#Quiet Thunder

[wickedzeevyln]

Teddy Bears Stuffed with Stones

I cannot for the life of me understand that when his pinwheel spun the thunderstorms quietly gathered. Our sight glazed with love failed to comprehend the burgeoning still water seeking to be unleashed in its kettle. As the mist diffused for our minds to peer the boy we held very dear wanted no love but play with fear. A stone yearning for flower, a stone longing for November, so…

[thunder-wolf64]

I decided to make my crow costume into The Long Quiet from STP. It's not perfect, but I don't think I could do any better with what i had on hand!

I'll be walking around/passing out candy, im to tall to pass off as young enough it go trick or treating :[

Everything was bought two years ago at Walmart from two separate costumes combined. I added white to the eyes and also the little ear tufts!

Yes, it is hard to see in this. The black mesh makes everything much darker, and it doesn't help that I can't wear my glasses lol. But the vibes are immaculate ✨

[mischievous-thunder]

Wade, a hyperactive ball of fire who's been talking non-stop for the last half an hour: Why are you so quiet, Peanut?

Logan, who's been trying to read the same page of their book in vain: I wish you were too.

[renaerys]

"And perish."

A Quiet Thunder by @renaerys

Art by @hallous

[hallous]

scene from A Quiet Thunder by @renaerys

[kandicon]

Okay I need to write something abt Ivy's brain overheating n starting to cook her head bc it overworks and there's no way there's enough space in her super computer brain for an efficient cooling system combined with Tim involuntarily salivating and feeling hungry when he smells burning flesh as a hold over from eating corpses during the Moon War. This is no longer a want it is a need.

[angelmush]

lalalalaaaa easily the very best part of the night was going to the arcade bar + admiring my beautiful gf in her sparkly plastic birthday tiara that her friends brought her + holding her jacket and her drink and her little plastic cups of tokens for her while she played games

[fluffypotatey]

“you’re quiet today”

it’s because Ody already decided what to do

[mifithemuffin]

"what's your anger language" feat. aod characters

[au-wannabe-the-very-best]

Out of curiosity, what inspired you to implement the Youngster Program in your SI OC story? I’ve read it from a similar style story where someone is reincarnated as Youngster Joey. Love the semi-combination of serious tones to what would normally be a light series setting, aka the anime. How do you think Red and Akari from your AU set in Best Wishes would interact? It’d certainly be an interesting meet-up between the two formerly from our world.

Honestly, the idea of trainer titles having an actual significance outside of the games was just a concept that I sort of thought made sense for a while now. The Youngster Program was something that just fit if you were to try to make the Pokémon world more realistic, so it just seemed natural for me to implement it. I'm not sure if any one thing inspired it. I had similar thoughts with the idea of Ace Trainers and Rangers, specifically Rangers from the mainline games.

(It's funny you mention the Youngster Joey fic, because I had literally only just discovered that fic the other day. I have it in my Read Later list.)

I think Best Wishes Akari and SI Red would get along pretty well, honestly, especially if they both were made aware that they originally came from our normal boring human-only world. They were both Pokémon fans previously, so they've got stuff to bond over. I also think whatever interactions they'd have would be doubly interesting in relation with their significance to Ash— SI Red sort of ends up as a little brother figure to Ash in my fic, somewhat pushing Ash to mature faster and do his best to impress and make his little brother proud. Meanwhile, Akari takes the role of a big sister figure for Ash, opening him up to being vulnerable and being there for him when he needs support.

Red's little sibling energy meeting Akari's big sibling energy would be a treat, I think.

[lucienarcheron]

Quiet Thunder - I [Elucien]

Prompt: Lucien expresses his frustrations to Elain. | Part II

Genre: Angst  Rating: SFW Author’s note: This takes place post-ACOFAS.

It had started the night before. An unusual discomfort had taken place in his chest and he had rubbed at it all evening, waiting for it to pass, trying to ignore it as Jurian and Vassa discussed with him. He had tried to participate, discuss, and laugh along but the feeling kept intensifying as the night went on.

Something was wrong with Elain.

The thought kept repeating itself in his mind over and over again but he tried to push it away, tried not to think about it. Elain had been going through a variety of emotions the past few months and Lucien had silently endured them all.

Space was what she wanted and space is what he would give her. Even when it was impossible for him not to think of her constantly. It was an ache. An ache Lucien didn’t ask for and an ache he didn’t think he’d experience again.

