#enlarge disk

[rahiwatching]

BIONICLE SCIENCE: Enlarge and Shrink Disks

For this BIONICLE investigation, I decided to do something (slightly) different. Rather than apply real world physics equations to a BIONICLE concept to see how it would work, I decided to see if I could take a BIONICLE concept, explore the relationships between its components and see if I could create my own mathematically sound equation to explain them. The subject for this? Kanoka disks – specifically enlarge and shrink disks.

Below are the BS01 descriptions for the effects of both disks:

Enlarges - Temporarily causes a target to grow rapidly. Size is tied to the power level of the disk, with a maximum of sixty feet for any target.

Shrinks - Temporarily causes a target to reduce in size rapidly. Size is tied to the power level of the disk, with a minimum of six inches for any target.

Two things stand out to me as important to understanding the workings of the disks here:

No matter the starting size of the target, an enlarge disk can’t make it larger than 60 feet (18.288 meters) tall and a shrink disk can’t make it smaller than 6 inches (0.1524 meters) tall. Meaning, an object already at/above the height maximum or at/under the height minimum wouldn’t be affected by the disks when struck by them.

The level the target grows or shrinks is directly and linearly related to the power level of the disk (levels 1 to 8 for normal disks, with level 9 for the Great Disks)

This got me thinking, could I create an equation where if I knew the starting size of the target, I could use it to find the new size it would become if it was struck by a specific power level of enlarge or shrink disk?

Let’s look at shrink disks first. Given the above, we know that in between the starting size and the minimum size allowed by the disk power, there are 8 discrete sizes that the different levels of disk can cause, with the 8th being the same as the minimum. Therefore, the height reduction can be found by:

the original height minus the minimum height;

dividing that number by 8;

then multiplying that result by the power level of the disk; and finally

taking that number and removing it from the original height.

This is represented in the following equation:

The equation for the enlarge disk works in pretty much the same way, just with the initial minus sign being replaced with a plus, S-min being replaced with S-max and the original height and S-max swapping places:

As an example of how this works, let’s take a standard Toa with a height of 1.6 Bio (2.19 meters). The below tables show how they would be affected by each of the 8 standard power levels of disks (each figure is rounded to two decimal places):

Of these two disk powers, only the enlarge disk was chosen to become one of the six Great Disks (specifically the Ta-Metru Great Disk). The results of these equations can actually give us a reason why this is in canon. Given the Great disks have a power level of 9, they can exceed the power of normal disks. My interpretation of this is that this means that the enlarge Great Disk likely could make something bigger than the usual maximum of 18.29 meters. I’d also assume that it would still increase by the same linear progression of the previous 8 levels of disk, meaning the height maximum the great disk could enlarge our Toa to increases to 20.30 meters.

However, if we apply the same logic to a theoretical shrink Great Disk, the equation gives us a new height that is below zero: -0.10 meters. Given that a negative height doesn’t make sense, this gives a possible reason why there was no Great Disk of shrinking – it is not possible for a shrink disk of this level to exist.

[lethby]

The story of how Mammon fell first (and hard) ⍣ ೋ

Pairing: Mammon x GN!reader

Summary: What was going through Mammon's stupid (-ly cute) head the first few chapters of the game. And how mc survived the Devildom (mc angst yay)

You were a stupid human. There you stood, with that dumbfounded look in your eyes, scanning the foreign area with tensed shoulders. You couldn't look any more similar to a deer. A yummy and juicy deer in a lion cage.

"Mammon will be your guardian and he will ensure your safety in your stay here."

Say what now? This must be the most unfunny prank Lucifer has pulled on him. After some whining and protests, he learned that it was no prank. Come on, really? THE great Mammon babysitting some lousy human? This is even worst than all the three hour lectures combined!

He hated the idea, and made it very clear. Seriously, couldn't you walk any faster? Cat got your tongue? Stop being so startled by everything, it's driving him insane.

You, on the other hand, were about to cry. You were just sitting in your comfy bed looking through your phone and the next second you spawn on the literal pits of hell. You're following a strange demon that very clearly doesn't want anything to do with you. He was complaining to you nonstop about how much of a nuisance you are, how you look like the perfect meal and you can't really do anything about it because of how weak you are. Thanks.

You're walking a path completely unfamiliar to you under the eternal moonlight that gave very little light to your surroundings. Whispers and growls from the vicinities were driving you insane (that's two). Were they monsters? Demons? You didn't know, and that scared you.

You didn't know when you entered some classy big house, but the walls were already suffocating and the statues were gnawing at your mind.

Suddenly, all of the sounds drowned in your ears and became a mere vibration in your brain.

'I don't wanna be here. I wanna go home.'

When Mammon looked behind, he noticed the lifeless eyes that stared into the nothingness and sighed annoyed. You weren't listening to him! Just how much dumber can you get?

Then, a loud noise interrupted your trance, snapping you out of it. You put your guard up as an angry demon came straight in your direction two steps at a time. He shouted at Mammon for something about money. Your fogged mind didn't really comprehend much.

What you did comprehend was your so called guardian pushing you against the angry demon as bait while he made a run for it. The words spoken earlier about being nothing more than demon food replayed in your head like a broken disk.

'This is where I die'

Fortunately, the demon, whose name was Leviathan, showed the minimum manners you'd expect for a demon and left you be for the most part. Also, his room was nice. Like a peaceful change of scenery from all the dangers and noises of outside. You didn't mention it, but he caught you staring at his aquarium and jellyfish lights, so he hesitantly enlarged your stay. Just a little. Not much. He couldn't stand normies in his room.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the House of Lamentation, Mammon was laughing his ass off. He killed two birds with one stone, avoiding Levi and getting rid of you. At least for now, since he wouldn't hear the end of it if Lucifer found out he was totally evading his responsibility. However, at the moment he was just thinking about going to the casino and win some Grimm, easily forgetting about you. Why would he care, either way?

That night, when all the lights were out, the only soul who couldn't sleep was your own. In the silence of the late hours, there were no distractions keeping your thoughts to wander, so they did. The realization of the whole situation came crashing down like a waterfall. You laid with your eyes open, seeing but not watching. Your body was being hugged in a soft but harsh embrace by the unfamiliar sheets. The light of the little lamps, hanged on the strange tree, slightly illuminated the room. It wasn't even your room. It was a room. An unknown room in an unknown world.

'I'm not going home'

That thought prevailed on top of the other ringing ones. Cold tears slide through your numb face. You didn't bother wiping them as they kept falling from your eyes like dense, thick honey. You couldn't fall asleep, but you didn't want to be awake either. You didn't want to be right now.

The following morning, you tried to maintain a natural facade. Your dry answers made your voice sound alien to you, having used it so little since you arrived.

Mammon couldn't be more fed up with your attitude. Don't you know that makes you easy prey? He made sure to tell you. He was doing you a favor, you know? He doesn't understand why you become rigid at his statement, he was giving you a piece of advice.

The day continued without much change. Demons looked your way and licked their lips. You almost felt naked under their watching gaze, standing with your tail between your legs. You tried to follow along with Levi's plan about Mammon's credit card. Goldie, was it? Anyway, it's not that you were inspired to pass Lucifer's lie detector, but you did it anyways.

Your memory is incapable of remembering much of the day as you stood before the freezer. Levi had a frozen Goldie in his hand and Mammon was yapping about something, mostly complaining.

Your body worked on autopilot until you felt a burning sensation in your hand. You dazedly lifted it to see a yellow mark on the back of it. How did that get there?

Mammon swore he was about to lose it. You just made a pact with THE great Mammon and you looked like you didn't care. He grew himself to hate that emotionless expression on your face. He thought you would be less annoying if you showed any sign of, I don't know, humanness? Even demons reacted more than you! You could at least laugh at his jokes. That would be... Nice, I guess.

