#Latest events

[vyorei]

Live coverage of the 15th of March 2024 is now closed.

Here is a recap of today's major events.

It is 12am in Ireland now so I have to go to bed.

I'll be back to resume live updates in the afternoon.

For continuous updates while I'm gone, click the link below:

[esgmena]

Latest Events News, Photos, Latest News Headlines about events - ESG Mena

[baiquan-precision]

The Canton Fair is underway. The first exhibition content: electronics and household appliances, consumer electronics, lighting, vehicles and accessories, machinery, hardware tools, building materials, chemical products, new energy, etc. Content of the second phase: Consumer goods, toys, festival and gifts, furniture and home decorations, tableware, ceramics, gardens, etc. The third exhibition: textiles, fabrics, clothing, shoes, office bags and leisure goods, medicine and health care, food, etc.

[beauty-funny-trippy]

Breaking News: Allred has now pulled ahead of Cruz by 1%. Let's keep the momentum going!

By donating to Colin Allred's campaign, you will be: • helping to defeat Ted Cruz • helping to keep a Democrat majority in the Senate • helping to protect Social Security, Medicare, and the Rights and Freedoms Republicans are trying to take away • helping to prevent Mitch McConnell from becoming Senate Majority Leader again How much is it worth to you to see Ted Cruz defeated, or to keep a Democrat majority in the Senate? You can donate any amount you want at ColinAllred.com.

[lilithism1848]

[stormgardenscurse]

made for you - puppet au

Summary: In a steampunk-esque setting, your guardian-slash-mentor left you with one thing after their passing—a self-autonomous puppet that was designed to blend in with humans, who would protect and accompany you in your mentor’s absence.

Characters: Floyd, Ace, Cater, Lilia

Warnings: mentions of blood in Lilia's!

Floyd

Outsiders might complain about Floyd’s flippant change in moods, saying that you seemed to be the only person he doesn’t get annoyed with.

In two ways this judgment was flawed: they didn’t know he was a puppet (and so thought he was merely a scary traveling partner of yours), and he does get mad at you sometimes. Namely when you do things for others that he thinks are unnecessary, because why do you have to be the nice one and try to maintain relations with people you weren’t even close with? 

Floyd never got why you stress yourself out with things like that—and if you told him to help you with such tasks? Expect him to either turn to a game of cat and mouse (behind your back, he’s the cat and some other person is the mouse) or fulfill it with a dangerous gleam in his eyes when a stranger sees him, saying ‘don’t approach me, I’m really not in the mood’.

He rarely directs his frustration at you, though. Call it part of his design or whatever, but for the most part he’s more lax around you, slinging his arm over your shoulder or asking if you wanted to do (insert unhinged scheme) with a casual tone.

You worry about the people that he does get into fights with. Floyd doesn’t pay much attention to his inhuman strength and things can get awkward when people question it—leaving you to stand there, contemplating if you should reveal the truth.

But… while Floyd doesn’t really care for the distinction between being human and not (as long as you treat him as equals), he finds it fun when people think he’s just an unpredictable human. The looks on their faces and struggle when he tests their limits are always a sight to behold. 

Humans really are quite amusing—but of course, you’re his favorite one.

Ace

Ace has an inner conflict, one could say.

As charismatic as he can be (and by god was he a convincing actor), Ace would always, at the back of his mind, be conscious of the fact that he wasn’t human.

Nevermind the fact he’s probably more humane than some people out there, but he always has the feeling that it wasn’t enough. There’s a type of jealousy that crops up whenever he sees you interacting with people—he’s not sure if he’s jealous of the way you are, with your quirks and emotions that he idealizes despite how he claims otherwise, or if he’s jealous of the others around you.

He’d never fall sick or actually feel physical pain. He could be repaired so long as his core was salvageable, and so Ace could never be your friend in the way he might want to be. He wonders, sometimes, that in an alternate world—if he was human, would you look towards him the same way you do now? Would you still pick him within an ocean of so many, if he wasn’t a puppet crafted by your mentor?