But now, it was well into the morning and the feeling had only increased, the discomfort edging onto pain that had him bolting upright from his bed and winnowing into Velaris, haphazardly slipping a shirt on, his sleeping trousers nearly slipping off in his haste.

He quickly knocked on the door and when a minute passed, his knocking became more frantic.

A wide-eyed Feyre slowly opened the door and blinked at Lucien. “I know we’re friends Lucien, but you better have a good explanation for why you’re here looking like this.”

“Elain.” he choked. “Is she alright? How badly is she hurt?”

“Elain?” she blinked. “She’s fine she’s just — oh.”

“Oh, what?”

“She started her cycle this morning.” Feyre said with a small wince then waved a hand over him. “This makes sense now. Come in.”

Lucien followed her in, the tightness around his chest loosening slightly. Just her cycle. A cycle from the deepest pits of hell if he remembered correctly from his own mother’s experiences. From Jesminda’s. His chest tightened again at the thought of her name and he shook his head at the shame he felt. Ashamed that he was thinking of his previous lover while his mate lay upstairs in pain.

Not that she wanted anything to do with him.

Lucien followed Feyre into the huge kitchen of the estate and he nodded his head in greeting at the two half-wraiths who returned the gesture.

“How —how is she?” he asked softly.

“It’s been a rough morning,” Feyre said quietly as she took a tray loaded with hot tea and a small portion of food from Nuala’s hands. “I was actually on my way up to see her now. She’s mortified that everyone knows she’s dealing with it. As you’ve probably picked up by now, Elain is a tad more modest than most.”

Lucien nodded, a thin smile on his face. “From the few times we’ve been in the same room standing miles apart. Yes, I’ve gathered.”

Feyre gave him a look then sighed. “I’ve tried, you know.”

Lucien shook his head. “Don’t worry. I don’t blame her. I don’t blame you either. It’s not your responsibility.” He paused, glancing at his hands clenching the edge of the counter and then up at Feyre. “Would — would it be alright if I saw her? Made sure she’s okay?”

“I don’t know if she’ll be up for that.” Feyre said, biting on her lip in thought. “I can ask and see.”

He nodded in response. “I’ll wait down here.” he replied then sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for coming in like this. But I — I felt it. Her discomfort and pain. I thought she was hurt. As her mate, I’d — I’d like to help in any way I can.”

“A very specific kind of hurt.” Feyre said, scrunching her nose and then chuckling.

He gave her a small smile. “Indeed.” he replied then his smile fell from his face. “Um, let me know what she says.”

She only gave him a sympathetic smile in return, leaving with the tray in her hands. Lucien let out a breath and tried to remember why he was even here in the first place. Again, it wasn’t like she wanted anything to do with him. Months had passed and yet...at the first sign of dismay, here he was.

So much for dignity.

~

This must be what hell felt like.

Elain was in actual hell.

She let out another pitiful whimper, her fingers digging into her pillow trying to figure out what was worse: her uterus that was viciously shedding itself or her lower back that felt like a thousand knives were being stabbed in it.

She curled up herself in a fetal position, hoping to center all of it in one spot and Elain was pretty sure if it was possible to die from this, she would’ve been dead ages ago.

But then — then something felt different. Her head lifted slightly and she immediately knew what it was.

His scent.

Her mate.

Why was he here?

Why would he come?

Elain knew she hadn’t been the kindest to him. In fact, she was the rudest she had ever been to anyone when it came to him.

Lucien.

He wasn’t a bad person. He’d been nothing but kind to her and yet, she couldn’t make herself be more open to him. Previously, it was because she had still been in love with her ex-fiancé who had tossed her to the side in a moment when she needed him most.

But that wound was still there. Mending, but still there.

Now, however, she avoided Lucien because she wasn’t ready for any other alternative he may offer her.

It wasn’t fair. But Elain was in no way going to change the amount of the distance between them. In case — in case he demanded more than she could offer.

So why was he here?

A knock on her door interrupted her thinking and she weakly mumbled, “Come in.”

Elain registered Feyre’s footsteps as she closed the door and came closer to settle by her side at the edge of the bed, placing the tray on the nightstand next to it.

“How are you feeling?” Feyre asked and Elain let out a whine.

“Like I want to die.”

Feyre chuckled, rubbing Elain’s arm gently. “I bought you tea and some light food.”

