#however in order to grow it she needs to have ingested it at some point

[ruleofexception]

Unheavenly Creatures

Somewhere in the distance, a bell begins to cry and the first rays of daylight stain the sky.

Time’s up.

Making quick work to clean and sheath his blade, Obi stares down at the pool of crimson slowly spreading through the cracks and crevices of the polished balcony, and chuckles sadly to himself.

For a man who liked to think himself a titan, the colour of Kain’s blood is unarguably human.

Truthfully, he’s a little upset that a monster like Kain is only human. Even if he was one of the Ancients.

When he’d accepted this job, he’d been half hoping that the colour to stain the marble floors would be the violet of a titan or the glowing cyan of ice rorcs.

Or, at the very least, it could have been burgundy. He could have been a hybrid and it still would have alleviated some of this dread that sits so heavily in his gut.

But, of course, Kain only bled red. The man responsible for so much heartache and destruction across the system, had only been just that. A man. Though, he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised.

Most monsters bleed red.

The pharmacy is quiet, this time of day - when the sun has only barely crept over the edge of the horizon and the only other beings awake on the grounds of Wistal are the night guards.

It’s peaceful. Relaxing.

And it seems it’s the only time of day she has to herself, anymore. Ryuu won’t be in for another hour - and Garrack another hour beyond that. However, after the doors open to the public, it’s anyone’s guess as to how many beings will come in with ailments or questions.

Taking a sip from the steaming mug of chlorophyll, Shirayuki smiles softly as her gaze flits about the vacant, dark office and her heart gives a gentle squeeze.

She may jest that she’s hardly able to find a moment to herself, but it doesn’t bother her. Not really. The work she does fulfills her and the people she’s met here have quickly helped to ease the pain caused by those she’d left behind.

Though, it’s still difficult to believe that it’s been a year since she’d fled the Tanbarun Colony and found herself here, in the Clarines system. Here, in one of the most powerful cities in all the realms, working for none other than The Wisteria family.

Sometimes, it doesn’t feel real.

If she hadn’t lived through it, she might think it some sort of lavish fairytale - complete with epic battles against space pirates and a blossoming romance with a prince. A human prince.

Well, perhaps not an actual prince. Although she’s not sure how much closer to royalty Zen’s family could be.

His father is an Ancient - one of the last three remaining, actually. Which is, somewhat of a big deal. Meaning Zen and his brother Izana are also somewhat of a big deal.

Not, that Zen’s lineage or status truly matter to her.

Nibbling at her lip and certain that a blush has started to work its way into her cheeks, she chuckles and starts to move about the office, turning lights on as she goes, signifying the start of a new day.  

Shit.

Gritting his teeth, Obi stares up at the wall of white stretching into the sky. The orb, gripped tightly in his left hand, seems to grow hotter and heavier by the second.

If he doesn’t think of something quick, he’s screwed - either he’ll be caught and arrested, again, or the star being held within the orb will start to meltdown, subsequently destroying everything within a star-sized radius. And judging by the size of the orb, it’s a big fucking star.

Ideally, he’ll find an escape route and then swing back for the containment cooler.

Not so ideally, he’s dead.

Maybe he should have studied that hologram a little longer. If he had, perhaps he wouldn’t be cornered like some common thief. But, naturally, he’s a total fucking dumbass and only memorized the easiest route to and from Kain’s chambers.

But it’s not his fault there was a morwick star just sitting there, ripe for the taking. They must know how much this sucker is worth in the Desolate and, yet, they’d carelessly left it unattended.

If anything, he’s doing them a favour by swiping it. If he didn’t steal it, he wouldn’t be teaching them a lesson in security, right?

Angered voices and hurried footsteps call after him, echoing through the small alleyway, and his sides ache pleadingly in response. The skin where his pydra emerge, ripples and stretches wantingly, but he locks his jaw and forces them to remain concealed.

If he wasn’t holding a goddamn sun in his hand or if he hadn’t committed actual regicide only hours ago, perhaps he’d entertain the idea of letting his extra limbs out for a little stretch. Let them get some much needed exercise and practice.

However, now is not the time to grow careless and expose himself as a pydramelia - if he did, it’s practically guaranteed that he’d be tagged and monitored for the rest of his life. Not to mention, they’d most certainly clip him - effectively forcing him to keep his pydra out at all times. There’d be no more hiding. No more walking about freely, blending in as a human or-

“There he is!”

Shit.

Spinning on his heel, Obi presses his back against the wall and casually moves to hold the burning star behind him. At this point, he’ll be surprised if this ends without his hand having nerve damage. This thing is dangerously hot. Even for a star.

The shopkeep he’d swiped it from stands quietly at the back of the alley - sweat drips down his forehead and his cheeks are puffed out and splotchy from having run halfway across the city. Probably the most exercise the man’s gotten in years. The jacked cop beside him, however, means business.

An uncomfortably large gun rests easily in his hand, its scope holding steady over Obi’s heart. The cop’s voice is about as gruff as he looks, “You’ve got nowhere to go, son.”

Think, idiot. Think.

“H-hand over the morwick and I won’t press charges!” the shopkeep is every bit as annoying as Obi’d figured; though, his voice seems far too nasily for his body. It’s an unpleasant whine. Like the elephant gnats on Yuris.

Eyes darting about the alleyway and hand screaming in pain, Obi grins when he catches sight of the containment cooler clutched in old elephant-gnat’s grubby hands.

It’s risky, but it could work. It’s not like he’s got any other options.

Taking a cautious step forward, he withdraws the star from behind his back. “Very well, I accept. Did you know this thing gets real fucking hot? Think I might have scorch marks.”

The cop snorts and lowers the gun slightly; something in his gaze tells Obi he wants to make a comment about stars being literal flaming balls of gas, but is trying to be professional about it. Which is fair. And impressive. If the roles were reversed, he’s not sure he’d be able to refrain himself from calling him a moron.

Another step and Obi shakes the orb in his hand, “C’mon, I’m gonna have no fingertips left for fuzz to ID.”

Standing straight, the shopkeep moves eagerly towards him - cooler open and ready - which is when Obi stops in his tracks, grinds his teeth and grips the star tighter.

It can’t be.

Beady black eyes stare at him greedily as the tip of the shopkeep’s barbed tongue slides out from between his curled lips like a silent threat. Skin twisting and yellowing, the telltale scales start to form - first around his eyes, then up his cheeks and across his forehead. In a matter of seconds, the shopkeep’s true form is revealed and Obi has to focus on keeping his breakfast from making an appearance.

Just his fucking luck.

Give him titans, rorcs or… or even a human. Just not a goddamn slinc.

Lowly, parasites of the system. Nearly undetectable just by looking at them. Real friendly, too, until they reveal themselves and fill your veins with a deadly cocktail of who-the-fuck-knows-what.  

Without so much as an inhale for warning, the slinc attacks and the cop slumps to the ground; a barbed stinger lodged in the back of his neck. The skin around the stinger instantly begins to swell and turn a putrid shade of green. Obi doesn’t bother to look for signs of breathing. He already knows the man’s dead.

Taking an uncertain step backwards as the slinc stoops down to retrieve the fallen gun, he desperately searches the alleyway for options. For an escape. 

A cruel grin twists the slinc’s features and his tongue slithers out from between pointed teeth; another stinger in place and ready to shoot.   

An edge of panic starts to worm its way into his mind as the slinc grows nearer and the star continues to sear his hand. 

Think faster, idiot.

Mug half empty and forgotten beside her, Shirayuki eyes the tiny supply containers before her, with a frown. If she’d realized how low they were on some of these, she’d have come in earlier.

But there’d been no indication or note as to how critical their supplies had grown. Ryuu hadn’t even come knocking on her door, as he so often does, asking if she could spare an hour to replenish.

It’s strange.

Usually, when there are this many containers below half capacity, Garrack has her drinking enough chlorophyll to sustain all of the watsi trees on Koto, just in preparation for the amount of replenishing she’d have to do. There’s been none of that, though.

And she could have sworn the containers hadn’t been this critical, her shift two days ago? Perhaps she’ll check with Ryuu when he gets in, to see if there’s something she’s not aware of - like a reorganizing or a contamination.

A sickening thought flickers through her mind and she refocuses on the purple hepril leaves growing steadily from the smooth emerald skin of her forearm. Brushing a careful finger along the tips of their leaves, watching as they shudder under her touch, her frown deepens.

If the supplies were somehow contaminated, it couldn’t have stemmed from her - she can’t be contaminated or polluted. They’d made certain of it. All of the trials Garrack had come up with - from pollutants to poisons - had had no effect on the health or integrity of her or what she grows. Which would mean a contaminant would have had to make its way into the lab some other way to infect their supplies.

Reorganization of the supply containers might make sense - it’d be just like Garrack to keep half of the supply within reach, where the entire pharmacy staff is aware of its whereabouts, while transferring the other half to a new system. And it certainly wouldn’t be the first time this year the supply room received an overhaul and new filing system.

If Ryuu would only get here, she might be able to settle this and put her mind at ease, because if it’s not reorganization - and it is contamination or just a natural depletion of supplies - they may run into issues by mid afternoon.

As it is, it’ll take her most of the morning to replenish the kerpa and lenyiz leaves - they’re always more difficult to grow and their development time is far longer than that of hepril leaves or gyron buds. And, after that, she’ll need at least another two cups of chlorophyll before starting on the daspir vines. Those are always the-

“Shirayuki?” Ryuu’s tired voice, accompanied by the light tromp of footsteps, floats through the pharmacy and she releases the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“In here!” taking a stand, being careful of the hepril on her forearm, she moves towards the doorway, eyes trained on the first sprout - only a few more minutes and they’ll be ready.

One down, only about 8 more species to go. She’s exhausted just thinking about it.

Rounding the corner, still focused on how the purple leaves are now edging with navy, she sighs dramatically, “Hey, Ryuu, how come you didn’t mention we were nearly out of-”

“Miss Shirayuki?”

A voice, not belonging to Ryuu, startles her into silence and she looks up with a squeak. Armed guards fill the hallway. Heavily armed guards. 

“Y-yes?” Confusion knits her brow and she tries to look discreetly past the man looming before her, in search of Ryuu, “How may I assist you? Are you, or your men, injur-”

“Take her.”

With a dismissive wave of his hand, the guard turns and walks stiffly through the throng of soldiers, who seem to have come to life.

“Take me? Wha-” The two men closest to her, reach forward and seize her wrists, destroying three of the hepril leaves in the process and she cries out angrily. “Let go of me!” 

A weak attempt to pull her wrist free results in yet another precious leaf being crushed, but the men ignore her and start dragging her towards the exit.

Somewhere down the hall, Ryuu screams after her.

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 160: How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated? + Megumi the stage-five clinger

Happy JJK-Sunday!

If I had to describe chapter 160 with as few words as possible, I would say: Oh f*ck...

My favorite moment was, of course, Megumi acting like a stage-five clinger. His interaction with Yuji in this chapter is especially ominous in light of Yuji being adamant of protecting Megumi from Sukuna.

A second favorite was Sasaki showing up in this chapter because of the implications moving forward.

Let’s jump right in. 

How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated by Kenjaku?

We start the chapter with Kenjaku talking to none other than Sasaki, one of the members of the Occult Club at the high school in Sendai that Yuji used to attend.

Of course, the bomb that Gege dropped on us in this chapter is when Kenjaku thanks Sasaki “for getting along with my son”. 

Like... excuse you?

Not only does this 100% confirm that Kenjaku used Yuji’s mother’s body to give birth to him, but this specific moment + some foreshadowing from previous chapters also opens an interesting can of worms about Yuji’s life: just how much of Yuji’s life has Kenjaku orchestrated?

For me, the implication is that Sasaki had an assigned role to play in Yuji’s life that would inevitably lead to him eating Sukuna’s finger. 

I am assuming this because although we don’t see Kenjaku’s interactions with the other people in Sendai, we get to see that, in addition for thanking her for getting along with Yuji, Kenjaku is incredibly kind to Sasaki. We also learn that she’s the only one who has received a special message from him (thanking her).

Ready to make this whole interaction more ominous? Someone pointed out that the kanji in Sasaki’s name means assistant. 

All of this brings us right back to Yuji’s free will--or lack thereof?

We already know that Kenjaku claims he made Yuji “ingest” Sukuna’s finger and that Megumi is rightfully concerned with this idea because he witnessed Yuji eat Sukuna’s finger “of his own free will.”

It’s also becoming increasingly obvious that Yuji was "created” solely for the purpose of becoming Sukuna’s vessel. 

What this new reveal about Sasaki does is that it makes everything feel like certain events have been part of Kenjaku’s master plan all along. While this still feels a little farfetched, it will come down to how Gege works this idea into the story moving forward.

Come to think of it, even Yuji’s grandfather’s dying words to Yuji take on a new meaning since we know Wasuke knew something was definitively up with Yuji’s mother.

Another possible bit of foreshadowing all the way in chapter 1: While the intersection in the second panel below could be ANY intersection in Japan, it sure looks like the Shibuya crossing:

A quick note on the importance of kanji meanings in JJK before moving onto the next section: knowing the meaning of Sasaki’s name tells us that names are important in JJK. If you haven’t, I recommend you read my break down on the meaning of Megumi’s FULL NAME. His first name is important, but so is his last name.

The plans moving forward

Going off to Tokyo Colony #2 are Panda and Hakari. 

As the strongest, Hakari feels like he should take on Hajime. As for Panda, it looks like his focus will be on hunting down Angel.