Instead of expressing this, Ace of course directs these feelings into a personality that’s a little bratty. He’d challenge your requests at times, asking if it was an ‘order’ and only complying if you pushed back.

You’ll hear a lilt in his voice when he calls you ‘Master’ mockingly. For the most part Ace’s mean streak isn’t that bad though—he does show concern for you and is essentially a best friend that keeps you grounded. Sometimes you wonder if he actually liked being bossed around, thinking of it as a way to acknowledge the odd relationship you had. 

You don’t see him as a servant or object, but perhaps he finds some comfort in the idea that he was made for you. That way, your attachments to one-another was completely normal—you’d always pick him, right?

Cater

Cater is a puppet that lets you know his world revolves around you, if only to see the adorable expressions you make in response.

He doesn’t care for his own maintenance that much, nor about hurting himself in your defense or while doing tasks. Cater’s good at masking such things too, with long-sleeved or layered clothing to hide his mechanical injuries away. He says it’s unsightly and he’ll just fix it himself later, but you always recognise when he’s lying about how it’s ‘not that bad’. 

It makes an odd feeling ache in his chest whenever you do that, making him sit down in the privacy of your inn room so you could patch him up. There’s an unreadable look in his gaze at times like those, asking you if you saw him as someone that could actually get hurt. You said yes. Cater makes sure to remember that. 

He’s flirty most of the time, acting good-natured with others but obviously trying to charm you in particular. People tend to think you’re a couple because of that, and is it so bad if Cater kind of likes the sound of it?

He enjoys how genuine of a person you are—sure, everyone has their own thoughts and darker side that they keep to themselves, but he’s never detected falsehoods in your emotions towards him. Maybe it helps that you know he’s a puppet—why would you feel the need to guard yourself from him the same way as others? 

He likes this exclusivity he has to the different sides of you, especially since he’s a key link to your past. It’s also easier to focus his time and energy on someone else than the gloom that sometimes spreads in his system, which was surely just another mechanical flaw.

"I'm just supposed to make sure you're happy, Master~ So don’t worry about it!"

Lilia

No one would suspect that your cute companion would have a rather… uncompromising side, with it came to getting rid of nuisances that threatened your safety.

In his defense, he was kind of built to be a deadly weapon—the world is a dangerous place after all, and Lilia doesn’t mind being the one that protects you from those that may do you harm. Your mentor dabbled in areas that garnered them enemies, thus the association and knowledge you possessed was a dangerous light to greedy moths.

You never actually witness how he is in combat, though. Lilia always returns from his missions quietly, wiping the scratches and blood off of his synthetic skin. He greets you with a smile if you’re still awake at that point in the night, and you’re none-the-wiser about the expressions he can make when he gets serious on the field.

It’s night and day, the difference between how he is there versus how he is when mingling with people or with you. Lilia likes how you rely on him during your travels. He has a backlog of historical knowledge that he collected shortly after he was crafted, but nothing compares to actually being in different nations and seeing things with your own two eyes. 

He enjoys calling your name in a familiar tone and hearing you do the same. Lilia hopes to be a presence that reminds you of home, so it’s only natural that he cherishes the lighthearted and heart-to-heart conversations you have. 

Leave the bodyguard work to him; there’s a reason your mentor made a puppet for this purpose, after all. And honestly, Lilia’s quite happy with the way his life was right now. It was much richer than the endless clockwork of a workshop, and pretty things that did nothing compared to your warm words and sparkle in your eyes that was so undeniably human.

[princema-k]

the detective's assistant! a headstrong lass who knows her way around the block and provides a help hand to the detective

[palestinegenocide]

Key Developments 

Israel kills 63 Palestinians, wounds 45 in the past 24 hours across Gaza, raising the death toll since October 7 to 33,482 and the number of wounded to 76,049

Israel kills six members of Hamas chief’s family, including three sons and three grandchildren in al-Shati’ refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Israeli army launches dozens of strikes on al-Nuseirat refugee camp and its surroundings.

Israeli army targets fishing dock in Gaza City.

Israel and Iran conduct air maneuvers.

Axios quoting Israeli officials: Israel is preparing for an Iranian attack, coordinating with the U.S.

