fortress Austria."

The Freedom Party has promised a crackdown on immigration, including the forced "remigration" of non-Austrian nationals and stricter control over asylum laws. Kickl, a former interior minister, has also been critical of Austria's participation in international sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The party leader has promised to lead Austria as a "Volkskanzler," or chancellor of the people — a term used by the German Nazi party to refer to Adolf Hitler. His campaign leaned heavily on nationalist sentiment, with promises to restrict immigration and distance Austria from European Union policies on Ukraine and Russia.

The results of Austria's vote largely mirror the trend seen in recent elections in neighboring Germany, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made significant gains. The AfD won big in rural areas in Germany's state elections, taking more than 30% of the vote in the states of Thuringia and Saxony.

Despite its victory, the Freedom Party did not win anywhere near enough of the vote to form a new government on its own, so it will need to find partners to build a governing coalition. That is certain to prove a challenge.

Austria's other major parties, including the center-right FPÖ and the Social Democrats, have already said they will not form a coalition with the far-right, raising doubts about the path to power for Kickl's party. Without a coalition partner, the Freedom Party may struggle to build the necessary majority in parliament to for the next government.

The same situation is faced by the AfD in Germany, where the party's rise has been met with firm opposition from the established parties, making it difficult for them to participate in government.

The election results also highlight the decline of the center-right in Austria, which has been in power in various coalitions for the last decade.

Current Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who led the People's Party to second place on Sunday, saw his party lose significant ground compared to its 2019 results, as many Austrians appeared to blame the center-right movement for Austria's economic challenges and some controversial policies, including a temporary COVID vaccine mandate.

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democrat SPD also saw their popularity wane in the recent state elections in the eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia.

Kickl's ascent has not been without controversy, including allegations during his tenure as interior minister that the FPÖ was involved in the 2019 "Ibiza Affair," a corruption scandal that brought down the Freedom Party's last coalition government with the center-right.

But he has, since then, helped rebuild the party's reputation – much like the AfD in Germany, in part by positioning it as a defender of national sovereignty and staunch critic of the EU.

Both Kickl and his counterparts in Germany now face major hurdles in converting their electoral success into governance.

[leagueofgardens]

Legion Álfheimr, Past and Present

The nine headliners of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr

Two legions at Yurigaoka Girls' Academy have borne the name of Álfheimr, one of which is still active, and both in their time have been believed the strongest legion in the world. Though most Assault Lily stories focus on different and less mighty legions, within the setting as a whole, none are more important than Álfheimr.

The influence of the first Álfheimr was so great that it set the standard of other legions, on average, having 13 members. They are also considered to be the originators of Neunwelt Tactic-focused battle strategy as it exists today.

Let's review the stories of both Álfheimarnir, past and present.

The First Legion Álfheimr

Legion Álfheimr began as one of Yurigaoka's reserve teams, composed mostly of third-year junior high school students with a few first-year high schoolers among them. Reserve teams like these are generally kept away from live combat and not considered "legions" at all. At Yurigaoka, the purpose of forming these teams is first and foremost that of preparing the younger girls to stand on the front lines later, after they enter high school (and also to take part in some inter-Garden competitions like firepower reviews.)

In Álfheimr's case, the battlefield found them before they were ready.

In 2050, two years before the events of Assault Lily Bouquet, Álfheimr was in Koshu for a training camp when the Huge invaded in force, seeking to build a Nest and establish a new foothold. The local Gardens failed to mobilize in time to push them back, and soon enough, the Lilies present found themselves not defending Koshu but leading the evacuation of its civilian population.

Álfheimr joined in, dividing their thirteen members into several smaller groups so that they could save more people. One of their number—Kawazoe Misuzu—died during this battle, but they did succeed in rescuing people, including a certain girl named Hitotsuyanagi Riri and her friend Kayu.

After that, Álfheimr became a formal legion and was sent on more missions. Of the roughly 30 combat missions they took part in, every one was a victory. Their final mission was the Odaiba Counteroffensive, in which not a single person died despite the overwhelmingly hostile odds, leading to it being considered a miracle.

The Odaiba Counteroffensive happened in early 2051, and shortly after that, the first Legion Álfheimr disbanded. In the typical Assault Lily fashion, we have multiple contradictory reasons for why this happened:

According to the defunct Assault Lily blog in an entry from 2016, Takegoshi Chihana lost a power struggle in the student council, and as she was captain of Álfheimr, the legion was forcibly disbanded.

In the early novels, Álfheimr fell apart as a direct result of Hasebe Touka being put into a vegetative state by an experimental mind-coupled CHARM she was testing on Mashima Moyu's request.

In Bouquet and more recent stories, the legion is said to have broken up due to regrets its members felt ever since the Koshu Withdrawal.

Later in 2051, one of Álfheimr's former members, Akashi Manaka, disappeared during a battle and has not been seen since; most people believe she's dead, but a few like her Schild candidate Ban Kaya are still hoping to discover her alive and well some day. The other members of Álfheimr eventually joined new legions.

Takegoshi Chihana, captain of the first Álfheimr

The members of the first-generation Legion Álfheimr were:

Hayashi Kaoru, currently a 3rd-year Lily, the Schutzengel of Takegoshi Chihana, and a reserve member of Legion Lohengrin. She was the original captain of the first Álfheimr. It's unknown when or why she stepped aside in Chihana's favor.

Takegoshi Chihana, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Lohengrin. In addition to being the captain of the first Álfheimr after Kaoru vacated that position, she's well-known for taking command during the Odaiba Counteroffensive and leading the Lilies there to victory. She was also, at one time, the Sigrún.

Akashi Manaka, who has been missing in action for a year. If she hadn't disappeared, she'd be a 2nd-year Lily.

Amano Soraha, currently a 2nd-year Lily and the captain of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr. She was vice-captain of the first Álfheimr.