From that point on, you drowsily made it to your room. You sat on your bed and looked at the mark on your skin. You should be happy, shouldn't you? At least Mammon was now forced to protect you if you said so. He's the second oldest, that meant strong, or something, right? So why were you crying again? Why was it quietly raining on the golden pact? Yet another night filled with many water droplets that made a depressing pattern on the sheets. However, as numerous as they were, they all felt lonely and abandoned, like the eyes that shed them.

Mammon also wanted to cry, but for other reasons. Say embarrassment, if you had to name it. He was kicking every object in the floor that had the misfortune to make contact with his feet. Not so silent grunts echoed in the walls as he paced through his room. He forcefully shoved a pillow against his own face and screamed his heart out. Stupid human! Stupid! Incoherent curses left his lips until late at night, when he fell asleep.

The next morning, Mammon tapped his foot impatiently. It was already becoming unbearable with the constant berating of his brothers, that were making fun of him. THE great Mammon doesn't wait for no one! Well, except you, I suppose. But that's because he has to!

When you finally came down, Mammon scoffed and pulled you along, not leaving you time to have breakfast. Fine, it's not like you were hungry, anyways. You've lost your appetite ever since coming here. Three days into the Devildom and you looked the same as day one, if not worse. It was getting harder to breathe as timed passed and the dark circles under your eyes were starting to rival the dimness of the night sky.

The day followed as usual. You really hoped you weren't expected to get good grades here, because everything that managed to get into your brain left rapidly like a ghost train with no passengers. You only caught something about a TSL tournament against Levi. Why did you agree to that again? Oh yeah, to enter his room. Why did you want to...? Nevermind, you only knew that one moment you were at RAD and the next you were walking home with Mammon.

He was ranting about something about the casino or Lucifer, as usual. You didn't mind the background noise of a somewhat known (although rather annoying) voice for the most part. However, what he said next as he flicked your forehead wasn't part of that 'most'.

"Ya know, yer lucky I take time off my very busy schedule to walk ya home. If you keep spacin' out like that, yer only makin' yourself an easy prey to any passerby!"

Three times. He now has called you 'prey' three times. You stopped in your tracks with your head low, nails stabbing your palms in a fist. Mammon looked confusedly at you after noticing you fell behind. The sight of your figure made him both exasperated and... was that worry? Nah, just exasperated. You murmured something under your breath he didn't quite catch.

"Huh? You gotta speak louder that that, deer"

That's it. You suddenly lifted your chin, locking eyes with his deep blue ones. Mammon visibly flinched at the hatred they held. That raw emotion radiating from your pure anger was the first time he saw you actually alive.

"I said, stop calling me that. I get it, really do. I'm nothing more than a stupid, defenseless piece of meat that got trapped into a world filled with wild beasts willing to have a bite, I know. You think I asked for this?! I have enough with the situation as a whole for you to keep reminding me of it!"

In that moment, your voice didn't sound like it was yours, but it still spoke what your heart felt. The demon in front of you was left speechless. To him, your outburst was an overreaction that caught him by surprise, not knowing the pent up pressure you hid in your fragile body. Now, it was his brain's turn to not process the information around him, since when he snapped out of his trance, you were already a few meters ahead stomping your way to the House of Lamentation.

He fucked up. He knew he fucked up. Ever since seeing the way your brows furrowed the moment you first interacted, Mammon knew he was fucking up. Every part of him was screaming at him, but he didn't dare to admit it, not even to himself.

So even now, he hid behind a mask of annoyance. Look at you, walking just ahead of him without care. When he told you to show emotion, he didn't mean that you could get angry at him! How dare you yell at the Great Mammon like that?! Don't you know how easily someone could attack you there all alone? Don't you know that any demon could kill you with ease? Don't you know how much you look like prey-...

...

Don't you know how bad he doesn't want that to happen?

By the time you reached the House of Lamentation, your anger hadn't subsided one bit. It was like all your pent up emotions mixed homogeneously into anger and exploded uncontrollably. Even so, you don't regret that happening. Why would you? You've been treated like nothing but a nuisance ever since you stepped foot here. Regret comes from realizing bad choices, and the only one you've made was letting these demons drag you to hell.

You make a dash to the room you've grown accustomed to and quickly close the door without slamming it from frustration, not trying to get unwanted attention. When you stand under the tree lights is when you notice the pools in your eyes, ready to cascade at any moment.

'Shit, this always happens when I'm angry'

You rub furiously at your wet eyes to get rid of the tears and, when that doesn't work, you throw yourself on the bed and scream into the nearest pillow. Too tired to get up, you close your eyes for a moment, waiting for your mind to find peace on its own. Or at least some silence.

You don't realize when or how long you've been asleep, but your cheeks are dry when a knock in your door wakes you up. You really didn't want to answer, but the knocks only got more frequent and impatient the more you ignored them. You hesitantly untangle yourself from your sheets and get to the door.

To your demise, at the other side was the last person you wanted to see at the moment. Mammon stood there in a futile attempt to check on you before nighttime. He looked everywhere except you, hoping he didn't have to stare at your hatred eyes again.

"You didn't come for dinner."

You've slept the day.

"Didn't feel like it." You lied

Mammon furrowed his brows and put his hands in his hips hoping it would boost his own confidence.

"Don't humans have to eat to survive? If ya starve to death, Lucifer will kill me."

You've been like shit for the past three days and now he worries. Real smooth, Mammon. At your lack of response, Mammon realized he was losing you, so he quickly tried to come up with something else.

"Anyways... You have the TSL tournament with Levi tomorrow, dontcha? Well lucky for you, the Great Mammon has brought you the series so you can watch them tonight! I still think yer gonna lose hard against the nerd but-"

You tuned out the rest of his speech and looked at the wall beside you. You definitely didn't want to speak to, listen to or be with Mammon. You didn't want to go to the tournament and you didn't want to spend the night binge watching this random TSL thing. Despite all the things you didn't want to do, Mammon still pushed you inside and prepared the TV. You sulkily sat in your bed making yourself comfortable, trying not to kick the demon off when he sat beside you.

A couple of hours passed and you were hating every part of this. The show, Mammon and everything... Or that's what you thought would happen.

In reality, you felt a familiar yet longing feeling of... Home. The series was actually not bad and, being used to movie nights back in the human world, you were at more ease doing something you enjoyed. Besides, it kept your mind occupied and away from everything, which you wish you could have done before. Finally, though you hate to admit it, Mammon's presence was actually not so bad. His comments were actually funny and it gave you the feeling of hanging out with your friends, forgetting the events from before. You've never felt like this here, but you weren't complaining for once.

Meanwhile, Mammon was having his own silent crisis besides you. He was sure you were having the worst time of your life. How could you not? You skipped dinner just to not see him! Besides, he locked himself in your own room forcing you to watch something for a stupid contest. But he wasn't doing it on purpose, he swears! He actually was here in an attempt to make amends with you. However, getting the words out was proving to be more difficult than he thought. He tried to ease the atmosphere by joking around, but his knee was still bouncing in a constant rhythm. Mammon wasn't akin to apologizing, much less to a human.

Minutes turned into hours and he honestly was about to explode. He stopped paying attention a while ago and even began sweating. Unable to hold off any longer and despite his awkwardness, he turned to you with his eyes closed.

"Human, I-"

A soft, mermaid-like sound followed a funny scene in the screen, interrupting him, but it was not part of the show. The demon shifted his attention to the source of it, and then it hit him. You. It was your laughter.

That was the second time he saw you express any kind of emotion, but the first he saw the way the corners of your lips tilted upwards and your eyes squint while trapping a warm shine within them. Mammon saw you in another light, a light that newly illuminated your features since you came to the Devildom. A light that showed your smile. And damn, how pretty it was.

He then took notice of your posture, with details for the first time. From the way your legs intertwined with one another to how your arms kept a pillow close to your chest with relaxed shoulders. Where you always like this? No, no you weren't. Right now, in his eyes, you were far from the scared deer that annoyed him so much; now feeling like he was looking at one of those elegantes statues in Diavolo's castle. He still hadn't realized, but your smile trapped him like a siren's song. Your humanness he oh so wanted you to show now left him speechless.