Israel’s Channel 12: Netanyahu didn’t keep his promise to Biden to open Asdod port for humanitarian aid.

Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir asks war minister Yoav Gallant not to allow the release of body of Walid Daqqah.

Israeli police to open investigation against Palestinian professor at Tel Aviv University for “terror incitement” after mourning the death of Walid Daqqah on social media.

West Bank: Israeli settlers attack Palestinian villages, torch cars.

West Bank: Israeli forces raid Qalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem, villages in Bethlehem and Hebron.

[sloaners]

They settle on fifty 💣

A comic for the wonderful @kirbyvolt!

[vyorei]

Live coverage of the 17th of March 2024 is now closed.

Here is a recap of today's major events.

It is 12am in Ireland now so I have to go to bed.

I'll be back to resume live updates in the afternoon.

For continuous updates while I'm gone, click the link below:

[rei-is-hiding]

magnet

[fatuismooches]

Your brain for Star Rail!Dottore omg...

I always think he would've been like Ruan Mei, only more extreme... he's will be pathless at first but if he's under genius society then he'd follow nous...Meta/game play wise he'd be 5 star Ice Nihility or Erudition DPS who focus on break and freeze team (So his good team would have Ruan mei on it because they're both my fav).

Also, since Star Rail doesn't have designated weapons, creative liberties could be taken, no?? (Ratio did use a chalk and a book as weapons, so there's many possibilities for him. Hmmm, Dottore fighting with syringes, or chainsaw, or surgery knife would be nice lololol

His lightcone could be of like Boothill's but instead it's just the creations his segments on a lab (does he still need segments in this universe?we'll never know) and his splash art would be so cool if it were lab centric since most star rail splash art focuses more on scenery.

His phone case....it would be plain boring black-grey-blue color that probablyhave blood splatter on it...and his expression when looking at phone could've be like welt. His texts would consist of talking about how expensive it is the equipment to do experiments these days, or asking the trailblazer to hear his new experiments or just him complaining. And when he visits the astral express, he'd be curious about Pom-Pom and the machinery of the astral express.

If Dottore were ever be a genius society member and got invited to simulated universe collab he would get his own Occurrence and Curio (There's this one curio in divergent universe, a new endgame mode which was a syringe that cause you to go auto for the rest of the game and i thought it was funny lol) I think Dottore's Occurrence would be "The Wise Doctor" and it would give you options something along the lines : You are approached by a figure, a charming doctor who need a volunteer for his bext experiment "Are you willing to help this doctor's experiment" And the choices are :

1. Give in and help the doctor (Your party lose 50% of their HP and given one blessing of 2 star rarity)

2. Refuse the doctor (You will lose 99% of your HP and gain a negative curio)

His curio will either be his mask or the wise doctor's pinion with effects, including: Whenever you enter a domain (up to 3 domains), you lose 10% of your HP. After the curio is destroyed, you will lose 1 Blessing of 3 star rarity. (I THINK his curios will mostly have negative effects, lol)

This is a different section if he's with fragile!reader:

1. Dottore definitely would make an appearance in their lightcone and splash art, maybe them running in the field of flowers whilst dottore follow close behind??? Or maybe them dancing with dottore...that would be cute...

2. Since there's phones and all I really agree with what you said dottore does not care for his phone!! It's reader who teaches him how to use camera and messaging apps and teases how he's a genius but have a hard time keeping up with phone technologies lol

3. If they're playable, meta wise they will have harmony path, wind or ice...their kit would go well with Dottore maybe increasing weakness break efficiency or atk% (kinda like Ruan Mei lol) I would want to make their kit to focus on frozen enemies only but that would make them niche in meta ?? AND THEIR EIDOLONS....oof I imagine if they still have their sickness here it would be them in their comatose state while looking very troubled (like a nightmare) :( but in this happy universe they're just smilling peacefully!!

4. Would see them as the type to be traveling around the cosmos. They love collecting trinkets and gifts from their visit!! Also, they would be a big fan of Robin, me thinks... dragging Dottore to her concerts or just blasting her song in his lab.