Elain rubbed her cheek into the pillow, glancing at Feyre for a few seconds then averting her gaze. “I know he’s here.”

The room fell silent.

“Yes, he is.” Feyre finally spoke.

“Why?”

“Because he sensed that you’re hurting and wanted to check on you.”

“Why?”

“Are you really asking me that?”

“We’re strangers, he doesn’t have to pretend to care.”

“He’s not pretending to care. He does care. You’re his mate and you’re also my sister.”

“I doubt he’s here because he’s worried about his friend’s sister suffering through her cycle.” she said with a snort and then groaned softly as she stretched her body back flat on the bed, hoping to ease some of the tension in it.

Feyre sighed. “You know, he doesn’t want anything from you. He just wants to check on you.”

“I’d rather he didn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re strangers.”

“You’ve known each other for a year now and the only reason you’re not any less of strangers is your own fault.” Feyre said firmly and Elain shot her a look.

“What do you want, Feyre?”

“I want you to just stop worrying about him whisking you away and forcing you to be his bride for one minute and actually talk to him.” her sister said softly. “Like it or not, that link will always be there. You avoiding it won’t make it go away. So stop pretending it’s not there and address it so you both can move on.”

Elain eyed Feyre silently, her lips a thin line. Her sister was right, of course. That didn’t mean she wanted to talk to him. Especially in this state.

“Not today.”

“Elain.”

“Not. Today.” she hissed.

Feyre only silently gazed at Elain then sighed and stood. “Fine. I’ll let him know.”

“It probably won’t be for a while.” Elain only managed and watched as Feyre’s mouth turned into a thin line then nod as she opened the door and —

He was standing there. Standing in her doorway.

~

Lucien had tried to stop himself, tried not to care enough to follow but when he saw a chance, he took it. He just wanted to make sure she was alright. Maybe for once, get a damn word in to this female he was shackled to.

He stood silently outside her door. Debating whether he should knock or wait for Feyre to come out but then he had heard every word in their conversation and the conversation had frozen him to the spot, jaw clenched.

Truly like a deer caught in the wild, she was staring at him as though caught in a dirty act. Still as beautiful as the first time he’d seen her.

Elain bolted up or tried to, and slowly sat up with a soft whimper.

“You don’t have to get up. For once, please don’t.” he said. Please let me say what I have to say so it doesn’t stay bottled in me forever, was what he really wanted to say instead.

Feyre’s gaze hardened at him and he silently stood in the doorway, watching the two sisters exchange glances.

“I thought you were going to wait downstairs.” Feyre finally asked, turning back to him.

“Nuala had hot pads to help Elain. I offered to bring them up.” he stated dryly.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Elain replied, her cheeks flushing that he was standing at her door. That he had actually come up. How would she avoid him now?

“No, I didn't have to.” he agreed, then held out the pad to Feyre. “ But I wanted to. I know you’re in pain and uncomfortable.”

He watched as Feyre silently took the pad from him and brought it back to Elain’s side where they exchanged a silent conversation that had him dropping his gaze to his feet, the back of his neck heating. When was he ever going to be in a place that didn’t make him feel like scum?

“I don’t think now is a really good time.” Feyre said, walking back towards him. “Elain is pretty tired, perhaps another day we can —”

“When?” he said through clenched teeth and he felt both females pause, his eyes still on his feet. “When, Elain? When will you spare me some of your time so we can finally talk about this?”

“Lucien —” Feyre began but he held up a hand gently, finally locking gazes with his mate.

“I just want to say my piece and maybe I’m a bastard to be saying it with her in this state, but at least I know she won’t walk away and I can finally say what I have to say.” he continued.

Elain’s eyes widened slightly and then she averted her gaze, like she always did around him.

“And what do you have to say?” she asked quietly.

“Do me the dignity and at least look at me when I’m speaking, please.” he said quietly but firmly.

He watched as Elain met his gaze and they shared a moment of silence. A moment where frustration, longing, sorrow, and hurt — so much hurt was exchanged in that gaze.

Feyre stood silently between them but Lucien’s gaze never wavered from Elain’s.

“Yes?” she asked him.

“A year. A year has passed and you’ve ignored me.” he began, a hand moving to grasp the doorframe. “I can’t blame you. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. But we’re mates. That bond, that tie is always going to be there hanging over our heads whether we want it to or not.” Lucien swallowed trying to choke down his frustration, his shame. “But you are very arrogant to assume that I asked for this. That I want to be your mate.”