He didn't know when the marathon ended, but he found himself waving you goodbye casually at the other side of your door. To his surprise, you tiredly waved back, although with no smile painting your face. In that moment, walking back to his room, he just thought of ways to see it again. To see your light.

When he landed on the comfort of his sheets, he felt once more the pact that tied you together and didn't feel embarrassment or hatred anymore. He felt something else deep within his heart, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. A sense of connection he never felt before.

Then he sat up in a swift.

...He didn't apologize!

He threw his hands to his face and groaned, although the frustration in it not directed at you now, but at himself. He had yet to realize that it was always at himself.

You on the other hand just went to bed first thing to catch the hours of sleep taken from you. However, your mind stayed clear and your cheeks remained dry for the first time under de Devildom's sky.

The next day followed as usual. Everyone in the House of Lamentation woke up, had breakfast and headed to RAD following their own routine. You and Mammon did no different, but both of you could tell the atmosphere shifted for the better. Your eyes shined in a way that made him forget all the reserved glares, and Mammon made sure to not comment on anything that could make you uncomfortable. It was like a weight cleared off your minds and the heavy air was easier to breathe. Where before you found an obstacle, now you saw a person, a friend even.

At RAD, you even tried to socialize a little more. You found that the best way to cope with the situation was to actually try and enjoy it. Surprisingly enough, chatting with the other exchange students proved to flow rather easily, interacting more than you've ever had here. What stood up to the angels and Solomon, although they didn't mention it and despite their initial surprise, was your contrasting behavior that made the atmosphere so light. Thankfully, they left with content, and so did you.

Although you still had a long way to go, the mist of terror that obscured your eyes dissipated enough to let some light pass through, which you were grateful for.

However, as the school hours finished and the time for TSL tournament approached, a unnerving feeling squeezed your chest. You had come up with a plan in the morning, and you even got the help of Simeon. The plan, unfortunately, had a major flaw, as you were advised that taunting the Avatar of Envy's sin was a dangerous game to play, lethal even. And you weren't in the mood to play games.

The brother's all headed to the tournament's location, whether their intentions varied from amusement to seeking shed blood was not for the demons to judge. Admits the powerful beings, stood one that didn't attend for neither reason.

While Mammon walked at his own pace, suddenly his shirt was tugged. He turned confusedly and, when he saw you gripping his clothes with one hand as you looked directly at the floor, something pulled at his heartstrings. A feeling that was forced out of him when your voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Will you come if things go south?" You said barely above a whisper.

That was the longest sentence you spoke to him ever. Well, when you weren't angrily putting him in his place.

"Huh?"

Confused by the many elements you surprisingly decided to display before him, your question caught him off guard. However, seeing as you kept your mouth shut and shifted in your spot, he quickly turned to you completely.

"Ah- I mean, of course! What kind of guardian would I be if I didn't? Count on me!"

The slight hope in your eyes allowed his to muscles relax. And when he saw that light, he remembered that night. But most importantly, he remembered what he didn't say. His usual easy chat turned dry in his throat at the thought, but he had to get it out of his chest. While you confusedly looked at his still stance with a brow raised, he looked at you with a new determination in his eyes.

"I-" His hands sweaty and his ego shattering, he still looked at you "I'm sorry for calling you prey" ...That was easier than he thought-

"You're forgiven"

What?

I mean, this is what he hoped for but... Your immediate response made his eyes widen as he stared at you dumbfounded. Meanwhile, yours dropped, but not with the melancholy Mammon was used to. They dropped in softness. He already lost count of the times he got lost in them.

Your steps felt light approaching Levi, whether they were from determination or dizziness, you were not sure. Orange irises looked down on you without a drop of doubt he would win. Feeling small, you glanced to the side and caught deep blue eyes looking back at you. With mixed emotions, you took a deep breath as Asmo extravagantly initiated the duel.

You noticed the difference on difficulty on the questions and you didn't know if you should be grateful or worried, feeling the amusement in Asmo's voice as Levi's frustration grew more evident.

Then, the moment of truth came. You played with your fingers as you recited future events that were yet to appear in the show, leaving the demon before you speechless. Just as you finished your rambling, your gaze caught coral-like horns and a dark tail slashing the air with a frightening speed and strength. You tensed and the danger everyone has warned you about ran through your veins with a chill. Levi's predatory look made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You were prey.

Mammon jumped in your aid the moment your eyes locked with his in a cry for help. His help. He wasn't the fastest for nothing. You didn't even have to use the pact to get him running in your aid. He wanted to save you. He had to. Not because Lucifer told him or, heck, even Diavolo. He had to because he cared. Because he didn't want to see you hurt. However, the world, along with his heart, made a flip as his knees connected with the floor, his will to get up forced down by the slippery surface.

'Fuck, I'm not gonna make it'

His frown deepened as he saw you backing away from Levi and falling, making a pained expression. Just when he was about to unleash his demon form to get to you, two pairs of black feathery wings blocked your figure from the aggressive demon's way.

His lips let out a shaky breath, but the shine in his eyes still wavered. He couldn't pay attention to the scene unfolding before him; how Lucifer calmed down Levi with the help of Diavolo and his brothers gripped the wood railing in anticipation. No, his focus was entirely submitted to you.

His pupils shrunk as he scanned the way your chest rapidly rose and fell with each panicked breath. How your eyes trembled as they stared at the floor beneath. And most importantly, how you clutched your red wrist close to your chest.

His heart clenched and his thoughts ran wild.

'They got hurt. They are hurt. I couldn't save them. They're scared. I let this happen. I should have saved them. They trusted me to. They hate me. They're hurt. They-'

...

The walk back to the House of Lamentation was tense. Silence prevailed except for the occasional whispers of the brothers. Levi stomped his way to the front leaving the others behind while you slowly walked in the back. Besides you was Mammon, who kept sending you quick glances from time to time. However, you didn't get to notice, occupied in your small steps and shaky breaths.

Your mind ran wild like it never had before. You almost died. That reality felt so far yet so suffocating, enhancing the stinging pain in your wrist. You were helpless. Small. Weak. Every noise and movement in your peripheral echoed in your head like a broken radio. Like before. You were sent back to zero.

The depressing steps to your room fell on deaf ears. Accompanied by two demons, Mammon and Beel, you sat on your bed on autopilot. It felt dry under you, but you knew how it soaked in your sadness numerous times, and you had a feeling it wouldn't be long before it did again.

The mattress sunk on both sides, and you couldn't stop the flinch of your body when a tanned hand reached for yours with a first aid kit nearby. You hated how you were scared of that hand crushing your already damaged wrist. A hand that you've once reached out for. You hated how you couldn't stop your muscles from tensing. How your jaw clenched. How your breath wavered. How you could only see spiky fangs and horns on the demons that came to comfort you.

You didn't register the bickering of the other two, not how one stood up and left until the door closed.

Mammon really tried to bandage your frail wrist as best as he could, but he was distracted by constantly glancing up every few seconds. He checked your eyes and the way they gazed into nothingness. And he checked again and again and again, because he couldn't believe it. Because he didn't want to believe it. The light that once filled your eyes with emotion faded away. That light he grew to search for as a candle in a snow storm, gone; replaced again by the lifeless shell of your irises.

That was until they shone, but with tears. The depressing hour didn't stop for you, even when not alone. You didn't even react until a pair of hands gripped your upper arms.

Two sets of eyes looked at each other, both conveying very different emotions. However, none spoke a word, their voice locked in their throats for their own reasons. The silence of the calm before the storm.

The trance was broken by launching yourself at Mammon in a desperate hug, which he didn't expect at all. It took a moment for his embrace to match your own, messy wrist already forgotten. By that time, you were uncontrollably sobbing in his arms, which made him hide his frown on the crown of your head.