5. They would!! Love!! Pom Pom!!! They would much want to take Pom Pom home.

Overall, they're just happy in this universe living their lives to their where they don't have to suffer :((

I have been having the biggest star rail dottore brain rot ever!!! I hope you don't mind me writing it out here!!

(x) YES. He would definitely be more extreme than Ruan Mei (who is also one of my top favs, her and Reader would be besties because I said so! I'm sure Trailblazer would make some catcakes of you and Dottore, which you happily take off their hands. Dottore is unsure of how to feel with the two things constantly stacked on each other and staring at him...)

I also love how unique HSR weapons are - it could quite literally be ANYTHING. I've always imagined Dottore using syringes, for his skill, he'd switch the size, fluid, and quantity of it for an enhanced attack, the mysterious liquid inside anyone's guess. I'm not sure if he could have segments in HSR, just because he was only able to create the segments thanks to having a very good test subject (Scaramouche) so he would need to somehow have an equally good experimentation partner in this universe. If he did though, it'd be amazing - he'd get so much done by sending his other selves to different planets...

His lightcone would be similar to Natasha's - a doctor helping their patient, except in his case, the "doctor" will be doing the opposite. His blood-red eyes would pair well with the blood stains on his hands. For a soft route, Dottore falling asleep on his desk and Reader placing a blanket over him. For an angsty route, Reader being injured and he has to hold your dying body. (Poor Pom-Pom... they'd hide behind a crew member the whole time, in fear Dottore might snatch them up for some experimenting... Even more, they would NOT be amused with you trying to constantly pet them.) And yes! I feel like besides his negative curios, they would be high risk, high reward - you're going to have to prove yourself to him if you want his help!

If you want to be soft, Reader's lightcone would be them flustered as another pair of hands (Dottore) place a carefully woven flower crown on their head. If you want to be angsty, it would be them sickly laying in a bed as Dottore scrambles to do anything to keep them stable. Reader and Dottore's E6 would be like Hanya's and Xueyi's - they hold hands with each other! Except they would be more intimate with each other, they would bring each other's hands closer to their lips for a small kiss. Or perhaps they would have a hand over each other's hearts.

You steal Dottore's phone often. You have like... a dozen games installed on his phone, and although his phone is always on Do Not Disturb, sometimes he scrolls through and just sees tons of notifications from random apps... he texts you as to what the hell you did with his phone and you just beg him to log on and do your dailies. He leaves you on read.

You would love traveling about too. (Kind of like Himeko - she was unable to fulfill her wishes in HI3 but now she can!!) You bring back so many items that you have to use Dottore's storage rooms to fit them all (he's not amused.) You probably even got a Warp Trotter as a pet somehow... OMG AND YOU'RE SO RIGHT ABOUT ROBIN... you have her playlist blasting during research time and he's just... not amused once again!! Reader falls back dramatically into Dottore's arms once they meet her...

I love the pookies dearly...

[beauty-funny-trippy]

The lead counsel for the nonprofit said “Their persistence and relentlessness, even in the face of the governor and the mayor saying this is false — that shows intent, ...It’s knowing, willful flouting of criminal law.

“The Haitian community is suffering in fear because of Trump and Vance’s relentless, irresponsible, false alarms, and public services have been disrupted. Trump and Vance must be held accountable to the rule of law. Anyone else who wreaked havoc the way they did would have been arrested by now.”

[teecupangel]

I had a thought earlier: What if Ezio was Desmond's Sage?

Basically, the usual setup with Desmond using the eye to contact Ezio in the library and offering to send him back in time to save his family, but due to the damage he's sustained from the Eye, he can't come with. Once this moment in the Grey is over, he would die. Ezio begs him to come with him, through any means possible. He refuses to leave behind the divine being he is the chosen Prophet for. The being who is going against Fate itself to give him his family back. Desmond just can't say no to Ezio and tries to see if there's anyway he could come with Ezio. He doesn't want to die if he can avoid it. It's then, through the connection with the Eye and the Apple, that he learns about Sages. With a few modifications for Ezio's safety, that could work. Instead of consuming Ezio's mind to take over, he would just live alongside him. When he tells Ezio of it, Ezio accepts.