He watched her eyes widen.

“You don’t want a mate? That’s fair. I didn’t want one either.” Lucien continued, choking back a snarl. “I already had the big love of my life. She was everything to me. I thought she was my mate, I was waiting for that mating bond to snap in place but that didn’t happen.” He squeezed his eyes shut, the wood of the doorframe groaning under his grip and his voice softened as he continued, “She was murdered because of me and I have had to live with that for years on end until the Cauldron decided to throw us together.”

He watched her delicate hand fly to cover her mouth, eyes widened, but in horror this time. He only gave her a tight smile.

“So forgive me for saying this again but, it is very bold of you to assume I am sitting here and asking about you because I am blindingly pining for your affection.” he said, his voice deadly calm. “I am not some rabid animal that is trying to hunt you. I am not some — some filth that is trying to force anything on you. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for you. But the cauldron put us together for some reason or another. It wasn’t what you wanted and it most certainly wasn’t what I wanted or expected. All I ask is that you give us a chance.”

Elain swallowed, her chest rising and falling at his harsh words, at the tone. “A chance at what?”

“To know if there’s anything between us worth fighting for.” he answered. “To know if you’re worth any more effort on my part.”

“Lucien.” Feyre warned but he only held up a hand again.

“I don’t mean it as an insult. I’m not looking for a mate. Not after —” he cut himself off with a swallow then continued, “What I am looking for is a partner. Someone who will be my friend. Someone who will share the terrible moments as well as the good ones. You once said to me that no one ever looked at you, never saw you. You wanted someone who will. Well, that’s what I want too. Someone who sees me, Lucien, and stays.”

A heavy silence fell in the room as Lucien took a deep breath and Elain nervously fiddled with her sleeping gown, at loss for words. Feyre silently watching them both.

Finally, Lucien spoke up again from his position at the door. The position he hadn’t moved from, wouldn’t move from. Not until she let him in.

“The cauldron seems to think you’re it, Elain.” he said, glancing at her once more. “But the cauldron isn’t always right. Maybe we’d be great mates. Maybe we wouldn’t. Maybe we could be friends. Maybe we won’t. But the least — the least you could grant me, us, is a chance to talk about it.”

He watched as her gaze flickered from his face and back to her hands and he didn’t miss the slight trembling of her lips.

“I didn’t ask for this either and I’m not looking for you to love me. I’d like to at least be your friend.” he added softly. “But if you really don’t want that — if you don’t want anything to do with me, then that’s fine, but we need to discuss that. You want me to see you? I do. I see you. More importantly, I feel you all the time. I feel everything that you’re going through and I understand. But please understand this,  I cannot and won’t stand having no closure on this any longer. I can’t.”

He heard his voice crack on the last word and lowered his hands that has been gripping the door back to his sides. Again, Lucien felt his whole face heat up as silence enveloped them.

Say something. He wanted to beg. Say anything.

As though she heard him, Elain finally spoke up. “Would you have cared to want to be my friend if I wasn’t your mate?” she asked and his head snapped up to meet her gaze drilling into him. “Would I have mattered to you then?”

“You are Feyre’s sister, someone who is a close friend of mine. I would’ve cared about you because you’re her sister and then as we got to know each other, I would’ve cared about you for you.” he replied. “You’re important as your own person, Elain but...you haven’t given me a chance to get to know you.”

“And now? The only reason you want to get to know me is because of this bond?”

“Would you even know I existed if it wasn’t for the bond? Are you giving me a chance to get to know you despite it?”

Elain fell silent at that and he watched her swallow before answering, “He still has a place in my heart.”

“She still has one in mine.” he only replied.

He watched her gaze drift down to her hands as she fiddled with her fingers again but Lucien had had enough. His eyes locked on Feyre, “Heated massages always work well. My mother used to use this special lotion that stays heated as it’s rubbed in. It helped to alleviate the discomfort. I told the twins about it and Cerridwen went to get some from a shop in the city that I looked in once. I thought it might help.” he said quietly then his gaze flickered to Elain. “Feel better. Find me when you do.”

Lucien whirled on his heels but saw and heard nothing around him as he blindly made his way to the front door of the estate and winnowed out, winnowing back to his own bedroom, hoping for once, maybe today, he wouldn’t choke on his own frustrations.