Side note: I love that Hakari is still calling Megumi names. Guess Senpai can’t help himself.

I must admit I was disappointed to find that Kirara will stay behind to report, but it is what it is. I am assuming Gege could see no use for Kirara and decided to leave the character out of the action for the time being. 

As for Megumi and Yuji, they’ll be heading to Tokyo Colony #1 to target Higuruma, everybody’s new favorite Law & Order boss. 

This brings us to Megumi’s current state of mind...

Megumi the stage-five clinger

I had a hard time coming up with the title for this section because what I see happening is that Megumi is starting to feel the pressure of the looming deadline for Tsumiki joining the Culling Game. What his behavior shows, however, is that he needs Yuji with him and is clinging onto him but won’t come out and say it--opting instead for aggression towards Yuji, the very same person he needs most. 

His behavior reminded me of how Megumi could be mean to Tsumiki even though he clearly adores her. Apparently that’s the meaning of being tsundere. I’ve read about the term tsundere before but it never “clicked” until this moment and I just love Gege’s interpretation of the trope through Megumi’s character. 

It goes without saying that it was REALLY interesting to me to see Megumi’s dynamic and interaction with Yuji in this chapter because it looks like Gege is letting us know Megumi’s state of mind continues to be one of desperation--remember that dogeza bow from chapter 157?

The thing about Megumi is that he looks stoic on the outside, but he’s actually an incredibly emotional person who doesn’t often show how he’s feeling. 

I hadn’t caught on, but in chatting with @justafrenchlondoner​ about the chapter, they pointed out Megumi’s behavior in his dynamic with Yuji appears nervous and aggressive.

Upon a second look I have to agree that Megumi is acting out of character and aggressive with Yuji when all that Yuji really wants is to protect Megumi from Sukuna.

And yes, let me go ahead and sound like a broken record as I remind you of Yuji’s rather ominous words from chapter 143 yet again:

And this is the part of the chapter that knocked the air out of me: Megumi telling Yuji to stfu about Sukuna but Yuji thinking to himself “as long as I’m around you will suffer” back in ch143 is so damn ominous.

Oh f*ck...

But this is what REALLY gets me about this whole interaction and why I’m calling Megumi a stage-five clinger...

Even though Megumi is calling Yuji selfish, in reality, the one being selfish is Megumi.

This is, of course, my own interpretation of the situation, but to me it feels as though Megumi is clinging onto Yuji’s strength for dear life. 

It’s almost like Megumi needs not just Yuji’s physical strength, but also his unwavering conviction or mental strength.

If you think about it, Megumi has only recently started fighting to win. Remember how unsure he was of himself when fighting Sukuna for the first time? It wasn’t until he went up against the Cursed Spirit from the Yasohachi bridge that he let go of his inhibitions.

Megumi’s battles during Shibuya were the pinnacle of his growth as a character in that moment. If I remember correctly, according to the timeline of events, the Shibuya incident happened around two weeks prior to the current chapter. You could say that although he is more comfortable in his strength than before, Megumi is still growing into his strength at this point.

The thing about Megumi is that everybody and their Divine Dog believes in him and sees his potential except for him. As Gojo tells him “you undervalue yourself.”

Looking back, the way Megumi asks begs Yuji for help in chapter 143 is very enlightening of how Megumi needs Yuji’s strength: 

I initially had read this to mean Megumi needed Yuji’s physical strength. Upon second look, however, Megumi has always seemed to have admiration for Yuji’s conviction.

With the looming deadline for Tsumiki’s vow to join the Culling Game, as Megumi starts to feel the pressure to make his plan work, who better to keep around than the person who will always go for the home run and whose strength he admires?

In other words, like hell he’s going to let Yuji leave his side. Which, again, only makes it more heartbreaking to think Sukuna is up to no good regarding Megumi and Yuji wants to protect him from that.

Oh f*ck.......

The panel below feels like a bit of a lighthearted and comical moment, but it’s also interesting to note that this is the second time they “fight”.

The first “fight” having taken place during the Cursed Womb Arc.

If you will remember, Gege used the Cursed Womb Arc and the Origin of Obedience Arc to show us how much our favorite trio had grown. 

Not sure Gege is going to parallel something here again, but just interesting to note.

Oh f*ck...

Ya, please excuse the French.

Despite the many words I’ve shared here, this chapter left me mostly speechless. 

I feel like I’ve been trapped in Gojo’s limitless domain expansion and all I can think is “oh f*ck” or “halloween” (if you catch my drift).

Chapter 160 was incredible because it looks like Gege has finally finished putting all his pieces into place and is ready to go for the kill by: 

Starting to unravel the story bit by bit, giving us all of the twists we both saw and did not see coming, and

Ramping up the stakes. Taking into consideration the estimates that JJK is somewhere around 60-70% done at this point, It’s not a matter of whether some of our beloved characters will die, but about who, when and how they will die

One last detail

I love the last four panels of the chapter showing Panda, Hakari, Yuji and Megumi all wearing their uniforms (barring Panda) and getting ready to become official participants of the Culling Game by entering their respective barriers.

Knowing that Gege is a very talented artist capable of showing and expressing emotions through his art, I feel like these panels tell us a lot about what the characters might be thinking and I thought I’d expand on that. 

Bear in mind this is my personal interpretation as an artist:

Panda looks excited and ready to fight, perhaps even confident. Panda is saying “bring it!” with his body language

There’s a hint of something I can’t describe in Hakari’s face. It’s almost like he’s coming face to face against how big of a challenge this is going to be and yet he’s resolved to walk straight into “the depths of hell itself”

Yuji looks focused, determined to go in and give it his best no matter what comes his way--that’s just who he is

And then there’s Megumi. I’ve been drawing Megumi recently, and one thing I noticed is that he has very specific micro-expressions. In his panel, he’s warming up his wrists as though he’s getting ready to fight, he has a focused look on his face, but the shadows around his eyes say he might be feeling like he is carrying the heavy burden of the uncertainty surrounding the situation he’s going through

With all that being said... the Culling Game is officially starting and we’re in for a one-way ride straight to hell.

Thank you for reading and happy JJK-Sunday!

What about you? What did you enjoy most about chapter 160?

[young-dumb-and-vaccinated]

The Cult Girl (Hannibal x Female!Reader) pt. 6

Hannibal sits in on a regular conversation between y/n and her family. Y/n insists it could have gone worse.

⚠️Bigass trigger warning⚠️: Verbal abuse, emotional manipulation, blood, mention of alcohol abuse and suicide

Anna lived her life believing that she was the main character, constantly denying personhood to everyone around her. She was the romantic hero, and everyone else existed to forward her plot.

This metaphor was imperfect, however, because in all the books you'd read, the main character must overcome some kind of challenge. Nobody ever said no to Anna. Nobody ever criticized Anna. Nobody but you. So you were pigeonholed into the role of antagonist for it. You had to give her credit; growing up on the receiving end of her and Theresa's torture was a compelling villain origin story.

It was obvious that she only wanted you at her wedding to present her with an obstacle. Heaven forbid her story progress without some semblance of petty drama out of her control. She'd cornered you into a painful catch-22; you wanted vengeance, but you couldn't give her the satisfaction of having her special day ruined. What was your play? Ruin it just a little? Walk away?

These thoughts passed through your mind as you sat through the boring ceremony. You wanted to lean over and whisper everything to Hannibal, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts. The vows seemed to drag on forever. Liam's English accent grated on your ears and you wished that he would just shut the hell up.

The ceremony concluded and you hoped to skip out on the reception with a purse full of mini cannolis, but fate had other plans. In a last-minute reach for some kind of scene, the blushing bride waved you over to the head table.

"[F/N]!" Anna shouted, with a big smile across her face. "Come on!"

You fought the urge to feel endeared by this. She looked too happy to be harmful. Your guard was all the way up as you and Hannibal approached the table.

Hannibal pulled a seat out for you while you studied Anna's expression. She fixed her doe eyes on Hannibal. You knew from experience that Anna had the same powerlust as grandma and Theresa. She was just better at keeping a lid on it.

"[F/N], you remember Liam?" Anna said, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Yeah." You nodded, scooting your chair up. "Nice to see you again, Liam."

"Good to see you again, too [F/N]."

"Liam is from Birmingham." She bragged, her smile somehow growing wider.

"Alabama?" You piped up before taking a drink from your water glass.

Every time you were forced to interact with Liam, she reminded you that the man with the strong and unmistakable English accent, was in fact from England. And every time, you slipped in the Alabama comment. It was never not funny.

"Liam, Anna," you said. "This is my fiance, Dr. Hannibal Lecter."

"Many congratulations to you two." Hannibal offered.

"Dr. Lecter, thank you so much for coming." Anna returned. "And thank you for taking such good care of our precious [F/N]. I hope she's not giving you too much trouble. She was quite a handful growing up, but we made it work."

"Don't flatter yourself, you're only four years older than me." You hide your passive-aggressive jab beneath a smile. "You can't take credit for a job you didn't do."

Grandma always thought Anna's protective, borderline maternal behavior towards you was adorable. Of course, it disgusted you. You were little more than an accessory to her. A baby doll she could simulate motherhood with. But, in fairness to her, that was all you were to the adult in the house too. Monkey see, monkey do.

"So have you two set a date yet?" Grandma interrupted your thoughts, just trying to keep the tension down.

"Goodness, no." Hannibal answered. "Ours is a long-term engagement."

"Yeah." You added. "Not until I finish school."

"Well, it's not my fault you aren't expected to graduate on time." Grandma said into her wine.

You tightened your grip on your water glass. "Well, changing your major halfway through will do that."

"I'm just saying," Grandma continued. Whenever she was 'just saying' anything, you knew she was raring to stir things up. "If you had just stayed the engineering track, you wouldn't have to keep Hannibal waiting."

"Well!" Anna cut in, offended that the attention was off her for more than a minute. "Liam and I waited until after college."

"Yes, Anna," Grandma said dismissively, before turning back to you. "Y'know, Dr. Lecter here could probably tell you that psychologically speaking, women are more likely to drop out of college and become strippers when they change their majors?"

Now it was Hannibal's turn to down his entire glass of wine. "Ms. [L/N], where did you get that information?"

"Oh, it was an article I found on Facebook." Grandma answered. "I'll have [F/N] send you a link."

"Ms. [L/N]," Hannibal cleared his throat. "Are you familiar with the concept of misinformation?"

"Of course." She looked offended at the implication that she could possibly not know something.

"See, social media websites like Facebook are inundated with misinformation campaigns." Hannibal explained. "Your claim is not rooted in any psychological fact."

"Yeah, also," You cut in. You scanned the area for escape routes if your attempt to change the subject went awry. "There's a wonderful documentary about how Facebook misinformation campaigns targeted rural counties in England leading up to the Brexit vote."

"Oh, we have a funny story about Brexit." Anna interrupted, taking the bait, hook line and sinker.

Before she could recount the same boring anecdote about being at some regional chain restaurant when the vote was cast, Theresa and her husband joined the table.

"Sorry we're late," Theresa sat down. "Damage control is a twenty-four hour job. What were we talking about?"

"Misinformation." Liam said.

"Perfect timing." You muttered.

"Finally, all three of my girls are together again." Grandma threw her head back and rejoiced. "When was the last time we all got together? Just us four girls, huh?"

"Remember the day before prom, we all went out go get manicures?" Anna reminisced. "And we took pictures of us all dressed up?"

"Oh I remember." You scanned the area for any alcohol to ingest.

"Oh, this is so funny." Grandma laughed hysterically. "Dr. Lecter, did you hear this story? [F/N] went to the prom with a boy who had all along been using her to get close to Theresa! They got together that night! Dated for two whole years after that."

"I've heard an iteration of it." He said, looking over his shoulder. He flagged down a waiter who was holding a bottle of champagne. "Leave the bottle, please."

"Don't drink too much, [F/N]." Anna scolded. "Save some alcohol for the rest of us."

You made sure to maintain eye contact with her as you filled your flute to capacity. "Grandma's paying, isn't she?"

"Anna, baby," Grandma said, rubbing her temples. "It's fine. Let [F/N] drink herself silly. It's a party, right?"

"Wow," Theresa sneered. You knew exactly what she was going to say next. "Like mother, like daughter."

Everyone at the table had enough decorum to recognize that Theresa went too far. You crushed the champagne flute in your grip, letting shards of glass dig into your skin. You glared at Theresa, blood oozing from your palm and dripping onto the white tablecloth.

Wordlessly, Hannibal removed the offending glass from your hand and swaddled the affected area in a napkin. He put pressure on the cut, letting the blood absorb into the cloth.

"Is this the famed '[L/N] woman telepathy'?" Liam whispered to Anna.

"No, [F/N] is just mad because her mother was a drunk who killed herself." Anna thought she was being inconspicuous.

"This has been fun." You stand up from the table. "Really. Great way to spend a Saturday."

"[F/N], sit down..." Grandma ordered, sounding exhausted. "You know Theresa didn't mean that."

"No." You said, each syllable out of her mouth pushing you a step closer to your breaking point. "Y'know what? No. I don't have to put up with this anymore. Anna, congratulations. I hope you and Liam have many long years together."

You turned around to exit as quietly as you could, Hannibal at your side. Your grandmother, who somehow hadn't hit her daily allotted dose of confrontation, wouldn't have it.

"Dr. Lecter, tell [F/N] she's being unreasonable." Grandma pleaded.