Aoki Kaho, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Lohengrin.

Banshoya Ena, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr.

Hasebe Touka, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Sanngriðr.

Kawazoe Misuzu, Yuyu's Schutzengel, who died during the Koshu Withdrawal. If she were alive, she'd be a 3rd-year Lily.

Niinomi Nodoka, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Reginleif.

Shirai Yuyu, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Ráðgríðr (Team Hitotsuyanagi).

Taniguchi Hijiri, currently a 2rd-year Lily, the Schutzengel of Rokkaku Shiori, and a member of Legion Reginleif.

Yoshimura Thi Mai, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Ráðgríðr (Team Hitotsuyanagi).

Watanabe Akane, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr.

The Second Legion Álfheimr

The current Legion Álfheimr owes its existence to Tanaka Ichi, one of its 1st-year members. She's attended Yurigaoka since kindergarten and has a group of childhood friends known as the "Gang of Five." Along with her, this group includes Egawa Kusumi, Kanabako Misora, Takasuga Tsukushi, and Watanabe Akane.

When Ichi and the other first-years in the Gang of Five entered high school, the five of them decided to form a legion of their own, which received the official name of Legion Skuld. As Ichi was the captain, it was also popularly known as "Team Ichiban."

The reason Legion Skuld became Legion Álfheimr relates to Egawa Kusumi. An incident in junior high school, which we know few specifics about, nearly shattered Kusumi's friendship with the rest of the Gang of Five (though they later reconciled with her) and made her so depressed that she wasn't sure if she could continue being a Lily. Because of this, Yurigaoka temporarily moved Kusumi into the "special dormitory", a place for those Yurigaoka Lilies who need extra accommodations in their living arrangements (either because of their mental health, or for other reasons, like because they are Boosted Lilies.)

After the first Legion Álfheimr dissolved, Amano Soraha became disillusioned with being a Lily and planned to retire. She was moved to the special dormitory for similar reasons to Kusumi, and there, the two of them found themselves neighbors. They soon became close with one another. According to Soraha, she thought it would be a shame for all of Kusumi's ability to amount to nothing, decided "I want to be a Lily together with this girl," and changed her mind about retiring. The two of them, Soraha and Kusumi, then became Schutzengel and Schild.

Soraha using her Rare Skill, Heliosphere

Soraha decided to join the legion that her Schild was in, and she was followed by her roommate; Banshoya Ena, another veteran of the first Álfheimr.

Although not part of the Gang of Five, Endo Araya has also attended Yurigaoka since elementary school and joined the legion because she was interested in Ichi and Kusumi. She turned down an invitation from Shinobu, the Brynhildr herself, to join the elite Legion Brynhildr Line in favor of joining Legion Skuld.

Mori Tatsuki, the final headliner, likely joined because she was friends with Araya and Misora, though this hasn't been stated as fact anywhere. Tatsuki is also Araya's roommate.

After they proved their strength, Yurigaoka offered to let Legion Skuld change their name to Legion Álfheimr on the condition that Ichi stepped down as the captain and Soraha took over. They accepted the offer, and are now commonly known as simply Álfheimr, sometimes "the second-generation Álfheimr", and sometimes "Team Ichiban" as they were at the start.

Currently, Legion Álfheimr is one of Yurigaoka's four SSS-ranked legions—the strongest legions at the Garden and perhaps in the entire world. One of their major accomplishments was the liberation of Niigata, carried out after Sado Island was invaded by an incredibly powerful Ultra-type Huge given the name of "Fafnir", and Ryuto Girls' Academy in Niigata sent a request for aid to Yurigaoka. Álfheimr mounted an expedition to Niigata and played a key role in the defeat of Fafnir, though they were aided by several other elite legions.

Left to right: Tatsuki, Tsukushi, Misora

The headliners of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr are:

Amano Soraha, a 2nd-year Lily and the captain. She is also known as the "Wielder of the Blue Moon." Her Rare Skill, Heliosphere, allows her to create a powerful defensive barrier to shield herself and her allies. She is known for her friendly demeanor and large appetite.

Watanabe Akane, a 2nd-year Lily and the vice-captain. Nicknamed the "Conductor", her Rare Skill is Testament, which expands the range of other Rare Skills. Lilies with Testament normally have weak defenses, but Akane has mastered a technique called "Just Guard" to shield herself from attacks. She also plays the flute beautifully. She is Tsukushi's Schutzengel.

Banshoya Ena, a 2nd-year Lily and the commander. Her Rare Skill is Circlet Bless, allowing her to wield two CHARMs at once, and she is titled the "Princesse." She likes keeping aquariums and terrariums, and has a pet African lungfish named "Nyoro." It is a widespread rumor that she'll become Ichi's Schutzengel someday, though neither of them have proposed the oath to one another yet.

Egawa Kusumi, the "Child of the Gods", a 1st-year Lily. Her Rare Skill is Phantasm, giving her the ability to simulate countless futures and choose the one she desires (also, she is thus far the youngest ever Lily to have awakened Phantasm.) Her combat style is sometimes called the "Fairy Step," as she tends to look at her feet rather than her surroundings and twirl around like she's dancing. She is one of Yurigaoka's best cooks.

Endo Araya, the "Fenomeno", a 1st-year Lily. She has the same amount of magie as the average Boosted Lily, despite not being one herself. Her Rare Skill, Phase Transcendence, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet; unlike Miriam, however, Araya can keep fighting even after using it. She's well known for aggressively hitting on other Lilies at Yurigaoka, but people of every gender have been known to catch her eye.

Kanabako Misora, the "Little Alchemist", a 1st-year Lily. She is an Arsenal with a deep knowledge of both CHARMs and Lilies. Her Rare Skill is Regista, which boosts the magie available to her allies. She shares this Rare Skill with Kaede Johan Nouvel, but she has strong opinions on legion tactics and is viciously critical of Kaede's defensive command style, calling it "anti-Neunwelt."