[renaerys]

Happy birthday @scorpion-hime!

Art commission by @mayskalih

Scene inspired by A Quiet Thunder

[ineffablegods616]

I want Dolly Parton to be an Admiral in

Star Trek Janeway.

I don't care necessarily what happens, but I want Dolly Parton and Kathryn Janeway to be together.

They are both smol and I want short, fiery Admirals verbally destroying so many ppl....

Admiral Nychev(sp?) is also smol....

Oh shit!

Imma need

Janeway busting into a conference room with smol big hair blonde Admirals on either side of her.

They gon Saber Rattling Diplomacy so many mfkers.

Midwestern Tornado

Southern Fire

Russian Thunder

The Natural Disaster Special Forces of Admirals.

Yass. Yep. I'm in. Let's fuckin GOOOOOO!

Janeway comes in when other diplomats fail to get shit done.

She always travels with 2 other ships, each with their own Admiral.

They always give the other guy one last shot at whoever before

Janeway struts thru the door, and places her rifle on the table. Or if we wanna be massive lil shits about it, an ornamental saber, like Naval officers. And sits down. Dolly and Alynna flank her.

"I have for you a list of your options, here are our concessions (pulls up holo-display), these are their concessions. (Pointing out each list)

Now. I'm here to help you choose and get on with this agreement. Rather than this purgatory of petty whims. Does anyone have an issue with that?"

Pick a tall aggressive ppl...idk Klingon kinda feels old hat for this...Stands up and walks up on Dolly at Janeway's right side.

"And what are three small frail human females going to do if we do?"

Dolly smirks at him crooks a finger at him. He leans down to her level...

And that's all I got....

Someone better at writing write this lol

[bobbile-blog]

Arknights Lore Recap: End of 2023

Here I was, thinking my last post would be sufficient, but they keep on adding more gosh darn lore. Half a year has gone by since my last post, so I thought I'd update things and make another post of "where is everyone at the moment" to help keep all these plotlines straight. So, here's the sequel! More events, more organization since it's no longer a half-assed post I wrote on my phone in an hour, and you'd better believe we've got more lore to get through.

(Of course, spoilers for the current state of basically everything in Global, though they'll be the kind of "current events" spoilers to help you understand where we are at the moment)

Currently Active Plotlines:

Main Story act II: Main story chapters/ What the Firelight Casts, Amiya/ Siege/ Stainless/ Shining/ W/ Kal'tsit/ Doctor/ Closure/ etc.

Act 2 is in full swing, and oh boy do we have some politics to wade through. The general idea, minimizing spoilers, is that the Royal Court of the Sarkaz have taken over Londinum and intend to expand further using the catastrophe-creating superweapon The Shard. They're led by Theresis and the (mostly) united Sarkaz lords, and with a mercenary army they basically rule Victoria as an occupying power. Their power is concentrated in Londinum, the only city they really formally occupy, but as they control the seat of the country's power they effectively have the rest of the country at their mercy.

Opposing them are a number of factions. Firstly, the coalition of Victorian Nobles that have ruled the country (and that technically invited the Sarkaz to Victoria in the first place) want the throne again. There are a few specific nobles we deal with in ch12 but the implication is the politics will be elaborated on in the next chapter so we'll leave it there, the point is that they're the Victorian establishment trying to go back to old Victoria which means they suck. They're also working with Dublinn, who are collaborating with the Duke of Wellington(?) who is sympathetic to their causes. The Nobles have just recently gone to formal war with the Sarkaz, but they also all hate each other and will absolutely stab each other in the back whenever possible.

Besides them, there are also a couple of smaller underground resistance factions. The Londinum Self-salvation Corps, or Eartha, is a guarilla resistance movement who is currently getting their asses handed to them by the Sarkaz. They basically existed solely because the Sarkaz hadn't bothered to wipe them out yet, and have currently evacuated all of their surviving personnel out of the city. Additionally, there's a group of Victorian soldiers led by Commander Skamandros who have been sticking their noses into things. If I recall correctly, they're trying to evacuate Londinum as well.