At this point, you didn't know by what, but you were terrified. No matter human or demon. Friend or foe. You needed a shoulder to cry on, rather than something to shed your tears to. You needed someone.

Mammon shared whispered apologies that accompanied your sobs. Neither of your grips loosening on one another, your hands locked into fists behind his back while he secured his own in your hair and waist.

And that's when it hit him. He wanted to protect you. At all costs and by any means. He wanted to give himself to you. He wanted to love you.

I can't believe this is finally finished. And I can't believe I got the motivation from a YouTube video on how to properly write. And I can't believe it worked.

Anyways we all know the game isn't heavy on angst and the fandom has to do the work so here is my contribution! Hope you like it and stay tuned for my rewrite of lesson 16! (I feel like that's gonna be even harder to write)

Do what makes you happy,

Lethby ༊*·˚

[talonabraxas]

"Splendid You rise in the lightland of the sky, O living Aten, creator of life ! You have dawned in the eastern lightland. You fill every land with your beauty." -Great Hymn to the Aten, 1-4.

Aten/Aton Talon Abraxas

Ancient Egyptian Aten: Sun God And Creator Deity Symbols: sun disk, heat and light of the sun Cult Center: Akhetaten (Tel El-Amarna) Aten was a being who represented the god or spirit of the sun, and the actual solar disk. He was depicted as a disk with rays reaching to the earth. At the end of the rays were human hands which often extended the ankh to the pharaoh. Aten's origins are unclear and he may have been a provincial Sun-god worshipped in one of the small villages near Heliopolis. Aten was called the creator of man and the nurturing spirit of the world. In the Book of the Dead, Aten is called on by the deceased, "Hail, Aten, thou lord of beams of light, when thou shinest, all faces live." It is impossible to discuss Aten without mentioned his biggest promoter, the pharaoh Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten. Early in his reign, Akhenaten worshipped both Amon (the chief god in Thebes at the time) and Aten. The first as part of his public duties, the latter in private. When he restored and enlarged the temple of Aten first built by his father Amenhotep III, relations between him and priests of Amon became strained. The priests were a major power in Egypt and if another god became supreme they would lose their own prestige. Eventually, relations became so strained that Akhenaten decided to built his own capital by the Nile, which he called, "Akhetaten", the Horizon of the Aten. At Akhetaten, Akhenaten formed a new state religion, focusing on the worship of the Aten. It stated that Aten was the supreme god and their were no others, save for Akhenaten himself. It has been said that Akhenaten formed the first monotheistic religion around Aten. However, this is not the case. Akhenaten himself was considered to be a creator god and like Aten was born again every day. Aten was only accessible to the people through Akhenaten because Akhenaten was both man and part of the cosmos. Akhenaten systematically began a campaign to erase all traces of the old gods, especially Amon. He erased the name of Amon from the temples and public works. He even went so far as to erase his own father's cartouche because the word "Amon" was featured in it. Even the word "gods" was unacceptable because it implied there were other deities besides Aten. It is clear that the Egyptian people never accepted their king's religion and view of the world. Even at his own capital, Akhetaten, amulets featuring Bes and Tauret have been found. Following Akhenaten's death, Atenism died rapidly. Mostly because the people never really believed in it and also because Akhenaten's successors did all they could to erase Akhenaten and Aten from the public eye. Eventually, Akhetaten became abandoned and the name "Akhenaten" conjured the dim memory of a "heretic king."

[cal-cium-the-nerd]

Byrn ‘covertly’ mouthed ‘thank you’ to Kirielle, who was unabashedly playing with the rain barrier by sticking her arms and legs outside the protective dome and then drawing them back in, causing her to give him a thumbs up. Apparently the boy knew whom to thank for his good fortune. Hmph. If he ran out of mana halfway to their new home after getting Byrn to the academy, it would be on her head. Rain barrier was quite draining, and he had to enlarge it so it would cover all three of them plus the floating disk that carried their combined luggage. “This spell is awesome,” Kirielle declared. “How hard is it? Do you think you could teach me how to cast this one? I won’t tell anyone!” “Oh please,” Zorian snorted. “You can’t even feel your mana, much less shape it. It’s not a question of legality, it’s a question of skill. It would take months if you’re some kind of genius, a year or two otherwise. Just wait until you enroll into a magic school yourself, okay?” Kirielle immediately deflated.

(Chapter 14)

The way Kirielle is so enthusiastic about learning magic really makes her resemble Zorian a lot, even pre-time loops, as he was repeatedly shown to enjoy learning for learning's sake while most of his classmates treated it as a chore.

I think adult Kiri will probably resemble Zorian much more than either of them expects.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE THOUGH; i find it really really funny that Kiri is/will be getting tutored by Zorian when Fortov basically asked the same (or at least something similar) from Daimen but got ghosted in the end.

I really wonder what Fortov's reaction to Kirielle being taught by Zorian would be.

[mycoblogg]

FOTD #025 : frosty bonnet! (mycena adscendens)

the frosty bonnet is a mushroom in the family mycenaceae. it is the smallest known mushroom in the world !! they are found scattered on dead twigs & bark (often in groups of two) & occur - at least - in north america, europe, south africa, turkey & denmark.

the big question : can i bite it?? the edibility is unknown. :-)

m. adscendens description :

"the cap is white & small, with a diameter typically ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 mm (0.1 to 0.3 in). initially convex to cucullate (hood-shaped), it flattens during maturity, developing visible surface grooves that correspond to the gills underneath the cap; the surface may also be covered with glistening particles, remnants of the partial veil. the cap is pallid gray with a whitish margin when young, but soon becomes white overall. the flesh is membranous, fragile, & thin (less than 0.5 mm). The gills are free from attachment or narrowly attached (adnexed) to the stem. they are up to 0.5 mm broad, distantly-spaced (usually numbering between 7 and 12), & sometimes adhering to each other to form a slight collar (a pseudocollarium) around the stem. they are translucent-white throughout their development, with a fringed, white edge. the hollow stem is 0.5 to 2 cm (0.2 to 0.8 in) long, & usually curved & threadlike. the bottom of the stem is enlarged into a slight bulb, which is initially nearly spherical. at the very base of the stem is a small, white, and hairy disk-like base that attaches to the substrate."

[images : source, source & source] [fungus description : source]

"THE BABiES !! i love them so much. 🤍 i found a buncha them near my boyfriend's house a while ago. they're so super tiny & they're stipes are Long."

[medievalsnippets]

Armour of the English Knight: 1410-1425

Source: Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450

Helmet: A number of variations and modifications to the bascinet are in progress by the early fifteenth century. The stout of the visor is tending to become more rounded or blunted, while plate armour for the neck and shoulders is appearing in several new exploratory forms. One characteristic form of this second trend is the 'aventail of plate', a piece of armour covering the same area as did the mail aventail, but which is composed of a set of hoop-like plates, producing a more rigid defence which yet provides a similar level of mobility.

Cuirass: The one-piece breastplate itself remains largely unchanged, while the plate protection for the back is evolving rapidly. The hinged side-plates which formerly covered only a small area around the kidneys have now been enlarged to form the two halves of a solid structure joining down the centre of the back. The cuirass skirt tends by now to be worn as a seperate armour part, hanging down from a waist-plate underlapping the upper body armour. At the front a triangular skirt extension provides additional protection to the groin.

Spaulders: The shoulder plates remain essentially unchanged, being generally composed of a main plate positioned above either one or two articulation lanes. One important new enhancement takes the form of the besagews, circular or oval plates which significantly increase the amount of front protection for the shoulders, without significantly reducing mobility. The besagews are either attached to the spaulders, by means of a short internal leather, or tied to the mail worn under the plates.

Arm and Leg Defences: A significant variation introduced around 1410 is the substitution of applied disks or 'rondels' in place of integral side-wings. In some cases, the demi-cuisse is omitted, making the poleyn inseparable from the cuisse.

Gauntlets: Unchanged.