Mori Tatsuki, the "One Who Hears", a 1st-year Lily. Tatsuki is a Boosted Lily who was rescued by Yurigaoka, and can understand the voices of the Huge, including their battlefield orders. This unique power doesn't make her less eager to fight and kill the Huge in the slightest. Her Rare Skill, Lunatic Trancer, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet. She is also an Arsenal who specializes in building and tuning CHARMs.

Takasuga Tsukushi, the "Wildschwein", a 1st-year Lily. Like Ena, her Rare Skill is Circlet Bless, allowing her to wield two CHARMs at once. She is a talented frontline fighter who is especially good at working together with Kusumi, and is one of her closest friends off the battlefield. She is also Akane's Schild. Unfortunately for Akane, who is afraid of the supernatural, Tsukushi loves stories about ghosts and other paranormal phenomena.

Tanaka Ichi, the "Heavenly Wolf", a 1st-year Lily. Her Rare Skill is The Way of the World, allowing her to perceive the movement vectors of allies and enemies alike and predict their future positions. As the president of Yurigaoka's Camellia class, she is strict with many people, but is kind and indulging towards her friends, especially Kusumi. She likes to play the piano and sing.

The reserve members are:

Maki Wakana, a 3rd-year Lily. She is Soraha's Schutzengel. Her Rare Skill is Regista. Uncommonly for a 3rd-year Lily, she has a good understanding of the Neunwelt Tactic and is an excellent commander. She, Soraha, and Kusumi are often said to be the strongest trio of Norns* at Yurigaoka.

Okada Kisara, a 3rd-year Boosted Lily. She is Ena's Schutzengel. Her Rare Skill is Zenon Paradoxa, an ability often described as a combination of Shukuchi and The Way of the World which makes unbelievably swift attacks possible. In contrast to Wakana, she prefers one-on-one dueling to the Neunwelt Tactic, though she can handle both. Because of her pale appearance and sadistic nature, Kisara is nicknamed the "Vampire".

Mozuna Noa, a 2nd-year Lily. Her Rare Skill, Charisma, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet. Noa's fighting style is unique, and Kusumi modeled hers after it. Off the battlefield, she's said to be very sweet.

*When a Yurigaoka Lily's Schild has her own Schild, the three of them are known as "Norns".

Final Notes

You might have noticed that Assault Lily has a lot of football (or soccer, if you're an American) references. This article contains three such references. Can you spot them all?

Hint: They're all in the final list of second-generation Legion Álfheimr members.

Edit: After I first made this blog post, Akashi Aika's name was changed to Akashi Manaka by official sources, so I've changed it here too.

[gear-project]

How to become Immortal in Soul Calibur 6

There's a nifty little trick you can do to guarantee victories in Libra of Souls Mode, though it takes a bit of crafting (and some skill) to pull off:

First off, you'll need a 3-open-slot Weapon with the following Three abilities affixed to it (I'll include the item drops associated with the abilities as well):

--Hero's Jade (Superb Quality) Attack/Defense+20% (Reversal Edge Followup Hit) --Tranquil Bloodstone (Superb Quality) Attack/Defense+35% (When HP is 30% or Lower) --Scapegoat's Turquoise (Superb Quality) HP Recovery 30% (When HP is 0)

In addition to these, you'll need to Feed your character one of two Food items prior to the start of a battle (you can buy these in the game's shops easily enough):

--Brandy (Superb Quality) Attack/Defense+40% (When HP is 30% or Lower) --Spicy Wine (Superb Quality) Attack/Defense+35% (RE Followup Hit)

Doing the math, your Base Weapon's stats (assuming you successfully won a Reversal Edge encounter) will give you a stat boost of +55% to Attack and Defense when your Health falls below 30% (the game's Lifebar has a little line indicator that can tell you when your Health is low enough).

By consuming either Brandy or Spicy Wine in addition to using this weapon effect, you'll get either +90% or +95% to your Attack and Defense stats regardless of what weapon you have equipped.

The effect will basically completely cut off all damage at the 30% Health mark, and no matter what tricks or effects the enemy opponent has, they absolutely cannot win.

And all you had to do was guess right once in a single match of Rock, Paper, Scissors!

Well, if you're not good at Janken (Reversal Edges), fear not! I've got a more casual alternative build for you:

Here's the materials you'll need for your weapon:

--Draught of Immortality (Superb Quality) Health+40%

--Draught of Regeneration (Superb Quality) Health Recovery every 1.5 Seconds

--Vampire Opal (Superb Quality) Health Recovery on Damage+20%

In addition, feed yourself either of these Food Items (You can buy them in the shops once they're fully upgraded):

--Chapati (Superb Quality): Health+60%

--Mandrake (Superb Quality) Health Recovery+50% (When HP is 0)

The Full Effect gives you +100% to +90% added to your base Health in addition to Regeneration on Damage and passive regen buff with no complicated requirements.

The enemy would have to absolutely overwhelm you to beat you with this buff, so it's actually a good build to use when you're practicing honing your skills in combat until you're confident in using certain fighting styles. You can also use a similar build on your Mercenary Servants (Weapons Under Level 90) to help ensure they carry out their mission of protecting you and getting rare weapon drops!

It's also recommended that you put the Vampire Opals on weapons with the Highest Critical Hit rating (max is 50% depending on your Light/Dark Affinity), more crit hits means more health recovery!

Use either of these builds to ensure victory against the Level 90+ Legendary enemies you come across in Libra of Souls... you'll be glad you did!

[dkniade]

On the topic of how much Kaeya and The Rain & Cryo Vision part of his backstory (and a bit of Diluc, Stormterror/Dvalin, Albedo & Dragonspine OSTs, Mondstadt & Venti’s history) means to me personally. Here are some quotes from poems I’ve written, to show the slow improvement and healing.

