#TT Team cc team

[cathalbravecog]

if the update tmrw is another arg or just an overhyped Nothing Sandwich Dissappointment update again im going t

[dodgebolts]

kills mysefl turtle troop didn't make playoffs

[diabolus1exmachina]

Audi 100 Coupé S 

As a new car on top of the 60-75-Super 90 range (still based on the original 2-stroke DKWF102), Audi showed the 100 for the first time in 1968. Although substantially larger than the Super 90, is still used the 1760 cc 4 cylinder engine, whereby only in LS trim the power (100 BHP) seemed to be equally matched to the size of the car. (The cheaper version had 80 or 90 BHP).

The Audi development team was headed by Dr. Ludwig Kraus, who had spent much of his professional life in the Mercedes racing Department. For his private satisfaction he looked at a more sporty version of the 100, and in 1969 the first model of the 100 Coupe was shown at the IAA in Frankfurt. Remarkably similar to the Fiat Dino coupe, many still consider this car as one of the most beautiful Audis ever built. (It is hard to imagine that a TT wears the same badge).

The shortened chassis was good enough to accept more power, and the engine was subsequently increased to 1870 cc, and now produced 115 BHP, thanks to a double barrel Carburetor. Kerb weight was 1100 kg only so brisk movement was guaranteed. Indeed the car could easily reach 185 km/h. Alternatively the 100 BHP engine could also be had.

Production started in 1970, and in 1972 a revised version was shown, whereby the engine had been reworked, in order to reduce the significant fuel consumption, and to meet emission requirements on some of the export markets. Power went down to 112 BHP, mainly because of the removal of one of the two carbs.

Although looking very elegant and stretched, the car's length is only 4.4 meters, but with a width of 1.75 meters, it made quite an impression on the motorway.

Rust prevention was not the strongest part of the production process and only very few of these beautiful cars have survived. Production stopped in 1976, and in total 30787 cars were made.

[bookofmirth]

I personally do think that between Gwyn and Elain, Gwyn has a better chance of helping Bryce because she's doing research about the other worlds and stuff and she also kind of speaks the old language- she at least sings her songs in the old language so I would I assume that she can talk it. We know nothing about Elain and she didn't have any visions since acowar + I don't think the IC would let her help.

But tbh? I don't think they will play a big role in CC3 no matter how much el/riels and gwynriels think that. I feel like Sjm will only stick to the IC and Nesta. Maybe only those who were in the crossover? She said that CC3 will partically lead to Acotar 5? We have Azriel, who made a big apperance in the crossover and the whole TT thing. That only just conviences me that acotar 5 is his book and he most likely will play a big role in CC3 while Bryce is in Prythian.

Elain or Gwyn might make a small apparance but I don't think a big one where they are really needed. I think Rhys or someone else would mention that they'll go to the library to get some more Information and Bryce might just meet Elain briefly. That's my opinion though- I really don't think it is a big deal.

Again, I have no fricking clue how el/riels included Elain because like I said... Elain may be a seer, but she doesn't have visions every now and then and she doesn't know how to control them. She didn't have visions to warn Cassian and Azriel about the trap before they went to save Eris. Or warn Nesta before she went to Emerie and Gwyn came along. And even if, her visions are very unclear, no one in the IC didn't get it until it was too late (in acowar). The IC doesn't include her in anything, which is why she was barely in acosf. Plus she has no clue about the other worlds or anything about Prythian. Gwyn and Merril might do research that Bryce could need and it's good for her to know the old language which is why I understand gwynriels better, I still don't think she would be that much included like they think.

Agree 100%, if in part because I really really really don't want the two worlds to be *that* entwined with each other haha

There are a lot of potential ways in which the IC and other characters could help Bryce, but my hope is that their involvement remains at a minimum. I know that sjm said that cc3 is going to set up the remaining books, which sounds like it could have a huge impact on acotar, but I am going to remain hopeful. I am not a fan of being upset until I absolutely have to be.

And let's be real, if either character's name comes up even once in CC3, the fandom is going to lose its collective shit. Or, the few remaining braincells it has. "Elain sneezed" *chaos* "Gwyn said hi" *mayhem* "Azriel blinked" *orgasm*

Perhaps she will only stick to the people who were in the final chapter, which would be the IC, like you mentioned (Rhys, Feyre, Cassian, Az, Amren, and Mor) and Nesta. It would be very easy for Merrill to help without actually appearing on the page, same for Gwyn. And as you mentioned, Elain would have a *lot* of work to do before she'd be in a position to help, and I am Team acotar and CC Stay Separate As Fucking Possible. I can't imagine that Rhys & Co. would want a lot of the other courts to know about Bryce? They don't know if she's a threat, or an ally, or something in between. So I could see them trying to keep her presence pretty secret.

I'm just tired of trying to predict stuff in a series where the author literally does whatever the fuck she wants - which I don't blame her for, at least she's having fun - and it's not even something I enjoy doing under normal circumstances.

[stereax]

Okay so I said maybe I'd do this but now I am DEFINITELY doing this for real. I'm writing and hopefully posting this after the first round of the draft so I don't get spooked by GMs making trades on the draft floor. But let's go and see how wrong we are in a year!

Stereax's 2023-24 NHL Predictions!

Quick disclaimer: I'm not going to be going into a 1-32 power ranking; only five categories: Cup Contender, Playoff Placer, Wildcard Watchlist, Middest Misser, and Terrible Tanker. This will roughly give us five strata - CC for the top teams in the league, PP for those that should comfortably make the playoffs and do okay in them, WW for those that should end up in the wildcard race, MM for those that don't make the playoffs yet aren't bad enough to get into the draft lottery, and TT for the worst teams in the league who are in the race for last. Alliteration, baby. In addition, I'm going to have 1 CC, 2 PPs, 2 WWs, 2 MMs, and 1 TT per conference, just to spice it up.

That being said, let's get into it!

First up, let's start with my favorite division: the Metro!!!

Hurricanes: Signing Kochetkov was one of the best things Brind'Amour did. Look at the Canes' CapFriendly situation and tell me what you think. Spoiler alert: a lot of their depth is headed for UFA (Gostisbehere confirmed, I think, and a lot more that look likely). Next year is really their last year to go for it before the big guns' contracts come up and they're going to cap crunch. It also depends on the goalie situation, but for now, I'm giving them a solid ranking, but not the best. Playoff Placer.

Devils: Okay, I am a Devils fan ride-or-die, but, at the time of writing this, it's hard to say we're NOT going to roll the Metro. Fitz's recent trades (Toffoli for Shango and a 3rd, dumping Mac, sign-and-trading Severson) have injected even more oomph into the lineup while giving up little of long-term value. Not going to talk Devils puck for an hour, although I very very much could (and would if anyone hit my inbox please talk to me I get lonely lol), but we genuinely have one of the best forward cores in the league, some great defense coming up, and actual goaltending. And cap space! Cup Contender.

Rangers: As long as Shesterkin exists, the Rangers should be decent enough to be at LEAST wildcards. As long as Drury exists, the Rangers will never be good enough to be actual contenders. I'm sorry, but this was supposed to be their year and they blew it even harder than the other times they blew it. They are constantly in win-now mode and failing to develop their prospects. Their forward core is slowly aging as well. Also, the cap is screwing them over. Playoff Placer.

Islanders: As long as Sorokin exists, the Islanders should be decent enough to be at LEAST wildcards. As long as Lou exists, the Islanders will never be good enough to be actual contenders. The difference between the Rags and Isles is that the Rags, for as much as I hate them, have a functional top 6. The Isles? Hah. Retirement home. Wildcard Watchlist.

Penguins: What can I really say about them? Getting really old and deciding to hold the three-headed monster's hands as they ride off into the sunset. It's noble but it's not going to get them a cup. I think Dubas is going to make some positive changes to the organization and make them more competitive, but will he make them a contender? Not at all - there's not enough left in the tank for that. Wildcard Watchlist.

Capitals: Similar to the Penguins, the Capitals seem to have decided that their goal now is to get Ovi the goals record and hold his hand as he moves closer to retirement. However, the Caps seem to have decided they're not going to contend much going forward and can start the rebuilding process at least a little earlier. They're not going into tank mode, but they're not going to make the playoffs. Middest Misser.

Flyers: I have a tag that's literally "Danny Briere's Tank-a-Thon" on my blog. It is used frequently. Briere took over the organization and basically said "this team is not going to get us where we want to go so we need to burn it to the ground". The Michkov draft pick only solidifies that their plan is not to contend in the next few years. Terrible Tanker.

Blue Jackets: Fantilli gets another year in UMich but the Jackets are building a strong team to be ready for him next year. They're going to be better this season - they've bolstered their blue line with the Provorov and Severson trades. Now if they can get a goaltender that posts a save percentage beginning with a .9 and not a .8... Until then, they're not going to contend. But they won't be last in the division - the Flyers exist. Middest Misser.

Alright, time to visit the other Eastern division: the Atlantic!

Bruins: They're not gonna repeat the success from last year. Cap is chewing at their team (already they traded Hall and Foligno for table scraps) plus Bergeron and Krejci are major question marks. Relying on Zacha as the 1C is a yikes. That being said, a lot of this team still works - Pasta, Marchand, the goalies, the defense. That should get them into the playoffs. But there will be a bunch of question marks too - Lucic, for example. Why? Playoff Placer.

Maple Leafs: Treliving has some really tough decisions to make. Keep the Core Four? Trade someone? Let someone walk? Wait - I'm getting reports that he... signed David Kampf to a 2.5m AAV deal? What the fuck was that? No, seriously, what the fuck was that? This is why Leafs fans can't have nice things! You have some great pieces and an absolute inability to build around them. Oh, and look at that, you just drafted Easton Cowan with your first-round pick when that kid was slated to go in the third or fourth round of the draft. Better options were on the table, Treliving. Playoff Placer.

Lightning: I really think this is the slow decline of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Jeannot whiff and the loss to the Leafs, a literal cursed team, only solidified it - the Cup tax was too great. With the rise of young Atlantic teams in the Sabres and Senators, I can't give the Lightning a higher grade - even if I know they're going to find themselves in the third division spot at the end of the day. Middest Misser.

Panthers: It's very hard to argue with success. The Cats have what it takes and they know their weak spots (defense, mainly). They're not going to win the Atlantic, but they'll do as their Lightning friends have done and win just enough to get in as the 2nd or 3rd seed, then wreak havoc. Bob showed us he's worth his contract, and, with Knight, it's only looking up from here. Cup Contender.

Sabres: Young, rising stars like Tage Thompson and Devon Levi pushed the Sabres oh-so-close to a playoff spot last season. With the slow decline of the Bruins and Lightning, as well as the massive question mark that is the Leafs, I think the Sabres can snap their playoff drought next season and finally exit their rebuild. They could also get oh-so-close again though... Wildcard Watchlist.

Senators: Young, rising stars like Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle pushed the Senators oh-so-close to a playoff spot last season. With the slow decline of the Bruins and Lightning, as well as the massive question mark that is the Leafs, I think the Sens can definitely make the playoffs. They could also get oh-so-close again though... Okay, but disregarding the Sabres/Senators parallels: the Sens need an actual goaltender. No goalie, no playoffs. Goalie, playoffs. Wildcard Watchlist.

Red Wings: The Yzerplan was rumored to be long and arduous. Good news for Red Wings haters is there's no sign of that changing any time soon. While I am now morally obligated to love this team because of my newest boy that I've just adopted Nate Danielson going there, please don't tell me they have any playoff aspirations any time soon. They're already breaking Ville Husso. Terrible Tanker.

Canadiens: Their entire team shouldn't break, right? Like, that was a one-time thing? Cool. There are still a lot of question marks on the Habs' roster - they'll probably truly break out again in 24-25 or 25-26 to coincide with the decline of the Bruins and Lightning. Develop the rookies more this year. They could make the playoffs in 23-24, but I think it's a long shot. They will give the Sabres and Senators a run for their money, though. Middest Misser.

With that, the East is complete. Time to head out West... Central time!

Avalanche: Avalanche fans are all crying because Landy's out another season and half the longer-term players are being traded or let go. Despite this, the Avalanche have proven to us (last season) that they can still win the Central even if their whole team is broken. I can't give them a worse score than this, and they don't deserve it, either. Even so, I'm somewhat worried at the long-term future of the Avalanche. Playoff Placer.