Sabatons: A solid heel plate seems to have been introduced by 1410, if not earlier. The metatarsal overplate is sometimes omitted.

Decoration: One notable variation is the inclusion of an engraved border on the outside surface of the upper cannon without a corresponding border on the lower cannon. In these cases a border is sometimes placed around the bottom edge of the lower cannon just above the wrist.

[nerves-nebula]

The comments you got did say quite a lot already, so it was a little difficult, but I do know just a couple little details.

(This will be the shortest paragraph) 1987 Krang is a singular entity who is on Earth and partners with the Shredder. ('Partners' is more way than one, because their dynamic is reminiscent of an old married couple and they have multiple very gay moments too). Krang makes weird frog-esc croaking sounds while speaking, and controls a suit that looks like Captain Underpants, aka a bald dad bod baby. This version has the ability to enlarge both himself and his suit. The ship that he and the Shredder use is the Technodrome, which is on wheels and shoots lasers that destroy land. They hang out underground. They also have Bebop and Rocksteady as their sort of henchmen. The 1987 Krang constantly talks about how he has legions and armies of superior warriors in Dimension X where he came from, but I'm pretty sure we never really see them.

The Utrom (aka the 2003 Krang) focused on intelligence. They were an interstellar species from galaxies away that can live for eons and arrived on Earth in feudal Japan with their ship, proceeding to get stuck there for the next few centuries as they were too advanced for Earth's tech. They were fairly amicable to the humans there, but they find them disgusting. After being in physical contact with a human, even when in their metal suits (they wear metal suits that look like humans, much like the Krang Shredder's Oroku Saki suit) they go and get decontaminated in their HQ. It can be assumed they are like this to all life, or at least all life deemed below them in intellect, as we were shown their decontamination chambers and such in the modern day. Without their suits, they wear these metal disks that let them however, like the 2012 Krang, and when leaving their ship or metal suits, they tend to wear a glass dome, probably for protection against the Earth's environment. Unlike 2012, every Krang is their own person. The krang do however still have a leader, known as Mortu (they have their own names, but Mortu and The Shredder (Ch'rell) are the only ones we learn). They do not have a Dimension X or any equivalent, and are the only ones to be from this world as well as good guys (though they are assumed to be villains at first, and are misunderstood. They actually worked with Splinter's owner before he died, as this Splinter was the rat of a ninja).

The 2012 Krang are a hivemind, as is well known. However, they still have their own personalities, which usually minorly shines through in certain dialogues. They tend to speak very oddly and literally ('The Krang is the one who will be doing the kicking of the butt to the ones known as the turtles' is something they would say). However, they can still learn to speak normally, as proven by Krang Subprime, Krang Prime and the Utrom. The Utrom in 2012 is the original in that universe, who were taken over by the og Krang (Krang Prime) to become a hivemind which they weren't before. They are now a rebel group, who can all speak English properly and all tend to wear metal suits that look like humans. Bishop in the sort of leader of the Utrom here, unlike 2003 (2k3 Bishop was a villain who hated aliens). His suit is the one that the Krang copied and mass-produced, aka the men with slicked back hair and all black suits throughout 2012. The difference is that he usually wears shades. The krang tried to take over Earth since the dinosaurs were on it, and kept failing everytime. In this universe, they are the cause of humans, having mutated apes into them with prior ooze while trying to turn them into Krang to overtake the planet. This Krang also has a rivalry of sorts with the triceratons, who are triceratop based aliens who love violence. They've had many wars in the past.

I feel like I've went on too much so off I go noww enjoy

no no this is all fantastic, thank you for taking the time to write this up :)

[jmdbjk]

Chaos. In pink.

Howdy, bitches...how they hangin’? Here I am with the goods. 

These photos are HUGE. As in lots and lots of pixels. They may take some time to load for some of you. If you have a high resolution monitor, some of them look FANTASTIC as wallpaper. If you don’t already know...if you are on a computer: right click on the image and hopefully you have the option to open image in separate tab or window. Then touch the image to enlarge it full size. Then right click on it again and save image to disk (to your computer). 

FYI, the dark seam is the center of the book. I splayed it open on the scanner bed. Yes, the book is smushed now. It’ll be fine.

I love this set of photos. I love the vibrant colors. I think it’s interesting that we did not see teasers of this photo shoot. I am interpreting this one as the most intimate message of all of them. I will make separate posts for the other three shoots. Tumblr was complaining about the size of some of these images so I didn’t want a Tumblr meltdown by trying to post too many huge photos all at once. I hope you enjoy them. 

[clatterbane]

This is what we want to see!

Operating in full Tired Chaotic Dumbass mode last night when I was trying to get the new external disk set up, what did I manage to do? Wipe out the boot partition on the WRONG DRIVE. Because of course I did.

So yeah, everything else on the drive was fine, but I couldn't boot into anything there.

After a little internal screaming and more than a little cursing myself, the best plan forward looked like getting the system up and running to boot off the new drive as I had intended, downloading a Windows 11 install ISO from there, and then hauling my stupid ass to bed for a brain reset.

But, this afternoon I did successfully get a working EFI partition and Windows bootloader back on the internal drive!

That does work the same on 11.

And, a very similar procedure if you didn't manage to fuck up the whole partition like I did, but just the Windows bootloader files:

But yeah, I did test and it's booting fine now.

In an enlarged partition too, since I decided to migrate my existing MX install over onto the new drive. Because yeah they make it easy to do that:

Thankfully I had already written the (gigantic) ISO and burned it to a USB before I accidentally wiped the boot partition. Was trying to get the new drive set up for it when that happened.

[advancement-made]

what chronic illness /genq

✨️Hereditary spherocytosis✨️

It's a genetic blood condition that causes a person's red blood cells to be spehere-shaped (spherocytes) instead of disk-shaped like they should be, causing them to be more prone to rupturing, making them die faster, resulting in chronic anemia.

Someone with mild HS would be asymptomatic but able to pass it down to any biological kids they have. Moderate HS presents with anemia, jaundice, and can cause enlargement of the spleen (obviously more dangerous). Severe HS means the body can't produce enough red blood cells to replace the destroyed ones, and it can cause fluid buildup in the tissue of an unborn baby with the condition (clearly life-threatening).

I have moderate HS, which is a pain in the ass to deal with and doesn't go great with the Anxieties (my spleen could just suddenly rupture, which would mean either surgery or death). As I type this, the symptoms are symptoming enough for using my phone keyboard to be difficult (hooray for abnormally cold extremities), which has been happening more lately, but I'm not in pain which means I can push the Fears aside until I experience anything completely fucking normal.

We love bodies not working right!

[rahiwatching]

Kanoka disks are a widespread technology within the Matoran Universe, with many different powers and abilities. In this Knowledge Tower investigation, we take a closer look at the Enlarge and Shrink Kanoka and derive brand new equations to predict their effects.

New Bionicle Science investigations every month. What part of Bionicle lore do you want to see investigated next?

If you want to support the Knowledge Tower you can donate on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/theknowledgetower

[the-cryptographer]

Not really ao3 worthy at this point (I'd like to edit and contemplate a second chapter), but here's a little something I wrote for the most important day of @rainstormcolors YGO Super Rare Pair Week.

Atem/Haga & some cracky dimensional travel to the Insect Queen's Lair.

~~

“You can’t be serious about going back in there?!”

Haga’s question came out in a deranged screech. And Atem leaned back and away from the gnash of his teeth. The putrid cowardice of his being.

Disdain was an uncomfortable feeling, like something slimy on your tongue. Atem got angry to cover the taste.

“You would leave your friend behind?!” he demanded. “In the depths of that hive?!”

“The bugs have probably torn him to death already!” Haga protested.

His brow scrunched. His beady black eyes looked very large, magnified behind the lens of his glasses. They were the same gold frames with the scarab as he’d wore in Atem’s dimension. Or Yuugi’s dimension, maybe. Atem wondered where he’d gotten them, and where he’d gotten that brown jumpsuit he was wearing.