.

.

When Ezio wakes up, it is to his childhood bedroom. Everything is how it was when he was 17. Is 17. It worked! His family is alive and well! Did the Sage thing work?

"Desmond, are you here?"

'Yes Ezio, i am.'

.

Just a thought i had. I imagine that Ezio could let Desmond have control of his body, but Desmond is pretty chill with just watching though Ezio's eyes.

Ezio would have mind conversations with Desmond, which worries his family a lot when they catch him just staring emptily though the air. That and his complete switch in behaviour.

There's probably so many routes to go here, but i'm too sleep deprived to think atm. XD

It doesn’t take long before Desmond realized that all the modifications he made for his consciousness to become part of Ezio had turned him to be the least invasive Bleed to ever be conceived.

Did this count as possession?

Was Ezio even a Sage or was Desmond simply a sentient Bleed?

Wait.

Did that mean that the Bleeding Effect mimicked the experiences a Sage goes through when they start ‘getting’ the Isu’s memories.

Didn’t that mean that there was a possibility that the Animus was based on the research the Isus made to create the-

“Desmond, as interesting as your thoughts are about this subject, I’d prefer it if you were to. Focus!” Ezio was unable to stop himself from raising his voice as he punched one of Vieri’s hired muscles as Desmond liked to call them. The man staggered as he took a few steps back and Ezio swiped his feet before stomping on his groin.

There was a few scandalous looks thrown his way at that attack and Ezio just shrugged.

It wasn’t his fault that Desmond’s skills in unarmed combat bled through to him during these situations and Desmond fought shamelessly dirty.

‘In my defense…’ Desmond quipped from his mind, ‘I was taught that honor and shame have no place when you’re getting ganged up by Templars.’

Ezio grunted as he dodged a punch aimed for his chest, quickly grabbing the wrist and pulling him forward to unbalance him before delivering a high knee strike, making the man gasp as Ezio kneed him on the throat.

Okay, that one was from one of Desmond’s Bleed, not Desmond himself.

But then again…

Desmond was his Bleeds and his Bleeds were him. When he thinks about it that way…

“Desmond…” Ezio gritted as he smacked an incoming kick from another man, quickly jabbing the man’s side before suckerpunching him.

‘Sorry, sorry. My brain’s wacky at the moment.’ Desmond said.

That was an understatement.

Desmond had been in Ezio’s body for only a few hours. They had went outside to try and get a lay of the land and found out the date by Vieri throwing a rock at Ezio and giving Ezio the scar on his lips.

So yeah…

Desmond was still not used to being this… entity inside Ezio’s mind.

“Don’t think too hard.” Ezio backhanded a goon’s cheek hard and fast enough that he was able to topple the surprised and hurt goon with his mind quickly making it known that it was a common technique Altaïr used to do. Ezio tried to focus as he said, “Let’s just get this over with then we can have our mental breakdown in our room, okay?”

‘Yeah, okay.’ Desmond answered and Ezio felt Desmond focus.

It was like his senses became clearer.

His body became lighter.

And…

He could predict everyone’s next move.

To borrow Desmond’s expression at the moment.

Holy shit.

(Desmond doesn’t know it but because he made Ezio his Sage, he is technically a being that has access to Isu senses which he can pass down to Ezio. Ezio’s human body can’t take much of it though so there’s a time limit and that is how Federico comes in and save them because Ezio and Desmond starts getting a headache after using it too much.)

[taviamoth]

Tell me how to process that things like baby beheadings and rape that became screams of fake grief and screeches of genocide justification when merely suspected on israelis mean nothing when they actually fucking happen to Palestinians. Buried at the end of articles.

I can tell you that imaginary harm to the humanized group will always get a more visceral reaction than actual brutality against the dehumanized but that doesn't mean I can emotionally believe this kind of evil.

Fake rape was 'Screams Without Words'. Real rape is buried.

I hope the entire building of this 'newspaper' burns to the ground.

[gegengestalt]

Dostoevsky would roll in his grave at this.