Warning: PTSD / trauma, death ideation, blood, self-deprecation, swearing (It gets from angst to bittersweet, which is a major improvement for me.)

“In learning to associate snow not with sadness and emptiness, but rather with Kaeya himself, it’s helped greatly. This is the first winter I’ve spent with Kaeya, and many more to come, I’m sure, with each year’s storm hurting a little less.”

—“part v”, To a Certain Cavalry Captain, March 2021 (when I first started playing game)

.

“And so I wish to wither away beneath the touches of orange leaves. Yet I don’t want to die.”

—“part ii”, Elegy of a Vibrant Orange Death, September 2021/March 2022 (relapse)

.

“A certain vision. A certain Vision.

Beyond the dark. From here, depart.

That night. The future. That knight. The future.

To see that dawn, I’ll keep living on.

.

Until next time, towards that night

I say farewell. Goodbye, this spell.”

—“Epilogue”, Snowstorm Nocturne: Act I, September 2021 (major breakthrough, started to write about it seriously through Snowstorm Nocturne)

.

“In truth, I should thank you kindly. Your Vision, in spite of everything that you’ve gone through, still glows with such fervour, like a beacon of hope in a dark, stormy night. And indeed, you’ve been like a lighthouse for me, so I just thank you for all that you are. / To me, you’re the North Star.”

—“part ii”, Today is a Day Worth Celebrating, November 30, 2021 (in-character self-insert letter to Kaeya on his birthday)

.

“You want to pick a fight? Oh, I’ll give you

a fucking fight. My poetry, my sword.

My seek for answer, my lust for victory.

And you—

loneliness, ugly name, solitude, fatal voice,

I will dance your dance no longer!”

—“x. Poet’s Riposte”, Snowstorm Nocturne — Act III: Into the Storm, My Love!, December 11, 2021. (major breakthrough, misguided but more confident)

.

“My reputation.

I care not, my friend,

if it shall be that of a bloodstained swordsman,

covered in powder and glaring with flames.”

—“xi. Forsaken child and his terror of storms”, Snowstorm Nocturne — Act III: Into the Storm, My Love!, December 11, 2021. (major breakthrough, misguided but more confident. Named after the Stormterror’s Lair OST “Forsaken Child of Archaic Winds” and Stormterror himself)

.

“The storm may seize our breath and yet

This song shall ne’er be put to rest.”

—“Oath of Ancient Freedom”, January 2023 (based on first poem in the sword Freedom-Sworn’s Chinese lore)

.

“If someone attempts to deprive you of song,

The freedom you seek, saying ‘Here you belong.’

.

Then raise your voice above the winds,

And fight back. For Mondstadt, forever.”

—“Eve of Ancient Freedom”, January 2023 (based on second poem in the sword Freedom-Sworn’s Chinese lore)

.

“‘a white alchemist.’”

“‘Those yellow flowers imitate the sun’s brilliance, you know.’”

.

“‘Last time you said, Into the storm, my love!

This time I urge you: In the pursuit of truth,

know that as a flame, it can warm you, it can burn,

so choose your distance carefully.

Lest you hurt yourself again.’”

—“Taraxacum Officinale: Pursuing True Spring Days”, June 12, 2023 (alludes to Albedo’s Solar Isotoma, and Diluc as a Pyro user)

.

“没想到是因为凯亚而踏到这一步…多谢。这家伙…的确配得上‘冰风剑士’之名。”

—caption of a 2021/2023 Kaeya art improvement post, July 6, 2023 (not really a poem. Practically sounds like his Ascension: Conclusion Voiceline in Chinese)

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Ghaalib— The Victor, the Predominant— on one occasion in the Quran. Al-Ghaalib is the One who is victorious in every situation. He is the only One who decides and does as He wants with the creation and makes the believers prevail.

The Victor, the Predominant, the One Who Prevails

Ghaalib comes from the root ghayn-laam-baa, which points to two main meanings. The first meaning is to be victorious and to prevail. The second main meaning is to be predominant and overcome.

This root appears 31 times in the Quran in five derived forms. Examples of these forms are yaghliboo (“the will overcome”), ghaaliboona (“victorious”), and maghloobun (“one overpowered”).

Linguistically ghaalib refers to the one possessing the attribute of victory and dominance, whereas ghalaba refers to the verb “to overcome.” From the same root comes the word ghulb in the Quran, Allah says: wa hadaa’iqa ghulba– and gardens of dense shrubbery [Quran, 80:30], which points to a thick foliage of plants to be found in the earth and “overcoming” the soil it is growing in.
Al-Ghaalib is the ultimate one to prevail, control, dominate, and overcome each being and situation with great ease and utmost wisdom— and whenever He pleases.

Al-Ghaalib Himself says: And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, “Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son.” And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know. [Quran, 12:21]

“Against all odds”

Allah ‘azza wa jall calls Himself Al-Ghaalib in Surah Yuusuf. In the story of the prophet Yuusuf ‘alayhi sallam everything is intended one way and it goes the other way, a beautiful example of how everything is in the control of Al-Ghaalib.

Yuusuf’s brothers want to get him out of the way so they can get the love of their father. They left him to die in the well, but he survived. Allah says in this surah: Wallahu ghaalibun ‘alaa amrih (And Allah is predominant over His affairs). What He wills will happen, even though everything indicates another way.

Then Al-Azeez, the wealthy ruler, buys Yuusuf and brings him into His palace, and Al-Azeez’s wife, a powerful, beautiful woman, does everything she can to seduce this young, single man who is her slave. Every single aspect is tempting for zinaa– immorality– but Yuusuf doesn’t sway.

He ends up descending from a palace into the darkest prison and from the prison back to a ruling position in Egypt where he is reunited with his beloved father, Yaqoob ‘alayhi sallam. All the events of this story are a clear sign that the final decision is to Al-Ghaalib, “against all odds.” And every human being is like Yuusuf ‘alayhi sallam in that in his affairs Allah is Al-Ghaalib!