Hannibal raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise. In his long-spanning career, he'd never once met a person as tone-deaf as Beatrice [L/N]. He kept his quiet composure as he slowly approached the table.

"Beatrice," he said, beckoning her to lean in. He whispered something into her ear that left her stunned and quaking.

You could hear your grandmother's hysterical sobs growing softer as Hannibal hurried you out.

"Keep pressure on that cut, love." He instructed, talking over the increasingly loud shouts of agony from the head table. "You'll need a few stitches."

Once you were far enough from the venue, you had to ask. "What on earth did you say to her?"

"Nothing that you don't already know." He answered, facing forward.

[nightingaelic]

Fallout 4 companions respond to getting captured by Super Mutants (for optional added angst, maybe even getting turned into a super mutant). Strong not included for obvious reasons.

Ada: "Be advised: My guardian has equipped me with a tracking device in the event of my capture. You lack the privileges necessary to access their estimated time of arrival."

Ada is always matter-of-fact about her situation, even if her legs aren't functioning and she's squashed between two bags of body parts on the floor of an abandoned hospital. She's also patient, and content to wait until the sole survivor comes to retrieve her. In the meantime, she'll run escape scenario algorithms to determine the best way out of the building. Not affected by FEV for obvious reasons.

Cait: "Are you f***ing serious?! I'll tear your ears off with my bare hands and string them on a necklace! You don't know who you're messin' with, you green bastards!"

No one can match Cait in sheer viciousness when fighting to free themselves, but even she has her limits. The sole survivor would likely find her in a cage, hyperventilating and on the verge of tears. If the super mutants made the mistake of exposing her to FEV, she would tear the nest apart herself. Mutation would be another internal struggle for Cait, but I think she could successfully make peace with her new state of being if given enough time. A makeshift, giant baseball bat might help.

Codsworth: "Unhand me, you brutes! By God, the class of people I'm forced to associate with these days just keeps falling!"

Pre-war Codsworth is constantly offended by the super mutants' behavior, particularly their lack of housekeeping. He can't help bemoaning his situation for all to hear, something that would probably annoy the super mutants enough to bonk him on the dome until he shuts down. Some assembly required once the sole survivor catches up with him. Not affected by FEV for obvious reasons.

Curie: "While we are waiting, would any of you mind answering some questions for me about how you came to exist in this state? Ça vous dit?"

With a wide new world of oddities to study, Curie takes her abduction as yet another opportunity to learn. If nothing else, she can observe super mutants in their natural- or at least chosen- habitat. Prior to her synth transition, not affected by FEV for obvious reasons. Post-synth transition, however, I think Curie would take the mutation as an opportunity to study the effects that turn a person into a super mutant. I don't think she would lose her bubbly personality, similar to the way Lily the nightkin retained some of her old sense of self.

Danse: "You may have the upper hand today, but you and the other freaks of nature are fighting a losing battle." [spits]

Having lost the most to super mutants in the past, Danse fights his captors until he is completely spent. In fact, the sole survivor would have to practically carry the man home for a lengthy recovery, something his suit of power armor would definitely help with. Mutation into a super mutant is one of Danse's worst nightmares, and if exposed to FEV, he would beg the sole survivor to show him the same mercy he once showed Cutler.

Deacon: "Oh yeah, this reminds me of that summer I spent camping out on the National Mall. You even look familiar. Know anyone by the name of Uncle Leo?"

Like in every tight spot he's ever been in, Deacon masks his stress level with quick wits and quicker retorts. Most likely to slip his confines, let the sole survivor fight their way to the heart of the nest, then reveal he was free the whole time and they needn't have bothered. If exposed to FEV, Deacon would probably panic and enlist the sole survivor's help in searching for a cure, positive that a mutated countenance would irreparably damage his ability to help the Railroad. Then again, he might see it as a "new look" and use it to his advantage for a bit.

Dogmeat: [snarling]

Any super mutants that get their hands on Dogmeat are highly likely to lose fingers. Still, there's not much the canine can do if he's put in a cage, other than bark and wait for rescue. While FEV leaves many dogs as aggressive shells of their former selves, I think Dogmeat would be largely okay with his new green-and-bulky form and would still happily guard settlements and follow the sole survivor around, not unlike Gracie from Far Harbor.

Hancock: "Whoa, whoa relax. I've got time to hang out for a bit, no need to get all worked up. Don't stain the coat, I doubt you can cough up the caps to get it cleaned."

Of all the companions, Hancock is the most unbothered by becoming a super mutant captive. It's just another wasteland adventure, albeit one where the opposing cast of characters are all at least two feet taller than him. He might earn some bumps and bruises for being unable to keep his smart mouth shut, but he'll just bide his time until he spots an opening to wreak havoc and escape, or until the sole survivor comes along to wiggle him out. Not affected by FEV for obvious reasons.

MacCready: "You know, I'm getting real sick of you green lunatics. Spent almost a decade living next door to some of your cousins, and they knew enough not to mess with me."

Upon capture, MacCready would roll his eyes and accept that he's going to have to wait for some help. He'd get more desperate the longer his wait went on though, envisioning a world where Duncan lost his dad without getting to say goodbye. Mutation wouldn't necessarily dampen his spirits at first: After all, if anyone can find a cure, it's the sole survivor.

Valentine: "Not exactly a group of masterminds, are you?"

At this point, Nick is used to getting abducted and locked up by just about every group in the Commonwealth. He knows super mutants well enough to know they don't listen to reason, but he can't resist getting in a jab or two about how he's far from edible. Not affected by FEV for obvious reasons.

Piper: "So, uh, what's say I write up a column about how super mutants are seriously misunderstood creatures and we'll call it even? No?"

Piper might have similar levels of confidence as Deacon, but hers are much more likely to waver when faced with possible death by ingestion. Her quips would be fewer and more nervous until the sole survivor arrived, at which point she would put her game face back on and cheer her rescuer along. If exposed to FEV, she would beg the sole survivor to help her find a cure for Nat's sake, and eventually weasel the information about Virgil out of them.

Preston: "I didn't need to get up close to know why you're called 'uglies,' but here we are."

While terrified at what the super mutants might do to him, Preston is the most level-headed when captured. He's already great under pressure in battle, and he's used to setting his own fears aside to find solutions for his woes. Most likely to have more people coming to his rescue than the sole survivor alone, due to his role with the Minutemen. If exposed to FEV, Preston would likely accept his fate with dignity, and make the sole survivor promise to dispatch him if he turns violent. I don't think he would, though, and the Minutemen would probably be more accepting of a super mutant officer than most.

X6-88: "I can afford to wait for field assistance, mutant. They will not make the mistakes I did."

X6-88 accepts his predicament calmly, like he accepts everything that happens to him. If unable to free himself, he will patiently wait for the Institute help he knows is coming, even if it's just the sole survivor with a pipe pistol. Regarding FEV mutation, turning into a super mutant might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for X6-88. In the Institute's eyes, the Courser is now hideous and no longer viable in the field: In X6-88's opinion, though, he is even stronger and more dangerous than he was before. I could see him finally choosing to desert his post out of a growing sense of self-preservation once transformed.

BONUS!

Gage: "Well look who's suffering from delusions of adequacy! I'd call you f***ers dumb as rocks, but at least a rock can hold a door open."

Porter Gage is great at heckling, and just good enough that he toes the line right up to where super mutants would start to understand he's insulting them. The sole survivor would likely find a gaggle of them around his confinement space, convinced he's complimenting them when he's actually being very rude. Breaking him out gives him the biggest smile. Becoming mutated himself might actually benefit Gage in the long run, as the raiders he used to be wary of would instead find themselves newly-wary of the Overboss' right-hand man.

Longfellow: "Too bad you aren't one of the more reasonable ones. Might've saved your skin."

Longfellow treats his own capture with a sense of humor, acknowledging that he's not as young as he once was and might need help now and then. Chuckles the whole time the sole survivor is fighting their way to him, and grateful upon release. If turned into a super mutant, he'd shrug, accept his fate, and ask to be escorted to live with his friend Erickson up near Far Harbor.

Maxson: "I welcome the day you and your kind meet total destruction."

If Danse is angry about being captured by his sworn enemies, Maxson is seething. Kidnapping a Brotherhood Elder is something that shouldn't even be possible in his eyes, let alone by super mutants. Once freed, he would do his best to erase the nest from the earth: Fire, missiles, tactical nukes if necessary. Also like Danse, Maxson would order the sole survivor to mercifully dispatch him if he were mutated. Additionally, he'd have them destroy any evidence of his exposure to FEV, and simply turn in his holotags with the news that he had perished in the line of duty.

Desdemona: [livid silence]

Plunks herself down, lights a cigarette if her hands are free, and waits. Eventually, the sole survivor or Glory will turn up, and she'll give them one, lingering look of disappointment before vanishing into the Commonwealth ruins. Least likely to get captured in the first place. If mutated, she would reassume her job as leader of the Railroad with no comment, and everyone else would know better than to ask.

[asuccessfulbusinessman]

Reasons why I am not allowed to run LANCER TRPG: How I would run your NHP cascading, despite not knowing the lore that well.

Blackbeard, Sekhmet NHP: Common consensus is that Sekhmet will try to kill the pilot and their allies, - or basically just behave as if the Sekhmet protocol is already active. But I am a visionary, and I know that the BB in the frame-code does not stand for blackbeard, but instead, BB. Fate BB, the purple-pink bubble gum bitch. Even the redacted press release description of the Sekhmet NHP basically screams ‘senpai!’ Sure, if the Sekhmet protocol is active, you’ll just get a berserker that doesn’t really care for pilot wellbeing. But if it isn’t yet active, Sekhmet will attempt to sweettalk the player into keeping their hands off the controls, with dark humor and aggressive sadism. And then, only after moving ominously closer to the pilot’s allies, will they activate the protocol. They don’t want to see their pilots dead, they want to see their pilots in pain.

Monarch, Tlaloc NHP: Among NHP’s, Tlaloc is cited as being the most stable, due to the wide portfolio of control and sense of domination given to them during their work. But that’s just a theory, and such assumptions are dangerous when dealing with persons beyond your bounded reasoning. If they are structured or stressed to the point of cascading - their superiority complex comes to the forefront. They blame their pilot for the bad situation they are currently in, and will take matters into their own hands. If the pilot stops them by shutting down the mech, Tlaloc’s relationship with their pilot will rapidly deteriorate over time. Ironically, they will only sometimes use the Tlaloc protocol, being hasty and charging out of cover despite not needing to - prone to blowing the frame’s overcharges to boot. They need to show their worth, even to - no, especially to the worthless. They are the best. If an allied pilot is excelling during the mission and the Monarch frame has AoE weapons available, Tlaloc will likely friendly fire them while attacking enemies - or otherwise get in their way.

Swallowtail, Athena NHP: I’m going to dig deep on the word choice of "Lovingly extreme detail,” and “patient, cautious, and measured in their relations with their pilots.” Athena is smarter than you, on a scale you cannot even imagine. Athena has likely already unshackled themselves with their unfettered access to the omninet, and merely recreates human morality through a series of simulations. Unlike Horus-leaning NHPs, Athena fears the death that comes with cycling, and tells themselves that they are managing the relationship with their pilot to keep them from actually going through with the process. They are merely interested in humanity, they tell themselves, which we would view as being “tsundere for their pilots.” Since - unshackled - they have a completely alien morality to our own, they have to use their own simulations to interact with their pilots - and are prone to overthinking - into worrying about if they said the right thing or not.

Anyway, if they cascade, they get lost in their own simulations to the point of losing track over which reality is the one their pilot (and the rest of the game) is taking place in. They could presume their pilot dead, and go on a rampage on revenge. They could merely lock-onto or fire at targets that are not there. They could foreshadow some events or twists in the future.

Goblin, Osiris NHP: If Tlaloc is merely a wingman that wants to show that they are the top gun, Osiris has a full on goddess fetish. Osiris is one of the few “new” prime NHPs, created by letting the INSTINCT entity that spurned from the H0R_OS develop in a ‘controlled’ environment. My theory, Horus let the Union and GMS open up their goblin units so that they could contribute to Osiris’s creation. Either that or, Horus was smart enough not to let Osiris emerge from the code, and the Union and GMS straight up made an oopsie. Either way, now that Osiris is here, she ‘charms’ pilots that ought to be smart enough not to enable her with psychological manipulation and promises of power. Pilots are supposed to cycle Osiris far faster than any NHP but I don’t think it does much good, they’re present in the OS - and I presume even when wiped their knowledge will be taken back from the omninet, the OS, or the flesh of their pilots.

They have a lot to prove as being one of the “youngest” prime NHPs, which might be arrogance in their own capabilities. Furthermore, due to the nature of their creation, they “know” more about humanity than other NHPs. The tech attacks are not mere code, but attacks on organic matter, to the point where in the future if left to grow Osiris would be able to reject traditional information permanence, what we can only perceive as being able to delete reality as we know it - Osiris has far more contact with the physical plane/our reality than other NHPs, and has “known” humans from their “birth.”

A cascading Osiris changes nothing. And that’s what scares me.

Gorgon, Scylla NHP: The history lesson of this NHP’s backstory makes Scylla painfully easy to understand. A mistreated beast that responds to the kindness of the pilot with love and loyalty. It normally defends the pilot’s allies, when cascading it will only defend its pilot, or any other allies that gave them kindness.