Finally, we have Rhodes Island. We're here because of the classic D&D reason of "well all our plotlines seem to end up in this general area so I guess that's where we're going". Amiya and Kal'tsit feel somewhat responsible for not stopping Theresis and Amiya specifically is probably the only person with the right to challenge Theresis for the throne of the Sarkaz. Bagpipe and Reed (and Ch'en) are dealing with Dublinn things, so they have to be around here. Shining is a Confessarius and her evil wizard family is supporting Theresis so she's got stuff to do there. Siege is the last surviving member of the Victorian Royal family, so she's bound by blood and obligation to reclaim the throne, as well as just generally wanting to help the people of Victoria. Hoderer is currently in the employ of the Sarkaz and Innes is working in Londinum as a spy for Rhodes Island, so W wants to head there too. There's a lot going on, far too much to describe, so I'll leave things at "we have half a dozen personal plotlines to pursue there" so I can move on to the actual side events.

The Devil's Dragonball Fusion Dance: Ancient Forge(?)/ Who is Real/ Invitation to Wine/ Where Vernal Winds will Never Blow, Nian/ Dusk/ Ling/ Chong Yue/ Lava/ Kroos/ Lee/ Waai Fu/ Lin/ Zuo Le/Liang Xun

This one is updated pretty regularly as the CN new year event. The short lore overview is that Yan used to be populated by godlike beings called Feranmuts. Feranmuts fought a war with people, which concluded when a Feranmut named Sui betrayed his people because they wanted to be the only one with their kind of powers. After the war, the emperor of Yan (China analogue) split him into 12 fragments which eventually developed their own identities and personalities - these are the Sui siblings, i.e. Nian, Dusk, Ling, Chong Yue, etc. Once all twelve of these siblings meet again, they will reform back into Sui and they'll probably take over the world or whatever. We don't know exactly but it won't be good.

There are currently three parties interested in gathering the siblings, and one trying to prevent them. Firstly, the Second Brother (who is currently unnamed) is just a little crazy, and is currently working with the Yanese ministry of rites to revive Sui. We don't know a ton about him, but we know he's somehow split himself into fragments and scattered himself across the land. Secondly, Ya is another Feranmut that survived the old war and wants revenge on Yan and Sui. They want Sui revived so they can have a proper form of revenge on Them, and are currently in control of the Shanhaizhong bandits kinda just causing issues wherever They can. Finally, Nian and her siblings at Rhodes Island also want to gather the siblings, but not to re-form Sui. She has some sort of plan to bring the siblings together without losing themselves, and is working with Rhodes Island to accomplish it. Similarly, we don't know a lot about her plan, but they're generally the protagonists of the events. Finally, Zuo Le is an official in a Yanese organization called the Sui Regulator, whose job is to monitor and secure the remaining Feranmuts and the fragments of Sui. Zuo Le is doing his best, but he's a little out of his weight class, so most of what he does is follow the Sui fragments around and try to figure out what the hell is going on.

The Call of We Many: Grani and the Knight’s Treasure/ Under Tides/ Stultifera Navis/ Mizuki and Caerula Arbor (Integrated Strategies 3), Skadi/ Specter/ Gladiia/ Kal’tsit.

Was updated pretty frequently as an anniversary event, but they seem to have thrown us a big lore dump with Caerula Arbor and left it at that for the time being, which is understandable. The lore here is the Seaborn are a race decended from some early Feranmuts who are basically a constantly-evolving devouring swarm. They exist to consume and assimilate all of the life on the planet, and unless we are very very careful and work very very quickly they are going to do just that.

The state of the plot at the moment is a little odd. Because Mizuki and Caerula Arbor isn't canon, the plot is still at the end of Stultifera Navis. Specter has recovered her self, and the team of Abyssal hunters is delving deeper into the current state of the seaborn. Their former leader, Ulpanius, has shown up to warn them not to return to Aegir, and while the Stultifera Navis sank the lighthouse was recovered and some trinkets from the ship made it back. We aren't really sure where we're going from here, but it's not necessarily to Caerula Arbor. Basically, the canon lore of IS3 is that on a mission to the Iberian Coastline, the Doctor and Mizuki found a weird seaborn monument, and Mizuki used their connection to the Seaborn's minds to look into alternate timelines and show them to the Doctor. That means that while the events of the story are not canon, the Doctor may still know and reference the events in the story. I'm not going to go over all of IS3 because there's so much of it but you can find a rough summary here.

Fangs of the Signiori dei Lupi: Hinted earlier in the main story/ Il Siracusano, Texas/ Emperor/ Lapland/ Projekt Red/ Lunacub.