Before Atem could ponder on that more, he realised with sudden horror that there were tears beading in Haga’s eyes as well, enlarged by the lens.

“That wasn’t what I asked anyhow!” Haga hissed. “He’s not your friend in there! You’re the one that shouldn’t be serious about it?!”

Atem crossed his arms over his chest, looked into Haga’s face for some betrayal – something underhanded waiting to be uncovered.

“Jounouchi liked Ryuuzaki,” Atem said. A friend of Jounouchi’s was a friend of his. And Ryuuzaki was Haga’s friend. Which make them unfortunate friends-in-law.

“Jounouchi?” Haga sneered. “That bleach-blonde thug thought he was better than us. As if his ugly face wasn’t just as unpopular with the girls.”

“Girls?” Atem blinked.

“Feh,” Haga spat. “It was just Ryuuzaki and me back when- Just don’t act like you care!”

He stomped off. Only as far as the other end of the cave, thank Ra. They didn’t need to draw unwanted attention.

Though Atem suspected it wouldn’t matter in the end. This place stank like dung and honey, sweet and rotten. No corner untouched by those insect monsters, the Korogashi. It was empty for now, but he and Haga would be found eventually.

Atem tried to summon his Ka – Black Luster, the three Gods, Mana and Mahaad, Exodia. But he couldn’t get his Ba to manifest.

He wondered if he’d have been able to with one of Kaiba’s duel disks.

Thinking about Kaiba made Atem angry again. Angry and infuriated and a little heartsick. Even if Atem himself was stuck in this hellish dimension, he hoped Kaiba had made it back home safely to Mokuba. He hoped Kaiba hadn’t just splintered and fragmented the entire fabric of the universe, like an amateur jeweler getting overenthusiastic with a diamond and a pair of shears.

Yeah, big fucking thanks to your stupid boyfriend~ It was impossible to tell Priest Set’s sneer from Insector Haga’s.

“He’s not my-!” Atem reared on his companion. “Don’t talk about him like that!”

Because no matter how frustrated Atem was with Kaiba, Kaiba had thought everything and the whole universe was worth risking to come see Atem again. Not Yuugi, and not the Pharaoh, but Atem as a person. And Atem wouldn’t let anyone else call him stupid for that.

The world winked out and then winked back in with a flash of blue light.

It was still the cave – the borough of these insects. Dung and honey.

“What did I do?!” Haga whined.

He was looking at Atem like he hadn’t even said anything. Maybe he even hadn’t.

Atem let out a groan of frustration. The problem was he didn’t know. Haga took advantage of things like this. Made doubt yourself. Made you trust him before he turned on you.

“Oh, you mean Jounouchi?” Haga sneered. His eyes narrowed with sudden sadistic focus. “Did you ever show him that costume then?”

Haga pointed at Atem’s forehead and laughed, an ugly nasally thing. And it took Atem a moment to realise he was pointing to the golden eye of Wedjat.

Atem looked down at his white and purple Pharaoh's robes, from the dimension he’d come from. As foreign to Haga as Haga’s own brown jumpsuit was to Atem.

“So you never did show Jounouchi, your precious ‘friend’?!” Haga laughed. “I guess you knew he’d think you were worth as little as us, if he knew you were an Egyptian mythology otaku! Or do you also think you were better than us, Yuugi?”

Haga let out a derisive snort.

“Let me set it straight for you!” he shouted. “Dinosaurs are better than pyramids any day of the week! And bugs are better than both of them!”

Atem felt a little deflated. He was never going to understand why dinosaurs and bugs and pyramids were worth shouting over like this but-

“I’m not Yuugi,” he said.

“What you have a character name for your Live Action Role Play?” Haga mocked. “You have to be cuter to get me to call you Cleopatra~”

“No, I’m not Yuugi,” Atem insisted.

Haga blinked. Readjusted his glasses. Blinked, like maybe in the dim light of the cave, through the fog of these different dimensions, he was seeing for the first time Atem’s coiled hair and dark skin.

“You knew I wasn’t Yuugi!” Atem felt furious now. “You taunted me! You pretended to rip his soul apart, when he was trapped in the Seal of Orichalcos!”

“W-What are you talking about, Yuugi?” Haga said. “We haven’t seen one another since you destroyed my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth at Duellist Kingdom… And that was before… um… There was a disaster… My brother’s pesticide business…”

Haga scratched the back of his head.

“How did I get here?” he asked.

It occurred to Atem that this might not be his Haga. That they might have come from totally disparate planes of existence, and were only meeting here briefly in this strange dimension.

Haga didn’t seem to be taking this well.

“How did I get here, Yuugi?!” he demanded. And when Atem had no answer for him, he flared up. “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t distracted me, Ryuuzaki wouldn’t have been captured by those-!”

There was a loud scuttling sound echoing through the caves. Something scraping the edges of the tunnel.

“Quiet!” Atem hissed. He lunged forward and pressed his hand over Haga’s mouth.

Haga might have made things difficult for Atem if he tried. Because even if he was a hair shorter than Atem, he was stockier, less lean.

But for some reason Haga didn’t make trouble. And, distracted by the problem at hand, Atem pressed them both towards the burough’s smallest darkest corner, where he thought they might be overlooked by their approaching assailant.

The Korogashi rolled its mound into the cavern, scuttled, pincers snapping.

They said the monster crushed its foes with the dung it rolled, but Atem didn’t thought it could have crushed them all by itself. These insects monsters were as large as people, or larger. Like holographs but solid. Like pain.

Atem closed his eyes, and tried once more to summon something from his Ba. Not even caring whose hand he reached, as long as it was someone’s. Then-

“Boh!”

Something popped into existence.

Atem blinked, and the first thing he saw was Haga’s eyes, wide as saucers. He followed them to the Ka he’d summoned.

“Boh! Boh! Boh!” Kuriboh said. Its eyes narrowed in determination. And it gave a salute, before bouncing off through the cavern.

Atem heard rather than saw the Korogashi turn and follow in pursuit.

He waited a moment in silence then, when he was sure the monsters had gone, became very suddenly aware of Haga’s lips damp against his palm.

Atem dropped his hand quickly and stepped back.

Haga seemed to come to himself, slapped Atem further away. His pale face looked very pink in the dim light.

“…Are you alright?” Atem asked.

Haga’s flush deepened, but he didn’t bother answering, or even meeting Atem’s eyes.

“Ugh! It doesn’t make any sense!” Haga cried.

“It doesn’t?” Atem said stupidly. Mostly because a lot of things weren’t making much sense right now.

He thought about the Kuriboh. He hoped it would be okay. Manage to escape the insects.

“Honeypot ants are one thing,” Haga was saying. “But dung beetles don’t live in colonies! They live in mated pairs! They shouldn’t be organised like this!”

“Right,” Atem said.

“Unless…” Haga snapped his fingers. “Insect Queen!” he said. “They must be answering to the Insect Queen.”

“…Right,” Atem said. He didn’t understand how Haga was reaching these conclusions but, well… Even if Atem couldn’t trust Haga, he definitely trusted that Haga knew more about insects than him.

And maybe that knowledge would be useful right now.

“These common bugs are one thing,” Haga was fretting, “but if the Insect Queen has Ryuuzaki… But could I betray my Queen for…”

Atem feel like he suddenly knew everything he needed. “You plan to go after Ryuuzaki?”

“That’s what I said from the start!” Haga snapped. “You’re the one that shouldn’t-”

“Then I’ll help you,” Atem said.

Even if the universe shattered. Even if this dimension was going to fade out like a dying star.

And who knew? Maybe Kaiba or Mahaad or Mana would still find a way to save them.

But even if this was the end of everything, helping two friends reunite wouldn’t be the worst way for Atem to spend his last moments.

“It seems I’m still able to summon low level Ka,” he said. “With my Ka, and your knowledge of insects, we can put together a strategy to rescue Ryuuzaki.”