How Can You Live By This Name?

1. Have strong belief.
Never fear people and their decisions, never be deceived by the looks of a situation nor be scared of losing your possessions – know that Allah is Al-Ghaalib in Your affairs and He will decide what happens. Next time you feel tempted to care more about the acceptance of people or gaining belongings than trying to please Al-Ghaalib, remind yourself and live by this ayah:  If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome (ghaaliba) you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely [Quran, 3:160]

2. Hold onto the truth.
Allah has written, I will surely overcome (la’aghlibanna), I and My messengers. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might [Quran, 58:21] Know that if you stick to the truth and to your Islamic principals you will win; no matter how weak the believers might get, the truth will prevail. This is because Allah is Al-Ghaalib; the victory of those who follow Him and the messengers is His promise and when Allah promises, He delivers.  Allah says: But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, How many a small company has overcome (ghalabat) a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient [Quran, 2:249] So hold on to the truth, no mater how weak it seems, have strong belief Allah is Al-Ghaalib, have patience and victory will be yours, whether in this life or the next!  And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – indeed, the party of Allah they will be the predominant (al-ghaaliboona). [Quran, 5:56]

3. Take lessons from the past.
And Pharaoh and his people were overcome (faghuliboo) right there and became debased. [Quran, 7:119] While you read the ayaat in the Quran of the former people and their fates, Allah observes if and how you apply these lessons in your daily life. Do you try to avoid the sins they committed? Look at the characteristics of the people who were defeated because of their transgression, disbelief and arrogance and strive to be better than them in shaa Allah.

4. Don’t let sins overcome you.
In the Hereafter there will be a heart-shaking scene: the people of the Hellfire will beg Allah to release them from the Fire. They will say, “Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame (ghalabat) us, and we were a people astray. [Quran, 23:106] However He (Allah) will say: Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!”  Verily, there was a party of My servants who used to say: “Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy! But you took them for a laughing stock, so much so that they made you forget My remembrance while you used to laugh at them!) Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that are successful. [Quran 23: 108-111] Let this scene inspire you to not be overcome by sins in this life and end up like the people begging Allah for one more chance. Instead believe in this life and continuously ask Al-Ghaalib for forgiveness and mercy, as you will not get a second chance to return to this world!

5. Don’t think you can prevail by yourself.
Never attribute any victory or success to yourself, nor dominate others in an unjust way. And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, No one can overcome (ghaaliba) you today from among the people, and indeed, I am your protector. [Quran, 8:48] Some people think they can prevail by themselves or they attach their mind or trust to another human being or even object, but eventually they will be defeated.

6. Don’t be deceived.
But, [on the contrary], We have provided good things for these [disbelievers] and their fathers until life was prolonged for them. Then do they not see that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders? So it is they who will overcome? [Quran, 21:44] Sometimes the wealth, success, beauty and even intelligence of those who disbelieve can be confusing and even tempting. Know that Al-Ghaalib only prolongs the lives of some people for them to increase in their transgression. Say to those who disbelieve, You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell, and wretched is the resting place. [Quran, 3:12]

7. Call upon Al-Ghaalib.
When all people turn against Him after years of calling to Allah, what does Nuh ‘alayhi sallam do? He doesn’t ask others for help, he doesn’t give up, but he turns to Al-Ghaalib and beautifully supplicates:

‎فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ So he invoked his Lord, “Indeed, I am overpowered, so help. [Quran, 54:10] Whenever you feel overpowered, call upon Al-Ghaalib with this Quranic dua’!

Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem.

O Allah, Al-Ghaalib, we know that You are the One who is predominant in all affairs. Make us of those who have strong belief, hold onto the truth at all times and learn from the lessons You provided us in Your book. Don’t let us be overcome by sin, and make us of those who are victorious in both this life and the Hereafter, ameen!

[nidamae-approvedhpfanfics]

Fanfic.com my favorites as of March 2024.

It's a LONG list- mostly Harry Potter with a small handful of Labyrinth.

Alphabetically #-A

3 Slytherin Marauders by severusphoenix Harry Potter u:07-31-2016 - Harry & Dudley flee an abusive Vernon to Severus Snape. Severus finds a new home for himself & the boys with dragons and hunt the Horcruxes from there. The dragons, especially one become their allies. Tom R is VERY different.

10 Minutes And A Week Of Hell! by CrazyDuck5280 Harry Potter u:02-10-2013 - 10 Minutes can be the difference between the peace and the hell at Hogwarts! AU third year

13 Hours by magically-strange Labyrinth u:09-02-2013 - In the immediate aftermath of Sarah's victory, Jareth looses his magic and the Labyrinth breaks, unleashing a deadly villain that threatens the life of every goblin in the Underground. Now, Sarah faces a even greater challenge than before: restore balance to the Labyrinth, or suffer the death of the Goblin King!

A Better World by Pennilyn Novus Harry Potter u:02-19-2010 - A lost child wanders into Knockturn Alley, and who happens to find him but Draco Malfoy?

A Certain Romance by Nautical Paramour Harry Potter u:05-24-2018 - After helping out an unlikely student, Hermione Granger finds herself with an unlikely friend. Marcus Flint is only too happy to return the favor. As their paths continue to cross, the more drawn to one another they find each other. But can they be more than friends? A slice of life fic that takes place mostly after the war. Flintmione.

A Champion by Takao1160 Harry Potter u:06-03-2014 - 4th Year - Starts with Harry's selection as a champion. Harry is different he is angry, intelligent, and he absolutely does not want to participate in the tournament. Harry has a secret that he has shared with no one and new Harry is released and the pay-back begins. Strong Powerful - Harry /Fluer/ Daphne - Hermione later in the story.