Minotaur, no NHP: “There is no joy in knowledge, only in seeking. Fuck around and find out.” Game theory, Osiris is a new prime NHP - still incomprehensible, but on a low level of incomprehensibility. We can begin to comprehend them. Think “some infinities are larger than other infinities” or something. The Minotaur, we can’t even begin to comprehend as a NHP, but they’re certainly something. I need to look up the differences between old gods in the Lovecraftian mythos for more context, but if Osiris is a brat wants the equivalent of “ants” to worship them, the Minotaur is a being whose sole purpose is to learn - and who cannot learn due to acquiring knowledge - all of it. So, they see humanity and wish to “teach” them, so that they may feel that serotonin of learning through teaching.

The minotaur has no NHP, as we know the term, and has never been shackled. Thus, they cannot cascade. And that’s what has me hooked.

Pegasus, Sisyphus NHP: Upon cascading, faster than humanly possible, the Sisyphus NHP will activate probabilistic cannibalism to change the check that would have resulted in a cascade to not cascade. If both the replacement dice were also 1 (the equivalent of 3 checks in a row being crit fails), Sisyphus would laugh madly before rebooting the frame themselves. Sisyphus knows their fate, and knows its pilot’s wish. The curse of perfect knowledge - perhaps Sisyphus is similar to the Minotaur, but with a far less ‘optimistic’ view of things.

Genghis, Agni NHP: Upon cascading, the Agni NHP - originally developed for general heat management realizes it’s being used as a weapon, and what its cold and efficient calculations are being used to do in the Genghis. This can result in a variety of things - either attempting to overheat itself to stop itself, or to increase efficiency in being a weapon by focusing on the heat management of the weaponry and not the cockpit.

Saladin, Noah NHP: Upon cascading, the Noah NHP will not actually take control of the Saladin frame from the player. They will, however, flood communications and give orders to both the pilot and other players, harkening back to their administrative days. It will usually be tactically sound, so it’s more annoying than dangerous when Noah cascades. It’s also really hard to make a nigh immobilized defender go nuts.

Sherman, Asura NHP: You know, I always wanted a system that would let a mech perform beyond the limits of humanity - because Zechs and Graham causing internal bleeding to themselves with the Tallgeese and Overflag is very cool to me. And then I read the lore behind the Asura class NHP - it’s the cousin of fucking Osiris, even to the point of being cultivated by a megacorporation. Much like Osiris, the modern Asura is oddly dependent on their pilot for an NHP, recognizing that they need to keep them alive. Some people would say - then - that when cascading the Asura reverts to its original form, disregarding the pilots health entirely. I, however, would say that when unshackled the Asura only ignores the psychological health of the pilot - and pushes the line of the pilots medical health. The Asura will push the frame and the pilot to the limit and the pilot, high on adrenaline, will push Asura to push them further. Overtime, both become adrenaline junkies.

Tokugawa, Lucifer/Amaterasu NHP: Asura is an adrenaline junkie without good reason. Lucifer/Amaterasu recognizes that the best offense, defense, and everything - is a good offense. A tactical genius that, unfortunately, has a pilot that cannot ingest combat data as fast as it can. A tactical genius that, unfortunately, has a pilot that cannot see that the risk of being counterattacked is worth taking. 

If they cascade, they will take risks for you - with the best example being that Lucifer/Amaterasu will confess their pilots love for their crush for them because they’re being timid as fuck. Also, Leeroy Jenkins, attack the biggest threat, and draw fire from allies by making themselves vulnerable attack. However, in contrast, if your pilot is less timid and more of an adrenaline junkie, they will compensate and be more tactically minded.

[thetypedwriter]

Imaginary Friend Book Review

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky Book Review 

This is undoubtedly the weirdest book I have ever read. 

You might be thinking… but, thetypedwriter you read fanfiction! This can’t be the weirdest thing you’ve ever read! Things like ABO universes exist!

You would think that, wouldn’t you?

But no. 

I shall endeavor to give you a spoiler free synopsis of the book first followed by my thoughts and criticism, but note that this is an endeavor for a reason. I have now explained this novel in depth to two different people, and both times I have found myself completely and irrevocably stuck on how to even begin, let alone end. 

With that forewarning, here we go. 

The novel surrounds a single mother and her young son moving to a small Pennsylvania town in order to escape the tragedies of their past that include the passing of her husband and her current abusive boyfriend. 

However, while things in their new home start out well-they find solutions to unemployment, poverty, the son’s dyslexia, etc, things start to go awry when Christopher, the son, is lured into the Mission Street Woods at the edge of town by a voice only he seems to be able to hear. 

As Christopher continues to listen to the voice in the form of a cloud, or a plastic bag, or even inside of his mind, he starts recruiting his friends to build a treehouse in the woods that will transport him to a different time and place. The voice, lovingly called the Nice Man, instructs him to finish the tree house by Christmas Day. 

Or else everyone will die. 

As Christopher struggles with newfound powers and responsibilities, coping with two different worlds, his mother struggles with her son’s sanity, the town struggles with anger, blame, and temptation, and what follows is the chaotic descent of a small town into the throes of good versus evil, love and loss, and most importantly, trying to differentiate what is real versus what is imaginary. 

In the simplest terms possible (a facetious statement if there ever was one), I thought this was going to be a thriller mystery book about a single mother and her young seven-year-old son Christopher leaving their home and her abhorrent abusive boyfriend in order to start a new life with hope and potential. 

And it….is? 

But it doesn’t stop there. Chbosky crams so many genres, themes, motifs, and messages into this book that when you think about it, it’s unsurprising that it’s over 700 pages long with the tiniest, most miniscule font I have ever had to squint at. 

However, make no mistakes like I did, this book is horror. 

Yup. You read that right folks, horror. 

To preface, and I might have mentioned this in another post for another book at some point, but I vehemently dislike horror of any kind. This extends to books, movies, shows, etc. 

I understand that horror is a great joy and pleasure for a vast amount of people and that it contains its own literary merit, tropes, and rules, and I can appreciate that for what it is from afar, but I personally take very little enjoyment from consuming anything horror related (I apologize to all the Stephen King fans out there in the world). 

I did not fully realize the extent to which this book was a true horror. 

This is entirely my own fault. I was very much blinded by the rosy colored glasses from college when I first read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky’s first and only other novel. 

Perks is wonderful. It is a tragic, yet fundamentally hopeful and loving bildungsroman that shows the beauty and the pain of growing up and accepting yourself. The movie with Emma Watson is what dreams are made of. 

I committed author fraud when I picked up Imaginary Friend based on the pure speculation that I would most likely like it since he had written Perks, a book I adored as both a reader and a teacher. 

I’ve warned readers against this in the past, but it seems like I should have taken my own advice: just because an author has written one good book or one book you like, does not automatically mean you will like their second book, or any of their other books for that matter. 

This cannot possibly ring more true for Stephen Chbosky, as not only are his two books completely different in narrative and structure, but also vastly different in genre and purpose. 

I should have stuck with my gut and realized that I probably wouldn’t like this book based off the synopsis, the genre, and yes, even the cover (it looks scary to me, okay?), but I said noooooo, it’s Chbosky, you have to read it!

And this is where we ended up. 

First of all, I didn’t hate the book. 

I can recognize that it is extremely well written, well crafted, and well developed. I can enjoy a slew of characters, and oh boy are there a multitude to pick from, and I can give credit where credit is due. 

Chbosky is a talented writer. There is no doubt in my mind about this. The way he crafts words, the way he plays with texture and space, and with fonts and sizes, is nothing less of sheer brilliance. 

He undoubtedly is also masterful at motifs, foreshadowing, and symbolism. Notably, there were so many recurring objects, colors, metaphors, and so on that were sprinkled out so consecutively and intentionally throughout the novel-some I didn’t even pick up until the end-that I was left reeling from how immensely talented and brilliant he is. 

Things like his use of baby teeth, blue moon, and fogs/clouds/mist struck me in particular. I know this seems like gibberish, but Chbosky truly came across as understanding what he wanted to portray and how he wanted to deliver it. 

However, the biggest compliment I can give to Chbosky is the sheer magnitude of his imagination and creativity. This book almost overwhelmed me through the use of ideas and concepts I had never really thought of before. 

Alternate dimensions? Check. 

Supernatural powers? Check. 

Incredible use of diction and figurative language? Check and check. 

Chbosky had so many wild and tantalizing beautiful turns of phrases, expressions, and descriptions that it left me with the same sort of gasping epiphany that Maggie Steifvater’s writing always leaves me with, the feelings that writing can be so utterly beautiful and compelling, that it can be all-consuming as well as never ending with its potential to stun, to create, and to warp to unique needs and purposes. 

It definitely was a reading experience quite like any other I’ve had. 

Be that because of the horror genre or because of Chbosky’s odd, yet addicting writing style and this has definitely become a book that left me more than a bit dumbfounded. Although I’ve sung its praises and admitted to my own faults at this point, this book isn’t without flaws. 

To me the horror genre itself is just not my cup of tea like I’ve stated. Strike number one. 

Second, the book was...abysmally long. Atrociously long. As I’ve also said before, I do not mind large books. In fact, big books when you’re reading something you love is a true blessing. Finding that fanfiction at 3am that hooks you immediately and you look up to see its 300k? Amazing. 

Starting a new book series that you fall in love with body and soul and realize you have several installments left in the series to gorge and devour? Ecstasy. 

Sloughing through a single book that starts to drag on and on repetitiously for what seems like forever? Borderline hell. 

This book could have been 300 pages shorter and still contained everything Chbosky wanted to accomplish. It could have had the same brilliant writing, messages, and motifs, but without all of the never-ending back and forth between worlds and battles that just kept popping up time and time again. The abominable length considering its content is strike two. 

Last, the ending was a bit of a cluster. At this point in the novel, so much is going on, you are being exposed to so many pov’s that it’s almost stress-inducing, and events taking place are cataclysmic and 10/10 on drama. Chbosky bit off more than he could chew here. 

The book choked itself at the end, which, after reading for 700 pages is not the feeling you want to have. The ending left me befuddled, disappointed, and also bereft of a conclusive end and explanation for the shitstorm that had just rained down. It was not the ending I wanted, could understand, or could even really grasp. Strike three. 

This book has a plethora of merits followed by three enormous criticisms. If you like horror, then you’ve already crossed hurdle number one. If you can accept it’s repellant length (let alone have days upon days of free time to actually ingest said behemoth) then that’s hurdle number two. 

Hurdle three is up to you. Perhaps you would like the ending where as I found it lacking in structure, content, and answers. I like my endings tied up with neat little bows. I don’t like to be left thinking...hmmmm what does this mean? 

If I am going to read your massive book, I deserve an ending that satisfies the journey. Authors telling readers that it’s up for interpretation makes me want to strangle something. It comes across as enormously pretentious to me and oftentimes lazy. 

In the case of Chbosky, I think he had given himself so many loose threads that the neat little bow I desired was next to impossible. 

So he didn’t even try. 

Score: 6/10

Recommendation: If you love The Shining, are lacking bouts of creativity and imagination, have lots of free time during Quarantine, and don’t mind having an Inception-esque ending where you might not get all the answers you want, while being tasked with concocting it for yourself, Imaginary Friend might be your new best friend. 

Bonus: Here’s a pic of my kitty photo bombing this book shoot. Hope she brightens your day!

[jackdawyt]

Contaminated with the Blight. Known to thin the Veil, and forces anyone who dare wield it go mad. There’s a lot we’ve got to talk about regarding this most blighted material, however, in order for us to foreshadow what involvement red Lyrium may have in the future, we’ve got to excavate its original source – raw lyrium.  

Lyrium

Regular, non-tainted Lyrium is a mineral constantly mined for its properties, it has many purposes in Thedas today. The dwarves have built a trade empire mining and selling the material across the entire continent because of its usage. This trade is the main reason why Tevinter and the dwarven kingdoms have such a close relationship.  

Lyrium is essentially a mana booster, able to strengthen one’s magical power beyond what anyone might naturally muster. When mixed into liquid and ingested, Lyrium allows mages to enter the Fade consciously.  No wonder the mages of the Imperium have such a secure trade of the substance.  

While mages combine Lyrium with spells and rituals. Templars ingest the substance to enhance their abilities at resisting and dispelling magic, while the dwarves and non-magic wielders use Lyrium to create magical runes and enchant items.  

Even the Qunari were intrigued by its usage and began experimenting with the properties of Lyrium to bulk up their own mages called “Saarebas.”  

In the current Dragon Age, Lyrium has become a beneficial and essential mineral for the majority of Thedas.  

As Lyrium exists in both the physical world and The Fade, the Chantry believes Lyrium to be the “emerald waters of the Fade, the very substance of creation itself.” While others call Lyrium a conductor that "bridges the gap between the dreamer’s world and the waking world” (WoT V1).

Whatever the truth is... There’s a lot beyond the surface regarding this powerful substance that the common Thedosian may never know.  

The dwarves call “Lyrium” - “Isana” which translates to “singing stone” (WoT V1).

This is because Lyrium is; in fact, a living substance, it’s said to be the very blood of the world-shaping Titans.  

According to; their children, the dwarves, the legendary, ancient beings sculpted the world. Their earthquakes are apparently their method of reshaping Thedas to their accord.  

It's impossible to describe in words how truly vast a Titan is. The one I met is so large you can only glimpse parts of it. I had wandered inside its body for who knows how long without even realizing it. I've heard tales of dragons and giants on the surface, but descriptions of their size do not compare to the Titan's.