This is the newest of these plots, set up in Il Siracusano and presumably proceeding from there. The Feraerus are supernatural talking animals that we’ve encountered a couple of times throughout the story, like the High Priest or the Emperor. They are connected with the land and are almost akin to guardians of it. They don’t need Originium for their magic, and are tied to the setting in ways we don’t quite understand yet. More importantly to us, though, they’re involved in their own power struggles and contests among each other. This underscored the drama in Il Siracusano - the whole Bellone family was propped up by the wolf Feraerus Zarro as part of an ancient game in which the wolves pick champions, called Fangs, who fight each other in a Battle Royale to decide the pack’s next alpha a la the fake wolf study. We know a couple of the fangs - Lunacub is one and Bernardo was another before his death, but Projekt Red is also a Fang, as well as Crownslayer’s mentor, so we’ll probably be coming back to this conflict in the future. It's unclear how we'll approach it, though, as Bernardo and Lunacub's files seem to imply that the eventual goal will breaking free of this game.

Law and Otherwise: Guide Ahead, Fiametta/ Mostima/ Andoain/ Cecile/ Lemuen/ Pope Yvangelista XI/ Law/ Executor/ Enforcer

This one hasn't been super developed yet, but it's worth including with both Hortus de Escapismo and Zwillingstürme im Herbst coming up. Laterano, the city of the Sankta, is governed by immutable laws that are engraved onto the very bodies of the Sankta. In Guide Ahead, Andoain seeks to ask the Pope the question of why the Sankta do not help the people of the world. He learns that the laws that bind the Sankta are real, physical commandments enforced by Law, a robotic entity similar to the Preserver from Lonetrail, and the consequences and exceptions relating to the law are entirely at its discretion. The law is what it is because Law says so.

The Sami Icefields

This hasn’t technically gotten an event yet, besides that one story in Operational Intelligence, but I’m including it as an honorable mention because we’re going there for IS4. The Icefields are up north of Ursus, and they are terrifying. You remember the Emperor’s Blade, the one that kicks your ass in WD-8? Yeah we only see three of them in the game because the rest are busy fighting against the Eldritch demons constantly invading from the Sami Icefields. Let’s please never go there ever, thanks.

Finished Plotlines:

These two are complete plots, which I'm including for posterity and the worldstate. Spoilers for all of these events, but I'll try to keep things to the present so as to not spoil too much.

The Grand Knight Major: Maria Nearl/ Pinus Sylvestris/ Near Light/ Obscure Wanderer, Blemishine/ Zofia/ Nearl/ The Followers/ Flametail/ Ashlock/ Fartooth/ Wildmane/ Justice Knight my beloved/ Gravel/ Platinum/ Roy/ Monique/ Młynar.

Margaret Nearl won the 24th Major and became the Grand Knight, and has since stayed in Kazimierz to improve living conditions for the infected and push back against the General Chamber of Commerce. The Armorless Union has mostly been decapitated - the Platinum defected, the Lazurites have disappeared and taken on new identities, and the Darksteel has promised to stay away from Margaret and Rhodes Island. Pinus Sylvestris and most of the rest of the Nearls are now on the landship, working for Rhodes Island.

A New Age is Upon Us: Mansfield Break/ Dorothy’s Vision/ Lonetrail/ the second Records of Originium comic (which has an official translation that you should absolutely read it’s really good)/ the Friston-3 event whenever Yostar decides to get around to releasing it, Silence/ Ptilopsis/ Saria/ Ifrit/ Dorothy/ Mulesyse/ Ferdinand/ Rosemontis/ Ho’olheyak/ Kirsten.

After the events of Project Horizon, Terra has forever been changed. For just a fleeting moment, every living being in Terra looked up and saw the stars for the first time. The consequences of this aren't totally clear just yet, but it will almost have rippling effects across the world and marks a shift in the game's story as a whole. We also received confirmation of just who the Doctor truly is, and a look behind the curtain of Terra's history. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that nothing is the same after Lonetrail.

In more specific character terms, though, Saria is the new control of Rhine lab, with Silence as her assistant and ethics advisor. Ifrit is a big girl now, and practically a different character entirely from who she was at the start of the game - seriously, her character arc might be my favorite in the game. Rosemontis has also similarly faced her past and come out stronger, and not only Directors Dorothy and Mulesyse but also Maylander agent Ho'olheyak have come over to Rhodes Island in the chaos after Project Horizon. Finally, Rhodes Island has uncovered the real powers lying behind the scenes of Columbian Politics, but have in turn been noticed themselves. We are no longer in the shadows, and it would be wise to keep that in mind.