A Change is as Good as a Holiday by ChloeParker05 Harry Potter u:12-29-2022 - The summer after 4th year, Harry's stewing in the anger caused by his friends' useless letters. By the time he reunites with them, he's furious and has a rather loud argument with them. However, Tonks notices something while coming across the confrontation, and drags Harry away. When she tells him what she witnessed, his outlook on life is changed rather drastically.

A Date by Proxy by AnneM.Oliver Harry Potter u:03-30-2009 - Hermione was bored & wanted something new. She changed jobs, her hair, her clothes, and now she was about to do something completely "UnHermionish" & go on a blind date! She just wondered why her blind date was with her new boss, Draco Malfoy. Romance.

A Dementor Named Radish by lvidler.op Harry Potter u:03-24-2023 - Harry Potter's horcrux makes the Dementors pause. They decide that their way of following the order to take the soul of Harry Potter is to take Harry Potter with them back to Azkaban. A story in which the guards and Dementors adopt Harry and how it falls out after.

A Different Type of Furry Little Problem by blue artemis Harry Potter u:07-23-2012 - Hermione gets quite a bit more than she bargained for when she takes Crookshanks as her familiar.

A Few New Looks by RiverWriter Harry Potter u:06-05-2023 - Glimpses into Draco, Hermione, and Scorpius' life as a family. A sequel to my story, "A Second Look."

A Fine Spring Day by DarthMittens Harry Potter u:07-23-2017 - On a spring day in his 6th year, Harry watches couples in love stroll around the lake at Hogwarts. Harry wants what they have, so he takes a swig of felix felicis so he can claim Ginny as his own. Felix has something else in store for him, though. One-Shot. H/Hr. Pure fluff.

A Ghost's Revenge by Fairywm Harry Potter u:01-07-2023 - Harry wakes up to a voice in his head when he's six years old. Lily has stuck around, and now she's going to fix his life. First, she has to take care of Petunia. How dare that woman treat her son this way. Then she's going to find out who mucked up Harry's life in the first place.

A Grave Decision by Ebenbild Harry Potter u:06-20-2022 - Petunia, unlike Lily, listened to the stories their mother told them when they were little. The magical world already got part of her family. When Lily dies, Petunia decides that she won't give it more. "We are leaving." Good Dursleys! AU!

A Jaunt Through Time by lecturience Harry Potter u:04-11-2013 - COMPLETE. The odds of temporal displacement were tiny, too infinitesimal to count, and yet… The Harry Potter luck striking again, he supposed. So now there's an older, wiser, more mature Harry (well, the older part's true at least) stuck in the past. And he's determined that if he's going to change things, he'll have some fun doing it. (OR: Time travel minus angst equals this.)

A Late Night Rendezvous by angelically-devilish Harry Potter u:06-16-2009 - 2009 TWIN EXCHANGE FIC OF THE YEAR! Fed up with playing the villain in her recent break-up with Ron, Hermione escapes to the Grimmauld Place kitchen for some solitude. But what girl would turn down the company of a sexy, shirtless Marauder? SiriusHermione

A Little Wave, A Big Change by loverofeevee Harry Potter u:07-06-2018 - The usual story. Manipulative Dumbles, Harry gaining his independence. This takes place after Harry's third year. It was a perfectly normal day in Privet Drive. The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, and the Dursleys were their usual cheerful selfs. Then suddenly...Now what on earth is going on this time!

A Lonely September by mem0rycafe Harry Potter u:01-31-2005 - Ginny is feeling lonely and left out. She lets her feelings out through drawings. What happens when Blaise steals her sketch book and gives it to Draco. The bigger question is why is Blaise stealing her sketch book?

A Looping of the Scales by Ms-Figg Harry Potter u:10-20-2009 - A potions accident gives Snape a new lease on life by taking part of it away. More to come.

A Magical Childhood by Kendra James Harry Potter u:08-01-2010 - An injured six year old Harry Potter wishes for escape from his cupboard with surprising results. As the wizarding world struggles to cope with his disappearance, Harry discovers childhood can be fun.

A Malfoys Curse by Goth1cPr1nc3ss Harry Potter u:07-03-2009 - Draco has a curse. All the male Malfoys line had it. He only finds out after his mother finds out about him and a certain girlfriend of his. Will he able to fight the curse or will he surrender to it? What does Hermione have to do with it?HGDM, RWPP, HPOC

A Marriage Most Convenient by AnneM.Oliver Harry Potter u:05-24-2010 - Hermione lost it all when she divorced. Draco would lose it all by age 30 if he didn't marry. Marriage to each other would be perfect, one would even say it was most convenient. Her daughter even looked like him, although, he wondered why that was.

A Parents Secret Gift by EvilDaystar Harry Potter u:06-05-2006 - What if Harry's parents had put in place a few contingency plans for Harry's future. How different would his life have been in the magical world then? Harry Potter first year AU story with some Albus Dumbledore perspective every now and again.

A Prism of Darkening Glass by Lomonaaeren Harry Potter u:06-26-2022 - AU, HPTN. Theo has gifted Harry with several things, but the prism he gives him a few months into fifth year is altogether different. COMPLETE.

A Revelation by MSgt SilverDollar and Snake Harry Potter u:06-23-2015 - REVISED AND UPDATED: NON CANON Features a super powered Harry with lots of money, titles and all that rot. Its meant to entertain those who like those stories and bash my least favorite JKR chars. Harmony all the way. Minor Revision: 7/12/14

A Second Look by RiverWriter Harry Potter u:02-17-2020 - Her best friend's life was a mess and she would have done anything to make things better for him and his sons. So, when she found her former enemy in a similar situation her heart went out to him as well... and the beautiful blond baby in his arms didn't hurt his case. It was certainly enough for her to give him a second look.