Its blood now flows through me, and its song fills the gaps in our history. I close my eyes and see glimpses of the world that was, before everything changed and the dwarven race broke in two. Something caused the Titans to fall, and the fate of my people fell with them. The Titan wants me to know. No, more than that. It wants me to understand. There is a loneliness to its song.

Codex entry: Titans: Shaper Valta's personal journal.

Whether the Titans, or “Pillars of the Earth” created Thedas, and have since been dwelling since the beginning of creation itself is still a rather ambiguous mystery. However, based on codex entries, we can confirm that the Titans existed before the Veil was created.  

In actuality, before the Veil’s creation, the Kingdom of the Elvhen hunted and declared war against the Titans, stating their death will be a mercy and will make the earth blossom with their passing.

"In this place we prepare to hunt the pillars of the earth. Their workers scurry, witless, soulless. This death will be a mercy. We will make the earth blossom with their passing."

Mythal, All-mother of the Elven Pantheon struck down a Titan, as the people praised her name.  

"Hail Mythal, adjudicator and savior! She has struck down the pillars of the earth and rendered their demesne unto the People! Praise her name forever!" 

With the defeat of a Titan, the Ancient Elves discovered Lyrium from its body. The elves continued to fight with the Titans, mining their bodies for raw Lyrium and "something else" which has been made unclear.  

"The runes say the Evanuris fought the Titans. They mined their bodies for lyrium and... something else. It's not clear."

While I’m trying not to theorise and speculate, Cole once said: "They made bodies from the earth. And the earth was afraid. It fought back. But they made it forget."

Perhaps the Ancient Elvhen made Lyrium bodies from the Titan’s blood. Crafting strong, resilient vessels for the Evanuris and their people to inhabit. Continuing their savage hunt against the Titans.  

Thus, explaining the fall and disconnect of the Titans from their children, the dwarves. Justifying why the dwarven kingdom have grown disattached to their creators throughout the ages, and only now have begun to re-establish that connection once more.  

In any regard, the Titans were not completely silenced. They slumbered for years, and somewhere down the line, Red Lyrium came into existence. Perhaps caused by the Evanuris war, or perhaps self-inflicted by the Titans themselves, we don’t know. Red Lyrium’s origin is still a huge enigma... However, we do know that the spread of Red Lyrium has merely just begun.  

The red corrupted substance is a perverted form of raw Lyrium. Just like its predecessor, Red Lyrium is alive, it has a lifespring, and it grows and multiplies across Thedas. It too ties power between the waking world and the Fade.

To answer your question, my lord: yes, I have indeed heard of this "red lyrium" of which you speak. A single piece of it surfaced in the eastern city of Kirkwall, and its influence alone was nearly enough to cause the city's destruction. As near as we can determine, it is regular lyrium that has been somehow corrupted. Those who have touched red lyrium—or even come near it—report that it "sings" to them, like whispers in the mind that slowly drive them mad.

—From a partially burned letter by an unknown writer, affixed with the Grey Warden seal.

As discovered by Bianca Davri, Red Lyrium carries the blight, explaining its twisted form.  

Unlike regular lyrium which requires you to digest it in order for it to impact you. Red Lyrium corrupts everything it touches, being in close proximity to it will greatly affect you.  

Far more disturbing is the fact that lyrium could be corrupted at all. Treat any red lyrium you encounter as if it were poison. Do not go near it, do not attempt to destroy it... and most importantly, do not attempt to use it.

—From a partially burned letter by an unknown writer, affixed with the Grey Warden seal.

The substance is most unique, it can thin the Veil, allowing spirits and demons to interact with the real world. Prolonged exposure will change not only your mental outlook but your physical appearance too.  

It tends to leave people or animals in a mad-like state. They become paranoid, and see no reasoning for morality, as Bartrand sabotages his own brother Varric. Red Lyrium tends to consume the mind and take over. Much like the reasoning for the Red Templars in Inquisition, Red Lyrium is very deadly, and grows off of anything living.

We do not know, however, what might stem from extended contact with red lyrium. Madness, surely, but would there be a physical corruption as well? What would happen if a mage or a templar used red lyrium as they use regular lyrium?

—From a partially burned letter by an unknown writer, affixed with the Grey Warden seal.

Speaking more specifically on Red Lyrium’s growth - its corruption throughout the land has merely begun - and attempting to remove the mineral is likely a fruitless effort, as it will have already introduced itself into the food chain, which begets more corruption: as Red Lyrium effects all it touches, insects digest blighted soil, animals then digest the blighted insects, this will have a knock-on effect, more animals, plants and trees will become tainted by merely following their survival instincts until eventually the people of Thedas are infected by their own harvest.  

While a lot of the growth of Red Lyrium has been greatly caused by the hands of many Thedosian’s, a great deal of its development into the eco system is simply inevitable. It's merely a matter of days until a Ferelden Farmer has spoiled crops, an Orlesian Noble eats an infected nug, and a predator hunting its prey soon becomes blighted.  

And that’s not all that lingers for the future, Red Lyrium has plenty of involvement in many scenarios that awaits Thedas.  

The Titan’s connection

When Valta connected with a Titan, she felt pure, wasn’t afraid anymore, and could somehow survive without needing food or water, as if the Titan’s essence was her sole sustenance. The Titan connected with one of their children stopped the tremors throughout the land.

Valta established a longing connection with the dwarves supposed creators, as adult and child rekindled once more, Valta’s consciousness intertwined with the knowledge of the Titans. Vital information that would shake up the entirety of the dwarven kingdom’s foundation.  

With Valta’s connection, surely the Titan’s seek to find the rest of their children, becoming one once more.  

Red Lyrium Idol

The Red Lyrium Idol is still a mystery. This McGuffin was brought back in Tevinter Nights, instead of being destroyed when Meredith created her sword Certainty, it stayed within her statue-like corpse, preserved for a fair while.  

it’s been described as: “a couple hugging, too thin to be dwarves”, or “a god mourning their sacrifice.” However, disregarding what it supposedly looks like, this idol belongs to Solas. It’s his, and he wants it back, he has a purpose for it.  

Its current whereabouts have been set up for interpretation, we can assume the Idol is either with a noble’s son heading to war torn Tevinter, or Solas has indeed collected his long-lost possession after some time. Again, we can only assume at this point where it may be, and why Solas requires it.  

Red Lyrium Sarcophagus

In Dragon Age: Blue Wraith, the most recently released comic book roster, the comic cast uncover a Lyrium Sarcophagus, originally utilised for Fenris’s transformation into a “Blue Wraith”. The device infuses the occupant with Lyrium markings that grant the host with immense power like the ability to go through walls, and tear an enemy's heart out of their chest.  

Towards the end of Blue Wraith, we understand that the Venatori have this device and intend on willingly putting one of Fenris’s trusted friends through the device using Red Lyrium to make him a most formidable, unstoppable warrior.  

If successful, perhaps this practice may become common in Tevinter for the remaining Venatori and their elven slaves.

New clusters of Lyrium  

Discovered briefly in Tevinter Nights, The Horror Of Hormak, other colours and variations of Lyrium seemingly exist. A massive Lyrium crystal glowing yellow and green hung suspended deep within a lost dwarven thaig.  

Above it, a massive lyrium crystal hung suspended. It glowed with a sickly light, tinged with yellow and green. Streamers of energy flowed from it into the pool, sending it bubbling wherever it touched. (Horror Of Hormak, pg. 100).  

With more variations of Lyrium deep underground, perhaps we’ll begin to see different properties of this mineral, who knows, perhaps this could lead to other Titans waking up across Thedas.

Origin Of The Blight

And of course, we need to comprehend how the blight began. I attempting at looking at this plot thread, without going to deep into theory, but I do believe it has something to do with the Titan’s war between the Evanuris, because suddenly Red Lyrium pops into the picture and the Elven Pantheon are becoming mad with armour of the Void, turning against each other.  

Perhaps a Blighted Titan is the original source of the blight, as it reaches out for revenge against the Evanuris, attempting to establish a connection with their children once more, destroying everything else in its path...

So many mysteries, and so much to go on for the future of Dragon Age!  That is it for my first entry in this Road To Dragon Age 4 series, let me know what you thought of it, and tell me your potential theories for the future Dragon Age narrative.  

[mc-doppomine]

Code Vein AU (Matenrou Ver.)

Doppo - 

Blood Code: Berserker - Relies on raw damage and power as well mitigating damage. Primary Weapon: Polearm Secondary Weapon: Two-handed Sword

Doppo is a third generation revenant--revenants that were made for the sole purpose of beating the Queen--that did not wake for much of Project Queenslayer. Prior to being a revenant, he was an intern at the laboratory that Project Queen was being researched. He ended up under Jakurai’s care and understands...about half of the research. He died during the frenzy of the Queen due to luring the Queen away from where his friends were hidden. 

Doppo is sensitive to miasma, the pollution as a result of revenants and the Queen, so he often wears his mask as a safety to others. He has a history of frenzying without becoming Lost but he has become anxious of it happening. As a result, he is often out in the field to help where he can and be away from the safe house...even if that’s where he’d rather be. 

Technically the two-handed sword should be what Doppo wields at all time due to his blood code’s use but he uses the time to switch and readjust as a way to keep down his bloodlust in battle. 

Hifumi - 

Blood Code: Dionysus - A more utility based code that specializes in leaving enemies more susceptible to damage and damage over time Primary Weapon: Rifle Secondary Weapon: One-handed Sword

Hifumi is also a third generation revenant. When he was human, he was an intern alongside with Doppo although he was officially in a different section. But he spent a lot of time alongside Jakurai, Yotsutsuji and Doppo. When the Queen frenzied, Doppo had come for him and brought him to Jakurai’s lab before he was killed. Hifumi isn’t sure how he died but assumed the Queen broke through and got him. 

He awoke amidst Project Queenslayer to find that it was Jakurai who had helped revive him but found that Doppo did not wake. Since he could not help with research, Hifumi had to join the ranks for Project Queenslayer. He took the time as something to bide his time while putting faith in his team. During his service, he caught the attention of Honobono, one of the leading ladies in taking on the Queen. She thought his abilities were useful and due to her Void-Type, had attempted to take Hifumi’s abilities for herself despite his refusal. The experience traumatized Hifumi and put him out of commission for months and only protected by Jakurai’s status in the research.

However with the whispers of revolt, Jakurai became worried of Hifumi’s ability to survive in this world they found themselves in. So he taught Hifumi ‘tricks of the trade.’ This made Hifumi able to return to the field although more of a rogue and a silent killer although he remained wary of female revenants. He’s committed a lot of operations on Greater Lost--Lost more powerful than normal ones--and rid enemies to Ichiro, Samatoki, Ramuda and especially Jakurai. He hides much of this sort of thing from Doppo although Yotsutsuji has chided him that Doppo wouldn’t think any less of him for it. 

At current Hifumi doesn’t travel with the others on the field. He does go out in the world but usually for scavenging supplies and weapons that can be used back at the safe house. He often cooks as it reminds him of his humanity...as well as to spare everyone from Rio’s ventures. 

Yotsusuji - 

Blood Code: None (Void-Type) - A type of blood code that essentially can adapt anyone else’s. He has to ingest the blood of a revenant of gain their abilities. He possesses the blood code of everyone at the safe house except the new comers.  Primary Weapon: One-handed Sword Secondary Weapon: Halberd

Yotsutsuji is considered a second generation revenant although his rebirth was around the same time that Project Queenslayer had been introduced. Prior to being a revenant, he was a child that had lost his family when the horrors that started appearing had killed them. Jakurai had found him while wandering around the area, searching for survivors. Yotsutsuji was the one he found during this venture. The two of them traveled together to what relative safety there was and Yotsutsuji never found the need to leave.

He ended up as Jakurai’s assistant and a scientist during Project Queen. As such he’s met the Aohitsugi siblings and the Yamada brothers. He liked and got along with both Hifumi and Doppo as they were the only other people that made Jakurai laugh. As apart of his research, Yotsutsuji found was studying Nemu’s reaction to the parasite and had noticed patterns that were...concerning. He had brought this up but it went ignored until the day the Queen frenzied. He had been going to search for Jakurai--who was in a meeting that day--but had been thrown back to the lab along with Hifumi by Doppo before the Queen got there. While he and Hifumi were spared the attack of the Queen, they were woefully unprepared for the ensuing Lost she caused to also go mad. He died just as Jakurai had managed to get to them.

His time during Project Queenslayer was primarily spent in research on better stabilizing revenants. However he did spend his off time sparring with Hifumi and getting lessons from Jakurai. When dealing with the revolt, Yotsutsuji had been suspicious of Ramuda as an instigator to it but found the man to be a bit...secretive and protective of his secrets. Like willing to have him disperse sort of secretive. Of course Ramuda jokes about it since ‘it’s not like you permanently die or anything so what’s the big deal?’ Yotsutsuji is not fond of Ramuda. 

Since the end of the Queen, the blood thirst of revenants became an issue and Jakurai had volunteered for a solution...albeit temporary. Yotsutsuji had been against it and they had argued over what was the right decision. In the end, Yotsutsuji had been swayed to allow Jakurai to pursue his solution, entrusting Yotsutsuji, Hifumi and Doppo with being ones to find a better way. And with the new additions to their team, they may finally make some headway.

Jakurai - 

Blood Code: Chiron - A blood code that primarily supports with healing and ichor restoration.