Stars: It is no secret that I consider the Central the worst division in the NHL. Most of these teams are genuinely just meh. The Stars probably have the best shot out of who we've got, despite some of the depth such as Domi and Glendening leaving in free agency and players such as Pavelski possibly retiring - they've had deep runs in the past few years, and young talents such as Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger will only get better. I'm going to take this moment to laugh at the Stars deciding to bridge Robertson, though. That's going to bite them in the ass in a few years. For now, though? Cup Contender.

Wild: Look, it's a given by now that the Wild will make the playoffs and then lose in consecutively more humiliating fashion in the first round every single year. That being said, Gustavsson was stellar last year. Can he keep it up? Kaprizov is going to become a franchise player for the Wild, and now he actually has forwards that can score, too. It's looking up - what? Almost $15m tied up in dead cap from buyouts of Parise and Suter? Point and laugh, boys. Point and laugh. Good luck with offersheets, Minnesota. Playoff Placer.

Jets: The entire organization is blowing up. All the top players want out. The Jets are trying their best - the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade was great for the team, for example. I suspect, however, that they're slowly sliding into the rebuild era. No Hellebuyck? No shot. And Helle wants out to a team that can get him a Cup... Wildcard Watchlist.

Predators: Juuse Saros almost dragged the Milwaukee Admirals to the playoffs. That in and of itself gives this organization a lot of hope. If the Predators can put even a mediocre NHL-level team in front of Saros, who knows what happens? They're reportedly selling Askarov - the goalie they drafted in the first round a few years ago (which is super rare for goalies). Saros is the foreseeable future for this team. Wildcard Watchlist.

Blues: I categorically choose not to pay attention to the Blues because Jordan Bitchington pisses me off. That being said, what do the Blues even have? The Tkachuks' patronage? Some decent-at-best players in Kyrou and Buchnevich? Every good player on the Blues ends up not there (and generally on the Leafs). No shot they're good next year. Middest Misser.

Coyotes: They don't even have an arena. They drafted off the board for both their picks. (It was to pick up teammates in Simashev and But, though! I can vibe with it!) This doesn't change the fact that they're still the official bank of the NHL. Star-studded LTIR roster. And UrinatingTree just made ANOTHER lolcow video about the Coyotes. Terrible Tanker.

Blackhawks: Can Taylor Hall have another Hart Trophy season and drag a first overall center and a relatively awful team to the playoffs? Probably not. You got Bedard, wooo. Now you have to build a team of people who want to play in Chicago. Good luck! Middest Misser.

And finally, last but certainly not least... Pacific!

Golden Knights: The Knights make all the right moves (mostly), even despite the fans' best wishes. Dumping an original Misfit to Pittsburgh to make cap space for Barbashev? Trading Fleury? No matter how beloved you are, you are not safe. That being said, the Knights make the right moves. The goaltending should stabilize in the next season and the depth is insane - the Knights' fourth line is the best in the league bar none. This one's easy. Cup Contender.

Oilers: If the Oilers could build a god damn team around McDavid and Draisaitl, we wouldn't be here. Unfortunately, they can't, and we are. Darnell Nurse's 9m AAV haunts me and I'm not even really an Oilers fan. Christ. Good news is Skinner is playing great; bad news is the 5m AAV Campbell is not. See a pattern of overpaying bad defense and goalies? Yeah. Oh, and the Oilers might have to give up at least one of their good top 6 players to be able to pay their bottom 6. Yikes. Even so, the Edmonton McDraisaitls will still bury teams 5 goals a game. Playoff Placer.

Kings: Why did you pay that much for Pierre-Luc Dubois? In trade and in contract. That's an 8.5m AAV pylon for some of your best prospect forwards. You sold Quick for a few casino chips and he won his third Cup without you. Damn, the Kings are probably one of the most forgettable teams in the NHL and this proves it. Wildcard Watchlist.

Kraken: The Kraken are one of the teams that have pleasantly surprised me this season. They're really building something special in Seattle with a well-rounded roster, and Matty Beniers and Shane Wright can become bona fide stars for the Kraken. Beating the Avalanche in a playoff round only makes me more sympathetic. They should be solid for a few years yet. Playoff Placer.

Flames: Two questions: 1) What is Conroy smoking? 2) Can I have some? Look at the Toffoli trade - you just gave up your best point scorer last season for a 3rd round pick and a 3rd liner because you wouldn't prioritize his contract. The entire damn team is RUNNING from you. Yeah, you still have pieces like Kadri and Huberdeau, but even they are underperforming. Oilers fans are laughing at you. Even so, I'll be nice to you, because nobody else will be. Wildcard Watchlist.

Canucks: Hahahaha no. I should switch the rating for the Canucks and the Flames, realistically, but the sheer ineptitude of the Canucks' management is appalling. How the hell do you enter a season above the cap? The Canucks will always be mid until they realize they need to actually rebuild properly - but they won't, not if it means alienating Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. So they're always going to be mid. Oops. Hey, Demko's back though! Middest Misser.

Sharks: It's Shark Tank season for San Jose. Actively selling Erik Karlsson for whatever he can fetch? Actually trading a sixth for Mackenzie Brokenwood and (probably) tandeming him with James Reimer? Wanting Andreas Johnsson in a trade for Timo Meier, one of your last good pieces??? Terrible Tanker.

Ducks: Carlsson? Unexpected but not a bad pick. Defensive prospects are developing well and Drysdale's shoulder is reattached. The Ducks could break out in 23-24 - they won't, but they could! I see them taking a similar path to the Canadiens - moving into the top 4 teams once the Flames and Kings fall out of viability. Like the Canadiens, they'll need some more time, though. Middest Misser.

What do y'all think of this? Any teams I'm overvaluing or undervaluing? My ask box is open :)

[calliopesink]

The Tech Titans decode the Code Crushers, 3-2

The AdU IT & IS Society conducted their Sportsfest, open to all Information Technology and Information Systems students, titled “The PREMIER: Volleyball and Basketball Showcase for IT & IS'' at the Adamson University Saint Vincent Court on April 29, 2024. 

 In the final round of the volleyball tournament, the Tech Titans (TT) decoded the Code Crushers (CC), 3-2, in a 5-set championship game.

The Tech Titans' captain, Adrian Caliste, demonstrated his team's strength, confidence, and will on the court in order to get ready for the championship round.

“Noong finals na, bago magsimula binuild up muna namin yung confidence namin inside the court kasi alam namin na yung makakalaban namin is different from the first teams we fought.” (When it was the finals, before we started, we first built up our confidence inside the court because we knew that the team we were going to play against was different from the first teams we fought.). 

During the first set, the offensive and defensive strategies of the TT overshadowed the CCs’ powerful spikes. Their teamwork worked and gave them the one-point lead, getting the first set and giving them the advantage.

“Smooth naman yung mga receives and sets namin hanggang mag 25 yung score namin, medyo nahirapan kami sa mga atake ng kalaban kasi talagang malakas rin sila umatake.” (Our receives and sets were smooth until our score was 25, but we had a bit of trouble with the enemy's attacks because they also attacked really strongly.) Caliste said.

However, the Code Crushers defeated the Tech Titans twice in a row, making it 2-1 in favor of the CC.

The two consecutive sets dominated by the Code Crushers forced the Tech Titans to call for a timeout.

At this point, Caliste revealed that the players had already come to terms with their defeat and advised them to simply enjoy the game. 

“Para sa akin talo na talaga kami, kahit itanong mo sa mga nanonood noon and tamlay ko. Kaya as a team captain, sinabi ko sa team ko na kahit ano mangyari enjoyin lang natin ito, win or lose icelebrate natin bawat point na makukuha natin” (For me, we really lost, even if you ask those who were watching then, and I'm lazy. So as a team captain, I told my team that no matter what happens, let's just enjoy it, win or lose, let's celebrate every point we get), Caliste said.

With motivation, confidence, and teamwork, the Tech Titans snatched the 4th set and gave them the opportunity to fight on the 5th set. 

The momentum continued for the TT as they clinched the 5-set victory against the Code Crushers. 

Caliste said that he’s very thankful that he listened to his friends and applied their advice during the game.

“Sobrang thankful ako na nakinig ako sa mga advice ng kaibigan ko, para sa akin yun talaga yung comeback is real na sinasabi nila.” (I'm so thankful that I listened to my friend's advice; for me, that's really the comeback is real, they say) Caliste said.

Written by: Juan Condeza

Pubmat by: Gayle Estrada

[callilouv]

ohh man its been a while since ive had fun in an ml match TT had sm fun playing this one ngl the matchmaking was so even and like we were all so aggressive and i think like all throughout the game (early, mid, and late) we were literally jsut . just fighting HWJKGDHJG LIKE BRO FORGET FARMING LETS JUST FIGHT😭 ofc i was a jungler and i needed to kill creeps but after the 5 min mark it was just wreak havoc LMAOO

literally i was the only front liner on the team (sort of cuz i was playing sustain esme) with natalia/novaria/lesley/luo yi yeah we did Not have a fighter help so the enemy is def more tanky BUT the enemy team is just all physical dmg so it was super easy to counter them (not rlly i got destroyed by chou's cc a few times HEPOKFIJ)

[sbknews]

Hickman doubles up to make it a dozen.

The afternoon’s Supertwin Race broke the pattern of having the same podium trio in Race 2 as in Race 1. The mythical “luck of the Irish” took a break as the fancied men from the Emerald Isle hit problems. The afternoon was warmer than the morning; it was t-shirt order for the crowd in the Parliament square. The crowd was small by TT standards; especially for a local bank holiday. It seemed that normal service would be the order of the day as Michael Dunlop (MD Racing Paton) led at Glen Helen by 1.02s from Mike Browne (Burrows Paton), with Peter Hickman (PHR Yamaha) in third. Hickman’s Yamaha had a new engine purchased from Michael Rutter and worked on all of the previous day by his team. Jamie Coward (Steadplan Kawasaki) was 4th, Stefano Bonetti (ILR Paton) 5th and Josh Brookes (Dafabet Kawasaki) was in 6th. Michael Rutter was seventh, but he clipped a kerb in Kirk Michael whilst checking the rev counter and broke his steering damper; he pulled out in the pits. Paul Jordan never reached Glen Helen; he was forced to retire at Harold’s. Coward soon joined the list of retirees; he was out at the far end of Kirk Michael. At Ballaugh, Dunlop was on lap record pace; he led by 3.35s from Mike Browne; with Hickman 5.82s down in third; this on a bike that he was hoping would give him a top 10 finish.  Dominic Herbertson was first into Ramsey on the CC Engineering Kawasaki, Rutter was next; then the flying Dunlop. Still on lap record pace, Dunlop led by 5.28s from Browne; who was on a personal best lap. Hickman was 9.2s back in third; Brookes, Bonetti and Pierre-Yves Bian completed the top 6. Browne set a sector record on the mountain; but took only 0.1s from Dunlop. Then the drama began in earnest; Dunlop had to grab the clutch on the climb to Brandywell; his race was over; he would not draw level with Joey on 26 wins. With a lap at 121.069mph, Mike Browne led by 11.65s as the riders came in for the mandatory pit stop. Brookes was third going into pit lane; a long stop due to him accidentally switching of the electronics cost over 30s and dropped him off the leader board. Bian was the rider on the move; he was 4th entering pit lane. At Glen Helen; Browne’s lead was 12.2s over Hickman. Bian was third; but only 1.7s ahead of Herbertson. At Ballaugh, the lead was 13.8s as they jumped the bridge. Herbertson had cut his deficit to Bian down to 0.03s. Herbertson was the leader on the road in Ramsey; however, there was trail of bluish smoke coming out of the machine; the harbinger of his eventual demise. He had taken 3rd from Bian by 0.43s. At the head of the field, Browne had an advantage of 16.6s over Hickman. Bonetti and Hodson filled out the top 6; but Brookes was on a mission and closing rapidly. Browne’s lead was 17s at Cronk ny Mona; then misfortune hit him; the clutch gave up the ghost coming out Governor’s Dip and he was forced to retire at the Grandstand; where he was given a big round of applause. This left Hickman with the lead; Herbertson second and Bian in third. At Glen Helen for the final time, Hickman led by 40s from Herbertson. Herbertson’s bike expired at Barregarrow. As they swept through Ramsey for the final time Hickman had a comfortable lead of 49s over Bian; with Josh Brookes 5.15s behind and closing. There were no dramas on the mountain section; Hickman duly took his 12th TT victory; one that was unexpected; at a race average of 119.319mph. Bian managed to keep Brookes at bay; he finished 47.784s behind Hickman at an average of 117.671mph. Brookes was the fastest man on track on the final lap; his lap average 120.939mph. His race average of 117.603mph left him just 2s behind Bian. Stefano Bonetti; Rob Hodson (SMT Kawasaki) and Baz Furber (DC Auto Yamaha) completed the leader board. Hickman was delighted with his victory; giving fulsome praise to his team. With more development the Yamaha may be able to match the Patons for top end. Bian was ecstatic to take a podium finish; he is fine rider; more will surely follow. Brookes was left to rue the little mistake that cost him second; he learned a lot in his first races on a Supertwin; he will be pushing for a win; if he returns next year. Read the full article

[thespoonisvictory]

I think it's obvious that I would catch any hands for niki nihachu, and no shipping means no shipping, but I feel the need to add on.