A Sirius Matter by witowsmp Harry Potter u:10-31-2007 - AU A few days after being rescued from the dementor's kiss, Sirius Black decides to share information with Harry about his destiny. The story continues on from there. HHr

A Sleeping Dragon Poked Awake by Genuka Harry Potter u:03-10-2019 - Harry spectacularly looses his temper at his trial before fifth year, issues an ultimatum to the entire Wizengamot, arbitrarily assigns Snape as his new guardian, and storms off to the Goblins for sanctuary... Oh and did I mention that he openly announced they had treated him badly enough that he was now willing to side with the Dark Lord? Let the chaos begin!

A Slytherin way of being by catchingafallingstar Harry Potter u:04-16-2019 - At the end of his third year at Hogwarts, while recovering after the final escape of Sirius Black, Harry received an unexpected visit which would not only change his life upside-down, but also affect all the magical world in time. COMPLETED!

A Soul-Mate's Kiss by IShouldBeWritingSomethingElse Harry Potter u:02-07-2016 - "You are bound, Hermione. You shared a Soul-Mate's Kiss." / SS/HG HEA...Always :)

A Subtle Love by MaryRoyale Harry Potter u:12-12-2015 - Blaise Zabini has loved Hermione for half of his life, but due to the war he has never felt comfortable revealing his feelings for her. After he acquires a genuine DA coin, he gets the opportunity of a lifetime, and he grasps it with both hands. Submission for Round 9 Hermione Smut on lj. Hermione/Blaise.

A Time for Changeling by Bloodpage-Alchemist Harry Potter u:07-15-2013 - Two Dementors showed up in Little Whinging and changed Harry Potter's world forever. Now he's on the hunt for family he's never known plus entangled in a web of political intrigue and subterfuge. Why does everything happen to him?

A Trunk With A Difference by CatsAreCool Harry Potter u:04-07-2019 - Lily had hoped for the best, but she always planned for the worst.

A Twisted Timeline by MadnessPersonified Harry Potter u:06-18-2008 - Much to his displeasure, Harry is thrown back through time into his six year old body. As a result, Harry decides to contort the timeline, purely for his own amusement.

A Witch's Tale by snowblind12 Harry Potter u:11-01-2017 - This is Hermione's story. The wizarding world is in a crisis; increasing squibs and decreasing magical power of pureblood children. Hermione has a theory. She finds friendship and love where she least expects it. Rated M for LEMONS and light D/s. Please forgive spelling and punctuation errors. Needs editing! Hermione, Theo and Draco. Also, Snape lived. Not Canon.

A Witch with a certain point of view by anorc Harry Potter u:06-07-2023 - Daphne's point of view chapters for Not With a Half-Blood. Daphne's parents had 'A Plan', and it made her little sister happy, so it was worth it, she supposed. But allying with the Malfoys to take the Black fortune meant... having to have a child with Draco one day. Ugh. Then Harry Potter won?, but the Malfoys had somehow changed sides. And then, she met Harry Potter at a party.

A Wonderful Caricature of Intimacy by Countess of Abe Harry Potter u:09-03-2008 - Draco loves his son more than anything in the world. So, when his ex-wife plans to take his son away, Draco asks the most unlikely person for help. Hermione must decide whether changing her entire life is worth helping the man she hates unconditionally.

A Year and A Day by Mutt N. Feathers Harry Potter u:06-02-2021 - There's no Voldemort, no war, just a Wizarding society in need to moving into the twentieth century even though they are on the cusp of the twenty-first. The Source of All Magic determines who you will be best suited to, and when you turn seventeen you are given a name. Sirius Black didn't get his perfect partner until he was forty, and he already knows her, and she can't stand him

Absence does Something to the Heart by PauloPT90 Harry Potter u:09-02-2020 - Happily engaged to Ron, Hermione returns to Hogwarts to complete her seventh year. But the end of the war brings about a change in the teaching style of the school with a big impact on inter-house cooperation.

Accepting Defeat by GrandeVanillaSkimLatte Harry Potter u:09-24-2008 - Mrs Weasley is determined to pair Hermione with a Weasley, any Weasley. Eventually it takes Fred and George to step in and save the day. Winner of the Twin Exchange September 2008 Challenge. FredHermione.

Accidental Affection by katmd Harry Potter u:08-04-2004 - When mutual friends decide to marry, Severus Snape and Hermione Granger find themselves presented with the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better.

Accidental Proposal by CJRed Harry Potter u:08-26-2017 - Hermione finds out that she is really a Nott, and there are so many rules to being a Pureblood, too bad Draco Malfoy seems to have forgotten one of the most important rules of all! Hermione/Draco. Theo and Hermione are siblings. Ignores epilogue and off canon in some other places as well. Set in 8th year. Language, Fluff, and Lemons. Complete.

All Bets Are Off by PrettiestStar17 Harry Potter u:10-27-2018 - Hermione has harbored a crush on Fred Weasley for years. But that's all it is! A silly, little crush that's lingered from her Hogwarts' years. That's all it is...until one of her best friends, Ginny Weasley, is thrown into a life changing predicament. As she rallies with the rest of the family to help Ginny, Hermione regularly finds herself in Fred's charming company. M+

All Fall by Lomonaaeren Harry Potter u:11-12-2021 - HPTN. Harry Potter is one of the few wizards strong enough to enable a newly-turned vampire to return to human, as long as he feeds them his magically-charged blood for a few weeks and they neither kill him nor feed on anyone else. Called on to help new vampire Theodore Nott return to himself, Harry wishes he understood why Nott is acting like he doesn't want to. COMPLETE.

All For You by hermoine snape Harry Potter u:10-29-2010 - Remus had to leave his only daughter at the care of London's Childern's Home after his home his burnt down by death eaters. "I'm doing this because I love you." he told her. He left the building hearing her cries. Pairing: HP/HG COMPLETE! Updated Chapter 8 &9 7/12/16

All Through the Night by Bloodpage-Alchemist Harry Potter u:06-02-2019 - Harry awakens transported back in time over 500 years. Hogwarts is still being built and, amid the bustle, Harry finds the warm, nurturing parental figure missing in his life, in none other than Rowena Ravenclaw. Will Harry ever go home? Will he want to?