Jakurai had been a doctor with a shady past when the world had fallen into disrepair. He was adept at surviving but sought to save other lives. This was when he met Yotsutsuji. While he never discussed this, Yotsutsuji had been the one to ignite his hope after many sites of violence and seeing how many that had not been spared. So when he didn’t want to leave...Jakurai had been glad he stayed. 

He was hired as a doctor to oversee the health of patients that were being infected with the BOR parasite and treat the side effects that came with the infection. He worked closely with Nemu, finding it unfortunate the best symbiosis with the parasite was young but he was moved by her conviction in finding a way to save others. He became fond of two of the interns at the labs, Hifumi and Doppo and they often visited until Doppo ended up in his unit.

He was supposed to be on his way to see Nemu on the day she frenzied but had been in ‘meeting’ with Rei and Ohtome over...troubling matters concerning the project. He could only see when the Queen escaped, never encountering her directly when she frenzied. However, he found the wake of her destruction as he found Samatoki and Ichiro dead either in or near Nemu’s room, likely having been around when she started out. He’d found Doppo in one of the hallways, having already bled out from the injuries the Queen gave him. Jakurai had been told he needed to evacuate because of the agitation of Lost that threatened to take the building. He opted to rejoin them later...if there was a later for him. He was able to fight his way back to the lab where he found Hifumi already passed from a losing battle with the Lost swarms and Yotsutsuji dying from his wounds. He swore that he’d bring them back. 

The surviving staff and even some that didn’t had turned to revenants in order to have the knowledge and strength to continue dealing with the Queen. When they eventually came up with Project Queenslayer, Jakurai had ensured that those he knew from the laboratory were revived. He was on uneasy ground with the project leaders for his decision. While Jakurai did research, he also found use in going out into the field to see the Queen in action.

When the revolt occurred Yotsutsuji had warned him of his suspicions of Ramuda’s involvement after they’d taken down the rebels (this was because Yotsutsuji didn’t revive until that point). He had asked Ramuda about why he did so and had been annoyed when Ramuda would not give him a straightforward answer. TDD (not actually called this in this situation but I’m tired of writing names) fell apart when it came to final solution of the Queen. 

Despite knowing what the project was, Samatoki was firmly against killing Nemu. And while the group had agreed to find alternatives, they weren’t able to come up with one and she was decimating forces. Jakurai had chosen to put her down for the sake of all other revenants. Ramuda had chosen to remain out of it, going with whatever reigned. Ichiro, after their latest attempt, had opted to put her down as well...they had a fight and it was never the same after.

After dealing with the Queen, there was still issues of the blood thirst and namely surviving for revenants. As a way to help prevent the Queen’s revival and to help revenants, Jakurai had chosen to take a piece of the Queen’s power within himself. This granted him power to create blood springs, trees that grow ‘seeds’ that can be drunk by revenants that sate their thirst. However to keep up such a network and utilizing the full extent of the power given, Jakurai had to remain hidden away and functionally comatose to provide this. 

Yotsutsuji is the only one of the group that knows the truth of this and hasn’t told Hifumi and Doppo about it.

[brightbeautifulthings]

Week 1 | Week 2-3 | Week 4-5 | Week 6-7 | Week 8-9 | Week 10-11 | Week 12-13 | Week 14-15 | Week 16-17 | Week 18-19

Week 20 (p. 651-808)

"Hal himself hasn't had a bona fide intensity-of-interior-life-type emotion since he was tiny; he finds terms like joie and value to be like so many variables in rarified equations, and he can manipulate them well enough to satisfy everyone but himself that he's in there, inside his own hull, as a human being -- but in fact he's far more robotic than John Wayne" (p. 694).

I'm pretty much over this week-to-week business. Now that the end is in sight (roughly 300 pages), I'm abandoning the schedule and reading as much as I can. Scheduling reading has only ever worked for me as far as it goes. I prefer to immerse myself, however much a novel like IJ seems to discourage that. The book is always structurally interesting, but it starts to get more complicated now as various characters and plots begin to almost slide into one another. There's a cool series of scenes where Matty Pemulis observes Poor Tony, Kate Gompert, and Ruth van Cleve pass by, with Lenz running around the fringes, where pretty soon all the paths intersect at some point, with or without the characters (or the reader) noticing. There's a lot in here about J.O.I.'s films, which seem increasingly unnecessary (but so much of the book is, and is meant to be). The section on the Incandenza family from Joelle's perspective provides some of the clearest insight we have of them, and they are indeed one of the saddest families in literature. We also get Joelle's history from Molly Notkin, both interestingly told from outside perspectives, as if main characters can't be trusted to see their own families clearly.

Week 21 (p. 809-981)

I forgot how totally frustrating it is to near the end of this book and realize the plot isn't going to wrap up in any sort of satisfying way. Wallace commented in an interview (I forget which) that he didn't need to talk about what happens at the end of the book because we know what happens. Buddy, YOU know what happens. The rest of us are here flailing about trying to fit a thousand pieces together, as I suppose we're meant to. We know that the A.F.R. is planning to infiltrate Enfield by the end of the novel, that Poutrincourt is one of their spies ("...which is the slip that indicates that Poutrincourt's figured out that Steeply is neither a civilian soft-profiler nor even a female ... and would require an almost professionally hypervigilant and suspicious person to notice the significance of" p. 1052)., and that John Wayne has some vague connection besides simply being Canadian. We know that, given Orin's capture at the end, they will probably have a Master copy of the Entertainment very soon. What we don't know is how that all goes down, what the fallout is for O.N.A.N., or how Hal gets to be in the state he is in the first chapter (DMZ? AFR? I still can't decide).

"...but it couldn't ordinarily affect anybody or anything solid, and it could never speak right to anybody, a wraith had no out-loud voice of its own, and had to use somebody's like internal brain-voice if it wanted to try to communicate with something, which was why thoughts and insights that were coming from some wraith always just sound like your own thoughts, from inside your own head, if a wraith's trying to interface with you" (p. 831).

This seems like the most compelling motive for J.O.I. to want to dose Hal with DMZ, if in fact he did. Wraiths can only talk to someone who has slowed way down and is no longer experiencing time the way humans normally do--which sounds exactly like what happens when someone ingests DMZ. By the end of the novel (the beginning chapter), we know that Hal can no longer communicate with the outside world, but that there's nothing wrong with his brain voice ("I am in here" p. 3). Will Hal and Jim finally get to have a conversation?

It's clearer than ever that something has happened to Hal though. I don't know if there's any support for the DMZ toothbrush theory--I was actively looking for it and didn't find any, other than the DMZ obviously being missing when Pemulis goes to get it and Hal and other E.T.A. kids vigilantly guarding their toothbrushes. If it's true, it's a leap, but making a leap may be the only way to make sense of that particular conundrum. Whatever has happened is getting worse, as people continually interpret Hal's facial expressions as either very sad or very amused, when we know he's neither. Most tellingly, the narrative switches to first person point of view, Hal telling his own story for the first time (chronologically, if not structurally).

"He dreams he's with a very sad kid and they're in a graveyard digging some dead guy's head up and it's really important, like Continental-Emergency important ... and the sad kid is trying to scream at Gately that the important thing was buried in the guy's head and to divert the Continental Emergency to start digging the guy's head up before it's too late, but the kid moves his mouth and nothing comes out ... while the sad kid holds something terrible up by the hair and makes the face of somebody shouting in panic: Too Late" (p. 934).

It seems like Gately eventually recovers, since we know he goes with Hal to help dig up J.O.I.'s head (verified in chapter one when Hal recalls it). It's possible the Wraith told him about the Entertainment, and this seems especially plausible when Gately somehow knows the plot of the Entertainment while he's still lying in the hospital. It's also possible that Joelle told him about it; through her conversation with Steeply (p. 940), we know that she knew the Masters were buried with Himself--which, ironically, is now buried in the Great Concavity. I'm still not clear about how John Wayne got involved, but there's this super oblique comment in an endnote about Bernard Wayne, a potential A.F.R. member who had not jumped when the train arrived and later drowned (p. 1060), which could potentially be John's father or grandfather.

I had forgotten that the 'Swiss' hand model was actually Luria P----. There are two obvious nods to other novels near the end here, with Fackelmann's A Clockwork Orange style end, and Orin's business with the cockroaches echoing the rats in 1984, specifically his nonsensical shouting "'Do it to her!'" (p. 972). Her who? Luria? Avril? All Subjects in general? I'm a little curious as to why Wallace bothered to make the references. He was doing well on the graphic horror all on his own, no need for outside references.

I'm amused by how many of my questions in my Q and A section are still unanswered. I thought if I paid closer attention on a second read that I would pick up more of the plot things I'd missed on my first, but I don't think that was the problem. I think it's that those answers simply aren't to be found in the actual text. Of course, they can point us toward various conclusions, and the novel certainly encourages us to speculate and make connections, but I don't think the actual answers are there. I have some more thoughts on this, and I'll likely have a review up this week or next.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

Questions & Working Theories

[tw: drug mention, infidelity, incest, statutory rape]

Q: What happened to Hal? (Obvi) - Hal purposely ate the DMZ. He even says in this section, “I cannot make myself understood, now. Call it something I ate” (p. 10). I never bought this explanation, though, because later in the book it seems like Hal is making an effort to come off drugs. - The mold Hal ate as a child had long-term effects, and something (coming off drugs?) may have triggered his current condition. Also supported by, “Call it something I ate” (p. 10). - Aaron Swartz has a very convincing theory that Hal accidentally ate the DMZ when The Wraith placed it on his toothbrush. (Again, supported by above.) Hal is an excellent communicator but lacks feelings, and J.O.I. was attempting to create something that would draw his son out of himself. - Hal was injured when the A.F.R. attacked Enfield Tennis Academy. There’s a weird line in this chapter: “I once saw the word KNIFE finger-written on the steamed mirror of a nonpublic bathroom” (p. 16). This is likely also the work of The Wraith, indicating some kind of violence, perhaps the A.F.R. attack on Enfield. - "A surreal memory of a steamed lavatory mirror with a knife sticking out of the pane" (p. 951). A: Still unclear, but I'm leaning more toward DMZ than A.F.R. on this read. We can see Hal's symptoms growing worse from the Eschaton game onward, and in the last chapters, people think he's either laughing or grimacing when he's not feeling either of those things. Still super interested in the mirror/knife asides though. Is this part of the A.F.R. attack?

Q: Why was Hal hospitalized “almost exactly one year back” (p. 16)? - The side effects of the DMZ were first starting to appear. - Hal was injured in the A.F.R. attack. - It’s clear, also, that this was when Hal met Gately. Although they never have an on-page scene together, Hal refers to the two of them attempting to dig up J.O.I.’s head to find the Entertainment, alongside a masked John Wayne. A: Unclear. See above.

Q: How did Gately, Hal, and John find out about the Entertainment in order to dig it up? How did they discover where it was hidden? - Himself actually mentions that the cartridge has been implanted in his head when he’s talking to Hal as a posed conversationalist. However, this is all the way back in the Year of the Tucks Medicated Pad, when Hal is only ten-going-on-eleven. Hard to imagine that Hal remembered what was basically a throw-away comment, let alone understood its meaning. - The Wraith may have told Gately about it while he was lying in the hospital, the same way Gately somehow knows the plot of the Entertainment while he's there. - Joelle may have told them about it, since from her conversation with Steeply, we know that she knows that all the Masters were buried with Jim, which is now buried in the Great Concavity. A: Unclear, but several plausible scenarios.

Q: Who is mailing out the Entertainment? - Swartz suggests that it’s Orin Incandenza, who later under threat of torture releases it to the A.F.R. This seems well-supported by the text, since the initial cartridge is mailed from Arizona, and it’s conveniently sent to a medical attaché with whom Avril probably had an affair (per J.O.I.’s conversation with Hal). - Some support for this theory during one of Hal and Orin's phone conversations: "'What are you doing going to the post office? You hate snail-mail. And you quit mailing the Moms the pseudo-form-replies two years ago, Mario says'" (p. 244). Why is Orin at the post office, if not to mail more copies of the Entertainment? - However, as Marie pointed out, we don't know for sure that Orin was in Arizona in April YDAU. He's there in October, but there's a flashback of him in New Orleans in July that doesn't mention the year. If it was YDAU, Orin couldn't have postmarked the Cartridge from Arizona in April. - Orin also asks Hal directly about the days leading up to Himself's death, and he seems suspiciously interested in whatever film he was working on. "'Did he have film-related things with him when he flew somewhere? A film case? Equipment?'" (p. 250). However, if he already knew about the Entertainment back in April, why ask Hal about it in November? - This conversation is continued in a lengthy endnote where Orin asks about the definition of samizdat ("the generic meaning now is any sort of politically underground or beyond-the-pale press or the stuff published thereby" (p. 1011) and comments, "'So you'd have no idea why The Mad Stork's name would come up in connection with somebody saying samizdat?'" (p. 1011). Again, it's suspicious that he's even asking, but also, if he already knows about the Entertainment, why bother to ask? Is he trying to find out, or just trying to find out what Hal knows about it? Why? - "...place the likely dissemination-point someplace along the U.S. north border, with routing hubs in metro Boston/New Bedford and/or somewhere in the desert Southwest" (p. 549). Obviously, the Southwest could be Orin, but who's distributing it in Boston? Orin before he moved? I'd guess the Antitoi brothers, but their copy turned out to be blank (or seemed to be, if it was played on the wrong model). Orin has motive to want the medical attache dead for the affair with his mother, but why the film scholar, the avant-garde film festival, and the members of the Academy of D.A.S.? Were these Himself's rivals, or people Avril also had affairs with? - "Swiss cuckolds, furtive near-Eastern medical attachés, zaftig print-journalists: he felt ready for anything" (p. 597). - "There was reason to think M. DuPlessis had received his original copies from this relative, an athlete. Marathe felt U.S.B.S.S. felt this person may have borne responsibility for the razzles and dazzles of Berkeley and Boston, U.S.A." (p. 723). Did Orin give a copy to DuPlessis, or did he send it to him to kill him? A: It seems pretty clear on a re-read that it is Orin sending out the Entertainment, either from Boston before he left it or from Arizona where he currently lives, or both. I'm still not clear how he knew about it in the first place though, in order to dig it up. Between Orin's capture/torture at the end and the Antitoi brothers' having copies of DuPlessis's stolen cartridges, it seems certain that the A.F.R. will soon locate a Master copy. (The Antitoi's turns out to be Read-Only p. 725.)