He turned and started out the cavern.

“Let’s go,” he commanded. “We’ll plan as we move. I don’t work well if I’ve gone on the defensive too long.”

“Uugh!” Haga groaned. But he fell into step, running to catch up. “Who do you think you are bossing me around like that?!” he demanded. “Who put you in charge of everything?!”

“Atem.” He didn’t bother answering the question about who’d put him in charge. “My name is Atem.”

[mid-nighttiger]

[Image ID: Picture of the sun /End ID]

sun, 2024/01/05. lots of sunspots today

[Image ID: The same picture as before, but the sun has been enlarged, and 5 small purple arrows have been drawn pointing out the many small sunspots on the sun's disk /End ID]

[heckyeahponyscans]

Thoughts on MYM #2: Growing Pains

Just my thoughts on this MLP episode! :)  

Plot Summary:  Even though Hitch helped bring magic back to Equestria, the chaos caused by Earth pony magic makes him uncomfortable. Sunny assures him that the Earth ponies just need to practice, but Hitch bans all use of Earth pony magic in town.

The ban causes the magic to build up until the Earth ponies are unable to contain it, unleashing even more destructive magic.  Hitch panics and runs to the lighthouse with the intention of removing the Earth Pony Crystal from the Crystals of Unity.  The other main ponies run after him and talk him down.  Hitch apologizes for his recklessness and the ponies’ cutie marks all glow in unity, triggering an ancient hologram of Twilight Sparkle to appear. Twilight Sparkle warns of danger in the form of a pony who wanted to hoard all the magic of Equestria for herself.  This pony is of course Opaline, who is watching and plotting from afar.

(Also there’s a subplot about Izzy babysitting Sparky the baby dragon throughout all this, I didn’t know where else to mention it.)

Hitch rescinds the magic ban and accesses his plant magic for the first time to save the Pippsqueaks from an Indiana Jones style rampaging berry.

Thoughts on the plot: In my review of the last episode I felt like they were writing Sunny to be very bland;  well, in this episode she’s back, baby!  Her dynamic with Hitch was great (you can tell they’ve been friends forever) and she was the decisive, optimistic, stubborn Sunny who I loved in the movie.

This was also a good episode for Hitch.  He is authoritative by nature and sometimes he leans into that too much, but ultimately he just cares deeply about the ponies around him and takes their responsibility seriously.  The moment of vulnerability where he admits he was just scared, and his friends reassure him was very sweet.  Also, every scene he had with Sparky was adorable. Just trying his best as a single dragon-dad!

Sidenote: Does anyone else think Dahlia has a crush on Hitch?  Aw, she’s so cute!

This episode also saw the return of Sprout, who has been missing since the movie.  (Aside from the G5 video game.)   I wish his voice was a little brattier, but it’s nice to finally see what he’s been up to. He seems to have a new job in construction or his mom’s factory, or maybe he’s cleaning up the town as community service?

As much as I want G5 to be it’s own thing and forge its own path, I must admit I audibly gasped when Twilight’s hologram popped up.  It was just so cool seeing her in G5′s CGI and they got Tara Strong back to voice her, which is great.  

Also like how Zipp’s like “hell yeah, I’m recording this”, which is not only the modern instinct but also a good idea if they want to listen to the message again.

This episode felt much tighter than the previous one.  I was a little surprised the lesson wasn’t a bit more . . . meet in the middle.  Like “Plant magic isn’t totally banned but don’t grow things on the trolley tracks” or something.  But maybe they felt that would muddy the message of Hitch easing up on his control-freak tendencies.

Random Thoughts:

- Posey is also back and she’s FULLY pro-magic now, as she’s part of the crowd gasping in horror when Hitch places restrictions (which was a very funny bit).  Her face reminds me a bit of Concerned Pony in this shot.  Also shout out to the surfer pony next to her.

- The berries that Sprout enlarges are called glimmer berries

- one of the construction worker ponies has a floppy disk symbol; I wonder if Maretime Bay does have computers but they’re 80s / 90s style?  Their TVs are very 80s style in the movie.

- Twilight Sparkle’s message says “You are exposed to the world once again.”  Hmm!!  In the previous episode Misty mentioned that there used to be a cloaking enchantment around Equestria.  So my guess is Opaline and Misty reside outside Equestria.  Maybe the return of magic destroyed the cloaking enchantment, maybe something else.

- Speaking of Misty, she continues to be ADORABLE!  She’s sooo cute and her horn is so pretty!   Get this girl a cutie mark, stat!

- Opaline does seem to have some affection for Misty, even though she negs her all the time.  Or at the very least Opaline like having someone to talk to. She seems like a villain who needs an audience.  The vibe I get from them is less mother-daughter and more “evil older sibling and younger sibling who greatly admires them.”

- I don’t think Sunny uses Earth pony magic in this episode.  Maybe . . . she can’t?  Because she’s technically an alicorn, even when the wings / horn aren’t visible?  Perhaps she can only use magic when powered up?  (Opaline does refer to her as “that alicorn” when she uses the mirror even though Sunny is in her “normal” form.)

- this moment where Pipp and Jazz take a selfie (and Jazz makes the duck face) is super cute

- Zipp notes that the flowers on the tree that Hitch grew look “familiar somehow.”  I have nooo idea what that means.  Where would Zipp of all people have seen something similar to something Hitch magically created . . . ?  In the abandoned hot air balloon station maybe, like on a poster?

- Sparky’s magic also seems connected to the tree, as the whorls around his horns light up when he touches it. 

- Giiiive me toys of the Pippsqueaks, Hasbro . . . yeah yeah yeah, G5 baby ponies yeeeeeah

[awellboiledicicle]

Felix hadn’t been sure what he assumed was going to happen when he took Theresa’s hand.

Some fanciful part of him wondered if he’d end up in some version of the Spire—he’d never seen the thing up close, but it always loomed on the horizon. Sparrow never spoke about what it was like inside, so he could only imagine it would be some dank, echoing cavern shot through with veins of solidified Willpower.

What he did not expect was to open his eyes and find himself standing in swirling fog. The ground beneath his feet seemed solid enough, as did the pale grass covering it. A small shred of his dignity dictated that he not immediately take off his gloves to touch it.

“Your water.” He nearly jumped out of his skin when Theresa’s voice echoed from behind him. Turning, he saw her slightly veiled in the shifting mist and holding out a pitcher. His dignity did not stop him from taking a large gulp from it and promptly coughing it up. She looked nonplussed. “Regal bearing seems to run in the family.”

“I’m—ugh—doing rather well for a dead man.”

“This is true.”

With a wave of her hand, she turned and started off into the fog, clearly expecting him to follow. This was far easier said than done, as his legs weren’t entirely sure they wanted the job of supporting his body and moving it to and fro. The moisture in the air didn’t help matters either, the damp clinging to him uncomfortably as he staggered along behind the seer. It was like he’d been dunked rather unceremoniously in a pond and then told to do a jog around the castle grounds. Granted, he’d done that in his youth, but he didn’t like it.

Soon enough the looming outline of a building came into view, and she stopped just as abruptly as he noticed it. He was, thankfully, present enough to not have run into her and drop the pitcher of water. He sneaked another, much more composed, drink as she turned to face him once more.

“Long ago, your forebears were driven from a land far from Albion, to become strong enough to one day return.” A wave of her hand brought a glowing disk into being between the two of them. Displayed upon it was a landscape he had never seen in his reading, none of the atlases nor in his journeys with his brother. Considering the map a moment, Theresa’s expression darkened. “This land has no shortage of heroes; not by blood, but by deed. And it has fallen into a state of total chaos in the absence of true heroes.”