I've been watching wilbur and niki stream together and separately since the first time they met. And yknow what? At first, they fucking encouraged shipping. They joked about compilations and called each other cute, pretended they were jealous, etc etc. They absolutely fed into it and were ok with it, because they had good chemistry as a streaming pair.

And then, the audience got bigger (around, lets say early dsmp, around when niki joined and after)

Suddenly, niki couldn't go for a single stream with being spammed about wilbur, asked about his in tts donos. It stopped being a funny bit to always ask about wilbur.

Still, they were ok with it. Niki said not to ask about him, not to reduce her to him, not to always ask to call him. They still showed up on each other's streams, made content and collabs, still jokingly flirted and were affectionate with each other. Shipping was allowed, but not really encouraged unless in the comfort of your own space where you wouldn't bother niki about it, and they definitely stopped streaming as much.

Then, the audience got bigger yet again, and kept growing.

Overtime, niki stopped streaming with wilbur at all. They'd stream in groups, and occasionally talk to each other, but absolutely no solo streams. Shipping became such a problem that she addressed it on stream multiple times. On hbomb's podcast, she said wilbur would be the person she'd want to stream with every day, but couldn't because of how bad shipping was.

Irl shipping didn't just make the ccs uncomfortable (even though that's reason enough to quit it), it actively stopped both of them from making content with one of their closest friends.

If you want a wilbur-niki mcc team, if you want wilbur-niki lore, if you want any content from them, then shipping has undeniably factored into why we haven't gotten it (as she's explicitly said that they don't stream together as much anymore btw, not speculation on my part). It makes me so fucking angry to see one of my favorite content duos effectively split over this, but mostly, I'm just glad that they still seem to be close friends, and that that hasn't been ruined for them.

Please please please, remember that even if a person is ambivalent or hasn't shared an opinion on shipping, don't do it. Even if you think it's harmless, don't do it. Because something that starts out innocent enough can snowball into this situation, and I'd like for it to not happen to another duo. Even if shipping is allowed, try your goddamn best not to expect content from them, to reduce one streamer to another's sidekick, and please for the love of god go watch niki rather than just posting pictures of her captioned "woman hot"

[sodadrabbles]

hear me out- one more littleboo but like if they were crying or like going through smt and ranboo just helps//comforts them if that makes sense? GEHDDH okay have a good day :]

THE PEOPLE DEMAND HURT/COMFORT. I SHALL FEED YOU, MY PEOPLE

Also, I wanted to address why I use ‘Ranboo’ in these fics, when referring to the actual CC- We don’t know Ranboo’s real name. I want to respect his wishes and not speculate, because that’s creepy. So, I just use Ranboo. A couple people were asking in my inbox. I know Tubbo said his name was Mark, but that was never confirmed, and, again, I don’t want to speculate on his personal information, that’s WEIRD.

LIttleboo IV: Hurt/comfort or bust.

Pairing: Ranboo x sibling!Reader (gender-neutral)!

Rating: Soft. Bad ending, I’m so sorry (NOT ANGST, IM JUST BAD AT WRITING)

Summary: Being a freshman sucks ass, but Ranboo bought taco bell, it’s all good.

To say today was a bad day would be an understatement. It was probably the most terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day of your 14-year-old life. The whole day the universe would launch bad thing after bad thing at you, as if it was somehow testing you in your will to deal with bullshit. Like it was asking you ‘What are you willing to put up with today?’

Your answer was ‘Not fucking this.’

You woke up to your brother shaking you softly, telling you the power had gone out and you were both late. For an upperclassman this wasn’t a big deal- But you were a freshman. Your teachers were going to give you absolute hell for being late, and knowing Ranboo was going to get off scot-free made you a little salty. You had to skip breakfast and had to leave with your hair still a bit messy, barely able to comb through it with your fingers while Ranboo drove you both to school.

Then there was a pop quiz first period- English. You were never terrible at english, but being on the topic of the last three chapters of the book you were reading for class- Chapters which you had not read yet- The test had been a little difficult. Not to mention the hunger clawing at your stomach, and the strange fog that was settled about your thoughts.

You thought you could catch a break through second period and lunch, knowing Chemistry would be an easy day and you could grab something good with your brother, but fate had other plans in mind.

During Chemistry, you were tasked with picking a partner and completing an experiment afterthought worksheet, going over the experiment you had done in class the day before. You were paired with the nice girl sat next to you- At least you thought she was nice. As the teacher dismissed the class to begin talking amongst themselves, you turned to start asking her how her experiment went yesterday. You didn’t have a chance to ask, however, as the girl snapped at you harshly. “Don’t even bother! I’m not doing this assignment. Do it on your own.”

Her voice was pitched and loud, and it caused you to wince back. You tilt your head and try to ask her, but she cuts you off by flicking the paper in your direction. It sends both your papers flying, and you try to catch them, but fail miserably and fall out of your chair unceremoniously. As you fall, your foot comes up to counter balance and you nearly kick the girl in the head- Keyword being nearly. You were sure you were able to stop yourself, and hadn’t touched it, but still the girl screeches and begins screaming bloody murder. The teacher comes over to check what’s going on, the girl sobbing and holding her head.

And then she lies through her teeth.

“Sir, she just kicked me! I was just asking about her experiment and she kicks me!”

She’s sobbing dramatically, and though you’re clearly not at fault, considering it was clear you had fallen out of your chair. Even still the teacher sides with her, giving you a short and disappointing talk about violent behaviour in the classroom, ending with “I have no choice but to give you lunch detention and a zero on the assignment.”

You don’t try to argue- Exhaustion was already settling on your body and you didn’t want to just make the situation worse than it already was. The rest of second period dragged on like a snail. You sat awkwardly at your table, twiddling your thumbs and staring at the walls. You could feel eyes boring into the back of your skull with each passing glance at the students. A few whispers that seemed much too loud yet indecipherable hitting your ears, somehow knowing deep in your soul that the other students were whispering about you. By the time the lunch bell rang you were starting to feel tears prick at your eyes as your own thoughts betrayed you.

During lunch detention, you were at the very least allowed your phone. You texted your brother, alerting him that you had lunch detention. He promised to bring you food before your third period began- The gesture brought a smile to your face. Your third period was your favorite, because Ranboo was also taking that class. US History. You were able to push through detention with Philza’s stream, starting a TTS war with Wilbur in the time you were able to watch. Of course, mentioning you were in detention earned you a little rant from Phil, not doing much to better your mood.

When third period came down to bless you, you could feel the tears welling in your eyes at the happy sight of your tall older brother holding a taco bell bag in his hand. You basically tackled him, nearly knocking him to the ground. His arms flew around you for stability, and you gripped the back of his shirt as an involuntary sob came out of your mouth. 

Ranboo stared down at you with his brows furrowed with concern, his mouth pulled into a tight frown. He pushed you to the side to allow other students to get into the classroom, and released you from the hug to look you in the face. Your eyes were puffy and your cheeks and nose were red, stray tears still rolling down your cheeks. He wiped one away.

“(Y/N), what happened? Why are you crying?” He asked, your eyes avoiding him. You hated to cry in front of people- But the stress of the day weighed heavy on your shoulders. You had just gotten too excited. When you explained this, Ranboo shook his head. “(Y/N) it’s perfectly okay, you don’t have to apologize.”

He hugged you again, and you hugged him back. After standing there for a moment, the annoying ring of the school bell sounded overheard, alerting you that class was starting.

“Tell you what,” Ranboo beamed at you, picking up the bag of food. “We’re gonna go in there, annoy Mr. Anderson, and eat chalupas until we explode. Sound good?”

You smile and nod your head. God, your older brother is so cool.

---

The rest of the day was smooth as it could be. You spent all of third period messing around with Ranboo- The assignment given for the day forgotten as homework that you would sit down and do together before Ranboo had to stream. You feared that your fourth period, Algebra, would once again break you down into a ball of anxiety and terror. But to your pleasant surprise, you would be watching a movie with a substitute for that class.

Your mood had been significantly raised by the time the bell had rung, releasing you from the confines of the building. You packed your things quietly, the hustle and bustle of an emptying school occupying your senses. You had rushed down through the hallways towards to doors leading to student parking. Ranboo was supposed to be waiting for you at the car.

But before you could reach the door, you felt a hand grip your bag, pulling you backwards. Your feet flew out from under you as you fell to the ground, your bag being ripped from your shoulders. You felt you back collide with the cold, tiled ground, pain shooting through spine. 

Shrill giggling sounds from above you. You groan and roll onto your front, staring up at a group of three girls laughing at you. You recognized the one holding your bag from your chemistry class. By the looks of the other two, they were also freshmen. You try to get on your feet, but the girl swings her leg, knocking your hands out from under you. You feel something press against your back. 

The girl from your class laughs as she bends down to look at you. “You thought you could get away with that little stunt?” She sneers, her hand grabbing your face. Not able to think of anything else to do, you snap your jaws, nearly biting her. She screeches and backs away.

“DID YOU JUST TRY TO BITE ME?” She screams, her face twisted in disgust. You feel the presume on your back worsen, and you strain your neck to see who was standing on your back. You recognized the guy as a junior on the soccer team. You vaguely recalled the girl mentioned she was dating a guy on the soccer team. 

You squirm, freeing your hands from underneath you. Just as you were about to grab the guy’s leg, you hear a familiar voice shout. The three girls in front of you scatter like rats- But the soccer player stays. He turns to look at whoever shouted, his chest puffing out as if he’s prepared for a fight. However the color seems to drain from his face when he sees the mystery person- And he runs away like a dog with its tail between its legs.

As you start to stand, someone grabs you by the shoulders and helps you up. You’re met with the mop of brown hair and concerned gray eyes of your older brother. He helps you to your feet, handing you your bag. You thank him as you throw the bag over your shoulders, giving your older brother a tight hug.

You don’t even realize there were tears in your eyes again, until Ranboo tells you to dry your eyes. “Sorry…” You whisper, hand wiping away the water. “I don’t know why I’m crying.

Ranboo smiles at you again, his hand patting the top of your head. You smile at him too, and he leads you out of the school, asking if you’re alright or if anything hurts. You spend the walk to the car feeling grateful you have someone to help you out like that. It has you smiling to entire ride home.

[ssson-of-sparda]

WHAT FORTUNE GAVE - CHAPTER 4 (VERGIL X NERO’S MOTHER)

Summary: As Elissa, Adel and Agnus wander into the Mitis Forest to retrieve the Black Cornucopia, Vergil explores the ruins of an old church in search of information concerning his father. When a walk into the forest turns in a walk down memory lane.

(PROLOGUE) (MISSION 1) (MISSION 2) (MISSION 3)

Tags: Romance / Angst / Fluff / Explicit Sexual Content / Explicit Language / Canon-Typical Violence / Blood and Gore / Religion / The Order of The Sword / Civil War / Rebellion / Demons / Action and Adventure / Sparda’s past

Author’s note: I am aware this chapter is not the most action-packed one and that it focuses a lot on characters backgrounds and lores. But I felt like it was needed to understand the rest of the story and the characters' motivation. As usual, I'll be glad to know what you think about it.