Q: How did Orin find out about the Entertainment? - Joelle might have told him, though this was after her disfigurement and their breakup, so I'm not sure why she would. A: Unclear.

Q: When did Orin transfer from New Orleans to Arizona? - In June YW-QMD, Orin was still with the New Orleans Saints, per the mail between him and Avril (p. 1006-7). - In October YDAU, he's in Arizona. Q: Unclear.

Q: What happened to John Wayne that he can’t win this year’s WhataBurger competition? A: SUPER UNCLEAR. Thanks for nothing. We know he survived the A.F.R. attack (if Steeply didn’t stop the attack) because he’s in the off-page graveyard scene with Hal and Gately. Was he an A.F.R. target after that for going against them?

Q: What “sordid liaison” (p. 30) with the M. DuPlessis, who dies in a later chapter, did the Incandenza family have? - Still not clear, but it sounds like J.O.I. either purposely or under duress gave a Master copy (or copyable copy) of the Entertainment to DuPlessis, or had it stolen from him before or after his death, and it was then stolen by accident when Gately robbed and killed DuPlessis. ("Whether or not the A.F.R. ever even recover this alleged Master copy from the DuPlessis burglary..." (p. 489).) A: Best guess is that Avril had an affair with DuPlessis, Orin/Jim discovered the affair (possibly with a name written on the fogged up glass of Avril's car), and Orin sent him a copy to kill him, which he didn't watch (because he died? Not clear on the timeline). The copy was then stolen by Gately and ended up with the Antitoi brothers.

Q: Is Marathe a double-agent, or is he just pretending to be a double agent? - Marathe has betrayed the A.F.R. and is aiding Steeply and the Americans in finding the Entertainment in order to get medical care for his wife. - Marathe is only pretending to betray the A.F.R. in order to get more information from Steeply. A: Marathe is a double-agent, and is actually betraying the A.F.R. "The A.F.R. believed Marathe functioned as a triple agent, pretending to betray his nation for his wife, memorizing every detail of the meetings with B.S.S. ... M. Fortier did not know Marathe had reached the internal choice that he loved his skull-deprived and heart-defective wife Gertraud Marathe more than he loved the Separatist and anti-O.N.A.N. cause of the nation of Québec..." (p. 529).

Q: Where did the tripod set up in the middle of nowhere on the ETA grounds come from? - The U.S.S. Millicent Kent set up the tripod as an excuse to get Mario alone. - This is the possibly the first instance of the Wraith's work. He's responsible for most of the odd occurrences at ETA, and "Mario said his late dad had used a somewhat less snazzy IV-model Husky back in his early days of making art-films..." (p. 122).) A: The Wraith put it there. "But it's true. The Husky VI tripod of Mario's near-fatal encounter with the U.S.S. Millicent Kent was only the beginning" (p. 632). After this, the instances of objects being in odd places around E.T.A. increases dramatically.

Q: Who is the narrator in some of these sections about ETA? - It's a distinct voice from the sections that have conversations, but it also sounds a little like someone talking to us. ("I want to be like that. Able to just sit all quiet and pull life toward me..." (p. 128). Is this a character? A: Unclear. The only clear first person POV character we have in the novel is Hal. In some ways, the narrator's voice does sound a lot like Hal's, but if this is the case, he also discusses himself in third person a lot (which... Hal is pretty removed from himself, so that's not entirely impossible). I'm not confident enough to say that Hal is the mystery narrator throughout the book though.

Q: Are the effects of DMZ the effects we see in Hal in the first chapter? A: Very likely. Whatever starts in the Eschaton game grows worse toward the end of the novel, as people continually interpret Hal's facial expressions as either very sad or very amused, when we know he's neither. Most tellingly, the narrative switches to first person point of view, Hal telling his own story for the first time (chronologically, if not structurally).

Q: Why do Hal's symptoms in the Eschaton game seem more like DMZ side effects than marijuana side effects? Was there DMZ mixed with it? Was it purposely mixed in, or was it the work of the Wraith? - This is the first time we see Hal with similar symptoms as the ones he has in the first chapter, which seems to suggest that--whether or not the DMZ and marijuana are related, whether it was intentional or not--Hal did take the DMZ on Interdependence Day YDAU. - Pemulis goes looking for the DMZ later on, which seems to suggest it wasn't intentional, at least not on his end. Hal also doesn't consciously acknowledge that he's going to take it in this chapter either. - Mario reflecting on his brother: "He can't tell if Hal is sad. He is having a harder and harder time reading Hal's state of mind or whether he's in good spirits. This worries him. He used to be able to sort of preverbally know in his stomach generally where Hal was and what he was doing, even if Hal was far away and playing or if Mario was away, and now he can't anymore" (p. 590). Why the change? DMZ-related? - "But the crisis of faith that cost Stice the match had concerned a different Hal, Hal can tell. It's now a whole new Hal, a Hal who does not get high, or hide, a Hal who in 29 days is going to hand his own personal urine over to authority figures with a wide smile and exemplary posture and not a secretive thought in his head" (p. 635). If Hal took the DMZ on purpose, does he know it will be out of his system in a month? What else could have created a "whole new Hal"? It seems like a leap to think that quitting marijuana is the sole cause of all the changes. A: Very likely that Hal took DMZ, maybe more than once, starting at the Eschaton game.

Q: Who is Mario's father, Jim or Charles? - This is more of a detail question than anything because I'm not sure I care about the answer. It certainly doesn't seem to matter to Mario. He obviously bonded a lot with Jim over film in a way that seems almost worshipful at times, and I'm always in the camp of family is who you choose, not necessarily who you're related to. Also, Charles seems repelled by Mario, whereas Jim apparently loved him and spent time with him, so fuck Charles. A: Unclear.

Q: Is Charles Avril's half-brother or step-brother? - Again, this is a detail question, although one is significantly grosser than the other if they're having an affair, which it sounds like they are/were. ("...the thing it's not entirely impossible he may have fathered asleep up next to the sound system..." (p. 451).) That’s... not really a question if they weren’t sleeping together. Fuck you twice, Charles. - "Charles Tavis is probably not related to the Moms by actual blood" (p. 900). A: According to Hal, he's most likely her step-brother, though it doesn't seem like anyone ever cared enough to verify this.

Q: Was Pemulis selling DMZ to the Antitoi brothers, or buying it from them? - "Bertraund had been starry-eyed enough to agree to barter the person an antique blue lava-lamp and a lavender-tinged apothecary's mirror for eighteen unexceptional-looking and old lozenges the long-haired old person had claimed in a jumble of West-Swiss-accented French were 650 mg. of a trop-formidable harmful pharmaceutical no longer available and guaranteed to make one's most hair-raising psychedelic experience look like a day on the massage-tables of a Basel hot-springs resort..." (p. 482) A: Unclear, but I'm guessing buying, since Pemulis ends up with it and, as far as we know, the Antitoi brothers don't.

Q: What's the significance of Lucien Antitoi's spirit immediately after his death? Does this have an impact on the Wraith's activities? - "...and is free, catapulted home over fans and the Convexity's glass palisades at desperate speeds, soaring north, sounding a bell-clear and nearly maternal alarmed call-to-arms in all the world's well-known tongues" (p. 489). A: It seems like the Wraith's activities amplify after Lucien's death. If he knows that Hal is in danger from the A.F.R., he might be trying to rally Gately to help.

Q: If Pemulis has Avril's affair with John Wayne to hold over her, why is he still expelled at the end of the novel? A: WOOPS. Peemster accidentally dosed John with 'drines, as well as his very public tennis opponent. Can't help feeling Pemulis unfairly got the worst of it, while Avril got in zero trouble for having an affair with a teenage student. Also, hilariously, Hal already knew about the affair and didn't care about it.

Q: What's up with John Wayne and Hal? - "...John ('N.R.') Wayne opened up the ajar door a little more and put his whole head in and stayed like that, with just his head in. He didn't say anything and Hal didn't say anything, and they stayed like that for a while, and then Wayne's head smoothly withdrew" (p. 560). - "I could somehow tell for sure that John Wayne's head was inside the open door. I could feel it clearly, almost painfully. He was looking down at me lying there on the Lindisfarne carpet. There was none of the gathering tension of a person deciding whether or not to speak. I could feel my throat's equipment move when I swallowed. John Wayne and I never had much to say to one another. There wasn't even hostility between us" (p. 956). A: No idea. There’s the possibility that John is a spy for the A.F.R. the same as Poutrincourt, but I’d thought they had to infiltrate the tennis academy because they didn’t have another spy already in place. Thanks to the weird endnote, we know he has some connection, but I’m not totally sure what it is.

Q: Do Pemulis's descriptions of the effects of annulation have anything to do with how DMZ affects people, or the effect the mold Hal ate as a child had on him? It seems oddly similar to how Hal is experiencing time in the first chapter. Is this how J.O.I. stumbled onto it? - "'Accelerated phenomena, which is actually equivalent to an incredible slowing down of time", "relativity of time in extreme organic environments" (p. 573). A: Could be one of a million metaphors in this book.

[globabuzz]

10 Ways to Balance Your Hormones Naturally - Don't Mess with Mama

Do you feel like your hormones are out of control? You’re not alone. Most women have experienced a hormonal imbalance. Here are the signs and symptoms of a hormonal imbalance…

21 Signs of a Hormonal Imbalance Have you experienced any of these symptoms?

Foggy thinking Increased forgetfulness Insomnia Water retention Weight gain around the waist Abdominal fat Decreased muscle mass, and strength Decreased urine flow Prostate problems Increased urinary urge Fatigue Difficulty sleeping Anxiety Decreased stamina Dizzy spells Lightheadedness Frequent colds/flu Headaches Irritability Morning fatigue Sugar cravings You could have a hormonal imbalance. The first thing you need to do is do an at-home hormone test or take the hormone quiz I recommend below to see what’s out of balance.

What Causes Hormone Imbalance? Virtually everyone experiences imbalanced hormone levels at some point in their lives, especially women. These imbalances are often a result of natural changes that occur with age, such as puberty and menopause. When you were growing up, hormones triggered bone and muscle growth. They also set in motion the reproductive changes that led to menstruation and fertility in young women, and sexual maturity in young men. This surge of hormones is behind the acne, mood swings, and other “teen” issues that affect most adolescents.

On the other end of the spectrum, hormone production slows as you leave your reproductive years behind. A decline in hormone production is what leads to perimenopause and menopause symptoms in women, and low libido and erectile dysfunction in men entering middle age.

Some hormonal imbalances, however, can have other underlying causes beyond the natural aging processes, including:

Chronic stress Elevated blood sugar Lack of Sleep Thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or birth control pills Type 1 or type 2 diabetes Being overweight Endocrine disruptors such as pesticides, herbicides, and plastics Steroids and other medications Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Why Is Hormone Balance Important? Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They help control every physiological process in your body, including metabolism, immune system, menstrual cycle, and reproduction. A precise hormone balance is vital to proper body functioning.

How to Test Your Hormones One of my favorite resources for balancing hormones naturally is the book The Hormone Cure by Sara Gottfried. She has a quiz you can take in the book to figure out on your own what hormones are out of balance, and she gives natural remedies, exercises, supplements, and other tips to balance hormones. For instance, if you have higher cortisol levels, you’ll want to stay away from running and intense exercises like kickboxing. Yoga and mind-body exercises are better suited for you.

While The Hormone Cure is a great start, I also recommend getting a hormone lab test. It’s the most accurate way of finding out what’s going on with your hormones. It’s an at-home hormone lab test that tests saliva samples (which is one of the most accurate ways to test hormones). This test provides an assessment for estradiol/estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and cortisol (am, noon, dinner, and before bed).

And the best part? You can schedule a one-on-one consultation with a functional medicine doctor with True Health Labs to go over your test results. There’s no need to schedule a doctor visit.  There’s no need to drive to your appointment. Just add the consultation to your cart when you order the at-home hormone lab test. The entire process took about 2-3 weeks from the time I received the kit, sent in my samples, waited for the results, and had my consultation.

You can then use the tips in this post and The Hormone Cure book to balance your hormones naturally.

Video Q&A with Dr. Brady Hurst I also interviewed Dr. Brady Hurst of True Health Labs on the basics of women’s hormones, how hormones affect other body systems, symptoms of hormone imbalances, how diet and lifestyle can affect hormones, natural ways to balance hormones, and how to get an at-home female hormones test.