All Was Not Well by White Angel of Auralon Harry Potter u:12-27-2012 - Harry was massively disappointed in how things were going after the final battle. Nothing had changed, it only looked like it on the outside. So he decides to change the past to prevent certain things from happening. Being the Master of Death has its perks. Time-travel, Harry / OC

All the Time in the World by burnable Harry Potter u:03-06-2022 - After an accident, Harry finds himself reliving his day, over and over. He decides to use his time... wisely. One-shot.

All with Accio by freakyfinger Harry Potter u:07-25-2012 - Can the TriWizard Tournament be completed with just one spell? OneShot.

Alone by cheshirecat1333 Harry Potter u:02-09-2011 - What happens when Hermione is left alone while Harry and Ron are searching for Horcruxes? Will a certain Head Boy and his best friend finally give her a break? HGDMBZ

A long wait for freedom by charlie-becks Harry Potter u:06-06-2012 - A 5year old child dies at the hands of his family And to this day can be seen at the house in which he died. Will he be saved or will he be on his own forever? Warning: mentions of abuse

Always Read the Fine Print by questionablequotation Harry Potter u:03-16-2015 - ONE-SHOT. After being entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament against his will, Harry does some independent research on what precisely "magically binding" means...and comes up with a very different approach to the competition. As they say, the pen is mightier than the sword...but is the quill mightier than the wand?

A mother's love by Ree923 Labyrinth u:10-01-2013 - From the moment Sarah left the Labyrinth, Jareth knew he needed to get her back. He didn't know what human love was, but he knew he would die without her. Karen knew it too.

And All the Nights to Come by Lomonaaeren Harry Potter u:07-31-2020 - Gen. On the night of Harry's ninth birthday, everything seems to be breaking apart for him. His despair reaches out into the darkness and summons the one person who stands a chance of comforting him. COMPLETE.

And We All Fall Down by Rumaan Harry Potter u:10-26-2012 - The spring term at Hogwarts starts with a bang with the return of Draco Malfoy, back for his eighth year after a stint in Azkaban. But all is not right with Draco and Head Girl Hermione Granger can't help but get involved. EWE

Angry Harry and the Seven by Sinyk Harry Potter u:10-22-2013 - Just how will Dumbledore cope with a Harry who is smart, knowledgeable, sticks up for himself and, worst still, is betrothed? A Harry who has a penchant for losing his temper? Ravenclaw/Smart(alek)/Lord/Harry Almostcanon/Dumbledore Non-friend/Ron Harry&Daphne (Haphne). No Harem. Rating is for language and minor 'Lime' scenes.

Animagus at War by White Squirrel Harry Potter u:11-20-2023 - Sequel to The Accidental Animagus. Voldemort's back, and this time, he's not alone. Harry and his family are caught in the middle as the wizarding war goes international. Years 5-7.

Apprentic James by Lil Nezumi Harry Potter u:07-05-2012 - Char. Ooc, AU/AR, still within JK's world - Harry is apprenticed to a Diagon Alley businessman at the tender age of seven. From there the story changes... very mild bashing of some regulars.

Are You Gonna Be My Girl by CajunWitch Harry Potter u:02-17-2013 - Hermione returns for her final year at Hogwarts. Rejects Head Girl position, this year is all about fun for her. One night she and Ginny sneak out of Hogwarts. When they sneak back in, Head Boy Draco catches them. Ginny is able to get away, but Hermione is at his mercy!

A reason to drink by angelfromhigh Harry Potter u:07-26-2006 - Harry opened his eyes slowly, afraid that he had just had a drunkenly induced fantasy. He was sincerely hopeful that he had not just been kissing thin air.

Art of Love by wickedswanz Harry Potter u:09-02-2009 - Hermione needs the Order's sexiest wizard to teach her the art of love making after being dumped, and Sirius is only too happy to oblige. But can the king of love-em and leave-em give her what she desires or will his heart get in the way? Rating: ADULT

As the World Falls Down by Iavas Labyrinth u:12-09-2009 - Stories become legends, legends become myths, and myths eventually become life. Jareth has waited seven years since his defeat, watching as Sarah grows into a woman and into her dreams of acting. A careless wish summons him back from the Underground.

A tale of two phoenix by Rahmota Harry Potter u:02-22-2022 - Harry and Hermione. Die together but are reborn together as Heart's blood bonded Phoenixes. Their world was strange enough now they have to learn to adapt to the changes in themselves as they learn the secrets Dumbledore kept. An unexpected ally helps them out though. Rated M for descriptions of violence, sexual situations, language. No harem. Weasleys are neutral.

Atonement by old-crow Harry Potter u:09-10-2019 - Harry received some useful advice before the third task. The butterfly effect will be going full-speed. Not everyone is happy with the changes. Enjoy

A very Black plan by WriterRose1998 Harry Potter u:02-14-2023 - Harry knows he's in trouble. Sixteen years old and already fighting for his and his friends lives just because some old men couldn't ignore a barmy woman sprouting a few lines. Harry's a boy with the world on his scrawny shoulders and with no adults to help him. But Sirius wouldn't leave his pup without a chance of survival. The world better watch out for a Black with a plan.

Avian Anarchy by Teddylonglong Harry Potter u:03-21-2021 - In a previous life, Hedwig's soul had once belonged to Lily. Recalling everything from her former life, the bird chooses Harry as her familiar shortly before his 11th birthday and causes mayhem at all who want to harm her son. Completely AU, partly OOC. Dumbledore/Weasley bashing. HP LL. COMPLETELY AU!