It was a hot day, a summer-like day, too hot for this early spring season actually and too suffocating for a place like the Mitis Forest, which was renown for its coolness and shade even during the warmest months of the year. An unusual day. Fitting for an unusual mission.            And as they were walking deeper into the pine forest, Elissa, Adel and Agnus were silently thanking the thick needle-like leaves above their heads for creating a canopy strong enough to shade them from the sun blazing above their heads.  “How can this place be so warm and humid right now?” Elissa rubbed her face to wipe the sweat off her sticky forehead. “It’s like we’re in the middle of a tropical forest.” “Surge of dd-demonic energy can tt-transform environments. I suppose we must be gg-getting close to the Black CC-Cornucopia.” Agnus explained, hotness and excitement making him stutter more than usual and sweat atrociously under his white coat that looked very pale in contrast to the sudden redness of his burning face. “Or close to trouble.” Adel added with unsubtle nonchalance as he armed his crossbow with a sharp bolt. “For all we know, we’re heading straight into a trap as I said we would.” Elissa rolled her eyes and muttered something inaudible.         “Do you think he’s gonna keep sulking like this all day?” She asked Agnus, her green eyes glaring at Adel who hadn’t noticed his friends were now walking a few steps behind him.    Agnus shrugged. “You know him, Elissa. He’s just being pp-protective.”  “Maybe. But that doesn’t mean he can act like a prick.” She said, weary of Adel’s childish attitude towards her. He had been grumbling and protesting since last night after Marcus had allowed Elissa to join him and Agnus in their quest to retrieve the Black Cornucopia in the heart of the forest where it was supposed to be buried according to legends. “I brought the information about the Weapons of Judgment. So I believe it’s more than fair I’m part of this expedition.”   “I know and I agree. And so dd-does Adel, I am sure. He just dd-doesn’t want to pp-put you in dd-danger. No on does.”   Elissa clicked her tongue, annoyed that her dearest friend was once again making her the fragile damsel in distress of the team when she clearly wasn’t.  “I can handle myself.” She retorted.        “I know you can. You wouldn’t be here he you cc-couldn’t. By the way, how dd-did you learn about Sanctus’ pp-plan?”             Elissa’s whole body stiffened at the question and her lips tightened. She didn’t want to talk about that stranger she had been obsessed with for the last three days, not to Agnus and especially not to Adel, who - she was sure - would welcome her whole story with disapproval, anger and possibly jealousy if he knew.    She wanted HIM, as well as the moments spent in his company, to be hers and hers only, free of anyone’s judgment or opinion.        That’s why she had lied to Marcus last night, about her recent whereabouts and about the way she had learnt about Sanctus and his evil plan. “Drunken guards in a bar who believed I was a whore simply told me.” She had said and she was actually still surprised he had let her get away with the silly, clearly dubious story and had approved of this mission.          “Just rumours I heard in a pub.” Agnus squinted at her, clearly unsatisfied with this vague answer. He tried to search the truth in her eyes but saw nothing apart from his own reflection. He also didn’t notice Elissa unconsciously rubbing her forearm as the memory of a firm yet gentle grip around her arms briefly came back to her and made her skin tingle.    “Right, rumours” Agnus finally repeated as he realized he would not get any sort of confession from his friend before walking away to join Adel, leaving Elissa alone with her sweet thoughts of Vergil. What was he doing right now?

Yamato’s gold handle was twinkling under the sunlight casting blazing rays on the collapsed walls of the once formidable church that Vergil was quietly observing with a dubitative frown, standing among the remnants.        There was nothing here. Just ruins and emptiness. Broken glass, charred old stones and piles of burnt wood. A vision way too familiar to Vergil’s taste that suddenly turned the Son of Sparda catatonic as he momentarily yet painfully plunged once again in a childhood nightmare he had lived and relived too many times.

***

Vergil (8 years old) Red Grave City

Vergil couldn’t move. Standing before the fire, he was watching his home burn slowly, loudly, painfully, and his childhood, his dreams and his memories turning into a pile of red embers and ashes.            He wasn’t crying any longer and the remnants of his last tears had already disappeared, dried by the heat of the flames. Now, he was just staring at his past life burning with a frown that would ornate his juvenile face forever. One last look before turning around, desolate yet determined, toward a future he had never anticipated like this. Dark and lonely as the night before him.

Covered in black soot and in his own blood, his childish clothes in tatters, he walked down the hill as slowly and quietly as a ghost with no idea where to go and nothing but a sword symbol of his family inheritance and his life. Everything else was gone. Everything else had been lost in the flames along with his brother, and his beloved mother.

“I must survive on my own now. And I will.” He said without looking back behind him despite the warmth of the flames eating his back.

***

“The temple of Spardan Priestesses¹. Guess all the women loving Sparda are doomed to burn.” Vergil said to himself with a grave voice that carried grief and sorrow before he dispelled the image of a gentle motherly smile and soft blond hair burning in hot flames with a quick blink and grabbed the ancient book carefully hidden inside his long blue coat.         Not so much related to Sparda or his legend but very useful for someone who, as him, wasn’t very familiar with Fortuna or the Order of the Sword. It was one of the books Elissa had lent him last night and that he had started reading as soon as she had left to force his mind to think about something that wasn’t a smile, a pair of poetic green eyes or soft fingers tugging at his sleeves. He untied the leathery lace that kept the pages together and started reading in silence, not only to see if he was missing something in this forsaken place but because he wanted his mind to be focused on something that had nothing to do with his past trauma.

Holy Decree n° 12 Creation of the Church of Spardan Priestesses and the Holy College

In order to maintain people’s faith and the glory of the almighty Lord Sparda, I, Farinata III, Holiness and Supreme Chief of the Order of the Sword, command the construction of the Church of Spardan Priestesses and the creation of the Holy College on the sacred land of Fortuna and appoint my sister, The Priestess Aquilia Farinata, as headmistress and Mother Superior.

The Holy College: The prestigious Holy College will educate little girls in the proper worship of Sparda and train them to become the wives our magnificent city of Fortuna needs. To enter the Holy College, the girls will go through a choosing ceremony led by his Holiness and the Mother Superior. After this ceremony, shall the girls be chosen; their parents will offer their children to the Order of the Sword and renounce their authority over them. The girls will become daughters of the state, daughters of the Order, daughters of his Holiness.      After acceptance, the girls will commit to priestesshood. It will be asked of them to be at least 6 years of age but younger than 10 and to never have been soiled by puberty.   Only the girls from illustrious Fortunan families may join.

The Church of Spardan Priestesses: At the end of their training, the little girls will carry the name of Spardan Priestess and live among her fellow priestesses in the Church located in the heart of the Mitis Forest.               Here, the Spardan Priestesses will swear to celibacy for a period of 23 years, which corresponds to the amount of time our Lord Sparda spent ruling and serving our holy land. After this time, their service will end and they will be allowed to marry. The ruling Holiness, acting as the father of the bride, will choose them a suitable nobleman to be their lawful husband.                  During their stay in the Church, the Spardan priestesses will take care of its walls and its gardens, prepare the food used in rituals and care for scared objects in the church’s sanctuary. They will also ensure that the wills and testaments of the illustrious members of the Order are kept safe in the temple’s library and teach at the Holy College if the Mother Superior demands it.      Shall a priestess fail to her duties, punishment will ensue. (cf: Holy Decree n°14 Punishment reserved to the traitors of the Order of The Sword)

But everything he sought to find in this abandonned church, the books, the sacred objects, everything had been longed lost in the flames. This place was just memories now and memories could not be kept in ruins …

***

Elissa  (11 years old) Fortuna’s Holy College

Wearing long embroidered white dresses that covered every inch of skin of their virgin bodies, their damaged bleached hair adorned with a large silver cloth ribbon symbolizing their rank, Sister Maia and Sister Juno were standing by the door of the dormitory where the little eleven year old Elissa had been brought in, chatting about the terrible incident that had set a noble house of Fortuna on fire earlier this evening and that had lead this small frail girl into their school. “The Knights of The Order apparently found the poor child standing paralysed in front of the house.” Sister Maia hated rumours but judging by the soot covering the child’s face and the smell of burning that had come to her nostrils when the knights had brought the kid in this room, she couldn’t considered all the things she had heard tonight as mere rumours.          “Poor child? Haven’t you heard what they whispered to each other? I can’t believe his Holiness sent her here. This is not an orphanage or a shelter!”            “Hush, sister. You’re going to wake her up.”      But Elissa wasn’t sleeping. Her eyes were simply tightly closed, just like her small knuckles around the beige cape in which a young brown-skinned knight had wrapped her. She was praying to Sparda, begging him in silence to wake her up from this nightmare.       “Plus, we don’t know that for a fact.”     “Are you accusing the knights of dishonesty, sister?” Sister Juno harrumphed. There was no priestess more devoted than her. She believed fiercely in the holiness and righteousness of the Order and, as many other inhabitants of Fortuna, considered priestesshood as the most honourable privilege for a woman. “I mean, look at her red hair and those green eyes² . Rumour has it her mother even had red-eyed goats³  in her garden. I’m telling you, the knights are right when they say she is the one who set fire to the house.” Elissa shivered at those words and she tightened the cloth between her hands even harder, so hard her knuckles turned white.          “Please Sparda. Please” She slowly whispered thinking that maybe her almighty god could not read her thoughts. “That’s enough. That child is just a child. Innocent. It was a demon attack!”     “Still, she’s a Minos⁴ . Her place is not among us. I hope she’ll be gone tomorrow after his Holiness realizes his mistake. ”

Needless to say, Elissa wasn’t gone the next morning to Sister Juno’s and her own utter despair. In fact, the Order of the Sword, by sacred order of Supreme Vicar Sanctus, had sent a formal letter to the school informing the priestesses that young Elissa was to enter their order at once and therefore join the Holy College, Fortuna’s most renown and most ancient religious girl’s school, created shortly after the end of Sparda’s reign.

When Sister Maia announced her this, little Elissa cried. She didn’t want to stay here, didn’t want to become a priestess. She just wanted to go back home. “Trust me Elissa, it’s a good thing. You’ll be happy among us. I’ll make sure of it. Plus, if you don’t stay with us they’ll send you to an orphanage and Sparda knows what will happen to you there.” The young priestess declared as she did Elissa’s hair into a neatly bun and hid her red hair under a hood made of thick white cloth.         “Why are you doing this?” Elissa asked quietly.     “Spardan priestesses, even students, can only show their hair after the albesco.” That is not what Elissa meant and yet she asked nevertheless…    “What’s the albesco⁵ ?”

Extract from The Book of Aquilia Farinata (33 A-S) After their first blood, all girls from the Holy College and the Temple of Spardan Priestesses shall go along the Albesco ritual. Conducted by the Mother Superior or designated priestesses, the Albesco (which is the Latin word for “whiten”) aims to purify the young ladies by whitening their hair using an ancestral mixture based on the precious moonstone mined in Lamina Peak. This ritual is to be perform each month during a girl’s menses. The Albesco allows a girl to unveil her head in the street, as her whitened hair are the colour of Sparda’s hair and therefore the magnificent embodiment of Spardan piety.

Elissa  (13 years old) Fortuna’s Holy College

“Witchcraft! This is witchcraft!” Sister Juno shouted, terrified as she almost tripped on her way out of the dormitory. “That child is a witch!” She pointed at the red-haired girl with a trembling finger, her hair dishevelled and standing on end because of the fear.            “What’s going on, Sister Juno?” Sister Maia asked as she ran towards her friend who was standing petrified in the corridor. “You look like you’ve seen a devil.”          “I have! I am! Look at her smile and her hair! She’s the devil, Maia.” Sister’s Maia tender blue eyes met Elissa and stared with confusion at the long red waves falling over her shoulders. “She had her albesco yesterday. Her hair were pure silver and look at her now! SHE’S A WITCH!!!! ” The child was smirking and looked prouder than ever and a hint of insolence was shining in her green eyes.            “Oh yes, I’m a witch and I’m going to curse you, you knuckle-dragging bigot.” It was a joke of course. Every girl in the dormitory knew. Everyone but Sister Juno who took Elissa’s words so seriously she hid herself between her fellow priestess, begging her to protect her from that devil child.        “Stop her, Sister!”          Elissa laughed and briefly winked at her friend Pomona standing right behind her. But as soon as she saw Sister Maia’s eyes filled with disappointment, she dropped her smile. She opened her mouth to apologize but the priestess shut her up before she could say a single word.            “You make fighting for you very hard, Elissa. I hope you know that.”     Elissa looked down, saddened and ashamed. “I’m so—”       “No! I don’t want to hear things you don’t mean.” But she meant them. She meant them dearly. The last thing she wanted was disappointing Sister Maia who, despite her young age, had been acting like a mother to her for the past two years. “Now, go wait for me in the caldarium. We’ll do your albesco all over again before anyone else accuses you of witchcraft.”