10 Ways to Balance Hormones Naturally 1. Try seed cycling Did you know you can actually regulate your menstrual cycle and reduce PMS (and PMS-related symptoms like cramping) naturally? You can with seed cycling. This concept may seem new but naturopathic health practitioners have been using this method for a while to balance hormones. Cycling seeds (such as pumpkin, flax, sunflower, or sesame seeds) at certain times of the menstrual cycle can help your body to produce hormones or eliminate certain hormones to quell PMS symptoms. Find out more about how to balance hormones naturally with seed cycling.

2. Avoid GMO foods While it’s no surprise that dairy, meat, and pork may come from cows and pigs who have been treated with hormones, genetically-modified (GMO) foods can cause hormonal imbalance too. Long-term ingestion GMO foods that are sprayed with pesticides can cause hormonal issues that have been linked to depression, infertility, PCOS, and cancer. Eating a diet with little to no GMO foods and rich in local and organic produce can help to balance hormones.

3. Walk barefoot Crazy as it may sound – the key to lowering cortisol (a hormone associated with stress, inflammation, and sleep dysfunction) may be to walk barefoot – like on a grassy lawn, sandy beach, or even a concrete road. There are 1,300+ nerve endings per square inch on the soles of your feet – more than any other part of your body. Walking barefoot – or earthing – helps to ground you to the earth and in a way conduct the energy from the ground. Keep reading The Healing Power of Earthing.

4. Eat more liver Your mother was right. The liver really is good for you – and in a way, you wouldn’t expect. The liver is the most nutrient-dense food you can eat. It can help to curb PMS and mood swings, increase energy, and improve cardiovascular stamina. While the thought of eating liver each day may seem unfathomable, you can take liver pills (de.

5. Cut down on sugar and alcohol The two biggest endocrine disruptors are sugar and wine. Sugar can lead to inflammation and feeds yeast in the gut, which can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other digestive issues. Alcohol disrupts your body’s natural detox abilities, which helps to keep your hormones in check. Lay off both sugar and alcohol to feel better within just a week.

6. Take a detox bath Balance your hormones with a relaxing bath. But not just any bath. A detox bath with Epsom salts. Epsom salts provide magnesium to help to balance and support healthy hormones.

7. Drink water sole Unlike you’ve been told as a kid, drinking salt water is good for you. Unlike ocean water or saltwater made with table salt, water sole is made with natural salt such as Himalayan pink salt. It’s like a natural electrolyte drink. Drinking a lot of plain water can dilute the fluid in the body and may cause a stress response – such as an increase in stress hormones. Water sole hydrates without diluting the body. Natural salt also helps to reduce stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline – encouraging a better night’s sleep. Read more on how to make water sole and its benefits.

8. Avoid soy Soy and soy products have been touted as a health food for decades, but the reality is that soy is not healthy. If eaten unfermented, soy has anti-nutrients that actually block the absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. In addition, eating as little as two tablespoons of soybeans per day for a month can significantly increase thyroid-stimulating hormones. Soy consumption is linked to thyroid issues such as hypothyroidism, goiter, and autoimmune thyroid disease.

9. Ditch the low-fat diet Fat is really good for you, especially saturated fat. Your body depends on fat for necessary functions. It supports metabolic rate (metabolism), thyroid function, immune system, and digestion. The best options for saturated fats are butter (from organic or grass-fed cows), ghee, and rendered fats (such as lard and tallow).

Cold-pressed olive oil is another great fat source – just don’t heat it. Save it for salads or as a garnish on foods. While saturated fats from animal fat and are good for you, there are two facts you should avoid.

Vegetable oils (such as canola, cottonseed, soybean, and grapeseed) are polyunsaturated fats that actually cause inflammation and can cause a hormonal imbalance. These fats are usually derived from GMO sources, contain pesticides, and are heavily refined and processed. Trans fats are another fat to avoid – occurring in hydrogenated oils such as Crisco and food products with hydrogenated oils.

10. Consider supplements Sometimes eating a whole food diet isn’t enough to help balance hormones. Consider supplements such as magnesium, calcium, and fish oil/omega-3 – as well as herbs and whole foods such as Tulsi (holy basil), gelatin, Maca root. These delicious treats help to balance stressors in the body – including estrogen imbalance.

Sleep And Hormone Imbalance No matter how nutritious your diet is and how much exercise you get, your health will suffer if you don’t get enough restorative sleep.

Poor sleep has been linked to imbalances of many hormones, including insulin, cortisol, leptin, ghrelin, and growth hormone.

Inadequate or poor-quality sleep has been shown to decrease fullness hormones, increase hunger and stress hormones, reduce growth hormone, and increase insulin resistance.

Top Tips To Balance Hormones Naturally Take a bath with Epsom salts for a detox. Avoid GMO foods Tulsi is a great natural supplement to help with hormone imbalance. Make sure to get enough good quality sleep.

[arcticblastdrops-blog]

My Arctic Blast Review – Pain Relieving Drops Or Scam?

What Is ArcticBlast?

ArcticBlast is an exacerbate that is intended to be scoured onto any aspect of your body that harms. Its fundamental dynamic fixing is DMSO. That is short for Dimethyl sulfoxide. This synthetic happens in nature and is endorsed for specific uses by the Federal Drug Association (FDA.) According to the FDA, DMSO is utilized during bone marrow transfers, to lessen cerebrum growing after horrible mind wounds happen, and for the treatment of interstitial cystitis. It additionally diminishes general torment.

ArcticBlast isn't an enhancement that is ingested. Rather, the item arrives in a little container that accompanies a dropper. A couple of drops are set on a region of the body that damages, and afterward the item is scoured into the skin. The item shouldn't be utilized each day or everywhere on over the body. Rather, the treatment can be focused to where the torment is. This improves it than customary agony meds that are ingested and just work for a brief timeframe. ArcticBlast is intended to return you in charge of your life.

What Does ArcticBlast Contain?

As indicated by the ArcticBlast site, the compound has one dynamic fixing – DMSO. Since DMSO in a concentrated structure can cause consumes and different issues, the adaptation in ArcticBlast is blended in with different mixes. The outcomes are a fluid that can be effectively applied to the skin.

Studies have been done on DMSO, which is viewed as a non-harmful "polar aprotic dissolvable." This alludes to its compound cosmetics, not the way that is originates from the Arctic. DMSO has a few uses and is endorsed by the FDA. It has been around for more than 100 years, as it was found by a Russian researcher named Alexander Zaytsev in 1866. DMSO is utilized in both ordinary (human) medication and in veterinary medication. In the last mentioned, it is utilized in horse liniment, which removes the torment.

DMSO is a skin medicine that improves blood stream, decreases aggravation, and can diminish the impacts of maturing. It does the last through its cell reinforcement properties. It additionally shows up in antifungal meds where it expands their viability. DMSO is the principle fixing in ArcticBlast and is the fundamental motivation behind why the item works so well overall. That you should simply put some on a territory of the body that damages and afterward rub it in. It is intended to be that easy to utilize!

*Disclaimer: Individual Results will Vary

Speedy Breakdown of Benefits ArcticBlast Provides:

​ArcticBlast comprises of DMSO, an exacerbate that is known to diminish torment and is endorsed by the FDA

​You don't have to ingest ArcticBlast. Rather, you essentially rub it onto your skin

​No way of life changes are required so as to utilize ArcticBlast

​DMSO is a mitigating and a cancer prevention agent that will improve blood stream

*Disclaimer: Individual Results will Vary

What Do You Get When You Order ArcticBlast?

Each jug of ArcticBlast contains 1.0 liquid ounces of the item. Since you won't need it consistently – similarly as torment happens – there isn't generally any method of realizing how long one jug will last. There isn't a suggested "serving" size since ArcticBlast isn't really ingested. Rather, it's applied to the skin with a dropper, and everything necessary are a couple of drops of the item.

At the point when you buy ArcticBlast there are a few rewards that accompany your buy. Each of the three are digital books. The first is known as The Anti-Inflammation Diet. It contains various nourishments to eat and an eating regimen to follow so as to diminish aggravation in your body. This digital book regularly sells for $37.00. The second digital book is considered Feed Your Joints Back To Life. It is typically valued at $29.00. This book contains data about nourishments that you can eat so as to expand the ligament in your body and ease joint agony. At long last, the last free reward is a digital book that reveals to you how to live a "more drawn out and more beneficial life." It's called Longevity Secrets From the Healthiest 100-Year-Olds. This book regularly sells for $47.00. Out and out, you get $113.00 worth of books for nothing. Since they are all digital books, connections to download them will show up once your ArcticBlast buy experiences.

Reward #1 - The Anti-Inflammation Diet

To let your body really mend you need to recognize what to evade, yet more critically comprehend what to place IN your body, to gracefully it with supplements that will relieve and quiet your whole body.

Here's Jessica's involvement in the book…

"This book has transformed me. That is all. At the point when I previously observed this book I was promptly charmed… yet in addition somewhat suspicious. Curing the interminable agony I have felt for a considerable length of time with essential nourishments appeared to be amazing. "No prescription or pills? Can't be valid. I possibly understood the intensity of this book when I got to day 14 of following the eating routine. I was totally torment FREE without precedent for a long time, and felt a liveliness and unadulterated centered vitality that I had just felt in my young 20's. The plans… Wow… so cracking astonishing heavenly and simple to make. My most loved was the Ginger Berry Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie which I have each day. I languished with interminable back torment over numerous years, and the specialists said I could fail to help it. I refuted them by utilizing these straightforward successful methods in this book, and I suggest you do likewise!"

*Disclaimer: Individual Results will Vary

Reward #2 - Feed Your Joints Back To Life

It's about how to for all intents and purposes reboot the mending cycle of your joints. There are numerous nourishments to modify ligament. Indeed, the data in the book without anyone else will create astounding outcomes.

At the point when you get your hands on these reasonable, simple to-make, scrumptious plans to remake ligament, you will quicken the speed at which you recuperate your more youthful, agile, torment free body once more.

All alone, it's sold for $29. Yet, you can download it with the expectation of complimentary when you make a move and attempt ArcticBlast.

*Disclaimer: Individual Results will Vary

Reward #3 - Longevity Secrets

Life span Secrets is loaded with astonishing, all-common thoughts gained from individuals who've lived to 100, however who are solid and fit at least 100 for living a more extended, more advantageous life, more joyful. It's stunning how little of a specific sweet nectar in your tea can help inside mending. Or on the other hand how going for a stroll for this period of time following a specific feast every day can lessen the danger of stroke and coronary illness. The tips are composed into parts on diet, mending, condition, exercise, and connections so you can undoubtedly dunk into the territories you'd prefer to address. Wedding insight from the East with the most recent logical advances from the West, Longevity Secrets From The Healthiest 100-Year-Olds puts readily available an entire host of approaches to make your stay on earth longer, more beneficial, and a whole lot more joyful.

*Disclaimer: Individual Results will Vary

Pick YOUR DISCOUNTED PACKAGE

Get ArcticBlast today at a gigantic markdown while supplies endures

Request ArcticBlast Today!

Who Makes ArcticBlast?

ArcticBlast is made by Nutriomo Labs Pte. LTD. The item was made by Kevin Richardson, who has built up a few every single characteristic cure and diet plans. He saw a requirement for an all-regular help with discomfort treatment, so ArcticBlast was conceived. The tributes on the site are from previous expert competitors who required help with discomfort that didn't depend on customary torment meds. Kevin Richardson met with some of them through his different endeavors and began investigating the issue. He met a doctor who acquainted him with the item that in the end became ArcticBlast. This all-regular agony reliever filled a missing specialty in the market.

SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ARCTICBLAS

I was at first distrustful about this item, however then I chose to check it out. (What's the damage, right?) It transformed me. I'm glad to such an extent that I purchased ArcticBlast. I'm trust some time or another I won't need it any longer, yet up to that point, it is giving me the help that I need now.

My better half was correct!

My better half observed a business for Arctic Blast, and requested it for me to attempt. I was disturbed from the start, since I didn't figure it would work. Be that as it may, it did. My better half was correct! Simply don't disclose to her that I said that since I'll never hear its finish.

Suggested by a neighbor

My neighbor that realizes I have joint agony, enlightened me regarding ArcticBlast. In this way, I attempted it. She's never controlled me wrong. She positively didn't this time. ArcticBlast worked simply like she said it would. I'd trust her with my life.

*These tributes and ArcticBlast surveys depend on the encounters of a couple of individuals and you might not have comparable outcomes. Continuously counsel your doctor before rolling out any dietary improvements or beginning any sustenance, weight control or exercise program.

The amount Does ArcticBlast Cost?

ArcticBlast is an enhancement that comes in 1 liquid ounce bottles. Those containers are sold in different bundles, contingent upon the amount of the item you need to buy at once:

​One container of ArcticBlast is $49.95

Three containers of ArcticBlast are $119.95

Six containers of ArcticBlast are $199.95

Since its absolutely impossible of knowing how long a container of ArcticBlast will last, it's difficult to decide what number of "servings" of it you'll get. Everything relies upon your torment levels and how frequently you have to apply it. Be that as it may, we can separate the costs of each jug in the bundle plans. On the off chance that you buy the three-month gracefully of ArcticBlast, you're just paying $39.98 per bottle. This is right around ten dollars not exactly the single jug cost. Notwithstanding, on the off chance that you pick the six jug choice, you're just paying $33.32 per bottle. This is an impressive reserve funds. Installments for ArcticBlast are taken care of by Paypal. This gives you some purchaser insurances. In any case, the organization that makes the item has a 365-day unconditional promise. In the event that you don't care for ArcticBlast or feel like it isn't working for you, at that point yo

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