Another wave of her hand prompted a south eastern portion of the map to enlarge and project a miniature battlefield display, though unlike anything Felix had ever seen before. There were no little wooden figures representing cavalry and soldiers, commanders and battle lines. Here, each soldier was depicted in miniature, opposing armies surging against one another in bright color. Both sides appeared to be weaponizing magic as well as mundane weaponry, though their ranged arsenal seemed a bit dated. Not that the archers present weren’t doing a surprising amount of damage. Theresa seemed to study the clash for a moment and Felix tried very hard to keep from looking like he wanted to know exactly how she was doing all of this.

“The horrors of war have consumed them, one and all. It has left them weak, vulnerable.” A slow tilt of her head and a frown. “Open.”

“To what?” Felix tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. His mother’s conquest of the lands surrounding Albion hadn’t been under Theresa’s direction, as far as he knew. And if she was about to tell him to go take the throne and invade someplace he’d never heard of, he was deeply considering saying no. Which he felt was exactly what was about to happen, if only because the look on her face was eerily similar to one of his mother’s generals when they discussed expanding northward. His feeling didn’t improve when she hummed in response. “Because I’m not the king.”

“No, you are not. I speak not of being open to invasion, though they certainly would be. I mean this.” Another wave of her hand and the projection shifted to two figures dueling in the center of a battlefield, war raging around them. Felix looked closer and realized ‘dueling’ may have been a generous term; one figure was several orders larger than the woman facing him, though it hardly seemed to slow her any. The larger figure hurled magical boulders at the smaller figure, who dashed nimbly away and charged forward to slash at him with a sword as long as she was tall. This did not, however, appear to be what Theresa was trying to show him. With a subtle shift of her fingers, the image sped up and then froze on the a… flower, grown in the middle of the battlefield, it’s bloom reaching near the chest of the towering combatant. He glanced from it Theresa in question. “This is the terrible power of a god.”

With no warning the flower opened and the woman from before lunged out of the center, resuming her battle. More importantly, and perhaps more unsettling, was the effect the bloom seemed to have on the surrounding soldiers. It wasn’t immediate, but still rapid—they all, to a man, began to stagger and retch, before falling among the sand. The giant of a man seemed to eventually begin to succumb as well, though not before hurling the woman beyond the scope of the projection. The battlefield faded away as the map shifted once more to show the south eastern region in full, though this time a scarlet dot had appeared near a castle on the coast. In a flash, the color ballooned outward and snaked across the land, turning the colors a sickly red and pus yellow. A flaming barrier sprung to life along the western edge of the scarlet, halting the spread, though something told Felix that wasn’t exactly a permanent solution. Solemnly, he took another drink of water and frowned at her.

“A god, you said?”

“Yes.” She stepped forward and the projection dissipated into more fog. “The god of the Lands Between has gone missing, and others seek to fill the void. This is your mission, Felix.”

“Hold on--” He choked, immediately shaking his head and holding up his free hand. He shook the hand for emphasis. “I’m no god, either!”

“You do not need to be.” She inclined her head toward the guild seal, now hooked securely to his belt. Some part of him wondered when it got there and assumed the teleportation did it. He tried to focus through his panic. “You are Tarnished, this is enough.”

He took a moment to absorb her words.

“What is… does that mean I died? Because plenty of people have died! Mum died!”

“Sparrow was not blessed with Grace.” Theresa nodded again to him. “The gold of it found you and brought you back, to return.”

“To what end?” He looked around for a place to put the pitcher before simply putting it on the ground and hoping for the best. Pressing his hands together, he gestured vaguely to himself. “And what do I have to do with a god?”

She appeared to think on something for a moment before nodding.

“To the god of Rot? Nothing, save for perhaps the salvation of the people that would suffer from it. To the god of the Golden Order?” A wry smile flashed across her face before her thoughtful expression returned. “A lord.”

Felix rubbed at his face and sighed.

“You know, I expected more of a clear mission statement. Like what you gave to my mother?” He frowned at her raised eyebrow. “’Kill lord Lucien’ was pretty clear. This is… not.”

“Very well.” She took a deep breath, pausing to steeple her fingers. “Become the Elden Lord.”

A beat.

“How… how and why would I do that?”

“How and why did your mother kill Lucien?”

Another beat of silence. He had to give her that one. The answer, of course, being that there were a million reasons and ways his mother did what she did. A million acts of rebellion and heroism. A million quests to make a destiny.

“Fair enough, I suppose.” He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to his back foot. “First steps, then. What’s a tarnished?”

This seemed to please her, a much softer smile coming over her face.

“The tarnished are the descendants of those originally driven from the Lands Between. They were robbed of their Grace—a connection to their god—and cast out. It has chosen now to recall them, in hopes that one shall prove their mettle and serve once more.” She turned and strode a few feet away, stopping before the hulking shadow in the mist. Following, Felix saw the familiar shape of a modest chapel manifest itself. It was a simple stone thing, clear in its purpose but lacking the adornment or sconces the Light temples usually had. Gently, she laid a hand on the door and—almost imperceptibly—tilted her head. “A tarnished is wanted for the throne, and a tarnished you are.”

“But why would I—“

“Do you care for the suffering of others?” Slowly, she turned to face him once again. Before him materialized a glittering form of a man, openly weeping and obviously starving. A tilt of her head and the image shifted to a young woman, curled on the ground and coughing up crimson slime that writhed where it landed. The projection continued to whimper and shake as she continued. It took all of his willpower to look from the dancing scarlet, back to her face. “If you do nothing, others will try to stem the tide of Rot. They will fail. Every man, woman, and child in the lands between will die.”

“What makes you think I can do it, then?”

“You are a hero. It is what you are meant to do.”

“Have you seen this? In the future.”

“Yes.” A look of deep thought passed over her before morphing into one of impassivity. “The road will be long, and difficult, but there can be no other option.”

“Alright,” He rolled his shoulders and tried to banish the image of the projections from his mind. “How do we begin?”

A warm smile pulled valiantly at the mask of her face as she stepped to the side, gesturing to the imposing doors of the chapel.

“Through here your journey will begin. Before you depart, however, I would be a poor guide to set you away with nothing.” She deftly opened the clasp on one of the pouches around her waist and retrieved a bit of folded leather. Following that, she produced a scroll roughly the length of her forearm. Handing it over for him to inspect, she finally let the smile fully break. “A bag and map, the like your mother once carried. There is, unfortunately, one essential tool you shall need that I cannot give you.”

“And that would be what?” The pack rested snugly on his back, the map tucked away inside. Her expression returned to being unreadable.

“A finger maiden.” She held up a hand before he could question just what that meant, exactly. “They are guides to the tarnished, companions upon the journey. Rest assured that, beyond this door, you shall find one.”

“Well,” Felix eyed the door and adjusted his armor. “Always did like company, I suppose. Will we speak again?”

“When it is time.”

He opened his mouth to ask what that meant, only to get a mouthful of dust. In a flash of light he was no longer outside some misty chapel, but rather inside one that smelt like it hadn’t been cleaned in decades. Which was, on the whole, fine—it was, after all, better than a sand filled cavern he’d been dead in for who knew how long. What was not fine was when he turned around and was instantly greeted with the sight of a slain young woman, broken body propped up behind some pews by the door. That he could have done without. The only solace he found at that point was that she was already cold and her blood dried, so the likelihood of having to deal with whomever had done the deed was low. That, and the sunlight that appeared to be streaming through the windows.

Felix froze as the thought struck him.

Sunlight. He’d get to see sunlight again.

Following this thought, this beautiful thought of seeing those wonderful golden rays once more, he nearly tripped over himself getting to the door and throwing it open to reveal…

“Is that a fucking tree?”

[lrs-image-maker]

The Sony Mavica camera

A few years back I bought a Sony Mavica from Ebay. The Sony Mavica was an early digital camera that used floppy disks to store images. I have never used this camera for anything other than the occasional snapshot. However, the low-resolution pictures from the Mavica gives the pictures a peculiar grainy digital look that can be quite interesting especially if you enlarge the print. 

I have been using the Sony Mavica a bit the last few days, and as always I am wondering if I should use this very low-tech camera for something more serious.