***

“You are clearly a witch, Elissa!” Adel looked amazed as he watched the thick dark vines obtruding the old gateway before them instantly dry and disappear in the wind like dust.        “You’re not the first person who calls me that. Though this is not witchcraft. Merely science and some bit of alchemy.” The girl said as she placed the glass vial containing a glistening almost-phosphorescent white liquid back in her brown leather satchel.              “Infused ss-sunlight?” Agnus asked as he touched the remaining vines crawling onto the walls in ruin.    “Clever right? When Marcus told us that the cornucopia might be in the heart of the Mitis Forest, I figured we might need it.”            “But where dd-did you learn to infuse sunlight?” The operation was a quite difficult and meticulous process that required skills and patience. Agnus knew that better than anyone since infusing sunlight was one of the numerous tasks he had had to do to earn his title of Grand Alchemist.            “Back when I was living with the priestesses, they used to whiten my hair to make it look like Sparda’s. I hated that. So when I figured they were using moonstone powder to do so…”   “You learnt to make infused sunlight to counter the effect of the moonstone powder.” Agnus’ sparkling brown eyes gazed at Elissa, amazed by her genius. She was definitely too incredible to be real, he thought. “That’s clever.”     “Sister Juno didn’t think that way.” Elissa scoffed as she remembered the sister screaming and shouting in the corridor the first time she had used that little alchemist trick.  “ Well, the Order has never bb-been fond of science or alchemy.” “ Or people of colour.”

***

Adel (10 years old) Port Caerula – Fortuna

Crying, bleeding, his tiny lungs struggling to breathe, Adel was running down the quayside holding an old cotton pouch filled with tiny white shells against his childish chest. He had lost one shoe on the beach but he couldn’t go back to retrieve it nor could he stop running.     “Where are you going, wog?!” He heard one of the children screaming behind him. “Back to your whore mother?” He laughed and threw a pebble at Adel. So did his friends but the boy kept on running despite his rage, his pain and the urge to turn back to kick their asses. “Look at that! The wog is fleeing to his whore mother.”            Yes he was. He was fleeing. He was fleeing because even if he wanted to be brave, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against those children. His bleeding nose and lips were enough to prove it. But most of all, he was fleeing because he was scared.  “I’m sorry, mama!”

Out of breath, he pushed the door to his home, an old tiny underground house with no window his mother managed to rent thanks to her underpaid job as a waitress in the filthy bar upstairs, and he called her as he dried his tears and hid his remaining shoe under his tiny bed. Hopefully he’ll find the other tomorrow.      “Mama!” Adel repeated as he hesitantly knocked at the door to her room and waited a couple of seconds until the door brutally slammed wide open, making him jolt and step back.   But that was not his mother on the doorstep. It was a man wearing the Order’s uniform, a tall blond-haired man he had seen in his house way too many times recently to his liking, and he was glaring at the child from head to toe. “You do have a knack for disturbing us, you little shit.” He said as he zipped his white trousers while Adel stared at him with a confused angry frown. “We’ll finish this tonight.” The man growled at his mother who was on her knees on the floor of her room, half-naked, her reddish-brown hair dishevelled and her chin and lips covered in drool.

Adel watched the man leave and shut the door loudly on his way out. “Good riddance” He thought before his mother grabbed him by the shoulders to make him look at her.             “What are you doing here? I told you to go to the beach and pick up shells.”      “I did.” He said as he offered her the pouch, hoping it would make his mother smile. It didn’t. Instead she sighed as if she was annoyed. Maybe she was.   “Silly kid. The Captain could make our lives so much better but you just have to ruin everything every time. Why do you always make my life so complicated?” She sighed and Adel looked down. The last thing he needed right now was to hear his mother telling him again how her life was way easier before his birth. It wasn’t his fault if she had gotten pregnant, wasn’t his fault he was born, wasn’t his fault if his father had died in prison, wasn’t his fault if he wasn’t the son of some blond-haired pale-skinned captain, wasn’t his fault if society had rejected her because she had gotten romantically involved with a black man, a moor⁶. It wasn’t his fault and yet his mother always made him believe like it was.         “What am I going to do with you?” She complained as she brushed her beautiful wavy hair away from her forehead and the child’s eyes filled with tears. All he wanted was to please his mother. “Why are you crying?” She didn’t even notice he was hurt. And a tear finally ran down his cheek.

***

A drop fell and rolled on Vergil’s marble face and he looked up at the sky that had suddenly taken a menacing and unexpected grey colour. The young man wiped the water off his skin and stared at the small pearl of hot liquid on his fingertips. He liked the rain, liked the storm, liked the water, liked how tranquil it was and how dangerous it could become. A bit like him.        Yes he liked the rain. He had so many good memories of the rain.

***

Vergil (15 years old) Capulet City

The rain was pouring down on him, crashing on his shoulders and on his head, but he was standing still and stiff, staring at the open door before him, feeling something soft and warm in his chest that he hadn’t felt in years. A little bit of gratefulness, of trust, of hope. A little bit of something he had missed and yet that he despised for being so human. Something he couldn’t help but feel deep within as he looked at the young curly-haired woman waiting for him on the doorstep of her warm house.        “The door remains open. When you’re ready to come in, I’ll be in the kitchen.” He learnt that that young woman’s name was Clemence around a glass of milk and a marmalade sandwich she had especially made for him and had left on the kitchen counter for him to eat, a kind gesture Vergil had accepted after letting go of his pride and stubbornness for a short moment.

Clemence⁷ was an artist. A free-spirited painter in her late twenties or early thirties (he didn’t really know and didn’t really care) and an epicurean who loved life and enjoyed every second of it. Generous and loving, she could see beauty in the world Vergil thought so ugly and adored painting it on the various canvas scattered everywhere in her tiny home.  Clemence lived life in ways Vergil never thought possible. Simple and from day to day. She didn’t care about people’s opinions, didn’t care about politics or religion, didn’t care about power. She just cared about eating marmalade sandwiches in the middle of the night, dancing barefoot on David Bowie (a bit like his mother Eva used to, except it was on Vivaldi), painting colourful landscapes and portrait à la Gauguin and having sex with men she would likely never see or call again.         Vergil thought her life ridiculous, degrading even. And yet he couldn’t help but envy the freedom and happiness Clemence experienced daily.            “Happiness is at everyone’s grasp. You just have to find what makes you happy.”

She let him stay under her roof and share her life for a few weeks. A short amount of time in a human’s life but enough for a young teenager who had been deprived of all sorts of affection for so long to start experiencing feelings he had never felt before.      Though Vergil was sure Clemence never felt anything for him except perhaps some kind of motherly love, he did feel something for her, something that repulsed him and that he knew was far from appropriate, something that awakened a lustful warmth in his trousers when he thought of her at night or when he listened to her getting laid in the room at the end of the corridor, something that made him want to touch the pointing dark nipples he could see under her sheer white shirt when she would paint by the window.   For a long time, he thought that something was Love until the day he let go to his desires and tried to kiss her and she rejected him (of course). He didn’t feel heartbroken on that day; at least he didn’t think so. Sure, he was vexed, possibly a bit hurt to be rejected. There was no doubt in that. But only his ego was bruised. Only his ego felt pain, not his heart as he could still feel it beating loudly and lively in his chest.   “Vergil. I don’t … You’re …” Clemence tried to explained.  “It’s okay. I’m okay.” He said as he took his katana in his hand.       Vergil left Clemence’s home after that and went back to being a wanderer. But he had no regrets, no bitterness. He was glad he had met her for she had taught her a lesson he already knew. Clemence was happy because she had found what made her happy. He intended to do the same, by finding power.

***

Something moved across the bridge, right behind the trees. Something that wasn’t a ‘cute little deer’ contrary to what Elissa said to Agnus to reassure him as she spotted the cold sweat forming on his suddenly very pale face. Something big and definitely very fast.             “Adel.” Elissa called as she slowly took the two daggers strapped to her thighs, her eyes trying to find whatever was hunting them right.            “ Don’t worry. I’m ready.” The young man said as he prepared himself to shoot, a finger already on the trigger of his crossbow.       “ That’s not a cute little deer, isn’t it?” Agnus questioned with a trembling voice.      “ Do you tell him, or should I?” Adel asked as he searched for the creature in the trees.                      “ Do it. I’m gonna make him panic.”     “Alright Agnus. It’s a demon. But not like a little demon, more like—    “A huge demon with slimy scales, sharp fangs and a thorny tail.” Elissa finished his sentence and Adel watched Agnus getting petrified from the corner of his dark brown eyes.      “Congratulations you just made him freak out, Elissa.” Adel declared, though a bit amused by the situation. “Couldn’t find more terrifying?”        “Judge by yourself.” The girl declared and suddenly Adel heard a rumbling growl coming from behind him. He quickly turned around and immediately aimed at the beast standing right in front of Elissa.           “Holy sh…” He almost cursed and the demon set his reptilian eyes on him.      It was indeed huge, like eight feet tall huge and it looked nothing like the scarecrows the Guard of Sparda had been killing for the last few weeks. It had the green body of an enormous iguana and its paws, spine and long tail were covered with numerous razor-thin scutes that looked sharp enough to turn a tree into a bunch of wooden confetti. “What the hell is that thing?” Its serpentine neck extended towards Adel and his split tongue came out of his mouth with a whistle.          But when the tip almost touched Adel’s cheek, the demon cried out in unexpected pain. “Elissa!” Adel screamed as he noticed Elissa’s dagger lodged into the demon’s leg. “Run!” But the creature had already turned around and before Adel could do anything, it pushed the girl over the bridge and followed her into the river. “No!!!”

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

¹ Spardan Priestesses : Even though we are aware of the existence of priestesses in DMC (Lady is a descendant of a priestess. Whether she was priestess of Sparda or not is a mystery), the Spardan Priestesses are not canon. I created them based on what I know of Vestal Virgins (Roman priestesses) using key elements like: chastity, marriage, daughters of the state, devotion, service etc...

² In folklore, literature and art, witches are often depicted with red hair and green eyes.

³ Goats: Animals who symbolise the devil.

⁴ Minos: Elissa is from the blood of Minos, the Red Guardian from the legend told in Chapter 3.

⁵ Albesco: In Deadly Fortune, Kyrie and Credo's parents adopts Nero because his hair colour reminds them of Sparda. To me, it shows that silver hair is viewed as something divine and beautiful. Therefore, I believed it would make sense for the priestesses to bleach their hair in order to show their devotion and admiration for Sparda.

⁶ Racism in Fortuna: I already said in some comments that I headcanon Fortuna as a racist island. There is no people of colour in DMC4. The only one (Agnus) is kept in an UNDERGROUND lab and the Order has clearly a fascination for everything white (uniforms, angelos, sparda's hair etc...). Therefore, in this story (and through Adel) I chose to show how POC / persons involved with POC are rejected by society.

⁷ Clemence is a French name. I chose it to reflect the character's kindness, pity and generosity.

[incredifan34]

Incredibles Theory

Recently, I watched a video by Cartoon Conspiracy that theorized that Syndrome, was, in fact, a superhero - more specifically, the child of two supers. I highly reccommend you check it out.

More specifically, in the video, Cartoon Conspiracy theorized that Syndrome's parents must've been supers for the following reasons:

Mr. Incredible / Bob Parr seems to know Buddy Pine's mother well, if not both of his parents. As seen with the wedding scene where Helen and Bob get married, most of the attendees are, in fact, superheroes. This would suggest that Bob and Helen's majority of friends / acquaintances are also supers.

Buddy Pine, as a child, seems to be overly eager to become a superhero himself (and has access to advanced tech parts), idolizing Mr. Incredible, showing up at the scene of the crimes, inventing his own tech to give him "powers", and dubbing himself "IncrediBoy". For one, where exactly is Buddy getting all of the tech parts (as a child, no less) needed to make working rocket boots? And two, how exactly where, and when, to find Mr. Incredible multiple times, unless he also had a police scanner / some sort of device that notifies Supers when criminals are at large? (Or, perhaps more likely, he overheard his Super parents talk about where Mr. Incredible normally fights crime?) And why is Buddy the only "sidekick" we see or hear about? This could also potentially point to Buddy having one, or two, superhero parents, ones with access to government technology made for superheroes (i.e. Gazerbeam's eyepiece, gauntlets, etc.).