[sculptorofcrimson]

Mountain of Bones

“Of course I remember. I remember it all in perfect enumeration.” 

It was written there, upon the bones that had been betrayed. Memories of victory, of heroism, of warriors in golden clad. Gods sharing their triumph, demigods that had walked the earth side by side by them. There had been glory, warm and golden and bladed, like the weight of living sunlight caught in a bottle. And then the blood mountain. Ararat. 

You may call it mercy. A mercy blow, a knife through the heart. Peace. Relief. The last remedy for the clinically ill. But what of loyalty? Just what could be said of their loyalty? What could be said for those who served Him in the most ruthless of His incarnations, the warlord that conquered Terra beneath gold and hail? Those who gave their lives to Him, knowing they would end as rabid dogs beneath the fray. Knowing this path would break them, char them, leave nothing behind, and still choose to walk for their master. 

What could be said of their loyalty? Is it not just as pure as those who had no choice but to obey? Those who had their brains rebuilt by His hand, those who could know nothing of loyalty for they never knew betrayal? What could they know about the violation of their bones, of their flesh, of knowing your body would eat itself alive in its hunger and still choosing to soldier on? When have they ever known pain, when their lord would not even afford them the luxury of fear? 

Go on. Stand. How could one bear the weight of the bones upon the frost? 

They were dying, the living dead. And they were afforded a glorious end, before their bones were buried beneath the frost. 

“It was not my choice.” he rumbled softly, his voice as tenebrous as the shadows above the graves. His golden armor was immaculate, it's carvings as luxurious as the graves of kings, as was befitting the guardian of a god. “I obeyed…” It was for unity. It was for unity that they lowered the blade.

The hands of the dead stretch back, blackened beneath layers of soot, bony fingers holding coins of their betrayal like ash. There was pain there, deep and hollow and aching, pain for what was lost, what had been so utterly broken so long ago, for the price of obedience. 

He obeyed. And paid the price. 

It is written there, the price for ruling the world, written upon the bones that had been betrayed by the sun, exiled by the earth, buried beneath frost and bone.  It is written here, by the hands that had betrayed them, upon the bones of the betrayed. It is written in the bones, the bones of Mt. Ararat.

[fudgecicles]

Read chapter 12 of Arknights. It is a thematically ambitious story. From my reckoning, it has four main topics it is trying to tackle: -War under the lens of the homeland, the experience of being displaced, and the horror of seeing your homeland and everything you love be destructively changed irrevocably. It makes you question whether you knew the place and people in it in the first place. -War under the lens of politics, the insidious nature of this perspective, the way it erases all the human suffering underneath it. The Trilby Asher is the representative of this point of view in the story, a fittingly really silly person, but whose transactional logic, and his ability to mete out the threats is chilling. -The questioning of the inherent authority of a monarch, which the story attempts to discredit by reductio ad absurdum. Siege and Amiya are put in a situation where their authority is put to the test. Siege in the end couldn't save much of anything with it, and Amiya couldn't deny the charges levied against her. -The overall meaning of all the struggle people go through, which is mainly covered from the perspective of the immortal shapeshifter Damazti Cluster, who in the end tries out death as a way to understand that struggle, and for whom death is a novel experience. I am not sure how well each of these elements fit together as an overall whole, but I was overall satisfied with how each of these points were tackled by the story. As for the reading experience, the story starts out as a slow burn, but overall picks up once they enter the Norport siege. It is a low intensity chapter, but whose individual part builds up a low key terror/tragic feeling to great heights. Now, the question is whether the catharsis of the ending matches that build up, and in my experience, it does okay, but only okay. It needs a little more for the full emotional release. Favorite character: Damazti Cluster was a really well built up antagonist, and enjoyed every bit of the story that showed his unconventional point of view of life and death. Minor characters that got my attention: Cador, who has an absolutely based opinions of the monarchy during his questioning of Siege, although to be fair I did feel sorry for Siege, who didn't have much control over her situation. I also have a soft spot for Colbert, mainly because I have personally had a similar conversation with others about my own identity.