Buddy Pine seems to be obsessively fixated on "becoming a superhero", so much so that his entire childhood is spent revolving around becoming one, as well as his later adulthood. It seems strange that Buddy is the only "non-Super" featured in the film who wants to emulate a superhero in real life, whereas everyone else seems to be perfectly content with letting the established Supers (ones with powers) do the job of crime-fighting for them.

Forshadowing as related to Jack-Jack Parr, the child of two Supers, supposedly "not having any powers". In the film, one of the points that comes up is Helen Parr, a.k.a Elastigirl, worrying about (or at least noticing) that "Jack-Jack doesn't [seem to] have any powers". This is in spite of Jack-Jack being the child of two superheroes. So this tells us two things: one, that a superhero couple has had at least one child before; and two, that a "non-super" born to two supers has also happened before. Why else would Helen Parr / Elastigirl just seemingly accept so suddenly that Jack-Jack doesn't have any apparent abilities, even though he's still a toddler? ...unless, of course, there was a previous example that she knew of a "superhero couple's baby" turning out to be a "Muggle"...a child, perhaps, like Buddy Pine.

Syndrome's / Buddy Pine's later island base seems almost identical to the base of the Phantasmics, a team of superheroes mentioned in the extra of The Incredibles DVD. The Phantasmics were a super group part of the National Supers Agency, and focused on international threats. Their base, as such, is noted as a "Secret Mid-Ocean Location - Codename - New Atlantis".

Speaking of the Phantasmics, in the video noted by Cartoon Conspiracy, they were headed by team leader Everseer, whose superpowers included telepathy, clairvoyance, and "magni-vision"; Macroburst, a superhero with the ability to control air currents and create high-velocity winds; Plasmabolt, a female superhero whose powers involved shooting bolts of plasma, which was gathered from the insect-like antennae mounted on the head of her super suit; and Psychwave, whose powers included mental force wave generation, temporary mental paralysis, the ability to possess the bodies of others, psychic foresight, thought control, and telekinesis; her superhero uniform was notable for an atomic insignia. In the video montage of the Supers that Syndrome's Omnidroid kills in the film, the Phantasmics (Psycwave, Everseer, Macroburst) are some of the first superheroes to die by his hand.

Buddy Pine bears some physical resemblance to at least two potential Super parents. Cartoon Conspiracy theorized that Psycwave and Universal Man were the parents of Buddy Pine, because these two Supers appear first on his "kill list" (Project Kronos). However, personally, I think that Buddy Pine / Syndrome bears much more physical resemblance to the superhero Phylange, who had the ability to project sonic fields; and Apogee, a Super whose powers involved gravity control and levitation. Buddy Pine's facial / ear structure matches that of Phylange; his crooked teeth match Apogee's. Phylange and Apogee were both team members of the team "the Thrilling Three", along with...wait for it...none other than Gazerbeam. Likewise, Syndrome's Zero-point energy also involves what appears to be tech related to Apogee's gravity control / levitation ability.

Speaking of Gazerbeam, he seems to be, essentially, his presence seems to be the biggest piece of evidence in favor of this theory. According to The Incredibles DVD extras, Gazerbeam was originally a member of the Phantasmics, which would mean that he also worked with them off of their "secret island base" of "New Atlantis". (Sound familiar?) However, Gazerbeam's rivalry with team leader Everseer led to Gazerbeam's dismissal from the Phantasmics. After Dynaguy's death, Gazerbeam replaced him as leader of "the Thrilling Three", joining Phylange and Apogee in crime-fighting. In the film, Gazerbeam is also featured heavily somewhat, giving Mr. Incredible / Bob Parr the information on "Project Kronos" post-humously. However, Gazerbeam's previous involvement with the Phantasmics (and their "island base") seems too convenient to be merely a coincidence when it comes to his presence on Syndrome's island.

The "Thrilling Three"'s base seems based out of the same city from the intro. According to, again, the DVD extras, the Thrilling Three were based out of "the Trilling Three Towers...hours of operation effective by noon". (Again, why not start crime-fighting until noon, unlike the "around the clock" listed availability of other superheroes...unless one of the team had to take care of her child?) The Towers must've been based in the same city as Helen and Bob got married in, because Gazerbeam (a later Thrilling Three team member) also shows up at their wedding. Dynaguy, the current TT leader, also shows up to the wedding. However, the other two TT members, Apogee and Phylange, don't make an appearance. This could be due to the trouble their son (Buddy Pine) got into with Mr. Incredible only a short time before.

The only other "tech hero" seen in the film is Dynaguy, who, like Buddy Pine, had "rocket tech" to allow him to fly. Dynaguy, of course, used to be the leader of the "Thrilling Three", before his untimely death because his cape hit a snag on liftoff. Again, it seems too much to be a mere coincidence that Buddy Pine - who could be the child of two of Dynaguy's team members - apparently had the same, advanced "Super" tech Dynaguy had access to, albeit with Buddy reworking it into "rocket boots". Buddy even says to Mr. Incredible, "This is because I don't have powers, isn't it? Well, not every superhero has powers, y'know! You can be super without them! I invented these. I can fly! Can you fly?"

Buddy's / Syndrome's own dialogue as it relates to the Incredibles seems to indicate his own past. In the alternate opening on the deleted scenes, there's this really creepy moment after Syndrome hears baby Violet crying and then says to Bob, "You are breaking the law, Mr. Incredible. You know supers aren't supposed to breed," his eyes just slowly move in the direction of Violet's room. There's something very unsettling about that moment. Syndrome has Bob and Helen trapped with his freeze ray, and there's nothing they can do to stop Syndrome as he moves down the hall toward Violet. (Source) Likewise, Syndrome's decision to try and abduct Jack-Jack to "raise him as his own son" is disturbing in itself...almost like Syndrome has mental issues from his own abandonment / neglect as the child of a Super couple.

In addition to the last point, Syndrome's dialogue as he attempts to kidnap Jack-Jack is also very telling as to his own past:

Syndrome: "Shhhhhh.... the baby's sleeping. (chuckles evilly) You took away my future. I'm simply returning the favor. Oh, don't worry, I'll be a good mentor. Supportive, encouraging. Everything you weren't! And in time, who knows? He might make a good sidekick."

My theory as to what happened in Buddy's / Syndrome's backstory...

So, while Cartoon Conspiracy theorized that Buddy Pine is, in fact, a Super - having "super intelligence" - I am of the belief that Buddy, in reality, is not a Super. However, I agree on the point that he was born to two Super parents, just different ones from CC's theory: Phylange and Apogee.

Sometime before the flashback in the intro to The Incredibles, Phylange and Apogee had a son: Buddy Pine. However, being born to two superhero parents, especially during "the Glory Days", likely wasn't easy. When both of your parents' jobs involves dedicating themselves to a life of crime-fighting, where does that leave Buddy Pine?

As a result, growing up, Buddy's parents are frequently away on business. As such, he grows up looking up to, and idolizing, superheroes - and one in particular, Mr. Incredible. I think Buddy's obsession with Mr. Incredible started because, perhaps, he was neglected emotionally at home by his largely-absent parents. As such, Buddy decided to "latch onto" who he saw as a "perfect" father figure and role model - Mr. Incredible, who was an associate of his parents'.

As such, Buddy built up a "shrine" to Mr. Incredible in his house; "invented" his rocket boots; joined the Mr. Incredible Fan Club (or maybe even started it); and even tried to fight crime alongside Mr. Incredible as his sidekick ("ward"), "IncrediBoy". Having been emotionally neglected by his parents, he used this as a way to try and "become worthy" (in his eyes) of the attention and affection they never gave him. In his eyes, if he became a "Super", and "earned respect" as one, then his parents (as well as Mr. Incredible) might spend more time with / praise him.

Perhaps the case could've been that, because Buddy was born without any superpowers, he was more neglected by his parents, in his view, because "they expected / wanted a Super child". So, Buddy thought, if he could become a Super himself, then, perhaps, they might "love him more" then.

Indeed, TV Tropes says of a "Muggle born of mages":

He may be nice-if-pathetic or mean-spirited, but whatever the case, his bitterness and regret over not being a super is a major character trait.

If there's one thing that Buddy Pine / Syndrome seems to practically ooze, it's "bitterness and regret over not being a Super". He seems to always carry a chip on his shoulder because of it.

Buddy Pine / Syndrome particularly has three quotes related to the "absent parent narrative", particularly the "absent father" one:

"I'll give them heroics. I'll give them the most spectacular heroics that anyone has even SEEN!"

"See? Now you respect me, because I'm a threat. That's the way it works."

"That ship has sailed! All I wanted was to help you, I only wanted to help! And what did you say to me? (Flashback of Mr. Incredible: "Fly home, Buddy. I work alone.") It tore me apart, but I finally learned an important lesson: you can't count on anyone, especially your heroes!"

However, when Buddy Pine is rejected by Mr. Incredible, after the incident with Bomb Voyage, his anger and bitterness comes to a head. He decides that he "can't rely on anyone - not even his heroes", and, over time, becomes more and more hateful of his parents, and Supers in general. He sees them as people who deserve to be hurt - to be punished - and "just as they took away his future", he would "return the favor".

In time, Buddy Pine develops all sorts of tech, most likely taken from his parents' base. He likely goes to a normal university - probably a tech-related one - and is eventually hired by the government / National Supers Agency, possibly due to his parents' influence as (by-then-ex) Supers. He uses the government tech to create weapons of war and other technology, selling them to other countries for a huge sum on the black market.

All the while Buddy Pine works for the NSA, he gathers all of the intelligence he can on every Super, especially after the Supers go into hiding. Previously, the NSA required every superhero to register with them to fight crime legally, so naturally, they would have all of the Supers' information. Buddy Pine uses the government's task of "hiding" the Supers against them, and even his own parents.

However, despite the U.S.'s "Superhero Relocation Program", effectively ending the Supers, this isn't enough for Buddy. He begins plotting his revenge. Likewise, the Phantasmics are still operating internationally, not just in the U.S., off of their island base of "New Atlantis". Buddy, as part of the government / NSA, manages to get sent to "New Atlantis" as an NSA agent, claiming "he needs to do official government business".

So, Buddy scopes out the island, planning his method of attack. In the meantime, he finishes completion of the Omnidroid v.X1, and manages to lure the ex-superhero Universal Man to his death via it.

Not long after Universal Man's death, Buddy launches a surprise attack on the Phantasmics. (That, or he disguises it as an "NSA training session / meeting".) In the battle, Psycwave and Everseer are killed by the Omnidroid v.XI. Macroburst manages to take out the Omnidroid, only to be later killed by the Omnidroid v.X2. The last remaining team member, Plasmabolt, manages to escape the island, and is never seen / heard from again.

With the Phantasmics out of the way, Buddy takes over "New Atlantis", and makes it his base of operations as Syndrome. His next target - not surprisingly - is his own father, Phylange. Luring his father to the island, Buddy uses the Omnidroid v.X2 to kill him, obtaining the first part of his revenge.

After killing a few more Supers, Buddy moves on to his mother, Apogee, luring her to the island to kill her with the Omnidroid v.X4.

Meanwhile, former Phantasmics member Gazerbeam has been working as a lawyer. After being forced into hiding, Gazerbeam used his civilian identity to launch a campaign to get the ban on Supers repealed. Frozone commented that he "had trouble adjusting to civilian life," much like his best friend Mr. Incredible had. Also, Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible's civilian alter ego) had learned in a Metroville Tribune newspaper that Gazerbeam had gone missing. According to the newspaper article, he was last seen outside his apartment on Traction Avenue ten days prior to the date of the article. His past advocacy of Superhero rights—which had lead some citizens to believe that he had actually been a superhero—would have made him a likely target (especially to Operation Kronos, a plan set forth by super-villain Syndrome). (Source)

However, Gazerbeam had also been former team mates (and likely close friends) with Phylange and Apogee, Buddy's parents. After reading / hearing about Phylange's and Apogee's "disappearance", along with that of other supers, Gazerbeam does some extra research. He finds that Phylange, Apogee, and/or their son, Buddy, were last tracked to / seen on "New Atlantis", the Phantasmics' old base.

Thus, Gazerbeam, under the guise of being "recruited" for "Project Kronos", decides to do some undercover investigations. In time, he finds out the terrible truth - that Buddy Pine, his best friends' son, is now a meglomaniacal supervillain, and has been the one killing Supers - but that he's the next victim.

Likely being ambushed after finding out the truth, Gazerbeam has just enough time to swim to the underwater cave, and, using his abilities, carve the word "KRONOS" into the rock wall. By then, the Omnidroid catches and kills him, or he's already been mortally wounded.

And, from that point on, the events of The Incredibles happen as-is.

And, as a final kicker: the name "Kronos" itself is not only a reference to the 1957 movie [Kronos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kronos_(film), but also to, in Greek Mythology, the leader and youngest of the first generation of Titans, the divine descendants of Uranus, the sky, and Gaia, the earth. He overthrew his father, Uranus, and ruled during the mythological Golden Age, until he was overthrown by his own son, Zeus, and imprisoned in Tartarus.

The period in which Kronos ruled was called the Golden Age, as the people of the time had no need for laws or rules; everyone did the right thing, and immorality was absent. Kronos learned that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, Zeus, just as he had overthrown his father, Uranus; thus, Kronos ate his own children, until his wife tricked him, and raised Zeus outside of his influence.

In the same vein, "Kronos" could be a reference by Buddy Pine himself to how he views his vengeance - with him as "Zeus", he used "Project Kronos" as a way to overthrow his father, Phylange (and his father figure, Mr. Incredible), "the most-well-known Supers of the Golden Age", even years after the Supers' retirement. And, just like how Zeus locked away all of the Titans (and Kronos) after their defeat to clear the way for him to rule as King of the Gods, Buddy / Syndrome kills so many Supers in order to clear the way for his "new world order".

After all...

Syndrome: [watching live news footage of the Omnidroid] "Huh? Huh? Oh, come on! You gotta admit, this is cool! Just like a movie: the robot will emerge dramatically, do some damage, throw some screaming people. And just when all hope is lost? Syndrome will save the day! I'll be a bigger hero than you ever were."

Mr. Incredible: "You mean you killed off real heroes so that you could pretend to be one?"

Syndrome: "Oh, I'm real. Real enough to defeat you! And I did it without your precious gifts, your oh-so-special powers. I'll give them heroics. I'll give them the most spectacular heroics anyone's ever seen! And when I'm old and I've had my fun, I'll sell my inventions so that everyone can be superheroes. Everyone can be super!"

Syndrome: "And when everyone's super ...[laughs]...no one will be."

[gibier3000]

John Surtees (1934 - 2017). Surtees was the son of a south-London motorcycle dealer. His father Jack Surtees was an accomplished grasstrack competitor and in 1948 was the South Eastern Centre Sidecar Champion. He had his first professional outing, which they won, in the sidecar of his father's Vincent at the age of 14. However, when race officials discovered Surtees's age, they were disqualified. He entered his first race at 15 in a grasstrack competition. In 1950, at the age of 16, he went to work for the Vincent factory as an apprentice. He first gained prominence in 1951 when he gave Norton star Geoff Duke a strong challenge in an ACU race at the Thruxton Circuit. In 1955, Norton race chief Joe Craig gave Surtees his first factory sponsored ride aboard the Nortons. He finished the year by beating reigning world champion Duke at Silverstone and then at Brands Hatch. However, with Norton in financial trouble and uncertain about their racing plans, Surtees accepted an offer to race for the MV Agusta factory racing team, where he soon earned the nickname figlio del vento (son of the wind). In 1956 Surtees won the 500 cc world championship, MV Agusta's first in the senior class. In this Surtees was assisted by the FIM's decision to ban the defending champion, Geoff Duke, for six months because of his support for a riders' strike for more starting money. In the 1957 season, the MV Agustas were no match for the Gileras and Surtees battled to a third-place finish aboard a 1957 MV Agusta 500 Quattro. When Gilera and Moto Guzzi withdrew from Grand Prix racing at the end of 1957, Surtees and MV Agusta went on to dominate the competition in the two larger displacement classes. In 1958, 1959 and 1960, he won 32 out of 39 races and became the first man to win the Senior TT at the Isle of Man TT three years in succession.

(picture and text taken here - read the comments!) 

[saveyourprimos]

So I'm currently saving for xiao and guarantee a 5 star (i have around 90 pulls before 2.4). If i lose 50/50 should i keep pulling for xiao or give my guarantee to zhongli? I want both of them TT

Thank you

This is a matter of preference, unfortunately.

Xiao is a phenomenal main DPS hypercarry who requires minimal investment, as he is one of the few characters in the game that doesn't need an artifact set to perform optimally. Having proper main stats + a balanced ATK%/Crit Rate/Crit DMG ratio is more important for him than any specific set.

Zhongli is a game-changing support that slots effortlessly onto nearly every team comp, providing CC with his Burst and off-field 20% universal RES shred with the strongest shield in the game. At higher investment, he can also be built as a main/secondary DPS.

However, at the end of the day, we cannot tell you which one would make you happier to have.

[wetsteve3]

The Velocette 500 Thruxton STORY BY GRAHAM CLAYTON// PHOTOS BY GRAHAM CLAYTON OCTOBER 1 2009

1967 Vintage Velocette 500 Thruxton Motorcycle The first time that I ever saw a Velocette Thruxton was at a road race at Harewood Acres, a long-since-gone converted airfield circuit near Delhi, Ontario. The Velo’s owner had parked it in the paddock and wandered off to watch the fairing bashing going on through Gunnery Corner. To me the 500 Velo was pure eye candy.

The Thruxton had the purposeful look of a true road burner, albeit with a decidedly dated looking engine. Sometime earlier I had read a road test on the model in Cycle World, so I knew what I was looking at and what the 500 cc bike was capable of. Little did I know at the time that the Thruxton model would be the most advanced, and also the final version of the high-cam Velocette OHV single.

The history of Velocettes is also the history of a family motorcycling business that would span three generations. The company’s founder, Johannes Gutgemann, was a German immigrant who settled in the Birmingham area in the West Midlands of England. Initially, Gutgemann went by the Anglicized name John Taylor, and by 1904 was building motorcycles in partnership with William Gue. Their bikes were sold as Veloce motorcycles. This early venture failed in 1905, but Taylor went on to form a new company of his own, Veloce Limited. Taylor had two sons, Percy and Eugene, who were both very capable engineers. In 1908, the two sons started their own firm, New Veloce Motors, which would build cars, as well as small displacement engines that would power motorcycles built by their father’s firm ,Veloce Limited, located in London.

In 1909, Veloce introduced a 276 cc 4-stroke single of non-conventional design that didn’t sell well. The firm responded by offering a new 499 cc model powered by a more standard design 4-stroke single with belt final drive. This model was a market success and sales began to grow.

In 1911, Veloce launched a small displacement machine that was designed for ladies. Powered by a 206 cc 2-stroke engine, this model was the first to carry the Velocette name. That year Gutgemann took out British citizenship and changed his name yet again, this time to John Goodman.

By 1916, New Veloce Motors had failed, but was absorbed into Veloce Limited as its in-house engine operation. Over the next decade, the Veloce Motor Company introduced a variety of new models using different engines designed by the two brothers. What became evident was that the brothers had quite different design interests. Percy was into high performance and racing models, while Eugene was focused on the design of more basic and utilitarian models meant for mass consumption. This dichotomy of design interests persisted for years at Velocette and taxed the resources of the small firm.

In 1925, Percy Goodman designed an OHC 348 cc sports prototype that was designated as a K model and badged as a Velocette. Three of the new K models were entered in the Isle of Man Junior (350 cc) TT road race, but didn’t do well. The following year a revised KSS model was entered in the Junior TT and it won. Thus began a period of racing works 350 cc OHC Velocette TT singles that would span twenty-five years. Velocettes would win the 350 cc Isle of Man Junior TT again in 1928 and 1929. As a result of those wins, Veloce began selling a new over-the-counter 350 cc racing model, the KTT, that would become hugely popular among privateer racers and would dominate 350 clubman racing for the next decade. The 350 KTTs would win the Isle of Man 350 Junior TT again in both 1938 and 1939.

When postwar road racing resumed in the Isle of Man in 1947, works 350 KTT riders won the 350 Junior TT for three years straight. Not only that, but when the FIM Grand Prix World Championship series resumed in 1949, Velocette won back-to-back 350 GP World Crowns with KTTs ridden by Freddie Frith in 1949 and Bob Foster in 1950. Freddie Frith was an incredible 40-years-of-age when he won his 350 cc World Championship, and promptly retired from racing. During the twenty-year period, 1930-1950, the Veloce Motor Company designed and built a variety of different motorcycles powered both by 2-stroke and 4-stroke motors. Mainstay models that sold well through the 1930s included the 248 cc MOV (1933), the 349 cc MAC (1934), and the 495 cc MSS (1935). Each of these models incorporated a high-cam, short pushrod layout that became standard on all of the road-going Velocette 4-stroke singles, including the later Thruxton.

Once the war was over, Velocette began reintroducing their road-going OHV single models.

Unlike some larger competing British firms, Veloce had produced few bikes for the war effort, and had to struggle to get back on their feet when peace resumed. Veloce was always a relatively small firm and never employed more than 400 workers. Their machines were much more hand-made than those built by their competition, a factor that contributed to their higher price tags. If Veloce had focused fully on moving ahead with updated road-going singles in the early postwar years they would likely have recovered their pre-war market strength, but this didn’t happen. They tried to do more than their modest resources could support and suffered for it.

Percy Goodman died in 1951 at which point the Velocette works race shop was closed.

By now brother Eugene had introduced a new model, the LE, for which he predicted large volume sales. The ungainly LE employed a pressed-steel frame and came fitted with running boards and leg shields. It was powered by a 149 cc water-cooled, side-valve, horizontally opposed flat twin with shaft drive. The engine had to be cranked to start and employed a hand gearshift. Not surprisingly the public didn’t go for it, though it did prove popular as a local police bike. Even so, sales were barely one fifth of Eugene’s expected volume. It should have been dropped, but wasn’t.

In 1956, responding to market demand for bigger and better bikes, Veloce introduced two new sports models, the 500 Venom and the 350 Viper. The Venom was capable of 90 mph (145 km/h) and could easily be upgraded for racing use. From 1960 onward both models were also offered as Clubman models with lowered bars, tuned engines and upgraded suspension for high-speed use. The Venom Clubman proved to be a popular model and performed very well in endurance racing.

In March of 1961, the factory took a team to France for an attempt on the 12-Hour and 24-Hour Speed Records for a 500 cc machine. The venue for the attempt was the banked Montlhery circuit outside of Paris. The company’s up-rated 500 Venom Clubman succeeded in setting a 12-Hour Record at 104 mph (167 kph) and a 24-Hour Record at 100.05 mph (161 kph). These results cemented the reputation of the Velocette Venom as a fast and durable machine. In 1964, the firm introduced a special version of the Venom Clubman with a new cylinder head, narrower valve angle, larger inlet valve, revised intake and a large Amal GP carb that in order to fit necessitated cutting a notch in both the gas tank and the oil tank. The new machine won the 500 class of that year’s gruelling Thruxton 500 mile endurance race giving rise to a new model introduced the following year.

This model was the Velocette Venom Thruxton introduced in 1965, a genuine ton-up café racer for the serious enthusiast. The Thruxton had a new cylinder head based on a squish-type design that had been developed by Lou Branch, Velocette’s U.S. importer. It incorporated a two-inch down draft intake, a larger intake valve, a high performance camshaft and a higher 9.2:1 compression piston. Fitted with a 1 3/8” Amal GP carburetor, the standard bike produced 40-41 bhp at 6,200 rpm, and was good for a top speed of 105-110 mph (169-177 km/h) in stock form.

The Thruxton came with clip-on handlebars, rear-set foot pegs, a humped leather racing type seat and a notched 4.5-gallon fuel tank. Other features of the model included separate stand-up speedo and tachometer, a sweptback header pipe and a traditional Velo fishtail muffler.

The frame employed was a standard Venom dual loop unit with a single front downtube, fitted with upgraded telescopic front forks and dual Girling shocks at the rear. As with other Velos, the angle of the rear shocks could be adjusted to accommodate varying passenger loads by making them more vertical for heavier two-up riding.

The bike ran on 19-inch alloy rims front and back, fitted with a 3.0” x 19 front tire and a 3.5” x 19 rear. Stopping power was provided by a 7.5” (190 mm) diameter double leading-shoe front drum brake with an air scoop and a 7.0” (178 mm) single leading shoe rear brake. The bike had a fairly hefty dry weight of 390 lbs. (177 kg) and a wheelbase of roughly 54 inches (1.37 m).

As with any high performance, large carb single of the day, starting required adherence to a set procedure if trouble was to be avoided. This typically involved tickling the carb (flooding the float chamber), easing the piston over compression with the use of the compression release, setting the throttle opening, and then giving a good non-stiff-leg downward kick on the kick starter. A well set-up bike would usually start with 1-3 kicks.

Being a non-counterbalanced single, vibration was a fact of life with the Velo, but back then most big bikes vibrated. At idle the front wheel would dance a bit, but once underway the vibration was not a problem, and would disappear above 4,500 rpm, which made the bike a comfortable high speed cruiser.

Fitted with standard gearing, the Thruxton would be pulling only 4,000 revs at 70 mph (113 km/h), and could cruise indefinitely in the 80-90 mph (130-145 km/h) range. More than a few British 650 twins of the day found staying with a 500 Thruxton hard going at speeds above 80 mph.

The one clear chink in the Thruxton’s armour was its ability to overrun its headlight in high-speed night riding. The Velocette electrical system was 6-volt which yielded a relatively yellow and weak light output.

The high speed and good handling capabilities of the Thruxton were proven repeatedly in race competition. A Velo Thruxton team won the 500 cc class of the 1965 500 Mile race, run that year at the Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire, England. Then two years later, a pair of Velocette Thruxtons finished first and second in the 500 cc class of the inaugural Isle of Man Production TT race. Race winner Neil Kelly averaged 89.89 mph (144.7 km/h) for the distance with the fastest lap at over 91 mph (146.5 km/h), while second place finisher Keith Heckles had a race average speed of 89.15 mph (143.5 km/h).

A tweaked production racing Thruxton could produce a further 5 or 6 bhp over stock and, when fitted with a full fairing, could top 120 mph (193 km/h). Later model Thruxtons were fitted with a concentric type Amal carb, a higher compression piston, and from July 1968 onward had the traditional Velo flywheel magneto system replaced by a battery and coil ignition (still 6-volt) that was reportedly a lot easier to live with.

In early 1969, the British motorcycle weekly Motor Cycle ran a road test using a staff member’s up-dated Thruxton. Two of the things that really struck the testers about the 500 Velo was its tractability and its fuel efficiency, something that they hadn’t expected from a big single fitted with a GP carb.

The testers reported that the Velo had a non-lugging speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) in top gear, and could paddle along all day at 3,000 revs. Fuel economy testing revealed the following remarkable results of 96 mpg at 30 mph, 70 mpg at 50 mph, and 57 mpg at 70 mph. These were the type of fuel economy results than you would typically get with a good 250 cc machine in the late 1960s, not a built-for-speed 500.

Production of the Thruxton continued until late 1970 by which time Veloce was financially on its knees. Far too much money had been spent on the various LE variants which drained cash from the firm, plus other abortive designs. The last of these was an unsuccessful 250 cc 2-stroke, flat-twin scooter called the Viceroy. It was hoped that this model would enable the firm to cash in on the scooter craze.

In the final years of Veloce Limited, two of John Goodman’s grandsons were managers of the firm. After sixty-six years in the motorcycle business the family voluntarily closed the company in February of 1971.

By then the firm had reportedly produced some 1,108 Thruxtons, half of which were exported, with over two-thirds of those coming to North America. Most of the Thruxtons were fitted with a silver and blue pinstriped fuel tank, but from 1967 onward the model could also be specially ordered with a more traditional black with gold pinstripe Velocette tan

[astarlightmonbebe]

compilation of thoughts and theories on chain of gold

for reference here is my theories before reading

pls do not expect coherency i have never been coherent about books in my life

also spoilers! and it’s really long! you have been warned

- okay to start we are going to be talking about my MAN matthew fairchild because he’s making me hurt too much. you guys know how much i love him, but especially after reading chog i mostly feel super sad? because it’s so obvious that at this point he is so far gone, like he’s been walking the path of self destructiveness for so long and in the fact of his own internalized self hatred and guilt he ends up hurting other people along with himself--or he will, for all the much he loves his friends. i really feel that he needs to get a handle on himself, but he’s so afraid that if anyone ever knew his secrets that everyone would turn him away, but in the fact that he’s keeping them--he’s digging his own grave and i’m sobbing. someone needs to help him; while i feel it is important that matthew saves himself, i don’t think it’s something he can or should necessarily do alone.

- this is kind of about the grace situation? like wow i hate that girl. i swear she tears apart a flower every morning to decide how hot or cold she’s gonna be for the day. i felt like the slightest inkling of pity for her like maybe once in the book but in the end she’s sooo two faced and i can’t bring myself to like her knowing she’s the reason they are all going to practically fall apart (especially james/matthew/cordelia). 

- i told you guys she was involved with some witchery huhhh...as expected, the bracelet is found guilty...i guess because of james’ demon blood, her regular magic doesn’t work, which makes me wonder if it is connected to demon blood (maybe warlocks??). anyways i hate her and making boys do things without consent. i do find it a little fishy that matthew hasn’t caught on, especially after the kiss? like despite all the secrets he keeps, i highly doubt he would do anything that would hurt james (with active realization; we’re not talking about mental states right now). and the fact that james knows something is bothering matthew and how matthew feels james’ pain so acutely? you can’t tell me their bond is breaking or fragile, because to me it seems strong even if the two of them are liable to break and take it with them as they do.

- can i just say. i was so disappointed. to find out. that CASSIE IS DOING ANOTHER love triangle like pls kill me now. i’m actually devastated and super unhappy about it because we a) already did this last series and b) just??? i don’t want another reason for those three’s relationship to become more strained? tbh, i kind of like cordelia/matthew if it wasn’t for the fact that matthew has his own issues, cordelia is hopelessly head over heels for james, and james has feelings for cordelia if you take the bracelet and grace a w a y. i do love how cordelia seems to see matthew in a way that nobody else does and she’s willing to confront him in a way that no one else does (looking at you, lucie). i mean, props to matthew for not going to intervene during their arrangement, but like...that’s another secret, too. anyways. i’m big sad over this.

- cordelia!! i have to admit, i have fallen for her more than i expected to. her pov was wonderful and i loveeee her character. she takes everything in stride and is really mature and in control of herself, which i like. plus there are a lot of sides to her, and i enjoyed getting introduced to them all. we really saw character growth throughout the book with her too--she definitely matured in her feelings, despite all the heartbreak she’s been put through, and i love how she changed her mindset when finding out the truth about her family instead of being, say, stubborn that her father was innocent. 

- on the other hand...i like lucie and james but i also...don’t??? idk, i genuinely did enjoy reading their perspectives but i don’t feel that in love or connected to the two of them as i thought i would be. especially lucie. don’t get me wrong---i absolutely adore lucie and her writer self, but i definitely went into chog thinking i was going to be a lot more invested in her. i think cc did a good job with her character, despite some of lucie’s actions and views not really aligning with me. i don’t know, to me she just seems a little too naive. maybe it’s because cordelia is such a contrast to her. and shoutout to james, who is having a horrible time. i feel bad for him, but his character is alright. i just want him and cordelia to be happy honestly.

- lucie and jesse was nice, honestly. i really went into chog thinking that jesse disappeared and tatiana just said he died, but i guess actually dying is cool, too. i have to say, i was partially right about lucie’s power (even if it wasn’t the cool out there one i wanted it to be). jesse’s humor is actually right up my lane. i thought he was going to be dry, but i enjoyed his character a lot, honestly. i don’t see them as romantic though? to me he’s like another endearing older brother figure to her at this point. 

- jesse so willingly giving up his last breath like !!! you can tell how painful it is to be trapped here, like that must suck.

- grace and lucie about to team up next book i see?? kind of looking forward to it, ngl. they have a common interest (jesse) who they would do anything for. i’m intruiged.

- also called it, villain was a prince of hell! wasn’t belial in a gotsm story? or am i tripping out because i think i’m tripping.

- when i said it was likely for barbara or oliver to die I DID NOT MEAN BOTH OF THEM!!! i was actually getting attached to barbara and her good eyesight. i want to know the tea with eugenia too. 

- anna lightwood is forever an icon in my eyes. she’s a power unto herself and i can’t wait to see her in the next couple of books. i had a feeling ariadne was going to chase her...not that psyched about it but curious all the same. i love how anna’s first reaction was ‘oh so you heard that charles dumped you from me not him’

- anna and cordelia are awesome. i love how anna takes one look at cordelia and immediately decides she needs new clothes (thankfully, i swear, pastel is never a good choice for someone with cordelia’s complexion, like?? shouldn’t her mom know that.)

- charles. no words. why is he that kid in school, the one that has every answer and an obsession with wwii or whatever like TT. just run for president. (oh my gosh that’s it he reminds me of a politician in modern times)

- which moves me onto alastair. who honestly i love so much, 10/10. i honestly can’t remember why i liked him so much going into this book? but that’s not important because if i had any doubt in my heart, it is now gone and crushed. like the reason i like alastair and not grace is because alastair is such a prime example of character growth. not that his intrinsic personality has changed, but he’s realized he’s done bad things that he can’t exactly make up and that are not excusable, whereas grace keeps doing bad things continuously (and let’s be honest i think what she’s doing is worse. at least alastair is honest lol (jkjk)). plus he dyed his hair and that’s suddenly all i needed in my life.

- i love the carstairs siblings so much!!! they are my fave duo and i love how realistic their interactions are. idk how to explain it, but they really warm my heart. especially how alastair has been protecting cordelia all her life and she really had no idea. his speech when he told her about their father’s drinking habits made me want to cry. i love how he’s so endearing towards her too; he’ll be all annoyed and then one second later is panicking over the fact that he can’t find her and that she could be in danger. plus cordelia cares for him a lot, like how she wanted to leave during his and charles’ breakup, but stayed because she could feel he needed her, even when he let her go. i can’t wait for their relationship to continue to grow, especially with their secrets out in the air. sibling solidarity. 

- and that brings me to *dundundun* thomas! i found myself really interested in him and liking his character a lot, not just because he’s a giant, either. (i will never stop laughing over the fact that thomas is a literal tree). i find him such a strong character, despite all the grief he must have been close to drowning in. he stayed away from his family all that time, too, but also he was with people who were basically his family and i stan that. 

- a break to talk about christopher. i never thought he would get hurt, but thank goodness he had a cure all worked out. i love how he’s actually so coherent at times, despite being stuck in his own head. i kind of forgot he wasn’t spacey 24/7, so this was a nice reminder. he’s going to go places, mark it.

- on that note, i called the thomastair spain moment, though it was not in the way i expected it to be. i love how thomas so obviously caught feelings for alastair but like. had no idea what to do with them. he was just over there shivering and showing alastair his tattoo like boyyy. that kind of makes the engagement all that much sadder, because for one, i was glad that it finally got out (though tbh i kind of forgot alastair said all that other stuff and i was like ‘son, never say that again’) but it was so...heartbreaking??!

- like you can see that thomas was so stunned and hurt by the realization that alastair said that about his family behind his back at the academy, all while being somewhat nice to him in the face of it, especially considering that thomas was the one who always stood up for alastair in their friend group. and alastair--the fact that he was there to finally try to put it all behind them, to finally try to start something, only for it all to come crashing down. the fact that he was so resigned, knowing that thomas deserved the truth even if it meant he could lose everything.

- i just have so many feels about that particular scene. matthew’s bitter voice as he recounts everything alastair ever said. how thomas turned so hard and cold and was like ‘you’re not the person i thought you were’ and told alastair to never show up in front of him again. how alastair was so sad and he couldn’t even hide it, he didn’t even have words. how he cried when alastair is like, the person the you least expect to cry in a room.

- magnus though. he took one look at matthew and was like ‘oh gosh there’s another one of them self destructive men who drink themselves into oblivion’. like yes!!! pls save my son magnus!! he needs help.

- chog was filled with lapidary phrases though. there were a ton of good quotes.

- i said theories but i forgot them all, honestly. this is just a rant on characterization. *cries*

- if james is dishonest to cordelia in the next book he’s gonna have to catch these hands. he won’t even see me coming. i’m watching you, james herondale.

- also, great. tatiana and belial. great. (read: sarcasm)

thanks for reading !